CHAPTER TWO

 

CHAPTER TWO: THE FACES OF SORCERY

 

For my part, 1 have told you all things so that you might write them down and transmit them secretly to those who are like you in spirit. For this is the mystery of the immovable race.

 — The Secret Book According to John, V: 28

 

It was à delighiful dinner, to be sure. I found my companion charming, educated, and a pleasant conversationalist. Our talk tanged from subject to subject — ancient history during appetizers, current affairs during primi piatti, and philosophy during secondi piatti. Finally, our succulent deserts aside and coffee in hand, we turned to the conversation that we held annually.

 We debated the philosophy of magick — or as hé as he so colloquially referred to it — and argued metaphysics. I found him no less stubborn than the last time. He was fully unable to discuss the artofmagick without reference to his owm particular tradition. This Uzoma bambalawo, transplanted years ago from Nigeria to Chicago, still spoke of the orishas and his priestly duries and initiations (or at least what secrets he felt comfortable divulging to me), and my talk of Umbral spirits, the Technocracy and the Ascension War fell again and again on deaf ears.

 He was by now amost accomplished hedge magician (a phrase I've never used around him, of course), much wiser and more powerful than the young Uzoma initiate I met in Africa those many years ago. And though he had been educated at the finest Western universities and now worked in international business, he still could not break free from his utterly provincial worldview.  

I knew, again, that he would not join our cause, Fate might male us allies on occasión, as it did those many years ago, and we can be friends, but my war is not his, and his world is not mine, Though 1 may hope for his true enlightenment one day, I fear he may never Awaken, and his Avatar shall be locked in this imperfect state, semi-aware but crippled.

I met him once more, as he asked, though 1 no longer take any pleasure in our meetings. The food was pleasant enough, but the talk was completely artificial. My host jumped from topic to topic in an attempt to be cosmopolitan and urbane, bue all throughout the conversation | could not help but feel like Tawas being tested, This was nothingnew; in fact, I'm quite used to it from Westemers who like to see how “awvesternized” I've become thanks to my college education.

 According to habit, after dinner we tirmed once again to more philosophical discussions. He awished to discuss ashé, to argue about its properties and qualities, just as he does every year. Discuss it? As though [ would care to discuss breathing, or eating or drinking! No, 1 would gladly share my knowledge of the orishas with those who wish to learn, but not those who would dissect my faith and then talk about the superiority of their own beliefs.

 This man, a “Hermecic magus of the ancient House Bonisagus” — no doubt a compatriot of those vain and foolish Aeon Rite wizards — spoke at length. He talked of ascension wars, and of the teign of disbelief, and tried to classifiy the orishas according to some silky scheme that made no sense tome. For allhis knowledge, he so lackedwisdom!

 Tawould have nothing of his talk. He has spouted such gibberish since 1 come to his aid in Nigeria — fool that he was, he attempted to summon dark orishas to do his bidding! — and every year he artempts to convertme to his war. have little wish to aid wizards battling each other for greater honor and glory. Children! I serve the orishas and the orishas alone — not human pride and vanity.

 As we departed, he said that he had not lost hope that my “avatar” would still awaken. And said Iavould pray that he saw the light and used his powers for a less self-serving purpose.

 ON THE FRINGE

 The World of Darkness teems with clandestine societles, each with its own unique perception. Everyone seems to have his or her own answers to the questions in the dark, and as any student of the mysteries knows, one answer rarely fits all queries. Indeed, the studied mystic knows how to reach beyond simple truths to find the symbols of a greater Truth behind them — a Truth all know but few understand.

 This chapter explores several societies within the greater realm of magical study. Unlike the Traditions or clans, these groups don't belong to any grand confederation. Few of them share any contact with each other whatsoever; oh, sure, the Uzoma wise man might have heard tales of the wandering Dust Prophets, but such travelers rarely cross that wise man's borders, so why should he care what they do? Each society has its own perspective, its own practices, its own prejudices. Compared to the larger, more organized Traditions and Conventions, these independent fellowships are pretty small, Most of the groups mentioned below have less than 100 members, and several have less than 50 (not counting their various servants and allies). Still, each sociery plays its partin the larger drama of the magical quest—a play that may beall the more significant for its secrecy.

 Every society, magical or otherwise, has its own mythology, its own tales and symbols through which it views the world. Some of these myths may leave a Storyteller puzzled. Did Nephite Priests, refugees of lost Zion, actually wander the American wildemess hundreds of years ago? Are the Thal'hun deluded New Age magicians, or do their powers really come from some forgotten alien race! To the sorcerers described here, those truths are absolute. It falls to the Storyteller to decide which, if any, of such myths are true, which ones are folklore, and which ones represent some greater Truth. Magic, like politics, is never as simple as it first appears to be.

 FORMAT

 * Testament: This section details the history of the group as it is told within that society. It isn't History 101, and you won't be told what “really” happened. Instead, you'll see the group through its own eyes, sec what makes them tick, what keeps them running and what draws their fire.

 THE SOCIETY

 Within a more objective look at the society, we explore three aspects of its activities:

 * Magic: What's the group's philosophy of magic? What does it believe magic to be, and how does it put those mystic arts to use?

 * Initiates: How are new members of the society recruited? What's the group looking for? How does it train these initiates to full membership, and what form does the initiation ceremony assume?

 * Organization: How is the group organized? How do the members fncrion together, and whodo they look tofor leadership?

 RELATIONS

 No one is alone in the dark. Not everyone realizes that fact, however, and in the shadows, certain things become vague, This section explores the fellowship's relations with other Hidden Folk:

 * Hunters: Other nightbound mortals occasionally cross paths with magicians. Which groups, if any, take a special interest in this society's affairs?

 * Other Magicians: Many of these groups exist in separate worlds. Many others meet their counterparts on a regular basis. What sparks fly between which socieries, and why?

 * Mages: The Awakened have their own quests and battles; evenso, many of them encounter their “lesser” cousins on a regular basis. How do rhe magicians regard the mages, and vice versa?

 * Others: The night is alive. How do the supernatural creatures on the fringes of the world regard this particular group? Are they friends, rivals or bitter enemies? And why?

 CHARACTERS

 This section deals with the group in pure game-system terms. A player or Storyteller who wants to run a character from this society should know:

 * Concepts: No sorcerer spends her entire life slinging spells around. What kinds of people join this society! Which character concepts are most common among them?

 * Traits: The character Traits a typical magician from this group might have.

 * Preferred Paths: The Paths this society considers important. Most magicians ftom this group will begin their training in one or more such disciplines.

 * Magical Style: The form that magic takes, and the things these sorcerers do to make it happen.

ANCIENT ORDER OFTHE AEON RITES

 VISIONS OF À BETTER WAI

 

We hold the very secrets of Creation.

Although our Order was founded in the latter years of the 19th century, ave are a spiritual society ahose origins go back millennia, to the very beginning of time immemorial, and the foundation of the sacred wisdom. Foritwas then thai the great Divinity, whosename is I AM, first unveiled to the wuomthey, the secrets of enlightenment. Over the years, His sacred revelation greaw and was manifest to those who could perceive the mssteries. Like a river flowing through mary lands, slowly polluted through time, this sacred awisdom likewise changed aith each passing generation untilit finally became a thing unrecognizable across the word, hidden in the ancient traditions of many nations. Butit was in 1872 that cur founder, Magister Johamnes Agrippa, first gathered together these disparate strands of sacred wisdom and avove them together into the sacred unity thatwe now perceive as the most true and perfect path to perfection.

 Magister Agripbawas bom in 1843 with the terrestrial name of Jan van Rensseluer. He received his first vision of the divine at age five. On that day, in a profound revelation, he learned he would be the next Messiah, and was showm the Invisible Worlds and their many inhabitants good and eviland neutral alike. He had many such visions, and his wisdom grew, But Master Agrippa did not lead an easy life: the lives of those suchas we, men and women destined to perfection and enlightenment, are fraught with difficulty. Master Agrippa was shunned and chastised by his peers and family when he spoke of his visions and insights. His father was a Lutheran minister who beat young Jan regularly for his idolatrous talk. Thus did the Master learn the ignorant blindness of man.

 Jan floated from job to job, unable to hold amy occupation for long. Still, he became a prodigious student of arts and letters. His Greek and Latin were superb; to those languages, he added the study of Hebrew and Aramaic, Arabic, Sanskrit, and, of course, French and English. His visions still came regularty, but he had leamed never to divulge them. Instecil, he recorded them in his personal journals. These visions eypically came at night when he slept, or sometimes in the early evening as he meditated according to ancient Chaldeon precepts. Thus did the Master leam discretion and the art of secrets.  

In 1865, the spiritual world stood in clear revelation. The Master cried with fear and delight as his spiritual third eye was fully opened. Sadly, enlightenment came at a most inopportune time by mundane standards. He was, at this time, aclerkin a bank — a bank. whose manager did not appreciate employees falling to the ground in ecstasy. Thus the Master was dismissed from his position and sent home seemingly without a future.

 But without this event, Master Agrippa's wisdom would have beenlosttous, lostwithout communication orrefinement. Alone, Jan would have remained a silent mystic, laboring in obscurity and dying  without heirs. By grand fortune, one of the bank's customers that day belonged to a secret mystic order (even the wisest magicians must occasionally tend to Earthly matters!) . Understanding what he had seen, the visitor — Sir Adamson Tinsdale — followed young Jan home. The next evening, he offered to teach the future Master many secret things, and accepted Jan as his new abprentice.

 Thus began Jan's tutelage. He studied the Hermetic corpus, ancient texts of Sumerian astrology, Indian alchemy and Chinese geomancy. But he did far more than study this esoteric lore; in the secrecy of Tinsdale's sanctuary, Jan learned Enochian — the angelic tongue — and rites to summon and bind Otherworldly spinits. Talented beyond his years, Jan soon surpassed his mentor. In time, he found new masters — the Secret Watchers, spiritual entities who claimed that they too had once been mortal and frail. The Secret Wiatchers contacted Jan in dreams and trances, initiating him into the hieratic mysteries. Thus did the Master reach beyond.

 In 1872, Jan's tutelage under the Secret Watchers led him to the discovery of the Aeon Rites, a series of rituals recorded in Enochian. These magical rites were of supernatural origin, recorded by the first and most powerful msstics of Earth's ancient past — rites that, if followed, would lead humans away from animal ignorance to the sublime glory of the 1 AM.

 As he studied the Rites, Jan leamed more about his spiritual masters. Indeed, the Secret Watchers had personally authored the Aeon Rites. The first mystics knew that humans would not comprehend or master these teachings for millennia, and so they dispersed the Rites in lesser forms. In time, these rituals (now diluted) worked themselves into every mystic practice. The authors themselves passed through the veil of mortality, settling on the spiritual plane. From their new home, they sent visions into the mortal world, wisions that would guide humanity to spiritual perfection. The Watchers believed that humanity was ready to leam a pure form of magical and spiritual teachings, and that Jan was the most worthy candidate to receive them. Thus was young Jan selected to receive the Aeon Rites, and to use them to usher in a new humanity. Jan chose to take the name Johannes Agrippa, in honor of two mystics who were themselves now part of the Secret Watchers, and pledged himself to the task of spreading the Aeon Rites.

 This was the time of Darwin and the Industrial Age, but also atime spiritual avareness and occultexperimentation. As Johannes spread word of his revelations, the arcane community burned with excitement. Some occultists supported the Master's claims, others vilified them, but occult societies are like that. The thrill seekers lost their interest in the Aeon Rites as sensation followed sensation. As the careless ones departed, the steadfast stayed behind.

 And so it was that by 1873, the Master had gathered a circle of men and women who wanted to learn from him. Pledging his most sacred Order to personal perfection and enlightenment, he initiated. his followers according to the Aeon Rites. Within five years, Master Agrippa had developed a divine hierarchy based upon the Aeon Rites, which prevented the unworthy from ascending to ranks they were not yet qualified to have. To progress in the Order, a magician must prove himself worthy enough to do so. Such worthiness extended past mere occult accomplishment; to truly progress, one much share his bounty with other less-fortunate people.

 For 15 years Johannes maintained our Order — an Order that was both new and ancient. As the Order grew and flourished, troubles began. Such things are to be expected; seekers like ourselves are rarely meek and trusting. When Master Tinsdale, Master Johanne's wife, and a counselor who had threatened to reveal Aeon secrets all passed away suddenly, their deaths cast suspicion across our Order. Still, Magister Johannes stood as a beacon of clarity and wisdom, and the Fratres and Sorores of the Ancient Order followed him with utter devotion and faith. During this time, the Master's visions persisted. The Watchers still commumed with him, and he recorded their impressions in his joumnals. In time, his transcribed visions became our texts of magical instruction and the foundations of our Order.

