Basics of Magic

Ex Libris Nocturnis - http://www.nocturnis.net
By: Richard Clayton (email: forty2@earthlink.net)
Summary: A tiny taste of Mage: The Ascension.

What is magic?

Magic is a very vague word and not really descriptive of such a vast and complicated phenomenon. There are probably as many definitions of the word as there are magicians and mages. For example, ask different practitioners of magic what it is, and you'll get different answers.

The Verbena witch tells you, "Magic is the pulse of the world, the heartbeat of the Mother. It is our salty birth water, and the ash to which we return when we die."

An Akashic monk might say, "Magic? Such a typically crude Western concept! Magic, as you gaijin call it, is nothing more than the application of the inner will to the world around us. Through inner strength and physical discipline, we can direct the course of our karma."

The Virtual Adept hacker winks and says, "It's all information, baby. Ones and zeroes! Learn to control that, and you can hack the whole frigging world. Reality is data."

The Euthanatos seer whispers, "Magic is the flow of fate, from Beginning to End and back again. By understanding the flow, we can ride the currents, but we cannot swim upstream."

The Technocrat super-scientist declares, "There is no such thing as magic. It is merely a foolish and inane word applied by those too ignorant to understand Enlightened Science."

And finally, the self-taught Orphan shrugs and says, "Fuck if I know. It just works."

Magic, simply put, is the ability to cause a change in reality in accordance with your will. That's about all anybody can really agree on- and some will even argue whether magic is the correct term.

What is reality?

In the world of Mage, reality is ultimately subjective. People believe in something because it's real, but it's also real because people believe it. If enough people believe something, it becomes true. Every single person, through her own beliefs, contributes a little to the Consensus, or the general "reality" of the universe.

A mage, however, is an exception to this rule. She has the power to override the belief of six billion human beings and impose her will on the world. Of course, she is still just one against many; no mage is going to turn the Pacific Ocean into Bud Lite or reverse gravity throughout the entire solar system. These changes are simply too big, and would fight the beliefs of far too many people. However, she might turn a glass of water (or even a whole barrel) into MacClae's 80 Shilling Stout Ale, or reverse gravity in her dorm room. It's all a matter of the scale, and how much knowledge and power you have.

The Awakening

Most people are unaware that magic even exists. They believe in a well-ordered, no-nonsense world in which wizards are only found in trashy fantasy novels and cyborgs with plasma guns only exist in the movies. They are not conscious of the deeper nature of reality, so they are called Sleepers by those who are.

A very, very few, however, are Awake. For a mage, the Awakening is the turning point in her life when she suddenly becomes aware of the vast potential of the world around her, and her ability to affect it. It has been compared to a sudden flash of insight, waking from a long and dream-filled slumber, to oneness with God, even to dying and being reborn… but no words can truly describe it.

From the moment of Awakening, a mage's life is different. She sees and experiences things most Sleepers can't even begin to comprehend. She has vast new possibilities opened up to her… but some doors also close to her, because she is now forever set apart from the masses of humanity. She will experience things she won't be able to describe even to her spouse or best friend- because they won't understand. And they'll probably think she's insane if she tries to tell them. Nonetheless, most people will be able to sense a mage's "otherworldliness" on a subconscious level. This fascinates some people, but makes most distinctly uncomfortable… although they may not acknowledge it, they can feel that a mage is Different with a capital "D."

Is it any wonder that mages tend to seek shelter and solace among their own?

Societies of Mages

The Awakened, like all humans, are social creatures. Even a person who can reshape the very foundations of the universe needs a friend every now and then. Mages can be broken down into three basic groups, which in turn break down into subgroups. And even the subgroups break into subgroups… but we're not going to worry about that here. I'm just going to give you a quick run-down of the three "biggies" in the Awakened world, and their major components.

The Traditions

The Traditions are those who seek to keep magic alive and well in this modern era of rationalization and disbelief. Until recently, they fought a battle known as the Ascension War with the Technocracy- and the prize was no less than the future of humanity itself. However, the Traditions have finally conceded defeat, and no longer dream of Awakening the whole of humanity. Today, they desperately fight to continue practicing their arcane crafts in the face of the Technocracy's persecution.

