The Garden of Eden

And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

The name of the first [is] Pison: that [is] it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where [there is] gold;

And the gold of that land [is] good: there [is] bdellium and the onyx stone.

And the name of the second river [is] Gihon: the same [is] it that compasseth the whole land of [Kashshu].

And the name of the third river [is] Hiddekel: that [is] it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river [is] Euphrates.

— Genesis 2:8–14

In medieval times, the Garden of Eden is seen as an idyllic paradise, a place very similar to Heaven, where cares and age are stripped away and all human needs are provided for by God. There, the lion lies down beside the lamb, and the hunter puts aside his bow, for he has no need to hunt. Legends tell of men and women who have located this blessed land on distant shores, in dark forests, under deep waters, or within great mountains — but those who know the lore of the faeries imagine that these stories refer to Arcadia, the realm of the fae, and not Eden, the legendary birthplace of mankind.

Yet just as people seek Arcadia, others may yearn to reach Eden, especially those who wish to learn the Adamic language, for it is shown in the Bible that the serpent could speak to Eve, tempting her to eat the fruit of knowledge, and so brought about the fall of man. Outside the garden, most animals seem to have lost the power of speech, but it is a common hypothesis that all of them could talk while within the land of Eden, and the language they spoke must surely have been the same as Adam's.

Scholars who are familiar with the first chapter of the Bible know where Eden is said to be located, for the passage in Genesis is quite clear that it was to be found at the joining of four great rivers: the Pison, the Gihon, the Hiddekkel, and the Euphrates. Of these names, only the Euphrates is still in use, and those who know something of ancient geography may know that the city of Babylon was built near its banks. From there, it is only a question of journeying down the river until this confluence is found, and there, presumably, an entrance to the regio in which Eden resides may be discovered. Characters already exploring the area of lost Babylon and seeking knowledge of the history and geography of ancient Mesopotamia might also stumble across the edges of this regio in their travels.

And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

— Genesis 3:22–24

Choir: Cherubim

Divine Might: 50 (Vim)

Characteristics: Int +5, Per +5, Pre +5, Com +5, Str +4, Sta +5, Dex

+4, Qik +2 Size: +2

Confidence Score: 3 (7)

Virtues and Flaws: Greater Immunity (fire), Second Sight, Sense Holiness and Unholiness

Personality Traits: Love of God +5, Contemplative +4, Wise +4, Righteous +2

Combat:

Flaming sword*: Init +4, Attack +17, Defense +15, Damage +30

* The sword is not affected by Magic Resistance of any kind.

Soak: +16

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6– 10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (20+)

Abilities: Area Lore (Eden) 7 (animals), Area Lore (Ancient Mesopotamia) 3 (geography), Awareness 7 (approach), Dominion Lore 4 (angels), Etiquette 6 (humans), Magic Lore 4 (magical beasts), Great Weapon 7 (sword), Penetration 7 (mortals), Philosophiae 7 (natural), Second Sight 7 (illusions), Sense Holiness and Unholiness 7 (demons), Theology 7 (Eden)

Powers:

Angelic Mantle, 2 points, +12, Corpus: The guardian takes a human form, apparently flesh and blood.

Divine Insight, 3 points, +0, Mentem: May temporarily grant the Clear Thinker, Free Expression, or Inspirational Virtues.

Enfolding, 2 or 10 points, +10, Vim: The guardian protects the target's mind or body from all harm.

Envisioning, 1 or 5 points, +0, Mentem: The guardian may appear in a dream (or a daydream) to the target.

Fiery Form, 1 point, +16, Ignem: May become a fiery shape at will, doing +5 damage to anyone who approaches within five feet.

Turn the Unworthy, 0 points, +16, Vim: The guardian forces the target to return immediately to the next lowest level of the regio. This is a miraculous power, and thus cannot be resisted with Might or other kinds of Magic Resistance.

Equipment: flaming great sword

Encumbrance: 0 (2)

Appearance: The guardians appear differently to each person who confronts them, always taking a shape that inspires awe and implies authority. This is typically the shape of an angel, a great androgynous human being with a powerful presence, an aura of light, four sets of wings, and a flaming sword. They can communicate differently with multiple characters at once, seeming to say one thing to one character but something completely different to another.

