The Lineage of Pralix

This tradition within House Ex Miscellanea has little in common with the other traditions of the House. Rather than propagating their own brand of non-Hermetic magic, the Lineage of Pralix instead seeks to preserve hedge traditions by inducting them into the Order. The power they possess allows them to analyze and study magic, which has made them experts on exotic magic. They appear to work tirelessly and selflessly to support and protect House Ex Miscellanea, but never seek any special privileges and honor for themselves. This very altruism (and their adherence to the teachings of Pralix) makes them suspicious in the eyes of many magi.

Favored Tribunals: Tribunals at the fringes of the Order, to maximize the chances of encountering hedge wizards

Major Non-Hermetic Virtue: Comprehend Magic (described below) Minor Hermetic Virtue: Minor Magical Focus with Exotic Magic. This focus applies whenever the magus uses Hermetic magic to investigate, change, control or destroy non-Hermetic magic. It only applies to magic, not to the innate supernatural powers of creatures with Might, and only applies to powers derived from the Magic realm.

Major Hermetic Flaw: Weak Magic Resistance, against any spellcaster whom the maga has not analyzed using her Comprehend Magic Ability

Soon after the defeat of Damhan-Allaidh, Pralix disappeared for the best part of a year. During this time, it is said, she cloistered herself with an ancient wizard who taught her his secrets. Depending upon who is telling it, this wizard was a Priest of Mercury, a druid who never joined House Diedne, or Merlin himself. When Pralix returned to Cad Gadu she sought among her army of wizards a Gifted child to take as an apprentice, to whom she immediately taught the Supernatural Ability that her line still use today, even though she showed no evidence of knowing this magical power before her disappearance. Not long after finding this child she agreed that the Ordo Miscellanea would join the Order of Hermes, and she set about teaching the new House the magic of the Order.

Pralix never officially joined the House that she created, and since she had foresworn the Order of Hermes, she remained outside of Hermetic circles until her eventual disappearance. The deal she struck to integrate the Ordo Miscellanea granted her immunity from the Order of Hermes for her lifetime. Nevertheless, she was the founder of a Hermetic lineage who have served the House since its inception, never seeking leadership or fame for itself, but working quietly behind the scenes to ease the adoption of exotic traditions of magic into the Order of Hermes.

Pralician magi (who also call themselves Filii Pralicis, the Children of Pralix) are fascinated by exotic magic. Some study it in the hope that its insights can prove useful to the advancement of Hermetic theory, and of all magi outside of House Bonisagus, as a group they are most likely to pursue Original Research (see Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 26). As well as living traditions, Pralicians are interested in magic that has no extant practitioners, and they often pursue rumors and legends of long-dead magicians.

As well as this theoretical interest in exotic magic, the Lineage of Pralix are also interested in seeking out new magical traditions and assisting their passage into the Order through House Ex Miscellanea. Such magi hate the idea of a tradition of magic being lost forever, and they are unusually adept at translating exotic magic into its Hermetic equivalents. When a new tradition enters House Ex Miscellanea, the members of this lineage are often instrumental in helping the hedge wizards to train the second generation of pupils, and encouraging the acceptance of Hermetic magic while preserving the original magic.

Some suspect the Lineage of Pralix of more sinister motives. They suspect that their true purpose is to rid the world of magic that is not Hermetic, by assimilating any magician who could pose a threat to the Order, and encouraging conformity over time. As evidence of this plot, these suspicious magi offer the fact that the wizards inducted into the Order by this lineage often lose their non-Hermetic powers in return for Hermetic equivalents.

Ironically, the Filii Pralicis are also accused of having precisely the opposite motives as well. There are a few magi, most notably Prima Murion of House Bonisagus (see Guardians of the Forests, pages 57–58), who suggest that they are committed to flooding the Order with non-Hermetic magic, weakening the pure Hermetic theory with barbaric magic.

This fascination with non-Hermetic magic often requires that Pralicians travel extensively, for there are few non-Hermetic wizards left in the heartlands of the Order. In game terms, the study of hedge magic is covered by the Abilities Organization Lore (for traditions of magic) and Magic Lore (for the actual magic they use).

Stories Involving the Lineage of Pralix

• Excited by rumors of plentiful vis and exotic magic, a Pralician volunteers to take part in an expedition to claim new territory for the Order, either north into Scandinavia, east into Novgorod and beyond the Caucasus, or south into the desert sands of Africa.
• The Order has been contacted by a group of exotic wizards who wish to make a treaty with the Order of Hermes. A Pralician is the obvious choice to accompany a diplomatic mission.
• A Pralician may be employed by a team of hoplites who are hunting
• down a specific hedge wizard. His knowledge of exotic magic could prove invaluable.
• The discovery of pre-Hermetic magic causes excitement in the Order, and a Pralician is well placed to comprehend its secrets. Perhaps the limits of Hermetic magic can be pushed or even broken.
• A new recruit to the Order under the tutelage of a Pralician vanishes one day. While he does not know the Parma Magica, he knows more about the Order than is considered safe. What is worrying is what he will tell his native tradition of the Order.

Induction of Hedge Wizards into the Order

When a wizard seeks to join the Order of Hermes, he is usually directed towards a member of the Lineage of Pralix. Only those who possess The Gift are normally considered for membership. Those magi from other Houses who actively seek out hedge wizards (notably House Flambeau) are aware of the tradition, and recognize the service that they perform for the Order. It is not unknown for a Tribunal to reimburse a Pralician maga for the time she spends bringing a hedge wizard under the wing of the Order. During the initial training period, the wizard is accorded all the legal protection of the Code of Hermes afforded apprentices, regardless of his age and ability, and the Pralician maga is considered to be his parens. This apprenticeship is much shorter than a standard Hermetic apprenticeship, typically lasting less than five years. During this apprenticeship, the wizard is taught Magic Theory, the history and customs of the Order, and, if necessary, Latin and Artes Liberales. Unlike a standard Hermetic apprenticeship, these things are taught before the opening of the Arts. The hedge wizard is encouraged to learn Hermetic magic, but it is not a condition of joining the Order. It is important to the Order that the Pralician maga is able to gauge the abilities of the wizard, as well as any potential threat posed by his former tradition. This information is passed back to the Order, usually through House Guernicus or Flambeau.

Many hedge wizards who seek out the Order do so to learn Hermetic magic, but it is made clear to the wizard that the process of opening his Arts may well destroy his non-Hermetic powers. Some are not prepared to take the risk, preferring to just accept the protection of the Oath of Hermes and the Parma Magica instead. However, if the wizard still wishes to go ahead with training in Hermetic magic, the Pralician maga attempts to open him to the Arts. The Pralician maga need not have all Arts above 5 for this process; no penalty is applied by the Code of Hermes should a mature wizard acquire Deficiencies in his Hermetic magic due to the difficulties of inducting a mature wizard in the first place. A trained wizard whose Arts are successfully opened almost always suffers at least one Major Hermetic Flaw due to the mismatch between his native tradition and Hermetic magic.

If the opening the Arts was successful, then the maga usually offers to spend some time teaching the wizard some basics of the Hermetic Arts, often for a small fee. If the attempt to open the Arts fails, or the wizard does not want to take the risk, then the wizard may still join the Order (in game terms, he does so as a Gifted Companion, see above for more details). Regardless of success or failure, the Pralician always spends at least one season teaching the hedge wizard the Parma Magica, and then presents him to a Quaesitor for the swearing of the Hermetic Oath (whereupon he acquires the Social Status Virtue Hermetic Magus).

This new member of the Order often does not fit the classic profile of a member of House Ex Miscellanea, usually possessing more than one non-Hermetic Supernatural Ability. However, the apprentices who he trains invariably follow the usual profile, because the master is forced to compromise between Hermetic and non-Hermetic magic as well as propagating his own Hermetic Flaws.

