Canaanite Necromancy

Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.

— I Samuel 28:11

In Canaan, a kingdom in the biblical Holy Land, there was a magical tradition of necromancers who could summon and speak to the dead. Late in the second millennium before Christ, Canaan was conquered by the Israelites. For a short time afterward, necromancers continued to work in the city of En-Dor until they were destroyed in a purge of prophets, priests, and witches conducted by the Israelite king Saul.

It is common knowledge, among the educated of Mythic Europe, that such a magical tradition once existed, as some information about it is preserved in the Old Testament book I Samuel, even though the tradition itself was not connected to the Divine. Despite this tantalizing glimpse, the Order of Hermes has little useful knowledge of the ancient tradition and, in particular, the exact location of the city of En-Dor has been lost.

Some classical authors also wrote of the Canaanites and their practices, and recently crusaders returning from the Holy Land have spoken of ruined cities in the Levantine desert, leading some to contemplate expeditions to search for biblical and magical artifacts. Purportedly Canaanite artifacts, in the form of inscribed clay tablets, have also occasionally surfaced in the markets of Constantinople and elsewhere in Mythic Europe, although the authenticity of these is questionable.

Canaanite necromancy, as practiced by Zephaniah and her colleagues in biblical Canaan, is represented by a new Major Supernatural Virtue Canaanite Necromancy, and the corresponding Supernatural Ability Canaanite Necromancy. This Ability can be taught to a Gifted character by the ghost of Zephaniah using the rules for learning Supernatural Abilities (ArM5, page 166). However, this is not very practical for any magus, except an apprentice, as the penalty to the teaching Source Quality due to the student's Art scores makes it effectively impossible for him to learn the Virtue. Therefore, a magus desiring to revive Canaanite necromancy really needs to modify and integrate the abilities of the Canaanite necromancers with Hermetic theory.

Canaanite necromancers have special abilities to speak to and summon the dead. A character with this Virtue has a score of 1 in the Supernatural Ability Canaanite Necromancy, which she may use to replicate any Hermetic Corpus or Mentem spell effect that deals with communicating, commanding, or summoning the dead. A stress roll of Communication + Canaanite Necromancy Ability against an Ease Factor of (3 x the magnitude of the effect) indicates that the character has successfully replicated the spell. For example, if Zephaniah attempts to replicate Whispers Through the Black Gate (InCo 15) (ArM5, page 130), a stress roll must be made for her against an Ease Factor of 9. Canaanite necromancers can also access the special Range: Veil of Death, detailed below.

Canaanite Necromancy: Communication + Canaanite Necromancy Ability + stress die vs. Ease Factor (3 x magnitude of effect)

Despite biblical commentary, Canaanite necromancy is inherently neither Divine nor Infernal in nature. It is aligned to the Magic realm, although an Infernal variant does exist; see Story Seed: The Sho'elim'ov,

The biblical book I Samuel tells the story of Saul the Benjaminite, whom the elderly prophet Samuel anointed as the first king of Israel in about 1000 BC. From his fortress at Gibeah, Saul and his son Jonathon successfully led the Israelites in battle against the hostile kingdoms that surrounded them, including the Ammonites (who were defeated at Jabesh Gilead) and the Philistines (broken, but not defeated, at Michmash). However, during the war against the Philistines, Saul committed a terrible sin by constructing an altar from which he made a sacrifice to ascertain the will of God; it was a sin because such a sacrifice could only be made by a priest, like Samuel. In addition to appropriating the power of the priest, Saul also directly disobeyed

the will of God — as communicated by Samuel — by dividing the best sheep and oxen of the defeated city of Amalek among his soldiers, rather than destroying them, and by failing to execute the defeated king of the Amalekites, Agag.

The power struggle between Saul and Samuel — between king and prophet — led Samuel to groom a possible replacement king, David, who by the will of God defeated the Philistine champion Goliath. Frightened and jealous of the threat posed by David, Saul unsuccessfully plotted to kill him. Samuel then died and David fled into the wilderness as Saul purged the Israelite priesthood — in the process eliminating the Canaanite necromancers and other magical traditions. David, meanwhile, allied with the Philistines and eventually returned to Israel with the Philistine army. As he surveyed the Philistine host encamped at Shunem, Saul feared a military disaster and so attempted to discover the will of God. Receiving no insight, he then traveled to the city of En-Dor, where the last necromancer to escape his purges still lived. The name of this witch was Zephaniah and, despite distrusting Saul, she summoned the spirit of Samuel, to whom Saul pleaded for help. The ghost of Samuel refused Saul; he said that God had forsaken Saul, and that he and his dynasty would be extinguished the following day. The next day, as the ghost predicted, the Israelites were defeated, Saul's three sons were killed in battle, and Saul killed himself after being sorely wounded by Philistine archers.

below. The Canaanite Necromancy Ability can be improved by study, practice, or teaching.