Following is a list of the Traditions:

The Akashic Brotherhood: Eastern mystics who practice a regimen of physical and mental discipline. Despite the name, women are considered fully equal members of the Brotherhood. Their skills include powerful martial arts as well as potent mental abilities.

The Celestial Chorus is a pseudo-religious order that believes all magic comes from the One, the divine being that oversees the whole of the universe and of whom YHWH, Jehovah, and Allah are merely facets. They are masters of creation and energy.

Cult of Ecstasy: Cultists believe that enlightenment can be reached by pushing the boundaries of human experience. Cultists seek to "expand their horizons" through a variety of extreme experiences- running the gamut from blissful pleasure to excruciating pain. Sex, music, hallucinogenic drugs, and even ritual torture or self-mutilation are all considered valid pathways to greater understanding.

Dreamspeakers are an amalgam of shamanic and animistic magicians from a number of religions, including Shinto, Native American beliefs, tribal Australian dream-wisdom, and a variety of other spirit-oriented religions. The Dreamspeakers obviously have a lot of diversity in their ranks, which is a great asset; on the other hand, their greatest weakness is that most of their component peoples are dying out in the modern world.

The Euthanatos: "Good Death"- an Eastern order who are closely in tune with the wheel of fate and karma. They often take responsibility for life and death- either aiding a person who is not yet scheduled to die, or "returning to the cycle" a wicked or evil person, to minimize the damage he does to the Wheel and to give him a chance to be reincarnated as one less disruptive.

The Order of Hermes is what you probably think of when you hear the word "wizard." They have codified a highly regimented, formulaic form of magic.

Sons of Ether:  Your basic mad scientists. (Yes, women are welcome too, but most of the Etherites agree that "Children of Ether" or "Daughters AND Sons of Ether" don't sound quite right.) They were once members of the Technocracy, but defected to the Traditions during the nineteenth century when their theories were banned for diverging from the Technocracy's official view of the universe. (It's hard to prove that nothing can go faster than the speed of light when those damned Etherites keep doing it.) If you ever see an 80-foot-tall steam-engine-driven mechanical spider or a plutonium-powered time-traveling DeLorean, odds are good a Son of Ether built it.

The Verbena descends from naturalist mother goddess/fertility beliefs that were held by such groups as the druids and the Keltoi. Many other traditions find these modern-day witches and warlocks disturbing, especially because of the prominent use of blood or sacrifice in their rituals- but the Verbena understand the natural cycle, and know that blood is not only a symbol of death, but of life, too.

The newest additions to the Traditions are the Virtual Adepts. The most modern Tradition, they are masters of the computer and believe that reality itself is nothing but information- and can therefore be manipulated. Like the Sons of Ether, Virtual Adepts are self-imposed exiles from the Technocracy; having seceded in the 1940s when the Technocracy decided the Masses weren't ready for the Adept's view of an ultra-connected world of instantaneous travel and data exchange. With a unanimous cry of "Kiss our hairy digital asses," the Virtual Adepts joined their expatriate brothers in the Traditions.

The Technocracy

The roots of the Technocracy lie in the medieval Order of Reason, a group of Awakened who believed that the world could be understood by universal rules that were essentially understandable to the common man. Their appeal to the average peasant was undeniable, especially in a dangerous and arcane time when vampires owned the night, packs of werewolves rampaged across the countryside, and sorcerer-barons ruled their fiefdoms with iron gauntlets. The Order of Reason offered Joe Average Peasant a chance to live in a world he could truly UNDERSTAND- where the driving force behind a bolt of lightning was not an arbitrary and uncaring nature spirit, but rather a perfectly ordinary buildup of electrostatic potential and the resulting sudden equalization of said potential. (Never mind that Joe Peasant didn't understand a whit of this- it was just nice to know that it wasn't specifically out to get him.)

The Order's power grew steadily, and so did their hubris. Eventually the Order declared that their reality was the only reality- in a sense, they turned their backs on all they were as mages. Convinced that the "supernatural" was a dangerous and unnecessary threat to human existence, they grew determined to eradicate the "Reality Deviants", for the good of all humanity.

