New 2E Legacies, expanded

[21C Hermit]

A quick alternative list of the House of Ariadne's Attainments' Optional effects. They use solely Space, which makes it linear and clearer but (hopefully) not boring.

I'm not sure if I understood (well, re-remember with clarity) how Sympathetic Range works, though.

Anyways, next stop; the Illumined Path.

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Alternate Optional Attainment Effects

Second: Discovery Meditation
Optional: Space 2
The City-Walker discovers that the Threads are always there, willing to whisper to anyone who can listen. He can use Ariadne's thread as a sympathetic connection; the mage has a Weak connection to anyone in contact with the same Thread he is in contact with. People with city-wide reputation (most likely represented by Fame), actively walking Ariadne's thread, or using the Citywalker Supernatural Merit, have a Medium Connection.

Third: City-God Invocation
Optional: Space 3
The city-god watches its citizens, and a City-Walker can borrow its sight. By spending a point of Mana, he can emulate the Space 2 spell "Scrying." Reach is assigned to instant use and sensory range, the latter enabling conjunction with Sympathetic Range. If the City-Walker has invoked the city-god within the last month, he does not need another Reach to cast at remote viewing range when using the Scrying window from this effect.

Fourth: Geomantic Meditation
Optional: Space 4, Fate 2
Prophecies can be unexpectedly fragile, so a skilled City-Walker takes preventive measures. Immediately after using Geomantic Meditation, he can 'sanctify' the location revealed by the Prophecy so that only those who specifically intend to find the location may enter it, or inversely, ward it so that such people cannot enter it. This emulates the Space 3 spell "Ban," with Reach assigned to instant use and sensory range, and in conjunction with Sympathetic Range and Fate ••.

Fifth: Ariadne's Own Thread
Optional: Space 5
To the City-Walker who learns Ariadne's Mystery, the city is not a series of impermeable walls, but a haze through which Enchanters walk. The mage transforms parts of the road he is walking on into a bubble of shared space connected to another street in the same city, as the Space 3 spell "Co-Location." Reach is assigned to instant use, sensory range, and Advanced Scale, and Sympathetic Range is used.

[MovingMind]

How does the one get in get in contact with the same thread as someone else?

Or, how meaningful a limitation is there on the space part of the second attainment?

[21C Hermit]

How does the one get in get in contact with the same thread as someone else?

Or, how meaningful a limitation is there on the space part of the second attainment?

I imagine that the Threads are just... there, floating around invisibly, along roads and streets and corners. They’d be placed such that anyone walking those locations without much thought will almost always end up crossing them (like passing through a ghost). However, if you knew they were there, you could avoid them easily, especially since they appear as golden lines to anyone who learns to sense them.

So the Sympathetic connection effects are super useful on targets who don’t know of or can’t sense Ariadne’s threads, and considerably less so on those who know/can sense.

[21C Hermit]

The Illumined Path is here. Blue is material directly lifted from N&A.

And... maybe I overdid the shady stuff they're entangled with. Eh, it's not like idealists have it easy in the Chronicles of Darkness.

Next stop is... I dunno for now. Maybe I'll do the Imagineers, which is not for this thread, but my original Even More Legacies thread. Or one of the completely new ones, like the Nighthawks or the Tyrian Archons. Or finish the Darkening Roads, hinted at the last parts of this writeup.

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ILLUMINED PATH

You are scared; after all, you now know that there are monsters in the dark, and all that bullshit about witches and magic is real. You are relieved; after all, the guy who taught all that to you also taught how to defend yourself. Curiosity was something that always nagged you, and now the metaphorical light slakes your thirst and fears.

A Star in the Dark Woods

Mages of the Illumined Path see themselves as guides to enlightenment, viewing Awakening as a spectrum rather than a binary state of being either Sleeping or Awake. They teach practices that coax or jar Sleepers into opening their eyes in hopes they will find their feet upon a Path to the Supernal, and believe Paradox should be neither contained nor feared, but mastered. Many Consilia cast a wary eye on this Legacy’s methods, but agree that its philosophy has merit.

Origins

Parentage: Obrimos, Silver Ladder
Background: The Guides espouse a prouctive cycle where their methods Awaken new mages, who will join them, and then Awaken more mages, and so on. While some Guides are indeed previous clients and cultists, the Legacy still gets more members from already Awakened mages who are interested in spiritual education.
Appearances: Illuminators dress to appear approachable and likable, but also behave just a little eccentric enough to draw interest. They still shun religious paraphenelia or group-identifying accessories to avoid appearing as exclusive or even potentially hostile.

