House Ex Miscellanea

We.are.the.Order's.forsaken.army;.they.have.used. us.to.defeat.their.foe,.and.now.they.wish.us.to.depart. back. to. the. hedges. and. the. crags. from. which. we. came..It.shall.not.be.so!.We.might.be.hedge.wizards. and. crag. witches,. but. we. have. proven. our. power. 'gainst.a.foe.the.Order.itself.feared.to.face..If.they. must.be.forced.to.recognize.us.as.equals,.then.we.must. be.the.crooked.staff.which.applied.that.force!.

— Pralix filia Tytalus, 816 AD

House Ex Miscellanea is the largest of the Order's 12 Houses, and yet it has the least prestige and recognition among other magi. This is because, unlike other Houses, there is no unifying concept that unites the House, no common descent, single cultic belief, nor shared philosophy. Instead, this House is composed of numerous Lineages, Mystery Cults, and Societates, each one with its own history, culture, and magic. This chapter is divided into two parts: the first part provides the reader with some facts about the House as a whole, and the second part is devoted to the description of eight traditions of House Ex Miscellanea.

The story of the formation of the House was a major event in the history of the Order of Hermes, and is well known (ArM5, page 10). Briefly, Pralix the pupil of Tytalus was charged with hunting down a non-Hermetic warlock called Damhan-Allaidh (pronounced DAH-van-AHL-ee; often Latinized to Davanallus) who had recruited an army of Anglo-Saxon runewizards and monstrous shapechangers and posed a threat to the Order in the early ninth century. To assist her with this task, Pralix needed an army of her own, and so she recruited native magicians from all over the British Isles who had also suffered under this warlock. At the head of this army, she faced her foe first at Loch Leglean in Scotland, then all through northern England, until they met finally at Cad Gadu in Wales. There, during the Battle of the False Sun, Damhan-Allaidh and his fearsome allies were finally defeated.

Key Facts

Population: Estimated at 180, although a census is currently underway which may revise this number.

Primus: Ebroin

Domus Magna: Cad Gadu, in North Wales (Stonehenge Tribunal). The covenant lies on an island in a lake, at the top level of magical regio where the aura is of strength 8. The whole island is frequently shrouded in mist, and people have been known to be lost forever in these mists if they stray from the marked path. Cad Gadu was originally the home of a tradition of hedge wizards called the Columbae, but its current name comes from the final battle between Pralix and Damhan-Allaidh, and means "the forsaken army" in honor of all the magi who perished in this war.

Favored tribunals: Magi Ex Miscellanea are found equally in all Tribunals.

Motto: Totus multitudinem componet ("the whole is composed of many parts")

Symbol: A crooked staff

When Pralix declined to return to home in triumph, Mercere visited her in person at Cad Gadu, but was refused entrance. Pralix had renounced both her House and the Order, and was now the leader of a new Order, the Ordo Miscellanea. It offered protection to all magicians who had been rejected or persecuted by the Order of Hermes because their powers were too paltry, or did not bear the legacy of mighty Rome. The outraged Order of Hermes called for the immediate extirpation of both Pralix and her upstart order, but Hariste (Tytalus's successor) and Trianoma both argued for a settlement. While the Order of Hermes was paralyzed with indecision, the Ordo Miscellanea recruited aggressively throughout northern and western Europe. Eventually, in 817, the cooler heads prevailed, and the Ordo Miscellanea joined the Order of Hermes as a 13th house, House Ex Miscellanea. This move doubled the size of the Order at that time.

Under Pralix, the House was ruled by a Council of Four, representing different facets of the House's interests. It was initially a martial House populated by battle-hardened wizards, and ruthlessly pursued the "join or die" imperative of the Order, making enemies of both Tremere and Flambeau, who felt that their own House identities were being threatened, by numbers if not power. Pralix disappeared in 863 while returning from a visit to her former domus magna, and many suspected members of Houses Flambeau and/or Tremere of foul play. Without her firm guidance, House Ex Miscellanea gradually lost its former coherence as each tradition of magi pursued their own agenda without any thought towards the House as a whole.

Immediately before the Schism War, a new Primus named Basilicus seized control of the House. By this time, the House had become bloated with many traditions seeking the protection of the Order, and had sacrificed its martial focus for diversity. Basilicus re-instituted the Council of Four, and whipped the House back into a shadow of its former self. He had been warned by his own prophetic abilities of the coming strife, and was determined that House Ex Miscellanea would not suffer because of it. In fact, many of the founding traditions of the House harbored a great deal of resentment for House Diedne due to antipathies which reached back to before the Founding of the Order; in Britain, at least, many Diedne magi died at the hands of the magi Ex Miscellanea. However, once again, upon the passing of Basilicus the House entered a decline again, from which it is yet to raise itself.

