View source for Omega Point (Mage the Ascension)

''"Monsters lurk in the night.<br/><br/>Countless vampires prey on the innocent, primitive shapeshifters indulge freely in their rage and dark&nbsp; spirits possess and control the living from beyond the grave. No human is entirely safe from these Horrors.<br/><br/>Some creatures are even more dangerous - they drastically alter reality itself to fulfill their own desires. They do not share the reality of the Masses, but instead place themselves above and beyond it, pursuing their own dangerous dreams. Through their power, any madness can be made manifest. Any dream, any nightmare, any lust or desire can be realized. Any base urge can be fulfilled through sheer force of will.<br/><br/>Call the Reality Deviants whatever you like — willworkers, magi, mystics, shamans - but know that they are the Ultimate Enemy. Divided, they isolate themselves from humanity, working secretly within their Chantries and sanctums as reality unravels. While forces of order work to restore the world, a thousand dangerous magical visions tear it apart.<br/><br/>The force of chaos is strong, but there has to be some force of order to oppose it. If the world cannot protect itself, someone must bring order to the world. Humans can uphold their own mundane laws, but a few heroic souls must fight the evils that average society can't detect or recognize. Someone must work to drive back the darkness. Of all the hidden societies in this dark, forbidding world, only one upholds order and reason and hope.<br/><br/>We call it the Technocracy.''"

= The Omega Point<br/> =

== Description<br/> ==

The campaign follows the agents of Amalgam 127-21, who risk their lives and sanity on the Deviant infested streets of Los Angeles while trying to make the world a better place for the Masses.

The world of Omega Point is based on the Mage the Ascension revised edition. There will also be familiar elements and themes from the X-Files and the Delta Green, but this time players have the unmarked black helicopters and black suits.

''"The enemy is clear - it is everything that does not belong to this reality and is a clear and present danger to the Masses. The only one you can trust is another member of the Technocratic Union... Or can you? The Union has its own secrets, each Convention has its own vision of the future and of the reality, each Symposium has its own agenda and each amalgam has its own mission. Maybe someone else wants the operative resources you have, or aims at the same promotion that you aim at. Maybe you have undermined a member of another amalgam, or embarrased someone on the higher ranks. Maybe you know too much...''

''The enemy is clear, but a little paranoia has never hurt anyone."''

== Theme and setting<br/> ==

TBA

== Changes from the original game<br/> ==

=== The Magic of Technocracy<br/> ===

Super science is technology that's likely to be possible within the next few decades. Contact lens displays for viewing electronic data, autonomously piloted drone robots the size of house flies, quantum computers that can easily crack any current encryption, room temperature superconductors, electronic devices that can understand most ordinary speech, autonomous security robots, gene therapy that can cure many diseases and enhance physical performance, and similar wonders are all super science.

Any device that someone on the street could reasonably believe was under development is super science. So, a wireless taser, body armor that looks like denim or some other thick fabric, or a car that can drive itself under most conditions are all super science, while anti-gravity or nanotechnological weapons that can eat holes in concrete walls are not.

Much super science is Coincidental Magic, and super science is what the Technocratic Union excels at. Except in extreme or desperate circumstances, Union operatives are expected to limit the use of their Enlightened Science to Super science. Iteration X's more basic implants fall into this category, as do most of the Progenitor's less extreme drugs and treatments.

Because of the limitations of their paradigm, the PCs will not have "classic sphere-based magic" at their disposal, but instead the magic they use is handled individually. Each PC will have a list of procedures, and each list is based on the character profile (paradigm).

=== The Umbra/Deep Umbra<br/> ===

TBA

=== The Void Engineers<br/> ===

TBA


= The Technocratic Union<br/> =

== Who are we? ==

"The Technocratic Union does not want to run humanity or to control it. We are far too few, with far too much work to do, to relegate ourselves to the task. We want humanity to run humanity, by empowering it with the tools and resources to do so. Think of what technology has brought us? The computer, the car, the cure for smallpox, a level of food production, comfort and global wealth that has never been seen before. That's us.

