[Mage: The Awakening] Qlipoth: Dwellers at the Threshold

Out of Character (OOC):
Chronicle: Mage 2: The Dethroned Queen
Venue: Mage: The Awakening 2nd Edition
Chronicle Storyteller: Jerad Sayler
Assistant Storytellers: Hannah Nyland & Alex Van Belkum

In our current Mage: The Awakening 2nd Edition Chronicle "The Dethroned Queen" we have only encountered one Qlipoth (it was MtA1.0 at the time), and thank the stars for that.  They are the boogeymen to Archmages and perhaps one of the scariest Abyssal entities a Chronicle may have the misfortune to run across.

In the year that followed the events of Zero-X (Our Slenderman Plot), a mysterious Observer still stalked Jamestown North Dakota.  While most of the children under the nightmare sway of the Slenderman returned to normal after its destruction, Proxies remained active in Jamestown, anchored to the Observer as a way for their Abyssal corruption to maintain a foothold in the Fallen World.  The Observer turned out to be Kevin Haas, Noah Maxwell's good friend.  Noah was an early victim of the Slenderman and had been tracking the oddities going on in Jamestown, his friend Kevin was one of the first affected by the Temenic distortions created by the entity's passing. Kevin's soul and onerios was eventually hollowed out by the Abyss and Kevin was made a proto-qlipoth of sorts.  The group of Proxies, his Collective, where the focus of the Dethroned Queen plot "The Collective."

During the events of the Collective, the budding Triforce Cabal led by Chimera (Hannah Nyland), Jack Bismuth (Alexander Van Belkum), Reaper (Zac Israelson), and their friends Caissa (Ethen Reed), and Overwatch (Andrew Buchman) return to Jamestown because Noah's younger brother Milo was being targeted by the Collective.  Chimera corners the Observer and makes the mistake of invoking Paradox in front of it with a Vulgar spell and was sucked into its Qlipoth Abyssal Nightmare realm.  

Chimera is trapped in the Abyss while her Cabalmates try to protect Milo from the Proxies.  It is only by the rescue mounted by suspected Archmages Casstiel (Jerad Sayler), Kairos (Ethen Reed) and Nergal (Andrew Buchman) and the improvised invention of the J4A spell that Chimera is wrested from the realm.  Jack, responsible for the J4A spell also burned the irredeemable Kevin Haas to a cinder with Celestial Fire.  Thus ended the final legacy of the Acamoth called The Darkness that Thirsts and hopefully the last Qlipoth any of the characters will ever encounter again.

Sources:

- Qlipoths as discussed in the Left-Handed Path sourcebook for Mage: The Awakening 1st Edition
- Qlipoths as discussed in the Imperial Mysteries sourcebook for Mage: The Awakening 1st Edition

- Inspirations for Kevin Haas, Noah Maxwell, Milo Maxwell, the Observer, Proxies, the Collective and many aspects of the Zero-X and The Collective plots were derived from the TwelveTribes Slenderman Universe.


Husks of the Soul

The Qlipoth/Qliphoth/Qlippoth/Qlifot or Kelipot (Hebrew: קְלִיפּוֹת , the different English spellings are used in the alternative Kabbalistic traditions of Hermetic Qabalah and Jewish Kabbalah), literally meansing "Peels", "Shells" or "Husks" (from singular: קְלִפָּה qlippah "Husk"), are the representation of evil or impure spiritual forces in Jewish mysticism, the polar opposites of the holy Sefirot. The realm of evil is also termed Sitra Achra/Aḥra (Aramaic סטרא אחרא , the "Other Side" opposite holiness) in Kabbalah texts.

In the Supernal magical tradition of Kaballah the ten holy Sephira represent the ten Arcana and the Supernal Realms.  The Tree of Life is also representative of the human soul, the psyche and its connection to higher truths via their paths through Astral space. Qlipoth in this tradition refer to the Tree of Death, the inverse of each Sephirot that separates the Fallen World from the Supernal.  Specifically they represent the Abyss and the dark reflections of each Arcanum on the broken mirror of the Sea of Chaos.  They are the foundations of true Abyssal Magic in which Baalim (Scelesti Masters) tap into these false Arcana to command the greatest powers of the greatest Abyssal Gods. I will be posting on Magical Traditions, Kabbalism as an example and later the Advanced Abyssal magic that can be drawn from the Black Dragons, the Annunaki.

