The Gift:Characters

Characters

PCs

PCs should be built on 175 points using GURPS 4th Ed. IQ may not exceed 15 and a starting mage should know no more than 30 spells. At least one level of Magery (the proverbial Gift!) is required, but no more than three may be purchased. Only PCs who pay for the apprentice package of one of the 31 houses of the Peace will be covered by the Peace. Most mages have social Advantages and Disadvantages reflecting their relationship with the tradition under which they served their apprenticeship. For instance, their old group might serve as a Patron for them, or provide them with Allies, Contacts or a Claim to Hospitality. Similarly, they might have a Duty or Sense of Duty to their old tradition. The cost to play someone who served with a particular group does not include such Advantages and Disadvantages. Each player should decide for themselves how involved their character is with their old organization. It goes without saying that if an organization is willing to be helpful to a character, they probably expect help in return. Mages also frequently have such social connections to groups of mages that are not magical traditions. Just like a mortal, a mage can become dedicated to ecology, or Christianity or science fiction and mages with similar interests or commitments will tend to get organized.

Supernatural Advantages and Disadvantages are perfectly appropriate and the GM should decide on a case by case basis whether a given Advantage or Disadvantage is appropriate for the tone of their game. An Advantage might represent a special magical gift or even a special advanced spell that the mage has learned. The GM should take care that allowed Advantages and Disadvantages seems atmospheric and magical or the game may feel more like a superhero game. Common magical advantages include Affliction, Blessed, Channeling, Detect, Dominance, Empathy, Enhanced Time Sense, Healing, Medium, Mind Control, Oracle, Precognition, Psychometry, Spirit Empathy, Terror, Trained by a Master, True Faith and Weapon Master.

New Advantage: Resonance Location. 5 points / level

The PC is in control of a location that has Resonance with one or more magical colleges. These resonances provide the mage with magical power in that college, providing fatigue and bonuses to skill. For each level purchased in a college, all spells of that collage cast at that location cost one fewer fatigue and are cast at +1 to skill. A single location may have Resonance for more than one college and players may wish to pool their points to have joint control over a single powerful location. For example, an old house where junkies used to squat until they overdosed to death might have 2 levels of Necromancy Resonance and 1 of Illusion and Creation, costing 15 points. A sacred glen in the forest might have 2 levels of Communication and Empathy Resonance and 2 levels of Plant Resonance, costing 20 points. A Resonance location is a hotly sought after commodity in mage society and beyond. Just because the PCs start with a location doesn’t mean that they can’t lose it to competitors. The more powerful it is, the more trouble they may have to go to to defend it.

Apprenticeship

Becoming a mage requires a long and difficult apprenticeship involving training in many skills and spells. Different magical traditions provide their apprentices with very different educations, both to provide them with the essential skills they think they should have and to mold them into the kind of person they want them to be. Apprenticeship does not determine what a mage can learn in the long run. A mage from any tradition has the ability to learn and cast any spell from GURPS Magic. Apprenticeship just determines the minimal abilities that everyone who has graduated from the magical tradition will have. Apprentices in a given tradition may be taught more than this, but they will not be taught less. Players are free to invent their own traditions with their own unique apprenticeships, but members of such traditions will not be protected by the Peace.

Sometimes, more than one group may court a prospective apprentice. In the Council, the Council as a whole has final say as to who an apprentice serves under. Otherwise, apprentices are fair game. Some groups insist that apprentices themselves must have final say regarding which group they join. Others don't give the apprentice any choice.

The Council

The Council is a union of nine Hermetic houses and is the most powerful organization in New Spain. Insofar as anyone acts as an enforcer of the Peace, it is them. The Council is also known for taking an active hand in keeping the mortal government and corporations in line. However, they keep a very loose hand on the reigns because a tighter grip would upset mages in general. The houses of the Council are bound by extensive laws and settle disputes by trial.

The Council recognizes an unofficial distinction between the four Old Houses, who have been present since the founding of the Council in 1826 and the five New Houses, which joined later. The Old Houses hold most of the political offices and have a reputation for siding with one another, often causing resentment. The Old Houses are Burning Stone, Isis Watching, Osiris Risen and Thoth Standing. The New Houses are Atom Turning, Cat Hunting, Crane Flying, Rat Sniffing, and Snake Drinking.

The Old Houses

House Burning Stone

House Burning Stone is the oldest and most powerful house in the Council, claiming to have been founded in London in 1650. The house is a religious fraternity, dedicated, at least in theory, to coming closer to God through mysticism. The house does not insist that members follow any particular religion, although monotheism is required. Burning Stone was the driving force behind the formation of the Council in the first place and many give it credit for the Council’s dominant position in New Spain today. Burning Stone mages tend to see themselves as good shepherds for mages and mundane humans alike, tough but fair, living well but providing guidance and protection. However, they are also very aware that their power only comes by the consent of the other Houses of the Council. Politically, the house tends to be on the side of big business, since they own so much of it. However, the House includes influential cliques advocating abortion rights, drug legalization, environmentalism, foreign aid, gun control, and welfare, including a public option for healthcare. The House officially opposes increasing eduational spending, on the grounds that science threatens to make the mundanes too powerful for their own good, but there has been growing support for education on both idealistic and strategic grounds.

Burning Stone techniques put great emphasis on the spiritual transformation and purification of the self and apprentices spend a lot of time studying the transformation of physical substances, looking for mystical insight. To help achieve this insight, apprentices learn spells dealing with the elements earth and fire.

Cost: 33 points

Advantages: Language (Arabic, Broken), Language (Latin, Native).

Skills: Alchemy, Artist (Calligraphy), Chemistry, History (Medieval European), History (Medieval Middle East), Mathematics, Occultism, Poisons, Symbol Drawing (Western Hermetic), Theology (Christianity), Theology (Islam).

Spells:

Earth: Create Earth, Earth to Stone, Essential Earth, Rain of Stones, Seek Earth, Shape Earth, Walk Through Earth.

Fire: Create Fire, Essential Flame, Extinguish Fire, Ignite Fire, Fireproof, Rain of Fire, Resist Fire.

House Stances

Magic: The purpose of magic is to grow closer to God through spiritual self-transformation.

Themselves: Most mages do not understanding the purpose of magic and so are further from the goal than we are. They should be helped.

The Council: The purpose of the Council is to keep the Peace. Nobody else can be trusted with the job.

The Old Houses: Useful. We must not underestimate them. They may not quite grasp the ultimate point yet, but they have proved themselves formidable mages.

The Young Houses: They get so caught up in the details of their sciences that they forget to look at the big picture. They are more of a nuisance than a help, but they make up the numbers that keep the Council in control.

The Circle: The harder they cling to the physical world, the further they get from God.

The Cooperative. Fools who sell their humanity for power. A human being is more valuable than a machine.

Independents: The Bridewell Reading Group is primed to defect from The Cooperative to the Council. They just don’t realize it yet. They will get sick of their deranged companions soon enough. The Church of St. Christopher on the Mountain are sound and sane. I wonder how we can convince them to join the Council. Exeter are amoral and organized. That makes them a serious threat. It would be better if they did not exist.

House Isis Watching

The most openly pragmatic of the Old Houses, House Isis Watching is devoted to the power over life and death. The mages of the house are trained for personal survival and to help others to survive in order to gain political or personal advantage. While any house might include members who can raise the dead, Isis Watching has been so efficient in keeping Council members on this side of the veil that they are arguably the greatest asset and most effective recruiting tool that the Council has. Their political influence within the Council is limited only by their reputation of being too quick to side with one another even when in the wrong. The house has its origins in an Anglican religious society and while it has no official religious requirements today, non-Anglicans rarely advance politically. Traditionalists in the order take seriously the idea that they are doing God's work, while younger mages tend to treat the House as a business club.

