◇◇ arcanthera lorebook

[zoocyte]

a dusty leatherbound tome containing all the knowledge of the universe of the land arcana.
it feels heavy with the weight of generations come and past.

links
◇ main page || lorebook || artist search || fanclub || registry || prompt list|| prompt submission || archive ◇
◇ discord server || make-your-owns (myos) || nursery || growths ◇

table of contents
01. cover page
02. world
03. profile
04. traits
05. magic
06. spirits
07. timeline
08. history
09. roles
10. fauna

[do not post]

[zoocyte]

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WORLD INTRODUCTION


the land arcana is a fantasy universe where the big cat species of pantheryx (citizens of the land arcana + individuals born within are called arcantherans, individuals born outside of it are outborn) are the dominant life form. all types of biomes are present in the land arcana: savannahs, forests, shrubland, tundra, highlands, jungle, and more. the land is bordered all around by the endless ocean, which like its name suggests stretches across the horizon to seemingly infinite waters. no arcantheran has ventured far across its waters and ever come back to tell the tale.

the borders within the land arcana can change every few months, depending on the faction that has claimed the piece of land. the factions warring over territory ownership are the faeric faction, the netheric faction and the aetheric faction. lands owned by the faeric are designated as faethos domain, lands owned by the netheric are nethos domain, and to aetheric is aethos domain.

FACTION TERRITORY


the factions do not have any one united piece of land for each to defend - they are scattered in a patchwork of varying borders and territories. all members of a respective faction, regardless of geographic difference, tend to treat each other as allies and work towards the same goal - of one day uniting both their land and people into one infallible whole. for now they remain divided, fighting their own individual battles and exchanging communications when they can. they can arrange to send forces and resources across long distances if a fellow faction guild is in great need of aid.

FACTION SETTLEMENTS


in the first era, faction bases consist of temporary, mobile encampments designed to be packed up and on the move at a moment's notice. huts, tents, and caravans are common choice of construction. they have multiple campsites scattered throughout the land and are always building new ones when advantageous.

in the second era, large guilds are able to patrol and protect larger swaths of territory. they own land for much longer periods of time, only able to be driven out by force if put to siege and invaded. only smaller guilds live a nomadic lifestyle, driven around by border wars with neighboring factions. during the magic war, the landscape is scarred and morphed by the many elemental battles waged and fought. once the kingdom is set up and the lands are unified, guilds of the same faction in an area are ordered to unite into a city, where permanent structures are put up. nomads become more and more uncommon, being some of the few that can escape the jurisdiction of the council and live on their own terms.

in the third era, a lot of the major cities are razed to the ground in the chaos that arrival the lion of a thousand spirits brings. the power of the spirits destroying the unification of the kingdom rocks the landscape. once the lion of a thousand spirits leaves, the citizens of the land arcana must rebuild. all guilds become self-governing once more. they are semi-nomadic and build settlements and camps on the lands they have the power to claim and control, while other patches of land are fought over, traded, negotiated, or designated as neutral territory. eventually, in the permanent settlements new cities are built. the ruins of old ones are preserved as cultural monuments and become objects of great archaeological study.

in the fourth era, building becomes focused on making bunkers, barracks and protective spaces against the oncoming onslaught of the lionslayers. the lionslayers bring destruction in their wake. once the land splits into floating islands and the lionslayers leave, the most common form of home are flying ships and contraptions that can both navigate and serve as shelter for those aboard.

in general, each faction has their own respective shrines, festival grounds, and other cultural monuments created by generations past. each is heavily enchanted to only allow the presence of the faction that created it. outsiders will struggle to break the magical boundaries, but it is possible with combined efforts and strong magic users. there are ruins of buildings razed to the ground by enemy factions successful in their invasion. portals to outside universes can be found scattered throughout the land arcana and are quite valuable.

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THE NEUTROS


in the heart of the land arcana lies the center lake. it is a day's journey inward by boat or wing to reach a large island obscured by trails of mist and fog: the neutros. it is designated neutral territory by all factions, so anyone is welcome to step afoot on it. a community of factionless arcantherans reside here. the island coverage consists mostly of dense and mysterious rainforest that is difficult to navigate without a guide. the wildlife of the neutros escape arcantheran documentation, for they are quite reclusive and seem to be in a constant state of mutation. as they never quite retain the same shape and properties over time, records of what exactly can be found there are inconsistent. there are also hidden dangers and pitfalls on the island, as well as traps seemingly set long ago by unknown entities, just waiting to be sprung.

the residents of the neutros have worked hard to make living on the island possible, though difficult and treacherous, it is worth it to most for the simple fact of safety from the conflict that bars peace from being maintained on the mainland. they welcome any soul looking to remove themselves from political alignment and complication; their motto is to seek peaceful and simple living with no boundaries. they cannot afford to fight over what few secure resources they have.

somewhere in the deepest, most hidden regions of the island are spirit portals, structures that allow an arcantheran to embark on a journey to the domain of spirits. there they can seek out a spirit to bind with.

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THE SPIRAROS


neighboring the land arcana is the dimension of the spiraros, the domain of spirits. the appearance and terrain of the spiraros morphs itself to symbolically reflect the mind of the individual navigating it. arcanthera lose the necessity to eat or drink or otherwise take care of their bodily needs when in the spiraros, as the domain magically keeps their needs fulfilled the whole time they are there.

time does not function like normal in the spiraros. arcanthera have been reported to trek it for seemingly a few hours, only to emerge to return to a land arcana hundreds of years into the future. these time jumps leave them to make the most of their lives in their new era, at least until the next time they gain entry to the spiraros to test their chances. it’s always a gamble entering the spiraros, as any traveler must be prepared for the possibility of leaving their friends and family forever, to be thrust into a completely different era.

every arcantheran walks the spiraros alone. even if multiple individuals enter the portal at the same time, they will never cross paths, as the spiraros paves a unique route tailored to each one.

spirits roam the shifting landscape, building theoretical scenarios and playing out dreams and nightmares of different arcanthera of various eras. some of arcanthera long dead, others yet to be born - or at least, by the point in timeline that a traveler came from. visions of possible futures and reflections of the past are plentiful here, sometimes clouding a traveler’s senses completely, which is quite disorienting to experience.

arcanthera cannot die while in the spiraros, though it’s rumored that some lose sight of who they are and what they are doing, for all eternity doomed to wander the ethereal plane.

to leave the spiraros you must tame a spirit. once a spirit is tamed, the pantheryc is involuntarily brought back into the land arcana through a fractured wormhole they are thrust into the moment the spirit enters their body.

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THE DREAMSCAPE


the dreamscape is the realm accessible to the arcanthera only through their dreams. they transcend space and time in that, by varying chance and occasion, arcanthera of different eras can meet in their dreams.

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[zoocyte]

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PHYSICAL FORM
the pantheryx species has two forms: feral and anthro. feral form is quadruped and takes the appearance of a classic big cat, mainly lion in proportion. anthro form is bipedal, retaining the elements of their feral appearance sans the upright-walking posture and more dextrous paws with opposable thumbs. they can switch between the two forms at will, giving them both the physical abilities of beast and man.

INTELLIGENCE AND LIFESPAN
arcanthera are an intelligent species with minds that are sapient in nature. they have the same complexity in thought process and personality as human beings, which afford them the same capacity for culture, craft and art. they age by the same development process as humans, with an average lifespan (sans external life-threatening factors) of 75 years.

DIET
arcantherans are primarily carnivorous and require meat to make up the bulk of their diet. they can eat plants in minimal amounts but their bodies have a difficult time processing it, so they limit their herbivorous intake. they may consume plants for the flavor or for medicinal properties but not as full meals. arcantherans hunt in groups to take down large and more dangerous prey animals. particularly sought after are prey that are rich in aurora supplementing nutrients, which enhances an arcantheran’s magic.

INBORN MAGIC
some arcantherans have a mostly unique passive ability, a characteristic of their body that is irregular and may have an effect on the individual or on individuals interacting with them. it is a fact of the individual's biology that cannot be consciously controlled. effects of passive abilities are minor and impermanent.

DEATH
all arcantherans have three lives to spend. if they die or are brought down in battle, their bodies will dissipate and respawn at the nearest shrine dedicated to their faction. factionless individuals that lose a life respawn on the island of neutros, beside a portal to the spiraros. individuals with complex alignment will respawn at a shrine of the faction they have spent the most time with in their lifetime. when an arcantheran loses their last life, their essence fades away and does not return. it is theorized that there is an unknown domain where souls of final deaths go, but as of yet it remains undiscovered.

BIOLOGY
arcantherans possess all the functions a regular lion has. they have night vision, a strong bite force, retractable claws, sensory whiskers, the ability to roar, and the ability to rely on sense of smell for identification. they have the same eyesight capacity as human beings and the same range of color vision.

arcanthera have a spirit organ inside, a vessel for spirits to rest and hide in when they so choose. it is the home base for any bound spirit, so they retreat here when they aren’t needed or if they aren’t meant to be seen. diseases of the spirit organ can affect the spirits inside them as well, or make it completely non-functional for them to reside in.

arcanthera are equipped with internal sensors that most other creatures do not have. they are able to detect if an individual is of the same bloodline as they are (even across timelines), which is quite useful for avoiding inbreeding. they have magic sensors that can pick up on the magic trails left by spirits, both wild and bound. they also make them good judges of how much magical energy is present and active in another arcantheran, as well as the number of spirits they carry.

SOCIALIZATION
arcanthera are primarily social beings and live in big or small communities, where each individual is supported and bonded to the greater whole. it is strange to most for an arcantheran to live solitarily. every community is structured differently, with clusters within range of each other retaining more similar cultural and social trends, as well as livelihoods. ways of living are specifically tailored to the biome a guild lives in. regardless of differences in culture and customs though, there is always a strong bond that unites all guilds under a single faction, a kinship and a natural ease that binds all of them together, even those meeting for the first time. they all pursue one uniting value per faction, thus each one’s cultural milieu is built on the foundation of that value.

DREAMS
in every pantheryc's dreams, there is a chance they will meet others of their kind and interact for a short while. pantheryc dreams transcend universe, time, and even death, so it is possible to meet any pantheryc that ever existed here.

how each pantheryc's capacity for dreamwalking works varies from individual to individual. some are able to meet a pantheryc once and never again, some meet on the regular, some meet randomly, some have control over who they want to meet, some can meet multiple pantheryx at once, and so on.

it is possible for pantheryx who meet in the dreamscape to reproduce. when a close enough bond is made between the two, each will wake up in their own respective timeline with at least one cub born into the world through magical means. sometimes it is accidental, sometimes it is intentional.

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[zoocyte]

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arcantherans have different physical characteristics depending on their subspecies. each subspecies is aligned with a particular branch of organisms, and so take after their traits. they also have a natural affinity with the animals they take after.

