Houses of Hermes: Societates Chapter Two: House Flambeau
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House Flambeau
Of what value is magic if we do not use it? What good is a wizard who serves only himself? Power, itself, is nothing. The true measure of a magus is not how much power he wields, but the worthiness of the cause in which he wields it. — Flambeau
House Flambeau is a loose fraternity of magi drawn together by their warlike tendencies and love of adventure. While other magi sometimes consider them an unruly, violent rabble who must be kept under control, House Flambeau’s courage and fighting prowess have helped the Order of Hermes survive the worst crises in its history.
Flambeau magi see themselves as magical warriors. Combat is not necessarily their raison.d’être, but they are prepared to fight when necessary. Some think of themselves as the Hermetic parallel of mundane knights: elite warriors charged with defending the weak and upholding justice. Like mundane knights, Flambeau magi tend toward bravado.
When most wizards think of House Flambeau, they think of fire magic. Flambeau the Founder was the first and most famous master of the Art of Ignem. While fi re magic remains popular within the House, it is by no means the only specialty practiced by its members. This chapter gives details of several additional “schools,” or styles of fi ghting magic, which can be pursued by any magus with an interest in self-defense.
In their hearts, followers of Flambeau believe that magic is meant to be used. They admire achievement above all else, though each maga within the House follows her own path to personal glory. This could be anything from fi ghting perceived enemies of the Order, to leading a Hermetic political movement, to writing great books to enlighten and inspire future generations of magi. Theirs is a vigorous and active House, deeply involved in all aspects of Hermetic society.
Key FactsPopulation:. 114 (19 in the Provençal Tribunal) Primus: Garus, a former soldierof-fortune and tournament champion, now advancing in years. He is a leading member of the milites, a Flambeau faction that promotes chivalry and service to the Order. Domus Magna: Castra Solis, a modest castle in the Provençal Tribunal. Favored Tribunals: Traditionally Iberia, Provençal, and Normandy, but Flambeau magi travel widely in search of adventure. In recent decades, they have increasingly settled in the Novgorod, Thebes, and Levant Tribunals. Motto: Ad mortem incurramus (“Unto death, let us charge”). This was adopted during the Schism War and has remained ever since. Symbol:. An hourglass. To House Flambeau, it symbolizes both the fleeting span of a mortal life and the timelessness of legendary deeds. |
History
Flambeau the Founder is a rather obscure figure. He left few writings, partly because he learned letters late in his life and was never comfortable with a quill in his hand. What the Order knows about him comes from the memoirs of his fi lii, and the few surviving letters he dictated to them.
Details such as Flambeau’s exact age, birthplace, and even his Christian name are lost to history. He was born to a family of petty nobles in Gascony (southwestern France), probably around 715 AD. His family estate was caught in the path of the invading Moorish army of Emir abd Al Raman, which crossed the Pyrenees and advanced through France in 732. The Frankish King Charles Martel repulsed the Moors at the Battle of Tours (October 10, 732), but before that battle the invaders cut a swath of destruction along their northward march. Moorish outriders attacked and burned the young Flambeau’s family estate, slaying his kinsmen. Flambeau himself was shot with an arrow and left for dead. Surviving serfs found him and cared for him as best they could, but his wound festered and he languished with fever.
The peasants brought the ailing youth to a local hermit who was known for his healing skills. This was Laberius, a wizard whose magic descended from the ancient Roman cult of Mithras. Laberius immediately recognized Flambeau’s magical potential. He nursed the youth back to health and then began training him as his apprentice.
Flambeau proved to be an apt pupil, but a willful one. He chafed at the pagan mysticism underlying his master’s ritual spells and kept trying to modify the incantations so they would work without mentioning the pagan gods.
Laberius sensed an opportunity to gain a position as a court wizard by offering to help the Christians against the Moors. The Franks rebuffed his overtures, so he and his apprentice traveled to the Kingdom of Asturias in northern Spain. There, he was welcomed as court magician to a lesser cousin of the royal house. Laberius and his apprentice served always at their lord’s side, even fighting alongside him in the early battles of the Reconquista (the campaign to drive Muslims out of Iberia).
With Laberius’s magical assistance, his mundane lord enjoyed great success raiding and skirmishing against the Moors. By the third year of the campaign, the Moors came to suspect their enemies had magical assistance. They assembled a group of five or six sahirs (jinii-summoning wizards) to hunt down and destroy the enemy magician. The sahirs lured Laberius and his patron into an ambush. The young man who would become Flambeau managed to escape with his life, but his master, his mundane lord, and most of their knights and men-at-arms were massacred by the sahirs’ jinn.
Laberius’s apprentice swore to avenge his master. He tried to find a member of Laberius’s magical tradition with whom he could complete his studies, but the few wizards he found greeted him with distrust or outright hostility. Finally he went into hiding in a cave on the French side of the Pyrenees and continued his magical studies alone. Through trial and error, he adapted a simple spell Laberius had taught him for lighting ceremonial braziers to produce ever-larger sparks and flames. After five years in seclusion, he had perfected a single, powerful attack similar to Pilum of Fire. It was then that he adopted the nom de guerre Flambeau and returned to Iberia to avenge his master’s death.
Flambeau managed to hunt down three of the sahirs who had slain Laberius, but the others eluded him. After fighting a number of Infernal jinn, Flambeau became convinced that all sahirs were demon-summoners, and he attacked them whenever he found them. He had slain as many as a dozen Moorish sorcerers and become one of the most feared wizards in Mythic Europe by the time Trianoma approached him with an offer to join the Order.
Flambeau and the Early Order
At first, Flambeau was skeptical about the idea of an order of magi. He had a deep distrust for wizards of all kinds, even members of his own tradition, and did not believe Trianoma’s alliance of magi could last. After Trianoma demonstrated to him the efficacy of the Parma Magica against hostile spells, Flambeau realized he would be at a severe disadvantage if he did not learn its secret. He agreed to travel to Durenmar and listen to what Bonisagus and the other Founders had to say.
Trianoma asked Flambeau’s permission to extend her own Parma Magica over him before he met any wizards at Durenmar. She told him it would protect him against treachery, but it also protected him from the distrust and hostility engendered by the other magi’s Gifts. To Flambeau’s surprise, he found the other Founders to be trustworthy and likable. He came to believe in the Order as a league of honorable wizards who could bring an end to the treachery and petty rivalries so common among European wizards before the Founding. He hoped to build the Order into a military alliance that could destroy the putative Order of Suleiman (see Chapter 4: House Ex Miscellanea, Hermetic Sahirs).
Like all of the Founders, Flambeau made some contributions to Hermetic theory. His accomplishment of having invented a single, original spell shows that he had more talent in the laboratory than his violent reputation might suggest. Still, his contributions were modest compared to those of some other Founders. Flambeau was more interested in applying Bonisagus’s theory than in extending it. He soon invented many new spells, greatly expanding his personal repertoire. Later in his career, he spent years searching for ways to overcome the Parma Magica, in case the secret should ever fall into enemy hands. This work pioneered the study of Penetration as an Arcane Ability.
Flambeau’s lasting contributions were in politics, not research. To expand the new alliance of magi, he traveled throughout what are now the Normandy and Provençal Tribunals, recruiting as many wizards as he could find. He proved to be a capable negotiator. The weight of his reputation was enough to make non-Hermetic wizards willing to talk to him rather than fight, and once he had their attention, he was charismatic and persuasive. His enthusiasm for the Order was contagious. Though he trained only two apprentices of his own, his House grew rapidly through recruitment.
When the Order was young and numbered only a few dozen magi, there appeared to be a risk that non-Hermetic wizards might organize to resist its expansion. Through a combination of diplomacy, intimidation, and a few well-chosen battles, Flambeau worked to quash threats from outside wizards.
Together, Flambeau and his followers founded the covenant of Val-Negra in the Pyrenees, a location chosen for its strategic value against the sahirs of Moorish Iberia. Over time, this strength of its location became less important to the Founder as he shifted his efforts away from fighting the sahirs and toward helping to build and strengthen the Order.
The Controversy over Wizard’s War
This Oath protects our safety, but who will defend our honor? — Flambeau
Flambeau came to support Bonisagus’s idea for an Order of wizards, but he balked at the early version of the Hermetic Oath. He was concerned that if he swore the Oath, his enemies might be able to escape his vengeance by joining the Order themselves.
At the time of the First Tribunal, it was unclear exactly how the Order would enforce its own Code. Guernicus had not yet agreed to become the first Quaesitor, and neither certamen nor the Peripheral Code existed. Flambeau had spent his adult life fighting Moorish wizards in Iberia. He firmly believed that deep-seated enmities existed among wizards, and said it was naive to think they could simply be set aside.
Flambeau argued persuasively that wizards needed the right to use violence when necessary. He gave a number of hypothetical situations where one magus could bully, blackmail, or torment another without being in clear breach of the Code. He argued that if the law strictly forbade one magus from taking vengeance against another, wicked magi would flourish and honorable ones could be driven to outlawry.
Several of the Founders opposed Flambeau’s proposal: his most outspoken opponent was Guernicus, who feared that legalized Wizard’s War would undermine the peace of the Order. The matter was finally settled in a famous debate. Flambeau pointed out that Guernicus himself had been forced to avenge his slain master. Without Wizard’s War, Flambeau would be denied the same opportunity. Many of the Founders had first-hand experience of the atrocities wizards had committed against one another before the Founding, so finally they approved adding Wizard’s War to the Code.
Join or DieFlambeau advocated that all wizards in Christendom be brought into the Order – by force, if necessary. Not all of the Founders agreed: Guernicus insisted that membership in the Order should be strictly voluntary. Flambeau pointed out that a wizard who refused to swear the Oath was refusing to make peace with the Order and should be treated as an enemy. Guernicus did persuade the First Tribunal that wizards should be offered a chance to join the Order before being attacked. For the most part, Flambeau seems to have taken that directive to heart − except with regard to the sahirs, his sworn enemies. Flambeau firmly believed that all sahirs were diabolists and he repeatedly said he would rather be Marched than see one of them accepted into the Order. Flambeau personally recruited several wizards into the fledgling Order. Contrary to legend, he was usually diplomatic, not belligerent, toward non-Hermetic magicians (though he was candid about the potential consequences of refusing to join the Order). He did lose his temper and shout the famous words, "Join us or die!" on at least one occasion, but later generations of magi tend to exaggerate the frequency with which he used that ultimatum. The one documented case where Flambeau used his famous threat was in 771. He and three followers were confronting a wizard named Varstus who lived in the Italian Alps. Varstus was skilled in sympathetic magic, which could potentially be used as a form of attack. Furthermore, he was rumored to be organizing other wizards to resist Hermetic expansion into the area. Trianoma had previously approached Varstus with an offer of membership in the Order, but he had responded with scorn and threats. Bonisagus personally asked Flambeau to resolve the situation, hoping that Flambeau's reputation as a wizard-slayer would give Varstus pause. Varstus proved as ignorant as he was stubborn: Flambeau's name meant nothing to him, and he greeted the Founder with the same belligerence and arrogance he had shown Trianoma. Flambeau finally lost his temper and shouted, "Join us or die!," hurling a bolt of fire at a nearby tree to emphasize his words. He gave Varstus until sunset to decide. The Italian wizard withdrew, saying he would consider the offer, then immediately fled into the mountains. Flambeau waited until sunset as promised, then he and his followers gave chase. Varstus was dead before the next dawn; his allied hedge wizards capitulated and joined the Order. Even so, Flambeau believed that bringing new wizards into the Order should be a gradual, diplomatic process. Magi in 1220 – especially young magi – should be aware that demanding hedge wizards "join or die" is neither a common nor a recommended recruitment technique. Even in Mythic Europe, one can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. |
Flambeau envisioned Wizard’s War as a kind of trial by combat; he expected wizards to simply meet on the field of honor to settle their differences in open battle. The legal concept of Wizard’s War, however, evolved into something rather different than he would have expected, as will be explained later in this chapter.
Flambeau himself never actually resorted to Wizard’s War. His sworn enemies, the sahirs, did not join the Order until more than a century after his death (see Chapter 4: House Ex Miscellanea, Hermetic Sahirs).
The Second Generation
Flambeau’s eldest apprentice was a Basque boy he named Michel in honor of the archangel Michael. Flambeau secured the best tutors he could find to teach the boy Latin and the liberal arts. He also made it a point to give his apprentice a firm and balanced grounding in the Hermetic Arts.
Michel accompanied Flambeau throughout Mythic Europe and learned the art of diplomacy at his master’s side. Flambeau had high hopes for his apprentice and groomed Michel to succeed him as leader of the House. But after Michel passed his Gauntlet, he changed his Hermetic name to Apromor. He and Flambeau grew apart, and had many disagreements. Though Michel did eventually become the first Primus of House Flambeau, he made many changes, few of which would have met with his pater’s approval.
The manner in which Flambeau trained his second apprentice seems to have been a reaction to the disappointment he felt about Apromor. She was a Frankish girl whom he named Elaine. Flambeau kept a tighter control over her education and training than he had with Apromor (though he did rely on tutors to teach her Latin and writing). He made sure she was exposed to the Church’s moral teachings. Flambeau trained Elaine primarily in fire magic, though he gave her plenty of time to read on outside topics. As a result, Elaine followed Flambeau’s example more closely than did Apromor. Like her pater, she dedicated her career to serving the Order as a whole. Elaine was both a warrior and a scholar: she served with distinction as a Hoplite, and wrote several books that are still popular in 1220.
Elaine trained four apprentices and eventually became an Archmage. She was never very active politically, but her influence on the House was nonetheless farreaching: she trained her apprentices to share Flambeau’s sense of honor and his deep commitment to serving the Order. Elaine is also credited as the first intellectual leader within House Flambeau. Her insightful writings on magic theory and philosophy show that Flambeau magi can be interested in more than simply blasting things with fire spells.
The Founder’s End
Flambeau’s Arts were never strong outside of his area of specialty. Due to a weak Longevity Ritual, the Founder had grown old and frail by the year 820. One morning in the spring of that year he left Val-Negra alone. Where he went after that is unknown.
Some magi, including Apromor, believed Flambeau sought an encounter with the sahirs. Opinions are divided as to whether he wanted to die in battle against his lifelong enemies, or whether (as Apromor suspected) he was tired of fighting and was trying to offer peace. Whatever his intentions, Flambeau never returned, leading Apromor and others to conclude the sahirs had ambushed and killed him.
Other magi believe that Flambeau retired from magic and joined a monastery to live out his final years in quiet devotion to the Lord. Flambeau was a Christian throughout his life: zealous in his youth, more pious and contemplative in his later years. Many who knew him, including his filia Elaine, believed this version of the story.
Elaine’s WritingsElaine wrote several books that are widely read and copied throughout her House. The originals were kept at the library of Val-Negra, but have been lost since that covenant sank deep into Winter. There could still be undiscovered manuscripts of hers, moldering in some forgotten chest at Val-Negra. The Great Library at Durenmar has excellent copies of her surviving works:
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The House Under Apromor
Apromor led House Flambeau along a decidedly different course from that which his pater had set. Apromor was an astute diplomat and strategist. He believed that the Order of Hermes was already firmly established and the need to defend it from external threats was diminishing with time. On the other hand, he regarded the consolidation of power within Houses Tremere and Tytalus as a sign of internal rivalries emerging. He made strong moves to strengthen his own House against political competition within the Order.
One of Apromor’s major initiatives was to continue his pater’s efforts to recruit non-Hermetic magi. Flambeau himself had observed the Christian religion throughout his life; while he had been willing to ally himself with wizards who revered the “old gods,” he never really approved of paganism, and made efforts to convert his allies to his own faith. This led some new members of the Order to depart House Flambeau for other Houses they felt were more accepting of their beliefs. In an effort to increase the number of magi within his House, Apromor embarked on a longrunning, consistent campaign to ensure that pagan wizards recruited by House Flambeau remained there.
A number of Flambeau magi traced their magical lineage back to the ancient Cult of Mercury. They worked with Priamitus of House Mercere to reconstruct the Roman cult (see Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, pages 95–96). Apromor encouraged these efforts and provided some resources, though he did not personally participate. As a result of House Flambeau’s involvement in rebuilding the Cult of Mercury, a number of its members continue to practice Mercurian magic in 1220.
Apromor’s other major deviation from his pater’s practices was in the use of the magical Arts. Flambeau had originally trained Apromor to fight using fire magic, but in the middle of his career, Apromor turned away from that approach. Unlike his pater, Apromor had been trained in Hermetic theory from the beginning and, by all accounts, had a much broader knowledge of the magical Arts. He was never as powerful with fire magic as the Founder himself, so over time he began experimenting with other forms of magical attack. He settled on Perdo as his favorite Technique. Apromor described his new fighting style as more “subtle” than Flambeau’s, by which he meant that it was both more precise and less obtrusive.
The Schism War
Members of House Flambeau generally believe the Schism War was justified and necessary. Descendants of magi who fought in the war usually regard their ancestors’ actions as heroic. They tend to overlook the role their own House played in the lawlessness leading up to the war.
There had never been much love between Houses Diedne and Flambeau. Flambeau himself disliked pagans and often spoke out against House Diedne, which actively promoted a non-Christian religion. When Apromor changed policy toward actively recruiting pagan magicians, most of the pagans who joined House Flambeau belonged to Roman traditions; their rivalry with the druids went back to the days of the Roman Empire.
