Celestial Chorus
‘The One is glorious and
nameless. The One carries all the names
ever sung. Listen to the song swelling
inside and around you, and you will know the One and Prime.’
Specialty Sphere: Prime
Associated
Abilities: Influence, Etiquette, and Weaponry.
The Celestial Chorus is one of the most misunderstood
Traditions of all the Nine. Although it
is a religious Tradition without question, it does not focus on one religion
over another. The One and Prime that the
Chorus reveres transcends any single congregation’s deity. All humanity is part of that cosmic song, the
glorious radiance of Pure and Prime.
When humanity is united again in this reverence, the Prime shall be
whole again, the song manifest and the universe healed.
Tradition Paradigm: We
are empowered by our relationship with the One, and our faith is our power.
Philosophy: The
philosophy of the Chorus is as old as mankind – the belief in a guiding power,
a faith in the unexplainable, and a duty to serve. Nothing so defines humanity as its capacity
to strive for the divine. On some level,
every individual, every being is aware of this greater power, and unity awaits
us all. We sing together in a great
chorus, every voice joining in a greater harmony.
The base creed of the Chorus is that of the universal Aum, the song that was sung before time was time. The One began a song, and that song split
into the infinite harmony that is all the children of the One.
Magic is the will of the One, and the singers simply open
themselves to it. They become channels
for the Song and allow the flow of harmony to fill their spirits and their
voices. Humans are simply the hands and
fingers of the One and Prime. Because of
their high, metaphysical ideals, their area of expertise is Prime, the
fundamental building blocks of creation.
On a more down-to-Earth note, Choristers don’t just stand
behind a pulpit and preach. These people
volunteer in soup kitchens, fundraisers, and free medical clinics, fulfilling
the needs of their fellow man and bringing their message to the people.
The strength of this Tradition is its devotion to its
highest ideals. The ideal Chorister is
compassionate, strong, faithful, and altruistic. Choristers make a stand, defending the
Sleepers against oppression and hate.
This Tradition may be peaceful, but it is definitely not nonviolent.
Failings: On the
surface, the Chorus may seem like a unified whole under the One and Prime, but
the divisions between the various religions remain. This, of course, lies directly in the way of
the Tradition’s goal of unifying humanity.
If they can’t agree on their own philosophy, how can they possibly guide
others?
Likes
Akashic Brotherhood: We are beginning to understand the wisdom of
their Eastern religions, faces of the One which we have previously
ignored. They place the human mind as
equal with the One. Humanity is noble,
but the Brotherhood must learn humility.
Dreamspeakers: Their shamans revere many gods, but they are all
faces of the One. They take care not to
traffic with devils. By extending a
faithful hand to them, we can gain a great ally.
Dislikes
Euthanatos: They thirst for justice, and punish evil. However, they deal too freely in death. The One can forgive; it is a skill these
death-mages would do well to learn.
Order of Hermes: The One cannot be categorized and controlled by
some esoteric Latin chants and a sprinkling of herbs. They understand the need for human
organization, but they believe they can extend their organization into the
heavens.
Sons of Ether: Creation is a noble effort, and by creating they
mimic the divine. This does not make
them God, and they would do well to look past their trinkets and toys to the
divine inspiration that made them possible.
Verbena: We extend a hand of faith to them, and they resort to
their bloody rituals and nature deities.
They glimpse the one, but refuse to see him. Regardless, these watered-down Wiccans aren’t
nearly as bad as the witches of old.
Some may yet return to our flock.
Hollow Ones: The song cannot reach deaf ears. Our arms are open, but they must choose to
rejoin us.
Hates
Cult of Ecstasy: They seek the divine, but they choose the
profane. They corrupt the beauty which
the One has granted us by subjecting it to acidic drugs, filthy orgies, and
disregard for any standard of decency.
They have slipped far from the noble seers they once were, and now their
depravities dip into evil waters.
Virtual Adepts: They cannot imagine a creature more ‘elite’ than
themselves. Each Adept climbs on top of
the others, striving to be the greatest creature on the planet, without
understanding the people below them, or the powers above them. You are not ‘the One.’
Factions
The Guardian Orders
Both the
most respected and the most insulted factions of the Chorus, these guardians of
faith keep the Song alive with their actions.
However, the legacies of witch hunts and Crusades in Chorus history
tarnish their names by association. The
Guardian Orders protect the innocent at all costs, from threats both human and
supernatural, and often target large corporations, organized crime and corrupt
politicians. These are the swords of
faith, and they take great efforts to remain sharp.
Faction Paradigm: By
protecting this world, we bring it closer to the next.
The Theological
Orders
These groups focus more on
introspection, theology, philosophy or religious orthodoxy. These orders attract those Choristers who
work more in the realms of pure thought.
They often come from various religions, and have various goals. They are unified by their love of thought and
debate, and often their desire for change.
The 
Theological
Orders are constantly thinking of ways to improve the Chorus, their
communities, and the world – even though their ideas don’t always agree.
Faction Paradigm: We
can grow closer to the One through thought and contemplation.
Infinite Diversity
While the greatest number of Choristers are from Christian churches and
Judaism, they are not the entire Tradition.
Since the first Grand Council, the Chorus has welcomed numerous other
groups. The One is not limited by
geography, after all. These include Hare
Krishnas, Hindus, Rastafarians, Sikhs, Mithraites, and such.
Wherever there is faith, there is the Celestial Chorus. But even though all these religions have been
lumped into a Faction, that doesn’t mean they agree – in fact, it has only
fostered more heated debates between them!
Faction Paradigm: The
One is more than just a Christian god, and my religion brings me closer to the
Song.
The Song of the
Ancients
The Chorus
is not only interested in the One, but also how the One has presented himself to various times and cultures. The Song of the Ancients is a loosely organized network of students and practitioners, who
come together once a year to exchange stories, information, and research. Founded to serve as a gathering place for
Choristers who were from or studying tribal and other ancient religious
beliefs, they include mystics studying the ancient faiths of
Faction Paradigm: The
One has shown himself to many cultures, and we should
remember all these as visions of the Song.
Elite Cabal: The
Knights of St. George and the Dragon
The pinnacle of the Guardian
Orders is also the most difficult to enter.
Although they were once the largest of the Guardian Orders, their
numbers have dropped as modern transportation brings them more and more into
contact with the monsters of the night.
Rather than simply accept these losses, the Knight have raised their
standards, becoming the Celestial Chorus’s elite hunter unit, devoted to
protecting humanity from the monsters that roam the night. To join the Knights, a Chorister can expect a
baptism in fire.
Cabal Paradigm: The
One cannot flourish where there is fear.
We are the knights who strike down the monsters.
Requirements: Weaponry
at 5, Etiquette and Influence at 4, two other Abilities at 4. Prime at 3, Forces at 3.
“Look within yourself to see the
burning spark of the One, and let it burst forth in song! We are many, but we act in concert. Always listen to the songs of those around
you, and never forget the One, our origin and our destiny.”