The Press of Time "So, how many people have been around since the First Cabal, and can I play one of them?" Ouch. What a question.
But it's an interesting one.
There are, of course, a few very old mages still running around the World of Darkness. Like the ancient vampires who dominate the cities, these mysticks have clung to existence for far longer than nature intended them to. And let's face it, they're
interesting.
One of the main points of
Mage is that the form magick takes has a lot to do with the culture that its wielders spring from. The Virtual Adepts are the obvious example, but there are countless others. It would logically follow that an elder mage would look at magick quite differently than the young hotshots of the modern age. Then again, maybe not. Maybe his perceptions changed with the years (although this is very rare). The possibilities seem even more endless (if possible) in a game involving the ancient ones.
And yet, there aren't that many ancient mages. If it were easy to grab immortality, everybody would be doing it, right? Obviously, something's in the way.
This Appendix is intended to take a close look at the eldest mages - giving advice for roleplaying them and explaining systems that represent the difficulties inherent in eternal life. It's primarily an aid for the Storyteller, one who should give a little more insight into the minds of the
truly old. If the Storyteller allows, it's also possible to use this as a guideline for a chronicle in which the player characters themselves are centuries old. The key word here is "guidelines." Firm decisions are best left to the Storyteller, who has a better feel for the power level he wants floating around his game.
First and foremost, we don't recommend that you allow ancient player characters just to up the power level of a game. It's fine to enjoy a "bigger guns" chronicle, but roleplaying the "ancient, powerful and deadly ones" of
Mage is a lot more challenging than taking your average character and adding a lot of dots to the character sheet. Playing a centuries-old character entails thinking about what they would have been like growing up, how they reacted to the cultures they interacted with over time and how they've dealt with (or will deal with) the amount of change that goes on even in a lifetime.
Thinking Like an Immortal Playing a person who has seen centuries pass is actually a little trickier than one might think. Some motifs are easy enough to explore - the loved ones who died of old age, the insanity of the modern age compared to the "good old days" - but making an immortal truly vivid requires deeper probes into his psyche.
How would someone born during the French Revolution look at the world today? More importantly, how would an enlightened human being, with those centuries of experience, view her surroundings? The key to the greatest magicks involves abandoning your limitations, but what limitations present themselves with the passing of years?
Motivation First and foremost, why live so long? Nobody really wants to get old, true, but there are a lot of dangers involved in immortality. For one, Paradox hates an immortal just as much as it hates a perpetual motion machine. You're also going to outlive your loved ones (assuming, of course, that you have any). If anyone's going to notice the distinct lack of your passing, the Technocracy will. And the stress on your mind might, just might, push you into Marauderhood within a century or so. Think for a minute about your character. What would make her risk everything if she believes her Avatar will survive anyway? Besides, so few mages live to be old, rotes or not....
Any character must have a motive for her actions. We've offered a few possible ones for immortality below. Although by no means comprehensive, they provide some seed ideas with more intensity than "I never want to get wrinkled." The motive should typically be something very central to who the character is, a desire so strong it compels them to set aside their human life and risk losing everything to Paradox.
(The horrible Underworld of
Wraith: The Oblivion could provide all kinds of motivation for wanting to live forever. Of course, wraiths get themselves
into that situation by hanging on to mortality past their time, but the mages don't know that…)
● Fear: It's not a very enlightened outlook, but some mages are terrified of losing control of their bodies, much less their minds. After all, there's no guarantee that your next life isn't going to be more horribly worse off than the one you already have.
● Bloody-Mindedness: Maybe you're not even close to accomplishing what you want to do, and you have very long-range plans indeed. If you want something done right, you'd better make sure you're around to do it yourself...
● Lust for Life: How can anyone peacefully move on without experiencing everything the world has to offer? There's a lot to see and do, and you might miss something between now and your next Awakening (assuming you
have a next Awakening...).
● Hatred: Maybe you've vowed to spit on an enemy's grave. Unless he's a vampire, one good way to do that is to simply outlive him. (Not that most mages would be satisfied with waiting until a foe kicks off, but eternal youth gives you more time to work.)
● Gift: Immortality may not be your own idea. An outside power may have given you eternal life out of friendship... or spite...
