(Part I)
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Other common terms used by White Wolf Game Studio and used in Dragons!: The ScorchingTM may be trademarks of White Wolf Games Studio. However, the ones above are the only ones I'm aware of. My apologies if I've missed any.
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The following is a suggested method of handing dragon magick and other material involving dragons in the White Wolf realm. This system was created before the MageTM manual came out but has been modified to fit the MageTM Modern Magick TM system.
For many ages beings know as dragons have roamed throughout the universes, living between the veils that separate the multiple universes. Over eons dragons changed and became separate varied species throughout the multiverses. Knowledge was lost and gained... and so they lived their lives.
In their hoarding and craving for knowledge and substance, new forces of the mind, of magick and technology were gained. Some dragons molded the Vristral arts of the mind, others divined the magickal arts of the multiverse, and there were those whom pondered and designed the arts of science and technology.
The dragons who learned the arts of magick found that the multiverse contained a very spontaneous, yet sloppy forms of energy called quintessence. This energy did not saturate the multiverse but was found scattered throughout it in varying quantities. Dragons who have studies the arts of magick where only able to work their arts where quintessence was found.
Quintessence was able to replace the natural laws and patterns of the multiverse instantly with new laws and patterns that the dragons designed. This tampering however did not come without a risk. The multiverse, ever striving for equilibrium and balance of forces, would eventually breakdown and change the patch. Localized paradoxes would form as the quintessence patches failed and shifted. The patched portion of the multiverse would achieved a new balance.
There were dragons who strived for control over their own mind and body without the use of external forces. They called such mental arts vristra. Using their inner energy they first found they could exert great control over their bodies and mental states. Over time the dragons who dove into the inner self found that they were able to apply what they learned to multiverse without.
Dragons learned they could influence the thoughts of others and the laws and patterns of the multiverse about them. Unlike the mages they did not require the use of quintessence. Using vristra they were able to slowly over periods of time manipulate and reshape the very basic interactions of the energies in the multiverse. With vristra even simple shaping took time, but unlike magick vristra allowed the multiverse time to achieve balance. Since the workings of vristra didn't place sudden strain on the multiverse, the vristral changes often maintained their states and became as stable and perminnate as the shifting energies of the multiverse allowed.
Dragons with a zest for tinkering and knowledge of any type found that they could map the patterns and forces that governed portions of the multiverse and build devices and machines that took advantage of them. The tinkering dragons neither replaced nor shaped the patterns and laws of the multiverse; instead these dragons became masters of their workings. They could play the governing forces of the multiverse like a well tuned instrument and create wonders and marvels.
And of course there were dragons who dabbled in everything...
Once the veils of Tellurian were rich and free flowing with magick. Since its infancy, this infinite portion of the multiverse had an abundance of quintessence. Magick flowed free on the whims man and other creatures alike. Things that were expected happened freely. Such was the ordered chaos throughout the veils of the Tellurian and it displeased some...
So sprang up the age of the techocracy who bent the masses' wills to their own. They strengthened the veils between them and the rest of the multiverses. They used the quintessence against itself to change the thoughts of the masses into believing the very nature of quintessence was a mere fairy tale. And then there was new ordered chaos throughout the veils of Tellurian.
The belief of the masses had unusual effects on the quintessence and consequently the technocracy themselves. The technomancers now hoarded the quintessence in nodes. They began to categorize quintessence and create specific that rules governed its use. They began to fall into the delusion of self power. This belief of their self power began to change how their universe achieved a natural balance when the energy of quintessence was used.
The mages believed their patches of the natural laws were absolute and would remain forever. Through gradual self delusion in their great personal power the technocracy and masses forced changes in the laws and patterns of the universe that became permanent. The Tellurian complied, but paradox still grew. The stressed patterns began to find a release at the weakest points of the willed change; the mages who played with the quintessence itself. When paradox became too great it backlashed back to the technomages.
The dragon mages who came to the Tellurian knew the workings of the multiverse. Even in the midst of the technocracy's tampering the dragons' strong belief in the true knowledge of the multiverse allowed them to be personally unaffected by paradox while casting magick. Because of this and other differences, dragon magick was often considered strange and different by other creatures. The dragons who stayed in the Tellurian passed their knowledge down to their hatchlings. Over time a few dragons have lost the such knowledge and have fallen into the technocracy's rut. But many still know the truth. Such knowledge does not please the founding oracles.
Many dragons abhor the technocracy of the Tellurian. They despiseed such self delusion, and found it unpalatable. Yet they remained weary, for the technomancers are creatures of power. And with that power technomancers occasionally have tried to enslave and capture the bodies and knowledge of dragons. And such gambits to the technomancers own demise.
Dragons have kept the mages confused over their talents. Mages whom have come across vristral workings have tried to understand its power and study it as dragon magick but have failed to understand its non-magickal nature. Due to their dislike of the mage mentality dragons have encouraged such misconceptions and try to inspire fear an respect of their own abilities in mages when ever the chance presents itself.
Garou and dragons may or may not get along. Most dragons who know of the garou's existence have usually treated them as they would humans. Dragons who know of the garou's past culling of humans have their own varying opinions on the matter ranging from encouraging such practices, to disliking them. Some tribes of garou simply do not like dragons; others do and have good relations with them.
One term dragons dislike having placed upon them is wyrm. Some find it very derogatory. Garou unfamiliar with dragons usually place such terminology upon them. Some garou even believe that dragons are the leaders of the Wyrm that infest gaia. Such rumors may be partially true; not all dragons are seekers of what is right in the eyes of others. Being loners and creatures of their own code, related dragons may even have highly opposed goals with each other but still have a very good friendship amongst themselves.
Cultures from magick rich realms generally do not learn skills marked with "R" (Restricted abilities) on the dragon character sheet. Such skills hardly ever evolve in magick rich environments. This not because the product of such skills can not coincide with magick; it's merely due to to the fact that magick has made such skills unnecessary to learn, and the natural laws that govern the product of these skills may instantly change causing the product to fail. Many magick rich worlds are very bizarre and/or are in a constant state of change.
Initial Gnosis: 2
Starting Sphere Points: 5
Initial Magick: 1 extra point magick skill.
Innate Gifts: Choose 2 innate gifts from your Nature.
Initial Gnosis: 3
Starting Sphere Points: 4
Innate Gifts: Choose 1 innate gift from your Main Nature.
5 extra free points alloted.
Initial Gnosis: 1
Innate Gifts: None
Begin with 1 point in each of your Skills and Knowledge.
Fifteen extra free points alloted.
Gaba (The Trickster) | Heur (The Seers) | Odox (The Harmony) |
Alni (The Creators) | Roun (The Wild) | Enri (The Warriors) |
Rawn (The Seekers) | Hado (The Leaders) |
7/1/5
Suggested Spheres: Entropy
3/5/4
Suggested Spheres: Spirit
1/7/3
Suggested Spheres: Mind
4/1/7
Suggested Spheres: Matter
1/9/1
Suggested Spheres: Life
9/3/1
Suggested Spheres: Any
2/1/9
Suggested Spheres: Prime
5/5/3
Suggested Spheres: Forces