Mage the Awakening - Left-Hand Path

97 Pages·2012·25.24 MB·English

"It wouldn't be magic's cutting edge if it
didn't make someone bleed,"
-- Carbon, founder of
the Cloud Infinite Reapers
The Price of Disobedience
All societies have rules--even societies of mages. But rules were made to be
broken. For the Awakened, shattered laws raise sinister forces. The Left-
Hand Path tempts sorcerers with forbidden power, fulfilling their desires at the
risk of ostracism, madness or damnation. In exile, more of them thrive than the
Pentacle admits, challenging the peril to their souls ... and uniting in
common cause. Look Beneath the Surface
A Character Book for Mage: The Awakening™
• The magical practices banned by
Consilium and order
• Details on Apostates and Heretics,
mages on the fringe of Awakened
society
• Secrets of the Mad, dangerous and
obsessed mages whose Wisdom
failed
• The hidden threat of the Tremere
liches, their goal of summoning the
Sixth Watchtower and their methods
of Reaping souls
• The history, society, philosophy, and
powers of the Scelesti, mages who
worship the Abyss
“Maybe
that man contem-
plated the origin of a blood spatter on his tie once. That
sounds unusually mystical for him.”
“He’s a second degree Master. Believe what you
like—ah. Here you are. You’re following up on the
Chicago problem.”
“That’s right. With all due respect, I’d rather not
discuss it in the living room. Do you have a study or
something?” My fingers itch—the ones the cannibal
Two bored women sit bit off. I’m going to need a spell to cure phantom limb.
at the other end of the table. One’s important, Maybe I’ll get an actual phantom limb, even. “It concerns
and that’s fine, but the other doesn’t leave when I your Secret Concord.”
walk up. That’s not. She stands abruptly, and I can see I finally have her
“You’re Knonsu?” full attention. “Athena? Hold my calls. Come this way, Mr.
Khonsu.”
She uses my Shadow Name, but it some-
how annoys me nonetheless. I glance down, As I follow her, I chuckle at the odd construction and kind
stifling my annoyance by taking in the pattern at my of space out, to be honest. As soon as I close the door, I lose my
feet. They’ve put a new carpet down in the living room at Cor- grip on my hat and it falls to the floor. She turns and scowls.
mant House: Afghan, enchanted. It includes some subtle sigils that “Christ, sorry Ma’am. It’s just this hand.” I hold it up to
program a Prime whammy into the weave—I guess someone’s got show her.
a yen for yarn as part of their craft. I’m less than pleased with the “I had a problem with an extremity once. What’s wrong
change. The Ebon Noose’s meeting room used to be a non-magical with yours?”
shabby chic kind of thing. Now I’m standing on an ostentatious
“Don’t you see? Touch it for yourself.”
fucking landmine.
“Yeah. The Censor.” I doff my hat with the bad hand; it
I don’t know why I screamed at Athena to leave. She de-
covers the missing fingers. “I made an appointment with the
serves better. Her family’s served us for a long, long time. Heavy
Hierarch, but you’re here ….” I tap the side of my leg with the
is the head that wears the crown, especially when it’s still techni-
other hand, against the stone in my pocket.
cally attached to someone else’s head.
“Khumeia.”
Let me look at my notes. I had a Techgnostic improve
“I know who you are.” I find an insincere smile makes
the voice recognition on my tablet last year. Except for
people wonder if I’m lying or just a bastard, and I’m not
scrambled bits at the beginning and end, it recoded ev-
particular which she infers right now. “Has there been,
erything that asshole mystagogue had to say. They’re
say, a change in government?”
definitely from an Abyssal Verge near here. The
“No. The Nemean has taken a sabbatical to writings we recovered connect it to your Secret
contemplate the Mysteries. I’m acting as a sort of Concord. Now if could just get a look at it,
lead Provost until he comes back.” She doesn’t we could deal with your cannibal problem
look up. She’s looking for me on her tablet. once and for all.
I mount the tablet in my car and Do I? I don’t even know what I’m
say, “Read the rest.” So it does—the voice going to say when I open my mouth, but
sounds funny, a bit hypnotic. I kind of space the shadows ripple before I can talk. Masked
out, to be honest, and by the time I start think- people tear out of them. They’re fast.
ing again I’ve driven past the Lodge.
Heavy is the head . . . the head needs a drink. I I open my eyes and run a hand along my face. I’m
drive by the bars until I hit one by the harbor. It’s got a so smooth. I usually shave everything. Hair belongs to my
terrible plastic lobster for a sign. selves. Where are they? I can’t hear them sing and scream.