Don't think of the Technocracy as the "bad guys." The universe isn't that simple. Clear-cut, black and white, bad guy vs. good guy situations are rare. The Technocracy isn't evil inasmuch as it is deluded by its colossal power and arrogance. While they are responsible for the all-but-total extermination of magic in the world today, they have also long protected the world from dire supernatural threats that lurk within our world and outside of it. In the Technocrats' favor, they have mostly scaled back their systematic program of wiping out the Traditions (known as the Pogrom) ever since the Ascension War was declared over. (They no longer send Men in Black to erase the memories of teenage girls who "got lucky" playing around with Wicca, for example.)

It was something of a Pyrric victory for the Technocrats, however: The Technocracy, too, is finding it harder and harder to practice their Enlightened Science these days. For all their pomp and preening, Enlightened Science is still essentially magic. (Alternately, it is equally accurate to say that True Magic is essentially another kind of Enlightened Science. Few people on either side of the issue will actually admit this.) Just as for all types of magic, belief dictates reality… and the Masses don't believe in super-science any more. Nobody gives a fuck about whether or not we'll go back to the Moon. Science fiction is considered juvenile escapist entertainment- who but a pimply-faced, no-social-life 15-year-old would read Ray Bradbury or watch Star Trek? Nobody cares. As long as he has regular meals and cable TV, John Q. Public isn't interested. The common man's idea of "super science" ends at the microwave oven.

For centuries, the Technocracy developed new technologies, to be gradually released to the Masses on a carefully drafted schedule. Distressingly, many recently released technologies have inexplicably failed to work in the hands of the Masses. (The Cold Fusion experiments in the 1970s were a classic example of this.) Of course, the Technocrats don't think that what they are doing is magic, so they can't understand (or won't admit) that it doesn't work because nobody wants it to work. Nonetheless, the technocracy keeps trying.

The organization of the Order of Reason has evolved constantly throughout the years since it’s founding. In its modern incarnation, the Technocracy is divided into five loosely affiliated groups, called Conventions:

Iteration X believes that the destiny of mankind is to continually create and refine better and better tools. Today, they forge powerful material technologies, ranging from cybernetic implants to ultra-efficient engines to fusion-powered robot servants.

Members of the New World Order want to create a utopian social system in which all citizens will be happy- or, at least, content. They have created powerful psychological and sociological principles that can be used to understand the people's thoughts, desires and goals- as well as influence or manipulate said thoughts, desires and goals.

Progenitors originate with the first farmers and healers. Their biological sciences have helped to increase the human life expectancy dramatically, and their agricultural and stockbreeding expertise has helped keep many humans well fed. Today, Progenitors are genetic engineers and biotechnicians without peer. They seek to use biotechnology to make humans smarter, more adaptable, and healthier, and to create super-efficient food plants and yeast vats that will keep the world strong and well fed.

The Syndicate believes that humanity can best be served by establishing a perfect economy, in which all people will have plenty of disposable income and nobody will ever lack for resources. Their super-science focuses on controlling the dynamics of fate and the future, as well as the flow of quantifiable concepts (like money).

Void Engineers are both humanity's vanguard and its last line of defense. Ever pushing back the boundaries of the unknown, they travel through space, time, and even other dimensions in search of new knowledge and greater understanding. An old running joke among the Void Engineers is that "We boldly go where no man has gone before- and sometimes we even come back."

The Others

Reality is a big place, and there are groups that don't easily fall into one category or another.

Hollow Ones are not so much a group of mages as a subculture- a subset of the modern "Goth" movement. All Hollow Ones at least pretend to be magicians. Few of them have any idea that magic is really real, and instead consider it a trendy little addition to their fashion wardrobe. A few of them, however, ARE truly Awakened, even if they don't realize it.

The exceedingly rare few who Awaken, but then learn magic on their own, without subscribing to any particular Tradition- or even knowing that such things exist- are known as Orphans. Orphans often have radically unconventional techniques and beliefs, things that just shouldn't work, according to everything every other Tradition and Convention knows… but, of course, it does anyway. Sometimes Orphans don't realize they're doing magic- after all, there's no such thing, right?

