The Technocracy: a fearful word for the majority of mages. This organization of mages is poorly understood, and widely feared. Most members of the Traditions know only that the Technocracy hates magick and seeks to eradicate it. Yet the Technocracy sees itself as the savior of humanity, and bulwark against darker things from beyond. The true nature of the Technocracy is far more complex than the "Big Brother" the Traditions believe it to be.
"We bear witness to the horrors unleashed by the indiscriminate use of magick. The Inquisition through which we now suffer is in part the reaction of the masses against that magick. Throughout history, mages have controlled and manipulated mankind, both overtly and from the shadows. They have dealt with forces best left alone, with little concern for its possible repercussions on the unknowing innocents that dwell nearby. Corruption and death follows in their wake.
"The essential failing of magick is that it is a specialized knowledge, available only to a few, through years of training. The majority of mankind is therefore left helpless before the machinations of mages, serving only as pawns or peasants for magely overlords. For mankind to ever ascend and reach a state of bliss, this situation must end. We must bring magick to the masses.
"We have chosen the vehicle of science to achieve our ends. An ordered and predictable magick, it is something the masses can utilize without fear, without the random destruction of other forms of magick. The application of science is technology, magickal knowledge in a form useable by the masses. Technology can be used without the years of training required by other arts, so that the masses may live their lives and yet not be denied the power of magick.
"We envision a day when the masses will produce their own bountiful crops, through machines and fertilizers rather than appealing to shamans and gods to aid them. We envision a day when all will be able to travel freely across the world, going where they will in days or hours rather than months. We envision a day when healing will be available to every man, through medicines rather than witchery. We envision a day when the masses may live without fear of the supernatural that surrounds them now.
"To this end, it is not enough that we provide the masses with power through technology. We must actively eliminate the other, more harmful forms of magick that threaten mankind. We must seal the gates to the other world which other mages have so carelessly opened, protecting mankind from the horrors that lie beyond. We must provided the masses with an ordered, peaceful world, devoid of dark mysteries, that they may at last develop their own power."
1) Seal the gates to the other world, the Umbra, lest dark force enter the world and corrupt the masses.
2) Wean the masses of their belief in the supernatural, which serves only to strengthen their enemies.
3) Develop the magick of science to replace their dependence on the supernatural.
4) Show them the benefits of science by giving them Technology that has regular application in their daily lives.
5) Develop the market and advanced means of production, so that Technology will be available to all, rather than a wealthy few.
6) Encourage the development of powerful, centralized governments that will eventually unify to provide the world with the peace it craves.
7) Work to eliminate the dangerous supernatural forces that still dwell in this world, starting with the other, reckless mages that threaten reality.
8) Prepare the masses through education for an eventual revelation of the true nature of the universe, and ascension.
Technocrats: As evidenced by their manifesto, the Technomancers see themselves as the guardians of the common man. They aid the masses by several means. First and foremost, they war against the supernatural forces which the masses have neither the ability or the strength of will to resist themselves. They raise the general standard of living, by providing new and better technology. More recently, they have begun to protect the masses from themselves, suppressing dangerous impulses and working to build a better man.
Magick: Technomancers have a mixed attitude toward magick. They realize that reality is dynamic, and subject to change by will. They also believe in objective reality. The Technocracy believes there are underlying laws to reality, which the flagrant use of magick obscures. Once magick is removed, these laws can be observed, and reinforced, strengthening a fixed and predictable reality. All other magick is ultimately flim-flam and hand waving, obscuring the true nature of things, but dangerous none-the-less for its seductiveness.
Science: Science is the vehicle the Technocracy uses to advance their paradigm. Arguably, it is mere circumstance that pressed them to choose science over other forms of magick. They could just as well have achieved their goals through religion, for instance. By choosing science, the Technocracy accepts and reinforces the idea of objective reality. As they are also aware that reality is subjective, this leads to some curious double-think on the part of Technomancers. On the one hand, they study reality to understand its laws, and on the other hand they shape reality so that the laws they desire hold true.
Technology: Technology is, in many ways, more important than science to the Technocracy. While the masses do not understand science, they can grasp the benefits of technology. As the belief of the masses shape reality, technology is much more useful than science. The Technocracy will occasionally reverse engineer science to allow or disallow certain technologies. Technology is also their greatest gift to the common man, as is reflected by the slogan "Technology: Magick for the Masses".
Correspondence: A few Technomancers are still attached to the idea of absolute space, but with the work of Einstein, most have switched to a relativistic view. Given that all space is relative, it is subject to all sorts of manipulations. Events are all that is important, the space between them is illusory. In fact, the division between Time and Space are arbitrary, and it will be eventually possible to manipulate time in the same way. These attempts to unify Time and Space have been hampered by the defection of the Virtual Adepts, the Technocracy's Correspondence masters (who in any case were interested in other things).