Following the corruption of House Tytalus, suspicions ran high within the Order. Some magi suspected House Diedne of atrocities such as diabolism or human sacrifice. When House Diedne used its political power to block Tribunals from investigating its covenants, a number of Flambeau magi decided to take the law into their own hands. They declared Wizard’s Wars so they could raid Diedne covenants and search for clues of the druids’ Infernal rites. Diedne magi defended themselves from these raids, leading to deaths on both sides. Conflict escalated as members of each House then declared Wizard’s Wars to avenge their slain comrades. In many cases, magi abandoned all pretext of legality and simply attacked their enemies without warning.
Of course, magi from other Houses were also involved in the conflict. When Primus Cercistum of House Tremere declared war on House Diedne and called for assistance from the rest of the Order, Primus Entisimon of House Flambeau was the first to answer. He rallied his House in a famous speech at Val-Negra.
Until Entisimon threw his weight into the conflict, there had been voices within House Flambeau calling for restraint and peace. Some Flambeau magi spoke passionately at Tribunals, urging their sodales to preserve the Founders’ vision of peaceful coexistence among the Houses. Others took more direct action, escorting Quaesitors into the lawless areas in an effort to restore order. But even the Flambeau magi most committed to peace stopped short of using force to curb the troublemakers within their own House. After Entisimon took a side in the conflict, the voices of reason within House Flambeau were shouted down. At least one magus who persisted too long in trying to soothe the conflict was slain in a Wizard’s War by a fellow Flambeau magus who considered him an enemy collaborator.
The Lost Talisman of the FounderFlambeau’s talisman was called Fireheart: an oval-cut, flawless fire opal the size of a walnut. When he first enchanted it, he affixed it to the end of a staff, but in later years he had it re-set and wore it as a pendant. Whatever the fate of the Founder, his talisman has never been found. Memoirs by Flambeau’s apprentices list several effects they helped him invest into his talisman: a more-powerful version of Ward Against Heat and Flames (ReIg 30 or higher), Words of the Flickering Flame (InIg 35), Blade of the Virulent Flame (CrIg 15), Lamp Without Flame (CrIg 10), and Rising Ire (CrMe 15). Flambeau probably invested other effects into the jewel, but no one knows what those might have been. Apart from its magical powers, Fireheart has significant historical value. As an Arcane Connection (of indefinite duration) to its creator, it could be used to discover Flambeau’s final resting place. Since Flambeau disappeared shortly after leaving Val-Negra, his talisman is thought to be somewhere in or near the Pyrenees (though it may have been found and moved to another location by some unknown party). |
The Rise of the Milites
Although House Flambeau enjoyed early success in the Schism War, the enemy quickly organized themselves and began to inflict substantial losses. House Flambeau simply lacked the discipline, command structure, and logistical capacity to wage a full-scale war. Realizing this, some of its magi allied themselves with covenants of House Tremere, essentially placing themselves under the command of Tremere leaders.
Others within House Flambeau realized they could succeed on their own if only they could improve their tactics and strategy. Some elder Flambeau magi were veterans of the campaign against the sahirs of Iberia and knew how to support one another in battle. They gathered young magi to their banners and taught them how to fight as coordinated units. Members of these war-bands swore oaths of brotherhood and mutual defense. These wizards came to see themselves as direct analogues of mundane knights: elite warriors sworn to a life of honor and service. They came to be called the milites (“knights”) because their oaths and code of conduct.
The milites usually fought in teams of at least three or four wizards, accompanied by strong parties of grogs. They had enough discipline to send advance scouts and to guard their flanks and rear. They rarely charged headlong into House Diedne’s ambushes. The milites suffered fewer losses than other parts of their House and fought more successfully. Their success, in turn, attracted more magi to their banners. When Primus Entisimon tried to implement a grand strategy for the Schism War, the milites freely disregarded his plans, conducting the war from the front lines as they thought best. They emerged from the Schism War with almost a quarter of the House’s members and have been gradually gaining numbers and influence ever since.
The Normandy Crisis
After House Diedne was finally defeated, magi turned their attention to the magical sites and vis sources formerly owned by Diedne covenants. There had been Diedne covenants throughout Mythic Europe, but they were particularly plentiful (and rich) in Brittany.
Flambeau veterans of the Schism War saw themselves (along with House Tremere) as having borne the brunt of the fighting, and believed, accordingly, they should be entitled to the lion’s share of the spoils. House Tytalus saw things differently: House Diedne’s former territory was a great prize, which would go to whomever was strong enough and clever enough to win it. The stage was set for the two Houses to clash.
House Flambeau saw the Tytalus magi as ruthless opportunists, falsely claiming land and vis sources that should belong to House Flambeau by right of conquest. They resisted House Tytalus’s claims on Diedne territory with every means at their disposal: Hermetic legal complaints, certamen, and, ultimately, Wizard’s Wars. House Tytalus did not shrink from the conflict but, rather, intensified it. Before long, the dispute over territory and resources took on an ideological dimension. For their part, House Flambeau portrayed their Tytalus opponents as contemptible parasites and scoundrels, who had been timid during the actual fighting but were now bold enough in claiming the spoils. House Tytalus saw the Flambeau veterans as invaders in a region that had traditionally been their homeland, and resolved to fight to the end.
The Normandy Tribunal was unable to contain the conflict. The situation in Brittany deteriorated until it seemed to mirror the very lawlessness that had preceded the Schism War itself.
In the end, it was House Flambeau who brought an end to the conflict. Led by the milites, members of the House insisted on the restoration of law and order. They brought the violent members of their own House to heel and, at the Grand Tribunal of 1063, negotiated a truce. Special Tribunals were held to divide the disputed territory. The Flambeau Primus Entisimon, who had been encouraging the conflict, was forced to resign in disgrace.
Famous FiguresApromor: Flambeau’s eldest apprentice and first Primus of the House. Apromor led House Flambeau’s efforts to actively recruit pagan magicians. He eventually turned away from fire magic to focus instead on spells of destruction. Elaine: Flambeau’s second apprentice. A Hoplite, Archmage, and noteworthy scholar and author, she trained four apprentices and firmly established the Founder’s direct lineage. Kaeso: Founder of the Mithraic tradition within House Flambeau. Entisimon: Primus who rallied his House during the Schism War and was later disgraced in the Normandy Crisis. Cindrallon: A Flambeau apprentice who was deemed by House elders to have passed her Gauntlet by slaying a renounced magus in a Wizard’s March; she had completed only seven years of apprenticeship. |
House Flambeau in 1220
House Flambeau has a very loose internal organization. Although there is no formal hierarchy and there are no House offices other than that of Primus, there is a loose pecking order based on individual prestige. Flambeau magi place great esteem on practical ability: those who make significant achievements gain respect and status in the House. On the other hand, magi who accomplish little or display a reluctance to act can lose status. The most respected members of the House are usually middle-aged magi who have many victories and accomplishments to their credit, but remain active and involved in Hermetic affairs.
To reflect the system of prestige within House Flambeau, the Rules section of this chapter provides mechanics for House Acclaim, a form of Reputation. It is similar, but not identical, to the House Acclaim system for House Bonisagus given in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages (page 21).
House Flambeau tries to hold frequent meetings. It is held together mainly by esprit de corps, so meetings are considered important to the House’s cohesiveness. Most House gatherings are social occasions. Flambeau magi are fond of telling tales over tankards of ale, debating about their favorite Arts or combat tactics, and holding the occasional friendly certamen. Increasingly often, Flambeau gatherings include some organized, combat-related activity such as a hunt or tournament, which further builds fellowship and helps the magi hone their fighting skills.
House Culture
House Flambeau is a diverse group ofmagi. They come from a variety of magical traditions, including magi who have transferred in from other Houses. While each member of the House has a unique outlook, it is possible to generalize about the common culture that has emerged.
House Flambeau has a strong martial spirit. Its members believe that naked force is often necessary, perhaps inevitable. Many of them see combat as the purest test of strength and the greatest source of glory. While not all members of House Flambeau are single-minded fighting machines _ many of them have other interests _ they do share a sense that combat prowess makes them an elite within the Order. Many see themselves as the maintainers of the Order’s peace and protectors of their less-violent colleagues. Even the more cultured and intellectual members of the House make a point to keep up their fighting skills. Certamen is considered an essential part of a wizard’s self-defense: a agus who specializes in killing but neglects certamen is unable to defend himself in lawful disputes against other magi.
Flambeau the Founder had a strong sense of personal honor, which is emulated by most of his followers. Individual members of the House have different ideas about exactly what honor means, but they tend to have firm beliefs on the subject. When the values of two Flambeau magi conflict, quarrels, certamen, and even Wizard’s Wars can result.
Members of House Flambeau are fiercely independent. With their sense of honor, their bravado, and their thirst for glory, they tend to resemble a magical version of medieval knights. An outsider once described House Flambeau as “fivescore princes, and no subjects.”
Partly because of their independent streak, Flambeau magi can be fiercely competitive with one another. This competition takes many forms, from racing to be the first to slay a renounced magus to trying to bond the most impressive familiar or invent the most spectacular Ignem spell. Whenever Flambeau magi gather, there is a certain amount of bragging and showing off.
Another legacy of the Founder is a commitment to service. Flambeau spoke often of the responsibility magi have to use The Gift in some worthy cause. In their zeal to carry out this directive, members of House Flambeau have a reputation for sometimes exceeding the boundaries of the Code. For instance, some of them are active in the Crusades and Reconquista, the Code’s clause against mundane interference otwithstanding. The House’s independent spirit leads many to secretly admire the maverick wizards who are willing to transgress the Code to do what they think is right. At the same time, House Flambeau is known for its readiness to aid the Quaesitores in trying and (especially) punishing lawbreakers. Conflicting agendas among the House’s members often bring them into conflict with one another.
The Primus
Whenever the position of Primus becomes vacant, members of House Flambeau from all across Mythic Europe gather at the domus magna to elect a new one. Magi who cannot attend are allowed to vote by proxy. The election process is tumultuous and disorganized, and is sometimes described by attendees as a “bragging tournament.” Prominent Flambeau magi proclaim their candidacy and make blustering speeches about their magnificent accomplishments (which qualify them for leadership), and their glorious plans for the House’s future. The House Quaesitor presides over the meeting and accepts motions from the floor. To maintain a minimum of order, the Quaesitor forbids certamen between candidates. House members may move for a vote to eliminate any candidate after all candidates have had a chance to speak, but such motions rarely pass on the first attempt. Speeches, debates, motions, and occasional voting continue, sometimes over several days, until a final winner emerges.
The Prima nominally serves for life. In practice, there is a limited span of years during which a Prima’s leadership can be effective. House Flambeau respects decisive action, not empty words. Not only does this place heavy expectations on the Prima, it also puts her in a delicate political position. If her policies are too bold, she risks alienating members of her own House. If she is too reticent, she rapidly loses credibility and members of the House feel free to ignore her. The most common fate of a Flambeau Prima is to make a strong start, then gradually lose her authority until she becomes hopelessly ineffective and finally resigns. A few Primi have had the foresight to resign while they still had some of their authority left. The typical Flambeau Prima is a middle-aged to senior magus, who presides over the House for only two or three decades.
The direct powers of the Primus are relatively few; he rules more by influence and persuasion than by formal authority. He has the authority to preside over any Gauntlet for admission into House Flambeau. He is the nominal leader of the covenant of Castra Solis, though in practice there are other magi, long resident at the domus magna, who really control its resources. By tradition, the Primus organizes and presides over the grand tournament at Castra Solis.
The current Primus, Garus, is an aging magus who was an adventurer and soldierof-fortune in his younger days. He fights according to the School of the Founder (see “Schools of Magical Combat” later in this chapter). His leadership is beginning to weaken because he has remained so long within the walls of the domus magna. He realizes that his days as leader of House Flambeau are numbered.
The year 1220 represents a difficult time in House Flambeau’s history, as it comes in a period of protracted peace. The Schism War has been over for two centuries; the majority of magi believe House Diedne will never be heard from again. With few overt threats looming before the Order, House Flambeau has no unified cause around which it can rally. Its members are divided, pursuing their own priorities and creating rival factions within the House. Recruitment grows increasingly difficult as the House seems to lack a collective purpose. Garus is one of the milites (see “The Milites” later in this chapter). He believes that the future of the House depends on finding a way to strengthen its members’ common identity and shared values. His vision is to organize the House into something resembling an order of knighthood, with a unified mission and a formal command structure. In this, he faces formidable opposition from within his own House.
The Primus knows that reforming House Flambeau must be done gradually or the House’s members will never accept it. He does not expect the work to be completed in his own time. He devotes considerable political energy to helping certain promising and like-minded magi gain prestige within the House. Evidently, he hopes that one of them will be chosen as his successor.
Garus has implemented a number of reforms aimed at strengthening House unity. Before his tenure, the House tournament was held only during Tribunal years. Garus increased the frequency to every four years (there will be a tournament in 1220). The tournament helps build fellowship; additionally, the opening ceremonies provide with him a convenient bully pulpit from which to lecture about his vision of the House’s future. Another of Garus’s reforms has been to codify the milites’ idea of chivalry in written form. Swearing to the milites’ code of conduct is strictly voluntary, but Garus encourages young magi to do so. He has also introduced more formal bylaws for House meetings, which met with stiff opposition at first. Magi soon realized they made the meetings more streamlined and therefore shorter; after this, the new rules enjoyed widespread support.
Domus Magna
The original domus magna of House Flambeau was Val-Negra, a covenant on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees mountains. During the Schism War, the Primus Entisimon found that Val-Negra’s remote location made it unsuitable as a headquarters, so he moved his command to the covenant of Castra Solis. His successor officially moved the House’s headquarters to the new site; there are rumors that neoRoman elements within the House had a hand in the decision to move the domus magna.
Castra Solis was founded by Kaeso, a member of the Roman Cult of Mithras whom Apromor had recruited in 809. Kaeso built the covenant atop a subterranean cave that was once sacred to the cult: the covenant’s name is a reference to Mithras’s aspect as a sun god. Castra Solis is located in the Provençal Tribunal, several leagues south of Bordeaux.
One might expect the domus magna of House Flambeau to be an imposing fortress, but in fact Castra Solis more closely resembles a large manor house. Kaeso realized that even the mightiest stone walls could be easily breached by magic, so he concentrated on building magical defenses rather than physical ones. The covenant has a number of enchanted items available for its defense.
Castra Solis avoids building a large fortress for another reason: it is located within the territory of the Duke of Aquitaine and does not wish to antagonize him by building a strong castle on his lands. The covenant’s turb is small for the same reason.
The covenant has many guest rooms and there are a couple of guest houses in the nearby village. Even so, there is not enough space to accommodate all the magi in House Flambeau, let alone their apprentices, guards, and servants. A large, empty field near the covenant is used for tournaments and other House events. During major events, visitors pitch their tents in the field, which is large enough for both the encampments of the magi and the event itself.
The library of Castra Solis has an impressive collection of books on combat magic, including lab texts for combat spells and tomes on Abilities such as Spell Mastery, Penetration, and Parma Magica. The library also includes many books about dragons and other fantastic beasts. The covenant does not allow visitors to copy any of the books, but members of House Flambeau are welcome to study from them — for a fee. (The fee is payable in money or vis; the amount should be about twice what would be necessary to sustain a maga at her home covenant.)
Castra Solis has a relatively weak magical aura — only level 3. The aura is stronger in the sacred cave of Mithras, which is connected to the covenant’s main house by a secret stairway. The exact properties of that cave, and the ways the residents of Castra Solis use it, are a covenant secret.
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Castra Solis has a magical horn that can summon senior Flambeau magi from anywhere in Mythic Europe. The horn is kept by a magus known as the castellan. Magi who volunteer as defenders provide the castellan with a fixed Arcane Connection to themselves. As a gesture of trust and respect, the castellan gives each volunteer an Arcane Connection to himself in exchange. The Horn of Champions is an invested device with the following effects, each of which is activated by sounding a different note on the horn. Sounding the AlarmCrIm 50 Pen +70, 1/day The horn is audible to everyone in the target Group regardless of distance, provided the user has an Arcane Connection to each person. This effect has a high Penetration to ensure it will be heard by the intended magi. At the sound of the horn, the magi who have volunteered to defend Castra Solis lower their Parmae Magicae and await the summoning effect. (Effect: Base 1, +4 Arcane Connection, +2 Group; +35 for Penetration) Summoning the ChampionsReCo 65 Pen 0, 1/day Each member of the target Group is instantly transported into the horn’s presence, provided the user has an Arcane Connection to him. This effect has no Penetration so magi can choose to resist the summons. (Effect: Base 35, +4 Arcane Connection, +2 Group) |
The Grogs of Castra SolisCastra Solis keeps a small turb of grogs in order to maintain a low profile, but they are among the finest, best-trained, and best-led warriors in the Order. As a home to several senior Flambeau magi, the covenant takes pride in providing the best warriors to assist its members in their dangerous missions. The domus magna rarely hires raw recruits, instead preferring to handpick its grogs from the best they can find in other Flambeau covenants. Many Flambeau magi consider it a duty and an honor to transfer their servants to Castra Solis. Even those who are less community-spirited are willing to part with a few good men in exchange for the rewards the domus magna offers in exchange: vis, gold, lesser enchanted items, or the chance to spend seasons studying in its library. The grogs of Castra Solis are highly experienced. Even the cooks and stablehands are chosen for their loyalty and their excellence in their trades. All grogs receive combat training: they are taught that any male servant may be required to defend the covenant in an emergency. The shield grogs are among the finest warriors in the whole Order. The turb is small, perhaps only twenty shield grogs and as many servants, but their captain trains them daily to the peak of combat effectiveness. Most of the fighting grogs carry enchanted items. In exchange for their rigorous training and unremitting loyalty, the grogs of Castra Solis receive lavish rewards. Their pay is very high. They and their families live in comfortable, spacious quarters. When a grog dies or is forced into retirement, the covenant sees that his family is cared for. Officers and elite grogs may even be given a Longevity Ritual. Many grogs aspire to the honor of one day being chosen to guard the domus magna. If you are using the Legion of Mithras from The Mysteries Revised Edition, then some or all of Castra Solis’s shield grogs may serve the Legion as Auxiliaries. |
Joining House Flambeau
'The procedure for joining House Flambeau is the same for apprentices as it is for magi coming from other Houses. If the candidate is already a magus from another House, he must forsake his membership in that House before actually entering House Flambeau (although usually such candidates only leave their original House after passing House Flambeau’s Gauntlet).
