Rank- Sphere Levels

1 – Apprentice: Your Mage is just beginning to understand that there are greater forces at
work around him. He has learned to see the Sphere – to watch it and understand how it
works – but lacks the skill to interact with it and shape it to his will. An Apprentice in a
Sphere is entirely a passive observer, with little more power than a Sleeper.

2 – Initiate: You’ve learned to interact with magic, but only in clumsy and unfocused
ways. You manipulate the Sphere through brute force of will, often creating interesting
effects but lacking in finesse or precision. Any effect that works through skillful or
subtle manipulation of the Sphere is far beyond your abilities.

3 – Disciple: You can now interact with the Sphere with natural ease, creating and
controlling magic with a thought. However, you are still limited to the surface level of
the Sphere’s possibilities, and you cannot yet conceive of grand, Master-level effects.
This is generally the point at which a Sphere becomes really useful, although commonly
the Sphere’s best effects only apply to the Mage himself.

4 – Adept: You’ve begun to plunge deeper into the Sphere, removing barriers in your
abilities and in your mind. You’re now easily capable of working your powerful magic
on other people, on groups of things, or even on reality itself. There are still some limits
for you – although you may have mastered many of the uses of the Sphere, you still must
learn the significance of those uses in the grand scheme of magic.

5 /6 – Master: Very few limits remain for you. You can change the very essence of the
things within your Sphere, achieving effects which are even considered impossible to
Mages. With a little preparation, you can do almost anything you can conceive of within
your Sphere of mastery. There are still greater levels to strive for, Arch Mage powers you
can’t even dream of, but on Earth you are a force to be reckoned with.

7 / 8– Oracle: There comes a point when a Master may leave her old preconceptions
about magick behind, realizing that the spheres is just another way to see reality. She
transcends through a second awakening, becoming an Oracle and melding with her
Avatar. The step from master to Oracle is exceedingly painful, as the mage must discard
almost everything she has ever believed in, had faith in, or hoped for. Most Masters will
never reach this level, since they are too bound to their old prejudices or content to play
with their new powers without having to pay the price of true understanding. They
transcend use of foci and spheres, realizing their full potential over reality. While
extremely powerful, they are no longer human beings and can exist outside of the time
continuum. With this great power, however, comes additional responsibilities of the same
magnitude.

It is often said that in some mages, those with Avatars that are recognized as once-Gods
or Awakened Beings that remember what it was Like to hold the power of the Arch Magi
(Arete above 6), the Madness of power will drive them over an edge, and wrought with
hubris, they will self destruct as the mage has not yet achieved the Blending with their
Avatar, and went through their second awakening to become among the Arch Magi.

Oracles cannot explain their understanding to lesser beings. It is simply beyond the
potential grasp of a mere human mages mind. If effect, at the level of an Oracle, the
Magus has become a god of sorts; or is beginning to awaken into one perhaps to take her
place among the celestines. At this point, most mages will not consider to grasp for
more… yet some do…

There are many speculations on why these powerful beings (stemming through the
remainder of the Arch Magi) do not assist with the Ascension War, or alter the course of
Humanity. The Arch Magi have realized that the Ascension War is a trivial little affair, as
entertainment and training for the lesser mages which they need to test themselves. Many
Oracles have become so alien that they simply isn't interested in helping the lesser mages.

The Arch Magi can't interfere. Perhaps they have become so powerful and alien that they
no longer can work in static reality anymore. If an Arch Magi would appear in the world,
just his perceptions would be so different that he may be destroyed or removed by
paradox. Perhaps they can manifest in the world, but not with their full powers. They
must manifest in a lesser form. Many speculate Christ was a manifested Arch Magi.

Others believe that the Arch Magi are fighting in the Ascension War, its just that they
fight above the heads of everybody. They magick is so powerful and subtle, that nobody
below their level even can perceive it. They have their own greater foes, equal to their
own in the Technocracy…

And lastly, the Arch Magi know that if they interfere, they would do even more harm.
They must remain inactive to protect reality.

9 / – Arch Mage: Little is know about a mage so powerful. If they’re around, they’re not
talking…