Mage

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“The book I'm looking for,' says the blurred figure, who holds out a volume similar to yours, 'is the one that gives the sense of the world after the end of the world, the sense that the world is the end of everything that there is in the world, that the only thing there is in the world is the end of the world.”

― Italo Calvino, If on a winter's night a traveler

Reality is a lie. We're born, we come of age, maybe we go to college, maybe we start working, maybe we get married, maybe we have kids, then we die. The cycle repeats itself over and over again. This is our so-called Consensual Reality, and it's a fucking lie.

Mages are people who have seen past the lie in some way. Reality is a series of agreed-upon principles that are given strength due to the nature of the human will, the expectation that things are just so and that any deviation from the way things will unbalance the world that we have created for ourselves. Three factions of Mages exist: the Traditions are mystic and mystic-adjacent Awakened who understand that magick is real and they use it to manipulate reality and would guide humanity to accept the wonder of the world; the Technocracy is the faction of the status quo, organized to guide humanity to understand science and reason over superstition and, as such, are diametrically opposed to the Traditions; the Nephandi seek destruction in all forms, wishing to bring an end to Reality as a whole out of either their own personal desire or the desire of strange, otherworldly patrons.

Mages have struggled against one another for centuries in the Ascension War. Ascension is the goal of all Mages (even the Nephandi have Descension), but the nature of Ascension is obscure and often left to the eye of the beholder. Some would say it's the enlightenment of all humanity, whereas others will point to their own individual enlightenment being paramount. Legend has it that some Nephandi have created their own universes of pain and torture deep in the heart of the Void. Regardless, the factions battle and bicker and fight among themselves. Certain Traditions have even warred with other Traditions.

Prehistory

Awakened Society in San Diego is ancient. Long ago, before the Kumeyaay people came to the region, when it was largely despoiled by human hands save for those few passing nomads who traveled away from the predation of the Impergium, the land was larger, with the great plains populated by all manner of creatures before they would be flooded by the glaciers and ice sheets that crawled on either side of the world. The myths of the ancient people say that what would become the La Jolla Sea Plain was flooded quickly, catching all of the creatures that walked, crawled, or slithered there off guard. Some say that this is why the area is replete with Quintessence: life essence remaining after the flesh was swept away by the hand of God, or the gods.

Mammoths were hunted in San Diego over one hundred thousand years ago. To state that anyone, Awakened or otherwise, knows what happened in that ancient time would be an act of supreme hubris; rather, the scientific record shows that prehistoric humanity hunted mammoths, used their bones for structures, used their bones for rituals. Perhaps some of those rituals were magickal. Perhaps they were merely superstitions. Either way, the course of the land was set. The first structured rituals in evidence that were magickal in nature could be traced back to ten thousand years before the Kumeyaay tribe began to occupy the estuaries of San Diego. These rituals were focused on simple things: calling the clouds for rain, attempting to see through time to the next harvest, healing the sick, improving fertility. Some of the earliest spells cast in this place were ingenious in their cunning, allowing for great constructions of impenetrable stone that were eventually crumbled by the weight of Paradox as belief decayed and static Reality began to seep into the land. Bits and pieces of these things can be found, prickling awareness like radioactive detritus alights Geiger counters.

Eventually, whatever prehistorical, post-Impergium human life that existed in the region established societies along with newcomers from the north, consolidating into the first organized tribes of indigenous Americans.

Pre-Colombian History

Several tribes made their home around San Diego. The original inhabitants, and likely those who cast those first clever rituals, were the Kumeyaay. They were joined by other Yuman-speaking people who drifted back and forth in nomadic groups from the sea to the inland plains. Life was largely good in this area; the land was bounteous and seas were plentiful. The people were often well-fed and content to their lot. The leaders of each tribe were often advised by shamans. Despite modern misconceptions, Awakened were no more common then than they are now. Actual willworkers were rare, with many shamans of tribes being hedge magicians or sorcerers, learning “static” magick through training and the experience of their mentors rather than changing reality with their will and Avatar.

Awakened were often mistrusted by others as they are now. The werecreatures of the region had more connections to the people of the tribes than their European peers. Still, they understood the threat that the Awakened posed towards their sacred places. The war against the Wyrm had begun long ago, although the Uktena had begun to lock Banes away and seal them rather than destroy them utterly. Curious willworkers, shamans (for there were no Traditions and the idea of calling them “Dreamspeakers” for the sake of them being indigenous would be disingenuous) and other Awakened found themselves seeking out these Bane spirits to ask for powers beyond mortal ken. They would often even get their way.

Halyaxai’s Story -- 3000 BCE

The most successful shaman in San Diego 5,000 years ago was who we would call a Nephandus today. His actual name was lost, but he was known simply as Halyaxai, the Kumeyaay word for the new moon. He had been Kumeyaay and was known to be a sweet child, but cruelty had wormed itself into his heart with the betrayal of his family. He was sent as a peace offering to be a hostage to a hostile group of Cahuilla people. They kept him with the dogs and fed him offal and blood for nourishment. Eventually, Halyaxai broke free of his restraints in a surge of the Awakened soul.

Humanity has rarely changed since homo sapiens began walking the face of the Earth. Hurt people often hurt other people. In the wilderness between the camps of his birth and his capture, he found men who had forsaken the safety of the tribes. Criminals, cannibals, and those who were simply desperate and exiled. Honing htem into a powerful force, equipped with weapons harder and sharper than steel, they put Halyaxai’s tribe to the spear. The Cahuilla tribe that had kept him hostage were treated with harsh indignities. A hedge magick shaman who traveled with Halyaxai wrote that following the final battle with the Cahuilla, he had walked into the nearby canyon and found a hole in the ground. When the shaman arrived at the hole, he found it warm and dripping like torn flesh. This was Halyaxai’s Caul, his entrance to Nightside. The unnamed shaman never found it again, so goes the legend.

