Post:Background - 10/05/2013 - 10:11

Re: Background · on 10/05/2013 10:11 AM CDT	725
>>3. For the sake of knowing what's going on in the background, how involved is the guild with provincial politics? It depends greatly on the province and the mages in question. It's a safe assumption that in most political situations if you go down the rabbit hole far enough you'll eventually find a Moon Mage. >>4. What is the guild presence like in societies outside the general provincial realm (Outcasts, Mountain Elves, etc)? Much the same. The vast majority of lunar mages are in some way associated with the Moon Mage guild. (Notable exceptions include Albaria, and by extension the Gorbesh, and the Children of Kalestraum - though the distinction in that case would be lost on many outsiders). >>5. What are the dragon priests' green portals all about (gates without moons)? Travel? >>6. Could you give us any further explanation of the dangers behind teleologic sorcery? I'll quote Armifer here: Compared to the perverse theatrics of Necromancy and the blunt violence of other Sorcery books, Teleologic Sorcery may seem tame in comparison: it deals with abstract concepts and mystical forces far removed from the bone-shattering and blood-spilling of its cousins. However, it'd be entirely wrong to think of Teleologic Sorcery as "nice." Instead of breaking bodies, it attempts to break the universe. Underpinning the practice of Teleologic Sorcery is a warped teleological argument. Teleologic sorcerers propose that all things and all natural laws follow a directive principle, which they identify as the Web of Fate. Taking this extreme fatalism a step further, they also propose that if what is written in destiny and what happens in the physical world ever diverges -- if something ever violates its fated purpose -- it is reality that will twist and warp to accommodate fate, not the other way around. Thus, the endgame that teleologic sorcerers imagine is a path to physical mastery. While normal Prediction may be said to influence fate, Teleologic Sorcery works to manipulate it in artificial and unmistakable ways. In so doing, the sorcerers claim their magic shatters the natural order, be it of a single individual or the entire universe, and forces it to adjust to their desires. Whether or not this is true is up for debate. Sorcerers are, if anything, known for having vivid imaginations and frightening levels of megalomania. Even if the high end implications are delusions (or real, but outside mortal hands), the ability to manipulate an individual's fate in a not-reality-shattering fashion is still a potent and frightening tool. >>7. If the sects had a battle royale, who would win? It depends on how the rules were set up. Are alliances permissible? Is it "Send forth your best champion to throw down?" What about Y'shai? Or is this "Every member of the sect shows up and fights?" My gut tells me that Fortune's Path, Heritage House and the Pethians would not be the winner. Sorting the rest would take a much more specific scenario. -Raesh
This message was originally posted in The Moon Mages \ Guild Events, by DR-RAESH on the play.net forums.