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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arkn_symbol_70.png]]
2 [[caption-width-right:350:The symbol of the Arkn.]]
3
4->''"You hear a rustling from behind the attic door. Heavy breathing that is not your own can be heard, almost giving away the smile of whatever lurks behind the door. You shiver, fear kicks in. You run back to your room and lock the door before getting into bed and covering yourself with the covers. Sleep eventually takes you as you forget about the monster in the attic, but as you forget, he remembers. Your guardian angel, your Arkn, [[DemonicPossession takes control of the situation]] while you rest. Waking up in the morning to find your door open, and the attic door wide open may be discerning at first, but going to sleep soundly with no more interruptions from the monster that lie slain beyond your sight is more rewarding than anything."''
5-->-- '''Original introduction to the Arkn Mythos [[http://thearknmythos.wikia.com/wiki/The_Arkn_Mythos_Wiki wiki]].'''
6
7''The Arknverse'' (or Arkverse A[[note]]formerly Universe A[[/note]], as it as sometimes known) is the first incarnation of the web-based franchise known as WebOriginal/TheArknMythos. Created by [=DeathlyLogic=], Kekstein and [=TypeONegative=] (not to be confused with the [[Music/TypeONegative band]] of the same name), it began in 2014 as a series of independent projects, including a Skype-based HauntedHouse RPG, a (now defunct) [[Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos Slenderverse]] vlog called [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7AkuNd1usiQtAiRTa8EiCTj1RbDSSrMs RedlightOmega]], and a CyberPunk ARG called ''Liquid Bones''. The three creators incorporated various ideas and elements from the projects into a cohesive mythology, creating the basis for what became the Arknverse. Since then, the community has grown and expanded to include dozens of works, with complex, interconnected storylines spawned by countless creators.
8
9
10The [[ForeverWar conflict]] between the [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angelic-looking]], [[MagicAIsMagicA magick-wielding]] Arkn and the [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon-like]], [[PsychicPowers psychic]] Dekn has been raging since time immortal. The war is further complicated by the birth of a new race of beings: humans, who are patterned after the Arkn (minus their magic powers and wings). The Arkn begin interfering in the lives of humans, the Dekn attempt to thwart them, and it isn't long before humanity is caught in the crossfire and nearly destroyed. Fortunately, thanks to the work of a powerful Dekn guild called the Persophelums, the human race is preserved and continues to thrive -- [[InsideAComputerSystem inside a sentient A.I. system]] known as ".Reality". The system is intended to provide all humans with infinite opportunities to live out their days free from the meddling of the Arkn. However, the Arkn have discovered ways to infiltrate the system -- and the War continues to effect and involve humanity in ways that neither side could have anticipated.
11
12The MythArc at the heart of the Arknverse draws inspiration from modern pop culture (including ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', ''Franchise/TheMatrix'', and ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'' franchise) and mythological literature (particularly Myth/ClassicalMythology, ''Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh'', and Abrahamic theology). The stories are told through vlogs and blogs, as well as electronic music.
13
14In 2020, all Arkverse content was declared non-canon to The Arkn Mythos, as per the continuity [[WebOriginal/ArknUnity reboot]]; this was later amended so that Arknverse A is an AlternateUniverse of WebOriginal/ArknUnity (and WebOriginal/ArknEternal).
15
16Content in the Arknverse falls under two categories:
17
18[[index]]
19* '''The Arknthology''' -- The MythArc of the Arknverse. Stories that play on and advance the lore of the Arknangels: who they are, how they came to be, and how they fit into the bigger picture of the conflict. Due to the departure of numerous creators (and content being deleted), the Arknthology is incomplete, and no further content is being produced. On June 28, 2017, a "conclusion" (of sorts) was released in the form of a [[https://thearknmythos.fandom.com/wiki/The_Battle_of_the_Arknza wiki entry]] detailing the FinalBattle (and setting up the SpinOff franchise, WebOriginal/ArknLegacy). The storyline was officially concluded in December 25, 2018, with the ending of the vlogs ''[=MedBoy789=]'' and ''Solar's Crimson''.
20* '''The Arkn Mythos Chronology''' -- The meat of the Arknverse. Stories centered around individual plots and characters that create their own lore (in addition to creating connectivity to the Arknthology). Like the Arknthology, it is currently closed source. Not to be confused with a UniverseChronology.
21** ''The War Chronicles'' -- A set of stories detailing events in the endless war between the Arkn and the Dekn.
22** ''The Winterverse'' -- Revolves mainly around the patients of a mysterious therapist named Dr. Ellis, and the effects that his medications have on them.
23** ''The Reality Branch'' -- A canon dealing with the events occurring throughout the branches of .Reality. The main focus of this canon is timelines and reality errors within the .Reality program.
24** ''The Mayhem Compendium'' -- A storyline which focuses on the religious aspects of the Arkn and Dekn, told through occultism, various forms of Christianity, or philosophy. Focuses heavily on themes of psychological torment and insanity, often leading its protagonists into a broken and beaten state.
25** ''The Timeless Narrative'' -- An open-source storyline dealing with a defunct section of .Reality that has been abandoned by the Arkn and Dekn, and is now home to many refugees and strange monsters -- including horrible creatures called the Clasteilon. Mostly deleted and de-canonized, due to its primary creator leaving the franchise.
26** ''The Hybrid Anthology'' -- A closed-sourced canon dealing with the stories of the Nephilim: what they are, who sealed them away, and where they are now.
27** ''The Mirrorverse Canon'' -- A set of stories dealing with the "7 Negatives": broken and warped timelines that may or may not exist. Contains very little content.
28** ''The Kryzjac Series'' -- A closed-source storyline of the over arching .Reality canon. This anthology tells the story of the birth, adventures, and downfall of the Warriors of Kryzjac (a crew of extra-dimensional cosmonauts) using music, audio dramas, and hidden text logs on the wiki (along with a webseries ARG).
29** ''The Silence Canon'' -- An open canon dealing with an essence of existence that two willing beings can use to mentally connect to each other. Contains very little content.
30** ''The Root Quests'' -- Focuses on the quests and struggles revolving around for the Reality Root, a relic of immense power. A storyline that [[StillbornFranchise never really got off the ground]], with only a single (unfinished) series in its roster.
31** ''Voidthology'' -- A storyline lore-building Splinter B (the broken split of existence that occurred during the May 15th event of 2016). This storyline deals with those who were effected by Voidweb and the damage it caused. Intended to launch a new era in the franchise, this storyline was virtually [[OrphanedSeries abandoned]], with almost no canon content currently remaining.
32[[/index]]
33
34The individual works in the Arknthology and the Arkn Mythos Chronology are outlined on the (work in progress) [[Recap/TheArknMythos Recap]] page. There is also a [[https://nightchase82.tumblr.com/post/168635331795/arkn-mythos-universe-a-masterpost masterpost]] listing all the content from the Arknverse. While most of the content has unfortunately been deletes, descriptions and [=GIFs=] can be found on the official [[http://thearknmythos.wikia.com/wiki/The_Arkn_Mythos_Wiki wiki]].
35--------------
36!!The Arknverse provides examples of:
37
38* AbortedArc: Due to the revolving door of creators departing (and returning and various series going on hiatus), the Arknthology contains a number of these.
39** The [[https://thearknmythos.fandom.com/wiki/Arkn_Civil_War Arkn Civil War]] arc, which was intended to [[CanonWelding tie together]] several of the individual character plots in preparation for the Arknthology GrandFinale.
40** At the start of Act III of ''No More Truths'', Theater Mask acquires a Brosalvik orb in the Elysian marketplace. The chapter makes a point of explaining that the orb is an item of great power and very difficult to obtain, giving the definite impression that it will come into play later in the story. However, the orb vanishes immediately after this.
41** That's not the first time a Brosalvik orb is introduced to no end: in Season 3 of ''Michael's Camera'' (“A brief interlude before I literally go to hell”), Michaelis reveals that he has Redgrave’s orb -- which contains the soul of an unknown Dekn -- in his possession. Since this comes on the heels of “The war with no sides” (which reveals that Michael’s doll, Dale, contains a fragment of Malek) it gives the distinct impression that the orb and its occupant will play a crucial role in later events. The orb is neither seen nor spoken of again, nor is the identity of its inhabitant ever revealed.
42** The entire reason Michaelis remains in .Reality during Season III of MC is because he's on a mission to assassinate the Persopheleums. He stumbles around trying to find Crow for several episodes before Crow catches him off guard, kills him with a BackStab, and sends him to the Infernous. By the time he gets out several episodes later, the assassination subplot has been forgotten in lieu of The Carver's threat of mass destruction.
43** Season 3 of ''A Cry From Winter'' introduces a group of powerful beings known as the Associates, who (in addition to playing a crucial role in the plot of the spin-off vlog ''13rkingwond3rland'') are trying to prevent the death of James, who is the vessel of one of their members, Surge. Due to Season 3 being CutShort, however, the plot was cancelled; "Reality Runs Red Pt. 2" has Uriel [[BreakingTheFourthWall revealing to the audience]] that they've actually been watching his self-controlled PersonalizedAfterlife in the Infernous the entire time, relegating the Associates story arc (and all related sub-plots) to part of the Infernous "illusion". This raises the question of how much of what was said to have happened to Elizabeth Winter in ''13rkingwond3rland'' holds true in the real world. (The Associates, at least, are real, as they are mentioned in ''The Lost Chronicles of R.G.L.'' and appear briefly in other media.)
44** In Season 3 of ''[=MedBoy789=]'', after a fair amount of build-up, Abaddon appears and announces his plan to revitalize the Arkn civilization, complete with inviting Drakulah to be his second-in-command (along with instructing him to have all humans contact their Guardian Arkn so, that they can regroup). While there are many episodes after this, neither Abaddon nor Drakulah ever appears again, and the storyline is seemingly forgotten. In ''The Golden Queen'', the[[note]](now deleted)[[/note]] sequel to ''Book of Knowledge'', it's revealed that Delphar built the city of New Elysia, and rules over the surviving Arkn -- with Abaddon seemingly out of the picture. The series finale hints that Abaddon may have given up his plans entirely, after seeing the horrors of war through Tobias's eyes.
