Akashic Brotherhood

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Rules
Vampires
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The Paradigm
Bete (Garou and Others)
Mages The Way: There are things, and there is a Way to all things. There
Changelings
is a way to paint and a Way to paint; there is a way to shoot an
Wraith
arrow and a Way to shoot an arrow. There is a way to move and a
Mortals
Ananasi Way to move; your training in Do teaches you part of the Way of
Corax moving, as well as the Way of fighting. Do is much more than this,
Bastet but you must understand the existence of the Way before you can
Nuwisha proceed on the Path.
Gurahl
Baku
Cyan
The Way of doing a thing is to do it correctly, so that mind, body,
Ratkin and spirit are one and focused on the achievement of the goal.
Ajaba (Night Laughter) Masters live their chosen Way at all times, whether it is the Way of
Black Spiral Dancers painting, shooting and arrow, or Do.
Zombie
Immortals (Highlander Style)
Character Submission Form
The Players and Story Tellers
Magick
Melee
Fire Arms The Way of Do - Focus: This Way is not magick, though many will
Basic Combat call it that. A student of Do is a gifted martial artist with a natural or
Advanced Combat developed ability to achieve a Way of Being of high order. Mind,
Garou Breed Gifts body, and spirit are in harmony with each other and the universe,
Auspix Gifts
and when this is so, a person is capable of great achievement: to
Glass Walker Gifts
Red Talon Gifts
leap great distances, to anticipate others as if reading their thoughts,
Shadow Lord Gifts to sunder unbreakable objects, and many other feats. Nothing is
Silent Strider Gifts impossible to the Way as long as you accept it can be done and
Silver Fangs Gift Focus on achieving the goal.
Stargazer Gift
Uketena Gifts
The Way of Sorcery - Magick: There are many other people, on
Wendigo Gifts
Black Fury Gifts
this world and others, who can achieve great acts but do not follow
Bone Gnawer Gifts our Way. These others practice Sorcery and Magick. Their Ways
Children of Gaia Gifts are different and many. Do not close your mind to the many
Fianna Gifts possibilities.
Get of Fenris Gifts
Bastet Breed and Common Gifts
Bagheera Gifts
Balam Gifts
Spheres
Bubasti Gifts
Ceilican Gifts • Correspondence: Distance: The greatest secret of
Khan Gifts succeeding in combat is the control of distance and space.
Pumonac Gifts If you fight barehanded, stay beyond the distance of your
Qualmi Gifts
opponents longest weapon, the leg. If you fight with
Simba Gifts
Swara Gifts
weapons, stay beyond their length. If you fight with guns,
Swara Gifts stay beyond their range. If you fight with armies, the control
Vampire Disiplines of paths and territories is essential. Do not the games of Go
Akashic Brotherhood and Chess teach us this, to force the opponent to commit to
 Celestial Chorus
Cult of Ecstacy
The Dreamspeakers territory they cannot adequately defend or control? People
Euthanatos of great ability have such a great mastery and control of
The Order of Hermes Distance that they can seem to traverse it in an instant.
Sons of Ether
• Entropy: Weakness: Nothing on this world is perfect,
Verbena
The Virtual Adepts
including yourself. You must strive to purge yourself of all
The New World Order weakness. When you do so, you will achieve
The Syndicate Enlightenment. Others will try to take advantage of the
Iteration X Weakness of a thing.
The Progenitors
Void Engineers
Karma, Joss: Fate, in this world, cannot be counted upon,
Vampire History
Brujah but it can be influenced.
Gangrel
Malkavian • Forces, Matter: The Elements: The Ancients believed the
Nosferatu
world to be made of five elements: Earth, Fire, Water, Wind,
Toreador
and Void. You can harness the power of the Elements in
Tremere
Ventrue your life as you walk the Path. Know the sun and the moon.
Clans of the Sabbat Study the Way of the storm. Meditate by the ocean, and
Lasombra listen to the power of the waves. You can harness this
Tzimisce (House Ruthven) power with good Focus.
Assamites • Life: Body: All living things have a body, the plants, the
Giovanni
animals, the trees, and the people. When you understand
Ravnos
Followers of Set
the body of a thing you understand its life--how it can move
True Brujah and how it cannot move, how it can be hurt and how it can
Baali be healed.
Samedi • Mind: This is the seat of the conscious and unconscious. It
Character Sheets is the source of Focus and of Will. You must rigorously train
Just a little Humor your mind to Focus better. If you understand the minds of
others, you can glimpse their Way. Profound understanding
leads to profound ability; this is why you must study and
train always.
• Prime: Ki, Chi: There is a flow to all things, a cycle of living
and dying, of breathing in and out, of yin and yang, in and
yo. Binding this cycle and flowing through it is Ki. Ki is
energy, and it is much more. You must learn to sense the
flow of Ki within yourself, and through it the world. This is
essential to learning Do and to mastering the Elements. By
learning to master Ki you will be able to harness the powers
in you and the powers of the universe.
• Spirit: The study of Spirit is the study of emotion and inner
essence. As you learn about yourself through the trials of
Do, you will become aware of your own potential, and the
potential of the universe. There are spirit realms beyond our
world inhabited by our ancestors, kami, demons, and more.
To learn of the spirit worlds is a difficult undertaking, for
there is much to learn. Spirits can be helpful or vindictive,
good or evil or something in between. You will encounter
them in your travels; the more you know of them, the better
you will be able to come away from your encounters with
wisdom and not injury. The world of the spirits is reflected
within you. Meditate upon this now.
• Time: Our concept of Time is not the same as the
Westerners see it. To them Time is a measurable thing, to
be broken down into units and more smaller units to
 regulate their lives. This way has no meaning, and is futile.
Time is infinite and forever. How can you devide the infinite?
Time is like a flowing river: it always passes by, sometimes
faster, sometimes slower. You must learn to see the river,
the whole river in its entirety. When you can grasp all of time
you can control how you think of it. You can slow it down so
that you can act faster. You can glimpse the past, and the
possibilities of the future. The master of Time can even
move beyond it...