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PANFAERA
panfaera are aligned with arthropods: mainly insects and arachnids, but also including myriapods and crustaceans. they are aligned also with the mythical faeries. all panfaera have unnaturally colored bases, so monochrome shades like whites, blacks and grays are not present as their predominant color. shades of brown, russet and cream cannot be found as bases either.

exclusive traits are:

• having insect wings,
  
• having hard exoskeleton grown over their bodies like insectoid armor,
• having pincers or chelicerae modifying their mouth parts,
• having sensitive antenna that can pick up on vibrations and other sensory stimuli that may escape their feline whiskers,
• having varieties of plantlife and fungi naturally growing and thriving on their bodies (allowing for photosynthesis; panfaera are known for surviving on sunlight, water and air alone, although they only resort to this in dire situations of famine),
• and having extra legs like an arthropod.
  
  panfaera designs tend to have these design elements (though they are not exclusive to them): antlers, glitter, nature themes, floral designs, and vibrant colorations. pink, purple, green, blue, and saturated colors are common.

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PANDEMONA
pandemona are aligned with reptiles: any manner of scaled beast, including the mythical dragon, are in affinity with them. all pandemona have dark-colored bases, so light-colored bases cannot be found among them.

exclusive traits are:

• having dragon/bat wings,
  
• having patches of scales callusing their bodies like reptilian armor,
• having goo leaking from their mouth, eyes or pores on their body (as a passive ability, a varying range of effects is reported when the goo is touched, so most non-pandemona put effort into avoiding getting too physically close with goo carriers. some goo carriers have no effect at all),
• having spikes that jut out from their flesh,
• having hard bone protrusions growing on their exterior,
• and having extra mouths across their body.
  
  pandemona tend to have these design elements (though they are not exclusive to them): horns of any shape or form, sharp-edged tails, mutated tongues, and high-contrast colorations. dark bases with contrasting bright colored markings are common.

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PANGELIC
pangelica are aligned with birds: any manner of feathered creature, as well as mythical beings like the unicorn, are in affinity with them. all pangelica have light-colored bases, so dark-colored bases cannot be found among them.

exclusive traits are:

• having bird/angel wings, having pelages of feathers across their bodies,
  
• having scripts of runes inscribed on their skin or floating around in a halo,
• having a coverage of metal growing on their body like a natural armor or design (studies have shown that the pangelic 'metal' does not quite hold the same properties as natural metals, but functions similarly. pangelica experience pain when their metal parts are corroded or damaged),
• having extra sets of small wings across their body or levitating in particular positions around them,
• and having extra eyes, whether naturally anchored in their body or floating around them in ring or otherwise formation.
  
  pangelica tend to have these design elements (though they are not exclusive to them): singular or unicorn horns, textured pelts, ethereal themes, edited eyes and pastel coloration. bases in soft hues with a few contasting markings are common.

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PANNEUTROID
panneutryx are unable to have any of the species-specific traits listed, but otherwise anything else is fair game for their designs. they do not have particular alignment to any animal.

panneutryx are known for being predominated by completely natural colorations, more so than any other class of arcantheran.

HYBRID
hybrids can take after a mix of species-specific traits from parents of different subspecies. they can sport design elements from different subspecies at the same time, making it an additional challenge to decipher their factional alignment.

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[zoocyte]

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PASSIVE ABILITY
examples of passive ability

• can modify the body
  
• can be an extra internal sense
• can modify a sense
• can modify perception (whether own or of others)
• can be an affinity with an organism
• can use magical basis to provide access to particular knowledge, effect or ability that others do not have
• can (but not necessarily) be related to a body modification/edit
• can be a natural ability of an existing real animal (venom of a snake, poison skin of a frog, platypus bill's sensory abilities, etc.) (cannot be fatal, for the stronger chemical weapons they can inflict almost the same amount of discomfort/pain but only for a few minutes, or they have a reduced effect that lasts a slightly longer time)
  
  characteristics
• can have a minor effect on others (is impermanent, free will is not inhibited, mind and body are not severely inhibited, no physical or mental degradation or damage caused)
• can either be always active (usually if a biological component), or conditional (activates on certain condition), or can manifest in applied action (can consciously will it to manifest)
  
  what passive abilities are not capable of
• cannot directly harm others (unless it is a function of a real-life animal species, cannot be fatal, can cause temporary harm)
• cannot have wieldable control over it, does not generate or have manipulable energy
• cannot exist in a way that makes regular daily life impossible for them or for others

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SPIRIT MAGIC
there are different branches that spirits specialize the manifestation and purpose of their magic, and how it can be wielded by an arcantheran. spirit magic is based on direct and controllable action.


MAGIC WIELD TYPES


offensive magic grants the ability to attack (damage is dealt). offensive magic users seek to destroy, weaken, and/or degrade the health of an enemy. anything that directly causes pain, injury or impairment counts. they wield attacking magic that damages the target and anything in its path. this magic can only be summoned with the intention to harm and cannot be used for any other purpose.

examples include: gathering and projecting energy bolts that harm the body of an enemy, summoning energy or elemental-based ammunition that directly hit and hurt the target, setting up traps that hurt those that activate them, deploying plague or venom that weakens an enemy’s immune system and generally directly causing destruction or degradation to one's health or an object.




defensive magic grants the ability to defend (damage is negated). defensive magic users seek to protect, guard and preserve the health of their own or other allies’ bodies and/or minds from attacks or alteration. they can set up wards before a battle as magical armor, grant direct defensive buffs to physical armor, create shields to defend during a battle, and absorb damage into a conduit - which can then be transferred to a different magic user who can redirect that damage back to the enemy. this magic can only be summoned in reaction to harm or potential harm and cannot be used for any other purpose.

