My question about the Arcane

[hairyman]

I am very hyped for Legion and my main is currently a mage. I have been doing extra research about WoW in general. Despite my countless research, I am having trouble understanding one thing, the Arcane. So what is arcane, how does it work and what purpose does it serve in the universe? Any feedback will be appreciated

[shoc]

Arcane is the magic of Order, opposite to Fel, which is the magic of Disorder.

The WoWPedia definition:

Arcane (a.k.a. arcane magic, arcane energy, warp energy), the language of order, is a celestial energy derived from the phase transitions of mana—if mana were water, then arcane would be steam pressure. Chaotic in nature, arcane is so similar to an element it might as well be one, for all magical intents and purposes. Those skilled in arcane magic have learned how to exploit the instability in the universe, being able to control the elements (air, earth, fire, life, water) and other forces (e.g. time).

The Twisting Nether - the line between the ebb of Light and the flow of Void - is an ethereal dimension of chaotic magics that connected the myriad worlds of the universe together. In Azeroth, volatile arcane magic was once concentrated in the Well of Eternity, but its destruction spread arcane power throughout the world.

http://wow.gamepedia.com/Arcane

[Combatbutler]

I am very hyped for Legion and my main is currently a mage. I have been doing extra research about WoW in general. Despite my countless research, I am having trouble understanding one thing, the Arcane. So what is arcane, how does it work and what purpose does it serve in the universe? Any feedback will be appreciated

To Quote chronicle.

The forces of Order and Disorder govern the cosmic systems of the physical universe. Order is most commonly preceived in reality as arcane magic. This type of energy is innately volatile, and wielding it requires intense precision and concentration. Conversely, Disorder is manifested as highly destructive fel magic. This brutal and extremely addictive energy is fueled by drawing life from living beings.

Arcane also seems to be the blood of titans.

[Florena]

Kind of ironic that the magic of order is described as volatile or chaotic. XD

[Golden Yak]

I think of arcane as magic related to the laws of physics that govern reality. Manipulating it lets you manipulate reality, usually in tiny ways - making a bunch of mana form itself into a pie, for example, or transforming someone into a sheep. This is why its the counter to fel magic, which corrodes and breaks down reality and order into chaos and disorder. It's also why the arcane requires great willpower to employ, since you're shifting the levers of creation when you use it - get the balance wrong and things collapse towards disorder.

[Caerule]

In a way, arcane energies seem to be the lifeblood of creation. It's energy in its purest unshaped form. Places high in magic, are places of power. And the natural force of magic present in the world, flowing over it through the ley lines like veins nourishing a body with oxygen, seem to nourish and support all living things. And when that flow is corrupted, disturbed, or taken away, bad things can happen.

The mage taps into this power. Through complicated work, symbols, focus and affinity, they weave these raw energies into the shapes and expressions they desire. They introduce order and instructions, and reshape reality.
Fel magic is of course a different beast. Magic brought to chaos, fueled, drawn in and unleashed. While in the ever-changing realm of the Twisting Nether, such a twisting, infecting and chaotic expression of magic may be possibly natural, within the normal cosmos it is a corruption and unnatural state of magic.

So yes. Magic is power. The raw energy of the universe. It strengthens, evolves and increases life. And woven by the hands of an expert, may reshape reality itself, manifest as wonders, or horrors.

[nonameelf]

Arcane is science. The really mathy, precise, orderly kind of science.

Fel is the random dude making flame throwers in his garage for shits and giggles type of science.

[Wildmoon]

It's the force that governs the cosmic system just like how nature governs everything living.

[Enthralled]

Kind of ironic that the magic of order is described as volatile or chaotic. XD

Imagine studying post-doctoral chemistry in a university laboratory vs. a few kids putting dangerous flammable materials together and then tossing a match on them out in the street

[Cheapnecrolyte]

As highly destructive fel magic, Disorder - a lack of Order - is devoid of Order, which is most commonly perceived in reality as arcane magic. Devoid of Order (arcane magic), the highly destructive fel magic is the gap/void in-between arcane magics and the arcane magics surrounding the highly destructive fel magic are trying to close the gap.

