SONS OF ETHER: KEPLERIANS

By Paul Beakley and Billy Biship

Overview

The Sons of Ether are interested in creating and understanding a new paradigm, or Model, based on their research and discoveries. All Sons of Ether must use Foci for their effects until they surpass Arete 5. At this level, SoE scientists understand their Model well enough to begin to accurately predict results without doing experiments, or by coincidentally preparing the Model in just such-and-such a way, etc. and thus are less dependent on Foci than the Conventions. To balance their greater dependence vis-a-vis most of the Traditions there is a greater chance that magick will be perceived as coincidental when performed by an Etherian.

Sons of Ether often have similar paradigms as their Technomancer brethren, the Virtual Adepts. Thus, collaboration and conflict between these Traditions are the stuff of legend. "As brothers fight ye!"

There are many paths of study that seek to research/define a complete and logical paradigm, or Model. This is the major area of disagreement between the Etherians and the Technocracy. Both agree, following the basic tenets of the philosophy of science, that nothing is truly knowable. The Technocracy has decided to tacitly assume there is an Objective Reality which will behave according to laws the Technocrats discover. Because of the influence of the Islamic Scroll, the Etherians tacitly assume there is the Subjective Reality defined by the logical implications of their Models. Thus, both approach the same problem with the same tools but from different directions. For example, both groups race to prove things that are not possible in the paradigm of the other; this is known to others as the Ascension War. Vulgar magick is a problem for both. For the Technomancers, it is allowed (barely) by the doubt about what Reality truly is. In the same way, the Etherians use Vulgarity to press the envelope of their Model.

The Paradigm - The Model

Reality is simply a model to be altered. It is best to alter reality under laboratory conditions because this allows the scientist to hold all non-experimental variables constant. As a result, Sons of Ether aren't really action oriented. Rather, their technomagick is ususally carefully designed to fit within the Model that they're researching. The Etherians have been pressed to produce useful results by the Ascension War, but this is still not their primary focus. Etherians like to point out that the Chinese had gunpowder for hundreds of years and did nothing better with it than make pretty lights. Was making that technology into a tool of death a good thing? The Oppenheimer Syndrome (I am become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds) strikes enough Etherians to ensure their technology is released at a more judicious speed, and then only to those who can deal well with it, such as when they developed Trinary circuits and computing devices for the Virtual Adepts.

Magick -Theorem

Each effect is essentially a theorem played out in the Model, the results of which are measured for future research.

Arete - Insight

The trait that all true researchers seek. With sufficient insight into the interaction of vibratory energies on the Model, the Model can be subtly altered without outward signs of changes. Eventually, the highest levels of insight will allow extreme alterations to the Model without creating destructive disharmony. Scientists with very deep insight can control and create harmonics with their mind.

Quintessence - Zero: This again has to do with adding or subtracting zero from Vibratory interaction.

Paradox - Disharmony: Changing Interactions can cause Disharmonies. The resulting disharmonies seek to correct themselves without damaging the Model. These disharmonic energies unfortunately tend to collect in the biomechanical patterns of the scientist, often causing unforseen (and possibly serendipitous) errors in research or surprising changes to the local Model. This is called Reharmonization.

The Spheres

The Model I will now describe is called the Keplerian Model in honor of the magician and scientist Johannes Kepler who tried to prove the existence of the Music of the Spheres. The idea animating the Model is that there are many vibrational planes which interact in ways that create the patterns we perceive in our world. The scientist can harmonize himself (mentally, biomechanically, etc.) with these vibratory planes, thereby allowing direct interface and perception with the vibratory energies.

The Model is comprised of eight or nine interacting Vibratory Planes,each of which can be acted upon. Thus, the Keplerian Model posits everything is actually the harmonic interaction of the Basic Vibrations. A wall, for example, is not a wall. It is the result of the interaction of Matter and Prime Vibrational energies in a particular way.

Prime -- Vibration Zero: This is the least well understood of the Vibrations. While it is a little mystical for the tastes of the Etherians, they feel it better to explore it anyway rather than let it stop them cold as it would the Conventions. Those criticizing Keplerianism say that Vibration 0 is a logical impossibility. If something has a zero vibration, then it isn't vibrating at all!

Proponents say that it is like a mathematical convenience, only more. Just as you can use certain techniques which add zero to an equation and yet yield different results and allow certain proofs, so certain Vibrations need Zero added to them to become "real." While other Vibrations do not require the addition of Zero, experimental evidence has shown a statistical correlation between adding Zero and the generation of some effects. In the same way, you can subtract Zero to change or impede Interactions. One fascinating theory that has recently arisen is that this negative Zero is actually what some call Paradox. If so, then Etherians have found the theoretical basis for making Paradox useful.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to use and manipulate That Which Is Not. An early Keplarian hit upon the idea of using electricity. Electrical "vibrations" (amplitude and frequency) are easily variable and allow a scientist to quickly ascertain by successive iterations the correct value of Zero to add or subtract from the equation governing the underlying Vibratory interaction. While not perfect, this method works as well as any. Research is ongoing.

