Technocratic Union



The Technocratic Union, or the Technocracy were initially portrayed as the black-hatted mustached typical "bad guys" of the earlier editions of Mage: The Ascension. They were initially founded as the Order of Reason in 1325, a group dedicated to the protection of humanity from the depredations of the supernatural &mdash; specifically mages, and more specifically the Order of Hermes.

Victorian Age
The Order of Reason underwent a reorganization in 1851 at the Great Exposition in London, first becoming the group known as the Technocratic Union. (MTA, Mage Storytellers Handbook, p. 158) From the ashes of the old Conventions are created the following:


 * The Æsculpian Order, dedicated to the improvement of human life through medical science.
 * The Analytical Reckoners, devote themselves to the collection, analysis and communication of information.
 * The Electrodyne Engineers, focused on the transmission of energy in all its forms.
 * The Explorators, who seek to map the unknown corners of the world.
 * The International Brotherhood of Mechanicians, who believe the universe and everything in it is a machine
 * The Invisible Exchequer, who know that money is what drives not only progress and invention but all of society.
 * The Lightkeepers, who are the beacon of light in a world of ignorance.

Groups within a larger Convention are called Guilds at this point.

Immediately following the reorganization, the next several decades proceeded with the newfound Union acting with a renewed sense of purpose. However, there was strife developing within the Union. Two factions were forming; a more Utopian faction who simply wanted to use science to help better humanity, and a more oppressive faction who felt that what is considered "safe" for humanity would be dictated to it. This latter faction approved of such techniques as thought control, elimination of creativity among the masses, and the like.

Overhaul
The Ivory Tower, a Guild within the Lightkeepers, had initially been founded as the Skeleton Keys, a secret society of law-enforcement officers who investigated supernatural events and eliminated the perpetrators when possible. They were strongly on the side of the oppressive faction. Their addition to the Technocracy tilted the scales in the favor of the oppressors. It's possible they instituted a coup and took over the Lightkeepers, instituting a New World Order. The Convention was renamed to reflect this. With their faction in control of the Union, the other Conventions followed suit.

The new names for the Conventions were:


 * Iteration X, the former Mechanicians.
 * The New World Order, the former Lightkeepers.
 * The Progenitors, former Æsculpians.
 * The Syndicate, the former Exchequers.
 * The Virtual Adepts, former Analytical Reckoners
 * The Void Engineers, former Explorators.

The Electrodyne Engineers kept the same name, as they were the most staunchly Utopian Convention.

Desertion
In 1904, the Technocracy voted to eliminate the concept of luminiferous ether from the Consensus, a message to the Electrodyne Engineers to stay in line. Although the ether wasn't central to their methods, it was an important part of the ideology of the Engineers. They rebelled, and defected to the Traditions, taking a number of Technocratic secrets with them.

During World War II, the Union largely supported the Axis powers. The idea of a regimented society appealed to many. The free flow of information the Adepts relied on, however, was mostly within the UK and North America. Thus the Virtual Adepts wanted to support the Allies while the Union as a whole supported the Axis &mdash; until the evidence of Nephandic influence became clear.

The Adepts were responsible for much of the communication with the Sons of Ether which led to the alliance between the Traditions and the Technocracy during WWII. Afterwards, many of the Adepts planned on leaving. This was further encouraged as Iteration X tried to prevent Adept Alan Turing from creating Virtual Reality. They parted with the Union in 1956, went into hiding for several years, and then formally joined the Traditions in 1961.

The Union was understandably upset. The Ascension War had begun.

Present
The modern union is comprised of:


 * Iteration X, whose specialty are tools and the manipulation thereof.
 * The New World Order, who are focused on psychology and the flow of information.
 * The Progenitors, whose goal is medicine and the improvement of technology via genetic engineering.
 * The Syndicate, who exploit commerce and the flow of money, or at least the concept of worth.
 * The Void Engineers, who explore the last bastions of the unknown in deep space.

With the Reckoning, and disruption in communications between Control and the lower ranks, the Utopian contingent has quietly been gaining more ground. It must remain stealthy and unobtrusive if it is to have a chance of succeeding.