Author of the Mysteries:[]
The authors believe that magic is a fluid medium and that the Abyss is only the construct of the mind to enforce the safety and hiearchy of the status quo. However, ideas become real manifestations that gain power through use and belief. Authors recognize the importance of tradition for this effect--reinforcing the magical meme-- but they also understand the importance of change and invention. Magic is not a pretensious and fallen mystery, but an expression of a dynamic soul. Authors encourage invention and creativity, as their primary skill is expression and craft, and embrace the concept of magic as a controlled chaos. They intend to bring awareness to the sleepwalkers, if not Awakening, returning the Supernal to the Fallen in a unified whole. The first test for an initiate, ]called Gordian's Knot, involves the master providing the initiate with a blank book/canvas. The initiate is told that a Mystery has been planted in his mind and concealed (which it has, in sigil/text form). The initiate must access that concealed mystery, delving deep into his own soul, perhaps showing a series of appropriate signs to Goetic guards, or Pathworking their way back to the soul's memory of the watchtower, or entering a deep, introspective trance to form a boundless calm through which the message must emerge, or rearranging a spatial puzzle of sigils and interlocking them. The methods change. What the initiate does not know is that the book/canvas already has the information stored and concealed on it. Whatever new information (whatever mistakes that the initiate made while accessing the occulted information in his own brain) that the initiate provides is stored on there as well. The master then takes the book and studies the student's mistakes, seeing if any new mystic information can be garnered from them. All new useful information is then stored in that book and used for the next Gordian's Knot.
Parent Path or Order: Mastigos or Free Council/Silver Ladder
Nickname: Weavers
Oblations: Goetic struggles, creating a piece of art, showing/performing a piece of art, lucid dreaming, writing a dramatic ritual.
Primary Arcanum: Mind Conjunctional Arcanum: Fate Synergistic Arcanum: Time
1st attainment: Gnosis 3, Mind2, Fate 1, Expression 2
Unifying the Field: It's important for people to have an open mind, be in touch with their emotions, to understand who they are. As an Author performs, the audience reacts intensely to what the Author is conveying, also feeling as though they are connected in a special way. Besides, then they are more open to suggestions, but an Author would never take advantage of that.... This Attainment acts as a conjunction between the Mind 2 Emotional Urging (p. 207) and the Fate 1 spell Winds of Chance (p. 150) but only affecting the audience's fate 'positively' toward the author. No curses.
2nd Attainment: Trojan Horse
Gnosis 5, Mind 3, Empathy 2
It's important to understand how people view the world, what their lives are like, walk a mile in no shoes. This attainment allows the Mage to do that, 'riding' passively in the body of another person, communicating with him or not. Spells cannot be cast while riding a carrier. Any mage in the vicinity of the carrier will have his Unseen Senses activated.
Optional Arcanum: Fate 3
Sometimes fiction and truth are the same thing. Sometimes to really see something, we have to look at and interpret its abstraction. Art of all kinds is a symbol of the culture, in fact, art manifests the culture. This attainment allows the Author to create a 'lore' around a subject or object, using the rule from Fabricate Fortune (p. 155). The effect is lasting if original piece of art was seen (though not necessarily fully read or realized) prior to the detection of the object. The piece of art could be read or performed by someone else however (a popular author, a dance troupe).
3rd attainment: Severing the Knot
Gnosis 7, Mind 4
Sometimes rewriting history is the best way to create the future social consciousness. At least, it's the easiest way. What is history, but an interpretation, anyway? This attainment behaves in a similar way to Breach the Vault of Memory (p. 214), but, with an exceptional success, or by affecting a really deep memory, the Author can implant an intensely positive or negative memory, lowering the Social or Mental attribute of his choice by 1 dot. (must be in accordance to the nature of the memory changed)
Mind X+2, Fate 2, Time 2
Authors use this attainment to 'hang' mental effects on certain objects (usually a piece of art or a book). They can use this effect to disguise their grimoires, to cause hallucinations (or even orgasmic emotions) when someone sees their art, or to even use their own art as a 'doorway' to the astral. The target can be specified by type (the next politician, the next werewolf). Target specifications remain the same. A permanent Willpower dot must be spent to make the effect permanent. Needless to say, the effect is extremely vulgar, and brings paradox everytime it is triggered. Also, the casting is an act of Hubris (level 4 Wisdom check) the 3rd attainment Severing the Knot could be used to implant a positive memory, adding a dot as well. in the conjunctional 3rd attainment, the original copy must be read or spoken.