Joint Training of Apprentices

Those wizards who do not (or cannot) adopt Hermetic magic upon joining the Order are encouraged by the Lineage of Pralix to consider training an apprentice in both the Hermetic and non-Hermetic traditions, and a Pralician maga often volunteers to assist with this process in return for the apprentice's assistance in the laboratory. She begins by opening the Arts for the Gifted child, but before he is taught any Hermetic magic, he is inducted into the magic of his non-Hermetic parens. A typical arrangement for the rest of the apprenticeship is that for every season the Pralican spends teaching Hermetic magic to her colleague's apprentice, she gets two seasons of the apprentice's assistance in the laboratory. At the end of the apprenticeship, the apprentice is not too dissimilar to the average member of House Ex Miscellanea in the Ars Magica Fifth Edition rulebook, although he may be biased towards his non-Hermetic parens and suffer from Minor Hermetic Flaws such as Weak Parens.

The Filii Pralicis do not have direct blood descent from Pralix, and yet they refer to themselves as her children, and as bearing her blood. The Lineage of Pralix preserves a non-Hermetic magical Ability that proves exceptionally useful in their chosen role in the Order, the power to acquire insights into hedge traditions through the Ability Comprehend Magic.

Opening the Arts of a Hedge Wizard

This insert summarizes information from pages 106–107 of Ars Magica Fifth Edition.

The maga compares her Intellego Vim Lab Total to the level calculated below. A member of the Lineage of Pralix can apply her Magical Focus to this Lab Total. Supernatural Virtues always have a minimum sum of 10 if provided by a Minor Virtue, or 30 if granted by a Major Virtue. That is, Abilities derived from a Minor Virtue are treated as having a score of at least 2, and those derived from a Major Virtue as having a score of at least 6.

Level Required for Opening the Arts: 5 x (the sum of all Supernatural Ability scores)

Minimum Level per Ability: 10 if the Ability derives from a Minor Virtue, or 30 if it derives from a Major Virtue

Intellego Vim Lab Total: Effect of Season

• Less than level: Unable to open the Arts
• Greater than or equal to level: Arts opened, all Supernatural Abilities lost
• Greater than or equal to twice level: Arts opened, some or all Supernatural Abilities converted into Hermetic Virtues

If she is able to convert Virtues, the maga may decide which Virtues of her apprentice are converted into Hermetic Virtues, and those not converted are retained. A Major Supernatural Virtue is converted into a Major Hermetic Virtue; a Minor Supernatural Virtue can be converted into a Minor Hermetic Virtue.

New Major Supernatural Virtue: Comprehend Magic

The character is capable of seeing and understanding the nature of active magics. This is a more comprehensive version of Magic Sensitivity, and can do everything that Virtue can, and more. Further, this Virtue does not penalize Magic Resistance like its lesser cousin. Choosing this Virtue confers the Ability Comprehend Magic 1.

Through scrutiny of an object or a person, the character can analyze the type of magic it possesses, and its relative strength. Generate a Comprehension Total as follows:

Comprehension Total: Perception + Comprehend Magic + stress die

The value of the Comprehension Total should be compared to the appropriate Ease Factor:

Source of Magic	Ease Factor
Magus	12 – magnitude of highest Art
Character with Supernatural Virtue	15 – Ability score, –3 if he also has The Gift
Creature with Might	15 – magnitude of Might score
Spell or Spell-like Power	18 – magnitude of level
Supernatural Power	18 – number of Might Points spent
Enchanted Item	18 – magnitude of strongest power
Magic Aura	12 – aura level
Vis	9 – number of pawns

Supernatural Virtues that do not grant a corresponding Ability are assumed to have an Ability score of 3 if a Minor Virtue, or 5 if a Major Virtue. A successful roll identifies the presence or absence of magic. If the character continues to concentrate for a round, he may also determine the type of magic that is being scrutinized: Hermetic magic, curse magic, and so forth. A second round of study reveals the approximate function of an ongoing spell, power, or enchanted item (in terms of its corresponding Hermetic Arts), or for a being, the Hermetic Form that corresponds most strongly with its magical ability. If the character is familiar with types of magic other than Hermetic magic, then he can determine the type of magic under that frame of reference instead. A third round of study reveals the approximate magnitude of the magic being observed.

Although determining the presence of magic requires but a moment of observation, the character must maintain concentration (ArM5, page 82) to acquire any of the subsequent information. If observing a being with Magic Resistance, this power must penetrate, as usual; but even if the Penetration Total proves to be insufficient, the character is aware of the presence of magic if the Ease Factor was met.

After three round of observation, the character has sufficient information to use the insight he has gained to make his magic more effective. Any insight bonus applies only to the specific creature or magic studied; even if an identical creature is encountered later, it must be studied again to get this bonus. The observer may add twice his Comprehend Magic score to the Casting Total of any spontaneous Muto, Perdo, or Rego Vim spell used against the object or creature studied.

Additionally, when investigating enchantments (ArM5, page 100) in the laboratory, an observer with Comprehend Magic can multiply his Magic Theory by his score in Comprehend Magic before applying it to the Lab Total. At the option of the storyguide, this Ability might also give an insight into adapting non-Hermetic magic into Magic Theory.

Specialities: magical beings, specific type of magic (Supernatural)

Pralicians and Scrying

Using Comprehend Magic against another magus is scrying, and forbidden by the Code of Hermes. However, many Tribunals will not convict a maga of scrying if the only information she obtains is whether a given person is a magus or not, no matter what method of detection she uses. That said, the Comprehend Magic Ability can give a Pralician much more information than that, potentially revealing a magus's strongest Art, and its approximate power. If a prosecuting magus at Tribunal proves that a Pralician maga obtained more information about him than the bare minimum, then she will be charged with (and likely convicted of) a High Crime .

The Lineage of Pralix has a number of spells that are targeted directly at exotic magic. They have developed spells directed at suppressing, altering, and dispelling shapeshifting magic, curse magic, spirit magic, and so forth, which are more effective than general purpose spells such as Wind of Mundane Silence. Their initial encounters with hedge wizards tend to be hostile, and they like to be well prepared against any aggressive actions.

Apart from their obvious fascination with exotic magic, the Lineage of Pralix have no defined magical interests, and each member is left to pursue whatever she desires. Her self-imposed duties often see her journeying deep into dangerous territory to face beings of unknown power, so she often knows spells that assist travel and provide protection.

New Spells

The Heathen Witch Reborn

PeVi Gen

R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind

This spell cancels the effect of any shapechanging spell or Supernatural Ability if (spell level + 10 + stress die [no botch]) beats the level of the shapechanging spell (or the Shapeshifter Ability x 5). It does not affect characters with the Heartbeast Ability. This spell can be used as a template for spells that affect other types of exotic magic.

(Base effect, +2 Voice)

Quiet the Cursing Tongue

ReVi Gen

R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Ind

The target of this spell cannot use any curse magic with a level less than or equal to (spell level – 10). If the curse magic is controlled by a Supernatural Ability, then its level is equivalent to (Score x 5). This spell can be used as a template for spells that affect other types of exotic magic.

(Base effect, +2 Voice, +2 Sun)

New Spell Guideline

Rego Vim

General: Sustain or suppress a spell or spells of a specific type cast by another with level less than or equal to the level + 2 magnitudes of the Vim spell. Examples of specifics types include Hermetic Terram magic and Shamanic spirit control magic. This guideline may be used to target the spell itself or the caster of the spells.

New Mastery Special Ability: Unraveling

This Mastery special ability may be applied to any Perdo Vim spell designed to weaken or destroy magic. The magus may add three times his Mastery score to the effective level of the Perdo Vim spell when determining whether it can destroy the targeted spell. Thus a 20th level Wind of Mundane Silence cast by a character with this Mastery special ability and a score of 3 can negate the effects of a spell if he can double the spell's level on (29 + stress die) rather than (20 + stress die).