A magus may work in his laboratory, with an assistant who has the Canaanite Necromancy Major Virtue (the ghost of Zephaniah or a character she has taught, for example), to integrate Hermetic and Canaanite practices. By studying with a necromancer assistant for a season the magus may gain an Insight into the theoretical framework of Canaanite necromancy and produce an Insight Lab Text, as described in the Introduction.

Once the magus has gained an Insight into Canaanite necromancy, he may attempt to incorporate his Insight, by using the Insight Lab Text to invent an effect (spell or item) that deals with the dead in some way. Often, this is a standard Hermetic effect, but the storyguide may specify that a particular non-Hermetic effect can be invented, which utilizes the special Range Veil of Death. In either case, as described in the Introduction, this gives the magus a number of breakthrough points equal to the magnitude of the invented effect. Once the magus has accumulated 45 breakthrough points (remember that each additional effect requires an additional Insight Lab Text) then he has successfully integrated Canaanite necromancy and gains the Minor Hermetic Virtue Canaanite Magic.

Note that the character does not gain the Hermetic Virtue until the integration is complete, and so until then he does not gain the special Arcane Connection and he may only utilize the special Range Veil of Death in those spells that he invented using Insight Lab Texts.

The magus needs the assistance of a Canaanite necromancer to gain Insight into the ancient tradition. This is because Canaanite necromancy was an oral tradition and there are no written texts or artifacts to base research upon, although the role can be performed by a modern student of Zephaniah. A Canaanite necromancer can also help the magus invent spells and items during the experimental phase of the integration when breakthrough points are accumulated.

The magus receives a bonus to his Lab Total equal to the necromancer's Intelligence + Canaanite Necromancy

Ability score during any season that the necromancer provides assistance to invent effects that exploit an Insight. This is similar to the way that Hermetic assistants can help in the laboratory (ArM5, page 103) and follows the same rules, but the Canaanite necromancer can only assist in laboratory experiments designed to integrate Hermetic and Canaanite practices. If the magus has managed to learn the Supernatural Ability Canaanite Necromancy and is producing Insight Lab Texts by himself, then he receives no bonus for "assisting" himself, but he may choose whether to use either his Magic Theory or his Canaanite Necromancy Ability Score to calculate his Lab Total.

A magus with this Virtue has a special understanding of the dead, based upon the archaic techniques of the Canaanite necromancers. This understanding means that the magus becomes partly of the world of the living and partly of the world of the dead. This transformation is permanent and irreversible.

• The first benefit is that the magus may access a special Range Veil of Death. He may use this Range to affect any of the dead (see insert). •
• The second benefit is that the magus becomes a permanent Arcane Connection to the dead. This means that he is always connected to all of the dead, and so can always target them with magic (see Guidelines for Canaanite Magic, below). •
• The third benefit is that the magus can exploit this Arcane Connection for a +4 Penetration •

multiplier bonus, much like any other permanent Arcane Connection (ArM5, page 84), when casting spells on the dead. The value of the Penetration bonus can be increased, with sympathetic connections, as normal.

There are also risks inherent in Canaanite Magic:

• The dead are always aware of the presence of the magus. Effectively, this means that a ghost or other spirit of a dead person knows when the magus approaches within a radius of seven miles, and can subsequently precisely identify the location of the magus on a simple Perception roll against an Ease Factor of 6. •
• The dead also have a permanent Arcane Connection to the magus, which they may exploit for a +4 Penetration multiplier bonus when magically attacking the magus. Since a ghost needs to have a score in the Penetration Ability to exploit the bonus, this is not often problematic for the magus. •

Some spells that exploit the Range Veil of Death are listed below. These spells are, with the storyguide's approval, appropriate effects for a magus to invent during the process of integrating Canaanite magic with Hermetic theory.

Anat's Search in the Miry Abyss

InMe 20

R: Veil, D: Diam, T: Ind

This spell senses a specific person in the world of the dead. If a person cannot be sensed, then she is either alive or beyond the reach of the spell. The only reason that a dead person

Spells cast with this range may affect any dead mortal human. The distance between the caster and any physical remains of the target is irrelevant, but the caster must still be connected to the target in some way — which can be achieved by appropriate Intellego magic with this Range, or by possessing an Arcane Connection to the target. Physical remains are suitable Arcane Connections and the Minor Hermetic Virtue Canaanite Magic (which the caster would normally possess) also provides enough information for targeting spells. For the purposes of spell magnitudes, this range is equivalent to Sight.

would normally be beyond the reach of the spell is that she is in Heaven. Once sensed, the magus may cast other spells on the target, as long as this spell is active.