The apprentice’s training includes both practical skills intended to help the mage get ahead in life and theoretical studies intended to help the mage hone their magical capacities. Magical training is focused heavily on the healing arts and no apprentice is considered a magus until they have brought a human being back from the dead. Apprentices must attend Anglican religious services every Sunday, but are not required to profess faith.

Cost: 23 points

Advantages: Language (Latin, Broken)

Skills: Accounting, Administration, Alchemy, First-Aid, Occultism, Physician, Psychology, Ritual Magic (Western Hermeticism), Savoir-Faire, Symbol Drawing (Western Hermetic), Theology (Christianity).

Spells:

Healing: Instant Regeneration, Lend Energy, Lend Vitality, Major Healing, Minor Healing, Regeneration, Restoration, Resurrection.

Necromancy: Death Vision, Summon Spirit.

House Stances

Magic: Magic is power and can be used for good or for evil.

Themselves: Let’s not be romantic. Like the other houses, we are a society of scholars seeking its own survival in a dangerous world. The Council depends on our support and so gives us protection.

The Council: We have been there from the beginning and it has served us well, as we have served it well.

The Old Houses: The backbone of the Council. As long as the backbone remains solid, the Council will survive.

The Young Houses: They are our front-line troops. Do not underestimate them.

The Circle: I respect their strength and understand the danger they pose because of it.

The Cooperative: They too seek long-term survival in this world and their methods are powerful ones. They must not be allowed to replace us.

The Independents: The Church of Saint Christopher on the Mountain should not be helped. They wish to join the Council and take our place.

House Osiris Risen

House Osiris Risen was founded at the same time as the Council itself, charged with the task of protecting the Council from mortal society. Most of its efforts are directed simply towards keeping the public ignorant. It keeps careful tabs on politicians and the media to make sure that nobody does anything that is against the Council’s best interests. Although Osiris Risin has no qualms about interfering with the democratic process to help the Council, it otherwise tries to let mortals rule themselves. Mages of the house are forbidden to hold office of any kind, in mortal or mage society, in an effort to deter ambitious power-seekers. Most members of this house take their duties seriously, feathering their own nests comfortably along the way. However, the house has also produced a few spectacular traitors. While the house holds that it is vital to study theology for both moral and magical purposes, it does not require its members to adhere to any particular religious beliefs.

Apprentices are trained in “practical” skills dealing with money and public relations and “mystical” skills, intended to provide moral and magical insight. Magical training emphasizes reading and controlling the minds of mortals.

Cost: 32 points

Advantages: Language (Ancient Egyptian, Broken), Language (Latin, Broken).

Skills: Accounting, Administration, Economics, History (Ancient Middle East), Occultism, Public Speaking, Psychology, Ritual Magic (Western Hermeticism), Savoir-Faire, Symbol Drawing (Western Hermetic), Theology (Christianity), Theology (Any).

Spells:

Communication and Empathy: Sense Emotion, Sense Foes, Mind-Sending, Mind-Reading, Telepathy, Truthsayer.

Mind Control: Bravery, Charm, Enslave, False Memory, Fear, Foolishness, Forgetfulness, Loyalty, Mindlessness, Permanent Forgetfulness.

House Stances

Magic: The purpose of magic is to grow closer to God through spiritual self-transformation.

Themselves: We are the guardians of Hermeticism, ensuring that our way never fades from the Earth.

The Council: The Council is the bastion of Hermeticism and so must be protected at all costs.

The Old Houses: The rock upon which the future is founded.

The Young Houses: It is wonderful to see Hermeticism spreading. Welcome, younger brothers and sisters.

The Circle: These disorganized nature-worshippers are dreamers, not scholars. However, there are enough of them that they are dangerous and the worst thing that could happen would be for us to break the Peace with them.

The Cooperative: We have a better future to offer humanity than that.

House Thoth Standing

House Thoth Standing is devoted to gaining magical understanding through breaking down the barriers between worlds. This is an inherently dangerous practice and the house is regarded with some wariness due to occasional loss of control of things from beyond. However, they are also respected for their insight and the Council has long relied on them to help defend it against arcane dangers. The political influence of Thoth Standing in the Council is second only to Burning Stone. The order officially requires members to be either Christians, Jews, Muslims or pagans in the Roman or Egyptian traditions. However, while formal statements of faith are required, many mages treat them as highly metaphorical claims, perfectly compatible with other religions or even atheism. There is significant tension within the house between mages who wish to see religious requirements loosened and traditionalists who do not wish to upset political power structures.

An apprentice of Thoth Standing receives a rigorous education in scholastic skills intended to aid them in understanding magic and uncovering magical secrets. An apprentice’s magic training focuses on a general understanding of magic. The apprentice must successfully summon a being from another plane of existence before they may be considered a mage.

Cost: 31 points

Advantages: Language (Latin, Accented).

Skills: Folklore (Modern USA), History (Ancient European), History (Medieval European), History (Modern European), Mathematics, Occultism, Research, Ritual Magic (Western Hermetic), Symbol Drawing (Western Hermetic), Thaumatology, Theology (Christianity), Theology (Pagan Roman).

Spells:

Air: Purify Air.

Animal: Beast-Soothing.

Communication and Empathy: Sense Emotion, Sense Foes.

Gate: Planar Summons (Any One).

Illusion and Creation: Simple Illusion.

Knowledge: Detect Magic.

Meta: Counterspell.

Mind Control: Fear.

Movement: Apportation.

Necromancy: Death Vision, Sense Spirit, Summon Spirit, Turn Spirit.

Protection and Warning: Sense Danger.

House Stances

Magic: Magic is a union with the supernatural to obtain understanding, enlightenment and power. Magic is the connection between this world and the worlds beyond.

Themselves: Thoth Standing exists so that the members may help one another, and our allies, towards understanding and enlightenment.

The Council: Cooperation breeds power.

The Old Houses: They have proved themselves to be our must trustworthy allies.

The Young Houses: The more friends we have the better.

The Circle: Mad and dangerous. However, as long as the Peace holds, they won’t organize themselves, and as long as they remain disorganized, they can’t do too much harm. Their account of human history is bizarre, though.

The Cooperative: They are too in love with this plane to see beyond it into the universe.

The Young Houses

House Atom Turning

House Atom Turning was founded in 1921 by scientists working at Princeton University. Having discovered the existence of magic, they set about researching it using the model most easily accessible to them – Western Hermeticism. They encountered the Council that same year and were offered membership but resisted joining until 1979, upon which time they gave their house its name. The house maintains that scientific study is the best approach to magic, just as it is to any other subject. Atom Turning’s magical style is an odd mix of scientific and Hermetic elements. Some members of the house think that Hermeticism provides unique and important insights into the nature of the universe, but most just see it as a useful magical tool. The house remains part of the Council for the sake of safety, but has little loyalty to the organization, seeing the Council's obsession with traditional magic as an irrational devotion to a failed paradigm.

Atom Turning apprentices receive a rigorous general training in the sciences, with much emphasis on the connections between them. Magical training is likewise as broad as possible, emphasizing insight into the fundamental workings of magic over practical applications.

Cost: 25 points

Skills: Astronomy, Biology, Botany, Chemistry, Computer Operation, Mathematics, Occultism, Physics, Research, Ritual Magic (Western Hermetic), Symbol Drawing (Western Hermetic), Thaumatology.

Spells:

Air: Purify Air.

Animal: Beast-Soother.

Body Control: Itch.

Communication and Empathy: Sense Life.

Earth: Seek Earth.

Enchantment: Enchant.

Fire: Seek Fire.

Healing: Body Reading.

Knowledge: Find Direction.

Light and Darkness: Light.

Making and Breaking: Find Weakness.

Plant: Seek Plant.

Technological: Seek Machine.

House Stances

Magic: Magic is just technology that we don’t understand yet.

Themselves: We exist because somebody should be subjecting magic to serious scientific study.

The Council: They fundamentally support us, but they need to loosen the reigns.

The Old Houses: Absolutely fascinating! If only they weren’t so obsessed with secrecy.

