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[Pbp] [OOC] Mage: The Awakening - The Texan Inquisition
cj iwakura
The Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
The Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
For sayeth the Holy Word,
if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will purify our sins,
and purify us from all unrighteousness. In the Father's name, amen.
Everyone said starting a Consilium in the heart of the Bible Belt was crazy.
The Silver Ladder were never ones to listen to reason, though.
The Ley Lines were too strong to ignore, the land too ripe with mysticism.
An agreement was laid down in advance. Of the 'you don't bother us, we don't bother you' variety.
So the Pentacle went about their business in secret, and as long as magic stayed out of public notice,
those from the Church in the know would turn a blind eye.
It was a mutual arrangement, after all. There were some threats that even the most gifted exorcists didn't know how to contend with.
As long as the Pentacle took care of threats on their end, the Church would keep the masses ignorant.
Even the most clueless of Texan Baptists would be sure to freak out if there was even a hint of ritualistic gatherings happening under their noses, after all.
Torches and pitchforks would be the least of the Consilium's worries. More like shotguns and hunting rifles.
Things went along as well as they could for years. The local Mysterium accumulated untold knowledge, the Guardians kept the Labyrinth well-maintained,
the Arrow shielded any outsiders from stray threats, and even the resident Free Councilors knew better than to push the buttons of the locals.
Until one Mage got a little too trigger-happy with a stray Seer. He hadn't just obliterated him, he'd blown up his entire church.
"It was unoccupied," he'd said in his defense. He had wanted to be sure.
Sure enough, the Seer was dead.
His connections weren't. The Ministry of the Paternoster had a lot invested in that church, and the Seer priest who was killed in the conflagration.
And just like that, any notion of the old agreement was shattered. Every priest and parish in the county knows to be on the lookout for occultists and false prophets.
Seers, Banishes, even Scelesti, anyone with a taste of Pentacle blood is closing in on this once uneventful Texas city.
The New Inquisition has begun, and the sinners must repent or burn.
Backstory
Magic exists. Once upon a time, it was the driving force behind ancient societies, and was wildly practiced in public and secret alike.
However, something went wrong. A select few aspired for more, and attained powers beyond earthly comprehension. In so doing, they left the mortal planes torn asunder.
The few who ascended gained godlike powers and rose to the station of The Exarchs. Shortly after ascending, they cast the rest of humanity down into the fallen world. Separating the fallen and the higher realms is a vast maw called The Abyss; where shadows, beasts, and all manner of unclean entities reside.
Anyone practicing magic in the fallen world without proper regard for the limitations of normalcy and reality can expect to get backhanded by a nasty force from The Abyss known as Paradox.
This means magic, once widespread amongst all, is now only practiced by a scarce few, and has to be done largely in secret. Worse, the servants of The Exarchs are many, and seek to keep magic away from the common people. These servants, known as the Seers of the Throne, believe common people are sheep and lack both the right and capacity to use magic.
Player characters take up the role of Pentacle Mages; those who were left behind when The Exarchs ascended, and want magic to be brought back to the common people.
This is no easy feat, of course, since Pentacle Mages not only have to contend with the machinations of the Seers and a magic-ignorant populace, but also the ever-present threat of Paradox, the Abyss, fallen Mages known as Scelesti, and all manner of unknown mystical threats.
However, something went wrong. A select few aspired for more, and attained powers beyond earthly comprehension. In so doing, they left the mortal planes torn asunder.
The few who ascended gained godlike powers and rose to the station of The Exarchs. Shortly after ascending, they cast the rest of humanity down into the fallen world. Separating the fallen and the higher realms is a vast maw called The Abyss; where shadows, beasts, and all manner of unclean entities reside.
Anyone practicing magic in the fallen world without proper regard for the limitations of normalcy and reality can expect to get backhanded by a nasty force from The Abyss known as Paradox.
This means magic, once widespread amongst all, is now only practiced by a scarce few, and has to be done largely in secret. Worse, the servants of The Exarchs are many, and seek to keep magic away from the common people. These servants, known as the Seers of the Throne, believe common people are sheep and lack both the right and capacity to use magic.