 When Master Johannes died, we were equally sad and josful. Though we had suffered a great loss, we knew that our Master had finally been called to the other side, where he would continue to guide us, freed from all mortal concerns. Sadly, few of his successors possessed his charisma and vitality. The Ancient Order's membership withered until the 1960s, when only a handful of members remained.

 In the 1960s and 1970s, men and women once more followed the call of the Otherworld. Amid the wreckage of dark cults and dead-end covens, our own Order prospered once again. Nestled among the false fellowships of witch, fakir and Satanist, we still promote our sacred gospel. Quietly, carefully, we spread the vision of the Watchers and prepare the world for a new and more spiritual era.

 The Aeon Rites endure!

 THE SOCIETY

 “A new and better way is justoutofreach.” How many times have we heard such promises in the modem world? Yet to the Orderof Aeon Rites, the better way has been hidden in plain sight formany years. Allwe humanshave to do issetaside ourignorance and embrace the deeper wisdoms revealed in The Book of Aeon. It all seems far too simple, but simplicity amid commotion is what the Order is all about. Firtingly enough, this fellowship traces its origins to a hallucinating bank clerk. As ancient as its practices may seem, the Order's foundation sits plainly in the modem age — an age deeply in need of spiritual refuge.

 Onthe surface, these magicians seem selfless and altruistic. To hear them talk, a new era or prosperity is around the comer, and they, of course, are holding the door open wide for everyone else. There's no doubting the sincerity of Master Agrippa's devotees — advancement within the Order is hard-eamed. Still, Aeon magicians are insufferably smug as a rule. No one could be as wise, temperate and visionary as they claim to be. Are these wizards simply self-righteous nuisances, or do they know something that more-pessimistic magicians miss? Could it be that contentment is as easy to grasp as they would have you believe, or is their message simply one more arcane drone in the halls of magic?

 One never knows, does one?

 MAGIC

 The Ancient Order of the Aeon Rites is the inheritor of a melange ofesoteric and metaphysical beliefsystems from both the East and West. The bulk of its magical systems resemble those found in other societies from the same era (such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn), and are derived from older Greco-Esyptian texts, particularly the Corpus Hermeticum. AOAR magic is not for the dabbler; it relies strongly upon book leaming, esoteric knowledge, ritual practices and meditation.

 In addition to the various magical practices common among occult societies, the Order practices a series of its own secret rituals: the Aeon Rites. These rituals provide a path ofinitiation peppered with metaphysical ideas. Although AOAR magicians incorporate magical techniques from disparate sources, they employ them with the Order's own refinements. According to Master Agrippa, all other occult studies and cults are corruptions of the truths known tothe Secret Watchers. To employ the purest form of magic, one must understand the Aeon way.

 Magister Johannes authored his own commentaries on the Aeon Rites and penned the visions he received. Their compilation, called The Book of Aeon, offers a complete cosmological treatise about the metaphysics of the universe, the history of the Secret Watchers, the spiritual nature of humanity, the secret history of the world, and glimpses of its future.

 Everything is symbolic to members of the Order. Spirits, planets and numbers all have unique correspondences, often linkedtothe Hebrewalphabet, and lessons are imparted through arcane, multi-layered allegories. AOAR spells rely upon magical sigils (which draw upon the power of numbers arranged in a square grid) and the magical properties of geometric symbols and uncanny designs. To work her arts, an Aeon Rite magician employs sacred mathematics — Pythagorean theories that ascribe potentials to different polygons. The most significant polygons are the triangle, square, pentagram and hexagram. By tracing these shapes in the air or on the ground and reciting the proper verses ftom The Book of Aeon, a magician mightdraw spiritsto the mortal world for communion. Astrology (real study, not supermarket horoscopes) plays an important magical role, too. Conjunctions berween different celestial bodies produce different spiritual harmonies. A magician versed in astrological magic uses her skills for more than simple divination; by working with the energies of certain planets, the Aeon sorcerer may enhance her spells. Aggressive martial magic, for instance, would draw upon the properties of Mars, while amorous magic channels the power of Venus.

 Most AOAR magiciansalso utilize Enochian, the legendary “tongue of the angels.” While the Order of Hermes claims sole proprietorship over this mystical language, various versions ofthe tongue have circulated across the occult world; even cheap paperback “magic tomes” boast a few scraps of true Enochian letters. The AOAR employsa varianteredited to Master Agrippa, who received Rites in English, Latin and Enochian before translating the whole batch into “true Enochian” for The Book of Aeon. All AOAR magics rely upon symbolic paraphernalia, too — wands, cups, swords, branches, ashes and dust. A Magister's tools are specially made, often from expensive materials, and dedicated toaid thatmagician andnoother. From hisritual robeand swords tothemagical lumen andcirclet, eachsorcerer's instrument holds its own purpose and meaning in ritual work.

 The AOAR's rituals are elaborate events performed in specially consecrated tabernacles. Everything has a purpose in an AOAR tabernacle, and all elements must be exact. From the number of columns in a room to the size of sacred polygons etched on the floor to the colors of the cubic altar's cloth coverings, everything has a sacred resonance tothe Otherworld. 

INITIATES

 AOAR magicians prowl the oceult communities in search of potential recruits. Notorious “poachers,” they've gained a reputation for luring potential recruits away from other organizations and into their own. This stigma is offset somewhat by the good deeds they do. Inthe fractious world ofoccultpolitics, magicians from this Order display an unusually cool temperament, keen etiquette and generosity. Perhaps they're onto something after all.

 Only the brightest individuals are chosen for the AOAR; candidates must be well-read, mannered and eloquent. Since the Aeon Rites have supposedly been dispersed throughout a variety of oceult sciences, most AQAR sorcerers prefer to initiate practicing occultists and other students of the mysteries. Aeon Rite mentors encourage magicians who have become discouraged by the dark tone ofmost oceult groups to “walk in light” — to throw away the black robes and pursue the sacred Rites.

 Potential initiates leam the basic precepts and history of the AOAR, including the career of Magister Johannes, the truthabout the Secret Watchers, and the existence of the Acon Rites (many of which are already partially known to occultists and scholars of the arcane). None of the AOAR's greater secrets are revealed until after a candidate's initiation into the first Degree (Apprentice); each additional Degree reveals more secrets of the Aeon Rites. As the initiate adyances through the Degrees, he leamns to discard the watered-down rituals of other systems and relies almost solely upon magics revealed through the Aeon Rites themselves. Study, meditation, acts of charity and leadership mark the path of Degrees. A selfish, hardhearted sorcerer has no place in the AOAR, and the Order lets such magicians know this straightway .

 ORGANIZATION

The Ancient Order of the Aeon Rite observes a strict hierarchy with nine initiatory levels grouped into three categories:

 * Outer Level — the Pupils: The First to Third Degrees; gathered into Lodges, these magicians do most of the “mundane” work while learning the initial secrets.

 * Inner Level — the Fratres and Sorores: The Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Degrees, who supervise the Lodges, take care of the Order's common matters and spend their time pursuing great truths.

 * Supreme Level — the Magisters: Degrees Seven through Nine, who send occasional advice and commands to the lesser ranks, but spend most of their lives in contemplation and deep study.

 Advancement through the ranks is only possible by initiation through the Aeon Rites and prodigious good works. A Lodge's elders will determine whether an individual is worthy of promotion or not.

 The Aeon Tabernacle forms the ruling body ofthe AOAR; it sponsorshigh-level initiarion, monitorsthe AOAR's coffers (which, thanks to initiation and membership tithes, investments and other contributions, are quite rich), and funds charities, scholarships and hardship grants. The Aeon Tabernacle's office, meeting space and temple are located in Johannes Agrippa's Amsterdam canal-house, the home of the Order's main library and archives. Here, the original transcripts of the Aeon Rites are stored and studied. They are never moved, and have been securely guarded and warded.

 The ultimate rank (Tenth Degree) cannot be achieved by a living human being; this is the level of supreme spiritual master, the level of the Secret Watchers — now including Magister Johannes himself — who still guide AOAR sorcerers through their dreams. Only the Secret Watchers themselves may accept a deceased Magister into their fellowship. 

 All Aeon Rite magicians seek visions from the Watchers; sadly, the Watchersaren'talways quick to respond. In the last few vears, only Master Agrippa has appeared; this silence dims the Order's light. Secrerly, some Order members have begun to wonder whether their fellowship is actually guided by ascended masters, mischievous spirits, demons, angels or even a megalomaniac magician — Master Agrippa himself-— who only appears to be dead. This suspicion, added to the Order's earlier schisms and murders, causes tensions within the AOAR. Desperate as they are to believe in a healing truth, some Ácon Rite sorcerers assume a rather militant stance—“Thisis the truth! We do have the Great Answer!” — and refuse to hear otherwise. Dissidents have a way of disappeating— or turningup dead — if they question the origin ofthe Masters" advice. Is the Order a bastion ofhope, or is it a cult of personality led by a mad bank clerk with an unhealthy skill for magic!

 Like we said, one never knows....

 RELATIONS

 * Hunters: Although the Arcanum has extensive files on the AOAR, thosefiles are somewhat outof date. The Society of Leopold watches the group from afar; although they suspect sinister motivations behind the Order's generous facade, the ADAR does too much good to warrant an immediate purge. When, in 1948, an Eighth Degree Acon devotes joined the Sons of Tertullain (see The Quick and the Dead), he ignited a war that lasted for years and reduced the Order'salready fragile membership to 10 magicians— its lowest point since its inception. The AOAR dropped out of sight until the 1960s and still hides from the fanatical ghost-hunters; if the Order bears a grudege against anyone, it is the Sons.

 * Other Magicians: While all magical societies consider themselves the bearers of the One Truth, the Ancient Order seems to be a bit more obnoxious about it than most. While they've been known to help other magicians, the cost of'that help often includes a convertor two. This “proselytizing” has not made the AOAR any real friends.

 * Mages: Hermetic House Ex Miscellanea keeps close ties to the AOAR, and uses the “lesser mages” as a charity society and recruiting ground. Some Hermetics believe it is a shame to see such dedicated seekers so determined to be blind. As far as the mages are concemned, the Aeon Rites magicians focus so intently on external acts and symbols that they miss the internal journey of transformation. In doing'so, they walk straight past what they try so hard to achieve. Still, claim the Hermetics, the wizards' hearts are in the right place. Perhaps their Secret Watchers are clever mages, guiding a particularly clever band of consors on a mission to spread the mystic gospel....

 * Others: Unbeknownst to the Aeon magicians, a pack of Bone Gnawer werewolves has taken it upon themselves to protect the Order's Boston temple — a renowned center of charity called Saint Simon's Rest. Aside from a few minor encounters, other beings overlook the AOAR. At best, this group of progressive Samaritans resembles a Golden Dawn offshoot that refuses to acknowledge that its day has past. It's too small to play any major role in arcane politics.

 ANCIENT ORDER OF THE AFON RITE CHARACTERS

 

 * Concepts: Antiquarian, linguist, occult, scholar, professor, dilettante, social worker. 

 * Traits: As educated men and women, all AOAR sorcerers have high Mental Traits, plenty of Knowledges (Cosmology, Linguistics, Lores, Occult Sciences) and wealthy Backgrounds (Influence, Resources, Sanctuary). As a rule, they tend to be kindiy magicians with open hands and Keen minds.

 * Preferred Paths: Enchantment, Ephemera, Summoning (Daimonic).

 * Magical Style: The Order advocates a deeply symbolic ritual craft. Each item, each word, cach  minute of the ritual is chosen for its significance. The phrase, “High Ritual Magic” doesn't do these  magicians justice — everything must be meticulous or the spell cannot succeed.

 When roused, the Order's powers are subtle but strong, and carry a vivid magical “taste” of  antiquity, hope and emotion. If the Storyteller wants to add a bit of extra flavor, she might lower the difficulty of certain workings (one or two) or add to their Dice Poolif the AOAR player chooses a planet to direct his spells and involes that planet during the ritual.

 

WHY DABBLE WITH A BASTARD FRAGMENT OF WISDOM WHEN VOU MIGHT BASK IN THE LIGHT OF THE UNDILUTED TRUTH OF ALL THINGS? IF YOU'RE WILLING TO TURN AWAY FROM LESSER DISTRACTIONS, COME JOIN US. WE COULD PUT YOUR SKILLS TO GOOD USE.

