#MTAw

[awakenedsalamander]

I keep thinking about the section at the very end of the 2E Mage: The Awakening Corebook that discusses Ascension.

Obviously, Ascension is the big goal of both Mage games (the WoD version is, of course, literally named for it), and so it makes sense for a Mage fan like myself to be kind of captivated by any hints of it I get.

And I am in love with the little details we get of how mages Ascend; the strange behaviors and otherworldliness of the Awakened on the threshold of another sublime transformation— how their very names and symbols become charged with power once they cross beyond the Abyss.

But what really keeps my attention is this section:

[None of the Ascended are] remembered by the Sleepers who once knew them. The Ascended slip out of Sleeper memory like water through a sieve. The Quiescence sits heaviest upon close friends and family. People who saw the Ascended every day, if she kept any in her life, wax nostalgic for a short while, as though their loved one had simply gone on a long trip. They quickly change the subject, and resist attempts to return to it. The more distantly a Sleeper orbited the Ascended’s life, the foggier the memories get, until no one remembers her at all.

(Mage: The Awakening, Second Edition, Page 313.)

How deeply melancholic a thought— you become an incarnate symbol of magic, finally complete your journey… and so, of course, the Sleepers forget you.

I’m not here to say that Ascending to the Supernal is a bad thing, I think that’s probably up to the individual mage, but what a heavy price. It really frames the Silver Ladder and the Free Council, and their vastly different but still related dreams of freedom for Sleepers and the Awakened alike.

It was always a painful goodbye, to leave for a world beyond worlds. But the parting is not made easier, knowing only one of us shall remember it.

[mataglap]

in case you were wondering, no, he hasn't left my brain for a minute

[lucislibari]

I decided to finish those sketches. I cannot get enough of this little dude's face. Sorry Chronicles of Darkness tag you get more of this little demon blooded Thearch bastard!!!

(half of these poses were referenced from @mellon_soup on tiktok btw!! Go sub to their patron it's divine)

[nw-of-dark]

Mage: Awakening vs. Ascension

So I have been playing World of Darkness for a short while now and I'm also contentious in regards to Mage and its two iterations; Awakening and Ascension. Awakening is part of Chronicles of Darkness whereas Ascension is a part of World of Darkness, and they are basically parallel universes of the same-ish game.

When I started playing Awakening, I found the rules to be fairly straightforward, and I didn't have to struggle through pages of flavor text like with other World of Darkness games. The one thing I really appreciate about Ascension is its lore. It's fascinating how philosophical the game can get, whether it's during character creation or actual gameplay. Ascension explores themes such as the nature of reality, the dynamics of power, and power over the narrative.

I generally play the setting of Ascension with the rules of Awakening, but I have recently been reading about Ascension more (particularly, 20th Anniversary/4th Edition) and a homebrew of Ascension 5th Edition.

As a fan of the 5th Edition World of Darkness game lines, I am disappointed that only Vampire, Werewolf, and Hunter have been released so far. Until we get a full set, I'll have to make do with homebrews and supplements from the 4th Edition to satisfy my craving for supernatural horror.

As for this blog, I will be covering both Awakening and Ascension lore but primarily focusing on Ascension. I will, masochistically, try to work the Awakening paths and orders into the setting of Ascension and I will leave you with this question; what are your thoughts on Awakening and/or Ascension?

[mekanikaltrifle]

One thing I've also thought about that I'd change is more explicit rules for contradictory Paradigm interactions. Think I'd have a lot of fun writing rules for doing a Refutation of another Mage's Paradigm, what the effects are on either side + what happens when you fail part of a Refutation, etc.

I am here for the idea of going full magic philosophy/word battle on your mage opponent, tbh. I haven't used contradicting Paradigm effects particularly in-game, I think probably because our ST wanted to keep things flowing as our first game (and I don't fault that), but the granular potential of just metaphysically headbutting each other over the rules of each other's magic is. very fun.

That said, what would you change and add, out of interest?