Arete
The Path : Each member of the Akashic Brotherhood has set
themselves upon a path of knowledge and self discovery. On this
path each will learn much about themselves, others, and the world.
Progress on the path is measured by the amount of harmony
between mind, body and spirit. At the end of the path lies
Enlightenment.

Skill in Do is not the Path, it is only a part, a tool used by masters to

teach certain skills to the Disciples. Physical prowess is easily
learned and mastered with practice. Much harder to bring into
harmony are the sicknesses of the mind and the power of the spirit.
Masters of Do are generally equally matched physically; it is the
more subtle development of Willpower, guile (Wits), and Intelligence
that will determine the outcome of any contest.

Quintessence
Ki, Chi : The force that flows through and binds the universe can be
channeled with the proper Focus. This is why you must learn to
sense Ki within yourself and in the world. In the world you will find
places where the flow is very strong, and even the springs from
which this flow comes. These are places of great importance in the
world. You should take time to meditate in places such as these.
This will greatly help you to Focus.

Paradox
Incorrect action : if an action is taken with improper Focus, there is
the possibility of error. To make an error is a Weakness, and
Weakness opens up oneself to the consequences of their incorrect
action. Sometimes an opponent will take advantage of the
opportunity. Perhaps the universe will attempt to deny your success
and you will accumulate Bad Karma. Ultimately, it is your failure that
will allow others to harm you. Do not fail!

Ascension
Enlightenment : This is the goal of your studies, the total harmony
of body, mind, and spirit. When you have achieved Enlightenment,
you will have mastered the Way. You will truly understand who and
what you are, and your place in the scheme of things. It is said that
the Masters are capable of great feats. It is also said that the
Masters have achieved a great sense of peace, of harmony with all
things. This is the goal of Do, and of the Way.

Akashic Brotherhood Theurgy

"The wise one is not learned; The learned one is not wise."

Lao-Tse, Tao Te Ching

"I am learning" said Yen Hui.

"How?" asked the Master
"I have forgotten the rules of Righteousness and the levels of
Virtuousness.", he answered.
"Good, but you can do better", said the Master.
Some days later Yen Hui said: "I am making progress."
"How?" asked the Master.
"I have forgotten the Rituals and Music", was the answer.
"Better, but not perfect", said the Master
Some time later Yen Hui said to the Master: "Now I will sit down and
forget everything."
The Master looked up, surprised. "What do you mean, forget
everything?" ha quickly asked.
"I forget my body and my senses, and I leave all illusion and
knowledge behind me.", Yen Hui answered. "In the middle of
Nothing I enter the source of All."
The Masted bowd: "You have transcended the limitations of Time
and Knowledge. You have left me far behind you. You have found
the Path."

Chuang-Tse

The Brotherhood strives towards enlightenment with Do. This may

be done in many ways, ranging from monastic seclusion to the
perfection of martial arts. The tradition is both highly individualistic,
stressing the value and importance of each human, and collective,
stressing the importance of harmony and coperation between
everybody. Each human must learn to control his own mind and
thus all aspects of himself.

Do is the theurgy of the Brotherhood. By meditating, performing

katas or just living along the lines of Do, the brothers try to balance
their minds. Everything should be under control, yet free. Exactly
how this balancing is done varies between sub-traditions and
different brothers. Some spend much time meditating, studying their
own thoughts and emotions. Others try to embody Do through daily
life. Even opening a door can be a part of Do. More martially
inclined brothers perform katas, Tai Chi or try to perfect their combat
style in other ways. Some brothers try to solve koan-like riddles. And
some brothers try to balance themselves through not trying to
balance themselves. The important thing about Do is its
pervasiveness. Everything can be a part of the Do, if done correctly.

The purpose of Do is to gain completely control of their minds.

Learning to control the body or a martial art will give the brother help
to learn how to control his mind. When a brother has mastered one
aspect of Do, he must begin mastering another aspect. When a
brother masters something, he learns about himself. And when a
brother learns to control his mind, he learns to control his body and
physical world. When a mage have balanced himself completely, his
full potential is realised. The control must not be forced, and ideally
it would be completely subconscious.

The Brotherhood seems to avoid much outward ceremonies. The

celebrations and rites they perform are a part of Do, but not the
individual Do of a brother but of the whole brotherhood. The whole
brotherhood must try to achieve a similar perfect balance between
its parts. By becoming a living embodiment of Do, a brother may
show others the Way. By becoming an embodiment of Do, the
Brotherhood may show society the Way.

Secret Sects of the Akashic Brotherhood

The Akashic Brotherhood Tradition book for Mage: The Ascension is

now available. A lot has gone into the book, but we couldn't fit
everything. Here's some supplementary material on our martial
mage friends. It comes from the author of the supplement and has
the Mage line developer's stamp of approval.

Each man belongs to a style which claims to possess truth to the

exclusion of all other styles. These styles become institutes with
their explanations of the "Way," dissecting and isolating the
harmony of firmness and gentleness, establishing rhythmic forms as
the particular state of their techniques.

