Oh! 
I'm finally feeling comfortable enough with the world that I want to try RPin a magic user. And arcanists with their geometries seem the most interesting to me. So I've been trying to come up with my own headcannon for them for the last month or so. This helped a lot!
My headcannon actually matches yours fairly decently. Especially in that last section of grimoire/free drawing. Although you've gone to far greater depth than I have yet. I'm curious where you believe that the shielding geometries lie in the spectrum. The neutral area or do those still fall into healing?
I hadn't considered a pattern that attached itself to a host to use the hosts own aether to prolong itself. But it does make sense. I am considering going more for the mix of white/black magic. The arcanist uses their own aether to fuel the spell initially. But then certain patterns start drawing on aether from the surrounding area to sustain before it eventually deteriorates since there is nothing permanent and no directing will to keep the structure of the pattern intact once it leaves the arcanist's control.
As far as shapes... in my headcannon spirals (and springs) are used to draw from outside aether and to concentrate aether into the geometric pattern. A '-o-' line with a connecting circle is a place that aether can be stored in a sense. And size plays a part in the geometries power and potential. So that matches. I like the idea of smooth vs. jagged patterns depending on the pattern's use... I may just steal that. >.>;
I'm still trying to work in how summoning works and more importantly how to sustain a summon in my headcannon. How difficult is it to maintain? etc. I like the food for thought you put in that.
I'm finally feeling comfortable enough with the world that I want to try RPin a magic user. And arcanists with their geometries seem the most interesting to me. So I've been trying to come up with my own headcannon for them for the last month or so. This helped a lot!My headcannon actually matches yours fairly decently. Especially in that last section of grimoire/free drawing. Although you've gone to far greater depth than I have yet. I'm curious where you believe that the shielding geometries lie in the spectrum. The neutral area or do those still fall into healing?
I hadn't considered a pattern that attached itself to a host to use the hosts own aether to prolong itself. But it does make sense. I am considering going more for the mix of white/black magic. The arcanist uses their own aether to fuel the spell initially. But then certain patterns start drawing on aether from the surrounding area to sustain before it eventually deteriorates since there is nothing permanent and no directing will to keep the structure of the pattern intact once it leaves the arcanist's control.
As far as shapes... in my headcannon spirals (and springs) are used to draw from outside aether and to concentrate aether into the geometric pattern. A '-o-' line with a connecting circle is a place that aether can be stored in a sense. And size plays a part in the geometries power and potential. So that matches. I like the idea of smooth vs. jagged patterns depending on the pattern's use... I may just steal that. >.>;
I'm still trying to work in how summoning works and more importantly how to sustain a summon in my headcannon. How difficult is it to maintain? etc. I like the food for thought you put in that.
