Peripheral Code

The Peripheral Code is the case law of the Order of Hermes: the collection of Tribunal rulings that apply and interpret the Code of Hermes and provide guidance on exactly what it means and how to enforce it.

Many, but by no means all, of the Peripheral Code precedents in Ars Magica Fifth Edition may be found in the House Guernicus chapter of Houses of Hermes: Societates.

Jurisdiction of the Peripheral Code

The Peripheral Code consists of the full corpus of civil and criminal verdicts by all the Tribunals of the Order of Hermes. It may arise from the proceedings of one of the Regional Tribunals, in which case it has force only within that Tribunal unless and until it is ratified by the Grand Tribunal. Peripheral Code rulings from the Grand Tribunal apply throughout the Order of Hermes.

Thus, all Tribunals share a common Peripheral Code that devolves from the Grand Tribunal, and each extends that body of case law with additional precedents from its local jurisdiction.

Authority of the Peripheral Code

The Peripheral Code cannot contradict the Code of Hermes, and a regional Tribunal cannot pass a ruling in contradiction to the Code or to relevant Grand Tribunal decisions (it can, however, reverse its own Peripheral Code). The Presiding Quaesitor should counsel the Tribunal against any decisions that contradict the Code or Grand Tribunal, and may, if necessary, veto any such resolution.

Peripheral Code in Fifth Edition

The ArM5 rule book has a brief section on the Peripheral Code. A lengthier and more detailed treatment occurs in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages. In addition, each Fifth Edition Tribunal Book explains some particulars of the local Peripheral Code of that Tribunal.

Peripheral Code by Topic

Magical Power

These rulings relate to depriving a magus of his magical power, which by extension includes depriving him of magical resources.

Rulings on Magical Power in Fifth Edition

• A.D. 1151, Transylvanian Tribunal: Vigilante action by Redcaps to collect debts by force
• (date unspecified), Grand Tribunal: privacy of books and scrolls marked as property of a magus or House. See also Sanctum, Sanctum Text.

Slaying Magi

These rulings pertain to slaying magi or using potentially lethal force against them. See also Forfeit Immunity.

Rulings on Slaying Magi in Fifth Edition

• A.D. 894, Rome Tribunal: Magus killing another magus in self-defense
• A.D. 884, Rome Tribunal: Magus attacking another magus for casting a spell on him

Wizard War

See also Wizard War.

Without giving any specific rulings, Houses of Hermes: Societates discusses what happens if a magus is not present to receive a declaration of war or ignores the message

Rulings on Wizard War in Fifth Edition

• A.D. 898, Normandy Tribunal: Using Wizard War to avenge someone killed in a separate Wizard War
• (date unspecified), Rhine Tribunal: Excessive use of Wizard War a criminal offense

Abiding by Decisions of the Tribunal

Rulings on Abiding by Decisions in Fifth Edition

• A.D. 1179, Thebes Tribunal: Vigilante action to enforce a Tribunal ruling

Voting

Without giving any specific rulings, Houses of Hermes: True Lineages explains:

• the residency requirements to vote in a Tribunal
• the practice of voting by proxy
• Vagrancy

Endangering the Order

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Interfering with Mundanes

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Without giving a specific ruling, the Fifth Edition rule book states that:

• Magi are expressly forbidden from serving as court wizards
• Magi may not swear an Oath of Fealty

The Lion and the Lily describes the particularly lax interpretation of mundane interference that applies in the Normandy Tribunal.

Houses of Hermes: Societates describes the sorts of interactions with mundanes that are legal in all Tribunals.

Rulings on Interfering with Mundanes in Fifth Edition

• A.D. 1208, Stonehenge Tribunal: limits on the creation and circulation of Magical Silver
• A.D. 1081 (no Tribunal specified, perhaps the Grand Tribunal): Limitations on the sale of enchanted items, restrictions on who may sell and what may be sold. In response to this ruling, House Verditius placed additional limits on how many items its members may sell per year

Dealing with Demons

The law against dealing with demons is enforced very rigorously in Fifth Edition canon.

Rulings on Dealing with Demons in Fifth Edition

• A.D. 1151, Rhine Tribunal: magus held responsible for collateral damage inflicted by a demon with which he had feuded

Molesting Faeries

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Scrying

Rulings on Scrying in Fifth Edition

The Fifth Edition rule book says that the law against scrying, or "using magic to pry into [another magus's] affairs", is applied very broadly, and even walking around invisible can be construed as a violation of the Code.

Magi can use Forceless Casting to avoid inadvertently affecting magi with Intellgo spells (or other spells, for that matter) and so avoid violating the law.