(Base 4, +3 Veil, +1 Diam)

The Ob of Mot

CrMe 25

R: Veil, D: Conc, T: Group

This spell allows those about the caster to speak with a specific person in the world of the dead — to them it appears that the caster is speaking with the voice of the dead person. The caster is effectively acting as a temporary container or vessel for the dead spirit, and botches of this spell might cause the caster to become possessed by a malevolent spirit.

The caster must either have an Arcane Connection to, or otherwise be able to sense, the target, and the target must be in the world of the dead; that is, neither alive nor in Heaven. The dead person is compelled neither to speak nor be truthful. The

Zephaniah was able to summon the spirit of Samuel who, being a prophet of God, should have been in Heaven and thus unreachable by Canaanite necromancy, which at first appears to be an indication that Zephaniah broke the Limit of the Divine. In fact, Samuel was not in Heaven. His spirit, along with those of all the Old Testament saints, initially dwelt beneath the earth in paradise. It was not until after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ that Heaven became accessible to man, allowing Samuel, and the other prophets, to enter.

caster is aware of the conversation, but cannot participate without making an Intelligence + Concentration roll against an Ease Factor of 12.

(Base 3, +3 Veil, +1 Conc, +1 Group)

The Visage of Mot

ReMe 35

R: Veil, D: Conc, T: Ind, Ritual

This spell summons the ghost of a specific person in the world of the dead. The caster must either have an Arcane Connection to, or otherwise be able to sense, the target, and the target must be in the world of the dead; that is, neither alive nor in Heaven.

(Base 15, +3 Veil, +1 Conc)

Some items that exploit the Range Veil of Death are listed below. The items are also appropriate effects for a magus to invent, with the approval of the storyguide, during the process of integrating Canaanite magic with Hermetic theory.

Zephaniah's Brazier

InMe 15

Pen +0, 1/day

R: Veil, D: Mom, T: Ind

This brazier is a copper dish about five inches in diameter. The color of the smoke in the brazier can be used to determine whether an individual is dead. To use the brazier it is lit, and the name of the target is spoken into the white smoke spiraling upwards from the dish. If the individual is dead, the smoke changes, becoming acrid and purple in color. The brazier may be used once per day.

(Effect: Base 4, +3 Veil)

Mot's Hand

ReMe 37

Pen +20, 3/day

R: Veil, D: Diam, T: Ind

This item is a skeletal marionettetype puppet about one foot tall, and by manipulating the puppet the puppeteer may direct the actions of the closest ghost. As this effect has a Range of Veil of Death there is always a ghost in range, although of course, unforeseen consequences may result if the manipulated ghost is not within the sight of the puppeteer. The effect can only penetrate a Might of 19, so ghosts that are more powerful are unaffected.

Gross movements of the ghost (stop, move left, etc.) are controlled without a roll. A stress roll of Dexterity + Profession Puppeteer must be made against an Ease Factor of 9 to direct the movements of the ghost more carefully (to move through a doorway or up stairs, for example). To attempt very precise movements (to write or fight, for example) a stress roll of Dexterity + Profession Puppeteer against an Ease Factor of 12 must be made.

(Effect: Base 5, + 3 Veil, +1 Diam; Modifications: +10 Pen, +2 3/day)

Who is Dead?

The Minor Virtue Canaanite Magic provides an Arcane Connection to the dead, and the Range Veil of Death allows a magus to interact with any of the dead that he can sense. In this case, "the dead" means any mortal man, woman, or child who has died but who has not, yet, entered Heaven. This includes mortals who are resident in Hell or Purgatory, those who die while in a Faerie or Magic realm, and ghosts, including living ghosts (see The Mysteries Revised Edition, pages 70–74) and Infernal ghosts (see Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 36).

Magi in Final Twilight, who have become faeries, or who have become magical creatures are not dead. Dead or living fae, angels, demons, or supernatural creatures are also not accessible to Canaanite necromancy, nor does Canaanite necromancy allow a magus to interact with dead animals. Once the Minor Hermetic Virtue Canaanite Magic is known, however, it is a Minor Breakthrough to produce through original research (see Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 26) an equivalent that allows interaction with dead animals.

Characters who are in Heaven may not be affected, due to the Limit of the Divine. However, characters who have received a Divine burial rite — a conventional Christian, Judaic, or Islamic burial, for example — may still be affected, if they have not entered Heaven, but in this case if the caster botches double the number of botch dice are rolled. The immunity to necromancy granted by extreme unction (see Realms of Power: The Divine, page 75) is only a flaw in Hermetic theory, which is corrected by the integration of Canaanite necromancy.

