The Mysteries: Revised Edition Chapter Thirteen: Mercurian Magic

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Mercurian Magic

The Order of Hermes was born out of the memory of the Roman Cult of Mercury. Much of that knowledge was lost forever, yet fragments were to survive to the era of Bonisagus and the Founders, including certain elements incorporated into the design of well-known rituals of the Order of Hermes, such as Aegis of the Hearth and especially Wizard’s Communion.

By far the best known remnant of that tradition is the magical technique represented by the Virtue Mercurian Magic (ArM5, page 45). It is widely known in the Order, and while not all who are interested in the magic of the parent tradition possess this Virtue, it is the root of the Mercurian tradition and the part that is generally accepted as authentic. Beyond that, and what can be reconstructed by analyzing the fragments of non-Hermetic magic incorporated by Bonisagus and others and found within certain non-standard spells, all is uncertain. Within various Houses traditions remain that relate to Mercurian practices, and, in particular, within House Mercere groups that draw upon the heritage are known to exist, as outlined in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages. In addition, there is a Mystery Cult, The Neo-Mercurians, who seek to reinvent the tradition anew.

Mercurian Groups in the Order

There are now several groups within the Order that claim to practice Mercurian rites, and many who possess the Virtue Mercurian Magic yet who are unaffiliated with any of these groups. The best known of these groups is the exoteric Cult of Mercury, which is comprised mainly of members of House Flambeau and some magi of House Mercere, and which is described in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages. Furthermore, some members of House Guernicus also have a strong interest in Mercurian magic. Another group, the Neo-Mercurians, is a Mystery Cult, who practice what they believe to be a reconstruction of authentic Mercurian magic.

The Cult of Mercury

This is a group founded by Priamitus, the apprentice of Mercere, who came to see it as his duty to become a priest of the Cult of Mercury, and recreate the ancient priesthood within the new Order of Hermes. Mercere is seen by the cultists today as Mercury reborn, and they worship him as the greatest manifestation of their Mercurian heritage. Many cultists believe that when they die they will ascend through the Magic realm to join him. A pagan group, the Cult of Mercury does not practice Initiation and the Mystery tradition, but rather gladly teaches its beliefs to all who wish to adopt its Mediterranean nature-worship.

There is another group of Mercurians active in 1220 that constitutes an authentic Mystery tradition that teaches only Initiates its secret rites. Known as the NeoMercurians, it curiously blends claims to have reconstructed authentic Mercurian rites with a dedication to applying them to the insights of the Hermetic system.

Mercury The Roman deity Mercury, often represented as a youth wearing winged sandals, was primarily associated with trade, profit, and commerce, but also looked after travelers, roads, and thieves. The Latin words mercator and merx (“merchant”) are related to Mercury. His main festival, Mercuralia, was celebrated on May 15th. The Greeks knew him as Hermes, and his symbol is the Caduceus, or a winged staff with entwined serpents. The Cult of Heroes As described in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, the Cult of Heroes is a small non-Mystery group comprised of worshipers in the Cult of Mercury. They believe the great heroes of antiquity still walk the Earth. Heracles, Arthur, Beowulf, Gilgamesh — they say these legendary figures and others like them were descended from the gods, and the cult members believe that they can be born again. The Children of Hermes (see Chapter 14: Mystery Cults) is another group of mystery cultists who subscribe to this idea and believe that their leader is actually Hermes, the Greek form of the god Mercury, reborn.

The Neo-Mercurians

No one alive in 1220 can claim a full understanding of the ancient rituals of the Cult of Mercury, and while the Cult of Mercury expresses one Mercurian tradition, there is also a distinct and rival group in the form of the Neo-Mercurians, a Mystery group.

As long as the Order has existed there have been those who have looked back to the magics that came before, and marveled at what fable tells. Some see in the system of Bonisagus a new dawn, and a turn of some cosmic cycle of history, but they are rare; almost all Initiates seek to learn the wisdom of the past. The immediate past of the magical tradition, before the anarchy of the Dark Ages that the Founders ended, was the ancient Cult of Mercury.

