#The arcana game headcanons

[pandemoniclucio]

MC: [Moving In To Give Muriel A Hug] Muriel: [Flinches] MC: Why'd you move? Muriel: I thought you were gonna hit me. MC: I was going to hug you. Muriel: Why would you hug me? MC: WHY WOULD I HIT YOU?!

[starblasterr]

Drew something for @arcanacononline come by my virtual aa table and say hiiiiiii

I really wanted to draw Asra in Decora Kei fashion. It just fits them so much.

Asra Kei :3

[macabremayhem]

Ahem. How can I start the conversation? OK, I'll try. How do you do, fellow humans?

Tonight I would like to talk about the setting of the Arcana game. Or, more specifically, its atmosphere, about background illustrations that people usually don't notice and/or don't usually talk about.

I love the Arcana background CGs so much. To be honest, those CGs are what got me into the game.

A little story: 4 or 5 years ago I saw an advertisement of the Arcana for the first time. And when I saw those ads on Instagram, it was so horrible and tasteless, imho. These cringe ads rather repelled me instead of attracting me. I saw it and forgot about it, but then…

Some time later, I started looking for background references for my text-based roleplay and found some beautiful illustrations. I didn't use these illustrations for my text roleplay. Besides, I soon forgot about my roleplay. :D and, in Google, I looked at the descriptions under the illustrations I found: "the Arcana game". I was intrigued. Then I downloaded the game. A few moments later I remembered those stupid ads, but I decided to take a chance.

And then, after the Prologue, I was absolutely fascinated. It had nothing in common with those commercials. The game itself was more beautiful than I'd ever imagined. And here I am :D and here we are.

Back to the background graphics. I am personally humbled and grateful to the original artists for these backgrounds. We love the characters – there's no doubt about that. But this setting and atmosphere wouldn’t be what it is without these illustrations.

I usually refer to photos that I think have "the same vibe" or "this place fits the world of Arcana" when I want to expand the world of the game on my own. Like headcanons, fanfiction, et cetera, you know.

Next I would like to show my selection of such photos. All photos from Instagram, not the Pinterest, as this is the most convenient method of attribution.

And all of these images, you know, I am NOT using for any commercial purposes. Crediting is in the order of the images.

⏬

Okay, let's go. It's not that I'm HCing any specific locations. I can only give a very rough idea of the "location area". You'll see the notes, I hope. Credits and links below. Credits are clickable.

graciousopulence (the main source)

1. clivenichols

2. nationaltrust*

3. bonvoyagecleo

4. gamma_f

5. rcmccloskey

6. designboom*

7. amarosanchezdemoya

8. curly.beard

There are some images that conjure up more specific associations for me.

© devonchurchland*

To be honest, this photo became the indirect reason for this post.

I saw this today and the theme song from the game immediately started playing in my head (can you guess which one?). At the same time, I remembered some of the scenes that take place in our storyline. A lot of the action takes place in the Temple District. Just because… why not? especially when you and your co-author are historians obsessed with religion, lol.

I imagined this picture very vividly:

One of the churches in the Temple District. Silence. Julian sitting in an empty church, deep in thought. Watching how the strip of light from the stained glass window slowly creeping across the floor and the benches, then how the flames of the candles flickering.

He reflects and looks away, shyly, from the instruments of passions and the images of martyrs.

No, he is not religious at all. Just... impressionable. He is only impressionable in that he probably thinks most of the time that he has not yet been struck by lightning because of his impure intentions. Poor boy��� 🫀

Ahem. Sorry. I think I got carried away. :D Just look at this last item.

© dumbartonoaks*

Leave your comments and share your thoughts, requests, etc. Ask is open.

[clusterfuck0fteenagemelodrama]

Ngl I've been wanting to start writing hcs and that for the arcana and getting over my really irrational fear of writing fanfiction.

But im not sure if I should use my main blog (this one) or my writing side blog that I don't use too much?? I'm not sure what would be better so if you're interested pls decide for me

[blackered]

ever seen these people?

idk they seem familiar, but I can't quite put my finger on it...