Rumors and Stories

• Damhan-Allaidh may not have died at the hands of Pralix, but perhaps feigned his death and escaped. Sightings of the warlock abounded in Scotland (and further afield) in the ninth and tenth centuries, but none have been reported since the Schism War. The suspicion remains that Damhan-Allaidh or his descendents still plot the downfall of the Order, starting with House Ex Miscellanea.
• Pralix is still technically the leader of Cad Gadu; a seat is left for her at the Council, and her opinion is requested on any motion. Is there any connection between her disappearance and that of Prima Hariste of House Tytalus, which occurred just a few months later?
• Is there any truth to the conspiracy rumors that other Houses deliberately limit the resources of House Ex Miscellanea? The House could be a force to be reckoned with, were it not so disparate.

The Name "Ex Miscellanea"

Miscellanea, in ancient Rome, was the name given to the food provided to gladiators to keep them strong: a porridge made of blood, offal, and oats. The name was well chosen by Pralix, because she intended the Ordo Miscellanea to strengthen the Order of Hermes through opposition. However, with her characteristic wry humor, when they joined the Order she named them House Ex Miscellanea, with a meaning more like "from out of the rag-tag mixture," indicating the diverse nature of the House. A member of this House is correctly referred to as a magus Ex Miscellanea, not a magus of House Ex Miscellanea, or any variant thereof. Of course, these magi are more likely to refer to themselves by their traditions rather than their House.

House Ex Miscellanea, despite its predominantly British roots, now encompasses magi from all over Europe. Before its formation, hedge wizards were recruited either into the Mystery Houses (if their ideology was appropriate) or the Societates (often House Flambeau). House Diedne was a common recipient of hedge wizards, and since the demise of that House during the Schism War, House Ex Miscellanea has inherited its stereotype of having naturalistic, primitive wizards with little classical education and poorly developed Hermetic magic. This stereotype is not wholly justified, for many of the traditions of House Ex Miscellanea have roots that are every bit as noble and sophisticated as those of the Founders themselves. However, the stereotype is not wholly wrong either, for there are a large number of magi Ex Miscellanea who are uninterested in the Order as a political body — their membership is purely to prevent harassment from the other Houses, so that they may pursue their own goals in peace.

There is hardly any "House culture" at all. Magi of this House congregate only sporadically, and even then the gatherings are usually meetings between members of the same tradition. Most magi Ex Miscellanea prefer to act independently from the others, and the House as a whole has no common philosophy. The downside is that this also means there is no unity; for example, a member can rarely rely upon his House to support him at Tribunal unless he has put the effort in himself to recruit allies.

Governance of House Ex Miscellanea

In 1220, for nearly the first time, the House seems to have a chance at rejuvenation. For the last eight decades, the Prima of House Ex Miscellanea was Immanola, from a tradition of seers. In her youth she was a firebrand who excited the Stonehenge Tribunal with her dire prophecies, none of which appeared to come true. As age caught up with her and senility set in, she was respected less and less. She has now sat unmoving for twelve years, gazing into a pool at Cad Gadu. Four years ago she was declared to have entered Final Twilight, and the House elected Ebroin to be Primus. Ebroin is a young and vibrant magus who has attempted a number of reforms. He has re-instated the Council of Four, placing nominal control of three Tribunals under each of the Council members, leaving himself in charge of the magi Ex Miscellanea of the Stonehenge Tribunal. He has called for a census of the House, and seems to have plans for the revitalization of the House. Only time will tell whether his plans will bear any fruit, or whether he will fail like others before him.

Most of the traditions of House Ex Miscellanea have preserved some aspect of their pre-Hermetic powers that they consider superior to those of the Order. While the magic practiced by the Order of Hermes is superior to all other magical traditions (past and present), even its most ardent supporters admit that in some cases, potency has been sacrificed for flexibility. In addition to the Limits of Magic, there are some areas of magic that some wizards found exceptionally easy, but are quite difficult under Hermetic theory.

All members of this House have their particular tradition represented by a Major non-Hermetic Virtue, a Major Hermetic Flaw, and a Minor Hermetic Virtue (ArM5, page 30). These Virtues and Flaws are compulsory, are in addition to the normal allocation of Virtues and Flaws of a magus character, and are shared by all members of the same lineage.

The Major Virtue represents the legacy of the magus's tradition before joining the Order, and a discussion on the type of powers available is given below. In contrast, the Major Flaw represents the sacrifices of his Hermetic magic that have had to be made to retain his non-Hermetic magic. Typically, these Flaws consist of an inability to use a particular aspect of Hermetic magic (Deficient Technique, Difficult Longevity Ritual, Waster of Vis, Weak Spontaneous Magic, or Unstructured Caster), a limitation imposed on that magic (Necessary Condition, Short-Ranged Magic, Restriction, or Weak Magic Resistance), or an unusual response to the use of Hermetic Magic (Chaotic Magic, Magic Addition, Painful Magic, or Twilight Prone).

