Hermetic Interactions

A living corpse is rare; canonically, there isn't a single example of one. Hence, there are no Hermetic legal provisions that pertain to an undead magus. The assumption that a magus is no longer covered by the Code of Hermes after he dies may be false. Those looking for a precedent will find one in the Rhine Tribunal, which does not recognize magi entering Final Twilight as dead, merely retired, and their sigils are still available (Guardians of the Forests, page 16).

The Code of Hermes probably won't change. Instead, each tribunal will have to make rules in its own Peripheral Code to govern a living corpse. House Tytalus excels in debating new additions to the Peripheral Code, and rules governing such debates can be found in Houses of Hermes: Societates (pages 90–92). Nothing stops a living corpse from arguing the case himself, adding another interesting story to the saga of a living corpse character.

As a creature with Magic Might, an Aegis of the Hearth that the living corpse did not participate in may prevent it from entering, depending on how powerful both the Aegis and the ghost are. While wards present a greater obstacle, a living corpse can be invited into an Aegis, after which its magic is uninhibited. If a magus becomes a living corpse after participating in an Aegis ritual, he is still considered a participating member and so can enter and exit the Aegis at will.

Changing Corpses

A player may decide that he wants his living corpse character to be contained in another corpse, rather than the one that currently houses him. Regardless of whether the ghost's vessel is an interior organ or the entire corpse, this is not easy to do. A more powerful Rego Mentem binding spell needs to be cast, one that can overpower the spell currently imprisoning the ghost to the corpse, and bind the ghost to another vessel. Bound to a new vessel, the ghost has to animate the new corpse, not a difficult task, but one that the ghost will need Powers to perform rather than spells. If successful, the ghost retains all the advantage of being a living corpse, but with a new body.

Doing this does not cancel the effects maintained by the enchanted device that made the living corpse in the first place. Once the new binding spell ends, the ghost falls back under the magic that bound it to the original corpse. A living corpse can use this to his advantage. For example, he could hide his vessel, corpse, and enchanted devices in a distant location, and when he wants to travel, bind his ghost to another corpse. He is then bound to the new corpse for the duration of the new binding effect. Once this ends, the ghost is pulled back to the original vessel by the first binding spell. If this second corpse is damaged, breaking the vessel containing the ghost, the magic of the original enchanted device takes over and pulls the ghost back to the first vessel.