Lineage of the Arcane: The Parents of Magic

"Magic is not a tool. It is a family tree. And you are the youngest child."

🔮 Project Overview

Lineage of the Arcane is a gameplay prototype exploring a unique magic system where spells are sentient entities. Players do not cast magic; they negotiate with ancient "Progenitors" (Parents) to lend their aid.

This Unity project implements a revolutionary magic system where power comes at a cost - your very life force.

📚 Documentation

Comprehensive documentation is available in the Wiki:

• Getting Started - Setup and first steps
• Core Concepts - Understanding the magic system
• Project Structure - Codebase organization
• API Reference - Complete method documentation

System Documentation

• Tether System - Health-drain magic binding
• Affinity System - Relationship tracking
• Rampant System - Hostile AI behavior
• Temperament System - Entity requirements

Entity Documentation

• Magic Parent Base Class - Entity foundation
• Parents (Tier 0) - Ignis Mater, Aqua Pater, Terra Mater
• Scions (Tier 1) - Mid-tier descendants
• Heirs (Tier 2) - Gentle, forgiving entities

⚙️ Core Mechanics Implemented

1. The Tether System

Mana does not exist. Summoning drains the user's max health (Physical Tether) and sanity.

• Health Drain: Continuous cost while tethered
• Risk/Reward: High power = High drain rate
• Tether Break: When health is depleted, the bond snaps violently

2. Ancestral Temperament

Summons have specific personalities (Aggressive, Passive, Rhythm-based). Failing to adhere to their playstyle results in the summon damaging the player.

• Ignis Mater: Demands constant aggression
• Aqua Pater: Demands passivity - no combat
• Terra Mater: Demands rhythmic, patterned actions
• Punishment System: Violate temperament = take damage

3. Environmental Shifts

Summoning a Parent changes the physics and lighting of the game map globally.

• Each Parent has unique visual effects
• World-altering presence

4. Evolution/Affinity System

Build relationships with magical entities over time:

• Affinity Levels: Progress from Stranger → Acquainted → Bonded → Devoted → Ascended
• Reduced Costs: Higher affinity means lower tether drain (up to 50% reduction)
• Special Abilities: Reach Ascended level to unlock unique powers
• Betrayal Memory: Entities remember broken tethers
• Cross-Lineage Bonding: Training with Heirs and Scions builds affinity with their Parent

📂 Project Structure

Assets/
├── Scripts/
│   ├── Core/
│   │   ├── MagicParent.cs      # Abstract base for all Parents
│   │   ├── TetherSystem.cs     # Health-drain mechanic
│   │   ├── RampantState.cs     # Rampant AI behavior system
│   │   ├── AffinitySystem.cs   # Evolution/Affinity tracking
│   │   └── AchievementSystem.cs # Achievement milestones
│   ├── Entities/
│   │   ├── IgnisMater.cs       # Fire Mother (Aggressive)
│   │   ├── AquaPater.cs        # Water Father (Passive)
│   │   ├── TerraMater.cs       # Earth Mother (Rhythmic)
│   │   ├── TempusMater.cs      # Time Mother (Still)
│   │   ├── DolorMater.cs       # Pain Mother (Sacrificial)
│   │   └── Tiers/
│   │       ├── Scion.cs        # Tier 1 base class
│   │       ├── Heir.cs         # Tier 2 base class
│   │       ├── EmberScion.cs   # Fire Scion
│   │       ├── WaveScion.cs    # Water Scion
│   │       ├── StoneScion.cs   # Earth Scion
│   │       ├── ChronoScion.cs  # Time Scion
│   │       ├── WoundScion.cs   # Pain Scion
│   │       ├── CandlelightHeir.cs  # Fire Heir
│   │       ├── DewdropHeir.cs  # Water Heir
│   │       ├── PebbleHeir.cs   # Earth Heir
│   │       ├── MomentHeir.cs   # Time Heir
│   │       └── ScratchHeir.cs  # Pain Heir
│   ├── Effects/
│   │   ├── TetherVisualEffect.cs   # Tether line renderer
│   │   └── AffinityVisualEffect.cs # Affinity-based visuals
│   ├── Audio/
│   │   ├── AudioManager.cs     # Sound management system
│   │   └── ParentAudioProfile.cs   # Audio configuration
│   ├── UI/
│   │   ├── HealthBarUI.cs      # Health bar display
│   │   ├── SanityIndicatorUI.cs    # Sanity display
│   │   ├── TetherDisplayUI.cs  # Tether status display
│   │   ├── AffinityDisplayUI.cs    # Affinity level display
│   │   └── AchievementUI.cs    # Achievement display
│   ├── Multiplayer/
│   │   ├── CustodyBattle.cs    # Tug-of-war system
│   │   └── AffinityCompetition.cs  # Affinity competition
│   └── Player/
│       └── PlayerController.cs  # Player state and combat
└── Docs/
    └── GDD.md                   # Game Design Document