45** After Michaelis escapes from the Infernous in Season 1 (the first time), he gives a brief demonstration of his [[TimeMaster time powers]] on camera, and explains that he needs to start training them. If said training ever happens, we never see it. The final episodes of Season 1 suggest that he might have practiced using his powers offscreen somewhat (as he uses them effectively twice). However, his training remains incomplete, and the postscript to the finale reveals that he had to go to Redgrave to learn how to use his powers to their full extent.
46* ActionGirl: Seraphina, Sarah, Ambriel, and Phobos all qualify as this.
47* AIIsACrapshoot: .Reality generally functions as intended. However, the timelines are ''incredibly'' fragile; the slightest hint of invasion causes glitches, crashes, and resets. The beings spawned to ''combat'' those glitches are prone to attacking humans whenever they make contact -- as are the beings that weave the fabric of the program.
48** Played straight with Project Entropy. The Entropy machine was created as a duplicate of .Reality for the Arkn to live in, separating them from the Dekn once and for all (and hopefully bringing an end to the conflict). However, the program's engineers were forced to activate it before it could be completed; [[spoiler: in its unfinished state, Entropy tried to connect to the existing .Reality and overloaded the system, causing a shutdown. Entropy interpreted this as an "error" and attempted to fix it — resulting in a cataclysmic anomaly called the "Red Nova" that splintered the fabric of the ''entire universe'' into ragged fragments. The engineers reprogrammed the system (now renamed "Voidweb") to repair the damage it had caused by "reconnecting" the fragments of the universe. The end result? A cybernetic BlobMonster that "connects" all living things by [[TheAssimilator assimilating]] them into a HiveMind.]]
49* AlienGeometries: The Infernous (especially as seen in ''WebVideo/TheKnightShift'') is a pretty good example. In the upstairs hallway, for example, every door just leads out of the door at the end of the hallway, and when that door is sealed, [[spoiler: they lead outside]].
50* AllThereInTheManual: The official wiki reveals many facts about the characters, some of which are unstated. Unfortunately, many of the pages were written based on the information that was available at that time, and were infrequently updated (resulting in much of the info being incomplete, outdated, or just plain wrong).
51* AlternateSelf: Has [[AlternateSelf/TheArknverse its own page]].
52* AlternateTimeline: .Reality is structured around this, with a number of "main" timelines that branch off into countless offshoots. The system was designed this way in order to give each individual human in history countless opportunities to live a long happy life.
53* AnachronicOrder: At the end of the TKS episode “Paradise Lost”, Ellpagg uses his newly-acquired powers to enter the timelines of .Reality at various points and begin awakening the Arknangels -- asserting himself as Michael’s guardian and shoving him into a new timeline, leaving messages for Tobias, Gabriel and Alex -- thus putting in motion the events that occur throughout Act I of the Arknthology.
54** Likewise, most of Ellpagg's in-person appearances in Season 2 of ''Michael's Camera'' (save for his appearances in "The letter" and "hahaha") actually occur after the end of TKS, by which point Ellpagg is in his post-shift stage, with new, god-like powers.
55** The final episode of MC shows Michaelis ranting about the events that just occurred and leaving .Reality -- only to cut to the final video Michael Knight filmed before his death (which occurred two episodes earlier).
56* AncientAstronauts: In addition to inspiring the angels and demons of the Abrahamic religions, the Arkn and Dekn were behind a number of legends from various mythologies. Many "Divine" or supernatural events from throughout human history are implied to have been caused by them (or their tampering with the programming of .Reality).
57** The Arkn are also said to be responsible for introducing a number of skills and concepts to the human race -- including sex, passion, desire, and the ways of war.
58* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: Happens a number of times in various series, due to different entities possessing the protagonist and taking control of their blog or vlog channel.
59** Season 2 of ''Michael's Camera'' opens with the video logs of a version of Michael from an alternate timeline (before [[spoiler: Michael Knight]] takes his place and takes over the narrative).
60** ''[=MedBoy789=]'' frequently switches between Tobias and Raphael's viewpoints.
61*** Mid-way through Season 2 of ''[=MedBoy789=]'', the channel switches over to The L♦g ♦f T♦bit, an eight video mini-arc prequel focusing on pre-convergence Tobit Kestler: Tobias's twin brother.
62*** “Return of the King” and “An Obligated Ascent” (''[=MedBoy789=]'') are filmed and narrated by Abaddon (using Toby's vessel).
63* ApocalypseHow: Universe A undergoes the [[ApocalypseHow/ClassX4 Class X-4]] variety, courtesy of the Arkn-Dekn War and Voidweb. (However, it takes a rather long time to reach anihilation stage.)
64* ArcWords: For the Arknthology: "There's a war coming."
65* ArtifactTitle: The Winterverse/Winter Saga storyline was so-named because it was originally intended to focus on the adventures of Alex Winter and his family. Over time, however, the storyline expanded to include other patients of Dr. Ellis (such as Michael Knight and Toby Kestler) and their respective series'.
66** ''Michael's Camera'' becomes this in Season 3 after Michaelis takes Michael Knight's camera and replaces him as series protagonist.
67* AuthorAppeal: [=DeathlyLogic=], who enjoys the work of Creator/WilliamShakespeare, stated that Ellpagg was partially inspired by the titular character of ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}''. He's also based heavily on [[Franchise/StarWars Anakin Skywalker]].
68** In Season 2 of ''[=ACFW=]'', Alex discovers that he has a "hot, red-haired sister" (Elizabeth Winter). The "hot" sister in question was portrayed by [=Type0Negative=]'s romantic partner (at the time), Arin.
69** In Season 3 of the series, Alex and James become monster hunters; in premise and practice, the episodes makes numerous [[ShoutOut shout outs]] to ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' -- one of [=Type0Negative=]'s favorite TV series, and a major inspiration for the Arkn Mythos as a whole. (In one episode of ''Solar's Crimson'', Azrael even refers to Alex's work as "carrying on the family business".)
70** [=Type0Negative=] has also admitted to being strongly inspired by ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'' and an all-around love for [[TheGunslinger gunslinger]] characters. Uriel himself is heavily [[{{Expy}} based on Roland Deschain]] (hence his WildWest-style hat, duster, and revolver).
71*** [=DeathlyLogic=] is also a fan of the franchise (which, in turn, inspired Azrael — a Uriel fanboy — to adopt a similar look with his Arknza gear).
72* AxeCrazy: Ellpagg (particularly during his days as an Arkn Knight) tended to get this way in the presence of Dekn. Following his escape from the Infernous, it becomes his semi-permanent disposition (thanks to [[spoiler: being influenced by both The Carver and Gilgamesh]]).
73** Elias Exodus is a full-blown [[TheSociopath sociopath]] who gleefully tortures and kills others (both for his own pleasure and for [[DiscardAndDraw power]]).
74* BackFromTheDead: ''Any'' character freed from the Infernous counts as this: the realm automatically kills anyone who enters it.
75* BadassFingerSnap: Many Arkn use this to pop in and out of a vessel. The more powerful ones can use it instantly teleport between locations (and even [[AlternateDimension dimensions]]).
76** Both the Elias and [[spoiler: "Infernous Vision Ellpagg"]] use a finger snap to magically inflict pain on others. It's implied that The Carver uses this as well.
77* BaitAndSwitch: Everything about Michael Knight -- from his name[[note]]he shares a first name with [[ArchangelMichael one of]] the four Archangels of Christian mythology (the only one not represented in the Paradox Players quartet), and his last name corresponds to Ellpagg's nickname, "The Knight"[[/note]] and appearance[[note]]he looks just like Ellpagg[[/note]] to his supernatural powers -- suggests that he's an Arknangel. TKS makes mention of "The Arknangel Michael", and in Season 2 of MC Ellpagg appears to become Michael's Guardian Arkn. Come Season 3 of MC, however, it’s revealed that Michael is actually [[spoiler: the Nephilim son of The Carver]], and that he was inserted into the prophecy by The Carver to distract everyone from his [[ThePlan plan]]. The ''real'' Arknza is Michaelis: Michael’s counterpart from another timeline.
78* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy: According to ''The Writings of R.G.L.'', many renowned figures throughout history have had strong ties to Arkn or Dekn bloodlines, including Napoleon, Hitler, Alexander the Great, and Ghandi.
79* BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil: Ellpagg. (Though eons of being under The Carver's influence -- not to mention absorbing untold amounts of energy in the Infernous ''and'' having his Hethian blood awakened -- certainly didn't help.)
80* BewareTheQuietOnes: Samael Crow is a shy, soft-spoken, slightly awkward Dekn in thick glasses...who happens to be the former Arkn Lord of Death, the current Dekn of Mind, Madness and Possession, and one of the creators of .Reality. In Season 3 of ''Michael's Camera'', he forcibly attaches himself to Michael Knight (in a failed attempt to become the first "Guardian Dekn"), hijacks his body, and forces him to do his dirty work. Oh -- and several episodes later, he murders Azrael with a BackStab. Yeah, watch out for Crow.
81* BigBad: The franchise was without one for a long time (in keeping with its basic GrayAndGreyMorality); the Carver was (mostly) confined to the Infernous, and the only force of true evil, the Hethe, generally preferred to watch the chaos and destruction from afar. Finally, The Carver stepped into the role in the final act of ''Michael's Camera'', with the revelation that he's [[spoiler: the vessel and avatar of Deebo, the head of the Hethe pantheon. If that wasn't enough to solidify his status, he then declares his plan to [[OmnicidalManiac destroy all living things]], just so the Hethe can recreate them and make them suffer and die in all new ways]].
82** Subverted in the final act of the Arknthology: [[spoiler:Deebo was true Big Bad; the Carver was merely his avatar and LivingBodySuit in the physical world; many of his actions, terrible though they were, were part a elaborate, eons-long plan to create a new, Hethe-free universe.]]
83* 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 Existence, and can cause untold destruction. Fortunately, it's rarely revealed to non-Hethian beings.
84* BlingOfWar: King Uriel is said to have worn a gold and white suit of formal armor, topped by a shimmering golden cape.
85** His father, King Gilgamesh, also sported an elaborate suit of gold armor, complete with wing plating that turned each feather razor-sharp.
86* BloodMagic: The BackgroundMagicField that serves as the source for all Arkn magic was created when the first four Arkn (under the direction of Raziel) performed a blood ritual, shedding their blood -- which was "pure" and contained the power of the Hethe -- into the Chalice of Life and pouring it throughout the Tree of Existence, allowing it to spread throughout creation.
