TEXT: Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
  Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.
  - John Howard Payne
  Written by Chandler Kennedy and Eddy Webb     Special Thanks to Joseph Carriker, Michael 
  Gearman, and Genevieve Podleski     Developed by Eddy Webb     Edited by Genevieve Podleski 
  Layout by Jessica Mullins     Art by Brian LeBlanc, Nate Pride, Rebecca Guay, Vince Locke, 
  Anthony Carpenter, John Bridges, and Imaginary Friends Studio
  White Wolf Publishing, Inc.
  2075 West Park Place 
  Blvd Suite G
  Stone Mountain, GA 30087
  Mental 
  OOOOO
  Physical OOOOO
  sOcial 
  OOOOO
  stOrytelling adventure  systeM
  An adventure for Mage: The Awakening 
  using the Storytelling Adventure System
  XP LeveL
  35-75
  SceneS
  9
  
  © 2008 CCP hf. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and one printed copy which may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf, Vampire and 
  World of Darkness are registered trademarks of CCP hf. All rights reserved. Vampire the Requiem, Werewolf the Forsaken, Mage the Awakening, Promethean the Created, Storytelling System and Lines of Power are trademarks of CCP hf. All rights reserved. 
  All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by CCP hf. CCP North America Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of CCP hf. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright 
  concerned. This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised.
  Check out White Wolf online at http://www.white-wolf.com
  Written by Chandler Kennedy and Eddy Webb     Special Thanks to Joseph Carriker, Michael 
  Gearman and Genevieve Podleski     Developed by Eddy Webb     Edited by Genevieve Podleski 
  Layout by Jessica Mullins     Art by Brian LeBlanc, Nate Pride, Rebecca Guay, Vince Locke, Anthony 
  Carpenter, John Bridges, and Imaginary Friends Studio
  Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
  Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.
  - John Howard Payne
  White Wolf Publishing, Inc.
  2075 West Park Place 
  Blvd Suite G
  Stone Mountain, GA 30087
  Mental 
  OOOOO
  Physical OOOOO
  sOcial 
  OOOOO
  scenes
  9
  stOrytelling adventure  systeM
  XP level
  35-75
  An adventure for Mage: The Awakening 
  using the Storytelling Adventure System
  
  1
  Lines of Power
  A mage’s Sanctum is his home, and the Hallow is the soul of it. When these 
  two things are taken away, the mage is not only robbed of his sanctuary but also 
  the Mana that replenishes his magic. Wars have been waged among mages for 
  centuries over the right to call a Hallow their own, and bitter enmities have been 
  created in the fires of dying Sanctums. Now your own Sanctum is on the line. 
  What will you risk for your home, your territory, and the seat of your power?
  Introduction
  Lines of Power is a complete story that can be fitted seamlessly into 
  your Mage: the Awakening chronicle or run as a stand-alone scenario. 
  Contained within are all the pieces you need to run a fun and exciting 
  story. If you want to improvise along the storyline, there is plenty of 
  elbow room for all the little adjustments that make a tale your own. This 
  document provides the general layout – characters, locations, various 
  clues – for your players to explore, and hopefully evoke new and improved 
  roleplay to deepen their characters. Only you, the Storyteller, should 
  read this (the exception being the description of the Tellurian Legacy, 
  which is available to the characters in your chronicle).
  This book is intended to be used with the rules systems in the World 
  of Darkness Rulebook and Mage: the Awakening. Two useful supple-
  ments for this story are Sanctum and Sigil and World of Darkness: 
  Armory, but neither is required. This story works best with a cabal 
  with established Sanctum and Hallow merits.
  About the Storytelling Adventure SyStem
  If this is your first Storytelling Adventure System (SAS) product, 
  you’ve chosen a fine place to start. To keep this story kit lean and 
  focused, though, we haven’t included a lot of the core premises and 
  Storyteller suggestions that are at the heart of the SAS. Whether 
  you’re a new Storyteller or an old hand, be sure to read the free 
  SAS Guide, found at the SAS website:
  www.white-wolf.com/sas
  Here are some of the features available in Lines of Power:
  Interactive links.
  •	
   Clicking on anything in gold will take you 
  directly to the section referenced, or to an appropriate 
  character sheet or prop. It can also take you to an external 
  website that could be useful.
  Detailed character records.
  •	
   Clicking on a Storyteller character’s 
  profile takes  you to their character sheet and relationship 
  chart. Holding the mouse pointer over a profile in the 
  relationship chart shows you a pop-up explaining how the 
  Storyteller character feels about the character depicted.
  the SAnctum And hAllow meritS
  It is not the purpose of this adventure to take away something 
  the players have paid points for. However, it is the point to make 
  the players fight for what is theirs. Nothing is truly appreciated 
  until it has been earned. If the players do not have a Sanctum with 
  a Hallow and you want to run this SAS, let them earn one through 
  roleplay before they enter into this storyline. 
  Overview
  This story is about the power of home and all it means to the human 
  heart. The very word evokes strong images and emotions, and even more 
  so in the minds of those touched by the Supernal. Home is where people 
  can be safe from the insanity of the outside world, and a Sanctum is the 
  seat of a cabal’s power. Within this story, the players get to experience 
  what it feels like to be forcibly expelled from their own sanctuary and 
  tossed out into the world with nothing to call their own. They will have 
  to fight to learn who their attackers are and then repay them in kind to 
  reclaim what is theirs. This story is about struggling for something that 
  is essential to the human heart: a place to call your own.
  Treatment
  Peregrine Layne is a brash young member of the Tellurians, a Legacy 
  dedicated to the study of ley lines. He sees ley lines as conduits of power, 
  and is convinced that there is a secret for melding nodes and Hallows 
  into a more powerful synergistic entity.  Though he’s attempted to 
  achieve this by trying to move ley lines to flow through Hallows, success 
  has eluded him. So he has gathered a motley cabal of mages called the 
  Matrix Tappers, and they move from Hallow to Hallow seeking the 
  right of hoSpitAlity
  The Right of Hospitality is one of the Great Rites laid down in 
  the Atlantean traditions (Sanctum and Sigil, p. 29). It states that 
  when a mage asks for the Rite of Hospitality they must be provided 
  with food and security for a maximum of one week. This Protocol 
  can be interpreted in many different ways. Some cabals provide 
  excellent accommodations and home cooked meals, while others 
  might provide a cot in a corner and enough food to keep the 
  visiting mage alive. One incentive to being a gracious host is that 
  the better the care provided by the cabal, the deeper in debt the 
  visiting mage becomes. 
  
  2
  Lines of Power
  elusive secret, leaving a trail of depleted or irrevocably altered Hallows 
  in their path. The Matrix Tappers have been together only a few years, 
  but each has Layne’s continued existence in mind.
  The story begins with one of the Matrix Tappers, Mary, tricking the 
  cabal into granting her the Right of Hospitality. When the characters 
  take her in, she swears that she was attacked by whoever the current 
  enemies of the cabal are in your chronicle – the Seers, a rival cabal 
  or whatever would sound most plausible to the characters. While the 
  characters are most relaxed and vulnerable, they will be attacked by 
  the Matrix Tappers, who see the Hallow in the character’s Sanctum 
  as their next jackpot. 
  The Matrix Tappers will swoop into the Sanctum as the characters 
  are sleeping, rescuing their inside girl and giving each member of the 
  captured cabal the chance to surrender. The Matrix Tappers have been 
  observing them and their habits for a week or more and know where 
  their wards, weapons, and defenses are. They are also armored with 
  Matter-enhanced bulletproof vests and are shielded against magical 
  and mental attacks. Vindicta, their Thyrsus, is also playing backup in 
  the Shadow Realm should things get violent. One way or another, the 
  Matrix Tappers want to claim this Sanctum for their own.
  If the characters get ousted from their Sanctum, they have an option 
  to do so peaceably or violently. The peaceful way lets them awaken in 
  a dingy motel room; the violent way leaves them on the street, locked 
  out of their home. If they succeed in defending their Sanctum, the 
  Matrix Tappers will heal and regroup to attack again. Either way, the 
  characters have the chance to get information on who their attackers 
  were. Both Mary and Layne let slip their shadow names, so this would 
  be the easiest way to track them down. If they have contacts in the 
  Mysterium, they can discover that Layne is a member of a reputable but 
  eccentric Legacy known as the Tellurians, and that there happens to 
  be another one in town named Professor Donald McArdle. They can 
  also obtain pictures of the individual members of the cabal by hacking 
  into the motel’s surveillance equipment.
  Once the characters learn about McArdle, they can find him either 
  at the university or at his residence. McArdle is also studying ley line 
  nodes and how they interact with Hallows. Frustratingly, his steady 
  and carefully researched work has gone unnoticed, while Layne’s brash 
  tactics have been viewed as a breath of fresh air to the aging members of 
  the Telluric Council. McArdle wants the credit he feels he deserves for 
  all his hard work, and wants to acquire Layne’s notes to either discredit 
  him or incorporate the work into his own research. McArdle is a valu-
  able source of information for the characters, as he knows a great deal 
  about Layne and his motives. After the characters have amassed enough 
  information to use, they must retake their Sanctum before it becomes 
  another one of Layne’s failed experiments. Hopefully, the characters 
  will be able to pull a vicious reversal on the Matrix Tappers, catching 
  them unawares as they attempt to retake their Sanctum. The Matrix 
  Tappers will not go down easily – if the characters do not manage to 
  oust them, then their Sanctum’s Hallow will be lost.
  Theme: Loss of Home
  Home is a safe place to take refuge from the insane world on the 
  other side of the threshold. When this feeling is taken or threatened, 
  humans tend to react irrationally, and mages especially so. This is the 
  theme of this story, the loss of home. How will your characters react 
  when their hard-earned territory is denied to them? Will they rage 
  against the unfairness of the world and strike back, or will they give 
  up and move on? 
  Mood: Desperation and Longing
  The loss of home evokes both desperation and longing: Desperation 
  as you are tossed out into the world again, and longing to regain what 
  you have lost. These two emotions run throughout the story, driving 
  the characters forward as they struggle to regain or protect one of the 
  basic human needs: refuge.
  hAllow vS. node
  There are a lot of metaphysical concepts thrown around in Lines 
  of Power, so it’s best to clear one point up right away. Ley lines 
  channel natural energy all over, which connect in nodes. Supernal 
  energy (which is a different kind of energy, Mana) pools up and 
  collects in Hallows. Hallows tend to manifest near ley lines and 
  nodes, but they aren’t the same thing.
  Think of a muddy dirt road, full of holes and divets. Trucks drive 
  up and down the road, leaving deep tire tracks that criss-cross all 
  over it. The tire tracks are ley lines, and where they meet are nodes. 
  When the rain (Mana) falls, it falls everywhere. The water tends to 
  pool in the tire tracks, but it can also pool up in the other holes in 
  the road unconnected to the tracks. The tracks just make it easier 
  for the water to collect in a pool.
  More information on Hallows and ley lines can be found in Mage: 
  The Awakening, pp. 58-59.
  
  3
  Lines of Power
  Tellarians
  A Chapter in Your Chronicle
  This SAS is a blueprint for a story to be included in your 
  chronicle. As such it is very flexible and you should feel free to 
  add touches or change entire scenes so that it might better fit your 
  characters and plot. Some places to do this are when Mary spins 
  her lie about being attacked by your cabal’s enemies or when the 
  players gather information on the various Tellurians. These can 
  be good places to insert Storyteller characters from your chronicle 
  or introduce new ones to prove their usefulness to the characters. 
  Alliances and contacts can be called upon by characters or broken 
  to get information out of the Mysterium. The Matrix Tappers do 
  not have to enter your chronicle suddenly; their presence within 
  the city can be hinted at in previous games. The characters could 
  already know of McArdle, but simply have never spoken to him, 
  since he is primarily concerned with cartography and rarely speaks 
  of anything else. The characters could have heard of the Matrix 
  Tappers’ activities in another city from contacts within the Mys-
  terium. None of the scenes are set in stone and while a general 
  plot outline is given, feel free to go off in whatever direction is 
  most suited for your chronicle.
  New Legacy: Tellurians
  Ley lines and the power they carry have existed longer than human 
  memory, and man has attempted to harness this unseen power to his 
  advantage ever since their discovery. Many examples of such ancient 
  controls exist: Stonehenge, Mayan temples and even some Roman 
  roads exist along ley lines or sit atop powerful nodes. By focusing the 
  energy that courses over the Earth, the ancients were able to influence 
  natural and unnatural occurrences wherever the energy flowed. They 
  could cause crops to produce untold harvests, or create blight that led 
  to starvation and death. They could inspire wisdom and understand-
  ing or fuel depravity and breed despair. And, through careful control 
  of resonance, the Tellurians could aid in the creation of a nation or 
  bring one to its knees. 
  “but i hAve the hierArch on Speed-diAl!”
  Some regions don’t have a Consilium, or the Consilium is set up in 
  such a way that they won’t be helpful to the cabal’s plight. In some 
  chronicles, a cabal’s Sanctum is so sacrosanct that they’re expected 
  to take care of problems there themselves; they shouldn’t have 
  invited trouble (literally), and now it’s their mess to clean up. In other 
  chronicles, the cabal may be on the outs with the local Consilium or 
  under a punishment that forbids the local mages from helping them. 
  But in a lot of chronicles, the cabal has at least a chance to speak 
  to the Counselors and make their case. If the players think about 
  pursuing this route, there are two ways you can handle it.
  The first is to give a compelling reason not to. Perhaps the Consilium 
  won’t be meeting for another couple of weeks, and in the meantime 
  the Hallow is getting more and more damaged. Perhaps their contact 
  (the Provost or Herald) is on important business and can’t be disturbed. 
  Perhaps one of the Counselors is actually protecting the Matrix 
  Tappers for whatever reason. If you anticipate you’ll need a reason 
  to cut the characters off from political support of the Consilium, try 
  establishing that reason prior to running Lines of Power.
  The other option is simply to let them, especially if the Matrix 
  Tappers severely overpower the characters. A lengthy political battle 
  within a Consilium is outside the scope of this document, but it can 
  provide an engaging and entertaining chapter of play, or maybe 
  even work to connect to a future story down the road. Or maybe 
  the cabal is found to be completely in the right, and the Sentinel 
  and her associates in the Adamantine Arrow go with the cabal to 
  reclaim their Sanctum (perhaps for a favor in the future).
  The idea behind this story is to see what the characters will do 
  to defend their home. If bringing the Consilium in would cheapen 
  that story in your chronicle, don’t allow it. If you feel it would be 
  a valid tactic, then let them try.
  