First, the candidate must find a sponsor within House Flambeau. Any member of the House may act as a sponsor, but the candidate will gain acceptance and recognition proportional to the sponsor’s reputation. Being asked to sponsor another magus’s apprentice into the House is considered an honor.
The sponsor is responsible for arranging a Gauntlet for the candidate. In House Flambeau, the purpose of the Gauntlet is to demonstrate the candidate’s fighting ability. The sponsor has broad latitude to set the challenge she considers appropriate to the candidate’s reputation and potential. The challenge for an “adult” magus is usually more difficult than one for an apprentice. Typical challenges might be a certamen using the candidate’s favorite Arts, participating in a House tournament or an organized hunt, or a quest that takes the candidate through a dangerous area. The test can be risky: asking the candidate to single-handedly hunt and kill a supernatural beast would be an example of an especially dangerous challenge. The sponsor is the final arbiter of whether the candidate passes or fails.
House Flambeau likes Gauntlets to be as public as possible. The more prestigious the sponsor, the more magi attend the Gauntlet. A good turnout at the Gauntlet helps establish and spread the reputation of the new Flambeau wizard. If the candidate should fail the Gauntlet, there is a good chance he will gain an unfavorable Reputation as disappointed (or amused) spectators spread the story of his inadequacy.
By the Peripheral Code, an apprentice who fails his Gauntlet three times is given his fourth by a Quaesitor. When this occurs, a successful candidate is allowed to join the Order, but not House Flambeau. He must join another House, often House Ex Miscellanea.
In special circumstances, a magus or even an apprentice may be accepted directly into House Flambeau without the need for a Gauntlet. This is done for candidates who have already proved themselves in some dramatic way. For example, a Flambeau apprentice named Cindrallon was made a full maga of House Flambeau after only seven years of apprenticeship because she single-handedly killed a renounced magus in a Wizard’s March. Though she had used a spear rather than a spell to slay the renegade, her master and the Primus agreed she had shown outstanding courage and fighting ability. Other, similar, battlefield promotions occurred during the Schism War.
Since the days of the Founder, Flambeau magi have held a public initiation ceremony after the Gauntlet. The new Flambeau magus stands an all-night vigil (perhaps in a church, if his pater is a Christian, or perhaps in an ancient temple or magical site) and then appears in a plain white robe before an assembly of the House. The new magus swears or reaffirms the Hermetic Oath before an official (the Primus, a Quaesitor, or a highly-respected magus), who then taps him on the shoulder with a wand or staff and bestows his voting sigil. Sometimes the new magus’s parens presents him with a gift at the conclusion of the ceremony.
Societas Flambonis: The Milites
The group of magi calling themselves the milites (singular, “miles”) came to prominence during the Schism War, though they trace their origins back to the earliest days of the House. They see themselves as the Hermetic equivalent of mundane knights, serving similar roles in both a military and a social sense. They are a political movement within House Flambeau, seeking to spread their values and practices.
The milites believe that along with their magical power comes responsibility: to exercise restraint, to uphold justice, and to serve the community of magi rather than their individual aims. Flambeau the Founder spoke often of his followers’ duty to the Order; the milites see themselves as inheritors of this legacy.
Personal honor is paramount to the milites. They subscribe to a code of conduct similar to the code of chivalry followed by mundane knights, and believe that striving to uphold this code of chivalry ennobles the spirit.
The milites seek to use their power justly and to fight with honor. They tend to look down on magi who over-use their powers against mere mundanes: they usually regard only wizards and supernatural creatures as worthy opponents. Some go so far as to use a fighting style that favors hand-to-hand combat (see “The School of Ramius” under Schools of Magical Combat, later in this chapter), disdaining ranged spellcasting as ignoble.
The milites pledge fealty to the Order as a whole, which is usually taken to mean the Grand Tribunal. While the Primus of Bonisagus is the overall leader of the Grand Tribunal and hence the Order, the milites see the Primus of their own House as their immediate superior. Thus, they regard their Primus as their liege lord and the Primus of House Bonisagus as an overlord. They stand ready to assist the Quaesitores, their regional Tribunals, and even Redcaps. The Primus of Flambeau does call upon the milites to perform occasional errands, but the current Primus uses them only for official business of the Order and does not abuse their services.
Unlike most members of House Flambeau, the milites are willing to work together. They consider other sworn members of the movement to be their brothers and sisters: they aid and support one another, and, if necessary, avenge one another.
As a political movement, the milites seek to get more members of their House to subscribe to their code of honor. Most of them believe their own House is in great need of honor and discipline. In addition to trying to reform their own House, the milites are often involved in broader political movements in the Order as a whole.
Not everyone supports the milites’ goals. Some magi are suspicious of the movement’s authoritarian nature and suspect the milites of scheming to take over House Flambeau. Others chafe at the milites’ narrow definition of honor and resent being judged by the same standards mundanes use among themselves.
The Code of GarusThe concept of chivalry has evolved throughout the history of Mythic Europe: knighthood in 1220 is not the same as it was in the days of Charlemagne. Mundanes in different lands have different ideas about what the ideal knight is like. So, too, have ideas of chivalry differed across House Flambeau. One of the achievements of the Primus Garus has been to bring the milites to a consensus on the code of conduct they should uphold. His code is loosely based on that put forth by Charlemagne for his knights. Already, magi are calling it the Code of Garus. It reads: As a magus in the Order of Hermes, of the honorable House of Flambeau, I now solemnly swear: To serve the Order with constancy and faithfulness, even unto my own death; To uphold and defend the Code of Hermes by word and by deed; To obey the Primus of my House; To protect the weak and defend the innocent; To always speak the truth and remain faithful to my pledged word; To persevere in every task I shall undertake despite all hardship and opposition; To display at all times courtesy and decorum, and uphold the good name of my House; To respect the Holy Church; To treat my servants justly; To treat mundanes with dignity; To be merciful to prisoners; To guard and uphold the honor of my sodales; To despise wickedness and deceit, Never to consent to wrongdoing; Never to refuse a challenge from an equal; Never to falter in the face of the enemy. Publicly swearing to this code grants a new Story Flaw (described later in this chapter). Actually taking it seriously may count as a (separate) Personality Flaw, such as Higher Purpose or Dutybound, depending on the character’s attitude toward the oath. Values of the MilitesThe milites draw inspiration from mundane ideas of chivalry. Concepts of chivalry varied somewhat at different times and locations in historical Europe. Magi of House Flambeau have adapted early ideas of chivalry to fit Hermetic society, but they have not necessarily kept up with how chivalry has evolved in the mundane world. The qualities which the milites believe describe the ideal Flambeau magus are: Prowess: A Flambeau magus should be able to defend himself, his sodales, and the Order should the need arise. He should devote time and effort to maintaining and improving his fighting skills. Service: In the words of Flambeau, “The true measure of a magus is not how much power he wields, but the worthiness of the cause in which he wields it." Courtesy: Power without courtesy is brutality. A Flambeau magus should display at all times composure and decorum. He should always be gracious, whether in victory or defeat. A courteous magus does not intimidate or insult other magi. Generosity: A Flambeau maga should be generous to subordinates, whether they are apprentices, grogs, or covenfolk. She should ensure that all who aid her in her endeavors receive a generous share of the rewards. Justice: A magus should be ready to uphold and enforce Tribunal rulings, and cooperate with the Quaesitores. Wrongdoers are to be brought to trial, not summarily punished. A just magus treats his servants fairly. Citrzenship: A maga should participate in the deliberations at Tribunal and always vote her conscience. A good citizen knows when to be a leader and when to be a follower. |
Societas Flambonis: The Cult of Mercury
When the Founders began to invite others to join the Order, Mercere’s son Priamitus sought out hedge wizards who believed that their magic came from the Roman priests of the Cult of Mercury — the same group from which the Order of Hermes took its name. These Mercurians (as they called themselves) still knew some of the secrets of Mercurian magic, including Wizard’s Communion, but had lost all but a few of the ceremonial spells associated with their tradition. At Apromor’s invitation, most of them joined House Flambeau, where they are still most represented. Through Priamitus they have always had very close ties to House Mercere, and they welcome any magi who wish to join their group.
Mercurians believe that the gods of ancient Rome and Greece are mechanisms of nature with a magical aspect. When they speak of Venus’s influence, they are talking about the natural process of love given magical assistance — spells to inspire love might be described as blessings from Venus. Many also believe that there are magical spirits (daimons) associated with these processes that reside in the Magic realm, and with which, as magi, they can interact directly. When they speak of “the gods,” they are sometimes referring to daimons, but more often they mean the anthropomorphized concepts that generally represent their magic.
Cult members generally have a strong appreciation of Roman culture. For many of them the society is simply an opportunity to dress up in anachronistic clothes and re-enact what they see as a more magical era. They organize festivals on important dates from the Roman calendar, such as Bona Dea in May, Consualia in August, or the Ides of March — a portentous day usually given to mystically preparing for the new year.
A Mercurian magus is called a flamen (“priest”). The activities of such magi are mostly ceremonial, often officiating at Hermetic events and interpreting “the will of the gods” for others, usually by reading omens — this draws upon their knowledge of Magic Lore to read magical signs in mundane things, insights which they often enhance with Intellego magic, Premonitions, or other divinatory powers. When Mercurian magi perform ritual magic, a flamen usually leads the rite, acting as the focus of the spell and expending any necessary vis.
Mercurian rites have had great influence on the customs of the Order of Hermes. For example, many covenants cast their Aegis of the Hearth on the eve of the winter solstice, when Mercurians celebrate the festival of Saturnalia, and so many of the traditions associated with it include Mercurian practices, such as everyone walking the boundary together. At Tribunal, the flamines often perform an invocation or a blessing before the event, and fulfill other duties such as leading Hermetic naming ceremonies, witnessing oaths, or conducting funereal rites.
The pagan trappings of the cult are seen by many as foolish or even blasphemous conceits, but few Mercurians take them seriously. Just as most magi do not believe the name “Order of Hermes” is anything but symbolic, Mercurians use “gods,” “blessings,” and “offerings” as terms that evoke the grand history of magic, not sacrilegious practices. A good many cult members consider themselves Christian as well as Mercurian.
Within House Flambeau, the flamines and other Mercurians tend to emphasize gods with martial or civic aspects, such as Mars, Apollo, Minerva, or Jupiter. They look back on Imperial Rome as a bringer of civilization, prosperity, and enlightenment; many of them regard the Order of Hermes as having inherited this role. Just as the ancient cult supported the Roman state, the Flambeau branch of the Cult of Mercury seeks to guide and support the Order.
Other Hermetic groups are said to have an interest in Roman ceremonies and culture, such as the Mystery Cult called the Neo-Mercurians (see The Mysteries, page 114), or the holy societas Sol Invicti (see The Divine, page 71). Many believe that they are somehow related, so that a magus who proves himself in the Cult of Mercury might be invited to join one of the others.
Ancient MercuriansAccording to the stories that Priamitus collected from the wizards who became the Hermetic Cult of Mercury, there were temples to Mercury in ancient Rome, but unlike other priests, the Mercurians were never exclusively associated with the worship of their namesake. Mercury was seen as a symbol of commerce between the spirit world and the living world, and because of their connection to him, Mercurians were said to be able to communicate with the gods and other denizens of the spirit world more directly. In other words, they each had the power to work magic, and with it they could affect the aspects of nature that were represented by different gods or goddesses. Thus, a Mercurian priest would almost always be associated with another temple, and would use his magic to cause the will of his patron god, as he interpreted it, to become manifest. Individually the Mercurians held great influence in Roman culture, though they rarely acted as a united force. However, two centuries before Christ, the high priest Plentarch called together 38 Mercurians to meet with him in Pompeii, each of whom possessed one powerful ritual associated with their temple. Plentarch taught each priest a ritual he had discovered that would allow them to commune with their gods in concert, which made it possible for the priests to cast rituals associated with every temple as long as they worked together. The years that followed saw the Mercurians (and Rome) quickly reach the height of their power. Few of the barbarian cultures who opposed their expansion could stand against their combined might, and their tradition quickly spread throughout the Empire. In the later years, however, imperial regulations against sorcery and the rise of Christianity began to erode the cult’s strength; their rituals began to fail even in the forums and temples as the Dominion gained supremacy. The cult fractured, and the priests were driven from the cities, each of them retaining only a fraction of the knowledge they had once possessed. |
Mercurian CharactersThe following Virtues and Flaws are suggested as especially appropriate for Mercurian characters, and players should feel free to choose as many or as few of them as they feel suit the character. Suggested Virtues: Flawless Magic, Mercurian Magic; Cyclic Magic, Mastered Spells, Method Caster, Premonitions, Student of Magic Suggested Flaws: Rigid Magic, Weak Spontaneous Magic, Pagan (see Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 109); Cyclic Magic, Difficult Spontaneous Magic, Slow Caster, Susceptibility to Divine Power, Visions Magi who belong to the cult also have access to any of the special Spell Mastery abilities listed in the rules section of this chapter. |
Societas Flambonis: The Mithraians
Kaeso was a hedge wizard who belonged to Flambeau’s ancestral tradition of Mithras priests. Apromor recruited him into the Order, so he was nominally Apromor’s apprentice. He brought together three other magicians descended from the Cult of Mithras, all of whom eventually joined House Flambeau. In addition to sharing common magical powers, these magi shared a philosophy of promoting justice and harmony and of using their magic to battle the forces of evil in the world. They worked together to learn Hermetic magic, then helped one another teach Bonisagus’s Arts to their apprentices. They founded the covenant of Castra Solis south of Bordeaux, over the site of a cave that had been sacred to the Cult of Mithras during Roman times. They then set about collecting the surviving fragments of the ancient cult.
Reconstructing the Cult of Mithras was more difficult than Priamatus of Mercere’s job of re-discovering the Cult of Mercury. The Cult of Mercury was part of the Roman state religion and its rites and ceremonies were public. The Cult of Mithras, on the other hand, was more private, even secret. Many of its magical secrets were undoubtedly lost after the collapse of the Western Empire. While Kaeso was able to reconstruct some of the cult’s beliefs and ceremonies, it is unclear whether he made any important magical discoveries. If he did, he did not share them with the Order at large. Even in 1220, four centuries after Kaeso began his work, there is much about the Cult of Mithras that remains unknown.
Magi descended from the ancient priesthood of Mithras do not always actually worship the pagan god (at least not publicly), but they do tend to share the ethos of the Mithras cult. They believe in building harmony and concord; in honesty and good conduct; and in personal excellence. Kaeso’s followers believe that it was Flambeau’s Mithraic heritage that made him such an active supporter of the Order, and seek to follow his example.
Mithraic CharactersTo create a character belonging to the Mithraic tradition within House Flambeau, choose some Virtues and Flaws from the list below. Since the ancient Cult of Mithras did not survive intact, not every character with Mithraic heritage possesses all, or even most, of these abilities. If you are using the Legion of Mithras from The Mysteries Revised Edition (or a similar group of your own invention) in your saga, then that Mystery Cult is open to characters from any magical lineage. Descent from the Mithraic lineage in House Flambeau does not imply the character is more likely to be accepted into the Legion than anyone else. Since it is a Mystery Cult, the Legion of Mithras can teach additional powers to characters who undergo Initiation. Suggested Virtues: Cabal Legacy (see The Mysteries Revised Edition, page 20), Puissant Ignem (House Virtue), Gentle Gift, Affinity with Creo, Cyclic Magic (positive), Life Boost, Minor Magical Focus (soldiers), Inspirational, Self-Confident Suggested Flaws: Deficient Technique (usually Perdo), Cyclic Magic (negative), Incompatible Arts (usually two Perdo combinations), Susceptibility to Infernal Power, Higher Purpose The Cult of MithrasThe Roman cult of Mithras was a mystery cult that was popular with the legions in the latter days of the pagan empire. Mithras was a god of Persian origin; his cult worshiped him as the savior of Creation. According to myth, Mithras appeared spontaneously out of a rock. Evil forces were tormenting the world with drought; Mithras shot an arrow from his bow and where the arrow landed, a spring appeared. In order to relieve the wider drought, Mithras captured a divine bull and dragged it into a cave to sacrifice it. Vitality and abundance returned where its blood ran over the earth. Following this act of salvation, the Cult of Mithras believed their god assumed stewardship of Creation. Mithras continued his battle against the cosmic forces of evil, and it was prophesied that he would make steady progress and eventually prevail. Mithras is a luminous god associated with the sun, frequently depicted being anointed by the sun’s rays or receiving the sun’s allegiance. He is a bringer of health, harmony, and abundance. He is a divine mediator, responsible for the rules of good conduct; he brings people together in concord. He is called the Bull-Slayer, and is most often portrayed in the act of sacrificing the bull. A few idols and carvings instead portray him as a lion-headed man holding a key. Roman worshipers of Mithras met in underground caves, which could typically hold only about a dozen people. The cult was organized into seven levels of initiation, representing increasing levels of commitment to the god’s service and, simultaneously, a spiritual journey toward some higher level of existence. By the time of Flambeau the Founder, the actual cult had apparently died out in Mythic Europe, but there remained certain magicians who possessed remnants of its knowledge and magic. The Mysteries Revised Edition describes a mystery society called the Legion of Mithras, which is a 13th-century reconstruction of some of the ancient cult’s practices. The Legion of Mithras certainly promotes the values of the ancient cult: loyalty, personal excellence, progress toward a higher level of spiritual existence, and a personal role in the cosmic struggle against evil. If you are using the Legion of Mithras in your saga, then the Mithraic wizards whom Kaeso recruited may have had a strong role in founding the Legion. The Mithraic wizards also helped to shape the philosophy and culture of House Flambeau with their martial and civic values. In some ways, the Cult of Mithras resembles another late Roman cult, that of Sol Invictus (see Realms of Power: the Divine, page 70). Both cults worshiped sun gods and both were popular with the Roman legions. There seems to have been a relationship between the two deities. An important difference is that Sol Invictus held public rites, and indeed became the state religion of the Roman Empire under Aurelian. The Cult of Mithras met in private, perhaps in secret, and its spirituality seems to have been more personal. |
Flambeau Concepts
As the self-styled knights of the Order, magi of House Flambeau are active in all manner of Hermetic affairs. The following are some ideas for both player and nonplayer character concepts.