Player characters take up the role of Pentacle Mages; those who were left behind when The Exarchs ascended, and want magic to be brought back to the common people.
This is no easy feat, of course, since Pentacle Mages not only have to contend with the machinations of the Seers and a magic-ignorant populace, but also the ever-present threat of Paradox, the Abyss, fallen Mages known as Scelesti, and all manner of unknown mystical threats.
The Present
When a magic-ignorant human learns of magic and becomes open to its use, they 'Awaken'.
The reasons for Awakening vary from character to character. Sometimes it was a mundane traumatic experience, sometimes it was a chance encounter with a magic-wielding character, or possibly some other supernatural entity.
Whatever the cause, Awakenings also cause different sorts of magic to be accessible to a newfound Mage.
There are five paths in all, each with different specialties and weaknesses.
Acanthus
(Specialty: Fate & Time Magic)
Enchanters on the Path of Thistle work with luck, intuition and destiny.
Their awakenings tend to involve Arcadia: the realm of the Fae.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Lunargent Thorn in the Realm of Arcadia.
Generally associated with the Fae, and the Tarot of 'The Fool'.
Mastigos
(Specialty: Mind & Space)
Warlocks on the Path of Scourging work with perception and inner demons.
Their awakenings typically involve demonic or occult encounters.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Iron Gauntlet in the Realm of Pandemonium.
Generally associated with manipulation, subversion and the Tarot of 'The Devil'.
Moros
(Specialty: Death & Matter)
Necromancers on the Path of Doom work with death, mortality and material things.
Their awakenings usually involve death and encounters with the other side.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Lead Coin in the Realm of Stygia.
Generally focused on the study of transition and decay, and associated with the Tarot of 'Death'.
Obrimos
(Specialty: Prime & Forces)
Theurgists on the Path of the Mighty work with the divine energies infusing the world.
Their awakenings are typically involve flashes of divine providence, such as from angelic beings.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Golden Key in the Realm of the Aether.
Generally associated with the pursuit of power, and the Tarot of 'Strength'.
Thyrsus
(Specialty: Life & Spirit)
Shamans on the Path of Ecstasy work with all aspects of the natural world.
Their awakenings tend to involve the wild jungle. Think Jumanji.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Stone Book in the Realm of the Primal Wild.
Generally associated with the wilderness, and the Tarot of The Moon.
Once a Mage has ascended to their Path, the next thing that often happens is taking their place in modern society. This usually means deciding their role within The Pentacle; no easy feat.
The Pentacle originally consisted of four orders, but in modern times, a fifth has recently formed, largely consisting of younger Mages who wish to break with tradition and rely on more modern influences.
The Adamantine Arrow
Spiritual warriors and masters of conflict, who claim a heritage going back to the defenders of Atlantis. Currently, the Order of the Arrow could perhaps be described as something akin to a knightly sect, though bushido and other warrior codes find a place in The Arrow. These mages conduct intensive physical and mental training, honing the minds and bodies of order members into deadly weapons which magical society may then wield against its enemies (such as vampires, werewolves, Seers, and so on).
Guardians of the Veil
Spies and conspirators who claim their descent from the intelligence officers and enforcers of Atlantis' laws. Currently, they bear a resemblance to a combination of many occult conspiracies, such as the Thule and others. Many obscure their activities and identities even from other mages, and act as a check on humanity's dangerous curiosity for "that which man was not meant to know". To this end they falsify and obfuscate information through an elaborate honeycomb of lies and mis-directions known as "the Labyrinth".
The Mysterium
Dedicated to pursuit of magical lore and the acquisition, cataloging, and study of mystical and occult knowledge and artifacts. They continue the ancient heritage of the scholarly and intellectual of Atlantean society. Their internal structure often resembles the academic structures of the part of the world in which they reside. The Mysterium gathers, catalogs and maintains items of all types of magical and historical significance. These are stored in museum-libraries known as "Athenaea", which vary in size from private collections to massive storehouses that must be physically hidden by magical means.
