Arete/Sphere Levels & Rank

1 Apprentice: Your Mage is just beginning to understand that there are greater forces at work around him.
He has learned to see the Sphere to watch it and understand how it works but lacks the skill to interact
with it and shape it to his will. An Apprentice in a Sphere is entirely a passive observer, with little more
power than a Sleeper.

2 Initiate: Youve learned to interact with magic, but only in clumsy and unfocused ways. You manipulate
the Sphere through brute force of will, often creating interesting effects but lacking in finesse or precision.
Any effect that works through skillful or subtle manipulation of the Sphere is far beyond your abilities.

3 Disciple: You can now interact with the Sphere with natural ease, creating and controlling magic with a
thought. However, you are still limited to the surface level of the Spheres possibilities, and you cannot yet
conceive of grand, Master-level effects. This is generally the point at which a Sphere becomes really useful,
although commonly the Spheres best effects only apply to the Mage himself.

4 Adept: Youve begun to plunge deeper into the Sphere, removing barriers in your abilities and in your
mind. Youre now easily capable of working your powerful magic on other people, on groups of things, or
even on reality itself. There are still some limits for you although you may have mastered many of the
uses of the Sphere, you still must learn the significance of those uses in the grand scheme of magic.

5 /6 Master: Very few limits remain for you. You can change the very essence of the things within your
Sphere, achieving effects which are even considered impossible to Mages. With a little preparation, you
can do almost anything you can conceive of within your Sphere of mastery. There are still greater levels to
strive for, Arch Mage powers you cant even dream of, but on Earth you are a force to be reckoned with.

7 / 8Oracle: There comes a point when a Master may leave her old preconceptions about magick behind,
realizing that the spheres is just another way to see reality. She transcends through a second awakening,
becoming an Oracle and melding with her Avatar. The step from master to Oracle is exceedingly painful, as
the mage must discard almost everything she has ever believed in, had faith in, or hoped for. Most Masters
will never reach this level, since they are too bound to their old prejudices or content to play with their new
powers without having to pay the price of true understanding. They transcend use of foci and spheres,
realizing their full potential over reality. While extremely powerful, they are no longer human beings and
can exist outside of the time continuum. With this great power, however, comes additional responsibilities
of the same magnitude.
It is often said that in some mages, those with Avatars that are recognized as once-Gods or Awakened
Beings that remember what it was Like to hold the power of the Arch Magi (Arete above 6), the Madness
of power will drive them over an edge, and wrought with hubris, they will self destruct as the mage has not
yet achieved the Blending with their Avatar, and went through their second awakening to become among
the Arch Magi.
Oracles cannot explain their understanding to lesser beings. It is simply beyond the potential grasp of a
mere human mages mind. If effect, at the level of an Oracle, the Magus has become a god of sorts; or is
beginning to awaken into one perhaps to take her place among the celestines. At this point, most mages will
not consider to grasp for more yet some do
There are many speculations on why these powerful beings (stemming through the remainder of the
Arch Magi) do not assist with the Ascension War, or alter the course of Humanity. The Arch Magi have
realized that the Ascension War is a trivial little affair, as entertainment and training for the lesser mages
which they need to test themselves. Many Oracles have become so alien that they simply aren't interested in
helping the lesser mages.
The Arch Magi can't interfere. Perhaps they have become so powerful and alien that they no longer can
work in static reality anymore. If an Arch Magi would appear in the world, just his perceptions would be so
different that he may be destroyed or removed by paradox. Perhaps they can manifest in the world, but not
with their full powers. They must manifest in a lesser form. Many speculate Christ was a manifested Arch
Magi.
Others believe that the Arch Magi are fighting in the Ascension War, its just that they fight above the
heads of everybody. They magick is so powerful and subtle, that nobody below their level even can
perceive it. They have their own greater foes, equal to their own in the Technocracy
 And lastly, the Arch Magi know that if they interfere, they would do even more harm.
They must remain inactive to protect reality.

