Cabal
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When working together, an aggregate of mages is known as a “cabal.” A mage’s chances of survival increase enormously when she puts her solitary inclinations aside and works with at least one other Awakened. Simultaneously, her chances of descending unchecked into the madness that magical power can cause drop significantly as well. Most mages join a cabal, a group of other mages, usually peers at the same level of magical development.
| There must be at least three mages working together to be recognized as a Cabal. |
Current Cabals
Creed
A creed spells out the goals of the cabal and may be as brief or prolific as the cabal’s members desire. The creed usually sets out lofty goals, whether or not they can be realistically accomplished. The point here is to declare the cabal’s intent to the Supernal World, to sanctify the cabal’s purpose. Whether the creed later becomes manifest in the Fallen World is a separate matter. Of course, the cabal’s members are expected to adhere to the creed; otherwise, they are betraying an oath they made to their own souls.
Interdicts
The Interdicts cover behaviors that cabal members are banned from doing. Using the Interdicts, a number of mages try to get their order’s traditions into the contract. This rarely works out well in multi-order cabals, since Interdicts highlight the differences between orders, sometimes to the detriment of all the mages involved.
Protocols
See Great Rights
Sigil
Few modern mages see the benefit in making individual sigils, but most cabals devise one. Heralds or ambassadors carry cabal sigils as an introduction to the people they meet, for a properly constructed sigil isn’t just an artistic showpiece. Like the knightly coat-ofarms, a sigil transmits fundamental information about the cabal: its experiences, its values and its intentions. Many claim that a sigil is more than a physical object — it represents Supernal concepts, actualized by the force of the cabal’s collective will.
Modern cabal sigils are used in most official transactions. At Consilium gatherings, a person carrying the sigil acts as a de facto voice for the cabal. When the bearer travels to another’s territory, the sigil shows that the bearer is a sanctioned representative of the sigil’s cabal.[1]
This is extrapolated into the Sigil Holder position for reference on EoD.
Themes
Cabals often have a mystical significance, chosen around a theme inherent to a group. Such symbolic cabals might base their theme on their number of members, the quality of their magical practice, their locale or any other factor that members’ orders recognize as a proper magical correspondence. A cabal might be formed along an elemental theme, with one member taking the position of fire, another water, and so on, until all four (or five, depending on the paradigm) elemental roles are filled. Other cabals might use astrological signs or Arcana roles as their symbolic unifier.
The benefit of a symbolic cabal is if all members of the cabal participate in a spellcasting, each gains a +1 bonus to Teamwork rolls. This bonus only applies, however, if the cabal’s symbolic theme can be integrated into the spell[2].
Titles
For practical reasons, mages identified a series of essential jobs needed to make their cabals autonomous. The original job “titles” were written in High Speech script to try and add some mystical weight to the tasks, but the system persevered simply because it was practical.
Farseeker
- Also known as the Scrounger or Hand
- The mage whose chief duty is to gather needed resources for the cabal.
- Hunter, middleman and/or resolute shopper, the Farseeker, also known as the Hand, takes care of the cabal’s physical needs. Sometimes this is as simple as being the one who calls for takeout. Other times, taking care of the cabal’s physical needs involves long and complicated hunts for tass sources. But, as with any of these oath-bound “professions,” this job is not usually a solo mission. Farseekers work best with others. A number of stories, for better or worse, start when the cabal’s Hand drags everyone into a task he “knows” will benefit the whole cabal.
Doorwarden
- Also known as the Bouncer or Fist
- The mage whose chief duty is to protect the cabal.
- The term “Doorwarden” originally came from a position given to the mage who guarded the sanctum door. Her job was not to protect the mages from all danger; it was only to divert dangers from entering the mages’ home. This defensive position quickly earned the mage the nickname of “Fist.” Fists deal with outside threats, internal conflicts and even occasional madness. You can find a Doorwarden watching over a mage whose mind travels Astral Space as easily as you can find a Fist patrolling the sanctum. In fact, it’s the internal conflicts that usually require the Fist’s closest attention.
Hearthmaster
- Also known as the Guide or Heart
- The mage tasked with maintaining (and perhaps even finding) the cabal’s sanctum.
- More than one cabal has been thankful for a Hearthmaster. Many mages claim that the Hearthmaster is the “Heart” of the cabal, hence the common nickname. The Heart serves as the person who bandages the wounds, fixes the meals, keeps the house clean and listens to “confessions.” The Hearts are usually the first to see trouble coming and the first to try and fix it, tapping cabal members to assist them. Sometimes, the leader of the cabal, if there is one, has been or is a Hearthmaster. Hearthmasters work side by side with both the Farseeker and the Doorwarden, coordinating activities for the betterment of the cabal. It’s not unusual to see emotional bonds develop between a Heart and either a Hand or a Fist, though this sometimes leads to unintentionally difficult situations.
Lorekeeper
- Also known as the Scribe or Head
- The mage in charge of keeping the cabal’s history and knowledge intact.
- Many mages claim that the Lorekeeper is the practical center around which the cabal turns; after all, it’s the Lorekeeper’s responsibility to ensure mages keep to the cabal’s Protocols (see p. 25). Lorekeepers also embody the living history of the cabal, which has earned them the nickname of cabal “Head.” Lorekeepers are also responsible for the library of the cabal (however small or big). They make sure that the library’s stores of information are available when needed and not locked up in some individual’s lab.
Edgetender
- Also known as the Hexer or Eye
- The mage who nurtures the mystical resources of the cabal.
Also known as “gardeners” or “Eyes,” the Edgetenders tend to the mystical landscape that the cabal occupies, dealing with Hallows, ley lines, Verges or Demesnes, wherever the mystical events occur. Unlike the Fist, who is meant to protect against such things, the Eye’s purpose is to cultivate the mystical landscape so that the cabal can fully take advantage of the magical energies. The Eyes also takes care of any tass or enchanted item that the Farseeker brings in. More than once, this work sets the Edgetender against the Doorwarden, forcing the Heart to step in before too much damage (social or otherwise) is done. Edgetenders have also been known to take things without permission in order to fulfill their duty, especially when time is of the essence. This leads, naturally, to more conflict for the Hearthmaster to handle.
Past Cabals
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