History Characters / MageTheAwakening

* TheHeart: To a certain extent they serve as the moral compass of the Pentacle Orders, by virtue of being more in touch with Sleepers and modern values such as tolerance and democracy. Many members of the Free Council hope that the foundation of the Pentacle is a first step in improving the Diamond and In The Second Edition book Tome of the Pentacle The Free Council draconic symbolism is Amira Draconis; The Soul of the Dragon

* TheHeart: To a certain extent they serve as the moral compass of the Pentacle Orders, by virtue of being more in touch with Sleepers and modern values such as tolerance and democracy. Many members of the Free Council hope that the foundation of the Pentacle is a first step in improving the Diamond.

%%* CorruptCorporateExecutive: The Awakened version.

%%* AndIMustScream: What these entities usually cause and their state in general.

** AlternateTimeline: Some Annunaki, like the Prince of 100,000 Leaves, are alternate histories only possible if reality was possible. They are never nice (The Prince's version involves a [[TheEmpire world-spanning, bloodthirsty, theocratic super-state]] where cannibalism is not only the norm, but a sign of regality and civilization).

!'''Left-Handed Mages'''
Less an organization and more of a general term, "Left-Handed Mage" designates all Mages who don't fit in either the Pentacle or the Seers of the Throne.

[[folder:Banishers]]
Sometimes known as the Timori (Atlantean for "[[PrimalFear the fearful]]" or "[[TheDreaded the feared]]", depending on who you ask), Banishers are mages who wield the Supernal against other Mages in the name of wiping out what they see as "tainted" powers. They come in all shapes and sizes, and have a variety of ways of operating. The primary use of the term is when a mage's Awakening goes drastically wrong, becoming instead a MindRape scholars call a Harrowing; some part of their soul remains broken by the act, rather than being cleansed, and so they are inherently disgusted by the magic that they wield, a disgust that cannot be cured and which drives them to murderous insanity.

[[folder:The Exarchs]]
The Exarchs are Supernal symbols/beings (they're the same thing) that represent Tyranny. They are the ones who create and maintain the Lie in the more cosmic scale. Most Diamond and Seers believe they're Atlantean sorcerer-kings that have ascended and became what they are now. Regardless of the truth, we do know their goal -- keep humanity enslaved and away from Awakening.

* AbstractApotheosis: Should they have been human at some point. The Exarchs now exist as the noticeable sentience and coordination of Abyss-tainted symbols of oppression in the Supernal World.
* GodInHumanForm: They can make ochema, embodiments of a fraction of their intellect and personality, to enter the Fallen World and direct it personally. They really don't like doing so, as it is a breach of the Pax Arcanum which all archmages are meant to abide by. As such, they only form ochemata for when a mission is [[GodzillaThreshold too important to leave to mortal Seers]].
* GreaterScopeVillain: They are the leaders of the Seers of the Throne, and are responsible for the destruction of Atlantis and the state of magic. Much of the brokenness in ''Mage'''s universe can be traced back to them.
* MysteriousPast: While 1E firmly established them as originally human Mages who went through AbstractApotheosis, 2E leaves it more ambiguous if they started out as humans or just always were what they are now. Considering that they either retgoned Awakened Civilization or first war with them caused its destruction, both variants may be correct.
* ShadowArchetype: Each Exarch (aside from the Gate, who governs the Abyss), is an embodiment of tyranny based on each Arcanum; the aforementioned Ministries are backed by the Unity ([[PsychicPowers Mind]]), the Eye ([[SpaceMaster Space]]), the Father ([[{{Mana}} Prime]]), the General ([[MindOverMatter Forces]]), and the Chancellor ([[AlchemyIsMagic Matter]]) respectively. The others are the [[MasqueradeEnforcer Nemesis]] (Spirit), the [[NatureIsNotNice Raptor]] (Life), the [[BarredFromTheAfterlife Psychopomp]] (Death), the [[YouCantFightFate Ruin]] (Fate), and the [[SoulCrushingDeskJob Prophet]] (Time).
* TranshumanTreachery: If what the Diamond and Seers believe is right. Ironically, they made the world more anthropocentric in the process, because while they're (unlikely) to be human anymore they're tied to humanity as a whole: tyrants need subjects after all.

