Obrimos

Obrimos is one of the five Paths for mages in Mage: The Awakening.

• Their theme (and their Tarot card) is Strength, their mood Hope.
• Their Ruling Arcana are Forces and Prime
• Their inferior Arcana is Death

The Obrimos

The Obrimos, often called Theurgists, are the path of the Awakened who draw their power from the realm of Aether, the realm of angels, gods, and magic unbound. The Obrimos are commonly seen as haughty, self-absorbed, and zealously moralistic. Indeed, a great many of those who walk the Path of the Mighty live up to this stereotype perfectly. But many Obrimos are of a far more pleasant bent. They can be virtuous paladins, stalwart defenders of mankind, or simply people who wish to do the right thing by other people. Yet more are as morally indefinable as are most people. Though they do not all believe in the same god or gods, and many do not believe in such entities at all, the Obrimos path as a whole is devoted to making the will of the Divine manifest on Earth. They believe, for the most part, in various and sometimes misguided ideals of justice, virtue, and honour, all directed towards making what they perceive to be a better world.

The main personality trait that unites all the disparate philosophies of the Obrimos is their conviction. Theurgists are usually extremely self-assured and secure in their power and their righteousness. This attitude makes them rather less susceptible to self-doubt than others, but also makes them both arrogant and, at times, over-confident. They hold the nigh-on-unshakeable certainty that their ideals are the right ones for the world, despite what anyone else (including another Obrimos) has to say. They can usually be trusted to live up to these ideals, making them reliable and honest, but also rigidly moral and predictable to a fault. Many are outspokenly religious, from whence the title of Theurgists originates, and often the “Divine” ideals they hold dear would seem repugnant to everyday people. It is this fanaticism and devotion to even the most flawed of ideals that leads to the large number of Banishers walking the Obrimos path.

Walkers on the Path of the Mighty are known to the less tolerant members of other Paths as arrogant, hypocritical, and holier-than-thou. But like all the stereotypes of each path, this view only showcases the very worst examples of Obrimos fervour, passion, and morality. Though they possess their flaws, the ranks of the Obrimos are filled with as many noble idealists as pushy preachers. The supposedly divine connection of the Obrimos makes them extremely assured and confident, and this can lead to their trademark elitism, but just as often it leads to a charitable and truly noble soul. The Obrimos in turn (or at least the more egotistical amongst them) perceive other paths as either barbarians or morally bankrupt.

The Obrimos specialise in the Arcana of Forces and Prime, and suffer penalties when trying to learn the Arcanum of Death.

The Obrimos Outlook

Below are presented common views, stereotypes, and prejudices held by the Obrimos. An individual Theurgist may disagree with some or even all of these descriptions; as Paths are hardly united fronts, the individual outlooks of those who walk them vary greatly. As a whole, however, the following descriptions sum up what the perceived majority of Obrimos believe about the world, and what the world believes about them.

Orders

Adamantine Arrow

The Obrimos and the Adamantine Arrow have a long and healthy history together. War is the natural province of the Theurgists; their command over Forces gives them a wide variety of offensive tools to be employed on the battlefield, whilst their skill in Prime makes them equally adept at breaking the magical assaults and defences of others. Obrimos in the Adamantine Arrow are, ideally, champions of the weak, fearless heroes, and warriors without peer.

Obrimos Arrows often like to perceive themselves as the chivalrous knight in shining armour, winning honour and glory whilst defending the Awakened community and Sleepers alike. They are known for never giving up, even in the face of insurmountable odds, and never backing down from a fight. Obrimos soldiers form the backbone of the Adamantine Arrow, but are prone to forgetting about the contributions of their fellow Arrows from other Paths; while Theurgist warriors are fearsome prospects in battle, their straightforward nature and predictability make them vulnerable if fighting alone.

Free Council

Obrimos of an inquiring mind and formidable intellect are always welcome in the Free Council, a group which values their creativity and insight once seperated from the dogma that binds them. In the Prime Source revered by their brethren, Obrimos Councillors see not the work of a god or gods, but something more akin to a Unified Field Theory of magic, a great secret able to explain everything in the universe to those who can comprehend it. Their mastery of Forces makes them invaluable for the pursuit of physics, and their power over Prime makes them the best suited of all libertines for delving into the nature of magic itself.