  4
  Lines of Power
  Tellarians
  Wherever people have sought to control the power these lines pos-
  sess, the Tellurians have always been nearby. Ever since the fall of 
  Atlantis, these mages have dedicated their lives to understanding the 
  power that flows from node to node. They have amassed vast libraries 
  of maps detailing ley lines all over the world. However, as the world 
  evolves and changes, so does the energy that flows around it. The 
  work of the Tellurians is never done because the lines are constantly 
  shifting. The original Tellurians were a disparate lot. Each discovered 
  the power of the ley lines within their own cultures and learned to 
  manipulate them as they advanced along their chosen Paths. Eventu-
  ally they stumbled across other members of other Paths and orders who 
  shared their interests, and the first Telluric Council was formed. They 
  agreed that the ley lines should be observed and manipulated only for 
  the prosperity of mankind. To enforce their will, they created the Tel-
  luric Wardens, a militant division that punishes those offenders who 
  dare to destroy or manipulate ley lines for destructive purposes.
  The Obrimos were the original founders of the Tellurians because of their 
  leanings towards the Prime Arcanum and interest in the flow of magic. Even-
  tually, the Mysterium became interested in these trackers of ley lines, and 
  other Paths were introduced to the Legacy. Each Path was able to turn their 
  particular talent to understanding the resonances that supply the main power 
  to the ley lines. The Acanthus devote themselves primarily to understanding 
  how the particular resonances of ley lines and nodes affect the fates of those 
  they touch. Mastigos are often the most adept with their knowledge of the 
  Space Arcanum, and provide some of the best cartographers the Legacy pos-
  sesses. The Moros of the Legacy are few and far between, although those who 
  have joined focus most of their attention on how the different resonances 
  affect Matter and inanimate objects. As the Legacy’s founders, Obrimos are 
  by far the most common Path represented. The Thyrsus are a close second 
  within the Legacy, as they are intimately concerned with the effects ley lines 
  have on the physical and spiritual landscapes of the world.
  Parent Path or Order: Obrimos or Mysterium 
  Nicknames: Mapmakers
  Orders: Most of the Mapmakers originally belonged to or eventually joined 
  the Mysterium as they pursued their research on ley lines. The Mysterium 
  considers most of the members of the Legacy to be entertaining and largely 
  useless old eccentrics. However, they are the foremost experts in the field of 
  mapping and understanding of resonances. The Mysterium is where most of 
  the Legacy’s students are recruited from as they seek mentors in the Order’s 
  libraries to extract information on the peculiar science of ley lines.
  The Wardens tend to come from the Adamantine Arrow. They 
  are often found watching over nodes or acting as bodyguards to their 
  researching colleagues. They are also the enforcers of the Telluric 
  Council’s will, protecting fragile lines or punishing mages who disturb 
  or destroy lines wantonly.
  The Guardians of the Veil, Free Council and Silver Ladder are 
  in the minority of the orders represented among the Mapmak-
  ers. After induction into the Legacy, most members remain in 
  their parent order, but a fair number end up defecting to the 
  Mysterium.
  Appearance: The Mapmakers’ appearances often reflect their 
  beliefs concerning ley lines. If they believe the lines are to be 
  controlled, they tend to be neat freaks, with their clothes and 
  surroundings perfect in every detail. If they believe in merely 
  monitoring the lines and letting them form on their own, then 
  their appearance may be more free-form and artistic, showing their 
  more organic philosophy.
  Background: The Mapmakers come from all walks of life and 
  have only one thing in common: They seek to understand the 
  currents of power that flow over the earth. Some followed the 
  traditions of the Druids, manipulating all sorts of connections 
  from toadstool circles to Stonehenge. Others learned the arts of 
  feng shui and manipulate the dragon lines on smaller levels in 
  residential areas. However, they all followed their passion even 
  after their Awakening, and sought greater understanding of ley 
  lines through their magic. Most Mapmakers keep fastidious notes 
  and maps so that they can keep track of the ley lines in their area 
  and the different resonances that travel down them. Often they 
  hold positions of power in the mortal world, which allow them 
  to manipulate the architecture in the city they reside in or own 
  swathes of untouched virgin forests to preserve the lines flowing 
  within them.
  Organization: The Mapmakers are one of the more organized 
  Legacies. They are led by the Telluric Council, comprised of the 
  eldest living or most acclaimed members of the Legacy. Rank among 
  the Mapmakers is due to age and accomplishment. Once in a blue 
  moon, a younger member will perform a truly remarkable feat that 
  earns them the respect and recognition of the Council, but most 
  of the Mapmakers operate under the simple rule of “avoid the 
  Council’s attention.” 
  
  5
  Lines of Power
  Tellarians
  The strongest connection within the Legacy is between mentor 
  and student. Someone interested in joining the Legacy has to first 
  locate a Mapmaker who is willing to take him on as a student. He is 
  then introduced to the Attainments and the vast libraries that the 
  Mapmakers have accumulated over the centuries in the study of ley 
  lines. Once the mentor believes the student is ready, the student 
  faces a test to become a full-fledged member of the Legacy. This 
  trial usually comes after the student learns the second Attainment. 
  The tests range from successfully documenting the resonances of a 
  particularly complex ley line to the mapping of all lines that intersect 
  with a particular node. 
  Once they successfully pass the test, they are free to do as they 
  please. There is, however, retribution if a Mapmaker steps over the 
  line. The Council’s interpretation of a wrongdoing does not follow 
  most societal norms; they are far more concerned with the disrup-
  tion of energy flow along the lines, and anything that destroys or 
  significantly interferes with a large amount of ley lines will draw the 
  Council’s immediate attention. Wardens are then dispatched to deal 
  with the offending party.
  Suggested Oblations: rearranging furniture for at least half an hour 
  to aid the flow of energy in a living space, making maps, walking 
  through the city to find new ley lines, meditating at a node, success-
  fully mapping the ley lines in an untouched rural area
  Concepts: Feng shui advisor, construction worker, real es-
  tate agent, building code inspector, park ranger, eco-terrorist, 
  mountain climber
  Attainments
  While Prime is an essential Arcanum when dealing with the 
  mystical energies in ley lines, knowing where the lines come from 
  and go to is an invaluable skill. All Mapmakers are taught the 
  Space Arcanum to do this as it is part of the first Attainment. The 
  Skill of Science (Cartography) is also required as the Mapmaker 
  keeps detailed maps of all the ley lines they find using the first 
  Attainment. In addition to these Attainments, Mapmakers also 
  generally know the spells “Ley Shift” (Sanctum and Sigil, p. 97), 
  “Ley Flow” (Sanctum and Sigil, p. 98) and “Ley Lines” (Mage: 
  The Awakening, p. 226), and possess the Geomancer Merit (see 
  the sidebar on p. 7).
  1st: Map of the Land
  Prerequisite: Gnosis 3, Prime 1, Space 2 (primary), Science 
  (Cartography) 1 
  With this Attainment, the Mapmaker can activate a combination of the 
  spells “Supernatural Vision” (Mage: The Awakening, p. 221) for Prime 
  and “Spatial Map” (Mage: The Awakening, p. 233) at will. All ley lines 
  within her line of sight appear as vivid lines of various colors, depending 
  on the resonance they carry. With the Space Arcanum, the mage can 
  extend her senses beyond mortal norms to locate these lines at greater and 
  greater ranges as her mastery increases. Many Mapmakers claim they can 
  feel the ley lines “in their bones” (and with a successful Wits + Investiga-
  tion roll) when they are beyond the range of sight. This Attainment is 
  best applied at great heights to maximize viewing distance, which leads 
  many Mapmakers to live in tall buildings or on mountaintops.
  2nd: Riding Between
  Prerequisite: Gnosis 5, Space 3, Science (Cartography) 3
  This Attainment gives the Mapmakers one of their more mysterious abili-
  ties. To the uninitiated, this Attainment appears to be teleportation, since 
  the mage disappears and appears either nearby or halfway around the world. 
  What the mage is actually doing is riding ley lines. Through mastery of Space 
  and knowledge of the components of ley lines, the Mapmaker can enter any 
  
  6
  Lines of Power
  The Cast
  ley line at any point and travel to any node. Many Mapmakers explain it as 
  opening a Portal (as per the spell in Mage: The Awakening, p. 238) and 
  simply using the ley lines as a conduit. While they can enter a ley line at any 
  point, they can only exit at a node, where the power lines cross and the energy 
  is briefly disrupted. Many younger Mapmakers describe it as akin hopping 
  a train or riding the subway. The Mapmaker can only take herself on the 
  Ride, along with any non-living things she can hold onto. While the mage 
  is Riding Between, they exist with the ley line and travel along its energy. 
  They cannot be harmed until they step out at a node. Riding Between isn’t 
  without its risks: unless the Mapmaker knows exactly where he is going, he 
  could very well end up on top of a mountain in Tibet, in the middle of a 
  battlefield in Africa or over the ocean in the middle of a hurricane.
  3rd: Manipulate Telluric Currents
  Prerequisite: Gnosis 7, Prime 4, Space 4, Science (Cartography) 5
  This Attainment allows the Mapmaker to temporarily redirect ley lines 
  as she sees fit. While great good can be done with the new power (such as 
  growing crops with positive growth energy), so can great harm. Ley lines 
  that carry negative resonances can be redirected to a Hallow, tainting the 
  Mana that springs forth, or entire nodes can be destroyed as the lines that 
  form them are redirected. The Mapmaker must make a Gnosis + Prime roll 
  to activate this attainment – the length of time the ley line is moved is as 
  per the prolonged Duration table in Mage: The Awakening, p. 120.
  The Cast
  Donald McArdle, Seasoned Academic
  Quotes: 
  Virtue: Prudence. McArdle prefers to know everything and have a 
  plan of action laid out before doing anything.
  Vice: Pride. McArdle is extremely proud of his possessions and the 
  accomplishments he has accumulated over his long years.
  Background: To the world, Professor McArdle is the quintessential old 
  librarian; he wears tweed jackets and reading glasses, and speaks with a 
  thick Scottish accent. He regularly travels from university to university, 
  giving guest lectures and organizing the long-forgotten map collections in 
  university basements. But, to those who know, Donald McArdle of the 
  Mysterium is one of the foremost in the field of ley line cartography. His 
  occult library is believed to be one of the most extensive in the United 
  States. However, it is known that he always travels with his bodyguard, 
  a tall African man named Mr. Ogola.
  McArdle was born in Perth, a city a little north of Edinburgh in Scotland. 
  He was one of the rare few who was inducted directly into the Tellurians and 
  then joined the Mysterium after achieving his first attainment. As soon as he 
  learned the second attainment, he began to travel the world, riding the ley 
  lines to random nodes and bringing back maps of uncharted resonances.
  Life changed one day in 1972 when he stepped out randomly at a node 
  and found himself in the middle of a violent conflict in Uganda. The 
  troops turned their guns on him while a young teenage boy crawled out 
  of the rubble and grabbed the gun of a fallen soldier. Before he could raise 
  his gun to defend – or kill – the interloper, the boy suddenly Awoke, the 
  magical surge catching McArdle by surprise. In the confusion, McArdle 
  risked his own life and suffered serious Paradox damage to transport the 
  new mage to safety. McArdle managed to get to a Tellurian safehouse, 
  but he ended up confined to a wheelchair due to his injuries. 
  Seeing the promise in the young boy’s courageous behavior, McArdle 
  saw to it that the boy was educated alongside the other Tellurian ap-
  prentices, and took an almost paternal interest in his progress. McArdle 
  devoted his life to mapmaking, and soon became a renowned cartog-
  rapher in mortal and Awakened circles alike. 
  However, this was not enough for the man whose life had once been a 
  rollercoaster ride of new places and danger. With his considerable funds, he 
  has commissioned a dozen houses in various cities to be built based on his 
  extensive study of the ley line grid. Each house’s architecture channels the ley 
  lines in the vicinity, allowing him to create Hallows and study the results. He 
  was making excellent progress until he received word from an old colleague 
  that a new Tellurian apprentice was making revolutionary discoveries in the 
  exploration of how ley lines interacted with Hallows. McArdle was shocked. 
  “Mmmm, yes, that sounds like a problem, but 
  what kind of help do expect from an old cripple 
  now, eh? Not like I can go charging into the midst 
  of battle! No, those days are long gone…”
  “He took my idea, the young 
  upstart! I’ve never seen such inso-
  lence in my life! No consideration 
  for a man who’s poured his entire 
  life into the field!”
  “Why yes, my dear, I do have an 
  1869 map of France… somewhere. 
  Now, what did you need it for?”
  
  7
  Lines of Power
  The Cast
  After all the time and effort he had put into creating these perfect experiments, 
  a young upstart was gaining more recognition within his Legacy than he, who 
  was decades Layne’s elder. McArdle will gladly take any opportunity to subtly 
  undermine Layne and his cabal, especially if he can steal his research.
  Description: Donald McArdle is a cheerful, sweet old Scot with a 
  tendency to ramble about geography and the art of mapmaking. He was 
  once a man of tall stature, his long legs now confined to a state-of-the-art 
  electric wheelchair. He wears tweed jackets with suede elbow patches. His 
  manner and dress are both old-fashioned, but he doesn’t care. His focus is 
  his research, his library and the protection of the ley lines in his vicinity.
  The smell of parchment and ink suffuses McArdle’s nimbus, as well 
  as bright glowing lines of color inspired by the ley lines that constantly 
  fill his sight. Whenever he works powerful magic, lines of power appear 
  to bend and twist to his whims.
  Storytelling Hints: McArdle is the epitome of a dusty researcher. He 
  is always delighted to help people with maps or ley lines. He sees himself 
  as a magnanimous general, directing troops as he sits in his musty haven. 
  Due to his skill with Space, he will always run instead of fighting. He 
  tries to be always close to a ley line, so he can use it as an escape route 
  with his “Riding Between” attainment. Though he and Mr. Ogola will 
  defend themselves, McArdle is more likely to push the combatants out 
  of his library with Forces and then ward it versus entry with Space.
  Dedicated Magical Tools: Old compass on a watch fob chain
  merit: geomAncer (•)
  Prerequisite: Occult Skill Specialty in Geomancy
  Effect: The character has a sense for the ley line energies in the 
  local landscape, and can apply certain principles to its particular 
  conditions to alter the ley lines’ shape and/or flow through 
  construction, architecture, interior design, landscaping and pretty 
  much any activity that goes on in the place.
  What this means is that the character can make an extended-action 
  Intelligence + Occult roll to figure out what steps need to be taken 
  in the area to affect its ley energies. The target number depends on 
  the size of the area. A single room might require only five successes; a 
  city block might require 20 or more successes. The time per roll is one 
  day, during which the character studies the area and contemplates 
  how geomantic principles might apply. Possible tool modifiers include 
  classic geomancy manuals (+1 or +2, depending on quality), dowsing 
  rods (+1) and even satellite imagery (+2).
  (More detailed information on this Merit can be found in 
  Sanctum and Sigil, p. 99-100.)
  Rotes: Forces - Influence Light (•), Kinetic Blow (••), Transmission (••);  
  Life – Sense Life (•), Control Base Life (••), Self-Healing (••);  
  Prime – Inscribe Grimoire (•), Magic Shield (••), Ley Lines (•••),  
  Ley Flow (••••), Awaken Hallow (••••), Create Hallow (•••••);  
  Space – Correspondence (•), Omnivision (•), Scrying (••), Untouchable (••),  
  Ward (••), Ban (•••), Multispatial Perception (•••), Portal (•••),  
  Portal Key (••••), Suspension (••••)
  Legacy: Tellurians
  Legacy Attainments: 1st – Map of the Land, 2nd - Riding Between, 
  3rd – Manipulate Currents
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  8
  Lines of Power
  The Cast
  Matthew Ogola, Fateful Warden 
  Quote: 
  Storytelling Hints: Ogola is a servant of the Tellurians first 
  and foremost. He is silent and imposing, preferring to stand over 
  McArdle and watch his work rather than interfere. If outnumbered 
  he will retreat with McArdle, understanding that the knowledge 
  contained in the old man’s head is worth far more than any collec-
  tion of maps. This character is not meant to enter combat in the 
  scope of this story, as he and McArdle are far more powerful than 
  most characters. If it does come to blows, Ogola will follow McArdle 
  through the ley line. If this escape is prevented, then he will strike 
  with deadly accuracy.
  When in combat, Ogola is a nightmare of fated occurrences. 
  He always has “Lucky Coin” cast on the machete (his favorite 
  weapon), on the AK-47 he carries openly on his back, and on 
  the reinforced armor he wears beneath his tailored suit. Through 
  combining the spell with the Time Arcanum, “Lucky Coin” 
  activates during the first round of combat, which allows Ogola 
  the element of surprise. He also has “Superlative Luck” cast with 
  a conditional trigger for the first round of combat. So, if facing 
  one person, Ogola will use his machete; if facing multiple oppo-
  nents, he will sling his AK around his back to fire in controlled 
  bursts upon the crowd. As he does this, McArdle will use Forces 
  to make the gun absolutely silent, to avoid attracting notice of 
  Sleeper authorities.
  Dedicated Magical Tools: Machete, mojo bag
  Rotes: Fate – Interconnections (•), Sharpshooter’s Eye (•), The 
  Sybil’s Sight (•), Fortune’s Protection (••), Lucky Coin (•••), Su-
  perlative Luck (•••); Prime – Dispel Magic (•), Counterspell Prime 
  (••), Magic Shield (••); Space – Finder (•), Omnivision (•), Spatial 
  Map (•), Scrying (••), Ranged Blow (•••); Time – Perfect Timing 
  (•), Augury (•), Postcognition (•)
  Legacy: Tellurians
  Legacy Attainments: 1st – Map of the Land, 2nd – Riding Between
  “You are welcome in this library. 
  Your weapons are not.”
  “Perhaps you should consider this course 
  of action before you pursue it…pursuing it 
  would lead to your imminent demise.”
  Virtue: Justice. Despite his menacing 
  exterior, Ogola works to uphold duty 
  and the balance of right over wrong.
  Vice: Wrath. Ogola is easy angered 
  when McArdle or his work is threatened.
  Background: Matthew Ogola is a child of war. He was born in an 
  unnamed village in Uganda that was destroyed after he Awakened. In 
  his early years, he and his family suffered through regime after cruel 
  regime in Uganda, barely managing to survive. His family was slaugh-
  tered before his eyes when he was just fourteen. He Awoke when he 
  attempted to defend his village, and was saved from certain death when 
  McArdle teleported him to England.
  There he was sent to the finest schools on the Telluric Warden’s 
  dime. They heard of his Awakening from the recovering McArdle and 
  had great hopes for the stoic teenager. Ogola excelled in school as soon 
  as he mastered English, and entered training with the Wardens at age 
  fifteen. He was going on missions before he was twenty, and traveled 
  to every continent before he turned 21.
  Since he has come of age and become a fully trained Telluric Warden, 
  Ogola has been Donald’s constant companion, protecting his benefac-
  tor’s research for the good of the Tellurians. 
  Description: Ogola is a tall, imposing black man. He speaks with 
  an educated London accent, and always dresses appropriately and im-
  maculately, whether he is in a business suit or fatigues. Ogola is the 
  perfect warrior, completely dedicated to his cause and an expert with 
  any weapon he wields. 
  Ogola’s nimbus is unquestionably martial. The air around him smells 
  faintly coppery, and flashes of metal can be seen whisking around him. 
  Whenever he works powerful magic, the roar of battle and the cries of 
  the wounded can be heard. 
  (silent foreboding glare)
  