But Qlipoth share a much different meaning among the Awakened.  To most but the most dedicated Lorekeepers, a Dweller at the Threshold is a boogeyman, a Abyssal god possessing a body or a walking embodiment of the Abyss itself on the material plane.  To those who are seeking the Imperial Myteries or have already crossed that Threshold they are a warning.  Attempting to obtain Archmastery is an all or nothing thing. Failure to pass the Abyssal trial means complete destruction of the soul, and coming back as a hollowed out husk for the Abyss.

Qliphoth – The Dwellers at the Threshold
From Left Hand Path sourcebook for Mage: The Awakening 1st edition:

To mundane eyes, a Dweller at the Threshold looks like an ordinary human—perhaps a madman, raving about invisible phenomena. Under the Mage Sight, a Qliphoth looks like a walking hole in the cosmos. Qliphoth seem to be drawn to important events related to the Abyss, such as new Verges and unearthed grimoires. If they truly act on behalf of the Annunaki, they don’t demonstrate it through straightforward action. They lurk at the scene and provide cryptic clues about the meaning of their visit. Sometimes they tempt mages into casting spells in their presence. This is a catastrophic mistake. Each Qliphoth carries a world within it, though few will suffer the misfortune of experiencing it. This spiritual black hole contains the former sorcerer’s past Paradoxes and Abyssal encounters. When a sorcerer casts a vulgar spell in the Qliphoth’s presence, its Paradox traps her in its soul-realm. Nothing short of archmastery can rescue the victim, but she might be able to save herself by solving riddles within the soul-shell. It is said that if a sorcerer can comprehend the true cause of a Qliphoth’s damnation, she’ll escape its clutches. Most do not succeed, suffering eternal torture at the hands of the Dweller’s lingering Paradoxes. Some Wicked mystics believe the Dur-Abzu evolved from the strongest Qliphoth of each Path as their soul-realms grew with prisoners. Certain Scelesti worship the Qliphoth. Willing or not, they entered a communion with the Abyss greater than even most Accursed would dare. A few willingly enter a Dweller at the Threshold’s personal universe to learn an esoteric secret from the Qliphoth or its prisoners, some of whom may have survived from the days of Atlantis. Ancient grimoires, mystic artifacts and mighty spirits might all be found within a single soul. Beyond the descriptions above, no special rules govern the Qliphoth, as nothing short of archmastery can forcibly affect them or their soul realms. Less powerful beings must endure imprisonment when they trigger it, solve the riddles put before them, and escape—or spend the remainder of their days within a very strange, dangerous chronicle.

From Imperial Mysteries sourcebook for Mage: The Awakening 1st Ed:
Tragic reminders of the risks of archmastery, the Qliphoth are a perversion of the Golden Road created when an aspirant is trapped in the Abyss during the Threshold, or when an archmage suffers the very worst form of Manifestation Paradox while attempting to create a sub-soul, destroying their Road in the process.

Outwardly, a Qliphoth might be mistaken for one of the Mad, or for a Sleeper possessed by a being from the Shadow. They stumble around the realms of the Fallen World, not truly seeing their surroundings but reacting to terrible threats that aren’t there as though gripped in hallucination. Under Mage Sight they appear to be humanoid voids drawing all energies toward them, and give Travelers who scrutinize them a sick feeling like an incoming Paradox.

A Qliphoth has an internal world, just as an archmaster has a Road, but it is a thing of the Abyss. Just as lesser Abyssal entities infect their greater brethren, the Qliphoth’s Road has become a breeding ground and incubator for intruders. The remnant of the mage that became the Qliphoth is trapped in a world resembling his location but twisted by every intruder infecting him while he suffers endless Paradoxes, is warped beyond recognition by Branding, and is driven insane by Bedlam.

The intruders may reach out of the Qliphoth with their Numina as though they were present, but that isn’t the main problem. The main problem is that the Qliphoth’s tortured internal world is infectious. Mages and archmages causing Paradoxes within sensory range of a Qliphoth cannot accept resistant wounds, but they do not suffer the usual Paradox. Instead, their soul is brought into resonance with the Qliphoth, so that reality for them begins to be overlaid with the devastated world the Qliphoth experiences. Sleepers who invoke Disbelief within range are absorbed in the same way. Any spell cast by someone absorbed by a Qliphoth automatically causes a Paradox that is applied to the Qliphoth itself as well as the caster — casters may choose to absorb paradoxes as wounds once they’re already in, but the Qliphoth itself never will.

Archmasters can’t use Imperial Practices inside the Qliphoth but are free to escape to their Roads as normal, which breaks the creature’s hold over them. Travelers and Sleepers are trapped unless the Qliphoth is killed or its soul destroyed.