● Love: Nobody ever said love was fair. You may have fallen deeply in love, only to find that your paramour is immortal (Another mage? A vampire? Something else entirely?). And you'll be damned if you'll let something like death separate you...
● Quest for Perfection: Many believe that true harmony can only come from many incarnations, but others (including most Akashic Brothers) seek to attain perfection in their lifetimes. If you are given the time, you can perfect body and soul without having to start anew in your next life.
● The End Times: Since ancient Egypt, people have always believed that the world was about to end. As civilization after civilization crashes, burns and gutters out, the idea becomes a lot easier to swallow. If you die of old age, there might not be a world left to come back to - and what if you could have
prevented Armageddon?
● What Reincarnation?: This whole reincarnation thing could be a lie, you know. If one shot is all you get, you might as well hang on as long as you can. Oblivion might not be all it's cracked up to be, after all.
● Powerlust: Another emotion that owes little to enlightenment, the craving for power can overwhelm all other considerations. Look at what the Nephandi have traded for theirs. Thankfully, few power-mad mages survive long enough to become immortal, unless they're very, very good.
● Ascension: It's so close you can smell it. Perhaps if you hang on for just a few decades more, the ultimate enlightenment will finally be yours.
Fleeting Passion It is unfortunately true that most centuries-old mages simply don't maintain romantic relationships. The reasons are numerous. For one, the passing of years can often make a person bitter and cynical, as even mortals know. Mages are a little arrogant to start with, and as your knowledge increases, it becomes easier to prejudge someone within the first few minutes of meeting them. ("Oh, he reminds me of that Prussian captain; l imagine he's just as stuck on himself." "Poor child, she's so naive. She might be interesting when she really knows what's going on, but I haven't the time....") Of course, some mages grow more
tolerant with the years, learning to accept people more readily. Enlightenment can counteract the reflex-action of cynicism, but it's not the only concern.
There's also the "spark" to consider. Even Cultists of Ecstasy get jaded, and passing years help build up an immunity to the hormones. Yes, a little Life or Mind magick can increase the hormonal rush until it feels like first love again... but that's hardly spontaneous. Think of the sexual pull like spicy food; the older a person gets, the spicier she likes her food, because food
just doesn't taste the same anymore. The taste buds die. This, too, can be overcome; however, most older mages don't see it as a priority.
Finally, there's the problem of compatibility. Normals are pretty much off limits for any real length of time, for the obvious reasons. Other mages? Well, mages are a stubborn, somewhat egocentric lot. They have to be. The only lasting relationships between mages happen when the couple happen to have very compatible outlooks on life, love and the Ascension War, which is rare. Werewolves and changelings (if the mage knows about them) have mortal lifespans and even more diverse outlooks. Vampires and wraiths are effectively immortal, but are also very alien. (Woe to the hapless mage whose opinions of vampires have been shaped by Anne Rice....)
All told, it may seem that we're telling you that romantic subplots are impossible for ancient mages - quite the contrary. Like any human relationships, there are simply stumbling blocks to overcome, and mages of great age have it a bit harder than everyone else. Just remember that to stir an ancient's heart, it would have to be somebody
really special... epic, almost.
Accomplishments Immortality's a laugh. You show me a mage powerful enough to live 300 years and I'll show you a schmuck powerful enough to achieve any sane person's goals in your average loser's lifetime. — Tommy Dragonjaws, Akashic Brother
Apathy kills. It's even worse when you have scores of rivals and enemies slavering at your throat. After all, if you suddenly decide there's really no point to getting up in the morning, someone's sure to be charitable enough to make sure you never have to again. So it's a given that there are still things that any mage worth the title wants to get done.
But another thing to consider is the possibility that an ancient has already achieved several goals over the years, or failed at tasks she'll never get another chance to try again. What were they? And how did these successes or failures shape her?
This is a chance to explore what it meant to be involved in the Ascension War through different time periods (see the Prelude of
Mage Second Edition for an excellent example of such transitions). Almanacs, history texts and especially timelines can all be helpful here. Although it would probably be taking it a bit too far to say, "Janet's assistance won the Civil War" or "If only Lord Henry hadn't failed to kill Hitler in 1936," there's no reason the elder's deeds can't have had something to do with historical events.
