Editing The Gift:Characters (section)

===House Crane Flying===

House Crane Flying was founded and joined the Council in 1954.  It was made up of disaffected members of Atom Turning and Snake Drinking who cared more about the pursuit of art than their academic studies.  Today, it is a haven for artistic mages looking for fellowship and protection.  There are those among both the Old Houses and Young Houses who question Crane Flying’s suitability to be a part of the Council, seeing Crane Flying's focus on art as trivial and pretentious.  On the other hand, Flying Crane produces magical artifacts of excellent workmanship, making the House an important asset to the Council.  For their part, Flying Crane often provides the most radically political members of the Council, advocating reform and liberalization.  House Crane Flying feels little loyalty to the Council, siding with the establishment only for the sake of safety.  Many mages have ties to the Cooperative, an organization that Flying Crane has been repeatedly asked to join.

Apprenticeship in Crane Flying is by no means easy and talent alone is never enough.  Contrary to some prejudices, Crane Flying requires serious academic study of society and magic, on the grounds that the artist must engage the world.  However, after becoming a mage, many lose their interest in the academic side of things and focus on self-expression instead.  Magical training focuses on the manipulation of human senses.

Cost: 21 points

Skills:  Artist (Any), Artist (Any), History (Modern USA), History (Modern European), Occultism, Psychology, Streetwise, Ritual Magic (Western Hermeticism), Ritual Magic (Wiccan), Symbol Drawing (Western Hermetic), Thaumatology.

Spells:

Illusion and Creation:  Complex Illusion, Perfect Illusion, Simple Illusion.

Making and Breaking:  Inspired Creation.

Mind Control:  Alertness, Foolishness, Keen Sense (Hearing), Keen Sense (Sight).

Necromancy:  Death Vision.

Sound:  Sound.


House Stances

Magic:  Magic is a medium by which the human spirit can express itself.

Themselves: We do what we like.  How many mages can say that?

The Council:  Stuffy, repressed and closed minded.  But frankly, we need protection.  Maybe the Council can be changed.

The Old Houses:  They know a lot about magic but are too myopic and have too much of a stranglehold on the Council.

The Young Houses:    Probably the sanest faction in this insane world.  Unfortunately, they are a bit detached from their humanity.

The Circle:  We need closer ties with these people.  They understand much.

The Cooperative:  Very creative!  These are true magicians.

Independents:  The Unchained are often inspired artists.  We need to hang out more.  The Temple of the White Garland are incredibly pretentious and take themselves insanely seriously, but some of them are genuinely great artists.