Post:The Fateweavers - 6/18/2009 - 21:08:53

The Fateweavers · on 6/18/2009 9:08:53 PM	3732
The Followers of Fortune's Path. The Gypsies. The Fateweavers. The Unbound. They have more names than any two other sects combined and a bizarre non-structure that thwarts attempts to take the group seriously. They are stereotyped as drunkards and hedonists who take more interest in gambling (and cheating) than studying probability strictly requires. It's part of the point. While the Web of Fate has entered common vernacular in the Moon Mage Guild, it is a distinctly Fortune's Path concept. Other Moon Mages describe the interplay of forces they deal with as a web or threads of fate without much thought to the symbolism. The more complex and, strangely, most accessible understanding of the Web of Fate is as a method of describing how multiple objects (possibly all objects) are interconnected. An individual's actions influences those closest to him, and they in turn influence others, and so forth. The removal of a single object or the consequences of one act can ricochet through the universe in dramatic ways through chains of interdependency. In these terms, prophecy is understood as the ability to see the sympathetic connections between all objects and read what kind of "vibes" are being transmitted through the web. In addition to real acts of prophecy, the Fateweavers value skilled cold readers, people who predict the future with nothing more supernatural than seeing an event take place and fully understanding its significance. The other usage of the web of fate is more literal and exclusive to Fortune's Path: webs entangle, constrict and thwart the poor bastard that gets caught in them. The Unbound do not take fatalism lying down. The Followers have a love/hate relationship with the universe, which could be described as fatalism with benefits. The web exists, linking people across the planet as symbol of and vehicle for social cohesion. As they all live on one Elanthia, they will influence each others' lives and be influenced. Fate does not need to be a murderous red-head or rip off Final Destination to have a direct hand in the seer's life. The Unbound are broken into two camps about how best to deal with this realization. The first camp invests a lot of merit and teleological meaning into the web, seeing it as a largely positive force. The unthinking, impersonal force of fate can constrain the unwary, but it is also responsible for the cohesion of society and the right and proper order of things. To these Followers, the Web of Fate fulfills many of the attributes of a paternal god. They take pride in following Fortune's Path, going where the spirit moves them and exerting what force they feel is necessary to right the web when dangerous vibes starts cascading through its links. The other camp seeks to rise above it all, mastering the web and removing themselves from unsought influences. They regard the web as a danger to their individuality and self-worth. Only when the Fateweaver is untroubled by commitment, untouched by wars, and unhindered by social expectation can he be called his own man and said to make decisions that truly reflect him. Of course, it doesn't exactly work like that for either camp. It's delusional to believe that the Followers do not have their own designs and an eye on their own comforts, and one of the Unbound is more likely to kill blue than he is to remove himself entirely from his cultural framework. The compromise position that they often reach is to live on the fringes of society, plying their wisdom where they feel it's most needed and staying as unencumbered by commitment as comfortable. Much like the Sophisters' pursuit of perfection, the Followers of Fortune's Path know they're chasing an impossible ideal, hoping they build better lives for themselves in the process. -Armifer
This message was originally posted in The Moon Mages (24) \ The Moon Mage Sects (14), by DR-ARMIFER on the play.net forums.