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May. 26th, 2005 10:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alexmegamiOK, Amber, you asked for information about the new Mage, so here goes...
Basically Amber, the easiest way for me to start you out would probably be to send you over to White Wolf themselves; the history as they've posted it starts here and the archetypes/paths are being posted this week here. Any information I post that can't be found there I have gleaned from the Quarterly spoilers here.
History
The basic story is: once upon a time, humanity was preyed upon by things bigger and stronger than them. However, they began to receive dreams of an island free from strife, and many of them set out to sea to reach this fabled land. When they touched ashore, each human fell into a deep sleep, while their minds travelled to astral realms.
There they met their soul-twins, who set them to a series of tests. If they surpassed these tests, their souls awoke with celestial fire (magic); if they did not, they remained Sleepers, unable to use magic.
As with almost anyone that gains great power, the mages set up a system of governance that was led by them, and then quickly fell to hubris. Thus began the first Wizard's War. The victors shoved the exiles to the corners of the earth, then created a ladder to the Realms Supernal, and went there to rule on high as gods. The exiles fought to take them down from there, since they began to affect the world with mere thoughts.
Losers on both sides of this second fight were flung back to the lower realm (our world); the ladder disintegrated, trapping the mages in the Realms Supernal there and others here. Where the ladder had been, the Abyss formed, a gulf of unreality and an aberration.
Now, would-be mages travel to Atlantis solely metaphorically, from the sounds of it, and if they make it to the Watchtower of their path, they have the option: don't carve their name there and the nightmares stop. Or carve your name there... and awaken to magic.
Mage Paths and Orders
There are five 'paths' (innate mage types) and five major orders (socio-philosophical groups).
The paths:
Acanthus - dynamic luck mages who affect Fate and Time. Stories of them are remembered by Sleepers as fae and Arcadia.
Magistos - mages who control through unfettered will, using Mind and Space. These mages are most often remembered as diabolists and demon-summoners.
Moros - the masters of the dead, use Death and Matter. These mages are remembered as the necromancers.
Obrimos - wielders of magic by pure strength, use Forces and Prime. These mages are remembered as those with divine purpose, calling down lightning from the heavens.
Thyrsus - path of the ecstatics, passion and primal action, use Life and Spirit. [Not sure what these guys are remembered as.]
The orders:
The Adamantite Arrows - defenders of mages, this group strives to protect cabals and sanctums with combat-ready magic.
The Free Council - seeks to release itself from the strictures of the past and modernize magic.
Guardians of the Veil - seek to protect the mysteries of magic from those who would despoil them or reveal them to the unenlightened.
The Mysterium - searches for valuable lore throughout the realms.
The Silver Ladder - seeks to reestablish a proper hierarchy amongst the Awakened, with themselves at the top.
And, of course, there's always "unaligned", though it's generally considered poor form to join one group and then turn your back on them (to the point that you might not be trusted by ANY of the groups).
There is also a villain-type group mentioned: Seers of the Throne (looking to take over the world in the name of the mages that are in the Realms Supernal).
Magic
The power-stat is now Gnosis rather than Arete. Spheres became Arcanum.
Fast-casting is done by rolling Gnosis + Arcanum. This means that younger mages are generally less adept at fast-casting than older ones. If you learn Rotes, however, you use Ability + Attribute + Arcanum. Thus a well-trained young mage can still have tricks beyond/stronger than what an older mage might know, but the older mage has more versatility (and more strength behind that versatility).
And, in case anyone's wondering who I've got as what:
Melody: Acanthus, Adamantite Arrow
Easton: Magistos, Adamantite Arrow
Franz: Magistos, nominally Free Council
Stefan: Acanthus or Thyrsus, unaligned
Anne: Obrimos, Free Council
Billy: Moros or Magistos, "Free Council" (Silver Ladder)
Mr. Smiler: ???
Any questions? :D
Basically Amber, the easiest way for me to start you out would probably be to send you over to White Wolf themselves; the history as they've posted it starts here and the archetypes/paths are being posted this week here. Any information I post that can't be found there I have gleaned from the Quarterly spoilers here.
History
The basic story is: once upon a time, humanity was preyed upon by things bigger and stronger than them. However, they began to receive dreams of an island free from strife, and many of them set out to sea to reach this fabled land. When they touched ashore, each human fell into a deep sleep, while their minds travelled to astral realms.
There they met their soul-twins, who set them to a series of tests. If they surpassed these tests, their souls awoke with celestial fire (magic); if they did not, they remained Sleepers, unable to use magic.
