The Power of the Craft
Craftmasons in Ars Magica and Dark Ages: Mage
Part One: Background
by Phil Masters
As anyone who is familiar with the background to White Wolf's Mage line will be aware, the organization which fought for reality as the Order of Reason in Mage: the Sorcerers' Crusade, and went on to become the world-dominating conspiratorial Technocracy in Mage: the Ascension, began its existence as a secret faction of peasant mages and "inspired" craftsmen in the European Middle Ages: the Craftmasons. Most will also know that the original inspiration for the medieval back-story to these games was Ars Magica, although that game has now gone its own way, and has passed into the hands of Atlas Games, with its "official history" diverging substantially. Thus, the canonical magicians of White Wolf's medieval world are now described by the new Dark Ages: Mage.
Nonetheless, both those medieval games largely ignore the Craftmasons. They have vanished altogether from Ars Magica, and they rate only a one-line mention in Dark Ages: Mage. Now, while the former game at least can probably do fine without them -- it makes a point of cleaving especially closely to authentic medieval beliefs, whereas the Craftmasons don't quite fit, at least without a little work -- this seems like a shame. The dominant magical factions in both these settings are hubristic and elitist wizards; in fact, the chief group in the heart of Europe in . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: May 9, 2003
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