Big Bang Burger Bar

Altering the Rules of Reality

A preview of Arcana Exxet, an upcoming supplement for Anima: Beyond Fantasy

Magic is the greatest force in Gaïa. It existed before the gods and demons, it forms the invisible counterpart to all of physical creation, and it allows those few individuals who possess the Gift to alter the very laws of reality.

By drawing upon the spiritual energy that weaves through all matter, the Gifted can perform miracles, raise civilizations, or shatter them. However, not all who are born with the Gift share the same concept of magic or how it functions.

Theorems of magic

Today, we look at the different Theorems of magic presented in Arcana Exxet: Secrets of the Supernatural, the upcoming tome of magic for Anima: Beyond Fantasy, the roleplaying game of dark fantasy.

While the Gifted of Gaïa all share the inherent ability to reach out to the invisible energies that bind reality and manipulate them to astonishing effect, they differ in how they perceive their actions. Some believe they draw their powers from the cosmological flow of energies between the five elements of fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. Others exploit the direct spiritual connections between people and objects. Still others learn to call the entities whom they believe the Gifted persuade to transform spiritual power into spells.

Each of these Theorems forms a mental model, by which the Gifted come to understand the forces they wield. While the Gifted may superficially understand other Theorems, they may only utilize one. A Theorem is more than a theory; it is an approach to the spiritual nature of Gaïa that permeates the Gifted’s entire existence.

Arcana Exxet: Secrets of the Supernatural explores the impact of these Theorems upon the lives of the Gifted and identifies the advantages and limitations associated with several of the most common Theorems.

Words of command

Today we present a preview of the nature of Theorems of magic as well as the principles of the Onmyodo Theorem (pdf, 1.9 MB).

The Onmyodo Theorem comes from the island of Varja. According to myth, the Kami developed its principles, for it uses the language that the gods created to subjugate reality to mortal wills. Practitioners believe their words have real power and scribe them into supernatural symbols which they can later use to cast spells and disrupt the established order of the material world.

The scrolls these practitioners create, called Ofudas, enable them to cast and maintain spells of tremendous power, in accordance with the amount of time and effort they put into their creation.

Understanding the supernatural

Now more than ever, magic is a force feared by society, partly because of the mystery that surrounds it, and partly because the terrible atrocities it caused in the past are still painfully present. Many others scarcely believe in magical forces, considering them little more than myths born of ignorance.

In these times, the Gifted are rare and regarded with suspicion, distrust, and fear. Arcana Exxet: Secrets of the Supernatural is your best resource to understand the place the Gifted hold in Gaïa. With information about the nature of magic, the lives of the Gifted, Theorems of magic, metamagic advantages, invocations, summoning, rituals, supernatural beings, and more, Arcana Exxet connects you to the invisible forces of Gaïa’s ultimate force.

Look for Arcana Exxet: Secrets of the Supernatural to add to your games of Anima: Beyond Fantasy when it arrives later in the second quarter of 2012!

...

Source: Altering the Rules of Reality (http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=3149)