(adding the followup here for cohesion)

So far I haven't played any Awakening, but if it's like the trimming-down streamlining of the rest of the Chronicles of Darkness, it may not entirely suit me as a player? that said, I did quite like Hunter the Vigil so maybe it would! Not sure. Ascension has LORE though I will agree. It's so fucking dense, and worth the insanity sometimes, just to get a peek at what the most unhinged members of the WoD are up to. Mages are fucking weird, Sacha Vykos throwing their dick at someone has nothing on those lunatics.

I know this ask is a bit overdue so if you don't reply or aren't interested anymore I don't mind. Hope you're having a good day!

[aaliyahunleashed]

#OnThisDay January 14, 2002 (22 years ago)

Blackground obtained a deal with Universal and the video made its television debut on BET, MTV, and VH1 during the week ending January 14, 2002.

Quentin B. Huff from PopMatters compared the video to the work of both Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, saying: "Aaliyah's dancing in her videos probably owed a debt to the videos for Michael and Janet Jackson's solo work. No doubt that's true of many artists. Actually, the "More Than a Woman" video brings to mind Michael and Janet's "Scream" video, as well as Janet's video for "Rhythm Nation."

He also praised her dancing in the video for being "effortless".

Rolling Stone praised the video "for adding a touch of vibrant color to its futuristic factory setting".

Les Fabian Brathwaite from Out felt that this was "maybe" Aaliyah's best video ; He also praised the videos wardrobe styling and choreography.

BET said that Aaliyah was "glowing in the video" and that it included "her signature sexy-cool dance sequences"

What do you think? What was your favorite aspect of this video?

[splorsh]

local magic weirdo who huffs space rocks news at eleven

[proceduralpassion]

More Than A Woman | Characters

Want to take a sneak peek at some of my OCs for my new WIP? Simply press that "keep reading" button to get a little taste 😉. As far as Mayans characters, everyone's fair game to make an appearance but the main heavy hitters of this story are the Reyes men (including Felipe and Miguel)!

Destiny (goes by Desi) Maduro is a young school psychologist at Santo Padre Elementary. Originally from Ventura, she moves a couple of towns over to Santo Padre after getting her EdS. The move was also a blank slate for her young cousin, Alejandro, who is in need of a fresh start after stumbling down a dark path.

Santiago "Santi" Reyes is the six year old son of Angel and the late Stephanie "Nails" Cardoza. It was already a huge transition when his parents split up and he lived primarily with his mom, but it was a shock to his system when he suddenly found himself without a mother and with a father who was emotionally clocked out.

Alejandro "Dro" Gonzalez has a mind that never stops and an appetite for money that's never sated. The same schemes that had him running out of Venezuela gets him involved deep into the cartel game in Santo Padre. He only ever wanted to provide for his dear cousin...

[lazyflux]

Phoenix Chronicles E7

Episode 6

Minor, early spoilers regarding Reign of the Exarchs.

Someone told me that running Mage meant dealing with the obsessed. No one said it was like herding cats. This was a slow session, though not because of the mechanics this time, but just sheer pacing.

This session was the first session in maybe 4 or 5 where we had a full table that had the Cabal completely together. We last left off with Hel on his way to work on a hot Tuesday morning, only to find that his impromptu roommate has left after only a few days stay -- they left behind a note and a curious bell. Not one to stand a riddle that appears to double as a pun, per the note, Hel goes to the Diner, an establishment the Cabal agreed to be the focal point (they're lacking a proper Sanctum, but perhaps some goading might change their minds).

The Cabal experiments a little, discovers the artifact's true ability. Apparently, only Hel really has a job, and one that he can feasibly slack off on, so they set off to follow Cherrim to the Verge she discovered last episode, briefly encountering the new Herald for a new Consilium that has just been stood up in Phoenix, whose only word to share (for now) is: respect the Gold Laws, the door is open for any agreements to be made seeing how the Cabal is a part of a Nameless Order outside the Pentacle, and all should be good. I suppose it could be mildly threatening if the NPC was played off as being very blasé about it.

Naturally, players gonna player, and internally decided to buck against the perceived overreach of authority. I'm sure that'll go over well sometime in the next couple of sessions. But for now? A group retreat, hiking through a mysterious Verge that has popped up in the middle of a dirt lot; previously unkeyed, it seems that someone has set one, but Chufi identifies it right away: simply write "I understand the dangers" in the dirt, erase it, and enter freely. The spell is from a signature nimbus they're unfamiliar with, and perhaps if they don't rub the wrong shoulders, one they'll never know.

