The Library of Babel

What if there was a library that contained every book possible? Well, conjecture no further. Inspired by the text "T'he Library of Babel" by Jorge Luis Borges, we made an infinate library. In contains:

Everything will be in its blind volumes. Everything: the minute history of the future, The Egyptians of Aeschylus, the precise number of times the waters of the Ganges have reflected the flight of a falcon, the secret and true name of Rome, the encyclopedia Novalis would have constructed, my dreams and daydreams in the dawn of the 14th of August in 1934, the demonstration of Pierre Fermat’s theory, the unwritten chapters of Edwin Drood, those same chapters translated into the language of the Garamantes, the paradoxes Berkeley cerebrated concerning time and never published, Urizen’s books of iron, the premature epiphanies of Stephen Daedelus which before a cycle of 1000 years will signify nothing, the gnostic gospel of Basilides, the song the sirens sang, the translation of every book into every language, in interpolations of every book into all books, the true story of every person's death, the faithful catalogue of the Library, the demonstration of the fallacy of that catalogue. Everything, but for a rational line or just notion there will be millions of nonsensical cacophonies, of verbal farragoes and babblings. Everything, but the generations of men can pass without finding among the vertiginous shelves - the shelves that obliterate the day and in which the chaos dwells - a single tolerable page.

Don't believe us? Check it out: https://libraryofbabel.info/

Ars Spirituum

The Art of Spirits is used to connect between other realms and denizens therein.Before attempting to study this sphere, one must, and I emphasize must, become familiar with cosmology, as well as having a simple understanding of spirits, their lore, legends, myths, and facts. Once you have achieved the appropriate knowledge you may then start working to truly perceive the other realms. After perception lies the ability to call or summon certain entities as well as reach out into the void.

I caution any mage to not summon or deal with any creatures that they cannot handle, some entities may be summoned more easily than can be banished while others may bring unwanted results for having been conjured against their own desires. Be warned.Disciple level of understanding can allow one to awaken inanimate objects to strengthen their composition and interact with the umbral reflections. Further understanding allows the barriers between realms be to be distorted and manipulated. I do not recommend performing such effects so lightly.

Ars Potentiae

The Art of Power deals with a Mage’s true potential beyond the fabric of reality granting one the power and essence of creation. The limits to this sphere are innumerable and go beyond comprehension of this realm. The essence of creation may be studied at an Apprentice level of understanding but fueling creation requires an Initiate level of understanding. Drawing and draining energy requires Disciple training but even still the true strength of this sphere is not grasped until you achieve Adept or Master understanding. However, even masters are limited in their uses of this sphere and this must be explored further so that Archmastery may be achieved and the true strength of this sphere may be exploited.

Important things to note, Charms may be created with Disciple prime. Charms are one use items that are often consumed by either the effect or paradox. The process of creating a charm is often time consuming but also enhances your own abilities allowing charms to be made to perform effects at one level higher than your own understanding. However, charms are limited to only be able to hold one sphere. If a mage attempts to force more effects into a single object, one or both effects might backlash upon the mage. Creating charms requires quintessence to forge and to activate so be prepared.

Ars Mentis

The Art of the Mind is very similar to correspondence. It begins with understanding ones’ self before expanding outward. Empowering and defending ones’ own mind is an important step than should not be overlooked. An apprentice can strengthen his own mind and sense other minds. Strengthening a mind may take the form of enhancing general capacity, empowering basic functions such as speed reading, processing some complex information, or simply reinforcing the existing processes. Initiates are able to sublimate emotional changes by sending impulses and perceiving emotions. Strong emotional energies often manifest as resonance and may be observed and manipulated with this level of understanding. Resonance may also be shielded against, but is a bit more complex and is rarely lasting and is more of a ‘cloaking’ effect to conceal certain resonance.

Disciples can connect to others’ conscious minds allowing for telepathic connections and minor manipulations of the senses. I have heard that becoming invisible by simply going unnoticed is possible at this level, though I have yet to see this evidence. Adepts may take more direct control over minds allowing one to overpower another’s mind and possess them. The mage may also dig deep into others’ minds and manipulate memories. Be wary of those with capability.