Speaking to the Dead

It is certainly possible, and indeed likely, that a magus will use Canaanite necromancy to speak to the long dead. The magus quickly discovers, however, that communicating with the long dead is not trivial. Although simple Intellego Mentem spells eliminate language barriers, many concepts (nations, theories of magic and nature, notions of the afterlife, etc.) are mutually unintelligible between the interrogating magus and his ancient interviewee. Even if the magus can make himself understood, the long dead have little reason to cooperate with the living, and may well resent the disturbance. Additionally, the long dead are more likely than the more recently deceased to be unavailable to the magus, as many have left Purgatory for Heaven.

It will also inevitably occur to a magus to question the dead about the nature of the afterlife they inhabit, but he finds such questions unanswerable. For example, some authorities hold that Arcadia is the world of the dead, and Canaanite magic does not offer any evidence to either support or refute this, although mortals who die while visiting the Faerie realm remain accessible to a Canaanite necromancer. In any case, no information about the world of the dead, other than who is in it, may be communicated. Possibly, this is a result of an error in either Canaanite necromancy or Hermetic theory.

The Infernal and Necromancy

Canaanite necromancy, and indeed any sort of necromancy, may attract the attention of the Infernal. If a character botches when attempting to summon or speak to the dead, a likely result is that a malevolent spirit pretends to be the intended target. Usually, this spirit is one of many minor demons with a (Mentem) Might of 10, but a more powerful demon could be attracted too; in either case the demon is often an Infernal ghost (see Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 36). The demon normally plays his part as accurately and for as long as he is able, while subtly trying to corrupt any information provided. Hermetic magic is unable to penetrate the demon's deception, but the demon may make mistakes that reveal he is not what he claims to be.

In order to revive the traditions of the Canaanite necromancer, the questing magus must locate, and then travel to, the ruined city of En-Dor. Once there, the magus must discover a hidden regio that is inhabited by the ghost of the last necromancer Zephaniah, and convince her to either teach Canaanite necromancy or provide Insight into her practices.

En-Dor is located on the northern face of Mount Hermon a few miles southwest of the town of Tiberias, which is itself located on the shores of Lake Tiberias (or the Sea of Galilee). The approximate location of En-Dor is relatively well known and during the 12th century many pilgrimages were made to several sites that were claimed to be En-Dor. Christian pilgrims travel less frequently to these sites today, as the area is under Muslim control, and a large group of armed explorers certainly attracts attention. However, the local people, perhaps from the town of Tiberias, can be easily persuaded to guide interested parties to the old pilgrimage sites.

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to discern which, if any, of the 12th century pilgrimage sites is the true location of En-Dor. To search among the various possible locations to find the true location of En-Dor takes one season. A resourceful magus may use magic to assist the search, but this is not an inherently magical task and could certainly be accomplished by a suitably skilled companion or team of grogs. In fact, a character need not actually be present to search for En-Dor; for example, it is possible for a magus to search by scrutinizing maps and documents in his laboratory. On the other hand, being in the field does make the search easier.

A successful Intelligence + Area Lore Canaan roll, made against an Ease Factor of 18 (or an Ease Factor of 21 if the searcher is not in the field), indicates that during the season the true location of En-Dor is found by the searcher. Although this is a stress die, a botch has no consequence unless the searcher is not in the field, in which case he erroneously believes that he has found the correct site; the error is revealed by a visit to the purported site. Any similar Ability — Area Lore Galilee or Area Lore Levant, for example — may be substituted with the storyguide's approval.

If a team of characters search together, then use the Characteristic and Ability scores of the team leader for the roll, but add to the roll the number of team members with an Area Lore Levant score within 5 of the team leader's score, up to a maximum bonus equal to the leader's Leadership Ability score.

To Find En-Dor: Int + Area Lore Canaan + stress die vs. Ease Factor 18 (or 21 if not in the field)

TEAM BONUS: Number of team members with Area Lore Canaan within 5 of leader, to a maximum bonus equal to leader's Leadership Ability score

If several competing groups successfully discover the site of En-Dor during the same season, the group whose total roll is the greatest finds En-Dor first. However, as the likely area is relatively small, their discovery cannot be kept secret even from unsuccessful competitors in the field for more than a few days, unless extraordinary precautions are made.