- Bruce Lee, "Tao of Jeet Kune Do"

The teachings of the Akashic Brotherhood are broken into four

distinct Sects that each focus on the strengths of an individual's
Avatar. Learning the basics of an individual Style of Do takes two to
five years; initiates must complete this phase of training before
being released from their mentors' direct control.

Throughout history, the Orange Robes have been seekers of peace

and knowledge and form the largest contingent of the Brotherhood.
This Sect tends to reside within the walls of the various Xiudaoyuan
(Chantries). Members of the Scales of the Dragon Sect, the
Brotherhood's foot soldiers in the Ascension War, make up the
second largest contingent. Members of the Yogi Sect manipulate
their bodies and the spirit world by exercising intense rituals of self-
denial. Through this they learn oneness with their innerselves.
Members of the Blue Skin Sect are the rarest and most protected of
the Akashic ranks; the Brotherhood considers those following this
path of Do to be the most likely to achieve Ascension.

Each Sect has its own specialty maneuvers and rotes that are
taught only to Doists of that Style. Each specializes in refining
certain Abilities and Attributes as well. Each Sect has secret hand
signs in addition to those used by the Brotherhood as a whole, and
the Sects often withhold knowledge of their mystick teachings from
each other.

Similarities between Orange Robes

and the Scales of the Dragon
Both the Orange Robes and the Scales of the Dragon depend on
the existence of the material realm. Initiates of both groups learn
awareness of the physical world [Alertness] and their physical
bodies [Medicine]. Orange Robes produce results by internal use of
Chi, while the Scales of the Dragon instill their influence through
physical, external efforts backed by Ki.

During the ongoing process of bodily purification, the initiate learns

that everything around her has hidden weaknesses [Sphere of
Entropy] that can lead to that Pattern's unraveling.

The Practices of Orange Robes

Seek to stabilize and harmonize the world, for it is what makes us. If
we wish to be at peace, so should be the world. If we wish to be
free, we must free the world of constraining preconceived
perceptions.

- Vibansumitra

The Orange Robes work to increase an individual's cognitive

abilities [Mental Attributes, especially Intelligence] through reading
philosophies and sutras and meditating upon the thought patterns
that direct the actions of others [Manipulation]. They seek the
answer to the ultimate question of the Cosmic All: "Why?"

Orange Robes explore the world by defining circumstances and

their effects. These students understand the necessity of social
interaction and how it can lead to conclusions [Investigation] and
control [Expression, Etiquette] of nearly anything in the physical
realm. By understanding how a series of events causes individuals
to react, the Orange Robes learn how to become one with their
environment and thus blend into their surroundings [Stealth,
Arcane].
Hand positioning and meditative stances (sitting, standing and
walking) [Meditation] augment the Orange Robes' ability to unleash
the powers of the Mind Sphere. Thus, the initiate learns to mold the
minds of others. As it is necessary to defend the Xiudaoyuan and
Sleepers, Orange Robes learn how to bend hatred and evil back
into the mind that projects them. Doing so, however, is greatly
discouraged.

Weapons, techniques and training help the mind find peace within
itself and allow the Doist to release energies through Patterns other
than her own. They also come in handy when less enlightened
visitors come calling. This Style of Do enables the Doist to redirect
the force of her enemies [Spheres of Force and Entropy]. Orange
Robe sensei merely allow their enemies to defeat themselves.

Teachings of the Scales of the

Dragon
The Scales of the Dragon study body-hardening rites, known as
"katas," to increase their physical strength [increasing initiates'
Physical Attributes and combat Abilities]. Students are taught that
the human musculature can achieve maximum potential through
exacting postures. Motions of the arms and legs added to torsional
momentum can also focus powerful strength into action [Willpower],
and the yielding nature of the physical form can be accessed to
absorb a tremendous impact [Dodge]. Awareness of the body
[Medicine, Athletics] leads to the Doist's ability to inflict damage by
applying force [Brawl, Do, Strength] to an opponent's body in an
efficient manner. This impact can be used to disarm, paralyze or kill.
Martial training continues into weapon forms [Melee].

Do of the Scales allows the initiate to gain a sense of distance

between herself and her opponent and teaches that distance is, in
actuality, no distance. This [Correspondence Magick] is the primary
field of the Scales' mystick study, though many choose to ignore it
for the more formidable branches of destruction [Spheres of Entropy
and Force].

Dragon Scale sensei realize that the best way to defeat an opponent
is to avoid him altogether; when one must battle evil, however, one
must do so without constraint and to the death.

Similarities of Yogi and Blue Skins

Obstacles can be overcome; sometimes they take a blind leap of
faith.

- Cheng Sa, "The Avenging Woodcutter"

Yogic and Blue Skin Do Styles directly link the initiate to fields of
study left hidden to most of humanity. Training of the mind [Sphere
of Mind] and purification of the body [often through Meditation] are
essential, as the initiate can easily be driven insane by the reality-
manipulating powers of magick.

Both Styles of Do teach the initiate to delve into the higher forms of
spirituality and knowledge of the other worlds [Spirit Sphere]. The
Doist must be pure; spirits are easily offended by physical beings.
One must remain calm and polite when dealing with beings from the
Celestial Realms. Initiates study many sutras in order to learn the
secrets of the unseen [Enigmas, Cosmology, Occult]. Through
training, the Doist gains insight [Awareness] into the primal nature of
the Cosmic All.

