Orphans (Mage)

*My life, my soul, my magic -- MY CHOICE!*

Awakening is older than tradition. Long before occult societies appeared to guide and protect their mages, people with talent simply shaped their own Paths. Some gathered together for mutual benefit, whereas others made shit up as they went along. In Ascension War terms, such people are considered Orphans: poor little mages with no home to speak of.

“Orphan” is a derogatory term used by Tradition mages to describe people who use magick without their enlightened guidance. In Trad jargon, that term is typically capitalized. Folks who actually are orphans, however, often dislike that term… and for good reason. The idea that someone’s an orphan unless they’re part of your specific family implies a paternalistic sense of ownership that drives many orphans straight up a goddamned tree. And so, these so-called “orphans” rarely use that term among themselves unless they’re being sarcastic with some Tradition jackass.

(As far as the Technocracy’s concerned, all mystic mages are Reality Deviants, to be converted when possible and destroyed when necessary.)

Technically speaking, an orphan can be someone’s who’s self-Awakened, defecting from an official group, or belonging to a smaller sect that’s not part of the more notable factions. The Disparate Alliance cheerfully adds such mages to their ranks when and if an orphan wants some company. These mages make up a fairly large percentage of the Disparate membership… such as it is, anyway. Although orphan is not a sect per se, there are plenty of orphans within the Disparate Alliance, neither claiming nor claimed by a particular sect.

For mages who prefer to make their own destiny, or who want nothing to do with the Ascension War, an orphan Path provides an independent option. Plenty of mages who’ve never even heard of this Ascension War qualify as orphans by default… and plenty of people who do know of it prefer to remain independent. An orphan makes her own decisions, determines her own practices, believes what she chooses to believe, and avoids the political bullshit that comes with membership in some larger group.

That said, the orphan road is a very hard Path, especially for those mages who Awaken – as many do – with a blast of wild talent. When Awakening strikes a teenager, that kid usually hits the streets in a panic. Many orphans call this trauma the Plunge, the Vortex, or Wintershine: a cataclysm that tips the floor sideways and send them headlong into Wonderland. In the wake of that experience, the terrified orphan usually bolts… and then tries to learn how to survive in a world where the previous rules of reality no longer apply. Yeah, sure – there’s power. But newborn mages don’t know how to use that power unless they find someone to teach them. Without a mystic society or Technocratic indoctrination, those folks tend to wind up puzzling things out for themselves by joining small sects, cults, or gangs. Some end up perishing in spectacular Paradox backlashes, attacks by rival mage groups, or the many other perils of a world in darkness.

## Organization

Typically, an orphan either practices by himself or belongs to a small group. Again, there’s no common thread between such groups. One might be a rock band, another a church choir, a third could be a witch family, and a fourth might read Tarot cards in a graveyard each Saturday night. As usual, elders tend to dominate the group; in this case, though, the word “elder” is defined more by mystic accomplishment or personal charisma than by age or an appointed title.

Leaders within an orphan sect can be brilliant, brutal, seductive, or persuasive. One could dominate his tribe through sex, drugs, and occult babble, and another might have a knack for scamming free meals at the homeless shelter. With few exceptions, the group’s rules depend upon a leader’s whims and his ability to enforce them within that group.

## Initiation

In the old days, most societies had initiatory rites that ushered people into adulthood, a trade, or a mystic pursuit. Guided by elders, the initiates would learn the things they needed to know in order to function in that new capacity. Magickal and spiritual initiations were part of most pre-industrial societies, and some of those groups became (or joined) the Traditions and Crafts we know today. Certain regions still have such groups today, but they’re hard to find in the industrialized world.

More often, an orphan mage winds up meeting other folks like himself… usually among street cultures, neotribalists, transhumanists, fantasy fans, New Agers, occult groups, and so on. Thus, initiation can be an exceedingly mixed affair, based more upon the people in charge of the group than upon any shared formalities. Typically, the orphan has to prove herself trustworthy, swear some level of allegiance to the group and its leaders, and demonstrate her skills in service to that group. Consequently, an orphan might wind up in a fringe Christian enclave, a Satanic coven, a Burning Man art collective, a pack of vagabond street kids, a New Age ashram, or any other group that holds a place for people who believe in magic.

## Focus

Orphans accept almost any worldview that provides a place for magickal powers. Some orphans become technomancers too, focusing their Arts through technological tools and beliefs. Religious creeds, transhumanist philosophy, occult dabbling, and ethnic practices provide the most common focuses for orphan magick, and popular culture that integrates several of them (often known as “gutter magick” or “high eclecticism”) is especially prevalent in the technological world.