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Horizon (MTAs)

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See also: Horizon (disambiguation)

Horizon was the greatest stronghold of the Council of Nine Mystic Traditions, a Horizon Realm where the culture and paradigm of each Tradition existed in relative harmony with the others.

Overview[]

Created in the 1450s, Horizon is in many ways the United Nations for mages: as an ideal, it was a place for Tradition mages to meet and collaborate in peace and mutual respect, whether to resolve disputes, discuss magical theory, or plan for the Ascension War. In reality, the Council Chambers has for centuries been a center for politicking, infighting, and foot dragging. And though Horizon was crafted as the embodiment of everything the Traditions could accomplish, its distance from the troubles of Earth often contributed to the insularity of those who resided there. Since the Avatar Storm, travel to Horizon has become nearly impossible, and it is uncertain what remains of the realm or the fate of those who lived there. As such, most of the information in this article speaks of Horizon at its height, when it was the forum for the Council of Nine and a refuge from the onslaught of the Order of Reason.

Geography[]

The founders of Horizon made the Realm the size of a small moon with two continents, Orbis Finiens and Posht, most of which are wilderness occupied only by the bygones sheltered from the decline of magic. Two bridges of land connect the continents along the east and west, while the oceans Arcturis and Triton's Deep border them to the north and south. Orbis Finiens has long been the headquarters of the Traditions, with the Council Chambers at its center, Concordia around it, and beyond open valleys, shining lakes, and a variety of small villages. To the north are great timber forests and then the Glacial Pools from which the land's rivers spring. In the west the plains eventually turn into desert, while in the east the land grows colder as rolling hills stretch on. Finally, Orbin Finiens' southern edge is ringed by great mountain ranges from which tall waterfalls drop into the sea.

Posht was until recently considered frontier land, a much harsher version of its sister. In recent years, however, it was divided equally between the Traditions as pie-slices extending from Mount Apollo and a number of smaller mountains at the continent's center. In 1995 a sudden earthquake opened an immense rift in the south between the territories claimed by the Sons of Ether and Virtual Adepts, seemingly creating a tenth slice of territory that has thus far remained unclaimed.

Concordia[]

About half of Horizon's population of thirty thousand resides together in the only true mage city in existence. Roughly 15 miles in diameter and surrounded by a 50-foot wall that has long since become mere decoration, Concordia is divided into nine Wards named for each Sphere, with each Tradition given the responsibility of governance for the Ward corresponding to their seat on the Council of Nine. Unlike the subrealms of the Council Chambers, however, there is no actual segregation amongst citizens and cross-tradition assistance between the Ward bureaucracies is common. Concordia has a number of individual sites and attractions befitting a mage society attempting to embrace the diversity of Earth's cultures, including magical artifacts and edifices that the Traditions have offered to one another as gifts in the past. Poverty is nonexistent within the city and there is overall harmony among the populace, though as with any large community there are still incidents of petty crime and prejudice.

The Council Chambers[]

In the center of Concordia lies the Council Chambers, a large circular structure built atop an ancient hill. Everything about the building is a celebration of the diversity and unity the Traditions hope to embody, smoothly blending architectural styles from different centuries and cultures around the world. The innermost room is a 600-foot domed hall where meetings of the Council of Nine and Horizon's other governing sessions are held. The Fenestrae, ten high circular windows in the dome, constantly channel quintessence into the room, filling it with palpable energy and charging the ten Seats of Power positioned around a huge table in the middle of the chamber. Each Seat is tied to a particular Sphere of magic and bears its symbol. For centuries the 10th Seat was reserved for guests and bore no mark, but in 1993 a strange rune appeared upon it, sparking intense struggles as each Tradition tried to claim it as their own. Even stranger, all of the Seats began rearranging themselves at 20-day intervals with no apparent pattern. What any of it means remains a mystery, but speculation runs wild as to what these events portend.

Ten hallways lead out from the main room, nine of which lead to the small subrealms devoted to the culture and beliefs of one of the nine Traditions. Powered by the energy from the Fenestrae, these areas normally serve as meeting grounds and rest stops for a Tradition's members, though some Council Members have turned their realms to more personal uses. Visitors are usually allowed in after some sort of protocol expressing respect for the Tradition's ways, a small attempt at discouraging those not sympathetic to the Tradition's beliefs. Just beyond these rooms are the courtyard and the Hall of Records, which houses over a billion volumes collected over the centuries. Set into the hill below the Council Chambers are any number of dormitories, libraries, classrooms, temples, and other areas necessary for an enlightened society.