Yogi and Blue Skins tend to dedicate staves, pipes, fans, fly-whisks
and other seemingly nonoffensive items as their (unique) weapon
foci. To them, the "weapon" effects the flow of the Cosmic All
through living beings [Sphere of Life], instead of manipulating the
physical world as do Scales of the Dragon and Orange Robes.

Yogi Teachings
All things ride upon an underlying current. Nothing is fixed. All things
ride upon the tide. It happens. Fight it not.

Knowledges specifically designed around the spirit world are known

as Yogic studies. Interaction with other people [Social Attributes] is
very important; many Do maneuvers taught to Yogi involve highly
unorthodox and alarming activities. Sharpening the mind [Mental
Attributes] also becomes essential; the Doist must learn to come to
grips with an entirely nonhuman method of dealing with existence.

Yogi learn how plants harness spiritual energies that can be useful
to humanity [Herbology, Medicine]. They study the sutras
[Cosmology, Enigmas, Occult] to learn how manipulation of the
environment occurs outside of the boundaries of the physical realm.
Studies of supernatural life-forms [various Lores] that find their way
into the Akashic Record are often written by Yogi.

Akashic Yogi comprehend reality in a cyclic fashion [Sphere of

Time] rather than in a linear one. Do maneuvers used to link the
Stylist into the currents of time tie into the other walking meditations.
The Stylist learns to "grip frames of reference" and manipulate them.
This also helps the Doist to understand his own Drahma and that of
others.

The true master of the Yogi knows that all conflicts arise from the
battling of supernatural and divine forces on a higher plane of
existence. The Yogi knows that in order to beat an opponent, he
must align himself with the entity in that other existence that is
capable of defeating the opposing supernatural force.

Blue Skin Teachings

Those who link into the intrinsic internal energies of the body and
the Cosmic All, sometimes called Ki or Chi [Quintessence], are
known as Blue Skins. The very nature of the Blue Skins is to
become the archetype. This requires the Doist to perfect her being
[All Attributes] to achieve a supernal state and to directly link into her
inner self [Avatar]. By being strong in body, mind and social
interaction, the Blue Skin learns to understand and manipulate the
Realm and her own Drahma.

The Doist must be alert [Alertness] and contemplative [Meditation]

and must understand the limits of the human body [Medicine]. She
must understand the limits of her self and her environment before
attempting to use magick; the power of the Cosmic All can tear the
human form [Pattern] to ribbons if the All is accessed improperly.

Blue Skins learn to manipulate the intrinsic internal natures of Matter

and Life. Only the Oracles are said to be able to perceive Patterns,
but the Blue Skin initiate's mind gains perception of them. Because
Blue Skins strive to achieve a direct link to the Pure Ones
[Ascension] and their inner selves [Avatar, Arete], their Style is the
most elusive of Do techniques to master.

Many Blue Skins become disillusioned and disgusted when they

learn that their Drahma tends to deteriorate the physical realm. Their
connection to physical existence, into which they put so much effort,
therefore decays. A true Blue Skin sensei knows that all conflicts are
different aspects of the Pure Ones exerting themselves against each
other.

Rotes Inherited from the Sects

The following are rotes that have been passed down or have
migrated from the four Sects discussed here. These rotes are
available to any Akashic brother, but a teacher privy to such
learnings may have to be sought to understand them.

Bronze Body (*** Life, * Mind, ** Prime)

The Dragon Scale Master Li T'eih practiced many forms of body
strengthening and weapon deflection. Early in his Awakened state,
Li learned how to avoid damage from attacks by angling his body
and tensing certain muscles. Li trained for years before the ultimate
state of this form was achieved.

[The Doist increases the density of her skin while concentrating on

and reacting to the actions of her attackers. Specify the number of
successes for duration of Bronze Body before rolling for the magick
Effect itself. Remember that such improvement (i.e., the duration of
the Effect) is only temporary. Bronze Body increases the difficulty of
a single opponent's attack rolls by one per success. The Doist can
apply this effect against multiple targets by dividing the successes
between each attacker (two against the first and one against the
second, for example).]

Four-headed Defender (*** Life, ** Prime, *

Mind, * Correspondence)
Ancient writings in the Akashic Record tell of a horde of Nephandi
that threatened to fight its way through the Gauntlet to destroy the
Temple of Inner Truth. Rivhaya, a Dragon Scale, set himself in the
center of the Xiudaoyuan's Node and initiated this rote. Rivhaya
sprouted three additional heads, two extra arms and two additional
legs. Each head looked toward a cardinal point of the compass. The
four hands took turns passing Rivhaya's weapon back and forth
about his body. Rivhaya's face also contorted to give the Nephandi
a false sense of security. Large fangs sprouted from his mouths,
from both upper and lower jaws. His skin turned a bright red and his
tongues a brilliant blue. Smoke rolled from his eight nostrils in
thunderous clouds. In battle, Rivhaya scuttled about in a whirling
manner, his four weapons attacking his most deadly opponents. His
four heads kept him constantly alert so that no one was ever able to
approach him unawares.

[Prime and Life modify the mage's body, fueling the larger Pattern
with Quintessence. Mind and Correspondence allow all heads to
coordinate the body's actions. Four successes enable the Stylist to
concentrate on information gained through four sets of eyes.]

