Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults Chapter Two: House Bjornaer

The childhood of our House has passed. We were born into darkness, weaned in the wild places of the world, took our first tottering steps in the shadows of our forefathers. Now it is time for us to come forth from the wilderness and experience the full light of the Order of Hermes. Now it is time for us to honor the memory of our ancestors by living our own lives, filled with the wisdom we have learned — and still learn yet — at their knees. Now is the time that we stand proud as heirs, as adults, as magi.
— Primus Salmo, speaking to the House in 1023

When asked, all that most magi know about the members of House Bjornaer is that they can change shape. The more arrogant magi dismiss them as practitioners of primitive magic; the more misty-eyed ones see them as the last remnants of a forgotten people — noble savages. Neither group will be easily able to find a magus of the House who fulfills either stereotype, yet they endure. Few can mention a famous historical member of the House, fewer still know any historical event which involved a Bjornaer magus. Although the Order does not realize it, they know next to nothing about this secretive House, and what they do know is unsupported by fact. This is a result of deliberate efforts on behalf of the followers of Bjornaer, who recognize the power inherent in secrets. In truth, House Bjornaer is a cult of the ancestors, gaining power in the present because of the weight of all of those who have gone before. They believe that it is the ancestor-spirits that reside within them that gives them the power to change shape; through greater communication with these spirits inside them, they seek to become creatures of magic.

Key facts

• Population: 79
• Domus Magna: Crintera in the Rhine Tribunal
• Prima: Falke. She had this position in the House thrust upon her, and is struggling to acquire the qualities of leadership. She currently strives to carry out a strategy of isolation and patience, and is trying to regain the trust of the Quaesitores and others in the Order. Falke’s heartbeast is a silvergray falcon with white-banded wings.
• Favored Tribunals: The Novgorod and Loch Leglean Tribunals, where there are still many wild places left in which to roam undisturbed, followed by the Rhine Tribunal.
• Motto: Potentio super ipso potentia super allis. (Power over the self is power over others.)
• Symbols: A cone. When Trianoma was devising the iconography of the Order she chose the cone as a symbol for House Bjornaer; as it can cast the shadow of triangle or a circle, but never both at the same time, thus refl ecting the heartbeast. House Bjornaer also uses another symbol; a Janus-style head combining the face of a bear with that of a woman.

Crintera: Domus Magna

The domus magna of House Bjornaer is Crintera, situated on the island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea, just off the northern coast of Germany. Its permanent members are the six members of the Bjornaer Council. The covenant proper is situated in a regio in the middle of a magical forest. As well as the six huts of the Bjornaer Council, the top level of the regio has a large meeting area where the Gathering of Twelve Years is held. More information about Crintera and the members of the Bjornaer Council here.

Famous Figures

• Birna: Gothic witch and Founder of the House.
• Hérisson: Founder of the Harmonist philosophy; unappreciated in his time.
• Salmo: Primus following the Schism War who refocused the House in a more traditional Hermetic mould.
• Urgen: Previous primus, a direct and sometimes violent magus who resigned in favor of Falke.

History

Over the four and a half centuries since the founding of the Order of Hermes, House Bjornaer has changed substantially in its demeanor, politics, and magic. From primitive shapechangers to savage defenders of the wilderness, and now to upstanding members of the Order of Hermes, these dramatic changes have left scars on the House that are still apparent today. To fully understand the Bjornaer magus, one must understand the history of the House, and it is no accident that much of this history lies shrouded in mystery — House Bjornaer do not want other Houses to understand them.

Bjornaer the Founder

As with many Mystery Cults, the story of the central figure of House Bjornaer — the Founder herself — is as much legend as it is history. She was from a remnant tribe of the Gothic people who once occupied the whole of northeastern Germany, and her name was actually Birna, which means ‘she-bear’ in the language of her tribe. As an initiate of a witch-cult, Birna received visitations from an ancestor, who took the form of a spirit-bear. It told her that the witches enslaved ancestor-spirits with evil magic, and convinced Birna to try to find a way to break the power of the cult. Birna pretended that she was magically weak, while learning the hidden lore of her tradition. She was scorned and mocked by the witch-cult for her meager powers, and her resentment for them grew daily.

