Realms of Power: Magic Chapter Six: Magic Humans
This page is part of the Realms of Power: Magic Open Content.
Magic Humans
The realm of Magic can affect humans, or at least creatures with human form, just as easily as it can affect creatures of other shapes. Debate rages in the Order and among churchmen over whether these beings have souls, and on their fate after death. But since a number of them live at covenants, those magi who believe they have no souls have, on the whole, accepted the value of discretion.
This chapter covers four large groups of Magic Humans. First, the giants, who are far larger than normal humans. Second, the Spirit Votaries, who are humans who have accepted a link with, and power from, spirits. Third, the Magic Kin, including lineages of near-human creatures with a consistent touch of the Magic realm. Finally, humans who have come too close to the power of magic and have been transformed by it in some way, including the unquiet dead.
Magical Giants
Among [the giants] was one detestable monster, named Goëmagot, in stature twelve cubits, and of such prodigious strength that at one shake he pulled up an oak as if it had been a hazel wand. On a certain day, ... this giant with twenty more of his companions came in among the Britons, among whom he made a dreadful slaughter. — Geoffrey of Monmouth, History of the Kings of Britain
There are giants belonging to the Divine and Infernal Realms (the Nephilim; see Realms of Power: Divine, pages 16-17 and Realms of Power: Infernal, page 27), but the great majority of giants are either Magical or Faerie. (Faerie giants will be detailed in a future supplement for Ars Magica Fifth Edition.) Some so-called giants are merely humans with Giant Blood (see ArM5, page 43) and have no Might score at all; these cannot be said to belong to any Realm.
The typical giant resembles a large human, from Size +2 to about +6. Such giants may be found throughout Mythic Europe, tending to favor mountainous areas or craggy islands. They are especially prevalent in the British Isles. According to the historian Geoffrey of Monmouth (c. 1100 – 1154), giants were the original inhabitants of Britain before it was settled by humans from mainland Europe. Giants’ bones can be found embedded in the rocks of many lands, and scholars in Mythic Europe generally believe these are the remains of giants who drowned in the Biblical deluge.
Some folk believe giants are the accursed descendants of Cain. Magi are more inclined to think they are the distant descendants of primeval giants, their size and Might diminished through generations of inter-breeding with humans. Or it’s possible that some giants are an enchanted offshoot of the human race. Their ancestors could have been transformed by powerful Warping or subjected to some mighty, long-forgotten ritual.
Primeval GiantsThe primeval giants are immense creatures that appear in the mythologies of many cultures. They are usually considered to be the children of the Protogonoi (see Chapter 7: Magic Spirits, Primal Spirits), and ancestors of the Gods and Daimons. Theurgists rank these primeval giants as the kosmokrators and consider them to be spiritual entities, inasmuch as such vastly powerful creatures could be categorized at all. In Greek mythology, the Titans are the children of the Protogonoi Ouranos and Ge. The six male Titans are all responsible for governing time in the Magic realm. Hyperion establishes day and night, Krios orders the heavenly constellations, Koios rules the axis of the heavens, Iapetos is the titan of mortality, Kronos rules all-devouring time, and Okeanos regulates the motion of the tides. Their wives control natural forces of the Magic realm: Theia is the brilliant sky, Eurybia is the mistress of the weather, Phoibe is the prophetic earth, Klymene is the underworld’s cavern, Rhea is the fecundity of nature, and Tethys is the power of the waters under the earth. Ymir was the Protogonos of the Norse lands, and the progenitor of two races of gigantic kosmokrators. The first brood were hideous deformed beings, inimical to man because of the wild elements they represented: Logi the devastating wild fire; Gymir the icy winds of winter; and Aegir the storm-lashed sea. The second brood was more peaceful and friendly towards man: Mimir the wise counselor of the gods; Urd the Weaver who represented time and fate; and their daughter Natt, the all-enshrouding night. The Fomoire were the first inhabitants of Celtic lands. They were the children of Domnu, a chthonic titan of darkness and fertility. They include all-seeing Balor with his baleful eye, Indech the king, Cichol the Footless, prophetic Eithne, and the hideous ogress Lot. Primeval giants should be created as kosmokrator spirits (see Chapter 7: Magic Spirits, Primal Spirits), since the rules for giants that follow do not cater to creatures who are the size of whole mountain ranges (or even larger — several myths claim that the world was created from the body of a slain primeval giant). These are among the mightiest of creatures in Mythic Europe, and are comparable with Archangels in their level of power. |
Magical giants usually make their dwellings far from the haunts of men. They avoid prolonged contact with the Dominion — which is why, rural priests are fond of saying, they are less common today than they were in the pagan past. They usually take up residence in caves or ruined castles, but sometimes build huge houses instead. They may subsist by hunting and foraging, by raising livestock, by pillaging and banditry, or by some combination of the three. Some giants are solitary, but it is just as common for a group of giants to live together.
As a rule, giants are boorish, violent, and cruel. Both giants and giantesses are coarse in appearance and manner. They are almost always ugly and sometimes have prominent deformities. Male giants tend to be arrogant and boastful; their pride makes them easily provoked to violence. Many giants also display the vices of gluttony or drunkenness. They are dull witted, though they can display a certain low cunning. A rare few giants are peaceful or even gentle, but most are fierce and wicked.
Most giants are affected by the Forms of Corpus and Mentem. They usually have a limited repertoire of magical powers, often nothing more than their prodigious size.
Designing Giants
Technically, any being of humanoid form, but larger than human size, could be considered a giant. This chapter is mainly concerned with gigantic beings who do not fall into any other category: human-like giants, as opposed to large elementals or the like. Giants get their enormous Size from the Gigantic Quality (see Chapter 4: Magic Characters, Major Magic Qualities).
Concept
Giants can be worthy combat adversaries for companions or magi with a martial bent. With a little imagination, one can think of other possible story roles for giants. For example, perhaps the characters need to build a bridge or other structure in a short time, and hit upon the idea of recruiting a giant to help as a laborer. A wise giant could be used by the storyguide as a source of ancient legends, a guide into a Magical regio, or a practitioner of rune magic (see Ancient Magic, pages 133-141).
Giants larger than Size +2 are unlikely to make good player characters − think carefully before using them as such. This is mainly because giants are very formidable in combat, making it difficult for the storyguide to design opponents powerful enough to challenge the giant, yet weak enough not to overwhelm the other player characters. In addition, the panicked response a 10-foottall giant would cause among mundanes could seriously sidetrack most sagas.
Most giants are affected by Corpus magic, but some are closely associated with one of the elemental Forms instead (most commonly, Terram).
Giants should be designed according to the rules for Magic Humans in Chapter 4. Note that giants have the Gigantic Quality, which will increase their Strength and reduce their Quickness. Apply the effects of that Quality after purchasing Characteristics.
Giants do not have any other compulsory Virtues or Flaws, but may choose any Virtues and Flaws they wish (except obviously contradictory Flaws like Small Frame or Dwarf) within the normal allowance for characters. Some suggestions include:
Virtues: Greater Immunity, Ways of the (Land); Animal Ken, Wilderness Sense, Berserk, Puissant (Martial Ability), Reserves of Strength, Sharp Ears, Tough, Warrior. (Do not choose Giant Blood for a true giant; use the Gigantic Quality instead.)
Flaws: Major Personality Flaw (Avaricious, Compassionate, Greedy, or Proud, depending on story role), Fury, Greater Malediction, Outlaw, Wanderlust; Lesser Malediction, Afflicted Tongue, Feral Upbringing, Hunchback, Infamous, Poor Intelligence, Simple Minded, Weakness, Weak-Willed.
Giants in the Medieval RomancesGiants appear occasionally in the medieval romances, such as Chrétien de Troyes’ epic poems about the Knights of the Round Table. Giants in these tales are almost always brutish villains. Using the rules in this chapter, you can design similar opponents for the heroes of your own stories. The giants in the romances usually dwell in castles: either abandoned ruins, or the former homes of their first victims. They proceed to rob and terrorize the surrounding countryside. Giants are portrayed in the romances as mighty opponents, often boasting of how many knights they have slain. They are boorish and cruel, in contrast to their chivalrous opponents. Although the romances are not often clear about the giants’ exact size, they cannot be very big as giants go. Sir Yvain was able to hit the giant Harpin of Mountain in the face with his sword, albeit while mounted. Thus, Harpin was probably Size +3 or less. In the romances, giants are invariably armed with clubs, and usually wear heavy furs for protection. They tend not to display any overt magical powers. The example giant Barcas in this chapter is based on Ferragus, a giant who fought the hero Roland in one of the romances (History of the Life of Charlemagne and Roland, also known as the pseudo-Turpin). How Big is a Giant?The following table gives approximate heights and weights for a figure of human proportions. It assumes that body density remains constant regardless of Size. Sizes below +1 are shown for comparison. The ranges of heights and weights are meant only as a guide. In Ars Magica Fifth Edition, a character’s height and weight are determined by his Size Characteristic, not the other way round: a grog weighing 200 pounds cannot increase his Size to +1 simply by putting on 20 pounds of extra weight (unless, at the storyguide’s discretion, the character actually becomes Obese). An especially tall and slender character might be a little taller than the normal range for his Size, or a heavyset one might weigh a bit more than the table suggests.