  9
  Lines of Power
  Peregrine Layne, Arrogant Researcher
  Quote: 
  The Cast
   
      “Hey, ever wonder what would 
  happen if you could touch the life blood of 
  the Earth? It feels like power, mate, real, 
  live power coursing through your veins!”
  “Hey, pretty thing, don’t take it so 
  hard. If you’re good maybe you can join 
  us, we have a special place in our member-
  ship for those long legs.”
  “This time we’ve got it, boyos.  
  I know this time I can make it work. 
  It’s just like that tree in Madagascar, 
  only this time we know better.
  Virtue: Fortitude. Layne believes if he keeps trying he will find the 
  secret of melding nodes and Hallows, it is only a matter of time before 
  he gets the formula right.
  Vice: Pride. Layne really wants the fame associated with the rev-
  elation of the correct formula, and believes he has a unique talent for 
  succeeding where others have failed. 
  Background: Layne’s home is the road. With an absent father and 
  itinerant mother, the idea of a permanent home was never a part of his 
  childhood. One day, someone set fire to his mom’s caravan. He Awoke 
  amid the smoke and the heat, his lungs screaming for air as he carved his 
  name into the tower. Fire and magic exploded around him, and he walked 
  from the wreckage of everything he had known. An older gentleman later 
  found the scrawny young boy glowing with power as he wandered the streets 
  of London, begging for food in his thick and untraceable accent. 
  Layne had the fortune to be found by a member of the Tellurians, who 
  followed the strong resonance of despair course down the ley lines Layne 
  had crossed. Layne was adopted by an old Welsh mapmaker of consider-
  able reputation within the Mysterium. Though bright, his academic career 
  was constantly sabotaged by his constant troublemaking and forays into 
  petty theft. He eventually graduated from school with decent grades, and 
  then his second education began as he was inducted into the Tellurians. 
  Ever since then, he has been a bit of a troublemaker in the organization, 
  achieving great things through unorthodox means, his rapid progress 
  allowing his mischievousness to be overlooked.
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  10
  Lines of Power
  The Cast
  Tiring of the stuffiness of the London Tellurians, Layne set out to create 
  his own cabal. He selected newly Awakened mages with little experience 
  in the political world of the orders but with great potential, and guided 
  their development. Every member of the Matrix Tappers is strong in 
  their own right, but they are stronger as a unit; Layne has ensured they 
  all know spells that enhance the performance of the entire team.
  What Layne is most interested in is how ley lines interact with Hal-
  lows. He has moved around the world with his cabal, ousting mages from 
  Hallows or discovering new ones so he can move ley lines. Once he has 
  moved a ley line to intersect with the Hallow, he studies how the reso-
  nances affect the Mana produced at the Hallow. He has come to bask in 
  the acclaim and glory that his Legacy members have grudgingly given to 
  him, becoming ever more cocky and brash as he takes each new Hallow. 
  His cabal has warmed up to his bizarre interests, enjoying the excitement 
  of fighting for Hallows (even if the research part is a bit boring).
  Description: Layne is a tall lanky fellow who speaks with a strange 
  semi-British accent. His education lessened his original accent – what-
  ever that might have been – and travel all over the world has made his 
  speech patterns even harder to place. He wears nondescript clothing, 
  picked for comfort and ease of movement. He also usually has big pockets 
  that he can slip things into with ease. He has dark green eyes and ruffled 
  dark hair that never stays combed. His eyes are constantly following ley 
  lines and staring at things no one else can see.
  Power sparkles through Layne’s nimbus. Everything about him fills the on-
  looker with awe, as if he has the ability to offer them their wildest dreams. Only 
  when he casts powerful spells is his true nature revealed. His nimbus seems out 
  of control while sparkling dangerously with barely-controlled magics.
  Storytelling Hints: Layne is not a bad guy, or that’s what he keeps telling 
  himself. He just wants to know how the different inherent magics of the earth 
  interact with each other. He tells himself that he only borrows Hallows for 
  a short time to study them. He is completely ruthless when he attacks, and 
  coordinates the movements of his cabal with precision as they take over the 
  next Hallow. He has never killed any of the mages he has attacked, but he 
  is not above knocking them out and leaving them in dire situations. The 
  fact that no one has died yet is one of the main reasons the Tellurians have 
  overlooked his behavior. After all, his research is absolutely fascinating.
  In combat, Layne prefers to lash out with “Celestial Fire” to weaken 
  his enemies.
  Dedicated Magical Tools: A charred piece of metal from his ruined 
  childhood bed
  Rotes: Forces – Influence Light (•), Control Sound (••), Unseen 
  Shield (••); Prime – Dispel Magic (•), Counterspell Prime (••), Magic 
  Shield (••), Transform Aura (••), Celestial Fire (•••), Ley Shift (•••), 
  Magic Wall (•••), Transform Other Aura (•••); Space – Finder (•), 
  Scrying (••), Ward (••), Ban (•••)
  Legacy: Tellurians
  Legacy Attainments: 1st – Map of the Land
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  11
  Lines of Power
  The Cast
  Bill Pardy, Skeptical Hero
  Quote: “Well now, that’s unusual...do 
  they normally do that?”
  “We have a 211 in process…they have 
  surrounded the building and are trying to 
  force entry, officer requesting back up,  
  I believe it is a 217.”
  “You have the right to remain 
  silent, and if you don’t take it I’ll 
  shove this barrel in your mouth and 
  provide extra incentive.”
  Virtue: Justice. Pardy believes he is always trying to do the right 
  thing and sees the world as cops, civilians and criminal.
  Vice: Pride. Pardy is very proud of the skills he acquired as a detective 
  and as a mage; he gets touchy when his abilities are questioned.
  Background: Bill Pardy was an up-and-coming football star that 
  would have made it to the big leagues was it not for a fateful injury. 
  While still popular in his small college town, Pardy decided to stay 
  and ended up as police officer. He was responding to an emergency 
  call when he got a gunshot wound to the neck. The trauma forced 
  his Awakening, and from it, Pardy was able to understand casework 
  far better than his peers. With the help of Fate and Time, he was 
  able to not only crack cases better but also advance through rank 
  and file by lending expertise to prominent cases. He made detec-
  tive just before he encountered another mage named Layne, who 
  offered him more than eventually becoming police chief in a dead-
  end small town. 
  Pardy is the member of the cabal most involved in the Mys-
  terium; he believes it is his destiny to become an influential 
  member of this secretive order. He is well liked for his unassum-
  ing and confident nature, which is unusual for his Path. He has 
  also still maintained his contacts among the police, despite his 
  early retirement.
  Description: Pardy is in his late thirties with a Midwestern, classic 
  American look. He is well-built from continuing his police physical 
  training, and has quicker reflexes than most. He has dark brown hair 
  and hazel eyes which scan every scene, looking for telling details. 
  He often wears rougher clothes, including boots, jeans and jackets. 
  A closer look would reveal the heavy revolver he keeps on him at 
  all times, as well as the Kevlar vest he hasn’t stopped wearing since 
  leaving the force.
  Pardy’s nimbus makes every action he takes seem like it was meant 
  to be. If often makes him appear like a hero, arriving at just the right 
  moment with an enchanted light burning in his eyes. When he casts 
  especially powerful magic or in combat when he casts “Superlative 
  Luck,” he seems to move like a classic superhero, with fated strikes 
  that sink deep into his enemies.
  Storytelling Hints: Pardy is cool-tempered and observant. His detec-
  tive senses have never left him, and he analyzes clues methodically. 
  He’s slow to trust others, especially mages, and keeps a weapon on him 
  at all times. He prefers reliability, which is why he tends to use rotes 
  as well as revolvers. 
  In combat, Pardy wears full riot gear left over from his law enforce-
  ment days, reinforced by Oro. His trusty revolver is always by his side, 
  and it always has “Lucky Coin” cast on it, with the Fate trigger set to 
  the beginning of combat.
  Dedicated Magical Tools: His old police badge
  Rotes: Fate – Interconnections (•), Sybil’s Sight (•), Evil Eye (••), 
  Exceptional Luck (••), Fortune’s Protection (••), Shifting the Odds 
  (••), Bestow Exceptional Luck (•••), Lucky Coin (•••), Superlative 
  Luck (•••); Prime –Supernal Vision (•), Counterspell Prime (••); 
  Space – Spatial Map (•), Walls in the Labyrinth (•••, see sidebar on 
  page 12); Time – Perfect Timing (•), Postcognition (••)
  Armor: Full riot gear reinforced with “Alter Integrity,” 6/8
  Protective Spells: Fortune’s Protection, 3 points.
  
  12
  Lines of Power
  The Cast
  new Spell: wAllS in the lAbyrinth  
  (SpAce ••• , fAte ••, time ••, prime •-•••••)
  This spell is an exception to the normal spell-control rules (see 
  “Spell Control,” Mage: The Awakening, p. 128), allowing the mage 
  to add a “Wall” to a pre-existing Ward. He can also combine this 
  spell with a Ward during casting (see “Combining Spells,” Mage: 
  The Awakening, p. 128).
  When combined with another spell (which can be provided 
  by a separate caster), this gives the Ward offensive capabilities. 
  For instance, it could be combined with “Evil Eye” (Mage: The 
  Awakening, p. 151) to cause those who passed through it to suffer 
  penalties per that spell.
  A Ward altered in this manner uses the casting pool for 
  the supplementary spell when it activates. The Wall has one 
  charge of this spell, but additional charges may be applied 
  without additional rolls if done at the time of casting, at a 
  cost of one Mana each (in addition to any normal Mana costs 
  for that spell). These additional charges do not go off all at 
  once; they activate one at a time, as people come in contact 
  with the Ward.
  However, this kind of warding is very fragile. Dispelling 
  either the Ward of the encased spell will eliminate both, with 
  the encased spell having an effective Potency equal to the 
  remaining charges.
  Example: Pardy has cast Walls of the Labyrinth with four 
  charges of “Celestial Fire” (Prime 4 version) built in. This 
  costs him a total of four Mana (one for the first casting, 
  and three more for the additional charges). While his Ward 
  has a Potency of 6, the Walls portion has only an effective 
  Potency of 4.
  When Bob comes into contact with the Ward, he will be 
  “attacked” by it using Pardy’s “Celestial Fire” dice pool. Bob 
  survives the assault and decides to Dispel the Ward/Walls 
  combined spell. After a few minutes of analyzing the spells, 
  he chooses to go after the Walls portion of the spell. He 
  needs only three successes to tear down the Walls (though 
  it he’d noticed them before being attacked, it would have 
  been four successes; one point of effective Potency was used 
  up in the attack).
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  13
  Lines of Power
  The Cast
  Mary, Mousy Mind-breaker
  Quote: 
   
    “Please, please get me out of here, 
  please…I invoke the Right of Hospitality…
  please help me…”
  “You make jokes to defend yourself, 
  a typical response for the only child of a 
  divorced couple. How do I know that? 
  Oh, it’s textbook.”
  “They’re such incompetent fools…
  but, any mind is a pity to waste. I 
  hope they come back.”
  Virtue: Fortitude. Somewhere out there is a mind that can stand up 
  to Mary’s assault, and she’ll keep on until she finds it.
  Vice: Lust. Mary loves the rush of feeling a mind crumple, she yearns 
  for the sensation whenever she sees a new person.
  Background: There was never anything impressive about Mary. 
  Her physical appearance is utterly forgettable. Her mind was com-
  mon but nothing terribly impressive, allowing her to go through 
  school with decent grades. Nothing about her was ever remarkable, 
  and she knew it. She spent all her childhood wishing she wasn’t 
  normal, and idolized the posters of pretty people that decorated her 
  bedroom walls.
  Mary’s Awakening, occurring when she opened her acceptance 
  letter to the state university, was almost as unremarkable as her 
  life. After that, it was if everyone’s mind was open to her, with 
  every thought and every wish just floating in the air where she 
  could pluck it out and use it however she wanted. And suddenly, 
  she wasn’t normal anymore. Her grades in college were perfect, 
  and she was quickly accepted into the psychology department. 
  The professors were suitably impressed by this budding genius who 
  knew the answer to every question. She entered the psychology 
  graduate program effortlessly and began to get attention from 
  the academic community. It was then that she was approached 
  by Layne. He offered her everything she wanted: power, respect 
  and challenges for her incredible powers. And she was more than 
  happy to take his offer.
  Description: Mousy is the word that best describes Mary. She 
  dresses in plain business casual clothing and wears tasteful eye-
  glasses. Everything about her is forgettable, even the slightly 
  distracted look she wears as if she’s listening to something no 
  one can hear. Due to her tendency to reach into people’s minds, 
  her Wisdom has degraded. She is not physically violent, but she 
  feels it is her God-given right to break into the minds of everyone 
  around her.
  While Mary may be forgettable, her nimbus is not. It is a riot of 
  horrified faces representing the minds she’s violated, each screaming 
  in silent agony. Whenever she works particularly vulgar or powerful 
  magic, these faces twist in agony, and muted screams can be heard as 
  new faces are added to the ever-growing crowd.
  Storytelling Hints: Mary is quiet and unassuming, often letting 
  her work speak for her. As a result, she comes across as helpless and 
  naïve. She is fully aware of her normal appearance and uses it to 
  her full advantage. She feels no sympathy for Sleepers, and regards 
  mages as a challenge, to be broken into and then abandoned like 
  an empty vault. In combat, Mary will protect her cabal mates from 
  metal attack by casting “Mental Wall” first and then assaulting 
  the minds of the opposing cabal. If there ever comes a point when 
  physical action is the only choice, Mary will use Space to create a 
  Portal and flee.
  Dedicated Magical Tools: Her eyeglasses.
  Rotes: Mind – Aura Perception (•), Third Eye (•), Alter Aura (••), 
  Memory Hole (••), Mental Shield (••), Hallucination (••••), Mental 
  Wall (•••), Telepathy (•••), Breach the Vault of Memory (••••), Psy-
  chic Sword (••••); Space – Correspondence (•), Untouchable (••),  
  Portal (•••)
  
