Chapter Three: The Island of the Magicians

The Code of Hermes does not prevent magi ruling land; it prevents them from contesting its sovereignty with noblemen, and thereby harming other magi. In some parts of Mythic Europe, like England, this means that magi cannot own land, for all land belongs to the King and is held in vassalage. In other places, like southern France or Hungary, covenants which predate the current royal houses hold their land free of royal claim. There is nowhere in western Mythic Europe, however, that a magus can claim sufficient land to establish a country without angering a king, risking war, and defying the Code.

In this saga seed, a group of magi sidestep this restriction by creating a country for themselves, not by claim or conquest, but through Creo Terram rituals.

This chapter describes in detail the creation of one such land: an island in the North Sea, made from a circular stone wall that jackets an infill of earth.

Construction: Earth Jacketed In Stone

The spells and calculations given here are for a relatively simple island, but they also provide a good basis for more complex shapes and materials, if your troupe would prefer to customize their own land.

Outer Wall Shapes

The first step in this model of construction is to create a thick stone wall, which protects from erosion the earth placed behind it. Walls made by magic are faultless, unless the sigil of the magus mars them. A conventional wall is made of blocks that have been quarried, so can be no larger than what can be handled by teams of men with cranes. A Hermetic wall is, therefore, far stronger, or far thinner, than a conventional wall.

In the spells given in a nearby insert, the walls are designed as monoliths two paces thick. A thinner wall might be cracked by wave action, a ship striking the wall in a gale, or the furious bite of an undersea monstrosity. The walls are supported by fill, described later.

The walls in the spells are designed as 30 paces high. This is satisfactory for the ocean's depth in much of the southern area of the North Sea. If you want taller walls and don't want to use a calculator, then just increase the height of the wall in fractions, and reduce the diameter of the wall similarly. For example, if the wall is a third higher, then the diameter is a third smaller. The figures in the spells have a little leeway in them, and troupes shouldn't be too concerned about claiming every last square inch of area. If your characters are designing their island and it seems too small for their needs, an extra 5 spell levels increases the area incredibly. Remember, also, that a covenant could create an island chain, of a group of small filled circles within a larger circular wall, used only as a spell target and parapet.

Open Ended Cylinder

The open ended cylinder is a simple design, and has many features attractive to player characters. It creates a circular boundary, which can be used for Circle and Ring spells. It creates a larger living space than fully enclosed shapes. It does not require excavation into the bedrock of the North Sea, like an inverted cone, or a design that uses pillars.

A better alternative is to create the wall as a hollow conical frustum: like a cone with the tip bitten off. For the sale of simplifying calculations, troupes are encouraged to just use the cylinder calculations, and remember, in play, that the sea wall slopes slightly. A frustum suffers less erosion than a vertical wall, as described in the ablative slope section, later.

A level 30 spell creates a wall 30 paces high, 2 paces thick, and just over 3 miles in diameter.
A level 35 spell creates a wall 30 paces high, 2 paces thick and just over 30 miles in diameter.
A level 40 spell creates a wall 30 paces high, 2 paces thick, and just over 301 miles in diameter.

Tall Empty Cylinder

A tall cylinder is suitable for living in the deeper parts of the North Sea, and mocking the highest of waves.

A level 30 spell creates a wall 240 paces high, two paces thick, and just over a third of a mile in diameter.
A level 35 spell creates a wall of the same height and thickness, but 3.8 miles in diameter.
A level 40 spell creates a wall of the same height and thickness, but 37.6 miles in diameter.

Simple Spells to Create Permanent Walls

Spells to create simple geometric shapes are well understood by the Order, and have been used for fortification since the time of the Founders. The following spells create sufficient stone to create monoliths of the indicated shape and size.

Permanent Wall of Protecting Stone

CrTe 20
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind, Ritual
Creates a wall 25 paces long, 4 paces high, and 1 pace thick, which is a total of 100 cubic paces of stone. Vis is used to prevent the wall disappearing after the spell ends. Walls made in this way are made of single pieces of unmortared stone, which gives them far greater durability than conventional walls, unless the caster has a sigil that degrades their composition.
(As ArM5 page 153, modified for permanent creation of walls. The level rises from 10 to 20 because all Rituals have a minimum level of 20 as per ArM5, page 114 , so magi could increase the Range or Size without cost. (Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 size))

Efficient & Permanent Wall of Protecting Stone

CrTe 20
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind, Ritual
Creates a wall from a single piece of unmortared stone, which gives it far greater durability than conventional walls, unless the caster has a sigil which degrades its composition. Vis is used to prevent the wall disappearing after the spell ends.
Due to the quirk of Hermetic magic that makes all Rituals fourth magnitude spells or greater, there's no advantage to a magus who casts a spell to create a permanent, unornamented, wall of stone smaller than 10,000 cubic paces in volume. That creates a wall 167 paces long, 30 paces high and 2 paces thick.
(Base 3, +1 Touch, + 4 size)

An Expansive & Permanent Wall of Protecting Stone

CrTe 30
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind, Ritual
As Permanent Wall of Protecting Stone, earlier, but with four additional magnitudes spent on size. This creates one million cubic paces of stone, which is sufficient for a wall 30 paces high, 2 paces thick, and just under 9.5 miles in length.
(Base 3, +1 Touch, + 6 size)

The Wedding Ring of Gaea

CrTe 35
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind, Ritual
As Wall of Permanent Protecting Stone, earlier, but with five additional magnitudes spent on size. This creates ten million (10,000,000) cubic paces of stone, and a circular wall 30 paces high, 2 paces thick, and just over 94.5 miles long.
(Base 3, +1 Touch, +7 size)

A Note on the Columbae

One group of magi, the Columbae, specialize in magi which affect circles and rings. They are described in Houses of Hermes: Societates, from page 113. A Columban magus is not required to create the magical island, but the assistance of one might prove valuable.

Open Ended Rectangular Prism

A rectangular prism suffers greater ablation from the sea, and lacks the charming circular shape, so prized in Hermetic magic, of the cylinder. It is however, a shape that some characters may prefer. It is, for example, very easy to map, and to plan out the later use of land. Its walls form lengthy quays, which can be used directly for mercantile industry.

For the same reasons that a hollow conical frustum is a better choice of wall shape than a cylinder, so a pyramidal frustum is also a better choice than a rectangular prism. Players are encouraged to just use the formulae for right rectangular prisms, recalling in play that the sea wall slopes slightly.

A level 30 spell creates sufficient stone to make walls 30 paces high, 2 paces wide, and a top square with 4,166 paces (2.4 miles) per side.
A level 35 spell creates sufficient stone to make four walls, each 30 paces high, 2 paces wide and 41,666 paces (23.6 miles) long.
A level 40 spell creates sufficient stone to make four walls, each 30 paces high, 2 paces wide and 416 666 paces (236.7 miles) long.

Solid Stone Cylinder

A stone cylinder is a single monolithic block of stone. Characters can quarry into it, using Perdo magic or some conventional techniques, to create rooms.

A level 30 spell creates a stone cylinder 30 paces high and 206 paces in diameter.
A level 35 spell creates enough stone to create a cylinder 30 paces high and 651 paces across.
A level 40 spell creates enough stone to create a cylinder 30 paces high and 1030 paces across.

Ablative Slope

Wave action batters small stones and pieces of sand against sea walls. This causes scouring of the walls, and undermines them at the base, where heavier objects strike the wall with each wave. This problem is worst on vertical sea walls, as they do not deflect any of the energy of the striking objects. This can be prevented by coating the base of the wall with a slope of mud or sand, which acts as ablative armor against the waves.

The size of ablative slope needed varies depending on the wall it is protecting, but for empty cylinder walls, the spell to create an ablative slope is three magnitudes lower than the spell that creates the wall. This creates a slope of dirt equal in volume to the wall itself, which is excessive for most requirements. Ablative slopes can be larger if desired, so that they require less maintenance, or can be created by Rego magic that resurfaces the sea floor.

Ornamentation

Characters creating a massive wall to jacket their island may prefer that it not be a simple geometric figure. They can alter the initial spell to create many of the following effects by increasing the spell level. Alternatively, they can create the wall as a simple shape, and then retrofit it with Rego Terram spells, or the work of mundane craftsmen.

Maximum Magnitudes Due to Complexity

Troupes should consider capping the number of magnitudes that complicated additional features add to the wall. They might, for example, agree that after adding three magnitudes for complexity, the magus can manipulate his creation into any shape he wishes, without adding extra magnitudes.

Fortified Wall

The sea wall protecting the island could, if the player characters wished, be designed with fortress-like features. These include:

Crenellation: A wall that has been designed with crenels (gaps) and merlons (upward projections) allows soldiers to take cover between firing missiles at enemies. Adding crenellations adds a magnitude.

A Fire Step: A fire step is a Hermetic invention, probably pioneered during the Schism War. Unlike a crenelated wall, a wall with a fire step is complete, but has a raised step behind it. This allows the defenders to step up, see the foe, launch a spell, and then step down. This obscures the defender far better than standing behind a merlon, or even an arrow slit, protecting her from Sight ranged spells. Tremere magi, particularly, have spells which allow them to create one-way windows in walls, which help them to keep track of their enemies between castings. This doesn't raise the level: it just uses up additional fill.

Greater Height: Any wall is an obstacle, but one that's too high for climbing lines to be thrown to the top of it is the most secure. Adding height to the wall doesn't add to the spell's level: it just takes more stone and so reduces the diameter of the final circle.

Machicolations: These are holes between two wall supports (called corbels), which allow missiles to be dropped onto attackers at the foot of the wall, by defenders still protected by the wall. This adds a magnitude. Another alternative is to leave beam holes in the walls so that wooden galleries, called hoardings, can be hung out over the walls, from which similar attacks can be made. These don't add to the spell level. These defenses are rarely seen on sea walls, as direct attacks on sea walls are rare.

Sea Gates and Docks

A sea gate allows ships to pass through the island's wall into a sheltered port. This area, filled with seawater, can be sealed at high tide by closing the gate. This allows vessels to remain at an optimal height compared to the dockside, which allows for direct unloading of cargo. This is far faster than the method used in most ports, where small vessels, called lighters, transport cargo from vessels to the dockside.

The dock area is not exposed to the hammering action of waves, so it does not suffer erosion like the sea wall does. It does not require a thick stone jacket. If the player characters just add the sea gate, it adds 1 magnitude because it has some metal parts, but requires no added material. If they add the sea gate and the internal harbor wall, it still only adds one magnitude, but requires material, depending on the size of the harbor the magi create.

Statuary

If the player characters wish to create statues atop the wall, or have relief figures carved in its surface, this is free if they are an expression of the sigil of the caster. If they are an artistic motif, they add a magnitude.

Story Seed: Attack of the Giant Magical Snails

Characters creating a stone jacketed island may attract predators that find magically-created stone tasty or useful. One predator of this type is the Sarmatian sea snail. Fortunately the snails eat so slowly that the player characters can remove them before the wall is breached.

Sarmatian Sea Snails: A Character Guide

Sarmatian sea snails are magical animals found around the coasts of the North Sea. In the same way that normal snails eat limestone and chalk to obtain the nutrients they require to grow their shells, these snails seek out magical stone. Sarmatian snails usually travel in large swarms, and if attacked, fight by crowding the foe. Each individual is willing to die to soak up the attacks of the predator, so that its swarm-mates can surround and kill their foe.
The character guide below gives sufficient detail to use them as resources or foes in combat. They are not suitable as player characters.
Magic Might: 7 (Aquam)
Characteristics: Cun –2, Per +4, Pre –2, Com –2, Str +6, Sta +3, Dex –1, Qik –4
Size: +1
Virtues and Flaws: Magic Animal, 9 x Large.
Personality Traits: Hungry +3, Patient +2
Combat:
Bite: Init –4, Attack +5, Defense +5, Damage +10
This bite is made using a tongue covered in tiny, rasping teeth.
Soak: +6 (partially covered by a stone shell)
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0/0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–6), –3 (7– 12), –5 (13–18), Incapacitated (19–24), Dead (25+)
Abilities: Awareness 9 (predators), Brawl 5 (bite), Swim 5 (ocean).
Vis: 2 pawns Aquam, shell.
Appearance: These giant snails are the size of a small pony each. They differ from garden snails in that they have hook-shaped feet, and a long, brightly colored, tail. Each also has a rack of tentacles atop its head, each terminating in a glowing, globular eye. These snails have a fringe of whiskers about their mouths, which give them the appearance of being mustachioed.

Wall Materials Other Than Stone

The sea wall comes into contact with seawater, so stone — which does not corrode and resists impact — seems the best choice of material. Magi may, however, choose many other materials.

Base Metals

Base metals which are made from copper or its alloys (bronze or brass) form a layer of corrosion which protects the wall from further harm. This corrosion is generally green in color, is called verdigris, and is used in the production of colored ink. Copper is also poisonous to most lichens, so it does not become fouled with seaweed, as stone walls do, although this not widely known in Mythic Europe. Base metals which are alloys of iron (such as steel) lack the useful property of being protected by layer of their own corrosion.

Base metal walls are more difficult to create than stone ones. The base spell level is two magnitudes higher, while the base Individual of is 1/27th the volume. This means that for a spell creating a circular wall, 30 paces high and two paces thick:

A level 45 spell creates a wall 1.1 miles in diameter
A level 50 spell creates a wall 11 miles in diameter
and so on

Whether a wall of base metal needs to be two paces thick depends on the hardness of the metal. Troupes should discuss the correct thickness for the walls of their island.

Noble Metals

Walls made of valuable metals are three magnitudes more difficult to create than walls of base metals of equivalent size. Silver and gold are not highly corrodible. Players may think silver corrodes easily, but this is because most silver is mixed with copper, to make it harder and more durable, and this coper corrodes, making the silver appear tarnished. Walls of silver and gold are, therefore, possible, with spells of high level. They are, unfortunately, a spectacular advertisement for any nobleman seeking mercenaries to invade the magical island. Players may prefer to jacket a stone wall with a thin layer of precious metal, which can be simply achieved with Rego spells.

Unnatural Stones

By adding a Muto requisite to the ritual used to create the wall, magi can create stone with unnatural properties. These strange effects often require further Requisites, which makes researching the spell which constructs the wall more difficult. For example, a wall which perpetually burns requires an Ignem requisite. A wall that heals itself requires a Requisite of one of the living Arts: Animal, Corpus or Herbam. Of these, Herbam is the least disgusting: plants do not bleed and scab while healing.

Biological Substances

The wall can, theoretically, be built of wood or bone. Each of these substances has specific predators in the North Sea. This makes them poor choices unless wards are later cast to prevent damage to the wall. When calculating volumes, stone, animal bone, and wood are equally difficult to produce. Wood and animal bone walls may alter the roles of the faeries which come to the island. Human bone is about as difficult to make as base metal, and would attract dark faeries and demons. Muto requisites can toughen these building materials.

Backfilling the Enclosed Space

The space within the enclosing wall can be filled in various ways.

Stealing a Rock

There are quite a few large, uninhabited, rocks in the North Sea. If the wall is placed around on of these, it makes filling the circle slightly easier, and also provides stone foundations for the construction of large, stone buildings.

It may also prove useful in providing an aura for the magi to develop laboratories within. See the later section on auras for more information. Claiming a rock may also make it easier to spread life across the island, which is also described in a later section.

Dirt, With a Layer of Topsoil

In this model, the characters note that the roots of plants, even great trees, rarely go deeper than two paces into the earth. It therefore matters little what worthless rubbish is used to fill the enclosed space, save that it supports two paces of rich topsoil.

For a cylindrical island 3 miles across, this requires just under 657 million cubic paces of dirt and soil.
For a cylindrical island 30 miles across, 65.7 billion cubic paces of soil are required.
A tall cylindrical island 3.8 miles across requires 8.43 billion cubic paces of soil.
A tall cylindrical island 38 miles across requires 843.1 billion cubic paces of soil.
A square island, built as a rectangular prism, with a side of 2.4 miles, requires 535 million cubic paces of soil.
A square island, built as a rectangular prism, with a side of 23.6 miles, requires 51.7 billion cubic paces of paces of soil.

For a Creo Terram Ritual, with Touch range and Momentary Duration:

A level 20 spell provides 10 million cubic paces of soil.
A level 25 spell provides up to 100 million cubic paces of soil.
A level 30 spell provides up to 1 billion cubic paces of soil.
A level 35 spell provides up to 10 billion cubic paces of soil.
A level 40 spell provides up to 100 billion cubic paces of soil.
A level 45 spell provides up to 1 trillion cubic paces of soil.

Spare soil can be used to create an ablative slope around the sea wall, or to craft geological features like hills.