Master level allows control over consciousness. This level is also essential to reach realms of thought beyond typical reaches.

Mind has the potential to be the most useful and most dangerous of spheres if one were to invade or interfere with others’ minds, the results could be less than desirable. Doubting your thoughts, memories, and sanity may drive a Mage into quiet, a state where insanity takes a vicious form of reality on its own.

Ars Virium

The Art of Force is the most essential sphere for any Mage who wishes to exert their will upon the universe. Forces is by far the most diverse sphere in my opinion. Creating shields, weapons, barriers, illusions, distractions, stealth, empowerment, disempowerment, and other potent effects – Especially when used in conjunction with others. The Apprentice learns to understand and perceive forces that are typically beyond their senses. Seeing or hearing outside their typical spectrum is no longer outside of capabilities. Initiates are given the ability to influence minor energy flows. Small manipulations allow for fantastic feats of elatrical disruptions, manipulating technology in a modern age has become much easier. Shielding is also a possibility. Sounds, lights, kinetic energy, gravitational pull, radiation, and many other forms of energy. Forces may be directed as forms of defense, offense, or neutralizing – simply one of the most versatile of the ‘basic’ spheres.

Disciples may freely transmute energies, further empowering ones’ ability to manipulate the world around them. Such feats of telekinesis and other such effects that bend the laws of physical reality are possible. Turning light into a kinetic pulse can make a flashlight a deadly weapon or a potent distraction. Unfortunately these manipulations are almost entirely vulgar, and paradox reacts more viciously to such blatant mutations.Adepts are able to control the same forces but on a much a larger scale and with more efficiency.

Masters can transmute large scales of energy similar to the disciple levels.

Ars Conligationis

The Art of Correspondence is based on connections between any and all things. These connections can be seen and interpreted through various methods depending on the Focus.  First the Apprentice Mage must understand his place in the tapestry. After achieving Initiate rank, through a combination of meditation and study the mage might be able to expand his/her understanding beyond ones’ self in the form of remote viewing, scrying, or as some incorrectly label this as ‘astral projection’. These abilities allow the mage to explore the world in a new light and can often lead to a unique shift in world view. At this stage of comprehension he is also capable of protecting himself from being remotely viewed by slightly distorting local special locations, effectively warding the area. A mage at this point may be potentially dangerous if they were to remotely weave, reweave, or unweave mystical effects. However, an uneducated mage may not be concerned with local reality if he were hiding in a sanctum, but such practices may induce paradox on either the effect or the mage.

Once the Mage reaches Disciple level, the mage is now able to manipulate special connections and relations. The mage may focus on unique similarities between objects and if need be, create them. If the mage is aware of such connection he may target them remotely. Such a connection is known as an Arcane connection allowing magick to flow more freely and across vast distances as if the two were the same unit. This level also allows more potent special distortions. As a Ward protects the space around a location the mage may reach or jump across nearby distances. Another more potent distortion of space hardens the tapestry preventing a space to be entered or left. Such effect is called a Ban, though the Order has specific Warding methods that relate to more potent Bans or Wards. Similar to the scrying abilities, the Mage may quickly scan through multiple locations, though I do not recommend splitting perceptions as it may lead to rather complicated outcomes without mental fortifications.

The Adept is no longer limited to space existing in the tapestry. The mage may utilize and access space between the threads in the tapestry, The tapestry will resist this effect and eject such violation on such targets (These “Bubbles of Reality” often pop). In addition to using space between fabric of the tapestry, the mage may make minor adjustments or copies in the tapestry, this is a more difficult topic to explain, but it may be simplified to polyappearance. The mage may also freely open portals to places that the Mage has an Arcane connection to. Often Mages will use this to pull people into their sanctums or places where they have an advantage.

A master’s abilities in correspondence are nearly unlimited and even more complex to fit into such a narrow explanation here.

The Curious Question of Vampiric Enlightnenment

Mages think about enlightenment. Scientists, mystics, and magicians alike strive to broaden their view of the world and overcome old modes of thinking. It is in our nature. Perhaps it is our nature.