  

BALAMOD

 BLOOD OF THE NIGHT-CAT

 The blood of kings runs through us, my son. Though you see us as nothing more than farmers and peasants, remember this: Ours is a lineage that stretches back hundreds, even thousands of years, before the coming of the Europeans and the Church of Rome. Centuries ago, a great empire spread across this land. Mayan awarrior-kings fought with each other, using powerful magics as taught by the spirits. This empire is nothing but crumbling stone now, scavenged by historians and collectors of antiques like ants at a picnic, but we still remember the old ways. We were priests then, and we were kings. We are the Balamob, the Jaguar Champions, and ours is the way of the spirits.Qurs is an ancient memory, for the Balamob go back to the distant past even before the rise of our kingdoms. Those years are as clouded memories to many; it was im the years after the great Hero Twins Hunahpu and Xbalangue had gone to the Underworld and were sacrificed to the Lords of Xibalba. In the land beyond death, they learned many secret things, including the arts of renewal and transformation. Upon their retum, the twins taught these secret things to their chosen cousins, the Balamob, those who would protect the world from the harmjul spirits of Xibalba. In time, the Balamob were seen as gods as well.

 The first Balamob learned of ch'ulel, the stuff of the soul, and itz, the magical sap of the World Tree — the sacred axis that we see represented in the natural world by the Ceiba and the Copal trees. They learned of the wayob, the companion spirit animals who would guide the itzamna in their vision trances. The first Balamob used these abilities to fight the dark spirits who preyed on the edges of mankind: vicious, blood-frenzied monsters who sometimes wore the skin of men and culled our peoples for many years.

 Eventually these battle-beasts disappeared — although they still can be found in the dark woods, 1 assure you! — but other spirits sought to harm our people. Who knows why? Some, no doubt, envied us for our flesh (something the spirits can never have), while others followed the dictates of Ah Puch, the Lord of Death. Even then, we did not fight these creatures alone. Our forefathers and old grandmothers knew the jaguar-folk, creatures neither fully man nor jaguar. With them, our ancestors fought the demons and death spirits who ravaged the land. Under our protection, the people prospered. Kingdom after kingdom grew in our lands, and in the lands north and south of us.

 In time, the Balamob came to lead our people; with spirit power and spirit wisdom, our forebears guided the Maya through prosperity and adversity alike. We sacrificed blood as propitiation, and we kept the people to the ways of the gods. It was not then as itisnow; now we must hide from accusations of devil-worship and witchcraft. In those days, the people revered us. Not all kings were Balamob, nor were all Balamob kings, it is true. But king and queen and Balamob worked together for our people's benefits, and the people grew strong.

 But, of course, we were people, and people do not change. Greed, hatred and lust took their places in the hearts of men, and the gods were forgotten. Oh, the gods were spoken of and honored in sacrifices — or else our magics could not work — but they were not truly held in the hearts of the people. The kings fought one another, and the Balamob batiled each other, and war and strife took their toll on our people. Once we were gods, and then kings, and then we simply became enemies and the magic was forgotten.

 When the conquistadors arrived, the Maya were a pale shadow of our former glory. The Spaniards had conquered our cousins to our north and they came for us next. Our great cities had fallen and were empty for many years. We eked a living off the land; still the horse-men sought to despoil us. The Balamob were still there, but had weakened greatly. Where once the jaguar-kin ran common as the spots on a great cat's hide, they had shrunken to a handful by the time the horse-men came with their dying god. With the torch, the sword, the gun and the cross, these new men finished what our foolish pride had begun.

 There was little we could do, but we tried. Our people were still our people, and we were sworn to protect them. In one battle, our itzamna took the forms of the eagle, the snake, and the jaguar, and we fought against the Christians. But their oum itzamna called upon his wayob, and a single dove defended the Europeans and slew our itzamna. Was it the Balamob who had weakened? Perhaps itwas not our itzamna who had weakened, or their magic, but our people's faith in us. 1 cannot say for sure. AlLI can say is that we became a coptive people.

 For centuries the Europeans tried to destroy our ways. They both failed and won. Look around you! Everywhere you see the Christ-god and his cross! But not entirely, for is not the cross the very same World Tree that we must ascend? Qur native traditions cannot be totally driven out. We may wear new clothes and take new names, but our traditions are ancient and enduring, and the new cannot totally devour the old. Our ancient legacy is still mistrusted, though; how often is a Balamob h'men confused for an obeah or hechisero, the witches and black magicians who use the spirits for their own dark ends?

 No, no — 1 do not despise the Christians. No, 1 merely moum the demise of our people and our faith. The gods are hungry and a few peasants sacrificing corn is not enough to sustain them. Should those gods abandon us, who then shall we tum to for strength when the monsters of Xibalba break free once more? With the Balamob powerless, who would fight the dark spirits? Thus do we continue the old ways, to keep the horrors from Xibalba at bay. 

Perhaps one day in the future a new empire shall rise and cast off our oppressors. Who can say?

 We have suffered much in the past centuries. How long has it been since our leaders remembered the gods instead of their oum vanity and purses? From the Catholic conquistadors and colonials who usurped our authority and used us as slaves, to the corrupt governments that followed, bringing drugs and blood and war in their wake — there is no refuge for us. Where once we stood atop temples as gods, now we must hide im alleys and in the shadows of the jungle.

 But the Balamob are strong, and we grow stronger. For the faith of the Christians today is not like the faith of the Christians hundreds of years ago; itis dry and brittle, like an empty wineskin. And our people have begun to hunger for the ways of the itxamna more andmore. A thousand years ago, | would have been revered. Five hundred years ago, 1 would have been admired. Two hundred years ago, 1 would have been tortured and burmed. Now — are we not coming to a full circle? Look around you — are you not proof of that? Do not other boys and girls your age seek to learn my secrets? Some of you shall, no doubt, and others shall not. But even they have a task to perform as they spread the word of the Balamob. They may become but simple h'men, healers and doctors, but they shall remember the spirits and propitiate our ways.

 Your people's protectors have not forgotten you, for we love you too much. The dark creatures of Xibalba are straining for release, for dark times are coming. Too many people have forgotten the rituals for too long. And when the portals to Xibalba burst open, aided by the deeds of the hechisero and other black magicians, we shall be there, calling upon the wayob, the good spirits, to drive off the evil spirits and the humans that worship them. We shall use all our magics, and we shall take the form of our wanobs if necessary, to fight with tooth and claw. We shall endure, for the Balamob are strong.

 THE SOCIETY

 A secret collection of animal-shamans, this ancient society tends the embers of the Mayan culture. Scattered throughout their ancestral lands, the Balamob play a triple role: In their neighbors' eyes, they are simple folk with a reverence for the old ways; at night, they become the People of the Jaguar, magicians with fierce insight and bloody practices; in their hearts, they embody the union of flesh and spirit, animal and human. Like the cats they revere, these sorcerers walk solitary roads. Patron spirits guide the journey, but for the most part, the Balamob stand alone. 

MAGIC

Fundamental to the practice of Balamob magic is the concept of Xibalba (pronounced “Sheebalbah”), the Otherworld, a supernatural landscape both beneath and above our own mortal terrain. This Otherworld is the home of countless myriad spirits of myriad intentions, and it was through the actions of the Hero Twins in Xibalba that mortals learned the magic arts. Xibalba — a.k.a., the Umbra — is the source of Balamob magic. Though these magicians often speak of the dark spirits of death who inhabit Xibalba, it is the spirits, not the place, that carry evil.

 Each itzamna (soul-carrier) receives a spirit-patron (the wayob; see below). Although truly accomplished Balamob may assume a variety of shapes, all itzamna favor one particular animal — the shape of their patron spirit. When he learns how to transform into animal form, the Balamob prefers this beastshape to all others; to him, itis a sacred thing to become one with the wayob and to share in its essence.

 Most Balamob magic takes place in vision trances when the sorcerer enters Xibalba in pursuit of magical wisdom or power. The very first spirit a Balamob sorcerer ever contacts on his own is his wayob, or companion spirit — a familiar animal of sorts who accompanies the Balamob, protecting him and assisting in his magical invocations.

The axis mundi of Balamob philosophy is the World Tree, the Wakah-Chan. Raised by the gods at the beginning of Creation, this sacred tree separates the sky and earth but unites our world with Xibalba. The Wakah-Chan is more than asingle, Earthly tree, of course — it is the essence of all trees. Balamob sorcerers recreate this World Tree in their rituals, building altar-effigies from tope and wood. In a greater sense, the Balamob himself becomes a living World Tree, the union of Heaven and Earth.

 The magic sap, or itz, of the World Tree, flows through our world as the sap of terrestrial trees (such as the Copal, whose sap is a resin burned as sacred incense), and as the liquid secretions of the human body — blood, sweat, semen and tears. As vessels of irz — also known as ch'ulel, or stuff ofthe soul — these fluids are offered to sacrificial fires during Balamob rites. As they become smoke or steam, such offerings become food for the gods. 

 Bloodletting — the dance of ch'ulel — is a sacred act. Blood is holy; to give it to the gods is a grand act of piety, especially if that blood is your own. Lesser magics require a few drops; urgent, large-scale spells demand copious amounts of blood, often shed in spectacular mutilations. Any part of the body is appropriate, but the most sacred parts include the tongue (for men and women) and the phallus (for men). The Balamob still practice the ancient art of piercing their sacred parts with thick coils of rope, then dancing around madly, surrounded by whirling, bloodstained streamers.

 The dance itself forms another aspect of the Balamob art. During wild festivals, the sorcerers and their companions reenact the creation of the cosmos as grand ecstatic pageants. Dressed in clothing that recalls their sacred wayob spirits — a follower of a jaguar-spirit, for instance, would wear a specially prepared pelt — the Balamob become their patrons, first in spirit, then in flesh. Gifted magicians assume animal form and rush off into the night at the festival's end.

 Balamob magics aren't tied to specific locations, but seem especially potent when they're enacted at sacred ancestral sites. The spirits work best in places they know well. As modern tourists and settlers stumble across these sacred places, however, the spirits flee to quieter homes. In their absence, darker spirits — embodiments of greed, lust and treachery — ride in on the night winds, settling down to a feast of human weakness. Where the “harvest” is good, these spirits remain and grow more numerous and powerful.

 

INITIATES

 

Balamob initiates come almost exclusively from the local folk of Mesoamerica. Over the past few decades, however, other groups have filtered into the cult: Anthropologists, archeologists even tourists from around the world come to the sacred regions to study Mayan civilization and culture. For some of them, an objective view transforms into belief — sometimes even fanaticism. Balamob elders occasionally select promising converts and offer them initiation.

 The initiate faces a complex study period; Mayan cosmology is subtle and symbolic, and many nuances survive only in the hidden teachings of the Balamob. Outsiders must also leam the Mestizo dialect — the Spanish/Mayan hybrid that forms the local vernacular — spoken by the elders who rarely understand much English. Unlike many magical groups, the Balamob don't view language itself as sacred (although some claim the spirits speak only in Mayan!); still, many of their concepts get lost in translations to other tongues. Only by learning the language can the initiate understand the magic.

 After learning the rites and concepts of the Balamob, the new initiate undergoes his first vision trance. During this ritual, he pierces his tongue, runs bark or paper through it, and offers his blood to the gods, riding his pain untilhe enters the ecstatic state that opens the gareways to Xibalba. Assuming a dream-form, he leaves his body behind and rides into the spirit world. There the great Vision Serpent greets the traveler and initiates him into the secret rites. The new itzam meets his wayob, his companion spirit, and forms a bond with it. Although wayobs usually appear as jaguars, snakes, or eagles, other animals — even mythological ones — some- times take shape as well. From that point on, the wayob accompanies the itzam for the course of his life, aiding him in his magics and protecting him in his dreams. 

 Once this ritual ends and the trace fades away, the initiate becomes a full itzam and the Balamob welcome a new warrior-priest into their ranks. Study, fom that point on, is a combination of life experience, dream travels and loreseeking. The lost culture has many hidden secrets; even elder Balamob do not know them all. 

 ORGANIZATION

 The Balamob don't have any real organization. À cultin the loosest form of the word, these itzamna keep to themselves, establish local “territories” and watch over the local people and spirits. Some elders form alliances orrivalries, but these relationships are personal, not political. Each itzam maintains his own beliefs, interpretations and understandings of the world and the ancient rites. Some Balamob even incorporate Christianity into their beliefs, but these “progressives” remain among the minority. Balamob remain almost exclusively in their traditional homelands: the Yucatan peninsula, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras. Some venture further north or south to follow work — after all, an itzam must still earn a living — but most stay in the places the spirits know best. Foreigners who join the society often return home for a few years, but they always return to the lands of the Maya. Many itzamna insist that Xibalba lies very close to the material world in Mesoamerica. While most of the world chokes on its own industrial wreckage, they say, the spirits remain close at hand in the Mayan country.

