Hedge Magic Revised Edition Chapter Two: Elementalists
The scholars who study the world of Mythic Europe discovered long ago that everything in the physical universe is made up of four distinct building blocks of creation, called elements. These elements combine to varying degrees to form the matter and energy that make up physical reality, and are typically characterized as air, fire, earth, and water. A stone is primarily made up of earth, a flame is mostly fire, and a human being is made up of more or less equal parts of all four elements combined together. Many supernatural beings are also strongly associated with one of the four elements.
Some ancient men and women had a supernatural gift or talent that gave them power over ghosts and other unseen spirits, including those associated with the four elements, and over the years they refined this art into a system of magic known as the Ars Goetia, or the Goetic Arts. These rotes and charms could draw a spirit to the summoner and cause it to manifest before him. Related paths of goetic knowledge allowed him to manipulate the essence of the spirit, to bind it to the physical world, or even to compel its service. But because the Ars Goetia gave the magician influence over the unseen spirit world instead of the visible world of nature, these arts were often considered to be evil by the rest of society, and branded as sorcery or black magic by other wizards.
Others in Mythic Europe have used the sciences of medicine, philosophiae, and theurgy to further develope these powers, so that they are able to affect the physical world instead of the spiritual, exert supernatural authority over the raw elements of nature, and even cause them to come together into animate creatures known as elementals. These Elementalist Arts are believed to have originated far across the Mediterranean Sea in the Middle East and northern Africa, but spread to Europe during the Arab conquests of Iberia in the first part of the eighth century. So-called "elementalists" would have been treated as badly as other sorcerers and summoners of the time, and thus they generally kept their abilities a secret, adopting the appearance of learned scholars or holy men. Over time, their scholarship and ties to the community elevated them above their more sinister counterparts, and in 1220 elementalists tend to look more like academics than other hedge wizards.
Elementalist Characters
Elementalist magic consists of four "Elementalist Techniques" (Summoning, Controlling, Divining, and Refining) and four "Elementalist Forms" (Air, Earth, Fire, and Water). These are known as the Elementalist Arts, which are used in conjunction to produce the effects that are associated with this form of hedge magic, and are essentially useless on their own. Thus, every elementalist character should begin with Virtues that give him at least one Technique and one Form.
The Elementalist Techniques are also associated with three different types of elemental manifestations: Medicinal, Philosophical, and Theurgical. This further defines what elementalists can do with their Techniques and what they can affect with their Forms. An elementalist with a Medicinal Technique is sometimes known as an elemental physician, while one with a Philosophical Technique can be referred to as an elemental philosopher, and one with a Theurgical Technique might be called an elemental theurgist. Elemental physicians study human illnesses and the four humors of the body, elemental philosophers investigate how the elements influence nature and the physical world, and elemental theurgists seek to understand supernatural beings associated with the four elements. A single character can be knowledgeable two or even three types of Elementalist Techniques, but this is rare.
Elementalists can be played as companions, Mythic companions, or Gifted characters. For companions or Mythic companions, the character will be unable to learn new Techniques or Forms unless he is initiated into them by a Mystery Cult, as described in the Introduction, under Acquiring Hedge Wizard Powers. A Gifted character must have had his Gift opened by an elementalist society (see Elementalist Societies, later in this chapter).
Elementalists may use vis with their elemental magic, but only vis associated with the four Elementalist Forms (Aquam, Auram, Ignem, and Terram). They can use this vis to boost their totals with elemental magic (Summoning, Controlling, or Divining, but not Refining as it does not include a roll), receiving a +2 bonus for each pawn of vis that corresponds to the Elementalist Form used in the formula. The number of pawns they can use for a single effect is limited to the sum of their scores in all four Elementalist Forms, i.e. an elementalist with Elementalist Earth 6 and Elementalist Water 2 can use a maximum of 8 pawns of any combination of Terram or Aquam vis.
Elementalists can also study their Arts from vis. This seasonal activity gives them a study source in an Elementalist Form with Quality equal to (a stress die + the aura bonus), and costs a number of pawns of vis equal to their score in the Form. To study an Elementalist Technique from vis, they must choose a particular Form with which to practice, and spend a number of pawns of vis associated with that Form equal to (their score in the Technique / 2), rounded up.
Characters can study the Elementalist Arts like any other Arts, though books on these subjects are very rare. Studying from vis is a much more common method for elementalists. At the storyguide's discretion, books on the Hermetic Forms of Aquam, Auram, Ignem, and Terram may yield elementalists some experience in the corresponding Elementalist Forms, though much less than they do for magi. Likewise, a book on one of the Elementalist Forms might be studied by a magus as a lower-quality text on the corresponding Hermetic Art.
Here follow several new Virtues and Flaws that are associated with the elementalist tradition and elementalist magic. Also, there are a few Virtues and Flaws available to elementalists that are similar to Hermetic Virtues and Flaws of the same name, except that they apply to elementalist magic instead. These are listed below, but players should simply refer to the Hermetic descriptions in **Ars Magica 5th Edition**. Note that, while these Flaws may be taken by unGifted elementalists, they may only be taken by characters for whom they represent a penalty. Characters with no elementalist powers may not take Flaws that limit those powers, for example. Similarly, a character may not have a Flaw that limits a power he does not have, even if he has other elementalist powers.
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Major, Supernatural Minor, Supernatural |
New or Revised Virtues
The following virtues are used by the elementalist tradition:
Elemental Affinity
Minor, Supernatural
The character has a supernatural affinity with the four elements, such that whenever he studies a particular Ability that is chosen when this Virtue is taken — Medicine, Philosophiae, or one type of (Realm) Lore — he may divide half as many experience points among his Elementalist Forms.
For example, an elementalist with an Elemental Affinity (Medicine) who gained 8 experience points in Medicine one season would also gain 4 additional experience points to spend among Elementalist Air, Elementalist Earth, Elementalist Fire, or Elementalist Water.
This Virtue may be taken more than once, as long as a different Ability is chosen each time.
Elementalist Air
Minor, Supernatural
This power combines with the Elementalist Techniques to affect the element of air. Taking this Virtue gives the character an initial score of 0 in Elementalist Air (see Elementalist Forms, below), and a Sanguine Personality Trait (see Elemental Warping, below) equal to his Warping Score + (Elementalist Air / 5).
Elementalist Earth
Minor, Supernatural
This power combines with the Elementalist Techniques to affect the element of earth. Taking this Virtue gives the character an initial score of 0 in Elementalist Earth (see Elementalist Forms, below), and a Melancholic Personality Trait (see Elemental Warping, below) equal to his Warping Score + (Elementalist Earth / 5).
Elementalist Fire
Minor, Supernatural
This power combines with the Elementalist Techniques to affect the element of fire. Taking this Virtue gives the character an initial score of 0 in Elementalist Fire (see Elementalist Forms, below), and a Choleric Personality Trait (see Elemental Warping, below) equal to his Warping Score + (El-ementalist Fire / 5).
Elementalist Water
Minor, Supernatural
This power combines with the Elementalist Techniques to affect the element of water. Taking this Virtue gives the character an initial score of 0 in Elementalist Water (see Elementalist Forms, below), and a Phlegmatic Personality Trait (see Elemental Warping, below) equal to his Warping Score + (Elementalist Water / 5).
Elemental Magic
Major, Supernatural
The character has a supernatural affinity with the four elements, specifically how they interact with each other. If the character studies one of the four Elementalist Forms (Elementalist Air, Elementalist Earth, Elementalist Fire, or Elementalist Water) during a season, he may assign one additional experience point to each of the other three. If he gains experience in more than one Form in a single season (perhaps from Adventure experience), he cannot assign more than one free experience point to each Ability.
In addition, when affecting multiple elements with his elemental magic, he may use the highest Form score among them rather than the lowest.
A Hermetic version of this Virtue is relatively common among magi of the Order of Hermes (**ArM5**, page 41), and affects the Forms of Aquam, Auram, Ignem, and Terram instead of the elemental powers.
Elemental Medicine
Major, Supernatural
The character has a natural aptitude for elemental magic, based on special understanding of the four humors and the human body. In any season in which the character studies Medicine, the player may also assign one free experience point in each of the four Elementalist Forms (Elementalist Air, Elementalist Earth, Elementalist Fire, and Elementalist Water).
In addition, when affecting multiple elements with his elemental magic, he may use his highest Form score rather than his lowest. If the highest score exceeds his score in Medicine, use his score in Medicine instead.
Elemental Philosophiae
Major, Supernatural
The character has a natural aptitude for elemental magic, based on a deep understanding of the physical world. In any season in which the character studies Philosophiae, the player may also assign one free experience point in each of the four Elementalist Forms (Elementalist Air, Elementalist Earth, Elementalist Fire, and Elementalist Water).
In addition, when affecting multiple elements with his elemental magic, he may use his highest Form score rather than his lowest. If the highest score exceeds his score in Philosophiae, use his score in Philosophiae instead.
Elemental Theurgy
Major, Supernatural
The character has a supernatural aptitude for elemental magic, based in experience with spirits and beings of a particular realm (usually Magic). In any season in which the character studies (Realm) Lore appropriate to the realm associated with this Virtue, the player may also assign one free experience point in each of the four Elementalist Forms (Elementalist Air, Elementalist Earth, Elementalist Fire, and Elementalist Water).
