Neviditajology

Arcanum, or more formally neviditajology (the study of the unseen arts), is the study of the laws and patterns found in magic and mysticism. Where other studies, like artifice and planar theory, focus on specific practical manifestations, arcanum focuses on the fundamental patterns inscribed into the limits of reality.
Arcanum generally concerns itself with how spells work, the flow of quintessence, the dynamics of quintessence, and the relationship between the magical and the mundane phenomenon in the world.
Generally speaking, “magical” refers to anything that harnesses quintessence as a catalyst. Spellcasting, enchantments, and even internal soul manipulation all harnesses quintessence, and is thus magical.

Malpura Mechanics, the Study of Corrupted Quintessence

Malpura mechanics, or the study of the nuances and behaviors of quintessential corruption (i.e. malpuro kvintesenco), is a rapidly growing field. There are concerns that the corruption magic creates might affect a caster as much as the world around it. Generally speaking, corruption increases with the effective spell level of an effect. If a higher level spell slot is used, the corruption increases exponentially. Similarly, sustained magical effects or magical manifestations that do not vanish rapidly also release a dramatic amount of quintessence.
The following overall patterns are as follows and are known as Skivae’s Hypotheses¹:

1. Magical effects are defined as any effects manifested due to the manipulation of the quintessence field, both internal to a creature and external.
2. All magical effects generate malpuro kvinesenco, also known as corrupted quintessence.
3. The more quintessence is used, the more malpuro kvinesenco is created. The amount created appears to be exponentially proportioned to the amount of quintessence utilized (qm∝2l).
4. Malpuro kvinesenco is unable to be manipulated by spellcraft, enchantment, and other known arcana.
5. Sustained magical effects continuously produce malpuro kvinesenco, even when the practitioner no longer sustains it.
6. Spells can be crafted to minimize malpuro kvinesenco corruption, but the effects of the spells are generally reduced in magnitude compared to a less optimized spell of similar quintessence cost.
7. The schools of magic generate different amounts of malpuro kvinesenco with the same amount of quintessence utilized. Generally, the low-corrupted schools are evocation, abjuration, and divination. The mid-corrupted schools are enchantment and illusion. The high-corrupted schools are conjuration, transmutation, and necromancy.
8. Artifacts and enchanted objects, even when not in use, continuously produce malpuro kvinesenco.

A recent theorem is gaining more and more acceptance in the arcanist community. It is believed that a portion of malpuro kvinesenco remains in the spirit of each practitioner proportional to the amount of corruption they generate. This makulita arcana does not recycle into the quintessence field through the process of sacred trees and crystals until the soul is fully reincarnated. There is an active study being researched on the nature of the makulita arcana and its effects. Preliminary results aren’t promising -- it looks like a buildup of the makulita arcana can impede spellcasting and, depending on the school of magic used to make it, damage the mind, body, and spirit.
When malpuro kvinesenco is filtered through raw quintessence crystal, it becomes malpura, which is quintessence in a state of partial corruption. This quintessence is still able to be utilized by magic, but is not nearly as efficient. Malpura must then interact with sacred trees to become pure quintessence once again.

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1 Arcanist Skivae (circa 24-191) was an elven arcanist who dedicated her life to the study of malpuro kvinesenco. She codified many rules and patterns found in arcane theory related to malpura mechanics. She was killed in her sleep and her murderer was never identified.