The Silver Ladder
Dedicated to ruling and reshaping the world, the viziers and senators of Atlantis remain in force. Politicians and authoritarians, the Silver Ladder believes in creating a perfect hierarchy (with themselves at the top, of course) which will seize control of reality, subjugating it to the will of mankind. Many would say (justifiably) that the Ladder is only interested in power, but this dream is not without its altruistic appeal. As a member of the Ladder might point out, control over reality could bring an end to human suffering in all its forms.
The Free Council
Modernists who wish to create new forms of magic, a union of mages who have discovered ways of using magic that do not adhere to the Atlantean methods. According to Council members, mankind is subconsciously aware of metaphysical truths, and thus all of human society carries the potential for mystical wisdom. The 'Libertines' as they are also called, possess a strong belief in democratic process and anti-authoritarianism.
Belonging to any of the prior sects is completely optional for a character, though belonging to one can provide a safe haven and access to otherwise inaccessible information, both very valuable commodities in a world of darkness.
________________
The Campaign
Houston, Texas. A once well-established Consilium is in upheaval. The Silver Ladder Patriarch, whose protege was responsible for inadvertently riling up a mob of Baptists into a veritable Mana Hunt, have been practically ousted from power. It's now survival of the fittest. Anyone loyal to the old Patriarch has gone to ground, and the other orders who want to do things their way have established their own safe havens throughout town.
Whether your character just happened through town at the worst time imaginable, or has come to put a stop to the Seers' purge before it can truly get underway, the choice is yours.
In case you're unfamiliar, here's what's required of you for character creation.
There's character sheet PDFs here.
You can also make sheets online at Myth Weavers or via Dalines.net.
For purposes of creating a sheet, you should at very least need access to the (New) World of Darkness sourcebook for the basic stats.
It offers details on the available Skills, Merits, Flaws, Attributes, Virtues/Vices, etc. for a typical character of any sort, as well as fundamentals on gameplay mechanics.
Then you would need the Mage sourcebook for the appropriate Mage characteristics: Path, Order, Rotes, Arcana(for varieties of available magics), etc.
If you don't have either, read on.
Sheet Requirements
-Character's True Name(unknown to most) & Shadow Name(used amongst fellow Mages)
A character's True Name being widely known is very very bad as it makes them more susceptible to sympathetic forms of magic.
-Virtue & Vice
(Virtues: Charity / Faith / Fortitude / Hope / Justice / Prudence / Temperance)
(Vices: Envy / Gluttony / Greed / Lust / Pride / Sloth / Wrath)
Attributes:
(Hopefully you're reading along with a character sheet by this point for reference.)
5, 4, and 3 points, distributed between Mental, Social, and Physical stats respectively.
Acanthus, Moros, and Thyrsus Mages get a +1 to Composure, Mastigos & Obrimos get a+1 Resolve.
Skills
11, 7, and 4 points, distributed between Mental, Social, and Physical, along with 3 specialties. Specializations give a dice bonus if used during the appropriate situation.
Arcana
A Mage gets 2 dots in one Arcana, 2 in another, and 1 in a third, and a fourth dot to be used however the player likes.
Two dots must go to a Ruling Arcana(i.e. Fate & Time for Acanthus). A Mage can only reach five dots in their ruling arcana, and no higher than two in their inferior.
Rotes
6 dots. These are the spells accessible to a Mage. While having a dot in an Arcana means a Mage can improvise these spells, having a Rote means a larger dice pool, meaning it's more likely to succeed.
Merits: 7 dots
Found in the WoD sourcebook. There are also many Mage specific ones in the core sourcebook and just about every expansion sourcebook.
Starting Wisdom: 7 dots
This is a Mage's path of staying true to magic. Using magic for improper uses(i.e. murder, blatant disregard for the Veil, soul-theft) means a Mage loses wisdom, and is more susceptible to potentially losing their mind and succumbing to the Abyss.