Magic isn't all wine and roses, and Marauders are proof of that. Sometimes a mage attempts something way beyond his grasp, or he witnesses something no mortal mind was ever meant to see, and his mental grasp of reality is annihilated. Unable to tell the difference between the Consensus and their own insane fantasies, Marauders tear a swath of impossibility and shredded reality everywhere they go. Fortunately, the threat posed by any single Marauder is usually short-lived, as they are eventually catapulted out of our reality altogether into mad worlds of their own, where they can live out their delusions unfettered for the rest of their (usually brief) lives.

The Nephandi are truly evil, if anything is. Nephandi are mages who have entered the service of heinous, ancient beings that existed long before the universe had shape or form- creatures older and deeper than any Satan or Iblis or Moloch. The vision of the Nephandi is that of a universe's descent and devolution into formless chaos once more- a void that cannot even be called void, for to give it a name would define its existence. Sometimes a Nephandus (the singular form) deliberately enters the service of these abominable entities, craving ultimate revenge on the universe, or motivated simply by twisted hate. An arrogant few think at first that they can turn the power of the Nameless Ones to their own ends- but they soon come to realize that the yoke of slavery inevitably falls on all who serve such masters.

The Spheres

Magic is divided into nine spheres, or different types of magical effects. This is actually a classification used primarily by the Order of Hermes, but nearly all mages break magic down into essentially the same nine groups, even if they use different words to describe them. Any magician can learn any sphere, but each Tradition has one sphere that it particularly excels in. Spheres are often combined to yield still greater effects- such as creating a flame out of nowhere and making it dance, which would be a combination of the Prime and Forces sphere. (Prime to create the flame, Forces to control it.)

Correspondence: The knowledge of spatial effects and travel. A mage skilled in Correspondence can increase or decrease distances or volumes of space and even teleport himself or other objects short distances. A master of this skill can even co-locate himself, allowing him to literally be in two places at once. Virtual Adepts, with their obsession with instantaneous communication, are often highly skilled in Correspondence.

Paco's head spun as he stepped out of the cramped, hot interior of the club. Damn, he thought, whatever it was I drank in there, I want another. He stumbled down the street, trying to remember which way was home. Suddenly, a grubby man stepped out of an alleyway to his right and pointed a snub-nosed .38 revolver at him.

"Okay, man, you know the drill. Give me your cash quietly and everything will be cool."

Paco grinned dizzily at the mugger and concentrated. "Sorry, pal, not tonight." He casually walked past his assailant and continued his haphazard progress down the street. A moment later he heard the snick of a hammer falling on an empty cylinder, and then rapid footsteps as the mugger ran off in the other direction. Continuing his shuffle down the street, Paco reached into his jacket pocket and took out six .38 caliber bullets, dropped them in a trash bin, and burst into hysterical laughter.

Entropy: The understanding of fate, death, and the eventual breakdown of all things. Entropy has a large number of subtle uses, such affecting chance outcomes or foretelling the future… and some not-so-subtle uses, such as causing spontaneous decay. The Euthanatos are the undisputed masters of Entropy.

The handsome and outgoing young man had been winning all night, and by now he had drawn quite a crowd. Currently seated at the blackjack table, he had a jack and a nine showing, and $25,000 riding. He took a deep breath, paused a moment for effect, and shouted, "Hit me!"

A murmur of disapproval ran through the crowd as the dealer reached for the next card. One onlooker said to the quietly intent girl standing next to him, "Hitting on a nineteen? He's friggin' nuts."

"Actually," muttered the young woman, as she expertly manipulated a pocket-sized calculator, "his odds of drawing a two are… eight to three, in favor."

"How do you know…" began the onlooker, but his words were drowned out by the crowd's exuberant roar as the dealer turned over the two of diamonds.

Forces: Exactly what it sounds like, this is the ability to perceive and manipulate any number of natural forces, including gravity, fire, and electricity. The Order of Hermes' affinity for Forces magic- and particularly its martial aspects- has contributed to their long hegemony in the Traditions.