The Neo-Mercurians seek to redevelop what they believe to be the ancient Cult of Mercury; what they see as the foundation of Hermetic magic. The cult is far from unified in its Mystery, and varies from Tribunal to Tribunal; in Rome, Provencal, Levant, and Thebes, it recruits often from within the modern Cult of Mercury, yet elsewhere members are distinct and often hostile to their coreligionists, having no patience with the Cult of Mercury, which they castigate as a pale shadow of the real Mercurian tradition. The cultists have developed a number of Initiation Rituals designed to develop Mercurian characteristics in their Initiates, and research Vim magics to assist with Ritual and group-ceremonial magic.

As a group of theorists, they are further divided into those who sincerely worship the gods, and Mercury as patron, and those who see the pagan gods only as potent magical spirits to bargain with, whose power can be utilized by paying them praise, and whose altars form little more than a reserve of magical power to be tapped.

The Neo-Mercurians proudly assert that their magic is authentic and freed from the innovations of Priamitus; yet they equally proudly assert that their magic is adapted to work within the theoretical insights of Bonisagus. They admit it is a recreation of the ancient cult, but also insist that all the true magical secrets were lost, and assert that the modern Cult of Mercury and that tradition represented by the Virtue Mercurian Magic are debased forms of the true power and spirit of Mercurian magic that only their lovingly reconstructed magics truly represent.

In the same way, they seek out the ancient temples of antiquity and the lost magical glades that still exist in hidden regiones, and attempt to restore them to full splendor. Neo-Mercurians generally attempt to practice their rites within the boundaries of the ancient Mercurian temples, or temples of associated deities. It is believed by them that Wotan was the Germanic form of Mercury, and Odin the Norse. In Celtic lands he was praised as Lugh. Greece knew him as Hermes, and in Egypt, temples once dedicated to Thoth provide the preferred location for the practice of his rites.

Research and investigation of ancient sites and the planting of new congregations is a major concern and aim of the Neo-Mercurians.

The Neo-Mercurians have no system of degrees or ranks at local level, beyond a very simple three-fold division:

• The Messengers of Mercury: UnGifted servants who perform vital tasks of running messages and gathering information, and assisting in the discovery, excavation, and restoration of lost temples. Senior Messengers possess lesser enchanted devices that allow them access to temples hidden in magical regiones.
• The Congregation: Rank-and-file Initiates who work to recover lost secrets of ancient temples, uncover and research ancient magics, and serve the Priests while learning the mysteries of the Neo-Mercurians.
• The Priests: A single Priest is responsible for the care of each temple, and for organizing the rites of the yearly Festival of Mercuralia on May 15th, when the Priest sprinkles the Congregations’ hands with enchanted water as was done in ancient times.

They organize loosely in congregations based at a temple, served by one officiating Priest. Initiation is based on aptitude and the Priest decides in which order the Initiate learns the Mystery Virtues. Despite this lack of local organization, the Neo-Mercurian Cult maintains temples across Mythic Europe, or so it is whispered, and it is rumored to have an excellent network of communications, and a hierarchy of Priests, all looking to a secret temple somewhere within the ruins of old Rome, outside the modern city boundaries. Only those who have contributed greatly to the recovery of the ancient secrets and risen to the rank of Priest know the truth.

The members preserve, as far as possible, imperial Roman dress, customs, and traditions, and are fond of using Classical Latin, as opposed to more modern forms of the language (although they are mutually intelligible), and seek out even the non-magical Roman authors whose works still circulate within the Order.

The Virtues the cult teaches or Initiates are described below. Storyguides may select those that they feel are most in line with their particular vision of how the Neo-Mercurians would have recreated the magics of the Mercurians; it is not necessary to use all of them if this is not desired.

