Tradition Book: Akashic Brotherhood

Summary[]

From the White Wolf catalog:

Enlightenment is a Jewel Reflecting Everything

Both warriors and sages, the mages of the Akashic Brotherhood bring thousands of years of martial prowess and philosophy to the Traditions. The Warring Fists discipline their minds and hone their bodies to the peak of natural physical perfection. As the Akashic Record tells, though, one must fight for true virtue without becoming consumed by violence. How can the young mages battle for a world free from technological dependence while still striving for peaceful enlightenment? There is a puzzle worthy of a true master....

But Everything is Nothing

At last, a revised look at the Traditions for Mage: The Ascension. Completely new material covering history, practices, beliefs, special character rules and more. Examine the Tradition's new role in the wake of the Reckoning and the hidden secrets and powers of the surviving Traditions.

Contents[]

Prologue: Ashes and Rain[]

Introduction: Entering The Stream[]

Lexicon

Chapter One: Heaven And Earth[]

Recounts the history, philosophy and beliefs of the Akashic Brotherhood from the perspective of the Brothers themselves, covering infamous events such as the Himalayan War, their modern relationship with the others Traditions, and their place in Eastern and Western societies.

Chapter Two: The Way and The Law[]

Reveals the internal organization, politics, and practices of the modern Brotherhood. Each sect and position within the Tradition is described, including their new alliance with the proud and powerful Wu Lung, You'll learn about Akashic magic, from the paradigm that inspires it to the powers that manifest on the journey to enlightenment. Do, the mysterious and potent martial art of the Brotherhood, is given a full treatment - from techniques to magical forms.

The Thousand Petaled Lotus: Akashic Systems
- New Talent: Do
- New Knowledge: Body Control
- New Knowledge: Strategy
The Seeds of Karma: New Merits and Flaws
- Folk Hero (3-PT. Social Merit)
- Drahma's Voice (4- To 6-PT. Social Merit)
- Judge's Wisdom (4-PT. Mental Merit)
- Ontological Pacifist (3- Or 5-PT. Mental Flaw
Do
- Do Basics
  - Lethal Attacks
  - Hardened Defense
  - Well Trained
- Movements of Mastery: Maneuvers
  - Butterfly Palms
  - Weapon Art
  - Peaceful Way
  - Arrow Cutting
  - Broken Rhythm
  - Iron Shirt
  - Iron Hand
  - Kiaijutsu
  - Jou Chuan
  - Escape Arts
  - Plum Flower Blossom
  - Ten Thousand Weapons
- The Mandala of Motion: Do Rotes
  - Purifying Step ( Forces or Spirit)
  - Rolling Hands ( Forces)
  - Cinnabar Tears ( Lide, Matter)
  - Iron Snake ( Correspondence, Forces, Mind)
  - Righteous Fist ( Life, Mind, Time)
  - Arashi-Waza ( Correspondence, Forces, Time)
  - The Final Blow ( Entropy, Life, Mind, Prime)
84,000 Dharma Doors: Rotes and Foci
- The Sword the Cuts Through Illusion: Rotes
  - Internal Obligation ( Mind, Prime, Time or Life, Prime, Time)
  - Auspicious Dialogues ( Mind or Entropy, Mind)
  - Drahma Protector ( Mind, Spirit)
  - Shinobijustu ( Correspondence or Entropy or Forces or Mind)
  - Tumo ( Lide, Optional Forces)
  - Balancing the Furies ( or Prime)
  - Flower Gesture ( Mind, Time)
The Way of the Artisan: Wonders
- Auspicious Sistrum (Arete: 2; 5-pt. Talisman)
- The Twins (Special Artifacts)
The Akashic Record
- Akashic Awareness (1- to 5-PT. Supernatural Merit)
  - Reading the Endless Scroll
    - Ishin Den Shin ( Correspondence, Mind)
    - Turning the Wheel of Ages ( or Mind, Spirit, Time)

Chapter Three: Sages and Warriors[]

Discusses the role of the Akashic Brotherhood in a Mage chronicle. Advice on using all-Akashic cabals, sample characters and templates are presented to make it easy and rewarding to use Akashic characters in a game. Famous Brothers and ancient legends provide story hooks for your Mage chronicle.