The biting December wind blasted the group of hikers as they trudged up the winding trail, seeming to seek out gaps in clothing and gnaw its way inward. "Hiking the Rockies in winter," muttered one camper. "I must have been smoking crack."

Toward the tail end of the group, however, Nicholas was grinning like a maniac, savoring the wintry natural beauty spread out all around him. And the cold didn't bother him- staying warm required a simple matter of concentrating and retaining all the heat energy around his body, no more.

Life: This potent sphere, the favorite of the Verbena, embodies the understanding of the fundamental forces of life itself. A mage skilled in Life magic can alter her looks, shape shift into an animal, heal with a touch, and kill with a word.

It was after seven and the rush of businessmen going home was long over. The only people at the bus stop were a boy in his early teens; sitting on the curb and watching cars go by.

A distant drone grew to a roar as a red sports car drew near and flew past- grinding against the curb and slamming into the young boy as it flew past. The teen was knocked meters across the pavement and rolled bonelessly to a stop. The driver didn't even slow down as he sped off into the evening.

A motherly young woman in jeans and a t-shirt, perhaps 20 years old, ran to the scene of the accident from half a block down. She dropped her backpack, knelt by the boy and touched his forehead, sensed his Pattern. She did not know the boy, but she could feel his soul preparing to leave its broken vessel.

No, stay, she bade his spirit, as she checked the empty evening streets and made sure there were none watching. Do not go yet; this is not your time. She reached into her backpack and pulled out an athame, then used the ceremonial knife to slit the tips of the middle and ring fingers on her right hand. She carefully dripped her blood on the boy's forehead, mixing it with his own, as she silently fed her energy to the battered body, urging it to repair itself. Stay in this body, do not leave. She felt the soul sliding back into its accustomed place. Yes. Stay here. Death is not yet.

Suddenly, the boy's back arched and he screamed shrilly. His eyes half-opened and regarded her with blurry incomprehension. Smiling at him, and said firmly, "Everything is okay. You're going to make it." She reached into her purse, withdrew a cell phone, and dialed 911.

Matter: Simply put, this is the sphere affecting material items in the physical world. (This does not affect living materials, however, as that is the domain of Life magic.) Its applications range from simply reshaping physical substances to imbuing them with marvelous new properties. The Sons of Ether are especially capable with this sphere.

"It's exquisite!" crooned the museum director.

"Thank you," replied Michael coolly.

"And you say it's made entirely of marble?" asked the director, his eyes drinking in the staggeringly flawless sculpture. It was a magnificent white stallion, carved of stone, but it somehow gave the appearance of being real. One could almost swear one could detect the faint quiver of well-trained equine muscle, or the arrogant flick of the champion's tail.

"Entirely of marble," answered Michael imperturbably.

"I must have it," gushed the art collector. "I have never seen its likeness. Name your price. Would you be insulted if I started by offering you five hundred thousand?"

A trace of a smile finally appeared on Michael's face. "I'm sorry, but it's not for sale. I can offer you any number of my other sculptures, but Bucephalus here has… great personal value to me." Besides, thought Michael, it would be like whoring my body to sell something I made with my magic.

Mind: The ability to master your own thoughts, and then those of others, are found within the Mind sphere. Its applications include telepathic communication, sensing the thoughts of others (or shielding your own), or even influencing the thoughts and memories of another. The Akashic Brotherhood, who are highly skilled in Mind magic, often use this cloud the minds of their enemies, or to achieve a perfect state of mental balance in combat.

"Oh, damn," said Ralph as flashing red and blue lights appeared in his rearview mirror.

Laura gave him one of those what-have-you-done-now looks. "What's wrong? You weren't speeding."

As he spoke, Ralph pulled the sleek black car off the highway and stopped on the shoulder of the road. "Well, this car isn't exactly registered. I mean, what am I supposed to say at the DMV? 'Hi, guys, I built this car myself, and oh, incidentally it's powered by spatially compressed quark fusion, the chassis is made of an alloy that doesn't even exist yet and it has a top speed of 570 kilometers per hour'?"