Forces -- Energy/Vibration 1: All forces can be generated through harmonic patterns from this Vibrations. By setting up a harmonic to draw the electrical pattern out of Vibration 1, a nearly perpetual energy pattern can be established. Keplarians are eager to prove this and cite superconductivity as one example of this principle.

Matter -- Matter/Vibration 2: All materials are composed of composites of base harmonic patterns that originate from Vibration 2.

Life -- Biomechanics, "Biomech"/Vibration 3: Living organisms are clearly mechanical in nature; the harmonics that manifest living materials are drawn from Vibration 3.

Entropy -- Probability/Vibration 4: The violent signals of patterns. Patterns cannot be drawn from Vibration 4, but the breakdown effect can be controlled with an overall "volume control" on the harmonics, a Vibratory Rheostat, if you will.

Time -- Time/Vibration 5: The passage of events would not be possible without the presence of Vibration 5 energies. Time is also a part the "position equation" of Pattern Interactions, just like the T in D=RT except for being more complicated and elegant due to the nature of paradigm multidimensional analytical math. While these energies, like Vibration 4 harmonics, cannot be formed into discrete patterns, its presence can be raised and lowered, thereby speeding or slowing the passage of events. It is much easier to measure this Vibration than to change it. Research is currently being conducted in generating mirrored harmonics that may neutralize or actually reverse the energies emanation from Vibration 5.

Spirit -- Gestalt/Vibration 6: When Vibration 6 energies are introduced into other harmonics, the resulting patterns achieve some sort of self-awareness or sentience. While it is theoretically possible to synchronize one's Vibratory Pattern with any given Vibratory plane and thus enter it, in practice it is much easier to enter this one than any other. It is not clear why this should be so, other than the fact that six and multiples of six make working harmonization equations very easy. Research continues.

Correspondence -- Location/Vibration 7: There are several views of this Vibration. It may be that all other harmonic patterns are forced away from a central point because Model-wide Vibration 7 patterns, harmonically present in all other vibrations, repel one another. Another view takes the position that "nothing exists; all is vibratory interaction." Thus, the Universe can be said to be as a single point; the Interaction or Correspondence Point. Some hold both theories to be correct, depending on the purpose of the observation, giving Reality a sort of wave/particle duality.

Mind -- Reverberation, "Reverb"/Vibration 8: This plane may or may not exist. Empirically, it is true that Ideas have a "separate existence," a life of their own. This strongly indicates a vibratory plane that would sustain ideas. However, some think that Mind effects are actually effects of resonance patterns of Gestalt and Biomechanics. Scientists continue to use this "plane" to the extent they find it useful.

Mage-specific Backgrounds

Arcane -- Acoustic Muffling: Some scientists appear able to alter their acoustics within the Model, seeming to destructively interfere with Reverberation frequencies at will within a certain range.

Avatar -- Battery: The name is inaccurate yet highly satisfying. Vibration Zero "energies" do seem to power magick. Depending on the avatar, a scientist can intuitively predict useful types of zero to be added to future experiments. The scientist adds these values to his own pattern until needed. Thus, Etherians do not always relate their "Muse," Inspiration, etc. to the size of their Battery. Chantry: A Chantry set up by the Sons of Ether would be called a "Research Institute", "Scientific Society," or perhaps even a "Think Tank." Often, Etherians become members of multi-Tradition Chantries or Chantries set up by other Traditions and they will go along with whatever name it has been given.

Chantry membership is mixed blessing. In some ways, it is like the good (term used advisedly!) old days when Etherians could get generous Research Grants (access to Zero energy) from other Conventions. Besides this, the Chantry environment is usually optimized to acoustically baffle harmful harmonics. However, some scientists dislike the internal politics that distract all but the most Focused (see below) from their projects.

Destiny -- Focus: Scientists with intense focus can work miracles and never stray from their research. Those with this much focus are invariably brilliant and arrogant. Highly focused scientists are not above stealing other scientist's work and some have made their names solely by this method. Those with Focus tend to make other Etherians walk on eggshells, but they are a source of hope and inspiration to the entire Tradition as well.

DREAM -- Data REtreival And Managment: This term was doubtless borrowed from a Virtual Adept or an Etherian who worked closely with them. Some scientists learn to attune their mental resonance to absorb information from Vibration 8, the source of all patterns and the repository of all existing data.

Node -- Generator: Perceiving useful values of zero tends to be aided by being near a generator. Generators have the interesting and as yet unexplained ability to generate useful values of zero locked with in Matter or Bio patterns. Keplerian nodes tend to have as their certain piece an Engine aids this process by generating random values of zero in the hopes a Zero pattern will coalesce around them.