I order beer. I never drink beer, and I’d never look back at “Kenosia, you did very well.” I’m lying in a bed; the voice
some dude in jeans who’s obviously sizing me up. comes from a hag’s face above: a stone mask, fanged and grinning.
After the third glance he comes to sit with me. “Who? I’m not anyone right now. I need to be someone to
“You’d be even prettier if you didn’t frown like that. My name’s talk to you.” My head hurts. What am I supposed to say when
Joe.” That’s a pickup artist’s line. He’s got a cheap, easy smile. I’m not anyone?
“Hi Joe. Why don’t we cut the ritual? I’ll take you to my car “You’re a holy pilgrim, love. I’m Culsu. Like you, I passed
and we can go, well, wherever you want.” My smile feels cheap, through the Veils and became Faceless.” She places a gloved hand on
too. Joe doesn’t seem nearly as surprised as he should be. By the my chest. “But I wasn’t brave enough to make your commitment.”
Architect, what the hell am I doing? That helps order my thoughts. “I’m the Veil, nothing more.”
Ten minutes later, while we wrestle in the back seat. I turn I smile, like a child getting a question right.
to one side; the stone in my jeans stabs me. My grunt sets off my My fingers and toes are numb. I feel so sleepy. I’m not used
tablet. Now I recognize the voice. It’s not the mystagogue’s. It’s to feeling things when I’m not a person.
mine. How? It almost takes my mind off Joe. He’s whispering
“You are Legion: a pilgrim on the harder, Left-Handed
something about the “blood of the lamb” and yanking at some-
path. You became so holy, my love, that you couldn’t worship
thing stuck in his top of his boot.
as just one person. In your devotion you told us about the Con-
cord, the old Tremere rising, and what the other orders know. In
Could I have taken her? I don’t know. But that computer of one night, you exceeded years of our efforts.”
hers started talking about the Temple of the Devourer and the man- “My legs are cold, Culsu. I can’t move them.”
dogs. It’s a bit of a blur, but I must have run for it. I don’t fuck men
“You borrowed three souls. Two of them might be missed.
or Awakened, only insects without wings. I fly them to Heaven, like
We’ll return them carefully, anonymously. But we can’t let them
Jesus, except that they learn that in the end, love’s a lie. That guides
know about you . . . and you’re very strong. Too strong to con-
them to the real Heaven, in the Darkness.
trol, and too holy to make promises you can keep.”
Maybe she’s a Baalath—that makes sense. Someone was
“I could stop the poison whenever I want.” The cold’s gone,
bound to go for the Temple eventually. She felt strong, once I
and now I feel like the bed has dropped out from under me.
called the Sight. I’ve always been too scared to claim the Temple.
Culsu’s mask swims in the sky.
I’d have to show the Red Word I was worthy. Together, though . . .
“I know, love.”
we could hunt together too, and send the women-bugs to Heaven.
“Culsu?”
I can’t hunt in Boston tonight. Danvers feels good. I’ve
never hunted there. Wonder why? Maybe I’ll B&E it tonight. She takes off her mask. She has beautiful eyes.
That really makes the insects chirp, until I get the gag on them. “Will I see everyone I ever was?”
I heard ghosts made Danvers Asylum dangerous for Awakened
folks to visit, but they built apartments around there ages ago.
Wikipedia says they just capped the old tunnels. I can
punch through concrete, if I want.
I gave myself an owl’s vision, but walking in the dark tun-
nels still disorients me. I kind of space out, to be honest, and by
the time I start thinking again, there’s this glow.
A Hallow, down here.
I start digging. My arms are still as strong as they were when I
hit the concrete. It takes me 20 minutes to rip out the floor planks,
get down to the level of the trunk and pull it up. I tear the lid right off
and—why?—I take the stone out of my jeans.
I think I’ve seen the stone before. It’s rough, but the sigils
look old and smooth. When I make my eyes see the Shadow, I
can make out two thin, red lines whipping out, into the eyes of
the corpse in the trunk.
He twitches. It seems right to wait until he blinks. His
clothes look old, like from a British drama on PBS.
He exhales a rotten wind.
“You Scelesti keep your promises.” He sits up, stiffly, releas-
ing a cloud of dust. “You’re not known for that. Then again,
neither are we. The old kingdom perishes. A new one
rises.”
“And the tower?” Why am I saying that?
