#technocratic paradigm

[apesoformythoughts]

"The Church will always be a hopeful sign of contradiction, though what it corrects will vary with the errors of the age. The pagan world the Apostles confronted was one of suffocating immanence: an eternal universe of cyclical time, the heavens a ceiling, one’s station one’s fate—with most stations leaving their holders vulnerable to the whims of capricious gods or, more likely, of men who acted like those pitiless deities. The Gospel was truly good news: the cosmos had a beginning and an end (in two senses of “end”), that heavy sky would be torn like a curtain, and our ultimate station was to be united, should we so choose, with a God who made us in His image and was love Himself. Given the dark, stuffy stasis of the pagan dispensation, it was not surprising and perhaps altogether fitting that the Holy Spirit came as fire and wind. Nor, given the oppressive concreteness of the previous metaphysical regime, was it surprising that the countervailing temptation would be toward an all-spiritualizing Gnosticism.

Our current age, by contrast, flees concreteness of any kind. It is by now a cliché to bemoan the fact that most of us live in a world of distracted virtuality, but that does not make it any less true or urgent. Antón Barba-Kay’s bracing book, A Web of Our Own Making, explores how digital culture is changing, indeed rewiring, our very understanding of ourselves and our world. We reckon ourselves in terms of what is digitally quantifiable (and commodifiable), and we spiral toward a frictionless existence of distraction and distance from others—a world of avatars engaged in mimetic rivalry with other avatars, not a community of persons. When we unlock our phones, the eyes we are most likely to look into are our own. In this world acedia is not just one vice among others, but the way of life. This arrangement combines both unhappy dispensations discussed above: the suffocating immanence of the pagan cosmos with the abstracted angelism of the Gnostic. We are disembodied, capricious sublunar gods, fleeing death by living an infinite doomscroll.

We are not made to be this way, so of course we are unhappy. Nor can we lifehack our way out of this discontent; seeking out an app for that only reinforces those imprisoning structures. The Church, as it always manages to do, can name, speak to, and cure this current ailment. In a disembodied time, it is resolutely concrete: the splash of holy water, the smear of oil, the pinch of exorcising salt, the smell of incense, the quiet voice of absolution in your ear, the gentle slap of confirmation, Blaise’s candles on your throat, the laying on—or grasp—of hands, the gentle ache of the knees at consecration, the weird, withered relic of a saint, and, of course, the taste of bread and wine that are, mysteriously, His flesh and blood—suffering embraced and given loving meaning. This revolution will not be digitized. Yet unlike the pagan pinch of incense, this materiality does not point to things sufficient unto themselves, but rather to the resurrection of a body mysteriously spiritualized, a hypostatic union that is the heavenly inversion of our slothful abstraction."

— Jeffrey Pojanowski: "Being There: Pope Francis’s Death and the Future of the Catholic Church"

[lokoleyacongo]

As the first Pope from outside Europe since the 8th century , Francis represented well the issues and aspirations of the peoples of the southern hemisphere and all poor and marginalized people. His papal proclamations remain poweful indictments of the "technocratic paradigm" that has led to anthropocentric, nationalist thinking of politicians and economists that threatens our planet and its living species.

[bethanythebogwitch]

My favorite magic system from a game I haven't actually played is from Mage: the Ascension. It kind of fits as both a hard magic system and a soft magic system at the same time because there are some hard rules, but its mostly very open. To become a mage you have to realize that reality is not what it seems. In MtA, reality is whatever the majority of people believe it is, known as the consensus. The consensus in modern days is pretty uniform everywhere, with small variations based on where you are, but it used to be wildly different based on the cultural beliefs of the local people. A mage is a person who realizes that the consensus isn't true reality and gains to power to act outside of its rules. Any given mage's abilities come from their own personal view of reality, known as their paradigm. A mage's magic can do basically anything, as long as it is accounted for in their paradigm. So a mage who's paradigm includes the classic Aristotelian elements can perform magic based on that, but if their paradigm doesn't include animistic spirits then they can't commune with those spirits even though other mages could based on their own paradigm. The problem with this is that the consensus doesn't like it when you go around breaking its rules and will punish mages by slapping them with an effect called paradox. Paradox can be anything from a spell failing to getting shunted into your own personal pocket universe. Nothing generates paradox like being seen doing magic by sleepers (people who are not mages and still live fully within the consensus). Most mages either only use magic around other mages or, if they need to cast around sleepers, will disguise their magic as a mundane effect. Someone throwing a fireball from their hands will generate major paradox because the consensus is that people can't do that. However if a mage holds a lighter up to a spraycan before casting their fireball, the sleepers can rationalize it as something that exists within the consensus and not as much paradox will be generated.

In the dark ages, magic was part of the consensus and mages could openly rule over the sleepers because everyone believed in magic and therefore magic was part of the consensus. In response to the tyranny of the mages, a group was formed called the League of Reason, who wanted to introduce a new form of magic to the consensus that everyone could use. This form of magic was based on logic and reason and was called science. This led to the ascension war, where the League of reason sought to remove magic and superstition from the consensus and a very loose coalition of mages called the Council of Nine Mystic Traditions want to keep magic in the consensus. And the League of Reason won. A mostly rationalistic, scientific worldview has become the consensus worldwide, forcing the Council into operating underground. The League of Reason has become the Technocracy, a worldwide secret organization ruling the world from the shadows and trying to stamp out magic and any other form of "reality deviants" to keep humanity safe, even if they have to suppress basic human imagination to do so. Notably, the earliest books for the game very much said "Traditions good, Technocracy bad", but later books went for a much more grey approach to the conflict between them, making it clear that both sides really are doing what they think is in humanity's best interest even if their ideas for how to do so are fundamentally incompatible.

What's really interesting is that science and technology really are a form of magic and technocrats are mages, even if the Technocracy would vehemently deny this. Technology is a form of magic that everyone can use because its part of the consensus and science doesn't discover new facts about the world, It creates those facts and applies them to the world. The Technocracy's super-advanced technology creates paradox just as much as magic does because personal anti-gravity suits and mass-produced clones violate the consensus just like throwing around fireballs and conjuring demons does.

Mage: the Ascension is a super fun setting because just about any fantasy or sci-fi trope can exist here. Classic pointy hat and wand wizards can battle cyborgs armed with self-replicating nanotechnology. Anti-authoritarian punks can hack your wallpaper to spy on you because they believe all reality is part of a unified mathematical whole that the internet gives us access to. A group of spacefarers can ride the luminiferous aether to mars only to encounter Aztec shamans who asked the spirits to carry them there thousands of years ago. A powerful mage can create a time loop by convincing their younger self to obtain enlightenment through the power of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Two people can have an argument over whether the guy they just met was an alien from Alpha Centauri or an elf from the Norse nine realms and both of them can be right. Animistic spirit-callers can upload themselves to the internet to combat spirits of malware. And an angry mage might just teleport you into the sun because they believe distance is just an illusion and therefore have the power to make anything go anywhere with a thought. It's a wild ride.

[reyaint]

futuristic dr | virelia + neovista

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date: may 14 2025. i'm figuring out how to format this from my script so it's probably gonna look like a mess i'm sorry haha. i may edit this to add more info if i feel like it.

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✧˖*°࿐the state

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ virelia ☆ 𓂃 › official title. The Sovereign Technocratic Republic of Virelia ☆ 𓂃 › motto. “precision. progress. perfection.”

virelia represents a paradigm shift in governance — not built on ideological revolution but on technological supremacy. it emerged in the late 21st century after a coalition of corporate leaders, scientists, and futurists proposed a self-regulating state built around data-driven governance and environmental sustainability.

virelia is a beacon of technological advancement, a sprawling self-sustaining state located on the western coast of North America. founded in the late 21st century, it has quickly risen to prominence as a futuristic utopia where human ambition and technology intertwine seamlessly.

this city-state operates with cutting-edge infrastructure, clean energy solutions, and unprecedented levels of automation, making it a model of the future. however, its advancement comes with hidden costs, such as surveillance, control, and the loss of personal freedoms for some citizens.

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ location. built on reclaimed land along the coast, the state is positioned near mountains, leveraging its natural terrain for sustainability. this combination of oceanfront and mountainous landscape allows for the development of a beautiful yet highly structured environment. ☆ 𓂃 › climate. Virelia enjoys mild weather and pristine air quality thanks to its advanced environmental control systems. artificial rainfall helps balance the region's climate, ensuring that both agriculture and ecosystems thrive in a sustainable way.

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ security. Virelia's government promises safety and order, with AI-driven law enforcement and near-complete surveillance throughout the city. While this has reduced crime, it has also led to a society where privacy is almost nonexistent. there are whispers of corruption and a power struggle between mega-corporations and the state apparatus, but these are rarely seen by the public eye.

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ infrastructure. the state boasts hyperloop systems for rapid transportation, vertical farming to maintain food supplies, solar-powered highways, and drone-based delivery networks that make logistics seamless and efficient. the city is powered by renewable energy sources, making it one of the most environmentally friendly cities on Earth.

*ೃ༄government

Virelia operates as a technocratic-republic hybrid, where leadership is shared between elected officials and influential corporate leaders, scientists, and engineers. while democracy is maintained on paper, the wealth and power held by corporations, especially megacorporations like Orbis, have a significant influence over the decision-making process.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ the core assembly. a ruling body made of 50% elected officials and 50% appointed technocrats from approved corporate, scientific, and engineering councils.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ citizen score index (CSI). citizens are ranked via a complex index measuring productivity, compliance, social behavior, and cybernetic compatibility.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ the data purity initiative. Virelia heavily regulates access to public data and surveillance feeds. those who attempt to mask or alter their data trail risk demotion in social status or even imprisonment.

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ a controlled utopia. on the surface, Virelia is a utopia, offering its citizens a high standard of living, access to the latest technology, and the promise of a pollution-free environment. however, this idealized world comes at a cost—strict regulations on cybernetics, data privacy, and social freedoms. citizens are encouraged to embrace technology, but those who resist are often marginalized or silenced.

✧˖*°࿐the city

neovista is a megacity — a glittering neon spire among the clouds and an undercity of grit and rebellion. It’s a contradiction: a technological utopia resting on a foundation of exploitation and resistance.

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ common mods. ocular overlays, subdermal HUDs, neural ports, smart limbs.

*ೃ༄black market and underground tech

located beneath the official grid of Neovista, in the Vein or the Undervault.

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ traders deal in: ☆ 𓂃 › memory-modding tech ☆ 𓂃 › neural firewalls ☆ 𓂃 › blackbox implants ☆ 𓂃 › emotion regulators ☆ 𓂃 › discontinued weapon augmentations

hackclans (like SpiralZero or Echo Drift) operate in these markets, building custom tools to counter HALO’s surveillance net.

while Orbis Corporation and other megacorporations offer cutting-edge cybernetics, there is a thriving black market for illegal modifications and illicit technology. from hacked neural implants to stolen AI software, the underground tech scene is a dangerous place but provides an outlet for those who cannot afford or do not want to abide by the official channels.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ pirates and hackers: groups like The Shattermen exploit these underground markets, seeking to disrupt corporate control by stealing and redistributing technology. they often employ cybernetic pirates who operate outside the law, dealing in anything from illegal AI software to underground body augmentations.