87** While it is rare, humans who have [[{{Squick}} access to Arkn blood]] (or have awakened their own Arkn blood) can practice Arkn magic (with the use of the proper sigils and incantations).
88** At the conclusion of the Arknthology, it's confirmed that Hethe blood doubles as LifeEnergy and a source of powerful magic.
89* BodyHorror: While they aren't shown, many of the punishments the Carver describes inflicting (or ''wanting'' to inflict) certainly qualify. In TKS, he considers replacing Knight's feet with ducks and making him excrete stinging bees. Knight also recalls that he spent one eternity [[NauseaFuel urinating]] [[FliesEqualsEvil flies]].
90** According to the [[http://thearknmythos.wikia.com/wiki/The_Broken_Mirror_Effect Broken Mirror Effect]], a guardian Arkn or Dekn who comes in contact with an alternate version of their guarded human while inhabiting said human's vessel will be transformed into a deranged monstrosity of "incomprehensible horror". (Fortunately, the effect can be undone -- by [[HumanSacrifice sacrificing]] the human who triggered the change.)
91* BoringButPractical: The Seraphim of King Gilgamesh wear only simple leather armor, which (while not very elegant to look at) is lighter and allows for greater movement and speed.
92* BottleEpisode: Many vlog episodes take place in a single room in the protagonist's house. Bedrooms are a common setting, with many an episode featuring the protagonist talking to their camera in privacy. Bathrooms are also popular (as mirrors allow for easy conversation with one's Guardian Arkn or Dekn and show the [[TransformationOfThePossessed physical changes that accompany possession]]).
93** Most episodes of TKS are set in various rooms of the same "house", in which Knight is trapped. [[spoiler: Justified, as the "house" in question is actually Ellpagg's personal cell in the Infernous.]]
94** The same goes for most episodes of ''Solar's Crimson''.
95*** One episode of ''Solar's Crimson'' takes place in Michaelis's car as he's driving to work in the morning.
96* BreakingTheFourthWall: Happens quite a few times -- especially during vlog episodes that take place in the Infernous (in which [[ShowWithinAShow all events are being "broadcast"]] via the [=Cloud9=] network).
97** In the last episode of ''A Cry From Winter'' [[note]](before the action briefly switches over to the ''Wayward_Winter'' channel)[[/note]], Uriel speaks directly to the camera, revealing to the audience that he chose to remain in the Infernous after regaining his memories – and that he was fully aware and in control of his situation ''the entire time''.
98** In the final post of ''The Writings of Raziel'', Raziel himself breaks the fourth wall to address the escalating tensions within the creative community of The Arknverse.
99* BrokenAngel: Ellpagg becomes one at the end of ''The Knight Shift''. At the moment of Carver's death, his powers transfer to Ellpagg (the only other being in the vicinity). Not only is Ellpagg fully corrupted, but the process strips him of his powers and his wings — transforming him into a being that is more Dekn than Arkn, but qualifies as neither. His immediate reaction is to [[EyeScream gouge out his own eyes]] in anguish (depriving himself of his "Arkn eyes" as well).
100-->"I escaped the Infernous. I lost EVERYTHING. My name, my purpose, my wings...and I gained NOTHING in return!"
101** Arkn who officially defect have their wings painfully removed in public; a process known as the Bastard's Decay. Raphael underwent it following his defection (but somehow either healed from the mutilation, or managed to replace them in some way).
102** While he was imprisoned for murdering a council member, Uriel had his wings crushed, rendering them useless for flight.
103* BrownNote: The Carver's Dekn form is this, if Knight's comments are to be believed.
104-->'''Knight''': (regarding Carver's human form) [Y]ou look like one of [Michael's] friends. I mean, to me you... (makes a disgusted noise) Jesus, I can't even '''''describe''''' what you are, you're...ugly.
105-->'''Carver''': (grinning) It's how I like it.
106** The Carver isn't the only one:
107--->'''Persophelus Crow''': (conversing with Michael Knight [[TheManInTheMirrorTalksBack via mirror]]) Before you actually talk to me I’m gonna need you to get the camera away from me, because when I get in and out, I kind of become something that I’d rather not show...on camera. You don’t want to break the camera, do you Michael?
108* CallBack: During Wayward_Winter, it’s revealed that Alex has been issued a temporary Guardian in the Dekn High Priest Allastar, because his real Guardian, Uriel, is “off doing important things”. Uriel has indeed been doing important things: back in “Reality Runs Red Pt. 2” (ACFW), he “ollied out” of the Infernous -- and, as revealed in “Arknthology Stories” Chapter 3, he’s breaking Raphael out of prison.
109* CallForward: In Chapter 6 of ''Arknthology Stories'' (original version), young Raphael is seen peering in the windows of Uriel's lodge, fearfully gazing at Gynesis. This is in keeping with Raphael's recollection of his first, haunting childhood encounter with Gynesis in ''Of Determination and Crusades''. (Ironically, Raziel -- who spots Raph looking through the window -- speculates that he probably won't remember the incident or will "think nothing of it".)
110** In (the now [[CanonDiscontinuity non-canon]]) Chapter 10, Ellpagg is just finishing slaughtering an Arkn city when he's interrupted by a call from Azrael. Ellpagg rather irritably informs Azrael that he will see him soon. [[WordOfGod According to DL]], these events transpire immediately before Episode 10 of Solar’s Crimson -- hence Ellpagg’s irritable disposition when he shows up, and his remarks (albeit influenced by The Carver) about being interrupted in his "work".
111* CanonDiscontinuity: The SteamPunk city of Maphridome, which was created and introduced by [=Type0Negative=], was stricken from canon after one of his departures. Because of this, any material taking place in that setting is now non-canonical, including ''The Court of the Traveling Crown'' and Chapters 10 and 11 of the original ''Arknthology Stories''. The only exception is the blog ''Sarah Kestler Isn't Dead'' (in which the setting of the single chapter that takes place in Maphridome can be safely "ignored").
112** Several additional chapters of ''Arknthology Stories'' were declared non-canon due to being tie-ins to [[WhatCouldHaveBeen material that was never produced]]. These included Chapter 8 (which introduces Redgrave's son, Virgil, whose story arc was cancelled), Chapter 10 (which was intended to set up the "Evil Ellpagg" character arc that would have been explored in ''TKS: ET'' and ''The Guarded Ones''), and Chapter 11 (which was supposed to take place during the Arkn Civil War arc).
113** According to [=DeathlyLogic=], "The Quest" chapter of ''No More Truths'' is still canon; however, readers should disregard Azrael's statements about being Xerex Storn.
114** Due to the series ''Handprints of the Dead'' being de-canonized, The Hooks Killer's backstory had to be drastically altered, turning him from a revitalized Barnabelt Kinnard (a timeline-hopping SerialKiller from the old WildWest) into Barnabelt's [[IdenticalGrandson "kin"]]
115* CapitalOffensive: The Dekn, under the command of Lord Dragon, attempt to gain a stronghold in the war by launching a sneak attack on the Arkn capitol of Elysia. Unfortunately, said attack occurs on May 15th, 2016...
116** This, in turn, angers the Hethe Tum'to (who doesn't like it when mortals commit acts of war without his explicit guidance or instruction); he decides to retaliate by [[spoiler: [[PeoplePuppets puppeting]] the body of Raphael and forcing him to attack and destroy the]] ''[[spoiler: Dekn]]'' [[spoiler: capital]].
117* CastFullOfGay: The Xeth'i'stral family (with Uriel being the one possible exception), Kry'atha, The Carver, Raziel ''and'' his entire family (both of them), Abad'don, Gyne'sis, Azrael, Raguel, Phobos, Xerex Storn, Gabriel Holden (and all of his counterparts), Elizabeth Winter, Sarah Kestler, and Hazi'hel (and both of his mothers) are all canonically gay or bisexual.
118* CessationOfExistence: Most ordinary humans (who only exist in .Reality, as pure data) are absorbed back into the system after death and blink out of existence. (Redgrave once stated that the "tunnel of bright light" people report seeing when they're near death is actually the glowing of the Neximadrius core.)
119** There are a few rare exceptions to this: humans who possess special Arkn blood (or are otherwise marked by the Carver) can survive beyond death -- usually in their own special subdivision of the Infernous. Azrael also mentioned that there have been cases of humans reincarnating via being reconstituted in another timeline (though we have yet to see this).
120*** Xerex has briefly alluded to other realms of existence after death, hinting at the possibility of a "heavenly" afterlife of sorts. However, nothing more has been said about this, and nobody knows whether it would apply to humans. Apparently, nobody -- not even ''the Hethe themselves'' -- knows all the secrets of the afterlife.
121* ChessWithDeath: Edgar Kharon, a man who was seen as an avatar of Death amongst humans, is said to have challenged the Hethe Cre'vial to a game of chess at the end of his days as an outlaw. If Kharon won, Cre'vial would be make him a Hethe; if he lost, his legend and legacy would be completely erased from human history. The game lasted for four eternities before Edgar made a move. Cre'vial finally conceded, and was so enraged that he was prepared to strike Edgar down. De'ebo intervened, and offered to fulfill Cre'vial's promise. Instead of making Edgar a Hethe, however, it gave him Cedric, the offspring of the Hethe, to raise as his own child.
122* CityOfGold: The homes of the Arkn and the Dekn both qualify:
123** The cities that house the Arkn are collectively known as the Golden Cities -- so-named not only because the streets are paved and the buildings trimmed with gold, but because the double suns of the Aetherium bathe the entire realm in a golden light.
124** The Dekn made their home in the Infinitium, a city made of ''black'' gold.
125* ClockRoaches: The Skethe/Sethe are beings spawned from the inorganic code of .Reality to eradicate any errors and glitches that crop up in .Reality -- [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverKill by any means necessary]].
126* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: [[CrystalDragonJesus Cecil Xenith]], the Arkaissian prophet. His knowledge of humans seems limited to random pop culture references, he has no idea how to dress properly (a tee shirt and button-up shirt in clashing patterns, sunglasses at night) or style his hair (he fastens it in a ponytail directly on the top of his head), doesn't know how to shake hands, and thinks books operate by [[HaveYouTriedRebooting turning them off and back on]]. To top it off, he has the attention span of a gnat and frequently goes on long rants apropos of nothing (under the guise of "lessons"). He's the most irritating individual imaginable...and yet, it is ''[[MoreThanMindControl literally impossible not to like him]].''
