Blessed By God

For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

To another the working of miracles; to another prophesy; to another discerning of spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

- 1 Corinthians 12:8-11

The holy men and women of God's faithful receive many gifts from heaven, and in Ars Magica, these blessed people are called holy characters, meaning that they possess powers and backgrounds aligned with the Divine realm. These include Virtues and Flaws, Abilities, influence over others, the power to work miracles, Faith Points, Divine Warping, and magic in God's service. This chapter provides rules for using these concepts in the game, and for playing characters devoted to the Almighty.

In order to have a holy person in Mythic Europe, you must first design the character. To this end, many new Virtues, Flaws, and Abilities are presented here for you to use when creating a character, or to modify existing characters to bring them more in line with your vision of them in the game. There are more of these in later chapters, for character qualities that are generally associated with a particular faith; the ones below are intended to be universal, available to any character with an interest in the Divine.

Many of these Virtues and Abilities are associated with special Supernatural Abilities called Holy Methods and Holy Powers, and rules for how these may be used to work miracles can be found under Miraculous Abilities, later in this chapter.

New Virtues

MAJOR, HERMETIC

Holy Magic

MAJOR, SUPERNATURAL ABILITIES

Holy Magic

MAJOR, SUPERNATURAL METHODS

Invocation Meditation Purity

MAJOR, SUPERNATURAL POWERS

Adjuration

Blessing

Cursing

Intervention

Transcendence

Understanding

Wonders

MAJOR, SUPERNATURAL

Blood of the Nephilim

MAJOR, GENERAL

Powerful Relic

MINOR, SUPERNATURAL ABILITIES

Ceremony

MINOR, SUPERNATURAL

Strong Angelic Heritage

New Flaws

MAJOR, STORY

Raised from the Dead

MAJOR, SUPERNATURAL

Eremite

Raised from the Dead

MINOR, SUPERNATURAL

Non-traditional

MINOR, GENERAL

Apostate

New Abilities

ARCANE

Holy Magic*

SUPERNATURAL

Adjuration*

Blessing*

Ceremony*

Cursing*

Holy Magic*

Intervention*

Transcendence*

Understanding*

Wonders*

*Indicates an Ability that cannot be used at all if a character has no score in it.

ADJURATION

Major, Supernatural Power

This Virtue allows you to command and control supernatural beings; you begin with the Supernatural Ability Adjuration 1.

BLESSING

Major, Supernatural Power

Through Blessing, you can invoke the protective and inspirational aspects of the Divine. Taking this Virtue grants you the Supernatural Ability Blessing 1.

CEREMONY

Minor, Supernatural Ability

This Ability allows you to focus a group of people on holy prayer, concentrating their efforts and thus making it possible for them to bring about greater holy effects together. This gives you the Supernatural Ability Ceremony 1.

CURSING

Major, Supernatural Power

With this Virtue, you can curse those who oppose the Divine Will, giving you the Supernatural Ability Cursing 1.

HOLY MAGIC

Major, Hermetic, Supernatural Ability

This Virtue is only available to characters with The Gift. You did not learn Magic Theory; instead, you begin with the Supernatural Ability Holy Magic 1, and all of your spells are specially adapted to your divine focus. You also have a poor reputation within the Order of Hermes at level 3 as a hedge wizard.

See Holy Magic, later in this chapter, for other restrictions and benefits of this sort of magic.

INTERVENTION

Major, Supernatural Power

God occasionally gives guidance to the world through signs and wonders and the power of divine intervention. Taking this Virtue grants you the Supernatural Ability Intervention 1, which allows you to bring about similar effects.

INVOCATION

Major, Supernatural Method

This Virtue gives you Invocation 1, a Supernatural Ability that allows you use the Holy Method of Invocation and roll a stress die for miraculous effects.

MEDITATION

Major, Supernatural Method

This gives you the Supernatural Ability Meditation 1, which you may use with your holy powers to gain insight into the Divine through the Holy Method of Meditation.

BLOOD OF THE NEPHILIM

Major, Supernatural

You have the blood of angels in your veins and descend from the great heroes of the Antediluvian Age, the Nephilim. Unless you take the Mythic Companion virtue, your heritage is somewhat diluted, although still significant. Your size is increased to +1, and this increases by +1 for every century you are alive.

You may learn Dominion Lore during character creation without needing to take the Arcane Lore Minor Virtue.

You age incredibly slowly, and may live for thousands of years. You need make an aging roll only once every ten years after the age of 150, and receive a –5 to Aging Rolls. You gain no benefit from Longevity Potions or any magic or supernatural power that slows or relieves Aging or Decrepitude. Once you gain your first Decrepitude Point, it becomes increasingly difficult for you to learn new things: subtract your age ÷ 10 from all Advancement Totals , although the Advancement Total for a season cannot drop below 1.

Due to your great size, you must eat vast amounts of food (equal to what three normal people would eat in a day), and have the Minor Personality Flaw Greedy. If you go without food for even a single day you fall into a deep slumber, a kind of supernatural hibernation. You will starve to death in (2 + your Divine Might) days unless you are fed your own body-weight in food. (Note that this Virtue does not itself grant Divine Might; see Strong Angelic Heritage, below.) After awakening, you suffer a number of lost Long Term Fatigue Levels equal to the number of days you went without food.

You may not take The Gift or True Faith, Hermetic Virtues or Flaws, Methods or Powers, Virtues such as Giant, Mythic, or Faerie Blood, Flaws such as Age Quickly or Lycanthrope, or Virtues or Flaws that affect your size. Magi and Grogs may not take this virtue.

POWERFUL RELIC

Major, General

You own an unusually powerful relic with a Faith score of 3. The relic also has one power, which should be agreed upon with the storyguide (see Relics, below). As with the Minor General Virtue Relic, the item may be built into any other item that you possess, like a sword or a pendant.

Owning such a powerful relic is a great responsibility, and your character should behave in an appropriate manner. If you ever behave impiously (as judged by the storyguide) your relic will cease to function until suitable penance is made.

PURITY

Major, Supernatural Method

Taking this Virtue gives you Purity 1. This Supernatural Ability allows you to use the Holy Method of Purity with your holy powers to bring about miraculous effects.

STRONG ANGELIC HERITAGE

Minor, Supernatural

Your angelic heritage is purer, granting you a Divine Might score and supernatural powers. This virtue may only be taken if you have the Greater Virtue Blood of the Nephilim.

You are a divine being and possess a Divine Might (Corpus) score equal to your age divided by 20, which increases as you grow older. This grants you a Magic Resistance score. You contain a number of pawns of Corpus vis equal to your Divine Might divided by 10 (but always at least one pawn) that can only be extracted if you are dead. You are also immune to Warping of any sort.

You have up to thirty levels of holy powers that may be invoked by spendingm Might points. Design the powers' effects using the Holy Powers or Hermetic spell guidelines. The Might cost for each power is equal to its magnitude divided by two (but always at least one point). The initiative score of the power is your Quickness.

You may take this virtue multiple times. Each additional time you take it increases by thirty the number of levels of holy powers you may invoke, but has no other effect; in particular, it does not increase your Divine Might.

TRANSCENDENCE

Major, Supernatural Power

This power allows you to overcome the limitations of the physical world, improving your body and mind through miraculous effects. Taking this Virtue gives you the Supernatural Ability Transcendence 1.

UNDERSTANDING

Major, Supernatural Power

You can glean understanding of the Divine plan through this power, which gives you the Supernatural Ability Understanding 1.

WONDERS

Major, Supernatural Power

You begin with the Supernatural Ability Wonders 1, which allows you to conjure holy items, creatures, and the elements at God's Will.

APOSTATE

Minor, General

You have converted from one faith to another or from one set of beliefs to another. You have a bad reputation at 4 among members of your previous faith, and you may receive some slight distrust from your new faith as well, depending upon how sincere your conversion seems.

EREMITE

Major, Supernatural

You do not belong to a holy tradition, as you prefer to explore the mysteries of the divine on your own. You cannot learn Supernatural Abilities from any tradition, favored or not, as you already have your own ideas about influencing the supernatural fixed in your philosophy. You must have True Faith to take this Flaw.

NON-TRADITIONAL

Minor, Supernatural

You do not belong to a holy tradition, as your practices and beliefs are too unusual to be classified by an overarching philosophy. You may still learn Supernatural Abilities from other holy characters who are willing to teach you, though always with a penalty to your Advancement Total — you do not have any favored Abilities. You must have True Faith to take this Flaw.

RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Major, Story, Supernatural

You died, and were brought back to life through a holy miracle. You begin with at least three Warping points, plus one Warping point for every year that has passed since you were resurrected, and you automatically receive another Warping point every year you continue living. You also have a level 4 reputation in the area where the miracle occurred. You do not remember what happened to you while you were dead, although you may have virtuous impulses that you cannot explain.

ADJURATION*

You are skilled in controlling and banishing supernatural creatures and their powers (see Miraculous Effects, later in this chapter). Specialties: type of creatures (angels, demons, ghosts, faeries), causing a specific effect. (Supernatural)

BLESSING*

You bring about beneficial or protective effects associated with the divine (see Miraculous Effects). Specialties: a particular effect, specific targets, in special circumstances. (Supernatural)

CEREMONY*

This Ability is used in conjunction with another Divine Supernatural Ability or a holy Method and Power to produce a greater effect. You must gather a group together and determine what you are going to do. Since it increases the potency of divine effects, at least one of the participants must possess the Ability (this character is called the focus character), and if it is a Power, whatever Method the character would normally use must be used by each member of the group. Because of this, all of the participants are considered to be the caster when evaluating the effect.

The group may appoint a character to be their leader. The leader's Ceremony score determines how many others may contribute to the effect. Additional characters may still participate in the ceremony, but their scores are not counted in the total and they are not treated as the caster. Characters with spiritual authority over others in the group must always lead; they cannot join a group unless led by a character with spiritual authority over them all.

Alternatively, any number of people can participate in a ceremony without a leader. In this case, the group generates a group modifier by adding up all of their Ceremony scores and subtracting the total number of participants. This group modifier is applied to the focus character's total, and might be positive or negative, depending on how many people have joined the ceremony and how skilled they are at praying together.

GROUP MODIFIER: total Ceremony scores – number of participants

Whether or not there is a leader, all participants then add their scores in the appropriate (Characteristic + Ability) or (Characteristic + Method) to the focus character's total. If a character does not have the relevant Ability or Method, only the Characteristic is added. After this bonus has been applied, the focus character rolls the die and resolves the effect as normal.

Note that if every participating character has a score of at least 1 in Ceremony, it is better not to have a leader, but since Ceremony is a supernatural ability such groups will be very rare.

Specialties: with a certain Power or Ability, in particular circumstances, with a specific group or leader. (Supernatural)

CURSING*

You can bring about negative effects associated with God's wrath (see Miraculous Effects). Specialties: a particular effect, punishing a specific kind of sin, a particular kind of target. (Supernatural)

HOLY MAGIC*

You have translated your Hermetic Arts into a form of magic that is compatible with the Dominion and holy powers. Specialties: inventing spells, enchanting items, with a particular Power or Art. (Supernatural, Arcane)

INTERVENTION*

You cause the divine to manifest in the physical world, often with startling effects (see Miraculous Effects). Specialties: causing a specific effect, a particular image, in specific circumstances. (Supernatural)

INVOCATION*

Using holy words, phrases, and prayers, you can invoke God's power. You must either cry out your prayer in a loud voice, or somehow inscribe your prayer in writing. This adds Communication to your roll, and requires that you spend a point of Confidence (or Faith) to bring the effect into being.

You may also roll a stress die instead of a simple die when calling a holy effect if you wish. By doing so, you essentially command rather than entreat God's aid, summoning more potential power but risking giving greater offense should you prove unworthy.

Specialties: using holy names, in writing, affecting a particular kind of target. (Supernatural)

MEDITATION*

You can achieve an ecstatic state by chanting or focusing your mind on a performance. This takes approximately an hour, and you must make a Stamina roll every ten minutes against an Ease Factor of 6. A failed roll results in a lost Fatigue level, and a botch disrupts the ritual. If you or the performer is distracted, you must make a Concentration roll to keep your focus. When the ritual is complete, if you are still conscious, you add your Intelligence + Meditation to your effect total.

Your Meditation score also increases your chances of temporarily becoming part of the Divine Realm, but reduces the penalty for doing so. You may subtract your score in Meditation from your roll to avoid Divine Ascent, and this does not increase the number of additional Warping points you receive from the experience.

Specialties: type of meditation, a particular performance, affecting a certain person. (Supernatural)

PURITY*

Through intense physical effort and will, you can bring about miraculous effects. You must engage in an activity that is strenuous enough to cause you to lose a long-term Fatigue level or suffer a Light Wound, and you use your Stamina for your effect roll.

You may also perform holy rituals that last longer than usual, potentially increasing your effect total over time usually several hours, days, or even weeks. This can be done with any Method, not just Purity effects. When you have finished the activation activity associated with your effect's Method, you do not have to roll the die, but may instead begin the ritual again, paying all the same costs as before. This allows you to spend additional Confidence (or Faith) on an effect — normally, a character can only spend as many Confidence points on a single action as his Confidence Score. Each time you extend a ritual by performing the activity associated with the Method again, you may treat it as a new action, allowing you to spend additional Confidence (or Faith) points to boost the effect. You do not roll the die until you declare the ritual is finished.

Specialties: affecting a certain person, a particular form of deprivation, over long periods of time. (Supernatural)

TRANSCENDENCE*

You can overcome the limitations of the physical world and thus bring about miraculous changes to your mind and body (see Miraculous Effects). Specialties: causing a specific effect, in particular circumstances, affecting a specific part of the body. (Supernatural)

UNDERSTANDING*

You receive holy visions that can provide guidance and information directly from the divine (see Miraculous Effects). Specialties: concerning a specific person, in particular circumstances, a certain kind of information. (Supernatural)

WONDERS*

You can cause living creatures, nonliving objects, and forces of nature to manifest through God's power (see Miraculous Effects, below). Specialties: causing a specific effect, a particular kind of material, in specific circumstances. (Supernatural)

Characters associated with the divine have the ability (and the responsibility) to care for their people, guiding their followers away from vice and towards virtue. A great part of the reason they have such power is to convert others to God's worship, and to combat the forces that tempt men and women to evil acts. Thus, reaching out to those who have not heard, preaching to those who might doubt, and teaching those who wish to know more are paramount activities for characters who wish to walk in God's footsteps.

One of the tools holy characters have is the ability to inspire Personality traits in those who follow them. This is done in two ways. One is to spend a season with the character or characters, either working or studying beside them, or simply visiting them briefly each day. As the holy character sets a good example and demonstrates positive behavior in word and deed, the student learns good habits. This is called personal influence. The second method involves a short ceremony, wherein the holy character says a prayer for his followers and either invokes the power of the Divine or his own personal conviction, spending a Faith or Confidence Point. This is called ceremonial influence.

Both methods also require the holy character to have spiritual authority over these followers. This means that he is invested with responsibility for their spiritual well being. Spiritual authority is usually based on a physical location; a bishop's charge is his see, for example, and everyone who lives and worships in this area is considered to be within his spiritual authority. This can also apply in other circumstances, such as with a parent and her child, or a teacher with his pupil, or a host and his guests. Characters with Temporal Influence may use personal influence on those within their temporal authority, and those with the Inspirational Virtue may ceremonially influence anyone who is willing to listen to them.

Characters being influenced in this way must be willing to follow the holy character's advice. That is, they may not know exactly what he is doing, but they trust him enough to listen to what he says and to think about what he tells them to do. Therefore, characters who do not want to be influenced cannot be affected.

The formula for determining the results of holy influence is a simple die + Presence + Leadership, and if using ceremonial influence, the Confidence point that must be spent does not add 3 to the roll. The results determine the value of the new trait, according to the following chart.

HOLY INFLUENCE: simple die + Presence + Leadership

Ease Factor	Value
9+	+1
15+	+2
24+	+3 (max)

Characters performing ceremonial influence may use the Ceremony Ability to increase this total (see New Abilities, earlier in this chapter).

This new trait represents a new facet of the character, though it may be similar to a trait that the character already possesses, or even the opposite of an existing trait. These new traits are temporary, fading over time unless reinforced by the character's actions. As a rough guide, personal influence can produce traits that persist for as long as a year, while those from ceremonial influence fade more quickly, rarely lasting more than a week.

Note that characters subject to holy influence may acquire more than three Personality traits, particularly if they are temporary ones.

Personality Flaws

For the purposes of rules involving Personality Traits, treat a Minor Personality Flaw as a +3 trait, and a Major Personality Flaw as a +6 trait. Characters under holy influence may thus occasionally overcome these Personality Flaws with opposing Personality Traits, though they need constant encouragement and reinforcement to avoid returning to their old ways — these traits will never become permanent as long as the character still has an opposing Flaw.

Besides influencing their followers, holy characters can also influence the Dominion by invoking a holy temper. A temper is a particular aspect of the divine; in a sense, tempers are expressions on the face of God that smile upon one type of virtuous behavior while frowning upon its opposite. By invoking a temper in a Dominion aura, the holy character encourages a class of activities that serve God's interests while discouraging activities that oppose them.

Invoking a holy temper (sometimes called "tempering" the aura) is essentially giving an aura a virtuous Personality trait using holy influence. That is, the character either spends a season within the aura performing services to the community and setting a positive example (personal influence), or performs a short ceremony describing the sort of behavior associated with the temper that he would like to invoke (ceremonial influence). This requires a stress die, rather than a simple die — botches might cause the character Warping, Fatigue, or a bad reputation among the populace.

TEMPERING AN AURA: stress die + Presence + Leadership

Tempering produces a special Personality Trait in the divine aura. It actually changes the Dominion to highlight that particular quality of God's character. Within that aura, the value of the Temper Trait is added as a bonus to all rolls that are compatible with the purpose of the temper, and subtracted from all rolls that run counter to it. This trait also fades over time, decreasing the value of the temper by one at the end of each day (if ceremonial influence was used) or each season (for personal influence), until the aura returns to normal. A holy character may not invoke more than one temper at a time, and any temper he has already invoked is replaced by a new one.

There are seven varieties of holy temper described below, with examples of the sort of behavior that would receive a bonus or a penalty. Each type is associated with a particular kind of good activity that directly opposes an evil one. This is entirely based on the circumstances surrounding the characters' actions in the aura, and the storyguide should try to judge them based upon the desired outcome rather than the specifics of what the characters are doing.

LOYAL

Loyalty applies in situations where the character is called to follow orders or aid a friend or partner in need. To some extent it governs fidelity and faithfulness, but it is most appropriate when a character is called upon to fulfill an obligation to one who is worthy of respect, or when the character must give up something for the greater good. It is similar to Faith, the Christian virtue that represents the character's devotion to God and adherence to His order of things, and offsets the capital vice of Pride, which might be described as wicked independence. The proud man thinks himself better than others in his community, and perhaps even better than God in that he is more confident in his own powers and abilities than the Divine Will. Many magi fall prey to this vice, often considered "the beginning of all sin" because by turning away from God, one naturally turns toward evil.