 Not that all Balamob practice purity and serenity; spirits come in all shades, and some itzamna bond with the darker varieties. Greed and power make strong temptations for a sorcerer, and the spirits are only too glad to show a lusty Balamob to the shadowy roots of the World Tree. While many magicians protect their “flocks,” some prey upon them like a jaguar among sheep. Others turn their rage at outsiders and profiteers into murderous raids and devastating curses. These last have found allies among the Garou who venture into Central and South America for the Amazon War, among the Zapatista revolutionaries in Mexico, or among the displaced werecats who lash out at all comers. It's all too easy to regard talk of “becoming one with the spirits” as happy hogwash when one lives among New Age stardusters; in the thick forests and mountain retreats of the Balamob, however, people recall the gorier side of shamanism — and of the Mayans who shed their blood for the gods.

 RELATIONS

 * Hunters: Hidden among the shadows of a deeply Christian culture, some itzamna clash with Catholic Inquisitors and Protestant missionaries. The Society of Leopold keeps a thick file on the “jaguar-men of Mesoamerica,” whom they (sometimes correctly) accuse of poaching, drug running, infanticide and human sacrifice. Like the Spanish priests who helped “settle” the New World, these church-men are appalled by the “demon worship” they see among the native peoples. Many of those natives also avoid the magicians in their midst. Thus, wise Balamob keep a very low profile. Angry voices, blades and shotgun blasts are only a misstep away.

 * Other Magicians: The wandering Nephite Priests annoy the Balamob. It's bad enough that Spanish missionaries soured the land in the name of their god; these fanatics claim rhe land was theirs allalong! Clashes are rare, but they do occur. As for the other societies, they cross into Balamob ground so rarely that no one really cares on either side.

 * Mages: Since few Balamob play power politics, they remain largely out of view. Still, some South American Dreamspeakers know their ways. A handful of Awakened Balamob actually belong to that Tradition or to the Verbena, who understand the powerful link berween life fluids and mystical energies. Long ago, a collection of Mayan sorcerers joined the Euthanatos; although that faction is history, some death mages remember the old ties fondly.

 * Others: As heirs of the jaguar-spirit, many Balamob revere the Balam, Mesoamerican werejaguars who share an old bond with the land (see Bastet for details). Some itzamna actually worship the werecats, while orhers regard them as cousins, partners or comrades in arms. Since neither the cats nor the sorcerers maintain an active hierarchy, no “official alliance” exists between them — they simply act in concert as the occasion demands.

 * Concepts: Environmentalist, activist, drug smuggler, farmer, anthropologist, village wise, worker, revolutionary.  

* Traits: Balamob favor Physical Attributes “and Traits like Awareness, Brawl, Dream Interpretation, Intimidation and Stealth. By being rural magicians, they often lack “book knowledge,” but master oral lore (Culture, Hearth Wisdom). Many Western recruits are often more academically inclined. Most accomplished Balamob are shapeshifters, and take the form of their companion spirit.

 * Preferred Paths: Divination, Ephemera, Herbalism/Brewing, Shapeshifting.  

* Magical Style; Offerings of blood, tears and other fluids often combined with chants, hallucinogenic drinks and celestial correspondences. The strongest magics can take place only at the proper times; the Storyteller may decide that certain Paths, like Shapeshifting and Divination, are limited to certain phases of the moon.

 

Strip away our custom, clothes and maners and we stand revealed as what we truly are: animals  whith the minds of gods, spirits with the flesh of men.

 

THE NEPHITE PRIESTHOOD

 PROFHETS OF THE DUST

 We know this to be the truth: As God is now, so shall we be one day, and as we are now, God was one day. We, God, the angels and the spirits of the world are all of the same race, and shall share the same destiny. Ours is the task of protecting our brothers and sisters that they might persevere on the road to godhood, and preparing New Jerusalem for the Second Coming.

 We are an ancient order, one that goes with surety to the prophet Nephi himself. For itwas Nephi who wandered with Lehi, his father and their family in the wildemess in the seventh century before Christ: there they sought the land of promise, fleeing Jerusalem as the Lord so commanded Lehi. Both Lehi and Nephi were preat visionaries, and the Lord spoke unto them in dreams and in visions, yet often they were reviled and spat upon; but they walked in the ways of the Lord.

 And it came to pass that Nephi led the family of Lehi across the great seas of Irreantum to the New World, where they were a strong and industrious people — but there the children of Laman, the brother of Nephi, committed great iniquity, for they had hardened their hearts to Nephi and the words of the Lord, and for their great rebelliousness they were cursed and a people set apart.

For many centuries did the children of Nephi and Laman live and prosper on these shores, sometimes living in righteousness and other times in sinfulness. It came to pass that Jesus the Christ did appear unto us and preach His gospel to us, as had been foretold by the prophet Nephi. But many rejected His words and His works. In a great battle at hill Cumorah, in the fifth century after Christ walked the Earth, the wicked Lamanites slew all the peoples of Nephi until finally only the prophet Moroni was left to complete the sacred writings of his father Mormon — a testament written in the Reformed Egyptian language of the Nephites — teaching the history of the tribes of Israel, and the visitation of Christ. And so Moroni sealed up these books until a later time as he could reveal them to the prophet Joseph Smith.

 The history of our Church of Latter-Day Saints is well-known from there: how Moroni, now an angelic being, appeared unto Joseph Smith and showed him the golden tablets of Mormon, and taught him a means of translating the golden tablets through amagical seerstone — and the complete Testament of Jesus Christ was revealed to all mankind.

 John the Baptist did appear unto Joseph Smith and ordain him to the priesthood of Agron — a Levitical priesthood in which all male believers participate. Side by side with the Aaronic Priesthood is the Priesthood of Melchizidec, from which our church elders are draum. Thus, the hierarchy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints was established, and grew and  prospered. The Prophet died a martyr in 1847, slain by a hostile crowd of unbelievers, yet the faith he established lived on and prospered. His successor, Brigham Young, led the newly restored church to the great Salt Lake Basin, where the Saints — those whom outsiders called “Mormons” — founded the nation of Deseret, a new Zion, a separate territory that would eventually become the state of Utah. Our fathers and brothers worked hard to till the land, and to defend it from the gentiles who hated us and would see our lands taken from us.

 There is à secret history of Nephi, one that Joseph Smith revealed not, for it was a great and terrible secret. The Lord God revealed many private and hidden things to Nephi in visions and in dreams: the powers to command the elements and speak with the dead, to leam the language of dreams and the healing arts, to touch the weather and to summon spirits. Nephi taught these secrets to very few people of his kingdom, who in tum passed on their knowledge to other disciples, and onward through the history of the kingdom of Nephi. Some etched symbolic representations of their knowledge in stone, plain as day to the initiated, but meaningless to the ignorant — markings that even now are misunderstood by those who refuse to see the blinding truth of our ancient testament.

 The priests were sworn to secrecy, and their burdens were heavy; for only those who walked the straight and narrow path could practice these arts «without risk of damnation. Those few who strayed from this path became corrupt and vain men, which the Priests of Nephi had to slay in the name of righteousness. The Lamanite Corrupt were a testament to the evil that threatens all men: the vanity and vice that great men fallinto, turning from the ways of God. Equally, the Nephite Priests were the epitome of Sainiliness; travelers and prophets, they wandered the deserts and forests of the kingdom of Nephi, seeking to hear the voice of the Lord in the winds and the rustling of trees. Sadly, the Nephite Priesthood fell with the peoples of Nephi at the battle of Cumorah, amd their ways «were lost to mankind for over a millennium.

 And thus it was in 1849 that Nephi appeared as a celestial being, revealing himself in the desert to Uriah Spence, a settler of Deseret. Though he lived a simple life, his intellect was keen. Uriah was a man of piety and great moral fiber, and Nephi laid hands upon him, restoring the ancient Nephite Priesthood to the land. In dreams and in visions, Nephi instructed Uriah in the Nephite arts of sigils and prophecy, that Uriah and people like him might once more wander new Zion and safeguard Mormondom against the attacks of its disbelievers.

 And so it came to pass that Uriah himself, after having mastered the secret Nephite arts, instructed others in these same methods, and these disciples in turn passed on the arts. The advent of the Nephites was propitious. Deseret faced an unsympathetic government that marched troops against our peoples, recalling the early hostilities of Missouri and Illinois, the same hostilities that brought about Joseph Smith's death. Ttwas a rallying call for our people, who took up arms against the foreign invaders. Brigham Young preached the doctrine of blood atonement, reminding us that some men's sins were so great that only in their death could they achieve penance, and Mormons were read to fight and die for their land and faith. The Nephites fought alongside their Mormon brothers, aiding them «with their supernal powers in ways unseen and unknown — and though the great Mormon Utah War of the 1850s did not erupt in the cataclysm of blood and fire that had been foreseen, itavas a visible reminder ofhow the faithful ever face oppression.

 Thus, it is that we come to the present day. Itis clear that our Church is on the eve of Greatness; though we must contend with many Apostate Churches, ours is the One True Church. And while we now are reconciled with the United States and their federal government, we still recall the day when we were martyred and abused for our differences. Indeed, we accept the offices of the United States as Divinely appointed and the Constitution as Divinely inspired, but forget not the blood and tears that nurtured our lands in New Zion's youth.

 Now we wait, in secret, until the Second Coming and what we call the Gathering: when the descendants of the Lamanites (those now called Native Americans, or Indians) and the Jews shall come to the new Zion and repent their apostasy, and Jesus the Christ shall come again unto the world. We stand strong, ready to defend our Mormon brothers and sisters from future oppression by unhelievers. Qurs is the task of aiding the Church, to fight the deeds of the Satan and to protect the nation of Saints. We act without desire for glory or recognition, kuowing that we must live secret lives until the final battle. And we stand apart from. our Mormon brothers and sisters, for suchis the duty of vigilance. Let the harsh desert wind remind us of the wages of sim and the burning fives of the coming Apocalypse in which all shall be called to serve the Lord or perish.

 THE SOCIETY

 From the crucible of subjugation, the Nephite Priest strides with buming hands and Divine powers. To call him a sorcerer would be to blaspheme the Holy Name of God. Servant of the Father and defender of the faith, a Nephite Priest is the heir to a sacred and essential tradition. Let the hell-bound tinker with their petry devil-games. The Priesthood paves the way for a final showdown withdarknessand the unhelievers. From the portentsrevealed each passing day, that showdown is just around the corner...

 MAGIC

 A Nephite's faitheraft rests upon the principles of his religion. Chiefamong these principles is the idea of apotheosis — as God is now, so man shall be one day, andas man is now,so God was one day. Humans are spiritual beings who will one day be like God Himself, and Nephite “sorcery” is little more than the cultivation and development of the inner powers available to all spiritual entities. Indeed, God created the world of flesh so that all the spirit-beings (which he likewise created) might have a home — so that in the flesh, these spiritual beings would have the chance to grow to perfection.

 In the Nephite doctrine, everything, even spirit, is matter. The Priests do not accept the concept of creation ex nihilo, “from nothing,” that other Christian churches contend. Everything is matter. Even God Himself has a form of flesh — glorified and perfect to be sure, but a thing of matter nonetheless. A suitably elevated master can command that matter with good or evil intentions. Most, regrettably, choose evil. The Dust Prophets, on the other hand, stand bathed in heavenly light — or so they steadfastly believe. Nephite Priests consider their magic the restoration of the “primitive gifts” described in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. The gifts of tongues, prophecy and exorcism are natural abilities for those who commune directly with the Divine, and greater powers await those who perform God's will for God's chosen. 

 Nephite gifts work through several channels. Most “spells” invoke celestial beings whose names are often known. only to the Nephite Priesthood, entities who were once virtuous members ofthe kingdom of Nephi before its destruction by the Lamanites. Powerful miracles come through invocations of the Holy Spirit — aspiritual entity without corporeal form. In no circumstance does a Nephite Priest call upon the names of Jesus Christor God; he might pray to them or ask for some intercession, buthe would never presume to demand their aid.

Although Nephite gifts work anywhere, each Priest consecrates a temple in his own home. Wandering Nephites keep simple, portable temples (often little more than an altar and a veil), while established Prophets construet grand sanctuaries. Each templeshouldbea tribute to God, a placefor prayer, security, initiation or faitheraft. Unbelievers are never allowed near these holy structures. Even good Mormons are best kept at a distance.

 INITIATES

 New Nephite Priests typically come from Mormon families witha long tradition ofchurch membership. Rarely are Gentiles (those outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Larter-Day Saints) considered for membership, and these few individuals must join the LDS long before being considered for Priesthood.