examples include: creating elemental shields to counter elemental attacks, setting up warning signals that are activated in case of ambush, setting up passive shields that are activated under certain conditions, creating layers of protective barriers around a camp or essential location, creating an energy shield around one's self and/or around allies, and directly reflecting damage back to the enemy, creating a mental shield to guard from mind manipulation, creating wards against disease or sickness, and protecting essential items or resources from damage or manipulation.




restorative magic grants the ability to heal (damage is healed or altered). restorative magic users seek to revert a patient to a previous bodily state of health, after suffering harm. they undo the damage dealt by opposing forces through healing, aiding injury to a faster recovery. some are powerful enough to revert death if it's fresh enough. this magic cannot deal damage or destroy, and requires a damaged condition to be able to activate in reaction to it.

examples include: mending broken items, being able to generally distribute a health buff to sufferers of any kind of damage, specializing in healing particular body parts, specializing in healing particular kinds of damage, being able to soothe and ease pain, healing damaged states of mind or memory loss, inducing the reparation or regeneration of damaged tissue, fighting off disease, and preventing infection.




manipulative magic grants the ability to control (matter or mind or energy is controlled and directed). manipulative magic users take advantage of energy, elements, matter or substance that is available and manipulate them for their own purposes, mainly for non-defensive and non-offensive functions. when the conditions are right, some are able to take control of the mind of an opposing being, and choose and direct the target's abilities like a puppetmaster. this magic cannot create and must rely on previously existing resource to exert their will over.

examples include: controlling the movement and direction of matter or energy, employing telekinesis to move unmoving objects, setting up the conditions that allow for the barriers of an enemy's mind to lower enough for the magic user to take control of it, being able to set up their control factors with stealth so the enemy is unaware they are going to be manipulated, controlling an enemy's body to use their abilities, fighting and breaking the will of an enemy to gain power over them, and controlling the use and force of elements with great accuracy.




stimulative magic grants the ability to create (matter or energy or effect is created). stimulative magic users can create matter or energy out of nothing through sheer force of will, allowing them to provide resources for other magic users to use and direct. they can create matter or energy in larger quantities than offensive or defensive users. some have the power to create or grant life. they sometimes can create illusory stimuli that only exist in the senses of the target, which can be used to improve or degrade their state of being and sensory capacity. this magic has limited if any control over what they create, it is left to other magic users to deal with what they have generated.

examples include: generating large amounts of an element, generating large amounts of a material, generating large amounts of a resource, inducing life or movement or consciousness in a non-living object, inducing the experience of a particular sight, taste, touch, smell or sound in a target's mind, triggering memories or scenes to play out in the mind of a target, inducing emotions in a target, creating unbearable mental distractions that confuse or disorient or completely disable an enemy, providing fuel for other magic users, and powering the attacks or defense or actions of other magic users.




transfigurative magic grants the ability to transform (matter or mind or energy or body is changed). transfigurative magic users can transition one material to another, one shape to another, one energy to another, or one element to another. they can convert an unneeded material to one that is helpful to their party. they can also plant the seeds for subtle changes in the way a target thinks or acts, making them more suggestible or act in a certain way that benefits them, and without the target knowing that their behavior and thoughts are being directed. it can build and direct the changes in a material or speed up the process of transitioning a material from one state to another. malleable materials can be crafted into items. lastly, some can modify the appearance of an individual or a material, allowing for shapeshifting to occur. this magic can only work with available material and requires knowledge of the properties of the output material to build that change.

examples include: changing water to ice or vice-versa, inducing natural or unnatural chemical change, converting elements into different phases, changing the material of attacks as they come, changing the material of enemy shields to negate their defensive capabilities, initiating changes in behavior or thought in another individual, creating something completely different out of a given material, crafting materials together to fulfill a particular function, artificing items using available energy and matter, crafting items for others to use, causing an individual to change shape or even species, and making aesthetical or functional changes in an individual's appearance.

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[zoocyte]

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spirits are collectives of magical energy with a limited sense of consciousness and personality. they can communicate telepathically with their bonded arcantheran. they can be obtained via bonding in the spiraros or found in the overworld.

SPIRIT ALIGNMENTS

SPIRIT TEMPERAMENTS

01. artisan

• optimistic, daring, adaptable, excited, impulsive, enticing, playful, tactical, persuasive
02. guardian

• factual, cautious, respectable, dependable, law-abiding, concerned, steady, logistical, detailed
03. idealist

• imaginative, romantic, authentic, intuitive, kindhearted, empathetic, relational, sensitive, diplomatic
04. rational

• ingenious, calm, innovative, logical, curious, independent, pragmatic, strategic, systematic

SPIRIT ELEMENTS
fire, water, earth, air, ice, mineral, poison, plague, light, shadow, nature, death, plasma, storm

SPIRIT WIELD
offensive, defensive, restorative, manipulative, stimulative, transfigurative

CHARMING METHODS


while in the spiraros, you may stumble into a pocket reality. it is a constructed scenario that the spirits lead an arcantheran into to judge their character. the charmer will play a role of a character in the series of events to follow. there will be a conflict in the scenario, and the charmer will be a central figure in the outcome. the outcome will determine the spirit that is charmed and bonds with you.