Exempla Gratia: A village priest ceremonially invokes a Loyal temper in his parish, to encourage them to bond together during a difficult harvest. Two of the men go hunting birds together, and are much more successful than a boy who just wants to show off his skill with the bow by himself. However, when the pair try to shoot a deer belonging to their lord, they cannot seem to hit it and it escapes. Later, when they realize the boy is missing, they decide to search the area and quickly find traces of his trail, eventually discovering him lost and wandering aimlessly through the forest.

CALM

A Calm temper represents tolerance, optimism, understanding, and a willingness to work out differences. Calm characters promote peaceful discussion, encourage reasoned debate, and seek common ground. They believe in others and trust God even in the face of great difficulties, doing their best to overcome violence and hate. Those who are not calm may eventually give in to the desperate sin of Wrath, and behave spitefully and vengefully. Such people boil over with anger and rage, which prevents them from thinking positively. This may be based in fear or despair, but its measure is in how characters act when they encounter adversity — wrathful characters become violent, not cowardly. Most fighting is opposed by a Calm temper. The theological virtue related to this temper is Hope, which represents confidence in God and the belief that He will watch over and protect those who follow Him.

Exempla Gratia: The parish is joined by a new family — a strange group of Eastern refugees. The priest thinks it would be a good idea for everyone to put aside their prejudices for a while to get to know them, tempering a Calm aura through his personal influence, and thus succeeds in getting a good reaction from them when he calls. The village drunk tries to pick a fight with the father of the family when he encounters them on the green one evening, but cannot seem to hit his target and soon passes out from exhaustion.

KIND

Kind characters are filled with love and good feeling for fellow beings. Their actions are directed outwards, usually to make others more comfortable or to help them through hardship, grief, and suffering. They see to the needy, look after strangers, and care for the sick. They seek to do good for others, as they would have others do for them. Kind tempers support mercy, forgiveness, and generosity. Kindness is tied to the theological virtue of Charity or love, which means doing God's work by giving as much of oneself as possible. It counters the capital vice of Envy, which is the jealous desire to "even the score" between oneself and others with whom there is a perceived imbalance. Acts done with envy are hateful and cruel, designed primarily to punish and destroy. It differs from Avarice in that the envious character wants to hurt those who prosper, not possess what is theirs.

Exempla Gratia: The priest realizes that the new residents have fallen on hard times, and encourages his Kind parish to share what little they have with their neighbors. The village carpenter builds them some new furniture, which is of particularly high quality, and in thanks the man performs a holy ritual designed to protect the carpenter's house from evil spirits, which is also more effective than normal. When a jealous neighbor tries to spy on them, they easily spot her and run her off, and the rest of the village seems uninterested in her gossiping.

BRAVE

Bravery and courage represent characters' ability to hold their ground, or advance in the face of opposition or great risk. Brave characters might undertake dangerous adventures, work diligently at a difficult task, or valiantly charge an enemy. They persist and pursue their ideals no matter what the cost, and are not easily swayed by fright or fatigue. The capital vice this temper opposes is Sloth, which is a physical and spiritual laziness that prevents characters from doing what needs to be done, either because they fear the consequences of their actions or cannot believe they will succeed. Like Wrath, this vice is usually based in cowardice, but in this case the characters will flee or hide, or stand petrified and unable to move. The temper's cardinal virtue is Courage, in which the character finds the heart to continue and the zeal to strive for greater and better things.

Exempla Gratia: Wolves attack the village, and the priest prays for God to aid the brave men and women fighting to protect their homes. Those of them who stand their ground against the animals soon defeat them, sending them off into the night. A few of the wolves try to hide and sneak back into the village, but they are easily caught and routed by the perceptive guards.

WISE

Characters who are aware of their limitations and strive to overcome them can be said to be Wise. They behave in traditional and tested methods of overcoming temptation or folly, and strive to act in ways that set a good example for others. While knowledge and experience can aid them in this, they also possess an innate affinity for moral right and wrong. A Wise temper triumphs when reason overpowers base desires. Lust is the corresponding vice, found in those who give in to physical needs and the reckless abandonment of caution. It can indicate carnal pleasures, but also lust for fantasy and illusion, which lead to an inability to treat people and things as they truly are, but rather imagining what they might be. The cardinal virtue is Prudence; meaning practicality and chastity, being more mindful of the consequences of one's actions than the fulfillment of fleeting impulses.

Exempla Gratia: The priest is worried that the people in his parish will behave foolishly during the traditional revelry of the holidays. He tempers the aura to encourage Wisdom. Sure enough, one of the women has too much to drink, and it goes right to her head. She dances and jokes, but her witticisms fall flat, and when she tries to seduce a young man, he sees through her misguided intentions and convinces her to go home instead.

STRONG

Strength of mind, body, and will indicates an ability to overcome distractions and do without unnecessary luxury. This temper governs self-control, and how characters deal with hardship that comes from within. Strong characters are healthy, practice virtuous moderation and restraint, and are thus better able to resist temptation. The temper opposes the capital vice of Gluttony, which indicates an excessive appreciation of fine living. It is essentially the inability to satiate oneself, a sort of greed for the pleasures of excess. Unlike Envy or Avarice, Gluttony is tied to desire, and unlike Lust this desire is inherently selfish and self-centered, deliberate rather than impulsive. A glutton is an addict. Those who practice the cardinal virtue of Temperance resist this sort of overindulgence, which is found not just in food and drink, but in all ways by which characters coerce themselves into sin.

Exempla Gratia: The winter becomes even more severe, and the new family fears that they will not have enough fuel if they do not ration more carefully. Their father asks the priest to help, and he invokes a Strong temper that makes everyone better able to endure the cold. However, when the father tries to use his holy powers to create more wood he does not succeed, so instead he sends his daughter out to forage. A mischievous faerie tries to coerce her into its hut just beyond the edges of the Dominion, but she more easily resists the faerie magic and escapes home.

JUST

This temper is concerned with fairness and the decision to do the right thing despite personal wants and desires. Just characters accept that there are consequences for acts that bend or ignore the rules. They give others their due and do not deprive them of that to which they are entitled. These actions come from the cardinal virtue of Justice — a kind of general even-handedness for everyone. Opposite this is the capital vice of Avarice — the greed for material goods and the desire to take more than one's fair share. An avaricious character cares little for codes of conduct, but instead seeks to acquire by any means necessary, cheating and even stealing when given the opportunity. Avarice is sometimes called the root of all sin, in that most sinful actions stem from unreasonable want — thus it is said that the love of money is the root of all evil.

Exempla Gratia: The lord of the village is concerned that someone has been hunting his game without permission. The priest vows to help the investigation and tempers the aura to Justice. His men question the suspects, and quickly discern who is lying and who is telling the truth, though they do not discover any information related to the missing deer. The faerie in the wood soon finds that its magic is even less effective than usual in the Dominion, and is subsequently caught trying to lead the stolen deer through the wood.

Personality Traits

In order to play holy characters, you must already have some idea of how they behave virtuously, and these tendencies are probably described as part of your character's Personality Traits. This makes it easy for you to tell at a glance how your characters act in any given situation by comparing the values of traits that seem applicable. It also gives you some idea of how your characters don't act, especially when they are tempted or manipulated by outside forces. By determining which traits are similar enough to lead to the same sorts of behavior, and how these traits directly oppose other traits, you can better understand and play your characters.

To this end, you might wish to associate each of your character's Personality traits with a particular virtue or vice. The tempers listed here are a good model, as it is convenient if they correspond to the various tempers that holy characters might invoke; they are each listed below with their opposing vices, and each has several related Personality traits.

TEMPER	POSITIVE TRAITS	OPPOSES	NEGATIVE TRAITS
Loyal	Dedicated, Faithful, Humble, Proud Reliable, Trusting	Proud	Arrogant, Haughty, Rebellious, Suspicious, Vain
Calm	Cheerful, Hopeful, Optimistic, Patient, Peaceful	Wrathful	Angry, Desperate, Spiteful, Vengeful, Violent
Kind	Charitable, Compassionate, Forgiving, Generous, Merciful	Envious	Cruel, Gossipy, Gruff, Jealous, Meddlesome
Brave	Bold, Courageous, Determined, Ready, Zealous	Slothful	Cowardly, Cynical, Indecisive, Lazy, Shy
Wise	Careful, Cautious, Chaste, Practical, Prudent	Lustful	Fanatical, Lecherous, Naïve, Overconfident, Reckless
Strong	Healthy, Pious, Selfless, Temperate, Vigilant	Greedy	Gluttonous, Indulgent, Selfish, Sickly, Weak
Just	Even-handed, Fair, Honest, Honorable, Straightforward	Avaricious	Avaricious Ambitious, Corrupt, Cunning, Devious, Manipulative

To indicate which temper or sin a Personality trait is associated with, you can simply note it afterward: e.g. Dedicated +3 (Loyal) or Cruel +3 (Envious). When dealing with opposing tempers or sins, treat the trait's value as negative. For example, Dedicated +3 (Loyal) also means a character is Proud –3, and Cruel +3 (Envious) is the same as Kind –3.

All Personality traits do not need to fit perfectly into this model, but those that do can be applied to greater effect when combined with holy influence and other aspects of the game that deal with human behavior.

When a character has two Personality traits that conflict with each other, or several different traits that could apply to the current situation, the player simply chooses which one is most applicable. Just as it is possible for a character to have conflicting traits, however, it is possible for the same aura to have multiple tempers. This occurs when two different leaders have spiritual authority and invoke different tempers in the same aura, either by visiting the aura themselves or by authorizing and sending delegates. In such cases, both a bonus and a penalty might affect the same action, effectively canceling each other out. This is called schism, and happens when those who represent the Divine turn upon themselves, usually over questions of opposing doctrine, faiths, or heresy.

In 1220, large parts of Mythic Europe are in schism: Iberia, as the Christian Reconquista fights back the Muslim armies; Southern France, after the denunciation of the Cathar heresy and the declaration of the Albigensian Crusade; Byzantium, where the Eastern and Western churches irreconcilably disagree on matters of doctrine and authority; and the Holy Land, where Christians and Muslims struggle for control over Jerusalem and other places sacred to both of their faiths. Even the great cities of Europe can suffer conflict as both Jews and Christians influence their shared Dominion.

Schism is very troubling, often leading to feelings of confusion, unease, or spiritual indifference within the people of the area, and fortunately it does not happen very often. However, it is a good way to demonstrate how different faiths can still serve God even when they fight among themselves.

It is a common practice, among peasants, nobles, and clergy alike, to invoke God's aid when embarking upon a venture of some sort. While this practice is less common (though not unknown) in Christian Europe, where people normally pray to saints to intercede with God on their behalf, among Muslims and Jews, for whom such holy figures have less importance, frequent invocations are made directly to God, in the hope that He will aid them in their efforts.

In this section we present rules for invoking God's blessing on endeavors. The mechanics are intended to be universal and reflect realities on the ground as much as the application of doctrine, even when doctrine might forbid a character from invoking God's aid in a given situation; for example, the three major religious traditions restrict participation in holy war to men, but it is apparent from the historical sources that women did take part, either as camp followers or sometimes on the front line, and their participation was not always disapproved of. For game purposes it has been assumed that any character, regardless of gender, race, or social status, may invoke God's aid in any endeavor that he or she undertakes. The only other game restriction on who may invoke God's aid is that the character must be able to expend a Confidence Point; thus God's aid may not be invoked by either grogs or characters with the Major General Flaw Low Self-Esteem. As an exception, any character with the Major General Virtue True Faith may invoke God's aid by expending a Faith Point, even if the character does not have a Confidence Score.

To invoke God's aid, the character has only to utter a simple prayer aloud and expend the Confidence or Faith Point. The player should then roll a stress die and add the character's Communication and Dominion Lore Ability.

INVOKING GOD'S AID: stress die + Communication + Dominion Lore

Note that seeking God's aid should be a matter of pious reverence not taken lightly, and failure to do this can result in the unintentional provocation of divine wrath. Thus if the player rolls a zero, at least three Botch dice must be rolled, and storyguides should make botches particularly nasty and suitably indicative of divine disfavor. The character might suddenly be struck dumb or blind for his presumptuousness, or rendered clumsy or mentally slow with a penalty to die rolls. These are simply examples; storyguides should feel free to impose other perhaps more fitting punishments. However, it should be possible to remove the effects by doing suitable penance.

Divine Aid Bonus Table

EASE FACTOR	BONUS
9+	+1
15+	+2
24+	+3 (maximum bonus)

Compare the total rolled to the Divine Aid Bonus Table to see what, if any, bonus the character receives to rolls made during the scene as a result of his or her efforts. The bonus may be added to any rolls made during the scene, provided that they are clearly and unambiguously being made to further the objective for which the character requested Divine Aid. Within this limit, the bonus may be applied to any roll the player makes, including spell-casting rolls, but the bonus will cease to operate as soon as the player fails a roll or at the end of the scene (as dictated by the storyguide), whichever comes first.

Exempla Gratia: Mansur, the Muslim emir of Semita Errabunda, is about to enter combat with a Christian knight. He decides to invoke God's aid for the combat, so he utters a short prayer as he draws his sword. Mansur's player expends a Confidence Point and rolls a stress die, rolling a 7. He then adds Mansur's Communication (2). His final total is 9, just giving him a +1 bonus to his rolls. Niall, Mansur's player, hopes that he does not fail a roll in the near future, as the knight sounds awfully dangerous.

Characters with spiritual authority may also invoke God's aid on the behalf of a group of followers, which may be as small as a group of two or three parishioners or as large as an entire army! In order to do this, the character must essentially pray on their behalf, blessing them and invoking his ceremonial influence. As in the case of individuals, the character should utter a prayer for God's aid and expend a Confidence or Faith Point. The player should then roll a stress die and add the character's Communication and Dominion Lore. Consult the Divine Aid Bonus Table to see what bonus the character's followers receive. The character who invoked divine aid also receives this bonus.

Invoking God's Aid in Warfare

The Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions all contain doctrines on religiously sanctioned warfare and its pursuit. As indicated above, characters may invoke God's aid in combat; however, there are a number of additional points that must be take into consideration if they wish to do so:

Characters may invoke God's aid in all sorts of military conflict, be they simple duels, group skirmishes, or fullscale battlefield encounters, but may only do so if the enemy is seen as an infidel or heretic. Thus Latin Christians, for example, may invoke God's aid against non-Latin Christians as well as Muslims, Jews, pagans, and so on, while Sunni Muslims may invoke God's aid against non-Sunni Muslims, Jews, Christians, pagans, and so forth. In the example given, Mansur can only invoke divine aid against his opponent because he is a Muslim and his opponent is a Christian. God's aid may also be invoked against supernatural menaces that are not affiliated to or do not belong to the Divine realm, such as faeries, demons, and magi. It is possible for both sides in a battle to invoke God's aid against each other and for both sides to be successful in doing so; in such cases the deity chooses to support both sides for reasons beyond the understanding of mere mortals. As a side note, the storyguide should feel free to apply this restriction in non-combat situations, should it seem appropriate.

If a recipient of a Divine Aid bonus is part of a Trained Group (see Ars Magica 5th Edition, pages 172- 173) the character's Divine Aid bonus is added to the usual bonus to combat rolls generated by the group. This may cause the group's combat bonus to exceed the usual limit of three times the group leader's Leadership score, but if more than one character in the group is receiving God's aid, only the highest Divine Aid Bonus applies to the group's combat bonus. All Divine Aid bonuses received by any members of the group are lost either as soon as the group fails a die roll or when the group voluntarily or involuntarily splits, whichever comes first.

Please see the following chapters on the three religious traditions for more background information on each faith's holy war teachings.

Characters with the Ceremony Supernatural Virtue (see New Abilities) may use that Ability to increase their totals when leading a group in prayer. Add each participant's Communication + Dominion Lore to the total.

Secular and religious leaders in Ars Magica are not merely rulers of areas of territory or religious communities. Rather, they are divinely appointed figures, ruling by the will of God, as expressed through the religious ceremonies by which their positions are confirmed. Such ceremonies are normally carried out by the religious leaders of communities or their subordinates. Both the religious and secular rulers receive certain benefits deriving from their positions, as follows:

1. God frequently intervenes to protect them from harm. They receive a Magic Resistance score with the value listed below and a bonus to their Soak equal to their Magic Resistance score divided by 5.
2. They have a commanding aura that extends to Voice Range. This has an effect equivalent to that of the Hermetic spell Aura of Rightful Authority (ReMe 20), affecting all within earshot of the individual. The Penetration of this power is 0, meaning that most Hermetic magi will be unaffected; in fact, most Hermetic magi have little respect for mundane authorities.

In the Latin Christian world, the supreme religious leader is the Pope, with a Magic Resistance of 25. Cardinals have a Magic Resistance of 20, while archbishops have a Magic Resistance of 10. The kings of Latin Christian countries, once crowned by the religious authorities of their realms, have Magic Resistance of 10.

Until the conquest of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade in 1204, the Byzantine emperor, as head of the Greek Orthodox Church, had a Magic Resistance of 25. Now the claimants to the Byzantine Empire in Nicaea, Trebizond and Epirus have Magic Resistance of 10, once crowned by their respective religious authorities. The rulers of other eastern Christian states, such as Georgia and Armenia, also have Magic Resistance of 10 once suitably crowned. Patriarchs of the Greek Orthodox Church have Magic Resistance of 20, while their archbishops or metropolitans have Magic Resistance of 10. Heads of other eastern churches have Magic Resistance of 25, while their subordinates have Magic Resistance of 20 or 10, depending on their seniority.

In the Muslim world, the ultimate religious authority in Baghdad is the 'Abbasid caliph, who has Magic Resistance of 25. Rivaling him are the Shi'i imams and the Almohad caliph, who also have Magic Resistance of 25. The chief qadis and muftis of the Muslim states have Magic Resistance of 20, while their senior subordinates have Magic Resistance of 10. Muslim sultans, once officially invested by their respective religious leaders, have Magic Resistance scores of 10.

The exilarch of Baghdad, as the head of the Jews, has Magic Resistance of 25. Chief rabbis have Magic Resistance of 20, while other senior rabbis have Magic Resistance of 10. Any Jewish kings would have Magic Resistance of 10.

Wives, once suitably crowned, married, or invested, have Magic Resistance, Soak bonuses and commanding auras matching those of their husbands.

Exempla Gratia: The current sultan of Egypt, al-Kamil, has been officially invested as sultan by the 'Abbasid caliph, al-Nasir. As a result, both al-Kamil and his wives have Magic Resistance score of 10. His investiture also grants them a Soak bonus of +2, and they radiate a commanding aura up to Voice range, such that anyone within earshot of them will be subject to the equivalent of Aura of Rightful Authority.

It is common, particularly in the Christian world, for rulers to carry relics. These provide the benefits listed in the section on Relics in this chapter. It should be noted, in particular, that the Magic Resistance provided by the most powerful relic carried by the ruler is added to his inherent Magic Resistance, providing him with an increased score. This does not affect his Soak score or commanding aura.