The guardians can understand any language (including Adamic), and can speak directly into the mind of anyone who wishes to speak with them. Their sole purpose is to forbid entry to the garden to those who have been barred from it, though they might be willing to engage characters who approach the regio in conversation, and may even answer questions about the Garden, and who may enter it, if they are asked. "None of the sons of Adam or daughters of Eve may enter," they might say, "nor any of the Serpent's kin. All other animals are welcome." They may also warn the characters not to touch the trees that grow at the center of the garden.

It may be that Eden, as a concept, is literally part of paradise, where righteous and holy souls spend eternity after death. In the Bible, the garden is "eastward in Eden," implying that there were once other parts of Eden that were not the garden. In Ars Magica, this may be explained by the fact that Eden is a Divine regio, a piece of Heaven on earth, a place that is typically hidden from mundane eyes beneath the waters of a great sea. It may be reached by passing through a boundary found somewhere along the southern part of the Euphrates River, by traveling towards the place where four rivers once joined into one.

The regio has three levels. The mundane level is under water, in the middle of the Persian Gulf. Level 1 is still flooded, but the ground is muddy marshland and is close enough to eventually swim and wade back to shore. On Level 5, the four rivers are clearly separated, coming together to form a large island, covered with grass and brush. Finally, on Level 10, the island is larger than the whole city of Baghdad, thickly forested with tall trees, and gnarled roots and trunks create an impenetrable barrier around the entire perimeter, except on the east side, where there is a clear opening forty paces across. Beyond this entrance, the great primeval garden can be clearly seen, but before they can pass through, the characters are confronted by one of the guardians.

The guardians do not allow entry to any human beings, whom they call "sons of Adam" and "daughters of Eve." They also do not permit any reptiles to pass into the garden, or "Serpentkin," as they call them. There are four guardians surrounding Eden, prevent-

This version of the Garden of Eden is not necessarily the only version of Eden the characters could discover. For example, there may be a Magical Eden, a primordial forest to which the first animals, plants, and people may be traced. There could also be an Infernal version of Eden, a tempting garden full of sinful delights and corrupting illusions. Such a garden could appear anywhere, but visiting it would be perilous to the characters' souls. There could even be a faerie version of Eden, a part of Arcadia made real from legends and stories about it — though such a faerie paradise would have very little grounding in reality, and it would be impossible for characters to learn Adamic from the inhabitants. It might seem as if they could, but this knowledge would be like learning from a dream, and would vanish as soon as the characters returned to the real world. Characters searching for Eden might seek out or stumble upon one of these other versions of it first, which might lead them into exciting and challenging alternative adventures.

ing anyone who is forbidden to enter from passing into the regio from any direction, and they descend upon any who somehow emerge inside without passing through the boundary, using their Turn the Unworthy power to immediately eject them into the lower level of the regio.

There is a way for human characters to access the garden, though: non-reptilian animals are not prevented from coming and going as they will, and characters who watch the entrance long enough to see an animal approach and enter may recognize this fact. If the characters can change their shapes through Muto Corpus magic or appropriate Supernatural Abilities, they can enter. Changing their shape tells the guardians that they identify themselves with another form, communicating that they should be treated as animals rather than people, but this must be a complete change or the guardians see through it — that is, the characters cannot simply change their appearance to make themselves look like animals. They must also remain in this shape the whole time they are in Eden, for if any of them ever adopt a forbidden form, the guardians immediately remove them.

The guardians can see into the spirit world, and prevent all non-corporeal humans from entering (ghostly warders, spirit familiars, and so on), as well as all faeries and demons, including animals that have Faerie or Infernal Might. This is because the guardians view Faerie as essentially associated with people, and faerie beings cannot separate themselves from humanity enough to seem like real animals to the guardians. Demons and characters with Infernal Supernatural Virtues are always considered Serpent-kin and are denied entry no matter what their shapes. Characters with Divine Might can enter and leave whenever they wish, and characters associated with Faerie but who do not have Faerie Might may still enter if they adopt an appropriate shape.

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

— Genesis 3:1–5

Inside the regio, Eden is a magical paradise, a garden of vibrant color and life. It is a timeless, immortal place, where day and night pass as normal but the seasons never turn. Years may pass outside of the regio, but within the inhabitants never hunger or thirst, and indeed never want for anything. They are not cold or warm, they do not need to hunt, and none of them must sleep, though nocturnal creatures stir when the sun is down and others rest in comfort until the dawn. Everything is peaceful and tranquil, and visitors who upset this balance find themselves removed by the guardians.