Entering Horizon[]

Guarded by centuries of wards created by some of the most powerful mages in history, entering Horizon is no simple feat. While it is possible to teleport directly there, doing so is incredibly difficult and dangerous, certain to draw Paradox and alert the realm's guards. Instead, a number of pathways are maintained and carefully watched by the realm's defenders that can be used by those given permission. There are of course a few secret entrances maintained by some of the Traditions, but these tend to be even more heavily guarded than the main gates.

The Gates[]

Each of the Traditions has contributed a major node of great power as well as a number of smaller nodes to the upkeep and defense of Horizon. Nine star-shaped bastions along the Diamond Wall of Concordia channel quintessence from these nodes on Earth, through the Fenestrae and into Horizon Chantry. Between every two bastion is a gate named after one of the Spheres of magic, such as the Gate of Forces or the Gate of Life, that is controlled by the appropriate Tradition and leads to one of the major nodes. These are heavily guarded, for the nodes have been frequent targets of the Technocracy and losing access to them would be heavily damaging to Horizon. The gates, who controls them, and where they lead are listed below:

The Ways[]

Officially, there are only three portals leading from Earth and along twisting paths in the Umbra leading to Horizon. Named for the Greek Fates, Atropos, Clotho, and Lachesis, these portals are guarded by the mages called the Servitors Principle, who oversee the maps and passwords necessary to enter. These are changed daily, with close records being kept of who is informed of new protocols. In order to be given this information, an individual with suitable clout in one of the Traditions must have a message sent from a respectable chantry to Horizon requesting permission for passage. Without this information, an individual is likely to be banished or attacked by the gates' powerful guardians or the portals themselves before even stepping foot into the Umbra.

Even after passing through the portals, the road through the Umbra is not an easy one. In fact it is deliberately disorienting and unnerving, meant to discourage even Masters who do not show enough determination. The laws of physics break down as travelers are assaulted by impossible sensations, shifting paths, and strange puzzles. The experience is never the same twice, nor is the destination; while most of the time individuals end up within a mile of Concordia, sometimes the Ways deposit someone much farther from the Horizon Chantry.

Residents[]

Renaissance[]

Cabals[]

Castles and Covenants[]

Three major Cabals have formed during Horizon's brief history. Each reflects an aspect of the Realm's purpose, and all have made significant contributions to its completion.

The Order of Sanguinity[]

The Order was formed in direct response to the threat of the Order of Reason; it was formed by magi determined to find the most effective way to eliminate the Daedaleans. Rather than formal discussion, the Order's meetings were complaints and boasted threats against the Conventions, liberally peppered with insults and name-calling. The Order of Reason's attack on the fledgling Horizon galvanized the Sanguinity to unite and launch directed strikes against the Daedaleans. They began training their members in information-gathering and surreptitious acts to assist in the ongoing war. Devon Freemantle, a Master of the Order of Hermes, leads the group in spirit though not title. Early in his career, the Order of Reason attempted to turn him and persuade him to betray his brethren. Ever since these overtures, which Devon viewed as defaming his dedication to the Hermetics, he has viewed the Daedaleans as worthy only of complete destruction. Other members of the Sanguinity have equally potent motivations for detesting the Order of Reason. At meeting, the bases for hatred are not discussed, only courses of action for annihilating the enemy.

The Horizon Guard[]

This multi-Tradition Cabal of magi was formed following the appointment and success of the initial three guards chosen to defend Horizon. Following the Three Tests of Faith, the effectiveness and necessity of guards was irrefutable. The three guards who were first chosen to defend Horizon became heroes and set an example of camaraderie that the Primi hoped others within the Realm would follow. The Council of Nine realized that more guardians would be needed as Horizon's boundaries grew, and it made it known that the Horizon Guard was recruiting members. Most who applied were already inclined in those more carefully aggressive tendencies. The fourth member to join the guard was Qi-Nagi, apprentice to Nightshade of Verbena. The Cabal has an official membership of 13: the original three guards who regularly patrol the perimeter of Concordia, nine who watch the interior of the city, and one who guards the portal of the Council Chambers. Unofficially, there are other members who carry messages and keep their eyes and ears open.

The Builders of the Dream[]

The magi known as Builders of the Dream were brought together for the purpose of designing and fabricating Horizon. Beyond the Council of Nine, they were the souls who believed in the dream of Horizon from its inception. The Cabal was primarily formed of wizards who view magick as something to be practically applied. They dedicated themselves day and night to its completion, from the carving of the Realm from the Umbra to the construction of the buildings on the completed world. They are working on the outlying structures, through at a more relaxed pace. Many of their members are still recovering from prolonged use of the "Urgency" spell.

