The Arcane are a major[2] spacefaring race in the Spelljammer campaign setting.[3][4][5]
"Where do the Arcane come from? Who are they? Why do they sell their helms? Surely profit is not their only motivation. Who among us has ever even learned how a helm works, let alone manufactured one?"
- Gamalon Idogyr, addressing the Seekers at the Library of the Spheres.[6]
Overview[]
The Arcane are a race of traders and merchants who deal almost exclusively in magic items, spelljamming helms, spelljammers and associated technology. They can be found throughout wildspace anywhere there is a spaceborne civilization,[4][3] and across the outer planes (where they are known as the mercane).[1][5]
Description[]
The Arcane are 12 feet tall, lanky, blue-skinned humanoids with long, thin faces and spidery, delicate hands; their long thin fingers have one more joint than most humanoid creatures. They prefer to wear exotic silken robes and broad fur capes or stoles, and tend to rely on magical protection, such as rings, cloaks or bracers. Individual arcane have been known to wear heavier armor, combining chain mail with segments of plate. Most arcane appear to be lightly armed, usually carrying long, thin blades, staves or light, long-handled maces.[5][4][3]
Personality[]
The arcane are extremely wealthy and appear driven to amass even more wealth. Beyond this, it is extremely difficult to determine what they actually gain from their incessant trading, and what they do with all the gold and gems they acquire.[5] The arcane will deal with almost anyone, and refuse to take responsibility for the use these items are put to. They have sold helms to both human and illithid communities, and were commissioned by the beholders to develop the various tyrant ships, and maintain a registry to ensure that no two tyrant nations have the same design. The only exception appear to be the neogi, but even here the arcane rely on subordinates to carry out what limited trade takes place.
Those interacting with the arcane find them cold, efficient, and most importantly, uncaring. They have no concern for local politics or factional rivalries. All they care about is finding customers. They will often make deals with both sides of a conflict, fully aware that their actions may lead to the complete annihilation of their customers in a particular region or sphere. However, their market base is so massive that the loss of a single planet or race will not have any long term effect on their business.
Haggling with an arcane is a chancy proposition at best. Sometimes they will engage in haggling with a bemused smirk, but just as often they will leave the buyer hanging and abandon all negotiations. The arcane do not appreciate being threatened, insulted or blackmailed. Those who attempt to do so will find it very difficult to purchase reliable equipment. An arcane will not raise their hand in anger or vengeance - there are much more enjoyable and subtle ways to get revenge.[3][4]
Combat[]
The Arcane are notoriously non-combative, and prefer to talk or buy their way out of trouble. While they loathe physical conflict and avoid it when possible, they are capable of defending themselves if necessary, but prefer to rely on an entourage of up to 10 bodyguards. By the time a determined assailant has made their way through their bodyguards, the arcane is usually long gone. All arcane possess the spell-like abilities of invisibility and dimension door, and usually vanish at the first sign of trouble, leaving their bodyguards to do the "mopping-up", as it were.
If forced to physically defend themselves, most arcane rely on their magical protection and typically wield either a rapier, a staff or a light, long-handled mace. Melee weapons wielded by an arcane will feature an offensive enchantment of some kind, similar in effect to a shocking grasp, heat metal or blindness spell, which affects their opponent when struck. This appears to be an innate ability common to arcane, as the weapons themselves are not enchanted.[5][3][4]
Society[]
The arcane do not establish permanent cities or settlements; instead they prefer to move from place to place, arranging deals and amassing wealth. Arcane typically travel alone with an entourage of bodyguards or in small groups known as "companies". A company may number as many as a dozen arcane and will always be accompanied by guards and temporary employees, with as many as 10 times the number of arcane.
