TEXT: www.subrosamagazine.org 
  @subrosamagazine 
  Issue 17, October 2015 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  2 
  Lands of the Nile 
  Authors: Timothy Ferguson, Ben McFarland, Mark Shirley  
  Cover Artist: Christian St. Pierre  
  Stock Number: AG0313 | ISBN: 978-1-58978-160-3 | MSRP: $29.95 US  
  Format: 144 pages, hardcover  
  Release Date: October 2015  
  Thrice-Told Tales 
  Authors: Christian Roesenkjaer Andersen, David MacGregor, Christian Jensen Romer, 
  Matt Ryan, Mark Shirley  
  Cover Artist: Christian St. Pierre  
  Stock Number: AG0312 | ISBN: 1-58978-161-9 | MSRP: $27.95 US  
  Format: 144 pages, softcover  
  Release Date: Available Now  
  Between Sand & Sea 
  Authors: Timothy Ferguson, Lachlan Hayes, Ben McFarland, Mark Shirley  
  Cover Artist: Christian St. Pierre  
  Stock Number: AG0310 | ISBN: 1-58978-153-8 | MSRP: $29.95 US  
  Format: 144 pages, hardcover  
  Release Date: Available Now 
  Through the Aegis: Developed Covenants 
  Authors: Christian Rosenkjaer Andersen, Mark Lawford, Richard Love, Christian 
  Jensen Romer  
  Cover Artist: Christian St. Pierre  
  Stock Number: AG0311 | ISBN: 1-58978-154-6 | MSRP: $32.95 US  
  Format: 160 pages, hardcover  
  Release Date: Available Now  
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  3 
  Contributors 
  Publisher: Distant Lands Publishing 
  Contributors: Andrew Breese, David Chart, Ray 
  Cochener, Mark Faulkner, Ben McFarland, Matt Ryan, 
  Gerald Wylie 
  Cover Art: Elizabeth Porter 
  Interior Artists: Patrick Demo, Adrienne Hodge, Jeff 
  Menges, Elizabeth Porter, Angela Taylor, Jason Tseng 
  Art Coordinator: Ben McFarland 
  Editors: Ben McFarland, Mark Lawford 
  Design/Layout: Mark Lawford 
   
  Contact Sub Rosa 
  Email: subrosa@distantlandspublishing.com 
  Web: http://www.subrosamagazine.org 
  Twitter: @subrosamagazine 
   
  Legal Disclaimer 
  Sub Rosa is an independent publication not affiliated with Atlas 
  Games or White Wolf Gaming Studios. Distant Lands Publishing 
  is not affiliated with Atlas Games or White Wolf. 
  Ars Magica is © Trident Inc. d/b/a Atlas Games. Ars Magica, 
  Mythic Europe, Covenants and Charting new Realms of the 
  Imagination are trademarks of Trident Inc.  
  Order of Hermes, Tremere and Doissetep are trademarks of 
  White Wolf Gaming Studios. Ars Magica was created by 
  Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein•Hagen. 
   
  The intellectual content of Sub Rosa is © and held by the 
  authors. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any issue of Sub 
  Rosa for commercial use by any means without written 
  permission from the Publisher, except short excerpts for the 
  purpose of reviews, is expressly prohibited. 
   
  References to any Trademarks, Registered Trademarks or 
  Copyrights held by any company or individual in Sub Rosa is for 
  promotional and recreational use. Use of these terms should not 
  be construed a challenge to their ownership. 
  Issue 17 
  October 2015 
  Contents 
  Under the Rose  .......................................................................... Page 4 
  From the Line Editor ............................................................... Page 5 
  Werewolves of Gevaudan .......................................................... Page 6 
  By Ben McFarland 
  Set Piece: The Inn....................................................................... Page 9 
  By Gerald Wylie 
  Flambeau’s Cave ........................................................................... Page 16 
  By Ben McFarland 
  An Unfinished Tower: Himinis’ Legacy .............................. Page 21 
  By Ben McFarland 
  An Art Out of Time: Tempus .................................................. Page 27 
  By Ben McFarland and Matt Ryan 
  Common Magics ........................................................................... Page 33 
  By Ray Cochener 
  The Giants of Castlenau .......................................................... Page 38 
  By Ben McFarland 
  The Divine of Provence: A Lost Angel ............................... Page 42 
  By Ben McFarland 
  Populating Provencal ................................................................ Page 47 
  By Ben McFarland 
  Spells from the Iron-Bound Tome ....................................... Page 52 
  By Andrew Breese 
  Ruins, Rumors, & Relationships: Provencal Stories ...... Page 72 
  By Ben McFarland 
  Val Negra ....................................................................................... Page 78 
  By Mark Faulkner 
  Contribute to Sub Rosa 
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  The new releases in support of Ars Magica Fifth Edition may be ending, but i’s not the end. We’ll carry on playing it, for sure, and Sub Rosa will carry on for a good while yet supporting Fifth Edition any way it can. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  4 
  So, the end of Ars Magica 
  Fifth Edition has been announced 
  and with it the end of David 
  Chart’s run as line editor for the 
  game and its world. It’s been a 
  great run, make no mistake. Mythic 
  Europe has probably never been 
  handled better or more fully. We’ve 
  seen areas of Mythic Europe and 
  beyond explored with an eye for 
  detail and drama that I certainly 
  can’t remember seeing for previous 
  editions. The line has taken risks 
  too, from some radical rethinking 
  of some popular Houses, to the 
  creation of new rival magical 
  traditions, to the masterful 
  treatment of the Faerie Realm. The 
  end of the line is a loss indeed. 
  But look, we still have books in 
  the pipeline. We have Thrice-Told 
  Tales (which you should all have 
  by now, of course), Egypt, and the 
  grand finale in Dies Irae (the final 
  draft having been edited by David 
  Chart and turned-over to Atlas-
  Games). These are each going to be 
  great additions to the canon in their 
  own ways and we certainly hope 
  you’re looking forward to them as 
  much as we are. 
  As far as what the end of the 
  line means for Sub Rosa it’s 
  actually pretty easy; we carry on as 
  we are. Simple as that. We are 
  hugely grateful to John Nephew for 
  so quickly and definitively giving us 
  the thumbs-up to carry on as we are 
  and keep doing what we’re doing. 
  So it’s worth taking stock of what 
  that means in practice. 
  It means we will continue 
  looking for great content from 
  within the community and from 
  some of the by-now familiar list of 
  existing contributors. Ars Magica 
  Fifth Edition continues to be our 
  focus, as that is the current edition 
  of the game, but of course, with 
  content published for Fiasco and for 
  Tales of the Quaesitors (based on the 
  Gumshoe system), we’d love to 
  support those too and we’ll work 
  with the fan community on any 
  suitable articles and projects. 
  But we should make clear, as 
  we’ve had enquiries on this point, 
  that we cannot now make anything 
  approaching a book in format. That 
  means you won’t be seeing a Sub 
  Rosa Tribunal book. The mandate 
  we have is to complement the line and 
  not compete with it. Even though the 
  Fifth Edition itself may come to 
  an end, we do not have a mandate to 
  publish a book that attempts to 
  continue that line outside of the 
  explicit solicitation and editorial 
  governance of Atlas-Games. 
  Take the Roman Tribunal, for 
  instance. The Atlas-Games forum 
  hosted an energetic project to 
  create a fan-sourced Fifth Edition 
  Roman Tribunal up and working. 
  It’s a fan effort led out in the open 
  by fans and it stands every chance 
  of producing a great vision for how 
  the Tribunal might work. The 
  effort may even end up being put 
  together in a PDF file and made 
  available for download somewhere 
  rather than being confined to the 
  forum. And that’s great. While it’s 
  gone a bit quiet of late, the beauty 
  of an open project is that all it 
  needs is volunteers, so please do 
  take a look. We look forward to 
  reading it. 
  But a book like that is not 
  something we can do at Sub Rosa 
  and nor would we want to go down 
  that road, to be honest. 
  Themed issues are still going to 
  happen. We had the Diedne for 
  issue 13 and issue 16 took us 
  forward and backwards in time 
  across Mythic Europe. Next issue, 
  Sub Rosa 18, is the Bestiary of 
  Uncommon Creatures, a collection of 
  numerous creatures with which to 
  fill your stories. Indeed, the issue 
  you’re reading now takes its theme 
  from the Provencal Tribunal. So 
  we’ll carry on with those as and 
  when the theme strikes. Who 
  knows, we may even do an issue 
  focusing on the Tribunals that 
  never made it into Fifth Edition. 
  Keep an eye out for that. Just in 
  case. 
  And where does all this change 
  leave the authors? They’ve done 
  great service for Fifth Edition so 
  what next for them? Well, give 
  enough creative people enough 
  time and they’ll need to fill it. 
  There are already some rumblings 
  behind sealed mailing lists and 
  forums, but those rumblings are 
  not for Sub Rosa to disclose. You 
  haven’t heard the last from the 
  Fifth Edition authors, of that 
  we’re very sure. 
  Oh, and by the way, please do 
  go check out Project Redcap. 
  There’s a great page been recently 
  added giving loads of detail on past 
  issues of Sub Rosa. 
  http://www.redcap.org/page/
  Sub_Rosa_magazine 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  5 
  This will be my last Sub Rosa column 
  as Line Editor. Lands of the Nile is probably 
  not out as you read this, but it will be 
  soon, and then only Dies Irae remains for 
  Ars Magica Fifth Edition in its current 
  form. As I have said elsewhere, I am 
  retiring because I have done pretty much 
  everything I wanted to do with the game, 
  and the few things that are left would not 
  make for a coherent product schedule. I'm 
  happy with what we've made, and it seems 
  that quite a lot of other people are, too. 
  However, some people have said that 
  the end of the line means that the game is 
  dead. I do not agree, and not just in a “it’s 
  not really dead as long as we remember it” 
  sense. 
  First, bearing in mind where I am 
  writing, new material will still be produced 
  for the game. Sub Rosa is not going to 
  finish, even though this column will. That 
  material will not be “canonical”, but it will 
  be chosen and overseen by two of the 
  most active contributors to Fifth Edition. 
  Given that, it may even be a good thing 
  that the material is not bound to be 
  consistent with material that has already 
  been published. I'd like to thank Ben and 
  Mark in advance for the work they will 
  put in to supporting the game. 
  But it is true that there will be no more 
  official supplements from Atlas. Does that 
  make the game dead? 
  I do not think so. The core rules, and 
  what will soon be 40 supplements, are still 
  all available. There is no reason not to 
  continue playing your sagas, or even start 
  new ones, and it will still be possible to do 
  that in twenty years, or fifty. Unlike 
  computer games, pen-and-paper 
  roleplaying games are not going to 
  become incompatible with currently 
  available hardware, in the absence of a 
  general upgrade to Human Being 2.0. It is 
  true that the game would face some 
  difficulties if English became a dead 
  language, but, pretty much by definition, 
  that will not happen in the lifetime of 
  anyone reading this as it is published. 
  (And if anyone is reading this in the far 
  future, when English has become a dead 
  language, wow. And, er, why? Go study 
  something important.) 
  Some people may worry that they will 
  run out of material to play with, if nothing 
  new is being produced. However, I do not 
  think that is a real risk. Indeed, with 40 
  Ars Magica books, some players are 
  already complaining that there is too 
  much. It is quite possible that no-one 
  could actually use every single book, much 
  less every single element of every book, in 
  a single saga. I suppose that, if you played 
  Ars Magica every week for twenty years 
  or so, you might actually run out of new 
  rules or character types to introduce, 
  although even then I'm not sure. You 
  certainly wouldn't have exhausted the 
  possibilities of the published books and 
  rules. People who are just getting into the 
  game face even less danger of running out 
  of material; there are ten years' worth of 
  releases for them to buy. They also have 
  the advantage over people who bought 
  them as they came out that they can buy 
  supplements as they become relevant to 
  the saga, rather than having to see what 
  we publish. 
  In short, Ars Magica Fifth Edition is 
  not dead. It is complete. It is now ready 
  for people to play. All the Houses and 
  supernatural realms have been fully 
  detailed, and there are Tribunals ready for 
  use. The sample covenants, characters, 
  and stories that are so helpful for new 
  storyguides are now available. The 
  important aspects of Mythic European 
  society have been described. If you want 
  to take your saga beyond the Order and 
  Mythic Europe, Africa and the Middle 
  East have books, and there are many 
  varieties of non-Hermetic magic on offer 
  as antagonists or alternative sagas. There 
  are several books of possible saga frames, 
  and a whole book of ways to end things 
  with a bang. 
  Looked at from this perspective, I feel 
  I should apologise to the people who had 
  to wait ten years and more for all of these 
  books to come out. I'm afraid that the 
  realities of publishing did not allow us to 
  prepare everything, and then release the 
  complete game in one fell swoop. 
  By David Chart 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  6 
  The region of Gevaudan, in the 
  Massif Central is mentioned in the 
  sidebar of Faith & Flame Chapter 7 
  as the home to the wolf-like Beast 
  of Gevaudan in the 18th century, 
  and between the 15th and 18th 
  centuries, tales of wolf attacks 
  proliferate across France. A pack of 
  wolves actually hunted the Paris 
  streets in the 1450’s, while the 
  wolves of Perigord, Sarlat, and 
  Soissons all hunted the people at 
  other times. A rare resource on 
  these creatures is Wolf-Hunting in 
  France in the Reign of Louis XV: The 
  Beast of the Gévaudan, by Richard H. 
  Thompson. Monsters of the Gévaudan: 
  The Making of a Beast by Jay Smith is 
  easier to come by and available 
  electronically. 
  Amongst the wilds of the Massif 
  Central live tribes of werewolves. A 
  sort of Magic Kin (Realms of Power: 
  Magic, page 89) associated with 
  Animal, they live hidden as members 
  of towns, or within villages 
  comprised of nothing but lupine 
  shapechangers. 
  The magi may decide to attempt 
  recruiting these lycanthropes, 
  employing them as the savage shock 
  troops of their forces, or creating 
  t h eir com p an io ns fr om th e 
  champions of the tribes. 
  Mythologically, the Norse eddas 
  speak of how werewolves gather in 
  forests, preparing for Ragnarok, and 
  the Romans had tales of men who 
  turned into wolves and hunted the 
  forests. Some of these stories 
  persist, and there are legends of 
  werewolves in this region. However, 
  By Ben McFarland 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  7 
  in the historical record, there are no 
  reliable myths of hybrid man-wolf 
  werewolves until around the 18th 
  Century, making this particular 
  group more than just a little 
  anachronistic. 
  ADDITIONAL 
  HOOKS 
  The werewolves of Gevaudan 
  could easily serve the Court of the 
  Wolf, detailed in Mythic Locations, 
  Chapter 11. Their favored elders 
  might serve as the Luperci, and they 
  guard the Court from intrusions. In 
  such a scenario, werewolves serving 
  the covenant could be the source of 
  tales regarding the Court of the 
  Wolf, leading companions there in 
  search of justice when mundane 
  methods fail and magi refuse to 
  intervene. 
  Alternatively, the werewolves 
  might be the remnants of Diedne 
  turbs, and their villages conceal 
  caches of lost magics. While the 
  tribes no longer remember their 
  origins, and don’t understand what 
  it is they are guarding, they viciously 
  protect the heirloom enchantments 
  and hidden texts because that’s what 
  they’ve always done. In this case, the 
  werewolves might even know the 
  Parma Magica, and their magical 
  nature allows them to perform the 
  ritual, providing them a modicum of 
  defense against Hermetic magi or 
  covenants looking to scour them 
  from the forests. 
  Story Seed: Raiders on 
  the Range 
  Magi must work to keep the 
  werewolves as loyal allies, and this 
  means regularly turning them loose 
  on suitable targets. Allowing them 
  to sack crusader or mundane 
  c o m m u n it i es  m i gh t  a lien at e 
  otherwise helpful resources, and 
  likely turn those places against the 
  covenant. However, the werewolves 
  are impatient, and may not be 
  willing to go too far afield in search 
  of prey. The magi must bring these 
  dogs of war to heel, and that may 
  mean engaging their leader in hand-
  to-hand combat to show him who is 
  the alpha. 
  Story Seed: There’s a 
  Bjornaer Afoot 
  A gentle-Gifted Bjornaer is 
  attempting to infiltrate the werewolf 
  tribes, using deft and subtle magic 
  to emulate their powers and betray 
  their plans to the Christian forces in 
  the area. This saboteur is working 
  with the covenant, and if captured, 
  the werewolves will likely kill or 
  imprison him, or raiding targets will 
  be warned, defenses will be ready, 
  and losses will be high. If the 
  Bjornaer is captured just before a 
  war band is dispatched, will the 
  covenant be able to save both the 
  target and their compatriot before 
  both innocent and hermetic blood is 
  shed? 
  Magical Kin: 
  Werewolves 
  of Gevaudan 
  Inherited Virtues: Personal Power: 
  The Beast Between, Skinchanger (does 
  not require an item, but the werewolf 
  may only change into wolves), Tough, 
  Wilderness Sense 
  C o m m o n  
  F l a w s :  B a n e f u l 
  Circumstances (silver), Compulsion 
  (Hunt on the Full Moon), Dark Secret 
  (Werewolf), Essential Flaw (minor), 
  Monstrous Blood (Magic Animal), 
  Offensive to Animals 
  The Beast Between 
  1 point/Fatigue, Init Qik -2, Corpus 
  R: Per, D: Sun, T: Part 
  The werewolf can change into a part-
  human part-wolf form, with the head of 
  a wolf, the rough musculature and 
  upright gait of a man, but the claws, fur, 
  and tail of a wolf. When in this form, 
  the werewolf keeps the mental 
  Characteristics of his human form, but 
  acquires the physical Characteristics of 
  an equivalently-sized wolf, unless his 
  own characteristics are better (Str +1, 
  Sta +3, Dex +2, Qik +1). 
  He has a bipedal stance and usable 
  hands, and has the bite attack of a wolf 
  (Weapon statistics: Init 0, Atk +3, Def 
  +1, Dam +4). 
  The werewolf’s hide provides a 
  Protection of +2. If the werewolf has 
  the ability to change shape, it can end 
  this power prematurely by transforming; 
  otherwise the hybrid form lasts for Sun 
  duration. 
  Note that the guideline for this effect 
  was published in Magi of Hermes (see the 
  section on Hugh Hostis) 
  MuCo 20 (Base 5, +2 Sun, +1 Part, 
  free Animal Requisite) Personal Power 
  (20 levels, -1 Might cost) 
   
  Members of these tribes hunger for 
  combat, glory, and loot. They are often 
  Reckless, Wrathful, or have Social 
  Handicaps. They are barely controlled 
  hordes with a nearly insatiable thirst for 
  blood and vengeance. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  8 
  Etienne, Young 
  Provencal Werewolf 
  Tribesman 
  Characteristics: Int 0, Per +1, Pre 0, Com 0, Str +1, Sta +2, 
  Dex +1, Qik +1 
  In Hybrid Form: Int 0, Per +1, Pre 0, Com 0, Str +1, Sta 
  +3, Dex +2, Qik +1 
  Size: 0 
  Age: 22 (22) 
  Virtues and Flaws: Personal Power: The Beast Between, 
  Skinchanger, 
  Warrior; 
  Baneful 
  Circumstances 
  (silver), 
  Compulsion (Hunt on the Full Moon), Monstrous Blood 
  (Magic Animal) 
  Personality Traits: Bloodthirsty +3 
  Reputations: Skilled hunter +3, Vicious combatant +3 
  Combat: 
  Hybrid Bite Attack: Init +1, Attack +10, Defense +7, Damage 
  +5 
  Axe: Init +2, Attack +9, Defense +5, Damage +7 
  Short Bow: Init 0, Attack +7, Defense +1, Damage +7 
  Soak: +5 (+8 in Hybrid form) 
  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: Area Lore: Provence 2 (Massif Central), Athletics 3 
  (sprinting), Awareness 2 (spotting prey), Bow 2 (shortbow), 
  Brawl 4 (bite), Carouse 3 (staying sober), Folk Ken 2 (spotting 
  outsiders), Guile 2 (concealing nature), Hunt 2 (small game), 
  Living Language: Occitan 5 (conversational), Living Language: 
  Catalan 
  2 
  (conversational), 
  Living 
  Language: 
  French 
  (conversational) 2, Living Language: Italian 2 (conversational), 
  Profession: Woodsman 3 (finding quality lumber), Single 
  Weapon 3 (axe), Stealth 3 (in forests), Survival 2 (acquiring 
  food) 
  Powers: 
  The Beast Between: 1 point/Fatigue, Init Qik -2, Corpus 
  R: Per, D: Sun, T: Part 
  The werewolf can change into a part-human part-wolf form, 
  with the head of a wolf, the rough musculature and upright gait 
  of a man, but the claws, fur, and tail of a wolf. When in this 
  form, the werewolf keeps the mental Characteristics of his 
  human form, but acquires the physical Characteristics of an 
  equivalently-sized wolf, unless his own characteristics are better 
  (Str +1, Sta +3, Dex +2, Qik +1). He has a bipedal stance and 
  usable hands, and has the bite attack of a wolf (Weapon 
  statistics: Init 0, Atk +3, Def +1, Dam +4). The werewolf’s 
  hide provides a Protection of +2. If the werewolf has the 
  ability to change shape, it can end this power prematurely by 
  transforming; otherwise the hybrid form lasts for Sun duration. 
  MuCo 20 (Base 5, +2 Sun, +1 Part, free Animal Requisite) 
  Personal Power (20 levels, -1 Might cost) 
  Equipment: dagger, pack, round shield, iron cap, long 
  sword, mail hauberk. 
  Encumbrance: -2 (3, does not affect combat) 
  Appearance: A young man with a thick, bushy black beard 
  and oversized clothing, he has a feral look in his eye and a 
  hungry smile. He has a definite aura of malice about him, and 
  walks with a swagger which obviously holds most other people 
  in contempt. 
  Design Note: He is designed as a grog, with only three 
  Virtues and Flaws. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  9 
  Each article in the Set Piece series 
  takes in a single archetypal location 
  typical of many sessions across many, 
  many sagas. It explores the potential in 
  the setting, providing the storyguide 
  with ready-to-play details, characters, 
  and side-plots to ensure that the same 
  old lodging house isn’t just the same old 
  lodging house. 
  In this article we look at exactly that; the 
  lodging house or inn, the scene of many a 
  clandestine meeting. 
  SETTING 
  The inn, so typical of fantasy literature 
  and games, is a rare thing in the Ars 
  Magica of 1220. Villages and other small 
  settlements had no need for a dedicated inn 
  or lodging house to accommodate 
  merchants, messengers, or other transients. 
  Travelers needing lodging for a night or two 
  would normally impose upon the residents, 
  eating and drinking with them and sleeping 
  in their homes, often even their beds. 
  Towns and certainly cities, settlements 
  with thousands of native individuals and all 
  the trade requirements that brings, would 
  see hundred if not thousands again arrive 
  and leave for numerous reasons. Markets 
  and fairs provide mercantile opportunities; 
  holy days see pilgrims arrive from all over; 
  and martial tournaments held at the behest 
  of local nobles bring knights and retainers 
  from across the continent. In each case, 
  lodging houses provide bed and board for 
  the transient masses. 
  Lodging houses might also service the 
  needs of travelers away from towns and 
  cities. Mountain passes for instance, 
  through which merchant caravans take their 
  By Gerald Wylie 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  10 
  goods, might be dotted with lodging houses 
  spaced a day’s travel apart. Pilgrimage routes 
  in particular will be well-served with 
  numerous places to rest up, eat, and 
  purchase supplies for the next day’s journey. 
  Wherever they might be, they all 
  provide the same basic services; a place to 
  sleep, food and drink, and livery for horses. 
  Appearance 
  There will be regional variations on the 
  construction and appearance of lodging 
  houses and their construction and those in 
  closely-packed cities will necessarily look 
  different to those along trade routes. Inns 
  and lodging houses found along the road 
  tend towards a cluster of single-storey 
  buildings, including a main eating hall, one 
  or more buildings given over to sleeping 
  quarters, a stables, and often a covered barn 
  wherein merchants can store their carts and 
  goods. 
  In the case of urban lodging houses, 
  built in towns and cities where space is at a 
  premium, the building rises upwards rather 
  than out, extend up two, three, or even four 
  storeys with stables and a courtyard to the 
  rear. 
  Eating Hall 
  The main eating and drinking hall 
  includes the kitchens and stores and one or 
  more fireplaces or fire pits for warmth or 
  for cooking. Tables and chairs are plentiful 
  and some inns may have partitioned nooks 
  and private booths to provide parties with a 
  degree of privacy. On the whole, however, 
  the room is largely open. 
  Entertainment may be had there. 
  Gambling with dice would be common but 
  also more elevated games. The Book of 
  Games (jnsilva.ludicum.org/HJT2012/
  BookofGames.pdf), a work commissioned 
  by Alfonso X of Spain and completed in 
  1283. It describes a number of games in 
  three categories; chess, or a game of skill, 
  dice, or games of chance, and tables, games 
  combining both skill and chance. It is 
  conceivable that any of the games described 
  in the book may be had in any inn or 
  lodging house. 
  Music and storytelling would be 
  common and patrons might take turns in 
  entertaining the others. Alternatively, 
  musicians and storytellers might entertain 
  the room in return for payment from those 
  present. 
  And of course, good conversation may 
  be entertainment enough. There is always 
  news to be had and travelers may find they 
  have things in common with apparent 
  strangers, such as a common acquaintance 
  or familiarity with a common town or 
  village. 
  Dormitories 
  Rooms are generally communal, i.e. 
  individual rooms are almost never available 
  for individual travelers and they are instead 
  provisioned with at least two large beds and 
  perhaps as many as six. These beds are built 
  to accommodate two or three people. 
  Innkeepers are notably less fussy than their 
  clients are would willingly see five or six 
  share a single bed as long as each pays. 
  Those desiring privacy will find little 
  unless they pay for an entire dormitory to 
  themselves or their party. Those of meagre 
  means may sleep on the floor in the main 
  eating hall or “common room”. 
  Inns and lodging houses in rural areas or 
  on trade routes may sometimes be sparsely 
  occupied while those in towns and cities can 
  be expected to be consistently busy. In fact, 
  some of these urban lodging houses may 
  service permanent residents, in which case 
  they provide less in the way of stables and 
  services for travelers and instead make their 
  money from the many beds occupied by 
  those with nowhere else to go. 
  Mice and other vermin abound and they 
  can be heard scratching around the room 
  and even in the straw-filled mattresses for 
  scraps of food. 
  Cellars 
  Some inns may have cellars for the 
  storage of ale, food, and other supplies. 
  They might also be used to store 
  contraband if the host finds himself drawn 
  into smuggling or other nefarious activities. 
  While the dormitories might be filled 
  with mice, rats seek out the lowest parts of 
  the building, including the cellars. A lax host 
  might inadvertently allow rats to spoil food 
  and drink and the rats themselves might 
  spread disease through their influence. 
  Stables, Barns, and 
  Courtyards 
  External buildings and courtyards 
  provide livery for horses and storage for 
  wagons and goods belonging to those 
  staying at the inn. 
  These shadowy space present 
  opportunities for clandestine meetings away 
  from prying eyes and ears. They might also 
  be the setting for nefarious activities. For 
  instance, trade goods might be interfered 
  with or stolen, a horse might be made lame 
  in order to cause someone a delay, or a 
  saddle may be damaged in the hope of 
  injuring a rider. 
  Services 
  The obvious services provided by an inn 
  are food and drink, somewhere to sleep, 
  and livery for horses. This applies equally to 
  roadside establishments and those in towns 
  and cities. 
  But there are also the additional services 
  not immediately apparent. Information may 
  be had at the lodging house or inn, 
  information concerning local events, 
  people, and places. Directions may be given 
  or suggestions as to the best road to take, 
  given the season, weather, and local events. 
  While an inn might not have a blacksmith 
  on-site, they would be able to fetch one at 
  short notice if a traveler’s horse needed 
  shoeing or a wagon needed fixing, for 
  instance. And messengers and other 
  tradesmen might also be sent for. 
  The inn might also be able to sell 
  supplies for those in need, food and drink 
  and the like, and they might be able to 
  provide rudimentary medical aid for those 
  who have become injured or sick on their 
  travels. 
  
   
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  11 
  Auras 
  The lodging house takes on the 
  Dominion aura of its town or city and this 
  naturally waxes and wanes through holy 
  days and at night. 
  Roadside inns, far from churches and 
  their influence, may be subject to other 
  auras. In particular, faerie auras might be 
  common given the number of people 
  passing through the inn and the story 
  potential they bring with them. 
  Infernal auras are infrequent unless the 
  inn has been the site of some significant 
  wrongdoing. For instance, The Templar’s 
  Feast, an inn on the road from Dijon to 
  Toul, has recently become a staging point 
  for a band of brutal robbers under the 
  leadership of the knight Eduard le Savage. 
  These men prey upon the merchants and 
  pilgrims on the road and their sins are 
  starting to draw the infernal towards the inn. 
  CHARACTERS 
  Typical characters encountered would 
  be the owner or host and the host’s wife 
  and family. There might also be other staff 
  and of course other travelers taking 
  advantage of the inn’s hospitality. Some of 
  these characters may be genuine and benign 
  while others may be up to no good. 
  A selection of stock characters 
  appropriate for the inn are provided at the 
  end of this article. 
  SECRETS OF THE 
  LODGING HOUSE 
  With all manner of people passing 
  through a lodging house, it should be no 
  surprise that stories abound. 
  Overheard 
  Travelers on the road often carry secrets 
  with them and those secrets are valuable 
  currency to others to be sold on for money 
  or favor. So clandestine conversations may 
  be spied upon. Eavesdroppers might listen 
  through the doors or even the walls or they 
  may watching from the loft space above the 
  dormitories. 
  You could add such an even where the 
  player characters take to such discussions 
  without first ensuring that they are not 
  being overheard. Perhaps they hear a noise 
  above the ceiling or from behind the door 
  as their business is concluded. Perhaps 
  when they investigate there is nothing there, 
  but perhaps the eavesdropper is still in the 
  inn somewhere, mingling with the other 
  guests. 
  A Man Died in that Bed 
  Bad things inevitably happen at inns. 
  Frequent anonymous visitors, fatigue from 
  the day’s travel, more drink than they can 
  handle, goods or money being carried… 
  Arguments can arise quickly or someone 
  may be robbed, killed even. And the player 
  characters may run into someone who saw 
  the whole thing happen. 
  As the player characters settle to sleep in 
  the dormitory an old man helpfully points 
  out that a man died in their bed. He says he 
  was set upon for the silver he carried and 
  had hidden beneath his pillow. 
  Those investigating can still see the 
  blood stains in the rope-strung bed and the 
  wooden floor beneath it. What’s more, the 
  man’s unsettled ghost is still there. Some say 
  that they’ve seen it. Indeed, they might well 
  have done. It does haunt the room but only 
  manifests where there is someone present 
  plotting ill against another. 
  The player characters might either leave 
  the ghost to its business, lay it to rest, or use 
  its propensity to manifest in the presence of 
  treachery to their advantage. 
  Thieves and Robbers 
  One of the other travelers staying at the 
  lodging house may be light-fingered thief or 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  12 
  a cutthroat robber. The thief might watch 
  the other guests, pick out those who appear 
  wealthy or unable to hold their drink. He 
  might purposefully ply them with drink and 
  either take their money purse while they are 
  unable to notice or do anything about it. It 
  isn’t just money, of course, that might 
  attract a thief. Goods stored in the inn’s 
  stables, courtyard, or barns make attractive 
  targets, but then so might intriguing 
  property like books, letters, and official 
  seals. Such a thief might use deception, 
  disguise, and subterfuge as his weapons. 
  However, there are other more brutal 
  forms of thievery. Likely operating in a 
  small gang, robbers might either attack 
  sleeping guests, in which case one of the 
  dormitories or the common room is a likely 
  setting for such an attack, or they might 
  waylay travelers on the road after learning of 
  their plans. 
  Buried Treasure 
  As a diversionary event, through 
  mistaken identity or pure chance, the player 
  characters might become embroiled in a 
  buried treasure mystery. Inns provide useful 
  landmarks and someone wanting to hide 
  something might do so either within the inn 
  itself or nearby outside. 
  And so, before the player characters 
  arrived at the inn someone hastily hid 
  something of value, or a map to where 
  something of value has been secreted. This 
  something or the map falls into the hands 
  of the player characters while they are 
  staying at the inn, just as those seeking the 
  very same thing arrive to look for it. 
  The inn provides a confined space in 
  which to initially encounter the item or the 
  map and those who have come looking for 
  it and a base from which to set out, 
  following the map, possibly with violent me 
  following the same trail. 
  Smugglers, Clippers, and 
  Spies 
  The cellars are filled with goods that 
  have eluded the town’s tax men, or perhaps 
  they are complicit and they are working 
  with the smugglers to defraud the town or 
  city. 
  Coin-clippers passing off shaved-down 
  coins through the lodging house might 
  either be in league with the proprietor or 
  working at the lodging house with his 
  knowledge. If you take this option, 
  characters passing through the lodging 
  house definitely pick up some doctored 
  coins during their transactions for bed and 
  board. The storyguide can decide that the 
  coins are detected when the characters next 
  try to use them or can rely on random 
  chance. If the latter, then the next three 
  times a financial transaction is made, 
  whether purchasing supplies, paying 
  craftsmen, or settlement of taxes, roll a 
  Simple Die. On a roll of one, the coins are 
  detected. 
  Spies from neighboring nobles, or 
  serving mercenary captains, or even in the 
  employ of bishops, keep a keen ear open 
  for news and rumor that might earn them a 
  penny or two. Blessed with high Carouse, 
  Charm, Intrigue, and Stealth a spy might 
  engage the player characters in idle chatter, 
  perhaps over an innocent game of dice to 
  while the evening away. He might share 
  news and stories from further along the 
  road in return for news from where the 
  characters have just travelled from. 
  STAGING ACTION 
  IN THE LODGING 
  HOUSE 
  Every location brings unique options for 
  action and the lodging house is no different, 
  from opportunities to take cover, numerous 
  weapons freely to hand, and the risk of fire. 
  Everything’s a Bludgeon 
  From pots smashed across a target’s 
  head, cups and plates thrown the length of 
  the room, and even a chair across the back, 
  everything in the lodging house is essentially 
  a bludgeon as far as the Melee Weapons 
  Table is concerned (ArM5, page 176). 
  With most fixtures and fittings affected 
  by Herbam, a Target Group spell could lift 
  and propel just about all the  cups, plates, 
  and other wooden utensils, and likely chairs 
  and tables too, inside the inn’s common 
  room.  
  The Sleeping 
  Should a fight break out at night, the 
  action may spread quicker than the other 
  guests can respond. In the common room, 
  certainly, in the early stages of a fight (the 
  first three rounds, for instance), the ground 
  underfoot is unstable due to the risk of 
  treading on another guest too groggy to get 
  out of the way. Treat such conditions as a 
  Hazard (Lords of Men, page 121) and apply 
  one or more botch dice as appropriate. 
  Taking Cover 
  Overturned tables provide pretty secure 
  cover. On the off-chance that someone has 
  managed to find space to use a bow of any 
  kind, a table or the serving bar provides 
  absolute cover all the while the character 
  remains behind it and doesn’t try to act over 
  it before the attacker’s initiative. 
  Should a character have a melee weapon 
  requiring either the Single Hand Weapon 
  Storm of the 
  Lodging House 
  Detritus 
  ReHe 5 
  R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Room 
  Casting this spell, all wooden plates, 
  goblets, and utensils smaller than a 
  stool or chair and not held or 
  weighted down, immediately fly 
  towards a designated target. The 
  barrage does +5 damage to a single 
  target as the storm of wooden 
  implements and utensils assaults 
  them. The target also counts as under 
  the effect of a hazard for any 
  remaining actions in that turn, which 
  imposes an additional botch die. 
  (Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Room) 
  
   
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  Ability or the Two-Handed Weapon 
  Ability, then they can hack away at the table. 
  A typical table has two Damage Levels. 
  Being hacked at by a weapon is not what 
  the table was made for, so it is unlikely to 
  stand up to much punishment. 
  Treat the attacker as attacking 
  something with a Defense of zero. This 
  should allow them to generate a healthy 
  Damage at the back end of their attack 
  against the table. If they beat a total of 11, 
  then the table loses one of its Damage 
  Levels. 
  The Stairs 
  Stairs come into play in lodging houses 
  with more than one storey. Fighting on 
  stairs is counted as both Difficult Terrain 
  (halving movement rate) and as a Hazard 
  (adding one or more botch die), both as 
  explained in Lords of Men. 
  Stairs may also be used as a weapon, or 
  to inflict damage at least. A target pushed 
  down a flight of stairs is considered to have 
  fallen onto a hard surface. Treat a normal 
  flight of stairs as an eight-foot drop. The 
  impact table on ArM5, page 181 suggests a 
  base +1 for each two feet, doubled for hard 
  surfaces. That’s a non-combat damage total 
  of +8 (i.e. roll a stress die +8 against the 
  target’s rolled soak total). 
  Ale 
  Barrels of ale, both open and sealed, are 
  behind the serving bar. These could be 
  toppled or smashed in order to provide a 
  sudden flood of ale across the floor. This 
  creates a Hazard as the floor becomes 
  slippery underfoot. 
  Assuming the magus can see or touch 
  the ale, a barrel contains enough ale to do 
  +5 damage to a target if propelled through 
  an appropriate Rego Aquam effect (using 
  the base Individual Target). 
  Fire 
  There is certainly going to be a large 
  fireplace on the ground floor. Depending 
  on your layout this might even be a central 
  fire-pit. In itself, the fire would normally do 
  +15 damage to anyone falling into it (base 
  +5 x 3 for being half-immersed) and you 
  could apply that directly to any antagonist or 
  non-player characters. However, you might 
  consider some other effects. 
  For instance, you might have the 
  character catch on fire, either an arm or a 
  leg, which does +10 damage (base +5 x 2 
  for having a limb covered) each round until 
  extinguished. Not only is this something of 
  a distraction, but the enterprising character 
  might even be able to use it as an 
  impromptu weapon or bludgeon – treat it 
  as a Fist attack, but apply a +5 fire bonus to 
  any damage inflicted. 
  Of course from an action point of view, 
  there’s little value in making a feature of the 
  fireplace if there isn’t the danger of it 
  spreading. Any time a character is pushed 
  back, falls, or stumbles, or any time a 
  thrown weapon attack misses its target, 
  consider whether one of the logs in the fire 
  is displaced as a result. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  14 
  Raymont the Host 
  Playing the host is all Raymont knows. He grew up in the roadside 
  inn; it was his father’s and his father’s before him and he firmly believes 
  it will pass to Frances, his only son, once his days are done. 
  He is not a strong or a brave man and he might easily be cajoled or 
  persuaded into allowing his inn to be used for nefarious or illegal 
  purposes. 
  Characteristics: Int 0, Per +1, Pre +1, Com +1, Str 0, Sta +2, Dex 
  +1, Qik 0 
  Size: 0 
  Age: 40 (40) 
  Decrepitude: 0 
  Warping Score: 0 (0) 
  Virtues and Flaws: Peasant; Famous, Gossip; Humble, Obese 
  Personality Traits: Convivial +3, Humble +2, Keen to Impress +1 
  Reputations: Good Host 4 (along the Provencal-Normandy Roads) 
  Combat:  
  Dodge: Init +0, Attack n/a, Defense +3, Damage n/a 
  Bludgeon: Init -1, Attack +7, Defense +4, Damage +2 
  Fist: Init +0, Attack +4, Defense +3, Damage +0 
  Soak: +2 
  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: Area Lore: Area 4 (roads), Awareness 3 (eavesdropping), 
  Bargain 4 (buying supplies), Brawl 3 (Bludgeon), Brewer 5 (ale), Carouse 
  4 (his own brew), Charm 3 (welcoming guests), Chirurgy 2 (cuts and 
  scrapes), Folk Ken 4 (travellers), Guile 4 (protecting his guests’ interests), 
  Intrigue 4 (gossip), Leadership 2 (intimidation), Occitan 5 (Provencal), 
  Tavern Owner 5 (ensuring clean beds for wealthy travellers) 
  Equipment: Simple clothes, apron, keys for the cellar and the 
  outbuildings 
  Encumbrance: 1 (1) 
  Appearance: Raymont is a large rotund man with thinning and 
  greying ginger hair and a once-pale face now turning red in the cheeks. 
  He wears a constant smile and is always ready with a subservient bob of 
  the head. The apron he wears over his tunic is now a little too small for 
  him after years of eating and drinking rather too well. 
  Poncet the Thief 
  Poncet has been a thief as long as he can remember. He has also been 
  poor for as long as he can remember. The life of a thief has so far not 
  been a wealthy one; while he may steal a silver ring that once cost a 
  year’s wages he can only sell it on for enough to see him through the 
  week. And of course, he has his costs to consider. 
  His method is to ingratiate himself with strangers, to establish what 
  they might have of worth, and then either to get them so drunk they 
  don’t notice their purses going missing, or to sneak into their rooms and 
  raid their baggage under cover of darkness. 
  He travels with a pack of clothing, providing for different disguises, 
  which he uses to help avoid those who might come looking for him. 
  Characteristics: Int 0, Per +1, Pre 0, Com 0, Str 0, Sta 0, Dex +2, 
  Qik +2 
  Size: 0 
  Age: 35 (35) 
  Decrepitude: 0 
  Warping Score: 0 (0) 
  Virtues and Flaws: Peasant; Educated, Puissant Legerdemain; 
  Compulsion (Stealing), Minor Essential Flaw (Glass Jaw) 
  Personality Traits: Glass Jaw* (Sta) -3, Charming +3, Brave +2, 
  Compassionate +1 
  Combat:  
  Dodge: Init +2, Attack n/a, Defense +5, Damage n/a 
  Fist: Init +2, Attack +4, Defense +4, Damage +0 
  Knife: Init +2, Attack +5, Defense +4, Damage +2 
  Bludgeon: Init +1, Attack +6, Defense +4, Damage +2 
  Soak: 0 
  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: Area Lore: Area 2 (escape routes), Artes Liberales 2 
  (rhetoric), Athletics 4 (running), Awareness 3 (searching), Bargain 2 
  (selling stolen property), Brawl 2 (Dodge), Carouse 4 (staying sober), 
  Charm 3 (first impressions), Civil and Canon Law 1 (Provencal law), 
  Climb 4 (walls), Disguise 3 (nobles), Etiquette 2 (nobility), Folk Ken 3 
  (nobles), Guile 3 (lying to authority), Intrigue 3 (rumormongering), Latin 
  3 (academic usage), Legerdemain 5+2 (picking pockets), Occitan 5 
  (Provencal), Stealth 3 (sneak) 
  Equipment: Good quality clothes; Fine clothing; Priest’s Clothes 
  Encumbrance: 1 (1) 
  Appearance: Poncet is a man of average build with brown eyes and a 
  full head of brown hair. He frequently changes his appearance, growing 
  facial hair or shaving his head as suits his needs. He does have a scar on 
  his left wrist, however, which he may carelessly expose on occasion. 
  Poncet has a glass jaw; he cannot take a punch. Any time Poncet is 
  engaged in a scuffle (i.e. non-lethal combat as described in ArM5, page 
  174) his essential Glass Jaw Trait comes into effect giving him a -3 to his 
  Soak. This also comes into play any time he takes a blow to the head 
  sufficient to require a non-combat damage roll. 
  
   
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  15 
  Frances, the Inn-Keeper’s Son 
  Frances dreams of a life of adventure. He has heard the stories 
  brought by travellers to his father’s inn all his life and he cannot believe 
  that he is destined for nothing more than to simply hear these tales; he 
  needs to experience them for himself. Thus far, he has lacked the 
  courage to run away and find his fortune on the road. If he could but 
  encounter the right people, perhaps he might follow them, pledge his 
  service to them in return for fortune and adventure. 
  Characteristics: Int 0, Per 0, Pre 0, Com +1, Str 0, Sta 0, Dex +2, 
  Qik +2 
  Size: 0 
  Age: 17 (17) 
  Decrepitude: 0 
  Warping Score: 0 (0) 
  Virtues and Flaws: Peasant; Apt Student, Intuition; Fragile 
  Constitution, Overconfident 
  Personality Traits: Overconfident +3, Brave +2, Yearning for a 
  Better Life +1 
  Combat:  
  Dodge: Init +1, Attack n/a, Defense +4, Damage n/a 
  Fist: Init +1, Attack +5, Defense +5, Damage +0 
  Bludgeon: Init +0, Attack +6, Defense +4, Damage +2 
  Knife: Init +1, Attack +5, Defense +4, Damage +2 
  Soak: +1 
  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: Animal Handling 4 (horses), Area Lore: Area 2 (geography), 
  Athletics 2 (running), Brawl 2 (Fist), Carouse 1 (games of chance), 
  Charm 2 (first impressions), Chirurgy 2 (binding wounds), Climb 2 
  (ladders), Folk Ken 2 (merchants), Occitan 5 (Provencal), Order of 
  Hermes Lore 1 (personalities), Ride 2 (speed), Stealth 2 (hide), Tavern/
  Brothel Owner 3 (sweeping and cleaning) 
  Equipment: Quilted Armor (Protection 1), belt, travelling pack. 
  Encumbrance: 2 (2) 
  Appearance: Frances is a young man of seventeen years of age. He 
  has inherited his father’s ginger hair and fair complexion but not his 
  excessive weight. He is normally seen in his every-day clothes; simple 
  tunic, trews, and shoes. However, he has acquired a few items of cast-
  off clothing and equipment including a poorly-fitting quilted surcoat. 
  Frances’ quilted armor may have an emblem that the magi recognise, 
  perhaps the emblem of a neighboring or rival covenant. 
  Frances is a quick learner. His keenness to learn makes him an ideal 
  student and he is prepared to use his current skills to tend the horses 
  and to cook and clean if it means someone might teach him to swing a 
  sword or to pull a bow or perhaps even to read. His overconfidence 
  means he believes he can do all these things at once and if he does find 
  a mentor this may run to impatience.. 
  Flors, the Host’s Wife 
  Flors is much more than simply the host’s wife, although she 
  is as loyal and capable as she needs to be for such a role. She is 
  also the woman those in the nearby villages turn to for help 
  with wounds and illnesses. She knows where to find and how 
  to prepare local herbs for the treatment of all manner of ills. It 
  is something that is often useful in treating gloomy travelers 
  succumbing to the rigors of the winter weather. 
  She is drawn to those who appear in need and always ensures 
  that those who might need her help are looked after. 
  Characteristics: Int 0, Per 0, Pre 0, Com +1, Str 0, Sta +1, 
  Dex +1, Qik +1 
  Size: 0 
  Age: 35 (35) 
  Decrepitude: 0 
  Warping Score: 0 (0) 
  Virtues and Flaws: Peasant; Good Teacher, Puissant 
  Chirurgy; Soft-Hearted, Weak Characteristics 
  Personality Traits: Soft-Hearted +3, Gregarious +2, Tidy 
  +1 
  Combat:  
  Dodge: Init +1, Attack n/a, Defense +4, Damage n/a 
  Bludgeon: Init +0, Attack +5, Defense +3, Damage +2 
  Fist: Init +1, Attack +3, Defense +3, Damage +0 
  Soak: +1 
  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: Area Lore: Area 3 (personalities), Baking 4 (cheap 
  flour), Brawl 2 (Dodge), Carouse 3 (staying sober), Chirurgy 
  5+2 (binding wounds), Etiquette 2 (nobility), Folk Ken 5 
  (merchants), Herbalist 4 (finding herbs for poultices), 
  Housewife 3 (cleaning), Leadership 2 (her son), Music 3 (sing), 
  Occitan 5 (Provencal), Tavern Owner 4 (making the best out 
  of the stores), Teaching 3 (Herbalist) 
  Equipment: Peasant clothes, apron, a large wooden spoon 
  or ladle, sprigs of herbs. 
  Encumbrance: 1 (1) 
  Appearance: A slightly-built middle-aged woman with blue 
  eyes and brown hair. 
  
   
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  Discussed in the mythology of the 
  Founder, the Cave-shrine of 
  Flambeau simply did not make it into 
  the manuscript of Faith & Flame. 
  There was so much to address, and 
  s o m eh o w, th is H erm et ically 
  significant location was lost in the 
  shuffle. It is offered here in a small 
  attempt to rectify that oversight. 
  MYTHS, 
  LEGENDS, 
  HISTORY, AND 
  RUMORS 
  According to House’s of Hermes: 
  Societates, Flambeau fled after the 
  battle against the jinn who killed his 
  master and found a cave on the 
  French side of the Pyrenees. He 
  stayed in the cave for five years, 
  perfecting his signature fiery spell 
  before going back out into Mythic 
  Europe to kill those responsible for 
  his master’s death. He only took the 
  name “Flambeau” upon leaving the 
  cave, and little else is written about it. 
  However, such a place likely held a 
  particular nostalgia for the wizard, as 
  that crucible where his arts were 
  forged into a deadly, capable weapon, 
  and as he grew older, he might have 
  even begun to regret some of the 
  destruction which followed in his 
  wake. Before Flambeau left for 
  whatever his final fate may have been, 
  he attempted to excise the darkest 
  part of himself, hoping to leave it in 
  the place where he might have 
  acquired it, in the Chamber of 
  Discovery. Knowing it would be 
  powerful, he fashioned the Penitent 
  Door, utilizing the example of the 
  Iron Door of Val Negra. With the 
  trap complete, he sealed the door and 
  departed. Whether he made for some 
  battle against the sahirs or off to a 
  monastery, remains unclear and he did 
  not leave any explanations. 
  By Ben McFarland 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  17 
  The Cave itself consists of an 
  entrance, roughly two paces square, a 
  tunnel roughly twenty paces long, 
  sloping down into a grand chamber of 
  columns, arches and various 
  formations. At the back of this gallery 
  stands the Penitent Door, a grand iron 
  circular door. The door turns on a 
  post through its center, like a coin 
  spinning on its edge. It is locked in 
  place by seven bands of iron, sunk 
  into the rock and bent to keep it from 
  turning. Beyond the Penitent Door 
  lies a much smaller chamber, one 
  apparently used as a small residence at 
  one point. There is an anchorite-like 
  cell in one wall with the moldy 
  remains of a sleeping pallet, a cold fire 
  pit filled with cinders and a few rocks 
  large enough to sit on. From this 
  room, a single tunnel leads into 
  darkness. The tunnel has two dead-
  end branches but leads to the 
  Chamber of Discovery, the natural 
  cavern where Flambeau studied. The 
  whole complex has a Magic Aura of 5, 
  and there is a Magic regio with three 
  layers. 
  Within this space, there is a single 
  occupant. A sliver of what was once 
  Flambeau, an Adulteration, still roams 
  these passages and caverns. 
  THE PENITENT 
  DOOR 
  As described, the Penitent Door is 
  a circular door three paces across, and 
  inlaid with silver symbols and 
  hermetic markings. At the center of 
  the door is an embossed image of a 
  flame, the Founder’s symbol. The 
  door turns on a post through its 
  center, like a coin spinning on its 
  edge. It is locked in place by seven 
  bands of iron, sunk into the rock and 
  bent to keep it from turning. These 
  bands would require magic, or a 
  Strength check to bend each one back 
  enough to allow it to turn (Ease 
  Factor 21). The door holds a ritual 
  effect, the magic which binds the 
  Adulteration here. This is a ReVi Ring 
  duration Structure target range touch 
  ward against magic beings with Might. 
  Only the Adulteration knows the 
  door’s name and it does not know 
  why. 
  CHAMBER OF 
  DISCOVERY 
  In the back of the cave, there is a 
  short passage with two dead-end 
  branches and a third tunnel which 
  leads to a kidney-shaped chamber. 
  This room has three stone bowls, 
  their insides scorched black with 
  cinders. There is a boulder roughly 
  hewn into a scribe’s desk, and one 
  wall is fairly flat. Investigating it 
  reveals bits of chalk and the remnants 
  of pigments, as if it was once used as 
  blackboard. The whole place has a 
  Magic Aura of 7 (Natural Tether 2, 
  Preternatural Tether 1 (Flambeau’s 
  Study), Preternatural Tether 4 (The 
  active ritual of the Penitent Door). It 
  could be used as a laboratory, but 
  needs three seasons to prepare the 
  site. Doing so might eliminate any 
  secrets which might be learned from 
  the blackboard wall at the storyguide’s 
  discretion. 
  REGIO & REGIO 
  NETWORK 
  Flambeau’s Adulteration cannot 
  access it, but the regio network which 
  connects the various regiones of the 
  Pyrenees links this cave to the 
  numerous others which pock the hills 
  and valleys and the Pyrenees. The 
  regio itself has three layers. The first 
  is an expansive darkness, which gives 
  way to a winding tunnel. This layer is 
  usually entered by walking into one of 
  the two dead-end branches in 
  complete darkness with one’s eyes 
  closed tightly. The winding tunnel of 
  the second layer connects to the 
  regiones of the other caves across the 
  mountain range. Travelers have a 
  sense of the path toward other 
  regiones they have visited on the 
  network, but an InVi effect can 
  determine routes to the previously 
  unvisited links or to a regio linked to a 
  particular arcane connection. The 
  third layer emerges from the winding 
  tunnels of the second layer into a 
  cavern lit by glowing crystals. A 
  reflection of the rough stone bowls 
  and scribe’s boulder which exist in the 
  mundane world stand here, but they 
  are formed from the pale, glowing 
  crystals. 
  The Inhabitants 
  There are occasional, chance 
  residents of the Founder’s cave. These 
  are the fire drakes and wyverns (see 
  Realms of Power: Magic, Chapter 5) that 
  fill the Pyrenees and who benefit from 
  living within the aura present in the 
  cave. These beasts rarely stay too long 
  The 
  Penitent 
  Door 
  ReVi 80 
  R: Touch D: Ring T: Room 
  This ritual is actually inscribed on 
  the front of the Penitent Door, but in 
  reversed Latin script. Because 
  Flambeau knew he was going to be 
  affecting a portion of himself, he was 
  able to cast with a sufficient 
  Penetration to ensure the 
  Adulteration was kept bound inside 
  the Cave. This ward keeps the 
  affected creature inside the targeted 
  room and unable to affect the door 
  or the room itself. It will prevent 
  creatures with a Might of less than 55 
  from entering the cave, as well, 
  unless they enter via the regio 
  network. The Adulteration cannot 
  breach the regio levels, and so 
  remains in the cave. 
  (Base 55 + 1 Touch + 2 Ring + 2 
  Room) 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  18 
  The Adulteration of 
  Flambeau 
  Malignancy, Autumn 
  Magic Might: 55 (Ignem) 
  Characteristics: Int +3, Per +1, Pre +2, Com +1, Str 0, Sta 
  +4, Dex -1, Qik 0 
  Size: n/a, 0 when manifested 
  Confidence Score: 3 (4) 
  Virtues and Flaws: Magic Spirit; Greater Immunity 
  (Deprivation); Improved Characteristics x3, Great Stamina, 
  Magic Sensitivity, Tough, Unaffected by the Gift; Blatant 
  Magical Air, Magic Monster, Environmental Magic Condition 
  (Enclosed by the Iron Door); Anchored to the Mountain, 
  Proud, Wrathful. 
  Magical Qualities: Focus Power x3, Greater Power x3, 
  Magical Meditation, No Fatigue, Ritual Power x4, Vis Mastery 
  (Ignem); Gift of Speech, Improved Abilities x3, Improved 
  Confidence, Improved Power x7, Personal Power. (55) 
  Personality Traits: Hard-Hearted +3, Proud +3, Wrathful 
  +3 
  Soak: +7 
  Fatigue Levels: N/A 
  Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), 
  Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+) 
  Abilities: Area Lore: Pyrenees 4 (Caverns), Area Lore: Val-
  Negra 4 (Regio Boundaries) Awareness 3 (Light Sources), 
  Concentration 4 (Maintaining), Dead Language: Latin 4 
  (curses), Folk Ken 5(Sensing Lies), Guile 1 (Concealing Intent), 
  Magic Sensitivity 5 (Ignem Effects), Artes Liberales 2 
  (Languages), Living Language: French 5 (Gascony dialect), 
  Living Language: Spanish 5 (Asturian dialect), Magic Lore 4 
  (Ignem entities), Magic Theory 6 (Ignem), Organization Lore: 
  Order of Hermes 2 (Early Members), Penetration 4 (Ignem), 
  Single Weapon 4 (longsword), Thrown Weapon 4 (bodies). 
  Powers 
  Cleansing Scourge of Flame, 5 points, (Vim), Init (Qik-Might 
  points spent). 
  R: varies, D: varies, T: varies 
  The spirit can recreate any non-ritual Ignem effects no 
  greater than 50th level at a cost of 1 Might point per magnitude 
  of the effect. (Focus Power x2) 
  Eidolon, 0 points, (Imaginem), Init +3. 
  R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind 
  Creates an illusionary form visible and audible to material 
  beings. The spirit can create a single form. The image can 
  move and speak as directed, and lasts until the spirit has no 
  further use for it. (Greater Power: 15 levels, +2 Init, -2 Might 
  cost; 15 levels surplus spent improving Initiative of Donning 
  the Corporeal Veil.) 
  Curse of Ash; 5 points, (Ignem), Init 0.  
  R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind, Ritual  
  Imposes the Deficient Form(Ignem) and Incompatible Arts 
  (CrIg, MuIg) flaws upon the victim. If the flaws are permanent, 
  the cost is removed from the Adulteration’s Might score as 
  well as its Might pool. This curse may be transmitted by touch, 
  should the victim fail a Stamina roll against an Ease Factor of 
  10. Those infected later may be cured naturally, by treating it as 
  a disease with an Ease Factor of 12. If temporary, the points 
  are recovered when the flaw is withdrawn. (Ritual Power x2, 
  non-Hermetic effect, Improved Power: -5 Might points, +20 
  Init.) 
  Price of Peace, 5 points, (Vim) Init -5. 
  R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind, Ritual 
  Imposes the Noncombatant flaw upon the victim. If the flaw 
  is permanent, the cost is removed from the Adulteration’s 
  Might score as well as its Might pool. If temporary, the points 
  are recovered when the flaw is withdrawn. (Ritual Power, 
  Improved Power: +5 Init) 
  Recluse’s Burden, 5 points, (Vim) Init -5. 
  R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind, Ritual 
  Imposes the Reclusive flaw upon the victim. If the flaw is 
  permanent, the cost is removed from the Adulteration’s Might 
  score as well as its Might pool. If temporary, the points are 
  recovered when the flaw is withdrawn. (Ritual Power, 
  Improved Power: +5 Init) 
  Smoke on the Wind, 0 points, (Ignem), Init -2. The 
  Adulteration can fly through the air in any direction simply by 
  concentrating. If distracted, this control is lost but the power 
  still 
  holds 
  the 
  Adulteration 
  aloft 
  indefinitely. 
  ReIg 15 (base 4, +2 Sun, constant; Personal Power: 15 levels, -
  2 Might cost) 
  Donning the Corporeal Veil, 0 point, (Corpus), Init +3.  
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  Allows the spirit to physically manifest until the next sunrise 
  or sunset as a darkly tanned older man, dressed in a rough, 
  brown woolen robe. The penalties imposed by the Gift still 
  apply though; the spirit is somehow disturbing and stands out, 
  despite 
  appearing 
  very 
  average 
  in 
  every 
  way.  
  Cr(Re)Co 25 (base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 requisite; Greater 
  Power: 25 levels, -3 Might cost, +6 Init) 
  Ghostly Touch, variable cost , (Te), Init (Qik-Might points 
  spent).  
  R: varies, D: varies, T: varies 
  (Continued on page 19) 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  19 
  and never touch or investigate the 
  Penitent Door. Rarely, one will use 
  the front portion of the cave to build 
  a nest while keeping a clutch of eggs, 
  or to heal from a particularly difficult 
  battle, staying for several years, but 
  never making the cave a permanent 
  lair. 
  Shades of the Past 
  A different Adulteration of the 
  Founder lingers in this place, a 
  second, cast-off reflection of the 
  Founder, trapped behind the Penitent 
  Door. The Adulteration is not in any 
  sense Flambeau himself; Flambeau is 
  long gone, dead or passed in to Final 
  Twilight. (See Houses of Hermes: 
  Societates). Yet it believes it is 
  Flambeau, and is a horrific shadow to 
  the reality of the great magus who 
  was. If released, it will cause havoc, 
  devastating the Iberian tribunal as it 
  seeks out Flambeau’s ancient enemies 
  and burns its way across the 
  countryside. It is a crazed, 
  psychopathic magical construct, built 
  from the mistakes, the base desires, 
  and the failings of the Founder. This 
  Adulteration may also serve as a 
  variant of the one found in Val-Negra 
  for groups who want a different 
  version. 
  GETTING TO 
  THE CAVE 
  Physically reaching the cave is a 
  difficult climb, many days from any 
  settlement. The nearest water source 
  is a full day’s hike from the location, 
  and the natural cave in front of the 
  Penitent Door is occasionally 
  occupied by drakes, or very, very 
  rarely, a shepherd or pilgrim lost in 
  the mountains. There are numerous 
  small caves in the area, and the 
  changing foliage from year to year can 
  make returning without an arcane 
  connection difficult. Characters who 
  make a successful Hermetic Lore 
  check (Ease Factor 18) can narrow 
  their search to a general region which 
  might be searched in a season; magi 
  with specialties in Founders, House 
  Flambeau, or the Cult of Mithras get a 
  +3 to make this check. 
  VIS 
  The stone braziers in the cavern 
  laboratory generate 4 pawns of Ignem 
  vis per year, in the form of ashes 
  within the bowls. The Adulteration 
  periodically uses this vis for some 
  strange experiment or casting, and so 
  there are never more than 5 to 25 
  pawns of Ignem vis just sitting here. 
  This vis forms on the anniversary of 
  Flambeau’s death, a day determined at 
  the storyguide’s discretion. 
  The lichens growing around the 
  Penitent Door are infused with Rego 
  vis, a result of the long-running 
  circular ward which holds the 
  Adulteration within the cave and 
  prevents it from escaping. It creates 3 
  pawns per year. Sometimes creatures 
  which require vis to survive consume 
  this lichen. There are currently 
  between 3 and 21 pawns of Rego vis 
  in the plant material encrusting the 
  rock around the metal door. 
  Moves objects not held by another or fastened down. For 1 
  Might point, a maximum of 5 pounds can be moved; every 
  additional Might point doubles this weight limit. If the item is 
  hurled with force, use the Thrown Weapons ability and it 
  inflicts +5 damage per Might point spent. The spirit can enter 
  combat with an object when using this power. All physical 
  attacks with this power must penetrate Magic Resistance. The 
  power last until the object is released by the spirit. The 
  Adulteration cannot affect items beyond the Iron Door until 
  the Door ceases to function. 
  ReTe 25: (Focus Power) 
  Presence, 1 points, (Imaginem), Init -4. 
  R: Arc, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  Grants awareness of everything that happens within the 
  Regio network of the Pyrenees, but it cannot affect anything 
  beyond the Second Door until the Door ceases to function. 
  InIm 35 
  (base 2 +4 Arc, +2 Sun, +1 constant effect. +1 non-
  Hermetic effects; Greater Powers: 35 levels, -3 Might cost) 
  Appearance: The Adulteration of Flambeau manifests if 
  seen by Second Sight, appearing as a deeply tanned, bald man 
  in his late 50’s. The man begins to smolder and smoke, 
  releasing bits of ash as it becomes angry and frustrated, 
  bursting into an immolated form when furious and ready to 
  attack. It truly believes it is the Founder Flambeau, trapped 
  within the regio. It is often found manifested in its human 
  form, but may conceal itself and interact via its Eidolon. It 
  loathes Moors and sahirs, and immediately attacks should it 
  realize such individuals have passed beyond the Penitent Door. 
  Its imprisonment confuses it, and it strives to escape from 
  beyond the Penitent Door, though it does not understand how 
  the Door prevents it from leaving. 
  (Continued from page 18) 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  20 
  SECRETS AND 
  REFERENCES 
  In the laboratory, the scribe’s 
  boulder can confirm that the 
  Adulteration does closely resemble 
  the man Flambeau, who lived in the 
  cave for many years. It knows the 
  Adulteration simply appeared one 
  moment, but it cannot say when. 
  Intellego Terram magics which allow 
  the caster to communicate with the 
  stone provide this information. 
  The blackboard wall in the 
  laboratory can reveal the laboratory 
  text of Flambeau’s signature spell with 
  In(Cr)Te(Im) magics. The exact size 
  and quality of the manuscript is left to 
  the storyguide’s discretion. This text 
  must still be translated and deciphered 
  as Flambeau created it prior to the 
  forging of Hermetic Theory. This 
  might serve as a source of Insight on 
  a Fire-related project, provide a more 
  powerful variant of pilum of fire, or 
  simply be a matter of prestige, as the 
  magus utilizing this spell would be 
  wielding the very weapon the Founder 
  turned against numerous jinn, non-
  Hermetics, and sahir. 
  The Ghost of Pyrene knows of this 
  cave, but refuses to tell anyone of it. 
  She fears an unwitting fool would 
  remove the Penitent Door and release 
  the Adulteration into the world. 
  Unwilling to take such risks, she has 
  shown no one how to find or enter 
  the Founder’s former hermitage. 
  The deepest level of the regio, the 
  crystal cave, might house the lost 
  talisman of Flambeau, the Fireheart. 
  Those seeking the item, or hoping to 
  remove the gem will need to deal with 
  the Adulteration, first. Other personal 
  items of the Founder might rest at 
  this layer, too, such as a sword or 
  journal. Either item could spark 
  savage conflicts between members of 
  House Flambeau, if publicly 
  announced for examination. 
  HOOKS FOR 
  USING THE 
  FOUNDER’S CAVE 
  With the exact location somewhere 
  unknown within the Pyrenees, this 
  place is easily the object of many a 
  Flambeau magus’ quest, either as an 
  initiation to the Cult of Mithras, or 
  for those who venerate the Founder 
  and wish to better understand their 
  roots. The drake-infested slopes of 
  the mountains serve as adequate 
  challenge, the magical nature of the 
  cavern, and the renown within House 
  Flambeau both offer ample reward. 
  Such a story seed also offers an 
  opportunity to introduce the ghost of 
  Pyrene, as the magus seeks out the 
  spectre, hoping to learn the cavern’s 
  location. The ghost would be an 
  unwilling source, however, requiring 
  the aspirant to prove their good 
  judgement, strong morals, fidelity to 
  keeping the cave’s location secret. For 
  an order trying to meet the ideals of 
  the Chivalric code, her demands 
  might even be a welcome challenge. 
  Founder Versus 
  Founder 
  An interaction with magi who have 
  visited both the Cave-shrine and Val 
  Negra, where the magi reveal there are 
  two Adulterations of the Founder, 
  and reveal the possibility (indeed, the 
  truth!) that neither one is really the 
  Founder, could drive the two 
  Malignancies insane. Each one might 
  become bent on finding a way to 
  reach and destroy the other. They may 
  attempt to destroy the player 
  characters to get to the rival, and they 
  may just attempt to turn the covenant 
  against the other Malignancy. 
  Revisionists 
  Members of House Flambeau who 
  cleave to a differing version of the 
  Founder’s history may feel that the 
  secrets held within the cavern’s walls 
  are simply too dangerous to reveal to 
  the wider Order of Hermes. They 
  might seek out the shrine’s 
  discoverers and attempt to silence 
  them through Certamen, Wizard War, 
  or blatantly illegal assassination. They 
  might attempt to steal the character’s 
  arcane connections to the site, to 
  eliminate their need to search for the 
  site. They could masquerade as like-
  minded enthusiastic scholars of the 
  Founder and try destroying the 
  cavern. This antagonism could 
  culminate in a no-holds barred battle 
  around and within the cave, as the 
  potential guardians and destroyers 
  fight for a piece of the Order’s 
  nascent history. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  21 
  Himinis the Mad established his 
  sanctum somewhere in Provence and 
  then went on to found his Confraternity. 
  However, he continued his own research 
  in seclusion, investigating the Roman 
  ruins and their artifacts. In doing so, he 
  stumbled upon defixiones (Ancient Magic, 
  page 71). He perfected the art and created 
  the initiation allowing this art to be 
  incorporated into the Verditius mystery, 
  calling it “The Fixed Path.” Ever 
  suspicious, he hid his manuscripts and 
  created caches as a method for recovering 
  the texts later. 
  The lost caches of Himinis the Mad 
  (and their many decoys) offer an easy 
  route to adventure in Narbonnais, and 
  one magus in particular has been 
  searching for it across the many idyllic 
  hills and streams of the region. The 
  magus Rycas is member of the 
  Confraternity of Himinis, and he combs 
  the area, seeking to discover clues and 
  uncover guideposts that will lead him to 
  the hidden sites his hierophant secreted 
  throughout the libraries and ruins of 
  Provence. 
  BASIS 
  In the course of the saga, the magi 
  may discover the existence of the caches 
  of Himinis the Mad, either through 
  interaction with Rycas or through their 
  own research. Curiosity, greed, or a thirst 
  for knowledge might lead them either join 
  the hunt or race against Rycas to see who 
  can find caches first. Can they determine 
  the false locales from the true ones, and 
  what secret is hidden there? Is there a 
  greater puzzle to be discerned, or are 
  these simply the cursed legacy of a crazed 
  archmagus? 
  These locations need not be explored 
  sequentially or in even in the same arc, 
  but might be revealed over the course of 
  several arcs, piece by piece, or perhaps as 
  a result of an experience comprehending 
  Twilight. 
  By Ben McFarland 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  22 
  RUMORS, TALES, 
  AND LIES 
  Either Seekers or Verditius may come 
  to Provence, looking for details about 
  Himinis, his Confraternity, or his magics. 
  What the Tribunal 
  thinks about the Caches 
  of Himinis 
  Nearly all members of the Tribunal 
  believe the Caches of Himinis are a fool’s 
  errand. They have no need seek the 
  Caches, and given the Mad Verditius’ 
  reputation for deadly curses, no desire. 
  Most believe the Himinis’ legacy is a myth 
  told to pull young Verditius from the 
  laboratory and into the wider world. 
  Rycas thinks they are wrong, and 
  continues to search. 
  Seeker of Madness 
  One would expect the Confraternity 
  of Himinis to be everywhere in Provence 
  and yet they are nowhere to be found. 
  They refuse to live there in accordance to 
  a directive of their Master but maintain a 
  network of loyal observers to ensure they 
  know when someone comes 
  investigating. Venerating Himinis would 
  bring attention on the sites, attention the 
  Confraternity has no desire to attract. The 
  current mystagogue has a mystery play 
  which indicates the location of the first 
  clue of the Fixed Path, but even it 
  supposedly has a trap hidden within it. 
  The Confraternity of Himinis works to 
  keep possible cache sites secret, believing 
  there is an inner mystery left behind as a 
  legacy of their founding member. Those 
  who feel ready can seek it when they 
  choose. Outsiders who go looking for 
  Himinis’ sites are certain to encounter his 
  followers opposing them when they least 
  expect it. Such obstacles include 
  manipulation of mundane forces, 
  certamen for objects and access to sites, 
  even threatening or prosecuting Wizard’s 
  War. The Confraternity is uncertain if this 
  “Fixed Path” will survive beyond its first 
  initiation, and intend on making sure one 
  of their own succeeds before anyone else 
  in order to record it. Rycas is the most 
  recent hopeful to take up the path, but he 
  does not know its first step. Even 
  considering the construction of the path a 
  work of art itself, Himinis carefully 
  crafted the path’s secrets, and requires 
  anyone who would follow him to 
  discover it for themselves. 
  SITE CLUES AND 
  TOKENS 
  Himinis wanted magi with sufficiently 
  advanced intellect and arts to inherit his 
  research, and through his Hubris, felt 
  only those able to discern his clues are 
  worthy. To this extent, he has hidden 
  clues throughout the region which, when 
  properly deciphered, lead the investigator 
  to a site and suggest the method for 
  activation—generally speaking a phrase 
  while tracing Himinis’ sigil. 
  Sample clues include: 
   
  A commentary on Pythagoras 
  hidden within a text on Galen 
  within the University of 
  Montpellier’s library. When 
  decoded, this points the 
  investigator to an actual site. 
   
  Foundation stones which have 
  extraneous text or symbols. 
  Matching symbols are written on 
  an obscured place in the structure 
  along with a clue. The clue may or 
  may not be a false site. 
   
  Maps, paintings or portraits with 
  his mark incorporated into the 
  background. The background or 
  position of the mark represents the 
  location of a cache. The clue may 
  or may not be a false site. 
   
  Troubadour songs with messages 
  encoded in the text. Keys to the 
  messages are written in margins of 
  rare texts—indicating the title of 
  the song, the line number and 
  numeric position of the particular 
  word associated with the message. 
  For instance: 
  Razos de Trobar, by Raimon Vidal: 1-
  1, 3-2, 8-3, 5-2, 7-4 
  Now the investigator would find the 
  poem in question and select the first 
  word of the first line, the second word of 
  the third line, the third word of the eighth 
  line, and so forth, to assemble the 
  message. The clue may or may not be a 
  false site. 
  Himinis’ strange nature may lead to 
  false clues sharing a theme, or having no 
  connection at all. Such details are left to 
  the Storyguide. 
  But I Don’t 
  Want 
  Defixio 
  Magic In My 
  Saga! 
  Not every saga might want to 
  include defixio magic in the course of 
  play—and that’s not an issue. In 
  those situations, consider that 
  Himinis might have been pursuing 
  some other Breakthrough. Perhaps 
  he wanted to bind human souls to 
  objects in order to create a more 
  perfect source of animation for 
  automata. Maybe he sought to master 
  the Limit of Time by exploring the 
  Tempora and Twilight paths of the 
  Magic Realm. He might have an 
  entirely different focus, specific to 
  your saga. He could have been 
  successful or unsuccessful, but his 
  caches provide an interesting way to 
  establish a puzzle-crafting NPC 
  whose motives are inscrutable and 
  who is unavailable for questioning. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  23 
  Himinis’ tokens are always small 
  items, capable of fitting easily in a pocket. 
  They carry his mark and are detectable 
  with Intellego Vim. 
  FALSE SITES 
  False sites always inflict a curse on the 
  individual activating Himinis’ mark. 
  These curses are the same as those 
  described in Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults 
  (page 131)—inflicting the Lesser 
  Malediction flaw on the investigator for 
  eight seasons. These curses are 
  considered 5th magnitude effects with a 
  Penetration of 24 and replicate the effects 
  of General Minor Flaws (ArM5, page 39) 
  These decoy sites might be designed 
  along a theme, such as one site 
  embodying each of the four humors, a 
  trio of sites noting the differences in 
  Animal, Human, and Divine natures, a 
  pair of sites reflecting Life and Death, 
  Night and Day, or Truth and Lies. These 
  decoys are meant to hamper investigators 
  while showing the true followers of the 
  Confraternity what the sites are not. 
  Genuine clues to the actual sites or 
  tokens might only be accessible after 
  triggering the curse of a false site. 
  POTENTIAL SITES: 
  PARTS OF THE 
  PUZZLE 
  These sites are offered as true sites of 
  importance to the Confraternity and 
  Himinis, possibly for different reasons. 
  Locations: The 
  Unfinished Tower 
  The first of Himinis’ sites established 
  in the area, this seemingly partially 
  finished tower with a strangely clear 
  foundation sits amongst a copse of trees. 
  There are no signs of recent construction, 
  Sample Himinis Cache 
  Item 
  Himinis generally leaves a single-charged item behind, 
  enchanted with a Watching Ward and missing a piece. The 
  missing piece bears Himinis’ sigil. Until the piece is reattached 
  using the Reforging Enchanted Items mystery (Houses of Hermes: 
  Mystery Cults, page 125), the magic of the item will not function. 
  The item can be investigated, but it will not work until the item 
  is made whole. Once repaired, a cache item might appear 
  something like this: 
  The Empty Log 
  ReTe55 
  This rough piece of driftwood is missing a small rectangular 
  piece, removed from the main trunk of the log. Intellego 
  Herbam magic shows a hollow space inside. This space 
  contains a thin sliver of copper. When the command phrase is 
  spoken, the log summons a bound copper scroll from Himinis’ 
  lost sanctum and splits open. 
  The scroll itself might have one of Himinis’ Curses invested 
  in it: 
  Possible Triggering Actions 
   