The Obrimos had a large hand in the creation of the Free Council, as a great number of those who split off from the Atlantean traditions came from a schism in the Path of the Mighty, between modern magical theory and the ways of the ancient spellcasters. Those Obrimos who are members of the Free Council disdain the term "Theurgists", preferring not to link themselves with any divine force. They tend to use new terms like Enlightened or Philosophers, finding the mental connotations of these words more pleasing and more fitting with modern science.

Guardians of the Veil

There are dangers on the edge of human perception, and there always have been. In the earliest days of mankind, monsters lurked just beyond the light from the tribe's fires, waiting for the unwary to stray from the circle, never to be seen again. In ancient times, it was the duty of the mages to protect their brethren from these threats, and this is a role that the Guardians hark back to; keeping humanity seperated from the spiritual or the Supernal, for its own good. This role of the unseen protector appeals to the Obrimos, and they take to it well.

The Obrimos Guardians are the keepers of the flames that ward off the darkness, a role so steeped in mysticism that it separates the mage from the rest of society, a little apart from and a little above the Sleepers. They are often sympathetic and caring figures, but all have some sense of what is necessary. They are willing to sacrifice individual parts for the collective good. If the child possessed by a demon must die so the creature's taint cannot spread, so be it; it is the mage's burden to bear, rather than society's. Obrimos guardians follow a philosophy of amputation, cutting off the infected parts of Sleeper communities before they can threaten the whole.

Mysterium

The Obrimos serving the Mysterium have a paradox. On the one hand, it's their duty as a Theurgist to bring the Supernal Light back into the world, as their light is the hope of mankind. On the other hand, it's their duty as a mystagogue to shelter this arcane knowledge from the outside world, lest the light be extinguished. The Obrimos of the Mysterium manage to pull both off, protecting their knowledge from ignorance and the Lie whilst revealing morsels of it to the Sleepers, in the hope that they will open their minds to the truth of the world.

The Theurgists have trouble with this paradox, though; indeed it is this trouble that led to the schism that created the Obrimos wing of the Free Council. Many are unable to reconcile their Order's goal of hoarding knowledge and their Path's goal of sharing it. Those who remain on the path of the Mysterium are noted for believing they know what's best for everyone, and Obrimos mystagogues are often perceived as insufferably arrogant. The Obrimos themselves shrug these criticisms off, reasoning that this view from others is inevitable and must be ignored in favour of the preservation of Awakened knowledge, and the Awakened themselves.

Silver Ladder

The Théarchs of the Silver Ladder are the leaders of Awakened society, the wisest and best amongst magekind. The Obrimos are the chosen of the Awakened, tasked with wielding magic at its purest. Surely, then, the Obrimos should rule the Silver Ladder? Perhaps these Silver Ladder Theurgists should even rule all Awakened society? The less humble amongst the Obrimos Théarchs certainly believe so, despite the reputation of hubris even greater than their other Obrimos peers this view earns them, even despite the howls of derision from their fellow Theurgists. Many such Theurgists aren't even interested in aiding humanity, simply wishing to enforce the status quo. These Obrimos are noted for defecting to the Seers of the Throne regularly.

But many Obrimos Théarchs are more humble than that. They have had the responsibility placed in their hands to lead all humanity from the darkness, but it's a responsibility they share with those from other Paths, for they realise the Awakened succeed or fail as a whole, not by petty divisions of Path. They will, alongside those of other Orders and Paths, forge anew the connection to the Supernal Realms, bringing down the light of magic to grace Earth in its full glory. Theirs is the divine right of kings, but no better than that granted to any other Théarch.

Other Paths

Acanthus

Of all the other Paths, it's possible that the Acanthus have the best stereotype in the eyes of the Obrimos. They are merely flighty and irresponsible, not barbarians, necrophiliacs, or monsters. Even so, this doesn't exactly spare them from the bigotry of the more conservative Obrimos, who see their carefree nature as recklessness and view their wanderings through life as fleeing from their problems, leaving them for other mages to bear. They are seen as being quick to hold others to unbreakable oaths, but reluctant to make any of their own, and this is seen as dishonest in the eyes of those Obrimos who still hold up codes of medieval-style chivalry, which is a surprising number.

