Sorcerous Arcana

The spells sorcerers use are all invocations of magical power that draw upon extradimensional entities. In some cases, these entities are known to the earthly realm: gods, spirits, and other archetypes. In many instances, however, they are entities wholly unknown to mortal historians and theologians, their names and invocations revealed only to those with the magic to plumb the depths of the multiverse and discover them.

The Universal Arcana

The following spells are generally known to sorcerers the world over. They represent a corpus of knowledge sufficiently disseminated among magicians that it isn't uncommon for a sorcerer to know one of these spells, or an arcana in part or whole. Unlike the rare arcana that follow, it is assumed that modern magicians have sufficient access to magical lore to have discovered the formulae for these magical works in published books of arcane lore (through small presses and the like, generally), through a mentor or friend, through membership in some group or another, or even in an arcane repository in a tucked-away corner of the internet somewhere.

	Abbridon The Lantern of Heaven, Light of Righteousness Abbridon is an angelic higher being associated with order and truth, called upon for magic associ- ated with revealing the truth or banishing darkness and deception. He is often depicted as a beautiful androgynous figure in flowing robes, with peacock feathered wings (the “eyes” of the feathers being his symbol) and carrying a torch or lantern. Sometimes addressed as “The Abbridon,” some mystics have suggested Abbridon may be a multifaceted entity or collective class of higher angelic beings, perhaps even an office held by one of them. Abbridon is also one of the three entities making up the mystic trinity of the Modrossus, along with Heshem and Lamal.
	Ahgrazul Archmage of Atlantis, the Explorer Ahgrazul was a mighty archmage in ancient Atlantis, best known as a seer and diviner. He first explored the Cosmic Coil and blazed paths for the mystics who would follow him. Legend says Ahgrazul foretold Atlantis’s fall, but he departed for worlds beyond before the island- continent sank beneath the waves.
	Bal'Hemoth The Binder, Lord of Chains The sinister Bal’Hemoth was worshipped in ancient Lemuria as the iron-fisted master of order and enslavement. He taught dominance and the power of the strong over the weak, although Bal’Hemoth’s ways were overthrown through gen- erations of slave rebellions against the Serpent People of Lemuria and their inheritors.
	The Black Goat of the Wood The Mother of a Thousand Young, Magna Mater A confusing entity whose lore seems to suggest masculine and feminine traits in different depictions, as well as suggesting certain caprine traits paired with other, more eldritch traits. The Black Goat enjoins those who seek them for power to "live deliciously," to pursue hedonistic excess as a path to power, and to embrace every facet of fecundity available to them. It is thought the Black Goat may have had ties of some kind to the old European witchcraft cults, to the Magister or "Black Man" who traveled between covens, but who is also somehow a woodland mother-goddess figure who seeks blood sacrifice.
	Ghorummaz The Dragon Within the Earth, Lord of Storms, the Earth-Binder Ghorummaz is a primal, elemental force, often depicted as a serpentine dragon of stone and fire, spitting molten magma. It is strongly connected with “dragon lines” of force within the Earth and with the elements. Ghorummaz is Lord of Earthquakes and Storms, and a binder of what is unnatural.
	Heshem She Who Is Three, the Hooded One, Triformus Heshem is the dark goddess of the between places, usually depicted as an ancient crone, robed and hooded, and bearing a staff or cane and a glowing lantern (often suspended at the end of her crooked staff). Cats are associated with her for their night vision and glowing eyes. Although stern and fierce, she can be a power for great good, bringing light into the darkness. Heshem is one of the Three Powers of the Modrossus.
	The Howling Dream The Crying Chaos, the Primal Storm The Howling Dream is as much a place or state of mind as it is an entity. It is mad, primal chaos dwelling within the darkest depths of consciousness, the stormy sea of emotions and awareness from which all thought and imagina- tion first arose. It is that portion of the Great Mind that will not be tamed or subject to order. It is insanity incarnate. Magicians calling on the power of the Howling Dream skirt the edges of madness themselves.
	Idolon The Illusionist, Veil of Illusion, the Deceiver The mysterious Idolon has no true or fixed appearance apart from a pair of glowing eyes seen in the darkness or in the shadowy depths of a hood. It is capable of assuming any appearance, for Idolon is a power of illusion and trickery. Mages call upon it for aid in concealment and crafting cunning images.
	Ios The Wayfinder, the Seer, Ios of the Eight Eyes Ios was an ancient archmage who ascended to a higher spiritual plane, becoming a guide and guardian of mystics to follow. She is most strongly associated with divinatory magic, connected with the symbol of the eye and with spells dealing with gates, both opening and closing them. Ios was known for her devotion to seeking truth and her opposition to the ancient Cult of Idolon, infamous deceivers and spies that they were.
	Kar'Kradas The Whisperer in the Shadows Between Worlds Kar’Kradas is an ancient and powerful demon, known as the Whisperer in the Shadows Between Worlds. It is said he was bound in “the places between” long ago, perhaps even before time as we know it, and now he can only access the world through shadows, corners, and mirrors, perceived by some sensitives out of the corner of the eye in just a glimpse. Magicians call on the Whisperer for powers of darkness, deception, and transcending time and space. Cults have worshipped Kar’Kradas throughout time, and some have sought to free him from his imprison- ment, even though doing so would mean the unraveling of the Cosmic Coil and the end of all existence as we know it.