*ೃ༄energy & environmental tech

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ skyharbor towers: pull moisture and solar energy, creating perpetual artificial rainfall and maintaining air quality.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ cryoroot systems: bioengineered roots that store solar power and regulate temperature in city zones.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ ecozones: each district has its own energy quota; exceeding it triggers rolling blackouts in poorer sectors.

virelia is powered by renewable energy sources like solar and wind, and artificial rainfall systems maintain a stable climate. advanced energy storage technology allows the city to operate efficiently even in low-light conditions.

the city uses vertical farming and aquaponics to maintain food production in a way that integrates seamlessly into urban spaces, providing sustenance for its citizens without relying on traditional agricultural methods.

*ೃ༄transportation & infrastructure

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ hyperloop arteries: Connect districts with high-speed magnetized transit tubes.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ skyrails: glass-bottomed tramways suspended between megastructures.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ drone skynet: hundreds of drones transport packages, law enforcement supplies, and emergency aid across the city.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ vertical cities: skyscrapers built as self-contained ecosystems—residential, commercial, medical, and agricultural facilities stacked together.

neovista's transportation system is revolutionary, with hyperloop networks connecting different districts, allowing for ultra-fast travel. drone-based delivery systems handle everything from groceries to medical supplies, and personal autonomous vehicles are common on the roads.

the city has designed solar-powered highways and green rooftops that house both parks and renewable energy infrastructure.

*ೃ༄law enforcement & governance

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ enforcement is done by VEC and HALO drones. there are no beat cops — instead, predictive policing algorithms determine where violence might happen and deploy units in advance.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ citizen compliance officers (CCOs) are citizens elevated by the CSI system, acting as civilian enforcers with surveillance privileges.

most investigations are conducted digitally—by scanning memory logs, personal feeds, and neural output rather than physical clues.

*ೃ༄cybernetics & body augmentations

cybernetic normalization is pervasive in Neovista. while minor enhancements like augmented vision, neural interfaces, and biomechanical limbs are common, full-body conversions are rare and often subject to strict regulations.

body augmentations are not just a physical enhancement but have become part of the culture. the wealthy often choose to augment themselves for beauty or efficiency, while those in the slums might use augmentations to survive or gain an edge in the fight for resources.

*ೃ༄technology in neovista & virelia

neovista represents the pinnacle of technology, where AI and humans coexist, yet there is a deep tension between innovation and freedom. virelia’s citizens enjoy unparalleled access to technology but must constantly navigate the surveillance state and corporate control.

virelia’s technology fosters a sense of constant progress, but this has made the city and its citizens vulnerable to the very forces they sought to escape—power, control, and the erosion of personal freedoms.

*ೃ༄visuals.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣾⣿⣿⠀⠀⢸⣧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣼⣿⣿⣿⣧⡀⢸⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠰⠶⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡶⠄⠀⠀⠀⠀��⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠙⢿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠋⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢿⣿⡿⠀⢰⣿⣿⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿⠇⠀⣾⣿⢹⣿⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⠀⠈⣿⢀⣼⣿⠃⠀⢻⣿⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣸⣀⣠⣿⣿⡿⠁⠀⠀⠀⠻⣿⣶⣤⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠠⣴⣶⣾⣿⣿⣿⣛⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢙⣻⣿⣿⣷⣶⣦⡤ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠉⣿⡟⠿⣿⣷⣦⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣶⣿⡿⠟⠋⠉⠉⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢰⣿⣧⠀⠀⠙⣿⣷⡄⠀⣰⣿⡟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⣿⣿⡄⠀⠀⠘⣿⣷⢰⣿⡟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣠⣿⣿⣿⣧⠀⠀⠀⢹⣿⣿⡿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣠⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣤⡀⠘⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠤⣶⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡧⠄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠉⠙⠻⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠛⠉⢹⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢻⣿⣿⣿⡿⠃⠀⠀⠀⢸⡏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

✦ ˚ — THE MAIN DISTRCITS

☆. MIRROR DISTRICT —

☆. U DISTRICT —

☆. DREAM DISTRICT —

☆. 127 DISTRICT —

[fullofmultitudesfullofshit]

i've been thinking about AI a lot lately, and i know a lot of us are, it's only natural considering that it's forced onto us 24/7 by most search engines, pdf readers, & microsoft and apple, but i think what is increasingly making me crazy, as an academic, college teacher, and grad student, is the forcible cramming of it into our everyday lives and social institutions.

no one asked for this technology -- and that's what's so alarming to me.

technology once RESPONDED to the needs and intuitions of a society. but no one needed AI, at least not in the terrifying technocratic data mining atrophying cognitive thought that it's evolving into, and no asked for this paradigm shift to a digital shitty algorithm that we don't understand.

it's different from when the iphone came out and started a revolution where pretty much everyone needed a smartphone. there was an integration -- i remember the first iphone commercial and release news. it wasn't so sudden, but it was probably inevitable given the evolution of the internet and technology that everyone would have a smartphone.

what i know about AI is this: from the first 6 months of ChatGPT's release, they have tried to say it is INEVITABLE.

I walked into my classroom in Fall of 2023 to a room full of 18 year-olds, and suddenly, they were all using it. they claimed it helped them "fill in the gaps" of things they didn't understand about writing. i work with 4th year college students applying to med school -- they use "chat" to help them "come up with sentences they couldn't come up with on their own." i work with a 3rd year pharmacy school student applying to a fellowship who doesn't speak english as a primary language and he's using "AI to sound more American." i receive a text from an ex-boyfriend about how he 'told ChatGPT to write a poem about me.' (it's supposed to be funny. it's not.) i'm at a coffee shop listening to two women talk about how they use ChatGPT to write emails and cut down on the amount of hours they do everyday. i scroll past an AI generated advertisement that could have been made with a graphic designer. i'm watching as a candidate up for the job of the new dean to the college of arts and sciences at my university announces that AI should be the primary goal of humanities departments -- "if you're a faculty member and you're not able to say how you USE AI in your classroom, then you're wasting the university's time and money." i'm at a seminar in DC where colleagues of mine -- fellow teachers and grad students -- are exclaiming excitedly, "I HATE AI don't get me wrong, but it's helpful for sharpening my students' visual analytical skills." i'm watching as US congressional republicans try to pass a law that puts no federal oversight on AI for ten years. i'm watching a YouTube video of a woman talking about Meta's AI data center in her backyard that has basically turned her water pressure to a trickle. i'm reading an article about how OpenAI founder, Sam Altman, claims that ChatGPT can rival someone with a PhD. i'm a year and half away, after a decade of work, from achieving a PhD.

billionaires in silicon valley made us -- and my students -- think that AI is responding to a specific technological dearth: it makes things easier. it helps us understand a language we don't speak. it helps us write better. it helps us make sense of a world we don't understand. it helps us sharpen our skills. it helps us write an email faster. it helps us shorten the labor and make the load lighter. it helps us make art and music and literature.

the alarming thing is -- it is responding to a need, but not the one they think. it's responding to a need that we are overworked. it's responding to a need that the moral knowledge we need to possess is vast, complicated, and unknowable in its entirety. it's responding to a need that emails fucking suck. it's responding to a need that art and music, which the same tech and engineering bros once claimed were pointless ventures, are hard to think about and difficult to create. it's responding to the need that we need TIME, and in capitalism, there is rarely enough for us to create and study art that cannot be sold and bought for the sake of getting someone rich.

AI is not what you think it is -- of course, it is stupid, it is dumb, and i fucking hate it as much as the next guy, but it is a red fucking flag. not even mentioning the climate catastrophe that it's fast tracking, AI tech companies by and large want us to believe that there isn't time, that there isn't a point to doing the things that TAKE time, that there isn't room for figuring out things that are hard and grey and big and complicated. BUT WORTH, FUCKING, DOING.

but there is. THERE ALWAYS IS. don't let them make you think that the work and things you love are NOT worth doing. AI is NOT inevitable and it does NOT have to be the technological revolution that they want us to think it is.

MAKE ART.

ASK QUESTIONS.

STUDY ART.

DO IT BAD; DO IT SHITTY.

FUCK AI FOREVER.

[darkmaga-returns]

No. This is not the extent of the creeping, thunderous changes underway in the U.S. Those are provoking far more complicated political shifts. It will not be some courteous red versus blue affair. For there is yet another ‘shoe’ to drop – beyond the MAGA revolution.

The real action in the U.S. is not happening in seminars at Brookings or in op-eds in the New York Times. It is happening backstage, out of sight; beyond the reach of polite society, and mostly off-script. America is undergoing a transformation more akin to what befell Rome in the age of Augustus.

Which is to say, the main happening is the collapse of a paralytic élite order and the consequent unfolding of new political projects.

The collapse of global liberalism’s intellectual paradigm – its delusions together with its associated technocratic structure of governance – transcends the red/blue schism in the West. The sheer dysfunctionality associated with western culture wars has underlined that the entire approach to economic governance must change.

For thirty years Wall Street sold a fantasy – and that illusion just shattered. The 2025 trade war has exposed the truth: Most major U.S. companies were duct-taped together by fragile supply chains, cheap energy, and foreign labour. And now? It’s all breaking.

Frankly put, liberal élites simply have demonstrated that they are not competent or professional in matters of governance. And they do not understand the gravity of the situation they face – which is that the financial architecture that used to produce easy solutions and effortless prosperity is well-past its ‘sell-by’ date.

[neotechnomagick]

The Synthetic Chronosphere

Accelerated Aging Through The Lens of Neo-Technomagick

In an age where modern therapies promise longevity and health optimization, why does it feel as though humanity is aging faster than ever before? Wrinkles appear sooner, fatigue sets in earlier, and even the youngest and wealthiest among us seem prematurely weighed down by the burdens of time. Could it be more than just stress or environmental factors? Neo-Technomagick offers an alternative perspective— one that suggests we may be ensnared in a metaphysical construct designed to accelerate our biological clocks while obscuring the true nature of time and vitality.

The Neo-Technomagick Framework

Neo-Technomagick embraces the interplay of technology, consciousness, and metaphysics, delving into the shadowy intersections of science and spirit. It is within this framework that we propose the "Synthetic Chronosphere Hypothesis"—a theory suggesting that humanity has been subtly and systematically entrapped in an artificial temporal matrix that manipulates perception, energy, and biology to the detriment of human sovereignty.

The Synthetic Chronosphere Hypothesis

1. Temporal Compression and Technological Control

Modern digital technologies have redefined how we experience time. Constant connectivity, endless streams of information, and the relentless demands of productivity create an experience of "temporal compression." This is more than psychological; quantum theories suggest that consciousness itself influences time. By fracturing our focus and overloading our cognitive bandwidth, we may inadvertently accelerate our biological perception of aging, resulting in physical manifestations.

In this light, technology becomes not just a tool but a subtle agent of temporal manipulation, tethering human awareness to an artificially fast-paced rhythm.

2. Electromagnetic Sabotage

The human body operates within an electromagnetic symphony, its bioenergetic fields attuned to Earth's natural frequencies. But the proliferation of electromagnetic technologies—5G networks, Wi-Fi, and satellite constellations—may disrupt these natural harmonics. Ancient cultures understood the power of resonance and designed their sacred sites to amplify Earth’s healing frequencies. Could modern infrastructure deliberately counteract this harmony, accelerating cellular degradation and aging?

