THE RULE OF SHADE :MAGE LAW

 

 

Rule of Shade

Seek not in the Darkness, for fear of corruption;

Seek not in Daylight, for fear of discovery.

Ascension walks the Middle Path of Shade

That Awakened may lead

And Sleepers follow without fear.

​

• Respect Those of Greater Knowledge.

This is a sensible rule which sensible mages follow if not for their own well-being.

• A Tutor’s Debt Must Be Repaid.

Magick takes time to learn and perfect. It requires a substantial time investment on the part of the mentor. Therefore, it is custom and only good form that an apprentice respect that time investment and do what they can to repay it.

• A Mage’s Word Is His Honor; Break Not a Sworn Vow.

Most Tradition Mages take their honor and their word seriously – at least when dealing with one another. The reality is that there are mages that will break their word, but it’s not looked upon well and the punishments are relative. Speaking falsely against another mage is more serious than the informal promise to meet another mage for coffee – obviously.

• The Will of an Oracle Must Always Be Obeyed.

Oracles are stuff of legend and rarely is there any word of them intervening in the day-to-day affairs of Tradition mages. Still if one were to happen upon an Oracle, it is probably a good idea to listen to him. All in all, this Protocol seems to be a variation on the theme of the first.

• Betray Not Your Cabal or Chantry.

Basically this is interpreted to mean not to betray your Tradition, Cabal, or Chantry by most. Obviously it’s not a good idea to backstab those closest to you. Betrayal does happen though, as some mages get greedy with power. Punishments are typically handled in-house as most cabals, chantries, and Traditions rather not air their dirty laundry for all of the Traditions to see – it tends to be embarrassing.

• Conspire Not With the Enemies of Ascension.

This is probably one of the most serious Protocols and one that is most assuredly punished swiftly and harshly. However, this means different things to different mages.  When it comes to Marauders and Nephandi, there’s really a zero tolerance policy across all Traditions.

• Protect the Sleepers; They Are Ignorant of What They Do.

This is pretty basic. Mages are still people after all – they are just Awakened ones. As such many of them still feel compassion and a sense of stewardship over the Masses. At any rate, Ascension is about leading the Masses to Ascension so it makes sense to look after them, doesn’t it?

• Be Subtle in Your Arts, Lest Sleepers Know You for What You Are.

The rule of Shade is at the core of this Protocol. Mages have had a history of being hunted down as witches or lifted up as miracle workers. Humanity never seems to have a neutral reaction to them. So they walk the Path of Shade. Not black. Not white. Grey – in the Shade. This means that they don’t reveal their true nature to people or perform magick blatantly before the eyes of humans (which is dangerous anyhow because of Paradox). Doing otherwise is another one of the more serious Protocols.

​

​

​

Crimes and Misdemeanors

Mages who fail to adhere to the Protocols or otherwise do something that’s just not kosher with a group of mages is subject to informal or formal punishment. Cabals, chantries, and Traditions might have their own specific rules and they vary widely. 

Most groups prefer to handle their own business in-house rather than air their more unpleasant affairs for all to see.

Punishments vary with the group or groups involved as well as the severity of the crime. Sometimes it’s difficult to handle infractions quietly and informally. Some infractions occur within multiple groups like across chantry lines, cabal lines, Tradition lines, etc. Therefore, in times like these a Tribunal is called to hear the grievances and pronounce judgment.

​

Common punishments include:

Censure – a sort of probation or restriction given for a specific period with a specific set of rules. Censures vary depending on the severity of the infraction.

Ostracism – is self-explanatory and is given for a set period of time ranging from a month to a life-long banishment depending on the severity of the crime. Naturally those who do not ostracize the offending mage are also subject to ostracism or censure or worse.

Branding – a magickal sigil is placed on the Avatar of the mage forever branding him as an offender of a particular Protocol.

Death – well it’s…death.

Gigul – This is the most extreme punishment known to mages and reserved for those who are truly polluted and warped. It essentially destroys the Avatar of the mage so he is never to work magick again or reincarnate. This is usually reserved for the most heinous offenders like those who have Fallen and are under the sway of the Nephandi for their Avatars are forever damaged. In some cases, these offenders are left alive so that they may know what it is to never see the Tapestry or work magick again.

​

​

​

​

​

Ranks and Titles
Although many individual mages, and even some Traditions, treat these titles as optional formalities, the following honorifics
provide an essential legacy of status and respect within the group as a whole.
• Oracle: A mythic mage who’s transcended Earthly existence and now hovers between full Ascension and imperfect
mortality. Essentially a bodhisattva or a saint, an Oracle is more than a person and less than a divinity.
• Primus: “First One;” refers both to the original founders of the Nine Traditions and the living representatives of those
groups today.
• Archmaster: A powerful magus whose mastery of the Spheres displays lifetimes’ worth of study and practice. Always
a rare breed, Archmasters are practically mythic these days. Referred to among Etherites as a Master Scientist.
• Master: An accomplished magus whose skill, Arts, and perseverance have earned great respect among that mage’s
peers. Depending upon your metaplot, Masters might be few and far between these days. In Etherite terminology, a
Doctor.
• Adept: A mage who’s displayed significant skill with the mystic Arts. Often called a Professor among the Etheric Tradition.
• Disciple: An established Tradition member who’s demonstrated magickal skill. Known among Etherites as a capital-S
Scientist.
• Initiate: A brand new and unproven member of a Tradition. Referred to by Etherites as a Student.
• Apprentice: An aspiring mage who has not yet been accepted into a Tradition.
• consor: An especially skilled or powerful unAwakened ally.
• acolyte: A loyal and appreciated mortal; also called an ally by mages who dislike the religious overtones of the
formal rank.
Traditional Names
The following titles don’t fit into the official hierarchy but describe a mage’s status – or lack of same – within the Traditions.
Because most of these terms are archaic, dismissive, or both, lots of mages don’t use them at all.
• The Council, Council of Nine Mystick Traditions: Used for the nine members who represent each Tradition and
a collective name for the faction itself. (The name “Council of Nine” was apparently also adopted by mortal Satanists,
which both amused and annoyed real Tradition members.)
• cabal: A little Council – that is, a small group of mages who work together.
• bani: A formal prefix signifying “of the house of…” For example, Painted Horse, bani Dreamspeakers.
• Deacon: The founding member of a Chantry. Only Choristers and Hermetics employ this title, because its Christian
tone makes it especially inappropriate for Traditions like the Verbena and Dreamspeakers.
• Fellow: A full-fledged member of a Chantry. This title’s rarely used outside formal statements.
• Sentinel: An allied mage who works around, and helps protect, a Chantry to which she doesn’t officially belong.
• errant: A traumatized mage on a vengeance kick. Also used to refer to Tradition mages who quit the Council while
nursing a grudge.
• rogue: A former member of the Traditions or Technocracy who’s turned mercenary.
• Disparate: A mage who belongs to a mystic sect that refuses to join the Traditions. Although the term was originally
an insult (it means “a lesser and separate part”), many Disparates have reclaimed that name as a defiant honor.
• Orphan: Someone who appears to have Awakened on their own, has refused to join an established sect, or both.
Often capitalized by Council members, the term’s considered rather insulting among both the Traditions and the orphans
themselves… especially if the orphan in question is actually a member of a Disparate sect.