The Problem of the Aegis of the Hearth

The Aegis of the Hearth ritual that surrounds most covenants can be used by a magus for shelter during Wizard's War. A young magus (with a low Parma Magica score) gains the most benefit from cowering in this way within an Aegis cast by his more competent sodales. The Aegis of the Hearth is often of less importance in Wizard's War between experienced magi. This is because their Parma Magica scores may provide much more effective protection than the Aegis. Nonetheless, the following spells could be invented for interacting with an Aegis.

One high-risk strategy a character can use is to secretly lower an enemy's Aegis of the Hearth via the Guttering of the Home-Fires effect, and use the opportunity to cast spells within the enemy's covenant to recover Arcane Connections to the quarry of the Wizard's War. Once the Aegis is raised again, the character can use the harvested Arcane Connections to open high penetration, low magnitude, Intangible Tunnel-style effects to his Wizard's War target.

Another strategy is to completely destroy an Aegis of the Hearth via the Removing the Hearth's Keystone effect. The magus can thus attack his target before the Aegis is recast by the covenant inhabitants. A clever magus could even contrive to secretly participate in the recasting of the Aegis, perhaps by magically disguising himself as another magus.

Under most circumstances, destroying an Aegis of the Hearth is likely to be considered deprivation of magical power by a Tribunal. However, by declaring Wizard's War against an entire covenant, the aggressor magus is protected against such concerns. Of course, fighting Wizard's War simultaneously against several foes is its own problem. Destroying the Aegis of the Hearth is also quite difficult, and is probably best achieved by several magi acting together (using Wizard's Communion). Obviously, to be strictly legal, all the participants in the Wizard's Communion need to have declared Wizard's War on the magi affected by the dispelling of the Aegis.

Absent Mind of the Scholar

MuMe 10

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual

This spell changes the target's memory so that he believes that Wizard's War was declared on him one month prior to when it actually was.

The intent is that this spell is cast via

an Intangible Tunnel-style effect while the Wizard's War is legitimately in progress, and the target (believing that the Wizard's War occurred during the previous month) stops taking protective measures, and leaves the sanctuary of the Aegis of the Hearth. Obviously, this strategy will fail if the target is convinced by another character that their memory is in error. However, it might be very difficult to convince a magus that their memory is incorrect, and to be effective this strategy only requires the magus to make a single absent-minded mistake, such as briefly leaving the Aegis of the Hearth.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)

Required Lab Total to invent spell: One Season (20), Two Seasons (15), Three Seasons (14), Four Seasons (13).

Guttering of the Home-Fires

ReVi Gen

R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Individual This spell temporarily suppresses an Aegis of the Hearth effect. The Aegis of the Hearth effect must be less than half the level of this spell + 3 magnitudes. The known Lab Texts of this spell incorporate a side effect: while the Aegis of the Hearth is lowered, the temperature within the affected boundary is lowered slightly, which sensitive characters might notice.

This spell must penetrate the Aegis of the Hearth effect, of course.

Note that if the Aegis of the Hearth is of a high level, then this spell may need to be a ritual.

(Base effect, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter) Required Lab Total to invent spell: depends upon level (see insert earlier).

Removing the Hearth's Keystone

PeVi Gen

R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual The caster dispels an Aegis of the Hearth effect. There is no other evidence that the Aegis is absent, but alert magi crossing

the supposed boundary of the Aegis may notice that they do not feel the characteristic tingle which indicates the pres-

Hermetic Projects

stone spell + 3 magnitudes + stress die. This spell must penetrate the Aegis of the Hearth effect, of course.

Note that if the Aegis of the Hearth is of a high level, then this spell may need to be a ritual.

(Base effect, +1 Touch)

Required Lab Total to invent spell: depends upon level (see insert earlier).

ence of an Aegis. The Aegis of the Hearth effect must be less than the level of the Removing the Key-