The most famous giant in Mythic Europe, Goliath of Gath (from the Bible), was nine and a half feet tall: Size +2. The Nephilim, described in Realms of Power: Divine as being 300 cubits (500 feet) tall, would be Size +18 and weigh about 60,000 tons. |
Season and Abilities
Giants may be designed as any Season. A Spring giant is physically immature and gets a penalty to Characteristics as if it were a child; see ArM5, page 29. (The storyguide should set the exact penalty.)
In most cases, giants should be able to speak at least one language and should take an appropriate Language Ability. This must be paid for using the experience points the giant gains for its Season; unlike human player characters, giants do not get a starting score in a language “for free.” Giants must obey the usual restriction against starting with Academic, Arcane, or Martial Abilities unless they possess a Virtue that grants access to them. (Exception: the storyguide may wish to allow a giant to speak a dead language if appropriate to its background; for example, a giantess who has been trapped in a regio since ancient times might speak Latin as her native language.)
Might and Qualities
All giants must take the Major Quality, Gigantic; giants larger than Size +2 should take it more than once. The giant must be designed with a high enough Might score so it has sufficient Qualities to have the desired Size. (Taking Gigantic multiple times can be costly).
Other common Qualities for giants include Virtues that grant strength or toughness, improved combat statistics (especially Soak), and, occasionally, powers related to earth and stone.
Finishing Touches
The traditional weapons for giants in medieval tales are clubs or cudgels. Compute combat statistics as normal, keeping in mind how the Gigantic Quality affects the giant’s Strength and Quickness.
Giants’ Personality Traits can be a good way to reflect their coarse nature. Consider choices such as Cruel, Oafish, Drunkard, Angry, Proud, or Gullible.
Giants in CombatThe Ars Magica Fifth Edition combat rules are oriented toward characters of human size. Some special considerations apply to combat between humans and giants. As noted on page 192 of ArM5, a threepoint difference in size is approximately a tenfold difference in mass. This weight advantage gives giants an advantage in certain combat situations. For instance, it does not seem plausible that a 175-pound man should have an easy time grappling and pinning a 1750-pound giant! The storyguide can simply rule that attempting to punch, grapple, or disarm a giant is completely ineffective. For a more complicated, but less arbitrary, approach, use the following rule of thumb: a giant gains a special defensive bonus equal to double the difference between its Size and a smaller opponent’s. This can be applied to Defense rolls against scuffling and grappling, Defense rolls against being disarmed, and so on. This bonus does not apply against regular attacks with melee or missile weapons. Giants of Size +4 or larger must bend over double in order to reach a Size 0 human with their hands. In such situations, giants usually prefer to kick, or use weapons. Giants are subject to Corpus spells, but the base Individual Target for Corpus is a person of Size +1 or less. Most Corpus spells are not designed to affect anything as big as a giant. |
Character Guide: A Typical Giant
This character guide is for a typical giant of the sort found throughout the British Isles. Such giants have been known to form alliances with hedge wizards or faeries. This character guide has 205 Experience Points available to spend on Abilities, should the storyguide wish to complete it as a detailed character. Also, note that it carries only Inexpensive equipment, and so is eligible for either an armor or weapon upgrade, or the Poor Flaw (and three points of new Virtues to balance it). |
Barcas, the Giant
- Magic Might: 16 (Terram)
- Characteristics: Int –2, Per 0, Pre +1, Com –2, Str +6, Sta +2, Dex +2, Qik 0
- Size: +2
- Season: Summer
- Confidence Score: 1 (3)
- Virtues and Flaws: Magic Human; Puissant Brawl, Tough; Overconfident (minor), Weakness (alcohol)
- Magic Qualities and Inferiorities: Gigantic; Improved Might (x6), Personal Power (x2), Terram Resistance; Minor Flaw (Lesser Malediction: vulnerable spot), Susceptible to Deprivation
- Personality Traits: Boastful +4, Brave +2, Impulsive +2
- Combat:
- Grapple: Init 0, Attack +11, Defense +9, Damage n/a
- Fist: Init 0, Attack +10, Defense +8, Damage +6
- Soak: +9
- Wound Penalties: –1 (1–7), –3 (8–14), –5 (16–21), Incapacitated (22+), Dead (29+)
- Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious
- Abilities: (Area) Lore 3 (famous wrestlers), Brawl 6+2 (grappling), Animal Handling 4 (sheep), Carouse 3 (drinking wine), Craft (Carpentry) 1 (building lean-tos), Leadership 2 (intimidation), (Living Language) 4 (rustic dialect), Survival 3 (mountains), Terram Resistance 4 (metal)
- Powers:
- Invulnerability to Metal, 0 points, Init n/a, Terram Barcas cannot be harmed by metal weapons of any kind; they simply bounce off his skin. There is one weakness in this defense (see below). ReTe 30 (Base 5, +2 Sun, +2 affect metal, +1 continuous effect): Lesser Power x2 (35 levels, –3 Might cost)
- Equipment: Sheepskin clothing, empty wineskin Encumbrance: 0 Vis: 4 Terram in skin
- Appearance: Barcas stands about nine feet tall and weighs over 600 pounds. He has wild hair and a long, unkempt beard. His skin is flint colored and of a gravelly texture. He is rather good looking as giants go, being merely homely instead of hideously ugly. He wears crude garments of sheepskin and carries no weapons.
Barcas considers himself an invincible wrestler and loudly proclaims his prowess to anyone who will listen. He loves a good fight and eagerly accepts a challenge from any warrior or wrestler. Barcas scorns weapons as things for “puny little people,” but he doesn’t object if his opponent wants to use them; he feels utterly secure that his magical power will protect him.
Barcas enjoys a nearly complete immunity to metal weapons. He has only one small vulnerable spot, just below the sternum. If an attacker knows this weakness and specifically concentrates his attacks on it, he suffers a –3 penalty to Attack but can inflict full normal damage, bypassing both Barcas’s magical invulnerability and his Terram Resistance. Spells and non-metallic weapons can harm Barcas normally; his Terram Resistance gives him a Soak bonus against metal weapons that bypass his Magic Resistance.
Norse Giants and Trolls
Norse mythology speaks of several races of giants spawned from the primordial giant Ymir, who aeons ago was slain by the gods and whose body was formed into the world. Ymir was so vast that a single eyebrow was used to form all of Midgard. The Norse name for giants is Jotunnar (singular, Jotunn). Myths speak of frost giants, mountain giants, sea giants, storm giants, and fire giants. The land of the giants is called Jotunheim, though the fire giants dwell in a different place, the fiery prison of Muspelheim. These domains might be places within the Magic Realm.
Unlike common giants, Norse giants are affiliated with the elemental Forms rather than the Form of Corpus (Terram for mountain giants, Aquam for frost or sea giants, and so on). Their minds are affected by Mentem.
All Norse giants have magical powers. Some possibilities include:
- Some Norse giants are full-fledged, nonHermetic wizards. Rules for Norse rune magic appear in the forthcoming Ars Magica Fifth Edition supplement, Hedge Magic. Alternatively, the storyguide could give the giant-wizard an array of Qualities that grant spell-like powers.
- A few wise giants possess the powers of Divination and Augury (from The Mysteries, Revised Edition, pages 58-63).
- Frost giants have Greater Immunity to cold.
- Fire giants have a Greater Immunity to fire.
- Sea giants can breathe underwater (a Lesser Power that operates continuously).
- Mountain giants have Terram Resistance (see Chapter 4: Magic Characters, Minor Magic Qualities ).
- Storm giants have Auram Resistance and a Lesser Immunity to lightning.
- Some Norse giants can change shape into other gigantic forms: use the Skinchanger or Shapeshifter Virtues to represent this power.
- A few Norse giants are able to change size. Design the giant according to its largest possible Size and give it a Lesser Power that allows it to shrink. When the giant reduces its size, its Strength diminishes by 2 and its Quickness improves by 1 for each point of Size reduction.
Norse myths speak of giants as big as mountains. Either these accounts have become exaggerated through generations of re-telling, or such colossal beings dwell permanently in the Magic Realm and are rarely seen by mortals. Most Jotunarr encountered in Mythic Europe range in Size from +2 to about +9.
Related to the Jotunarr is a race of Scandinavian trolls. The term “troll” is ambiguous and refers generically to a Magical or Faerie humanoid with supernatural powers. Scandinavian trolls resemble extremely ugly or misshapen giants. They are usually on the small side for giants (Size +2 to +4), and may have monstrous features such as claws or tusks.
