Virtual Adepts
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The Virtual Adepts are a Tradition, or secret magical society, in the Mage: The Ascension role-playing game. They are the newest of the formal Traditions; like their fellow societies, they seek Ascension for themselves and the world at large. Specifically, the Virtual Adepts seek Ascension through the use of computer technology and virtual reality. Originally a subsection of the Technocracy, they were known as the Difference Engineers before they rebelled and joined the Traditions.
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[edit] Philosophy
Their philosophy is described in the First Edition of the Mage: The Ascension sourcebook:
- We represent all to which humanity aspires. No longer will we go the way of all flesh, because after the flesh is dead our souls will live on. Before then, however, we'll rip through the barriers that block us, the locks that keep us out, and the security systems that try to stop us. It's our destiny to know, to sense, to alter, to crash, to steal, and to become one with the Ghost in the Machine, the soul of the computer. We are the future. We will continue to evolve in this way until we become the tools of our Ascension.
The Virtual Adept philosophy resembles the real-world Hacker Manifesto, and the imagery and style of the Adepts was influenced by the cyberpunk movement, including works like Neuromancer and Ghost in the Shell. The Virtual Adepts also have a great deal in common with the "hackers" in the movie trilogy The Matrix. Outside of fiction, many ideas from Transhumanism, including man-machine interface and "Uploading" consciousness into a computer, can be found as tools in the Virtual Adept arsenal.
[edit] The Virtual Web
The majority of Virtual Adepts sooner or later find themselves amidst the Digital Web, a virtual plane that exists just beyond the flat 2-d Web Pages the "bleaters" see. It is here that they plan to free humanity from the bonds of reality outside. However, the Web has been greatly damaged over the previous few years, due in part to the actions of sleepers and in part of the major destruction of the Umbral cabal known as "Doissetep." Doissetep, having back-doors into it from the Deep Umbral plane that the Web in fact is, allowed chaos and destruction into the Web. Now, quite a bit of the Web is corrupt data, known as junklands. Younger Adepts are warned against these places, as they are often in a Nephandi format.
[edit] Virtual Adepts and the Technocracy
The Virtual Adepts originated as a sub-organization of the Technocratic Union known as the Difference Engineers. This group has conflict with the Technocracy over the issue of the masses: The Technocracy believes that the world should be kept in the dark about things they are not ready for so as to bring order, while the Difference Engineers saw the opposite viewpoint that information should be free and available to everyone. It was this variance in opinion that caused the Difference Engineers to rebel, and eventually become the Virtual Adepts, taking up the seat of Correspondence of the Counsil of Nine. It is said that when Virtual Adepts grow older, they join the Technocracy. While the generalization is false, there are likely several that have, both willingly and through Technocratic brainwashing. Many Iteration-Xers refuse to speak about the subject. A Technocrat joining the Virtual Adepts is rare, but not unheard of.
[edit] Virtual Adepts and other Traditions
Virtual Adepts are the newest of the Nine Traditions, having taken the place of the Ahl-i-Batin in the seat of Correspondence (who were, coincidentally, the oldest tradition). As a former subset of the Technocracy, many of the other mage traditions are more than a little suspicious of them. Likewise, the Virtual Adepts find most other traditions of mages to be too old-fashioned, superstitious, or just plain crazy. They find the most in common with the Sons of Ether, who are also a former Technocracy group turned mage tradition, and are similarly technologically minded. It is common for Virtual Adepts to get useful techno-gadgets from Sons of Ether friends, and in turn, lend them their own style of expertise in computer systems.
[edit] Paradigm
Virtual Adepts believe that communication and information are the keys to success. They argue that information should be free and available to everyone, which is represented in their primary sphere of correspondence - that everything is everywhere and that distance is meaningless.
Their use of their primary sphere of correspondence is apparent in nearly all their work, as they primarily use information technology to work their magic. Since computers and the internet are some of the fastest modes of communication in the world, it serves as an excellent medium for their abilities. They are always finding new ways to use computer technology and digital data, and use the other spheres in varying ways depending on their own personal style. Different powers and sphere uses can include true artificial intelligence (Mind), Digitalizing people or things into computer data (Life/Matter), or running simulations to predict future events (Entropy/Time).
Many Virtual Adepts are known for using their high correspondence magic to remain a great distance from the action while still assisting. They can easily work from computer terminals to communicate with allies, gather information on foes, and use their other abilities from the comfort of their home or office.
Affinity Sphere: Correspondence (Magic dealing with three-dimensional location and space, communications).
[edit] Alts (Factions)
Chaoticians - They seek enlightenment through an understanding of natural and artificial patterns. They use complex methodologies in their quest, spawning and employing ideas such as Chaos Theory (and hence also the "Butterfly Effect") and Game Theory. Chaoticians tend to be the investigators among the Virtual Adepts. They often employ Entropy magic.
Cyberpunks - Also known as the Social Reconstructivists. They seek to better the world though anarchist ideals, and to shake off the bondages placed by Technocratic Controls as seen in various dystopian novels. (Orwell's book 1984). They act as front line troops for the Virtual Adepts, acting as crackers, hackers and terrorist-like movements against the Technocracy. They often employ Forces magic.
Cypherpunks - Also known as the Cryptogrammics or (derogatory) the Thought Police. They use cryptography and magic to hide the activities of the tradition. More powerful Cypherpunks take on the Technocracy directly through infiltration. They often employ Mind magic.
Nexplorers - Exploring virtual space and preparing "Reality 2.0" for upload are the Nexplorers.
Reality Hackers - Busy cracking the underlying code of the universe are the Reality Hackers. Reality Hackers affiliate with the digital web least and instead work on decoding the structure of the cosmos. Serious Reality Hackers employ Matter and Life magics.
[edit] References
- Mage: The Ascension ISBN: 1565044053
- Tradition Book: Virtual Adepts ISBN: 1588464164
- Digital Web 2.0 ISBN: 1565044266
- Laws of Ascension Companion: A Supplement Guide to Laws of Ascension, Mage: the Ascension
