The Thespians

	The Thespians are a quasi-tradition that dates back to 
the time of Shakespeare and Elizibethan theatre.  Originally, this 
was a small group, composed of members of the Solificati, the 
Order of Hermes, and the Cult of Ecstacy that had had enough 
with the constant Ascension War.  A step removed from the 
other Traditions, they are considered Orphans by most, and are 
far from on friendly terms with the Council.
	Central to Thespian philosophy is that true magick 
should be used to entertain and enlighten.  The Ascension War, 
in their eyes, is not about Ascension, but about generations of 
"us versus them" that has removed the conflict from being over 
the nature of reality.  The true path to Ascension, they say, is 
through enjoyment of the arts - music, acting, dance, etc.  The 
path towards personal Ascension lies in helping others 
understand, embrace, and enjoy the arts - the more people you 
entertain, the closer you come to Ascension.  When the value of 
these things are fully realized by everyone, they claim, then the 
world will reach Ascension.
	Very few Thespians use vulgar magick, and even when 
they do, it usually is in a situation where others consider it 
coincidental.  Masters of lighting and performance, Thespians 
use their magick to make the world they send their audience into 
more real, more solid, more worthwhile.  Watching a 
performance by a lone Thespian is engaging, and a troupe can 
be one of the most dynamic performances seen.
	The Technocracy and the Traditions both tend to 
dismiss this semi-Tradition as a group of mages who waste away 
their magick, but in actuality, nothing could be farther from the 
truth.  The art of the Thespians - making the false universe 
created by plays, movies, and other performances seem more 
real - helps Awaken a number of people.  Although it is rarely the 
performance itself which Awakens them, it does set the wheels of 
their mind turning, thinking about one's own reality, and how 
subjective it is when compared to these plays.  Thespians work 
towards Ascension consistently.  They simply ignore the 
Ascension War, because they see it as taking more time away 
from Ascension rather than furthering it.  In fact, they hold very 
little love for the Technocracy or the Council.
	The Thespians tend to see all of its members as equals, 
all parts in a machine working towards a greater goal.  Even 
actors, actresses, musicians, and other artists that aren't 
members of this Tradition are held in high regard, as they 
unknowingly help further the goals of the Thespians.  The 
Thespians are also on good terms with some Kindred, who share 
the same love of the theatre and the performance that the 
Thespians have.  But such alliances with the Kindred usually fall 
apart whenever the vampires ask for some favors or some such.  
The Thespians believe in removing themselves from the various 
conflicts in the World of Darkness, be they among mages, 
Garou, Kindred, ghosts, faeries, or any other supernatural 
beings.  Conflicts, they claim, do nothing to help people Ascend, 
and often push Ascension further back in their wake.  However, 
there are cases where the Thespians get involved in a conflict, 
usually because certain members of a troupe were affected by it, 
directly or indirectly.  When that happens, it can be messy.  The 
Thespians stand together as a union, and all Thespians in the 
area will put aside any personal differences they may have to 
help the others get rid of the offenders.  The zealousness with 
which these mages defend their own leads most Kindred to avoid 
involving them in any conflicts.  However, if a Kindred who has 
befriended the troupe is harmed or killed, then the Thespians will 
rally in his or her name.  For this reason, befriending the 
Thespians can be a worthwhile move for individuals to make.  
Although being attacked by enraged actors might not sound 
frightening, many foolhardy individuals found out the hard way 
that such a thing can be very frightening - if not downright 
deadly.
	The earliest known members of this Tradition date back 
to the time of Shakespeare, in the early 1500's.  The Tradition 
quickly attracted numerous followers who were tired of the 
constant Ascension War, both from the Technocracy and the 
Council.  Membership to the Council was offered at one point, 
but the heads of the Tradition turned the offer down in no 
uncertain terms.  After that, the Technocracy offered the 
Thespians a position, but the Tradition flatly turned them down, 
as well.  For these reasons, the Tradition was largely ignored by 
all sides of the war - which went over just fine with the Thespians.  
The only Tradition that maintained contact, in fact, was the Cult 
of Ecstacy, who had always shared some amount of a tie with 
the Thespians.  In recent years, the growing strength of the 
Technocracy has prompted the Council to again offer 
membership to the Thespians.  As before, the offer was refused, 
but the Thespians did briefly consider the idea.  Some members 
of the council claim this is a sign that they will soon join the 
Council, as the times are beginning to outpace the Art of the 
Thespians.
	It seems that they may be right.  It is true that the 
Thespians have had consistently harder times trying to get 
people to pay attention to their performances.  Many have moved 
on to the movies, working as composers, special effects 
managers, and sometimes actors, but much of the flash they 
would have brought to movies is dulled by the fact that modern 
technology is capable of producing similar effects.  The 
Thespians blame the Technocracy for this.  But they still refuse 
to join the Ascension War.  They continue to act, continue to 
stand on the stage and work their own unique brand of magick.  
They refuse to submit to the sterile wishes of the Technocracy.
	Where the Thespians thrive, however, they thrive with 
great enthusiasm.  Every person that is turned on to theatre and 
music, they say, is a step closer to Ascension.  For this reason, 
some older members of the Tradition have taken another step, 
becoming music teachers, acting coaches, dance instructors, 
and other such professions.  These members are viewed with 
mixed reactions - some of them see the approach as an excellent 
method for helping new Sleepers to Awaken, while others see it 
as the start toowards giving up the stage.  But the respect that 
the Thespians show to all members of their tradition is shown to 
the Thespians that teach their Art to younger minds, trying to 
instill the love of the arts into children while they are still willing to 
listen.
	As well as excellent performers, most Thespians are also 
scholars and lovers of literature.  Their taste in texts runs the full 
gambit - they claim that ALL perspectives of literature must be 
explored and appreciated, if not enjoyed, for onee to truly say 
that they know what writing is.  As many of them that read often 
take the pen in hand, and almost all that do are entertaining to 
read.  Some Thespians claim that such writers as Mark Twain 
were Thespians - a few even go so far as to say that 
Shakespeare was the founding mage for the Tradition.  This is 
usually dismissed, but Shakespeare's plays and sonnets are held 
in high regard, as are many older writers.