Rok, the Storm Giant
- Magic Might: 28 (Auram)
- Characteristics: Int –2, Per 0, Pre +2, Com –2, Str +10, Sta +2, Dex +1, Qik –2
- Size: +4
- Season: Summer
- Confidence Score: 1 (3)
- Virtues and Flaws: Magic Human; Arcane Lore, Berserk, Reserves of Strength; Avaricious (major)
- Magic Qualities and Inferiorities: Focus Power, Gigantic (x3), Greater Power; Auram Resistance, Improved Might (x3), Improved Powers, Improved Soak (x3), Minor Virtue (Lesser Immunity to lightning), Personal Power
- Personality Traits: Avaricious +6, Angry +3, Violent +2
- Combat:
- Axe & Round Shield: Init –1, Attack +11*, Defense +6*, Damage +16
- Axe: Init –1, Attack +10*, Defense +3*, Damage +16
- Kick: Init –3, Attack +4*, Defense 0*, Damage +13
* Add +2 to Attack and –2 to Defense when Rok is berserk
- Soak: +14 (+16 when berserk)
- Wound Penalties: –1 (1–9), –3 (10–18), –5 (19–28), Incapacitated (28-26), Dead (37+)
- Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious
- Abilities: Auram Resistance 4 (hail), Brawl 3 (kick), Concentration 3 (10) (controlling storms), Leadership 2 (intimidation), Magic Lore 4 (Norse giants), (Living Language) 3 (nautical terms), Old Norse 5 (incantations), Single Weapon 5 (axe), Survival 4 (cold climates), Thrown Weapon 1 (javelin)
- Powers:
- Master of Fierce Winds, 1–5 points, Init –7, Auram Rok can spontaneously conjure Creo Auram effects of fifth magnitude or less that create violent winds or hail. One of his favorite effects is Charge of the Angry Winds (ArM5, page 125). (Focus Power)
- Gathering of the Stormy Might, 2 points, Init –3, Auram. R: Sight, D: Conc, T: Group As the spell on page 129 of ArM5. ReAu 40 (Base 5, +3 Sight, +2 Group, +2 Size): Greater Power (40 levels, –2 Might cost)
- True Sight of the Air, 0 points, Init n/a, Auram. R: Per, D: Sun, T: Vision As the spell on page 127 of ArM5. This ability is continuously active. InAu 20 (Base 1, +2 Sun, +4 Vision, +1 continuous effect): Personal Power (20 levels, –1 Might cost), Improved Powers (–1 Might cost, 10 xp Concentration)
- Equipment: Axe, round shield, partial chain mail armor.
- Encumbrance: 0
- Vis: 6 Auram in hands
- Appearance: Rok is a fierce-looking giant with long, flowing hair and a beard tousled by the small winds that constantly whirl about him. He stands about 15 feet tall. He dresses in the manner of the Northmen of bygone days, including — when prepared for battle — an iron helmet and mail byrnie.
Rok is something of a weakling among the storm giants, being one of the smaller members of that mighty and fearsome race. In battle, he uses his power over winds to create a Charge of the Angry Winds effect, to let him break up groups of opponents and hold enemies at bay until he can single out one victim to engage with his axe.
Giants Story SeedsA Cavernous CageA giant named Morag has been driven from his home deep in the mountains by a group of diabolists. He has wandered into the area near the covenant and started practicing the traditional trade of his people: robbery. His first act has been to ambush and capture a local knight, whom he now holds hostage in a cave — the entrance is sealed with a boulder so heavy, even Morag needs a stout lever to dislodge it. If the characters simply slay the giant, they may never be able to free his captive. On the other hand, Morag craves revenge against the diabolists and could be persuaded to join forces with the characters to destroy them. Use the Character Guide for “ A Typical Giant” for Morag’s stats. An Unquenchable ThirstRecently, some nearby humans stole one of Barcas’s sheep, and after punishing the miscreants he discovered their wineskin and acquired a taste for alcohol. Now Barcas is robbing and pillaging his way toward civilization, guzzling wine and ale by the gallon wherever he uncovers it. Perhaps the covenant is caught in his path, or nearby mundanes ask the magi for help. If Barcas can be plied with enough ale and kept talking (that is, bragging), he will eventually let slip that he has one “insignificant” weakness. Alternately, Barcas can be humiliated into departing if a character manages to defeat him in a wrestling match. Stormy SeasThe captain of a certain ship that plies the northern seas has formed a pact with Rok. The giant rides aboard the captain’s ship (part of the hold is outfitted as his cabin) and summons up storms against rival merchantmen. In addition to handsomely lining the captain’s pockets (and the giant’s), their activities are starting to noticeably disrupt shipping. Since the culprits are constantly on the move, it would be difficult to trace the mysterious storms to their source. Especially if magi from different covenants and Tribunals jump to different conclusions about the cause. Once discovered, Rok can be defeated in battle or simply bought off with a hefty bribe. |
Non-Human Giants
To design a oversized elemental, a spirit with a gigantic material form, or even a giant animal, use the rules for designing a creature of that type (from Chapter 8: Magic Things in the Elementals section, Chapter 7: Magic Spirits, or Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, respectively) and simply choose Gigantic as one of the creature’s Qualities.
Spirit Votaries
A spirit votary is a devoted worshiper of a magical spirit. In pre-Christian days, these individuals would be high priests and priestesses, and form a cult to venerate their spirits; similar powers could be found among a number of different cultures. Today, a spirit votary tends to be a solitary figure railing against the overt superiority of the Dominion of God.
New Virtue: Spirit Votary
Free, Supernatural
Taking this Virtue at character creation makes the character a Mythic Companion — a special type of character that takes the place of a player’s magus character. This Virtue grants the Second Sight Virtue for free, and allows the character to have two points of Virtues for every point of Flaw (for more information on Mythic Companions, see Blood of Heroes in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 103).
A Spirit Votary is required to take the Spiritual Pact Virtue (see below), along with either three Minor Supernatural Virtues or one Major Supernatural Virtue. These virtues represent the spiritual gifts of the spirit. To balance these 6 points of Virtues, the character possesses the Pagan Flaw (see Houses o Hermes: True Lineages page 109). The character may take up to 7 more points of Flaws, each point granting 2 points to spend on further Virtues. Not all characters with the Spiritual Pact Virtue are Spirit Votaries, but the latter are among the most powerful.
New Virtue: Spiritual Pact
Major, Supernatural
The character has made a pact or agreement with a powerful Magical spirit, and in return for loyal service, is granted access to that spirit’s power. The pact serves as an Arcane Connection to the character of indefinite duration, which the spirit can use to make itself aware of the current location and state of health of its servant.
The character can channel the power of the spirit by spending a Confidence Point. Make a Presence + Magic Lore + stress die roll: this is the amount of Magic Might Pool that the character acquires from his spiritual master. The Might points acquired are always less than the current Might points of the spirit, regardless of the roll’s result. On a botch, the character loses all current Confidence points. This action is equivalent to spellcasting in with regard to the concentration it requires. The character can spend these Might points on any of the spirit’s powers. Penetration is calculated in the usual way for magical creatures using the initial Might Pool in place of Magic Might, and including the character’s Penetration Ability, if any.
The character using this power does not have a Might score, just a Might pool. He does not gain Magic Resistance from the use of this power, nor does he leave behind vis if he is slain. He cannot be affected by Vim spells (or similar magics) that target the Might score of supernatural creatures. Without a Might score, the pool does not replenish; once the character has spent all of his Might points this power ends. All powers used have their duration lapse when the character uses his last point of Might Pool. If this power is evoked again while the character still possesses Might Pool, then the new points gained replace the points left over; the two pools do not add. The points acquired by the character are lost from the spirit’s Might pool and cannot be returned by the character, but the spirit regenerates the spent points as normal.
While the connection to the spirit is active, there is some visual manifestation of this, which makes it clear that some supernatural effect is taking place. For example, if contacting a fertility spirit, fruits and grains might spring from around the character’s footsteps. While in contact with a war spirit, a character might appear to be clothed in ghostly armor. When the character is actively channeling the spirit, he acts as an Arcane Connection to the spirit of indefinite duration, although this connection lapses when the Might Pool is exhausted.
The storyguide should decide upon the powers of the spirit. With the agreement of the troupe, this Virtue could be used to channel the power from a spirit of a different Supernatural Realm; or from a group of closely related spirits, such as a small pantheon of pagan “gods,” but care should be taken not to grant the character too much flexibility with this one Virtue. A character can only have a single pact.
Lise
- Characteristics: Int +2, Per –2, Pre +5, Com –1, Str +1, Sta +2, Dex –1, Qik –1
- Size: 0
- Age: 129 (Apparent Age 40)
- Decrepitude: 0 (living under the Stasis power of a spirit)
- Warping Score: 4 (15)
- Confidence Score: 2 (8 points)
- Virtues and Flaws: Spirit Votary; Wise One; Entrancement, Greater Immunity to Iron, Spiritual Pact, Ways of the Forest; Affinity with Magic Lore, Forest Lore*, Great Presence (x2), Premonitions, Puissant Profession Herbalist, Second Sight, Self Confident; Pagan, Restriction (must be in contact with earth), Poor; Driven, Lesser Malediction (bizarre appearance)**, Visions**
* Described in Guardians of the Forest on page 37 and Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults on page 103; this virtue grants a Supernatural Ability that represents a mystic connection with the landscape. If these sources are unavailable, substitute Wilderness Sense.