in the scenario the spirit presents, you need to accomplish any one of these to the subject of your scenario
ethos
make choices that lead to acts of accomplishment of goal, able to direct the action that fulfills the goals of the individuals in the scenario

pathos
make choices that lead to accomplishment of emotional climax, able to direct the feelings of the individiuals in the scenario

logos
make choices that lead to accomplishment of character development, able to direct the beliefs and perceptions of individuals in the scenario

** it's like a choose-your-adventure game i guess/decision-based stories

spirit carving
carve your spirit base into various shapes, the material remains the same but the form is fluid enough to change into variations

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[zoocyte]

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THE FIRST ERA
status of time-travelers: all time travelers come from future eras. because the spiraros is as of yet undiscovered, spirits are a mysterious and enigmatic phenomenon. any arcantheran with a spirit is greatly revered, possibly worshipped even for the power they hold of unknown source. it is easy to gain control and rise to power if you are an arcantheran with spirit magic, and thus secure a place in charting a course in a new history. your name will be remembered for all time.

1. the creation
(unknown, no records, inaccessible)

2. the prehistory
(unknown, no records, inaccessible)

3. the exploration (100 years) [year 1-100]
description of era: the arcantherans set out on the as of yet unexplored world of the land arcana, discovering regions and finding places to settle. it is a fruitful paradise. written records have not been invented so there is little to nothing to contain the knowledge of the past beyond their own memory. groups of arcanthera are limited to small families of at most ten individuals. they are called prides. there are no large factions as of yet. discoverers of portals to other worlds venture out to explore, and sometimes settle in outside lands. pantheryx born outside the land arcana somehow lack species-specific traits and favor natural colorations, most likely because they are factors tied to the magic of the land arcana. these outborn offspring are dubbed panneutroid.
conflict: discovering the unknown means a lot of new learning and trial-and-error. there are both opportunities and dangers to be discovered and be dealt with. there is some conflict over claiming spaces, however it is minimal for there is room for almost everyone, and there are plenty of resources to share.

4. the hunger strife (100 years) [year 101-200]
description of the era: climate becomes harsh in all regions, resulting in either strong heat waves that dry rivers or cold winters that cape the terrain in layers of frost. famine sweeps the land, degrading its natural resources. plantlife is withering and thus herds are dying out, making food harder to come by. they no longer know plenty.
conflict: the arcantherans must ration their resources and struggle to survive against the difficult conditions. fighting among groups for supplies are starting to crop up. banditry to acquire resources is common, the citizens must be wary of keeping their supplies safe from theft. thieves must be careful in their missions so as not to be caught or killed.

5. the bonding of factions (100 years) [year 201-300]
description of the era: groups of arcantheran families of the same subspecies, as well as similar-minded goals and views, start to assimilate. strength in numbers means being able to defend wider tracts of land, and the dozens of small factions start forming. the famine eases out. traditions and cultures that will last the rest of the eras are forming and becoming permanent markers of their way of living together.
conflict: getting to know strangers and living with them, trying to get along and work in cooperation with each other. battle strategies are becoming more elaborate and thought out. small factions form, break up, reform and scatter, still not quite permanent in their association. in-fighting is common and there is argument over what rules should be set up, nobody will agree on universal laws that every arcantheran will listen to.

6. the early factionhood (100 years) [year 301-400]
description of the era: the three largest factions rise to power: the faeric, the netheric, and the aetheric. smaller factions are in the process of being wiped out, or absorbed into the greater wholes. they may try to resist the growing powers but will not succeed. the largest three faction leaders gather in a treaty to create the first set of laws that every faction-aligned arcantheran is subject to. writing is invented to set them in stone.
conflict: because the three largest factions are sending out parties across the land in a rush to gain control over larger spaces, smaller factions secluded in more remote regions are eventually found and are driven out or even killed. eventually they will have to face the decision to die from being on the run with no place to settle, die in battle, or change their allegiance and surrender their will to the strongest power. within factions, many debates are cropping up over what kind of laws should be instituted for honor on the battlefield and in daily living, until the leaders step up to make those decisions themselves. not everyone agrees or is happy with the first established versions.

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THE SECOND ERA
7. the discovery of the spiraros (1 year) [year 401]
description of the era: the first successful expedition deep into the neutros (which is declared neutral grounds by the faction code) reveals strange portals set up and scattered all over the island. the portals are unlike the ones that lead to different universes - this one leads to a new domain, the spiraros. there is lots of talk on the mainland of what they might be for, whether they're worth exploring, and in general how they should go about this discovery. the first pantheryc returns from the spiraros bearing a bonded spirit, and word spreads of the new powers the individual was granted. there are constructed rumors being spread about the spiraros too, which makes it hard to decipher what's fact and what's fiction and what's the right way to ready oneself for entry. pantheryx are being lost permanently to the spiraros to unknown timelines.
conflict: the mechanics of the spiraros are still being figured out. there are arguments about how to proceed about exploring this new realm. there ends up being a lot of trial and error in the learning process, with pantheryx entering and never returning, pantheryx somehow not being able to find any fellows of their own species while inside, and overall it is an expedition with lots of risks. pantheryx with great interest in pioneering the exploration have to travel and survive the neutros, and enter the portal possibly against the wishes of friends and family who beckon them to stay and not take the risk for the sake of power. pantheryx are being lost to the sands of time.

