The Purgatory of Saint Patrick

The Purgatory of Saint Patrick is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Ireland. Beneath an island on a lake in a remote part of the country is a gate to Purgatory itself, put there by Saint Patrick to teach his congregation of the horror that awaits the sinful in the afterlife. The canons who tend the site can cause petitioners to cross over and witness the punishment of sinners on the eight fields of torment, a spectacle that can bring its own spiritual rewards as the culmination of a pilgrimage. The pure might even get a glimpse of the Earthly Paradise, where shriven souls wait in bliss for Judgment Day.

For those less interested in spiritual improvement, the Purgatory of Saint Patrick still holds interest. For those who dare its fiery depths there are opportunities to fight with demons, to speak with souls who are beyond the reach of Hermetic magic, or, for the truly daring, a chance to ransom a soul from punishment and restore her to life!

An immense serpent-like monster called A peist used to live in the waters of Lough Dearg. When Saint Patrick came to the region he took up residence on an island on the lough, but when bothered by the peist he banished it, along with all other serpents in Ireland. He proceeded to preach his ministry to the people of Donegal. After laying out the basics of Christianity, he told them of Hell, then of Purgatory. They did not believe a word of it. Vexed at the obstinacy of his hearers, Patrick prayed to God that he might be able to show them a convincing token. Accordingly, one day when he was in the wilderness, Christ appeared to Patrick and gave him a book of gospels and a staff. He was then shown the secret entrance to a cave on the island. Patrick was told that anyone who made a pilgrimage here, and spent a day and a night in the cave, would receive a wondrous vision. Patrick arranged for an abbey to be built on this spot, with a door bound in iron to guard the entrance to the cave; the key to this door was placed in the possession of the abbot.

This Mythic Location is divided into two sections: the temporal and the spiritual. These correspond respectively to the structures in the physical world, and the contents of the regio that those structures guard.

Lough Dearg (pronounced "lokh jarg" and meaning red lake) is situated in the northwest of Ireland in the Kingdom of Tír Chonaill, surrounded completely by mountains. As the name suggests, the water has a reddish tinge, a remnant of the peist's blood. There are forty-six islands on the lough, and all but two are barren. Inisphadraig (pronounced "IN-ish FOD-rug") is the largest of the islands and is named after Saint Patrick; nearby is Inisnaoimh ("IN-ish NEEV," or Saint's Island). Both islands formerly composed a single Celtic monastic community, but this has been replaced by an Augustinian house on Inishphadraig alone; Inisnaoimh has no permanent residents, although it has a church guarding the cave containing the entrance to Purgatory.

The Canons of Patrick's Island

In 1130 Saint Malachy established a chapter house of Augustinian Canons Regular on Inishphadraig, whose mother house was the Abbey of Saints Peter and Paul in Armagh. The Augustinians assumed authority over both islands, and it is from this time that the tradition of pilgrimage to the Purgatory really began.

There is a Dominion aura of 3 on Inisphadraig, which rises to 4 within the bounds of the Augustinian chapter house. The house holds eight canons, although has sufficient room for twelve. They also maintain a substantial alms house for the comfort of the penitents. Known as Black Canons for the color of their habits, the regular clergy of Patrick's Island take their role very seriously, and brook no lapses in discipline amongst their petitioners. Troublesome pilgrims are expelled immediately by Brother Bressal (see later), whose Divine Form makes his commands particularly compelling.

Every night for the 76 days of the pilgrimage season (see A Destination for Pilgrimage, later), the canons draw lots to determine which pilgrim is rowed over to Inishnaoimh for the ritual. Blank lots are inserted into a bag along with those bearing the names of the hopeful. The drawing of the lots is blessed by Brother Bressal (see Insert), which causes the most worthy or the most needy to be chosen; if none fill that criterion, or if patience would prove to be instructive, then the canon draws one of the blank lots and no-one is chosen that night. Pilgrims who have undertaken the journey together can choose to enter a single lot for the entire group, in which case they all undergo the ritual together if they are chosen. Non-Christians are not prevented from entering Purgatory, but many would consider it irreligious and disrespectful to do so.

What You've Heard

If the character has Organization Lore: Church and is familiar with the Irish Church (through a specialty, or from being raised in Ireland for example), he can substitute this Ability for Area Lore. Characters with Area Lore: Purgatory receive a +3 bonus to this roll.

What is Known by All

• Purgatory is the destination of many souls after death; it is like Hell, but has the promise of Heaven after spending some ill-defined amount of time suffering for one's unrepented sins.

Widely Known

• As well as souls, Purgatory is filled with the demons who supply the punishment.
• A roll made with Theology against this Ease Factor reminds the character of Saint Augustine's four-fold division of the afterlife into the boni (the saved), the mali (the damned), the mali non valde (the not completely evil), and the boninon valde (the not completely good). The destination of each is Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, and the Earthly Paradise, respectively.
• Saint Augustine described Purgatory as a state rather than a place, but commentators since him have tended towards Purgatory being in a physical location. There has been no definitive word from the Church on this, but the Purgatory of Saint Patrick is the name of a pilgrimage site in Ireland.

Uncommon Knowledge

• An entrance to Purgatory can be found on an island in Lough Dearg; people who enter are shown what punishments await them when they die.
• Purgatory is just one stop on the road to Heaven; after purgation a soul is supposed to move on to the Earthly Paradise, and receive a vision of the glories awaiting him in Heaven on Judgment Day.
• The fires of Purgatory are capable of changing someone's Essential Nature; things that are burned within its furnaces are forever altered.
• There is a mirror or window in Purgatory in which one can see any soul, living or dead, no matter where she is, just by saying her name. Demons use this mirror to watch chosen souls and target them for corruption.
• A soul was once said to have escaped from Purgatory, and come back to life.

Lost Secrets

• Sometimes, those locked into the cave on Lough Dearg do not return; it is understood that a penitent can perish in Purgatory and become a permanent resident.
• Purgatory has an entrance to Hell, and the Earthly Paradise has an entrance to Heaven. A living soul might possibly be able to enter either the Infernal Realm or the Divine Realm after his trip to Purgatory.
• The Fountain of Youth is said to lie within Purgatory.

The aura on Inisnaoimh is an Empyreal aura of level 4. Empyreal auras (Realms of Power: the Divine, page 7) are Divine auras that do not derive from worship.

The only structure on the island is a small church, and built into the crypt of the church is a cave-like cell. When people are brought over for the ritual, they spend fifteen days in prayer and fasting in this church. There may be five or six people at any one time at different stages of their vigils; more if a group is preparing together. When the vigil is complete, a Mass is held, and the officiating priest asks the penitents for the third and final time if they are prepared to go through with the trip. The penitent is installed in the cell at dusk, and the door is left locked until just before dusk on the following day, when a new penitent is installed.

The entrance to the cave is kept locked by the canons. It has a narrow entrance, just two feet wide and three feet high followed by a short flight of steps. The chamber beyond is only five feet high and nine feet long. There is a second chamber of similar dimensions. Here, the canons conduct a rite amounting to an imitation of death. Those undergoing this rite are laid upon a slab and the canons perform the Office for the Dead. As part of this Mass, Brother Bressal leads the other canons in ceremonially casting two Divine effects. The first causes all spirits and souls to become visible (including those of the penitents); the second opens a gate to Purgatory, allowing the penitent to pass through if he wishes. Characters can follow their comrade into Purgatory if they wish since they can now see his soul. The canon has True Faith and has been trained in Divine magic, and he is assisted by four other canons who have had training in the Purity Method. He can rely on a Ceremony bonus to his casting total of at least +16 (equal to the sum of his assistants' Stamina + Purity, see Realms of Power: the Divine Revised Edition, page 36 for more details on the Ceremony Ability). He also spends a Faith Point when opening the passage to Purgatory.

Although referred to as a vision, this is not a hallucinatory experience. Anyone passing through the gate to Purgatory is bodily transported into the regio, and experience for real the torments and wonders beyond. Very occasionally, a person does not return from Purgatory. Brother Bressal has his name inscribed on a plaque which is installed in a secret crypt. The Guardians of Purgatory say daily Masses for such lost souls.

Virtually everyone entering Purgatory from Inisnaoimh receives the Vision of Hell described below. The lucky few who defeat the perils they encounter also receive the Vision of Heaven. Characters who possess True Faith are spared the horrors of Purgatory if they wish, and may choose to experience just the Vision of Heaven.