The arcane deal in high value goods, including magic items, weapons and technology of all kinds, but are also willing to deal in gems, rare spices and fine wines.[5] The arcane prefer to operate as purveyors and brokers of extremely valuable materials, rather than manufacturers or traders in bulk goods, and often employ humanoid merchants to act as middle-men and facilitators who arrange the delivery of the actual goods. Contacting any resident arcane in a civilized settlement is relatively simple: a few words spread through the local grapevine will inevitably result in being contacted by an arcane's subordinate or local agent.[4]
The arcane are extremely secretive and never discuss themselves or their race. They also appear to be extremely well informed about each others' activities and know when one of their own has been poorly treated or cheated. Some sages speculate that the arcane share a kind of racial telepathy - but as with anything else related to the arcane, they refuse to even discuss the matter. The arcane will not actively pursue retribution against someone who has injured a fellow arcane, but they may refuse to deal with them until they have paid restitution of some kind.[4] Within each arcane company, all individuals appear to be equal in status. They operate in perfect coordination with each other and never contradict each other in public. The arcane appear to be sexless, or rather individuals at times seem to act in a female or male role, depending on the situation. No young or particularly old arcane have ever been seen.[5][3][4]
Notable Arcane[]
- Arcane of the Spelljammer (no other name known) was the only arcane onboard the Spelljammer.[7]
- Calabrie Zhentle was the sales manager at The Dock, the largest arcane-run trading port on Toril.[8]
- Daargaz was the arcane representative to the Rock of Bral and a member of the Council of Captains.[9]
- Galadon approached a group of adventurers and offered to exchange a fully equipped galleon for a derelict mindspider they had found, hoping to study the extensively modified "broodship" at his leisure.[10]
- Nephroon was a merchant who sold spelljammer ships and equipment to groundling adventurers.[11]
- T'k'Pek was a merchant who attended an auction at The Resort on Toril.[12]
- T'k'Ress was an enemy of Teldin Moore the Cloakmaster, and attempted to hinder him every step of the way in his quest to find the Spelljammer.[13]
Signature Spelljammers[]
The Arcane are the premier suppliers of spelljammer ships and equipment in the Known Spheres, and have shown no preference for any particular type of ship. They appear to have their own method for travelling from sphere to sphere, possibly via the planes, but if forced to travel through wildspace they are willing to retain the services of any available and appropriate vessel.[3] However, they do supply custom designs that only they appear to have access to, and are thus associated with the iambus,[14] the triop,[15] the arcane yacht,[16] and the zoocraft.[17]
Appendix[]
External Links[]
- Arcane_(race) article at the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
- Mercane article at the Dungeons and Dragons Lore Wiki, a wiki for official Dungeons & Dragons content from every edition.
- Arcane article at the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Wiki, a wiki for official Dungeons & Dragons content from 2nd edition AD&D.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan, Manual of the Planes 3rd edition, 2001, (Wizards of the Coast), ISBN: 0-7869-1850-8, Mercane entry, pages 179–180
- ↑ Jeff Grubb. AD&D Adventures in Space; Lorebook of the Void, TSR, Inc., 1989, Major and Minor Races side bar (pp.50, 52 and 54)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Jeff Grubb. AD&D Adventures in Space; Lorebook of the Void, TSR, Inc., 1989, Arcane, The entry (pp.67–68)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Tim Beach et al, Monstrous Manual, 1993, (TSR Inc.), Arcane entry, page 8
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Richard Baker, Monstrous Compendium Planescape Appendix II, 1995, (TSR Inc.), ISBN: 0-7869-0173-X, Arcane entry, page 10
- ↑ Richard Baker, SJR5 Rock of Bral, 1992, (TSR Inc), side bar, page 72
- ↑ Jeff Grubb, The Legend of Spelljammer, Captains and Ships, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Personalities of the Spelljammer, pages 28-29
- ↑ Dale "Slade" Henson, War Captain's Companion, War Captain's Guide, 1992, (TSR Inc.), The Dock section, chapter 4: Shipbuilding Companies, page 58
- ↑ Richard Baker, SJR5 Rock of Bral, 1992, (TSR Inc), The Council of Captains section, page 28
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, SJR1 Lost Ships, 1990, (TSR Inc.), The Fallen Star section, Adventure 1: Beginnings, page 12
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, SJR1 Lost Ships, 1990, (TSR Inc.), Dark Magic section, Adventure 1: Beginnings, pages 9-10
- ↑ Nigel Findley, The Cloakmaster Cycle, Into the Void, 1991, (TSR Inc.), pages 229-240 (first appearance)
- ↑ Nigel Findley, The Cloakmaster Cycle, The Broken Sphere, 1993, (TSR Inc.), pages 288-301
- ↑ Dale "Slade" Henson, War Captain's Companion, Ship Recognition Manual, 1992, (TSR Inc.), Ships of the Spelljammer Universe, page 27
- ↑ Dale "Slade" Henson, War Captain's Companion, Ship Recognition Manual, 1992, (TSR Inc.), Ships of the Spelljammer Universe, page 47
- ↑ Dale "Slade" Henson, War Captain's Companion, Ship Recognition Manual, 1992, (TSR Inc.), Ships of the Spelljammer Universe, page 57
- ↑ Dale "Slade" Henson, War Captain's Companion, Ship Recognition Manual, 1992, (TSR Inc.), Ships of the Spelljammer Universe, page 58