When stories of a traveling witch came to the ears of the tribe, Birna’s superiors naturally sent their most expendable member to face her. However, this “witch,” named Trianoma, told Birna of a new magical society where she would be treated as an equal and be taught magic that would surpass that of those who despised her. Birna readily agreed to join the Order of Hermes, but advised Trianoma that there was little point continuing further east into the territory of the German tribes, as the sorcerers there were both hostile and of little consequence. This petty revenge denied her former tradition the possibility of joining the Order, and they in turn assumed that Birna had been killed by the witch and mourned her not.

The Name “Bjornaer”

Birna spoke no Latin when she met Trianoma, and was never much of a scholar. Her first apprentices called themselves the barns Bjornaer (meaning “The Children of Birna” in Old Gothic), which became the auditores Bjornaer (“Followers of ‘Bjornaer’”) to the nascent Order. Neither Birna nor her followers saw fit to correct the grammatical error, recognizing the power inherent in names, and Birna was therefore known as Bjornaer to the rest of the Order.

The Gothic Shapeshifters

According to House Bjornaer, the Gothic witch-cult practiced Infernal magic. The ancestor-spirits of the Goths took the form of animals, and protected their descendants from ill-fortune. Once these spirits were enslaved by the cult, a witch could become any animal whose spirit she controlled. The witches could also force the ancestors to prophesy, or to reverse their protective powers and instead lay curses. Denied the Order by the vengeful Birna, this magical tradition was gradually wiped out by the civilizing forces of Charlemagne’s Empire, expanding Christianity, and the secret pogroms of House Bjornaer. The last remnants of the Goths were assimilated into the Slavic people of the region, and the shapeshifters are believed to have been eradicated shortly after the Schism War. Unbeknown to the House, the descendents of this magical tradition — the witch-women and their skin-changing people — still exist in secret in the forests of Pomerania (and perhaps elsewhere). They bear a deep and abiding resentment for the great traitor Birna, whose name is reviled in stories transmitted from generation to generation.

The Founding of House Bjornaer

Birna’s native tradition relied on shapechanging and ecstatic trances, while the magic of Bonisagus was based on a classical understanding of natural philosophy, and Birna found it necessary to change her entire worldview to adopt the new magic. However, Merinita proved to be a kind and patient mentor, and they became as sisters. With her help, Birna was able to overcome her shortcomings, and over time became an equal of the other Founders. Birna referred to the bear-shape granted by her ancestor as “the beast of her heart,” and it forever frustrated Bonisagus that his theory had no means of penetrating the “disguise” of Birna’s bear form. Birna realized that it should be possible to cause other Gifted individuals to come into communion with their own ancestral spirits. Using her knowledge of her tribe’s magical rites, and Merinita’s training in the pagan Mysteries, the two magae devised the Ritual of Twelve Years to do just that.

Birna chose her apprentices only from among the Germanic tribes. She initiated them into the heartbeast as well as Hermetic magic, and her early apprentices assisted in the teaching of the later ones, mirroring Birna’s own “apprenticeship” under Bonisagus and Merinita. Midusulf and Maruhs came from her own tribe; Midusulf literally means “mead-wolf” in Old Gothic, and signifies a bear, whereas Maruhs means “stallion” in the same language. When her third apprentice proved to be a spy from the witch-cult, Birna hunted down the traitor and ended his life with her claws and teeth; henceforth she turned her attentions to other Germanic tribes. Ilfetu (“Swan” in his native tongue) came from the marshes of ancient Frisia, whereas Wilkis (“Wolf”) and Arelie (“Eagle”) came from a Prussian tribe. Finally, Sirnas (“Stag”) originated from amongst the Wends of the Baltic Coast.