BOOKS

As the search for En-Dor is quite difficult, a sensible character will try to improve his knowledge of Canaan before seriously embarking on the

The military religious order of the Teutonic Knights was founded in 1190 during the siege of Acre, which is where their hospital is today. The Teutonic Knights wear a white coat emblazoned with a black cross and, in 1220, the total number of knights is about 300. Most, including the current Grandmaster Hermann von Salza, are based in Acre, although a significant number live in Burzenland, Transylvania, which they have controlled since 1211. Von Salza travels widely throughout Mythic Europe, often as part of the retinue of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, and — if your saga follows history — the Teutonic Knights are expelled from Burzenland in 1225, but are immediately given a home in Prussia where, in 1226, Frederick Il grants the order very wide powers to act in his name. By the mid-1230s the knights effectively control Prussia, a status that is then formally recognized by the Pope. A related order, the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, operates in the Baltic and again, if your saga follows history the Brothers are amalgamated with the Teutonic Knights in 1237,

which brings Estonia and other Baltic regions also under the control of the Teutonic Knights.

The Teutonic Knights are searching for the location of En-Dor. Like all the military orders they are ultimately seeking to complete the re-capture of the Holy Land, and they believe that the powers of the Canaanite necromancers can be used to further this goal. The knights have not yet discovered En-Dor, and they neither reveal how they have learned of Canaanite necromancy nor why they are dedicating resources to the pursuit of the ancient city. The masters of the Teutonic Knights are certainly aware of the Order of Hermes and, although ostensibly suspicious of magic, they have had dealings with House Tremere in Transylvania, and the knights may (knowingly or not) be acting as proxies for House Tremere in this matter. The knights could be convinced to cooperate with a magus searching for En-Dor, but conversely they may attempt to eliminate rival searchers. The Teutonic Knights searching for En-Dor are led by Brothers Konrad and Adolph, and a talented scribe named Otto.

quest. Although Canaan has not existed as a political entity for some millennia, Area Lore Canaan is an ordinary Area Lore Ability that can be improved through study or practice (ArM5, page 163).

For the purposes of this Ability both the Bible and the Mishna (a Jewish work) may be studied as if they were tractatus of Source Quality 5. These books are readily available, although a rabbi, rare in some parts of Mythic Europe, must be sought in order to gain a copy of the Mishna.

Classical books on Area Lore Canaan include: Phoenician History by Philo Byblius, a summa of Source Quality 10 and level 5; The Syrian Goddess attributed to Lucian of Samothrace, a summa of Source Quality 11 and level 6; and Praeparatio evangelica by Eusebius, a tractatus of Source Quality 7. Locating and gaining access to complete versions of these texts may be significant adventures in and of themselves. The original manuscripts are likely to be lost, but copies, which may have been translated backwards-and-forwards several times into Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, or Latin, are held by clerical libraries in Constantinople and

Named after a Roman emperor, the town of Tiberias is built on the shores of Lake Tiberias (which is also konwn as the Sea of Galilee), and is believed to have been the site of many of Christ's miracles. (Nazareth is also not far away.) The region is claimed by the king of Jerusalem, who is currently based in Acre, and Tiberias was the crusader capital of the principality of Galilee. However, after Saladin defeated the crusaders in 1187 at Hattin (which is just west of Tiberias), most of Galilee, including En-Dor, came under Muslim control. A large congregation of Orthodox Christians still worship in Tiberias, without significant friction with their Muslim overlords.

Tiberias is a spiritual center for the Jewish community, too. Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi edited the final form of the Mishna there in the second century; recently the Jewish sage Maimonides, who wrote the Mishneh Torah (a reductive codification of Jewish law) and many other books on philosophy and medicine, was buried in a tomb near the center of Tiberias after his death in 1204. Many influential Jewish scholars can be found studying in rabbinical schools in Tiberias.

Rome, and by the University of Paris. Inaccurate or incomplete translations have lower Source Qualities.

The Clay Tablets

During the mid 12th century in Jerusalem, when a number of buildings were demolished to make way for an enlargement by the crusaders

A form of Canaanite necromancy, corrupted by the Infernal and appropriated by the Israelites who conquered Canaan, is still practiced by some reclusive members of the Jewish community known as the Sho'elim'ov (detailed in Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 119). Their practices have drifted considerably over the millennia and they have no useful knowledge of their Canaanite precursors, but they are curious about magi searching for information about En-Dor within the Jewish community. If the Sho'elim'ov discover Seekers of Canaanite necromancy, they may decide to either monitor or interfere in the search.

of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a carefully preserved set of clay tablets were discovered. Since then, the tablets have been split up and are now scattered across Mythic Europe.

