Web Original / Arkn: Legacy

The Omnicall symbol.

Arkn: Legacy is a continuation of the web-based Arkn Mythos franchise. It launched in 2017 after the initial cancellation of the Arknthology storyline with the (now defunct) vlog series Malachi X, and was intended to serve as both an Alternate Universe sequel to the Arknverse and a stand-alone franchise.

Set in Universe X, Legacy revolves around the conflict between the angelic-looking, magic-wielding Arkn and the demon-esque, psychic Dekn. However, the storytelling is a major departure from the rest of the franchise: gone is .Reality; humankind now lives in a series of universal orbs known as "Seeds", while the Arkn and Dekn are something akin to a secret society, living in their own Seed-based realm — and amongst humans, in disguise — while running their own versions of The Mafia, the Yakuza, and multi-dimensional corporations.

In August 2018, Legacy underwent a soft reboot; the lore was retooled to make it more accessible for an audience that might be unfamiliar with The Arknverse. On November 28th that same year, the lore was altered yet again as a new creative team took over, and it was announced that many of Legacy's original creators would be departing to helm an independent franchise, with Penthepoet (one of the co-creators) being the one remaining member from the original team. In 2020, Legacy received another retooling as the backstory behind Universe X was scrapped in favor of that laid out in Arkn: Unity, making it a true sequel.

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Arkn Legacy provides examples of:

• Alternate Appearance Aura: Any Arkn or Dekn who enters Ersis (the realm containing the Seeds) must take on a human appearance via a Transmogrification sigil in order to blend in.
• Ambiguous Gender: Ryael identifies as non-binary, and presents as both male and female at various times. (Their blog eventually reveals that they're biologically male, and that their birth name was Ryan.)
  • Lutin is referred to as "he/they".
• Amusement Park of Doom: The setting of the deleted short story Midway King was strongly hinted to be one.
• Applied Phlebotinum: Ethri is essentially magic in physical form. It was responsible for evolving the Arkn into their current state, and it remains infused in their blood, granting them their aura and acting as the source of their powers (including energy limb constructs, flight, and healing). It can charge sigils, it powers most SEEKER and U.M.E.E.C. technology, it created the most commonly used form of Lathryum currency (Ethric crystals), and in steam form it even powers a Dekn city.
• Apocalyptic Log: Scenes from the Diary of Ollistra Andelyn seems to be this until she's rescued by Moirah Averil's agency.
• The Artifact: The staff known as Gavreel’s Thorn. Formerly owned by Gav’reel Irinith (the ruler of the Arkn monarchy Avantas'Tol), it is said to contain tremendous power, and was rumored to have been carved from the wood of the First Tree (of Universe A). It vanished after Gavreel's murder, and eventually fell into the hands of Franz Faust, his youngest living descendant.
• Bait-and-Switch Boss: In The Siren's Saga, Andras As'phyxiar serves this function, as the story kicks off with him taunting Shanna about her past encounter with him through Franz Faust's blog. However, Marchosias Aversen is quickly revealed as the true Big Bad of the Siren's Saga.
  • If the Dekn_court01 audio file is anything to go by, it seems that this situation is repeating itself in Staff of the Scholar as well.
• Beware the Nice Ones: When Faust is captured by Mir'rin, Ryael proves themself to be this. Due to the implications of how murderous they were in their past lives (and the reveal of what exactly Ryael goes through every month when they regain the memories of said lives), they seem to embody this perfectly.
  • If nothing else, Ryael revealing their life as an Eelekti and how murderous they were as the "Hunter of Glass" definitely qualifies them as this trope.
• Blood Sport: Blood Flags, a game founded by the Dekn Mafia (in collaboration with the Ythen) for the purpose of preventing Arkn/Dekn warfare on Ersis. Arkn, Dekn and half-breeds fight for control over Flags (locations in Ersis), with Rethyc crystals (crystals that can be charged with ethri) awarded for winning. Blood Duels can involve weaponry, and only outright kills are prohibited (though fatal wounds are still permitted). It's very fortunate that the rules are strictly enforced by the Ythen.