Laura leaned back and closed her eyes. "Great. Nice job, Ralph. Maybe next time you're on one of your little mad scientist projects you could actually bother with a few of the details?"

As the state trooper approached the car, Ralph popped open the glove box and reached in. "I've got an idea." He pulled out a boxy, thumb-sized object about the size of a pack of cigarettes.

Without opening her eyes, Laura sighed. "Oh, goddess, not another idea."

Ralph lowered the window as the trooper halted next to the car. "License, registration, and ID, please," he said in a bored voice.

"Something wrong, officer?" asked Ralph, sounding as innocent as possible.

"Your car has a rather distinctive profile which matches an APB put out this morning. It was reported stolen from OmniTech Advanced Research." The cop didn't sound bored anymore. "Show me your license, registration, and ID. Now."

Ralph glanced at Laura. Her eyes were wide open and staring. Technocrats, she mouthed soundlessly at Ralph.

"Er, yes, my registration," mumbled Ralph, "Take a look at this." He flicked a switch on the little device he had been holding. A blue light on top begin glowing serenely, and a low, soothing tone emanated from the box. "I'm sure you see, officer, that my license and registration are perfectly in order."

The glowing blue light transfixed the officer’s gaze. "Yes, I see that they are. But this car has been reported stolen. Where did you get it?"

"Officer, I'm driving a 1996 Chrysler LHS, emerald green. This car looks nothing like the car you're looking for."

"No, of course not," snapped the officer. "I'm not stupid, I can see what kind of car you're driving. It's a 1996 Chrysler LHS, emerald green."

Ralph desperately tried not to grin. "I'm a sixty-year-old grandmother from New Hampshire, and I'm on my way to see my new granddaughter in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. You pulled me over because my taillight was out… but I think you can let me off with a warning, can't you, officer?"

The trooper's voice grew gentle. "Yes, certainly. Ma'am, your taillight is out, but I think I can let you off with a warning on this one. Just make sure you get it fixed when you arrive in Minnesota." The cop smiled warmly at Ralph. "Drive safely, ma'am- and give your new grandbaby a kiss for me."

"I certainly will, officer," said Ralph, as the state trooper walked back to his patrol cruiser. He thumbed the switch on the little apparatus, and the light and tone faded to nothing. He turned to Laura and winked.

"Precisely what is that?" she asked.

"It's my psychodynamic behavior modifier. It makes use of little-known principles of neural response to specific stimuli, in this case a particular wavelength of visible light and a precise wavelength of audible sound. The neurons in the eye and ear are triggered in a certain-"

"Enough! I don't want to hear it, Ralph." Laura looked at the little box curiously. "Is there anything else I need to know about your new toy?"

Ralph looked sheepish. "Ah… well… sometimes it explodes."

Laura had known Ralph for a long time, so she managed to keep her voice level. "It explodes."

"Yeah."

"Ralph, you are completely fucking mad."

Ralph just grinned and started the engine.

Prime: Prime- also known as Quintessence- is the energy that surrounds and pervades the whole of reality. If the universe were a tapestry (a metaphor often used by mages), Quintessence would be the individual threads. The Sphere of Prime is very potent, as it allows a mage to draw upon this raw power to restore him or fuel his magics. Any time a mage is creating something new- as opposed to just shaping pre-existing Patterns- he'll need some ability with Prime. The Celestial Chorus claims that Prime is actually the manifest will of the One True Divine that spark of Creation that dwells in all of us. Whether or not they are correct, their skill in Prime magic is indisputable.

"I can't believe we've actually found it!" Andrew regarded the underground pool with wonder and joy, as if it were a Christmas present given to a seven-year-old. The pool, fed by a nearby hot spring, had thin wisps of steam rising above it, and the tang of minerals was in the air. The renegade Void Engineer did a capering victory dance by the water. "It's really ours!"

"No," snapped Laura. "This Node is Gaia's. It's too big- and too old- for humans to control. If we ask the Mother for permission, we might be able to draw from it, but don't you ever start thinking you own it. Bad things happen to people who get greedy with Gaia's gifts."

