Editing The Gift:Characters (section)

===The Vale Institute===

The Vale Institute, more a loose collection of scholars than an “institute”, was founded by Dr. Morris Vale in 1923.  Vale was convinced that there is a connection between madness and magic, and that fundamental truths about magic could be learned by studying mental illness.  Vale was eventually murdered by his own horrified students for deliberately driving research subjects insane and even since then, the Vale institute has engaged in endless internal debates about morally acceptable research.  Another hot topic of debate is the degree to which the mage should alter their own consciousness in pursuit of understanding.  The Vale Institute magicians ritual and symbolism are all rooted in science at some level, but each mage develops their own personal style, some of which are eccentric to the point of being incomprehensible to outsiders.

Apprentices study the human mind and magic alike and are trained to master dream realms.  Spells focus on gaining a greater understanding of madness.

Cost: 25 points.

Skills:  Artist (Dream Projection), Dreaming, Herb Lore, Occultism, Pharmacy, Physician, Psychology, Streetwise, Survival (Urban), Symbol Drawing (Vale), Thaumatology.

Spells:

Communication and Empathy:  Dream Sending, Dream Projection, Sense Foes, Sense Emotion.

Mind Control:  Daze, Fear, Foolishness, Forgetfulness, Madness, Nightmare, Permanent Madness, Sleep, Suggestion.

Necromantic:  Death Vision.


House Stances

Magic:  Magic is the ability to discover reality and to create new realities.  It is also the ability to deceive yourself very elaborately.

Themselves:  Who else recognizes this world for the asylum it is?

The Council:  Delusions of grandeur are the most dangerous delusions of all.

The Circle:  They live in their own little world.  It makes them blind but powerful.

The Cooperative:  They are very dangerous because they think the human mind is no more than an organic computer.