• Blood Magic: Played with: the blood of Arkn contains ethri (and may in fact be a form of liquid Ethri itself),
• Book Worm: Faust. His title ("The Archivist") says it all: he has a comprehensive knowledge of Arkn and Dekn literature, and is able to point out mistranslations of Arkn literature.
• Break the Cutie: Many of the characters associated with the Purple Rose arc have this sort of plot.
  • Laurien Adaire begins her plot as a Naïve Everygirl student of magic who sees the best in everyone, but becomes increasingly mentally unstable and physically sick as she gets drawn further into Marchosias's web.
  • Penperin "Mod Hybrid-Tea" Ilsenthe Used to Be a Sweet Kid but is now a hypersexual, obsessive Yandere due to the ways in which her mind has been altered and reconditioned.
• Call a Rabbit a "Smeerp": The Earthly realm(s) are called “Ersis” by non-humans. (Faust occasionally struggles to remember to call the realm by its human name on his blog.)
• Cast Full of Gay: Many of the major characters (and supporting characters) are anything but straight:
  • Franz Irinith-Faust is canonically gay.
  • For'ende Elext is Faust's Inkaal'sen, and either gay or bisexual.
  • Petrel Raverne is gay, as is his Inkaal'sen, Astor Clemens.
  • In the Dekn Court, Andras As'phyxiar is (implied to be) bisexual, Marchosias Aversen is bi or pansexual, Vepar Oshtai is a lesbian, her consort Nathali Sha'harzad is bisexual or a lesbian, and "Juniper" Azure and Rezen Al’pyriam are hinted to be bi or pansexual.
  • Shanna Averil is pansexual, while her aunt, Moirah, is a lesbian (and in an open marriage with another Dekn woman).
• Civil War: During Act II of Staff of the Scholar, a war erupts in the monarchy of Avantas'tol between the army of Servar'khai Irinith and the Ismora'sai Guard, a separatist faction that wishes to depose him (aided by Franz Irinith Faust, Sevar’khai's half-brother). It ends with Sevar’khai being accidentally killed by Faust, fulfilling the prophecy of the Agonistis.
• Continuity Nod: While Legacy is (currently) designed to be stand-alone, there are still some references to Universe A (now known as “The Old World”) sprinkled throughout:
  • The Hethe pantheon is composed entirely of beings who crossed over (or evacuated) from the previous universe: Ced’ric (formerly Cedric Kharon), El'lepagi (Ellpagg Xeth’i’stral), De’ebolus (De’ebo), and Fab’rasi (Fab’ras).
  • Gavreel was killed by Dragonier, Ellpagg’s Dragon Cane sword (which was thereafter known as “Reignbreaker”).
  • The Arkn and Dekn of Legacy are said to have been deliberately evolved by Fab'rasi and De'ebolus (respectively) so as to recreate the races of those same names from Universe A.
• Cool Sword: In their Arkn life, Ryael possessed “Reignbreaker”, the legendary sword that killed Gavreel Irinith. It was said to have been capable of changing form based on the preference of the wielder, and to drive men to murder for the longing of it. It was previously Ellpagg's sword, Dragon’ier.
• Creepy Souvenir: When Faust escapes from Andras's torture, Faust takes Andas's hand and one of his eyes in return. He gives the eye to For'ende as an Inkaal'sen proposal gift.
• Creepy Child: Many fullblood Risen children are this. They possess unknown supernatural abilities, which they tend to tap into inadvertently — often to disastrous effect.
• Crossover: It's heavily, heavily implied that the way Pascal D’Aramitz is perceiving the Hethe is tainted with more than a little bit of Godrot, from the series Soursalt (helmed by DeathlyLogic), and that the words he's spreading are the Old Lonely Words, from the same series. While they aren't turning people into physical monsters here, it does seem to be causing people to Go Mad from the Revelation that the Old Lonely Words are giving.
• Dark World: The Silulis, a tangible “ghost data” superealm underlying the physical realms. It began forming when .Mainframe created the universe, and has continued expanding ever since, mirroring whatever is created in the physical world. While the Ersian Silulis is a bizarre mashup of Ersian biomes (full of equally bizarre Mix-and-Match Critters), the Lathrym portion of the Silulis is a classic Dark World: a dark, foggy, ghostly “inversion” of the Lathrym, home to all manner of strange lifeforms — including the Silulic Horror. (It’s also the source of the Dekn Psychic Powers: they manipulate inanimate objects in the physical world by moving their “ghost” duplicates in the Silulis.)