"Okay, okay, let's relax. Nobody is trying to demean the Goddess. I'm sure Andrew didn't mean it that way." Ralph tried to defuse the situation with calm voice and soothing words. "We're not going to take more than we need- and I'm sure we can find a way to give something back, right?"

The Technocrat nodded vigorously "Right. We're just going to take a little- and we are working for the benefit of the Earth, aren't we?"

Laura nodded slowly. "Right." The witch knelt by the pool, dipped her fingers in. She closed her eyes, and asked Great Mother Gaia for permission to draw energy from this sacred place.

Spirit: This is the knowledge of how to sense the spirit world, communicate with spirits, and even touch the spirit world physically.  Masters of this sphere can ask the aid of mighty nature spirits, or even visit the Lands of the Dead while still wearing their living flesh. Dreamspeakers, with their shamanic roots, excel at Spirit magic.

Jason knelt on the ground in front of a carefully drawn circle. Inside the circle was a collection of seemingly random objects- a package of expensive Dominican cigars, a compound bow and quiver of arrows, a high-quality U.S. Army utility knife, a few ears of corn. As the moon rose in the distance ahead of him, Jason began his invocation.

"Grandfather of my grandfather, ancestor of my ancestor, I call out to you now to beg your assistance. Behold, I offer to you gifts to honor your wisdom and strength. I set before you fine tobacco to smoke. I set before you a mighty bow and arrows, to aid you in the hunt. I set before you a sharp knife, that you may always protect yourself and yours. I set before you corn, that you may never know hunger. Grandfather, I ask you to come and accept these gifts."

A chill wind blew across the hilltop, and a vague form took shape in the moonlight. Standing within the circle was a Native American warrior, proud and brave, although Jason didn't know if anybody else would have been able to see him. The warrior knelt by the offered tribute for a moment, then stood. His voice whispered thinly on the wind, but still carried the unmistakable tone of command.

"Grandson of my grandson, descendant of my descendant, I gratefully accept these fine gifts. I am proud to look on the youngest scion of my line. Tell me, grandson, what would you ask of me?"

Time: The ability to manipulate or traverse time itself. This arcane sphere is best-used carefully- those who attempt drastic or overt Time effects often create a grave risk to themselves and those around them. Cultists of Ecstasy are particularly adept at this art- perhaps due to their familiarity with meditative states or drugs that seem to alter one's perception of time.

Paco groaned and rolled over as a ray of sunlight slipped through his curtains and struck his face. His head felt as though angry midgets in steel-toed construction boots were performing The Riverdance on his brain, and his mouth tasted as though he'd been licking old sweaters. That is the absolute last time I drink four of those… those… uh… whatever it was I drank four of last night, he thought miserably.

He managed to peel one gummy eyelid open far enough to catch view of the clock. Bright red digits silently declared that it was 12:48 PM. Paco thought that the clock was somehow managing to convey the impression that Paco should get his lazy ass out of bed and at least pretend to do something productive today.

Speaking of productive… wasn't there something I was supposed to…?

Then he remembered: Sunday, lunch with Samantha, 1:00 PM. If he were late (again) she'd dump him for sure.

Shit.

He scrambled upright and reached into his bedside drawer and grabbed for the little gold pocket watch he kept with the tools of his trade. The face read 12:51. Paco settled into lotus position, closed his eyes, and hummed a mantra he'd dreamed up one night while tripping on some serious acid. Time is relative, he told himself as he pushed with his willpower. It's all dependent on the observer. Even that Einstein guy thought so. Come on, white-haired old dude, don't let me down now. Paco's mind spun with disorientation spun Paco's mind as he felt his power at work. He tried to hold on as long as possible… then a wave of vertigo struck him and he tumbled backwards onto the bedclothes.

When clarity returned, Paco had a bad case of the stomach heaves, but he knew he'd succeeded. He looked at the pocket watch still clasped in his hand and grinned. 12:16. Enough time to grab a quick shower, a shave, and maybe grab a bunch of flowers for Samantha on the way to their meeting.