A Basic Quote

So, if your troupe decides they want a circular island thirty miles across, with a standard wall and filled with soil, then that requires just two spells, a level 35 and a level 40, and 15 pawns of vis. A maga can cast both spells in under four hours, if the long term fatigue levels lost in the first casting do not need to be recovered before the second ritual commences.
An island 300 miles across requires a level 40 spell to create the wall, and a level 50 spell to create the fill. It costs 18 pawns of vis and takes an extra 45 minutes. An "island" of this size can easily join Britain to the Continent and leave sufficient material to create a defensive range of hills along the old coastlines.

Clay

In this model, the characters backfill the enclosure with magically created clay. Clay created by Hermetic magic is perfect. That is it lacks the bubbles, gravel and biological matter which can cause pottery to catastrophically misfire. Clay is also waterproof, which means that even if small cracks do occur in the wall, the water table of the island will not fill with seawater.

Clay is as easy to create as soil. For fill which is topsoil on the upper two paces, and clay the rest of the way to bedrock, just calculate as soil.

Stone

Stone is more difficult for Hermetic magic to make than dirt or clay, but its use as fill for limited areas of the enclosure is likely. If the magi wish to build large stone structures upon the island, like watchtowers, castles, or mountains, it is sensible that pillars of stone be placed within the enclosure, to act as foundations.

Characters creating stone may select what type of stone appears, except if they have a sigil which makes a particular variety the only suitable choice.

Stone is three magnitudes more difficult to create than soil of the same volume. If the characters choose a variety of stones – for example some soapstone for implements, and some marble for civic buildings, and some tin ore because they want to attract faeries – then that adds one to the magnitude for complexity.

Cisterns

The magical island, having no natural spring, must get its drinking water via magic or rain. The vast subterranean spaces of the island are perfect for creating cisterns which store this water. This allows it to be drawn up through wells. Cisterns might also be created on the higher parts of the island, perhaps replenished using magically powered pumping systems, to allow plumbing in houses to gain pressure via gravity.

Rooms and Utility Spaces

The space beneath sea level in the island can be filled with workspaces. This is a little counterintuitive, because when the island is first created the magi have enormous amounts of available space, and the resources to create vast storage spaces on the surface level. There are, however, some specialized rooms which are better underground. Magi may choose to fill the underground of their island with wine cellars, larders, magical furnaces, hypocaustic systems, catacombs, and laboratories. Conjuring the Mystic Tower, a spell which creates a single tower, adds 3 magnitudes for elaborate design, so a system which fills even larger areas of the island requires a spell of even greater complexity. Negotiate within the troupe.

Surface Structures

Magi who are highly skilled in Creo Terram might, in theory, create the superficial buildings of the island as part of the spell which creates the sea wall. This is more difficult than it initially appears, however. This method of creating the island first makes the stone wall, and then makes the earth fill. To make the buildings and waterways of the island at the same time as the wall requires either that the houses and canals have tall stone foundations, or that the earth fill that supports them be created at the same time as the wall. It is easier for most magi to create the island, and then alter its surface.

Road works

Roads have three basic forms in medieval Europe: packed earth, gravel, and paved. Hard packed roads effectively create themselves, as the users and their draft animals pack the earth. In Hermetic magic, gravel is treated as stone, so there's no particular advantage in creating gravel roads. This leaves only paved roads, but in Hermetic magic it is easier to create a road out of a single piece of stone than out of individual pieces.

A Network Reminiscent of Rome

CrTe 20
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Individual, Ritual

Medieval roads vary in design, so in this spell the road is based, roughly, on the dimensions of Roman roads, which are just under three paces wide. For simplicity's sake, the road is assumed to crown slightly, but average half a pace thick.

In Hermetic magic, all permanent creations spells are rituals, and all rituals are, at minimum, level 20. This means that for a simple shape, like a road, it's no easier to create a permanent road ten paces long than one of the maximum length for this spell, which is 3.78 miles.

If the road's design is complex enough to require an extra magnitude, then either increase the level of the ritual, or shorten the road to 0.4 miles. Generally creating a bridge is not sufficiently complex to require an extra magnitude (there is none, for example in Bridge of Wood, Ars Magica page 135) but at the troupe's discretion, creating a system that has many bridges may require one.

(Base 3, +1 Touch +4 size)

Creating Houses and Other Buildings

There are many ways of creating housing on the island. The simplest way, in a mystical sense, is to leave sufficient stone over from the creation of the wall, to allow mundane crafters to raise houses with their own skills.

The wall of the island can be designed as a huge shell keep. That is, the wall, in addition to the width required to make it sea proof, can be extended into a wide room, that partially, or even fully, encircles the island. This reduces the size of the island's outer wall, the degree of diminution being dependent on the size and internal complexity of the shell keep's rooms. If they go all the way to the bedrock, they take up a great deal more material than thin walls which create a single story structure on the surface. When calculating the volume of material for a single story structure, add a little extra to account for the bracing required to suspend the rooms until the backfill can be added to support them.

If the player characters use a ritual to raise a series of identical houses, the level of the spell is dependent on their number and complexity. A useful trick is to leave thin pieces of stone connecting the houses, as this means they can be created as an Individual item, rather than as a Group of houses.

Creation of the Walls of Simple Cottages

CrTe 20
R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual, Ritual

This spell creates a series of identical stone enclosures each suitable, once roofed, shuttered, and portaled, for housing a family. Assuming each cottage is internally 30 feet long, 15 feet wide, and has walls that average 6 feet high and 1 foot thick, each requires 540 cubic feet of stone. That is 20 cubic paces of stone (although that makes no allowance for doorways or windows).

Hermetic magic requires that spells of permanent creation be rituals, and that all rituals be 4th magnitude. This spell requires a magnitude for doing complex things, because it creates multiple objects in a precise series. This means that it's as simple to create one cottage in this manner as to create the maximum possible, which given the amount of stone produced is 5. Every magnitude added to the spell multiplies the number of cottages produced by ten.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 size, +1 complexity. For this spell to be created, thin connecting pieces of stone must run between the houses, to allow the Individual target. A Group Target would add 2 magnitudes.)

Creation of a Legion of Appointed Cottages

CrTe 30
R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual, Ritual

This spell creates a series of identical houses, each fitted with a stone roof two inches thick, a stone floor a foot thick, and stone doors and shutters each an inch thick. The moving parts are on stone pivot points. Each house has stone plumbing for water and sewage. Each cottage requires 110 cubic paces of stone, allowing the construction of 9 cottages.

Every additional magnitude multiplies the number of cottages by 10.

An additional magnitude allows the characters to create a mass of non-identical cottages.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +4 size, +2 complexity. These cottages must be linked by thin pieces of connecting stone, to allow the Individual Target.)

Creation of a Well-Appointed Town

CrTe 30
R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual, Ritual

This spell creates the well-appointed cottages described in an earlier spell, the road between them, and the sewage and water pipes which are contained within the road. At this level, the spell creates 8 cottages. Every additional magnitude multiplies the number of cottages by 10.

An added magnitude allows the magus to create a series of cottages which are non-identical, creating a town less regimented in appearance.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +4 size, +2 complexity)

Water Works

Water can be stored in cisterns or lakes, can be channeled in aqueducts or rivers, or can be used to create canals. Canals and lakes can be used to raise freshwater fish, to irrigate crops, and to rapidly transport goods. They can also be used as sewers, or separate pipes or trenches can be created for waste disposal. Canals, unlike streets, can be washed clear daily, by the action of the tide. This removes evil airs. Cities built on canals, like Alexandria and Ravenna, have been praised for the purity of their air, and the health of their residents, since Imperial times.

Canals built by magi can be wider, deeper and less constrained by changes in water level than those found elsewhere in Mythic Europe. This allows large cargoes to be transported. A limiting factor is that canal boats require power, and lacking magical assistance, this is usually provided by the canal's current, the wind, or by animals on towpaths. A single horse can draw 30 tons of cargo on a barge, but larger cargoes require teams of horses or oxen.

Magi may consider the current in the canals they create. The stronger the current, the faster goods travel downstream, but the more difficult it is for animals to drag cargoes against the current. On many Mythic European rivers, for example, goods are floated downstream on rafts, which are then broken up for lumber since it is uneconomical to reuse them. Magi may, for example, create parallel canals with opposing currents, either by magic, or by strategic design of their island's geography.

A System of Narrow Canals

CrTe 20
R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual, Ritual

In this spell, it is assumed that the canal is stone-lined, 2 paces deep and 5 paces wide. It has straight sides, and has no locks. The wall of the canal is half a pace thick.

Due to the Hermetic restriction which makes all rituals level 20 spells, there's no advantage to a magus who chooses to create canal network of less than maximum length, which is 1.26 miles.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, + 4 size)

Slightly more powerful spells can create far larger canal systems. A level 25 spell creates 12.62 miles of canals, a level 30 spell creates 126.26 miles of canals, and so on.

Note that this spell can also be used to create irrigation ditches and roadside drains.

Players who have chosen clay fill for their island must make their own calculations, as a clay bottom is waterproof and does not need to be lined with stone. Player who have chosen stone fill for their island can reclaim some of their material by including canals.

Canals that Accommodate Seagoing Vessels

CrTe 20
R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual, Ritual

The average seagoing vessel in the northern waters of Mythic Europe carries 20 tons of cargo. It has a draft of about 2 paces, although larger and heavily laden vessels may have a draft of just over 3 paces. It is about 6 paces wide, although far larger ships are known. A canal which could accept such a vessel, (14 paces wide to allow vessels to pass each other, 4 paces deep and half a pace thick), created by this spell, can be up to 909 paces long.

An added magnitude creates a canal just over 5 miles long, two added magnitudes creates a channel 51 miles long, and so on.

This spell can also be used to create stone lined riverbeds.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, + 4 size)

Surface Life

Having created an island the player characters need to develop it, so that it is something other than a desert of soil and stone and structures.

Creating Fields and Forests

Forests and fields can be created with a single spell, since both are within the purview of Herbam spells. If the characters wish to create them separately, they can use the spells below.

The Creation of a Forest

CrHe 40
R: Touch D: Momentary, T: Group, Ritual

This spell creates a thousand mature trees (Size +2). Each added magnitude multiples this number of trees by 10.

An added magnitude allows the magus to precisely mix the varieties of plant he creates.

(Base 1, +1 Touch, +2 big initial individual, +2 Group, +3 size)

The Creation of Acorns Aplenty

CrHe 20
R: Touch D: Momentary, T: Group, Ritual

This spell creates a vast pile of acorns, totaling 1 000 cubic paces in volume. An added magnitude (or reduction of the volume to one tenth) allows the maga to precisely mix the varieties of seeds she creates. The maga may use other Creo spells – not rituals this time – to mature each tree, or can use a vast ritual to mature every plant within the Boundary the wall creates.

(Base 1, +1 Touch, +2 Group. +3 size)

The Creation of Verdant Grassland

CrHe 10
R: Touch D: Momentary, T: Group, Ritual

This spell covers just under 1.25 acres of land with thick grass about a pace high. Wheat is, of course, a grass. Characters making an island 3 miles across have just over 6000 acres of land. Player characters adding 4 magnitudes to this spell can cover just over 12,000 acres of land.

(Base 1, +1 Touch. +2 Group, +1 size)

How Many Peasants Are Needed?

A typical manor, for a landed knight, is 600 acres. This includes a mixture of land types, and highly fertile land can reduce this by a third. This provides 20 Mythic Pounds of income, before expenses, each year. Such a manor requires between 5 and sixty peasant families, depending on which industries they pursue. This means:

An island 3 miles across, with land of average fertility, can support about 10 manors, which is the equivalent to a small county.
An island 30 miles across, with land of average fertility, can support about 755 manors.
An island 300 miles across, with land of average fertility, can support 75,428 manors.

By way of comparison, about 1,500 manors in England are held by warrior knights, and another 1,500 are held by gentlemen who could become knights, but don't want to pay the related taxes. There are many other, unlanded, knights in the service of landed nobles.

Animal Life

There are no native animals on the island, unless the sigil of the creating maga causes their spontaneous creation. They rapidly appear even without the assistance of the player characters. Most insects are self-generating in Mythic Europe. Birds and bats rapidly colonise the island, the precise varieties being influenced by the placement of the new land, and prevailing weather patterns. If there are no elevated and hidden places on the island, the birds and bats settle around human habitations. Once ships begin to arrive, mice, rats and cats are introduced to the islands.

Larger animals may be introduced by magi, but may also be introduced by faeries.

A Pile of Rotting Beef

CrAn 35
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Group

Bees, which are vital for the production of most crops, are generated by the decay of the corpses of cows. Player characters who create too many bees before they have flowers must watch them starve, but players who have flowers, and no bees, must watch them wither. Fortunately, things generated by magically created animals persist even if the spell's duration ends. Clever magi can simply strew their island with dead cows, using Sun duration spells like this one, and the bees which arise from these corpses are natural.

This spell creates ten cow carcasses.

Magi wanting to absolutely ensure they have bees can add a Perdo requisite, to make the corpses rot as they wish. Alternatively they can use spells like Growth of Creeping Things, bees being one of the insects created when destroying beef.

(Base 10, +1 Touch +2 Sun +2 Group)

Story Seeds: Stolen Things of Natural Beauty

Some areas of fantastic appeal are tethered to the Magic Realm, and skilful magi can simply steal these areas and move them to their island. Doing this may provoke various forms of resistance:

Many magical sites have spirits which dwell in, and protect them.

Characters moving chunks of countryside are creating and crossing boundaries, and providing unique opportunities for faeries.

The owner of the land is likely to treasure it, and may seek out the thieves of his land.

Some beautiful sites are hermit retreats, so the player character, riding his stolen hill, may find he has company.

A Careful Removal of a Perfect Landscape

ReTe 35* Ritual
R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Boundary*
This spell slices off a piece of the countryside, and allows the magus to float it through the air, at the speed of a running horse. The magus can ride on the piece of land, if he wishes.
(Base 3, +1 Touch, +3 Moon, +4 Boundary, * remember to add further magnitudes to increase Boundary size.)

Story Seeds: Acquiring Ancient Structures

Many ancient structures might suit the player characters, but most are valued, and therefore guarded, by the magi of the surrounding Tribunals. A few exceptions exist, and player characters who make a Magic Lore or Area Lore roll against an Ease Factor of 9 can describe them to their sodales.

The Stone of London

In a street in the middle of London is a stone which is said to be linked to the prosperity of the city. It was an altar to Diana, used by Brutus, prince of the Trojans, when he landed on the island that now bears his name. This means that it is a portable object associated with the founding of nations and sovereignty magic, that is at least ten centuries old. Stealing it is one of the easiest ways of gaining a powerful tether for the new island.
There are several powerful forces that resist the theft of the stone. These include:

The Redcaps of London, who are likely to resist its removal, and blame any downturn in their trade on its loss.

The faerie spirits of London, who see it as the true center of the town, on which all binding promises are made, so its loss shatters the local courts and ignites a general war among the faerie nobility.

The Romans, who saw it as the stone from which every distance in Roman Britain was measured; now the ghosts of the Romans — and whatever vestiges of the spirits they served that remain —prize the stone and its significance.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge has already been moved once. The Giants' Dance, as it was originally called, since it is made of petrified giants, was originally in Ireland. The sorcerer Merlin moved it, to act as the grave marker of Uther Pendragon.
Player characters might take inspiration from this, and move it a second time.

The Second Remove of the Giant's Dance

ReTe 35, Ritual
R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Structure
This spell allows the magus to uproot a structure and float it through the air, at the speed of a running horse. The magus can ride the structure, if it is sufficiently strong to take his weight.
(Base 3, +1 stone, +1 Touch, +3 Moon, +3 Structure)

Story Seeds for the Residue of Great Magic

The residues of great magic can come to the island in two ways. Player characters can seek out ruined sites of great mystical significance and transport them to the magic land. They might instead attract magi who perform great works.

Theft of a Place of Great Works

When moving the superficial features of a place which contains the residue of great magic, the aura is usually left behind. This is because the spirit of the place is tied not to a particular physical feature, but to the location itself. This can be overcome by a Rego Vim spell, or a Vim requisite as part of a larger Rego Terram spell which moved the landscape's features. This spell is usually complicated enough to require a ritual, which is opposed by the Spirit of Place with all its power. Spirits of Place, listed under the Latin name of Genius Loci, are described on page 106 of Realms of Power: Magic.

Magi who Perform Great Works

Player characters can ask great magi from other Tribunals to travel to the island, and perform great works while guests. The player characters may lobby other covenants in their Tribunal to accept a Dedication, a legal recognition of the covenant as a place given a particular task. This draws specialists in the field, or at least their apprentices, from across the Order. This eventually allows the creation of new rituals, which as they are tested create magical residue, tethers and an aura.

Mystical Features

After the player characters create their island, and deal with the immediate problems of housing themselves, their chattels, and their followers, they face a greater problem. The island is new and artificial; Magic auras, and the vis which arises in them, tend to be found near sites of ancient magic or natural beauty.

