History WebOriginal / TheArknMythos

* SealedInsideAPersonShapedCan: Most of the Arknangels/Arknza start out as this: they (Hethe-blooded Arkn) are "embedded" in humanity by being bound to human vessels (typically either a human in their bloodline, or .Reality's "interpretation" of them in human form); once the human becomes fully aware of their "other half" and awakens their powers, the human and Arkn selves integrate, transforming them into a being of incredible power. The particulars, such as how the vessel is acquired and which side (if any) has dominance, vary in each case
* SelfDuplication: A few very powerful Arkn have mastered the use of "shading": a form of chaos magic that allows a user to create multiple physical manifestations of himself (enabling said user to remotely observe -- and, when using a [[LivingbodySuit vessel]] -- involve himself in events from a different location).

* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong: Universe E is ''literally'' founded on this trope. Following the final episode of ''Solar's Crimson'' (The Arknverse), Azrael trains his Arknza powers, becomes a TimeMaster, and travels back to a time before the birth of Ellpagg -- ensuring that the Arknangels befriend one another, train to use their divine powers without a human counterpart, and (unlike in original history) don't fall prey to The Carver's traps and distractions. He also goes into The Infernous in Ellpagg's place (after passing his Hethian blood to Ellpagg), ensuring that Ellpagg never becomes corrupted or turns against the Arkn. The Arknangels become a strong, united force, powerful enough to defeat The Carver and bring an end to the war -- bringing about a new, golden age of peace and prosperity. The change in events is so massive, it splits off the timeline into a separate universe,.

''The Arkn Mythos'' is a web-based UrbanFantasy franchise. A SpiritualSuccessor (of sorts) to Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos and Franchise/TheFearMythos, it began circa 2014 as a collection of independent projects from web content creators [=DeathlyLogic=], [=TypeONegative=], and [=Huntzilla=]. With the help of a few friends, the three creators incorporated various ideas and concepts from the projects, and eventually formed the cohesive mythology that served as the basis for the Arkn Mythos. What started as a community of loosely-connected vlogs and blogs has expanded into a complex [[TheMultiverse multiverse]], featuring three continuities, a multitude of interconnected plots, and content that spans vlogs, blogs, short stories, a short film, animated shorts, audio logs, and even electronic music.

Set in both [[DarkFantasy fantasy realms]] and the [[UrbanFantasy modern human world]], the Arkn Mythos revolves around the relationship (typically a ForeverWar) between two powerful races of beings: the angel-like [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Arkn]], who possess [[FunctionalMagic magic powers]], and their demon-esque counterparts the [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Dekn]], who have PsychicPowers. The franchise follows the two races through multiple universes, detailing their conflicts, the events that spawn and shape them, the deities who influence these events, and the various other beings and entities that get pulled in -- particularly the human race, who unfortunately always seem to be in the middle of it all.

Content in [[TheVerse The Arkn Mythos]] can be divided into two canon and three non-canon "universes". The franchise currently includes:

* ''[[WebOriginal/TheArknverse The Arknverse]]''.[[note]] The first established community in the franchise. Set in what is now known as Arknverse (formerly Universe A), it contains stories revolving around the Arkn-Dekn Wars, .Reality, and the Arknangels. After being closed source since December 2018, it was officially decanonized in 2020.[[/note]]

* ''[[WebOriginal/TheArknMythosExtendedUniverse The Arkn Mythos Alterverse/Extended Universe]]''.[[note]] Unofficially known as "Universe F". The home for work that is non-canon to its 'verse, as well as work based on the lore of the Arkn Mythos (including fan-made content).[[/note]]

** The [[https://thearknmythos.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Lore "Lore" tag]] contains canon information that never made it into any of the canon works.
** A great deal of unspoken information about the plot arcs, characters, and TheVerse in general has been revealed by [[WordOfGod the creators]] (usually via their tumblr blogs, during livestreams, and in [[WordOfGod personal interviews]]).
* AIIsACrapshoot: .Reality manages to subvert this. Despite being an incredibly powerful, ''living'') program, the system generally functions as intended (save for a few hiccups -- all of which are caused by invasive forces).
** Played straight with Project Entropy (Arknverse A). The Entropy machine was created as a duplicate of .Reality for the Arkn to live in, separating them from the Dekn once and for all. However, the program's engineers were forced to activate it before it could be completed; [[spoiler:in its unfinished state, Entropy connected to the existing .Reality and overloaded the system, causing a shutdown. Entropy interpreted this as an "error" and attempted to fix it -- resulting in an cataclysmic anomaly called a Red Nova that caused the fabric of the entire universe to splinter into ragged fragments.]]
*** [[FromBadToWorse It got worse.]] [[spoiler:The engineers reprogrammed the system (now renamed "Voidweb") to repair the damage it had caused by "reconnecting" the separated fragments of the universe. The end result? A cybernetic BlobMonster that "connects" all living things by [[TheAssimilator assimilating]] them into a HiveMind.]] The system is forever expanding; the machine that spawned it, powered by the blood of the Hethe themselves. Yes, that's right: ''even the gods are powerless against it.''

