His working life was about the beauty of numbers, the passion for accuracy and the deep satisfaction of arcane knowledge.

Every so often, he glanced across the table with a conspiratorial light in his eyes, as though we were sharing some arcane knowledge.

These are all well-wrought poems, drawing witty arguments and analogies from his characteristic fund of what seems to modern readers like arcane knowledge, from logic, alchemy and the new astronomy.

As ever, the arcane knowledge and ability to divine cryptic connections of participants will dazzle slower listeners (me).

With the help of their arcane knowledge, they can protect themselves and their companions from harm, or increase the strength of the entire party.