  Investigating the scroll with Intellego magic 
   
  First person to read the scroll 
   
  First person to open the scroll 
   
  First person to read the scroll who is Uncursed 
  Such curses impose a Minor Flaw, such as Disfigured, 
  Hunchback, Incomprehensible, or Lame. They are equivalent 
  to a PeCo40 effect (Base 25 + 12 for 24 Penetration + 3 per 
  triggering action) and last 8 seasons. 
  (Base 35 + 4 Arc) 
  Each scroll is a tractatus on Defixio Lore, detailing one of 
  the specific associated cults, with a quality of 15. After locating 
  six such scrolls, the seventh true cache site provides an 
  initiation script, detailing the major version of the Sever the Ties 
  that Bind ordeal and the Mystery of Defixio Magic. 
  Initiation of Defixio Magic 
  Ease Factor: 30 
  Script Bonus: +18 
  Script Details: The initiate must travel to a temple of one 
  of the Cults of Ceres, Hecate, Minerva, Pluto, or Proserpina on 
  the god’s holiest day (+3). There, he must inscribe a previously 
  used defixio tablet with a new curse while using a dagger wet 
  with his own blood (+3) and then sacrifice his talisman (+3). 
  He must then use the jagged fragments of his talisman to 
  complete the major version of the Sever the Ties that Bind ordeal 
  (+9). A variant of this initiation is detailed, granting the initiate 
  the flaw Blatant Gift. 
  Once initiated, the target gains the new Duration: Event, 
  and the new Range: Unlimited, and may incorporate any other 
  details of Defixio Magic which may be discovered through 
  texts, fetishes, or other artifacts. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  24 
  but the stones are all sharp-edged, as if 
  recently quarried. It is sometimes called 
  “the Witch’s Basin.” The whole place has 
  a Magic Aura of 2. 
  The Trees 
  A group of thirteen plain ash trees 
  rings the structure, and they act as the 
  location’s defense. Anyone who activates 
  the curse of the site by opening the stone 
  chest without the ongoing effects finds 
  that the trees move in and strike at 
  anyone in the foundation. Their rough, 
  knotted branches inflict +10 damage with 
  each attack. They batter anyone in the 
  foundation dead unless they are warded 
  with a fifth magnitude ward versus 
  Herbam or greater. The site itself has 
  been enchanted with an effective 
  equivalent of a Watching Ward combined 
  with a group level effect of Freeing the 
  Striding Tree (ArM5, page 139). This ward 
  activates twice a day and resets each 
  sunrise. 
  The Alcoves 
  The key to unlocking the site, these 12 
  alcoves correspond to similar niches at 
  the Quarry and the Falls. The proper 
  procedure is described below. A simple 
  search reveals the base of one alcove is 
  actually a stone box, etched with Himinis’ 
  mark. 
  Built from stone from the Quarry, the 
  structure itself is about 7-feet deep with 
  six feet of additional wall extending up 
  from ground level. This locale serves as a 
  useful ritual space and focus for the 
  related alcoves, and the curse it inflicts is 
  important for the activation of the other 
  two sites. 
  The Nearby Spring 
  This small freshwater spring feeds a 
  carved stone basin, resulting in the 
  alternate name for the site. Strong magics 
  draw water from the Falls here through a 
  channel in the center of the raw rock, 
  which was brought from the Quarry. 
  These two elements serve as the site’s 
  anchors to the other two caches. This 
  serves as the clue to investigators that this 
  is a true Cache of Himinis and not a false 
  site. 
  What Happens, What’s 
  Hidden: Proper Site 
  Activation 
  An appropriate sequence of items 
  must be placed in these spaces while 
  others are left empty, and the associated 
  niches at the other two sites must follow 
  suit. If incorrect, the location’s curse is 
  activated. If the individual activating the 
  site is affected by the curse from the 
  Quarry, the Falls, or both then any of 
  Himinis’ curses are removed and the 
  stone box opens to reveal a text written 
  by Himinis detailing the combination 
  initiation and breakthrough which allows 
  a magus to utilize the form of Tempus 
  (see An Art Out of Time: Tempus, on 
  page 27). Opened by force, the box is 
  empty, and truthfully, the activation of 
  the site only transports the text from its 
  hiding place. 
  Improper Site Activation 
  If the site is activated without the 
  proper tokens in their appropriate alcoves 
  both here and at the other two sites, the 
  investigator is struck by a minor curse 
  which, like other curses described thus 
  far, is equivalent to a 5th magnitude effect 
  with a Penetration of 25. 
  The curse causes the investigator to 
  suffer a level 25 ReTp effect (Level 10 + 
  1 touch + 1 concentration + 1 affecting 
  up to a size +1 creature), always acting 
  last in combat, slowing the flow of time 
  for the afflicted. 
  The Quarry 
  This open-pit facility seems unused 
  and ignored for sometime, with weeds 
  growing up amidst the stones, unfinished 
  pieces still in situ and random small trees 
  springing up in the earth. The whole 
  place has a Magic Aura of 2. 
  The Door to Nowhere 
  This rough-cut outline of a door 
  carved from the wall of the quarry has a 
  dozen small alcoves chiseled into the 
  stone around it. Himinis’ mark is in the 
  center, and when activated, the outline 
  flairs with light for a moment. In truth, 
  this false door is a trap for those 
  attempting to enter the regio. Anyone 
  who properly activates the site, but tries 
  to pass through this stone door finds all 
  three of the true Cache curses inflicted on 
  Sever the 
  Ties that 
  Bind 
  (major or minor Ordeal) 
  The Ordeal causes the Initiate to 
  lose whatever emotional bonds he 
  had to his family and friends, and 
  prohibits him from reforming such 
  familial attachments. This can impart 
  either a minor Flaw or a major Flaw, 
  depending upon the severity of the 
  attachments severed. 
  The minor Flaw causes a 
  Verditius magus to expel his family 
  and his forge-companions from his 
  life, and includes any friendly 
  attachments he may have had to 
  mundane people. 
  The major Flaw causes the 
  Verditius magus to completely 
  withdraw into himself. He must 
  destroy his familiar, if he had one, 
  and cannot bind a new one. He also 
  must abandon his apprentice. This 
  ordeal should be rare, as it 
  undermines many of the communal 
  tenants of House Verditius, but it is 
  very appropriate for magi wishing to 
  learn the Inner Mystery of Bind 
  Curses. 
  Verditius magi in the line of 
  succession of the primus may not 
  undergo this Ordeal. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  25 
  Rycas of Verdi 
  Characteristics: Int +3, Per 0, Pre +2, Com +1, Str +0, 
  Sta +2, Dex +2, Qik -2 
  Size: 0 
  Age: 77 (49) 
  Decrepitude: 0 
  Warping Score: 3 (17) 
  Confidence Score: 1 (3) 
  Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Hermetic Magus; Bind 
  Curse, Flawless Magic, Item Attunement; Enchant Casting 
  Tools, Improved Characteristics (x2), Inventive Genius, Items 
  of Quality, Magical Memory, Minor Magical Focus (wooden 
  wands), Social Contacts (Narbonnais observers), Verditius 
  Elder Runes, Verditius Magic; Cyclic Magic (Seasons: 
  +Winter/-Summer), Sever the Ties that Bind; Cabal Legacy, 
  Careless Sorcerer, Envious, Faerie Upbringing (Goblins), 
  Hubris, Increased Hubris, Limited Magic Resistance to Vim, 
  Missing Ear, Obsessed (Protect Confraternity Secrets), Proud 
  Personality Traits: Envious +3, Hateful +3, Hubris +5 
  (3), Obsessed +2, Proud +2 
  Reputations: Quality Craftsman 2 (Hermetic) 
  Combat: 
  Dodge: Init -2, Attack n/a, Defense +2, Damage n/a 
  Staff: Init +0, Attack +7, Defense +3, Damage +1 
  Soak: +4 
  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: Area Lore: Verdi 3+8 (countryside), Area Lore: 
  Provence 3+8 (Himinis related sites), Artes Liberales 1 
  (astronomy), Athletics 2 (hiking), Awareness 2 (spotting 
  pursuers), Bargaining 2 (negotiating terms), Brawl 2 (Dodge), 
  Code of Hermes 2 (mundane interaction), Concentration 3 
  (spell maintenance), Craft: Metalsmith 6 (jewelry), Craft: 
  Stonework 3 (mason), Dead Language: Latin 4 (Hermetic 
  terms), Etiquette 3 (Hermetic events), Faerie Lore 3 (bargains), 
  Finesse 3 (Mentem), Great Weapon 1 (staff), Intrigue 1 
  (Hermetic events), Leadership 3 (forge work), Living 
  Language: French 4 (conversation), Living Language: Italian 5 
  (conversation), Magic Theory 5 (Rego), Parma Magica 4 
  (Mentem), Philosophiae 4 (Verditius Magic), Penetration 3 
  (Mentem), Verditius Lore 4 (initiations) 
  Arts: Cr 10, In 10, Mu 10, Pe 10, Re 10, An 10, Aq 10, Au 
  10, Co 10, He 10, Ig 10, Im 10, Me 10, Te 10, Vi 10 805+825 
  Twilight Scars: The air around Rycas smells of metal and 
  charcoal, as if he had just left the forge. The touch of his bare 
  skin is uncomfortably warm. 
  Equipment: Merchant’s finery, good boots, quarterstaff 
  Encumbrance: 0 (0) 
  Spells Known: 
  Aura of Rightful Authority (ReMe 20/ +22), Mastery 1 (Magic 
  Resistance) 
  Blessing of Childlike Bliss (PeMe 25/ +22), Mastery 2 (Fast 
  Casting, Magic Resistance) 
  Call to Slumber (ReMe 10/ +22), Mastery 1(Magic 
  Resistance) 
  Comfort of the Drenched Traveler (PeAq 5/ +22), Mastery 1 
  (Fast Casting) 
  Doublet of Impenetrable Silk (MuAn 15/ +22), Mastery 1 (Fast 
  Casting) 
  Memory of the Distant Dream (CrMe 20/ +22), Mastery 1 
  (Magic Resistance) 
  Recollection of Memories Never Quite Lived (MuMe 4/ +22), 
  Mastery 1 (Magic Resistance) 
  The Crystal Dart (MuTe 10/ +22), Mastery 1 (Fast Casting) 
  Wizard’s Sidestep (ReIm 10/ +22), Mastery 1 (Fast Casting) 
  Appearance: A well-attired craftsman in his later years, 
  Rycas has a distinctive Italian look to his features with a 
  Roman nose and thick, curly hair that is grey in front and dark 
  near his neck. His face is lined and generally wears a scowl of 
  intense thought. 
  A magus of Verdi and member of the Confraternity of 
  Himinis the Mad, Rycas maintains a network of contacts in 
  Narbonnais who watch particular sites for him. When the 
  characters begin investigating, Rycas learns of it and comes to 
  dissuade them. He does not know what Himinis’ final mystery 
  is, but he wants to find it. Rycas does not consider breaking his 
  Oath to the Order of Hermes unless the characters seem to be 
  considering sharing the mystery of Himinis’ secret teaching 
  beyond the Confraternity of Himinis. He could be the Rycas 
  referenced in Tales of Mythic Europe (page 37), providing an 
  additional hook to the story there and another way to 
  introduce Rycas into the saga before he becomes a part of this 
  arc. In that case, he might even bring Argosus (Tales of Mythic 
  Europe, page 39) to guard him from attack. Harming Argosus 
  might arouse the wrath of his liege-lady, the Fae Queen of 
  Northumbria, Aethelburh. 
  Design Note: Rycas may take one more minor Virtue and 
  Flaw. Skilled Parens and Bound Casting Tools are suggested so 
  that the storyguide might further personalize Rycas’ Arts and 
  spells while providing him a weakness which canny players 
  might exploit 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  26 
  the character. Lessons of Himinis’ 
  teachings show the true entrance 
  elsewhere at the site. 
  The Unfinished Cuts 
  These are partially cut blocks and long 
  groves carved from the rock. Several of 
  them have ash tree saplings growing from 
  them. These trees and the replenishing 
  water from the falls serve as clues to 
  investigators that this is a true Cache of 
  Himinis and not a false site. 
  The Stagnant Pools 
  Aspects of the mystery of the 
  Confraternity speak of the transformative 
  powers of plunging a finished blade into a 
  pool of water. The four foot wide, three 
  feet deep pools magically fill with water 
  from the falls and serve as the real 
  entrances into the regio Himinis prepared 
  for the ritual. The exact details of the 
  regio’s contents are left to the storyguide 
  to tailor to the needs of the troupe. 
  What Happens, What’s 
  Hidden: Proper Site 
  Activation 
  An appropriate sequence of items 
  must be placed in these spaces while 
  others are left empty, and the associated 
  niches at the other two sites must follow 
  suit. If incorrect, the location’s curse is 
  activated. If the individual activating the 
  site is affected by the curse from the 
  Unfinished Tower, the Falls, or both, 
  then any of Himinis’ curses are removed 
  and the stagnant pools shimmer to reveal 
  a portal to a hidden regio prepared by 
  Himinis for the sole purpose of initiation 
  and breakthrough which allows a magus 
  to utilize defixiones, a particular mystery 
  of the Confraternity, or possibly the form 
  of Tempus. The portal does not open 
  otherwise. 
  Improper Site Activation 
  If the site is activated without the 
  proper tokens in their appropriate alcoves 
  both here and at the other two sites, the 
  investigator is struck by a minor curse 
  which, like other curses described thus 
  far, is equivalent to a 5th magnitude effect 
  with a Penetration of 25. 
  The curse causes the investigator to 
  suffer a level 15 Pe(In)Tp effect (Level 2 
  +1 touch +1 group +2 increased group 
  size +1 Intellego requisite), shooting 
  through the target’s memory with 100 
  Diameter-length holes. When asked a 
  question or using a skill after this effect, 
  the target must succeed at an Intelligence 
  roll Ease Factor 10 or suffer a -3 penalty 
  the check for the duration of the curse. 
  The Falls 
  Relatively small for a waterfall, this 
  stream plunges over a rocky outcropping 
  and into a small pool before continuing 
  down the hillside. The whole place has a 
  Magic Aura of 2. 
  Actual Falls 
  Helping anchor these sites together, 
  there is a stone from the Quarry resting in 
  the waters above the falls. It and the log 
  serve as clues to investigators that this is a 
  true Cache of Himinis and not a false site. 
  The Cleft Behind the Falls 
  On the stone wall behind the water is 
  a small ring of twelve niches with 
  Himinis’ mark in the center. They 
  correspond to the same alcoves at the 
  Unfinished Tower and the Quarry. A log, 
  immovably wedged between stones here, 
  is from one of the plane trees at the 
  Unfinished Tower. 
  What Happens, What’s 
  Hidden: Proper Site 
  Activation 
  An appropriate sequence of items 
  must be placed in these spaces while 
  others are left empty, and the associated 
  niches at the other two sites must follow 
  suit. If incorrect, the location’s curse is 
  activated. If the individual activating the 
  site is affected by the curse from the 
  Unfinished Tower, the Quarry, or both, 
  then any of Himinis’ curses are removed 
  and the log wedged between the stones 
  behind the Falls splits open to reveal a 
  casting implement designed by Himinis 
  for the sole purpose of initiation and 
  breakthrough which allows a magus to 
  utilize the form of Tempus. The 
  implement works fine otherwise, but has 
  ritual significance. Methods for creating 
  duplicates are carved into the heart of the 
  log where the implements were pulled. 
  Improper Site Activation 
  If the site is activated without the 
  proper tokens in their appropriate alcoves 
  both here and at the other two sites, the 
  investigator is struck by a minor curse 
  which, like other curses described thus 
  far, is equivalent to a 5th magnitude effect 
  with a Penetration of 25. 
  The curse causes the investigator to 
  suffer a level 15 Pe(In)Me effect (Level 4 
  +1 touch +1 group +2 increased group 
  size +1 Intellego requisite), causing the 
  sufferer to forget the names and faces of 
  those he is associating with for the next 2 
  years. When asked a question, working in 
  the laboratory, or using a skill after this 
  effect, the target must succeed at an 
  Intelligence roll Ease Factor 10 or suffer a 
  -3 penalty for the duration of the curse. 
  Site Relationships 
  The same series of twelve alcoves 
  exist at all three locations. A number of 
  tokens decided by the storyguide must 
  reside in the alcoves at all three locations, 
  with specific alcoves left empty. The 
  combined power of these three sites 
  provides the regenerative aspects of their 
  magics in non-Hermetic way discovered 
  by Himinis. 
  Selected for their representation of 
  different apparent speeds of time, they tie 
  together now through unique magics. The 
  Unfinished Tower stands for a more 
  human progression of time. The quarry 
  shows the long slow time of the earth, 
  and the falls demonstrate the inexorable 
  progress of nature. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  27 
  One option for a saga involving 
  Himinis suggests that the Mad Wizard 
  continued his own ground-breaking 
  research, investigating the Limit of Time 
  and discovering a new Art he called 
  Tempus. However, in perfecting the 
  breakthrough, he severed 
  his own connection to 
  time. In order to reconnect 
  his anchor with the passage 
  of time, he re-entered the 
  timeline and proceeded to 
  create a series of ritual sites 
  which, 
  when 
  properly 
  activated in sequence, just 
  might do so. 
  RUMORS, 
  TALES, AND 
  LIES 
  Nearly all members of 
  the Tribunal believe the 
  Caches of Himinis are a 
  fool’s errand. They have no 
  need seek the Caches, and 
  given the Mad Verditius’ 
  reputation 
  for 
  deadly 
  curses, no desire. Most 
  believe the Himinis’ legacy 
  is a myth told to pull young Verditius 
  from the laboratory and into the wider 
  world. Certainly no one believes that 
  Himinis is alive now, or even possibly 
  present in the world at this time. 
  SAGA 
  INCORPORATION 
  This arc works from the concept 
  there are no parallel universes, only a 
  single, continuous time line, and magi 
  could move along that time line using 
  Tempus, but the Limit of Time means 
  they couldn’t go ahead in time, only 
  backwards — and then back to the point 
  that they left from. However, it might be 
  possible to alter the future by altering 
  past sufficiently. Discovering this, 
  Himinus could go back in time and then 
  return to his present time, which was still 
  in the past from a current canonical saga. 
  To bring Himinis into play, he might 
  botch one of his spells and get stuck in 
  the future, in a kind of stasis until the 
  present catches him. Naturally, the 
  present was a year or two behind the 
  saga, letting Himinus jump around in 
  time and plague the covenant. 
  In another option, Himinis is from 
  the future, traveling back to create his 
  Confraternity, advancing his Tempus 
  magic through the research of the past 
  and plague the characters because of 
  something they will do in 
  the future. He may care 
  little about the defixio 
  magic scattered at his 
  various sites, and only use 
  them as markers to help 
  establish where he is in the 
  timeline. 
  A third option says that 
  H i m i n i s  
  i s  
  f r o m 
  somewhere in the future, 
  but he uses the Magic 
  Realm to move along the 
  timeline, as he perfects his 
  new art of Tempus. He still 
  serves to antagonize the 
  player characters, but this 
  is both to complete the 
  breakthrough which will be 
  the Art of Tempus, and to 
  stop the covenant from 
  completing some action 
  which the Mad Verditius 
  believes will have serious 
  negative consequences. 
  Additionally, he may have pursued 
  this line of study in order to prevent the 
  covenant from committing some deed 
  which has detrimental effects on the 
  future, such as the release of the Black 
  Plague. While he may not know exactly 
  how the covenant allows this to happen, 
  or what leads them to the event, he feels 
  he can stop the Plague, if he can stop the 
  covenant. That’s part of Himinis’ plan, 
  and what allows him to act with 
  impunity. He has an incomplete 
  knowledge of the events of the past, and 
  has been moving through the timeline in 
  By Ben McFarland 
  and Matt Ryan 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  28 
  has been moving through the timeline in 
  an attempt to understand what 
  happened, and to thwart the covenant 
  from creating the future he knows. 
  WAIT, WHAT? 
  TIME TRAVEL? 
  THAT’S NOT 
  POSSIBLE! 
  But it is possible. Review chapter 
  three of Realms of Power, Magic, page 19. 
  Now, given that one can travel to 
  different eras within the Magic Realm, or 
  tempora (s. tempus), what if a magus 
  discovered a way to depart from a 
  particular tempus in the Magic Realm to 
  the corresponding mundane realm of 
  Mythic Europe? Suddenly, by using the 
  Magic Realm in this way, magi could 
  potentially travel through time, so long as 
  they could navigate the Magic Realm 
  sufficiently to reach the regiones which 
  capture the desired period in time. They 
  would be limited to entering Mythic 
  Europe at points where the proper 
  regiones correspondingly exist in the 
  Magic Realm, but this would allow the 
  magus to effectively bounce through the 
  timeline. 
  THE FORM OF 
  TEMPUS (TP) 
  Time begins when God created the 
  world and ends with the Last Days, when 
  the kingdom of Heaven descends and the 
  world ends. There are two kinds of time, 
  eternal time, which is the unchanging 
  stream of events from the Beginning of 
  Everything to the End of Everything, 
  and temporal time, which mimics the 
  same time line but proceeds moment 
  after moment. 
  Eternal Time, also called Spiritual 
  Time, measures the transition from one 
  state to the next without a continuous 
  medium, it is a discontinuous leap from 
  one state to another, without direction. 
  For example, an angel can skip from 
  instant to instant in any “direction” it 
  wants, from a man’s marriage, to his 
  death, to his birth, to his son’s birth. 
  Temporal Time, also called physical 
  time, measures the change from one state 
  to another with a continuous medium an 
  a single, steady direction. The man in the 
  above examples begins at birth and 
  moves through his marriage, son’s birth, 
  and death in order. He cannot visit the 
  various states of his existence in any 
  other order. 
  Note this isn’t modern philosophy 
  but actually 13th century thought, as 
  written by Alexander of Hales (d. 1245) 
  who developed Aristotle’s and St 
  Augustine’s theories. He states there are 
  actually five kinds of time, dividing 
  eternal time into four specific kinds: 
   
  Superaeternitas (super eternity) is 
  God’s comprehension of time 
   
  Aeternitas (eternity) is the 
  measure of the being of the divine 
  intelligence 
   
  Aevum (perpetuity) is the “mode 
  of existence experienced by angels 
  and saints in heaven” 
   
  Aeviternitas (everlasting time) is 
  the measure of time experience by 
  the celestial bodies. 
   
  Finally the sub-lunar level of 
  physical time is the type of time 
  experience by man, physical spatial 
  movement along a continuous 
  line. 
  Given that philosophy, consider its 
  relevance with regards to Hermetic 
  magic. Hermetic magic cannot touch 
  anything divine, so the four types of 
  higher time are beyond its reach. But 
  magic should affect the sub-lunar 
  element of time, the question is just how? 
  Himinis invented a system of magic 
  which affects time and called it Tempus, 
  a new Form. He experimented with aging 
  people – perhaps even his first curse was 
  the one that ages the wielder. Through 
  experimentation and breakthroughs he 
  discovered that time could be 
  manipulated, just like anything else. 
  TEMPUS SPELLS 
  Tempus spells affect all things of the 
  sub-lunar sphere. Creatures not of the 
  sub-lunar sphere may experience the 
  effects but with little or no impact—
  unless they also operate on the same 
  timescale as mortal man. 
  These spells can create or destroy 
  time, slow or speed it, establish reference 
  points in time and determine the amount 
  of time which has passed. 
  The base Individual for Tempus is a 
  single Size 0 creature. 
  Creo Tempus Guidelines 
  These spells create time for the target, 
  time experienced by only the target. The 
  target experiences this time in the 
  Momentary duration of the spell and may 
  only interact with objects on their person. 
  Creo Tempus spells may not have a 
  duration greater than Momentary. No 
  actions taken during the created timespan 
  affect those beyond the affected target, 
  often requiring a Circle or Room target in 
  order create longer spans of time. These 
  spells inflict warping on the target equal 
  to 2 points per magnitude. Any botches 
  due to spellcasting which occur in this 
  generated time add dice equal to the 
  magnitude of the Tempus effect. 
  Level 1: Target experiences a 
  moment, roughly a few seconds, long 
  enough to cast a spell. 
  Level 5: Target experiences a 
  Diameter. 
  Level 10: Target experiences twelve 
  hours, or a Sun duration. 
  Level 15: Target experiences a full 
  day. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  29 
  Level 25: Target experiences a full 
  week. Those without sufficient supplies 
  suffer a heavy wound from thirst. 
  Level 30: Target experiences a full 
  Moon duration. Those without sufficient 
  supplies die of thirst and starvation. 
  Level 40: Target experiences a full 
  Season. Laboratory work may be 
  completed, but all materials must be 
  affected by the spell. Warping is suffered 
  at the beginning of the spell effect. Apply 
  age effects as appropriate. Characters 
  should start tracking individual time. 
  Intellego Tempus 
  Guidelines 
  Intellego Tempus effects are limited 
  to objects of the sub-lunar sphere, and 
  return no results when targeting an 
  object from beyond that sphere, such as 
  angels, demons, faeries, and creatures of 
  the Magic realm. 
  Level 1: Learn the approximate age of 
  an object, within a year. 
  Level 2: Learn the approximate age 
  of an object, within a month. 
  Level 3: Learn the approximate age 
  of an object, within a day. 
  Level 4: Learn the exact age of an 
  object. 
  Level 5: Learn the amount of time 
  since an object has been altered with a 
  Muto Tempus spell. 
  Muto Tempus Guidelines 
  Muto Tempus alters time, creating 
  marks or objects which can then be used 
  as reference points within time. The 
  duration of such objects is dependent of 
  time spent in the sub-lunar sphere, which 
  may be different than the time which has 
  passed since the moment of the Muto 
  Tempus object’s creation. For instance, a 
  stone created with Muto Tempus with a 
  Sun diameter might be used to travel 
  between different points in time, but only 
  lasts 12 hours. Creo Tempus effects may 
  cause these objects to expire sooner than 
  expected. A Muto Tempus mark on a 
  creature might be used as an arcane 
  connection in order to destroy specific 
  past time. 
  Another option is to allow Muto 
  Tempus to affect Tempus spells in the 
  same way Muto Vim spells may affect 
  spells, with the same guidelines. 
  Level 3: Create an intangible point in 
  time which can be assessed with Intellego 
  Tempus. 
  Level 5: Create a physical object, 
  such as a stone, which may act as an 
  
   
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  arcane connection to a point in time. 
  This object does not reflect the amount 
  of time remaining until the spell expires. 
  It is as durable as a mundane object of 
  the same kind. 
  Level 10: Create a physical object, 
  such as a flower, which may act as an 
  arcane connection to a point in time. 
  This object reflects the amount of time 
  remaining until the spell expires, wilting 
  and crumbling into nothing as the spell 
  expires. It is as durable as a mundane 
  object of the same kind. 
  Level 15: Create a physical object, 
  such as a small animal or bird, which may 
  act as an arcane connection to a point in 
  time. This object reflects the amount of 
  time remaining until the spell expires, 
  growing old and dying, crumbling into 
  nothing as the spell expires. It is as 
  durable as a mundane object of the same 
  kind. 
  Perdo Tempus Guidelines 
  These spells destroy current time, as it 
  occurs. If combined with Intellego and 
  Muto, they can be used to destroy 
  specific moments in time, similar to some 
  Perdo Mentum effects—except instead 
  of the target forgetting, the time truly 
  never happened. This can cause loss of 
  experience points if the amount of past 
  time lost is longer than a day. 
  Level 1: Destroy a moment, causing a 
  target to suffer a -5 penalty to their next 
  action from disorientation. 
  Level 2: Destroy a Diameter, causing 
  a target to lose an action for a round. 
  Level 5: Destroy a Day, target must 
  make a Concentration roll, East Factor 
  10, or be unable to act for several 
  moments. 
  Level 10: Destroy a Moon timeframe. 
  The target must make a Concentration 
  roll, East Factor 10, or be unable to act 
  for a Diameter. If done in conjunction 
  with Intellego and Muto utilizing a Muto 
  Tempus mark, the target loses 2 
  experience points or any adventuring 
  experience points from that timeframe, 
  whatever is most appropriate. 
  Level 15: As level 10, but lose 4 
  experience points. 
  Level 20: Destroy a Season. The 
  target must make a Concentration roll, 
  East Factor 12, or be unable to act for a 
  Diameter. Make any necessary Aging 
  rolls. If done in conjunction with 
  Intellego and Muto utilizing a Muto 
  Tempus mark, the target loses any 
  experience points from that timeframe. 
  Rego Tempus Guidelines 
  Rego Tempus spells change the flow 
  of time for the target making it easier or 
  harder for the target to anticipate actions 
  with regards to those around them. 
  These spells inflict warping on the target 
  equal to 2 points per magnitude. Any 
  botches due to spellcasting which occur 
  in this generated time add dice equal to 
  the magnitude of the Tempus effect. 
  Level 3: Slow or Speed the flow of 
  time for a creature, providing them with 
  either a -5 penalty or a +5 bonus to 
  Initiative. 
  Level 5: Slow or Speed the flow of 
  time for a creature, providing them with 
  either a -7 penalty or a +7 bonus to 
  Initiative. 
  Level 10: Slow or Speed the flow of 
  time for a creature, causing them to 
  either act last in a round or providing 
  them with a second action. 
  SPELLS 
  In order to help magi with this new 
  are, we present three spells of each type. 
  Creo Tempus (CrTp) 
  The Parma Restored 
  CrTp 5 
  R: Per D: Mom T: Ind 
  With a quick incantation, the caster 
  suddenly gains a Diameter of time where 
  they can act, winking out of view, or 
  becoming faint and blurry while this spell 
  is in effect, similar to someone 
  experiencing Twilight. During this 
  window, they cannot affect anyone 
  besides themselves, and any spells cast 
  with a duration of a Diameter or less 
  expire before the magus returns to 
  normal time. Most magi use this quick 
  window to reinstate a Parma Magica 
  disrupted by some other effect. This spell 
  inflicts two Warping points on the caster 
  and requires the magus check to avoid 
  Twilight while experiencing the effect. 
  This may or may not consume the 
  additional time experienced. 
  (Base 5) 
  The Lost Day 
  CrTp 35 
  R: Voice D: Mom T: Group 
  Usually cast upon a group of enemies 
  suspected of enjoying magical 
  protections, this spell inflicts 14 points of 
  Warping and causes the targets to 
  experience a full day of time. While they 
  cannot leave their immediate location, 
  this can leave them extremely tired (make 
  an Ease Factor 12 check to avoid losing a 
  level of Fatigue after the spell expires), 
  and causes any spells they enjoyed with a 
  duration of Sun or less to expire. 
  (Base 15 + 2 Voice + 2 Group) 
  Death by Thirst 
  CrTp 40 
  R: Voice D: Mom T: Ind 
  With a word, the target experiences a 
  month of time in just a moment. Those 
  who require food and water to survive 
  perish at the end of this spell, but gain 16 
  Warping points before they die. Death in 
  this manner appears completely natural, 
  as the spell does not kill the target, but 
  the lack of water and food over the time 
  period does. If the target has some way 
  
   
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  to eat and drink over the magical time 
  experienced, then they can survive. 
  Those with two full waterskins need to 
  make an EF 15 Stamina roll; failure 
  indicates they are incapacitated after the 
  spell ends, success indicates they suffer a 
  heavy wound. 
  (Base 30 + 2 Voice) 
  Intellego Tempus (InTp) 
  Know the Moth’s 
  Executioner 
  InTp(Ig) 5 
  R: Touch D: Mom T: Ind 
  The magus passes his hand through a 
  lit flame and learns the exact amount of 
  time since a candle was lit. This allows 
  groups to synchronize their activities by 
  giving them ways to measure time since a 
  flame was created 
  (Base 4 + 1 Touch) 
  The Horoscope’s Theft 
  InTp(Co) 10 
  R: Sight D: Mom T: Ind 
  With a glance, you learn the age of an 
  individual within a day. This information 
  can then be used to calculate an 
  individual’s horoscope for the use as a 
  Penetration multiplier. 
  (Base 3 + 3 Sight) 
  Find the Ripple in Time 
  InTe 25 
  R: Arc D: Mom T: Ind 
  Sensing an object through an arcane 
  connection, the caster can determine the 
  exact amount of time since it was altered 
  with an appropriate Muto Tempus effect. 
  This allows the magus to know the 
  amount of time spent in regiones, in 
  Twilight, underground, or even if 
  traveling through time. 
  (Base 5 + 4 Arc) 
  Muto Tempus (MuTp) 
  A Pebble in the Stream 
  MuTp 25 
  R: Touch D: Moon T: Ind 
  This creates a fist-sized stone, which 
  acts as an arcane connection to the point 
  in time of its creation. The stone does 
  not change to reflect the amount of time 
  remaining until the spell expires. It is as 
  durable as a mundane stone. The age of 
  
   
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  this stone and the time remaining until it 
  can be detected using Intellego Tempus 
  magics. 
  (Base 5 + 1 Touch + 3 Moon) 
  Momento Mori 
  MuTp 30 
  R: Touch D: Ring T: Room 
  Often created as visible marker of the 
  amount of time remaining in a Wizards’ 
  War, this spell generates a smooth, shiny 
  skull of pale yellow, as if freshly taken 
  and cleaned. As the spell’s duration nears 
  its end, the skull grows grey and 
  crumbles around the sockets. It becomes 
  pockmarked and the teeth begin to fall 
  out, until the jaw becomes dust, and 
  finally the whole bone becomes sooty ash 
  that disappears on an unseen wind. 
  (Base 10 + 1 Touch + 3 Moon) 
  The Prisoner’s Notch 
  MuTp(Co) 30 
  R: Voice D: Moon T: Room 
  Often combined with a Watching 
  Ward, this spell is used to mark when a 
  person enters a structure or location 
  without leaving a visible mark. The caster 
  can then sense the shift in the target’s 
  Tempus state, and knows how much of 
  the individual’s memory to alter or 
  destroy later, when they find or capture 
  the intruder. 
  (Base 3 + 2 Voice + 3 Moon + 2 
  Room) 
  Perdo Tempus (PeTp) 
   
  Moment of Distraction 
  PeTp 15 
  R: Voice D: Mom T: Group 
  With a word, you destroy a Diameter 
  for the targets, causing them to lose an 
  action for a round. They may still make 
  Defense rolls normally. Ongoing effects 
  for the targets with durations of a 
  Diameter are unaffected. 
  (Base 2 + 3 Voice + 2 Group) 
  The Lost Season 
  PeTp 25 
  R: Touch D: Mom T: Ind 
  You destroy a Season for the target, 
  forcing them to make a Concentration 
  roll, East Factor 12, or be unable to act 
  for a Diameter. If the target is over 35, 
  this forces an Aging roll. 
  (Base 20 + 1 Touch) 
  Scour the Thief’s Memory 
  Pe(In)Tp 30 
  R: Voice D: Mom T: Ind 
  Destroy a up to a Moon’s worth of 
  memories and experiences, starting from 
  the point demarked by a MuTp marker 
  affecting the target. This causes the target 
  to lose 2 experience points or any 
  adventuring experience points from that 
  timeframe, whatever is most appropriate. 
  If there is no MuTp marker, or this time 
  period would take them past the present 
  moment, they become disoriented and 
  must make a Concentration roll, Ease 
  Factor 10 or be unable to act for a 
  Diameter. They may still make Defense 
  rolls normally. Ongoing effects for the 
  targets with durations of Moon or less 
  are unaffected. 
  (Base 10 + 3 Voice + 1 Requisite) 
  Rego Tempus (ReTp) 
  The Falcon’s Plunge 
  ReTp 20 
  R: Voice D: Diam T: Group 
  For the next Diameter, the targeted 
  individuals gain a +5 bonus to their 
  initiative rolls. This spell inflicts 8 points 
  of Warping on the targets. 
  (Base 3 + 2 Voice + 1 Diameter + 2 
  Group) 
  The Distracted Turb 
  ReTp 25 
  R: Voice D: Mom T: Group 
  The targets in question gain 10 
  Warping points and suffers a -7 penalty 
  to their initiative rolls for a single round 
  of combat. Many magi who can cast 
  Tempus spells use this to give their grogs 
  the opening advantage or to press the 
  advantage when the tide begins to turn. 
  (Base 5 + 2 Voice + 2 Group) 
  Echoing Wrath of Ares 
  ReTe 25 
  R: Touch D: Diam T: Ind 
  For the next Diameter, the target may 
  make two attacks on their turn, each as a 
  normal action. They may forego this 
  second attack to run further, or otherwise 
  perform a second action in the combat 
  round. The target gains 10 Warping 
  points. 
  (Base 10 + 1 Touch + 2 Diameter) 
  
   
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  “Join or die” is the phrase which 
  echoes through the history of the order.  
  Any magic considered worthy of study 
  was met with this confrontation. A few 
  border skirmishes persist with 
  organizations which begin to approach 
  the level of peers, hedge wizards are 
  allowed to persist because their secrets 
  might be interesting but not worth such 
  extreme measures in their pursuit. 
  And yet there are subtle forms of 
  magic which every person in Mythic 
  Europe has access to, some so subtle 
  that they do not always think of them as 
  magic; traditional wards against fairies, 
  prayer, and craftsmanship, for instance. 
  Craftsmen, after all, change an item, 
  down to its basic nature. An animal hide 
  is no longer an animal hide, it is a tunic, 
  or a book cover. A tree becomes a 
  wagon. Magic can replicate these 
  transformations by replicating the basic 
  motions of the craft, but as the 
  craftsman becomes more proficient a 
  second level trivial magic is involved as 
  well. Skilled craftsmen and artists can 
  reshape not only mundane objects, but 
  the glamour of faeries. The things 
  skilled craftsman and artists make 
  become more perfect, closer to the 
  ideal, more magical.  
  For everyday items these effects are 
  already documented in City & Guild and 
  Art & Acadamae, in terms of an artist 
  achieving immortality and craft items 
  giving bonuses to what they were made 
  for. But what happens when these items 
  are made not for mundane usage, but 
  for magical work? 
  If the lute is not simply that of a 
  musician but of a Jerbiton magus using 
  By Ray Cochener 
  
   
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  it as a prop for performance magic? The 
  glass is not for a cathedral, but for a 
  magus laboratory? And what of the 
  beauty and quality of great books? 
  CRAFTS VERSUS 
  ARTS 
  Generally crafts are defined as work 
  which produces something useful, 
  which may be attractive, while art is 
  defined as work which produces 
  something which is beautiful, but does 
  nothing useful. Magic frequently blurs 
  the lines between these two realms. A 
  “useless” painting or statue can be a 
  laboratory focus, giving bonuses to an 
  art, which a “useful”  item like a broom 
  may be employed for some purpose for 
  which it was not designed, like flight. 
  Bonuses for crafts are fairly well defined 
  within City & Guild as being a +1 for 
  every 3 levels of workshop total over 
  the threshold. 
  In some cases the same workshop is 
  useful for aesthetic items (a stone 
  statue) and craft items (a stone wall), in 
  which case it may be easier in some 
  cases to treat the art as a craft. However 
  while arts do not have the mundane 
  uses of the crafts they are inherently 
  more esoteric, and can thus be more 
  useful magically. 
  In general the Aesthetics Bonus 
  from an item will simply be 1/5 its 
  Aesthetics Score. The exception to this 
  is that where an artist has any 
  supernatural virtue connecting them to 
  the magic realm and a score in Magic 
  Lore, Magic Theory, or both, they may 
  add those scores to their Aesthetic Total 
  for purposes of invoking a magical 
  resonance if they know that is what the 
  artwork is being used for, in the same 
  way 1/3 of an Artes Liberales can be 
  added when invoking mythic figures.  
  ARTS, CRAFTS, 
  AND LABS 
  As written, a craft piece of Superior 
  or better quality adds a bonus every 
  time it is used equal to the (workshop 
  total - 9)/3, to a maximum of the 
  crafter’s ability/3. A lab full of such 
  items could, in theory, add hundreds of 
  points to the lab total if the items were 
  designed for such usage, and if they 
  were used every time. This would also 
  require keeping track of every item and 
  how long it endures — did the regular 
  breakage of glass in the lab destroy the 
  high bonus beaker, or just some tubing? 
  Functionally, however, if a lab is 
  broken down in this way there should 
  be no benefit. A beaker does not have a 
  purpose of making longevity potions, it 
  has a purpose of holding liquids and 
  being transparent, and perhaps reducing 
  loss of liquids at elevated temperatures 
  or other minor properties due to its 
  exact shape. An entire set of lab 
  equipment, on the other hand, easily 
  does have a purpose of magical lab work. 
  As such there are three ways to 
  break down bonuses for exceptional lab 
  work; laboratory features, general lab 
  tools and equipment, and the structure 
  itself. 
  Laboratory Features 
  Features have the benefit of being a 
  singular object, potentially with a range 
  of possible crafts that could be used to 
  make it. The item must be crafted 
  specifically for the laboratory or it gets 
  no bonus, unless it was obtained by 
  story in which case it receives only the 
  standard resonance bonus.  A certain 
  amount of lab space is required to make 
  use of a feature, elevating it to proper 
  resonance to make full use of the 
  craftsman’s labors.  For a lesser feature 
  a workshop total of 6 and a season of 
  work is sufficient to get the listed 
  bonuses, or an aesthetic quality of at 
  least 6, with a base time period of a 
  season. Items of higher quality will get 
  their standard bonus in the 
  specialization for a crafted item, plus 
  the one for the item being a feature, 
  though they may be of greater use as a 
  major focus (see below).   
  Greater features have, and generally 
  require, more space. Craft goods require 
  a workshop total of 12. This is normally 
  arrived at with the number of skilled 
  assistants who are working on such a 
  large project. Artwork requires a base 
  level of 6 but with a base production 
  time of a year. Exceptional crafts and 
  artwork provide bonuses equal to 3x the 
  quality bonus of the item, to a 
  maximum of three categories. 
  For both lesser and greater features 
  the quality bonus from craft or 
  aesthetics only applies to arts if the 
  craftsman or artist has a virtue allowing 
  them to work in the arts which are 
  being represented, for example 
  Hermetic Inclination or Touched by 
  Magic. 
  Supplies and Equipment 
  Where quality goods are to be used 
  throughout the lab, a relevant lab virtue 
  must be chosen to be enhanced — for 
  example a glassblower could provide 
  Superior and better equipment, a tool 
  maker can provide superior or better 
  tools. In either case if using workshop 
  totals a total of 12+ is required for the 
  basic level of these free virtues. The 
  virtue can, in effect, be added a number 
  of times equal to the craftsman bonus in 
  the field. Adding this requires 18 build 
  points times the new level to increase, 
  and upkeep levels for these in house 
  improvements should be tallied 
  separately, when the upkeep score is 
  tallied for the lab the difference between 
  the two levels will be required in labor 
  points each year to maintain the lab. 
  This cannot be substituted for many, 
  s in ce s u ch  e xt r em e q u alit y 
  craftsmanship is not generally available 
  for simple commercial compensation, 
  and using lesser quality goods will 
  depreciate the bonuses from the lab, at 
  the rate of 1 level per year. 
  
   
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  Laboratory 
  Construction 
  Construction of a laboratory is 
  similar to lab equipment in that purpose 
  becomes a very key question. The 
  bonuses from Superior construction can 
  certainly be multiplied for the craft 
  bonus- essentially a new free virtue of 
  exceptional construction. Design 
  decisions for the structure are certainly 
  part of its purpose if they are part of an 
  initial design, but again this is something 
  the craftsman would need to understand 
  for the multiple bonus to be effective. 
  For purely mundane structural 
  decisions, for example a gallery to 
  improve instruction, this is automatic. 
  For more esoteric functions, however, 
  like esoteric shape, this would require an 
  ability of at least 1 in magic theory for 
  the craft bonus to apply. There are also 
  many structural virtues and flaws which 
  are not about the construction (natural 
  environment, for example, or spacious) 
  and thus should not gain the craft 
  bonus.   
  Maintaining this level of quality 
  craftsmanship is, as always a bit more 
  challenging than a normal item 
  produced by standard craftsmen. 
  Anytime there is a zero rolled on the 
  extraordinary results chart the number 
  of botch diced removed from rolling for 
  a disaster will be doubled and rolled for 
  damage to the structure. The number of 
  zeros rolled will indicate the amount of 
  damage (reduction in quality) sustained 
  by the structure until at least one season 
  has been spent repairing it by a 
  craftsman with a sufficient workshop 
  total to reach  the new quality level, 
  which cannot be higher than the old 
  one. 
  For example Roberto the Daring has 
  made his lab in an exceptional building, 
  where the craftsman had a well refined 
  workshop, good supplies, a decent 
  apprentice, and many years of 
  experience, as well as inborn talent (9+2 
  ability, workshop bonus+6, assistant 
  bonus +2) giving him a +3 craft bonus, 
  which Roberto doubled down on by 
  adding extra safety features (well 
  insulated). A few years later he is 
  experimenting with a spell and rolls a 0, 
  with a risk modifier of 3, in a level 5 
  aura. His laboratory safety level brings 
  this down to 2 dice, so he avoids an 
  actual botch. Rolling 12 dice for his 
  safety bonus however he hits 2 zeros, 
  reducing his lab’s safety and aesthetics 
  score by 2 until it is repaired. His friend 
  is still in business, so he calls him in. 
  The apprentice is now a journeyman 
  assistant, and the friend has progressed 
  to an ability of 10+2, but despite the 
  higher workshop total the lab cannot be 
  raised to a bonus of +4 unless a new 
  building were to be constructed, so it is 
  restored to +3/+3 for the two features. 
  Several years later he has a similar 
  disaster, only this time he rolls 3 
  botches in trying to maintain the 
  structure, reducing both aesthetics and 
  safety by 3. This time however his 
  friend is retired, and his apprentice 
  turned journeyman now runs the shop, 
  with an ability of 6, workshop bonus of 
  6, and his own apprentice at +2, and the 
  craft manual on the lab written by his 
  teacher. Given his ability however the 
  greatest bonus he can hope for is +2, 
  and thus is only able to repair 1 point of 
  safety and aesthetics at this time. So 
  long as the structure is still standing 
  repair work and lab work can be done at 
  the same time, but the lab gains the free 
  virtue of person during the season of 
  repair, at least once, possibly more times 
  if there are assistants 
  Other laboratory virtues and flaws 
  may be influenced by quality of product 
  as well: superior equipment, superior 
  tools, and ingredients can all benefit 
  from a craft bonus, but where they 
  receive a craft bonus for the entire lab 
  they must also be maintained — the 
  upkeep increase is magnified by the 
  same quantity and, if the bonuses 
  exceed the assumptions in covenants, 
  the cost of that additional upkeep must 
  be covered by a craftsman or workshop 
  able to maintain the same level of bonus 
  as is conferred or it will degrade over a 
  number of seasons equal to the current 
  ‘level’. 
  So Exquisita Verditius has a set of 
  tools made by an extraordinary 
  covenant craftsman, who happens to be 
  the player’s companion character. The 
  character has craft: glassblower at 9+2 
  (having strong faerie blood and a 
  number of years of experience under his 
  belt), and has a workshop with a +6 
  bonus, and a pair of assistants with 
  ability:5, for a workshop total of 20, and 
  a total bonus of +3. This gives 
  Exquisita a virtual +3 upkeep, +3 
  safety, and +3 items. As this is the only 
  virtue in this lab the upkeep is 0(3), 
  which means that 50 points of upkeep 
  
   
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  have to be covered by a glassblower, 
  and possibly assistants so long as they 
  are within the same shop (and covered 
  by the lead glassblowers leadership 
  ability). This comes to 5 pounds, which 
  his companion covers easily, but if they 
  made similar tools for other magi in the 
  covenant they would need to be able to 
  cover higher levels of cost. 
  Note that labor dedicated towards 
  preserving high quality tools and 
  equipment do count against the support 
  total for that craft, which means that the 
  covenant Exquisita is in will only get 13 
  lbs of savings from the companion and 
  his assistants instead of 19, assuming 
  the covenant has enough costs to be 
  able to bring the full savings to bear. 
  Opulent, and its greater companion, 
  Palatial, while they are about aesthetics 
  are about far more than the artwork 
  involved, as is gaudy. If individual 
  artworks are to be considered in these 
  virtues (and flaw) it should be as a 
  supplemental or cost based feature - the 
  purchase of artwork can certainly be 
  used to maintain the upkeep of these 
  features, and if these requirements are 
  exceeded or the aesthetic quality 
  exceeds what the cost should provide, 
  the extra aesthetics points should be 
  accumulated and act as experience 
  towards raising the aesthetics score as if 
  it were an ability. For a gaudy lab the 
  extra aesthetics will not help poor taste 
  (intentional or otherwise) in putting the 
  lab together, but may accumulate 
  towards boosting the Imaginem score in 
  a similar fashion - again after figuring 
  cost of upkeep (each pound requires 
  one level of artistic reputation which 
  translates to 3 levels of aesthetic quality 
  per year which must be maintained or 
  lost). 
  PROPS 
  Props, unlike lab equipment, are 
  solely an issue of beauty and 
  significance for use in ceremonial 
  castings. A craftsman can repair a prop 
  with adequate skill, but to make a prop 
  more evocative is a matter of art. 
  Furthermore the bonus of a prop is 
  determined solely by its size. 
  Still, Jerbiton magi go to great 
  lengths to support good artists, in part 
  as a dedication to the ideal of beauty, 
  but this ideal pays off in more subtle 
  ways as well. Whenever a prop is made, 
  the artistic bonus defines how many 
  correspondences it might have. The 
  bonuses from t he differ ing 
  correspondences may never stack, and 
  always relate back to the base materials 
  and forms involved, but a good artist 
  may translate these effects more 
  creatively. 
  A pearl necklace is almost expected 
  to correspond to water, but can also 
  correspond to the moon, and through 
  the moon, change or cycles, or to 
  poisons. If it is set in gold the gold can 
  have its own correspondence. Unlike 
  other bonuses Magic Theory or Magic 
  Lore, or both, may be added, at 1/3 
  their level, even without a realm-based 
  supernatural virtue, as the point of a 
  prop is not to be enchanted or as a tool 
  of magic so much as a tool of evocation 
  to focus the magi’s mind. 
  A r t w o r k  r u i n e d  t h r o u g h 
  experimentation may also be, in some 
  cases, usable as props as well, but if this 
  is the case the source of ruination, 
  rather than the base material is likely to 
  be the first significance, using half their 
  normal artistic quality as the basis for 
  how many correspondences it may 
  have. In the case of a botch, where the 
  artist literally suffers for their work, the 
  ruined work can always be used as a 
  prop for Perdo magic if nothing else. If 
  the artwork was ruined, but the artist 
  
   
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  unharmed, a roll of Communication + 
  Magic Theory of 15 or higher allows the 
  otherwise ruined artwork to be usable as 
  a prop, with a single correspondence. 
  Many magi however might still reject 
  such a piece. 
  LIBRARY 
  In addition to the laboratories and 
  props there is, of course, a library that is 
  of great significance to the magi of the 
  covenant. It is here that the greatest 
  diversity and potential for conflict of 
  opinions might occur. 
  The Covenants supplement suggests 
  an optional rule whereby the standard 
  Com+6 for book quality be replaced 
  with Com+3+1 for a scribe with ability 
  6 or higher, +1 for a bookbinder and 
  +1 for an illustrator. 
  Certainly if this optional rule is used 
  it indicates that it is an inherent function 
  of these three crafts to add to the 
  quality of the book, and exceptional 
  gains from exceptional workshops 
  might well, indeed probably should 
  apply. 
  The limitation of +3 bonus to texts 
  for labs in that same book might be 
  read as recommending a similar 
  limitation per craft, though the lab 
  limitation applies to production rate, 
  not quality. 
  If that optional rule is not being 
  employed however, it is worth looking 
  at the description of vernacular books 
  as well in terms of their manufacture, 
  where a simple Communication + 
  Craft:Vernacular Literature is used to 
  determine artistic quality, which is then 
  halved for its source value for studying 
  the same craft it was written with. 
  Clearly academic books have no similar 
  craft skill to reference, though the 
  halving does echo the level of the book 
  rather than the quality. Since studying a 
  singular piece of artwork, especially a 
  high quality artwork, is something an 
  artist is likely to do for more than one 
  season, it seems best to use the rules of 
  realia for these works, in that they can 
  be studied for a number of seasons 
  equal to their quality. As such when 
  comparing these texts to hermetic texts 
  quality of the craft affects both level and 
  quality, but at the same time, there 
  simply is no equivalent craft ability for 
  writing academic or hermetic books, 
  where a +6 is ascribed where the ability 
  would normally be. It is also clear in 
  these cases that the text is something 
  other than the physical presentation- 
  scribe, illuminator and binding skills are 
  nowhere to be seen. 
  At the same time, the book itself is a 
  physically crafted object, one of the 
  primary characteristics of which is to 
  convey and impart knowledge. It 
  therefore seems a reasonable option for 
  those not using the optional rule from 
  covenants to allow a craft bonus to 
  indirectly affect the quality of a book in 
  the following manner — just as an ink 
  maker can contribute a bonus to a 
  scribe’s work with high quality ink, so 
  can a scribe, an illuminator, and a 
  bookbinder contribute to the quality of 
  a book, where each +3 bonus accrued 
  between the three adds +1 to the final 
  quality of the book. Thus if the book 
  binder, scribe, and illustrator all have a 
  workshop total of 15 and a skill of 6 or 
  higher their combined efforts would 
  add +2 to the quality of the book. 
  There are, of course, many reasons 
  both in game and out not to use these 
  resources. From a play perspective it 
  allows mundane to impact, in a 
  hypothetically unlimited form, the 
  ability of magi to produce magic. On 
  the other hand it also requires a lot 
  more bookkeeping as to workshop 
  totals and aesthetic quality which may 
  not be desired. Similarly the pride of 
  magi may be hurt by the implication 
  that mundane could have such an 
  impact, and there are real financial costs 
  involved for a covenant as well as 
  bookkeeping. 
  Unless they have craftsmen whose 
  regular characteristic + ability scores 
  are 15+, the only way for craftsmen to 
  reach these levels is with a combination 
  of assistants and investment in their 
  workshops, which means seasons of 
  lost production installing new 
  advancements and obtaining new 
  sources of materials, which would need 
  to be overseen to ensure that lazy 
  craftsmen were not simply using the 
  claim of such advancement to take 
  seasons off work. 
  Assistants only contribute ½ their 
  skill to the workshop total, and 
  correspondingly would not generate as 
  much in savings for the covenant while 
  such grand works were being produced 
  or supported. Additionally due to the 
  limitations of a maximum bonus of 1/3 
  skill for craftsmen this method would 
  involve putting a lot of investment into 
  individual mundane characters. 
  If the grog with a craft affinity, craft 
  puissance, and craft ability of 11+2 with 
  leadership 4 dies after years invested 
  into his workshop (probably of old age 
  given the degree of development this 
  suggests), the covenant will be left with 
  a single workshop with +3 resources, 
  +3 innovation, and several apprentices 
  with ability 3 or 4 who simply cannot fill 
  their master’s shoes. 
  At least the 18 pounds a year the 
  combined workshop saved the covenant 
  won’t drop away completely as the 
  combined skill level of the ex assistants 
  should save 12 to 16 pounds a year 
  instead, where if they had all been 
  working separately they could have 
  saved (with the craft master) a 
  combined 25 to 29 pounds a year by 
  sticking to regular crafts and only taking 
  a +1 bonus on items the master 
  craftsman produced. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  38 
  In the course of researching the region, I 
  came across a report from 1823, about an 
  archaeological dig outside Montpellier which 
  supposedly found the burial mound of 20 
  individuals of great height and frame, near 
  the town of Castlenau. Their heads were 
  said to be as big as bushel baskets and their 
  leg bones immensely large. This tidbit was 
  too late to fit the historical timeline for the 
  setting, and I was unable to find 
  contemporary myths of giants in the 
  immediate area, other than the Jentilak, who 
  roamed the Pyrenees more than the hills and 
  forests of Provence proper. However, it was 
  just too good of a story not to create a tribe 
  of Magic Kin (Realms of Power: Magic, page 
  89) associated with Corpus. With some of 
  their number able to increase their size for 
  Sun duration and other simply large all the 
  time, these giantfolk could serve as high-
  powered grogs, companions, allies, or even 
  enemies. Full giants might even roam the 
  area, too, and one of these is offered for use 
  in your saga. 
  By Ben McFarland 
  Magical Kin: 
  Giantfolk of 
  Castlenau 
  Inherited 
  Virtues: Personal 
  Power: Giant’s Gift, Giant Blood, 
  Large, Tough 
  Common Flaws: Compulsion: 
  Gluttonous, Greedy, Offensive to 
  Animals, Wrathful 
  Giant’s Gift 
  0 points, Init Qik -2, Corpus 
  R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  The giantfolk can grow two Sizes, 
  up to Size +2, with any Animal based 
  material growing along with them. 
  This lasts with a Sun duration, and so 
  Giantfolk will use this for working on 
  something where they need the size, 
  or if going to fight. Metal or wooden 
  items do not transform, and so these 
  people often keep larger items made 
  for that size nearby. Once they 
  transform, the giantfolk cannot shrink 
  until the sun sets. When a giantfolk 
  grows, they add +4 to Strength and -2 
  to Quickness. 
  MuCo(An) 15 (Base 3, +2 Sun, +1 
  Size, +1 Requisite) Personal Power 
  (15 levels, -2 Might cost) 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  39 
  Thomas, Giantfolk of 
  Castlenau 
  Characteristics: Int 0, Per +1, Pre 0, Com 0, Str +1, Sta 
  +2, Dex +1, Qik +1 
  Enlarged: Int 0, Per +1, Pre 0, Com 0, Str +5, Sta +2, Dex 
  +1, Qik -1 
  Size: 0, +2 when Enlarged 
  Age: 22 (22) 
  Virtues and Flaws: Personal Power: Giant’s Gift, Tough, 
  Warrior; Compulsion (Gluttonous), Offensive to Animals, 
  Overconfident 
  Personality Traits: Gluttonous +3 
  Reputations: Gluttonous +3, Vicious combatant +3 
  Combat: 
  Enlarged Kick Attack: Init -2, Attack +3, Defense +5, 
  Damage +8 
  Enlarged Cudgel: Init +0, Attack +7, Defense +5, Damage 
  +12 
  Axe: Init +2, Attack +8, Defense +5, Damage +7 
  Short Bow: Init 0, Attack +7, Defense +1, Damage +7 
  Soak: +7 
  Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious 
  Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), 
  Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+) 
  Enlarged: –1 (1–7), –3 (8–14), –5 (15–21), Incapacitated 
  (22–28), Dead (29+) 
  Abilities: Area Lore: Provence 2 (Massif Central), Athletics 
  3 (sprinting), Awareness 2 (spotting prey), Bow 3 (shortbow), 
  Brawl 4 (dodge), Carouse 3 (staying sober), Folk Ken 2 
  (spotting outsiders), Guile 2 (concealing nature), Great 
  Weapon 3 (cudgel), Hunt 2 (small game), Living Language: 
  Occitan 5 (conversational), Profession: Woodsman 3 (finding 
  quality lumber), Single Weapon 3 (axe), Stealth 3 (in forests), 
  Survival 2 (acquiring food); 350 points 
  Powers: 
  Giant’s Gift 
  0 points, Init Qik -2, Corpus 
  R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  The giantfolk can grow two Sizes, up to Size +2, with any 
  Animal based material growing along with them. This lasts 
  with a Sun duration, and so Giantfolk will use this for working 
  on something where they need the size, or if going to fight. 
  Metal or wooden items do not transform, and so these people 
  often keep larger items made for that size nearby. Once they 
  transform, the giantfolk cannot shrink until the sun sets. When 
  a giantfolk grows, they add +4 to Strength and -2 to 
  Quickness. 
  MuCo(An) 15 (Base 3, +2 Sun, +1 Size, +1 Requisite) 
  Personal Power (15 levels, -2 Might cost) 
  Equipment: dagger, pack, cudgel, partial leather armor, 
  shortbow, axe. 
  Encumbrance: -2 (3, does not affect combat) 
  Appearance: A young man with a thick, bushy black beard 
  and deer-hide clothing, he has a calculating look in his eye and 
  a hungry smile. He has a definite aura of malice about him, and 
  walks with a swagger which obviously holds most other people 
  in contempt. When he enlarges, he grows to a height of nearly 
  10 feet, and increases his weight to nearly 750 lbs. 
  Design Note: He is designed as a grog, with only three 
  Virtues and Flaws. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  40 
  Silvanus, a Giant of 
  Castlenau 
  Magic Might: 20 (Corpus) 
  Characteristics: Int 0, Per +2, Pre 0, Com -1, Str +10, Sta 
  +4, Dex +1, Qik -2 
  Size: +3 
  Season: Summer 
  Confidence Score: 1 (3) 
  Virtues and Flaws: Magic Human; Ways of the Forest; 
  Keen Vision, Tough, Unaffected by the Gift, Voice of the 
  Forest, Warrior, Wilderness Sense*; Greedy, Magical Monster; 
  Anchored to the Forest, Offensive to Divine, Weakness (wine) 
  Magical Qualities and Inferiorities: Gigantic (x2); Form 
  Resistance (Herbam), Form Resistance (Ignem), Improved 
  Abilities x2, Improved Recovery, Improved Soak (x3), Lesser 
  Power, Minor Virtue (Great Stamina), Minor Virtue (Great 
  Strength), Minor Virtue (Improved Characteristics x3) 
  Personality Traits: Giant +3, Greedy +3, Hungry +2, 
  Merciful -1 
  Reputations: Glutton +3 (local), Greedy +3 (local), 
  Merciless +2 (regional) 
  Combat: 
  Cudgel: Init -1, Attack +11, Defense +5, Damage +17 
  Fist (brawl): Init +-2, Attack +7, Defense +4, Damage +10 
  Kick (brawl): Init -3, Attack +6, Defense +2, Damage +13 
  Thrown Stone: Init -3, Attack +7, Defense -1, Damage +12; 
  weapon stats: Init -1, Atk +1, Def -4, Dmg +2 
  Soak: +13 
  Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, -5, Unconscious 
  Wound Penalties: –1 (1–8), –3 (9–16), –5 (17–24), 
  Incapacitated (25–32), Dead (33+) 
  Abilities: Area Lore: Provence 3 (Toulousain), Athletics 3 
  (chasing), Awareness 3 (humans), Brawl 5 (fist), Carouse 3 
  (drinking wine), Folk Ken 2 (detecting lies), French 5 
  (commands), Great Weapon 5 (Cudgel), Herbam Resistance 3 
  (natural plants), Hunt 3 (boar), Ignem Resistance (forest fires) 
  2, Stealth 4 (moving quietly), Survival 4 (forest), Thrown 
  Weapon 4 (stone), Wilderness Sense 2 (forests) 
  Powers: 
  The Cook-fire’s Call, 1 points, Init +1, Ignem 
  R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind 
  Silvanus can ignite bundles of dry wood or sticks with a 
  touch. He usually starts cook fires this way, but has been 
  known to set thatch roofs on fire, or haystacks, if bored. CrIg 5 
  (Base 4, +1 Touch, Mom, Ind): Lesser Power (5 levels, 4 
  intricacy points spent on Initiative); 
  Encumbrance: 0 (0) 
  Vis: There are 4 pawns of Corpus vis in the giant’s head. 
  Appearance: This is big, dirty giant of a man, with a shaggy 
  dark mane of hair and a body covered in soot and mud, 
  occasionally smeared with blood and wine stains. He wears an 
  oxhide strapped about his waist like a kilt and uses a cut down 
  saddle as a belt. His terrifying laugh reveals double rows of 
  teeth in his mouth. Standing thirteen feet tall, he carries a large 
  oaken club with a knotty rootball at the end. He carries a large 
  sack fashioned out of a sheepskin and thick rope over one 
  shoulder. A clay amphora of wine hangs from the belt, the 
  heavy stopper coated in grey-brown wax. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  41 
  Story Seed: Cover of 
  Darkness 
  A group of laborers approach the covenant, offering to 
  take on a couple of construction or resource gathering tasks, 
  such as field clearing or firewood gathering, located outside 
  aegis. They barter for payment based on the speed with 
  which they finish the task. With the contract secured, they 
  complete the projects with a preternatural speed under the 
  cover of darkness. This band of wandering giantfolk has 
  been forced to live nomadically due to a  demon, hedge 
  witch, or faerie who entrances them and forces them to do 
  her bidding. If the covenant can eliminate this oppressor, the 
  giantfolk might join the covenant. 
   
  Story Seed: I Don’t 
  Like You 
  While coming to or from town, or at an altercation with 
  pirates raiding a coastal town, the covenant’s grogs 
  accidentally kill a member of the giantfolk clan, believing him 
  to be part of the attackers. This begins a blood vendetta with 
  the giantfolk, who are able to conceal themselves in plain 
  sight until they chose to act. Can the covenant pay the clan 
  sufficient reparations and mend the relationship with this 
  group, possibly bringing them into the fold, or will they 
  become a menace to the covenfolk while traveling or 
  completing errands in town? 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  42 
  THE KNIGHTS OF 
  THE GREEN 
  STONE 
  A small chapter of these chivalrous 
  magi (described in The Mysteries, Revised 
  Edition, pages 131-132) thrives among 
  the Faidits in the Toulousain, led by 
  Gilbert of Flambeau. In his view, the 
  stone is an allegory, representative of 
  the eternal struggle of life, to seek and 
  not to find. He seeks the stone the 
  same way he seeks love and justice, as 
  constant quests worthy of his attention, 
  but does not expect to ever reach the 
  object. This is ironic as the artifact 
  could actually be the source of the 
  legends about the stone, the lapis exilis, 
  fell to earth hundreds of years ago in 
  Toulouse, and is now in the possession 
  of Dama of Merinita. Any player 
  character knights who cross paths with 
  the Crusaders may come to the 
  attention of Uriel, who advises them of 
  what it knows about the proximity of 
  the Stone; this should only serve to 
  encourage the characters to search 
  more actively, and draw them further 
  into the story. 
  URIEL 
  Another important and somewhat 
  heretical figure in the region and the 
  Albigensian Crusade is the fallen 
  archangel Uriel, who in 1220 has taken 
  a physical form and acts as a prominent 
  adviser to the leaders of the Crusade 
  against southern France. 
  In ancient times, Uriel was the 
  archangel responsible for divine 
  executions, when God deemed a 
  mortal was to die by His hand, and not 
  through natural means. For example, 
  Uriel was dispatched to slay all the first
  -born children of Egypt during the 
  time of Moses. After the birth of 
  Christ, Uriel also held the keys to the 
  land of Purgatory, and would oversee 
  the labors of men and women who 
  toiled there after death. (These duties 
  now belong to the archangel Azrael.) 
  But in the year 535, Uriel was exiled 
  from Heaven, and does not know why; 
  this development is presumably part of 
  God’s Great Plan. The archangel fell 
  through the sky like a meteor and came 
  to rest just outside the Garden of Eden 
  in the Middle East. Abandoned in the 
  middle of the desert in human form, he 
  soon fell into despair. And then 
  suddenly he was struck with a vision of 
  another falling star, plummeting to 
  earth just as he did and landing in a 
  lake somewhere in central Mythic 
  Europe. This was the lapis exilis, a 
  brilliant green magical stone with 
  divine powers. Uriel believes this relic 
  contains his formerly angelic soul, and 
  its recovery is the purpose for his fall. 
  By chance, legend of such a stone in 
  Europe reached Uriel’s ears in the 
  1100s, when the archangel was visiting 
  the court of Fulk, King of Jerusalem. 
  Visions of the stone had plagued 
  Uriel’s thoughts ever since his exile, 
  and he felt strangely compelled to 
  investigate the story, as if it rang with 
  holy truth. Following Fulk’s relatives to 
  France, the archangel dwelled at 
  Monfort l’Amaury near Paris for many 
  years as he sought to discover the 
  whereabouts of the fabulous artifact. 
  He eventually concluded it had come 
  to earth near Toulouse, and set about 
  trying to reclaim it. His patient 
  preparations have helped create the 
  conditions for a Crusade against the 
  south. 
  To this end, Uriel has established 
  himself as a counselor and confessor to 
  Simon de Montfort, captain-general of 
  the crusading army, and his brother 
  Guy de Montfort, both of whom he 
  By Ben McFarland 
  WARNING 
  This article deals with a potential 
  variant of a large saga plotline 
  originally considered for Faith & 
  Flame. That saga plotline was later 
  altered to be the story presented in 
  the text as it is currently, but the 
  authors felt this was also an 
  interesting take on the story, and one 
  we debated presenting. We are happy 
  to offer it here as a variation, and 
  think it could be a very interesting 
  adjustment. If you have not read that 
  saga or the material which this 
  modifies, or if you’re a player in a 
  saga set in Provence, then stop 
  reading, as I doubt you’ll enjoy the 
  tale as much if you know how 
  everything works under the hood. 
  We had considered The Guide’s 
  initial weapon to be the angel Uriel, 
  controlled by the green stone bowl, 
  or lapis exilis, which she had acquired 
  from Maugris, rather than the 
  baetylus and The Serpent, which she 
  has in the final text. This also allowed 
  for the addition of a Mystery Cult, 
  which could provide characters with 
  another hook into the storyline, as 
  members of the Knights of the 
  Green Stone, searching for an item 
  Uriel himself might have directed 
  them to find. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  43 
  knows well, having followed their 
  family for many generations. He 
  believes his exile is nearly over, and so 
  he is ruthless in his advice; he never 
  acts directly, but he has no qualms 
  about revealing his divine nature to his 
  allies or absolving them of guilt. 
  Perhaps it was Uriel who first 
  confidently urged the leaders of the 
  Crusade to “Kill them all, God will 
  know his own.” 
  Uriel has yet to see the lapis exilis, 
  however, though he is convinced 
  Raymond has it in Toulouse. To his 
  great chagrin, when Simon de Montfort 
  was slain in battle in 1218, the 
  archangel lost his absolute influence 
  over the Crusaders’ agenda. He is 
  working on Simon’s son Amaury, but 
  the young man is suspicious and Uriel 
  does not think he would believe he is 
  truly an angel sent to recover a holy 
  relic. The Crusade is now faltering in 
  1220, and all of Uriel’s plans are in 
  danger. 
  Furthermore, Uriel has been 
  mystically abused on several occasions 
  in the last twenty years. Twice he has 
  been magically summoned to the wilds 
  of Gascony by a group of infernalists, 
  and compelled to use his powers to 
  take the lives of men. He berated and 
  scorned them each time, but their dark 
  magic appears to be more powerful 
  than his, and he has no idea who they 
  are, for they are careful to remain 
  hidden, though he believes they are 
  women and there are no more than 
  three of them. Once he has reclaimed 
  his soul and his connection to Heaven, 
  or at least confirmed the stone is not in 
  Toulouse, he will turn west to deal with 
  these sorceresses. 
  A FURTHER 
  DELUDED GUIDE 
  The following changes need to be 
  made to The Guide’s stat block, adding 
  the following spell: 
  (Continued on page 44) 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  44 
  Summon the Divine Servant, (ReVi 
  45/ +62) Dama uses this spell to 
  force Uriel to do her bidding, 
  and both times she has cast it 
  using Feminine Ceremony with 
  two other members of her 
  mystery cult. 
  Upon her return, she received an 
  unusual windfall. She, like many others 
  at the queen’s court, had sworn to 
  serve the Faerie Queen for the rest of 
  her natural life, and according to faerie 
  prophesy she would be seventy years 
  old when death came for her. Thus, she 
  had been presumed dead, which meant 
  she came back effectively free of her 
  oath of fealty. Furthermore, a very 
  elderly man who claimed to have been 
  a friend of hers in her previous life 
  pressed her to accept a farewell gift 
  from him, charging her to carry it far 
  away from the faerie’s castle and to 
  keep it safe from she who desired it so 
  greedily. He would not explain what it 
  was, what appeared to be a shallow 
  bowl made of green gemstone, 
  exceptionally light and perfectly 
  contoured to rest comfortably on the 
  top of the head. (This is the lapis exilis, 
  the stone containing the soul of the 
  fallen archangel Uriel, described 
  previously — see The Green Stone for 
  more about this legendary object.) Of 
  course Oriande La Fee was displeased 
  with these developments, but could not 
  prevent them. 
  … 
  Since becoming Praeco, her dark 
  secret has only been threatened with 
  discovery twice, coincidentally both 
  times by the Chief Quaesitor of the 
  Tribunal. At her familiar’s advice, she 
  struck quickly, viciously, and ruthlessly, 
  using her magic and the magic of her 
  cult to remove the curious magus at 
  once. She summoned what she thought 
  was a powerful faerie spirit and 
  compelled him to take her enemy’s life. 
  (This worked surprisingly well, because 
  Uriel’s power causes his victim to die 
  of natural causes, and only miraculous 
  magic could ever prove it was 
  otherwise.) She is now eyeing 
  Protendus of Tremere, of Aedes 
  Mercurii (see Chapter 6: The Pyrenees), 
  who she imagines will be next to 
  suspect her, and she is working herself 
  up to dealing with Garus, the Primus 
  of House Flambeau (see Chapter 5: 
  Gascony), who is also uncomfortably 
  close to her and may soon need to be 
  dealt with in the same way. 
  THE GREEN 
  STONE 
  The lapis exilis is no ordinary 
  stone, obviously, for it contains a 
  portion of the soul of the archangel 
  Uriel, fallen to earth in disgrace or for 
  some subtle and ineffable divine 
  reason, and because this essence, it has 
  several miraculous properties. Firstly, it 
  makes the bearer effectively immortal 
  — as long as she is touching it, Dama 
  cannot die of old age or Decrepitude, 
  and does not suffer aging crises. 
  Secondly, it constantly purifies Dama 
  and everything she touches or 
  consumes, much as if she possessed 
  the Greater Purifying Touch Virtue, so 
  she cannot contract any sort of disease 
  or sickness, and suffers no ill effects of 
  poison. Thirdly, it gives Dama angelic 
  Visions (like the Supernatural Flaw), 
  usually somehow associated with Uriel 
  or involving her own impending 
  danger or danger to the stone. For 
  Dama, this has unfortunately only 
  heightened her sense of paranoia. And 
  finally, the stone gives Dama a 
  permanent Arcane Connection to 
  Uriel, much as if she possessed his 
  True Name. 
  The path of the fabled stone to 
  Dama’s possession is very murky, and 
  Dama doesn’t personally understand or 
  even know most of the history, though 
  Maju may know more, Oriande even 
  more, and there could be other 
  accounts suggest these events. At some 
  point in history the stone plummeted 
  through the sky and fell into the lake of 
  Toulouse, where it sank to the bottom 
  and glowed with a magical shimmer 
  sometimes visible on a moonless night, 
  inspiring many stories of a golden 
  treasure hidden below the waters. It 
  was later brought to the surface by the 
  local pagan wizards of antiquity, who 
  eventually became Hermetic magi of 
  House Diedne. One of their number 
  — perhaps the famous Maugris, wizard
  -advisor to Charlemagne, unnaturally 
  long-lived due to the stone’s effects — 
  kept the stone when the Schism War 
  broke out, and hid in Oriande’s court. 
  Sworn to serve the faerie queen as long 
  as he lived, he grew weary of life in 
  hiding and came to desire more than 
  anything to pass on and join his 
  brothers and sisters in the next life. But 
  he also knew she would gain the stone 
  if he ever let it out of his control, and 
  he did not believe Oriande deserved 
  such power — in fact, he had visions 
  she would surely become evil and 
  corrupt if it were to pass into her 
  inhuman hands. Entrusting Dama with 
  the stone was his means of escape, in 
  more ways than one. 
  WHAT DOES IT 
  MEAN? 
  The most important question with 
  these modifications becomes, “How do 
  these changes alter the plotline as 
  (Continued on page 46) 
  Summon the 
  (Realm) 
  Servant 
  ReVi 45 
  R:Arc, D:Diam, T:Ind, Ritual 
  Forces the target creature to be 
  transported to the site of the ritual, 
  perform a task, and be transported 
  back. It must penetrate to succeed, 
  but since an arcane connection is 
  necessary, it usually does. 
  (Base 15, +4 Arcane Connection, 
  + 1 Diameter, + 1 Complexity) 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  45 
  Uriel, the Fallen 
  Angel 
  Choir: Archangel (Seraphim) 
  Divine Might: 100 (Corpus) 
  Might Pool: 49 Points (Uriel does not replenish his Might 
  Pool at the beginning of each day, like other angels.) 
  Characteristics: Int +10, Per +10, Pre +10, Com +10, Str 
  +7, Sta +14, Dex +12, Qik +4 
  Size: +1 
  Confidence Score: 7 (42) 
  Virtues and Flaws: Greater Immunity (stone), Keen 
  Vision, Large, Premonitions 
  Personality Traits: Patient +5, Gloomy +4, Calculating +4 
  Reputations: Angel of Passover 3 (Jews and Christians), 
  Unrelenting 3 (Jews and Christians) 
  Combat: 
  Fist: Init +4, Attack +23, Defense +23, Damage +7 
  Spear: Init +7, Attack +31, Defense +29, Damage +14 
  Soak: +14 
  Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0/0, –1/–1, –3, –5, Unconscious 
  Wound Penalties: 0 (1-6), –1 (7-12), –3 (13-18), –5 (19-
  24), Incapacitated (25+) 
  Abilities: Area Lore: The Holy Land 10 (history); Area 
  Lore: Europe 5 (legends), Athletics 10 (endurance), Awareness 
  10 (at night), Brawl 10 (fist), Church Lore 5 (miracles), 
  Concentration 10 (prayer), Dominion Lore 10 (angels), Faerie 
  Lore 10 (faeries of antiquity), French 5 (formal speech), Great 
  Weapon 15 (long spear), Hunt 15 (tracking), Infernal Lore 3 
  (diabolists), 
  Latin 
  5 
  (church 
  usage), 
  Leadership 
  15 
  (intimidation), Magic Lore 4 (magical stones), Occitan 5 
  (formal speech), Penetration 10 (Corpus), Premonitions 10 (life 
  and death), Teach 10 (lore), Theology 10 (angels) 
  Powers: 
  Angelic Mantle, 2 points, Init +16, Corpus (see Realms of 
  Power: The Divine, page 19): Uriel uses this power to focus his 
  divine intellect into a human shape. 
  Enfolding, 2 or 10 points, Init +14, Vim (see Realms of Power: 
  The Divine, page 19): Uriel may protect a worthy person’s soul 
  (2 points) or body (10 points) from all harm for one round. 
  Envisioning, 1 or 5 points, Init +4, Mentem (see Realms of 
  Power: The Divine, page 19): Uriel may appear to anyone in a 
  dream (1 point) or in a vision (5 points) to impart a message 
  understandable in any language. 
  Spirit Form, 0 points, Init +24, Vim: Uriel can cancel his 
  Angelic Mantle at will, becoming a creature of pure spirit, 
  unable to affect things physically, or to be affected physically. 
  Subtle Form, 0 points, Init +4, Corpus: Uriel can change his 
  appearance to look like any human being. 
  Touch of Death, 0 points, Init +4, Corpus: The person Uriel 
  touches when activating this power immediately dies, 
  miraculously and naturally, as if from old age. This does not 
  need to penetrate Magic Resistance, but apart from a sudden 
  sharp feeling of pain and a vague feeling of loss, it has no 
  apparent effect on immortal targets possessing a Might Score. 
  Vis: 20 pawns of Corpus in heart, 20 pawns of Perdo in 
  hands 
  Appearance: Uriel’s current physical form is a tall and very 
  old, withered man with pale skin and long dark hair with no 
  beard. He usually wears dark robes like a monk or magus, and 
  may carry a long spear like a walking stick or banner. 
  Uriel prefers to remain in a physical form using his Angelic 
  Mantle power, since each time he cancels it he must spend two 
  more precious Might Points to become corporeal again. For 
  this reason, he also does not risk himself in combat unless he 
  absolutely must. He has now inhabited his current shape for 
  more than a thousand years, and he knows it very well. He is 
  also reluctant to reveal his angelic nature to anyone he is not 
  absolutely sure of, for he fears mortals would take advantage of 
  him if they knew what he is. Without his spiritual connection 
  to the Divine, he has become less sure and less trusting. He 
  also fears the moment he expends his remaining Might, he will 
  become an infernal being, like other fallen angels. He is very 
  wary of being corrupted by the mortal world. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  46 
  currently written, and how do you need 
  to adjust?” First and foremost, this 
  modification adds the Divine character 
  of Uriel to the story, creating another 
  facet to the whole arc and adding a 
  number of players, such as the angel 
  and the Knights of the Green Stone. 
  Uriel might interact with the magi as it 
  searches for the lapis exilis, and they 
  search for answers amongst the 
  Crusaders thereby providing them an 
  opportunity to create a relationship 
  with the angel. This might create very 
  interesting interactions should they 
  become engaged in any sort of conflict 
  with Uriel as it is forced to follow 
  Dama’s commands. 
  Additionally, Maju will need to 
  obfuscate the nature of the magic 
  Dama uses to summon and control 
  Uriel, concealing it as Divine, much as 
  a demon conceals its magic as Infernal. 
  As a Hermetic maga, she should be 
  able to tell that she’s casting a spell to 
  conjure the presence of a Divine 
  creature, and that the lapis exilis 
  provides an arcane connection to the 
  angel. This would likely derail some of 
  Dama’s time and plans, as she 
  investigated not only the nature of the 
  link between the two, but the nature of 
  the lapis exilis itself. This change makes 
  Maju even more of a corrupting force, 
  destroying Uriel through Dama’s 
  control. It’s not personal for the faerie, 
  but just a matter of using the forces at 
  its disposal. This modification has 
  mechanical issues, but they can be 
  hand-waved for the sake of the story 
  for the most part; Maju doesn’t truly 
  engage meaningfully with the covenant 
  until the conflict has come to a head. 
  And this corruption of Dama through 
  her manipulation and slow destruction 
  of Uriel gains a touch of poignancy, as 
  it becomes possible that Dama is not 
  truly the source of this evil behavior, 
  but simply the victim of Maju. There 
  remains a chance Dama might be 
  redeemed by the covenant, and that’s a 
  chance some characters might be 
  willing to take. 
  The simplest shift is 
  the replacement of the 
  baetylus 
  to 
  the 
  lapis 
  exilis. This only changes 
  the form and nature of the 
  magical stone, but it does 
  not need to eliminate 
  Oriande Le Fee’s interest 
  in the item. The faerie 
  queen might want the 
  lapis exilis to gain control 
  over Uriel as one of her 
  weapons, or find a way to 
  use the angel’s power to 
  fuel 
  her 
  machinations. 
  This shift does not need 
  to eliminate her role as a 
  potential player in events, 
  but makes them some 
  what different, as the 
  baetylus no longer exists. 
  F in ally, 
  sh ift ing 
  Dama’s storyline to take 
  advantage of Uriel means 
  involving the Knights of 
  the Green Stone. This 
  mystery cult may act as 
  mentors, 
  rivals, 
  or 
  enemies, serving to aid the 
  magi or struggle against 
  them as they seek out the 
  lapis exilis while the magi 
  attempt 
  to 
  decipher 
  Maju’s twisted actions. If 
  the magi are members of 
  the Knights, then they 
  might willingly return the 
  stone to Uriel with the 
  story’s 
  conclusion, 
  allowing it to return to 
  Heaven and earning its 
  favor later as a Guardian 
  Angel. 
  (Continued from page 44) 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  47 
  A number of characters were 
  unable to make the cut as Faith & 
  Flame came down to the wire. These 
  four individuals had to step aside in 
  lieu of other material, but we’ve 
  brought them together here along 
  with story seeds to expand your 
  adventures in Provence. These three 
  characters include a golem, who 
  might be found amongst the many 
  Jewish communities of coastal 
  Provence; a satyr, who is referenced 
  in Faith & Flame but needed to be 
  cut for space; and finally the Rustic 
  magus Trey, who led a group of 
  peasants, covenfolk, and grogs to 
  destroy Mistridge. 
  By Ben McFarland 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  48 
  The Servant of the Holy 
  Daniel the golem is a fairly straightforward character, and 
  there’s a specific story seed using a golem in the chapter on 
  Narbonnais. The Jewish scholars of Narbonnais were quite 
  renowned, even today, and the yeshivas and kabbalist mystics 
  could all have a reason to create such a construct. He could 
  easily be the defender of the religious library of the Circle of 
  Unique Cherub, one of the three golems that Provencal Jewish 
  mystical group is said to have created (Realms of Power: The 
  Diving (Revised), page 138, also available as a free download). 
  DANIEL THE GOLEM 
  Divine Might: 25 (Vi) 
  Characteristics: Int 0, Per +2, Pre 0, Com -3, Str +3 , Sta 
  +3, Dex +1, Qik 0 
  Confidence Score: 1 (3) 
  Magical Qualities and Inferiorities: Temporary Might*; * 
  This Temporary Might inferiority is aligned to the Divine 
  Realm, but otherwise mirrors that trait. 
  Virtues and Flaws: Divine Thing; Ways of the Town; 
  Improved Characteristics, Puissant Brawl, Tough, Unaging; 
  Dark Secret (Kabbalistic Construct); Close Family Ties, Driven 
  (minor, defend Jewish population), Weak-willed. (Divine Thing 
  is as Magical Thing, but aligned to the Divine Realm) 
  Personality Traits: Golem +3, Loyal to the Community +3, 
  Trusting +3, Vengeful -3 
  Reputations: Defender of the Community 3 (Jewish 
  Community), Abomination of the Jews 2 (Rest of the Arles) 
  Combat: 
  Fist (brawl): Init +0, Attack +9, Defense +8, Damage +3; add 
  +3 to these values when Daniel fights in Arles. 
  Soak: +6 
  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: Area Lore: Arles 5 (Jewish Quarter), Awareness 2 
  (humans), Brawl 5+2 (fist), Charm 3 (dealing with children), 
  Concentration 1 (sense the darkness within), Hebrew 5 
  (commands) 
  Powers: 
  Banish the Enemy’s Servant, 2 points, Init -2, Vim 
  R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  Daniel may drive away a non-divine supernatural creature 
  with Might less than his. The creature cannot stand in its 
  immediate presence and cannot return for the effect’s duration. 
  Adjuration (Purity) 25 (Base 5, +2 Sun, +2 Voice) 
  Ignore the Enemy’s Fury, 2 points, Init -1, Vim 
  R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  Daniel may ignore all damage from attacks using wood or 
  metal weapons. Transcendence (Purity) 15 (Base 4, +2 Sun, +1 
  second material) 
  Sense the Darkness Within, 2 point, Init -2, Vim 
  R: Sight, D: Conc, T: Individual 
  Daniel can look upon a target and perceive the evil in a target 
  by the appearance of its image; the more deformed and evil-
  looking it becomes, the more tainted it is. Intervention 
  (Meditation) 20 (Base 4, +3 Sight, +1 Concentration) 
  Encumbrance: 0 (0) 
  Vis: There are five pawns of Vim vis in the golem’s head. 
  Appearance: Daniel appears as a bald, pasty, dark-gray 
  skinned and muscular man with a grim countenance. He is 
  dressed as a peasant, with heavy gloves and boots. 
  Design note: Daniel is created with the considerations of 
  Realms of Power: Divine, Revised, page 142, but with the rules 
  indicated for Magic Things in Realms of Power: Magic. 
  Story Seed: To Defend Travelers 
  A group of Jewish scholars is making their way between Arles 
  and Narbonne, and recent reports of pirate raids or Crusader 
  activity made them quite nervous. They brought golem with 
  them as protection on the road. Unfortunately, the party was 
  overwhelmed, and the covenant’s agents come upon the scene 
  as the last kabbalist lies dying and Daniel furiously battles 
  against the few remaining attackers, intent on stealing the relics 
  clutched by the wounded rabbi. If they move quickly enough, 
  they can save the rabbi, who might become a companion to 
  the magi for a short while, possibly even lending Daniel to the 
  covenant in gratitude for some time. Or, if they fail to reach 
  the rabbi in time, his dying wish begs the magi to escort Daniel 
  to the yeshiva in Montpellier, or to the school in Worms, and 
  tells Daniel to obey them. 
  Story Seed: The Miraculous Survivor 
  As the covenant is traveling or conducting business near the 
  ruins of Beziers, stories surface of survivor discovered in the 
  basement of a collapsed structure. Declared miraculous by the 
  discoverers, the man has a pale grey complexion and carries a 
  sack full of something he refuses to share. Once released from 
  the rubble, the man began walking north and only spoke 
  Hebrew. This is Daniel, the golem, who has his former 
  master’s religious and kabbalistic texts in the backpack, and is 
  attempting to fulfill his master’s final wish-- to deliver the texts 
  to a peer in Arles. His first command was to walk north, until 
  he found a synagogue, and ask the rabbi there for directions to 
  Arles. However, word of this strange man has spread, and a 
  group of Crusaders, as well as a group of Templars seek out 
  the traveler. Can the magi find Daniel first, and help him 
  complete his task? 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  49 
  CAIAS, THE FAUN LORD 
  Narbonnais enjoyed a very long period as a part of the 
  Roman Empire, and imagery of fauns, satyrs, and other similar 
  creatures was well known throughout the region. 
  Faerie Might: 20 (30) 
  Characteristics: Int +2, Per -1, Pre +4, Com +1, Str +2 , 
  Sta +4, Dex +1, Qik +2 
  Size: +1 
  Virtues and Flaws: Greater Faerie Power, Increased Faerie 
  Might; Faerie Speech, Faerie Sight, Great Presence, Great 
  Stamina, 5x Improved Characteristics, Improved Soak, Hybrid 
  Form, Large, 2x Lesser Power, Place of Power (Home 
  Vineyard); Might Recovery Requires Vitality, Lecherous 
  (major); Aloof, Incognizant, Traditional Ward (religious), 
  Weakness (sex) 
  Personality Traits: Lusty +5, Proud +3, Faun +3, Hasty +2 
  Reputations: Lecherous seducer of the woods 2 (Narbonnais) 
  Combat: 
  Kick (brawl): Init +1, Attack +6, Defense +6, Damage +5 
  Horns (brawl): Init +3, Attack +9, Defense +6, Damage +4 
  Spear: Init +4, Attack +8, Defense +7, Damage +7 
  Javelin: Init +2, Attack +8, Defense +7, Damage +7 
  Soak: +6 
  Wound Penalties: –1 (1–6), –3 (7–12), –5 (13–18), 
  Incapacitated (19–24), Dead (25+) 
  Pretenses: Athletics 2 (dancing), Awareness 2 (women), 
  Brawl 5 (wrestling), Carouse 6 (party games), Charm 2 (taking 
  liberties), Faerie Speech 5 (sounding eloquent), Folk Ken 1 
  (receptiveness), Guile 2 (women), Music 3 (flute), Single 
  Weapon 4 (spear), Thrown Weapon 5 (spear) 
  Powers: 
  Endless Wine, 0 points, constant, Herbam 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  Any vessel the faun touches fills with wine, if the faun so 
  wishes. Note that fauns prefer human wine , because it has 
  vitality. Fauns give this wine to humans so that they act in vital, 
  uninhibited ways. This effect also makes vines laden with 
  grapes spring up in places where fauns dwell. CrHe 10 (Base 2, 
  +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 constant*): Lesser Power (10 levels, 2 
  intricacy points spent on cost); *this power lasts through the 
  scene. 
  Enthralling Sound, 0 points, Init 0, Mentem 
  R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Group 
  The music of the satyr creates an emotion of lust in any 
  group of people who can hear it. This power also increases the 
  intensity of an emotion that already exists. A stress roll with an 
  appropriate Personality trait against an Ease Factor of 9 allows 
  a victim to overcome this power’s effect. CrMe 30 (Base 4, +2 
  Voice, +2 Sun, +2 Group): Greater Power (30 levels, 3 
  intricacy points spent on cost, 1 on Initiative) 
  Grant Puissance in Combat, 4 points, Init -5, Corpus 
  R: Eye, D: Conc, T: Individual 
  Fauns play wild, violent music, giving those who hear it +3 
  on Weapon Skills (affecting Attack rolls and Damage) and 
  Brave totals for the rest of the scene. MuCo 20 (Base 2, +2 
  Voice, +2 Sun, +2 Group): Lesser Power (20 levels, 1 intricacy 
  point spent on Initiative) 
  Encumbrance: 0 (0) 
  Vis: There are four pawns of Mentem in a phallic looking 
  reed. 
  Appearance: This faun has a rugged human male body 
  covered in a short, golden fur, the curling horns of a ram, the 
  legs of a goat, and the ears and tail of a horse. His facial 
  features are noble and his voice is deep and soothing. 
  Story Seed: To Create a Rival 
  Caias knows about the secret of the Heraclean Vis (Faith & 
  Flame, page 110) and wishes to acquire not only the Vitality he 
  might gain from travelers he seduces along the Via Domitia 
  who attempt to gather this vis, but hopes to also encourage the 
  rivalry and competition between the magi and Ara Maxima 
  Nova. More than anything, he is stirring up trouble. In this 
  story seed, it is likely more appropriate to have Caias be more 
  cognizant than the Incognizant version presented in this stat 
  block. 
  Story Seed: Redcaps in Bondage 
  Caias and his fauns have managed to lure several pilgrims and 
  a couple of Redcaps from the Via Domitia and into the 
  vineyards of nearby hills, where the group now lives as a 
  wandering party of wine and debauchery. The various fauns 
  have exerted such powers over the captives that they no longer 
  wish to leave this decadent lifestyle. When the covenant’s 
  agents find the Redcaps and other hostages, even the prisoners 
  join forces with the fauns to prevent their rescue. Can the 
  covenant stop this activity, rescue the captives unharmed, and 
  possibly even redirect the faeries towards a different story 
  altogether? Is their activity the result of another magus pushing 
  the faeries towards the Via Domitia, with the intent of delaying 
  or 
  even 
  completely 
  destroying 
  some 
  Hermetic 
  correspondence? Additionally, if the Redcaps have been with 
  the fauns for some time, it is very possible the recovery of their 
  satchels may require a story of its own. 
   
   
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  50 
  THE SCOURGE OF 
  MISTRIDGE 
  Tres is described in Faith & Flame on page 30, with a 
  reference to further information in the Gascony chapter. This 
  stat block was intended to be printed there, near the section on 
  Bazas (page 53) but we very quickly found we had space 
  limitations. Additionally, playtesters were torn over Tres; some 
  felt he wasn’t powerful enough, and others felt he wasn’t old 
  enough, while some felt he fit the bill just fine. In the end, we 
  decided that rather than create a point of contention with his 
  stat block, we could simply allow him to be whatever various 
  sagas needed him to be by keeping his statistics out of the final 
  manuscript. It wasn’t optimal, but it ensured that Tres could be 
  whatever he needed to be for your saga without the emotions 
  associated with a character not being “canon.” 
  He’s meant to be a subversive magus, a deacon of the people, 
  and a bit of an anarchist-- in that he subverts the established 
  power structure when it becomes overly oppressive of the 
  common man. 
  TRES EX MISCELLANEA, 
  RUSTIC MAGUS AND 
  TROUBLEMAKER 
  Characteristics: Int +2, Per +1, Pre +2, Com +1, Str 0, Sta 
  +2, Dex +1, Qik +1 
  Size: 0 
  Age: 55 (38) 
  Decrepitude: 0 (0) 
  Warping Score: 2 (7) 
  Confidence Score: 1 (3) 
  Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Craft Magic*, Gentle Gift; 
  Clerk (deacon), Improved Characteristicsx2, Inventive Genius, 
  Minor Magic Focus (projectiles), Spell Foci*, Warcrafter, 
  Warrior; Driven (protect common folk from the excess of 
  magi), Necessary Condition (outdoors), Weak Spontaneous 
  Magic*; Continence (vow of celibacy), Hedge Wizard, Outlaw 
  Leader, Pious 
  * House Virtue 
  Personality Traits: Resourceful +4, Cheerful +3, Clever +3, 
  Defiant +3, Pious +3 
  Reputations: 
  Dangerous 
  +4, 
  Hedge 
  Wizard 
  +3, 
  Troublemaker +3 
  Combat: 
  Fist: Init +0, Attack +0, Defense +2, Damage -2 
  Dagger: Init +0, Attack +2, Defense +2, Damage +1 
  Soak: +5 
  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: Area Lore: Gascony 2 (vis sites), Area Lore: 
  Provence 3 (covenants), Artes Liberales 1 (languages), Athletics 
  2 (hiking), Awareness 2 (Observation), Bargain 2 (negotiating 
  passage), Brawl 2 (dodge), Bows 4 (distance shooting), Canon 
  Law 3 (loopholes), Code of Hermes 2 (tribunal procedure), 
  Concentration 2 (maintaining a spell), Craft: Bowyer/Fletcher 
  5 (making arrows), Dead Language: Latin 4 (Hermetic Terms), 
  Divine Lore 2 (Saints), Etiquette 2 (churchmen), Faerie Lore 1 
  (Weaknesses), Finesse 2 (Rego), Folk Ken 3 (men), Guile 3 
  (constructing alibis), Infernal Lore 2 (Demons), Intrigue 2 
  (long-term plans), Leadership 3 (inspiration), Living Language: 
  German 5 (conversation), Living Language: Living Language: 
  French 4 (conversation), Living Language: Occitan 4 
  (conversation), Magic Lore 1 (Beasts), Magic Theory 3 
  (Experimentation), Organization Lore: Church 2 (Senior 
  Officers), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 2 (Tribunal 
  members), Parma Magica 3 (Mentem), Penetration 2 
  (Mentum), Philosophiae 1 (ceremonial magic), Single Weapon 
  2 (longsword), Stealth 3 (moving quietly), Survival 2 (Forests), 
  Teaching 2 (single student), Theology 3 (justifying action) 
  Design breakdown: (45+75) childhood + 60 later life + 240 
  apprenticeship + 50 warrior + 900 after apprenticeship: 1370. 
  An additional year of experience (30xp) is considered spent 
  both creating items and gathering his forces for crushing 
  Mistridge; it is not included in his statistics. 
  Arts: Cr 10, In 5, Mu 5, Pe 10, Re 10, An 5, Aq 5, Au 5, Co 5, 
  He 5, Ig 10, Im 5, Me 5, Te 10, Vi 5 
  Twilight Scars: None. 
  Vis: He carries 6 pawns of Terram vis in an iron arrowhead 
  worn around his neck. He has 4 pawns of Corpus vis kept as 
  ashes in a clay jar, and 6 pawns of Vim vis held in a quartz 
  crystal. 
  Equipment: Huntsman’s clothes, bow and arrows, dagger, 
  good boots, bowyer/fletcher’s tools, metalworking tools. 
  Encumbrance: 0 (0) 
  Spells Known: 
  Viper’s Gaze (ReAn 15/ +2) 
  Comfort of the Drenched Traveler (PeAq 5/ +12) 
  Jupiter’s Resounding Blow (CrAu 10/ +7) 
  Whispering Winds (InAu 15/ -3) 
  Purification of the Festering Wounds (CrCo 20/ -3) 
  Wound that Weeps (PeCo 15/ +2) 
  (Continued on page 51) 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  51 
  Blade of Virulent Flame (CrIg 15/ +7) 
  Invisibility of the Standing Wizard (PeIm 15/ +2) 
  Rusted Decay of Ten Score Years (PeTe 10/ +12) 
  Pit of Gaping Earth (PeTe 15/ +7) 
  Wielding the Invisible Sling (ReTe 10/ +22) 
  Demon’s Eternal Oblivion (PeVi 10/ +7) 
  Appearance: Tres is a friendly man with sandy brown hair, a 
  bushy moustache, strong hands and a slight paunch. He wears 
  hunter’s garb with his Archdeacon’s stole underneath and 
  carries an unstrung bow as a walking stick. He carries a sword, 
  a quiver of arrows, even a small buckler, making it quite 
  apparent upon close inspection that he is not out hunting. 
  Casting Sigil: The sound of something being thrown 
  through leaves and brush accompanies Tres’ spellcasting. 
  Voting Sigil: Tres uses a stone taken from Mistridge, bearing 
  a visible portion of that covenant’s crest, as his voting sigil. 
  Tres is a rustic magus, raised as William (or Guillaume). He 
  was Archdeacon of Paris before 1209, and he preached the 
  Crusade there. Where he was before that is questionable. Many 
  claim his master was German and he was apprenticed in the 
  Rhine before coming to Paris sometime after his Gauntlet. He 
  might be unwittingly involved in a Tytalus plot, but if so, he 
  doesn’t know it. 
  Tres declared Wizard’s War against the magi of Mistridge, 
  and he argued that all the men who fought with him were his 
  covenfolk. What crime did he commit? The actual charges 
  were “meddling in the affairs of mundanes,” by arming his 
  soldiers. Scholars of the Hermetic Code felt this was a weak 
  case. Castra Solis backed him completely, because of the near 
  nonexistent chance he could or would act against them, 
  combined with his Christian faith, his northern origin, and he’s 
  poised to more directly threaten Aedes Mercurii and the 
  Faidits. 
  It helped his case that Mistridge wasn’t well-liked. Other 
  Flambeau and Verditius magi in the Tribunal balked at the idea 
  of setting a precedent forbidding a magus from giving magic 
  items to his own covenfolk, even if there was the possibility 
  they might be attacked next. The consensus agreed a magus 
  might need to do the same to defend themselves. No one 
  proved Tres’s soldiers weren’t covenfolk, and tribunal closed 
  before anyone could introduce a change to the Peripheral Code 
  requiring magi to register covenfolk. If someone managed to 
  pass such a measure, perhaps the Quaesitores could more 
  effectively charge him the next time... 
  Tres’ Craft Magic and Spell foci allow him to incorporate 
  Shape and Material bonuses into spells he casts or charged 
  items he makes by crafting items. He need not spend a season 
  to make charged items; he just mundanely crafts the object he 
  wants, such as an arrow. These charged items can be used by 
  anyone, not just Tres. See Houses of Hermes: Societates, page 131-
  132 for more details. 
  New Virtue: Warcrafter 
  Minor, General 
  A character may use a general Craft Ability, such as 
  Metalsmithing or Carpentry, for several related activities, so 
  long as they are associated with waging war. He could use the 
  same score for projects like making armor, weapons, arrows, 
  bullets, siege engines, siege towers or other sorts of 
  engineering. While a Blacksmith with this virtue might build a 
  catapult, he could not build a crane or a bridge. 
  Story Seed: Desperately Seeking Sanctuary 
  A man approaches the covenant’s gates in the dark of the 
  night. A lone individual, wounded and obviously on the run, he 
  is not prevented from entering by the Aegis, and submits to 
  any non-Mentem testing the covenant requests. He explains 
  that he had been traveling near Bazas when his group was 
  attacked by wizards who did not identify themselves. When 
  pressed, he identifies himself as Tres, and asks for the courtesy 
  of hospitality. In truth, the former apprentices or the old paters 
  of the magi of Mistridge have at last tracked down the Ex Misc 
  magus, and now intend on slaying him in revenge for their loss, 
  and seem intent on doing so even without a legally declared 
  Wizard’s War. They demand the covenant turn over Tres, or 
  suffer the consequences. How will they respond to this 
  situation? 
  Story Seed: In Search of the Destroyed 
  The Crusaders are on the march, and seem to have the 
  covenant in their sights, believing the magi to be Cathars or to 
  harbor Cathars. The only hope is to somehow sufficiently 
  thwart them before they arrive on the doorstep. Tres knows 
  many hiding places and has valuable experience with guerrilla 
  warfare. He could be sought out either to act as an advisor 
  against the Crusade, or to help shore up the defenses. 
  Alternatively, a covenant might be hoping to investigate old 
  sites left over from the Schism War, and hope, in particular, to 
  research old Diedne magics. His time spent on the run, in the 
  wilderness of Provence makes the magus uniquely suited to 
  such endeavors. First the magi just have to convince him 
  they’re not trying to kill him. 
  But he’s not Powerful enough! 
  He might not be, but he could be, depends on what your saga 
  level is. If you need him to be more powerful, then advance 
  him appropriately. He could easily have another 20 years under 
  his belt, and so long as he had a solid Longevity Ritual, he 
  would still be able to fulfill his role in Hermetic history just 
  fine. It’s also possible he had been planning the attack for a 
  very long time, and had stock piled an excessive number of the 
  weapons he used, and fought in a very clever manner. You 
  should tailor his power to the appropriate level for your saga. 
  (Continued from page 50) 
  
   
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  52 
  The Iron-Bound Tome is not a 
  single book, but a collection of obscure 
  spells gathered to be shared amongst 
  Magi seeking the utilitarian, forgotten, 
  enthusiastic, or bizarre tastes of their oft 
  reclusive brethren. Fray of House 
  Bonisagus acts as current curator for the 
  collection; continuing the haphazard 
  work of his predecessor Madnor 
  Sevellis of House Criamon. Far from 
  the diligently curated and officially 
  published folios of the Bonisagus 
  masters, the tome is a collection of 
  previously unpublished spells. 
  The spells are inspired from a range 
  of sources, including the core rules 
  supplied guidelines which were not 
  written named spells, discussions in-
  play, and in forums, and my own 
  pondering or imaginations during 
  character designs. Many of the spells 
  use implied guidelines which are 
  extrapolated from the existing rules, and 
  more than a handful use new guidelines 
  which were invented to cover a gap or 
  meet the need. When originally posted 
  the spells were encapsulated in blog 
  posts discussing their power and the 
  rationale for use. This material is 
  superfluous to the spell descriptions 
  themselves but may be needed to 
  understand why a spell is designed in a 
  particular manner. 
  As a work of enthusiastic fandom 
  the spells may contain errors and also 
  my own perspective for the game, in all 
  seriousness I hope your saga may vary. 
  By Andrew Breese 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  53 
  COVENANT 
  BUILD POINT 
  GUIDELINES 
  The spell lists for the various arts 
  can be bought at covenant creation for 
  the following build points: 
  Animal:  
  47 points 
  Aquam:  
  31 points 
  Auram:  
  26 points 
  Corpus:   
  192 points 
  Herbam:  
  18 points 
  Ignem:  
  31 points 
  Imaginem: 
  31 points 
  Mentem:  
  43 points 
  Terram:  
  109 points 
  Vim: 
   
  4 General Spells. 
  Total:  
   
  528 points + 4  
   
   
   
  General Spells. 
  Remember, General spells can be set 
  at the desired level based on the 
  descriptions and guidelines. 
  ANIMAL 
  Intellego Animal 
  Tongue of the Beasts 
  Intellego Animal 25 / Creo, R: Eye, 
  D: Concentration, T: Individual 
  This effect allows caster to 
  understand and communicate with a 
  particular animal. The caster perceives 
  the basic surface thoughts of the 
  creature, and also “speaks” directly into 
  the creature’s mind. No words need to 
  be actually spoken while the spell 
  functions. 
  The Magus must still interpret the 
  perspective of the animal properly to 
  understand its motivations, and must 
  also communicate to the animal in 
  terms akin to its own perspective to be 
  properly understood. 
  (Base 10 to comprehend the surface 
  thoughts, +1 Creo requisite for creation 
  of understanding back to the animal’s 
  mind, +1 Eye, +1 Conc.) 
  Muto Animal 
  Scent of the Natural 
  Earth 
  Muto Animal (Terram) 5 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  This spell causes the target creature’s 
  scent to be altered to the smell of 
  natural earth. Creatures which hunt by 
  scent, or depend on scent for alert 
  purposes will not notice the creature. 
  (Base 2 for a superficial change, +1 
  Touch, +2 Sun, Terram requisite free) 
  Disguise of the Chameleon 
  Muto Animal 10 
  R: Personal, D: Diameter, T: 
  Individual 
  Allows the caster to change the 
  cosmetic appearance of their current 
  animal form for a short period (approx 
  2 minutes). Size is limited to affect up to 
  size +1 creatures. 
  (Base: 5 change an animal in a minor 
  way so it is no longer natural, +1 
  Diameter) 
  Disguise of the Gargantuan 
  Chameleon 
  Muto Animal 20 
  R: Personal, D: Diameter, T: 
  Individual 
  Allows the caster’s to changed 
  animal based form to shift to match it’s 
  background. Size is limited to affect up 
  to size +7 creatures. 
  (Base: 5 change an animal in a minor 
  way so it is no longer natural, +1 
  Diameter, +2 additional 6 size 
  increments) 
  Attired as Desired 
  Muto Animal (Herbam Terram) 20 
  R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  Changes all the clothing of the target 
  touched to the desires of the caster. 
  Purpose of the spell is to allow a quick 
  outfit change should circumstances 
  demand, and also so that the clothing of 
  the target to become appropriate foci 
  for the Muto Corpus spells. It saves 
  carrying around five different cloaks. 
  (Base 3, +2 Voice, +2 Sun, +1 
  highly complex clothing) 
  Gift of the Master’s Voice 
  Muto Animal 20 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  The target’s animal form gains the 
  facility of human speech, although still 
  heavily tainted by aspects of the 
  creature’s shape. This spell does not 
  impart the knowledge of how to speak, 
  so has little effect on non-shape-
  changed creatures. 
  (Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun) 
  Blessing of the Kitten’s 
  Eyes 
  Muto Animal 25 
  R: Voice, D: Diameter, T: Part 
  Use Muto magic to seal over the 
  target’s eyes, effectively blinding them. 
  The targets eyes are still present, but 
  
   
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  54 
  cannot be opened as their eyelids are 
  sealed over. 
  The spell name is a reference to a 
  baby rabbit, a kitten which are born 
  with their eyes fused closed. The 
  physical change in the target is no more 
  complex than a minor ability (like Eyes 
  of the Cat). 
  (Base 5, +2 Voice, +1 Diameter, +1 
  Part) 
  Gift of the Bear’s 
  Fortitude to Beasts 
  Muto Animal 25 
  R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: 
  Individual 
  This effect grants the target animal a 
  +3 bonus to Soak. 
  (Base 15 to Make a body resistant to 
  damage (+3 Soak) from the Corpus 
  guideline, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter) 
  The Vicious 
  Transformation of Fenrir 
  Muto Animal 25 
  R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Ind 
  The animal touched becomes a more 
  vicious and combative version of itself. 
  Claws, teeth, beaks (etc) all become 
  sharper and stronger, the animal gains 
  +3 to attack and damage scores (due to 
  an increase in muscle mass and speed), 
  and any aggressive personality traits 
  involving combat are raised by +2 as 
  the creatures temperament is altered. 
  The spell will affect any creature of 
  size 0 or smaller. The spell’s name 
  references the wolf Fenrir who will 
  consume Odin during the battle of 
  Ragnarok. 
  (Base 15, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter) 
  Transforming the Tome 
  Muto Animal (Terram) 25 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  This spell temporarily transforms a 
  book into a small very hard object, such 
  as a gem or piece of metal. The form of 
  the object is chosen by the caster. This 
  facilitates concealing and carrying the 
  text in a more convenient manner. 
  (Base 5 major unnatural change, +1 
  complexity of affecting a book, +1 
  Touch, +2 Sun, requisite is free) 
  Unearthly Magnification 
  of the Beasts 
  Muto Animal 30 
  R: Personal, D: Diameter, T: 
  Individual 
  This spell allows for temporary 
  growth or shrinking of the Magus’ 
  animal form up to Size 11 or down to 
  size -12. The spell may target any 
  creature of up to size +4, but may only 
  change the creatures size by up to 10 
  size ranks in either direction. 
  i.e. A size a +4, may become up to 
  size +11 or down to -6. A size -3 
  creature may become size -12 or up to 
  size +7. 
  (Base 4 for changing creatures size 
  up to size +1 in an unnatural way, +1 to 
  allow for shrinking and growing in the 
  same effect, +1 Diameter, +1 mag to 
  affect creatures of up to size +4, +3 to 
  change up to size 11 or down to -13) 
  Rego Animal 
  Blind the Speeding Destrier 
  Rego Animal 5 
  R: Voice, D: Diameter, T: Ind 
  Causes the target’s eyes to close for 
  the duration of the spell. 
  (Base 2 to make a target lose control 
  of a body part, +2 Voice, +1 Diameter) 
  AQUAM 
  Creo Aquam 
   
  The Assassin’s Churning Draft 
  Creo Aquam 25 
  R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: 
  Individual 
  This spell creates a single draft of 
  poison that inflicts a Medium wound on 
  the person who drinks it, unless they 
  succeed a Stamina check of 6+. 
  The poison created is a dram (or 
  teaspoon) of colorless odorless liquid, 
  which may be added to drinks or 
  conjured within a cup the caster is 
  touches. The poison is harmless if it is 
  not ingested. 
  (Base 10 for a medium poison, +1 to 
  increase the check to Stamina 6+, +1 
  Touch, +1 Diameter) 
  Sheath of the Serpent’s 
  Venom 
  Creo Aquam 30 / Rego 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  This spell coats the blade of a 
  weapon in a constantly refreshing 
  poison. When the weapon successfully 
  inflicts damage to an opponent the 
  victim must succeed a Stamina check vs 
  6+ or also receive an additional Light 
  wound. 
  Weapons enhanced by this spell will 
  noticeably drip the venom if inspected, 
  and the poison can be carefully taken 
  from the weapon and used in other 
  ways. Use of poisons is highly 
  disregarded in most regions. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  55 
  (Base 5 to inflict a light wound, +1 
  Rego to control the liquid’s movement 
  on the blade, +1 to raise the check 
  difficulty to 6+, +1 Touch, +2 Sun) 
  Muto Aquam 
  Withhold the Drunkard’s 
  Muse 
  Muto Aquam 10 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  This spell changes the contents of a 
  container so it is no longer alcoholic, 
  but otherwise is the same. This means 
  especially excellent wine will will taste 
  excellent, and poor ale will still be 
  undesirable. 
  At the expiry the contents return to 
  normal, restoring the intoxicating effect. 
  This may cause interesting mishaps and 
  unexpected circumstances if the liquid 
  was recently drunk. 
  (Base 3 to change liquid into a 
  slightly unnatural form, +1 Touch, +2 
  Sun) 
  Taint the Drunkard’s 
  Desire 
  Muto Aquam 15 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  The target liquid of this spell is 
  altered to become a medium strength 
  poison. An hour after it is ingested the 
  poison inflicts a Medium wound on any 
  drinker for each dose consumed. 
  The poison may be resisted by 
  succeeding a Stamina check vs 6+. The 
  spell may transform any single portion 
  of of a beverage including water, wine, 
  beer, or spirits up to one gallon. 
  (Base 3 to inflict an Medium wound, 
  +1 to raise the check difficulty to 6+, 
  +1 Touch, +2 Sun) 
  Call for the Drunkard’s 
  Demise 
  Muto Aquam 25 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  The target liquid of this spell is 
  altered to become a powerful poison. 
  An hour after it is ingested the poison 
  inflicts a Incapacitating wound on any 
  drinker for each dose consumed. 
  The poison may be resisted by 
  succeeding a Stamina check vs 6+. The 
  spell may transform any single portion 
  of of a beverage including water, wine, 
  beer, or spirits up to one gallon. 
  (Base 5 to inflict an Incapacitating 
  wound, +1 to raise the check difficulty 
  to 6+, +1 Touch, +2 Sun) 
  Shape the Boatman’s Skiff 
  from Water 
  Muto Aquam / Herbam 30 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  This spell transforms an area of 
  water into a moderate sized wooden 
  boat, with single sail, and running gear 
  suitable for six travelers and their gear. 
  The spell requires a finesse check to 
  determine the quality of the boat. 
  (Base 4 to change a liquid into an 
  unrelated solid or gas with requisite 
  Herbam, +1 for larger result target size, 
  +2 for finished Herbam product, +1 
  Touch, +2 Sun) 
  
   
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  56 
  Rego Aquam 
  Summon the Fisherman’s 
  Bounty 
  Rego Aquam 20 
  R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind 
  The Magus touches a section of river 
  or stream, a small pond, or spring and 
  enhances the power and flow of the 
  river to cast fish and other material 
  from the river onto the bank. 
  (Base 4 to control a fast current, +2 
  for highly unnatural movement, +1 
  Touch, +1 Concentration) 
  AURAM 
  Intellego Auram 
  Perceive the Breath of 
  Jupiter 
  Intellego Auram 25 
  R: Personal, D: Diameter, T: Vision 
  Allows the target to see air patterns 
  and movements around them. This 
  alternative type of vision allows the 
  target to “see” in environments where 
  normal senses might be greatly 
  hindered. 
  (Base:4 Learn all the mundane 
  properties of the air., +1 Diameter, +4 
  Vision) 
  Muto Auram 
  Shape the Leafy Tent 
  Muto Auram / Herbam 25 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  This spell transforms the 
  surrounding air into a simple tent made 
  from natural plants. The space is well 
  protected from wind and rain, and 
  features a raised floor to keep 
  equipment dry. The tent is large enough 
  to sleep four travelers and gear. From 
  casual inspection the outside of the tent 
  appears much like a large bush. 
  (Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 for 
  increase in size) 
  The Toxic Solar 
  Muto Auram 30 
  R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Room 
  This spell changes the air within a 
  room touched to a highly corrosive gas 
  which inflicts +10 damage per round to 
  everything within. This gas will also 
  damage delicate items within the room, 
  such as paper, food, fur and cloth. 
  (Base 10 for Level as damage, +1 
  Touch, +1 Diameter, +2 Room) 
  The Toxic Ziggurat 
  Muto Auram 35 
  R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Structure 
  This spell changes the air within a 
  single structure touched to a highly 
  corrosive gas which inflicts +10 damage 
  per round to everything within. This gas 
  will also damage delicate items within 
  the room, such as paper, food, fur and 
  cloth. 
  (Base 10 for Level as damage, +1 
  Touch, +1 Diameter, +3 Structure) 
  Shape the Watchman’s 
  Tower from Air 
  Muto Auram / Terram 40 
  R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Ind 
  This spell transforms the 
  surrounding air into a sturdy two room 
  tower formed from a single piece of 
  stone. 
  The complexity in the spell allows 
  for solid study construction, a heavily 
  weighted base, doors and doorways, 
  internal stairs, a battlement on top, a 
  hearth and chimney, arrow slits in the 
  walls, and benches and blocks to act as 
  furniture throughout. 
  While it is not luxurious, the 
  dwelling is far superior to sleeping in 
  the elements. In the original design the 
  tower’s lower room was larger than the 
  upper, as the tower smoothly plinthed 
  upward. A Finesse check is required 
  when the spell is cast to determine the 
  degree of success in the transformation. 
  (Base 4 to transform into another 
  element with requisite Terram, +2 for 
  larger result size, +1 for stone, +1 
  moderate complexity in components 
  and shape, +1 Touch, +3 Moon) 
  CORPUS 
  Creo Corpus 
  Circle Against Purification 
  Creo Corpus 5 
  R: Touch, D: Ring, T: Individual 
  Prevents the decay of a human 
  corpse, or a severed body part, while the 
  Ring is maintained and the target 
  remains within it. 
  This spell is a simple re-working of 
  Charm Against Purification (ArM p129) 
  with the duration altered to Ring. 
  (Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Ring) 
  Selfish Rest of the Injured 
  Magus 
  Creo Corpus 15 
  R: Personal, D: Moon, T: Individual 
  This spell grants the Magus a +9 
  bonus to all wound recovery rolls made 
  while the spell is in effect, as long as the 
  spell is maintained during the recovery 
  time. 
  
   
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  57 
  (Base 4, +3 Moon) 
  The Chirurgeon’s Healing 
  Circle 
  Creo Corpus 20 
  R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Circle, Ritual 
  As per The Chirurgeon’s Healing 
  Touch, modified to Target all creatures 
  within a drawn circle. Spell will restore 
  one Light Body Level of damage 
  permanently. 
  (Base 15, +1 Touch) 
  True Rest of the Injured 
  Custos 
  Creo Corpus 20 
  R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Individual 
  This spell grants the target touched a 
  +9 bonus to all wound recovery rolls 
  made while the spell is in effect, as long 
  as the spell is maintained during the 
  recovery time. 
  (Base 4, +1 Touch, +3 Moon) 
  Serious Rest for the 
  Injured Custos 
  Creo Corpus 30 
  R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Individual 
  This spell grants the target touched a 
  +15 bonus to all wound recovery rolls 
  made while the spell is in effect. Note 
  that the spell will cause warping. 
  (Base 10, +1 Touch, +3 Moon) 
  Vital Rest for the 
  Incapacitated Custos 
  Creo Corpus 30 
  R: Touch, D: Ring, T: Circle 
  This spell grants the target touched a 
  +18 bonus to all wound recovery rolls 
  made while the spell is in effect, and the 
  target must stay within the circle/ring 
  for the duration. Note that the spell will 
  cause warping. 
  This variant is intended for custos 
  who require critical intervention and 
  will not be moved. 
  (Base 15, +1 Touch, +2 Ring) 
  Slip From the Reaper’s 
  Grasp 
  Creo Corpus 40 
  R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind, Ritual 
  Resolves a terminal (or less) crisis 
  caused by Aging (see Ars p.170). This 
  effect causes Warping. 
  (Base 35 to resolve a terminal aging 
  crisis, +1 Touch) 
  Muto Corpus 
  Eyes of the Bat 
  Muto Corpus 5 / Animal 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  Grants the target the sense vision 
  akin to a bat, allowing vision in total 
  darkness. 
  (Base 2 to change someone to give 
  them a minor ability, +1 Touch, +2 
  Sun, requisite free) 
  Poise of the Cat 
  Muto Corpus 5 / Animal 
  R: Personal, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  Grants the Magus the sense of 
  balance and poise akin to a cat, apply a 
  +3 bonus on rolls for appropriate 
  Athletics checks. 
  (Base:3, +2 Sun) 
  Senses of the Bloodhound 
  Muto Corpus 5 / Animal 
  R: Personal, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  Grants the Magus enhanced sense of 
  hearing and smell akin to bloodhounds, 
  adding +3 to all appropriate perception 
  based tests. 
  (Base: 2, +2 Sun, +1 extra sense, 
  requisite free) 
  Blessing of the Haunting 
  Pond 
  Muto Corpus 10 / Animal Ignem 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  Makes the target’s hands glow 
  powerfully by changing them to have 
  the glowing effects of a firefly, which 
  provides equivalent light to that of a 
  small lantern. 
  (Base 2 to change someone to give 
  them a minor ability, +1 unnaturally 
  strong light, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, 
  requisites free) 
  Eyes from the Flame 
  Muto Corpus 10 / Animal 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  Alters the target’s vision so that they 
  can see heat patterns in detail, akin to 
  the senses of some exotic snakes and 
  beetles. This alternative type of vision 
  allows the heat patterns to be viewed in 
  many circumstances including total 
  darkness. 
  If this is the target’s only form of 
  vision, then the target cannot discern 
  any significant differences between two 
  potential combatants. e.g. A friend and 
  foe of roughly equal size are very 
  difficult to tell apart based only on their 
  “heat” appearance. The spell is very 
  effective in identifying most invisible 
  creatures who still emit or affect heat. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  58 
  (Base 2 to change someone to give 
  them a minor ability, +1 to make the 
  unnatural heat vision more powerful 
  than a natural animal, +1 Touch, +2 
  Sun, requisite free) 
  The Diminution of Man 
  Muto Corpus 15 
  R: Voice, D: Diameter, T: Individual 
  Reduces the target’s size to -3, that 
  of a baby. 
  (Base 3, +2 Voice, +1 Diameter, +1 
  extra size rank down to size -3) 
  Form of the Lumbering 
  Jotunn 
  Muto Corpus 20 
  R: Personal, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  This effect enlarges the Magus up to 
  a very large (size rank 10) version of 
  themselves. At this size the Magus is 
  around 60 feet tall, and weighs over 100 
  tons. 
  The character’s combat mechanics 
  are greatly enhanced, adding +20 
  Strength, +10 to Soak, -10 to 
  Quickness. The character also gains the 
  reach and leverage associated with the 
  truly massive stance. 
  Requisites are required when cast to 
  transform clothes and equipment, and 
  not all equipment will be included in the 
  transformation. The effect is designed 
  with a girdle as the focus, which is 
  removed to end the effect prematurely. 
  (Base 3 to utterly change the size of 
  a person although still human up to size 
  +1, +2 Sun, +3 for an additional 9 size 
  ranks) 
  The Resistant Skin 
  Muto Corpus 20 
  R: Personal, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  The casters body is enhanced and 
  toughened, gaining a +2 bonus to Soak 
  for the duration. From the Ars Magica 
  Muto Corpus guidelines p. 132. 
  (Base 10, +2 Sun) 
  Silence the Babbling Fool 
  Muto Corpus 20 
  R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Part 
  The target of this spell has their eyes 
  and mouth close over, as if they were 
  born that way. 
  (Base 5 to change a person in a 
  minor way so that they are unnatural, 
  +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, +1 Part) 
  Hera’s Indignant Blessing 
  Muto Corpus 25 
  R: Voice, D: Diameter, T: Part 
  Use Muto magic to seal over the 
  target’s eyes, effectively blinding them. 
  The targets eyes are still present, but 
  cannot be opened as their eyelids are 
  sealed over. 
  The spell name is a reference to 
  Teiresias, who in one story was blinded 
  by Hera for answering a question which 
  favored Zeus over Hera. The physical 
  change in the target is no more complex 
  than a minor ability (akin to Eyes of the 
  Cat). 
  (Base 5 to change a person in a 
  minor way so that they are unnatural 
  from the Muto Animal guideline, +2 
  Voice, +1 Diameter, +1 Part) 
  Shape of Fearsome King 
  Muto Corpus 25/ Animal 
  R: Personal, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  Changes the Magus into a Lion. 
  (Base 10, +2 Sun, +1 due to extra 
  size requirement of lion form) 
  
   
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  59 
  The Cursed Gift of 
  Daedalus 
  Muto Corpus 30 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Part, Req: 
  Animal 
  Grants the target a pair of wings and 
  the ability to fly. 
  (Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 Part, 
  +1 Requisite) 
  Polymorph the Belligerent 
  Rabble 
  Muto Corpus 30 / Animal 
  R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Group 
  This spell changes the targets within 
  the group into sheep for up to two 
  minutes. 
  (Base 10, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, 
  +2 Group) 
  Blessing of Oreus’s 
  Fortitude 
  Muto Corpus 35 
  R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Group 
  This effect enhances a group of up 
  to 10 soldiers soak scores for two 
  minutes, with a +3 bonus. 
  (Base 15, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, 
  +2 Group) 
  Form of the Charging 
  Behemoth 
  Muto Corpus / Animal 35 
  R: Personal, D: Diameter, T: Ind 
  The caster is transformed into a 
  enormously large and imposing 
  monster, up to a size +7. The form 
  stands upright and hunched, well over 
  20 feet tall, with two main fore-limbs 
  formed into crushing weapons, and a 
  long tail capable of crushing and 
  sweeping opponents aside. Two smaller 
  additional limbs are below the main set, 
  which can grasp and use implements. 
  Its hide is almost impregnable due to 
  the overlapping carapace of scales and 
  spikes which cover its body, the spines 
  and spikes being especially long and 
  sharp along the creature’s upper body 
  and tail. Two massive horns adorn its 
  head, forming the basis of the creatures 
  ramming charge. When charging it will 
  sprint using the large forelimbs and 
  hind legs to build momentum. 
  The  physical form as the following 
  aspects: a battering ram skull which can 
  be used to charge, crushing fore limbs, 
  sweeping tail, an impregnable hide of 
  intersecting armor plates, quick bursts 
  of speed, massive bellow, and human 
  speech. 
  (Base 10 size change into an animal 
  of max size +1, +1 Diameter, +2 for an 
  additional 6 size ranks, +2 for a broad 
  set of physical abilities) 
  Form of the Agile 
  Leviathan 
  Muto Corpus / Animal 40 
  R: Personal, D: Diameter, T: Ind 
  The caster is transformed into a 
  large (up to size 4) sea monster. 
  A green and blue scaled serpentine 
  body, sleekly shaped for efficient 
  underwater movement. Two stout 
  forelimbs with grasping hands, and 
  finned rear limbs used to add 
  maneuverability in water. It also has a 
  long neck and tail. 
  The  physical form as the following 
  aspects: breathing underwater through 
  axillary gills, enhanced underwater 
  olfactory and visual perception, a set of 
  six smooth long tentacles which can be 
  used to grip and entwine, and long 
  powerful tail to allow swimming at great 
  speeds, a toughened skin which resists 
  cold, and human-like speech. 
  (Base 20 size change into an aquatic 
  for flying animal of max size +1, +2 
  Sun, +1 for an additional 3 size ranks, 
  +1 for a limited set of physical abilities) 
  Form of the Barbed Dragon 
  Muto Corpus / Animal 45 
  R: Personal, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  The caster is transformed into a 
  large (up to size 7) dragon. 
  A crimson and gold thickly scaled 
  serpentine body, covered in razor sharp 
  barbs and tines. The barbs are much 
  larger and thicker along it’s back and 
  spine, but small barbs cover the entire 
  body except where joints fold. The 
  form has two arms, a long neck, two 
  legs, a set of broad wings, and a long 
  spiked tail. 
  The  physical form as the following 
  aspects: Flying and tolerance for flying 
  conditions, a spiked hide, corrosive 
  blood, a venomous tail spike, and 
  human-like speech. 
  (Base 20 size change into an aquatic 
  for flying animal of max size +1, +2 
  Sun, +2 for an additional 6 size ranks, 
  +1 for a limited set of physical abilities) 
  Form of the Iron 
  Juggernaut 
  Muto Corpus / Terram 45 
  R: Personal, D: Diameter, T: Ind 
  The caster’s body is transformed 
  into solid metal, which can move as 
  normal. A metal pin is applied during 
  casting, and removed by the caster to 
  end the effect prematurely if they wish. 
  Casting requisites are required for 
  carried equipment, although clothing 
  
   
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  and personal effects are also 
  transformed. 
  (Base 25 for solid inanimate object, 
  +1 Diameter, +1 to allow movement 
  sub-effect, +2 for metal) 
  Gift of the Herculean 
  Fortitude 
  Muto Corpus 45 
  R:Personal, D: Diameter, T: 
  Individual 
  The caster gains a bonus of +8 to 
  Soak. 
  (Base 40, +1 Diameter) 
  Perdo Corpus 
  Invoke the Agony of Man 
  Perdo Corpus 15 
  R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Individual 
  Inflicts the target of the spell with 
  wracking pain, almost completely 
  disabling them. To make an action the 
  target must succeed a Stamina + Size 
  stress of 9+. 
  (Base 4 to cause a person pain, +2 
  voice, +1 concentration) 
  Invoke the Horrific 
  Cacophony 
  Perdo Corpus 35 
  R: Voice, D: Diameter, T: Group 
  This spell inflicts the targeted group 
  of up to 100 standard sized people with 
  physical pain so severe that they can do 
  nothing else except writhe in agony, and 
  perhaps very slowly crawl away. 
  (Base 4 to cause a person pain, +1 to 
  boost the effect to the same level as 
  Rego Corpus immobilizes the target, +2 
  Voice, +1 Diameter, +2 Group, +1 to 
  affect up to 100 targets at once) 
  Rego Corpus 
  Blind the Ogling Fool 
  Rego Corpus 5 
  R: Voice, D: Diameter, T: Ind 
  Causes the target’s eyes to close for 
  the duration of the spell. 
  (Base 2 to make a target lose control 
  of a body part, +2 Voice, +1 Diameter) 
  The Buoyant Magus 
  Rego Corpus 10 
  R: Personal, D: Concentration, T: 
  Individual 
  The caster is moved slowly in any 
  direction they desire, horizontally or 
  vertically as fast as smoke rises. The 
  spell affects targets up to size +1 and 
  the caster must concentrate to alter the 
  movement. Heavier targets move more 
  slowly. 
  (Base 5, +1 Concentration) 
  Curse of the Bloated 
  Tongues 
  Rego Corpus 10 
  R: Touch, D: Dia, T: Group 
  As per Curse of the Unruly Tongue 
  (Rego Corpus 5), modified to target a 
  group, and last diameter. 
  Note: Invented specifically at this 
  level to defend against multiple Magi, 
  but requires one of the targets be 
  touched during casting. Consideration 
  should be given to altering Range too 
  Voice for a less dangerous design. 
  (Base 2, +1 Touch +1, +1 Diameter, 
  +2 Group) 
   
  The Clumsy Mannequin 
  Rego Corpus 10 
  R: Eye, D: Diameter, T: Individual 
  The spell facilitates the control of 
  the target’s large scale motions (arms, 
  legs, and head movement), which must 
  follow any simplistic instructions. The 
  target can only control their own small 
  scale motions (finger gestures, talking), 
  and suffers a -3 modifier to any of these 
  actions, including spell casting. Eye 
  contact is needed only for the initial 
  application of the spell. 
  Valid commands might be “walk in a 
  circle”, “sit down”, “walk of that edge”, 
  and if the command is completed but 
  the spell still has duration the target 
  gains control again until the caster 
  issues another command. 
  As the duration is Diameter the 
  caster must concentrate to the control 
  over the target’s body. While the spell is 
  in effect the target cannot be made to 
  make any complex or agile movement 
  such as fighting, dancing, juggling, etc. 
  (Base 4, +1 Eye, +1 Diameter) 
  The Fastidious Wizard’s 
  Repose 
  Rego Corpus 10 
  R: Personal, D: Momentary, T: 
  Individual 
  This spell performs all of the caster’s 
  standard grooming and laundry needs in 
  a matter of seconds. The casters body, 
  clothes, and equipment worn are 
  cleaned, clothes pressed, body 
  manicured, etc. 
  The quality of the effect is 
  determined by a Finesse check, 
  difficulty 3+ to obtain complete 
  coverage and effect. The spell’s inventor 
  traveled extensively without servants in 
  
   
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  difficult and remote areas, and this spell 
  maintained a suitably dignified and 
  hygienic appearance. 
  The additional magnitudes for 
  requisite arts empowers the spell to use 
  affect a wide range materials, and also 
  temporarily create materials needed for 
  cleaning. 
  (Base 2, +1 to enhance the Finesse 
  check difficulty downward from 6 to 3, 
  +1 to allow for cleaning of complex 
  equipment carefully, +1 Creo, +1 
  Herbam Animal and Terram) 
  Blind the Watchful Scout 
  Rego Corpus 15 
  R: Sight, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  Causes the target’s eyes to close for 
  the duration of the spell. 
  (Base 2 to make a target lose control 
  of a body part, +3 Sight, +2 Sun) 
  Blind the Ogling Horde 
  Rego Corpus 20 
  R: Voice, D: Diameter, T: Group 
  Causes the target’s eyes to close for 
  the duration of the spell. 
  (Base 2 to make a target lose control 
  of a body part, +2 Voice, +1 Diameter, 
  +2 Group, +1 larger group up to 100 
  members) 
  The Buoyant Grog 
  Rego Corpus 20 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  The target is moved slowly in any 
  direction the caster desires horizontally 
  or vertically, as fast as smoke rises. The 
  spell affects targets up to size +1 and 
  the caster must concentrate to alter the 
  movement. Heavier targets move more 
  slowly. 
  (Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun) 
  Forcing the Statue of Man 
  Rego Corpus 20 
  R: Voice, D: Diameter, T: Individual 
  The spell holds the target motionless 
  for two minutes, during which time they 
  cannot move at all. This prohibits all 
  physical movement such as talking, spell 
  casting, and even changing the direction 
  they are looking. 
  (Base 5, +2 Voice, +1 Diameter) 
  Rampart Against the 
  Common Man 
  Rego Corpus 20 
  R: Touch, D: Ring, T: Circle 
  Creates a circle through which no 
  ordinary (say protected by Parma 
  Magica or otherwise resist the spell) 
  person can cross or affect those within 
  the circle. 
  Aside: Ward Against the Curious 
  Scullion was errata-ed to use a base 
  effect of 15, which is incredibly out of 
  alignment with the other baseline 
  effects in Rego Corpus and the other 
  wards. In hindsight I’d call this a barrier 
  or rampart instead of a ward and say it 
  stops direct physical manipulation 
  instead of using the phrase Ward and 
  inheriting all the angst and confusion 
  that comes with how wards may be 
  implemented within a story. My intent 
  was a barrier, and not at all to stop 
  actions of humans working in an 
  intelligent manner. 
  (Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Ring) 
  The Buoyant Squad 
  Rego Corpus 25 
  R: Touch, D: Concentration, T: 
  Group 
  The target is moved slowly in any 
  direction the caster desires horizontally 
  or vertically, as fast as smoke rises. The 
  spell affects targets up to size +1 and 
  the caster must concentrate to alter the 
  movement. Heavier targets move more 
  slowly. 
  ( B a s e  5 ,  + 1  T o u c h ,  + 1 
  Concentration, +2 Group) 
  By Will Alone 
  Rego Corpus 25 
  R: Personal D: Sun, T: Individual 
  This spell grants the Magus the 
  power to move their body through the 
  air, controlled by thought at up to 
  speeds of 40 miles per hour. Unlike the 
  Creo Auram spells hovering in place 
  with this spell is as simple as any other 
  flight. 
  The Magus must concentrate to 
  control when and how fast they fly, and 
  may elect to halt their thought 
  movement, even while the spell remain 
  active (effectively the Magus elects to 
  not move using the spell). Finesse rolls 
  are required for complex maneuvers. 
  Note that the spell will continue in a 
  manner last instructed, so the caster 
  best be wary of distractions and mishap. 
  (Base 15, +2 Sun) 
  Blind the Ogling Legion 
  Rego Corpus 30 
  R: Voice, D: Diameter, T: Group 
  Causes the target’s eyes to close for 
  the duration of the spell. 
  (Base 2 to make a target lose control 
  of a body part, +2 Voice, +1 Diameter, 
  +2 Group, +3 larger group up to 
  10,000 members) 
   
  
   
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  The Unwilling Army 
  Rego Corpus 30 
  R: Voice, D: Diameter, T: Group 
  The spell allows the caster to control 
  the large scale motions (arms, legs, and 
  head movement) of a very large group 
  of people (up to 100 standard 
  individuals). The targets are controlled 
  by the caster, following simplistic 
  instructions. 
  The targets can only make small 
  scale motions (finger gestures, talking), 
  and suffers a -3 modifier to any of these 
  actions, including spell casting. 
  Valid commands might be “walk in a 
  circle”, “sit down”, “walk of that edge”, 
  and if the command is completed but 
  the spell still has duration the target 
  gains control again until the caster 
  issues another command. 
  As the duration is Diameter the 
  caster must concentrate to the control 
  over the target’s bodies. While the spell 
  is in effect the target cannot be made to 
  make any complex or agile movement 
  such as fighting, dancing, juggling, etc. 
  (Base 4, +2 Voice, +1 Diameter, +2 
  Group, +1 for a very large group) 
  Direct the Flight of Your 
  Flock 
  Rego Corpus 35 
  R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Group 
  The target and his group of traveling 
  companions are raised into the air and 
  fly as one under the control of the 
  caster up to speeds of 40 miles per hour 
  (see “By Will Alone” above). 
  The members of the group must 
  remain together, otherwise the member 
  is removed from the spell’s effects; and 
  pray that the Magi’s concentration is not 
  disturbed. 
  (Base 15, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +2 
  Group) 
  HERBAM 
  Creo Herbam 
  Conjure the Humble Skiff 
  Creo Herbam 25 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  This spell conjures a moderate sized 
  wooden boat, single sail, and running 
  gear suitable for six travelers and their 
  gear. The spell requires a finesse check 
  to determine the quality of the boat. 
  (Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 
  increased target size for a modest boat, 
  +2 complexity in the design and 
  finished form) 
  Rego Herbam 
  Draw the Magic Circle 
  Rego Herbam 5 
  The caster quickly draws a circle 
  onto the surface touched, far faster than 
  the typical inscription time. The circle 
  may be as large or small as the caster 
  desires, up to around 100 paces in 
  diameter. The caster must make a 
  Finesse check of 3+ or else the circle is 
  unusable. 
  (Base 1 to create something simple, 
  +1 Touch, +3 for very large circles) 
  The Unwanted Mask 
  Rego Herbam 15 
  R: Voice, D: Diameter, T: Individual 
  The target clothing moves to blind 
  the wearer, shifting in place for the 
  duration to cover the eyes. This effect 
  will have varying results dependent of 
  the clothing of the creature to be 
  affected. 
  (Base 4, +2 Voice, +1 Diameter) 
  Extract the Essence of 
  Serqet 
  Rego Herbam 20, Aquam Animal 
  R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: 
  Individual 
  This spell processes a poisoner’s raw 
  ingredients into a near perfect extract. 
  The quality of the final result is 
  determined by a Finesse roll vs 6, where 
  results lower than this amount do not 
  produce an effective poison, and rolls 
  that far exceed it will increase potency. 
  All of the materials for normal 
  processing and steps must be provided 
  for the spell to produce an effective 
  product. 
  (Base 3 to perform the craft process 
  within moments, +4 reduction of 
  Finesse difficulty by 12, +1 Touch) 
  Allay the Buoyant Load 
  Rego Herbam 25 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Part 
  The bags, containers, sacks or other 
  carrying vessels carried by the target 
  touched are made buoyant, which 
  reduces their burden to the wearer to 
  almost nothing. 
  The spell affects any items crafted 
  from materials, and affects the 
  equipment carried, not the target 
  themselves so no warping will occur. 
  (Base 4 to affect a manufactured 
  product, +1 plant product moves 
  unnaturally, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 
  Part) 
  
   
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  IGNEM 
  Creo Ignem 
  Ignite the Incriminating 
  Writ 
  Creo Ignem 5 / Herbam 
  R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Individual 
  This effect ignites a targeted 
  item item quickly providing a fire 
  which will likely destroying it and 
  leaving only ash. The spell was 
  invented for use on writs and other 
  paper documents which could be 
  either incriminating or hold Magi to 
  agreements which they would 
  prefer to avoid. 
  (Base 3 as ignite parchment, +2 
  Voice, +0 He Requisite) 
  Ignite the Promiscuous 
  Memoir 
  Creo Ignem 25 / Requisite 
  R: Arc, D: Mom, T: Individual 
  This effect ignites an item connected 
  via an arcane connection, thereby 
  providing a fire which will likely 
  destroying it. The item may be in almost 
  any anything slightly flammable such 
  leather, damp wool. 
  The spell was invented for use on 
  writs and books, but can also be used to 
  ignite almost any material. 
  (Base 5 as ignite something slightly 
  flammable, +4 Arc) 
  Melt the Vanguard’s Arms 
  Creo Ignem 25 / Terram 
  R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Part 
  Up to ten metal items carried by or 
  on the target are heated to melting 
  point. Thus a soldier’s sword, helm, and 
  segments of armor will all instantly be 
  burning hot, and melt. This has a side 
  effect of inflicting +5 damage per round 
  while metal items targeted are carried or 
  worn. 
  (Base 10 heat an object to melting 
  point, +2 Voice, +1 to increase number 
  of parts targeted, +0 Te Requisite) 
  Melt the Company’s Arms 
  Creo Ignem 35 / Terram 
  R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Group 
  Up to ten metal items carried by or 
  on the target are heated to melting 
  point. Thus a soldiers sword, helm, and 
  segments of armor will all instantly be 
  burning hot, and melt. This has a side 
  effect of inflicting +5 damage per round 
  while metal items targeted are carried or 
  worn. 
  (Base 10 heat an object to melting 
  point, +2 Voice, +2 Group, +1 increase 
  size of group, +0 Te Requisite) 
  Intellego Ignem 
  Perceive the Footprints 
  of Vulcan 
  Intellego Ignem 15 
  R: Personal, D: Diameter, T: Vision 
  Allows the target to see heat 
  patterns and heat emissions around 
  them. This alternative type of vision 
  allows the heat patterns to be 
  viewed in many circumstances 
  including total darkness. 
  (Base 2 to become aware of all fires 
  and heat, +1 Diameter, +4 Vision) 
  Muto Ignem 
  Conceal the Fire within 
  the Arrow 
  Muto Ignem 25 / Herbam 
  R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: 
  Individual 
  This spell changes a fire up to the 
  size of a small campfire (+5 damage) 
  into an arrow or bolt suitable for use by 
  an archer. The size and form of the 
  projectile is chosen by the caster. The 
  arrow can be used and fired normally 
  until the duration of the spell expires, 
  when it will revert back into a fire. 
  (Base 10 to change into an unnatural 
  element of another form, +1 Herbam 
  requisite, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter) 
  Perdo Ignem 
  Extinguish All Light 
  Perdo Ignem 5 
  R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Ind 
  Light is removed from an area 3-5 
  paces across for the duration of the 
  spell. 
  (Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter) 
  
   
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  Solar of Darkness 
  Perdo Ignem 15 
  R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Room 
  Removes light from the target room. 
  Only spells greater than level 15 can 
  create or manipulate light within this 
  area for the duration. 
  (Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, +2 
  Room) 
  Wizard’s Icy Shroud 
  Perdo Ignem 30 
  R: Voice, D: Diameter, T: Individual 
  As per Wizard’s Icy Grip – Chills a 
  single target so that it takes +15 damage 
  each combat round the spell is in effect. 
  If this is enough to kill, the target is 
  frozen solid. Armor does not add to 
  Soak against this spell. 
  (Base 15, +2 Voice, +1 Diameter) 
  IMAGINEM 
  Creo Imaginem 
   
  Discover the Disquiet of 
  the Obtrusive Tone 
  Creo Imaginem 4 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  This spell creates a simple sound 
  infrequently over the spell’s duration. 
  The caster determines the sound to be 
  created (dripping water, chirp of a bird, 
  a cat’s meow, a cough) and the interval 
  between the occurrences when the spell 
  is cast. In typical use a drip of water 
  sounds every diameter for the spell’s 
  duration. 
  (Base 1, +1 Touch, +2 Sun) 
  Discover the Peace of 
  Thunder, Wind, and Rain 
  Creo Imaginem 4 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  This spell creates the sound of 
  thunder, wind, and rain at the location 
  touched, equivalent volume to a 
  speaking person. 
  (Base 1, +1 Touch, +2 Sun) 
  Speak Through the 
  Intangible Tunnel 
  Creo Imaginem 4 
  R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind 
  The caster can speak through an 
  Intangible Tunnel (which requires range 
  touch). 
  (Base 1 to create an image that 
  affects a sense, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +1 
  intelligible speech) 
  Conjuration of the 
  Insubstantial Fleeting 
  Blindfold 
  Creo Imaginem 5 
  R: Voice, D: Diameter, T: Individual 
  The image of a blindfold is crated 
  around the head of the creature, and 
  will move with the creature. Credit to 
  Erik Tyrrell for the spell concept. 
  (Base 1, +2 Voice, +1 Diameter, +1 
  moving image) 
  Discover the Melody of the 
  Absent Minstrel 
  Creo Imaginem 5 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual 
  This spell creates the sound of 
  music, equivalent volume to a speaking 
  person. The style and instruments are 
  chosen when cast, and quality is 
  dependent on a finesse check. 
  (Base 1, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 clear 
  music) 
  Render the Magic Circle 
  Creo Imaginem 5 
  R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Individual  
  The caster draws a circle onto the 
  surface touched. The circle may be as 
  large or small as the caster desires, up to 
  around 4 feet diameter. 
  (Base 1 to create something affecting 
  one sense, +1 Touch, +3 Moon) 
  Deafen the Surly Turncoat 
  Creo Imaginem 5 
  R: Voice, D: Momentary, T: 
  Individual 
  This effect creates a momentary 
  explosion of sound which is powerful 
  enough to potentially deafen those close 
  to it. Creature successfully targeted by 
  the caster’s Finesse check of 6+ must 
  then pass a Stamina check vs 9+, or 
  they are deafened for approximately two 
  minutes. 
  The effect is perfect for ending 
  conversations with belligerent 
  subordinates. 
  (Base 3, +2 Voice) 
  Shatter the Bon Vivant’s 
  Glass 
  Creo Imaginem 5 
  R: Voice, D: Momentary, T: 
  Individual 
  The caster creates a short high 
  pitched burst of sound next to a glass 
  
   
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  65 
  item, which is shattered by the sound. 
  The caster must succeed a Finesse 
  check vs base 6 to correctly target the 
  sound. The sound created is very loud. 
  (Base 3 to break glass with Finesse 
  check 6+, +2 Voice) 
  Mastery of Thought and 
  Purpose 
  Creo Imaginem 15 
  R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind 
  When the spell is cast an abstract 
  image forms in front of the caster which 
  they may manipulate using Finesse rolls, 
  while making Concentration rolls. The 
  spell presents a detailed changing image, 
  which tries to resist and contradict the 
  alterations of the caster. Slowly as time 
  progresses the image changes more 
  quickly, and the caster is challenged 
  with controlling the spell for as long as 
  possible. 
  Unlike practice using normal spells 
  requiring concentration and finesse, this 
  spell is designed to frustrate and 
  challenge the caster. This grants a 
  source quality of 5 for practicing the 
  Finesse and Concentration abilities. 
  (Base 1 to create an image that 
  affects one sense, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, 
  +1 a moving image, +1 directed by use, 
  +1 which is increasingly complex, +1 
  seeking to hamper or avoid the caster’s 
  intent) 
  The Harpies Screech 
  Creo Imaginem 15 
  R: Voice, D: Momentary, T: 
  Individual 
  This effect creates a sound so loud 
  and piercing that it causes disorientation 
  and possibly panic to those who hear it. 
  The caster is protected from the effect 
  by the Rego requisite which protects 
  them from the worst of the effect. 
  Creatures must succeed a Stamina 12+ 
  check are dazed and disorientated. 
  Animals may also be panicked by the 
  effect. 
  The effect can be heard by anyone 
  who is within range, although a 
  creature’s magic resistance must be 
  overcome for the worst of the effects to 
  apply. This is a debatable aspect of 
  Imaginem magic, which should be 
  discussed before the spell is taken. 
  (Base 3, +2 Voice, +1 Rego requsite, 
  +1 for a very difficult stam check vs 12 
  or higher) 
  Intellego Imaginem 
  Spy Through the Intangible 
  Tunnel 
  Intellego Imaginem 10 
  R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Room 
  The caster can see and hear what is 
  occurring through an Intangible Tunnel 
  (which requires range touch). 
  (Base 2 to use two senses, +1 
  Touch, +1 Conc, +2 Room) 
  Muto Imaginem 
  Disguise the Words as 
  Written 
  Muto Imaginem 10 
  R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Individual 
  Allows the caster to change the 
  contents of a letter or document, re-
  writing the message, changing seals, and 
  altering signatures to create another 
  message. The letter may also be 
  rendered into jibberish. Useful for 
  sending secret messages by mundane 
  means, and also for altering official 
  documentation 
  (Base 1, +1 Touch, +3 Moon, +1 
  very complex image and text) 
  Mask the Passage of the 
  Beast 
  Muto Imaginem 10 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  The appearance, smell, and sound of 
  the target animal is altered to be akin to 
  other natural elements in the 
  background, appropriate to where the 
  target is traveling. The target’s smell 
  changes to match the ground near them, 
  and their sounds become akin to normal 
  natural parts of the environment. The 
  appearance of the creature is not made 
  invisible; rather it takes on a natural 
  camouflage, using same hues and colors 
  of the environment. 
  The effect will seem odd if it is used 
  to mask blatant dramatic sounds or 
  smells, or if the target moves quickly as 
  these effects are very unlikely to occur 
  naturally and this will make the target 
  far easier to discern. 
  (Base 3 for look, smell and sound, 
  +1 Touch, +2 Sun) 
  Disguise of the Mischievous 
  Doppelganger 
  Muto Imaginem 15 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  This effect alters the target to an 
  exacting copy of another person. The 
  target’s look, sound, and smell are 
  altered to match; including the target’s 
  clothing and equipment. Ideally the 
  person to be copied should be present 
  at the time the spell is cast, or a highly 
  detailed likeness be present. 
  Like many similar effects the quality 
  of the copy is subject to a Finesse 
  check, with a general target number of 
  6+ for cursory inspection, 9+ for a fair 
  copy that will pass almost any 
  inspection, through to 12+ for a perfect 
  reproduction. The Finesse check should 
  be modified by the familiarity and 
  knowledge the caster has for the target 
  
   
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  66 
  to be copied, and as this effect is 
  designed to copy a specific target – the 
  caster gains a +3 to the Finesse check if 
  the source for the duplication is present 
  during the casting. 
  (Base 3, +1 for very high detailed 
  and reliable reproduction, +1 Touch, 
  +2 Sun) 
  Gift of the Echoing Voice 
  Muto Imaginem 15 
  R: Touch, D: Concentration, T: 
  Structure 
  The target’s natural speaking voice 
  echos through the target area, sounding 
  as if it is naturally occurring. The sound 
  grows outward from the target, 
  becoming slightly louder, but echoing 
  from all surfaces through the structure. 
  (Base 1 for Sound, +1 for slightly 
  unnatural behavior, +1 Touch as sound 
  leaves the Magus, +1 Concentration, +3 
  Structure) 
  Perdo Imaginem 
  Ring of Impermanently 
  Clear Vision 
  Perdo Imaginem 15 
  R: Touch, D: Ring, T: Circle 
  This effect removes the image from 
  the area within the target circle, so that 
  it is rendered invisible. 
  (Base 4 affect sight, +1 Touch, +2 
  Ring) 
  Rego Imaginem 
  Ring of Transiently Clear 
  Vision 
  Rego Imaginem 10 
  R: Touch, D: Ring, T: Circle 
  This effect removes the image from 
  the area within the target circle, so that 
  it is rendered invisible. 
  (Base 2 to make it appear 1 pace 
  away, +1 Touch, +2 Ring, +1 Part) 
  MENTEM 
  Intellego Mentem 
  Drawing the Truth from 
  the Dead 
  Intellego Mentum 35 
  R: Arc, D: Momentary, Target: 
  Individual 
  By means of this spell the caster 
  contacts a ghost which has not yet 
  passed to final judgement, and learns a 
  single sentence answer to a very specific 
  question. 
  The caster must have an arcane 
  conenction to the ghost he wishes to 
  question, and typically the unhallowed 
  corpse of the target is used. 
  (Base 15, +4 Arc) 
  Peering into the Unresting 
  Mind 
  Intellego Mentum 45 
  R: Arc, D: Momentary, Target: 
  Individual 
  
   
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  67 
  By means of this spell the caster 
  contacts a ghost which has not yet 
  passed to final judgement, and draws a 
  set of knowledge from the remains of 
  its mind about a specific topic or 
  question. 
  The caster must have an arcane 
  connection to the ghost he wishes to 
  question, and typically the unhallowed 
  corpse of the target is used. 
  (Base 25, +4 Arc) 
  Perdo Mentem 
  Calm the Motion of My 
  Heart 
  Perdo Mentem 5 
  R: Personal, D: Mom, T: Individual 
  Removes one emotion from the 
  caster until it reoccurs again naturally. 
  (Base 5) 
  Perpetual Torture of the 
  Dead 
  Perdo Mentem 30 
  R: Arc, D: Ring, T: Individual 
  This spell connects the caster to 
  ghost of a dead person for whom they 
  possess the arcane connection (or 
  body), and inflicts pain upon the ghost 
  until the ring is broken. 
  (Base 4, +4 Arc, +2 Ring) 
  Torture the Restless Dead 
  Perdo Mentem 30 / Creo Imaginem 
  R: Arc, D: Conc, T: Individual 
  This spell connects the caster to 
  ghost of a dead person for whom they 
  possess the arcane connection (or 
  body), and inflicts pain upon the ghost. 
  The Creo Imaginem component of 
  the spell make the auditory screams and 
  pleas of the ghost audible to those 
  around the caster. 
  (Base 4, +1 Creo Imaginem sub-
  effect, +4 Arc, +1 Conc) 
  Rego Mentum 
   
  Aura of Unstoppable Malevolence 
  Rego Mentem 35 
  R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Group 
  Targets of this spell are strongly 
  inclined to obey you, as their sense of 
  fear is heightened for the duration of 
  the spell. 
  (Base 5, +2 Voice, +2 Sun, +2 
  Group) 
  Blessing of Eternal Joy 
  Rego Mentem 35 
  R: Arc, D: Ring, T: Individual 
  This spell connects the caster to 
  ghost of a dead person for whom they 
  possess the arcane connection (or 
  body), and changes the ghost’s mental 
  state to one of happiness and joy. 
  (Base 5 to control a natural emotion, 
  +4 Arc, +2 Ring) 
  TERRAM 
  Creo Terram 
  Conjuring the Mystic 
  Citadel 
  Creo Terram 40 
  R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind, Ritual 
  An expansion of the Conjuring the 
  Mystic Tower to create an entire citadel. 
  A central tower three times the volume 
  of the normal tower, connected to six 
  surrounding towers via walls and 
  walkways. The effect forms the citadel 
  according to the caster’s designs from a 
  single stone, with a floor plan 
  approximately ten times larger than the 
  standard Tower. 
  (Base 3 to create stone, +1 Touch, 
  +5 additional size, +3 elaborate design) 
  Muto Terram 
  Subsume the Irritating 
  Knave 
  Muto Terram 10 / Auram 
  R: Voice, D:Mom, T: Part 
  This spell alters the ground within 
  the target area so that it is briefly 
  transformed into air, and then quickly 
  back  again. Anything within the target 
  area will fall as they lack the foundation 
  of the earth. 
  The spell will affect mud, sand, and 
  dirt, and anything upon these surfaces 
  will be quickly buried and also 
  potentially wreck a buildings stability. 
  If the spell is targeted beneath a 
  specific spot, such as beneath a 
  particular person a targeting roll is 
  required. The effect is designed to 
  create a cubic area, with a volume of 10 
  cubic paces of earth (roughly 2.2 paces 
  per side). 
  (Base 3 to change in to another 
  substance such as liquid, and include an 
  Auram requisite, +2 Voice, +1 Part) 
  Strength of Titan Steel 
  Muto Terram 15 
  R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: 
  Individual 
  The metal weapons and armor 
  carried by the target are made far 
  stronger and more resilient. Reduce the 
  
   
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  number of botch dice rolled when 
  checking for a breakage by one, even if 
  this means no botch dice are rolled. 
  Optional rule: If Lords of Men 
  breakage check is used modify the 
  enhanced weapon’s Weapon Breakage 
  roll by +5, and increase the Damage 
  Levels the weapon has by +1. This is 
  greatly decrease the change that the 
  weapon will be damaged as a result of 
  combat stress, but retains the initial 
  check to see which combatant’s weapon 
  is affected by a breakage check. 
  (Base 3, +2 effect metals, +1 Touch, 
  +1 Diameter) 
  Conjure the Orb of 
  Sunshine 
  Muto Terram 20 / Ignem 
  R:Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  The material touched glows brightly, 
  and may be used like a torch. The 
  creator Magus designed the spell so that 
  a large volume of the enchanted 
  material could be shared amongst many 
  people, or used to light a large area. 
  (Base 3 for an unnatural glowing 
  which affect up to 10 cubic paces of 
  dirt, mud, sand, or up to 1 cubic pace of 
  stone or glass, +1 glow very brightly, +1 
  effect stone/glass, +1 Touch, +2 Sun) 
  Flatten Miscellanea to Art 
  Muto Terram 20 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  The object touched is converted into 
  a small two dimensional image of itself 
  for the duration of the spell. Casting 
  requisites are required for the object 
  when cast, and the effect can only affect 
  non-living objects of standard size. 
  (Base 4 to change dirt so that it’s 
  highly unnatural as “two dimensional”, 
  +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 secondary sub-
  effect to shrink) 
  Object of Increased Size, 
  Enlarged 
  Muto Terram 20 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  This spell increases the size of the 
  object touched by up to four times it’s 
  normal dimensions, and up to sixty four 
  times it’s mass. The spell can affect an 
  object up to the size of a large chest. 
  When cast requisites are required for 
  the form of the affected object. 
  (Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 
  further increase in scale) 
  Subsume the Irritating 
  Hovel 
  Muto Terram 20 / Auram 
  R: Voice, D:Mom, T: Part 
  This spell alters the ground within 
  the target area so that it is briefly 
  transformed into air, and then quickly 
  back  again. Anything within the target 
  area will fall as they lack the foundation 
  of the earth. 
  The spell will affect mud, sand, dirt 
  and stone, and anything upon these 
  surfaces will be quickly buried and also 
  potentially wreck a buildings stability. 
  If the spell is targeted beneath a 
  specific spot, such as beneath a 
  particular person a targeting roll is 
  required. The effect is designed to 
  create a cubic area, with a volume of 
  100 cubic paces of earth (5x5x4 paces), 
  or 10 cubic paces of stone (roughly 2.2 
  paces per side). The difficulty of the 
  targeting roll should be adjusted 
  accordingly. 
  (Base 3 to change in to a liquid and 
  add Au req, +1 to effect stone, +1 area 
  increase, +2 Voice, +1 Part) 
  Trap of Unearthly 
  Stickiness 
  Muto Terram 20 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Part 
  This spell enchants an area of 
  ground or earth (equivalent to 10 cubic 
  paces) to be ultra-sticky, so that 
  anything which touches the area is stuck 
  to the earth. Stuck creatures can attempt 
  a Strength + Size roll of 9+ to break 
  free of the effect. The spell will effect 
  creatures of size +1 or smaller. 
  (Base 4 to change earth to have a 
  highly unnatural property, +1 Touch, 
  +2 Sun, +1 Part) 
  Object of Decreased Size, 
  Diminutive 
  Muto Terram 25 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  This spell decreases the size of the 
  object touched by up to 64 times less 
  it’s normal dimensions, and 262,000 
  times less mass. The spell can affect an 
  object up to the size of a large chest. 
  When cast requisites are required for 
  the form of the affected object. 
  (Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +2 
  further decreases in scale) 
  Ten Thousand Graceful 
  Steps 
  Muto Terram 25 / Rego 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Part 
  The earth beneath the target’s feet is 
  changed so that they are always moving 
  upon a stable and solid surface made of 
  stone. The modified surface moves with 
  the target for the duration of the spell. 
  This facilitates excellent traveling 
  conditions, akin to always traveling on 
  well-maintained paved roads. 
  
   
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  69 
  This spell will affect most paths and 
  road surfaces including any rocks or 
  other Terram based materials. It will use 
  the cubic pace allowed in the spell effect 
  to smooth inclines, and improve broken 
  pathways. The effect will not alter any 
  wooden or metal components in the 
  road surfaces, but may allow items to be 
  covered completely by the artificial 
  roadway. The spell does not remove the 
  need for the traveler to pay attention to 
  their footing. 
  (Base 3, +1 moving effect, +1 Rego 
  to smooth the surface, +1 Touch, +2 
  Sun, +1 Part) 
  The Unobtrusive Observer’s 
  Voice in Stone 
  Muto Terram / Corpus 25 
  R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Part 
  The surface touched gains the power 
  of human speech as long as the earth is 
  already awakened. 
  (Base 4 to grant the power of speech 
  which is highly unnatural for earth +1, 
  +0 Corpus requisite in base effect, +1 
  to affect stone, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +1 
  Part) 
  Trap of the Lazy Huntsman 
  Muto Terram 25 / Intellego Animal 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Part 
  This spell enchants an area of 
  ground or earth (equivalent to 10 cubic 
  paces) to be ultra-sticky, so that animals 
  who walks across the area are stuck to 
  the earth. The animals specified may be 
  as wide as “any moderate sized 
  creatures”, or “only boars and pigs”; but 
  is limited to animals of size +1 or 
  smaller. 
  Creatures that are not specified in 
  the spell might notice the ground to be 
  slightly tacky but are not impacted by 
  the effect. Stuck creatures can attempt a 
  Strength + Size roll of 9+ to break free 
  of the effect. 
  (Base 4 to change earth to have a 
  highly unnatural property, +1 Touch, 
  +2 Sun, +1 Part, +0 Animal Req, +1 
  Intellego Req) 
  Buoyant Arms and Armor 
  Muto Terram 30 
  R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Group 
  The metal weapons and armor of all 
  members in a group are have their 
  effective weight reduced to zero for 
  combat purposes. The weapons and 
  armor effected are rendered almost 
  weightless. 
  Optional rule: The weight is reduced 
  by two thirds round down, to reflect 
  movement encumbrance. 
  (Base 4, +2 metal, +1 Touch, +1 
  Diameter, +2 Group) 
  Drayman’s Gentle Journey 
  Muto Terram 30 / Rego 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Part 
  As per “Ten Thousand Graceful 
  Steps” (above), with an added 
  magnitude for the increased amount of 
  material needed to fit beneath a horse 
  or beast of burden’s body, and include 
  the cart of buggy it is pulling. This 
  increase in spell affects changes the 
  material affected up to 10 cubic paces 
  of material; more than enough to 
  provide a stable roadway beneath a cart 
  and horse, a rider, or a sole traveller. 
  (Base 3, +1 moving effect, +1 Rego 
  to smooth the surface, +1 volume of 
  stone increased to ten cubic paces, +1 
  Touch, +2 Sun, +1 Part) 
  
   
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  70 
  Exhume the Bounty of the 
  Earth 
  Muto Terram 30 / Rego 
  R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Part 
  This spell alters the ground within 
  the target area so that it forces all 
  materials it contains to its surface and 
  ejects them. Everything unlike the 
  surrounding earth is slowly pushed to 
  the surface touched by the caster. While 
  this spell does not directly affect any 
  other non-terram materials, the 
  unnatural quality of the enchanted 
  surrounding material can still move 
  other items. Heavier items may move 
  more slowly, requiring the caster to 
  concentrate for many rounds. 
  The spell effects stone and glass 
  surfaces, as well as dirt, sand, and mud. 
  This spell is excellent for exhuming lost 
  items, coffins, and the like; although the 
  gracefulness of the approach is 
  questionable. 
  The spell affects up to 100 cubic 
  paces of earth, or up to 10 single cubic 
  paces of stone or glass; with a final 
  shape and size determined by the caster. 
  (Base 4 to change earth so it is highly 
  unnatural and adding Rego req, +1 to 
  affect stone and glass, +1 to allow 
  flexibility in shape and size, +1 to 
  increase the area effected, +1 Touch, 
  +1 Conc, +1 Part) 
  The Unobtrusive Observer’s 
  Sight in Stone 
  Muto Terram / Mentum 30 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Part 
  The surface touched is awakened to 
  consciousness. The surface is able to see 
  and hear its surroundings, will 
  remember details of events for the 
  duration of the spell. When cast a small 
  human face is added to the surface 
  touched, and effect’s perception is 
  based upon the position of that face. 
  The position and size of the face is 
  decided when the spell is cast. 
  (Base 4 to awaken the consciousness 
  of a plant in the earth instead, +0 
  Mentem requisite in base effect, +1 
  highly unnatural effect for earth, +1 to 
  affect stone, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 
  Part) 
  Trap the Curious 
  Interloper 
  Muto Terram 30 / Intellego Animal 
  Herbam 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Part 
  This spell enchants an area of earth 
  or stone (equivalent to 1 cubic pace) to 
  be ultra-sticky, so that humans who 
  walks across the area are stuck to it. The 
  type of human may be specified but 
  must be a broad category such as “any 
  adults”, or “only men”; and is limited to 
  humans of size +1 or smaller. 
  Creatures that are not specified in 
  the spell might notice the ground to be 
  slightly tacky but are not impacted by 
  the effect. Stuck creatures can attempt a 
  Strength + Size roll of 9+ to break free 
  of the effect. 
  (Base 4 to change earth to have a 
  highly unnatural property, +1 Touch, 
  +2 Sun, +1 Part, +1 Intellego Req, +0 
  Animal Req, +0 Herbam Req, +1 to 
  effect stone) 
  Object of Increased Size, 
  Gargantuan 
  Muto Terram 35 
  R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Ind 
  This spell increases the size of the 
  object touched by up to 100 times it’s 
  normal dimensions, and one million 
  times it’s mass. The spell can affect an 
  object up to the size of a large chest. 
  When cast requisites are required for 
  the form of the affected object. 
  (Base 4, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, +5 
  further increases in scale) 
  Humility and Versatility 
  for Cormoran and Jack 
  Alike 
  Muto Terram 40 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  This effect allows the item touched 
  be resized up to the desires of the 
  caster, up to eight times each 
  dimension, and thirty-two times the 
  mass. Requisites are required for the 
  Form of the target. The original item 
  may be no larger than a small hut. 
  Note that a weapon affected by this 
  spell will be resisted by the MR or 
  Parma Magica of the opponent. The 
  spell is named after the desire to use the 
  same equipment for Jack the Giant 
  Killer and a foe Cormoran. 
  (Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun,+2 affect 
  metals, +1 to affect an object ten times 
  larger than a large chest, +2 for extra 
  quadrupled) 
  Conjuring the Mystic 
  Mausoleum 
  Muto Terram 45 
  R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Part, Ritual 
  This effect constructs an 
  underground dwelling, with an internal 
  size equal to ten times the size of 
  Conjuring the Mystic Tower. 
  This effect could target the 
  basement in an existing tower to add 
  further basements, or construct a 
  standalone underground mausoleum. 
  (Base 3 to change dirt to stone, +1 
  Touch, +1 Part, +5 additional size, +3 
  elaborate design) 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  71 
  Perdo Terram 
  Inscribe the Magic Circle 
  Perdo Terram 10 
  R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Part 
  This spell inscribes a magic circle 
  into the surface of the object touched. 
  The circle may be as large or small as 
  the caster desires, up to around 5 feet 
  diameter. The spell affects simple 
  materials such as dirt, clay, or sand; and 
  harder substances such as stone or glass. 
  It may also affect other materials subject 
  to requisites at time of casting. 
  (Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Part, +1 to 
  affect stone or glass, and requisites for 
  different materials at time of casting are 
  free) 
  VIM 
  Muto Vim 
  Inhibit the Egregious 
  Deviations of the Warp 
  Muto Vim Gen 
  R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: 
  Individual 
  This spell alters the target spell so 
  that it is considered tailored for it’s 
  target for the purposes of any warping it 
  may cause. This spell may alter any 
  effect which is equal to the Muto Vim 
  spell’s level. 
  (Base of a Significant Change to less 
  than or equal to spell level +1 mag, 
  target own spells as +1 Touch) 
  Inhibit the Prolonged 
  Deviations of the Warp 
  Muto Vim Gen 
  R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Individual 
  The spells altered by this effect will 
  decrease their effective level of power 
  with regard to the calculations for 
  warping over time. This spell may alter 
  any effect which is equal to the Muto 
  Vim spell level less three magnitudes 
  (spell level -15). The effective power 
  level of any affected spell is halves for 
  the purposes of calculating Warping. 
  For the Warping mitigation to be 
  effective the target spell must be altered 
  successfully each time it is recast over 
  the duration. 
  This may alter the effective warping 
  applied over time from High Power to 
  Low Power (from 1, +1 warp/year +1/
  season, down to just 1/year) if it 
  reduces the target effect below level 30, 
  see Warping in ArM5 p168. 
  (Base of a Significant Change to less 
  than or equal to spell level +1 mag, 
  target own spells as +1 Touch, effect to 
  last +3 Moon) 
  Inhibit the Selfish 
  Deviations of the Warp 
  Muto Vim Gen 
  R: Voice, D: Momentary, T: 
  Individual 
  This spell alters the target spell so 
  that it is considered tailored for the 
  caster, as if the target spell was designed 
  for the caster to not cause warping. This 
  spell may alter any effect which is equal 
  to the Muto Vim spell level less one 
  magnitude (spell level -5). It is designed 
  with Range Voice because it must be 
  cast cooperatively with another wizard 
  to limit the warping effects of their 
  spells. 
  (Base of a Significant Change to less 
  than or equal to spell level +1 mag, 
  target own spells as +2 Voice) 
  Perdo Vim 
  Return to the True Form 
  of Man 
  Perdo Vim Gen 
  R: Personal, D: Momentary, T: 
  Individual 
  This effect to returns the target to 
  their humanoid natural form, ending 
  any magical or supernatural 
  transformation effects including 
  Hermetic Muto Corpus related spells. 
  The target effect is cancelled if it is 
  equal to or less than the (level of this 
  Perdo Vim spell + 20 + stress die (no 
  botch)). 
  This spell will also end a shape-
  shifters transformation or non-hermetic 
  effects, but cannot affect Heart Beast 
  transformation effects of a Bjornaer 
  Magus. 
  (Base General) 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  72 
  We tried to include as many 
  opportunities to link covenants in 
  Provencal to their neighbors, either 
  mundane or Hermetic. We wanted the 
  setting to feel very interconnected, that 
  the magi wouldn’t have trouble 
  remembering who their fellow Tribunal 
  members were, and what their quirks 
  might be. Additionally, we wanted to 
  ensure there was a rich history in the 
  region to draw upon, for both covenant 
  site selection and ruins to explore. Not 
  all of it made it past the cutting room, 
  and this article offers up a number of 
  those connections, sites, and options 
  which, while useful, just didn’t make it 
  into the book. 
  LOST COVENANT 
  SITES 
  Two sites didn’t make the 
  description lists in Faith & Flame. One 
  can never have too many ruined or lost 
  covenants, especially in the region that 
  (Continued on page 74) 
  By Ben Mcfarland 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  73 
  Sorgina Giantess 
  Magic Might: 20 (Corpus) 
  Characteristics: Int 0, Per +2, Pre 0, Com 0, Str +10, Sta 
  +4, Dex +2, Qik -2 
  Size: +3 
  Season: Autumn 
  Confidence Score: 1 (3) 
  Virtues and Flaws: Folk Witch, Magic Human; Cursing, 
  Healing, Shapeshifting; Painless Moon, Tough, Warrior, Well-
  Trained Folk Witch; Greedy, Magical Monster, Primitive 
  Tradition; Anchored to the Hills 
  Magical Qualities and Inferiorities: Gigantic (x2), Major 
  Virtue (Cursing); Improved Abilities x2, Improved Recovery, 
  Improved Soak, Lesser Power, Minor Virtue (Great Stamina), 
  Minor Virtue (Great Strength), Minor Virtue (Improved 
  Characteristics x4) 
  Personality Traits: Giant +3, Greedy +3, Hungry +2, 
  Merciful -1 
  Reputations: Folk Witch +4 (regional), Vindictive +3 
  (regional), Stays in the hills +2 (local), Willing to Trade +2 
  (local)  
  Combat: 
  Cudgel: Init -1, Attack +12, Defense +5, Damage +17 
  Fist (brawl): Init +-2, Attack +8, Defense +4, Damage +10 
  Kick (brawl): Init -3, Attack +7, Defense +2, Damage +13 
  Thrown Stone: Init -3, Attack +8, Defense -1, Damage +12; 
  (weapon stats: Init -1, Atk +1, Def -4, Dmg +2) 
  Soak: +9 
  Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, -5, Unconscious 
  Wound Penalties: –1 (1–8), –3 (9–16), –5 (17–24), 
  Incapacitated (25–32), Dead (33+) 
  Abilities: Area Lore: Pyrenees 4 (valleys & caves), Athletics 
  3 (chasing), Awareness 3 (humans), Brawl 5 (fist), 
  Concentration 2 (maintaining), Cursing 5 (men), Folk Ken 3 
  (detecting lies), Folk Witch Magic Theory 3 (Fetishes), Great 
  Weapon 5 (cudgel), Healing 5 (falls), Hunt 3 (boar), Living 
  Language: Basque 4 (commands), Penetration 2 (Curses), 
  Shapeshifting 5 (wolves), Stealth 4 (moving quietly), Survival 4 
  (hills), Thrown Weapon 4 (stone), Wilderness Sense 3 (Hills) 
  Powers: 
  Earth’s Tooth From the Loam, 5 points, Init -12, Terram 
  R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind 
  The Giantess plunges her hand into the ground and pulls 
  upward, causing a column of stone approximately 7 paces by 7 
  paces by 20 paces to rise 15 paces upwards, out of the earth 
  and leaving 5 paces of stone in the ground. An Athletics or 
  Quickness check (Ease Factor 7) allows someone on top of the 
  stone to escape before being carried into the air. ReTe 25 (Base 
  3, +1 Touch, Mom, Ind, +1 for Stone, +4 Size): Lesser Power 
  (25 levels); 
  Encumbrance: 0 (0) 
  Vis: There are 4 pawns of Corpus vis in the giant’s head. 
  She carries 4 pawns of Animal vis, 3 pawns of Corpus vis, and 
  3 pawns of Vim vis. 
  Appearance: The giantess appears like a very tall Basque 
  sorgina, complete with headscarf and skirt, carrying a large 
  walking stick, and a witch’s bag made from the hide of a whole 
  cow. She has a drake skull as a pendant. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  74 
  partially served as the battlefield for the 
  Schism War. These sites are: 
  Lugdunum (775 – 1008): the main 
  Diedne covenant sited on the Temple 
  of Lugh near Lyons. It was destroyed in 
  the in the closing days of the Schism 
  War. 
  Portus Termini (5 votes): Portus 
  Termini is an isolated funerary covenant 
  in the Verdun Gorge (see Faith & 
  Flame, Chapter 6: Arelat), stagnate and 
  old. The magi don’t care about the 
  Tribunal at large. However, they are 
  vaguely interested in recovery of several 
  lost covenant sites for nostalgic reasons 
  and its elderly leader may claim rights to 
  any recovered magic in the area — 
  challenging would-be treasure-seekers 
  to Certamen. 
  POTENTIAL 
  COVENANT SITES 
  For a covenant starting out in 
  Provence, the question often becomes, 
  “Where do we set up our covenant?” 
  For those seeking an out-of-the-way 
  locale, these sites are offered from the 
  text. 
  Bramabiau Gorge 
  This site is hidden between Millau 
  and Nimes in Narbonnais, where the 
  river Bonheur plunges into a large cave 
  in a cliff-face. It consists of many 
  caverns. One of the lower galleries 
  contains numerous passages, including a 
  side tunnel with fetishes and wall 
  paintings. The site has a Magic aura of 
  3, and 4 on nights of the full moon. The 
  War Zone hook is also suitable for this 
  site. 
  Potential Hooks & Boons 
  Because of its location, the gorge 
  would be suitable for the Difficult 
  Access, Hostile Environment, Natural 
  Fortress, and Seclusion Site boons. 
  Making the aura 4 at all times would 
  provide another, but making the aura 
  potentially drop might be good for 
  those willing to take the Flickering Aura 
  hook. The Bedrock fortification boon is 
  appropriate, but the Poverty hook 
  might be appropriate, as well. 
  Glanum 
  These are the Roman ruins in Arelat, 
  which might serve as a covenant site, 
  but this would require the 1221 tribunal 
  gathering to occur in another location. 
  This site would make the covenant the 
  easternmost Hermetic site, and they 
  would need to deal with the 
  machinations of the Coenobium. 
  Potential Hooks & Boons 
  Glanum is packed with ruins and 
  easily qualifies for the Edifices boon 
  and the Roman Ruins hook. The tombs 
  and former Oracle temple to Cybele 
  make the Haunted, Regio, and Fallen 
  Temple hooks suitable but also both the 
  Aura and Mystical Portal boons, and, if 
  repaired, its baths would qualify for the 
  Healthy Feature boon. Its site makes the 
  Tribunal border hook appropriate. The 
  town of St. Remy is close, and while the 
  Urban hook might not be entirely 
  appropriate, Mundane Politics probably 
  is, and the site definitely doesn’t qualify 
  for Road. If the Local Ally boon is 
  taken, then this may not be an issue. 
  The site’s history of two former 
  covenants on location make the Ruined 
  covenant hook potentially appropriate. 
  Sub Rosa issue 5 has more about a 
  possible Cult of Cybele which could be 
  interested in the covenant’s ruins, 
  providing a rival or enemy. 
  Uxellodunum 
  Constructed in the remains of a 
  sundered Deidne covenant once built 
  upon the site of Vercingetorix’s 
  surrender to Caeser, this covenant site is 
  (Continued from page 72) 
  Story Seed: A 
  Burgundian 
  Tribunal? 
  As per the Grand Tribunal ruling of 
  1129, the border between Normandy 
  and Provencal is defined by language, 
  with the line being drawn between 
  speakers of French (langue d’oil) and 
  Occitan (langue d’oc) – see The Lion and 
  the Lily, page 26. 
  A meddlesome Tytalus magus may 
  seek to argue from precedent, 
  suggesting the Provencal Tribunal 
  extends only as far as the reach of 
  Occitan, and the lands where 
  Burgundian is spoken must therefore lie 
  outside the Provencal Tribunal. He may 
  claim vis sources in this area of former 
  Burgundy therefore fall under the 
  jurisdiction of his home tribunal 
  (Greater Alps, Rome, or even 
  Normandy). 
  Alternatively, a group as small as 10 
  opportunistic young magi, perhaps 
  former apprentices of the Greater Alps, 
  may seek to use this ruling to establish 
  four small covenants outside of the 
  existing requirements of their parens’ 
  Tribunals to escape the restrictions 
  usually imposed on young magi. As 
  founding a covenant in Provencal is 
  much easier than its neighbors, and the 
  northeast of Arelat remains sparsely 
  settled by Hermetic magi since the fall 
  of the chapters of Portus Cottiae, 
  Upper Burgundy seems a logical choice 
  for this attempt. Once four sites are 
  established, the coterie could readily 
  declare themselves a small but separate 
  Burgundian Tribunal at the next Grand 
  Tribunal, similar to the attempts to 
  refound the former Lotharingian 
  Tribunal in the Low Countries (see The 
  Lion and the Lily, page 115-116 for 
  further details). 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  75 
  set on the edge of the Massif Central. 
  The primary Hermetic grounds an 
  ancient ruined temple in a regio, called 
  “the Nemeton,” and the surrounding 
  village established for both concealment 
  and as the community for the 
  covenfolk. The Nemeton should have 
  options for uncovering lost structures 
  from the previous covenant and from 
  Antiquity, including what might lie 
  within Uxellodunum’s fabled spring and 
  local aquaduct, such as Mercurian 
  artifacts or a genius locii. Its closest 
  neighbors include: 
  Potential Hooks & Boons 
  Uxellodunum would be established 
  as a former hill fort and restored 
  covenant location (Ringworks). Options 
  should include consequences for taking 
  sides within the Albigensian Crusade, 
  remnant defenses, hidden resources, 
  Uxellodunum’s fabled spring and local 
  aquaduct, potential Deidne, ghostly, and 
  Schism War remnants, Mercurian 
  artifacts or a genius locii, and the 
  mundane political situation. The 
  possible werewolf tribes of Gevaudan, 
  described in this issue, may serve as 
  rivals, enemies, or potential allies. 
  The Mallos de Riglos 
  This offers a nice place for a new 
  spring covenant, especially since the 
  magi have to deal with the giant Sorgina 
  before establishing it. The nearby 
  monks of Castle Loarre might provide 
  conflict or allies, and the location on the 
  southern side of the Pyrenees means it 
  will likely be insulated from the worst of 
  the activity of the Albigensian Crusade. 
  Potential Hooks & Boons 
  The high rock pillars easily qualify 
  for the Natural Fortress boon and the 
  Seclusion boon, possibly the Vivid 
  Environment boon. Depending on how 
  she is dealt with, the Sorgina Giantess 
  makes the Monster hook an easy choice, 
  with the possibility of the Haunted 
  hook. The giantess’ long term treasure 
  might be a source of Hidden Wealth, 
  and the paucity of infrastructure makes 
  the Poverty hook very reasonable. 
  Depending on the choices made 
  regarding the relationship with the 
  monastary, Contested Resources and 
  Monastery hooks make sense, as does 
  the Ungoverned boon. With the 
  Albigensian Crusade to the north, the 
  Refugee hook works, but with the 
  geographic location, so does Tribunal 
  Border. Additionally, because they are 
  so much closer to Iberia, this covenant 
  might be much more involved in 
  relations with the Sorginak, especially if 
  they can forge an alliance with the 
  giantess, rather than simply slay her. She 
  is very civilized for one of her kind, and 
  knows many of the Sorginak in the area. 
  CHARACTER 
  SPECIFIC 
  OPTIONS 
  Additionally, for characters looking 
  to link themselves to the covenants and 
  characters of the Tribunal through their 
  virtues and flaws, consider these 
  options: 
  Diedne Magic 
  Eremites in the region and the legacy 
  of the Schism War easily provide this 
  virtue with both a source and additional 
  hooks. Deidne previously lost in 
  Twilight or Regiones and now returned 
  to the present might attempt to blend 
  into the population of refugee magi. 
  One such maga is Maeve, the Diedne 
  described in Sub Rosa issue 13. 
  Educated, Magister in 
  Artibus 
  In 1220, universities existed in both 
  Montpellier and Paris, and the 
  conclusion of the Albigensian Crusade 
  created the University of Toulouse in 
  1229. Disruptions at the University of 
  Paris would establish the University of 
  Orleans in 1230. 
  Faerie Blood, Faerie 
  Friend 
  If the Faeries in question are 
  associated with the vineyards of 
  Narbonnais, the magi of Ava Maxima 
  Nova might approach the character, 
  looking for an opportunity to further 
  interact with creatures capable of 
  furthering their research. Certainly, the 
  cult won’t want to reveal their existence 
  and so the Merinita may attempt to 
  recruit or use the player character. 
  Gentleman/woman, 
  Heir, Knight, or Landed 
  Noble 
  This choice might put a character in 
  alliance or opposition with larger forces 
  than they realize as the area experiences 
  the unrest of the succession of James I 
  of Aragon and the conflict between 
  Raymond VII and King Louis VIII. 
  Demands of homage, scutage or service 
  may become very important. 
  Mentor 
  Not many of the magi in Narbonnais 
  make good mentors. However, Renaud 
  could easily fill that roll, as could Jean 
  Marie, Luc, or even Ducaru. Their 
  advice might prove questionable—in 
  the end, making them the best sort of 
  mentor possible, a fallible one. 
  Mercenary Captain 
  The large number of campaigns in 
  the area lends itself to the birth of 
  numerous mercenary companies. The 
  reputation of these groups and their 
  history during any actions where they 
  participated could create a similar 
  situation to a character with a noble 
  title. Other nobles might seek out such 
  groups to fulfill their responsibilities of 
  scutage or to execute their own dreams 
  of conquest. The ability to determine 
  which employers to decline may 
  become as important as the ability to 
  succeed on the field of battle. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  76 
  Shapeshifters and 
  Lycanthropes 
  The south of France plays host to 
  legends of feral and hungry wolf-like 
  creatures through much of the later 
  medieval period. Specifically, wolves 
  attack and kill 40 people in Paris during 
  the winter of 1450. In Mythic Europe, 
  these creatures could come from the 
  stock of shapeshifters and lycanthropes 
  which have been breeding in the area 
  for centuries. The character may be 
  directly related to the creatures detailed 
  in the article, “The Werewolves of 
  Gevaudan.” 
  Templars in Provence 
  The Knights Templar remained 
  extremely active in Provence in the 13C. 
  R o u g h l y  t h i r t y - f i v e  u s a b l e 
  commanderies are visible in the posted 
  map, and even more can be found at: 
  www.templiers.org/commanderies.php 
  As mentioned in the book, there are 
  over 100 commanderies in Provence, 
  meaning that if the covenant is just 
  about anywhere but the Pyrenees or the 
  Massif Central, chances are they are 
  near a commandery. See the map on the 
  following page for the potential 
  locations of these commanderies. 
  The Templars are discussed in some 
  detail in The Church (page 102), as well as 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  77 
  several different interpretations of the 
  Order presented in Sub Rosa issues 1 
  through 4. 
  Individual commanderies in this 
  region were in the business of 
  supporting Crusaders at war in the Holy 
  Lands, and several knight commanders 
  followed a policy that the only enemy 
  was in Jerusalem at this time. It’s very 
  possible the grogs in a covenant’s turb 
  might come from those warriors who 
  cannot handle the discipline of the 
  Templars. Their pragmatic attitudes 
  suggest the Templars would likely 
  appreciate a mutually beneficial trade 
  relationship with a covenant, one where 
  the Templars do not look too closely at 
  their trading partner-- especially if that 
  partner agrees to manage the defense of 
  pilgrims along the Way of St. James, a 
  task that often fell to the Templars. 
  Given the number of drakes and 
  dragons in the Pyrenees, this could be 
  an excellent arrangement for the 
  covenant; the magi get the vis from the 
  beasts, they have a trading partner with 
  very broad contacts and reach, and a 
  potential source for partially trained 
  military recruits in the form of those 
  who don’t take well to the strict lifestyle 
  of the Templars. This situation is 
  discussed by the story seed on page 61: 
  “Scourge of the Way.” In return, the 
  Templars don’t have to deal with the 
  drakes and can focus on supporting the 
  5th Crusade. Additionally, many of the 
  knights Templar are from other lands, 
  and a healthy relationship with a 
  commandery can mean a source of 
  foreign languages, area lore, church lore, 
  and other knowledge. 
  OTHER 
  ADVENTURES 
  Those utilizing Tales of Mythic Europe 
  will be pleased to find a number of the 
  existing stories fit nicely into this region. 
  “Fall and Rise” will work nicely with 
  the remnants of the Schism War and the 
  many ruins in the area. 
  “The Hospital’s Due” could be 
  adjusted to work with the Knights of 
  Aubrac, substituting them for the 
  Hospitallers. 
  “A Musical Murder Mystery” is 
  practically written to be slipped into the 
  Counties of Rodez or Narbonne, where 
  Courtly Love and troubadours were so 
  common. 
  “Return of the Raiders” fits nicely 
  for a coastal adventure in Narbonnais, 
  but might seem more appropriate if the 
  Vikings are replaced with the ghosts of 
  Moorish pirates—however, Vikings did 
  raid into the Mediterranean. 
  “Warring Families” lends itself well 
  to the numerous communes and villages 
  in the area. The nobility here has a 
  tradition of participating in the 
  Crusades, making this an easy fit. 
  “What Lies Beneath” could be set 
  the County of Provence with very little 
  adjustment, as the region has a history 
  of abbeys and the appropriate terrain. 
  The adventures from Sub Rosa 
  issue 8, “The Way of St. James” and “A 
  New Legend of the Order, Belin of 
  Mercere” are both ideally suited for the 
  Provencal region, and the adventure in 
  Sub Rosa issue 1, “The Tartalo,”would 
  easily fit into the Pyrenees and the 
  Hispanic Marches. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  78 
  The Val-
  Negra Saga 
  The Lost Covenant of Val-Negra, 
  featured in Faith & Flame the Provençal 
  Tribunal, is presented as the remnants of 
  what was once considered the most 
  powerful covenant in the Order of 
  Hermes. It could be so once again, for 
  the details reveal that there still remains 
  much yet hidden and secured away. It is 
  not actually deserted, for Archmagus 
  Abaddon of Tytalus maintains an eternal 
  vigil, assisted by the undauntable Aerie 
  Clan. The material found in that 
  sourcebook is rich with ideas and 
  potential for stories and adventure. 
  It also makes an excellent setting for a 
  saga. 
  On the heels of an adventure of 
  discovery, or by the direction of 
  influential others, the players have the 
  goal of reviving Val-Negra and re-
  establishing its status. This is now their 
  covenant, plunged into the depths of 
  Winter but on the cusp of a glorious new 
  Spring. Contained herein are further 
  details about Val-Negra, giving the troupe 
  enough information to run it as a 
  covenant. Because of space 
  considerations, I will not be able to get 
  into the exact detail of every possible 
  point of interest. I also wish to leave 
  room for other ideas and different 
  aesthetics so that everyone may find use 
  for the material. 
  THE COVENANT 
  OF VAL-NEGRA 
  Much of Val-Negra is as described in 
  Faith & Flame. That material is expanded 
  upon and referenced here with the 
  presumption that the reader is familiar 
  with it and has access to cross reference. 
  THE HISTORY OF 
  VAL-NEGRA 
  Faith and Flame states Val-Negra was 
  sealed off for reasons mentioned there. 
  But this was not an overnight process. 
  Entisimon set up Castra Solis as a 
  command center, but it was his successor 
  that officially made it the Domus 
  Magnus. Entisimon didn’t resign until 
  1063, disgraced after the resolution to the 
  Normandy Crisis. These details are found 
  in Houses of Hermes: Societas, pages 13 and 
  11. For nearly fifty years, Val-Negra still 
  existed in name but was all but vacant. 
  Entisimon had already moved to Castra 
  Solis. Vancasitum relocated to Aedas 
  Mercuri where he helped establish the 
  Knights of Seneca. Only four survivors of 
  the Schism War remained at the 
  covenant. Theirs was the long project of 
  securing and closing off what had once 
  been a proud and mighty covenant. 
  Astella labored creating a magical 
  garden intended to grow over the 
  covenant and preserve the remains, a 
  process that continues today. Iarna had 
  her own plans, leading an expedition into 
  the Magic Realm with a promise to return 
  if the Diedne ever resurface. Abaddon 
  labored continuously on his project, 
  resulting in his transformation into a 
  Living Ghost somewhere in the midst of 
  that span. The fourth magus was Erat 
  Caecus. 
  By the end of the century, Grand 
  Tribunal ruling once again altered the 
  Regional Tribunals and set the orders for 
  Iberia and Provençal. Val-Negra was 
  placed in the jurisdiction of Provençal, 
  and at the next regional meeting Val-
  Negra was declared closed. Abaddon, 
  now a Living Ghost, engineered a system 
  to constantly perpetuate an Aegis over 
  the covenant. How he does this is 
  discussed below. Iarna was already gone 
  and Astella passed into Final Twilight 
  years previously. Erat Caecus escaped 
  Taglyn and Val-Negra some decades later. 
  His is a story for another epic. 
   
  By Mark Faulkner 
  Tribunal: Provençal 
  Year Founded: 774 
  Season: Winter 
  Symbol: A Wagon Wheel with 
  spokes made of seven swords 
  Magic Aura: 8 (third Regio layer) 
  Resources: High/Legendary 
  (Mostly Hidden) 
  Living Conditions: -1 Magi, -3 
  Mundanes (Base +2/+1, with a 
  penalty of -3) 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  79 
  New History 
  The revival of Val-Negra could come 
  about because of many reasons, but the 
  end results are usually the same. The 
  characters potentially have an incredible 
  amount of power and vast resources, but 
  this is not all readily apparent or easily 
  accessible. Players have to come to terms 
  with Abaddon, who is welcoming, yet 
  aloof. And insane.  
  He is accepting of new membership, 
  and even inviting. He has no care or 
  regard for what anyone else is doing, and 
  tries to have as little influence or 
  interaction as possible. Reclusive, he 
  keeps mainly to his hidden chambers and 
  secret labs amongst the crypts and 
  catacombs. This means he will rarely 
  interfere, and he will rarely be available to 
  assist or advise.  
  Yet when he chooses to, he can be 
  ruthless and demanding. He knows how 
  to operate the covenant, how to tap into 
  the potential it offers, and he selfishly 
  reserves these secrets to dole them out as 
  he wills to maintain his control and 
  influence. He is also quite powerful and 
  can be very helpful, for the right price. 
  This is a recipe for many stories. 
  Abaddon will have many tasks he can 
  assign characters. Some may be intrigues 
  of Hermetic or mundane nature, others 
  will be dangerous expeditions and secret 
  missions that make no sense (at first). In 
  exchange, he can grant access to the 
  Tombs of Ghostly Scholars, teach them a 
  hundred levels of spells in a season, show 
  them how to properly harvest vis from 
  Astella’s Garden, and more. 
  As mentioned, there are many 
  possible situations that lead up to this. 
  The characters could have explored and 
  discovered Val-Negra themselves. They 
  meet Abaddon, and he encourages them 
  to join & revive the covenant. He will 
  initially be quite helpful, not becoming 
  reclusive or demanding until after the 
  characters are up and running. Or this 
  could just be part of the back-story. 
  Perhaps only one of the character magi 
  rediscovered it, and has invited his friends 
  (the other players) to join in and help 
  him. 
  The Once and 
  Future 
  Domus 
  The political rifts between the 
  Flambeau of Provençal are discussed in 
  various parts of Faith & Flame. This is 
  mainly between the Mercurian 
  Flambeau of Aedes Mercurii and the 
  Mithraic followers of the Primus Garus 
  at Castra Solis. They have opposing 
  views on the actual history of their 
  Founder and House, and each claims to 
  be the true heir of Val-Negra. Several 
  magi of Aedes Mercurii are indeed 
  descended from former members of 
  Val-Negra. But Garus, like Kaeso 
  before him, holds the title of Primus 
  and resides at Castra Solis. 
  Yet neither seems interested in 
  exploring Val-Negra, where the truth 
  might be found. They are both aware of 
  it, and are the ones who fund Abaddon 
  in his eternal vigil. But it seems they 
  both prefer that it remains “lost” and 
  unspoken of. 
  Enter a new political player. 
  Archmagus Pietro of Flambeau seeks to 
  become the new Primus, and intends to 
  restore Val-Negra as the Domus 
  Magnus. He has met with Abaddon and 
  made an agreement between Archmagi. 
  The players are recruited primarily to 
  help rebuild the covenant, and perhaps 
  they could have a part in his wider plan. 
  In this scenario, players are given great 
  assistance but are still mostly left to 
  their own devices. Abaddon is still 
  reclusive and insane, though his 
  demanding nature is softened and he is 
  more likely to propose participation in 
  intrigue in exchange for magical favors 
  (as opposed to demanding such). Pietro 
  will be constantly in and out. The 
  reestablishment of Val-Negra is mainly 
  symbolic at first. It will become Domus 
  only if and after he becomes Primus. 
  His time is mostly occupied by politics 
  and intrigue, something the players are 
  welcome to participate in.  
  Archmagus Pietro of Flambeau is 
  featured in the fourth edition 
  supplement Sanctuary of Ice. He is a 
  former Tytalus magus who won his way 
  into House Flambeau by defeating 
  seven champions in magical contest. 
  One opponent was defeated in combat 
  when killed by multicast lightning bolts. 
  He has had to deal with rivals and 
  revenge seekers, and has trained his 
  own filae to be extraordinarily capable 
  in magical combat (a School of Pietro 
  might be based on Puissant Auram or a 
  Minor Magic Focus in Lightning). He 
  has since amassed great power and 
  influence. Becoming an Archmagus, he 
  later gained the title of Antares, which 
  is leader of their War Council. 
  Pietro has put all of his chips into 
  this political gambit. He has transferred 
  his residence and all of his assets (or so 
  it seems) to Val-Negra, and will enable 
  player magi with whatever materials 
  they need to revive the covenant and 
  make it flourish. Cynics may think he is 
  motivated by ruthless ambition alone, 
  and is still a Tytalus at heart. This is not 
  true. He turned away from the teaching 
  of Tytalus long ago, and he joined the 
  Flambeau because he honestly felt 
  theirs was a better way. He just likes the 
  way things used to be. His passion is to 
  build up House Flambeau into the 
  preeminent martial tradition of the 
  Order. He wants to cut the divides of 
  cults and pre-Hermetic tradition, and 
  refocus on a unity of purpose to 
  safeguard the Order and advance the 
  study of martial magic. He feels the key 
  to all of this is to restore the glory of 
  Val-Negra, and is willing to do 
  whatever it takes. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  80 
  Another possibility is that characters 
  have been sent to Val-Negra by direction. 
  The covenant isn’t really lost or 
  abandoned. A magus does reside there, 
  and his duty and vigil is well known to 
  those in higher authority. This much is 
  mentioned in Faith & Flame. There has 
  now come a time when those in authority 
  have decided that Abaddon needs 
  assistance (which is true), and that in 
  order to strengthen security, an infusion 
  of new blood is needed. The result is the 
  same though. Abaddon welcomes the 
  newcomers, helps them settle in, then he 
  becomes reclusive only to emerge with 
  irrational complaints or strange demands. 
  RESOURCES 
  Val-Negra qualifies as a Legendary 
  power. At the height of its glory it rivaled 
  Durenmar for power and influence. 
  Today, at an apparent fraction of what it 
  once was, it still far exceeds most other 
  covenants. But this is meaningless. 
  Properly, peers should include the likes of 
  Durenmar, Coeris, Fengheld, Blackthorn, 
  and such as these. Val-Negra as it is today 
  falls far short of this top tier. But 
  potentially, if restored and managed 
  properly, it could equal or exceed them. 
  Still, initial starting numbers are not 
  concerned about what things could 
  possibly be. Resource numbers are based 
  on what player characters have immediate 
  easy access to. This equals to around 
  twelve-hundred Build Points or so. The 
  covenant has just as much (or perhaps 
  double) in Hidden Resources, which will 
  be discussed latter. 
  BOONS & HOOKS 
   
  The selection was made based on 
  the known facts of the covenant, realities 
  of certain situations, and a few ideas of 
  what to make of all of it. This balances 
  out to a whopping forty points of Boons 
  and Hooks. One may freely consider 
  these suggestions, changing things as suits 
  the needs and desires of the troupe. 
  There are Thirty-one Boons, five Major 
  and twenty-six Minor. There are twenty-
  three Hooks, with eight Major and fifteen 
  Minor. 
  Aura (Minor Site Boon x5): Val-
  Negra benefits from a Magic Aura of 8. 
  This will cause mundane residents to 
  accumulate two points of Warping (only 
  one for part time residents and none for 
  those who just visit frequently). 
  Fortunately, all of the initial covenfolk are 
  magical beings and need not worry. 
  Crumbling (Minor Fortifications 
  Hook): Many of the interior buildings of 
  the surface are in poor condition. Several 
  have collapsed into rubble or formed 
  sunken pits. Some damage seems to be 
  deliberate, but most is due to age and 
  overgrowth. Many that still stand are a 
  dangerous hazard to explore, but could 
  possibly be renovated. 
  The exterior defenses and a few 
  important main buildings are still well 
  maintained, as are the interior 
  subterranean constructions. 
  Curtain Walls & Mural Towers 
  (Major Fortifications Boon): Val-Negra 
  consists of a vast fortress surrounded by 
  high walls and several towers overlooking 
  a chasm. These outer defenses are actually 
  very much intact and well maintained.  
  Dedicated Covenant (Major 
  External Relations Boon): This works 
  on several levels and can be tied into an 
  Unknown Hook. The primary purpose is 
  to keep the Iron Door secure, and for 
  such the covenant is provided with the 
  funding it needs to support itself. For a 
  long time this meant simply making sure 
  Abaddon had the supplied and vis he 
  needed to perpetuate a strong Aegis and 
  other considerations. With an influx of 
  new members, authorities will concede 
  with no argument that there should be a 
  staff of magi maintaining security, and 
  will fund supplies and upkeep for the 
  additional residents. This funding comes 
  from the Primus and his associates at 
  Castra Solis, from the Val-Negra 
  descendants of Aedes Mercurii, and from 
  the Quaesitors of Duresca. 
  One possibility, which can combine 
  an Unknown Hook with Hidden 
  Resources a few times, is Val-Negra 
  houses and protects certain resources that 
  belong to other magi. These rights may 
  have been sold off or inherited somehow. 
  Perhaps the Primus reserves private 
  ownership and use of a secret time-
  contracted laboratory, the Hausperex has 
  a special artifact or two hidden in the 
  catacombs, and/or a Flambeau Knight of 
  Seneca owns the rights to a vis source 
  located in the ruins of what was once the 
  sanctum of the parens of his parens. 
  If playing with the “Once and Future 
  Domus” storyline, the covenant instead 
  gains the dedicated purposes of the 
  improvement of House Flambeau and 
  becoming their Domus Magnus once 
  again. Pietro will fund members lavishly, 
  especially Flambeau magi. However, the 
  more one receives the more one is 
  expected to give. He is crafty, and can 
  Resources 
  and Build 
  Points 
  Enchanted 
  Devices 
  (100 
  points): There are items players 
  cannot access or are unaware of, 
  which are not counted. 
  Laboratory Text (50 points): 
  250 levels 
  Library (300 points) 
  Money (70 points): 1000 pounds 
  Specialists and Teachers (120 
  points):  
  Vis Sources and Stocks (350 
  points): 
  Sources: 50 per year (250 points) 
  Stocks: 350 (100 points) 
  Total: 1200 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  81 
  find away to best exploit the talents of 
  anyone to serve his purposes. 
  Difficult Access (Minor Site Boon): 
  Situated deep within the canyons and 
  rises of the magic mountain of Perditu. 
  Edifices (Minor Structure Boon 
  x3): Seven magnificent Edifices still stand 
  in Val-Negra, each in excellent condition. 
  However, only three of them count as 
  Boons. The others are inaccessible and 
  may contain hidden dangers.  
  The three that are Boons include the 
  Black Tower, the Bath House, and the 
  enclosed portion of Astella’s Garden. The 
  Black Tower has vast available space and 
  can house much of the new covenant. It 
  contains several resources that are readily 
  available, and a few that are hidden. There 
  is a Bath House that they say was created 
  by Flambeau himself. It is built of marble 
  after Roman style. Drained and inactive, it 
  is still in working order if filled and 
  heated. There are enchantments to fill/
  heat/drain the baths, but characters may 
  not be aware of these or know how to 
  activate them. The enclosed space of 
  Astella’s Garden qualifies as a Great 
  Work and an Edifice. Within the 
  enchanted fence, a multitude of different 
  flowers and plants grow in harmony. 
  They are arranged for aesthetic 
  decoration, and at the center there is an 
  active fountain and several benches. It is 
  known that a season of contemplation in 
  the garden is equivalent to studying a 
  Significato of Herbam, granting 
  experience points in that Art equal to a 
  Stress Die +8. Braving the overgrowth to 
  enter the garden may prove difficult for 
  some. Beyond the enchanted fencing the 
  garden is wild and overgrown, having 
  consumed and crumbled several 
  buildings. There are several exotic (and a 
  few dangerous) plants on the loose. There 
  are many hazards balanced by many 
  benefits that are described later. 
  Four others do not count as Boons. 
  These include the Aerie Shrine, the 
  Grand Library, the Arena, and Inirelte’s 
  Tower. The Aerie Shrine is off limits 
  except by invitation. Though beautiful, it 
  is of no interest to players (unless they are 
  evil, then they can make an Unknown 
  Hook of it). The Grand Library is burned 
  out, but the structure of the tower is 
  sound and the building can be restored. A 
  great use of Hidden Resources would be 
  for workers to discover a hidden cache of 
  books. The Arena is full of magical 
  dangers, once filled with enchantments 
  designed to assist combat training, some 
  hidden defect has caused them to go 
  
   
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  dangerously awry. Inirelte’s tower 
  contains many magical resources, and 
  many more magical traps. 
  Famous 
  Resident 
  (Minor 
  Residents Boon): Archmagus Abaddon 
  of Tytalus, the Living Ghost, is both 
  famous and legendary. Though he 
  actively discourages visitors and even 
  knowledge of his continued existence, 
  there may be those questing to learn from 
  him and gain his secret Necromancy 
  Mysteries. Archmagus Pietro of 
  Flambeau potentially adds to this mix, 
  and brings his own entanglements. Yet 
  the potential powers and resources they 
  each grant access to, as well as the 
  influence gained by association, well 
  qualifies as a benefit. 
  Hermetic Politics (Minor External 
  Relations Hook): Val-Negra has quiet 
  arrangements with various Hermetic 
  powers. They include Aedes Mercurii, 
  Castra Solis, and Duresca. These 
  arrangements work both ways, with a fair 
  exchange of favors and obligations. 
  Adding Pietro and his ambitions into the 
  mix will alienate Castra Solis but gain the 
  support of Duresca. Aedes Murcurii will 
  feel snubbed yet remain an ally, and other 
  powerful covenants will become 
  interested in doing business. 
  Haunted (Minor Site Hook): Val-
  Negra is extremely haunted. Besides 
  Abaddon the Living Ghost (who is 
  almost always manifest in corporeal 
  form), there are several dozen regular 
  ghosts. These are mostly ghost magi that 
  stay in the area of the crypts. But 
  occasionally, once or twice a year or so, 
  the ghost of a magus or past covenfolk 
  will wander the halls randomly unaware 
  of their state.  
  Hidden Resources (Minor 
  Resources Boon x8): Though it can still 
  be rated as a Medium power, here are 
  severe gaps in the resources needed to 
  function properly. This will certainly keep 
  players busy with building, but they can 
  also prosper through exploration and 
  adventure. There are at least two-
  thousand Build Points worth of valuable 
  Resources (the value of this Boon taken 
  eight times) hidden scattered about the 
  covenant. Much of it are things lost and 
  misplaced, some locked away in abandon 
  sanctums, Abaddon knows how to find 
  and access a portion of these, but keeps 
  these secrets to himself to dole out later 
  as rewards. 
  Inhuman Residents (Minor 
  Residents Boon): Though they seem 
  natural and human, the Aerie Clan are 
  magical beings. They have Might scores 
  that provide Magic Resistance and 
  inhuman powers applied in service to the 
  covenant. 
  Literate Covenfolk (Minor 
  Residents Boon): The Aerie are all 
  educated and have a literate culture. 
  Local Language (Minor Residents 
  Boon): The Aerie use Vulgar Latin as 
  their common spoken tongue as well as 
  for literacy. They also have their own 
  thought-language, which is never spoken 
  and is virtually impossible for outsiders to 
  learn 
  Loyal Covenfolk (Minor Residents 
  Boon): The Aerie are devoted and loyal 
  to Val-Negra. It is the only home they 
  have ever known. This cuts two ways and 
  they may oppose magi whose actions they 
  feel represent a serious threat to the 
  covenant.  
  Magical Disaster (Major Site 
  Hook): Diedne magi ruptured the Iron 
  Seal during the Schism War, and the Iron 
  Door had to be reclosed with lesser 
  magics. Some say Val-Negra should stay 
  forever closed off. Others insist it should 
  be staffed and secured. A few are curious 
  about what is really behind that door and 
  if rumors are true. 
  Magical Soldiers (Major Residents 
  Boon): The Aerie Clan staffs three 
  divisions of specialized Magical soldiers. 
  The Red Guard forms the bulk of the 
  grogs, and the officers amongst them are 
  Custos. The Black Guard are elite 
  infantry, highly trained soldiers each 
  holding officer rank as a Custos. Then 
  there are the watchers, clandestine agents 
  that maintain posts in the outside world. 
  Aerie soldiers have several advantages. 
  They have Magic Resistance, can silently 
  communicate with one another, often 
  times can turn invisible, and other 
  mystical attributes. 
  Monster (Major Site Hook): A 
  terrible menace lies behind the Iron 
  Door. It matters not what rumors claim 
  of an Adulteration. If it is hat or 
  something else, it is far too powerful for 
  the players to deal with on their own 
  should it be unleashed. 
  Monster (Minor Surroundings 
  Hook x4): There are always monsters 
  about on Mount Perditu, for such is its 
  nature. At the start of the saga, the 
  Troupe should make a decision about the 
  known monsters in the surrounding area 
  that make travel and exploration 
  dangerous. Choosing at least four, 
  creatures featured might include; giants, 
  hags, ogres, owlbears, dragons, drakes, 
  werewolves, wyrms, goblins, demons, 
  malevolent spirits, and/or whatever stirs 
  fear and imagination in the Troupe. 
  Engaging these monsters should be 
  challenging, which can be scaled by Might 
  scores of individuals and/or the size of a 
  group of monsters. One ogre might not 
  be a challenge, but a hundred of them 
  certainly are. 
  This presumes the Troupe contains 
  five members, with each advocating a 
  specific option. The number and/or 
  distribution may be altered to 
  accommodate different groups, or it 
  could be left to the storyguide. 
  Remember, these are known monsters 
  everyone is aware of. Additional fiends 
  may be lurking and are suitable for the 
  Unknown Hook (but only aftermost of 
  the known monsters have been dealt 
  with). 
  Natural Fortress (Major Site 
  Boon): The only line of access is across a 
  bridge spanning over the Chasm of 
  Infinity. This is after navigating the twists 
  and turns through the gorge and the 
  magical mist to find the regio. 
  Prestige (Minor External Relations 
  Boon): Being known as a member of the 
  
   
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  83 
  revived Val-Negra will carry a modicum 
  of prestige, resulting in slight preferential 
  treatment. 
  Protector (Minor Surroundings 
  Hook): Val-Negra has been the secret 
  protector of Perdut since its inception, 
  and is responsible for creating it. It is 
  situated in a strong Aura (Magic 6), on 
  the edge of the Labyrinth Caverns Regio. 
  The inhabitants number about thirty, and 
  the Warping the strong aura inflicts often 
  results in their appearing either very old 
  or vary young, irrespective of their 
  physical age. A healthy adult could seem 
  to be an old man or a child. These people 
  are, in fact, descendants from the 
  offspring of the Aerie who mated with 
  the covenfolk in days of old. In the 
  golden age, it served as a way-station for 
  visitors and offered hospitality. During 
  the Schism War, the town was infiltrated 
  by Diedne magi, who used the portal 
  there to attack the Covenant (resulting in 
  the crisis of the Iron Door). The portals 
  were dismantled and the village closed off 
  from the covenant. In the generations 
  since, the people have forgotten why they 
  are here or what their purpose was. The 
  just farm, and warp. The aura here has 
  mysteriously grown stronger over the 
  years. 
   
  Val-Negra still secretly offers them 
  assistance and protection. Aerie invisibly 
  walk among them, quietly offering 
  assistance such as scaring off forest 
  goblins or bringing in part of the harvest 
  at night. In hard times, they leave silver 
  coins (Perdut does small trade in small 
  markets in settlements at the base of the 
  mountain, miles away). 
  Regio (Major Site Boon): Access 
  through the regio is restricted to a specific 
  path that only natives can safely navigate. 
  Regio (Major Site Hook x2): There 
  are two Regio layers outside of the 
  covenant, each containing inhabitants 
  that could cause trouble for travelers. Val-
  Negra is separated from the outer layers 
  by enchanted Hermetic Architecture. Just 
  outside lies the Valley of Mists (Magic 
  Aura 7), which is haunted by strange 
  spirits and other creatures. Past that there 
  are the Labyrinth Caverns (Magic Aura 6), 
  endlessly twisting and infested with 
  monsters of all sorts. 
  Rights & Customs (Minor 
  Residents Hook): The ancient charter of 
  Val-Negra outlines specific rights held by 
  member magi and covenfolk. The council 
  cannot mandate how members spend 
  their time or place any obligations on 
  their property. The customs of the Aerie 
  Clan are to be respected, and the private 
  spaces they occupy are sacrosanct. They 
  are guaranteed domicile in Val-Negra, and 
  cannot be restricted access to community 
  areas such as the Shrine. There are codes 
  that may apply to new covenfolk as well. 
  For example, slavery is abolished and no 
  magus may mandate involuntary 
  servitude of any covenfolk. Punishment 
  for violations or insubordination is 
  according to written code, never arbitrary, 
  and one may always accept expulsion 
  instead. There are minor exceptions for 
  those in martial service, as orders must be 
  followed and discipline maintained, but 
  again this is according to written code. 
  Mundanes may expect a pension and 
  Longevity after many years of service, 
  soldiers and veterans are due magical 
  medical attention. 
  
   
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  Seclusion (Minor Site Boon): Pretty 
  much as isolated as a covenant can get. 
  Strong Community (Minor 
  Residents Boon): The Aerie Clan is a 
  close knit community that supports and 
  assists each other to an exceptional 
  degree. 
  Superiors (Minor Residents Hook): 
  Though they will have much freedom, the 
  player characters are not in complete 
  charge of the covenant. They do not 
  control (or know about) all of the 
  available resources. This can change in 
  time, but Abaddon (and perhaps Pietro) 
  will always hold superior rank. 
  Tribunal Border (Major External 
  Relations Hook): Before Flambeau’s 
  stronghold could be recognized as a 
  covenant, he had to come to terms with 
  Gurnicus about the charter. Flambeau 
  wanted Val-Negra to retain control over 
  new covenants it helped to create. As a 
  compromise, the Code came to include 
  provisions for the establishment of 
  Regional Tribunals. The Tribunal that 
  grew up around Val-Negra (sometimes 
  referred to as the Val-Negra Tribunal or 
  the Autumn Tribunal) included all of 
  Provencal and parts of what are now 
  Normandy and Iberia. Northern portions 
  were ceded over to Logtharingia and 
  Normandy as the Tribunal expanded 
  influence southward. After the Schism 
  War, as the influence of the covenant 
  waned and new political interests took 
  precedence, the Grand Tribunal 
  partitioned Provençal and Iberia into 
  separate regions, placing Val-Negra under 
  the authority of Provençal. 
  The customs of Provençal are liberal. 
  In addition to no prohibitions against 
  forming new covenants within it, 
  resignation is as easy as not attending 
  meetings three consecutive times. 
  Rejoining is as simple as showing up 
  again or even writing a letter of intent. 
  It has been over a hundred years (well 
  more than sixteen meetings) since a 
  representative from Val-Negra attended 
  Tribunal. It has never released any formal 
  statement or declaration. The private 
  business still conducted is kept quiet (but 
  not secret), and there is no 
  documentation. 
  A revived Val-Negra is free to join 
  and attend the Provençal Tribunal if they 
  so wish, but there will be those that 
  suggest they affiliate with Iberia instead. 
  This influence will actually come from the 
  Quaesitors of Duresca, who agree to the 
  revival but want to keep a close eye upon 
  them. Before the partition, Duresca and 
  Barcelona were closely associated with 
  Val-Negra. 
  Unhealthy Environment (Minor 
  Site Hook x3): Val-Negra can be a dark 
  and dismal place, often cold and damp, 
  and there is a negative quality to the air. It 
  is as if the environment were attuned to 
  Perdo. Things fade faster, rot and decay 
  quicker, and age harshly. Inhabitants 
  receive a -3 penalty to Aging, which does 
  not affect those on Longevity or those 
  who are unaffected by normal aging. The 
  Aerie are immune, for though they appear 
  to age, this is a side effect of the mystical 
  process by which they advance in Season 
  of knowledge. 
  Unsafe (Minor External Relations 
  Hook): Even knowing all the details of 
  the location, the path to Val-Negra is 
  fraught with peril. In days past, there were 
  mystical portals to Perdut, and there was 
  magical architecture that allowed an easer 
  journey through the caverns and mists. 
  These are all now destroyed. With one 
  exception. 
  Vast & Labyrinthine (Minor 
  Fortifications Boon): The covenant is a 
  massive sprawling structure. There are 
  many buildings still somewhat intact and 
  others in partial ruin. There are dungeons, 
  catacombs, crypts, caverns, and a maze of 
  underground tunnels. Even Abaddon has 
  not seen every space to be seen. The 
  covenfolk, the Aerie Clan, form a 
  complicated culture of many facets. 
  Veteran Fighters (Minor Residents 
  Boon): The soldiers of Val-Negra are 
  highly trained and well disciplined. 
  Vis Salary (Minor Resources 
  Hook): Without a vast amount of vis to 
  spare, personal apportionment needs to 
  be limited and is based on services 
  rendered. The most basic service is 
  residence, for the covenant does need to 
  be kept secure. This only earns a single 
  pawn per year, and requires at least two 
  full seasons out of that year in residence 
  on the property (spend doing whatever 
  they choose though). A Season of 
  dedicated active service earns three 
  pawns. This requires time spent doing 
  something on behalf of the covenant. 
  Examples include an expedition or 
  mission, writing a useful book, lab work 
  (expenses reimbursed), and etcetera. The 
  covenant code allows for multiple 
  working seasons, but taking excessive 
  advantage of this could break the budget. 
  Warping to a Pattern (Minor Site 
  Hook): The powerful Aura of Val-Negra 
  means that Mundanes will accumulate 
  Warping very quickly. This conforms to a 
  pattern that results in people forgetting 
  the outside world and becoming 
  forgotten by it. Minor Flaws gained (upon 
  reaching a Warping Score of 1 and again 
  at 3) might reflect a fixation on their lives 
  and roles at the covenant. Examples 
  include Delusion, Obsessed, Prohibition, 
  Reclusive, Social Handicap, and others. 
  Be creative in application. The Minor 
  Virtue gained at a score of 5 is almost 
  always Unaffected by the Gift. They 
  actually get used to the strangeness, and 
  maybe even prefer it. But these are just 
  symptoms of a greater pattern. As points 
  accumulate and the score increases, the 
  more they withdraw from the outside 
  world. At a score of 2 the tendency is to 
  just ignore it and be ignored by it, and at a 
  score of 4 they forget and are forgotten 
  unless memory is intentionally prodded. 
  At a score of 6 or higher, memory is just 
  gone. It may be magically restored, but 
  this is increasingly difficult at higher 
  warping scores. 
  Those who are born here usually have 
  the Minor Flaw of Warped by Magic, 
  which starts them with 5 Warping points 
  and a Minor Flaw (Covenant 
  Upbringing). 
  
   
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  Unknown (Major Story Hook x4): 
  Reserve unknown stories at least four 
  times, allowing each player a chance to 
  devise a tale. For troupes of various size, 
  you could adjust the distribution and/or 
  take this hook a few additional times 
  (balanced by Hidden Resources or 
  something else) 
  MAGI 
  The players should make up the bulk 
  of the magi of Val-Negra. There is but 
  one NPC magus, Abaddon of Tytalus, 
  possibly a second if the storyguide wishes 
  to include Pietro. There should be at least 
  three player magi and a storyguide, but 
  there is room for six or more. The troupe 
  could decide to allow players two magi 
  characters, one older and one younger. 
  Archmagus Abaddon of 
  Tytalus 
   And they had a king over them, which is 
  the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the 
  Hebrew tongue is Abaddon… 
  Revelation 9:11 
  Abaddon, the last magus of Val-
  Negra, is over three-hundred years old 
  and has been part of Val-Negra since he 
  was a mature journeyman. Little is known 
  of his early life, and he neither affirms nor 
  denies any of the conflicting rumors. He 
  claims he was born in 888, and became a 
  magus at age 27 when he killed his 
  master’s familiar and escaped. His name is 
  recorded as attending Tribunal meetings 
  and Moots of that era, but apparently his 
  activities were not worthy of note until he 
  was older. Details of his early life are pure 
  speculation and any writing on the subject 
  were penned at a latter date. 
  He joined Val-Negra in the mid tenth 
  century, where he rapidly rose in fame 
  and influence. He led a covenant 
  expedition exploring the ruins of 
  Babylon, and upon his return he claimed 
  to have discovered the secrets of 
  Chaldean Sorcery. The details of his story 
  are likely part fabrication, but he forged a 
  Mystery Cult around these myths and in 
  this he assembles an eclectic collection of 
  Spirit Magic based mysteries. He gave 
  himself the title of Mystic Grand 
  Potentate and presented his cult as an 
  alternative to the Titanoi (who were 
  unpopular but not yet exposed as 
  infernalists). After the Betrayal, his cult 
  waned in popularity and he turned his 
  
   
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  interests inwards towards his covenant. 
  He is now the last member of this cult, 
  and he alone has knowledge of all their 
  mysteries and initiations. 
  He became Archmagus shortly before 
  the Schism War, earning the title by 
  succeeding the challenge of Archmagus 
  Vancasitium of Flambeau, who resided at 
  Val-Negra at that time. The contest was a 
  simple one, and surprisingly non-martial 
  in nature. It was to discover the secret 
  true-name of the fabled King of the 
  Mountain that supposedly resided 
  somewhere on Perditu yet has never been 
  found. Abaddon disappeared for three 
  days and nights, and when he returned he 
  whispered the answer in Vancasitium’s 
  ear. The old Flambeau was shocked, 
  either by the answer or Abaddon’s 
  success, or perhaps both. None other has 
  ever succeeded this challenge, nor have 
  any succeeded Abaddon’s challenge of 
  plucking a hair from the Mountain King’s 
  beard and returning with it. 
  Soon afterwards, he was elevated to 
  the rank of Pontifex, an elite council of 
  three  ruling the covenant. Vancasitium 
  was another, and the third was Primus 
  Entisimon of Flambeau. These three led 
  the covenant during its most troubled 
  times, directed its forces during the 
  Schism War, and decided to close and 
  secure Val-Negra after the incident with 
  the Iron Door. 
   
  The war took a heavy toll on Val-
  Negra, and strained the relationships of 
  these Pontifici. Entisimon favored direct 
  heavy attacks, whereas Vancasitium 
  preferred strategy and stealth. Both had 
  victories and losses, yet were making little 
  progress. Abaddon tried to avoid these 
  conflicts, and oddly enough found 
  himself allying with the Tremere magi of 
  Val-Negra in their efforts. He marched 
  alongside Vegetius of Tremere at the 
  siege of Three Oaks Covenant, and 
  carried his body to Coeris when Vegitius 
  was slain at the battle of the Moonless 
  Akelarre. 
   
  Afterward, he returned to Val-
  Negra to join forces with Vancasitium 
  and plan a new attack. It was at this time 
  Val-Negra was struck by a sneak attack by 
  Diedne infiltrators. During the attack, the 
  pagans slew several magi of the covenant. 
  One of them found the Iron Door and 
  broke the ancient seal, unleashing the 
  horror hidden behind it and being 
  destroyed by it. Abaddon and 
  Vancasitium were the ones who subdued 
  it and vanquished the other Diedne. They 
  reclosed the Iron Door and resealed it 
  with spells, a temporary fix at best. 
   
  After this, Abaddon’s ruthless 
  nature came to the fore and he took 
  command of Val-Negra’s forces. He 
  acquired the nickname Apollyon, 
  Abaddon translated into Greek, with an 
  emphasis meaning “destroyer”. He used 
  his necromancy to unleash horrific magic 
  The Aerie 
  Life Cycle 
  Aerie folk seemingly grow and age 
  as normal humans, gaining knowledge 
  and wisdom as they mature and passing 
  on when their time is done. This is a 
  false perception, for aging results from 
  observation and the effects are mostly 
  cosmetic. In game terms, aging is only 
  required if the character is actively 
  played and/or advanced in experience. 
  If ignored or set aside, they need not 
  age or be updated for experience 
  (though this option is available if the 
  character resumes active play). 
  Therefore, an Aerie Character may 
  be created at just about any age, with 
  advancement having occurred in their 
  background. In play, every year the 
  character is active and/or advanced, 
  Apparent Age increases by one year. 
  When this reaches 35, they gain an 
  Aging Point each year thereafter. These 
  are not applied to Characteristics, they 
  just accumulate for a Decrepitude 
  score, and when that reaches 5, it is 
  time for them to depart the material 
  realm. Most go slightly before that, a 
  time of their choosing with a final 
  ceremony at the Shrine, never to 
  emerge. Otherwise they privately 
  disappear. This mystical aging is not 
  affected by any modifiers such as 
  Longevity or Living Conditions. 
  Aerie have no penalties to learning 
  and accumulate Experience points they 
  way normal characters do. This means 
  that, starting at Age 5 with their native 
  language (Aerie Language) at a score of 
  5, plus 45 Experience Points for Early 
  Childhood Abilities, they further gain 
  15 points per year of Latter Life 
  (building to their effective apparent 
  age). The exact same as for mundane 
  characters. This synchs up with Season 
  values at four cardinal points; Child Age 
  5 Spring (120xp), Adult Age 21 
  Summer (360xp), Elder Age 45 Autumn 
  (720xp), and Senior Age 77 Winter 
  (1200xp). It is easy to create a character 
  starting with one of these points, 
  adjusting experience by plus fifteen 
  point per additional year. 
  Aerie Characters also grow in Magic 
  Might as they age. The rate and 
  maximum depends on character type 
  (Grog or Companion), but in any case 
  the result is that Children have low 
  Might Scores and character type is 
  irrelevant or indistinguishable until 
  Adulthood. Child Characters have the 
  same Characteristic Modifiers as 
  mundane human children, detailed on 
  page 29 of the main rulebook. They are 
  also smaller, young children being Size -
  2 until around age seven, and usually no 
  greater than -1 until around fifteen. 
  This balances the low Might scores 
  of Children, since all Aerie have the 
  same minimum core set of Qualities & 
  Inferiorities. The math works if you 
  play with things long enough, but this 
  could drive one mad. It is suggested to 
  use the simple guidelines given here 
  instead, and let everything work out in 
  play. Or just play an Adult. 
  
   
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  upon his enemies. He bound and tortured 
  the ghosts of the slain Diedne infiltrators, 
  employing information gained to lead a 
  devastating campaign. He was especially 
  known for harvesting the ghosts of slain 
  foes and binding them as slaves. In the 
  final battle against Llewellyn, he 
  unleashed a horde of a thousand 
  screaming specters and raised a legion of 
  corpse soldiers. 
   
  In the aftermath, the decision was 
  made to destroy the portals and shutter 
  Val-Negra. The magic used to reseal the 
  door is weaker than the original, yet even 
  that ancient ritual was somehow able to 
  be broken. Abaddon volunteered to 
  become an eternal guardian by 
  transforming to a Living Ghost and 
  making Val Negra his Haunt.  
  Abaddon’s entire existence is focused 
  on the care and protection of Val-Negra. 
  He has devised a way to maintain an 
  Aegis despite his handicap, he insures that 
  the Adulteration, as well as any other 
  monsters on the covenant grounds, are 
  safely locked away, and provides other 
  magical maintenance as needed. Though 
  reclusive, he is not utterly secluded, 
  maintaining contact through his fellow 
  Archmagi and select members of the 
  Quaesitores and House Flambeau, such 
  as the Hausperex. Through the Aerie 
  Clan, he also manages operatives and 
  agents amongst mundanes. He tries to 
  keep himself current, but learning is 
  difficult since it requires enchantment 
  binding the memory of it (as per the rules 
  for Immortal Magi). He has not bothered 
  learning a new spell in over a hundred 
  years though, preferring instead to 
  operate through the many enchanted 
  items he creates. 
  Personal interaction with Abaddon 
  can be daunting for young magi and 
  elders quickly get discouraged or lose 
  interest, for the Archmagus is quite 
  overbearing and annoying. Abaddon is 
  idiosyncratic, eclectic, contrary, and 
  contradictory. It is as if he is the 
  manifestation of the Book of Instruction. 
  He is authoritarian and domineering, yet 
  h e det ests sycoph antr y and 
  submissiveness. To greet him with too 
  much respect earns contempt, and being 
  too casual makes him irate. Making 
  matters worse, he hates apologies; unless 
  you have red hair and are not wearing a 
  hat or if you are standing on his left 
  facing away from him. It gets worse, and 
  he seemingly makes up more bizarre rules 
  of etiquette as he goes along. He is 
  harsher yet more generous to other 
  Tytalus magi, especially if they understand 
  what he is doing. He wants to push 
  others to the breaking point, force them 
  to find a way to gain an upper hand and 
  overcome him. Once he finds magi who 
  are willing to make it their own and want 
  it bad enough to take it, if they are strong 
  Magic 
  Human: 
  Aerie Clan 
  Free Special Virtue 
  All of the unique traits of the 
  Aerie, the ways they deviate from 
  other Magic Characters, are 
  considered to be in balance. These 
  include the way they age, gain 
  experience initiate Seasons, 
  Initiations of their Shrine, and 
  everything else. 
  
   
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  88 
  it bad enough to take it, if they are strong 
  enough, only then will he had over all the 
  secret to Val-Negra and let it be ruled as 
  they choose. 
  NOTABLE 
  COVENFOLK 
  The vast majority of covenfolk will be 
  of the Aerie Clan. They number around 
  three hundred, and their entire culture 
  centers around service to the covenant. 
  They fall roughly into three categories; 
  those who protect the covenant, those 
  that serve the covenant, and those that 
  serve the community. Many Aerie fill all 
  three positions during the course of their 
  lifecycle. Children and the young serve 
  the community by assisting elders in their 
  tasks. Adults take up positions as 
  craftsmen and professionals that make 
  the covenant function, and often they 
  spend some time in military service. 
  Elders still serve the covenant, but spend 
  most of their time serving the community 
  and nurturing the next generation of the 
  clan. 
  LIBRARY 
   
  The Grand Library of Val-Negra 
  once rivalled Durenmar, but much was 
  lost during the Schism War and much of 
  what remained was removed when the 
  covenant was mostly evacuated. Faith & 
  Flame mentions a few places where books 
  may still yet be found, such as the former 
  Sanctum of the Primus, the Tower of 
  Inirelte, and Abaddon’s collection in the 
  catacombs. Leaving those aside as 
  potential Hidden Resources, there are/
  were a few books that are/were easily 
  scavenged from accessible locations in 
  the covenant. 
   
  This library consists of about a 
  dozen tomes, an eclectic mix of subjects 
  far short of the range of a wizard’s 
  interest. A few are exceptional, most are 
  damaged, and almost all can be improved 
  if recopied anew.  
  Arcane Abilities 
  The Key of Light, Inirelte of 
  Flambeau 
   
  Magic Theory Summa; Level 8, 
  Quality 8 
   
  The famous Archmaga and former 
  Primus was known for her brilliance and 
  excellent grasp of Magic Theory. This 
  book is damaged by age, and though fully 
  intact in content and Level, the Quality 
  could be improved at least three points if 
  copied new. 
   
  (32 BP) 
  
   
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  The Sorcerer’s Shield, Iarna of 
  Flambeau 
   
  Parma Magica Summa; Level 7, 
  Quality 10 
   
  Written by Iarna of Flambeau just 
  after the Schism War, she created this 
  book to leave as parting gifts of wisdom 
  before departing into the Magic Realm to 
  search out the last of the Diedne (and to 
  return should they ever resurface). Three 
  copies were made, but only the one at 
  Durenmar still exists. That copy is in 
  better condition, one point higher in 
  Quality and Level. The Val-Negra copy is 
  aged and the last several pages are ruined. 
  (31 BP) 
  Ultor (The Avenger) 
   
  Penetration Summa; Level 5, 
  Quality 7 
   
  This book is quite famous and 
  copies exist in several libraries. All of 
  which are better condition than this one. 
  This book has become brittle with age 
  and has lost two points of Quality. Any 
  season it is studied, roll a Stress die, and if 
  the result is 9+ the book looses another 
  point. If Botched, it also looses a Level. 
  Extra precautions can be taken, but this 
  inhibits study. Before rolling, choose a 
  Precaution Modifier of up to -3. Apply 
  the same to your Study Total. (22 BP) 
  Mundane Knowledge 
  Elementia, Euclid 
   
  Artes Liberales Summa; Level 4, 
  Quality 8 
   
  Translated from ancient Greek 
  into Hermetic Latin, this book could be 
  improved a point in Quality if recopied. 
  The original, if read in Greek or a better 
  translation, would be of a higher Level 
  and Quality both. (20 BP) 
  Hermetic Metaphysics, Arturius of 
  Bonisagus 
   
  Philosophiae Tractatus; Quality 10
  (10 BP) 
  Books on the Arts 
  Apromor filius Flambeau, On the 
  Nature of Time 
  Perdo Summa; Level 13, Quality 13 
  Written by the legendary Apromor, 
  master of destruction, based on the 
  theme of his famous adage “Time 
  Destroys all Things”.  
  The books high quality is mainly due 
  to being written at a reduced level from 
  the maximum potential. (26 BP) 
  
   
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  Abaddon of Tytalus 
  Archmagus, Pontifex, Mystic Grand Potentate of Chaldean 
  Sorcerers, Living Ghost, last magus and eternal champion of Val-
  Negra 
  Magic Might: 50 (Mentem) 
  Characteristics: Int +4, Per +1, Pre +2, Com -1, Str -1, Sta 
  +1, Dex -1, Quik -1 
  Size: 0 
  Age: 332 (appearance varies) 
  Confidence: 5 (11) 
  Virtues & Flaws: The Gift, Hermetic Magus, Archmagus;  
  Living Ghost, Major Magic Focus in Necromancy, Potent 
  Magic: Necromancy;  
  Affinity with Mentem, Great Intelligence, Hermetic Amulets, 
  Hermetic Empowerment, Hermetic Prestige, Inscription on the 
  Soul, Inventive Genius, Puissant Magic Theory, Puissant Mentem, 
  Second Sight, Self Confident, Spell Binding; Blatant Gift, Driven 
  (Major), Rigid Magic; Ambitious (Minor), Cabal Legacy, Deficient 
  Herbam, Flawed Parma Magica: Herbam, Higher Purpose, 
  Incomprehensible, Limited Magic Resistance: Herbam, Obsessed, 
  Poor Formulaic Magic, Reclusive, Visions 
  (Starting with normal parameters, Abaddon has gained 
  additional Virtues & Flaws in various ways, including Mysteries 
  and Twilight. He is still balanced, with twenty points of Flaws and 
  an equal number of Virtues. 
  Personality Traits: Eclectic +5, Obsessed +3, Ruthless +2 
  Reputations: Hermetic Prestige 4, Necromancer 3 (Hermetic) 
  Combat: 
  Grapple: Init -1, Attack +3, Defense +3, Damage -1 
  Dagger: Init -1, Attack +6, Defense +4, Damage +2 
  Soak: +1 
  Fatigue: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious 
  Wounds: -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), 
  Dead (21+) 
  Abilities: Area Lore: Levant 3 (Babylon), Area Lore: 
  Provençal 5 (Pyrenees), Area Lore: Val-Negra 6 (catacombs), 
  Artes Liberales 5 (rhetoric), Awareness 3 (suspicious activity), 
  Bargain 3 (with spirits), Brawl 4 (dagger), Charm 2 (wit), Chirurgy 
  4 (set bones), Code of Hermes 4 (?), Concentration 5 (spells) , Cult 
  Lore: Chaldean Sorcerers 6 (initiation), Dead Language: Hebrew 5 
  (?), Dead Language: Latin 5 (Hermetic), Dead Language: Turanian 
  5 (Akkidian), Divine Lore 3 (angels), Etiquette 3 (Hermetic), 
  Faerie Lore 4 (Mountain King), Finesse 5 (grace), Folk Ken 2 
  (magi), Guile 4 (prevarication), Infernal Lore 3 (undead), Intrigue 
  5 (alliances), Leadership 5 (intimidation), Living Language: 
  Aramaic 5 (Chaldean), Living Language: Spanish: 5 (Asturias), 
  Living Language: Occitan 5 (Catalan), Magic Lore 6 (ghosts), 
  Magic Theory 15+2 (items), Medicine 5 (anatomy), Organization 
  Lore: Order of Hermes 7 (Archmagi), Parma Magica 9 (Mentem), 
  Penetration 5 (Perdo), Philosophiae 5 (metaphysics), Profession: 
  Scribe 3 (copy), Second Sight 5 (spirits), Stealth 4 (shadows), 
  Teaching 4 (the Tytalus method) 
  Arts: Creo 15, Intellego 16, Muto 14, Perdo 23, Rego 21, 
  Animal 10, Aquam 11, Auram 12, Corpus 27, Herbam 9, Ignem 
  12, Imaginem 18, Mentem* 36+3, Terram 11, Vim 23 
  Twilight Scars: His corporeal shadow is that of a skeletal 
  corpse; His presence chills the air, He carries the faint scent of 
  sulfur, Redheads cause him extreme discomfort, His eyes flash red 
  when his mood intensifies, He always receives the most eerie 
  illumination 
  Magic Sigil: eeriness 
  Symbolic Sigil: a skull with blazing eyes 
  Equipment: dagger, amulet, rings on every finger (all 
  enchanted) 
  Encumbrance: 0 
  Appearance: As a ghost, his appearance is that of an ancient 
  and withered wizard cloaked in heavy black robes. At times he can 
  appear as a skeletal corpse in robes. He is most frequently 
  encountered in corporeal form, almost always in fact. This can 
  vary, but he prefers to take the seeming he had during the prime 
  of his life. This is as a middle aged man, balding, with dark 
  features and a devilish grin. He occasionally takes the ancient 
  robed form for dramatic effect, but essentially he can create 
  whatever material seeming he chooses. 
  Spells Known: It would be madness to detail every nuance of 
  Abaddon’s magic. He spent over a hundred years as a mortal 
  magus, and has been a Living Ghost for even longer than that. He 
  has accumulated a lot of power over the years. The irony is that, 
  though he knows many spells, because they cost him might he 
  prefers not to cast them unless it is a dire necessity. He prefers 
  instead to employ enchanted items of all sorts, using his 
  knowledge of a spell to gain a Lab bonus. 
   
  With that in mind, the following list is by no means 
  exhaustive. He knows every necromantic spell conceivable, all that 
  can be found in canon as whatever else the storyguide finds 
  reasonable and wishes to design. He also has a wide range of low 
  and mid level spells in all Arts, again whatever seems reasonable 
  for the story at hand. The spells listed are a few of his favorites, 
  things to keep in mind, and ones that he has enchanted as 
  Charged Items or other devices for which he keeps lab notes. Also 
  noted are the critical spells that have allowed him to become and 
  function as a Living Ghost and Guardian of Val-Negra. Further, 
  though he has the Rigid Magic Flaw, he did not always suffer this 
  drawback. The Rituals he knows were either learned before 
  (Continued on page 91) 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  91 
  gaining that Flaw, or were learned to gain a Lab bonus for 
  enchanting them with Hermetic Empowerment. 
  Abaddon is also the original inventor of some classic spells 
  categorized as Necromancy, including both Whispers through the 
  Black Gate and the Ritual Incantation of Summoning the Dead. 
  These involved Minor Breakthroughs now integrated into 
  Hermetic Magic, the first allowing a magus to use Corpus to speak 
  with the dead, the second allowing conjuration of a ghost when 
  none may exist drawing the spirit from across the veil (a Ritual is 
  not needed to conjure an active haunting ghost). 
  Incantation of Lightning (CrAu 35) 
  Whispers through the Black Gate (InCo15) 
  Coerce the Spirit of Corpus (ReCo 20) 
  Summon the Spirit of Corpus (ReCo 40) 
  Lamp without Flame (CrIg 10) 
  Pilium of Fire (CrIg 20) 
  Coerce the Spirit of Fire (ReCo 20) 
  Summon the Spirit of Fire (ReCo 40) 
  Panic of the Trembling Heart (CrMe 15) 
  Weight of a Thousand Hells (CrMe 25) 
  Bind the Living Ghost (Cr(Pe/Re)Me(Co) 65, Ritual) 
  Abaddon’s Haunt includes all of Val-Negra, extending to the 
  limits of the Regio layer surrounding it  
  (Boundary, +3 Magnitudes). 
  Vision of the Haunting Spirits (MuMe 40) 
  Lay to Rest the Haunting Spirit (PeMe10/25) 
  Blessing of Childlike Bliss (PeMe 25) 
  Black Whisper (PeMe 40) 
  Transformation of the Living Ghost (PeMe95, Ritual) 
  This originally granted Abaddon a Might score of 60 (level 
  minus boundary and size magnitudes), but he has had to expend 
  some as vis in an emergency before. 
  Amulet of Protection from Spirits (ReMe 40) 
  Ring of Warding against Spirits (ReMe 10/25) 
  Coerce Spirits of the Night (ReMe 20) 
  Visions of the Infernal Terrors (ReMe30) 
  Enslave the Mortal Mind (ReMe40) 
  Incantation of Summoning the Dead (ReMe40) 
  Ritual Incantation of Summoning the Dead (ReMe40, Ritual) 
  The Shrouded Glen (ReMe40, Ritual) 
  Demon's Eternal Oblivion (PeVi 10/25) 
  Aegis of the Hearth (ReVi 50/100, Ritual), Mastery 4 
  (Adaptive Mastery, Lab Mastery, Penetration, Stalwart Casting) 
  Amulet of Protection from Demons (ReVi30), Mastery 2 
  (Cerimonial Casting, Lab Mastery. 
   
  This is an example of an Amulet spell, which offers 
  Protection from demons equal to the level. He has invented a 
  variety of Amulet spells covering different Realms and Forms, and 
  far prefers them to traditional wards. Amulet spells require 
  Ceremonial Casting but do not require Mastery. If combined with 
  that Mastery, a Shape & Material bonus can be applied. He has 
  mastered all of his Amulet spells this way. 
  (Base Effect) 
  Coerce the Spirit of Magic (ReVi 20) 
  Summon the Spirit of Magic (ReVi 40) 
  TALISMAN 
  Soul of the Abyss Keeper 
  Abaddon has combined Inscription on the Soul with being a 
  Living Ghost to the fullest possible advantage. As an Immortal 
  Magus, he has unlimited potential space that can be opened. 
  Immortal Magi are also immune to the effects of Warping, and 
  thus there is no risk involving using Hermetic Empowerment. An 
  Immortal’s Talisman has an unlimited potential for spaces to be 
  opened, limited only by the amount of time and vis spent. 
  Abaddon has had plenty of each, and has opened and filled many 
  new spaces. Currently, he has about a hundred open spaces 
  available (only three seasons of work). He can never have enough 
  though, and hordes Vim vis so he can keep opening more spaces 
  and investing necessary effects. Rego and Mentem also are useful 
  for investing. Also, since all of these enchantments are of his spirit 
  (and since he is a spirit being), his Talisman has no Attunements. 
  Command of the Soul 
  InMe 35 
  Pen: +0, Unlimited Use, Item Maintains Concentration 
  R: Personal, D: Concentration, T: Individual 
  The enchantment of his soul is in constant contact with his 
  thoughts, allowing him to instill enchantments with a Linked 
  Trigger of a Mental Command. It can be deactivated when needed 
  to avoid Penetration issues. To say “why eye’s?” deactivates it, and 
  to say “eye wise” reactivates it. This was one of the first effects 
  invested, when he was still mortal. 
  (Effect: Base 15, +1 Concentration; +5 Levels Item Maintains 
  Concentration, +10 Levels Unlimited Use) 
   
  (Continued on page 92) 
  
   
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  Coerce Spirits of the Night 
  ReMe 69 
  Pen: +26, Unlimited Use, Item Maintains Concentration 
  R: Sight, D: Concentration, T: Individual 
  (Effect: Base 5, +3 Sight, +1 Concentration; +3 Levels Linked 
  Trigger, +5 Levels Item Maintains Concentration, +10 Levels 
  Unlimited Use, +26 Levels Penetration 52 
  Aegis of the Hearth 
  ReVi 78 
  R: Touch, D: Year, T: Boundary (+3 Magnitudes) 
  Hermetic Empowered Ritual, Effect Level 50, Penetration 
  +26 
  Abaddon uses Hermetic Empowerment to perpetuate an 
  Aegis over Val-Negra. The Environmental Trigger creates a 
  seamless transition as the effect is renewed each year.  The Aegis 
  qualifies for Empowerment, for though the Ritual “often ends” 
  with participants marching the boundary, this is a tradition and not 
  mandatory. Only one magus is needed to actually cast the spell, 
  and Abaddon is “in contact” with the entirety of his haunt. 
  However, he and members of the Aerie Clan annually mark the 
  occasion anyway, and the spirit empowering the effect is actually 
  cooperating with them. This is explained below, but another side 
  effect is that the spirit grants a +5 bonus to Penetration (in 
  addition to the +20 designed into the effect). These benefits are 
  not inherit in this effect, they are results of Experimentation with 
  the Empowering enchantment. 
  (Base 50, +3 Size; plus thirteen levels for +26 Penetration) 
  Empowering Protection of the Spectral 
  Champion 
  Re(Mu)Vi(Me)105 
  R: Per, D: Mom, T: Ind 
  This is a variant of Empowering Prison of the Declining Spirit, 
  invented by Abaddon in two seasons of Experimentation. The 
  unique quirks of the enchantment are due to the Extraordinary 
  Results of the Experiment. These include Side Effect-Major Side 
  Benefit (the spirit is in full cooperation of casting the empowered 
  Ritual), and Modified Effect-Restricted (only willing and 
  cooperative spirits may be bound into this enchantment). 
  This is not the first experimental variation of this enchantment 
  inscribed on his soul, but the others have expired and he makes 
  use of Lab Texts to repeat this version exclusively. 
  With the combination of a Lab Text and the multiplier of the 
  Seven Year Expiry, Abaddon is at the point now that he can bind 
  seven spirits a season. It takes him three seasons to open the 
  spaces needed to do so beforehand. 
  Though this enchantment can be used to bind a spirit with a 
  might as high as fifty, the usual range is around forty. These spirits 
  are the ghosts of past magi, former members of the covenant that 
  have long since deceased. 
  (Base 100, plus five levels for twenty-four uses per day; effect 
  expiry of seven years) 
  “The current Might Score of the Bound Spirit must equal or 
  exceed half the level of the ritual spell to be empowered.” 
  “A magus who becomes immortal in one of these ways is no 
  longer limited by his highest Technique and Form in the number 
  of spaces he can open in his talisman; rather, he can open as many 
  as he spends time and vis for” 
  Shrouded Glen 
  ReMe 53 
  R: Touch, D: Year, T: Bound 
  Hermetic Empowered Ritual, Penetration +25 
  Abaddon does not use this effect anymore. He used to place it 
  over Perdut when Val-Negra first went dormant to discouraged 
  investigation. The rout of access requires locating the village 
  before they can transverse the Labyrinth Caverns and the Valley 
  of Mist.  
  (Base 40 as spell, plus thirteen levels for Penetration +26) 
  Disenchant 
  PeVi 30 
  R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind, Ritual 
  As per ArM5, page 160 except range increased to Voice. 
  (Base 25, +1 Voice (increased from Touch) 
  Gentle Caress 
  CrCo 30 
  (Base 30 as spell) 
  Start at 40, -15 Aegis = 25, -10 Shrouded Glen = 15, -5 for 
  parting gift =10 
  Or  
  Start at 40, -15 Aegis = 25, -6 for Heal or Disenchant = 19, -6 
  for either or again = 13, -5 for parting gift =8 
  Enslave the Mortal Mind 
  ReMe 77 
  R: Eye, D: Conc, T: Ind, Penetration +46, Fifty Uses per Day 
  (Base 30, +1 Eye, +1 Concentration; +5 levels Maintain 
  Concentration, +6 levels Fifty Uses per Day, +23 levels 
  Penetration 46, +3 levels Mental Linked Trigger) 
  
   
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  Aerie Characters 
  Faith & Flame includes a Character Guide for the Aerie 
  Clan, which is useful for generating quick NPC’s for 
  adventures. But as the predominant population of a Player 
  Covenant in terms of a Saga, something more substantial 
  would be more useful. Provided here are simple guidelines for 
  generating Aerie grogs and companions as vital Player 
  Characters, to enhance or engender stories, and with variation 
  to suite individual aesthetics. The irony is that these folk 
  appear mostly bland and similar. Yet there are unique 
  individuals that shine amongst them, such as are suited for 
  player characters and more interesting NPC’s. 
  SIZE & CHARACTERISTICS 
  The average adult Aerie is Size 0, and most Aerie are 
  average. Large and Small Frame are uncommon but possible 
  Virtue/Flaw choices, but anything else is not permitted. For 
  Characteristics, the tendency is for Aerie to have no negative 
  scores and for Presence to be the lowest. Child Characters 
  have Characteristic Modifiers, but they outgrow these. 
  VIRTUES & FLAWS 
   
  When choosing Virtues & Flaws, keep in consideration 
  who the character is and where they are from. All Aerie have 
  the Covenant Upbringing Flaw. Social Status defaults to 
  Covenfolk (or Magical Covenfolk), with those in direct service 
  ranking as a Custos.  
  SEASON & MIGHT 
  Aerie gain experience and seemingly age as normal humans, 
  as described in the Aerie Lifecycle insert. This synchronizes 
  with the seasons at certain specific ages, so it is easiest to start 
  by choosing a season and modify from there (adding 15 
  experience points per year). 
  Age also affects Might, with Children (Spring) having 
  reduced scores until they mature as Adults (Summer). Grogs 
  have a Magic Might equal to half their age with a maximum of 
  10, and for Companions it equals their full age with a 
  maximum of 25. 
  QUALITIES & 
  INFERIORITIES 
  All Aerie characters share the same standard core set of 
  Qualities & Inferiorities. These are: Natural Appearance; Gift 
  of Tongues, Improved Powers (x2), Lesser Powers (x2), Minor 
  Essential Virtue Unnoticeable, Mentem Resistance, Second 
  Sight, Unaffected y the Gift, Variable Power; Restricted Power, 
  Slow Power, and Susceptible to Deprivation. 
  This may exceed some limits for certain characters. Grogs 
  have Natural Appearance even though it is a Major Quality, 
  but they may not choose others of the Major category. Very 
  young characters with low Might may not balance against the 
  core, but they have other penalties and it is of no concern until 
  they mature. 
   
  Additional Qualities & Inferiorities may be gained when 
  the character reaches cardinal Season ages. In short, Adult 
  Grogs can take up to three additional Inferiorities to balance 
  additional 
  Qualities, 
  limited 
  to 
  the 
  Minor 
  category. 
  Companions can choose up to six added Inferiorities to 
  balance Extra Qualities and may choose Major. Further, 
  Companions are due additional points of Qualities from their 
  higher might score. 
   
  In detail, once each stage-of-life Season, an Aerie may 
  experience a special Shrine Initiation. The character may accept 
  new Inferiority points up to one-fifth their might score, 
  accompanied by balancing Qualities. This means a limit of one 
  point as a Child (Spring), when Might was 5 or lower. Grogs 
  may gain 2 more as an Adult (Summer) when their might 
  reaches 10, and Companions may take more when their Might 
  reaches 25. Additional Qualities due to higher Might are gained 
  at these Initiations,  so young Companions with high scores 
  must wait until they are adults and their Summer Initiation 
  before they can gain them.  
  Aerie are not able to gain Qualities & Inferiorities in any 
  other way. None of the core traits may be removed or altered, 
  and new Inferiorities once taken may never be removed. When 
  making choices, keep into consideration the type of character 
  and make reasonable selections. 
  SUGGESTED ABILITIES 
  Aerie characters may take Artes Liberales, Latin, and Magic 
  Lore. Latin is the spoken language of the Aerie, for their native 
  speech has no vocal form. Covenant Upbringing, along with 
  certain Covenant Boons, permits learning these. It is also 
  suggested to choose Virtues & Qualities that further enhance 
  experience and Ability choices. With that in mind, the 
  suggested minimum scores at different Ages/Seasons is as 
  follows. 
  Adult (Age 21, Summer): Aerie Language 5, Area Lore: Val-
  Negra 1, Artes Liberales 1, Awareness 1, Brawl 1, Carouse 1, 
  Concentration 1, Folk Ken 1, Latin 3, Magic Lore 1, Mentem 
  Resistance 1, Organization Lore: Aerie 1, Organization Lore: 
  (Continued on page 94) 
  
   
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  94 
  Order of Hermes 1, Second Sight 1, Stealth 1; with 200xp 
  remaining 
  Elder (Age 45, Autumn): Aerie Language 5, Area Lore: Val-
  Negra 3, Artes Liberales 1, Awareness 1, Brawl 1, Carouse 1, 
  Concentration 1, Etiquette 1, Folk Ken 2, Latin 4, Magic Lore 
  3, Mentem Resistance 2, Organization Lore: Aerie 3, 
  Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 2, Second Sight 3, Stealth 
  1, Teaching 1; with 400xp remaining 
  Senior (Age 77, Winter): Aerie Language 5, Area Lore: Val-
  Negra 4, Artes Liberales 1, Awareness 1, Brawl 1, Carouse 1, 
  Concentration 1, Etiquette 1, Folk Ken 3, Latin 4, Magic Lore 
  3, Mentem Resistance 3, Organization Lore: Aerie 4, 
  Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 2, Second Sight 4, Stealth 
  1, Teaching 1; 800xp remaining 
  ANCESTRAL MEMORIES 
  Initiations involve communion with the Ancestral Shrine 
  Spirits, often gaining some of their wisdom and idiosyncrasies. 
  The tendency is to acquire a Quality that grants experience 
  points (Improved Abilities or a relevant Minor Virtue), paired 
  with an Inferiority (described as follows) that draws the 
  character closer to identifying with their ancestor. 
  The Inferiority generally manifests as the Minor Flaw of 
  Worthless Abilities, which means at least 30 of the character’s 
  experience points (a portion of the knowledge gained) must be 
  dedicated to Abilities that are useless or obsolete. Examples 
  include a Dead Language of no interest to anyone (such as 
  Tartessian), Lore of an organization that no longer exists (such 
  as local Visigoth nobility from five hundred years ago), or a 
  Non-Combatant with Martial Abilities (whose ancestor was a 
  Black Guard during the Schism War).  
  Worthless Abilities may be taken multiple times, but only 
  once per initiation. A second ancestral Inferiority in the same 
  Initiation generally takes the form of a Minor Personality Flaw. 
  This bends things a bit, but is thematic and subject to 
  condition. It must be taken as the second Inferiority in an 
  Initiation after Worthless Abilities, and the first time this 
  happens the Flaw is Delusion (thinking they are somehow that 
  ancestor). Other Personality flaws are extension of that 
  Delusion. 
  Ancestral Wisdom, the experience gained from the pairing 
  of Improved Abilities that is not marked for Worthless, can be 
  spent on just about anything. Even Restricted Abilities and 
  things the character could have had no exposure to (but the 
  ancestor did). 
  POWERS 
  The Aerie core Qualities include two specific powers that 
  all Aerie have, Silent Speech and Invisibility. This is 
  represented by Lesser Power taken Twice along with Improved 
  Powers also taken twice. The excess Levels and Mastery Points 
  are used to eliminate Might Costs and Initiative Penalties. 
  These two powers are universal and may not be altered. 
  Other powers are possible if taken as additional Qualities. 
  Keeping with the theme, it is recommended that they be 
  Imaginem and/or Mentem effects. 
  Silent Speech of the Aerie Clan: 0 points, Init (Quik), 
  Mentem 
  R: Special, D: Conc, T: Group 
  Everything about this power is as descried in Faith & Flame, 
  with a simplification in that Penetration is not an issue. As a 
  Restricted Power, the restriction is twofold. It can only be used 
  with those that also have this power, and those who have this 
  power cannot resist the use of this power by others. If this 
  solution is unsatisfactory, take Arcane Lore and Reduced 
  Abilities and learn Penetration. 
  CrMe20 (Base 3, +2 Voice, +1 Conc, +2 Group); 
  Lesser Power, 20 levels used and 5 converted to one 
  Mastery Point 
  12 Mastery Points (-4 cost, +8 Initiative);  
  Lesser Power, Improved Power x2, Restricted Power 
  Invisibility of Silent Standing: 0 points, Init Full Round then 
  (Quik), Imaginem 
  R: Per, D: Conc, T: Ind 
  The effect as described allows the Aerie to “blend into” 
  their surroundings, so long as they silently standing still. This is 
  a Variable Power and is tied to Second Sight, with the potential 
  effect increasing in Magnitude as their Ability Score does. 
  Because it is tied to an Ability and not to Might, it is possible 
  (and not uncommon) for Grogs to have superior skill at this. 
  With a Second Sight score of 1, the power is as described. 
  At a score of 2, their physical sounds are silenced and they can 
  think “aloud” to use Silent Speech. At 3, it is possible to move 
  about while invisible. They are not silenced and can be heard if 
  they make noise, but they can use Silent Speech. A Second 
  Sight of 4 means they can use this power at will and no longer 
  need to maintain Concentration. Higher scores provide further 
  enhancements. 
  PeIm5+ (Base 4, +1 Conc) 
  Lesser Power, 5 Levels used, 20 converted to four Mastery 
  Points 
  3 Mastery Points (-1 cost, +2 Initiative); 
  Lesser Power, Variable Power, Slow Power 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  95 
  
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  The Bestiary 
  of Uncommon 
  Creatures 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Ars Magica [multi]/5th edition/Sub Rosa fanzine/Sub Rosa Issue 17.pdf