Hoplites
'Law is only as strong as the force that backs it. If you consent to be the scales of Justice, then I will be her sword. — Flambeau to Guernicus, when Guernicus became the first Quaesitor
The Hoplites are an informal group of combat magi who work closely with the Quaesitores. They hunt down and slay magi who have been cast out of the Order for Hermetic crimes. While all members of the Order have a nominal duty to slay Hermetic outcasts, the Hoplites aggressively hunt for renegades. Tradition holds that whoever slays an outlaw magus is entitled to any loot he may possess.
In addition to their role as the Order’s executioners, Hoplites may be called upon to accompany Quaesitors on dangerous investigations, or to apprehend fugitives for trial. Many Hoplites get started by working with Quaesitors they know personally, such as members of their home covenants. Over time, a magus who gains a reputation for reliable service may be called upon to help other Quaesitors as well.
A successful Hoplite needs strong combat ability to overwhelm his enemies, and enough skill with Intellego magic to be able to track down wizards who flee from Hermetic justice.
Crusaders
Some magi in House Flambeau believe the Order still faces significant threats from non-Hermetic wizards. In Iberia and the Holy Land, Saracen wizards still practice their arts, sometimes with the patronage of Muslim nobles. Paganism still prevails in parts of the Novgorod Tribunal. In Scandinavia, there are rumors of a secret society of magicians who get their power from the old Norse gods. Even within the heartland of the Order, the Rhine and Roman Tribunals, there are still hedge wizards who have escaped the Order’s notice. Some of them are harmless, but others may be enemies of the Order, even diabolists.
House Flambeau has a long history of fighting against the Order’s enemies, both real and imagined. Members of the House are active in both the Reconquista and the Crusades in the Holy Land. While the Code prohibits magi from interfering in mundane affairs, non-Hermetic wizards generally lack similar restrictions. Fighting against hostile wizards who happen to be accompanied by mundanes falls into a gray area of Hermetic Law. Flambeau magi who fight in such battles often claim that they were really fighting against enemy wizards, and any mundane casualties were simply the wizards’ minions.
Whether the Quaesitores are persuaded by such explanations, and how aggressively they pursue magi who fight in the Crusades or Reconquista, is a matter for your individual troupe or storyguide to decide. Even if your saga is one where the Order of Hermes strictly enforces the Code, there are likely to be some maverick Flambeau magi who think they can get away with fighting in the Crusades.
In the Holy Land, Iberia, and other areas where non-Hermetic wizards may be found, some members of House Flambeau attempt to carry on the work of their Founder by recruiting these wizards into the Order. Others claim that the remaining non-Hermetic wizards have had plenty of time to join the Order and must have decided not to do so; they feel justified in purging them from Mythic Europe. Since magi holding these two opposing views usually operate in the same areas, they often clash with one another. Many certamen and even some Wizard’s Wars have been fought over the issue of nonHermetic wizards.
Demon-hunters and Exorcists
Never allow evil to flourish. — Flambeau
The Quaesitores are responsible for investigating signs of diabolism within the Order, but that does not mean they always work alone. Some members of House Flambeau are experts in fighting demons, armed with spells like Demon’s Eternal Oblivion.
Demons and diabolism do not restrict their activities to the Order of Hermes: they can be found among mundanes and non-Hermetic wizards as well. In these areas, which are outside the Quaesitores’ direct authority, some Flambeau magi have taken it upon themselves to investigate and combat demonic influence. The Founder himself warned that demons were one of the great threats to the Order. A number of his followers dedicate their magical careers to confronting that threat.
Demons are notoriously difficult to identify because their deceptions cannot be penetrated with Hermetic magic. A combination of Intellego magic and mundane investigation skills is usually required. Since The Gift makes it difficult for magi to obtain useful information from mundanes, Flambeau demon-hunters often rely on the assistance of grogs or companions. A partner with the Virtues of True Faith or Adjuration (from Realms of Power: The Divine, pages 34 and 48) can be especially effective.
Flambeau magi who specialize in fighting demons usually prefer the School of Apromor, which is very suitable to Perdo Vim magic.
Duelists and Champions
Sometimes a maga’s best defense against becoming the target of Wizard’s War is to have a senior magus of House Flambeau sworn to avenge her. The Peripheral Code does not prevent magi from waging Wizard’s War to avenge slain friends and allies. Flambeau magi, especially those with a sense of chivalry, are often willing to make a public pledge of vengeance to deter other magi from declaring war. They swear to declare Wizard’s War on any magus who first declares Wizard’s War on their ally.
The legal basis for this practice derives from the Normandy Tribunal of 898 AD, which exonerated Dominicus of House Jerbiton from wrongdoing when he used Wizard’s War to avenge an amicus who had been killed in a separate Wizard’s War (see Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 48). The presiding Quaesitor ruled that the Code’s wording that “no retribution shall fall on the magus who slays me” means only that the Order will not punish the victor in a Wizard’s War. Other magi who wish to avenge the loser of the Wizard’s War remain free to do so, provided they declare and fight the war in accordance with the Peripheral Code.
Magi have several reasons why they might offer to become another wizard’s avenger. They may be close friends (amici) of another magus and wish to protect him. Some Flambeau magi are simply a little bloodthirsty and pledge to avenge other magi in the hope they will get the chance to fight a Wizard’s War. Others’ sense of chivalry motivates them to defend weaker magi against bullying and aggression. Sometimes a magus seeking protection offers payment or favors in return for a pledge of vengeance.
Another way Flambeau magi serve as champions is in certamen. Many Flambeau magi relish certamen because it is as close as a magus may legally get to fighting another magus _ outside a Wizard’s War or Flambeau tournament. Certamen is considered a worthy form of practice because it exercises skill in the Arts, Penetration, and Parma Magica. Although members of House Flambeau lack the special talent for certamen enjoyed by Tremere magi, years of tournament practice have made some of them into formidable duelists. Flambeau magi serve as certamen champions for various reasons: out of chivalry, to protect their friends and sodales, or because they’re being paid to.
Besides dueling in their House tournaments, some Flambeau magi travel Mythic Europe challenging other wizards to certamen just for the sport and challenge.
Mercenaries and Adventurers
Magi of House Flambeau occasionally put their fighting skills to use as soldiers of fortune. Covenants sometimes need extra muscle to help protect them from the bullying of a larger covenant, or from hostile creatures like dark faeries or marauding dragons. Sometimes two or more Flambeau magi will form a small mercenary band and wander Mythic Europe looking for employment.
Like mundane mercenaries, Flambeau soldiers of fortune are not renowned for their loyalty. They may back out of missions they consider too dangerous, or even switch sides if the opposition makes them a better offer.
A variant of the mercenary concept is the magical knight-errant, who helps other wizards (or mundanes) out of generosity of spirit.
Both mercenaries and knights-errant are drawn to major conflicts, such as when two major covenants become fierce rivals or when enforcement of the Code breaks down in an area.
Statesmen and Orators
Flambeau magi tend to be both pragmatic and proactive. They may get involved in Hermetic politics with hopes of shaping the Order’s policies and advancing their favorite causes. Flambeau himself was a warrior and a statesman; politically active Flambeau magi like to think of themselves as emulating their Founder.
The political stance of House Flambeau tends to vary with the Prima. When a relatively new, influential Prima is in office, she sometimes tries (with varying degrees of success) to steer the House toward a unified political agenda. If the Prima is weak, members of her House pay her little heed and pursue their individual (often conflicting) political goals. The current Primus’s influence is beginning to wane, but even in his earlier days he pursued an inward-looking agenda of reforming his own House.
Regardless of the Primus’s political objectives, House Flambeau generally favors a permissive interpretation of the Code. For example, some of its members believe the Code’s restriction against mundane interference should not prohibit them from uniting with mundane allies against a supernatural enemy (such as diabolists or a dragon). The House tends to oppose any treaty or restriction that constrains its freedom to use force against supernatural opponents.
Apart from a shared interest in leaving legal room for their various activities, members of the House have varying, sometimes conflicting, political goals. Individual Flambeau magi can be influential within their home Tribunals, but the House as a whole tends to lack political clout because of its lack of consensus. The political objectives of a Flambeau magus can be nearly anything; here are some possible examples:
- Persuading the Order to take seriously a potential threat such as the rumored Order of Odin, or putative Order of Suleiman
- Trying to build military alliances or defensive pacts among covenants, especially in border Tribunals where threats appear more common
- Moving toward more harmonious relations with mundanes and the Church
- Preparing the Order to counter aggression from mundanes and the Church
- Supporting or opposing legal reform in the Order (see also Traditionalists/ Transitionalists in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, pages 41–42)
- Ensuring enforcement of the Code in remote Tribunals
- Defending the right of magi to fight non-Hermetic wizards, for example, in the Crusades
Hunters and Dragon-slayers
Organized hunting is a popular activity for Flambeau magi. Of course, wizards are not usually content to chase mundane beasts: they prefer supernatural quarry. A proper hunt requires a skilled huntsman to track the beast.
In addition to hunting for sport, some Flambeau magi seek supernatural beasts for the vis and rare magical ingredients they provide. Hunters may either work alone, or with a small team of grogs and companions. Magi may seek the services of a hunter to obtain materials they need for their projects and research. Some Flambeau hunters practice techniques to capture magical beasts alive, for use as familiars, pets, or guardians. From time to time, a supernatural beast becomes a menace to mundanes or even magi: a Flambeau hunter is well equipped to deal with such a threat.
Flambeau magi who consider themselves hunters are often skilled at Animal magic. Intellego Animal and Intellego Vim are important to help them distinguish supernatural beasts from mundane ones. They rely on mundane hunting skills and/or Intellego magic to find Arcane Connections to their quarry (which improves their Penetration). Hunters may use any school of magical combat, but most of them avoid the School of the Founder.
Incinerating a beast with fire is not a good way to preserve the vis and other valuable parts of the carcass.
Outlaws and Rogues
Not all Flambeau magi are honorable. Like the robber-knights of Mythic Europe, certain members of House Flambeau — and other Houses, for that matter —resort to robbing mundanes or even other wizards. Magic can be very useful in escaping capture: a clever magus may be able to live as a bandit for a long time with the Quaesitores none the wiser.
Some outlaw magi are villains who rob and bully those weaker than themselves. Others see themselves as freedom fighters, willing to violate the Code in order to help resist an evil king or a foreign invader. A few are forced into banditry by the collapse of their covenants’ normal sources of income. Like mundane outlaws, robber-magi are not always professionals: they may only be resorting to banditry as a sideline. The likelihood of magi resorting to outlawry is related to how strictly the Code is enforced in their Tribunal and in the saga as a whole. Even where the Quaesitores enforce the Code rigorously, there may be a few magi who feel the rewards of banditry are worth the risks.
Robber-magi usually prefer magic that is not readily apparent, so their victims can’t identify them as wizards. They often fight according to the School of Ramius because its tactics are less obtrusive. Rather than using spells of attack, cunning outlaws prefer to use magic for reconnaissance, defense, and evasion.
Flambeau Tournaments
House Flambeau has held organized tournaments since the years following the Schism War. The major tournament is a regular competition held at Castra Solis, which lasts for five days surrounding the summer solstice of every leap year (the most recent tournaments were in 1216 and 1220). Other tournaments are sometimes held at other Flambeau covenants, either at regular intervals (for example, every seven years), or to celebrate special occasions.
House Flambeau’s tournaments are not exclusive: any member of the Order is welcome to compete. Tournaments usually draw a number of competitors from Houses Tytalus and Tremere. Part of the way tournaments build fellowship is by giving Flambeau magi a chance to cheer for their own House.
Certamen
The staple event of the wizards’ tournament is certamen. The competition is usually organized as a single-elimination tournament. In each round of the tournament, a pair of magi are matched together. The winner of two out of three duels within the match proceeds to the next round. Contestants are allowed 15 minutes of rest between duels, and at least one hour from one match to the next. A panel of officials (usually, magi who do not intend to compete) uses a seeding process to pre-arrange the matches into brackets, so the strongest competitors (in the officials’ opinion) do not face one another until the final round of the tournament.
The normal rules of certamen are altered for tournament purposes. The youngest magus chooses the Form, and the oldest the Technique (it is unusual for contestants to be exactly the same Hermetic age; such situations are decided by a coin toss). Competitors may veto their opponents’ choice of Art as usual, but may not use a veto in both the first and the second duel of the match. This way, each contestant is guaranteed to get his first choice of Art at least once. Although the Peripheral Code allows the winner of a certamen to cast a spell on the loser, the rules of the tournament strictly forbid it.
Dimicatio
Another popular tournament event is dimicatio, meaning “contest” or “battle.”
It is unrelated to standard certamen. The competitors try to cast real spells at one another using the “forceless casting” option (see sidebar). Each magus uses a fast-cast defense (ArM5, page 83) to try to block the opposing spell. The first magus whose spell reaches his opponent’s Parma is the winner.
Needless to say, this contest carries substantial dangers. Aimed spells that bypass Magic Resistance are strictly forbidden. The contest is always conducted under tightly controlled conditions in front of a referee and many spectators. The referee uses an Intellego Vim spell such as Sight of the Active Magics to determine the winner. If a magus’s spell actually penetrates his opponent’s Parma, this is taken as foul play and there will be a prompt Hermetic investigation. The rules of the contest permit any spell that directly targets one’s opponent — and the higher the level of the spell, the harder it is to defend against. Ball of Abysmal Flame is a real crowd-pleaser.
Because dimicatio has great potential for accidents or foul play, some Quaesitors want to outlaw the contest. This only increases its appeal to most Flambeau magi. The grand tournament at Castra Solis always includes a dimicatio event; any magus who wins at least two matches in the certamen event is qualified to enter, and the dimicatio event has a separate prize.
Dimicatio in DetailIf you wish to play through a dimicatio, use the normal combat rules. Contestants start at Voice range from one another. The contest begins at the sound of a bell or other signal. Both competitors roll Initiative and the winner casts the first offensive spell. The defender must then fast-cast a defense. Rules for fast-cast defense are on page 83 of ArM5. The storyguide must apply some judgment in deciding whether a particular Form and Technique combination is effective as a defense against a particular spell, keeping in mind the rule of thumb that a fast-cast defense of one-half the level of the incoming spell is usually sufficient. For example, if one magus casts Ball of Abysmal Flame (CrIg 35), his opponent might defend using Creo Aquam (to quench the fire), Rego Ignem (to deflect the fireball), or even Creo Herbam (to create a wooden shield). Perdo Vim defenses can work, but they need to satisfy the normal rules for dispelling magic (ArM5, page 160). This becomes difficult if the defender fails to identify the Form. If the defense succeeds, the defender may cast an offensive spell on his own turn in the Initiative order. The cycle repeats according to the normal combat sequence. The rules of the contest allow magi to use vis if they wish. Forceless CastingA magus can deliberately ensure the Penetration Total of a spell does not exceed 0. In essence, the magus casts the spell with no more effort than is required to avoid fatigue, and opts not to use his Penetration skill. As most magi have at least a Magic Resistance of 0, the casting magus can thereby ensure his spell will not affect a target who is also a magus, provided he does not botch. Forceless casting requires no particular skill or effort. It is useful in magical tournaments, or when a magus casts a spell covering a large area and wants to avoid inadvertently affecting any magi who may be within the target area. |
Wizards’ Melee
Even more controversial than dimicatio is the wizards’ melee, an uncommon and dangerous event where magi and teams of grogs actually fight one another. The object of the wizards’ melee is for one wizard to successfully cast a Touch-Range spell on the opposing magus (using forceless casting). This requires defeating the grogs who protect that magus.
Each team consists of one magus and five grogs. It is permissible, and expected, for a magus to extend his Parma Magica to cover some or all of his grogs.
The wizards’ melee is a tournament au plaisance, a contest for the pleasure of the participants and spectators. Exact rules for the contest vary from one tournament to another (they are not yet standardized) but usually include:
- Only Touchand Personal-Range spells are usually permitted; this prevents magi from neutralizing the opposing grogs too easily.
- Some tournaments permit Voice-Range spells as long as they are used only on the caster’s own grogs.