New Mastery Special Ability: Rebuttal

This Mastery special ability may be applied to any Muto or Rego Vim spell designed to affect a spell or power used by another being (thus Wizard's Boost or Maintain the Demanding Spell are not eligible, but Mirrorof Opposition [Form] is). The magus may add three times his Mastery score to the effective level of the Vim spell when determining whether or not it can change or control the foreign magic. Thus, a 25th level Quiet the Cursing Tongue accompanied with a Mastery score of 2 prevents the casting of curse magics with an equivalent level of 21, rather than 15.

Perhaps the most obscure tradition of magi Ex Miscellanea is that of the Mechanicals, also known as the Rusticani or "rustic magi." These are folk magicians who generally eschew interaction with the Order of Hermes and its covenants, and instead live among the common people in villages and other rural communities, whom they consider to be their covenfolk. They have developed a form of magical craft that allows them to build spells and enchanted devices from mundane objects, the effects of which they share freely with their people — but they are disparaged by most other magi for their reclusive and peasant-like ways, and besides respecting the Oath, few of them ever acknowledge that they belong to the Order at all.

Favored Tribunals: Rhine, Provencal

Major Non-Hermetic Virtue: Craft Magic

Minor Hermetic Virtue: Spell Foci

Major Hermetic Flaw: Weak Spontaneous Magic

The mechanical magic that the Rusticani practice appears to descend from a form of Jewish folk magic, exemplified by the Masonic arts used to build the temple of Solomon and the great pillars named Jakin ("he establishes") and Boaz ("great strength"). These mighty stone cylinders are said to have been hollowed out to hold many of the great treasures of the ancient Hebrews, including the shamir, a magical stone that could be used to cut other stones. In deference to this legend, many of the casting rituals that rustic magi follow are based in folk sayings from the Old Testament, often involving counting generations after David or measuring by the dimensions of the old temple, though no knowledge of Judaism or Hebrew is necessary for learning them.

The founder of the tradition, such as it is, is probably the man known as Reismann Ex Miscellanea, a hedge wizard who joined the Order to protect himself and his vis sources against the magi of the Rudiaria covenant in central Germany, and who formally swore the Oath at the Rhine Tribunal of 963. He is believed to have lived as a peregrinator (a magus without a covenant) on the outskirts of the city of Frankfurt, and he wrote a well-known summa on Craft Masonry that also describes a great deal of the symbolism and legendary history associated with his tradition, now located in the great library of Durenmar. Though he was never awarded the rank of master in the Tribunal, he taught two apprentices, and is thought to have perished during the Schism War.

Another hedge wizard presumed to belong to this tradition (but who never joined the Order) was an outlaw named Robert Wood who lived in Yorkshire in the late 1100s. According to private records kept by House Mercere and sworn to by Julia of House Jerbiton, the members of Voluntas covenant registered him and his men as a source of Animal and Herbam vis, the result of a bargain made between them on September 8, 1192. When 12 pawns of vis held by Blackthorn covenant were contested by Voluntas at the Stonehenge Tribunal of 1201, the details of this agreement were brought forward to prove their case. All that Julia would say about this Robert was that he was not a magus; that he was an exceptional archer, bowyer, and fletcher with magic in his craft; and that he had a special way with the woods that made finding vis very easy for him.

In 1214, a rustic magus named Tres Ex Miscellanea was brought to trial in the Provencal Tribunal for his interference with mundanes. He had declared Wizard's War against the magi of another covenant in the region, and with more than a hundred armed men he had marched against their tower, completely destroying it and killing most of the inhabitants. The prosecutors argued that Tres had broken the Code when he hired his army, since he had essentially bought their service with enchanted devices, and that he had thereby become significantly and criminally invested in mundane politics of the region. Tres argued that all of the men in his army belonged to his covenant, which had been duly registered at the previous Tribunal, and that he had the right to support his covenfolk with his magic however he wished. The Tribunal eventually decided in his favor, though the presiding Quaesitor also noted disapprovingly that all of these covenfolk had since left his service.

There are so few Rusticani in the Order that they have few if any established traditions or hierarchy, and really have only their magic in common — which most of them arrived at independently of one another's efforts. Their simple lifestyle often brings about a marked interest in common people, and so rustic magi tend to drift away from Hermetic society, usually adopting the roles of cunning men or wise women on the fringes of mundane communities. They usually dress in rough, practical clothing, much like other people of their craft might wear.

Since their powers tend to develop among humble folk with little formal education and no knowledge of Hermetic magic, most of them come to the Order much later in life, joining House Ex Miscellanea and learning the Arts, Magic Theory, and the Parma Magica after living for many years as hedge wizards. Their ties to their families, communities, and craft guilds are usually much stronger than their loyalty to other magi. They join the Order for protection from other magi, but primarily consider themselves folk wizards and tend to live as such. While they might belong to a covenant, they seem to prefer to live apart when possible, and are particularly prone to friction when interacting with each other. It is nearly impossible for two Rusticani to work together without a clear master-apprentice relationship. For this reason, new magi typically leave their parentes immediately after passing their Gauntlets, and journeymen taught in the tradition often travel a great distance away from their former masters before settling down in a place of their own.

The fruits of their magic are ideally suited for sharing with those who have none, and their simple ways usually make their sodales in other Houses treat them as inferiors and hedge wizards. They do have some qualities in common with Houses Jerbiton, Mercere, and Verditius. However, unlike Jerbiton, they have little interest in beauty, instead admiring the practical nature of their magic; unlike Mercere, they have no interest in maintaining the tradition or structure of the Order of Hermes; and unlike Verditius, the devices they make are merely tools, not masterpieces.

The craft magic of the Rusticani is unusual in that it is useless on its own; it requires the character to have some other exceptional quality or means of producing a supernatural effect, since it modifies the way he can perform his magic and allows him to enchant minor items with these powers. There are some Jewish holy men who have a similar ability to enchant devices with their miraculous effects (see Craft Amulets, Realms of Power: The Divine pages 137–138), but otherwise this sort of rustic magic is limited to the followers of this tradition.

Major Supernatural Virtue: Craft Magic

This Virtue has four applications, each described below. All of these rely upon the character's skill with a particular craft, represented by a score in the Craft Ability or the Profession Ability, and all of them rely upon the character's power to produce magical effects through some other means, usually a Supernatural Virtue or the Hermetic Arts. The character does not need a Hermetic laboratory to use these, but since the process involves craft work he does usually require a workshop of some kind.

First, the character may forgo any necessary words and gestures or other actions when producing an effect with his powers, without penalty. Instead, he crafts a physical object, which takes the place of the spell and must be brought into range of the spell's target to cast it. This object takes the normal amount of time to make (see City and Guild, Crafts), and always at least as long as a Ritual spell of the same level would take — generally speaking, the more durable the object, the more time it requires. During this time, the character must avoid distractions and maintain concentration whenever he is working on the object, just as if he was casting a spell, and like casting a spell the character can only work on a single object at a time. If the effect would normally require him to roll a stress die, he must still roll when he casts it to see if he botches, but he does not add the die result to his total. After the casting is finished, the object retains no magical properties — the magic is part of the craft, not the object.

Example: A rustic magus who works as a blacksmith wishes to cast a spell on a horse without seeming to perform magic. Instead, he makes a magical horseshoe, working the spell into the metal as he crafts it, and when he places it on the horse, he casts the spell. This takes him about a day to finish, and he must still roll to see if he botches.

Second, when crafting a spell, the character may take advantage of the crafted object's shape and material, giving him a bonus to his effect total, though this bonus cannot exceed his Craft score. This bonus can also include a design or inscription, which is another kind of enchantment bonus that characters with this Virtue can use (see the sidebar, Design and Inscription Bonuses).

Example: A woodcarver with both Craft Magic and Dowsing is searching for water, and makes himself a hazel dowsing rod. Hazel has a shape and material bonus of +3 for divination, and so this gives him a +3 bonus to his Dowsing total. He also carves his name into the rod, giving him a +4 design and inscription bonus for "use restricted to the caster." However, his Craft Woodcarving score is only 6, so the total bonus is limited to +6 instead of +7. All told, his Dowsing total is 11, which means that his dowsing rod will take him at least 20 minutes to make and inscribe.

Third, the character may make charged items in the same way as Hermetic magi (see Charged Items, ArM5 pages 96–97), without needing to spend an entire season. Instead, it takes him the standard amount of time to craft a spell, as described above, multiplied by the number of items produced. Use the character's Casting Total or the result of the Supernatural Ability roll as if it were a Lab Total to determine the effect's level and the number of charges (so that an exceptional roll might allow the character to enchant a great many more charges than usual). This application of Craft Magic also allows a character with a Supernatural Ability or Virtue that only affects himself to craft items that other characters can use for the same effect, though only if the activity requires the crafted item to perform. If the power does not require a die roll to activate, make an appropriate Craft roll instead, and the base level of the effect is 5.

Example: An armor-smith Mechanical has Craft Magic and Puissant Single Weapon. He wants tocraft a puissant heater shield,one that when uncovered gives the wielder the benefit of his Puissant Single Weapon Virtue for the rest of the day. This is a level 20 effect (Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun). His Dexterity is +4, and his Craft Armor score is 8. He may add 5 for the shield's "+5 Protection" bonus, and he spends a Confidence Point to give him the final +3 increase. His total is 20, just enough for him to make one shield. This takes him about nine days to finish; if he reduced the effect's Duration to Diameter, he could make two shields with the same effect, but it would take him longer to finish.

Finally, the character may craft objects that already contain raw vis into magical devices with lesser enchantments (see ArM5, page 96, Lesser Enchantments). The vis must be part of the enchanted object, and again, this does not require a season, but rather a crafted effect as above. Use the character's Casting Total in place of his Lab Total, but if this invests a Supernatural Ability into the device, this result only needs to be greater than or equal to the level of the effect, not twice that value as with spell effects. Also, the level of the invested effect cannot exceed five times the number of pawns of vis in the object. (This differs from Hermetic magic in that magi use less vis, and the vis they use does not have to be part of the object to be enchanted.)

Example: A tanner with Enchanting Music and Craft Magic obtains the pelt of a magical beast containing 3 pawns of vis. He fashions this into a large drum, and enchants it with an effect that causes those who hear it to become very afraid. He does not need to play the drum to produce the effect, and instead enchants it while he is making it. His Communication is +2 and his Enchanting Music is 5. His Craft Tanner is at least 2, so he may add +2 for the Drum shape and material bonus (+2 cause fear). He must roll to ensure he does not botch, but if he succeeds, he produces an enchanted instrument that anyone can activate for an Enchanting Music effect with a Casting Total of 9.

Magi with this Virtue should be highly sought after by Mystagogues of House Verditius, as the power of Craft Magic complements their House Mysteries exceptionally well. However, the philosophy of their House is fundamentally at odds with the magic of the Rusticani, the former being driven by pride and desire for artistry that the latter group generally finds repugnant. Because of this essential difference in their outlook, should a rustic magus ever try to join House Verditius, he loses his Craft Magic Virtue during his Initiation ceremony (perhaps because of the spell The Embrace of Boethius, as described in Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults). No one has ever done this as far as anyone knows, and Verditius magi most likely consider Mechanicals to be cheap impostors, if they have heard anything of them at all.

Design and Inscription Bonuses

Characters with the Craft Magic Virtue can add designs and inscriptions to their crafted effects, giving them a type of enchantment bonus in addition to those for shape and material. Magi who have this Virtue may also incorporate design and inscription bonuses into other objects they make in the lab, such as invested devices, longevity rituals, or talismans. Note that the total bonus gained from shape, material, design, and inscription is still limited to the magus's Magic Theory score (or an applicable Craft score).

Portraits: Portraits usually depict a famous ruler, saint, or person, and the character may gain an additional +1 bonus if the figure pictured is particularly recognizable as great, or is particularly appropriate to the effect. Bonuses: +2 authority, +2 affect subject, +2 affect saint's patronage, +1 protection

Writing: For a writing bonus, the inscription must spell out what the caster wishes the effect to achieve, perhaps calling upon mystic forces or specific entities. An additional +1 is added if the writing names the target or the caster. Bonuses: +3 use restricted to a list of people, +1 control, +1 affect wearer

Seal or Symbol: The item receives a bonus if it includes an official seal or symbol. This might be for a particular craft guild, a Hermetic House, an individual's family, or even the Order. It could also be used to represent people from a specific kingdom or religion. If the symbol is obviously very old, is recognizable, or comes from a distant and exotic location, the item gets an additional +1 bonus. Bonuses: +3 use restricted to members, +1 authority, +1 secrecy

Image: A design can incorporate an image of any shape found on the Shape and Material Bonuses table. This gives a design bonus of half the bonus that shape would usually contribute, rounded down. For example, an item depicting a bell (+5 warning) would add a +2 design bonus to a warning effect in the device. Bonus: + (half the image's shape bonus)

Minor Hermetic Virtue: Spell Foci

Rustic magi are particularly good at harnessing the magical properties of physical objects. For this reason, a rustic magus may incorporate a small casting tool called a spell focus into his spells, which allows him to add a bonus to his Casting Total. This is one of the bonuses that such an object typically provides for its shape or material, from the Shape and Material Bonuses table. Only one spell focus may be associated with a spell, and only one of that object's properties may be harnessed in this way — this is essentially the same bonus that a character with Craft Magic receives when he crafts the object into a spell.

The bonus cannot exceed the caster's score in Magic Theory, or his Craft score when a rustic magus crafts the spell using Craft Magic. In these circumstances, the spell focus must be appropriate to the type of craft practiced by the rustic magus; if he is a carpenter, he must use a certain type of wood to receive the material bonus, or carve it into a particular shape for the shape bonus. Any spell can be designed to include a spell focus by a magus with this Virtue, though once it is incorporated into the spell, it cannot be cast without it, and casting a spell with a spell focus that is not somehow applicable to the spell's effect provides no bonus at all. For example, a rustic magus might invent a formulaic healing spell to incorporate a ruby, giving him a +3 casting bonus when affecting blood, but from then on he must always have a ruby on hand to cast that spell, even if the effect does not involve blood and so does not receive the casting bonus — the ruby becomes a necessary component of the spell.

Rustic magi usually carry many small tools and arcane objects that can be used as spell foci to boost their spontaneous spells in this way, and that are often required for formulaic spells they have invented or learned from other Rusticani. However, these spell foci help them overcome the effect of the Dominion and the difficulties they have with spontaneous magic, and as such they almost always use them whenever they can.

Because of their need to craft their spells, the Rusticani associate their power with their own strength of will, tied directly to their hearts and minds. The magic comes naturally to them, like breathing or working, and they cannot exert themselves to make it more potent. Thus, they cannot fatigue themselves when using spontaneous magic, and so they all have the Weak Spontaneous Magic Flaw. This makes them much more dependent upon formulaic spells and advance preparation than other magi, and so when they do perform magic spontaneously, it is typically done in their laboratory or workshop, producing a charged item that they may take with them or give to another. This still requires that they divide their Casting Score by 5 to determine their Casting Total, unless it is done as a seasonal laboratory activity, in which case they may use their full Lab Total as normal.

According to the Qur'an, sihr (magic) was taught to mankind by two fallen angels named Harut and Marut, to tempt them away from the straight path of Islam. Those they taught passed the knowledge on through successive generations. In some cases the knowledge became corrupted under the influence of outsiders, and in other cases it was forgotten, leaving only snippets of information. However, there is one tradition who claim to practice the magic in its pure form. These wizards are the sahirs (feminine sahira). Legends among Hermetic magi talk of an Order of Suleiman (Solomon), an organization of Islamic magi who are rivals in power to the Order. What the aims of this order are, and whether it actually exists, is a matter of great debate, particularly in the southern Tribunals of the Order.

