Sanctum Arcanum
| The Sanctum Arcanum | |
|---|---|
| The Arcane Sanctum | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Plane | Alara |
| Colors |
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| Part of | Esper |
The Sanctum Arcanum, also known as the Arcane Sanctum, is a renowned temple and scholarly center on the shard of Esper in the plane of Alara. Suspended atop a floating cliff and bathed in perpetual sunlight, the Sanctum is a place of study, worship, and arcane philosophy. It is most famous for housing the Filigree Texts, a sacred set of poetic grimoires written in etherium, which the vedalken believe contain all knowledge worth knowing about Esper. The Sanctum draws scholars and sages from across the shard, and serves as a spiritual and intellectual heart for Esper's magical community.[1][2][3]
Description
The Sanctum Arcanum is an architectural marvel: a soaring temple of crystal, alloy, and filigree set upon a levitating mesa, suspended by invisible aetheric forces. The skies above it are permanently parted by magic, allowing a single beam of uninterrupted sunlight to shine down through the clouds and illuminate the Sanctum at all hours. This visual symbolism reflects the vedalken's view of the Sanctum as a beacon of clarity, logic, and higher understanding.
Within its vaults and galleries, the vedalken have preserved many of Esper’s most prized arcane works. Chief among them are the Filigree Texts — twenty-three grimoires, each associated with one of Esper’s named winds. These grimoires are written in an intricate, poetic form that the vedalken regard as a fusion of art, logic, and revelation. Their pages, crafted from etherium, feature inscriptions spelled out in the negative spaces between filigree patterns.
Unlike the secretive and ultimately fraudulent Codex Etherium kept under guard in the Vault of the Seekers of Carmot in Vectis City, the Filigree Texts are publicly accessible within the Sanctum’s central chambers. Their presence has made the Sanctum not only a center for research and spiritual reflection, but also a site of pilgrimage for Esper's sages and artificers.[1][2][3]
In-game references
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References
- ↑ a b Doug Beyer & Jenna Helland (2008). A Planeswalker's Guide to Alara, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 978-0786951246
- ↑ a b (2008). Shards of Alara Player's Guide. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Magic Arcana (September 29, 2008). "The Filigree Texts". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2018-01-23.
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