Doctrine

Prerequisites: Prime 2, Empathy 2
Initiation: Joining "the Illumined Path" is done by reading Graham's Bible, a bible containing the notes and parables that led to the Legacy's philosophy. Actually joining the Legacy is a different but relatively simple affair, where the senior mage guides the applicant in guiding Sleepers to being more aware of magic.
Organization: The whole Illumined Path is a multi-layered web, starting with online message boards and mailing lists of Sleepers and Sleepwalkers. The mages themselves keep correspondence with each other fairly regularly, and prefer to use mundane communication methods.
Theory: Magic is a spectrum. Just as invisible lightwaves permeate what appears to be the darkness, a Sleeping soul can be led into the light, slowly and surely, without relying on a burst of miracles.

Magic

Ruling Arcanum: Prime
Yantras: light from a source the mage carries (+1); reciting from philosophical or religious texts (+1); deliberately releasing Paradox (+2)
Oblations: guided meditation, teaching, or tutoring; philosophical discourse; volunteering for a helpful charity; studying Paradox

Attainments

First: Mark the Trail
Prerequisites: Initiation
The mage bestows miraculous sight upon his subject, teaching her to meditate on the unseen. This Attainment emulates the Prime 1 spell “Supernal Vision” (Mage, p. 166), and takes a scene of meditation on both the caster’s part and the subject’s. It allocates its fixed Reach to advanced Duration, allowing the subject time to acclimate and study her surroundings.
As any Attainment, this doesn’t provoke Quiescence or breaking points in Sleeper subjects solely by virtue of showing them magic, but a willworker who isn’t careful about how he introduces a Sleeper to its insights can cause breaking points anyway simply due to shock and confusion that linger beyond the Attainment’s effects. This is true for all the Legacy's other Attainments that grant revelation of the Supernal.
Optional: Forces 2
With Forces, anything the subject studies with her newfound vision gains a soft, unearthly glow, pulling light from nearby light sources or the ambient light of the space to gather around the object of her focus. This light is visible to anyone, not just the Attainment’s subject; some mages of the Illumined Path use this to highlight foci of interest for their students with themselves as the subject, or just to instill the Legacy’s core symbolism in subjects’ minds. The Forces effect doesn’t work in pitch darkness.

Second: In the Dark Wood
Prerequisites: Empathy 3
The Guide bestows perfected clarity upon his subject, giving her means to identify seen falsehoods. By a scene of meditation on both the mage's and her subject's part, this Attainment emulates the Prime 1 spell "Pierce Deception." Reach is assigned to Advanced Duration, and hinting the subject to what the actual truth is via symbols.
Optional: Forces 2
Sometimes a client is better guided by a more literal revelation. When the Attainment's subject expresses disbelief in what the Attainment reveals, the Illuminator may switch its effects to reveal otherwise invisible forces such as electromagnetism, sound, kinetic movements, and radiation. This emulates the Forces 1 spell "Nightvision," with Reach assigned to instant use and the protecting the subject from shocks of sudden extreme stimuli.

Third: Safeguard the Path
Prerequisites: Prime 3, Empathy 3, Survival 2
Too often, people are scared by what goes bump in the dark, and refuses to seek the truth. So the Guide shields herself and her clients from the darkness. This Attainment allows the Guide to spend a Willpower point to extend her Prime Mage Armor to a number of subjects equal to her Prime dots, within sensory range. The protection ends immediately when the mage falls unconscious, or runs out of Willpower. This effect manifests as warm, soft light emanating out of the mage and surrounding the subjects; observers can intuit that the mage is the light's source.
Optional: Forces 3
Sometimes the darkness has more than bark and enough bite to kill, so the Illuminator prepares. When using Prime Mage Armor, he may spend a Mana point to combine it with Forces Mage Armor, instead of switching between them. When he uses the Attainment's main effect to extend his Prime Armor, the Forces Armor also gets extended.

EDIT: The above Third Attainment is a revised version, taking lladas 's advice. The first version is found below here;

Third: Safeguard the Path
Prerequisites: Prime 3, Empathy 3, Survival 2
Too often, people are scared by what goes bump in the dark, and refuses to seek the truth. So the Guide shields herself and her clients from the darkness. This Attainment improves Prime Mage Armor to protect against supernaturally enhanced attacks and the attacks of supernaturally empowered creatures, such as Enhanced swords and the claws of a werewolf.
By spending a Willpower point, the Guide may extend her enhanced Prime Armor to subjects within sensory range, up to a number equal to her Prime dots. The protection ends immediately when the mage falls unconscious, or runs out of Willpower. This effect manifests as warm, soft light emanating out of the mage and surrounding the subjects; observers can intuit that the mage is the light's source.
Optional: Forces 3
Some sources of harm come from the dark forest itself, rather than the wolves within. The Illuminator can emulate the Forces 2 spell "Environmental Shield," with Reach assigned to instant use and sensory range. He scores automatic successes equal to his Forces dots in Clash of Wills against magical weathers.
The Illuminator can spend a Mana point to switch between this effect and Prime Mage Armor, as if he was switching between Mage Armors.