Magi who enter in animal form find that they no longer have The Gift while within the garden; they are not offensive to other animals, but they cannot work magic either. This does not cancel magical effects that are already upon them, but they cannot cast spells, including the Parma Magica, and they cannot experiment as if in a magical laboratory. Enchanted devices they bring that have continual effects remain active, but those that must be activated by the wielder or that trigger in response to conditions besides night and day fail to function.

All the animals who make their way inside are blessed with the miraculous power to speak as humans do. If they know a language, they find that they may communicate with others through words and gestures. All the beasts who live in Eden can speak Adamic, but none of them know any others.

The power of the garden does not give an animal an Intelligence score, only the ability to communicate and a heightened sense of cunning. They do not have supernatural Might or any special powers. At one time there were two of each kind of animal, one male and one female, though many of these have departed over the years, and others have entered the garden. All of the animals here are essentially domesticated, though they are not necessarily tame. They are not hostile, but ambivalent to the characters. They have no sense of time passing, and while they may recognize newcomers from day to day, if the characters leave the garden and come back, they need to reintroduce themselves.

The beasts know nothing of good or evil, right or wrong, or virtuous or sinful, and have great difficulty understanding these concepts. The closest concept the characters may be able to communicate is "instinctive" — the animals follow their instincts as proper behavior, and recognize that acting against their instincts is improper. Attacking each other is improper here, for example, because the animals' instincts to attack each other are suppressed; the characters may be able to communicate the idea that there are things that are proper here but improper in the world outside, and vice-versa.

By befriending the animals, the characters may be able to convince them to teach Adamic to them. This is difficult, because they need nothing from the characters, and so there is little that students can offer in exchange. They may threaten the animals, but if they attempt to harm them they find themselves outside once more. The animals may enjoy hearing stories of their descendants in

the world beyond, and may be willing to speak with the characters in exchange for tales. The animals may also be willing to teach the characters if they somehow acquire a sense of responsibility to them, such as if the characters conveyed the idea that the animals and characters are somehow related.

Most likely, the characters learn Adamic via Exposure, which is a slow process, since it only gets them two experience points each season. However, it is the surest way to discover this knowledge. If they can convince the animals to interact with them directly and intensively through speech and gestures, they can begin to learn through Practice, which gives eight experience points per season, a dramatic improvement.

And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

— Genesis 3:6–7

Besides the animals, there is also an amazing amount of vegetation growing in Eden, including two unique trees that may pique the characters' interest. They grow in the center of the garden, a short distance apart from one another: one of them what seems to be a pomegranate tree and the other apparently a fig tree. The former is the Tree of Knowledge and the latter the Tree of Life. Hanging from each are about a dozen ripe

Animals in the mundane world do not typically have a score in a Language Ability, unless they have been trained by a human to simulate or recognize particular commands, and even then it is doubtful they could have more than a score of 1. Most animals can communicate fluently with others of their species, however, and a similar concept allows the animals in Eden can communicate to each other in Adamic.

Since they do not have Intelligence scores, however, effects like the spell Thoughts Within Babble (InMe 25) do not make sense of the words the animals speak unless they are designed with an Animal requisite. Likewise, characters with Supernatural Powers that allow them to understand other languages do not automatically understand what the animals are saying.

fruits, most of them easily within reach of even small animals.

All of the animals native to the garden know not to touch the fruit of these trees, and they warn others to stay away from them as well. It is "not proper" to eat anything here, they say, or to remove the fruit from the branches, and they immediately distance themselves from any characters who do so. They instinctively guide characters away from the area, so that only those who specifically seek it out or set out to explore the garden stumble across the trees.

Intelligent characters find the scent overpowering and irresistible. The fruits call to them like the most powerful desires they have ever had, virtuous or base, for they represent all of humanity's greatest wants. It requires great strength of will for the characters to come within range of the trees and not succumb to the temptation, for they were all born with a taste for them. The storyguide may ask for appropriate Personality Trait rolls if the characters seem genuinely hesitant, or simply give the players a choice of which of the two fruits their characters eat. Once they begin down the path toward these trees, however, it is almost inevitable that they eventually give in; the only question is which of the two fruits they pick.