• All Initiates are required to possess (or to spend a year at the Temple learning through Initiation and study) the Virtue Mercurian Magic (ArM5, page 46).
• The Neo-Mercurians teach by Initiation the Virtue Performance Magic, for Neo-Mercurian Magic (an Organization Lore ability): while performing the ceremonies and rites of the cult, Initiates gain the benefits of Performance Magic.
• It teaches by Initiation the Virtue Hermetic Theurgy, to call ancient pagan gods to attend cult members in sacred groves, where the Priests of Mercury hope to strike bargains with the ancient gods.
• It lauds the Divinatory abilities of the ancient Romans, as reported in the available texts, so members seek to learn Divination and Augury — choosing to Initiate methods that are believed to be the most “Roman,” such as alectryomancy (or divination by throwing grain to a hen in a circle inscribed on the floor and seeing where it goes).
• It teaches a number of Mastery special abilities (first mentioned in House of Hermes: True Lineages), as detailed in their own section below. These require no Initiation, just insight or teaching by a magus with that special ability. It Initiates the Virtue of Withstand Magic, the better to bear the cost of casting Ritual spells.
• It Initiates the Virtue Hermetic Sacrifice, which allows the power of the ancient altars to be tapped.
• It teaches in one season Road Magic: new Ranges and Targets. A maga with Mercurian Magic can learn these by teaching; or the maga may be Initiated into it, as with a Minor Virtue.

Neo-mercurian Road Magic: New Ranges and Targets

Since they believe that the ancient Cult of Mercury had a magical responsibility for the Roman roads, the NeoMercurians have developed new Ranges and Targets for Formulaic and Ritual spells, but not Spontaneous Magic — the Neo-Mercurians have no gift for teaching Spontaneous Magic. Road and Road Network are an expanded part of the Virtue Mercurian Magic.

A maga who has Mercurian Magic can be taught to use Road Magic in one season by one who knows the magic, with no additional Virtues. (Starting characters whose parens has Mercurian Magic may be assumed to have learned Road Magic with the consent of the rest of the troupe.)

It would be possible for a magus who doesn’t have Mercurian Magic to be Initiated into Road Magic as a Minor Virtue — but only if he self-Initiated, or could find someone to prepared to Initiate him.

New Range: Road

A maga may target anyone or anything on the same road or path as her, provided she can sense him somehow. A Road is defined exactly as in the Faerie Magic Virtue (ArM5, page 92). (For purposes of spell level calculation, Road is the same level as Voice.)

New Range: Road Network

A maga may cast spells that reach anyone or anything on a road or path connected by an unbroken series of roads or paths to her, provided she can sense him somehow.

Bridges and fords break a road network. Roads also terminate in yards and such, but in general they do form an extensive connected network. (For purposes of spell level calculation, Road Network is the same level as Arcane Connection, and requires ritual magic.)

New Target: Road

The road and anyone or anything on it. The size of a Road is normally measured in lengths: a standard Road size is 100 paces long; it may be any width up to ten paces wide (wider roads require an increased Size or reduced length, but narrow paths do not reduce the Size). (For purposes of spell level calculation, Road is the same level as Room.)

New Target: Road Network

A road network and anyone or anything on it. (Connection as in Range Road Network). A standard Road Network is 10,000 paces long; it may be any width up to ten paces wide (wider roads require an increased Size or reduced length, but narrow paths do not reduce the Size). (For purposes of spell level calculation, Road Network is the same level as Boundary, and requires ritual magic.)

New Spells and Enchantments

The Neo-Mercurians find many of their sacred groves confined to regiones in these days of the encroaching Dominion. So that all members of the cult, including the unGifted, may approach the sacred place when on cult purposes, cult members have created a number of devices that let one touch, pray, and be granted sight of the path into the regio (and so cross over and enter the regio).

To overcome the difficulty of setting up a Hermetic laboratory in each grove (to enchant a feature of the grove itself), the key is typically a small item, an actual wooden or stone key, that is fashioned elsewhere and brought to the grove. There it is embedded within an appropriate existing item: a large tree, boulder, stone pillar, or such, which protects it and hides it from prying eyes.

Key To the Mystic Veil

InVi 30 Pen +0, 24 uses per day

R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Vision

This enchantment instills an effect granting sight across a regio boundary.

A key to a grove is typically activated by touching the item (or, if it is embedded in a pillar, the pillar) and uttering a designated prayer. The cultist may then see the regio boundary while she concentrates, and so may step through into a hidden regio, and the grove proper.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +4 Vision, +5 levels for 24 uses)

Some magi prefer to go further and create a Voice range effect, triggered by the supplicant’s spoken prayer — if the words reach the device, so does the effect reach the supplicant. Such a device can be very effectively hidden from prying eyes, while having a profound effect on those triggering the device.

