chorus

   The Celestial Chorus remains haunted by its past. Although it has been a long history of guiding and protecting the Sleepers, it is all too often remembered for its involvement in the Inquisition. Unfortunately, a few extreme members of the Celestial Chorus used the Inquisition to ferret out and punish mages who were guilty of having beliefs or philosophies that these zealots believed incorrect.
     Other Traditions like to forget that the Sleepers were ultimately responsible for the atrocities of the Inquisition and place the blame on the Celestial Chorus. While the Chorus -- like all Traditions -- has always contained its contingent of zealots, the majority of its members are more concerned with the hand of mercy than with the fist of discipline. The Chorus' detractors all too easily ignore the good that the Chorus has done.
     More than any other Tradition, the Celestial Chorus is concerned with the well-being of the Sleepers: the goal of the chorus is to help usher all toward Ascension. While many mages live cloistered lives of song-filled meditation, many others serve the Sleepers in a variety of manners. Some do so through vigilance against the many evils in the Tapestry -- the Kindred, the Nephandi, the Technocracy, and even some Sleepers. Others serve the Sleepers by tending to those in need: ministering to innocent victims in war zones, helping the homeless, junkies and other lost souls of urban blight, or merely traveling from place to place assisting sleepers as they can.
     Mages tend to make enemies easily, but few Traditions other than the Celestial Chorus garner enemies by merely helping people. Certainly, members of the Chorus who feel called to battle against the myriad evils of the universe are likely to establish a roster of enemies. However, even those who minister helpess Sleepers are likely to attract undue attention. While injudicious use of magick attracts the Technocracy, of course, the well-intentioned activities of some Chorus members also attracts the attention of Sleepers who profit from the suffering of others: drug pushers, pimps, crime lords and others.
     The Celestial Chorus has produced its share of militant crusaders, and few Chorus members are totally without some combat training. Martyrdom is not uncommon as a trait in the Celestial Chorus, but those who fall in battle tend to take their enemies with them. While certain zealots may be willing to sacrifice Sleepers for the greater good, most Chorus members will not endanger the innocents they are sworn to guide and protect. Cowards are rare among the Chorus, but the Tradition avoids conflict whenever possible. Likewise, even the more peaceful members of the Chorus can be brave fighters when necessary.
     Many members of the Chorus feel that even one life saved, one spirit nurtured, is worth any amount of personal risk and self-sacrifice. Some Chorus members may take a vow of abstinence and poverty, but this is hardly a rule. Other Chorus members will still engage in sexual activity and maintain an interest in financial matters. Even then, it is often with an understanding of the ephemeral nature of money and sexual satisfaction. Even those that remain unattached to any one person are never lonely: they are surrounded by a caring and loving flock, as well as the memories of their personal successes, and the fires of their commitment.
     Many commonly interpret the Celestial Chorus as a religion of its own. Rather, it is a shared meta-belief: all religions are manifestations of the One, and as all creation came from the One, all creation ultimately belongs in the One again. While the Chorus has been predominately Christian for centuries, it contains members from a number of religious traditions. Likewise, a multitude of factions exists within the Chorus; a long-standing point of debate is whether the One should be perceived as male, female, neither, or both. Regardless, most within the Chorus believe that all Gods are masks of the One, and all they can really do is discuss the masks. The One defies true comprehension.

Primary Sphere: Prime