Oscilators
The Congregation of the Oscillating Hourglass, or simply the Oscilators, is a faith worshiping Magitech, enchantment and artifice. There are three oscillator temples in Yersia, Ginais and Qorte, though their agents operate throughout the known world.
Structure
There are three Conclaves:
Conclave of the Hands of Pendula
The largest Conclave is in Fumo. It is a compound of a towers outside of the city walls. This Conclave houses the giant mechanical Pendula statue that is often a pilgramage made by initiates of the order. This conclave is the largest and most public of the three, thereby containing the Oscilator's most legal and ethical experiments.Conclave of the Hand of Eternity
This Conclave is in the Colony of Ginais and is famed for its weapons research.Conclave of the Hand of Evolution
This Conclave is in Qorte and is known for its cooperation with the alchemists there for darker arts, poisons and shadow work. The Augmented of this conclave are usually spies, assassins and thieves.Public Agenda
To research and develop new technologies to enrich and enhance the world.
Divine Origins
An off-shoot of the Freeders, the Oscilators are a new organization who spread from Yersia into The Frontier during initial colonization.
They fled from the more restrictive rules in Yersia about magitech and magic in general, seeking the freedom to experiment without limitations or fear of reprisal from the Descendants of Batu. Some say that the Yersi crown secretly funded the Oscilators' research.
Tenets of Faith
The Oscilators believe that magical enchantment was specifically a gift to humanity to give reprieve from certain difficulties.
The three core tenets of the Oscilators are:
1) Strengthen yourself and you strengthen humanity.
2) Sacrifice and limitation yield progress.
3) To idle is to beget doom.
Ethics
The Oscilators spend their days constructing magitech equipment, researching new methods, and teaching novices and initiates. They venerate magitech augmentations and replacing body parts with it is considered a bade of honor and high regard.
Additionally, oscilators generally perform charity work helping the maimed or infirm recover something they've lost through augmentation. They see magitech as an inherent, compassionate right of the living to improve themselves.
However, competition is fierce between the Conclaves. While Oscilators do not tend to harm ordinary people or get involved in politics, they will often make sacrifices to obtain knowledge or new equipment. The Conclaves employ subterfuge against one another and against any other emergent competitors, though they usually steer clear of outright murder.
Using magic in any other way except for the creation of magitech is generally frowned upon, though novices are trained in some form of combat enhancing magic such as increasing speed or strength.
Oscilators do not formally recognize the authority of monarchs and have their own system of punishment, including corporeal punishment, augmentation retraction (harvesting), and exile.
Worship
Imitating Pendula is considered a pious act of worship. To do this, one focuses on developing their magitech augmentations and applying their magical skill to this.
Priesthood
The Congregation of The Many Mind is the formal council of leaders of Oscilator monasteries that decides the direction of the faith. There are three council seats, occupied by the leaders at the monasteries near Yersia, the Colony of Ginais and Qorte.
The ranks of the priesthood are as follows, from bottom to top:
Novices: Usually children with magical potential put to physical and combat training, as well as doing the manual labor of the various monasteries.
Initiates: Teenagers who have passed their rudimentary training and begin instruction in the higher forms of magical application and enchantment. Instates are expected to form theses by the time they are eighteen or are cast out of the organization.
Academics: Initiates whose theses involve theoretical glyphwork are graduated to the Academics, who primarily focus on the study of time and theory of enchantment.
Conciliators: Initiates whose thesis involve an enchantment or forgery of magitech become Conciliators. In practice, they often outrank Academics and are more respected.
Augmented: The soldiers and agents of the Oscilators. They are meant to be equal to the Academics and Conciliators, but in actuality hold a lot more power.
Hands of Pendula, Evolution and Eternity: The leader of each Conclave forms the Council of the Many Mind and are the leaders of the Oscilators. Whoever is the most senior of the Hands holds authority, which tends to be the Hand of Pendula from the Conclave in Fumo. They have absolute control over their monasteries and together decide the direction of the whole order. To become a Hand, you must have several magitech augmentations, as well as be voted for by the Conciliators and Academics of the monastery. Hands give up their given and family names in absolute service to Pendula and serve until death.
Political Influence & Intrigue
Oscilators are often accused of magitech heists. Between the three monasteries themselves, there is often a level of subterfuge and competition.
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