The City

New York City the city that never sleeps, for many of the Awakened the city is a place of endless potential where one could spend their whole lives working and only begin to scratch the surface of the cities Mysteries. Ancient places are hidden in the shadows of glimmering sky scrapers, hidden secrets are bound in the endless network of bridges and tunnels hidden beneath the city. Many Mages that Awaken in the city  seldom find reason to leave and those that travel here are ensnared by the endless mystery.

Pursuing the endless mysteries necessitates the Awakened be involved with the cities vast population of Sleepers. Many wise Mages know that influence is a tool to unlocking truths. The Mayor’s office and government agencies are a place where only the most talented Pentacale Mages would dare to treed as until recently the city government was heart from which the agents of the Seers of the Throne operate and there is a belief that their agents may still lurk in the cities vast government.

As with the city Government the Pentacale has been hesitant to attempt to take authority over the Police Chief and the police fire in general but practicality has made making in roads with the police more necessary. Where the Pentacale has more authority then most is in judicial services as well as those areas of the police which pertain to investigation.

Organized Crime has been an area where the Diamond Orders have found a comfortable place to nurture their influence, it gives them access to many of the cities elite and private places without exposing them to the same level of public scrutiny as might occur with other institutions. This is not to mistake the Orders of the Diamond for murderers and thugs, rather they see things as a means to achieve their goal.

The college campuses are where the Council of Free Assemblies found their niche during the conflict between the Diamond and the Seers and have subsequently been expanding their area of influence to those places frequented by college students. While the Diamond has influence over older mediums of communication such as radio and print the Free Council are undisputed expected maintaining their own clandestine networks for secure communication.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 22:50, Mon 10 Feb 2020.

The Diamond

For decades the Pentacle battled with the Seers for supremacy over the city and during the last decade the triumph of this alliance was finally secured. While rumors of the Seers persist they are certainly a shadow of their former selves in the city. The Pentacale is strong in the city but without a common enemy the minor disagreements do have a tendency to become more then they really are. Despite these minor differences the Diamond maintains an amicable relationship with the Free Council to the point that many Cabals consist of members from both sects.

The more senior members of the Diamond remember well the long struggle against the Seers and as such seek to make sure that the next generation of Awakened are strong enough to rise to the challenge of the future. The Diamond tends to ensure strong connections between Master and Apprentice even after the Apprentice has gained their independence.

When the Mages of the Diamond orders meet for consilium it is typically held in an abandoned hanger at Floyd Bennett Field, the hanger is protected by potent enchantments keeping the eyes of Sleepers and rivals away. The Hanger is where the Diamond first planed their movements in the long struggle against the Seers and the modern Diamond seeks to resonate with the wisdom of their predecessors.

The Hierarchy

The Hierarch has traditionally been the Mage responsible for leading the Pentacale against the Seers in the city but as this role has diminished in recent years the Hierarch preforms his traditional role as head of the Council. The previous holder of this position, Samael, stepped down upon becoming the Adament Sage and continued his war against the Seers. He was succeeded by Faust, a young man for such a position he is seen as a prodigy for his aptitude in matters related to the Arcane and the Occult. He has overseen the transition from the war to the current peace, encouraging his peers to drink deep of the cities mysteries.

The Council

The Council consist of one Mage from each Path, who is of great wisdom although others would call this ambition. The Acanthus are represented by the enigmatic mage known as Puck, a member of the Silver Ladder, he often plays the role of devils advocate challenging his peers when they seem to have consensus. The Mastigos are represented by the harsh but fair Lilith, a member of the Guardians of the Veil who served a long time as Interfector, upon the Council she usually plays the part of prosecutor. A mage named Drake represents the Obrimos and one of the Mysterium, one of the cities foremost experts on the physical manifestations of the Arcane additionally he plays the part of defender. A mysterious mage named Vala is the representative of the Thyrsus, she is the Councils most recent member having been pressured into the position by others following the death of Scylla, she is also a member of the Guardians of the Veil, on the Council she reviews all evidence that the council will consider in their decision making.