** from Warping
- Personality Traits: Vengeful +3, Resourceful +2, Sly +2
- Reputations: Pagan Priestess 2 (Local)
- Combat:
- Dagger: Init –1, Attack +6, Defense +4, Damage +4
- Thrown Knife: Init –1, Attack +5, Defense +4, Damage +3
- Soak: +2
- Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious
- Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)
- Abilities: Awareness 3 (in regiones), Brawl 4 (dagger), Carouse 4 (pagan rituals), Chirurgy 5 (poisoning), Concentration 3 (prayer), Entrancement 6 (widowers), Faerie Lore 3 (forest fae), Folk Ken 3 (pagans), Forest Lore 6 (herbs), Guile 2 (men), Hunt 4 (small game), Local Area Lore 5 (regio), Magic Lore 7 (worship of Earth Mother), Music 2 (ritual music), Native Language 5 (prayer), Penetration 5 (Entrancement), Premonitions 4 (threats to forest), Profession: Herbalist 5+2 (poisons), Regional Area Lore 3 (pagans), Second Sight 5 (genii loci), Stealth 4 (forests), Survival 5 (forests), Thrown Weapon 4 (knife)
- Powers:
- Crafter of Earth, variable points, Init – (Might cost + 1), Terram. Enliven the Gross Earth, 6 points, Init –11, Terram. Guide, 3 points, Init 0, Mentem
- Eidolon, 1 points, Init –1, Imaginem: Lise can use this power to change her apparent appearance to that of a much younger woman.
- Ruler of Plants, variable points, Init – (Might cost + 1), Herbam.
* Note that these powers belong to the spirit who grants her power. For details, see Chapter 4: Characters under Common Powers, and Chapter 7: Magic Spirits.
- Appearance: Lise’s life has been greatly extended by the Stasis power of her guardian spirit, however, this has left her appearance severely Warped; her body is a patchwork of different ages. While her face is that of a maiden, she has the body of a mature woman and the limbs of a crone. When invoking her power, her legs sprout roots that writhe into the ground, and there is a strong smell of damp soil.
Raised in the Old Ways by her grandmother deep in the woods, Lise was sixteen before she met another human. Once she discovered a village she visited it often, even falling in love with one of the serfs. Seeking marriage, she went to a priest to accept baptism, but rather than being taught her catechism she was badly treated by him instead. The priest told lies to Lise’s lover, which resulted in his rejection of her. She fled from the village, vowing never to return. In the forest, her hatred for the priest (and by extension, the Church) festered. Remembering her grandmother’s teaching, she searched out the holy place of the Dark Mother, a chthonic spirit of the deep forest and fertile earth who had good reason to resent the Church. Lise became the Dark Mother’s only priestess. She has since dwelled within the spirit’s Magical regio of 8, her life extended by the spirit’s Stasis power, but she has been terribly Warped.
Story Seed: RevengeHaving amassed power and knowledge from her spiritual mentor, Lise is now ready to leave the regio that has both sheltered and Warped her, and pursue her goal to rid the world of the Church, one priest at a time. She is dangerously mad; her opinion of the entire Church is based on one unfortunate experience with a corrupt priest. Since her life has been extended due to the Stasis power of her mentor (see Chapter 8: Spirits, Common Powers), she cannot leave a Magic aura without aging dramatically. Her first task, therefore, is to spread the Magic aura of her genius loci to engulf the village; once the church is surrounded, she can then enter the village again and exact her revenge. |
Magic Kin
The power of Magic occasionally produces families of characters aligned with Magic who share many of the same essential qualities and magical powers. These are often called magic kin, which suggests that their powers run in their magical lineage. However, there are also magic kin who receive special abilities from beings who do not live and reproduce as humans do, and so must pass on their essential qualities some other way, such as through magical transformation or Mystery Cults.
Below are examples of ten different kinds of magic kin. Players can develop them into stories using the story hooks provided, or use these as character templates for either magic characters or characters aligned with Magic, if they wish. Each kin has several “Inherited Virtues” and “Common Flaws” that characters designed to belong to that family should strongly consider taking during character creation.
Atlanteans
Atlanteans are creatures of Magic who live in the deep ocean and have little or no contact with men. Occasionally, however, one is caught in the net of fishermen seeking deepsea herring, and brought to the surface world. Most Atlanteans have the form of fishes, and so do not survive for very long out of the water. But a few are capable of changing their form, and so can adapt to life out of water. Unfortunately, the insular Atlantean society does not tolerate the return those who have been “polluted” by contact with the surface world, and the returned Atlantean most often finds herself permanently exiled from her native home.
Some Hermetic scholars claim that Atlanteans are the descendants of the inhabitants of Atlantis who survived the drowning of their continent (hence their name), and who have since colonized the ocean floor, founding a kingdom of marine cities. Other scholars contend that Atlanteans are really creatures from the Magic Realm who are totally unconnected with the historical city of Atlantis. Some Merinita magi, who have studied the faeries of the sea, have concluded that stories of mermaids originated in garbled tales of Atlanteans told by sailors.
Atlantean characters may be generated with powers that utilize the special Range: Water-way, the special Duration: Storm, and the special Target: Body-of-water (see Chapter 4: Characters, New and Modified Virtues, Atlantean Magic).
Atlantean Stats
Inherited Virtues: Surface Form (a version of Skinchanger), Voice of the (Ocean), Greater Power: Decree of the Atlantean, Greater Power: Murmur of the Deep.
Inherited Flaws: Exiled Atlantean, Personality Flaw associated with her exile (for example Depressed).
Decree of the Atlantean 1 Point, Init: Qik+1, Animal R: Water-way, D: Conc, T: Ind The character may summon a creature of water within the same water-way (see Chapter 4: Characters, New and Modified Virtues, Atlantean Magic), and order it to perform a task. Dolphins are particularly eager to please Atlanteans and always attempt to obey a summons, even at considerable risk to themselves. Other water creatures will only obey a summons if a Presence + Leadership roll against an Ease Factor of 6 + Creature Size is successfully made. The power must also Penetrate the Magic Resistance of a Magical creature to be effective. The character can attempt to summon either a specific individual, or a type of creature, in which case the closest of that type responds. Of course, if the water creature is distant it may take a considerable period of time for it to swim to the character’s location. ReAn 10 (Base 2, +3 Water-way, +1 Conc): Greater Power (10 levels, 30 levels of Penetration, +2 Init)
Murmur of the Deep 0 points, Init: Qik+1, Imaginem R: Water-way, D: Conc, T: Ind The character can hear from the vantage of any point in the same Water-way (see Chapter 4: Characters, New and Modified Virtues, Atlantean Magic). InIm 5 (Base 1, +3 Water-way, +1 Concentration): Greater Power (5 levels, –1 cost, 15 levels of Penetration, 15 xp in Concentration, +2 Init)
Men Born To Atlanteans
Sometimes a child is born to an exiled Atlantean. Such a character can be represented by the Minor Supernatural Virtue: Magical Blood (see Chapter 4: Characters). A few magi have studied the magic of exiled Atlanteans; a magus with this heritage has the Minor Hermetic Virtue: Atlantean Magic (see Chapter 4: Characters). One way this Virtue could be used in a saga is as the basis of a Hermetic Mystery Cult.
Story Seed: Woman from AtlantisWord is brought to the covenant of a noblewoman caught in the ocean by fishermen living in a nearby town. The woman is very surly and uncommunicative, although she does stridently proclaim that she is Pavania — a princess of Atlantis — and that simple fishermen are beneath her. Pavania is aware of The Gift, although she has not heard of the Order of Hermes, and if she learns of the magi’s powers she will demand that they remove from her “the taint of the surface world.” In return, Pavania says that she will guide the magi to her home, the sunken city of Atlantis, where they will be richly reward by her grateful father, the King of Atlantis. Do the magi believe her? How do they remove “the taint of the surface world?” Even if Pavania is telling the truth, who (or what) is the King of Atlantis and what would he consider a “reward?” Atlantean Character Guide
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Flame Dancers
Some people are born with magical fire in their blood, and this is especially true of those known as the Flame Dancers — men and women possessed by the power of fire. Some say they are inhabited by a flame spirit, others believe they have been taken by a fever or madness, and a few think that they are nothing more than hedonists who delight in passion and pleasure. Whatever the case, the Flame Dancers represent fire given life in a human body.
Flame Dancers generally love two things: fires and flesh. These are the mainstays of a Flame Dancer gathering, which may be several congregating to celebrate an event, or a single Flame Dancer encouraging other people to enjoy themselves. They cannot resist a good bonfire once it’s dark, and as soon as it gets going they generally feel compelled to dance around the flames. During this dance, they never tire. Flame Dancers sometimes have other compulsions, but whatever they may be, they always do them with flames; flames are part of their nature. If they must play music, they do so while a fire burns. If they must drink, they drink beside a crackling fireplace. If they are compelled to fight, they fight with fire. These activities are interconnected to them, so that they cannot do one without the other.
Flame Dancer Stats
Inherited Virtues: Greater Power: Let the Bonfire Burn, Personal Power: Endurance of the Flame Dancer
Common Flaws: Age Quickly, Compulsion (something to do with fire)
Endurance of the Flame Dancer 1 point, Init (Qik – 2), Corpus
R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind
The character feels as though he is unwounded and without fatigue until the sun rises or sets. (See Endurance of the Berserkers, ArM5 page 134.)
ReCo 20 (base 10, +2 Sun): Personal Power (20 levels, –1 Might cost)
Let the Bonfire Burn 0 points (+20 Penetration), Init (Qik – 3), Ignem
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind
The character sets fire to an individual target that is slightly inflammable, like damp wood, up to the size of a house.
