by Anders Sandberg
Originally the Children of Antichrist was the name of an influential group of Satanists, where several members spontaneously awakened. They influenced several other orphans, and the Children were created. Today the term is used to denote orphans who are influenced by Satanistic philosophy and beliefs. Sometimes the term is used to denote any orphan who use his magick in an amoral manner for his own gratification.
The most important thing about the Children is their nihilistic ethics. Might is Right; everybody is free to do whatever they desire. There is no right or wrong, merely success and failure. If a Child wants to have something, he will get it without regard to what anybody else thinks or feels about it. If somebody tries to stop him, it is their own fault if he hurts them. If they manage to stop him, it is the Child's own fault for not avoiding it. Everybody is allowed to do whatever they like to, but one must always face the consequences.
The Children of Antichrist see themselves as one step above the rest of humanity. They have the power, and anybody stupid enough to oppose them should be crushed (and if the enemy crushes the child, it was his own fault for being weak). A Child may decide to help somebody, but he doesn't have to unless he really wants to. He might as well destroy or ignore her, depending on his own mood.
The Children are fundamentally anarchistic. Everybody is free to do what they will. Old ideologies, religions, morals or other societal structures imprison mankind, and should be destroyed. On the other hand, if someone is powerful enough to force others to obey him, he has the right to do it. Weak persons should not be protected. The Children respect strength in all forms, and do not care if the weak are hurt or killed.
The Children are often quite materialistic, and many do not believe in God or Satan. Other Children claim Satan is a personification of the dark forces which exist everywhere. Just as God is an image of the inflated ego and superego of mankind, so is Satan an image of the repressed desires and lusts of mankind. Some claim Satan is a real being, perhaps a Celestine. Other Children believe in the Christian myths, and believe in a war between God and Satan. The Children spend much time quarreling over the their different beliefs about Satan and God, seldom coming to any conclusion. Most of the Children couldn't care less.
Due to their lack of inhibitions, many Children are destroyed by their own excesses, paradox or the Technocracy. Most Children don't care about the fact that they are balancing on a knife's edge, and find it exhilarating. Some Children realise the reality of the dangers, and control themselves. It is usually these more experienced Children who grow old. Some Children realise the errors of their ways, sometimes after an epiphany. These converts stay mostly to themselves, avoiding contact with other mages. Some of the converts have however found their way into the traditions.
There is a subgroup of the Children, much reviled by the others but still quite successful. These Children appear on the surface to be normal, well integrated people. They often have goods career, and are quite healthy economically. They use their magick and lack of morals to gain power, status and money. They often work almost completely alone, without any true acolytes. Some of these Children have risen to the very top of society, where they subtly spread their influence. It is rumoured that they had managed to convert quite a few yuppies on Wall Street during the 80's. The other Children think these "Infiltrators" are traitors, who hide something they should show openly. Still, they are impressed with the speed the infiltrators spread their moral corruption, undermining society.
It is common for the Children and their acolytes to desecrate places or things, to show their contempt for what they represent and bring about their destruction. Churches and churchyards have been favorites for a long time, but some Children attack statues or government buildings. The more outraged people will be in the morning, the better.
The Technocracy hates the Children. While most non-technocratic mages are discreet, and avoid disrupting anything to escape notice, the Children often flaunt their powers in front of sleepers, spread irrational beliefs and generally mess things up all the time. The conventions are always trying to find the Children and destroy them (the current spread of "Satanic ritual abuse" rumours are a cunning plan to attack the Children by making people more aware of them and more inclined to report them to the "authorities." It will also be used later to discredit its current channels, striking a blow against religious fundamentalism and certain schools of therapists.).
Many mages believe that the Children are a recruiting group for the Nephandi, or that the Children are a front organisation for them. In fact, it is completely wrong. While the Children certainly would have no direct qualms about calling upon Unspeakable Things from Beyond, they do not want to serve them. They do not take any orders from "below," any more than they would take orders from anybody else. If the demons and spirits serve them and their purposes, good. But if the demons try to order them around, they will find themselves thrown back into the abyss. Still, some Children freely co-operate with the Nephandi of different reasons.
The group of mages with most in common with the children is the Marauders. The total freedom and anarchy of the Marauders appeal to the Children, and some join them. But most are content to lean back and watch the fireworks.
