Question Mystic equivalence of the Worn Wrench?

Is there a mystic equivalence of the Order of the Worn Wrench or do the finger wiggles on thir own generate enough fear/respect that they don't need to band together?

Remember, the natural number of mages in a group is one...

Cryptic wrote: Is there a mystic equivalence of the Order of the Worn Wrench or do the finger wiggles on thir own generate enough fear/respect that they don't need to band together?

think of it this way... I'm sure the boys have learned to look Nikki in the eye when she talks, and not in the cleavage. Because what's more scary than an angry mage? an angry red-headed mage.

Cryptic wrote: Is there a mystic equivalence of the Order of the Worn Wrench or do the finger wiggles on thir own generate enough fear/respect that they don't need to band together?

IIRC, Gen2's supposed to have no fewer than three mystic interest-based clubs. Maybe the issue is that they don't trust each other very much? Or that could be a holdover from Gen1's "Gimme kewl stuff!" plan:

“You wizards and sorceresses, we'll need charms and protections, we'll need armor spells and every heavy hitter damage spell you've ever dreamed of. But, more importantly, we'll need intel."

... which may be easier to accomodate in the open by having separate clubs/discussion groups for the enchanters/conjurors, alchemists, and spell-builders. Or right-/left- hand paths and neutrals, etc.

Cryptic wrote: Is there a mystic equivalence of the Order of the Worn Wrench or do the finger wiggles on thir own generate enough fear/respect that they don't need to band together?

Well, consider what we have learned...

The Road to Whateley Part Three wrote: "Do you think me a fool?" She whispered in a voice low and terrible. "That you could stand here and lie to my face and snicker up your sleeve thinking you'd put one over on the old bitch? Did you not listen to Earth Mother's warnings about the dangers of magic users?" Carson's eyes flickered over the Earth Mother.

That's everybody gets a second chance, didn't give up on Tansy Walcutt Elizabeth Carson talking. Now some other quotes:

The Three Little Witches wrote: “Out in the real world, Mages constantly compete for each other’s essence,” Abra continued. “It’s part of the-”

“I am well aware of the way that mages operate out in the *ahem!* ‘real world’,” Grimes cut her off. “However, Whateley was created to avoid precisely that sort of predatory environment. The Mystic Arts program was founded so that young mystics such as yourself would have a safe haven to learn your craft and develop your power, so that when you go out into the, -heh- ‘Real World’, you’ll be able to defend yourself. Irene, Estelle, Bethany, if we were to allow the kind of predatory antics that you’re espousing, then YOU three would be the first to be targets for the likes of, oh, say… Hekate?” Grimes fought down a smile as the three reacted to the name of the fearsome Alpha Queen. Even as wooly-headed as the three were, they knew a genuine predator when they saw her.

Whilst Any Speaks wrote: “Miss Nalley,” the Headmistress said, “I'm about to ask you to step into a formal casting circle. These have many names, but they are most accurately called Fool's Circles. I cannot force you to enter it without whatever magic I attempt to cast on you reflecting on me. You should never, ever enter such a circle without trusting the mage who is going to use it to cast on you not just implicitly, not just with your life, but with your soul. You are a Christian, you understand just how permanent that is.”

While there are magical orders, I think the point has been made about how dangerous mages are to each other.

Mages are either powerful enough to be a force to be reckoned with, or they become the minion of someone who uses and abuses them. There is almost no middle ground, a mage powerful enough to stand on their own in the magic community possibly uses peon mages that are slaves in truth to the more powerful mage's protection.
Also they are the Original Order of the Black Widow!

On a practical level Mages also seem to have less of a collaborative framework to build an organization from.

Work-shoppers trade work between each other, and take advantage of each others specializations, all the time (e.g.: programming and building power armour, designing a knock-out gas and a delivery mechanism). These trades have an unwritten code of conduct that is managed by the workshop students and having systems like this evolve into a student managed organizations like the Worn Wrench seems reasonable (to me).

Magic on the other hand seems to work better when operating alone. Magic is about enforcing your Will on the world and building up from your own work seems to provide better results (even up to making your own tools). Even if you want to take advantage of another Mages good idea, for the best results you generally still want to personally build your own copy their work rather than asking for their work directly.

