The tome that you now in your hands, dearest reader, is an agglomeration of many other fine works. Indeed, this is a pastiche in the truest sense, a literary medley with ingredients gathered from far and wide. As the title suggests, Arcanum is a setting of dark urban intrigue, high-fantasy exploration and magic, as well as forray into the grease-smeared, gear- powered world of Steampunk.



Ancient Times, Reign of the Gods of Old
Thousands of years before present, immeasurable by current reckoning, it is said that the Old Gods walked the land of Arcanum. An enormous pantheon of these demon-beings is thought to have existed, although their worship is now neglected and forgotten. In the most rural of areas, often those located nearby an old temple or shrine, a select few still respect or revere this beings, calling them the "Old Powers of the Earth".

The most ancient of lore still remembered in Arcanum tells that the Old Powers of the Earth were birthed at the very same moment as Arcanum itself. For reasons of their own- for who can understand the thoughts of a god?, of the Earth itself?- these Old Gods gave rise to the hominid races. As such, certain among these Powers created a child in its own image, that it might procreate, in a sense. It is assumed, then, that some of the Old Powers in their corporeal form appeared similar to the peoples of Arcanum, if much grander and more awesome to behold.

In the Ancient Times, the peoples of Arcanum lived in a variety of lifeways and in a variety of places. There was commonality among them, though. The societies and peoples of the Ancient Times are generally accepted to have been much simpler, roughly more egalitarian, and less concerned with race.

Then, the Great Schism occurred.

The Great Schism
During the Ancient Times, the technology utilized by the peoples of Arcanum never came into conflict with the use of the lifeforce known as Magic. The two co-existed, even thrived together. Smiths imbued their tools and weapons with the Arcane Forces, druids were called upon to bless the land and all the plants and animals within and of it, broken pots were mended with a small charm or a Word of Binding.

It was widely accepted that wizards, sorcerers, shamans, witches, diviners, soothsayers, mages, and all manner of other magical specialists were conduits of the Natural Energies given them by the Old Powers of the Earth. It was widely known and accepted that magic in tandem with handicrafts and land-based technologies was enough to fulfill the needs of the people.

But for some, it was not enough.

For certain minds among a certain group of Elves, the quest for Knowledge and Wisdom had to be pursued at all costs, with no regard for the consequences. It was these Elves who developed what they called the "Scientific Method", leading to what is commonly called the Great Schism. These researchers, whose names are lost to history, soon found a foothold with their people. Similar minds among a certain group of humans sprung up almost simultaneously. An alliance was formed. Then came the Rational Inquisition, wherein the Old Powers of the Earth were at first denied, then shunned, then forbidden.

Then came the building of vast, sprawling cities. Then, the first Steam Engine was constructed. Not all was well with these "advancements". The Elves and Humans who made up this alliance soon discovered- quite by unfortunate accident, mind you- that their Steam Tech and the ancient force known as Magic were entirely incompatible. This was troublesome at first, but, as with the Old Powers of the Earth, the Human and Elvish scientists simply relegated Magic to the past, ruled it out as Obsolete and Irrational.

It wasn't long before they sought to eradicate Magic altogether. This was also the period of the Enslavement of the Dwarves. Those Elves who innovated Steam Tech- they called themselves "High Elves" or "Highborn"- had long looked down on the Dwarves of their region, not only for their diminutive stature, but also for their differences of custom and tradition. The Human allies of the Highborn had looked down on nearly all the other races simply because they weren't Human.

Therefore, using their newly found and lovingly embraced Scientific Method, the Highborn Elves and Humans rationalized a hierarchy of races, at the top of which, conveniently enough, were the Highborn Humans and Elves. The Highborn knew that their burgeoning industrial way of life wouldn't support itself, and they certainly didn't want to get their own hands dirty digging in mines or plowing fields all day. There was research to be done,
discoveries to be made, after all.

A labor caste was needed, and a labor caste was found. The one trait possessed by the Dwarves of the region that the Highborn admired was their stamina, their long-winded constitution, their strong backs. Using what little Steam Tech had been invented, it wasn't difficult for the Highborn to annex the surrounding Dwarven villages, and force them, culturally, economically, and with military might, to adopt the Way of Science and Steam. The poverty and disparity this created among the local Dwarves was enough to force them to become the Laborers that the Highborn desired.

Years Following the Schism up to the Present Day
Of course, the Highborn did not stop their expansion with the conquest of the local Dwarves. They knew they'd need more resourecs, more unskilled laborers, and especially more agriculturalists and pastoralists to feed the growing populations of their cities. Along with the Dwarves, the Highborn imposed a "rational" hierarchy onto the other races as well. Just beneath themselves came the Halflings, since they appeared to be genetically related to Elves and Humans, though they had obvious differences. After Highborn Elves and Humans and then Halflings, came all of the other Ethnic Groups of Elves and Humans in Arcanum. This included the feral elves, the tribal humans, those elves and humans who continued to use Magic, and who failed to see "reason". After those elves and humans came everyone else, the "bestial" races: goblins, orcs, gnolls, kobolds, and so on.

With this racism neatly disguised as Scientific Inquiry, the Highborn humans and elves were able to justify their further expansion, further conquest, and further abuses of all the people of Arcanum. Their cities grew, Steam Tech spread outward, huge economic disparities grew between castes in the cities, racism flourished. Many members of other races began to forget that Dwarves even existed, since the majority of Dwarves now spent their entire lives laboring underground in mines, in factories, in laboratories, or in clockworks. The contemporary situation is much the same. The Highborn mechanist bourgeoisie rule the cities. Poverty is rampant. Dwarves are nearly invisible. Steam Technology grows and changes by the day. The Old Powers of the Earth have been nearly forgotten. The Grand Scientific Inquiry attempts to impose "reason" and "rationale" on those peoples and communities who still use and revere Magic. And there is resistance: those who revere and use Magic have formed organizations, fellowships to combat the expansion of Technology.

What's more, with the imposition of control and law imposed by Science and cities, the universal forces of Chaos and Order daily come into extreme conflict. Where once there were sharing communities, now there are darkened alleyways haunted by footpads and cutpurses. Where once there was economic equality for all, now there are the Technocratic elites, the fat, wealthy merchants who profit off of their inventions, and the soot-covered orphans who cough blood in the streets. Where once healthy landbases proliferated, now smog darkens the sky, ash blankets the cobblestones, sewers overflow with refuse and other,fouler things...

The world of Arcanum at present is a place of intrigue, adventure, and turmoil.