Halyaxai’s Descent was the foundation of one of the strongest Labyrinths connected to the Pure Lands. Halyaxai had no interest in following the Wyrm or some group of infernal gods and demons, but found peace in the void itself. He is said to have constructed a great underground citadel somewhere near Otay Mountain. Then, he all but disappeared from popular conciousness, becoming a kind of bogeyman for the Kumeyaay bands that traveled near Otay. The dark truth is that once every season, Halyaxai’s Lords of the Outer Dark would call for blood. He would sacrifice his own followers whom he found useless or unable to help him further; if he had none to provide, his band of marauding raiders would capture any human they could find in the area.

It’s said that Halyaxai became the Oracle of Life. While it is unclear how true this is, he no longer seems to serve that position.

Rise of the Kumeyaay

Following the disappearance of Halyaxai’s band, the Kumeyaay were the ascendant tribe in the region. More than that, the first powerful node was found in San Diego, on the spot where the Mission Basilica is today. There was an immediate struggle to control this powerful font of magick, with the Garou who had Kumeyaay kin claiming it was rightfully theirs by right of territory. The Kumeyaay Mages, finding themselves outnumbered, joined into a coalition with Cahuilla and Digueno Mages to put up a united front against the

Post-Colombian History

The Modern Era

The World at War(s)

The Postmodern Era

Death of the First Cabal

The End of the Ascension War

The only place that is explicitly controlled by Mages outside of the Chantries and Constructs (and God/s help us, the Labyrinths) is Point Loma. Iteration X and the Void Engineers maintain strict monitoring of the peninsula. While you probably won't be immediately pegged as a supernatural creature or Reality Deviant if you go to Point Loma, if you start slinging powers around you absolutely will get a reaction from the Technocracy.

Polaris Society
Overview: The Polaris Society was developed in 1905, originally as a group of spiritualists who had a loose confederation and alliance. One of their primary methods of sustaining themselves was in the trade and collection of occult tomes. While often fake, enough were real that they did a brisk amount of business in selling occult works to various parties in a fairly mercenary fashion. The Society came to prominence during the 1920s as more of the Magi, fed up with stifling politics in Los Angeles and further afield, came to San Diego to establish themselves. The Polaris Society today has an ostentatious amount of wealth due to good fortune and good breeding. They no longer sell their occult tomes, but maintain one of the most impressive libraries of magickal knowledge on the West Coast.
Ideological Perspective: Knowledge is power and power is privilege. The Polaris Society has never forgotten its initial purpose as purveyors and collectors of knowledge. Their officers instruct the apprentices and novices of the Chantry that the acquisition of knowledge is of the utmost importance, as it will lead to further enlightenment within their own ranks. They employ many means to acquire this knowledge, from simple purchase and investigation, to more nefarious means via assassination and theft. However, as the foremost collectors and keepers of occult and magickal knowledge, they have the right to these texts. After all, if left in the hands of Sleepers or those who do not know what power they have, the grimoires and treatises and other texts will fall into ruin and disuse.
Common Traditions: Order of Hermes, Cultists of Ecstasy, Euthanatos, occasionally Akashic Brotherhood
House/Building: The Polaris Society maintains a house near Broadway Pier with seaside views. While the house itself is unassuming, the interior of it is more impressive. It maintains a constant connection to a small horizon realm where most of the Chantry's business takes place. The horizon realm is called Polaris and seems to be fixed on a flat plane that orbits the star of its namesake. A large domed building makes up the location of the library, but the horizon realm operates based on a mystic paradigm and is able to be walked upon without protective gear. Little houses have been constructed by consors and members of the Chantry, and some bygones -- particularly rocs and stranger xenomorph creatures -- have made their homes here.
Location in City: Downtown/Waterfront
Goals:

   1) Collect occult knowledge: Initial plots for this Chantry will revolve around the acquisition of some grimoires.
   2) Establish Sleeper Mystery Cults: The Polaris Society has one they use focused around the concept of old school Golden Dawn eschatology and theosophy. They want to establish more cults to integrate other occult beliefs into working on preparing to Awaken promising Sleepers. (edited)

The Great Pacific Communications Collective
Overview: Unique among Chantries, the Great Pacific Communications Collective (GPCC) began life as a Technocratic Construct aligned to the Analytical Reckoners in the late 19th century, who would become the Virtual Adepts later. Following the wholesale defection of the Convention to the Traditions, the GPCC followed and opened its doors to anyone who had an interest in plumbing the depths of the spheres of Correspondence and Time. While many of their members are technomantic, they do not explicitly state that membership is centered around a technomagickal paradigm, only that everyone who joins be opened minded between both the mystical and technological traditions.
Ideological Perspective: Unity and utopia. Perhaps maintaining some of their original perspective that they held as members of the Technocratic Union, the GPCC still believes in the concepts of building utopia -- albeit from a Traditionalist perspective -- and in unifying humanity against the greater threats that they perceive. Because of their historical skill in Correspondence and Time, they have seen grave threats to Earth. Several of their officers maintain consistent connections to the Digital Web.
Common Traditions: Virtual Adepts, Sons of Ether, Order of Hermes, some Cult of Ecstasy
House/Building: The American Telephone & Telegraph building was initially created in the late 1800s by the Analytical Reckoners to provide low-cost phone service throughout San Diego. Since then, it has remained in their hands. The building is a traditional corporation, and still maintains a subcontract for telephone service through major providers.
Location in City: Hillcrest
Goals:

   1) Defend the Digital Web: For whatever reason connections to the Digital Web are under assault in San Diego. There are even some spirits that have started to attack entrances to the Digital Web through the Umbra. The GPCC stands to try to defend it and ensure consistent access to it, with the understanding that if the Digital Web is severed from the city, they will not be able to dispense data among the Sleepers and Awakened alike.
   2) Dispense and disperse information: Ideologically opposed in some respects to the Polaris Society, the GPCC believes that information should be free. While they do not specify on occult information, it falls under that purview. This has caused some strained relationships in the past between the two groups.

