CRAFTERS OF CHAOS

By Brian Kellett (bk013@mdx.ac.uk)

Introduction

The lecture hall was packed as usual, Doctor Travis' lectures normally were. He had been described as enthralling his students with his own brand of humour and enthusiasum.

"And so it can be seen that Marshall's theory predicts the Quantum nature of macroscopic events..." He turned to the projection that described a snooker table. "Although massively unlikely, there is however a distinct possibility that the air molecules under a pocketed ball, may force the ball back up throught the pocket."

The doctor smiled happily as he talked about his favourite subject, the effects of chaotic possibility upon the larger world. He looked again at the stranger in the dark coat that sat in the front row, he had never seen this person before, and he didn't like the look of him. The stranger had a sly smile on his face and it was this that disturbed Travis.

"Of course, we could wait for the Universe to end a thousand times over before this happened, or we could see it in the bar tonight, if only after a few drinks."

The class laughed, but the stranger remained unmoved.

"We should remember however that the world is a wonderous place and..." The doctor's words trailed off as a small blood vessel in his brain burst, killing him moments after he hit the floor. The class erupted in a panic as those in the front seats rushed to the doctors aid. All except the stranger who quietly walked out of the door, his job done. Another possible reality deviant had been silenced.

Overview

The Crafters of Chaos are a small group of mages who believe in the extremes of possibility. They use the science of Quantum mechanics and Chaos theory to work their changes upon reality.

Paradigm

Although thought to be two distinct theories, the CoC are those that have bridged the gap between the two sciences of Chaos (or complexity theory) and Quantum mechanics. Often they also throw in the theory of Morphic fields that tend to annoy the older CoC members. By altering reality on the quantum level they cause small changes in reality. Then by utilising chaos (or complexity) theory they amplify these small atomic changes into affecting the macroscopic world (that is the world we live in). Basically they believe that anything is possible, although unlikely, and they use their foci to change the chances of things happening. For example the Forces 2 Rote Discharge Static would be caused by the quantum tunneling effect of electrons "jumping" into a conducting item. Therefore almost all CoC act like Technomancers in that they extend the laws of coincidence to the breaking point. Indeed many of the CoC do become Technomancers, but there are a few, mainly younger mages who dislike the Technocracy's aims and instead side with the Traditions.

Philosophy

"Anything is possible," and so we can make it possible. Sure it's hard, but if our brain can influence just a couple of Quantum states, then by the law of chaos, these little changes become BIG changes. "How do we know what changes to make?", Well Time flows in both directions, don'tcha know. Or it could be our subconcious picking up on the morphic field effect...

Yeah, so we might be little cogs in the big machine, but chaos tells us that little cogs...You get the idea.

Paradox? Hey sometimes the wrong quantum effect is caused; ain't none of us perfect. And that morphic field don't take no prisoners.

How did I learn about this? Well see this big bunch of pop science magazines you might want to take a look at...

Style

Often CoC use coincidental effects, but when they go vulgar you better watch out. They also tend to act more like Technomancers than the rest of the Traditions, using pseudo-science to explain their magick. If a CoC and a SoE get together, stand well back and wait for the insane machinery they can cook up!

Sphere

As the CoC study probability they have the sphere of Entropy as their prime sphere. Unlike the Euthanatos they do not believe Entropy to be the breaking down of things into the great circle, but instead as the laws of probability. As such the CoC often call the sphere "Probability."

Common Foci

Personal Computers, Abacus, Dancing (to change the Morphic field), Smart drugs, Omnigadgets, Principia Chaotic.

Organisation

There are two main types of CoC, the stuffy college groupies, who tend to like the status quo and are therefore easy pickings for the NWO brainwas...Information teams. Then there are the kids who read too many science mags without really understanding them and want to change the world. It is these who tend to waste their time playing pranks on authority figures. One of the worst groups of this kind are called "The Erisians," although the Technocracy have tried to prove to the world that they don't exist.

Initiation

Often a college-type CoC will be given a paper that attempts to combine Quantum mechanics, Chaos theory and Morphic fields; if the candidate manages to understand, she is introduced to an CoC lecturer. It is rumoured that some go mad over this paper and become Marauders. The Pop-Chaos crowd tend to read the Principia Chaotica and believe it.

Acolytes

Pre-Grad math students, Hippies, Gamblers, MIT types, Child prodigies.

Concepts

Professor, Math lecturer, Pop-Science fan, Computer Geek, Gambler.

Stereotypes

Akashatic Brotherhood: These guys should study their philosophy better; it's rumoured that the far East had Chaos theory long before us... But we made money with it.

By examining an object completely you destroy the beauty; these people destroy the beauty of the way.

Celestial Chorus: The One, not very scientific is it now?

They have faith in randomness and not The One; their souls are as empty as the Tecnomancers.

Cult of Ecstasy: Hey why don't I get invited to their parties? I'd like to know about the effects of LSD particles on the nervous system.

Mostly geeks, but the younger ones can party as well as the rest of them.

Dreamspeakers: Fancy wandering around the human subconcious, that's what this lot do.

They ignore the spirit world and reduce everything to numbers; they are blind to the beauty of Gaia. We should open their eyes.

Euthanatos: They kill people!, I know a couple of sports jocks they could off!

They forget we are in a closed system. Entropy is not chance; it is inevitable.

Order of Hermes: These people basically use similar methods to us, I think; I never could get the hang of languages. Even so they could be brought a bit more up to date.

More upstarts, they seek to modernise that which works perfectly well.

Sons of Ether: Now these people have the right idea, but they take their Victorian ideas a little too far sometimes. I also like the idea of Ether, but didn't Michaelson-Morley have something to say about it...

More theoretical than most of us, but they do have good ideas. They are more like the Virtual Adepts than ourselves.

Verbena: Blood! Ouch! Is all that rolling around in mud really necessary?

They think life is a random occurance? Oh dear, poor them.

Virtual Adepts: See Sons of Ether, but with up to date tech.

They stole some of our ideas; still good luck. More like the Sons of Ether than us though.

Hollow Ones: Cheer up, and try reading a book that isn't about dying; here's the latest issue of Nature.

Randomness they call it. I call it Irony.

Technomancers: Right approach to magick, but the wrong thing to do with it...

We should attempt to bring these into line. If they do not curb their wilder ideas they should be destroyed.

Views On The Spheres

Corrospondence: Space-Time continuum. You mean you never heard of wormholes?!

Entropy: Probability. Everything is under the power of probability, although things tend to settle into one probability tunnel, we can shake it around a bit.

Forces: Field Theory/Forces. Most Forces are just particles of energy, so they fall under the same rules as anything else, i.e. Probability affects them.

Life: Morphic field/Kirlin Field/Life-force. Everything is made of particles; it just depends on how they arrange themselves. This pattern is dictated by the morphic field; change the field, change the pattern. Matter: Matter. Just another bunch of particles (See forces).

Mind: Psi. Just imagine your brain as a big antenna giving off electrical currents, now imagine a bigger antenna...

Prime: Virtual particles. These are everywhere giving Space-time its shape and properties. Sometimes they interact to create other particles, and sometimes they destroy other particles...

Spirit: Morphic entities. These are just the subconcious dreams on mankind given form by virtual particles. Boy do they hurt when they hit you though.

Time: Time. Who needs the constraints of cause-effect; how about effect-cause or even cause-cause!

Note: Although the CoC think they are using just probability to wield their magic they do still need their spheres to affect non-entropy effects. For instance, although they would explain Discharge Static as a probability event, they still need Forces 2 to cast it. Don't let your players think that Entropy is an all encompassing sphere!