In addition, when affecting multiple elements with his elemental magic, he may use his highest Form score rather than his lowest. If the highest score exceeds his score in the appropriate (Realm) Lore, use his score in (Realm) Lore instead.
(Type) Controlling
Major or Minor, Supernatural
Controlling is an Elementalist Art that can be combined with mastery of the four elements to control the behavior of different types of beings, as described under Elementalist Techniques, later in this chapter. Taking this Virtue gives the character a score of 0 in Controlling.
This Virtue may be taken up to three times, to indicate that the character can control multiple types of elemental targets (Medicinal, Philosophical, or Theurgical). The first type chosen requires a Major Virtue, the others are Minor. Each type of Controlling must be learned separately, but all three use the same Art score, so that a character who takes this Virtue three times would have only one Controlling Art, not (Medicinal) Controlling, (Philosophical) Controlling, and (Theurgical) Controlling.
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Several of the Virtues found in this chapter (Elemental Magic, Elemental Medicine, Elemental Philosophiae, and Elemental Theurgy) give the player experience points in the four Elementalist Forms whenever the character studies a related Ability. In order to approximate this effect during character creation, an optional method is to treat the Virtue as an Affinity with the related Forms. That is, you would calculate the number of experience points spent in the Ability, and divide half that amount among the Forms (or, for Elemental Magic, take the total number of points spent on the four Forms and equally divide half that amount among them). |
(Type) Divining
Major or Minor, Supernatural
This Elementalist Art allows an elementalist to locate, understand, and predict the behavior of the four elements, as described under Elementalist Techniques, later in this chapter. This Virtue gives the character an initial Divining score of 0.
This Virtue may be taken up to three times, to indicate that the character can find and comprehend multiple types of elemental targets (Medicinal, Philosophical, or Theurgical). The first type chosen requires a Major Virtue, the others are Minor. Each type of Divining must be learned separately, but all three use the same Art score, so that a character that takes this Virtue three times would have only one Divining Art, not (Medicinal) Divining, (Philosophical) Divining, and (Theurgical) Divining.
(Type) Refining
Major or Minor, Supernatural
With this Elementalist Art, the character can purify a target by subjecting it to the four elements, as described under Elementalist Techniques, later in this chapter. Taken as a Virtue, it grants Refining with an initial score of 0.
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Summoning powers are also mentioned in *Realms of Power: The Infernal* (pages 87, 114–115). To distinguish the infernal Summoning Art from elementalist Summoning, you should refer to the infernal version as (Spirit) Summoning, and the elementalist version as (Elemental) Summoning. For example, an elemental theurgist with infernal powers could have (Elemental) Summoning, Controlling, (Spirit) Summoning, and Commanding. Note that such a character would be able to summon both spirits and elementals with his Summoning Arts, but could only command spirits with his Commanding Art and control elementals with his Controlling Art. If he were to summon a spirit aligned with one of the four elements using either (Spirit) or (Elemental) Summoning, he could affect it with either Commanding or Controlling, as the target would be both an elemental and a spirit. |
This Virtue may be taken up to three times, to indicate that the character can refine multiple types of elemental targets (Medicinal, Philosophical, or Theurgical). The first type chosen requires a Major Virtue, the others are Minor. Each type of Refining must be learned separately, but all three use the same Art score, so that a character that takes this Virtue three times would have only one Refining Art, not (Medicinal) Refining, (Philosophical) Refining, and (Theurgical) Refining.
(Type) Summoning
Major or Minor, Supernatural
Summoning is an Elementalist Art that allows the character to use his knowledge of the Elementalist Forms to summon a target associated with that element to him. This target is somehow appropriate to his background — a disease, an aspect of nature, or an elemental being, as determined by the type of Summoning he learns (Medicinal, Philosophical, or Theurgical). This is described in more detail under Elementalist Techniques, later in this chapter. Selecting this Virtue gives the character a score of 0 in Summoning.
This Virtue may be taken up to three times, to indicate that the character can summon more than one type of elemental target. The first type chosen requires a Major Virtue, the others are Minor Virtues. Each type of Summoning must be learned separately, but all three types use the same Art score, so that a character that takes this Virtue three times would only have one Summoning Art, not (Medicinal) Summoning, (Philosophical) Summoning, and (Theurgical) Summoning.
New Flaws
Vulnerable to (Form)
Minor, Hermetic or Supernatural
The elementalist's mystical association with a particular element makes him more vulnerable to its opposite. You must subtract the elemental Personality Trait for the element that opposes his chosen Form from the character's Soak. For example, a character Vulnerable to Elementalist Water would subtract his Choleric Trait from his Soak whenever he is damaged by water. Furthermore, this Form does not help him at all when he is ill; do not add the Trait associated with the chosen Form to his recovery totals.
This Flaw can be taken as a Hermetic Flaw, in which case the magus must subtract his Form bonus for the opposing element from his Magic Resistance and Soak whenever he is magically affected or damaged by that element. For example, a magus with Vulnerable to Terram must treat his score in Auram as a penalty to his Form bonus for Terram.
A character may take this Flaw up to four times, as long as a different Form is chosen each time. This Flaw may only be taken if the character has a score in the opposing Form; i.e. to take Vulnerable to Elementalist Fire, he must also have the Elementalist Water Virtue.
Weak Elemental Resistance
Major, Hermetic or Supernatural
Perhaps the character views his supernatural association with the four elements as merely academic, or else the character is simply weaker at defending himself against them, but for whatever reason you do not add the character's elemental Personality Traits (Sanguine, Melancholy, Choleric, and Phlegmatic) to his Soak when resisting damage from elemental sources, as described under Elemental Warping, below.
This Flaw can be taken by a magus as a Hermetic Flaw, in which case his Magic Resistance is vulnerable to physical damage appropriate to the elements and all damage from spells associated with Aquam, Auram, Ignem, and Terram. In these circumstances, his Magic Resistance is not increased by his score in the corresponding Form, and his Soak is not increased by his (Form score / 5).
Elemental Warping
As an elementalist accumulates Warping, instead of gaining new Virtues and Flaws as described in Ars Magica 5th Edition, he instead becomes even more strongly attuned to the four elements, both mentally and physically. This manifests most strongly in the character's personality, changing his behavior and emotions to correspond to the temperaments indicated by the four elements. This is usually to his detriment, as it leads him into madness and gives the player less control over how his character behaves, but it also draws him into stories and provides him with an interesting direction for developing his character. In addition, it transforms him physically to make him better able to resist those elements.
The player must take as many as four additional Personality Traits for the character, one for each elemental temperament (Choleric, Melancholy, Phlegmatic, and Sanguine) that corresponds to one of his Elementalist Forms (Elementalist Fire, Elementalist Earth, Elementalist Water, and Elementalist Air), with an initial value equal to the character's Warping Score. These values are also modified by his score in the Elementalist Form — divide the Form by 5 (rounded up), and add this result to the value of the corresponding Trait.
For example, an elementalist with Elementalist Air 4, Elementalist Fire 6, Elementalist Water 2, and Warping Score 1 would be Choleric +3 (+1 for Warping Score, +2 for Elementalist Fire), Phlegmatic +2 (+1 for Warping Score, +1 for Elementalist Water), and Sanguine +2 (+1 for Warping Score, +1 for Elementalist Air).
Each time the character's Warping Score is increased or one of his Elementalist Forms exceeds a multiple of 5, you should update these Personality Traits.
These Traits also add to the character's Soak whenever he is damaged by the corresponding elements, as described under each of the Arts, later in this chapter. For example, when damaged directly by stone, metal, dirt, earth elementals, or other supernatural creatures made of earth, add the elementalist's Melancholy Trait to his Soak. This does not give elementalists Magic Resistance, but does make them better able to resist physical damage from the elements in the same way as Aquam, Auram, Ignem, and Terram give magi bonuses to their Soak. (This is a variation of the Magical Fortitude power described in the Introduction.) A side effect of this is that characters tend to gain physical qualities of the element in question, much like magi gain Twilight Scars. For example, Phlegmatic character's skin might ripple or reflect images, while a Melancholic character might seem heavier and rumble when he walks.
While the character is more resistant to physical damage, he likewise becomes more vulnerable to diseases and afflictions associated with the appropriate bodily humors. You must subtract the value of the Trait from the character's Recovery rolls whenever he is suffering from an illness of the corresponding humor. A Trait associated with the opposing element does help the character in this instance; you may also add the value of an opposing Trait to the recovery roll.
For example, if the elementalist in the above example were to contract a phlegmatic disease like flux, he would subtract 2 from his recovery rolls for his Phlegmatic Trait, but add 6 for his Choleric Trait, giving him a total bonus of +4.
The storyguide should use these elemental Traits to draw the elementalist and those close to him into stories. If any of these Traits have a score of +3 or more, you should treat them as Minor Personality Flaws that dictate the character's behavior in a limited fashion, like a strange obsession with the associated element or an occasional mood swing. Treat Traits of +6 or more as Major Personality Flaws, behavior that the character often feels compelled to do and which typically override any other desires the character may have. If any of these Traits gain a score of +10 or more, the player no longer has control over the character's actions in any circumstances to which the storyguide decides that the Trait applies — the character has essentially gone mad. Like an elemental set loose without constraints, the character will likely bring about his own end eventually, and probably cause a great deal of destruction in the process.