- Grogs are typically armed with blunted weapons (–3 to Damage), and the selection of weapons may be restricted (warhammers are not safe tournament weapons!).
- Damage-inflicting spells may be restricted to third magnitude and below, or banned altogether. (The tournament at Castra Solis bans damage-inflicting spells.)
- Enchanted devices are allowed as long as they obey all the restrictions for spells. Magi are permitted to use vis during the wizards’ melee.
Even with these rules, the potential for accidental death or injury is so great that many Quaesitors are appalled the event even exists.
Special Challenges
Tournaments may also involve a special challenge devised by the tournament host. A broad description of the challenge is announced in advance of the tournament itself so participants know what is in store if they succeed in the qualifying round. The challenge can be anything the host chooses to arrange, but it is usually something dramatic, possibly dangerous. Examples would be a contest to steal a magical jewel guarded by trolls, or a race through a maze filled with magical traps. Again, certain Quaesitors (and other magi in general) frown on the special challenges because they are often dangerous, and they sometimes cross the borderline of molesting the fae.
Entertainment and Side Events
Large tournaments may also include minor events. Tests of accuracy using aimed spells, similar to mundane archery tournaments, are common. There may be separate contests for apprentices and grogs. Alongside the competition there is music, entertainment, feasting, and plenty of alcohol.
Tournament PrizesMagi don’t compete in tournaments merely for fame and prestige. The tournament host also offers prizes. These can be as simple as a purse of vis: a rook (ten pawns) is a moderate prize. Grander tournaments offer more lavish prizes: books, lesser enchanted items, even invested devices. Anything that most magi would value could be offered as a prize. The greater the prize, the more competitors are drawn to the tournament. Archmagi are usually content to let younger magi compete, but a truly compelling prize may even lure some of them off the sidelines. |
Wizard’s War
This section addresses the practical considerations of running a Wizard’s War in your saga: how to be prepared for a Wizard’s War, the social considerations of fighting a war, and tactics that can help a character win (or at least survive). This information is applicable to magi from any House, though Flambeau magi, with their fighting skills and their honor, are perhaps most likely to use it. Legal aspects of Wizard’s War are covered in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages (pages 47–48).
Wizard’s War and the Order
Wizard’s War was included in the Code of Hermes at the insistence of Flambeau the Founder, who wanted to ensure his enemies could never escape his vengeance even if they joined the Order. The Code itself deals with Wizard’s War only in general terms; the details are left to the Peripheral Code.
One of the key characteristics of Wizard’s War is its limited duration. A Wizard’s War must be declared on the night of a full moon. It then begins at the rise of the following full moon and lasts until the rise of the third full moon. Since it can be relatively easy for a magus to evade his adversary for one lunar month, Wizard’s War does not always result in the death of either combatant.
The Code defines Wizard’s War as a conflict between exactly two wizards. Most wizards in 1220 belong to covenants, which offer protection in the event of Wizard’s War. Although Wizard’s War allows the combatants to step outside the protection of the Code, it does not grant the authority to violate the rights of other wizards. A combatant in Wizard’s War may not lawfully destroy or steal property belonging to wizards other than his opponent, scry on non-combatant magi, or attack non-combatant magi who get in his way. This means a combatant in Wizard’s War can often escape his adversary by hiding inside his covenant. Not only does he gain the protection of any Aegis of the Hearth the covenant may have, his sodales can deny his opponent entry to the covenant. If the enemy attempts to enter without permission, covenant members may use appropriate force to drive him out (and may be entitled to bring a complaint against him at Tribunal). While they should not simply kill the intruder out of hand, the Code does allow magi to defend their territory.
The Code also makes it difficult for a magus to scry on his opponent’s covenant. Using magic that reveals information about other magi at the covenant, or even has the potential to accidentally reveal such information, is usually considered a breach of the Code.
When a combatant wants to hide inside a friendly covenant, his opponent has only a few options. He can renew the declaration of Wizard’s War, repeatedly if necessary, making his opponent a prisoner within his own walls. The Peripheral Code requires that the first Wizard’s War end before a new one may be declared, so repeated declarations cause an alternating cycle of one month of war followed by one month of peace (the waiting period before the next war).
Another option is to declare Wizard’s War against the enemy’s sodales or other allies. Each Wizard’s War is legally defined as a conflict between two magi, but there is nothing to prevent a magus from being involved in multiple Wizard’s Wars simultaneously. It is possible to declare separate Wizard’s Wars against every member of a covenant. This allows one to attack the covenant with legal impunity. A lone magus can cause a great deal of trouble through hit-and-run raids, though of course there is a considerable risk his opponents will combine forces and slay him.
Whenever a conflict escalates,, there is an increasingly greater risk that more and more magi and covenants may be drawn into the hostilities. For instance, a wizard might declare Wizard’s War on an adversary who then takes shelter inside his covenant. The original aggressor might then declare war on the whole covenant and raids its lands, burning buildings and slaying grogs. The enemy’s covenant might then hound the aggressor back to his own covenant, which could easily draw this second covenant into the war. If there are any fatalities, the slain magi’s friends and allies may seek vengeance, spreading the feud even wider.
Because of the potential for escalation, most covenants see little benefit in being drawn into a Wizard’s War between two individuals. Although most covenants are usually willing to defend their magi from unprovoked aggression, if a magus antagonizes other wizards and then tries to hide behind his sodales, they look on the situation differently. Covenant charters sometimes include clauses that prohibit members from endangering the covenant through their actions.
Covenants usually want to see Wizard’s Wars resolved without their own members being killed. In order to prevent wars from escalating, the covenants to which the combatants belong may be willing to negotiate a resolution _ perhaps without the combatants’ knowledge. Terms may include restitution for the grievance that provoked the Wizard’s War, arbitration by a Quaesitor or other neutral party, or even sending one or both magi into exile in another Tribunal.
Reasons to Declare Wizard’s War
A declaration of Wizard’s War does not always mean the aggressor actually intends to kill his opponent. The Code permits combatants to kill one another, but it doesn’t require them to do so. Sometimes, the intent of a Wizard’s War is simply to force one’s opponent to negotiate. Wizard’s War can also help persuade the opponent’s covenant to get involved in resolving the dispute.
Wizard’s War can be used to harass and intimidate another magus, especially a younger or weaker one. A tyrannical magus may simply declare Wizard’s War occasionally to send the weaker magus scurrying into his sanctum. Such a strategy can backfire if the weaker magus has powerful friends, or if his covenant gets tired of the disruption. While Tribunals are generally reluctant to prosecute magi for liberal use of Wizard’s War, extreme cases of abuse may lead to a charge of endangering the Order.
Since magi engaged in Wizard’s War forgo the protection of the Code, one could use Wizard’s War to commit acts that would otherwise be illegal. For instance, one could declare Wizard’s War and then rob another magus’s sanctum, or scry on his activities. There is always the risk of being killed in the process, or suffering a second Wizard’s War in retaliation. Covenants tend to take a dim view of members who provoke neighboring wizards in this way, and may conspire with their neighbors to chastise or expel the troublemaker.
Magi who feel threatened by adversaries (or are just paranoid) sometimes seek the protection of a more powerful magus. The strong magus makes a public pledge to avenge the weak magus if the latter is killed in a Wizard’s War (though the pledge is void if the weaker magus is the one who starts the war). With the proper choice of champion, such pacts can be a powerful deterrent. Certain members of House Flambeau claim credit for using these pacts to stop blood feuds and bring greater peace to the Order. From time to time, an aggressor is either unaware of a pact, thinks the champion is bluffing, or thinks she can defeat the champion; thus, magi sometimes are forced to declare Wizard’s War to fulfill an oath. Perhaps the soundest reason to declare Wizard’s War is that one’s adversary has broken the Code, or is suspected of breaking it. Magi can always bring a complaint to the Tribunal, but sometimes it is difficult to obtain hard evidence. Perhaps the local authorities are indifferent or corrupt. Some magi, especially within House Flambeau, are too proud to go running to the Quaesitores; they feel more than capable of defending their own interests.
The threat of Wizard’s War may also be used to enforce a pact between two magi. Each pledges to declare Wizard’s War if the other reneges on the bargain.
Declaration of WarThe Order of Hermes recognizes that magi may not always be in their sancta. There is no guarantee that a magus will be at home on the day a declaration of Wizard’s War arrives. How exactly the Peripheral Code applies to this situation is a matter for your troupe to decide for itself. The answer may vary from one Tribunal to another. The whole point of requiring the declaration of war to arrive on a specific date (the night of the full moon) is to reduce the number of disputes over whether the declaration was properly made. Thus, simply hiding in one’s sanctum and refusing to accept messages on the night of the full moon is unlikely to be effective. Most Tribunals hold a declaration of war to be duly served if the recipient was present at the covenant and the declaration was nailed to the door of his sanctum. A more difficult situation is when the recipient is absent, or when it cannot be proved he is present. One possible solution is that the Tribunal requires magi on extended travel to leave a forwarding address with House Mercere; other Tribunals may require a magus to designate a representative who is authorized to receive official correspondence in his absence. If a Tribunal uses one of these procedures, then it probably holds each magus responsible for using them. A magus who is absent with no representative or forwarding address is treated as having willfully ignored the message. Another alternative is that if the messenger fails to deliver the declaration to the intended recipient, he should immediately report to a Quaesitor, who conducts a cursory investigation (such as asking other members of the recipient’s covenant where he is) and then rule on the declaration’s validity within a fixed period of time. Part of the reason for the one-month waiting period before a Wizard’s War begins is to allow official review of the war’s legality. The Peripheral Code of a Tribunal may require a declaration of war to be delivered by a Redcap. Even if the Tribunal does not require it, using a Redcap is highly advisable because of the official status and presumed neutrality of the messenger. Some Tribunals require that a copy of any declaration of Wizard’s War be sent to a Quaesitor, or even that a declaration of war receive a Quaesitor’s seal before being served to its recipient. |
Preparing for Wizard’s War
By the time a declaration of Wizard’s War arrives, it is usually too late to make effective preparations. Any response to Wizard’s War, whether one decides to flee, hide, or fight, is more effective when one has gathered resources and made plans ahead of time.
The best defense against Wizard’s War is one’s own covenant. Surrounded by loyal grogs and friendly sodales, protected by stone walls, and, more importantly, an Aegis of the Hearth, most magi consider it a small hardship to remain inside their sancta until the duration of the Wizard’s War expires. Maintaining a good relationship with one’s sodales makes them more willing to help (and less likely to secretly bargain with the enemy to keep themselves out of the conflict).
Sometimes, a maga wants to avoid drawing her covenant into the conflict. It can be better to leave the Tribunal for a time. Some magi consider self-imposed exile more honorable than remaining at home and exposing their sodales to the wrath of a hostile magus. Such magi often seek refuge at another covenant — the farther away, the better. More often than not, the enemy is disinclined to pursue a maga who goes into self-imposed exile. When possible, one should write to the distant covenant ahead of time, explaining that Wizard’s War may be inevitable and requesting hospitality if the worst should happen.
Even if a magus chooses to fight rather than flee, leaving his own covenant can still be a good idea. It keeps his sodales from being drawn into the conflict and makes it harder for the enemy to know where to attack. With a few pawns of vis and a well-hidden cave or remote cabin, one can set up a very defensible refuge using spells such as The Shrouded Glen or Illusion of the Misplaced Castle. Most magi think of Aegis of the Hearth as a spell that only covenants use for defense, but there is no reason a maga cannot create her own Aegis around a personal refuge. Ideally, a maga will have chosen her refuge well ahead of time, kept its location secret, and perhaps even laid in a couple of month’s worth of provisions.
Although other magi are not permitted to join in actually fighting a Wizard’s War, there is nothing that prohibits them from offering assistance. Loans of vis, enchanted items, or casting tablets can make the difference between death and victory. Magi may even be persuaded to cast spells on behalf of a combatant. Especially useful are spells of Moon Duration, which last until both the full moon and the new moon have set. If cast after moonset on the first night of a Wizard’s War, such spells last for the rest of the conflict.
Waging Wizard’s War
Most magi in Wizard’s Wars do not simply stride boldly forth to meet their enemies on the field of battle. That does sometimes happen, but more often they try to stalk one another, setting traps and ambushes.
Winning — or even surviving — Wizard’s War is as much a matter of cunning as raw combat power. An enemy cannot attack what he cannot find. Flambeau the Founder was unable to track down all the sorcerers who had killed his master because he was weak in Intellego. The prudent magus remains hidden using such spells such as Trackless Step, Disguise of the Transformed Image, or Veil of Invisibility. Success in Wizard’s War depends largely on having a combination of spells for offense, defense, stealth, and reconnaissance.
The outcome of a Wizard’s War can hinge on one magus obtaining an Arcane Connection to the other. The real value of an Arcane Connection is the bonus it provides to one’s Penetration multiplier (see ArM5, page 84). In principle, it also allows one to cast spells on the enemy from a distance: The Inexorable Search to find his hiding place or Opening the Intangible Tunnel to attack him directly. In practice, such long-range spells are ineffective unless the caster can achieve a high Penetration Total.
It is a basic principle of self-defense to avoid leaving an Arcane Connection to oneself for the enemy to find. This is easier said than done: a shed hair, a drop of perspiration, or even a robe thread snagged on a twig can all be Arcane Connections lasting hours or days. Intellego Corpus spells can find such connections as hair, blood, and shed skin. If a magus thinks to search for Arcane Connections to himself, he can then destroy them using Perdo Vim magic.
Lacking an Arcane Connection, the greatest challenge in Wizard’s War usually is finding the enemy before being found by her. Tracks of the Faerie Glow, which does not rely on an Arcane Connection, can be most useful. Combatants may freely use scrying magic against one another, but remember that scrying spells do not detect a magus unless they penetrate his Magic Resistance. Another way to find the enemy is to question his servants: spells such as Posing the Silent Question or Aura of Rightful Authority frequently yield results, though the legality of such tactics is questionable. Since grogs and covenfolk have little or no Magic Resistance, they can be more of a liability than an asset in Wizard’s War. A wise magus keeps his plans and whereabouts secret from even the most trusted mundane servants.
Magical disguises are easy to create. They can help one evade the enemy, discreetly gather information, and perhaps even get close enough to surprise an unwary opponent. Seeing through a magical disguise is possible using Sight of the True Form or Discern the Images of Truth and Falsehood. Generic Intellego Vim spells like Sight of the Active Magics can reveal whether a magical disguise is present, which is often the next best thing to seeing through it. All of these spells must penetrate Magic Resistance to be effective. It is therefore much easier for a magus to disguise himself than to see through another maga’s disguise (not to mention that over-use of Intellego spells may sooner or later lead to an accusation of scrying on some magus uninvolved in the Wizard’s War). With magical disguise being as easy and effective as it is, some magi have wondered aloud how any Wizard’s Wars ever reach a decisive outcome.
Although young magi may feel very vulnerable in a Wizard’s War, cunning, resourcefulness, and strategy are just as important as raw magical power. Some Wizard’s Wars have been won by magi who never cast a spell at their opponents at all. A dagger in the back can be better than a Pilum of Fire from the front.
Schools of Magical Combat
When many magi think of House Flambeau, they think of fire magic. Flambeau the Founder was a master of the Art of Ignem and a large number of Flambeau magi follow in his footsteps. As a House of warriors and champions, Flambeau includes a wide variety of combative magi, not all of whom rely on fire magic. Apromor, Flambeau’s first apprentice, concentrated instead on Perdo spells. Over time, subsequent magi have invented additional styles of fighting.
Magi of House Flambeau refer to each fighting style as a “school” of magical combat. These schools are not formal lineages. They are simply groups of magi who have chosen a common approach to magical combat. Just as mundane scholars might describe a philosopher as belonging to the school of Aristotle, Flambeau magi speak of wizards belonging to the School of the Founder or the School of Apromor. Classifying wizards into schools is more precise than simply speaking of the Arts they prefer. Fighting with fire spells is fairly straightforward, but other Arts, like Rego, can be used in a number of different ways. Speaking in terms of schools gives Flambeau magi the terminology to discuss tactics and counter-measures - and to have long-winded debates about why their favorite school is better than everyone else’s.
Flambeau magi name each school of magical combat after the pioneering magus who invented it. Sometimes, magi speak of other Houses’ styles of magic as schools: a magus who fights using enchanted devices may be said to follow the School of Verditius, or a maga who fights by hapechanging into a beast may be said to follow the School of Bjornaer.
Choosing a School
Every magus who learns battle-worthy spells is preparing to use some school of magical combat, whether he realizes it or not. Flambeau magi tend to carefully choose their schools of combat, devoting a great deal of study and lab time to mastering them. There is a great difference between a magus who knows a few mismatched combat spells, and one who has dedicated many seasons of carefully planned study to the interconnected Arts, Abilities, and spells that make a school effective.
Flambeau magi tend to gravitate toward whatever school of fighting is best suited to the individual strengths of their Gift — that is, their Hermetic Virtues (and Flaws). This is exactly how most of the schools were invented in the first place: some bygone magus developed a strategy that played to his individual strengths. There are other reasons to choose a particular school; for example, magi often choose a second school to compensate for any weaknesses their primary school may have, or they may select a school that is suited to fighting one particular kind of opponent.
Magi who are trained within House Flambeau have their school chosen for them by their parentes. Usually, the parens simply trains the apprentice in whatever school the parens himself prefers, but there are exceptions. If an apprentice’s Gift is obviously suited to a particular school, her parens may teach her that school for her benefit. Sometimes a parens chooses a different school for his apprentice because he wants to explore that school himself. In any case, the school assigned to a Flambeau apprentice may or may not be one she would have chosen for herself.