If the characters realize this problem in advance, they can make preparations. If they do not prepare, then they must ameliorate.

Auras

Magic auras develop in four main ways. Areas of great natural beauty develop auras through their innate connection to the Magic Realm. Ancient structures slowly develop magical tethers. The residue of powerful rituals can create an aura. Magical creatures live in Magic auras, and whether they create the aura, or merely strengthen them by their continued habitation, is unclear.

Dexithea: a Telechine

The telechines were a small group of titans who fought on the Olympian side during the first Titanomachy. They were wizards and smiths. They created the sickle of Cronus and the trident of Posideon who was, according to some, their foster-son. After the first Titanomachy the home of the telechines, Rhodes, was invaded by the followers of Athena. The telechines hid within Poseidon's realm, for he was always their ally and was a rival of Athena's, and created a new weapon. The telechines emerged from the ocean and used a terrible poison to blight the land. This weapon, which could kill even gods, terrified and repulsed the Olympians. They destroyed the fortress of the telechines with lightning.
What happened to the surviving telechines is unclear. Some say they were all killed. Other writers report that they were scattered and took refuge in the depths of the sea. Many others says a single telechine was allowed to live. The reasons they give vary: was she the wet-nurse of Poseidon? She went into exile, and made a home for herself deep in the sea, but she sometimes wanders the world, garbed with human contours.
Magic Might: 45 (Terram)
Season: Winter
Characteristics: Int +5, Per +2, Pre 0, Com +2. Str +2, Sta +2, Dex +5, Qik +1
Size: 0
Virtues and Flaws: Magic Human; Death Prophecy; 3 x Improved Characteristics, Strong Willed; Magical Monster; Plagued by Olympian Faeries; Proud (Minor).
Qualities and Inferiorities: 4 x Focus Power (Crafter of Terram, Bringer of Storms and Snows, Self Transformation at level 50), Grant Major Virtue (Create Magic Item*), 2 x Greater Powers (Stygian Mixture, Toxic Visage), Greater Immunity: fire; Master of Aquam Creatures, Master of Terram Creatures, Minor Virtues (Good Teacher, 4 x Great Characteristic, 5 x Improved Characteristics, Keen Vision, Lesser Immunity: all weapons containing copper, Puissant Smith, Tough, Ways of the Deep Earth, Ways of the Waters), Personal Power (Human Shape), Voice of the Waters
* This power represents Dexithea's ability to craft magic items, but she has a stockpile, so she doesn't necessarily need it each time she gives a mortal an item. She recovers from the creation of permanent items only slowly, although she can speed her recovery by consuming vis.
Combat:
Bite: Init +1, Attack +15, Defense +8, Damage +5
Dexithea is perfectly capable of biting, but prefers to simply kill with her looks.
Soak: +5, if unarmored. Dexithea has some fantastic bronze armor made with Grant Virtue, which adds +12 to her Soak.
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: Ancient Greek 5 (fisherfolk), 5 x Area Lore 2 (some old place of hiding), Athletics 5 (running), Awareness 5 (fairies), Bargain 5 (faeries), Brawl 5 (bite), Carouse 2 (fisherfolk), Charm 2 (fisherfolk), Craft: Smith 10+2 (bronze), Dominion Lore 2 (attitude to titans), Faerie Lore 2 (Olympians), French 5 (fisherfolk), Imperial Latin 5 (fisherfolk), Infernal Lore 2 (smiths), Intrigue 2 (faeries), Leadership 2 (zealots), Magic Lore 5 (other telechines), Swim 5 (ocean), Teaching 5 (smiths).
Powers:
Stygian Waters, 5 points, Init –4, Aquam. The telechines, betrayed by the Olympians, were the first race to create a weapon of mass destruction. They found that by mixing Stygian water (which is Perdo vis) with sulfur they could create a poison fatal to all men, beasts, and plants. This power requires vis to use, but produces sufficient poison to kill ten thousand men, or a vast number of plants and animals. The telechines can use their mastery of storms to spread this poison.
(Base: CrAq 25, +1 Touch, +4 additional doses)
Toxic Visage, 5 points, Init. –4, Corpus or Animal. People or animals who catch sight of the true face of the telechine die. The telechine is such a competent shapeshifter that it can alter just its face, and for just a moment, so that a single person in a group conversation dies.
(Base PeCo 30, +1 for Animal requisite, +1 Eye, +2 Sun)
Vis: 9 pawns Aquam, body
Appearance: In her natural form, Dexithea looks like a human torso with flippers for hands and feet, the head of a dog, and flaming eyes. The sight of her, in this shape, is fatal for most people. She is an exceptionally skilled shapeshifter, and may take any human form she wishes. Dexithea can perfectly replicate a particular human, if she has time to examine his or her features.

Blood of the Telechines

A character who has the blood of the telechines adds +1 to her Dexterity and gains an additional Major Virtue, usually Ways of the Waters. All telechines, and their descendants, are hated by faeries that claim descent from Olympians, and have the Supernatural Nuisance Flaw.

An Aspect of Phorcys

Phorcys was the Lord of the Barren Sea before Poseidon usurped the kingdom. He was offered sacrifices because he was the God of Death in the Sea, and the Father of Sea Monsters, but he wasn't a terribly responsive god, so his worship sharply declined after faeries began to meddle. The occasional ruined temple to Phorcys can still be found about the Mediterranean. If player characters can design a spell that summons an Aspect of Phorcys, he may be convinced to stay in the waterways of the island. Alternatively, if the player characters destroy the Dogger Bank, and so make much of the North Sea sterile, an avatar may be automatically generated. Such an avatar is inclined to be friendly toward the magi, much as a titan of bees would favor magi who create a flower thirty miles wide.
Magic Might: 40 (Aquam)
Season: Winter
Characteristics: Int +1, Per +1, Pre +2, Com +1, Str +17, Sta +1, Dex +3, Qik –3
Size: +6
Virtues and Flaws: Magic Spirit; Daimon; 2 x Great Characteristic, 5 x Improved Characteristics; Magical Monster, Supernatural Nuisance; No Fatigue, Proud (minor)
Qualities and Inferiorities*: 2 x Focus Powers (Crafter of From and Master of Form), 5 x Gigantic, Ritual Power (Enliven the Gross Water); Aquam Resistance, 3 x Improved Attack, 2 x Improved Damage, 2 x Improved Initiative
* 6 spare Qualities
Combat:
Torch: Init+2, Attack +21, Dedense +13, Damage +27**
2 claw feet Init 0, Attack +21, Defense +13, Damage +24
** includes +5 fire damage from torch.
Soak: Spiky chitinous shell +4
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–11), –3 (12– 23), –5 (24–35), Incapacitated (36–47), Dead (48+)
Abilities: Ancient Greek 5 (fisherfolk), Aquam Resistance 5 (magic), Area Lore: The Sea 8 (barren areas), Awareness 4 (victims), Brawl 10 (claw), Faerie Lore 2 (Olympians), Folk Ken 3 (fisherfolk), French 5 (fisherfolk), Magic Lore 5 (his monstrous children), Single Weapon 10 (torch), Swim 5 (ocean) Powers:
Crafter of Water, 1–3 points, Init. 4 – Might cost, Aquam: Duplicates any Creo Aquam or Rego Aquam spell of level 35 or below at the cost of 1 Might point per magnitude of the spell.
Enliven the Gross Water, 4 points, Init. –13, Aquam: Creates and controls an elemental of Might up to 39, or a pre-existing elemental, although this requires the power to Penetrate.
Master of Water, 1–3 points, Init. 4 – Might cost, Aquam: Duplicates any Muto or Perdo Aquam spell of level 35 or below at the cost of 1 Might point per magnitude of the spell.
Vis: 8 pawns Aquam, body
Appearance: Phorcys is an enormous merman covered in a spiny red shell. Long straight horns crown his brow. He carries a tremendously large and – strangely considering his environment – perpetually lit torch, which he uses as a weapon. He has two large claws, on extra arms, which join his torso where his hips would be, if he did not have a huge tail.

Natural Beauty

Sites of great natural beauty can provide the tether for an aura. These can be incorporated into the magi's island by finding an uninhabited rock which has an aura, and then wrapping the island about it. Alternatively, the player characters can find a place where the actions of the wind or waves are archetypal. These tethers are outside of the island, but conveniently close for the purposes of the magi.

Finding places of archetypal elemental action is easiest in the Atlantic, which is the epitomic Ocean, and so has majestic waves of incomparable size. This may provide a weak tether, and an accompanying weak aura.

Ancient Structures

Structures gain mystical associations slowly. As a general rule, each century adds 1 to the strength of the tether. Structures can, however, be moved, and still retain some of their magical potency. Player characters who seek to create an aura on their island using ancient structures need to acquire and transport these sometimes tremendously large and ungainly — stone objects.

The Residue of Great Magic

Magical tethers are created by rituals of level 45 or higher. The rituals required to create the wall and the fill are not of sufficient power to create a preternatural tether, unless the characters have elected to create a vast island. More detail on mystical tethers is found in Realms of Power: Magic, page 10. Player characters can, however, still seek the residues of great magic as rewards in stories.

The Lair of Great Magical Creatures

Places where potent spirits dwell eventually develop auras. Potent spirits usually prefer to live in Magic auras, so this strategy is best used once one of the other methods has created a weak aura that the spirit can inhabit.

Two creatures who might be convinced to come to the covenant and make their lair among the magi are provided nearby: a telechine and an aspect of Phorcys.

Lack Of Vis

Vis tends to form in areas which have Magic auras, and, as noted in the previous section, these are rare on newly created islands. Characters may get the vis they require through trade, by hunting it in nearby areas, or by calling faeries to the island.

Trade

Characters lacking spare vis may trade for it, but vis is valuable, and what can the magi of the magic land offer in exchange for it? One possibility is to design the covenant so that it provides services to magi from surrounding Tribunals.

The Surrounding Seas

The lack of readily available vis sources on land may force the magi to seek it on the surrounding seas. Some vis is generated by natural events, like waves and storms, the epitomize their type.

Other sources have a more obscure origin, like ambergris and amber, washing ashore. Rumors of ghosts ships and strange natural phenomena become story hooks.

Story Seed: A Spare Farthing

The greatest treasure with a link to the North Sea is that of King John. His baggage train was lost in a tidal surge as his forces crossed the Wash, just over three years ago. No part of the treasure has been recovered, save one tiny piece. A little, fl at crown, a hand span across and made of gold, was found by a laborer in the bog. It was perhaps the golden rim of a cup. This element of the hoard might act as an Arcane Connection to the rest. Sadly, the Redcap who heard the story of the fi nd, from the reed cutter, says that man sold it to a passing merchant for a farthing. How do the characters fi nd the merchant?

Story Seeds: Faerie Kings

The player characters may wish to attract a powerful faerie to the island. This great being is able to maintain some control over the many minor spirits which follow settlers to the new land. If the player characters do not appoint a mortal king, it is possible that a faerie simply usurps that role.
In nearby inserts two faerie kings are detailed: the fi rst must be courted, the second comes as an invader. Manannan Mac Lir is an Irish faerie sovereign known to anyone familiar with the faerie lore of Ireland or the Isle of Man. Tursus is a ferocious god of nortern merfolk, likely to accompany waves of invading Norse.

Manannan Mac Lir

Sometimes thought of as the god of the Isle of Man, Manannan was, before the coming of Saint Patrick, the god of Irish sailors. Faeries claiming the role have been found in many areas around the Irish Sea, responding to stories bought by Irish traders or settlers. When Manannan was cast out of the Isle of Man by Saint Patrick, a faerie set up a court on the Isle of Arran. The faerie wizard-king no longer dwells there, having withdrawn to Faerie centuries ago. The island is now claimed by a clutch of Criamon magi who study regiones. The covenant on the Isle of Arran can, however, show the player characters the path to Mannanan's realm, which is called Tir Tairngire (the Land of Promise), or Emain Ablach (the Isle of Apples, or the Isle of Women, or Avalon, depending on your translation).
Manannan is not designed as a player character.
Faerie Might: 55 (Corpus)
Characteristics: Int +5, Per +2, Pre +2, Com 0, Str +2, Sta +1, Dex +1, Qik +1
Size: Manannan is a shapeshifter of such skill that his Size is whatever his passing fancy makes it. To represent this he has been given the Huge Virtue and the Growth and Shrinking Focus powers. Assume he can take any form between size 6 and –6, and that he can use illusions to appear even bigger or smaller.
Virtues and Flaws: At least 4 Grant Major Virtue (each of his magic items), 6 x Focus Powers, 9 x Greater Faerie Power, Highly Cognizant, Extend Glamor, Huge; External Vis (all of his treasures), Faerie Sight, Faerie Speech, 10 x Increased Might (minor), Sight Beyond Sight; Traditional Ward (Dominion)*
* Although he cannot face down the Dominion, he often pretends to be a monk, to trick people into doing virtuous things.
Personality Traits: Mercurial +3, Proud +3
Combat:
Giant Flaming Wheel* Init –2, Attack +11, Defense +8, Damage +10 **
Size 0 Human form (Fatal Sword***): Init +2, Attack +14, Defense +12, Damage +7 ****
\* In terms of physical combat, this is perhaps Manannan's most dangerous form. It does, however, prevent him using his terrible sword and impenetrable armor. In this form he has +8 Strength, –2 Quickness due to his Size (+4)
** In addition to the damage of being struck, Mannanan's flaming form does +15 damage. Since this is part of his body, rather than a Power, it is not resisted by the Parma Magica.
*** For every +1 Size, add +2 Str and –1 Qik (and also therefore +2 Dmg and –1 Init and Dfn)
***** In addition to this damage, the touch of the sword allows the use of the Stroke of Death power.
Soak: +21 in his magical breastplate, +11 in his flaming wheel form; in his environmental forms his Soak is basically limitless.
Wound Penalties
Size 0 human form: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)
Giant flaming wheel form: –1 (1–10), –3 (11–20), –5 (21–30), Incapacitated (31–40), Dead (41+)
Powers:
The powers below assume Manannan is in size 0 human form. If he changes shape so that his Qik score declines the Init of his powers is similarly reduced.
Lord of Imaginem: Magnitude/5 points, Init –Magnitude+1, Imaginem: This Focus Power, which requires three Greater Virtues, allows Manannan to use any Imaginem effect that is not a ritual and lacks requisites, so long as it is level 40 or below.
(As Crafter of Imaginem and Master of Imaginem, with an added Virtue to raise spell level)
Distant Eidolon: 0 points, Init –1, Imaginem: Allows the creation of an illusory form to give messages. Manannan often uses this form to converse, which gives him an Arcane Connections to those he speaks with, under some circumstances.
(Costs 35 spell levels: Base 2, +2 move at direction, +4 Arcane, +2 Sun, +1 intricacy of effect, +2 intricacy points to reduce cost. Mananaan could theoretically also produce this effect with his Focus Power, but that would more than double its Might cost.)
Extended Glamor: 0 points, constant, Mentem: Grants awareness of everything that happens within the bounds of a specific domain chosen by the faerie. In essence, the faerie is coterminous with its associated landscape feature, so it is present simultaneously everywhere within its boundaries. The faerie's Might score determines the size of area possible: Mannanan gets his island or any other large Boundary, should he choose to leave the island. The area controlled by the faerie can produce a yearly harvest of (Might/10) pawns of vis of an appropriate Form, which manifests as physical objects within the controlled region. Removing this vis does not harm the faerie if it is bargained for. This is the power that allows faeries to extend auras about themselves: in Mannanan's case he can create an aura of 6, and can open gates to Faerie (using his Spirit Away power).
(Special)
Fleet of Woodchips or Rushes 3 points, Init –4, Imaginem:
On many occasions, Mannanan has created fleets out of woodchips or by weaving little boats out of rushes. With these, he has scared away invaders from his islands. This spell creates an illusory fleet of one hundred vessels, crewed with soldiers. Costs 45 spell levels: CrIm Base 2 (sight, sound), +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +3 Structure, +2 size of group (100 ships), +2 move at command, 2 intricacy points spent on cost.)
Grant Lost Love Flaw: Init –9, Vim: Manannan can shake his cloak between two people and ensure they never meet again. Being a cunning faerie, he has allies with potions of forgetfulness, which he administers after using this Ritual Power temporarily. This allows him to lift the curse and recover his Might. His wife, for example, underwent this procedure. (Special)
Growth and Shrinking: Magnitude/5 points, Init –Magnitude+1, Corpus: The character can reconfigure the matter and magic in its body into a series of increasingly large, or increasingly tiny frames.
(Focus powers work like Spontaneous spells: these two powers, each bought as a separate Virtue, allows Manannan to use any spell of level 25 of below that alters his size. Each use of this power costs 1 Might per magnitude of the effect. Remember also, that Mannanan's Shift Human Shapes power resets his size to +0, if he wishes it to. This is unusual.)
Manifestation: Magnitude/5 points, Init – Magnitude+1, Form as appropriate. This power manifests the faerie's consciousness among animal and plant life its glamor touches, temporarily controlling their actions. This power allows the character to simulate any Creo Animal, Rego Animal, Creo Herbam, or Rego Herbam effect with a value of 25 spell levels or less, targeted at the animals within its glamor and suiting its motif. Manannan's motif, that he's the wizard king of the isle and the seas around it, gives him very broad latitude in the use of this power.
(Focus powers act like spontaneous spells, assume he can cast any appropriate spell to level 25, and that it costs him 1 Might per magnitude)
Shift Human Shapes: 0 points, Init 0, Corpus: Allows the character to change its appearance to any human configuration, although this cannot be used to replicate the features of a specific person. Manannan uses this to roam the countryside, performing tricks.
Costs 5 spell levels (Base 3 +2 Sun, 1 intricacy point to reduce cost)
Spirit Away: variable points, n/a, Vim: allows Manannan to act as a threshold guardian, as described in the Faerieland Chapter of Realms of Power: Faerie. Indeed, Irish faeries think he's the one who showed the rest of them how to enter Faerie in the first place. (Special)
Stroke of Death: 0 points, constant, as target: This is the power that makes Manannan's sword lethally sharp. The high level of effect would tend to make this spell ineffectual against the Parma Magica, but storyguides and players with Faerie Lore are reminded that Manannan can craft Arcane Connections to anyone who speaks to him while in combat (multiplier 2), who eats or drinks anything on his isle (2), who is wounded (3), or who has sex with one of his servants (varies).
Base 30 (minimum for immediately fatal effects), +1 Touch, +1 constant, +8 intricacy points to reduce cost to 0.
Summon the Rider of the Waves: 0 points, Init –1, Aquam: Similar to Push of the Gentle Wave (ArM5 page 124), but has a longer effect, allowing the faerie to appear to upturn small boats, pull objects across the sea, or swim assisted by a magical current. Despite the name, Manannan can also use this power to force ships away from the island.
Costs 35 spell levels (Base 4, +4 Arcane, remembering that faeries can create Arcane Connections easily, +2 Sun, 2 intricacy points spent on cost)
Transform into Impenetrable Fog: 0 points Init –3, Auram: Transforms the faerie into a great cloud, which can be used to hide the island.
Costs 40 spell levels. (Base 30 +2 Sun, 4 intricacy points spent on cost)
Transform into Tide: 4 points Init–3, Aquam: Transforms the character into the upper layer of the sea, so that he can carry boats as he wishes.
Transform into Thunderstorm: 4 points Init –3, Auram: Transforms the character into a vast, black bank of thunderclouds. Allows him to blow tempestuous winds and drive hail at his foes. Costs 40 spell levels. (Base 30 +2 Sun)
Transform into Wheel of Flame: 4 points Init –3, Ignem: Transforms the character into a wheel of flame.
Costs 40 spell levels. (Base 30 +2 Sun)
Pretenses: Many, including Brawl 9 (giant flaming wheel), Charm 9 (getting people to talk to him), Penetration 9 (Stroke of Death power), and Single Weapon 9 (short sword)
Vis: 11 Rego vis in a shattered Celtic crown.
Appearance: Manannan's shapeshifting powers are such that he may appear however he wishes. He uses his shapeshifting to a degree that's extraordinary. When he chooses to look human, he is a tall, elderly man of noble visage and wealthy garb. He sometimes looks like a king, and for other audiences dresses as a wizard. Since the stories of wizards his viewers are most familiar with are those spread by Jerbiton magi, Manannan's magus form wears a pointed hat and a blue cloak, with astrological symbols upon each.