8. the spirit rush (50 years) [year 402-452]
description of the era: at this point, there is no limit to the amount of spirits that a lion can bond with. pantheryx seeking power enter and leave the spiraros several times, carrying spirit numbers rising into the dozens and higher. they are let loose into different timelines to use their powers as they please, whether that be for good or for evil or for personal gain. strategies for charming spirits effectively are being developed, allowing arcanthera to collect spirits en masse (the highest number at this point of history is around 50 at once).
conflict: laws are haphazardly being developed to catch up with the rising number of empowered citizens. the high authorities are losing control of their own subordinates. arcanthera hungry for power are leaving in droves to pursue spirits and collect as many as possible, leaving their families and guilds behind. they gotta catch them all. fighting is much more dangerous now with powers at play.

9. the magic war (100 years) [year 453-553]
description of the era: each faction, afraid of being overpowered by the others, all wage full out war on each other. focus goes completely to military power and permanently destroying opposing forces. laws against death on the battle field have been waived, and full on slaughter is now free game.
conflict: children are being born into war. even the island of neutros is invaded from time to time, leaving the neutros residents to arm themselves against invaders. the death toll is high all across the land. barbarism is common. everyone lives in fear. arcanthera are drafted for the war.

10. the closing of the spiraros (1 year) [year 554]
description of the era: the spirits are naturally driven to protect the domains from harm, and the violence of the magic war is decimating the landscape. the greed of the overpowered arcanthera and the hatred of the warlords is the final breaking point that leads the spirarian spirits to cut ties completely. they refuse to allow any arcanthera to enter and charm more spirits, in an effort to lessen the pursuit and abuse of power.
conflict: arcanthera can no longer attain new spirits. there is a rush to charm the spirits that are loose and wandering the land arcana until the population is completely finished. the only other ways to attain new spirits is from black market traders of non-arcantheran species (who are able to enter the spirarian portals, being able to bypass the wards that prevent arcanthera from passing through). spirits are sold and bought like wares without regard to their feelings about who they are being sent to bond with. some desperate arcanthera seeking power discover a method of stealing bonded spirits from their owners, and spirit theft becomes a common crime.

11. the reign of the elder council (100 years) [year 555-655]
description of the era: the eldest of the pantheryx assemble into a group known as the elder council. because of their age and the numerous trips through the spiraros they have taken, each of the elder council bears roughly a hundred spirits in their arsenal and are almost immortal - they will continue to live forever unless slain. they have established their dictatorship over all the land arcana and have created 'the kingdom'. they hail themselves as heroes for ending the magic war. the elder council arranges for the rise of permanent structures, for land is now kept in consistent stasis. they have personal palaces built for each of them, which are all heavily fortified. the arcanthera are now subject to a fiefdom, all expected to bear annual tribute and taxation to the elder council. all resources they gather from the lands they tend must be dedicated first and foremost to the council; a quota is established that must be fulfilled. punishment and the withdrawal of priviledges go to those communities that do not meet it.
conflict: the elder council advocates for assimilation and imperialism, instituting the same culture and mores that all citizens are now subject to. all the factions are reschooled into the vision of this new united regiment. the factions are forced in service to the elder council and must obey their every command and uphold their laws. they are expected to work together in relative 'peace', despite the deep divide in their differing views and norms. the elder council has loyalists spread all through out the land who hunt down rebels and quell revolts. rebel groups form and plot out how to dismantle the regime, but there are spies among them that report gathered information back to the council. attempts to overthrow the center all fail. young lions born after the closing of the spiraros are far less likely to have a chance of charming a spirit, leaving the new generation powerless against the old (who retain spirits from before the closing).

12. the rise of the lion of a thousand spirits (1 year) [year 656]
description of the era: the spirits select a pantheryc to cure the tumultuous reign. they receive a vision in a dream that leads them to take a journey from their home, to the center lake, across to the neutros, and into its heart to find a spirit portal. there they are given access, a first in a century of closure, and there they pursue a life-changing quest to charm a thousand spirits, with the goal of taking out the elder council with them. a hundred for each member.
conflict: at this point it's established that the spiraros has been closed for a hundred years, so the journey seems pointless to most around them. there are many dangers the hero must face to reach their destination. they cross borders they are forbidden to cross, they risk chase from the loyalists who suspect the veracity of their vision (word spreads of a lion said to have been called on by the spirits themselves, and they go out to investigate the claim).

13. the fall of the tyrants (1 year) [year 657]
description of the era: the lion of a thousand spirits invades the palace of each member of the elder council, with the help of the allies they have gained in their journey. using their great power, they pursue their quest of slaying each of the elder council until all ten are dead and gone. there is fighting between the citizens divided by loyalists of the kingdom and supporters of the liberation.
conflict: the elder council are forewarned by the deaths of their fellow members, and rush to fortify their defenses or begin a chase of traversing the country for hiding places. the loyalists continue to defend the council and try to stand in the way of the lion of a thousand spirits. the elder council cannot choose to surrender their power by releasing their spirits, for they are the only things powering their frail bodies and keeping them alive. the routine of life in service to the crown that has gone undisturbed for so long is now in anarchy, and communities are scrambling to figure out what to do, some wanting to support and protect the elder council, others wanting them to be turned over to the purger. change is coming.

14. the opening of the spiraros (1 year) [year 658]
description of the era: with the elders vanquished, the spirits lift the wards on the spirit portals, allowing arcanthera to once again enter and bond with new spirits.
conflict: the youth are introduced to new powers that they must learn to control and master.

15. the disappearance of the lion of a thousand spirits (1 year) [year 659]
description of the era: for a year the lion of a thousand spirits lived among the people, doing everything in their power to give aid to those in need. one day however, they are never seen again, lost to the unknown.
conflict: the factions no longer have a unifying figure to look up to.