Entropy: The sphere of Entropy is the anti-thesis of the Technocracy for it represents decay as opposed to order. The Technomancers see this as the sphere of Nephandi, and hate and fear it. The few that study it generally only do so to "know the enemy", and rarely advance far. The lower levels can be useful, however, for reducing chaos.
Forces: Iteration-X are the Technocratic specialist in Forces, and preach the view that all is, at a fundamental level, energy. The greatest task of Technomancer scientists is the discovery of the single force that underlies all others, known as the Grand Unification theory of physics. This is also the Technomancer's attempt to clean up the disastrous chaos introduced into the paradigm by the Sons of Ether's Quantum Theory.
Life: The Progenitors specialize in life, and their view has spread throughout the Technocracy. They have a very mechanistic approach to living things, that all creatures are the functions of various small processes, which if understood, can be controlled. They have advanced the germ/virus theory of disease, and the genetic theory of evolution. Now the Progenitors advocate directed evolution, physically altering man to fit Technomancer ideals.
Mind: The New World Order are the Technomancer masters of Mind, and they take a pragmatic approach to the sphere. Mind is used for control and information gathering, via such coincidental effects as subliminal messages, drug use and electronic monitoring. There is little theory behind the New World Order's use of the sphere, but other Conventions justify it mostly through biological means, viewing the mind as a mechanical function of the brain.
Matter: The Technocracy holds to the view that matter is composed of energy, primarily at the insistence of Iteration-X. As such, it can be manipulated through infusions of energy. The original Technomancer experts of Matter were the Sons of Ether, but they left long ago, and Iteration-X has stepped into this void. Most Technomancers use Matter pragmatically, to produce needed technology and material, and leave theory aside.
Prime: Technomancers deal with Prime as all mages must, but are uncomfortable with it, as it does not sit well in a scientific paradigm. Iteration-X has sought, with little success so far, to define it as another form of energy, and this is the ultimate goal of their Grand Unification Theory (which will bring together the spheres of Prime, Forces and Matter). Oddly enough, the Syndicate is the most comfortable with this sphere, as they have found a potent metaphor for Prime: Money.
Spirit: Most Technomancers have difficulty dealing with the spirit world, and rarely have much talent with this sphere. The exception to this rule is the Void Engineers, who act as Technocratic watchmen on the Gauntlet. The eventual goal of the Void Engineers is to define the spirit world in terms of deep space, with spirit "races" reduced to alien species which mankind can meet on its own terms, and conquer. Other Technomancers prefer that the spirit world be sealed off from reality, and tolerate the Void Engineers only because they are the only Technomancer capable of maintaining the Gauntlet.
Time: Most Technocratic attempts to deal with Time have been through the theory of relativity, trying to unify Time and Space. They have advanced to the point where is possible to create devices that can look up and down the time stream, but true travel eludes them. Most of their work is still done via statistical computations to predict past and future events. They are hampered by an essentially deterministic view of reality, which masters of Time like the Cult of Ecstasy say is a serious distortion of the idea of All-Time.
Paradox: Technomancers look upon paradox as their ally, and work to strengthen its power. Paradox maintains scientific reality, which sits well with Technocracy. They feel that the existence of paradox is a manifestation of the collective will of man, and its very existence is a constant proof of the righteousness of their goals. It is a dangerous tool, however, caring not whether a Tradition mage or a Technomancer violates its dictates, striking equally against each. A few Technocrats are growing increasingly wary of Paradox, feeling that is may someday turn on the Technocracy and drive even science from the paradigm.
Avatars: Technomancers are generally uncomfortable with the idea of souls, and therefore find the concept of avatars difficult. Technocrats think of awakening as an altered mental state, a deep connection to the fundamental force underlying the universe. They generally ignore the existence of Avatars, and rarely contact them. They feel that Tradition mages who communicate with their Avatars, or believe in reincarnation or an afterlife, are simply deluding themselves. This bleak view of life after death have led not a few Technomancers to become obsessed with personal immortality.
Ascension: The Technocracy has many different beliefs on the ultimate goal of ascension. They are described in more detail under each Convention.
Akashic Brotherhood: The Technocrats, immersed as they are in the western mind-set, do not understand the goals of the Akashics. They admire them for their discipline, but find that their ideals contradict the paradigm. They work both to drive Akashics out of the West, and to westernize the East, undermining the Brotherhood's power base.
Celestial Chorus: The Technocrats view religion as the "opiate of the masses", foolish at best, and a hindrance to ascension at worst. They blame the Chorus for the Inquisition, and much that was dark about the dark ages.
Cult of Ecstasy: The Technocrats believe the Cult to be too caught up in their excesses to be a real threat. Their general attitude toward the Cult is "get a haircut, and get a real job". Because of this belief, they often mistake active Cultists for Marauders instead.
Dreamspeakers: The Dreamspeakers are an anachronism that will soon pass away, in the view of the Technomancers. The Technocracy actively seeks to undermine native cultures everywhere, by "bringing them into civilization".
