Ars Magica Definitive Edition, Chapter Two: Order of Hermes

The Order of Hermes is an organization of magi that spans the whole of Mythic Europe, even reaching some distance beyond. It has about 1200 members, living in thirteen Tribunals which divide up the continent. In the magical realm, no single group can even think to challenge the Order as a whole, but the power of God is far beyond even Hermetic magi. This chapter lays out the history and current state of the Order of Hermes, to which Ars Magica characters are almost all affiliated in some way.

The History of the Order

The practice of magic and wizardry goes back to the very beginnings of civilization. Gifted individuals have always found ways to utilize their power, often dominating the unGifted for a time, before the envy, suspicion, and hatred engendered by tyrannical behavior and the effects of The Gift brought them down.

Three things worked against the formation of magical societies or orders of wizards. The first was the effect of The Gift. Wizards who did meet naturally mistrusted one another, and could rarely agree to work together. Even if they agreed once, future meetings often planted the seeds of betrayal. This was compounded by the second factor: the lack of magic resistance. This almost guaranteed that the wizard who struck first would destroy his opponent, and thus encouraged pre-emptive strikes. Finally, every wizard had his own understanding of magic, and sharing this knowledge was a long and troublesome process. There was little that could be shared easily.

One of the few even partial successes in this regard was the Roman Cult of Mercury. Its members rarely met in person, communicating by letter or messenger except when they needed to gather to perform the great rituals that gave the Cult its power. Further, the rules of the Cult specified that anyone who killed a Cult member should be hunted down and killed by the other members. This rule was enforced quite strictly, greatly reducing the incentive to pre-emptive strikes. Finally, the Cult of Mercury had access to a number of magical effects which could be learned relatively easily, even by someone who already knew many of them. This gave the wizards some motivation to share knowledge.

Nevertheless, suspicions grew within the Cult that some members were hoarding knowledge, ready for a major strike against the other members. Soon after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Cult tore itself apart in internal conflict, leaving isolated wizards scattered across Europe. Magic entered a dark age, from which it emerged with the foundation of the Order of Hermes, more than three centuries later.

The Foundation of the Order

The Order of Hermes owes its existence to Bonisagus, without question the greatest magical genius yet to live. He made two great discoveries, either of which alone would have ensured his place in magical history. The first was the discovery of the Parma Magica, which defended a wizard from the magic of others and shielded him from the antipathetic effect of their Gifts. Safe behind a Parma Magica, a wizard could talk to another Gifted individual with little fear of attack and without having to constantly fight the natural tendency to lapse into envy, suspicion, and hostility.

The true potential of the Parma Magica was first recognized by the sorceress Trianoma, who willingly studied under Bonisagus despite her own power. She realized that the Parma Magica would make a true society of magi possible, a society where wizards could meet to resolve their differences, and live and work together. Bonisagus, already working on his next project, a unified theory of magic, was happy to go along with Trianoma's grand vision.

Trianoma & Viea

Trianoma had a twin sister, Viea. They were trained in magic together, and as they grew, Viea interpreted Trianoma’s visions. One of these visions suggested that the isolated magi of Europe would bring about a disaster, unless the sisters could defeat a particular powerful wizard. They searched for this wizard for years, and finally a dragon, said to be in the temple of the Hesperides beyond Ethiopia, told them to seek out a cave in the Alps.

That wizard was Bonisagus. The Parma Magica protected him from their assault, and he captured them, demanding that they taught him their magic, while he taught them in return. Viea refused, but Trianoma agreed, hoping to use the opportunity to defeat Bonisagus. As they studied together, however, she came to have great respect for him. Viea became increasingly jealous, and after a particularly violent fight with her sister, she stole some valuable texts and fled. Trianoma forbade Bonisagus to seek vengeance, realizing that her vision might have meant that she would fight her sister and bring about the disaster. Instead, she proposed founding an order of magi within which such theft would be forbidden.

Viea’s fate remains unknown.

Trianoma traveled across Europe, seeking out the most powerful wizards. The Parma Magica made her immune to their attempts to drive her off, and her demonstrations of her offensive power left many in no doubt that she could, if she wished, eliminate any wizard without fear of consequences. Some ran and hid, hoping to avoid her nefarious plans. Others listened to her dream of a unified order, and agreed to meet with Bonisagus.

