The Arcana Fandom - Tumblr Posts

Ah yes, The widowed countess, the fugitive doctor and the mysterious magician✨🔮

In the basement You hid there last time, you know we're gonna find you Sick in the car seat, 'cause you're not up to going Out on the main streets, completing your mission

Start drawing art of Asra, without much context or plot fgyrgyrg

I decided to try using rougher and clearer strokes, but I didn't really like the result :')

This right here. We all need to remember this.

PLS BE KIND TO THE DEVS

@thearcanagame

so there has been a lot of ruckus in the fandom bc of muriel's crying sprite and i completely understand and felt let down by it too, bc it ruined the gravity of the scene

BUT

dana and the gang have been working their butts off to crank out quality content for us and sometimes stuff slips through the filter without being checked first. the muriel crying sprite we saw was intended to be a placeholder (like they did for asra) and NOT the final version that would be on the release. they're working on fixing the issue, but probably had a deadline they promised to meet regarding muriel's update.

just take comfort in knowing that a better, heartwrenching sprite is on its way to fill us with angst and suffering! 💞

I got some news for you Muriel, something else might be a bit more unsettling...

How do you do, fellow humans?

Hello there.

"Tonight I could be with you

Or waiting in the Wings

Lift your heart with soaring song

Cut down the puppet strings."

– Bauhaus "Spirit"

We are the Arcana art-fanteam. We're make our own arts, texts, headcanons and so on. Main themes: the Courtiers; M6: Julian, Nadia, Portia are faves. With love to the Renaissance, classic arts, goth music, BDSM, medicine and just for fun.

Let us introduce ourselves:

Artists: ChilledoutBeast /she/, Wasteofplace /she/

Translator: Sabinasabapplebutt /she/ (all over 20 y.o.)

Editor: ApostleJay /them/he/ (34 y.o.)

and Master: LunaticSun /he/them/ (30 y.o.)

This blog is keeping by each member of team, but mainly by Lunatic Sun. You can ask us any question.

And let there be Mayhem!

art by: Lunatic Sun

Nota Bene: in this blog Valdemar and Vulgora are strictly non-binary and any attempt to make them /f/ or /m/ characters is not allowed.

Nota Bene 2: In every headcanon on this blog, every art and every story Quaestor Valdemar is still AroAce.

Nota Bene 3: As a neurodivergent person, who know all these things from insides I (Lunatic Sun) ask you to note this remarks carefully.

"We love our audience". ©

/Lunatic Sun on the line, as you might guess/

Okay. Not the first time I have seen such an opinion in the fandom, but the first time it looks like a full consideration. Well.

As someone who knows a little more than a few articles on the first page of Google, perhaps I'll take the liberty of... clarifying the issue. I probably won't be kind enough because I'm so annoyed by these hot takes.

To be clear, this isn't much about the canon or Julian himself. My speech is about the whole image of BDSM on this "Opinion.jpg".

I can understand that you don't know much about BDSM and this is not your cup of tea. I understand that it is not for everyone.

But please. Please, tell me, someone, any of those people with such hot take.

Why do you think that if you are into BDSM you have no alternative? If you are a masochist, you can only be horny because of pain? Thank you for not EVERY pain, I have heard such… opinion.

Okay, can you explain to me, sadistic/dominant person, who am I? Maybe I want to torture everyone I have a relationship with? I have no alternatives? Perhaps I have more macabre intentions? Come on! "The "Sadist" sounds terrible! Maybe he/she/them will kill someone one day, they definitely can't live without torturing someone!" Welcome to the "As Vanilla Says..." TV Show!

The description of masochism as a disease (DSM-V, I mean) includes distress, "psychosocial difficulties" because of their masochistic sexual attractions.

And there's no "healthy relationships" in the clinical recommendations for rehab, iykwim. (✨Oh, love, the most beautiful miracle, heals all!✨ Sorry not sorry. Bruh.)