• Death World: The Silulis, again. If a living being stumbles into either portion of it (by going off the edge of a realm or sub-realm), they have only a brief window of time to escape before they fade away into intangible ghost data themselves and become trapped there.
  • The realm isn't much better for native beings. Both parts are occupied by strange, fearful beasts and plant life; the biomes, flora, and fauna of the Ersian Silulis are all bizarre, impossible amalgamations of the ones found on Earth, such that even the cutest animals are likely to kill you. And yet, some Elekti not only manage to live an impressively long lifespan there, but thrive.
• Decadent Court: The Dekn Court fits this to a tee.
• Desert Punk: The region of Destrus in the Empyrium provides hints of this: the region was (largely) reduced to a burned-out wasteland by Dekn raids.
• Dragon Rider: In "May 15th, 2022 - Avantas'tol", a Portal Door brings Tabris Irinith into contact with a female dragon rider — who is gradually being transformed into a dragon herself, as a reward for being brave enough to ride the beasts.
• Dramatic Irony: At the end of Act I of Staff of the Scholar, Lutin posts an audio log he accidentally retrieved from the future, in which Andras and Marchosias discuss the latter's elaborate plan to destabilize Avantas'tol — which includes manipulating Franz Faust into returning home, ending his brother's reign, and then going into exile. Faust is unable to access or hear the recording, and doesn't become aware of the conspiracy until after it has already played out.
• Eldritch Abomination: Downplayed. All the beings that might be considered Eldritch are basically harmless (and even helpful, at times). The Hethe, rather than the cruel omnipotent beings of Universe A, are lazy, boring hermits with virtually no power. The Silulic Horror and Tatsunga, meanwhile, do nothing aside from granting the Dekn and Arkn their powers.
• Elective Mute: Ryael. Apparently, sensory overload from autism plays a part.
• Everyone Went to School Together: Several major players in the mythos, including Andras, Marchosias, Vepar, and Nathali, were classmates in college, and quite a few of them were members of the same study group.
• Eye Scream: When Faust escapes from Andras, he gouges out one of Andras's eyes and takes it with him as a souvenir (which he presents to For'ende as a symbol of their bond of friendship).
• Fictional Currency: Both the Arkn and the Dekn use Rethryc crystals (Rethrycs) as a form of currency in the Lathyrum.
• Foe Romance Subtext: Andras and Marchosias, full stop. IV Sparrow and Penthepoet confirm that this was the intention, and that Andras is one of three people that Marchosias cares about in a way that goes beyond "What can this person do for me?"
• Friendship Trinket: In a rather morbid example, Andras's eye acts as a Friendship Trinket for For'ende and Faust.
• From Bad to Worse: Bobbie Harper seems to be particularly prone to suffering this. After a lifetime of being confined to his father's house (on the basis of a lie), he runs away and joins the Runners of District 5. (eventually being added to Zachriel's Council chat). When Zachriel finds him, he's beaten, drugged, and dragged back to the house; this time, he's confined to his bedroom, deprived of the basic essentials, and his internet access is severely limited, isolating him from the outside world worse than before. And then Lucifuge orders the District to be ransacked and its Runners killed.
• Goo-Goo-Godlike: All final-stage, pure-blood Risen are born "slightly glowing" as a sign of their innate supernatural power.
• Half-Human Hybrid: While not quite commonplace, half-Arkn and half-Dekn hybrids are not unheard-of. They have the appearance of ordinary humans, and possess supernatural abilities, though said powers aren't as strong as those of full-bloods.
• Healing Magic Is the Hardest: Subverted; healing magic is considered one of the lesser forms of magic in Universe X (such that even half-breed Arkn can easily harness it).
• Heterosexual Life-Partner: Faust and 4boy/For'ende Elext. When Faust falls under Andras's Morit'sengr Invokare, it's For'ende that takes care of Faust; For'ende has also stated on several occasions that he "wouldn't know what to do without Faust" and that Faust "means so much to [him]." Their bond is cemented when Faust returns from his two weeks of torture and asks For'ende to be his Inkaal'sen, implying that For'ende is the one that Faust trusts the most.