Only Ilfetu learned the Ritual of Twelve Years from his master, and the House met on a regular basis to conduct this ritual for new apprentices at Birna’s eventual home, the covenant of Crintera. At one of these early Gatherings in 831, the ancient Birna, then over a century old, imparted some last instructions to her House and disappeared forever in the form of an immense bear. Birna’s six “children” continued to recruit apprentices from the shapechanging traditions of the Germanic and Slavic tribes, just like their mater. Due to this predominance of “pagan barbarians” among the barns Bjornaer, the House quickly gained a reputation for savagery, a reputation that the House is still trying to shake. The goal of most of its members was to defend the wilderness against the invasion of the Dominion brought by the expanding human population. Birna had taught that the wilderness holds a great secret of magic, a secret that can be experienced, but not tamed. The soil unturned by plowshare, the river untouched by the prow of a boat, the forest that had yet to feel the bite of an axe; these things were sacred to Birna’s Children.

The Formation of the Clans

The last instructions offered to Birna’s followers were characteristically enigmatic. To each of her six apprentices she said but one word. To Midusulf she said “Lead,” Sirnas was told “Protect,” Ilfetu was commanded “Teach.” Maruhs was told “Strive,” Arelie “Remember,” and finally, to Wilkis she said “Nourish.” The apprentices divided the House into six clans, each of which undertook one of these duties. Wilkis, the most eloquent of the six, was appointed to be the first primus of the House on the passing of Birna. The second primus was Fauho, the filius of Midusulf, with the heartbeast of a fox.

The Early Years of the House

In the early days of the Order, a rift struck House Merinita. Two magi of that House battled to determine its future course, and when the matter was decided, the losers were accepted into House Bjornaer. They were initiated into the Outer Mystery of the House, and, despite their differing philosophy, were made welcome. This lineage has now long since died out, but they left behind a lasting legacy in the shape of a secret society within House Bjornaer (see The Huntress in the Wood).

As human populations expanded and the tangles of forests disappeared all across Europe, House Bjornaer tried to turn back the tide of mundane expansion. Most Bjornaer magi saw little wrong with extreme measures — such as killing peasants — in the fi ght to keep mankind within the stone walls of its towns. Many legends about ravaging creatures who could walk as both fearsome beasts and men stem from this time. In the tenth century, a member of House Bjornaer called Hérisson came to the realization that this attitude was proving counter-productive — humans destroy what they fear. The behavior of his sodales was making the locals more determined to cut down the forests and destroy all of the dangerous beasts within. Hérisson tried to convince his House to encourage the humans to live in harmony with nature, rather than attacking those who violate it. However, he was ridiculed and became the laughingstock of the House.

The Schism War

At the Gathering of Twelve Years in 999, concerns were raised that the Order of Hermes was in danger of fragmenting due to internal conflict. The non-Latinate Houses of Diedne, Ex Miscellanea, and Bjornaer seemed to be in particular danger, as the traditionally Roman Houses banded together and openly attacked magi from “primitive” traditions in flagrant disregard of the Oath of Hermes. House Bjornaer became paranoid and insular, and many retreated to Crintera. When the wholesale attacks against House Diedne began in 1004, the last few members of House Bjornaer joined their sodales in Crintera. Some Roman Houses feared that House Bjornaer would side with House Diedne, but instead, none were seen for nearly15 years until the Schism War was well and truly over.

When House Bjornaer emerged from Crintera they were lead by a primus called Salmo, a descendent of Ilfetu. He had a clear vision of the future of his House, the foremost aspect of which was to integrate themselves more closely with the Latinate Houses. Under his guidance, House Bjornaer kept a low profile, and its members gradually became more similar to the standard Hermetic magus in a deliberate attempt to prevent itself from becoming a target in the event of a future Schism War. Whilst it retains a House structure that preserves features of its tribal past, the average member of the House Bjornaer of today is as civilized and cultured as any other magus in the Order.

Another consequence of the Schism War was the increasing popularity of the teachings of Hérisson. They were attractive to the post-Schism House, primarily because they espoused a policy that attracted less attention from the Quaesitores. The more traditional members of the House started to call themselves “Wilderists” in response to these new “Harmonists.” Both factions still exist in House Bjornaer, and the Harmonists have grown to equal the Wilderists in number.

Recent Events

The most notable event to have struck House Bjornaer in the last century or so was the invasion of the island of Rügen by King Valdemar I of Denmark in 1168, followed by the conquest in 1201 of the surrounding German provinces. While the covenant of Crintera itself was safe within its regio, the House feared that the settlement of Christian folk on a formerly pagan island would result in the destruction of its aura. Appeals to both the Rhine Tribunal and the Grand Tribunal fell on deaf ears; the House was merely reminded in the strongest terms of its duty to uphold the Oath of Hermes, and many Bjornaer magi are still resentful that the Order failed them in their time of greatest need. Fifty years later, the biggest effect that this invasion actually had on House Bjornaer was to cause the primus to change twice. The first time brought the aggressive Urgen to the leadership of the House. He spent the three decades of his tenure lashing out at the mundanes and covenants whom he believed were responsible for aiding the invasion. He was popular in the House, unpopular in the Order, and largely impotent with respect to his overall goal. He resigned as primus in 1203 in favor of the present incumbent, the level-headed Falke, though he remains active in the politics of the House.

Customs of House Bjornaer

House Bjornaer has several unique conventions that set them apart from other magi, but also make them a target for accusations of savagery and barbarism. This maintenance of “primitive” customs, such as animal names and a tribal organization, forms a link to their past and their ancestors, from which the Bjornaer magi draw power. The stereotype of the Bjornaer magus is a scruffy, uncultured individual who spends much time in the wild, uses primarily natureoriented magic, and is afraid of fire. While individuals like this do exist, they are no more common in House Bjornaer than they are in any of the other Houses. They choose to adopt the trappings of a simpler existence, it is not that they are forced down this path by inferior philosophy or poor education. Members of House Bjornaer may actually benefit from this stereotype, for while their enemies underestimate them, the Bjornaer magus has the upper hand, whether it is on the Tribunal debating floor, the certamen circle, or the battlefield of Wizard’s War.

House, Clan, & Sept

House Bjornaer has a tribal internal structure, which is based on the subdivision of the House into clans, and subdivision of the clans into septs. This structure encourages a close relationship between the magi of the House; the members of a sept are usually close comrades bound by ties of mutual support. This makes House Bjornaer unusually cohesive, and magi are often surprised that these “primitive” magi are capable of the degree of organization and strength that they have displayed in the past.

The Six Clans

The basic level of organization in the House is the clan. Each apprentice accepted into the House joins the clan of those who taught him, and becomes part of that lineage. These clans are named after Birna’s six apprentices, thus there is a Clan Arelie, Clan Ilfetu, and so forth. Each clan consists of several lines of descent from these first apprentices, and together they constitute six viewpoints that drive the politics of the House. Individuals within a clan are not constrained by the political stance of their clans, yet tend to share their opinions due to their upbringing. A small tribunal may easily be dominated by a single clan. Those tribunals with few wilderness areas left tend to have members from the Harmonist clans, whereas members of Clans Midusulf, Maruhs, and Ilfetu (the Wilderist clans) are more likely towards the fringes of the Order, where primal wilderness still reigns.

Clans Midusulf and Sirnas are the largest, with about 18 members each; Clan Ilfetu is the smallest with six magi. The other three clans have about 12 members each.

The Clan Mysteries

Bjornaer magi may be initiated into both Clan Mysteries and House Mysteries. Each clan’s description lists the Initiation Scripts for the Clan Mysteries available to the members of that clan. Those Mysteries marked with an asterisk (*) in the clan descriptions below are detailed in [[The Mysteries: Revised Edition ]]; the rest may be found in this book or in ArM5. The mechanics of these Scripts can be found under the heading Initiating the Clan Mysteries, below.

Clan Arelie

"Remember"

Description: Clan Arelie believes that the ancestors can be best honored through remembrance, and seeks to preserve as much of the stories and teaching of the bygone age as possible. It attempts to dispel the “Germanic barbarian” stereotype of the House, and is the most outward-looking of the clans, keen to know what is going on in the rest of the Order. Many members are taught the rare Academic Ability Art of Memory.

