Transforming Mythic Europe Credits

AUTHORS: Timothy Ferguson (Island), Mark Lawford (Fourth AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES Estate), Mark Shirley (Magitech) DEVELOPMENT, EDITING, & PROJECT MANAGEMENT: David Chart PROOFREADING, LAYOUT, & ART DIRECTION: Cam Banks Timothy Ferguson is a librarian on the Gold Coast in Aus- LAYOUT ASSISTANCE: Michelle Nephew tralia. He first had the idea for this when on a dodgy PUBLISHER: John Nephew canal tour of Chester in the UK, and he’d like to thank COVER ILLUSTRATION: Christian St. Pierre the presenter for making the trip so boring, and food INTERIOR ART: Jason Cole, Jenna Fowler, Christian St. Pierre, so plain, that the tour group demanded to get out in Gabriel Verdon the rain to see how the lock mechanism worked. As ADDITIONAL ART: Astrology & Astronomy. Mineola, NY: Dover always: for Linda and Amelia. Publications, Inc., 2006. Castles. Mineola, NY: Dover Mark Lawford lives and works in Eastbourne on England’s Publications, Inc., 2007. Medieval Illustrations. Mineola, NY: sunny south coast. Writing and gaming continue to Dover Publications, Inc., 2001. Mineola, Medieval Life & People. provide an effective balance to the ones and zeroes of NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 2007. his day job but he’s just embarked on some original fic- ARS MAGICA FIFTH EDITION TRADE DRESS: J. Scott Reeves tion to weight it all back in the right direction. PUBLISHER’S SPECIAL THANKS: Jerry Corrick & the gang at the Source. Mark Shirley is a zoologist living in Northern England.

FIRST ROUND PLAYTESTERS: Jason Brennan, Justin Brennan, Elisha He admits to being pretty useless with technology: he Campbell, Robert Major; Leon Bullock, Peter Ryan, Chris doesn’t drive, prefers not to fly, and doesn’t have a cell Barrett, John A Edge; Eirik Bull, Helge Rager Furuseth, Karl phone. Nevertheless, he is eternally grateful to inven- Trygve Kalleberg, André Neergaard, Sigurd Lund; Jason tors such as Johannes Gutenberg, Charles Babbage, Fryer, Matt Dyson, Emily Dyson; Donna Giltrap, Malcolm Louis Lumiere, and John Logie Baird who have given Harbrow, Aaron Hicks, Richard Love; Christian Rosenkjaer him things he loves. Andersen, Pelle Kofod SECOND ROUND PLAYTESTERS: Leon Bullock, Peter Ryan, Chris Barrett, John A Edge; Christian Jensen Romer, Luke Price, Kevin Sides, Thomas Nowell, Lloyd Graney; Eirik Bull, Karl Trygve Kalleberg, Helge Rager Furuseth, André Neergaard, Sigurd Lund; Donna Giltrap, Malcolm Harbrow, Aaron Hicks, Richard Love; Pelle Kofod, Christian Rosenkjaer Andersen; Nicholas Peterson, Jennafyr Peterson, Dan Byrne; MaPhi Werner

Ars Magica players participate in a thriving fan community by subscribing to email discussion lists (like the Berkeley list), compiling archives of game material (such as Project Redcap), maintaining fan-created web sites, and running demos through Atlas Games’ Special Ops program. To learn more, visit www.atlas-games.com/ArM5. You can also participate in discussions of Ars Magica at the official Atlas Games forums located at forum.atlas-games.com. Copyright © 2013–2015 Trident, Inc. d/b/a Atlas Games. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this work by any means without written permission from the publisher, except short excerpts for the purpose of reviews, is expressly prohibited. Ars Magica, Mythic Europe, and Charting New Realms of Imagination are trademarks of Trident, Inc. Order of Hermes, Tremere, and Doissetep are trademarks of White Wolf, Inc. and are used with permission.