The Obrimos are devoted to working out their own destiny, interpreting everything that happens to them as a test of or challenge to their faith. They go through their entire lives trying to figure out their own place in the universe. That the Acanthus can simply go through life assured of their own place in it, comfortable that their destiny is what they make it, provokes hostility, resentment, and perhaps a little jealousy from the Theurgists. This jealousy isn't the type that any Obrimos would admit to the face of an Enchanter, but it's there, lurking beneath the surface.

There are no particular barriers to cooperation between an Obrimos and an Acanthus. Though the Theurgists believe the Acanthus to be careless, and the Enchanters in turn find their counterparts stuck-up, they have no glaring differences in Supernal theory. Their styles of magic don't often overlap, but this is a strength as well as a weakness; the two mages can focus on doing their own thing, rather than attempting to combine spells whilst unsure of the other half's abilities. So long as the Obrimos in question lightens up a little, and the Acanthus commits to something once in a while, there's nothing to stop a Theurgist and an Enchanter from becoming allies or even friends.

Mastigos

It’s a common belief amongst the Obrimos that the Warlocks are their antithesis. They are selfish to the Obrimos’ altruism, arrogant to their humility, and unscrupulous to their morality. All this, of course, is rather untrue; the Mastigos are as universally evil as the Obrimos are virtuous without exception. Furthermore, the faults the Theurgists tend to accuse the Warlocks of are often the first to show up within their own ranks, a fact that the Mastigos are quick to point out, laughing mockingly as they do so.

The Obrimos and the Mastigos really don't get on well, most of the time. Each Path is known for mistaking the other for something it isn't. Interactions between the two are often very abrupt, a matter of finding out what the other party wants, giving it to them in exchange for what you want, and parting ways. This isn't always the case, as many members of either Path can attest to, and the Warlocks and Theurgists have willingly cooperated on many occasions. Their alliances are usually temporary, driven apart by mutual distrust and the fabled arrogance of both sides, and their dealings are marked with attempts at power play or intimidation.

But some cooperative efforts between the Obrimos and the Mastigos have lasted. In particular, Obrimos exorcists and Mastigos demon hunters often find long-term alliances mutually beneficial, as each has powers well suited to banishing or destroying demons and spirits that would prey on humanity. Cabal-mates from either Path are generally forced to collaborate, and they will readily work together and even enjoy each other's company, agreeing on physical matters whilst arguing over the Supernal. A cabal sharing a Mastigos and an Obrimos will normally be very well defended, with the Warlock preventing magical incursion and the Obrimos efficiently destroying physical assault.

Moros

The Obrimos and the Moros have a history of misunderstanding, but little actual conflict or enmity has ever existed between the Theurgists and the Necromancers. That’s largely because they don’t really have that much common ground to argue over. The worst that any conflict between the Moros and the Obrimos gets to is arguments over the nature of death. The Moros believe that everything will turn to dust over time, and the Obrimos agree; but the Theurgists then add that acts of charity and kindness whilst on Earth can escape the dissolution of all one’s works. This angers the Moros, as by their doctrine, nothing escapes death.

Once these rather trivial differences are put aside, however, the Obrimos and the Moros are essentially arguing the same thing; that the body may perish, but the soul is eternal. True, many Obrimos regard the Moros as disgusting violators of the dead, and some Moros in turn regard the Theurgists as sanctimonious and stuck up. But the truth of the matter, as Necromancer and Theurgist elders both concede to, is that neither really knows what happens after death. Thus, the wiser members of each Path focus not on what they don’t know, but on what they can do.

When all is said and done, the Obrimos and the Moros make excellent partners, especially in the creation of enchanted items and artefacts. Wielding power over Matter, a Moros can make equipment of a fine enough grade to act as a shell for the Prime magic of the Obrimos. Two skilled willworkers from either Path can create a large number of enchanted items comparatively quickly, which will provide great benefits in the long run for the cabal that plays host to the two mages.