The Minor Virtue represents a successful re-focusing of non-Hermetic powers into Hermetic channels when the tradition first joined the Order. This Virtue should affect how the magus's magic operates, such as Affinity with Art, Cyclical Magic, Enduring Magic, Life Boost, Minor Magical Focus, Puissant Art, Side Effect, and Special Circumstances.

Note that Hermetic Virtues and Flaws, including the ones gained by being a member of House Ex Miscellanea, affect only the exercise of Hermetic magic, not non-Hermetic powers.

The Primus Ex Miscellanea

When a Primus Ex Miscellanea dies or enters Final Twilight, all the members of Cad Gadu become eligible candidates to the position. The magi Ex Miscellanea of each Tribunal must then reach a consensus of which of the candidates they support. The candidate with the most votes from the thirteen Tribunals is appointed as the new Primus, and given the Robes of Dusty Dawn (see below) as a symbol of his position. The first act of the new Primus is to dismiss the members of the Covenant of Cad Gadu, and redistribute their positions to any magi of the House whom he feels are worthy. He is also responsible for choosing replacements for magi of the covenant when they pass on.

This system is clearly open to corruption. Under an aging Primus, the membership of Cad Gadu (and thus the candidature for their successor) is easy to fix. Furthermore, it is not unknown for the votes of the Tribunals to be incorrectly performed or reported to Cad Gadu. However, few magi Ex Miscellanea care enough about the governance of their House to make an issue of procedural irregularities.

The Robes of Dusty Dawn were given to Pralix by the Columbae (see later) when she assumed leadership of the British wizards against Damhan-Allaidh. The robes are much too big to fit Primus Ebroin comfortably, and he finds them stifling. Therefore, despite the substantial magical protection they offer, they are most commonly found slung over a chair or in a crumbled heap upon the floor, discarded by the Primus.

Saga Seed: The Boy King

Primus Ebroin has big plans for his House, but there are a number of stumbling blocks in his way. Firstly, the Council of Four that he has instituted has not been wisely chosen. None of the four magi have any respect for each other, or for the Primus, although they pretend otherwise. Each has his own agenda, and all of them are mutually incompatible. The Primus is both young and inexperienced, and clearly a poor judge of character. Those who meet him frequently decide he is a bumbling fool, but they would be wrong. Ebroin is an orbus (see below), although he prefers it that this is not widely known.

Furthermore, the circumstances of his expulsion from his House are not altogether clear, and there is a hint of a suggestion that he may still be loyal to his former Primus. In addition to Gwhyr of the Columbae (see Columbae, The Fate of Cad Gadu, below), the Council of Four also includes a Donator and a member of the Damhadh-Duidsan.

The machinations of the leadership of House Ex Miscellanea would make an interesting backdrop for a saga. It would work best in either the Stonehenge Tribunal or one of its neighbors. It is left to the storyguide to decide upon Ebroin's former House and his future plans.

This section provides guidance on how a troupe can design a new Major Supernatural Virtue to be the mainstay of the magic of a tradition in House

Ex Miscellanea. These rules may also be used by the storyguide to create Major Supernatural Virtues for non-player antagonists (or allies) for her saga.

The Basics

All Supernatural Virtues created with this system are associated with a Supernatural Ability, which represents how much command the character has over his magic. It is assumed that for magi Ex Miscellanea, this Ability is affiliated with the Magic realm, although in fact it can be associated with any of the four supernatural realms, creating a character with multiple affiliations (since The Gift itself is always aligned to the Magic realm).

To use the Ability in a specific instance, the player must first determine what his character is trying to achieve with his magic. The storyguide then assigns an Ease Factor to that task, and the player makes a die roll and adds a Characteristic and his score in the Supernatural Ability. The Characteristic used varies according to the Ability used. This is the equivalent to the Casting Total of a Hermetic spell. If the Ease Factor is achieved, then the magical effect is successful. There is no fatigue loss in using a Supernatural Ability, unless the specific Ability requires it. The calculation of the Penetration Total, if required, is equal to the Casting Total minus the Ease Factor, plus the Penetration Bonus, calculated as for Hermetic magic (ArM5, page 84); hedge magic still benefits from the Penetration Ability. If the level of the magical effect is required, for example, if it is struck by Wind of Mundane Silence, then substitute the character's Supernatural Ability multiplied by five.

Accelerated Abilities

This chapter describes some Supernatural Abilities that use the Art experience scale rather than the Ability experience scale. These are a new type of Ability, called Accelerated Abilities to distinguish them from standard Abilities. These Abilities use the Art experience scale because they are designed to be compared against an Ease Factor outside the usual range (where 21 is extremely difficult, even for a specialist). Instead, typical Ease Factors for Accelerated Abilities are the Mights of supernatural beings, or spell levels. The only other difference between a Supernatural Accelerated Ability and a Supernatural Ability is that the equivalent spell level for an Accelerated Ability is equal to the Casting Total, not (Ability x 5).