Treasures of Manannan

Manannan is reputed to have either four or five magic items, which he may lend to those who serve him. Even if these items are lost, they are so closely tied to his legend that he instantly has them available again. Sometimes he seems not to know they were ever destroyed. The items are, probably, expressions of his faerie powers. His items are:

A sword named Frangarach (Answerer) which always kills his opponent. Its effects are noted in Manannan's combat statistics. Manannan's sword appears in his hand whenever he needs it.

A breastplate that no weapon can pierce. This armor has a Protection score of +20 and changes size to accommodate all of Manannan's human forms. If Manannan is not wearing his armor and combat begins, it appears instantly, if he so wishes.

A ship, named Wave Sweeper, which travels as swiftly as he wishes, regardless of the wind. This appears wherever Manannan wants it to appear.

A horse named Enbarr (Splendid Mane), which runs faster than the wind, and trots across water. Splendid Mane is always nearby.

A cloak that can have any color, make him invisible, shelter a place in fog, and prevent two people from ever meeting again.

A bag of crane skin, which contains the External Vis Sources of dozens of dead Irish gods. Each grants a Virtue to a mortal user, and gives the god a chance to reform a body. If Mannanan loses this item, he cannot reconstitute the External Vis sources of other gods in the way he can recall his other treasures.

A cup which breaks if a lie is told by one who drinks from it (but which reforms as Manannan wishes).

And, according to some, a helmet which grants him perfect invisibility. Treat this as a Perdo Imaginem effect, level 40, Penetration 15). If Mannanan wants his helmet, he's wearing it.

Relation to Other Faeries

Celtic faeries who acknowledge Manannan's role believe that he:

Is the most powerful magician in their courts.

Gave them the power to become invisible, and so can see them when they are so hidden.

Gave them the hidden lands in which to dwell, and so knows how to enter each.

Made them immortal, and can take the feast of youth away if he wishes.

Can make humans into faeries.

Is a gatekeeper between the mortal and immortal lands.

Tursus

Tursus is almost a faerie god: he is the lord of beaches festooned with seals and plundered for walrus ivory. If the player characters have created an island with an internal harbor, then he wishes to raise his throne in its center and have his minions, the Auvekoejaks, enslave nearby human settlements.
Tursus is not designed as a player character, although he could be made a substitute for a magus by balancing his Virtues with Flaws.
Faerie Might: 40 (Corpus)
Characteristics: Int 0, Per 0, Pre 0, Com 0, Str +14, Sta +3, Dex +1, Qik –7
Size: +7
Virtues and Flaws: Huge, 7 x Increased Faerie Might, Faerie Sight, Faerie Speech; Monstrous Appearance, Incognizant, Traditional Ward (Norse sea chants to him).
Personality Traits: Belligerent +3, Brave +3, Greedy +1
Combat:
Brawl (fist) Init –7, Attack +8, Defense –2, Damage +20
Brawl (tusks) Init –7, Attack +12, Defense 0, Damage +25
Pole Axe: Init –6, Attack +13, Defense 0, Damage +25
Thrown Rocks Init –6, Attack +6, Defense –3, Damage +16
Soak: +7 (thick leather armor made of thousands of seal skins sewn together.)
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–12), –3 (13–24), –5 (25–36), Incapacitated (37–48), Dead (49+)
Abilities: Awareness 3 (foes), Brawl 5 (bite), Carouse 2 (drinking), Faerie Speech 5, Leadership 3 (mortals), Single Weapon 6 (pole axe), Thrown Weapon 3 (rocks).
Vis: 8 pawns Rego vis, in a walrus tusk embedded in a fish.
Appearance: Imagine a vast walrus, but with a human torso, and arms instead of foreflippers. Then add a crown of corals and shattered ships across his pinnipedial brow. Tursus attempts to intimidate his foes by slapping his chest on the ground and roaring, which may require a Brave check, but is not a supernatural power.

The Deeps

The bottom of the sea is a wilderness, little explored by Hermetic magi. Vis on the ocean floor is so difficult to collect that there may be great reserves awaiting harvest. Some magi have developed bathyspheres to allow the exploration of the bottom of the ocean, but many other techniques can be researched which allow characters to access the sea floor.

One possibility is to have rooms within the fill of the island that lie on the sea floor. These rooms have access to the ocean, but are Warded so they do not flood. Simple magic items allow player characters to walk along the seabed, encountering elemental spirits, faeries, and the ghosts of sailors.

First Faeries

Faeries are troublesome neighbours, but their presence is valuable for magi. Faeries are made from vis. Some can distil vis. The most powerful faeries also create Faerie auras, which aid spellcasting and laboratory work. Player characters can draw faeries to the island deliberately, but even if they make no effort, faeries will follow the human settlers that the magi recruit.

Ritual Wards and Other Boundary Spells

One advantage of a land which is completely encircled by a wall is that its jacket can act as the target for Warding spells. The circular shape of the land's wall makes it suitable for Ring and Circle wards, but these are difficult to cast. As per ArM5 page 112, a magus must trace the Ring or Circle, cannot move faster than 10 paces per round, and must make an Intelligence + Concentration roll of 6+ per round. The possibility of botching a roll, coupled with the possibility of someone crossing the circle during the casting and making the risk pointless, cautions against their use. Spells with the Boundary Target require vis, and are rituals, but are in a sense easier and safer to cast.

Player characters can place wards when the wall is first made, or can install them later in the development of the island. Some wards may be repeatedly renewed installations, like a ward against demons, while others may be created temporarily. For example, before agriculture starts on the island, the player characters may choose to ensure the weather is always good, while houses and other facilities are being constructed.

The Aegis of the Hearth (ArM5 page 161) is an obvious choice of ward. Many magi may wish, initially, to cast about the whole island. The player characters may reconsider this, however, if they notice that their island lacks faeries, their associated auras, and vis sources.

Circle of Beat Warding (ArM5 page 120), Ward Against Faeries of the various elements, and Ward Against The Beasts of Legend (ArM5 page 120), may be useful during individual stories. A Ward's level is selected by the caster, but the Touch Range, Sun Duration and Boundary Target add 35 levels.

Weather Made Good

MuAq 40*, Ritual
R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Boundary

This spell prevents rain falling on the island for a month. It may prove particularly useful when first settling the island, as it allows peasants and supplies to lie unprotected without suffering damage.

\* remember to add further magnitudes to increase Boundary size. (Base 4, +1 Touch, +3 Moon, +4 Bound)

Auvekoejaks

This tribe of northern merfolk is more vicious than their southern cousins. When the two types come into contact, they often make war on each other. The relationship is, deliberately, similar to the relationship between the Vikings and the southern nations. As an extension of this, a race of Norse faeries might invade the lands of the Saxon and Celtic faeries. This may send merfolk noblemen to the court of the magi as refugees, perhaps followed by whole tribes of their subjects.
Auvekojaks never run out of ammunition. They usually carry five javelins and their quivers refill each time they sink beneath the surface of the waves. They strongly prefer to murder their enemies with ambushes, by sniping, or by gathering in ranks and maintaining rolling fire.
Auvekojaks are suitable as replacements for player character companions, although their Virtues and Flaws need to be balanced, and a Social Interaction Virtue needs to be selected. A higher Might would be useful; the Feast of the Dead Virtue is particularly suitable for this type of faerie.
Faerie Might: 5 (Corpus or Animal depending on type of merfolk)
Characteristics: Int, 0 Per 0, Pre +1, Com 0, Str +1, Sta +1, Dex +2, Qik +1
Size: 0
Virtues and Flaws: 2 x Greater Faerie Powers; Faerie Sight, Faerie Speech, Hybrid Form, Personal Faerie Power; Restricted Might (on land), Sovereign Ward (Priests); Aloof, Incognizant.
Personality Traits: Rapacious +3, although if they conquer an area, this changes to Greedy +1
Combat:
Axe and small shield: Init +2, Attack +11, Defense +7, Damage +7*
Brawl: Init: +3, Attack +5, Defense +3, Damage +5
Ivory-tipped javelin (thrown): Init +1, Attack +5, Defense +3, Damage +5* * Does not include Damaging Effect
Soak: +5**
** Sealskin armor
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)
Pretenses: Awareness 2 (riches), Brawl 3 (underwater), Faerie Speech 5, Carouse 2 (singing), Single Weapon 5 (axe), Swim 3 (endurance). Thrown Weapon 3 (javelin).
Powers:
Damaging Effect: 2 points, Init –2,: Terram: Increases the damage of one of the faerie's weapons by +5 for two minutes. (Base 5, +1 Part, +1 Diameter: note that the Base is lower for faeries than humans.)
Push of the Gentle Wave: 2 points Init –1, Aquam: Similar to the spell of the same name (ArM5 page 124), but has a longer effect, allowing the faerie to appear to upturn small boats, pull them out to sea, or swim, assisted by a magical current. Costs 15 spell levels (Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)
Conversing with the Sea: 3 points, Init –2, Aquam. Allows the faerie to ask questions of their local part of the ocean. Similar to Voice of the Lake, ArM5 page 122, except that faeries can converse with portions of genuine lakes and seas. Costs 25 spell levels (Base 15 +1 Touch +1 Concentration)
Transform into Human: 3 points, Init: –2, Corpus. This is treated as a level 25 effect, easier than a complete transformation into a fish (level 30).
Equipment: Weapons, armor, buckler shield, stolen treasures.
Vis: 1 pawn Animal, seal skull.
Appearance: Thse merfolk are seals, or perhaps walruses, from the waist down. They also wear thick, leather clothing, apparently made of sealskins.

Strategies For Players Feeling Swamped By Choice

Player characters may seek the advice of older or wiser magi when assessing the many issues which emerge from their plot. If they seek out that sort of aid, the following scenarios could be described to them, to give them options to discuss.

Fitting Into the Current System

In this strategy, player characters try to make their land seem like a mortal kingdom. This allows it to take a place among the mortal kingdoms, by allowing surrounding mortals to react the way they would to any other monarch.
To complete this strategy, the player characters must (in any order):

Create the island.

Give it mystical features by calling faeries or attracting magical spirits.

Settle it and develop industries.

Nominate a king, and have him accepted by surrounding kings. Negotiate alliances.

Arrange a place in the hierarchy of the Church.

Settle the concerns of the Quaesitores and surrounding Tribunals.

Rule through a puppet dynasty.

The Commune Model

In this strategy, the player characters defy the conventions of feudalism, but make destroying them too difficult to be contemplated. The strategy takes its name from the independent cities of Northern Italy.
To complete this strategy, the player characters must (in any order):

Create the island.

Give it mystical features by calling faeries or attracting magical spirits.

Settle it and develop industries.

Create a political system which emphasizes military service by the citizenry, and train them in the massed use of weapons like the pike, crossbow, longbow, or warships. Determine how the magi control the commune.

Arrange a place in the hierarchy of the Church. This is harder than if the players have a king who has negotiated his crown with the pope, but support in any of his many wars may aid the player characters here.

Settle the concerns of the Quaesitores and surrounding Tribunals.

The Secret Kingdom

This strategy is based on making a kingdom, but keeping it secret from surrounding realms.
To complete this strategy, the player characters must (in any order):

Arrange methods of hiding the island.

Give it mystical features by calling faeries or attracting magical spirits.

Create the island.

Settle it, however they wish. Perhaps they create a cadre of servants who scour Europe, finding the right people for their new kingdom.

Make the land either self-sufficient, or able to meet its needs with limited trade.

Develop methods for the limited trade required.

Arrange cultural traditions which minimize the harm from predictable breaches of secrecy, caused by the True Love flaw, for example.

The Warm Oasis

In this strategy, the characters place their realm in the far north, and use weather control spells to make it pleasant, or even habitable. If the realm is close to Scotland or Denmark, then the players may use the Fitting In strategy.
To complete this strategy, the player characters must (in any order):

Create the island.

Give it mystical features by calling faeries or attracting magical spirits.

Settle it, develop a social system, and develop industries if desired.

Arrange methods of trade, if wanted, which make the location of the land deniable.

Arrange a local priesthood, if desired.

Rule directly if Gently Gifted, or through intermediaries if not.

Other Boundary Spells

There are three considerations for magi wanting to use the island's wall as a Boundary for spell casting.

Boundary spells are Rituals, and Rituals cannot be cast spontaneously. This means that the player characters need to have these spells prepared — at minimum written on a casting tablet – before they are required.
Some wards need a marked boundary between the thing they are protecting and the outside. An example of this is The Shrouded Glen, which only works if the victim crosses the ward before they see the island. Similarly spells which make the sea rough, or control the winds, need a second marked Boundary, outside the walls, to act as their target.
The basic Boundary is only 100 paces wide, so islands created using the methods described in this chapter require spells with additional magnitudes for the size of their targets. As examples, a circular island with a diameter of 3 miles requires 2 added magnitudes, a 30 mile diameter island requires 3 added magnitudes, and a 300 mile wide island requires 4 added magnitudes.

The Command of Every Beast

ReAn 20*, Ritual
R: Touch, D: Conc., T: Boundary

This spell allows the magus to give a command to every beast on the island. Commands for large groups of animals can be no longer than a sentence, because there are simply too many minds to control.

A level 25 version has D: Sun.