The Pilgrims' Progress

Most pilgrims who enter the Purgatory of Saint Patrick do so to fulfill the requirements of their penance and expurgate their sins. They witness the horrors of Purgatory, in particular the tortures that are applied to those guilty of their particular moral faults. Through the strange rules of the place, they tend to see souls that they knew in life suffering for their sins. Pilgrims pass through all eight fields of pain until they reach the Bridge to Paradise, and if they are lucky, receive more than a mere glimpse of the Earthly Paradise before being brought back to earth.

Much as the Vision of Hell is intended to be a warning to the sinful, the Vision of Heaven is a promise of the bliss that will follow Purgatory once sins have been punished. The Vision of Heaven shows characters that God is merciful, and that the horrors of Purgatory will one day cease. This Vision encourages characters to live exemplary lives, so as to shorten or even eliminate their time in Purgatory.

While the Visions of Hell and Heaven are deeply meaningful experiences to those who undergo the trial, they are not ideal material for a roleplaying game. Characters are expected to witness but not interfere or suffer the punishments themselves; the Vision of Hell is intended to be a warning, a particularly grisly sightseeing tour. As a result, there is little for the players of pilgrims to do in Purgatory other than to listen to the storyguide's description. It is recommended that a character's vision is not described in detail, but instead that the storyguide concentrates on a handful of the character's biggest sins. If multiple characters enter the Purgatory either separately or together — then gloss over much of the journey and concentrate on describing the punishments due a specific moral fault born by each character.

However, not all trips to Purgatory are made for the purpose of spiritual improvement, and these journeys are more interactive for the characters involved. This involves a simple choice to abandon the guides and to strike out independently into the regio. A danger with this approach is that mortals stand out in Purgatory, and attract the attention of both demons and souls. Furthermore, it is easy to get lost in the apparently endless fields of punishment, and the characters will need to find their own way to the Bridge to Paradise (see later).

If not accompanied by one of the monkish guides, a character who approaches a field of punishment where the sin punished matches his own vices risks getting dragged into the field by demons and subjected to the same punishments as the tortured souls. Characters are attacked by a group of iurgatores (see Inhabitants, later) who attempt to overpower the character. If this happens they join the sinners on the field of punishment. The torments suffered can be simulated using Deprivation rolls (ArM5, page 180) made every hour, but the victim never suffers Unconsciousness; instead skipping straight from Dazed to a Light Wound. The demons cease their torture to avoid an Incapacitating Wound, allowing the victim to recover so that the torments can start again. Wounds inflicted by demonic torture are excruciating but temporary. Once torture ends they recover as if they were Fatigue levels with the same penalty; thus a Light Wound recovers in 10 minutes, a Medium Wound becomes a Light Wound in 30 minutes, and a Heavy Wound becomes a Medium Wound after 60 minutes. Being tormented seems to last for months or years to the victim. A character who dies in Purgatory is treated no differently from a character dying elsewhere; his soul is sent to the place that it has earned (probably somewhere here in Purgatory). A church burial is not possible in the unhallowed soil of Purgatory, so the character's spirit remains with its body.

As well as attracting attention from demons, unaccompanied characters are mobbed by the souls of sinners. Most cry out pitifully from their places of punishment, but some temporarily escape their tormentors to plead for surcease, mistaking the mortals for angels or saints. Amongst these souls is occasionally someone that the characters knew before their death, as these souls seem to be uncannily drawn towards familiar faces. These souls can usually do little to help or hinder the characters (see Inhabitants, later), but some still retain a measure of their former life.

Time in Purgatory

Time is an odd thing in Purgatory. The ruler of Purgatory (see Pasiel, later) is capable of manipulating the individual experience of every soul to maximize its suffering. One soul might experience a single, endless moment of torment, whereas another experiences the relentless march of decrepitude and senility several times a day. For living characters, time appears to pass at the rate experienced by nearby sinners; or, if they are unlucky or foolish enough to draw Pasiel's attention, at a rate determined by its whim.

In the Earthly Paradise, however, there is no sensation of time at all. There are no heavenly bodies or changing seasons, and nothing therein ages, spoils, or expires. External frames of reference such as the duration of a spell or enchantment are meaningless, since a minute, a day, and a year all seem to take the same amount of time.

Regardless of the apparent passage of time, living characters returning to the mundane realm arrive at a point determined by the inscrutable powers of the Divine. For most short trips into Purgatory, this is the same night in which they left. Characters who get lost in Purgatory, or who achieve the Earthly Paradise, may return much later, if at all. Either way, characters make aging rolls for the time passed in the mundane realm, not the apparent time spent in Purgatory or the Earthly Paradise. Characters cannot use the differential passage of time to gain experience points; the distraction of Purgatory or the Earthly Paradise is to great to allow study, practice, or receiving instruction. Story experience applies as normal once the characters return from their ordeals.

Then said the knight, "I fear you not, I give me to Him that had me wrought." Then the fiends made a fire anon of black pitch and brimstone, they cast the knight therein to burn, and all began on him to gurn [=grin].

- Owayne Miles

The Vision of Hell is not the true Hell, but rather a trip through Purgatory. In the division described by Saint Augustine, Purgatory is the domain of the mali non valde (the not completely evil). The rite performed in the cell by Brother Bressal opens a gate to Purgatory, and the character is guided through. To the character it seems like the canon has brought him to a door in the cave and guided him through. If the holy magician has employed his miraculous power that enables characters to see souls, then the other characters in the room can follow the affected character across the regio boundary and into Purgatory.

Upon going through the door, characters enter a long hall without walls. This is a Divine regio of level 6, but the character is guided through by the canon, and need not make a Regio Sight roll (ArM5, page 189). Should he wish to return to the cave under his own power, the Ease Factor is 9 for moving from a Divine aura of 6 (the hall) to a Divine aura of 4 (the cave).

In the hall, characters are greeted by a man dressed in a black robe like the Augustinian Canons Regular, but not someone whom they met in the chapter house. The man tells the characters that they are in grave danger, and that their lives and souls are at stake. They are exhorted to resist the temptations of the fiends that wait ahead for them, but equally they are warned not to ever turn back; should they attempt to return without completing the journey, their souls may be eternally consigned to Hell. If the characters pledge to continue, the guiding monk leads them through an immense fire which springs up in the hall. The flames do not burn, but when they emerge from the fire they in the first part of Purgatory, the Field of Chains. Purgatory lies within a Tartaran Infernal regio of 8 (see Insert), but again, the characters need not make a Regio Sight roll to cross over since the guide has led them through. Should they wish to return on their own to the hall, the Ease Factor for the Regio Sight roll is 33 (moving from an Infernal aura of 8 to a Divine aura of 6).

The monkish guides are as much a feature of Purgatory as they are physical beings. They do little other than to show the characters the way; their presence also prevents demons from attacking the characters as they witness Purgatory's sights. If they are attacked for some reason, they are simple to kill; they do not fight back, and should be treated as mortal noncombatants.

Purgatory appears as a cavern, so vast that the roof is lost in darkness and smoke. The floor of the cavern is filled with the human souls and their hideous demonic torturers. The regio is dimly lit by ubiquitous fires that emit malodorous smoke reeking of brimstone and burnt flesh. There is constant noise caused by the screams, wails, and cries of countless souls in suffering.

The characters can meet any Christian soul in Purgatory. Those of non-Christian beliefs go elsewhere upon death. They can seek out specific souls by seeking an appropriate Field of Torment — an Intelligence + Theology against an Ease Factor of 9 reveals which fields punish which sins. Alternatively, the souls (or even the demons, if their word can be trusted) might be able to indicate the location of particular individuals. However, visitors have an uncanny propensity for stumbling across a soul that they recognize, and may well meet a close friend or hated enemy by chance.

