The Free Council (book)

The Free Council is a sourcebook for Mage: The Awakening. It offers a deeper insight into the Free Council and its doings.

Summary[]

From the Onyx Path catalog:

"Oppenheimer was no mage, but how can you say he wasn't a wizard? I'm sure he'd never seen any Watchtower or Atlantis god-king or any of your other old myths. But he conjured up something the world had never seen before and changed this Earth forever. No mage had ever done what he did, but we consider ourselves the Awakened people. I'll bet you anything that when he saw the flash, he woke up, whether it was like us or not. Imagine what we can do when we see through the Lie and recognize that magic and science are all the same thing: wondrous."

— Morton, Libertine Futurist

Modern Magic, Modern Myths

Rethink it. Rethink what you know about magic. About human history. About what's real and what's myth. The Free Council is questioning everything. Sometimes this leads to new breakthroughs in sorcery. Sometimes this leads to disaster. What it never creates… is trust.

An Order book for Mage: The Awakening™

The definitive guide on the youngest of the five Orders of Atlantean magic — a must for any Mage player.
An insider's look at the Free Council, including unique cabals blending technology and magic, new spells and rotes, and artifacts utilizing both science and magic.
A history of the Free Council and an exploration of the cults, clubs and cells that make up its unusual social structure — and how to tell thrilling stories using it all.

Contents[]

Prologue[]

New Video by: David Chart, Jess Hartley, Will Hindmarch and Steve Kenson.

Introduction[]

References and Inspiration
- Pi
- The Matrix movies
- Fight Club
- Harry Potter
- Hellblazer (Comics)
- Hellboy and BPRD (Comics)
- The Prestige

Chapter One: Escaping Yesterday[]

Chapter Two: The Libertine Culture[]

Glossary
Status and Positions
- Voter (•)
- Host (••)
- Emissary (• to •••)
- Minuteman (• to •••)
- Letter Carrier (•• to ••••)
- Citizen Agent (•• to ••••)
- Strategos (••• to •••••)
- Syndic (• to •••••)

Chapter Three: Arcane Operating System[]

Blank Badges Attainments
- 1st: Not a Number: Prerequisites: Gnosis 3, Occultation 1
- 2nd: The Quiet One: Prerequisites: Gnosis 5, Occultation 2
- 3rd: Nothing Is True, Anything Is Permitted: Prerequisites: Gnosis 7, Occultation 3, Persuasion 1
Cryptologos Attainments
- 1st: Way with Words: Prerequisites: Gnosis 3, Mind 2, Academics 1, High Speech
- 2nd: Universal Language: Prerequisites: Gnosis 5, Mind 3, Academics 2, High Speech
- 3rd: The Hidden Word: Prerequisites: Gnosis 7, Mind 4, Academics 3, High Speech
Imagineers Attainments
- 1st: Dreaming Doorway: Prerequisites: Gnosis 3, Spirit 2
- 2nd: Meme Complex: Prerequisites: Gnosis 5, Spirit 3, Crafts 1
- 3rd: Manifest Idea: Prerequisites: Gnosis 7, Spirit 4
Techné — Magical Methods
- Death Spells
  - ••••• Master of Death
    - Steal Body (Death ••••• + Life •••)
- Fate Spells
  - •• Apprentice of Fate
    - Dialing the Lucky Number (Fate •• + Forces •• + Space ••)
    - Fate’s Justice (Fate •• + Mind •• + Time ••)
    - Fortunate Timing (Fate •• + Time •)
    - Loyal Possession (Fate •• + Mind ••)
  - ••• Disciple of Fate
    - Shared Fate (Fate •••)
- Forces Spells
  - •• Apprentice of Forces
    - Aether-Net (Forces ••)
    - Circuit Television (Forces •• + Space •)
    - Electronic Eye (Forces ••)
    - Invisibility to Machines (Forces ••)
    - Invoke Password (Forces ••)
  - ••• Disciple of Forces
    - Complex Transmission (Forces •••)
    - Stay the Invisible Fires (Forces •••)
  - •••• Adept of Forces
    - Invisible Fire (Forces ••••)
    - Quench the Invisible Fires (Forces ••••)
- Life Spells
  - • Initiate of Life
    - Forgo Rest (Life •)
- Matter Spells
  - • Initiate of Matter
    - Crafter’s Eye (Matter •)
  - •• Apprentice of Matter
    - Temporary Repair (Matter ••)
- Mind Spells
  - •• Apprentice of Mind
    - Gain Skill (Mind ••)
  - ••• Disciple of Mind
    - Bestow Skill (Mind •••)
  - •••• Adept of Mind
    - Skill Mastery (Mind ••••)
    - Virtual Voyage (Mind •••• + Forces ••)
- Time Spells
  - •••• Adept of Time
    - Time Out of Mind (Time ••• + Mind ••)
  - ••••• Master of Time
    - Temporal Lifeline (Time •••••)
- Enchanted Items
  - Artifacts
    - The Null Bomb (••••••••): Durability 5, Size 4, Structure 10
    - Dreamstone (Artifact •••••): Durability 6, Size 1, Structure 6
  - Enhanced Items
    - Computers
    - Vehicles
  - Imbued Items
    - Aether Goggles (•••)
    - All-Access Pass (••••)
    - Bottomless Bag (•••••)
    - Ghost-Catcher (••••)
    - Infinite Flash Drive (•••••)
    - Necradio (••)
    - Network Card (•••)
    - Neverender Batteries (•••)
    - Universal Keycard (•••)
- Phenomena of the Free Council
  - The Libertine Android
  - The Arcane Capacitor