  14
  Lines of Power
  The Cast
  Abila Oro, Ghetto Mechanic
  Quote: 
  “Yeah, I can patch it. But you 
  need a new carburetor or you’ll 
  be back here next week, and 
  then it’ll cost you double.”
  “Look at this construction work!  
  My brothers could do better if they were 
  drunk and screwing your mother!”
  “Yeah, I’m a girl. And yeah, I 
  know a lot about cars! Enough 
  to tell you that you got ripped 
  off on that piece of plastic crap 
  you drive.”
  Virtue: Faith. Oro is not a devout Catholic, but she does believe in 
  God and a higher order to the world.
  Vice: Greed. If there is enough money or glory in it, Oro won’t 
  ask questions.
  Background: Oro grew up in South Central Los Angeles, the fourth 
  of six kids born to a mom who worked in a cheap motel and a father 
  who cared for celebrities’ lawns. She grew up scrimping for change while 
  wearing hand-me-down clothes and listening to gang violence out of 
  her window. She grew up in her uncle’s car repair shop with her broth-
  ers, covered in grease and surrounded by boys wanting to look tougher 
  than they were. By the time she was ten, she could already name every 
  car part and most of the top cars on the market. By fifteen, she could 
  disassemble all of them and put them back together again. And when 
  she turned sixteen, she managed to buy her first car and wreck it.
  Gasping amid the ruins of her broken body, surrounded by hazy smoke 
  that told her the car was about to explode, Oro Awoke to the Path of the 
  Moros. When she regained consciousness, she managed to jury-rig her car 
  well enough to get her to a hospital. After she recovered, her talents increased 
  exponentially and she became known as the best mechanic in South Central. 
  Her reputation spread further with every drag race her brothers won. She 
  could work miracles with machines, they said. Her touch was magic.
  This reputation attracted the attention of Layne. Her brothers almost 
  jumped him when he walked boldly into the garage where she was work-
  ing, but as soon as they saw the fire in his eyes and the almost palpable 
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  15
  Lines of Power
  The Cast
  aura of power around him, they backed down. He offered her a better 
  life, a life where her talents could be put to real use and not just fixing 
  beat-up cars in the ghetto. Hoping to make her fortune and provide a 
  better life for family, she jumped at the chance.
  Description: Oro is a petite Hispanic girl who appears to be in her 
  late teens. When she is fixing things, she dresses in mechanics overalls 
  and a wife-beater shirt. A heavy mechanic’s belt hangs from her waist, 
  every pocket stuffed with tools. When out on the town, she dresses in 
  low-rider jeans and tight shirts with large hoop earrings.
  Her nimbus gives objects near her an almost malleable appearance. 
  Forms flicker around her and objects whisper just below hearing range. 
  When working powerful magic, objects seem to almost melt or grow 
  crystalline projections randomly. The whispers and swirling shapes 
  become distinct forms and wails.
  Storytelling Hints: Oro is by far the most inexperienced member of the 
  Matrix Tappers. However, she earns her keep well with her strong ability 
  to manipulate Matter. She mostly provides support, making sure the cabal’s 
  weapons and armor are accurate and impenetrable. When in a fight, she 
  fuses weapons together or causes them to melt with “Annihilate Matter.” 
  She’s more inclined to strip a combatant of their armor and weapons than 
  try to beat them with her wrench, which is her last defense.
  Dedicated Magical Tools: Large car wrench.
  Rotes: Death – Shadow Sculpting (•), Touch of the Grave 
  (••); Life – Evidence Shroud (••; Tome of the Mysteries, p. 65); 
  Matter – Dark Matter (•), Alter Accuracy (••), Unseen Aegis (••), 
  Alter Integrity (•••), Jury Rig (•••), Annihilate Matter (••••),  
  Reconfigure Object (••••)
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  16
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  The Cast
  La Sombra Vindicta, Vengeful Vigilante
  Quote: 
  located Vindicta, who had now taken her street name as her shadow 
  name. He offered her a different war to fight, a war against those who 
  held things they did not deserve, and a war to discover the power that 
  existed all around them. Vindicta, eager to bring justice to the world, 
  accepted his offer.
  Description: Vindicta is a wiry young Mexican teen with sharp features 
  that betray her Aztec heritage and the Obsidian Blade’s influence over 
  her. Her hair is cut short and spiky, which is more to keep it out of her 
  eyes than any fashion statement. She wears fatigues or dark clothes most 
  of the time, and all are close-fitting and flexible. Knives are tucked into 
  various hidden sheaths on her body, many in unexpected locations. 
  Vindicta’s nimbus is a vibrant swirl of almost-seen spirits and blood-
  stains that hover just out of the viewer’s field of vision. When she works 
  powerful or vulgar magic, the blood patterns become violent splatters 
  that fall from the Blade.
  Storytelling Hints: Vindicta lives for the dance of knives, in the smell of 
  blood, and in the surprise of her victim’s face as she steps out of the Shadow 
  Realm. While her desire for vengeance has been mostly sated by killing her 
  brother’s murderers, the Blade does call to her. Every time she kills, its pull 
  becomes stronger while easing her choice to kill the next victim. 
  Vindicta prefers to use her stealth to her full advantage. She slips 
  into the Shadow Realm and then slips back out again to leap upon her 
  surprised victim. She prefers to use the Obsidian Blade, but will utilize 
  the dozens of knives on her body if necessary. 
  Dedicated Magical Tools: Obsidian Blade
  “Just hold still, this’ll hurt a lot…”
  “Boo.”
  “He’s hungry again…I know we aren’t 
  supposed to hurt them…but he only 
  needs a sip…”
  Virtue: Justice. Vindicta is still detests 
  criminals and gang members, punish-
  ing them is no longer a matter of 
  vengeance, but her own warped 
  sense of justice.
  Vice: Wrath. Vindicta has been heavily influenced by the 
  Obsidian Blade
  Background: Luisa Maria grew up in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico among 
  the gangs and the ghettoes. When she was twelve, her baby brother 
  was hit in an exchange of gunfire and died in her arms, which triggered 
  her Awakening. Though her family went to church to seek solace, 
  she knew there could be no God which would allow her innocent 
  brother to be so carelessly taken. She traded in her faith for a life on 
  the streets hunting down her brother’s killer. She became a legend in 
  the back alleys of Guadalajara as all those involved in her brother’s 
  death were found, sometimes days after their slow deaths. Their faces 
  had been twisted into violent expressions of horror frozen in death. 
  It was through these actions that she became known as La Sombra 
  Vindicta, the Vengeful Shadow. The blood she had shed in vengeance 
  called out to an artifact abandoned long before the city was ever built. 
  She followed its call outside of the city and dug it up, tunneling down 
  below the desert to find a blade clutched in the bony hands of a long 
  dead Aztec priest. The blade called for blood, and its obsidian edges 
  glittered sharply even under the dirt.
  Armed with this new weapon, Vindicta returned to the streets. She 
  was discovered by the Adamantine Arrow in the area after a particularly 
  gruesome killing that infuriated many of the spirits in the area. While 
  dodging werewolves and irate spirits, Luisa ran into an Arrow patrol 
  and was spirited away to their Sanctum. She was slowly educated in 
  Awakened society and reintroduced back into the mortal world. It 
  was through Layne’s contacts among the Tellurian Wardens that he 
   obSidiAn blAde (ArtifAct •••)
  Durability 4, Size 1
  Mana Capacity: Maximum 11
  The Obsidian Blade is kept at Vindicta’s hip in a reinforced sheath, 
  and its leather wrapped handle stands out amid her dark clothes. It 
  is about the size of a bowie knife and does equivalent damage (2L). 
  The Blade itself is made of magical obsidian and has been altered 
  to cause aggravated damage after it has shed blood. The first strike 
  with the Blade is always lethal damage, but as soon as the Blade 
  activates, it does aggravated until the fight is over. Every time it is 
  used to kill someone, the user must make a Willpower check. If they 
  fail their Wisdom drops a point. The Blade is aware in an alien way 
  and speaks in whispers to its user, murmuring for blood.
  
  17
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  scene Flow chart
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  Rotes: Fate – Interconnections (•), Winds of Chance (•); Life – 
  Cleanse the Body (•), Pulse of the Living World (•), Sense Life (•),  
  Organic Resilience (••), Self-Healing (••), Healing Heart (•••), Trans-
  form Self (•••); Spirit – Spirit Tongue (•), Ephemeral Shield (••), 
  Gossamer Touch (••), Spirit Road (•••), Road Master (••••)
  HOMELESS
  UNdENiAbLE rigHTS
  bETrAyEd frOM WiTHiN
  gETTiNg iNfOrMATiON
  PAybAck’S A biTcH
  TALkiNg TO McArdLE
  THE MAgiciAN’S TOWEr
  rEdEcOrATiNg
  gET OUT Of My HOUSE!
  
  18
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  Undeniable rights
  Undeniable Rights
  Mental •• 
  Physical — 
  social •
  Overview
  Mary stumbles onto the character’s territory badly wounded. The 
  Matrix Tappers have done enough reconnaissance to know who the 
  characters’ primary enemy is. Mary’s wounds have been inflicted in 
  such a way to represent an assault by that enemy. If not located when 
  she enters their territory, she will stumble haphazardly closer and closer 
  to their primary Sanctum while ignoring any markers they have set up 
  for the Right of Crossing. 
  Once she is discovered, she will beg for the Right of Hospitality. If 
  she is questioned as to why she did not follow the markers, she will 
  say that she was not seeking to cross but seeking aid. If asked why she 
  was headed toward the Sanctum, she will say that she was seeking a 
  place to heal herself and was desperate. Mary is completely meek and 
  acquiesces to anything the characters ask. She has the spells “Mental 
  Shield” and “Memory Hole” activated when they find her, as well as 
  “Untouchable.” If asked why she is shielding, she will say she was try-
  ing to protect herself from her attackers. With “Memory Hole,” she 
  has removed any memories of the Matrix Tappers and their purpose, 
  and with “Breach the Vault of Memory,” she has created a fictional 
  history for herself and of her attack. Perhaps she was assaulted by pa-
  trolling werewolves who are encroaching on the characters territory 
  or was magically damaged by the local Seers of the Throne. Whatever 
  would most rile up the characters and cast suspicion off Mary is the 
  story she tells them.
  There are many ways the Matrix Tappers could have set up Mary’s 
  attack. If the player’s enemies are mages then marks of their rotes could 
  be found, such as melted concrete for Forces or reshaped walls for Mat-
  ter. Claw marks, dog paw prints and fur can be found if the players are 
  rivaled by werewolves. Perhaps ash, impossible to lift objects moved by 
  supernatural strength or blurred footprints to indicate vampires.
  When the characters take her back to tend to her wounds, she will 
  subtly break into each of their minds with “Telepathy.” She makes sure 
  her ruse has worked as well as searching for anything she can glean about 
  the more subtle protections around their Sanctum. Once she has been 
  taken inside the Sanctum, she will ask if she can move around, and, if so, 
  do normal things such as take a shower, eat food, and watch TV. She is 
  more than willing to answer any questions the characters may have and 
  will become plaintively helpless and terrified if they attempt to break into 
  her mind. She will feed them their worst fears and as they decide what to 
  do next she will carefully examine the defenses of their Sanctum. 
  Mary has hidden her true self and memories away behind a 
  trigger. This trigger is Layne’s face. This will be important in 
  “Betrayed from Within”.
  Description
  You see the bleeding broken form of a woman staggering towards you and 
  who cries out desperately for help when she sees you. She is wearing the re-
  mains of what was a casual beige business suit that is now covered in blood 
  and debris. Her skin is pale with pain and her gaze seems to pierce the souls 
  of those she makes eye contact with as she begs for the Right of Hospitality. 
  A trail of blood stretches out behind her and reveals the long way she has 
  walked in search of sanctuary.
  Storyteller Goals
  Mary’s arrival is the first sign to the characters that something odd is 
  happening in their city. Getting Mary to the Sanctum is of vital impor-
  tance to the story. Steer Mary’s responses towards the innocent and naïve. 
  She honestly believes she has been attacked and is utterly terrified. For 
  this scene, she is a complete innocent. She thinks she is using Telepathy 
  to reach out and understand her saviors. However, through her own ex-
  pertise with her mind and much experience with infiltrating Sanctums, 
  she is capable of running two different personas. One is the confused 
  grad student who has been horribly assaulted. The other is the conniving 
  Mastigos spy who is willing to rip apart the minds of her “saviors” if it is 
  necessary. Let the characters catch subtle hints of this duality, but this 
  should not distract them from the threat of their current enemies whom 
  Mary has led them to believe are attacking them. Invoke feelings of panic 
  as the players believe their enemies are about to strike.
  Character Goals
  Provide Mary with the Right of Hospitality and tend to her wounds. 
  Investigate the crime scene. If they want more information than Mary 
  provides, they can attempt to break into her mind.
  
  19
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  Undeniable rights
  Actions
  Tending Mary’s Wounds
  Dice Pool: Intelligence + Medicine or as per spell
  Action: Extended (if done mundanely)
  While you attempt to make Mary comfortable and tend her wounds, 
  she moans and tears of pain run down her cheeks. She is in obvious pain 
  and appears quite unused to physical wounds. When she has been healed 
  and her remaining wounds bandaged, she attempts to sit up and thank 
  her healer. Mary has suffered 5 points of lethal damage, which need to 
  be healed. The wounds might look ugly, but there are no complicating 
  factors the players should be aware of in order to heal Mary.
  Hindrances: Lack of proper tools (-2)
  Help: Not as bad as they look (+1)
  Investigating Mary’s Attackers
  Dice Pool: Wits + Investigation or as per spell
  Action: Extended (if done mundanely)
  Mary has left a trail of blood behind her which is fairly easy to follow. 
  The length of the trail depends on how deep she got into the character’s 
  territory before they found her. The dice-rolling comes in when they 
  actually find the crime scene. The Matrix Tappers staged the attack 
  in an alley near the characters’ enemy’s territory, and then Oro used 
  the “Evidence Shroud” spell to destroy all the forensic evidence before 
  planting her own. The crime scene only requires one success for the 
  character to see what the Matrix Tappers want them to see: that their 
  enemies did this.
  Hindrances: Obscuring weather (-1), scene has been compromised (-2),  
  lack of forensic equipment (-3)
  Help: Forensic kit (+1), unrestricted access to the scene (+2), Matrix 
  Tappers didn’t make it too hard to figure out (+1)
  Roll Results
  Dramatic Failure: You draw incorrect conclusions about the 
  crime scene.
  Failure: You get no useful information.
  Success: You uncover useful information, making it look as if your 
  enemies were responsible. Each success reveals one clue: the blood is 
  Mary’s, there are scraps of fabric that match her clothing, and so on.
  Exceptional Success/10 accumulated successes: You find a lot of 
  clues that point to the your enemies attacking Mary, but a couple of 
  things are a little too tidy. Something makes you think that this scene 
  is a little too perfect, almost as if it’s staged for your benefit.
  uSing time mAgic
  Acanthus and other Time mages might want to look at the 
  scene in the past and see what happened (such as with the spell 
  “Postcognition”). Since Mary doesn’t remember exactly when the 
  attack happened, it can be difficult to find the correct time to look 
  for, and standing around a crime scene doesn’t give mages that much 
  time. If you want to make sure your players don’t find anything, 
  you can have Layne cast an improvised version of “Erase History” 
  (Legacies: The Sublime, pp. 133-134), which erases all information 
  about the scene in question from Time magic; it’s not very subtle, 
  but it does keep the information from falling into the player’s hands. 
  Otherwise, if you want to reward the players for being particularly 
  creative or skilled, then they can uncover the Matrix Tapper’s plans. 
  It’s likely in that case that they will capture Mary and attempt to 
  interrogate her. Ultimately, knowing the Matrix Tapper’s plan won’t 
  stop the attack in “Betrayed from Within,” but the player cabal might 
  be better prepared for it.
  