127* CompanionCube: Dale, Michael Knight's doll/ImaginaryFriend, which he regards as alive and able to speak to him. It was intended to function as an Arkn Trap, but didn't work, due to already containing [[spoiler: a fragment of Ma'lek]] (hence the "voice" Michael hears coming from the doll).
128* ContinuityNod: In Chapter 1 of ''Rise of the Crusader'', Raphael recalls a day in his childhood when he and Asmodeus discovered a beach at the edge of the forest; he mentions that there was a "tower emitting a rotating light". Later, in the video "Prelude to the Call to Arms" (MC), Michaelis reminisces about the time he spent alone in his lighthouse observing the Arkn -- including two little Arkn children playing on the beach. (He had also previously admitted to watching Raphael and Asmodeus train with his father.)
129* ContinuityReboot: ''Michael’s Camera'' was rebooted after its first season, with the second season featuring Michael Knight living under different circumstances and experiencing similar (but subtly different) events. Unusually, rather than pretending Season 1 never happened, [=DeathlyLogic=] decided to make the “new” version of Michael an AlternateTimeline counterpart, and integrated the old material into the existing plot by having Michael (as seen in Season 1) shift timelines.
130** ACFW seems to undergo this multiple times in-series over the course of its run, with Alex suddenly exhibiting a slightly different personality and living under (and coping with) different circumstances, and various characters (such as Karl) suddenly being portrayed by different actors. Subverted, in that it's actually due to the Infernous altering Uriel's "experience".
131* CoolHelmet: When he isn't wearing a Lurker's mask (see below), Michaelis sometimes sports a knight's helmet under his cowboy hat.
132* CoolMask: Ellpagg frequently wears an armored mask that resembles a cross between a gas mask and a [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades Crusader's Helm]].
133** Both Uriel and Michaelis have been known to wear black Lurker masks (which resemble a plague doctor's mask).
134** Drakulah (when they appear in person) wears an elongated mask resembling a dog or crocodile skull.
135** The Carver occasionally sports a red metallic half mask that looks like a demon's face. (Michael Knight briefly wears the same mask in Season 3 of ''Michael's Camera'' after he becomes the Carver's vessel.)
136** In "Masks" ([=Medboy789=]), Tobias finds an elaborate gold and black masquerade mask in his bedroom. It's later revealed to belong to [[spoiler: the Arkn king Abaddon]].
137* CosmicHorrorStory: While it's not the main focus of the Mythos, the overarching plot (and many of the individual ones) contains elements of this. The individual plots tend to involve people getting caught up in things they can't understand, and the overall theme deals with beings and events beyond human comprehension -- all within a universe overseen by [[EldritchAbomination malicious, uncaring deities]].
138* CreepyLongFingers: The Hooks Killer. Well, they're not technically ''fingers'', but still.
139* {{Crossover}}: In the Acryfromwinter episode [[https://youtu.be/z51biXrXhbg?feature=shared "OutSTANding"]], Alex Winter pays a visit to [[WebVideo/StanFrederick Stan Frederick]] (whose [=YouTube=] channel he's been watching) to ask for help with the supernatural goings-on in his life. Stan's channel also teaches Alex about [[https://thearknmythos.fandom.com/wiki/The_Traveler%27s_Call The Traveller's Call]] (which appears in numerous Arknverse series). The crossover was very controversial within the Arknverse creative community; as the official wiki explains:
140-->"Not only did it create connectivity between two completely separate, incompatible universes, but it led many Stan Frederick viewers to credit that series with The Traveler's Call. Due to this, some Arkn Mythos creators hated discussing the episode (with [=DeathlyLogic=] initially claiming that it wasn't canon)... After some discussion...it was eventually decided that Alex did meet up with Stan, but that their meeting was the result of a unique, one-time anomaly."
141* CutShort: A number of works in the franchise were unfortunately ended before their time.
142** All active projects created by [=TypeONegative=] and [=FeralWasteland=] were cancelled in December of 2016 when the duo left the Mythos. These included the vlogs ''Wayward_Winter'' and ''[=Medboy789=]'', the blog ''Of Determination and Crusades'' (a.k.a. [=MedBoy123=]), and the existing blogs from The Broken Crown Saga (including ''In The Wake Of The Broken Crown'' and ''Tales From The Court Of The Traveling Crown''). ''Wayward_Winter'' and ''[=MedBoy789=]'' were [[UnCancelled revived]] in the spring of 2017, and eventually finished -- albeit with severely truncated plots.
143** The plot of ''The Logs of Cedric Kharon'' ends abruptly at the beginning of a new plot arc, with the protagonist searching Nexia for the City of Layn and a being known as "The Illusive Dawn". Cedric is next seen at the Battle of the Arknza, helping the Jester and Malek to fight off Deebo.
144** [=TheMayhemTheory=] ended up being cancelled in late 2016 due to undisclosed reasons. (It was later removed from the wiki for the same reasons, but is still regarded as canon.)
145** ''Sarah Kestler Isn't Dead'', a SpinOff blog to the Winterverse vlogs, was also cancelled around the same time (as its creator also left the Mythos).
146** The vlog series [=VoiceOfLegion=] was abruptly cancelled after the [[FullyAbsorbedFinale Arknthology finale]] was posted to the wiki (as the creator of [=VOL=], [=TORossatron=], felt there was "no point" to continue working on it).
147* DemonicPossession: Both the Arkn and the Dekn make frequent use of human vessels -- most all of them unwilling. This is sometimes done to avoid the Debigrath Effect (which can occur when an Arkn and their human counterpart coexist in the timeline in physical form); however, the Arkn typically do it to provoke the Dekn into breaking their vow against harming humans. (Notably, humans who are hosts to Arkn tend to view events in the third person as "passengers", or via the camera their possessor is using.)
148** Though it doesn't happen as often, Arkn and Dekn can also possess ''other'' Arkn and Dekn. Ellpagg in particular has done this at least twice: once using Michaelis's vessel as a "shade" (so he could remotely view and physically involve himself in events without leaving his current location), and once by being willingly [[WillingChanneler summoned]] into Michaelis's body.
149** Malek's [[SoulFragment "shards"]] have used a number of hosts: human, Arkn, and even ''a dog''.
150*** In one instance, one of Malek's shards took possession of Ellpagg while he was using the body of Michaelis as a [[LivingBodySuit shade]], resulting in a sort of bizarre ''double'' possession.
151** The Carver takes over Ellpagg's body on a number of occasions, both in and out of the Infernous. (According to [=DeathlyLogic=], [[spoiler: every time Ellpagg sports eyeliner, a raspy voice and a JerkAss attitude, he's under the Carver's influence]].) The Carver is described as the only being (aside from Malek) who can maintain "absolute possession" (i.e. taking over a host fully in mind, body and soul).
152* DependingOnTheWriter: In his earliest “appearance” (which consisted of a page authored by [=FeralWasteland=] on the official wiki), King Gilgamesh was portrayed as a bold (if egotistical), well-meaning ruler who had a tendency to make very bad decisions (and wound up being killed by Hash'bor'kanibal as a result); his portrayal in ''Of Determination and Crusades'' (also authored by [=FeralWasteland=]) was very much the same. ''Book of the Mother'' painted him as a brave military hero who fell victim to the conspiracies of the Dekn and his own government. In the hands of [=DeathlyLogic=] (''Arknthology Stories''), however, Gilgamesh became a cruel, power-hungry tyrant who destabilized his own government from within [[spoiler: with the help of his secret lover and confidant, Hash'bor’kanibal]] for the sake of prolonging the Arkn-Dekn conflict and consolidating power. This portrayal, while now regarded as the “canon” version of Gil’s character, was widely disliked by the other creators in the community (and was suspected to be one of the creative differences that lead to [=Type0Negative=]’s departure in late 2016).
153* DevilButNoGod: Played with. De'ebo, the unofficial [[TopGod head of the Hethe pantheon]], is both the most powerful entity in existence and the embodiment of evil; he has no "good" counterpart. The only possible contender is Malek, the Fragmented Hethe; his exact origins are still unknown[[note]] in fact, it's hinted that he might have been a Hethe from a previous incarnation of the universe[[/note]], and it's unknown whether he outranks Deebo in terms of sheer power. (He's also ChaoticNeutral at best.)
154** According to The Carver (in "[2-4] God of the Godless"), Malek ranks far beneath De'ebo in terms of power. (Granted, The Carver is an UnreliableNarrator, but the description of the Final Battle does lend some credence to this by revealing that Malek is unable to use the Scrolls of Creation on his own, hinting that he no longer had the power of a full Hethe after his defection).
155* DistantFinale: The final battle between the Arknza and The Carver, which brings the Arknthology to a close, occurs many eons in the future at the climax of the End Times.
156* TheDragon: Elias Exodus seems to be a good contender. He's an incredibly powerful {{Nephilim}} (who was responsible for slaughtering ''every other Nephilim in existence'', save for one), and a true [[TheSociopath sociopath]]. He also happens to be good friends with The Carver, giving him unlimited access to all the knowledge in existence (some of which ''nobody else knows'') and possible immunity from The Carver's destruction.
157** Subverted when the real dragon in the Deus family turns out to be Elias's father, Asmodeus (who created Elias to distract people from how powerful and dangerous ''he'' was). This is ''also'' subverted in the finale of [=MedBoy789=], which reveals that Asmodeus simply disappeared after his last encounter with Tobias, going on what's described as [[PutOnABus an "extended vacation"]] (most likely in The Veil).
158** The Carver ''himself'' is The Dragon for Deebo... at least until the conclusion, when it's revealed that he was secretly working against Deebo to create a universe that the Hethe couldn't control.
159* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Many concepts from the early days of the Mythos have been refined (in some cases, multiple times) or scrapped altogether.
160** The text overlay that opens the first episode of TKS dramatically recalls part of the Hethian creation myth, and talks extensively about “The Father” and “The Mother” -- the Hethe De’ebo and Gar’sha, respectively -- giving the impression that they will be important to the story (with a warning to beware “The Mother” in particular). While De’ebo is revealed to be (somewhat) influential to the events of the series, Gar’sha only makes a few brief cameos, and neither figure features as prominently in the Arknthology as the opening implies.
161*** The text also mentions "The Father" creating "Heaven" (described as a land of gold with "endless cities of light" -- an obvious reference to the Golden Cities) and "Hell" (i.e. the Infinitium). Later canon establishes that this isn't the case at all, as both realms were created by Raziel.