Accelerated Abilities are not, however, Arts. The important difference between an Art and an Ability is that an Art is useless on its own — it needs to be paired with at least one other Art to have an effect (even if the score in that Art is zero). An Ability, on the other hand, appears alone in any total. In all respects other than advancement and equivalent spell level, a Supernatural Accelerated Ability should be treated the same as a standard Supernatural Ability; for example, an Accelerated Ability cannot be studied from vis, only receives a +1 bonus per pawn of vis expended, receives a +2 rather than +3 bonus from the Puissant (Ability) Virtue.

If concentration rolls are required, use the rules for Hermetic magic (ArM5, page 82). Raw vis can be used to boost the Casting Total: the Art of the vis must be appropriate to the Supernatural Ability, and the character cannot use more pawns than his score in the Supernatural Ability. Each pawn used adds one to the casting total, and an extra botch die.

Casting Total: Characteristic + Ability + aura modifier + die roll

Ease Factor: determined by effect attempted

Penetration Total: Casting Total + Penetration Bonus – Ease Factor

Equivalent Spell Level: 5 x Ability

Limit on Vis Use in Spellcasting: Ability score

Vis Boost to Casting Score: +1 per pawn

Designing a Supernatural Ability

All Supernatural Abilities designed by these rules are Major Supernatural Virtues. Each one covers the range of magical ability usually encapsulated in a Minor Magical Focus (see ArM5, page 46 for a list). Supernatural Abilities do not (and should not necessarily) follow the exact outlines of Hermetic effects, but this is a good place to start.

The effects of all Supernatural Abilities can be described by the same four parameters as a Hermetic spell — Range, Duration, Target, and base effect guideline.

Example 1: The Shapeshifter Ability (ArM5, page 67) is always Range Personal, Duration Momentary, Target Individual, and uses the Muto Corpus guideline for changing into an animal.

Example 2: The Entrancement Ability (ArM5, page 65) is always Range Eye, Duration Special (one command), Target Individual, and uses the Rego Mentem guidelines for controlling a human's emotions and thoughts.

All Supernatural Abilities fix three of these parameters as unchangeable, and allow one to vary according to either the score in the Ability or the Ease Factor achieved by the Casting Total.

Example 1 (continued): The Shapeshifter Ability grants one potential animal form (the base effect guideline) for every point in the Ability score.

Example 2 (continued): The Entrancement Ability allows different levels of control (the base effect guideline) depending on the Casting Total achieved.

When assigning the parameters of an effect to an Ability score or Ease Factor, care should be taken to ensure that the Ability does not become too powerful. If the breadth of the Ability is important, but it has little impact on other beings, then assign the variable parameter to the Ability score. If the Ability affects other beings, then its ability to do so should be assigned to the Ease Factor. Thus, an Ability that works like Shapeshifter, but instead is used against another being, should not be designed like Shapeshifter at all, but instead have an effect based on casting total: the higher the total, the more change is achieved.

When invoking her non-Hermetic magic, a maga Ex Miscellanea usually does so in a manner alien to Hermetic magi. She might use a dead language other than Latin, or scratch runes on the ground, or employ powders and potions. The details of this procedure should be given in the description of the Ability, and should be no more restrictive than the requirement for words and gestures from a Hermetic magus. However, all uses of the Ability absolutely require the exercise of these practices; they cannot be avoided in the same way that a Hermetic magus can use restricted words and gestures. The invocation of Hermetic magic by magi Ex Miscellanea is (usually) identical to other magi.

Described below are a few examples of this system in action. All of these are suitable Major Supernatural Virtues for a magus Ex Miscellanea. Further examples may be found in the descriptions of the traditions later in this chapter.

Summon Animals

This Ability allows the character to summon mundane animals over long distances. To use this Ability, the character must be capable of making an audible call to the creatures he wishes to summon , although the targets need not be able to hear it, and must be within one day's journey of a habitat where the required species are found. The number of animals that respond to his summons is determined by the score in the character's Ability; see the table below. He must then make a Communication + Summon Animals roll against an Ease Factor of 9. If successful, the animals arrives within one hour of the character making the call, although exceeding the Ease Factor by 3 makes them come in two minutes, and exceeding it by 6 summons them in a single round.

The character cannot directly communicate with the animals unless he has another Ability that allows him to do so (such as Animal Ken), and they depart naturally as determined by the storyguide. Even if the character lacks the ability to communicate with the animals, they are friendly towards him, and if naturally aggressive, may fight to defend him.

Ability Score	Number of Animals Arriving
1	1 animal of Size –2, or equivalent mass (3 of Size –3, 5 of Size –4, 10 of Size –5, 30 of Size –6, etc.)
2	3 animals of Size –2, or equivalent mass (1 of Size –1, 5 of Size –3, 10 of Size –4, 30 of Size –5, etc.)
3	5 animals of Size –2, or equivalent mass (1 of Size 0, 3 of Size –1, 10 of Size –3, 30 of Size –4, etc.)
4	10 animals of Size –2, or equivalent mass (1 of Size +1, 3 of Size 0, 5 of Size –1, 30 of Size –3, etc.)
5	30 animals of Size –2, or equivalent mass (1 of Size +2, 3 of Size +1, 5 of Size 0, 10 of Size –1, etc.)

Specialties: a particular type of animal (Supernatural)

Story Seed: Animal Experimentation

The Summon Animals Ability can call animals more quickly than they could possibly travel under their own speed, and therefore breaks the Limit of Arcane Connection. A magus interested in pursuing Breakthroughs in Magic Theory might seek out a character with this Ability.

Whistle Up the Wind

A character with this Ability is able to create a wind, duplicating the effects of any wind-based Creo Auram spell at Range Voice and Target Individual; similar Supernatural Abilities exist for other weather phenomena. To invoke the wind, the character literally has to whistle, and makes a Stamina + Whistle Up the Wind roll, against the Ease Factor listed in the table below. If successful, the wind immediately starts to blow as commanded by the character. It continues to blow in the same manner even if the character stops whistling. A character who summons a wind at a particular strength can change that wind to another type with a similar strength (such as from Circular Winds of Protection to Broom of the Winds), diminish it to a weaker effect (such as Chamber of Spring Breezes), or end it entirely. Each of these changes requires a Communication + Music roll, using the Ease Factors for maintaining concentration on a spell (ArM5, page 82). Whistling a new tune in this manner cannot increase the strength of a wind, nor return a diminished wind to its former intensity; instead the character must make a new Whistle Up the Wind roll. All effects of this Ability diminish to the next lowest level of strength each day when the sun sets, until they dwindle to nothing.

Ease Factor	Strength of Wind
6	Light breeze, strong enough to clear a stench from a room
9	Moderate wind, strong enough to affect the accuracy of arrows
12	Strong wind, powerful enough to propel a sailing ship
15	Gale force wind, strong enough to knock someone over
18	Hurricane force wind, strong enough to uproot trees

Specialties: at sea, in mountains, during the winter (Supernatural)

Control Fertility

Characters with this Ability may enhance or withdraw the vegetative spirits present in all living things. In plants, this makes them more fertile, or more prone to disease. Cows can be made to produce more milk, or to dry up entirely. A blessing on a woman might guarantee the conception of a child, or render her barren. The Target affected by this Ability is one human, one animal of Size +2 (or an equivalent mass: 1 cow, 5 pigs, 10 sheep, 100 chickens), or one tree (or an equivalent mass: 10 fruit bushes, a small crop of field vegetables or grain). The character's score in Fertility determines the scope of effects that she can produce. The character must physically mark the target in some way to use this power; this might involve a smudge of soot on the face, a ribbon tied around the neck, a charm buried in a field, and so forth (effectively requiring Range Touch). She must then make a Presence + Fertility roll against an Ease Factor of 9 to affect the target with the chosen power for a month; for every full 3 points over this Ease Factor, the target is affected for one additional month. To make a substantial impact on a target's livelihood, these effects must last for at least a growing season (three months). Once affected, the same target cannot be affected again by this Ability until the following spring.

Ability Score	Possible Effects
1	Keep minor diseases away from plants
2	Double the daily production of an animal (eggs, milk, weight gain), or prevent daily production
3	Grant a +3 or –3 modifier to Stamina rolls to avoid contracting a disease, increase or decrease crop yield by one-half
4	Ensure the conception of a baby, strike a creature barren, ensure an easy childbirth, grant a +1 or –1 Living Condition Modifier to Aging (must last a year)
5	Grant a +6 or –6 modifier to Stamina rolls to avoid contracting a disease

Specialties: vegetables, cows, women (Supernatural)

All magi Ex Miscellanea must take a Major non-Hermetic Virtue, but not all members of this House have a Supernatural Ability as their compulsory Virtue. The only requirement is that this Major Virtue represents some aspect of the magus's non-Hermetic tradition. (Thus, Wealthy is not an option, although Magister in Artibus may well be.) It may describe another capability he possesses, such as Greater Immunity, Greater Purifying Touch, or Ways of the (Land). It may be suggestive of his background, such as Strong Faerie Blood or Giant Blood. New Supernatural Virtues that are not controlled by an Ability score should be designed following the rules for effects instilled into items, complete with uses per day, and should not exceed seventh magnitude. It should have no more flexibility in its effects than a Minor Magical Focus.

There are a number of different types of characters within House Ex Miscellanea, who can be broadly split into three groups (although there is shading between all three).

Magi Ex Miscellanea

These magi make up the majority of the House, and are created according to the usual mechanics presented here and in Ars Magica Fifth Edition. If a Supernatural Ability is acquired as part of the apprenticeship of a magus Ex Miscellanea (that is, as his House Virtue), then this Ability should be considered to be his Favored Ability, and the character does not suffer any penalty to the Source Quality (ArM5, page 166) from his Art scores if learning his Favored Ability after his Hermetic training.

Favored Abilities

As a Gifted character learns Supernatural Abilities, it normally becomes more difficult to learn new ones (ArM5, page 166). However, many traditions have a group of Favored Abilities. Scores in these Abilities do not penalize the Source Quality for learning other Favored Abilities. The Source Qualities to learn Favored Abilities are still penalized by scores in other Supernatural Abilities, and scores in Favored Abilities penalize the Source Quality to learn other Supernatural Abilities. For most magi, the Hermetic Arts are the Favored Abilities, although as they are all opened in one season this is largely an academic distinction. Magi Ex Miscellanea treat the Hermetic Arts and the Supernatural Ability of their tradition as Favored Abilities.

Mythic Companions

Mythic Companions (a new type of character first introduced in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 104), may also fill the role of non-Hermetic magicians within the Order, but these characters do not have The Gift. Instead, a Mythic Companion has a Special Virtue akin to The Gift, which grants a Minor Virtue at no cost, and then two Virtue points for every point of Flaw he takes. A Mythic Companion character usually has access to strong non-Hermetic magic or Powers, described in other source books for Ars Magica Fifth Edition.

Magi Orbi

These magi (or their ancestors) began their careers in a different House, but were then exiled (or chose to leave), and could only find solace in House Ex Miscellanea. "Orbus" means "orphaned" in Latin (the feminine form is "orba"), and describes the maga's severance from her parent tradition. A maga orba is created using the rules for her former House, except that she is denied access to any privileges and secrets of that House. This includes its Mystery Cults, which cannot be pursued further, nor can an orba Initiate any of her apprentices into the Outer Mystery of their former House.

A magus orbus has a Hermetic Reputation as an Orbus at a score of 2, and probably avoids his former colleagues. Occasionally, magi orbi have their apprentices trained in one of their adopted House's traditions, in which case these apprentices adopt the characteristics of a normal magus Ex Miscellanea, and do not inherit the status of orbus.

Example: Those Criamon who become disillusioned in their search for truth become members of House Ex Miscellanea known as Gorgiastics (see Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults*, pages 52, 73).*

Example: The magi Ex Miscellanea of the covenant of Dankmar in the Rhine Tribunal (see Guardians of the Forests: The Rhine Tribunal*, pages 62–64) are of the tradition of Hercynius, and are orbi of House Bonisagus.*

Gifted Companions

These characters are hedge wizards who are new to the Order, or those who have chosen to retain their native traditions and resist conversion to Hermetic magic. There are very few powerful traditions of magic left in Europe, and the Order of Hermes is less interested in recruiting weak hedge wizards, concentrating solely on those who have The Gift and are thus capable of learning Hermetic magic. The House therefore does not have a steady supply of new recruits.

On occasion, however, House Ex Miscellanea assimilates a whole tradition (or a substantial portion of one) at once, and in situations like these there is less impetus for the members of the tradition to adopt Hermetic magic. In this case, it is quite possible that they persist in using their own magic and do not adopt Hermetic magic for many generations, if ever.

Both of these situations are very rare. However, a player who wishes to take this option can create her character in the following manner:

• Take The Gift and Hermetic Magus Social Status Virtues. Taking The Gift also grants one Supernatural Ability without the need for any other Virtue (ArM5, page 36).
• Complete character creation as a Companion, but the player can choose Arcane Abilities. Supernatural Abilities are encouraged. Include Parma Magica 1 when allotting experience.
• Gain the Reputation Hedge Wizard 2 (Hermetic)

Since the character has The Gift, she can learn any Supernatural Ability after character creation (ArM5, page 166), but it is assumed that opening the Arts for Hermetic magic has either failed or is not desired. The Supernatural Ability granted by The Gift, and any others paid for with Virtue points, constitute the character's Favored Abilities (see above). Given the central importance of the Order of Hermes in an Ars Magica saga, troupes should consider whether a Gifted Companion should take the place of a player's magus character, even though he may not be as powerful.

Example: The Scinnfolk (see below)

The following Virtue is particularly suitable for members of House Ex Miscellanea.

Exotic Casting

Minor, Hermetic

The magus uses non-Hermetic methods to cast Hermetic spells. While he still needs to employ obvious ritual actions, these are not the same words and gestures taught as part of Magic Theory within the Order, and other magi who are unfamiliar with the magus's tradition find it very hard to recognize which spell he is casting. Any attempt to determine the Form of his magical effect (ArM5, page 83) is made against an Ease Factor of 15, without the magnitude of the effect being subtracted from this Ease Factor as normal. If the character has any Supernatural Abilities, then he uses the same methods to cast his Hermetic magic as he does to use his non-Hermetic magic. The magus cannot choose to use the standard Hermetic methods instead of those of his native tradition, but can choose to reduce or forgo words and gestures in the usual fashion (ArM5, page 83).

