The Azurite Order
Eons ago, when the Adoshai went to their final war, they summoned a great old one who pierced the dimensional fabric with its thousands of tentacles. Many of these places never recovered, remaining as scars in the spacetime continuum, and are guarded by supernatural beings.
One such location exists in Ireland where the scar was contained and harnessed by the Tuatha de Danaan after their defeat of the Fomori. The Danaans recruited a band of warriors to defend the scar and to hunt any abominations it might birth into the world.
The Order has two circles, an inner and outer circle of members. The Outer Circle consists of warriors who join the cabal to learn combat and earn a wage defending the temple. Those who seek to do more can join the Inner Order, who teach their own style of sorcery.
The Azurite Knot
At the heart of the site is a vicious twisted knot in reality that assaults everything in its proximity on every level, physical, emotional, mental, and existential. Energies of a wide variety, such as gamma rays, x-rays, UV, erupt from the scar, as do psychic disruptions.
The masters of the site have constructed a system of containment around the scar, surrounding it with knotwork of azurite engraved into the floor. This knotwork functions almost like the physical part of a force field around the scar, harnessing its own energy to contain it. Anyone breaching the knotwork would be destroyed, if they are lucky. Exposure to the scar may instead cause horrific mutations of mind and body.
There is a secondary use of the knot. Sorcerers may use it to enhance their own magical prowess. The monks use this secret to good effect. Those who swear loyalty to the cabal and the defense of the scar may be granted permission to walk the knotwork.
The Order
The membership of the order consists of a core group whose primary purpose is to hide the scar from mortal men. Their secondary purpose is to explore magic in an environment where reality has already been softened and twisted. Finally, to defend their haven through building their own inner power.
Archetype: Monster Hunters
Paradigm
(Using M20 p568)
- All is consciousness
- Elements in balance (the Titans)
- Reality is malleable and magic is the art of shaping it.
- Elemental imbalance is as natural as shifting tides
- Monsters can manifest from great spiritual imbalance just as oceanic imbalance can cause tidal waves, etc
- Suffering is natural but unnatural evils should be eliminated
To the azurite sorcerer, all of existence is consciousness; the Godhead is asleep and dreaming that it is each one of us. The titans are the great forces of the universe, servants of the Godhead, makers of the universe. Beings are made in the image of the Godhead and so, the titanic forces can be found within and harnessed for power and balance.
Most magi use complex processes to slip past their own struggles with doubt and faith. For adepts of the Azurite Knot, a more immediate process is used - exposure to the scar itself. Witnessing the horrific miracle of a puckered scar in reality triggers an existential crisis, which the masters exploit to undermine any and all doubt in the aspirant’s mind as to the forces of magic and the titans. Further still, the sight cements in the aspirant’s mind the resolve to oppose unnatural evils.
Practices
Primary - Yoga
The incarnata of the Prettanic Isles are renowned for their mastery of magic. Over the centuries, the Azurite masters have developed a complex metaphysical system that bridges the gap between mortal and immortal understanding. Through exposure to the Azurite Knot, sorcerers have many of their illusions of physical existence revealed. From that moment, they dedicate themselves to the transcendence of physical and mental limitations.
Students of the Azurite Knot believe that all beings are microcosms of the Godhead. By practicing stillness and focused intention, the power of the titans can be found within and harnessed. Yogic practice involves achieving balance in their relationship to and understanding of the cosmic forces.
Crazy Wisdom
Given that the Tuatha de Danaan moved to the Otherworld, they are largely inaccessible to mortal beings. Sorcerers of the Azurite Knot use lucid dreaming and vision quests to journey into the lands of the fae. Many take lucid dreaming as a daily regimen.
Deep within the Otherworld, in the lands of dream, lies the Sanctum of Champions. Also surrounding a section of the scar, it functions as an astral temple for the order. It also acts as a stadium, where sorcerers can duel their brethren pushing their imaginations to the limit. Acceptance of a malleable reality in dream trains the mind to expect it in reality, which reinforces the magical will.
Because they use lucid dreaming as a training practice, Azurite sorcerers often seek ways to remain asleep for longer periods, which may include exhausting themselves through brawling, exercise, or sex. Some may use entheogens but it is not common since lucid dreaming is a delicate practice.