Exempla Gratia: Henry I, the crowned king of Cyprus, has an inherent Magic Resistance of 10. He carries a large fragment of the True Cross — a relic containing 2 Faith Points. This relic provides him with a +20 bonus to his Magic Resistance, granting him a total Magic Resistance of 30! However, he still only has a Soak bonus of +2.

Should a religious or secular leader be subject to excommunication or similar sanctions, the leader will lose the benefits described above until suitable penitential measures are taken, but only if the leader accepts the sanctions as valid. It is actually God, rather than the clergy, who determines how much favor to give to leaders, and by the same token only He can take it away again. This means, in practice, that such sanctions will rarely have an effect on leaders, as they normally regard themselves as justified in disobeying their religious authorities. However, the storyguide may indeed deem it appropriate to withdraw the benefits granted by the commanding aura if a leader has genuinely incurred direct divine displeasure, such as by falling into mortal sin.

Player Characters and the Commanding Aura

It is entirely possible for player characters to rise through the appropriate ecclesiastical or secular ranks to the point that they will themselves be the conferrers of the commanding aura. The actual ceremonies of investiture used in the Mythic world vary from region to region and culture to culture, ranging from complicated ceremonies lasting many hours to the simple presentation of a letter or title-deed. However, the rules governing the conferral of the commanding aura are the same in all cases, and are as follows.

1. The character may only confer the commanding aura on another character if the conferring character has authorization from his or her superiors in the appropriate hierarchy. This rule enables storyguides to prevent unscrupulous players from, for example, crowning several grogs in order to give them all Magic Resistance.
2. A character may not confer a Magic Resistance and Soak bonus greater than that he or she possesses. Thus an archbishop, for example, may not invest a cardinal or pope with Magic Resistance or a Soak bonus, as the archbishop does not have a commanding aura as strong as that of a cardinal or pope. Those at the top of the hierarchy, such as the Pope or the Caliph, receive their commanding aura directly from God upon appointment.
3. During the actual ceremony, the conferring character becomes a temporary channel for divine power, something that while exhilarating also requires intense physical and mental focus. The conferring character must spend a Confidence or Faith Point in order to channel the divine energies successfully, otherwise the ceremony simply has no effect.

From the wood of the True Cross and the Holy Lance to the Prophet's Seal Ring and the Brazen Serpent of Moses, in the eyes of practitioners of all three of the monotheistic religious traditions there are certain objects that receive special respect and veneration. These relics range from the physical remains of important religious figures, such as finger bones, blood, and hair, through objects constructed, blessed, used by, or dedicated to them, such as staves, rings, and clothes, to the containers and wrappings in which the original relics were kept (known as brandea), which are themselves regarded as having become imbued with the sanctity of the objects. Such relics have uncanny powers that can be called upon by the faithful in times of need.

It is in Christianity that relics make their most frequent appearance. Since the earliest days of the faith, the physical remains of and objects used by religious figures have been viewed as foci of divine power in the earthly realm. By 1220, a number of practices have become associated with relics. They form an important part of the Cult of Saints, providing physical representations of the saints in the world. As a direct result, shrines and churches in which relics are kept are frequently the objects of pilgrimages, made either to seek help in difficulty or sickness, or to perform penance for sins, though "portable" relics may be used by the faithful in the same way. Not only are relics used by the faithful to focus their attentions as they pray to the saints to intercede for them with God, but they themselves are treated in ways that attest to their representation of either the will of the saint or the saint's neglect of the needs of the people.

Relics are sometimes subjected to a process known as humiliation, by which they are subjected by the clergy to some form of physical humbling, such as removal from their outer reliquaries (in the case of relics stored in smaller containers placed within larger ones), being placed on the floor or buried, or being covered with a cloth. This procedure can serve one of two purposes: either the saint's relics are "punished" for allowing misfortune to fall on the people, in the hope that the saint will take action to heal the ill he or she has allowed to occur, or the relics are treated in this way to persuade the laity to return to pious or peaceful behavior that they may have abandoned. For example, in 1060, in Blaringhem in Flanders, the relics of Saint Ursmar were placed on the floor of the church in order to persuade the local lord, Hugh, to show clemency to a knight who had killed one of his followers. The relics were taken to represent the saint symbolically "begging" Hugh to be merciful, and he was indeed moved to pardon the murderer.

Relics are also used in judicial procedures, as criminals are sometimes required to swear their innocence upon them, with the expectation that they will be struck down if they perjure themselves. By the same token, other oaths are also taken on relics, in order to cement their binding nature.

As objects of great power and value, relics are periodically translated, stolen, sold, traded, or otherwise moved from one location to another. In cases where a theft or other illegal acquisition has occurred, if the effort is successful it is often assumed that the saint inspired the criminal, with the success indicating that the saint wanted the relics to be moved, and so attempts are not always made to recover them.

From time to time one also comes across multiple relics representing the same thing; for example, there are several heads of John the Baptist located in both Europe and the Middle East. Generally, in such cases the Divine has allowed more than one object to represent the same person or object, but characters may encounter unscrupulous individuals who will seek to sell them fake (and ineffective) relics, claiming that they are genuine.

Sample Relics

The following are relics that are important to more than one monotheistic tradition. For relics that are specific to only one of the monotheistic religions, see the appropriate chapters.

THE ARK OF THE COVENANT

Built to carry the tablets of the Law given to Moses by God, the Ark of the Covenant was carried by the Jews throughout their journey from Egypt to the Holy Land. Eventually it was placed in the debir (Holy of Holies) in the Temple of Solomon, where it remained until the city was taken by troops from Babylon in 587 B.C. What became of it then is unknown. Some say it was hidden, while others say it was carried off by the victorious Babylonians. Whatever happened, it has never been found again.

The Ark is an immensely powerful relic, which would be best used by storyguides as the focus for a saga or at least a major adventure. For Jews it has a Faith score of 10, giving it 10 Faith points and a Divine Might of 100. It is also important to the Christians and Muslims, for whom it has a Faith score of 7, though the Divine Might remains 100. In addition, the storyguide should feel free to give the Ark any powers that seem appropriate for the purposes of the story.

THE HEAD OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

Regarded in Christianity as the precursor to Jesus and in Islam as one of the prophets who preceded Muhammad, John the Baptist (Yahya in Arabic) was beheaded during the life of Christ by King Herod at the request of his daughter Salome. What became of the head afterwards in unclear, but there are now several churches and mosques claiming to have the head, as far apart as Amiens in France, Constantinople in the Byzantine Empire, and Damascus in Syria. Of course, if the head has been miraculously duplicated by God, it is possible that all will be equally effective as relics.

A head of John the Baptist has a Faith score of 5, giving it 5 Faith Points and a Divine Might of 50, usable by Christians and Muslims. The head may also be used to invoke the Saint Powers Resist Temptation and The Faithful Made Whole.

NEHUSHTAN

During their travels through the wilderness, the Israelites incurred the wrath of God, who sent fiery serpents among them that killed many of them. However, Moses interceded for his people, and God instructed him to set up a brazen image of a serpent that would heal all who looked upon it. This image, later named Nehushtan, was carried by the Israelites with them to the Holy Land, where they burned incense in its honor. Centuries later it was broken into pieces by King Hezekiah during his fight against paganism.

What became of the pieces of Nehushtan is not known. It might be, however, that if they could be recovered, the serpent re-assembled, and appropriate religious sacrifices made, then the serpent would again become a conduit of God's power on earth. It is likely that the re-assembled brazen serpent would be a relatively minor relic, most useful to Jews but also important to Christians and Muslims, who also accord Moses importance in the history of their faiths. For Jews, the relic would have a Faith score of 3, giving it 3 Faith points and a Divine Might of 30. For Christians and Muslims, the Faith score would be reduced to 2, though the Divine Might score would remain 30. The serpent would also be imbued with the Saint Power Mass Healing, which would be cast upon any group of people who looked at the serpent and prayed together for healing. Once the serpent's Might was exhausted, it would not perform any more acts of healing until the following sunrise.

Nehushtan

Then they went on from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, going round the land of Edom: and the spirit of the people was overcome with weariness on the way. And crying out against God and against Moses, they said, "Why have you taken us out of Egypt to come to our death in the waste land? For there is no bread and no water, and this poor bread is disgusting to us." Then the Lord sent poison-snakes among the people; and their bites were a cause of death to numbers of the people of Israel. Then the people came to Moses and said, "We have done wrong in crying out against the Lord and against you: make prayer to the Lord to take away the snakes from us." So Moses made prayer for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, "Make an image of a snake and put it on a rod, and anyone who has been wounded by the snakes, looking on it will be made well." So Moses made a snake of brass and put it on a rod; and anyone who had a snake bite, after looking on the snake of brass, was made well. - Numbers 21: 4-9

Relics are actually relatively rare in the Jewish and Muslim faiths. This is a result of two major influential factors. The first of these is that both traditions strictly forbid idolatry, and the veneration that is accorded relics in the Christian world smacks too much of this sort of worship for the Jewish or Muslim mind. The second reason is that both religions also strictly forbid the disturbance of graves. Thus few Jewish or Muslim relics are human remains, instead taking the form of other items.

All relics have a number of common powers, listed below:

1. Faith: All relics contain a Faith score, giving it Faith Points that may be used to give the carrier Magic Resistance and also be used as Confidence (for full details, see Ars Magica 5th Edition, Chapter 12: Realms, The Divine Realm and the section on True Faith in this book).

2. Divine Might: All relics have a Divine Might score, which limits how often their powers may be used (effectively preventing characters from over-using their powers). The Might score also acts as Magic Resistance for the relic against any spells or supernatural effects that target it directly. A relic's Divine Might is equal to the relic's Faith score (or highest Faith score, if more than one applies) multiplied by 10, and is refreshed with every sunrise.

3. Scourging the Infernal: As supremely holy items, relics are anathema to demons and their followers. Relics radiate an aura of hostility to such creatures that extends a number of feet equal to the Might score of the relic. Any creatures belonging to the Infernal realm that seek to enter this aura will be unable to do so if their Infernal Might does not exceed the Divine Might of the relic. Should they succeed in entering the aura, every round that they remain within it they will be assailed by divine energies causing an amount of damage equal to the Might of the relic, although their Soak still protects them as normal. The assault is accompanied by suitably dramatic visual effects, such as holy fire, lightning, or whatever the storyguide feels is appropriate. It ends as soon as they leave the aura. This power does not affect characters or creatures merely affiliated with the Infernal realm, though they will feel discomfort if they handle the relics for extended periods of time.

In addition, some relics have powers specific to them. In the case of relics of saints, these powers usually match those of the saint to whom they once belonged. In the case of other relics, the powers are conferred directly by Divine Will. (For more information on these powers, see Mythic Christianity, Saints.)

The powers of most relics only work for followers of one of the monotheistic faiths, and such items, while not harmful to followers of other religions (with the exception of worshippers of the Infernal), are simply of no immediate use to them. However, there are some relics that are respected by members of two or even all three religions. In such cases, and particularly in cases where a relic has reduced importance to followers of one tradition in comparison to its importance to followers of another tradition, what powers are available to followers of each tradition should be listed in its description. By the same token, it should be noted when a relic's powers will only function for a group of believers within a tradition (such as only Shi'i Muslims or only Greek Orthodox Christians). The storyguide should also feel free to override these rules, should it be appropriate for the story.

Naturally, all powers of a relic, both common and specific, will cease to function in situations when the person who carries it behaves impiously. For example, if the bearer of a portable relic behaves in an inappropriate fashion, they will find themselves unable to make use of the relic until a suitable act of contrition is performed. By the same token, a whole community may suddenly find itself deprived of the benefits of a stationary relic if some or all of them behave in a manner that offends the Divine; the sudden withdrawal of divine favor may serve as a warning that some among them are performing acts of darkest evil.

Characters associated with the divine may learn the ability to perform limited (though still miraculous) supernatural effects in a reliable fashion. This procedure requires the combination of two kinds of Supernatural Abilities: Methods and Powers. A Method is combined with a Power to produce an effect, which is treated much like casting a Hermetic spell or activating an enchanted item. Methods describe what characters must do to activate the effect, while Powers describe all the effects that are possible with particular Methods.

To produce an effect, the character must have an Ability score in both the Power and the Method. The player designs the effect he is trying to produce according to the guidelines given below, and notes the resulting Level. Then, the character performs the activity associated with the Method, and once this is completed, the player rolls a simple die and adds it to the following formula: (the Characteristic associated with the Method) + (the character's Method score) + (the character's score in the Power) + the aura bonus, if there is one. If this result equals or exceeds the target Level, the effect occurs.

EFFECT TOTAL: simple die + (Characteristic) + (Method) + (Power) + Aura Bonus

If this total is less than the target Level, the effect doesn't happen, but there might be other effects instead, in the form of supernatural retribution. This is called a tragedy of hubris. It might manifest as a curse, a loss of ability, fatigue, a physical injury, or even a Flaw. It is also a great opportunity for an appropriate story event. This tragedy usually lasts only until the character has somehow atoned or made amends for his presumptuous actions, though the effects are sometimes permanent, depending on the severity of the transgression.

Characters with True Faith may be less likely to experience tragedies when using Holy Powers, as there is less presumption involved in their striving for miraculous effects beyond their understanding. They may substitute their (Faith score x 10) for their effect total when determining if they would suffer a tragedy of hubris. For example, a holy character attempts an effect of level 30, but only rolls a total of 15. Normally, this might result in a major tragedy in addition to having no effect, but if he had Faith 3, the character would be safe. If he had only a Faith score of 2, a minor tragedy might occur instead.

At the storyguide's discretion, holy characters might also suffer a tragedy of hubris whenever they perform an evil act, transgress against their religion, or botch a roll involving Faith points. Any reduction of a character's Faith score could also signify a tragedy of hubris, and conversely these tragedies might be accompanied with a loss of Faith.

Tragedies of Hubris

MINOR TRAGEDY (–1 TO –10)

• A Method, Power or other Supernatural Ability is halved
• Gain a Minor Flaw, e.g. Lesser Malediction, Fear, Poor Memory, Simple-Minded
• Suffer a Light Wound
• Receive three extra botch dice on all rolls
• Gain a Warping point

MAJOR TRAGEDY (–11 TO –20)

• A Method, Power or other Supernatural Ability is lost
• Gain a Major Flaw, e.g. Greater Malediction, Lycanthrope, Blind, or Enfeebled
• Suffer a Heavy Wound
• Permanently suffer a minor tragedy
• Gain a Decrepitude point

ULTIMATE TRAGEDY (–21 OR MORE)

• All Supernatural Abilities are lost
• Character possessed by a supernatural creature
• Suffer an Incapacitating Wound
• Permanently suffer a major tragedy
• A terrible plague, war, or famine affects the entire region

Methods are the means of calling Powers into effect. There are three types of Methods that a holy character might employ for this purpose.

Invocation: By addressing God and the servants of the Divine, commanding them by their names, and entreating them for aid, you can cause holy effects to manifest. This might be because they hear your pleas and intervene on your behalf, or because your understanding of God's word is such that you can wield His power using His voice. This typically relies on Communication, and requires that the character invest Confidence in the effect.

Meditation: Through some mundane activity that occupies the mind and relaxes the body, you concentrate your thoughts upon the Divine and slowly enter an ecstatic state where you can examine yourself and your thoughts and even gain insight into the Will of God. Effects associated with Meditation are usually based in Intelligence and are introspective and intensely personal.

Purity: You may create holy effects by going without food, drink, sleep, or other bodily needs, to purify your spirit and flesh. This allows you to bring about changes to the physical world that seem natural and yet miraculous, effects that seem to come from inside the target rather than from heaven or your own holiness. The skill tends to require great Stamina, and usually costs long-term Fatigue to activate.

Methods and Powers are learned and taught as Supernatural Abilities, which are usually linked to a group of like-minded people called a tradition. A holy tradition is often based in a particular faith, and suggests the sorts of things the characters do in service to the Divine. Traditions are not themselves religions, however, but rather broad cultural or philosophical attitudes toward miracles; while they tend to attract like-minded followers, characters from different faiths can belong to the same tradition.

At the most basic level, holy traditions are organized around the divine Abilities that define how they serve God. These are called favored Abilities — each tradition only favors a few Abilities, usually Methods and Powers, though this sometimes includes other Supernatural Abilities as well. Their powers are not necessarily unique, as two different traditions might essentially use the same Method or Power, perhaps only calling it by another term. The actions necessary to activate a Method might vary from tradition to tradition, of course. Or, it may be that a particular tradition is the only source of a particular Method — a secret guarded closely by its adherents.

Just as characters with The Gift may learn Magical Supernatural Abilities, characters with True Faith may learn Supernatural Abilities associated with the Divine realm. And, if they study one of their tradition's favored Abilities, they do not have to subtract the total of their Supernatural Ability scores from their Advancement Total (as described in Ars Magica 5th Edition, page 166). However, characters may only ever receive this benefit from one tradition; there is no mechanical advantage to joining a second tradition after learning the favored Abilities of another. That is, they can still learn new Supernatural Abilities, but with the study penalty.

Other characters can join a tradition, but without True Faith they cannot learn the favored Abilities. These Abilities are also available as Virtues, though, and this is another way that holy characters can gain access to them. Virtues are usually taken only during character creation, but it may also be possible for a holy tradition to initiate members into Supernatural Abilities like a mystery cult. Rules that can be adapted for this process will be described in a later supplement, The Mysteries (Revised).

Through their tradition, holy characters may also gain access to the Arcane Abilities that help control holy effects and teach them about the Divine realm. These typically include Dominion Lore, Finesse, and Penetration. Characters in the same tradition will usually teach each other various Academic and General Abilities useful to their purpose as well, though of course any characters can learn these Abilities from someone willing to teach them.

A sample holy tradition is described below, and three others may be found in the chapters that follow.

Creating New Traditions

To create a new holy tradition, you should first figure out how it differs from the others. This will help you describe any unusual Methods or Powers associated with it. If you invent a new Method, you should carefully consider how it interacts with existing Powers — it should be associated with at least two of them. It is easier to simply create a new Supernatural Ability based on one of the three Methods given here. If you design a new Power, it must be associated with at least one Method. Once you have these worked out, you should assign your new tradition a maximum of four favored Abilities, though newer or isolated traditions probably have fewer than the more established ones.

HOLY TRADITION: ASCETICS

Favored Abilities: Adjuration, Cursing, Purity, Second Sight

Ascetics practice ritual purity of mind and body, and so distance themselves from the physical world to become closer to the spiritual. They take vows of selfsacrifice, usually based on obedience and humility, and live their lives according to a rigid and spiritual code of laws that makes it easier for them to resist temptation and drive away evil. Many ascetics are especially aware of boundaries between worlds, perceiving creatures that exist only in spirit, and are rarely fooled by illusions and fantasy.

Most Christian ascetics follow the Rule of one of the holy orders, though the same practice of starving the flesh to feed the soul is found among hermits and holy folk throughout Mythic Europe. Thus, ascetics may follow any faith associated with the Divine, and can be found in every part of the medieval world. Like the many saintly men and women described in early medieval legends, they are wellprotected against spirits and their prayers bring powerful curses upon their enemies. They are a good choice for a "generic" holy character.

A Power is a Supernatural Ability associated with several related effects, each one with a target level and linked to at least one Method. Many of these Powers are described below. Characters may take any Power as a Major Supernatural Virtue, and those with True Faith may learn them from others in their tradition, as described above. When a Power is activated with a Method, it produces an effect. Guidelines for these effects and examples are given below, organized by the Power associated with them.

For convenience, you should calculate the range, duration, and target of holy effects just as you would Hermetic magic, though holy traditions might use different categories (such as those found in Holy Magic, below). For example, to affect a group of targets by touch, you would add three magnitudes to an effect's given level (+1 for Touch and +2 for Group). This also holds true for targets of unusual size, or for effects that target the senses. As always, the storyguide may feel free to adjust the resulting level because of particularly intricate or flashy effects, or simply to balance the power level of the game.

Miraculous effects that would require an Arcane Connection in Hermetic magic use a holy connection instead. For the most part, holy connections are formed through religious ceremonies and prayer. In general, anything that bonds people together through a religious ceremony can create a holy connection between them. Objects and places with holy connections are rarer; if the character is particularly associated with it, has holy authority over it, or has consecrated it in God's name, he may consider himself to have a holy connection to it.

Hermetic limitations to Duration and Target do not apply to holy effects, since holy characters do not have rituals or need vis. Instead, the Level is increased by 20. Some of these guidelines include creation with permanent duration, which for magic would require a ritual. For comparison, holy effects generally add four magnitudes for a Boundary target, Year duration, or permanent duration. Thus "Permanently heal a Light Wound" has a base level of 35 instead of 15, and a level 5 effect that targets a Boundary would be Level 45 instead of 25.

Holy Powers are associated with the Divine realm, but are essentially only tools that a holy character wields. For a person who commits murder or theft using a holy effect, for example, it is the same as if he had killed or stolen with his own hands. Characters who abuse their Powers may find that they cease to function, for God will not allow evil work to be done in His name. Still, holy characters tend to have a lot of leeway as long as their intentions are good, for they serve God above all, and God recognizes that in complicated circumstances it is not always easy to tell right from wrong.

Effect Combinations by Method

The three Methods are used to activate the seven Powers in the following combinations.

INVOCATION

Adjuration

Blessing

Cursing

Wonders

MEDITATION

Blessing

Intervention

Transcendence

Understanding

PURITY

Adjuration

Cursing

Intervention

Transcendence

Effect Combinations by Power

The seven Powers combine with the three Methods as below.

ADJURATION

Invocation Purity

BLESSING

Invocation

Meditation

CURSING

Invocation

Purity

INTERVENTION

Meditation

Purity

TRANSCENDENCE

Meditation

Purity

UNDERSTANDIC

Meditation

WONDERS

Invocation

Creating New Powers and Effects

New effects can be based on the Hermetic spell guidelines, and you can make them easier or more difficult depending on how you imagine holy characters using them. Each effect should be described as a combination of a Method and a Power, which means that it simply can be part of an existing Power, paired with a particular Method. If it seems more appropriate as a completely new Power, you can design a new Supernatural Ability to represent it, though you must still choose a Method describing how the character calls the effect.

Adjuration

He said to me: "The name of the Prince of the Torah is Yofiel, and everyone who seeks him must sit for forty days in fast, eat his bread with salt, and must not eat any kind of defilement; he must perform twentyfour immersions, and not look at any kind of colored garments; his eyes must be cast to the ground.

"And he must pray with all his strength, direct his heart to his prayer, and seal himself with his own seal, and pronounce twelve utterances.

"He must pronounce letters so that he will not be harmed;

"He must raise his eyes to heaven so that he does not die;

"He must stand and recite a name and give praise so that the name is engraved on all his limbs and the search of understanding be in his heart;

*"He should call upon His name, and he should pray in His name;

"He should make a circle for himself and stand in it, so that the demons will not come and liken him to the angels and kill him."

I sat twelve days in fasting. When I saw I could not endure, I employed the forty-two letter name, and Yofiel descended in anger. He said to me: "Son of a stinking drop! I will not give it to you until you sit for forty days."

Then, I sat for forty days and said three prayers in the morning, three prayers at noon, and three prayers in the evening. And I pronounced twelve utterances at every one.

On the last day I prayed three times and pronounced twelve utterances, and Yofiel descended and with him angels of mercy, and they caused understanding to dwell in my heart.

— excerpt from the Ma'aseh Merkavah

ADJURATION

Adjuration is the Power to summon, control, and banish supernatural creatures of all kinds, including dispelling their powers and compelling their cooperation. Through adjuration, God asserts His ultimate authority over creation and both the natural and supernatural worlds. Adjuration is also the witnessing of oaths and truths, by forcing otherworldly beings to recognize God's authority and obey Him. The target might cry out in pain and wonder when affected, or speak in a different voice that represents its true nature for the effect's duration.

Invocation is used to compel creatures to act, often forcing them to use their powers on the holy character's behalf. Purity can create a holy bond with them, or protect the holy character against their influence. Tragedies of hubris might anger the target, freeing or summoning it, or making the caster more vulnerable.

Adjuration Guidelines

When these guidelines refer to a supernatural creature, it means a specific entity with a Might score.

General: Dispel magic, infernal, or faerie effects of level less than (this effect level + 10). (Purity)

Prevent a supernatural creature with Might less than (the level of the effect + 10) from crossing a clearly defined circle or affecting those on the other side of the boundary. (Purity) Protect a target against all supernatural creatures with Might of (the level of the effect + 10) and their powers. (Purity)

Level 4: Bind a supernatural creature to the terms of a contract. (Invocation)

Create a temporary holy connection to a person or thing within range of this effect. (Purity)

Level 5: Compel a supernatural creature within range to manifest in your presence. (Invocation)

Drive away a non-divine supernatural creature. The creature cannot stand your immediate presence and cannot return for the effect's duration. (Purity)

Level 10: Compel a supernatural creature to reveal the truth, even a demon; you may ask one question, and if you overcome the creature's resistance it must answer you honestly. (Invocation)

Open a spiritual portal between you and a supernatural being within range, allowing you to see and hear each other for the duration of the effect. (Purity)

Level 15: Compel a supernatural creature to do your bidding; you may give it one command which it must follow exactly for the duration. (Invocation)

Ward the target against all non-divine supernatural creatures. (Purity)

Level 20: Compel a mundane creature to do your bidding, as above. (Invocation)

Level 25: Compel a human being to do your bidding, as above. This command must be within the person's nature, as evidenced by appropriate Personality traits. (Invocation)

My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips (Invocation, Adjuration, Level 20)

R: Per, D: Mom, T: Ind

If this effect is invoked immediately before concluding an agreement with a supernatural being, neither of you is able to act against the terms of the bargain. This does not force either of you to do anything, but it does prevent you from taking actions that would invalidate the contract. For example, "you will protect this church" would prevent the creature from harming the building or fleeing when it comes under attack, but it would not be forced to take any particular action to defend it. The effect can be dissolved at any time so long as both of you agree to it.

(Base 4, +4 ritual effect)

Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts (Invocation, Adjuration, Level 50)

R: Arc, D: Conc, T: Ind

Using a holy connection, you force a supernatural being to appear before you, summoning it from wherever it may be, though you must penetrate its resistance to succeed. The being is not compelled to do anything more than attend you with this effect, though it will probably be curious to know what you want. When the effect ends, the being is released from your control, and may try to exact revenge upon you for summoning it if it is so inclined.

(Base 5, +4 Arc, +1 Conc)

The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them (Purity, Adjuration, Level 25)

R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Ind

This effect causes a magical, faerie, or infernal being to perceive you as surrounded by holiness for the duration of the effect, assuming you penetrate its resistance. This feeling is so powerful that demons must flee your presence completely, and beings from other realms may not look at you directly without being blinded, or touch you.

(Base 5, +2 Voice, +2 Sun)

BLESSING

These effects aid and protect the target from harm by sanctifying it and dedicating it to God's service. They often have a noticeable effect on the target, perhaps briefly glowing with holy light or ringing with a faint sound. Blessings on a person or an object usually include a concise statement of how God is watching over the subject, and what sort of help He is likely to give. Like any supernatural effect, characters constantly under the influence of a blessing will gain Warping points at the rate of one per year.

When designing Blessing effects, Invocation draws supernatural aid; this extends the target's capabilities and boosts his efforts with otherworldly powers. Meditation inspires and nurtures the target through natural means, speeding healing and heartening his spirit. Tragedies of hubris with Blessing might involve gaining Warping points or Flaws.

Blessing

Isabelle, the beautiful companion from the covenant of Semita Errabunda, has joined a tradition that practices a Presence-based variant of Meditation called Holy Music (see Mythic Christianity, New Abilities). She has also learned the Blessing Power from a kindly hermit. Her new Ability scores are Holy Music 2, Blessing 1.

Paul, one of the covenant's grogs, has been badly wounded in battle. Isabelle goes to his side and sings to him to soothe the pain and help him recover. Matt, Isabelle's player, decides she will try for a +6 recovery bonus, using the Level 2 Blessing guideline "Give a character a +6 bonus to recovery rolls." At Touch range and Moon duration, this is a Level 10 effect.

The formula for activating this power is (a simple die + Presence + Holy Music + Blessing + aura bonus), and to use Holy Music she must competently perform a meditative song. She eventually lulls him to sleep (die roll of 3, +4 Presence, Music 1), so she rolls for the effect: she gets an 7 + Presence (+4) + Holy Music (2) + Blessing (1) + aura bonus (0), or 14. She succeeds, and Paul is miraculously blessed with a speedier recovery.

Blessing Guidelines

General: Give a person, object, or area Magic Resistance equal to (the level of the effect + 15), which is not cumulative with other forms of resistance. (Invocation)

Invoke a bonus to all rolls associated with a virtuous task equal to (the magnitude of the effect – 3), +3 maximum. (Invocation)

Enchant a tool or object so that the next time it is used for a virtuous purpose, it gives the wielder a bonus on the roll equal to (the magnitude of the effect – 3), +3 maximum. (Invocation)

Temper a Divine aura, with a value equal to half (the magnitude of the effect – 3), +3 maximum. (Invocation)

Give a character a bonus to Recovery rolls equal to ((the magnitude of the effect + 4) x 3). (Meditation)

Give a character a bonus to aging rolls equal to the magnitude of the effect; this must be called with Year duration to have any effect. (Meditation)

Level 1: Give a character a +3 bonus to Recovery rolls. (Meditation)

Level 2: Give a character a +6 bonus to Recovery rolls. (Meditation)

Level 3: Give a character a +9 bonus to Recovery rolls. (Meditation)

Level 4: Give a character a +12 bonus to Recovery rolls. (Meditation) Cause the target to feel a powerful emotion. (Meditation)

Level 5: Temporarily increase or decrease a character's Personality trait by one step, a maximum of +3 or –3. (Meditation)

Level 10: Give the target the equivalent of Free Expression or Inspirational for the effect's duration. (Invocation)

Level 15: Transfer a point of Confidence from you to the target. (Meditation)

The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul (Invocation, Blessing, General)

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind

This blessing bestows Magic Resistance from the Divine realm, equal to the effect's level. It has no effect when called at a lower level. This resistance is not cumulative with resistance from other sources, such as the Parma Magica or True Faith.

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

Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations (Meditation, Blessing, General)

R: Touch, D: Year, T: Ind

The target receives a bonus to all aging rolls that year equal to (the magnitude of the effect – 5); this is a +1 bonus at Level 30, +3 at Level 40, +5 at Level 50, and so on.

My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer (Invocation, Blessing, Level 20)

R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind

Until the sun passes through the heavens, you are inspired with the creative essence of the Divine. You essentially have the Free Expression Virtue for the duration of the effect.

(Base 10, +2 Sun)

CURSING

Holy folk are not all passive and kind; they can also bring ruin upon God's enemies and destroy parts of His creation that they believe offend Him. They can often feel like powers that come from the ancient world, perhaps with a darkening of the sky or a sound of thunder or cracking stone accompanying the results.

Invocation brings God's disfavor, a curse that forces the target to overcome greater adversity to encourage repentance. This typically involves lasting effects that do not have an immediate effect, as they merely remove some of the natural protection that God extends to everyone. Purity destroys a target immediately, causing damage, ruin, and death. In a sense, the holy character banishes the essence of the offending thing with his holiness, making it no more. A tragedy of hubris might affect the holy character instead of the target.

Cursing

Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he [Jesus] hungered.

And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

— Matthew, 21:18-22

Cursing Guidelines

General: Reduce a supernatural creature's Might by (the level of the effect + 10), assuming you overcome its resistance. (Invocation)

Give a target half (the magnitude of the effect + 3) additional botch dice on all stress rolls. (Invocation)

Give a target a penalty on all die rolls equal to half (the magnitude of the effect + 1), rounded up. (Invocation)

Give a target a penalty equal to ((the magnitude of the effect + 3) x 3) on all of his or her Recovery rolls. (Invocation)

Give a character a penalty to aging rolls equal to (the magnitude of the effect + 5); must be Year duration for any effect. (Invocation)

Level 4: Destroy a single non-living object. (Purity)

Level 5: Hamper a person without actually injuring him, making him lame or blurring his senses. (Purity)

Destroy a tree or other sort of living plant. (Purity)

Level 10: Inflict a Light wound, causing great pain. (Purity)

Cause the loss of a Fatigue level. (Purity)

Level 15: Inflict a Medium wound, crippling a limb. (Purity)

Reduce a person's mental capabilities to those of a young child. (Purity)

Level 20: Inflict a Heavy wound, destroying a major sense such as sight or hearing. (Purity)

Give a person or animal a major disease. (Purity)

Level 30: Strike a person or animal instantly dead. (Purity)

As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him (Invocation, Cursing, General)

R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Ind

This effect causes the target to suffer a penalty equal to half (the effect's magnitude – 3) to all actions for the duration of the effect. This is a –1 penalty at Level 20, –2 at Level 30, –3 at Level 40, and so on. (Base effect, +2 Voice, +2 Sun)

God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living (Purity, Cursing, Level 40)

R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind

Your target is instantly stricken dead, with no visible wounds or injury. Beware: unless you are serving God's justice by punishing one who cannot be redeemed, or defending yourself against a deadly threat, this is a grievous sin. Murder in God's name never goes unpunished in the hereafter, but there may be consequences in this world as well.

(Base 30, +2 Voice)

Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them (Purity, Cursing, Level 85)

R: Sight, D: Mom, T: Bound

Cause utter waste to an area, leveling buildings, trees, and slaying every person within the boundary. Few acts merit this sort of destruction, but it is certainly within the power of those who follow God to call this curse upon His enemies.

(Base 30, +3 Sight, +4 Bound, +4 ritual effect)

INTERVENTION

These effects are associated with changes to nature that can be either disturbing or inspiring. In most cases, they are intended to frighten away those who would defile God's temples, or act as conduits for holy information from above. Most unexplained phenomena and miraculous happenings associated with the divine fall into this category. Intervention is how God works His will in the physical world directly, and while characters can control these effects to some degree, there is always an element of the unknown involved in their use. It is a potent and mysterious Power.

Through Meditation, the holy character can see the strange shapes of the spiritual world through the curtain that binds him to reality, and can cause these portentous apparitions to become visible to others. Likewise, via Purity, a holy character can draw the essence of God into his own body or another's, changing and perfecting it according to His will.

Both Methods leave a mark of some sort upon the character and others who observe the effect, forever transforming them through the experience. Tragedies of hubris might cause frightening visions, madness, or unwanted attention from supernatural beings.

Intervention Guidelines

General: Causes active supernatural effects less than or equal to (this effect's level + 25) to become apparent to one of your senses, for example as a vision or an odor; the image's properties indicate the realm with which it is associated and give some idea of its function. (Meditation)

Level 1: Prevent a corpse from decaying. (Purity)

Level 3: Perceive the boundaries of a regio, and if the target is Vision, how to enter or leave it. (Meditation)

Level 4: Perceive the evil in a target by the appearance of its image; the more deformed and evil-looking it becomes to your sight, the more tainted it is. (Meditation)

Create an image or change an existing image, and cause it to move and behave as you direct it. This is usually alien and unnatural, even frightening; examples include animating a statue or causing an image of an angel to appear. Each sense beyond the first adds one magnitude to this effect. (Meditation)

Level 5: Translate the sound of unfamiliar words into a language with which you are fluent; everyone involved in the effect understands the words in a slightly different way. (Meditation)

Transform nonliving material into something of similar shape and substance. (Purity)

Level 10: Permanently mend a non-living object, sealing rips and tears and reattaching separated parts, though missing pieces are not restored. (Purity)

Permanently change a single nonliving thing into several objects of the same size, shape, and material. (Purity)

Level 15: Read meaning into unfamiliar writing; you see the symbols as an alphabet you know, with some semblance of the original meaning, though the effect may include divine messages and censor profane or evil thoughts. (Meditation)

Level 20: Harry the target with visible and unsettling images appropriate to its sins: bloody wounds, harassing locusts, darkened skies, or rivers turned to blood. (Meditation)

Transform a living target into something of similar shape and substance. (Purity)

Level 25: Cause a sign of God's will regarding the target to manifest; this might be subtle, such as a dove flying overhead, or overt, such as an angel that commands that a task be performed. (Meditation)

Level 30: Transform living material into nonliving material or vice-versa, such as turning a person to stone or a statue into an animal; such creatures do not have the ability to reason or act on experience, but instead are docile or follow divine instruction. (Purity)

Mend a living person or animal, permanently reattaching separated limbs or restoring lost senses. (Purity)

Level 35: Create a temporary and one-way entrance into Purgatory, like a divine regio; those who enter usually seek to gain information that has passed from the physical world, but must properly atone for their earthly sins to leave. (Purity)

Permanently heal a Light Wound. (Purity)

Level 40: Permanently heal a Medium Wound. (Purity) Level 45: Permanently heal a Heavy Wound. (Purity)

Level 50: Create a terrestrial regio at level 1. Adding five levels increases the level by one, or adds an extra layer. A character who creates a regio is able to enter and leave it as though he were a native inhabitant of the regio. (Purity)

Level 50: Permanently heal an Incapacitating Wound. (Purity)

Level 55: Permanently heal all wounds. (Purity)

Level 60: Create a Celestial regio at level 1. (Purity)

Level 70: Return the dead to life with all memories and personality seemingly restored, so long as their spirits are willing and their bodies have not decayed — targets return with a Warping point for each dawn and each dusk that has passed since death, and subsequently gain another Warping point each year they continue living. They will not remember anything about the afterlife, though they may remember being ghosts. (Purity)

Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away (Meditation, Intervention, Level 20)

R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Ind

You create the appearance of a human being that lasts for as long as you concentrate. It has a voice but no substance, and cannot travel in a realistic fashion from where it is summoned, though you can move it within range if you wish. It may behave in unexpected ways, as it is not completely under your control.