Khadgar nodded, and Medivh continued, “But your assumption that their victims are weak-willed is in error, though again an error that is well-intended. There are more than enough venal farmhands who invoke a demonic force for revenge against a former lover, or stupid merchants who burn an invoice from a debtor with a black candle, badly mangling the ancient name of some once-great demonic power. But just as often there are those who walk willingly to the abyss, who feel themselves safe and sure and knowledgeable that they are beyond any blandishment or threat, that they are powerful enough to harness the demonic energies that surge beyond the walls of the world. They are in many ways even more dangerous than the common rabble, for as you know, a near-failure in spellcasting is more deadly than a complete failure."

Excerpt From: Grubb, Jeff. “Warcraft: The Last Guardian.” Pocket Books, 2002. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.

Refitting a spell for a new activity was not as simple as changing an incantation here, altering a motion there. It required a deep and precise understanding of how divination worked, of what it revealed and how. When a hand-motion changes, or the type of incense used is deleted, the result is most likely complete failure, where the energies are dissipated harmlessly. Occasionally the energies may go wild and out of control, but usually the only result of a failed spell is a frustrated spellcaster.
In his studies, Khadgar discovered that if a spell fails in a spectacular fashion, it indicates that the failed spell is very close to the final intended spell. The magics are trying to close the gap, to make things happen, though not always with the results intended by the caster. Of course, sometimes these failed magic-users did not survive the experience.

Excerpt From: Grubb, Jeff. “Warcraft: The Last Guardian.” Pocket Books, 2002. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.

Entropy honeybees. Without fel magic, Khadgar ain't hot shit. Mages aren't anything but warlocks pretending to be "saints" who don't manipulate some measure of the demonic fel magic. Make no mistake tho...titans and mages are demonic hypocrites who would nyom nyom on Spirit, causing elementals to fall into chaos (fel), enslave/re-order the elementals in their confused state, then destroy them if they fall into disorder again. No wonder the Legion annihilated the Pantheon.

[Florena]

As highly destructive fel magic, Disorder - a lack of Order - is devoid of Order, which is most commonly perceived in reality as arcane magic. Devoid of Order (arcane magic), the highly destructive fel magic is the gap/void in-between arcane magics and the arcane magics surrounding the highly destructive fel magic are trying to close the gap.





Entropy honeybees. Without fel magic, Khadgar ain't hot shit. Mages aren't anything but warlocks pretending to be "saints" who don't manipulate some measure of the demonic fel magic. Make no mistake tho...titans and mages are demonic hypocrites who would nyom nyom on Spirit, causing elementals to fall into chaos (fel), enslave/re-order the elementals in their confused state, then destroy them if they fall into disorder again. No wonder the Legion annihilated the Pantheon.

Someone want to translate this into english? I have no idea how these quotes from The Last Guardian relate to mages being hypocrites dependant on fel magic. Especially since the lore has been expanded, and arcane and fel being more clearly defined now than they were when that novel was written fourteen years ago.

[Cheapnecrolyte]

Someone want to translate this into english? I have no idea how these quotes from The Last Guardian relate to mages being hypocrites dependant on fel magic. Especially since the lore has been expanded, and arcane and fel being more clearly defined now than they were when that novel was written fourteen years ago.

This doesn't need any translation, you're just playing stupid. Disorder is a lack of order and is manifested as highly destructive fel magic per Chronicle. Devoid of order, disorder (and by extension, fel magic) is a gap/void in a sense and energies/magics would try to close the gap to make things work as established by the Last Guardian. Without Disorder, arcane magic can't work or exist. Ergo, Khadgar can't be hot shit without fel magic.

[Florena]

This doesn't need any translation, you're just playing stupid. Disorder is a lack of order and is manifested as highly destructive fel magic per Chronicle. Devoid of order, disorder (and by extension, fel magic) is a gap/void in a sense and energies/magics would try to close the gap to make things work as established by the Last Guardian. Without Disorder, arcane magic can't work or exist. Ergo, Khadgar can't be hot shit without fel magic.

The quotes you linked are talking about nearly successful spells trying to 'close the gap' where the caster failed. The 'gap' in question here is the failure of the spell caster, not some sort of fel magic that they're reliant upon. This book was also written 14 years ago long before the lore about arcane being the language of orfder and fel the language of chaos was introduced.

[Cheapnecrolyte]

The 'gap' in question here is the failure of the spell caster, not some sort of fel magic that they're reliant upon.

