"Piles of rare materials gone. Years of toil spent freely. My own life almost burnt to a wick. All for a glimmer of success to turn into failure. Tell me, isn't this rush the most wonderful feeling ever?"
"We weren't made to live like beasts, but to pursue virtue and knowledge. Yet I see neither of them in this besieged cage of ours."
"If the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, then it's natural for the road to Heaven to be carved in blood and tears."
ORIGIN
Humanity has lived surrounded by myths ever since its inception.
Stories of Heroes, Monsters and Magic have been at our side, from cavemen who pictured walls to placate the impossible phenomena around them to the parent telling fairy tales to sleepy children.
Even when rationality and science came to the fore - declaring millennia of oral and written traditions to be evanescent superstition – those stories remained at our side and waited for their wayward sons to come home.
In an age of indolence, nihilism and common sense, the fantasies that can never be are so much more precious than most would admit. Reality is ever a malicious disappointment, fiction is what we cling onto, the divinity in which we pour ourselves to carry on another day.
What if I told you that those lies were a lie?
Humanity forgets but atavist instincts always remember the Truth Beyond the Veil – myths aren't fantasies.
What if I told you mysteries untold dwells in the darkness?
Magi are they called, the Shepherds of the World – born of ambition and power, undone by the same.
What if I told you that the sins you're about to see are beyond your comprehension?
Magic straddles and muddles the line between godhood and damnation, and a society born of it is one suckled with greatness and sin. The less it is said about the other spawns of Magic, the better.
Yours will be a dreadful path, every inch painfully purchased in blood and threatened by death. Yet with every terrible cost comes the liberating exhilaration of Gnosis – the fabric of reality bending more and more to your every whim.
What is a mountain of sacrifices before that fleeting promise?
Thus, your path was set from the very beginning…
Pick One:
[] Prince on the Hill: Even the oldest living Magus is unable to tell when Magic manifested itself or the first visit of a Beyonder on Earth. Yet it's without doubt that Magi have struggled on this planet for a long time. Predations from the Realms of Beyond, wars in the shadows against rival magicians, the tumults of human history and dangerous researches into the arcane – this and more Magi have weathered, the weak lost in the wake of the strong.
With the rise of national spirits in the Veiled World, so did Magi unite under a single banner – and so the Moonlit Council was created. A central body meant to govern the fractious Unveiled society and led by the One Hundred Houses – a cohort of the most prestigious and established masters of Magic. They might not be sole movers and shakers of Unveiled society, but they are all amongst the wealthiest and influential.
You have the honor to belong to a branch of one of these Exalted families.
Body, mind and capabilities were carefully engineered since your conception to create a fitting vessel for Gnosis. Your lineage grants you a significant increase in the Way of Magic of your choosing, both immediate and potential. Part of the noticeable assets of your family are ready to be called - yours is the right to command and theirs is the duty to obey.
The world is ready to prostrate at your feet, but be careful of the knives in the dark and the dread specter of expectation. Every member of the Houses accepts this at birth, but doubly so for yourself.
[] For Magic and Country: The life of a Magus is rife with death and blood. It is unsurprising that the most resourceful of them gathered cohorts at their feet like kings. Humans willing to submit in exchange of security, faithful soldiers ready to execute their master's commands and apprentices begging for scraps of arcane knowledge. Even weaker Magi have bent the knee to their betters, for Gnosis calls to Gnosis.
That has been the basis for the armies of the Families for centuries, and they grew so accustomed to private armies that the existence of the Moonlit Council was put in jeopardy.
It was Lord Hyeronimus Bergamore who put forward a compromise which would endure to these days.
The Office of Execution would become the formal army of Magi society – a bulwark against any and all threats from Beyond and under the direct command of the Council. The Office of Panopticon would be composed by magician-watchmen working for the Families to ensure law and order in their territories. The Office of Censure would act as a bridge between the single Families and the Moonlit Council, an uneasy but necessary bureaucratic implementation.
Both your parents are members of the Executors or the Watchers, and have trained you to follow in their wake. Atypical as their love can be, know that it is sincere nonetheless – an uncommon commodity for Magi.
-[] Hand of the Executioners: At six you uttered your first spell. At nine you murdered your first target. At twelve you participated in your first official mission. You're a poster boy for the Office of Execution, and you have the power to back that claim up – an affinity for offensive Magic, a superhuman body and battle instinct honed to a degree to the level of professional Magi. The price is an innate hatred for Beyonders and trauma befitting a magical child soldier.
