Mage/Theme/Legacies/Red Guards

The Red Guards

[...the scene was not disturbed. Two sentries were found dead from a single gunshot wound each to the base of the skull. We could not find evidence of penetration of our security measures, beyond the use of the sentry keycards and thumbprints to access the interior of the facility. The infiltrator's objective appears to have been the artifact we had recovered during the excavation of the Reichstag. We presume they exited along the same course, though we found no tracks or penetration of the border fence. At this time we have no solid suspects, though soviet espionage seems likely.]

  -Excerpt from CIA Report, Berlin, 1957

Do What You Must

The Red Guards are a relatively new gift from the Guardians of the Veil to the world. Originating from the early days of the Soviet Union, the Red Guards were the Guardians of the Veil's answer to co-opting the covert aspects of soviet military thought. They moved quickly to forge Labyrinths out of the Intelligence Services of many European Nations, playing agent against agent in a deadly game of cat and mouse that killed its participants as often as it lead to their Awakenings. The self-sacrifice, the single-minded determination, and the dedication to ideology present in the Soviet Intelligence services in particular proved an ideal crucible to produce those who could pass the Crimson Veil.

Indeed, it is a double-meaning, the name of the Legacy. Taken in part from Stalin's legendary wartime brigades and in part from the Crimson Veil and those capable of passing it, the Red Guards shepherd the Labyrinths, ply the craft of covert espionage, and deal with the wet work that is on occasion called for in service to the Diamond. One part fanatical, one part pragmatic, they are a Legacy of constant internal contradiction. A mind and body duality, an inconsistent tetrad of duty, honor, and secrets; they exist to ensure the fallen world's spies do not labor solely for the Iron Pyramid. And often, when the Guardians go to war with the Seers, it is the Red Guards that lead the charge.

The core of their fanaticism is the belief that the Exarchs must be opposed, that the agents of the Lie must be sought out and destroyed, and that the covert war being waged across the planet is one that the Awakened cannot shy away from, even at the risk of their ideology. The Guards do not relish killing, but they will kill when they must. They do not enjoy deceit and destroying lives in service to a higher calling, but the good of the many outweighs the good of the few. Their duties are highly dangerous, their lives often violent and brief, and many would more willingly die than end another's life-- but for the sake of the cause.

Only those mages who evidence this ethical pragmatism and desire for self-sacrifice are ever considered for induction into the legacy. It's a common enough trait among Guardians, not particularly rare among the Arrows, either. But membership from the more esoteric and power-obsessed orders is rare, indeed. And such inductees are monitored closely for any sign of straying from orthodoxy during their apprenticeships.

Origins

Parentage: Acanthus, Guardians of the Veil

Background: Spies, special operators, intelligence officers, politicians, the sole survivor, hit men.

Appearances: One of the best assets a spy can have is being unremarkable. Put on a suit and be anyone. Though, quite often, the Red Guards adopt a rugged look if only because they are often operating away from contemporary hygiene.

Doctrine

Prerequisites: Mind 2, Subterfuge 2, two dots in one of the following Skills; Stealth, Subterfuge, Politics, Larceny, Firearms, Weaponry

Initiation: The aspirant must pass the Crimson Veil, or some similar moral and ethical test which demonstrates the willingness to kill for the right reasons, and spare life for the right reasons. Often they will be given conflicting orders, or orders so morally repugnant that any rational human would refuse them. The idea is to select only those with a well-defined moral compass. Those capable of making their own moral and ethical choices, and carrying out what they determine to be the right course of action. They must demonstrate moral clarity, decisiveness in the heat of the moment, and the steadfastness to lead themselves and others into danger and back out again with a minimal loss of life on all sides. When the aspirant is a Guardian, the Crimson Veil is typically followed by more intensive education on moral and ethical considerations. These are typically not a weak point for aspirants of other orders, or as likely to be tested. Whereas aspirants from outside the order receive more focus on spycraft and espionage, since they are not as likely to receive such focused training otherwise.

Organization: Each Guard is a fifth column unto itself. The ultimate force multiplier. They are trained to be able to operate singly, or to make a group under their overwatch excel in ways they could not otherwise. So apart from loyalty to a common creed and upholding a common ethos, they rarely gather together, and rarely seek one another out. Such ties make uncovering their work easier, and this way if one falls, the damage ends there. When communication is necessary, it is usually done through elaborate networks of intermediaries or via dead drops and other fully analog means. In one rare instance, a Numbers Station was erected to distribute a message to the legacy as a whole, but this unprecedented act led to the destruction of several Seer Pylons across the globe in the span of two weeks.

Theory: If the Supernal is Truth, and it keeps its secrets, then surely the supernal has spies of its own. Guarding that truth, perfecting that ideal of the perfect operative, is the driving call of the Red Guard. Their actions may damn their souls, their methods may (it may be argued) defile many of the ideals the Awakened pursue, but in search of this singular truth, they are paladins of righteousness. The path to Ascension, the Guards say, is paved with their corpses.

