[Mage: the Awakening] Legacy of the Stone Assembly

That's also true. Besides, we're protecting the Sleepers from the Spirits, so Vigil is an appropiate term, and Midnight is such a classier word than Shadow.

No. Wait. Default Boston Consili? *flips through the Core*

I get that horrible sinking feeling we're going to be moving next to Seers of the Throne.

Whew! That's a lot of replies since yesterday evening. I'll try to address a few things quickly and come back at things in depth in a couple of hours.

BlueLotus said:

In the mean time, I couldn't think of any other way to nail down Sandra in game terms other than to make her as if she was going to be an Ascension character and hope that I could get some guidance for translating her into an Awakening character.

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Not a problem. I'll PM you later on with a proposed translation to the new rules. I feel bad that I omitted this, but in the new World of Darkness rules, you'll want two books: the core rulebook, which has all the rules for making mortals, and Mage. Sorry I didn't bring that up before--$40 is certainly a fair sum of cash for me, and I hate to spring that on you.

Solarious said:

Okay, you need to look at that big blue shiny book again.

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I'm afraid that BlueLotus doesn't have that book yet, so I'm working with him/her to make a character while s/he awaits shipment.

Solarious said:

Speaking of the arcana, let's talk Spirit magic. Umbra is now the Shadow Realm, and it's an evil, evil, evil place.

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I prefer to think of it as an alien, alien, alien place, where our human morality simple doesn't map onto the more abstract existence there. Most of us would find a spirit's motives pretty horrendous, though.

Solarious said:

I've started on an image of my character...

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I like it! That character gives me a really good plot hook. You've done this before, haven't you?

Walking Dad said:

What do you think about a former police officer, turned PI?
He will be viewing magic through the lens of Kabbalah (not the new age, but the real thing). Specializing in Spirit, Fate and /or Space.

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Love it. Kabbalah is by far my favorite of the traditions.

Solarious said:

Absent any particularly compelling reason to settle down anywhere else, Cambridge sounds like decent starting area, although I'm not sure what the great draw for it is, that is, for us as mages. It would be nice to know more about the area than the blurb before we make a final decision.

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Further information on Cambridge, including the way I'll be presenting it as an ST, to follow in a few hours.

Annalist said:

This is assuming Hella_Tellah's using the default Consilium from the Boston Unveiled supplement. The reason I'm guessing this is because Hella_Tellah mentioned The Nemean in an earlier post. (He's the Consilium Hierarch used in Boston Unveiled.)

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Good guess! I decided to use Boston because I like having a printed source that players can check with for more information on a topic, if it interests them. I feel like it helps players make more informed choices.

solarious said:

i get that horrible sinking feeling we're going to be moving next to seers of the throne.

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Dun dun DUN!!

Solarious said:

Absent any particularly compelling reason to settle down anywhere else, Cambridge sounds like decent starting area, although I'm not sure what the great draw for it is, that is, for us as mages. It would be nice to know more about the area than the blurb before we make a final decision.

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The following represents just a little more information on the history of Cambridge Awakened society than the average mage would posess. You may determine for yourself how much of this your character knows.

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Cambridge, Massachussetts has a rich history of Awakened residents and Awakened conflict. The Orders in Boston discover the majority of their members through the many colleges in the area, and Cambridge is home to two of the nation's most prestigious institutions. Since Harvard's inception, Boston-area Cabals have kept a close eye on students there for signs of Awakening, and they have competed, often fiercely, to induct newly-Awakened mages into their orders. For many years, the Stone Assembly kept things fairly orderly, allowing each Order its sphere of influence over Cambridge, even grudgingly giving over MIT to the Free Council when it moved to Cambridge in 1912. The Stone Assembly had a certain understanding with the Seers of the Throne: the power-hungry, the elitist, and the vicious among Cambridge's fledgling Awakened would be inducted into the Seers.

After the fall of the Stone Assembly, Awakened society in Cambridge especially and Boston more generally was plunged into infighting, backstabbing, and outright warfare. Only the Seers were able to keep their members united, and for their patience, the Seers won a near-complete dominion over Harvard.

With the rise of the Ebon Noose in the 1980s as leaders of a new Consilium, many are keen to diminish the Seers' influence over Harvard. Consilium officials, however, seem more inclined to maintain the uneasy, centuries-old peace.

Sleeper society in Cambridge is vibrant, intellectually curious, and more welcoming than many other parts of the Boston metropolitan area. It is a town infused with the optimism of rich, talented young people. The bookstores host poetry readings, food comes from co-ops, and protests are weekly occurrances. It is also dead empty during summer vacation.
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That's what I've got off the top of my head. Any specific questions?

I'm not sure if you still want applicants, but if you're interested I'd like to apply. That being said, I don't have a copy of Mage at the moment, but I intend to buy one as soon as possible (assuming I get in anyway, its difficult to find one of these offline). I have read the book however, and would like to think I have a passable knowledge of the rules.