-[] Eye of the Tyrants: For generations your family has stood as Prime Watchers for a House – a position of
de-facto respected vassals, both empowering and constraining. Since you have memory, your parents have been teaching you any skill which will be useful in the Office of Panopticon – from stealth to emotional control. You've also begun to study Rotes of Silence, advanced techniques to cast lesser spells in secret – a valuable asset for members of a secret police.
[] From Stables to Stars: It is established that a Magus is born when the fetus is subjected to enough magical presence in the months of gestation. The offspring of someone connected to the arcane – willingly or not – has a high chance to be born as a magician, and Magi tend to marry their own for this very reason.
Yet the Greatest Mystery is forever elusive, and the impossible occurs at times. A Magus is born from Lambs, blind to their gift and bound to waste their potential at best, to court dreaded powers and dangers at worst.
The Induction Clause is the solution to this issue.
Whenever a Lost Spark is discovered by a Shepherd, they must be introduced to the Unveiled Society or be terminated in case they prove to be far too recalcitrant.
You were both lucky and wise enough to not refuse your sponsor's offer. And for it you are rewarded.
You are a late bloomer of sorts, but your magical potential is undeniable – perhaps great enough to raise you to the rank of Magi of legends. Your knowledge is lacking and your corpus underdeveloped, but even the cutthroat Magi aren't devoid of fairness – most of them will be willing to give you a second chance if only in light of your budding talent. Your sponsor is a Magus of particular renown, a font of wisdom and power as long as you stay on their good side.
PATH
It goes without saying that Magic can assume countless forms. Not just the simple tricks commonly imagined by the Lambs, but also devotion of the Ego to the point it can cleave in twain all hardships, the oozing and intoxicating Aura of a Succubus and an eternal battlefield immortalized on canvas. The libraries of magical academical institutions gather thick tomes and millennia-old parchments, yet even their crushing weight isn't enough to fully comprehend the possibilities of Magic.
Nonetheless, to be a Magus is to seek the impossible and impose it on the real.
Whether out of natural aptitude or parental engineering all Magi possess affinities to the Four Ways of Power, commonly recognized as the official branches of human manifestation of Magic.
Aside from the ontologically different Powers of Beyonders, there are records of different system or even unheard Ways, but be careful of their practitioners. Heretics and madmen are the least of their members, and the price of such arts is dire even for the most ruthless Magus.
Your education will not be lacking in any of these fields, but you should consider carefully which School will lead you to greatness - or failure.
Pick One [Two if From Stables to Stars was chosen]:
[] Dogmatism: Earth is unique compared to the Realms of Beyond. First off, not all its inhabitants are inherently capable of Magic, but perhaps most importantly for the inert nature of its Mana – a perfect balance between Life and Death, Order and Chaos. In fact, it is all but impossible to use outside of established cases – the so-called Foundations. Many theories have been presented to explain this phenomenon – a recurring theme is the seemingly central position of Earth in the greater cosmology – but no conclusive evidence has been found yet.
Foundations are as numerous as the rules and caveats which define them, ranging from the numerical predictions of Kabbalah to the comprehensive Theory of Five Elements. A polysystemic discipline, it puts an emphasis on 'breadth' rather than 'depth' – a Dogmatic Magus might not be as directly powerful as members of other Ways, yet their wealth of knowledge guarantees unusual solutions to almost every problem. High-level Dogmatism can combine single aspects of different Foundations, cast multiple spells at the same time and even create temporary Foundations to confound opponents, rivaling the unique trait of House Bergamore.
To cope with this demanding Way, your mental processes were enhanced to a superhuman degree and a multitude of facts on theoretical Magic ingrained in your subconscious. Further studies will improve these aspects.
[] Egotism: There are no testimonies on how this Foundation came to be - the wildest of speculations proposes that it could be the true 'natural' magic of humanity. However, since its spread seems to be coincidental with the presence of greater-than-life figures across history, it is theorized that its first user were the figures we know as Gods today.
Magic not from without, but from within. A Way not for scholars, but those with an indomitable will. Not a mere Magus, but a legend carving Hero. This and more promises Egotism to its solipsistic students. Mana is channeled through the body of the Egotist and refined through meditation on the experiences and mental constructions of the spellcaster. In this way, they create an Ego – an inner, metaphysical world from which springs thematically appropriate Magic.