Fourth: Light of Wisdom
Prerequisites: Prime 4, Empathy 4, Occult 2
The Guide stands elevates her clients to the cusp of enlightenment. By a scene of meditation on both the mage's and her subject's part, this Attainment emulates the Prime 3 spell "Stealing Fire." Reach is assigned to Advanced Duration and Advanced Scale; the latter allows for group meditation sessions to grant the Fire to multiple clients.
At Storyteller discretion, a small number of Sleeper subjects who partake in this Attainment may become eligible to purchase the Sleepwalker Merit. Sleepwalker subjects may purchase the Unseen Senses (Supernal Magic) Merit, or any other Supernatural Merit or Sleepwalker-only Merits related to perception, inspiration, and light.
Optional: Forces 4
The Illuminator cultivates light within his subjects. After using the Attainment's main effect, the mage may have one of the beneficiary's possessions on her person emit a soft light, as the Forces 3 spell "Luminescence." Reach is assigned to instant use and revealing all Twilight entities.
Alternate versions of this Optional effect exist; they use Spirit, Death, or Mind in conjunction to reveal only one type of Twilight ephemera, and instead uses the extra Reach for the mage selecting to whom the glow is visible to. These should still count as orthodox Attainments for Gnosis requirements.

EDIT: The above's a revised version, taking Tessie and proindrakenzol 's advices. The original was like this:

Optional: Forces 4, Spirit 1
The Illuminator cultivates light within his subjects. After using the Attainment's main effect, the mage may have one of the beneficiary's possessions on her person emit a soft light, as the Forces 3 spell "Luminescence." Reach is assigned to instant use and selecting to whom the glow is visible to; for the latter, the person holding the enchanted object is prioritized, then the Illuminator himself, then anyone else who participated in the group meditation.
Spirit is used in conjunction, so the light reveals spirits in Twilight. Clash of Wills uses the Illuminator's Automatic Activation rules, scoring automatic successes equal to his Forces dots.
Alternate versions of this effect exist, using Death or Mind to reveal ghosts or Goetia respecively. These should still count as orthodox Attainments for Gnosis requirements.

Fifth: The Illumined Path
Prerequisites: Prime 5, Empathy 5
This capstone allows the Guide to grant what may be the closest thing to Awakening that the Awakened can provide, in hopes of guiding her clients into true Awakening. By a scene of meditation on both the mage's and her subject's part, she grants a safer form of Active Mage Sight. This is a variant of the Prime 4 spell "Apocalypse." Reach is assigned to Advanced Duration and adding another Arcanum the Guide knows. For the latter, the mage must still spend a Mana point to grant a non-Ruling Arcanum.
The client can maintain the Sight for a number of minutes equal to the Guide's Gnosis plus his own Integrity. When those minutes end, the Attainment ends automatically regardless of Duration, so that Willpower points are not spent.
Optional: Forces 5
What light the Illuminator cultivates within his clients now radiate and emanate out of them. When he uses the main effects of Mark the Trail, Light of Wisdom, and The Illumined Path Attainments, the subject becomes a living pseudo-node linked to Forces.
Unlike standard Forces nodes, she is not connected to ley lines, and has only the "Illumination" Resonance keyword. Tass she generates from being on a Hallow forms as a coat of 'glowing dust' on objects she observes with the aforementioned Attainments' effects. Instead of powering heat- or electricity-requiring technologies, she turns on any source of light without apparent energy input within 1000 yards.

Tools of the Illumined

Spell: Luminescence (Forces•••)
Practice: Weaving
Primary Factor: Duration
Suggested Rote Skills: Science, Empathy, Survival
The thaumaturge weaves light into an inanimate object, making it emit light without heat for the Duration. For the light's candescence, use the chart for "Transform Energy," with Potency equalling Level.
+1 Reach: The light has heat. The degree of heat is also determined by the chart for "Transform Energy," but Level equals Potency minus one.
+1 Reach: The light is visible only to certain observers, chosen by the caster. The spell's Scale must cover both the subjects to glow and the subjects to see the glow. Without investing Scale, the caster is the only one who can see the glow.
Add Life •••: The mage can cast the spell on living subjects, granting bioluminescence. Unwilling subjects Withstand with Stamina.
Add Spirit, Death, or Mind •: The light reveals nearby spirits, ghosts, or Goetia that are in Twilight, depending on Arcanum. Entities using concealment powers provoke a Clash of Wills.
+1 Reach: The light reveals all ephemeral entities, regardless of Twilight types. Entities using concealment powers provoke a Clash of Wills.

