History WebOriginal / TheArknMythos

* ''[[WebOriginal/ArknEternal Arkn: Eternal]]''.[[note]]A canon 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]]

* ''[[WebOriginal/TheArknMythosExtendedUniverse The Arkn Mythos Alterverse/Extended Universe]]''.[[note]] Unofficially known as "Universe F". The home for non-canon work based on the lore of the Arkn Mythos, including fan-made content and works that have been de-canonized.[[/note]]

* ''[[WebOriginal/TheArknverse The Arknverse]]''.[[note]] The first established community in the franchise. Set in what is now known as Arknverse (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/ArknUnity Arkn: Unity]]''. [[note]] A 2020 reboot of The Arknverse (see below), intended to provide complete, canon prequel for Universe X.[[/note]]

* ActionGirl: In Universe A, Seraphina, Ambriel, and Phobos all qualify (being a Valk, a MagicalGirlWarrior/ LadyOfWar, and the head of the Paradisium army, respectively).
** In Universe E, Seraphina ''definitely'' qualifies: she fought alongside the Arknangels in the battle against The Carver, and then became the Captain of the Paradisium military under Queen Ambriel.

* AlternateSelf: All the human characters of Universe A have countless variations of themselves existing throughout the timelines of .Reality. Many of them are nearly identical to the "primary" characters we know -- with a few minor differences. Has [[AlternateSelf/TheArknverse its own page]].

* ApocalypseHow: Post-Battle of the Arknza, Universe A goes out in something akin to Class X-5. Most of the lifeforms that haven't been killed or evacuated to Universe X have been assimilated into Voidweb -- including the humans living in the [[TheMultiverse .Reality mainframe]] and ''the Hethe''. (And it's heavily implied that ''all'' living beings in the universe met this fate in time.)

* BloodMagic: In Universe A, Arkn magic was created when the first four Arkn shed their blood (which was "pure" and contained the power of the Hethe) into a chalice and poured it into the Tree of Existence; the blood spread throughout creation, forming an [[BackgroundMagicField energy field]] -- which Arkn magi tap into, via "strings", in order to practice magick.

* CityOfGold: The Golden Cities and the Infinitium (of 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).

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

* ''[[WebOriginal/ArknLegacy Arkn: Legacy]]''.[[note]] The current open source community in the franchise, set in Universe X.[[/note]]
* ''[[WebOriginal/ArknUnity Arkn: Unity]]''.[[note]] A 2020 reboot of The Arknverse (see below), intended to provide complete, canon prequel for Universe X.[[/note]]

* ''[[WebOriginal/ArknLegacy Arkn: Legacy]]''.[[note]] The current open source community in the franchise. A canon SpinOff (or "expansion pack") to Universe A, set in Universe X: the new universe created during the FinalBattle of A.[[/note]]
* ''[[WebOriginal/ArknUnity Arkn: Unity]]''.[[note]] A 2020 reboot of The Arknverse (see below), intended to provide a more complete, less complex backstory for Universe X.[[/note]]

*** As of ''Arkn Legacy'', nearly ''all'' of Universe A has been consumed by Voidweb -- including most of the Hethe.

* AlternateTimeline: .Reality (of Universe 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.

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

* ''[[WebOriginal/ArknLegacy Arkn: Legacy]]''.[[note]] A canon SpinOff (or "expansion pack") to Universe A set in Universe X: the new universe created during the FinalBattle of A.[[/note]]
* ''[[WebOriginal/ArknUnity Arkn: Unity]]''.[[note]] A 2020 reboot of The Arknverse (see below), intended to provide a more complete, less complex backstory for Universe X.[[/note]]
* ''[[WebOriginal/TheArknverse The Arknverse]]''.[[note]] The first established community in the franchise. Set in what is now known as Arknverse (Universe) A, it contains stories revolving around the Arkn-Dekn Wars, .Reality, and the Arknangels. Closed source as of December 2018, it was decanonized in 2020.[[/note]]