An Ego is built upon Words – an eventual composition of objects, concepts or verbs which represents an ideal towards which the Magus must strive for. Additional Words require an exponential amount of cycling to be carved upon the soul, an onerous self-limitation which begets impossible power.
Physical prowess and mental resilience are natural consequences of Egotism, but beware of its steep cost – there is a reason why few Egotists outside of cultivator Houses survive or do not go insane.
[] Contractualism: The denizens of Beyond have always had a certain interest towards humanity, whether out of curiosity, boredom or malice. As such, few of these races have been reluctant to ask to the ever-present ambitious and desperate. Unsurprisingly, the story of this Way is dark and bloody, but its offers are enticing enough to compensate the many sacrifices – literal or not – called for.
The Rite of Convocation might be single oldest spell of our history, deceptive in its simplicity – a simple appeal to greater Powers through astral projection on neutral ground. Still, there are many finicky rules to call upon this or that Beyonder, critical accidents which could invite unsavory presences on Earth and countless ways to be killed or worse.
Yet, should a Contractualist circumvent these pitfalls and strike a bargain the reward is going to be worth it. Their soul will be infused with a Fragment of Soul from the Beyonder, acting as an anchor through which they can call upon their contractee in whatever manner was determined by the parties – summon them as Familiars, channel their Powers and more. Talented Contractualists can even improve the gifts so received – a considerable bargain chip for power-hungry entities.
As a lesser branch – but not less useful – Contractualists study magical contracts between Magi, a skill sought after by the bureaucrats of the Office of Prefecture. Magi of this Way find their social cunning and knowledge on the denizens of Beyond to be ever growing out of necessity.
[] Artificialism: Excalibur, Kavacha, Green Dragon Crescent Blade. These are but a miniscule representation of the wonders created by the brilliant and terrible mind of an Artificer. Often called the Way of Creation for obvious reasons, the more self-aware practitioners deem it 'the Way of Destruction' due to the disproportionate number of harming instruments brought to existence.
While a certain number of different Foundations fall under the purview of Artificialism, their rules are much looser than those of Dogmatism – more guidelines for the creation of ordinary Artifacts than anything else. True Artificialism is born only when the right components are hammered and chiseled by the flame of Inspiration.
The intricacies of magical materials are varied, but the universal law is that their quality is directly proportional to their quantity of Mana. However, one should not believe that only the material holds power – in fact, abstract components such as emotions or life can be an excellent if insidious clay.
Inspiration is the ingenious madness which takes control of Artificers, the monomania in pursuit of an impossible masterpiece that completely changes their personalities, the burning need to craft until their own essence is naught but ashes – yet that is simply more fuel poured on the fiery altar of Artificialism.
To those capable of subduing their moods until the right time, this Way grants a keen perception and creativity coupled with troves of info on strange and esoteric components.
EDUCATION
Of no less importance is the choice of which Magical Academy you will apply for.
Every Shepherd is expected to be able to somewhat manipulate Magic since childhood. However, true control over the intricacies of the Great Mystery begins to manifest around eighteen years old, when the Magus is approaching the end of his physical and mental development. Magi capable of weaving spells effectively from a young age are spoken of in awed and hushed tone, as the mark of greatness and madness is made manifest in them.
Of course, Magi parents offer their children education and guidance through their formative years in the wondrous and dark path of Magic. A decent number of them ends up schooling them privately, whether out of lack of resources or jealous protection of their secrets.
This will not be your case. One of the most important Magical Academy of the Unveiled World has accepted your application.
You were groomed for it, a favor was long due, pure dumb luck intervened – the reason matters not. What matters is that you are offered the occasion of a lifetime – to learn from the brightest mentors amongst Magi, to make connections which would have been unthinkable otherwise and to begin carving the road towards your own desires.
Be careful however – the magical society doesn't foster weakness, and neither do these institutes. Danger will be your constant companion, and you will draw strength and wisdom from it – or your schoolmates will.
Pick One:
[] Ethervault Academy: Not far from the metropolis of New York exists a college built in the most exquisite modern aesthetics, known for its strict and obscure standards of admission. Offsprings of the wealthiest capitalists of the United States might be turned down whereas the youngest child of Mexican immigrants can be offered a scholarship in a heartbeat.
The Overseer cares not for the prattling of the Lambs. All he cares is that the Shepherds of tomorrow will be ready.