 Nephite initiatory rites are deeply ceremonial, held in special temples and hidden from causal view. À new initiate — called a Deacon — must fast for three days prior to his initiation; afterward, he goes to the Nephite Temple at sunrise and spends the morning in prayer. The new Initiate is unclothed, for he must be reborn, and is anointed and consecrated with oil at various times throughout the ceremony. After a period of private prayer, the initiate is garbed in white and the consecrating priest prays with him. Throughout this entire portion of the ceremony, a veil separates the Nephite altar and the initiate; toward the end of the ritual, the initiate parts the veil and walks to rhe altar. Thus does he enter the celestial kingdom.

 The Deacon undertakes a period of study typicalhy lasting one or two years. In that time, he learns the fundamentals of Nephite theurgy and the hidden history of the Nephite Priests. He also studies Reformed Egyptian — a language descended from demotic Egyptian, transformed through the centuries, and spoken onlyon the American continent during the period of the Book of Mormon. A holy tongue, this language opens the pathways to the Divine consciousness, priming the priest for greater and more-powerful gifts.

 Progress through each subsequent level of Priesthood is marked by grand and elaborate rituals, each one greater and more solemn than the last. Every new initiation demands a full day of meditation, prayer and a renewed commitment to the cause. High Priest-Prophets are a rare and dedicated breed.

ORGANIZATION

The Nephite Priesthood is a scattered collection of Mormon wise men with marginal authority. Although a High Priest-Prophet exists, his title conveys more respect than command. Unlike the church itself, Nephite Priests shun a central organization. Flexibility is vital to their duty, and Prophets in the field must act at their own discretion. Who has time to consult an Elder when the wolf runs among the flock? Even so, a vague hierarchy can still be found within the Priesthood's ranks:

 * Deacon: À newly initiated Nephite, still studying under his mentor. This instruction period may last for years.

 * Priest: An ordained Priest, now free to operate on his own authority. Newly consecrated Priests must wander for a period of two years, spreading the faith and learning all they can about the world outside Zion.

 * Elder: An older, more settled Priest, often sought for advice.

 * High Priest-Prophet: The senior-ranking Elder, selected by popular vote among all his peers.

 Nephite Priests roam across New Zion — the United States — but concentrate in Utah, Oregon, Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona. The majority of the Priesthood congregates near Salt Lake City, the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Still, the wilderness calls to these holy messengers. Utah's deserts and mountain ranges hold a strange fascination for the Nephite Priests. Most Dust Prophets journey in the “wilderness of Zion,” as far from human habitation as possible, for 40 days and 40 nights. On such quests, a Priest fasts and prays. Some Nephites do this once a year, to remind themselves of the sufferings of their forefathers and the deprivations that may yet occur. A small but vocal segment of the Priesthood advocates a militant separatism that harkens to the days of “Deseret's occupation by hostile troops.” To them, New Zion will be built on the ashes of the United States — a nation as corrupt as it is grand.

 Some Nephite Priests travel to Mexicoand Central America, where they search for archeological evidence of the Nephite cultures described in the Book of Mormon. Like many Mormons, these searchers believe that the ancient cultures and civilizations of Mesoamerica are, in fact, traces of the Kingdom of Nephi. In their quests, some Priests have uncovered mysterious remains that cannot be easily explained or identified. Sure in theirfaith, they declare the ruinssacred groundand defend them against all “trespassers” — even ones whose families have lived in the area for centuries.

 RELATIONS

 * Hunters: The FBI. keeps an extensive file on the fanatic Desert Prophets. Several acts of anti-government terrorism have been laid — rightly and otherwise — at the Nephite doorstep. Given the close secrecy and unto-death dedication within the Priesthood, government agents have very lirtle to go on. Few Mormons know about these apocalyptic holy men, and fewer still speak openly about them if given the chance, Mormon refugees warred with the United States government slightly over a century ago, and the old wounds linger on both sides.

 The Society ofLeopold considersthe Priesthood a dangerous heretic sect — one with supernatural powers, to boot! Given the popularity the Mormon Church enjoys in modern America, the Inquisitors are hesitant to confront the Nephites on their home ground. Such a confrontation could only make things worse for the Society, and the group's cooler members realize that fact.

 * Other Magicians: Nephite Priests venturing into Mesoamerica have run afoul of the Balamob. Although the jaguar-folk tend to leave “visitors” alone, the presumptuous Prophets irritate the native sorcerers. For their part, the Nephites consider any and all magical societies to be “of the Devil,” Friendly congress wirh a sorcerer is foolish at best, but is more often treasonous.

* Mages: That prohibition goes double for the darker mysticks — the Verbena, Dreamspeakers and especially the Ecstatics. The Priesthood remains ignorant of the Traditions or Ascension War; to the Prophets, the popularity of magic and the occult is simply another indication of the coming end.

 As for the Technocracy, their spies have uncovered a small but disturbing sect of political dissidents who seem to command magical powers. NWO agents in the field have reported mad holy men without any affiliations beyond the Mormon Church. Although the Technocratic Union has bigger flies to swat, a small unit has been formed ro keep track of these mysterious vagabonds.

 * Others: Aside from a few brief skirmishes with werewolf septs, the Priesthood has escaped the notice of other supernatural groups... so far.

 NEPHITE PRIEST CHARACTERS

* Concepts: Evangelist, survivalist, missionary, archeologist, separatist, drifter (males only e — women are excluded from this fraternity).

 * Traits: The rigors of their initiations and lifestyles promote Physical and Mental refinement among the Priests. A Dust Prophet character must take Lore: Nephite to represent his mastery “Mormon beliefs, and will probably have the following Abilities: Expression, Research, Hunting and survavel.

* Preferred Paths: Divination, Enchantment, Healing, Hellfire, Summoning, Bindingand Warding (Daimonic), Weathercraft.

* Magical Style: Fervent prayers unleash great powers, fron healing miracles to sudden storms.

I come unto vou on the Holy Spirit's breath. Listen to my words before the final darkness swallows you forever.

 THALHUN

 THE SONG OF THE CELESTIAL SPHERES

 Look around you. See how much we've progressed in 50 years, in a century, over the past thousand years? Consider the technological advancements in Europe between the birth of Jesus and the end of thatmillennium; think how few they truly are, how they pale in comparison to the intellectual and technological growth over the past century. Truly tremendous, eh?

 It is nothing.

 We live an a barbaric, backward civilization, one that prides itselfon glory after glory but does notunderstand the greatness that is still so far out of reach. Look up to the heavens — the heavens that we have barely penetrated. Civilizations have existed in those heavens, vast ancient panoplies of culture and leaming that were old when humanity was just picking itself out of the primal voze.

 You want to think I'm mad, but you've seen my power. Learn now the source of that power. If you want magic, then go away — there is no magic. There is only advanced science, science following rules and principles yet undreamt of by human scientists and philosophers. This science is our inheritance, but  humanity is not yet ready for it. With our help, though, one day the planet Earth will be the home of the greatest star-faring civilization ever!

 Let me begin in the ancient days, the last days of the fading people called the Hui:xa. They were humanoid, like us, only taller, more slender, and with blue skin. Their race was millions of years old, and their civilization was hundreds of thousands of years old. Chief among their many  accomplishments was the perfection of thal — the power of harmonies. The Thal'hun, the manipulators of thal, were among the Hui:xa's most respected figures. We humans would regard them as mystics and sorcerers, but among their oum people they were scientists and philosophers. Ittook many years of study to become a Thal hun, and with good reason — only those with the proper intellectual mind-set could use thal without risking the lives and sanities of those about them. For thal is much greater than any who would use it, and it carries the vibration of the cosmos in its hum.

 What are these words 1 use, thal and Thal'hun? They are expressions in Luz'at, the dialect of the Hui:xa — words that you too shall learn if you expect to learn thal — for Luz atis a language resonant in thal, and the most effective vehicle for wielding it. 

 But the Hui:xa were a dying people. Though students of many sciences, they were rarely the masters. One of their experiments had gone hornibly wrong, and a massive virus was released. Completely unstoppable, it began to eat away at all life on their planet, Bars'hm. Their homeworld's biosphere soon decayed, and all for foolish pride.

 A few Hui:xa were spared. They were somehow immune to the virus, Those survivors faced another problem: The virus continued to replicate, and continued to deteriorate all the other life forms of their homeworld. The Hui:xa saw the extinction of their race approaching, and with it, the destruction of their planet.

 Finally the priest-scientists of the Hui:xa conceived of a solution: À portion of their greatest city, Zoraster, would be phased to a different continuum outside of time and space. With it would go the greatest works of Hui:xa art, literature, science and philosophy. The living inhabitants of Bar'shm had a future destiny, too: They were to be the ambassadors of Hui:xa culture to other races. When a suitable world was found, and its inhabitanis deemed worthy ofreceiving Hui: xa civilization, the remaining Hui;xa would converge at that world and bring New Zoraster back to this plane.

 This necessitated a major transformation for the Hui:xa, however — they were to be changed into creatures of pure energy, capable of interstellar travel and near-eternal life spans. Over 300 Hui:xa were selected for this duty, and became the Jeva, or Lightbearers — and they set out across space to find a new home for their people.

 No one knows the fate of those Hui:xa who remained on Bars'hm. Some survivors had to stay behind to work the great thal machines that transported New Zoraster to safety and transformed the Hui:xa into the Jeva. Presumabl», those custodians died as their planet s very life force ebbed away beneath them. We who know the Hui: xa ways salute their sacrifice. Now alone, the Jeva sojourned through space, brushing against worlds, lonely travelers in an empty expanse. Some Jeva were destroyed by malevolent creatures; others wearied after a seemingly endless search, and took to their own motives. Still others found worlds worth watching. Settling into mortal shells, they observed millennia of activity.

 One such Jeva, named Khuvon, came to our world as Mesopotamia was rising to power. Interested, Khuvon remained behind to observe, hoping that one day our world would be ready to host New Zoraster and the rebom Hui:xa. For years, he watched humanity"s rise, sometimes even taking on a mortal form and living amongus. But this soon tired him, and he would slumber for decades before he could act again. On occasion, Khuvon taught humans the art of thal — and these new Thal'hun became the basis of Earth's legendary magicians and sorcerers. This was the way of things for millennia: Khuvon watched and waited, planting the seeds of thal and the Hui:xa in countless societies and people.

 In those days, he did not teach thal as a pure science; he knew that people were not yet ready for the truth. So he dressed it in stories and myths, changing the appearance of thal so that it resembled simple magic. This, he thought at first, vas the best course of action. Centuries later, though, he came to regrer his deeds. He saw how thal had become warped and twisted, undistinguished from the pezty religions of the world, until finally it became a tool for vain and greedy men. At times, discovering a renegade Thal'hun, he took action himself. Many of these he punished, as would a ste father whose son has played with fire. Some sons were irredeemable; these he tore asunder.

 Finally, in 1961, seeinghumanity ascend spaceward, Khuvon chose to act once more.

 We had embraced the stars. Khuvon, who came from those stars, chose once more to teach the science of thal to a select few, that they might guide humanity to a better future and prepare the way for the retum of the Hui:xa. Now he taught pure thal, free of cultural detritus and superstition. Thisavas science as science, notmagic! Our mentorincarnated for five years, and tutored a new circle of Thal' hun — the standard-bearers for a new humanity.

 Seeing them ready after years of study, Khuvon initiated the mental summons to his alien kin, announeing that a world would soon be ready for the reborn Hui:xa. His seven disciples then traveled the Earth, each seeking more followers, and teaching the ancient alien science of thal to those who seemed worthy.

 Now, once again, Khuvon rests. Freed from his mortal shell, he slumbers deep in the Earth, a being of pure energy. One day soon, he willrise again and join us when his fellow Jeva arrive and the world is ready for the retum of Zoraster and the Hui:xa. Who can say when this will be? Even Khuvon did not know, for his brothers and sisters had scattered across the stars, and it had been thousands of years since he had heard from any of them.

 Until their return, it is our duty to guide humanity to artistic and philosophical perfection, to enhance human consciousness, to welcome the arrival of the other Jeva, and to master thal — for we are the scientists of a new age!

 THE SOCIETY

 Crackpot inventors or visionary saviors? Good question. More metaphysicians than magicians, the ThaVhun nevertheless manage to cross traditional miracle-working with bizarre science. The result: A psycho-sonic craft that supposedly redirects energy flows through brainwave-soundwave activity. Are these people onto something, or is their “lost art” another mask on the eternal face of magic?

 The truth may be resting beneath the ground.

 MAGIC

 The Thalhun do not consider themselves sorcerers; to them, magic is the legacy of thal, the primal sound and vibration. Naturally, other mystics tap into that vital science, even if their understanding is (by Tha/hun reckoning) flawed. The future, however, belongs to thal in its purest form — and to the scientists who understand it best.