* AlternateTimeline: .Reality (of Universe A and Arknverse A) runs on this principal, creating numerous "main" timelines (A, B, C, etc.) that branch off into countless offshoots with minute differences for humans to live in (ensuring that no one individual will ever be completely obliterated by programming glitches or the War, and that all humans have infinite opportunities to live a happy, prosperous life). There are numerous ways for humans to travel between timelines, and variations in the timelines (and [[AlternateSelf the characters who inhabit them]]) feature prominently in a number of story arcs (see above). However, shifting timelines spontaneously can cause a number of problems: jumping without protective magick runs the risk of attracting Lurkers, while spending too long in an alternate timeline will cause you to acclimate; not only will you become foreign data to your OWN timeline, but you overwrite your counterpart and fill their "space" in the new one. .Reality ''really'' abhors a vacuum.

** As of ''Arkn: Legacy'', the cycle is confirmed to have played out ''at least'' twice in full [[note]] The Hethe entered Universe A through a door that led from a previous universe (hinted to be the one inhabited by Emmanuel from ''Diary of a Mistake'').[[/note]]
*** Now confirmed, as of ''Arkn: Echo''.
* VoiceOfTheLegion: In Universe A, humans possessed by Arkn and Dekn typically demonstrate this (though few show it consistently).
** Beings possessed by the Hethe show this as well -- and they ''do'' have it consistently.
* WingedHumanoid: Natural born Arkn have fluffy, feathered wings of varying hues. The few Dekn that possess them have leathery, bat-like wings tipped with spines.
** In ''Arknverse'', said wings (rather than being true appendages) are separate, living organs that can be summoned at will -- namely, when their owner wants to put on their GameFace. Having one's wings removed is a sign of disgrace for the Arkn.
** In ''Legacy'', Arkn wings are energy constructs formed out of an Arkn's aura, which they produce produce by channeling the power in their blood; they can only be created while an Arkn is its native realm (the Empyrium).
* WorldInTheSky: The Golden Cities. Each city is divided into districts (government/banking, etc.), with each district suspended on a separate, floating "island".

* WorldTree: The very first creation of the Hethe in Universe A was the First Tree: a massive tree carved from the door of the very portal they emerged from, which sat in the center of existence. The Dekn made it their home, until it was overrun by the Arkn and set on fire. Its remnants (or a facsimile of it) sit in the middle of the Infernous.
** The .Reality system is formed in the rough shape of a tree, with a set number of central timelines that "branch" out into infinite offshoots.

* CoolGun: In ''Arknverse'' (and possibly ''Unity''), there are Edgar Kharon's revolvers. Allegedly [[ForgedByTheGods Hethe]], they resemble non-working toy versions of WildWest firearms in .Reality (if the appearance of Azrael's revolver is any indication); when used in combination with Arkn magic, however, they become ''incredibly'' powerful tools, which can enable the user to jump between dimensions...or completely wipe individuals out of existence.
** Subverted with the (now deleted) ''Legacy'' series ''Malachi X'': Malachi just buys an ordinary $12 NERF gun from Wal-Mart and infuses it with Ethric energy.

** The eternally warring Arkn and Dekn races both began with four memberss.

* SealedInsideAPersonShapedCan: The some of the Arknangels/Arknza start out as this: they (Hethe-blooded Arkn) are "embedded" in humanity by being bound to human vessels (typically either a human in their bloodline, or .Reality's "interpretation" of them in human form); once the human becomes fully aware of their "other half" and awakens their powers, the human and Arkn selves integrate, transforming them into a being of incredible power. The particulars, such as how the vessel is acquired and which side (if any) has dominance, vary in each case.
** Alex Winter seemingly appears to be a [[spoiler:not only is he the human translation of King Uriel (in digital form), but he's the physical vessel for the Hethian Scrolls of Creation]].
* SelfDuplication: A few very powerful Arkn have mastered the use of "shading", a form of chaos magic that allows a user to create multiple physical manifestations of himself (enabling said user to remotely observe -- and, when using a [[LivingbodySuit vessel]] -- involve himself in events from a different location).

* CessationOfExistence: In Arknverse A, most ordinary humans only exist in .Reality as pure data; upon death, they're typically absorbed back into the system and blink out of existence. There are a few rare exceptions to this, however: humans who possess special Arkn blood (or are otherwise marked by The Carver) can survive beyond death -- usually in their own special subdivision of the Infernous. Azrael also mentioned that there have been cases of humans reincarnating by being reconstituted in another timeline; we have yet to see this occur in .Reality, however.[[note]](though Azrael spends many eons believing ''himself'' to be one such case)[[/note]] It is unknown whether this holds true for the humans of Universe A (''Arkn: Unity'').