Templates
- Thunderbolt Warrior - Vajrapani
- Shaolin Monk - Kannagara
- Reincarnate - Jnani
- Prosecutor - Shi-Ren
- Street Marshal - Li-Hai
- Roda D'Oro Capoerista - Li-Hai
- Yin-Crazed Alchemist - Jnani
- Theologian - Kannagara

Epilogue: After The Rain[]

References
- Books
  - Oxford World Religions: Eastern Traditions
  - Bubishi: The Bible of Karate
  - Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh
  - The Bodhisattva Warrirors by Terrence Duke
  - The Inner Athlete by Dan Millman
  - The Tao Te Ching
  - The Art of War
  - The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi
  - Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa
- Films
  - Iron and Silk
  - Kundun
  - Once Upon A Time in China
  - Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace and The Matrix (For visual inspiration for Do)

Background Information[]

Playtesters Henry Walsh and Mindy Walsh are credited in the book.
Author's Dedication is made to Dave MacIssac, the staff at the Lazy Dragon Pub, Jess Heinig and Jennifer Booth.
Kraig Blackwelder's passing is mentioned in the Special Thanks section.

Memorable Quotes[]

Characters[]

Prologue: Ashes and Rain
- Smoke Tiger: Lou Fu
- Ranjit
- Peter Lasky (Nichiba, Chan Ng) - Nu Ying's Student, Akashic Brotherhood
- Jou Shan: Gentle Mountain - Archmage, Kannagara, Deceased
- Mitchell Pratts - Euthanatos Adept, Mage, Died
- Ming Wong - Akashic Brotherhood, Vajrapani, Mage
Chapter One: Heaven And Earth
- Zhen Ba - Jnani
- Moy (Cheng Sa)
- Chan Ng, Chan the Protector - Vajrapani Leader
- Hundred Killer or Battering Ram, "Sataghni" - Akashic Brotherhood, Vahrapani
- Hon Li of the Searing Wind - Wan Xian
- Yi Han - Wu Lung
- Yi the Excellent Archer
- Fu Xia
- Qin Shihuang
- Jiu Ling
- Akkila
- Yu Lung, the Jade Dragon - Sigung, Akashic Brotherhood
- Sh'zar
- Wu Jin - Sigung
- Cheng Sa - Li-Hai
- Darumha - Kannagara
- Nichiba, the Weaponless Defender - Jnani
- Heylel Teonim
- Hung
- Fall Breeze
- Master Hyemyŏng Sŭnim
- Tanaka Masako - Akashic Brotherhood
- Senex
- Hong Endi - K'an Lu Ecstatic
- Marie Rowlands - Vajrapani, Died
- Rosa Valdez - Dreamspeaker
- Voormas
- Serge Payjak - Died
- Louis Eades bani Bonisagus - Order of Hermes
Chapter Two: The Way and The Law
- Chan Chin-Fu - Shi-Ren Contact
- Yen Ping - Wu Lung
- Kunio Ashida - Golden Dragon
- Te Kwan - Li-Hai
- Hui-ke
- Crimson Thunder
- Gar-Quen - Akashic Brotherhood
- Drala Yoga
- Akashamukti
- Sai Fong - Akashic Brotherhood
- Shishidi Baiken - Kusarigama master, developed the Iron Snake
- Heng
- Lu Ying
Chapter Three: Sages and Warriors
- Nu Ying: Raging Eagle
- Xiao Mengli: The Crossroads
- Emma-O
- Bishop Chen
- Lucy Hark
- Miwako Kabayama - Jnani, Sihing
- Quentin Kolinsky - Vajrapani, Sidai
- Suchart Jones - Li-Hai, Sidai
- Jean Fountain - Shi-Ren, Sidai
- Wing Chao - Walker
- Captain Au Chin-Fu

Terminology[]

