Mages should be sparing and even mysterious with their wisdom, and give humble but firm guidance to the less accomplished. Sleepers should not truck with the secrets of Atlantis or endanger mages. Arcane secrets and obscure symbolism must weed out seekres who aren't ready for the higher facets of mystic lore. Mages should always foster greater wisdom among their charges, but never to the extend that they might overstep their bounds and endanger other quests for enlightenment. The Awakened are wiser than Sleepers, and masters are wiser than apprentices. ![]() Though the classical doctrine claims that there is an actual metaphysical transfer of merit, most Guardians are satisfied with knowing that their sacrifice helps mages. The order recognizes that their ways erode the integrity of their own souls, but they also provide safety and justice for the enlightened. Lies and killing are sins, but if they are offered up as sacrifices for the good of the Awakened, they create wisdom - for other mages. Most mages hone their Wisdom by using magic carefully and clinging to compassion, because magic is the art of perfecting humanity - not abandoning it. The Guardians of the Veil hold that enlightenment is an impersonal entity that can be generated and transferred among Awakened seekers. Wisdom is a real force, not a subjective concept. Sins for a just end grant wisdom to the Awakened.If they cannot use subtle talents to subdue the Fallen World, their souls might let the darkness in. Even as hidden masters, mages have a place in the cosmic order. Symbolically, the Supernal World itself is too pure to tolerate vain blandishments. The order discourages vulgar magic Guardians who casually fling reality-defying spells about risk censure or worse. Guardians point to anomalies and manifestations as proof of this, as well as traditions that seem to show that astral journeys were once far less arduous. It is a flaw that opens the Fallen World to the poison of the Abyss. Paradoxes strengthen the Abyss as punishment answers prideĪ Paradox is more than a discontinuity in reality.Loyal members of the order never reject them, but might eventually learn to approach them from a new point of view. All the same, the Exoteric Tenets are not lies, and are the heart of the Guardians’ belief system. These mages soon hear rumors of more guarded beliefs and gradually immerse themselves in the deep philosophy of the order. The Exoteric Tenets are first learned by initiates who pass the final Veil. Tales from the Law of the Mask urge the order to expound on the so-called Exoteric Tenets: philosophies that the order wishes to publicly identify itself with and promote among other mages. This Law of the Mask is introduced among the earliest Veils, but is only taught completely to a mage who graduates to full knowledge of the order. The Guardians of the Veil have few ancient writings, because writing is a secret shared with anyone who reads. The society would rather mold a moral, pragmatic factory worker into an accomplished spy than hire a government-trained psychopath. Consequently, Guardians often come from innocuous backgrounds before the order takes them. The Guardians of the Veil use mundane intelligence agencies and secret brotherhoods as proving grounds, but most prospects are lured to join the order. Many people believe that the order prefers initiates who used to be spies, killers or conspirators in the Sleeping world, but this is based on a misunderstanding. If she refuses to obey, the order lifts the final deception and she becomes a true member. She is not killed, but the Guardians watch her for life. ![]() The secret society she once knew vanishes. ![]() ![]() If the mage obeys, she can never join the order. The final Black Veil therefore presents a quandary to the initiate, asking her to perform an act that is immoral by the order's own standards. They want mages to believe in an ideal so strongly that they will kill, lie and die for it, but they don't want them to totally abandon individual moral judgment. Yet the Guardians don't want mindless servants. Sometimes a sorcerer actually murders someone whom the order has already marked for death, but any demonstration of sincere intent does. Here, a mage must be willing to kill for the conspiracy. This stage is called the Gray Veil, the least important curtain over a web of plots that test a mage's dedication and condition her ethics to accept the order's methods. Senior members test a novice's ability to keep secrets from the unenlightened, and to commit questionable acts for a greater cause. At first, they lure novices into a conspiracy filled with other Guardians and Sleepers. The Guardians of the Veil choose their members carefully, through a process of slow indoctrination that begins as soon as the order senses a combination of Awakened potential and the necessary mindset.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |