The Contested Isle Credits AUTHORS: Mark Lawford, Christian Jensen Romer, Matt Ryan, AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES Mark Shirley DEVELOPMENT, EDITING, & PROJECT MANAGEMENT: David Chart Mark Lawford lives, works, and writes for Ars Magica in East- PROOFREADING, LAYOUT & ART DIRECTION: Cam Banks bourne, England. He’s also working on some original fiction, PROOFREADING ASSISTANCE: Jessica Banks & Michelle Nephew so please do wish him luck. He is very grateful to his fellow PUBLISHER: John Nephew author Matt Ryan for helping realize his aim of writing for COVER ILLUSTRATION: Christian St. Pierre a Tribunal book. CARTOGRAPHY: Matt Ryan Christian Jensen Romer is an unlikely candidate to write about INTERIOR ART: Jason Cole, Jenna Fowler, Christian St. Pierre, Ireland, being a Dane living in England. His passion for Irish Gabriel Verdon history and the medieval saints however led this to be his ADDITIONAL ART: Celtic Design. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, favorite Ars Magica project to date, and he hopes you find as Inc., 2007. much joy in it as he did. He would like to dedicate his part of ARS MAGICA FIFTH EDITION TRADE DRESS: J. Scott Reeves this book to the memory of Christina Jones, who taught him PUBLISHER’S SPECIAL THANKS: Jerry Corrick & the gang at the the little Irish he knows and told him tales of her homeland. Source. Matt Ryan works in a university library in upstate New York. His forefathers were early participants in the Irish diaspora FIRST ROUND PLAYTESTERS: Jason Brennan, Justin Brennan, Elisha and his family has been in the States for several generations. Campbell, Robert Major; Leon Bullock, Peter Ryan, Chris He visited Ireland in 2001, during which time he swam in Barrett, John A Edge; Eirik Bull, Karl Trygve Kalleberg, Hel- the cove on Cape Clear Island, where he would later place ge Furuseth, André Neergaard, Sigurd Lund; Donna Giltrap, the covenant Cliffheart. A lover of Irish history, mythology, Malcolm Harbrow, Aaron Hicks, Richard Love; Joan Bauza and literature, he found participating in this project a dream Soler, Antoni Morey i Pasqual, Melcior Parera Mas, Guil- come true. Matt would like to enthusiastically thank CJ, Da- lem Gelabert Perello; Christian Rosenkjaer Andersen, Pelle vid, Mark, and Mark for this book, as well as all the playtest- Kofod; Christoph Safferling, Jan Sprenger; Erik Tyrrell, Jeff ers who helped shaped the Irish Hermetic world. Schmidt, Tim Kilgriff, Ian Richards Mark Shirley is a zoologist who lives in Newcastle, UK. One of his great-grandmothers was Irish, which is as close as he SECOND ROUND PLAYTESTERS: Leon Bullock, Peter Ryan, Chris has ever got to the Emerald Isle. In preparation for this book Barrett, John A Edge; Donna Giltrap, Malcolm Harbrow, he undertook a basic course in Irish Gaelic, and takes full Aaron Hicks, Richard Love; Pelle Kofod, Christian Rosenk- responsibility for all errors in grammar and pronunciation in jaer Andersen, Rasmus Andreasen, Rasmus Strandgaard So- this book. He’d like to thank his co-authors for making the erensen, Brian Johannesen writing of this book an enjoyable experience. 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 The Contested Isle Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 6 Magi of Ireland ............................ 24 Setting & Physical Description ... 44 The English .................................. 24 Culture and Traditions ................. 44 A Tribunal of Conflict ................... 6 HERMETIC CULTURE ............................ 25 Magi ............................................. 44 Hibernia in 1220 ............................ 6 The Macgnímartha ...................... 25 Covenfolk .................................... 46 Wizard War ................................. 25 THE COVENANT OF PRAESIS ................. 46 Chapter 2: Certamen ..................................... 26 Cathach ........................................ 46 The History of Mythic Ireland 8 A Magical Responsibility ............ 26 History ......................................... 46 Hermetic Literature ..................... 27 Setting & Physical Description ... 47 THE FIVE PEOPLES ................................. 8 A Simple Way of Life .................. 27 Culture and Traditions ................. 47 THE SONS OF MÍL ................................ 9 TREATIES AND THE PERIPHERAL CODE .... 28 Magi ............................................. 47 The Coming of Christianity ....... 10 The Role of Treaties .................... 28 Covenfolk .................................... 48 THE ORDER OF HERMES IN IRELAND ...... 11 Founding a Covenant .................. 28 The Ostmen and Rune Wizards ... 11 Attitudes to the Code .................. 29 Hermetic Magi and Irish Wizards ...12 Attitudes to the Cathach ............. 30 Chapter 6: Tribunal Formation The Role of the Quaesitors ......... 30 The Province of Leinster 49 and the Early Years ...................... 12 Sanctions ...................................... 31 THE PEOPLES OF LEINSTER ................... 49 The Schism War .......................... 13 TRIBUNAL PROCEDURES ........................ 32 The Laighin.................................. 49 Two Turbulent Centuries ............. 13 Representation ............................. 32 The Osraighe ............................... 50 The Irish Helen ........................... 14 HERMETIC IRISH TERMINOLOGY ............. 33 The Ostmen ................................. 50 Strongbow Invades ...................... 14 THE COUNTY OF WEXFORD ................. 50 Henry & John in Ireland .............. 14 Wexford ....................................... 50 The English Magi ....................... 14 Chapter 5: Bannow ......................................... 51 English Expansion ........................ 15 The Province of Connacht 34 Templeshanbo Church ................ 51 The Siege of Praesis .................... 15 GEOGRAPHY ....................................... 34 Enniscorthy .................................. 51 THE PEOPLES OF CONNACHT................ 34 Ferns ............................................. 52 Chapter 3: Irish Culture 16 The Connachta ............................ 34 New Ross ..................................... 52 The Fir Bolg ................................. 34 THE WICKLOW REGION ....................... 52 THE LAND ......................................... 16 The Druids and the Coill Trí ...... 35 Baltinglass ..................................... 52 THE IRISH PEOPLE ............................... 16 Booleys and Crannógs ................. 35 Sex and Marriage ......................... 18 Wicklow ...................................... 53 THE KINGDOM OF BRÉIFNE ................... 36 Hostages and Fostering ............... 19 Glendalough ................................ 53 Kings of Bréifne ........................... 36 Hospitality and Cuddy ................ 19 Arklow .......................................... 54 West Bréifne ................................. 36 Villages and Cities ....................... 19 DUBLIN .............................................. 54 East Bréifne ................................... 37 HE IBERTY OF ILDARE Time .............................................. 19 T L K .................... 55 THE KINGDOM OF CONNACHT ............. 37 Entertainment .............................. 20 Kildare ......................................... 55 The Archdiocese of Tuam ........... 37 Naas .............................................. 56 THE ENGLISH OPPOSITION ................... 20 The Diocese of Killala ................. 37 LANGUAGES OF HIBERNIA ..................... 21 Carbury ........................................ 57 Pronunciation of Gaelic .............. 21 The Diocese of Achonry ............. 38 Calverstown (Baile an Chalbhaigh) ... 57 The Diocese of Mayo .................. 39 SSORY NAMES ............................................... 21 O ............................................. 58 Irish Names .................................. 21 The Diocese of Tuam .................. 40 The Pass of Achad-ur .................. 58 Non-Irish Names ......................... 22 The Diocese of Elphin ................ 41 Rock of Dunamase ....................... 58 The Diocese of Annaghdown ..... 42 Kilkenny (Cill Chainnigh) .......... 58 The Diocese of Cill Mhic Dhuach ...43 Kells .............................................. 58 Chapter 4: Hermetic Culture 23 The Diocese of Clonfert ............. 43 Jerpoint Abbey ............................. 58 A CONFLICTED TRIBUNAL ..................... 23 THE PACT OF OIREADH ....................... 44 Thomastown (Grianán) ............... 59 A Land Where History Repeats Itself ...24 History ......................................... 44 ASHENRISE .....................................