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  Undeniable rights
  Reading Mary’s Mind
  Dice Pool: As per spell
  Action: Instant
  If one of the characters is suspicious, then the Storyteller should 
  try to dissuade this as much as possible by amplifying Mary’s 
  helplessness and the danger of whoever she says attacked her. If 
  the characters do try, they will have to break past Mary’s strong 
  mental shield to use “Telepathy” or another manner of reading 
  her thoughts.
  Hindrances: Mary’s “Mental Shield” spell (-4)
  Help: Circumstances make her very trusting of the cabal (+1)
  Roll Results
  Dramatic Failure: You are firmly convinced that she isn’t hiding 
  anything. Further, Mary will detect the attempted intrusion, and will 
  probably become hostile to you. 
  Failure: You feel that there’s a barrier between you and her thoughts. 
  Mary may notice the attempt, depending on the spell used.
  Success: You managed to get through the mental shield. Inside her 
  head you find a riot of fear and confusion mixed with sincere gratitude. 
  Blurry images of her attackers flash past you and then you see yourself 
  and your cabal members rescuing her.
  Exceptional Success: As above. Further, you cannot seem to find 
  coherent memories of what happened before Mary was attacked. There 
  are clear images from her childhood and before she Awakened, but, 
  afterwards, it skips to her attack. It is as if someone or something has 
  erased her memories in between.
  Consequences
  Whether the characters trust Mary or not, their Sanctum will be 
  attacked. Move to “Betrayed from Within.”
  
  21
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  Betrayed from Within
  Mental ••• 
  Physical •••• 
  social ••
  Overview
  Here is where the characters experience a rude awakening the morn-
  ing after they find Mary. The Matrix Tappers have been scouting the 
  Sanctum for days and know all of its ins and outs. They also now have 
  someone on the inside. They have had time to prepare for this assault, 
  and all their spells are cast and the plan is in place. Oro has reinforced 
  all of their armor so that it is double its natural defense and toughness. 
  Pardy has cast “Bestow Exceptional Luck” on the party, giving every-
  one 9-agains for four turns with a Fate trigger for when they enter 
  combat. Layne has cast “Magic Shield” on all his cabal mates, 
  adding four dice to their defense against magical attacks. He has 
  also cast “Control Sound” on a hundred foot area around him 
  so that the attack force moves in utter silence and “Alter Other 
  Aura” to make them all appear as Sleepers so they may slip past any 
  supernatural alarms. The last trick up Layne’s sleeve is Vindicta, who 
  will be shadowing the cabal in the Shadow Realm while waiting to 
  jump out when she is needed.
  They bust down the doors of the Sanctum in absolute 
  silence before moving from room to room with preci-
  sion. They work flawlessly as a team: Oro destroys the 
  character’s equipment; Layne dismantles any protective 
  or enhancing spells; Vindicta watches from the Shadow 
  Realm, ready to surprise anyone who becomes too com-
  bative with a knife to the throat and Pardy provides back up 
  with his Fate-enhanced revolver. The first room the cabal goes to 
  is Mary’s. As soon as she sees Layne, she remembers everything 
  and gets up to join her cabal. She will cast “Mental Wall” on ev-
  eryone, adding 4 dice to their defense versus mental attacks. 
  Their goal in each room is to get the inhabitant or inhab-
  itants to surrender without a fight. Layne manipulates his 
  “Control Sound” so that his voice can be heard only 
  by the character he is talking to. The cabal doesn’t 
  wish to harm anyone and will preferably knock the 
  characters unconscious. If violence is required, then both Pardy and 
  Vindicta are willing to oblige the more stubborn. (Note that you may 
  have to change these tactics as needed. For example, it may be impos-
  sible for the cabal to go to Mary’s room without encountering one of 
  the resident player character mages first.)
  If the characters do make it into full melee combat, the Matrix Tap-
  pers will fight as a team and take out one person at a time while relying 
  on their numerous defenses to protect them from any attacks. The 
  scene can end many ways, but how the characters leave the Sanctum 
  will determine the next scene.
  Description
  You are rudely awakened 
  from your bed in the Sanctum 
  as the sheets are ripped off 
  your sleeping form. Staring 
  down at you menacingly 
  are four people, and the 
  power gathered around 
  them reveals them to all 
  be Mages. The tallest is 
  dressed in police riot 
  gear with a heavy 
  revolver pointed at 
  your head. 
  Betrayed from Within
  
  22
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  Betrayed from Within
  His eyes gleam unnaturally behind the clear Plexiglas of his visor. The next 
  one who catches your attention practically shines with power that sparkles 
  around his Nimbus. He’s dressed in casual clothes and his dark eyes watch 
  you imperiously from under a tangled mop of dark hair. Standing next to him 
  is a young Hispanic girl who looks maybe twenty. She’s hefting a large wrench 
  in her hand and taps it against her pants every now and then. In the haze of 
  your rude awakening, you notice that you can’t hear anything: not the alarm 
  that should be sounding, your sheets rustling, or the wrench tapping against 
  the girl’s hip. Behind them stands your mousy refugee with a cruel smile on 
  her once-innocent face. Then the dark-haired one opens his mouth.
  “Good morning, sleepyhead. I’m Peregrine Layne. We’re taking over the 
  Sanctum from you for a bit. Surrender peaceably, and we’ll let you live.”
  The man’s strange accent echoes eerily in the unnatural silence as you lie 
  there in shock. The armored man cocks his gun, and your choices are starting 
  to look very slim. 
  Storyteller Goals
  It’s very likely that the cabal will be forced to surrender or be defeated. 
  The Matrix Tappers are better equipped and prepared than the charac-
  ters, who are hopefully caught sleeping. Describe the intimidating way 
  that they just burst into the character’s bedroom and demand that she 
  surrenders. Consider taking each player aside and playing out the scene 
  individually to promote the feelings of shock and despair. Encourage 
  the feeling of helplessness as much as you can as the characters face 
  almost overwhelming odds. If the characters do manage to get out of 
  their rooms and into melee combat, try to throw up obstacles in their 
  path such as fallen debris from the fight, awkwardly arranged furniture, 
  even the prone bodies of their fallen comrades. And unless Layne’s spell 
  is unraveled, the entire thing will be fought in eerie silence. 
  It’s also possible that the cabal managed to survive the Matrix Tap-
  per’s initial attack on their Sanctum and threw their opponents back 
  out into the night. Much will depend on if Layne managed to reach 
  Mary before this happened. If he did not, then feel free to run the 
  gather information scenes, in which the amnesiac Mary will gladly 
  help out of gratitude. However, if she sees Layne’s face she will revert 
  to her conscious self and attempt to betray them to Layne. If he took 
  her with him, then Mary will join in the next assault. The second 
  attack will be an all-out assault instead of a request to surrender. The 
  Matrix Tappers will not stop until they have suffered extreme dam-
  age, at which time they will retreat again to their base of operations. 
  The characters can learn about the Matrix Tappers in other scenes, 
  and even apply to McArdle for help. He would be more than willing 
  to offer his services on capturing the cabal as he is very interested in 
  Layne’s work. They can also carry the fight to the motel and finish or 
  capture the rival cabal.
  Character Goals
  Obviously the characters will want to fight, but the odds are stacked 
  against them.
  Consequences
  If the characters lose the fight, go to “Homeless.” If they somehow 
  manage to defeat the Matrix Tappers, they’ll probably want to know more 
  about their attackers, which they can do in “Getting Information.”
  
  23
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  homeless
  Homeless
  Mental ••• 
  Physical •• 
  social •••
  Overview
  The characters regain consciousness after their humiliating defeat 
  by their invaders. They awake in a cheap motel on the opposite side of 
  town from their Sanctum (or in the nearest town if they have a coun-
  try Sanctum). The characters now have several options before them. 
  They know two names: Mary and Peregrine Layne. They also know 
  Mary said she was a member of the Mysterium. The likeliest course of 
  action would be to try and find out who these people are through any 
  contacts in the Mysterium the group may have. Another way is to find 
  out where the Matrix Trappers had stayed, either through contacts or 
  by hacking local hotel registries and transportation records. Feel free 
  to let them take the direction most suitable to their characters.
  Storyteller Goals
  The goal here is to give the characters a chance to regroup. They 
  have been brutally ousted by another cabal who set them up and 
  knocked them down with ease. Attempting to retake their Sanc-
  tum is probably going to be foremost in their minds. They were 
  left in the motel room with only the clothes they were wearing 
  when they were attacked. All of their various forms of identifi-
  cation, money, phones, as well as any weapons and equipment 
  are still in the Sanctum unless they have a separate residence or 
  multiple copies. 
  Character Goals
  Discover who Mary and Layne are, acquire weapons, or find some 
  other way to improve their dire straits.
  Actions
  Waking Up
  Dice Pool: Stamina + Gnosis
  Action: Extended
  After the characters were knocked unconscious, they were placed 
  under a spell by the Matrix Tappers. Mary, Pardy, and Vindicta have 
  developed an extended-action ritual to keep defeated Mages in a state 
  of unconsciousness long enough for them to move them from the taken 
  Sanctum to a new location. (The spell is inscribed in a grimoire – see 
  Mage: The Awakening, p. 220-221 – so it doesn’t show up on any of 
  their sheets.) Unless the character manages to accumulate any suc-
  cesses to throw off the spell, he will awaken a day later. Every success 
  represents an hour earlier that the character can wake up before the 
  twenty-four hour mark. 
  Hindrances: The character was badly injured before the spell was 
  cast (-1 to -3, depending on wound penalties)
  Help: Magic-damping protection spells like “Magic Shield” (bonus 
  equal to the Potency of the spell)
  Roll Results
  Dramatic Failure: You have difficulty waking up, even after a full 
  day. Further, you feel a strange fatigue in your soul, which makes your 
  access to the Supernal sluggish and painful. -1 to all spellcasting rolls 
  for the next day, and -1 to all rolls for the next hour.
  AlternAte Scene StArt
  Another way to run the scene has the characters just barely 
  managing to get out alive. The Matrix Tappers were brutally efficient 
  as they attacked the cabal. The first concern should be to find 
  transportation and a safe haven; be sure to apply the wound penalties 
  to any Drive checks the characters make. One of them may need 
  immediate help and need to go to a hospital. Or perhaps they can seek 
  sanctuary in a friendly Sanctum nearby. If they are unwilling to ask 
  their Allies or Contacts for help then they can always go to a motel. Or 
  they can return to the homes they had as mortals if they still have ties 
  to the “normal” world and try to explain their situation. The whole 
  point of “Homeless” is to give the cabal a chance to regroup.
  Description
  You wake up in a stiff bed. The first thing you see is the peeling paint on the 
  ceiling. Sensation floods your awareness as you realize you can hear again. 
  It’s a subtle thing, but hearing the ragged breathing of your cabal members 
  is oddly reassuring. You turn your head to see them all in various states of 
  consciousness. Next, you notice that your wounds have been bandaged; this 
  seems particularly odd after you were so brutally attacked. 
  
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  Lines of Power
  homeless
  Failure: You wake up after a full day of sleep, but you’re sore and 
  groggy. -1 to all rolls for the next hour.
  Success: Each success subtracts one hour from the twenty-four ef-
  fect of the spell.
  Exceptional Success: Same as “Success.”
  Postcognition
  Dice Pool: As per the spell (Mage: The Awakening, p. 260)
  Action: Instant
  If the characters were all knocked unconscious then they 
  should awake with their wounds bound as described above. 
  They can use “Postcognition” to determine how they ended up 
  this way.
  Roll Results
  Dramatic Failure: The spell snarls the threads of time in the room, 
  making future Time magic difficult. -1 to Time spells for the rest of 
  the scene.
  Failure: You learn nothing of importance.
  Success: The room warps slightly and you see Layne and Pardy 
  carrying you and your cabal mates into the room. They lay each 
  of you on the bed carefully, taking care not to aggravate your 
  wounds. Mary comes in and argues with Pardy, who yells back 
  at her. Layne seems amused but keeps out of the fight. Pardy 
  pulls out a first aid kit and binds each of your wounds with ex-
  perienced precision. Then he and the rest of the Matrix Tappers 
  leave the room.
  Exceptional Success: The light in the room fades and then you hear 
  a light switch click. Lights flicker on overhead as Layne and Pardy 
  carry you and your cabal mates into the dank motel room.
  “Is that all of them?” Pardy asks as he deposits you on the bed, careful of 
  your wounds.
  “Yeah, unless we missed one, in which case they’ll have a nasty wake up 
  call!” Layne says lightly from near the door.
  Pardy just grunts and nods as he leaves the room.
  Mary slips in beside Layne. “Can I look inside one of them?” she asks, her 
  voice monotone with a slight whine.
  “No, you may not!” Pardy snaps as he comes back in the room, carrying a 
  large first aid kit. Layne just smiles at Mary and arches an eyebrow.
  “But we could find out more information on them, their contacts, friends, 
  another Hallow…”
  “I said no, you sociopathic bitch!” Pardy says sharply. He begins to dress 
  your cabal’s wounds with confident hands.
  Mary levels an evil look at Pardy and stalks out of the room.
  After she leaves Layne looks over at Pardy. “She’ll try, one of these days.”
  “Let her,” Pardy growls as he bandages you. “We shouldn’t hurt the 
  unarmed unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
  Layne sighs and shakes his head as the scene fades.
  Consequences
  Odds are likely that they’ll want to find our more about their attack-
  ers. Go to “Getting Information.”
  
