I'm very similar here. Describing arcanima against NPCs, I use particularly geometric expressions and concepts like the golden ratio. My arcanima may only produce a strange holographic effect, momentarily, like a projection screen rising off the pages of constructed equations from my book but then otherwise be almost invisible in application of any force projected. I like to describe the frequencies that come across as well, taking a touch of Pythagorean mythology and saying you might be able to hear a tone, or sense a frequency as a vibration or any other sensation, as a spell goes off.
After you cast, the visual results would be very understated, the way that many of the spells when they go off aren't flashy, affecting the "subtle body" of whatever you're attacking. Since that happens slowly and works its way down into the physical, it probably takes time to manifest outright physical symptoms. (Thus in line with those DoT spells.) I imagine that someone with arcane sight standing beside you would see a whole lot more than someone without any arcane sight (and I feel that means anyone with magical talent not just arcanists). Maybe anyone who can sense aether could tell that something is going on given the degree to which they're trained in that skill or talent.
Obviously you also have some pretty nice flash with two spheres and ruin so there are times when your magics are visually potent enough to really put on a light show for those who might not usually see aetheric disturbances.
This is just how I do it though as I've always been a fan of subtle magic. It's like that one Terry Goodkind series Sword of Truth, where you learn that when two mages are fighting, it looks like nothing is happening until there's a 'big bang' and then you realize one of them just lost a pretty epic chess match and you might want to take permanent cover in a bomb shelter.
After you cast, the visual results would be very understated, the way that many of the spells when they go off aren't flashy, affecting the "subtle body" of whatever you're attacking. Since that happens slowly and works its way down into the physical, it probably takes time to manifest outright physical symptoms. (Thus in line with those DoT spells.) I imagine that someone with arcane sight standing beside you would see a whole lot more than someone without any arcane sight (and I feel that means anyone with magical talent not just arcanists). Maybe anyone who can sense aether could tell that something is going on given the degree to which they're trained in that skill or talent.
Obviously you also have some pretty nice flash with two spheres and ruin so there are times when your magics are visually potent enough to really put on a light show for those who might not usually see aetheric disturbances.
This is just how I do it though as I've always been a fan of subtle magic. It's like that one Terry Goodkind series Sword of Truth, where you learn that when two mages are fighting, it looks like nothing is happening until there's a 'big bang' and then you realize one of them just lost a pretty epic chess match and you might want to take permanent cover in a bomb shelter.
