Arcus

1. Core Identity

• Name: Arcus (Are' Kuss)

• Pantheon: The Core Pantheon

• Titles & Aliases: High God of Magic & Intellect, The Weave-Master, The Great Will-o-Wisp, The Jaded One

• Gender / Form: Masculine (He/Him), though his true form is abstract.

  • Natural Form: A collection of pure magical energy, appearing as a large, sentient will-o'-wisp or a cluster of light.

  • Assumed Form: Can take any shape. Recently, he has favored a specific humanoid form to interact with a mortal wizard he has fallen for.

• Alignment: True Neutral

• Status: High God (Reports to Senzyn, Grand God)

• Divine Realm: Lex Magica (The Shifting Weave)

2. Domains & Influence

• Primary Domains: Magic, Arcane Knowledge, Foresight

• Portfolio: The Weave of Magic, arcane spellcasting, wizards, sorcerers, foresight, magical research, runes, and glyphs.

• Cleric Domains (5e): Arcana, Knowledge, Light, Survival, Tempest, Trickery, Twilight, & Unity

3. Symbolism & Depiction

• Holy Symbol: The constellation "Arcus" in the night sky.

• Favored Weapon: Staff (as a conduit for magic).

• Favored Colors: Deep Blue (the night sky) and Silver (starlight).

• Sacred Animals / Plants: The Owl (for its link to wisdom and the night).

4. Dogma & Worship (The Core Beliefs)

• Core Dogma (The Philosophy): "Magic is the logic of the cosmos. It is not a tool to be 'used' for Good or Evil; it is the system that allows 'Good' and 'Evil' to exist. The Weave must remain stable. Pursue knowledge, but do not let 'passion' or 'morality' cloud your logic. The Weave does not care about your heart; it cares about your precision."

• Tenets for Followers (The "Thou Shalt"s):

  • "Thou shalt seek knowledge for its own sake."

  • "Thou shalt protect the Weave of Magic from those who would tear it."

  • "Thou shalt respect the logic of magic above the passions of the heart."

  • "Thou shalt record all new spells, findings, and theories."

  • "Thou shalt use foresight to see what is coming, not what you wish was coming."

• Sins & Taboos (The "Thou Shalt Not"s):

  • "To destroy magical knowledge." (The greatest sin).

  • "To cast magic recklessly, without logic or control."

  • "To allow emotion to override logical magical practice." (A tenet Arcus himself is now struggling with).

  • "To break an oath sworn on the Weave."

5. Relationships

• Superiors: Senzyn (Grand God) and Anushirvan (Supreme God). Arcus is the "CIO" of the multiverse, managing the "Intellect" and "Magic" portfolio for the Triumvirate.

• Subordinates (His "Department"):

  • Major Gods: Vistoul (Honor/Nature) & Eisana (Wizardry).

  • Gods: Aedryn (Artisans), Bahamut (Good Dragons), Corellon Larethian (Elves), Feta (Fortune), Kayleth (Knowledge), Reter (Trickery), Saraheniel (Swordplay), Sucar (Destruction), Zaketrin (Exploration).

• Counterparts:

  • El (High God of Life): The "heart." Arcus is the "mind."

  • Ezma (High God of Death): The "end." Arcus is the "system." They work together as the core Triumvirate.

• Mortals: Worshipped by wizards, mages, scholars, prophets, and some sorcerers. He finds mortals "amusing," but his newfound love for one has made this relationship complex and dangerous.

• Demigod Offspring:

  • Edeven Spellweaver (Arcana)

  • Giv Quinllan (Arcana)

  • Taika Tähtinen (Unity)

6. The Church & Clergy

• Name of the Church: The Arcane Conclave, The Order of the Will-o'-Wisp.

• Worshipper Base: Wizards, sages, scholars, seers, and librarians.

• Clergy Structure: A logical, academic hierarchy.

  • Acolytes: "Initiates"

  • Priests: "Magi" or "Seers"

  • Bishops: "Archmagi"

• Temple Description: Temples are libraries, observatories, or academies. They are places of silent study, filled with scrolls, runes, and magical diagrams.

• Rites & Rituals:

  • "The Star-Reading": A nightly ritual of divination to read the "logic" of the cosmos.

  • "The Scribing": The ritual act of copying a spell or piece of lore, seen as an act of worship.

• Holy Days:

  • "The Night of the Arcus Constellation": The one night a year when Arcus's constellation is at its zenith. All magic cast this night is said to be "pure."

  • "The First Scribe": A day celebrating the invention of writing.

7. History & Lore

• The Jaded God: A (mostly true) myth that Arcus has seen so many multiverses, so many futures, and so many mortals that he has grown jaded and bored. This has defined his True Neutral stance for eons.

• The Mandate and the Mortal Heart: Anushirvan gave a mandate to all gods to create demigods. Arcus, in his will-o'-wisp form, impregnated two mortal women just by being near them, creating his first two demigod children by "accident." Frustrated by this "illogical" act, he sought to create a third "properly." He assumed a humanoid form to find a suitable wizard... and, to his own shock, fell in love with her. This has thrown his entire "logical" existence into chaos.