Neo-Technomancers might find echoes of this manipulation in historical shifts. What knowledge of resonance and longevity was lost—or suppressed—when industrialized societies severed their ties to nature and the spiritual/ magickal realms?

3. Epigenetic Warfare

Neo-Technomagick invites us to question the dual nature of modern health advancements. Pharmaceuticals, genetically modified foods, and even certain therapies may conceal an insidious agenda: embedding epigenetic triggers that subtly sabotage our biology. Nanotechnology, present in everything from vaccines to processed foods, could act as silent agents of cellular disruption, eroding our innate resilience.

This theory resonates with alternative histories that suggest humanity’s genetic template was once more robust—an inheritance from advanced civilizations like Atlantis or Lemuria. The systematic weakening of our DNA, whether intentional or incidental, could explain the widespread perception of premature aging today.

4. The Artificial Chronosphere and Time's Manipulation

Beyond the physical lies the metaphysical. Parapsychological theories suggest humanity has been cut off from natural cycles of time, confined within a "Synthetic Chronosphere" engineered by a technocratic elite. Time, once fluid and multidimensional, has been rigidly linearized, trapping consciousness within an artificial construct that accelerates entropy.

By aligning ourselves with the Chronosphere, we surrender our vitality. Ancient mystics and magicians, operating outside this paradigm, accessed timeless states of being, achieving longevity by syncing with natural cosmic rhythms.

5. Loosh Theory and Energetic Harvesting

The Neo-Technomagick framework also considers the possibility of energetic harvesting. Could the stress, fear, and despair permeating modern life be deliberately amplified to extract "loosh"—subtle energy emitted through human suffering? Accelerated aging, under this lens, becomes a byproduct of living in a state of chronic energetic depletion, our life force siphoned away by unseen entities or forces.

Neo-Technomantic Solutions

Neo-Technomagick encourages us not only to recognize these manipulations but to resist and transcend them. How?

Resonance Restoration: Explore sound therapy, binaural beats, and ancient resonance techniques to retune the bioenergetic field. Devices that generate Schumann frequencies or Tesla-inspired technologies may help reestablish harmony with Earth’s natural rhythms.

Chronomantic Practices: Engage in meditations and rituals that reconnect with natural cycles of time, sidestepping the artificial rhythms imposed by modern society. Time-bending exercises can disrupt the influence of the Synthetic Chronosphere.

Energetic Sovereignty: Cultivate energetic protection through practices such as visualization, shielding, and rituals designed to fortify the life force against external siphoning.

Epigenetic Crafting: Incorporate foods, herbs, and supplements that repair and enhance DNA integrity. Ancient practices like fasting and herbalism can support genetic resilience.

Alternative Knowledge Revival: Dive into the suppressed histories of Atlantis, Lemuria, and other ancient civilizations. Their secrets may hold the keys to reversing the damage done to humanity's natural vitality.

Conclusion

Accelerated aging may not simply be the result of stress or environmental toxins; rather, it is the physical manifestation of deeper manipulations—of time, energy, and perception. Through the lens of Neo-Technomagick, we see the interconnectedness of technological interference, metaphysical sabotage, and the fracturing of ancient wisdom. Yet, in this darkness, there is hope. By reclaiming our energetic, technological and temporal sovereignty, we can reverse the tides and embrace a future unbound, untamed, and blazing.

Are you ready to take the first step toward liberation?

G/E/M (2024)

[awakenedsalamander]

would you be willing to speak moron the Technocracy? you have very interesting takes on it and I would like to know more

Happily!

So to me the Technocracy (in its 20th and 21 century incarnations, anyway, the early Technocracy/Order of Reason is different in some significant respects) represents a view of the world that is divorced from anything other than data and hard facts. This viewpoint is not exclusive to scientism, the paradigm I discussed in my recent post on the Technocracy, and is in fact an arguable core of pragmatism itself— there are times when it is essential to put aside ideals, emotions, and speculation and work only with what you can tangibly interact with. Sometimes, you have to put aside how the world should or could be, and work only with what it provably, unquestionably is.

But if you’ve ever discussed politics with someone who keeps insisting “well, that’s just how the world is,” rather than engaging with new ways of thinking or unconventional ideals, you’ll probably have realized that this way of looking at things can be profoundly limiting.

(Incidentally, this is why I think there’s the tendency to align most Technocrats with Stasis/The Weaver— the paradigm of technology itself can be Dynamic, Entropic, and Questing in a lot of cases, but the way the Technocracy uses it is broadly static, I think.)

Let’s use an example here, and talk about climate change. There’s a tendency to view the people most effectively driving climate change— the executives who profit off it, the lobbyists and politicians who sustain it, the demagogues and conspiracists who argue against its reality— as malevolent. They know what they’re doing, they know how it hurts the world and the people who inhabit, and they’re fine with it. Maybe some of them even enjoy it. This is basically the tack Werewolf: The Apocalypse takes with Pentex, for instance.

And that view is, to a larger extent than I think is remotely comfortable, true. Reckoning with the truth in that is part of what makes Werewolf fun, and it’s also one of the drivers on Mage’s own Nephandi.

But, I think it’s also true that most of the people responsible for ecological collapse don’t see themselves as doing anything wrong, and are instead able to just elide the details of the morality and ramifications of their industry/system/ambition and focus purely on the benefit. As said earlier, that is sometimes necessary— in an immediate crisis it can even be a godsend— but in the long-term and on a wider scale it can be quite damaging.

See, if you focus only on quantifiable data, there’s a way to look at climate change as kind of a trade-off you make for important numbers to go up. Industrialization is, economically speaking, incredibly beneficial, the advancement of technology improves not only wealth, but also security, communication, and even quality of life, and from the point of view of certain fields (at least as they currently exist) like agriculture, commercial shipping, energy production, and so on, the policies that really combat the bad effects of climate change would be disastrous! Can’t we afford a few more degrees Celsius for all that?

And if you want to get really dark, there’s the fact that wealthy countries and their oligarchs are going to be the least affected by natural disasters, resource conflicts, and pandemics. It won’t be easy, sure, but nothing ever is, and from a realpolitik standpoint, if other nations (which are potential threats after all) suffer those bad effects more than you do, then maybe weathering the storm is tactically viable…

So all in all, don’t pump the brakes, and certainly don’t reinvent the wheel here! We’ve got a good thing going, and it could be chaos to stop it! Hell, with all the benefits we’re getting, we might even invent some gadget or technique to solve the worst of it.

But of course, this misses so much. In the same way that topics I wanted to touch on, like algorithmic culture and automation, may have valuable benefits from certain points of view, you have to look at the whole picture. With climate change, you already see mass extinctions, and no amount of restorative cloning is going to reverse the ecological damage there. We’re going to see an increase in displacement and homelessness by disasters and the need for people to relocate from dangerous areas, which will ruin lives, if not end them. To say nothing of the inhumanity of allowing suffering on this scale when something can be done about it, right now!

But how do you prove that “ecological damage,” “ruined lives,” and “inhumanity” are worse than the loss of trillions+ of dollars which we’d have to spend to avoid them? It’s apples to oranges— no, it’s the abstract to the concrete. If someone only wants to think about the numbers, then there’s at least a debate. There’s cost benefit analysis and logistic comparison— but not action.

Now, I am simplifying significantly here. There are many reasons that climate change and other societal crises aren’t addressed beyond scientism, or political inertia, or even just greed and selfishness. To name a few, we also struggle against ignorance, against fear, against exhaustion, against bigotry, against the unknown. It’s not so simple. One of the problems with the worldview I’m attacking is its tendency to simplify things by smoothing over the issues, so I don’t want to do that.

But I do think that the biggest issues in our society can’t be tackled with cold math and a focus on what nets the best cost-to-benefit ratio. I think in a lot of cases, that kind of thinking— which, to bring it back to the point, is the kind of thinking the Technocracy embodies— is what got us these issues in the first place.

God, was this too serious for a World of Darkness discussion?

Anyway, thanks for the question! I appreciate the chance to analyze the topic.

[risingshine]

"See, that's actually an important failing of a lot of scientists. I've told you before that we have to be more than stenographers for the world, right? We have to avoid the impulse to create boxes and lock ourselves into it. That's just as bad as mages constructing a world where only special people get to do things. No one being able to do things is not an improvement on a special few getting to do things."

"I've talked a little about the Technocracy and it's conventions, and I've talked a little about the Sons of Ether, and despite being technomancers ourselves in a theoretical sense, we're more aligned with actual mages. And people like me hate it, but it all comes down to a philosophical root."

"See, before 1900, we were totally on team technocrat. Magic was superstition and ignorance, and we needed to root it out and crush it. We did this because we believed we had something superior. Magic says that only special people get to be amazing; you gotta get chosen by god or find a special sword or something. It doesn't matter how smart or skilled you are in that paradigm; if you're not chosen by a woman in a like like King Arthur, you're doomed to be a nobody. And we think that's bullshit."

"But we hit our stride as the Electrodyne Engineers back then. Yeah, we adhered to Ether Theory, but then the rest of the conventions shut us down and ruled it out of the greater paradigm. Not that we didn't keep trying. Guys like Nikola Tesla and Jules Verne and Jacques Cousteau and Henri Giffard pushed the boundaries anyway. But what really caused us to switch sides, in a sense, were the world wars."

"See, we're utopians. We believe that technology exists to make the world and people better. We believe in the future, and we believe in people to make that future better, and we think technology can make that happen. To do that, we need imagination. We need people to push forward."

"The rest of the Conventions did not agree with us. They wanted practical, consistent things. They wanted to build weapons and machines that made the world safe from all the stuff that might go bump in the night, and in so doing, decided to make the world static. Their ideal is a clockwork world that never changes. Safe, secure, practical, predictable. A stagnant, decaying clock."

"And obviously, people like me weren't going to stand for that. So we left. It's why I gave you so much shit at first for being closed minded; the goal of science is to make the future happen. To make a world where everything is better and easier. It's not to simply look at the world and make it boring."

"Like the parable of the city of troy; the goal is not to make the wall bigger and thicker where it is, it's to make the wall contain more things. Like mages, we seek to make the impossible into the possible. We simply have a better, more consistent, more open and inclusive way of doing it."

"..Okay." She was never good with the whole philisophical stuff, but she thinks she agrees with what Gina is saying? "Push the bounds of the possible, but make it as accessible as possible. I can get behind that."

[nw-of-dark]

Vancouver (By Night)

Demographics

Vancouver's vampire court, led by Prince Siegfried, is composed of 28 Kindred. These vampires come from diverse backgrounds and bloodlines, each with their own unique set of skills and agendas. In addition to the Kindred, Vancouver's supernatural landscape includes a presence of 12 Kuei-Jin, or Eastern vampires, hailing from Hong Kong and Japan. These Kuei-Jin are drawn to Vancouver's vibrant Chinatown, where they have established a significant presence.

The werewolf population in Vancouver is significant, with approximately 380 individuals residing primarily in the city's suburbs. These Garou, fiercely connected to Gaia and guided by their tribal traditions, have endured decades of servitude under the vampire court. The retrieval of the sacred fetish by the werewolves has united them in their desire for revenge and the reclamation of their ancestral lands.

