Talismans, also known as Devices, are wonders powered by the Avatar of the mage who created them. A more powerful version of a talisman would be called a "Relic".
Overview[]
As a result of being items powered by a mage's avatar, talismans possess their own Arete rating and can be used to amplify the magic of their user when used as a focus. Most Talismans are Awakened with some degree of sentience, but even those that have been lulled to sleep through magic or simple lack of use still have very strong Resonance.
This Resonance derives from the fact of their making, since a mage who crafts one sacrifices a permanent point of his Willpower to place the enchantment. The Talisman, in fact, is an extension of the will of the mage who created it, and a mage who has made this sacrifice still possesses this Willpower as long as the Talisman is in his possession. Furthermore, Talismans can be empowered with additional capabilities like an Artifact and it's own Arete can be used for those tasks. They can also act as a storage for Quintessence, as well be used to deploy counter magic.
While most Sleepers cannot recharge Talismans, they can make use of them, as long as they both believe in the paradigm of the mage who created the item and they Resonate strongly with the maker's personality. Depending on the Talisman, Paradox might also apply to the Sleeper who uses it — one of the most classic Paradoxes being loss of the Talisman. Talismans will not work for those who do not accept their paradigm. However, mages are strong-willed enough that they may override the Nature and Demeanor of any Talisman except in the case of an extraordinarily powerful magic object and an unusually weak-willed mage.
Talismans also refer to the minor magical items that are created by sorcerers with powerful versions of these known as "Artifacts". The major difference being that sorcerer Talismans possess only a single magical effect and usually have a maintenance cost or stipulation for it to keep its power.
References[]
- MTAs: Akashic Brotherhood Tradition Book, p. 12, 64-65 (Kemian)
- MTAs: Mage Storytellers Companion, p. 57-60
- MTAs/cMET: Laws of Ascension Companion, p. 124, 134