By Christopher Short (cshort@cix.compulink.co.uk) (10 Dec 94)
A truly secret order who seek to understand the overall nature of reality before changing it.
Founder: Alan Kirkbright, Orphan, Powerful Avatar, Master of Dream, Author/writer and dabller in the occult. Friend of Poe/Lovecraft, Machen, White & Darlath. Used Dream to enlighten/teach himself about magick. After founding the order he used Dream to discover Wyrm Lore and decided to protect his order. This set 2 precedents:
1) That the study of the Wyrm should not progress above background reading (2).
2) Kirkbright's suicide, and the suicide of their role models, AC Doyle, Machen, Lovecraft; That a SoL would rather die than betray his orders existence/secrets. This is reinforced using Mind Magicks plus Encrypted Thought, occasionaly Mind Blast (Mind 3,Corr 5).
In newly awakened mages, the Arcane is usually high, and once awakened in the 1920s the SoL's are transported into the future (Corr 4, Time 5).1920s->1990s, thus all record of them ceased many years hence.
Initiation: Candidates are usually writers or musicians, or such (High Dream), taken to their sanctum and exposed to True Reality.
The order has Master library (Spirit & Correspondance only), Lores, and a wide variety of updated modern backgrounds, knowledge provided by their sleeper cover group 'Foundation for Modern Research'. Funding comes from one bank account, from a Mummy Swiss Bank Account (Allies).
Goal: An understanding of the overall nature of reality, for how can we change something we do not comprehend? Ascension is not an immediate goal, it is an end reached after a long, dangerous preparation.
Method: Due to their philosophy they have found no place closed to them. Garou sometimes see humans on the shores of the lakes of silver walking untroubled by the guardians to an audience with Luna.
Cast: They may attempt no sphere higher than their current culture score, as an understanding of another culture is central to their care beliefs. They must have at least as many dots in Lore skills as their culture score.
Other: We protect the gauntlet and the Ultima Thule. Ascension must be protected from the Horrors in the deep Umbra.
Foci
* Inspired by role models such as Derlath and Lovecraft. SoL's have created a language they refer to as "Cthonian". It is hissing, gutteral and alien, also very hard on the ears, tending to give casual listeners intense head aches, Spirits and the umbrood seem to like it fine though.
NOTE : Because Cthonian is only known to Magi it is inaccessible to the collective unconscious. SoL's use it as proof that they are who they say they are when approaching a fellow member they have no been introduced to. (There are currently 21 members)
Virtual Adepts: Thieves, they stole Mount Qaf just as we were begining to understand it. Still as one door closes another opens.
Cult of Ecstasy: Don't they know there's a war on?
Orphans: True Magi, we were like them, but now we use the Traditions teaching methods. We have so much to do and soooo much to teach.
Hollow Ones: Sad.
Celestial Chorus: The presence of a creator is undeniable, but we are not as naive as to claim to know his mind. Should they not be a convention, the creations of this tradition have inflicted at least the same amount of pain and suffering upon reality as the Technomancers.
Dreamspeakers: Gaia is but a minor facet of a far grander design. Their narrowness of vision blinds them to greater visions.
Sons of Ether : "Throw the switch, Igor."
Euthanatos: Study of this group is dangerous and ill advised, they react badly to being watched.
Order of Hermes: Interesting!
Verbena: They can teach us much, but beware their blood magics.
Technomancy: We despise in ANY form.
Nephandi: Do not study them. They have nothing to teach, only a total fool would swap eternity for temporal power. You cannot kill them, you can only ease the burden of reality.
Marauders: Exercise extreme caution.