Unfortunately, like an archmaster, Qliphoth are immune to having their soul stolen and may be forced by the Intruders within them to move between the realms of the Fallen world like an archmaster walking the Road. They can only be properly killed by those infected. Rescuing infected friends therefore becomes a task of allowing oneself to be infected, hunting down the twisted wretch at the heart of the Qliphoth while evading the Intruders and putting him out of his misery before the Paradoxes build up so much they threaten the life of the rescuer.

Like the Qliphoth itself, infected mages and Sleepers appear to be imagining the changes to reality they are experiencing. Mages who examine colleagues who have been absorbed find they appear to be suffering from Bedlam, giving the Qliphoth itself time to escape. No amount of distance between the Qliphoth and its victims will break the connection, though some archmages of Death theorize that destroying and rebuilding a victim’s soul may be a cure.

Using Qlipoth in game:
I extrapolated these texts to try to make the Qliphoth usable in stories were you want your mages to die horribly in most cases and also make it something truly terrifying... a lot of these are not fully fleshed out abilities.  Most notably, the Abyssal Arcana (Anti-Sephirah) is not canon but it adds a new layer onto what Scelesti (Specifically Baalim and Aswadim) are capable of doing... more will be released in future posts.

I also added that regular sleepers can also become Qlipoth. Any person who has their soul hollowed out and replaced by the Abyss has the potential to become a Dweller, provided the nature of their infection isn't strongly tied to another infection vector that caused the hollowing in the first place.  Failed Archmaster Trials ALWAYS make Qlipoth, quite strong ones too.  Hollowed out mages might, on rare occasion become one and hollowed out Sleepers very rarely transform, usually the result of the infection taping into latent Awakening potential.  A single Qlipoth is still an Archmaster level problem thought non-Travelers can also play a role.  They are very very dangerous.

Qlipoth Nightmare realms follow the rules for travel in the Abyss outlined in the Imperial Mysteries sourcebook for Mage: The Awakening 1st Ed.  I have extrapolated these into a whole primer I will release in the future.  For now just know that it is a dangerous place because its lousy with Intruders (who are not so much intruding as home I guess) but also starts with +3 environmental Paradox levels on all spells cast there and a mage's personal Paradox pool doesn't decrease while they are within the realm.

Qlipoth Abilities:

1. Abyssal Numen – any Intruders paying attention inside them can cast out Numina into the real world

2. Discord – Acts as level of Gnosis – each dot adds to areas Paradox (LAPA)  +1. Qlipoth made from regular sleepers rarely get higher than one.

3. Anti-Sephirah – dark reflections of Arcana… designed yet to be finished and published by me in future posts. Only Qlipoth from former mages may gain access to these.  Aswadim and Baalim have access to these as well.

4. Crossing – can go into their own Abyssal nightmare world completely, as if vanishing within their own Archmastery Golden Road.

5. The Observer Effect – If they cast any Obvious magic in front of him they are trapped, forever. Any sleepers that also witness and disbelieve witness the spell also become trapped. They can only be freed by destroying the Qlipoth from the outside or destroying its soul from within (unmaking the Realm's Diadem). See notes above.

6. Soulshell – Its soul cannot be stolen, destroyed, or affected by anything but Archmastery

7. Failed Absorption – Mages are unable to choose to Absorb Paradox!


EXAMPLE Qlippoth:

The Observer
Also Known as: The Eyes, Black Rook, The Sentinel
- mysterious and malevolent entity that has a great interest in Noah Maxwell
- has the ability to manipulate time and space
- The Observer is represented by a symbol of two eyes intersecting (the glyph of severance)
- The Observer communicates with Noah through physical means (cryptic packages and notes) and digital means (black-and-white videos, code, files) Most of his "communications" are stylized by visual distortions, solid black-and-white imagery and scratchy, fully capitalized (and in videos, shaky)
- Leader of a group of Proxys called the Collective
- Refers to itself as “we” for it is full of Abyssal Entities, he wants to die.
- Served under the Slenderman, who he called The Administrator – fears him no longer since he is destroyed
- He is a tool that the Slenderman would use and throw away, but he was set free by the death of the Slenderman
- Now he is a rough godling of the Abyss, growing strong and stranger on the substance of psychic energy as well as the fears of the urban legend

Attributes:
Intelligence OOOOO O Strength OO Presence OOO
Wits OOOOO Dexterity OOO Manipulation OO
Resolve OOOO Stamina OO Composure OOOO