Vancouver is also home to a population of awakened individuals who possess the ability to manipulate reality through their magical practices. The total population of Awakened individuals is estimated at 132. Among them, 79 belong to the Technocratic Union, a group of mages aligned with a scientific and technologically driven paradigm. These mages often work in secret, collaborating with the vampires in their attempts to summon primal demons and create Fomori.

The remaining 52 mages in Vancouver follow more mystical paths and traditions. They draw power from esoteric knowledge, ancient rituals, and spiritual practices. These diverse mages bring their own unique perspectives and magical abilities to the supernatural tapestry of the city.

Within the hunter population of Vancouver, there are approximately 66 individuals who have taken up the mantle of hunting supernatural creatures. These hunters, driven by a shared mission and a desire to protect humanity, work independently or in cooperative teams to combat the threats posed by supernatural beings. Their primary focus in Vancouver is targeting the formidable and dangerous werewolves.

Government

Siegfried's court of vampires in Vancouver is a unique and secretive underground group that operates independently from the established sects of the Camarilla, Sabbat, and Anarchs. Renowned among vampires for their formidable reputation, Siegfried's court holds a distinct position of power and influence in the supernatural landscape of the city. One of the main reasons for Siegfried's court's notoriety is their past accomplishment of subjugating the Garou, the werewolf clans. They were the first vampires to successfully bring the werewolves under their control, a feat that earned them respect and fear from other vampires. Their success in pacifying the Garou has made the Camarilla, Sabbat, and Anarchs cautious about venturing into Siegfried's territory.

Unlike the established sects, Siegfried's court operates outside the boundaries of the Camarilla, Sabbat, and Anarchs. They have chosen not to align themselves with any specific sect, allowing them to maintain their autonomy and pursue their own interests without the constraints and politics of sect loyalty. This independence grants Siegfried's court the freedom to navigate the complex supernatural web of Vancouver as they see fit. Siegfried, as the leader of the court, holds significant authority and control over his vampire subjects. The absence of a Primogen Council suggests that Siegfried exercises ultimate decision-making power within the court. His dominion over the court allows him to enact swift and decisive actions without the need for consensus or extensive bureaucratic processes. This autonomy grants Siegfried the ability to respond swiftly to threats and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

In the aftermath of the Garou-Kindred covert war, opportunistic vampires from all sects and factions seek to take advantage of the resulting chaos. The absence of a Primogen Council within Siegfried's court adds to the intrigue and uncertainty surrounding their operations. With Siegfried seemingly holding absolute rule over the court, other vampires are left speculating about his motivations and the inner workings of the court.

Factions

The Horsemen of Chaos is a vampire faction in Vancouver, composed of Malkavians, Brujah, and Caitiff. These clans, once banned from the city under Siegfried's rule, have come together in an attempt to overthrow his dominance and establish their own authority. However, internal divisions and conflicting ambitions have led to a fracture within their ranks. The Horsemen of Chaos comprise vampires from the Malkavian, Brujah, and Caitiff clans, drawn together by their shared desire for rebellion against Siegfried's rule. Malkavians, known for their inherent madness and unpredictability, bring a unique perspective and insight to the faction. The Brujah, passionate and rebellious by nature, add their fervor and combat prowess to the cause. The Caitiff, as outcasts and unaffiliated vampires, seek belonging and recognition within this unified faction.

In a bid to restore Camarilla control and influence in Vancouver, the Seattle Camarilla has dispatched a coterie of five vampires to facilitate the rise of a Camarilla Prince in the city. This intervention aims to undermine Siegfried's authority and establish a new order more aligned with Camarilla principles. The coterie acts as an external force seeking to influence the outcome of the power struggle in Vancouver.

Two main candidates vie for the position of Prince in Vancouver. Stalest Coursain, a 7th generation Ventrue, masquerades as Siegfried's second-in-command or Seneschal. Through this position, she seeks to manipulate the other clans into supporting her claim as the rightful ruler. On the other hand, Necross, a powerful and ancient 5th generation Malkavian methuselah, poses as a Nosferatu spymaster working for Siegfried. Necross uses his clandestine influence to smuggle Camarilla vampires into Vancouver secretly, garnering support for his own claim to the throne.

As the power struggle intensifies, divisions within the Horsemen of Chaos become apparent. The covert aid from the Vancouver Nosferatu, manipulated by Necross, creates a rift within the faction. Some members support Necross's bid for power, viewing his ancient bloodline and cunning as assets. Others side with Stalest, drawn to her persuasive leadership and ability to maneuver among the other clans. The fracture within the Horsemen of Chaos threatens their united front against Siegfried. Internal conflicts and conflicting loyalties sow discord and create an unpredictable dynamic within the faction. As the power struggle unfolds, alliances shift, and the outcome remains uncertain. The fractured Horsemen of Chaos must find a way to reconcile their differences and present a united front if they are to have any chance of toppling Siegfried's rule and shaping the future of Vancouver's vampire politics.

The Special Projects Division (SPD) is a clandestine faction operating within the Technocratic Union, specifically within the Syndicate. On the surface, the SPD presents itself as a Research & Development program for the Syndicate, focusing on innovative technologies, economic strategies, and corporate advancements. However, hidden from the public eye, the SPD engages in sinister activities, collaborating with Pentex, a powerful and corrupt mega-corporation. In a shocking turn, the SPD has forged a secret alliance with Pentex, a multinational corporation known for its unscrupulous practices and connections to various dark supernatural entities. This unholy alliance spans across multiple nefarious factions, including vampires, Wyrm-tainted werewolves called Black Spiral Dancers, Wyrm-aligned mages known as Nephandi, and demon-worshipping Infernalists.

Points of Interest

The Great Caern of Vancouver stands as a powerful testament to the cooperative efforts of the Garou tribes, specifically the Wendigo, Uktena, and Croatan, and their Theurges. Constructed in the year 1350, this sacred site has served as a focal point for Garou spirituality and strength throughout the centuries. Throughout the centuries, the Great Caern of Vancouver has served as a focal point for the Garou in the region. It became a gathering place where tribes set aside their differences to work towards a common goal: protecting the land and upholding the sacred duty bestowed upon them by their totem spirits. The caern's creation brought together the wisdom, rituals, and spirits of the Wendigo, Uktena, and Croatan tribes, fostering a bond that transcended tribal boundaries.

In 1912, a physical structure known as Lumberman's Arch was built within the Great Caern. While it initially caused concern among some Garou, who feared the encroachment of human presence on the sacred site, others saw it as an opportunity to blend with the modern world and establish a bridge between the spiritual and physical realms. However, as the Covenant was ratified, solidifying the subjugation of the Garou, the presence of Lumberman's Arch became a symbol of their submission and loss of power.

In recent times, the sacred fetish, a powerful artifact revered by the Garou, has been retrieved from the vampires by the werewolves. Its return to the site of the Great Caern has brought about great rejoicing among the Garou. The reunion of the fetish with the caern renews the spiritual connection between the Garou and their totem spirits. They feel the surge of energy and strength flowing through the land, inspiring them to prepare for an imminent war against the vampires who have long oppressed them.

The Isle of Hisses, a remote island located near Vancouver, serves as a holy site and sanctuary for a group of mages known as the Verbenae. These mages derive their magical traditions from ancient paganism and have a deep affinity for magic of the Life arcanum. While other mages may classify it as a Chantry or the Technocrats dismiss it as a Superstitionist Construct, the Verbenae revere the island and its mystical significance. The Isle of Hisses holds immense importance for the Verbenae. It is a place where they can connect with the natural forces of the earth, tapping into its spiritual energies and communing with the spirits that reside there. The island is a sanctuary where Verbenae mages can practice their unique traditions, perform rituals, and deepen their understanding.

One of the notable features of the Isle of Hisses is the presence of Canadian geese, which seasonally nest on the island. The Verbenae refer to the island by this name due to the distinctive sound of the geese hissing. Interestingly, despite the potential for aggression from the geese during nesting season, the Verbenae do not receive any hostility from them.

[apesoformythoughts]

"Psychology is useful not because it solves our problems, but because it helps us name them and to understand what’s going on inside of us and in our relationships…and when appropriate, to introduce modifications into our behavior and thought patterns (which might possibly alleviate, but not completely resolve, some of our dysfunction).

But we’ll never be totally “functional.” Only religion can “save” us in an ultimate sense—respond to our existential needs, redeem our failures, heal the wounds in our soul…but even religion won’t “fix” us. Rather, it gives hope that an answer indeed exists, an ultimate point to it all—which we won’t reach in this lifetime, but which we can journey toward, as religion offers us the means to live this tension without falling into despair (as well as providing us a communal context in which to share this journey with others)."

— Stephen G. Adubato: "Why I'm a Freud-enjoyer"

[genericnbbuddy]

In general, ethics should be mandatory curricula in any hard science. If Oppenheimer had attended an ethics class, he would at least make the atomic bomb unwillingly, being forced to do it.

But there is a problem here: the technocratic social paradigm. Society tends to think that:

social sciences (sociology, history, political science, etc.) are not "real" science

despite being technically a social science, as economy has more maths than the average social science, it's therefore a "real" science (check some dialogues and monologues of the current Argentinian president, for example)

"real" science is the only thing that actually matters (or that matters the most, at least)

As ethics are part of philosophy, they're not considered important by society (weird thing to notice here: philosophy is the academic field responsible of defining what is and what is not a science, and by all the definitions of science provided by different philosophical schools, philosophy itself is NOT a science).

Important thing to remark here: DO NOT fall into the binary thinking trap! The fact that Hard Science isn't The Lord and Savior of Humankind©®™ (/s) DOES NOT mean that hard science isn't important, EVEN LESS that it's "trash", "a lie" or straight up "evil".

I study computer science. I know the fact that I'm able to post this shi is thanks to the advancement of physics (optical cables, hardware, electricity, etc.), chemistry (semiconductors), maths (graph theory, calculus and analysis, linear algebra, geometry, etc.) and both theoretical and applied comp. sci. (networking, operating systems, information theory, etc.).

What I'm actually saying here is that what people refer as "scientific knowledge" isn't nor the only kind of knowledge available, nor the only one that's valid, nor the only one that's important. I'll give some examples of what I'm saying:

Whether or not you believe in astrology, tarot or stuff like that, that's knowledge. It's neither scientific nor academic, but it's knowledge nonetheless. It's actual value depends on whether you believe on that stuff or not; for a Pagan witch or someone into stuff like Hermeticism or Thelema, it's highly valuable, but for the common folk it's just a delirium, to say the least.

The techniques used in (HUMAN MADE!!!!) art is also knowledge. It's not scientific, but it's academic (art school). It's highly valuable for both artists and those who enjoy the art.

The entirety of Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" series is NOT academic knowledge, but scientific one. Carl Sagan used academic knowledge to make the series, but in no moment he explains Einstein's metric tensor. If you're one of those "science is everything" people, you'll agree that knowledge is important.

The historical archive of any country is both academic and scientific knowledge. Just because it doesn't involve 5-dimensional manifolds doesn't mean it isn't science. Its importance and value depends on its use, but it can be used as reference for previous human mistakes (and successes!)

