ILLUMINATES

By the PuppetMastre (thearchmagus@hotmail.com)

Description

The Illuminates are a secretive group of mages who collect information about the other denizens of the world of darkness. Illuminates are extremely rare; only certain people can become them because the requirements are inborn.

Illuminates are not known to any groups except the highest ranking Order of Hermes mages at Doissetep, and even these have only extremely sketchy knowledge. This is because of their amazing ability to hide their true identities. All Illuminates can change their foci at almost any time. All it requires is about one hour of concentration while holding or using their old focus and while also holding their new one in hand (if both are verbal they must have an interum foci, and then transfer again). Also, they have developed ways of hiding their powers by passing it off as the abilities of another type of being, i.e., changeing into a wolf would be considered coincidental while near a bunch of werewolves.

All Illuminates must have the following traits:

• Sphere Natural (5) -- this is the sphere that will be considered their main one, no matter what (current rating*6 cost).



• Primal Marks (-2) -- all Illuminates are old and fairly powerful souls.



• Primal Essence (see above flaw)



• Lore 3+ (in at least one area)
  
  
• Occult 3+
  
  
• Library 4+
  
  
• Arcane 3+
  
  
• Avatar 5
  
  
• Awareness 3+
  
  
• At least 2 ranks in Forces and 1 rank in Prime.
  
  

To become an Illuminate, mage must have been born Awake (very rare) and must be trained by another Illuminate since she was able to talk or go to normal school. If the Lore skill she has is the Technocracy, then she should have a Science or Medicine of 2+. Most will have the Spirit Magnet Virtue at some level or another (where do you think they get all that knowledge, Hmmm?). Illuminates, because of their unique training, start out with 8 levels of spheres and an Arete of 2. This additional level of Arete does not cost points and is not used when determining the number of experience it takes to get to the next level. It is a "ghost" point. All Illuminates, however, must take extra care when using magick. The Illuminates have their own Masquerade. For example, they must avoid any action which would be outside of that character's current role (a lightning throwing werewolf for example), unless it is needed for personal survival, and then they must make sure that there is no one left to know of the deception.

Illuminates hold high level positions in both Vampire (especially Tremere) and Kith society. Illuminates are also currently in control of large numbers of Technocracy bases and some are even in positions on Autocthonia.

It should be noted that all Illuminates will have mental attributes as either Primary or Secondary, never Tertiary.