🛠️ Technical Details

Dependencies

• Unity 2021.3 LTS or later
• .NET Standard 2.1

Scripts Overview

Script	Purpose
MagicParent.cs	Abstract base class defining Parent entity behavior
TetherSystem.cs	Manages health drain and tether connections
RampantState.cs	Handles rampant AI behavior when tether breaks
AffinitySystem.cs	Tracks player-entity relationships and provides benefits
AchievementSystem.cs	Tracks achievements and milestones
Scion.cs	Base class for Tier 1 entities
Heir.cs	Base class for Tier 2 entities
IgnisMater.cs	"Fire Mother" - aggressive temperament entity
AquaPater.cs	"Water Father" - passive temperament entity
TerraMater.cs	"Earth Mother" - rhythmic temperament entity
TempusMater.cs	"Time Mother" - still temperament entity
DolorMater.cs	"Pain Mother" - sacrificial temperament entity
EmberScion.cs	Fire Scion (Ignis lineage)
WaveScion.cs	Water Scion (Aqua lineage)
StoneScion.cs	Earth Scion (Terra lineage)
ChronoScion.cs	Time Scion (Tempus lineage)
WoundScion.cs	Pain Scion (Dolor lineage)
CandlelightHeir.cs	Fire Heir (Ignis lineage)
DewdropHeir.cs	Water Heir (Aqua lineage)
PebbleHeir.cs	Earth Heir (Terra lineage)
MomentHeir.cs	Time Heir (Tempus lineage)
ScratchHeir.cs	Pain Heir (Dolor lineage)
CustodyBattle.cs	Multiplayer tug-of-war battle system
AffinityCompetition.cs	Multiplayer affinity competition system
PlayerController.cs	Player health, combat, and movement
TetherVisualEffect.cs	Line renderer for tether visualization
AffinityVisualEffect.cs	Affinity-based entity visual changes
AudioManager.cs	Singleton audio management system
ParentAudioProfile.cs	ScriptableObject for Parent audio configuration
HealthBarUI.cs	Health bar with burned health overlay
SanityIndicatorUI.cs	Sanity display with peripheral effects
TetherDisplayUI.cs	Tether status and temperament indicator
AffinityDisplayUI.cs	Affinity level and progress display
AchievementUI.cs	Achievement display and notifications

🌟 Affinity System Details

Affinity Levels & Benefits

Level	Requirement	Tether Cost	Special
Hostile	3+ betrayals	+50%	Entity remembers your treachery
Stranger	Default	Normal	No relationship
Acquainted	20% affinity	-10%	Recognition
Bonded	40% affinity	-20%	Trust established
Devoted	70% affinity	-35%	Deep connection
Ascended	100% affinity	-50%	Special ability unlocked

Special Abilities (Ascended)

Entity	Ability	Effect
Ignis Mater	Inferno Embrace	5s of invulnerability + AoE damage
Aqua Pater	Tidal Sanctuary	8s healing zone (5 HP/sec)
Terra Mater	Earthen Bulwark	Absorbs 50 damage for 10s
Tempus Mater	Temporal Stasis	6s time freeze (except player)
Dolor Mater	Martyrdom	5s damage collection, 3x AoE explosion

🚀 Roadmap

• Core Tether System
• Base Parent class hierarchy
• First entity: Ignis Mater
• Player controller with combat tracking
• CI/CD Pipeline with artifacts
• Security scanning with CodeQL
• Implement "Custody Battle" (Multiplayer tug-of-war)
• Add Tier 1 (Scions) and Tier 2 (Heirs)
• Create "Rampant" AI state when Tether breaks
• Visual effects for tethering
• Audio implementation
• Additional Parents (Aqua Pater, Terra Mater)
• UI systems (Health bar, Sanity indicator, Tether display)
• Evolution/Affinity system with special abilities
• New Parents (Tempus Mater, Dolor Mater)
• Scions for all lineages (Wave, Stone, Chrono, Wound)
• Heirs for all lineages (Dewdrop, Pebble, Moment, Scratch)
• Affinity-based visual changes for entities
• Multiplayer affinity competition
• Achievement system tied to affinity milestones

🔄 CI/CD Pipeline

This project includes a GitHub Actions workflow that:

• ✅ Validates C# code syntax
• 📦 Packages scripts and documentation as artifacts
• 📊 Generates code analysis reports
• 🏷️ Creates releases automatically on version tags

🔒 Security

This project includes automated security scanning:

• 🔍 CodeQL Analysis: Static analysis for C# vulnerabilities
• 📋 Dependency Review: Checks for vulnerable dependencies on PRs
• 🛡️ Security Hardening: Validates workflow security practices
• 🔐 Secret Scanning: Detects potential hardcoded secrets

Artifacts Generated

• scripts-package: Core game scripts archive
• docs-package: Documentation and design docs
• wiki-package: Wiki documentation pages
• lineage-of-arcane-full: Complete project package (includes wiki and asset manifest)
• asset-manifest: JSON file with asset metadata and file listings
• code-analysis-report: Static analysis results

📖 Documentation

See the Game Design Document for detailed mechanics, lore, and technical specifications.

📄 License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.

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"The blood you offer is not payment. It is a handshake."