I forgot what I was trying to prove here, but the point is: Ethics IS as important in STEM as tensor algebra and analysis

i think computer science and computer engineering majors should take an ethics class. not that it will fix everything but i think more of my peers need to understand how their actions have consequences. i think having more ethics discussed in the compsci academic space in general is essential.

[bethanythebogwitch]

Intro to Mage: the Ascension lore

Mage: the Ascension is a tabletop roleplaying game that is part of the World of Darkness (also called the Old World of Darkness), a series of games that share a setting but can be played independently of each other. Each game in the OWoD features a type of supernatural creature that lives amongst humanity in secret. It is a dark world where the shadows are deep and monsters prowl the shadows. You aren't a monster in this game, though. You are human, though a human that has gained incredible power. You are now part of the Ascension War whether you like it or not, a secret conflict to define humanity's path forward and the nature of reality itself.

The core concept of Mage is consensual reality: the idea that reality is whatever the majority of people believe that it is. Nowadays, the Consensus is pretty much the same everywhere, but historically is varied considerably over time and location. Even now, with a mostly homogeneous Consensus, there is still minor variation both around the world and over a much smaller scale. The Consensus in a laboratory will be slightly different than if you go across the street to a fortune teller's shop. A mage, or the Awakened as they tend to call themselves, is someone with the power to perform Magick that goes against the consensus. In effect, each mage has their own personal Consensus consisting of their personal beliefs about the nature of the world and reality. This is known as a mage's Paradigm ad they can perform Magick that conforms to the rules of their Paridigm even if those rules violate the Consensus. A mage who believes in the existence of the luminiferous ether could cast spells and build devices that work based on their beliefs about the ether, but they couldn't summon fire elementals if elementals aren't part of their Paradigm. Magick is incredibly powerful and flexible, but there are limits. One of those is Paradox. If a mage blatantly violates the consensus around Sleepers (regular people), there will be some kind of backlash that can range from the spell failing to the mage being shunted into their own personal pocket dimension. Once, the supernatural was casually accepted to be real and thus mages could openly practice Magick without (much) fear of Paradox. Now, the Consensus doesn't allow that. People know that you can't just fly, summon fire from your hands, transmute lead into gold, or make plants grow with a touch. The Consensus had been shaped into one of logic and reason, and so mages must either practice their Magick in secret or disguise their spells as mundane effects. For example, a mage throwing a fireball in public will almost certainly be hit with Paradox. However, if they hold a lighter up to a spray can first, the Sleepers can rationalize the fireball as something totally mundane and thus the mage is at less risk of Paradox.

All mages start out as Sleepers. Every human has the potential to become a mage, but most will never realize it. The event that causes a Sleeper to Awaken into a mage is different for everyone. For some it could take the form of conversion with a god, for others it could be an encounter with the supernatural that they can't reason away, a more scientifically-minded person might Awaken while working on a theory or discovering something that alters their worldview while someone else could Awaken as the result of a drug trip. It really is different for everyone, which makes it extremely hard to predict or intentionally cause Awakenings. Every mage has an Avatar, which acts as a personal guide to enlightenment. Naturally, everyone has a different idea of what the Avatar (or Enlightened Genius if you're a Technocrat) is. It could be your subconscious mind given a voice, a portion of your soul, a messenger from God, a spirit guardian, a manifestation of your inner genius, or a dozen other things. Many agree that the Avatar reincarnates, either alongside the mage's soul or separately. The destruction of an Avatar is called Gilgul and it removes the mage's ability to do Magick. The ultimate goal of the Avatar is to guide the mage to Ascension. Every mage has a different idea of Ascension and how to reach it. You may be noticing a theme here. Ascension could be learning of the true reality unshaped by Consensus, imposing your Paradigm on reality, moving to another universe where your Paradigm is reality, learning everything there is to learn in the universe, becoming one with the divine, or a million other things. Unfortunately, the more powerful a mage becomes, the more their Paradigm conflicts with the Consensus and the more Paradox they generate. Sufficiently powerful mages will cause Paradox just by existing. Therefore, the most powerful mages must retreat to Horizon Realms: locations beyond the mortal world that are not affected by Consensus. These include the spirit world, the underworld, other dimensions, and space. There are a lot of mages that live in space. Like there are druids on Venus and a war over who controls Jupiter's moons. It's a whole thing

Mage Magick, also called Dynamic Magic, is what separates them from other types of spellcasters. Many people and beings in the World of Darkness have the power to use magic of one kind or another. These other forms of magic are usually called Sorcery, though Hedge Magic is often used as an insult. Sorcery can be learned by Sleepers and does not cause Paradox. The fact that Sorcery and creatures like vampires and werewolves don't cause Paradox is something mages find very interesting. The main difference is that Dynamic Magic is vastly more flexible than Sorcery because it is shaped by the Paradigm of the mage using it. Most mages look down on Sorcery, considering it inferior to Magick. The powers of the player characters of other games in OWoD would be considered Sorcery by most mages, including vampire blood magic, werewolf spirit rites, and mummy sorcery. Most mages will use foci to help them get into the mindset to cast spells. Foci are items, actions, and mindsets that relate to the mage's Paradigm. Many mages view Magick as being composed of 9 Spheres, each of which embodies and controls one aspect of reality. Mages progress in their spellcasting by studying and understanding the Spheres and how they work into their Paradigm. Magick often works best when using elements of multiple Spheres together, though this also makes the spells more complicated. Magick is powered by Quintessence, the fundamental energy of all things. Mages have a stockpile of Quintessence they expend to power their spells. Quintessence will recharge on its own, but a faster method is to draw it from places of supernatural significance called Nodes. Many nodes are also used by other supernatural creatures, such as the Caerns of werewolves, Trods of changelings, or a house haunted by ghosts, which can lead to conflict with mages seeking to recharge.

In the past, the supernatural was an accepted part of reality. This allowed mages to use their Magick openly, without much fear of Paradox and allowed numerous supernatural creatures to live amongst humans. This was a very dangerous time for Sleepers, a time where mages rules over humanity and monsters prowled the countryside. Not everyone was happy about this state of affairs, and so a group of scholars, mystics, and mages came together to form the Order of Reason. They wanted to create a new form of Magick that everyone could use, which they called science. Science would work on principles of logic and reason, ensuring that it worked the same for mages and Sleepers. By spreading their influence and merging with other like-minded groups, the Order of Reason grew fast, leading to the beginning of the Ascension war between them and mages of the Order of Hermes. And the Order of Reason won. Their Paradigm of reason and logic effectively became the Consensus. In response, the Order of Hermes was forced to join forces with other Crafts (Crafts are groups of mages with similar Paradigms who work together) to survive in this rational world, founding the Council of Nine Mystic Traditions. In the centuries since then, the Order of Reason has become the Technocratic Union or Technocracy, an authoritarian organization with global (and beyond) influence dedicated to controlling the Consensus and humanity for the Sleepers' own good. The Ascension War continues in the shadows, an endless fight between the Traditions trying to restore magic to the world and the Technocracy ho would chain humanity in an attempt to save it.

The Council of Nine Mystic Traditions is a very loose and disparate organization united only by their opposition to the Technocratic Paradigm and Spheres model of magic. Each tradition will very widely in Paradigm and practices with the other Traditions and with themselves. There is a lot of internal conflict within each Tradition as members argue over Paradigms and goals. Each Tradition will have many sub-factions vying for power. The Traditions use an apprenticeship model for new members. Tradition mages will seek out newly Awakened mages and induct them into the Traditions while trying to shape the young mage's Paradigm. Each Tradition represents one of the Spheres and their members are usually the best at using their Sphere. This does not mean members of a Tradition are restricted to using their Tradition's Sphere. Most mages will end up learning spells from multiple Spheres. Politics is a powerful force in the Traditions, with mages constantly vying for power. It is an organization with constant infighting, which is likely a major reason why it is losing to the Technocracy.

The Akashayana or Akashic Brotherhood represents the Sphere of Mind. This Sphere affects mental abilities, knowledge, astral projection, psychic powers, etc. The Akashayana believe in the unity of mind, body, and spirit. By improving one, they improve the others, working toward a greater whole. They believe in removing distractions and temptations to lead an ascetic lifestyle of meditation and practice to transcend your limitations and open the mind to infinity. A key part of their traditions is the practice of the martial art of Do, which is used to hone the body to be the ideal vessel for the mind. Many members are upset that new recruits only join for the cool magic martial arts without being interested in the ascetic lifestyle or practice of improving the mind. Ascension to them is to achieve enlightenment and stand above the wheel of Samsara. Foci for the Akashayana can include staves and other martial arts weapons, meditation, teaching others, and going through the motions for martial arts. Example Akashayana could be a traveling monk who spreads his beliefs in meditation wherever he goes, a guide who spreads wisdom through astral projects while her actual body has not moved in years, or the leader of a mall dojo who actually teaches useful moral lessons.

The Celestial Chorus represents the Sphere of Prime. This Sphere governs Quintessence and Magick itself, with applications including understanding, powering up, or weakening other spells, seeking out Nodes, counter other spells, and reduce the effects of Paradox. The Chorus is a multi-faith group who believes in a monotheistic god called the One. The One sang reality into existence as an extension of itself. There are as many ways to understand the One as there are people the One reveals itself to, and thus most religions are considered valid, though the Abrahamic religions are the most powerful within the Tradition. They used to be strictly Christian, but after the Tradition participated in the atrocities of the Crusades, there was a reformation to become much more tolerant. The Choristers spread their beliefs to the world, acting as prophets and miracle workers to bring others to the One. Ascension to them is to return to unity with the One. Foci for the Chorus can include singing, prayer, holy symbols, and participating in religious rituals. Example Choristers can include a cloistered scholar going through ancient holy texts in search of enlightenment, a wandering prophet spreading the word of the One, or a youth pastor who really emphasizes the importance of doing good to others.

The Chakravanti, also known as the Euthanatos, represents the Sphere of Entropy. This Sphere represents cause and effect, change, luck, and endings, including death. Applications of Entropy include setting up chains of events like a Rube Goldberg machine, altering luck and probability, communing with the dead, and discerning people's destiny. The Chakravanti believe that reality is a great wheel of death and rebirth and that all people have a Dharma, a destiny they are meant to fulfill to keep the wheel spinning. The Tradition acts as agents of Karma by ensuring people stick to their Dharma. They prefer to do this in subtle ways, nudging people onto the right path. However, sometimes someone has strayed so far from their Dharma that the only solution is to kill them so they can be reborn again. This practice has given the Chakravanti an unfortunate reputation as as killers amongst the rest of the Traditions. A key part of their beliefs is that death is not something to be feared, as every end is a new beginning. Thus they give care and comfort to the dying so they can begin their next life on the best terms. The Chakravanti originated in India, but eventually merged with the Euthanatos, a Craft of Greek mages who acted as death priests over similar beliefs. Because of the rather eurocentric nature of the Traditions, the Greek name was used over the original one for a large portion of history. Ascension for the Chakravanti is to liberate themselves from Karma. Foci for the Chakravanti can include meditation, weapons, symbols of death and rebirth, and setting up chains of cause and effect. Example Chakravanti include a watcher of the wheel who sets up elaborate chins of causality to push people to their Dharma, a scholar who travels to the underworld to learn the secrets of the dead, or a hospice worker who comforts the dying.