PHILOSOPHY: You say you're fighting this war for the sake of 
the Sleepers.  Yet you're bringing them no closer to Ascension, 
you're losing your joy, your soul, your life, and they don't seem 
to give a damn.  Are you really fighting the war for a reason any 
more?  No.  Just because your teacher fought them, his teacher 
fought them, and his teacher's teacher fought them, doesn't 
mean you have to.
	If you really want the Sleeperrs to Awaken, you have to 
help open their minds to the possibilities.  Sing.  Act.  Write.  
Show them that reality can be molded, even if they think it's only 
in someone's mind.  They'll eventually realize that if it can be 
done in the mind, it can be made real - that reality can be 
shaped, not just by plays and such.  Then they'll Awaken.  Then 
they'll Ascend.  But more importantly, then you'll have DONE 
something.  All you're doing now is fighting someone you don't 
know and who doesn't know you, to win a battle fought in the 
name of mages who live six hundred years ago.  Tell me, which 
makes more sense to you: fighting someone whose name you 
don't know and who doesn't know your name, or helping lead the 
world towards Ascension?  That's what I thought.

STYLE: Thespian magick is supposed to entertain and enlighten, 
and is performed as such.  They emphasize that magick is a tool 
- it should be used as such, and not as a crutch or something 
similar.  Although this can sometimes slow their magickal 
progression, they emphasize learning and understanding of the 
nature of magick rather than leaping in for power, which leads to 
many being as scholarly in their magickal comprehension as the 
Order of Hermes.  Their magick is sweeping and theatrical, 
performed with a gusto and zeal that is often lost on the older, 
more serious orders.  If reality is subjective, then why choose to 
make it depressing when you can choose to make it dynamic 
and entertaining just as easily?  Their magick comes from 
dynamism and drama, from the belief that the will to tell a story 
can change the world.

SPHERE: Thespians can choose either Mind or Forces as their 
main sphere.  Most actors choose Mind, to help project their 
emotion and conviction, while musicians and stagehands choose 
Forces to amplify sounds or effects.  Matter is also a popular 
sphere.  The Spirit sphere is largely ignored, as the Thespians 
see no real use for it in their field, but some learn it anyways.  
Certain actors that work in movies learn Life, so that they can 
shapeshift, and make makeup artists and computer animations 
unnessecary for their changes.  (Of course, this is not vulgar on 
screen, but if there are any Sleeper witnesses when this is used, 
it becomes vulgar.  Without Sleeper witnesses, it can be 
considered coincidental if used for an on-screen performance.)