9 / Arch Mage: Little is know about a mage so powerful. If theyre around, theyre not
talking

Arete Behavior
1-3 The mage has understood the basic principles of his tradition. He can use the
simplest types of magick, and has reached some self-knowledge. To advance
further, he must overcome himself more and more. Many mages change demeanours
during their seeking towards the next levels. Many mages never manage to rise
above this level, and remain as lesser mages.
4-5 The mage apparently masters the external world. Many mages think they have
reached a deep understanding of themselves. Most mages on this level have risen far
into the ranks of their tradition. The seeking has become very hard, as the mage
must not only overcome the flaws of his nature (note the elegant bind here: if the
mage roleplays his nature, complete with flaws, he will be awarded more willpower
and experience. But if he tries to overcome his flaws, he will not gain this. It is
tempting to step off the path.) To raise Arete on this level, the quests can take years.
5-6 The mage has mastered his tradition (maybe not in knowledge, but in
understanding). He is powerful, and apparently at the height of his power. Many
mages on this level are leaders of their traditions. But he will begin to see the flaws,
inconsistencies and outright errors of his tradition too. To continue the path, he must
take the painful step away from his tradition, losing the support and help it once
gave. This may take a lifetime. Many mages never do this, and remain here, trying
to lead their traditions. This is probably as far as roleplaying is possible, the later
levels are too hard to imagine.
6-7 The mage has left his tradition, and probably changed his nature as well. These
mages are outside the protection and support of the traditions, and their vision is
almost impossible to understand even for other mages. Most retreat into the Umbra
to escape the Ascension War. Some mages try to find the Oracles to perfect their
magick. Others try to find themselves. To continue, the mage must transcend his
limited view of the world and/or himself, experiencing a second Awakening. This
can take several centuries to do. Many mages prefer to remain on this level, finding
pleasure in their power or self-knowledge.
7-8 This is the level of the Oracles. They have realized that their old ideas about the
spheres work was just another arbitrary way to look at reality. They are able to
freely choose they way they like to see magick; in the same way a lesser mage can
change reality by viewing it in an arbitrary way, an Oracle can change the way they
(or anybody else) see magick. Thus they transcend spheric magick, being able to use
magick in any way they want. this can take thousands of years. Many Oracles prefer
to remain Oracles, but a few tries to understand the world even further.
9 - 10 These levels are so high that maybe only the most advanced Oracles can even begin
to fathom them.
 NORMALITY RATINGS

Normality Behaviour
10 You are a quite normal human.
9 A bit odd or eccentric. Some artists or bohemians belong to this level. You often get
involved, or notice weird things. You have unusual ideas or thoughts.
8 Quite strange. Things happen to you or around you that no normal person would
believe could happen. Your perceptions of the world are no longer the same as
consensus reality.
7 Very strange. A psychologist would think you are clinically insane and commit you
to an asylum. You become involved in extremely weird events. People will notice
you immediately. Your ideas are quite different from anybody else's.
6 Insane. Anybody can realise that you are insane if they spend some time with you.
Things happen to you that no sane person could even imagine. Your daily life is
utterly strange. You no longer think in ordinary terms. You see the world in a very
different way.
5 Clearly Insane. Your daily life is extremely surreal. No normal human could avoid
thinking that you are insane. They find it hard to relate to you and vice versa. Your
thoughts are far beyond the what anybody think is normal or even human.
4 Not quite human. Sleepers would not believe in your daily life. Small signs of
alienness make normal humans very uncomfortable. You see the world in an alien
way.
3 Not human. Anybody will notice that you are not quite human anymore. Mages will
begin to have trouble relating to you. You have a hard time understanding or
interacting with Sleepers.
2 Alien. Your daily life is beyond comprehension of normal humans. It is obvious to
anybody that you no longer are wholly human. You cannot interact successfully
with sleepers anymore.
1 Incomprehensible. You are very alien. Most mages have a hard time relating to you,
and vice versa.
0 The mage is completely alien to anybody.