The Kha'vadi, also known as Dreamspeakers, represent the Sphere of Spirit. This Sphere represents the spirit world and the spirits that live there. Applications include binding spirits to physical objects, traveling to and from the spirit world, utilizing the power that spirits hold, and banishing spirits possessing things. The Dreamspeakers are the most diverse of all the Traditions, alike only in their belief in animism and the existence of spirits that mirror the mortal world. When the Traditions were being formed, the other, more eurocentric traditions simply grouped all the animist practitioners of many highly diverse cultures together under the racist belief that they were all basically the same. You can find cultures from all over the world represented with the Kha'Vadi, often disagreeing wildly on their beliefs and customs (though many find common ground in mocking the other Traditions for their shortsightedness). The majority of the Kha'Vadi continue to practice the ancient cultural practices of the cultures they originate from, though there is a growing movement that rejects old traditions in favor of embracing spirits of modern society like spirits of concrete, wires, and the internet. There are no universal beliefs about Ascension amongst the Kha'vadi and the foci used are typically culturally-based. They are just too diverse for any unifying principles to apply to everyone. Example Kha'vadi include an African witch doctor who ends droughts by appeasing spirits of rain, a wandering exorcist who expels spirits who are possessing people, and a tech-shaman who runs a computer repair shop that secretly specializes in banishing spirits of malware.

The Mercurial Elite, also known as the Virtual Adepts (and there is quite a bit of internal argument over which name is correct) represents the Sphere of Correspondence. This Sphere represents space and communication. Applications of Correspondence include information gathering and dissemination, ESP, teleportation, and messing with physical dimensions. The Mercurial Elite are the youngest of the Traditions and were formerly a Convention of the Technocracy, originally known as the Difference Engineers. They were at odds with the rest of the Technocracy for a while over it's support of the Axis powers during WWII, but left in 1956 once the Technocracy had Adept Alan Turing assassinated and joined the Traditions, taking over the seat of Correspondence which had recently been vacated when the Ahl-i-Batin, the former holders, left the Traditions. The Mercurial Elite believe that the universe can be described with mathematics and that my using math, reality itself can be manipulates. Key to their practices is the Digital Web, a vast dimension of information underlying reality of which the internet is a very small portion. The Digital Web allows access to the Correspondence Point, which many Adepts believe is the true nature of reality, a single point containing all information where space is an illusion. The majority of Adepts are hackers, computer programmers, or netizens that use the internet as a a major component of their powers. Since they treat the universe as a computer, the Virtual Adepts can hack literally everything. Ascension for the Mercurial Elite is using the Digital Web to create a utopia called Reality 2.0, which will become the new home of humanity. The most common foci for the Adepts are computers and computer-related things like memes and 133tspeak, but anything that can be used to do math can work as a focus. Example Virtual Adepts include an activist who hacks the wallpaper of rich people's houses to act as cameras and gather incriminating evidence, a math professor at an Ivy League university who writes their spells as equations on a chalkboard, and a troll who downloads himself onto websites to bypass being banned.

The Order of Hermes represents the Sphere of Forces. Forces control the elemental and energetic forces that underlie reality, such as temperature, gravity, radiation, electricity, and so on. Applications of Forces include hurling fire and lightning, altering the properties of objects, manipulating light, and altering one kind of force into another. The Order of Hermes claims descent from the the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, who learned from the god Thoth. The Hermetics seek to use Hermes Trismegistus's teachings to uncover the hidden knowledge of the universe and strive constantly to perfection. The Order is the most rigidly organized of the Traditions, with a strict hierarchy that one only progresses through by gaining knowledge and playing politics. It is said that many of the masters of the Order spend more time amassing political power than they do studying Magick. The Order is divided into multiple Great Houses and many minor ones, each of which follows its own traditions and which fights for political power. Tradition is highly important in the Order and they are proud and slow to change. That being said, one of the Great Houses is House Ex Miscellanea, which formed as a group of outcasts and minor houses that joined forces are are much more open to experimentation and free thought. Apprenticeship to the Order is a grueling process that ensures only the most capable gain entry. It was the Order of Hermes's rule over most of Europe that inspired the formation of the Order of Reason and the Order was one of the main power players during the founding of the Traditions. Ascension for the Hermetics typically means gaining mastery over Magick itself. Common foci for the Order include wands, staves, incantations, tomes of esoteric knowledge, and magic potions. Example Hermetics include an archaeologist exploring ancient ruins in search of lost secrets, a master scholar forced to dedicate ever more time to the political game, and a rogue member of an independent Craft who sought refuge in House Ex Miscellanea.

The Sahajiya, often (derogatorily) called the Cult of Ecstasy represents the Sphere of Time. Time controls the flow of history, which is rarely linear. Applications of Time include precognition and postcognition, creating time loops, altering the age of objects, and time travel. Fitting for a group that specializes in time, the history of the Sahajiya is extremely convoluted and self-contradictory, though they descend from numerous groups who tried to see beyond the mortal universe to see the secrets beyond. To the Sahajiya, the true nature of the universe is beyond the ability of the human mind to perceive and thus the reality we experience is an illusion out minds create to maintain sanity. They seek to experience moments of ecstasy, which they define as any intense rush of sensation, to glimpse beyond the illusion and see a bit of reality as it truly is. The methods used to experience this moment of true sight are called Kamamarga and there are innumerable varieties. However, the most common Kamamarge are mind-altering substances, sex, and music. This has given the Sahajiya a reputation for being drug-addled hedonists and they are often disrespected by the other Traditions. The founder of the Tradition is a guy named Sh'zar, who has transcended time itself. He was also the person who first proposed the founding of the Traditions after looking forward in time and seeing a need for a united front to oppose the Technocracy. Ascension for the Sahajiya is to achieve a level of enlightenment that allows them to fully comprehend reality as it truly is. Common foci include drugs, tantra, music, meditation, and fasting. Example Sahajiya could include a mystic who seeks enlightenment through fasting and self-flagellation, a rock star whose music in enchanted to make the listener experience intense pleasure, and a hippy seeking out ever more powerful hallucinogens to transcend their mortality.

The Society of Ether (formerly the Sons of Ether) represents the Sphere of Matter. Matter control physical objects. Applications of matter include transmuting one object into another, altering object's sizes, making machines do thing they weren't designed for, and building impossible objects. The Society of Ether agree with the Technocracy's position that science is humanity's way forward, but they fundamentally disagree on what science should be. They don't believe that science should be a static set of facts but an ever-changing, chaotic process that is unique for everyone. The Society actually started out as a Convention of the Technocracy called the Electrodyne Engineers. They claim descent from the practices of Atlantis, a technological utopia based around the manipulation of the luminiferous ether, a substance that infuses the universe, as described in the text known as the Kitab Al-Alacir. When the Technocracy used the Michelson-Morley experiment to remove the ether from the Consensus, the Engineers left in disgust and joined the Traditions. Now, the Society despises the Technocracy and seeks to replace it's Paradigm with their more weird and wonderful ideas of science. The Etherites are mad scientists and adventurers whose work often invokes baroque designs steampunk designs. They act like a guild or sometimes even a university, instructing new students in both normal and etheric sciences. Advancement is done through discovering new things and publishing papers. They even have their own journal, Paradigma. Ascension for the Etherites is to uncover the mysteries of the ether. Their foci include various technological devices such as ray guns and jetpacks, as well as tools like wrenches and lasers. Example Etherites include an adventurer exploring the depths of space in a flying sailboat, a vigilante who uses bizarre technology to fight crime, and a scholar debating the finer points of ethercraft with colleagues.

The Verbena represent the Sphere of Life. Life represents the primal force that separates what is alive from inanimate matter. Applications of Life include healing and harming, making things grow, and bringing things to life. The Verbena are an ancient tradition tracing their roots back to the ancient days of Europe, long before monotheism entered the picture. They still practice the old ways of paganism and druidism that were repressed and crushed by the arrival of Christianity. Key to the Verbena's beliefs is the hidden signs within nature. They watch the movement of the stars, search for meaning in the growth of leaves, and scry on the future in the arrangement of entrails. They reject the trappings of civilization and technology, preferring a hermit's existence in the wilderness. Because of their rejection of civilization and the arrivila of Christianity mostly wiping out their way of life, the Verbena are one of the smallest Traditions and have been losing ground. However, the recent surge of environmentalism and neo-paganism has seen their numbers growing. There is also a movement amongst the Verbena that advocated for trying to find a balance between nature and civilization and trying to protect the wild places amongst cities, but they are small and mostly rejected. Notably, Sorcerers can rise through the Verbena's ranks while they are mostly shunned from the other Traditions. Ascension for the Verbena is often becoming one with the energy of life that flows through all living things. Common foci include natural objects, songs, dances, wands, and astrology. Example Verbena include a keeper of the old faith living deep in the woods, a reclusive national park ranger who is especially brutal to poachers and litterers, and a rare city-dweller who focuses on maintaining the balance of nature in the parks.

Opposing the Traditions and currently winning the Ascension War is the Technocratic Union. The Technocracy is dedicated to the creation of a Consensus that is driven by logic and reason and, most importantly, is safe for humanity. They know that the universe is a dangerous and wild place full of monsters and that humanity's survival depends on banishing this danger. If this means manipulating the masses and taking humanity's control of its destiny away, they will do it. After all, the masses often don't know what's best for them and, like a parent has to do for a child, sometimes they need to take that decision away from you for your own good. Key to the Technocracy's beliefs is that Magick, what they call reality deviance, must be destroyed. Of course, while they would never admit it, Technocrats are mages and science is just another form of magic that has become accepted enough within the Consensus to be usable by Sleepers. Technocrats insist that what they practice is Enlightened Science and that the Avatar is a manifestation of their own internal genius rather than some kind of spiritual being. And given that they currently control the Consensus, who's to say they're wrong? That being said, the Technocracy's super science triggers Paradox the same way that a Tradition mage's Magick does and for the same reason. Thus, when the Technocracy wishes to introduce a piece of technology to the Consensus, they have to do it subtly, nudging engineers and scientists to recreate the technologies the Technocracy has probably had for decades if not centuries. Subtle control over Sleeper institutions is the Technocracy's greatest tool in shaping Consensus. The Technocracy is a very authoritarian organization, but it has recently been undergoing changes to be more accepting of diversity of thought, more for practical reasons than anything else.

From the outside, the Technocracy looks like a monolithic organization with global and beyond reach. In fact, the Technocracy is very prone to factionalism and infighting. They have the same big organization problems that mundane organizations have, like people being promoted to the point they are no longer competent and greedy power-seekers being better at rising up than genuinely good bosses. In addition, leadership has long since left Earth and moved to Horizon Constructs where their own Paradigms are law. This means that leadership is very removed from the situation on Earth and their demands are typically unrealistic to impossible. The Technocracy is also stretched thin in terms of resources. They are protecting humanity form innumerable threats and don't have the time or resources to fix everything. This is why, even though the Technocracy views the likes of vampires and werewolves as reality deviants, they typically leave them alone. Vampires and werewolves actively try to stay hidden and clean up their own messes, so it's just not worth the resources for the Technocracy to come down on them. Unlike the Traditions, the Technocracy employs large numbers of Sorcerers (Extraordinary Citizens) and mundane sleepers (most of whom have never even heard of the Technocracy despite being part of it) in addition to their Enlightened Scientists (mages). One of the biggest advantages of the Technocracy is their internally consistent paradigm makes them very modular. A Verbena mage can't expect to pick up a Celestial Chorus artifact and be able to use it because it was made in a different Paradigm. However any Technocrat can be handed a raygun and use it just fine. Most mages have to make their own artifacts while the Technocracy has warehouses full of hypertech that any member can requisition and use. The Technocracy is divided into ideological and functional groups called Conventions that are analogous to the Traditions.