Mystery Cult Initiation: Illumined Cult (• to •••••)
The Illumined Path maintains several cults, whose purpose is to guide Sleepers into Sleepwalking, then Awakening. Initiation into an Illumined cult requires reading Graham's Bible, a relic of a man named Graham Benedine, who explored and studied the parables and anecdotes within to organize it into a coherent philosophical system. The book is in turn a relic of Graham's great-uncle, Daniel, a wizard whose experiences in saving a Lutheran priest's soul sparked him into writing down his experiences. Each cult has slightly different doctrines, accomodating to whatever the locals would accept better. They all share the idea that the world is a magical place, and people can and should "awaken" to its wonders.
Effect: You are initiated into a cult of the Illumined Path, and gain the following benefits;
Light of Knowledge (•): Fresh initiates gain an Academics or Occult Specialty in the religion or mysticism that the particular cult bases its localized teachings on.
Light of Vision (••): Proper members are taught to cast aside preconceptions when observing things, especially unknown and new things. They gain the Trained Observer (•) Merit.
Light of Esoterica (•••): Organizers and leaders are those who experienced the supernatural world several times, reflected by a dot in Occult.
Light of Guidance (••••): Leaders of an Illumined cult reassure members that the supernatural world exists and is dangerous, but their combined strengths can overcome it. They gain the Inspiring Merit. Alternatively, Awakened cultists may be approached by Legacy members of the Illumined Path to be groomed for Legacy induction; this manifests as the Mentor (•••) Merit, the mentor being a mage of the Illumined Path with at least the Second Attainment.
While mages of the Illumined Path claim and believe each Illumined cult helps a Sleeper become a Sleepwalker, this is not to be confirmed or quantified by the Merit's in-game mechanics.
Light of Illumination (•••••): Only Sleepwalkers and Awakened are admitted as high priests, each overseeing several Illumined cults across a region. Mage members, almost always inducted into the Illumined Path Legacy at this point, set off to guide more Illumined cults. This is represented by the Mystery Cult Influence (•••) Merit. Sleepwalker members gain the Deadpan Merit instead.

Secrets of the Guides

• A Tainted Light: It is an open secret with the elder members of the Illumined Path that the Guides are knee-deep in Antinomian sorcery; the idea of encouraging releasing Paradox too often slips into Rabashakim practices. High-ranking, non-corrupted Guides are focusing on hiding Scelesti members from both outside prying and each other. The Accursed are yet unaware of just how much of them there are within the Legacy, which is the only reason why there's been no concerted movement..

• Shadow Wars Approaching: Because of their laissez-faire attitude about Paradox and revealing magic to the non-Awakened, the Illumined Path is marked by the Guardians of the Veil and the Mysterium. The Guardians are particularly vehement, and call for direct sanctions from Consilia or indirectly undermine and destabilize Legacy activities. As retaliation, the more radical Guides claim they should infiltrate and subvert Guardian Labyrinths, and perhaps even the Order itself. Actual implementations are rare and successes even rarer, but should the Guardians learn that such ideas even exist, their wrath will be sure and swift.

• Lures: Illuminators purposefully do not bother hiding that they are wizards when talking on public spaces where Sleepers frequent. The idea is that, while most will shrug away the conversations as metaphors or madness, the worthy will eventually catch on and join the Illumined. Other mages say this only serves to lure in Banishers and Sleepwalking witch-hunters. Elder Guides say that's exactly as intended; they mean to lure in such "enemies of the Light" and 'correct' or eliminate them when they're revealed themselves. It is a balancing act that may result in disaster.

• Children of Light: A minor but notable part of the Illumined are burdened with a dark heritage, that of alien yet all-too-familar evils. Occultists whisper of Gehenna, Helheim, Naraka, and Inferno. The Awakened speak of Lower Depths and the akathartoi. Such members work to renounce Infernal influences, but the Awakened among them continue to study it, and they reach a conclusion; some thing from the Inferno is offering seemingly unconditional patronage to the Legacy, sending its descendants to strengthen them. Illuminators who realize this often become paranoid of each other, themselves, and what future the Legacy heads to. An outside conspiracy of those who embraced their heritage have also started to take interest in the Legacy.

• The Star Reversed: Awakened cartomancers discovered that the Major Arcana of the Tarot have true Supernal symbolism, strengthening Patterns resonating with it. Such a phenomenon is then symbolically bound to its Nadir, the phenomenon whose symbolism is the "reversed" version of the original.
The Illumined Path as a Legacy is theorized to be resonant with The Star, the card of hope and inspiration. Its hypothetical Nadir would then be the Darkening Road, a Legacy of mages who strives to leave Sleepers unaware of the supernatural, even drawing power from that same obliviousness.