Kis-amnawut of Mukat (House of the Creator)
Overview: Not originally a "chantry," the Awakened shamans of the Cahuilla traveled to a specific Node in the region, upon which was built the Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala. A longstanding conflict between the Celestial Chorus who took the Node for themselves and the Dreamspeakers that made up the Kis-amnawut of Mukat came to a treaty in the mid-1800s. The two Traditions have since had an uneasy alliance and manage the Node that sits in the bowels of Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala.
Ideological Perspective: Traditionalism and preservation. The preservation of the Earth is the name of the game for the Kis-amnawuti. They work in a variety of causes related to combating exploitation of the Earth, and work with Sleeper activists to build popular support for their causes. They also believe in preservation of the original languages and belief systems of the indigenous people of Southern California. While money is often funneled into causes, the Kis-amnawut of Mukat is known for its bombastic direct action. This is very attractive to people of action, such as the followers of Akashayana.
Common Traditions: Dreamspeakers, Celestial Chorus, Verbena, Akashic Brotherhood
House/Building: Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala. The Node exists in the cellar, which was once a natural cavern. The Node has a powerful (level 5) resonance that is linked to creation and new life.
Location in City: Mission City
Goals:

   1) Build popular support for causes: Unique among the Chantries, the Kis-amnawuti are very focused in building support among Sleepers for their causes. They believe that the real force in the world is less focused around the Awakened and more centered around the power of the teeming masses. Their causes are usually environmentally focused or focused on indigenous rights.
   2) Establish a strong united front against the Technocracy: The Kis-amnawuti have not forgotten many of the horrors of the early days of the Ascension War. As such, they have not forgiven the Technocracy and actively seek to set up strong defenses against the Technocrats in case the Ascension War turns from cold to hot again.

Construct 12A6-A (Project Thalassa)
Overview: Construct 12A6-A was established as part of a joint operation of Iteration X and the Void Engineers during the 1940s following the Manhattan Project. Iteration X was developing new armaments for the United States Navy during World War II, and the Void Engineers had become aware of deep sea Reality Deviants. As a result, and utilizing cutting edge (at the time) submarine technology, the Void Engineers established 12A6-B, which sits at the edge of the continental shelf in La Jolla Fan Valley. One of the few oceanic-focused Constructs in the Technocracy's North American division, 12A6-A sees a great deal of traffic by various factions that seek more information and knowledge about the ocean depths. They also work with Masses organizations, such as the Naval Ocean Systems Center (NOSC) by providing new and improved naval armaments to the United States military for Masses testing. The Void Engineers work with the National Ocean and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) to keep certain information out of public hands.
Ideological Perspective: The final Earthly frontier will be conquered. Construct 12A6-A is organized towards the destruction of, and sterilization of all Deviant oceanic creatures. They have found and sterilized two oceanic nodes, one off the coast of Catalina Island, and another deeper into the abyssal plane west of 12A6-B and have attempted to create a patrol district in San Diego to ensure minimal incursions of aquatic Reality Deviants.
Common Conventions: Iteration X, Void Engineers
House/Building: Construct 12A6-A is located in the Naval Health Research Center. Once inside NHRC, Technocratic Citizens can take an elevator that sinks below the facility which will allow access to the Construct. From here, there is a tunnel that leads out west of Point Loma and emerges with a moonpool near New Hope Rock. From here, a submarine can be taken to 12A6-B.
Location in City: South Point Loma
Goals:

   1) Sanitize oceanic nodes: There are several oceanic nodes around San Diego Bay and off the coast of California. These nodes are kept by Reality Deviants and abberations like theriomorph sharks. 12A6-A/B intends to sanitize these nodes and bring them under Technocratic control to feed the primal essence back into weapon and undersea colony construction.
   2) Continue to build out 12A6-B: Currently, 12A6-B (Damian Ridge Colony) is a research outpost. The Construct intends to bring more Extraordinary Citizens and unEnlightened Technocratic Citizens there to build the first underwater domed city. This should allow for further testing and experimentation to understand deep space colonization and defense against Reality Deviants on the Homefront.

Construct 899GEC (Pharmalab Station)
Overview: In the late 80s, San Diego became wealthy due to multiple pharmaceutical companies moving into city limits. The Syndicate and Progenitors, seeing an opportunity for money and testing (respectively), constructed Pharmalab Station in downtown San Diego. While 899GEC primarily caters to Pharmacopoeists and Psychopharmacopoeists, there is a small FACADE Engineer lab. Applied Sciences also works with the Financiers' Entrepreneurship Division to manage three small high-end clinics that cater to the wealthy of San Diego, providing high quality (and high cost) health care. Through these dual programs, they are able to take promising medical and pharmacology graduate students as interns, allowing further initiation of potential citizens and extensive Social Conditioning. The New World Order maintains a presence to ensure Social Conditioning contagion among medical interns, helping to spread the message of utopia and a science-led world.
Ideological Perspective: Outreach and capitalism are the bedrock of our future. Through utilization of existing programs, Construct 899GEC utilizes a curious blend of Social Conditioning and individualism to build up their numbers and fill their pockets. Through this, they are able to further finance more cutting edge (and somewhat outlandish) hypertechnology and biotechnology projects. Project FACADE directly benefits from the funds acquired via the clinics around the city. The Progenitors of Applied Sciences in 899GEC also feel that through outreach in local clinics, they can further spread the Technocratic paradigm and prevent Reality Deviant influence.
Common Conventions: Progenitor, Syndicate, New World Order
House/Building: Pharmalab Station occupies the top ten floors of Symphony Towers in the downtown Financial District.
Location in City: Downtown
Goals:

   1) I need a new drug: Pharmalab Station is focused primarily on the creation of substances to heal the sick. Lately they have been working on creating treatments for neurodegenerative disorders utilizing rare elements pulled from VE mining rigs from Construct 12A6-B.
   2) Track promising Sleepers: There are a lot of very high-achieving Sleepers who pass through training programs in San Diego. This may be UC San Diego, or through the US Naval Base. Either way, the Syndicate throws a lot of funding to finding promising candidates to join the Technocracy. This is also an entry point for new PCs. The Progenitors have rigged a machine that detects nascent Geniuses while interviewing potential intern applicants.

Elohim's Tear-Stricken Lament
Overview:
Ideological Perspective:
Common Factions: Infernalist
House/Building:
Location in City:
Goals:

   1) Blah
   2) Blah

The Endless Echoed Void Beyond: Ghozh'mi's Music Hall
Overview:
Ideological Perspective:
Common Factions: K'llashaa
House/Building:
Location in City:
Goals:

   1) Blah
   2) Blah

The Well
Overview:
Ideological Perspective:
Common Factions: Malfean
House/Building: There is a well in Old Town constructed in the early 18th century. If you go there at a specific time of night, on a specific day, you can drop in to land in this Labyrinth. Alternatively, you can just step sideways there if you have no flair for the dramatic.
Location in City:
Goals:

   1) Blah
   2) Blah

Chargen Guides

Traditions Chargen GuideTechnocracy Chargen GuideNephandi Chargen GuideBygone Chargen GuideRestricted Concepts/Stats

Concepts

Any concept marked rare will need to fill out a restricted concept pitch application and await approval prior to moving forward through chargen.

Building a Traditionalist

Playing a Traditionalist on Dies Irae

Category	Types
Common	Celestial Chorus, Euthanatos/Chakravanti, Cult of Ecstasy/Sahajiya
Uncommon	Akashic Brotherhood, Dreamspeakers, Virtual Adepts, Order of Hermes
Rare	Verbena, Sons/Society of Ether
Unlikely/ Very Rare	n/a

Concepts

Any concept marked rare will need to fill out a restricted concept pitch application and await approval prior to moving forward through chargen.

Building a Technocrat

Playing a Technocrat on Dies Irae

Category	Types
Common	Syndicate, Progenitor, Iteration X
Uncommon	Void Engineer
Rare	New World Order
Unlikely/ Very Rare	n/a

Concepts

Any concept marked rare will need to fill out a restricted concept pitch application and await approval prior to moving forward through chargen.

Building a Nephandus

Playing a Nephandus on Dies Irae

Playing a Nephandus on Dies Irae is less splatterpunk horror and more slow, corrupting horror. Some cultural touchstones of this are movies like Speak No Evil where dehumanization is weaponized to such an extent that it destroys two people. Nephandi in San Diego are on the back foot, given the strength of the Technocracy.

Category	Types
Common	n/a
Uncommon	Malfean, Infernalist
Rare	K'llashaa
Unlikely/ Very Rare	n/a

Bygone have their own page for walking through the chargen process found here.

Restricted Merits/Flaws

• Kinfolk/Shapechanger Kin: It's important to understand why you want to be Kinfolk. Mages are traditionally a very gregarious group of people and Dies Irae does not limit interactions with other spheres. Therefore, you could as a normal Mage, hang out with shifters. That said, kinfolk and mages are at a strange crossroads. Kinfolk have many expectations in Garou society; Mages are often seen as dangerous enemies who destroy Caerns and steal Fetishes to drink the magical energy within. Additionally, Mages also often have very strange relationships with spirits and seem to not have much in the way of knowledge about the Triat. This leads to Kinfolk Mages living very precarious lives where they often cannot speak about their Awakened life to their Shifter (and generally speaking, Garou) relatives, or their shifter relationships to their Awakened Cabalmates. You will be expected to understand how your character fits into whatever Shifter group you are kinfolk of and how this dichotomy affects their lives. This can often be the entire struggle of a character and their entire RP focus, so please bear that in mind. Kinfolk Mages will be a dual-sphere character who will need to work with both Shifter staff and Mage staff on their concepts. Please make sure that your character's relationship (or lack thereof if you're a callow/unknowing kinfolk) is indicated in your background.
• Twin Souls: This Merit requires another PC to take it as well. It also requires a good justification as to why and how you have this, how it's affected your characters' lives, and what you stand to gain out of it. This can be a very powerful merit insofar as it allows two fairly strong characters and a way to channel more quintessence than usual with a very strong Avatar.
• Fae Blood: While not as hardcore on disliking Mages as the Garou/Fera, Changelings who realize that Mages can drain Tass from their Balefires may also not be too pleased at having them around. Similar to being Kinfolk, please indicate how your being Kinain has affected you, how your character has dealt with this, and what you intend to do within both Changeling and Mage spheres. As per the books, you cannot take this if you are a Technomancer of any sort.
• Oracular Ability: Oracular powers can be both difficult to run in a MU* setting due to the number of players involved in any given plot, and can also be hard to keep track of. This will be heavily evaluated if taken.
• Inner Knight: Restricted for everyone except Technocrats.
• Nephilim/Laham: Someone attempting to app in as a half-angel/half-demon will be heavily scrutinized. Your Paradigm should reflect this merit, and you should have some decent reason for why you've escaped the notice of some of the more martial groups of Celestial Choristers who try to hunt your kind.
• Taint of Corruption: This is the old 'Widderslainte' flaw (or merit, if you're a Nephandus). This is a very powerful flaw/merit for Nephandi or practitioners of Maleficia (automatic -2 diff to "evil" magicks), so we'll just make sure the concept works for what you're going for.