 Thal science draws from two primary principles: the power of sound and the power of the trained mind. Sound has power, as mundane scientists have only recently discovered. The mind has the flexibility to harness that power, to direct it through the most efficient channels and refine it through the intricare language of the Luz'at, the ancient Hui:xa tongue. To practice thal, therefore, a person must master Luz'at — an undertaking in itself!

Luz'at is in many ways a secret language. The most-essential thal components — 1000 words of power — have been uncovered and perfected, but the remaining words are a vast enigma. Noting the ties between so-called “magic” and the true properties ofthal, Thal'hun researchers decipher the cadence of chants and charms, piecing together the “magic words” that so obviously channel thal. One Tha'hun, a linguist by trade, was unable to draw any relationships between Lu'zat and any known Terran language; after years of analysis, however, he determine: that all Luz'at words and sentences fit into a solid structure — verifying that Lu'zat is a working language and not a simple compilation of sounds. It's not an easy language to learn, however; an understanding of Luz'at demands a radical change in understanding. Sentences, words, even thoughts are expressed differently in Luz'at than in any human tongue.

 The necessary mental adjustments refine the second component of Thal'hun: attaining the proper mind-set. It's not enough to simply master the sounds of Luz'at — you have to master the concepts behind those sounds, tap the ambient energies within both, and cognitively grasp the relations between words and effects. Mediation, personal reflection and philosophical exercises allform cornerstones in Thalhun training. By perfecring herselfin body and mind, a Master of Thal becomes a conduit for the powers of thal.

 When channeled properly, this energy current produces miracles. A Thal'hun master can shift the weather, heal injuries, call up the elements and invert space and gravity. Such works do not come easily; “setting a resonance” (that is, casting a spell) requires an intricate performance — a combination of chants, percussion beats and special, thal-filled sounds. The translations of these sounds are simple and unpoetic — they're merely commands or instructions — but it's the nature of the sound, not the translated meaning of the phrase, that counts. With the proper mind and the proper harmony, great things are possible.

 Really significant resonances demand group participation. Garhered together, a collection of Thalhun create “diadems” — metal and crystal rods, staves, tripods and other antennae that channel, purify and magnify thal harmonies. The upper levels of the sonic cult dream of monumental thal machines, generators that could conceivably power whole cities by sound alone. According to the accounts of Khuvon, such machines swept Zoraster out of this continuum, and will be necessary to draw the city back out and into our world. Some adventurous “vibroneers” have tried to capture the resulting sounds on advanced recording equipment, but such experiments have, to this date, failed. (Perhaps the inherent impurities of Terran minerals are to blame.)

Although the concept of “mystic spirits” seems childish to the rational Thal'hun, many of them recognize the existence of the Otherworld and its denizens. With focused bursts ofrhal, experienced vibroneers conjure and bind these “spirit beings” — obviously Jeva who have lost their way. In general, however, Thal'hun prefer to rework the material world, preparing it for the wonders to come.

 INITIATES

 Potential Thal'hun come from various fringe communities; New Age fellowships, alternative science groups, UFO-watchers and mad inventors make the best recruits. Occultists and religious devotees tend to be too dogmatic to make good vibroneers — the beliefs they cling to obstruct their vision of the truth. For some reason, the idea that ancient sorcerers or saviors might have been extraterrestrials tubs such people the wrong way. Better, the Thalhun believe, to ler the deluded stay deluded while true searchers take up tomorrow's torch.

 The Thal'hun initiation is a two-stage process: The initial stage is educational. The recruit — called a:xa, or child — learns how to write and pronounce Luz'at characters. This period alone can take up to five years. At the same time, he begins studying meditation techniques and learns the history of the Thal'hun — or more properly, the history of Khuvon's activities on Earth — until his mind is prepared to accept the new language.

The next stage is more advanced. The a:xa begins to learn how to manipulate thal through harmonics and mental attunement; he practices the construction of diadems and assists others with their experiments. In addition, he begins learning about Hui:xa culture and lore, astronomy and other sciences, studying transcripts of classic texts, poems and histories narrated by Khuvon to his human “children.”

 In the final stage, the new recruit rests in a sensory deprivation booth for up to a week; after an initial period of silence, the elder scientists deliver a series of frequencies into the booth, frequencies designed to restructure the recruit's mind and awaken his potential (a process that has, on occasion Awakened True Magickal powers). Floating in a trace state, the a:xa meets the spirit of Khuvon. Consecrating the recruit with waves of warm, crackling energy, Khuvon accepts the new disciple. As the lights and sounds fade away, the a:xa is left in silence for another hour to contemplate his experience. When he rises from the chamber, he is one of the Thalhun.

 ORGANIZATION

 

The Thal'hun consider Khuvon their leader. Since the immortal energy-being is usually “unavailable,” a governing body called the Star Council of Zoraster makes policy for this strange fellowship. Of the seven men and women who administer the Thal'hun, four claim to have been Khuvon's original disciples in the 1960's; the remaining three disciples also served on the Council, but died and were replaced with others chosen by the leaders.

 Fifty-five visionary people make up the Thal'hun society; their goal is to increase membership to 100 by the turn of the millennium. Given their location, this isn't an unrealistic goal. Most Thal'hun operate and practice out of the United States, although a few have moved to England, France and Japan. Through a “goodwill exchange of light,” the group hopes to expand into Russia and China. An “ambassador mission” to the Middle East was a disaster; five Thal'hun were killed, their diadems smashed and their lodgings demolished by “parties unknown.” Given the West Coast's tolerance for eccentric cults, the Star Council has located their headquarters in San Francisco, CA. In a mansion not far from Golden Gate Park, a large contingent of vibroneers studies celestial transmissions, natural sounds and man-made noises in an effort to create the perfect harmony — the sound that will bring new Zoraster into our world.

 Although the Thal'hun do not practice their artsopenly, they frequently publish their theories of extraterrestrial origin. Their newsletter, Earth: The Final Frontier, details cases of alien influence on the development of Terran history. Despite their apparent interest, the vibroneers don't go for conspiracy theories or UFO-chasing. The truth, to them, is not in the sky or in Hanger 18 — it's in the sounds all around us, and in the ground where Khuvon sleeps... for now,

 

RELATIONS 

* Hunters: The Arcanum keeps a slender file on these “eccentric UFOlogists from San Francisco.” Although the scholars don't take the vibroneers very seriously, the file notes “incidents of paranormal character” in their vicinities from time to time. One vault holds bits of a diadem smashed in Boston; no Arcanum expert has been able to fit the pieces back together successfully — some force scoured the fragments smooth afrer the impact.

The FBI maintains closer surveillance on these “separatist cultists”; given the multitude of Bay Area fringe groups and the peaceful activities of the Thal'hun, the government file on the fellowship is pretty slim. Still, every issue of the newsletter has been compiled, catalogued and perused, sifted for anti-government rants or apocalyptic announcements.

 * Other Magicians: Although the Thalhun study magical incantations from a multitude of sources, the group as a whole has avoided any really hostile contact (or friendly contact, for that matter) with the magicians of other orders. To the vibroneers, magic is a necessary cloak for wisdom; to the sorcerers who've encountered these odd little weirdoes, the Thal'hun are just one of a long line of examples that the world is going to hell.

 * Mages: Thal'hun theories provide obvious delight for the mad Ether Scientists, Both “sides” happily correspond in the pages of various paranormal journals; some Etherites follow the teaching of Khuvon, experimenting with mind/sound vibrations and drawing parallels between their personal theories and the ThaPhun craft. Naturally, few ThaP'hun have any idea who their “partners in wonder” might be; the Star Council is aware of the Sons of Ether, but most of the rank-and-file remains clueless.

 Technocratic files on the Thalhun mistake them for a sect of Erherities. It's an obvious mistake, one that led to the Boston incident. A series of Syndicate strikes recently undermined the Thalhun's finances; only a wild fund-raising drive (aided secrerly by some Sons of Ether who felt sorry about the mess) saved the vibroneers' main laboratory from bank-ruptey.

 * Others: The Middle East expedition annoyed something in the Sahara desert. It continues to follow the Thalhun, studying their workings from adistance. Isthishidden rivala lost Jeva, a disgruntled spirit, a vampire elder, or Khuvon himself? 

This “savior of the future” remains a mystery, even to his disciples. Is he just another vampire lord or a magus with a personal cult? Is the legend of Zoraster for real, and if it is, would its arrival be a good thing, or a really bad thing? Is Khuvon mortal, energy, alien or something else altogether? Is“he”the only one of “his” kind, or are there others singing among the darkened stars...? And what do they really want from Earth?

 The question remains unanswered — for now.

 Thal' hun Characters

 * Concepts: Sound engineer, linguist, cutting-edge physicist, New Ager, dad me inventor, idealist.

* Traits: Thal'hun are lovers and thinkers, not fighters; Mental and Social Traits dominate this fellowship. Every recruit must understand a bit of Luz'at (a Secret Code Language, bought either with Linguistics or with the Knowledge of that name); know her way around a computer, practice a form of meditation and possess some familiarity with extraterrestrial metaphysics. Science Knowledges are a very good idea, but social graces (Bureaucracy, Etiquette, Leadership and Seduction) often come in handy. Though many ThaPhun know how to sing, play music or both (Expression, Artistic Expression or Singing Abilities), a handful of them do not.

 * Preferred Paths: Conjuration, Healing, Hellfire; Summoning, Bindingand Warding (both), Weathercraft.

* Magical Style; Complex vibrational “rituals”? set the stage for Thal'hun workings. As the focused sound permeates the local molecular structures, the air seems to vibrate and thicken. Soon, odd phenomena — clocks running backward, magneticshifts, power surges, etc. — reveal the science — of the Hui:xa at work. Depending on the pitch and timbre of the sounds and the discipline of the vibroneer, the phenomena mighteither settle down, cause minor damage or affect the desired change.

 

Langh if you want, but I'm building a new and better world!

 

THE UZOMA

 

JOURNEYMEN, SPIRIT QUEENS AND FATHERS OF SECRETS

 

Agoya, child — enter! Again you come to pester me for an old man's secrets, eh? Well have a seat

then. T awill teach you of our people's past. 1 know you've heard the story before, butit «ill grow with the telling and one day it will become your story as well, and you shall pass it on as I tell the tale to you. Now hush, child, and listen.

 We are the Uzoma, and have been one with the Yoruba from the beginning of time. So it was decreed by the orishas, the many gods who rule over Creation; perhaps it was even set into being by Olorun, the Owner of Heaven, but of him we do not speak. We are called Uzoma because we were bom during a journey — but that joumney is life, child. The wise will see that all life is a pathway. We did not seek the power we have — we were called to it by the orishas, and given power with the responsibility to minister to our people.

 For many years we served our people as babalawos — priests and sorcerers, who brought together the orishas with the people. We served the chiefs of Ife — not the city you know now, but the holy city-state of the ancient days, when the people remembered the orishas. But then the Muslims came and converted many of us, and the Uzoma began to lose our power. For our powers come from the orishas, and the power of the orishas comes from their believers. As they lost believers, they starved; and we, in turn, lost many of our magics.

 The desert-men took many of us away to chain and to sell; when the white invaders came, they took even more of our people and sold them across the seas. When the Yoruban peoples went to America, our babalawos went with them. In the New World and in our oum homeland alike, we learned soon enough that our ways must be hidden. The Europeans forced their god-on-sticks upon us, and punished those who remembered the orishas. We leamed, too, what happened to those the Christians called witches. There were special Christians then — the mean and hateful men who were knowledgeable in the ways of the hidden world but not wise im the ways of the spirit — and they hunted the Uzoma and accused us of dark and evil things. These people still exist, but they have lost their hold over us.

 Our babalawos in the Americas saw the faith of the people change, as the way of the orishas became one with the way of the hanged god. They learned of the Christian saints, and saw in them our orishas. From this marriage, new faiths were born and new names: Candomblé, Vodoun, Macumba and more. Even at home, we were forced to hide as the English, Frenchand Germans spread their beliefs among our people. Thoughnot all of our people abandoned their original faith, we were forced to go  underground with our magics. We now count our years according to the birth of the Christian god, amd western ways have become our ways. First the Portuguese lorded over us, and then the British. We knew that for the Uzoma to survive, we must hide.

 And so we did, knowing that one day the people would seek the orishas again. And is this day not coming? In the past decades, we have seen our people throw off the yoke of colonialism. Over the waters, we have seen in our brothers and sisters in the Americas retum to the old ways. And the Uzoma slowly emerge from hiding, reuniting the people with the orishas once more and slowly restoring ashé — magic — to the life of the peoples.