Summoning Walk of the Enlightenment (*****

Prime)
While crossing the forested mountains of Tibet for days without food
or water, Blue Skin Brother Chang Ming came upon an Oracle
performing a walking meditation. Silently, Ming stepped behind the
Oracle and traced his footsteps; Chang Ming's mind was quick
enough to make a mental map of the path for future record. The
resulting Tome and those copied from it teach the way of the
Summoning Walk of Enlightenment. By studying the record, the
Doist learns to link his Avatar to the fast-sweeping currents of the
Prime. However, Chang Ming was not ready for the depth of power
that his newfound Style brought him. Ho Chow Fan, a Euthanatos
mage, crumpled him to a mass of quivering flesh with the Bone
Twisting Palm. Fortunately, with Chang Ming's last act of magick, he
destroyed his copy of the Tome and kept it from falling into the
hands of the Euthanatos.

[The Doist's Avatar fills with Quintessence, recharging his supply.

The mage gains Quintessence at a rate of one per success.]

Walk through Walls (*** Matter, *** Life, * Mind)

Oracles of the Blue Skins have long held meetings in secret
chambers and have used this rote to enter those sacred and holy
shrines. Legend has it that the greatest and most powerful Node
points accessed by the Brotherhood Xiudaoyuan (Chantries) are
also hidden. Many of these sites are long lost, given the
Brotherhood's wish to keep them secret but to a chosen few. This
rote is rarely taught and only to the most trusted of students.

[This rote allows the Stylist to walk through walls by disassociating

her body from the physical relation of a wall or other solid object.
When this process is complete, the Doist can walk through walls
without leaving a trace. The Doist calls upon the amazing
concentration of the mind to keep her alert to situations that are just
beyond barriers passed through.]

Weightless Walk (* Mind, * Correspondence, *

Matter)
Chu Kwei, an Orange Robe, developed a Light Body technique to
walk over surfaces with concealed weak points. Kwei was unable to
make himself weightless, but could locate areas with good traction
that would support his weight.

[Divide the number of successes achieved between multitasking and

range of perception. Correspondence and Matter perception detect
and determine the structural integrity and traction of surfaces. The
mage memorizes the locations of "safe spots" within the range of his
senses.]

The Paths Of Do

The paths of Do are many and varied, for there is a Do to all things
(and a Do of all things). In the temporal world five major schools of
Do have developed, each emphasizing different aspects of a
person's being. They are fire form Do, water form Do, wood form
Do, metal form Do, and earth form Do.

These styles cultivate (respectively) original spirit, original vitality,

original essence, original sense, and original energy. While a
practitioner of Do may only practice one school of Do, each school
is a valid path. [possible rules for developing 2nd (or more) styles of
Do include:

• Letting the character develop any and all (not

recommended).
• Letting the character abandon training and forget one style
to learn another (very weak story wise).
 • Letting the character learn new styles but if an old style is
called upon before mastery is obtained then the benefit of
the new training is lost (complex to run).
• Let the character learn new styles but add on the cost of all
other levels learned to the experience cost (i.e. A character
with water form Do 4 and metal form Do 3 wants to learn a
new level in Do, for experience cost the current level is
regarded as 4 + 3 = 7 [this is the method I like as it offers
the greatest flexibility to players, keeping in mind that Do
training is pretty hard to come by "You have became lost in
the ways of the world. Live without harming another living
creature for 4 seasons and you will be ready for the first
steps in wood form Do"]), and only let the character have a
total level of 5 in Do (very arbitrary). If you Do allow a
character to have multiple forms of Do they should only start
with one form].

The special abilities of Do do not carry over if a character does not

have the appropriate form (the only people with the combat abilities
of the Book of Shadows are the metal form Doists, other forms
cannot do punches, kicks, leap kicks etc), they have their own
abilities).

The Forms:
Water Form Do:
"Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water."
(the most flexible thing in the world, Tao Te Ching)
The practitioner of Water form Do aims to strengthen original vitality
which is expressed as wisdom.

All difficulty numbers in athletics are reduced by .5 the Doists level.

Internal Style: By focusing energy internally the Doist can release it

in sudden bursts (reroll 10's on initiative).

External Style: By being in tune with the environment the Doist

knows how best to move (the Doist can roll Dex + Do against a
target number of 8 to cancel out dodge blunders).

Special Abilities (gained as per Book of Shadows):

Sparrow Flight: The Doist can jump vast distances landing on

small spaces (Dex + Do difficulty 8).

Lightwalking: The Doist can move without leaving a trail (Dex + Do

difficulty 8) Dragon stance: The Doist can preform feats of balance
[balance on moving car etc] (Dex + Do difficulty 8).

Lung gom: "The art of lung gom in Tibet produces the ability to
travel very rapidly across some of the inhospitable upland wastes of
that county. The training consists of living in complete darkness and
seclusion for 39 months of deep-breathing exercises... It is said that
one of these skilled walkers covered a distance of over three
hundred miles in about thirty hours" (Lyall Watson, Supernature)
(Stamina + Do difficulty 8).

Fire Form Do:

"They know the world
without even going out the door.
They see the sky and its pattern
without even looking out the window."
(without even going out the door, Tao Te Ching)
Fire form Doists cultivate the original spirit to produce pervasive
awareness. Such people reduce the difficulty of awareness and
alertness by .5 their level in Do.

Internal Style: By focusing awareness internally the Doist becomes

aware of the cause of emotions and thoughts (Add .5 the Doists
level to the difficulty of foes attempting mind/emotion manipulation).

External Style: The Doists awareness is spread out into the world,
helping to intuitively understand the world (decrease difficulties of
intuition by rolls by .5 the level in Do).