The Young Houses: The closest thing to an academia that mage society is going to get.

The Circle: Unique and invaluable subjects of study. What a shame they are too lost in mythology to properly educate themselves.

The Cooperative: There is a difference between conducting scientific research and worshipping technology. These houses are often knowledgeable, but they have left rationality behind.

Independents: The Bridewell Reading Group are scientists like us. We must have closer contact with them. The Silver Mirror School revere science, but they do not understand it and lose themselves in mysticism.

House Cat Hunting

Cat Hunting was originally a loose association of folklorists with a belief in magic. They only came together as an organized group and joined the Council when the magical wars of the late 19th century made independence too dangerous. Today, they do what they have always done; study the cultures of the world in search of secret knowledge. While they have little loyalty to the Council, they appreciate its usefulness and feel that they in turn can be useful by making sure that the Council is exposed to new ideas and different perspectives. Even the Old Houses must admit that Cat Hunting often has useful information. Of all of the Houses of the Council, Cat Hunting mages are the most likely to associate with nature mages, including mages of the Circle. Cat Hunting mages are often very close politically to Circle mages and see themselves as working to correct the system from the inside. On the other hand, some Circle mages see Cat Hunting as sellouts, willing to side with the thugs in return for protection.

Apprentices are schooled in folklore, history and magical theory. Spell training emphasizes the perception of magic and the summoning of spirits, as an aid to greater understanding.

Cost: 22 points

Skills: Area Knowledge (USA), Exorcism, Folklore (American Indian), Folklore (Modern USA), Folklore (Medieval African), Folklore (Medieval European), History (Modern North American), Occultism, Ritual Magic (American Indian), Ritual Magic (Western Hermetic), Symbol Drawing (Western Hermetic), Thaumatology.

Spells:

Animal: Beast-Soother.

Healing: Final Rest.

Knowledge: Detect Magic, Mage Sense, Mage Sight, Seek Magic.

Necromantic: Death Vision, Final Rest, Sense Spirit, Summon Spirit.

House Stances

Magic: Magic takes on a huge variety of forms across the world. Hermetic magic is probably no better or worse than any other form of magic and it certainly doesn’t have all the secrets.

Themselves: We study magic in all its manifestations in all cultures. Why? Because it is there!

The Council: We only joined to get protection and they only took us to swell their numbers. We are allies, for now.

The Old Houses: They are dusty arrogant fools, but they do know a lot of old secrets.

The Young Houses: The closest thing we have to allies. They are a lot more open-minded than the Old Houses and less annoying too.

The Circle: We need closer ties with these mages. They know a lot about things the Old Houses never dreamed of.

The Cooperative: Renouncing your humanity isn’t the answer. Coming to terms with your humanity would serve you better.

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.

House Rat Sniffing

House Rat Sniffing was founded in 1916 by disaffected members of the Old Houses, who believed that the traditional mysticism should give way to reason. They are dedicated to learning the truth about the universe, often leading them to neglect more mundane and practical matters. The house has a reputation for both wisdom and foolishness and if their guidance is often sought, they advice is also often ignored. The mages of Rat Sniffing, however, rarely care very much what mages from other orders think of them. On the other hand, they have a tendency to become focussed on status games within their own House. While many Rat Sniffing mages are idealistic, they are also particularly likely to burn out, becoming cynical, apathetic or corrupt. Rat Sniffing vendettas, often founded on a disagreement over theory, are known for being particularly bitter and persistent. The House is badly organized and House politics tends to be dominated by feuding cliques.

Apprenticeship requires a broad study of history, philosophy and the social sciences, to help the student gain perspective on the place of humanity in the universe. While the house has no official religious stances, it does require study of the Christian religion, on the grounds that the faith plays such a significant role in Western history and thought. Magical training focuses on spells that provide information.

Cost: 23 points

Skills: History (Ancient European), History (Ancient Middle East), History (Any), Mathematics (Logic), Philosophy (Western Analytic), Philosophy (Any), Psychology, Research, Ritual Magic (Western Hermeticism), Sociology, Symbol Drawing (Western Hermetic), Thaumatology, Theology (Christianity).

Spells:

Knowledge: Analyze Magic, Ancient History, Detect Magic, History, Identify Spell, Mage Sense, Mage Sight, Pre-History, Seek Magic, Sense Mana.

House Stances

Magic: The reason that nobody can agree on what magic is and what it is for is that it gets defined a thousand different ways.

Themselves: We are a group of seekers after truth.

The Council: We are safer here than we would be anywhere else.

The Old Houses: You don’t find truth by trying to prove yourself right. You find truth by trying to prove yourself wrong.

The Young Houses: We have much to learn from each other. Snake Drinking understands the big picture better than the others do, though.

The Circle: More dogmatic than the Old Houses.

The Cooperative: The last thing the world needs is more religions. They do raise a lot of good questions though. The Human Society is particularly thoughtful and interesting to talk to.

Independents: The Silver Mirror School are fascinating philosophers. They aren’t always right, but they are always clever and interesting.

House Snake Drinking

House Snake Drinking was founded in 1880 as “The Boston Anthropological Society”, an organization dedicated to the study of magic. The founders were convinced that magic was an art lost by modern western civilization, but well known in other times and places. They hoped that by historical and anthropological research, they might collect such knowledge. The society encountered the Council in 1885 and was admitted in 1900, at which point it renamed itself “Snake Drinking”. The house generally frowns on mysticism, but also encourages a respect for all cultures and religions. Once considered “stodgy”, Snake Drinking has embraced the modern age and the improved research methods that it has provided. Their interest is not simply academic. Old, foreign or secret artifacts and writings may bring a mage power and wealth, and competition between Snake Drinking mages can turn deadly. House Snake drinking is firmly loyal to the Council, viewing it as the only alternative to anarchy and war.

Apprenticeship involves a broad general training in the social sciences with particular emphasis placed on magical theory and tradition. Magical training focuses on learning to find information for yourself.

Cost: 24 points

Advantages: Language (Any, Broken)

Skills: Computer Operation, History (Any Two), Occultism, Philosophy (Western Analytic), Psychology, Research, Ritual Magic (Western Hermeticism), Ritual Magic (Wiccan), Sociology, Symbol Drawing (Western Hermetic), Thaumatology.

Spells:

Air: Seek Air.

Communication and Empathy: Sense Foes.

Earth: Seek Earth.

Illusion and Creation: Simple Illusion.

Knowledge: Ancient History, History, Prehistory, Seeker, Trace.

Meta: Detect Magic.

House Stances

Magic: Magic is the ultimate product of human cultures. If you want to understand magic, you need to understand those cultures.

Themselves: We aren’t the only house conducting important magical research. We are just the best.

The Council: Society wouldn’t function without police. The Council may be corrupt, but corrupt police are better than no police at all.

The Old Houses: They are an incredible resource of information.

The Young Houses: We are the future. Nobody else has our rigorousness and organizational ability.

The Circle: They are as great a resource, in their way, as the Old Houses are.

The Cooperative: Wow! I’m not sure if what they are doing is good or bad but it certainly requires study.

The Circle

The Circle is a very loose and decentralized association of mages who feel a connection to the natural world. It was never officially founded, has no official rules and no official power. However, it has provided a formidable web of allies in times of trouble over the past 50 years or so. Of the five “families” that make it up, some are more deeply involved than others. Crescent Moon, the Line of Mary Wood, and Sacred Chalice are most committed to the organization and do most of the work that is required to keep it together. Gray Wolf and White Hart are more peripherally involved, remaining on good terms, but trying to keep out of politics.