Starting Gnosis: 3 dots
Higher Gnosis gives a Mage more mana(or MP technically). Gnosis tends to improve as a Mage becomes more gifted in magic, but also results in higher chance of incurring Paradox.
A character's True Name being widely known is very very bad as it makes them more susceptible to sympathetic forms of magic.
-Virtue & Vice
(Virtues: Charity / Faith / Fortitude / Hope / Justice / Prudence / Temperance)
(Vices: Envy / Gluttony / Greed / Lust / Pride / Sloth / Wrath)
Attributes:
(Hopefully you're reading along with a character sheet by this point for reference.)
5, 4, and 3 points, distributed between Mental, Social, and Physical stats respectively.
Acanthus, Moros, and Thyrsus Mages get a +1 to Composure, Mastigos & Obrimos get a+1 Resolve.
Skills
11, 7, and 4 points, distributed between Mental, Social, and Physical, along with 3 specialties. Specializations give a dice bonus if used during the appropriate situation.
Arcana
A Mage gets 2 dots in one Arcana, 2 in another, and 1 in a third, and a fourth dot to be used however the player likes.
Two dots must go to a Ruling Arcana(i.e. Fate & Time for Acanthus). A Mage can only reach five dots in their ruling arcana, and no higher than two in their inferior.
Rotes
6 dots. These are the spells accessible to a Mage. While having a dot in an Arcana means a Mage can improvise these spells, having a Rote means a larger dice pool, meaning it's more likely to succeed.
Merits: 7 dots
Found in the WoD sourcebook. There are also many Mage specific ones in the core sourcebook and just about every expansion sourcebook.
Starting Wisdom: 7 dots
This is a Mage's path of staying true to magic. Using magic for improper uses(i.e. murder, blatant disregard for the Veil, soul-theft) means a Mage loses wisdom, and is more susceptible to potentially losing their mind and succumbing to the Abyss.
Starting Gnosis: 3 dots
Higher Gnosis gives a Mage more mana(or MP technically). Gnosis tends to improve as a Mage becomes more gifted in magic, but also results in higher chance of incurring Paradox.
If anyone lacks the appropriate corebooks and needs more detailed information, feel free to PM me or ask in-thread.
I would prefer a minimum of four players, and no more than six.
cj iwakura on
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HoTS: Schmutz#1686
Only one sorta finished character so far, so yes.
If anyone needs help on creation, feel free to ask. Also consider the following: what made your character Awaken? A fluke encounter with an occultist? Seeing actual magic happen in the street? Some crazed Scelesti/Seer assault? That's usually the key spark, that and why they signed up with an Order(if any).
Here's where I'm starting mechanically
Samuel “Baron Midnight” Daye
Umbral Impressario
Charity/Pride
Mastyigos – The Bearers of the Eternal Voice
Mind **
Death **
Space *
Animate Shadows **
Decay Death **
Emotional Urging **
Intelligence**
Wits***
Resolve***
Strength**
Dexterity***
Stamina*
Presence***
Manipulation***
Composure **
Merits
SANCTUM
LIBRARY
GOOD LOOKS
Barfly *
I'm still unsure on what arcana to put my final dot in
Mind 3 Space 2 Death 1
Or
Mind 2 Space 2 Death 2
I'm also not completely locked in with rotes,
Loose background
Eldest son of a lawyer and teacher who Deadicated their lives to helping the community. Seers saw them as a threat and dealt with them through deamons. Unbeknownst to them Young Sam saw the deamon attack and awakened. Using charm and guile Sam took care of his sisters while searching for the answers to what he saw attack his parents, as well as the demonic voices he hears telling him he is worthless. (His primary vice is pride, he loathes those who think themselves above him.)
Rent a place for his sanctum above a popular state school's college bar called The Library. So many different minds and vices going in and out, fuel his magic. During the day when folks are alone drinking their sorrows, he crafts subtle magics. At night when the youths rage he crafts more aggressive stuff.
