Canon Class: Mages.

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Sections of this guide have been lifted from the White Wolf Wiki.




WHAT ARE MAGES?

In the World of Darkness some humans have a chance to become something more. They have a chance to understand the world like never before. They travel to the Realms Supernal through the guidance of the Watchtowers, and return Awakened, making them capable of bending the universe to their will - but only if they are powerful enough to do it, and resilient enough to resist the temptation of taking things too far.

All Humes were once capable of becoming Mages without difficulty, as they were made of the same stuff as the Supernal Realms were and the world had once been united with the rest of the pure reality around them. Some of the Awakened, however, caused their own fall by insisting upon the fact that they were gods, and that robbed many of their birthright in order to control them better.

THE PATHS

A Path is a mage's personal connection to a Watchtower through one of the Supernal Realms. It is through this connection that the mage is able to draw down mana and work magic in the Fallen World.

Each of the five Supernal Realms has a single Watchtower, so there are five paths to which a mage may awaken; the paths have a title, but also a series of descriptive names which invoke the mystical nature of the path's connection to its parent realm. The paths are:

• Acanthus - Enchanters on the Path of Thistle, Scions of the Watchtower of the Lunargent Thorn in the Realm of Arcadia, Kingdom of Enchantment and Abode of the Fae
  
• Mastigos - Warlocks on the Path of Scourging, Scions of the Watchtower of the Iron Gauntlet in the Realm of Pandemonium, Kingdom of Nightmares and Abode of Demons
  
• Moros - Necromancers on the Path of Doom, Scions of the Watchtower of the Lead Coin in the Realm of Stygia, Kingdom of Crypts and Abode of Shades
  
• Obrimos - Theurges on the Path of the Mighty, Scions of the Watchtower of the Golden Key in the Realm of The Aether, Kingdom of the Celestial Spheres and Abode of Angels
  
• Thyrsus - Shamans on the Path of Ecstacy, Scions of the Watchtower of the Stone Book in the Realm of the Primal Wild, Kingdom of Totems and Abode of Beasts
  

POWERS & ABILITIES

By Awakening the mage is able to use magic. She/he is now able to impose his/her will onto the universe, although doing so risks Paradox. Awakening also determines what type of magic a mage will have a proficiency in. On a more philosophical level, Awakening reveals that the mundane world is a lie.

MAGES IN TODAY'S VIGIL

While the Mage Orders of the World of Darkness (or most of them, anyway) have always tried to defer to the wishes of the Last Dragon, that did not stop many of their number from moving the world as much as they could, both out of the need for survival and out of the desire for power. The existence of Banishers and independents from the Orders themselves did not help, as such “misguided” willworkers had the tendency to operate on their own terms to the detriment of the people around them. As a result, the Awakened – like the Kindred – suffered greatly during the Darkest Vigil, as they found themselves ridiculed and hunted down by humans who both feared and hated them for their gifts, armed, as they now were, with a rather extensive knowledge on exactly what Mages have done throughout history to influence mankind in ways that have suited them. That Sleepers had the natural defense provided by Disbelief only made matters worse for the majority of the Awakened.

The new world has proven to be a world of mixed blessings for Mage kind. Any Mage who has Awakened since 2013 has a guardian dragon that walks along the Path with them, and – because the Exarchs are dead – more Sleepers are Awakening to their true nature. Many Mages are also working towards using their power for the greater good, rehabilitating the environment and effectively solving many of the world’s more pressing problems in an attempt to hasten the return of Atlantis. Nevertheless, humans remain rightfully suspicious of what Mages are capable of, and sometimes, that paranoia is the cause of great abuse and injustice, further increasing a gap between Awakened and Sleepers that should not have to exist in the first place.

NOTABLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WHITE WOLF MAGES AND WAKING THE DEAD MAGES.

Beyond the fact that all Mages who have Awakened after 2013 in Waking the Dead have dragons of their own, Waking the Dead Awakened are also much more resilient and live far longer than their canon counterparts in White Wolf. In addition to any boost in lifespan that they gain from dwelling in the Mysteries of Divine Concepts such as Time and Life, Mages tend to live for at least 2,000 years.

Another thematic difference is that the "Lone Watchtower" of White Wolf canon is the Tower of the Void. Only one Mage in every incarnation of the World can write his or her name on that Tower: the Voidseeker.

Furthermore, something that was central to the Mage: the Awakening world was the presence of the Exarchs, the pretender-gods that caused the Abyss between the Fallen World and the Supernal Realms. The Exarchs themselves no longer factor into this setting, but they still have followers lurking around in the shadows, attempting to shield themselves from the eyes of the Dragon.

GOT QUESTIONS?

This is a canon class of White Wolf. Players who are interested in playing a Mage may refer to the rulebook and other reference links from White Wolf in order to learn more about them.

We will, however, have a guide on how to stat a Mage up soon! For the full document on general character creation, download our guide here.