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jokes aside I've been wanting to do this for a loooong time! I can't believe it's finally done.

below you will see the updated state headcanons that I reviewed with my friends from other states. 🇧🇷

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also sorry for the multiple watermarks, but that's just the way it is nowadays.

if you haven't seen it before, here is the whole list of headcanons I managed to write for this AU. they're probably mostly outdated but it might be a nice read. 🤠🇧🇷

[lordedlady]

who let the rat out 😔?

[taduki]

Fun-Sized HCs: M6 walking in on MC hugging a pillow in their sleep

Asra: “IT SHOULD’VE BEEN MEEEEEE”, sobbing at the doorway before promptly spooning you. Honestly, Azz probably does the same thing too. It just hits different seeing you do it now that they know you might be imagining it’s him. 💕

Julian: Flustered for a moment before clasping his hands and watching you. Debates whether to leave you to rest and pester you about it later or join you. Do this when he’s very deprived of sleep and he might just give in!

Portia: Zero hesitation to remove the pillow and replace it with herself. Does so very carefully, as excited as she is. She’s so warm, you might not notice even if you’re a light sleeper. Teases you about it later.

Nadia: She’s used to being out and about, so she opens the door to her chambers secretly hoping to see you like this every time. It warms her little romantic heart! Starts spritzing a bit of her perfume on the pillowcases when you aren’t looking.

Muriel: As if you weren’t already beaming with cuteness��� Fighting the urge to nap next to you in fear that he might wake you. He catches himself staring and goes to occupy himself until you’re awake. Is way more inclined to give you hugs now. 🥰

Lucio: Covers his mouth and hunches over the mantle, trying not to squeal. Gently gives you a kiss on the cheek either holds you or removes the pillow and snuggles into your arms. He claims he can’t do magic, but the pillow has disappeared after that…

[fogfaerysblog]

Asra sketch I’m working on + his sprite edited to fit my headcanons!!

Asra my beloved.

[sxftkxssxs]

Sleeping habits with and without their S/O

Not a request but I had some ideas so I decided to make them into little Headcannons! Hope you all enjoy!

Asra

Because they run warmer they often sleep in silky pants and no top.

He is so touchy in their sleep!! You will never go to bed without him touching you somehow.

If he’s sleeping alone then they won’t move much, maybe shifting occasionally but no more than that.

If you’re going to bed with them however, they’ll end up staying in the same position all night.

When you two are sleeping in the same bed together they like to sleep with their head on your chest, hearing your heartbeat.

Asra doesn’t snore in his sleep at all, but he does occasionally hum!

Julian

He doesn’t like layers at all and this means he’s going to sleep in just his underwear.

This also continues into how many blankets he has, which is just one and it’s pretty thin.

If he’s sleeping alone he has no problem taking up the whole bed. He’ll end up with limbs everywhere and no idea how they got there.

If you’re with him you’ll have to either adjust or figure out a way to get him to relax. He moves almost the exact same amount, somehow avoiding hitting or pushing you most of the time.

Julian runs extremely cold. He likes it cold but he also loves your warmth, and he will touch you will his cold feet/hands in the middle of the night.

Julian does snore but it’s not super loud. His snoring is almost like background noise.

Nadia

Nadia sleeps in a silk nightgown, with short sleeves and that ends near her knees.

She also has a robe to wear over it, which she wears if she needs to get up for any reason.

Nadia runs chilly, though not as cold as Julian nor will she randomly torture you with her cold limbs during the night.

She doesn’t mind who ends up in which role, but she always loves spooning. It’s her favorite way to fall asleep with you.

Nadia doesn’t make any noise in her sleep other than occasional deep breaths.

Muriel

This guy is a personal heater. He still sleeps with pelts due to the forest getting chilly during the night but his hut is always warm and cozy.

Due to how warm he runs he generally sheds some layers ending up in pants and whatever top he’s currently wearing

Muriel always wants to hold you, wants to feel like he’s protecting you even while you both sleep. He also really likes if you face him. He won’t ever verbally express that but the way it flusters him gives it away.