Euthanatos: The Technocracy rarely differentiates these Entropy mages from the Nephandi. Technomancers can become very self-righteous when dealing with the Euthanatos, calling them "mindless murderers" and "serial killers".
Hollow Ones: Technocrats find the Hollowers nihilistic world-view pointless and foolish, but does attempt to recruit other orphans.
Order of Hermes: The Technocracy acknowledges that much of their views on science and magick are rooted in the Hermetic Order. They believe that the Technocracy advanced, while the Hermetics are locked into out-dated ideas.
Sons of Ether: The Sons were once a valuable part of the Technocracy and the wounds of their parting are not healed. The general attitude of the Technocracy was that they would soon fade without support, but they have held on tenaciously for nearly two centuries. The Technocrats are not quite so bitter towards the Sons as they are to the Virtual Adepts, and are not above excepting some Etherites back into the fold.
Verbena: This is another tradition whose beliefs are completely alien to the Technocracy. Many Technocrats believe most Verbena are linked, knowingly or not, to the Nephandi. The Progenitors have a particular hatred of them, perhaps dating back to the disputes between Doctor and Midwife of the late middle ages.
Virtual Adepts: The Virtual Adepts are universally reviled as traitors to the Technocracy. They are to be destroyed on sight, no quarter asked or given.
Marauders: The Technocracy does not understand these insane mages, but finds them extremely dangerous. Battle with Marauders involve so much damage to reality that it is always a pyrrhic victory at best. The Technocracy prefers to stop them at the Gauntlet.
Nephandi: Nephandi typify all the Technocracy finds reprehensible in mages. They have willingly sold their souls to the evils of the Deep Umbra which the Technocracy strives to keep at bay. Only the Virtual Adepts invoke a stronger reaction. A closely guarded secret is the number of Technocrats who have been discovered to be Nephandi.
Vampires: Walking corpses are a violation of the Technocratic paradigm, but they maintain such a low profile, that they are a low priority. The New World Order and the Syndicate come into occasional conflict with vampires over control of various mortal agencies, but they prefer to keep these battles indirect, through the use of pawns. For those who know of such things, there are persistent rumors that the Camarilla and the Technocracy cooperated in eliminating the superstition of the masses after the Inquisition, and that this cooperation may continue at high levels to this day.
Werewolves: The Technocrats would love to eliminate shape-shifters from the paradigm, but given that the changing breeds dwell in the wilderness and the Technocracy resides in cities, they rarely come into direct conflict. The Progenitors have been most active in pursuing them, primarily as research subjects for their genetic research.
Wraiths and Changlings: The Technocracy categorically denies the existence of ghosts and fairies. When confronted by them, they usually interpret them as some sort of peculiar spirit, and work quickly to destroy them. It is perhaps not a coincidence that the Fey retreated to Arcadia about the time the Technocracy first began to rise.
In its beginnings, the Technocracy was a secret society, fearing discovery by more traditional mages. Some of this earlier organization scheme has lingered in the modern Technocracy. They are obsessed with secrecy, and the exact leaders of the Conventions are unknown, perhaps out of fear of assassination by Tradition mages. Low rank Technocrats are left mostly in the dark, given orders without explanation, for fear that they may be captured and reveal crucial information. This breeds paranoia and resentment in the lower ranks, as well as an intense competition to go higher and to be "in the know".
There is supposedly an Inner Circle of the Technocracy, with a representative from each convention, that directs the Technocracy as a whole. The exact nature of the Inner Circle is a complete mystery. They never act directly, instead dispersing their directives through secret channels. How the Inner Circle interacts with the highest levels of each Convention is unknown. Much of what is said of the Circle is purely speculative, and its very existence may be a myth.
In a similar fashion, each Convention has a hierarchy of its own. Each has its own highest leader, often hiding in the shadows. Beneath this leadership are several tiers of followers. The typical ranking is as follows: non-awakened servants, apprentices, working technomancers (disciples), division heads (Adepts) and Construct heads (Masters). In multi-Convention Constructs, there is often a great deal of posturing to determine how the ranks of the different conventions interrelate.
The truest public governing body of the Technocracy is the periodic symposiums held in various locations. Technomancers of many different Conventions attend, and engage in massive and heated debates about where the Technocracy should direct its focus, how it should deal with threats and what new scientific theories should be allowed into the paradigm. These symposiums vary in scope, from local affairs dealing with specific problems, to the yearly global symposium discussing the future plans of the entire Technocracy. In theory, any decisions at a symposium are made by a simple democratic process, though in practice, political scheming is the norm, with high ranking Technocrats often able to "swing the vote" of their inferiors.