* ContinuityReboot: In 2020, all content in ''The Arknverse'' -- which served as the BackStory to ''Arkn: Legacy'' -- was decanonized, due to a combination of the core Arknverse creative team falling out and content deletion making the story virtually inaccessible to newcomers. In its place, the new creative team made ''Arkn: Unity'', which (while sharing many of the characters and plotlines) is far more simplistic and cohesive.

*** As a vigilante, Mohandas Luueth’dei wears an elaborate royal blue, red, and gold mask (resembling a Mexican wrestlers mask somewhat).
* CosmicHorrorStory: The overarching plot of the Arknverse and Arkn: Unity contains many elements of this. The universe is a CrapSackworld where existence itself was orchestrated by petty, monstrous [[EldritchAbomination deities]]; Humanity (as it is) is confined to an [[InsideAComputerSystem artificial realm]], where everything we think we know was designed and created by a powerful guild of [[OurDemonsAreDifferent inhuman creatures]], with [[BlueAndOrangeMorality motives beyond our comprehension]] as a tactical move against an equally powerful, incomprehensible race of [[OurAngelsAreDifferent malicious beings]]. At ''any moment'', one of them could pop into your life, [[DemonicPossession seize control of your body]], and destroy everything you hold dear. Even if you manage to avoid ''that'' fate, you might still bump into one of the random, [[RealityWarper reality-warping]] [[OurMonstersAreDifferent monsters]] generated by the fabric of your artificial world; they lurk around every corner, and can drop out of the sky and fly off with you...or drastically alter your world in ways you can't detect. Don't bother praying to your god or GuardianAngel for help: all of our myths, legends and gods were inspired by the same creatures that seek to manipulate us. Don't look for a reprieve in death, either: you'll either [[CessationOfExistence blink out of existence]], or [[{{Reincarnation}} return to life]] in an equally perilous world. Oh, and if all that wasn't bad enough, this is only the latest iteration of an unending cycle of creation, war, death and destruction. Did we mention that this is a Crapsack World?
** ''Arkn Legacy'' drastically reduces the cosmic horror aspects of the mythology, making it something closer to LovecraftLite. The new pantheon of Hethe (who include a fully-grown Cedric Kharon and an ascended Ellpagg), while still far from benevolent, are far less powerful and far more [[TheGodsMustBeLazy apathetic]] than their predecessors. Gone is the terror of .Reality and its many hazards. The Arkn and Dekn are still [[ForeverWar at war]] with each other; unlike in Universe A, however, they can enter the physical world without causing the fabric of existence to break down, and are forbidden from directly involving humans in the conflict. Arkn and Dekn-human [[HalfHumanHybrid hybrids]] are a regular (if uncommon) occurrence, and while the Arkn and Dekn wield even more influence over the human realms (via organized crime), the Lumeric company creates [[{{Magitek}} weapons and devices]] that provide humanity with a means of defense.

* MakeAnExampleOfThem: Arkn (in Universe A) who commit severe crimes are punished by having their wings crushed and broken, rendering them useless for flight.

** ''handprintsofthedead'' is another one. While it features a character (The Hooks Killer) and certain events that tie into the bigger picture of the Arknverse, many of the videos are seemingly random and unrelated (some "episodes" are nothing more than slightly-glitched television commercials), making the series as a whole nigh incomprehensible. The creator admits that this is deliberate, and that he was aiming more for a general feeling of dread, horror, and confusion than a clear-cut story.
** ''No More Truths'' is also rather...odd. As with ''handprints'', DL states that he was going for an all-around bizarre DarkFantasy (albeit one that introduces a few key themes and characters), and regrets adding some of the side plots (which were confusing and contributed little to the story -- or the 'verse in general).
* MistakenForGods: In Universe A, a number of Arkn and Dekn masqueraded as gods when they interacted with humanity.
** According to Raziel's journal, two of the Watchers, Abu’ura and De’adther, allowed primitive humans to worship them as gods (as they believed humans were something to be conquered).
** After attaching himself to Lord Gilgamesh of Mesopotamia, King Gilgamesh was mistaken for a deity; he gladly played the part, as he enjoyed the power and control it afforded him.
** Redgrave was often mistaken for an avatar of evil (who eventually was given the name "Satan").
** Xerex Storn studies human lore on demons so that he can masquerade as one. It's also hinted that he poses as the Grim Reaper in .Reality (in addition to ''literally'' acting as The Reaper for the Arkn and Dekn).

* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: The entire FinalBattle between the forces of The Carver and the Arknza, the culmination of the entire Arknthology storyline, is relayed through [[http://thearknmythos.wikia.com/wiki/Arkn:_Legacy a page]] on the wiki. An unfortunate result of many of the Mythos’ key creators departing the franchise early.
* OminousVisualGlitch: Happens quite frequently in .Reality (naturally). Indicates either a GlamourFailure (causing Arkn and Dekn inhabiting human vessels to display colored distortion, horns and wings on camera), or an error in .Reality.

* ''[[WebOriginal/ArknLegacy Arkn: Legacy]]''.[[note]] The current open source community in the franchise, set in Universe X. Focused on the Arkn-Dekn conflict, as well as both species' relationships with humanity (ranging from InterSpeciesRomance to [[WainscotSociety Dekn and Arkm-human corporations]])[[/note]]

* ''[[WebOriginal/TheArknverse The Arknverse]]''.[[note]] The first established community in the franchise. Set in what is now known as Arknverse (formerly Universe) A, it contains stories revolving around the Arkn-Dekn Wars, .Reality, and the Arknangels. After being closed source since December 2018, it was officially decanonized in 2020.[[/note]]

* EyeScream: During the finale of ''The Knight Shift'', when Ellpagg realizes that [[spoiler:he's been [[FallenAngel corrupted]] and stripped of his Arkn identity]], he gouges out his eyes in anguish. (He recovers rather quickly, however.)
** Ellpagg also mentions that he spent one eternity in the Infernous without eyes after The Carver gouged them out.

* BrownNote: In their true forms, some Dekn have faces that only a mother could love.

* BlackSpeech / SacredLanguage: The nameless language of the Hethe. Said to be "impossible" and "incomprehensible" to the ears, it's actually an audible form of ''pure will''; speaking it aloud warps the fabric of reality, and can cause untold destruction. Fortunately, it's rarely revealed to non-Hethe -- and only one word at a time.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Both the Arkn and the Dekn seemingly operate according to this. Ellpagg put it best when describing the Arkn in "Beating the dead horse" (''Michael's Camera''):

** It's worth noting, however, that while Ellpagg himself is a great example of the brutality, xenophobia, and FantasticRacism of his species, he's also an ''extremely'' mentally unstable individual, and far more malicious in nature than the average Arkn.

** Subverted in ''Arkn: Eternal'': the War never happened in the first place, due to [[TimeMaster Azrael]] arriving when the Hethe first appeared -- and [[PutRightWhatOnceWentWrong putting a stop to De'ebo's plans to ignite the conflict]].

* TomesOfProphecyAndFate: The Arknchron, a book of infinite knowledge concerning the Arkn (allegedly [[ForgedByTheGods created and handed down by the Hethe themselves]]).

* TransformationOfThePossessed: Possession by either an Arkn or a Dekn typically causes (in addition to a wardrobe change) the vessel's eyes to turn inhuman color: red when they're possessed by a Dekn, and a hue specific to their possessor (green, blue, etc.) when they're host to an Arkn.
** When [[spoiler:Michael Knight]] is possessed by the Carver, he grows [[HornsOfVillainy horns]] (seen only in shadow), his eyes turn red, his face becomes heavily lined, and [[MarkOfTheBeast a sinister Dekn symbol]] tattoos itself on his forehead.

* ForeverWar: The conflict between the Arkn and the Dekn. The two races have been at each others' throats since their creation (save for a few periods of relative peace lasting a millenia or so). The rivalry continues on into Universe X (albeit in a far less intense form).
** Subverted in ''Arkn: Eternal'': the War never happens in the first place, due to [[TimeMaster Azrael]] [[PutEighttime arriving when the Hethe first appear and putting a stop to De'ebo
* {{Foreshadowing}}: In the first full episode of TKS ("[1] The Knight"), Knight seemingly shoots and kills his friends — including his glasses-wearing buddy, "Ed". In the series finale, he [[spoiler:inadvertently kills that same person (now revealed to be The Carver) for real]].
** One of the title cards in ".TIME.HOP.PAST-TWO" (''Michael's Camera'') urges Michael to accept his "fate", proclaiming that his mind is "a cage to which the key was thrown away at birth" and that "in a world of monsters, you, Michael, are the nightmare." This is foreshadowing [[spoiler:Michael's true identity as The Carver's Nephilim son, his [[UnwittingPawn designated role]] as The Carver's vessel in .Reality, and the destruction he will cause under The Carver's control]].
** In "I have to shoot myself in the face" (''Michael's Camera''), Ellpagg teaches Michael the secret of ".Hopping", a process of jumping between timelines that involves shooting himself in the head with one of Edgar Kharon's revolvers (causing an instant Debigraff Effect). In the series finale, Michael [[spoiler:is KilledOffForReal by a gunshot to the head — from an exact duplicate of the pistol he used to go .Hopping (this time fired by his double, Michaelis)]].
** A Season 1 episode of ''Michael's Camera'' "(2) Friends") shows Michael Knight having what appears a medication-induced drug freak out on the bathroom floor, laughing and rambling about noises and "friends" in the drain who "know what's up". The "freak out" is actually the aftermath of a .Relapse brought on by his pills: .Relapses can cause mental time travel, as well as seeing through the eyes of others; Michael is glimpsing the future adventures of Ellpagg [[spoiler: (or rather, an Ellpagg-disguised Carver)]] with Cedric's band of travelers in ''No More Truths'', [[note]]the party braves "The Drain", which has an entrance leading into the Golden City[[/note]]. He may have even glimpsed them through his ''future self'' in Timeline B -- who received said memories through The Debigraff Effect!