 THE SOCIETY

 Gathered into artificial families called ile, the Uzoma sorcerer-priests watch over their mortal charges. Providing access between the Otherworld and the material plane, these wise folk keep to themselves unless forced into action by some outside force, Such interference isa common fact of life in Africa, where slavery, disease, starvation, supernatural predation and spiritual corruption have wracked the land for hundreds of years. Hence, these so-called “journeymen” perch like watchful leopards over their villages. Accustomed to interference, Uzoma elders take a dim view of strangers and the changes they bring. So long as things remain peaceful, the Uzoma are content. If anyone threatens the ile or its community... well, there are many reasons why parts of rural Africa are still dangerous to cross.

 MAGIC

 Although most outsiders consider the Uzoma magicians, the people themselves would dispute that claim. To them, they are priests and holy women, sacred bridges between the spirits and humanity. The true sorcerers (in the sinister sense) go by the secret name Nhanga, and claim to worship other, more mysterious orishas. Dedicating their souls to these shadowy beings, the Nhanga gain powers traditionally offered to Infernalists while pretending to be true Uzoma. While most journeymen put their peoples' needs before their own, the Nhanga pursue personal accomplishmentover spiritual service. The Uzoma call these hidden witches “the flies in the rotting dung,” and lump most foreign magicians, mages and sorcerers in the same category for good measure.

Spells and magic, or ashé (which, interestingly enough, also means “so be it”), of the Uzoma tradition always take place in the context of a religious ritual. Though Olorun is invoked and praised at the beginning of each ritual, it is through the orishas that Uzoma gain their magical abilities — as both a favor for faithful service and a necessary tool to do the orishas' bidding. Rituals involve singing, dancing and drumming, all as a means of praising and communicating with the orishas.

 Orishas hover at the heart of Uzoma magic. Yoruba stories teach that Olorun was once a single entity a time long ago, but He was struck by a stone and shattered into many beings. Thus, this primordial being became a multiplicity of beings, found in the rocks, rivers and other objects of the world, both natural and man-made, as well as in the invisible personalities of the spirit world. Every person — not just sorcerers — has a guiding orisha that helps determine his personality. Common people often seek out Uzoma in order to better understand their guiding orishas.

 The Uzoma believe thateach orisha has a corresponding number, color, food and dance; understanding each aspect allows one to communicate with the respective orishas, and to win powers from them all. Over 400 orishas are said to exist, although most Uzoma disagree about the spirits' names and functions. Each village or town has its patron orishas, and each Uzoma selects those who suit him best.

 Some of the more popular orishas include:

 * Elegba: The Opener of the Way and the guardian of roads, he stands at the crossroads of the human and the divine. Elegha — also called Eshu — is a trickster figure who tests the faith of the believers. European missionaries commonly interpreted him as Satan, misunderstanding his role among the orishas.

 * Ogún: The pod of iron, war and. labor, and the master of technology.

 * Oshosi: The hunter and scout, Oshosi translates Obatalá into words, tales and visions for the Uzoma.

 * Obatalá: Father oforishasand ofall humanity, Obatalá tules the mind. It was through Obatalá that Olorun created the universe. Obatalá is both wisdom and justice incarnate.

 * Oyá: The ruler of winds, cemeteries and the dead. Once Ogun's wife, she is a fierce warrior and a patron of strong women.

 * Oshún: She is the ruler of the sweet waters of the world, and with them love and fertility. Though the youngest of the female orishas, she is Iyalode, the queen.

 * Yemayá: The Mother of All, the ruler of the seas and lakes, and the queen of witches.

 * Shangó: Among the most popular of the orishas, Shangó is a virile warrior who rules over lightning, fire and dance. Those whom he favors are gifted seers. He strikes lightning by casting his thunderstones to Earth; the Uzoma revere these items when the stones can be found, for they are potent objects credited with many magical powers (see Appendix).

 * Otunmila: The master of wisdom and divinarion, he stands as the witness to Creation and human destiny.

 Bembe forms the heart of Uzoma magical ritual: through singing, dancing and drumming, the sorcerer-priests entreat the orishas to join the Uzoma community. Certain kinds of drumming and dance are specific to different rituals, and are never performed outside a magical context. The entire bembe is designed to call down the orishas from heaven, from the thythms played to the specific dances to the colors used. Such performances are equal parts party, religious invocation and magical rite.

 The culmination of an Uzoma ritual includes possession by an orisha — when the spirit “mounts” the head of the babalawo and speaks through him. The Uzoma do nor typically try to force this phenomenon: The orishas speak when they will.

 The greatest recorded source of wisdom for the Uzoma is the Ifa — a collection of over 250 patakis (sayings, myths and stories) that are consulted with a shell divination. The Ifa contains the entirety of knowledge within it; mastering the nuances of the Ifa can take a lifetime.

 Ebo, or sacrifice, forms another vital component of Uzoma magic. The orishas demand offerings for their sustenance, and the Uzoma believe that sacrifice is a vital component of Creation. As a rule, Uzoma do not sacrifice humans — the orishas are satisfied with the blood of chickens, goats, or other small animals. Provided the animal has not been used in some healing ceremony, the Uzoma cooks and eats the meat of the slain beast afterward. On occasion, an orisha requests that the animal be spared, and that ir be raised by the person who has been healed or helped by the ritual,  

(Nhanga are another matter; they favor human offerings, often eating the sacrificial flesh straight off a screaming victim and adorning themselves with his bones afterward. Their orishas demand blood in great quantities, often spilled by the most painful means possible. For this reason, many Uzoma equate Verbena mages with Nhanga, and attack them whenever the opportunity presents itself.)

 Some Uzoma (and many Nhanga) deal with the eggun, the dead. Uzoma sorcerers believe that everyone has a personal eggun — a family of deceased spirits who look after the living. The nature of the dead follow the nature of the living; some eggun are dark, twisted spírits with vicious agendas and harmful powers. These demon-wraiths corrupt Uzoma unlucky or unwise enough to treat with them, or follow sorcerers whose personal deeds are foul enough to attract their attention.

 INITIATES

 Historically, the travelers hail from Yoruban or Nigerian descent. Most Uzoma who followed the African Diaspora were absorbed into the disparate traditions that grew out of the Diaspora — Candomblé, Obeah, Santeria, Lucumi, and so on — so most members of this society remain in Africa. Handfuls of transplanted Uzoma remained true to their ancestral tradition and secretly passed on the old ways in theirnew world. Smallcells ofthese ile thrive in hidden parts of Jamaica, Columbia and the United States.

 Whites are not actually forbidden from joining the Uzoma, but few of them are ever initiated. This has less to do with race than with acculturation — most whites are simply raised with a different mind-set and worldview — and mystic ancestral ties. A European might be able to intellectually accept the idea of the orishas, but they do not speak to him through the chains of blood; thus, he remains outside their blessings.

 Initiation into Uzoma begins with a consultation of the Ifa and a discernment of the initiate's guiding orisha. The Uzoma congregate in different houses (ile), arranged around different orishas; the initiate's orisha determines which house he should be initiated in. The initiate is crowned with his orisha, and receives his elekes — a special set of necklaces that are blessed by the house babalawo and that tie the initiate to that house.

 During the initiate's first year, he is considered a child who must follow strict guidelines. He must dress in white, follow dietary guidelines, and he cannot be touched. The new child of theoris has serves the priests in whatever capacity required, as he studies the patakis of the orishas and learns to cast the lfa.

 After this year passes, the initiate becomes a babalawo himself. The babalawo has the duty tohelphis peopleand perform the will of the orishas — the Uzoma are not a self-serving society.Babalawo means literally the “father of secrets”; among most Yormban followers of the faith, only men may become babalawos. Some Uzoma, however, admit women to their ranks, understanding the ties between female orishas and mortal women.

 ORGANIZATION

 

Uzoma sorcerers follow a simple hierarchy, and reveal the secrets of their society through progressive levels of initiation. Various houses are built around different orishas. À senior babalawo presides over each house. There is often some disagreement berween different regions and houses over the nature of the orishas and details of magical rituals, but under most circumstances the various houses cooperate. A small handful of ile have been exiled from the Uzoma community, however; truthfully or not, these pariahs have been accused of Nhanga practices and are avoided by any sensible person.

 The majority of the Uzoma society resides in the Yoruban homelands: primarily Nigeria, but also Benin and Togo. A few Uzoma sorcerers may be found outside of Africa however — those who preserved their ancestral ways, or who seek out the older truths by returning to their ancestral lands. After an apprenticeship in Africa, many of these new journeymen return to their homelands in America and Europe. These new Uzoma have begun training new generations ofshamans and sorcerers in the Yoruban tradition.

 RELATIONS

 * Hunters: Although the Arcanum has sent research teams down into Africa to explore the native sorcerers' ways, they've learned very little. The scholars' basic prejudices, combined with their incorrigible whiteness, have provided the Uzoma some amusement, but very little respect. The Inquisition, however, has eamed a name among the journeymen, and that name isn't good. White “missionaries” who seem a bit too zealous are asked to leave three times. If the warnings aren't heeded, the local ile takes more-permanent actions. 

 * Other Magicians: Since the Uzoma tend to keep to themselves, they have very few opinions about other magical societies.

 * Mages: In a perfect world, the Uzoma would get along well with members of the Bata'a Craft (see Book of Crafts). In the World of Darkness, however, the Bata'a are surprisingly territorial, and would include the Uzoma under their eclectic umbrella if they could — in spite of the fact that the Uzoma practice the original beliefs from which the Bata'a traditions have descended! The siege mentality that both groups have cultivated, mixed with a distaste for the darker aspects of Bata'a magick, keep these brothers at arm's length. 

 The Uzoma suspicions about black magic extend to all other mystical societies. Although the Dreamspeakers and African tribal Choristers admire the Uzoma for the tenacity of their belief, the babalawos look askance at those Traditions' allies. How can one speak truly for the spirits when he walks beside a blood-witch? Although the journeymen respect all workers of ashé, they keep a healthy distance from those who evoke the more sinister orisha.

 While the Nhanga appear Nephandic to outsiders, these sorcerers practice their own personal evils. The occasional tempter might lead a Uzoma to the Cauls, but for the most part, the shunned babalawos listen to the orishas and the orishas alone.

 The Technocratic Union has an extensive file on African wonder-workers, but many of its facts are wrong. According to NWO information, the Uzoma form an off-shoot of the Dreamspeakers. This simplistic view underscores the traditional dismissal of many things African; “Well, pee, they all look alike, so they must belong to the same club!”

 * Others: For centuries, the journeymen kept truces with the werecats who dominate the African continent. In recent years, however, the werelion called Black Claw (see Bastet) has ravaged the towns and villages the Uzoma call home. So far, no spirit appeal has stopped the tyrant cat.

 While the elders regard Black Claw as but the latest in a long string of oppressors, the younger babalawos wonder if he's a sign of more dangerous things. Putting aside their traditional ways, these priest-magicians have taken up modern weapons in an effort to curb this werelion's Endless Storm pride. Surely the evil spirits are laughing.

 Transplanted vampire clans consider the babalawos to be ignorant children playing with ancient toys. The few Tremere who actually take the time to explore Nhanga ways find insights into the Spirit Path of their Thaumaturgy, but they have a hard time getting close to true Uzoma. The fathers of secrets seem to have a knack for discovering vampires, and they shun these polluted creatures when they can. That avoidance does not extend to the eshu fae, who carry an old connection to the orisha whose name they bear.

 Uzoma Characters :

 * Concepts: Tribal healer, human rights activist, militant, farmer, anthropologist, teacher, soldier. 

* Traits: The long and disciplined training an initiate undergoes encourages Social and Mental Attributesand Abilities. Linguistics, Etiquette, Cosmology, Hearth Wisdom, Craft, Expression and Dancing are important skills to a journeyman. While poor by modern standards, most Uzoma have extensive Influence within their communities and gain many Állies. 

* Preferred Paths: Divination, Ephemera, Fascination, Healing, Herhalism/Brewing, Weathercraft.

* Magical Style: By invoking spirit aid and possession, a Uzoma can produce many sudden, startling effects — storms, ghostly manifestations,  great healings and powerful charms. 

 

I am notimpressed by fine wordsor bright deeds. Show me the strengthof your spirit and we shaw tike like brothers. Otherwise, pass on by.

 OTHER GROUPS

 

Chains of oppression shackles of fear 

Forever broken for those who draw near

 From storm to shelter from darkness to light

 Wings cast a shadow a haven from falling light

 — Circle of Dust, “Night Fall”

 

The night is full of seers and would-be wizards. To list them allwould be impossible — each passingmoon brings anew society into being, or watches the final ebbing of an established order. In a world supposedly purged of magic, these sorcerers tend the embers ofancient flames. Although few have “Awakened” in the grander sense, their gifts are as undeniable as the moon.