162** In “The letter” episode of MC, Ellpagg states that he needs to use the bodies of others because his actual body was destroyed when he entered the Infernous. In later material, however, it's evident that Ellpagg's physical body is very much intact (and that he simply enjoys using the vessels of others to do his dirty work).
163** Ellpagg also states that guardian Arkn and their charge [[FreakyFridayFlip "swap vessels"]] when the former takes control of the latter. This never comes up again, and later episodes (as well as other Arknverse vlogs) demonstrate that this is clearly ''not'' how Arkn possession works. (Since humans -- aside from Tobias -- are pure data, it's implied to be closer to a new program being "downloaded".)
164** ''No More Truths'' was one of the earliest works in the Arknverse, and was basically created to act as a "testing ground" for various concepts and ideas. As such, it's chock-full of things that show up once and never again.
165*** Just ignore the part of "The Quest" (''No More Truths'') where Az'uh'ra'el refers to himself as "Xerex Storn", please. It's a leftover from a [[OrphanedReference scrapped subplot]] in which Az'uh'ra'el and Xerex were one and the same.
166*** For that matter, the very first chapter of NMT has Cedric allegedly composing said memoir on his deathbed; at the conclusion of the Arknthology, Cedric [[spoiler: becomes a full Hethe and moves on to Universe X to become part of its new pantheon]].
167*** While writing about The Carver, Cedric expounds on "The Joys" and the "[[https://thearknmythos.wikia.com/wiki/Feared_Ones Feared Ones"]][[note]](a concept initially borrowed from Franchise/TheFearMythos)[[/note]], explaining that Raziel[[note]]described as "the Golden City's master creator/builder"[[/note]] was the first of the Joys and the "architect" of the emotions felt by the original humans, and that the Fears were founded by The Carver to manipulate negative emotions; the two castes are also depicted as deities who are [[TheUnfettered controlled by no one]], and fight to "claim" the souls of humans. While his descriptions of The Carver are fairly accurate, Raziel had nothing to do with humanity's emotions, and the Joys and Fears were downgraded to powerful Arkn and Dekn who just happen to have unique talents or "gifts".
168*** Cedric also speaks of Carver as "a god to pray to". While the idea of The Carver being a potential deity is teased throughout the Arknthology, we never see or hear of anyone praying to him.[[note]]It's vaguely hinted that he helped inspire the figure of [[TheDevil Satan]], but he's never explicitly identified as such.[[/note]]
169*** The Beyond, where Cedric spends quite a few ([[MindScrew very bizarre]]) chapters, is presented as a major setting; however, it barely features in any other works.
170** The earlier videos of Michael’s Camera (i.e. those filmed circa 2014) are much darker and grainier in quality. This makes it especially jarring when they’re sandwiched in between “newer” episodes, continuity-wise.
171* ExactWords: In "hahaha", Michael Knight finds himself trapped in a foreign timeline, sans Ellpagg; when he attempts to ".Hop" home, the revolver refuses to fire. He consults the Arkncron, which states that in order to leap timelines, "you must kill yourself with Edgar's revolver"; [[spoiler: Michael uses the gun to beat himself in the head until he gets a fatal concussion.]]
172* ExpendableClone: Ellpagg treats Michael’s alternate timeline selves as this when they’re “.Hopping”.
173* TheFarmerAndTheViper: While Michael is trapped in the Infernous, the Carver (whom Michael regards as “that guy Ellpagg left in the Infernous”) agrees to free him from the prison realm, on the condition that Michael lets him be his new Guardian. Michael agrees [[spoiler: -- and, upon being freed, is promptly possessed by the Carver, who hitched a ride out of the Infernous in his body]].
174* FauxShadowing: "TIME.HOP.PAST.TWO" (''Michael's Camera'') makes a number of ominous references to events and beings that don't exactly pan out.
175** There is mention of figures called "The Mother" and "The Father" (the Hethe Gar'sha and De'ebo, respectively), hinting that the two of them will play a major part in the series and the Arknthology as a whole. Gar’sha never appears in MC, and makes only a handful of brief cameos in other works[[note]]''The Knight Shift'', ''Arknthology Stories'', and ''The Golden Queen''[[/note]] in a passive (and even benevolent) role, utterly unlike the cataclysmic one hinted at in "PAST.TWO".
176** There is also mention of an [[EldritchAbomination entity]] called "Masiagaloth", who, on the date of April 19, 2018, "ceases its state of dreaming and wakes up." Masiagaloth, whatever it may be, is never mentioned again in ''any'' Arkn Mythos media.
177** The video also proclaims that on January 1, 2015, Michael will “watch this” for the first time and “remember all”; when that date rolls around...nothing happens (in that timeline, or any other that we know of). The events predicted by the video [[spoiler: (i.e. Michael being taken over by the Carver, discovering that he’s the Carver's Nephilim son and vessel (rather than an Arknza), and being forced to cause wreak death and destruction)]] don’t take place until December of that year; way too late for Michael to “remember” them happening on 1/1/15. A combination of ScheduleSlip and the plot being re-written.
178* FingerGun: The Carver likes to combine this with telekinetic powers -- to ''very'' painful effect.
179** Elias also has this power. He demonstrates it on Raphael in “Crescendo of Blasphemous Horrors” (''[=MedBoy789=])''. Elias claims that The Carver taught it to him (however, WordOfGod states that this was a lie).
180** Most Dekn (and some Arkn) can teleport via this method.
181* FingerPokeOfDoom: Michaelis gets one against The Carver in "End of an Era" Part 3 (''Michael's Camera''). Carver responds by beating the crap out of him -- and then declaring his intentions to destroy all life in existence. (This was Lampshaded by creator [=DeathlyLogic=], who joked that "Michaelis basically doomed all of creation with that finger poke.")
182* {{Foreshadowing}}: Quite a few examples:
183** In the first full episode of TKS ("[1] The Knight"), Knight seemingly shoots and kills his friends — including his glasses-wearing buddy, "Ed". In the series finale, he [[spoiler: inadvertently kills that same person (now revealed to be The Carver) for real.]]
184** One of the title cards in ".TIME.HOP.PAST-TWO" (''Michael's Camera'') urges Michael to accept his fate, proclaiming that his mind is "a cage to which the key was thrown away at birth" and that "in a world of monsters, you, Michael, are the nightmare." This is foreshadowing Michael's true identity as The Carver's Nephilim son, and his [[UnwittingPawn designated role]] as The Carver's vessel for destruction in .Reality.
185*** The Season 1 episode "(2) Friends" shows Michael 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 he glimpses the adventures of Ellpagg with Cedric's band of travelers [[note]]who will brave the monster-infested "Drain" leading from the Infernous[[/note]] -- through his ''future self'' in Timeline B, who just received Ellpagg's memories via the Debigraff Effect.
186*** During the titular .Relapse in “my relapse” (MC), Michael gets glimpses of [[WebVideo/TheKnightShift another “version” of himself riding in a car while listening to “Sweet Dreams Are Made of This”, and wandering around an empty house]]. Midway through Season 2, Ellpagg shows up and declares himself to be Michael’s Guardian Arkn.
187*** In the same video, there’s a sequence in which Michael flips off a sign reading “MICHAEL THE ARKANGEL” -- which then changes to a sign reading “GABRIEL THE ARKANGEL” (accompanied by the symbol from ''The Mayhem Theory''). Towards the end of Season 2, Michael, now calling himself one of the Arknangels, turns his back on his apparent destiny and sides with the Dekn -- and demonstrates his new loyalties by attempting to kill Gabriel Holden.
188*** In "I have to shoot myself in the face", Ellpagg teaches Michael the secret of ".Hopping": a process of jumping between timelines that involves shooting himself in the face with one of Edgar Kharon's revolvers (creating an instantaneous Debigraff Effect). In the series finale, Michael is KilledOffForReal by a gunshot to the head — from an exact duplicate of the revolver he used to go .hopping, fired by his double, Michaelis.
189** In one of the most blatant examples, Tobias wears a beanie that looks like the Franchise/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle|s}} Raphael in several early episodes of ''[=MedBoy789=]''; the Arkn of that same name is later revealed to be Toby’s Guardian.
190*** In a later episode, "Crescendo of Blasphemous Horrors", Raphael informs Elias that [[spoiler: The Carver]] is using him, stating, "You have no fucking plan. You are a fucking pawn." He's right on at least one account: Elias IS a pawn [[spoiler:...of his father, Asmodeus]].
191** In "Revelations", Asmodeus declares to Raph that while he isn't sure of the extent of Elias's powers, he will kill his son "if necessary". [[spoiler: It turns out Asmo has a rather arbitrary concept of "necessary".]]
192*** The following episode, "Disbelief of a Higher Authority", Raphael runs into Tobias, who has just recovered from the Infernous. When Raph asks him about Azrael, Tobias refers to him as “Mr. Fancypants”. This is a major hint about the episode’s surprise twist: [[spoiler: Tobias is possessed by Malek (who, as established in ''No More Truths'', has a habit of referring to others as "[Adjective] Pants")]].
193* ForWantOfANail: If Uriel hadn’t made a (rather naive, idealistic) vow [[ApeShallNotKillApe not to slay a fellow Arkn]], he would have agreed to make the trip into the Infernous, preventing the Arkn Lords from sending Ellpagg in his place; Ellpagg wouldn’t have had his divine blood awakened, wouldn't become mad and corrupted, and wouldn’t set out on his “crusade” to awaken the Arknangels and create a neutral party. (Of course, all of the above happened [[spoiler: according to the Carver’s ultimately benevolent plan. He’s TheChessmaster for a ''very'' good reason.)]]
194* FusionDance: An Arknza (Hethe-blooded Arkn) whose human counterpart is fully "awakened" (i.e. is aware of their presence and has activated their dormant Arkn blood) can become fused with said human. When this happens, the two beings fully merge into a single entity, with both personalities co-existing within the same body. (How ''well'' they co-exist varies from case to case: Raziel/Gabriel and Raphael/Tobit are fully integrated and work as a team, while Xerex and Michaelis share a body reluctantly, often disagreeing over who controls their vessel -- and which powers are used.)
195* {{Glamour}}: In “I went to hell” (MC), Azrael states that when he enters the Infernous, he uses a relic called the Dekn’s Eye to mask his Arkn "essence", preventing Lurkers and other entities from noticing and attacking him.