Martial Arts
The Azurite Knot is a ley line intersection. A place where an alien aberration slashed at the fabric of spacetime so it could reach through and consume the world. A scar that the sensitive can feel at the edge of their senses. It is living proof that reality can be bent, twisted, and torn. It is also evidence of incalculable evil.
The need for a powerful defence has always lain at the core of the order. Over the millennia, the site has had numerous defences from mercenary forces to magical creatures. Finally, the masters chose to take on the duty themselves and developed a martial art that harnesses the power of their sorcery.
Azurite Sorcery has a martial bias. Gestures resolve into fists and stances while invocations are quick and breathy to synchronize with the exertions of combat.
Instruments
Remember that instruments are tools used with spellcasting as foci for Will. Thus, they go hand in hand with which Flaws are allowed or are commonly used in spell design.
Bodywork and Energy
- following incarnate philosophy, the titans are associated with 6 internal energies
- Azurite Sorcery has an exercise regimen designed to increase and balance internal energies
Gestures and Postures
- As a martial path, there are a number of routines for training muscle memory, similar to kata
- spells are frequently cast using gestures. These are short, quick movements that end or resolve in a combat gesture (fist, knife hand, etc)
Meditation and Ordeals
- Azurite Sorcery favours balance by using both stillness and intensity as methods for quieting the self.
- intense physical training, alongside martial training, pushes adherents to their limits
- meditative training opens the way to slipping into the Otherworld
Vocalizations and Knotwork
- Many sorcerers have alternate casting methods
- For some, trigger words are used as a shortform of spellcasting. Words used are short and fit the exertions of combat
- Knotwork is deeply meaningful to Celtic culture. Some sorcerers use knotwork as a visual trigger for spellcasting. They might tap or trace a tattoo of a knot, or an actual knot worn on the body.
GURPS4 Build
I'm using an Ultimate Style (see MA144). The Tuatha are immortal warriors. Their combat style has been developed and refined over millennia against countless foes, mortal and monstrous. So, like Tai Chi Chuan, Shaolin Kung Fu, and other ultimate styles, the Azurite style encompasses all techniques.
The Outer Order · 38 points
Advantages: Trained By A Master [30]
Skills: Acrobatics, Breath Control, Judo, Jumping, Karate, Parry Missile Weapons, Sumo Wrestling, Wrestling.
Techniques: All.
Cinematic Skills: Blind Fighting, Body Control, Breaking Blow, Flying Leap, Hypnotic Hands, Immovable Stance, Invisibility Art, Kiai, Light Walk, Lizard Climb, Mental Strength, Power Blow, Precognitive Parry, Pressure Points, Pressure Secrets, Push, Sensitivity, Throwing Art, Zen Archery.
Cinematic Techniques: All.
Perks: Skill Adaptation (Brawling techniques default to Karate), Style Adaptation (All), any cinematic Style Perk
Optional Traits: Altered Time Rate, Ambidexterity, Combat Reflexes, Damage Resistance, Enhanced Time Sense, Extra Attack, Fit, Higher Purpose (Defend the Azurite Knot), Weapon Master.
Optional Skills: Dreaming (Will/H), Hidden Lore (Faerie; IQ/A), Meditation (Will/H)
The Inner Order
Prerequisite: The Outer Order template, Dreaming.
Advantages: Innate Magery, Imbue
Disadvantages: Duty (The Azurite Order, appears 9 or less, hazardous) [-10], Obsession (Long Term Goal: Destroy All Abominations) [-10], Supernatural Features (mandatory at Magery 4; manifestations of azure flame from hands, feet, eyes, or scalp)
Skills: any Imbuements, any College spells, Thaumatology
Joining the Order: Members of the Outer Order who wish to join the Inner Order must impress their trainers well enough to receive training in Dreaming. They must then travel through the Dreamscape, facing and defeating many demons both inner and astral. The destination is Avalon, the blessed isle where King Arthur lay sleeping.
If the applicant reaches Avalon, they are taken by the Masters in Dream to whom they must swear oaths to face and defeat all evil. If their heart is true, they are baptized in the Well of Wisdom, which triggers an awakening.
[this stage unlocks Innate Magery]
The awakened warrior then returns to the world and Walks the Knot Around the Scar. The way is difficult, requiring focus in every moment else the wild magic burn the applicant to ash.
[this stage unlocks Imbuements]
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:41, Thu 10 Dec 2020.