Lexicon: Akasha, Akashi, Akashakarma, Akashayana Sangha, Bodhicitta, Bodhimandala, Bodhisattva, Chi, Chi'n Ta, Dharma, Dragon, Dragon Nest, Drahma, Lung-ta (Windhorse), Lin Shen, Meru'ai, Mudra, Phoenix, Phoenix Robes, Rinpoche (Tulku), Samadhi, Sam Chien, Santana, Sifu, Sigung, Sihing (Japanese: Shidoshi), Tao-shih, Tiger, Warring Fist; 300 BC, 550, 590, 1274, 1281, 1325, 1368, 1438, 1920, 1950, 1968, 1990, 1996, 1998, 108 Burning Days, Afghanistan, Age of Iron, Ahl-i-Batin, Angkor Wat, Ascension War, A Secret History of Asia (Book), Asia, Avatar Storm, Bangkok, Banners of the Ebon Dragon, Bardo Thodol, Beijing, Blue Skins, Brazil, British Isles, Burma, Burning Tigar War, Cambodia, Celestial Bureaucracy, Chabnagpa (Black Water Sect), Chakravanti, Changelings, Chi, China, Colorado, Concordia, Consanguinity of Eternal Joy, Convention of the White Tower, Dacoits, Dalou'laoshi, Darwushin, Denver, Detroit, Dharmamukti (Dharma Clasped Hand), Divine Stone (Mixed Cabal), Do: Dhyana, Hsien Chuan, Jivahasta, Karma, Lohan Chuan, Prajna, Shastamarga, Shen Chuan, Sunyakaya, Tricanmarga, Wu Chuan, Yung Chuan; Doissetep, Dragon River War, Drahma Sutra, Eight Immortals, Elemental Dragons (Five Metal Dragons), Europe, Euthanatos, External Alchemy, Five Agents, Foci, France, Fujian, Gam Lung (Golden Dragons), Garuda Valley, Ghosts, Gladius Argentum, Grand Convocation, Great Betrayal, Handura, Han Fei Tzu Academy, Heilong Athletic Association, Hengeyokai, Himalayan Wars, Hiroshima, Hong Kong, Honon, House of Helekar, Hsien, Idran, I Ho Chuan, Imbued, India, Indra's Net, Internal Alchemy, Japan, Jati (Birth Groups): Jnani, Kannagara, Vajrapani; Jina, Kaizankai, Kamikaze War, K'an Lu, Karma, Karmachakra (Scholars of the Great Wheel), Khwaja al-Akbar, Knight of Radamanthys, Korea, Kuei-jin, Laos, Lhasa, Li, Liverpool, Lokhadhatu, London, The Long Red Night, Mahasuklaja (Great White Shattering; Rote), Mandate of Heaven, Maya, Middle East, Middle Kingdom, Midnight Ocean (Akashic Cabal), Mongolia, Mo-tzu Fa, Mount Kailas, Mount Meru, Mummies, Mushin, New Delhi, New York, New York City, Night of Fana, North America (Mountain of Gold), Okinawa, Omei Shan, Orphans, Pai (Schools): Li-Hai, Shi-Ren, Wu Lung; Philippines, Ping Fa Academy, Pit of Harmony (Hell for fallen Akashayana), Poland, Reckoning, Right Existence, Rio de Janeiro, Roda d'Oro (Circle of Gold), Ryugakusei (Students), Ryukyu Islands, Saint Peter in Chains Chantry (CC, Nome, Alaska), Samsara, Sangha, Santana, Sathorn Bridge, Screaming Ghost Purge, Searing Wind (Kuei-jin Sect: Devil Tiger wu), Shaolin, Shaolin Temple, Shapeshifters, Shen, Shen, Sheng, Shih, Shugyosha (Student Warriors), Sidai, Sorcery, Spain, Sri Lanka, Stargazers, Stone People, Stone Sutra, Sulsa, Sunyata, Tanaka clan, Technocracy, Temple of Inner Truth (Tibet AB Chantry), Tenshin Arashi Ryu, Ten Thousand Hells (Yomi, Tu Yi), Thailand, Tibet, Tien, Toc Faan, Tokyo, Toronto, Turtle Valley, United States, Vampires, Vietnam, Walkers, Wan Kuei, Wan Xian, Werewolves, West Africa, Wheel of Ages, White Jade Island, World War II, Wu Lung: Dragon Emperor Wizard, Dragon School, Kei Lung Chuan, Magical Bureaucracy, Magical Service Exams, Phoenix Empress Wizard, Phoenix School, Shih, Tiger Lord General, Tiger Lord General, Tiger School; Wu Shan, Yamabushi, Yama Kings, Yang, Yang World, Yin, Yin World, Zaibatsu,

Previous release	Game Books	Next release
MTAs: Art of Mage: The Ascension	Mage: The Ascension books	MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Revised Edition Quickstart