Much of the session was spent just hiking around the dense jungle of the lot, bonding in a way, getting blisters from mysterious plants and heat exhaustion from the contrastingly wet heat of the Jungle-Verge. This was the meaningful part. Seeing the Cabal act as a Cabal, which hasn't happened since Tutorial-Safehouse arc of ep. 1 & 2.

The remainder of the session is handled with one-roll "extended" checks (taking a page out of Geist here) where we begin to setup several ploys:

(Samael, vampire hunter) Rooting out vampires who've corrupted the church.

(Hel) Learning more about this riddle, fulfilling an Obsession, and being drawn into a deeper Mystery.

(Chufi) Asked a favor by her mentor to make a portal to Phoenix; the two live on the moon, you see, having been established and evacuated by an archmage a few generations ago. Chufi has a very specific Aspiration, a meta-one, that reads "to be betrayed or to betray her mentor." This plays into that. And for the astute among you who're aware of the things that likely live out on the moon, well... open portals intentionally left open longer than they have to? Someone's playing at something.

[m4rloe5]

multiples of 8 for archie!!

AAAAAA I get to talk about my Mage the Awakening OC Archimedes now! :3 I still haven't played him (as most of you already know) but he's just shaped and I'm rotating him around in my brain like a showstopper cake on the Great British Bake Off

8. Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target?

What is he, some kind of American?? Of course not! The closest thing he’s ever been to firing a gun is when he once purchased that antique matchlock pistol to spite one of his competitors. Guns are too modern for his taste.

16. Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success?

Hmm that’s a tough one… I think happiness. Archimedes comes from old money, so he’s always lived comfortably regardless of his successes, so I think success is hardly the end goal. But I think happiness is hard to define for him. He was happy in his marriage, yet he was neglectful to his wife in favour of his obsession. I am not even entirely sure he knows what it’s like to feel happiness anymore these days.

24. How quick is your character to trust someone else?

Not quick. The only person he truly trusts is himself, but he also trusts his judgement. If he has deemed he needs help he will ask for it, and he will carefully select who to ask and trust his judgement that they won’t betray him.

32. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.

I have trouble coming up with a specific scenario, but he would definitely feel uncomfortable without access to his cane. Just being without his mobility aid makes him unsteady (pun not intended), and the thought of being without a weapon for a prolonged period of time… Yeah, that would make him uncomfortable indeed.

40. How does your character treat people in service jobs?

He doesn’t look down on them per se, nor does he mistreat them by making outrageous demands, but he takes them for granted. Almost as if those people were part of the furniture to him.

[franticbindings]

Rabbit Downtimes 3

(These are downtime actions I wrote for a Mage the Awakening Chronicle. I played an internet obsessed Acanthus with the shadow name Rabbit.)

Part 1, Part 2

Rabbit stood in the breakroom of the lorehouse and waited patiently for the coffee machine to dispense his drink. The stuff produced by the machine was so suspiciously good that he’d checked it out with his prime sight and had confirmed that there was Awakened magic on the device - though not of an arcana he could scrutinize further. He idly speculated about rogue coffeemancers roaming the city pursuing mysteries of The Bean when he heard someone enter the room behind him. He glanced behind himself and froze when he saw who it was. The man noticed him as well and also froze.

They both opened their mouths and then seemed to think better of it. It was always complicated when you unexpectedly met someone you knew in your mundane identity in a setting where Awakened rules applied. 

After a moment Rabbit tentatively put in, “I’m going by Rabbit these days.”

“Rabbit, huh? Still just Bobby for me.”

Awkward. Well, potentially awkward. The dynamics between Mages and Sleepwalkers could be complicated - ranging from awe to jealousy to resentment. More than a few Mages saw the unawakened as beneath them. Rabbit searched Bobby’s face for signs of any of those but only found a small smile of… pride?

“Congratulations - I hope, I've heard it's never easy. I can’t say I’m surprised though, I always thought you might make it.”

Wait…

“What?”