Brother Bressal

Characteristics: Int +2 (2), Per +1, Pre 0, Com +1, Str –1 (1), Sta +3 (1), Dex 0, Qik 0

Size: 0

Age: 57 (54)

Decrepitude: 0 (4)

Warping Score: 3 (10)

Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Faith Score: 2 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Religious*; Ceremony, True Faith; Affinity with Intervention, Educated, Improved Characteristics; Pious, Monastic Vows; Ability Block (martial Abilities), Fragile Constitution, Soft-Hearted, Visions

* Minor Social Status Virtue for canons, see The Church, page 26

Personality Traits: Pious +5, Stern +2, Willing to Bend Rules +1

Reputations: Saintly 2 (Local)

Combat:

Dodge: Init 0, Attack n/a, Defense 0, Damage n/a

Soak: +8 (includes +5 from Divine Form)

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Artes Liberales 3 (writing about God), Ceremony 4 (Intervention), Charm 2 (penitents), Civil & Canon Law 4 (penance), Concentration 3 (prayer), Dominion Lore 4 (regiones), Folk Ken 3 (penitents), Latin 5 (Church), Leadership 3 (regular clergy), Living Language: Gaelic 5 (Ulaid), Organization Lore: Church 6 (Augustinians), Profession: Gardener 2 (vegetables), Survival 2 (islands), Theology 4 (Purgatory)

Methods and Powers: Meditation 5 (Divine guidance), Purity 6 (regiones); Intervention 9 (healing), Understanding 5 (fairness)

Effects of Divine Ascent: Divine Form — Commanding Aura (add Warping Score to Magic Resistance, Aura of Rightful Authority with Penetration 13, +5 bonus to Soak; impious actions have 9 extra botch dice, takes a wound every time he sins)

Equipment: Black robes, wooden cross

Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Appearance: A man past his prime, and yet still maintaining much of the vigor of his earlier years. He wears the robes of his order and a tonsure; his wispy hair is pure white and forms a veritable halo around his head. His eyes are pale gray. Brother Bressal has begun to embody God's Light through Warping, and radiates a majesty that he cannot hide. To the impious his visage is terrifying, but to the virtuous the sight of him is a balm against the ills of the world.

Brother Bressal is the guardian of the Purgatory of Saint Patrick. He was instructed in Divine magic by the previous guardian, who himself was taught by the Patrician monks who dwelt on Inisphadraig before the current chapter was established. The Guardians of Purgatory are a small Holy Tradition with Meditation, Purity, Understanding, and Intervention as their favored Methods and Powers. Through Intervention, Brother Bressal is capable of sensing manifestations of the supernatural world and causing these portentous apparitions to become visible to others. He can also draw the essence of God into his body or another's, transforming the body and perfecting it according to God's will. Through Understanding he can learn hidden information about the future or the Divine will. See Realms of Power: the Divine Revised Edition Chapter 3, for more details on Divine magic.

Brother Bressal typically has 3 Faith points, two for his Faith score and an additional one for participating in the sacrament of the Eucharist each morning.

New Miraculous Effects

These three Miraculous Effects are employed as part of the duties of Brother Bressal. They use Ranges and Durations listed on page 68 of Realms of Power: the Divine Revised Edition. Range: Presence affects anyone within the caster's personal aura, which is 15 paces for Brother Bressal; Duration: Office lasts until the next hour of formal prayer, usually about three hours.

And they cast lots, as well the small as the great, according to the house of their fathers, for every gate

Meditation, Understanding Level 15
R: Per, D: Office, T: Ind

As he handles a lot representing someone who wishes to enter the Purgatory of Saint Patrick, the recipient receives a vision telling him whether or not to choose it. The recipient can examine more lots for the duration of the power. This power might defeat any attempt to magically tamper with the lots, depending on how the tampering is done.

(Base 10, +1 Office)

Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up

Meditation, Intervention Level 25
R: Presence, D: Office, T: Room

Causes all spirits and souls within the target area to become visible. This includes the spirits of living people, which appear as the person usually does. If the person is invisible or otherwise changed from his usual shape, his normal appearance is superimposed on his current appearance.

(Base 4, +2 Presence, +1 Office, +2 Room)

For thou hast power of life and death: thou leadest to the gates of hell, and bringest up again

Purity, Intervention Level 40
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind

This miraculous power can only be used at a worldly entrance to Purgatory. A doorway into Purgatory is opened, and those who pass through must find their own way back.

(Base 35, +1 Touch)

The Field of Chains

In the Field of Chains, wounded naked figures of both sexes lay face down, held in place by thick iron bands. Iurgatores walk all on top of the supine bodies, cracking spines and crunching rib cages as they do so. These unfortunates are being punished for the sin of sloth, not simply laziness but a lack of commitment to God's laws. Failing to act is as much a sin as acting contrary to one's morals, and warrants punishment on the Field of Chains.

The Field of Nails

In the Field of Nails, tormented figures lie face up, pinned down by red hot nails through their hands and feet. Black toads sit on their chests and fiery adders bite at their backs, inflicting a gnawing hunger with their venom. They are being punished for sins of self-indulgence, such as gluttony, lechery, and hate.

The Field of Hooks

Here, men and woman are hanging by various body parts from hooks, some of which descend from the sky, others are attached to stakes rising from the bloodsoaked soil. Some hooks are attached to vertical iron frames, and Iurgatores stoke the flames beneath them, making the iron glow hot. These are the perpetrators of fraud: thieves, hypocrites, false witnesses, oath breakers, forgers, and the like.

Tartaran Regiones

(Summarized from Realms of Power: the Infernal, pages 16–17)

Tartaran regiones are places of hellfire. This fire requires no source of fuel, and in fact burns rocks, water, and other substances which are not normally combustible. This hell-fire forms into lakes of fire, and may coat any surface no matter what its orientation.

• No Fatigue levels can be recovered within the regio, and all Fatigue levels lost are Long-Term Fatigue.
• Characters carrying substantial amounts of metal are affected by continual Heat of the Searing Forge.
• Flames inflict +5 to +35 fire damage if touched, depending upon how much of the body is immersed.
• Add sum of the sinful Personality Traits to all fire or heat Damage Totals, counting negative virtuous traits as sinful.

The Wheel of Fire

Sinners in this field are affixed to an immense wheel that burns with a ferocious heat. With much groaning and screaming, the wheel turns; and those bound to it start to burn, slowly at first, but are soon blazing away. When the fire reaches their bones it consumes them utterly, leaving nothing but fine white ash — and yet somehow they are still affixed to the wheel, whole and anew, ready for another round of burning. Those suffering this punishment are guilty of the sin of covetousness: more than a simple lust for material wealth, this is the sin of wanting — and taking — what other people have.

The Mountain of Blood

The slopes of a blood-red mountain are the scene of the next punishment: a frigid blast of wind carries victims aloft into the air, covering them with ice and snow. The wind then reverses and hurls its passengers into a stinking river of filth. Iurgatores use their hooks to retrieve the sinners from the river, whereupon the blast of wind captures them again.

This punishment is reserved for the violent; those who abuse their neighbors or their selves. Confined to this field are murderers and batterers, also the profligates who wantonly destroy purely for the love of destruction, anarchists, malicious gossips, and suicides. Often, punishment here follows punishment on the Field of Nails for the self-indulgence of the sin that then led to violent behavior.

The House of Flames and Smoke

A sturdy hall built of stones stands here; those entering are confronted by the immense heat and acrid smoke emanating from it. Inside are circular pits, each one filled with molten brass, lead, copper, and caustic brimstone. The men and women being punished here are immersed in the pits, some to their navel, some to the chest, and others to the chin.

Those who are punished in the House of Flames and Smoke are sinners who have indulged in perverse appetites that have corrupted the body or soul. This includes alcoholics, gluttony to the point of ill-health, gambling to the point of poverty, and the like. Those who have committed violence against God are also here — blasphemers, perpetrators of bestiality, usurers, and the like. Like the Mountain of Blood, sinners punished here have usually also been punished on one (or more) of the previous fields; this field is about the consequences that come from self-indulgence or sloth.

The Furnace

The Furnace underneath the House of Flame and Smoke is the source of all of Purgatory's flames. Its slag heats the Boiling River (see later) and flows into Hell. The Furnace is constantly stoked by the Iurgatores, and Xaphan, the Forge-Man of Hell (Realms of Power: the Infernal, page 76) is occasionally found here. Anything can be used as fuel, although souls are the most common commodity. The Furnace has a curious transmogrifying effect; certain things burnt within it are changed rather than consumed. If vis of any Art is thrown into the Furnace it can be retrieved as Ignem vis. Enchanted devices emerge untouched, but with their powers changed into Ignem effects of the same level. Mortals find that one of their Virtues or Flaws is exchanged for a different Virtue or Flaw, with a fiery theme — a character might find that Inventive Genius becomes Puissant Ignem, or that Lame becomes Ignem Monstrosity (Realms of Power: Magic, page 46). These changes seem to violate the Limit of Essential Nature and the Limit of Vis, and magi might be interested in using the Furnace as a source of Insight into original research on such subjects. It takes at least a season to obtain an insight, during which time the characters need to keep hidden from the demons who stoke the flames, whilst using the Furnace to transform all manner of objects. The Furnace provides an insight towards the creation of a 50th level effect.

