Tradition

A tradition is a particular style of magic that is practiced and handed down to generations of magicians through apprenticeship. Hermetic magic is an especially flexible, powerful magical tradition practiced throughout the Order of Hermes. There exist other, non-Hermetic traditions; many of them are associated with a particular culture or locale in Mythic Europe. Many traditions have origins in the classical or ancient past.

"Tradition" is not a strictly defined game term in Ars Magica. There are several varieties of magic that can be called traditions. They are all similar in a sense that wizards who practice the tradition share some similar powers, but they differ in the scope of those powers and in the diversity of the traditions' members.

Hermetic Traditions

Main article: Houses of Hermes

Hermetic magic can be considered a very broad, powerful, and diverse tradition of magic. All members of the Order of Hermes can be said to follow it, except perhaps hedge wizards who very recently joined the Order.

Each of the Houses of Hermes is a tradition in its own right. Indeed, several houses combine two or more traditions; see the articles on the individual Houses for details.

Ex Miscellanea Traditions

Main article: House Ex Miscellanea

House Ex Miscellanea is a Societas, but consists of many independent traditions that it has assimilated over the centuries. It is therefore more properly considered a collection of traditions than a tradition in its own right. Most of the traditions in House Ex Miscellanea overlap with hedge magic. The difference is that magi Ex Miscellanea usually have full command of the Hermetic Arts^[1] in addition to the magic of their ancestral traditions, whereas hedge wizards are restricted to their pre-Hermetic powers only, and are much more limited.

See House Ex Miscellanea for a list of traditions. Those traditions which, according to canon, survive outside of the Order of Hermes are also listed below.

Non-Hermetic Traditions

Main article: Hedge magic

Most non-Hermetic traditions are much weaker and more limited than Hermetic magic. These weak forms of magic are collectively called hedge magic. There are, however, a few powerful forms of foreign magic that are closer to parity with the power of Hermetic Magic; see Rival Magic for rules and background on them.

Mystery Cults

Main article: Mystery Cult

Mystery Cults are secret organizations that teach specific mystical practices call Mysteries. Mysteries are highly ritualized and often include a spiritual or even explicitly religious component. Magi of the Order of Hermes can join mystery cults, but Mysteries are outside the usual theory and practice of Hermetic magic.

In terms of game mechanics, Mysteries usually take the form of special Mystery Virtues rather than Arts or Abilities. Some Mystery Cults are integrated into the Order as Houses, but others are not. Most mystery cults pre-date Hermetic magic theory.

See the Mystery Cults article for a list of mystery cults.

Hedge Traditions

Most traditions that still exist outside the Order are considered hedge magic, though that broad term masks a diversity. Some forms of hedge magic are more powerful than others. In terms of game mechanics, a follower of a hedge tradition may be a companion, Gifted companion, Mythic companion, a magus Ex Miscellanea, or even a grog,^[2] depending on the particular tradition and/or the player's preference.

The following list combines traditions affiliated with both the Magic Realm and Faerie Realms. Both are included in the common usage of the term "hedge magic."

Borrowers: Traders who barter mortal goods for faerie blessings
Corrguineach: Irish wizards with great powers over elemental spirits.
Elementalists: Magicians with power over the four classical elements, including elemental spirits
Folk witches: Usually female magicians with magical powers of healing, cursing, divination, and shapeshifting
Gruagachan: Scottish magicians with a wide range of powers including shapeshifting, spirit magic, and visions
Koldun: Slavic sorcerers similar to volkhvy, but who follow dark pagan gods of winter and cold
Learned Magicians: University-trained magicians, experts in astronomy and alchemy
Vitkir: Scandinavian rune-wizards with versatile powers
Nightwalkers: Magicians who can project their spirits astrally
Ollamhain: Irish bards and soothsayers
Rustic Magi: craftsmen who imbue their products with magical powers
Sahirs: Islamic wizards who summon and bind spirits called jinn
Scinfolk: herbalists and faerie doctors whose magic can increase fertility
Taltos: a Magyar tradition of skinchangers and herbalists
Trollsynir: Giant-descended wizards of Scandinavia and Iceland
Volkhvy: Slavic pagan priests with nature-related powers.
Wise Folk: Villagers who use faerie wizardry to make charms and wards
Witches of Thessaly: Mostly female wielders of necromancy and curses; possibly the ancestral tradition of Trianoma^[3]

Breton bards with great powers of enchanting music.
Roman necromancers that terrorize the locals.

Divine Traditions

Karaites: Jewish practitioners of Holy Magic

Rival Traditions

The most powerful non-Hermetic traditions are described in Rival Magic. They are shrouded in legend; some of them are not even certain to exist in canon.^[4]

Amazons
The Augustan Brotherhood
The Order of Odin
The Order of Suleiman
Muspelli
The Sorcerers of Soqotra

References

↑ Ars Magica Fifth Edition, p. 11, "House Ex Miscellanea"
↑ Hedge Magic Revised Edition, p. 11, "Magi, Companions, or Grogs"
↑ Realms of Power: The Infernal, p. 140, "Infernal Societas: The Witches of Thessaly"
↑ Guardians of the Forests, p. 113, "The Order of Odin" (inset)

Legacy Page

The history of this page before August 6, 2010 is archived at Legacy:tradition

[1] Ars Magica Fifth Edition, p. 11, "House Ex Miscellanea"

[2] Hedge Magic Revised Edition, p. 11, "Magi, Companions, or Grogs"

[3] Realms of Power: The Infernal, p. 140, "Infernal Societas: The Witches of Thessaly"

[4] Guardians of the Forests, p. 113, "The Order of Odin" (inset)

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