100 Verbena “If he didn’t think you could, Jon wouldn’t have invited you to join us.” “I’m afraid,” he said, beginning to tremble under her touch. She took his face in her hands, forcing him to look deep into her eyes. “Life is scary, Tom,” she said. “Life is risk. Don’t run away from your feelings, don’t live your whole life being afraid. Jon is gone, but that doesn’t mean you can’t live.” Sobs wracked the young man’s body, and his knees buckled. Kameria guided him gently to the floor, holding him in her arms and letting him cry, like a mother holds her child. She thought of the child, hers and Jon’s, growing within her, and she stroked Tom’s hair. She felt the tears wash his eyes, and his spirit stretched its wings. She felt him Awaken, and she smiled as her own tears came. The “waters of life,” Jon had called them. “It’s not over, my love,” she whispered. “It’s only beginning again.” Paganism is alive and well and thriving in the modern world. Real covens of real witches meet in small towns in every state in the US, in England, New Zealand and places even farther flung. Like the bumper sticker says: The Goddess is alive and magic is afoot. Obviously, the Verbena Tradition is based on the practices and traditions of modern pagans. Those practices and traditions, however, are enhanced with fictions for your gaming pleasure. Those seeking an alternative to the patriarchal — some might say authoritarian — religions of the West might want to look into paganism in more depth. While reading a game book won’t make a witch of you, some of the following titles might. Suggested Resources Storytellers and players will find the following resources useful in providing information and inspiration for Verbena characters and chronicles in a Mage: The Ascension game. Note that there are many, many additional resources out there for those looking to find out more about paganism, witchcraft and related topics. A visit to your local witch shop or New Age store will expose you to more books than you would ever need to read on the subject. For clarity and directness, however, we recommend the non-fiction titles we’ve listed. Fiction Bradley, Marion Zimmer, Mists of Avalon. A lengthy novel that offers a sympathetic view of Morgan Le Fay (“Morgaine” here) as a pagan priestess struggling with the rise of Christianity (represented and championed by King Arthur). The television movie adaptation (starring Julianna Margulies as Morgaine) is also worth watching. Kurtz, Katherine, Lammas Night. A novel about a coven of English witches in the 1940s, working to coordinate a grand coven and ritual to keep the Nazis (backed by their own runemystics) from invading England. Useful for insights into the Gardeners of the Tree, the idea of sacrifice and as inspiration for a World War II-era Verbena chronicle. Lackey, Mercedes. The Diana Tregarde Mysteries. The main character of these occult detective stories could easily be Verbena. The three books in the series are Children of the Night, Burning Water and Jinx High. Starhawk, The Fifth Sacred Thing. This novel features a totalitarian government versus a neo-pagan ecotopia. Good inspiration for the Technocracy/Traditions conflict, particularly where the Verbena are concerned. Non-Fiction Adler, Margot, Drawing Down the Moon. A survey of paganism in America, covering many different traditions and backgrounds. Although it’s a bit dated, it provides a good idea of the kind of diversity the Verbena Tradition includes. Cunningham, Scott. The Truth About Witchcraft Today. Probably the simplest and most accessible guide to the Craft available for non-pagans. Frazer, James. The Golden Bough. If you like your pagan history a little on the mytho-poetic side, this is the book for you. Frazer wrote the book (initially spanning 13 volumes) in 1922, intending it to be a historical study of the myths and folklore of pre-Christian Europe, and he inadvertently wound up promulgating the notion of a continent-spanning witch-cult. The Verbena as presented in Mage have far more to do with Frazer’s view of witchcraft than, say, Cunningham’s. Starhawk, The Spiral Dance. One of the best-selling books on paganism, Starhawk’s perennial classic, now in print for almost 25 years, has been an introduction to Wicca for many people. She covers the history, deities and festivals of paganism and makes some very sensible recommendations for incorporating witchcraft into daily life. Film The Wicker Man. This brilliant 1973 film is the remarkable tale of a police officer who finds himself on an island off the English coast that turns out to be controlled entirely by pagans. The people of Summerisle represent the Gardeners of the Tree well and the film as a whole gives a great feel for what an all-pagan town might be like. And Christopher Lee does an excellent job portraying the island’s high priest. The ending is pretty cool, too. Online The Witches’ Voice (www.witchvox.com) is one of the largest pagan and Wiccan websites and online resources.
Strength______________ Dexterity_____________ Stamina______________ Nature: Essence: Demeanor: Name: Player: Chronicle: Faction: Concept: Cabal: Advantages Attributes Physical Social Mental Charisma______________ Manipulation___________ Appearance____________ Perception_____________ Intelligence____________ Wits__________________ Talents Alertness______________ Athletics______________ Awareness_____________ Brawl_________________ Dodge________________ Expression_____________ Intimidation___________ Leadership______________ Streetwise_____________ Subterfuge_____________ Crafts_________________ Drive_________________ Etiquette______________ Firearms_______________ Meditation_____________ Melee_________________ Performance____________ Stealth________________ Survival________________ Technology_____________ Academics______________ Computer______________ Cosmology_____________ Enigmas______________ Investigation___________ Law__________________ Linguistics_____________ Medicine______________ Occult________________ Science________________ Skills Knowledges Correspondence________ Entropy_______________ Forces________________ Life__________________ Matter________________ Mind_________________ Prime_________________ Spirit_________________ Time_________________ Backgrounds Arete Health OOOOOOOOOO Willpower _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ Quintessence Bruised -0 Hurt -1 Injured -1 Wounded -2 Mauled -2 Crippled -5 Incapacitated Experience Paradox Abilities Spheres OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO • OOOOOOOOOO Resonance Dynamic______________ Entropic_______________ Static________________ OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO Other Traits _________________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO ™
Weapon Difficulty Damage Range Rate Clip Conceal Merits & Flaws Merit Type Cost Flaw Type Bonus ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ Magic Preferred Effects Rotes ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ Combat Maneuver Roll Difficulty Damage/Effect Armor:___________ ™
Expanded Background Allies ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Contacts ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Destiny ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Influence ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Library ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Mentor ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Node ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Resources ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Possessions Gear (Carried) ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ Equipment (Owned) ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ___________________________ Foci ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ Wonders ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Familiar ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Past Incarnations ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ™
History Awakening ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ Goals/Destiny ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ Seekings:__________________________________Quiets:___________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ Description Age:_________________________________________________________________________________ Apparent Age:________________________________________________________________________ Date of Birth:__________________________________________________________________________ Age of Awakening:_____________________________________________________________________ Hair:________________________________________________________________________________ Eyes:_________________________________________________________________________________ Race:________________________Appearance/Nature of Avatar:_______________________________ Nationality:__________________________________________________________________________ Height:_________________________________________________________________________________ Weight:__________________________________________________________________________________ Sex:________________________________________________________________________________ Visuals Cabal Chart Character Sketch ™
Notes
Notes