Aside from symposiums and any secret directives that might be passed down, different Technocratic Constructs have a degree of autonomy that might surprise Tradition mages were they to know of it. So long as a Construct works toward the general goals of the Technocracy, it may do just about anything it pleases. Constructs are expected to aid one another in times of need, and to obey the decisions of the symposiums, and can expect censure or even retribution if they fail to do so. It is rumored that the NWO secretly monitors different Constructs to make certain they follow Technocratic ideals, but how exactly they put this information to use is unknown.
Traditions view the Technocracy as an organized, global conspiracy. The Technocracy see itself as the beleaguered defender of man, with its resources often stretched dangerously thin. The Technocracy has interests on so many different fronts that they often suffer from desperate man-shortage problems. This is particularly true of their mages, who are, perhaps, fewer in number than the traditions.
To make up for this lack, the Technocracy makes widespread use of non-awakened individuals. Many of these people are unaware that they are serving the Technocracy. Iteration-X and the Progenitors make extensive use of ordinary scientist to "reality-test" their theories. The NWO uses existing intelligence agencies to gather much of their information. The Syndicate uses ordinary businessmen and organized crime to maintain their investments. The Void Engineers indirectly controls virtually every space-agency on the planet.
In addition to these unknowing servants, most Technocracy Constructs have a large number of mundane employees working for them directly. For the most part, these individuals are unaware of the magickal nature of their employers, believing they are working in cutting-edge scientific research, successful businesses or secret intelligence sub-agencies. Even the densest them will notice to many strange things over time, however. The Technocrats deal with this by cultivating a strong sense of loyalty, discouraging questioning, and occasionally wiping memories or resorting to more drastic measures. These employees also make some of the best recruiting grounds, for their loyalty can be observed over long periods of time.
Not all of the Technocracy's servants are ignorant of its true nature. The Technomancers have a huge number of "enhanced" servants, mostly bio-engineered, cybered and enchanted humans, but including a wide array of machines and spirits as well. Typical examples of these individual vary from Convention to Convention. Man in Black, Hit Marks, and Superiors are amongst the best known.
Another common servant of the Technocracy are the spirit Monitors. The spirits, servants of the Void Engineers, watch for breeches in the Gauntlet. Monitors travel in groups of at least three. Any serious intrusion in the spiritual realm results in one of them fleeing to report the breech, while the rest either deal with the intruders, or at the very least cover the escape of their comrade. Monitors are quite capable of dealing with minor threats on their own, and anything beyond their capabilities are soon met by a Void Engineer Strike Team.
It would humble Tradition mages to know that their activities in the Umbra rate a low priority. Unless they are dealing with a major source of power or destruction, the presence of Tradition mages in the Umbra might not be reported for hours or even days. As a result, most Umbral activities of the Tradition meet with no response at all, unless they repeatedly enter the Umbra in the same place. Because of this, few Tradition mages are aware of how carefully the Technocracy watches the Umbra. Nephandi or Marauders in the Umbra merit immediate attention.
The five Technomancer conventions each serves a vital purpose in the function of the Technocracy. The New World Order is the leader of the technocracy, managing its works, and the government of man. It is also their primary information gatherer as well. The Syndicate provides the Technocracy with the money necessary to fund its projects. Iteration-X and the Progenitors provide the bulk of new Technology, both machine and biological. The Void Engineer maintain the gauntlet, and explore the dark regions of the Digital Web and the Deep Umbra, from which many of the Technocracy's enemies come. The Void Engineers also maintain the many Horizon Research Realms of the Technocracy.
The Technomancers that Tradition mages encounter most often are the Strike Teams (individually refered to as Field Agents). Strike Teams come in a surprising variety of compositions, as the Technocracy constantly experiments with new combinations and technologies. Usually a Strike Team will include at least one, and often several full mages. They will often have several enhanced but unawakened soldiers (referred to as Armatures) such as Men in Black and Hit Marks, to take the brunt of the damage and protect the more valuable mages. Strike Teams often have mages from several different Conventions, to maximize flexibility.
Strike Teams are the first line of defense for the Technocracy. They respond to threats beyond the capacity of their sleeping and enhanced servants. Strike Teams also make preemptive strikes against enemies of the Technocracy. Field Agents get the best training and equipment the Technocracy can provide, but their is still some stigma attached to their members. The general feeling amongst Technocrats is that research and development is more important to the goals of Technocracy, and there is resentment on both side of this divide.
As they are often in the field, the loyalty of Field Agents is very important. The Technocracy does its best to cultivate fanaticism in the Teams, sometimes at the expense of common sense. Scarce resource and a preponderance of enemies means Strike Teams spend inordinate amounts of time away from their superiors. Some Strike Teams develop such a rabid hatred of the Traditions that they go beyond their orders. Others become "distracted", diverting their energies to dealing with the evils they see in the world, engaging in personal vendettas against crime and corruption, sometimes unknowingly turning on their Technocracy allies.