• Home of the Gods: The realm of Calat serves this purpose, as it became the home realm of the Hethe after the creation of the universe.
• Hub City: Every region of the Lathrum — with the exceptions of Avantas'tol (which is a City-State), Syrith, and Vinlar — has one. They vary in size.
• Human Disguise: Under order of the Ythen, all Arkn, Dekn, and Nagiani who visit Ersis in the Seeds are required to use a transmogrification sigil to take on a human appearance in the presence of humans. Whether the transmog actually transforms the body, or just creates a glamour, is unknown (though it's hinted to be the latter).
• Inside a Computer System: Averted: While Universe X was created by the computer system .Mainframe, and continues to be monitored by it, the known world is a physical one. The only "data-based" realm is the Silulis, which exists to "back up" the physical universe.
• Ki Manipulation: Magic essentially functions like this in ''Legacy'. Arkn charge the ethri (the Life Energy of Tatsuonga) in their blood in order to generate an aura, which they can use to create winglike manifestations, move objects, and produce an energy blast. Half-breed Arkn, while they lack ethri-infused blood, can still channel raw ethri from an external source (normally ethric crystals).
• Leit Motif: Several examples:
  • Disco music features prominently in Faust’s story. (Namely, disco/funk or disco/funk-inspired songs are reblogged on Faust's blog when a major plot development is happening or a major revelation is coming). One example was that when Faust came back from being tortured by Andras for two weeks and finally returned to posting on the blog, one of the first posts he made on the blog was a reblog of "Redbone." . This was actually Averted when Faust was undergoing the later stages of Morit'sengr Invokare, as Penthepoet stated that they felt it wouldn't fit with Faust's mental state at the time.
  • Similarly, indie folk music is associated with Shanna's character, with her frequently referencing and quoting artists such as Conor Oberst and Sufjan Stevens.
  • Specifically the song "Acolyte" by Slaughter Beach, Dog is associated strongly with Shanna's kidnapping and subsequent brainwashing by Marchosias Aversen.
• Living Relic: Redgrave, Zachriel, and Regent are the only non-Hethian survivors of Universe A, and the only living representations of the Old World Dekn race.
• Love Triangle: Andras As'phyxiar, Marchosias Aversen, and Caris Euphrasia during their college days. Andras and Caris started dating, which made Marchosias – who was in love with Andras – insanely jealous and envious. The affair ended with Marchosias covertly arranging Caris's murder.
• The Masquerade: While both UMEEC and SEEKER have a presence amongst the Seeds, most of the humans living therein are unaware of their true natures or the Arkn and Dekn; as such, the companies pass themselves off as manufacturing companies, and the Arkn and Dekn are required to use a Transmogorification Sigil that cloaks them with a human disguise.
  • Broken Masquerade: On May 15th, 2022, a new door appears within an Outlier Seed and releases a cloud of beetles — through which Regent speaks in the Hethian tongue. His words deactivate all sigils in the area, dissolving any Transmogrification disguises currently being worn by an Arkn or Dekn. It's a downplayed example, as the humans of the Seed are already aware of the existence of Arkn and Dekn. However, it still comes as quite a shock to many people, as many of them were unaware that their neighbors and co-workers were Arkn and Dekn in disguise.
• Mix-and-Match Critters: All of the animals of the Ersian Silulis. Lamprey-mouthed squirrels, anyone?
• Morph Weapon: According to legend, Reignbreaker (the sword that killed Gav’reel Irinith) is said to have be capable of changing its form based on the needs of the wielder. The legends are true: it was formerly Ellpagg’s cane sword.
• Music Magic: The music of Ryael's violin, Ashling Telma, can hypnotize and even kill mortal creatures.
  • Shanna Averil has the power of hypnotic speech; however, her ability is more effective when channeled through a song, especially one of those she writes herself.
• No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Two of Andras and Marchosias's classmates at the College of Cailedagh'salle are confirmed to be loosely based on Jack Parsons and Marjorie Cameron.