I'm torn on the Order he'll choose. He hates hierarchy and manipulative bastards (despite kind of being one) but loves outsmarting folks and figuring shit out. Think con man that does it for the thrill.
And I think it's good to have one strong Arcana, so I'd suggest Mind 3.
All according to keikaku motherfuckers!
I know we are still feeling things out but, I'm really kind of digging the Arrow? Like as an extenstion of his need to outsmart assholes and prove himself. He craves the rush of doing battle with these forces that did what they did to his parents.
Intelligence (••) Wits (•••) Resolve (•••)
Strength (•) Dexterity (•••) Stamina (••)
Presence(•••) Manipulation(•••) Composure (••)
Size 5, Health 7, Defense 2, Initiative Mod 5,
Speed 9, Willpower 5, Gnosis 3, Mana 12
Barfly (•)
Quick Draw (•)
Status (Adamant Arrow) (•)
Striking Looks (••)
Fighting Finesse (••)
Academics (•)
Computer (•)(•) Hacking
Investigation (•)
Occult (•)(•)(•)
Larceny (•)(•) Pick-pocketing
Stealth (•)
Weaponry (•)
Empathy (•)(•)(•)
Expression (•)
Persuasion (•)(•)
Socialize (•)
Streetwise (•)(•)
Subterfuge (•)(•) Lying
Quell the Spark pg 145
We don't need no stinkin Prime magic
It may require 5 dots of Death magics though
At the moment I am, so, will do.
Incidentally, there isn't really a clear Hierarch in the area at the moment. It's sort of being run by a council. Some say the Guardians have the most pull, though.
I wish you guys luck!
Adamantine Arrow Rote: Psyche's Dart
Dice Pool: Resolve + Intimidation + Mind 3 - Resolve
There are those who think the Adamantine Arrow is nothing more than a gang of thugs who brandish vulgar magic in the name of peace. Most mages of that order are content to allow detractors such illusions, keeping their silence about rotes such as this one. Often dismissed as a seizure or other neurological ailment, this magic constitutes a potent weapon in the Arrow arsenal. In fact, it is so effective and discrete that it is used, in one form or another, by most mages sufficiently skilled in the Mind Arcanum.
Dispel Magic (Prime •)
Mages can dismantle or dispel existing
spells, a process also known as
“unweaving.”
Practice: Compelling
Action: Instant and contested; successes
are compared to the target spell’s
Potency
Duration: Lasting
Aspect: Covert
Cost: 1 Mana
Supernal Vision (Prime •)
The mage gains the Mage Sight (see “Mage Sight,” p. 110). This is the most potent of the resonance-detecting senses
and the Storyteller should be lavish with its details, explaining intricacies of any given source of resonance that would
likely be invisible to one using another Arcanum. Some details, however, are best analyzed with other Arcana (in the
way that Matter is best suited to “thick” or “ponderous” resonances), or better still in conjunction with Prime. Many
mages describe this sense as sight, though some claim to “smell” or “taste” lingering sorcery on a person or place. Others
simply speak of a sixth sense or other esoteric perception that defies ordinary categorization.
Practice: Unveiling
Action: Instant
Duration: Prolonged
(one scene)
Aspect: Covert
Cost: None
Spatial Map (Space •)
Adamantine Arrow Rote: Ballistic Targeting
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Occult + Space
Arrow mages who learn this rote can
be crack shots during a blizzard in the
middle of the night (or at least not
have whatever prowess they naturally
possess suffer for adverse conditions).
Any willworker in need of a good spatial
sense in a tense situation can benefit
from this rote.
Protections:
Diplomat's Protection
Arcana: Mind 3
Practice: Ruling
Action: Instant
Duration: Prolonged (one scene)
Aspect: Covert
Cost: None
Untouchable
Arcana: Space 2
Practice: Shielding
Action: Instant
Duration: Prolonged (one scene)
Aspect: Covert
Cost: 1 Mana (optional)
Prime Sight is considered the best sight for determining magical resonance in an area(though a few others can work as well).
What are the benefits of rotes?