Inscribed on the tablets is text written in an ancient writing system. Knowledge of this writing system has been lost, but a character who acquires one or more tablets may try to decode them, if he can read Hebrew; the tablets are written in an archaic form of Hebrew. A season's worth of decoding work is represented by a roll of Intelligence + Hebrew against an Ease Factor of 18. If this is successful the character determines that the tablets form a gazette of the cities of the ancient kingdom of Canaan. Originally, there were 42 tablets that formed seven sequences, each six tablets in length. Each sequence of tablets may be studied as if it was a summa of Source Quality 15 and level 10 in the Area Lore Canaan Ability, by a character who has decoded the tablets and is fluent in Hebrew (Ability score 4 or greater). If some tablets are missing from a sequence then the Source Quality is reduced by 3 for each missing tablet; that is, a sequence must be at least two tablets long to be of any value at all for study.

Most of the tablets are held by collectors from Venetian, Genoese, and Florentine merchant houses, who cannot read them. The Teutonic Knights have the largest collection — a complete sequence of six tablets and three tablets from other sequences — and one of their scribes at Acre has managed to decode them. Several tablets have recently been purchased from a merchant in Constantinople by Redcaps acting for the Hermetic library at Durenmar, and it is possible that other tablets have been lost or destroyed.

Each tablet forms an Arcane Connection to the other five tablets in the same sequence, and so once a tablet has been found the others may be found using an Intellego Terram spell. The tablets do not, however, form Arcane Connections to the city of En-Dor; it has been more than 2,000 years since the tablets were actually there.

Links of Stone

InTe 25

R: Arc, D: Mom, T: Ind

The caster holds a piece of stone in her hands and receives a brief mental image of the surroundings of the object that this stone is an Arcane Connection to. This spell could be used to find the statue that a fragment came from, or the quarry that the blocks of a castle were chiseled from. If the stone is an Arcane Connection to several things, then the newest Arcane Connection, or the closest, is revealed.

(Base 4, + 5 Arc)

Once En-Dor has been found, a magus must find his way into the magical regio at the site. The regio consists of two levels.

En-Dor Regio Level One

The first level of the regio at En-Dor can be entered by anybody who can see into this level (ArM5, page 189). It has a Magic aura of 2, but this is swamped by a Divine aura of 4 that was engendered by the veneration of the Christian pilgrims who arrived at the site last century.

This level of the regio appears to be uninhabited, and a few partial stone structures that are Roman in origin are all that stand. In fact, there is a single inhabitant in this regio: an elderly pilgrim named Roland of Toulouse. He observes intruders in the regio from his hiding spot in the stone ruins, and if the intruders are not obviously hostile, he approaches and greets them.

Roland is friendly and answers questions about both his past and the location as best as he is able. Roland is a distant cousin to the Count of Toulouse: he left France as a young man, in 1170, on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Close observation reveals that this journey was successful, as he wears the tattoo of a cross inside his wrist, which indicates a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. After a year or so, Roland left Jerusalem and traveled to other holy sites, reaching the Sea of Galilee in early 1185 and En-Dor later that year, where he has remained since. He prays three times a day, and is sustained by prayer and by water from a stream that flows through En-Dor. Roland thinks that he has been at En-Dor for a few years, although he is not very certain. Other pilgrims used

The inscribed clay tablets are a good device storyguides can use to introduce the ancient tradition of Canaanite necromancy to the characters. Some possible stories are:

• A merchant who deals with the covenant has acquired a tablet from a collector in Italy and, knowing the esoteric interests of the magi, he offers the tablet to them, for sale. •
• The Redcaps, carrying the newly purchased tablets between Constantinople and Durenmar, stop for the night at the covenant but ultimately fail to reach Durenmar. A Quaesitor even- •
• tually arrives at the covenant, searching for the Redcaps, and, after being convinced of the covenant's innocence in their disappearance, requests their assistance in continuing the search.
• Several tablets have been purchased by a Venetian relic forger who, although unable to read the tablets, has made a number of duplicates. The forgeries are sold for him at fairs by a group of corrupt Cistercian monks and are worthless, but by questioning the monks the relic forger and the original tablets may be found. •

to arrive fairly frequently, but their numbers have dwindled and recently stopped altogether.

Inspection of the stream that Roland drinks from indicates that it is magical. Drinking from the stream, daily, provides sustenance and also acts like a +5 Longevity Ritual (ArM5, page 101); but this effect only lasts while within the regio, and a character who drinks from the stream must immediately make an Aging roll (ArM5, page 168) when she leaves the regio, even if she is below the age of 35. A magus with a Hermetic laboratory can extract two pawns of Aquam vis from the waters of the stream, each season, but the resultant vis is tainted with the Divine (ArM5, page 190). The stream flows out of a cave, further up the slope of Hermon, that overlooks the ruined town, and Roland may mention that an old Jewish woman who lives in the cave sometimes ventures out to speak with him. Their conversions are not very successful, however, as Roland's Hebrew is poor and the woman does not seem to speak any other language. Roland has been into the cave, but he found no one within.

