A Nimbus is a mage's palpable aura of Supernal power that surrounds his soul, reflecting his prowess as a mage as well as his style and personal development.
Overview[]
A Nimbus is the reflection of the magic a mage practices. While it is usually not perceptible, another mage can see the Nimbus of another mage via Mage Sight, and other supernaturals have their own ways to detect them. When a mage casts a Spell, the Nimbus flares along with it, becoming more pronounced to those with supernatural senses. Every act of magic a mage performs contains traces of his Nimbus, like a supernatural fingerprint. The more powerful and complex the feat of magic was, the longer a trace of the Nimbus will remain. Practice of Antinomian Magic can permanently warp a Nimbus.
Mages divide Nimbi into three categories:
- A Long-Term Nimbus, a series of seemingly random coincidences that begin to surround the mage. They are usually derived from the Path of a mage, a Thyrsus will cause Spirits to become more observant of the Flesh, while the presence of an Obrimos might cause strange weather changes. The Long-Term Nimbus grows in potency along with a mage's Gnosis and is contained by his Wisdom.
- The Immediate Nimbus is the aura of supernaturality that the mage resonates. This Nimbus is often shaped by Path, Legacy, Arcana Attainments, preferred Practices and even the mages own Shadow Name. When this Nimbus flares up, the mage can temporaliy warp the Fallen reality by the force of his presence.
- The Signature Nimbus is the trace of a mage's magic, looking the part of a residue from or remainder of the Immediate Nimbus.
References[]
- MTAw: Mage: The Awakening Rulebook, p. 90-91
- MTAw: Mage: The Awakening Second Edition, p. 88-90