Here goes:

[sblock=Joseph Faust]
Real Name: Joseph Faust
Shadow Name: Icarus
Concept: The Hatchet

Age: 25
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 150 lbs.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Grey

Place of Birth: Wheelright, Massachusetts
Relatives: Emily Faust (mother), Robert Faust (father)
Mentor: Charles Walker (real name unknown, (Forces Space Ruling), Tremere Lich)
Marital Status: Not attached

Occupation: Graduate History Student (University of Massachusetts or other)
Current Residence: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Virtue: Fortitude
Vice: Pride (Vanity)

Ruling: Prime, Mind
Inferior: Life
Order: none yet

Mental Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 2, Resolve 2
Physical Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3
Social Attributes: Presence 2, Manipulation 2, Composure 5

Mental Skills: Academics (History) 3, Occult 5, Politics 2
Physical Skills: Drive 1, Athletics 1, Survival 1, Weaponry (rapier) 1
Social Skills: Animal Ken 2, Subterfuge() 2, Empathy 1, Socialize 1, Persuasion 1

Health: 8
Willpower: 7
Wisdom: 7

Size: 5
Speed: 8
Initiative: 7
Defense: 2
Armor:

Gnosis: 3
Mana: 7 (max: 12, 3/turn)(not sure if this is right)
Pattern: Restoration (1/day), Scouring (1/day)
Nimbus: Afraid to stray to far from his person

Arcana: Mind 2, Prime 3, time 1,

Rote Specialties: None
Rotes: None
Dedicated Magical Tool: The handle of King Solomon's Bronze jar (doesn't have one at the moment, but would like this)

Mage Merits: 1 to shared hallow
Social Merits:

Background
Born in a small rural town, Joseph found himself totally unprepared for awakening. It wasn't until college that he fully understood or could control his powers, and in that manner they remained a secret.

He used his status as a history major at UMass to research all things arcane, using all resources he could get his hands on at the library there. During his studies, he found another who shared his interests, Charles Walker, and the two grew fairly close. One day, Joseph entered Charles' study unanounced, only to find the other moving books around magically. Delighted at knowing another like himself, Joseph told Charles everything about his limited mystical career. In turn, Charles taught Joseph some of what he knew of magic.

Joseph learned much over the course of his time with Charles, learning about the essence of magic, Prime, Mind, and Time. However, he learned nothing of paradox, cabals, or orders. Only through natural caution did he not suffer from the first, nor the attention of the other two.

However, when graduation came around Charles had gained entry into the Tremere. Through his true name, Charles has repeatedly attacked Joseph, and only through luck has he survived thus far. Recently, Joseph has hidden his trail from Charles, but the problem remains unresolved. Daily wards from scrying are all that separate him from his predator.

Through his experience with Charles, Joseph learned the rudiments of magic, but his knowledge is incomplete at best. He depends mostly on his sheer power to perform spells, in a way that other mages might describe as brutish. Pushing spells through carelessly, many of his spells go awry. Furthermore, his knowledge of true magic is blended in with his knowledge of the occult in general (he can't read high atlantean). Still to suffer from a paradox, he has no qualms about casting spells when he needs to. Only his natural caution, and his fear of Charles, stay his hand.

Since then, he has experimented with Sleepers, attempting to figure out the things that go with awakening. As of yet, he has had no success. In fact, he has yet to witness an awakening other than his own. In the cabal, he hopes to find out something of awakening from the other members, and to apply it to his study of sleepers.

He chose Prometheus as a shadow name to finally hide his true name, only several days before he joined the cabal. He chose it to represent giving 'fire', or magic, to the sleepers. In reality, its meaning more closely resembles 'forethought' of awakening a personal army.[/sblock]

magic_gathering2001 said:

I'm not sure if you still want applicants, but if you're interested I'd like to apply.

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Pull up a chair, we're glad to have you.

magic_gathering2001 said:

...Joseph Faust

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That's a really cool, unconventional background. Kudos! I also appreciate the inclusion of a villain for me to grab up. We're getting a good mixture of NPCs in these backstories--girlfriends, mentors, bad-guys--so I'm really optimistic about everyone's ability to add to a story.

We're starting to get to the point where we have more applicants than slots, so it's time to start talking deadline. I'd like to make the selection and start playing one week from today, Friday, the 14th. So have a character sheet written up by midnight, Pacific Standard Time (US West Coast), and I'll pick the best 4 to 6 based on:

1. Quality of writing.
2. Character concept.
3. Group cohesion and composure.
4. Bonus points if you have a portrait of your character to post when s/he talks.

I say 4 to 6 because I initially intended to run it with 4, but I want the flexibility in case there are one or two other really, really cool characters that I can't bear to pass on.

I'm glad you like him. As soon as I picked up the book, I knew I wanted to play a completely clueless mage, who wanted to 'educate' new mages. This character is the final result of quite a bit of thinking. That being said, some of the aspects could tie in a little better to the concept, especially the gnosis of 3 and the last arcana. Speaking of which, I think I'll change the merit in resources to the shared hallow, preferably for the mana restoring thing that I forget the name of.

