Sacred Relics of Hyperborea

But there is no room to doubt that this race exists, since so many authorities state that their custom is to send the first fruits of their harvest to Delos, as offerings to Apollo, whom they specially worship. Virgins used to take these and were for many years held in respect and given hospitality by the local people until, because of a breach of good faith, they began the custom of depositing their offerings at the nearest frontiers of the neighboring people; these in turn took the offerings to their neighbors and so on until they arrived at Delos.

— Pliny, Natural History, Book IV, 91

The relics of Hyperborea are in honor of Apollo Phoebus, their patron god, and are sacred objects of great potency. Most of the relics were marvelous tapestries and weavings, gathered from all the villages of Hyperborea, showing things that are sacred to Apollo. So great was the workmanship of the tapestries

that the images are entirely lifelike and real, showing the lyre and silver bow of Apollo, and all of the mythic adventures and actions of the deity, such as his involvement in the Trojan war and his various competitions and conquests. Sadly, the Hyperboreans no longer send their relics to Delphi, and few of the sacred items are now found in lands outside of Hyperborea.

Any character who possesses a Hyperborean hymn could attempt to craft a relic. Hyperborean magic does not come with the many of the restrictions of Hermetic magic, and the chief Hermetic restrictions that are removed are the need for vis and for the investment of the item with vis. Hyperborean hymns can infuse even the most mundane items with Apollo Phoebus's essence, although to do so inflicts Warping Points upon the enchanter.

The enchantment total used to create Hyperborean relics is Intelligence + Hymn Ability + modifiers + aura, and the Ease Factor is the total level of Powers being enchanted + modifiers, divided by three.

Enchantment Total: Intelligence + Hymn Ability + modifiers + aura

Enchantment Ease Factor: (total level of Power(s) + modifiers) / 3

It takes a season to enchant a single Power into a relic, and if the total does not equal or exceed the Ease Factor, then the character cannot enchant the item with that Power. The Power levels for enchantment and the Enchantment Total can be modi-

Minor, General

Your character owns a Hyperborean relic, either a tapestry or a bouquet of feathers and beeswax. This relic has 30 levels of Powers from the sample list. You may take this Virtue multiple times to increase the number of levels of Powers the relic has, by 30 each additional time the Virtue is taken. Note that if your character's Personality Traits are incompatible with the relic, its Powers may begin to fade.

There are two common types of relic: elaborate tapestries, and those made of beeswax and feathers. Most of the relics' Powers are activated by invoking one of the sacred names or epithets of Apollo. Most of these names are now lost, although a Hermetic magus could investigate a relic in the laboratory.

These new shape and material bonuses are available to all characters.

Cappadocian Salt: +6 purifying effects

Doum Palm Leaf: +3 controlling instincts and base emotions

Pure Honey: +5 spiritual travel,

+2 preservation

Sun Scarab: +4 detect magic

fied by the same modifiers as reciting hymns (see the above Power Level Modifier and Recitation Modifiers text boxes), excluding the devotional behavior modifier.

Hyperborean relics commonly appear as either a bouquet of black feathers held together by beeswax, or a large tapestry with beautiful images and sacred words and prayers woven into the fabric. Relics typically have between two and five of the following Powers. These could also be used as examples of hymn Powers.

Re(In)Co(An, Me) 64 Pen +20, 2 uses/day, constant effect

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind

This Power prevents creatures with ill intent from touching or otherwise damaging the relic, in particular creatures associated with the Infernal realm that have an Infernal Might of 20 or less. This also affects humans and animals without a Might score.

Hymn: Azai Principle: Defence (Base Gen 20, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +3 requisites, +1 level uses/day, +10 levels Penetration, +3 levels environ-

mental trigger)

Apollo's Soothing Relief

CrCo 23

Pen +0, 6 uses/day

R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind

As the Hermetic spell, Gentle

Touch of the Purified Body.

Hymn: Semesilam

Principle: Good health

(Base 15, +1 Touch, +3 levels uses/day)

Lifting Apollo's Curse

CrCo 23

Pen +0, 6 uses/day

R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Ind

As the Hermetic spell, Purification

of the Festering Wounds.

Hymn: Semesilam

Principle: Good health

(Base 4, +1 Touch, +3 Moon, +3

levels uses/day)

Blessing of the Body of Light

CrCo 28

Pen +0, 6 uses/day

R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind

As the Hermetic spell. Restoration

of the Defiled Body.

Hymn: Semesilam

Principle: Good health

(Base 20, +1 Touch, +3 levels uses/day)

Interrogation of Asclepius

InCo 13

Pen +0, 6 uses/day

R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind

As the Hermetic spell, Revealed

Flaws of Mortal Flesh.

Hymn: Iaó

Principle: Harmony

(Base 5, +1 Touch, +3 levels

uses/day)

The Fates Denied

CrCo 30

Pen +0, 1 use/day

R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind

As the Hermetic spell, Cheating

the Reaper.