Banned Merits/Flaws

• Shattered Avatar: You'll be allowed to purchase Avatar after chargen with plots dedicated towards it. This merit is superfluous as a result.
• Faerie Affinity: This is intended to work on Changelings. It is not suitable for a MUSH environment that has a Changeling sphere.
• Supernatural Companion: This merit is designed explicitly for tabletop, allowing you to have an ally/friend who is a member of another supernatural group. It is not appropriate for a MUSH environment.
• Guardian Angel: This merit is inappropriate for a MUSH.
• Extreme Kink: This flaw is inappropriate for a staffer to monitor on a MUSH (and also I'd rather just not).
• True Love: This merit is very hard to track on a multiplayer game, especially if there are two players with True Love as there is an implication of conflict to create drama and tragedy within the context of the 'Path of True Love.' There just isn't enough time to do that justice on a MUSH, not to say that you can't have characters who truly love each other, just not who truly love each other to the extent that they autosucceed on Willpower rolls.
• Double Agent: If you want to play this concept, you won't get freebie points for it. Just app in the concept. There will be IC consequences if you're discovered, of course.
• Echo Chamber: It's next to impossible to monitor this at the level it requires for a 4-point flaw.
• Probationary Member: As per Double Agent, if you defect from the Traditions to the Technocracy or vice-versa (social conditioning ain't all it's cracked up to be), you'll experience the consequences in play. You can't start as a defected member, or at least as one who's still seen as potentially traitorous. If you have enmity with your old group, take Enemy or Hit List.
• Storm Warden: The Avatar Storm never happened in this universe.
• True Faith: True Faith works like a sorcerous path here and only applies to Mortals.
• Powerful Ally: As per M20: Book of Secrets, this merit acts as Supernatural Companion only much stronger.
• Apprentice: If you want a clueless apprentice, you're free to advertise on the boards!
• Blood-Hungry Soul: As per our restrictions on ghouls, Mages won't be able to retain their Avatars if they're ghouled (it's a straight shot to Jhor and probably the Qlippoth if they could). Therefore, a Mage could not have been a ghoul in a previous incarnation.
• Bedeviled: This is inappropriate for a MUSH.

Restricted Concepts

• Batini: Although they have survived the purge of the Crafts/Disparates, the Batini will require a good justification for why they're in San Diego. They are considered Ultra Rare.
• Orphans: Orphans require being a bit of a self-starter. It's a good idea to talk through your concept before settling on it. Orphans are considered Uncommon in San Diego.
• Hollow Ones: Similar to Orphans, Hollowers are not really members of the Traditions, Nephandi, or Technocracy. They require some work getting started. Please check with your concept before asking. They are considered Rare.
• SPD Technocrats: These are allowed and fine to take, but you will need to get approved by both Mage and Wyrm staff. They have the same rarity considerations as any other Syndicate Mage.

Banned Concepts

• Nephandi BSD Kinfolk: I would really rather not. Nephandi who want to be considered part of the Wyrm sphere will need to be employed by Pentex. This even goes for Malfeans. Remember, you are not Wyrmish as a Nephandus, you serve oblivion/universal Entropy in some way. We might be splitting hairs, but BSDs aren't any more inclined to trust you than they would any other Mage.
• Kinain-Kinfolk Mages: Just... no, man.
• Disparates: Should go without saying, but there are really no Disparates anymore.
• Ghoul Mages: Not allowing ghouls at this time. If it comes up in play, I will address it then.
• Marauders: You can't be an insane demigod who whimsically changes Reality. a) Most mages kind of are this already; and b) this is a deeply difficult concept to play in tabletop, let alone a MUSH.

Anything marked restricted will need to fill out a restricted concept pitch application and await approval prior to moving forward through chargen.

Rules and Houserules

ParadigmPracticesInstrumentsHow to MagickParadox and QuietResonance and SynergyPrP/Plot GuideSorcerers

• A Mechanistic Cosmos: The universe operates like a complex machine governed by laws that mages can understand and manipulate.

• A World of Gods and Monsters: The world is shaped by powerful divine and monstrous beings whose influences mages can harness.

• Bring Back the Golden Age!: The past holds an idealized era of perfection that mages strive to restore through their magic.

• Aliens Make Us What We Are: Extraterrestrial beings have shaped human evolution and continue to influence our reality.

• All the World’s a Stage: Reality is a grand performance where everyone plays their part, and magic is the art of altering the script.

• All Power Comes from God(s): Magic is a gift from a deity or deities, used according to divine will.

• Ancient Wisdom is the Key: Ancient knowledge and traditions hold the secrets to manipulating reality.

• Ancestor Veneration: The wisdom and power of ancestors guide and empower the living, with magic honoring their legacy.

• Consciousness is the Only True Reality: Reality is a projection of consciousness, and magic involves manipulating the mind to alter the world.

• Creation’s Divine and Alive: The universe is a living, divine entity, and magic is the act of communing with and influencing this sacred life force.