Once humanity accepts the gift of technology, the Technocratic Union can then help the Masses reach the next level of Enlightenment with Inspired Science. Consider the hierarchy of needs; you cannot ponder the depths of your own Genius when you worry about food, shelter, clothing, health, and safety. That is what the Union works to provide. Iteration X gives us the tools we need to advance our condition, and the security to protect us from what wants to destroy us. The New World Order provides us with insight on our past and present, while ensuring that the lies of those who want to derail the empowerment of mankind are met with fact and reason. The Progenitors want to elevate the human condition medically, to end disease and the failings of our own mortality so we can achieve mastery of ourselves, both body and mind. The Syndicate wants to end the disparage of wealth and ensure fair value for all work. Once that is achieved, we can have a true cashless society, where the earnings of our work is protected and able to be used for the benefit of everyone. The Void Engineers work hard to defend humanity from it's enemies beyond our world, to define and explore the world around us and thus fuel the human drive to know more, to touch the universe on all fronts and fuel Enlightenment.

You see, it is not about "control" or dystopia or oppression. It is about self-control, utopia, and freedom to expand the human condition through the use of reliable Science and not petty, vengeful superstitions. Sadly, our enemies do not see it that way. Werecreatures and vampires treat humans like cattle, not sapient, wonderful beings. Ghosts and faeries leech off us, feeding on our psychic energies, draining us and weakening us. And the Deviants? They want a world on par with the Dark Ages, where the Masses cringe in terror before their "magic", convinced only "mages" can save them against the darkness. Under a reign of bigotry, ignorance, and fear they would rule the Masses like they did in ages past, before our predecessors, the Order of Reason, gave the Masses the tools they needed to elevate themselves, to free themselves of their fear, doubt, and ignorance.

That is the Technocratic Union, my friends: A place where the Enlightened minds of the world gather to as the question of how can we better humanity. Sadly, there are those in our Union who look at the Masses with contempt, who see a world they can control and not empower. This, however, is to be expected from any major group. To judge a group of people based on the actions of a bad few is narrow-minded, and unbecoming of a rational person. If one doctor is bad, does that invalidate the dozens that are good and save lives? If one cop is bad, does that invalidate the work of dozens who ensure that the guilty are caught and the innocent protected? If one soldier is bad, does that mean that those thousands who serve out of a love for their nation are evil and twisted? The answer is, of course, no. And thus it is with our Union. We are a united front against the darkness. We are the shepherds, guiding humanity toward empowerment and Enlightenment. We are the makers of the world in which you live, not because we want to own it, but because we want YOU to.

We are the Technocracy. We're here to help."

== The Precepts of Damian<br/> ==

#Bring order to the world. Order facilitates Unity, from Unity arises Utopia.
#Convince the Masses of the benevolence of science, commerce and politics, and of the power of rationality. Conflict and suffering will be eliminated in our Utopia.
#Preserve the Horizon. Chaotic individuals who open gateways with impunity threaten the stability of our world. Uncontrolled portals allow outside forces access to our world. This is unacceptable.
#Study and define the nature of the universe. Only through constant refinement of knowledge can the means to achiving Utopia be devised.
#Depredations by the supernatural against mankind are unacceptable. If these creatures will not listen to reason then they must be purged.
#Shepherd the Masses; protect them from themselves and from others.

== The State of the Union<br/> ==

Vision 

Now that the Ascension War is functionally over and the Traditions are on the run, the Union has more personnel and time available to devote to completing its goals. Each Convention has its own vision on how to achieve these goals, but all work for the same final end. 

First, the Union intends to make as much of the Earth habitable as possible. Overcrowding leads to superstition, lack of education, lowered expectations, poor living standards and poverty. With room for all to live comfortably — or at least with a modicum of privacy — the Technocracy hopes to encourage the Masses to improve themselves. 

The Union tries to encourage and improve education worldwide; this goal ties into the first. The simple fact is that if instructors have more time to devote to individual students, each student has a greater chance to excel in whichever field of study he chooses. The New World Order has developed many instruction techniques that are well in advance of those commonly used in First World countries. 

Technocratic doctors reduce and eliminate disease, birth defects and crippling conditions. The Progenitors are primarily behind this program to improve health care technology worldwide. They seek to introduce new medicines, diagnostic and surgical techniques and encourage greater vigilance in watching for health-threatening conditions. By eliminating the spectre of illness and injury, the Union hopes to free humanity from its fear of mortality. 