* FourIsDeath: This seems to be a recurring theme in The Arknnverse:
** The eternally warring Arkn and Dekn races both began with four beings.
** There are four main Arknangels (The Paradox Players).
** Universe A's own HorsemenOfTheApocalypse, a WildWest outlaw gang called the Fearful Four. They're humans with special glitches that grant them superhuman abilities. By the end of their run, they've virtually broken their timeline, and humans fear and worship them as [[GodOfHumanOrigin gods]].
** There are also four [[EldritchAbomination Deedrn]]: beings created by the Hethe that were so powerful they had to be [[SealedEvilInACan sealed away]].

** In addition to having their bodies marked with the Seal, Arkn (and Dekn) in all areas of magic are required to use the [[http://thearknmythos.wikia.com/wiki/Aether_(Balance) Aether]] (another sort of pentagram) to promote balance in the caster’s emotions and soul.

* GuardianAngel: Deconstructed in a fairly dark fashion in ''Arknverse'': the Arkn attach themselves to humans as "Guardians" for the sole purpose of [[DemonicPossession using them as vessels]], basically making them their personal slaves. Worse, the corrupt Arkn government used muses to spread and encourage stories of benevolent guardian angels amongst humans so they would welcome them into their lives and bodies. The only reason they do any of this is to provoke the Dekn into going against their morals and attacking humans.

* {{Hell}}: In Universe A, the Infernous takes the place of this. It was created (and for a time, ruled) by the Carver, and acts as both a prison and a place of torment, molding each individual's personal fears into reality. Arkn, Dekn, and humans alike can end up there (usually because they were marked by the Carver as being "special" in some way).

!!The Arkn Mythos in general provides examples of:

* ActionGirl: In Arknverse A, Seraphina, Ambriel, and Phobos all qualify (being a Valk, a MagicalGirlWarrior/ LadyOfWar, and the head of the Paradisium army, respectively).
** The same applies to Ambriel and Phobos in Universe A.

** Humans who have [[{{Squick}} access to Arkn blood]] (or have awakened their own Arkn blood) can tap into Arkn magic by using the proper sigils and incantations.

** Many entries of ''The Knight Shift'' took place in various rooms in the same house. The same goes for ''Solar's Crimson''. [[spoiler:Justified, as both series are actually set in personal "cells" in the Infernous, in which the respective protagonists are trapped.]]
*** One episode of ''Solar's Crimson'' was filmed entirely in [=DeathlyLogic=]'s car while he was driving to work in the morning.
* BrokenAngel: Ellpagg becomes one at the end of ''The Knight Shift''. [[spoiler:At the moment of Carver's death, his powers transfer to Ellpagg (the only other being in the vicinity). Not only is Ellpagg fully corrupted, but the process strips him of all identifying Arkn traits, including his powers and his wings — transforming him into a being that is more Dekn than Arkn, but qualifies as neither. His immediate reaction is to [[EyeScream gouge out his own eyes]] in anguish (depriving himself of his "Arkn eyes" as well).]]