CrIg 20 (Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 size): Greater Power (20 levels, -2 Might cost, +20 Penetration)
Forgotten Gods
As the Dominion began to spread throughout Mythic Europe, many of the powerful beasts and spirits once worshiped as gods or feared as monsters began to retreat into Magic auras and the Magic Realm. Over time, many of them were forgotten, or their places taken by angels, faeries, and demons associated with the supernatural aspects of the world that had once been considered magical. They eventually ceased to exist at all in the mundane world. In the 13th century, a few of these Forgotten Gods may still remain hidden deep within the Magic Realm, sleeping away the ages until their time comes again.
Another way for the Forgotten Gods to survive within the waxing Divine realm is to take a living form — to become a human or animal or some other thing that can interact with the world. From within this new body, this magical force of nature can continue to influence the world as it once did, and experience life outside of the natural constraints imposed by Magic.
Many members of the Cult of Mercury believe that Mercere was the god Mercury reborn — though even among them there is disagreement as to his true nature: some think that Mercere was a man born with the blood of the gods, a sort of Mercurial demigod; while others believe he was an aspect of the god Mercury that took a human form. The former description matches the beliefs of the Cult of Heroes, while the latter suggests he was a Forgotten God. Of course, no one knows for sure which (or indeed if either) of these legends is true.
Forgotten Gods typically have some sort of focus — a type of magic or a part of the natural world over which they have influence. As characters, they should take a Greater Power or Focus Power that describes this influence. For example, if a goddess were associated with cats, she might have a power that would allow her to summon them or convince them to do her bidding.
Forgotten God Stats
Inherited Virtues: Focus Power (something associated with the character’s magical influence, e.g. Wizard’s Communion)
Common Flaws: Proud (Major) or Pagan (see Chapter 4: Characters)
Wizard’s Communion variable, Init (Qik – 5), Vim
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind
As the spell on page 160 of Ars Magica Fifth Edition, the character can contribute 10 levels towards a spell cast with Communion by spending a Fatigue level. MuVi General (base effect, +2 Voice): Focus Power (10 levels, +5 Penetration) (Note that this is the version of the power to be taken as a Virtue; one taken as a Magic Quality would depend on the character’s Might.)
Story Seed: Fuel for the FlamesA scribe turns up at the covenant, offering to trade his skill at copying and illuminating books for room and board. He says he had to flee the church where he lately worked when it burned down. The man is unknowingly a Flame Dancer, who wants to overcome what he perceives as his baser nature, but his passions are aroused whenever he reads books that feature lewd or lascivious women. Certain passages of the Bible inflamed his desire, and as a result he accidentally set fire to the building. He will not admit this weakness if he can help it, since he sees it as a private punishment from God for his sins — but the magi can only safely hire his services so long as they ensure he does not read anything provocative, or else their own library might be in danger. Story Seed: No Gods Before MeWhile staying at a nearby monastery, the characters hear from one of the brothers the story of a new initiate who has lived in the penitent’s cell for the last 30 days, and who seems to suffer from an unusual form of madness. According to the young man, he is Jove, the ancient god of the sky — or at least, he was. From what they have been able to make out amid his sobbing and violent outbursts, he was hungry and thirsty, and went to a church where he was offered Communion. He accepted it, and afterwards was stripped of all of his great powers. He feels he has been betrayed by the Divine, but also feels God’s love and mercy for him. The monks think he has the potential to be a great holy man if he could only overcome his proud delusion that he is a god. If the characters go to him, they will find that this Forgotten God thinks he is telling the truth, and that he does have Magical powers, but that he also has True Faith. Will the characters get involved in his story? |
Loamwalkers
The ancient power of trees is known to many who study the realm of Magic, and a common belief is that all the trees in a single forest are connected through a sort of magical group mind. In a sense this is true, since most trees are within voice range of each other; if they could talk, as they are thought to do in powerful areas of Magic, word would likely spread quickly among them. In Magic auras and in the Magic Realm, trees sometimes awaken as magical beings (see Chapter 8: Magic Things).
It is said that once every generation, one of these tree-spirits is born in a human shape or gains the power to adopt a human shape, and it becomes her duty act as a representative of the trees within the mundane world. These beings are called Loamwalkers. They use their powers to go forth into society to look after the interests of their forests. They are thus most common in parts of the world where there are large, sprawling forests and wild lands filled with trees, especially the lands of the Rhine and Novgorod Tribunals.
Being a Loamwalker is a great secret, and not something most of them believe is wise to share with others. Instead, they pretend to belong to other groups interested in nature, or join organizations that are open to anyone, guiding their members towards choices that serve their own interests. One such example is the group of Redcaps known as the Broken Branches, who are united in their love of nature and respect for the wild. Their founder was a Loamwalker who became a Redcap for the Order of Hermes, and so new Loamwalkers interested in magi often know to seek out that House.
Loamwalkers are typically shy and antisocial, and usually spend several years growing accustomed to humans before joining them. One method they have for doing this is to go to a place very near people, perhaps right on the edge of a village’s fields, and change into a tree. In this form, they can then watch the humans and learn, until they feel ready to join their community. This can take many years.
Loamwalker Stats
Inherited Virtues: Personal Power: From Hill to Hollow, Personal Power (x2): Stance of the Patient Tree, or Personal Power (x2): Stride of the Impatient Human, Greater Power: Walk Among the Ancients
Common Flaws: Dark Secret (Loamwalker), Essential Flaw (minor): Antisocial (Presence), Fear (fire), Baneful Circumstances (must be rooted into the earth)
From Hill to Hollow 0 points, Init (Qik – 2), Corpus
R: Per, D: Mom, T: Ind
The character can move instantly from one tree to another, so long as the trees are within her sight and no further than 50 paces away.
ReCo(He) 15 (Base 15): Personal Power (15 levels, –2 Might cost)
Stance of the Patient Tree 1 point, Init (Qik – 4), Herbam
R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind
The character changes into a tree until the sun sets. (See ArM5, page 131)
MuCo(He) 35 (Base 25, +2 Sun): Personal Power x2 (35 levels, –3 Might cost)
Stride of the Impatient Human 0 points, Init (Qik – 1), Corpus
R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind
The character changes into a human being until the sun sets. (This is for Loamwalkers designed as a magic character with a tree as their true form.)
MuHe(Co) 25 (Base 5, +2 Sun, +2 size): Personal Power x2 (25 levels, –3 Might cost, +2 Init)
Walk Among the Ancients 1 point, Init (Qik – 4), Herbam
R: Per, D: Mom, T: Ind
The character can see into the Herbam province of the Twilight Void, passing through a tree’s vestige to lead others to another place, giving her a bonus to her Vestige Travel of +18.
InHe 35 (Base 25, +2 size): Greater Power (35 levels, –3 Might cost)
Lost Children
Some children in Mythic Europe are born to families that cannot care for them, who cannot acknowledge them, or who simply do not want them. A common practice is for the parents to rid themselves of their offspring by leaving the children deep in the woods, far from civilization and their homes, so that they cannot find their way back. By and large this is very effective, for very few of them do. However, when these children are left in a Magic aura, sometimes they find their way into the Magic Realm or gain powers through other means. Then they cease to be merely human and become Magical, cunning children who no longer grow or change and who remain the same age forever.
A Lost Child typically appears to be between the ages of five and 15, and so to play one you should design a character with the Size and Characteristics penalties of a child (from page 29 of Ars Magica Fifth Edition). Also, it may be appropriate to design the character with Cunning instead of Intelligence, if it is not intended as a player character.
Story Seed: Kidnapped!While traveling through a nearby wood, a player character attracts the notice of a Lost Child, though he does not know it. This adolescent falls in love with the character, and begins to follow the group closely. Being magical, the child is not interested in the niceties of courting or wooing, but instead engineers an abduction during the night, carrying off the character with whom she is infatuated. When the other characters awake, they realize they are missing one of their number and must follow the trail into the forest to recover their friend. Story Seed: The Trees Conspire Against UsWhen a famous figure in the Order of Hermes dies suddenly (Vinaria, the former Prima of House Merinita, for example), her body reverts to the form of a tree. In her will, she admits to being a Loamwalker and explains what this entailed. Her words imply that there are other Loamwalkers in the Order, as she warns the magi to mend their ways. The matter is brought to an emergency Tribunal to force these other tree-people hiding in their midst to reveal themselves. A trusted Redcap known to the characters — perhaps Ash, from The Broken Covenant of Calebais — admits to the characters that she is another of these trees in human form, and asks them to help shelter her from morepowerful magi who would use the threat of war to force her to reveal her secrets. |
Lost Child Stats
Inherited Virtues: Ritual Power: Seal the Wounds of Impetuous Youth, Unaging Common Flaws: Greater Malediction (does not grow out of the Size and Characteristic penalties of childhood), Social Handicap (acts like a child)
Seal the Wounds of Impetuous Youth 3 points, Init (Qik – 8), Corpus
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind
The character permanently heals a single Light wound.
CrCo 20 (Base 15, +1 Touch): Ritual Power (20 levels, –1 Might cost)
Men of the Lake
Elementals are the non-sentient embodiment of pure elemental forces (see Chapter 8: Magic Things). In a few lakes scattered across Mythic Europe, however, sentient creatures are known to live that appear otherwise similar to water elementals. These creatures refer to themselves as the Men of the Lake, and they sometimes leave their watery homes, taking humanoid form, to journey in the surface world. The Men of the Lake are typically placid individuals and tend to travel alone. They claim that their journeys are merely scholarly endeavors to gain information about the surface world. It is unclear whether Men of the Lake are merely superficially similar to elementals, or are in fact elementals that have somehow acquired intellect.
