By Mark Kinney (KINNEMA@WKUVX1.BITNET)
Based on the Doctor Who television series
Late in the Mythic Age, a small Chantry of magi saw the rise of the Technocracy. While entranced with the possibilites of this new form of magick, their control of the Time Sphere (two of the mages, Rassilon and Omega, are believed to have been Oracles) showed where this development would eventually go. They departed into the Deep Umbra, forming the Covenant of Gallifrey in a realm they created.
Rassilon and Omega continued to develop the powers of the Time Sphere, until one day in a massive feat of magick involving the Time and Prime Spheres, created a power source which is now one of the Time Lords' main foci, the Eye of Harmony. This would eventually allow the Time Lords to regenerate their bodies and travel not only into the future, but the past as well. But Paradox never turns a blind eye to events, even in the Umbra, and the act of creation caused Omega to be trapped within the Eye.
Rassilon continued the time experiments, eventually fully realizing his vision. At first, however, their newfound powers were used to snatch warriors from different timestreams and realms of the Umbra. Rassilon eventually ended these games, and forbade use of the rote that drew the victims from their places in time.
Rassilon is believed to eventually either have died or been overthrown by the growing population of Time Lords. In either case, the Death Zone, the site of the past Game, became the site of the Tomb of Rassilon, but whether he is truly dead is unknown.
Eventually, the foci for their time travel, referred to by the acronym TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space) was created, powered by the Eye of Harmony and made into more of a Talisman than a focus, with several powers of its own, including the ability to disguise its appearance. Parts of toolkits became foci for other things, and the Eye of Harmony changed the followers of this path so that the Eye could be used remotely, although Paradox for some reason chose to alter the Time Lords physiology because of this, giving them two hearts and causing other changes as well. Omega's possible role in this is unknown.
An incident that resulted in the destruction of an entire realm caused the Time Lords to become officially neutral in all external affairs, except where the excesses of a group (usually the Marauders but any other group as well) interfere with the known time stream as recorded in the Panopticon, the Time Lords' historical record. They have also, on occasion, had to act when incursions into the Umbral realms began by Techomancer-engineered creatures. They refuse to officially take sides in the conflict between the Traditions and the Technocracy, although some individuals, referred to as Renegades, occasionally help one side or the other, occasionally with covert help from similarly-minded members of the Time Lord High Council.
The Technocracy: Their ends are evil at their farthest extent, but we mustn't affect their battles.
The Marauders: They risk the continuum with their constant disruption of reality. They are our constant enemies.
The Nephandi: They have interfered with history before. Watch them carefully, and be prepared to act against them.
Description: Something that nearly all Time Lords learn, this rote completely renews the Time Lord's body, healing all wounds and disease. This usually occurs upon the impending death of the Time Lord, and results usually in not only that but a complete change in appearance and sometimes personality.
If a Time Lord doesn't know this, usually one is around who does, and can assist, although in some cases future forms of the Time Lord appear that do know the rote to bring them through [Remember the Doctor at the end of "Logopolis"...]. Why Paradox does not affect this is unknown, although this effect could be considered similar to that of Zen and the Art of Panhandling from the Mage rulebook, although the fact that this rote only works on a particular Time Lord twelve times may appease Paradox somewhat.
System: Make the roll as for vulgar magick, unless nearby sleepers have accepted the Time Lord's nature (i.e. companions). If both the player and Storyteller agree to it, the Storyteller may rearrange points in the character's Social and Mental Attributes to reflect the changes resulting from regeneration. Paradox still takes effect, although Paradox flaws could be part of the process - remember that the Sixth Doctor's regeneration was "unstable" and the Seventh was far darker in mentality than any of the others, to the point of manipulating his companion.
Description: Upon making contact with a major nerve center on the body, the Time Lord can overload the target's nerves, causing them to fall unconcious.
System: Contact is required for this to work -- a reccommended point is right between the eyes -- and one finger is all that is needed to make contact. Roll for this rote against a difficulty of the target's Willpower or 7 (Entropy 4 + 3), whichever is higher. One success disorients, two will stun the target for one to three turns, and three or more puts them out for the rest of the scene.
Description: This is not so much a rote, as knowledge of how to use a TARDIS talisman (detailed below). Basic knowledge in each of the above mentioned spheres is required, but the TARDIS will otherwise fill in what the user doesn't know.
Description: Time Lord Legend states that one brave enough to enter the Death Zone and survive to reach Rassilon's crpyt in the Dark Tower may take the Ring of Rassilon from his body and be granted Immortality.
System: Only Rassilon truly knows this rote, although others could figure it out given time. The true effect of this rote is to transmute the person in question into a living statue: unable to use magick, unable to leave, but truly immortal... (see "The Five Doctors" for more information on this.) It is believed Rassilon uses the Ring for a focus, as it returns to his hand when the rote is cast.
Description: This rote, its use long forbidden, was used to bring creatures into the Death Zone for the games. The focus used to cast it still exists, but only the Lord President, Chancellor, and Castellan know its location. It was never intended as a two-way means of travel, and is one of the Time Lords' earliest efforts.
System: The user locates the target and places them anywhere within the Death Zone the user chooses.
Description: This rote is used when something so disruptive to the timeline is being used or created. This rote separates their world from the rest of the timeline, so that their influence will not effect the flow of history.
System: This rote raises the Gauntlet of a target Realm to 10, essentially cutting it off from the Umbra. There is presently no way to actually destroy a realm.