System Appendix: The Libertine Character[]

Merits
- Area of Expertise (••): Prerequisite: Resolve •• and a Specialty in the ap propriate Mental Skill
- Crafter’s Sense (•••): Prerequisite: Craft ••• and a Specialty
- Manifestation Machine (• to •••): Prerequisites: Awakened and Familiar •••
- Informative (•• or ••••): Prerequisites: Wits •• and •• in the appropriate Skill
- Interdisciplinary Specialty (•): Prerequisites: ••• in two Skills and a Specialty
- Make Do (• to •••): Prerequisites: Wits ••• and • in the appropriate Skill
- Rational Explanation (••••): Prerequisites: Resolve •• and Science or Academics ••••
- Scientist’s Sense (•••): Prerequisite: Science ••• and a Specialty
- Vision (• to •••••): Prerequisites: Intelligence, Wits, Resolve or Composure ••••

Background Information[]

A second section of Credits is titled "Blame," those listed are: Ethan’s New Nickname by: Aileen Miles; Not Tennis, But the Other Thing: Brian Glass, matt milberger and Craig Grant; That Smell: John “Bax” Masterson; Passport Control: Oscar Garza.

Memorable Quotes[]

“

“You’re not paranoid when the laws of nature really are out to get you.” —Meme popular in the Free Council

”

“

“Those who wink at tyrants are almost tyrants themselves.” —Bistesla

”

Characters[]