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  Lines of Power
  Getting Information
  Mental ••• 
  Physical — 
  social •••
  Overview
  Now that the characters have names and faces, they can track the 
  Matrix Tappers across the city. While Layne made sure his team stayed 
  below the characters’ notice before attacking the Sanctum, it does not 
  mean that they were invisible. They stayed in a cheap motel, went gro-
  cery shopping, acquired ammunition, and checked out the character’s 
  enemies. By successfully tracking the Matrix Tappers’ movements, and 
  the use of a few spells, the characters should be able to find out more 
  about their new enemies.
  Storyteller Goals
  The characters need to figure out what to do next. Feel free to 
  let the characters be as creative here as they want. The Matrix 
  Tappers didn’t exactly hide from surveillance cameras, which 
  are mounted in most stores, or from talkative locals. Particularly 
  clever players might realize that if the characters walk where the 
  cabal went and using Time spells, they might even be able to 
  hear their plans.
  Character Goals
  Find out as much as you can on the Matrix Tappers.
  Actions
  Contacting the Mysterium about Mary or Layne 
  Dice Pool: Manipulation + Persuasion or Intimidation 
  Action: Instant
  If one of the characters is a member of the Mysterium or has Mys-
  terium contacts, it should not be too difficult to ask for information 
  on Mary or Layne. Layne is the better known of the two, but it will be 
  easier to gather information using both names.
  Hindrances: The inquiring character is an Apostate (-2), character 
  spends less than a whole night trying to get the information (-1)
  
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  Searching the Internet (and Cracking Secure Sites)
  Dice Pool: Intelligence + Computer  
  Action: Extended
  If one of the characters has considerable computer skills, they can try 
  to find information on Layne, Mary, or how their cabal got into town.
  Hindrances: Dial-up access (-3), poor equipment (-2)
  Help: Knowing that they’re from out-of-town (+1), thinking to 
  check hotels (+2)
  Roll Results
  Dramatic Failure: Your browser crashes, causing you to have to 
  completely retrace your steps. You lose all accumulated successes.
  Failure: You make no progress in learning more.
  Success: Each success gives you one fact:
  Exceptional Success: You get all of the facts under “Success.” Fur-
  ther, you manage to get access to the hotel’s digital security files, and 
  find the time when they checked in. You get a clear image of all of 
  the members of the cabal.
  Talking to the Neighbors
  Dice Pool: Manipulation + Persuasion or Intimidation 
  Action: Instant
  Characters can ask around and discover where the Matrix Tappers 
  have been. 
  Hindrances: Contact has never met the cabal before (-1), contact 
  has a negative opinion of the cabal (-1 to -5, depending on opinion)
  Help: Pictures of Matrix Tappers (+2), cash “incentives” (+1 to +3,  
  depending on size of bribe), contact has a positive opinion of the play-
  ers’ cabal (+1 to +5, depending on opinion)
  Roll Results
  Dramatic Failure: The contact refuses to speak to you about the Matrix 
  Tappers, and may tell others that the characters were snooping around.
  Help: Mysterium Order Status (+1 per dot), pictures or very realistic 
  drawings of Mary or Layne (+1 per picture), character has a suitable 
  contact (+2)
  Roll Results
  Dramatic Failure: Not only do you learn nothing about Mary or 
  Layne, but your contact lets others in the Mysterium know about your 
  questioning, which might lead back to Layne.
  Failure: You don’t find anything.
  Success: Each success reveals one fact:
  Exceptional Success: You learn all of the facts under “Success.”
  Accessing Mysterium records on the Matrix Tappers
  Dice Pool: Manipulation + Intimidation or Persuasion 
  Action: Instant
  In order to find out about the Matrix Tappers, the characters will 
  have to gain access to the Mysterium’s records, which is an extremely 
  difficult task.
  Hindrances: Characters are not members of the Mysterium (-5)
  Help: The record keepers are sympathetic to the characters’ plight (+2)
  Roll Results
  Dramatic Failure: The record keepers refuse to let you access the 
  records, and move the records they do have to a more secure area.
  Failure: The record keepers won’t let you access the records.
  Success: The record keepers let you access some of the records. Each 
  success reveals one of the facts from above, as well as one name from the 
  Matrix Tappers, in this order: Layne, Pardy, Mary and Oro.
  Exceptional Success: You learn everything under “Success.”
  Layne and Mary are members of the Mysterium.
  •	
  Layne is from England, and leads a cabal known as the 
  •	
  Matrix Tappers.
  Another local Mysterium mage may know more about 
  •	
  them. His name is Donald McArdle, and he currently works 
  at the local university.
  The Matrix Tappers oust mages from their Sanctums and 
  •	
  take over their Hallows for experiments with ley lines.
  Layne is a member of a legacy called the Tellurians, which 
  •	
  works with ley lines. McArdle is also a Tellurian.
  Layne registered in a motel near your Sanctum (the same 
  •	
  one you awoke in, if you woke up in “Homeless”).
  He registered two rooms about a week ago. He paid 
  •	
  in cash.
  One of the rooms is the same room you woke up in. (Ignore 
  •	
  this if you didn’t play through that part of “Homeless.”)
  
  27
  Lines of Power
  through before they can attack the Matrix Tappers. They will also 
  erect barriers to prevent remote viewing of their operation; Layne is 
  not worried about the characters, but he thinks McArdle might try 
  to spy on them.
  Consequences
  Once the characters have gained information, they may try 
  to talk to McArdle; if so, go to “Talking to McArdle.” If they 
  want to spy on their own Sanctum and see what they have to 
  work through, go to “Redecorating.” If they have ousted the 
  Matrix Tappers and just want to get on with the revenge, go to 
  “Payback’s A Bitch.”
  Failure: The contact doesn’t remember the Matrix Tappers.
  Success: Each success provides one fact:
  Using Postcognition in the Motel
  Dice Pool: As per spell.
  Action: Instant
  If the players choose to visit the motel the Matrix Tappers stayed 
  at, they find that the rooms have been emptied. Apparently, they 
  took everything with them to attack the Sanctum. However, use of 
  “Postcognition” within the rooms the cabal stayed in can provide 
  valuable insight into their plans.
  Roll Results
  Dramatic Failure: You get false information and believe it to be true.
  Failure: The spell fails.
  Success: The room shifts and the light changes as you look 
  into the past. You see the Matrix Tappers spread out around the 
  room. Pardy is cleaning his revolver, Oro is pacing, Vindicta 
  plays with her knives, Mary sits quietly in a corner and Layne is 
  poring over blueprints. 
  “Alright, thanks to a little police work we have our blueprints,” Layne 
  says with a nod to Pardy, who grins. Layne proceeds to detail exactly 
  how the Matrix Tappers infiltrated the Sanctum. He even describes all the 
  magical defenses you have in place. “Now, according to my calculations 
  we only have about three days before the Hallow is irrevocably drained 
  or altered. But that old bat McArdle is in town, so this might just be our 
  lucky break.”
  Exceptional Success: In addition to what you learn from the 
  above description you also hear Layne run through what defenses 
  they are going to add to the Sanctum once they take it. They are 
  going to create several magical traps the characters will have to get 
  Pardy bought slugs for his revolver.
  •	
  Oro went shopping for ingredients for authentic Mexi-
  •	
  can food.
  Layne has been buying maps of the area and doing research 
  •	
  at the public library.
  A witness saw a local drug user ask Mary for money near the 
  •	
  hotel before the user started screaming out of nowhere.
  One of them mentioned staying at a motel nearby.
  •	
  
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  Lines of Power
  Talking to McArdle
  Mental •• 
  Physical — 
  social •
  Overview
  The characters find McArdle with ease as he’s teaching a class. 
  Depending on what time they walk in, they will either get a quick 
  education in how to draw accurate maps without a computer or catch 
  him as the students leave. McArdle is perfectly willing, even eager, to 
  help them and will even suggest that they go to his home where they 
  can speak freely if they talk reasonably and do not threaten him. He 
  sees this as a golden opportunity to take over Layne’s research. If the 
  characters are belligerent, however, Ogola will request they leave or 
  he will call campus security.
  Description
  Professor Donald McArdle is guest lecturing in a cartography course offered 
  by the university’s geography department. His office hours and course times 
  are listed on departmental website. He teaches at least one class every day 
  and should be easy to find. As you walk into the dim auditorium, you hear a 
  Scottish accent coming from the front of the room. There is an old man in a 
  wheelchair who is pointing a laser pointer at various points on a map of Europe 
  projected onto the screen. He wheels himself around with surprising dexterity 
  as he points out changes in the physical landscape. After the class ends and 
  the students file out, he gestures you down to the front of the room.
  “Do come down here, my dears. Now what brings such powerful young 
  ones to my humble class? Not interested in cartography are you? Didn’t think 
  so. …Layne? Why yes, I do know him—in fact, I knew his mentor as well. 
  If Layne is indeed in town then you must have many, many questions. I can 
  take you back to my home if you like, so we can talk a bit more candidly. 
  Don’t want me students to hear about such nasty business. ” 
  Storyteller Goals
  While the characters are tired and stressed mentally and physically, 
  they should also be running low on Mana. Though they may be feeling 
  crabby and a bit belligerent, this is should be primarily an information-
  gathering scene. If the characters talk instead of fight, McArdle proves 
  to be an excellent source of information for them. He knows everything 
  about the Tellurian Legacy, as well as generalities about Layne because 
  he was also a member of the Tellurians in London for a time. If they 
  do want to fight, Ogola is an absolute terror in battle even though he 
  and McArdle will flee rather than fight. If the characters do attack 
  after class ends, then Ogola will shield McArdle as he uses “Riding 
  Between” to escape and then follow using the same method.
  Character Goals
  Find out who McArdle is and gain his trust.
  Actions
  Noticing the Ley Line
  Dice Pool: Intelligence + Occult
  Action: Instant
  In the class room, the characters can definitely sense the presence of 
  power flowing through the room. This check determines its source.
  Roll Results
  Dramatic Failure: You are overwhelmed with strange and conflicting 
  Supernal information, and are effectively blind for ten minutes.
  Failure: The only thing you notice is that McArdle and the African 
  both have protective spells on them.
  Success: As you search for the source of the power, you notice a 
  bright red line running along the bottom of the wall where the screen is. 
  As McArdle moves in front of the screen the energy that runs through 
  the ley line swirls around him and then travels down the line. Ogola 
  is also sitting within arm’s reach of the ley line.
  Exceptional Success: Your Sight is immediately drawn to the power-
  ful red current rushing along the bottom of the wall. McArdle rolls in 
  and out of it on his wheelchair, which is causing eddies in the rush. The 
  resonance seems to cling to him while fueling him and slipping away 
  from him at the same time. Even at a distance, you can feel that this 
  ley line contains a powerful resonance of Knowledge. The African is 
  sitting in a chair next to the ley line, so that it is within arms reach. 
  Consequences
  If the characters accept McArdle’s invitation to speak with him, go 
  to “The Magician’s Tower.” If they decline, they can either get more 
  information from “Getting Information” or spy on their own Sanctum 
  at “Redecorating.”
  Talking to McArdle
  
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  Lines of Power
  The Magician's Tower
  The Magician’s Tower
  Mental •• 
  Physical ••• 
  social ••
  Overview
  The characters are led to a large Victorian manor and welcomed inside. 
  As soon as they enter they realize they are within a Sanctum. McArdle must 
  be either supremely confident that they will not harm him or knows he can 
  defend himself against all of them. He leads them into his library, which 
  is filled with maps – framed, rolled up on a large wooden table, or in 
  bound volumes that line the large bookshelves. The fireplace that blazes 
  happily in the corner is his Hallow and the 
  characters can drain Mana from it by warming 
  their hands in its light. It’s only a 2-dot Hal-
  low, but all of the embers scattered around 
  in it are tass that has accumulated. McArdle 
  offers the embers to the characters freely so 
  that they may heal any wounds they still 
  have or replenish their inner stores.
  McArdle knows everything in the Tel-
  lurian Legacy and is happy to introduce the 
  characters to the Legacy’s tenets, especially 
  if they are Obrimos like him or a member 
  of the Mysterium. He knows generalities 
  about Layne’s life, mostly about his 
  recent exploits. He even has a global 
  map with little pins stuck in it to rep-
  resent where Layne attacked Hal-
  lows all over the world. If asked 
  why he has this, he says that Layne 
  has reached considerable acclaim 
  within the Legacy and is worth keeping track of. He notes that 
  Layne has mostly hit less powerful Hallows possessed by young cabals, 
  which is one of the reasons that he has managed to stay below the Tel-
  lurian Warders’ radar. Layne is – much to McArdle’s dismay – actually 
  one of the leading field researchers in how ley lines interact with Hallows. 
  McArdle speaks of him respectfully in terms of how he is forwarding the 
  research on resonance but clearly disapproves of his methods.
  McArdle will say that he is willing to help the characters for only 
  a small price: any of Layne’s research on the characters’ Hallow 
  and how it has been impacted by the ley lines. This should be in-
  side a grimoire Layne carries that is written in his own secret code. 
  McArdle is willing to give them Mana and any weapons they want. 
  McArdle has a well-stocked armory, if they agree to pursue Layne 
  and the research, Ogola will show them where he keeps his guns; 
  mostly AK-47s, police-grade shotguns, heavy pistols, and a variety 
  of assault rifles.
  McArdle’s house is built in the middle of a cluster of ley lines, 
  and the architecture is deliberately designed to channel the en-
  ergy towards his Hallow. McArdle is an exceptionally strong 
  Tellurian and maintains perfect control of the lines flowing 
  through his house and channels their 
  energy for productive means. 
  Should the characters become 
  belligerent, McArdle will sigh in 
  disappointment and wave his 
  hand at the players. This acti-
  vates the trigger for a series of 
  portals McArdle has set up in his 
  house. He will then use “Ranged 
  Blow” to push the characters into 
  the portals before he simply van-
  ishes as he “Rides Between” on one 
  of the many 
  ley lines 
  c r i s s -
  crossing 
  his Sanc-
  tum. If he 
  is prevented 
  from heading to-
  wards a ley line, 
  then he and Ogola 
  will fight their way towards the closest line. The portals will drop 
  the offending party outside the walls of the house and then a ward 
  will be activated to prevent any further entry into the house. 
  Should the characters attack McArdle, they will be cutting off 
  one of their best sources of information.
  
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  Lines of Power
  Description
  McArdle’s car pulls up in front of a large Victorian house with a 
  well-manicured front lawn.. He welcomes you through the front door, 
  introducing his “colleague” Mr. Ogola in passing and each of you is 
  suddenly aware that you have entered a Sanctum and that somewhere 
  near there is a Hallow. The interior is decorated with antique weapons 
  ranging from American Revolutionary war muskets to African shields. 
  He leads you deeper into the house while commenting occasionally on 
  the origins of various pieces. Ogola opens a massive pair of double doors 
  that leads into a truly well appointed library. The shelves stretch at least 
  two stories high and are packed tightly with a mixture of scrolls and old 
  books. Although the entire room should feel musty, it’s actually rather 
  warm and welcoming due to a large fireplace blazing cheerily in the cor-
  ner. McArdle welcomes you to his Sanctum and waves his hand around 
  proudly. Ogola moves silently to stand unobtrusively beside a rack of 
  African spears.
  “If you think you can take your Sanctum back then you should do it 
  as fast as you can. The last one he took was so drained it just became 
  faded away completely. Sad thing too — not too many Hallows in 
  Nepal. Layne works well with his team, trained them himself, he did; 
  they’re like a crack military unit. But, you know the ins and outs of 
  your own Sanctum, now, don’t you? I’m sure you can figure out a 
  way to take them out one by one, just like they did to you. Poetic 
  vengeance, eh?” 
  Storyteller Goals
  McArdle is like a grandfatherly old librarian in his eagerness to 
  speak to the characters, whom he will constantly refer to as “lass-
  ies” or “laddies.” Ogola will not speak unless spoken to, he prefers to 
  stand out of the way while McArdle goes on and on about maps, ley 
  lines, and Layne. Allow the characters to relax a bit here and replen-
  ish their energy, both magical and emotional. McArdle’s Hallow is a 
  place of learning and wisdom, reinforced by the ley lines channeled 
  throughout his house. If it fits your game or an interest of the charac-
  ters, McArdle can relay some specific information about ley lines and 
  their cartography. 
  Character Goals
  Find out all they can about Layne and his capabilities.
  The Magician's Tower
  Actions
  Detecting McArdle’s Ley Line Layout
  Dice Pool: Wits + Occult or Craft (Architecture)
  Action: Instant
  Roll Results
  Dramatic Failure: There are so many ley lines that you keep losing 
  track of them. You’re not able to make any sense out of them.
  Failure: You notice nothing usual.
  Success: As you walk through the house, you notice that 
  there are ley lines flowing through it, almost as if the walls are 
  channeling the lines. As McArdle leads you through the house, 
  you notice that while none of the lines converge, they all flow 
  towards the library.
  Exceptional Success: As McArdle walks you through his house, you 
  notice that the structure appears to be channeling ley lines. While 
  none of them intersect, their power is almost palpable. When Ogola 
  opens the doors to the library, all the lines flare and rush towards 
  the fireplace.
  Consequences
  From here, the characters should be armed with enough knowledge 
  to start reclaiming their home. Go to “Redecorating.”
  