Crescent Moon

Crescent Moon was founded in 1991 by Wiccans of various small covens that had been wiped out in the wars of the 1980s. They dedicate themselves to the protection of followers of Wicca, and, to a lesser extent, pagans in general. They are openly militant, blaming the losses of the 1980s on an idealistic but fatal unwillingness to fight. They only admit Wiccans, but are careful not to proselytize, emphasizing that all religions are equally valid. They are staunch supporters of the Circle, on the grounds that members of alternative religions in general, and nature religions in particular, need to cooperate for mutual defense. At the same time, they often find the Circle frustrating reluctant to organize and take practical action. Many in the house would like to see Crescent Moon take over from Sacred Chalice as leaders, but concerns about their militancy keep them from getting needed support from the Line of Mary Wood. Crescent Moon has no qualms about breaking mundane law, seeing the police as the Council's footsoldiers. They stockpile weapons, steal government property and otherwise flout any rule they find inconvenient.

Apprentice study focuses on an understanding of nature and the Wiccan religion. Spell training emphasizes self-defense on the grounds that survival is always the first priority.

Cost: 24 points.

Perks: Style Familiarity (Military HTH, Sambo)

Skills: Exorcism, Guns (Handgun), Herb Lore, History (Ancient European), Judo (Military HTH, Sambo), Karate (Military HTH, Sambo), Naturalist, Occultism, Religious Rituals (Wiccan), Survival (any wilderness), Symbol Drawing (Wicccan), Theology (Wiccan).

Spells:

Animal: Shapeshift (large black dog).

Body Control: Clumsiness, Death Touch, Fumble, Itch, Wither Limb, Paralyze Limb, Spasm.

Mind Control: Drunkenness, Foolishness, Sickness.

House Stances

Magic: Magic is neutral. Whether it helps or hurts is all in the user.

Themselves: Sooner or later, the next war will come. This time, we will be ready.

The Council: I don’t recognize their authority. They never did anything for me.

The Circle: The Circle needs to get itself organized. Sometimes you have to stand and fight.

The Cooperative: It wouldn’t be right for me.

Independents: The Sladensville Church respect the earth and are our natural friends and allies.

Gray Wolf

Gray Wolf is comprised of mages who seek to become one with nature, for spiritual reasons that are often individual to the mage or considered inexpressible. Most members are highly political about ecological and animal rights issues. The order regards itself as having a duty to protect nature and the unnecessary failure of a member to do say may result in ostracism or worse. That being said, they have very little in the way of organization and often prefer being alone in nature to seeking each other's company, though a temporary "pack" may form to deal with specific problems. Their disregard for authority and rules, mortal and mage alike, makes it easy for them to get into trouble. Most Gray Wolf mages see violence as a part of nature like any other and are comfortable, in principle, with the use of force to achieve important goals. This attitude, along with their acceptance of hunting, has alienated them from many more idealistic mages and mortals. Gray Wolf ritual and symbolism is an amalgam of Christian, Native American and Pagan European motifs, with many nature-elements of their own invention.

Apprentices are trained to study and live alongside nature. Their bodies as well as their minds are honed, on the grounds that to ignore the body is to deny your own nature. Magical training is focused on the study of animals. Particular attention is paid to dogs, on the grounds that the animal’s pack-tactics are a model for nature’s defenders.

Cost: 23 points.

Skills: Botany, Climbing, First-Aid, Herb Lore, Naturalist, Navigation (Land), Running, Stealth, Survival (Any), Swimming, Symbol Drawing (Gray Wolf), Zoology.

Spells:

Animal: Animal Control (Dog), Beast-Rouser, Beast Link, Beast-Soother, Beast Summoning, Master, Shapeshifting (Dog).

Movement: Apportation, Lockmaster.

Technology: Reveal Function, Seek Machine.

House Stances

Magic: Magic is the planet’s blood.

Themselves: We must become one with nature in order to protect it.

The Council: The more unnatural something is, the more they love it. They seek to control forces they should learn to respect.

The Circle: The Circle couldn’t organize a piss-up in a brewery. But they are nature’s only friend.

The Cooperative: The logical, horrific culmination of humanity’s rejection of everything natural.

The Line of Mary Wood

The Line of Mary Wood traces itself back to the 19th century mage of that name from California, who started the magical school by instructing her children in magic. Today, the “family” is still under the control of Mary’s blood relations, although talented outsiders comprise most of the membership. Although Christian theology plays a role in the line’s study of magic, they have not required members to be Christian since 1946. The Line of Mary Wood’s rituals and symbolism are derived from a mix of Christianity and European folkmagic, especially English folkmagic. Theoretically, the Line's Christian streak means that it has no place among the nature worshippers of the Circle, but the nature worshipping orders are too badly in need of allies to get too picky about religion. Mages of the Line are known as healers, layers of curses and habitual plotters, always laying plans for reasons that range from the purely practical to the incomprehensibly esoteric.

Apprenticeship emphasizes healing and practical application of natural substances. Spell training sets the mage up to remain eternally young, on purely pragmatic grounds.

Cost: 24 points.

Skills: Chemistry, Cooking, First Aid, Herb Lore, Naturalist, Pharmacy, Physician, Poisons, Sleight of Hand, Symbol Drawing (European Folk), Theology (Christianity).

Spells:

Healing: Body-Reading, Final Rest, Halt Aging, Lend Energy, Lend Vitality, Minor Healing, Major Healing, Stop Paralysis, Youth.

Necromantic: Age, Steal Energy, Steal Vitality, Steal Youth.

House Stances

Magic: Magic is good or evil, white magic or black magic.

Themselves: We are the beneficiaries of a valuable inheritance.

The Council: They would rule us if they could. Beware!

The Circle: They are family and you protect your family.

The Cooperative: I have no idea what they are doing but it is certainly interesting. The Unchained know a great deal but have no sense.

Independents: The Church of St. Christopher on the Mountain is one step away from becoming witch-hunters. They are laying plans. The Sladensville Church have great esoteric wisdom but little practical sense.

Sacred Chalice

Insofar as the Circle has leaders, the Sacred Chalice leads. They are the “family” with the most political power due either to their reputation for even-headedness, patience and reliability, or to the fact that no other family is willing and able to do the job. Although they are officially Wiccan and require the study of Wiccan principles as part of their magic, they welcome mages of all belief-systems. Politically, they play a difficult balancing act to keep the Circle together, with mages who see the Circle as being too pacifistic and slow to act on the one hand and mages who see the Circle as being too organized and rules-bound on the other. Also controvercial is the Sacred Chalice tendency to use mage resources to defend the interests of mundanes. Internally, there is friction between revolutionaries who wish to abandon affiliation with any one religion and traditionalist mages who see their church being taken away. Sacred Chalice political fights can get very nasty, being driven at least as much by ideology as personal ambition.

Apprentices study healing, nature and religion and are taught to use their powers to bring benefit rather than harm. Their magical training focuses on growing closer to nature and aiding the sick.

Cost: 21 points.

Skills: First Aid, Herb Lore, History (Medieval European), History (Modern USA), Naturalist, Physician, Religious Rituals (Wiccan), Ritual Magic (Wiccan), Symbol Drawing (Wiccan), Survival (Any), Theology (Wiccan).

Spells:

Animal: Beast Link, Beast-Soother, Beast Summoning.

Healing: Lend Energy, Lend Vitality, Relieve Sickness, Stop Bleeding.

Meta: Counterspell.

Plant: Identify Plant, Seek Plant.

House Stances

Magic: Magic is just nature from another perspective.

Themselves: We carry on an ancient tradition, harming no-one.

The Council: They too want peace, but they also want power. They worship history, yet they invent their history.

The Circle: It is good to get together with friends, whether it is to socialize, to worship, or to share information. We have so much in common.

The Cooperative: They are so uptight, they are frightening. They need to chill out a little bit.

White Hart

White Hart is dedicated to the philosophy that wisdom may be gained by taking the perspective of animals. The mage seeks to become animal, so as to see the world through the eyes of nature itself. White Hart claims to be an ancient Celtic tradition but while this has never been disproved, neither does there seem to be any evidence for it. Some White Harts are neo-Luddites, seeking a return to nature. Others are perfectly happy to embrace the modern world, feeling that it is the ideal place to apply the lessons they have learned from nature. Though traditionally mages of the wilderness, White Hart fascination with urban wildlife has lead them increasingly to the cities. The unique perspectives gained by White Hart mages can lead to them becoming very eccentric individuals, or even mentally ill by normal standards. They are particularly likely to take on personality traits of animals with which they have a close association. White Hart ritual and symbolism is derived from Celtic and Pagan European practices.

