Disclaimer: The following document fragment is presented from an in-character perspective, it should not be taken as the truth of the setting.
Context: For this week we examine a few topics of how power intersects with morality. The Turm represent a more classic take on the issue, mantling the old adage that with great power comes great responsibility. Then again, it’s important to distinguish those who work for the benefit of humanity, and those who merely claim to be doing so.
Out there are things we see, but they do not
Out there we may fight but the blind can not
To protect them is not a conclusion
But an axiom of our existence
Because we can, that is too why we must
Unknown and hidden, watching from shadows
Thankless, with no song to exalt our names
Yet the world, evidence of our triumph
Continues on its path through the Cosmos
Know that this is the prize of our vigil
This is what we protect, for what we die
Thus you must carve upon your heart of hearts:
Because we can, that is too why we must
Credo of the Turm, adapted from an anonymous source, circa 1920
The symbol of the Turm, known as a turmkreuz. Though not an actual cross, the similarity to which it owes its name is self-evident. The symbol represents an open eye above a closed eye, both stricken through with a dark line representing the tower. While in the past, the rendering of the symbol could be quite elaborate, in modern times, simple and stylized versions are much more popular.
The Turm is a loosely organized cabal of mages, found all around the world. Members devote themselves at least in part to the protection of Norma against threats they are unable to deal with on their own. The origin of the group is lost to time. However, references to the organization, and more specifically to their symbol, date back as far as the XIth century.
As a decentralized, semi-formal organization, that additionally chooses to be secretive about their actions, there is little that can be unambiguously attributed to the cabal. While individuals openly identifying as members of the Turm were involved in many documented incidents, their involvement often appears incidental.
Indeed, looking at the Turm as an organization that coordinates itself to act in any particular direction may be very misleading. The core concept they follow is one that simply urges the members to help out in situations that may pose a threat to the Norma. The credo itself states that rather than there being some strictly conceptualized philosophy behind the cabal’s operations, the reason is axiomatic. Thus, it is best to understand the Turm as a collective of independently operating cells, united under one ideology, each remaining open to its exact interpretation and application.
But that is how the turmians open themselves up for criticism. The open-ended interpretation of the cabal’s goals, combined with the general positive image of the Turm in mage culture, creates an opening for abuse and exploitation of goodwill and power. Some outspoken individuals that self identify as turmians display an “end justifies the means” mentality. This can be most clearly seen in the rhetoric of Burchard Duerr, Mahamadou Arendse, or Chae-Young Han, the last of which is also allegedly actively involved in the Korean nuclear weapons program.
Esoteric Musings... 