Acanthus

"The meaning of the cards is clear -- you will suffer a tragedy soon. There is, however, someone who can avert your fate. For a price, of course..."

Favored Resistance Attribute: Composure

Rulling Arcana: Time / Fate

Inferior Arcana: Forces

Legacies: Walker in Mists, Skald, Tamer of Winds

Concepts: Charlatan, karmic enforcer, schizophrenic, contemporary bard, gypsy prophet, lucky ne'er-do-well

Summary: Enchanters on the Path of Thistle, Scions of the Watchtower of the Lunargent Thorn in the Realm of Arcadia, Kingdom of Enchantment and Abode of the Fae.

The mages of the Lunargent Thorn have a reputation as the most capricious of the Awakened. To their friends, that makes them "free spirits," or "a breath of fresh air." Their detractors are more likely to apply terms such as "unstable," "immature," or "childish." Many mages see something fey or otherworldly about the Acanthus, and the Enchanters themselves are hardly in any position to deny it.

Maturity and stability are not the strengths of those on the Path of Thistle. They are visionaries with extraordinary insights into events both past and future, but they may not always make as much of their insights as they could -- much to the chagrin of other mages. Their peers accuse them of being flaky or even irrational, but those allegations seem not to phase the Acanthus in the least. Many reasons have been put forth for their odd behavior. Some have suggested that those on the Enchanter's Path are so inundated with the endless branches of the time stream that nothing seems impossible and no decision seems irreversible. In their defense, the Path of Thistle truly does promise much more than a mage can handle until she grows into her magic.

Because so much of her magic takes the form of uncanny good fortune, it's possible for a mage on the Path of Thistle to imagine herself merely extraordinarily lucky, and many show a tendency toward superstition even in their magic. For this reason, many believe that Acanthus epitomize the tarot trump of "The Fool," relying on dumb luck to guide their journeys. Their sense of wonder and endless possibility often inspires hope in others, for to an Acanthus, the odds are never unbeatable and there are always second chances.

Acanthus are drawn to crowds, but they seem destined to be stuck on the edges of any crowd they hang with, always "the new guy" no matter how long they've been with a group. Their charming ways often make great first impressions, but charm goes only so far, especially once the going gets rough and the Acanthus expects others to pick up his slack.

Orders

Some orders are cautious about taking on Acanthus, feeling that they're too mercurial and unfocused to be proper members. Given the tendency of Enchanters to feel they can get out of anything at any point they so choose, many orders are concerned with their level of commitment.

That said, when they do join orders, those on the Path of Thistle show a slight preference for the Free Council, where their nimble minds are free to innovate as they see fit, and for the Mysterium, where they are free to test their wits against ancient lore.

Enchanters have a love/hate relationship with the Silver Ladder. While they are lukewarm about the order's goals, they are fascinated by the power and resolve it fosters.

The Adamantine Arrow recruits Acanthus for the sheer strategic value they bring to the order, but war is not a popular pursuit with Enchanters. The Guardians of the Veil also try to bring in more Acanthus, because their luck and insight is invaluable in the defense of the Mysteries, but many Acanthus find the work of the order to be dull.

Appearance

Mages on the Acanthus Path often have attractive features, though their eyes often take on a crafty, vulpine quality over time that others may interpret as shifty or somehow dishonest. They often appear younger than they are, an impression reinforced by the nigh-omnipresent glimmer in their eyes.

Sanctums

Whether or not they seek out their own kind, Acanthus are extraordinarily social creatures. They often "hide in plain sight," setting up their sanctums in places that are near to community focal points of one sort or another: Opera houses, theaters, bars, nightclubs, or temples. More often than not, sheer dumb luck keeps others from finding such places, or at least realizing what they are.

Background

The Acanthus Path most commonly opens up to those who are young and inexperienced or to those who cast off a former life in favor of a new beginning or strange horizons. It favors those who rely on illusion, glamour, luck, or benign trickery to make their way, and to those who are completely lost in the world due to temperament or circumstance. Students, orphans, gamblers, stage magicians, artists, con artists, models, actors, musicians, schizophrenics, "escorts" and vagrants are all susceptible to Arcadia's touch.

Character Creation

Generally charming and quite astute, Acanthus often come from backgrounds in which they survived by their wits, good looks or mental agility. Consequently, they frequently emphasize Social and Mental Attributes, though not necessarily in that order. Physical Attributes are often tertiary, though the most developed of these is usually Dexterity. Social Skills are almost always emphasized, and many Acanthus seem to have a fair understanding of the techniques of Larceny.

Hope is the ideal Virtue of Enchanters, for even those who don't aspire to it as their guiding principle tend to respect those who do. Sloth, on the other hand, is the Vice elders warn younger mages about, but many still seem to succumb to it.

The Danger Sense Merit is especially appropriate for mages on the Thistle Path, and any of the Social Merits are also good picks.

Nimus

"Fey." Things seem enchanted or pregnant with the possibility of magic. In some cases, a greenish glow might highlight metals or reflective surfaces, and eerie, strange singing can be heard from afar. With powerful magic, fogs and mists might rise to cloak the ground. Time condenses into the present moment; concerns about the past or future seem less pressing, less real. Everyone's heart seems to beat in synch, although the silence between beats hints of eternity. Things sometimes seem to move in slow motion, with sublime grace and beauty.

Associations

"Amiable anarchy" is about as good a description of Acanthus organizational principles as you're likely to get. They don't view others in terms of powerful or weak, superior or inferior, or even good or evil, but rather as charming or tedious. Those who "get" them (i.e., those who can tolerate their caprice and maybe even go along with it to an extent) they get along with famously. Those who can't they would rather avoid if at all possible. Just as they dislike others telling them what to do, Acanthi would never presume to tell another mage what to do, and so most interactions between Acanthus are pleasant if somewhat shallow and transient. On occasions where such mages are obligated to work together, their interactions are often surprisingly awkward and uncomfortable.