Hiding the Mystic Key

MuTe(He) 15

R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Part

This spell lets the caster soften a rock, pillar, menhir, tree, or other stone or wooden object so that he can mold a cavity, hide a small item, and then close it over as if it had never been changed. This enables him to embed an item under, but near the surface of, a natural feature of a grove — favored for disguising the location of a Key to the Mystic Veil item. (The cultist touches the pillar or tree just above the hiding place.)

(Base 3, +1 Conc, +1 Part, +1 stone, +1 for requisite to change wood as well as stone)

Hermetic Sacrifice — Minor Hermetic Mystery Virtue

The magus knows how to make sacrificial offerings on an altar dedicated to pagan deities. The sacrifice takes the place of (some of) the vis needed for Ritual spells to summon the deity, cast via the altar. The deity must consider the sacrifice pleasing — at the very least, the beast must be pure and unblemished.

A pure and satisfactory sacrifice substitutes for between one and six pawns of vis, depending on the nature of the animal. As a rule, the rarer, more noble, and harder to obtain the animal, the more vis it substitutes for. Thus, an unblemished lamb is worth one pawn, while a pure lion is worth the full six. Magically created or altered beasts are not acceptable (and would in any case be a waste of vis).

Mercurian magi have worked long to resurrect the ancient sacrificial rites of the ancients, and this is a close as they have come yet.

Note that sacrifice implies cooperation by the summoned spirit, so magics that force the spirit (such as Hermetic Synthemata) sour the relationship, and spoil the altar for future use.

Cult of Mercury and Neo-Mercurian Spell Mastery Special Abilities Mercurian magicians excel in Formulaic and Ritual Magic, and have developed an extensive range of Mastery Abilities. These Mastery Abilities were originally described in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, but for convenience they are repeated here. These Mastery Abilities can be learned by any magus who studies with another who knows the ability — if a magus has studied with a maga who knows a particular special Mastery Ability, then any time the magus earns a level in Spell Mastery, he may opt to choose that special ability instead of those in ArM5. Most magi in the True Lineages prefer to share this specialized knowledge only with their apprentices, although their methods may be written down in books that anyone can read, and it is not impossible for a master to decide to teach a student with very similar goals and loyalties. However, most remain cult secrets, with the exception of Ceremonial Casting (detailed in Chapter 4: Curious Common Magics). Characters who take Mastered Spells during character creation and who have access to these abilities during apprenticeship may spend their mastery points on them if they wish. They are known by both worshipers of the Cult of Mercury and members of the Neo-Mercurians. Adaptive Casting You may use your mastery score and all the special abilities associated with it whenever you cast a similar spell. If you have two or more mastery Abilities that apply to a single spell (because you have mastered two or more spells that are similar to the spell you are casting) you may only use the score of one Ability, and the special abilities taken for that mastery Ability. For example, if you have mastered Demon's Eternal Oblivion 30 with a score of 3, and the abilities Adaptive, Fast Casting, and Penetration, and Demon's Eternal Oblivion 25 with a score of 4 and the abilities Adaptive, Quiet Casting twice, and Still Casting, you are must use the score of 3 if you want to use the Penetration ability, and the score of 4 if you want to use the Still Casting ability, and you cannot use the Penetration ability with the score of 4. Ceremonial Casting The maga may use ceremonial methods when casting this spell, increasing the casting time and adding her Artes Liberales and Philosophiae to her total. This cannot be taken for Ritual spells, which always require Ceremonial Casting. Disguised Casting When casting this spell, the magus may suppress or alter his sigil, to hide his identity or make the spell appear to have been cast by someone else. Since this actually changes his sigil, it is impossible for others to recognize the magus from it, although magi might be able to recognize that a fake sigil is not genuine. When the caster mimics the sigil of another magus, he may add his Spell Mastery score to the roll that determines how difficult it is to recognize. Lab Mastery The maga understands the theory of this spell so perfectly that she may add her spell mastery score to her 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 The first time in a session that the magus botches a roll for this spell or fails it by exactly 1 point, he gains 5 experience points toward mastery of this spell. The roll must come up naturally in the course of the story. Stalwart Casting This spell is less exhausting for the maga. 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 1). If it is formulaic, she never loses Fatigue levels because of a low casting total, even if the spell doesn’t succeed.

Editor's Note: This text includes errata.

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