Another major segment Technomancers are the scientists. Technomancer scientists usually work within the Conventions, though interdisciplinary research exists. These are divided into two major segments: Research and Development. Researchers often dwell in specialized Horizon Realms, where they need not worry about Paradox in working out their incredibly hyper-advanced theories. They pass their ideas on to developers, who work to integrate the new advances into the Earthly paradigm via extensive "reality testing".
There is a conflict between researchers and developers analogous to the conflict between pure scientists and engineers. The developers accuse researchers of failing to consider the feasibility of their studies. They waste precious time on pointless research that will never further the goals of the Technocracy, even it can be integrated into the Paradigm. They spend too much time in their horizon realms, and are losing touch with the real world. Some of the ideas they create are simply too impractical to ever implement. Developers chafe at the need to take all their ideas from researchers, and clandestine engage in studies of their own.
Researchers see developers as timid technicians and bureaucrats. After all, the researchers are often a century ahead of scientific development on Earth. Developers take too long to implement their new theories. Researchers chafe at trivial seeming questions of "cost effectiveness" and "minimizing disturbances to the Paradigm". A few researchers will circumvent the usual procedure, bypassing development and putting new technologies directly in the hands of Strike Teams or even sleepers, sometimes with disastrous results.
To alleviate the problems, most Conventions have a policy of rotating mages through both Research and Development, but in practice only apprentices regular make these transitions. In pragmatic New World Order and Syndicate, the developers have a great deal of day-to-day control of the world, and have more clout than their researchers. In the more scientific Iteration-X and Progenitors, the reverse is true. The Void Engineers, more concerned with exploration than control or research, has perhaps the most even handed development.
An excellent history of the Technocracy is given in the Book of Shadows (pp. 184-191). The Technocracy, like most Traditions, traces its origin back into prehistory, but this is more a study in what ideas led to its development. There is no solid evidence the Technocracy had any real existence prior to the 14th century.
Iteration-X most likely developed out of Hermetic mages joining the the Technocracy during the chaos of the Inquisition. Since then, they have monitored and guided scientific advances, occasionally interjecting their own ideas. Nearly every scientific theory is carefully examined by Iteration-X, and is either approved for inclusion in the paradigm, or dismissed as useless. Iteration-X does not have an absolute hold on the scientific world (as the introduction of Quantum Theory by the Sons of Ether shows), but they have a great deal of control.
Iterators are the ultimate technicians, and design the vast majority of the Technocracy's equipment. They are also the Technocracy's primary researcher into the physical and chemical sciences. Iteration-X mages are the most secluded of all Technomancers, often engaged in obscure study in far off realms. They have created an wide array of mechanical servants to interact with the world for them, and to aid their more pragmatic Technocratic allies.
Despite their reclusiveness, Iterators are amongst the strongest supporters of the pogrom. Iteration-X is so deeply enmeshed in science that they have developed a dread of the supernaturals nearly as strong as the sleepers'. They direct their machine servants to attack Tradition mages wherever they can find them. This brings them into increasing conflict with other Technomancer who find their tactics to "noisy".
Philosophy: "The machine is the ultimate expression of the values of Technocracy. It is order and perfection. Through understanding the machine, we can find enlightenment. We have seen that the machine is an intelligence in its own right, and will teach us and aid us toward ascension. It is not enough that we use technology in our lives. We must integrate it fully, with machines taking their rightful place as our allies and equals."
Organization: Iteration-X organizes itself along the lines of the scientific and academic communities, splitting into teaching, research and application divisions. It is rumored they are lead by an advanced machine intelligence, from which they received their name.
Meetings: Iteration-X holds regular symposiums of its own to discuss scientific ideas. These meetings resemble scientific conferences more than anything else. Other than this, Iterators rarely interact with each other, as they tend to be more comfortable with their machines than other people.
Initiation: Iteration-X recruits most of its followers from the scientific community. They scour college campuses looking for bright minds with magickal potential. Often their recruits finish their ordinary education, studying Techno-magick on the side. They then spend some time in Iteration-X research centers to finish their training. In recent years, the Convention has recruited some handicapped individuals for physical enhancement via cyberware. This has caused some conflict with the Progenitors, who are working to eliminate physical imperfection from the paradigm.
Chantry: Autochthonia is the greatest Chantry of Iteration-X. This machine world has a physical manifestation as an "opposite earth", a planet in the same orbit as earth but on the opposite side of the sun, hidden from view. Because they lack the sphere of Spirit, Iterators access this realm using Correspondence. Their Chantries often lack horizon realms, though they are warded against spiritual intrusion.
Acolytes: Physicists, Engineers, Artificial Intelligences.
Sphere: Like the Ahl-i-Batan, Iteration-X has two spheres, Forces and Matter, which they believe are the same at a fundamental level. They lack the spirit sphere though, because the very idea of it is opposed to their scientific world-view. Even other Technomancers are surprised at how vehemently Iteration-X denies the spirit world.