Horizon: The Stronghold of Hope[]

Cabals within Horizon have come and gone over the past 500 years. Many held to tradition and were eventually disbanded when the Chantry's new blood proved to be uninterested in their goals. Others appealed to Masters fresh from Earth and ready for action, sustaining membership over long centuries.

Though not as scheming or as numerous as those of her sister Chantry at Doissetep, most of Horizon's eight cabals nevertheless take leadership just as seriously. Traditionally, their competitive history has prevented the Chantry's long Winter from easing into Spring. At the turn of this century, however, the dynamics among the cabals began to improve, resulting in Spring and now, seemingly, the first signs of Summer. Many Horizon mages credit this continuing metamorphosis in part to the Councils' enlightened Ambassador Program, in which mages study under a number of different Traditions rather than under just one.

Over 100 resident mages take care of their own affairs and have little to do with these eight cabals. Most of them have set aside their own little place in Horizon, while others gather into independent cabals. Interestingly, many of the Masters who belong to Concordia's main cabals also belong to other cabals on Earth or in other Realms.

Order of Sanguine Souls[]

A militaristic cabal dedicated to the destruction of the Technocracy, particularly the Inquisitorial practices of the New World Order. In the mid-1400s, a group of mages who later became the Sanguine Souls unsuccessfully petitioned the Council of Nine to start a head-to-head war with the nascent Order of Reason. The Council considered this course, but ultimately felt that the First Cabal should represent a strength-gathering, rather than a militaristic, mission. Today, the Order amasses information on the Technocracy with the intent of spearheading a massive strike force against it. Perhaps as Horizon enters Summer, it will have the requisite power and wisdom to undertake such a daring mission.

  • Members
    • Anania Divraniya - Master, Order of Hermes
    • X - Master, Virtual Adept
    • Hyeguk Sŭnim - Master, Akashic Brotherhood
    • Dyson Srongan - Master, Akashic Brotherhood
    • Lady Charlotte Quay

The Medeans[]

Descended from the Horizon Guard, the Medeans monitor threats to the Realm, both internal and external. They occupy important positions within Horizon, take responsibility for the surveillance of the Realm's Nodes and for its Gates (they instituted the policy that only Masters are allowed entry directions and passwords to Horizon) and serve as the Chantry's watchdogs against spies. The nine Servitors Principle - Adepts responsible for Horizon's security - answer directly to this cabal, as do many members of the Realm's police forces. Naturally, this makes the cabal an exceedingly powerful forces. Naturally, this makes the cabal an exceedingly powerful force in Horizon politics. To avoid corruption, the Medeans frequently rotate membership with other cabals, or recruit new members. If a security threat actually exists, the Medeans call a Tribunal for the Servitors. The Medeans tend to be very rational and thorough, though sometimes snobbish and intolerant of those with less suspicious natures.

  • Members
    • Roger Thackery
    • Leif Dinesen - Master, Order of Hermes
    • Kyla Harrod - Master, Son of Ether
    • Julius Breslouf - Master, Celestial Chorus
    • Yoshiaki Yamamoto - Adept, Akashic Brotherhood

The Cleisthenic Clinic[]

Names after the 6th-century statesman who revolutionized Athenian democratic government, the Cleisthenc Clinic is an older cabal (formerly known as the Brotherhood of Cleisthenics) that concerns itself with helping the Realm's politics running smoothly. In practice, the Clinic involves itself in political maneuvering, infighting and intrigue. If any one cabal could be fingered for Horizon's backward evolution from Winter to Spring, it would be the Clinic. Yet, with the infusion of new blood over the past seven years, the cabal has opened up somewhat and recognized the importance of cooperation. Thus, while the Clinic thoroughly opposes the addition of the Hollow Ones to the Council of Nine (stating that their presence would throw off the balance of power and disrupt the Council's relationships) it does, with a few exceptions, support the Ambassador Program.

  • Members
    • Getulio Vargas São Cristóvão
    • Indrani Taktsang
    • Swimming Trout - Master, Akashic Brotherhood
    • Aram Marangoudakis - Master, Order of Hermes
    • Hasmig Salibian - Adept, Euthanatos

Fresh Wind Covenant[]

The Cheisthenics' opposites, the members of this cabal emphasize the importance of fresh ideas and new blood on the Council and in Horizon, rather than the constant repositioning of old blood on the Traditions' seats of power. Some members secretly assist Porthos in his mission to welcome the Hollow Ones, while openly supporting the Ambassador Program.