(Base 4, +2 Voice, +1 Conc, +1 additional sense)

That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption (Meditation, Intervention, Level 25)

R: Per, D: Conc, T: Vision

You can perceive the stain of sin upon human beings, twisting and deforming them to your sight in a manner appropriate to their transgressions. For example, a glutton might appear distended and obese, a murderer's hands would drip blood, and a liar's tongue would seem forked. This may allow you to recognize demons masquerading as angels, for true angels are without sin.

(Base 4, +1 Conc, +4 Vision)

Have mercy upon me, O LORD for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed (Purity, Intervention, Level 50)

R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind

This miracle heals the target of a Heavy Wound, instantly mending the body where it has been damaged or broken.

(Base 45, +1 Touch)

Intervention

[Patrick] preached throughout Ireland but with very meager results, so he besought the Lord to show some sign that would terrify the people and move them to repentance. He then did as the Lord commanded him, and in a certain place he drew a circle with a stick; and behold, the earth opened within the circle and a very deep, wide pit appeared. Then it was revealed to blessed Patrick that this was the place of Purgatory; that anyone who wished to go down into it would have no other penance to do and would endure no other purgatory for his sins; but that most would not come back from there, and that those who did come back would have had to stay below from one morning to the next. There were indeed many who went down into the pit and did not come out.

— Jacobus de Voragine, The Golden Legend

TRANSCENDENCE

Transcendence brings about spiritual changes to the mind and body, and these changes often result in physical changes as well. The holy character travels in spirit to another place, one that is beyond human experience, and what he does there often affects the part of him that is left behind. It is a way to escape the boundaries of this world and become closer to God, but those who depart in this way may appear to be dead or comatose until they return, and usually have no memories of what they saw or experienced while away. This is similar to Divine Ascent (see Divine Warping, below), and characters who spend too much time in a transcendent state may receive Warping points and need to check for other effects.

Meditation is transcendence of the body, allowing the character to leave his physical shell and travel to other places, overcome Fatigue, and feel no pain. Transcendence of the body requires Purity, allowing the holy character to strengthen his body and spirit by tapping into the other world. Characters who suffer a tragedy of hubris with Transcendence may become trapped in the spiritual world, or their bodies and minds might be affected, causing premature aging, wounds, or lost memories.

Transcendence Guidelines

General: You cannot be targeted by spells or powers less than (the level of this effect + 5). (Meditation)

Make the body more resistant to damage, increasing Soak by (the magnitude of the effect + 3). (Purity)

Level 2: See clearly through a particular type of material, such as water, stone, or mist. (Meditation)

Level 4: Take no damage from a single material, such as wood or metal. (Meditation)

Level 5: Perceive events in another location that is in range of the effect, basically projecting yourself out of your body. (Meditation)

Walk upon the surface of water as if it were solid. (Meditation) Level 10: Ignore all Fatigue penalties. (Purity)

Ignore all wound penalties. (Purity)

Survive without food, water, air, or shelter. (Meditation) Postpone a minor aging crisis. (Purity)

Level 15: Read another's thoughts as if they were written in a book. It may take you some time to comprehend the entire text and discover information you seek. (Meditation)

Float in the air, moving through it in any direction at will. (Meditation)

Postpone a serious aging crisis. (Purity)

Level 20: Mentally communicate with someone you know well or have a holy connection to, as if both of you are speaking in each others' thoughts for as long as you concentrate. (Meditation)

Postpone a major aging crisis. (Purity) Level 25: Pass smoothly through solid matter as if it were liquid. (Meditation)

Restore a Fatigue level. (Purity)

Postpone a critical aging crisis. (Purity) Level 30: Permanently restore a mind that has been damaged or tampered with. (Purity)

Become immune to all forms of physical damage. (Meditation) Go without sleep, remaining awake for the duration of the effect. (Purity)

Purge the body of all poisons, diseases, or other malign influences, restoring it to an entirely natural state. (Purity)

Postpone a terminal aging crisis. (Purity)

Level 35: Resolve a minor aging crisis. (Purity)

Level 40: Travel to any place within range in the blink of an eye. (Meditation)

Resolve a serious aging crisis. (Purity)

Level 45: Resolve a major aging crisis. (Purity)

Level 50: Resolve a critical aging crisis. (Purity)

Level 55: Resolve a terminal aging crisis. (Purity)

For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform (Meditation, Transcendence, General)

R: Per, D: Conc, T: Ind

For as long as you concentrate, you cannot be the target of supernatural effects of less than the level of this miracle. Spells that would affect you directly simply do nothing, as if they were cast on a target that is not there. This is not Magic Resistance; a magically created stone that is thrown at you can still hit you, for example. Once they realize how you are protected, your enemies may begin to aim their spells and powers (Ars Magica 5th Edition, page 86), which easily overcomes this effect.

(Base effect, +1 Conc)

Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them (Meditation, Transcendence, Level 30)

R: Per, D: Conc, T: Ind

You may push yourself through nonliving physical obstacles for the duration of the effect, as if wading through mud. This does not cause you to sink into the floor or fall through bridges or the like, as natural buoyancy causes you to float on solid objects like wood on water, though you can still dive down through them if you wish.

(Base 25, +1 Conc)

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep (Purity, Transcendence, Level 50)

R: Per, D: Year, T: Ind

This miraculous effect allows you to go an entire year without needing sleep. This effectively gives you two additional seasons of study, though each is spread over two other seasons and thus the experience you gain must be spent on things that you can do while engaged in other activities, such as Practice or Adventure. You can also hurry a seasonal activity by devoting all your focus to it, finishing it in two months instead of three.

(Base 30, +4 Year)

Transcendence

One day [Hasan of Basra] saw Rabi'a [al-'Adawiyya] when she was near a lake. Throwing his prayer rug on the surface of the water, he called, "Rabi'a, come! Let us pray two rak'as here!"

"Hasan," Rabi'a replied, "when you are showing off your spiritual goods in this worldly market, it should be things that your fellow-men are incapable of displaying."

And she flung her prayer rug into the air and flew up on it.

"Come up here, Hasan, where people can see us!" she cried.

Hasan, who had not attained that station, said nothing. Rabi'a sought to console him.

"Hasan," she said, "what you did fishes also do, and what I did flies also do. The real business is outside both these tricks. One must apply one's self to the real business."

— Farid al-Din 'Attar (d. c. 1230), Stories of Holy Men

UNDERSTANDING

Characters with Understanding can learn hidden information, often about the future or the Divine Will. This information will often be difficult to understand, include additional misleading information, and will not always take into account sinful or mundane possibilities. This is because while this Power gives unique insight into God's Will and the future, it is impossible for the mortal mind to comprehend things the way that God sees them. The more you explore a subject with your holy Understanding, the less focused the information will become; and revisiting the same questions will bring more confusion than wisdom. God's ways are not ours, and we cannot ever fully grasp His designs. Thus, reckless glimpses into His plan can break and even destroy the fragile human mind.

Meditation is the only Method that allows this sort of prophetic knowledge. Mistakes that lead to tragedies of hubris with Understanding usually involve false, harmful or even abusive information. You might perceive events that never happened, revisit scarring and painful memories, or learn dangerous secrets that you did not wish to know.

Understanding Guidelines

General: Reduce the number of botch dice you must roll by the magnitude of this effect, by predicting the best possible time and circumstances to perform virtuous actions. (Meditation)

Level 5: Enhance details of a memory of an event in the last day, so that you can more easily remember it. (Meditation)

Level 10: Receive a vision summarizing your current situation, perhaps depicting conflicting emotions, powerful influences, or a dominant theme. (Meditation)

Enhance details of a memory of an event in the last year, so that you can more easily remember it. (Meditation)

Level 15: Receive a vision giving you simple advice on your current situation, much as if you possessed the Common Sense Virtue. (Meditation) Revisit an enhanced memory to search for significant details that you may have overlooked. (Meditation)

Level 20: Receive a vision giving cryptic advice on your current situation, based on what God says is best for you. (Meditation)

Level 25: Receive a vision that addresses a specific question about your situation. (Meditation)

Level 30: Predict the most likely outcome of your current situation based on a particular action, summarized by a single word or concept, like "ruin," "justice," or "good fortune." (Meditation)

Level 35: Receive a prophetic vision concerning future events. (Meditation) Learn if it is God's Will that you perform a particular action. (Meditation)

Level 40: Receive a vision addressing a question that does not apply to your current situation, but rather more general circumstances. (Meditation)

Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies (Meditation, Understanding, Level 15)

R: Per, D: Mom, T: Ind

You receive an inspirational vision that highlights information of which you are aware but have perhaps overlooked, in the manner of the Common Sense Virtue. In a dream emphasizing events in your past, the storyguide tells you something you already know that is applicable to your current situation.

(Base 15)

Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory (Meditation, Understanding, Level 20)

R: Per, D: Mom, T: Ind

You receive a holy vision that advises you what you should do in your current situation to more closely follow God's purpose. The storyguide describes this to you, designing it to be cryptic and full of symbolism, so that it may not be easily understood. There should be some sort of useful clue to be gleaned from the vision if you interpret it correctly.

(Base 20)

I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart (Meditation, Understanding, Level 35)

R: Per, D: Mom, T: Ind

This effect reveals to you if it is God's will that you pursue a particular course of action: protecting a synagogue, for example, or chasing after a criminal. If it is, then for as long as you are engaged in that activity, you cannot botch a stress roll. Treat all 0s on stress dice as 0, but do not roll botch dice.

(Base 35)

Understanding

The woman said to [the shaykh, Muhammad al-Basri], "O my master, thou wert one of the witnesses in the certificate of my marriage. I have now lost the certificate specifying my dowry. I ask thee to favor me by coming to the tribunal and testifying in my favor." The shaykh replied, "I shall not do so unless thou bringest me first some sweets." [...] She went out and then returned pulling out from her pocket underneath her wrapper a piece of paper in which were wrapped some dry sweets. [...] He took the paper and opened it, throwing away the sweets, one piece after the other, until the paper was empty. Then he examined the paper and lo, it was itself the dowry certificate of the woman.

Usama ibn Munqidh (d. 1188), The Book of Learning by Example

WONDERS

Those who ask properly will receive God's gifts, for God provides for the faithful in need. God also summons storms, fire, winds, and other powerful natural forces. These wonders are created at the holy character's command, and even controlled by him to some extent, although God always keeps His hand upon His miracles. Such things may appear at times to listen to another voice, and act in ways that the holy character does not anticipate.

These effects use Invocation to conjure and command divine forces by their name and purpose. When a character suffers a tragedy of hubris with Wonders, he might create unwanted items, such as rotten food, vermin, or mud. Or, the effect might still happen, but manifest completely out of his control.

Wonders Guidelines

General: Create a dangerous substance, like fire or poison, that does +(base level of the spell) damage upon contact. (Invocation)

Create a natural substance that harms non-divine supernatural creatures, such as water that corrodes like acid or a light that burns like fire, doing +(base level + 5) damage. (Invocation)

Level 2: Create a mature living plant, or cause a plant to grow more quickly. (Invocation)

Level 3: Create and control a common force of nature, such as a gust of wind or a burst of flame. (Invocation)

Create a nonliving natural object, such as an animal corpse, driftwood, or a rock. (Invocation)

Level 5: Create and control an unusual force of nature, such as a sudden storm from a clear sky, or a light that shines like the day. (Invocation)

Create nourishing food or drink, enough to sustain a single person. (Invocation)

Create a nonliving object that has been processed in some way, such as a leather coat, a lance, or a coin. (Invocation)

Level 15: Create and control a powerful force of nature, such as winds that lift a person off of the ground or a flame that lights up the sky for miles. (Invocation)

Create a living, docile bird, fish, lizard, or amphibian. (Invocation)

Level 20: Create a living, docile mammal. (Invocation)

Level 30: Create an animal with Divine Might 5. Each 5 points of additional Might increases the Level by 10. (Invocation)

Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word (Invocation, Wonders, Level 35)

R: Sight, D: Conc, T: Ind

You summon a powerful force of nature: a column of flame, a cloud of icy rain and fog, or a great gale. The effects of this miracle are unpredictable, and the storyguide should judge exactly how they manifest. You control this force for the duration of the effect, and may guide it to move under its own power to anywhere within range (steering a fire towards a particular field, for example, or causing a cloud to pass over a certain village).

(Base 15, +3 Sight, +1 Conc)

For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills (Invocation, Wonders, Level 40)

R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Ind

You create any kind of mammal you choose, which appears at your touch and obeys your commands to the best of its ability for the duration of the effect.

(Base 20, +1 Touch, +3 Moon)

Wonders

Moratamis of Guernicus, a maga at Semita Errabunda, witnesses a miracle of Wonders: Samein Guernicus, another member of her House, is a Zoroastrian holy magus (see Holy Magic, later in this chapter, and Mythic Islam, Zoroastrians). She does not know what this is, as she only knows his reputation as a hedge wizard, but she is intrigued and a little troubled when she sees him destroy what appears to be an evil spirit at Tribunal.

The ghostly figure had appeared in the chamber where the magi were meeting and had begun harassing them with insults and derision, when Samein stood and uttered a loud prayer in what sounded like Arabic. Almost immediately, a great light filled the room. The shade seemed to catch fire, burning with white flames, and though it tried to shield itself from the glare, it was soon reduced to ashes and faded from sight. In the silence that followed, Samein quietly announced that the creature would not trouble them again.

Later, Moratamis speaks privately with Samein, and he tells her some of the details of his magic's capabilities. He is frank and forthright about his strange beliefs and powers, and soon inspires her curiosity. He in turn senses that she might have the will and wisdom necessary to join his ancient tradition. She agrees to meet with him after Tribunal to learn more about his faith and his magic, though she makes no promises about converting.

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written "The one who is righteous will live by faith." - Romans 1:17

True Faith is personal reciprocated steadfastness on the part of the human and the Divine. It happens when God and a person share assurance and trust in each other. That is, the highest Universal Essence has infallible trust in a person; and that person is aware of, and is close to, the Divine, while still remaining entirely human. It is when the person is immanent within the Divine Mind. All saints had or have this relationship.

A character from any monotheistic religion may have True Faith; even heretics may have it, since their personal relationship with God can transcend imperfect, worldly doctrine. In Ars Magica, True Faith is represented by the Major Virtue, a True Faith Score, and Faith Points. A character with True Faith may pray for miracles and gains magical resistance. As his faith grows and his relationship with God develops, they may begin to embody divine virtues, learn holy powers, or eventually be canonized.

Only living people may have True Faith. A character with True Faith who dies is taken into the Kingdom of Heaven, and there is invested with Divine Might (equal to his True Faith Score multiplied by 10), relinquishing their True Faith. Relics also have a Faith Score and Faith Points due to the piety of the person they were connected to (see Relics).

A character with True Faith is one of the most blessed people in Mythic Europe. While the faithful of all religious traditions benefit from the love and constant attention of God, only those with True Faith have their prayers answered regularly and reliably by God, rather than by an intercessor such as an angel or saint. True Faith is very different from normal piety or faith, both metaphysically for the character, and also in system terms.

It is not easy having the attention of God however, and saintly characters are often subjected to bitter tests and torments in order to constantly test their faith. Many of them are beleaguered by their fellows, targeted by demons or malicious faeries, or persecuted by the Church for heresy. The strength of their conviction means that they will often clash with the authorities and supernatural powers; having God's eternal love does not by any means guarantee success.

Who Can Have True Faith?

Can infernalists or pagans have True Faith in the Devil or Hermes? And for that matter, what about the Enigma?

Since infernalists and those aligned with the Infernal Realm are in a deep state of sin, they may not have True Faith. There is no True Faith in the Devil. Devotion to the Devil is a negation of fidelity to God, or a rejection of God's love and attention.

In Ars Magica, the pagan gods of Classical Greece, Imperial Rome, and the barbarous Celts, Germans, and Slavs were largely aligned with the Faerie and Magic Realms. True Faith is dedication to the God of the Divine Realm. Pagan gods – those that remain – offer their devotees other benefits such as magic. True Faith in Isis, Jove, or Lugh (for example) is not possible.

Throughout the history of Mythic Europe, there have been pagans who may have had True Faith, since they venerated a single, infinite, and universal Creator. Such figures may include Plato, Aristotle, Apollonius, and Plotinus.

Criamon the Founder wrote that the Enigma is part enlightenment and part life-lesson. Only rarely did he write of the Enigma as a deity, and subsequently few of his followers consider it to be divine. Nevertheless, a few Criamon may believe in the Enigma as the divine expression of unknowable knowledge. This is not True Faith however, since the Enigma is an entirely magical mystery.

Animals may not have True Faith since they do not have the capacity for reasoned faith, but they may be canonized and be venerated as saints. St. Guinefort the Greyhound (see Mythic Christianity, Saints) did not have True Faith in life, but through the unknowable Will of God was accorded a place in Heaven and now intercedes on behalf of the faithful.

While Hermetic magi have The Gift, through which they work wonders, it is an intrinsic capacity rather than something earned or gained through ceaseless devotion and self-discovery. True Faith, on the other hand, is granted only through the most severe personal sacrifice, turning away from the self and entirely towards God. The Gift allows a character to manipulate and perform magic, and its effects unnerve and alarm mundanes. True Faith only grants a character power bybringing his essence into accord and proximity with the Divine. As one increases one's True Faith Score, God is more likely to answer prayers with miracles or afford protection from magic or evil.

Among the most erudite Hermetic theologians and magical researchers, there is a (much contested) belief that True Faith — which they term vera fides is a purer form of The Gift, also known as the True Gift. A group of magi conducted an experiment to learn the source and nature of vera fides, but results were inconclusive, and it was abandoned with the outbreak of the Schism War. Nevertheless, the Order of Hermes is aware of True Faith, and understands it is connected to the Divine realm. While there is no consensus, a prevailing opinion holds that The Gift is the active intuition by a person's soul of the secret laws of nature, and that Hermetic magic is the "language" that gives effect to those laws. Vera fides, it is argued, is the Platonic form of The Gift — what The Gift aspires to be. The accuracy of this theory, like so much within the Order of Hermes, is bitterly disputed.

Hermetic Magi have been known to possess True Faith, with St. Nerius of Criamon being the most famous. Having True Faith does not hinder The Gift, but a magus with True Faith is unlikely to use Hermetic magic for immoral ends (see Holy Magic for more details on magi interested in the Divine, and Mythic Christianity for more details on St. Nerius).

Any Ars Magica character may have True Faith by choosing it during character creation, although such a character should be exceedingly rare (certainly rarer than characters with The Gift). Due to the new and altered mechanics in this book, this section changes how True Faith is presented in Ars Magica Fifth Edition, on page 189.

True Faith, like Confidence, has a Score and Points. Taking the True Faith Major Virtue grants you a True Faith Score of 1, and a single Faith Point. Only by possessing the True Faith Major Virtue may a character have a True Faith score. Any character may possess any number of Faith Points (gained through the sacraments, a pilgrimage, or other holy endeavors) that once spent, do not return.

You may spend Faith Points like Confidence Points (and may spend as many Faith Points at once as your True Faith Score), or to pray for a miracle. If you do not possess a True Faith Score, then you may only spend one Faith Point at a time.