[lladas]

21C Hermit you are really going above beyond with these legacies. Really appreciate you taking the time to build appropriate external homebrew (i.e., mystery cults, spells) to support really flavorful legacies.

My only point of reflection at this point is on the third Attainment. I may be wrong, but I think Prime Mage Armor would already protect against purely supernatural weather phenomena, but I might be misinterpreting that. This Attainment also just feels pretty powerful compared to the others. It might make sense to make the base Attainment just the ability to extend the armor to others and then the optional Attainment would protect against physical supernatural violence (e.g., werewolf claws, super strong promethean punch).

[21C Hermit]

Guest you are really going above beyond with these legacies. Really appreciate you taking the time to build appropriate external homebrew (i.e., mystery cults, spells) to support really flavorful legacies.

Thanks. That added layer of flavor ends up being so much worth it (to me) after I get them working, and I’m glad that someone else shares the feeling

My only point of reflection at this point is on the third Attainment. I may be wrong, but I think Prime Mage Armor would already protect against purely supernatural weather phenomena, but I might be misinterpreting that. This Attainment also just feels pretty powerful compared to the others. It might make sense to make the base Attainment just the ability to extend the armor to others and then the optional Attainment would protect against physical supernatural violence (e.g., werewolf claws, super strong promethean punch).

Supernatural weather... well, I think both Prime and Forces cover it; but Prime is usually for spells, and Forces for environmental hazards in general, so I thought it wouldn’t be too clunky.

As for the power level, well since Forces covers physical force, yours makes sense... though I’d then get rid of the Optional’s Environmental Shield effects. Which leads us to the first problem of supernatural weather, I guess?

Maybe the main effect could be “Prime Armor, but on many people” as you said, and Optional be “use both Prime Armor and Forces Armor together.” No defense against weather/environment, but as a mostly Obrimos Legacy they should have that covered...

[lladas]

Maybe the main effect could be “Prime Armor, but on many people” as you said, and Optional be “use both Prime Armor and Forces Armor together.” No defense against weather/environment, but as a mostly Obrimos Legacy they should have that covered...

Yeah I think that is a good work around. Having an Attainment that would provide armor and protection against harm and environmental tilts is a lot and does seem less focused on the theme of guiding Sleepers through darkness. If you wanted to stick with the "Light" theme for the optional attainments you could have it that the armor could Blind with a flash of when it resists an attack or allow the Mage to make those under their protection invisible to threats, but those are just some alternate ideas. What you have now is great.

[proindrakenzol]

The revised third attainment is much better.

General note: per DaveB, Legacy Attainments do not score automatic successes on the Clash of Wills roll, instead Clashing as normal. This makes sense because the CoW roll isn't, technically, a roll that's part of the spell or Legacy Attainment.

Optional: Forces 4, Spirit 1
The Illuminator cultivates light within his subjects. After using the Attainment's main effect, the mage may have one of the beneficiary's possessions on her person emit a soft light, as the Forces 3 spell "Luminescence." Reach is assigned to instant use and selecting to whom the glow is visible to; for the latter, the person holding the enchanted object is prioritized, then the Illuminator himself, then anyone else who participated in the group meditation.
Spirit is used in conjunction, so the light reveals spirits in Twilight. Clash of Wills uses the Illuminator's Automatic Activation rules, scoring automatic successes equal to his Forces dots.
Alternate versions of this effect exist, using Death or Mind to reveal ghosts or Goetia respecively. These should still count as orthodox Attainments for Gnosis requirements.

First, a grammar correction: "Reach is assigned to instant use and selecting to whom the glow is visible to".

For the conjunctional Spirit: I'd argue that Prime 3's Ephemeral Enchantment would be able to make the light affect all ephemeral entities, thus obviating the need for other Arcana entirely (since you definitely have Prime 3.

[21C Hermit]

The revised third attainment is much better.

Yay

General note: per DaveB, Legacy Attainments do not score automatic successes on the Clash of Wills roll, instead Clashing as normal. This makes sense because the CoW roll isn't, technically, a roll that's part of the spell or Legacy Attainment.

Woah, there was a word about that? Drat... (do you remember where it was, by chance?)

First, a grammar correction: "Reach is assigned to instant use and selecting to whom the glow is visible to".

Oops. Will fix that a moment later.

For the conjunctional Spirit: I'd argue that Prime 3's Ephemeral Enchantment would be able to make the light affect all ephemeral entities, thus obviating the need for other Arcana entirely (since you definitely have Prime 3.