!Sleepwalkers and other variants

[[folder:Sleepwalkers]]
Less a species or faction and more of a broad category, "Sleepwalkers" is a term used in Mage society to design [[{{Muggle}} Sleepers]] who, for one reason or another, escape the effect of the Quiescence Curse without having actually Awakened. They exist in all shapes and size, from people who made an incomplete Awakening or got accustomed to the Curse to the point of becoming immune, to mortals who gained supernatural powers from a different source allowing them to push it back, such as psychics, [[TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem ghouls]], [[TabletopGame/WerewolfTheForsaken wolf-blooded]] or [[TabletopGame/DemonTheDescent stigmatics]]. Regardless of the origin, they all share the ability to resist Quiescence and Dissonance, meaning they remember seeing the Supernal and do not trigger Paradoxes. This allows them to play a role in Mage society, and they often are groomed and followed by Mages, who hope to see them fully Awaken.

* AmplifierArtifact: Starting with 2E, Sleepwalkers can now "carry" spells for Mages, thus increasing the number of spells a Mage can maintain simultaneously. Most of them only grant one or two additional slots, but a merit can allow them to carry more.
* BlessedWithSuck: More of a removal of a ''different'' Blessing With Suck-unlike Sleepers, indefinite magic can be cast on Sleepwalkers, as they don't have Quiescence that would eventually unravel it. Good if it's regenerating a limb, not so much for curses.
* FantasticRacism: The Pentacle Orders are at best somewhat condescending toward Sleepwalkers, seeing them as disadvantaged people in need of help only slightly better than Sleepers. The Seers of the Throne are even worse, seeing them as resources to spend and dispose of; see the entry for Grigori to see an example.
* NoSell: Despite being technically Sleepers, they are immune to the Curse, allowing them to witness magic without going insane nor forgetting about it.
* TookALevelInBadass: Sleepwalkers in 1E were little more than regular mortals who could NoSell Disquiet and avoid Paradoxes. In 2E, they can now support Mages by carrying some of their spells, and have access to special merits that can give them an edge. Their concept also is revised to include ''all'' characters with both Integrity and innate supernatural powers; meaning they now include ghouls, wolf-blooded, and psychics, among others.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Proximi]]
A particular type of Sleepwalkers, Proximi are still unable to truly perceive the Supernal, but did manage to partially free themselves from the Curse, granting them the ability to cast magic, albeit nowhere near as powerful as actual Mages (most of them can only cast a few spells and have a strongest risk of causing Paradox), usually at the cost of one Curse. Their abilities are InTheBlood, and as a result they usually grow to become entire bloodlines, known as Dynasties. Such Dynasties are considered precious by Orders, who maintain and even groom them in the hope of seeing them eventually Awaken.
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* {{Hypocrite}}: Their approach to Left-Handed magic. The Guardians will eliminate Nefandi in other orders when found, but tend to keep their own Left-Handed heresies screened until they become too public, because BlackMagic is a useful tool in the Guardians' approach.

* TrueSight: All Mages have access to a a power known as "Mage Sight", which passively lets them [[SupernaturalSensitivity sense when something supernatural is occurring nearby]] (an ability known as "Periphetic Mage Sight") and can be activated to allow them to see everything around them through the scope of their Arcana, thus revealing hidden informations about them.
* WordsDoNotMakeTheMagic: While Mages ''do'' use incantations in [[LanguageOfMagic High Speech]] when casting spells, the actual power comes from their connection to the Supernal; the High Speech itself is little more than a useful PowerCrutch that makes the spell more reliable, but is useless to Sleepers and other non-mages.