Special Abilities:

One with the World: Through tuning one's Do with the world the
practitioner can identify those aspects that are not in harmony
(Perception + Do target number 8 to identify objects/people/etc that
are out of context with their surroundings [i.e. identify if a room has
been searched through the furniture being rearranged]).

One with Nature: If left to themselves things in nature will occupy

the place most fitting for them, by harmonizing with nature the Doist
understands where those objects/creatures are found (Perception +
Do difficulty 8 to locate natural parts of the environment [of course
they must be present to be located]).

One with Others: By harmonizing with others the Doist comes to

understand other people (By using Perception + Do difficulty 8 the
Doist can determine features of group dynamics, who the leader is,
tensions within the group, and if the group is complete of itself or is
acting in relation to another group).

Moving with the World: By moving in tune with the world the Doist
Does not stand out from the background (Dexterity + Do difficulty 8,
the number of successes add to the difficulty of observers noticing
the Doist, used in addition to stealth).
Wood Form Do:
"The Way is unimpeded harmony; its potential may never be fully
exploited"
(The way is unimpeded harmony, Tao Te Ching)
The wood form Doist works to strengthen original essence which
manifests itself as gentleness, epitomized as the unprejudiced
innocence of the infant.

Because of the lack of prejudice the Doist's difficulties in culture are

reduced by .5 the level in Do.

Internal Style: By directing Do internally the practitioner sheds

those features that cause others not to accept them (reduce
etiquette difficulties by .5 the level in Do).

External Style: By directing their Do outwards those around the

Doist feel more secure (adjust difficulty numbers for groups that the
Doist is a part of by .5 level in Do in situations involving group loyalty
[i.e. npc's fleeing, protester's giving up blockading a police station to
demand the release of an innocent person]).

Special Abilities:

Bring Peace: The Doist can quell tensions by exerting Do to

establish a mood of harmony (Charisma + Do difficulty 8, 1 success
to calm a mildly annoyed person, 5+ to pacify a raging mob).

Peace of Summer: Such is the serenity of the Doist that people

wish to befriend the practitioner (Charisma + Do difficulty 8 to cause
people to befriend and help the Doist [won't work on actively angry
people {see Bring Peace above}, if the Doist subsequently
snubs/ignores/abuses the trust of the target of this ability they will
become very alienated, if a character takes this ability they should
have to act out employing the ability, suggested 1 success will make
the postal employee predisposed to help sought out where a
mysterious package came from, 5+ successes will cause the
Progenitor clone planted in the group want to change sides], once
someone is the Doists friend they will remain favorably disposed
unless circumstances significantly change).

Friend of Animals: The Doist radiates such peace that wild animals
will not attack (Charisma + Do difficulty 8, 1 success to stop the dog
from barking, 5+ for the leopard to share it's kill with you).

Harmonize the Light: By meditating on the estrangement between

two people present the Doist can cause the to understand each
other and reconcile (Manipulation + Do target number 8).

Metal Form Do:

"Skilled warriors of old were subtle, mysteriously powerful, so deep
they were unknowable."
(skilled warriors of old, Tao Te Ching).
Metal form Doists cultivate original sense to develop firm strength.
Their powers are those of Do in the Book of Shadows.

Earth Form Do:

"... There is no way for rhinos to gore them;
there is no way for tigers to claw them;
there is no way for weapons to get at them.
Why? Because they have no dying ground"
(from life into death, Tao Te Ching).
Water form Doists cultivate original energy which manifests as
purity. They water form Doists can flush toxins (fatigue, drugs) with
a roll of Stamina + Do difficulty 8.

Internal Style: By maintaining purity of mind the Doist is

strengthened against having others wills enacted upon them (Reroll
10s on willpower resistance checks).

External Style: By maintaining purity of body the Doist allows no

place for damage to take place (Reroll 10s on soaks).

Special Abilities:

Mastery of Self: Such is the Doists energy and self control that pain
is less significant (for 1 scene the Doist can ignore the pain effects
of [number of successes of Stamina + Do difficultly 8] injury levels
[start counting where the dice penalties begin]).

Mountain Stance: Such is the internal energy of the Doist that they
cannot be moved against their will (Stamina + Do difficulty 8, 1
success they can be pick up by a normal human, 5+ successes will
derail a train [though the character still takes damage]).

Stun Attacker: Such is the energy of the Doist that anyone who
attempts violence upon the person on the Doist is left stunned
(anyone attacking the Doist in hand to hand is subject to a roll of
(Doists) Stamina + Do difficulty 8 which they resist against with
willpower (difficulty 8), any net successes on the Doists part leaves
the attacker unable to act for a number of actions equal to
successes, cannot be used a a target more than once per a scene
[but hey, how likely would most people be to try attacking again?]).

Becoming One with the Goal: The Doist focuses his/her whole
being on the goal they are attempting to achieve, in this state the
Doist can ignore distractions up to a level equal to (Intelligence + Do
difficulty 8) until the goal is achieved. Of course also in this state the
Doist suffers a penalty (equal to the benefit gained) on any attempts
to notice anything not directly relating to the task.
Analects of the Akasha
From the earliest times, men have been aware of the divine spark within them, the Avatar.
In the Far East, as in Europe, men pursued this divine spark in various ways: religion,
magic, philosophy and science. But while Europe was a patchwork of polities and cultures,
giving rise to a diversity of rival Traditions, a great unity was achieved in the Orient.