Digital Version 1.0

2 Transforming Mythic Europe Contents

Credits 2 The Church ...... 25 A New Kind of Politics ...... 48 Gaining the Support of the Pope ...... 26 SIMILAR KINDS OF CHANGE...... 48 Contents 3 Using Guilds as a Model ...... 26 Spread Understanding of the Introduction 6 A New Breed of Craftsman ...... 26 Supernatural World ...... 48 PLANNING FOR LONG SAGAS ...... 6 The Supernatural Realms ...... 27 Work Within the Church ...... 49 Saga Speed ...... 7 Service, Tribute, & Fosterage ...... 27 Use Gifted Proxies ...... 49 To the Future ...... 7 Rivals Outside the Order ...... 27 The World Changes Saga Style...... 7 THE TOOLS OF POLITICS ...... 27 Around the Order ...... 50 Future Events ...... 7 Writing and Responding to Polemic ..27 Taking the Lonely Stand ...... 50 Polemic...... 28 OPPOSING INTEGRATION ...... 51 Diatribe ...... 28 A Change for the Worse ...... 51 The Fourth Estate 8 Apologia ...... 28 Running Stories The Four Estates ...... 8 The Prevailing Wisdom ...... 29 on the Verge of Change ...... 51 The State of the World ...... 9 Winning the Argument...... 29 The Example of the TRANSFORMATION ...... 9 Circulating the Text ...... 29 Normandy Tribunal ...... 52 The End State ...... 9 The Argument Total ...... 31 CONCLUSION ...... 53 The Moral Authority ...... 9 Responding with Diatribe ...... 31 Rights of the Fourth Estate ...... 10 Responding with Apologia ...... 35 Obligations & Responsibilities ...... 10 Taking the Debate to Tribunal ...... 35 The Island of the Magicians 54 Why the Order Charters ...... 35 CONSTRUCTION: Would Want to Change ...... 11 Optional Rule: Charter Strength ...... 36 EARTH JACKETED IN STONE...... 54 The World on Hermetic Terms ...12 Grants of Land ...... 37 Outer Wall Shapes ...... 54 What Prevents the Order from Charters of Rights & Obligations ...... 37 Open Ended Cylinder ...... 55 Bettering the World? ...... 12 Examples of Charters ...... 37 Tall Empty Cylinder ...... 55 HOW TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE ...... 13 USING MAGIC FOR POLITICAL LEVERAGE ..38 Open Ended Rectangular Prism ...... 56 The Process of Change ...... 13 Health and Pestilence ...... 39 Solid Stone Cylinder ...... 56 Leveraging Hooks, Boons, The Care of the Sick...... 39 Ablative Slope ...... 56 & Story Flaws ...... 14 Living Conditions ...... 40 Ornamentation ...... 56 Covenant Hooks and Boons ...... 14 Longevity Effects ...... 41 Fortified Wall ...... 56 Character Story Flaws ...... 16 Harvests and Livestock ...... 41 Sea Gates and Docks ...... 57 A Growing Awareness ...... 17 Protecting Livestock From Predators ...... 42 Statuary ...... 57 The Tribunal ...... 18 Castles and Cathedrals ...... 43 Wall Materials Other Than Stone ...... 58 Building Support Before the Tribunal ...18 Aegis of the Hearth ...... 43 Base Metals ...... 58 Supporting Test Cases ...... 19 Peace and Governance ...... 43 Noble Metals ...... 58 Clarifying the Peripheral Code ...... 19 Truth and Justice ...... 43 Unnatural Stones ...... 58 Mundane Testimony ...... 20 Binding Agreements ...... 44 Biological Substances ...... 58 Local Customs ...... 20 Inheritance ...... 44 Backfilling the Enclosed Space ...... 59 Foreign Tribunals ...... 21 Protection from Invasion ...... 45 Stealing a Rock ...... 59 House Politics ...... 21 STORIES OF THE FOURTH ESTATE ...... 45 Dirt, With a Layer of Topsoil ...... 59 The Grand Tribunal ...... 23 Interest From Other Magical Traditions ..45 Clay ...... 59 In Favor of Change...... 23 Hostility ...... 46 Stone ...... 59 Against the Change...... 23 Cessation of Hostility...... 46 Cisterns ...... 60 Undecided ...... 24 The World of Academia ...... 47 Rooms and Utility Spaces...... 60 HOW POLITICS EFFECTS CHANGE ...... 24 Mundane Engagement ...... 47 Surface Structures ...... 60 Mundane Allies & Enemies...... 24 Responsibilities ...... 47 Road works ...... 60 Kings and Nobles ...... 24 The Old Guard ...... 48 Creating Houses & Other Buildings ...... 60

