The Arcane Pursuits series is set in the world of Perrun (Anglo-Norman for “block of stone”). It’s home to the vast continents of Tanarim and Nilandor. Though Perrun’s cultures and people are diverse, they all share the same magic system.
Maps and more worldbuilding goodies to come!
The Schools of Magic
Magic comes from the Ether, a fundamental force that most believe was created by a goddess. Magic is an inherited trait, and abilities tend to manifest in early childhood. Every mage has one innate School of Magic. It is possible to learn spells from any of the eight Schools of Magic, but those spells will tend to be weaker than those from one’s innate School.
Arcane hypersensitivity, or Sensing, is the ability to see, smell, and taste most Schools of Magic. Mages with this ability, known as Sensers, are exceptionally rare. The known Senses associated with each School are included below.
Aumbremancy · (ahm-bruh-man-see)
- Domain: Shadows
- Demonym(s): Aumbremancer, shadow mage/wielder
- Associated Senses: Ash scent/taste
Elemancy · (el-uh-man-see)
- Domain: Fire and other classical elements
- Demonym(s): Elemental mage/wielder
- Associated Senses: None, as the effects of these spell can be observed even by non-Sensers
Faisancy · (fey-zawn-see)
- Domain: Inorganic materials
- Demonym(s): Mender
- Associated Senses: Saltwater scent/taste, scarlet auras
Gardemancy · (gar-duh-man-see)
- Domain: Protective barriers (“wards”)
- Demonym(s): Gardemancer, wardbreaker, or wardsmith
- Associated Senses: Metallic scent/taste. The color of auras depend on the specific type of ward (detonation: red, fireproofing: pink, obfuscation: green, protective: blue, resonating: gold, soundproofing: violet).
Mysticism · (miss-tuh-siz-um)
- Domain: Mind-reading and divination
- Demonym(s): Mystic
- Associated Senses: Floral scent
Necromancy · (neck-roe-man-see)
- Domain: Death
- Demonym(s): Necromancer
- Associated Senses: None
Soudremancy · (soo-druh-man-see)
- Domain: Healing
- Demonym(s): Soudremancer or healer
- Associated Senses: Herbal scent/taste, aquamarine auras
Transmutation · (trans-mew-tay-shun)
- Domain: Transformation of space and substances
- Demonym(s): Transmuter or alchemist
- Associated Senses: None
- This is the only School whose magic cannot be known innately. Non-mages can learn alchemy, as it does not require magical abilities.
The Tanarimic Pantheon
Most of the continent of Tanarim worships the Dyad, but there are smaller sects devoted exclusively to other deities. The Pantheon’s major deities are:
Tanar and Selesta, The Dyad
- Symbol: Pair of crescent moons
- The proto-gods. Tanar created the physical world; his twin, Selesta, created the nonphysical world, including the Ether. Perrun’s two moons are named after the Dyad, and the continent of Tanarim is named after Tanar.
Marya, Wardeness of the Beyond
- Symbol: Shepherd’s hook
- Marya oversees entry to the Beyond, the Pantheon’s version of heaven. Her followers have great reverence for the dead.
Ferne, Sentinel of Enferné
- Symbol: Fire
- Ferne oversees Enferné, the Pantheon’s underworld, and is believed to have created the first demons. While he is not inherently evil, worship of Ferne is frowned upon in most parts of Tanarim.
Messun, God of the Harvest
- Symbol: Scythe
- Followers tend to be farmers, who engage in wassailing and other rituals during the harvest season.
Chroniclus, Deity of Records
- Symbol: Hourglass
- Followers devote their lives to being historians and record-keepers. Like their deity, they eschew gender as a social construct, and they believe themselves “observers, not participants” of the world.
Lavestra, Goddess of Afflictions
- Symbol: Pair of clasped, bleeding hands
- This goddess is associated with the healing arts (Soudremancy), and many infirmaries are managed by the Church of Lavestra.
Illara, Goddess of Fertility
- Symbol: Snake
- The sister of Lavestra, she is typically invoked by expectant parents during pregnancy and childbirth.
N.J. Prynne 