  • Members
    • Julian Spence
    • Hyemyŏng Sŭnim
    • Priabpan Punyabukkana - Adept, Cultist of Ecstasy
    • Diana Beals - Adept, Verbena
    • Fatima Alzarahni - Master, Celestial Chorus
    • Beth "Rising Moon" Thomas - Adept, Dreamspeaker

The Sodality of Zetetics[]

An extreme group founded in the late 1400s, the Sodality questions the nature of reality and maintains the importance of an unperturbable mind. Its goals of understanding and achieving Ascension flavor its interactions with everyone. Most of its members believe that Ascension necessitates Horizon's unity, and thus they have helped usher Horizon into Springtime. Current players projects include educational reform which would replace the scientific paradigm with a more though-provoking philosophical paradigm.

  • Members
    • Haskell Cohen - Master, Celestial Chorus
    • Auris Galina Gritsenko - Master, Order of Hermes
    • Naveed Yousef - Master, Akashic Brotherhood
    • Margaret Storch - Adept, Euthanatos
    • Devane Carbeau - Adept, Sons of Ether

The Society of Pymander[]

A fraternal, esoteric organization founded in Spain in the 1100s, the Society of Pymander later moved to Horizon where it could study the arcane without the Order of Reason's interference. Traditionally, the Society has attracted older Hermetics, but theoretically membership is open to everyone. While its stated goal is the attainment of Ascension, the cabal's unspoken goal is the attainment of vast power - the omnipotence that Pymander symbolizes. The Pymandic Masters often invite Porthos into their gatherings, as he, of all Tradition mages, best represents the "Pymandic Essence." Using his influence, Porthos has swayed Society members to support his bid to add the Hollow Ones to the Traditions' rosters.

  • Members
    • Porthos - Honorary Member
    • Karl Magnussen - Master, Order of Hermes
    • Carina Olmez - Master, Celestial Chorus
    • Austin Renton - Master, Dreamspeaker
    • Victoria Sacks - Adept, Order of Hermes
    • Stig Olssen - Adept, Order of Hermes

Circle of Artemis[]

While the other cabals concern themselves with politics, arcane practices and the like, the Circle of Artemis works to maintain and improve Horizon's wonder, beauty and sense of hope. Some call this impractical, shortsighted goal, but the Circle of Artemis thinks it necessary as a bulwark against the encroaching prosaism of the Technocratic paradigm. To the Circle, beauty takes all forms, from the peaked majesty of the Horizon Range to the solemn quietude of the Misty Moors and the sparkling geometry of the Crystal Bastions. On a more "pragmatic" note, the Circle monitors the ecosystem, inhibiting birth rates or even hunting species who get out of control. Whenever a new creature or plant is introduced, some member of the Circle tries to be around to consider the arrival's effect on Horizon's balance.

  • Members
    • Sugar O'Hare - Master, Cult of Ecstasy
    • Isis Windsong - Master, Verbena
    • Juliette Amber - Master, Verbena
    • Laird Mack - Master, Virtual Adept
    • Toshiro Saito - Master, Dreamspeaker

Servitors Principal[]

Not as highly regarded as Horizon's other cabals, the Servitors Principal nonetheless remain faithful to their duties of guarding Horizon and informing the Medeans (who monitor these nine Adepts) of security threats. This cabal maintains the passwords, maps, rendezvous locations to the Ways, and the flow of Quintessence through the Nodes to Horizon; collaborates with Horizon's guardians in assuring Horizon's safety; keeps tabs on espionage; and reviews the Realm's defenses annually and appeals to the Council for additional defensive and offensive Talismans and other equipment if required. Of all the cabals, the Servitors ae the best informed about Horizon's geography, its weakness and strengths, its politics and anything else that might compromise the Council's mission, both internally and externally. When compromises occur (as they occasionally do), the Medeans convene Tribunals for the Servitors which all Council Members typically attend. While the other cabalas tend to look down their noses at the Servitors Principal, they acknowledge their expertise and take the Servitors' warnings seriously.

  • Members
    • Zvolen Lucenik - Consultant
    • Janos Sturvik - Primary Servitor, Adept, Order of Hermes
    • Amyn Kassim-Lakha - Adept, Akashic Brotherhood
    • Archana Naham - Adept, Celestial Chorus
    • Valarie Seaburg - Adept, Cult of Ecstasy
    • Tuya "Dancing Bird" Brownman - Adept, Dreamspeaker
    • Francis Trask - Adept, Euthanatos
    • Sang Ngoc Tran - Adept, Son of Ether
    • Neal B. Birch - Adept, Verbena
    • Rich Carrasco - Adept, Virtual Adept

References[]

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