-

Alan Haas had escaped central Texas for sunny San Diego intending to finally be himself in ways that were impossible in his small home town. He was going to be out and proud, acquire real life friends to go with his online ones and maybe get a boyfriend. He was going to evolve into his final form and speed run the adolescence he never got to have.

He maybe, possibly, underestimated how difficult such a dramatic transformation would be. It turned out it was harder to leave behind his studied reserve and hermit-like tendencies than he thought.

Luckily, he met Robert Hastings - an upperclassman who was also on the track and field team and active in the campus LGBT organizations. The big, bluff mid-westerner had taken Alan under his wing, and by the time he graduated had carefully guided him out of his protective shell.

Now they were ensconced in a private reading nook in the LA lorehouse, sharing a suspiciously good cup of coffee.

“I’m sorry that we fell out of touch after you graduated. I didn’t even know you were in LA - or are you just visiting?”

Bobby waved this away good naturedly, “I’ve lived here for the past two years. As for not keeping up with each other… that was mostly the Council’s fault. I’m sure you know how mages are - secretive, and they have issues with the right hand not talking to the left. I’m not surprised that we never found out we were running in the same circles these days.”

Rabbit smiled warmly, “I have to say, it's good to see a friendly face. I’ve been going to events, but it’s like you said… people are cagey.” Rabbit took a sip of his coffee and then changed conversational tacks, “You thought I would awaken when you knew me?”

“It seemed possible. You had the right mindset, and well…” his expression was somber now. “What you told me, that one time about what happened with your best friend when you were a kid. How you were convinced that he wasn’t himself anymore and no one believed you.” He gave an expressive shrug and a rueful smile. “Seemed like mage material to me.”

“I actually found the real him again. The original.”

Bobby’s eyes widened fractionally. “Thats… good?”

Rabbit let out a breath. “It led to my awakening, so yes? It’s… complicated.”

“Can you talk about it?”

Suddenly it was freshman year all over again. Rabbit was Alan and Bobby was just a man he admired for being relentlessly kind.

“I can’t tell you everything, but I feel like I owe you the end of the story.”

-

“It was right after winter break, my Junior year. I had stayed in San Diego alone because, well… you know. I spent the whole break missing my mom and my aunt, dwelling on how things might have turned out differently back when I was a kid,” Alan took a sip of coffee before continuing.

 “We had just finished our first week of classes, and me and my roommates decided to go out to the Lamplighter for some karaoke. I’d just gotten done singing when Lawrence - you remember him?”

Bobby nodded.

“He said some guy was staring at me. I looked over and… there he was. We locked eyes and it was like a movie — time seemed to slow down. There wasn’t really any doubt in my mind - I’d known him for most of my life, he was my best friend for seven years. His hair was different than the last time I’d seen him, but… yeah.”

“At first I was terrified that he’d finally gone off the deep end and had flown to California to make good on all the threats he’d made. But the longer I looked, the less sure of that I was. He was with a group of people I’d never seen before. The kind of people that the Justin I knew wouldn’t be caught dead with. He looked…” Alan drummed his fingers on the table.

“He was looking at me like I was familiar, but he couldn’t quite remember who I was. Time sped back up and he pointed me out to this big older guy he was with. Their group seemed to be arguing about something, and Justin kept shooting these looks at me; like he was scared of me. I was still stunned and trying to figure out what I wanted to do when they all got up and left. I finally got it together enough to chase after them, but it had gotten all foggy suddenly and they just vanished.”

“I became obsessed with finding him, and I was pretty good at that even back then — especially if I wasn’t worried about things like breaking the law. You know I’ve always had a thing for rabbits — tricksters, right?”

Bobby nodded.

“Running down leads I kept ending up in situations that mirrored those stories, with me playing the part of the trickster; dressing in drag to sneak in somewhere, or telling some guys I couldn’t swim so that they’d throw me off the pier instead of caving my skull in. It was a real mess; if one of the Syndics didn’t have a lot of goodwill with local Freehold they would have killed me for sure.”

“He was a changeling?”

Alan nodded.

“They let it play out in exchange for future favors, and I eventually caught up with Justin. He got taken the summer he went away to camp, and only made it back a few years ago. I had told him about myself, being gay, before he left and made him promise not to tell anyone.” 

