Euthanatos

‘New life, new chances – these are beautiful and miraculous. But there can be nothing new if the old is not let go. There is no life without death; that is the greatest secret: the secret of change.’

Specialty Sphere: Entropy

Associated Abilities: Weaponry, Investigation, and Intimidation.

It’s hard to accept the fact that, one day, consciousness as every human knows it will end. Death, to most people, is a terrifying unknown that must be avoided at all costs. It’s little wonder, then, that people look into the eyes of a Euthanatos and suddenly grow cold. The Euthanatoi know death, and they know that it must and will come. Sometimes, these Mages bring death with them. More often, though, they bring the potential for rebirth, for the seeds of creation in the remnants of the past.

Tradition Paradigm: The Wheel of Fate carries us through life and death, and it is wrong to prevent that wheel from turning freely.

Philosophy: Death is not the end, death is an end. There isn’t much good in an existence without purpose, and even less good in an existence that brings pain to everything it touches. Better to end that thread and let a new one take its place. The Tapestry – the interweaving threads of reality – form a great picture, but suffering and sorrow mar that picture. Their responsibility is to support the world, and to perform the duties necessary to release those who only bring or know suffering. It is a duty, not a pleasure.

Many Euthanatoi place a great deal of trust in probability and fate. A life may depend on the flip of a coin – if it doesn’t come up the way you want, then fate doesn’t want it to happen anyway. Other Euthanatoi may use magic, devices, and logic to determine whether a soul can be redeemed, or if it is best to end it now and allow it a chance at a more fulfilling existence through reincarnation. Euthanatoi believe in the Wheel of Fate – that beings pass through many forms and lifetimes on their way to fulfill their final purpose. A person who gets stuck on one point of the Wheel, who refuses to advance toward their purpose, slows down the Wheel for everyone.

Not all Euthanatos magic involves killing, either – in fact, if a situation can be healed without shedding blood, all the better. Remember that their purpose is not that of killing, but of healing – separating the diseased material from the healthy, so the healthy can thrive. Better to cut off an infected limb than to let the whole organism die.

Their focus is not only on the individual, either. The world is constantly changing, but it too can be held back by social diseases. The Euthanatoi make an effort to identify these areas and end their problems, thus allowing society to heal and grow. As the world descends further into darkness and degeneration, however, this is a losing battle.

The driving force of a Euthanatos is duty. They are fully aware of the consequences of what they do, and each time these death-Mages take a life, they must be certain that it is the right thing to do. The choice is final, and the people left behind must live the rest of their lives with the loss of the victim – not an easy thing to deal with. Understanding the consequences and the benefits of the Good Death – the death that heals, the end that brings new beginnings – is vital.

Failings: There’s a reason the Euthanatos pay so much attention to emotion, calculation and certainty in their actions: Jhor. All Mages gather Resonance from their actions, but the Euthanatos in particular gather Jhor as they deal with death. Jhor is the death-taint, a feeling of death and morbidity, an obsession with death which can suck the life out of a Euthanatos and leave them as an emotionless killing machine. Thus lies the critical paradox of existence as a Euthanatos: to enforce the need for death, to be proud of the job done, but not to enjoy the killing itself. The Euthanatoi cannot savor justice, cannot enjoy a well-done death, lest they lose themselves to the lure of death, the lure of Jhor. Most Euthanatoi are acutely aware of the irony – by killing monsters, they become monsters themselves.

Likes

Cult of Ecstasy: They also understand the transience of life, and the value of a life well-lived, rather than simply survived. If they look deep enough, they will understand that joy is as transient as sorrow. Compassion comes from removing that sorrow in others, not bringing indulgence to themselves.

Sons of Ether: We had long thought the Technocracy was a hopelessly corrupted case, but suddenly these scientists have learned to see things our way. This is exactly what we want – cut away the corruption, so that the pure of heart may thrive.

Dislikes

Celestial Chorus: Their vision is narrow, and their fates do not lie with any one god. They believe in the afterlife, yet they fear death. They must learn that death, like faith, is neither good nor evil.

Dreamspeakers: They are trapped by their great history, unable to move forward. They must allow their culture’s Wheel to turn, or they will become trapped in their past.

Order of Hermes: A prideful tree with too many branches. They need to reexamine their organization, and cut away those branches that hold back their growth. Then they shall thrive.