Magi who join House Flambeau from other Houses are free to pursue whatever school they like, as are Flambeau magi who have passed their Gauntlet.
Example Schools of Magical Combat
There are many possible schools of magical combat; the following is not meant to be an exhaustive list.
| School | Description | Recommended Virtue |
|---|---|---|
| The Founder | Attacks using fire | Puissant Ignem |
| Apromor | Damaging opponent directly with Perdo | Puissant Perdo |
| Boreas | Direct attacks using cold | Puissant Ignem or Puissant Perdo |
| Ramius | Mundane attacks, magical defenses | Warrior |
| Sebastian | Direct attacks using a Form other than Ignem | Magical Focus |
| Vilano | Aimed spells that bypass Magic Resistance | Puissant Finesse or Cautious With Ability (Finesse) |
Option: Variant House Benefits
Magi of House Flambeau gain a free Minor Virtue at character creation as their House benefit. This free Virtue must be either Puissant Art (Ignem) or Puissant Art (Perdo). These Virtues are very appropriate to three of the six schools of magical combat.
If the storyguide wishes, he may permit player-magi who want to specialize in the Schools of Ramius, Sebastian, or Vilano to substitute one of the recommended Minor Virtues of their school in place of usual House Virtue.
Enhancing Spell Penetration
Many schools of fighting, and indeed many useful non-combat spells, require the caster to penetrate his opponent’s Magic Resistance. This can be quite difficult, especially if the target is a Hermetic magus with a decent score in Parma Magica. The following practical advice can help player-magi overcome opponents who have high Magic Resistance.
Favor Low-level Spells: The Penetration of a spell is based on how much the casting total exceeds the spell level, so low-level spells are better against more magic-resistant opponents. A weak spell with high Penetration is better than a powerful spell that can’t get through an opponent’s Magic Resistance.
Improve the Penetration Ability:Improving Abilities is costly in terms of experience points and it may seem more effective to simply build up Arts instead. But Penetration is more powerful than it may appear. First, the Penetration Ability improves the Penetration of all spells, not just those of a single Art. Second, most bonuses that help Penetration act as a multiplier to the Penetration Ability. The higher one’s Penetration Ability, the more benefit one gets from the bonuses.
Take Advantage of Spell Mastery: Consider the “penetration” special ability (ArM5, page 87). Spell Mastery also adds to the Casting Total of the spell, so it has a second (indirect) effect on Penetration.
Get an Arcane Connection: Get an Arcane Connection to the target if possible. Depending on the duration of the connection, it may grant a bonus to Penetration (ArM5, page 84).
Use Sympathetic Connections: If a magus has an Arcane Connection, he should try to use a sympathetic connection (ArM5, page 84) as well. With a little preparation, one can probably learn the target’s nickname or birth name, which is good for a +1 increase to the Penetration multiplier (but remember, baptismal names cannot be used as sympathetic connections). With a bit more preparation, one can make a symbolic representation of the target (provided one has a good Craft skill) that grants another +2 to the multiplier. Those bonuses are cumulative, so if one has both a name and a picture of one’s target, the multiplier would be x4 (x1 to start, +1 for the name, +2 for the symbolic representation).
The School of the Founder
Recommended Virtue: Puissa Ignem
Flambeau the Founder was a great master of fire magic. Incinerating opponents with Ignem spells remains the most popular school of magical combat within his House.
Although House Flambeau is not a true lineage, it does include a line of magi who proudly claim descent from the Founder through his second apprentice, Elaine. Over time, other magi with a natural talent for fire magic have joined the House, broadening and strengthening its fire-using tradition. A fair number of Flambeau magi have Hermetic Virtues pertaining to fire, such as a Major Magical Focus with fire and flames, making the School of the Founder a natural choice for them.
Fire has several advantages as a weapon. Ignem spells do excellent damage compared to other spells of similar magnitude. Fire can damage many different kinds of opponents: humans, animals, and even plants and inanimate objects. This allows a follower of the School of the Founder to specialize in only one Form and still damage most kinds of enemies. In addition to targeting opponents directly, Ignem spells can set their surroundings on fire: naturally burning fires can damage creatures regardless of Magic Resistance. Another advantage of fire magic is that hurling bolts and curtains of flame looks very impressive. Flamboyant Ignem spells can panic animals and mundane soldiers alike, creating pandemonium on the battlefield.
The School of the Founder is popular for all of these reasons, but even its most avid followers acknowledge that it has shortcomings. One of the most troublesome is that some potential enemies are resistant to fire. Dragons, for instance, are sometimes fire-resistant, and even some humans have a magically granted immunity to fire (the Greater Immunity Supernatural Virtue). (Demons in Ars Magica Fifth Edition are no more likely to be fire-resistant than creatures from other supernatural realms.) Followers of the School of the Founder must resort to alternative tactics against fire-resistant opponents.
Although fire magic has some ability to affect targets indirectly, the higher-damage spells must penetrate Magic Resistance. “Ignem” is a common specialty in the Parma Magica Ability (see ArM5, page 66). The Spell Mastery special ability of “magic resistance” doubles a magus’s Magic Resistance against the mastered spell (ArM5, page 87). Magi who are really serious about protecting themselves from fire magic may master such Flambeau staples as Pilum of Fire and Ball of Abysmal Flame. This makes the School of the Founder one of the easiest for enemy magi to defend themselves against.
Fortunately, one need only learn (and master) a few spells, since the same spell can be used against so many different kinds of opponents, and repeated castings (or multiple castings) are just as effective as the first casting. Especially for magi who have a Hermetic Virtue that improves their fire spells, the School of the Founder is one of the easiest schools in which to develop a high-Penetration, straightforward, versatile attack.
Another disadvantage of Ignem spells is that they are not subtle. When a magus blasts his opponent with a bolt of fire, everyone can immediately tell who the caster was. Mundanes are apt to spread tales about magi who cast such spells, which can lead to uncomfortable questions from the Quaesitores. Magi who need to operate in close proximity to mundanes often find the School of the Founder inconvenient. Fire is notoriously difficult to control; Ignem botches can be especially disastrous.
Finally, magi who heavily specialize in the School of the Founder find their Arts are suitable for little else besides fighting. Many Flambeau magi don’t care — they are perfectly content to be one-trick ponies when that trick is a high-Penetration Ball of Abysmal Flame. Adventuring magi, particularly those who work without other wizards, often need more breadth in their magical abilities. Narrowly specializing in one Form also makes a magus potentially weak in certamen.
The School of the Founder is a good choice for beginning players because it’s straightforward to use and to improve through study, but players may want to consider building up at least one or two other Forms to broaden their characters’ capabilities.
The School of Apromor
Recommended Virtue: Puissant Perdo
The School of Apromor emphasizes using Perdo magic to damage one’s opponent directly. Apromor was Flambeau’s first apprentice, who turned away from fire magic in the middle of his career. Compared with the School of the Founder, the School of Apromor has a number of advantages. While some creatures are immune to fire, none are immune to Perdo magic as such (though Perdo spells do need to penetrate Magic Resistance). The Art of Perdo can do nearly as much damage as a Creo Ignem spell, yet is more versatile. Perdo spells may be used to disarm, blind, or otherwise incapacitate enemies instead of simply killing them. Perdo spells usually disregard the target’s Soak, damaging fully armored knights or iron-scaled dragons as easily as more vulnerable opponents.
Perdo spells are less showy than hurling bolts of fire. Certainly, when opponents suddenly develop bleeding wounds or silently drop dead, onlookers can tell there is magic afoot, but they have a much harder time identifying the one who cast the spells. In the general confusion of battle, it can be difficult to even notice some Perdo effects: did the knight’s sword break by accident, or because of magic? Apromor himself was fond of casting spells without gestures; many who follow his school take advantage of the Spell Mastery’s “still casting” special ability (ArM5, page 87) to make their spells less obtrusive. This can be taken a step further to cast spells without voice, but most standard Perdo spells have Voice Range, and the caster would need to invent longerRange (and higher-level) variants to fully benefit from such tactics.
Perdo spells are not limited to offensive applications. Experts in the Technique of Perdo can learn spells of invisibility, for example, or Perdo Mentem spells that can help avoid a fight, such as Calm the Motion ofthe Heart. There are a number of Perdo spells that may be used to make indirect attacks, bypassing the opponent’s Magic Resistance. Pit of the Gaping earth is one example, and it may also be used to create defensive trenches and the like. Dispelling magic is a Perdo effect. High-level Perdo effects can even remove properties of objects, making them behave in unusual but useful ways. For example, a high-level Perdo Corpus spell can make a person weightless.
In spite of its greater versatility, the School of Apromor does have weaknesses. Most attacks in the School of Apromor need to penetrate Magic Resistance. Magi who follow the school must therefore devote scarce study time to the Penetration Ability and to Spell Mastery. This is somewhat offset by the greater variety of indirect attacks available in the School of Apromor: if one can’t penetrate an enemy’s Parma Magica, one can perhaps harm him by collapsing the building on top of him (End of the Mighty Castle, ArM5, page 155).
The School of Apromor requires a magus to learn several different Forms in order to affect different kinds of opponents. Perdo Corpus spells are no good against demons or animals, for instance. Followers of the School of Apromor gain the best Penetration Totals by trying to balance their study between Perdo, the Forms, and the Abilities of Penetration and Spell Mastery. This makes it one of the most study-intensive schools. Magi must choose their priorities, often placing a primary emphasis on Perdo and Penetration, and a secondary emphasis on important Forms and Mastery of particular spells. The more narrowly a magus concentrates on the Forms, the more he sacrifices of the school’s inherent versatility.
The School of Boreas
Recommended Virtue: Puissant Ignem Or Puissant Perdo
The School of Boreas relies on the single Form-Technique combination of Perdo Ignem. Boreas was a ninth-century magus descended from Flambeau through the line of Apromor. He sought to bridge the apparent schism in his lineage by developing a school of combat that was accessible both to followers of Flambeau and followers of Apromor.
Most magi find the School of Boreas too narrowly defined to be very interesting. Even the School of the Founder is broader and more versatile. The School of Boreas does have its advantages, so followers of other schools sometimes rely on it as a secondary attack form.
Cold and darkness are narrow enough areas for each to qualify as a Minor Magical Focus (ArM5, pages 46–47). Magi who enjoy Virtues in those areas can be highly effective when using this school.
As simple as Boreas’s idea seems, coldbased spells do avoid some of the weaknesses of both the School of the Founder and the School of Apromor. Cold spells that go astray can’t set buildings on fire. Cold can damage most living things with a single Form, reducing the need for a follower of Apromor to learn multiple Forms in order to affect people, animals, and faeries. In this respect, Boreas succeeded in his attempt to create a school of combat that would appeal to both major lineages within his House.
Like the schools of the Founder and of Apromor, attacks in the School of Boreas need to penetrate Magic Resistance. Because the School of Boreas emphasizes only one Form-Technique combination, it requires less study to master than does the School of Apromor. Some young Flambeau magi choose to specialize in the School of Boreas early in their careers and then diversify into using the School of Apromor as they become more skilled in multiple Forms.
The main limitation of the School of Boreas is the very limited assortment of spells available in the Arts of Perdo Ignem. It does include spells of darkness, which can be useful for stealth. Perdo Ignem spells do less damage than Creo Ignem spells of similar magnitude, but they are approximately as effective as Perdo Corpus spells.
The School of Ramius
Recommended Virtue: Warrior
The School of Ramius seeks to ignore an opponent’s Magic Resistance altogether by relying on non-magical, physical attacks. The school uses magic to enhance the magus’s own combat ability, usually emphasizing magical defense rather than offense. Ramius was a mid-rank member of House Tremere who defected to House Flambeau after the Sundering of Tremere in 848 AD. He was skilled in mundane arms as well as in magic. Ramius asserted that the emphasis on overcoming Magic Resistance led magi to over-specialize, which diminished their effectiveness both as wizards and as warriors. He went to Iberia and joined House Flambeau’s struggle against the Moorish wizards, where he perfected his method of using mundane attacks supported by magical enhancements.
The School of Ramius does not favor spells such as Edge of the Razor or Blade of the Virulent Flame to improve a magus’s physical attacks. When a weapon is enchanted by such spells, Magic Resistance can stop it. Instead, followers of Ramius prefer mundane steel and use magic to improve their defenses or general fighting effectiveness. Some popular spells within the school are Doublet of Impenetrable Silk (ArM5, page 118), Steed of Vengeance (ArM5, page 119), Gift of the Bear’s Fortitude (ArM5, page 131), Endurance of the Berserkers (ArM5 p. 134), Shriek of the Impending Shafts (ArM5 page 136), Ward Against Heat and Flames (ArM5, page 143), and Veil of Invisibility (ArM5, page 146). Personal wards (warding spells with parameters of Personal/Sun/Individual rather than Touch/Ring/Circle) are also very commonly used to protect either against weapons or against supernatural creatures.
One of the main advantages of the School of Ramius is that it does not require its followers to specialize in any particular Arts. With no need to develop high Penetration Totals, its followers can be more eclectic in their choice of Arts and spells. Followers of Ramius tend to prefer Arts that are not normally associated with spells of attack: Muto for improving their armor and defenses, Rego for personal wards, and Corpus for self-improvement and healing.
Another distinctive trait of the School of Ramius is its emphasis on defense rather than attack. Instead of concentrating on the Penetration Ability, followers of Ramius often emphasize Parma Magica. Parma Magica provides an excellent allaround defense that can be enhanced even further by using selected magical wards. Ramius pointed out that a magus who neglects his defenses will easily fall to a magical counter-attack if his opponent survives the first spell.
The School of Ramius is even more unobtrusive than the School of Apromor. A magus can usually cast his protective and combat-enhancing spells before a battle starts, reducing both the chance of being identified as a wizard and the risk of a botch or failed Concentration roll in the heat of battle.
A follower of Ramius can be even more effective in combat when supported by a trained group of grogs. A daring magus may choose to act as the vanguard, bearing the brunt of enemy attacks in the hope that his magical protections will leave him undamaged.
The School of Ramius lacks magical attacks. It is ineffective against opponents who are too physically powerful to be damaged by swords, so it is much better against mundanes and renegade wizards than against giants or large dragons.
There is another weakness unique to the School of Ramius: the magus’s own Parma Magica can prevent him from casting spells on himself. Spells of Personal Range always bypass the caster’s own Magic Resistance (ArM5, page 85), but Touchand Voice-Range spells are resisted. Some followers of Ramius prefer to learn or invent Personal-Range variants of common spells, though this limits the spells’ usefulness. Another solution is to invest the Personal-Range effect into one’s Talisman: a Talisman is considered part of its creator, so Personal effects in the Talisman can affect its wielder (see ArM5, page 98). Followers of the School of Ramius often prefer Talismans in the shape of armor, clothing, or jewelry, leaving both hands free to wield weapons and shields.
The School of Ramius is popular with magi whose sense of honor leads them to scorn ranged attacks as ignoble.
The Schools of Sebastian
Recommended Virtue: Magical Focus (Major Or Minor)
The Schools of Sebastian are a family of schools that rely on conjuring harmful objects or substances using Forms other than Ignem. Sebastian was an eighth-century hedge wizard who joined the Order as a member of House Flambeau. He accomplished the unusual feat of learning Hermetic magic after having been trained in a non-Hermetic tradition, but he was hampered by several Deficient Arts. Sebastian developed a method of fighting that played to his only strength, the Form of Aquam.
“Schools of Sebastian” is really a catch-all name for a large number of minor schools based on unusual Forms: the School of Ebroin, based on conjuring animals; the School of Marosa, based on Herbam attacks; and so on. Even members of House Flambeau have trouble keeping track of so many tiny schools (some of which have only one living adherent), so “Schools of Sebastian” has emerged as a generic term. The actual School of Sebastian was only the first and most famous of these minor schools.
'Most members of the Sebastian family of schools have a Magical Focus (either Major or Minor) and design their attacks to take advantage of that Focus. The schools are also attractive to magi who want to specialize in Arts other than Perdo or Ignem. Such Arts can have significant non-combat uses.
Like the schools of the Founder and of Apromor, the Schools of Sebastian depend on the ability to penetrate Magic Resistance. They tend to offer spells that do less damage compared to Ignem spells of similar magnitude. The schools remain a good choice for magi who want to specialize in certain Forms (Animal, Aquam, Herbam, or Terram). They are commonly used outside House Flambeau by magi who think of themselves as specialists rather than combatants, but who want to be ready to defend themselves.
Magical Foci for the Schools of SebastianThe following are some examples of magical foci that may be useful to magi following one of the Schools of Sebastian. Except where noted, all of them would count as Minor Magical Foci. The Forms of Mentem, Imaginem, and Vim are unsuitable for conjuring harmful substances, and magi who favor the Form of Ignem are categorized in the School of the Founder or of Boreas. Animal: Birds (major), poisonous insects, snakes, canines, teeth Aquam: Acid, poison, boiling oil Auram: Weather (major), lightning, poisonous gases Corpus: Necromancy (major), animated corpses, human bones Herbam: Thorns, vines, plant toxins Terram: Blades, molten metal, stalagmites/stalactites See also the sample Major and Minor Magical Foci in ArM5, pages 45 and 46. |
The School of Vilano
Recommended Virtue: Puissant Finesse Or Cautious With Ability (Finesse)
The School of Vilano relies on indirect attacks that bypass Magic Resistance. An example of an indirect attack is using magic to levitate a rock over someone’s head, then dropping the rock. Several examples of indirect attacks are given in ArM5, page 86.