The Abyssal Pit

As characters approach this field, they are confronted with a gout of flame arising from the earth burning in seven colors. The flames seem to grasp and grab at characters, and those succumbing are dragged into a mighty pit. There is the sensation of falling, but the bottom is never reached. There is no sign of other sinners here. The pit is a complete deprivation of all sensation, a mindnumbing absence of God's gifts to humanity — the breath of life, the spark of inspiration, the gifts of reason. Each sinner is utterly alone in an apparently infinite space.

The Abyssal Pit is the punishment for pride, often considered the most fundamental of all sins. It is a sin to which magi are particularly prone, for they have the capacity to contravene nature with their magic. Pride makes them do so not out of need, but because they can. Freedom from the Pit can only be achieved once the character is properly humbled.

The Mirror of Souls

Somewhere in the Abyssal Pit is a mirror that reveals the true face of anyone whose name is spoken. Having revealed the face, the viewer can then broaden the view to scry upon the person and his immediate environs. The Mirror actually works on any Sympathetic Connection, not just a name, and can even be used to find earth-bound demons. It can also find people in Purgatory, but not if they are in Heaven or Hell. Pasiel (see later) occasionally uses the Mirror to locate missing souls.

Merely displaying a face does not appear to need to Penetrate Magic Resistance, but subsequent scrying does, using the Mirror's Penetration of 50. The Mirror of Souls cannot be removed from the Abyssal Pit, but anyone studying it in situ for a season can use it as a source of insight for Original Research into subjects such as bypassing the Limit of Arcane Connections or the Limit of the Infernal. The Mirror provides an insight towards the creation of a 50th level effect.

The Boiling River

The horrors of Purgatory culminate with terrible and immense beasts bearing sixty eyes and sixty hands, who grab the sinners crowded before them and hurl them into a stinking boiling river of sulfur and blood. This is the most terrifying of the sights in Purgatory so far, and characters should be shaken by the sight of it. Those consigned to the Boiling River have betrayed those who had special reason to trust them. These are the sins of Judas Iscariot, committing traitorous acts against their spouses, family, guests, or lords. An adulterer, after being punished for his act of lust, ends up here for the betrayal inherent in his adultery. The man who murders his liege is similarly punished first for the murder, then for the treachery.

The Boiling River flows through a deep gorge and into the mouth of a monstrous and hideous beast the size of a mountain. This is the entrance to Hell. It is guarded either side by two seraphim (Realms of Power: the Divine, page 21), placed there by God to prevent the egress of damned souls and demons alike. The fact that there are demons on earth suggests that this security is insufficient; nevertheless these mighty angels discourage with extreme prejudice anyone trying to enter or leave Hell.

There is a single bridge that crosses the Boiling River. The characters are told by his monk-like guides that this is the bridge to Paradise. They step back, because they cannot follow him, or force him to cross. The bridge is carved out of the naked rock, and is knife-thin. It appears to be hundreds of yards across, and the river descends into a deep ravine, making the journey even more precarious. Although this can only be barely seen from the foot of the bridge, the Boiling River descends into the true Hell, and characters on the bridge can get a glimpse of the Infernal Realm, although it seems a mile below them.

Those refusing to cross the bridge must find their own way out of Purgatory. This involves walking back to the Field of Chains, and attempting to cross the regio boundary into the hall, and from there, the cave.

Those setting forth on the bridge might not fancy their chances; it is narrower than the width of a foot. Those who have learned from the Vision of Hell, and resolved to change their behavior, find that each step becomes easier than the previous, and the Bridge to Paradise becomes wider and wider as they progresses along it. Characters who are here for selfish reasons must struggle with the bridge remaining knifethin; those who persist must make three successive Dexterity + Athletics stress rolls of Ease Factors 6, 9, and 12 to make it to the other side. Magic avails little, because the bridge is actually a regio boundary into the Earthly Paradise. Crossing the bridge on foot allows the character to enter the Divine regio automatically, but crossing in any other manner requires a Regio Sight roll of 37 (passing from an Infernal regio of level 8 to a Divine regio of level 8). Attempts to instantly transport oneself fail since they cannot cross the boundary, and those able to fly find themselves hopelessly mobbed by winged demons. Spells are not entirely useless; a magus could improve his balance, for example, or cast a Divine version of Piercing the Faerie Veil (ArM5, page 158).

Anyone falling from the Bridge to Paradise appears to plunge into the Boiling River, but is actually transported through the regio boundary out of Purgatory and back into the cave on Inisnaoimh.

It was green, and full of flowers, of many diverse colors; it was green on every side as meadows are on summer's tide. […] There they have the tree of life, Therein the mirth, and never strife; […]There was no wrong, but ever right. Ever day and never night. There shone as bright and more clear, Than any sun in the day does here.

- Owayne Miles

For those characters who have attained the Earthly Paradise, the bridge becomes wide enough to allow two carts to pass. Stepping off the end of the bridge takes the character from Purgatory's Infernal aura into the Earthly Paradise's Divine aura, specifically a Celestial regio of level 8. The Earthly Paradise is the domain of the Archangel Shamshiel, who has a Divine Might of 75. Although this angelic being watches over every aspect of the Earthly Paradise, characters visiting here will not meet him unless they do something foolish, such as try to eat from the Tree of Life.

Much like Purgatory, for most characters there is little to actually do in the Earthly Paradise other than witness its glory, but the storyguide should not be tempted to gloss over this part of the story. The Vision of Heaven is the character's reward for struggling through Purgatory and abjuring their sinful behavior. It is also a promise of what they can look forward to should they remain on the path of righteousness. This should make a lasting impression.

The Gate of Paradise

At the end of the bridge is a gate of pure gold in a high wall of stone and steel. The gate is studded with topaz, pearls, sapphires, rubies, and diamonds. The gate opens in welcome as the characters approach, and from within spill dazzling light and the sweet smell of incense. An angel dresses the characters in cloaks made from cloth-of-gold; as they settle on their shoulders, any wounds or Fatigue that were incurred in Purgatory are healed instantly. Furthermore, each character receives one Faith point, which they may keep, or else spend at any time to negate the intense disorientation caused by the celestial regio (see Insert).

Celestial Regiones

(Summarized from Realms of Power: the Divine, pages 14 – 15)

Celestial regiones are the homes of angels. Only the strong willed or spiritually pure can retain their senses or comprehend such a place. The environment can be overwhelmingly symbolic, filled with fire, ethereal song, and wondrous visions. All pain, wounds, and negative emotions are quelled.

• To act normally, a visitor must make a Stamina + Dominion Lore stress roll against an Ease Factor equal to (3 x aura). Magi can use Parma Magica instead of Dominion Lore. Failure results in penalty to all actions equal to (3 x aura). Characters can spend 1 Faith Point to automatically succeed on the roll.
• After a number of hours equal to their Stamina + Parma Magica + 3, visitors lose 1 Fatigue level per hour. The interval between rolls is days rather than hours for characters with True Faith. If they fall Unconscious, gain
• 1 Warping Point per level of the aura every hour; if this is more than 2, then this triggers a roll for Ascension (see Realms of Power: the Divine, page 63).
• From the Earthly Paradise, all characters experience the Ascent as if they were holy characters, but any consequences are specific to the character's usual response to Warping. Thus holy characters experience Ascent as normal: Magi gain Warping Points and the good effects of a comprehended Twilight; hedge magicians undergo their own variant of Warping. Other characters may receive new Flaws or Virtues for the increase in their Warping Score. Overall effects of Warping for all characters (e.g. new Flaws) should reflect the Divine somehow. No more Warping is gained during the Ascension, and when it ends, characters no longer find themselves in the Earthly Paradise, but rather back in the mundane realm on Inishnaoimh.

The Procession of the Saved

The characters are next aware of an unearthly harmony of voices raised in praise of God, as a procession approaches. The men and women are clothed as kings, queens, cardinals, and regular clergy of all orders, and carry crosses, banners, candles, and golden palm branches. These are the saved who are awaiting entrance into Heaven after undergoing the torments of Purgatory.

A character might meet someone he knows amongst the throng: this must be someone who has died, but could be either a virtuous person from his recent past or a close acquaintance from further back. Colleagues, family members, or even rivals are suitable, particularly if their death took place during game play. However, all the saved met in the Earthly Paradise are Christian; devotees of other Divine faiths are presumed to undergo a different experience after death. If there is a suitable person for the character, she steps forth from the joyous throng and greets the character warmly, regardless of their previous relationship. This person can act as a guide in the Earthly Paradise.

