Pattern

The ambient Spirits of everything will take note of and fall into patterns of behaviour, which gives power to traditions through repetition.

Effects

Among Practitioners

Practitioners who focus on a particular school of magic may gain better results, as spirits expect them to follow that pattern. A Practitioner's first major ritual may give them a permanent boost to that type of magic, as the universe identifies them as that type of Practitioner; further rituals may increase that effect further.^{[citation needed]}

Many Practitioner families have long-standing traditions, such as only inducting male heirs into the Practice, which can reduce their power if broken. On the positive side, a long tradition of dealing with and binding a particular type of Others can give members of a family a degree of authority over them to invoke, amoung other examples.^{[citation needed]}<ref>Barriers could be made strong by having a lot of personal power. Being a member of a family that had a lot of clout with spirits could make the difference between a simple chalk circle being a minor inconvenience for all but the smallest and most mindless Others, and being that last category where Others of Guilherme or John’s stature would buckle at the knees if they got close. - Excerpt from One After Another 10.3</ref>

Among Innocents

A repeated story or idea among the Innocent population may strike enough of a chord among the Spirits to form a Bugge.<ref>Background: The insistent voice of an innocent can strike the same chords or guide the spirits in the same fashion that a practitioner might, and a story told enough times in enough voices can, if a vessel is available, lead to the formation of a Bugge. Some loose example cases could include a child that regularly and consistently draws their imaginary friend for some time, with others joining in or adding to the mythology, or a graffiti artist might stop mid-word after hearing a car hit someone, running to the body, with photos capturing the scene and word in close association, the half-written word becoming a ‘remember her’ kind of motif. - Bestiary: Bugge</ref>

Many Aware are the focus of a pattern in mundane events which has taken on it's own weight, such as being repeatedly attacked by monsters (a Designated Victim), repeatedly encountering Magic Items (a Gilded Lily).<ref name="Ba52"/>

Historians keep track of accidental rituals and patterns in Innocent human activity.<ref name=":0">“You’ve been coming here a while?” Avery asked.

“Three years. Dom is from a family of historians. They study patterns in history, to see if any accidental rituals emerge.”

“Accidental rituals?” Verona asked.

“I don’t know how much to explain, because I don’t know how much you know, and I’m not the best teacher. Uh, when non-practitioners do stuff, they can still create rituals. We call them accidental or emergent rituals. If you find a big enough or ancient enough one, you can tweak it or harness it. City layouts forming diagrams that influence economy? Big money, potentially. Patterns in, I dunno, wars followed by baby booms? That could potentially be a whole generation that’s special. They came here to deal with Ray, the guy I’m apprenticing under, so I’ve got the scoop there.” - Excerpt from Leaving a Mark 4.4</ref> Heroic mages keep track of patterns in the family trees of Innocent human families; the exceptional individuals who fall under multiple patterns may leave behind exceptionally strong heroic spirits.<ref name=":0">“You’ve been coming here a while?” Avery asked.

“Three years. Dom is from a family of historians. They study patterns in history, to see if any accidental rituals emerge.”

“Accidental rituals?” Verona asked.

“I don’t know how much to explain, because I don’t know how much you know, and I’m not the best teacher. Uh, when non-practitioners do stuff, they can still create rituals. We call them accidental or emergent rituals. If you find a big enough or ancient enough one, you can tweak it or harness it. City layouts forming diagrams that influence economy? Big money, potentially. Patterns in, I dunno, wars followed by baby booms? That could potentially be a whole generation that’s special. They came here to deal with Ray, the guy I’m apprenticing under, so I’ve got the scoop there.” - Excerpt from Leaving a Mark 4.4</ref><ref>Pact Dice: Heroics</ref>

Among Others

Many Others fall into patterns over time. Breaking from a pattern of behavior may weaken them. For example, a Ritual Incarnate is almost entirely defined by their ritualized pattern.

Deities tend not to break the patterns they form due to the prohibitive cost.<ref name="Ba52">“That tight a pattern?” Matthew asked. “She does one thing. Suddenly breaking from that to include Others doesn’t work.”

“If she has a certain power source or origin point?” Verona asked. “If the power, say, came from a god and then the god changed its mind?”

“Even gods tend to hold to patterns. It can cost nearly as much to change direction as it does to get the thing started in the first place,” Matthew said. - Excerpt from Back Away 5.2</ref>

Others which prey on the Innocent may suffer less Karmic penalties for it over time, as the spirits come to accomadate them as a part of the way of things.^{[citation needed]}

References