Vilano was a ninth-century Flambeau magus from Istria in the Transylvanian Tribunal. He suffered from the Hermetic Flaw Weak Magic but remained deter mined to prove himself in battle. Vilano was the first member of House Flambeau to succeed using only indirect spells, most famously when he slew the Green Dragon of Labin by crushing it with two falling trees. His tactics have been widely emulated both within and outside his House.
Using indirect spells allows a follower of Vilano to attack any opponent regardless of how strong its Magic Resistance may be. Members of this school don’t need to worry about using low-magnitude spells in order to get a better Penetration Total: they may bring their mightiest spells to bear against even the most powerful opponent. This makes the School of Vilano surprisingly effective.
The School of Vilano is very popular as a secondary school, to be used when a magus’s primary attack doesn’t work. It is probably the most commonly used school of magical combat in the Order as a whole, for it requires neither specific Arts nor Mastery of any spells. This makes it attractive to magi who want some combat capability but are unwilling to dedicate many seasons to improving their Penetration Totals.
Like all schools, the School of Vilano has its weaknesses. The selection of indirect spells is fairly limited (see sidebar) and many of them only work under specific circumstances. For example, Cascade of Rocks can do a lot of damage, but only if one’s opponent happens to be standing on a steep hillside or at the base of a cliff. Magi usually try to compensate by choosing a few versatile spells that can be used anywhere (Invisible Sling of Vilano is popular; see New Spells in the Rules section of this chapter) and by making sure they have the broadest possible repertoire of spells to cover various situations.
Indirect spells generally need to be aimed, and can miss. A good score in the Finesse Ability reduces but does not eliminate that risk. A less obvious consequence of aiming is that indirect spells require two stress rolls (one to cast the spell and another to aim it) and therefore have two chances to botch.
Most indirect spells do fairly low damage. They are good for trapping or wounding opponents, but may have trouble ending a fight quickly (unless the caster is fortunate enough to bury his opponent under an avalanche). The great risk is that one’s opponent might still be able to make effective counter-attacks. Some followers of Vilano develop strong magical defenses, perhaps combining their tactics with ideas from the School of Ramius. Others use invisibility when they fight, to make it difficult for the enemy to attack them. A third option is to rely on shield grogs to protectthe magus long enough that he can fully neutralize the enemy.
Many followers of Vilano make extensive use of enchanted items in addition to spells. One of the main limitations of enchanted items is their generally weak Penetration, but the tactics of this school circumvent that problem.
Rules for House Flambeau
This section includes rules for House Acclaim, the system by which Flambeau magi measure their status relative to one another. Also included are new spells, some new laboratory and Spell Mastery options, and rules for integrating magical tactics into the combat system.
Indirect Spells from ArM5
The following spells from Ars Magica Fifth Edition can be at least partly effective without the need to penetrate Magic Resistance. Some additional indirect spells are given in the Rules section of this chapter.
Weaver’s Trap of Webs (CrAn 35, ArM5 page 117): While the webs do not touch the magus, they surround him and keep him in place.
Footsteps of Slippery Oil (CrAq 5, ArM5 page 121): The maga can step in the magical oil, just as she can walk across a magically-created bridge.
Waves of Drowning and Smashing (ReAq 30, ArM5 page 124): Although the wave can’t directly harm the maga, it can capsize a boat in which she is riding or wash out a small bridge on which she is standing.
Neptune’s Wrath (ReAq 40, ArM5 page 125): Similar to Waves of Drowning and Smashing, but the wave is much more destructive.
Awaken the Slumbering Corpse (ReCo 25, ArM5 page 134): If the corpse attacks in unarmed combat, it would be resisted because the whole corpse is under an active magical effect, but if it wields a non-magical weapon, the weapon would bypass Magic Resistance
Strings of the Unwilling Marionette (ReCo 25, ArM5 page 135): Similar to Awaken the Slumbering Corpse, above.
The Walking Corpse (ReCo 35, ArM5 page 135): Similar to Awaken the Slumbering Corpse, above.
Trap of the Entwining Vines (CrHe 15, ArM5 page 135): The vines do not completely immobilize the maga, but surround her and prevent her from moving about.
Tangle of Wood and Thorns (ReHe 15, ArM5 page 138): This can be completely effective, as the wood does not have to touch a magus in order to immobilize him. The storyguide may choose to give a bonus to the Strength roll to escape.
Coils of the Entangling Plants (ReHe 20, ArM5 page 138): Similar to Weaver’s Trap of Webs or Trap of the Entwining Vines, above.
Tremulous Vault of the Torch’s Flame (ReIg 5, ArM5 page 142): The motion of the flame is magical but the flame itself is not; the flame stops as if it had gently touched the magus, but it still burns him.
Leap of the Fire (ReIg 10, ArM5 page 143): Similar to Tremulous Vault of the Torch’s Flame.
Pit of the Gaping Earth (PeTe 15, ArM5 page 155): No one can resist having a pit open up under her feet.
Obliteration of the Metallic Barrier (PeTe 20, ArM5 page 155): The shards of metal are thrown as projectiles and can bypass Magic Resistance.
End of the Mighty Castle (PeTe 25, ArM5 page 155): Magic Resistance does not protect against non-magical stone falling due to gravity.
Cascade of Rocks (PeTe 40, ArM5 page 155): Similar to End of the Mighty Castle, above.
The Earth Split Asunder (ReTe 30, ArM5 page 156): Magic Resistance does not protect the magus from falling into the chasm, but it does protect him from being crushed when it closes. If the chasm closes slowly instead of violently (see the spell description), this would not be resisted, but the magus would probably be able to climb out during the process.
Creeping Chasm (ReTe 35, ArM5 page 156): Similar to Pit of the Gaping Earth, above.
House Acclaim
Magi of House Flambeau measure their relative prestige by an informal system of House Acclaim. This is somewhat similar to the House Acclaim system used within House Bonisagus, though of course Flambeau magi gain renown for tournament victories and deeds of valor, not writing books and doing lab work.
House Acclaim is a free Reputation that every Flambeau magus gains at the start of play. Most characters begin with a House Acclaim of zero, but those who choose the Famous Virtue (or other Virtues that grant a favorable Reputation) may apply its benefits to House Acclaim. Unlike the Acclaim system of House Bonisagus, House Flambeau’s Acclaim is a Hermetic Reputation, potentially known to everyone in the Order.
Noteworthy deeds of prowess, valor, and honor are rewarded with experience points in the House Acclaim Reputation. However, a member of House Flambeau may never rest on her laurels: unlike other Reputations, House Acclaim can diminish over time if the character fails to continue an illustrious career. Furthermore, ignoble acts can seriously damage a magus’s House Acclaim. Loss of House Acclaim is handled by taking away experience points instead of adding them. It is not possible to have a negative House Acclaim, but if a magus with zero House Acclaim performs an ignoble act, he gains a bad Reputation according to the normal Reputation rules (ArM5, page 167).
In order for a deed to grant experience points in House Acclaim, it must be done in front of witnesses. They need not be members of House Flambeau, as long as they are credible and are likely to tell of the magus’s accomplishments.
Example Acclaim AwardsFlambeau magi can gain experience in House Acclaim just as they can in any other Reputation. Certain remarkable deeds can result in the gain or loss of more than one experience point at a time. The following are some example awards and penalties; the storyguide should feel free to make ad hoc awards for other glorious (or despicable) achievements.
* This award should only be granted if the troupe actually roleplays the Gauntlet. ** Magi only gain or lose House Acclaim for certamen when there is a meaningful dispute to settle. Simply dueling other magi for sport (or for no reason at all) does not add or remove House Acclaim points. |
New Flaws
Miles Minor, Story
The character, who must be a member of House Flambeau, is a member of the milites (see “The Milites” earlier in this chapter). She has made a public oath to uphold the Code of Garus or some similar code of honor. This carries both benefits and obligations.
The character gains 5 experience points in House Acclaim for House Flambeau. Other milites regard the character as a brother-in-arms and can be relied upon to provide support and assistance. However, the character may lose respect (represented by House Acclaim points) if he relies too heavily on their assistance and seems unable to accomplish tasks on his own.
Other milites may occasionally ask the character for assistance as well. The character has sworn an oath to obey the Primus of House Flambeau and may receive orders from the Primus at any time. (The Primus cannot give orders that affect how a magus uses his vote or what he says at Tribunal.) Successfully fulfilling a direct order from the Primus grants experience points in House Acclaim.
This Flaw covers the relationship of the miles to other Flambeau magi. How the character views the rest of the Code of Garus _ the parts about honesty, courage, and so on _ is up to the player to decide. The player may wish to choose additional Personality Flaws (for example, Higher Purpose or Dutybound) if the character intends to strictly follow the milites’ code of conduct.
If the storyguide approves, player characters may acquire this Flaw after character creation by joining House Flambeau and publicly swearing the milites’ oath.
New Flaws
Rules for Magical Combat
There are many ways magic may be used in a fight; some of them are more complicated than others. One advanced combat option based on a magical effect is detailed here.
Fighting Invisibly
Invisibility can be powerful in combat, but it is not foolproof. An invisible character still casts a shadow, still leaves footprints on soft ground, and still makes noise. Any dirt that sticks to an invisible character remains visible. These signs make it possible to fight someone who is invisible, though the invisible character does gain a substantial advantage.
A character who is invisible gains the following benefits:
- Opponents cannot engage the invisible character in melee unless they determine his location (see below); however, if the invisible character
attacks in melee, the opponent(s) he has engaged remain engaged and can attack.
- He cannot be hit by missile weapons unless his opponent is able to locate him first. Likewise, aimed spells can only hit him if the caster knows his location.
- He cannot be targeted by spells unless the caster either has an Arcane Connection to him, or is able to locate him. Area-affecting spells, such as Arc of Fiery Ribbons, work normally against invisible characters within the affected area. Aimed spells are treated like missile attacks (see the second point, above).
- He cannot be affected by spells with Range Eye, but neither can he cast them. Eye contact requires the two characters be able to see each other.
- An invisible character gains a large bonus to Stealth rolls related to hiding or remaining unseen. This bonus does not extend to rolls for moving quietly.
- Even if an opponent knows the invisible character’s exact location and/or is engaged in melee with him, the invisible character gains bonuses to Attack and Defense rolls (see the “Effects of Invisibility” sidebar).
• An invisible character can make surprise attacks against opponents who have not precisely located her (see below). During the first round only, the invisible character automatically goes first and gains a +3 Attack bonus (this combines with the usual bonuses from the Effects of Invisibility table). After the first round, both combatants roll Initiative and combat proceeds as normal. An invisible character can make a surprise attack whenever her opponent does not know her exact location. It is possible to make a surprise attack, disengage, and then make another surprise attack in a later combat round.
One of the weaknesses of invisibility is that an invisible weapon is kept out by Magic Resistance (and an invisible character’s touch is likewise kept out). It is possible to pick up a weapon after becoming invisible: the weapon then remains visible and non-magical. Of course, this approach sacrifices much of the advantage of invisibility. In particular, it makes surprise attacks impossible unless the character is able to strike from behind.
Locating an Invisible Character
In order to target an invisible character with spells or missile weapons, an opponent must be able to locate her to within a half-pace or so. Usually this is done by visual cues (shadow and footprints), but when these are faint or non-existent, it is possible (but difficult) to locate an invisible character by sound alone. Beasts may be able to locate an invisible character by smell.
To locate an invisible character accurately enough for spells or attacks, spend a round searching and make an opposed Perception + Awareness roll against the invisible character’s Dexterity + Stealth – Encumbrance + Stealth bonus (from the Effects of Invisibility table). When locating the character by sound alone, use the Stealth bonus from the “No signs” row of the table. Virtues such as Keen Vision or Sharp Ears may help the Perception roll, depending on the circumstances. Once an observer has located the character, she can automatically keep track of his location until his signs become less visible (at which point she must re-roll using the new Stealth bonus) or he moves away for two or three rounds (depending on his speed and visibility conditions).
There is no need to make a roll to locate one’s opponent if one is already engaged in melee with an invisible character. Melee range is close enough to automatically locate one’s opponent by a combination of sound and touch.
Once an invisible character has been located, he may be attacked, but the bonus to Defense given in the Effects of Invisibility tables applies. If an invisible character has not been located, he cannot be attacked at all. Similarly, although an invisible opponent engaged in melee can be automatically located by his opponent, he still gets the appropriate bonus to Attack.
It is not necessary to precisely locate an invisible character to know he is somewhere nearby. Invisibility does not make a character any quieter than usual, so rolls to simply hear the character moving gain no bonus or penalty (use Perception + Awareness vs. Dexterity + Stealth – Encumbrance, with no Stealth bonus).
Invisibility and Group Combat
Characters who are can’t see one another may not fight as part of a trained group. Effective group tactics require the combatants to be aware of what the others are doing.
An invisible character may serve as the vanguard of a group. If an untrained group contains some invisible members, everyone in the group gains an extra botch die per invisible character. On a botch, combatants may blunder into an invisible character or even accidentally strike him with their weapons. A group of allies cannot defend an invisible character (see ArM5, page 173) unless they have some means of knowing where he is.
Effects of Invisibility
The benefits of invisibility depend mostly on what visual clues betray the character’s presence. The storyguide should decide what is the most obvious clue and assign bonuses according to the following table. Footprints and shadows are fairly easy to see in good light, but become much less obvious when visibility is poor.
Trying to fight an invisible character using sound clues alone means the invisible character gains maximum benefits (from the “No signs” row of the table). If the character is especially noisy, the storyguide may choose to reduce his bonus.
Invisibility grants a bonus to melee attack rolls, but not to missile attacks. The defense bonus due to invisibility applies to all incoming attacks, melee and missile alike. An attacker must know the invisible character’s location (see Locating an Invisible Character in this section) in order to engage him in melee or to have any chance of hitting with missiles.
| Clarity of Signs | Examples | Melee Attack Bonus | Defense Bonus | Stealth Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obvious | Invisible character with visible sword; Invisible character partly covered in mud; Invisible character wading through ankle-deep water, mud, or snow | +1 | +3 | +3* |
| Clear | Invisible character casting shadow in direct sunlight; Invisible character leaving footprints in tall grass, sand, or light snow | +3 | +3 | +3 |
| Indistinct | Invisible character casting shadow on a cloudy day; Invisible character leaving footprints on packed earth or gravel | +3 | +6 | +6 |
| Faint | Invisible character casting shadow in moonlight; Invisible character leaving footprints on cobblestone | +6 | +9 | +9 |
| No signs | Invisible character leaving no visual cues | +9 | +9 | +12 |
* Observers can automatically locate the character, but the Stealth bonus still applies to attempts to hide.
** Visual detection is impossible.
New Magic Rules
The following magic rules are available to all magi, not just members of House Flambeau.
Effect Modification for Enchanted Items
Magi of House Flambeau have developed a new way to make magic items more useful in combat. This has been disseminated throughout the Order and is available to all magi.
Fast Trigger
The effect gains a +3 Initiative modifier. This adds +5 to the level of the effect.
Spell Mastery Special Abilities
The special abilities conferred by Spell Mastery are often useful in combat. Magi of House Flambeau are fond of all the Spell Mastery special abilities listed in Ars Magica Fifth Edition (page 87) and have developed some additional special abilities of their own. These are available to magi of any House, even though they originated within House Flambeau.
Imperturbable Casting
Add the caster’s Mastery score to all Concentration rolls related to the spell. This helps her maintain spells of Concentration Duration amid the chaos of battle, or while casting another spell (see the Concentration Table, ArM5, page 82).
Obfuscated Casting
Magi cannot automatically identify the Form of the spell as the magus casts it. This makes it difficult for them to use fastcast spells as a defense. They must always roll to determine the Form of the spell (see ArM5, page 83) and must add the caster’s Mastery score to the Ease Factor.
Precise Casting
Add +1 to all Finesse rolls the caster makes with the spell, including aiming rolls. Subtract one botch die from any Finesse rolls she makes using the spell, to a minimum of one botch die. A maga may take this ability multiple times for the same spell.
Quick Cast
Add +1 to the caster’s Initiative Total when he casts the Mastered spell. If he also has the Fast Casting special ability, add +1 to his Fast Casting Speed rolls (ArM5, page 83) when he fast-casts the spell. This ability cannot be used for Ritual spells. A magus may take this special ability multiple times for the same spell.
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The Cult of Mercury teaches several exclusive Spell Mastery special abilities. These special abilities are not unique to House Flambeau, but are generally available to any member of the Cult (whose membership includes magi from many different Houses). The following special abilities were originally printed in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages (pages 99–100). Adaptive Casting (Cult of Mercury): This special ability may onlybe taken for General spells. The caster may use her Mastery score and all the special abilities associated with this spell when she casts the same spell at different levels. Ceremonial Casting (Cult of Mercury): The caster may use ceremonial methods when casting this spell, increasing the casting time and adding his Artes Liberales and Philosophiae to his Casting Total. This special ability cannot be taken for Ritual spells, which always require ceremonial casting. Disguised Casting (Cult of Mercury): When casting this spell, the caster may suppress or alter her sigil, to hide her identity or make the spell appear to have been cast by someone else. Since this actually changes her sigil, is it impossible for others to recognize her from it, though magi might be able to recognize that a fake sigil is not genuine. When the caster mimics the sigil of another magus, add her Spell Mastery score to the roll that determines how difficult it is to recognize. Lab Mastery (Cult of Mercury): The caster understands the theory of the spell so perfectly that he may add his Spell Mastery score to his Lab Total when designing effects that are similar to it (see Similar Spells, ArM5, page 101). This is in addition to the standard similar spell bonus. Learn From Mistakes (Cult of Mercury): The first time in a session that the caster botches a roll for this spell or fails the casting roll by exactly one point, she gains 5 experience points toward Mastery of this spell. The roll must come up naturally in the course of the story. Stalwart Casting (Cult of Mercury): The spell is less exhausting for the caster. If it is a Ritual, she loses normal Fatigue instead of Long-Term Fatigue when casting it, and half as many Fatigue levels, rounded up (but always at least one). If it is formulaic, she never loses Fatigue levels because of a low casting total, even if the spell doesn’t succeed. |
New Spells
The following spells are available to any magus but are of particular interest to members of House Flambeau.