Thyrsus

The Obrimos and the Thyrsus often rub each other the wrong way. History itself supports this; the solar gods or monotheistic religions favoured by the Theurgists and the lunar gods or animistic religions patronised by the Shamans have been in conflict throughout history, from the bickering between dual celestial gods like Apollo and Artemis or Ra and Thoth to the clash of Christianity and the pagan traditions. The Theurgists tend to be idealistic, judgemental, and disciplined; the Shamans are pragmatic, easy going, and passionate.

But the two Paths can agree, and have done so before. Members of both Paths are both repelled a little by the other, but there’s a current of fascination underlying the contempt. The Obrimos are critical, and the Thyrsus shy from this criticism. The Thyrsus seem chaotic and violent to the Obrimos. But both Paths have admirable strength, determination, and wisdom, and they can recognise these qualities in one another. The Obrimos and the Thyrsus both think that the other can be improved, but they each see common ground in their philosophies.

The two Paths are often found side by side in the Adamantine Arrow, the Theurgists serving as soldiers, and the Shamans as combat medics and spirit-fighters. Each group of soldiers sees the other as dedicated, courageous, and fearsome foes. Likewise, the two Paths often see common ground in the Mysterium, where their access to history and philosophy allows them to get an accurate view of their common ground as well as their differences. They don’t tend to get on well within the Silver Ladder, though; the natural elitism sponsored by that order highlights their conflicts over their agreements, and they see each other as dirty barbarians or uptight zealots.

Other Creatures

Sleepers

The Theurgists see themselves as guardians and teachers of the Sleepers, inspiring them to Awaken and come into the true light of the Ars Mysteriorum. It is their duty to bring the Sleepers out of darkness, for their own good and the advancement of the plans laid down by the Oracles. But even the noblest of intentions can have disastrous consequences, and the Sleepers have a knack for confusing the Supernal with those trying to bring it to them. Many, in their ignorance, start to view the Obrimos as gods, and the natural pride of the Theurgists makes them vulnerable to believing this themselves.

The Obrimos seem prone to slipping into the delusion that it’s easy to teach the Sleepers how to Awaken. They peddle magical theory as hard-and-fast truth, not realising that magic and Awakening can be highly subjective. Though they mean well, passing out their magical truths rather than encouraging the Sleepers to find their own sometimes serves to hinder magical advancement. Those Obrimos who are successful in showing others the path to enlightenment are those who nudge the Sleepers in the right direction, rather than simply handing them all the answers.

Vampires

Overall, the Obrimos do not approve of vampires. Many see the Kindred as simply parasites, more akin to demons than people, and seek to exterminate them wherever they can. This prejudice isn’t helped by the fact that many vampires slip into embracing their dark sides and becoming mindless predators, rather than attempting to retain some human emotion or compassion. Even those more willing to perceive the vampires as people in their own right have some trouble getting over the fact that to exist, the Kindred must feed on living blood.

The easiest way to a vampire to avoid the ire of the Obrimos would be by not remaining awake for more than 100 years, as it is doubtful the Theurgists care too much about blood drunk from animals. Still, it’s fairly unlikely that a given Theurgist could tell the difference between a vampire who drinks from animals and one who drinks from humans, and it’s even less likely that a given vampire is going to care what the Obrimos think or even be able to distinguish them from the rest of the Awakened. Cooperation between the Obrimos and the Kindred is not impossible, but it’s a sad fact that their own natures will usually get in the way of such collaboration.

Werewolves

Popular belief amongst the Theurgists states that the werewolves are savage, bloodthirsty monsters, barely able to act on their better natures amidst a tide of bestial savagery. Of course, and in the same manner as with vampires, those werewolves notable enough to draw the attention of any Awakened other than the Thyrsus are those who are noted for their slaughter of humans or other acts of barbarity. Many – if not most – werewolves bear no ill-will towards humanity and will avoid killing them if possible, but the judgemental nature of the Obrimos means that they often can’t tell the difference between a paragon of Harmony and a rampaging Zi'ir.

The Obrimos are less likely to be openly hostile to the Uratha than they are to the Kindred, as the werewolves don’t need to feed off human society and regard doing so as a sin. However, the werewolves also conjure up images of what the mages were originally created to fight, that dark time in which spirits preyed freely upon mortals and the world was swathed in darkness and ignorance. A lot of Obrimos aren’t aware of the Uratha’s function of keeping down errant spirits and hosts, thinking them one more Shadow Realm predator.