Awakening CofD GSS

Chronicles of Darkness Mage: The Awakening Genre Style Sheet

Country: Australia
Approval Number: BTS-AWA-2017100012
Genre Storyteller: Nick Wittman
Genre Storyteller E-Mail: gst.awakening.cofd@beyondthesunset.org.au

All Venues with Mage: The Awakening (CofD) PC’s will be covered by this GSS

Themes: Personal Horror, Paranoia and Mystery

Mage is a game of conspiracies, from the smallest cabal to the largest Order. Trust is not standard fare amongst Mages and can be shattered in an instant. While Cabals may share Sanctum’s and Orders will work together, infiltrators, Seers, Banishers and the Mad hide behind every curtain and the threats a Mage faces can be unseen but far-reaching.

Just as the Sleepers do not understand the Mysteries, so to do some things elude even the sharpest Mage. Mysteries are fought over by Mage’s who may not even understand what it is they are fighting over, Whole Consilia may be engulfed in a war that it has no idea it is a part of. Some Mages consider themselves akin to gods, sometimes the Gods notice.

“With great power comes great responsibility”, one of the greatest struggles most Mages face is the balance of their new, mystical life with that of their old, sleeper life. If a Banisher is hunting you, it will not be beyond them to kidnap your family and hold them hostage. You may have shrugged off Quiniscience. But awakening isn’t a pre-requisite for being dragged into a conflict between those who are.

Setting: A Country Re-Built

Some Points from an OOC Perspective:

• While not necessarily the cut-throat politics of some other genres, Mage has an element of PvP that is present and encouraged in line with the theme of Paranoia. Orders should be distrusting of each other even after years of working together. Luckily, PvP in Mage: The Awakening is generally much less lethal and consists largely of undermining.

• Mastery is not uncommon but is not a thing taken lightly. As discussed below, there are approvals for Mastery beyond the first Arcana and Dual Mastery and above will open you up to a whole new world of Plot and a different game.

• Mages are Humans. More so than any other splat. The only thing holding back a mage is himself and his wisdom.

The Combined Consilia of Australia generally have a Convocation once a year, where the Pentacle comes together, discusses nationwide issues, shares information with order mates and most importantly, where the majority of Nationwide Order Politics happens. There are no heads of Orders, but often the high ranking members have some politicking to do.

History of the Awakened of Australia

NOTE: This is a rough outline at the moment, further events will be added shortly.

Pre-European Settlement (pre 1788AD)

Mages largely integrated into aboriginal population, Path of the Stone Book most common. Very few settlements, no Consilia to speak of.

Colonisation by the British (1788-1822)

Mages from Britain come over, a few at first but then in larger numbers. There is great disrupt to the Aboriginal population, and the Shadow reflects this to a degree. New spirits are being born of concepts that haven’t existed in this place before now. It is a time of turmoil in all aspects of life. The first consilium is founded in Sydney in 1799.

Expansion of the Country (1822-1850)

Other consilia begin popping up around the Country. The first Convocation is held in 1830. The presence of the Seers of the Throne within Australia becomes known to the Pentacle.

The Early and the Modern (1859-2017)

The Golden Age for the Awakened. Consili grow, new ones are formed. The leylines of Australia are powerful and Hallows abound. Mysteries are plentiful. The world is good.

Additional Approval Requirements:

Masteries and Power Level

Dual-Mastery and Above is a High Approval under this GSS. That is, every Mastery above the First Sphere is a High Approval. A limited number of these will be allowed, with more slots opening each year.

If your first Mastery is not a Ruling Arcana, it is a High Approval.

Dual Masters are expected to be characters largely within a mentorship position, they begin to step back from day-to-day runnings of their Consilium and become focused further on the Mysteries. They are expected to be leaders within their Order. They are expected to delegate.

All PC Mages that are a Dual-Master or above will be subject to a greater scope of plot handed down by the GST, largely involving the wider political machinations of the World of Darkness. Things that lesser mages could never begin to imagine or comprehend.

The scale of Dual Masters (and above) to Masters to Non-Masters should be approximately 1:2:7

Update Log

Created: 09/12/2017