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  Lines of Power
  Redecorating
  Mental ••• 
  Physical • 
  social •
  Overview
  It is a strange feeling to spy on your own home. In this scene the 
  characters have the chance to access any surveillance they might have 
  set up in their Sanctum, see what magical countermeasures the Matrix 
  Tappers have put up and check out how far Layne has gone in muck-
  ing up the resonance and Mana of their Hallow. This will need to be 
  customized to fit the player’s Hallow.
  Storyteller Goals
  Look ahead to “Get Out of My House” to check out the wards 
  the Matrix Tapper have set up. Be sure to include them as you 
  describe the Sanctum. Add an air of confidence to the Matrix 
  Tappers: they’ve done this a dozen times, how could this cabal 
  be any different? 
  Character Goals
  Find out as much as you can about their defenses and patterns to put 
  together a successful re-entry plan that does not involve the destruc-
  tion of your Sanctum.
  Actions
  Spying on the Matrix Tappers
  Dice Pool: Wits + Occult
  Action: Extended
  Hindrances: Space wards (Potency 4), Matrix Tappers patrolling 
  the Sanctum
  Help: Knowing the layout of the area well (+1 to +5, depending 
  on how long the cabal lived there and how intimately they’re familiar 
  with their Sanctum)
  Roll Results
  Dramatic Failure: You believe the Matrix Tappers haven’t had time 
  to set up new defenses. The time to strike is now!
  Failure: As you watch the Matrix Tappers, you are unable to discover 
  any useful information about their habits.
  Success: Each success reveals one fact about the Matrix Tappers:
  redecorating
  Exceptional Success: Nothing on top of the standard success.
  Consequences
  This is the preparation for the final assault. Once the cabal is ready 
  to attack, move to “Get Out of My House!”
  You know which Matrix Tapper sleeps in which room, as 
  •	
  well as their sleeping schedule (except Vindicta). 
  There are new, strange spells protecting the Sanctum.
  •	
  They are all wearing red armbands that they didn’t have 
  •	
  before. The armbands have a Supernal resonance, and al-
  low them to pass through the various protective spells in 
  the Sanctum.
  There are new ley lines coursing through the Sanctum, 
  •	
  disrupting the resonance of your Hallow.
  You find out where they keep their weapons and armor. 
  •	
  You notice Vindicta spends much of her time in the Shadow.
  •	
  
  32
  Lines of Power
  Get Out of My House!
  Mental •••• 
  Physical ••••• 
  social •••
  Overview
  The characters must now enact their plan to retake their Sanc-
  tum. This scene can go many ways and hopefully ends with the 
  Matrix Tappers being expelled from the character’s Sanctum. This 
  time the characters, having gathered as much information as they 
  could on the cabal, have the benefit of surprise. If they manage to 
  catch the Matrix Tappers out of their armor, the fight should be a 
  lot more even. However, in the brief time the cabal has been there 
  they have set up various wards and detection devices to let them 
  know if the previous owners are returning. Each Matrix Tapper 
  also wears a talisman in the form of a red armband that protects 
  them from their protective spells. If the characters could steal or 
  remove one or all of them, it would give them a significant ad-
  vantage. Layne is storing his notes in a massive grimoire written 
  in his own secret code. The grimoire will be kept somewhere near 
  the heart of the Hallow and Layne will fight almost to the death 
  to defend it. Hopefully, this entire battle can happen without 
  attracting the notice of the Sleeper authorities, whose involve-
  ment would greatly complicate the fight. The Matrix Tappers are 
  fundamentally cowards and if they think they are on the losing 
  end, they will leave.
  Storyteller Goals
  Make this fight as hard as possible. The characters need to earn their 
  victory so they can truly appreciate how valuable a Sanctum can be.
  Character Goals
  Kick ass and take names.
  Actions
  Breaking through the Walls
  Dice Pool: As per spell used
  Action: Instant
  get out of My house
  There are many Prime spells to deactivate the wards the Matrix 
  Tappers have set up. There should be at least five walls placed 
  strategically throughout the Sanctum. A failure to deactivate a 
  protect spell will result in the ward activating an alarm, alerting the 
  Matrix Tappers to the characters presence. Layne will have set up 
  the wards with his cabal in a series of group rituals. The characters 
  will roll against the Matrix Tappers’ successes (all of the Wards 
  have 3 charges).
  The Fate Ward casts “Evil Eye” (Mage: the Awakening, p. 151)  
  •	
  on anything and everything that passes through the ward. 
  All passing people have this cast on them with a pool of 
  7 - the target’s Composure.
  The Forces Ward possesses an energy-based attack 
  •	
  which attacks those who pass through it with a pool of 5  
  (Layne’s Gnosis + Forces, as he doesn’t have an appropri-
  ate rote).  The target’s Defense does not apply; however, 
  Mage Armor does.
  The Space Ward combines Portal into the effect, sending 
  •	
  anyone who passes through back to the entrance.  There 
  is normally no test to avoid this effect, so characters may 
  only unweave or otherwise bypass this effect.  One option 
  is running it out of charges. 
  The Mind Ward casts “Hallucination” on those who 
  •	
  pass through, with a pool of 12 (Rote version) vs. 
  the target’s Resolve + Gnosis.  The Hallucinations 
  have been programmed to have the characters believe 
  that un-warded areas are warded and vice versa.  This 
  does not reactivate broken wards; it merely reverses 
  the character’s perceptions of what is warded and 
  what isn’t.
  The Prime Ward unweaves (or attempts to) all magic that 
  •	
  passes through it.  This is defined as spells cast through the 
  ward or existing spells cast on characters that pass through 
  it.  The pool for this is 7 vs. the target spell’s Potency.  
  Since this effect only attacks one spell per passage, there 
  are probably multiple copies of this ward throughout the 
  character’s Sanctum.
  
  33
  Lines of Power
  Deciphering the Grimoire
  Dice Pool: Intelligence + Investigation
  Action: Extended
  If they manage to get the grimoire from the Matrix Tappers, it’s 
  inscribed in Layne’s unique cipher, which will require a total of 10 
  successes to decipher. 
  Hindrances: Trying to decode while being distracted by combat (-3)
  Help: Access to codebreaking software or manuals (+1 to +3, de-
  pending on quality)
  Roll Results
  Dramatic Failure: You are completely unable to decode the grimoire. 
  No further rolls can be made.
  Failure: You make no progress in cracking the code.
  Success: You’ve made progress in cracking the code.
  Exceptional Success: You make incredible progress in cracking the code.
  Consequences
  Either the cabal firmly defeats the Matrix Tappers, the Matrix 
  Tappers escape but leave the Sanctum, or they lose and the Matrix 
  Tappers finish their investigation before leaving the Hallow in tatters. 
  If the Matrix Tappers escape and the cabal wants to regroup before 
  tracking them down and finishing them off, you can choose to move 
  to “Payback’s a Bitch” as an optional epilogue.
  get out of My house
  
  34
  Lines of Power
  payback 's a Bitch
  Payback’s a Bitch
  Mental •••• 
  Physical •••• 
  social ••
  Overview
  If the characters succeeded in preventing from the Matrix Tappers 
  from ever taking their Sanctum and managed to find their motel with 
  them in it, then this should be the final scene for that story pathway. 
  This scene puts the Matrix Tappers at a very serious disadvantage with 
  only minimal defenses. Depending on the time elapsed and how fast the 
  Tappers could heal, the characters might even catch them wounded. 
  Layne will have set up a ward to protect them from magic and prevent 
  scrying. The ward has a Potency of 4, and the Ban against magic on 
  the ward has a Potency of 3.
  Description
  The motel is run down and shabby, hardly the place you would expect a 
  magical conflict. There are a few people milling about on their own business, the 
  kinds of folks you would expect at this hour. Once in a while a car passes by. 
  No one seems to take any particular interest in you. Your Unseen Senses tingle 
  as you get closer to the hotel. There’s something mystical around here.
  Storyteller Goals
  The goal of this scene is straight-forward: to give the characters a 
  chance to get some payback for trying to steal their Sanctum. You can 
  also use this scene if the cabal managed to oust the Matrix Tappers 
  from their Sanctum in “Get Out of My House!” and they want to track 
  them down and finish the job. The Matrix Tappers likely won’t have 
  the Mana or time to set up such an elaborate defense as they did with 
  the Sanctum in “Get Out of My Home!,” but Layne is able to put up a 
  ward and Ban that offers moderate protection from scrying and magic. 
  The Matrix Tappers also don’t have time to prepare their armbands to 
  protect them from their own ward, so they’ll resort to more mundane 
  attacks to keep the characters out (unless the ward is dispelled). The 
  Matrix Tapper’s ultimate goal is to survive, and they’ll risk Paradox 
  and casting magic in public to do that.
  
  35
  Lines of Power
  payback 's a Bitch
  next Hallow. Should they retake their Sanctum, several issues will 
  need to be taken care of: the ley lines now criss-crossing their Hallow 
  will need to be removed and any damage will have to be repaired. The 
  Matrix Tappers should be prosecuted for their unorthodox manner 
  of research, which will be challenging considering their extensive 
  contacts within the magical community. The characters could cite 
  the amount of damage done to them personally and to their Sanctum 
  as reasons for the Matrix Tappers to be brought to justice. McArdle 
  would probably be willing to help them in this ordeal, and his support 
  would most likely bring many of the Mysterium to the character’s side. 
  If they did not silence their weapons, then they will have to deal with 
  Sleeper authorities who heard the fighting and came to investigate. 
  They will need to decide if they hand over the grimoire with all of 
  Layne’s discoveries to McArdle. McArdle can become a powerful ally 
  of the characters as long as they stay on his good side, opening up new 
  avenues of information as well as access to a Legacy.
  Experience
  Experience points are handed out after each chapter according to 
  the suggestions in the World of Darkness Rulebook, pp. 216-217. 
  After the story is over, there are a few additional points that can 
  be awarded:
  The Sanctum: If the cabal manages to reclaim their Sanc-
  •	
  tum with their Hallow intact, they each get one experience 
  point. 
  The Tellurians: If the characters talk to McArdle or otherwise 
  •	
  learn about the political conflict between him and Layne in 
  the Tellurians, they get one experience point.
  The grimoire: If a character manages to translate the grimoire, 
  •	
  they get one experience point.
  If you want to make this conflict a little more difficult, Vindicta may 
  have had a chance to ask the Adamantine Arrow to help her out, or 
  Layne may have made a plea to the Consilium and made them think 
  that the Matrix Tappers have been unjustly attacked by the characters’ 
  cabal. On the other hand, perhaps Layne or one of the other Tappers 
  has some contacts with the Seers or one of the left-handed legacies, and 
  have brought in some less-reputable help. This is a good way to bring 
  back some antagonist mages that the characters might have crossed 
  in the past, or to plant the seeds of a new story.
  Character Goals
  Take vengeance on the mages who tried to steal your Sanctum, and 
  maybe learn what they were trying to do.
  Actions
  Detect Wards
  Dice Pool: Wits + Occult
  Action: Instant
  Roll Results
  Dramatic Failure: You don’t notice any mystical defenses at all.
  Failure: You do not notice the wards.
  Success: You’re able to detect the wards.
  Exceptional Success: You not only notice the wards, but if Mage 
  Sight is active you can read the resonance to determine that it also 
  has a ban on magic.
  Consequences
  Either the cabal firmly defeats the Matrix Tappers or the Matrix 
  Tappers escape again, possibly to return as antagonists in the future.
  Aftermath
  The story can end many ways: the characters can regain their Sanc-
  tum and bring the Matrix Tappers to the justice of the local Consilium if 
  they manage to catch them. Or, they could never regain their Sanctum 
  within the three days it takes to drain it and are left with a Hallow 
  that barely functions and will take a great deal of effort to bring back 
  to full capacity (reduced to a one-dot Hallow). After all, once their 
  experiment is done, the Matrix Tappers will simply leave for their 
  
  mental 
     
  physical 
  social 
   
  scene:
  Pcs
  h i n d r a n c e s
  h e l P
  sts
  scene:
  Pcs
  h i n d r a n c e s
  h e l P
  sts
  mental 
  physical 
  social 
  scene:
  Pcs
  h i n d r a n c e s
  h e l P
  sts
  scene:
  Pcs
  h i n d r a n c e s
  h e l P
  sts
  mental 
     
  physical 
  social 
   
  mental 
     
  physical 
  social 
   
  ­•••
  ••
  •••
  ­•••
  •••
  Lack of proper tools (healing)
  Obscuring weather,  
  scene has been compromised, lack of 
  forensic equipment (investigation)
  “Mental Shield” spell (reading Mary’s mind)
  Undeniable rights
  —
  ­••
  ­•
  Not as bad as they look (healing)
  Forensic kit,  
  unrestricted access to the scene, Matrix 
  Tappers didn’t make it too hard to figure 
  out (investigation)
  Very trusting of cabal (reading Mary’s mind)
  Getting Mary to the Sanctum.
  Provide Mary with the Right of Hospitality and tend to her wounds.  
  Investigate the crime scene.
  Matrix Tappers are prepared for this fight
  Betrayed From Within
  Mary might act as an ally  
  if she doesn’t see Layne
  Give the cabal a hell of a fight.
  Fight to protect your Sanctum; however, the odds are against you.
  Badly injured (waking up)
  homeless
  Protection spells (waking up)
  Give the characters a chance to regroup. 
  Discover who Mary and Layne are, acquire weapons,  
  or otherwise improve your situation.
  Apostate, less than a whole night getting 
  information (contacting Mysterium)
  Not members of the Mysterium  
  (accessing Mysterium records)
  Dial-up access, poor equipment  
  (searching the Internet)
  Contact has never met cabal before, has 
  negative opinion of cabal (asking neighbors)
  getting Information
  Mysterium Order Status,  
  pictures or drawings of Mary or Layne,  
  suitable contact (contacting Mysterium)
  Sympathetic to the cabal’s plight  
  (accessing Mysterium records)
  Knowing they’re out-of-towners,  
  checking hotels (searching the Internet)
  Pictures of Matrix Tappers, bribes, contact has 
  positive opinion of cabal (asking neighbors)
  Let the players find out as much as they can about the Matrix Tappers.
  Find out as much as you can on the Matrix Tappers.
  ­••••
  •••••
  •••
  —
  
  mental 
     
  physical 
  social 
   
  scene:
  Pcs
  h i n d r a n c e s
  h e l P
  sts
  scene:
  Pcs
  h i n d r a n c e s
  h e l P
  sts
  mental 
  physical 
  social 
  scene:
  Pcs
  h i n d r a n c e s
  h e l P
  sts
  scene:
  Pcs
  h i n d r a n c e s
  h e l P
  sts
  mental 
     
  physical 
  social 
   
  mental 
     
  physical 
  social 
   
  ­••
  •
  ­••••
  •
  •
  ­••
  •••
  ••
  ­••••
  •••••
  •••
  Cabal is belligerent or looking for a fight
  Talking to McArdle
  McArdle has personal issues with Layne
  Let the players get access to McArdle.
  Find out who McArdle is and gain his trust.
  None applicable.
  The Magician's Tower
  None applicable.
  Allow the characters to relax, regain their strength  
  and learn about Layne and McArdle.
  Find out all you can about Layne and his capabilities.
  Space wards
  Matrix Tappers patrolling the Sanctum
  redecorating
  Knowing the layout of their own Sanctum well
  Let the characters find out what the Matrix Tappers are up to  
  and what they’ve done with their Sanctum.
  Find out as much as you can about the Matrix Tappers’ defenses.
  Matrix Tappers have several  
  protection spells up (attacking)
  Trying to decode during combat  
  (decoding the grimoire)
  get out of My house!
  Matrix Tappers aren’t as familiar  
  with the layout of the Sanctum (attacking)
  Access to codebreaking software or manuals 
  (decoding the grimoire)
  Make the characters earn their Sanctum back.
  Kick their ass.
  —
  
  mental 
     
  physical 
  social 
   
  scene:
  Pcs
  h i n d r a n c e s
  h e l P
  sts
  scene:
  Pcs
  h i n d r a n c e s
  h e l P
  sts
  mental 
  physical 
  social 
  scene:
  Pcs
  h i n d r a n c e s
  h e l P
  sts
  scene:
  Pcs
  h i n d r a n c e s
  h e l P
  sts
  mental 
     
  physical 
  social 
   
  mental 
     
  physical 
  social 
   
  ­••••
  ­••••
  ••
  Matrix Tappers are much more mobile  
  when they’re on the run
  Hastily erected wards
  payback's a Bitch
  Matrix Tappers don’t have access to a Hallow
  Matrix Tappers don’t have time to  
  prepare a more thorough defense
  Give the characters a chance to get some payback.
  Take vengeance on the Matrix Tappers,  
  and maybe learn what they were trying to do.
  
