Seekings
Seekings are available to Mages after a number of months have passed equal to twice the pursued Arete level (2 months from 0 to 1, 4 months from 1 to 2, etc).
Request a Seeking through +request. At this time, you may add to (but not contradict) your Avatar +note to give the ST more to work with and deepen the development of your Avatar. The Storyteller will then devise a challenge, place a staff-only note on your sheet for reference and internal consistency among STs regarding the details of the challenge, and then use your Avatar +note to have your Avatar communicate with you and push you towards the challenge. Until the Seeking +request is resolved, your character's actions are evaluated regardless of whether you are in an obviously scheduled seeking scene.
Seeking challenges are designed around the concept that your Avatar embodies. You will be expected to become more in harmony with your Avatar's ideals, and your character will be pushed with a challenge that comes with significant risk. This risk may be psychological, physical, social, or a combination. Seekings to achieve Arete 3 or higher will inherently include permanent ones, such as death and deep psychological scarring.
The price of success may also include significant consequences such as loss and ostracization and war wounds both physical and psychological. It's pocket change to pay for heightened understanding of the truth of the universe. If your character fails their Seeking, you may apply again after a number of months have passed equal to your Arete rating times the number of times you've failed. So, if you have Arete 3 and failed your Seeking, you can apply again after 3 months, then after 6 if you fail a second time, then after 9 if you fail a third time, and so on.
Karma points can be spent in order to waive the wait times. While a player may not use karma to apply for an arete 4+ mage outright, they may use karma to request a Seeking the moment they have an approved mage and the amount of karma to spend on it. Please note, this karma expenditure does not actually guarantee any success with your Seeking. It just unlocks your eligibility for the Seeking and gets the ball rolling instead of having to wait.
| Wait Times Between Seekings | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Arete | First Attempt* | Second Attempt | Third Attempt |
| 0† | 2 months | 2 weeks from First | 1 Month after Second |
| 1 | 4 months | 1 Month after First | 2 months after Second |
| 2 | 6 months | 2 months after First | 4 months after Second |
| 3 | 8 months | 3 months after First | 6 months after Second |
| 4 | 10 months | 4 months after First | 8 months after Second |
| 5 | 12 months | 5 months after First | 10 months after Second |
| 6 | 14 months | 6 months after First | 12 months after Second |
| 7 | 16 months | 7 months after First | 14 months after Second |
| 8 | 18 months | 8 months after First | 16 months after Second |
| 9 | 20 months | 9 months after First | 18 months after Second |
* Number of months that must be waited since the prior raise.
† Minimum time after approval for IC Awakening. Arete 0 is treated as 1/2 Arete for purposes of wait times after the Awakening attempt.
| Karma Costs To Waive Wait Times | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Arete | First Attempt* | Second Attempt | Third Attempt |
| 0 | 4 karma | 2 karma | 4 karma |
| 1 | 16 karma | 4 karma | 8 karma |
| 2 | 24 karma | 8 karma | 16 karma |
| 3 | 32 karma | 12 karma | 24 karma |
| 4 | 40 karma | 16 karma | 32 karma |
| 5 | 48 karma | 20 karma | 40 karma |
| 6 | 56 karma | 24 karma | 48 karma |
| 7 | 64 karma | 28 karma | 56 karma |
| 8 | 72 karma | 32 karma | 64 karma |
| 9 | 80 karma | 36 karma | 72 karma |
* Amount of karma that must be spent to pre-emptively trigger an Arete raise instead of waiting.