From these discussions, Bonisagus drew a great deal of knowledge. From the traditions of the Cult of Mercury he developed Formulaic and Ritual Magic, and from the traditions of the druids, brought by Diedne, a woman cast out from that religion, he learned to create magical effects spontaneously. Verditius taught him the secrets of binding magic into items, and Merinita the arts of binding animals. From each of the eleven wizards who came to him, Bonisagus learned something, and to each he taught the Parma Magica.

The result of these studies was Bonisagus's second great discovery, the theory of Hermetic Magic. In 767 the thirteen wizards gathered at Durenmar in the Black Forest, and swore to the Code of Hermes, creating the Order of Hermes at the first Tribunal.

The Houses of Hermes

The first magi of the Order are always referred to as the Twelve Founders, for all that there were thirteen magi at the first Tribunal. Trianoma refused to put herself on an equal footing with Bonisagus, or the other magi she had brought to him, an astute political move that left her free to mediate power struggles rather than being drawn into them. Each of the Twelve Founders established a House. The current House Ex Miscellanea was founded later in the Order's history, and in the beginning House Diedne made up the complement. House Diedne were bound together by their adherence to an ancient pagan religion, which they soon came to dominate completely.

The Order immediately entered a period of rapid growth. The founders of the True Lineages recruited apprentices, and their Houses grew organically. The founders of the Mystery Cults initiated more members, recruiting eagerly from among those other wizards who seemed congenial. House Merinita was not yet a Mystery Cult, and recruited magi with an interest in the wilderness. House Diedne sought converts to its religion. House Jerbiton extended the reach of the Order into the higher culture of the mundane world, even making overtures to Charlemagne himself. And the magi of Houses Flambeau and Tytalus criss-crossed the continent, giving all magicians they found a simple choice: Join, or Die.

Within forty years the Order of Hermes dominated the magical landscape of Europe.

Crises in the Order

That domination persists until the present day, 1220. Nevertheless, an Order that has endured for well over four hundred years has naturally faced its share of crises and problems.

Damhan-Allaidh and the Ordo Miscellanea

In the early years of the ninth century Damhan-Allaidh (DAH-van ALL-ath), a powerful and evil wizard resident in the British Isles, led an organized resistance to the Order of Hermes. Rather than face Hermetic wizards in magical combat, his followers cursed and harassed their followers, set traps, and used mundane assassins to halt the progress of the Order. For a number of years these tactics were effective, and some began to think that the Order would be stopped at the English Channel.

Tytalus the Founder entrusted Pralix, his most gifted apprentice, with the task of defeating Damhan-Allaidh. She brought as much cunning to the task as her opponent, and in a series of devious raids and spectacular magical battles she was able to defeat Damhan-Allaidh and bring many of his followers over to her side. Despite the victory, rumors persist to the present day that Damhan-Allaidh was not destroyed, and still plots revenge against the Order.

As the Order prepared to welcome the victor home, it received a message. Pralix had established her own Order, the Ordo Miscellanea, which would serve as a competitor to the Order of Hermes, keeping it strong. Flambeau wanted to march against her immediately, but Tytalus, impressed by his filia's nerve, forced a negotiated settlement. In 817 the Ordo Miscellanea joined the Order of Hermes as a thirteenth House, House Ex Miscellanea.

The Domination of House Tremere

House Tremere had been slowly building its power since the foundation of the Order, with Tremere himself keeping close control over his line. Through the careful use of certamen and the building of political alliances, the House gained effective control over several Tribunals, and was poised to take over more. When Jerbiton died, leaving Tremere as the sole remaining Founder, the House was ready to move to dominate the entire Order, turning it into a tool for their larger plans.

At that point, a group of magi whose identities are still unknown broke the minds of Tremere's closest lieutenants. This event, known as 'the Sundering', also broke the power structures that the House had built, as obligations to those magi and threats posed by them ceased to be a concern. Tremere himself met with the magi responsible for the Sundering, or perhaps their representatives, and some sort of agreement was forged. While Tremere himself died soon afterwards, the House has kept to the agreement, and has never again tried to dominate the Order.

