The Chapters of Arcadium
Since the 15th Century, the Order of Arcadium has been comprised of its member Chapters, often built around the spontaneously appearing Portals to the Realms of Arcadium.
It is a common misconception that each Chapter has portals to all three known Realms of Arcadium; the Realms of Fantasy, Magic and Mystery. Throughout the history of the Order, it has often been the case that only one such portal has been discovered.
The history of the Chapters themselves has been, to some degree, lost to time. In the earliest days, the Chapters were only loosely related, at least until 1492 and the adoption of the Fundamental Orders of Arcadium. The challenges of piecing together the earliest histories are also made more complicated by the impermance of Chapters, which often disappeared as quickly as the appeared either due to the disappearance of the Portals or socio-political issues in the regions.
The Founding Chapters of the Order of Arcadium included: Ménkăn, Tezcatlitempan, Urca Pacha, Agnieten and the Stalhof.
Ménkăn, The Nanjing Chapter
Founding Chapter
Ménkăn is the name of the former Nanjing Chapter of the Order of Arcadium. It is largely considered as one of the four Founding Chapters of the Order of Arcadium at its establishment in 1475.
Ménkăn was housed inside the Pagoda, Porcelain Tower of Nanjing otherwise known as the Bao’ensi or “Temple of Gratitude”. It was commissioned in 1412 and completed in 1431 during the Ming Dynasty on the south bank of external Qinhuai River in Nanjing, China.
After theAbsondern Edict was issued in 1620, Ménkăn went underground at the location so was unaffected in 1801 when the tower was struck by lightning and the top four stories were knocked off. The Tower was soon restored but was ultimately abandoned by the Order of Arcadium in 1853 due to war in the region and was finally destroyed in 1856.
Tezcatlitempan, The Tenochtitlan Chapter
Founding Chapter
Tezcatlitempan is the name of the former Chapter of the Order of Arcadium located in Tenochtitlan on the western side of Lake Texcoco. It is largely considered as one of the four Founding Chapters of the Order of Arcadium at its establishment in 1475 and was a party to the adoption of the Fundamental Orders of Arcadium in 1492.
Tezcatlitempan was established around 1428 and minor temples were established around Portals to the Realm of Mystery that appeared upon the island of Tenochtitlan.
Tezcatlitempan was one of the first Chapters to be destroyed prior to the disappearance of its portal in 1521 following the Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire, and the first of the Founding Chapters to be destroyed.
Urca Pacha, The Machu Picchu Chapter
Founding Chapter
Urca Pacha is the name of the former Chapter of the Order of Arcadium located in the former Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru, on a 2,430-metre (7,970 ft) mountain ridge.
Urca Pacha was established in 1450 in the upper town of Machu Picchu and is considered as one of the four Founding Chapters of the Order of Arcadium at its establishment in 1475. The Chapter was a party to the adoption of the Fundamental Orders of Arcadium in 1492.
The Portal to the Realm of Magic that had inspired the establishment of Urca Pacha and Machu Picchu more broadly disappeared around 1572 and the site was abandoned shortly thereafter.
The earliest records and legends of the Wand of Illumination are associated with the Archives from Urca Pacha.
Agnieten, The Amsterdam Chapter
Founding Chapter
Agnieten is the name of the former Dutch Chapter of the Order of Arcadium established in 1470. It is largely considered as one of the four Founding Chapters of the Order of Arcadium at its establishment in 1475. Agnieten was located on the site now known as the University of Amsterdam.
The original building no longer exists but the gate created in 1571 to commemorate 100 years of the Order of Arcadium.
It was from the Archives at Agnieten that the Theft of the Faithless took place in June of 1620.
Following the Absondern Edict in November of 1620 and the Reformation of the Archives in 1622, the Chapter went underground and was re-fashioned as the Athenaeum Illustre or “Illustrous School” in 1631.
The Oud Eeds, the documents which record the early history of Arcadium include a myth that the Dutch Chapter of Agnieten was not immediately closed and abandoned after the Absondern Edict because it was pivotal to the establishment of the Secret Archives.
Stalhof, The London Chapter
Founding Chapter
Stalhof or “Steelyard” is the name of the first English Chapter of the Order of Arcadium. While it is among the earliest of all Chapters of Arcadium, it is not universally accepted as one of the Founding Chapters of Arcadium in 1475 but it was a party to the adoption of the Fundamental Orders of Arcadium in 1492.
The Stalhof was located on the north bank of the Thames by the outflow of the Walbrook, in the Dowgate ward of the City of London. The site is bounded by Cousin Lane on the west, Upper Thames Street on the north, and Allhallows Lane on the east, an area apprxoimately 1.3 acres.
The Chapter is generally accepted to have been established in 1475, however due to the destruction of most records from the Archives in Stalhof in 1666, there is some uncertainty as to whether Portals had already been found in this location in 1475 or if it was simply an offshoot of the Dutch Chapter, Agnieten.
When the Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed the site, it was fortunate that all of its artefacts had already been moved to another location as a part of the Reformation of the Archives and establishment of the Secret Collection.
The British Chapter continued to operate secretly from this location for nearly 200 years until finally closing down the location in 1852. Today, the Stalhof is remembered in the naming of Steelyard Passage in London’s Cannon Street Station, which is located upon the site of the original Chapter.