What is it?

The Arcanum is a secret society in a Quest for knowledge, the reason to seek that knowledge varies from one Chapter House to other and even from one Arcanist brother to the next but this organization is bounded by the idea of studying all supernatural and occult related knowledge to it's deepest.

The organization was born in England where today is the Foundation Chapter that custody the 'Axis Mundi' the most wonderful and complete occult library in the world. It's texts go from ancient alchemy to demonology, egyptian magic and many studies and diaries from late brothers and sisters that systematically left their experiences with the supernatural recorded in those pages.

This organization is based on a Initiatory Tradition that adheres members through rituals and oath. Once a member has been through the basic rituals goes into the Journey to explore further into enlightenment and discovery. At the end of the Journey is expected to become an specialist or add a significant asset to the collective knowledge of the Arcanum, achieving that make the scholar an Elder brother or sister, by publishing the discovery or asset in the organization's journal or/and newspaper.

Elders are allowed to found and settle new centers that are called Chapter Houses that have the required authority to adhere further members and represent the Arcanum in a particular city or country. The organization of each Chapter House varies, as well as the criteria for membership but the Arcanum as a whole follows The Syllabus a simple compendium or politics or ethical rules that guide each member in the Path of the Arcanum, listed as follows:

• The Arcanum is an organization dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. We, the members of the Arcanum, seek our own enlightenment and the enlightenment of our Brothers and Sisters, and ultimately wish to aid in the enlightenment of all humanity.
  
• The Arcanum posits that there exists another world, one in which the supernatural and mythological world conjoins with our own, and that it is our duty to understand its secrets. We shall seek this knowledge in the places of mystery, through the pages of history, and in the lore of all people. As the Ancients understood, so, one day, shall we.
  
• The Arcanum believes that only through scholarship and learning can one separate fact from fiction, and can mere superstition be shorn from supernatural truth. Myths and folklore speak of higher truths, and it is through diligent study and investigation that these higher truths may be revealed.
  
• The Arcanum exists to learn, not to manipulate. We are objective observers, and not judges. The
  
• Arcanum does not evaluate the “morality” of the supernatural simply in light of the fact of its existence, nor does it take any action against the supernatural based upon any predetermined system of ethics.
  
• What the Arcanum studies and learns, it does so for its own benefit. The resources of the Arcanum are not to be shared with anyone outside the Arcanum, nor shall the precious knowledge earned by our studies be spread without the consent of the Executive Committee. When it is time, we shall teach others; for now, it is our duty to safeguard this knowledge, to protect it from a humanity that is not yet ready to receive it.
  

The Arcanum values knowledge above all. They see the world occluded by shadows and see knowledge as the light to drive away that darkness and discover what is hidden. Driven by some of Holmscroft's darker predictions about a cataclysm of unknown sort, the Arcanum believes that knowledge of the supernatural will safeguard humanity's future.

Arcanists’ methods are neither particularly hightech nor absolutely conclusive, but they are expected to conduct themselves as respectably and scientifically as possible. Although they are sworn to keep the existence of their society secret, many have made a name for themselves working with local police as consultants on cult-related crimes. Some approach the news media as experts on the paranormal. Still others aid desperate psychiatrists trying to treat patients who claim to have paranormal afflictions. A rare few Arcanum scholars even offer to help private citizens who have no other recourse when the supernatural affects their daily lives.

Borrowing from the groups esoteric origin, the path of each Arcanist is referred to as the "Journey". Rituals mark the ascent within the group. These rituals are never written down, relying solely on oral tradition. Most of these rituals were installed by Holmscroft and bear a distinctively Eleusinian or Egyptian touch.

Members of the Arcanum have their own factions that vie for influence within the organization. The Seekers emphasize personal enlightenment and the quest for knowledge, while the Templars want to focus on combating those supernaturals they regard as evil. Progressivists, on the other hand, seek to open the Arcanum to the public and reform it into a more modern structure. Most Progressivists also support the hunters within their organization, disavowing the passivity of their organization.


The Arcanum has learned that vampires do not like being the objects of investigation, a fact harshly emphasized by Cainites' torching of the group's Boston Chapter House in 1910. The resulting loss of life and destruction of irreplaceable books (the latter perhaps more than the former) left the Arcanum wary of delving into Kindred secrets. Nonetheless, vampires remained a focus for the group's curiosity — and for its collective guilt. Various members argued over the years that turning a blind eye to the activities of vampires was complicity in genocide. Because of the intense danger vampiric investigation might pose to the entire organization, such activity is grounds for dismissal. Thus, Arcanists engage in "siccing the witch-hunters” singly or in groups of two or three at most, and always with extreme care to preserve their anonymity. It was through analyzing accounts by Arcanists who were looking for other things entirely (including the Grail) that D'Souza and his ilk have been able to pinpoint many Kindred havens. Of course, some of their suppositions are based on where missing colleagues are thought to have vanished. With much of the world in a state of religious agitation, the Arcanum has found Kindred in greater numbers and of more varied ideologies than they had guessed existed. For some unknown reason, the Inner Circle of the Camarilla has barred the Kindred from interfering with the Arcanum.

Mages, on the other hand, have taken up an honest interest in the Arcanum. The Order of Hermes in particular sees the development of the Arcanum from one of the hermetic sects that they once had fostered as a sign that they are kindred spirits. Some mages even go so far to claim that the Arcanum itself is merely a front for the Order of Hermes, but the Hermetics know that this is not true. Instead, they wait for them to discover enough about the supernatural that they might present the world with irrefutable proofs of its existence, which would reinforce their paradigm in the Ascension War. The Arcanum itself knows of the existence of a medieval Order of Hermes, but believes that this institution died out centuries ago after magic began to disappear from the world. The Arcanum works to regather the lore of this “lost” Order, combining it with their knowledge of sorcery.

The Arcanum regularly deals with ghosts and spirits. Understanding of these entities is tied to the physical world, so few Arcanist know about the different Umbrae beyond the Gauntlet. Most deal with ghosts and spirits either when they are summoned and subdued or when they haunt a specific area. Demons are regarded as a classification of destructive spirits. The Arcanum has its share of demonologists, but watches these agents carefully for corruption. Demonolatry and Infernalism are crimes that result in expulsion.

With the appearance of the Imbued, the Arcanum has a new, fascinating supernatural phenomenon to study. While most Hunters appear to be normal humans, the fact that they can read Hunter Code, hear divine messages and can see through the falsehoods that supernaturals use to disguise themselves makes them points of interest. Some Arcanists have tried to establish contact, with mixed results.

The Arcanum studies Werewolves, Faeries, Bygones and Mummies more as a matter of hearsay. While vampires and mages often live amidst humanity, werewolves are rare creatures more often found in the wilds, while Faeries and Mummies are extraordinarily rare and difficult to locate.