COMMON FOCI: Many of the Thespians like to employ hand 
gestures, power words, or speeches for their magick.  Others 
concentrate on instruments, tools, or (in one case) writing an 
idea on paper.  In any event, most foci are easily overlookable on 
stage, as the Thespian does not want his or her audience to 
realize that they're using magick.  Anything that adds drama or 
force to their performance is held in high regard as foci, and 
anthing which distracts from the performance is frowned upon.  
Remember, these ARE actors.

ORGINIZATION: Loose, but yet tight at the same time.  The 
Thespians do not have a "head" per se - instead, they have a 
council of leading Thespians who vote to decide on all issues.  
This council usually numbers about 50-75 mages.  Other than 
that, no real rank is established.  All Thespians are considered 
equals - including those on the council - and they each consider 
one another brothers.  If one of their number is in trouble, then 
the others offer to help without a moment's hesitation.  Fighting 
against another Thespian is a serious offense - the punishment is 
often ostracism, or even gilgul.  Of course, in some cases, it is 
allowed to pass, such as Thespians that were trying to force the 
Tradition into the Ascension War.  Rather than certamen, the 
Thespians praticipate in a "faceoff", in which the two furiously 
pour out their best performance in an effort to outdo the other.  
The first one to submit is the loser.  As a result, such faceoffs 
can sometime go on for days, or even weeks (the current record 
is a month, interspersed with brief periods of eating and 
sleeping).
	Thespians usually organize themselves into small 
troupes, usually either roving players or the occupants of a 
Thespian-owned theatre.  All the Thespian theatres in town are 
usually in close contact with each other as a result.

INITIATION: Potential members are usually inducted into a 
troupe for a while, being taught the art of acting, and slowly being 
posed magickal questions and ideals.  If the acolyte responds 
well, then they are taught more - if not, the troupe leaves the 
acolyte behind at the first opportunity.  Other acolytes are those 
already Awakened who have a love for the arts and the theatre.  
Such acolytes are usually seized upon by the Thespians, and 
these Awakened rarely regret joining the Thespians.

ACOLYTES: Drama students, musicians, playwrights, 
stagehands

CONCEPTS: Actor, drama teacher, struggling writer, master 
musician

QUOTE: "All the world is NOT a stage.  Magick is a stage, my 
friends, and we mages are the players.  Who could ask for 
more?"

STEREOTYPES:

Akashic Brotherhood: These mages claim they seek the 
Ascension, yet they shut themselves in their monastaries and 
refuse to share anything with the Sleepers.  Seems more than a 
little contradictory.

("These mages do not seek harmony, but entertainment.  Where 
one should simply be, they try harder to do, and the more they 
should flow with nature, the harder they push against the 
current.")

Celestial Chorus: An admirable Tradition.  They seek the same 
results as we do, but instead of demonstrating reality's fluidity, 
they try to shepard the Sleepers without revealing the truth.

("They have learned the voice, and have learned to sing in 
harmony, but do not head towards the One, only the many.")

Cult of Ecstacy: They seek pleasure, and enlightenment through 
entertainment.  They just solicit where we produce.  So close to 
the best path, we respect them, and continue to strengthen our 
ties with them.

("Yeah, thy're a little uptight, and yeah, they are a little too eager 
to Awaken others, but they do share many of our ideals.  We 
stand by them.")

Dreamspeakers: What is this Tradition, who claims to want 
Ascension, but only speak with the dead and not the living?

("They have the Dream, but they only see the surface, not the 
whole structure.")

Euthanatos: They destroy life, not embrace it.  They demean the 
Arts, not promote them.  They hinder our task, not advance it.

("Too concerned with the trappings of life, they are too terrified 
of death to deal with it.")

Order of Hermes: They drive the War, and consider themselves 
above the Sleepers.  But they, too, seek to guide others to 
Ascension.

("They distribute the Art on a platter to anyone who wants a 
taste.  Hedge wizards and showoffs, their appreciation of 
knowledge is their only redemption.")

Sons of Ether: Their vision is strong - now if only they would 
bring that vision to the Sleepers...