The Corruption of House Tytalus

House Tytalus has always sought challenges. In the late tenth century, leaders of the House went too far, seeking to control demons and instead being corrupted by them. They were engaged in a subtle campaign to corrupt the rest of the Order as well when their corruption was uncovered by another Tytalus maga. She alerted the Quaesitores, and the Order turned with great efficiency to purging the diabolists from their midst. The Prima of House Tytalus, Tasgillia, was the most prominent victim, but the House lost many of its members, and never again recovered the relative size it had in the early years. To this day, many magi wonder whether the House has completely escaped this taint.

The Schism War

Just after the turn of the millennium, the Order of Hermes began to descend into anarchy. The corruption of House Tytalus made magi more paranoid about the secret activities of other magi, even without the incitement of The Gift. Magi also became more concerned about attempts to pry into their secrets, and thus rebuffed attempts at investigation. Many disputes reached Tribunal, where the voting was deadlocked as magi refused to get drawn in. In this period, many Tribunals were inquorate, as magi were reluctant to leave the security of their own covenants.

Magi who felt themselves threatened resorted to Wizards’ War, and even to illegal raids on other covenants. The Quaesitores, Redcaps, Bonisagi, and other magi interested in keeping the Order together were stretched too thin, and found that they could not impose order on magi who did not want it.

The anarchy grew, and for a while it looked as though the Order of Hermes would fall to the same threat as the Cult of Mercury before it.

Then House Tremere declared war on House Diedne. The pagans of that House had always been somewhat distant from the rest of the Order, which was, as it always had been, largely Christian. Dark rumors about their religious rites had spread in the wake of the corruption of Tytalus, and few trusted them. When the Primus of House Tremere, Cercistum, accused the Diedne of human sacrifice and called on the Order to help eliminate the diabolists, House Flambeau eagerly joined the battle. Many members of House Jerbiton, who had long been concerned that the Order harbored a pagan cult, also joined in. Members of many Houses stepped forward to join the Tremere, and no-one publicly supported the Diedne.

Seizing the opportunity, the Bonisagi and Quaesitores called an emergency Grand Tribunal, at which the whole of House Diedne was declared Renounced, so that it was the duty of all Hermetic magi to hunt them down and slay them.

The war that followed was bloody and destructive, and wiped the House out. Its leaders, however, were never found, and while the Order hope that their spells killed them, the fear remains that they fled to some magical regio, biding their time and waiting for revenge.

With the destruction of the Diedne, the Schism War came to an end. The Quaesitores had been able to enforce the Code during the final stages of the War, as all members of the Order were theoretically united against a single enemy. The experience of chaos and destruction convinced most magi that they never wanted to see such a thing again, and once again Tribunals were respected, and the rule of law returned to the Order.

Since the Schism War, the Order has existed in a state of relative peace and co-operation. However, by 1220 the last magi who can remember the War have died or passed into Final Twilight, and memories of that terrible time are fading.

The Houses of Hermes

The Order of Hermes is divided into twelve Houses, all but Ex Miscellanea descended in some way from one of the Twelve Founders. This section provides a brief overview of the Houses, but it is important to remember that individuals within a House can vary widely.

The twelve Houses fall into three groups. Four (Bonisagus, Guernicus, Mercere, and Tremere) are true lineages, made up of those trained by someone trained by someone (etc) trained by the founder of the House. It is not possibly to join those Houses later. These Houses are described in the supplement Houses of Hermes: True Lineages. Four (Bjornaer, Criamon, Merinita, and Verditius) are Mystery Cults, and magi can join those Houses by being initiated into the cult. Such initiations teach the Outer Mystery of the cult, the only cult ability that is not kept largely secret. Their secret Mysteries, and much more detail of the Houses, are detailed in Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults. The last four (Ex Miscellanea, Flambeau, Jerbiton, and Tytalus) are gatherings of magi with common interests. It is relatively easy to join these Houses after training, and magi who feel that they do not fit in to their old Houses often do. Ex Miscellanea, in particular, will take anyone with The Gift, a smattering of Latin and Magic Theory, and the ability to raise a Parma Magica — and many members will teach the last three to potential recruits. The interests and activities of these Houses are discussed in Houses of Hermes: Societates.

It is only possible to be a member of one House at a time.