Alan looked away.

“That’s the reason the thing that took him gave for everything; he wouldn’t tell and that proved his loyalty. I don’t know if he blamed me for what happened, I’m not sure if he should — but it wasn’t the reunion I always hoped for… but it was what I needed to awaken.”

Part 1, Part 2

[awakenedsalamander]

Want to talk about those feelings on MTA? (I’d like to hear them.)

Oh always and forever.

So to be clear, I’ve come to really like Mage: The Ascension too. It’s a fun, wild game, with so much possibility in it.

But Awakening is my first love, really. It might even be the first RPG I personally looked into after getting in the hobby through D&D, though I’m not sure about that.

To me, the premise of the game is such a big hook. Not just the fact there’s this secret occult world of magic and mystery, but that it’s based around delving into forgotten lore and strange phenomena. I love the feeling of wizards poring over old tomes and investigating unusual places. I also love the way the magic works, this meticulous and symbolic shaping of reality, understanding the deeper meaning of the world but still through your personal lens.

I love the five Paths! Each distinctive and archetypical, from fortune-bending Witches, to dark and enigmatic Necromancers. (My personal favorite are the Obrimos, even though I am probably a Moros upon reflection.) But they’re also endless customizable! Your Mastigos Warlock could be a classic demon-summoning malcontent, a trippy psychic explorer, or a master of sorting and illusions, to just name a few.

And the Exarchs! Fascinating villains, if you ask me. They are tyranny itself, the very incarnations of authority. They’re as evil as that suggests, and yet there is an element of… well, not sympathy, but understanding that comes with that all-too-human desire for control and order.

The Seers in the Throne in general are fascinating, because they’re obviously more sinister than the Technocracy in Ascension, and yet the banality of becoming a tyrant because it’s the winning side is just so immediately understandable, even if it is despicable. Of course some mages would side with tyranny just because tyranny is the dominant force and they want to come out on top.

I also like the horror of the Abyss, this hateful and vicious anti-dimension full of malign universes that whispers to be let in to the real world, so it might bring it to ruin. And it is what brings Paradox in the world, because reaching too far with magic invites impossibility.

Ultimately, I love the idea of this game about modern magicians trying to figure out reality, pursuing mad leads and mystic clues to… something. It’s weirdly relatable, at least to me.

I could go on, it’s easy for me to just blurt out adoration for Awakening. There’s too much to talk about!

So seriously, thanks for asking. I appreciate being able to ramble about it.

[mataglap]

He tries not to cling, but Astarion does, and suddenly it's like before the final battle with the Absolute, when they'd both agreed they would win, but they still kissed like it was going to be the last time.

(more than any words)

[lucislibari]

The boy wanted to be human

The Mage: The Awakening Posting will continue until morale improves! This is an NPC from my game, the unofficial leader of the Guardians of the Veil by the shadow name “A Tale of Six Trillion Years and a Night” the following is two of their masques, The Defeated Boy and Wind Up God! Anyone who can guess the theme gets brownie points

[nw-of-dark]

Mage Path: Acanthus

Enchanters, Witches, Visionaries, Sky-Wise, the Path of Thistle

Mages who follow this path have an affinity for the arcana of Fate and Time, which means they specialize in manipulating these aspects of reality through their magical abilities.

The Acanthi mages have a distinct approach to magic, focusing on the concepts of Choice and Consequence. They believe that their actions and decisions have significant effects on the outcome of events. This philosophy guides their magical practices and shapes their understanding of the world.

However, Acanthi mages are often described by their fellow Awakened (those who possess magical abilities) as flighty, reckless, and irresponsible. This is because their mastery of Fate and Time allows them to navigate around the setbacks and dangers that other Awakened individuals and ordinary people, known as Sleepers, have to face. While this ability can be advantageous, it can hinder their personal growth and development.

Acanthi mages tend to overlook the importance of learning from failure. They rely heavily on their inherent talent for timing and luck, disregarding the valuable lessons that come from experiencing setbacks and overcoming challenges. Their overreliance on their own abilities can lead to impatience and a lack of proper planning. Consequently, this can result in them getting entangled in unnecessary conflicts and problems due to their refusal to consider the future consequences of their actions.