Finally, and most importantly, the Technocracy seeks to trigger its vision of global Empowerment. Each Convention has its own particular ideas on how this event might happen, but it appears that the Progenitors and Iteration X are the most likely to work out the technology necessary to accomplish this exaltation of humanity to near-godhood. They seek to increase intelligence via machine or direct human augmentation, and to make further increases possible. 

The ultimate result of each of these courses of action is that magic will not only be forgotten, but outmoded. Everything mages could possibly hope to accomplish will be easier to do with technology, and it will be available to everyone. Without the need for magic, the presence of mages should simply dwindle away. Spreading the population across all the Earth, there will no longer be regions remote from human habitation, and thus no safe locales for Bygones to reside or visit Earth. The same reasoning applies to space travel and interplanetary colonization. Once Earth is no longer safe, the supernatural dangers of the world must retreat somewhere, and the Void Engineers hope to cut off their lines of retreat.

With widespread education in scientific principles, there will be no need to explain any aspect of reality through gods, magic or other superstitions. With the Ascension of humanity, even the Technocracy will become irrelevant — an outcome that many Technocrats admittedly dislike. Other scientists believe that it will simply bring all humanity into the Union. Either way, the supernatural will cease to be a threat. On a 
more ominous note, individuality might become an artefact of the past as well. Perhaps the Technocracy's creations will develop their own intelligence and replace humanity altogether. The latter is a worrisome thought for many. 


=== Personnel structure ===

There are five major classes of personnel recognized throughout the Union. Some Conventions and Methodologies have additional systems additional to the five.

'''I Citizen'''	<br>
Progenitor and Void Engineer technicians, NWO sympathizers, Syndicate providers etc, personnel that are aware of the full existence of the Union, but have some trivial information about the convention that manages them.

'''II Employees''' <br>
Once a citizen gains the capacity for Inspired Science or the use of certain devices, he may be recruited as a minor agent and assigned to work as part of a local Construct. NWO Men in Black, Syndicate associates etc, are the first true rank of the Technocratic Union.

'''III Agents'''

'''IV Supervisors'''

'''V Directors'''
<br>

=== The Tier System ===

'''TIER I''' HELIX Special Event Containment units (HELSEC), Emergency Action Group (EAG/NAS)

'''TIER II''' Operations Control Groups (OCG) (=amalgams)

'''TIER III''' Field Operations Detachments (=mundane black ops etc lead by a technocratic agent on a sanctioned mission)

'''TIER IV''' Mundane special operations forces units (military, law enforcement, etc)

'''TIER V''' Mundane military and law enforcement agencies, other operational agencies

== The Conventions<br/> ==

=== Void Engineers ===

Seekers and explorers, the Void Engineers have turned away from the space exploration they mastered, and instead explore within. The new frontier for the Engineers is mathematics and all things virtual.

Formerly known as ''Celestial Masters'' & ''Void Seekers'' (1325-1851) and ''Explorators'' (1851 - 1898).

'''The Paradigm'''

TBA

'''Organisation'''

TBA

'''Methodologies'''

TBA

'''Views on the Union'''

Iteration-X: "" 

New World Order: "" 

Progenitors: "" 

Syndicate: ""


=== Iteration X ===

Iteration X are perhaps best known for their skill in cybernetics, computing and robotics, but their overarching goal is the creation of better tools to aid humanity. The Clockwork Convention claim that they strive to emulate the men who first discovered fire and the wheel, elevating man to new heights.

Formerly known as ''Artificers'' (1325 - 1851) and ''International Brotherhood of Mechanicians'' (1851 - 1898).

'''The Paradigm'''

TBA

'''Organisation'''

TBA

'''Methodologies'''

TBA

'''Views on the Union'''

New World Order: "" 

Progenitors: "" 

Syndicate: ""

Void Engineers: ""

=== Progenitors ===

The Progenitors dominate the field of modern - and post-modern - medicine. They employ the tools of genetic manipulation, hyper-advanced surgical techniques and sophisticated drugs to constantly push the envelope of medicine. Along with the Iterators they also provide the Union with a great many foot soldiers - genetically engineered clones designed to replace civilians.

Formerly known as ''Cosian Circle'' (1325-1851) and ''Æsculpian Order'' (1851 - c.1898).

