Order Of Muses

The Muse is the living incarnation of artistic creativity and inspiration, a beatific vision of human potential and grace. The Muse Adept strides through the art world as a god, with a mere thought, an artist can find themselves devoid of all imagination, or overloaded with creative madness.  
The Order of Muses are a Petitioner Order loyal to the Grand Muses who ostensibly are the leaders of the entire Order be it directly or indirectly. They are the bestowers and guardians of Art itself, and they are champions of humanity and culture.  
== Facts: ==
-Muses are inherently creative and artistic creatures.  Having a natural reservoir for creative talent is the defining trait that brings a soul into the Order in the first place.  
-Muses can often see the creative energies of others as multi-colored swirls of cloud-like substance surrounding and coming off of people.  
-Another key power of Muses is their control over creativity itself.  They can drain a person dry of all of their imagination, leaving them little more than a dry automation, or they can infuse them with intense inspiration, sending them into near-madness. 
-All Muses possess strong capacities for the arts and other intellectual achievements. 
-Unfortunately, when it comes to combat, they usually rank towards the bottom of the scale.  To compensate, Muses tend to learn some of the base levels of magick, particularly Elementalism and other Crafts which are useful in self-defense.  
-Another weakness of Muses is that they can often become entranced by extreme beauty, leaving them vulnerable. 
-Muses can enchant their art with magic, often creating songs that can entrance others, or graffiti so unnerving it will send others running away in fear. Illusionism is another Craft popular within the Order, especially among their Veterans.  
-Foremost among all Muses are the Grand Muses, the original Muses created by Ouranos. They are immortal and their powers are those of a god. They are the true founders of the Theater of the Arts and are, by extension of their presence within the Art world, the leaders of the Order of Muses.  
-There are said to be nine original Grand Muses. However, others are known to exist.  
-Muses tend to live where there is great action and a strong art scene.  As such, they tend to be urban creatures, choosing major cities and metropolitans as their home.  Some may choose to live removed, often for the purpose of contemplation or honing their craft, but even these will often come back into town to socialize.
-Historically, Muses tend to champion heroes, intellectuals, and achievers.  They have often been at the forefront of social change.
-They are also known for their falls into decadence.  Their hyper-acute senses and fixation for beauty and pleasure often gives them a propensity for excess.  Most young Muses go through a 'tortured artist' phase, as it is often put. 
-Muses possess no healing ability unless they have magic for that.  They die just like regular humans do (or whatever species they hail from) although any Muse worth their salt will have special spells and salves in the event they are grievously injured.
-Because of their particular nature, Muses tend to locate talented artists and make friends with them.  It's not uncommon for Muses to act as patrons and guides for artists, philosophers, and other achievers.  Many Muses often fall deeply in love with their best 'inspirations' and frequently marry them.
-Any Adept with an above-average talent for the arts would do well to make friends with any local Muses. Not only will the Muse probably be able to plug them into the local art scene, but they will also help to instruct and guide the budding Adept as well as offer supernatural aid in the form of a fresh infusion of creativity from time to time.
-When it comes to allies among the other Orders, Muses tend to get along best with Creators, Fey, Scribes and Courtesans. Of course, any Adept who shows an above-average artistic talent may have something any Muse will find appealing.
== Theatre Of The Arts: ==
The Muses are credited with being the founders of the Theater of the Arts, both directly in an organizational sense as well as in a broader sense. From top to bottom, the Theater of the Arts and its proceeding Chapters are all infused with the presence of Muses. From world-renowned painters to local photographers and struggling writers, the Muses have patroned them all.
The Muses do not consider themselves to rule over the Theater. Instead, they see themselves as guides and a source of inspiration, guiding artists onwards towards greater accomplishments.
== Dark Muses: ==
Most Muses will form groups of talented artists around themselves, patroning them and acting as a guide. Unfortunately, not all Muses are so enlightened. The Dark Muses are those Muses who see artists more as personal pets, to be acquired, trained, even bred if desired.
Dark Muses both use and abuse their artists, draining them excessively of creativity (even if it means hurting them). These Muses have lost their way and they are disliked by the others.
Dark Muses will especially seek to 'collect' artist types among other Supernaturals.
== Summoning The Grand Muses: Harmonization: ==
The Grand Muses are god-like entities of cosmic inspiration. They dwell in their own realms, each of them forging for themselves a prism of reality within the Omniverse which reflects their own area of artistic specialty.
Grand Muses are powerful beings, operating on the same level as Eldritch beings and the Pagan Gods. Some of that power can be summoned by Muses who practice a similar artistic craft. If a Muse has dedicated themselves to the pursuit of a particular Grand Muse, and they create powerful pieces of art in that field, then they can call upon the name of the Grand Muse in the hope of being temporarily gifted with some of that Muse's awesome power.
Another feat that a Muse can attempt is Harmonization. By practicing a particular art form and calling upon the Grand Muse of that art, a Muse can attempt to slowly and over time weaken the Veil, the cosmic barrier between Realms. If all goes right, the Muse will bring their immediate vicinity into closer alignment with the abode of that Muse, allowing the Muse and her minions to more easily enter our world.
The Grand Muses, by and large, are followers of the Light. However, the arrival of a legit Grand Muse into our earthly plane would still be a titanic event. Treat it accordingly.
== Alliances: ==
-Order of Scribes = Muses deal in all the Arts, but the Scribes are more specialized, mastering the written word specifically. While the Order of Scribes is not solely geared towards Art like the Muses are, it is clearly part of their paradigm. Muses who are writers or poets will get along fine with Scribes, they may even be given access to the Chantries of the Order.
-Order of Fey = Muses and Fey go together like bread and butter, each complimenting the other. Fey represent the wild potentiality of existence, and Muses capitalize on that to produce their Art.
-Order of the Forge = By all accounts, the Muses are a Sister Order to the Creators. The two go well together, and most Muses in need will find ready allies among the Creator Order.
== References: ==
-https://www.greekmythology.com/Other_Gods/The_Muses/the_muses.html
-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52hQ0n7ctbg
-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RRdQ4Btpr0
-http://kreweofmuses.org/
-https://www.thoughtco.com/the-greek-muses-119788
-http://www.mythagora.com/bios/muses.html
Category:Art