Political stance: Harmonist, to the point of pacifism. They are the first to complain to the House when a Wilderist acts out of turn, but have a reputation for being the last to come to the defense of the House. Clan Midusulf accuse Clan Arelie of being the caged birds of the Order in general, and the Quaesitores in particular.

Sample roles:

• Peacemaker: This magus desires nothing more than peace. He usually latches on to one particular issue at a time, and bends thoughts and deeds to resolve the conflict.
• Spy: Skilled in subtle magics and mundane stealth, this magus discovers much information about others, both friends and foes. He may have a noble purpose (such as spying for the good of the House), but not all do.
• Philosopher: Skilled in rhetoric and debate, this magus has received a classical education and loves the cut and thrust of scholarly debate.

Clan Initiations:

• The Trial of the Tree: The initiate is hanged by his wrists for four days, henceforth suffering from Palsied Hands, but acquires a Piercing Gaze.
• The Deed of Forgotten Lore: The initiate must uncover a previously forgotten or unknown fact about a clan ancestor, for which he acquires the Clear Thinker Virtue.
• The Oath of the Empty Hand: The initiate vows never to raise a weapon against another being, and acquires an Affinity with Mentem.

Clan Chief: Ursula Densacer (“Sharp-Tooth” in Latin) has received accolades for her erudition from House Jerbiton, and her volumes of poetry are widely circulated by that House. She has a wolf heartbeast, and is good friends with Prima Falke.

Clan Ilfetu

"Teach"

Description: Clan Ilfetu, the most mystically inclined of the six clans, administers to the cult of ancestors, conducting all the public rites of the House. It also leads the way in discovering new Mysteries. They are dreamers and theorists, considered to be both blessed and moonstruck. While holding much of the power of the House, being the only ones to Initiate the House Mysteries, they do not overtly exercise this authority. To be a member of this clan, you must take the Clan Ilfetu Minor Virtue.

Political stance: Wilderist. Clan Ilfetu is Wilderist because Birna commanded them to preserve the wild, and the Wilderist offers the most protection to the ancestors who dwell in wild places.

Sample roles:

• Prophet: A reader of auguries, apparently more than a little mad. Their divinations and subsequent pronouncements may not be real, but they are respected.
• Theoretician: An innovator, either in Hermetic magic or the Mystery of the Heartbeast.
• Crusader: A zealous promoter of a particular religious ideal who is trying to make others see the light. If this archetype espouses a non-religious view, then it is better suited to Clan Maruhs.

Clan Initiations:

• The Trial and the Oath of the Prophet: To acquire the Mystery of Divination* (a Major Virtue), the Initiate must endure a trial and swear an oath. The Initiate is pinned under a large rock for 9 days and acquires the Visions Flaw; they must also swear always to tell the truth.
• The Deed of Honor: The Initiate must locate an ancestor site and claim it for the House, thereby receiving the Second Sight Virtue.

Clan Chief: Ardea is well-respected in the House, for many of the current generation of Bjornaer magi were Initiated into the House by this elderly maga with a heron heartbeast. Ardea is believed to be the most powerful mystic in the House, and is accorded great respect as its spiritual mother.

Clan Maruhs

“Strive”

Description: Clan Maruhs refuses to allow itself to be bound by the rules of culture, but demands to do whatever it wishes. Its members have romantic souls, and are driven by strong passions, which makes them excellent poets and daring heroes. They form a bridge between the past and future, doing their utmost to be remembered by their own descendants. They have a reputation for wildness: “As capricious as the wind and as mercurial as the Maruhs,” goes a saying in House Bjornaer.

Political Stance: Wilderist. Adopting the policies of the Harmonists would mean that Clan Maruhs would be forced to conform, and that is anathema to them. They are therefore Wilderists.

Sample roles:

• Puck: This magus delights in causing mischief, often out of a desire to break tired patterns of behavior and add a random element to people’s lives.
• Wanderer: Unable to settle, she always desires new experiences and action. This need not entail moving from one’s home, but the desire for adventure is strong.
• Rebel: This magus refuses to conform. He may be treated as a dangerous maverick or a defender of free will, but to many he is just a nuisance.