Creo Animal Spells
Summoning the Creeping Death
Cr(Re)An 25
R: Touch, D: Diam, T: Ind
Conjures an asp, which magically obeys the caster’s mental commands. Use the statistics for an adder from the Book of Mundane Beasts, except that an asp’s venom is much more deadly than an adder’s. The effects of asp venom are given on page 180 of ArM5. The snake has no Might and hence no Magic Resistance of its own, but since it is a magically created creature, Magic Resistance does protect against its attack (use the caster’s Penetration Total).
This spell is sometimes used by magi who follow the School of Sebastian, but other Flambeau magi tend to disdain it as an ignoble form of attack.
(Base 10, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, +1 Rego requisite)
Rego Animal Spells
Fury of the Charging Bull
ReAn 20
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind
The target animal (which may be as large as Size +3) becomes angry and must make a Personality roll using a trait such as Angry or Fierce (or perhaps others, at the storyguide’s discretion). If the roll exceeds an Ease Factor of 9, the animal flies into a rage. Once the animal is aroused, it calms down normally. Docile animals such as ewes or oxen calm down almost immediately, while especially aggressive animals like boars or wolves may go on a rampage lasting several minutes. While angry, the animal tries to drive away people or other animals that are nearby, and may attack those who do not flee from it.
Some magi who follow the School of Vilano use this spell to make animals attack their enemies. In practice, its effects are unpredictable _ the animal is just as likely to attack a bystander as the intended target, and there is nothing to prevent it from turning on the caster!
(Base 5, +2 Voice, +1 Size)
Creo Aquam Guidelines
Level 3: Create ice in a natural shape, such as a floe or icicle.
Creo Aquam Spells
Dagger of Ice
Cr(Re)Aq 10
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind
Creates a foot-long, sharp icicle and hurls it at a target. The icicle always hits, provided it penetrates Magic Resistance. It inflicts +5 damage (partly because of its sharp point). After impact, the icicle shatters to tiny fragments, which promptly disappear.
(Base 3, +2 Voice, +1 Rego requisite)
Alchemist’s Revenge
CrAq 25
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind
Splashes a target with acid, inflicting +15 damage if it penetrates Magic Resistance. At the storyguide’s option, the acid may damage the target’s equipment.
(Base 15, +2 Voice)
Rego Aquam Spells
Shackles of the Frozen Ice
ReAq 10
R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Part
Freeze a circular portion of a body of water into solid ice. Anyone wading or swimming in the water is trapped in the ice. Magic Resistance does not prevent the ice from surrounding a character and holding her fast. The area affected by the spell is the same size as a base Individual: a roughly bowl-shaped volume about five paces across and two paces deep at the center.
Since the ice is magical, it only inflicts cold damage if it penetrates Magic Resistance. Rules for cold damage are given in ArM5, page 181; the ice created by this spell inflicts a base damage of +1. Characters who are completely encased in ice begin to suffocate (see ArM5, page 180).
A trapped character may break free of the ice by making a Strength roll. Characters may also chop their way out of the ice using tools or weapons, but this takes time. Magic, including Perdo Aquam or Creo Ignem spells, may be able to free a character instantly
| Extent of Ice Coverage | Strength Ease Factor | Time to Cut Free |
|---|---|---|
| One foot | 6 | 30 seconds |
| Both feet | 9 | 1 minute |
| To Knees | 12 | 3 minutes |
| To waist | 15 | 10 minutes |
| To chest | 18 | 15 minutes |
| To neck | 21 | 20 minutes |
| Completely enclosed | 21 | depends on depth |
(Base 3, +2 Sun, +1 Part)
Creo Auram Spells
Catapult of the Might Winds
Cr(Re)Au 30
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind
Terrifically strong winds sweep up an object (such as a barrel, a piece of furniture, or an unfortunate human being) and hurl it on a high, arched trajectory toward any point within range. If the projectile has Magic Resistance, this spell must penetrate in order to affect it. However, once the projectile is airborne, its motion is natural and hence it bypasses the Magic Resistance of anything it hits.
You must succeed at an aiming roll to hit the intended target. Because this spell gives the caster only indirect control of the projectile, the aiming roll suffers a –3 penalty and an extra botch die. The winds are strong enough to throw a grown man 20 feet into the air. Both the projectile and anything underneath it suffer damage when it crashes to earth: the damage is usually +10 but it could be less if the projectile is considerably lighter than an adult human.
(Base 5, +2 Voice, +2 unnatural, +1 Rego requisite)
Muto Auram Guide
Level 4: Transform a gas into a harmful gas causing a Light Wound (Stamina roll against Ease Factor 6 to resist)
Level 5: Transform a gas into a harmful gas causing a Medium Wound (Stamina roll against Ease Factor 6 to resist)
Muto Auram Spells
Curse of the Evil Humors
MuAu 25
R: Voice, D: Diam, T: Part
Converts clean air into foul humors that can cause disease. The humors form a cloud about 20 paces across and ten paces high. They are invisible but foul-smelling and noxious. Characters who breathe the befouled air must make Stamina roll against an Ease Factor of 6 or contract malaria (roll once, the first time a character is exposed). This disease, whose name is Italian for “bad air,” causes a Medium Wound. Once a character has contracted the disease, further exposure to this spell has no effect.
The foul humors dissipate when the spell Duration expires. A brisk breeze can disperse the humors within two or three rounds, and strong winds make the spell unusable.
(Base 5, +2 Voice, +1 Diam, +1 Part)
Rego Corpus Spells
Wizard’s Leap
ReCo 15
R: Per, D: Mom, T: Ind
The caster instantly transports himself up to 50 paces in any direction, provided he can see his destination or has an Arcane Connection to it. His Talisman comes with him automatically but casting requisites are required to bring along any other clothing or equipment. This spell is very effective as a fast-cast defense to escape attacks or other mishaps, and can also be used for bypassing obstacles or launching surprise attacks.
(Base 15)
Muto Herbam Spells
Aegis of Unbreakable Wood
MuHe 15
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind.
Makes a wooden shield (or object of comparable dimensions) as strong as iron, increasing its Defense bonus by +1. This is the best benefit magic can provide without increasing the size of the shield. The weight (and Load) of the shield are unchanged. It remains susceptible to fire, but is otherwise nearly indestructible.
(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)
Perdo Herbam Spells
Tree Falling in the Forest
Pe(Re)He 35
R: Sight, D: Mom, T: Ind
Instantly cuts down a tree, making it fall in the direction the caster designates. With a successful aiming roll, you can make it fall on a living creature. Damage is up to +18 for a mature tree, and the victim or victims may also be pinned by the tree’s weight. When used as a form of attack, this spell bypasses Magic Resistance.
(Base 5, +3 Sight, +2 size, +1 Rego requisite)
Creo Ignem Spells
Test of the Flames
CrIg 15
R: Touch, D: Ring, T: Circle
Waist-high flames fill the target circle. Everything inside the circle takes +5 damage each round.
This spell is of ancient origin and is thought to have originated as a ritual ordeal within the Cult of Mithras. It was once used by Flambeau magi as a test of endurance, a kind of alternative to certamen. The people being tested (including, usually, the caster) would stand inside the circle, without using their Parmae Magicae, trying to withstand the flames as long as possible. The last person to leave the circle was considered the winner. Etiquette suggested that if anyone were to fall helpless due to burn damage, someone would break the Ring and end the spell to rescue the unfortunate. This test is little used in 1220 because most Flambeau magi prefer standard certamen; also, some members of House Flambeau (such as the example character page 25 of ArM5) possess a supernatural immunity to fire, giving them an unfair advantage in the test.
(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Ring)
Last Flight of the Pheonix
CrIg 50
R: Per, D: Mom, T: Ind
The caster bursts into flames, immolating himself in a white-hot blast of fire that does +45 damage to himself and everything within four paces. Everything between four and six paces takes +20 damage from the radiant heat, and everything between six and ten paces takes +5 heat damage. Within the four-pace radius the fire is hot enough to melt steel. This spell is sometimes actually used by magi who enjoy a Greater Immunity to fire. Since its Range is Personal, it bypasses the caster’s own Magic Resistance.
An early version of this spell was found in the lab notes of Flambeau himself. Some members of his House speculate that he may have used it to go out in a blaze of glory in a final battle against his Moorish enemies.
(Base 40, +2 Size)
Perdo Ignem Spells
Quench the Raging Conflagration
PeIg 20
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind
Extinguish any fire up to the size of a house fire. Many Flambeau magi learn this spell, or carry items enchanted with a similar effect, to control any incidental fires caused by errant Creo Ignem magic.
(Base 4, +2 Voice, +2 size)
Rego Ignem Spells
The Obedient Fire
ReIg 20
R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Ind
Control the rate and direction in which a fire spreads. The caster may make the fire spread across combustible surfaces as fast as a man walks. It can leap most gaps as much as one pace across but cannot cross even the tiniest trickle of water. The caster can prevent the fire from spreading in certain directions but cannot actually keep it from burning things it touches. He could, for instance, make a fire spread into the shape of a circle and then expand outward, or keep the fire away from himself while it follows his enemies around the room. If the fire surrounds a person, its heat is non-magical and so bypasses Magic Resistance. An aiming roll is required to get the fire close enough to do damage. If the fire grows larger than a basic Room Target, the caster loses control of it entirely.
(Base 4, +2 Voice, +1 Conc, +1 Size)
Creo Mentem Spells
Heart of the Lion
CrMe 15
R: Eye, D: Sun, T: Ind
Instill a person with indomitable courage, increasing his Brave Personality Trait by +3. This may, but does not always, lead to acts of recklessness. If you cast this spell on your grogs, be advised that they will lose their fear of you as well as their fear of the enemy.
(Base 4, +1 Eye, +2 Sun)
Creo Terram Spells
Sword from the Unseen Scabbard
CrTe 15
R: Touch, D: Diam, T: Ind
Conjure a steel longsword. The sword only lasts for two minutes — about 20 combat rounds — but that is usually long enough to defend oneself in a single skirmish. The magically created sword must penetrate in order to harm opponents who have Magic Resistance. Note that creating artificial things with magic requires an Intelligence + Finesse roll, as noted on page 77 of ArM5. An Ease Factor of 6 is sufficient to make a sword of mediocre, but serviceable, workmanship.
(Base 5, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter)
Silvery Scales of the Knight
CrTe(An) 30
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind
Conjure a suit of full chain mail armor. The Animal requisite is required to create the armor’s leather straps, woolen padding, and gambeson — without these elements, the armor would not be effective. The styling of the armor, including any crest that appears on the helmet, depends on your Wizard’s Sigil. The armor is magical, so its wearer cannot punch or grapple a magic-resistant creature while wearing the gauntlets. The armor has the same Load as non-magical armor, and it takes just as long to put on (several minutes at least). An Intelligence + Finesse roll against an Ease Factor of 9 is required to make armor of average quality; a failed roll may result in reduced Protection and/or increased Load, at the storyguide’s discretion.
(Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +2 very elaborate shape)
Muto Terram Spells
Hardness of Adamantine
MuTe 25
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind
This spell instills a metal object with supernatural strength and hardness. Even weak metals like gold or lead can be affected. The object becomes nearly unbreakable by mundane means.
If used on chain mail or metal scale armor, the Protection value of the armor is increased by +2. If used on an edged or pointed weapon, the weapon gains +1 to damage. This bonus can be combined with that from Edge of the Razor or other spells.
(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +2 affect metal)
Perdo Terram Guidelines
Level 5: Destroy one aspect of dirt, such as its weight or its cohesiveness
Perdo Terram Spells
Undoing the Stonemason's Handiwork
PeTe 15
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Part
This spell smashes a piece of masonry or pavement into its component bricks or stones. It has no effect on solid stone. The affected volume is one pace wide, one pace high, and up to one pace deep (depending on the thickness of the masonry), and can be a part of a larger piece of stonework.
Followers of the School of Vilano sometimes use this spell to produce a large number of loose stones, which they can then use as ammunition. Magi with a knowledge of stonemasonry can use it to weaken or collapse stone structures by damaging load-bearing walls and arches, though solid pillars and the like are immune to its effects.
(Base 3, +2 Voice, +1 Part, +1 destroy stone)
Hauberk of Sublime Ligghtness
PeTe 30
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind
Render a suit of metal armor nearly weightless. Armor made from metal-reinforced leather, metal scale, or chain mail has its Load reduced to 1 for a partial suit or 2 for a full suit. The spell eliminates the weight of the armor, but not its bulk.
(Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +2 affect metal)
Rego Terram Guidelines
When Rego Terram spells are used to throw stones, the damage inflicted is limited by the level of the spell. Low-level spells may be able to move heavy stones, but they cannot throw them violently enough to do a lot of damage.
Level 5: Hurl a stone projectile with enough force to do +5 damage (range increment of 20 paces)
Level 10: Hurl a stone projectile with enough force to do +10 damage (range increment of 20 paces)
Level 15: Hurl a stone projectile with enough force to do +15 damage (range increment of 20 paces)
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The laws of physics in Mythic Europe conform to medieval ideas, not modern ones. The differences are often unimportant, but they become significant when a magus uses Rego spells to throw projectiles or to drop heavy objects from a height. The physics (or “natural philosophy,” as characters would call it) of Mythic Europe will be described in more detail in a future supplement for Ars Magica Fifth Edition. This book only addresses one narrow topic that is likely to interest magi from House Flambeau: how to use Rego spells as a form of attack. There are three different ways Rego magic may be used offensively. The first way is to use magic to propel the projectile all the way to the target. In this case, the motive force of the projectile is entirely due to magic. Magic Resistance protects against this form of attack, with projectiles stopping harmlessly at the edge of the target’s Magic Resistance, as described under “The Functioning of Magic Resistance,” on pages 85–86 of ArM5. This sort of spell does not need to be aimed. Nearly all Rego spells in the ArM5 rulebook work this way. The second form of attack is to exploit what philosophers call “natural motion:” the natural tendency of heavy objects to fall downward. A magus could use Rego magic to levitate a rock over someone’s head and then cancel the spell. The rock would naturally fall and would bypass Magic Resistance. Such spells must be aimed to strike their targets. The third way is to use a brief jolt of magical force to hurl a projectile, as an arrow is thrown from a bow. There is a sentence in the first printing of ArM5 that appears to prohibit this (the final sentence of the first paragraph on page 86, beginning “Note that . . .”), but that sentence has been deleted by the official errata. Medieval natural philosophy did offer an explanation for how an arrow could continue moving after it leaves the bow. To over-simplify (in the interest of brevity), it involves the motion of air around the arrow. Magi can devise spells that hurl projectiles in this manner: new Rego guidelines are provided in the Rules section of this chapter. Only specially designed Rego spells can throw projectiles this way _ the spell’s description must explicitly state that it can throw projectiles (these spells are higher magnitude than generic Rego spells). Spells that throw a projectile release control of it immediately after launching it. The projectile then continues on a natural trajectory. In game terms, this means the spell must be aimed, but the projectile bypasses Magic Resistance. The Range of the spell need only be Touch (the magic only needs to act at the moment the projectile is thrown), but once launched, the projectile is subject to the natural laws of motion. The aiming roll suffers a range penalty just like a missile weapon does (ArM5, page 172) and the projectile can go no farther than it could be thrown by a very powerful mundane bow (or sling, catapult, or other device). Most projectiles thrown by spells have a range increment of 20 paces. The rule under “Aiming” on page 86 of ArM5 remains true: “If a spell is resisted . . . it need not be aimed. If it is not resisted, it must be aimed.” |
Rego Terram Spells
Ominous Levitation of the Weighty Stone
ReTe 15
R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Ind
Move a stone through the air as fast as a bird flies. When the caster stops concentrating, the stone immediately falls to the ground. The spell’s name suggests one of its common applications: dropping a heavy rock onto someone. Because the stone falls naturally, such an attack is not subject to Magic Resistance. Instead, an aiming roll is required to hit the intended target (see ArM5, page 86). Attacking with this spell normally takes two rounds: one to move the stone over the target, and another to aim and release it.
Damage inflicted depends mainly on the size of the stone: +5 for a stone the size of a man’s fist, +10 for a typical building-stone, up to +21 for a large boulder (see also the Impact Table on page 181 of ArM5). Particularly large stones can damage structures as well as creatures.
The main limitation on this spell’s combat effectiveness is the availability of large stones. Vilano himself once lamented that there was never a good rock around when he needed one!
(Base 3, +2 Voice, +1 Concentration, +1 affect stone)
Invisible Sling of Vilano
ReTe 10
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind
Hurl a stone (of a size that could be thrown with a mundane sling) at a target within range. Unlike the standard version of Wielding the Invisible Sling (ArM5, page 155), this spell hurls the stone as a projectile. An aiming roll is required to hit the intended target, but if it succeeds, Magic Resistance offers no protection. The stone inflicts +5 damage on impact and has a range increment of 20 paces.
(Base 5, +1 Touch)
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