Magic and Powers in the Weimar Republik

Magic

The tech in the Weimar Republik itself is in the early-2000s, but unusually for such a high tech world, magic is both known and active, and works with efficiency. Indeed, one of the specialities of Weimar mages, is combining the two at a level far high and more robust than standard Sable Mech-Tech magic. This suggests that technology may not be the only thing that has been artificially changed here when the Republik was founded.

Access to magical training is strictly limited at anything above basic level, and not available at all to the underclasses. Roughly 1 in 1,000 of the population have some degree of sensitivity or Talent. Of those, maybe 1% are able, and allowed, to be taught the higher levels of magic.

Transport magic in the Weimar Shadows is somewhat unpredicable, with empirical evidence that teleports made in haste have ended up with the the mage teleporting into solid matter, which should not be possible. This may be related to the fact that there has been significant meddling with all the worlds that Weimar had more than 50% control of. Agents are advised to exercise caution when using tranport magic in the area.

Weimar previously had a fully implemented ID system, combining magic and technology, which was recognisable as having been influenced by the Machine. After the release of the Namenlos virus, and the breakdown of the technological ID system, it was noted that a more magic-based some varient of the ID system was fully implemented on four of the six Shadows adjacant to Weimar, but no longer active on any of the other Shadows previously held by Weimar.

Powers

When the Weimar Republik was first encountered, agents reported that the Power used in the Weimar Shadows had distinct elements of the Maniran Broken Pattern, and the Reich Pattern, but that it was something different to either of them, or to the Power on New Oceania. It seemed more complete than the original Maniran one, and was certainly more stable, with no sign of the growing pains experienced with the worlds around New Oceania. Assuming that the Power was Created relatively soon after Andreas Delatz founded the Republik, in the early-120s, this may be due to it having had longer to settle. Some experts have posited that New Oceania should have been much more like this, if something hadn’t interfered with its development in a nearly cataclysmic way. It is not, however, as strong as full Sable Pattern.

The surrounding worlds which were previously significantly under Weimar’s control were bootstrapped up higher tech levels (1990s in the security zone; 1980s in the more fully controlled worlds; less in worlds which are still being placed under control), often by twenty or thirty years. This significantly helped Weimar’s conquests of these worlds, as they could bring higher-tech equipment onto lower-tech worlds, knowing that their opponents will not be able to match them.

After the deployment of the Namenlos virus, and the return to core, that control has slipped in a lot of the Shadows it had previously conquered, so they are slowly drifting back to the native tech levels. The main exceptions were the six worlds immediately surrounding Weimar, and those within the Weimar quarantine zone.

The New Oceania Power is fully functional there. Pure Machine isn’t, as the Republik falls within the Exclusion Zone, but Machine/Technocracy hybrid tech is, and has been incorporated into the higher-tech worlds in the Weimar Shadows. Pattern is limited to Broken Pattern ability, due to this being a Primal Realm, which is of concern, as such a restriction would have needed a great deal of Power and ability on the part of the person who put the restriction in place. Even full Aurellian Logrus is limited to Piloting for the same reasons.


The Muster

The Muster Power itself appears to be a cross between Broken Pattern, and the channelling abilities that are a integral to the Maniran/New Oceania Power. It is not a single-person Creation, but instead, was the result of co-operation between Ernst Keller, Sofia Halbeck, Dirk Weber and Andreas Delatz.

What gave the Weimar Republik its edge in the Bloc region, is the fact that it is particularly suited to messing with the parameters of Shadow, most especially amending tech levels. The Sable SIS has confirmed the following abilities linked to the lower levels of initiation, which appear to be accessible by anybody, although it appears that to use the channelling abilities, the initiate needs some knowledge of ritual magic.

Item Comments
Basic Akin to lower levels of Broken Pattern, although walking Shadow is nothing like as unpleasant for straight Broken Pattern.

It is also possible to use it for defence, which isn’t the case for Broken Pattern.
Intermediate Brings in the equivalent of far-sensing lenses, although the range is limited to about 50 miles, although all far-seeing is visual only, and the details may need interpreting. Walking gets easier.

Doctors of magic can rack spells on the Muster, without the flaws which cause problems for racking on a normal Broken Pattern.

Ritual mages can channel energy through the Muster, making it possible to use it as a Power source, although this needs to be done in a ritual setting, takes time to achieve and is exhausting, with a recovery time of several hours. There is an implication that this is possible with assistance and tuition from one of the Creators of the Power
Advanced Shadow walking is at Pattern standard, and Hellriding becomes possible. Far-seeing extends to 250 miles and includes an audio element, although it can be somewhat indistinct unless the initiate is concentrating fully on what he or she is listening to.

Basic probability manipulation and seek in Shadow become available to the initiate, albeit at a generic level (“a blade”, rather than “the blade my dad gave me”).

All mages can rack on the Muster at this level of initiation, and back their spells with it.

Energy channelling no longer needs a ritual setting, but it does take several minutes and the recovery time is still several hours.

Initiate of this level gain the ability to affect such things as tech levels and the local weather to a limited extent, and to maintain changes made to such areas made by the Creators.
Higher Levels From discussions with prisoners taken in the region, it appears that Keller, Halbeck, Weber, and certain personnel who appear to be Blood relatives of theirs, have all demonstrated more Pattern-like abilities, such as faster and less tiring channelling, seeking in Shadow for specific items, spotting Powers imprints, remote scanning at a greater range with the ability to record what is seen, and point to point teleports using the Power in a manner akin to Advanced Pattern.

At this time, these are rumoured, rather than proven.

What has been confirmed is that one of these three, plus certain other personel, who are the ones who are responsible for the initial 20-30-year bootstrapping of target worlds.

Post-1 February 158

In the time since 1 February 158, on-site Sable commander Prince James and a team of SIS agents have ascertained that the Muster Power was fundamentally changed by whatever caused the EMP which blew out communications, destroyed the quarantine barriers on Pelagius, Tijaard and Esben, caused the seven core Shadows to be locked away behind a seemingly impenetrable barrier, and interfered with use of the Pattern in the area for several weeks.

From studying the aftermath of the event (once the Pattern could once again be used with confidence), His Highness’s assessment is that a new power was Created, using a combination of the Muster and the Estrum Power of Owain Emer, fuelled by the pool of sky energy that flowed into Pelagius when the rift between the sky and land realms was found. For want of a better name, the combined power is currently being referred to as the Mustrum.