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Major, Supernatural Minor, Supernatural |
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Four Personality Traits are used to describe elementalists who have been exposed to Warping: Choleric, Melancholic, Phlegmatic, and Sanguine. Choleric (Elementalist Fire): This Trait promotes anger and ire in the character, similar to the Wrathful or Hatred Personality Flaws. It opposes Phlegmatic. Melancholic (Elementalist Earth): This Trait represents the character's sorrow and gloom, much as if the character had the Depressed or Reclusive Personality Flaws. It opposes Sanguine. Phlegmatic (Elementalist Water): Jealousy and worry are signs of this Trait in a character, like the Personality Flaws Envious or Fear. It opposes Choleric. Sanguine (Elementalist Air): Delight and the feeling of being in love are signs of this Trait, perhaps best represented by Personality Flaws like Carefree or Optimistic. It opposes Melancholic. The effects of these Traits on the character's personality never cancel each other out, even if they are associated with elements that are opposed to each other. Characters with balanced Traits will still behave erratically — perhaps favoring one Trait some of the time and other times acting under the influence of another, or maybe harming themselves or lashing out at others they perceive as imbalanced. |
Elementalist Forms
Each of the Forms can potentially affect elementals and other supernatural beings associated with the four elements, the four humors of the body, and animals or other natural phenomena, depending upon the type of Elementalist Techniques with which they are combined. More information about elementals can be found in *Realms of Power: Magic,* pages 132–139, and the study of medicine and philosophiae is covered in more detail in *Art & Academe*.
Elementalist Air
Elementalist Air is the study of the supernatural qualities of the air, and how these qualities can be manipulated with elemental magic. It is a Difficult Art, as described in the introduction to this book — it increases as an Ability, but is otherwise considered an Art by Virtues and Flaws that affect Arts, and has no applications that are independent of the other Elementalist Arts.
The specific applications of Elementalist Air depend upon the type of Elementalist Technique with which it is paired:
Medicinal: Elemental physicians can affect the sanguine humors of the human body with Elementalist Air, which are typically associated with lightheadedness and diseases of the blood. An example would be quotidian fever.
Philosophical: Elemental philosophers can use Elementalist Air to affect natural weather phenomena with their powers. They can also affect animals that possess a predominantly sanguine temperament, such as birds.
Theurgical: Using Elementalist Air, elemental theurgists can affect air elementals and other creatures with Magic Might associated with Auram. Air elementals tend to have high mental Characteristics, but low physical Characteristics.
The character adds his Sanguine Trait to his Soak whenever he is damaged by the element of air, including suffering asphyxiation, inhaling poisonous gases, or being affected by powerful weather phenomena such as winds, hailstones, or lightning.
Elementalist Earth
Elementalist Earth is the study of the supernatural qualities of the earth, learning how to manipulate them with the Elementalist Techniques. It is a Difficult Art. Exactly what the character can do with Elementalist Earth varies, depending upon the type of Elementalist Technique with which it is paired:
Medicinal: Elementalist Earth allows an elemental physician to draw upon his medical knowledge to affect the melancholic humors of the human body. This includes feelings of sadness, or diseases such as constriction.
Philosophical: Elemental philosophers can affect the earth and its minerals with their magic, including animals with a melancholic temperament, such as slow-moving animals like cattle or generally docile animals like mice and badgers.
Theurgical: Elemental theurgists can use Elementalist Earth to affect earth elementals and other supernatural beings associated with Terram. Earth elementals generally have high physical Characteristics, but low mental Characteristics.
The character adds his Melancholy Trait to his Soak whenever he is damaged by the element of earth, including suffocation, injuries by metal or stone weapons, crushing blows, or falling onto solid ground.
Elementalist Fire
Elementalist Fire is a Difficult Art, which involves studying the supernatural qualities of fire, and how to manipulate them with the character's elemental magic. The type of Elementalist Technique with which the character pairs this Form determines what sorts of fire he can affect:
Philosophical: Heat and flame is the province of the elemental philosopher with Elementalist Fire, which includes mundane animals with a choleric temperament — generally those that are fast (such as horses) or fierce (such as predators).
Theurgical: Elemental theurgists affect fire elementals and other supernatural creatures associated with heat, light, and flames. Fire elementals typically have high scores in Presence, Communication, Dexterity, and Quickness.
The character adds his Choleric Trait to his Soak whenever he is damaged by the element of fire, including exposure to extreme temperatures, blinding light, or burning flames.
Elementalist Water
Elementalist Water is the study of the supernatural qualities of water, and how they can be manipulated with elemental magic. It is a Difficult Art. The form of the targets that the elementalist can affect with this Elementalist Form depends upon the type of Technique with which it is paired:
Medicinal: Elemental physicians can affect the phlegmatic humors of the human body with their Elementalist Arts. These humors are associated with slow, listless feelings and wet, phlegmatic diseases such as flux.
Philosophical: The elemental philosopher affects all sorts of natural liquids with Elementalist Water, and can also affect animals with a phlegmatic temperament, which includes those that swim like fish or creep like reptiles.
Theurgical: Elementalist Water allows an elemental theurgist to affect water elementals and other supernatural creatures associated with cold and liquids. Water elementals typically have high scores in Cunning, Perception, Strength, and Stamina.
The character adds his Phlegmatic trait to his Soak when he is damaged by the element of water, including suffering from thirst, drowning, drinking poisonous liquids, falling against water, or being crushed by powerful waves.
Elementalist Techniques
The four Elementalist Techniques are Summoning, Controlling, Divining, and Refining. Each Technique is used with a particular Characteristic, and combined with an Elementalist Form to affect a type of target (Medicinal, Philosophical, or Theurgical), which is noted as part of the Virtue that grants the character the Technique. For example, a character who can summon elementals would have the (Theurgical) Summoning Virtue.
Summoning
Summoning is the art of drawing elements from the surrounding area, often drawing them into a prepared shape or medium. Some elementalists might call this an incorrect description of their powers, since it may seem to them that they create these elements from nothing rather than bringing them to the caster from somewhere else. However, the basic principle is that the four elements are all part of nature, and so may always be found nearby and used to produce a supernatural effect.
Summoning relies upon the character's Stamina, his score in Summoning added to the appropriate Elementalist Form, plus the local aura and a stress die roll. This procedure always costs the elementalist a long-term Fatigue level, and takes anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the proximity of the summoned target. If successful, the target will appear directly beside the elementalist, within his immediate reach.
| Summoning Total | stress die + Stamina + Summoning + (Form) + aura |
This is compared to the following chart to determine the maximum Size and Might of the target. The Total must always be great enough to affect both the Size and Might of the target.
For example, a target of Size –6 and Might 20 would need a Summoning Total of 20 because of its Might, while another the size of a warhorse (+3) with only Might 5 would still require a Summoning Total of 20 because of its Size. A Summoning Total of 10 can only affect a target as large as a cat (–3) with a Might Score of 10 or less, for instance.
| Total | Might | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | -21 | nonexistent |
| 1 | 1 | -18 | too small to perceive |
| 2 | 2 | -15 | insect, kernel of grain |
| 3 | 3 | -12 | baby mouse, 10 insects |
| 4 | 4 | -9 | bat, frog |
| 5 | 5 | -6 | lizard, stoat |
| 10 | 10 | -3 | badger, cat |
| 15 | 15 | 0 | adult, ten cats |
| 20 | 20 | +3 | war horse, ten adults |
| 25 | 25 | +6 | killer whale, 100 adults |
| 30 | 30 | +9 | humback whale, 100 horses |
| 35 | 35 | +12 | tower, castle |
| 40 | 40 | +15 | village, storm |
| 45 | 45 | +18 | city, river |
| 50 | 50 | +21 | mountain, sea |
Summoning may be used in one of three different ways, depending upon the type of elemental magic the character learned: Medicinal, Philosophical, or Theurgical (see later).
The elementalist may attempt to include multiple elements when Summoning, as long as he possesses all of the Forms used in the formula.
For example, an elemental philosopher with Elementalist Air and Elementalist Fire might want to summon an animal with either or both a sanguine or choleric temperament. Use the lower of his two Form scores (Elementalist Air or Elementalist Fire in this case) to determine if he is successful. If this would summon one of several different targets that fit both criteria (for example, there are both sanguine and choleric animals nearby, but no animals that are both sanguine and choleric), the results should favor the element in which he has a higher score.
The elementalist may prepare a magical container for his target, if he wishes, by tracing the perimeter of the area in which the target will be held. Summoning circles drawn into the floor are very common containers, though jars and bottles are also used often as they are more transportable. Like a magus drawing a ring (see **ArM5** page 112), a magical container may require the elementalist to maintain concentration while performing the summoning, but doing so ensures that the summoned target cannot leave the area for as long as the boundary is undisturbed. If the seal is broken, either by opening the container or breaking the circle, the target of the summoning is free to go wherever it desires. However, as long as the elementalist has a bound captive, he does not recover the long-term Fatigue levels spent to summon it. Thus, elementalists rarely bind more than two or three targets at a time.