* ''[[WebOriginal/TheArknverse The Arknverse]]''.[[note]] The first established community in the franchise. Set in Universe A, it contains stories revolving around the Arkn-Dekn Wars, .Reality, and the Arknangels. Closed source as of December 2018.[[/note]]
* ''[[WebOriginal/ArknEternal Arkn: Eternal]]''.[[note]]A canon SpinOff of The Arknverse. Centers around Universe E, a canon AlternateUniverse version of Universe A created by the manipulation of time and the alteration of key events. Currently open source, it was created to allow newcomers to produce content around the key concepts of Universe A without disrupting the ending of that universe.[[/note]]
* ''[[WebOriginal/ArknLegacy Arkn: Legacy]]''.[[note]] Another canon SpinOff (or "expansion pack") to the Arknverse, set in Universe X: the new universe created during the FinalBattle of Universe A.[[/note]]

*** As of ''Arkn Legacy'', nearly ''all'' of Universe A has been consumed by Voidweb. Including most of the Hethe.

** In the finale of Solar's Crimson, Azrael (of Universe A) uses his time power to travel back to the golden age of the Arkn (long before his own birth) and befriend Raziel, Raphael, and Uriel at an earlier point in their lives. His presence causes a paradox, splitting off the new version of events into an entirely new universe (known as "Universe E"). Somehow, [[MindScrew he remains present in both Universe A and Universe E at the same time]].

* CentralTheme: True good and evil comes from our actions and the decisions we make, rather than our origins or allegiances.

* DontGoIntoTheWoods: It seems like this might be becoming a plot point in both ''[=ACryFromWinter=]'' and ''[=There Are No Lights=]'', what with the former having Alex [[spoiler:possessed by Malek]] in the woods and the latter having the stalker seeming to show up in the woods.
** The Carver's [[EldritchLocation "office"]] resembles a grove of trees in a park.
** In "Of Fire And Ice" (''Wayward_Winter''), Alex becomes lost in the Nexellium -- which resembles a dead forest -- where he's brutally [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique interrogated]] by Seraphina.

** In ''The Writings of Raziel'', Raziel refers to his innate magical gifts as being granted to him by an unknown being, whom he believes to be "the true creator of existence". Whether this "true creator" refers to De'ebo or another, yet unseen being has yet to be revealed.

** Voidweb is pretty darn close to being one itself.

* PutRightWhatOnceWentWrong: 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 religion of the Arkn also qualifies. Not only does it revolve around the veneration of evil beings (the Hethe), but it requires an annual ritualistic sacrifice (often an innocent, unsuspecting Dekn) in their name.

* TakeAThirdOption: Arkn and Dekn who want no part in the War can choose to defect -- at which point they are rightly regarded as belonging to ''neither'' side.
** At the end of ''TheKnightShift'', [[spoiler:Knight/Ellpagg sets out to form a neutral counterforce ''made'' of defectors -- [[WellIntentionedExtremist and vows to slaughter]] ''[[WellIntentionedExtremist both sides]]'' [[WellIntentionedExtremist if they don't agree to join him]].]]

** 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, during which Michael glimpsed the adventures of Ellpagg with Cedric's band of travelers [[note]]who, in ''No More Truths'', brave the monster-infested "Drain" leading into the Golden City[[/note]] -- through his ''future self'' in Timeline B (who just received Ellpagg's memories through the Debigraff Effect).

Content in the [[TheVerse Arkn Mythos]] can be divided into three canon and one non-canon "universes". Each canon 'verse contains an {{Anthology}} and a Chronology (not to be confused with a UniverseChronology); the works in the Anthologies advance the [[MythArc myth arcs]] of their respective universes, while the Chronologies generally advance self-contained lore (creating connectivity between the characters and events that shape the Anthologies).

The Arkn Mythos currently includes:

* ''[[WebOriginal/TheArknverse The Arknverse]]''.[[note]] The first established community in the franchise. Set in Universe A, it contains stories revolving around the Arkn-Dekn Wars, .Reality, and the Arknangels. Closed source as of 2017.[[/note]]

* ''[[WebOriginal/TheArknMythosExtendedUniverse The Arkn Mythos Alterverse/Extended Universe]]''.[[note]] Unofficially known as "Universe F". The home for non-canon work based on the lore of the Arkn Mythos, including fan made content and works that have been de-canonized.[[/note]]

* AncientAstronauts: In the Arknverse, the Arkn (namely, the Watchers) were responsible for teaching Humanity a number of concepts -- including War.