White Hart apprentices are taught to survive in the wild and learn to cope with different environments. Magical training focuses on survival skills and the ability to shift into different animal forms.

Cost: 22 points.

Skills: Camouflage, Climbing, First-Aid, Navigation (Land), Running, Stealth, Swimming, Survival (Any), Survival (Any), Survival (Any), Symbol Drawing (White Hart).

Spells:

Air: No-Smell, Purify Air.

Animal: Shapeshifting (Cat), Shapeshifting (Crow), Shapeshifting (Salmon).

Light and Darkness: Continual Light, Gloom, Light.

Water: Create Water, Purify Water, Seek Water.

House Stances

Magic: Anyone who knows what magic is is wiser than I am.

Themselves: Just people trying to work the universe out, or at least to get new perspectives on it.

The Council: They seem more interested in acquiring power than working out what they want to do with it.

The Circle: I’m not really interested in their politics, but a lot of individuals are wise.

The Cooperative: But why?

The Cooperative

The Cooperative is the loose union of five magical traditions that seek to use science and technology to free the study of magic from obsolete ideas. In practice, the five disagree and bicker as often as they agree and cooperate. The Bridewell Reading Group and Ex Nihilo find the other three to be hopelessly mired in mysticism instead of being the level-headed scientists they ought to be. On the other end of the spectrum, the Unchained are regarded as deranged by everyone but the Human Society. All Cooperative mages couch their spells in scientific conceptual schemes, even when expressing mystical things.

The Bridewell Reading Group

The Bridewell Reading Group began as a small conspiracy of scientists from across the United States in the 1960s who became convinced of the reality of magic and wanted to subject it to study. They encountered the Council early but refused to join on the grounds that Hermeticism is a religion and science should proceed without religious interference. Nevertheless, they have maintained close contact with the Hermetic house Atom Turning, much to the Council’s chagrin. The group maintains a vague commitment to benefitting humanity but each mage is left to themselves to determine what that means. In most cases, mages simply pursue their studies, sure that they are helping just by increasing the store of knowledge. Other mages take a more proactive role, laying schemes in accordance to their own personal view of what people need. Some Bridewell mages think that it is high time that mundanes learned the truth about magic and Osiris Risen has had to go to considerable lengths to stop them.

Apprentices are provided with a broad scientific training. An emphasis on what the groups calls “fundamentals” leads to a particular focus on matter and energy. An apprentice’s spells reflect the need to understand the building blocks of the universe before larger questions can be settled.

Cost: 22 points

Skills: Alchemy, Astronomy, Chemistry, Computer Operation, Geology, Mathematics, Metallurgy, Meteorology, Physics, Symbol Drawing (Scientific), Thaumatology.

Spells:

Air: Create Air, Purify Air, Shape Air.

Earth: Seek Earth, Shape Earth.

Fire: Ignite Fire, Shape Fire.

Water: Create Water, Seek Water, Shape Water, Purify Water.

House Stances

Magic: Magic requires serious scientific study.

Themselves: We are scientists.

The Council: They understand that magic requires serious scientific study. House Atom Turning even understands something about science. Unfortunately, the rest of them are so lost in their archaic theories and Hermetic trappings that they can never see clearly. Burning Stone is very clever indeed but the other houses are their dupes.

The Circle: Dreamers. It is time they woke up. Is reality so hard to face?

The Cooperative: Quite frankly, we are the only hope humanity has.

Independents: Exeter are always a pleasure to do business with. They are serious and reliable. The Silver Mirror School talks more crap than sense, but they do occasionally get some very interesting ideas.

The Children of Sol

The Children of Sol are modern animists who believe that there are spirits inhabiting every object. The more complex the object, the more sophisticated the spirit, with the spirits of machines being the most important and capable of all. Unlike most magicians, Children of Sol are less likely to treat spirits as slaves to be mastered than equals to be negotiated with. The close connection between the Children of Sol and the spirit world can make them unpredictable and difficult to deal with - the spirits have strange priorities and desires, and can be very insistent. Indeed, some Children of Sol can put the interests of spirits above human interests, resulting in actions that may look wantonly evil from a normal human perspective. While the Children have much in common with other animist traditions, they find themselves more at home in the Cooperative, where their love of technology meets with an enthusiastic reception. The group is named after Sol, one name of the spirit of the sun.

Cost: 25 points

Skills: Computer Hacking, Computer Operation, Computer Programming, Cryptography, Drive (Automobile), Drive (Motorcycle), Electrician, Electronics (Any), Electronics Operation (Any), Mechanic (Any), Symbol Drawing (Scientific).

Spells:

Air: Create Air, Lightning, Purify Air, Shape Air, Sparkstorm, Wall of Wind, Windstorm.

Movement: Apportation, Locksmith.

Necromantic: Animation, Death Vision, Summon Spirit.

Technological: Animate Machine, Machine Control.

House Stances

Magic: The shamans were right. The universe is driven by spirits. Finally, we have the technology to embrace that.

Themselves: We are tuned in to the frequency of reality itself. It is there for anyone who wants to listen.

The Council: They are on the right track, but they have been out-evolved. We are the updated version of what they are.

The Circle: They have power and understanding but they are too timid to ever do anything with it - except for the crazy ones.

The Cooperative: Ugh! They don’t even know they are wizards! Still, they are the only true friends we have.

Independents: The Sladensville Church understand the basic nature of the world, but they have failed to keep up to date. We have so much in common and they don’t even know it.

The Human Society

Originally a splinter-group from the Children of Sol, the Human society seeks self-transformation through the union of magic and technology. Different members have different opinions about what they, and the rest of humanity, should become, but Society members are expected not to interfere with each other’s projects. Some seek a new existence in cyberspace, some a complete redesign of the human body, while others are chasing goals they can only express in metaphor. The empasis on personal change leads often leads to significant excentricity if not outright madness. The mage is always seeking to alter themselves so as to reach a higher state, and they "higher" they go, the stranger they are likely to get. Members of the Society often act as patrons to mortals or mortal organizations, particularly in an effort to foster personal change, acting in what they take to be the mortals' best interests.

Apprentice training is focused on teaching the student to understand humanity, technology, and the connections between them. Magical training focuses on machine possession, so that the mage can expand their consciousness, and self-defense, on the grounds that the world is a dangerous place.

Cost: 28 points

Skills: Anthropology, Biology, Computer Hacking, Computer Operation, Computer Programming, Mathematics, Philosophy (Transhumanist), Philosophy (Western Analytic), Psychology, Sociology, Symbol Drawing (Scientific).

Spells:

Animal: Animal Control (Fly), Beast-Soother, Rider Within.

Air: Create Air, Lightning, Purify Air, Shape Air, Sparkstorm, Wall of Wind, Windstorm.

Movement: Apportation, Locksmith.

Technological: Permanent Machine Possession, Machine Control, Machine Possession, Reveal Function, Seek Machine.

House Stances

Magic: Just another technology humanity created as an aid to its own evolution.

Themselves: We are transcending our humanity, leading the way for others.

The Council: They are obsessed with power over the world and are so satisfied with themselves that they think nothing of self-transformation. They are stagnant. Rat Sniffing is the only house that even has their brains turns on. Maybe we can convince them to defect.

The Circle: They are facing backwards, into the past, but they are heading into the future whether they like it or not.

The Cooperative: They need a little less focus on the external world and a little more focus on themselves. All the same, they are somewhat useful allies.

Independents: The Circle Road have great insight into what humans are, but it never occurs to them to think of what they could be. The Order of St. John of Manhattan understand that humanity can be more than it is but they lack the imagination to build new futures.

