Year 999
There exists a small, forgotten world at the edge of existence. A sphere adrift in the flow of time, untouched by gods or greater realms. This world is called Arcane.
It is a world without machines, without science, without technology.
Instead, it thrives on belief.
In Arcane, belief is not a concept. It is a force. A real, measurable energy that seeps into the fabric of reality and reshapes it. When one believes in something — truly, absolutely, without hesitation — the power of Imagination awakens. And when imagination aligns perfectly with belief, reality bends to match.
This is the foundation of all power in Arcane.
It is called the System of Faith.
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✦ The System of Faith
Every living being in Arcane is connected to the Veil of Belief, a vast, unseen field that blankets the world. It is through this Veil that thoughts can become form, and will can become law.
There is no formal magic. No inherited bloodlines. No ancient scrolls.
Only belief.
A man who believes the stars speak to him may begin to hear them whisper.
A child who believes the wind carries her footsteps might soon run faster than sound.
A hermit who believes death cannot touch him may wander centuries without aging.
The stronger the belief, the more reality reshapes itself.
And when belief reaches its peak — when it casts aside all doubt and merges fully with imagination — it becomes Truth. These rare events are called Manifestations.
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✦ Belief Classes
Beliefs in Arcane are generally sorted into three broad classes:
Personal Beliefs – "I will never lose."
Limited in scope, but deeply rooted. These form the foundation of physical abilities or inner strength.
Conceptual Beliefs – "Justice always prevails."
These influence events or ideas around the user. Often subtle, but powerful in ripple effects.
Absolute Beliefs – "I am the end of all things."
Extremely rare. When realized, they defy logic and bend the entire world to the believer's will.
Those with Absolute Beliefs are often called Reality Weavers — feared, worshiped, or hunted.
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✦ The Price of Doubt
But belief comes with danger.
Doubt is poison.
If a believer hesitates — even once — their power collapses. A child who once danced through fire unburned may be consumed the moment they second-guess themselves. The world of Arcane is harsh and unyielding to those uncertain of their place within it.
And so, the people of Arcane raise their children to be resolute. To trust their hearts. To never waver. In temples, they chant beliefs into being. In homes, they whisper affirmations as lullabies.
Because in Arcane, to believe is to exist.
And to doubt… is to fade.
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✦ The Age of Echoes
Now, in the year 999, something is shifting. The Veil of Belief grows thin.
Whispers travel through the wind — of beliefs that no longer hold power… of truths unraveling… of a strange, unseen force that rejects belief altogether.
The world senses it.
A silence before a storm.
And Arcane waits.
For something — or someone — that might change the laws that have governed reality for a thousand years.
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