** The Carver's Dekn form is so hideous, Knight has a hard time even ''describing'' it.

*** FridgeBrilliance: It's possible that Knight was actually getting a [[GlamourFailure glimpse]] [[spoiler:of De'ebo]].

* CessationOfExistence: In Arknverse A, most ordinary humans only exist in .Reality as pure data; upon death, they're typically absorbed back into the system and blink out of existence. There are a few rare exceptions to this, however: humans who possess special Arkn blood (or are otherwise marked by The Carver) can survive beyond death -- usually in their own special subdivision of the Infernous. Azrael also mentioned that there have been cases of humans reincarnating by being reconstituted in another timeline; we have yet to see this occur in .Reality, however[[note]](though Azrael spends many eons believing ''himself'' to be one such case)[[/note]]. It is unknown whether this holds true for the humans of Universe A (''Arkn: Unity'').
** Xerex and Raziel (''Arknverse'') briefly allude to possibility of other realms of existence after death -- and state that they don't know what "comes next" (or whether it would apply to humans). It's further implied that not even ''the Hethe themselves'' know all of the secrets of the afterlife.
* CityOfGold: The Golden Cities and the Infinitium (of Arknverse A and Universe A) both qualify as this. The Golden Cities are (true to their name) ''literally'' paved and festooned with gold, while the Infinitium is made of ''black'' gold (which, in small quantities, holds tremendous magickal power).
* ContinuityReboot: In 2020, all content in ''The Arknverse'' -- which served as the BackStory to ''Arkn: Legacy'' -- was decanonized, due to a combination of the core Arknverse creative team falling out and content deletion making the story virtually inaccessible to newcomers. In its place, the new creative team made ''Arkn: Unity'', which is more simplistic and cohesive.
* CoolGun: In ''Arknverse'' (and possibly ''Unity''),Edgar Kharon's revolvers. In .Reality (if the appearance of Azrael's gun is any indication), they resemble non-working toy versions of WildWest firearms; when used with Arkn magic, however, they become ''incredibly'' powerful tools which can enable the user to jump between dimensions, We've seen one in action twice thus far: the first time, it killed the Carver's vessel, Luke Anton; the second, it not only killed [[spoiler:Michael Knight]], but ''completely wiped him out of existence''.
** Subverted with the (now deleted) ''Legacy'' series ''Malachi X'' : he just buys an ordinary $12 NERF gun from Wal-Mart, and infuses it with Ethric energy.

*** Both Uriel and Michaelis have been known to wear black Lurker masks (which resemble a plague doctor's mask).

*** The Carver occasionally sports a red metallic half mask resembling a demon's face. (Michael Knight briefly wears the same mask in Season 3 of ''Michael's Camera'' [[spoiler:after he becomes the Carver's vessel]].)
*** In "Masks" ([=Medboy789=]), Tobias finds an elaborate gold and black masquerade mask in his bedroom. It turns out to belong to [[spoiler:the Arkn king Abaddon]].

*** Andras As'phyxiar wears an ornate plague doctor's mask.

** The Arkn High Council tried to do this to Ellpagg. [[spoiler:They tossed him into the Infernous, intending for him to eventually become corrupted, kill the Carver, and be transformed into a Dekn Lord (or similar being of power) so they could hold him up as en example of the depravity of the Dekn (i.e. that the Dekn are so wicked that they can turn even the Arkn Prince to darkness). Unfortunately, Ellpagg ended up becoming more powerful -- and corrupt -- than they anticipated.]]

* PlayingCardMotifs: Universe A has one with the names of some of its characters:
** Uriel represents one of the '''King cards'''.[[note]]He's the only Arkn ruler who's also descended from Royal blood. ([=Type0Negative=] admits that he never decided ''which'' particular card Uriel's intended to represent, adding that he could represent ''all'' of them at one time or another.)[[/note]]

** Seemingly subverted in ''Arkn: Eternal'':[[spoiler: after the Hethe depart from the universe, it's hinted that the war eventually peters out and stops]].

* WingedHumanoid: Natural born Arkn have fluffy, feathered wings of varying hues. The few Dekn that possess them have leathery, bat-like wings tipped with spines. In ''Arknverse'', said wings (rather than being true appendages) are living, separate organs that can be summoned at will -- namely, when their owner wants to put on their GameFace. Having one's wings removed is a sign of disgrace for the Arkn; those who do (or lose them by some other means) often replace them with mechanical versions.

* AwesomeMcCoolName: Quite a few:
** Persopheleus "Samael" Crow. (He was originally known as the Arkn of Death, Samael; when he defected and joined the Persopheliums, he took the name of the bird of death -- Crow -- as his given name.)
** All four Paradox Players: Azrael Michaelis Winter, Raphael Tobit Kestler, Gabriel Raziel Holden, and Uriel Alexander Winter.
** Edgar Kharon.
** [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Lucifer Anton]].
** Elius Exodus.
** From ''Handprints'', we get the Spirit family (Christian Spirit, Adam "Antium" Spirit, Damien Spirit, and Cain Spirit), Coolificus Coolage, and Leeroy Maskwell.
** The Storn siblings: Eris Storn, Barith Storn, and Xerex Storn.
** Maalformius Darkrage. (He's the most powerful warrior in the Arkn elite "police force", the Valkyrium, so his level of badassery ''definitely'' lives up to his name.)
** Lazarus Delphar.
** Franz Faust.

* AllThereInTheManual: The official wiki reveals a great deal of information pertaining to Universe A and Universe X -- the [[CreationStory creation of the two universes]], character backstories, various plot points -- that was left unstated (or unexplained) in-universe.