House Bjornaer

Magi of Bjornaer (BYORE-nayr) concern themselves primarily with beasts and the animalistic side of human nature. Because of this emphasis in their training, each Bjornaer magus can take the form of an animal, known as his "heartbeast." Understanding the heartbeast in particular and animals in general is considered more important than Hermetic magic by many in this House. Despite this close association with shapeshifting, Bjornaer magi avoid any kind of shapeshifting other than their heartbeast, and have hostile relations with some other shapeshifters, for reasons that other magi do not fully understand.

Due to their nature, Bjornaer magi are unable to forge the necessary links to have a familiar, and the very concept is alien to them. Some Bjornaer deride magi who take familiars, which they call "substitute" heartbeasts. On the other hand, other magi are wary of followers of Bjornaer because of their fascination with the bestial. Furthermore, House Bjornaer is less respected than it might otherwise be because its founder was from a Germanic rather than a Roman magical tradition.

The House is divided into six clans. Clan Arelie is concerned with remembering the past, Clan Ilfetu is responsible for Initiating members of the House, Clan Maruhs seeks self-realization, Clan Midusulf leads, Clan Sirnas protects, and Clan Wilkis nurtures magi and strengthens the House. Philosophically, the House is divided between Harmonists, who want to see humans and nature live in harmony, and Wilderists, who want to drive humans back to the cities, restoring the wilderness to its dominance. The Wilderist philosophy was the original philosophy of the House, while the first Harmonist was Hérisson, a magus of the tenth century whose ideas only became popular after the Schism War.

The Prima of the House is Falke, and its domus magna is Crintera, in the Rhine Tribunal, described in Guardians of the Forests. The former Primus, Archmagus Urgen, is the chief of Clan Midusulf, and still important in the House, sitting on its council and residing at Crintera.

This House is a Mystery Cult, and the ability to take the form of the heartbeast is the Outer Mystery.

House Bonisagus

Bonisagus (BOH-nee-SAH-goos) invented the Hermetic theory of magic, and his student, the maga Trianoma, masterminded the formation of the Order. House Bonisagus is a true lineage; all of its members can trace their heritage back to Bonisagus himself.

House Bonisagus is split into two strands, the political and the theoretical. Theoretical Bonisagus magi concentrate on pushing back the boundaries of Hermetic magic, and are the undisputed masters of Magic Theory. Political Bonisagus magi, often called 'magi Trianomae', concentrate on keeping the Order together, and excel at politics.

The current Prima is Archmaga Murion, a consummate politician, who resides at Durenmar in the Rhine Tribunal. The House typically remembers its researchers better than its politicians: figures such as Notatus, the first Primus, who created the Aegis of the Hearth, and Conciatta, who extended Hermetic magic to the directly affect the other supernatural powers (Divine, Faerie, and Infernal) (see Legends of Hermes, Chapter Two). Among contemporary members, Archmagus Relisius is well-known for his Christian faith and advocacy of harmony between Magic and the Divine (see Tales of Power, Chapter Four: Encroaching Dominion).

House Criamon

This very secretive House is known for its obscure philosophy, its disdain for simple power, and its members' habit of marking their faces and bodies with arcane symbols. Followers of Criamon (KREE-ah-mone) are an enigmatic and otherworldly group of magi, generally having little interest in the politics of the Order.

Magi of Criamon seek the "Enigma," which other magi characterize as some sort of mystical experience. For followers of Criamon, understanding the Enigma is about releasing all souls from some sort of imprisonment. Their philosophy is inspired by the ancient Greek thinker Empedocles, and has something to do with the nature of time. They have a unique perspective on right and wrong action, but those outside the House find it very difficult to understand this. Indeed, magi outside the House often stereotype them as tattooed weirdoes whose actions make no sense.

Even among the Mystery Cults, House Criamon is difficult for outsiders to comprehend.

Its Prima is Muscaria, who is resident at the domus magna, the Cave of Twisting Shadows in the Tribunal of the Greater Alps. She is a young and intensely practical maga, little like the common image of her House. Important past magi include Vederis, who wrote the Travels of Fedoso, an allegorical, or at least esoteric, text that is popular in the House and beyond, and Abdkypris, who found important links between the Mysteries of the House and the beliefs of the Sufis, a tradition within Islam. St Nerius (see Realms of Power: The Divine), a magus famous for his Christian devotion and sanctity, is generally said to have been a member of House Criamon.

