Would the order accept a magic human? I was under the impression that they did not, but one of the players in a game I am in claimed that they did because of a sidebar he read in RoP:Magic. I looked it up and it does mention a orphan born apprentice but it doesn't really go into detail.
Up to you. I'd want it to be a 'dark secret', counting as a flaw. If discovered, it could go to a Tribunal vote to decide if the character were entitled to be a member of the order. Or someone nasty rips him/her for their vis...1 pawn per 10 might. Zero might can be safer and cost less xp/vis.
If the vote went with the idea, then you could get a lot of ghosts of magi petitioning to be let back into the order, wanting their labs and stuff back...
Have fun.
Gilarius
Actually, I think the sidebar your player is refering to is the one on page 92 concerning Loamwalkers... which suggests an adventure where a number of these tree people are living hidden within the Order, including some promemenant members. Going by that, being a magical human within the Order would definately be a Dark Secret. Both that section and the section on Magical Humans on page 32 suggest that many magi would not accept magical humans as being real humans. There is, IMO, a strong sense that the Order in general would not accept them as members.
Like many "Dark Secrets" that players propose, there are some obvious concerns with explaining this one. The Parens would have known - how could they not over 15+ years? So they must not only know, but they must have both approved and kept this as a Dark Secret themselves - which could be awkward for all concerned.
Don't have access to RoP:M atm - citing the actual passage (just the part that implies this) would be handy.
Not sure which "this" you mean... but I happen to have RoP: M handy (I just recently picked it up and have been having great fun greating magical humans)...
On magical humans with The Gift...
On magical humans secretly in the Order...
The "this" that we're talking about - the "this" that the original post mentioned...
And which appears to be one you cited - thanks.
(Your quote seems much more apt than the "orphan born" bit the OP was looking at...)
So, the answer pretty clearly seems to be - "No, the Order would not". But that doesn't mean that some can't or don't sneak in through the back door every now and then. And maybe as a secret tradition? Easiest in Ex Misc, but (practically?) impossible in some of the more "tradition-oriented" Houses. And once one is in, it would then be easier to get more in...
However, make it crystal clear to the Player that their "Dark Secret" = "If anyone finds out, I am vis-on-the-hoof, and nothing more". That, yes, it might be challenged in Tribunal, but this is the type of issue that is typically debated in Tribunal posthumously. 8)
On the other hand, it is pretty clear that the Order accepts them, too. Just look in TMRE. Between TMRE and HoH:MC we have Magic and Faerie ones. Note that those who reach this level tend to be at the top of the ladder and have a lot of resources. Thus, due to their resources, they are good targets if it is not acceptable, much better targets than a Magical Human worth roughly 2 pawns of vis. But as they are generally at the pinnacle of their cults, they have a number of votes they can manipulate to protect themselves against just such a vote.
On another note, Quendalon seems to be viewed with suspicion, while none of it is mentioned for the multiple groups that lead to Becoming. Now look a the Loamwalker thing. Perhaps the problem the Order has is with the secrecy as opposed to the being, that a Magical or Faerie being may have entered the Order under false pretenses.
Chris
I would have difficulty seeing why the order would have difficulty in accepting them. On the face of it they would have to be apprenticed, gauntleted and swear the oath. Now Anti-Quendalon sentiment may have them suffering prejudice and they may have other magi trying to bump them off before they get too old and powerful since, whilst practically immortal, they could be preaco in a tribunal which has the oldest as preaco and be there for a VERY long time.
Our campaign has recently lost it's Preaco, a 300+ year old fearie mystery merinita who was nearly unassailable in both age and power.
I personally think this comes down to the maxim "whatever is good for the story".
A
Or it's an author's trick - that only by that age/prestige can they be truly "safe", and so they are presented as such, and a difficult history is handwaved.
It is true that via Mysteries (Rvsd) a (highly experienced) mage can become a "creature of Magic" - but that's slightly different, or at least in some respects.
Iirc, in older editions, magical creatures could be inducted into the Order - strong-blooded fae, certainly, and dragons, for instance, or other magical-ish creatures (like...vampires)... but that led to all kinds of problems on several levels, and so was retro'd back out as the game evolved to where it is now.