Skills:
Academics OOOO Athletics OO Animal Ken X
Computer OOOOO (Cyphers) Brawl O Empathy X
Craft OOO Drive X-1 Expression OOOO (Riddles)(Graffiti)
Investigation OOOO (Enigmas) Firearms OO Intimidation OOOO (Masks)
Medicine OO Larceny OOOO (Breaking in) Persuasion OOO
Occult OOO (Spotting) Stealth OOO (Sneaking) Socialize X
Politics X Survival OO Streetwise OO
Science OOO (Pseudoscience) Weaponry OOO (Knives) Subterfuge OOO (Innocent)

Weapons:
- Liston Knife of the Slenderman - (Roll 6, 7 Lethal… profane weapon, infected with Abyssal filth),
- Shotgun (3L reroll 9s)

Integrity X (Abyssally Ridden)

Health: [ ][ ][ ][ ][-1][-2][-3]

Discord (Gnosis) OOOO (+4)

Paradox (Mana): OOOOO OOOOO OOO & 4 usable per turn

Willpower: OOOO OOOO

Inherented Special Abilities: (and additional stuff inherited from the Slenderman, rough mechanics)
1. Piercer - Ignore mage armor 
2. Condition: Conditioned - Slendy influences them in dreams and after some integrity failures can compel them.
3. Compelled - Exploits quiescence both as dream sympathy, children’s souls look hollowed out and maimed (low integrity)
4. Unseen Sense (Magic)– The Quiescence allows their disbelief to recognize the supernal
5. The Black Road – If they cast any obvious spell in front of him they are trapped, forever. Any sleepers that also witness and disbelieve witness the spell also become trapped. They can only be freed by destroying the Qlipoth from the outside or destroying its soul from within.
6. Soulshell – Its soul cannot be stolen, destroyed, or affected by anything but Archmastery
7. Uncontrolled – Mages are unable to accept Blacklash wounds
8. Discordia – Starting Area Paradox +4

Anti-Sephirah (Map to Arcana & Influences: Strengthen, Manipulate, Control, Create, Mass Create)

o Entropy (Death) OOOO
§ Suppress Other’s Life (Sight)
§ Rotting Flesh (Sight)
§ Enervation (Sight)
§ Slay Own Aura
§ Sever the Slumbering Soul
§ Strengthen, Manipulate, Control, and Create Entropy

o Regression (Time) OO
§ Augury, divinations, post-cogs, future-cogs…

o Dementia (Mind) OOO
§ Psychic Assault
§ Befuddle
§ Curse of Dementia
§ Curse of Ostracism
§ Incognito Presence
§ Implant Subliminal Message
§ Agony

o Isolation (Space) O

Abyssal Numnia (Cast out of him by spirits, roll to see how many times per round)
o Aggressive Meme
o Walk the place Between - Spends 1 Paradox Point and roll Wits + Occult + Isolation to step into the In-Between. Lasts successes = hours. Also roll Dex + Occult for speed mod: 0 = normal speed; 1 = 2x, 2 = 4x, 3 = 8x. 4 = 16x, 5 = 32x. +2 more successes = X2 more…
o Blast (Tentacles)
o Compulsion
o Create Anomaly - yep, Abyssal Environmental Tilt
o Derange – lasts 4 weeks, pick derangement
o Fearstruck
o Electromagnetic Disruption
o Left-Handed Spanner
o Abyssal Form – - roll 10 dice, successes = turns it can be in this form, 1 Paradox, 1 Willpower per round  +4 to attack rolls with 3 tentacles, each attack independently, +4 Lethal

The Diadem of the Observer: Splice
Description: This is the form of the Observer inside the Qlippoth Nightmare Realm.  It is his corrupted Daemon.  He rules the realm and yet is tormented by it. Looks like the Observer except all in black except for eyes and grin, tendrils of darkness and lots of eyes all over him. Face turns into one big eyeball wreathed in oily feelers

Rank 4
Power OOOOO OOOOO O
Finesse OOOOO OOOOO
Resistance OOOOO OOOOO
Health: 15
Influence: Nightmare Realm OOOO

The Collective: Proxies of the Slenderman
1. Piercer - Ignore mage armor 
2. Condition: Conditioned - Slendy influences them in dreams and after some integrity failures can compel them.
3. Compelled - Exploits quiescence both as dream sympathy, children’s souls look hollowed out and maimed (low integrity)
4. Unseen Sense (Magic)– The quiescence allows their disbelief to recognize the supernal
5. Discordia – Starting Area Paradox +1