MEGANS
By TCSHAN (tcshan@aol.com)
"Ah, humans! Lovely, superstitious humans! Can't you do anything right?"-- Lucien, "The Magicks of Megas-Tu"
Author's Notes
I got the idea for this Tradition from an old Star Trek cartoon, "The Magicks Of Megas-Tu"
Description
Unlike most Traditions, the Megans are not born on Earth, but come from a Horizon Realm they call "Megas-Tu". There, everyone is Awakened and can perform magick! Despite this, the majority of them maintain enough self-control not to go Marauder.
History
Many millennia ago (according to one story), the inhabitants of Megas-Tu went to Earth and taught a select group of humans how to perform magick. Sadly, the vast majority of those humans used magick for their own selfish gain. Instead of teaching others magick, they spread lies about the Megans being evil monsters, stirring up fear and hatred. (This may be how the Technocracy got its start; it is definitely how a Megan inhabitant, Lucien [see below], became identified as Lucifer.) Many Megans were among the Earthly mages who were condemned as witches during the Salem witch trials. Defeated, the Megans returned sadly to Megas-Tu.(One of the inhabitants of Megas-Tu, Lucien, resembles a satyr in form and personality. Whether he is a Megan or even indigenous to Megas-Tu, or if he is really a satyr, and if so what Fae are doing on Megas-Tu are anyone's guesses!)
Advantages
One of the interesting side-effects of living on Megas-Tu is that Paradox does not exist there. This could make them anything from a pain-in-the-butt to a threat for the Technomancers and a mystery to other Traditions if Megas-Tu mages were to appear on Earth.If a Megas-Tu mage were to encounter Paradox, something which to him/her does not exist, it would set up a resonating counter-Paradox effect (which in game terms can be additional countermagick, lowered difficulties in fighting Paradox, or whatever the ST thinks is appropriate). [Note: When you think about it, the concept of the disbelief in Paradox generating even more Paradox is, well, paradoxical!]
Role-playing Notes
The Megans have a great distrust in humans due to the trials and witch-hunts that plagued them. They are currently waiting for the day when greed, fear, and prejudice are no longer a threat to their kind. Sadly, those emotions refuse to (pardon the phrase) magically disappear. For now the Megans are suspicious and wary.
Ideas
If Megas-Tu were to appear in the sky, some people on Earth might see it as some kind of alien invasion! (It would also be really vulgar, even by mage standards.) There is no telling what effect the two conflicting realities would have on each other.A more toned-down scenario would be if a Megan were to accidentally or experimentally travel to Earth. The thought of someone with a resistance (but not immunity) to Paradox loose on Earth would be a nightmare and a headache to the Technocracy.
Similarly, mages from Earth could land on Megas-Tu! If an Earthling (Awakened or otherwise) were to go there and practice Megan magic, the locals would know about it...and the poor human would be on the receiving end of a witch trial - Megas-Tu style! (Unlike the ending of the episode I got this idea from, the end result might not be pleasant...)