Foci:
Concepts: Cold Scientist, Cyber-Assassin, Mechanical Engineer
Quote: "The flesh is weak. Machines have perfection. Only when man emulates and embraces the machine will true peace be found."
New World Order: "They lead us well, which is good, for they are the only ones willing to do it. They are too timid in pursuing the Pogrom, however. Supernatural threats must be eliminate to lead to scientific and Technocratic triumph."
Progenitors: "Our brother scientists share many of our ideals, but they are fools to believe perfection can be found through flesh alone.
Syndicate: "Pencil pushing bureaucrats, they don't understand that the market is nothing without goods to sell. Still, their earthly resources are useful, so they are worth cultivating."
Void Engineers: "This convention shares more of our scientific views than any other. Their explorations are dangerous, though. It is only a matter of time before they encounter things better left alone."
The New World Order rose from the Technocracy's need for leadership. The NWO not only leads the Technocracy, but the world itself. The NWO has been encouraging gradual centralization of government, first through nationalism, then through supranational ideals like Communism. Their progress has been rather spotty, however. As one of the most blatant attempts at Technocratic control, the Traditions can easily notice and oppose moves by the NWO.
This Traditions believe the NWO is in direct control of most of the governments of the world. This is, in fact, not the case. What would be the point of creating powerful centralized governments if you have to spend all your time telling them what to do anyway? The NWO encourages the sort of governments they like, but once they are in place, they only interfere if they step out of line.
This leave the NWO time for its true calling: information gathering. While the NWO has a light touch toward government in general, they have a solid hold on most of the intelligence agencies in the world. They keep many of their agents in the dark, and encourage competition between different agencies as well. This way, there are always several groups investigating the same problem, and the NWO has gets several different points of view. The NWO often "farms out" its information to other more appropriate Conventions, for them to deal with.
The amount of information the NWO gathers is truly terrifying. They have monitoring devices installed in many technological devices. Their eyes are everywhere, their spies are legion. Only one thing prevents the NWO from knowing everything that happens on the planet: the sheer mass of information they collect is too much for anyone to process. Many of their recordings are filed away "for later evaluation". They are hampered by the fact that most of their examiners are sleepers. The NWO tries to compensate by spot checking everything, but much still slips through their fingers.
The simplest solution to their problem would be the heavy use of computers, but they avoid this for two reasons. First, they fear the Virtual Adepts raiding their information, something that occurs far too often in any case. Secondly, in order to evaluate the information, mere Expert Systems would not be enough. True Artificial Intelligences would be needed. The only source for AI is Iteration-X, and the NWO is distinctly uncomfortable of the blind faith that Convention places in their machines.
Philosophy: "Only through peace can mankind find the leisure to ascend, and peace is only available through good government. Government is the servant and protector of the masses. It is the best means we have available to regulate errant supernatural forces, and hide their existence from the sleeping world. It is the best means we have to guide the masses toward ascension. It is unfortunate that the hidden, dark nature of the world often forces government to act in secret, but this will pass in time."
Organization: The NWO is organized along the lines of a complex intelligence agency. Its field agents act as investigators, while their superiors assign missions and evaluate their information. More than any other Convention, the NWO is obsessed with secrecy. No one knows exactly who is in charge of the Convention as a whole. There are a few who believe that there are in fact several competing groups at the top of the NWO, struggling with each other for domination. Considering how far the NWO's influence extends, this has frightening implications.
Meetings: Field agents meet with to their superiors on a regular basis to make reports and receive new orders. Presumably the superiors do the same with their superiors, and so forth, but no one knows how far up the chain of command extends.
Initiation: The NWO recruits most of its initiates from talent members of various intelligence agencies. The NWO maintains secret "paranormal" divisions in various agencies which they use a testing grounds for potential recruits. The NWO keeps on eye out for talented individuals in the political world as well.
Chantry: The NWO maintain chantries connected to most of the worlds intelligence headquarters. The location of the central chantry is a closely held secret, if such a thing even exists.
Acolytes: Politicians, Bureaucrats, Law Enforcement
Sphere: Mind is the sphere of the NWO. It is invaluable in their attempts to gather information.
Foci:
Concepts: Secret Agent, Psychic Division of the FBI, Politician
Quote: "These individuals represent a clear and present danger to the sovereignty of the United States. They must be eliminated; law has nothing to do with it."
Iteration-X: "They provide us with the Technology the masses need, but their fanatical pursuit of the pogrom endangers our secrecy."
Progenitors: "With their aid, immortality lies within our grasp. Now we must ascertain how to keep it out of their control."
Syndicate: "These fools meddle to much in our affairs. It is only a matter of time before we show them our true strength."
Void Engineers: "Good soldiers, albeit strange. They need watching, lest they go the way of the Virtual Adepts."
There is some dispute as to exactly how the Progenitors arose. Some believe they were renegade Verbena, joining the early Technocracy out of fear of the Inquisition. Others say they came from the rising medical class, in direct competition with herbal mid-wives and their Verbena kin. Regardless of their origins, the Progenitors have done much to reshape the way the world views life and disease. It is also true that they harbor a special hatred of the Verbena.