As with almost anyone that gains great power, the mages set up a system of governance that was led by them, and then quickly fell to hubris. Thus began the first Wizard's War. The victors shoved the exiles to the corners of the earth, then created a ladder to the Realms Supernal, and went there to rule on high as gods. The exiles fought to take them down from there, since they began to affect the world with mere thoughts.
Losers on both sides of this second fight were flung back to the lower realm (our world); the ladder disintegrated, trapping the mages in the Realms Supernal there and others here. Where the ladder had been, the Abyss formed, a gulf of unreality and an aberration.
Now, would-be mages travel to Atlantis solely metaphorically, from the sounds of it, and if they make it to the Watchtower of their path, they have the option: don't carve their name there and the nightmares stop. Or carve your name there... and awaken to magic.
Mage Paths and Orders
There are five 'paths' (innate mage types) and five major orders (socio-philosophical groups).
The paths:
Acanthus - dynamic luck mages who affect Fate and Time. Stories of them are remembered by Sleepers as fae and Arcadia.
Magistos - mages who control through unfettered will, using Mind and Space. These mages are most often remembered as diabolists and demon-summoners.
Moros - the masters of the dead, use Death and Matter. These mages are remembered as the necromancers.
Obrimos - wielders of magic by pure strength, use Forces and Prime. These mages are remembered as those with divine purpose, calling down lightning from the heavens.
Thyrsus - path of the ecstatics, passion and primal action, use Life and Spirit. [Not sure what these guys are remembered as.]
The orders:
The Adamantite Arrows - defenders of mages, this group strives to protect cabals and sanctums with combat-ready magic.
The Free Council - seeks to release itself from the strictures of the past and modernize magic.
Guardians of the Veil - seek to protect the mysteries of magic from those who would despoil them or reveal them to the unenlightened.
The Mysterium - searches for valuable lore throughout the realms.
The Silver Ladder - seeks to reestablish a proper hierarchy amongst the Awakened, with themselves at the top.
And, of course, there's always "unaligned", though it's generally considered poor form to join one group and then turn your back on them (to the point that you might not be trusted by ANY of the groups).
There is also a villain-type group mentioned: Seers of the Throne (looking to take over the world in the name of the mages that are in the Realms Supernal).
Magic
The power-stat is now Gnosis rather than Arete. Spheres became Arcanum.
Fast-casting is done by rolling Gnosis + Arcanum. This means that younger mages are generally less adept at fast-casting than older ones. If you learn Rotes, however, you use Ability + Attribute + Arcanum. Thus a well-trained young mage can still have tricks beyond/stronger than what an older mage might know, but the older mage has more versatility (and more strength behind that versatility).
And, in case anyone's wondering who I've got as what:
Melody: Acanthus, Adamantite Arrow
Easton: Magistos, Adamantite Arrow
Franz: Magistos, nominally Free Council
Stefan: Acanthus or Thyrsus, unaligned
Anne: Obrimos, Free Council
Billy: Moros or Magistos, "Free Council" (Silver Ladder)
Mr. Smiler: ???
Any questions? :D
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no subject
Date: 2005-05-26 05:01 pm (UTC)i like the dual casting system--younger vs older so to speak
paradigm seems to almost be universal here, all mages striving for the same goals while taking different paths to achieve it
i've heard that the abyss is what paradox has become or something along those lines
i can't wait for this book to come out though just the official character sheet would be enough for now
no subject
Date: 2005-05-26 05:07 pm (UTC)I think, though this may just be me remembering forum conjecture, that mages who develop a lot of Hubris start to get trapped in their own version of reality (a la oWoD Mauraders... or Traditionalists gone very wrong).
The Abyss widens every time a Mage uses magic in front of a Sleeper, I think.
I would love an official character sheet...
no subject
Date: 2005-05-26 05:09 pm (UTC)that would make things very interesting
no subject
Date: 2005-05-26 05:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-04 06:46 pm (UTC)I am both fascinated and confused by this "Now, would-be mages travel to Atlantis solely metaphorically, from the sounds of it, and if they make it to the Watchtower of their path, they have the option: don't carve their name there and the nightmares stop. Or carve your name there... and awaken to magic. "
And also, how do Melody and Easton fit into all this? Are they old characters of yours, or new ones, or normal humans from your story (?) that you want to write as mages, or...
Gracias again ^_^
no subject
Date: 2005-06-05 06:52 pm (UTC)Melody was a character I played in a solo game Pat ran for me. Easton was her Mentor (or Ally, can't remember offhand), and was originally not a Mage. That game did not last very long.
In the game I am going to run, they are both Awakened and part of the same social group (the Adamantite Arrows). They had very different Awakenings, though, and don't always see eye to eye.
The story Road Trip was written after the game, but Melody originated in a mage-themed short that I started to write.