 The following groups, while few in numbers, illuminate the magical pathways. As with the other, larger societies mentioned, these fellowships are equally appropriate for player or non-player magicians. While some members of these societies have achieved the power of the Spheres, most are simple “hedge wizards." They don't understand the distinction and don't care. Use them as you will, and remember that they're just branches of a much larger tree — or a much longer road.

 ASATRU FUTHARK

 Founded in the 1970s, this fractured group recalls the gods and runes of old Norse sorcery. Proud and virile, the Asatru challenge themselves to the old tests and hold most other orders in contempt. Unlike their vitkar ancestors who understood the importance of strength but also the wisdom of grace, the modern Ásatru favor neo-Nazi roots and practice dark, Satanic magics in an effort to drive the Christians from their lands.

 A messy mangle of Norse practices, infernal pacts and heavy metal, most Asatru give pagans a bad name. Their rituals emphasize self-mutilation, strong beer, loud music and live sacrifice. Calling their religion “a return to the old and powerful gods of conquest,” these young sorcerers bum churches, dig up graveyards, beat bystanders and curse even their own kind. The original founders of the society, Ivar the Blood-Red (now deceased), Lady Freyja (his lover, now head of the cult), Gunnaar Brect (a rival, also dead) and Kveldulf Stórrn (Lady Freyja's new lover) acted like cartoon Vikings with Satanic tendencies. Their followers emulate their example, and the resulting cult would be humorous if it didn't spill so much blood. Although some of its newer “converts” favor Gothic and Industrial bands, most Asatru revel in Black Metal and skinhead groups. The bands" hyperadrenalized stormtrooper imagery fuels a fire stoked in racism and nurtured by a savage contempt for the “weakness” of civilization. With blood magic and mundane violence, the “new vanguard of the old gods” spreads a gospel of hate from the Old Country to the New World.

Most sorcerers (and mages) consider the Futhark a joke. Serious magicians who practice the old waysare deeply offended by the cult's pseudo-barbarian activities. Still, the Asatru have their devotees, especially in Germany and Holland, where a combination of immigration, unemployment and Christian fundamentalism have provided amplekindling for the Futhark's fires. The group boasts over 1000 members worldwide; it's probably far smaller, and has less-internal discipline than it would like to believe. Hatred makes a powerful motivation, however, and backed up by a handful of demonic patrons, this small but fanatical group is gathering steam for a final, bloody rampage. Assuming they survive, Lady Freyja and her cult may soon carve a gory hunk from the occult underworld.

 Paths: Divination, Enchantment, Hellfire, Shadows

 THE DOZEN PRIESTS OF THE PYTHIAN ORDER

 In the centuries before Christ, the Pythian Order was a thriving order of Greek and Hellenic sorcerers. Oracles for the gods and mastersofdivinarion, pythians found magic in theform of poetry; surely Polyhymnia's meter held sacred resonance — how else could it bring grown men to tears! Pythian poetry was anart, science and mystery inone; unlike therampant verse that passes for “poetry” in the modern world, the Pythian art combined numerology, music, astrology and mathematics. Poetic meter was intrinsically tied into the power of numbers and the musicofthe spheres; the texts that captured that meter were said to have great mystical power.

 Rare from the beginning, Pythian sorcerers grew rarer still as the Dark Ages enveloped Europe. When the Renaissance brightened the sky somewhat, classical scholars sought the handful of Pythian texts and queried the so-called Dozen Priests who understood the texts' significance. The Romantic period brought a new interest in Greek literature to the Dozen Priests' doorsteps. Lord George Byron had several Pythian poems in his collection, and is said to have worked his whole life to capture their magnificence.

 Despite these brief flashes of “popularity,” the deeply esoteric nature of Pythian magic has kept it from catchingon, even among the most dedicated magicians. Bits and pieces have sifted down from various compilationsof Pythian verse, but only the true texts have the powersattributed to them by the legends. The Daughters of Cacophony, an obscure vampiric bloodline, are said to have sprungfrom a Toreador with an unhealthy fixation upon Pythian poetry, but the sorcerers themselves faded even as Byron and his kind sought them out. Although generally believed to be extinct, thisvenerable order still maintains a temple on Mílos, a tiny island off the coast of Greece, where the sacred verses have been preserved. The Dozen Priests have dwindled to a half-dozen at best, but their power — reinforced by centuries of life and study — may have grown to godlike proportions.

 Paths: Divination, Fascination, Summoning, Binding and Warding (Daimonic)

THE FENIAN

 A handful of ancestral Irish shapeshifters, the Fenian brag of an unbroken lineage to the Tuatha Du Daanan. Naturally, everyone would like to claim such a heritage; the Fenian, however, can back up their boast with magical powers, unearthly talents, soul-binding oaths and inhuman allies.

 A fixture in the distant times, these half-fae adventurers forsook family and clan to wander among the groves, hills and coasts. Some became enchanted, joining the faeries in their Freeholds; others became the greatest of bards, celebrated with feasts and songs; those who favored the sea became like selkcies, sloughing offtheir human forms to join thescal-folk; the strongest — and most foolhardy — became warriors whose fame eclipsed their exceedingly short lives. Legends tell of the powers of such folk. In their prime, they changed into animal sat will, possessed the faerie sight, foughrwith the ferocity of wild boars and sung with the grace of gods.

Less magicians than innately magical beings, the Fenian became a clan unto themselves, a loose family of unbroken Celtic blood that remains undiluted to this day. That in itself makes them a rare breed — only the luckiest and most-remote folksurvived thetrinity of invasion, assimilation and inbreeding without faltering. Strong taboos — the gesa (see Chaprer Three) — kept the heritage strong when they were heeded, and destroyed whole bloodlines when they were not. In the modern day, less than 30 people can truly say “I share the old changing blood” and prove it, too. Although their folk are not in any way members of the Changing Breeds, all possess the gift of skin-shifting. It is an old talent, one lovingly preserved, that crosses whole generations before itmanifests again. Although it requires practice to master, this talent is innate. Like the faerie sight and the gift of music, the magic of forms is the mark of a Fenian born.

Each Fenian bears a gesa. To break that ban is to break your powets, and to dishonor the bloodline which carries  them. Nearly all of them speak the Celtic tóngue, though some distant relatives have never leamed it. All beast-folk possess a sweet singing voice, great strength and a bear's stamina; the temper of the bear comes with the package, too — Fenian have no tolerance for fools or foes!

 The ancient gift carries the favor of werewolf, fae and ancestral ghosts. A known Fenian has allies among the Fianna tribe, Old World kith and the spirits of their departed kin. On the balance side, the corrupt half-spirits called fomori can sense their ancient rivals; it was the Fenians' old duty to protect mortals ftom the Wyrmspawn, and the evil spirits remember that even if their human hosts do not. A fomor can sense the changing blood, and it incites him to a murder-frenzy. Thus, the old folk grow rarer still.

 A Fenian couldn't care less. She's a wild lass, a witch and a rover with dancing feet and an Irish temper, the heart of a beast and the soul ofa poet. So long as she preserves her vow, the changing blood will carry to another generation. With the recent reverence for all things Irish, the fading clan may rise again in the coming years....

 Paths: Fascination, Shapeshifting (required affinity), Weathercraft.

 

MOGENHA CHAV

 

The name Mogen Ha Chav (The Shield of the 36) refers toaloose conglomeration of Kabbalistic scholars who banded together centuries ago to discover and protect the 36 upright human beings whom some myths say protect the world through their essential goodness.

 Descended from a cabal of students at the legendary Kabbalistic academy at Genoa, the members of Mogen Ha Chayv spend their days attempting to divine the identities and locations of members of the 36; from there, they work through agents across the world, diverting any threat that might imperil one of these righteous folk. It's an open question whether or not these scholars have actually succeeded in their mission, but seeing as the world hasn't ended yet, they may well be onto something.

 The members of Mogen Ha Chav are uniformly male and over 40 years of age; to study the Kabbalah when one is younger and not properly “grounded” in life invites fearful risks. The oldest scholar among the Mogen, the group's Baal Shem Tow (Master of the Good Name) is almost a hundred years of age, while the other members of the cabal range in years from 45 to 97. Most are at least 60, and all have the traditional tsitsis, beard and yarmulke that Orthodox Jewish tradition mandates.

 These days the Shield is centered in New York, on the fringes of the Lubavitcher community in Brooklyn. Operating outof a brownstone house that also houses a yeshiva, Mogen Ha Chav concentrates primarily on divinitory work. While much of that labor is dedicated toward locating and protecting the actual 36, the gematria and horoscopes these scholars cast can turn up useful and startling bits of information. The Shield also possesses an astonishing library ofoccult (primarily Kabbalistic) texts, a vast fortune that provides for the Shield's eternal work, andanetwork ofinformants, doctors, guardians that protect the worthy ones from harm — and assures that these important people remain on a rightious path. Earth is too great a prize to leave without protectors; so long as this fellowship endures, so too (hopefully) shall the world.

 Paths: Divination, Healing, Summoning, Binding and Warding (both types), Weathercraft

 THE SEVEN THUNDERS

 Despite its Oriental ring, these anti-magical prophets of Armageddon draw their name from a Christian source: The Revelations of Saint John, seer of the Apocalypse, author of the Last Book and beholder of the Seven Trumps of Judgment. As the bearers of those Trumps (so they believe), the Seven Thunders have risen from the past to preach the gospel of the End Times. Now, as before, they have a large and willing audience.

 The original Seven Thunders were a group of Renaissance clerics pifted with awesome visitations and overpowering True Faith. Summoned together by what seemed like Divine intervention, these seven men shared a conviction that the Apocalypse was at hand. The year 1500 would herald the rearrival of Christ, and it fell to these men, His servants, to prepare the way. To that end, they raised a huge fellowship and invested it with their own holy vision. Their converts (often lay people confused by the corruption of the church) displayed amazing powers: healing gifts, exorcism talents and the blazing Faith that enabled them to drive unholy things from sight. Convinced that science, magic and even scholarship were affronts to God, the Seven Thunders began a purge; across Europe, universities burned, sanctuaries fell and witchfires rose into the sky. No one but the meek were worthy of salvation, so everyone, from king to pope to magician to priest, was condemned to bum. By God's hands if necessary, by the Thunders' if possible.

 The Seven Thunders enjoyed a short but violent rampage; from 1490 to 1501, their fellowship challenged mages, mortal lords and supernatural beasts. By the end of the last year, however, the Trumps had faded; four Thunders lay dead, another two had been corrupted. The last holy man tried to rally his army, but the people, sensingtheirdefear, withdrewordied. Antonio Castrovinci, the last propher, sealed his testament in a mountain retreat before perishing in his personal Armageddon.

 In 1992, that testament was rediscovered. 

The rebom Thunders have risen quickly. Once again, seven people — this time, two of the prophets are women — have come together, bathed in devastating Faith and driven by undeniable visions. Using modern technology, they have assembleda formidable millennialistarmy ofcommon people who believe that the world can't possibly grow any more corrupt.

 Unlike the Society ofLeopold, the Seven Thunders move in secret, undermining their targets through manipulation and sudden terror. As before, these holy commandos wield swords of True Faith, It may be that the God they hear in the clouds has sounded His Trumps. Magicians across the world can already hear its echoes in the darkness at their backs.

 Paths: Healing, Hellfire and the True Faith Merit (at very high levels).

 TOLONDRODERE: THE DREAMERS OF THE SILVER PORTAL

 A recent revival of an ancient group, the Dreamers of the Silver Star are oneiromancers — magicians whose powers lie in dreams and dreaming. This fellowship of seven sorcerers base their magics on the Covenant ofthe Silver Portal, an 18th century English translation of a 14th-century Byzantine Greek manuscript which in tum was translated ftom a 5th-century Persian scroll that may in fact have been translated from yet another ancient work. This single tome (which has undergone so many revisions and translations that the most recent work bears little resemblance to the original piece) purports to reveal the secrets ofoneiromancy and the hidden terrain of the dream worlds — the Dream Realms called Maya, ftom which, it is said, all magics come.

 The Dreamers of the Silver Portal gather together in dreamform and traverse the byways of the dreaming, in search of the fabled City of Syrannon — a city that, if found, grants the dreamer life eternal. Many dreamers have gone mad on such a quest, discovering instead Other worldly horrors and the nightmares of dying gods.

Some few have retumed from their slumbered enriched by savage insights and possessed of unearthly gifts.

 Who can question the nature of dreams?

 Paths: Conveyance, Ephemera, Fascination, Healing.