\* Remember to add further magnitudes to increase Boundary size. (Base 2, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +4 Bound)

The Eyes of Every Beast

InAn 40*, Ritual
R: Touch, D: Conc., T: Boundary

This spell allows the magus to sense what the animals of the island are seeing. A magus who is not looking for a particular thing can simply ramble through the impressions of nearby animals. A magus seeking a particular thing in these perceptions must make a Perception + Awareness roll vs. an Ease Factor of 12 to fi nd what he seeks.

A level 45 version lasts a day.

\* Remember to add further magnitudes to increase Boundary size. (Base 10, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +4 Bound.)

Fumigant of Minor Demons

PeVi General*, Ritual
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Boundary.

A variant of Demon's Eternal Oblivion (ArM5, page 160) designed to destroy all of the minor infernal spirits on the island. The demons affected have a Might equal to the spell's level –25, lower if the Boundary is larger.

\* Remember to add further magnitudes to increase Boundary size. (Base effect (Gen), +1 Touch, +4 Bound)

The Lost City

PeIm 45, Ritual
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Boundary*, Req: Rego

Makes the wall, and everything within it, invisible, no matter what the residents of the island do. The residents can see the contents of the island, so long as they do not step outside the Boundary. Enemies who still reach the walls are able to see the contents of the island normally once the Boundary has been crossed.

\* Remember to add further magnitudes to increase Boundary size.

(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +4 Bound, +1 requisite, +1 changing image)

Murderous Woodland

ReHe 55*, Ritual
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Boundary

Wakens and mobilizes every tree on the island, forcing them to follow simple commands. The trees can walk at human pace, and fight using their branches.

\* Remember to add further magnitudes to increase Boundary size. (Base 10, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +4 Bound, +2 size of plants)

Remembered Messages

MuMe 20*, Ritual
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Boundary

To use this spell successfully requires a little preparation, because each target needs to be prepared with a memory that can be altered with little trouble. For example, at sporting or cultural events, everyone may be asked to repeat the recipe for sea urchin soup, or memorize a string of flags.

When this spell is required, the memory of the recipe is replaced with a single useful piece of information, or the flags are replaced with a single useful image. For example, an evacuation plan can be distributed in this way, or a series of mustering points for militias.

\* Remember to add further magnitudes to increase Boundary size. (Base 1, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +4 Bound)

Speech of the Warding Ring InTe 35

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind. Stone Tell of the Mind that Sits (ArM5, page 153), the most popular Hermetic spell for interrogating rocks, does not work on the stone jacket of the island solely because the spell's target is limited to a square pace cubic in size. Characters using this spell can speak with far larger stones.

(Base 20, +1 Touch, +2 Sun. This spell uses the wall, but a mind is an Individual target.)

Strange Tricks Using Canal Contents MuAq 25

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Boundary*, Ritual.

This spell transforms the water in the canals of the island into another natural liquid. Oil, tar, turpentine, treacle, honey, wine, vinegar or whatever else suits the magus' fancy is possible, save blood which requires a Corpus requisite.

\* Remember to add further magnitudes to increase Boundary size. (Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +4 Bound)

A Spell for the Defense of the Realm Against Expected Invasion

MuCo 50 *
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Boundary, Ritual.

Adds +3 to the Soak score of all humans on the island, for the rest of the day or night. The spell makes the flesh of the targets tough and insensitive, so they suffer a –1 penalty on all dice rolls requiring sensitive touch.

\* Remember to add further magnitudes to increase Boundary size. (Base 15, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +4 Bound)

Story Seed: Faerie Tribes

Merfolk and selkies, both described in Realms of Power: Faerie, are both found in the North Sea, and so are obvious candidates for stories set about the fishing grounds. Rather than repeating creatures well known to players, storyguides may prefer something a little more unusual, such as the beings below.

Icthyocentaur Warriors

This is a tribe of faeries who, in a distorted way, copy the chivalric ruling class of the surrounding kingdoms. They do not need to breathe, but have all the appearance of amphibiousness, including gills, webbed fingers and plates of scales over their bodies. Their scales are similar to armor plates, and the strange crests on their heads are almost like the helm crests of knights. Individual icthyocentaurs have various colorations, much like the colored caparisons of cavaliers.
Icthyocentaur warriors may take the place of companions, if the characters can negotiate a peace, or the service of a particular errant. The icthyocentaur below has two Virtues too many to substitute for a companion. The Improved Damage, Faerie Speech, or Faerie Sight Virtues could be removed. An adolescent centaur, Size +2, could retain these powers but trade away one pick of the Huge Virtue. The icthyocentaur needs additional Flaws, including the Social Status Flaw of Monstrous Appearance. These creatures take advantage of their size and the innate powers of a faerie form, rather than additional powers that cost Might to use. The Pretenses of this icthyocentaur are correct for a beginning companion, but players could modify them to emphasize, or reduce, the character's skill in combat.
Faerie Might: 5 (Animal)
Characteristics: Int 0, Per 0, Pre 0, Com 0, Str +6, Sta +3, Dex +1, Qik –1
Size: +3
Virtues and Flaws: 2 x Huge; Faerie Sight, Faerie Speech, Hybrid Form, 2 x Improved Characteristics; Lesser Power, Incognizant, Sovereign Ward (Code of Honor) is common: a faerie with this Flaw that breaks its code is destroyed as its glamour unweaves.
PersonalityTraits: Brave +2, Chivalry +1
Combat:
Each icthyocentaur has a Single Weapon Pretense with a score of 5 and a specialization bonus of 1. Each centaur also has Brawl, with a score of 2 and a bonus of 1 for specialization. The statistics below assume the centaur is specialized in each weapon. For a specialized brawler, add 3 to Attack and Defense for Brawl (fist) and Brawl (kick), and subtract 3 from any one other weapon.
Brawl (fist): Init –1, Attack +4, Defense +2, Damage +11*
Brawl (hooves): Init +1, Attack +6, Defense +4, Damage +12*
Single Weapon (club and round shield): Init 0, Attack +9, Defense +8, Damage +20*
Single Weapon (lance and heater shield): Init +1, Attack +11, Defense +8, Damage +20*
Single Weapon (short spear and round shield): Init +1, Attack +9, Defense +8, Damage +20*
Thrown (javelin): Init –1, Attack +9, Defense +5, Damage +16*
\* Includes +5 for Damaging Effect.
Powers: Damaging Effect: 1 points: Init –7, Terram (supernaturally sharp) or Animal (fish spines), 2 intricacy points spent on cost. This is designed as a Lesser Power. More powerful centaurs may have this as a Greater Power (Cost 2, Initiative –3, possibly with the cost adjusted down using intricacy), or may have Improved Damage on preferred weapon, or may stack Improved Damage and Damaging Effect.
Soak: +15 (Strange scale armor)
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–8), –3 (8–16), –5 (17–24), Incapacitated (25–32), Dead (33+)
Pretenses (as Abilities): Athletics 4 (long-distance running), Awareness 3 (noises), Thrown 5 (javelin), Brawl 2 (kick), Carouse 2 (drinking), Chirurgy 2 (centaurs)*, Craft: any 1, Faerie Speech 4 (oratory), Hunt 2 (humans), Single Weapon 5 (club or lance), Survival (grassland) 2
* Like most faeries, centaurs heal supernaturally quickly. They don't, however, notice.
Equipment: Weapons
Vis: 1 pawn Animal, coral encrusted armor.
Appearance: Like all centaurs these are a composite of horse and human, joined so that the human torso emerges where the neck of the horse would usually connect. They differ in that they are more heavily armored than the rest of their kind, and have amphibious traits.

Inverted Fishers with Nets & Boats

The Inverted are merfolk who have been placed on land. They are continuing, in a twisted way, to do what humans think merfolk probably do, in their kingdoms deep below the sea. The Inverted Men may serve as the peasant class for icthyocentaur nobles — in which case the icthyocentaurs should perhaps be given Flight — or may form communities on their own.
The inverted fishers form small villages near high places, mountains if they are available, structures they build with their glamour if they are not. About the high place they keep their boats, which, as props for faeries, float in the air as part of the Flight power used by these creatures. The inverted fishers regularly take to their sky boats, and sail out of sight, returning with their nets filled with flocks of brightly colored birds. These they kill, salt, eat, and sell, much as fishers do with sea life.
Sometimes the inverted catch strange creatures of the air in their nets. Medieval people believe that every land animal has a reflection in the sea, even down to fishes that look like monks. These faeries take their cue from these myths, capturing cloud-like sheep, winged pigs, and floating deer.
Inverted men are suitable as alternatives to Companions.
Faerie Might: 5 (Corpus)
Characteristics: Cun 0, Per 0, Pre 0, Com 0, Str +, Sta +2, Dex +2, Qik +1
Size: 0
Virtues and Flaws: Humanoid Form, Faerie Sight, Faerie Speech Lesser Power; Incognizant, Sovereign Ward (Water).
Personality Traits: Vary. As a group they mimic the population of a small village. Each has one exaggerated trait, so one is the town mayor, one the town priest, one the scribe, and so on. The inverted often refer to each other by role, rather than name.
Combat:
Each invertee has a Single Weapon Pretense with a score of 5 and a specialization bonus of 1 in net or javelin. Each also has Brawl, with a score of 2 and a bonus of 1 for specialization. The statistics below assume the creature is specialized in each weapon. For a specialized brawler, add 3 to Attack and Defense for Brawl (fist) and Brawl (kick), and subtract 3 from any one other weapon.
Brawl (knife): Init +1, Attack +6, Defense +4, Damage +4
Net: Init –2, Attack +9, Defense +4, Damage +7*
Javelin: Init+1, Attack +10, Defense +7, Damage +7
\* Resolve as a grapple attack (ArM5, page 174)
Powers: Flight: 0 points: constant
These creatures have the ability to fly while in their boats, and some can swim through the air. Many cannot swim, and float off into the upper airs if they fall from their boats while on a voyage. This power also allows the javelins and nets of these faeries to float weightlessly in the air, allowing casts over supernatural distances (as per Realms of Power: Faerie page 62. 2 intricacy to reduce cost.)
Soak: +3 (Leather jerkin)
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)
Pretenses (as Abilities): Area Lore 2 (village and surrounds), Awareness 3 (dangers), Thrown 5 (net or javelin), Brawl 2 (knife), Carouse 2 (drinking), Craft: Fishing (sky) 5, Craft: Any Other 4 (related to sky fishing), Faerie Speech 4 (trade), Survival (air ocean) 2, Swim 2 (through the sky).*
\* If designing as a player character, add an extra Ability with a score of 1.
Equipment: Fishing gear that floats supernaturally.
Vis: 1 pawn Auram, discarded fishing gear
Appearance: Each of these creatures looks superficially human, but they have strange, colorless eyes and skin mottled with smoky marks.

Death Sharks

A death shark is a psychopompic faerie, which comes into the shallows near a village where a person strongly connected to the sea is sick. It stays until the ebbing of the tide, and then departs as the human dies. Some people think that the shark carries the life of the dying person away, while others think it more a herald of death, like a banshee. Regardless, it seems that slaying the shark, or driving it off, can do the ill person no harm.
Death sharks are not suitable for player characters.
Faerie Might: 5 (Animal)
Characteristics: Cun +1, Per 0, Pre –2, Com –5, Str +2, Sta +3, Dex +1, Qik +1
Size: +3
Virtues and Flaws: 2 x Lesser Powers, Monstrous Form, Incognizant,
Personality Traits: Patient +3, Ferocious +2
Combat:
Teeth: Init +3*, Attack +12, Defense +11, Damage +16**
* prefers to attack with surprise, for a +3 Initiative in the first round.
** Includes +5 for Damaging Effect.
Powers: Damaging Effect: 0 points, Init –2, Animal
This creature's bite is incredibly powerful (as per Realms of Power: Faerie page 58. 2 intricacy to reduce cost.)
Hound: 0 points, Init –2, Corpus
Allows the shark to know the distance and direction of a particular human, usually the one who is dying, so that it can follow and loom in the harbor regardless of where the character flees to (as per Realms of Power: Faerie page 59. 2 intricacy to reduce cost.)
Soak: +2
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–8), –3 (9–16), –5 (17-–4), Incapacitated (25–33), Dead (34+)
Pretenses (as Abilities): Awareness 3 (dying people), Brawl 6 (in water), Hunt 4 (the dying), Swim 5 (ocean)
Vis: 1 pawn Aquam, pieces of shark tooth jewelry
Appearance: A shark, but with white skin and red eyes

Elemental Spirit of the Waves

Deep within the waters are potent elemental spirits. If the characters construct their island by first casting up a great wall of stone, it is possible that one of these creatures will be penned inside. It must be dealt with because it has the power to shatter the wall in its quest for the open sea. The characters may only discover the creature exists if they cast spells to fill the space inside the wall, and find a great well, caused by the Magic Resistance of the creature, diverting the infill from landing upon it. A powerful water elemental enclosed in a tube of earth like this is both dying and furious.**
Magic Might: 35 (Aquam)
Season: Summer
Characteristics: Cun +2, Per +2, Pre –7, Com –9, Str +9, Sta +7, Dex +1, Qik 0
Virtues and Flaws: Magic Thing; Ways of the Waters; Poor Memory, Short Attention Span, Simple Minded
Qualities and Inferiorities: Greater Power (Crafter of Aquam), Greater Power (Drown), Split Attacks**; 14 x Improved Attack, 14 x Improved Damage, No Fatigue, Temporary Magical Might.*
* Wounds decrease the Might pool of the elemental by separating part of its material form. Each wound reduces the Might pool by the Wound penalty. If the creature manages to reconnect its parts, it regains that Might. Sections chipped off like this contain vis, in proportion, which may be used before the creature is defeated.
** See note after Combat
Combat:
Bludgeon*: Init+5, Attack +32, Defense +5, Damage +52**
\* Includes Ways of the Waters (+3)
** Water elementals can only cause Scuffle damage (see ArM5, p 175) Each round the elemental can split this attack into as many attacks as it chooses, retaining the same Init and Defense for each smaller psedopod, but dividing the Attack and Damage pools as it wishes. Decide the division before the Attack roll is made.
Soak: +12
Wound Penalties: –1 & 1 Might point (1–5), –3 and 3 Might points (6–10), –5 and 5 Might points (11–15), Incapacitated & 5 Might points (16–20), Dead & all Might points (21+)

Immune to blades and piercing weapons; sources of fire that do less than +35 damage are harmlessly extinguished.
Abilities: Awareness 5 (surface), Brawl 7 (pseudopods), Swim 7 (ocean)
Powers: Crafter of Water, 1–3 points, Init 4 – Might cost, Aquam: Duplicates any Creo Aquam or Rego Aquam spell of level 35 or below at the cost of 1 Might point per magnitude of the spell.
Drown, 0 points, Init –2, Aquam After a successful melee attack the elemental can engulf a target of smaller than Size 12, necessitating a deprivation roll (ArM5, pages 180-181). Each victim may attempt to escape each round by Grappling (ArM5, page 171)
Vis: 7 pawns Aquam, body
Appearance: A stormy stretch of belligerent sea

Location: The North Sea

The North Sea has been chosen as the site for this example for several reasons.

Comparatively Shallow

Constructing the magical country in a shallow sea allows magi to have a greater area of land above the surface for any volume of created earth.

The Dogger Bank is the shallowest part of the North Sea, between 17 and 33 paces deep.
The rest of the North Sea south of the Shetland Islands is between 22 and 33 paces deep.
The Dover Straight averages 33 paces deep.
Excepting the great sea trenches, the northern part of the North Sea is between 110 and 219 paces deep.

And added complication is that these average depths do not take into account wave heights. The North Sea is troubled by seasonal storms which regularly create waves 4 paces higher than this, and some freak waves, according to the folklore of fishermen, can be up to 20 paces higher in the deeper parts of the North Sea. Low areas around the North Sea are sometimes inundated by flood tides. It's wise to allow for regular wave action, but seasonal storms can be warded against magically, or just allowed to wash over the wall, provided the land behind is high enough.

Story Ideas for the Shallow Sea

A covenant which covers much of the Dogger Bank destroys the fishing industries of most of the countries surrounding the North Sea, leading to famine and war. Conversely, a covenant which raises the sea bed in the deeper parts of the North Sea may increase the size of these fertile fishing grounds. Either of these situations can cause waves of migrants to wash into the covenant's kingdom. Can the magi accept these settlers, and how do they deal with the problems of housing, maintaining and policing their communities?

There are legends of various faerie tribes which dwell in the depths of the sea, particularly in the area of the Dogger Bank, because it is visited by so many fishermen. When the area of sea that the magi rework becomes land, these faeries are forced into new roles. Some aquatic faeries are able to come onto land, like selkies and some merfolk. Others take on entirely new roles, to meet the expectations of the humans coming to colonize this new land.

Surrounded by Turbulent Kingdoms

From the perspective of the player characters, the kingdoms surrounding the North Sea make good neighbors, because they lack naval forces of their Mediterranean counterparts. They also lack the infrastructure to rapidly create large, modern fleets. In the North Sea, naval battles do occur, but are comparatively rare, because kingdoms have land boundaries with their adversaries, and these are the theaters of conflict.