Upon the appointment of Faust to the position of Hierarch the mage named Cleo was forced to step down from the Council so that each path might be represented. She did so reluctantly and it is common knowledge she holds a great deal of spite for those who forced her out.

Adamantine Arrow

The Talons are the largest of the Diamond Orders when it come to the number of members. The long war against the Seers has left their ranks swelled with veteran war Mages without a war to fight. Now they go about their way seeing to it that the city remains secure banishing threats before they get out of hand simultaneously the Order is rediscovering the more spiritual components of their Order.

Upon achieving the rank of First Talon, the accomplished Mage is expected to establish a safe place where other Talons can train and take shelter under their supervision. Coordinating the numerous First Talons is the Thunderbolt Guardian known as the Centurion. The Centurion is a living legend to the Mages of the Diamond after successfully banishing an avatar of an Exarch in the final battle against the Seers, while he has stared away from politics some of his Officers have taken extreme measures to further their Orders standing in the city.

The Black Legion is a secret society organized by disillusioned officers of the Order that belive the Arrow deserves more for their long struggle against the Seers. Their members and leadership are unknown but they have taken to extorting and threatening their peers warranting the reprimand of the Council in the process.

Guardians of the Veil

In contrast to the ranks of the Adamantine Arrow, the Guardians are the smallest of the Diamond Orders but despite this have a huge amount of political influence over the city. The Guardians ruthlessly look for any signs of the influence of the Seers of the Throse believing the agents of the Exarchs to still be very active within the city. A Guardian is also likely to suffer from a degree of enmity because the Order holds all Mages suspect that delve to deep into the cities mysteries.

Upon succeeding the trials of the Red Veil the Guardian must go out and prove which talent they are most capable, some become Emissaries responsible for carrying out interactions between the Guardians and others. Some become Suspectors, in other words the spies for the Order some even infiltrating other Orders. Others still will become Curators, responsible for cultivating the groups that make up the Grey Veil and expanding the Orders influence. A Guardian of sufficient talent will go on to become a Famulus, the officers responsible for carrying out the long term agenda of the Order.

Sitting atop the Veils, the lies, and the truths is the Epopt named Hydra, many individuals named Hydra have existed through the cities history, sometimes a man other times a women, when one Hydra fails another from within the Order shall take up that name.

The Guardians have no formal meeting place but when they do meet for formal business of the Order there are always three present, typically the pair doing their business and a witness to the act.

There are some among the Guardians which believe that when the last of the cities Mysteries are uncovered that the Hieromagus will appear. To this end these Guardians help their peers uncover mysteries even if those mysteries would be damning.

Mysterium

Of all the Diamond Order it was the Mysterium which participated the least in the war against the Seers, instead the Order focused on the cities mysteries and when called to action during the conflict it was often to understand the Artifacts of the Seers and document any anomalies with the arcane. While some older Mages in the city hold a grudge against the Seers for their inaction the Order has found good fortune since the end of the war. Now free to observe and document mysteries unhindered the Order has also attracted many younger Awakened that did not experience the conflict.

Of all the Diamond Orders it is the Mysterium which keeps the closest ties with the Free Council with the two organizations frequently work on projects together. The Order lacks the hierarchal structure of other Orders instead its members are organized by their interest and fields of study rather then one issuing commands from top to bottom. A Mage of the Mysterium might study practical sciences, or High Speech, or any number of areas. What is expected from the Orders members is a yearly contribution of knowledge to the Orders trove of knowledge.

The great library of the Mysterium is a vault carved out of an abandoned space in the cities subway system, the Curator of this Vault is Drake, the holder of this positions is often considered first among equals in the Order although some do not agree with the acknowledged head of the Order also serving on the Council.