Clan Initiations:

• The Trial of Chains: Bound by magical chains and cast into a pit, the escape of the Initiate gives her more magical power (Puissant Art) at the cost of less control (Unpredictable Magic).
• The Deed of Emulation: The candidate must replicate a heroic deed performed by an ancestor as closely as is possible; this earns her the Dream Magic* Virtue.
• The Oath of the Muse: The Initiate must vow to never hesitate to follow her inspiration (gaining the Reckless Flaw); in return she is visited by the muse of Free Expression.

Clan Chief: Larus Egg-Thief is a wandering magus of no fixed covenant. In his heartbeast form of a skua (a rapacious seabird) he haunts the coasts of western Europe. His former apprentices can contact him by leaving messages in certain places he checks regularly.

Clan Midulsuf

“Lead”

Description: Descended from the eldest of Birna’s apprentices, this clan is often looked to by the others for leadership. Clan Midusulf considers that it is its sacred trust to preserve their ancestors through House Bjornaer. Those magi who fi t the stereotypic view of the House as uncivilized savages are most likely to be members of Clan Midusulf, not that they care what other Houses think of them. They are arch-conservatives, resistant to change, but they also have the deepest understanding of the Mystery of the Heartbeast.

Political Stance: Wilderist. Clan Midusulf is the most fervently opposed to the Harmonist stance. They are aggressive and sometimes arrogant about getting their point across.

Sample Roles:

• Savage Warrior: This champion of the Wilderist cause lives in the wild, which he considers his territory, and he fights all who despoil it.
• Chieftain: A leader of men who rules through actions, not through words or by birth. This archetype is also suitable as a “Leader of the Pack” from Clan Wilkis.
• Recluse: This magus wants nothing more than to be left alone to conclude her studies in peace. Woe betide any who disturb her!

Clan Initiations:

• The Trial of the Sacred Marriage: The Initiate is ritually wedded to the earth through the letting of blood; he gains an Affinity with Heartbeast in return for a Study Requirement.
• The Deed of Glory: The Initiate must win some prize (an apprentice, a magical item, etc.) for the House; in return he gains Study Bonus.
• The Oath of Steadfastness: The Initiate vows to never allow an insult to Bjornaer magi to go unpunished (Oversensitive); in return his magic is stronger in the presence of other Bjornaer magi (Special Circumstances).

Clan Chief: Urgen (or more fully, Archmage Urgen Midusulfis Twin-Slayer) is the leader of Clan Midusulf, the leader of the Bjornaer Council (see below), and the former primus of the House. He is wellknown for his aggressive stance on the issue of mundane encroachment on wild places, and has been accused of harassing villages with animal attacks.

Clan Sirnas

“Protect”

Description: Much as the stag guards the herd of deer, Clan Sirnas consider themselves the protectors of all Bjornaer magi, and they believe that a direct conflict with humans will be ultimately detrimental to the House. Clan Sirnas are often accredited with noble virtues such as bravery, honor, and loyalty, and they always seem to be searching for a cause. Most of the Merinita who joined House Bjornaer in the ninth century joined Clan Sirnas.

Political Stance: Harmonist. Clan Sirnas is the most active of the Harmonist clans; unlike Clan Arelie, they believe in fi ghting for their ideals, and in this often find allies amongst Clan Wilkis.

Sample Roles:

• Guardian of the Wild: Holding a territory in trust for the greater good, the Guardian fiercely protects it from harm.
• Champion: This magus defends others, adopting the fights of those weaker than himself.
• Healer: The wounds of the world are entrusted to the care of a healer. This may be a literal healing of wounds, or a more general care for the hurt that has been done to nature through the actions of mankind.

Clan Initiations:

• The Trial of Self Control: The Initiate must starve himself until he collapses, despite the constant presence of food. The memory of this inflicts Deleterious Circumstances (when hungry). For this he gains the Strong Willed Virtue.
• The Deed of the Woodland Warden: The Initiate acquires the Awakening Virtue in return for protecting the wilderness from real threat.
• The Oath of the Helpful Stranger: The Initiate swears to forever protect those less strong than himself, and acquires a Minor Magical Focus in wards to assist him realizing this Oath.