On a deeper level, the kingdoms surrounding the North Sea lack Mediterranean-style war fleets because sea trade is less well developed, and because they are not internally unified. The cost of keeping nobles in line prevents kings from spending money on ships. This suits troupes, because it allows player characters to meddle in the surrounding kingdoms.

Picking a Nobleman as King

The player characters, if they wish to select a king, face the least resistance if they select one from a family already noble in the surrounding lands. Most noble families have a genealogy, however spurious, which links them to some ancient hero or other, giving them an apparent authority. Selecting a peasant as a new king is possible: there's some precedent in history for the sons of farmers and tanners becoming emperors, but it's not as easy as promoting a nobleman. Ultimately, any king needs to prove his mettle, but moreso if his blood is considered base.

Some interesting historical figures that the player characters might select as their ruler follow.

Frederick II, The Holy Roman Emperor

Frederick's center of power is in Sicily, so characters who become his vassals must either be granted selfgovernment by him, as many cities are, or accept an appointed governor. Frederick is fascinating because he is a patron of the arts, has a court in which friendly contacts with Arabic scholars may be made, and is all but an atheist, which leads him into perpetual trouble with the Church.

Isabella II, Queen of Jerusalem

Isabella is a seven year old in distant Outremer, so her demands are few. Her lands are, however, considered to be part of the great Crusading project, and, so long as magi continually send her funds, it would be difficult for surrounding kings to invade their lands without censure from the Church.

Philip Augustus of France

The great master of politics in Western Europe, the player characters need to deal with Phillip in some way, so vassalage might suit. Phillip has already doubled the size of his personal lands, shattered the rivals on his southern border, and wrecked the economy of England by fueling civil war and invasion. His interests are held most strongly by these powerful states, but his land is primogenitural, which means he's perpetually looking for land for his sons to inherit. If the island seems poor, the ruler he appoints is a cousin, or loyal follower from his wars. If the land seems rich, he appoints one of his younger sons as the ruler. Philip Hurepel, who is nineteen, landless and arguably a bastard, might be appointed.

Richard, Duke of Cornwall

Although still a teenager, Richard is already showing the flair and intelligence which, if your saga's history follows real life, will make him the richest and most cunning politician in Western Europe. In real history he eventually purchases the title of Holy Roman Emperor.

His brother, King Henry of England, is ostentatious and fickle. Richard, in contrast, is a fine administrator, and is enormously patient for a Plantagenet, a family not known for its ability to delay gratification.

Valdemar II of Denmark

The King of Denmark is an expansionist, and an experienced crusader, with a broad swath of territory in the Baltic lands, much conquered by himself. He usually strikes when he senses weakness in surrounding lands, grabbing territory during civil wars and succession crises. If he becomes king of the new realm he might be persuaded that he now needs to administer what he has taken, a decision he takes, in real-world history, after a kidnapping in 1223. If he has the greater security of magical defenders, however, kingship of the new land might merely give him the resources to fish in troubled waters on a grander scale.

If the player characters do go to war with a surrounding kingdom, Valdemar will be tempted to claim lands from whichever side is weaker, and has sufficient naval power to interfere with his enemy's trading and fishing fleets.

William Longespée (Longsword), Earl of Salisbury

Henry II once claimed his bastard son was a finer prince than any of his legitimate sons. Given that one of his legitimate sons was Richard the Lionheart, that's quite a commendation. William, unlike all of his legitimate brothers, remains alive in 1220. He is known for his loyalty, for his skill as a general, for leading a naval raid against a French invasion fleet, for the tremendous wealth seized in that raid, and his obvious nobility of blood.

As a useful addition, his mother is the wife of the Earl of Norfolk, one of the most powerful of nobles of England, whose lands are heavily populated and face the North Sea. If your game's history follows that of the real world, the Earl of Norfolk dies in 1221, and his young son is placed in his half-brother's care.

Selecting William may lead to trouble with England, however, because he hates and is loathed by Peter de Roches, the churchman who has the care of the young king and all but rules the country. William went missing once, shipwrecked while crossing the English Channel, and de Roches tried to force William's supposed widow to marry one of Peter's relatives. When William arrived back, having been stranded on an island for less than a month, it almost shattered the fragile peace between the Normans (the families who had come over with the Conqueror) and the Poitevins (who came to the realm with King John's wife, and are currently in the ascendant.)

Patrick, Count of Dunbar

The wearer of the crown of Scotland has often been determined by civil war. The current line descends from Malcom Big-Head, who defeated MacBeth the Good and his adopted son, Lulach the Unready. The Earls of Dunbar believe they are the descendants of Duncan Bad Blooded, MacBeth's predecessor, and so have a right to the throne. Since primogeniture is now practiced in Scotland, this is not considered important: Patrick instead is a powerful noble with land on either side of the border between England and Scotland. He is experienced as a lawgiver, and judge in the Debatable Land between the two kingdoms.

Jon Haraldsson, Moramor of Caithness and Earl of Orkney

Jon holds land from the kings of Scotland and Norway, and would make a suitable king if the characters place their land in the icier parts of the North Sea. John has a great deal of support from his people, but if your game history follows actual history, in 1222 he is implicated in the incineration of a bishop.

This bishop may have been a faerie. Bishop Adam was found as a baby in a basket on the church's step. The final straw for the people who killed him was his insistence that they all pay a traditional tax of butter on their herds, even though this meant he had far more butter and far less coin or meat than any sensible person could want.

Story Seeds For Turbulent Kingdoms

A saga set on an island in the North Sea can harvest mundane story seeds from Tribunal books for Stonehenge, Loch Leglean, the Rhine, and Normandy.
The North Sea is often used by rebellious noblemen or deposed princes to flee to the court of another ruler, and from there plot a return. French and English nobles, for example, are often in the court of their traditional foe, but flight to Denmark or the courts of the German princes also regularly occurs. When the magi create a powerful and officially neutral kingdom, at a far safer and more comfortable sailing distance, it is the obvious place of flight for dispossessed noblemen lacking family in other courts.
If such a nobleman arrives, what do the player characters do? If assassins or ambassadors arrive from the court of his or her nominal ruler, what then? What if the refugee is arguably the rightful queen of a coastal state? Will the magi allow her to create a court in exile?
Some noblemen, knowing the importance of having a place to flee to if politics goes sour, establish their younger sons, or cadet branches of their families, in distant courts. If a group of young noblemen arrive in the country of the magi, what do the player characters do? The young noblemen may expect to swear fealty and be allowed to create manors, but do the magi want their island to be feudal? If all of the young men are from a particular faction, for example the pro-Scottish faction in the English court, does accepting them place the magical country in danger of taking sides in foreign wars?
Medieval kingdoms occasionally expel the Jews, when religious mania turns against them, or the debts the noble classes owe them get too high. Consorting with magi is a sin, according to some interpretations of Jewish law, but fleeing to the magical country might give Western Jews surcease from persecution. If the characters discover a pogrom is coming, can they negotiate with the leaders of the Jewish community, overcome their suspicions, and carry the Jews away to safety? They need to time this perfectly: in many kingdoms farming the Jews is a privilege of the king's, so whisking them away before they are formally expelled is theft.

Story Seed: The Coronation

If the player characters do create a king, and have him recognized, then they need to arrange coronation for their puppet. A coronation must occur, and must involve a vast panoply of people, and require great expense. Coronations cannot be simple. The only king in the region who has had a simple coronation in the last few centuries was Henry III, and the pope forced him to do it again, properly this time.
At minimum, a coronation requires:

At least one bishop to lead the ceremony, and preferably an archbishop or papal legate. If a new kingdom arises, there is bound to be some church politics over who has the right to crown the king, crown the queen, and host the coronation of the new realm. The outcome of these arguments is likely to be a compromise, so that different bishops are given each role. A fourth prize is the right to inter the bones of the royal family, but the king himself theoretically can modify that. The Church will convene an ad hoc convention to decide these matters, and the king's advisors are welcome to attend.

A huge church. A king can be crowned somewhere else, but eventually some sort of ceremony must occur in a large church. This does not need to be a cathedral, although it may be. If the player characters lack a beautiful church of tremendous size, then they need to build one, or find an alternative which others will accept. For example, whisking the court magically to Jerusalem or perhaps Santiago would be suitable.

A lengthy ceremony, where the king is anointed with holy oil, and where strange rituals demonstrating the historical power of the throne are performed. Since the new realm does not have similar traditions, the player characters must design them.

The attendance of a large number of churchmen and vassals. The coronation gives vassals the opportunity to renewal their oaths of fealty, and prevents them later saying that the coronation was irregular. The presence of many, wealthy, vassals is also required to impress the ambassadors from foreign kingdoms.

Royalty or ambassadors of other realms. These people are present to negotiate alliances, marriages, and trade links on behalf of their kingdoms, and to take stock of the strength and unity of the new court. Before the ambassadors, it's important for the new king to seem wealthy, wise, and commanding. Magic can be useful for each of these.

Alternatively, if the player characters can arrange for the pope to personally crown their candidate in Rome, then they don't need bishops, a vast chapel, nobles or ambassadors. A lesser, later, ceremony, when the king returns to his realm, is, however, required, to impress vassals and ambassadors.

Does it Need to be a King?

Independent counts and princes are found in many areas of Mythic Europe. They do not require a papal coronation and gain less Magic Resistance from the process than king. They also have less diplomatic prestige than kings.

Hermetic Borderland

The North Sea is treated as a natural border by Hermetic Tribunals, so a magical island placed in the center of it becomes a contestable space. A Grand Tribunal ruling on the status of the Isle of Man, which indicated that the island belonged to whichever Tribunal could settle it, gives the characters precedent to join whichever surrounding Tribunal they wish, provided that Tribunal accepts them.

Theological Matters

The Roman Church claims universal power in Mythic Europe, and although it is contested in the East and Africa, player characters who create a new country must come to terms with the Church in some way.

A New And Strange Saint?

The player characters have created, for all intents, a kingdom, and so it will be granted a patron by God. Which patron he chooses is up to the troupe, but here are some options:

Saint Brendan is a patron for Irish sailors, and is arguably intercessor for islands in the Ocean.

The Blessed Cyprian may perform a miracle sufficient to have him recognized as a Saint. In life he was a penitent magician, and House Jerbiton has been waiting for this miracle for centuries.

Saint Nerius was a Criamon magus. He is the saint of pious magi. He has not been recognized by the Church.

Saint Nicholas is the patron of sailors. He's an interesting choice, because players are so used to Santa Claus, and the medieval saint varies from him so remarkably. Saint Nicholas is, in many local traditions, followed by a little demon that torments naughty children.

Someone the magi choose. If the player characters quest for the relics of a particular saint, they may draw her attention and special favor.

Someone new. If a person of great piety dies during the foundation of the magical land, God may grant that person powers of intercession. The player characters may wish to campaign for the formal recognition of their local saint.

Story Seeds for the Hermetic Borderland

Each of the surrounding Tribunals has factions which would support, and others which would oppose, the addition of a huge territory to the Tribunal.

Stonehenge has not been defined in this edition of Ars Magica, which leaves an interesting space for troupes to design factions who react to the creation of the island.

Normandy is a Tribunal deliberately kept turbulent by the large number of Tytalus magi there. Covenants form feudal relationships, and the magical country could find admittance easier if it selected the right overlord. House Tytalus is divided between two claimants for leadership, and the player characters may be forced to support one over the other. The covenants in this Tribunal regularly engage in contests to determine who has the right to use certain resources from a common prize pool. It might be resented that a covenant which has nothing to lose, since no local resources are in the prize pool, participates in these contests.

The Rhineland is riven by multifaceted factionalism, but one obvious fault line is between the older, more conservative covenants and the Lotharingian group in the north who wish to break away and form a new Tribunal. The magical kingdom is welcomed by the conservatives if it seems loyal to them and brackets the Lotharingians, since the Order has not accepted geographically discontinuous Tribunals. It is welcomed by the Lotharingians, since its method of formation shows little of the reserve of the older Rhineland covenants, provided it seems sympathetic to their desire to secede.

Even if it is in the southern part of the North Sea, the covenant that creates the magical kingdom might choose to join the Loch Leglean Tribunal. Other Tribunals include large expanses of sea between their components. Loch Leglean's magi tend to keep to themselves, so magi wanting to join that Tribunal will need to assist their sodales with a series of local issues.

A group of twelve magi could, theoretically, create their own Tribunal by dividing into four covenants, invoking an ancient Grand Tribunal ruling from when the Order was less populous. It would need to be accepted at Grand Tribunal, which would require the cultivation of votes from the delegates of lesser tribunals, and from the primi. This Tribunal could be promoted as a neutral area, in which magi from surrounding tribunals could negotiate and sign treaties.

To take the above a step further, the player characters might divide into four covenants, as above, but prefer to have one covenant join each of the neighboring Tribunals. A Grand Tribunal ruling could be sought so that part of the island had a special role in Hermetic culture, and was answerable to representatives of each of the Tribunals.

When the player characters begin to settle their island, a group of Tytalus magi from Normandy decide to stir them up. Their strategies include:

Settling a covenant on the new country. The Tytalus magi claim there's no precedent for a covenant claiming exclusive use of such an enormous piece of land, and so they are free to settle part of it. They can be forced to leave with Certamen, or convinced to leave by challenging them to another, suitably amusing, contest, with their departure as a stake. Alternatively, the player characters may pursue them through the Tribunal system, perhaps claiming that since the land was created using vis, to steal it is, effectively, stealing vis, which is a crime.

Creating sufficient land to make the island connected to a surrounding kingdom. If the local noble then claims the land, since it is obviously now part of his domain, what do the player characters do?

Creating bridges from the magical country to two nearby kingdoms, which are rivals. All roads and bridges in England can theoretically be claimed by the king as his personal property, so can the magi destroy the bridge without angering him? If the bridges become a pilgrimage route, creating the usual pattern of Divine and Infernal along the road between them, how do the player characters manage?

Creating a smaller version of the magical country, on the Dogger Bank. Do they player characters claim it, accepting the blame for the damage to fishing? Do they leave it so that the Tytalus can stir up surrounding kingdoms to fight over it? Do they allow it to be seized by whoever is strong enough to take it? If it becomes infested with pirates, what do the player characters do?

Story Seeds for Theological Matters

The pope claims sovereignty over the entire earth, theoretically, but in practice lets kings rule. As a display of this, newly baptized kings from previously pagan lands often gifted with a crown by the pope, demonstrating his acceptance of the king's right to rule.
The pope is not a fool: a powerful monarch who suddenly appears, and asks for a crown, gets one after some haggling. The players characters need to haggle for the crown. Will the pope get a penny per head per year and all the usual tithes? Will he get an extra contribution to the crusade, or the foundation of churches and abbeys?
If the player characters take no steps to have a king accepted by the pope, he may be convinced to give the crown of their land to some other nobleman, or may conclude that the new land is part of an already established kingdom. The player characters may first hear of this when their king arrives.
The spiritual welfare of the people of Western Europe is in the hands of the bishops of the church. New sees are created as the pope thinks necessary, and have seniority as he, and his predecessors, have decided. This means that some politically autonomous areas have churches that are governed by bishops from neighboring, hostile, kingdoms. Examples of this are the bishops of Scotland, who are almost all directly dependent on Rome with no intervening archbishop. This has not stopped agitation by the Bishop of Saint Andrews, the Bishop of Glasgow, the Archbishop of York, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Archbishop of Nidaros (now Trondheim in Norway) for them to be recognized as suffragans.
One argument in favor of a particular area being under the authority of an archbishop is that it was evangelized by people from his see, and that the early churches and congregations looked to his predecessors for leadership. When the player characters suddenly create land without an archbishop, it's an obvious ploy to send a team of priests to found a church and lead the congregations of the people. The problem is that this ploy is obvious to the archbishops of York, Canterbury, Nidaros, Rouen, and Bremen, and the bishop of Saint Andrews. They all send missions: disputes break out.
God Himself seems to take a hand in lands lacking churchmen, and often dispatches saints to evangelize and found churches. Player characters can oppose these saints if they like, but when the druids tried that with Saint Patrick, it didn't go well for them.
Outranking the bishops and archbishops, the pope sends special envoys, called legates, to represent his authority in distant realms. A legate is the perfect person to negotiate with, since they have most of the powers and authority of the Pope, but are nearer and not surrounded by the bureaucracy of the Vatican. Britain is so far away that in late 1220 there are two active there.
Before July, Pandulf Marca, an Italian by birth but now bishop of Norwich, is the legate to Britain, Ireland and the Isles. He is the chairman of the Council of Regency which runs England on behalf of Henry III. Pandulf would prefer that, like England, the king of the magical land gave it to the Church, and received it back as a fief. Pandulf has many talents, but one of them (Intelligence + Church Lore against an Ease Factor of 15) is finding useful and well paid jobs for his family members. He does not betray the Church with his nepotism, but he can be swayed, on fringe issues, by bribes not to him, but to his family's welfare. Of course, any appointee from his family is a spy, both for Pandulf and the Pope.
There is a conspiracy against Pandulf, by the Archbishop of Canterbury and some of the senior nobles of England. They plan to petition the pope that, when Henry reaches his majority in 1221 (an arbitrary time of their selection), the legate's embassy should end, and no new legate be appointed. Pandulf has fallen sufficiently in the Pope's estimation that, unless the player characters alter events, the legate will lose his role. Pandulf may not be aware of this, but once it becomes known, he's far more willing to make agreements.
In July 1220, a second legate is appointed, taking all of Pandulf's legatorial responsibilities outside of England. The new legate, James, takes five months to travel to Britain. After Christmas, James arrives to act as legate to Scotland and the Isles. He is the Pope's chaplain, but linked to the church of Saint Victor in Paris.
One of James' duties is to arrange a method of managing the Scottish bishops. They are independent of any archbishop, and ten independent bishoprics together is unknown in the Church, outside northern Italy. James is authorized to create special dispensations, allowing bishops so distant from Rome to appoint their own leaders, pending the approval of the Pope.
If he sees the magical land as an "isle of the sea," which places it within his remit, he can stretch the dispensation to include the magic land's bishops. In exchange he wants to appoint all of the bishops, and to make sure the church has substantial tithe lands, preferably tied to the Augustinian Order, of which he is a member.