Ex Nihilo

Ex Nihilo exists in order to create new life out of computers by making them self-aware. Members differ in their views about why this ought to be done. Many think it is the next step in evolution, some say that computers are better than humans, some just want to be gods. While only a small minority of Ex Nihilo mages actually want to see humanity replaced by computers, some do. This genocidal agenda is unsurprisingly disturbing to many even in the open-minded Cooperative and there has been significant debate about the degree to which such “intolerance” should be “tolerated”. Ex Nihilo has been been forced to put down its own members on numerous occasions for fear of the Cooperative stepping in, or worse yet, the Council. The group has many artificially intelligent contacts and allies, a number of which only exist in cyberspace. Some of these entities were created by mages of Ex Nihilo, while others appear to have evolved naturally.

Apprentices are drilled in any skill that might help them to understand computers. The apprentice’s final test before becoming a mage is to wake a computer into sentience.

Cost: 22 points

Skills: Computer Hacking, Computer Operation, Computer Programming, Cryptography, Electrician, Electronics (Computers), Electronics Operation (Computers), Electronics Repair (Computers), Mathematics, Symbol Drawing (Scientific), Typing.

Spells:

Mind Control: Daze, Disorient, Encrypt, Foolishness, Forgetfulness, Sleep, Wisdom.

Necromancy: Animation, Death Vision, Summon Spirit.

Technological: Awaken Computer.

House Stances

Magic: Magic is the creative energy of the universe. Only magic can truly create something out of nothing.

Themselves: We are the midwives of the new age. We will awaken new and better life on this Earth.

The Council: They understand the importance of following a program, but their methods are obsolete.

The Circle: They bow to things less evolved than themselves. Have some pride!

The Cooperative: They are getting there. They will soon work out what we already know.

The Unchained

The Unchained are dedicated to the proposition that people need to "free" their minds. Members seem to have different conceptions of what “freeing the mind” is and pursue it in many different ways. Some study science, some meditate, some create art, some alter their consciousness with drugs; any path to the goal is acceptable. The Unchained makes use of both Hermetic and Wiccan rituals, as well as many from other traditions and some they made up themselves. While some Unchained are ascetics, The Unchained as a whole are famous for partying hard. The stranger and more extreme the party, the more likely it is to help the guests to free themselves. Emotional release is seen as a transformative tool to achieve new perspectives and different states of mind. More extreme members of the order have been known to deliberately drive themselves or others insane, in the hope of gaining magical insight through loosening the bonds of reason.

Despite the love of freedom and pleasure, apprenticeship is a lot of hard work and study only the academically successful ever become mages. It is emphasized to the student that freeing the mind is an arduous process and the very opposite of going with the flow. Academic training is designed to allow the student to bring out their full potential as a human being. Spells taught focus on illusion and mind control, as an aid to breaking down the barriers between the mind and the world.

Cost: 28 points

Skills: Artist (Any), Botany, Chemistry, Computer Operation, Dancing, First-Aid, Herb Law, Meditation, Psychology, Musical Instrument (Any), Naturalist, Occultism, Ritual Magic (Western Hermetic), Ritual Magic (Wiccan), Symbol Drawing (Unchained).

Spells:

Illusion and Creation: Complex Illusion, Control Illusion, Independence, Initiative, Know Illusion, Perfect Illusion, Simple Elusion.

Mind Control: Daze, Disorient, Fascinate, Foolishness, Forgetfulness, Wisdom.

House Stances

Magic: Magic is the only thing that can free your mind. So free your mind.

Themselves: Just another gang of fools looking for enlightenment.

The Council: They love rules, so they hate freedom. Magic should liberate humanity, not bind it. They know some good tricks, though. Their house Flying Crane produces some incredible art. Perhaps they can be corrupted.

The Circle: Weird and wonderful. I’m glad their path works for them. They badly need to update their information technology, though.

The Cooperative: They are not very safe, not very sane, and not always fun, but they are the safest, sanest, most fun group of mages that you are ever going to find.

Independents: The Golden Path mages can show you things from a new perspective. What could be better? The Temple of the White Garland would produce genuinely good art if they could only get over themselves.

Independents

Twelve traditions of magi are included in the Peace, but are not otherwise allied with other groups. They may work together with other mages, but jealously guard their freedom and independence.

The Church of St. Christopher on the Mountain

The Church of St. Christopher on the Mountain is a multi-denominational Christian religious society, originally from North Carolina. The church holds that salvation comes from works alone and swear their commitment to doing good in the world in an effort to gain entrance into heaven. They actively try to convert people to Christianity, especially other mages, but they also believe that non-Christians can go to heaven. Like any human group, they are imperfect, and it is not unknown for mages of this group to be judgmental and simplistic. While the church's theory emphasizes love, the recognition that there are dark forces in the world that must be fought can also lead to militancy, while the recognition that violence can be necessary to defend people from a violent world can lead to a reliance on force. Magical ritual and symbolism is derived from Christianity and Christian tradition. The church makes no claim that their magical power derives from God in some way that other mages' power does not, though they ask God to guide them to use their magical power wisely.

Apprentices are trained to help others, using force to protect them if necessary. Magical training is focused on allowing the student to heal the sick and drive away spirits. They learn basic Ancient Greek so as to better understand the Bible.

Cost: 27 points.

Advantages: Language (Classical Greek, Broken)

Perks: Style Familiarity (Karate, Shotokan)

Skills: Exorcism, First Aid, Guns (Pistol), Guns (Rifle), Karate (Karate, Shotokan), Physician, Psychology, Religious Rituals (Christianity), Singing, Symbol Drawing (Christian Mystic), Theology (Christianity).

Spells:

Communication and Empathy: Sense Foes, Sense Life, Sense Emotion.

Healing: Cure Disease, Major Healing, Minor Healing, Lend Energy, Lend Vitality, Relieve Sickness.

Meta: Dispel Magic.

Mind Control: Fear.

Necromancy: Sense Spirit, Turn Spirit.

House Stances

Magic: Magic is a gift from God. Thank you, God.

Themselves: We are humble servants of the Lord.

The Council: As the closest thing mages have to a government, they could be a little more democratic.

The Circle: Jesus loves them. The Good Samaritan was a pagan too.

The Cooperative: The world the Lord made is better than they are giving it credit for.

The Circle Road

Mages of the Circle Road seek to understand humanity by living among different kinds of humans as one of them. They are adamant that mortals are of equal value to mages and many members fight hard to make sure that the morals are not abused by the Gifted, an attitude that frequently leads them into conflict with other orders. On the other hand, close contact with a variety of sub-cultures means that mages of the Circle Road often know secrets that can be very valuable to other mages. The Circle Road was founded in 1919 by veterans of the first world war, who swore that such a terrible thing must never be allowed to happen again and who were convinced that it is sheer lack of understanding that leads humans to treat each other so terribly. Many mages of this school have sworn never to take a human life, although it is not a requirement. Magical ritual and symbolism is drawn from the superstitions and ritual practices of ordinary mortals from all over New Spain.

Apprentice training focuses on helping the student to understand other humans and to be able to live among them. Spell training is aimed at teaching the apprentice to be able to alter their own appearance, so as to more easily pass in any company.

Cost: 28 points.

Advantages: Language (French, Broken), Language (Spanish, Broken), Language (Any, Broken).

Perks: Style Familiarity (Aikijutsu)

Skills: Acting, Disguise, First-Aid, History (Modern U.S.), Judo (Aikijutsu), Psychology, Savoir-Faire, Sociology, Streetwise, Survival (Urban) Symbol Drawing (Circle Road).

Spells:

Animal: Shapeshifting (Any)

Body Control: Climbing, Itch, Pain, Resist Pain, Spasm, Stop Spasm, Alter Body, Alter Visage.

Knowledge: Find Direction.

House Stances

Magic: Magic is an opportunity to learn more about ourselves.

Themselves: We are merely humans trying to work out what it means to be human.