Despite their flaws, the Acanthi mages' openness and adaptability serve them well, given their connection to the Arcana of foresight and fortune. However, their impulsive nature and lack of effective planning can be detrimental to their overall success and well-being.

Characteristics

Upon Awakening, Enchanters experience a profound expansion of their consciousness, becoming aware of the vast possibilities and intricacies within the fabric of destiny and the time stream. This newfound perception may explain why Acanthus mages often struggle to commit or focus on one particular pursuit for an extended period. They glimpse countless opportunities and perceive that anything is possible, believing that forgiveness can be found in time. This flighty and impulsive nature of Acanthus mages is perceived by other Awakened individuals, who view them as unpredictable and carefree.

Enchanters are renowned among other magical Paths for their exceptional divination skills, often serving as oracles and fortune tellers. However, this reputation does little to change the common perception of Acanthus mages as detached and unconcerned with the world around them. In truth, they are known for their mercurial attitudes, making decisions based more on emotions rather than logic or duty.

Enchanters possess a natural curiosity but easily become bored, finding it challenging to commit to anything they find uninteresting or meaningless. Nonetheless, this adaptable nature grants them a unique ability that many other Awakened lack—the capacity to laugh at themselves and derive enjoyment from life.

Among the Awakened, the mages of the Lunargent Thorn, or Acanthae, are considered the most whimsical and capricious. Some see them as free-spirited and refreshing, while others view them as unstable, immature, or even childish. Acanthus mages often exhibit an otherworldly quality, and they themselves do not deny it. Additionally, they appear to age differently from both ordinary humans (Sleepers) and mages from other Paths, as time treats them more gently, causing them to look younger than their actual age.

Maturity and stability are not the strong suits of those who follow the Path of Thistle. While they possess extraordinary insights into past and future events, they may not always fully capitalize on their foresight, which can frustrate their fellow mages. Peers often criticize Acanthus mages for their perceived flakiness or irrationality, but such allegations seem to have little effect on them. Several theories attempt to explain their peculiar behavior, with some suggesting that Enchanters are inundated with the vast branches of the time stream, causing them to perceive that nothing is impossible and no decision is irreversible. In their defense, the Path of Thistle offers far more than a mage can handle until they develop and mature in their magical abilities.

Style

A mage on the Path of Thistle, or Acanthus, often experiences magic in the form of extraordinary good luck. This aspect of their magic can lead them to perceive themselves as exceptionally fortunate, and many Acanthus mages display a tendency towards superstition, even within their magical practices. Their sense of wonder and limitless potential often instills hope in others, as Acanthus mages believe that odds can always be overcome and second chances are ever-present.

While ordinary humans, or Sleepers, perceive time as a linear progression, Acanthus mages see it as a boomerang, capable of reversing its course and returning to its point of origin. Both Time and Fate, the ruling Arcana of the Acanthus, revolve around the concept of constant change and perpetual motion. Time continues to flow, and Fate evolves as probabilities and possibilities shift. These changes can be sudden and drastic or subtle and gradual. Acanthus mages learn to embrace this ever-changing nature, as their magic binds them to the eternal fluctuations of the cosmic pulse (Time) and the unpredictable nature of the cosmic Will (Fate).

For the Acanthus mage, the world is veiled by Mists, obscuring both the past and the future. It is also encircled by Thorns, which supposedly keep each being confined within their predetermined destiny. Acanthus mages possess the ability to remove or sever these Thorns using their Awakened Will, as well as navigate through the Mists until they find their desired vision or outcome.

[owlbear33]

gotta say sometimes the preoccupation the OSR crowd seem to have with the high chance of character Death is sometimes a bit absurd, it's not like there aren't other consequences for failure, and it's not as if (with notable exceptions) fantasy fiction is fond of killing and replacing it's protagonists on the regular

I'm not saying character death should never happen, character death can be great, and it can shape the rest of a campaign (oh sweet echidna), but it shouldn't be random, it's not always narratively fitting, sometimes it's better to awake some days or weeks later, the world a darker and more dangerous place, with depts to someone with goals of their own