Enlightenment isn't the first think we think of when discussing vampires. Self-centered, grasping, neurotic, hard to kill, meddling, sure... but enlightened? But speaking of overcoming old modes of thinking, perhaps we (and they) are in for a rude awakening.

Vampiric enlightenment may actually exist. I stumbled on this body of lore while doing a research project on strategies for controlling the beast vampires find within themselves. Since my lasts publication was on the nature of defending against vampire powers, I thought it appropriate to publish something on the pro-vamp side. Maybe not all vampires are asshats. Or rather, maybe they don't have to be asshats.

It turns out that there seems to be a spiritual cure for the Beast, and potentially all aspects of the vampiric curse. But to get these stories, you have to go into the way back, and I mean the way way back machine and tread in realms of myth that are just slightly younger than gravity. I should point out that these stories could be complete and total crap. That said, I like them, and there is a compelling ring of something that might sound a little like truth to them.

The First

The first one begins with the first vampire. Now, there are many first vampires. There are Chinese, Greek, Indonesian, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Hebrew, and Slavic vampires. And each of these cultures has a different first vampire. So I should point out that I have no reason to suspect this myth is any better than any of the others. It’s the only one that has anything close to a happy ending. In every other story, the vampires are demons who just have to die. So if I were a gambling man wagering on the truth of myths, I’d bet that vamps are screwed. But here’s the one that has a potential happy ending. 

It starts with the murderer Cain. You know the beginning of that tale. Cain bashes in Abel’s head. God doesn’t like that, so Cain (though some vampiric scholars prefer Caine) gets cursed and wanders the land miserably. It isn’t clear exactly how the curse gets laid. Some versions say the initial curse from the Almighty was the whole package. Other versions say that Cain shacks up with some woman (the first Verbena, actually) and she grants him power and as part of that power he gets three curses from three angels while he’s tripped out on a seeking. The curse of fire, the curse of sunlight, and the BEAST WITHIN, which makes him want to dine on blood. Our buddy Cain also gets visited by a fourth angel who tells him that as much as his life sucks, there is a way out. A way called Golconda. A way of forgiveness, salvation, light, and life that will break the other three curses.

Sadly, Cain doesn’t seem to get there. Some stories say Cain tells God to fuck off. Others stories say Cain tries but fails. Either way, the OG vampire never breaks his curse. Further searches on him go cold.

The Demon-Saint

BUT, we are armed with another word. Golconda. Back to the drawing board. Recasting the search we find reference to a dude named Saulot. I’m unclear on the genealogy, and I’m not sure it matters for our purposes. Saulot was a prophet, and unlike the rest of his kind he sorta hated being a vampire. He was into meditation and other spiritual exercises to overcome his condition while also serving his kind as healer. He disappears for a few centuries, some say Asia, and turns up with a third eye and preaching about Golconda. His tale gets weird after that. Some say he’s a hero-saint. Other people say he’s a soul-eating monster. There’s this whole thing with some lich-mage that Saulot may or may not have been eaten by. I tried to find him directly and ask about Golconda (because vampire; he could be alive!), but my cursory search failed.

This Golconda thing has been a bit of a myth. Some vampires claim they have achieved it. It is associated with various boons: the lack of anger or fear, the ability to learn any vampiric power, staying up during the day, and losing the vampiric condition entirely.

How to get there? Mixed reviews. Some say they need a teacher or mentor. Others say they need to foster a saintly demeanor. Others say they need to go on quests to prove their commitment. Others say they need to atone for literally every wrong they've ever done. I can’t find the truth of it, exactly. It all seems like a pseudo-Christian veneer stretched over vampire lore. Some say that Golconda is preceded by a state called Suspire, which is like a nearly perfect state. I like the myth that says the Suspire vampire (which is fun to say) goes on one final mindquest, and afterward either goes into a final frenzy or reaches Golconda.

And that’s where the trail runs cold.

For amateurs.