A summoning container also makes it easier for the elementalist to affect a summoned supernatural being with his other Elementalist Techniques, since it lessens the difficulty of penetrating its resistance with those powers as long as the target is held within the container into which it was summoned. If the target has been summoned and successfully bound into a ring or container using the Summoning Art, treat the level of successive effects with the Elementalist Arts as if they were 0, and apply the entire casting total toward the Penetration Total. It is as if the later effect is incorporated into the original Summoning effect, so that the elementalist only needs to penetrate the target's resistance once.
Botching the summoning roll means the elementalist has lost control of his power. The summoned being may appear but without any safeguards, or a different sort of being (such as an angel or demon) is attracted instead. Or, perhaps the elementalist simply channeled too much elemental power through himself, and his bodily humors become imbalanced, making him sick or injured.
Medicinal
With medicinal magic, the character can use Summoning to alter the humors in a human body, curing diseases and resolving crises. This might be seen as summoning the necessary humors to restore the body to its natural equilibrium, though this has no effect on wounds that were not caused by deprivation, disease, or aging. Summoning can also imbalance the humors enough to cause a disease, drawing the humors out of the body instead. The elemental physician must touch the target, and if you are using the disease rules found in *Art & Academe*, the Summoning Total determines the strength of the disease that is caused or cured. Otherwise, a Summoning Total that corresponds to the Size of the target (as listed on the chart above) affects a disease that is equivalent to a Light wound or a minor illness; one magnitude more affects a disease equivalent to a Medium wound or a serious illness, two magnitudes more for a Heavy wound or a major illness, and three magnitudes more for an Incapacitating wound or critical illness. The Elementalist Form used in the Summoning Total should be the Form that best corresponds to the type of sickness, and this effect must penetrate the target's Magic Resistance, if any.
Philosophical
The elemental philosopher conjures natural phenomena (wind, flame) or base matter (earth, water) of the appropriate element(s) from the surrounding area, of an amount no more than the Size indicated by the Summoning Total on the chart earlier, to a place within his immediate reach. Additional magnitudes summon more-dangerous phenomena (increasing air and fire Damage by +5) or more-substantial matter (stone and ice, and then harder or colder materials). These summoned materials are always wild and untreated, and the elementalist has no control over their shape. For example, a Summoning Total of 5 using Elementalist Earth might summon enough silver to make a coin, but it would probably appear as a pile of shavings rather than a single lump.
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During a pitched battle, an elemental theurgist summons a horde of fire elementals to attack the opposing army. These creatures soon rampage out of control, gravely wounding the elementalist and wreaking havoc in the surrounding area. These elementals could threaten the player characters' covenant, physically or perhaps even politically when the lords of the opposing army call for wizards of their own to retaliate in kind. |
The elemental philosopher can also summon living animals that are native to the area and have a dominant temperament (choleric, melancholic, phlegmatic, or sanguine) appropriate to the element used in the summoning. The character can even summon a group of animals, so long as their collective size does not exceed the Size listed for the Summoning Total on the chart above, and as long as the sum of their Might Scores does not exceed the Might indicated for the level of the effect on the chart. If any of the summoned animals have Magic Resistance, the effect must penetrate.
Theurgical
The elemental theurgist can bring an elemental into being from an amount of pure base material, such as unworked stone, fresh water, or a natural breeze. The Summoning Total determines the being's maximum Might, based on the Size of the materials at hand, as shown on the chart. For example, a Summoning Total of 15 could potentially summon an earth elemental with Magic Might 15 from a man-sized pile of earth. You can use the rules in *Realms of Power: Magic* to design this elemental, or else simply assign it stats and powers that seem appropriate to its Size and Form an earth elemental with Might 20 might have two Terram powers and 20 points of physical Characteristics, and an air elemental with Might 15 could have one Auram power and
Controlling
The Controlling Art allows an elementalist to dictate the behavior of the targets he summons with his Summoning power, or to affect appropriate targets he encounters. It depends upon the character's Presence, and always costs him a Fatigue level, though not long term. The elementalist must gesture and speak an arcane incantation to a target within range of his voice, which takes him a single round to perform. Then the player makes a roll using the following formula to determine if he is successful:
| Controlling Total | stress die + Presence + Controlling + (Form) + aura |
This effect must penetrate any Magic Resistance possessed by the target, although if the target has been summoned and successfully bound into a ring or container using the Summoning Art, treat the level of a successful Controlling effect as if it were 0 and apply the entire Controlling Total toward penetration.
For example, if an elemental theurgist with a Summoning Total of 20 summons an air elemental with Might 20 into a prepared circle, his Controlling Total must be at least 20 to successfully control it, and this is also sufficient to penetrate the elemental's resistance.
It is possible to control an unbound target, but much more difficult.
Controlling may be used in three different ways, depending upon the type of magic associated with the Virtue.
Medicinal
The elemental physician can control the emotions of human beings by manipulating the bodily humors, inspiring or suppressing specific emotions associated with the appropriate element. The strength of this emotion depends upon the strength of the Controlling Total, but it is roughly equivalent to a Personality Trait with a positive or negative value of (Controlling Total / 10), rounded up. For example, a Controlling Total using Elementalist Water of 25 would inspire a +3 Phlegmatic Trait in the person (see Elemental Traits, above, for a description of how this would cause the person to behave). This effect lasts until the target eats and sleeps, as if that person were recovering from long-term fatigue. If the effect must penetrate Magic Resistance, the elementalist must decide the strength of the Trait he wishes to inspire before his Penetration Total is calculated.
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When Summoning is used with Elemental Magic, an elemental is essentially brought into being from an appropriate amount of base material. As noted above, this summoning lasts indefinitely, though the elementals are actually temporary and do not recover Might Points over time like other supernatural beings. When the Might Pool of one of these elementals is empty, it ceases to be an elemental at all and returns to its natural form, and does not leave behind any vis. That is, an elemental that was summoned from a pile of earth becomes a normal pile of earth again. A summoned elemental's spent Might can be restored by feeding it vis: each pawn an elemental consumes returns 5 points of Might to it. Most elementals prefer to consume vis of the Elementalist Form opposed to their own, rather than that of their own Form — i.e. fire elementals generally seek out Aquam vis, and disdain Ignem vis. This might be seen as a kind of predatory instinct to hunt the element that is most different from them, and a supernatural taboo against eating their own kind. However, elementals will readily consume vis of any type if they are hungry (that is, they have spent some of their Might) and it is easily accessible. Elementals are generally wild and unbiddable, like a force of nature unleashed. If not held within a container, it is nearly certain that an elemental will attempt to destroy whatever comes into its path, even the elementalist who summoned it. They cannot be reasoned with, and while Magic Resistance can protect the character against an elemental's powers, it does not protect against its physical attacks. Magi and elementalists typically have a Soak bonus that gives them some protection, but it is generally too dangerous to just summon up an elemental without any safeguards against it. |
Elemental physicians can also issue commands (such as "begone!") to supernatural creatures that have become part of a human body, such as disease spirits or possessing demons, in the same way that an elemental theurgist can command elemental beings. The physician's Controlling Total must exceed the Might of the target on the Summoning chart, and he must use his lowest of his scores in the four Elementalist Forms for the formula.
Philosophical
An elemental philosopher can affect the motion of natural materials with the appropriate element, or organic materials using his lowest Form as a requisite. This allows him to increase his Soak against a particular type of damage, potentially beyond the bonus he receives naturally. He may add his (Controlling Total / 5) to his Soak against the target material for as long as he maintains concentration, a minimum of one combat round.
The elemental philosopher can also give commands to animals of a temperament appropriate to the element used, just like an elemental theurgist does with elemental beings, as long as his Controlling Total exceeds both the Size and Might of the animal on the Summoning chart. (See Elementalist Forms, earlier in this chapter, for some examples of animal temperaments for each element.)
Theurgical
The elemental theurgist can affect supernatural creatures with Might of the Form appropriate to the element used, assuming he can equal or exceed the being's Might on his Controlling roll. If he succeeds, the target must carry out a single command to the best of its ability. This can also be used to banish an elemental permanently. If it is held within a container, the elemental may leave while it is about this task, but must immediately return once the command has been fulfilled. According to legend, the earliest elemental theurgists would summon elementals into magic jars, and command them to obey the wishes of the person who released them, making them princely gifts. However, to take advantage of this legend, other elementalists would sometimes command the elementals inside such containers to kill the person who freed them instead, to punish thieves and meddlers.
Divining
Through Divining, an elementalist can locate and commune with the elements and elemental targets, with an Art based on his natural Perception. Unlike Summoning and Controlling, Divining does not cost the character a Fatigue level.
This power has two effects. Firstly, it allows the elementalist to sense if an appropriate target is within about a hundred paces of him, and the approximate direction and distance to the target, for as long as he concentrates. This requires only that his Divining Total exceeds the value corresponding to the target's Size on the Summoning chart, and does not need to penetrate the target's Magic Resistance. Secondly, as long as he is touching an appropriate target, he can intuitively understand its circumstances and situation, and mentally communicate with it on a fundamental level. To succeed at this, his Divining Total must exceed the values corresponding to both the target's Size and Might on the Summoning chart, and he must penetrate the target's Magic Resistance. However, if the target was summoned into a container with the Summoning Art, as described earlier, treat the effect level as 0 when calculating the elementalist's Penetration Total, rather than using the value derived from Size and Might.