The lakes in which the Men of the Lake live — which include Lake Balaton (near Budapest), Loch Dee (in Scotland), and Lake Constance (in Germany) — all contain magical regiones deep below the water’s surface. It has been speculated that all the lakes are connected through a combination of underwater tunnels and magical portals. Magi have certainly observed that once a single Man of the Lake becomes aware of a particular fact, for example the construction of a covenant, then that knowledge rapidly spreads to his compatriots in other lakes across Mythic Europe. During the Schism War it is believed that some members of House Diedne used this network to rapidly travel across Mythic Europe, using it as an alternative Mercere Portal network (see Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 80). For this reason, most magi are suspicious of the Men of the Lake, and some even claim that the Men of the Lake are still sheltering Diedne refugees. For their part, the Men of the Lake are uninformative about both the existence of the lake network and their past relationship to House Diedne — if pressed, they claim to not understand Hermetic politics — and the Order of Hermes is unsure of the true extent of the powers of the Men of the Lake. Wise magi suggest caution, however, and cite an assault on Lake Balaton carried out by five magi of House Tremere, during the final years of the Schism War, as a warning. It is unclear what happened, but neither the Tremere nor their companions ever returned to the surface of the lake.
The society of the Men of the Lake is strictly divided upon seasonal lines. Spring characters live within the lake regiones, and seldom venture forth. As the character turns to summer he begins to make forays into the world, and as he becomes autumn he joins an ad hoc societas, dedicated to some particular interest, which he pursues with relish. For example, a societas might be dedicated to the study of trees, or of mountains, or of the city of Paris. As he turns to winter, the character returns to the lake regio. It is then unclear precisely what happens to a winter Man of the Lake — even Men of the Lake of other seasons are vague on the details. It seems, however, that winter Men of the Lake descend to a deep level of the lake regio, where they act like great, sentient libraries in their special interest, and also somehow maintain and police the network that connects the lake regiones. It is also possible that the winter Men of the Lake are eventually reborn as spring characters. The Order of Hermes is totally ignorant of how the society of the Men of the Lake is organized.
Story Seed: Men or Machinations?One of the magi befriends a Man of the Lake whose special interest is also her own magical forte, and she slowly unravels the details of his society’s organization. Once she learns of the “libraries” embodied by the winter Men of the Lake, she becomes driven to visit their nearby underwater regio. But she also wonders why the society of the Men of the Lake is constructed in this seemingly artificial manner — perhaps the Men of the Lake are not natural creatures but a magical creation of some type. |
Men of the Lake Stats
Inherited Virtues: Greater Power: Drown (see page 137), Personal Power: Simulacrum Form, Ritual Power: Command the Waters, Focus Power: Memory of Water, (Lake) Regio Network.
Inherited Flaws: Infamous (Hermetic reputation)
Simulacrum Form 1 point, Init: Constant, Aquam
R: Per, D: Constant, T: Ind
The character may take the physical form of anything that he touches — he reforms his body into a transparent, watery simulacrum of the target. As this is a constant effect, the character may freely transform his form without requiring activation of this power. However, it takes a round to effect a transformation, during which contact between the character and the target must be maintained. The simulacrum of the target is clearly made of water, will not be confused with the original target by even the most cursory of mundane inspections, and can also be distinguished from the original by Hermetic magic. The character can only take forms that are within 1 Size range of his native form — so, a size 0 character can take forms that range from size –1 to size +1. The change is mostly cosmetic, as the character only adopts the form of the target, he does not gain any abilities or powers, and his characteristics remain unchanged. However, if the target can walk or talk, the simulacrum may also do so — although he may only use languages that he already understands.
MuAq 20 (Base 5, +2 Sun, +1 Constant effect): Personal Power (20 levels, –1 cost)
Command the Waters 6 points, Init: Qik–16, Aquam
R: Sight, D: Mom, T: Ind, Ritual
The character forms a volume of water he sees into a water elemental. This has the same effect as the spell Rarefy the Crude Water (see Chapter 8: Magic Things, Elementals), but with Sight Range.
CrAq 40 (Base: 25, +3 Sight): Ritual Power (x2) (40 levels, –2 cost)
Memory of Water 2-5, Init: Qik–5, Aquam
R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind.
The character receives a mental image of a fragment of the past of a volume of water that he touches. The fragment of the past has a length of Concentration, and it might include the locales that the water flowed through, if the volume is a river, or the people who entered a room, if the volume is contained in an amphora in the room. The point cost depends upon the chronological distance of the water’s memories retrieved. A memory up to Diameter old has a cost of 2 Might Points, up to Sun old costs 3 Might Points, up to Moon old costs 4 Might Points, and a memory up to Year old costs 5 Might Points. Older memories are not accessible.
InAq 25 (Base: 3, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +4 Special Effect): Focus Power: (25 levels)
Orphan Born
The Orphan Born are a strange phenomenon in Mythic Europe, and in fact many would say that they are impossible. They are engendered by parents of whom one or both are long dead, and born beyond the veil that separates the corporeal world from the spirit world. Thus the term “Orphan Born” — they are essentially orphans from the moment of conception. They are real humans, however, and are typically returned to the world of the living and taken to live where they will be cared for. Most are raised in monasteries or nunneries until they come of age, or other charitable institutions willing to take in children without living parents.
Orphan Born children typically manifest strange powers early on, such as the ability to see spirits and interact with them, or the power to vanish and reappear wherever they wish. As they get older they become almost transparent, so that they do not cast a shadow and they easily spook animals. In addition, the parents of Orphan Born children are rarely content to leave them be, and often interfere in their lives, though they may not remember why or what their relationship to the child is. Ghostly parents are very self-absorbed and often have difficulty even remembering that they have children. Like a Ghostly Warder, they may look after the character, but erratically, as they still have their own goals and desires.
Orphan Born Stats
Inherited Virtues: Greater Power: Incorporeal Form, Personal Power: Ghostly/Physical Form, Second Sight
Common Flaws: Magical Air, Magical (Ghostly) Companion, Monstrous Blood (spirit)
Incorporeal Form 1 point, Init (Qik – 4), Mentem
R: Per, D: Conc, T: Ind
The character becomes incorporeal, like a ghost, and is able to pass through solid objects and ignore physical damage.
MuCo(Me) 35 (base 30, +1 Conc): Greater Power (35 levels, –3 Might cost)
Ghostly Form/Physical Form 0 points, constant, Mentem
R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind
The character can interact with ghostly beings as if he were also ghostly, or corporeal beings as if he were corporeal.
ReMe(Co) 15 (base 3, +2 Sun, +1 constant, +1 requisite): Personal Power (15 levels, –2 Might cost)
Story Seed: Ghostly ApprenticeA magus looking for an apprentice hears tell of a child who lives at a distant abbey who frightens the horses and seems to have unnatural powers. When he investigates, he finds that the child does not have The Gift, but is something even more unusual — an Orphan Born. |
People of the Clouds
High above the clouds is a great sky-sea, a magic regio that connects the whole of the mundane world to the Magic Realm, where it is said that ships can float on air and sail between all the great cities of the world, unimpeded by the features of the land far below. These ships are navigated by sailors who have spent their entire lives on these flying ships. The magic of the air is in the blood, or so it is believed, and so the children of these magical sailors usually inherit their powers over the wind and sky, and also their insatiable wanderlust — a passion so strong that they cannot bear to stay in the same place longer than about a season.
The People of the Clouds are human, or at least human-like, though there might be other creatures with similar powers to theirs. According to their oral tradition, their ancestors were sailors caught in a great tempest at sea, which was such a powerful storm that it picked up their ship and hurled it through the air. They found themselves within a great black cloud, in which they could see nothing but each other, not even the ship, though the ship did not seem to have suffered any damage from the fall. For almost a year they sailed through that cloud, until one morning they awoke to find they could see the sky again, and that their ship was floating motionless in the air far above the blue sea below. They soon discovered they had gained strange powers over the wind during their ordeal, and as a group they jumped overboard, as they knew the air would catch them. No sooner had they dived than the ship began to fall, but together they caught it and filled the sails with wind, and sailed on to their destination.
There are other powers this magical kin supposedly possesses, such as the power to harvest vis from the top of a cloud or to walk upon its surface like soft earth. It is said that the sailors with this ability often anchor their ships to the clouds, so that they do not fall while those of them steering the ship are resting and unable to concentrate. Characters in the Auram sphere of the Magic Realm might see such a ship far above them, hanging from clouds and swaying like a pendulum.
Person of the Clouds Stats
Inherited Virtues: Greater Power: Sail the Wind Common Flaws: Wanderlust
Sail the Wind 0 points, Init (Qik – 2), Auram
R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind
The character can cause winds powerful enough to lift him off of the ground and fly him through the air. If more than one character has this power, it is possible to lift and navigate a small boat, or even a ship if there are three or more.
Cr(Re)Au 30 (base 5, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +2 highly unnatural, +1 requisite): Greater Power (30 levels, –3 Might cost, +1 Init)
The Stoneskinned
Many legends tell of men made of clay and earth who somehow became human, and statues of animals and people that have been brought to life at the will of the gods. Other stories tell of great giants made of stone and ice whose many descendants have taken human-sized forms. Perhaps these creatures have led to the magical race known as the Stoneskinned — men and animals who are so bound to the sphere of Terram that they become creatures of living rock, the equivalent of living statues that can bend and move at will.