A character with Faith Points but no True Faith Score does not benefit from Magic Resistance. A character with a True Faith Score gains Magic Resistance equal to this score multiplied by ten.

TRUE FAITH MAGIC RESISTANCE: True Faith Score x 10

Each dawn, you regain a number of Faith Points up to your True Faith Score, although if you already have more Faith Points than your True Faith Score, you do not gain additional Points.

Increased Faith

Players may wish to create a character with a True Faith Score of two or more. Such characters should be made as Mythic Companions, since people with a True Faith Score of more than one in Mythic Europe are very rare. Each additional increase to the character's True Faith Score above that granted by the True Faith Virtue is considered a Major Virtue. Thus, having a True Faith Score of 2 requires two Major Virtues. Most saintly characters are quite old although exceptions, such as Francis of Assisi, of course exist.

CHARACTERIZING TRUE FAITH

More so than many other Virtues, True Faith should be an integral part of a character's being. Characters cannot be born with True Faith, accidentally stumble across it, or receive it as a gift from a friend. Something the character did during his life saw him gain such complete fidelity to the Divine that his love and dependence was returned.

Before taking True Faith for your character, consider carefully how you expect this Virtue will affect how you play him. Consider the disposition of the character's True Faith: How does he relate to God? When did your character gain True Faith? What lead him to decide to devote his life to God?

Also remember that the saintly are watched not only by God, but also by his adversaries and enemies. Devils and demons, faeries and dragons also watch those with True Faith, eager to test their faith or corrupt their souls. When taking True Faith, also consider whether your character has attracted the attention of the supernatural world (which would involve taking the appropriate Flaw).

Since True Faith does not have a corresponding ability, it may not be taught or learned, nor may it be gained through initiation such as those from mystery cults.

True Faith is an in-game term only. The church, imams, and rabbis do not use the term "True Faith", although the Order of Hermes describes some holy men and women as having vera fides, since they can detect and test Magic Resistance.

During play a character may gain Faith Points or a True Faith Score through a quest or as the climax of a major story. The kinds of stories available for characters are many, ranging from personal quests for self-understanding to adventuresome pilgrimages to holy sites across Mythic Europe and beyond. The outcome of a quest should never be certain.

SELF-DISCOVERY

A quest of self-discovery should challenge the core tenets of the character, by having to make difficult moral or ethical choices. God often tests his strongest followers with the harshest tests by inflicting tragedy upon them: the deaths of loved ones, imprisonment, or injustice. A quest of self-discovery could also include mystical trances and flights of the soul.

Story Idea: The character is framed for a terrible crime — perhaps heresy or murder — and is convicted without fair trial (during which close friends or family condemn him) and must exonerate his name while uncovering the true criminal.

PILGRIMAGE

Travel to a holy site could result in gaining True Faith. Of importance in the pilgrimage is not simply the destination but the journey — a physical manifestation of metaphysical travel towards God. Events or incidents that occur during the pilgrimage should be designed to test the character's faith in, and love of, God. The character's conduct must be exemplary despite any opposition or adversity. Story guides should feel free to take off their kid gloves. A pilgrimage undertaken by the character for the express purpose of gaining True Faith should never succeed, since the Hand of God cannot be forced.

Story Idea: A local monastery's sacred relic is stolen by a distant rival monastery, and the character is asked by an angel to recover it.

SUPERNATURAL ADVERSITY

Holy men and women from the Bible were constantly tested by God. They were terrorized by devils or cowed by angels, and Mythic Europe in the Middle Ages is no exception. Contests with demons and monsters, or frightening instructions from angels are common divine tests of faith. A character on the cusp of gaining True Faith is likely to be diabolically tempted with every imaginable pleasure of the flesh, while angels may demand that the character give up his earthly belongings or renounce his family.

Story Idea: A demon in the guise of an angel demands that the character accuse an innocent midwife of diabolism.

GAINING FAITH POINTS

Any character may gain Faith Points at some point in his life. By performing devout acts or rituals, a character may gain Faith Points. The most common way for this to happen is through pilgrimage to a holy site, such as Mecca for Muslims, or Jerusalem for Christians and Jews, and through participation in holy rites, such as the sacraments.

Faith Points may also be gained in the same way that saintly characters gain them, through tests of faith or by performing particularly pious activities.

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. - Romans 5:1-2

Gaining True Faith results in the complete moral reformation of a person's character, brought about through bringing the whole soul under the authority of Divine Truth. A character with True Faith is accorded certainty in an uncertain world — a connection to the unmoving Absolute while everything else changes.

The relationship granted to the character is one so pure that it is utterly sacrosanct and inviolable. True Faith may not be targeted by magic or by the powers of supernatural creatures, and may not be detected, suppressed, or altered through Intellego, Perdo, or Rego spells.

A character need not be a Mythic Companion, or belong to a tradition that uses holy powers, to have a True Faith Score. True Faith is unique and distinct from other forms of Divine blessings, although it is complementary and can enhance holy powers or other supernatural virtues. There is no limit to the number of Faith Points a character may have, and no ceiling to the True Faith Score, although five is a practical threshold. Saints like the Apostles may have had a True Faith Score upwards of seven, and the Blessed Virgin Mary may have had a Score of ten.

TRUE FAITH AND INSTITUTIONS

The Church is a holy institution, and its priests are surrounded by the holy radiance of the Divine. Members of the clergy and other sacerdotal figures, such as rabbis or imams, are among the most likely to gain True Faith, due to their constant devotion to the Divine. Laypersons who gain True Faith are also often ordained into the clergy, and may rise to exalted or respected positions within the Church or religious community. Many bishops gain True Faith after a lifetime of piety and dedication.

Many kings, queens, and pious rulers have been known to have True Faith and perform miracles. Whether they are wise and successful rulers because of their connection to the Divine, or they gained a connection to the Divine through their piety and faithfulness, is debated. Rulers that have become saints include the St. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great; St. Edward the Confessor, the eleventh-century king of England; and Nur al-Din, ruler of Damascus in the twelfth century.

Despite a preponderance of saintly characters belonging to a religious institution, they are also more likely to hold controversial or heterodox beliefs, which may bring them into conflict with the ecclesiastical authorities. Those of great ability and faith may rise above this and still be afforded canonization; others are martyred or excommunicated, or gain acceptance in another, "heretical," community of the faithful.

TESTS OF FAITH

Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said. - Acts 14:21-22

A test of faith is when God assesses the level of his follower's devotion through a trial or ordeal. While a saintly character is granted complete conviction by virtue of his relationship with God, without testing that conviction, it can never grow or develop. Immobility of virtue is the beginning of vice.

God is not malicious, and so regardless how difficult or harsh His tests are, they are meted out precisely because of the love held for the character. By overcoming the tests, the character's faith matures. The higher a character's True Faith Score, the harder, more demanding, and more frequent the tests are.

Common tests involve the refusal of aid, silence to prayers, or the removal of holy powers until some condition is fulfilled (such as penance for a sin, founding a church, recovering relics, or chastising a sinful local lord) or time has elapsed (a month or year, for example). In game terms, the character may no longer spend Faith Points or use Holy Virtues for the duration of the test.

Story Uses: Tests of Faith

Tests of faith should serve three purposes: to develop the saintly character, to prompt a story, and to instruct the character in pious, godly behavior. In the form of a moral quandary, a test of allegiance, or a persecution by the authorities, a test of faith puts a character's faith to the test. During this time, he typically must rely on his own abilities, without intercession from God or Divine agents. Tests of faith can also give the storyguide a chance to send the character on some mission, even seemingly impossible ones, such as the conversion of a faerie lord, the recovery of a relic from diabolists, or a pilgrimage to the site of St. Symeon's martyrdom. If the character sins somehow, a test of faith is also a good chance for him to redeem himself.

A test of faith is also a good way to increase a character's True Faith Score. Because True Faith is a Virtue, a test of faith should serve to enhance the character or prompt a story rather than to punish the player.

CRISES OF FAITH

Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. - 1 Peter 5:9

Only God is perfect, therefore complete fidelity to God's will is impossible, even for a holy character. At some point he will sin, doubt, or fail a test. It is not easy having True Faith, and even the slightest failure, deviation or minor sin may result in the loss of True Faith and all its benefits. The ultimate test of faith is the loss of True Faith.

When a character loses his True Faith, it is known as a crisis of faith. For a time, God turns his loving gaze away from him; during this time, all kinds of trials and tribulations accost the character. Fear, uncertainty, and shame may afflict his thoughts, he may find friends and allies turning from him, or suspecting him of some crime, or have his family torn from him by war, famine, or plague.

Despite all the hardship, the character must remain steadfast in his undying love of and devotion to God. Although God may not answer prayers or comfort his heart, the character must rejoice at what few blessings remain and look to God for deliverance from fear or weakness or hunger. To a saintly character, it may seem as thought God has renounced him, but this is not so. An angel always watches over holy characters, ready to reward the righteous or punish the faithless. Not everyone regains their faith, however.

Story Uses: Crisis of Faith

A player whose character loses his True Faith has the option of his character being center of attention while regaining his True Faith. During a crisis of faith, the character loses his Faith Points, prayers remain unanswered, and none of his holy powers work. There is no warning for a crisis of faith, no set time until the True Faith Score returns, and no single task that will return it. During a crisis of faith, the character must remain committed to God no matter what he faces, no matter how harsh or hard the suffering. Often demons and infernalists will beset a troubled character, eager to taunt or tempt him.

Like tests of faith, a crisis of faith, if the character remains steadfast, is a good reason to allow an increase in his True Faith Score. It could also result in the loss of some or all of the character's True Faith, if he turns to some other Realm for comfort or assurance. Crises of Faith work best in cooperation and negotiation with the character's player.

PERSONALITY

True Faith is absolute apprehension of an unknowable God through the human soul. It cannot be rationally explained or debated, except through the revealed and inspired texts.

Nothing profane can approach the holiness of God. When a character has True Faith, it cleanses him, removing the impurities on his soul and replacing them with Divine Light. This purification aids every divinely inspired activity undertaken by the character, which is reflected in game-terms through spending Faith Points like Confidence Points.

Saintly characters should have complementary Personality Traits, such as Pious, Merciful, Loving, Compassionate, Courageous, or Temperate, or negative scores in opposing traits. Unlike mere Faith Points, losing or altering Personality Traits will not result in losing the True Faith Score, although gaining a sinful Personality Trait may result in a crisis of faith. If your saga does not use Personality Traits, then at least consider this when portraying your character.

The more sanctified a character becomes, the more he abhors himself and despises sin, dedicating every fiber of his being to God, and in so doing finds true Divine self-love. As his faith grows, he relies more and more upon God and the purity that their relationship brings.

SAINTLY REPUTATION

Legends of saints are larger than life — they are the superstars of Mythic Europe. As a saintly character performs miracles and overcomes adversity, he gains a reputation that can increase startlingly. Each miracle he successfully prays for counts as one noteworthy action per Faith Point he possesses, so long as there was a witness. So long he has a True Faith Score, the character cannot gain a negative Reputation.

A fallen saint is a despised person, unwelcome in any circle other than the darkest levels of Hell.

…by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God … - Romans 15:19

Miracles are the signs and actions of God, performed either directly or through an agent, such as a saint, angel, prophet, relic, or icon. All miracles come directly from the Divine Realm as expressions of God's Will. They therefore transcend every earthly or supernatural power and cannot be overcome or reversed by magic of any kind, or infernal or faerie power. The glory of God and the good of mankind are the ultimate aim of all miracles. While they may seem to perform evil, such as inflicting a plague upon an impious city or striking a prideful king blind, they will always confirm the truth of the Divine mission.

Note: Miracles prayed for are different than those performed by a saint in Heaven, since the saint's miracles rely on Divine Might, rather than depending on the direct providence of God. They are also distinct from holy powers, which are miraculous but are learned abilities granted by God rather than direct intercession.

The following mechanics for miracles are optional.

PRAYING FOR MIRACLES

Anyone who possesses a Faith Point (such as from the True Faith Virtue, a sacrament or a holy activity, or from a relic) may pray for a miracle. Doing so requires no special training or knowledge, although it does involve making a deeply spiritual commitment. If your character does not have any Faith Points, he may only invoke God's aid or ask for the intercession of a saint (see Invoking God's Aid and Mythic Christianity, Saints).

To pray for a miracle, chose an effect from the Holy Powers chapter, spend a Faith Point, and roll your True Faith Score + Concentration + Aura aiming to get over the Level of the power (if you have no True Faith Score, you just add the Aura).

PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE: True Faith Score + Concentration + Aura + Stress Die

LEVEL: level of holy power

Should the holy powers list not cover what is being prayed for, use the Hermetic Spell guidelines (Ars Magica 5th Edition, Chapter 9). Faith Points may be spent to increase this roll, adding +3 for each point spent; Confidence Points may also be spent up to the character's Confidence Score as normal. If the character possesses a Holy Method Ability, he may substitute his score in it for Concentration when praying.

Groups may pray as one for a miracle, using the Ceremony Supernatural Ability, though all of them must possess a Faith Point. Add each participant's True Faith Score + Concentration (or Method) to the total.

Miracles have an infinite Penetration: a successful miracle transcends all other powers. It cannot be resisted by the Parma Magica, supernatural Magic Resistance, a creature's powers, or spells. Moreover, a miracle may not be undone, altered, or targeted by any supernatural power.

Furthermore, other miracles, holy magic, and the powers of Divine beings will not resist or overturn a miracle. God does not work against Himself.

Exempla Gratia: While Isabelle the Beautiful is being carried through the air by the faerie prince Dafydd, she prays that she escape from his hideous claws. The storyguide decides that her prayer is a level 15 Intervention and Isabelle's player argues that her need is Grave (–5) and she needs Immediate aid (+10), which increases the miracle's level to 20. Isabelle is above the realm of Sir Dorigen, which has a Dominion aura of 3, and she has a True Faith Score of 1, Concentration 0, and 1 Faith Point. She spends the Faith Point and rolls, adding her Faith Score (1) plus her Concentration (0) plus the Dominion (3), and needs to get over 15 on a stress die.

MIRACULOUS SPECIAL EFFECTS

Miracles are rarely immediate or spectacular. Prayers for aid or rebuke are most likely to be subtle and to take place over a number of days, weeks, or months. Asking for more immediate aid increases the level, as does requesting petty or trivial things.

Add the modifier to the miracle's level.

Timeliness

The timeliness is the length between the prayer and the miracle's manifestation, not the miracle's Duration.

Immediate (instantly to a few hours): +10
Day (same as Hermetic duration): +5
Week (not longer than seven days): +0
Month (not longer than a moon cycle): –5
Year (not longer than a calendar year): –10
Generation (not longer than fifteen years): –20

Need

Need deals with how desperate or deserving the supplicant is, and how righteous the prayer is.

Calamitous (supplicant or the subjects of the prayer are in desperate personal need, such assault from supernatural forces): –15

Dire (supplicant is making a selfless or self-sacrificing request, or the prayer would result in righting a great injustice, or grant great strength or mercy to many innocent believers): –10

Grave (request would undo infernal activity, would deeply benefit believers or save the supplicant from imminent personal danger): –5

Beneficial (supplicant is on a holy quest, or the prayer would hinder or halt a sinful or malicious supernatural activity): +0

Frivolous (the request has no grander purpose than to make someone's life easier or more comfortable, or the supplicant is in a state of mortal sin): +10

Impious (supplicant is a pagan, infidel, or unbeliever, or the request is motivated by sin, such as pride or greed): +20

BOTCHING

Botching a prayer roll results in the temporary loss of all Faith Points for a number of weeks equal to botches scored. A character without Faith Points who botches a prayer roll will not have any prayer (or invocation or intimidation of a saint) answered for a number of months equal to the number of botches scored. A botch may also provoke a tragedy of hubris (see Holy Powers) if appropriate.

STORYGUIDING MIRACLES

Miracles can be tricky to storyguide. A character may pray for literally anything, although sinful "prayers" will obviously remain unanswered or punished, at the storyguide's discretion. Due to their origin, miracles are also the most potent supernatural "power" in Ars Magica; no force — not the mightiest archmagus, duke of Hell, or Faerie monarch — may oppose a miracle.

For this reason, they can easily overshadow the game and the powers of other characters, particularly magi, who should be the main characters of a saga. A character with True Faith could conceivably pray for something every day once a day until a lucky roll granted the prayer. Storyguides may (and should) resist this as much as is necessary to preserve the saga's narrative balance.

Unlike casting a spell, therefore, miracles must be negotiated between the storyguide and the saintly character's player. God's hand cannot be forced, even by a lucky roll. But God also favors the faithful with Heavenly aid. The character prays for something (such as aid in battle, or the cure of a sick child): the player may then negotiate with the storyguide as to just how spectacular, timely, and powerful the miracle is, before the player makes the roll. Although this is negotiated, the storyguide has final say. At the agreement of the troupe, the storyguide may be left as the sole arbiter, without the need for any negotiation. Remember also that a saintly character would never dream of expecting God's aid unconditionally or request something selfish.

If the roll does not equal or exceed the level of the miracle, the storyguide may decide that God sends some form of lesser aid equal to what the roll may allow, but is under no obligation to do so.

When choosing a miracle, holy powers and the powers of saints in Heaven and angels are particularly thematic. Ultimately, however, God wants what is best for the story.

Light upon light; God guides to His light whom He will. - Qur'an 24:35

True Faith fills the pious with Divine light, which begins to emanate from them as they live "face to face" with God. When the impediments of sin and worldly corruption are brushed away, the character's soul turns toward divine things.

This dedication to the divine manifests as holy light, augmenting the character's True Faith Score and based on the three theological virtues, Devotion, Hope and Charity. (Note: the theological virtue "Devotion" is normally "Faith", but the name has been changed to avoid confusion.) These powers are cumulative and are gained when the character gains the appropriate True Faith score.

DEVOTION: TRUE FAITH 2
Devotion is an infused quality, wherein the soul perceives the perfection and truth of the Divine radiance.

When a character has a True Faith Score of 2 he gains the Premonitions Minor Virtue (Ars Magica 5th Edition page 47). Furthermore, the character may dispel any supernatural (magical and Infernal) illusion or Faerie glamour, no matter its level, by spending a Faith Point.

HOPE: TRUE FAITH 3
Hope is the unshakable confidence in divine providence. It is a strengthening through God, not only directly but through the natural works of divine agency, leading ultimately towards salvation.

A character with a True Faith Score of 3 adds 6 instead of 3 when spending Faith Points like Confidence. Furthermore, the character becomes nearly immune to magic that negatively affects the mind. His Magic Resistance against Mentem spells (and similar supernatural powers) is doubled.

CHARITY: TRUE FAITH 5
Charity is the predisposition to love God, replacing all other urges. It is an infused motive that makes the character inimical to sin. He becomes lit with a fire that dims all lesser flames: the very holiness of God. His face begins to glow softly with a holy light — as bright as a candle — which can only be seen in dim light or darkness.