The Tour of the Earthly Paradise

The characters are free to wander through the delightful meadows of the Earthly Paradise, adorned with flowers, fruit, grass, and trees. There are animals aplenty; all are handsome, noble looking beasts and are entirely devoid of aggression. The wonder of the place exceeds superlative adjectives, and is described in the source material as the absence of negatives instead: there is no night, no darkness, no cold, no heat, no pain, no disease, no hatred.

Any soul, such as a character's friend, can remind the characters that this is not Heaven. Everyone must suffer the purgatorial fires upon death, but the time spent there can be remitted with the masses, prayers, good deeds, and alms of the living. If the characters live a good life, their time in Purgatory can be negligible if they die wholly shriven of sin. Only those who refuse to repent are consigned to the Boiling River and taken to Hell. Here, in the Earthly Paradise, the blessed dwell until original sin is remitted at the end of days.

The Fountain of Youth

Near the shores of the Boiling River is a grove of black poplars. In the grove is a white marble fountain, a place of calm within the tumult of Purgatory. Dead souls occasionally find this place by accident and enjoy its balm before they are summoned back to their place of punishment. Demons do not enter here voluntarily, although they are not prevented from doing so. Mortal souls who drink of the water can restore their youth and rid themselves of warping. A single mouthful can remove up to 3 points of Decrepitude (and associated aging points) or 3 points of Warping Score, or some combination of the two. The character also subtracts 30 years from her Apparent Age, or is reduced to an Apparent Age of 15, whichever is older. Finally, all drinkers acquire the Unaging Virtue. It is only possible to benefit from the Fountain's power once in a lifetime.

A magus can use the Fountain of Youth as a source of insight into the Limit of Aging or the Limit of Warping if he is able to remain here for at least a season. The Fountain provides an insight towards the creation of a 50th level effect.

It is rumored that an angel guards the Fountain of Youth. Anyone coming here to abuse its power may have to contend with its celestial guardian.

The Heavenly Paradise

The guide suggests that the characters go to the top of a mountain and look up into the sky, which is the color of gold burning in a furnace. Here, at the entrance to Heaven, the character receives a taste of heavenly food. A flame descends from the sky and encloses every person and enters them, suffusing body and heart with a sweet sense of delight. It seems like this moment lasts forever. At this point, the character should be rewarded with the desired outcome of his pilgrimage to the Purgatory of Saint Patrick. This outcome was decided when the character embarked on his journey, and he has suffered many trials, but his diligence is now rewarded.

It is a true wrench when the guide tells the character it is time to go back. She promises that if he lives well, he will return to this place when he dies. She then leads him back to the gate, and shuts it behind him; the character finds himself once more in the cave on Inisnaoimh.

The Purgatory of Saint Patrick is a unique phenomenon in Mythic Europe. Although there are other supposed gateways to Purgatory or Hell, none are historically sites of pilgrimage. There is no reason that a storyguide cannot transplant the myth to a different part of Mythic Europe, and keep the basic structure of the location as described here intact. The only detail requiring a change is to take a local saint instead of Saint Patrick, but this is simply a matter of changing names. All of the action takes place inside a regio, and the entrance to that regio can be anywhere.

Cennet and Cehennem

A pair of sinkholes on the coast of Asia Minor in the Tribunal of the Levant, directly north of Cyprus. The names translate to "heaven" and "hell" respectively. Cennet descends nearly a hundred and fifty paces into the earth, at the bottom of which is a monastery founded by Saint Paulus and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. A flight of 450 steps cut into the wall of Cennet lead down to the monastery. A tunnel beneath the monastery leads to Cehennem, opening up in the wall of the other sinkhole.

According to myth, Cehennem was used as a temporary prison for Typhon before Zeus had him imprisoned under Mount Etna. Cehennem is clearly deeper than Cennet, but since the hole to the sky is narrower than the diameter of the shaft, there is no mundane way to descend to the bottom. Local legend says that it is bottomless, and leads into Purgatory. Anyone using magic (or other means) to reach to the bottom encounters the regio boundary to Purgatory, and unless they make their Regio Sight roll they never find the bottom.

Taenerus

Cape Tainaron (called Taenerus in Latin) is the southernmost point on mainland Greece, in the Principality of Achaea. The church built on the very end of the cape was originally a nekromanteion, or shrine to the dead, dedicated to Hades, but was converted to a Christian place of worship under the Byzantine Empire. Beneath the church is a cave believed to be an entrance to either Purgatory or to the realm of the pagan dead.

Lake Avernus

This is a curiously circular lake on the Bay of Naples in the Roman Tribunal. The lake is avoided by locals; it emits sulfurous fumes which can be very hazardous, and birds cannot fly across the lake without being poisoned and then drowned. The lake shore is connected to the abandoned Greek colony of Cumae by an underground tunnel more than half a mile long; this tunnel is wide enough to admit a chariot. At Cumae dwells the Cumaean sibyl, a Magic Human called Carmentis who is blessed with a vast knowledge and, some say, the ability to see the future. She is also a Christian, and the guardian of a gate into Purgatory. See The Sundered Eagle, pages 120–121 for more details on Sibyls.

Mount Etna and other Volcanoes

For obvious reasons, volcanoes commonly attract legends about entrances to Hell, and some of these legends are true although those wishing to visit Hell must pass through Purgatory first. Mount Etna may be the home of magic spirits, but it is a vast fire mountain, and can easily have a gateway into Purgatory underneath one of the many shrines on its flanks. Volcanoes are discussed in more detail in Hermetic Projects (Chapter 2).

Which Earthly Paradise is This?

Medieval lore recounts that there are two paradises: the Heavenly Paradise, which is the Divine Realm, and the Earthly Paradise, home of the boni non valde. The Earthly Paradise is often equated with the Garden of Eden. In the legend of the Purgatory of Saint Patrick, the Earthly Paradise attained by Sir Owain was not the Garden of Eden, and so it has not been considered to be so here. The Garden of Eden has already received a thorough description for ArM5 (Ancient Magic, pages 18–23); if you want to integrate the two into one, then the Garden of Eden lies within the Earthly Paradise, in a Celestial regio of level 10. Other entrances to Eden also exist, but from any direction are guarded by two cherubim with flaming swords.

The principle inhabitants of Purgatory are the demons who inflict the punishments upon sinners. However, characters may also catch a glimpse of the ruler of Purgatory, an Angel of Punishment called Pasiel. Remember that in Purgatory all demons get a +8 bonus to their Magic Resistance and Penetration Totals from the aura (ArM5, page 183).

The Brawling Fiends

The Purgatory of Saint Patrick is teeming with demons; in effect there is an unlimited number of them. Most have little interest in the characters, spending their attentions on the sinners they have been assigned to torment. The tormenting demons are quarrelsome creatures, and fights are constantly breaking out between them; sinners get a brief respite from their pain while their tormenter brawls with its neighbor, or tries to rip its wings off. For this reason, they are called iurgatores (singular iurgator); meaning "bullies." These are by no means the only demons in Purgatory, but they are the most common by a significant margin.

On occasion, the Iurgatores band together to subdue one of their "guests." They may act as a Trained Group of five, gaining a Group bonus of +12 that is usually applied to attack. When they gang up like this they pounce in huge numbers on their target, although only the closest five actually attack each victim. If a demon is killed or seriously wounded it is immediately replaced by another from the scrum.

Iurgatores

Order: Accusers

Infernal Might: 15 (Corpus)

Characteristics: Int –2, Per +2, Pre +2, Com +1, Str +4, Sta +1, Dex +2, Qik +1

Size: +1

Virtues and Flaws: Greater Immunity to Fire; Puissant Brawl, Reserves of Strength, Tough

Personality Traits: Cruel +6, Bravado (in numbers) +3, Cowardly (when alone) +3

Reputations: Purgatorial Bullies 2 (Infernal)

Hierarchy: 2

Combat:

Grapple: Init +1, Attack +12, Defense +11 Damage n/a

Mace: Init +2, Attack +11, Defense +7, Damage +12

Hook: Init +3, Attack +10, Defense +6, Damage +10*

* Anyone taking a wound from a hook is impaled, and cannot disengage from melee combat without first making a Strength roll against an Ease Factor of 9. The demon must free his captive before he can strike with the weapon again.

Soak: +10

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–6), –3 (7–12), –5 (13–18), Incapacitated (19–24), Dead (25+)

Abilities: Area Lore: Purgatory 4 (any one field), Athletics 3 (when chasing), Awareness 2 (sinners), Brawl 7+2 (grappling), Leadership 4 (grappling), Profession: Torturer 5 (one particular punishment), Single Weapon 5 (mace)

Powers:

Coagulation, 2 points, Init –1, Corpus: This power permits the demon to form the physical body described here. It takes 2 rounds to form the body, but it can be dismissed instantly, returning the demon to immaterial form.