'''The Paradigm'''

TBA

'''Organisation'''

TBA

'''Methodologies'''

TBA

'''Views on the Union'''

Iteration-X: "" 

New World Order: "" 

Syndicate: ""

Void Engineers: ""

=== New World Order ===

[[File:Logo NWO.png|100px|Logo NWO.png]]

The largest and most influential of the conventions, The New World Order is the section of the Technocracy that handles all information and communication. Their approach to this information centers around data and statistics, and they believe that it is their job to manage this data for the good of the Technocracy as well as the good of humanity. For the most part, this goal becomes practice in the N.W.O.'s agendas of developing bureaucracy and using that influence in the sleeper world to control the flow of news, media, and data. The ultimate vision of the New World Order is a world of clearly regulated information-flow, education and social conditioning, guided by a unified paradigm, to facilitate a global society where everyone knows their place and fulfills their function according to their best potential. 

As an organisation, the New World Order is a combination of academic think tanks, psychologists, investigators and spies. The Convention's influence extends throughout the Technocratic Union, and New World Order personnel can be encountered as part of virtually every Technocracy operation. Because of this apparent ubiquity within the Union, the New World Order has become synomymous with the Technocracy as a whole for most outsiders.

Formerly known as ''the Cabal of Pure Thought'' (1325-1851) and ''the Lightkeepers'' (1851 - 1898).

'''The Paradigm'''

TBA

'''Organisation'''

TBA

'''Methodologies'''

TBA

'''Views on the Union'''

Iteration-X: "" 

Progenitors: "" 

Syndicate: ""

Void Engineers: ""

=== Syndicate ===

''"The game is not about owning resources, because what you own can be taken from you. The game is about perceiving and identifying the resources, about knowing where the resources are coming from and about predicting where they will end and what their effect will be in that point. The game is all about control... That is the Market.''

''Only the Market can bring Technology into the home. Through observation of the Market, we can see what the masses need and demand. The competition of the Market brings vigour to the lives of the masses, and gives a safe outlet to the strife without which life has no meaning. The Market provides a simple measure of power the masses can understand: money. Whether the rest of the Technocracy acknowledges it or not, the Market now controls the world. Ignore it at your peril."''

The Syndicate began its path among the Order of Reason as ''the “High Guild”'' knew that money is what drives not only progress and invention but all of society. They were reformed from ''the Invisible Exchequer'' during the first reformation and eventually evolved into the Syndicate during the final evolution of the Technocratic Order. Though the name has changed through time, their mission remains the same: “Pecunia on potentia”; Money is Power. 

As Economics is a predictable science, there is great power as one man can decide what is profitable, or what is not; if something is not profitable there is no use in having it. The Market has become the sole standard of which everything is measured with, and the Syndicate is then able to decide a course of action for Mankind and their eventual Ascension. 

Unlike other Technocratic Conventions, the Syndicate feels that a certain amount of randomness in the paradigm is essential. Only through competition can individual achieve their true potential. People will only give their finest when they are rewarded for their work. This attitude has put them in increasing conflict with the NWO over the years. Many Syndicate mages feel the NWO has outlived its usefulness, and should step aside to allow new and vigorous leadership. 

'''The Paradigm'''

The Market. The Market encompasses everything, even things others regard as outside economics. The laws of nature are built upon the transactions between different forces and the flows of capital (energy) between processes. Everything that exists exists because it is economical in some sense for it to do, and anything which is not efficient enough will sooner or later be out-competed from reality. In this way the Market stabilises itself and moves towards perfection. It is our duty to guide the economic forces to avoid sudden changes or undesirable developments, eventually to move the economy towards optimality. 

The Business. By understanding the rules of the Market and with a keen feeling of its behaviour, it is possible for us to use it for our own profit, or to subtly manipulate it to become more optimal. The rules are fairly loose, but they can be very unforgiving if you mess things up. In general the Market works best when nobody interferes at all, but sometimes changes may be necessary. 

'''Organisation'''

Because of their attitudes towards competition, the Syndicate encourages a great deal of autonomy in its members. A certain amount of scheming and back-door dealing is admired. The Syndicate plays for keeps though, and a anyone who crosses the line can have his career cut short. 

The Syndicate has permanent headquarters in London, New York City, Singapore, Tokyo, Johannesburg and São Paulo.