Magic

Ruling Arcanum: Mind

Yantras: Being where you don't belong (+1, or +2 if you went there under your own free will); carrying the decryption of a code you broke within the past month (+2); Path tools usable as weapons or in spycraft (+2); dressing as someone else (+1); speaking other than your native language (+1); using an item you stole from an enemy (+1)

Oblations: Decryption; encryption; discussing moral philosophy such as the trolley problem; learning a secret; being alone in a crowd

Attainments

First: Debriefing

Prerequisites: Initiation
As any practitioner of time will tell you, a lot can happen in the span of a breath. During an operation, hyper vigilance is necessary to stay alive and carry out the objective. The mind rarely has time to commit all that occurs to memory, yet the mind and the self received all of that information regardless. It's there, ready to be recalled in a time of calm and clarity, for the benefit of the cause. Like the Mind 1 effect Perfect Recall, this attainment allows the Guard to recount even the most insignificant detail that occurred, even in times of life or death violence or extreme stress. The reach is used to make that recall an instant effect.
Optional: Fate 2
Such recall is often rife with too much detail. The mind sees all, but the mind also must parse what it's seen. Without the filters of short term and long term memory, the recall can be filled with red herrings and useless details that are not pertinent to the mission or its objectives. Similar to the Fate 1 effect Reading the Outmost Eddies, this optional attainment turns Fate into the sorting sieve, guiding the mind through the reflections of recall to latch on to pertinent details. With one reach dedicated to making the resulting recall happen within an hour of activation, this is typically done during debriefing where the agent can discuss with their handler or cadre about the incident, eventually latching on to the important details enough to guide their next course of action.

Second: Tools of the Trade

Prerequisites: Mind 2, Subterfuge 3
It's useful to be able to do two things at once. During the heat of a mission, when stress levels are high and the stakes are higher, the Guard must be able to keep a clear head and think critically. Perhaps she has to crack a code and figure out which wire to cut on the bomb at the same time. Or draw a map of the location in her mind while trying to remember which acid is best suited to eat through the lock in front of her. The utility of having two simultaneous trains of thought to problem solving cannot be over-emphasized. And, like the Mind 1 effect One Mind, Two Thoughts, this attainment brings that about. One reach has been designated to allowing two mental instant actions on the same turn, and another to advanced duration. Accordingly, this attainment is typically meditated upon ritually before the mission.
Optional: Fate 2
Guards operate in the cold. They operate alone, quite often, and must depend on their wits and ingenuity to get the job done. But it is a rare agent, indeed, that is universally competent in all aspects of field work. This attainment doesn't make that any less true, but it does let you use a wrench as a hammer in a pinch. Similar to the Fate 1 effect Serendipity, this optional attainment allows the Guard to substitute a different skill in the place of the one being rolled, so long as it is in the same category; Mental, Social, or Physical. The reach is used to make the effect instantaneous, and to provide the skill swapping effect. A talented agent may not have access to every tool within their box, but they can certainly make do. This effect may be used a number of times per activation equal to the Guard's fate arcana.

Third: In Plain Sight

Prerequisites: Mind 3, One of the other initiation skills at 2
A Guard must be able to move through the world unseen. Moving from place to place quickly, efficiently, and without notice is key. Being able to knock out a worker in the facility and steal his uniform? That's good. Wearing it and blending in with the staff? That's better. Doing that and then also making yourself beneath the notice of even the most ardent of security guard? That's better still. And by emulating the Mind 2 effect Incognito Presence, the Guard is able to do just that. One reach is dedicated to instantaneous effect, and another to advanced duration.
Optional: Fate 3
Typically, moving under the shroud of incognito presence is done to achieve an end. Moving from safehouse to safehouse, infiltrating a facility, or heading to a dead drop. With this optional attainment, the Guard may also use it to reach the next necessary objective in their mission. As with the Fate 2 effect Shifting the Odds, this attainment allows the Guard to find the nearest instance of what it is they seek. Looking for a double agent under cover? This will lead you to him. Seeking out the employee at the facility with mountains of debt and a willingness to turn coat if you can make it all go away? Ditto. It can also provide temporary dots of certain social merits like Ally, Contacts, Mentor, Resources, or Retainer, the sum of which may not exceed the Guard's Fate Arcana. One reach is dedicated to instant effect, and another to advanced duration. It should be noted that while the goal will be reached within a 24 hour period, that if the effect is enacted in an area likely to contain the objective, it may be found immediately, such as looking in the director's file cabinet for the missing dossier. Or searching the ER for the suspect you shot.

Fourth: Hair Trigger

Prerequisites: Mind 4, A third of the initiation skills at 2
The key to the success of any operations is preparation. This attainment demonstrates that. Through ritual preparation and oblation, the Guard steels their mind and hones their skills, hardening them for the job to come. Like the Mind 3 effect Augment Skill, pick a single skill and gain a number of dots in that skill equal to your rating in the Mind Arcana. One reach is dedicated to advanced duration, one two allowing a the dots to be divided between two skills.
Optional: Fate 4
Not only is the mind enhanced, but the odds are, too. Similar to the Fate 3 effect Supernal Luck, the Guard gains a number of rote action rolls equal to her dots in the Fate Arcana when using the chosen skill. One reach is dedicated to making this an instant action, and one to advanced duration. You must touch another target to impart this benefit to them.

Fifth: The Last Resort

Prerequisites: Mind 5, Subterfuge 4
Every Guard is a force to be reckoned with, but that doesn't make them beyond the reach of the things that they've done. Through any number of methods, agents acquire deleterious mental conditions which can impair their judgment and impede their progress towards the mission objectives. Rather than suffering through them, or subduing them, the Guard simply removes them from the tapestry of their psyches. Similar to the Mind 3 effect Clear Thoughts, the Guard may remove a number of conditions from themselves or another entity they can touch equal to their dots in the Mind Arcana. One reach is dedicated to making this an instant effect, two to make the effect lasting, resolving the conditions yet granting no beats.
Optional: Fate 5
Clearing the mind and focusing the thoughts can also provide tremendous clarity of purpose. Similar to the Fate 2 effect Exceptional Luck, this attainment grants 8-again to a number of die rolls equal to your rating in the Fate Arcana. The reach has been dedicated to creating the 8-again effect, and to allowing this effect to be used reflexively for a cost of 1 mana.