Sh'zar, also known as "The Seer" and "The Timeless", is the founder of the Cult of Ecstasy Tradition and one of its most influential members. He is said to exist outside of history, hence the nickname.
History[]
Sh’zar was the Persian prophet who predicted in 1400 CE the impending diminishing and possible death of magic. To prevent the latter, he developed the doctrine of self-accountability, peace, and collaboration and preached it to many powerful mages of that time, leading to formation of the Seers of Chronos mystical Tradition. Along with the other Masters of the new Tradition, Sh'zar was author of the Code of Ananda, a short list of proverbs that "illustrated the wisdom a Seer should have and the responsibilities he or she should live by". Ananda is a Sanskrit word meaning "bliss", but is also the forename of the earliest known Sahajiya poet Ananda Chandida. More than one Ecstatic has suggested that Ananda Chandida is the pseudonym that Sh'zar adopted while in India. Sh'zar further authored many emotion-sharing rituals for both strengthening of the Tradition and punishment of irresponsible mages.
Sh'zar's preaching of collaboration, according to some views, also contributed to a truce between Nightshade of the Verbenae, Magister LaSalle of the Order of Hermes and Valoran of the Chœur Céleste. That truce eventually allowed the formation of the Council of Nine Mystic Traditions.
The Seers of Chronos were renamed to the Cult of Ecstasy in 1867, following Sh'zar's reappearance and decision to change the Tradition's name because they were straying from their true mission.
References[]
- MTAs: Cult of Ecstasy Tradition Book, p. 15-19, 54
- MTSC: Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade Rulebook
- MTAs: Tradition Book: Cult of Ecstasy, p. 23-25, 27-28
- MTAs: Tradition Book: Euthanatos, p. 28