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The bishop in a nearby city has recently taken ill, but has hired a marvelous doctor who removes his pain merely by laying hands upon his chest. Word of this miraculous cure has begun to spread through the region, and though the bishop has not yet fully recovered, many are suggesting that his physician is a holy man. In fact, the true story is that the doctor is an elemental physician who can magically manipulate the humors in an ailing person to make him feel happy and fit, but must rely on his (nonexistent) knowledge of mundane medicine to actually treat the illness. So far the bishop has been lucky, in that his illness has not worsened, but he will soon die unless someone with more-substantial medical knowledge (or magic) helps him. |
| Divining Total | stress die + Perception + Divining + (Form) + aura |
An elementalist can use Divining of any type to locate vis associated with a particular element, and can determine how much of it is present in an object by touch. Other targets that this power allows him to sense depend upon his background.
The elementalist can include more than one element in his Divining Total, if he has a score in two or more Elementalist Forms. For example, an elemental theurgist might attempt to locate all air or water elementals, using both Elementalist Air and Elementalist Water. He must apply his score in the lower Form to his Divining Total, but otherwise can sense appropriate targets of either type.
Medicinal
The elementalist can recognize when living creatures have imbalanced humors. He can sense illnesses, automatically diagnosing disease and sickness associated with a particular humor (blood, black bile, yellow bile, or phlegm). By regularly ministering to an injured or afflicted target for the whole of the recovery period, the elementalist can mentally communicate with the person's body, the special insights of which allow him to treat his (Divining Total / 5) as magical aid for the purposes of the target's recovery roll (see **ArM5**, page 179).
Philosophical
The elementalist can sense natural materials associated with a Form, even recognizing their particular qualities such as weight and shape, as well as locate and communicate with animals of the appropriate temperament. For example, using Elementalist Earth, an elemental philosopher could seek out a large amount of gold or silver in the surrounding area, or understand the thoughts and memories of an animal with a melancholic temperament by touching it.
Theurgical
The elementalist can sense beings with Might associated with the appropriate element in the general region. He can tell the approximate distance and direction to the target, and he can mentally communicate with it by touching it or the container in which it is held. If the being is intelligent, the two of them can converse for as long as the elementalist maintains concentration. If it is not intelligent, the elementalist can perceive past events as the being saw them, or as experienced by the raw materials that the creature animates.
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One of a covenant's vis sources comes up dry after a wandering elementalist locates it and clears it out, to help him with his magical activities. To recover what is theirs, the magi must track him down and convince him to recognize their claim to what he took. To complicate matters, by the time they catch up with him the elementalist has already spent the vis. |
Refining
The Refining Art allows the elementalist to improve the target by purifying the natural material of which it is composed, or to break it down by combining elements that are naturally opposed. This takes a season of effort, much like a Hermetic laboratory activity, and requires some sort of workshop or laboratory in which the elementalist can work his magic. Instead of Magic Theory, elementalists use an Ability that is associated with the type of Refining they practice. During the season, the elementalist and his target must cooperate, or else the target must be held within a magical container into which it was summoned with the Summoning Art, as described earlier.
| Refining Total | Intelligence + (associated Ability) + Refining + (Form) + aura |
Using the Refining Art often yields raw vis, and this is typically associated with the Form corresponding to the Elementalist Form used to affect the target. For example, Elementalist Water yields what magi would call Aquam vis, and Elementalist Fire produces Ignem vis.
An elementalist with the Refining Art can use vis to make himself a kind of potion that is similar to a Hermetic longevity ritual. The potion gives him a bonus to his Aging rolls equal to his (Refining Total / 5), including his lowest Elementalist Form as a requisite, which lasts until he suffers an Aging crisis. This potion takes a season to make, and costs a number of pawns of vis equal to his (age / 5), rounded up. For example, a 50 year-old elementalist would need to spend ten pawns of vis of any Form he possesses. Note that an elementalist can only spend as much vis as the sum of his scores in the Elementalist Forms.
Other targets for the character's Refining Art depend upon his background, as described by the type of Refining Virtue that he possesses.
Medicinal
The elemental physician can make the longevity potion for other human beings as well as himself, and adds his Medicine to his Refining Totals.
In addition, the elemental physician can make a potion that increases the vigor and natural aptitude of a person for a year, using elemental vis. This boosts one of the target's Characteristics (as shown below) by the elementalist's (Refining Total / 5), though it cannot increase that Characteristic to a value more than half of the elementalist's score in the associated Form. This potion costs the same number of pawns of vis as the longevity potion; an elementalist with his lowest Elementalist Form at 4 and a Refining Total of 25 could make a potion that would increase a character's Strength by five levels, but no higher than +2.
| Element | Characteristic Increased |
|---|---|
| Air | Intelligence, Perception, Presence, or Communication |
| Earth | Strength, Stamina, Dexterity or Quickness |
| Fire | Presence, Communication, Dexterity, or Quickness |
| Water | Intelligence, Perception, Strength, or Stamina |
Philosophical
Like magi, an elemental philosopher may extract vis from a magical aura, producing his (Refining Total / 10) in vis associated with the appropriate one of the four elements. He can also affect supernatural animals of the appropriate temperament with his Refining Art, increasing or decreasing their Might in the same way an elemental theurgist affects supernatural beings. This process produces a pawn of vis of the appropriate Form for each five points in the character's Refining Total, but no more than (the target's Might Score / 5).
An elemental philosopher may also move vis from one object to another. To do this, his Refining Total for the season must equal or exceed (the total number of pawns of vis moved x 5). If the moved vis is not associated with the Form used in the Refining Total, it is transformed into the appropriate Form by this process, but half of it (rounded down) is lost. For example, with a Refining Total of 25 using Elementalist Air, 5 pawns of Vim vis could be moved from one container into another, leaving 2 pawns of Auram vis at the end of the season.
Philosophical Refining also allows an elemental philosopher to use vis associated with any Art in his elemental magic, and he adds his Philosophiae to his Refining Totals.
Theurgical
Refining allows the elemental theurgist to restore Might to a supernatural being, or else to drain it of its Might in the form of raw vis. If the Refining Total is greater than the affected elemental's Might Score, note the amount by which it is exceeded. If the Elementalist Form used in the Refining Total corresponds to the Form of the elemental's Might, this is the number of Might Points restored to it. If the Form used is directly opposed to the Form of the affected elemental (air vs. earth, fire vs. water), this amount is subtracted from its Might Pool. Otherwise, half this many Might Points (rounded down) are either added to or subtracted from its Might Pool over the course of the season.
If the being would gain more Might Points than it can have in its Might Pool, or if it loses some of its Might Points, raw vis forms in the material animated by the being, 1 pawn for every 5 Might Points given, but no more than its (Might Score divided by 5). This usually appears as condensation or dust inside of the container in which the being is held, or else manifests as pieces of the being that separate from it during the Refining (i.e. mist, ash, moisture, or dirt).
The elemental theurgist adds (Realm) Lore, of the same realm as the target, to his Refining Totals.
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An issue is brought to Tribunal, where two rival covenants argue that the other has broken the Code. The first covenant had an unGifted hedge wizard living with them (an elemental philosopher), who they kept busy making vis for them every season. A member of the second covenant, while visiting the first covenant, met this hedge wizard and offered him membership in the Order of Hermes; He accepted, swearing the Oath on the spot. Members of the first covenant refused to allow the elementalist to leave with the magus, and killed the hedge wizard during the confrontation. The visiting magus subsequently brought charges against the covenant for slaying a member of the Order. Members of the first covenant brought charges against that magus for depriving them of their magical property. The essential questions for the Tribunal in the first case are whether simply swearing the Oath is enough to make a wizard a member of the Order of Hermes, as the second covenant maintains; or whether it requires something more, such as ratification by a Quaesitor, as is the position of the first covenant. For the second case, the Tribunal will need to decide if a member of a covenant can be considered to be that covenant's property, and whether endangering that person constitutes depriving the covenant of its magical power. |
Elementalist Societies
Many elementalists belong to elementalist societies, which are groups of likeminded elementalists who have the same general ideas and practices, and so can more easily share their knowledge with others. Each society teaches particular Elementalist Techniques and Forms, which can then be learned like any other Arts. To learn other Techniques (or Forms, although most societies teach all four Forms) the elementalist must be initiated through a Mystery Cult.
It is possible for a Gifted member of an elementalist society to open a Gifted student to all of the Arts associated with a society. This gives him a score of 0 in all those Arts, and lets him use them, albeit not very well. Opening the society's Favored Arts follows the mechanism described in the Introduction, under Opening the Gift. For the Opening Total, the initiating elementalist should use (his Intelligence + his highest Elementalist Technique + his lowest Elementalist Form + the level of the aura). If the elementalist performing the ceremony has a score of less than 2 in one or more of the Arts favored by the society, the student receives an Elementalist Flaw such as Deleterious Circumstances or Vulnerable to (Form).
| Opening Total | Intelligence + highest Technique + lowest Form + aura |
The Arts associated with a society also indicate the Virtues into which that society is likely to initiate an unGifted member, using the rules in the Introduction, under Acquiring Hedge Wizard Powers, in Initiations.