When a character gains a True Faith Score of 5, he radiates a tangible Divine Empyreal aura (see Heaven and Earth, Divine Auras) with a rating equal to his True Faith Score minus 4. Thus, a character with a True Faith Score of 6 would radiate an Empyreal aura of 2. This interacts with other auras and supernatural powers in the same manner as a normal Divine aura, and may overwhelm lesser auras or be overwhelmed by greater auras. The character's Empyreal aura extends for Voice range. A character with this blessing may temper his aura.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two Tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was Radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. = Exodus 34:29

Divine Warping — like all things divine — is life-changing and profound. Visions, speaking in tongues, stigmata, vivid dreams, and angelic visitations are common symptoms of Divine Warping. As the Warping becomes more severe and pronounced, however, mundane characters can undergo dramatic transfigurations, both physically and spiritually, taking on the terrifying aspects of angels, or zealous and extreme personality traits.

Since the Dominion is the aura that the majority of Mythic Europe's inhabitants are most likely to interact with, it is the most common source of mystical Warping (see "Warping", Ars Magica 5th Edition, page167).

Unique to the holy mystic traditions is a heavenly form of Warping known among holy mages as the Divine Ascent, first codified in the fourth century by Dionysus the Areopagite, a Platonist Christian mystic. Only those who practice the holy arts experience Divine Ascension. Those who do are believed to be both cursed and blessed.

There are three common sources of Divine Warping: Divine auras, powerful Divine effects, and Divine botches. Like all Warping, consider the source of Divine Warping when choosing Warping effects. There is no mechanical difference between types of Warping. Divine Warping merely creates a different flavor in its effects.

Characters with holy powers, Virtues from Divine sources (such as Sense Holiness and Unholiness), or Faith Points do not gain Warping Points from a powerful Divine aura. When choosing Virtues and Flaws for your character, remember to stipulate which Realm they are derived from.

Divine Warping tends to result in flaws that punish sinful characters and try to guide them towards redemption, or emphasize pious extremes in already devout believers.

Common Minor Flaws: Compassionate, Compulsion (prayer, self-flagellation), Continence, Disfigured (stigmata scars), Driven (Minor), Fear (of the Divine or Infernal), Fragile Constitution, Generous, Humble, Lame, Obsessed (God, sin, and sinners), Pious (Minor), Soft-Hearted, Susceptibility to Divine Power, Susceptibility to Infernal Power, Temperate, Visions.

Common Major Flaws: Blind, Deaf, Driven (Major), Enfeebled, Pious (Major).

Flaws gained through Warping do not grant immunity against gaining Warping Points.

The Divine also blesses those who spend a great deal of time within its influence. Minor Virtues gained when a character reaches a Warping Score of 5 will prevent further accumulation of Warping Points due to exposure to a powerful aura.

DIVINE AURAS

Large churches and cathedrals are the most common causes of Divine Warping in Mythic Europe. However, many of the people who live and pray in these places also possess Faith Points or mystical abilities that prevent them from gaining Warping Points from the church's powerful aura. Auras of any kind with a level over 5 are very rare in Mythic Europe, and the majority of them are located around the small area of a church's altar or similar holy place.

MIRACLES

A character in the presence of a miracle whose level is thirty or greater gains one Warping Point. Characters directly affected by miracles (and saints or the faithful who pray for them) do not gain Warping if the miracle was intended for their benefit. Continuous miracles do not cause Warping from constant exposure.

DIVINE AND HOLY POWERS

The powers of Divine beings may also cause Warping. Holy powers, such as those performed by Methods and Powers will also cause Warping if the level of the power is thirty or higher.

BOTCHES

One Warping Point is gained for each zero on a botch die when using a holy power or divine supernatural ability. Botching when praying for a miracle or performing holy powers has additional effects (see Miracles).

Holy characters (that is, characters from a holy tradition or who possess Miraculous Abilities) experience a unique form of Warping called the Divine Ascent, which is the result of their training and immersion in the holy mystic arts. Divine Ascent takes three common forms, the Divine Gloom, Divine Form, and Divine Unity, which replace the normal "Effects of Warping" rules. Divine Gloom sees the holy mystic practitioner gradually lose his perception of the mundane world; Divine Form causes the holy wizard to take on aweinspiring sacred majesty or radiance; and Divine Unity transforms the mystic into an exemplar of a single Godly characteristic or virtue.

Most holy characters revere Divine Ascension and actively seek it, particularly Sufi mystics and Jewish Kabbalists, believing it to be a temporary flight to Heaven. Those who experience it gain unique insights into the nature of the Divine Realm and may even gain sacred benefits. Unlike Hermetic magic, there is no "Final" Ascent. Rather, holy characters will become more and more Warped until they die from old age.

Characters who possess both Hermetic arts (or hedge magic) and Miraculous Abilities (such as Purity or Holy Magic) suffer only one form of unique Warping in their lifetime, which is decided in negotiation between storyguide and player as to what form is most appropriate. Characters with only True Faith or a Divine virtue merely experience "generic" Warping, as Ars Magica 5th Edition, page 167. Hermetic magi with True Faith experience Twilight.

Divine Ascension may affect any holy character who possesses a Holy Power or Miraculous Ability when they gain two or more Warping Points from a single event. When this happens, the player must check to see if the character experiences the Divine Ascent, by adding any gained Warping Points to his Warping Total (and possibly adjusting his Warping Score) and then rolling:

DIVINE ASCENSION: Presence + Concentration (or Meditation) + stress die vs. Warping Score + Number of Warping Points Gained + True Faith Score + local aura + stress die (no botch)

If the character succeeds, he is too tied to the mundane world to temporarily ascend to the Divine. If he fails, then he temporarily "ascends" to a Divine place.

He is also affected by one of the three forms of Divine Ascent, and gains a number of additional Warping Points equal to the margin by which he failed the Divine Ascension roll (these additional Warping Points do not trigger further Divine Ascension).

The player and storyguide should choose which form of Divine Ascent (Divine Gloom, Divine Form, or Divine Unity) is most appropriate for the character. The character will experience the same form of Divine Ascent for the rest of his or her life.

EXPERIENCING THE ASCENT

When a character experiences Divine Ascension, he experiences a mystical sensation of being spiritually lifted into dazzling obscurity and shining brilliance. Mystics variously describe this place as Heaven or perhaps a powerful Celestial regio. During the Ascent the character may experience frightening or uplifting visions, encounter angelic or saintly beings, demonic tempters, or simply be lost in rapturous ecstasy. Feel free to play this out.

The character will remain in this Ascent for a number of days (24 hours) equal to his Warping Score plus the total number of Warping Points gained (minimum 1).

BASE ASCENT TIME: (Warping Score + Warping Points gained) in days

A character with True Faith subtracts his Faith Score from the total (although the minimum remains 1 day).

Once a holy character reaches a Warping Score of six or greater, his Base Ascent time increases to months rather than days.

In this time, the holy character's body may either remain in the mundane world (in which case, it is immune to all supernatural powers and cannot suffer from any illness, deprivation, or wounds), or it is completely removed from earth and vanishes until the Ascent is over (when it returns to where it was before the Ascent).

Exempla Gratia: Dominia the Ascetic has a True Faith Score of 1, a Warping Score of 0 (0), an Intelligence of +1, and her Concentration is 0. She gains three Warping Points from being close to a potent divine power while in an Empyreal aura of 5, so must roll to see if she is affected by Divine Ascent. The storyguide rolls 8 for the Warping , for a total of 17. She rolls a 5, for a total of 7, and gains ten additional Warping Points and begins her first Divine Ascent, which lasts for twelve days (Warping Score 0 + Warping Points 13 – Faith Score 1).

A profoundly mystical Warping effect, the Divine Gloom is the loss of apprehension of the material world in place of the Divine. As it always occurs when the Warped character is at the very final stages of Warping, it is often considered by holy mages to be akin to the Divine form of Hermetic Twilight, the last step before the Warping takes the character forever.

When a character is affected by the Divine Gloom, he slowly loses his knowledge and understanding of the mundane, but excels in his comprehension of all things Divine. He reaches the topmost altitude of the holy ascent, and begins to plunge into the divine enlightenment of transcendence — the shadows in which the Lord resides beyond all things.

The Divine Gloom gives the character an understanding of the incomprehensible Divine Realm, and therefore removes his ability to perceive the comprehensible. It is this loss of knowledge that gives this state the name "Gloom", since the affected character is thrust into a state of intellectual darkness, while at the same time residing spiritually in a realm of Light beyond light.

GAME EFFECTS

A character experiencing the Divine Gloom begins to have his higher reasoning faculties replaced with directly intellectualized divine revelation. Each time he gains Warping Points, he gains the same number of Experience Points to divide between Dominion Lore, any Holy Power

Abilities, and the Ability Scores of any Virtue with a holy source (such as Sense Holiness and Unholiness, or Holy Magic).

The Divine Gloom also results in the loss of character's mundane knowledge. The character must lose the same number of Experience Points that he gained from Warping from Abilities with a mundane focus (such as Swim, Charm, or Profession).

Finally, the character is now a beacon to all manner of beings from the Invisible World: unMantled angels, demons, faeries, and elemental spirits. To those beings, the holy character shines like a torch in the night and draws them like bees to nectar. Their reaction to the character depends on circumstances, the character and the individual being.

Exempla Gratia: Dominia has started her Divine Ascent, and her player decides she will experience the Divine Gloom. Since she has gained a total of ten Warping Points from her Divine Ascent (three from the original trigger, and seven from the Ascent itself) she may divide 10 Experience Points between holy Abilities. Her player decides to put all the experience into her Transcendence Ability. She must also subtract a total of 10 XP from her mundane Abilities, and decides to lose 5XP from her Animal Handling Ability and 5XP from her Swim Ability. She now also has a Warping Score of 1.

God is holiness incarnate; it is His most intrinsic attribute. Those who are holy in His eyes share in that very majesty, glory, sovereignty, and unfathomable mystery of the Divine. The Divine Form is the profound transformation of the character towards Holiness that is so pure as to be without spot or stain, or anything like it.

The character becomes light and purity itself. As God "is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity", so the character is of a purer heart and mind than to have one sinful thought in it. His thoughts and actions are no longer those of a mere mortal; he becomes the pattern of purity and holiness.

In so transforming, the holy character becomes a figure of hieratic authority and majesty, radiating the purest splendor. To mortal eyes, the character is transfigured into near angelic brilliance; his voice is that of the Throne in Heaven and his actions are the Divine Will. To the unfaithful and impious, the character could appear terrifying, while to the faithful or virtuous, the character's presence is comforting, sanctifying, and uplifting. Demons and those aligned with Hell abhor the presence of those who bear the mark of Divine Form, while those from the Magic and Faerie Realm are struck by feelings of respect, reverence, or timidity at such purity and blessedness.

Should the character ever act in a way that is contrary to the holy Will of God, such as break a Commandment or Law, perform some wicked act that would place his soul in a state of Mortal Sin, or otherwise say or do something that aids diabolic forces or profanes something holy, he will suffer grievously.

GAME EFFECTS

The Divine Form operates like The Commanding Aura possessed by Mythic Europe's kings and ecclesiastical figures. The character's Magic Resistance Score is equal to the character's Warping Score, and stacks with the Magic Resistance gained from a True Faith Score (although not from other sources, like Parma Magica or from a Holy Power). When determining the character's Soak bonus, include the Magic Resistance from True Faith before dividing by five. The character's Penetration is equal to his Warping Score, and gains an additional bonus equal to his Faith Score multiplied by 5.

Serious consequences can befall a character with Divine Form. God's holiness will not be profaned, and those who do so are punished. Any impious action (determined by the storyguide) requiring a roll must use a stress die with a number of additional botch dice equal to the character's Warping Score multiplied by three.

Abilities or powers that reduce the number of botch dice a character rolls, such as Spell Mastery or the Seventh Ring of Solomon, are applied before any botch dice gained from Divine Form (so the character will always roll at least as many botch dice as his Warping Score, if the activity is sinful).

Furthermore, a character who commits a venial sin immediately suffers from a light wound; a character who commits a mortal sin immediately suffers a medium wound. These wounds cannot be Soaked and must be healed naturally or by miracle; no other power — magic, faerie, or infernal — may repair them.

Exempla Gratia: Arshaq ibn Kareem the zahid has a Faith Score of 1. He goes into Divine Ascent and experiences the Divine Form. After gaining a Warping Score of 1, he gains a Magic Resistance of 11 (1 from his Warping Score and 10 from his True Faith Score), a Soak bonus of +2 and a Penetration for his Commanding Aura of 6.

There are many virtues — expressions of the innate goodness of the soul that disposes people to perform good acts. The Ascent of Divine Unity causes a holy character to begin to exemplify or personify a specific virtue. In so doing, the character begins to affect others around him, influencing not only their personalities, but also the aura.

This kind of Divine Ascent is most commonly found among Christian holy practitioners, in particular Ascetics.

GAME EFFECTS

When someone experiences Divine Unity, the player must choose a specific virtue that his character will begin to personify. As the character becomes increasingly warped, his behavior becomes distorted towards one particular kind of good behavior and thought. This in turn affects the aura and people around the character through unconscious Holy Influence (see Holy Influence) that affects people and the Divine aura. The Warped character adds his Warping Score to a Personality Trait determined by the virtue he is personifying, resulting in an extreme, monomaniacal persona.

Characters who spend a season or more in regular company with the Ascending character are affected as though he was using Holy Influence on them, with the invoked Personality Trait being the exemplified virtue (roll as normal to determine the effect). The Ascending character will also change the Temper of any aura he spends a season or more in, choosing the most appropriate Temper for the character's virtue. This may result in Schism.

Exempla Gratia: In this example, Arshaq ibn Kareem's player chooses Divine Unity instead of Divine Form, and decides to personify the Virtue of Temperance. With a Warping Score of 1, Arshaq increases his Brave Personality Trait to +4. After a season, his presence affects the aura he is in. He rolls a simple die (and gets an 8) + his Presence (0) + Leadership (2) + Brave Personality Trait (+4), and invokes a Brave Temper of +2.

The Virtues

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. - 1 Corinthians 13:13*

There are a large number of virtues and the exact order and importance of them is a hotly debated topic among theologians. Most of the virtues are derived from the Bible and from philosophical texts by Plato and Aristotle. This list is not exhaustive; feel free to develop your own virtues more suited to a specific faith (Romans 12:6-8 is a possible starting point). The seven most common (Capital) virtues are:

MORAL

The Moral virtues (also known as Capital virtues) are ones that moderate the sin of fleshly and sensuous desire, driving people away from indulgence and sin and towards righteousness and grace. They are often known as the Cardinal Virtues.

Justice: The Virtue of Justice creates respect towards others, being the source of piety, gratitude and duty, as well as insight into people's behavior

Fortitude: This is willingness to take a risk in the face of insurmountable danger, in pursuit of a worthwhile aim. The Virtue of Fortitude helps resist fear, whether physical, spiritual, or social.

Temperance: The Virtue of Temperance moderates and subordinates inappropriate desire, granting you the ability to act freely and selflessly. In particular, it allows you to achieve great feats that benefit humanity as a whole.

Wisdom: The Virtue of Wisdom is the greatness of soul, personifying your understanding of truth, and the catalyst for prudently carrying you desired goals with considered judgment.

THEOLOGICAL

The Theological virtues infuse celestial traits into the soul, which come directly from the Divine Realm, rather than through human goodness like the Capital virtues. The soul is transformed by the Theological virtues, allowing a fuller participation with the Divine and a true morality.

Faith: The Virtue of Faith is the firm assurance and conviction in things unseen; the acceptance of God. It provides illumination in the darkness of life and is the free submitting of the will to the Divine.

Hope: The Virtue of Hope sustains and strengthens the soul in times of trouble, opening the heart to Divine beatitude in the hereafter.

Charity: Also known as the Virtue of Love, Charity is complete devotion to the Divine above all things, including self. Through Charity comes all lesser forms of love; in Charity is found True Love, which is the earthly manifestation of Love of God.

Islamic Virtues

God enjoins justice, kindness and charity to one's kindred, and forbids lewdness, reprehensible conduct and oppression. He admonishes you so that you may take heed. - Qur'an 16:90*

There are a large number of commonly cited Islamic Virtues, most of which are similar or the same as the Christian-themed virtues given here. Other virtues inspired by the Qur'an could include: Righteousness, Generosity, Gratitude, Contentment, Humility, Kindness, Courtesy, Purity, Respect, Tolerance, Mercy, Dignity, Patience, Loyalty and Honesty.

You may find, when playing Ars Magica, that you would like to play a character who is comparable in power to a Hermetic magus without actually playing a member of the Order of Hermes. There are many individuals in Mythic Europe who have strange and potent abilities, including non-Hermetic wizards, holy hermits, and supernaturally strong warriors. In Ars Magica such characters are referred collectively as Mythic Companions. While Hermetic magi are normally still the most potent characters in terms of raw power, Mythic Companions approach a similar level of power and have greater flexibility in their construction.

If you wish to play a Mythic Companion, you should normally play it as an alternative to a magus character, though the storyguide may disregard this guideline, depending on how your saga is being conducted. Mythic Companions are generated in the same way as other Companion characters, with some important exceptions:

1. All Mythic Companions take a Free Virtue that specifies their status. These Virtues are incompatible with each other, and with The Gift, and are not available to grogs. Blood of Heroes, in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages is another example of a Virtue that marks a character as a Mythic Companion.
2. You gain a free Minor Virtue, normally specified by the Mythic Companion Virtue. In addition, you may take up to ten points of Flaws, and each point of Flaws is worth two points of Virtues. This produces a maximum of 21 points of Virtues and 10 points of Flaws. Most Mythic Companion Virtues require you to take some particular Virtues and Flaws; these count against your maximum of 21 points of Virtues and 10 points of Flaws.
3. You should also agree with the storyguide on a minimum set of Ability scores that the character should have by the time character generation is complete. As for Hermetic magi, this set of Abilities should come to a total of 90 experience points. Note that this is not an additional 90 points to spend; it is rather a restriction on how 90 of your experience points may be spent.

A sample Mythic Companion template is below, and others may be found in the setting chapters that follow.

MYTHIC COMPANIONS: NEPHILIM

Nephilim are the divine giants and heroes of ancient myth. While older Nephilim rarely venture from their divine regiones, a few younger Nephilim occasionally leave their homes to wander the earth and experience new things. Most "young" Nephilim are about eighty years old, which is the start of their adulthood. For an example, see Abbas the Hunted (in Heaven and Earth, Divine Beings).

Note: Nephilim are very powerful and are recommended for high-powered sagas, or sagas with elder magi. If your troupe is worried about game balance, ensure that age levels for characters are roughly parallel.

Required Virtues: All Nephilim must take the following Virtues:

Nephilim (Free, Mythic Companion Virtue)
Blood of the Nephilim (Major, Supernatural)
Greater Immunity:Disease(Major, Supernatural)
Great Stamina (Minor, General)
Great Strength (Minor, General)
Improved Characteristics (Minor, General)
Sense Holiness and Unholiness (Minor, Supernatural)
Strong Angelic Heritage (Minor, Supernatural)

Nephilim must take five points of Flaws to pay for these virtues and may take an additional five points of Flaws, which grant a further ten points of Virtues.