3 Transforming Mythic Europe Water Works...... 61 Example Device: Quills of New Spells for Instant Travel ...... 108 Surface Life ...... 62 Arcane Correspondence ...... 93 Bring the Herd to Market ...... 108 Creating Fields and Forests ...... 62 Description ...... 93 A Bridge Without Wood ...... 108 How Many Peasants Are Needed? ...... 62 Twinning the Quill ...... 94 The Messenger’s Shortcut ...... 108 Animal Life ...... 62 Example Device: The Unsubtle Knife ..94 The Mobile Infantry ...... 108 MYSTICAL FEATURES ...... 64 Description ...... 94 The Instant Harvest ...... 108 Auras ...... 64 The Writing on the Wall ...... 94 Rapacious Hand Natural Beauty ...... 66 Clairvoyance & Clairaudience ...... 94 of the Highwayman ...... 109 Ancient Structures ...... 66 Example Device: Portage of the Eagles ...... 109 The Residue of Great Magic ...... 66 Earring of Whispering Voices ...... 94 Impede the Impertinent Interloper ... 109 The Lair of Great Magical Creatures ...... 67 Description ...... 94 Example Device: Lack Of Vis ...... 67 A Signal of Intent ...... 94 The Gate of Countless Vistas ....109 Trade ...... 67 The Ear for a Distant Voice ...... 95 Description ...... 110 The Surrounding Seas ...... 67 Example Device: The Longest Step Made Short ...... 110 The Deeps...... 71 The Hermetic Speculum ...... 95 Example Device: First Faeries ...... 71 Description ...... 95 Phylactery of the Cautious Maga ..110 Ritual Wards and Summoning the Image of the Distant .. 95 Description ...... 111 Other Boundary Spells ...... 71 The Scrier Spied...... 95 Acquire the Connection ...... 111 Other Boundary Spells ...... 73 Example Device: Flee to Safe Refuge ...... 111 LOCATION: THE NORTH SEA ...... 78 The Effigy of the Errant Image ....95 Summoning the Distant Image ...... 111 Comparatively Shallow ...... 78 Description ...... 96 New Spells for Very Fast Travel .....111 Story Ideas for the Shallow Sea ...... 78 The Wandering Eidolon ...... 96 Mercury’s Winged Sandals ...... 111 Surrounded by Turbulent Kingdoms ..78 “I Will Not Use Magic to Scry...” ...96 Woolen Steed of Araby ...... 111 Picking a Nobleman as King ...... 78 Why it May Not Work: Vessel of the Clouds ...... 112 Frederick II, Lack of Penetration ...... 96 The Chariot of Zeus ...... 112 The Holy Roman Emperor ...... 78 Societal Impacts ...... 97 Form of the Zephyr ...... 113 Isabella II, Queen of Jerusalem ...... 79 Saga Seed: A Scrying Society ...... 97 Warping Gained from Philip Augustus of France ...... 79 THE COPYING OF A BOOK ...... 98 Instant Transportation ...... 114 Richard, Duke of Cornwall ...... 80 Limitations of Hermetic Theory ...... 99 Why it May Not Work: Valdemar II of Denmark ...... 80 There is No Art A Prohibitive Cost ...... 114 William Longespée (Longsword), that Covers Knowledge ...... 99 Societal Impacts Earl of Salisbury ...... 81 Magic Can Neither of Magical Transportation...... 115 Patrick, Count of Dunbar ...... 81 Read Nor Understand ...... 99 Transport of Goods ...... 115 Jon Haraldsson, Moramor of Copying a Single Page ...... 100 Transport of People ...... 115 Caithness and Earl of Orkney ...... 81 The First Furrow Guides the Second ..100 Saga Seed: Public Portals Does it Need to be a King? ...... 81 The Copyist’s Puissant Quill ...... 100 and Medieval Tourists ...... 116 Hermetic Borderland ...... 81 Copying an Entire Book ...... 100 CREATING WEALTH WITH MAGIC ...... 116 Theological Matters ...... 81 Resonances ...... 101 A Cashless Economy ...... 117 A New And Strange Saint? ...... 81 Binding ...... 101 Flooding the Market...... 118 The Eye of Hell ...... 84 Example Device: Example Device: Potent Salts ....118 Three Demons & their Retinues ...... 84 The Superb Scrinium ...... 101 Description ...... 118 Rumael, The False Neptune ...... 84 Description ...... 102 Alchemical Separation of Brine ...... 119 Neqael, The Lady of the Purple Bower, The First Furrow Guides the Second ..102 Example Device: The Garland of Corrupter of Lyonesse ...... 85 The Lector’s Deft Hand ...... 102 Prosperous Harvests ...... 119 The Red Knight of Ys: Bringer of The Copyist’s Puissant Quill ...... 102 Description ...... 119 Requested Inundations...... 87 Stack the Decorated Page ...... 102 A Harvest of Figs ...... 120 Other Faiths ...... 88 Binding the Mundane Codex ...... 103 Nourish the Displaced Vines ...... 120 A Boom in People and Trade ...... 89 Copying Laboratory Texts ...... 103 Reducing Covenant Costs ...... 120 ALTERNATIVE LOCATIONS ...... 89 The Order’s Response ...... 104 Fill the Capacious Silo ...... 120 The Atlantic Ocean ...... 89 Detractors ...... 104 Work of a Hundred Querns ...... 120 The Baltic Sea ...... 90 Neutral Parties ...... 104 The Elfin Baker ...... 121 The Black Sea ...... 90 Proponents...... 104 Storage and Life of The Mediterranean ...... 91 Why it May Not Work: Magically-Created Grain ...... 121 A Floating Island ...... 91 The Cow and Calf Oath ...... 104 Consequences of Relying on An Erudite Society ...... 105 Magic to Meet One’s Costs ...... 121 A Guild of Scribes ...... 106 Societal Impacts Magic as Technology 92 Increased Knowledge ...... 107 of the Creation of Wealth ...... 122 SCRYING AS A MEANS OF CORRESPONDENCE .. 92 TRAVEL IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE ...... 108 Saga Seed: Hermes Remote Writing ...... 92