This House is a Mystery Cult, and the Mystery at the heart of the cult is the Enigma.

House Ex Miscellanea

This is a large, diverse, and highly disorganized collection of magi. Though originally founded by Pralix as a rival to the Order of Hermes, this association was accepted as a House of its own. It accepts wizards of all kinds, some only nominally Hermetic, whose magic comes from many disparate traditions. Magi Ex Miscellanea (EKS mis-kel-LAH-nay-ah) are often called hedge wizards by their many detractors within the Order, although most can use Hermetic magic just as well as any other magus.

Magi of Ex Miscellanea have very little in common, belonging to many different traditions within the House, each tradition having its own strengths and weaknesses. Many of these traditions are described in more detail in Houses of Hermes: Societates.

The Primus of the House is Ebroin, a relatively young magus who was elected four years ago when the previous Prima, Immanola, was declared to have entered Final Twilight. He has ambitions to revitalize the House from its domus magna of Cad Gadu, in the Stonehenge Tribunal. One of Pralix’s closest allies was Colomen, from a tradition of warding wizards now known as the “Columbae”, or “pigeons”. He taught his tradition’s magic to other magi, and those insights formed the basis of most of the wards created by Hermetic magic. Most magi would be hard-pressed to name any magus Ex Miscellanea they did not know personally — including most members of the House.

House Flambeau

While most followers of Flambeau (flahm-BOH) specialize in fire magic, some study spells of simple annihilation as a more subtle alternative. Flambeau the Founder was known for his mastery of fire, while his apprentice, and the first Primus, Apromor, favored Perdo. Thus, both of these traditions are respected within the House. These aggressive and ferocious magi often cause trouble within the Order and frequently anger mundanes. However, their fearlessness and love of destruction make them invaluable when the Order requires the application of martial force.

House Flambeau is a gathering of kindred spirits. While most followers of Flambeau believe in direct action and combat, there is also a strong tradition of honor and chivalry in the House, making them in many ways the Order’s knights. This is particularly true under the current Primus, Garus, who leads the House from its domus magna of Castra Solis in the Provençal Tribunal. The House’s original domus magna was Val Negra, also in the Provençal Tribunal, but it has been lost in a regio for decades, if not centuries. Flambeau’s second apprentice, Elaine, carried on his tradition of fire magic, and served as a Hoplite (see House Guernicus, next). She was also an important scholar and author, and wrote several texts that are still important today, including Ars Flambonis, a summa on Ignem (level 14, quality 12) that is peppered with anecdotes of the Founder and particularly popular within the House.

Among its contemporary members, the Archmaga Geirlaug of Montverte covenant in the Normandy Tribunal is particularly notable, as much for her great age as her great power. She is rarely seen outside her tower these days, but is a master of Ignem and still has a firm grip on the direction of her covenant.

House Guernicus

House Guernicus (GWAIR-nee-kuss) is a true lineage, all its members descended from Guernicus the Founder, who believed that the Order needed strictly enforced rules if it was to survive. Members of this House are the judges of the Order, investigating wrongdoing and bringing cases against those who transgress the Code of Hermes and the Peripheral Code. They believe the Order will collapse through internal conflict without their fierce stewardship. The House is sometimes known informally as House Quaesitor (KWAE-see-tor), as "Quaesitor" is the title of those magi empowered by the Order to investigate crimes.

Although House Guernicus trains and inducts their own apprentices, other magi can also join the ranks of the Quaesitores, and one of the highest honors in the Order is to be invited by the elders of House Guernicus to become a Quaesitor. Such magi invariably retain membership in their original House. A starting maga can only be a Quaesitor if she was trained in House Guernicus.

Quaesitors are sometimes asked to investigate possible crimes, or to mediate disputes between magi or covenants. While this does take time, the custom of the Order is that the Quaesitors be given a few pawns of vis as a gift, in return for their efforts. These investigators are often supported by magi known as Hoplites, who are often from other Houses. Hoplites are skilled in defeating the things that might threaten a Quaesitor, which means that they are strong in magical combat.

The House has an important philosophical split between Traditionalists, who believe that the Code should be preserved as it has been since the Founding, and the Transitionalists, who believe that it should be revised to better suit modern realities. The Transitionalist movement started with Simprim of Guernicus in the mid-twelfth century, and seeks greater legal powers for the Quaesitores.