Obsession, 1–3 points, Init –5, Vim: The demon can inflict the Personality Trait of Cowardly on a character at a score of +1 per point of Might spent. If the character acts upon this trait, the character risks gaining the trait permanently. See Realms of Power: the Infernal, pages 31–32 for more details.

Betrayal of the Heart, 2 points, Init 0, Mentem: The accusing angels can see into the hearts of mankind and draw forth the most secret thoughts — people's fears and sins. Each use of this power reveals to the demon one fact abut the target to which the target would never admit. Truly holy people may be immune to this power, if they have no secret sins or fears.

Whispers Behind the Back, 2 points, Init 0, Mentem: Exactly as the spell Pains of the Perpetual Worry, this power gives the victim a nagging, taunting, painful emotion linked to their secret sins. It is a recurrent sense of anxiety that their secret will be uncovered, and a suspicion that everyone already knows it and is taking about the target behind his back. This power lasts for a month.

Weakness: Protected Group — Anyone who is free from sin and calls upon the name of God cannot be harmed by an iurgator or affected by its powers. 'Free from sin' may be difficult to determine; any character who is recently shriven and has no sinful Major Personality Flaws probably counts, as do those with a Faith Score. None of the souls in Purgatory qualify, by definition. Other causes must be adjudicated individually.

Vis: 3 pawns of vis sordida (Realms of Power: the Infernal, page 19) in hook

Appearance: Stocky bipedal bodies with features that combine bulky animals like bears, bulls, or pigs with those of humans. They sport bat-like wings which barely seem big enough to carry them, yet somehow manage. Their skin is naked and wrinkly, and a poisonous shade of green. Each carries a verdigrised copper club in one hand and a massive curved hook in the other.

Pasiel

The Iurgatores have a supervisor — apparently just the one — who can occasionally be seen flying high above the fields of pain, climbing out of the fiery river, or sitting on a high rocky spire overlooking the entirety of its hellish domain. This is Pasiel, who has been set over the punishments of the Purgatory of Saint Patrick. Like all demons of its order, Pasiel believes itself to be an angel who has been set over the sinners to cleanse them of their sins. This may actually be true, but as far as game statistics are concerned, Pasiel is treated as a demon (see Realms of Power: the Infernal page 40 for a longer discussion on the nature of this order of demons).

Pasiel is always aware of the number of inhabitants in its domain. A few extra mortal souls rarely stir it into action, although if they remain for any substantial amount of time its interest may be drawn to the matter. Only rarely does Pasiel intervene in a punishment or break up a fight. Its attention is usually drawn by unusual business on the fields of torment, such as a group of player characters interfering with its staff. Pasiel is a very powerful creature, with a peculiar ability to affect time. It is capable of reverting itself to a past or future state, and can do the same to creatures and objects. Note that this is not time travel: in Ars Magica Fifth Edition, time is a state or a quality of a thing just like its size or color, and changing something's time does not allow it to move faster — only the object's time is altered, not that of the world around it. However, Pasiel can restore lost Might and heal wounds by giving itself more time to do so; age objects rapidly; or make sinners believe they have spent years in agony while only a miniscule amount of time actually passes.

Pasiel, the Duke of Purgatory

Order: Duke of the Avengers of Evil

Infernal Might: 40 (Corpus)

Characteristics: Int +2, Per +3, Pre 0, Com 0, Str +4, Sta +2, Dex +2, Qik +5

Size: +3

Confidence Score: 3 (7)

Virtues and Flaws: Greater Immunity to Fire; Piercing Gaze, Puissant Profession: Torturer; Difficult Underlings

Personality Traits: Relentless +5, Passionless +4, Merciful –3

Reputations: Purgatory's Chief Torturer 7 (Infernal)

Hierarchy: 7

Combat:

Scourge: Init +7, Attack +14 Defense +16, Damage +12

Grapple: Init +5, Attack +13, Defense +16, Damage n/a

Soak: +15

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–8), –3 (9–16), –5 (17–24), Incapacitated (25–32), Dead (33+)

Abilities: Area Lore: Purgatory 7 (placement of sinners), Athletics 5 (flight), Awareness 5 (disturbances), Brawl 10 (grapple), Infernal Lore 12 (Purgatory), Leadership 7 (intimidation), Penetration 5 (Punish the Sinner power), Profession: Torturer 12+2 (ironic punishment), Single Weapon 7 (scourge), Stealth 10 (surprise), Theology 10 (sin)

Powers:

Coagulation, 4 points, Init –1, Corpus: This power permits the demon to form the physical body described here. It takes 4 rounds to form the body, but it can be dismissed instantly, returning the demon to immaterial form.

Obsession, 1–3 points, Init –5, Vim: The demon can inflict the Personality Trait of Guilt-Ridden on a character at a score of +1 per point of Might spent. This is a paralyzing feeling of remorse causing lassitude and self-indulgent bemoaning. If the character acts upon this trait, the character risks gaining the trait permanently. See Realms of Power: the Infernal, pages 31–32 for more details.

Punish the Sinner, 5 points, Init +3, Corpus: An angel of punishment can inflict wounds upon a victim, which are commensurate to their level of sin. If the target has committed a mortal sin for which he has not atoned, then he suffers a Heavy wound if this power penetrates his Magic Resistance. If he has an unrepented venial sin on his conscience, then he suffers a Medium wound. A victim with no outstanding sin on his conscience suffers a number of points of damage equal to a simple die plus the sum total of all sinful personality traits, ignoring negative signs as necessary. For example, a character with Lewd +2, Greedy –1 and Peaceful –3 suffers +5 damage, +2 for the Lewd trait and +3 for the negative Peaceful trait. Greedy is a sinful behavior, but this character is not greedy. The Soak total for this damage is a stress die plus Stamina. Pasiel's use of this power manifests as the opening up of old wounds suffered by the character; if he has none, then new ones are caused by Pasiel's scourge.

Duke of Purgatory, 0 points, constant effect, Vim: While within Purgatory's bounds, Pasiel is empowered by his role as its lord and master. His Might score and his Magic Resistance deriving from his Might should be treated as half as much again (that is 60 + aura modifier 8) against any effect designed to control him, ward against him or his powers, or destroy his Might. Attacks against his corporeal form or mind are not protected, and he gets no extra Might pool from this power.

Break Time's Arrow, variable points, Init –5, appropriate Form: Pasiel can move an object within Voice Range to a past state. Moving a creature one year into the past costs 1 Might, two years costs 3 Might, three years costs 6 Might, and so on, increasing as an Art. The creature experiences the amount of time it is moved all over again, but only a single round of time passes for everyone else. This erases the effects of any aging suffered in that time, but since the character will be reliving that time all over again, no changes need to be made to the character sheet. Everyone around the character does not appear to move, for only the recipient's time has been affected, and the recipient cannot do more with anything whose time has not been altered than he could normally achieve in a single combat round. He can interact normally with others affected by the same power for the same amount of time. To outsiders he flickers and twitches, as years' worth of movement and actions take place in an instant. Pasiel uses this on characters suffering in Purgatory, and on the demons torturing them, in order to extend the misery they suffer.

Time's Former Glory, 1 point, Init –5, Vim: Pasiel can revert itself to a former state. Each use of this power allows the demon to either instantly restore up to five points of Might score, restore all of its Might pool, or cure itself of one wound. If it restores Might or Might pool, the cost of this power is subtracted after the power has taken effect. To observers, Pasiel shudders and flickers with movement. Like the previous power, it moves itself to a time when it was not wounded or drained of Might, and then, with the patience that only truly immortal beings have, waits for the appropriate amount of time elapses.

Decay of Eleven Score Years, 1 or more points, Init –5, appropriate Form: Pasiel can change a non-living object within Voice Range to a future state, aging it hundreds or thousands of years instantly. This causes it to crumble to dust, affecting one cubic pace of material per point of Might pool spent.

Time Waits for No Man, 1 or more points, Init –5, appropriate Form: Pasiel can inflict a future state on a living thing. This causes immediate degradation through aging; plant matter rots away, animals visibly age and die. For humans, this power causes immediate aging: Pasiel can choose any effect on the Aging Table (ArM5, page 170) up to and including a crisis. A result that inflicts one Aging point costs 1 Might, inflicting two Aging points costs 3 Might, and causing a crisis costs 6 Might. Inflicting a crisis also causes a Hermetic longevity ritual to expire. Advance the apparent age of the character by five years per point of Might spent.