As I said above about sadistic affections, "sexual sadism disorder" as a disorder has this description:

"The individual has acted on these sexual urges with a nonconsenting person, or the sexual urges or fantasies cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning."

I sincerely hope you got that.

As a sadist and dominant, I don't want to kill your grandma, humiliate my partners 24/7 without their consent/for my own pleasure or whatever. Masochists can be horny without pain (If a masochist can only be aroused by pain, it's a disorder). Also, masochists can dislike some kinds of pain (even the "safe" kind, not the taboo or something extremely hard), and if I, as their sadist, ignore their ban/request, this behaviour will automatically make me an abuser and rapist. This is not my goal as a sadist.

BDSM is not a judgement.

There are many practices and the same person, whoever they are, can have many behaviours. Even in the area of "kinks and sexual attractions". And the devs surprisingly correctly described Julian Devorak as a masochist, okay? Not in the "disease way", but in the "kink way".

In conclusion, if you claim the golden standard of healthy relationships beyond "dialogue", "support" and "freedom to be yourself in a mutually respectful way", you seem to have no idea about healthy relationships (I mean, indeed, if you exclude BDSM as something harmful or sick from your "Golden Standard ™"). And yes, BDSM relationships must have the "mutual respect". Because the other way is pure violence. Or silly fantasies about such violence like the-film-that-shall-not-be-named.

Sorry, but. ApostleJay on the line.

As a masochist, I would say that this thing works quite the opposite.

Yes, masochist can assotiate pleasure with pain - and it could be a coping mechanism. But it forms right into your brain and couldn't be turned back. Actually, it could be the other way - masochist may open up in healthy relationship and finally be themselves) There are different forms of masochism: some people enjoy degradation, some of them don't, some prefer the sensation of pain, others like to obey - it's not always about sex.

So I would insist that Julian is definitely a masochist and submissive as fuck :))

"I think I figured it out," grumbled Doctor №069 as he scrubbed another dissection table.

"This superstition that if you scatter poppy seeds in front of the undead, they will start counting them. Because of you, Quaestor!"

"You are extremely clever for your vapid head, Doctor №069," Valdemar grinned, carefully placed their polished scalpels.

(Based on a true story. Thanks to ApostleJay for such fun)

Here is some information to consider... ⏬

Note: this belief is more common in Eastern Europe, and no, I absolutely don't like headcanons about "Russian Ilya". Also, I remember the Devs' speech: Jeff Goldblum is a reference for Julian. Who is Jeff Goldblum? A Jew. But his family was from Eastern Europe and there were so many Jewish towns. Nevivon looks like one of those towns. For example, the kitchen in Nevivon (*"the Warm Welcome") is divided into two areas: meat and dairy. What is this? The basic principle of kashrut. "But Julian was born near Nevivon"? Yes. But Tasya said (to the Lishka; again, definitely not "a common Russian name", "Lishka" sounds much more like something Czech) about the treasure that is only passed on through the female line. An elegant homage to a specifically Jewish cultural thing, iykwim.

Also, the whole image of Julian is a stereotypical Jewish image in European culture: he's redheaded, a doctor, a violinist*, etc. Sorry not sorry.

(*Technically he is a vielle player, but the vielle is a precursor of the violin. And: no, there have never been any vielle players in Russia, except the modern times, represented by rare baroque ensembles.)

Definitely not Russian, diminutives like "Ilyushka" are not specific to Russian language, Portia is not a common Russian name (neither are Pasha and Ilona, her mother). And... have you ever heard of, say, Antonín Dvořák, the famous Czech composer of the 19th century?

BTW, ApostleJay and I have a theory about Portia Devorak. Nothing special, we're just guessing about the reference: Portia, the female protagonist in "The Merchant of Venice". Why not, since the game itself has enough references to classical literature.