** Played straight with Project Entropy (Universe A). The Entropy machine was created as a duplicate of .Reality for the Arkn to live in, separating them from the Dekn once and for all. However, the program's engineers were forced to activate it before it could be completed; [[spoiler:in its unfinished state, Entropy connected to the existing .Reality and overloaded the system, causing a shutdown. Entropy interpreted this as an "error" and attempted to fix it — resulting in an cataclysmic anomaly called a Red Nova that caused the fabric of the entire universe to splinter into ragged fragments.]]

** Season 1 of Michael's Camera ''appears'' to start in an alternate timeline. [[spoiler:It's actually Timeline A, before undergoing a brief reset, due to Michael (who just shifted into that timeline from another, unseen one) having a run-in with a Lurker.]]
** In the Season 2 episode "Two minutes in" (from Michael's Camera), Ellpagg ''literally'' shoves Michael Knight into Timeline B in order to get Persophelus Redgrave off his tail. Michael replaces his counterpart via the Debigrath Effect, and spends the rest of the series in (offshoots of) that timeline. (Until the end of Season 3, when he [[spoiler:ends up in the Infernous and becomes the Carver's vessel]]).

* AlternateUniverse: In ''Legacy'', humans exist within a quintet of "mini-universal" orbs, known as Seeds, which are maintained and guarded by the [[EldritchAbomination Ythen]]. Every time an event occurs which alters the course of life (namely, human existence) within a Seed, the Seed is cut off and pushed away, becoming an "Outlier", and a new Seed takes its place among the five. Outliers continue developing until they reach apocalypse stage. If they refuse to do so, SEEKER comes in and "culls" them.
** In the finale of ''Solar's Crimson'', Azrael (of Universe A) uses his powers try to travel back in time to the golden age of the Arkn (long before his own birth). He overshoots, and ends up arriving at the moment the Hethe first appeared. After the Hethe learn of the events occurring in Azrael's time, they are able (with Azrael's help) to prevent the Arkn-Dekn war from coming to pass. This new, war-free version of events splits off into an entirely new universe (known as "Universe E")...with a version of Azrael [[MindScrew somehow present in both Universe A and Universe E at the same time]].

** The videos of ''Handprints'' were posted on multiple playlists -- ''all of which'' are posted out of order, and none of which featured the series in its entirety. (WordOfGod says that because The Hooks Killer is a DimensionalTraveler who continuously jumps back and forth between timelines and time periods, it would be impossible to try to place the events in any kind of chronological order.)
* AnachronismStew: The worlds of the Arkn and the Dekn of Universe A appear to be a mishmash of different genres and eras. In RealLife, it's due to the [[AuthorAppeal personal tastes of the writers]] -- and a lack of coordination between them; in-universe, it’s handwaved as DecadeDissonance (we're told that different cities have different levels of technology, and possess wildly different cultures).

** The videos of ''Handprints'' were posted on multiple playlists -- ''all of which'' are posted out of order, and [[UpToEleven none of which featured the series in its entirety]]. (WordOfGod says that because The Hooks Killer is a DimensionalTraveler who continuously jumps back and forth between timelines and time periods, it would be impossible to try to place the events in any kind of chronological order.)

* CapitalOffensive: The Dekn of Universe A, under the command of Lord Dragon, attempted to gain a stronghold in the Second War by launching a sneak attack on the Arkn capitol of Elysia. Unfortunately, said attack occurred on May 15th, 2016...

* CentralTheme: The central theme of ''Arknverse'' and ''Legacy'' is that true good and evil comes from our actions and the decisions we make, rather than our origins or allegiances. In ''Eternal'', this theme seems to have been discarded entirely.
* CessationOfExistence: In Universe A, most ordinary humans only exist in .Reality as pure data; upon death, they're typically absorbed back into the system and blink out of existence. There are a few rare exceptions to this, however: humans who possess special Arkn blood (or are otherwise marked by The Carver) can survive beyond death -- usually in their own special subdivision of the Infernous. Azrael also mentioned that there have been cases of humans reincarnating by being reconstituted in another timeline; we have yet to see this occur in .Reality, however[[note]](though Azrael spends many eons believing ''himself'' to be one such case)[[/note]].
** Xerex and Raziel briefly allude to possibility of other realms of existence after death -- and state that they don't know what "comes next" (or whether it would apply to humans). It's further implied that not even ''the Hethe themselves'' know all the secrets of the afterlife.

* CoolGun: Edgar Kharon's revolvers. In .Reality (if the appearance of Azrael's gun is any indication), they resemble non-working toy versions of WildWest firearms; when used with Arkn magic, however, they become ''incredibly'' powerful tools that can enable the user to jump between dimensions, We've seen one in action twice thus far: the first time, it killed the Carver's vessel, Luke Anton; the second, it not only killed [[spoiler:Michael Knight]], but ''completely wiped him out of existence''.
** Subverted with the (now deleted) vlog series ''Malachi X'': he just buys an ordinary $12 NERF gun from Wal-Mart and infuses it with Ethric energy.

