Arcane Lore was a unicorn noble born in 425 AE in Equestria, the year Discord was stoned. His mother was Draconic Lore (b. 401), daughter of Chaotic Lore (b. 374), son of [[Esoteric Lore]] (b. 348), and he was the scion of a [[Noble House of Lore|pre-Discordian noble family]] whose political aspirations after the Restoration of pony rule were limited by rumors of collaboration during the war. As a young noblepony, Arcane was intelligent and quick-witted, though often he neglected his schoolwork in favor of more enjoyable activities. He was forced into a political marriage with a cousin, Oracular Lore, to consolidate family holdings. Their union produced one legitimate child, Tenebrific Lore, who would go on to inherit the House of Lore's estate. The marriage was unhappy, with numerous instances of infidelity by both partners.

With little interest in the day-to-day administration of his feudal estate, which was left to Oracular Lore, Arcane often went adventuring in the colonies and new frontiers opened by the conclusion of the first Discordian war. During one such adventure, he fathered twin fillies with a young unicorn zony, Elixir Vitae. The twins, [[Eldritch Lore (the Elder)]] and [[Cryptic Lore]] were both highly magical unicorns (technically unicorn zonies, though both identified and passed as unicorns as adults.) Arcane, not unusually, acknowledged his bastards and sponsored their education, perhaps hoping to staff his chancery with relatives. Eldritch left the family holdings to study magic and became a government wizard, then, eventually, the Ensconced Archmage of the Southern Colonies.

Eventually, Arcane Lore began to practice necromancy, and, when his activities were exposed, he fled. His activities in the Southern Colonies became notorious, and at one point he fought a magical duel with his daughter Eldritch. He was defeated, but escaped. He eventually attempted to become a lich, but was apparently unsuccessful, and was not heard from after the close of the fifth century AE.