The Prima of the House is the Archmaga Bilera, a maga with a long history of fine service to the House and, importantly, a largely neutral stance on the Traditionalist/Transitionalist debate. She resides at the domus magna of the House, Magvillus, in the Roman Tribunal. Guernicus himself was a master of earth magics, and taught Bonisagus much of the knowledge incorporated into the Hermetic Art of Terram. A tradition of such magic remains in the House, and its most famous living representative is Ausculator, the leader of the covenant of Hedyosmos in the Theban Tribunal. Hedyosmos is located in a labyrinth of caves, and is rumored to possess a portal to the underworld, something that would be very appropriate to the tradition (see The Sundered Eagle, page 66).

House Jerbiton

House Jerbiton (YARE-bih-tahn) is interested in the arts and the mundane world, and sometimes assumes the duty of keeping the Order on good terms with the nobility and Church. This inclination in its members often stems from a noble background — apprentices are sometimes taken from the aristocracy, and these magi maintain ties afterwards. Other members are taken from skilled artists and craftsmen who have The Gift. The Gentle Gift (page @@) is particularly common in this House.

Many members of other Houses believe that followers of Jerbiton are too closely bound to the mundane powers to be trusted. On the other hand, Jerbiton magi fear that members of the Order have become isolated from humanity, risking bloody conflict with the mundanes. They try energetically to heal this rift, and pursue aesthetic and Classical knowledge with a passion. The fall of Constantinople to the Fourth Crusade in 1204 has inspired the Primus, Andru, to rally the House to its original values, the defense of civilization, a call that the younger generation of magi have heeded. The domus magna of House Jerbiton is Valnastium, in the Tribunal of the Greater Alps. Two historically important Primi were Petrus, in the tenth century, who advocated life within mundane communities, and Mattieus, in the twelfth, who believed that Jerbiton should live with other magi and serve as their ambassadors to the mundanes. These two philosophies remain strong within the House.

Members of House Jerbiton are trained in mundane study, the arts, and politics, and the House is held together by these common interests. The House is not tightly organized, and its magi group themselves into leagues based on a common interest. A maga may join many leagues, to find companionship with other magi who share her interests. Examples of leagues include The Gastronomers, who cooperate to hold a lavish party every year (this is a very popular league, and has members from other Houses), The Silent Ones, who are led by a magus of House Bonisagus and seek to remove the need for words and gestures from Hermetic magic, and The Humble Brethren, who work to subtly influence the College of Cardinals and ensure that no-one with strong anti-magic opinions is elected Pope.

Fortunata of Jerbiton was a powerful spirit master of the eleventh century who defeated many non-Hermetic enemies and gathered knowledge and power from many Mysteries. She was forced into exile by Hermetic enemies, and disappeared into Final Twilight shortly after 1120. Her writings are rumored to contain information on how to gain the power that she had (see Legends of Hermes, Chapter Three for more information).

In the present, Archmagus Mathieus of Constantinople, who is named for the city where he was trained but has lived in Paris for many years, is known for having given up the study of magic as not worth his time. For many years he seemed to have no purpose in life, but since the fall of Constantinople he has become much more active (see The Lion and the Lily, page 87). Archmagus Edward of Milton, on the other hand, is famed for heading the covenant of Schola Pythagoranis in Cambridge, which claims to have served as the nucleus for the new university in that town (see Art and Academe, page 112).

House Mercere

The founder of this House lost his magical powers but remained involved in the Order. He assumed a non-magical role valuable to other magi — that of messenger. His followers continue to fulfill that role. All members of House Mercere (mare-KAY-ray, or mare-SARE in vulgar Latin), regardless of whether they possess The Gift, are officially recognized as magi of the Order. Even unGifted Mercere spend 15 years in apprenticeship like other magi.

Followers of Mercere are more commonly known as Redcaps because of the headgear they wear as a badge of office. Redcaps are permitted to attend Hermetic Tribunals, but by convention they only vote if they have The Gift. Some unGifted Mercere have powerful supernatural abilities, which are generally attributed to descent from the heroes of classical myth. Whatever the truth of that, these Redcaps are particularly respected within the House.