A society generally favors only two Techniques and the four Forms; below are three examples of elementalist societies that could be found in Mythic Europe in 1220.
Apostles of Apollonius
Arts: (Theurgical) Summoning, (Theurgical) Controlling, and all four Elementalist Forms (Elementalist Air, Elementalist Earth, Elementalist Fire, Elementalist Water)
The first elementalists were ancient sorcerers who were influenced by the philosophy of Greek teachers like Empedocles, Galen, and Pythagoras. Instead of using their powers to summon the spirits of the underworld, they turned to the magic of nature and the fundamental laws that defined their world. By drawing forth the magical qualities of natural objects, they brought into existence those beings that magi would later call elementals. By taming and shrewdly applying the powers of these strange creatures, these elemental summoners were able to perform amazing feats.
Many elementalists believe that the first of these summoners was Apollonius of Tyana, a miracle worker who reportedly lived in the first century AD. They hold that it was he and his followers who originally developed the Elementalist Arts, uniting the common ideas of four different kinds of magic from the four corners of the ancient world, as described by his biographer Flavius Philostratus at the end of the third century in this (condensed) summary:
Apollonius of Tyana was well-born and welleducated, and as a young man he learned the mysteries of the Pythagorean cults, the magical abilities of Babylonian wizards, and the wisdom of holy men from further east, before forming a circle of his own followers in Asia Minor. He lived as an itinerant philosopher and miracle worker, going from temple to temple along the coasts of northern Syria, Anatolia, and Greece. He traveled through Rome and into Iberia during the last* *years of Nero, and in 69 AD he sailed to Alexandria and Upper Egypt, where he met with a community of supernatural ascetics. In 93 he returned to Rome to face charges of magic and sedition. He reportedly vanished from the courtroom and reappeared in Greece, where he continued his life of wandering until his death in 96.
From this account, Apollonius' followers believe that they can trace the roots of elemental philosophiae to Greek and Roman mystery cults, elemental magic to ancient Babylonian wizards and wise men from the Far East, and advances in magical medicine to the people of Egypt and Northern Africa. According to them, it is because of Apollonius that the Elementalist Arts exist and are more or less compatible with each other.
Because these hedge wizards are predominantly ascetic and generally free of pagan overtones common in other magical traditions, the self-styled "Apostles" often believe fervently that they are doing God's work, practicing a form of pious summoning that is not unholy or wicked like other forms of sorcery, since it is not tainted by the Infernal realm. It is even said that some of these elementalists have versions of the Elementalist Arts that are associated with the Divine realm rather than Magic, allowing them to practice their theurgical powers in the Dominion without penalty.
In 1220, the Apostles of Apollonius are rare, but can be found anywhere in Mythic Europe. Their magical influence is probably strongest in the eastern Mediterranean region, in the wild areas between the Levant and Theban Tribunals where theurgical magic is more common. There is also said to be a group of them living in a small village in the Greater Alps, in the region near the Cave of Twisting Shadows, where they are supported by some of the Criamon magi who reside there. They are generally regarded as magical curiosities — worthy companions to magi, but certainly no threat to the dominance of the Order of Hermes.
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Elisavet was the daughter of a prosperous and knowledgeable advisor to the duke of a great city (a Hermetic magus serving a mundane lord), but against his orders she became involved with a group of strange mystics who initiated her into the ways of the Apostles of Apollonius. It soon became obvious to the court that she had become pregnant, though she protested that she remained a virgin. Shamed by her behavior, her father disowned her and her name, thereafter calling her only Psychorrhax ("heartbreaker"). At the command of the duke, she was banished from his lands, to be transported to Italy to live with distant relatives. Her ship was lost in a terrible storm in transit, but she survived and washed up on an island somewhere in the Mediterranean. Soon after, she gave birth to a son — a strange and misshapen creature with supernatural powers over earth and sea. More than thirty years later, Elisavet has made herself a comfortable if somewhat lonely existence on her island home; she has a powerful air elemental that she summoned and bound to a tree in the middle of the island, which she often sends out to spy out passing ships and occasionally sink them, rescuing materials of particular interest to her such as jewelry, wine, and books. She has also had her son build her a grotto-like palace from stone and driftwood, but she is cruel to him and believes she must beat him to keep him tame. To introduce Elisavet to a saga, a storyguide can have her attack a ship bearing supplies for the covenant, or possibly even transporting a magus. Age is her greatest enemy, and she knows she will soon succumb to her years, but she once heard her father say that he was protected by a special longevity ritual that is common among those of his order. She might think to ransom magical equipment or a kidnapped magus in exchange for such a ritual. Characteristics: Int 0, Per –1, Pre +2, Com –1, Str –1, Sta +2, Dex –2, Qik –2 Size: 0 Age: 51 Decrepitude: 1 (6) Confidence Score: 1 (3) Warping Score: 3 (0) Virtues and Flaws: Outcast; (Theurgical) Controlling, (Theurgical) Summoning; Affinity with Controlling, Educated, Elementalist Air; Meddler (major), Plagued by Supernatural Being; Infamous, Vulnerable to Elementalist Earth Personality Traits: Sanguine +5, Cruel +3, Lonely +3 Reputations: Witch 4 (sailors) Combat:
Soak: +2 (+7 vs. air, –5 vs. earth,) Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+) Abilities: Apostles of Apollonius Lore 1 (initiation rituals), Artes Liberales 3 (reading ), Awareness 3 (sounds), Concentration 3 (maintaining control), Greek 5 (asking questions), Guile 3 (acting naive), Latin 4 (in writing), Magic Lore 4 (elementals), Mediterranean Sea Lore 4 (ships), Penetration 5 (Controlling), Survival 5 (islands), Swim 3 (treading water) Arts: Controlling 18, Summoning 16 Difficult Arts: Elementalist Air 6 Equipment: Robes Encumbrance: 0 (0) Appearance: A thin, middle-aged woman with silvery hair and sharp features, including deep-set but bright eyes. She wears the remains of rich robes and a hood, weathered by wind and rain and patched with bits of sacking and canvas. |
Ikhwan as-Safa'
Arts: Philosophical Summoning, Philosophical Refining, and all four Elementalist Forms (Elementalist Air, Elementalist Earth, Elementalist Fire, Elementalist Water)
The Brethren of Purity, or Ikhwan as-Safa', are a secretive group that follows a variant of Islam that teaches the only path to true happiness is for a person's soul to return to God through purification by attainment of knowledge.
In the second half of the tenth century Islamic scholars founded Ikhwan as-Safa' in the Persian city of Basra. This secret fraternity of scholars of the Isma'ili sect of Shi'i Islam produced an encyclopedia of their knowledge that combined the teachings of the greatest Greek philosophers — Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Euclid, Ptolemy, Porphyry, and Iamblichus — with ancient Indian and Persian classics, and Muslim theology. The Isma'ili sect of Shi'i Islam is discussed in *Realms of Power: The Divine*, page 113.
The potentially heretical nature of the *Epistles*, described below, forced the Brethren to meet only in secrecy during its writing. After producing their work, the Brethren spread throughout the Islamic world to distribute their *Epistles*. They freely provided copies to mosques and libraries. The Brethren use the *Epistles* to surreptitiously test whether a student understands the deeper meaning contained in the work, and they invite those who are willing to dedicate themselves to a lifetime of intellectual improvement to join them. Members of Ikhwan as-Safa' are currently present in Andalusia, the Levant, and throughout North Africa.
Teachings of the Brethren of Purity
Although the majority of the founders of the Brethren of Purity were Isma'ili Muslims, they are accepting of other religions and believe that truth can be found in every faith. The Brethren believe that the pursuit of knowledge is nourishment for a person's soul and the only way to obtain happiness in this life, and salvation in the next, is through intellectual endeavors. According to Brethren philosophy, individual human souls emanate from a universal soul, which will return to God on Judgment Day. Following the teachings of the Brethren purifies the soul, greatly extending the disciple's life, and giving him a longer period in which to purify his soul through study to ensure eternal happiness in the afterlife.
Although The Brethren freely distribute the *Epistles*, the books are but an introduction to their teachings. The Brethren enforce an internal hierarchy that prevents students from advancing in their magical powers at the expense of other learning. The Brethren are divided into four grades. The first grade consists of young men, who are taught only the basic knowledge required to obtain an education. Only if a student shows a willingness to devote himself to a lifetime of learning does he advance to the second grade. The second grade is often not reached until the student is 30 or more years of age. Once the student masters the basics of Philosophiae, he is ready to advance to the study of metaphysics and Theology. The minimum Ability scores for each grade are listed below.
| Grade | Ability Scores |
|---|---|
| 2nd Grade | Arabic 5, Artes Liberales 4 |
| 3rd Grade | Philosophiae 4 |
| 4th Grade | Theology (Islam) 4 |
By the time a student reaches the fourth grade, he is often over 40 years of age and has devoted the majority of his life to the Brethren. Dedicated students can, and often do, advance more rapidly, but it is the exception rather than the rule. Membership in the Brethren is not an occupation, and acquiring the necessary foundation often takes students a lifetime.