4 Transforming Mythic Europe Mercatorius & Hermes Furis ...... 122 Influence ...... 129 Alchemists ...... 135 Why it May Not Work: Social Change ...... 130 The Augustan Brotherhood ...... 136 The Silver Consensus ...... 123 Manufacturing ...... 130 Mechanicians ...... 136 The Principles of the Silver Consensus ..123 Charged Items ...... 130 THE PROCESS OF Enforcing the Silver Consensus .....124 A Hermetic Workforce...... 131 TRANSFORMING MYTHIC EUROPE ...... 136 OTHER EXAMPLES OF The Sale of Enchantments ...... 131 Prerequisites for Change ...... 137 MAGICAL TECHNOLOGY ...... 124 Why Hasn’t This Happened Already? ..131 Vis ...... 137 Mechanical Power ...... 125 No-One Thought of it Before ...... 132 Magical Engineers ...... 137 The Impact of It Didn’t Catch On ...... 132 Breakthroughs in Magic Theory ..138 Magical Power Generation ...... 125 Insufficient Supply ...... 132 Early Adoption ...... 138 Warfare and Weapons ...... 125 The Order Lacks a Single Voice ...132 Acceptance and Spread ...... 138 Medicine ...... 127 MAGIC AS AN Widespread Integration ...... 138 Further Ideas for AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE ...... 133 Saga Seed: A Transformed Magical Technology ...... 127 Social Consequences ...... 133 Mythic Europe ...... 138 TECHNOLOGY’S TRANSFORMATIVE NATURE .. 128 I Want One ...... 133 Armatura & Lanificaria: Medieval Concepts The Devil Makes Work for Idle Hands ..134 Manufacture ...... 139 of Technology ...... 128 Economic Effects ...... 134 Navigatio & Theatrica: THE MAGUS AS INVENTOR ...... 129 Disenfranchisement ...... 134 Transport and Communication .....140 Why Should a Magus Pursue Non-Hermetic Inventors ...... 135 Agricultura, Venatoria & Medicina: Invention? ...... 129 Crafters of Wondrous Items ...... 135 Environmental Technology ...... 140 Wealth ...... 129 The Rusticani ...... 135 A New World Order of Hermes ....140 Fame ...... 129 Learned Magicians ...... 135 The Enemy ...... 141 List of Inserts Assumptions about Mythic Europe ....6 Story Seed: The Gifted Student ...... 45 The Mavens of Etiquette in the Using Antagonists with this Chapter ..9 Simple Spells to Court of the Purple Bower ...... 87 Optional Guideline: The Cost Create Permanent Walls ...... 55 Story Seeds: Has Someone of Breaking Convention ...... 10 A Note on the Columbae ...... 56 Else Has Done This Before? ...... 90 The Provision of Laboratory Texts ...11 Maximum Magnitudes Due Saga Seed: Tartessos Emerges ...... 90 The Process in Brief ...... 12 to Complexity ...... 56 Story Seed: Earlier Floating Islands ..91 A Life’s Work ...... 13 Story Seed: Attack of Story Seed: Inappropriate Use ...... 96 Story Seed: the Giant Magical Snails ...... 