Right, I forgot about that spell. But could it specifically reveal Twilight, as opposed to enabling stuff to touch/hit Twilight things? (I’m away from my readings right now)

Or perhaps did you mean that, since Prime already has a general-Twilight function, the homebrew spell too shouldn’t need a Spirit add-on? Maybe replace it with a Reach option then?

[Tessie]

Woah, there was a word about that? Drat... (do you remember where it was, by chance?)

I can't find the post right now, but I can back Proindrakenzol up on this. Also, I'm pretty sure the text says that only the activation roll has a predetermined amount of successes, which automatically precludes Clash of Wills rolls.

[21C Hermit]

I can't find the post right now, but I can back Proindrakenzol up on this. Also, I'm pretty sure the text says that only the activation roll has a predetermined amount of successes, which automatically precludes Clash of Wills rolls.

Aww, shucks.

That’s one more goal for revising my previous content in Even more Legacies thread.

[proindrakenzol]

Yay



Woah, there was a word about that? Drat... (do you remember where it was, by chance?)

I'll see if I can find it, but it's a post from at least five years ago, now.

[Edit]Found it! And it'll be five years ago next week.[/edit]

Right, I forgot about that spell. But could it specifically reveal Twilight, as opposed to enabling stuff to touch/hit Twilight things? (I’m away from my readings right now)

Or perhaps did you mean that, since Prime already has a general-Twilight function, the homebrew spell too shouldn’t need a Spirit add-on? Maybe replace it with a Reach option then?

You're emitting light, enchant the light to be able to interact with twilight beings and now you can see twilight beings! Like, normally photons don't interact with entities in Twilight, and you don't normally cast Ephemeral Enchantment on photons since you're not emitting them, normally, but since you are in this case, might as well.

[Tessie]

Right, I forgot about that spell. But could it specifically reveal Twilight, as opposed to enabling stuff to touch/hit Twilight things? (I’m away from my readings right now)

Ephemeral Enchantment allows for physical interaction with everything in Twilight. It can be seen as a type of revelation; revealing Twilight completely to the subject to allow the subject to interact with Twilight. Just seeing (and otherwise sensing) things in Twilight is also a type of interaction that doubles down on the whole revelation aspect. Reglardless of whether Ephemeral Enchantment affect a subject's senses, it should still by fully possible too cast a Prime spell on a subject to make them perceive everything in Twilight, or cast a Prime spell on an area to make everything in Twilight in that area fully visible.

You're emitting light, enchant the light to be able to interact with twilight beings and now you can see twilight beings! Like, normally photons don't interact with entities in Twilight, and you don't normally cast Ephemeral Enchantment on photons since you're not emitting them, normally, but since you are in this case, might as well.

That's a convoluted way of doing/explaining it. Rather than bringing science into it and end up with stuff like how an illuminated entity will still be highly transparent if there are other light sources around as well as it being basically invisible to anyone who sees the entity from behind, you could just say that the Prime aspect of the spell reveals averything in Twilight, making it visible as long as it is illuminated by the light source.

[21C Hermit]

Changed how the Fourth Attainment of the Illuminators work, and saving this post's place for the Nighthawks.

EDIT: And as announced above, the Nighthawks.

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NIGHTHAWKS


A Heist for the Ages

Tomb robbers, archaeomancers, and master thieves, the Nighthawks are a Legacy of Mystagogues who believe Artifacts and other mystical objects that lie dormant for too long without active study or use lose Supernal resonance and hasten Pancryptia. As potent as treasures from the Time Before are now, the Nighthawks argue they once were much more so. This Legacy works to unearth and circulate as many old Grimoires and Artifacts as possible, to keep the magic alive.

Origins

Parentage: Moros, Mysterium
Background: The Nighthawks are yet a developing Legacy, having been recently formed by Viridian the thief-curator Mystagogue, and her closest peers. They are more interested in stealing magical objects and selling them away in auctions than pursuing their Legacy. Nonetheless, the Legacy appeals to many would-be archaeomancers of varying moral integrity, and would see a swell in membership should the current core members ever decide to go out in public.
Appearances: As thieves, not having discernible appearances matters more than any dress code. The members and their Sleepwalker assistants are mostly Indian, and that's where common appearances end.

Doctrine

Prerequisites: Matter 1, Prime 2, Larceny 2, Academics or Occult 1, Order Status (Mysterium) 1
Initiation: The Nighthawks are heavily reluctant to induct new members into their circle, since every new face is a potential information breach the gang of phantom thieves can hardly accept. As such there is no formalized initiation ritual, other than the mentor guiding the pupil along.
Organization: The Nighthawks are composed of Viridian and her closest followers, served by a gang of Sleepwalker acolytes, and supported by several accomplices throughout Awakened and Sleeper society. As such, despite being a small yet-growing Legacy, the Nighthawks can have surprisingly broad influences.
Theory: The Nighthawks are still loyal to the Mysterium, and follow the Corpus Mysteriorum. When challenged, they will respond that what their heists are a swift way to beat back Pancryptia, and their auctions simply a matter of Knowledge having a Price.