Morton - Libertine Futurist, Back Cover
- Prologue
  - David Chart - Mastigos
  - Kira Dark - Occult Investigator, TV Show
  - Carlos - Mage
  - Narcissus - Mage
  - Jana - Mage
  - Razi - Free Council Mage
  - Seimei - Free Council Mage, Died
  - Bistela - Free Council Mage
  - Adelard - Free Council, Acanthus, Mage
  - Six Stars - Free Council, Moros, Mage
  - Jacob Langtree - Free Council, Obrimos, TELM Trust
  - Katherine Gunn, "Galena" - Free Council, Open Source Movement
  - Mr. Martin Vasquez
- Chapter One: Escaping Yesterday
  - Haden - Mage
  - Figuero Garcia
  - Albertus - Mage
  - Caspase - Mage
  - Simplicius - Mage
- Chapter Two: The Libertine Culture
  - Norton - Mage, Technoir
  - Rasmussen - Mage, Silo 7, Lorehouse archivist
  - Zenos - Free Council Mage
  - Argos - Free Council Mage, Dark Wright
  - Thrax - Free Council, Mastigos, Mage, Yesterday’s Tomorrows
  - Pallas Athene - Free Council, Acanthus, The Cutting Edge
  - Ada Byron - Free Council, Lovelace
  - Babbage - Free Council, Obrimos, Lovelace
  - George Boxley - Free Council, Obrimos, Boxley’s Boys
  - Father Goodfellow - Free Council
  - Thena Silverwolf - Free Council, founded the Hearth of the Moon
- Chapter Three: Arcane Operating System
  - Amelia, "Amy"
  - Turner
  - Henson - Free Council, Mage, created the Libertine Android, disappeared
  - Aldo Zeldenthuis - Free Council

Terminology[]

Glossary: anachromancer, Assembly, Atlantis on the Moon, billfold, cell, censor, church, Column, columnar, communards, critical path, cube, dime, emissary, employer, execute, fallen, fault (faulty), felon, fived, fix, freakout, glassblower, goggles, hexxer, interpathy, Liberati, Libertine, log on, Lorehouse, manually, 'Metropolis, the,' narc, number man/woman, on staff, paper, pi, punch-carding, pyramid builder, pyramid building, rank and file, ranker, razi, redcoat, retromancer, 'rewild, rewilding,' ring, rubber-hose, secretary, ship, shuck, smack, strategos, subscriber, syndic, techné, The Great Refusal, The Nameless, ticket-holder, traitor whore, two ounces, voter, weird ounce, write; 1523, 1895, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1900s, 1903, 1911, 1912, 1915, 1920s, 1925, 1930, 1930s, 1939, 1940s, 1949, 1950, 1950s, 1951, 1952, 1960s, 1970, 1970s, 1971, 1978, 1980, 1980s, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990s, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000s, 2001, 2006, adept.mag (Website), Adept magazine, Asheville, Berlin, Boston, Cabals: Lamplighters, The Oblige, Rogue’s Haven, Lovelace, Patent Breakers, Commonwealth Recruiting, Legion, Boxley’s Boys, Tesla’s Children, Hearth of the Moon, Gospel Sentinels, Deviation, Sabot, The Cascans, Grant Street; C.E. Data, Changelings, Chicago Consilium, Consilium, Dead Zone, Diamond, Disbelief, EdgeTV, El Toro Y, Factions: The Wrights, Yesterday’s Tomorrows, The Cutting Edge (TCE), TELM Trust, Open Source Movement, Freedom Fighters (Qs), Action!; Fallen World, Forsaken, France, Free Council, Gauntlet, Ghost, Guatemala, GUNN & Associates, Hollywood, Inquisition, Lagunas, Legacies: The Blank Badges, Cryptologos, Imagineers; Daksha, Metropolitans of House Ariadne, Pygmalians, Threnodists, Legacy of Transhuman Engineers, Skalds, Thrice-Great; Lie, LiveEdge, London, Lorehouses: The Asheville Stacks, The Paper Car, Silo 7 (The Complex: Ruin of the Future), Wintergarden; Mexico, Mexico City, Minacourt, MINERVA, Mission Viejo, Moscow, Nameless War, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Omaha, Orange County, Pandorans, PaperCut Press, Paradox, Paris, Peru, Philadelphia, Promethean, Retro-Tech, rottenorgangecounty.com (Website), Saint Louis, Santa Ana, Scelestus, Seers of the Throne, Sleepers, Sleepwalkers, Spirit, Tacoma, Theriomorph, Trial, Tula, Tulsa, Vampire, Vienna, Werewolves, Westminster,

References[]

Previous release	Fiction	Next release
MTAw: Intruders: Encounters With the Abyss	Mage: The Awakening books	MTAw: Magical Traditions