57 I’m Sorry, Your Call Could Not Charges in a Foreign Court ...... 20 A Basic Quote ...... 59 Be Arcanely Connected ...... 97 Story Seed: The King’s Favorite ...... 25 Story Seeds: Acquiring Ancient A Desire for Privacy ...... 98 Story Seed: The Proctor of Hermes ..25 Structures ...... 63 Story Seed: Peeping Tom ...... 98 Like Father, Like Son ...... 28 Story Seeds: Stolen Things Rego Craft Magic ...... 99 Prevailing Wisdom Table ...... 29 of Natural Beauty ...... 63 Quality Remaining After Copying ..100 Correspondences and Other Texts ..30 Story Seeds for the Discovering Mistakes ...... 101 Example Polemical Texts ...... 30 Residue of Great Magic ...... 64 Optional Rule: Hazardous Story Seed: Works of Sedition ...... 30 Dexithea: a Telechine...... 65 Laboratory Texts ...... 103 Winning the Argument Outline ...... 31 An Aspect of Phorcys ...... 66 Optional Rule: No Magical Example Polemic, Diatribe, Story Seed: A Spare Farthing...... 67 Copying of Laboratory Texts .....104 and Apologia ...... 31 Story Seeds: Faerie Kings...... 67 Rules for a Large Library ...... 105 Austerius Trianomae, Manannan Mac Lir ...... 68 Optional Rule: Limits on the Opponent of Change ...... 32-33 Manannan Mac Lir cont...... 69 Instant Transportation ...... 106 Story Seed: The Missing Letters ...... 33 Treasures of Manannan ...... 70 New Guidelines for Story Seed: Interception ...... 33 Tursus ...... 70 Instant Transportation ...... 107 Protinus Velox of Verditius, Auvekoejaks ...... 72 What About The Hermes’ Portal? ..112 Supporter of Change ...... 34 Strategies For Players Plaustrum Pertinax ...... 113 Story Seed: Oath or Contract ...... 35 Feeling Swamped By Choice ...... 73 Direct Creation of Wealth ...... 117 Military Service and Wizard War.....36 Story Seed: Faerie Tribes ...... 75-76 Story Seeds: Precious Goods ...... 118 Realm Aligned Spells Elemental Spirit of the Waves ...... 77 Technological Cost Saving ...... 120 and Other Techniques ...... 38 Story Seeds For Turbulent Kingdoms ..79 Enchantments are Warping While Under Constant Story Seed: The Coronation ...... 80 Arcane Connections ...... 129 Magical Effects ...... 39 Story Seeds for Story Seed: Foreshadowing ...... 131 Longevity Story Seeds ...... 40 the Hermetic Borderland ...... 82 Luddites and Saboteurs ...... 133 Can Magi Really Heal Lepers? ...... 41 Story Seeds for Theological Matters ..83 Inanis ...... 136 Story Seed: Who Will Rid Me of A Note on The Powers of Demons ..84 The Other Houses ...... 139 this Troublesome Magus? ...... 43 A Note on Tainted Vis ...... 85 Story Seed: The Wicked Boys of The Disagreement of Kings ...... 43 the Third Square ...... 86

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