One thing I was wondering: would you allow me to create a legacy for the awakening of sleepers? Here's the idea so far, if you can ignore the lack of terms at the moment:

[sblock]
ruling arcana: prime
secondary arcana: unsure

mana restoration:
Participate in a sleeper occult ritual (such as demonic summoning). Then, ensure that the ritual achieves its desired effect (through magic or otherwise). Any mana used to achieve this <name> is restored in addition to the normal amount. If a paradox occurs, increase its severity by one degree, and double the mana recovered.

Open the Eyes:
Gnosis 3(4)
Prime 2
Cast supernal vision on another. Sleepers cannot be affected.

Trial: The initiate must hear the story of another mage's awakening. The story doesn't have to be a vivid descriptive ordeal. However, the other mage must tell only the truth, and not leave out any important aspects of their awakening (as determined by GM). After the story is over, the legacy must attempt to recreate the other mage's awakening as completely as possible, attempting to live the awakening of another to better understand how they work.

Spark the Essence
Gnosis 5(6)
Prime 3 or 4
Transfer a point of mana to a Sleeper by touch. The affected sleeper will feel only a slight boost, as described by the spell <name>. However, the mana will remain in the sleeper indefinitely, not subject to disbelief (rumor's state that a small number of Sleepers actually spent the mana, although more enlightened awakened attribute this phenomenon to another mage's interference.)

Trial: (goes with the gnosis, not the effect) The mage must attempt to live as a sleeper for an entire month. He must consciously choose when to begin his trial. Once he begins, he loses all knowledge of his awakened life (but is given a new sleeper name) until the month passes. On the last day of the month, he undergoes his own awakening again, although the choices he picks may not be the same. When the awakening is complete, he regains all lost knowledge.


Gnosis 7(8)
Open the eyes can now target sleepers
Prime 4 or 5
I think this may actually be where Spark the essence goes, but I have forgotten what I wanted for the third (or second?) attainment

Trial: The mage must participate in the awakening of a sleeper. The mage does not need to be aware of his part, but the part needs to be significant in the sleeper's awakening. The mage does not need to meet the prerequisites of this attainment before completing this part of the trial. When the mage wants to reach this level of attainment, they must enter the dreamworld (forgot the name, but its the dream of all people). Therein, the person's dream will call them through a trial that mirrored the other's awakening. Should the mage survive, they acheive this attainment.

Gnosis 10
Awaken the Sleeping
Prime 5
The two ruling arcana from any watchtower (I know you aren't using them, but it would be far too easy otherwise)
The sleeper awakens as a sleepwalker. Depending on the caster's relationship with the sleepwalker, the caster may spend points in the sleepwalker merit.

If the caster chooses, and meets the secondary requirement, he can instead awaken the Sleeper as a mage following the path whose ruling arcana he used to meet the secondary requirement. Again, this does not convey loyalty that wasn't already there, but the caster would be able to mold and instruct the new mage.

The mage must use all of his attainments upon a single sleeper every day for a week. At the end of the week, they gain this attainment and the sleeper awakens on a path chosen by the DM(not sure about this trial, it seems slightly weird...)
[/sblock]

I would like to incorporate it into my character, either as the founding member, or if you want to use it as an organization. If you do, I would like to have already completed the first trial with Charles.

Edit:
For rights, (thank you Annalist for the formatting again)
Right of Crossing - Yes
Right of Emeritus - Maybe
Right of Hospitality - Yes
Right of Nemesis - No
Right of Sanctuary - Yes

As for the place. I would prefer somewhere that Joseph can attend grad school nearby, so Cambridge works well for me (I have absolutely no idea where UMass is, so if its not nearby, he could take grad school at Harvard)

magic_gathering2001 said:

One thing I was wondering: would you allow me to create a legacy for the awakening of sleepers?

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I really, really try to be the ST who says "yes," but this chronicle will deal in part with Consilium politics, and a character based on spreading supernal knowledge to Sleepers would be massively unpopular with this Consilium. From a group cohesion perspective, I don't think the idea will work--especially since Solarious' character will be a member of the Guardians of the Veil.

Alright, thats fine. I can play him without that aspect of his character. If thats the case though, I'll need to edit him a bit. Ok, done. What do you think now?

There already is a Legacy dedicated to awakening Sleepers - The Awakening Gambit, otherwise known as The Kingmakers. They're a Acanthus/Adamatine Arrow combined Legacy, so you need to be both part of the Adamatine Arrow and have Fate or Time as one of your ruling Arcana. They're a lot of fun, quite powerful, and they have this neat chess theme too.

Mages don't know what makes people awaken, really, so no Legacy can do that directly through attainments. So, The Kingmakers make do with putting promising prospects in positions where they must Awaken, or die. However, this doesn't really work consistantly, so there is always the Failsafe to keep them safe in case things go south. Their attainments revolve around manipulating people into their stages (Mind is primary), and abilities to put up safe, fast, and effective Failsafes (Time is used in the optional attainments).