Arcanoi

Arcanoi are the powers wielded by, and the namesake of, the Arcane Immortals. The odd Mortal, mostly Mediums, learns to wield an Arcanos or two, though few Arcanoi are helpful to most mortals. Arcanoi, and Arcane Immortals in general, are tied to the Coil; A strange space of overlap between the underworld and the mortal world, which Wraiths (Mortal Souls which live in the Underworld, contrast with Ghosts who still haunt the mortal world) call the Shadowlands and Skinlands, respectively. The two overlap across the entire world, only separated by the Stormwall (Which replaced the Veil after the Sixth Great Maelstrom), but the Coil is unique. Well, there are multiple Coils, but few people know that, so it's just "The Coil." The Coils mark the places where powerful Nephilim (Which also includes Demigods and the like) died, as their souls weren't meant to go to the Underworld. The more human parts of their souls went onto be Ferrymen of the Tempest (The underworld ocean and sky), but the magic released by the soul splitting permanently scars the Stormwall, allowing some of the Underworld's entropic energies to seep through and be guided by the quasi-sentient scars.

And that's how Arcanoi happened. Before Nephilim had died in each region of overlap (Broadly divided into Kingdoms), the Ghosts and Wraiths were powerless Shades in those regions, and any acts of reanimation were intentionally done by Mortals or Immortals. Now, enough Nephilim have bit the dust that nowhere on Earth is outside the influence of a Coil. As such, Arcane Immortals can be found anywhere. This also isn't recent, the last Coil was established in Australia a couple hundred years ago, but most have been around for a millennium or more.

Arcanoi, as an effect of the underworld, are unchanging until the underworld itself is twisted. This only happens when a new Coil is established (In which case, new Arcanoi are made), or a Maelstrom hits an area (Great Maelstroms hitting everybody, of course). The Sixth Great Maelstrom hit 20 years ago because some dumbass decided to nuke the labyrinth (Basically "Hell Level 0", where all the Spectres are kept), and so many Arcane Immortals are still grappling with the new effects of their Arcanoi.

Arcanoi broadly follow two categories. Normal Arcanoi, also called Horrors, and Dark Arcanoi, also called Spites. Spites are typically only used by servants of Oblivion, like Spectres. It's important to note that normal Arcane Immortals CAN learn Spites, they just don't help all that much, mostly. Some believe they have a corrupting effect, too, and they do have a "nasty" feeling when being used. All Arcanoi provide a basic effect for simply knowing them, and are otherwise simply bought from 1st dot up, usually with multiple options for the non-basic abilities.

## Horrors

### Argos

Argos is an Arcanos used by explorers of any world. It grants an instinctive understanding of your position and movements, and it's more applied uses allow you to look across or cross the Stormwall, or use it to carry you vast distances before returning to the side you want to be on. The Tempest's twisted geometry allow for many unintuitive shortcuts that look like teleportation to those not paying enough attention. Unlike the vast majority of other Arcanoi, Argos is actually strongest where the Stormwall is thickest.

A wielder of Argos is known as a Harbinger.

(Devnote: Mix with Tempest-Weaving)

### Embody

Embody is an Arcanos that allows Ghosts, Wraiths, and Spectres to manifest in a physical form. It's useful in the material world for obvious reasons, and useful in the Underworld for interacting with travelers or Plasmics, who are often harder to interact with while phantasmal. Embody's higher levels simply allow this manifestation to be more convincing or more powerful, and as such it's basically useless for most other Arcane Immortals, who have a body already. It's basic effect allows you to effect the tangible/intangible while intangible/tangible, if only lightly, and so some Immortals still learn it.

A user of Embody is known as a Proctor.

### Flux

Flux allows an Arcane Immortal to get screwy with spacetime. At it's most basic, Flux allows you to sense the flow of time, and as such alterations to it become somewhat apparent. And you're never late because you lose track of time. Pretty great. More applied uses let the user decay items and age people, move quick or slow, and so on.

Users of Flux are called Alchemists, because of the way they mess with reality. It's an old title.

(Devnote: Combine with Pandemonium)

### Inhabit

Inhabit allows the user to mess with physical objects. It inherently allows you to detect entities within an object, from bound demons to possessing-ghosts to natural spirits. Many intangible Immortals use Inhabit to possess objects, but any user can learn to manipulate the item's functions. This is especially useful with modern gadgets, but few should underestimate the power in loosening screws and bolts, or dulling the edge of a blade.

Users of Inhabit are called Haunters, though some corporeal Immortals have taken to calling eachother Hackers.

