[UA] Post-Modern Greek and Latin

[Ian Young]

James Palmer writes regarding the etymology of his delightful
Urbanomancy...

> I was thinking of renaming it Polisomancy, to keep with the Gk 
> names of the other schools. But then I thought, sod it, it sounds > stupid and too much like cop-magick (same etymology, actually, 
> now I think about it). So it remains urbanomancy. 

You know, last night I was flip-flopping in my mind over the issue of
Polimancy v. Demomancy, as Tim had suggested -- the former indicating an
obsession with the "political machine" of a city, while the latter
suggests a tie to the land and the people of a city.  Wow, I thought,
maybe there are these weird competing camps trying to exert different
influences upon a given city! But then I thought, this is just semantic
quibbling.  Sure a city-obsessed magician may be likely to specialise in
either politics or engineering, but I don't think these necessarily
dictate idealogical divisions.  Well, no more so than individual
magicians of a given school are *already* divided idealogically.

I think the whole post-modern concept of magick bears out James'
decision to settle on Urbanomancy -- any fast-dealing magician worth his
salt really wouldn't give a hang *what* you call your magick, just as
long as it actually works.  A rose by any other name...

> I doubt there's too many petty grammarians on this list who'll 
> seriously object to the mix of Greek and Latin.

Ha, ha...I think you might be surprised.  I'll admit that the hair stood
straight on the back of my neck when I first realised that "-mancy" was
being used consistently where "-urgy" or "-magy" would have been more
appropos.  But then I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb.  Now
my life is good.

> In game, I imagine some old-school occultists probably get all 
> upset when people don't call it Polisomagy.

Oh, mama, do they ever!  If they even recognise it as a valid school of
magick in the first place.

Now, with regard to Urbanomancy itself, I think it's the bee's knees. 
I'm particularly pleased with the subtle conflict that's likely to erupt
between Urbanomancers and Cliomancers over significant historical sites
-- there's already been enough competition jockeying for the charges
from urban landmarks, and now we have another element spoiling for
squatting rights.  

As for taking damage when the Urbanomancer is away from "his" city, I
think that may be a bit harsh.  Certainly, he'd lose his ability to work
magick when travelling abroad, which may be penalty enough, but I think
I'd add the twist that it's more like a chain-smoker trying to go
without a butt for a while.  At first it's just unsettling.  Then it
get's uncomfortable.  Eventually it get's downright unbearable -- he
*needs* his city!  Force of habit and "addictive" sensation get the
better of the Urbanomancer, and he becomes an outright basket case. 
Skill shifts of -10% or -20% might be appropriate, depending on how long
he's been away from his city, and perhaps a Helplessness check might
eventually be in order.

All in all, great fun.  Go, man, go!

Gone,
Ian