• Divine Order and Earthly Chaos: Reality is a balance between divine order and earthly chaos, and magic involves harmonizing or manipulating these forces.

• Embrace the Threshold: Magic is found in the liminal spaces and transitions between states of being, where change and transformation occur.

• Everything is Chaos: Reality is inherently chaotic and unpredictable, and magic is about embracing and directing that chaos.

• Everything is Data: Reality is a digital construct, and mages can hack and rewrite the code that underlies existence.

• Everything’s an Illusion, Prison, or Mistake: Reality is a deceptive or flawed construct that mages seek to see through, escape, or correct.

• Holographic Reality: Reality is a hologram where every part contains the whole, and magic is the ability to reshape the entire structure.

• It’s All Good – Have Faith!: The universe is fundamentally benevolent, and mages trust that their magic aligns with this inherent goodness.

• Might is Right: Power and strength determine the nature of reality, and those with the most power impose their will on the world.

• One-Way Trip to Oblivion: Reality is on an inevitable path toward destruction, and mages either embrace or resist this descent into oblivion.

• Tech Holds All Answers: Technology is the key to understanding and controlling reality, with magic seen as an advanced form of tech.

• Transcend Your Limits: Mages must push beyond human limitations to achieve their true potential and unlock greater power.

• Turning the Keys to Reality: Reality operates like a lock, and mages must find the right "keys" of knowledge and power to open new possibilities.

• We are All God(s): Every individual is divine, and magic is the expression of that divinity.

• We are Meant to be Wild: Humanity's true nature is wild and untamed, and magic is the expression of that primal force.

• We are Not Men!: Mages are more than human, and their magic reflects their transcendent nature beyond ordinary human experience.

• Alchemy: Transformation of materials or spiritual essence through mystical and symbolic processes.

• Animalism: Communication with and control over animals, often involving shapeshifting or calling animal spirits.

• Art of Desire/Hypereconomics: Manipulation of desires and economic systems to manifest magical outcomes through the power of belief and trade.

• Bardism: Utilization of music, poetry, and storytelling to cast spells, inspire emotions, or enchant listeners.

• Chaos Magick: Utilizes principles of chaos and randomness to shape reality in unpredictable and flexible ways.

• Craftwork: Creation of magical items or effects through skilled handiwork and imbuing objects with esoteric energy.

• Crazy Wisdom: Use of unconventional, often shocking methods to break societal norms and achieve spiritual insight.

• Cybernetics: Integration and enhancement of body and mind using technological and magical modifications.

• Dominion: Exertion of control or influence over spirits, forces, or beings through magical dominance.

• Elementalism: Manipulation of elemental forces like earth, air, fire, and water to produce magical effects.

• Faith: Drawing on divine power or deep belief to channel magical energies and perform miracles.

• God-Bonding: Forming a profound connection with deities to gain their favor and access their power.

• Gutter Magick: Crafty and resourceful use of everyday items and beliefs to perform low-key but effective magic.

• High Ritual Magick: Use of elaborate ceremonies, symbols, and tools to conduct powerful and complex magical operations.

• Hypertech: Advanced technological devices and theories applied in ways that mimic or produce magical effects.

• Maleficia: Dark or harmful magic typically used for curses, hexes, and manipulative purposes.

• Martial Arts: Harnessing physical discipline, combat techniques, and inner energy to create magical effects.

• Mediumship: Communication with spirits of the dead or other ethereal entities to gain information or influence.

• Medicine-Work: Combination of traditional healing practices and magical techniques to heal, harm, or alter beings.

• Psionics: Use of mental powers like telepathy, telekinesis, and other psychic abilities as a form of magic.

• Reality Hacking: Manipulating the rules and codes that govern reality, similar to hacking a computer system.

• Shamanism: Engaging with spirit worlds and using rituals to interact with spiritual forces and gain supernatural insights.

• Voudoun: A syncretic practice involving communication with Loa, spirits, through ceremonies and offerings.

• Weird Science: Creating bizarre and unconventional gadgets or theories that blend scientific principles with magic.

• Witchcraft: Traditional practice involving spells, potions, and harnessing natural energies for varied magical effects.

• Yoga: Achieving enhanced spiritual and physical states through disciplined poses, meditation, and energy control.

• Armor: Protective gear that is often enchanted to enhance durability or provide mystical defenses.

• Artwork: Visual or sculptural creations used to channel or symbolize magical energies.

• Blessings and Curses: Spoken or written wishes that invoke supernatural effects to aid or hinder targets.

• Blood and Fluids: Use of bodily liquids as potent components in rituals and spells.

• Body Modification: Alterations to the body, such as tattoos or piercings, that serve as focal points for magical energy.

• Bodywork: Physical manipulations like massage or acupuncture that alter spiritual or physical states.

• Bones and Remains: Utilization of animal or human remains for their spiritual and magical properties.

• Books and Periodicals: Texts that contain magical theories, spells, or historical information about the occult.

• Brain/Computer Interface: Devices that connect the human mind directly to computers, enhancing mental and magical capabilities.

• Brews and Concoctions: Herbal or alchemical mixtures that produce magical or medicinal effects when consumed.

• Cards and Instruments of Chance: Tools like tarot cards or dice used in divination or to influence probabilities magically.

• Celestial Alignments: Use of the positions of stars and planets to draw power or predict events.

• Circles and Designs: Geometric patterns or drawn symbols that concentrate or direct magical energies.

• Computer Gear: Electronic devices used to store, manipulate, or transmit information for magical purposes.

• Crossroads and Crossing-Days: Locations or times where energies converge, used for powerful magical rites.