(Devnote: Combine with Helter Skelter and Outrage)

### Intimation

Intimation allows the user to affect spiritual beings, such as Ghosts and Naturae. This includes effecting their will as well as setting up wards, or binding them. The basic effect of Intimation is to perceive these entities in the wild, so to speak. Seeing them in objects or in people isn't possible, but as long as they touch the realm you're in, you can see them.

A user of Intimation is called a Solicitor.

### Keening

Keening allows the user to manipulate emotions and senses, sometimes at the same time! At it's most basic level, Keening allows you to project your voice to strange places, though more powerful applications allow you to inspire greatness or awfulness, become irresistible, or harm people by making your voice incredibly loud.

A user of Keening is called a Singer, or Chanteur if you choose to be pretentious, as many users choose to sing as part of the process.

(Devnote: Combine with Phantasm and False Life)

### Kuei

Kuei is a new Arcanos, only created in the wake of the Sixth Great Maelstrom. It allows the user to manipulate animals and beings of animal-like mentality. Certain Plasmics, feral Werebeasts, mindless Vampires and Zombies, and of course, most animals. Reportedly, many birds and mammals seem to be harder to affect, but it's both hard to confirm and not generally-agreed-upon which animals are harder. In any case, the most basic effect of Kuei is to imitate the call of such a creature to attract them. More applied uses allow the detection, manipulation, and salvaging of an animalistic being. Often ghostly animals (A type of Plasmic) are salvaged for their Ephemera and Pathos, but any number of things can be obtained from the worldly entities this functions against.

A user of Kuei is called a Farmer, due to the practice of "farming" Plasmics with it.

### Lifeweb

Lifeweb is used almost exclusively by Ghosts, Spectres, and Wraiths, as it allows you to track, find, and monitor Fetters, the connections that tie a mortal soul to the world and prevent them from passing on. Some Immortals use it alongside Intimation to bind ghosts, but it is a very powerful but limited-use Arcanos. It's basic effect grants you understanding of your own Fetters but more applied uses would let you travel across the Stormwall and Tempest using Fetters, and find Coils.

There is something of a misconception, as Kudlak, Volsung, and other such beings of the underworld do have Fetters, these Fetters just take a different form closer to ordinary Touchstones. Because these Fetters are so different, Lifeweb's effects on them are limited, which is why most Immortals aren't Monitors.

A user of Lifeweb is a Monitor.

### Mnemosynis

This hard-to-pronounce Arcanos allows the user to read minds and steal memories. The most basic effect is the ability to read your own mind, making it essentially impossible to forget things you don't want to forget. More involved effects allow mind-reading, lie-detecting, and telepathy. It works against anything with thoughts or memories, even without souls or brains.

A user of Mnemosynis is a Mnemoi.

### Moliate

Moliate allows the user to manipulate Ephemera, or Ectoplasm, which the underworld is made from. Even the Tempest, though Moliate typically takes time to perform, and the Tempest makes it very hard. This also effects ghosts, and a common punishment is to warp a ghost's ephemera beyond recognition. Like into a brick, or an ashtray. A truly scary number of ghosts have been punished in this way, and it's basically impossible to tell unless you randomly decide to Moliate a mouth onto a random object. Will it scream?

At it's most basic level, Moliate allows you to alter your own ephemera in subtle ways, such as glowing or appearing as you did in life. More complex usage allows the full manipulation of ectoplasm and it's functions. Due to the rarity of ectoplasm in the material realm, this is useful almost exclusively to ghosts.

A user of Moliate is called an Artificer.

### Philosophism

Philosophism is a powerful Arcanos which allows the direct manipulation of the mind of a target, issuing them commands, and at it's most powerful overwriting parts of their personality. It's most basic effect causes your words to have a special gravity about them, regardless of what those words are. Often, users mix Philosophism with Mnemosynis and Keening, altogether becoming a master of the mind. Though, such a combination is rife for abuse, and few would help you in such endeavors. Some would try to kill you for trying. Pray they listen to a few words first.

Of course, the users of this Arcanos are called Philosophers.

(Devnote: Way of the Scholar)

### Puppetry

Puppetry allows the user to hop into mortal bodies. This is the classic possession Arcanos, allowing limited control over limbs, implanting thoughts into the head, etc. On it's most basic level, Puppetry allows the user to see souls and the Auras they give off. Among other things, this also lets the user detect possession and other such matters.

Users of Puppetry are, naturally, Puppeteers.