Weakness: Protected Group — the Virtuous. Anyone truly free from sin cannot be harmed by Pasiel or affected by its powers.

Vis: 8 pawns of vis prava (Realms of Power: the Infernal, page 19), in scourge

Appearance: A mighty angel 12 feet tall, painfully thin with pale skin stretched tight over protruding bones. Its eyes are like the deep pits of the abyss. It has immense gray wings covered with dust-laden and moth-eaten feathers, and carries a scourge whose thongs are tipped with rusted iron. Its movements are precise yet stuttered; bursts of motion too swift for the eye to see interspersed with utter stillness. It moves with absolute silence. Pasiel does not talk — at least, not to mortals.

Souls in Purgatory and Paradise

The victims suffering in Purgatory and dwelling in the Earthly Paradise are, for all intents and purposes, human souls. Whether or not they are the actual souls of those characters, or merely shadows residing in a regio is deliberately left as a mystery, and player characters should be incapable of determining the truth of this mystery. Only baptized Christians can be found within the regiones, even if they subsequently became apostates, and only those who are mali non valde or boni non valde. The truly wicked end up in Hell, whereas the truly blessed are admitted directly to the Heavenly Paradise. Christian burial makes no difference to the disposition of a soul, but it does permit the deceased's spirit to travel with the soul to its destination. Ghosts are spirits that have remained on or been returned to earth, but the soul remains in Purgatory, Paradise, Hell, or Heaven, as applicable. Creatures who possessed a Might score in life were not human, and do not end up either in Purgatory or the Earthly Paradise.

The speed at which a given individual purges his or her sin and moves on to the Earthly Paradise varies according to unknown rules. It is generally believed that masses said for the dead speed the time spent here, but again, the truth should be left a mystery. Player characters should be able to meet anyone whom the storyguide wishes them to meet.

Souls in Purgatory or the Earthly Paradise have all the characteristics they did in life, but with the following changes:

• All souls have a Might Score, and most have a Divine Might. Exceptions include characters who were aligned to another Realm through the possession of a special Virtue, in which case their Might matches that Realm. Thus the souls of magi have a Magic Might thanks to The Gift, whereas repenting infernalists may still bear the taint of an Infernal Might.
• Most souls have a Might of 5. However, the strongest souls are those that have spiritual armor. Add five Might for every point of the character's Confidence Score. Further, add the sum of all virtuous Personality Traits to Might Score, and subtract the sum of all sinful Personality Traits. If the character has a virtuous or sinful Personality Flaw treat this as a Personality Trait of +3 (if Minor) or +6 (if Major). Treat negative sinful Personality Traits as a positive virtuous Personality Traits, and negative virtuous Personality Traits as a positive sinful Personality Traits. Might can be no lower than 0. Remember to include the Aura modifier (ArM5, page 183) to Might Scores to determine Magic Resistance
• Souls do not have Decrepitude or Warping. Remove all effects of Aging. The character appears at the age with which it most identifies: a knight might appear at the prime of his life, whereas a maga famed for her wisdom could appear as an elderly woman.
• When used, the Abilities of Souls are limited to half of their Might score, rounded up. So the soul of a knight with a Divine Might 10 and Great Weapon Ability of 7, treats the Ability as only 5 while in Purgatory. Characters who were capable of using magic in life are still capable of doing so as a soul; Arts are capped at the soul's Might Score.
• No force other than the Divine can kill or destroy a soul, at worst they can be temporarily reduced to zero Might or an Incapacitating Wound. Further, the souls in Purgatory cannot be denied their punishment for long, mortal intervention can only cause a temporary cessation of their agonies.

If it is possible to retrieve a soul from Purgatory or Paradise, then as she leaves the regio she loses her Divine Might (if any), exchanging it for that of a different Realm (usually Magic Might) or losing it entirely. She also loses all the above features, and should be treated as an entity belonging to the Realm matching her Might. The soul must have a physical tether for her to exist beyond the bounds of the regio, else she simply returns to the regio immediately, much like the soul of any deceased mortal. This tether is usually a physical body, but it might be possible for the soul to remain a disembodied spirit by binding it to an object or place. The details of this process are best left to the individual saga, but some options can be found in a nearby Insert.

Options for Characters Retrieved From Purgatory

Ars Magica Fifth Edition has a number of options for characters rescued from Purgatory.

• Raised From The Dead (Major Story/ Supernatural Flaw, Realms of Power: the Divine, page 36): This Flaw is suitable for characters where the difficulty of being known to have been dead is a desirable story hook.
• Viaticarus (Minor Supernatural Flaw, Grogs, Chapter 6): Designed for characters who received the Last Rites and then inexplicably survived, this Flaw is also applicable to characters who have
• somehow been brought back from the dead.
• Drowned Men and variants (character template, Realms of Power: Magic, page 96 97): These characters owe their resurrection to a magical patron, who might supply the body once the soul has been rescued. There is no reason that this concept cannot be adapted for a divine or infernal agency.
• Ghosts (character template, Realms of Power: Magic, pages 115 – 118): An option for characters who are not resurrected into a physical body.

The Purgatory of Saint Patrick is perhaps best introduced to a saga in its basic form, a place of pilgrimage and moral correction through example. If the location is intended for a future role in a story, then the player characters can be appraised of the function of the canons on Inishphadraig, the process of drawing lots, and the ritual burial ceremony on Inishnaoimh, even if they don't undergo the ritual themselves.

Most visitors to the Purgatory of Saint Patrick do so as the culmination of a pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is more than a simple journey; it is a journey undertaken specifically to petition God, usually for the remission of sins. Pilgrimages are times of physical and spiritual testing, which takes the form of Oppositional Elements that try the character of the traveler. The last of these Oppositional Elements is provided by the Purgatory itself. A pilgrimage can be undertaken for more than just penance. It can be akin to a Divine form of Initiation; a quest to acquire a supernatural Virtue aligned to the Divine Realm, or removal of a curse from any realm. See The Church pages 16–19 for more details of Pilgrimages and Oppositional Elements.

The Circuit of Saint Patrick is a pilgrimage itinerary that takes in sites of the saint's miracles and vita, including Armagh, Downpatrick, the Vale of Angels, Saulpatrick, and Maghera before ending at Lough Dearg (see The Contested Isle, Chapter 9: Ulaid for more details). This itinerary permits a group of characters to explore several legendary sites and experience hardship and wonders in equal measure. While the Circuit ends at the Purgatory of Saint Patrick, the characters are not required to actually enter the regio to complete their penance and receive absolution, but those who submit themselves to the lots have the possibility of doing so.

A number of ceremonies instituted by Saint Patrick are still in force today. Those wishing to visit the Purgatory must plan to arrive at the island between June 1 and August 15; they will not be admitted outside these dates. Before commencing a pilgrimage to the Purgatory, the penitent must first visit his bishop and declare that he wishes to undergo the journey of his own free will. The bishop ritually tries to dissuade the sinner, but if he persists, provides a letter of recommendation to the prior of the island. The petitioner then commences his pilgrimage, visiting a number of holy sites in Ireland as he does so, one of which must be Armagh which is the home to the motherhouse of the canons that guard the island. The prior of the motherhouse warns the petitioner again, and inform him of the perils he faces, but if the pilgrim is steadfast he receives a lead badge indicating the prior's favor, and may continue on his pilgrimage. Eventually he ends up in the northwest corner of Ireland at Lough Dearg. Upon presentation of the bishop's letter and the prior's badge he is rowed to the island priory to await being called to Purgatory.

Not all introductions to Saint Patrick's Purgatory need to involve a pilgrimage. Here are some other ideas.

AN UNSAFE REFUGE

A magus is condemned to a Wizard's March due to Infernalism discovered by the player characters. He flees to Lough Dearg, feigning contrition; and is admitted to Purgatory by Brother Bressal, who senses his sin. Characters who chase the felon into Purgatory must find and fight the sorcerer in a place where the strong Infernal aura give his powers a distinct advantage over Hermetic magic.

A HIDING PLACE

The characters learn that an evil cult has contrived to conceal an object deep in Purgatory through the help of demons. The stories around this object are apocalyptic in scope: a weapon that can kill from afar, a chalice that can sink continents, or a child who is the son of Beelzebub. While the cult develops its plans, the characters may be able to slip into Purgatory and snatch the prize from beneath their very noses.