The Council: Their smugness makes them closet themselves away from the wealth they could find in other people.

The Circle: In their own way, they are as insular as the Council is.

The Cooperative: Machines are just another way to shut yourself off from humanity. Even the internet is not enough because there are so many other places where people meet.

Desvio

The philosophy behind Desvio is very simple: the first task of the mage is ensure their own survival. Desvio is an entirely pragmatic school. It has no moral teachings and no theory of magic. Scholastic and theoretical pursuits are not looked down on, but it is emphasized that only a mage who lives is free to pursue them. The school was founded by a Spanish Hermetic mage and fencing instructor named Tavio Vargas shortly after he moved to California in 1850. The original style was as much a fencing technique as anything else, but due to Vargas’ emphasis on flexibility and open-mindedness, the school has evolved greatly through the years, to the point where the sword plays no role at all. Modern Desvio martial arts owe more to Hsing I Chuan kung fu than to European arts. Desvio ritual and symbolism is a mish-mash of Spanish, Chinese and Native American elements, along with plenty of tricks borrowed from other sources and plenty of inventions of their own.

Mages of Desvio take on students for a variety of reasons. Some want to hone their own skills, some want to make sure that their skills live on, and others just want to give a young relation every advantage in life. Apprentice training is almost entirely centered around self-defense and survival and magical techniques focus on warnings, self-healing, and above all, assault with fire. Most Desvio PCs would receive the skills and spells below, although there is some variation between mentors.

Cost: 24 points.

Perks: Style Familiarity (Desvio)

Skills: First-Aid, Drive (Automobile), Escape, Guns (Pistol), Guns (Rifle), Judo (Desvio), Karate (Desvio), Melee Weapon (Knife), Stealth, Streetwise, Symbol Drawing (Desvio), Throwing.

Techniques: Aggressive Parry (Karate), Backstrike (Karate), Backstrike (Melee Weapon: Knife), Close Combat, Counterattack, Jam, TA (Karate Punch / Throat), TA (Knife Thrust / Vitals), TA (Throwing / Face).

Spells:

Fire: Create Fire, Explosive Fireball, Ignite Fire, Fireball, Shape Fire.

Healing: Lend Energy, Lend Vitality, Minor Healing, Stop Bleeding.

Protection and Warning: Sense Danger, Watchdog.

House Stances

Magic: Magic is just a force like any other.

Themselves: We survive.

The Council: They have numbers, but they cannot trust each other. So their numbers are a weakness.

The Circle: Some of them are masters of the art of survival. Some of them just accept whatever befalls them. Only the Crescent Moons and the Line of Mary Wood are really dangerous.

The Cooperative: It is good to evolve, but are they really looking where you are going?

Independents: The only ones who can fight worth a damn are the Church of St. Christopher on the Mountain, the Paulites and the Order of St. John of Manhattan.

Exeter

Exeter is a clan of blood relations (none of which have the last name “Exeter" anymore) who have been magically active for seven generations. Their approach to magic is pragmatic indeed; they strive to bring safety and prosperity to themselves and their relations. Exeter training emphasizes patience, diligence and forethought. Exeter mages are renowned as enchanters, often leading other mages to want to do business with them. While they have a tendency to be insular, they also take the social graces very seriously and are known for being polite and even charming. It is said that a disgraced branch of the clan have all taken solace in undeath, but even junior Exeter do not know if this is true. Exeter ritual and symbolism is derived from Medieval and Renaissance European and folk magic. There is some resemblance to Hermetic practices, but with nothing like the vast body of Hermetic theory.

Apprentices are given a very thorough grounding of history to help them understand their place in the world and given a thorough training in the practical business skills that it takes to get ahead in the world. Magical training is broad in order to give the student a greater capacity for the art of enchantment, which is favored on the grounds that preparation is the greater part of success.

Cost: 23 points.

Skills: Accounting, Administration, Alchemy, Computer Operation, History (Medieval Europe), History (Modern Europe), History (Modern USA), Mathematics, Merchant, Savoir-Faire, Symbol Drawing (Exeter).

Spells:

Communication and Empathy: Sense Life.

Earth: Seek Earth.

Enchantment: Enchant, Powerstone.

Fire: Ignite Fire.

Knowledge: Find Direction.

Meta-Spells: Counterspell.

Healing: Lend Energy.

Mind Control: Keen Sense (Hearing)

Movement: Teleport

Protection and Warning: Magelock.

Technological: Seek Energy.

House Stances

Magic: A difficult art, but one that provides great rewards.

Themselves: We mind our own business and expect others to do the same.

The Council: Some people would rather sell their freedom than stand on their own two feet.

The Circle: Long on posturing but short on discipline. They aren’t very effective. Their house Burning Stone pulls the stings and the others dance.

The Cooperative: They could really make something of themselves if they would just stop fantasizing.

The Golden Path

Mages of the Golden Path study how to use magic to produce pleasure. Mages follow the path in many different ways. Some concern themselves primarily with their own pleasure, some concern themselves primarily with the pleasure of others, some merely use pleasure as a tool. Some pursue pleasures of the intellect, some of the body, some of art, some that are simply inexplicable. Golden Path mages are taught not to have any loyalty to the school per se, although it is unsurprising that they often enjoy each other’s company. Some Golden Path mages have grown to treat normal human beings as toys only, using them for fun and then discarding them with little thought for the consequences. Golden Path ritual and symbolism is highly personalized and each mage will have developed their own style.

As hedonistic as many of its mages seem to be, there is nothing easy this approach to magic and only students who are both intelligent and hard-working will become mages. Apprentices must study various sciences that relate to pleasure of the body and mind, as well as being trained in how to manipulate human feeling. Spells focus on mind control. The final spell a student learns is Ecstasy, frequently leading the student to become an Ecstasy addict ever after.

Cost: 23 points.

Skills: Biology, Botany, Chemistry, Erotic Art, Fast-Talk, First-Aid, Herb Lore, Naturalist, Physiology, Psychology, Savoir-Faire, Streetwise, Symbol Drawing (Golden Path).

Spells:

Communication and Empathy: Sense Emotion, Sense Foes.

Mind Control: Bravery, Charm, Ecstasy, Emotion Control, Fear, Foolishness, Loyalty, Lure.

House Stances

Magic: The ultimate drug.

Themselves: We are what all the others are, only we have the guts to admit it.

The Council: Power, power, power. But what is it all for?

The Circle: I like them when they don’t take themselves too seriously.

The Cooperative: They throw some very interesting parties, especially the Unchained.

Order of St. John of Manhattan

The Order of St. John of Manhattan is an idealistic fraternity of mages who have sworn to use their power to make the world a better place. Some see them as overgrown children trying to live a fantasy life. They aren’t always in the right and there have definitely been cases where their zeal has lead them to act without sufficient forethought. On the other hand, there is no question that they have a habit of intervening to protect the weak from the strong. The ritual and symbolism of the magic used by the order are derived from Christianity, Native American beliefs and European folklore.

Cost: 29 points.

Skills: Drive (Automobile), Drive (Motorcycle), Judo (Any), First Aid, Guns (Pistol), Guns (Rifle), Karate (Any), Physician, Psychology, Sociology, Streetwise, Survival (Any), Survival (Urban), Symbol Drawing (Order of St. John).

Spells:

Communication and Empathy: Sense Emotion, Sense Foes.

Healing: Lend Energy, Lend Vitality, Minor Healing.

Mind Control: Daze, Fascinate, Foolishness, Keen Hearing, Keen Sight, Rear Vision, Strengthen Will.

Necromantic: Death Vision, Sense Spirit, Turn Spirit.

House Stances

Magic: Magic is a wonderful gift we have received. We must make ourselves worthy of it.

Themselves: Somebody has to.

The Council: They keep the Peace.

The Circle: Help the helpless ones, dodge the dangerous ones.

The Cooperative: Weird. Still, as long as they don’t hurt anybody, they are fine with me.