While the codes of conduct in the Magic department may help maintain order they're defined and managed by the faculty and don't provide a framework for the student body to self-organize. This doesn't make it impossible for a student-run magical organization to form but it certainly makes it harder.

I think there is confusion between the Order of the Worn Wrench and the clubs that are mentioned in Generation 2.

The clubs seem more like what they are- just clubs. Groups who band together to further knowledge, trade tips, and help friends in their spells. They are social clubs, rather than business groups. Magic is specialized enough to allow this and not have any overlap except among them with the exception that they all have magic in common.

The Order of the Worn Wrench, on the other hand, is more akin to like a trade guild or even a trade union. The ranks are right out of a trade union's ranks. They are reactive and judicious rather than a social group, it's strictly business even if many of the members are friendly acquaintances if not outright friends.

There probably are magic groups who are like the Order of the Worn Wrench but they are extremely specialized that it's likely they aren't mentioned due to not being necessary or the writers simply didn't think of the groups yet but they probably do exist in some form. I'd venture to say that the Dream Team are one of the magical equivalent groups, that is if you consider astral projection to be magical in nature.

The "Dream Team" is actually a student work-study job, operating under the cover of a gaming group.

Astrodragon wrote: Remember, the natural number of mages in a group is one...

The collective noun for a group of Wiccans is "an argument of witches."

null0trooper wrote: The "Dream Team" is actually a student work-study job, operating under the cover of a gaming group.

My apologies for getting them wrong based on the information I had on hand and not being able to read the minds of the people who write the stories or the WIki.

Efindumb wrote:

null0trooper wrote: The "Dream Team" is actually a student work-study job, operating under the cover of a gaming group.

My apologies for getting them wrong based on the information I had on hand and not being able to read the minds of the people who write the stories or the WIki.

No need for mind-reading, It comes up in "Eating Dog".

null0trooper wrote:

Efindumb wrote:

null0trooper wrote: The "Dream Team" is actually a student work-study job, operating under the cover of a gaming group.

My apologies for getting them wrong based on the information I had on hand and not being able to read the minds of the people who write the stories or the WIki.

No need for mind-reading, It comes up in "Eating Dog".

They came up in it, but I did not see them specifically mention that it was a work-study job for them. It appeared to be unofficial, hidden due to the nature of the beast(so to speak) but with the blessing of the school due to the severity of the risks and the nature of their powers.

I'll stand corrected, but I didn't get the impression that it was that organized through the school and more like the Worn Wrench than like say the Security Auxiliaries(both Wilds)

Nah, being tied to Bek's muse just means you have to pony up her drinks bill

Astrodragon wrote: Nah, being tied to Bek's muse just means you have to pony up her drinks bill

Yes, and worse, her tab at Callahan's Crosstime Saloon

Bek D Corbin wrote:

Astrodragon wrote: Nah, being tied to Bek's muse just means you have to pony up her drinks bill

Yes, and worse, her tab at Callahan's Crosstime Saloon

Is is true that it's almost to the point that not even the Goodkinds can pay it off?

Cryptic wrote: Is there a mystic equivalence of the Order of the Worn Wrench or do the finger wiggles on thir own generate enough fear/respect that they don't need to band together?

The Order of the Worn Wrench was created because individual gadgeteers (in particular, devisors are a little more of an iffy proposition) are vulnerable to bullying and extortion. They don't generally have the physical attributes of an exemplar so they can't defend themselves well.

Mages on the other hand are wildcards. Even a weak mage could have a spell ready and powered that completely bypasses exemplar strength and speed. They are only limited by what spells they know and how long it takes for them to gather and keep the essence to power those spells. Given enough time and concentration even a non-wizard mage could cast a spell that alters reality.

Given that, for a bully to go after a mage is a lot more dangerous. Perhaps not the first time, but the second or third time they /will/ have something nasty prepared that negates the bully's shtick.

So for mages there is a lot less reason to band together for strength than there is for gadgeteers and most devisors.