Lost Tribes: Workshop: Nodes

Let us go through some basis before we discuss. Traditionally nodes occur where two or more ley lines intersect. A ley line is a "river" or "flow" of "energy" that passes through the world. Energy moves from the physical to the astreal - so a strong green source or a strong air flow or even a championship Soccer Pitch, will be a "higher energy zone". This energy, call it chi, dragon blood, magic, or what ever, comes in a few flavors. These flavors, are not concrete differences, as you can map elemental ley lines, or geomantic ones, or simply taoist forces, or even the five elements. They are a perception of the energies of the universe that have a partial association to the geographic. Where several ley lines intersect, energy pools. (If several elemental lines of the same type interset, it is a strong pool of that type). If a ley line is no longer strong, it will stop at a node.

In older cities, the streets run along ley lines. The nodes are intersections. Also keep in mind it is "the old roads" that fell along those flows... so now that Bethr street has been broken up by the tubestation and into two other streets... you get the tube station (often generating its own ley flow or drawing power with it) as a node.

For simplicity- ley lines should just be one flavor - power- , with perhaps one tappable trait associated with it. Any node will have tappable traits for any of its lines.

So why is this important? Nodes are places of magical power points that can be tapped for your magical purposes. Being attunded to a node, allows you to "draw from it" power points you might need for your purposes.

So why are The Totems fighting it out for these things?

The obvious one is power. They want power to be in charge. Why do they want to be in charge? What does this "game" of battle have as a prize?

Reality. Those who control the nodes or the right combination of nodes can influence the course of destiny. That is right. They who control the nodes control the way events/ history will go.

The reason why history seems to lurch and go in odd directions is that nobody seems to be able to hold on to enough of them long enough to impliment a "grand age". They can however, influence elections, fated luck, and the course of things, in the short term.

Also if you want, you can carve a node out of the system and use it to control the destiny of a regio (an area bounded by ley lines). So you might not be able to make a grand age, but you can make sure that your neighborhood or section of the city goes your way.

Thus the street level conflict for the various nodes in the city, especially an old magical city like London (and Paris - and new magical ones like New York, San Francisco, Toronto.)

Tides of Power Related to the discussion of nodes, ley lines, and so on....

Power comes and goes over time. There are times the ley lines surge with power and times the power leaves off. These will co-incide to periods of magical activity and inactivity. After all, in times of lower power, there will be less energy available for spiritual connections and special abilities. After all, without those, this just seems like a silly game. In fact, may lower level tribals will think just that... it was a silly game they got swept up in. Only those with a deep connection or who can still tap the power of a node will know different.... Thus there will be seasons of activity (years of heightened activity) and quiet times.

Related to....

An old dog talking to a new pup....

Seems there are only so many tribal types at one time. You check the records and it seems that we mostly just "fade away" every now and again.. slipping to low level activity... only to surge forth a decade or two later. It could be that the tribals of a given generation ... they come on the stage, they make some noise, and they either die off, give it up, or fade into the shadows playing those dark magic games.

You really need to stop looking like I bowled you in the nards. It is like Innings for the Totem's game. We bat and bowl for a time. There are a number of outs. The teams stop for tea or water. Some players hit the showers never to return. Others stand about waiting to be called. Fresh players come to the pitch. Some old players stand to the side, giving them advice or skills. Either way, they field the 11 for a new go around and a new inning begins. Sure some "players" never come in off the pitch, but really it takes a new generation to really get the game going. The totems themselves, they are like the club manager, determining who is on the field, what order they bowl or bat, and where they stand. If there are some stakes to be played for, they awaken some cubs, kits, or pups, and send them on out. We old players pick um up and give'm what we can, but really it is a new pup's game.

The game only intensifies when there be something for the tribes to squabble over. Some imbalance in the flows, a new node, some change in society that will make things possible, that one totem seems to have an edge now.. then everyone rises up to squash them. These are the things that seem to bring the game into play. This makes sense.

What scares me now boyo. It seems like a new inning is starting. All you new pups are comming out of the wood works. Yet, there doesn't seem to be a prize. No goal. No threat. That worries me. It has to be something, but we don't know what. Or it is something really big and there are going to be a lot more of you called to the tribe before the wicket take a hit.