	Lamal The Law-Giver, the Legate, the Wise, the Great Balance Lamal the Law-Giver is an entity of perfect order but, unlike his brother Weyan, he is concerned with order amongst individuals and societies, rather than the perfect functioning of a well-maintained mechanism. Mortals know Lamal as “the Wise” and the “Great Balance,” a giver of laws, guidance, and wise judgment. For this reason, he is often a guide and patron of magicians seeking to use their powers wisely for the greater good. Lamal is one of the Three Powers of the Modrossus.
	Malador The Mystic, the Maleficent Malador was a powerful and respected mage in ancient Atlantis who turned to dark and forbidden arts in his mad quest for immortality and power. He ironically gained his “eternal life” when his fellow mages bound him for all time in a tomb within the Temple of Sirrion. Malador’s name is still invoked by magicians seeking power over life and death.
	The Modrossus The Lumenvirate, the Hand of Order, the Three-in-One, Triluminary The Modrossus is an amalgam of three potent mystic entities: Abbridon, Heshem, and Lamal, often depicted as a glowing being with three heads: male, female, and androgyne, or a lion, a serpent, and an eagle, each with a glowing rune on its forehead. The Modrossus is the single greatest force for positive and protective magic known to earthly magicians, and they often invoke its name and “the Magic of the Modrossus” or “Mysteries of the Modrossus” in their duties.
	Obroros The Screaming Spire, Obsidian Ward, Ever-Watchful Obroros is the name given to an ancient intelligent artifact, a double-terminated obelisk of gleaming black stone that serves as a guardian and gatekeeper to the netherworlds of the Cosmic Coil. Glowing eyes and mouths form on the surface of the spire when it deals with visitors or challengers. No one knows who placed Obroros on its eternal vigil, and the Spire remains silent on such matters. Its cries are terribly painful to dimensional intruders, driving them away, back from whence they came.
	Phoros The Burning Phantoms, Floating Flames, Mighty Lights The Phoros are immortal, immaterial magical beings from a realm of raw and chaotic energy. They appear as floating, glowing spheres of light or fire, and their full power can be damaging to unprotected material creatures. Some have likened them to “living stars.” Magicians call upon them and their realm for energy and power.
	Shatachna The Iron Queen, the Lady of Pain, Mistress of Curses The Iron Queen and Mistress of the Seven Hells, Shatachna is an ancient demon associ- ated with pain and suffering. Those seeking power and dominion call her upon to inflict pain on others, and she has claimed the souls of more than a few would-be “magisters” as her personal slaves and attendants.
	Sirrion The Red Wizard, Scarlet Sorcerer, Scarlet Summoner, Starry Visitor Sirrion, the Sorcerer in Scarlet, is a mysterious figure robed entirely in red, including mask, showing only a pair of glowing eyes in the shadows of their face. Some associate Sirrion with Idolon, although there is no evidence of a connection between them. Sirrion is associated with the starry heavens and with the star system known as Sirius in modern history. He is known as “the Starry Visitor,” perhaps indicating he was a wizard or entity from another planet or universe. The ancient Atlanteans built Temples in his name. Modern wizards call on Sirrion for spells of sum- moning, protection, and binding, amongst others.
	The Unspeakable One Lord of the Yellow Sign, Rune of Madness The entity known as the Unspeakable One has been worshipped by mad cults since the days of Lemuria and Atlantis. Its true name is known only to a few, for it is said to speak it invites its attention and, therefore, madness. The Unspeakable One is a force of primordial chaos, and its followers want nothing more than to summon it into the world to bring the “gift” of divine madness to all. A few with a slightly stronger grip on their sanity seek to use the Unspeakable One’s power for their own purposes, but they constantly risk falling deeper into a psychic abyss from which there is no return.
	Vhoka The Destroyer, the Devourer, the Oathbreaker Vhoka the Destroyer is the legendary Eater of Gods, a primal force that destroys all in his path, consuming it so it may be reborn anew. He’s most often depicted as a many-armed man with a wide, toothy maw much like a shark’s, and wielding several swords. Although many fear Vhoka’s power, in many respects, he is an entity beyond good and evil. Still, he is opposed to the forces of creation, so magicians allied with order tend to call upon him with great caution, if at all, while those devoted solely to their own power have few qualms about calling Vhoka’s wrath down upon their foes.
	Weyan The Wheelwright, the Watcher, the White Hand Weyan the Wheelright is brother of Lamal the Law-Giver, and he is even more orderly than his divine twin. Weyan is an artisan, master of a vast and intricate clockwork of interlocking wheels and gears, always working to expand and maintain it. It is said the purpose of the vast mechanism is to perfect creation in some way. Perfection is Weyan’s ultimate purpose, and he’s called upon in matters of improving or perfecting things, or for the tremendous power contained in the wheels he makes and puts into motion. Unlike, Lamal, however, Weyan is less concerned with matters of justice, and wizards wield his power for their own purposes.
	Yig The Father of Serpents Yig is the archetypal great ancestor, master of snakes and reptiles. He is a cold-blooded creature, befitting his nature, but willing to grant power to those who serve him and his chosen ones. Followers of Yig often assume reptilian and serpentine characteristics and call on him for magic dealing with serpents, venom, and similar such things.