Favored Tribunals: Iberia, almost exclusively. The Hermetic Sahirs are uncommon in the Levant, where their non-Hermetic cousins are still to be found; the Almohads of Iberia practice a variant of Islam that is not acceptable to the 'Abbasids who control the Levant (See Realms of Power: The Divine, Chapter 5: Mythic Islam for more information).

Major Non-Hermetic Virtue: Sihr (an Accelerated Ability , described below)

Minor Hermetic Virtue: Minor Magical Focus (jinn). This focus applies to only jinn, not to other spiritual creatures of the Magic, Faerie, and Infernal realms.

Major Hermetic Flaw: Twilight Prone. The fact that they marshal powerful magic to force spirits to appear means that they are more likely to succumb to Twilight.

In the Umayyad Emirate of the Iberian Peninsula, the sahirs who had caused the death of Flambeau's pater were persecuted by that Founder under his mistaken belief that they were diabolists. His followers continued the witch-hunt in revenge for Flambeau's death, which may not actually have been the fault of the sahirs. When the Iberian sahirs discovered that it was possible to join the Order through House Ex Miscellanea, they saw an opportunity to protect themselves from their aggressors, and formally joined the Order in 925 AD. Upon hearing of the inclusion in the Order of their hated enemy, House Flambeau was incensed. They promised a campaign of Wizard's Wars until the last of these infidels had been exterminated. Nevertheless, the Iberian sahirs were few in number, and were able to hide deep in the Umayyid Emirate (and its successor, the Almohad Caliphate of Cordoba) until the fury of House Flambeau had abated somewhat. Although largely forgotten by the Order, these magi still exist, and are still persecuted (within the bounds of the Code) by the Flambeau who reside in the Tribunal of Iberia. The Hermetic Sahirs have a hope that one day they will be able to broker an accord between the Order of Hermes and their native tradition, and perhaps heal the rift between Christian and Muslim, at least within the Order.

This tradition is firmly rooted in the southern half of the Iberian peninsula, and is only rarely found outside of these lands. Ancient pacts made by the pre-Hermetic ancestors of the sahirs allow them to summon the spirits of natural features — called the jinn — which inhabit the lands occupied by the Muslims, from Cordoba to North Africa, Egypt, and the Holy Land. Sahirs who stray beyond these lands can still exercise their unique magic to summon spirits, but the genii loci who answer such summons in Christian lands are foreign to the sahirs, and the magus finds it harder to make pacts with them. All Hermetic sahirs are at least nominally Muslims, which does not win them very many friends within the Order of Hermes, particularly among the Flambeau who still pursue a centuriesold feud with the sahirs. Naturally, sahirs form covenants with other magi who have accepted Mohammed as the Prophet. Sahirs have a strong unity as a tradition due to their common enemy, and often assist each other in times of need. However, because of their demand for limited resources (the jinn themselves and the vis needed to bargain with them), they do not often live in close proximity to each other.

A sahir often develops a good relationship with those jinn who occupy the landscape around his home, and powerful jinn are often treated as companions, friends, or even family. Weaker jinn are given the respect accorded to a valuable servant or grog. It is a foolish sahir indeed who treats a jinni harshly if there is any possibility that he might wish to call upon its services again, for a surly jinni might twist the intent of his master's commands, and once freed, may plot against him in revenge.

The jinn bound into the service of a sahir typically follow him around in spiritual form, although they may be capable of assuming human or animal form as well. The process of summoning a jinni is a complex and lengthy affair, and can be expensive in terms of vis, and yet the spirits sahirs summon can remain with them for seasons, and may be summoned repeatedly over the course of a sahir's life. With sufficient forward planning, a sahir can prove to be a mighty foe indeed, but he should not neglect his Hermetic training for those occasions where he is caught without his jinn attendants.

Often, a sahir has to accept a duty to perform on behalf of the jinni to acquire its services (see below for more details), and thus is bound to pursue this duty for the duration of the service. The storyguide should ensure that at least one encounter occurs as a result of this duty. Failure to perform the duty ends the pact, and makes an enemy of the jinni, resulting in the temporary acquisition of the Supernatural Nuisance or Plagued by Jinni Flaws.

Most of the jinn with whom Hermetic Sahirs deal are aligned to the Magic realm. Some practitioners of this magic specialize in Faerie jinn. However, most of these jinni profess to follow Islam, and it is forbidden by Islam for a Muslim to enslave another. More worrying is that some spirits who appear to be jinn are actually demons, although fortunately for sahirs, Infernal jinn are often bloodthirsty, brutal creatures who are easily identified as such.

Relationship with the Non-Hermetic Sahirs

The Hermetic sahirs have very little contact with their non-Hermetic tradition. Nearly 300 years have passed since the Iberian sahirs sought the protection of the Order, and finding a non-Hermetic sahir in Iberia in the current day is a rare event. It is believed that the non-Hermetic sahirs are members of an association of Muslim magi similar to the Order of Hermes, but that this putative "Order of Suleiman" has a much closer relationship with the mundane rulers of the Levant.

The non-Hermetic sahirs have much greater control over the jinn. Rather than relying on bargains to obtain favors, the non-Hermetic sahirs can compel service from the jinn if needed. Jinn-given powers claimed for the non-Hermetic sahirs include immortality, healing, instant transportation over far distances, spying, shapeshifting, and even Magic Resistance. The Hermetic sahirs desire knowledge of these magics, but every attempt to make contact with their Levantine brethren has been met with hostility.

All Hermetic sahirs are Muslim, in name if nothing else. More information about Islam, and Virtues appropriate to Muslim characters, can be found in Realms of Power: The Divine. If the saga is set outside of Islamic Iberia, then the Judged Unfairly Flaw is highly recommended, to represent the prejudice that other magi hold against Muslims (the same effect is present in mundanes, but it pales in comparison to the negative effects of The Gift). A sahir character is also likely to have the Feud Flaw, representing the enmity of House Flambeau for his lineage; this is particularly true for sagas set in Iberia, where the hatred still runs deep.

Certain Virtues prove very useful to Hermetic sahirs, particularly Second Sight; in addition, more than a few are Elementalists, and Student of (Realm) is very common, as is Puissant Bargain or Affinity with Bargain. Botched dealings with jinn during apprenticeship might cause Supernatural Nuisance, Plagued by Supernatural Entity, or a Malediction (Greater or Lesser). Occasionally, a jinni might decide to accompany a sahir of its own free will, granting a variant of the Faerie Friend Flaw (although the jinni may have Magic rather than Faerie Might).

The Jinn

When God made the world, he made three groups of being endowed with intelligence. The angels he made from light, the jinn were made from raw elemental matter (called "the smokeless fire," or aether), and mankind was formed from clay. A jinni (masculine singular, the feminine form is jinniyya) is a spiritual reflection of man; like him they are capable of both salvation and damnation. Some jinn display (or at least feign) a lack of interest in mankind; this kind shows no inclination towards aping human behavior, and are usually pagan. Such jinn draw their power from the Magic realm. Other jinn seem incapable of preventing themselves from meddling in the lives of mortals. They live in close proximity to them, and often profess their desire for salvation by adopting human religion, usually Islam. This group is akin to Arabic faeries. There is a third type, those jinn who seem bent upon the destruction of mankind, known to the rest of the world as demons.

Jinn are a variety of genii loci (the spirits of a place), and as such they possess both a spiritual form and a material form made of elemental matter. The spiritual form inhabits a landscape feature, such as a sand dune, a boulder, or a pool of water. The jinni of a mountain is likely to have a higher Might than that of a boulder; typically Mights range from 5–40.The physical form is basically human, but has a size appropriate to the physical feature, and is usually composed of the same material as the abode. If this form is slain, the spirit can reform it after it has regenerated the Might points spent to create it; the jinni is very likely to exact vengeance on its slayer. Jinn need not eat or drink and do not age. They all possess the Ways of the Land and Second Sight Virtues.