Any armchair historian listening to the myth of Saulot should be asking him or herself one very simple, very important question: What the fuck happened in Asia? Goes off and comes back with a third fucking eye spouting some new mystical mumbo jumbo and maybe eating souls or maybe causing enlightenment? Saulot 1: shy prophet boy, Saulot 2: ….. Saulot 3: Wacked out Demon King or Saint.

So Asia. Come on. Does that even classify as a mystery?

What went down in Asia? No mention of Saulot, but there is some foreigner who gets referred to as Zao-lat. Really? I’ve had more trouble with Blue’s Clues. Anyway, what do the legends say about this mysterious Zao-lat? I’ll quote: Zao-lat was “a student of Xue, a thief, a despicable creature who benefited from Xue's compassion, learned Ch'iuh Muh, sat at the feet of the master and stole his wisdom.”

Oh-kay. No mincing words there. Now, one of the things we look for in historical records is convergences. If things get mentioned the same way in different sources who didn’t copy each other, they probably happened. Do we have convergence here? I did some looking into Ch'iuh Muh. It’s a magical power of the eastern vampires. It translates roughly into “Dragon Tears.” Badass, right? Do you know what Ch'iuh Muh bestows on its practitioners? A third fucking eye. I’d call that some convergence. Saulot's thievery lead me to Xue.

The Master
Grand Arhat Xue is a super renown “Kuei-jin” (it’s what they call themselves) mystic who articulates in the text the Blood Sutras a philosophy he calls the “Five Dharmas.” Here’s the gist. Vampires are demonic creatures, but they can get to enlightenment and return to the karmic cycle. By behaving a lot like a mage (following a mystic path, having bursts of insight, and striving for enlightenment), vampires can slowly subsist on more sublime chi. If vampires are not enlightened, they draw chi out of blood. As they become more enlightened, they draw it out of the air. Super enlightened vamps can draw it out of the chi let of by the gently unfolding lotus flower of the universe (no shit). These five Dharmas of Xue’s are five different ways of achieving enlightenment. They have to do with resplendent cranes and thrashing dragons and all manner of awesomeness. Here’s a summary: 

• Resplendent Crane (Hun). The Way of the Resplendent Crane is a highly legalistic collection of schools, dedicated to reversing the Wheel of Ages and restoring virtue.
• Devil-Tiger (P'o). The Devil-Tigers believe that they are replacements for the incompetent demons of ages past; they punish sinners and seek enlightenment through pain and violence.
• Song of the Shadow (Yin). The yin-aspected Song of the Shadow, also known as Bone Flowers, are coldly logical necromancers who seek dispassionate reasoning and enforcement of dharmic balance. They are also tightly tied to mortal society through their descendants, and often assist their families even centuries afterward.
• Thrashing Dragon (Yang). The often misunderstood Thrashing Dragon dharma recognizes that they are dead, but seeks to achieve enlightenment by imitating and interacting with the living. Despite the stunned disbelief of some Resplendent Cranes, they are a fully recognized Dharma, even if they seem to eat and screw their way through unlife.
• Thousand Whispers (Balance). The Thousand Whispers live a sequence of masks, new identities they construct after death in order to understand mortal life and hopefully transcend it.

There are other Dharmas created by other people, but those five are Xue’s. I’d stick with the OG. Xue goes on to say that vampires have various souls. A “wind soul” that is the directed, harmonious, rational Hun soul. But they also have a P’o soul, which is what one might call the Beast, and it has three subparts, the fire, wave, and shadow soul.

Here’s some real advice. According to Xue, even though the P’o soul is bad news and unharmonious, vamps can’t just ignore it or stifle it. If they over crush it, they become cold and dead and too fucking rational. They need to be in harmony with their disharmony. No shit. They need to accept, understand, and assimilate their Beast. The vampiric Beast, according to shen philosophers, even has a nature of its own. Which they need to learn and understand. It can be a bandit, deceiver, demon, fool, or any number of seemingly bad but useful and ultimately not bad in that they have to let it be disharmoniously harmonious (or harmoniously disharmonious, I’m not sure, my translation was unclear) with their rational nature.