** The Deedrn, a caste of ultra-powerful beings created by the Hethe as a sort of secret “experiment”. Virtually nothing is known about them, and they were dubbed so dangerous that the Hethe had to ''seal them away''.

* 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.

* BigRedDevil: {{Deconstructed}}: it's hinted that many of the characteristics traditionally associated with demons in Western society (red skin, red or black eyes, leathery bat-like wings, horns) were based on the appearances of various Dekn. (Likewise, the traits associated with angels were based on the Arkn.) This seems to apply to both Universe A ''and'' Universe B.

* 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 (not just .Reality), and can cause untold destruction. Fortunately, it's rarely revealed to non-Hethe -- and only one word at a time.

** 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.]]

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

** Subverted with Malachi X (in one deleted vlog entry): he just buys an ordinary, $12 NERF gun from Wal-Mart and infuses it with Ethric energy.

** ''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 them 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.

* DeadAllAlong: The Arknangel Azrael. It turns out [[spoiler:he was killed by his guardian, Xerex Storn, on the day they merged and his "dead" data remained active in their body.]] (This explains why he's able to enter the Infernous: only the dead can enter that realm.)

*** So does his father, King Uriel, who [[spoiler:spends the entirety of [=ACryFromWinter=]] there]].

** Though it doesn't happen as often, Arkn and Dekn can also possess ''other'' Arkn and Dekn. (Ellpagg in particular has made use of this at least twice: once using Michaelis's vessel as a "shade" (so he can remotely view and physically involve himself in events without leaving his current location), and once taking possession of him to deliver a message.

** The Arkn and Dekn of ''Legacy'' typically forgo possession entirely, entering Ersis directly (while wearing a human [[{{Glamour}} disguise]]). However, both Arkn and Dekn can still take over the bodies of humans, in a sense: the Arkn use specialized Ythen-granted sigils to "relocate" directly into the body of a human (basically wearing the human as a LivingBodySuit), while the Dekn can use their psychic powers to overload a person's brain and [[PeoplePuppets puppet]] them.

** The Hethe pantheon of ''Legacy'' is comprised of the surviving Hethe of Universe A, as well as (a now fully-grown) Cedric and Ellpagg. Thankfully, they're far ''less'' powerful and far ''more'' [[TheGodsMustBeLazy lazy]] than their predecessors: since they weren't the creators of the universe, they have next to no power over it, and can do little except sit around and observe. To hear Malachi talk, the most frightening thing about them seems to be how horrendously ''boring'' they are.

** In the (now non-canon, [[LostEpisode deleted]]) vlog for Legacy's ''Malachi X''

** [[WorldInTheSky The Golden Cities]] (in keeping with the Urban Fantasy themes) seem to be roughly structured after a Middle Ages or [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissance Renaissance-style]] monarchy -- with smatterings of 21st-century technology (implied to be the result of {{Magitek}}). In Elysium, the royal family lives in a stone castle lit with fireplaces and torches, clergy members make annual [[HumanSacrifice sacrifices]] to the gods, [[KnightInShiningArmor knights in shining armor]] train with swords...while interdimensional nomads trade in the marketplace and a team of scientists in a state-of-the-art laboratory create a [[CyberPunk living A.I. system]] powered by [[BloodMagic the blood of a god]]. Meanwhile, in the SteamPunk-style city next door, civilians watch the [=Cloud9=] broadcast on hand-held electronic devices, and [[MagicKnight magically-trained]] SecretPolice communicate through walkie-talkies.
** Similarly, the Infinitium (what little we see of it) is an [[TheEmpire emperial realm]] comprised of cities of [[CityOfGold black gold]], built in the style of late 20th-century Miami. Lords and Ladies earn their titles by mastering various schools of [[PsychicPowers mental powers]], DemonicPossession is an art form, and an elite guild watches over the [[CyberPunk living virtual reality]] {{Magitek}} system -- in which every era of human history plays out simultaneously, side by side.
** In ''Arkn: Legacy'', the Arkn home realm is this (due to the presence of SEEKER being stronger in some region than others). While some places have motor vehicles and 21st century architecture, others rely on [[SteamPunk steam power]]; some still use medieval weaponry. Meanwhile, the SEEKER bases are stocked with futuristic, CyberPunk-style technology.