Major Supernatural Virtue: Sihr

Sihr is used to summon a jinni, and provide mystic power to the bargain that places the jinni in the service of the sahir. This Virtue confers the Supernatural Accelerated Ability of Sihr, which begins at a score of 1.

Discerning Jinn: Before a jinni can be summoned, it is wise for the sahir to study it to determine its relative power. If the sahir has the Second Sight Virtue, or a spell that allows him to see spirits (see House Tytalus, Magic of the Titanoi), then he can directly observe the jinni in its native habitat, and it takes just a single round to make the necessary assessment. Without magical help, the sahir must use his knowledge of the local area to gather sufficient information about the spirit who dwells there; make an Intelligence + Area Lore roll against an Ease Factor of 6 to discover the center of its power, the form that the jinni takes, and its likely powers. It takes about an hour to make this assessment. Once this preliminary research has been performed, the sahir can attempt to discern the jinni's approximate Might, based on its appearance (if seen), its abode, and the sahir's own knowledge. He must first decide whether the jinn is Faerie, Magic, or Infernal (based on its behavior and attitude; only experience can help him here), and make an Intelligence roll modified by the appropriate Realm Lore. Success reveals the magnitude of the jinni's Might. A failure indicates the sahir is unable to guess the Might of the jinni, thus summoning it would be dangerous. On a botch, the magnitude discerned should be determined by the roll of a simple die. The decision as to which Realm Lore to use is vital; if the player guesses wrongly, then this becomes a straight Intelligence roll. However, since the player has no experience with jinn, the storyguide should make the distinction between different types of jinn clear.

Discern Might: Intelligence + Realm Lore + stress die vs. Ease Factor 9

Example Jinni: Wahhab

Magic Might: 15 (Ignem)

Characteristics: Int –1, Per +2, Pre +2, Com 0, Str +3, Sta +2, Dex +1, Qik 0

Size: +2

Confidence Score: 1 (3 points)

Virtues and Flaws: Way of the Dunes; Second Sight, Skinchanger; Avaricious

Personality Traits: Greedy +5, Brave +3, Proud +2

Combat:

Great sword: Init +2, Attack +10, Defense +6, Damage +12

Soak: +6

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–7), –3 (8–14), –5 (15–21), Incapacitated (22–28), Dead (29+)

Abilities: Arabic 4 (negotiation), Athletics 3 (leaping), Great Weapon 3 (great sword), Penetration 4 (heat), Second Sight 4 (jinni)

Powers:

Crafter of Fire, 1–3 points, Init 0, Ignem: duplicates any non-Ritual Creo Ignem or Muto Ignem spell less than or equal to 15th level at a cost of 1 Might point per magnitude of the effect.

Incorporeal, 0 points, Init Constant, Mentem: Wahhab is naturally both invisible and intangible, and cannot be influenced by the physical world. Magic may only directly target him if the caster can sense his existence. In this form he has no physical statistics or combat scores. Without taking a corporeal form, Wahhab's physical characteristics are only used when dealing with other incorporeal creatures.

Donning the Corporeal Veil, 2 points, Init +1, Corpus: Wahhab can form the physical body described under Appearance to house his spiritual form; when doing so he acquires the physical characteristics, size, combat statistics, and Wound levels listed above. His arms and armor are also created with this power. He cannot become fatigued. This body lasts until he decides he no longer needs it. Killing the body does not kill Wahhab.

Presence, 0 points, constant, Mentem: Wahhab is aware of everything that goes on within his haunt. This power needs to Penetrate to perceive beings with a Magic Resistance.

Vis: 1 pawn of Ignem vis can be collected every year from his haunt, in the form of a lambent flame which appears on the cracked altar. If slain in physical form, his body will yield 3 pawns of Ignem vis.

Appearance: Wahhab appears as a giant muscled man with coppery red skin and black hair. He carries an immense curved sword and wears an armored shirt (partial scale armor), every one of the copper scales is in the shape of a tongue of fire. When in physical form, he can use his Skinchanger Virtue to adopt the shape of a desert hawk.

Wahhab is a jinni who inhabits the ancient ruins of a fane to a forgotten god, which dates to before Christianity or Islam came to Iberia. He is a spirit of fire, relishing the baking heat of his desert home. He is passionate, brave, vain, and loves the reflected glow of flames on precious metals and gems, which he is amassing in a secret cache.

Wahhab can be used as a template to create other types of jinn; full rules for creating spirits will appear in a later book for Ars Magica Fifth Edition. All jinn can mimic Hermetic spells related to their element (see Wahhab's Crafter of Fire Power), but cannot create an effect whose level is greater than their Might. More powerful jinn may have more Powers, such as instant transportation or the creation of wealth. Since they are spirits of a place, the physical location haunted by a jinni acts as an Arcane Connection that provides a +1 bonus to the Penetration Multiplier; more potent Arcane Connections can only be obtained from a jinni who has taken corporeal form.

Summoning Jinn: Once discerned, the sahir may summon the jinni and bind it into service. This summons must take place in the physical presence of the jinni or at its home; the latter is most common because it provides an Arcane Connection to the spirit. Once begun, the jinni may attempt to interfere with the summons (although most do not), so it is wise to erect a Hermetic ward to keep the spirit at bay. The summons makes the spirit assume its material form, and takes at least 15 minutes to perform. The sahir chants the words of command encoded by Solomon, while making the prescribed ritual motions and drawing Arabic figures on the ground. The summons also requires vis of a Form appropriate to the jinni being summoned. The standard cost of a summons is one pawn for every magnitude of Might of the jinni, but the sahir can chose to spend less (with a minimum of 1 pawn) or more (with a maximum equal to the Sihr score). Note that the sahir only has his estimate of the jinni's Might (assuming he has attempted to discern the jinni prior to the summons), so may unwittingly spend less or more than the standard amount. The amount of vis spent does not affect the summoning, but plays an important role in the bargaining that follows.

The sahir generates a Summoning Total based on his Sihr Ability . A successful summons that manages to penetrate the jinni's Magic Resistance forces the jinni to take physical form before the sahir. Calculate the Summoning Strength, which is the amount by which the sahir's Casting Total exceeds the Ease Factor. A botched Sihr roll results in the appearance of an infuriated jinni, or a spirit wholly different to than the one intended.

Summoning Total: Presence + Sihr + Aura + stress die

Ease Factor: jinni's Might

Summoning Penetration: Summoning Total + Penetration bonus – jinni's Might

Summoning Strength: Summoning Total – Ease Factor

A sahir can spend extra time on his summons; every extra 15 minutes causes a loss of a Fatigue level after the summons and adds another botch die to the summoning roll, but also provides a +2 bonus to the Penetration Total. A sahir uses extra time to summon a jinni whose Might is close to his maximum ability.

Example: Hachim is a sahir with Presence +2 and Sihr 12, who is trying to summon Wahhab in a Magic aura of 2. Including a stress die of 5, his Summoning Total is 21. This is sufficient to summon Wahhab (Might 15). Hachim's Penetration Ability is 3; he is standing in Wahhab's haunt and knows the jinni's nickname, giving him a Penetration Multiplier of 3 overall. His Penetration Total is therefore (21 + [3 x 3] – 15), or 15. Since this equals Wahhab's Might, the summons penetrates, and Hachim has a Summoning Strength of (21 – 15), or +6.