The eastern vampires have an elaborate list of activities that basically move vamps forward and backward on their quest for Dharmic enlightenment. The nice list includes:

• Being taught by a Kuei-jin who has mastered a higher level in their Dharma.
• Being taught by a Kuei-jin who holds a higher rank than their; but in a different Dharma.
• Receiving instruction from a bodhisattva (super vampire).
• Understanding a master's koan.
• Receiving instruction from a Yama King or similar powerful spirit.
• Journeying through the spirit worlds (for the first time).
• Understanding a master's koan.
• Doing something within the tenets of their Dharma that costs them something important.
• Meditating for at least one week with one of the training methods.
• Coming very near to death.
• Understanding a master's koan.
• Receiving an auspicious omen.

The naughty list (they call them Acts of Blindness)

• Violating some important tenet of their Dharma.
• Attempting to follow the tenets of their path, but failing in some really costly manner.
• Acting in an extraordinarily egotistical manner.
• Losing themselves in mortal concerns and neglecting enlightenment.
• Losing themselves to the P'o (even if they belong to the Devil Tiger path).
• Discovering that a Dharma teacher lied to them.
• Being banished by a priest or other person with True Faith.
• Killing an ancestor or bodhisattva.
• Meeting the Little Death.
• Receiving a bad omen.

Moving Forward
Here’s the bad news. Kuei-jin are different from western vampires. I believe they are metaphysically different. They aren’t made the same way, and there seem to be variances. So maybe none of this stuff works on western vampires at all. But there are a few reasons to hope.

One. The western Golconda myths correlate roughly to aspects of the Dharmic journey. Find a mentor; taught by a master. Can learn any power; chi flows in a way that is magnified. There are corollaries, which suggests it may work.

Two. The western version is ok, but Xue’s method is more complete. Which means there are many things to try, more avenues to go down. Also, based on my academic intuition, I’d say Xue’s is the more coherent doctrine. I think the westernized version oversimplifies the Beast in unproductive ways (influenced by Christianity, if you want my opinion).

Three. It worked for Saulot. It did. He learned the third eye trick. And he taught it. But here’s the very, very best part. You know how I mentioned that Saulot is known for being both a saint and a soul eater? Some chalk this up to lich-mage propaganda. But it isn’t. Here’s the deal.  Ch'iuh Muh, the Dragon Tear, is a discipline that manifests one way when vampires are in their Hun soul, and another way when they are in their P’o soul. When in Hun, they can purify others and coax their souls out and make give them enlightenment. When in P’o soul, they can poison others and coax their souls out and gnaw on their spirit bits. Saulot was just struggling with a spiritual reality misunderstood in his geographical region. But in the east, he would be seen as just crying another Ch'iuh Muh. That mystery I’ll take a little credit for.

So, if you have vampire friends who are interested in overcoming the ravages of their condition, based on the myths of Cain, Saulot, and Xue, there are a few things they can do: 

• Contact Angel #4 and get him to break God’s curse on them. I’m only sorta joking.
• Find Saulot and get him to teach them about Golconda.
• Find another Golcondic (is that a word?) vampire and have him mentor them.
• Travel to the far East and learn from the Bodhisattvas.
• Learn about and meditate on the various paths of vampiric enlightenment and see if any make them want to eat fewer people.
• Repent for all their sins, seek atonement, and fix everything they ever broke.
• Try to pull chi out of the air by breathing.
• Sleep with a Verbena, get her to grant them enlightenment, and GIVE AWAY their power.
• Find Cain, cure him of his curse, and break the curse for everyone.
• Learn Ch'iuh Muh (or Saulot’s watered down version)
• Fulfill their destiny, then let a Euthanatos kill them (the permanent solution). 

Maybe none of this will work, but maybe it will? Who knows.

I will say this. The Ascension War was fought over the notion that ALL humans were worth giving a shot at releasing the arbitrary confines of the realities that controlled them so as to engender a world where the possible was more powerful than the necessary. What if we shot too low? What if all entities, human, vampiric, or otherwise, were what we were supposed to be fighting for?