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THE THIRD ERA
16. the renewal among ruins (50 years) [year 660-710]
description of the era: the rebuilding after the reign of tyrants. the cities have been razed to the ground by the great battle. arcanthera return to their semi-nomadic lifestyle. it is time to re-establish who they are. they enjoy the liberty of no longer having a ruling class to control them.
conflict: there is still plenty of land to fight over though, and the factions enter a period of reforming themselves, re-establishing each of their individualities. they must now reassemble the fragments of their cultural identity left in shambles by the assimilation.

17. the faction regiment (5000 years) [year 711-5711]
description of the era: the classic faction livelihood of intervals of peace and conflict. there are times of negotiation and treaties, times of turf wars and border fights. life is a constant cycle of fighting over land, settling, losing it, resettling, and fighting for more. it is the life of semi-nomadic warriors never having set borders for too long. they get used to impermanence and losing what they are familiar with, making them versatile when it comes to defining what 'home' means. eventually, factions manage to hold permanent lands and thus create permanent settlements. new cities rise and it is a balancing act of keeping peace among the three factions.
conflict: conflict is an expectation of daily life. a faction must stay united and keep their resolve despite distance and difference in order to defend itself against the other two. guilds have their usual drama, of leadership and decisions to be made, how things should be done. community bonds must be kept strong and individuals must be made to feel part of the greater whole. it is with their variety of strengths and weaknesses that a guild, and thus the faction as a whole, is able to function as a community with range in both abilities and accommodations.

18. the omens of doom (5 years) [year 5712-5717]
description of the era: all soothsayers across the land are finding signs of incoming doom. the first few are treated like rumors, ignored and disregarded, but when it becomes clear this is a universal experience regardless of location, dread hangs over all of the land arcana.
conflict: soothsayers are desperate to convince their superiors that the omens are real. they want more focus to go into preventing the apocalypse and less on fighting one another. dealing with rising panic alongside the usual factional conflict adds extra stress on everyone's shoulders. arcanthera wonder if they will still have the chance to live the full extent of their lifespan or if it will be cut short by the supposed apocalypse. there are groups of believers and non-believers that argue over the veracity of the claims, setting divides within communities.

19. the symposium of doom forestall (5 years) [year 5718-5723]
description of the era: when the first concrete occasion of disaster occurs, one that is undeniable to all arcanthera, the factions come to their senses. they arrange truces and start having convocations, discussions of what the apocalypse entails and how to stop it from happening. though border scuffles are supposed to be put on pause, conflicts still break out and have to be sorted. the additional complications makes progress slow, almost halting sometimes, but the factions have to grit their teeth and push through with working with each other even in the face of obvious disgraces and aggressive incidents. efforts are made to stop the apocalypse from happening but it is not enough - everyone's cooperation is required but they just can't work as one. they are doomed by their own prejudice and hatred. the first signs of the deterioration of the land appear.
conflict: is the apocalypse preventable? will we be able to tolerate each other enough to work together to prevent it? what should we do, what should we believe? what details are set in stone? what can't we avoid? how do we do this, and that? how are we supposed to trust each other if we are all lifelong enemies? our lands are slowly dying and the world we have come to know and love is changing forever. how do we cope with that and live with ourselves, knowing that the worst is coming? the last batches of arcantheran children are being born, and their families weep over the suffering they are destined to face.

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THE FOURTH ERA
(arcanthera cannot be born into this timeline)

status of time-travelers: all time travelers come from past eras. they have landed themselves in the end of all times. better get back to that spirit portal if you still can, if you want to live a long fulfilling life. some out of moral obligation and attachment to the people they meet choose to stay anyway and face the inevitable with them hand-in-hand. they can at least try to give them solace.

20. the arrival of the lionslayers (1 year) [year 5724]
description of the era: a curse is set, and an infertility spreads throughout the arcanthera population - no children are ever born again. the lionslayers make themselves known, and the arcanthera know now what they are facing. in advance, some guilds move out of the land arcana completely and escape to other universes, whatever unknown they may find there is better than the inevitable that awaits them at home.
conflict: the lionslayers are corrupted spirits come to wreck havoc and destroy every last arcantheran they can find, retribution for the injustices committed by generations. the first few arrive from the spiraros, and the first arcantheran lives are lost in battle against them. the factions are scrambling to strategize and learn as much about the enemy as they possibly can, amidst the ruining landscape. they can be killed, but it is difficult, and everyone has their lives on the line.

21. the apocalypse (10 years) [year 5725-5755]
description of the era: the sun and the stars do not shine as brightly, the skies are black. the waves of lionslayers descend from the heavens, seemingly from nowhere, and arrive to finish what they started.
conflict: it is killed or be killed. the arcanthera try to hold out for as long as they can, but the enemies won't stop coming. they are as endless as the bordering ocean. some arcanthera flee in ships across the ocean, to fates unknown. arcanthera try to escape via the universal portals, but the lionslayers gatekeep and destroy every last one of them. they are trapped.