Clan Chief: Ophia Sirnaus Isle-Warden lives on one of the larger uninhabited islands of the Aegean Sea. The other members of her sept dwell nearby, but this serpentmaga prefers the solitude of her retreat, which contains a shrine dedicated to Artemis.

Clan Wilkis

“Nourish”

Description: Clan Wilkis honors their ancestors by strengthening the House as a whole. Its members ensure that lore of the House is actively sought out; they rescue House secrets from the hands of outsiders, and hunt down those who endanger the House with their actions. They are expected to be loyal to the primus no matter to which clan he or she belongs, and to enforce the decisions of the Bjornaer Council. By having no explicit representative on the Bjornaer Council, Clan Wilkis remains focused on the good of the House rather than personal agendas. Clan Wilkis members often have the Pack Leader Minor Virtue, as they prefer to Initiate their apprentices into the House early in their training.

Political Stance: Harmonist. Members of Clan Wilkis tend to be disdainful of mundane populations, but believe that if they are forced to live in harmony with them, then so be it. They tend to be swayed by the opinions of the current primus, supporting the actions of the less zealous Wilderists when a Wilderist is primus, and taking a stronger Harmonist stance when (as currently), the primus is a Harmonist.

Sample Roles:

• Hunter: Skilled in finding his prey, this magus takes on the role of a hoplite, tracking down those magi who break their oaths to either the House or the Order, or both.
• Politician: The ruthless predator can find easy prey in the debating chambers of the Order of Hermes. A diplomatic politician is more suited to Clan Arelie.
• Genealogist: Aided by a prodigious memory, the genealogist tracks the lineages and septs of the House, and is consulted by all for her wisdom.

Clan Initiations:

• The Trial of Self-Negation: The Initiate must perform humiliating and degrading acts before many witnesses, becoming Infamous (and acquiring a new by-name), but the shame can fuel her rage, giving her the Berserk Virtue.
• The Deed of Fealty: The Initiate must complete a task that has no meaning other than to prove her loyalty to her House; she acquires Cautious Sorcerer.
• The Oath of Completion: The candidate vows to complete the unfinished life’s work of a clan ancestor. Such dedication grants her Life Boost.

Clan Chief: Technically, the prima is the chief of Clan Wilkis, but she appoints a deputy, currently Retetarius Bjornaer. He has a salmon heartbeast and dwells in the River Danube and its tributaries. This allows him to move swiftly to most of southern and eastern Europe, and, by crossing overland to the source of the Rhine, the rest of Europe also. His sept is one of the most widely geographically spread, but all can use the rivers as a mode of transport.

The Septs

Septs are informal groupings whose members are all from the same clan, and descended Hermetically from a common ancestor. Septs are usually named after the most recent ancestor held in common by all the members, but occasionally a prominent member of the lineage provides the name instead. Some septs consist of close “family” ties, and may share peculiarities of their magic, such as a specific Art or a common heartbeast, but other septs are formed due to geographic proximity rather than strong blood ties, and their members may be very different from one another. It is very unusual to find a sept with highly diverse heartbeasts, and most share a temperament at least.

Not all Bjornaer magi are members of a sept, but most are, for the division of the House into septs reinforces bonds of loyalty within the Hermetic “family.” Important functions of the sept are the training of apprentices, the teaching of the Abilities Heartbeast and House Bjornaer Lore, and Initiation into the clan Mysteries. A Bjornaer follower in need of assistance can call upon his sept-brothers; most Bjornaer can expect that at least one of their sept will give them a season of help, on the understanding that they owe the same in return.

