A letter passes into your possession, plain in appearance, though the moment it brushes your fingertips there is a spark of something. Adventure. Magic. Danger. Upon breaking the red wax seal, a golden candle in its middle, words written with elven grace come to life. Black ink on yellow parchment, an enchantment shines on them and travels to your ear.
“Well met, adventurer. You have, by word or deed, reached our attention. A perilous age has this world entered, empires reduced to ruins, factions exhausted by blood feuds, and the eerie specter of the cosmos looming over all.
It is in this daunting context that we dare to strike out, to find treasure, artifacts, knowledge- to adventure. Whether through cut throats, honeyed words, or a strong sword arm, we believe you have what it takes to journey into these forgotten corners of the world and claim their secrets. We pay handsomely, we connect those with potential, and few beyond us can equip you to find things best forgotten.
Should you desire to live a life such as ours, seek out our sigil. A lit candle to illuminate the darkness. The Arcanum.”
There is a spark of silver and the letter is consumed in cool fire. You are left with the knowledge it once contained and an opportunity. The only question is if you will take it.
Guild Themes:
• Realistic & Consequential Magic
• Neutral Aligned
• Treasure Hunting
• Relic & Artifact Research
OOC Regulations:
• Lore-Abiding
• Character Development Driven
• Mature Roleplayers
• IC =/= OOC
In Character
From valiant mages, to cunning treasure hunters, anyone can find their way into the Arcanum’s employment. Operating out of an office in Dalaran, as well as making an appearance in the back of an antiques shop in Stormwind, flyers are pinned to contract boards all over both cities.
The Arcanum provides contractual services to third-party factions and entities; whether it involves retrieving old magical artifacts, exploring hazardous tombs, or even hunting a necromancer or two, the Arcanum will do the job well, and look sharp doing it.
But that does not mean that the company doesn’t have its own ambitions either. Claws have been sunk into relics for themselves, and are itching with retrieving more. The company eager to expand its arsenal and understanding of such mystical items, plucking up and studying the enchanted relics made and left forgotten by wizards long gone.
Fleet-footed scouts, brawny fighters, dashing rogues, and studious researchers — employees of all walks of life will find themselves tested under the Arcanum’s ranks. As any good adventurer knows, when the threat is great, the reward is greater.
Out of Character
The Arcanum strives to a be a lore-strict community focused on encouraging character development through meaningful interaction with each other. While World of Warcraft is a high-fantasy universe, our community is built around the expectation that our members are on equal footing power-level wise & enjoy engaging in consequential magic.
Player choice, meaningful decisions, and reasonable consequences are the crux of how we operate. At our essence, we’re a tight-knit group of roleplayers who appreciate a realistic approach to our stories.
Our current RP hubs are Dalaran (Legion) & Stormwind although we frequently set out to different areas of Azeroth for our events.
There’s no set days which we run events however we consistently run at least 2 dice events at 7:00PM ST per week. Usually one of these events are hosted on the weekday and one on the weekend. Typically there is at least one internal social event hosted & opportunity for players (new and old to the guild) to interact with our storylines in a one-on-one personal session with our DMs.
In addition, we attend server events to foster connections in the larger MG community although these are always optional.
Realistic Approach to Magic
Magic is powerful.
Magic is corrupting.
Magic is addicting.
The Arcanum both in and out of character acknowledges the immense power of magic, no matter the type. In acknowledging such, we also recognize the side effects and tolls magic may take on its user. We roleplay magic how it is written by Blizzard. Thus it is not rare to see our magical members verbally incanting, needing breaks, or simply not utilizing magic until it is absolutely needed.
We do not believe magic should be used as a “fix-all” solution for our IC problems. Instead, we believe it should be a representation of a character’s experience, knowledge and commitment to their craft. Depending on the type of magic a caster uses, their boundaries, laws and social acceptance of such magics will vary. Still, no matter the case, type or school, it’s important to understand the power behind spells and never view any magic as simply ‘ordinary’.
Homebrewed D20 System
We utilize a D20 system that prioritizes writing over complicated dice mechanics while still allowing enough variability through customization to appeal to a wide variety of players.
The system includes 6 attributes (strength, dexterity, intellect, wisdom, spirit, and stamina) that players allot points to. These attributes are used both in combat & out of combat for checks depending on what characters are attempting.
We understand it’s frustrating for characters to be limited because of RNG. While there is always some chance of failure, we favor writing and creativity in scenarios where a character is doing something out of combat. This doesn’t mean your character will always succeed however.
In addition to attributes modifying base D20 rolls in combat, there are attributes that allow a character offer bonuses (and sometimes drawbacks) that modify how a character can be played. A character can take 2 attributes, or none if they prefer, and change them at will between events.
Stabbing monsters with a sword isn’t the only action a character can take! Characters can intervene to save others, debuff enemies, and buff their allies.
The centerpiece of the system are items. Through events, personalized storylines, and one-on-one interactions with DMs, players will be able to collect items to enhance their character. These items come in different rarities and forms. Some increase attributes while others have unique effects. Items above the rare value are placed in the Arcanum’s vault. Players will be able to use tokens they’ve earned from coming to events & participating in the guild to purchase these relics for themselves.