Encoded in the Akashic Record is a vision of prehistory that is neither fact nor myth. The
Celestines of Dragon, Phoenix and Tiger came before nascent humanity and bestowed
upon it their gifts. The Akashics view all Avatars as having flowed from these Celestines:
Dynamic from the Dragon, which is yang and full of energy; Pattern from the Phoenix, which
is yin (not fiery like the western Phoenix) and passive; and Questing from the Tiger, which is
active, aggressive and restless. There is also a fourth Celestine, the Qilin (Chi-lin) or Ki-rin,
sometimes called the Unicorn for lack of any suitable western analogue, which represents
the Primordial Essence. The Qilin did not come before humanity in the First of Days. It is
said that only when enlightenment, Ascension, is reached will one meet the Qilin.

The Chinese call this prehistory of legend the Xia dynasty, allegedly the period predating
1600 BCE. The Technocracy has worked hard to erase all trace of this era; no
archaeological evidence of it exists outside the traditional histories of the Chinese. The
interest of the Technocracy in the matter is in no small part due to the Technocracy's
presence in China since its earliest days.

During the Shang dynasty, the Akashic Brotherhood developed its theory of the
reincarnated Avatar, inspiring the growth of ancestor worship in the Orient. The theory also
led to the Himalayan Wars of 900-600 BCE, when the Akashics declared war against the
India-based Euthanatos for interfering in the cycle of reincarnation. Many splinter groups
emerged from the Wars, including the Ahl-i-Batin, but also Tantrism and possibly Buddhism.

With the Brotherhood focussed on the Himalayas, the proto-Technocracy gained

ascendency in China. Although they had previously worked with the Akashics, they
resented the Brotherhood's dominant position and sought their own view of Ascension. The
start of the Himalayan Wars coincided with the weakening of the Zhou dynasty. From 900 to
770 BCE, the Zhou dynasty faltered before the onslaught of rival states to whom the
Technocracy gave the secrets of bronze, previously a Zhou monopoly.

The ensuing Spring and Autumn Period was one of constant warfare. Kingdoms rose and
fell while the rival Magickal Traditions battled. The Euthanatos attacked and destroyed part
of the Akashic Record, driving the Brotherhood from its bases in the Himalayas. The
Technocracy began hardening the Gauntlet in China - by the late 6th century BCE, the
annalist Cai Mo is recorded to have lamented that dragons were becoming fewer and fewer.
New weapons were also developed by the Technomancers: the crossbow, iron weapons
and armor, and the use of horses in warfare. But the Brotherhood and its protege, the Qin
state, finally triumphed. As punishment, the Qin emperor Shi Huangdi ordered all books
except those on agriculture, medicine and divination to be destroyed. Their texts and plans
gone, the Technocracy was deemed to be no longer a threat.

Thus around 200 BCE, China became a unified empire under the Qin, as much the work of
the Brotherhood as that of the Qin rulers. In the next two millennia of its existence, the
Chinese empire became inextricably tied with the Brotherhood's fortunes. The Technocracy,
once again in a subservient position, co-existed uneasily with the Brotherhood. Many of
their devices made their first appearance in Chinese society, including the magnetic
compass, paper and paper currency, the moveable type printing press, the hydraulic clock,
the seismograph, mechanized cloth production, iron casting and of course gunpowder. In
war, they designed siege towers, primitive tanks, bombards and flame-throwers. Early
Progenitors experimented with the art of bonsai, silkworms, goldfish and other animals. By
1300 CE, China was on the brink of the ideas and technology which would later create the
Industrial Revolution in Europe.

Buddhism meanwhile filtered into Chian from India. Its arrival was greeted by a mixture of
curiosity and fear. Buddhist philosophy appealed to the Brotherhood, but it was also held in
suspect because it had come from India, the land of the Euthanatos. Buddhism however
became widespread in China by the 5th century CE, becoming accepted alongside the
ethical philosophy of Confucianism and the Akashic-inspired mysticism of Taoism. Under
the Akashic influence, the Chan (Zen in Japanese) school of Buddhism was developed in
China and exported to Japan. In contrast, Buddhism largely disappeared in India, possibly
because the Euthanatos opposed its doctrine of non-violence and escape from the Wheel of
Reincarnation.

Buddhism became the vehicle by which the Brotherhood brought its philosophy to Japan in
the 5th-8th centuries CE. Similarly, it helped consolidate Akashic influence in Tibet, where it
undermined the authority of the Tibetan sacred kings, the Spu-Rgyal, who followed the
shamanistic religion of Bon. The Akashics thereafter re-established their chantries in the
Roof of the World which had been lost in the Himalayan Wars over a thousand years ago. In
Tibet, the Brotherhood also developed the Vajrayana or Thunderbolt Way, a form of
Buddhism steeped in magical practices.

The Akashic Way also spread to the rest of East Asia, inspiring martial art forms and
meditative practices in Korea, Indochina, the Philippines and Malaya. The centers of the
Brotherhood however remained in China, where eight major sects of martial arts were
developed in similar fashion to the Houses of the Order of Hermes in Mythic Europe. These
included the fabled monastic Shaolin sect, the Taishan sect, the Kunlun sect, the all-male
Wudang sect and its female counterpart the Emei, and the Beggar sect.