Hollow Ones: They claim to understand death, but their simplistic embrace of morbidity is just another escape from the acceptance of death. If they could stop puffing up their pride, we would be willing to take them on as students, to experience the truth of death.

Virtual Adepts: Nothing created by humanity can ever outrun humanity’s suffering. By clinging to impersonal technology, they make themselves part of the problems of humanity, rather than part of the solution.

Hates

Akashic Brotherhood: In their fury, they brought suffering to many. They espouse peace while learning to make war. Unchanged by history, they remain the same aggressive fools we faced in the Himalayan War. They had best watch their actions, lest the Euthanatos wage war once more.

Verbena: They claim to see the cycle of life and death, but treat it with immaturity. Rather than use their insight to help people, they make offerings to their gods and spirits. Their attitude is one of cowardice – they attempt to gain control over forces of fate, because they fear accepting their place on the Wheel. They waste their gifts.

Factions

Chakravanti

The oldest of the organized Thanatoic sects, the Chakravanti define their Tradition’s identity, and remain the tenders of the eternal. They existed even before the Himalayan War, and maintain their ways while encouraging the Tradition to find the Wheel’s path in an ever-expanding array of cultures and methods. They look for the meaning in chance events, often using ancient mystical techniques such as near-death experiences and journeys into the underworld to better understand the flow and effects of karma. Their numbers include both the youngest and the oldest of the Euthanatoi.

Faction Paradigm: Human lives prosper or wither according to the karma they accrue.

Madzimbabwe

The Great Zimbabwe citadel once served as a meeting place for all the Mages in southern Africa. The Madzimbabwe continue to hold to the ancient ways, listening closely to ghosts and helping the dead find eternal rest. A spirit who refuses to move on holds back the Wheel as much as any living being. The members of the so called ‘Court of Ghosts’ often speak directly with ancestors and the spirits of the recently dead. Since they know that life does not end with death, they do all they can to help spirits find their place on the Wheel, so they might be reborn.

Faction Paradigm: The guidance of the dead plays a vital role in the affairs of the living.

Hierochthonoi

Although the Euthanatos are commonly seen as using Vedic customs to describe themselves, the Greek Arts have always influenced the Tradition. These Priests of Fate stem from Greek history, the Olympic pantheon, and the Roman Empire. They were the source of the Tradition’s name – Euthanatos, a Greek word. Now they continue keeping the traditions of pre-Christian mystery cults alive, following the ways of those few bands of ancient peoples who were willing to dip a finger into the barrier between life and death.

Faction Paradigm: By living a life of excellence and wisdom, a Mage earns the right to wield the power of the gods.

Aided

These Euthanatoi were born in the history of Celtic Europe, surviving the inquisitions there. They are known as the Bards of the Death-Tale, and were once druids responsible for the ritual sacrifice of kings, as well as such metaphorical deaths as the killing of winter to allow spring to come. True to their culture, they believe that every being is bound by Geasa which direct them to their true destiny. Great power comes with great destiny, and a fool who breaks his Geasa dooms himself.

Faction Paradigm: Every being has a given destiny which must be pursued.

Vrati

These factions, the Oathbound to the Wheel, did not arise from history; each was created to serve a specific need. Many Euthanatoi strive to be recruited into their ranks, where they can serve the Wheel of Fate directly, whether as assassins, sages, or diplomats. These are Mages with purpose, although their purposes may vary widely. When their task is done, they may rejoin another Faction, but more likely they will find another branch of the Vrati in need. Responsibility is addictive.

Faction Paradigm: The Wheel of Fate is served through deeds, not words.

Elite Cabal: The Golden Chalice

This elite faction of assassins traces their origins back to Byzantium and Troy. They specialize in alchemy and planetary motion, which they use to neutralize powerful Nephandi and the corrupt elites of Sleeper society. They divide further into the Alpha and Omega Protocols: the Alpha dealing with subtle missions, and the Omega excelling in brute force. Entry into the Golden Chalice begins with training that puts Navy SEALs to shame, 24 hours a day for two weeks. Any Euthanatos who survives and meets the approval of the masters may count himself as an elite among elites.

Cabal Paradigm: Some people must die, but it shall be done with efficiency and care.

Requirements: Investigation at 5, Weaponry and Intimidation at 4, two other Abilities at 4. Entropy at 3, and one other Sphere at 3.

“Why do you hold on so tightly to yourself? It is only a shell, and shells crack. Your spirit is the true immortal.”