Gifted members of the Brethren are taught Philosophical Summoning, Philosophical Refining, and all the Elementalist Forms, as described above. UnGifted members, however, may only gain access to their Arts through Initiation. The following are three Scripts that the Brethren may use. Because the Ritual of Making the Soul Actually Knowledgeable is not required for an unGifted Brother to utilize the tradition's magic, only the very dedicated undergo it.
Blood Oath of Becoming a Member of Ikhwan as-Safa'
Initiation Ease Factor: 21
Script Bonus: +18 (+3 Quest, +9 Major Ordeal, +3 Mystagogue's Time, +1 Initiate's Time, +1 Sacrifice, +1 Sympathetic Bonus)
The supplicant must travel to a far off city, a trip requiring at least one season, obtain a book there that his local group of Brethren does not possess, and give a copy of that book to the group. The supplicant must also write a tractatus on Artes Liberales, Philosophiae, or Theology (Islam) and provide the only copy to his sponsor. Once the supplicant has accomplished these tasks, he gains the Major Virtue Philosophical Refining. After spending one season learning with his sponsor, the character acquires a score of 1 in Philosophical Refining and the Major Flaw Weak Elementalist Resistance; if he does not complete this study, he loses the Virtue. This Script always fails if the supplicant does not have the requisite scores of 4 or more in Artes Liberales, Philosophiae, and Theology (Islam) and a score of 5 in Arabic.
Ritual of Uncovering the Elemental Nature of Man
Initiation Ease Factor: 15
Script Bonus: +12 (+3 Quest, +3 Minor Ordeal, +3 Mystagogue's Time, +1 Initiate's Time, +1 Sympathetic Bonus, +1 Sacrifice)
The supplicant must travel to a city different from the one to which he previously traveled, obtain another book that his local group of Brethren does not possess, and give that book to the sponsor. The character must also translate a previously unknown tractatus or summa on Artes Liberales, Philosophiae, or Theology (Islam) into Arabic and provide the only copy to his sponsor. Once the character has accomplished these tasks, he spends one season studying under the sponsor. At the end of the season, the character acquires a score of 1 in an Elementalist Form and the Minor Flaw Mentor. The mentor is the character's sponsor in the Initiation.
The Elementalist Form that the character acquires is always tied to his bodily humors: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, or phlegmatic. Gregarious or garrulous characters receive the Elementalist Air Virtue. Aggressive, brave, and loyal characters receive the Elementalist Fire Virtue. Docile, stoic, or serene characters receive the Elementalist Earth Virtue. Contemplative, shy, or taciturn characters receive the Elementalist Water Virtue. This Script always fails if the supplicant does not have the requisite scores of 4 or more in Artes Liberales, Philosophiae, and Theology (Islam) and a score of 5 in Arabic.
Ritual of Making the Soul Actually Knowledgeable
Initiation Ease Factor: 21
Script Bonus: +18 (+3 Quest, +9 Major Ordeal, +3 Mystagogue's Time, +1 Initiate's Time, +1 +1 Sacrifice, +1 Sympathetic Bonus)
The supplicant must write a summa of at least Level 3 and provide the only copy to his sponsor. Once the supplicant has accomplished these tasks, he spends one season under the tutelage of his sponsor. At the end of that season, the character acquires the Major Virtue Elemental Philosophiae and the Major Flaw Study Requirement. This Script always fails if the supplicant does not have the requisite scores of 4 or more in Artes Liberales, Philosophiae, and Theology (Islam) and a score of 5 in Arabic.
Epistles of the Brethren of Purity & Loyal Friends
The Epistles of the Brethren of Purity and Loyal Friends, *Rasa'il Ikhwan as-Safa' wa Khillan al-Wafa*, are 52 rasa'il or letters that are grouped into four sections, usually referred to as books. Each book is a collection of tractatus on a specific Ability, but when read together with the assistance of "The Comprehensive Epistle," the books serve as summae for Refining and the four Elementalist Arts. The Comprehensive Epistle, or *Al-Risala al-Jami'a*, is the key to unlocking the secrets of the Epistles, and without any it, no character can gain knowledge of the secrets of the Brethren contained in the four books.
Book One, Mathematical Sciences, contains 14 tractatus on Artes Liberales of Quality 6–10 with an average Quality of 8. The book also serves as a summa for Elementalist Air, Level 3, Quality 8.
Book Two, Natural Sciences, contains 17 tractatus on Philosophiae (natural philosophy) of Quality 5–9 with an average Quality of 7. The book also serves as a summa for Elementalist Water, Level 4, Quality 8.
Book Three, Psychological and Rational Sciences, contains 10 tractatus on Philosophiae (moral philosophy) of Quality 5–9 with an average Quality of 7. The book also serves as a summa for Elementalist Fire of level 3, Quality 8.
Book Four, Theological Sciences, contains 11 tractatus on Theology (Islam) with Quality 7–11 with an average Quality of 9. The book also serves as a summa for Elementalist Earth Level 3, Quality 8.
"The Comprehensive Epistle" is a summa on Philosophiae (metaphysics) Level 4, Quality 9, and if read in conjunction with one of the other four books, it serves as a summa for Philosophical Refining of Level 2, Quality 8. The character must have access to both texts during the season of study, and "The Comprehensive Epistle" provides no additional benefit if read in conjunction with additional books beyond the first.
Characters
Some unGifted Brethren are born with the Virtue Elemental Philosophiae, but these characters are rare. The average Gifted member has no knowledge of the Brethren or their magic before reading the Epistles. For each year the Brethren are engaged in studies, they receive 30 experience points to spend on Arcane and Academic Abilities. All Brethren have some knowledge of Organization Lore: Brethren of Purity. Junior Brethren concentrate their studies on Academic Abilities, especially Artes Liberales, Philosophiae, and Theology. The eclectic nature of the Brethren's teachings means that members may study Theology of all religions. Members of the Brethren also study Arcane Abilities, especially (Realm) Lore, but these topics are never publicly discussed, and they carefully hide any books on these subjects. Brethren also encourage their members to study other languages, especially Hebrew, Persian, Greek, and Latin.
Unlike Tulab Ibn Sina (see below), the Brethren of Purity are rather egalitarian in their membership. All members must be literate before they are even considered for Initiation, but the Brethren sometimes encourage pious characters or those with a desire to learn by giving them anonymous gifts of books or funds to allow potential members to concentrate on their studies. In addition to their Arts, many Ikhwan as-Safa' know Mythic Alchemy or Mythic Herbalism. (See Chapter 5: Learned Magicians). Ikhwan as-Safa' often have Flaws related to their Isma'ili sect of Islam, which is oppressed in many areas, and their devotion to the pursuit of knowledge often results in Driven, Higher Purpose, Obsessed, Oversensitive, or Pious Flaws.
Tulab Ibn Sina
Arts: Medicinal Summoning, Medicinal Divining, and all four Elementalist Forms (Elementalist Air, Elementalist Earth, Elementalist Fire, Elementalist Water)
This tradition is comprised of the most accomplished physicians in the Islamic world. The Tulab Ibn Sina, or the Students of Avicenna as they are known in the West, use their exceptional knowledge of medicine and the Elementalist Arts to serve their local rulers. The Tulab Ibn Sina are renowned throughout the Islamic world for maintaining hospitals and providing succor to the common people.
Abu Ali al-Hussain Ibn Abdallah Ibn Sina, the founder of the tradition, was born in 980 near the Persian city of Bukhara. Ibn Sina had memorized the Quran and had begun studying medicine by the age of 13. When he was 17, he was already famous for his medical expertise, and he cured the Sultan of Bukhara of a dread illness when no other physician could. The sultan rewarded Ibn Sina with access to his vast library where Ibn Sina discovered the mystical writings of ancient scholars and magicians. Ibn Sina combined the teachings of Aristotle, Galen, and Hippocrates with the magical knowledge of the Persian, Arab, and Indian magicians to vastly improve his knowledge of medicine and the Elementalist Arts.
When the Sultan died, Ibn Sina became embroiled in the struggles for the throne and the victor imprisoned him. Ibn Sina used his magic to escape and fled to the court of a nearby sultanate. Throughout his life, the social effects of The Gift often forced Ibn Sina to travel from court to court. His reputation as a physician was such that he had little problem receiving invitations from various rulers, but The Gift inevitably prevented him from staying with any court too long.
Teachings of Ibn Sina
Many students of medicine approached Ibn Sina during his travels to request training, but he only selected Muslims with The Gift or those who showed an aptitude for the Elementalist Arts. Ibn Sina did teach several students over his lifetime, and he instructed them in the importance of acquiring knowledge and transmitting it. Ibn Sina would often take students who were less-than-devout Muslims, and he would always instruct them in the importance of following the tenets of the Quran. He did not hesitate to dismiss students who failed to become more righteous or showed little promise. Tulab Ibn Sina follows the same principles today. The group is constantly searching for exceptional physicians and untrained healers who are suitable for being taught the Elementalist Arts. If the student is also a Muslim, then the Tulab Ibn Sina accept the new student into the fold.