Hymn: Pentiterouni

Principle: Aging

(Base 25, +1 Touch)

Blessing of the Solar Body

CrCo 40

Pen +0, 1 use/day

R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind

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The process for creating relics follows the Magical Enchantments section in Ars Magica Fifth Edition (see pages 95–100), the key change being the removal of the shape, material, and size limits. Any item can be invested with any level of Power and any number of effects, even items like beeswax and feathers, or a simple cloth tapestry (although Warping Points are still inflicted for the number of pawns of vis the opening would have needed).

Furthermore, instead of using vis, the Hyperborean enchanter Warps his own body, at a rate of 2 Warping Points for every pawn of vis the enchantment would have needed (in both opening the item and instilling the effect). Warping from "opening" an item occurs only once for that item. Hyperborean magic can also enchant Powers into a relic that would otherwise be considered Hermetic Rituals (in particular, permanent healing effects).

Unlike Hermetic enchanters, who can slowly enchant items (by accumulating points) over seasons, a Hyperborean enchanter must be able to enchant an item in a single season, or else he is unable to enchant the item at all. Hyperborean enchantments cannot infuse a Power that uses two hymns at once — only choirs can do that (although a single item could be infused with separate powers from multiple hymns). Hyperborean magic cannot create talismans or charged items; it also cannot bind familiars or create Longevity Rituals (except for the Eternal Youth of the Sun Power, above). Likewise, it cannot make use of similar spells, it does not create Lab Texts, and Hyperborean enchanters cannot experiment.

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As the Hermetic spell, Incantation of the Body Made Whole.

Hymn: Semesilam Principle: Good health

(Base 35, +1 Touch)

The Gift of Far-sighted Apollo

InIm 26

Pen +0, 2 uses/day

R: Per, D: Sun, T: Vision

As Interrogation of Asclepius, above.

Hymn: Iaó

Principle: Sight

(Base 3, +2 Sun, +4 Vision, +1 level uses/day)

Sight of the Pythian Oracle

InIm 34

Pen +0, 2 uses/day, constant effect

R: Arc, D: Sun, T: Room

A variation of the Hermetic spell, Summoning the Distant Image. The user of this Power must possess an Arcane Connection to the place she wishes to see.

Hymn: Iaó

Principle: Sight

(Base 2, +4 Arc, +2 Sun, +2 Room, +1 level uses/day, +3 levels

constant effect)

Apollonian Prayer of Chryses

PeCo 80

Pen +20, 1 use/day

R: Arc, D: Mom, T: Bound

Chryses was a priest of Apollo whose daughter was enslaved by the Greek king Agamemnon during the Trojan War. When Agamemnon refused to return the priest's daughter, Apollo punished the Greek army by raining down plague arrows. This Power's effect is as the Hermetic spell, Curse of the Unportended Plague. The user of this Power must possess an Arcane Connection to the place she wishes to inflict the plague upon. The user may also invoke this Power if she can see the target, such as through using the Power Sight of the Pythian Oracle.

Hymn: Iaó

Principle: Disease

(Base 20, +4 Arc, +4 Bound, +1 additional effect, +10 levels Penetration)

A damaged or profaned relic may lose some or all of its Powers. A relic is considered profaned if it is handled by anyone aligned with the Infernal realm, or any creature with Infernal Might, in which case it permanently loses all of its Powers. Prolonged exposure to a character possessing a Personality Flaw that was considered by Apollo Phoebus to be dishonorable causes the relic to permanently lose one Power each season it is in the character's presence. A damaged relic (such as a torn tapestry, or a bouquet missing feathers) may lose one or more Powers, at the storyguide's discretion (determined by the extent of the damage).

The mighty Hyperborean wizard, Abaris Hyperberetaeos, decides to enchant the Semesilam Power Thalia's Relief into a stone obelisk near his temple, and decides to give the Power a Target of Boundary. His total enchantment Ease Factor is 14 (Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +5 Boundary = 40, divided by 3). To craft this would normally require 20 pawns of vis to prepare (material is hard stone 4, size is huge x5), and a further four pawns to enchant (total level effect is 40 divided by 10).

Abaris has the Semesilam Hymn Ability at level 6, and his Intelligence is +2. The magic aura is 4, Abaris has the Major Virtue Hyperborean Descent (+4) and speaks the Hyperborean language fluently (Ability score 6). He also has the Personality Trait Continence, which is approved of by Apollo (granting a +1). There are no shape or material bonuses. His Enchantment Total is 21, easily exceeding the Ease Factor.

It takes Abaris a mere season to enchant the obelisk; however, in doing so he inflicts 24 Warping Points upon himself (though this does not trigger Illumination). Abaris would be able to further enchant the obelisk as he wished (and would be further Warped), but would not need to "open" the obelisk again.

Obelisk of Thalia's Relief

ReMe 45

Pen +0, 1 use/day

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Bound

All those who cross the boundary marked by the obelisk have their worry, anxiety, or grief relieved, and are filled with good cheer and delight.

Hymn: Semesilam

Principle: Optimism

(Base 4, +3 Sight, +2 Sun, +4

Bound)