("They have great imagination, and are powerfully dynamic.  But 
they do not want to accept Science as they should.")

Verbena: Where does this come from?  Life is not meant to be 
pain and suffering, but a symphony of joy and imagination.  
They, like all mages, stand upon the stage, but they try to hide 
behind the curtains.

("These mages catch themselves up in the trappings of society 
and falsehoods, then expect everyone to commend them for it.  
They claim to enjoy life, but keep their own too carefully 
regulated to really experience it.")

Virtual Adepts: They wish the same progression as we do.  The 
only difference is the medium.

("Great entertainers, but sometimes you have to wonder if 
they're really promoting new ideas or just sticking with the 
familiar ones.")

Hollow Ones: On the stage of magick, these bit players forget 
their lines and place, yet wonder why they are not higher in the 
credits.

("I'm supposed to show respect for a magickal Drama Club?  
Give me a break.  Our source material is the same, but they just 
pose for it.")

Union of Revelation: They have many of our methods - they just 
choose to act more overtly.  With training, they could go far.

("A show can display things in the open or under veils - these 
mages go for the veils.  But they do provide the same displays.")

TRADITIONAL ROTES

Instant Soundtrack
(Forces 3, Prime 2)
	Through this rote, the mage may flawlessly play back 
any song that they have heard before - all of it that they've heard, 
at least.  Any inconsistencies will be there - the sound will be 
tainted by the mage's thoughts on the music - but the sound will 
be very convincing, sounding as if the original was being heard in 
concert.  With the right props, this can be considered 
coincidental.

Perfect Scenery
(Mind 2, Correspondence 3)
	With this rote, the mage co-locates an area of land that 
matches the scenery that the stage is trying to emulate, and 
uses Mind to project the image of that scenery into the minds of 
others, as viewed from their perspectives.  The effect is not 
noticeable - most assume that they're simply getting swept up in 
the play and their imagination is taking hold, erecting the scene 
they think would be appropriate.  Since this has no visible 
effects, it is considered coincidental magick.

Slashed by the Sword
(Life 2, Matter 2)
	This rote is most often used in Shakespearean plays, 
and other such dramas where sword slashes and thrusts often 
graze characters.  Although the sword does not actually touch 
the mage, the mage uses Matter to make his clothes imitate a 
tear, and Life to cause an actually harmless wound that looks 
authentic.  Such a rote can also be used for bullets that graze 
the character, or falls that should leave the character battered 
with torn clothes.  As long as the slash seemed to have made 
contact with the character, this is considered coincidental 
magick.

Stabbed by the Sword
(Correspondence 2, Matter 2, Forces 2)
	A variation on Slashed by the Sword, this used when a 
character is supposed to be run through by a sword.  The mage 
uses Correspondence to open a small portal that opens on one 
side of the mage and exits on the other, with Matter allowing the 
sword to pass through, and Forces manipulating the ambient light 
to make the effect seem real.  Such a thing can be deadly - if the 
sword is accidentally moved up or down too quickly, it will 
actually slash through the mage - not a pretty sight.  Therefore, 
the mage who attempts this also usually knows enough Life 
magick to recover from such a botch.  As long as the audience is 
convinced it is a special effect, it is coincidental magick.

Powderless Flash
(Prime 2, Forces 3, Matter 2)
	This effect is used in place of flashpowder - a flash of 
light is created with Forces and Prime, then altered to smoke 
with Forces and Matter.  This is used for quick, dramatic 
entrances, and on the stage, is always coincidental.  Outside of 
the stage, if something is seen being thrown to the ground or 
such, then this is also considered coincidental.  A variant on this 
waits until the smoke drifts to the right place, then causes it to 
burst into a brief and intense flame before vanishing outright.  
The flame deals aggravated damage to any Kindred subjected to 
it, and normal damage to any others caught in it, adding one to 
the successes for damage due to the use of Forces.

Voice of Fame
(Time 2, Mind 3, Forces 2)
	This is used by aspiring actors who wish to play the part 
of such individuals as Mark Twain, or wish to capture the style of 
famous actors and actresses.  The mage uses Time and Mind to 
find the person in the past and absorb their speech patterns, 
then uses Forces to properly alter the sound of their voice to 
match that of the subject.  Such an effect is always coincidental, 
and is often very convincing.