No, the gap mentioned is the hole/void created when the coalition of energies that spells are made up of spread out. Since you seem to be having a difficult time understanding my explanation of entropy, perhaps Muffinboy can explain it to you.

https://twitter.com/voidprohibited/s...17839907098625

Arcane spells are composed of arcane energies and energies want to be in a state of disorder. Disorder, the absence of Order, which is most commonly perceived in reality as arcane magic, is a gap that comes from Order and the arcane energies it is connected to would try to close it. Or....perhaps Disorder draws in and consumes life in order to reach a more orderly state.

[WhiteEagle888]

GoldenYak's response seems the most likely to me. The mage bends reality to his will and thereby "changes" the natural order of the universe.
Arcane is volatile not because it's inherently chaotic but more like the raw energy of the world is set loose and it tries to "fill the gap" created by the will of the mage.

To make take an example from the real world: If you throw a stone into the lake it will create ripples at the point of entry of the stone - these ripples were created by the stone entering an already orderer physical state of water. The ripples settle down after a while when the new order is established however - after the stone is resting at the bottom of the lake. So basically arcane is what these ripples are in reality - arcane is the building block of reality and the will of the mage upsets this reality which causes arcane anomalies to appear - you basically would not see arcane magic anywhere if every place on Azeroth was perfectly ordered physically.

[Aucald]

I am very hyped for Legion and my main is currently a mage. I have been doing extra research about WoW in general. Despite my countless research, I am having trouble understanding one thing, the Arcane. So what is arcane, how does it work and what purpose does it serve in the universe? Any feedback will be appreciated

Arcane magic arises from the essence of Order, and its volatility is a function of energy moving from state to state or point to point. Life both generates and is infused by Arcane energy, and the practitioner of Arcane magic is adept at both channeling Arcane energy from state to state as well as taking advantage of the mutability or inherent instability of physical matter/energy as it moves between states, e.g. bridging the gaps between willed desire and outcome.

Fel magic is the from the essence of Disorder, and represents the entropic expenditure of life to fuel its effect. Corrupting and addicting, Fel energy is created by the dissolution of systems and the destruction of life itself - it is at once both a higher wavelength of energy and also inherently (often violently) unstable. If Arcane is a gentle and usually predictable brook of energy then Fel is a wild torrent, extremely powerful but seldom capable of creating enduring effects or changes.

[Deleted]

snip

Dont worry, you were right. Those quoted fragments meant that when spell is near finished state (more energy concentrated for a spell in a more complex way) and the spell fails it goes boom in a bigger fashion that normal fucked up spell at the beggining of the cast. Let me tell you an example : Think of it as a balloon. You pump some air into the balloon and then destroy it : the air goes little "meh". But you pump ALOT of air into the ballon and it explodes; balloon goes BOOM. Same with the spell. You concentrate the energies and manipulate them, so they start shaping up as you want them to. Then near finish line they want to complete the spell coz they were manipulated in such a complicated way that they are so entangled with each other that they almost become one. Then if the caster fucks up at this stage - it goes in a bigger boom. Thats it.

Snip

Plz go and educate urself and leave conspiracy theories at home then come discuss if u can atleast be kind and polite to an OP.

[Cheapnecrolyte]

Plz go and educate urself and leave conspiracy theories at home then come discuss if u can atleast be kind and polite to an OP.

States the person who can't spell correctly and can't actually disprove my point.

[Ariselea]

Arcane is the magic of Order, opposite to Fel, which is the magic of Disorder.

The WoWPedia definition:

Arcane (a.k.a. arcane magic, arcane energy, warp energy), the language of order, is a celestial energy derived from the phase transitions of mana—if mana were water, then arcane would be steam pressure. Chaotic in nature, arcane is so similar to an element it might as well be one, for all magical intents and purposes. Those skilled in arcane magic have learned how to exploit the instability in the universe, being able to control the elements (air, earth, fire, life, water) and other forces (e.g. time).

The Twisting Nether - the line between the ebb of Light and the flow of Void - is an ethereal dimension of chaotic magics that connected the myriad worlds of the universe together. In Azeroth, volatile arcane magic was once concentrated in the Well of Eternity, but its destruction spread arcane power throughout the world.

http://wow.gamepedia.com/Arcane

Does this mean my Mage is shooting mana from his hands?

[Cheapnecrolyte]

Does this mean my Mage is shooting mana from his hands?

If mana was water, arcane energy would be steam pressure. Basically, you're taking mana and burning/sacrificing it.