Apprentice of Prime
The chosen sphere of the Choristers is the most important piece of almost all serious magicks. Even the strange paradigms that the Sons of Ether and Virtual Adapts use within their workings require a rudimentary understanding of Prime. It is the manipulation of the fifth element, a concept that cannot be grasped by an unawakened mortal.
The magicks that drive existence begin and end with Prime, as we have already discussed. Let us speak of the different uses of this sphere within our everyday magicks, si?
When beginning with Prime, you will start to perceive the flow of Quintessence, or the fifth element, in all objects. As blood flows through our body to keep us alive, Quintessence flows through the world, keeping it alive and well, si? With this new perception, you will be able to view the the actual weaving of another willworker's effects, though you will not begin to understand their meanings until you advance... Prime appears as a brilliant white thread to your perceptions... if you choose to move forward within the Chorus, you will begin to "hear" it, rather than see it... it is a song that calls to you, and speaks of incomprehensible power... it is the voice of the One, of my God, of all Gods, behind whatever mask society places upon his face.
At the beginning levels of our Sphere, you will learn to hold, if not channel, the fifth element within your pattern, si? To begin, we will be using the Node at the Infinite Chantry to draw upon for your strength... although our Node beneath the Sanctum is strong, the True Faith of the mortals makes it impossible to pull Quintessence from its source... as you go, I will take care of your "battery" so to speak, recharging you after your practice magicks have been spent.
Now I will outline the most simple Rotes for you to practice... become familiar with them, they are the basis of all things, si?
Watching the Weaving
The first rote you will learn is called by the Chorus "Watching the Weaving". It is the most elemental of all Rotes, as it allows you to open your perceptions to the concept of magick being woven. When I say "perceptions", I am referring to the way that you yourself see magick... as explained above, it is different from all... sight, sound, perhaps even smell, though I have never seen it myself, si? Whatever the method for perception, the result remains the same... you will be able to "see" magick being created, manipulated, or destroyed, dependent all upon the filthy bastard that is working his will.
Let us start... close your eyes tightly, and grasp your foci if it is tangible, or begin your words if it is not, si? See the sparkles that dance behind your eyelids, and watch them for a moment... you will see a pattern to their song. Words are mighty things, si? Repeat after me as you continue... Ostende nobis, Domine spiritu tuo. Show us, Lord, your spirit. Now open your eyes, and shut them again... clear your mind, and look once again, deeply within yourself, and "perceive", allow yourself to become one with the song that sings when you touch upon your will. Now... open your eyes and look to me, and tell me what you see... I am surrounded in patterns, si? That is because I have some few magicks woven about me already. You must hold on to this rote, and concentrate your will upon it while you work others, so that you may perceive what you are doing, instead of stepping blindly forward.
Consecration
The next rote I will teach will be "Consecration"... the magickal working allows a willworker to extend his pattern to an inanimate ojbect, bringing their flow of Quintessence together, effectively making them one being. Never again will you lose this item... no more than you could lose the hand that is attached to your arm. You will be able to locate it with a fault, it will pull at you. Of course be wary that this item does not fall into the hands of an enemy, si? A vindictive spell weaver may turn this against you, and cause harm. As you gain more and more understanding of Prime magicks, you will be able to bind a person in the same fashion as an inanimate object, si?
We will start with your tangible foci. Hold it within your hands as you did with the last rote, si? Now, with your new senses, you will be able to perceive your pattern, as well as the pattern of the foci you hold. Use your Avatar as the needle, and weave them together... do not force it, as easy as your hands close over the foci, let your pattern do the same, until they become one. Repeat the words of power after me.. Accrescocretum per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum... "Join us through the same Christ oh Lord". Feel it part of you, and repeat... ccrescocretum per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Do you feel it becoming part of you, si? If this does not work, we will find another way. There is always another way amigo.
Quintessence Use and Heart's Blood
You are doing well, and I know that you are weary from your first exposure, but there is yet much to learn, si? We have spoken much of Quintessence, the raw power of creation, but you have yet to learn to harness it for magickal use. I will explain first its limitations for us. We are all limited by the the strength of our Avatar's... some are overpowering, their voices a shout that cannot be ignored, some are nothing more than shadows, a whisper that comes within your dreams. You are not more or less of a spell weaver just because of your Avatar's power... your success will be determined by your own drive, whether to become a Master of all the Arts, or a dabbler who lives on the edges of mortal society. At any rate, your Arete, or mystical understanding if you remember, is the key to channeling your Quintessence into your magicks... the more enlightened you are, the more creation power you may turn to your uses at one time. Know the ley lines of Quintessence within yourself... your pattern may hold as much as you can channel, but beware... too much will draw the notice of Paradox... it is a good idea to keep an even balance between the two... measured in units... somewhere between eight and ten. You will perceive these "units" by learning the next rote... so that you will always be aware of just how much power you have at hand, si? Your Avatar may also hold a small amount... this is all dependent again upon the strength of your Avatar.
This simple rote is called "Heart's Blood". Let us begin, si? Brandish your material foci as before, and concentrate upon it... you should still be perceiving your now meshed patterns, yes? Good... now, instead of using your eyes to look without, use your mind to look within... breathe deeply, and feel the power that runs through your body... you will come to realize when you see it the first time that it has always been there... much like breathing, you have taken it for granted, si? Repeat after me... Ostende nobis, Domine, Spiritui Sancto... Show us Lord, your Holy Spirit. You may hear it... much like listening to Prime, but a softer melody, muffled by your own subconscious to keep you sane, yes? Good... as before... perceive it.. you will see the lines of Quintessence running throughout your form. Now that it is within your grasp, you may dip within it using your will... turning it to your uses in your magicks. Careful! Do not squander it... you cannot yet replace it without my help... and even more important... some of the Quintessence that you see fuels your own pattern... it may be drawn from, but you will be harmed, becoming lesser... only time will heal these wounds, as your pattern naturally pulls more from the Tellurium.
You have done well compadre... let your mind wander, and drop your concentration... let the rotes you have woven dissipate, you have began to comprehend the most basic workings of Prime. I will explain a little more, for your benefit, and then you will be done, si?
As I said, everything begins, and everything ends with Prime. All other spheres are just a different flavor of the underlying forces of creation, a specific into a certain element of nature. As such, Prime may be used to "strengthen" the reality about you, so that another Mage who tries to harm you through magick will fail, si? This is called "anti-magick", as you are using the forces of creation to solidify your reality against his own. Call upon your mystical understanding and perception, and try to imagine the area around you as static... look within, and filter as much of your Quintessence into the very patterns that surround yours. This in itself, outside of the effects of perceiving your own lines of Quintessence, is not magick... you will need no words of power, no foci. Instead of picking deftly at the patterns about you, you vomit your reality upon them. I will attack you with very weak attacks, and you will practice countering them, si? One must be very careful when working with the sphere of Prime in an attack however... as it is the raw power of creation, it will rend wounds that no creature has the power to resist. The weakest child to the strongest and eldest Vampire are just as vulnerable to this sphere.
That is all for tonight... you are weary, I can tell... we will return to this in the morning, and pick up where we left off, with a new sphere, or perhaps an advancement of this one, si? In the meantime, read over the book I have given you, and prepare any questions you may have... Enrico will hear them, and Enrico will answer.
Turn To "Moving On With Prime"