The cave is, in fact, the entrance to the next level of the regio.

En-Dor Regio Level Two

The second level of the regio at En-Dor has a Magical aura of 5. This regio can only be entered through the cave in the first level, which anybody who can see across the regio boundary can do. For a character who cannot find the way to the second level of the regio the cave appears to have only one opening, that which leads back to first level of the regio.

In the second level of the regio, the cave has a second exit, which opens at the foot of a small valley. The valley is a several hundred feet across and almost one mile long. At the head of the valley a spring flows from the mouth of a stone face carved into the wall of the valley, and its waters splash into a

Magic Might: 25 (Mentem)

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

0, Qik 0

Size: 0 (non-physical)

Age: n/a (50)

Decrepitude: Already dead Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Wise One, Canaanite Necromancy, Famous, Good Teacher; Enemies (Israelites); Higher Purpose, Nocturnal.

Personality Traits: Protective +3, Kind +1

Reputations: Necromancer 6 (Ecclesiastical, Hermetic)

Combat:

Brawl (knife): Init +2, Attack +3, Defense +2, Damage +1*

* When physically manifested. When Zephaniah is non-physical she can neither be harmed by combat, nor can she harm others in combat.

Soak: +2

Fatigue Levels: n/a when nonphysical. OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious, when manifested.

Wound Penalties: n/a when nonphysical. –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), when manifested.

Abilities: Area Lore Canaan 5 (ancient sites), Artes Liberales 3 (cuneiform), Awareness 3 (En-Dor), Bargain 5 (ghosts), Brawl 1 (knife), Canaanite Necromancy 5 (summoning), Concentration 5 (necromancy), Hebrew 5 (Canaanite dialect), Leadership 4 (ghosts), Magic Lore 4 (ancient traditions), Penetration 3 (commands), Survival 2 (desert), Teaching 4 (necromancers)

Powers:

Dead Canaanite Necromancer, 0 points, constant, Mentem: Zephaniah is aware that she is a ghost and when she is incorporeal she can turn invisible at will, pass through walls, and ignore physical attacks and fatigue or wound penalties. She also has a permanent Arcane Connection to the dead that she can exploit as a +4 Penetration multiplier, much like any other permanent Arcane Connection (ArM5, page 84), when interacting with the dead.

Return to Flesh, 10 points, Init, Corpus: Zephaniah is linked to the world of the living and the world of the dead. This Supernatural Power allows her to physically manifest, returning her to the world of the living for a period of one day. When physically manifested, she interacts with the world as if she were still alive. She cannot will herself dead again, but must wait until this Power's duration expires instead. If she takes a wound or suffers a Fatigue level she must make a Concentration roll to remain manifested, and if she is incapacitated, killed, or loses consciousness she immediately becomes an incorporeal ghost, again.

Vis: 5 pawns of Mentem.

Appearance: Zephaniah is a ghost, but is only slightly transparent and, in poor light, could be mistaken for a living person. She has dark skin and long graying black hair, into which are tied colored wooden beads. Zephaniah appears to be about 50 years old; her face is lined and creased, and her eyes are slightly shrunken into their sockets. She is thin and bony and dressed in a simple grey robe. When physically manifested she emanates a slightly stale air, which the unGifted find disconcerting.

shallow pool, about ten feet across, which is tiled in stone. From the pool a stream flows down the valley and into the cave mouth. This stream has the same properties as the stream in the first regio level, as it is, of course, the same stream. A character who tries to leave the valley, except by passing through the cave, finds herself back in the valley.

The valley floor is dry, and empty, apart from several dozen stone buildings, each about the size of a small house or Hermetic laboratory. The buildings are all constructed in a similar manner, with a stone floor and a roof supported by columns, but neither walls nor doorways. The buildings are pre-Roman and reminiscent of Greek architecture. All the buildings are whole and un-ruined, and each contains one or more stone slabs upon which lie skeletal remains: En-Dor is a city of the dead. In total, there are about 100 skeletons, some of which are adorned in gold and silver jewelry, fragments of decaying clothing and burial shrouds, or simple bronze weapons.