** Dylan R. Killeburg, the protagonist of the [[LostEpisode now-deleted]] series "Hearts", was '''[[CaptainObvious Hearts]]'''.[[note]]"Hearts" was his nickname as well as the name of the series.[[/note]]

''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, eventually forming 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 two 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 (typically) have PsychicPowers. The franchise follows the two races through multiple universes, detailing the events that spawn and shape them, the deities that influence these events, and the various other beings and entities that get pulled in -- especially the human race, who unfortunately always seem to be in the middle of it all.

* ''[[WebOriginal/TheArknMythosExtendedUniverse The Arkn Mythos Alterverse/Extended Universe]]''.[[note]] Unofficially known as "Universe F". The home for non-canon work based on the lore of the Arkn Mythos, including fanfiction and works that have been de-canonized.[[/note]]

** In Universe E, Seraphina ''definitely'' qualifies, fighting alongside the Arknangels in the battle against The Carver and then becoming the Captain of the Paradisium Army under Queen Ambriel.

* 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 were caused by invasive forces).

*** As of ''Arkn Legacy'', nearly ''all'' of Universe A has been consumed by Voidweb. [[spoiler: Including most of the Hethe]].
* AlternateSelf: All the human characters of Universe A have countless variations of themselves existing throughout the timelines of .Reality. Many of them are nearly identical to the characters we know -- with a few minor differences. Has [[AlternateSelf/TheArknverse its own page]].

** Ba'al (''Legacy'') wear a horned, full-face demon mask made of smooth bone and engraved with Dekn symbols.

** 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 (creating 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)]].

** By the time of Arkn Legacy, [[https://thearknmythos.wikia.com/wiki/Half-Breeds_(Universe_X) half-breeds]] are far more common. Fortunately, they are no longer seen as abominations, and face little discrimination. (However, they ''are'' prohibited from government positions.)
*** There is also [[https://thearknmythos.wikia.com/wiki/Vincent_Hicks Vincent Hicks]], a half-human ''Hethe''. (However, he was conceived through some Hethian trickery, rather than an InterspeciesRomance.)

** Theater Mask's nickname and personality tie him to the '''Joker''' card.[[note]]He’s known as "Jester", and he's both a {{Trickster}} and a WildCard[[/note]]

** In the finale of Solar's Crimson, [[spoiler: Azrael travels back in time to the golden age of the Arkn and befriends Raziel, Raphael, and Uriel at an earlier point in their lives (rather than observing them from a distance). He trains training alongside them and ensuring that they join together as a united force;

* WingedHumanoid: Natural born Arkn have fluffy, feathered wings of varying hues. The few Dekn 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.

** In ''Arkn Legacy'', the Arkn home realm is this. While some regions have motor vehicles and firearms, others rely on [[SteamPunk steam power]]; others still still use medieval weaponry

* ''The Arkn Mythos Alterverse/Extended Universe''.[[note]] Unofficially known as "Universe F". The home for non-canon work based on the lore of the Arkn Mythos, including fanfiction and works that have been de-canonized.[[/note]]

** In Universe E, Seraphina ''definitely'' qualifies: not only does she fight alongside the Arknangels during the battle against The Carver, but she goes on to be

Content in the [[TheVerse Arkn Mythos]] can be divided into three canon and one non-canon "universes". The first canon 'verse is a prequel with a single, ongoing plot line. The next three are sequels (of sorts) to the first set in parallel universes, and contain an {{Anthology}} and a Chronology (not to be confused with a UniverseChronology); the works in the Anthologies advance the [[MythArc myth arcs]] of their respective universes, while the Chronologies generally advance self-contained lore (creating connectivity between the characters and events that shape the Anthologies).