Minimum Ability Scores: Nephilim should begin play with the following minimum Ability scores:

Dominion Lore 4
Hebrew 1
Penetration 1
Sense Holiness and Unholiness 3

Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, [there is] a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.

And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me [him] up, whom I shall name unto thee.

And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, [As] the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.

-1 Samuel 28:7-10

A magus devoted to God and His works may seek to divorce his magic from the damning sin of Pride and the idolatrous influence of pagan religions, and associate it wholly with God, invoking His will through prayer and piety. This holy magic is a gift given by God to those who follow His teachings and perform His works. It represents a transformation of thinking, whereby the magus comes to believe that Hermetic magic is wrong and seeks an alternative. This process is difficult, for it requires that a magus be willing to relearn much of what he has already discovered about magic and the Hermetic Arts.

Those who practice holy magic believe that they are doing right, and in fact often convert because they believe Hermetic magic is sinful, but it should be noted that magic is not necessarily evil in and of itself, since the attitude of the Divine toward magic might vary from saga to saga. Exactly why God penalizes magic in the Dominion is unclear, but it may be for some other reason than the state of the magus' soul. Similarly, whileholy magic exists in Mythic Europe, whether this is the only kind of Hermetic magic God sanctions, or simply a variety of magic that works more closely with the Dominion, is left to be seen.

Holy magic does not need to be miraculous, but it is infused with love and respect for God. While it does serve the Divine, holy magic is still magic. It is important that characters do not develop the belief that they are somehow "backed" by God, or that they speak for God, for that is the sin of presumption, another kind of Pride. Holy magic does not need to show off. God's power is manifest in the world He created, and holy magi simply use these tools to share His glory with those who cannot see it, and protect the weak from those who would lead them astray. Holy magic does not need to break Hermetic limits to achieve these goals.

Holy Magic Summary

RESTRICTIONS

• Cannot use magic to sin
• No Hermetic words or gestures
• Must relearn Hermetic spells
• Incomprehensible to outsiders, Hermetic study totals halved
• Increasingly poor supernatural relations

BENEFITS

• Attuned to both Divine and Magic auras
• May use long-term fatigue as vis in rituals
• May use the Dominion for laboratory activities
• May use holy power guidelines as spell guidelines
• New range, duration, and target categories

Characters who cleanse their magic of what might be considered "idolatrous influences" must devote themselves to it; they travel down a path that is distinct from Hermetic magic. They abandon their years of magical training and understanding to see Creation in a new way. To begin this journey, holy magi must be meaningfully affected by the Divine, be it through a blessing from a saint, taking part in a holy ceremony, witnessing a miracle, or gaining a Warping Point from a divine source. The criteria for gaining a Faith Point are good examples of this sort of event (though True Faith is not a requirement for holy magic). Because of this experience, these magi are transformed, and may begin to learn how to use their magic to serve the Divine.

This makes it possible for them to learn a new Supernatural Ability: Holy Magic. This is very similar to Magic Theory as taught by the Order, in that it represents the characters' knowledge of how to use magic harmoniously with the Divine. They retain their knowledge of the Parma Magica and their Hermetic Arts, but must adapt them to serve their new purpose, and this requires that they effectively re-learn how to use their Gift.

Characters can study holy magic from a master or tradition, or by embarking upon a spiritual quest to discover it alone. As holy magic is extremely rare and does not have a positive reputation in the Order, finding a mentor can be difficult. Most magi who practice holy magic live in isolated places, and rarely associate with others. The search for a teacher, or for the understanding that allows magi to conform their magic to the Divine Will, may be the subject of many adventures.

Holy magi must then reinvent all of their formulaic spells using Holy Magic before they can cast them. Holy versions of spells are not the same as Hermetic ones, even if the effects are identical, though for the purposes of adapting them they are considered similar to each other. Once they have begun holy magic, their lab totals must always be halved when learning magic from a Hermetic source, such as a book or Laboratory Text. Likewise, holy magi are treated as Incomprehensible when those who practice normal magic try to understand or duplicate their work. Because of all this, they are usually considered hedge wizards by the rest of the Order.

Also, holy magi cannot use Hermetic words or gestures with their magic, since they are believed to lead the magus into ingrained rites of Hermetic idolatry and invoke the symbolism of sacrilegious rituals and worldly enchantment. A holy magus instead learns to call his magic solely with the worship of God. Thus, when casting, holy magi receive any penalties to their magic totals that they would normally accrue when practicing magic without words or gestures. This is usually a –15 penalty, though Virtues like Subtle Magic still apply in these circumstances.

Holy magi can also learn to substitute prayer and religious ceremonies in place of their Hermetic practices, to help offset this penalty. This requires that they roll a simple die + Presence + Theology of 15+; if they succeed, they may proceed as if they had used Hermetic words and gestures, and if they fail they must continue with the –15 penalty. Alternatively, holy characters may perform the actions associated with a Method Ability that they possess. For example, a character with Invocation may write a prayer on a piece of parchment and spend a point of Confidence. This can be done with any spell, and does not require any other words or gestures.

Holy magi may not use holy magic to sin under any circumstances. That is, they cannot knowingly break any of God's commandments or commit evil when casting their spells, and their magic simply does not function if they attempt to do so. Those who convert to holy magic can still use their Hermetic spells for sinful effects, but most holy magi give up their Hermetic magic completely, for they believe it is itself sinful and stains their souls in much the same way as perjury or theft. This opinion also applies to all activities that would require Magic Theory, though they can still practice magic in the laboratory if they use Holy Magic instead.

It is not unusual for holy magi to regress and cast Hermetic spells, however, perhaps believing that their actions serve the Divine whether their magic is holy or not, and the temptation to revert to old practices might be a central struggle for pious characters. Should a holy magus repeatedly commit terrible wrongs, or fail dramatically in his devotion, the storyguide may decide that his holy magic has ceased to function entirely. This crisis may require drastic action to overcome: the character is tested, requiring him to prove his faith using only mundane means, with each new regression forcing greater and longer penances. Only by making amends and sincerely repenting can a character overcome these lapses.

Characters who practice holy magic are tempting targets for demons and other infernal creatures. Holy magic acts like a beacon for all forms of evil spirits; it identifies the magus as a great prize and a terrible enemy. The storyguide should balance a character's attunement to the Divine with hatred and temptation from the Infernal realm, and prepare to plot his downfall by dark forces if he should begin to stray from the path. In fact, while holy magic has no effect when a magus tries to use it for evil, demonic powers may step in to fuel such corrupt spells, further damning him through their effects, and perhaps misleading him into believing that God wills his evil actions.

Some faeries, too, may be aggravated by holy magic. Those who dislike the Church and the Dominion for intruding upon what they consider their lands may similarly despise holy magi, and might harass them whenever they travel through faerie realms. Many who follow the path to holy magic may begin to see faeries as enemies, since many of these creatures lead believers away from God and teach them to believe in illusions and untruths. However, not all faeries are opposed to the Divine; stories exist of fay who are interested in God and salvation, and who live happily among pious folk.

The Order of Hermes has little understanding of holy magic on the whole, but the concept is not looked upon favorably. Their heritage in the pagan Cult of Mercury is quite apparent, and the suggestion that Hermetic magic is a form of idolatry or sacrilege is insulting to most magi. Holy magic, were it examined impartially, would likely be seen as inferior by comparison, since it requires so many sacrifices. Holy magi recognize that there is little value (and perhaps some danger) in emphasizing the differences between their practices and those of other magi. They thus tend to be reclusive rather than calling attention to their beliefs or the failings of others.

Besides being filled with God's grace and love, tending to their immortal souls, and better conforming to the beliefs of the majority of human society in Mythic Europe, magi receive other, more practical, benefits for practicing holy magic.

Holy magic is attuned to both the Divine and Magic realms. This means that magi receive no penalties in Infernal auras, and may add the level of the aura to their spells in Magic and Divine places. In Faerie, they may add half the score of the aura to their magic. Magi are still associated with the Magic realm because of their Gift, and so do not gain Warping points for living in a Magic aura, though they can also live in the Dominion without being affected.

Holy magi may cast holy spells that use the guidelines for miraculous effects, assuming they have the necessary Method and Power; the storyguide should assign an appropriate Technique and Form, and if the effect breaks Hermetic limits, it must be a Ritual. Instead of Artes Liberales and Philosophiae, however, they add their scores in the appropriate Method and Power when performing rituals or ceremonially casting, and these ceremonies require activating the appropriate Method as if calling a holy effect. Holy magi with the Ceremony Supernatural Ability (see New Virtues and Flaws) may include the Characteristic and Method scores of other participants in these holy rituals.

Instead of using vis to fuel their ritual magic, holy magi may substitute their own long-term fatigue. Each Fatigue level spent during a ritual is equivalent to as many as three pawns of vis of an appropriate Art, and these cannot be recovered for the spell's entire duration (note that Momentary rituals last only a moment, so this Fatigue is not lost forever). Each Fatigue level exchanged for vis also adds one hour to the length of the ritual, which must be spent in prayer. Magi may use this special vis when ceremonially casting spells, but not with other kinds of magic or laboratory work — actual vis must be spent to enchant a magic item or study the Hermetic Arts.

Holy magi may perform all laboratory activities that usually require a Magic aura when within the Dominion. This includes extracting vis, though this vis tends to have unusual and perhaps even miraculous side effects, especially when used by others. When used outside of holy magic, holy vis might gain the attention of a patron saint or angel associated with the aura, or cause strange effects that seem to forward God's plan. At the very least, it doubles the number of botch dice that the vis adds to the dice pool. Otherwise, holy vis may be used just like normal vis.

Finally, holy magi have several new Ranges, Durations, and Targets, which they may use in spontaneous and formulaic spells that require Holy Magic to cast. Many of these categories depend upon the tenets of the caster's religion, as becoming a holy magus changes how magic affects the world. Thus, categories like Year should be interpreted according to the calendar of the faith, not the seasons and stars.

Holy Ranges, Durations, and Targets

Presence (Range): You radiate a sort of divine aura, which is not visible and has no effect on others except that it allows you to affect targets within this area through a holy extension of yourself; you do not have to speak as with Voice Range. The size of your aura depends upon your Presence, as shown below.

PRESENCE	DISTANCE
+4/+5	100 paces
+2/+3	50 paces
–1/0/+1	15 paces
–2/–3	5 paces
–4/–5	0 paces (caster only)

For the purposes of calculating spell levels, this range is the same as Voice.

Communion (Range): You can affect those things over which you have been invested holy authority or have been joined with by a holy ceremony. For example, a priest can affect his parish, a wife can affect her husband, a godparent can affect his child, and a host may affect his guests. There is a mystical connection between you, and so this is the same range as Arcane Connection.

Recitation (Duration): This is the same level as Concentration, and very similar in effect. The spell lasts for as long as the caster recites scripture or an established prayer. This can be read from a book, although if it is done from memory, an Intelligence + Theology roll may be needed to see how much the caster remembers.

Office (Duration): The spell lasts until the hour of the next formal prayer in the caster's tradition. This is usually about three hours. The spell has no effect at all when cast during a time of prayer, which usually includes dawn and dusk, or if the tradition does not have daily prayer hours. The duration is the same level as Diameter.

Devotion (Duration): The spell lasts for as long as a religious observance or devotional ceremony continues. Different members of the congregation can take over the service, essentially allowing it to continue indefinitely, but the spell ends if those tending it somehow fail in their duties. It is equivalent to Sun.

Sabbath (Duration): The spell lasts until dawn of the next day of rest in the character's tradition, which for Christians in the Middle Ages is Sunday. Thus, a spell cast on Monday morning with this Duration will last six full days. However, this spell has no effect at all when cast on the Sabbath day; it may only be cast on the day following. The duration is the same level as Sun.

40 (Duration): The spell lasts for forty days and forty nights, a duration that God seems to particularly favor and which thus has mystical significance. It is equivalent in level to Moon, and ends when the forty-first dawn or the fortyfirst dusk has passed.

Fast (Duration): The spell continues for as long as the character fasts, according to the terms of his faith. This usually means going without meat and taking only one meal a day. The duration can potentially last forever, though it ends if the caster dies or otherwise leaves the physical world. The caster can also end the effect at will. This is equivalent to the Moon duration.

Grace (Duration): The spell lasts for as long as the caster remains in a state of grace, meaning without mortal sin. Acts that cancel this duration might include homicide, perjury, theft, adultery, or sacrilege. It is the same level as Year, though it can theoretically last forever if a character never sins, as then it only ends if the caster dies or goes into Twilight.

Sin (Target): You affect an individual who is spiritually impure, stained with mortal sin. This also affects demons and objects that have somehow become unholy. The spell has no effect on divine beings or targets who are in a state of grace. It is the same level as Individual.

Faith (Target): This spell only affects those people who worship God, or else those who do not worship God. Most people do; only pagans, avowed nonbelievers, and diabolists are separated from the rest. The caster can choose to target only adherents of a particular faith with a Finesse roll, assuming he has some way to tell them apart. This target is equivalent to Group.

Dominion (Target): This is the same level as Boundary; it affects everything within a divine aura, as long as the source of the aura is within range. For example, at Voice range the caster can affect everything within an aura that originates at a church, so long as he can hear the church bells. Likewise, if he can see the church, he can affect everything in the Dominion that surrounds it.

Some traditions teach Holy Magic as one of their favored Abilities; these are called Holy Societates. They are typically associated with the Order of Hermes, and might assist a Gifted character down the humbling path of magic aligned with the Divine. They can also accept unGifted characters like any holy tradition, train apprentices in holy magic, and are an ideal opportunity for players to create a holy magus during character creation. A sample societas is below, and others may be found in the setting chapters later in the book.

HOLY SOCIETAS: SOL INVICTUS

Favored Abilities: Cursing, Ceremony, Holy Magic, Invocation

In the first century A.D., many of the ancient oracles began to lose favor and pilgrimages to them became scarce. Many believed that they had stopped working altogether because the gods had fled — Plutarch tells of a seer who proclaimed that "Great Pan is dead," and as word of the cessation of the oracles spread, the Romans came to think that their gods were not immortal after all. If Pan could die, so could others. That this event might have coincided with the resurrection of Christ struck many early Christians as significant.

The various Roman cults began to merge, uniting their worship of many gods under a central figure, like Mercury or Diana. In these cults, the patron god was the dominant focus, but not exclusively revered; the other gods were included in various holidays and rites. However, one small group of these faltering priests decided to worship one god who ruled all of the others — what they believed to be the highest immortal God. They were influenced primarily by the Roman sun-cult of Sol, but also by Egyptian, Syrian, and even early Christian practices. As their idea of God developed, so too did His name: Deus Sol Invictus, the unconquered sun.

This new form of monotheism was aligned with the Divine realm, but retained the framework of Roman cult practices. It quietly gained followers, mystic power, and political influence in the empire until the early third century, when the emperor Elagabalus declared it to be the State religion. As other priests unwillingly integrated worship of the invincible Sol into their rites, the cult lost its focus, reverting to favoring one god among many instead of one God above all. With this dilution of purpose, the cult's power quickly faded away, and Elagabalus was removed from power four years later, his followers disgraced and scattered.

That might have been the end of the cult if those true to the idea of one Roman God had not continued to practice in secret, and in 270, the son of one of their priestesses became the new Emperor Aurelian. He wanted to unify the Empire, and to that end he again proclaimed Deus Sol Invictus as the official deity of the Roman State. However, instead of directing the priesthood to worship Sol as head of their pantheon, he declared that Sol was the sum of the attributes of all other gods, and thus was to be worshipped alone. The emperor instituted new rites, designed to unite all the disparate practices of the different priesthoods into one common prayer ceremony, built them one of the most splendid temples in Rome, and established a dedicated college to ensure its continuation.

His successor, Constantine, was also a great supporter of the cult in his early years, but later in life he converted to Christianity and changed the Empire's official religion to that of the Holy Church. This was an easy transition, since preparations for monotheism had already been laid in place by the sun worshippers, and over time the cult began to more closely resemble Christianity, while Christianity changed in many ways to comfort its newly converted Romans. Churches were built facing east, the Lord's day became Sunday, God was often referred to as Sol Iustitiae (the Sun of Justice), and the celebration of the birth of Christ was changed from Epiphany (January 6) to the Natalis Invicti, the day honoring the sun god's birth (December 25).

As the Dominion spread across Europe, the other cults faltered and eventually disbanded or dispersed, but Sol Invictus did not; it was lessened, but still remained an influence, especially in the far eastern part of the empire. After the fall of Rome, the remnants of the cult survived in Syria, much of that time under Muslim rule. They maintained a hidden temple in Emesa, with treasures and relics dating back to the reign of Elagabalus, and there the Sol cultists continued their rites in secret. After the city was liberated by Crusaders in 1110, a small group of them decided to undertake a holy pilgrimage back to Rome. There, they settled and revived services in abandoned pagan temples, converting many of them into churches. They still call themselves the Invicti, for although they were forced to endure the rule of outsiders in foreign lands, their faith was never conquered.

Theologically, Invicti differ from Christianity in only a few ways. They worship God as the sun, and Christ as His earthly incarnation. They still perform ritual sacrifices, though more as a form of penance: they make God offerings of animals that represent idolatry, burning the golden calf instead of bowing down to it. These ceremonies are followed by Holy Communion. They recognize differences between the Infernal, Magic, and Faerie realms; unlike the Church, they accept the idea that the old gods existed and may still exist, but believe they are mortal and fear death much like humans do. Those that crave worship — who tempt humanity from salvation in order to reassure themselves of their potency — the Invicti seek to undermine, imprison, and even destroy whenever they can.

In the early 800s, these strange practices came to the attention of magi from the Order of Hermes. Several Invicti were found to possess The Gift, and were invited to join House Jerbiton during the expansion that followed the Founding. Their unshakeable faith combined with their arcane tutelage developed naturally into holy magic, and in 1220 their tradition survives as a Hermetic society, with followers and converts scattered throughout the former Roman Empire. Invictine magi typically act as priests (diakonoi, or "deacons") for their small congregations, and since women and men have equal status in the Order, Invictine magae ("deaconesses") administer the sacraments. They are overseen by a high priest or priestess (episkopos), who is elected from their number and has duties similar to a bishop.

Invcti are extremely unpopular in the Order, especially among the pagan Cult of Mercury. A great number of magi believe that their Arts are directly associated with the very gods that the Invicti seek to destroy. Invictine doctrine also requires them to regularly molest the fay, a Hermetic crime for which they can be severely punished if they are caught. Thus, membership in Sol Invictus requires great discretion. Hopeful initiates must demonstrate their loyalty to the cult, usually by dealing with a powerful faerie, before the high priests teach them the various powers associated with their tradition.

The Cult of Sol Invictus is most appropriate for playing holy magi who do not subscribe to any real-world religions, as it is associated primarily with the customs and traditions of the Order of Hermes and has virtually no reputation or acceptance outside of it. It is Christianbased, though only because most medieval Europeans are Christians, but they do not have any formal association with the Church. Thus, it can be adopted as a holy societas for any magus with the Holy Magic Virtue.