Founded by the most successful Lost Spark of modern times, underneath the peaceful façade lies an Artificial Fortress-Academy, equipped with the most advanced technologies and magical inventions present on Earth. The sprawling faculty has everything to ensure complete defense and a first-rate education – classes for all Ways, laboratories and fighting grounds, libraries and cafeterias, even theaters and fictional landscapes.
The Overseer adopts a strict policy in his territory – expect your life to be spent mostly on classes or missions, the over-qualified professors polishing your talents whether you like it or not. And while the headmaster accepts the need of recreational activities with long-suffering grumbling, he and his staff are quick to squash relevant complications.
They are certainly not above making examples if the benefits outweigh the costs.
Due to the practical nature of Ethervault Academy's program, many of its bachelors find themselves sought by the Offices of the Council. However, it's an open secret that the truly prodigious are offered a place amongst the Fingers of the Overseer – his personal army, fanatically loyal and ostensibly meant to safeguard humanity from threats within and without.
The American continent is all but under his control, although tension and resistance from Houses are high. The Moonlit Council is willing to overlook this in light of his results, but the proverbial straw might break the camel's back anytime now…
[] Avalon, the Land Beyond Earth: Once upon a time, there was an unknown and isolated island north-west of Wales – the perfect location to educate the Magi of all England. Around seven hundred years ago, Merlin William Hainault declared that such an institute was too suffocating for Magi – weren't they supposed to be seekers of the impossible, after all?
And so, Avalon the Floating City-Academy was born – still ruled by the same Merlin and his Hainault House to these days. Invisible and accessible only through specific Teleportation Circles, it's completely self-sufficient and has not touched the surface of Earth since the day it soared towards the sky.
The most exclusive of all magical academies, its appellation is most certainly deserved – Avalon is a titanic city as an expression of utmost Magic, its wonders reflected at every corner. Here you can witness magical duels and festivals, visit vistas of occult and inhuman origin, interact with influential Magi and dignitaries from Beyond and much more – every day offering new and exciting sights.
The courses of Avalon Academy are somewhat laxer than those of other prestigious schools in order to let the young adapt to the overwhelming city and to promote independence. Do not mistake this for a reason to slack off, however – the unprepared are often the first to meet their demise to this eternal carnival.
It's not unlikely to meet the whimsical, bon-vivant Merlin William himself as he indulges himself in his domain. The master of Dogmatism and Contractualism is always willing to lend advice to his students, although only those who can parse truth from lies are successful in life.
It's unnecessary to repeat that the flying island offers a plethora of addictive activities to its residents, but it seems to curiously attract a lot of supernatural conflict, both internal and external – a fact which justifies the permanent presence of Execution Cadres on the island. Yet Avalon and House Hainhault endure against all odds…
[] The House of Order: There might be more ancient institutes in the Unveiled World, but none of them are as exalted as the House of Order. Founded by a Magus who was fascinated by the Legalistic reforms of the Qin Empire, the Palace-Academy reflects the adherence to this philosophy with its corpus of draconian laws, and first amongst them stands the White Rule – "
There Is No Authority Above the Headmaster".
It is perhaps a credit to this absolute system that in over two thousand years of history, there have been just three different Headmasters. Most are savvy enough to not point out how no change in leadership has been peaceful.
The current autocrat is Lady Xiao Ren of House Song, although nowadays she goes by the name of Lady Baojun – the Maiden-Tyrant. An Egotist of improbable power, her personal story is drenched in rivers of blood – like her origin as a half-Beyonder, her marriage to House Song only to slaughter every other member the night of the wedding and her webs of intrigues to string Lambs and Shepards alike. That she hasn't been ousted for eighteen centuries merely adds to her dreadful reputation.
Under her management the House of Order has flourished as a socio-political jungle based on contradictions. The word of the Lady – and by extension, her staff – is unquestionable, yet students are quietly encouraged to break the law. In the infinite halls of the Palace-Academy there's no disorder, but secret alliances, societies and feuds are incited in the shadows. Formal curricula are impeccably taught while darker knowledge is flirted with constantly. Subtlety is tantamount to success, although it's useless without the leverage of might.
Few can deny that is indeed the Order of the World.
Ruthlessness, cunning and Gnosis untold await the bachelors of the House. However, those who graduate while retaining a sliver of morality are offered something even more rare – the personal fondness of Lady Baojun…