At last: I once saw a Julian-kinny boy here. And he said he wanted to learn Russian to be more like a Julian. Poor boy, if you ever see my speech, here is my unsolicited advice.

Please don't learn Russian to be more like Julian. Learn Yiddish. It will be much more in character.

(Czechia? Maybe Bohemia? I need Julian singing "Bohemian rhapsody", IMMEDIATELY!)

Let's assume for a moment: someone looking for ancient manuscripts in Vesuvia's palace library. Opens a huge tome. And see…

THIS.

"Pontifex, as indicated earlier, there is a... Ahem. We seem to be under surveillance."

"Did I tell you to THROW OUT THE DAMN LUTE??!"

Source:

The Arcana (head)canon.

I have a strong opinion: Valdemar, because of their antiquity, was born in the land that has a lot in common with ancient Egypt. Not only because of their antiquity: the developers (NH, of course) said themselves about their inspiration for the Tarot history.

Okay, Renaissance, Arabic, but... Egypt? I have never seen any specific Egyptian motifs in the visuals of the game. But what if...

Okay, okay, Valdemar is an ancient being born as a human. Somewhere in the ancient kingdom like the Ancient Egypt in the Arcana world. I'm absolutely sure!

Please don't tell me who they are: AMAB or AFAB, I really HATE THAT subject. And I really hate any kind of "AMAB Valdemar" or "AFAB Valdemar". They are NON-BINARY. They were non-binary as a human, they are non-binary as a demon and eldritch horror. That's it. Also, I love the fact that Vulgora and Valdemar are demons and have never considered that a "bad representation". Sorry, but as a non-binary person, I really want to have the ability to fully transition as an option. I want nothing to do with any option of human genitalia. And I have the strongest gender envy for the Vulgora and Valdemar. They're not human anymore, they can turn their bodies into anything they fucking want and they can live as they feel. Not AFAB. Definitely not AMAB. But Ȩ̵̙̟̬͚̊̿̉͌͜͠l̷̶̡͙̼̗̳̃̑̄͒͡d̶͒̍ͤ̓͏̴̦̮̲͓͝ŗ̛̯̪̠̤ͬͯ͂ͫ̕͠i̴̵ͪͥ̄̎͜͏̭͎͕̗ẗ̵̨̹̻̥̹ͥ̂̆͜͡ç̝͚̗̗̃̍̔ͬ͘͠͝h̆̌͛̔҉̴̧̦̲̘̪͢ ̵͚̤̲̮ͫ́̀̔̀͘͜H̴̡͙̥̩͔ͩ͛͐͛͟͞o̢̢̖̳͉͕͛͂ͫ͌͟͞r̵̞̮̮̮̄͑ͭ̃̕͢͟r̒͗̒̒͏̢͏҉̯̠̝͚o̯͔̭̝ͦ̔ͣͬ́̀͞͡r̍ͫ̔̄͝҉̛̺̺̗͔́ ̏͊̃ͮ҉̸̷̢͈̲͍̝.

Okay, let's go back to the Ancient Egypt theme. I'm sure - the developers should have had that reference, and maybe when they were building the Arcana world they had that thing in mind.

Also. I love learning something (or use my knowledge) and turning it into the Arcana reference. Ancient history is the best thing for that entertainment. So...

Meet the goddess Sekhmet. She's beautiful, she's angry. According to the myths, she wanted to destroy humans because they had humiliated her father, the Supreme God Ra.

And the goddess Sekhmet was a... patron goddess of medicine. She was a patron goddess of medicine, and the same time she had the power to command the diseases and especially the plague.

Plague!

That was her, shall we say, "crown curse sign". Medicine in ancient Egypt was also extremely advanced (for the ancient world, of course). The first time, I swear, I headcanoned Valdemar as a priest of Thoth (for the reasons). But the connection between medicine, plague and the goddess Sekhmet is amazing.

Thank you for coming to my Ted-Talk. :D With all my love for the world of Arcana, Lunatic Sun.