196** On at least one occasion, Ellpagg uses a glamour to hide his [[OccultBlueEyes inhuman eyes]], turning them an ordinary brown shade.
197* [[GodofEvil Gods Of Evil]]: The Hethe aren't just evil: they're ''the'' source of all the evil in existence. That they deliberately engineered a brutal, pointless war and allow it to continue indefinitely for nothing more than their own amusement is a testament to their depravity. Even Malek -- the closest thing the Arknverse has to a benevolent deity -- is ChaoticNeutral at best (not to mention responsible for spreading the SevenDeadlySins, albeit accidentally, to all beings in existence).
198** De'ebo has now been revealed to be the most unequivocally evil of them all: not only is he (allegedly) responsible for the creation of the Hethe (and thus indirectly responsible for the brutal Arkn/Dekn war -- which he could have stopped at ''any time''), but he plans to destroy all of creation just so he can re-create it and destroy it again in new and more vicious ways. Fortunately, his plans end up being thwarted (by ''The Carver'', of all beings.)
199* GoneHorriblyRight: Voidweb. After its activation creates an anomaly called the Red Nova in .Reality, causing (among other things) the fabric of reality itself to splinter, the machine is reprogrammed to correct the damage it caused by "connecting" the splinters and the beings within them). It connects them, all right -- by [[TheAssimilator assimilating]] them into a HiveMind, [[Franchise/StarTrek Borg]]-style. To make matters worse, Voidweb is powered by ''Hethe blood'', ensuring not only that it's immortal, but that it can continue to expand indefinitely – which it now does, free of restraint.
200* TheGrimReaper: Xerex Storn, despite being a mortal being himself, is regarded as the Grim Reaper of the Arkn and the Dekn. He's the Arkn-Dekn Lord of Death (among other things), and reaps the souls of deceased Arkn and Dekn while "feeding" on their [[LifeEnergy essence]]); he's regarded as the only being who truly understands the afterlife. After Xerex becomes bound to Michaelis Winter, Michaelis (under his Arkn name, Azrael) becomes a new Grim Reaper of sorts, using his powers to free the souls of Arkn and Dekn (and some humans) who are trapped in the Infernous.
201** Interestingly, we are introduced to at least four other characters in Universe A who represent Death in some manner: Tum'to (the Hethe who embodies death and destruction), Crow (the former Arkn Lord of Death), Edgar Kharon (who was literally known as "Death" and seen as an avatar of Death among the [[HorsemenOfTheApocalypse Fearful Four]]), and Theatre Mask (who is an [[TheAntiGod anti-god]] that embodies the elements of decay and entropy). Surge, the Dekn Lord of Murder, might also count.
202*** There's also the never-seen Deedrn Damerith Ist Eisz ([[FunWithAcronyms D.I.E.]]), who is known as "The Living Lord of Dying Death".
203* {{Hell}}: The Infernous is the near-equivalent in the Arknverse. It was created and ruled (until recently) by the Carver, and acts as both a prison and a place of torment, molding each individual's personal fears into reality.
204* HellHasNewManagement: In ''Solar’s Crimson'', it’s revealed that The Carver handed over control of the Infernous to King Uriel shortly before his death. Uriel [[IDidWhatIHadToDo had his reasons]], but it doesn't lessen the shock for his former fanboy.
205* HumongousMecha: The Paradisium is transformed into one during the Battle of the Arknza after Ambriel weaponizes the city (by means of a powerful magic spell).
206* {{HellGate}}: Hash'bor'kanibal opens a portal to the Infernous on Earth during his fight with Gilgamesh.
207* IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim: Raziel has this outlook. It's the reason why he doesn’t kill the corrupt government of Paradisium (who were responsible for the execution of his family) after he returns from exile -- even though he could easily wipe them all out with ''a single word''.
208* InsideAComputerSystem: The current state of humanity. After Humanity and their home were destroyed ''twice'', a guild of four powerful Dekn lords set themselves apart from the rest of Dekn-kind and the War, and with Malek's inspiration (and assistance), created the Nexiumadris (a.k.a. .Reality): a virtual reality duplicate of Humanity in their original home, in which humans can live and thrive, safe from both the Hethe and the machinations of the Arkn. (At least, that's that's how the Persophelums ''intended'' it...)
209* InternalRetcon: The Arkn Council attempted to wipe King Gilgamesh’s treasonous actions, and his defeat by Hash'bor'kanibal, from history by rewriting the circumstances of his last battle (they claimed Gilgamesh and the Seraphim were framed by the Dekn Emperor for "treason" for the act of attacking a "Dekn scouting party") and its outcome (they claimed the battle ended in favor of Gil and the Seraphim, and that they were arrested a week later at a "celebratory banquet", stripped of their power, and executed under false charges). Luckily for them, Phobos was the only Seraphim to survive, and she didn’t witness the battle -- or the King’s disgrace and defeat. (Presumably, she did have to uphold the story of the Seraphim winning the battle and being arrested, however.)
210* IntriguedByHumanity: A number of Arkn and Dekn have expressed fascination and admiration for humanity -- especially their capacity for kindness and compassion.
211* ItCanThink: The Swipers from ''No More Truths'' seem awfully perceptive, given that they're just severed hands. The blog later reveals that they are indeed sentient (as well as sapient); Cedric even tames one and adopts it as his pet.
212* LegoBodyParts: In a particularly bizarre chapter of ''No More Truths'', The Carver tears one of Cedric's arms off at the socket, then sews "a dead man's arm" in its place. WordOfGod says that the severed arm belonged to Ellpagg, and that Cedric's arm was, likewise, sewn onto Ellpagg's stump for a few minutes before the limbs were returned to their respective owners [[spoiler: -- long enough to allow both Ellpagg and his severed arm to absorb a dose of Cedric's divine power, in preparation for having his own Hethian blood awakened]]. (This is why Ellpagg's left arm appears to be streaked with black "veins" in his post-''The Knight Shift'' appearances.)
213* TheManInTheMirrorTalksBack: Humans who are acting as hosts to an Arkn or Dekn can converse with their “Guardian” via mirror (even when said Guardian isn’t directly in control of their body). Most possessors tend to utilize (or at the very least, take on the appearance of) their vessels when said conversations are filmed, as an Arkn or Dekn appearing in its true form -- even in a mirror -- can cause a camera to malfunction.
214* MistakenForGods: The Arkn and Dekn inspired the concept of angels and demons, respectively, in the Abrahamic religions; the less altruistic ones encouraged the misconceptions -- particularly the Arkn, who specifically used Muses to help spread stories of "Guardian Angels" in order to trick humans into welcoming them into their lives and bodies. Sometimes [[SummoningRitual literally]].
215** A number of Arkn posed as gods during their interactions with humanity: in his journal, Raziel states that two of the Watchers, Abu’ura and De’adther, allowed humans to worship them as gods (as they believed humans were something to be conquered); in addition, Gilgamesh's battle with Hash'bor'kanibal allegedly arose because Hash'bor envied the veneration Gil received after attaching himself to [[Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh a human ruler]].[[note]] Granted, much of the story is a fabrication (as much of the "history" surrounding Gilgamesh is). However, given the size of Gil's [[ItsAllAboutMe ego]], and that fact he took Gilgamesh's name as his own), it's highly likely that he ''did'' pose as a deity.[[/note]]
216** Redgrave apparently inspired the mythological being known as {{Satan}}. He decided to run with it.
217** Xerex Storn, whose appearance often causes him to be mistaken for a demon, studies human lore on demons so that he can successfully masquerade as one.
218* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: [[GodOfEvil De'ebo]]. [[spoiler: (And, by extension, The Carver.)]]
219* {{Nephilim}}: Here, there's the children of rogue Arkn (known as "Watchers") and human women. While most of them were wiped out by the Arkn purge, two have been revealed so far: Elias Exodus (the son of an Arkn and a human woman), and [[spoiler: Michael Knight]], the son of a human woman and [[spoiler: the Carver]].
220* TheNeutralZone: Arkassia, the city founded by Ellpagg as a home for defectors from both sides in the war. It rides on the back of a giant stag.
221* NoSuchThingAsSpaceJesus: Played with. Angels and Demons were inspired by human interactions with the Arkn and Dekn, respectively, and a number of humanity's ancient deities and heroes of legend are hinted (and some are outright stated) to have been [[SufficientlyAdvancedAliens Arkn and Dekn]] who were either MistakenForGods or deliberately presented themselves as such. However, no explanation has ever been given for the origin or powers of the Hethe (who appear to be divine).
222* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: The entire FinalBattle between The Carver's forces and the Arknza -- which marks the culmination of the entire Arknthology storyline -- is relayed through [[http://thearknmythos.wikia.com/wiki/Arkn:_Legacy a page]] on the wiki. An unfortunate result of many of the Mythos’ key creators departing the franchise early.
223* OurMonstersAreDifferent: Many monsters and cryptids of human lore are implied to have been inspired by sightings or encounters with various types of Sethe programs (or their rogue cousins, the Skethe).
224** Aero Sethe are [[GiantFlyer large, hovering humanoid creatures]] (commonly called "sky people" by the humans who have seen them), with [[BizarreAlienBiology tentacles in the place of legs]]. They are known for [[DeathFromAbove swooping down and snatching people off the ground]].
225** Aquarius Sethe are tentacled, [[TerrestrialSeaLife jellyfish-like creatures]]. When injured, they take on a fish-like form.
226** Terra Sethe appear as large, [[OrganicTechnology metallic-looking]] [[BigCreepyCrawlies worms]].
227** Shadow Sethe are [[LivingShadow shadow-like beings]].
228** Skethe are Sethe that have become disconnected from the system and [[AIIsACrapshoot gone rogue]]; they can resemble any of the above.
229* OurPhlebotinumChild: Arkn typically procreate via a magic ritual that combines the LifeEnergy of two willing partners. (However, as Arkn have very high sex drives, it’s not unheard of for them to go the more “traditional” route.)
230* PhlebotinumPills: Dr. Ellis’s medications. They allow humans to see Skethe, Lurkers, and even the coding of .Reality itself. Overdosing can cause a .Relapse, which enables the user to traverse the fabric of .Reality -- entering other timelines, seeing through time, and even seeing through the eyes of others (usually their counterparts).
231* PhotoshopFilterOfEvil: Sometimes tends to happen in the presence of especially powerful beings. We've seen it occur when The Carver is onscreen, as well as when Elias Exodus uses his Nephilim powers. It also sometimes appears when the Persopheleums show up.