Rare Arcana

These Arcana are not universal, and can only be learned from specific sources within the setting.

	Aion Father of Seasons, the Star-Girded One Depicted as a lion-headed figure, encoiled by a serpent, and holding two devices (scepters in some depictions, key in others), and encircled by the whole of the zodiac, Aion is a master of cyclical time. Among sorcerers, Aion often appears as his lion-headed form or as a more humanoid aspect, albeit with skin the black of the universe, sparkling with stars, and encircled by a constantly-spinning golden ring emblazoned with the symbols of the zodiac. Restriction: Only members of the Zodiac Society have access to the Arcana of Aion.
	Ithaqua The Wind-Walker, the White Silence, God of the Cold An entity in the earthly realm, Ithaqua is referred to by some sorcerers as being one of the "Great Old Ones." A horrifying giant of roughly humanoid shape, with glowing red eyes, constantly surrounded by the fiercest of blizzards, Ithaqua is a ravenous entity that freezes the world and inspires deep hunger in creatures. It is thought that Ithaqua may have been the inspiration for yeti and the wendigo in various places around the world.
	Styx The Veiled Skull, Lady of the Far Shore, Keeper of the River The goddess Styx is not merely goddess of the River Styx – she is that ancient and hallowed riverway. Most often seen as a figure shrouded in veils upon the far shore of the river (upon the side of the dead for the living who see her, and upon the side of the living when the dead catch their glimpses), Styx's powers are invoked for power over death and life. The undead are anathema to her, and her magics are frequently used in destroying them, but she also offers Achilles-like powers of invulnerability for the living who invoke her spells.