“You’ll get your key to the kingdom, as the
Concord promises, once the Baron from the
Other Side comes home. First, I need more
souls.” His colorless eyes flash. “I see
you’ve got more.”
By David Brookshaw and Malcolm Sheppard
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Table Of Contents 5

Introduction
Knowledge becomes evil if the aim be not virtuous.
—Plato
They are not spoken of. Nefandi. “Unutterable.” Out of go too far repeatedly do so out of a driving obsession, a refusal
sight, and out of mind. Cast out of the Consilium where to step back and look at what they’re doing or acknowledge
their poison can’t infect others. The Left-Handed path any authority other than themselves. They damn themselves
leads to a lonely, maddened death. And yet, they thrive. through their own hubris.
All societies have rules, even the societies of mages. Those Collectively, the spells, Legacies, and practices that magi-
of the Pentacle are the responsibility of any serious teacher to cal society proscribes are known as the Left-Handed Path.
pass down from mentor to student. The laws of the Consilium Mages who pursue individual power or development by
are intended to keep the peace between rivals vying for secrets reviled means over the collective good (as the orders de-
and resources, to maintain the rights of cabals, and to prevent fine “good”) are described as “Left-Handed” when they’re
threats to the whole community. spoken about at all. Many mages who have broken magic’s
Laws against taking another mage’s property, revealing magic laws flee, escaping justice in self-imposed exile. Many more
to Sleepers, and aiding the Seers reinforce the Consilium’s don’t. Out of shame or fear of suspicion, their peers cover
priorities. Transgressors can expect to be reprimanded, fined for them or try to deal with the problem without making
or made to do penance. The internal codes of the orders are it public. The very worst magical criminals, those whose
more complex and secretive, threatening only to disown mages crimes become infamous and obvious to all, are declared
who stray too far from the accepted doctrine. Staying within the Nefandi and erased from the orders’ records. Their shadow
bounds of order and Consilium is easy enough if the neophyte names become taboo and their students are watched for
has chosen his order well and respects the Sentinels. Behavior the rest of their lives, if they’re allowed to remain part of
that a Sleeper would find immoral or disturbing is accepted the Awakened community at all. The Consilium tells itself
with a shrug, from lying daily in order to maintain the Veil, to that the few self-exiles and banishments are the whole of
summoning demons from the Inner Worlds, or even animat- the problem — that the Left-Handed are rare and man-
ing the dead as servants. Limits to what is acceptable can be aged when they appear. It would be comforting if that
universal or local, but most mages agree on a few: debasement were true, but it’s never that simple. Deviant things breed
or destruction of the human soul, bargaining with or (worse) in the darkness beyond the Consiliums’ sight: alliances
worshipping the inhabitants of the Abyss or Lower Depths, between exiled Legacies, extremist shadow-forms of the
murder of other mages for magical power or other ends. Each orders’ philosophies and mages unaccountable to anyone
order adds their own heresies — Mystagogues who preach the who sink deeper and deeper into madness.
destruction of Sleepers, Silver Ladder tyrants, Guardians of the
Veil who follow false messiahs, and dozens more. Theme and Mood
Whether legally applied or self-imposed under threat of
Theme: The Price of Disobedience
worse punishment, ostracism awaits mages who are found out.
Left-Handed mages bend and splinter the few taboos left in
The rewards of breaking taboos are often tempting, however.
Awakened culture, earning persecution from their colleagues.
Some see forbidden magic as a shortcut to power or a way out
Half of the so-called “price” of disobedience is actually a pay-
of terrible circumstances. Others believe that their studies are
off. By refusing to conform, the Left-Handed earn magical
banned simply to deny them to the weak. Perhaps the mages
secrets, Legacy powers, and ways around or out of Awakened
acknowledge the danger but have the hubris to think that
social customs that impede their magical development.
they can wield power safely where others cannot. When a
Legacies have their own mores, however, forming the other
willworker is pushed to her limits and her life, her work, her
half of the “price.” They exert an ever-stronger influence as
dependents, or simply her pride and self-image are at risk, can
Left-Handed mages rise through the ranks. The heretical praxis
she really afford to turn down any option? After all, it’s just
demands its toll as well: eccentric behaviors, theft, murder, or
this once — and for many, that’s even true. Those mages who
spiritual violations that require the Art to even contemplate.
introduction 7
Mood: Look beneath the Surface
The Pentacle treats Left-Handed mages like a mad rabble at
The Point of No Return
the periphery of Awakened society —a reason to cleave to the
Consilium, but not a serious threat to the order of things. The Despite popular opinion among the Pentacle, not
Hierarchs are wrong. Among the Left-Handed, cohesive move- every taboo-breaking mage immediately joins or
forms a Legacy devoted to his divergent praxis. A great
ments bring disparate Legacies and philosophies together.
many do, but it’s possible to defy the Consilium with-
They represent alternatives to the Pentacle’s “eternal truth”
out shaping your soul into your means of doing so.
that the orders would rather not acknowledge.
