The Order of Light

The Order of Light is a modern incarnation of an ancient idea: a loose alliance of mystics dedicated to the responsible and ethical use of magic and the protection of humanity from forces beyond their ken. Many such alliances have arisen when the need was great, from the cooperation of the mages of ancient Atlantis to unseat Malador the Mystic as Master Mage and imprison him, all the way until modern times. Indeed, the cooperation of magicians devoted to the light is likely the reason the Secret Circle exists, and the Circle is the model for alliances among mystics.
The Order of Light as it exists now came into being in the 19th century. In the centuries before, Europe was home to various lodges and circles of “illuminated” adepts, working in secret to preserve their arts and thwart the schemes of unscrupulous black magicians and sinister cults. One such lodge taught the British sorceress Lady Violet Pennyworth and later helped elevate her to the status of Master Mage, following the death of Broken Crow in America in 1890. Unlike her more solitary predecessors, Lady Pennyworth saw considerable value in cooperation amongst the mystically inclined, and she welcomed aid in her work. She consolidated the Order of Light from several European and American occult groups, envisioning one day a “net of lights cast about the globe.” Unfortunately, Violet Pennyworth was only Master Mage for a few short years before she fell against the Cult of Kar’Kradas in 1895. Fortunately, her establishment of the Order of Light provided a “storm break” against the rising tide of eldritch evil in the world. The mystics of the Order cooperated to seek the new Master Mage and to serve in Lady Pennyworth’s stead until they were able to do so.
In the forty years before Adrian Eldrich assumed the mantle of Master Mage, the mystics of the Order of Light fought the forces of evil and did their best to secure arcane lore and potential for the future. Eldrich initially experienced some friction with the mages of the Order, as he found them, rather than them finding him, as they’d planned. Some initially doubted Eldrich’s claim to the title of Master Mage, but they came around in time. Four decades of service to the cause had made the Order somewhat hidebound and reluctant to let go of its responsibilities, but it also had made its members willing to sacrifice for the cause. Sacrifice they did, as factions like The Thule Society rose to power in Europe, and the Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign became active once again around the world.
The dark days of World War II decimated the ranks of the Order of Light, as the Thule Society and their Nazi agents often targeted Order mystics for arrest, execution, and assassination. The Order was able to save the Lightbearers, Sophie and Wolfgang Shaal, from death, allowing them to become the heroes White Rose and White Thorn, members of the Allies of Freedom.
In the decades following the end of the Second World War, the Order of Light experienced both an expansion and a dilution of its ranks: the occult became more publicly known and accepted, but at the same time, truly capable and talented mystics dedicated to the Art were fewer. More and more members of the Order were dabblers and dilettantes, and the growing strength and authority of Eldrich as Master Mage made their efforts seem less important.
The present-day Order of Light is merely a shadow of its former self, so to speak. Many mystics see it as a relic, filled with obscure fraternal rituals and codes no one really cares about any more, jealously guarding a role it no longer plays. Few members of the Order remember the daring and difficult days of the early 20th century; most weren’t even born then. A small handful hold to long-standing traditions and understand that Adrian Eldrich may be one of the greatest Master Mages the world has known, but no holder of the office is eternal. There will be a need for the Order of Light once again, perhaps quite soon, and they had best be prepared for it.

Type

Guild, Mages