Schism War

From Project: Redcap

Perhaps the single defining event in the history of the Order of Hermes since its foundation, the Schism War wiped House Diedne from the Order and had substantial ramifications for many of the Order's institutions and organizations,[1] up to and including the adoption of Certamen for the resolution of disputes of a certain magnitude between members of the Order.[2]

The conflict escalated slowly, growing mainly out of mistrust from the Latinate House of Tremere towards the Druidic House of Diedne, who were accused of practicing human sacrifice. The Schism War happened in early eleventh century. It caused the cancellation of many of the Regional Tribunals of 1004[3] and reached a point of no return when House Tremere declared war on House Diedne in 1010, soon to be followed by Houses Flambeau and Jerbiton.[3]

Magi Trianomae of House Bonisagus then convinced the Primus of House Guernicus to call for an emergency Grand Tribunal of resolution instead of the Regular Tribunal that would otherwise happen in 1011. The Primi of Houses Bonisagus and Mercere quickly agreed, and the Grand Tribunal eventually decided by a close vote[4] to renounce House Diedne entirely.[3]

The Schism War was terribly divisible and remains a haunting memory to this day.

The Houses and the Schism War

  • House Diedne was by all appearances destroyed as a direct result of the Schism War,[4][5] after being under suspicion of diabolism and human sacrifice.[6] Its Quaesitor represented it in the Grand Tribunal of 1011 and was apprisoned at Magvillus immediately after the renunciation. The resulting war between House Diedne and the Order of Hermes was eventually resolved by a ritual involving the traitorous human sacrifice of the representative by Guernicus Primus Antonius himself.[4]
  • House Tremere was the main accuser, albeit unofficially and by way of the repeated Wizard Wars between its members and those of House Diedne, until it finally decreed war against House Diedne in 1010.[3] When the Grand Tribunal of 1011 was called, the Primi of Houses Diedne and Tremere were the only one not called to participate (although they were still represented by their respective Quaesitors).[4] Half the Magi of House Tremere died during the War, and the conflict went a long way towards restoring the pride that they had lost due to the Sundering and the intrigue it exposed.[7]
  • House Tytalus was headed at the time by fifth Prima Kalliste, who was widely mistrusted in her own House and perceived to be following the lead of House Guernicus meekly. Before the Schism War was fully resolved, Kalliste was murdered by a filius of her successor, Klynoites the sixth Prima.[5]
  • House Guernicus, headed by Primus Antonius,[4] attempted a peaceful solution and ended up assaulting House Diedne among terrible internal conflict. The decision of the Grand Tribunal of 1011 resulted in war between House Diedne and the Order of Hermes, eventually resolved by a ritual involving the secret and traitorous human sacrifice of the Diedne representative by Guernicus Primus Antonius himself. However, the conflict was generally for the House's benefit in that it restored the perception of importance of the Quaesitors.[4]
  • House Ex Miscellanea was headed by Primus Basilicus,[8] who was to participate in the fateful Grand Tribunal of 1011 carrying a considerable number of proxy sigils that might have turned the tide of decision. Unfortunately, he did never arrived, at least in able time.[4]
  • House Flambeau, headed by Primus Entisimon, generally approved of the War and enabled it by having many among its ranks decree Wizard Wars against members of House Diedne. Eventually Entisimon rallied the whole House against House Diedne at a famous speech at Val-Negra.[6]
  • House Jerbiton largely kept apart, choosing instead to help in the period of reconstruction.[9]
  • House Bonisagus was terribly divided by the conflict, widening the rift between the Trianoma and Bonisagus factions, and leading to the abdication of Primus Thamus Collis after the renunciation of House Diedne.[3]
  • House Mercere was already well-established in its role of running communications within the Order of Hermes,[10] and was instrumental in the calling of the Grand Tribunal of 1011.[3]
  • House Bjornaer, being non-Roman itself, decided early on to retreat into Crintera for well over a decade and ended up largely avoiding the whole conflict. [11]
  • House Verditius remained unattached and uninvolved with any accusations or hostilities during the whole period.[12]
  • House Merinita kept some degree of sympathy for House Diedne during the whole period, even after the Renunciation, which was opposed by Prima Rhiannon.[13]

Primi during the Schism War

  • House Bjornaer - Salmo [14]
  • House Bonisagus - Thamus Collis [15]
  • House Criamon - Unnamed Primus from the Path of Strife [16]
  • House Diedne - Unknown
  • House Ex Miscellanea - Basilicus [17]
  • House Flambeau - Entisimon [18]
  • House Guernicus - Antonius [19]
  • House Jerbiton - Unnamed
  • House Mercere - Aldico [20][21]
  • House Merinita - Rhiannon [22]
  • House Tremere - Cercistum [23][24][25]
  • House Tytalus - Kalliste [26]
  • House Verditius - Unnamed

Previous Editions

  • In ArM4 the Schism War is described in page 233 and specified to happen in early eleventh century.

See Also

  • The Sundering of House Tremere in the ninth century, perhaps the first great crisis in the history of the Order of Hermes.
  • The Corruption of House Tytalus of the tenth century, the next great crisis (which preceded the Schism War).

References

  1. ArM5, p. 10
  2. The Tempest, pp. 6-8
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, "House Bonisagus", p. 9
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, "House Guernicus", pp. 40-41
  5. 5.0 5.1 Houses of Hermes: Societates, "House Tytalus", pp. 74-75
  6. 6.0 6.1 Houses of Hermes: Societates, "House Flambeau", pp. 10-11
  7. Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, "House Tremere", pp. 113-114
  8. Houses of Hermes: Societates, "House Ex Miscellanea", p. 102
  9. Houses of Hermes: Societates, "House Jerbiton", p. 41
  10. Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, "House Mercere", p. 81
  11. Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, "House Bjornaer", p. 9
  12. Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, "House Verditius", p. 111
  13. Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, "House Merinita", p. 78
  14. Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, "The Schism War", page 9
  15. Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, "The Schism War", page 9
  16. Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, "Famous Primi", page 55
  17. Houses of Hermes: Societates, "History", page 102
  18. Houses of Hermes: Societates, "The Schism War", page 10
  19. Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, "Schism War", page 40
  20. Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, inset quote, page 78, mentioned as the Primus during the war in the signature of the inset quote
  21. Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, "Harco" inset, page 78, mentions Aldico was replaced as Primus just after the war
  22. Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, "200 Years After", page 78
  23. Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, "Famous Figures" inset, page 110, mentions him as primus at the onset of the war
  24. Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, "The Role of the Primus and Legatus", page 122, corroborates he was a Primus who was killed in battle during the war
  25. Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, "Ghostly Armies" inset, page 126, mentions him as primus during the war
  26. Houses of Hermes: Societates, "The Schism War and its Aftermath", page 75