Magic

Ruling Arcanum: Prime
Yantras: lockpicks and other thieving tools (+1); stealing or unearthing something relevant to the spell (+2); successfully going unnoticed by someone nearby (+1, or +2 if unnoticed by another mage or supernatural being); selling, trading, or giving away an object of mystical power with the expectation of active use (+1).
Oblations: carefully studying or excavating sites and objects from the distant past; engaging in a heist, robbery,
or other clandestine effort when discovery is a real threat; actively using an Artifact or other mystical object for at least an hour; attending or giving a lecture, lesson, or presentation about something ancient (or just well-hidden) and newly discovered.

Attainments

First Attainment: Unburied Treasure
Prerequisites: Initiation
The Nighthawk senses the presence of objects that hold Supernal magic. This Attainment emulates the Prime 1 spell "Detect Wonders" (see below), with Reach assigned to instant use.
Aside from the spell's own effects, for the Attainment's duration, the Nighthawk gains bonus dice equal to the Attainment’s Potency to any Clash of Wills when trying to detect or find instances of the chosen object type hidden with magic (Supernal or otherwise).

Notes: The original text in N&A was this;

The Nighthawk senses the presence of objects that hold Supernal magic. This Attainment emulates the Matter 1 spell “Detect Substance” (Mage, p. 154) but the mage’s options for types of items to locate are: Artifacts, Imbued Items, Grimoires, Daimonomika, soul stones, Tass, or objects of pure Mana created by spells like “Platonic Form” (Mage, p. 169). For the duration, the Nighthawk gains bonus dice equal to the Attainment’s Potency to any Clash of Wills when trying to detect or find instances of the chosen object type hidden with magic (Supernal or otherwise).

Second Attainment: Under Cover of Night
Prerequisites: Larceny 3
A Nighthawk’s work is subtle and secret, extracting wonders from under the noses of ancient guardians, jealous sorcerers, and hostile powers. This spell emulates the Prime 2 spell “Supernal Veil” (Mage, p. 168), but the only valid subjects are the mage herself, her own magic, and objects she maintains physical contact with.
Optional: Death 2
The subject is also considered to be under the effects of the spell “Suppress Aura” (Mage, p. 129).

Third Attainment: Innocuous Distraction
Prerequisites: Prime 3, Investigation 2
Often, it's better to divert attention away rather than trying to not rouse any. This Attainment emulates the Prime 2 spell "Nimbus Forgery" (Signs of Sorcery), with Reach assigned to instant use and Advanced Duration. If the Nighthawk uses this Attainment to forge the Nimbus of anyone from whom she stole a magical object, she forges all three Nimbus types as the +1 Reach effect.
Optional: Death 3
The mage also scatters false leads and evidences. When he leaves a forged Nimbus with the main effect, he also leaves random traces that relate to the forged Nimbus' owner; receipts, a torn button, scraps of paint from her cellphone, and such. These are fakes created from Deathly ephemera, as if the mage cast the Death 2 spell "Touch of the Grave" with Reach assigned to instant use and Advanced Duration.

Fourth Attainment: By Touch of Night
Prerequisites: Prime 4, Larceny 4
Awakened treasuries and Ruins are often placed in or guarded from Twilight, so the Nighthawk must learn to at least interact with them. She emulates the Prime 3 spell "Ephemeral Enchantment," with Reach assigned to instant use and Advanced Duration. This Attainment targets only herself.
If the Nighthawk uses this Attainment to pass through a closed passage or barricade in Twilight, and said blockage is Keyed, she provokes a Clash of Wills using Gnosis + Prime. On success, she bypasses the Key. Targetable blockages include Irises to ephemeral otherworlds such as the Shadow.
Optional: Death 4
Against those without Twilight defenses, the mage becomes an incorporeal menace himself. He emulates the Death 3 spell "Ghost Gate," with Reach assigned to instant use and Advanced Duration. Objects he 'marks' with the "Under Cover of Night" Attainment retain their material forms when shunted into Twilight with this effect. They cannot be pulled out of Twilight as ephemeral objects by the Death 2 spell "Touch of the Grave" or similar effects, but can be restored to full corporeality by using this Attainment's main effect.