House Mercere is a true lineage. Mercere trained two apprentices before he lost his Gift, and thus there is a small Gifted tradition in this House, which is composed almost entirely of blood descendants of Mercere. Many magi of this House have had a strong interest in the magic of the ancient Cult of Mercury.

The most famous member of House Mercere, apart from the Founder himself, is Belin, Mercere’s last apprentice. She was renowned for her devotion to the Order and her dedication to getting messages to their destination, and despite having no Gift she is, even today, held up as an ideal in the House.

The Prima of House Mercere is Insatella, an unGifted Redcap who inherited the role from her father and skillfully manages the affairs of all Mercere from the domus magna at Harco, in the Roman Tribunal. As she does not have The Gift, she tries to stay out of Hermetic politics as far as possible, thus reinforcing the House’s reputation for neutrality.

House Merinita

This House is focused on the world of faeries, and its members tend to be just as strange as the creatures they study. Merinita (meh-rih-NEE-tah) magi frequently remain isolated, having little to do with the rest of the Order, except to defend faeries from the assaults of other magi. Those of this House eschew the merely mortal, and seek answers within the mysterious world of Arcadia.

Although the House was founded by Merinita, she herself was not particularly interested in faeries. This was the work of her first apprentice, Quendalon, who had been raised among faeries and had always believed that they had much to offer. Merinita disappeared at the end of the eighth century, and soon after Quendalon announced that he was going to study with the faeries, leaving Merinita’s second apprentice, Myanar, in charge of the House.

Quendalon returned two years later, his eyes replaced by rubies, and announced a new direction for the House. This was resisted by Myanar, and war broke out within the House. Ultimately, Quendalon was victorious, and the Merinita turned to the study of faerie. Quendalon served as Primus, at least in name, until the end of the tenth century, although he had little contact with his House in the latter half of that century. Some magi even now suspect that the returned Quendalon was actually a faerie.

The current Primus is Handri, who lives at the domus magna of Irencillia in the Rhine Tribunal. The previous Prima, Vinaria, also lives there. In 1202, she vanished much as Quendalon had done, leaving Handri in charge. However, when Vinaria returned in 1209, she made no moves to regain control of the House, and still lives quietly at Irencillia (see Guardians of the Forests, page 104).

Lucian the Scholar is an elder magus who lives in the covenant of Aegea, on the floor of the Aegean Sea in the Theban Tribunal. He is renowned for his deep knowledge of the literary traditions of the Byzantine Empire and ancient Greece, and is rumored to have been Initiated into secrets of story magic (see The Sundered Eagle, page 81). Dama, the Praeco of the Provençal Tribunal, was born in 993. She fell into Twilight in 1061, but emerged 19 years later, and remains active today. She is one of only two members of the covenant of Mimizan, and is rumored to lead a Mystery Cult that is not part of House Merinita (see Faith & Flame, pages 29 and 64).

House Merinita is a Mystery Cult, and magi of Merinita are all initiated into the Outer Mystery of Faerie Magic (see page @@).

House Tremere

Members of House Tremere (tray-MARE-ay or tray-MARE) emphasize the importance of judgment, strategy, and detailed planning. They believe in respect for superiors and in asserting authority over minions. Dignity is of the utmost concern.

House Tremere is considered one of the more sensible and stable Houses, providing strength and courage when needed and refraining from action when peace better serves the Order.

House Tremere is a true lineage. All of its members can trace a chain back through their masters and their masters' masters, and so on, back to Tremere the Founder. It is not possible to join the House from outside. Certamen, a safe method of magical dueling between magi, was invented by Tremere the Founder, and his House retains a great deal of interest in it.

In addition, Tremere magi hold their filii's voting sigils (see page @@) until the filius beats the parens in certamen, or until the parens dies. If a Tremere magus who does not hold his own sigil trains an apprentice, the new magus's sigil is held by the parens of the training magus, assuming that that magus holds his own sigil. If he does not, the sigil is passed back up the chain until it reaches a magus who does hold his own sigil. As a result of this custom, House Tremere's votes are concentrated in a very limited number of hands.