The following Flaws might result from the improper matching of Hermetic and non-Hermetic powers.

Flawed Powers

Minor, Hermetic

The character must have at least one Major Supernatural Virtue to take this Flaw. The character's supernatural powers are limited or restricted in some fashion. She suffers the effects of a Major Hermetic Flaw (commonly Restriction or Necessary Condition), but it is applied to her Supernatural Virtues rather than to her Hermetic magic (if any). Any Flaw that is only appropriate to Hermetic Magic (for example, Deficient Technique or Unstructured Caster) cannot be taken with this Flaw. A character with Supernatural Powers but not Hermetic magic may take applicable Major and Minor Hermetic Flaws as Major and Minor Supernatural Flaws instead.

Vulnerable to Folk Tradition

Minor, Hermetic

The magus's magic is susceptible to various folk-remedies for averting hostile spells. Any target who is aware that the magus has just used his magic may attempt a folk ritual such as making a sign against evil, or spitting, and so forth. This grants the target or targets a Magic Resistance equal to (5 x the target's Magic Lore), or 0 if the target does not have this Ability, against the magus's magic only. Furthermore, someone with Magic Lore may be able to devise a manner to break a lasting enchantment, such as sprinkling with salt or lying on an iron bed; this typically requires an Intelligence + Magic Lore roll against an Ease Factor of (9 + the spell's magnitude) or greater.

House Ex Miscellanea contains a number of traditions of magic that have their roots in non-Hermetic ancestors, and share common magical abilities and preferences . Most magi Ex Miscellanea belong to a tradition, although a few are very small, consisting of just the maga and her master. Typically, however, traditions have somewhere between 5 and 25 members , which may be confined to a specific part of Europe or else widely scattered. In the major sections of the rest of this chapter, eight of the larger traditions of magi Ex Miscellanea are described in detail. Listed immediately below, in addition, are eight other ideas for traditions (some of which appear in more detail in books already published for Ars Magica Fifth Edition). These brief overviews would need to be expanded before being used in play.

Beast Masters

This tradition commands magic that Hermetic magic finds very hard: the summoning and control of wild creatures. Every apprentice of this tradition was abandoned by his master in areas of wilderness at a very young age, where he had to fend for himself. During this time he developed a particular affinity for a specific group of animals, which forever shapes his magic. Due to this unusual training, all Beast Masters also have the Virtues Animal Ken and Minor Magical Focus with a specific group of animals, but additionally have the flaw of Feral Upbringing. They are never taught how to turn into animal form, or how to harm animals, which results in the Incompatible Arts Flaw (MuCo and PeAn). They therefore have only 8 points of Flaws available to them to buy another 8 points of Virtues.

Major Non-Hermetic Virtue: Summon Animals

Minor Hermetic Virtue: Inoffensive to Animals

Major Hermetic Flaw: Study Requirement

Required Virtues and Flaws: Animal Ken, Minor Magical Focus; Feral Upbringing, Incompatible Arts

Damhadh-Duidsan

Damhadh-Duidas (DAH-vee-doo-IDas, roughly "malice-writer") was a Gaelic hedge wizard from the same magical tradition as Damhan-Allaidh, who joined up with Pralix on her crusade against the warlock. The magi of this tradition try very hard to put the trappings of their Infernal past behind them.

By carving runes called Ogam into trees and stones, or writing these symbols on his face and arms with ashes, a Damhadh-Duidsan can curse and steal the life from his enemies, inflict terrible wounds upon them, and heal himself in return. Giant Blood is very common in the tradition — both Damhan-Allaidh and Damhadh-Duidas were descended from the giants, according to legend.

Major Non-Hermetic Virtue: Shapechanging, Giant Blood, or Incantation

Minor Hermetic Virtue: Puissant Corpus

Major Hermetic Flaw: Necessary Condition (runes)

(More details on the Damhadh-Duidsan and a description of Incantation can be found in Realms of Power: The Infernal.)

Hermetic Haruspexes

The Hermetic Haruspexes are an ancient Roman tradition who hold the secret of "The Etruscan Art," that is, the revealing of omens through the inspection of the entrails of animals sacrificed to the gods. They were among the first of the non-British traditions to sign up with Pralix, and boast the honor of having produced two Primi of House Ex Miscellanea: Basilicus and Immanola. Members of this tradition often also have the Premonitions Virtue and/or the Visions Flaw, but their delving into the mysteries of the universe has left them unusually susceptible to Twilight.