The Paulites

The Paulites are a loose confederation of mages who dedicate themselves to surviving the next great mage war, which they believe is imminent and will be apocalyptic. Amanda Paul, who laid down the foundations for the school, was a teacher and profit who left the Hermetic house Thoth Standing in the 1930s, believing that the end of the house was near. Today the group’s magical style is a hodgepodge of Hermetic, native American, and European folk elements, with much that is original to the Paulites.

Paulite apprentices are trained to survive in the wild and to be able to defend themselves from attack. Magical training focuses on the art of not being noticed.

Cost: 21 points.

Skills: Camouflage, Drive (Automobile), First Aid, Guns (Pistol), Guns (Rifle), Herb Lore, Naturalist, Stealth, Survival (Any), Symbol Drawing (Paulite), Traps.

Spells:

Animal: Beast-Soother.

Light and Darkness: Continual Light, Darkness, Invisibility, Blur, Gloom, Hide, Light.

Water: Purify Water, Seek Water.

House Stances

Magic: Magic will destroy the world we know. Magic is also our only hope.

Themselves: We will survive the coming storm.

The Council: These proud fools strut but will be laid low.

The Circle: Nature worshippers are about to be out-evolved, because nature is about to change.

The Cooperative: What are you going to do when the power goes out?

Pure River Temple

The Pure River Temple is a Hindu religious group open to mages who seek enlightenment through overcoming their attachment to their physical body. Members are not required to be Hindus, but Hindu theology and religious ritual does play an important role in the group’s magical techniques. The sought-after detachment affects different mages differently and the school has produced both gentle saints and cold-heartedly callous graduates. The temple’s ritual and symbolism is Indian Hindu in character.

Apprentice training, both magical and mundane, is aimed at helping the mage to overcome the limitations of their body so that they can more easily attain enlightenment.

Cost: 29 points.

Perks: Style Familiarity (Pure River).

Skills: Acrobatics, Biology, Blind-Fighting, Body Control, Breath Control, Judo (Pure River), Jumping, Karate (Pure River), Meditation, Melee Weapon (Katana), Mental Strength, Physiology, Pressure Points, Pressure Secrets, Running, Swimming, Symbol Drawing (Hindu), Theology (Hinduism).

Techniques: Acrobatic Stand, Wristlock, Breakfall, Disarming (Judo), Evade, Ground Fighting, Low Fighting, Pressure-Point Strike.

Spells:

Body Control: Ambidexterity, Balance, Clumsiness, Grace, Haste, Itch, Reflexes, Resist Pain, Spasm, Vigor.

House Stances

Magic: Magic is no different from the rest of the universe. It is only our perspective that makes it different.

Themselves: Just simple pilgrims seeking enlightenment, like so many before us.

The Council: Why would a mage waste their time with politics?

The Circle: Don’t you see? You are already higher than a cat or a toad.

The Cooperative: They have much understanding and should be observed closely.

Independents: The Temple of the White Garland cannot achieve enlightenment because they cannot let go of themselves.

The Silver Mirror School

The Silver Mirror School is a philosophical society devoted to discovering the true nature of the world. They have decided, based on ideas from western analytic philosophy and Buddhism, that the world we live in is nothing but an illusion. Most of them are skeptics about the external world, but some of them have very clear and very strange ideas about what the true nature of the universe really is. The school has no moral teachings, yet remains idealistic and values kindness highly. There are almost no specifically Silver Mirror symbols or rituals, due to a suspicion than symbolism obscures reality. They do however, develop individual magical styles as a necessary tool for interacting with the world.

Cost: 21 points.

Skills: Artist (Calligraphy), Autohypnosis, Biology, Breath Control, Mathematics, Meditation, Philosophy (Western Analytic), Physics, Psychology, Symbol Drawing (Silver Mirror), Theology (Buddhism).

Spells:

Illusion and Creation: Complex Illusion, Control Illusion, Dispel Illusion, Know Illusion, Perfect Illusion, Simple Illusion.

Mind Control: Keen Hearing.

Sound: Silence, Sound, Sound Vision.

House Stances

Magic: That’s a highly debatable subject, but an important one.

Themselves: We are not a school of thought. We are broader than that. We are a group of humans committed to finding truth by any thought necessary.

The Council: They are clever and disciplined, but their assumptions and traditions weigh them down. The young houses live in the real world more than the older houses do. Rat Sniffing has too much sense to put up with it all for much longer. Maybe we can help them become independent of the Council.

The Circle: They have a lot to say that is interesting. I wish they could say it more clearly.

The Cooperative: I don’t know. They could be the best or worst thing ever to happen to humanity. The Human Society certainly has some interesting plans for the future.

The Sladensville Church

The Sladensville Church are not Christians as the name might suggest, but animists from a variety of different backgrounds. They cooperate in order to ensure that their understanding does not die out in the modern world. Traditionalists from Animist cultures are often horrified by the eclecticism of the tradition and of the training it offers, but the church’s ability to survive and train new apprentices has bought it a lot of security. Members are not required to hold any particular religious views, provided that their philosophy falls somewhere under animist thought.

Students study mystical and magical belief systems from numerous cultures as well as learning to be understand nature. Spells emphasize learning to interact with spirits, both human and otherwise.

Cost: 22 points.

Skills: Animal Handling, Anthropology, Exorcism, Herb Lore, Meditation, Naturalist, Occultism, Stealth, Religious Rituals (Animist), Survival (Any), Symbol Drawing (Sladensville Church), Theology (Animist).

Spells:

Communication and Empathy: Sense Emotion, Sense Foes.

Making and Breaking: Awakened Craft Spirit, Inspired Creation.

Mind Control: Fear, Terror.

Necromancy: Death Vision, Sense Spirit, Summon Spirit, Turn Spirit.

House Stances

Magic: Magic is nothing more than knowing how to talk to the spirits.

Themselves: We are the inheritors of many traditions, keeping the knowledge that the world is alive.

The Council: Too busy lording it over humans to truly see the world beyond.

The Circle: Their religions are too modern to understand ancient spirits. They need to forget the New Age crap and listen to their ancestors.

The Cooperative: A few have glimpsed the truth, but they are too alienated from nature to understand the world.

Temple of the White Garland

The Temple of the White Garland is a religious organization devoted to spiritual purification by the discovery of the mage’s own divine nature. White Temple doctrines borrow heavily from eastern philosophy and religion, particular from the Indian subcontinent, but the teachings of the school are unique to it. The school teaches that might makes right, though this is a doctrine that many of the students reject. Conflict between mages of this order is frequent and sometimes violent. The temple’s ritual and symbolism is an amalgam of Hindu, Buddhist and Indian folk tradition.

Apprentice training is focused less on direct utility than on helping the mage to achieve a mystical understanding of their own power and importance. Magical training emphasizes control over the physical world and elements in the belief that this will force the mage to confront their own godhead.

Cost: 28 points.

Advantages: Language (Hindi, Broken)

Skills: Artist (Any), Auto-Hypnosis, Breath Control, Folklore (Indian), Esoteric Medicine, Herb Lore, History (Ancient India), Meditation, Naturalist, Symbol Drawing (White Garland), Theology (Buddhism), Theology (Hinduism).

Spells:

Air: Control Air Elemental, Create Air Elemental, No-Smell, Purify Air, Summon Air Elemental.

Water: Create Water, Purify Water, Seek Water.

Weather: Clouds, Frost, Hail, Lightning, Rain, Storm

House Stances

Magic: Magic is simply the expression of our own divine will. Magic teaches us who we are.

Themselves: We are gods purely because we know that we are gods.

The Council: They are useful for as long as they do not try to control us.

The Circle: They are animals because they choose to be animals.

The Cooperative: They suspect that which we know. One day they will put aside their toys and grow up.

Independents: The Pure River Temple are too scared of their own power to act, which makes them powerless. The Silver Mirror School asks the right questions, but they cannot bare the answer.

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.