Celestial Chorus: If God really is on their side, how come they run and hide from the Technomancers? Can't he just zap them with a few lightening bolts? Or is he too weak? They are slaves. Their idea of God is just an exaggerated image of their own big egos!
Cult of Ecstasy: At least they know how to have fun! The problem is of course, that most of them have fun to work their magick, not the other way around. But they'll learn.
Dreamspeakers: Weaklings, who have let themselves be crushed. They deserve what they get.
Euthanatos: These guys have understood a little bit. When they realise that the true reason they kill people is that they enjoy it, they will join us! Lets skip all this nonsense about "the Good Death," "Reincarnation" and "The Messiah." They might deny it, even to themselves, but they know there is only nothingness on the Other Side.
Hollow Ones: Hollow, all right! They try to be dark and spooky, but they are really just spoiled kids waving around silver jewellery. They think they are dark? Hah, I would like to see their faces if I showed them what dark really means!
Marauders: These guys have good ideas, but they are a little bit too much on the deranged side. While they share our philosophy, they are far too wrapped up in their own little dreams to take any notice of how nice the material world already is. Perhaps they spend too much time in the Umbra.
Nephandi: What's the point in serving the demons, when you can be their Master?
Order of Hermes: Dusty eunuchs, who will perish when we set fire to the piles of lies they collect! What good is a study of falsehoods, unless everyone believes in falsehoods?
Sons of Ether: Some of them are really fun, especially when you defeat them. All their illusions of grandeur come crashing down, revealing the frightened little nerd inside!
Sons of Jupiter: These guys are quite all right, generally speaking. They just haven't got any real clue about what magick is used for. The Price of Magick is the total freedom and power of a mage, but they don't dare face it!
Technomancers: They show no mercy, and ruthlessly hunt down anybody who opposes them. They have done exactly the same thing we would have done in their situation.
Trenchcoaters: Ooh, the Protectors of Humanity from the Evil Powers? I tremble! Yeah, tell me the one about Cinderella. Most of the time they hang around bars and try to be more dark and depressed than the Hollow Ones. They are just inhibited, and would really want to do what we do, deep inside. So they want to stop us, because we show them what they could be, if they really dared!
Verbena: They know that there is no "love," just lust and carnal desire. They know that death will come to anything weak. They know that "civilisation" is an empty, rotten shell and must be brought crashing down! Too bad they have chosen to be weak.
Wikkans : Politically Correct witches! Cute! Perhaps we should invite them to a real Sabbath?
Virtual Adepts: Nerds!
[ Each success will increase the duration and strength of the rote. The more successes, the more powerful and unsettling coincidences will appear. ]
Spirits of Delight (Spirit 2): The Child summons spirits who will give him some pleasure and entertainment. It may be spectral music, alluring scents, illusions of beautiful women, caresses and kisses or almost anything. The more successful the rote is, the more powerful spirits are attracted and the longer the effect last. Incubi and Succubi are material manifestations of quite powerful spirits, who only exist to please the mage (at least that is what they are saying...).
Summon Lover (Mind 2): The Child uses his power over the carnal desires, and tries to influence a partner. The victim will feel a subconscious desire for the Child, and will (at least sexually) be drawn towards him. Sometimes the Child uses a mass version, increasing his or her own charisma and sex appeal to arouse everybody in the vicinity.
[Each success will give one automatic success on seduction attempts. ]
Curse (Mind 2): The Child curses somebody, often very graphically and often using some material implement (waving entrails at the victim, or spitting at him). The child implants a subconscious desire to get hurt. The victim will often become unsettled, nervous or depressed. When an opportunity presents itself, the subconscious mind will try to make the victim hurt himself (or a love one). Some Children add Entropy to "give fate a hand," creating more opportunities for the curse to work.
The Devil Protect His Own (Entropy 2): The mage "moves" some randomness to help him. The rote is done when something is going well for the mage or somebody in the vicinity, turning the good luck bad. Now the mage has some extra "fortune-capital," which will help him the next time he is near failure by turning bad luck good. This only works on random events, but sometimes it can work by creating random but helpful effects (the mage tries to explain his presence in the wardrobe to an irate husband with a gun, when suddenly the phone rings and distracts the husband, allowing escape.) The amount of good luck depends upon the amount of bad luck produced in the first step.