Gifted members of this tradition learn Medicinal Summoning, Medicinal Divining, and all the Elementalist Forms. UnGifted members, however, may only gain access to their Arts through Initiation. Because the Ritual of Refining the Physician's Character is not required for a member to utilize the tradition's magic, only the very dedicated undergo it.
Rite of Testing the Physician's Dedication
Initiation Ease Factor: 21
Script Bonus: +18 (+3 Quest, +9 Major Ordeal, +3 Mystagogue's Time, +1 Initiate's Time, +2 Sympathetic Bonus)
The supplicant must travel to a city where an epidemic or disaster has occurred. The supplicant must do everything in his power to help those affected and must grant any request for aid he receives for one year. Once the supplicant has accomplished this task, he spends one season learning Medicinal Divining with his sponsor. At the end of that season, the character acquires a score of 1 in Medicinal Divining and the Major Flaw Restriction (cannot affect himself). This Script always fails if the supplicant does not have the requisite scores of 3 or more in Medicine and Chirurgy.
Ritual of Discovering the Physician's Humor
Initiation Ease Factor: 15
Script Bonus: +11 (+3 Quest, +3 Minor Ordeal, +3 Mystagogue's Time, +1 Initiate's Time, +1 Sympathetic Bonus)
The supplicant is grievously wounded (Medium Wound) and is forced to recover in a hospital for the indigent. The supplicant may not tell anyone of his true status and may only receive treatment that is provided to the poor. If the character survives, he spends one season studying under the sponsor. At the end of the season, the character acquires a score of 1 in an Elementalist Form and the Minor Flaw Vow. The character swears to find and train a suitable student in the tradition. This Script always fails if the supplicant does not have the requisite scores of 4 or more in Medicine and Chirurgy.
The Elementalist Form that the character acquires is tied to his own bodily humor: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, or phlegmatic. Gregarious or garrulous characters receive the Virtue Elementalist Air. Aggressive, brave, and loyal characters receive the Elementalist Fire Virtue. Docile, stoic, or serene characters receive that Elementalist Earth Virtue. Contemplative, shy, or taciturn characters receive the Elementalist Water Virtue.
Ritual of Improving the Physician's Character
Initiation Ease Factor: 21
Script Bonus: +18 (+3 Quest, +9 Major Ordeal, +3 Mystagogue's Time, +1 Initiate's Time, +1 Sympathetic Bonus, +1 Sacrifice)
The supplicant must spend a year healing the poor and may not accept any reward or payment. Once the supplicant has finished, he spends one season under the tutelage of his sponsor. At the end of that season, the character acquires the Major Virtue Elemental Medicine and the Major Flaw Study Requirement. This Script always fails if the supplicant does not have scores of 5 or more in Medicine and Chirurgy.
Rite of Opening the Mind
Ibn Sina taught his students that a disciplined, righteous, and enlightened scholar could obtain the gift of prophecy. This goal motivates many Tulab Ibn Sina members in their studies. Only after a student obtains expertise in Medicine, Artes Liberales, Arabic, Philosophiae, and Theology (Islam) and displays a commitment to acting righteously, do the elders of Tulab Ibn Sina consider him adequately prepared to undergo the Rite of Opening the Mind. Those who successfully complete the Initiation are accorded the utmost respect by their peers within the tradition, which is reflected as Reputation (Enlightened Student) 3.
Initiation Ease Factor: 15
Script Bonus: +12 (+3 Quest, +3 Minor Ordeal, +3 Mystagogue's Time, +1 Initiate's Time, +2 Sympathetic Bonus)
The Supplicant must travel to the tomb of Ibn Sina in the Persian city of Hamadan, where he spends a season fasting during daylight hours, meditating, and praying. The character must abstain from sinning for an entire season. At the end of the season, the player makes a Stamina roll against an Ease Factor of 9. The Ease Factor is modified by any Personality Traits that would encourage or discourage righteous behavior. If the roll is not successful, the character may remain for an additional season. Once the character spends a season behaving righteously, he returns to the sponsor for a season of instruction. At the end of that season, the character acquires a score of 1 in Premonitions and the Flaw Visions. This Script always fails if the Supplicant does not have the requisite scores of 5 or more in Medicine, Artes Liberales, Arabic, Philosophiae, and Theology (Islam).
Writings of Ibn Sina
Ibn Sina was a prolific author and encouraged his students to follow his example of synthesizing previous works and adding his own knowledge to the subjects of Medicine, Artes Liberales, Philosophiae, and Theology (Islam). Ibn Sina's most famous work, *Al-Qanun fil-Tibb*, is a survey of the entire body of medical learning from the writing of the Ancients to contemporary Muslim sources. Most Western scholars regard the five books of the *Canon of Medicine*, as it is known in the West, as the authority on the subject.
Al-Qanun fil-Tibb (Canon of Medicine), Summa Level 6, Quality 9, for Medicine and Summa Level 6, Quality 9, for Medicinal Divining. The sections on Divining are useless to anyone who does not possess the Virtue Elemental Medicine.
Ibn Sina also wrote the *Kitab ash-Shifa (Book of Healing)*, which is not as well known in the West, but is very influential in the Islamic world.
Kitab ash-Shifa, Summa Level 4, Quality 9, Artes Liberales and Summa Level 5, Quality 9, for each of the four Elementalist Arts (Elementalist Air, Elementalist Earth, Elementalist Fire, and Elementalist Water). The sections on Elemental Abilities are incomprehensible to anyone who does not possess the Virtues Medicinal Divining, Medicinal Summoning, or Elemental Medicine.
Characters
The vast majority of Tulab Ibn Sina members are not born with the appropriate Virtues, but acquire Elemental Medicine, Summoning, Divining, and one of the four Elemental Arts when the Tulab Ibn Sina determine they are worthy of Initiation. The training period for Tulab Ibn Sina is relatively short but intense. In a five-year period, the student gains 150 experience points to spend on Academic and Arcane Abilities. Tulab Ibn Sina focus on the following Abilities: Artes Liberales, Organization Lore: Students of Avicenna, Medicine, Philosophiae, Theology (Islam), and Chirurgy. All members of the tradition are skilled in Arabic and Medicine, and a student with a score lower than 4 in either is rare.
Members of the Tulab Ibn Sina generally come from wealthy backgrounds, and even those who were born into more-humble circumstances are able to acquire wealth and social status with their knowledge of Medicine. Appropriate Social Statuses for characters in Islamic lands are discussed in *Realms of Power: The Divine*, page 114. They frequently possess the Virtues Arcane Lore, Educated, Famous, Privileged Upbringing, Social Contacts, Temporal Influence, Wealthy, and Well-Traveled. Characters raised in Islamic lands with the Educated Virtue may allocate 50 experience points to Arabic, Persian, Greek, Latin, Theology (Islam), Islamic Law, and Artes Liberales. Islamic Law is the equivalent of Canon Law in the West.
In addition to their Favored Arts, some members of the Tulab Ibn Sina also know Mythic Herbalism. (See Chapter 5: Learned Magicians.) Tulab Ibn Sina often have Flaws related to their religion — Pious, Temperate, and Higher Purpose are particularly appropriate. For a more complete description of Islam, see *Realms of Power: The Divine*, page 101.
Hermetic Integration
The magic of the elementalists can be translated to Hermetic magic with relative ease — indeed, it has already taken place, since some magi already possess Elemental Magic as a Hermetic Virtue. Any of the special background Virtues unique to them (Elemental Medicine, Elemental Philosophiae, or Elemental Theurgy) could be converted into a Hermetic Virtue with a Minor Breakthrough, affecting the Forms of Aquam, Auram, Ignem, or Terram instead.
Magi who achieve a Major Breakthrough can adapt an Elementalist Art to Hermetic magic, which has the following effect: a magus may substitute his score in an appropriate Hermetic Technique or Form for his score in the Elementalist Art. In essence, he can use an appropriate Hermetic Art as if it were the Elementalist Art. This means that by adapting Summoning and Elementalist Air, he can summon airy targets he cannot perceive with Hermetic magic, without needing an Arcane Connection; or by integrating Controlling, Summoning, and Elementalist Earth into his magic, he can affect earthen targets whose resistance he has already penetrated with a summoning spell without needing to penetrate again; or by adapting Refining and Elementalist Fire, he could create Ignem vis instead of Vim vis in his laboratory.
This is an example of a breakthrough that would have very few negative implications for the Order if it were incorporated into Magic Theory. Once elementalist magic becomes common, it is likely that those elementalists who have The Gift would be invited to join House Ex Miscellanea, though it is possible that their hedge tradition would be completely subsumed if there were no features to distinguish their magic from that of other magi. Thus, there may be those who prefer to see that the elementalists' powers remain unique to them, and who protect them against integration. Or, since summoning has such a poor reputation in Mythic Europe, it is also possible that there are those in the Order who would oppose integrating magic of such dubious origins into their own magic, and could even believe instead that all summoners are a threat that should be destroyed.
It may be that some elementalist discoveries have already been achieved, and have spread throughout the Order, but are still kept carefully guarded by a Mystery Cult. Elemental Magic might be considered an Outer Mystery for an Hermetic Elementalist group, since that Virtue is known to exist among magi, or perhaps it is one example of a mystery that has become common to several different cults, and so is no longer secret.