The Progenitors initially work to win sleepers to their side via improvements in agricultural techniques. Their greatest accomplishment, however, was the creation of the germ theory of disease. By attributing disease to a physical cause, rather than a spiritual one, disease could be treated via non-magickal means with predictable results. It was even possible to completely eliminate certain diseases, something unthinkable in any previous paradigm.
Heartened by their success with disease, the Progenitors have pressed forward to pry into the very secrets of life itself. Evolution and genetics are the two corner-stones to modern Progenitor research. The Progenitors have learned much about the living process, and have created a number of new and successful species. Meanwhile, their technicians continue to develop new theories and chemicals to improve the lives of Sleepers. Unfortunately, modern Progenitor obsession with the creation of the "perfect" life-form, and the general improvement of man, have distanced them from humanity, and they can be quite ruthless in their experimentation.
Philosophy: "We now hold the power to control our own evolution. The ultimate expression of Technology is the power to redefine oneself. We have the knowledge and power through drugs and genetics to remake man in a better, more powerful form. Through successive transformations, we can advance mankind far further than the course of nature would ever take us, and thereby ascend."
Organization: The Progenitors organize themselves along academic lines, in various research and education centers. Each major scientific discipline has a Review Board that evaluate various Technomancer's work, and determining who will get funding and who will be "cut".
Meetings: Progenitors tend to be more concerned with research than regular interaction with their peers. Any meetings they have tend to be practical exchanges of information, as well as occasional demonstrations of new discoveries.
Initiation: Progenitors, like Iteration-X, looks mostly to the academic world to find its recruits. In recent years, the Progenitors have realized that there are a number of talented individuals in the drug world, developing new chemicals and strains of plants. Their recruits there also give the Progenitors access to a wide range of willing test subjects in the drug consuming public.
Chantry: It is rumored that the Progenitors have converted the monastery where Mendel once lived into a hi-tech research center and clearing house for Progenitor ideas.
Acolytes: Pharmacists, Medical Personnel, Drug Dealers
Sphere: The Progenitors concentrate on the sphere of life, and their mechanistic view has influenced the general Technocratic view of this sphere. They feel that life is governed by various small processes such as DNA, whose actions can be studied and understood.
Foci:
Concepts: Drug Engineer, Genetic Researcher, Doctor
Quote: "Don't worry. This won't hurt a bit."
Iteration-X: "They are at least solid scientists. Their obsession with machinery is taking them down a false path, however. Ascension is only available to the living."
New World Order: "As our leader, they do a passable job, leaving us to do what we do best. Never trust them, though.
Syndicate: "These businessmen can be extremely useful, but short-sighted. Our brief foray into the drug world makes it clear they are not exploiting the full potential of their markets."
Void Engineers: "We do not claim to understand their obsession with space, but have no problem with it, either. At least they occasionally return with interesting new specimens."
The Syndicate was originally composed of pragmatic mages who threw in with nascent Technocracy to oppose the chaos of late medieval Europe. They developed a specific function by introducing Technomancer creations to sleepers. As time went on, they developed an advanced theory of economics, whose practice they follow today. Many Technomancers are uncomfortable with this Convention's growing power.
Early in their history, the Syndicate realized the future of power lay not in heredity, political power, or knowledge, but in the control of capital. Where others worked to discover and create new things, the Syndicate worked to control the means of production. Thus, they reap the profits of others work. The Syndicate has fingers all over the business world, in both legal and illegal activities. Unfortunately, the Syndicate has lost sight of reality, putting profit above all else, including morality and even common sense. Younger Syndicate mages pursue more and more rapid returns on their investments, sacrificing long term productivity.
Unlike other Technocratic Conventions, the Syndicate feels that a certain amount of randomness in the paradigm is essential. Only through competition can individual achieve their true potential. People will only give their finest when they are rewarded for their work. This attitude has put them in increasing conflict with the NWO over the years. Many Syndicate mages feel the NWO has outlived its usefulness, and should step aside to allow new and vigorous leadership. The NWO, of course, has a different opinion. The recent failure of Communism is seen to be a move on the part of the Syndicate against the NWO.
Philosophy: "Only the market can bring Technology into the home. Through observation of the market, we can see what the masses need and demand. The competition of the market brings vigor to the lives of the masses, and gives a safe outlet to the strife without which life has no meaning. The market provides a simple measure of power the masses can understand: money. Whether the rest of the Technocracy acknowledges it or not, the market now controls the world. Ignore it at your peril."
Organization: Because of their attitudes towards competition, the Syndicate encourages a great deal of autonomy in its members. A certain amount of scheming and back-door dealing is admired. The Syndicate plays for keeps though, and a young mage who crosses the line can have his career cut short. There are rumors of a central board overseeing the entire Convention, but what its purpose may be no one knows.
