Editing Tradition Politics (section)

==CABALS==

A mage’s cabal is often the only real family she has left. The people in her cabal are the only ones who understand her new life, face her problems with her, and who she can count on to back her up when she needs it most. Even if the cabal formed out of a more pragmatic concern-such as mutual protection or advancing some collective interest -and not due to any particular ties of friendship, the members of a cabal know that they can trust and depend on each other.

Cabals used to be composed of members of one Tradition, but this trend broke down in the last century. Faced with the Avatar Storm and the end of the Ascension War, most modem mages are glad for any company they can find. Of course, even the tightest cabals can still fall victim to the same problems that groups of friends or associates do in everyday life. Jealousy, ambition, romantic fallout, petty feuds, buried grudges or even simple differences of opinion can all stir up divisive conflict within a particular cabal.

Since they tend to form these groups on their own, the basic interactions of the players naturally generate many cabal-oriented plot lines, as different cabals come into conflict and members’ attitudes change over time. Those players or Storytellers looking for additional motivation or ways to approach stories about cabal conflicts should think about that original battleground of personal association: high school. Remember how the different cliques used to butt heads, often over the smallest and stupidest things?Think about how your own circle of friends always seems to have some crisis or another going on, be it a love triangle, two people who aren’t speaking to one another or some other interpersonal turmoil. Keep that social dynamic in mind and extrapolate from it the behaviors of cosmically enlightened folks with gigantic egos who are waging a largely one-sided and desperate battle against the ultimate symbol of authority. From that perspective, it’s not hard to see how conflicts can arise between or within cabals.