Ancient Magic, Along with Rules for Integrating Their Secrets Into Hermetic Theory and Your Saga
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Legends tell of the mighty wizards of the past. sorcerers with powers that dwarf those of the magi of the Order of Hermes. Hyperboreans whose spells lasted a generation, necromancers of Canaan who summoned the dead, rune magic that brushed aside Magic Resistance like cobwebs. All these stories circulate in the covenants of the Order. And there are other forms of magic so ancient that even legends of them have become rare. This book presents nine forms of ancient magic, along with rules for integrating their secrets into Hermetic theory and your saga. From the frozen north to the westernmost edge of the world, from humankind’s earliest homes to the grand temples of the classical world, the quest to bring ancient power to modern magi can lead your characters anywhere in Mythic Europe, and even beyond. AG0284 • ISBN 1-58978-094-9 How far will you go for the knowledge of the ages? AG0284 • ISBN 1-58978-094-9 • $29.95 52995 9 781589 780941 WWW.ATLAS-GAMES.COM ©2007 Trident, Inc. All rights reserved. Ancient Magic Credits AUTHORS: Erik Dahl (Adamic, Rune Magic), Timothy ADDITIONAL PROOFREADING: John Nephew Ferguson (The Hesperides), Jeff Kyer (Heron’s FIRST ROUND PLAYTESTERS: Donna Giltrap, Malcolm Mechanica), Richard Love (Canaanite Necromancy, Harbrow, Aaron Hicks, Richard Love; Matthew L. Fertility Magic), John Post (Defixio Magic), Paul Seidl, Soraya Ghiasi; Mark Shirley, Camo Coffey, Dave Tevis (The Magic of the Grigori), Alexander White Robertson, Andrew Walton; Sheila Thomas; MaPhi (Hyperborean Magic) Werner; Sean Winslow, Andrew Reeves, Andrew EDITING & PROJECT MANAGEMENT: David Chart Crabtree COVER ILLUSTRATION: Grey Thornberry SECOND ROUND PLAYTESTERS: Christian Jensen-Romer, INTERIOR ART: Jason Cole, Kelley Hensing, Brad McDevitt, Lloyd Graney, Peter Hiley, Kevin Sides, Ben Hayes, Jeff Menges, Tony Parker Luke Price; Matt Ryan, Mario Cerame, Daniel Ilut, CARTOGRAPHY: Patrick M. Murphy with Valerie Nix Robert W.B. Llwyd, Tobias Wheeler; Mark Shirley, ARS MAGICA FIFTH EDITION TRADE DRESS: J. Scott Camo Coffey, Dave Robertson, Andrew Walton Reeves SPECIAL THANKS: Jerry Corrick and the gang at the LAYOUT, ART DIRECTION, & PROOFREADING: Jeff Tidball Source 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), main- taining 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 discussion of Ars Magica at the official Atlas Games forums located at www.atlas-games.com/forum. Copyright 2007 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 pur- pose of reviews, is expressly prohibited. Ars Magica, Mythic Europe, Ancient Magic, City & Guild, Realms of Power: The Infernal, Realms of Power: The Divine, Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, The Mysteries, Covenants, Guardians of the Forests, The Broken Covenant of Calebais, 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 Edition Version 1.0 Ancient Magic Table of Contents Credits The Clay Tablets................................36 Arcane Ability Fertility Lore ...............55 At En-Dor ...........................................37 Minor Hermetic Virtue: En-Dor Regio Level One ....................37 Fertility Ritual Magic ..........................55 Introduction 5 En-Dor Regio Level Two ....................37 NEW SPELLS ................................. 55 WELCOME TO ANCIENT MAGIC ........ 5 The Ghosts of En-Dor ........................38 NEW ITEMS .................................. 56 How to Use This Book .........................5 THE ORDER OF HERMES THE FERTILITY RITUAL .................. 56 Ancient Magic and the AND THE DEAD ............................ 39 Balancing Traits ...................................58 Order of Hermes ..................................6 Supernatural Traits ..............................58 Hermetic Integration of Fertility Fetishes ..................................58 Ancient Magic .......................................7 III. Defixio Magic 41 LEARNING DEFIXIO MAGIC ............. 41 Repeating a Fertility Ritual .................58 The Breakthrough .................................7 Investigating Defixio Magic ................41 CAVE SYSTEMS .............................. 