** ApparentlyPowerlessPuppetmaster: The stereotype is more often wrong; as befitting people who can instinctively check the future, most Acanthus seem carefree because they already know they're in no actual danger. Most of them are proud invokers of TheTrickster, and indeed that's how most of them Awoke.

* AlienGeometries: With use of the Space Arcanum and a bit of creativity, a Mastigos can create them.

* {{Necromancer}}: A common nickname for the Moros. Fitting, considering the powers granted by the Death Arcana are primarly oriented toward the control of, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin death]].

* {{Mana}}: One of their major Arcana, Prime, allows them control over the very fabric of magic itself. This can be used for a wide array of abilities, such as manipulating ley lines, creating magic artifacts, [[AntiMagic countering spells]], writing down Grimoires or runes that can only be read with Mage Sight, and building objects out of pure Mana.

* FantasticRacism: The Tremere are ''deeply'' bigoted towards all non-mage supernatural beings, seeing them as descendants of the "corrupted" Watchtower of Blood. House Vedmak specializes in hunting them, and ghosts, [[DealWithTheDevol for more souls for their services]].

* ImmortalityImmorality: It doesn't get much worse than destroying someone's soul to stay alive, and the most powerful among them need at least two Sleepers a month.

* DarkMessiah: Aswadim, or Scelestus archmages, are part of the very make-up of the Abyss and have the power to change the world as they see fit. Unfortunately, the changes Aswadim desire are not good for much of humanity. Ironically most of them aren't Scelestus pre-Archmastery, but then again most Scelesti are noted to be living at their Abyssal master's whims.

* StrawNihilist: One of the ideologies that drive Scelesti is nihilism, a contempt for the notion of meaning and hope in the cosmos. Most of them quickly take a one-way train to madness and burn themselves out: the smart ones encourage the rest to go ape while reaping the rewards.

Enchanters and Witches on the Path of Thistle, who Awakened to the Watchtower of the Lunargent Thorn in the Realm of Arcadia, Acanthus mages tend to be easygoing, sometimes to the point of carelessness, due to their grasp of Fate and Time magic-- it’s hard to be worried when you’ve seen what’s going to happen and you can tweak the dice so you know it’s going to work. However, the magic to which they’re born is subtle, and they have little ability when working with overt Forces. Associated with the Fool (XXII) Tarot.

Warlocks and Psychonauts on the Path of Scourging, Scions of the Watchtower of the Iron Gauntlet in the Realm of Pandemonium (Hell), the Mastigos tend to be driven and intense. Their ability to use Mind and Space magic to twist their enemies’ paths and thoughts alike make them dangerous foes, but their abilities focus on the intangible and impermanent, making it hard for them to affect Matter. Associated with the Devil (XV) Tarot.

* [[BoxingLessonsForSuperman Boxing Lessons For The Awakened]] / FightsLikeANormal: One of the credos of the Adamantine Arrow is that you should be at [[BadassNormal the peak of human physical and mental prowess]] ''before'' you even use your magic - that way, the apex of your capabilities is even higher, and it leaves you with more options if a situation renders your magic inappropriate or unavailable.

* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: They believe this is an ideal to achieve; the very first precept of their creed is ''"Existence Is War"'', meaning conflict-- not necessarily ''violent'' conflict, mind you-- is the basic state of all existence (fire wars with wood, for example, gravity with electromagnetism).

* BerserkButton: The Seers of the Throne. Being compared to the Seers of the Throne. Being accused of collaboration with the Seers of the Throne. They really don't like the Seers of the Throne, to the point where their BadassCreed specifically identifies the Seers and people who act like them as worthy only of obliteration.

* BelievingTheirOwnLies: Unlike the rest of the Ministries, who are in it for the power, the Paternoster Seers genuinely believe that they are doing the right thing-- they believe once all Supernal truth has been scoured from the world, the Exarchs will transform it into a utopia.

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: The Awakened version.

* AndIMustScream: What these entities usually cause and their state in general.