The domus magna is Coeris, in the Transylvanian Tribunal, and the Prima is Poena. She is said to know the names, magical strengths, and preferences of every member of her House, and of any other magus she thinks may be of use. Whatever the truth of that, she certainly manages the projects of the whole House with unusual efficiency (see Against the Dark, page 21). The House’s second-in-command (unlike other Houses, Tremere actually has such a post) is Archmaga Monica Ierne, a maga originally from the Stonehenge Tribunal and a master of combat magic. She is unsuited to the post of Prima, and has publicly acknowledged this, but she is an excellent field commander (see Against the Dark, page 30). Archmagus Stentorius is exactly what other magi think of when they imagine an older, powerful member of House Tremere. He is the leader of Fengheld, the largest covenant in the Rhine Tribunal, and holds three-fifths of the sigils of the Tremere magi of that Tribunal, as well as commanding the House there. Even in a Tribunal that holds the domus magnae and Primi of Houses Bonisagus, Bjornaer, and Merinita, he may hold more political power than any other individual magus or maga (see Guardians of the Forests, page 84).

House Tytalus

The philosophy of Tytalus (TIE-tah-loos) magi is to master all forms of conflict. To this end, they promote innovation in all sorts of contests. They do not feel alive unless they are in a constant state of struggle, perpetually testing the strengths and weaknesses of others.

House Tytalus is almost the opposite of House Tremere. Where the Tremere believe in stability and respect for elders, Tytalus magi believe in constant change, and in challenging your elders repeatedly until you can finally win. The Founders of the two Houses were trained by the same wizard, Guorna the Fetid, and often fought over their contrasting visions of how to live.

In their never-ending search for conflict, the leaders of House Tytalus went too far in the 10th century, falling prey to demonic machinations. Those masters of intrigue arrogantly believed they could master the dark forces, but despite their skill, were unable to outwit Hell. The leaders were executed for their crime of diabolism, and House Tytalus has been distrusted ever since. This has not been helped by the fact that two magi, Buliste and Harpax, both claim to be Primus (or Prima, in Buliste’s case). Buliste was the ninth Prima, but passed into Twilight. Harpax then claimed the right to be tenth Primus. However, Buliste emerged from Twilight, and refused to acknowledge his position; he, of course, refused to yield. The two are still fighting for control of the House, and of its domus magna, Fudarus, in the Normandy Tribunal (see The Lion and the Lily, page 41). The magi of House Tytalus choose sides, but most of them seem to do so simply for the sake of the challenge, and not because they have any real loyalty to one or the other.

House Verditius

Magi of House Verditius (ware-DEE-tee-oos) have unsurpassed skill at creating enchanted items, making them invaluable to other magi and non-Gifted persons.

Almost all, unfortunately, have also inherited their founder's magical Flaw, making them unable to cast Formulaic spells without the aid of casting tools. Followers of Verditius are sometimes considered inferior to other magi because of this weakness. They do not measure themselves by this standard, however, seeing themselves as superior to other magi — this hubris is a side effect of the Inner Mysteries of their House. While the Code forbids magi to sell enchanted items to mundanes, the mundane employees of magi may do so, and almost all magi of this House have such associates, known as venditores. The magi sell items directly to other magi, of course, and can become wealthy in both magical and mundane terms.

Magi of House Verditius often become involved in vendettas with other magi of their House, antagonizing each other until one admits that the other is superior. As that is rare, vendettas tend to last a long time. The House believes that such contests are honorable and admirable, but magi of other Houses may not agree. These vendettas reflect the politically fragmented nature of the House, in which the Primus is the only official position.

Every eighteen years, the House holds a grand Contest, at which enchanted items are judged to determine the best created since the previous Contest. Every magus of the House is allowed to enter a single item, and many magi spend years preparing their entries.

The Primus of House Verditius is chosen by strict primogeniture: the eldest living filius of the previous Primus becomes Primus. There is almost no opposition to this in the House, as most magi do not care who their Primus is, and appreciate a system that means they need not worry about choosing a new one. The current Primus is Stouritus, who does not live at the domus magna of Verdi in the Roman Tribunal. He is a member of the covenant of Ingasia in the Theban Tribunal, and would like it to become the domus magna so that there would be no need for him to move (see The Sundered Eagle, page 86).

House Verditius is a Mystery Cult, and all members are initiated into the Outer Mystery of Verditius Magic. (See page @@)

Attribution

Content originally published in Ars Magica: Definitive Edition, ©2024, licensed by Trident, Inc. d/b/a Atlas Games®, under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license 4.0 ("CC-BY-SA 4.0)