232* PlayingCardMotifs: There seems to be one going with some of the characters. Oddly, there doesn't seem to be any consistency in how it shows up. [[note]]Apparently, it was a holdover from a WebVideo/TribeTwelve-esque Slenderverse vlog [=PesterJest=] made prior to joining the Arkn Mythos, in which a playing card motif took the place of the chess motif.[[/note]]
233** Azrael Michaelis is the '''Ace of Spades'''. (His adoptive family’s surname was Spades -- which also happens to be the nickname Michael Knight gives him. Additionally, Edgar Kharon, whose name and identity Azrael assumed, was known as “The Ace” due to his sharpshooting and gambling abilities; appropriately, the Ace of Spades represents the “Death Card.”)
234** Raphael/Tobit is '''Diamonds'''. ("Diamonds" was Tobit's human nickname, because he inherited his father's fortune).
235** Uriel represents one of the '''King cards''' (for obvious reasons).[[note]][=Type0Negative=] admits that he never decided ''which'' particular card he's intended to represent, and that he could represent ''all of them'' at some point.[[/note]]
236** Persophelus '''Clubs'''.
237** Theater Mask's nickname (Jester) and personality (he’s a [[TheTrickster Trickster]] and a WildCard) tie him to the '''Joker'''. (He even ''literally'' uses the Joker card as his personal calling card when he [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou hijacks his own wiki page]].
238** The minor human character Dylan R. Killeburg was known as '''Hearts'''. He [[MissingEpisode was]] also the protagonist of a series of the same name.
239* PlotHole: Given the vast amount of material, it should come as no surprise that there are a few of these.
240** ''Book of Knowledge'' describes the annual ritual sacrifice of Paradisium taking place at Midnight, under the light of a full moon. It’s well-established that the Aetherium has no nighttime, due to having two suns.
241** Azrael is shocked to learn that Ellpagg is Uriel's son. It seems very unlikely that he didn't know this already, given that he witnessed the entire history of the Arkn firsthand (albeit through a portal) and Ellpagg is ''the Prince of the Arkn''.
242** Gilgamesh’s defeat takes place between the two wars. In ''The Writings of Raziel'', however, Raziel states that this period was a time of peace, with “only a few skirmishes” to disrupt it. The destruction of the king’s army and the murder of the king, by a Dekn lord, in ''full view of the council'', doesn’t sound like a “little skirmish”!
243** One chapter of Arknthology Stories (version 1) has a frightened young Raphael getting a glimpse of Gynesis through a window, just before Gynesis announces of the birth of his son. It’s intended to be a [[ContinuityNod nod]] to ''Of Determination And Crusades'', in which Raph recalls his first terrifying encounter with Gynesis as a child. The problem? ''Crusades'' makes it clear that Raph first met Gynesis as during the reign of Gilgamesh, while ''Stories'' has their meeting taking place while Uriel is king. Even if Uriel took the throne as a child, ''The Writings of Raziel'' establishes that Raph was already a member of the Arkn Guild (i.e. a full-fledged Knight) when Raziel was banished by the Inquisition; Gilgamesh’s reign ended some time later, and Uriel’s conception occurred even later ''still''. Even if Uriel took the throne as a child, Raph would have been at least a young adult by that time -- certainly too old (and too much of a seasoned warrior) to be scared speechless by the sight of Gynesis.
244** Shortly after his introduction, Azrael spends most of one episode talking about his personal backstory. Given Ellpagg's tampering with his memories, Azrael shouldn’t be able to remember his human life at all at this point -- even a Debigrath-botched version of it. (DL acknowledged that it was a screw-up on his part, and [[{{Retcon}} retconned]] it so that Azrael did indeed still have his human memories, but [[ThatManIsDead they meant nothing to him]] at the time.)
245* PostModernMagic: The Arkn work their magic through sigils, symbols incantations...and Western-style revolvers. (Justified in that said revolvers were [[ForgedByTheGods forged by the Hethe]], and work by channeling (or focusing) the powers of the user.)
246* PowersAsPrograms: Arkn blood exists within certain .Reality humans (namely, human Arknza: those patterned after Hethe-blooded Arkn) as disseminated data; said humans can “activate” their Arkn blood, granting them the ability to use Arkn magic.
247* PowersViaPossession: A human who is inhabited by an Arkn or Dekn gains access to their abilities. Repeated episodes of this will cause a Human Arknza's latent Arkn blood to become fully “awakened”, making the powers permanent. (Unfortunately, this also marks them as a “fluke”, and makes them a threat to both .Reality and Existence itself -- and their best chance for survival a permanent fusion with their Arkn counterpart.)
248* PretextForWar: The Arkn first invoked war against the Dekn by attacking their [[TreeOfLife tree home]], setting fire to it, and claiming it as their own. This was done out of nothing more than sheer greed.
249* ProphecyTwist / YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: The Arkncron foretold a catastrophe on the date of May 15th. This is initially believed to be fulfilled on May 15, 2015, when [[spoiler: the Hooks Killer raises the Carver into the body of Luke Anton]], creating a power fluctuation that crashes .Reality, destroying several timelines). Fortunately, .Reality recovers, and it seems the danger has passed...until Uriel consults the Arkncron again, and learns that [[spoiler: the May 15th catastrophe event is still set to occur – in '''''2016'''''. And from the sound of things, this one is going to be MUCH worse than the last]].
250** [[spoiler: And now it has happened, with the [[http://thearknmythos.wikia.com/wiki/Voidweb Voidweb]] Catastrophe -- which threatens not just the Arkn, the Dekn, and Humanity, but ''all of existence''.]]
251* PsychologicalTormentZone: Some levels of the Vale of Nightmares (Asmodeus's [[DreamLand home dimension]]) functions as this: Level 1 (The Entropy of Blackened Nightmares) causes visitors to relive their worst memories and/or nightmares), while Level 4 (The Arena of Nebulous Shadows) starts as your fondest dream and gradually turns into your worst nightmare.
252** The Infernous. Fitting, seeing as it's essentially the Arkn/Dekn equivalent of ''{{Hell}}''.
253* RealityBreakingParadox: The introduction of The Carver to the Neximandrius on May 15, 2015 (via being raised into the human vessel of Luke Anton by The Hooks Killer) caused a massive power surge, resulting in a system-wide crash that obliterated several timelines. (Thankfully, .Reality rebooted and, for the most part, recovered from the system failure.)
254* RecurringDreams: Many human characters suffer from these. It’s often brought on by a temporary Debigrath Effect granting the individual the memories of one of their counterparts[[note]]which, surprisingly, can even extend to ''Arkn'' counterparts[[/note]]. Sometimes, it's caused by a minor .Relapse (which can allow an individual to see through the eyes of others).
255** Early in Season 1 of [=ACFW=], Alex Winter has recurring dreams of Longnose.
256** Elizabeth Winter repeatedly dreams about the showdown between her brothers, Alex and Michaelis, that [[spoiler: lead to the deaths of all three of them]] in an AlternateTimeline.
257** In the early episodes of [=SC=], Michaelis (having mentally reverted back to his pre-Arknza human self while trapped in the Infernous) dreams of shooting his brother, Alex, after being shot in the shoulder by him: a sign of his lingering guilt over murdering his brother.
258** Prior to his merger with Raphael, Tobit Kestler has dreams about the life of his counterpart, Raphael (namely, playing on the beach with his brother Asmodeus), as well as the life of his AU self, Tobias (dreaming of Toby’s dog, Bobo, and seeing masked Lurkers). All are implied to be caused by the Debigrath Effect.
259* RedFilterOfDoom: Often shows up (unsurprisingly) when [[{{Satan}} the Carver]] is onscreen. Also happens when a timeline is glitching, breaking, dying, or otherwise being altered or reset. None of these are a particularly good thing.[[note]]Though timeline resets can be benign, they're invariably brought on by something that ''wasn't supposed to happen''.[[/note]]
260* RedHerring: When Azrael appears the first few times in Michael’s Camera, it’s strongly hinted that he’s the real Edgar Kharon. He dresses like a cowboy, wields a revolver that seems to have supernatural abilities, is nicknamed "Spades" by Michael Knight (short for "Ace of Spades" -- a variation of Kharon's nickname, “The Ace”), refers to himself as a "fallen Hethe" (Kharon was rumored to have become a Hethe), and is explicitly addressed by the Persopheleums as "Edgar Kharon". In Season 3 of ''Michael's Camera'', however, Azrael reveals himself to be Azrael Michaelis Winter: an [[AlternateSelf alternate version]] of Michael Knight, and the fourth Arknza of prophecy. (He did, however, use Kharon's name and identity [[spoiler: and in fact believed that he ''was'' Kharon reincarnated]] for quite some time.)
261* ResetButton: When irreparable harm is caused to the timelines of .Reality, they typically crash and reset (to roughly the point where the error/damage occurred).
262* {{Retcon}}: Ellpagg/Knight is stated to be an Arknza in early material (including several entries of ''No More Truths'' and at least one video of ''The Knight Shift''). However, it’s later established (in ''Sarah Kestler Isn’t Dead'' and an entry of ''Tales From the First Reality'') that Ellpagg’s sister, Seraphina, is the Arknza among Uriel’s children, and that the Hethian blood mostly skipped Ellpagg. In a rare case of a reverse retcon, Ellpagg was later reverted ''back'' to being an Arknza (and one of the seven Arknangel heroes) after Seraphina’s writer and creator left the franchise, taking the character with her -- with the explanation that [[HandWave "Seraphina was never mentioned by name in the prophecy"]]. [[spoiler: It also helps that the prophecy turns out to have been the invention of The Carver.]]
263** In Chapter 9 of ''Book of the Mother'', Raziel tells Ambriel that the Magic College was abolished, and [[ThePurge the inquisition]] against magi begun, by the new blood in the Paradisium government, out of fear that the "old blood" would use their power to start a class war. However, the later chapters of ''Arknthology Stories'' (which were republished and expanded upon in the reboot) reveal that [[spoiler: The Carver]] secretly brainwashed the Council into going after Raziel’s family , and later all practitioners of magick, because ''Gilgamesh'' feared their power and wanted them out of the way.