Alternatively, the characters might decide that Purgatory is a secure place to hide something too dangerous to keep at their covenant. An unholy relic that spreads corruption can do no harm in Purgatory. In the Hibernian Tribunal, there is a tradition that a covenant that loses its chosen trophy for more than a year and a day is no longer considered a covenant (see The Contested Isle, Chapter 4). An enemy might hide the trophy in Purgatory to keep it from its owners.

A Key to the Door

Souls are escaping from Purgatory. The player characters receive a visit from an individual they know to be dead: either a close friend or a fearful enemy. They may discover that the escape was engineered by a recently-arrived soul who has the power to cross regio boundaries, and also the means to arrange for the souls to be held in the mundane world (see earlier). All he asked for this was an oath to perform a favor for him in the future.

Who is this necromancer-in-reverse, and what is his plan with all the favors he is gathering? Furthermore, where are Brother Bressal and the Guardians of Purgatory? Their job is to prevent escapes like this, but they have vanished from Inishnaoimh.

HELL ON EARTH

lurgatores have started to emerge from under the Saint's Isle. It started with just one or two, but soon they emerged in their hundreds. They have occupied the region of Lough Dearg, digging tunnels beneath the earth and building torment pits. Initially thefound that mortal humans were too fragile for their usual punishments, but they have found ways to adapt their techniques, and are now besieging towns in search of victims.

The characters get involved when a friend or companion fails to return from pilgrimage. Alternatively, if they live in the area they may be the intended victims of the bloodthirsty demons. The demons must have had mortal help breaching the Gate to Purgatory, so there is at least one human enemy involved. As per the story seed above, the Guardians of Purgatory must have been somehow eliminated or corrupted to allow the demons to escape, and their help may be needed to close up the gate once more.

The principle purpose of the Purgatory may be the atonement for sins, but this is by no means the only reason why characters might seek out the cave on Inishnaoimh. Brother Bressal and the Guardians of Purgatory control who enters Purgatory through the lots, but characters with a legitimate need that opposes evil or promotes good are admitted without comment. More dubious or selfish uses for the regio are also sensed by the canon who draws the lots, and the characters might need to persuade Brother Bressal of how the greater good is served by their actions. A charitable penance might be requested to counteract the non-pious use of the gateway, but Brother Bressal believes that even the most selfish man might be guided back to a righteous path upon witnessing the horrors awaiting him following his death, and rarely refuses anyone.

For characters adventuring in Purgatory, treat the location like any other regio. Characters can still warp, age, die, or go into Twilight. Time passes at the same rate, except for those individuals undergoing torment (see Pilgrim's Progress, earlier)

INSIGHT INTO ORIGINAL RESEARCH

There are places in Purgatory that can offer insights into original research. The Mirror of Souls, the Fountain of Youth, and the Furnace are phenomena that could help magi unravel knotty problems in Hermetic Theory.

In addition to the problems of getting to Purgatory in the first place, a character desiring insight needs to spend at least one season (and possibly more) there to obtain the desired insight. Pasiel is likely to investigate extra souls who remain too long within his duchy, and the character needs to be adept at hiding from bands of lurgatores sent looking for him.

To obtain insight for original research, the character must study the source for a season, and then make an Intelligence + Magic Theory stress roll against an Ease Factor of 18. The Inventive Genius Virtue adds 3 to this roll. If the roll is successful the character gains an insight, allowing him to create a specific effect that grants breakthrough points equal to its magnitude once completed. If the character fails he may try again after a season; if he botches he thinks he has made an insight but has not. For more details on using insight in original research see Hedge Magic Revised Edition page 14 or Ancient Magic page 8.

Interrogating the Damned or the Blessed

Someone who has died and has received a Church burial is beyond the questioning of Hermetic necromancy. However, if they are baptized Christians, they are not totally beyond the reach of the characters. Only saints — and possibly those who possess indulgences, like crusaders — go straight to Heaven upon death, and only the worst of unrepentant sinners go straight to Hell; everyone else tarries in Purgatory, then passes to the Earthly Paradise. Characters would have to be desperate indeed to enter Purgatory to get information from a departed soul, but sometimes it is the only way to get what one needs.

Once in Purgatory, the characters must locate the soul they want from the thousands present. Finding the Mirror of Souls would be a boon; otherwise the characters may have to turn to the doubtful help of demons or tortured souls. The characters then need to halt the punishment sufficiently to ask their questions, which is sure to draw the attention of Pasiel. Getting out again would almost certainly require spells which see through a regio boundary, since the roll otherwise would be exceptionally difficult.

The End of the Quest

Purgatory and the Earthly Paradise are ideal destinations for epic quests. Perhaps a ritual to undo an ancient spell can only be performed on the slopes of the Mountain of Blood. The characters' chief antagonist could be a demon that guards the Mouth to Hell, and they must journey there to bring him defeat. Maybe the only way to destroy an evil artifact is to bathe it in the Light of Heaven in the Earthly Paradise. These or similar reasons could cause a group of characters to brave Purgatory's torments.

A False Return

After a pilgrimage to Purgatory, a person has begun to act in an uncharacteristic manner. Friends of the person — who may be the player characters, or else ask them for help — suspect that perhaps it was not her soul that returned from Purgatory, but maybe that of another, or even a demon. Whoever (or whatever) has returned has an agenda, and begins to enact sweeping changes to her life which affect any organization to which she belongs (which might include the Order of Hermes). She soon gathers about her a cult of personality, making it difficult for former friends to get close and verify her identity. There is always the possibility that no substitution was made at all: Purgatory is a place where people's lives are changed, and the focus of this story may have had a meaningful experience there which made her alter the course of her life forever. However, there is also there is also the very real possibility that another soul or a demon has returned in the body of the pilgrim.

If a different soul returned, it may be that of any individual that could conceivably be in Purgatory — a vanquished enemy, a historical tyrant, or a Marched magus; someone not evil enough for Hell, but maybe only through the lack of opportunity. Now she has a second chance to complete what was left unfinished.

If a demon is involved instead, Hermetic magic can have difficulty telling the difference, particularly if the demon is able to take steps to fix the results of any tests (swapping a relic with a fake, using a possessed stooge, spending Confidence to show forbearance in the face of apotropaic magic, and so forth).

Either way, if she is not who she says she is, then the real soul is still trapped in Purgatory, and her story can be verified by entering Purgatory and finding her. The demons there are covering up the escape of one of their captives (demon or not) through a shapechanged soul, hoping their master won't find out (they are not very bright), and the characters might be taken in by their deception.

Jailbreak

Perhaps the most tempting reason to visit the regio on Inishnaoimh is to attempt to bring a soul out of Purgatory or the Earthly Paradise and restore her to life. Whether or not this is actually possible is ultimately the decision of the storyguide, and it should certainly be a singular event of mythic significance. Players should not think that they can just send their characters in to Purgatory to retrieve dead characters whenever they want. However, they should not be discouraged from trying even if it is impossible; if nothing else it will prove to be a valuable lesson in hubris.

Characters condemned to Hell or who have gone straight to Heaven cannot be saved in this manner; only the not completely good or not completely evil are eligible, assuming it is even possible in the first place. The subject should also in some way be considered to have died before his time; perhaps he was accidentally slain by the characters, or died through some other misadventure with a destiny unfulfilled. The characters need a body for the soul they are rescuing, and for most only the original corpse will do.

Upon entering Purgatory, the characters must be able to find the desired soul amongst the countless damned, and then free her from her torments. This attracts the attention of Pasiel, who opposes any group abducting one of its subjects. Securing a soul from the Earthly Paradise could be even harder, since the soul is probably unwilling to leave: who would exchange endless bliss for the mundane world? Shamshiel opposes any egress of souls through Paradise's gates, and Pasiel cannot tolerate a blessed soul in its realm. This would be a once-in-a-lifetime story, given the rewards if it is successful.

The eleventh to thirteen centuries is a time of flowering of literature recounting otherworldly journeys to Purgatory and the Earthly Paradise. Many of these stories are told in a vernacular language rather than Latin. The principle, and most widely available sources are:

Tractatus de Purgatorio Sancti Patricii by H. of Sawtrey, written in about 1160 by an anonymous monk (who may have been Henricus of Basingwerk Abbey). This is a third hand Latin account of the Vision of Hell and Heaven, experienced by a monk called Owain and told to Gilbert, Abbot of Basingwerk and later recorded by H. This is a tractatus on Area Lore: Purgatory of Quality 7, and can also be studied as a summa on Theology at Level 3, Quality 8.

L'espurgatoire Seint Patriz by Marie of France, written in Norman French in the late 12th century. This is a tractatus on Area Lore: Purgatory of Quality 9.