He doesn’t make much noise. Much like Nadia, he might take a deep breath or a heavy exhale. Occasionally, if he’s having a bad dream he might grunt.

Inanna has her own little pile of pelts and pillows next to your bed. Somehow she always worms her way into the bed though…

Portia

Portia sleeps in a sleeveless top and shorts.

She tends to run chilly, but has so many blankets that she gets extremely warm during the night.

She doesn’t care how you two position yourselves for sleep, but she would enjoy getting to hold you!

Portia sleep talks during the night. It’s soft and quiet but definitely there. She’ll be amused if you tell her stories in the morning about what she said.

Pepi can often be found in the bed with you both, near the bottom of the mattress.

Lucio

Somehow this man runs hotter than anyone else on this list. He has no shame in sleeping in just his underwear, even with you around.

Lucio has a robe and thinks it makes him look the royalty role, with its red and gold color scheme he always adores.

He would love to be able to hold you all night but eventually, two bundles of pure white fur end up between you both.

That’s right, the M&M duo aren’t afraid to take what they want even during the night.

Melchior end up on your side, nudging his way into your arms and onto your chest. Mercedes just sits herself on top of Lucio and decides it’s his problem to cope with that.

They’ll push and whine and kick in their sleep. Only if they’re having a very intense dream.

Lucio will snore, grunt, and sleeps insanely light. If you so much as try to leave the bed before dawn he’s snapping his head up asking where you’re going.

[kvtexee]

transfem Julian anyone?

[pandemoniclucio]

MC: I love you. Lucio: Why do you sound so burdened? MC: I love you. Lucio: Am I hearing distress in your voice?

[starblasterr]

Hello everyone! Here’s another commission example. I finally started a new sketch. Really excited for what could happen.

I was inspired by the modern au charms. Lilith is wearing an outfit I put together on the sims 4

[macabremayhem]

The old sketch of human (or not?) Valdemar.

Because of their antiquity, I came up a headcanon about their origin. So, what about a country near the great river and with the great pyramids? Many lands of the Arcana world have references from India, Arabic region or Mongolia – so, Ancient Egypt? Why not? I can't decide, maybe this is ancient Zadith? There is nothing about Zadith in the canon, just a note in the ArcanaWiki:

"The homeland of Asra's parents, Zadith lies across the Malvent Strait from Vesuvia. This is a country where both science and magic are highly respected. Those who combine both disciplines are known as alchemists."

I think this short description is suitable for the heritage of such civilization as Egyptian.

I’m sad that the history of the world is so poorly developed, but I still love the lore so much. And I’d be happy to read (only from the original writers), say, a brief history of the world. But since there's no any history, I'm taking the liberty (and, a bit, my history degree) to assume: Zadith is the inheritor of some ancient civilization like the Ancient Egypt.

I'm not good at naming, so I will provisionally call it "Deshret" – Egyptian word for "red land, desert". Valdemar spoke about "millennia of existence", describing their antiquity, so I'm pretty sure: they have been born as a human in the ancient kingdom, like the Ancient Egypt. Also, note that red beetle brooch at the neck: similar motives were common in the Ancient Egypt. And, I think, Valdemar had this beetle brooch long before the Plague.

Okay, maybe developers in Portia's route (flashback scene with Prospero and foundation of Vesuvia) just showed Valdemar to us as we know them, because of developing another (kinda "more ancient") sprite and costume for the short scene is not viable. But anyway: we have what we have. What if we imagine that "red beetle brooch" of the Courtiers is rooted not only in the Red Plague? What about a, merely my headcanon, the Egyptian "scarab" motif?

So, there's the old traditional sketch I have. When I drew this pic, I imagined Valdemar just after their first deals with the Devil. Just look at their eyes.🫀

And – of course, they are in the tomb. Maybe as a priest? Who knows, fellow humans.