Characters who eat either type of fruit immediately disappear from the garden, but the storyguide should wait to describe what happens to their players until everyone has chosen which fruits their characters eat. If some characters resist, wait until they leave Eden to reveal what has happened to their companions. (In the meantime, allow the players of those characters who tasted the fruit to believe that they have died, smitten by God's wrath — a bit of disappointment and regret at this point might heighten their appreciation for the actual consequences when they're revealed.)

The pomegranate tree is more appealing to spiritual characters, especially magi who are interested in esoteric pursuits such as discovering the Adamic language. This is the Tree of Knowledge, and curious characters, or characters who usually study or teach, find it the most difficult to resist. Eating the juicy pomegranate seeds brings with it the feeling of incredible power, as well as an intense feeling of guilt. All characters who partake of it gain an Intelligence score if they have Cunning, or gain The Gift if they are already intelligent. They also receive 1 Warping Point plus enough additional Warping Points to increase their Warping Score by 1 (which ensures that all magi gain at least 2

It may be that the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life are only two of several different trees of power that may be found in Eden, for though they are the only two mentioned in the Bible, it stands to reason that the other fruits of the garden could have undiscovered supernatural properties, since it is not necessary for the animals to eat while they dwell in Eden. These trees might be found in other parts of the garden, perhaps hidden in such a way that characters cannot simply stumble over them, but if they seek them out, they can discover them.

These additional trees might include a vine called the Tree of Truth, with rich, round grapes that produce a sweet wine that is heady but not intoxicating, and a dark bramble known as the Tree of Falsehood, with prickly, thorny trails and black berries, which produces a sticky juice that can drive a person mad from just the scent. Tasting either fruit could change a character in much the same way as the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge or the Tree of Life, altering him as appropriate, perhaps giving him Divine or Infernal Virtues like True Faith or Chthonic Magic (see Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 123), or perhaps Magical or Faerie Virtues like the Gentle Gift or Faerie Blood.

Warping Points and must make a roll to avoid Twilight).

The fig tree is more alluring to characters who are drawn to the physical and earthly. It is the Tree of Life, and calls to characters who seek to become closer to nature. The tender pods are squishy and the innards sticky, and the taste carries a feeling of intense contentment and carelessness, like a pleasant daydream. It is such an overwhelming experience that the character falls into a deep sleep from which he cannot be roused. He must make a successful Aging roll (one which does not cause him to gain an Aging Point) to wake up. If he does, he appears outside the garden and finds that he has a Magical Might score equal to (10 – Size). If he already had a Might score there is no other effect.

In either case, a character removed from the garden for eating either the fruit of Knowledge or Life is thenceforth prevented from entering it again. The character also soon realizes that he has permanently become the shape he was when he ate the fruit. That is, he has lost his human form (if he had one), and is from then on only an animal, albeit one with human abilities. Magi can use their magic to transform themselves into a human shape, using a Muto Animal spell with a Corpus requisite, but it is no longer their true form and so this can never be a permanent change.

In addition, all animals of the same species as the character who ate the fruit are cast out of Eden, and prevented from returning by the guardians. For example, if a character in the shape of a hound eats the fruit of the Tree of Life, all other canines living in the garden are instantly transported out of the regio at the same time as the character. In the same way that all humans and reptiles are forbidden from entering because of the actions of their ancestors, all canines are similarly punished for the character's transgression.

There may be other ramifications of the characters' taste of the forbidden fruit. Theologically speaking, it could cause great turmoil within the Church, as the effects suggest that The Gift is born from original sin, and

The characters have previously encountered a powerful, ancient dragon who has something that the characters want in its hoard. It is willing to make a bargain with them: if the characters bring it a piece of fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, it will give them what they ask, for it and its kin have been cursed by God ever since their ancestor was driven from the garden, and it believes that if it were to eat this fruit, its eyes would be opened, and it would gain a soul like humans, able to choose between good and evil.

This may be an impetus to make the characters decide to travel to Eden, and though they can take the fruit with them if they resist its allure, they find that it loses its special properties outside of the garden. The dragon keeps its part of the bargain if they bring the fruit to it, but finds that like everything else it turns to ashes in its mouth ("...and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life," per Genesis 3:14).

supports the idea that some animals have souls. Religious authorities are unlikley to take characters' reports of entering and being cast out of Eden seriously, though, so even though the characters might be able to spread new ideas among thoughtful characters associated with the Order, they are unlikely to have an impact on Church dogma or teachings.

And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

— Genesis 4:1–8