GM Note: Characters with deep Arcana knowledge or Concord training may prefer the more detailed Full Arcane Glossary. Druidic characters or those affiliated with the Verdant Sky may find the Verdant Arcana useful as well.
Compiled from Veilwatch Concord notes, Deepvoid miner logs, and recovered relic inscriptions. Trusted to those who walk the Weave with care.
Core Concepts
- Arcane Signature: A magical “fingerprint” unique to each person. Some items or wards only work for those they’re attuned to.
- Attunement: The magical bond between a person and an item. Only a few powerful items can be bonded at once.
- Leyline: A hidden current of magic beneath land or sky. Stronger near ancient sites, thinner near veil rifts.
- Veil: The barrier between planes. When it thins or tears, strange magic leaks through.
- Weave: The unseen fabric through which all magic flows. Damaged in places. Resilient elsewhere.
- Wildspace: The ocean-like void between worlds. Air clings, gravity shifts, and spelljammers sail the stars.
Hazards & Warnings
- Arcane Strain: Built-up magical pressure. Can make spells unstable, especially near relics or veil-thin regions.
- Backlash: The painful shock of a miscast or overloaded spell. Can damage casters, items, or surroundings.
- Echo Bleed: Old voices or thoughts leaking back into the world. Often tied to memory magic or veil breaches.
- Spellrot: The decay of magical patterns. Makes relics misbehave, wards fail, or stored spells break down.
- Tearpoint: A rip in the veil. Dangerous. Expect strange weather, time slippage, or planar creatures.
Magical Tools & Terms
- Anchor: A stabilizer for magic — holds a ward or stored spell in place.
- Conduit: A channel that moves magical power from one spot to another.
- Glyph / Sigil / Rune: Arcane symbols used to store or shape magic. Often appear in wards, rituals, or relics.
- Runecraft: The art of shaping magic through written symbols. Found on walls, metal, bone, or stone.
- Memory Crystal: A magical crystal that stores thoughts or voices. Used like a recording. Can be triggered by voice, keyword, or ritual.
- Identity Glyph: A rare rune that stores part of a person — their name, feelings, or memories. If cracked, can leak dangerous echoes.
- Stored Invocation: A spell loaded in advance — like a trap or command word enchantment.
- Dream Snare: A magical prison that traps someone in a repeating dream. Hard to detect. Harder to escape.
- Whisper Stone: A paired crystal used for sending voice across distances. Vulnerable to interference from unstable regions or psionic storms.