           ArcAnA       
  IntellIgence 
  Strength 
  PreSence
  WItS 
  DexterIty 
  MAnIPulAtIon
  reSolve 
  StAMInA 
  coMPSure
  noteS         
       SkIllS         
  MerItS
  Wisdom
  Speed
  Defense
  Initiative Mod
  Armor
  WIllPoWer 
  heAlth  
  gnoSIS 
  MAnA 
  nAMe: 
  vIrtue: 
  PAth:
  concePt: 
  vIce: 
  orDer:
  chronIcle: 
  PlAyer: 
  cAbAl:
  Mana per turn:  
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooooooooooooo
  oooooooooo
  oooooooooo
  ProtectIve SPellS
  Rote 
  Skills
  ChArACTer relATIonshIps 
  MCArdle
  dONALd McArdLE
  SEASONEd AcAdEMic
  PeregrIne lAyne, ArrogAnt reSeArcher
  lA SoMbrA vInDIctA, vengeful vIgIlAnte
  MAttheW ogolA, fAteful WArDen
  MAry, MouSy MInD-breAker
  AbIlA oro, ghetto MechAnIc
  bIll PArDy, SkePtIcAl hero
  Vile young upstart with no respect for his betters.
  The Blade owns her now, better to put her down than let it continue 
  its mindless lsaughter.
  A worth friend and colleague.
  The is such a thing as enjoying your gifts too much.
  A young woman in need of a serious reapplication of her skills.
  A misguided young man with great potential to be a leader.
        Academics
          (History)
        Science 
          (Cartography)
        Investigation
        Occult 
          (Geomancy)
        Drive
        Stealth
        Survival
        Weaponry
        Empathy
        Expression
          (Drawing)
        Persuasion
        Subterfuge
   Donald McArdle  
   
    Prudence  
                   Obrimos
       Seasoned Academic             Pride 
   
   
    Mysterium
                  6
       
            3 (Electric Wheelchair)
                 3
   
            7
  Flaws: Crippled 
   Allies (Mysterium,
     Tellurians)
   Direction Sense
   Status (Mysterium)
   Eidetic Memory
   Geomancer
   Hallow
   High Speech 
   Language 
     (Irish Celtic)
   Library
     (Ley Line Maps)
   Resources
   Retainer
     (Telluric Warden)
   Sanctum Size
   Sanctum Security
        Forces
        Life
        Prime
        Space
   Untouchable 
  4 points
   Magic Shield 
  5 points
    7
  
           ArcAnA       
  IntellIgence 
  Strength 
  PreSence
  WItS 
  DexterIty 
  MAnIPulAtIon
  reSolve 
  StAMInA 
  coMPSure
  noteS         
       SkIllS         
  MerItS
  Wisdom
  Speed
  Defense
  Initiative Mod
  Armor
  WIllPoWer 
  heAlth  
  gnoSIS 
  MAnA 
  nAMe: 
  vIrtue: 
  PAth:
  concePt: 
  vIce: 
  orDer:
  chronIcle: 
  PlAyer: 
  cAbAl:
  Mana per turn:  
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooooooooooooo
  oooooooooo
  oooooooooo
  ProtectIve SPellS
  Rote 
  Skills
  ChArACTer relATIonshIps 
  ogolA
  MATTHEW OgOLA
  fATEfUL WArdEN
  PeregrIne lAyne, ArrogAnt reSeArcher
  DonAlD McArDle, SeASoneD AcADeMIc
  lA SoMbrA vInDIctA, vengeful vIgIlAnte
  MAry, MouSy MInD-breAker
  AbIlA oro, ghetto MechAnIc
  bIll PArDy, SkePtIcAl hero
  Young fool with more drive than common sense.
  The man who saved me from death.
  She is mindless battle, beautiful, but ultimately it must end before it 
  destroys everything it touches. 
  Her mind is a powerful weapon, her body is not.
  Her skills could be put to great use.
  A worthy man following an unworthy cause.
   Allies 
     (Telluric Wardens)
   Brawling Dodge
   Danger Sense
   High Speech 
   Quick Draw 
     (Melee)
   Quick Draw
     (Firearms)
   
   Matthew Ogola  
   
    Justice 
                                    Acanthus
       Fateful Warden                    Wrath 
   
   
    Mysterium
                  6
       
            13 
                 4
   
            8
            Bulletproof vest 2/3
        Fate
        Prime
        Space
        Time
   Fortune’s Protection 
  3 points
   Magic Shield 
  2 points
    5
        Academics
        Science 
          (Cartography)
        Investigation
        Medicine 
          (Battlefield)
        Occult
        Athletics (Cross-Country
           Running)
        Brawl
        Drive
        Firearms
          (Pistol, AK-47)
        Stealth
        Survival
        Weaponry
          (Machete, Spear)
        Animal Ken
        Empathy
        Intimidation
        Streetwise
  
           ArcAnA       
  IntellIgence 
  Strength 
  PreSence
  WItS 
  DexterIty 
  MAnIPulAtIon
  reSolve 
  StAMInA 
  coMPSure
  noteS         
       SkIllS         
  MerItS
  Wisdom
  Speed
  Defense
  Initiative Mod
  Armor
  WIllPoWer 
  heAlth  
  gnoSIS 
  MAnA 
  nAMe: 
  vIrtue: 
  PAth:
  concePt: 
  vIce: 
  orDer:
  chronIcle: 
  PlAyer: 
  cAbAl:
  Mana per turn:  
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
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  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooooooooooooo
  oooooooooo
  oooooooooo
  ProtectIve SPellS
  Rote 
  Skills
  ChArACTer relATIonshIps 
  MAry
  MAry
  MOUSy MiNd-brEAkEr
  bIll PArDy, SkePtIcAl hero
  lA SoMbrA vInDIctA, vengeful vIgIlAnte
  MAttheW ogolA, fAteful WArDen
  PeregrIne lAyne, ArrogAnt reSeArcher
  AbIlA oro, ghetto MechAnIc
  DonAlD McArDle, SeASoneD AcADeMIc
  Good, old fashioned, American...tastes like a hamburger.
  If I ate her mind would it taste like blood or stone?
  Old man’s shield, destroy his mind and his master will fall.
  He’ll do for right now.
  If it wasn’t for her skills she’d be a tasty appetizer.
  Old man with lots of useless books.
   Contacts 
     (Academic)
   Encyclopedic 
   Knowledge
   High Speech 
   Resources
   
   Mary  
   
   
    Fortitude                                   Mastigos
      Mousy Mind-Breaker            Lust 
   
   
    Mysterium
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Matrix Tappers
                  5
       
            9 
                 2
   
            4
          
  Flaws: Sociopath
        Mind
        Space
        
   Misperception 
  4 points
   Mental Shield 
  4 points
    3
        Academics
          (Psychology)
        Investigation
        Occult
        Stealth
        Larceny
        Empathy
        Intimidation
        Persuasion
        Subterfuge
  
           ArcAnA       
  IntellIgence 
  Strength 
  PreSence
  WItS 
  DexterIty 
  MAnIPulAtIon
  reSolve 
  StAMInA 
  coMPSure
  noteS         
       SkIllS         
  MerItS
  Wisdom
  Speed
  Defense
  Initiative Mod
  Armor
  WIllPoWer 
  heAlth  
  gnoSIS 
  MAnA 
  nAMe: 
  vIrtue: 
  PAth:
  concePt: 
  vIce: 
  orDer:
  chronIcle: 
  PlAyer: 
  cAbAl:
  Mana per turn:  
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
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  ooooo
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  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooooooooooooo
  oooooooooo
  oooooooooo
  ProtectIve SPellS
  Rote 
  Skills
  ChArACTer relATIonshIps 
  VIndICTA
  LA SOMbrA ViNdicTA
  VENgEfUL VigiLANTE
  PeregrIne lAyne, ArrogAnt reSeArcher
  DonAlD McArDle, SeASoneD AcADeMIc
  MAttheW ogolA, fAteful WArDen
  MAry, MouSy MInD-breAker
  AbIlA oro, ghetto MechAnIc
  bIll PArDy, SkePtIcAl hero
  He holds the Blade in check...for now.
  Old man...doesn’t move quickly.
  A challenge.
  Looks at me funny.
  Gives me armor.
  Come dance with me...
     Academics 
     Investigation
     Medicine
     Occult
     Athletics
     Stealth
     Survival
     Weaponry 
       (Knives)
     Empathy
     Intimidation
     Subterfuge
     Streetwise
    La Sombra Vindicta  
      Justice  
   
  Thyrsus
        Vengeful Vigilante                 Wrath 
   
   
     Adamantine Order
   
   
   
   
   
   
     Matrix Tappers
               
   
  4 
    (Fixation 6, Compulsion 5)
        
  12
              
   
  3
                           
  7
   
       
  Bulletproof vest reinforced by
        
  Oro with “Alter Intergrity”, 4/6
        Fate
        Life
        Spirit
       
    2
   Organic Resilience 
  3 points
   
   Artifact 
     (Obsidian Blade)
   Fleet of Foot
   Fighting Finesse
     (Knives)
   High Speech
   Quick Draw 
     (Melee)
   Weaponry Dodge
  
           ArcAnA       
  IntellIgence 
  Strength 
  PreSence
  WItS 
  DexterIty 
  MAnIPulAtIon
  reSolve 
  StAMInA 
  coMPSure
  noteS         
       SkIllS         
  MerItS
  Wisdom
  Speed
  Defense
  Initiative Mod
  Armor
  WIllPoWer 
  heAlth  
  gnoSIS 
  MAnA 
  nAMe: 
  vIrtue: 
  PAth:
  concePt: 
  vIce: 
  orDer:
  chronIcle: 
  PlAyer: 
  cAbAl:
  Mana per turn:  
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooooooooooooo
  oooooooooo
  oooooooooo
  ProtectIve SPellS
  Rote 
  Skills
  ChArACTer relATIonshIps 
  pArdy
  biLL PArdy
  SkEPTicAL HErO
  PeregrIne lAyne, ArrogAnt reSeArcher
  lA SoMbrA vInDIctA, vengeful vIgIlAnte
  MAttheW ogolA, fAteful WArDen
  MAry, MouSy MInD-breAker
  AbIlA oro, ghetto MechAnIc
  DonAlD McArDle, SeASoneD AcADeMIc
  He is a means to a successful end.
  A cautionary tale to what we all could become.
  A worthy opponent.
  She needs to be in solitary for the rest of her life.
  Best armor smith I’ve ever met.  If only she didn’t talk so much.
  Old librarian with no field time.
     Academics 
     Computer 
     Investigation
       (Crime Scenes)
     Medicine
       (First Aid)
     Politics
     Science
     Athletics
     Brawl
     Drive
     Firearms 
       (Revolvers)
     Larceny
     Stealth
     Weaponry
     Empathy
     Intimidation
     Persuasion
     Streetwise 
     Subterfuge
    Bill Pardy 
   
      Justice  
   
  Acanthus
        Skeptical Hero 
                   Pride 
   
   
     Mysterium
   
   
   
   
   
   
     Matrix Tappers
              6
        10
             3
                             6
   
       Full riot gear reinforced 
       with “Alter Intergrity”, 6/8
        Fate
        Prime
        Space
        Time
    1
   Fortune’s Protection 
  3 points
   
   Contacts (Mysterium, 
     Police)
   Gunslinger
   High Speech
   Resources
   Destiny
   Quick Draw 
     (Firearms)
  
           ArcAnA       
  IntellIgence 
  Strength 
  PreSence
  WItS 
  DexterIty 
  MAnIPulAtIon
  reSolve 
  StAMInA 
  coMPSure
  noteS         
       SkIllS         
  MerItS
  Wisdom
  Speed
  Defense
  Initiative Mod
  Armor
  WIllPoWer 
  heAlth  
  gnoSIS 
  MAnA 
  nAMe: 
  vIrtue: 
  PAth:
  concePt: 
  vIce: 
  orDer:
  chronIcle: 
  PlAyer: 
  cAbAl:
  Mana per turn:  
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooooooooooooo
  oooooooooo
  oooooooooo
  ProtectIve SPellS
  Rote 
  Skills
  ChArACTer relATIonshIps 
  oro
  AbiLA OrO
  gHETTO MEcHANic
  PeregrIne lAyne, ArrogAnt reSeArcher
  DonAlD McArDle, SeASoneD AcADeMIc
  lA SoMbrA vInDIctA, vengeful vIgIlAnte
  MAry, MouSy MInD-breAker
  MAttheW ogolA, fAteful WArDen
  bIll PArDy, SkePtIcAl hero
  If it wasn’t for him I’d let the rest of them rot.
  Some old guy.
  Crazy Aztec wanna-be.
  Sociopathic gringa.
  Old guy’s scary body guard.
  Not bad for a cop.
     Academics 
     Craft 
       (Engine Parts) 
     Investigation
     Occult
     Brawl
     Drive
     Weaponry 
       (Wrench)
     Stealth
     Empathy
     Intimidation
     Streetwise 
    Abila Oro 
   
      Faith 
   
   
  Moros
        Ghetto Mechanic                  Greed 
   
   
     Mysterium
   
   
   
   
   
   
     Matrix Tappers
              6
        10
             2
                             5
   
       Bulletproof vest reinforced 
       with “Alter Intergrity”, 4/6
        Death
        Life
        Matter
    3
   Unseen Aegis 
  4 points
   
   Fast Reflexes
   High Speech
   Resources
   Stunt Driver
  
           ArcAnA       
  IntellIgence 
  Strength 
  PreSence
  WItS 
  DexterIty 
  MAnIPulAtIon
  reSolve 
  StAMInA 
  coMPSure
  noteS         
       SkIllS         
  MerItS
  Wisdom
  Speed
  Defense
  Initiative Mod
  Armor
  WIllPoWer 
  heAlth  
  gnoSIS 
  MAnA 
  nAMe: 
  vIrtue: 
  PAth:
  concePt: 
  vIce: 
  orDer:
  chronIcle: 
  PlAyer: 
  cAbAl:
  Mana per turn:  
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooooooooooooo
  oooooooooo
  oooooooooo
  ProtectIve SPellS
  Rote 
  Skills
  ChArACTer relATIonshIps 
  lAyne
  PErEgriNE LAyNE
  ArrOgANT rESEArcHEr
  bIll PArDy, SkePtIcAl hero
  lA SoMbrA vInDIctA, vengeful vIgIlAnte
  MAttheW ogolA, fAteful WArDen
  MAry, MouSy MInD-breAker
  AbIlA oro, ghetto MechAnIc
  DonAlD McArDle, SeASoneD AcADeMIc
  Second in command, has the most sense of the lot of them.
  Go play in the spirit world.  Good girl.
  His master’s lapdog.
  Excellent to point at anywhere that is not my head.
  Builds excellent armor and weapons.
  He sits in his library reading about the world instead of exploring it, 
  stuffy old codger.
     Academics 
     Science 
       (Cartography)
     Occult
     Athletics
     Brawl (Boxing)
     Firearms
     Stealth
     Weaponry
     Intimidation
     Persuasion
     Streetwise 
     Subterfuge
    Peregrine Layne 
   
      Fortitude 
   
  Obrimos
        Arrogant Researcher 
  Pride 
   
   
     Mysterium
   
   
   
   
   
   
     Matrix Tappers
   Allies (Mysterium)
   Boxing
   Fame
   High Speech
   Language
     (Irish Celtic)
   Mentor 
     (Tellorium)
   Resources
              5
        9
             2
                             4
   
     Bulletproof vest reinforced by  
        Oro with “Alter Intergrity, 4/6
        Forces
        Prime
        Space
    3
   Untouchable 
  3 points
   Magic Shield 
  4 points
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Storyteller [multi]/World of Darkness (WoD) [multi]/CofD/Mage - The Awakening/SAS/Mage the Awakening - SAS - Lines of Power.pdf