[clusterfuck0fteenagemelodrama]

Hoarding some of the most head cannon ideas ever rn💪💪💪

👀

[mjart12699]

MC: one of the roosters ran up to me, gave me a pebble and did a flirty little dance while making happy noises. Which is the rooster equivalent of a proposal. A truly devastating blow to my boyfriend (Muriel), the man who helped raise him.

Based on this post

[therowdymagpie]

Arcana M6: When they hear you bragging about them

A/N: We're back! In this specific scenario, you basically brag about something your partner did to a friend and they happen to be close by and overhear or walk by and don't notice them at first.

Asra:

He definitely slinks around longer just to hear everything you have to say

They love getting to hear your perspective and how you see them

That is until their reserve for being perceived runs out -they have their air of mystery for a reason MC- and they come out of their hiding spot, only to side-hug you while you are still talking

Compliments you and starts bragging about you right back to see your reaction

The moments after are just them taking the teasing to a whole other level about all the things you were talking to your friend about

But you can see the way his ears have turned pink and the fact that he can't stop smiling

They still become curious about what else you would have said if they'd let you go on while in bed and ask just before you're about to doze off.

Nadia:

Quiet acknowledgement from the sidelines with a very self-satisfied smile on her face

Doesn't tell you she overheard

But the pampering and the romantic gestures go up significantly for the next couple of days

And the traits you praised also happen to appear more frequently

Unless it's one of her sisters you are bragging about her to

Then she'll come out and firmly stand next to you as you flush with a look that says "Well…keep going dear, I for one am very interested in what you have to say"

Either way, she takes this as a chance to listen to your unfiltered feelings and the things you admire about her as a partner and she loves knowing that

Julian:

Here's the thing: He probably does the same for you at least three times a week at the Rowdy Raven or with every acquaintance he has

But he will never get used to the praise coming from you

Normally, he would immediately turn the mountain of positive comments right back at you

But right now he is at a situation where he can't brush off your remarks in a self-deprecating matter since you are sharing it with someone else

Welp…he's stuck buffering in his spot for as long as this conversation lasts

Comes back pretending he didn't hear you

But by the way his face is starting to ressemble his hair, you can tell he definitely heard (and maybe you did it intentionally too)

If you think he's not going to take this as an opportunity to compose an epic of everything he admires about you and present it to you later on in the day, you'd be wrong

Muriel:

*Becomes one with the shadows while you are talking and assumes the shade of a tomato*

This is way too much attention than he can possibly deal with and it's not even directed at him

Oh my gods, you are still going…

He can't stay for much longer or else it's a very strong possibility that he'll combust

After your friend leaves, you can't find him for a good chunk of time after you last saw him

And that is because he immediately went back in the woods to mentally recharge after the litany of praise

He wants you to feel apprieciated too though, even if verbal affirmations aren't exactly his strong suit

So he later comes home with a bouquet of different flowers and compares things he knows about each one to some of your traits

Portia:

Barely able to suppress her delighted giggles as she listens from around the corner, thinking you haven't noticed her

She has a hard time with her self-esteem and being put first, so seeing you praising her in front of someone else is such an unconditional and personal expression of love for her

Which in turn translates into an extreme case of Cuteness Agression

Squeezes you soooo tight when she comes back later, that it makes Faust's Squeezes seem light

When you bring it up with her, she simply says that she 'happened to overhear' with that signature UWU* smile of hers

Hope you are ready for this woman to spoil you for the remainder of the afternoon

Has the biggest smile the entire time and just won't stop giggling

Lucio:

Doesn't even try to listen in or wait for you to finish your sentence

When he realizes the conversation is even the littlest bit about him he's immediately coming up, hugs you and becomes part of it

"Yes exactly all of that is completely true and they are lucky" kind of smug smile the whole time.

Then proceeds to brag about YOU in turn to the poor person that has to hear you two fawning over each other

Let's be honest, he isn't all that restrained when it comes to expressing how much he loves everything about you (and himself)

Struts around proud all day while trying to find ways to compliment you more

Looks at you like lovesick puppy for a good amount of time afterwards

Unfortunately he can take a lot of things as a competition, so be prepared for him to compliment you and LOUDLY brag about you to anyone within earshot.