59 Insight ..................................................8 Integrating Defixio Magic ...................42 Cave Painting Galleries ......................60 Creating the Effect ................................8 New Duration: Event ..........................42 Example Cave Systems .......................60 After the Breakthrough ..........................9 Event Duration Examples ...................44 The Duergar’s Cave ............................60 New Range: Unlimited .......................45 The Cave of Lights .............................62 I. The Language of Adam 10 Unlimited Range Examples .................45 The Worm’s Cave ...............................62 Hermetic Integration ..........................11 Defixio Magic in Play .........................45 The Flooded Cave ...............................62 THE TOWER OF BABEL .................. 12 Using Duration Event ........................47 The Bone Cave ...................................62 Seeking Lost Babylon..........................13 Using Range Unlimited ......................47 CONSEQUENCES OF The Encroaching Mongols .................15 FINDING DEFIXIONES ..................... 47 FERTILITY MAGIC .......................... 63 THE GARDEN OF EDEN ................. 18 Types of Defixiones ............................48 The Guardians ....................................18 Curse Tablets ......................................48 V. Grigori Magic 65 The Animals ........................................20 Silhouettes ..........................................48 THE SECRETS OF THE GRIGORI ...... 66 The Fruits ............................................21 Figurines ............................................48 FINDING THE MAGIC OF THE GRIGORI 67 THE MARK OF CAIN ...................... 23 Formulae ............................................48 The Lost Book of the Watchers ..........68 Cain’s Curse ........................................23 Ancient Texts ......................................48 The Legacy of the Grigori ..................69 Cain’s Children ...................................24 Toledo Scholars ..................................48 The Watchers Themselves ..................70 Finding Cain .......................................25 Egyptian Formulae .............................49 The Shamed Leader .............................70 CONCLUSIONS .............................. 28 Tremere Archives .................................49 The Fallen Watcher ............................73 Gravesites ............................................49 The Remains of the Watchers .............74 II. Canaanite Necromancy 30 The City of Rome ...............................49 Old Rome ..........................................50 SECRETS OF THE NECROMANCER .... 30 VI. Heron of Alexandria’s Major Supernatural Virtue: See the Spirits of the Night ..................50 Canaanite Necromancy ......................30 Ghosts of Ancient Rome ......................50 Legacy 75 Hermetic Integration ..........................31 Catacombs .........................................50 ADDING TO THE LIBRARY ............... 75 Canaanite Laboratory Assistants ........31 Vardian’s Tomb ..................................51 Books ...................................................75 Minor Hermetic Virtue: The Spectres .......................................51 Relics of Empire ..................................76 Canaanite Magic .................................32 Chthonic Sanctuaries ..........................52 House Politics .....................................76 New Spells ..........................................32 Cave Complex ....................................52 HERON’S ART: MECHANICA ............ 76 New Items ...........................................33 Protective Defixiones ...........................52 Integrating Heron’s Mechanica into Guidelines for Canaanite Magic .........33 Erebos ................................................52 Hermetic Theory ................................76 Who is Dead? ....................................33 Daughters of Erictho ..........................53 Understanding Mechanica ..................76 Speaking to the Dead ..........................34 Integration Process .............................79 The Infernal and Necromancy ............34 IV. Fertility Magic 54 SEEKING HERON’S LEGACY ............. 79 SEEKING THE DEAD ....................... 34 CULTIC FERTILITY MAGIC .............. 54 The Writings .......................................79 Finding En-Dor ...................................34 INTEGRATING FERTILITY MAGIC Heron’s Devices ..................................81 Books .................................................35 INTO HERMETIC THEORY ............... 54 Fire Quencher .....................................81 Ancient Magic Aeolipile .............................................81 The Garden of the Hesperides ...........97 Hyperborean Enchantments .............116 Thunder Maker ..................................81