(Devnote: Mix with Corruption)

### Usury

Usury is the Arcanos which allows the user to convert between different energies, such as Chi, Pathos, and so on, and use them for various purposes. Wraiths see little use for this power (There's really only a couple energies found in the underworld), but with the living world so varied, everybody else finds use for this Arcanos. As a basic effect, Usury lets you detect energies present in people (Sometimes allowing the identification of different Immortal types). More applied uses allows you to convert between and store different energies, alter the underlying resonances present, and use them for esoteric abilities like the opening of portals.

A user of Usury is called an Usurer, uncreatively.

(Devnote: Combine with Shroud-Rending to open portals, Way of the Merchant)

## Spites

### Collogue

This Spite allows beings of Oblivion to call out to eachother. This is also called Hive Mind, because the basic effect allows telepathy and knowledge sharing between Colleagues within a several-mile radius. The servants of Oblivion are very powerful, and even the smallest corrupted Plasmics can call in the big guns with even a basic understanding of Hive Mind. This is the only Spite that is truly out of the hands of good Immortals, as the flood of horrid information drives an Immortal mad like nothing else.

A spectre using Collogue is called a Colleague.

### Connaissance

This Spite is among the most-used for non-Spectres, but is only especially common amongs Wraiths and Ghosts, with some other underworld explorers having it. Connaissance allows the user to tap into Oblivion itself to seek destroyed artifacts. Items fallen to Oblivion are not rare, and many are of massive importance and power. One needs to be close to the Tempest to use this Arcanos. Oblivion can sense that the user is or is not their servant, and as such, one could assume that Oblivion simply sends nothing to a non-corrupt user. The opposite is often true. Powerful artifacts, starting somewhat small before elevating to incredible gifts. It's a trick, and a blatant one. Every Fisher understands it's a trick. No exceptions. That doesn't mean it always fails, though. Oblivion just needs one chance to slip in a corrupt gift, one moment where the User isn't completely guarded, and then the spiral begins.

A user of Connaissance is called a Fisher, though in the modern nights many powerful Wraiths call Connaissance-wielding Spectres "Loot Drops" despite the dangers.

### Contaminate

This Spite allows the user to infect a target with the energy of oblivion. The basic effect allows the user to see this tainted energy within creatures, and often serves as a way to find allies of the Oblivion. Though, they could also be Contaminated, couldn't they? This is why it's not a great method. Not to mention when an Immortal says "I can sense the Oblivion Taint on people because I've studied Contaminate" people will start asking if you've put the taint there, and you're trying to remove a good person... Among other questions. More applied uses allow the warping and twisting of the energies and the person you're putting them into, among other such nastiness. Perhaps a high-level power could be used to drain the corruption, however no sane being has made it so far without falling to Oblivion themselves, so it's an open case.

A user of Contaminate is called a Virus.

(Devnote: mix with Maleficience)

### Larceny

Larceny is sometimes used as a double-edged sword. A user of Larceny can reinforce their existence with Oblivion energies. This can be highly corruptive, but some Immortals find a potent balance using this borrowed power. The basic effect of Larceny allows you to draw Oblivion energies to yourself (Which many tainted beings can use to heal on it's own), while more focused effects include the creation of weapons and armour from pure entropy. Nothing beats it.

A tainted creature who uses Larceny is called a Tank, but normal beings are often called Gamblers.

### Leechcraft

Leechcraft is a parasitic Arcanos, in that it allows the user to suck out the energies of another being. This is considered a Spite more so for the fact that this effect isn't always the best on the mind, especially if the user sucks out tainted energies. Honestly, there are plenty of "Basically-tainted" energies like the energy inside many vampires' blood, even if it isn't truly Oblivion's corruption it's just not good for the sanity. Servants of Oblivion have little to fear, but the average Immortal is taking a very big risk every time. It's basic effect lets you pick out the overall energy levels of nearby beings and the environment. Notably it doesn't let you detect the nature of these energies. More applied uses allow you to steal energy, steal life to heal, convert energies, and other such nonsense.

A user of leechcraft is naturally called a Leech.

### Tempestos

Tempestos is among the least common to find away from the Oblivion, though it does happen. It's commonly used by servants of Oblivion, though careful use of it can allow for more benign effects. Tempestos allows the user to manipulate the weather by infusing it with a destructive impulse. If this is guided well enough, a Kudlak or Volsung could use it to chuck lightning bolts at people. However more often, a Spectre uses it to kick up a mighty hurricane within the underworld, a small Maelstrom to destroy the Ephemera that keeps the whole thing together. It's basic usage is simply to know the upcoming weather.

A user of Tempestos is usually called a Channeler, though older usage pens certain spectres as Arsonists, as the lightning they bring burns even spectres to oblivion.