The Price

Perhaps the greatest danger faced by a mage is Paradox. Paradox, in effect, is the resilience of the Consensus- it's a slap in the face (or worse) from the combined belief of 6,000,000,000 people who know that what you just did is just plain impossible. This is why you don't see mages on the Tonight Show turning people into jars of Cheese Whiz- the risk is just too high.

As long as a mage keeps her effects subtle and doesn't overtly violate reality, she's safe. Such effects are known as coincidental- because it can be explained away as coincidence, luck, happenstance, or similar effects. Good examples of coincidental magic are using Life to heal a broken bone ("I guess it was just a sprain!") or a Mind effect disguised as a persuasive speech. Creative magicians can do quite a lot without openly flaunting their Power- and smart mages are careful about such things. Coincidental magics have very little risk of Paradox.

An obviously magical effect is vulgar. Vulgar magics include throwing fireballs, flying through the air, turning people into frogs, and other big-time magic like that. Generally, a magic is considered vulgar if a casual bystander would say "That's impossible!" Vulgar magic can lead to heaps of Paradox building up around your mage. Still, if you're careful and don't do vulgar magic too often, you're safe. Usually. For the most part.

Most risky of all is a mage performing vulgar magic when Sleepers are watching. (Other magicians and supernatural creatures like vampires or werewolves don't count as Sleepers, of course.) Not only are you violating the Consensus, but also you're doing so in the presence of those who help define the Consensus. Their collective belief clashes with your belief, and Reality swells and crashes like a storm-tossed sea. At this point, your mage is pretty much guaranteed to pick up at least one point of Paradox- often much more. And your magic is likely to fail altogether. Of course, you still get to keep the Paradox even if you magic goes completely kaput.

What are the drawbacks of Paradox? First and foremost, accumulated Paradox reduces your ability to use further magical affects or store magical energy. Well, if your mage has built up a little Paradox, reality is slightly wrinkled around her. Uncontrolled magical energy crackles and swirls around her and will sometimes cause minor uncontrolled effects. You might discover that your car keys have somehow teleported into the storm gutters, or every fuse in your house might suddenly burn out. Paradox backlashes are often related to whatever magical effect caused the Paradox in the first place. Fortunately, a mage with only a little Paradox can "get clean" by going "cold turkey"- for each week you spend without using any magic or supernatural effect, a point of Paradox dissipates as the tangled Consensus around you slowly unwinds.

If your mage has a moderate amount of Paradox, she's going to find a couple of severely weird things happening in her life. Things might go badly wrong at very inconvenient times. She might even enter a period of Quiet, a temporary state of insanity in which a mage loses touch with the Consensual reality. Worse still, a mage who reaches this state can no longer reduce her Paradox level by abstaining from magic; the Tapestry around you is too snarled to straighten out without some kind of backlash. Also, other mages can sense your built-up Paradox and are likely to be disturbed. After all, the universe owes you some payback, and they don't want to be around when (when, not if) it comes knocking on the door to settle the debt.

If you've got a lot of Paradox built up, you're in trouble. Reality is not merely bent around you- it's twisted and warped so badly that even ordinary Sleepers can sense it on a gut level. At this point, almost anything can happen. You might attract the attention of truly alien entities- things that shouldn't exist within the Consensus but were somehow drawn in by your reckless tearing of reality. You might find that your home is no longer there when you come home from work, and nobody even remembers that you used to live in the area. Extended periods of Quiet are likely, and even permanent insanity isn't out of the question. You are literally a ticking time bomb of mangled reality- an accident waiting to happen. Those who build up truly huge Paradox levels often explode, disintegrate, self-immolate, or somehow exit this reality in a truly spectacular fashion. Don't stand too close.

That's enough to give you a tiny taste of Mage: The Ascension. There's a lot more to tell you about, but I think I've filled you in on the basics pretty effectively. If this intrigues you, consider picking up a copy of Truth Until Paradox, an anthology of stories about Mage from White Wolf Publishing. Also look for a local storyteller running a Mage chronicle, and give it a shot. It's a wonderful RPG.

Anyway, I'm out of time. I hope you enjoyed reading this- I enjoyed writing it.

Richard