- This article is about the lore information. For the damage type, see Damage/Arts.
| “ | A technique that can alter matter or consciousness by stimulating the energy inside Originium, harnessing it to manifest Arts. | ” |
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Originium Arts or simply Arts is the umbrella term for abilities to manipulate and transform matter and energy using the power provided by Originium in the world of Arknights.[1] It is the primary "magic system" or, more appropriately, "super science system" in this world's setting.
The ability to use Arts seems to be natural for Terrans, and many people are at least capable of very basic forms of Arts. Those who are highly capable in Arts (e.g. to an extent that they are combat effective with Arts alone) are known as Casters (not to be confused with the Operator class of the same name). As a matter of fact, many Operators that are not strictly of the Caster class are capable of using Arts.
Overview[]
Arts come in various forms, including but not limited to damaging projectiles, destructive effects, manipulation of substances, wound healing and physical augmentation. Casters are usually only proficient in a specific kind of Arts. This can vary based on their physiology, genetics and training (e.g. Talulah uses fire Arts due to her Draco blood, FrostNova uses ice Arts due to being raised in the harsh, cold tundra of Ursus, Mandragora can use an imitation of Gargoyle Sarkaz arts due to being trained by one).
The nature of Originium Arts is the Caster's mind influencing the external subject they wish to change through Originium, the basis of Arts. However, this requires the Caster to rely on a medium that could capture their neural activities in their mind and encode it to the said mineral, which they call it an Arts Unit. Infected individuals do not have to rely on Arts Units as their infected organs already function as one for them, but doing so will significantly accelerate the progress of Oripathy. Whereas non-Infected individuals have to use an external, artificial Originium device to perform their Arts, but not all of them could serve the purpose as a Unit. Nevertheless, there are scientific attempts to create a non-Infected Caster who does not need to rely on Arts Units through artificially implanted Originium into their organs while preventing its contamination; one such good example is Rosmontis.[2][3]
Modern Arts Units are the products of the industrialization of the Terran civilization over the pass centuries. They can vary massively in shape, size and particularly in function: some may serve to amplify, direct, stabilize or otherwise augment the caster's innate abilities, others allow the caster to perform only very specific type of arts (e.g. firearms). Many Arts Units can also function as conventional weapons, allowing the Casters to integrate their Arts into 'regular' combat.
The effectiveness of Originium Arts also depends on many factors such as the Caster's talent, training, experiences and even races. For instance, Dracos have a unique powerful fire Arts that is powered by their body cells' metabolism. Sarkaz are naturally well attuned to Arts for generations, but due to their vulnerability to Oripathy which they see it as a racial curse, such Arts originates from the mystic energy of the deceased. Training and experiences are often required not only to enhance the Caster's power, but also to improve their stability and safety. In addition, certain type of Arts can only be enabled or enhanced by the Caster's own infection.
Not all Terran races could enhance Arts. Elves are a primary case due to their high sensitivity towards Originium, yet they possess magical power not related to it that supplements such defect.[4] Feranmuts and Seaborn lack the proficiency in Originium Arts; however, the former use some sort of supernatural, magical power while the latter utilizes their unique biological capabilities to similar or even greater effects.
The Leithanian Witch King, who had mastered all kinds of Arts and sought to pursue their peak, is regarded as the greatest Caster the world has ever known in history.[5] Other notable powerful Casters are mainly Sarkaz such as the Nachzehrer King, Sanguinarch, and Logos.
References[]
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