The power of the Stoneskinned is typically tied to the character’s age, so that they become more solid the older they grow. As children, only their fingernails and toenails are stone. As they develop and change, their skin becomes cool and dry, especially at their joints, and begins to develop a grayish dead color. By middle age, their skin has hardened to the heft and texture of stone, and they slowly lose all the hair on their heads and body. Their features become less distinctive, and after this stage, if they stand perfectly still, they can appear to be nothing more than an unusual outcropping of rock.
Such people as these are said to make excellent grogs for covenants located in mountain passes or rocky hills, as they are patient guards and difficult to injure, so long as they are not still outdoors at the break of dawn — because of their magical blood, the light of day turns them to unmoving stone pillars, though the effect is temporary.
The Stoneskinned Stats
Inherited Virtues: Personal Power: Body of Stone, Personal Power: Skin of Stone, Variable Powers (age or Might)
Common Flaws: Arthritis, Greater Malediction (turned to unmoving stone until the sun sets, if struck by natural sunlight), Nocturnal
Body of Stone 0 points, constant, Terram
R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind
The character gains improved brawling stats, which cannot deal non-lethal damage. These stats are Init +X, Atk +2X, Dfn +X, Dam +2X, where X is either the character’s (Might Score / 5) or his (age / 10).
MuCo(Te) 15 (base 3, +2 Sun, +1 constant, +1 requisite): Personal Power (15 levels, –2 Might cost, Variable Powers)
Skin of Stone 0 points, constant, Terram
R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind
The character becomes more resistant to damage, gaining a +1 bonus to Soak and a –1 to Initiative for each 10 years of his age or magnitude of his Might Score.
MuCo 15 (base 4, +2 Sun, +1 constant): Personal Power (15 levels, –2 Might cost, Variable Powers)
Story Seed: Sail Like the WindAt a time when the characters are in a hurry to get somewhere fast, they might encounter a ship’s captain who offers to ferry them there in a quarter of the usual time for a very high price. If he has an inkling that the party includes a magus, he might ask for a magical device, for example. He is vague about the details, but promises that his ship can easily make the journey at this speed. He advises the characters to remain in their cabins for the duration of the trip, but any of them who peer outside to see the source of the powerful winds they hear will likely receive a shock as they realize they are soaring through the sky several leagues above the earth on a ship of the People of the Clouds. Story Seed: The Standing StoneWhile passing through a village in the mountains, the characters learn that the inhabitants were attacked during the previous night by a group of wild-looking bandits, strong and stalwart men who turned every sword and arrow with which they were struck, though they fled when dawn approached. The villagers managed to capture one of the youngest with a hunter’s snare as they were leaving. Yet now the ropes with which they bound him are tied to a large rock in the clearing where they were holding him, and there is no sign of the boy. Perhaps the characters can solve the mystery of what happened to their prisoner and either defeat the Stoneskinned bandits or recruit them to serve their covenant. |
Warders of Mystery
This sort of magic kin is more of a society, one that adopts anyone with a demonstrated interest in history. Ceremonially, they call themselves the Warders of Mystery, though as individuals they are Auditores, or “hearers,” a title that is said to date back to before the fall of Rome. Their symbol is a pot and a nail, each separate from the other: the pot represents the vessel of the Magic Realm and the mysteries it contains; and the nail represents history, with its sharp point that affixes objects in place.
The Auditores believe that magic is diminished as knowledge of it spreads, that part of what makes Magic powerful is its inherent mystery. They see it as their duty to ensure that magic is kept secret, and that those beings who wield magic remain hidden from society at large. According to them, public displays of magic are crimes against nature.
The Warders of Mystery is said to have its origins in magical scribes and scholars of the classical world, historians who first learned about the realm of Magic and who began to chronicle magical events for posterity. In so doing, they found that what they described ceased to be magical at all. They were joined by pilgrims and diplomats, those who sought to discover what it was they must protect, and who negotiated with magic creatures to help limit the damage they caused to Magic as a whole. Some Auditores have a strong sense of morality and a desire to see justice done, and have made it their personal mission to punish those who abuse the power of magic, and set right what they have done wrong.
Warder of Mystery Stats
Inherited Virtues: Greater Power: Perceive the Distant Truths
Common Flaws: Meddler
Perceive the Distant Truth 0 points , Init (Qik – 3), Imaginem
R: Arc, D: Conc, T: Room
The character can see and hear what transpires at any place to which he has an Arcane Connection, perceiving images and events from the perspective of the target.
InIm 30 (base 3, +4 Arc, +1 Conc, +2 Room): Greater Power (30 levels, –3 Might cost, +5 xp Penetration)
Story Seed: Stolen GloryAfter a particularly fantastic event in which the characters used their magic to solve a problem, a catchy song begins to spread through the region attributing the success to a local nobleman instead of the characters. It might still describe them, but in lesser roles such as diviners and advisors to the lord. Other events are confused or even completely wrong, and all supernatural elements are simply attributed to either God’s will or the work of the Devil. This is an attempt by one of the Warders of Mystery to limit the damage he believes the characters have done to the realm of Magic, as they may learn when they investigate who is trying to usurp their glory. |
Transformed Humans
Sometimes, humans are Transformed by magic and become part of the Magic Realm. They lose their humanity in the process. It is possible, though by no means common, for a living magus to become a being of Magic. Sometimes, this is the culmination of a lifetime’s quest for mystic lore. Other times, it happens by accident.
Drowned Men
Sometimes when a sailor drowns at sea his body passes into a magical regio and is eventually returned to the world of living — perhaps washing up on a foreign shore unconscious but alive. It is unclear whether these sailors have actually drowned and then undergone some kind of resurrection, or whether they were rescued at the very last moment prior to drowning by some magical force. In either case, Drowned Men are irreparably changed by the experience and are now creatures of magic.
Drowned Men Characters
Drowned Men must take the Major Supernatural Virtue: Transformed (Being) (see Chapter 4: Characters). Often, Drowned Men develop personality Flaws associated with the sea (Obsession, Fear, Compulsion, or Vow, for example), but this is not compulsory. They also usually have the Major Supernatural Virtue: Greater Immunity (drowning) (see ArM5, page 43) and the Major Story Flaw: Servant of the Ocean (see Chapter 4: Characters).
Planning for Drowning
A character drowning at sea is very unlikely to be returned to the world of the living, but characters can improve their chances of becoming Drowned Men, rather than merely dead men. This is a complex task, however, that requires a significant period of time, and so cannot normally be completed while the character is actually in the process of drowning. The first step is for the character to contact a magical water entity of significant Might (greater than Magical Might 35 (Aquam)). The second step is to negotiate with the magical creature; typically, the creature will require a quest to be completed or the payment of a treasure. Thirdly, the character must surrender himself to the water, trusting that the magical creature will return him to the world of the living.
In order to contact a powerful magical water creature, the characters needs to attract the creature’s attention. This can be accomplished by making an offering at a particular time and place, by casting a spectacular, high-magnitude spell within the creature’s habitat, or perhaps by negotiating an introduction via a lesser creature, among other ways. To determine whether a character knows how to contact a suitable creature, an Intelligence + Magic Lore Roll is made against an Ease Factor of 12.
| Determine Contact Method | Int + Magic Lore + Stress Die Vs Ease Factor of 12 |
Once he has contacted a suitable water entity, the character must negotiate and convince the creature that it should grant him power — almost all powerful water creatures have the ability to save a man from drowning should they choose to do so, and those few that do not can arrange for other creatures to perform the rescue, if they so desire. Ideally, the negotiation between the character and the creature should be roleplayed, but the troupe may abstract it by making an Intelligence + Bargain Roll for the character, against an Ease Factor of 6 + (the creature’s Might) / 5. Magic creatures normally have no inherent reason to offer power, and so in return may require that the character perform a task. For example, preventing fishermen from depleting the creature’s lake, slaying a rival creature, or recovering a stolen possession from a remote isle. Alternatively, the creature could request a reciprocal sacrifice of power — represented by the character adopting a Flaw. The creature’s attitude to negotiation is, of course, influenced — positively, or negatively — by the method used to contact it.
| Negotiation for Power | Int + Bargain + Stress Die Vs Ease Factor of 6 + Might / 5 |
After a successful negotiation, the final step is for the character to drown himself — trusting in his agreement with the sea creature. The creature is unlikely to be fooled, and may be violently insulted, by a character who enacts “drowning” while under the influence of protective magic (for example, Lungs of the Fish; ArM5, page 122). If the creature saves the character, then he is transformed and acquires the Major Supernatural Virtue: Transformed (Being). The drowning and rescue of the character could conceivably precede the completion of the task set by the creature. This will depend upon exactly what was negotiated between the magus and the creature.