'''Methodologies'''

TBA

'''Views on the Union'''

Iteration-X: "These guys give us the best things to sell, but they have no sense of presentation.  Nearly everything they invent would never make it into the paradigm without our advertising." 

New World Order: "Out-dated bureaucrats. They need to step aside for some people with real drive." 

Progenitors: "We welcome their help in the drug markets, so longs as they remember that distribution and marketing is 99% of the work." 

Void Engineers: "These poor sods didn't seem to realize that unless is space is profitable, the sleepers will never go for it. And now, after they shot themselves in the foot, they are all but useless."

== Other governing bodies<br/> ==

=== Inner Circle of the Union ===

Far removed from the Front Lines, dwelling in perfect contemplation within the Fortress of Infinitude, the Inner Circle of
the Technocracy processes data gathered by Control and the symposiums. Vast amounts of information influence the Time
Table, the Inner Circle's master plan for the Union. Every 15 years, a new Time Table is created based on data from previous operations and analyses. Such decisions are influenced by the Precepts of Damian, a document detailing the Technocracy's grandest ideals. Simplified versions of this body of work are distributed within to the symposiums.

=== The Control<br/> ===

The Control, the ghost in the machine, the collective that maintains order. The Control represents the ranks of the Technocracy above amalgams and Symposiums. The individuals linked to it constantly change. It can see through the eyes of Watchers, observe
through televisions and cameras on the Front Lines, speak and act as a collective through the walls of Room 101, dissect any report
before a Symposium or manipulate any tech within its realm of influence. At any time, anywhere, Control can intervene.

=== The Ivory Tower<br/> ===

The academic branch of the NWO, the Ivory Tower, has multiple mandates. Its bureaucratic arm performs the administrative work of the entire Union and maintains an extensive record system. The Ivory Tower is responsible for training new Technocrats in the history and philosophy of the Union. It also maintains a series of small academic departments, known as collegia, to research and discuss intellectual problems. 

The Ivory Tower forms the intellectual center of the Union; it reflects on the Union's grand purpose, and it crafts histories and philosophies suitable to the betterment of the Union. Introspective Technocrats may find such works consoling or infuriating, but they cannot escape the New World Order's overriding influence.

The Ivory Tower's influence reaches into educational institutions world-wide, and it enjoys widespread success inculcating technological beliefs in the Masses. Finally, the Tower watches the practice of psychology and psychiatry closely, using these tools to influence Sleeper belief.

Some dissidents have said that the Ivory Tower embodies the best and worst aspects of the NWO.

= The Alpha and The Omega =


== Technocratic States of America ==

North American Symposium (NAS)
*Central City Construct (CCC), Los Angeles, CA, USA
*Pan Pacific Construct (PPC), Los Angeles, CA, USA
*West Mountain Alliance (WMA), Denver, CO, USA
*Midwest Region Office (MRO), Chicago, IL, USA
*South Atlantic Construct (SAC), Atlanta, GA, USA
*New England Group (NEG), New York City, NY, USA
*British Columbia Construct (BCC), Edmonton, Canada
*Mexico City Office (MCO), Mexico City, Mexico
<br/>

== Local Issues ==

During the last few years North American Symposium (NAS) has been unsatisfied with the efficiency of the Central City Construct (CCC) in dealing with Deviant activity. CCC has defended it's position by stating that the lack of human resources made it difficult for the CCC to "go after every small anomaly". CCC made requests for more personnel and other resources, but the NAS denied them.

Instead the NAS created a new construct, Pan Pacific Construct (PPC), to deal with the problems in West Coast region. The creation of a new construct that shares its area of operations with another existing construct was unprecedented, and has been a subject of critique from the CCC.<br/><br/>

== List of important characters ==

The list of important characters has been moved to: [[Character%20guide%20%28Omega%20Point%29|Character guide (Omega Point)]]<br/><br/>

<br/>

== The Episode Guide<br/> ==

The episode guide has been moved to: [[Episode%20Guide%20%28Omega%20Point%29|Episode Guide (Omega Point)]]<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>

[[Category:Mage The Ascension|Mage_The_Ascension]]<br/>[[Category:Taxall]]<br/>[[Category:The Omega Point|The_Omega_Point]]<br/>[[Category:Kampanjat]]