Category Archives: Encyclopaedia Arcana

This page is the index for the Encyclopaedia Arcana, a series of articles about the background and setting of the world of the Alex Verus novels.

Encyclopaedia Arcana #42: Master and Apprentice (Part One)

The master-apprentice relationship has been at the core of mage society for a long time.  It’s the way in which new mages are trained, and the way in which the culture and knowledge of magical society is passed down to … Continue reading

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Encyclopaedia Arcana #41: Earth Magic

The last of the four basic elemental types, earth is the element of strength and stability.  Earth magic revolves around manipulation of matter (especially stone and earth) and reinforcement. Forgotten Earth Earth magic tends to be one of the less … Continue reading

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Encyclopaedia Arcana #40: Death Magic

Death mages are the most combat-focused mages of the living family, and among the most combat-focused of all magic types of all families put together.  They’re sometimes referred to as negative energy mages or necromancers (though strictly speaking necromancy is … Continue reading

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Encyclopaedia Arcana #39: Other Worlds (Part Four)

Although shadow realms are very handy things, they do come with associated problems. Paying the Utility Bills The most basic issue with a shadow realm is logistics.  Being a fully isolated pocket reality means that the only way something is … Continue reading

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Encyclopaedia Arcana #38: Other Worlds (Part Three)

Shadow realms get a lot of use in mage society.  There’s a lot of things you can do with a pocket world, and over the millennia mages have come up with some very creative uses for them.  Here’s a brief … Continue reading

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Encyclopaedia Arcana #37: Other Worlds (Part Two)

While the first part of this article covered bubbles, this second part will deal with the more commonly-used shadow realms. Shadows and Bubbles To an outsider, a shadow realm looks pretty much the same as a bubble.  They’re inaccessible except … Continue reading

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Encyclopaedia Arcana #36: Other Worlds (Part One)

Mages don’t spend all their time on Earth, and their gate magic can be adapted to allow for dimensional travel.  Out of the other worlds that mages visit, the two most common types are bubbles and shadow realms. Bubble Bubble … Continue reading

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Encyclopaedia Arcana #35: Air Magic

Air is the element of movement and freedom, and most of its effects revolve around motion in some way.  Air mages are good at moving quickly and avoiding danger, but tend to have less brute destructive power than other elementalists. … Continue reading

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Encyclopaedia Arcana #34: Water Magic

One of the more common elemental types, water magic gives control over liquid and its associated qualities.  Water mages are often thought of as passive and reactive compared to other elementalists, but their magic is well-suited for combat and water … Continue reading

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Encyclopaedia Arcana #33: Space Magic

Space magic gives control over location and distance, and space mages can bend, pierce, and manipulate space, allowing them to direct the movement of other people or objects and travel vast distances in the blink of an eye.  Although one … Continue reading

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