22. the last hours (1 year) [year 5756]
description of the era: the land arcana has soaked the blood of the violence of generations, and it has finally given in. the land is a living being in itself, and its will to survive as a benefactor to its citizens has given out. it allows itself to crumble, and begin the process of fading away. the land begins to split, turning into floating islands slowly drifting apart in an infinite space. the islands are accessible by flight or teleportation or flying vehicular device. each island has an unknown time limit before it implodes like a dying star. at least the end of times is a beautiful one. when the land arcana finally shatters, the lionslayers leave, their cause now hopeless - their mission is failed, and still there are arcanthera that remain alive. the final survivors at least get some solace from the threat that has been exterminating them for a decade.
the conflict: the ecosystems are destroyed and there is no new life to be born or raised on the barren land. arcantherans are getting separated by the divide. the final survivors of the apocalypse know their days are numbered. there is no hope. they try to live the last days of their lives to the fullest, but spirits are heavy and nobody is truly happy.

23. the reset (1 year) [year 5757]
description of the era: to undo the mistakes of their past, the survivors come together for one final, solemn gathering on the last island.
conflict: the cycle will begin again.

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[zoocyte]

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HISTORICAL FIGURES
there is no limit to which lions can fulfill these roles, since different timepaths exist. you can place your arcanthera in as many of the important positions as you like and have alternate versions of events depending on who plays what! though the flow of the timeline more or less stays the same, your arcantherans can be at the forefront of charting that history.

-the explorers of the new land
-the leaders of small factions to be extinct
-the first faction leaders
-the lawmakers
-the spiraran pioneers
-the commanders of the magic war
-the soldiers of the magic war
-the elder council
-the loyalists to the kingdom
-the rebels against the kingdom
-the lion of a thousand spirits
-the allies to the lion of a thousand spirits
-the soothsayers
-the commanders against the lionslayers
-the survivors of the apocalypse

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[zoocyte]

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roles class arcantherans in particular categories depending on their magic style, fighting style, what function they serve, what they do or how they spend their time. an arcantheran can have up to two roles, based on what they spend the majority of their time in. roles can change throughout an arcantheran's life. arcantherans usually define themselves by role only if part of a faction - factionless individuals usually have no need for labels (unless they live in a group).

fullblood have complete magic capacity and no melee capacity (fullbloods are physically weak)
panneutroid have complete melee capacity and no magic capacity (panneutroids have no magic)
hybrids have varying proportions of magic and melee capacity (the ratio of a hybrid's physical vs. magic power varies per individual)

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MAGIC-EXCLUSIVE ROLES
the type of spirit magic an arcantheran wields assigns the label their role is referred to as.

offensive magic users are called knights.

defensive magic users are called guardians.

restorative magic users are called medics.

manipulative magic users are called psychics.

stimulative magic users are called mages.

transfigurative magic users are called sorcerers.

MELEE-EXCLUSIVE ROLES
a melee user will fall into one of the following categories, depending on their fighting style/s.



the cavalier relies on fighting on mounts. these arcantherans are master equestrians and primarily fight in anthro form. they are excellent jousters and can reach enemies efficiently from their point on horseback (or, whatever creature it is that serves as their mount). they also are adept trainers of their mounts so they can be employed as well in battle, serving to protect their master and rely on their species-specific abilities to gain advantage over non-rider enemies.



the gladiator relies on fighting with close combat weaponry. they are generalist fighters that rely on swords and axes and whatever else is available to wield as weaponry on the battlefield. they are fond of the hack-and-slash method and dive right into the fray of battle.



the monk relies on fighting with martial arts. they are masters of their own bodies and can direct the physical energy through it at will, making them dangerously adept even when unequipped. they are intimately familiar with the body's weak points and target them with dangerous accuracy.



the radix relies on fighting with feral form. to pit a radix against an anthro form arcantheran would be like to pit a lion against a man. gifted with the natural arsenal of nature's apex predator, radix fight with tooth and claw and a bite force all much to be feared. they hunt and fight much as they would a wild lion, with ambush and bursts of speed, except gifted with human insight and intelligence that gives them a dangerous capacity for complex strategy that non-sapient lions lack.



the ranger relies on fighting with ranged weaponry. archers and snipers and crossbow users are to be found here. they take out their enemies from a distance while keeping out of harm's way, launching attacks from strategically advantageous positions.



the rogue relies on fighting with stealth and ambush. they are nimble and dextrous, ninja-like in their capacity for agility. they can scale heights and travel by paths unthought of by those of less finesse and flexibility (both in body and mind). they rely on the element of surprise, accomplishing their missions without alerting the attention of their targets. they can make good assasins in taking out enemies who don't see them coming.

NON-EXCLUSIVE ROLES
these roles do not always involve fighting and are usually available to any arcantheran. they are lore-based and one can invent non-exclusive roles within their guilds as they please, depending on the livelihoods and work necessary to support their lifestyle.

examples include governor, blacksmith, archivist, teacher, mentor, carer, artisan, merchant, farmer, forager, herbalist, fisherman, hunter, historian, scientist, architect, strategist, counselor, therapist, beastmaster, performer, artist, writer, astronomer, scout, technician, artificer, alchemist, manager, advisor and others.

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[zoocyte]

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FAUNA
faeric - macro-arthropod, faerie, nymph
netheric - dragon, hellhound, wraith
aetheric - unicorn, pegasus, phoenix

faeric/netheric - kirin
faeric/aetheric - peryton
netheric/aetheric - cockatrice

these are the magical creatures native to the land arcana. they are all of a human level of sapience. they are much more uncommon in the land compared to the number of arcanthera. small populations of them exist in varying environments and locations.

arcanthera can ally with creatures in alignment with them. creatures that are of opposing or different alignment to an arcanthera are naturally hostile and mistrustful.

all other native fauna in the land arcana are non-sapient.

rarely, fauna from other worlds may enter the land arcana via portals.

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