** Ellpagg frequently wears an armored mask that resembles a cross between a gas mask and a [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades Crusader's Helm]].
** Both Uriel and Michaelis have been known to wear black Lurker masks (which resemble a plague doctor's mask).
** Drakula wears an elongated mask resembling a dog or crocodile skull.
** The Carver occasionally sports a red metallic half mask resembling a demon's face. (Michael Knight briefly wears the same mask in Season 3 of ''Michael's Camera'' [[spoiler:after he becomes the Carver's vessel]].)
** In "Masks" ([=Medboy789=]), Tobias finds an elaborate gold and black masquerade mask in his bedroom. It turns out to belong to [[spoiler:the Arkn king Abaddon]].
** Ba'al (''Legacy'') wears a horned, full-face demon mask made of smooth bone and engraved with Dekn symbols.
** Andras As'phyxiar (of ''Legacy'') wears an ornate plague doctor's mask.
* CosmicHorrorStory: The overarching plot of the Arknverse contains many elements of this. Universe A is a CrapSackworld where existence itself was orchestrated by petty, monstrous [[EldritchAbomination deities]]. Humanity (as it is) is confined to an [[InsideAComputerSystem artificial realm]]; everything we think we know was designed and created by a powerful race of [[OurDemonsAreDifferent inhuman creatures]] with [[BlueAndOrangeMorality motives beyond our comprehension]], as a tactical move against an equally powerful, incomprehensible race of [[OurAngelsAreDifferent malicious creatures]]. At ''any moment'', one of them could pop into your life, [[DemonicPossession seize control of your body]], and destroy everything you hold dear. Even if you manage to avoid ''that'' fate, you might still bump into one of the random, [[RealityWarper reality-warping]] [[OurMonstersAreDifferent monsters]] generated by the fabric of your artificial world; they lurk around every corner, and can drop out of the sky and fly off with you...or drastically alter your world in ways you can't detect. Don't bother praying to your god or GuardianAngel for help: all of our myths, legends and gods were inspired by the same creatures that seek to manipulate us. Don't look for a reprieve in death, either: you'll either [[CessationOfExistence blink out of existence]], or [[{{Reincarnation}} return to life]] in an equally-perilous world. Oh, and if all that wasn't bad enough, this is only the latest iteration of an unending cycle of creation, war, death and destruction. Did we mention that this is a Crapsack World?

* EldritchAbomination: The Hethe of Universe A. They're monstrous, bird-like beings of pure evil who emerged from a giant cosmic door -- which they used to carve into a massive TreeOfLife (before crafting the universe itself). They've been deemed responsible for creating not only all things in existence (save for .Reality), but '''''existence itself'''''. Meeting them face-to-face in their true forms is said to result in instant death. Many Arkn [[ReligionOfEvil worship them as gods.]]

* TheWikiRule: The Arkn Mythos has its own wiki [[https://thearknmythos.wikia.com/wiki/The_Arkn_Mythos_Wiki here]].

* ''[[WebOriginal/ArknEternal Arkn: Eternal]]''.[[note]]A SpinOff of The Arknverse. Centers around Universe E, an AlternateUniverse version of Arknverse A created by the manipulation of time and the alteration of key events. Currently closed source.[[/note]]

* NiceHat: Malek (more specifically, his vessels) wears a signature plaid flat cap. It's a holdover from his Hethe origins: each Hethe wears a distinctive style of head wear.
** In several episodes of ''[=MedBoy789=]'', Tobias wears a knit ski cap that looks like the [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Raphael]]. (It's also {{Foreshadowing}} the identity of his Guardian Arkn.)
** Azrael wears a nice black cowboy hat whenever he's out on Arknangel business.
** Uriel has also been known to wear a black cowboy hat (and duster) when he travels.
** De'ebo sports a rather nice [[HatOfAuthority top hat]] -- his own personal Hethe Hat identifier -- in "Sins of the father" (Solar's Crimson).
** Delphar has never been seen without his trademark brown tiller's hat.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: The growing list of works in the franchise means the constant creation of new characters. Even the wiki doesn't list them all.

*** Malek's [[SoulFragment "shards"]] use a number of hosts: human, Arkn, and even ''[[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments a dog]]'' on one occasion.
*** In one instance, one of Malek's shards takes possession of Ellpagg while he's using the body of Michaelis as a [[LivingBodySuit shade]], resulting in a sort of bizarre ''double'' possession.

** In several early episodes of [=MedBoy789=], Tobias wears a beanie that looks like the [[TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle]] Raphael. The Arkn of that same name is later revealed to be Toby’s Guardian.