The Eye of Hell

There is a demon appointed for the subversion of every kingdom in the world. Some say that these are all Watchers, who fell when they married into the Race of Men. These are described on page 64 of Realms of Power: The Infernal. For the sake of this story, two other varieties are used. A demon claiming suzerainty over this new realm rises in the Infernal hierarchy.

A horde of demons, majors and minor, rush to the kingdom, each vying for superiority. The two most powerful claimants are already the patrons of kingdoms, but are the least of their kind, because their kingdoms have fallen into the sea. They use the other demons, human servants, and even the magi, as pawns in their battle to become the patron demon of the new land. Each has minor demons as personal servants.

Three Demons and their Retinues

These three demons are particularly appropriate to oppose player characters who create islands. Their retinues are also described below.

A Note on The Powers of Demons

Many demons have powers which are variants of those gathered here.
Coagulation, 1 point, Init –1, Corpus: Allows the demon to manufacture a solid body from the ambient, unformed matter of the universe. It may only take the form described in its Appearance. Manifesting takes (Might) rounds, but dissolving again requires only one round of concentration. A demon in spiritual form may not use its physical Characteristics. Demons are forced to abandon this form on Holy Saturday.
Envisioning; 1 point, Init +0, Mentem: The demon uses this power to appear in, and distort, the dreams of mortals.
Obsession, 1 to 3 points, Init –5, Vim: When a person is committing a sinful thought or deed, the demon may impose its Obsession Trait if this Power Penetrates Magic Resistance. This gives the person a temporary Personality trait equal to the number of points spent, and at the next opportunity the victim must make a roll, opposed by any suitable Personality trait, to avoid doing something self-degrading. If the Obsession fails, the temporary trait is lost. If it succeeds, the trait is acquired permanently.

Demon Weaknesses

Each demon in this chapter has a Weakness. Characters know this weakness if they are aware the demon exists, consult a relevant source, and make an Intelligence + Infernal Lore roll against an Ease factor of 9 + (Might / 5).
If the weakness is a material, then in the presence of their weakness these demons must flee. They cannot regain Might while their weakness is present. If the weakness is a protected group, the demon cannot harm members of that group.

Rumael, The False Neptune

This demon claims to be the god Neptune, the creator and destroyer of Atlantis. Magi with even the most basic education in the Artes Liberales will notice that Atlantis was reported by the Greeks, and was ruled by Poseidon. Rumael is either unaware he's using the wrong version of the god, or includes this flaw in his story to mock the stupidity of humans, being blinded by his pride to the possibility that he's not so clever, and they not so stupid, as he imagines.

He is served by the Wicked Boys of the Third Square, a race of tiny demons that take the form of men with the heads of horses (see nearby insert). Each has a pitchfork (or perhaps trident) design on its back.

Rumael has many powers that aid his pretense, controlling water, storms and horses. It is unusual for False Gods, but these powers have small touches to them which make clear that they are Infernally tainted. This may be a further manifestation of Rumael's hubris.

Order: Lord of the False Gods
Infernal Might: 40 (Aquam)
Characteristics: Int +2, Per +1, Pre +2, Com 0, Str +4, Sta +4, Dex +4, Qik +4
Size: +3
Confidence Score: 5 (5)
Personality Traits: Proud +6, Taunts foes with clues that are obvious +2
Hierarchy: 5
Reputations: Patron of a Kingdom That No Longer Exists 2 (Infernal)
Combat:
Trident: Init +6, Attack +15, Defense +13, Damage +9
Soak: +8 (metal scale armor)
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, 0, –1, –1,, –3, –3, –5, Unconscious.
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–8), –3 (9– 16), –5 (17–24), Incapacitated (25–32), Dead (33+)
Abilities: Various, including Single Weapon 8 (trident)
Powers:
Coagulation, 1 point, Init –1, Corpus. Envisioning; 1 point, Init +0, Mentem.
His Master's Voice: Points equal Might, Init +1, Vim*.* This power summons lesser demons, although it does not control them. Rumael is intimidating enough that he can rule his minions without mystical compulsion.
Master of Storm and Sea: 1 point per Magnitude of simulated spell, Init +1, Aquam or Auram: This power allows Rumael to create effects similar to Hermetic Creo, Muto or Rego spells that affect storms. Rumael may not create spells of level 41 or higher, nor ritual spells.
Obsession, 1 point, Init –5, Vim. Sycophancy.
Shroud the Stench of the Pit, 1 point per level of affected power, Init +3, Vim: This power can make an Infernal power appear magical, faerie, or mundane.
The Wealth of Nations: 3 points, Init 0, Terram: This spell summons wealth from wherever its absence will cause the most trouble. Rumael can call forth up to 40 pounds of gold, or the equivalent in value, with each use of this power. The wealth created is never directly useful: for example it cannot create materials suitable for craftwork. It calls forth only those sumptuous goods which tempt to avarice.
Weakness: Vulnerable to fire (the touch of any flame causes a Light Wound.)
Vis: 8 pawns Aquam vis sordida in teeth.
Appearance: As suits his role, Rumael uses his Infernal powers to appear as a bearded man in a white robe, armed with a trident. His teeth are thin needles, like those of a fish. Rumael could correct this, but does not. The same strange urge which forces him to use the wrong name when pretending to be an ancient Greek sea god prevents him.

When False Gods appear, they are accompanied by an animal which is really an extension of the body of the demon. When Rumael appears he is accompanied by a horse, sometimes with the tail of a fish, He is occasionally accompanied instead by a dolphin.

A Note on Tainted Vis

Detailed information on tainted vis can be found in Realms of Power: Infernal, on pages 18 and 19. Those troupes not using that set of rules might instead assume that all tainted vis:

Adds 5 instead of 2 to casting totals.

Adds three botch dice per pawn, for non-Infernally aligned users.

Causes a temporary Personality trait of 1, in a sin appropriate to the original demon, in any person who carries the tainted vis for a year. This trait becomes permanent if the carrier successfully acts on the Trait.

The Wicked Boys of the Third Square

This tribe of small, evil spirits serves Rumael. They delight in racing across the decks of ships, or through the streets of towns, wrecking things. While racing they carry off prizes. They value beer highly, and also, for reasons which are unclear, hats. Occasionally a captain among these creatures is slightly more powerful (Add title of Master to Order, 5 Infernal Might, Reputation 3, Hierarchy 3, Qik +2, Imitative +2, Defense +8). He also has a fancier hat.
Order: Evil spirit
Infernal Might: 5 (Aquam)
Characteristics: Int –1 Per +1, Pre +1, Com -2, Str +1, Sta +0, Dex +2, Qik 0
Size: –2
Personality Traits: Selfish +6
Hierarchy: 1
Combat:
Trident: Init +2, Attack +10, Defense +6, Damage +6
Soak: +2 (metal scale loincloth)
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –3, –5, Unconscious.
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–3), –3 (4–6), –5 (7–9), Incapacitated (10-12), Dead (13+)
Abilities: Various, including Athletics 8 (acrobatics) Single Weapon 5 (trident)
Powers:
Coagulation, 1 point, Init –1, Corpus. Envisioning; 1 point, Init +0, Mentem. A Little Hop, A Little Jump, A Little Skip: 1 point, Init +5, Corpus and Animal. This power allows the demon to step through a solid object, like a wall, or an opponent in combat. The evil spirit remains intangible for one round, but may trigger the power each round to prevent flickering into solidity.
Obsession, 1 point, Init –5, Vim. Destructive japery.
Weakness: Vulnerable to fire (the touch of flame causes a Light Wound.)
Vis: 1 pawn Aquam vis sordida in eyes.
Appearance: These little sprits look like small men, very muscular, with the heads of horses. Each wears a pair of bronze plates, joined by a shell encrusted belt, as a loincloth. Each also has a thick collar of shells about its neck. Although the creatures have the heads of horses, they lack the passive expressions of most of those animals: they bare their teeth, flick out long, discolored tongues, and flick their manes.

Neqael, The Lady of the Purple Bower, Corrupter of Lyonesse

This demoness takes the form of — and spreads through her mortal servants a reputation as — a faerieblooded but mortal noblewoman of great wealth and wisdom. She is a corrupter of etiquette in the courts of the nobility. Her particular vice is the corruption of the emerging principles of courtly love. Her pleasure is to suck the meaning out of fine amor, making it a sham, and a mask for adultery and fornication.

Neqael corrupted, but did not destroy, the half-imaginary land of Lyonesse. Most people who are aware of Lyonesse think it was swallowed by the sea as a divine judgment on the wickedness of its inhabitants. In truth, it was destroyed by the demon now known as the Red Knight of Ys. He and Neqael hate each other, and each would ally with the magi for the opportunity to humiliate, injure, or banish their foe. Each is aware that many magi refuse to deal with demons, and each can pass for human with care, so they simply may not inform the player characters of their nature.

The Lady of the Purple Bower is served by a strange tribe of succubi who cannot attack people who have attempted to seduce them. They are unable to have sex with mortals, and so instead must manipulate their victims. Humans are usually seduced in pairs, each using the body of another victim as their instrument of sin. Some of these creatures instead select a particular human to act as their champion, and train him or her in all the techniques of courtly seduction.

Order: Lady of the Spirits of Deceit
Infernal Might: 40 (Imaginem)
Characteristics: Int +3, Per +2, Pre +4, Com +2, Str +1, Sta +1, Dex +1, Qik +2
Size: 0
Virtues and Flaws: Great Characteristic, Improved Characteristics
Confidence Score: 5 (5)
Personality Traits: Deceitful +6, Trustworthy -3
Hierarchy: 5
Reputations: Mistress of a fallen realm 5 (Infernal), Mistress of etiquette 2 (nobles).
Combat:
Dagger: Init +2, Attack +12, Defense +11, Damage +4*
* Venomed: as per asp bite in Arm5, page 180.
Soak: +1
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious.
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (5–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)
Abilities: Various, including Brawl 8 (dagger), Charm 8 (nobles), Etiquette 8 (nobles)
Powers:
Coagulation, 1 point, Init –1, Corpus. Envisioning; 1 point, Init +0, Mentem. Forked Tongue of the Serpent: 3 points, Init –1, Mentem: The target believes any lie until he or she relates it to someone else. An hour after the lie is told, the hearer may make an Intelligence roll against an Ease factor of 9 to disbelieve it. The hearer may reroll every hour.
Obsession, 1 point, Init –5, Vim. Unrequited passion.
Change Form, 0 point, Init 0, Corpus or Animal: May take any animal or human form. The demon's form is not resisted by the Parma Magica if the demon makes a physical attack.
Summon Mavens of the Purple Bower: Points equal Might, Init +1, Vim*.*
This power summons lesser demons, although it does not control, them. Neqael usually calls a particular type of demon, and rules her minions without mystical compulsion, using a mixture of pleasure and threats.
Trust of the Innocent, 1 point, Init +1, Mentem: The victim believes a single, plausible lie until evidence to the contrary is presented. An Intelligence roll against an Ease Factor of 6 allows a character to resist this effect.
The Serpent's Oracle: 2 points, Init –3, Vim: The demon can duplicate the effect of any Intellego spell, or can gain an understanding of the immediate consequences of any specific act.
Weakness: Protected group: nuns
Vis: 8 pawns Imaginem vis sordida in clothes
Appearance: The Lady of the Purple Bower is fairest by candlelight, or in the dappled light of her bower, with milky skin, fair hair and grey eyes. In direct sunlight her skin looks yellowed, and her eyes hollow.

The Mavens of Etiquette in the Court of the Purple Bower

These courtiers are sexual demons who are, strangely, entirely chaste. They teach courtiers a distorted moral code, and the techniques of seduction.
Order: Tempters
Infernal Might: 5 (Corpus)
Characteristics: Int 0, Per 0, Pre +3, Com 0, Str +1, Sta +3, Dex +1, Qik 0
Size: 0
Virtues and Flaws: Improved Characteristics, Weak-willed
Personality Traits: Selfish +6, Emotionally voyeuristic +5, Deceitful +4
Hierarchy: 1
Combat:
Short Sword: Init +1, Attack +10, Defense +6, Damage +8
Knife: Init 0, Attack +8, Defense +6, Damage +3
Soak: +4, clothes. On rare occasions, armored (+8)
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–50), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)
Abilities: Brawl 5 (knife), Charm 8 (teaching), Etiquette 8 (teaching shallow manners), Folk Ken 3 (nobles), Single Weapon 5 (short sword)
Powers:
Coagulation, 1 point, Init –1, Corpus. Envisioning; 1 point, Init +0, Mentem. Mutable gender; 0 point, Init +0, Corpus: A demon can switch gender at will.
Obsession, 1 to 3 points, Init –5, Vim. Secret desire.
Trust of the Innocent, 1 point, Init +1, Mentem: The victim believes a single, plausible lie until evidence to the contrary is presented. An Intelligence roll against an Ease Factor of 6 allows a character to resist this effect.
Weakness: Protected group: those who have offered to have sex with the demon.
Vis: 1 pawn Corpus vis sordida in the private organs.
Appearance: Elegant women in lace and fur. Languid men with rippling muscles in leather trousers.

The Red Knight of Ys: Bringer of Requested Inundations

The Red Knight is a demon who delights in drowning his victims. His proudest achievements are the destruction of whole kingdoms, like Ys and Gwenolod, but he similarly is responsible for some of the towns now covered by lakes in the Alps, for Italian merchant ships lost at sea, and for many thousands of people whose heads he has held in a rainwater butt. The Red Knight is, however, under a strange compulsion: he can only harm people once he has been given permission to, by a mortal. He destroyed the kingdom of Ys after its princess, in exchange for a kiss and the unspoken promise of his love, gave him the key to the kingdom's sea defences. He claims his victims deserve their punishment, and that he acts as God's chastiser, but this is false and he knows it.

The mortal who grants the Red Knight permission to destroy his victims must have a social connection to them, such that by giving the permission, the mortal is acting treacherously. Even a rival covenant, though it betrays the Code to call on him, is not sufficiently intimate a betrayer to allow the Red Knight to crack the wall and send towering waves against the player characters' island. The family member of a magus, an apprentice, a familiar, a lover or a trusted servant could all give the Red Knight leave to destroy the land. The Red Knight prefers to kill the mortal who gives him permission to cause great inundations. If this cannot be accomplished he sometimes selects, as his next temptee, someone who hates the survivor.

Some tribes of merfolk, around the coasts of France, and even further afield if interacting with Breton sailors, claim to be descendants of the people of Ys. They say they were changed into merrow as an act of mercy by God, when the sinners of Ys were killed. These merfolk have a traditional, intergenerational hatred of the Red Knight (or, at least, they believe they do). They will gladly die to see him destroyed. Characters who make an Intelligence + Faerie Lore roll against an Ease Factor of 12 know that some merfolk claim Ysian descent. This number may be lowered by circumstances such as a Breton upbringing.