Story Seed: The Lighthouse KeeperThe island of Geita stands among a small archipelago of sharp rocks at the head of the Vilnes Fjord. Over the centuries, during violent storms many ships would have been dashed and wrecked against the raw outcrops of the island, if not for a lighthouse built on the island. The reclusive lighthouse keeper is reputed to have lived on the island for several centuries and, for curious magi, he could be a valuable source of knowledge about the local area. The lighthouse keeper is named Thorstar, and his father was a Viking chieftain. In 912 Thorstar’s father — frustrated by a particularly galling series of losses of boats, men, and loot — built a house on the island and stationed Thorstar there. Thorstar was tasked with ensuring that a fire always burned on the island to ward boats away from the rocks. For many months he diligently completed his task, but one night he left the island to spend the night with his lover on the shore. That night, a violent storm swept along the fjord, the fire went out, and Thorstar’s father’s boat — heavily laden with loot from raids on monasteries — struck the island and sunk, killing all aboard. Distraught, Thorstar threw himself from the island, intending to smash himself on the rocks, but an enormous magic fish saved him. The fish lived in a magic regio beneath the island, and was sick of being pestered by the ghosts of drowned sailors. So the fish compelled Thorstar to complete the task set by his father, to continue maintaining the lighthouse, and in return the fish restored both him and his father to life. Thorstar’s father returned to raiding — until he was killed by a rival in an argument over a woman — but Thorstar remains to this day on the island, tending the lighthouse as he promised the fish. |
Burned and Buried Men
A person may also be saved from immolation (by a magical creature of Ignem), or from burial (by a magical creature of Terram), and so acquire similar Virtues to a Drowned Man. There are fewer recorded incidences of this occurring — perhaps merely because many more men drown than are burned or buried alive. Hermetic scholars also speculate that it is possible to be saved from death by entities that represent other Forms, although no examples have yet been found.
Revenants, the Walking Dead
It was not long before men became aware that Glam was not easy in his grave. Many men suffered severe injuries; some who saw him were struck senseless and some lost their wits. Soon ... men began to think they saw him about their houses. The panic was great and many left the neighborhood. Next he began to ride on the housetops by night, and nearly broke them to pieces. Almost night and day he walked, and people would scarcely venture up the valley, however pressing their business. The district was in a grievous condition. — The Saga of Grettir the Strong
While ghosts are the disembodied spirits of the dead, medieval stories also tell of restless dead who still occupy their material bodies. These are revenants or “the walking dead,” which differ from ghosts in that their only form is an animate, material corpse.
Although a revenant is bound to a physical body, its animating force is a spirit. Some magi consider them to be a special sub-class of ghosts (see Chapter 7: Spirits, Ghosts). Like ghosts, Magical revenants are connected to the living world through some overwhelming personal need. Their motivations and personalities are as varied as those of ghosts. The physical statistics of a revenant are also usable for corpses that have been animated by spells such as The Walking Corpse (ArM5, page 135). Such automatons are not supernatural beings and have no Might score (and hence no Magic Resistance).
Designing Revenants
Walking dead usually lose most of their living memories, including loss of Abilities. Therefore, most of them are Spring or Summer characters. They tend to keep Abilities related to their mortal ties. They should be designed according to the rules for Magic Humans in Chapter 4: Magic Characters.
Revenants are tireless and inexorable opponents. They are immune to fatigue and pain; having no need for blood or vital organs, they can ignore wounds that would be fatal to a living person. The No Fatigue and Improved Soak Qualities (see Chapter 4: Magic Characters, Qualities and Inferiorities) represent this supernatural resilience. In addition, some revenants are stronger than living men.
When the walking dead resort to violence, they usually rely on unarmed attacks, but they can use weapons and armor if the storyguide wants to make them more dangerous.
Fighting the Walking Dead
Magic can affect either a revenant’s body (through the Form of Corpus) or the animating spirit (usually through Mentem or Vim). Destruction of the body does not harm the spirit, though the spirit may lack any power to affect the physical world once its body is destroyed.
Lay to Rest the Haunting Spirit can affect the animating spirit, provided the spirit is subject to the Form of Mentem. Magic can force the spirit out of the body, and if this happens (or if the body is destroyed) the spirit cannot reenter the corpse or possess a new one unless it has specific powers allowing it to do so.
Revenants are difficult to harm with weapons. In particular, they cannot be Incapacitated; treat Incapacitating wounds as Heavy wounds instead.
Perdo Corpus spells designed to target the living often have no effect on revenants, as their bodies are already dead. Spells that specifically break bones or destroy limbs do not hinder the them as much as they do living people, but may cause Wound Penalties at the storyguide’s discretion. For example, a broken leg might affect a revenant as if it were a Light wound. Perdo Corpus spells can, of course, be designed specifically to target the unquiet dead.
Different legends speak of special methods by which heroes can destroy the walking dead. In certain Icelandic sagas, a draug (revenant) could be destroyed by cutting off its head and placing it between its thighs. In a tale from Yorkshire, revenants could be destroyed by driving stakes through their hearts. A character who knows the correct method should make a regular melee attack. If the attack would have caused an Incapacitating or fatal wound before taking into account the revenant’s Improved Soak Quality, and if the attack was with the correct weapon (for instance, a wooden stake if that is the way to destroy this particular revenant), then the revenant’s animating spirit is destroyed and any vis in the corpse is left behind. Learning the method for destroying a revenant may require a story, or if the storyguide prefers she can assign it an Ease Factor of 9 on an Intelligence + Magic Lore roll.
Medieval tales and illustrations depict both corpse-like walking dead and animated skeletons. The word “zombie” is of New World (Haitian) origin and would not be used by characters in Mythic Europe.
Animating Corpses With Magic
Wizards can animate corpses using Rego Corpus spells (or certain non-Hermetic powers). Such corpses use the same statistics as a revenant, with the following changes:
It has the No Fatigue and Improved Soak Qualities listed in the character guide, but no other Qualities, Virtues, or powers of its own.
A corpse animated by a spell has no Might score or Confidence score. Its Brawl skill is nominally 3, though as an optional rule the troupe may wish to assign a Brawl score equal to the caster’s Finesse.
A corpse animated by demonic possession or a Magic spirit’s Manifestation power has a Might score equal to the cost of that power. It uses the possessing spirit’s Confidence score, if any. The controlling spirit may be able to use its powers through the possessed corpse (depending on the description of the possessing power).
Realms of Power: The Infernal includes rules for demons who can animate corpses on page 75.
Regardless of how the corpse is animated, its unarmed attacks can be blocked by Magic Resistance.
Character Guide: Revenant, Corpse-Like Form
Option: Resistance to Piercing WeaponsPiercing weapons such as spears and arrows are effective against living beings, but potentially less so against the walking dead. Such weapons are unlikely to break bones or hack off limbs. The troupe may wish to grant revenants an additional +10 Soak bonus against such weapons, or simply rule them totally ineffective. Ars Magica Fifth Edition does not formally differentiate weapons into categories such as “piercing,” so if the troupe adopts this option, they will sometimes have to exercise judgment about whether a weapon counts as a piercing weapon. |
Character Guide: Revenant, Skeletal Form
A human skeleton weighs much less than a living person, so an animate skeleton’s Size is –2. |
Daimons and Heroes
Legends speak of human wizards who have unlocked the secret of immortality and achieved ascendency to the Hall of Heroes, becoming Daimons of the Magic Realm (see Chapter 7: Spirits). The process of becoming an immortal spirit is called apotheosis. It is the ultimate goal of several mystery cults. The mystical groups that pursue apotheosis, along with rules for the transformation itself, are detailed in The Mysteries: Revised Edition (pages 82-86).
Living Ghosts
Theurgists claim that is should be possible for a human wizard to magically bind her own spirit to a physical location, becoming something like a ghost but retaining her human will (and her magical powers). Rumors speak of mystery cults dedicated to the pursuit of this very secret. See The Mysteries: Revised Edition (pages 70-74) for details.
Magi in Final Twilight
Magi who enter Final Twilight usually vanish from the world and are never heard from again. In some cases, however, they might be transformed by mysterious forces into something altogether inhuman. Bjornaer magi, for example, permanently assume the forms of their heartbeasts, and may become magical Great Beasts (see Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, page 24). Unsubstantiated rumors within the Order speak of powerful magi from beyond Twilight contacting the living through dreams or visions.
On rare occasions and at the storyguide’s discretion, a magus who enters Final Twilight may transform into a Magical creature or spirit. Such a magus literally becomes a Magical being with a Might score, but loses the ability to work Hermetic magic. The transformation may be tied to the magus’ magical specialties: his Hermetic Virtues (and Flaws) or favored Arts. For instance, a magus with a Magical Focus in storms might, under the right mystical circumstances, enter Final Twilight and become an elemental spirit of air. The Might Score of a magus Transformed by Twilight should generally be around 20 to 40. Depending on the nature of the transformation, it may be appropriate to set the Might score equal to (5 x relevant Ability score) or (relevant Art score). For example, Bjornaer Great Beasts have a Might score equal to (5 x Heartbeast). Exactly which Art or Ability is relevant should be decided based on the specific transformation.
Editor's Note: This text includes Errata.
Attribution
Attribution Based on the material for Ars Magica, ©1993-2024, licensed by Trident, Inc. d/b/a Atlas Games®, under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license 4.0 ("CC-BY-SA 4.0"). Ars Magica Open License Logo ©2024 Trident, Inc. The Ars Magica Open License Logo, Ars Magica, and Mythic Europe are trademarks of Trident, Inc., and are used with permission. Order of Hermes, Tremere, Doissetep, and Grimgroth are trademarks of Paradox Interactive AB and are used with permission.