By Chiaroscuro
The following is a partial writeup (work-in-progress) of a Tradition I am constructing for my Mage campaign. Various events and persons described in the writeup are artifacts of that campaign. I thought it might be interesting, maybe spark some comments.
If anyone winds up wondering what in the Nine Hells goes on once Doissetep goes boom: the Chantry occupying the Shade Realm of Forces is now (after events described) Dirac Station.
The Quantum Mechanics are both the youngest and one of the oldest Traditions. Their founder is Lucius Morn, once of the Order of Hermes. He was a brilliant quantum physicist before Awakening, and afterward became one of the youngest Masters of Prime on record. He became involved in the politics of the Chantry Doissetep, gradually discovering massive corruption in the Order of Hermes both by the Technocracy and the Nephandi. Acting against the turned mages directly would have been suicidal, so Morn began a series of subtle manipulations that gradually escalated out of his hands and into the conflict now called the War of Sixes. In the course of these events the Order of Hermes was shattered, along with Doissetep itself; much of the old Order now makes up the new Iteration X Methodology called the Cryptomancers. A battered shard of the old Order continues its Tradition; the remainder has become part of the new paradigm Morn has constructed, fused together with the War of Sixes' great exodus of rogue Void Engineers into the new Tradition called the Quantum Mechanics.
Quote: "As below, so above."
Sphere: Forces
Foci
The squid is the basic all-purpose tool of the Quantum Mechanic. SQUID is an acronym for Superconducting Quantum Interference Device; it operates by analyzing and modifying quantum waveforms on a Quintessential level, guided by the principles of advanced chaos theory. Its control and operation both depend heavily on the ways in which the process of observation affects that which is observed.
The first true squid, a massive room-filling device easily capable of bending reality to a whim, was invented by Lucius Morn and is said to have disappeared in the fall of Doissetep. Modern squids come in all shapes, sizes, and power levels; their only common feature is that some part of the device, whether a cable, exhaust vent, lens, or handlebar, will exude a wisp of cold mist continuously. A basic squid, easily produced and given to every new Quantum Mechanic initiate, functions only as a focus. More powerful units, often with Virtual Adept Quantum Logic AI units onboard, are Talismans (and sometimes even fetishes).
Popular squid configurations include the helmet, laptop, backpack, and Virtual Adept-inspired glove-cable-headset models. The minimum volume of one is one hundred cubic centimeters, though most are larger.
An imager is simply any sort of reasonably advanced display device. Quantum Mechanics employ everything from computer monitors to palm-sized readout pads to imaging sunglasses for use when interacting with Spirit forces or manipulating Quintessence (particularly in the area of Pattern magick).
Calculators are used when Forces and systemic changes are concerned, to precisely define the macrocosmic effects desired from the Quantum Mechanic's microcosmic workings. Many QMs have exceedingly advanced calculators that they pride themselves on, often creating a friendly one-upmanship amidst the younger Disciples.
Outmoded for decades, slide rules were still kept (even used!) by certain Void Engineers as a symbol of their history. When the Convention fissioned and the rogues joined the newly-forming Quantum Mechanics, it was found that the old devices made a remarkably handy tool for aiding in the manipulation of both physical and temporal dimensions. New, strangely-marked slide rules enjoy a resurgence among this Tradition as a result.