In the 13th century, imperial China came under siege by barbarian invasions of the Khitans,
the Jin, the Xi Xia and finally the Mongols, who established themselves as rulers of China in
1271 CE, giving themselves the dynastic title of Yuan. The Akashics and the proto-
Technocracy accused each other of supporting the invaders, bringing about the final split.
The Technomancers retreated from China and moved westwards along the newly-opened
Silk Road. They arrived first in the Abbasid Caliphate, where they shared their science and
mechanical know-how with the Arabs, and then went to Europe, where they introduced the
Oriental inventions of gunpowder and the printing press. After the Yuan dynasty, China
virtually came to a standstill in technological progress.

The Mongol Yuan dynasty planted the seeds of isolationism in China, partly because of the
shock of occupation by an alien power, and partly because the Mongols opened new
overland trade routes between East and West, as their new empire spanned from China to
Europe. Through these routes, the Celestial Chorus, the Ahl-i-Batin, the Euthanatos, the
Order of Hermes and the Cult of Ecstasy all began penetrating Chinese territory. The
Akashics were in the meantime weakened, as the Mongols persecuted the martial art sects
in China for resisting their rule. The Brotherhood moved its center of power to Tibet, which
had been saved from the Mongols by the diplomatic skill of the Sa-Skya Lama. The
Brotherhood was also cut off from its brethren in Japan, which was subject to wave after
wave of attacks by the Mongols. The Mongols never took Japan, but the Japanese Akashics
were effectively isolated. They began developing their own practices, nurturing the newly
emergent feudal society in Japan to inspire the samurai caste.

The Yuan dynasty was short-lived and was soon toppled by the Ming rulers, who once
again had the assistance of the Brotherhood. The first Ming emperor had served in a
monastery and was a disciple of the Way. Returned to power, the Akashics began a
programme of isolationism to drive out the foreign Traditions. The overland routes through
Central Asia were closed. The Great Wall, originally constructed in the Qin dynasty, was
rebuilt as a sort of Gauntlet to seal off that which did not fit into the Akashic paradigm.
Despite the initial success of a series of great sea voyages undertaken by a member of
court, the Brotherhood had the emperor ban all such journeys.

The Ming dynasty however ended in corruption, possibly due to the insidious influence of
the Brotherhood's enemies, the Euthanatos, masters of Entropy. The last Ming emperor
hung himself in 1644 and the newly-united Manchu tribes invaded from the North-East. With
cruelty and violence, they established their new dynasty of the Qing. Once again the
Brotherhood and the martial art sects resisted, but could not halt the Manchu advance. Like
the Mongols, the Manchus punished the Brotherhood severely for its disobedience, but the
Manchus went further to actively destroy all martial art sects. Even the ancient chantry of
Shaolin was besieged and burnt to the ground. Much of the Brotherhood retreated again to
Tibet, but some stayed to organize secret societies to resist the Qing. Many of these secret
societies eventually outlasted the Qing dynasty, but their autonomous nature made them
susceptible to corruption and many evolved into the present-day criminal Triads.

In 1793, the Technocracy returned to China in the form of the British mission led by the Earl
of MacCartney. The Syndicate was the first Technocracy Convention to attempt recapture of
China. Unable to persuade China to buy manufactures, the Syndicate worked with the
Progenitors to develop the ancient medicinal drug opium into a highly addictive narcotic by
mixing it with smoking tobacco. The success of the narcotic alarmed even the Qing court,
and in 1839, the Opium War erupted. This merely gave the Technocracy to demonstrate the
power of its new weaponry in crushing the Qing soldiery.

The Technocracy's victory over China was a cause for grave concern in the recently-created
Council of Nine. The various Traditions now attempted to inspire rebellions to assist the
Brotherhood in opposing both the Qing and the Technocracy. The Celestial Chorus
encouraged the pseudo-Christian Taiping Rebellion, while the Ahl-i-Batin inspired revolts
among the Muslim tribes of western China. The Akashics regathered their strength for one
great event, the so-called "Boxer" Uprising of 1900. The "Boxers", as they were called by
Western observers, were exponents of the martial arts. In a futile attempt to reverse
consensual reality, they believed that their skills would render themselves invulnerable to
bullets.

The Qing rulers, feeling power slipping from their grasp, turned to the Technocracy for help.
The Technocracy crushed the rebellions, but the Qing had outlived their usefulness. In
1911, the last Qing emperor abdicated. The Akashics were too weak to take hold of the
opportunity: the failure of the Boxer Uprising had drained their resources, and the Qing in
one last act of spite had invaded Tibet by force in 1906. Fortunately, the Technocracy did
not anticipate the scale of the anarchy which followed. China succumbed into chaos for the
next four decades. The Technocracy found its hands full with two World Wars, as Sleeper
societies unleashed the fury of technology against one another.

Neither the Traditions nor the Technocracy took control of the Middle Kingdom in the end. In
1949, the Communist Party assumed power. It employed the tools and weapons of the
Technocracy, but also rejected Western values and penetration. The Akashics did not
benefit either; they were identified rightly or wrongly with the imperial system, and in 1959,
Tibet was invaded and occupied by the Red Army. The Technocracy attempted to reassert
its influence through spies and agents, and in 1966 manipulated the Cultural Revolution in
an ambitious and vicious attempt to wipe the Brotherhood out completely. The plan quickly
went out of control, and the Akashics managed to survive it although with great losses.

Ironically, the Cultural Revolution created as much xenophobia and ignorance about the
Technocracy, and preserved consensual reality in much of China in favor of the Akashics,
who now hide in their mountain retreats. A new battle may be unfolding as China slowly
opens her doors once more to the outside world, but for now, the Brotherhood waits in its
secret chantries and mountaintop monasteries.