Player Engagement
Natural progression is our personal preference for how we engage with those in our community. Of course IRL always comes first but we prefer not to hand wave and write something happened off screen if we can help it.
We understand that while events are fun & allow for great interaction between characters, they can also be overwhelming. We offer opportunities to augment & affect ongoing storylines on a personal level through small DM’d sessions in-game or over Discord in a system we call Rolling Hours.
This system is designed to flesh out Azeroth and provide for more beyond the 2-hour timeframe of weekly events. Participating characters can individually complete one-on-one encounters for their character that can result in: insights into ongoing storylines, hooks into potential storylines, private meetings with NPCS, sleuthing out intriguing areas, consumables to be used in events, and more.
Neutrality
One of the Arcanum’s differentiating qualities compared to other reliquary organizations is our strict neutrality. We strive to be friendly and, if possible, work beside the neutral organizations of Azeroth. This includes accepting missions, donating relics, and having our own representative of their organization among our ranks.
We offer opportunity for characters affiliated with these organizations to act as an intermediary between them and the Arcanum with a reputation-like system and personal storyline.
Examples of Neutral Organizations:
• Kirin Tor
• Ebon Blade
• Cenarion Circle
• Earthen Ring
• Argent Crusade
• Illidari
Divisions
The Arcanum offers five different divisions for characters to choose from once they meet the IC requirements. Each division has its own separate ranking system, in which a character can progress through to earn a variety of benefits. Division storylines are meant to unlock IC perks, plot, and character progression.
Vanguard
This division collects those who find passion upon the field of battle. A Vanguard’s first priority are those around him; protecting his fellow allies in the heat of combat. Vanguard members can eventually rank into positions of calling shots, maneuvers or even retreats during the midst of battle.
Antiquarian
Those who follow a pursuit for knowledge or find themselves mesmerized by magical scriptures, relics or civilizations may find themselves at home here. Antiquarians are skilled researchers who discover and solve the mysteries of the items and relics which the Arcanum retrieves.
Liaisons
A skilled stealth team dedicated to ensuring the Arcanum is always a step ahead of her enemies. Liaisons are in charge of scouting, mapping and relaying information about enemies and what threats they may pose. Liaisons may work before, during and sometimes after encounters to gather as much information where others cannot.
Acquisitions
The jacks of all trades, masters of none. Those that fall into Acquisition aren’t those that are the experts, the studious, or the brawny. Acquisition consists of quick thinking, adaptability, and the tenacity to persevere through situations that can, and do, change on the drop of a dime. Acquisition members can eventually rank into positions of leading the team throughout exploration missions and relic hunts.
Firebrands
The socialites, silvertongues, and magnates that handle all things public-facing and business-oriented. These are the faces that one envisions when thinking about the Arcanum. They act as representatives that navigate diplomatic & political affairs while cultivating a carefully constructed image for the Arcanum brand that instills trust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to join the guild to participate?
No, you don’t need to be a member of the guild to participate. We have a special ‘contractor’ role in our discord that denotes that you are a part of our wider circle. This will not inhibit you from any roleplay opportunities with us. We want to build storylines regardless of the guild tag beneath your character’s name.
What kind of characters are allowed?
All classes & races are equally welcome to join provided they are lore-abiding.
We have an expectation of respect for all RPers out there. However, we also have our own expectations of characters that we roleplay with and that join our ranks. We are a lore-strict guild that wishes to provide an immersive experience to our community where our characters are on more-or-less equal footing.
There’s nothing wrong with roleplaying characters that don’t fit this mold. But they will not be accepted into our ranks out of fairness to other members.
Unsure if your character will fit? It’s totally a-okay to run an idea by our officers and see if it fits. We strive to be inclusionary and bolster interest in the RP community by working with interested players to create a concept that works for us and them.
Can my evil character join?
All alignments are welcome within the Arcanum but keep in mind that we are a lawful neutral company.
If your character is outright causing harm to innocents and acting as a liability then they will not fit well within our ranks. Keep in mind the surrounding you are placing your character into and the realistic reactions from other characters.
While we enjoy IC conflict, provided that it doesn’t get taken OOC, it should never dominate roleplay. Disagreements are bound to happen between characters but we do not want consistently needless hostility with no potential for remedy.
Do you participate in SLP or any other opt in groups?
No. As a community, we are not opt’d in to SLP or any other groups. Nor will we ever force you to comply with any server project’s expectations.
However, we do encourage members interested in projects to participate on a personal level should they wish to.
Can anyone make events?
Yes. This is community is collaborative effort from both the officers and members. We simply ask that a vague overview of the event is checked out by one of our officers.
If you’ve never made an event and are interested in learning then we would be thrilled to help you and offer resources to bring your ideas to life.
What we're looking for
• Active players who will engage in guild stories or are willing to be storytellers.
• Individuals who have enthusiasm for working within the constraints of lore.
• Players who take initiative in creating stories with others, are well-mannered & considerate.
• Players who are 18+.
How to Join
We are currently on indefinite hiatus.
M A G I C 