The Ixoi (also known as the House of Ixion) were a secretive group of mages who attempted to turn the World of Darkness towards its ultimate Ascension, Telos.
History[]
In ancient times, the infernalists of Bhât ruled over the ruins of cities such as Babel and Gehenna. Some of their slaves secretly Awakened and began learning the secrets of magic from their masters. Many were tortured and killed, but their Avatars were reincarnated, preserving the organization.
The spirits responsible for the guided reincarnations were Psychopomps, fragments of the Other. In the future, a group of like-minded mages would summon them through the Horizon and they were thus able to ride the "waves" of the summoning forward and backward in time from that point. After seven generations of reincarnations, the Psychopomps made themselves known and offered a gift to the mages, so that the future summoning would occur. They imbued the mages with a piece of their own essence, creating merged beings called Anakim. The Anakim used their newfound ability to manipulate souls to destroy the infernal citadels in which they were trapped.
While pillaging the ruins, the group took possession of a small obsidian hand ax. This was an artifact known as the Knife of Ixion, named after the first murderer of Greek mythology. The group likewise named themselves after the Knife as their magic revealed that it was of vital importance to the future summoning.
Night of Fana[]
The prophesied summoning would come to pass during a chance meeting of Darwushim and Warring Hands, as the two sides escaped judgment by, respectively, the Ixoi and the Chakravanti. The number of Psychopomps skyrocketed, and they set about forming the most perfect unions between Avatars and mages possible. So perfect, that the inner voice of the Avatar was often quieted. (q.v. Fount)
Dark Ages[]
As the years moved on, Psychopomp emanations decreased. The Ixoi were left to their own morals. In 1336 the majority of them joined the Order of Reason as the Ksirafai, intent on punishing mages and Artisans alike who strayed from the path of Ascension.
Renaissance[]
By the late 17th century, the Ksirafai began to doubt the purity of their mission given the Pogrom of the Order of Reason. They quietly faded into the shadows, eliminating all traces of their existence, and then, in 1716, "defeated" their own Construct in Turkey. Using the name Dincer Albayrak, the leader of the Ksirafai presented the "victory" over the Order of Reason to the Order of Hermes, and asked to be recognized as House Janissary.
| “ | One of the many things lost appears to have been the name of this elite Greek troupe. Although Ksirafai teachings refer to these forebears as Ixos (a word of uncertain meaning), most Razors use the word as both a singular and plural form. Some sources employ the proper Greek pluralization Ixoi or Xoi, but others (including Nicias, who was himself Greek) used Ixos as both a singular and plural name. The "copies" of Nicias' work are not helpful, especially considering that many of them are second-, third-, or even fourth-hand translations in Arabic, Latin, bastard Greek, and even French and English. Perhaps these flawed reproductions are all the remains of a band of historucal ghosts. | ” |
Resources[]
- MTSC: The Swashbuckler's Handbook, p. 55 (Nicias of Thrace's Concerning the True Fall of Troy, and the Brave Warriors Who Did Bring it About)
- MTAs: Ascension, p. 52–55