Bargaining with the Jinni: Once the jinni arrives, the sahir must bargain with it to gain its services. The power of Sihr means that the jinni cannot depart or attack until a bargain has been struck between magus and spirit, or they have mutually decided that no bargain can be achieved. However, a sahir who refuses to make a bargain releases the jinni from making a pact. "Bargain" may be a misleading word; a skilled sahir can obtain the services of a weak jinn without offering anything in return. This bargain is magically enforced: the jinni cannot break the word of the bargain unless the sahir reneges on the terms of the deal, and most also obey the spirit of the bargain if the sahir treats him well. A sahir can attempt to strike a bargain with any jinni, not just those he has summoned — for example, re-negotiation following the elapsing of a previous bargain — although Summoning Strength gives an oft-needed advantage.

Bargain Total: Communication + Bargain + Summoning Strength + stress die

Ease Factor: 18 + Bargain Modifiers

The Ease Factor has a Bargain Modifier, which depends on what the sahir is asking from the jinni, and what he offers in return.

A failed bargain roll results in a failure to make a bargain, and the jinni is not compelled to remain. A botch results in the sahir acquiring either Supernatural Nuisance (for a weak jinni) or Plagued by Jinni (for a moderate or powerful jinni) for at least a month. A successful bargain binds the jinni to the beck and call of the sahir for the duration of the bargain. He can ask it to perform any task within its power, although when a jinni expends its last Might point in the service of the sahir, then the bargain ends, regardless of the length of service remaining. The jinni cannot renege on any solemn oaths it has made prior to the summons; this includes, for jinni who have adopted a religion, disobeying the tenets of that faith. The jinni cannot swear any new oaths during its service without permission from the sahir. A jinni who is in service for a season or more may be used as a source of knowledge on Sihr, the appropriate Hermetic Form, or either Faerie, Magic, or Infernal Lore (as appropriate). A jinni can only instruct a sahir once for each Ability or Art. A sahir can have a number of jinn in service to him at any one time equal to his Leadership score, although all sahirs can command at least one jinni.

Source Quality of a Jinni: 3 x magnitude of Might

Maximum Number of Jinni: equal to Leadership (minimum 1)

Bargain Modifiers

Provision	Modifier
Terms are general in scope ("Follow me around and do as I say")	+3
Terms are specific in scope ("Help me find the Emerald of Al-Andalus")	+0
Terms constitute a single task ("Get me safely across the Straits of Gibraltar")	–3
Service to last 1 day	–3
Service to last 1 week	0
Service to last 1 month	+3
Service to last 1 season	+6
Service to last 1 year	+9
Sahir accepts a simple duty	–3
Sahir accepts an onerous duty	–6
Sahir spent less vis than the standard cost	+2*
Sahir spent more vis than the standard cost	–2*

* Modifier is per pawn under or over the standard cost.

Typical Duties for Sahirs

Simple Duties: Cleansing or protecting the jinni's home, guarding a human family to whom the jinni has become attached, retrieving stolen wealth, writing a poem in praise of the jinn, providing rare commodities such as frankincense or rubies.

Onerous Duties: Fighting wizards who seek to enslave jinn, freeing slaves from captivity, playing a jest on an important local figure, delivering the heart of an enemy, procuring a unique item such as a book written in Solomon's own hand.

Sahirs in the Saga

Having a sahir character in the saga poses some different challenges compared to other magi. A sahir's work is all done up front; summoning jinn and binding them to service before heading off to complete a task. However, his non-Hermetic magic is critically dependent on the amount of vis available in the saga, for this determines his capacity to summon jinn. Further, a sahir is best on his home turf where he has fully investigated the local jinn, and knows their capabilities well. The storyguide should consider creating several jinn from the region around the covenant, and allowing other players to run them as secondary characters during stories. A jinni must obey the bargain between itself and the sahir, but need not do so slavishly. Different jinn have different personalities; some might be friendly and willing to help, others might be hostile and attempt to twist the bargain that was made. Remember also that as a sahir gains in power, he will desire to summon more powerful jinn, so the storyguide should ensure the area has a range of spirits, or that the sahir meets such entities in his travels.

Hermetic Magic

Sahirs tend to excel at the elemental Forms, because of their ability to learn from the jinn whom they summon. Sahirs should always know spells that will protect them against a jinn in the event of a failed bargain, and cautious sahirs erect a ward around themselves before beginning a summons. Hermetic magic lacks the distinction to ward against the jinn specifically, and because of their bias towards the elemental Forms, sahirs are usually capable of creating stronger wards against specific jinn (jinn of the waters, jinn of the earth, and so forth), despite needing to know separate variants of these spells for Faerie, Magic, and Infernal jinn. Apotropaic magics — those which strip a spirit of its Might — are typically part of the arsenal of a sahir.

Suleiman's Wrath on the Oath-Forsaken Jinni

PeVi Gen

R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind

This spell weakens and possibly destroys a creature with Magic Might. If the spell penetrates the creature's Magic Resistance, the creature loses Might equal to the spell's level. A creature with zero Might is permanently destroyed. The creature must be sensed by the caster to be a valid target; the caster may have to employ other magic to perceive a spirit before using this spell.

(Base effect, +2 Voice)

This tradition is comprised of a group of magae who practice a form of lyrical magic taught to their founder by the sirens of legend. The music of the Seirenes allows them to influence the thoughts and actions of their listeners and is especially effective when performed in a trio.

Favored Tribunal: The Seirenes are predominantly located in the Thebes, Roman, and Provencal Tribunals and favor covenants near the Mediterranean Sea, but they travel extensively throughout Mythic Europe and can be encountered anywhere.

Major Non-Hermetic Virtue: Siren Song

Minor Hermetic Virtue: Minor Magical Focus (Mentem – an emotion)

Major Hermetic Flaw: Necessary Condition (all spells must be sung) Miscellaneous: The Seirenes only select females as apprentices.

Long ago, Thelxiope (theel-KHIopee) was born and raised in a small port city of Greece. As a young woman, she fell in love with a handsome sailor. Thelxiope begged the young man to abandon his life at sea. Although he promised to marry her, he never intended to and only made the promise to entertain himself between voyages. The sailor finally told Thelxiope that he would be leaving forever on the eve of their wedding. The naïve Thelxiope was unwilling to live without her fiancé and stowed away on his ship.

Before Thelxiope could be discovered, the ship traveled near the island of the sirens. The sirens' magical song drew the sailors toward the rocks. As the ship began to sink, the sirens delighted in watching the sailors drown. But this time the sirens heard the unfamiliar sound of a young woman's pleas for help. Perhaps moved by their guilt at failing to save Persephone from Hades, the sirens flew to Thelxiope and pulled her from the sea.

Thelxiope told her story to the sirens, who took pity on her for foolishly falling in love with a sailor. They cared for Thelxiope and eventually taught her the secrets of their magic. Although the sirens preached their hatred of men to Thelxiope, she did not initially adopt it.

Before the voyage to retrieve the Golden Fleece, Chiron warned Jason that he and his Argonauts would be lost at sea unless Orpheus accompanied them. Chiron's prophecy was fulfilled when the Argo approached the island of the sirens. As the sirens' song drew the Argonauts toward the rocks, Orpheus began playing his lyre and the beauty of his music overcame the lure of their song. The sirens became filled with a jealous rage when they heard Orpheus's music. They could not suffer defeat at the hands of a mere man and threw themselves into the sea and turned to stone. To this day, the Seirenes are hostile toward the members of the Cult of Orpheus.

Thelxiope bitterly left the island forever, intent on exacting revenge on the world of men. She traveled Europe using her magical powers to punish any cruel or unfaithful man she encountered. These petty acts left Thelxiope unfulfilled. It was only when she encountered an orphaned girl and adopted her as her ward that Thelxiope's life took on meaning. The young girl possessed The Gift and had been ostracized by her village because of it. Thelxiope trained her in magic, and the two traveled across Europe searching for other Gifted girls to save.

Thelxiope discovered and trained many young women on her travels. After she retired, her pupils continued the search. The Seirenes continue to place an emphasis on recruiting apprentices to their tradition. Because a Seirene often identifies a Gifted women before she is able to train her adequately, the Seirenes have developed a custom of sending their apprentices to begin training in Music and Siren Song with their parentes. After her gauntlet and before she joins a covenant, a Seirene usually spends time traveling with two other Seirenes. When combined with the joint early training that Seirenes have, these practices have created a very tight-knit tradition.

