Mystery Initiation

From Edge of Darkness Wiki

All mages of the Mysterium go through stages of initiation on the Atlantean Mystery that is the secret core of the order. Not all of them truly internalize the process, however. To some, it is simply an acknowledgement of the respect they are accorded, and an acceptance of further responsibility in the order. To others, however, undergoing the initiations into the mystery unlocks some new understanding, Each initiation comes with a mystery revelation, some mechanical benefit that reflects the enlightenment that comes to these magi who deeply understand and connect with the Mystery communicated through the initiatory rites.

For the sake of the Edge of Darkness chronicle we will use the Titles given here to indicate Mystery Initiation

- Mysteriorium Exemplum - Mystagogue
An initiate of this Mystery fails to touch the Mysterium egregore.

● Mysteriorium Arche - Setian
If the initiate possesses the Merit Mystery Initiation •, the experience of the ritual initiation brings the mage closer to other mystagogues in other ritual settings.When the character participates in a group ritual casting as a helper and all participants know the Mysteriorum Arche, he automatically adds one die to the primary spellcaster’s final roll. The primary spellcaster benefits from no more egregore bonus dice than her own rating in the Mystery Initiation Merit.

●● Mysteriorium Anima - Theoricus
If the initiate possesses the Merit Mystery Initiation ••, he has experienced his place within the soul of magic, and it connects him with his place within the Mysterium. He knows the order as well as he knew, for that instant, all of magic. The bonus to Social rolls from Mysterium Status applies between even between two members of the order who have never before met. The egregore does not inform the mage who is a mystagogue and of what rank, but once he recognizes another mage as Mysterium, all benefits of the Merit come across in full. His experience makes the order’s concealed signs and phrases that declare worthiness easy to recognize and communicate: add Mysterium Status to Wits rolls to detect these signs, to Expression rolls to make them and to Subterfuge rolls to conceal them from unenlightened eyes.

●●● Mysteriorium Barathrum - Practicus
If the initiate possesses the Merit Mystery Initiation •••, he has experienced Atlantis and has seen the Fall. These things remain etched on his memory for all time, and they bring with them near-perfect recall of the Mysterium’s history and members. Treat the character as having the Eidetic Memory Merit when recalling members of the order and relationships between them, or just facts about the order. This only applies to information the character has actually learned — he cannot call up knowledge from the ether. A mage who already possesses the Eidetic Memory Merit gains no additional benefit. Mystagogues point to this aspect of the egregore as evidence that their path is best for recovering and preserving knowledge; it also serves the order well in tracking guanxi.

●●●● Mysteriorium Calamitas - Leo
If the initiate possesses the Merit Mystery Initiation ••••, the flaws of the Fallen World are external to the Awakened, though the flaws unavoidably infect the mages’ spells and souls. One method of purifying magic is by using magical tools to expunge flaws with sympathy to the Supernal Realms. Somewhere, a mage of the Mysterium connects more firmly than other mages to the Supernal through an appropriate symbol, no matter the time. Through the egregore, an initiate of this Mystery can take advantage of that. He is considered to be casting with a magical tool at all times.

●●●●● Mysteriorium Focus - Magus
If the initiate possesses the Merit Mystery Initiation •••••, the mithraeum is a place of greater import than 99% of the Mysterium realize. It connects the Athenaeum to the Atlantean libraries of old through the mithraeum’s resonance with the ancient caves in which Atlanteans meditated and practiced their arts. The mithraeum also connects Athenaea across the world through its shape, form and purpose. An initiate of the Mysteriorum Focus has an Intimate sympathetic connection to all mages of the Mysterium while within the mithraeum. This sympathy still degrades through lack of a true name, and does not somehow inspire the mage with names of mystagogues he has never otherwise heard of.

●●●●●+ Mysteriorium Atlantis - Ipsissimus
The Mysterium egregore for a mage at this level of initiation is unknowable by lesser mages.