The Exarchs are Supernal symbols/beings (they're the same thing) that represent Tyranny. They are the ones who create and maintain the Lie in the more cosmic scale. Most Diamond and Seers believe they're Atlantean sorcerer-kings that have ascended and became what they are now. Regardless of the truth, we do know their goal-- keep humanity enslaved and away from Awakening.

* MysteriousPast: While 1E firmly established them as originally human Mages who went through AbstractApotheosis, 2E leaves it more ambiguous if they started out as humans or just always were what they are now.
** Considering that they either retgoned Awakened Civilization or first war with them caused its destruction, both variants may be correct.

Less a species or faction and more of a broad category, "Sleepwalkers" is a term used in Mage society to design [[{{Muggle}} Sleepers]] who, for one reason or another, escape the effect of the Quiescence Curse without having actually Awakened. They exist in all shapes and size, from people who made an incomplete Awakening or got accustomed to the Curse to the point of becoming immune, to mortals who gained supernatural powers from a different source allowing them to push it back, such as psychics, [[TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem ghouls]], [[TabletopGame/WerewolfTheForsaken wolf-blooded]] or [[TabletopGame/DemonTheDescent stigmatics]]. Regardless of the origin, they all share the ability to resist Quiescence and Dissonance, meaning they remember seeing the Supernal and do not trigger Paradoxes. This allows them to play a role in Mage Society, and they often are groomed and followed by Mages, who hope to see them fully Awaken.

* OurDemonsAreDifferent: Goetia occasionally are referred to as "Goetic Demons". However, this term is meant here in the sense of "Demons" as spirits, not evil spirits - and they definitely have nothing to do with Inferno and Pandemonium Demons or [[TabletopGame/DemonTheDescent the Unchained]].

* OurFairiesAreDifferent: They are very much ''not'' [[TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost the True Fae]], not having the LackOfEmpathy or profound narcissism that defines Keepers. They are embodiments of Destiny and Casuality, rather than inhabitants of the Hedge or the Gentry's Arcadia, though they operate on similar physics

* OurGhostsAreDifferent: It's unclear if they are the souls of the dead or not, but they definitely ''aren't'' [[TabletopGame/GeistTheSinEaters the same ghosts than the ones in the Underworld]].

* CardCarryingVillain: Downplayed. The Seers are fully aware that they serve the transhuman gods of oppression, but many of them do try to justify their behavior to themselves, claiming that the Exarchs are a NecessaryEvil to maintain order, that their form of oppression is ultimately just, or simply too powerful to fight.

A specific family of Proximi aligned to the Praetorian Ministry, the Myrmidons are supposedly the real people behind the myth outlined by [[UsefulNotes/GreekMythology Ovid]], ants who were transformed into humans by the gods. Of course, the Myrmidons say the god who made them was the [[WarGod General]], [[SorcerousOverlord Exarch of Forces]], and so with their elevation came with a condition; the Myrmidons ''must'' obey any order in a specific dialect of High Speech taught only by the Seers, at the cost of their own souls until potentially forgiven by a superior. Thus, they have become the perfect soldiers Praetorian Seers seek; obeying not because they necessarily ''want'' to, but because they have no other choice.

* ElementalPowers: Of the five kinds of Mages, the Obrimos wield these as some of the most overt forms of magic. The Force Arcana grants them power over [[LightEmUp light radiations]], [[GravityMaster gravity]], [[PlayingWithFire fire]], [[MakeMeWannaShout sound]] and [[ShockAndAwe electricity]].

* NecessarilyEvil: It is their mission to merge the five "soul" (i.e., Subtle) Arcana back into one, thus bringing about a GoldenAge of magic. And since the only way to do that is to merge souls with the Final Watchtower (which they become living portals to), munch away.

The Supernal inhabitants of Pandemonium, Demons are being of pure Space and Mind.

The Supernal inhabitants of Pandemonium, Demons are being of pure Space and Time.