The Seirenes do not only seek women with The Gift. They readily recruit any female with Supernatural Abilities, or any with a damaged Gift, who might be capable of learning Siren Song. The Seirenes treat these unGifted members as equals in all aspects; however, the Order does not grant them the voting rights of true magae.

The Seirene's search to discover Gifted women defines their tradition. The Seirenes believe that the conditions for women, especially Gifted ones, are intolerable in the male-dominated society of Mythic Europe. Thelxiope's followers know that changing society is a slow process, but they take small steps where they can. When a Seirene discovers a woman ruling her own lands, running her own business, or performing any role traditionally limited to men, she surreptitiously assists the woman or hinders her male rivals.

The Seirenes also attempt to make their covenants more egalitarian. To do this, Seirenes ensure that their covenants recruit exceptional women wherever they find them. They also encourage female grogs and covenfolk to perform traditional male roles whenever they show any aptitude. Seirenes are not virulently anti-male, merely vigorously pro-female.

The Seirenes entered the Order relatively early in its history. Although their magic was powerful against mundane men, a magus of only moderate power or anyone familiar with the tale of Odysseus could easily defeat it. The Seirenes realized this and accepted the offer of membership in the Order for access to Bonisagus's versatile magic and the protection of the Parma Magica. The Seirenes also recognized that the Order was essentially a meritocracy where all members were given an equal voice.

At Tribunal, the Seirenes tend to vote at the direction of their leadership. This practice is not followed as rigidly as it is by House Tremere, and each member retains her own sigil. The leadership of the tradition is determined every 12 years at a grand competition. All Seirenes compete for the titles of First Singer, First Lyrist, and First Flautist. The winners are chosen by vote of all members present at the grand competition, which is held at the covenant of the reigning First Singer. Other than this honor, the three Firsts are treated equally and have equal authority. Although someone without The Gift has never won the competition, the possibility exists.

Islands of the Sirens

The legends list several possible islands where the sirens made their home. These include Anthemoessa, between Sicily and the Italian Peninsula; Cape Peloris; Capri; and Sirenum Scopuli. The island that was the final home of the sirens is unknown. It is said to be white with the bleached bones of sailors who were drawn to their deaths by the sirens. It is likely to posses a Magic aura or possibly a regio.

The sirens were powerful magical creatures and the stone remains of their bodies are a treasure trove of vis. If the Seirenes ever discover that someone has harvested those remains, that person gains a very dedicated enemy. When the sirens died, they also left behind their magical instruments. Legend tells that the trio was comprised of a vocalist accompanied by sirens playing the lyre and the flute. Their instruments were allegedly made from the bones of dead sailors. Not only would these instruments have great historical value to a member of the Seirenes tradition, but they are also powerful magical devices.

Story. Seed: A town is overrun with vermin when a colorfully dressed man offers his assistance. He promises to clear the town of its rats in exchange for a generous sum of money. The man plays a sweet melody and the rats blindly follow into a nearby lake to drown, but the town refuses to pay. On the next feast day, the man returns and plays another sweet melody. All of the children of the town follow him into a nearby mountain where they disappear forever. Is a Seirene, disguised as a man, extorting from towns throughout Mythic Europe? Or did some man discover the lost island of the sirens of legend?

Seirenes in Your Saga

With a little effort, the Seirenes can play a role in any saga, even if no player elects to play one as a maga. The Seirenes act as a natural counterpart to the Cult of Orpheus. Because of Orpheus's role in the death of the sirens of legend, the Seirenes could serve as antagonists to anyone seeking initiation into the Cult of Orpheus. Likewise, the Seirenes possess a remnant of the lyrical magic that the Orphics have lost. A magos of the Cult might try to rebuild the magic of Orpheus by attempting to learn Siren Song. The Seirenes are not a Mystery Cult, but they do not willingly teach their secrets to males. Should the leadership of the Seirenes discover that a male has learned of their magic, they would likely vow to kill him and start a Wizard's War against his teacher. If the student is either a follower of Orpheus, or the Cult offers him protection, the conflict between the Seirenes and Orphics could cause widespread disruption. The characters might get involved if the leaders of their Tribunal attempt to broker a peace.

Story Seed: Although the sirens who trained Thelxiope died, they were not the last sirens. Sirens live on certain islands in the Mediterranean where they use their beautiful music to lure sailors to their doom. Some Seirenes have aligned themselves with these creatures and live with them away from the world of men. Other Seirenes travel to these islands to learn from the creatures or trade for the magical instruments they can create.

Before joining the Order, the Seirenes practiced a form of magic that was based solely on the power of their voices and their songs. This foundation still strongly influences the magic of the tradition. The Supernatural Virtue Siren Song is the focus of training for a junior maga, but becomes less important as a she develops her Hermetic Arts.

All Seirene magae suffer from the Major Hermetic Flaw Necessary Condition. All of their spells must be sung. This does not mean that all of a Seirene's spells must have Range Voice, but it does mean that all spells must have a vocal component. A Seirene may never silently cast a spell, and she may not have the Quiet Magic Virtue.

The Seirene magae also have the Virtue Minor Magical Focus (Mentem – "an emotion"). The focus of the Virtue may be any emotion. The emotion is usually determined by the Seirene's personality, and the specialty tends to either exemplify the maga's strongest Personality Trait or its antithesis. A very sensual Seirene may have the focus "lust," and use her magic to control men with it. Conversely, a very serene maga may have the focus "anger," because she specializes in soothing it.

Because a Seirene's score in Music limits her skill in Siren Song, most of these magae spend a great deal of time perfecting their singing and performance skills. This focus on entertaining leads many Seirenes to have the Virtues Free Expression, Inspirational, Puissant Ability (Music), or Performance Magic. (See The Mysteries: Revised Edition, pages 29–30.) Skilled Parens is a common Virtue because a Seirene often begins her training with the parens of her mistress. Likewise, the frequent search for apprentices and the peripatetic nature of a Seirene's apprenticeship makes Well-Traveled and Social Contacts common Virtues.

Siren Song

This is a Major Virtue that empowers the character's music with the ability to control those who listen to it. A successful roll of Communication + Music versus the target's Stamina roll allows the character to issue a command to any individual or group who hears the music. The target remains in the character's command as long as she produces music. Another roll is required to change or issue new commands. The command is not necessarily articulated in the lyrics of the song. A target does not know why he is following the command, only that it has something to do with the magical melody.

If a group of musicians performs together, the Music scores of the other members are added to the singer's roll. No more than two musicians' scores can assist the singer in performing a song, and the amount each assistant adds can be no more than the singer's score in Music.

A victim's resistance roll is modified based on the same factors as the Entrancement Ability.

Command	Example	Target's Bonus
Innocuous	Listen to my song	+0
Questionable	Come to me	+3
Dangerous	Follow me out of town	+6
Heinous	Kill your fellows	+9
Suicidal	Crash your ship upon the rocks	+12

Specialties: Men, children, rats. (Supernatural)

Although Siren Song is a more powerful Virtue than Enchanting Music, the two Virtues may be used in combination. Unlike the Enchanting Music Ability, which creates an emotion in a person and can influence individuals on a long-term basis, Siren Song actually controls the mind of the person while he listens to the music. When a character uses both Virtues, her initial command made with Siren Song can be reinforced by an appropriate emotion provided by the Enchanting Music Virtue. The combination can continue to influence the victim after the music has ceased. For the Abilities to be combined, the character must successfully overcome the victim's Stamina on both rolls. If other Seirenes accompany the character in performing, their Enchanting Music scores may be added to the leader's roll. The same restrictions and benefits from the Siren Song Virtue apply to a group performing with the Enchanting Music Ability.