[Mage] A World Without Paradox

It all began with a mysterious event called The Whiteout. In the final
days of the 20th Century, a brilliant white light flashed everywhere in
the world, all at once, lasting only seconds, but changing the world
forever. While Sleepers sought answers from religion and science, magi
found their world slowly changing...

The Whiteout had seemingly caused many new Awakenings. Curiously, it
also seemed to affect the Arete levels of already-Awakened magi, making
titans of mice and mice of titans. Terrifyingly, it actually sent the
Avatars of a rare few mages back to Sleep...

It was awhile before even the more adventurous Willworkers tested the
waters enough to dare realize the truth: that the magick limiting force
known as Paradox was no more. Then, almost overnight, long repressed
mages everywhere began to carelessly stretch their magickal muscles,
celebrating their newfound freedom. It was inevitable that even the
Sleepers would notice something...

Panic spread. Both the Traditions and the Technocracy found themselves
hard-pressed to keep up with all the rambunctious orphans and even the
reckless members of their own organizations. It was nearly impossible
to tell a Maruader from an overjoyed prankster just having fun. But the
Sleepers weren't having any fun at all, as their worldview was falling
apart around their ears. Someone had to take action. The Council of
Nine Traditions stepped up.

In a magickal working of tremendous power, the Council Elders hijacked
every communications device on Earth, and introduced themselves to
Sleeper society. To sooth fears and provide reason where none existed,
they took credit and responsibility for The Whiteout, whose changes to
the world they promised to help go smoothly. The Council of Nine
announced to a stunned world that the New Mythic Age had dawned.

Of course, the Technocratic Union wasn't just going to sit by while
this happened. But before they could respond in force, they were
assaulted by a combined Tradition force led by the Sons of Ether and
Virtual Adepts. The so-called TechnoWar only lasted for a number of
months, until an already crumbling Technocracy could no longer afford
to wage it. Most of the Union ceded, and progressive elements within
agreed to a unification with the Traditions for the better interests of
mankind. More self-serving elements resisted, however, and remnants of
each Convention broke off contact with each other, stole what resources
they could, and went underground to plan their revenge...

The Ether reorganized Technocracy, now called The Tomorrow Society, has
since done much to improve the standard of living among the Sleepers in
the world and has greatly advanced science and technology, thus easing
Sleeper fears that they would be slaves to magic in the brave new world
they found themselves in. Sleepers can now choose to live their lives
with the benefits of hyperscience, traditional sorcery, or even some
combination of the two. This has in turn led to a mass shift in the
public consciousness towards many values that the rampant consumerism
of modern society had left behind. Governments and corporations find
themselves stripped of much of their power and hold over people, and
many of the old laws no longer make sense and are nearly impossible to
enforce anyway. Tradition magi advise and assist the old guard in
making their way through the New Age.

But this bright tomorrow has also cast dark shadows: The Nephandi are
more desperate and dangerous than ever, and with the same newfound
freedom as any other mage, they and their extensive cults are literally
capable of anything. Maruaders, interestingly, are on the down turn;
perhaps whatever principle the Mad Ones served is satisfied, and no
longer requires their service.

The remnants of the Technocracy bide their time, interrupting the new
peace with occasional strikes, but to unsettle their enemies and to
gain needed resources to further their schemes. Restructured along the
lines of terrorist cells, the New World Order has returned to its
mystical roots, shrouded itself in mystery as it attempts to spread its
tendrils into politics and media as The Conspiracy. Iteration X, now
freed from the burden of Paradigms, allows no limit to the size and
lethality of their technological horrors; secret makeshift factories
ceaselessly assemble weapons from advanced HIT marks to giant
mechanical spiders capable of destroying city blocks. The Syndicate is
perhaps the least changed of the Conventions, as they simply applied
all their efforts to completely taking over and unifying the criminal
underworld that they now hide within; only the Golden Dragons still
oppose them. The Progenitors are perhaps the happiest with the current
state of affairs, as they are now free to pursue their biological
experiments with kidnapped victims in the secrecy of their hidden lairs
with no oversight or moral qualms.
The Void Engineers tried to escape this reality, but were the first to
discover what became of the Horizon...

The Avatar Storm is over. The soulwinds have ceased howling, and
slowed, until the permeably viscous barrier finally solidified into a
massively solid wall. The Avatar Wall now completely cuts off the
material world from the higher Umbra. Those approaching it see an
endless wall, seemingly made of some granite-like material, that is
utterly resistent to all magick. More horrifying yet, the faces of the
Avatars comprising it are sculpted into it, forever frozen in an
endless moment where they try to rise from it. Rumors say that those
Stormwardens who could brave the Avatar Storm could make it through the
Avatar Wall if they can but find an opening large enough; others
suggest any attempt simply adds another face to the Wall. Until an
answer is known for certain, the outer worlds are entirely beyond
reach.

There is still much for mages to do. Cabals administer to Sleepers in
various ways to make their lives easier. They fight other mages who
would abuse their power and make them all look bad. They also fight
Sleepers who cannot adjust to this new world and who seek revenge on
all society. There are many Cabals who have set up elite para-military
organizations whose sole purpose is to resist the undermining efforts
of the Technocracy, lest their repression return.

And, not least of all, there are secret Cabals who exist to explore
Reality for answers to the Whiteout. The Council sends these out, for
they are determined to learn the truth before anyone learns of their
deception, and also, they are terrified of the implications. Could it
happen again? What if the effect is only temporary? What was behind it?
Is there a price to be paid? Perhaps the answer is behind the Avatar
Wall. Perhaps it was erected not to keep humanity in, but to keep
Something Else out...

Dex