Magic

The world used to be a place of Magic. It is evident in our myths, our legends and our fairy tales &mdash; magic was a common force of nature. Gradually, as human culture developed and grew, people began to quantify and define the world around them in purely rational terms and this Science was born.

The Fall & Return of Magic
As the dogma of science spread, magical energy &mdash; the Radiance &mdash; gave way. Like a body bleeding out in a forgotten laneway, all that depended on the Radiance was diminished and lost. Like blood, however, that energy found places where it pooled.

The UnderWorld is one of the last vestiges of the Radiance left on Earth. It lies beneath the world of Man, beneath the subways, beneath the stations, beneath it all. It is a hidden world of caverns, chambers, passageways, tunnels... and magic. The deeper you go into the UnderWorld, the stronger the surrounding Radiance. But the system isn't closed: the upper levels of the UnderWorld &mdash; the subway stations and passageways carved by man &mdash; are a permiable barrier through which the Radiance evaporates.

As the industrial revolution sandblasted the magic from the face of the Earth, the loss of Radiance increased exponentially before the unstoppable force of a 20th Century ruled only by Science! Yet that prophecy has failed, and for one reason alone.

The Subways
During the latter part of the 19th century, construction began around the world on subway systems for the world's larger cities. These projects were subtly influenced &mdash; changing a route here, moving a track there &mdash; by forces and persons unknown, resulting in these new wonders of Science being laid out in ancient patterns similar to the runes, mandalas, spirit-paths used by Shamans. Instead of a single sorcerer obeying the dictates of arcane geometry, transforming the smallest, most miniscule fraction of his or her essence into a magical charge, the paths of the subways were followed by many. Every day. In ever increasing numbers.

Enough power was generated by this unwitting ritual participation day in and day out to first assuage the loss then, by the turn of the 21st Century, to maintain a state of equilibrium against the ever present forces of Science. Some within the UnderWorld speak in hushed tones of the mysterious architects of this plan &mdash; wondering if they set this generator in motion for their own purposes, and what will happen when the subways start to provide a reliable surplus of the Radiance. But perhaps its best not to speak of such things. After all, they say that when you think of the Devil, the Devil thinks of you.

Magic in the UnderWorld
More so than any other place on Earth, the UnderWorld is a place of magic. This is not the magic of the UpWorld occult movements, which attempts to quantify the supernatural in structures and rules of almost scientific precision. This is the magic of folk and fairy tales, of symbolism and childlike logic.

Magic in the UnderWorld comes in three varieties: Charms, Rites and Relics.


 * Charms: The most common type of magic, these are small objects or simple rote actions imbued with magical power.
 * Rites: Powerful, reality-altering and rare. Their occurence is the stuff of legend, even in the UnderWorld.
 * Relics: Relics are, essentially, legendary objects (rather than individuals). Like the members of that Breed, these objects have distilled the essence of legend or belief into their substance.

Magic can only be attempted by Individuals who know the correct Charm or Rite, or who possess the appropriate Relic.