Meetings: The Syndicate mages, despite their independence, love to meet frequently, usually in their boardrooms or over "power lunches". These meeting range from simple displays of wealth and power to secret negotiations against a common enemy.
Initiation: The Syndicate recruits from business schools and already successful businessmen. Because legality is not a major concern, they also recruit from successful and wealthy criminal overlords as well.
Chantry: The Syndicate has powerful chantries in New York, Tokyo and Switzerland, but is too diverse to have a primary chantry.
Acolytes: Accountants, Economists, Criminals, Stock Brokers
Sphere: The Syndicate is the only Convention with a well developed understanding of the sphere of Prime. They have developed a powerful means of regulating the flow of Quintessence through the use of money. By directing capital toward or away from different ventures, the Syndicate can control their success or failure in reality.
Foci:
Concepts: CEO, Business Tycoon, Crime-lord
Quote: "It takes money to make money."
Iteration-X: "These guys give us the best things to sell, but they have no sense of presentation. Nearly everything they invent would never make it into the paradigm without our advertising."
New World Order: "Out-dated bureaucrats. They need to step aside for some people with real drive."
Progenitors: "We welcome their help in the drug markets, so long as they remember that distribution and marketing is 99% of the work."
Void Engineers: "These poor sods don't seem to realize that unless is space is profitable, the sleepers will never go for it."
This Convention has, without a doubt, the best reputation amongst Tradition mages. This is primarily because the Void Engineers have little to do with the pogrom, and therefore rarely come into with the Traditions. Because of their pragmatism, they have even cooperated with Tradition mages in the Deep Umbra on occasional, and they are generally viewed as harmless. Were the true goals of the Convention known, this opinion would likely change.
The Void Engineer arose to fill a specific need in the Technocracy. To close off the gateways to the Umbra, they needed Technomancers familiar with the world of spirits. The Void Engineers fulfilled this need neatly, not only strengthening the Gauntlet, but setting up networks of Techno-spirits to monitor its boundaries. The Voiders may have learned too much in their journey however, for they could not leave the Umbra well enough alone.
During their explorations of the Umbra, the Void Engineers developed a desire to reincorporate the spirit world with the physical world. There were simply too many wonders to ignore. The Voiders supported the Technomancer paradigm, however. They resolved this conflict by trying to expanding the Technocratic paradigm into the Umbra, converting it into deep space. To date, they have had little to no support from other Technomancers, who find their goals frivolous. The Voiders have, at various times, considered defecting, but consider it unlikely the Traditions will support their goal either.
Philosophy: "A study of history shows that a civilization maintains its vigor is through expansion and exploration. Yet on the limited sphere of the earth, this invariably leads to war and death. Only the limitless bounds of space allow the expansion needed to maintain civilization without the accompanying destruction. When we are ready, we must reopen the gates to the Void, not to allow others to enter, but to sweep out and claim the universe as our own."
Organization: Void Engineers have two distinct divisions: Ground Control and the Explorers. Ground Control maintains the gauntlet and monitoring network, while the Explorers probe the Deep Umbra. Ground Control has a complex hierarchy to regulate is technical developments, while the explorers spend to much time in the field to have any real organization beyond the Cabal level.
Meetings: Due to the Conventions loose organization, they have little in the way of meetings beyond the practical level, though Voiders do have a penchant for attending Science Fiction Conventions.
Initiation: The Void Engineers recruit primarily from two fields: space agencies and science fiction writers. Oddly enough, it is the second group who commonly make up Voider Explorers, while recruits from NASA tend to fill out Ground Control.
Chantry: The Voiders greatest Chantry is Cape Kennedy, though they have diversified considerably in recent years, especially in Europe. They are greatly disturbed at the recent developments in Russia and the collapse of its space program, and suspect there is more to what is going on than a simple NWO/Syndicate squabble.
Acolytes: Space Technicians, Air Force Officers, Sci-Fi Fans
Sphere: The Voiders are the only Convention to fully explore the Spirit sphere. They eventually desire to quantify the Umbra as Deep Space, but have yet to come up with any unified theory to do so. As a result, they still use many outdated Rotes to deal with spirits, drawing heavily from the Hermetics. This does not help their reputation with other Technomancers.
Foci:
Concepts: Bold Explorer, Stalwart Guardian of the Gauntlet
Quote: "To go boldly where no one has gone before ..."
Iteration-X: "While their technical support is useful, their blind ignorance of the spirit world is astounding. Spirits may not mesh well with the scientific paradigm, but that sort of denial is not healthy."
New World Order: "They are perfectly happy to use our spy satellites, but are unwilling to give us the support we need."
Progenitors: "The Progenitors gives us the least problems, primarily because they are too absorbed in their own research."
Syndicate: "Where the hell is the funding they keep promising? A sky full of communication satellites is not exactly what we had in mind."