Silver Ladder

The Vox Draconis, the Voice of the Dragon: the advisors of Awakened society, wishing to rebuild a unified community of mages under their leadership.

Someone needs to guide and lead those who cannot lead themselves, and the Silver Ladder rises to the occasion. Basing themselves in the various groups of Atlantean priests and viziers collectively known as the Vox Draconis (the "Voice of the Dragon"), the Silver Ladder does not lead as kings but as the enlightened among the masses. They follow the Elemental Precepts which states that the Awakened must be united and that magic is the right of all humans who live.

Order benefits

Cryptopoly

An important asset to achieve this is the Cryptopoly a network of affiliated occult organisations with influence throughout all spheres of sleeper life. The conspiracies that make up this network each have a different name, but all are headed by an Illuminate who reports to a Silver Ladder caucus. A Silver Ladder is not limited to their own Allies, Contacts, Resources or Status, but can access any of the resources available in the Cryptopoly -- provided they share their assets in turn.

= Proximi

Biological families of Sleepwalkers.

Silver Ladder across Australia

Order status

Status is indicated within the Silver Ladder through formal ranks, each recognised with a public ceremony. Note that progression through the ranks of the Silver Ladder tends to be very slow, requiring both strong mystical skills and potent political and social acumen, before granting starting characters more than a single dot in Order Status.

• Neophyte (status -- or •): Characters usually start with status •; those who have not yet completed initiation are status --.
• Famulus (status ••): Adept level in one arcanum or disciple in two and has taken up a prominent position in either a cabal or Consilium politics. Tend to be cabal leaders, Provosts and judges. Teachers and mentors to neophytes and those outside the order.
• Famulus superior (status •••): Tend to be Councilor or Hierarch.
• Magister (status ••••): Almost always a second degree master and former Hierarch of Councilor. Only one Magister exists in any given Consilium.
• Greater Magister and Grand Magister (status •••••): To get around the rule of only one Magister.

Order positions

A position implies a certain Status level but doesn’t guarantee it. If a mage has less Status than her position, she’s considered an interim functionary and she should relinquish her station to a more qualified théarch as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Correspondingly théarchs who have lower positions than their Status implies still command respect.

City caucus positions:

• Acolyte (usual status •)
• Claviger (usual status •••): "party whips".
• Deacon (usual status ••••): Leader(s) of the city caucus, often a master of at least one arcanum. If there is a théarch Hierarch they are usually made Deacon. Multiple Deacons are usually avoided, otherwise the highest status Deacon overrules the others.

Special positions:

• Factotum (usual status ••): Any mage that passes the factotum exam (requiring Academics 3 (Specialty: Lex Magica), Investigation 1, Occult 2, Politics 2 and Persuasion 2) is immediately elevated to status 2.
• Lictor (usual status ••): A travelling investigator and judge. May not participate in order politics and can't have a permanent home or apprentices, except their direct replacement. Must retire when their apprentice graduates.
• Magister to a Convocation (usual status ••••): Consilium representative at Convocation, usually the Deacon.

Active Characters

Deceased, Departed or Missing

The following members have deceased, departed, missing or otherwise not in play.

Cabals and Groups

The following Cabals and other groups exist within the Order.

Arlington Family

A biological Awakened family of Impeccable breeding, who moved to Perth in it's early days of settlement, becoming a powerhouse in the mining and construction industries.

Archons

Cabal of the Hierarch of Brisbane, mostly Silver Ladder and Guardians of the Vale.