264** A ''massive'' retcon occurred in-universe with Gilgamesh's personal and political history. WordOfGod states that the Arkn Council was so ashamed of Gil's actions (which included the mass murder of his own people and conspiring with [[spoiler: the Dekn Emperor]]) that Delphar, who ran the kingdom for a time after Gil's death, quickly erased the former king's mistakes from history and "re-wrote" the events surrounding his death. Uriel grew up believing that his father and the Seraphim were ''victorious'' in battle against an army of Dekn, only to be arrested later at a victory feast by the Dekn Emperor and executed on false charges of treason.
265* {{Rewrite}}: Candlewalkerstudios writes Kry’atha as the Queen and Gilgamesh's wife, when every other source of information regarding Kry’atha states that she was simply Gilgamesh's ''mate''. ([=DeathlyLogic=] has stated that this change isn’t canon.)
266** In “The letter” episode from Season 2 of Michael's Camera, Ellpagg explains that Michael inhabits (or views events through) his camera while he (Ellpagg) uses Michael's vessel, because Ellpagg's own body — which Michael would normally inhabit under such circumstances — was destroyed in the Infernous. While it becomes commonplace (particularly in [=DeathlyLogic=]'s vlogs) for the Arkn-possessed to view events through their camera, the “vessel swap” concept hasn’t been brought up since, nor has the idea of Ellpagg's original body being destroyed.
267* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Once Ellpagg gets out of the Infernous for good, he sets out to slaughter the audience of the [=Cloud9=] network (i.e. Arkn and Dekn) who gleefully watched his suffering.
268* RuleOfSeven: Appears several times; notably, however, there are no ''perfect'' sevens: there are seven Hethe (following Malek's defection), seven Arknangels (barring the Arknza not mentioned by the Hethian Prophecy), and seven "negative" timelines (broken, warped timelines which may or may not exist).
269* SealedInsideAPersonShapedCan: Some of the Arnkangels/Arknza start out as this: they (Hethe-blooded Arkn) are "embedded" in humanity by being bound to human vessels (typically either a human in their bloodline, or .Reality's "interpretation" of them in human form); once the human becomes fully aware of their "other half" and awakens their powers, the human and Arkn selves integrate, transforming them into beings of great power. The particulars, such as how the vessel is acquired and which side (if any) has dominance, vary in each case.
270* ShowWithinAShow: All vlog episodes set in the Infernous qualify as type three, with the episodes acting as the [=Cloud9=] "livestream" broadcast of respective characters' torments. Typically, only Arkn and Dekn (and special humans who are privy to of the existence of the Infernous) are aware of it.
271** TKS is an entire ''series'' of Show Within A Show.
272** As is a large portion of ''A Cry From Winter''.
273* SlaveRace: The Arkn enslaved the original human race, attaching themselves to humans as "Guardian Angels" and [[DemonicPossession forcing them to do their bidding]] for little reason other than sheer greed. (This was ultimately what lead the Persopheleums to create .Reality, providing humans with infinite possibilities for a prosperous, Arkn-free existence.)
274* SoulPoweredEngine: During the Battle of the Arknza, Ambriel uses her magick to weaponize the Paradisium. She closes out the ritual by sacrificing herself in the city's core, awakening the mecha with her [[BloodMagic Hethian blood]] (making her LifeEnergy the machine's engine and her soul its pilot). She (via the mecha) succeeds in destroying The Carver's army before her energy is expended and the Paradisium collapses into the sea.
275* SufficientlyAdvancedAliens: While they ''do'' possess some supernatural and paranormal abilities (magic and PsychicPowers, respectively) and share many of the mythological trappings of angels and demons from Western lore, the Arkn and the Dekn have been confirmed to be alien races.
276* TearsOfBlood: Michael initially experiences this in "Into The Fire" when he's [[spoiler: taken over by the Carver]].
277** This also happens to Ellpagg in the Infernous after he [[EyeScream gouges out his eyes]] in anguish after [[spoiler: absorbing the Carver's power]].
278* TimeMaster: The Arknangel Azrael. He can slow down, [[TimeStandsStill freeze]], and reverse time. (However, he only uses these abilities on rare occasions.) The finale of ''Solar's Crimson'' reveals that he hasn't truly "mastered" his powers to their full extent, and [[spoiler: sends him on a quest to find Redgrave and train with him for an Eternity. After he learns to use his powers to their full extent, he uses them to ''manipulate the fabric of the universe'', causing himself to appear before the birth of Ellpagg and prevent the events of ''The Knight Shift'' from occurring -- causing the universe to split off into two distinct timelines.
279* TimeyWimeyBall: Given that humans exist within a self-contained realm consisting of infinite timelines, the Arkn and Dekn exist outside said realm on a timeline of their own, and both races can traverse the human timelines as they please (and occasionally shift humans around in a similar manner), this happens ''quite'' a bit.
280* TokenGoodTeammate: Ma'lek, the eighth Hethe. He was responsible for creating humankind, and, after seeing the good in them (and how they were being mistreated by the other Hethe), defected and fragmented himself into multiple pieces or "shards" (which were then scattered throughout existence).
281* TopGod: De'ebo. He's the oldest of the Hethe, and may have been responsible for the creation of the rest of the pantheon -- and, by extension, all of existence itself.
282* TrappedInAnotherWorld: Given that most series take place within a computer system that has an infinite number of timelines (and numerous methods of traveling between them), this is bound to happen. Usually, there are only minute differences between the timelines (averting the usual FishOutOfWater antics), and the characters are able to return to their original timeline before they acclimate and/or permanently take the place of their counterpart (See You Can't Go Home Again and Only One Me Allowed Right Now). However, there have been a few exceptions: in Season 1 of ''[=acryfromwinter=], Alex Winter became trapped for a considerable amount of time in Timeline B -- in which his counterpart is [[spoiler: the mass murderer behind the Winter Family Massacre]].
283** Early in Season 2 of ''Michael's Camera'', Ellpagg forcibly shoves Michael into another branch of Timeline B to get Redgrave off his tail.
284** In Season 3 of ''Michael's Camera'', Michaelis nearly finds himself in this predicament after he spends too much time in Timeline B and discovers that the Debigrath Effect is beginning to [[MindRape mold]] him into a replacement "Michael". (Fortunately, he is able to leave the timeline before the Effect fully takes hold. But [[FridgeHorror if he had been there a bit longer...]])
285* VillainousDemotivator: In order to get Michael Knight to do his bidding (when not possessed), Persophelus Crow threatens him with physical torture.
286* VillainousLineage: According to Michaelis, he (and, by extension, the other Arknangels) is suited for nothing but fighting, killing, and destroying because the blood of the Hethe (who are pure evil) flows in his veins. As it turns out, he's ''mostly'' right: [[spoiler: the Arknza acquired their Hethe blood from The Carver himself, and are indeed destined to fight, kill, and ultimately die -- as part of a larger plan designed to lead to the creation of a newer, better, Hethe-free universe).]]
287* WeaponizedLandmark: [[spoiler: During the Battle of the Arknza, the ''entire Paradisium'' is transformed (via magic ritual) into a [[HumongousMecha giant mecha]] (powered by the LifeEnergy of Ambriel and piloted by her soul).]].
288* WhamLine: James to [[spoiler: Alex]] in the ''A Cry From Winter'' episode "Departure 2": "You're locked up. You're on death row, dude. (A minute later.) I haven't seen you in years. I haven't seen you since you were seven. When you killed your family. They put you away for that."
289** As spoken by the Carver in "Into The Fire" (''Michael's Camera''): "There's a war coming, Arknangels... But Michael? You're not part of it. Because you simply are ''not'' an Arknangel."
290** Two episodes later, we get this line from Ellpagg:
291--->[[spoiler: "You don't get it, do you? Michael's the Carver's Nephilim son. He was bred to be his vessel. Nothing more."]]
292** Uriel in "A Call To Arms" (from the same series):
293--->"I miss you guys. All of you. Especially Ellpagg. He is my son, after all."
294* WholePlotReference: [=MedBoy789=] is a retelling of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Tobit The Book of Tobit]].
295** The story of King Gilgamesh – specifically, the legend of his fight with Hash’bor’kanibal – draws heavily from (what else?) ''Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh''.
296** ''No More Truths'' references [[OffToSeeTheWizard The Wizard of Oz]] in the chapter [[http://nomoretruths.tumblr.com/post/107210923496/the-quest-end-of-act-1 "The Quest"]]: the party pays a visit to the castle of powerful, intimidating ruler of legend with a booming voice, who orders them on a deadly, seemingly impossible quest. ([[WhatCouldHaveBeen Had ''No More Truths'' continued]], said ruler would also, like the Wizard, have been revealed to be less terrible than he appeared, with Az'uh'ra'el giving his life to save the party from The Carver.)
297* WhoWantsToLiveForever: Michaelis. After surviving beyond his own death, witnessing all of Arkn history firsthand, living under various names and identities, and suffering untold loss and heartache, he struggles to find a reason to even go on ''existing''. After he's forced to return to the Infernous to spring Tobias and Ambriel, he simply gives up and resigns himself to his fate, sitting unmoving on a bench for several eternities. Unfortunately for him, [[TraumaCongaLine his story doesn't end there]]...
298* WorldTree: The First Tree -- the original home of the Dekn -- is said to have been one of the first (and most beautiful) creations of the Hethe, carved out of the very door from which they emerged. The Arkn setting fire to the Tree and driving out the Dekn was the act that spawned the ForeverWar between the races. The Tree was also crucial in the creation of Arkn magick: the first four Arkn (under the direction of Raziel) poured their [[BloodMagic blood]] into its core to spread it throughout creation, generating the BackgroundMagicField that all Arkn magi tap into. Knight and Azrael both come upon the Tree in the center of the Infernous (on separate occasions), and it appears to still be alive (unless what we're seeing is a facsimile).
299** The .Reality system is roughly based on a tree, with a set number of central timelines "branching out" into infinite offshoots.
300* YouCantGoHomeAgain: According to the Seamless Reality Effect, any being or object that leaves its original timeline will become foreign data, rending it unable to re-enter (unless placed there by a being of immense power). Attempting to re-enter one's original reality ''without'' a "being of immense power" will cause the timeline to split and branch off again, creating an almost exact copy of itself.
301* YourHeadAsplode: Luke Anton and [[spoiler: Michael Knight]] both die this way, courtesy of Azrael's pistol.
302* ZombieApocalypse: Something resembling this occurred in ''The 7venth Reality''. Doubles with OurZombiesAreDifferent.

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