In addition to their closeness to the Free Council the Mysterium is also the Order which interact with other supernatural creatures the most although they make no agreements without first receiving the acknowledgment of the Silver Ladder.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:54, Tue 12 Nov 2019.

The Silver Ladder

The Silver Ladder has lead the Diamond Orders through their long struggle with the Seers and now oversee the transition of their society into a peaceful one. Without any doubt it is the Silver Ladder that has cultivated more influence then any other Diamond Order. It is they that direct the Arrows wrath, the Guardians purpose, and the Mysterium pure. They lead and pursue influence and this has earned them enmity but no Diamond Mage can argue with the results.

The Silver Ladder has many arbitrary ranks in its vast structure, while most are mere neophytes and acolytes some will reach sufficient understanding of the arcana and carve out enough influence to stain the rank of Famulus. The most powerful mage in the Order holds the rank of Magister, he goes by the name of Metatron, his words can call forth a Convocation of not just this cities most influential Mages but the whole regions.

The Silver Ladder seldom meets in the same place twice but when the Order does gather in one place it is always a grand affair meant to display some area where the Ladder is beyond reproach, it is a display of power to which they often invite other Orders. Perhaps the bigges area of contention among the Order besides the typical issues relates to Proximi and where they should stand, some belive the Proximi a threat to the Ladders purpose while other point to them as a sign of progress.

Council of Free Assemblies

New York City has long been a bastion for independent Mages dating back to before the Great Refusal and has a long history of conflict between the Free Council and the Seers of the Throne. It was only decades ago that the Free Council permitted the Diamond Orders to operate in their city in return for aid. Slowly but surly the Pentacale clawed out a victory and at long last the city is free of the Tyrants. Since then the Cabals of the Free Council have gone about their business connecting with many universities as well as youth group in a hope of connecting with a new generation of Awakened as well as utilizing an easy front to look into their own mysteries.

The Free Council is utterly devoid of a rigid structure as most of its members are all seen as equals all be it with different levels of accomplishment. Within the Free Council each member is recognized as a Voter and is permitted to voice their opinion during Assemblies while those willing to earn a little more recognition will offer their personal assets to the Assembly. Those who actively play politics or lead large voting blocks within the Assembly are called Syndic and of they are the closest the Assembly has to direct leaders. In times of crisis the Assembly can vote to appoint a  Strategos, the surrender of the peoples power is often to accomplish a particular task on behalf of the Assembly. There has not been a Strategos since the defeat of the Seers of the Throne.

As is the case with any long running democratic institutions the formation of factions is inevitable and the Free Council is no different. The Unionist are lead by the Syndic Adramelech and they seek to build upon the Pentacale alliance and create a broader understanding with the Diamond Orders. The Compromise League is lead by the Syndic Minos, the League acknowledges the Diamond Orders aid during the conflict with the Seers but beloved the Free Council must strive to be the dominant power in the city. The Homeland Union is an extremist group among the Free Council lead by Syndic,Tiamat which believes the Diamond Orders must leave the city by force if necessary.

Despite these political factions most Voters maintain their independence relegating their votes to be in line with they Cabal if anyone.

Seers of the Throne

The long time competitors of the Pentacale are a shadow of their former selves in the city, the servants of the Exarchs were all but rouged following a disastrous battle against their rivals that saw the Tetrarch slain and an Ochemata banished. With their leadership dismantled the Pylons of Seers began turning on one another as the Pentacale pressed the attack. The Seers now exist in the shadows of the structures they once commanded continuing their internal conflict while the Guardians of the Veil hunt for any sights of the Exarchs pawns.

Tremere

The Order of the Tremere are a legend in the city, it is claimed by the oldest text of the Free Council that the Nameless Orders of the City did not band together after the Great Refusal to resist the Seers of to join the Pentacale, these quasi heretical documents suggest that the Free Council formed in the city by Mages that wished for freedom. Whatever the case the very mention of the Tremere will earn the subscription of ones peers.