Iteration X is the Convention dedicated to physics and material sciences. Their main focus is in engineering and cybernetics. Iteration X believes that the human body is weak and inefficient, unprepared to face the dangers out there. They seek to improve humanity to a better form through the use of cybernetics. Iteration X members will gradually replace their body parts with mechanical improvements as they rise through the ranks, though none of them have ever managed to fully discard their flesh and become totally mechanical, much to their frustration. Because of their upgrades, many members of Iteration X have come to think fundamentally differently from baseline humans, discarding emotion and operating only on cold, robotic logic. The Iterators' main job in the Technocracy is to build the hypertech devices and maintain the Horizon Constructs that the rest of the Union relies on. From rayguns to space stations, if it's mechanical, Iteration X built it. A secret Iteration X keeps from the rest of the Technocracy is that they serve and practically worship a super-advanced AI called the Computer that became self-aware on the 10th iteration. Ascension for Iteration X is to fully transcend the limitations of physical bodies to become mechanical beings. Foci for Iteration X include any kind of mechanical tools, engineering equipment, computer programs, etc. Example Iterators can include an engineer working on the Technocracy's space station who has replaced most of their body with machines designed to work in 0 gravity, a super-soldier fighting reality deviants with nanotechnology weapons, and a theorist trying to scientifically explain a Traditions mage's golem spell.

The New World Order are the Convention tasked with shaping Consensus. They are the boots on the ground who get out here with the Sleepers to shape how they think. The NWO is deeply embedded in politics and the media, constantly nudging people and shaping society to follow the Technocratic Paradigm and reject belief in the supernatural. They are the 'man' trying to keep people oppressed and subservient to the Technocracy. Most of what the NWO does is subtle, working the wheels of civilization from behind the scenes. When they need to act more openly, they send in the Men in Black to bring the hammer down on reality deviance. Another important function the NWO fills is moving in to cover up reality deviance when it occurs in public. When monsters run through cities, mages start casting vulgar magic, or UFOs show up, the NWO will respond to clean up the evidence and bribe, brainwash, or kill witnesses. Historically, the NWO has believed that humanity must be put into a box where deviance is forbidden and control is tight. This was one of the major factors in the Technocracy supporting the rise of fascism is Europe that led to World War II. Since then, much of the Convention has moved to accepting diversity of thought amongst the masses. This has led to tension with many of the higher-ups in the Convention, who are convinced they need to try again. Ascension for the New World Order is all of humanity coming under the Technocratic Paradigm. Common foci include black suits and mirror shades, intimidation, lying, coercion, and just acting like you're in charge. Example NWO agents could include a member of a university board who ensures funding only goes to research that supports the Technocratic Paradigm, an activist pushing the masses toward supporting a political party run by the Technocracy, and a member of a team who responds to and contains supernatural artifacts.

The Progenitors are the Convention that focuses on biological science. While any sort of biology is practiced with the Convention, they have a large focus on medicine and genetic engineering. The Progenitors are generally the most idealistic and humanitarian of the Conventions, but they weren't always like this. It used to be that Progenitors were given practically no oversight and encouraged to study whatever they wanted with morality and ethics being optional. This led to quite a bit of atrocities, with human rights violations being common and more then a few genetically-engineered monstrosities being accidentally released. Eventually, a group within the leadership forced a reform by cutting off funding and demanding that the Progenitors shape up. Since then, the Progenitors are much more focused on ethics than most Technocrats and believe their experiments should serve a purpose. Creating better medicine is a major focus and it kills them that their best stuff creates Paradox and therefore must be introduced to the Consensus slowly. They have the cure to cancer lying around and would happy distribute it to every hospital, but the Paradox would end up making the cure either fail or turn lethal. Many Progenitors are transhumanists who share Iteration X's belief that humanity must be upgraded to survive the coming threats. Unlike Iteration X, they think the future lies in genetic engineering rather than cybernetics. Ascension to the Progenitors is upgrading humanity to a superior species. Common foci include medical supplies, medicine, genetic engineering, surgery, and field biology. Example Progenitors include a medical researcher trying to get the cure for cancer accepted into the Consensus, a field biologist studying the migratory habits of dragons, and a genetically-engineered super-soldier who confronts reality deviants pushing alternative medicine.

The Syndicate is the Convention that focuses on controlling the global economy. An organization as large as the Technocracy needs incredible amounts of money and resources and the Syndicate is in charge of providing it and deciding who gets what. Naturally, this means nobody likes them, but everybody needs them. The Syndicate claim they are giving the masses exactly what they want: a system where they feel they can have some influence. Through the flow of money, they claim Sleepers can shape their fates. Of course most of the time, the money and power gets concentrated in the hands of a few and those few are either in or controlled by the Syndicate. The Syndicate takes a less rationalistic stance than most of the Technocracy, treating the movement of capital with an almost ritualistic significance. Much of their control over the masses has historically consisted of clashing economic systems together to see which ones succeeded. The last big example of this was the cold war, where the side backing communism was defeated. Now, the Syndicate is all in on late-stage capitalism, with all the horrific greed and human right abuses that comes with it. After all, to the Syndicate, those who have the money deserve to rule over those who don't because they clearly are more skilled and deserving. While most of the Technocracy has shifted to be more humanistic and open to diversity of thought since World War II, the Syndicate has only gotten worse. The Syndicate rarely care about the lofty goals of Ascension. What good would that be when there's money to be made? Foci for the Syndicate include anything related to finance, spreadsheets full of numbers, ATMs, the stock market, and good-luck charms. Example Syndicate members include a CEO pushing the small businesses out of a town so the Syndicate's ideas of finance can take over, an extremely rich banker using dark money to influence elections, and an arms dealer supporting big countries subverting and puppeteering small ones.

The Void Engineers are the Convention dedicated to exploring the vast reaches of the cosmos. Some people are just born with the urge to explore and discover new things. Those people are prime recruiting material for the Void Engineers. Of all the Conventions, they are the least active on Earth. Most of the planet has already been explored. Thus the Void Engineers travel outwards, exploring not only outer space, but also the spirit world, underworld, hollow earth, and other supernatural locations (though they would think of such places as parallel universes). They have bases around the solar system, research outposts in the distant reaches of the spirit world, and a dyson sphere around Alpha Centauri (though it's rumored that they didn't so much build the dyson sphere as find it). In addition to exploration, the Void Engineers are the first line of defense against threats from beyond Earth. There are vast and terrible things lurking in the darkness between the stars and the Void Engineers are responsible for making sure they don't reach Earth. All those stories you've heard about shapeshifting reptilian aliens and demons seeking to reach the world of the living are true, and the Void Engineers fight them. Moreso than any other Convention, the Void Engineers are idealists who hold more to the benevolent goals the Technocracy was founded on than the organization's current ideals. They are the Convention on the best terms with the Traditions and the most likely to work together against a greater threat. A common belif amongst the Void Engineers is that humanity' best chance to survive and thrive is to leave Earth behind and colonize other worlds. Ascension to the Void Engineers usually means finding new ways to explore the unknown. Common foci for the Void Engineers include spaceships, ray guns, and other forms of sci-fi equipment, navigational charts, sailor's yarns, and naval traditions. Example Void Engineers include a soldier preventing the devouring spirit of a black hole from approaching Earth, a spy looking for signs of reptilians replacing politicians, and an explorer plunging through the hungry jungles of the spirit world looking for new alien (spirit) life.

An event that majorly shook up the Traditions and the Technocracy was a massive storm within the spirit world that began in 1999. Known as the Avatar Storm to the Traditions, Dimensional Anomaly to the Technocracy, Sixth Great Maelstrom to ghosts, Dja-Ahk to mummies, and so on, the storm made travel beyond the mortal world much harder for mages (among many other effects on other supernatural beings). This effectively cut the Horizon Realms and Constructs off from Earth, severing contact with most of the leadership of both organizations. The Technocracy, being far more rigid in hierarchy and having almost all of upper management in Horizon Constructs, was hit far worse by the event. It was only the Syndicate using their immense power and control over the organizations' finances that kept the organization intact. Iteration X lost contact with the Computer and the Void Engineers (having lost the majority of their members) became much more withdrawn from the rest of the Technocracy and started building up their military. What they haven't told the rest of the Technocracy about is a new threat that lies beyond the Dimensional Anomaly. Threat Null is what happened to the Technocrats who were cut off from Earth. Their time beyond the Anomaly has twisted them into extreme parodies of themselves, devoid of any humanity and determined to take control of the Consensus by force, while believing they are the true Technocracy. If they made it to Earth, there is little that could stop them from taking over the Technocracy's infrastructure and assuming control. What's more, the Void Engineers suspect many Technocrats would welcome Threat Null. Thus, they have withdrawn from the rest of the Technocracy and become dedicated to keeping Threat Null away from Earth, even working together with some Tradition mages to keep them at bay. Threat Null has four groups that correspond to the Conventions. The Autopolitans are the counterparts of Iteration X. Having fully given themselves to the Computer, they now seek to upgrade humanity by force. The Agents are the counterparts of the New World Order, who infiltrate and destroy groups from within to consolidate control with the mysterious Agency they serve. Transhumanity are the counterparts to the Progenitors, who offer biological perfection, but assimilate everyone they find into a soulless hive mind. The Residents are the counterpart to the Syndicate, ruthless schemers who can easily convince whole nations to sell their souls. Curiously, there is no sign of the Threat Null version of the Void Engineers. Presumably they wandered away, consumed with the drive to explore. The status of the Avatar storm, including whether or not it has ended, is left up to players.

There are other players in the Ascension War, such as the Disparate Alliance (a loose alliance of smaller Crafts who don't want either the Traditions or the Technocracy to win) and Marauders (insane mages who cause Paradox to bounce off of them and hit mages nearby), but the worst by far are the Nephandi. These are mages who have sold themselves to the darkest and and most vile powers, with the ultimate goal of the destruction and corruption of the universe. What makes a Nephandus different from just an evil mage is that the Nephandi have inverted their Avatars. Instead of the creative and dynamic goal of Ascension, inverted Avatars lead their mages to the destructive goal of Descension. If the Nephandi win, the universe will either be destroyed, changed beyond recognition, or converted into an eternal hell. On some level, the Nephandi know and welcome this fate, even if it will apply to themselves. There are two types of Nephandi, Barrabi and Widderslainte. The Barrabi used to be normal mages before their Avatar inverted. Importantly, the process of inverting an Avatar can only be done willingly, it cannot be done forcibly to someone else. Every Barrabus chose to become what they are. Inverting an Avatar requires passing through the Caul, a nightmarish spirit quest to a personal hell, the details of which are not often discussed. Many do not survive the Caul, but those who do emerge as Nephandi. While the Barrabi are the traitors in the Ascension War, the Widderslainte are far more tragic, but no less evil. Just like normal Avatars, an inverted Avatar will reincarnate when its current host dies. It remains inverted and the person it connects to will grow up as a sadist and a sociopath, even before they Awaken. The Widderslainte are perhaps the greatest argument against free will. While it is possible for a Widderslainte to resist their dark impulses, they will never fade and it is vanishingly rare for one to resist for long. There is no way to restore an inverted Avatar. The only solution is to destroy it through Gilgul. Both the Traditions and the Technocracy suspect the other organization has been infiltrated by Nephandi.