• Our Angels Are Different / Our Demons Are Different: In Universe X, the Arkn and Dekn are beings who evolved from the humans of one Seed, via exposure to Ethric energy. As with their Universe A counterparts, however, the similarities to the creatures they resemble — angels and demons, respectively — are merely superficial.
• Outside Man, Inside Man: Timothée is the Outside Man to Malistrade's Inside Man after leaving the Society of the Purple Rose.
• Past-Life Memories: Final stage Risen are born with the memories and abilities of all of their previous lives...which they acquire in gradual bursts, accompanied by debilitating headaches (described as "metaphysical seizures") and even spates of Split-Personality Takeover.
• Patchwork Map: The entirety of the Ersian Silulis. All the biomes are mashups of those on Earth, with the terrain and weather conditions mixed and matched in impossible ways. There are frozen jungles, hurricane-prone deserts, and oceans full of molten lava (just to name a few). And that's not even getting into the animals...
• Place of Power: The Heart of Ethri. It's a rebooted (emptied out) .Reality core that was taken over by the Hethe Fab’rasi; he expended his energy there, creating Tatsuonga: a living consciousness that gives off an energy known as Ethri, which full-blood Arkn and Dekn (and half-breed Dekn) tap into in order to practice magic.
• Portal Door: One ongoing sub-plot involves a disembodied golden door, carved with runes and set with gems, which appears in the Elevrium. No one but Redgrave knows anything about it, and he isn't talking (aside from a cryptic comment about it being a "sign of the gods"). Marchosias proclaims it to be a symbol of the dawn of his reign as a new god, and tells his followers that they have nothing to fear from whatever lies beyond the door.
  • In The Circles Event (a collection of short stories released for the 2022 anniversary) it's revealed that there exists a multitude of doors, leading not only between locations within Universe X, but between ''dimensions''. Legend has it they were used by the gods for travel; whether that's actually the case remains to be seen.
• Power Crystal: Super-heated Ethric fluid (see below) leaves behind a crystallized residue known as Ethryc Crystals, which contain Ethric energy. They appear in three forms: Natural Ethrics posses a finite charged of ethric energy; Rethrycs are empty, and can be re-charged like batteries (but will shatter with extended use); Nullithics are (true to their name) null, and cannot hold an Ethric charge.
• Pure Energy: Ethri. It's essentially the Life Energy of Tatsuonga, and can appear in liquid, solid (crystallized) and gaseous forms.
  • It's implied that Arkn blood itself is a liquid form of ethri.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Faust delivers an epic one to the Society of the Purple Rose:

"I will not take the aid of a rapist, abuser, and murderer. Damn you. Damn your visions. Damn your bloodstained hands. Damn what you did to Shanna Averil, and Penperin Ilsenthe, and all of those others in your horrifically manipulative cult."

• Reincarnate in Another World: Sometimes, humans will (for reasons that are still uncertain) reincarnate in the Lathrym as either an Arkn or a Dekn. If they can successfully navigate that lifetime — and then another lifetime in the Lathrym as the opposite race — they will be reborn in the Seeds once more, this time as a full-blown Risen: a human with the powers of both an Arkn and a Dekn, and the memories, skills and abilities of all of their lives. Currently, there are four known Risen: Ryael Morrow, Miriam Magdal, Ancarra Juniper Azure, and Emmanuel Vonn.
  • Occasionally, a human is accidentally eradicated during a .Mainframe scan; when this happens, their data is instantly downloaded into the Ersian Silulis, in Eelekti form. If they manage to survive there for 100 years (the amount of time it takes for the re-uploading process to be completed), they will rematerialize back in Ersis in one of the Seeds, as either a recreation of their former self or a new human being (and likely be marked as a Risen).
• Revenge by Proxy: The reasoning that Andras gives Shanna before putting Faust under Morit'sengr Invokare, (Shanna having been made immune to Morit'sengr Invokare by Marchosias just a few weeks prior).
• Ruins of the Modern Age: District 7 (in Taveril'domaine) becomes this at the end of AilingDaydream, after Lucifige and his men lay waste to it. When Bobbie returns, he finds only a few intact items on a boardwalk overlooking a swamp.
