The Arcanic Method
The Arcanic Method is a process by which theories may be tested against observations to determine whether the observations agree with or conflict with expectations.
It is uncertain where Arcanic Method originated, but many believe its original source to be groups of elves or fey, who needed ways of determining which of their complex and often contradictory practises and information surrounding the use of magic were “real”, and which were useless.
The term “arcane” comes from the fey word “αρξ” (ark), meaning a long thin branch of a tree, or ‘to bend’.
αρξ
- A long thin branch of a tree.
- The wood used for elasticity in a bow or crossbow.
- To bend, specifically when referring to things that return to their original form.
The root word αρξ is often cited when attempting the explain the concept of “The Mundane and the Arcane” to new students of the magics. It is said that αρξ refers to the ‘bending of natural laws’.
The theory behind this expression is that the world tends toward following a set of rules described as the “Mundane Laws” (these rules include, among others, gravity, conservation of energy and cause and effect). It is said that to perform magic, one must bend these rules, causing the world to act in a way that does not follow the Mundane Laws. This theory also explains that the world will always eventually return to its natural state, unless prevented.
Some scholars also postulate that it is theoretically possible to ‘break’ these laws, to affect them is such a way that the world can no longer return to its previous state, but this theory is difficult to prove definitively as any experiment would theoretically need to last for an infinite amount of time.