The Ghosts of En-Dor

There are no living inhabitants in the second level of the regio at En-Dor, but about a dozen ghosts haunt the buildings in the valley. These are the ghosts of Canaanite necromancers who were killed in the purges of King Saul, along with the ghost of the last necromancer — Zephaniah, the witch of En-Dor. The ghosts usually appear at night, when they gather about the pool at the head of the valley, and Zephaniah acts as their leader. She has a Magic Might of 25 (Mentem) and is both aware that she is a ghost and still capable of affecting the world of the living. The other ghosts are much weaker, with Magic Might 10 (Mentem), and are no longer truly conscious.

Zephaniah is not hostile, but she is obsessively protective of the other ghosts who were her friends and colleagues until they were murdered by Saul and his soldiers. Although the other ghosts are essentially mindless, Zephaniah still attempts to interact with them, treating them much like loved, elderly relatives who have become senile. She certainly does not appreciate attempts by magi to harvest the ghosts for vis.

The regio at En-Dor is a good location for a covenant because it has a high magical aura, is difficult to enter, and already contains a number of buildings suitable for conversion to Hermetic laboratories. Obviously, magi wishing to site a covenant at En-Dor need to come to some sort of accommodation with Zephaniah.

Zephaniah does not know of the Order of Hermes, but she is very interested to learn of it and may

— partly motivated by her traumatic experience of the purge conducted by the Israelites — ask the Order of Hermes for protection. Deciding whether to grant protection could make an interesting story, including discussion at a Tribunal or House level. In return, Zephaniah can offer to teach the Supernatural Ability Canaanite Necromancy or assist in integrating Canaanite necromancy with Hermetic theory.

The powers of Canaanite necromancy, once they become known to the Order of Hermes, may touch off a great deal of political intrigue as magi with various agendas attempt to contact, or at least confirm the death of, historical casualties within the Order, including the Founders. Some suggested consequences are listed below, although not all of these issues will necessarily arise in every saga, and the specific actions taken by the characters who revive Canaanite necromancy will obviously influence the attitude of the wider Order.

• Tytalus disappeared in mysterious circumstances and a group of magi seek to resolve his fate with Canaanite necromancy. Other magi might seek to clarify the demise of the other Founders, many of whom also met ambiguous ends. •
• House Tremere carefully ensures — by disposing of their ashes through the •

Gate of Eurydice at Coeris that dead Tremere magi leave no loose Arcane Connections that can be used to threaten the future of the House. The House therefore may view the development of Canaanite necromancy, with its promised ability to arbitrarily contact the dead, as a threat.

Attempts to contact dead mundanes, to clarify succession and •

Magic Might: 10 (Mentem) Characteristics: Int –2, Per +3, Pre

0, Com 0, Str +1, Sta 0, Dex 0,

Qik +2

Size: 0 (non-physical)

Age: n/a (varies)

Decrepitude: Already dead

Personality Traits: Mindless +3,

Loyal +2

Combat: The ghosts are non-physical and so can neither be harmed by combat, nor can they harm others in combat.

Abilities: Area Lore En-Dor 3 (hiding places), Awareness 2 (En-Dor), Brawl 3 (wrestle), Hebrew 5 (Canaanite dialect), Stealth 10 (nighttime)

Powers:

Traumatic Death , 0 points, constant, Mentem: The ghosts are united by the traumatic death that they suffered at the hands of Saul's soldiers. The ghosts are Arcane Connections to each other, are constantly aware of everything that the others sense, and can communicate with each other regardless of distance.

inheritance, may provoke conflict between the Order of Hermes and nobles.

• House Guernicus, rightly or wrongly, may fear that hidden survivors of the Schism War will seek to acquire Canaanite necromancy in order to contact the leadership of House Diedne. •
• Conservative forces within the Order of Hermes, led by House Guernicus, might recognize that •

Marionette, 5 points, Init 0, Corpus: The ghostly necromancers are drawn to the living and sometimes attempt to move the living about as if they were marionettes. This Supernatural Power allows each ghost to attempt to control the limbs of a single person, the marionette, for a period of Diameter. The ghosts are not very proficient and their influence is only equivalent to a child trying to push the marionette about. A conscious marionette can automatically resist the pushing of the ghostly necromancer, but to do anything else at the same time he must make a simple Intelligence + Concentration roll against an Ease Factor of 9 – Size.

Vis: 1 pawn of Mentem.

Appearance: The ghosts are translucent, and can only be seen with difficulty. They are dressed in funeral bindings or shrouds that may be adorned with jewelry. When in motion, the ghosts drift several centimeters above the ground.

Canaanite necromancy has the potential to resurrect many old conflicts that had died with their protagonists. The concerned Quasitores might therefore attempt to extend the Peripheral Code's prohibition against scrying to the use of Canaanite necromancy, and so make it illegal to attempt to "scry" on dead magi.

Some Quasitores might be so concerned at the destabilizing influ- •