• Runic Magic: By utilizing symbols called siy ("creational blueprints"), charging them with ethri, and priming them with intent, a being can manipulate the fabric of reality, creating certain magical effects. Siy can be used independently, or combined to create various effects.
  • There are also special, extra-powerful siy granted only by the Ythen, which have limited, but extremely powerful, effects (mainly related to altering the physical properties of existing objects). Arkn and Dekn who visit Ersis use a Transmorgrification Siy in order to don a human disguise.
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Franz Faust learns of the prophecy of the Agonistis: a being who will kill Sevar’khai Irinith, freeing Avantas'tol from his tyranny but living forever with the guilt. Believing that his half-brother's reign will soon be ended, Franz returns to Avantas'tol, only to be captured and imprisoned by Sevar'khai. He escapes using Gav'reel's Thorn, but before he can flee the city, a vision of Gav'reel encourages him to stay in Avantas'tol assist the rebellion. Finally, the coup ends—when Franz accidentally kills Sevar’khai in a darkened hallway. For using its power to take a life, Franz loses access to the Thorn; he also loses his admiration for Gav'reel himself, after learning that his pacifism caused great suffering got many people killed. Disillusioned, his spirit broken, Franz rejects his family legacy and becomes Redgrave's apprentice...taking the name Faustus Agonistis.
• Sentient Cosmic Force: Tatsuonga, an “entity” of sorts formed out of the essence of Fab’ras. Ethric magic (known as "ethrial manipulation") is practiced by making mental contact with Tatsuonga and tapping into its energy to charge sigils. However, only full-blooded Arkn (who are born with ethric energy in their blood, which they can "charge" at will) are capable of accessing this power directly; all others must use Rethryc crystals as an ethric "battery" of sorts.
• Shaping Your Attacks: One or more siy can be combined with a drawing of an item to produce an ethric construct with those trait(s). (For example, one could draw a siy for water, draw a snake, add a Power Siy and a Force Siy along with an outward arrow, and when the siy is activated, a large electrified water serpent would shoot outward from the sigil.)
• Shout-Out: Many, many of these to The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind in both Staff of the Scholar and The Siren's Saga.
  • And to Dune. Interestingly enough, Marchosias being referred to as a God-Emperor is NOT a Dune shout-out. However, any mention of how he's "too goddamn vain to turn himself into a giant worm" (or variations thereupon) absolutely is.
• Snake People: The Senas'kare (or Nagiani, as they're commonly known) are a race of intelligent, nomadic snake people.
• Soft Reboot: After being made closed source in early 2018 (to allow for the lore to be “fixed”, as it was incomplete), Legacy underwent a soft reboot in August of that year. All of the previously released content was been removed or unlisted, allowing for multiple aspects of the lore to be retooled or cut completely. Among the many changes:
  • De'ebolus is now responsible for the creation (evolution) of the Dekn, while Fab'rasi is responsible for the creation of the Arkn.
  • El'lepagi, rather than De'ebolus, is responsible for the existence of Risen. Risen now have four standard lifetimes (with the Eelekti and second human lifetimes being optional), and they're reborn as both Arkn and Dekn (rather than one or the other). The selection process is also far more random: while many individuals marked have achieved amazing feats or exhibit certain qualities (such as extreme bravery or intelligence) in their first life, others are seemingly chosen for no reason at all.
  • Humans are now capable of breathing Aeri (the atmosphere of the Lathrym),
  • Lumeric has been renamed U.M.E.E.C. (Universal Mortal Exploration, Extraction, and Control).
• Transplanted Humans: Both the Arkn and Dekn began as humans of one of the first Seeds, which was forced through the Silulis and into the Empyrium. (causing catastrophic damage to the Seed and exposing its human inhabitants to Silulic and Ethric energy).
• Unobtainium: Ethryc crystals (ethri-formed crystals possessing an ethric charge). They're necessary for the Dekn, Dekn half-bloods, and humans (who lack the natural ethric charge of the Arkn-blooded) to practice runic (siy-based) magic. Crystals formed out of ethri are quite common; crystals that are both formed of ethri and fully equipped with an ethric charge, however…
• Void Between the Worlds: The Klasym is the space between realms (and sub-realms). U.M.E.E.C. has several bases there.