• Cups and Vessels: Containers used in rituals, often to hold sacred liquids or substances.

• Cannibalism: Consumption of human flesh to absorb power or qualities of the deceased.

• Cybernetic Implants: Technological enhancements embedded in the body to augment physical and magical abilities.

• Dances and Movement: Choreographed or spontaneous movements used to raise energy or induce trance states.

• Devices and Machines: Mechanical or electronic apparatuses designed to perform specific magical functions.

• Drugs and Poisons: Substances that alter perceptions, enhance abilities, or inflict harm.

• Elements: Basic components of nature (earth, air, fire, water) used in various magical practices.

• Energy: Harnessing and directing ambient or generated forces for magical effects.

• Eye Contact: Using gaze to influence, communicate with, or dominate others.

• Fashion: Clothing and accessories used to express identity, status, or magical affiliations.

• Food and Drink: Edibles imbued with magical properties or used in ceremonial contexts.

• Formulae and Math: Mathematical equations or models used to define or alter magical laws.

• Gadgets and Inventions: Custom-built devices that perform magical tasks or experiments.

• Gems and Stones: Crystals and precious stones that store, amplify, or channel magical energies.

• Genetic Manipulation: Alteration of genetic codes to enhance or create specific traits or abilities.

• Group Rites: Collective ceremonies where participants perform rituals to achieve a common goal.

• Herbs and Plants: Botanicals with intrinsic magical properties used in spells and potions.

• Household Tools: Everyday items repurposed for magical use, leveraging their mundane associations.

• Internet Activity: Utilization of online platforms and digital interactions as conduits for magic.

• Knots and Ropes: Binding or looping materials used to capture or sustain magical energies.

• Labs and Gear: Specialized equipment and locations used for magical research and experimentation.

• Languages: Use of specific dialects, languages, or scripts to shape and direct magical effects.

• Management and HR: Organizational skills and human resources practices applied in magical contexts to direct group energies.

• Mass Media: Harnessing the reach and influence of media to spread magical effects or control public perception.

• Meditation: Disciplined mental exercises used to focus, expand consciousness, and harness energy.

• Money and Wealth: Material resources used as symbols of power or directly in financial magic.

• Music: Harmonic and rhythmic sounds used to alter states, invoke spirits, or weave spells.

• Nanotech: Microscopic technology that interacts with the environment at a cellular or molecular level for magical purposes.

• Numbers and Numerology: Use of numbers and their mystical significances to predict outcomes or influence reality.

• Offerings and Sacrifices: Gifts or sacrifices made to spirits or deities to gain favor or power.

• Ordeals and Exertions: Challenges or physical exertions used to test, purify, or empower practitioners.

• Prayers and Invocations: Spoken appeals or commands directed at divine entities or universal forces.

• Sacred Iconography: Religious or mystical symbols used to represent and channel spiritual power.

• Sex and Sensuality: Use of sexual energy or acts as potent forces in magical rituals.

• Social Domination: Manipulating social dynamics or exerting influence over groups to achieve magical goals.

• Symbols: Use of signs, sigils, or icons to represent and manipulate complex ideas or forces.

• Thought-Forms: Constructs created in the mind that exist independently to perform specific tasks or influence the environment.

• Toys: Playful items charged with energy or used in magical practices, often to connect with youthful or innocent energies.

• Tricks and Illusions: Deceptive practices that alter perceptions or realities, often to distract or teach.

• True Names: The profound and hidden names of entities, knowing which grants control or influence over them.

• Vehicles: Conveyances imbued with magical properties or used in ritual contexts.

• Voice and Vocalizations: Use of spoken words, chants, or tones to create or direct magical effects.

• Wands and Staves: Traditional tools that channel magical energies and aid in spellcasting.

• Weapons: Implements used to direct force, whether in combat or as symbols of power.

• Writings, Inscriptions, and Runes: Texts or markings that hold magical power, used to invoke, protect, or curse.

What Is Resonance?

In very basic terms, Resonance is a law of magick that relies on the physics idea that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. It can also be considered a form of karma, or potentially the three-fold rule in witchcraft. The things you do, including the magick that you cast, influences the world around you, which influences you in turn. Ultimately, you get back what you put into the world. Consider also the makiwara board: martial artists may punch it daily until their bones strengthen. In a way, the board is punching the martial artist back, breaking and stressing the bones of their hands.

Stronger actions (not necessarily magickal, but anything that carries a particular strength of will or thought) will have stronger Resonance. Constantly giving your peers the cold shoulder and acting like an aloof mystic will lead you to being perceived as "chilly" or potentially even changing the subjective timbre and tone of your voice. The Verbena who works blood magick to heal and harm others may start to have a coppery scent about her, or may even feel slightly dangerous.

Resonance is not limited to Mages. There are people and places which just feel wrong. A cathedral might feel calming, a graveyard may feel like a place of peaceful repose or a threateningly morose and morbid location. You might feel a sense of rage or fear at seeing a weapon that was used to commit a mass murder. None of this makes any literal sense, despite psychological mechanisms used to explain it. When people talk about vibes (good or bad), they're speaking about Resonance. Magick acts to intensify Resonance, which permeates and exists in all things.

The Metaphysical Trinity

The Four Soul Essences

How Does Resonance Work?

What Are Some Examples of Resonance?

There are four types of Resonance: Devotional, Elemental, Stabilizing, and Temperamental. These four types loosely affiliate with the four Avatar Essences, supposedly. Some say that there are clear indications that Elemental Resonance links to a Primordial Resonance, whereas Temperamental is part of the Dynamic Essence. Despite this, Mages of various Essences pick up seemingly contradictory Resonances. This has sparked numerous philosophical debates about the nature of Resonance and the Awakened soul.

