The Arcanum of Matter deals with the transmutation and shaping of the Fallen World's various forms of physical matter. Mages proficient in this Arcanum can repair broken objects, transmute substances into other substances, shape solids, liquids, and gases as they please, annihilate matter, and even create matter out of nothing. It is primarily used by the Moros.
Matter is one of the ten Arcana of Mage: The Awakening, and the Gross ruling Arcana of Stygia. It is used to manipulate all forms of unliving matter, including organic substances which are not themselves alive, like orange juice or milk. It encompasses the classical elements, alchemical arts like transmutation, and the workings of non-magical tools and weapons. As a mage gains greater mastery in Matter they learn to affect more complex materials. This is a more metaphysical distinction than a scientific one; it requires lesser mastery to transmute liquids than gases, for example, and mud is easier to affect than precious metal. Matter cannot be used to enchant devices - that requires Prime - but at high levels it can affect or destroy extraordinary substances. A Master of Matter can combine the Arcanum with Prime to create a unique magical substance known as Thaumium. This material is expensive to create, as it is a magically fortified alloy of perfected gold, silver and mercury, but it is prized by mages because items made from it can deflect Awakened magic.
Its associated summoning is the Apeiron and the Exarch that supervises it is the Chancellor. Within astral Space, Matter is personified through the Aeon Echidna.
Influences[]
Alchemy, chemistry, elemental air, elemental earth, elemental water, shaping, transmutation.
Nature and Power[]
The Arcanum of Matter is the Gross Arcanum of the Supernal Realm of Stygia, a trait it shares with the Arcanum of Death. Stygia is riddled with objects of wealth to the cultures of the Fallen World, whether the piled gold and silver in the tombs of the dead, the veins of precious ore and gems that run through the rock, or the rich marble that composes the ground of the realm. The country of death is filled with base objects and solids, and so influence over these substances is strong in that realm. Of course, the Fallen World is not quite as riddled with matter as Stygia, but the power of Matter is still formidable. Though most of the Fallen World is composed of empty vacuum, awash in a sea of energy, everything that truly matters in the material universe is made of matter. Our stars are made of flaming gas. The planet we live on is built from metal and rock and magma, covered with oceans of water and sheathed in a protective shroud of air. Without the anchor of matter, stars could not burn, the galaxy could not remain tied together, and life could not come to be. Considering the power of matter on a less cosmic level, the Fallen World and its peoples are intimately connected to the material. Mundane matter is all around a mage who sets out to influence it. Humanity has a great reliance on tools and devices, and a mage with the full power of the Arcanum of Matter can make their devices or those of their allies superior to those of a mundane Sleeper, or reduce the quality of the tools of their enemies to the point where they become useless. They can create the means for themselves to survive on from nothing, crafting devices, conjuring up raw materials, or simply spinning the gold to buy such things out of thin air. A mage can shape objects and substances as they desire, whether solid, liquid, or even gas. He can convert types of matter into other types, or simply render them unto dust, as they will. Higher level mages are capable of creating the mythic substance of thaumium, a metal capable of storing Mana within its form, though this also requires some mastery of the Arcanum of Prime.
Levels of Mastery[]
Initiate (●)[]
An Initiate of Matter, with the first level of mastery, can read dense resonance, discern how to operate a complex machine, detect specific substances in their surroundings, and recognize the structure and density of an object. They can also alter the conductivity of a simple item, and detect hidden compartments and passages within walls and objects.
Apprentice (●●)[]
The second level of mastery allows an Apprentice of Matter to grant their perception of dense resonance to others. They can improve the balance and weight of an object, making it more accurate, or alter the transparency of objects to allow sight through walls or to bar the sight of others through normally transparent objects. They gain power over the composition and shape of liquid objects, allowing them to turn one liquid into another or shape it into any form they desire, without heed of gravity or cohesion. Finally, the mage gains the power to employ surrounding matter as a shield, using water vapour to douse flame, softening oncoming projectiles, or using air to dampen the inertia of blows.
Disciple (●●●)[]
With the third level of mastery, a Disciple of Matter can bestow their shield upon others. Their power over the composition of liquids expands to solids, allowing them to change one solid into another (though they cannot yet shape solid matter, or change things into rare or precious objects). They can make substances more or less resistant to damage, repair broken objects, and make weapons or ammunition armour-piercing. Also, they can now combine various parts of unrelated devices into a working machine to do whatever they please.
Adept (●●●●)[]
An Adept of Matter can, using the fourth level of mastery, alter the form of solid objects as they will or create rare and precious substances out of base materials. Their control over solid and liquid matter is extended to gaseous substances, as he can now alter the density and course of gas or change one form of gas into another. They also gains the power to transmute solids into liquids or liquids into solids, whether they are related (ice into water) or not (soup into iron). Mechanical objects may be altered to be more or less efficient. Finally, the mage can annihilate chunks of mundane matter, dissolving it utterly and leaving behind no trace of its existence.
Master (●●●●●)[]
At the fifth level of mastery, a Master of Matter may change the size of an object, making it larger or smaller as he pleases. Their ability to transform substances grows yet again, allowing them to transform objects between states of solid, liquid, or gas. Their faculty with objects increases to the point where they can cause them to constantly repair themselves, and they can create objects out of nothing. Their power over destruction also increase to the point where they can unravel even magically charged objects such as enhanced or imbued items, thaumium, or even Artefacts.
Archmaster and Above (●●●●●●+)[]
Archmages are rare but not unheard of. They don’t follow the same rules as the other ranks. Archmages become Avatars of the Arcanum they studied, living embodiments of the Watchtower their power comes from. They become conduits for power and are no longer barred from their power by the Abyss and so aren’t subject to Paradox. They take on the physical characteristics of their Arcanum. Archmages can cast all the spells from Initiate to Master, without using any Mana, and in any preferred duration. They effectively gain the powers of a God, including limited immortality (e.g. they stop getting older, and become immune to all diseases), but they’re still human beings and as such can be killed just like anybody else should they become careless. They still suffer penalties in their Inferior Arcanum.
The exact powers of an Archmages of Matter are, as with the powers afforded to any Arcanum at the sixth level or higher, largely unknown. However, as with the abilities wielded by all archmages, the imagination generally fills in the gaps. Perhaps states of matter exist beyond solids, liquids, and gases. Maybe substances even more perfect than thaumium can be manufactured. A mage with sufficiently enormous power may be able to create or destroy matter at a prodigious rate, gaining the power to create mountains out of nothing or render cities unto dust. The powers of an archmages may even go further; a mage at extremely high levels of power may create a new element known as Apeiron, the Grey lead of Stygia, which can replicate perfectly the function of any mundane object or machine of equal size. With sufficient power in Matter and Space, the archmaster may create his own personal planet or moon somewhere in the cosmos as a private sanctum.
In Conjunction With Other Arcana[]
Life[]
A Disciple of both Matter and Life can transform inanimate objects into minor living creatures, such as swarms of insects or spiders. The spell does not grant them control over the creatures created, however.
Prime[]
A Master of Matter and Disciple of Prime can combine the perfected metals of orichalcum, lunargent, and hermium to create a powerful magical substance called thaumium. Thaumium can be used to store Mana, and if properly made it can be harder and lighter than any other substance.[1]
References[]
- ^ MTAw: Mage: The Awakening Rulebook, p. 203
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