Zoroastrianism
| Zoroastrian | Tradition |
|---|---|
| Combat | Man |
| Detection | Water |
| Health | Fire |
| Illusion | Air |
| Manipulation | Plant |
| Drain | Willpower + Logic |
| Preferred Spells | Analyze Truth, Armor, Detect Enemies, Heal, Stunball |
| Preferred Adept Powers | Commanding Voice, Danger Sense, Metabolic Control, Pain Resistance |
The central deity of Zoroastrianism is Ahura Mazda,
the creator, who works in opposition to Angra Mainyu,
the destructive force of chaos. Followers are implored
to actively work on the side of goodness and creation,
as that is the only way to defeat chaos. Adherents often
use rituals involving the life-giving forces of water
and especially fire to purify themselves if necessary. Frequent
prayer, meditation, or mental focusing is important
to the tradition.
Zoroastrianism often focuses on dualities: good and
evil, order and chaos, mind and body. The dualities are
not perfectly aligned—for example, neither mind nor
body is judged to be good or evil—but practitioners are
aware of the separation and desire to have mind and
body working in harmony with each other. All types of
Awakened individuals can be found in the Zoroastrian
tradition, but mystic adepts often find it particularly appealing
as they feel the focus if the tradition allows them
to put the two sides of their magical talent into greater
alignment.
There are no governing bodies of the Zoroastrian
religion beyond the leaders of particular communities.
These religious communities are often not welcoming
to outsiders, but the magical communities are more
open. They often see themselves as warriors involved
in a great fight, and they are willing to have others join
them in the fight, as they are well aware the struggle will
not be easy.
Zoroastrian mages tend to be blunt and direct. They
certainly understand the value of stealth in a fight, but
they also tend to like to let their enemies know just who
they’re up against. They like to hit fast, hit hard, but leave
their enemies intact. They also want to be sure they can
heal up damage as necessary when the dust settles, and
are generally willing to provide care to their opponents
to keep them alive. They often have a poise and bearing
to them that others find unsettling.
Hester Khorasani had a career for a time as a special
effects wizard for Horizon’s Pathfinder Multimedia,
but as her talents developed she decided she needed
to do bigger things. Rather than drop out of the Hollywood
scene, though, she used the connections she had
built to open her own small studio that focused on trids
with messages subtly supportive of Zoroastrian beliefs
(though to a casual observer, they often seem like flicks
about powerful mages kicking ass and taking names).
Profits from her studio are funneled into a teaching center
that is open to all who want to know more about her
philosophy, whether they are Awakened or not. By most
accounts, the lessons presented to people who drop
by are simple and cursory, but rumors persist that Khorasani
keeps her eye out for particularly powerful visitors,
and then invites them to attend special advanced
classes she leads herself.
(p52-53 SG)