Fifth Attainment: Stride of the Nighthawk
Prerequisites: Prime 5, Larceny 5, Academics and Occult 2
The Nighthawk becomes the Phantom Thief, her essence elusive but her presence flamoyant. By spending a Mana point, she conjures an entire illusory stage to befuddle guards and pursuers for just a moment, emulating the Prime 5 spell "Eidolon." Reach is assigned to instant use.
The Nighthawk can create realistic images without Forces, but only for creating copies of or overlaying illusions on objects she has detected with "Unburied Treasure" or marked with "Under Cover of Night," and conjuring copies of the victim of "Innocuous Distraction."
Optional: Death 5
Immediately after activating the Attainment's main effect, the mage can also slither into a blob or murk of shadow to sneak out of the commotion. This emulates the Death 4 spell "Shadow Flesh," with Reach assigned to instant use and Advanced Duration.


Tools of the Nighthawks

Spell: Detect Wonders (Prime •)
Practice: Unveiling
Primary Factor: Duration
Suggested Rote Skills: Occult, Investigation, Academics
The theurgist learns to appreciate theophanic objects near her. She chooses (Potency) subjects among the following categories; Artifacts, Imbued Items, soul stones (including daimonomika), tass, and Mana constructs such as those from the "Platonic Form" spell. For the Duration, she is automatically aware of the objects' presence and location within the spell's Scale. She may broaden or narrow the category freely (e.g. "all Supernal items," "only Artifacts," "only Eidoforms," "only Artifacts from the Aether")
+1 Reach: The mage may also detect places of Supernal might; nodes, Hallows, Verges, Manteions, and even symbolic places that serve as Environmental Yantras. This can only detect places of power that are currently manifest; a Verge that only opens under the new moon will not be detected by a mage stumbling upon it in broad daylight.
Add Any Other Arcanum •: The mage can detect magical objects and locations of non-Supernal origins that correspond with the added Arcanum. The wonder's category and the added Arcanum need not match one-to-one; a spirit Fetish that conjures flames may be detected with either Spirit or Forces, and two Vessels containing different Pillars (as Mummy) each will require different Subtle Arcana to detect.

Imbued Item: Skeleton Key (•••••)
Equipment Traits: Dice Bonus +0 (ornamental) or +2 (practical), Durability 1, Size 1, Structure 2
Effects: Break Boundary (Space ••), Secret Door (Space ••)
Mana: 3
Activation: Persistent (Break Boundary), Contingent (Secret Door) — trace the passage's frame with the Key
Reach: Instant Casting, Advanced Duration
Other Traits: No Flexible Reach, No over-Reach, Relinquished
A key member of the Nighthawks is a skilled crafter of magical items, and he spends most of his time tinkering with spells to create tools of larceny. His Skeleton Key allows a Nighthawk to open any locked safe, door, or window with ease. That was the previous version, and this latest rendition also adds the ability to aid escape by hiding passages the Nighthawk passes through.
The crafter still makes the outdated model, but intentionally makes it from overly decorated ornamental keys, complete with a oversized skull-shaped handle engraved with a tiny nighthawk at the forehead. Those he sells to mages outside the Legacy; the ones actually used by the Nighthawks are made from small innocuous accessories, though he still restricts them to items related to access and transport (such as ID cards, car keys, subway tickets, or a public traffic fee card).

Imbued Item: Sneakglasses (•••)
Equipment Traits: Dice Bonus +1, Durability 1, Size 1, Structure 2
Effects: Machine Invisibility (Matter ••)
Mana: 3
Activation: Contingent — twirl the glasses with one hand before wearing it
Reach: Instant Casting, Advanced Duration, apply to magically animated unliving constructs
Other Traits: No Flexible Reach, +2 over-Reach, Relinquished
The crafter of the Nighthawks had no affinity with Matter magic, but started to train himself after running afoul of a squad of clay soldier guardians in a museum that was wired to the security cameras. This item is both the process and result of his training, allowing him to sneak past Matter-based security.
The crafter feels this creation is incomplete and thus is hesitant to loan it to his fellow Nighthawks, especially after a Paradox botched his last use of the item and almost got him caught by Sleeper security guards. That, and the only current model is made out of his favorite sunglasses, which he is reluctant to part with.

[proindrakenzol]

That's a convoluted way of doing/explaining it. Rather than bringing science into it and end up with stuff like how an illuminated entity will still be highly transparent if there are other light sources around as well as it being basically invisible to anyone who sees the entity from behind, you could just say that the Prime aspect of the spell reveals averything in Twilight, making it visible as long as it is illuminated by the light source.

C'mon, Tessie, what part of my post history could possibly make you think that it being "convoluted" and "science" is a drawback for me?

21C Hermit looking forward to picking apart your version of the Nighthawks!