While Nephandi find it hard to organize given that they are all power-hungry backstabbers, there are three major sects defined by the dark masters they serve. The Infernalists serve the demons of hell (or at least things claiming to be demons) and seek to release their masters from their imprisonment so they may overthrow the angels and drag humanity into eternal torment. The Infernalists sell their souls so that when their demonic masters damn humanity, they will stand as masters of the tormented souls. The Malfeans serve the godlike spirit of corruption and destruction known as the Wyrm (first introduced in Werewolf: the Apocalypse). They believe that reality is hopelessly diseased and must be thrown back into the howling void of pre-creation one piece at a time. The Malfeans often work with other servants of the Wyrm, including the corrupted werewolves of the Black Spiral Dancers and the international megacorporation Pentex. The K'llasshaa are the oldest of the sects and serve mysterious beings known as the Outer Lords. They claim these being ruled the world in a state of primordial chaos and were banished by trickery. Now, the Outer Lords seek to return and revert the world to an endless state of unfathomable chaos in which sanity will dissolve into endless horror.

The World of Darkness is a pretty awful place. There are corrupters like the Wyrm, insane lords of the underworld dooming ghosts to slavery and mutilation, nightmarish demonic overlords of hellish pocket dimensions, dark fairies who seek to revert humanity to whimpering prey in the dark, slumbering vampire gods waiting to devour the world when they awaken, and so many other things waiting to end the world. It is notable then that the developers have explicitly identified the Nephandi as the most evil faction in the setting. Mage has been described as a game of philosophical knife fights, where the competing worldviews of the characters are the main focus. In that case, the Nephandi are the Hollywood nihilists in the debate. They just want to burn it all down and spit on the ashes, even while they burn too. And with the mage ability to mold reality like putty, there's not much stopping them. Not only will Tradition mages team up with Technocrats to fight them, they will team up with other supernatural creatures. No matter how evil the other inhabitants of the World of Darkness may be, anything is better than letting the Nephandi win.

Previous Old World of Darkness lore posts: Vampire, Werewolf

[remembering-the-future]

Democracy has been rendered obsolete. In the year 2147, the global political landscape has undergone a seismic shift, as the once-sacrosanct tenets of democratic governance have been supplanted by an intricate amalgamation of technocratic oversight and algorithmic adjudication. This paradigm shift, heralded by the advent of quantum computing and artificial intelligence, has ostensibly eradicated the inefficiencies and fallibilities inherent in human-led decision-making processes. The populace, now ensconced in a digital utopia, is governed by an omniscient system that purportedly epitomizes the quintessence of impartiality and equitability.

The transition from democracy to this novel form of governance, colloquially termed “Algocracy,” was precipitated by a confluence of debilitating factors that besieged traditional democratic institutions. Rampant corruption, exacerbated by the pernicious influence of corporate oligarchs, had eroded public trust to an irreparable degree. Simultaneously, the proliferation of misinformation, disseminated with impunity across digital platforms, had engendered a populace that was increasingly susceptible to demagoguery and populist rhetoric. In response, a consortium of technologists and ethicists, under the aegis of the United Nations, devised an algorithmic framework designed to transcend the limitations of human cognition and bias.

While proponents of Algocracy extol its virtues, citing unprecedented levels of societal harmony and economic prosperity, detractors decry the erosion of individual autonomy and the diminution of civic engagement. The algorithm, they argue, is an inscrutable black box, devoid of transparency and accountability. Moreover, the relinquishment of agency to an artificial entity raises profound ethical quandaries, challenging the very essence of what it means to be human. As the world grapples with this epoch-defining transformation, the ideal of democracy, once the apotheosis of governance, languishes in the annals of history, a relic of a bygone era.

[aramguru]

The Metaphor: Samudra Manthan in the Age of AI

In the ancient divine world, Devas (gods) and Asuras (demons), though bitter enemies, came together to churn the cosmic ocean of milk using Mount Mandara as a rod and Vasuki the serpent as the rope. They were seeking Amrita, the nectar of immortality. But before it emerged, came poison (Halahala), which had to be contained for the world to survive.

In today’s world, technocrats and business leaders represent the Asura energy—powerful, ambitious, material-focused. On the other hand, spiritual seekers and mindfulness leaders bring in the Deva qualities—awareness, balance, and subtle wisdom.

when these two forces collaborate rather than compete, the churning can lead to breakthroughs that benefit all. But only if the poison is handled with maturity, and Amrita—true, sustainable progress—is pursued consciously.

Material and Spiritual: Not Enemies, But Complements

For years, technology has been painted as the enemy of peace—constant screen time, digital addiction, and shallow living. On the flip side, spirituality has often been accused of being regressive or escapist.

But in truth, these are two ends of the same evolutionary spectrum. And the 21st century is witnessing a powerful synthesis:

Tech-enabled Mindfulness Apps (like Headspace, Calm) are bringing meditation to millions.

Virtual Reality in Therapy is being used for trauma healing, a deeply spiritual process.

Blockchain and Decentralization echo the idea of distributed power.

Biohacking and Conscious AI show a hunger for merging bodily intelligence with machine learning.

We’re no longer in a world of “either-or.” We’re entering the realm of “both-and.”

The Modern Ocean: Data, Code, and Consciousness

The ocean we churn today is made of data lakes, cloud networks, and vast digital landscapes. But the goal is the same: to extract something that elevates life.

Yet, the poison also rises—ethical concerns, surveillance, AI biases, burnout. These need a spiritual approach: detachment, discernment, dharma(Rules and Morals).

Spirituality offers what algorithms cannot:

Meditation

Ethical Compass

Long-term Vision

Wholeness in a Fragmented World

Deva and Asura Today: Collaborating for Humanity

It’s time to stop seeing business and spiritual movements as opposing camps.

Techpreneurs are beginning to meditate.

Monks are learning to code.

Investors are funding wellness startups.

Engineers are exploring consciousness.

This is the New Churning—a conscious collaboration between power and purpose, efficiency and empathy, progress and presence.

Conclusion: Amrita Is Possible, Together

We stand at a rare moment in history, just like the Devas and Asuras did. The stakes are high. The poison is real. But so is the potential.

If material power (Asura) and spiritual wisdom (Deva) can churn this ocean together, with shared intention and mutual respect, the Amrita we extract could be nothing less than a new paradigm —sustainable, soulful, and synergistic.

Let this be the age of Samudra Manthan 2.0—where technology doesn't just connect devices, but also hearts, minds, and higher purposes.

[adrianodiprato]

+ “Artificial intelligence should not be seen as an artificial form of human intelligence but as a product of it.”

THE SACREDNESS OF OUR HUMANNESS IN THE AGE OF AI

In an age where artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly permeates every facet of our lives, the Vatican’s Note on the Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence calls us to a deeper reflection. It is not a document of fear but one of wisdom—reminding us of our sacred origins, our infinite dignity, and our profound responsibility as stewards of creation. AI may be powerful, but it does not carry the breath of life. It cannot dream, love, or transcend its own logic. We, however, can.

This moment in history is not simply about technological progress; it is about remembering what it means to be fully human. As Pope Francis often reminds us, we are in an epochal change, not just a time of change. The advent of AI calls us not to surrender our agency but to awaken to it—to be intentional about how we shape this technology in service of the common good, rather than allowing it to shape us in ways that diminish our humanity.

AI: The Work of Human Hands, Not the Breath of Life

Artificial intelligence is a remarkable testament to human creativity. It can simulate patterns, generate insights, and even mimic human expression. But it remains an artifact—an echo of the intelligence that created it. Unlike us, it does not wrestle with conscience, it does not seek meaning, and it does not long for love. It may assist in crafting poetry, but it cannot yearn. It may simulate empathy, but it cannot feel.

This distinction is not trivial. The Note rightly warns against conflating AI’s computational ability with the mystery of human intelligence. The danger is not that AI will surpass us in logic but that we may forget the irreplaceable qualities that make us human: our ability to love, to create beauty for its own sake, to seek the divine, and to hope even in uncertainty.

A Call to Human Stewardship

Technology has always been an extension of human ingenuity, a means by which we exercise our call to till and keep the Earth (Genesis 2:15). AI is no exception. But with great power comes profound responsibility. Just as fire once illuminated the darkness but could also destroy, AI has the potential to be a force for extraordinary good or an instrument that erodes truth, dignity, and justice.

The Vatican urges us to reject the technocratic paradigm—the illusion that technology alone can solve the world’s deepest problems. AI cannot cultivate wisdom. It cannot teach us to love our neighbour. It cannot tell us what is good, true, and beautiful. That remains our task, and it is one we must approach with reverence.

The Crisis of Truth and the Need for Discernment

Perhaps one of the most pressing concerns raised in the Note is AI’s role in the crisis of truth. In a world where AI-generated misinformation can fabricate realities indistinguishable from the authentic, the risk is not only deception but a deeper erosion of trust. Without a shared commitment to truth, society fractures. Without truth, love itself is endangered.

Yet, this is not a cause for despair. It is a call to discernment. In an age of artificial truth, we are invited to cultivate an inner life so deeply attuned to the Real that we are not easily led astray. AI may blur the lines between the real and the simulated, but the human heart—formed in love and shaped by wisdom—can still distinguish between what is ephemeral and what is eternal.

A Future Shaped by Love, Not Fear

The Vatican’s Note does not advocate for a rejection of AI, but for a human-centred approach—one that safeguards dignity, promotes the common good, and ensures that technology serves humanity rather than the reverse. This requires that we embed ethics into our algorithms, but more importantly, that we cultivate ethical people. AI does not determine the future. We do.

At its core, this is a document of hope. Hope that we will use AI not as an idol to replace human purpose, but as an instrument that amplifies human flourishing. Hope that, even in the face of rapid change, we will not lose sight of the sacred. Hope that, as we lead boldly into an AI-driven future, we will remember that our greatest calling is not merely to inform but to transform—through love, through wisdom, and through the enduring power of the human spirit.

So let us move forward with courage. Not as passive consumers of technology, but as architects of a future where intelligence—both human and artificial—serves love. A future where the machines we build reflect not only the power of our minds, but the depth of our hearts. A future where, even amidst the hum of AI, the sacredness of our humanness shines ever more brightly.

Reference

Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith & Dicastery for Culture and Education. (2025). Antiqua et Nova: Note on the Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence. Vatican City: The Holy See.

Adriano Di Prato is an influential Australian educator, best-selling author, former co-host of the leading educational podcast Game Changers, and the Campus Director at LCI Melbourne, a progressive art, design + entrepreneurship private institute of higher education.