Major Non-Hermetic Virtue: Divination and Augury

Minor Hermetic Virtue: Affinity with Intellego

Major Hermetic Flaw: Twilight Prone

Karaites

Karaism is a sect comprised of Jews who reject the Oral Law of the rabbis, and interpret their holy commandments through a literal reading of the Tanakh only. According to Karaite philosophy, everything that happens in the world is God's will, and this can be understood by carefully studying the scriptures. Only through human actions can evil come to pass, and thus bad things happen as divine punishment for human transgressions. For example, human and worldly medicine should be avoided, for sickness is evidence of human failing, and God alone should be consulted as physician. Because of their unorthodox interpretations of scripture, pious Karaites (unlike other pious Jews) with The Gift may join the Order of Hermes, so long as they practice holy magic. They believe the laws against enchantment and divination in the Torah do not apply if the effect comes directly from God, though they do not allow other magi to cast spells upon them as this is obviously unclean.

Major Non-Hermetic Virtue: Holy Magic

Minor Hermetic Virtue: Craft Amulets

Major Hermetic Flaw: Karaite Magic

(More details on the Karaites, and descriptions of their Virtues and Flaw, can be found in Realms of Power: The Divine.)

Malocchi

The Malocchi are a tradition of Italian magi who practice the magic of Entrancement. Being so deeply imbedded in a region's culture can make it difficult to be a member of this tradition. A maloccho (singular masculine, the feminine form is "maloccha") is considered to bring terrible luck, and all avoid meeting his gaze, which is believed to not only ensorcel, but also to cause all sorts of other ill-effects. As well as his free Virtues and Flaws, a maloccho must also take Piercing Gaze as a compulsory Virtue. The Hex Virtue (from Realms of Power: The Infernal) is also highly appropriate.

Major Non-Hermetic Virtue: Entrancement

Minor Hermetic Virtue: Special Circumstances (eye contact)

Major Hermetic Flaw: Weak Magic Resistance (someone standing on their shadow)

Required Virtue: Piercing Gaze

Scinnfolk (Gifted Companions)

The herb-wives and faerie doctors of Mythic Europe have a few representatives in the Order of Hermes; these Gifted Companions are often known as the Scinnfolk (pronounced SHIN-folk, meaning "cunning folk"), because the first to join the Order was a Saxon who gave this name to his tradition. The Scinnfolk have no systematic approach to the petty magics they command, for they do not constitute a true tradition, but instead have an eclectic knowledge of natural magic and faerie charms which is passed down orally from master to pupil. They have largely resisted integration into Hermetic magic, preferring to spend time in the community helping others rather than pouring over dusty tomes. Scinnfolk are usually Companion characters, despite being members of the Order.

Major Non-Hermetic Virtue: Fertility (free with The Gift)

Common Virtues & Flaws: Gentle Gift, Purifying Touch (Greater or Lesser), Student of Magic or Faerie Realm; Visions, Faerie Friend

Tempestaria (Weather Witch)

This tradition figures prominently in lands occupied by the Saxons, including their homeland in northern Germany as well as in England and Denmark. Weather magic is well integrated into Hermetic magic, and the art of Auram is populated with highly useful spells. The hedge witches known as Tempestariae are experts in these very magics. However, the weatherwitch is capable of summoning weather that exceeds the capacity of his Hermetic powers. There are weather-witches who can summon rain that can last for days, or who can cause no rain to fall at all for an entire season. The fogs summoned by a tempestaria from the sea have bound ships into the harbors all along an entire coastline. The most common type of tempestaria, however, is one who can bind the wind to her service. They require simple improvised tools that have sympathetic relationships to their spells — feathers for snow magic, drums for thunder magic, scattered sand for rain magic, and so forth.

Major Non-Hermetic Virtue: Whistle Up the Wind (or similar Ability)

Minor Hermetic Virtue: Affinity with Auram

Major Hermetic Flaw: Necessary Condition (tools for their magic to work)

Witches of Thessaly

The original Thessalians were reclusive worshipers of sinister gods of the underworld; they practiced sorcery, necromancy, and could cast potent curses at their enemies. Trianoma, the famed apprentice of Bonisagus, was a member of this tradition (see Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 6), but other members of her tradition did not join the Order for another hundred years. Some Thessalians remain in contact with their sisters who did not join the Order called the Daughters of Erictho — which usually places them under great suspicion of diabolism. These non-Hermetic wizards dwell in the Cambunian Mountains on the northern border of Thessaly, where they can quickly and easily move between portals that lead to Faerie regiones and their cliffside caves. Their ways are pagan, but these rites are inherently selfish and full of dark mischief, and thus the line separating their practices from demon worship is very fine.

Major Non-Hermetic Virtue: Summoning

Minor Hermetic Virtue: Affinity with Vim

Major Hermetic Flaw: Painful Magic

(More details on the Witches of Thessaly and description of Summoning can be found in Realms of Power: The Infernal.)