Elemental

Stabilizing

Temperamental

Devotional

What Is Synergy?

Synergy is an effect that utilizes the Metaphysical Trinity to tap into specific forces, manifesting them within the Mage's life and magick. Synergy shows a particular affinity for the cosmic forces and often can connect others who have a similar synergy with those same forces.

As a reminder, the Metaphysical Trinity is:

• Dynamism: the universal force of creation, instability, and change. Within other splats, this links to the energies of the Wyld.
• Entropy: the universal force of decay, disintegration, renewal, and unpredictability. Within other splats, this links to the energies of the Wyrm.
• Stasis: the universal force of stability, control, and authority. Within other splats, this links to the energies of the Weaver.

The main difference between Synergy and Resonance is that Synergy is an external influence (the vibes of Creation), whereas Resonance is internal (the vibe of the Mage). Combined, they create a Greater Resonance, otherwise known as the Mage's signature. The more one sees a Mage's effects and the stronger the Resonance and Synergy, the more noticeable the Mage's specific effect signature. With enough familiarity, a Prime scan could immediately point to a specific Mage. This makes Prime useful insofar as it allows one to mask their Resonance and Synergy (Prime 2), preventing detection by potential enemy parties.

It should be noted that Synergy may come from outside the Mage, but it does not control the Mage. As a Mage's Arete/Enlightened Mind becomes more open to changing Reality, they will start to use greater and greater works. An Arete 1 Mage has no use for Great Works (things that require 10+ successes) because their abilities are largely sensory. An Arete 3 Mage may start to invoke stronger metaphysical power as they create their effects. Their effects will change Reality in a particular way to the extent that they begin to align strongly with the Metaphysical Trinity.

This does not mean that Traditionalists are Dynamic, Technocrats are Static, and Nephandi are Entropic. Some Technocrats (Progenitors or Void Engineers, for instance) use extremely Dynamic effects that can change organisms or trailblaze into the deep Umbra. Even if the ultimate goal is to serve fundamental Stasis, the Technocrat themselves may be Dynamic or Entropic. In the Nephandi, Infernalists tend towards Stasis while K'llashaa tend towards Dynamism, leaving Malfeans as the most Entropic of the group.

The point is that everything in Creation has some faint level of Synergy. Mages can utilize the synergistic effect of something that aligns with them to create easier or greater works of magick or hyperscience. A knife used in a murder may have an Entropic synergy (which is also why Numina like Psychometry or static abilities like Vampiric Auspex will be able to pick up on the lingering history of the object in question). Mages are unique in that they can focus their Synergy, allowing them to open a connection directly to a fundamental metaphysical force.

Given enough time and effort, Synergy can erode or strengthen. If a Mage who had previously aligned strongly with a corruptive, decaying influence in their life and magick suddenly shifted gears to become more constructive and stabilizing, they may find their Synergy decreasing until they begin gaining Static Synergy. This will be handled IC and does not require any sort of XP expenditure.

How Do Synergistic Effects Work?

There are three rules of thumb to abide by if you want to run Mage PrPs or plots. The overall gist is that everything should have consequences, and that we do not operate within a vacuum. If things happen in Mage, it affects the rest of the game (arguably more than many other Spheres).

• The Travails of Magick: Mages are hubristic creatures by nature. They will incur Paradox because they think they can get away with something, or they don't think about the consequences of changing Reality. Reality will snap back when stretched enough and you will be expected to run Paradox backlashes. If you feel uncomfortable running backlashes for your friends, please notify staff and we'll handle it either on site or via +job. Second, Awakened magick is a powerful thing and can often lead to large-scale changes. You must receive permission to make any changes to the grid that would be permanent or require adjustments. This isn't to say that plots including this will be denied, but they may be adjusted. That said, if there are on-the-fly changes (collapsing a bridge, blowing up a building, etc.) this falls into the territory of staff, as there will be a response from the city at large. Please let us know if this occurs.

• No Silly Bullshit: Okay, look. Mage can sometimes be campy and ridiculous. Some would say the whole point of the Etherites is to play off camp. That said, there's an extent to which camp is allowable. If you're following the plot to children's cartoons or doing junk like having dinosaurs rampage through part of San Diego, this is 100% vetoed. There are umbral realms where things like dinosaurs exist, but on Earth, a dinosaur would be similar to Bygones in that the power of Disbelief would immediately destroy them. If you're wondering if you've surpassed camp, chances are you have. But if you really would like to get an eye on your plot, page staff.

• Nephandi, Technocrats, Traditionalists: Since we do allow all of the Mage factions, having adversaries that are part of the other factions (ex. if you're running a plot for Traditionalists and showcase a Nephandic adversary), please let staff know. This may impact the way that the other factions interact with the game, as not all NPCs are going to be faceless. Even the most distant k'llashaa Nephandus is still going to be known by other Nephandi in the city. This means that your players may have a target painted on their back if they take out that lone Nephandus. Staff is always willing to work with you to make your plots have far-reaching consequences. We can also work with you to find other ways to incorporate adversaries that may not cause factional animosity -- more so than normal. Marauders are free game, of course. The Disparates have largely been hunted to extinction, but they still show up on occasion. Remember that any Mage can be evil, and an Orphan can be just as compelling as a Nephandus with the right motivations if your players want to be the good guys.

Sorcerers do exist on Dies Irae, but we utilize a 3rd party update to Sorcerer Revised rather than M20 Sorcerer. The paths should be updated. Big thanks to Charles Siegel for writing Sorcerer: Paths of Power.