The reason “Left-Handed” means “Left-Handed
How to Use This Book Legacies” in casual use among the Awakened is that
it’s the only reasonably clear difference between
The Left-Hand Path is a guide to mages who defy the
“normal” mages and the Left-Handed; if you’re in a
social mores of the Awakened, from Apostates that quit banned Legacy, then you’re destined for the Interfec-
their order to the Abyss-worshipping Scelesti. The common tor. Or to become the Interfector.
threads in the mages detailed here are obsession, risk and
It’s never that simple, though. Is someone who
self-destruction; the Left-Handed have strayed from the
was tricked into joining a Legacy but now regrets it
teachings of the orders for reasons that make sense to them,
Left-Handed? It’s debatable. Is a mage who spends
risking their careers and lives for understanding, power
decades stealing souls but joined a mainstream
or the indulgence of their desires. A mage can cross the Legacy early in her career innocent? Of course she
line once or twice without being trapped by his choices. isn’t.
Contrary to the Hierarchs’ cautionary tales, not every deal
Except for a few penitents, membership of a pro-
with an acamoth is instantly and irrevocably damning,
scribed Legacy indicates that a mage has gone too
and taking a single soul under duress is not the same as
far to back out now. Barring the legendary spells of
becoming a full Tremere, but confidence at having escaped
Archmasters and desperate acts of self-mutilation,
unscathed once leads to the false assumption that the tales Legacies can’t be removed. The attainments forever
are entirely wrong, that the danger has no teeth. The risk mark the mage as the inheritor of a twisted path.
increases that the mage will do it again and again.
A Left-Handed mage’s behavior becomes more and more
extreme and his Paradoxes more severe as Wisdom gives way
to hubris. If he falls to madness completely, through myriad ship. The bulk of the Left-Handed Legacies, those who don’t
layers of monstrousness, then he’ll become a cautionary tale worship the Abyss or steal souls, are described here.
to other mages, whispered about when Consilium officials Chapter Two: The Mad Ones describes the Mad, mages
aren’t within earshot — assuming he’s ever stopped. whose minds splintered in the Awakening or who committed
Characters can appear at any stage of development, from such acts of hubris that Wisdom failed. Every Mad mage is lost
initial temptation through to being caught and tried or be- to permanent madness, obsessed by a singular form of magic
coming one of the Mad. Players can watch their characters’ and driven to indulge his vices. Cautionary tales and tragic
mentors go down the Left-Handed Path, understanding why villains, the Mad make dangerous enemies for any Cabal.
a mage would do such a thing. And then, one day, a player’s Chapter Three: The Scelesti examines the mages who
character might be in just the wrong place at the wrong time break one of the great magical taboos; dealing with the Abyss.
and realize how she could achieve her goals if she were to do Mages of all orders and Ministries are taught to beware of the
something radical. Something forbidden. anti-reality of lies, so what drives a mage to worship it and
Just this once. betray the entire Fallen World?
Chapter Four: Reapers looks at those mages who use
Contents the human soul for their own ends. The Tremere liches are
the greatest example of these dark Legacies. Every Sleeper
The Left-Hand Path begins with this Introduction and
defiled by the Reapers is an Awakening that will never be
advice for Storytellers on how to use the rest of the book. The
realized. Every soul stolen from a fellow mage and used in
Introduction shows the many ways the orders think about,
the Reapers’ experiments is a light snuffed out.
classify, and describe mages who break their taboos. It details
the punishment meted out to the Left-Handed when the
Consilium’s hand is forced, then goes into ways to include
Forbidden Names
the Left-Handed in your stories from individual encounters
to chronicle antagonists.
Mages know that names have power; moreover, concepts
Chapter One: Heretics and Apostates looks at the mages
have power. The orders discourage initiates from studying the
who break social rules; the Apostates who break their oaths
Left-Handed too closely, believing that the lore of Nefandi
and leave their orders as well as the heretics who twist and
Legacies and the Mad has the potential to lead unwary will-
corrupt their orders’ teachings while still claiming member-
workers astray. Guardians of the Veil and Mysterium Censors
8