ANDERS MAGE PAGE 2.0

Cities all have souls. Everything is reflected in the Three Umbrae; the mortal, decaying aspect in the Low Umbra, the spiritual, living aspect in the Middle Umbra and the essence, the secret soul of things, in the High Umbra. Unlike the reflections in the other regions of the Umbra, the High Umbral reflection does not reflect the actual thing and how it is currently (its accidence). It reflects the essence, the unchanging metaphysical core of the thing. This reflection, or true nature, naturally affects and is affected by the material thing, being its soul.

Cities are unusual because they are man-made, but on a scale to rival that of many natural features. Only nations and ideologies are bigger. This gives their souls tremendous power, but still puts them in the reach of human hands. Normally the souls do not change except very slowly over a very long time, or when powerful events change the city. But they can often be affected somewhat by large movements, or the activities of the Awakened.

It is not unusual for these souls to find embodiment in landmarks or other things. If these landmarks are hurt, the soul (and the city) suffers. Typical examples are the Little Mermaid of Copenhagen, the EEC (European Economic Community) headquarters complex in Brussels, the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Many of these serve other mystical functions. For example, the EEC headquarters are a hotbed for New World Order, Syndicate and Tremere (vampire) activity, the Golden Gate bridge is somehow linked to the secret schemes of the Craftmasons and close a circle around the Bay Area. Often lesser known places are influenced too, in a complex network over the city. The soul doesn't exist in the landmark per se, but is linked to it. Some mages have found that to communicate or perceive the soul, seek out significant landmarks and seek it there.

Some rare cities have never developed their own souls. Brasilia is a good example. Created entirely by the Technocracy to become an ideal city, they kept it completely spiritually blank and no soul could develop. People didn't move to the city, the great highways were empty and the plazas echoed with silence. To become alive the city needs a soul and if its soul dies, so does the city.

Most cities in the Old World are so old that their souls have become too powerful and static to change by any means. They are spiritual beings in their own right and independent of human will. Some can even defend themselves against change, like Kyoto, Japan. Younger cities, especially the ones in the New World, have not yet developed their true souls and can be strongly affected by the schemes of the Awakened. During the Middle Ages the Craftsmasons were apparently seeking to focus these souls into the Cathedrals, in addition to their other occult uses. It is even possible for an Awakened to become the soul of the city, to identify himself with the soul to such a degree that they merge and become one. This mystical union both gives tremendous power and binds the soul of the city in the material world. If the lord of the city is defeated, killed or otherwise hurt, the city will suffer too. "The land and the king are one".

The lord of a city reflects it in many ways, and gains a subconscious understanding and power linked to it. He will know if something is going on, and have an intuitive feeling for what to do. Influence, usually on a very subtle level, will come easily to him and sometimes he can affect events just by existing. At the same time, he will be somewhat limited by the shape of the soul he represents. Some courses of actions are simply not possible or too hard to use. Being the soul of a powerful city also means that the city will affect you strongly, giving you some of its properties.

To actually become the soul of a city requires extraordinary means. The old soul either has to be removed/reshaped/defeated so that the new soul can gain ascendancy (the way of the conqueror), or the ambitious being has to seek out the soul, learn its secrets and gradually unite with it by mutual reflection and understanding (the way of the defender).

The way of the conqueror requires a lot of temporal power, planning and ambition. The old core of the city has to be found and excised, the mystical landmarks changed or removed and a new city created from the skeleton of the old. This process can take years, but in the end the city must have changed its character to conform to its new lord. One example of this is Stockholm, Sweden. In the late 1960s the Technocracy demolished parts of the central city and replaced them with a new downtown, and outside the city they extended functionalist suburbs. The new soul of the city, personified in the gray glass monolith at Sergel Plaza is truly technomantic. Of course, the Technocracy did not see this as an attempt to replace its "soul" (such things do not exist), instead it was just urban planning for the future, an attempt to create a new and better city (which is the same thing).

The way of the defender is more subtle, and sometimes walked unwittingly by the Awakened. This is especially true for the Kindred Elders (vampires), who shape their cities by their actions, thoughts and power for centuries and are themselves shaped by them. The dreams of Methuselahs sometimes merge with the souls of the cities they sleep under.

In some of the youngest cities, the Soul has never developed on its own, and instead has passed from one lord to another. One example is Las Vegas, where the occult rulership (closely linked to the powers of randomness and money) has passed down a succession of mobster mages. It is said that to become the new ruler, the old ruler has to be defeated in a mystic card game.

In some cities the Awakened struggle against each other to shape the soul of the city. In Paris, there is a struggle between the Sons of Ether and their allies on one side, and the Technocracy on the other. The new buildings along Champs Elysee and especially the new triumph arc are a magickal strike against the power of the Eiffel tower. Besides locking down the quintessence flows they are intended to give a new image to the city, something the Sons of Ether desperately oppose.

Story Ideas

Ambition's Prize

A mage has arrived in town, seeking to become its new ruler. At first he will just study the city, making measurements, meditating in various places and gradually learning its secrets. Then he will start his secret work to undermine the current order of the city, play out various groups against each other and finally undertake a journey to the soul of the city to defeat it in spiritual combat as his plans come to fruition. This will plunge the city into chaos and weaken its soul in the critical moment. This character could appear as a background character during an ongoing chronicle, a mysterious manipulator and watcher who gradually develops into a dangerous enemy or ally.

Metrophage

A Nephandi plans to eat the city — literally. By weaving complex enchantments (looking like unusual vandalism) around landmarks and vital points in the city, she plans to force the soul of the city to manifest in a complex ritual, where it will be literally eaten by her (or rather, by her Lords through her). That would give her a lot of power and dissolve the spiritual essence tying the city together.

The Great Battle

The Technocracy has decided to do some urban renewal to make the city better, more static. That of course means they will try to remove the old, dynamic and unsuitable from it, including the secluded areas where magick still works. The mages of the city have to fight this in a battle on all levels: from construction work and urban planning to the battle for the soul of the city. An unexpected complication could be that the soul is already embodied in an old and cunning vampire prince.

The Dark City

Not all cities are humane. Some demand sacrifices. At certain times, the city claims a victim. Suddenly all the functions of the city like traffic, subways, elevators, inhabitants, weather and garbage turns against the victim, attacking him and draining his lifeforce into the dark soul of the city. The PCs could witness how this happens, or maybe one of them is singled out as this year's sacrifice. Paranoia might be a survival trait when even the streets themselves are out to get you.

The Legacy of the Craftmasons

What did the Craftmasons really seek? Do they still exist? The Technocracy thinks they are defunct, except as a small, conservative group in the New World Order working to establish control over the Masonic lodges in opposition to the Order of Hermes (but who cares today?). Perhaps they still exist and continue their secret plans? They designed the layout for many cities, directing their quintessence according to their own designs. They certainly knew about the power of cities and probably used it for their own purposes. A group of mages may stumble upon some hints that something truly odd is going on.