Order: Lord of the Avengers of Evil
Infernal Might: 30 (Aquam)
Characteristics: Int +1, Per 0, Pre +2, Com +2, Str +3, Sta +4, Dex +5, Qik +3
Size: 0
Confidence Score: 5 (5)
Virtues and Flaws: Venus' Blessing.
Personality Traits: Relentless +5, Manipulative +4, Mentions his mustache far more than necessary +3, Flirtatious +2, Merciful –5
Hierarchy: 5
Reputations: A demon of shipwreck and mass drowning 5 (Infernal)
Combat:
Bite: Init +4, Attack +16, Defense +11*, Damage +11
* +2 if using his shield
Soak: +10 in armor, +4 without
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious.
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (5–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)
Abilities: Various, including Carouse 6 (with women), Charm 6 (potential sexual partners), Single Weapon 7 (sword)
Powers:
Coagulation, 1 point, Init –1, Corpus. Change Form, 0 point, Init 0, Corpus or Animal: Allows the Red Knight to manipulate his shape so that his armor immediately congeals about him.
Envisioning; 1 point, Init +0, Mentem. This demon uses this power to prepare his temptees for meeting with him while awake.
Obsession:, 1 point, Init –5, Vim. Infatuation with the Knight.
Inundation, 1 point per Magnitude of simulated spell, Init +1, Aquam or Terram: This power allows the Red Knight to generate effects similar to Hermetic Creo, Muto or Rego spells that allow him to break sea defenses or call up waves. The Knight cannot create spells of level 31 or higher, nor ritual spells. To this there is a single exception: the Knight may create a single great wave, of level 60 or below, for each temptee.
Weakness: Protected Group (those whom he has not been invited to harm by a traitor)
Vis: 6 pawns Perdo vis sordida in mustache
Appearance: The Red Knight dresses impeccably, in enameled armor or costly scarlet clothes. He has red hair, a jaunty mustache, and arching eyebrows. He's roughish and charismatic. Unlike the other two major demons given here, he does not have Infernal servants. He often travels with a human squire or valet, who appears unaware of his nature.

Other Faiths

Player characters might choose settlers of a different religion, or of a Christian sect considered heretical by the papacy. The current pope, Honorius III, is strongly in favor of the crusading movement in the Baltic, the Reconquista in Iberia, the crushing of the Cathars in southern France, the Latin Empire in Constantinople, and the invasion of Muslim lands in Africa. One more theatre of war won't bother him.

The pope's first move is to send evangelists to have the land come to the faith by conversion. If he considers it necessary, he will send members of the Order of Preachers (later called the Dominican Order) who are trained to preach in vernacular language, endure great hardship, and be martyred if necessary.
If that fails he has no compunction about preaching a crusade. The player characters, if there are any priests on the island, hear of this. If a Christian presence on the island has been thoroughly driven underground, then redcaps traveling through distant cities send urgent reports to their superiors, who use magic to transport messengers to as close to the covenant as is possible. The player characters, if they capitulate speedily, can prevent the crusade, which is expensive and time consuming to prepare, from being launched. Alternatively, the player characters may use this time to bolster their defenses.
A crusade against one covenant could easily expand to include all. Crusades against distant pagans, for example, are always accompanied by the widespread abuse of Jews (who are still unbelievers but are militarily weaker and conveniently close.) If it is clear that the crusade will go ahead, powerful figures in Houses Guernicus, Tremere and Jerbiton contact each other and discuss how to clean up the mess, canvassing options up to killing the player characters and submerging the island again. The player characters are tipped off by their allies, and have time to convince an emergency Tribunal not to cast them out.
The player characters may decide to sidestep this whole issue by creating a race of inhabitants alternative to humans. This idea is more fully developed in The Broken Covenant of Calebais. A kingdom of intelligent, magical animals has strange effects on the political and theological development of Mythic Europe.

As a counterpoint, the pope's resources are thinly stretched. Offers of assistance, with any of his many campaigns, may sway him to allow the player characters nominate a king for him to appoint, may add luster to the reputation of a particular candidate for the role of bishop, or convince him of the need for immediate reporting to Rome rather than suffragancy to an archbishop.

Honorius is implacably opposed to Jews or Muslims working in the administration of any Christian king, particularly in roles which involve handling money. If the player characters promise to not employ Jews or Muslims directly, and to aid the Order of Preachers in their peaceful conversion, Honorius can be convinced not to demand their expulsion.

A Boom in People and Trade

Many of the kingdoms surrounding the North Sea are experiencing explosive population growth, and rapid urbanization. In Great Britain, the population is predominantly along the North Sea coast. In France, Paris, which connects to the North Sea by the heavily-trafficked Seine, is the largest city in the west of Mythic Europe. In the Baltic, alliances of merchants, and between towns, are forming, allowing them to prepare for greater adventures of commerce and speculation than ever before.

Many story seeds regarding trade can be found in City & Guild, the Ars Magica supplement dealing with merchants.
Once the characters have established a settlement, many towns send merchant adventurers to assess what the inhabitants want, what they produce, and what prices are available in their port. This is completely dependent on how the player characters design their country, but even if they choose relatively normal commodities, like wool or lumber, they are closer than other sources of supply.
The player characters may design their kingdom as a great emporium of the north, although in time this may lead to conflict with Venice. Venice lacks the power to send a war fleet into the North Sea in 1220, but it has sufficient money to bribe the nobles of surrounding nations into declaring war. As a corollary, if the player characters can prove this has occurred, then there are many covenants with interests in Venice, one of which may be pleased to aid the player characters in reprisal, in exchange for some other favor.

Alternative Locations

There are many good reasons to place the magic land in the North Sea, but player characters may prefer one of these other locations.

The Atlantic Ocean

The depth of the Atlantic acts as a complicating factor to creating a truly massive island, as it is somewhat over 4000 paces deep, on average. The Wedding Ring of Gaea, given in an earlier insert, creates a wall of stone 4000 paces deep, two paces thick, and just under 1250 paces long, which is a circle 398 paces in diameter. The Wedding Ring of Gaea is, however, a level 35 spell, and some Hermetic magi are able to cast spells of far higher level than this.

A level 40 spell creates a ring just over two miles in diameter.
A level 45 spell creates a ring 22 miles in diameter.
A level 50 spell creates a ring just under 226 miles in diameter
A level 55 spell creates a ring 2259 miles across. By way of comparison, it is slightly over 1500 miles from London to Constantinople. Filling such a ring would be a mammoth task.

Characters wanting a rock to wrap their island around have a few options in the Atlantic.

The almost-mythical Purple Islands, which are discussed in Ancient Magic are one possibility. Player characters investigating them may discover Magic and Faerie auras aplenty, a reliable supply of vis, and valuable trade goods. These islands are also ruled by a caste of magicians, so taking control of them by force arguably doesn't breach the Code.
The Scilly Isles, off the tip of Cornwall, are owned by the Abbey of Tavistock in Devon, following a royal grant by Henry I. The abbey founded a small monastic community at Tresco, on the islands. The characters can buy the islands off Tavistock Abbey, although the king must approve, and be paid a portion of the final price. To remove the Scilly Isles from the kingdom would require a far larger bribe.
The St Kilda Archipelago, the largest island of which is called Hirtir, lies to the far west of Scotland. It has perhaps a hundred inhabitants, of Viking stock, and is not claimed by any outside power, with the possible exception of the petty rulers of the Outer Hebrides. The people there are Christians in name, but incorporate many pagan practices into their religion. Megalithic sites can also be found on many of the islands.
There are many islands off the west coast of Hibernia which may be suitable, but some of these may have been claimed by Hermetic covenants already.

Story Seeds: Has Someone Else Has Done This Before?

When House Diedne disappeared, leaving an unambiguous message of eternal hatred and a threat of revenge, many magi believed they sailed into the West, and Arcadia, where they died.
It's entirely possible that if they had just a handful of vis, they could have created an island the size of Europe in the depths of the Atlantic. There is nothing inherently impossible in the idea that the Diedne have built themselves an entire civilization, somewhere in the west.
As another alternative, maps from slightly after the game period record an island, called Antillia, or the Isle of Seven Cities, which lies in the Atlantic opposite Iberia. The island's history, as reported by a group of sailors washed there in a storm, is that when the Moors invaded Iberia, seven bishops and their followers fled to sea.
They were washed up on a great island, which had, through sheer coincidence, seven ports, and each bishop founded a city. The odd thing about the island is that, when mapped, it is clearly a vast rectangular prism 350 miles long and 135 miles wide. Its capital lies at one short end, like a father at the head of a family table, with its six other ports equidistant along each of the long sides. The capital's harbor is a vast and perfectly symmetrical bay with a perfectly straight breakwater. Each of the other cities rests on an identical trefoil bay of precisely the same size. Somewhere in the depths of Antillia, is there a record of which magus built it, and why?

Saga Seed: Tartessos Emerges

Tartessos, as described by the ancients, was a rich port at the furthest inhabited edge of the world. Phoenician traders who landed there could gain such cargoes, and realize such profits, that they could plate their anchors in silver before their return. Tartessos no longer exists — it may perhaps have been in Iberia — but the memory of it, the dream of it, persists.

When the player characters create a rich port at the edge of the world, the old Gods of Tartessos rouse from their slumbers.

In the depths of the night, misty buildings can be seen and strange songs heard.

A person who turns down an unknown street may find a bazaar filled with strange, but friendly traders speaking an unknown language, who barter away rich goods for apparent trifles.

As time progresses, the tired story of Tartessos becomes revitalized, and the intrusions of the Faerie port become more overt.

Whole suburbs change on ancient, sacred days.

Strange ships, with faerie crews dressed in Cathaginian robes arrive, to trade fish sauce, gold and dye for local wares.

The people sleepwalk to build temples, filled with fire, bulls and bronze.

Do the player characters oppose the return of Tartessos, or find a way to communicate with the Faerie gods, and parley with them? For inspiration, an alternative version of Tartessos is found in Rival Magic.

The Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea averages 60 paces in depth, which means:

If magi use The Wedding Ring of Gaea, a level 35 spell, it creates a ring just under 15 miles across.
If magi use a level 40 spell, it creates a ring 150 miles across, which is rather too large for the Baltic Sea.

The islands of the Baltic are, for the most part, owned and claimed by various kingdoms. That being noted, with the obvious exception of Gotland, most can be purchased from their current ruler, for a large enough fee. Bornholm is currently contested by the King of Denmark and the Bishop of Lund. The Ertholmene Archipelago is uninhabited, but perhaps lacks sufficient sea room about it to make it a viable choice.

The Black Sea

The Black Sea is an interesting choice as site, located on the edge of the Hermetic world and lying between the Theban, Transylvanian and Novgorod Tribunals. This sea averages 1420 paces deep, which means that:

A spell of level 35 gives a ring 1120 paces (0.63 miles) wide.
A spell of level 40 gives a ring 11200 paces (6.36 miles) wide.
A spell of level 45 gives a ring 112000 paces (63.63 miles) wide.

There are hundreds of faerie islands in the Black Sea, only one of which is geographically stable. Snake Island is described in greater detail in Against the Dark: The Transylvanian Tribunal.

The Mediterranean

The Mediterranean requires more powerful spells to create an island of a particular size than the North Sea, lacking that body of water's strange shallowness. On average, the Mediterranean is 1630 paces deep, with lower wave height than the Atlantic. The Wedding Ring of Gaea, given in an earlier insert, creates a ring of stone 1,640 paces deep, two paces thick, and just under 970 paces (0.55 miles) in diameter.

If claiming an island as a core for the magical land, there are a few candidates:

Three small islands to the southwest of Sicily, Lampedusa, Linosa, and Lampione, are close enough to be contained in a single magical land. Lampedusa was settled by the Romans for a time, as a manufactory for fish sauce, so perhaps an ancient temple or other structure can be excavated, providing a weak Magic aura. Lampione was, in local myth, a stone dropped by a cyclops, so it may have a Faerie aura. A new land here would, however, be a direct neighbor to the Holy Roman Emperor, whose court is in Palermo in Sicily, and to the strange Arabic sorcerers of Tunis.
Malta is currently ruled by a count who owes fealty to the King of Sicily, who happens to be the Holy Roman Emperor. Claiming his land is an act of war, and after such a mistake only adroit diplomacy can save the player characters.
The Balearic Islands are an independent taifa in 1220, and although their Christian neighbors look on them covetously as an eventual prize of the Reconquista, none have plans to make an actual attempt. The Balearics have been settled since before the arrival of the Romans, and megalithic structures from that time survive. The islands were a Roman province for a time, complete with a temple to Mercury on the site currently occupied by the largest mosque in the island chain. Magi who seize these islands might be able to make peace with other Arabic states, since none effectively controls the islands regardless of their claims to suzerainty, and a successful crusade might gain them cachet with the pope.
All of the islands off Greece are claimed by the Theban Tribunal's many member covenants, and their innate conservatism is unlikely to welcome an innovative land construction project.
Vis harvesting rights to all of the islands off the coast of Dalmatia are claimed by House Mercere, under the stringently enforced rules of the Transylvanian Tribunal.

A Floating Island

Player characters may prefer to create an island which is mobile. They can do this by changing the shape of the wall into a circular cap, and making it from pumice, a strange type of stone which floats in water.

A level 30 spell creates a circular cap that, if 35 paces at its deepest point, is just under 800 paces wide.
A level 35 spell creates a circular cap around 2500 paces (1.4 miles) across.
A level 40 spell creates a circular cap around 14 miles across

Characters who create a floating island must find a way to steer it. If they have the aid of one of the vast magical monsters described earlier in this chapter, then smaller floating islands can simply be towed, if the creature will deign to perform such labor. Magic items may be used to push, drag or teleport the island. Alternatively, spells to control the island are simple to create.

Story Seed: Earlier Floating Islands

The island of Delos, in the Aegean Sea, was once a floating island. Zeus, lord of Olympus, tethered it to the sea floor with, depending on which source you prefer, great chains or thick pillars. Player characters intent on creating a floating island may wish to go to Delos, to see how it comes to float. Is it natural, is it the handiwork of ancient spellcasters, or is it the creation of creatures with supernatural powers? Delos is the meeting place of the Theban Tribunal, so characters may find collaborators in their research, or locals who do not want the mysteries of their region exposed to outsider eyes.

Steering A Vast Stone Dish

ReTe 40
R: Touch, D: Ring, T: Circle

This spell allows the player characters to direct the voyage of a small floating island whose wall has been created with a level 30 spell. The island travels at the speed of a running horse, which is about 50 land miles per hour. An island with a wall created using a level 35 spell requires a level 45 spell to steer, and one created by a level 40 spell requires one of level 50. Larger islands, if steered by a single spell, can only be maneuvered with rituals.

This spell does demonstrate the difficulty of steering with simple spells, however: a Ring 800 paces across requires over 250 concentration rolls to draw. Wise player characters would, instead, invest this spell in an invested device that maintained Concentration for them.

(Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Ring, +1 Circle, +6 Size)

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.

Open License Markdown version by YR7 & OriginalMadman, https://github.com/OriginalMadman/Ars-Magica-Open-License

See Also

Chapter Three: The Island of the Magicians

Construction: Earth Jacketed In Stone

Outer Wall Shapes

Open Ended Cylinder

Tall Empty Cylinder

Simple Spells to Create Permanent Walls

Permanent Wall of Protecting Stone

Efficient & Permanent Wall of Protecting Stone

An Expansive & Permanent Wall of Protecting Stone

The Wedding Ring of Gaea

A Note on the Columbae

Open Ended Rectangular Prism

Solid Stone Cylinder

Ablative Slope

Ornamentation

Maximum Magnitudes Due to Complexity

Fortified Wall

Sea Gates and Docks

Statuary

Story Seed: Attack of the Giant Magical Snails

Sarmatian Sea Snails: A Character Guide

Wall Materials Other Than Stone

Base Metals

Noble Metals

Unnatural Stones

Biological Substances

Backfilling the Enclosed Space

Stealing a Rock

Dirt, With a Layer of Topsoil

A Basic Quote

Clay

Stone

Cisterns

Rooms and Utility Spaces

Surface Structures

Road works

A Network Reminiscent of Rome

Creating Houses and Other Buildings

Creation of the Walls of Simple Cottages

Creation of a Legion of Appointed Cottages

Creation of a Well-Appointed Town

Water Works

A System of Narrow Canals

Canals that Accommodate Seagoing Vessels

Surface Life

Creating Fields and Forests

The Creation of a Forest

The Creation of Acorns Aplenty

The Creation of Verdant Grassland

How Many Peasants Are Needed?

Animal Life

A Pile of Rotting Beef

Story Seeds: Stolen Things of Natural Beauty

A Careful Removal of a Perfect Landscape

Story Seeds: Acquiring Ancient Structures

The Stone of London

Stonehenge

The Second Remove of the Giant's Dance

Story Seeds for the Residue of Great Magic

Theft of a Place of Great Works

Magi who Perform Great Works

Mystical Features

Auras

Dexithea: a Telechine

Blood of the Telechines

An Aspect of Phorcys

Natural Beauty

Ancient Structures

The Residue of Great Magic

The Lair of Great Magical Creatures

Lack Of Vis

Trade

The Surrounding Seas

Story Seed: A Spare Farthing

Story Seeds: Faerie Kings

Manannan Mac Lir

Treasures of Manannan

Relation to Other Faeries

Tursus