The largest current sept of House Bjornaer has eight members, but 3–4 members is much more common, and members of the same sept tend to live in close proximity to one another; not necessarily at the same covenant, but certainly in neighboring ones. Bjornaer magi are rarely found alone; where there is one, there are usually other members of her sept within a week’s travel as the crow fl ies, or the horse gallops, or the wolf runs. If circumstances drive members further away than this, the sept may be divided. A Bjornaer magus who finds himself socially and/or geographically isolated from his sept might strike out alone, with the hopes of founding his own sept through his apprentices. However, it is more likely that he will try to form an alliance with local Bjornaer followers of the same clan, which may mean the renaming of the sept to reflect a different most recent common ancestor. For example, when the magus Stellatus moved from a covenant in the Normandy Tribunal to one in Iberia, he found a local sept of his clan, Clan Arelie, which happened to consist of Lacerta and his filius Natrix. The most recent ancestor between Stellatus and Lacerta was a ninth century magus called Suspirium, and the sept was renamed after him.

Some example septs are described below.

The Sept Gyöngy (Clan Maruhs) is a lineage that takes its name from a sorceress who never joined the Order of Hermes, but whose descendants joined during the Schism War. They were Initiated into the Outer Mystery of the House, and were found to all share a magpie heartbeast. Since then, the sept has only accepted members who have the same heartbeast, but have spread their knowledge of Dream Magic to the rest of the clan. The members of the Sept of Gyöngy share many characteristics with the form of their soul, relishing in nightmares, mischief, and the mysteries of the night.

The Sept of Orn (Clan Wilkis) consists of Aquila fi lia Orn, Corvus filius Aquila, Ealwynn, and Coenwulf (both trained by Hosvir Goatlegs filius Orn). They inhabit three geographically close covenants in England and Scotland. Hosvir was obsessed with rebelling against the Norman nobility of England and his filii share this goal; Aquila is disinterested in such mundanity, and when she passes into Final Twilight (which will be soon), it is likely that the sept will split into the sept of Hosvir and the sept of Aquila.

Bjornaer Names

The members of House Bjornaer place great stock in names. Upon entering the House, they choose a new name for themselves to reflect this stage in their life, and many choose the name of their heartbeast, in either Latin or their native tongue, which represents their new connection with their ancestors. Alternatively, they may take on figurative bynames, such as Flinthoof, Snake Eye, or Grey Hame. They may append this name to their given name — Richard Corvus, Ursula Sharp Tooth, etc. Bjornaer magi often adopt the name of Birna or her apprentices as a family name: “Falke Bjornaer” means, literally, “Falke of Birna’s Line”; the appropriate declensions for the barns Bjornaer are Areleins, Ilfetwis, Maruhis, Midusulfis, Sirnaus, and Wilkjis.

Throughout his life, the typical Bjornaer magus acquires new bynames to commemorate specific events in his life. For example, he may be known for a great deed (“Griffi n’s Bane,” “Great Climber”), an enchanted device that he created or discovered (“Rosewood Crown,” “Fenris’s Tooth”), or an event that changed him greatly, such as Twilight scars or an injury (“Goat Legs,” “Half-Hand”). Once these names are combined with the magus’s genealogy, the recitation of the full name of a Bjornaer magus may become a prodigious feat of memory.

Some members of House Bjornaer undergo a specific Mystery that strips them of their given name and grants them a secret name (see Secret Name, below). This prevents harmful magic being used against them through the power of sympathy.

The Bjornaer Council

House Bjornaer is not ruled by its primus but instead by the Bjornaer Council, whose six seats are named after the heartbeasts of the six barns Bjornaer. The Seat of the Bear is the leader of the Bjornaer Council, and is always a member of Clan Midusulf who has a bear heartbeast. The Seat of the Wolf is occupied by the Primus, who acts as a spokesperson to the Order of Hermes through the Grand Tribunal, and directs Clan Wilkis to carry out the decisions of the council. The Seat of the Swan (Clan Ilfetu) is occupied by the House’s premier mystic, the Seat of the Horse (Clan Maruhs) is responsible for the membership of the House, the Seat of the Stag (Clan Sirnas) is the House’s protector, and the Seat of the Eagle (Clan Arelie) is responsible for keeping an eye on the rest of the Order. The magi who occupy these seats are not necessarily the leaders of their respective clans, just their spokesmen, and upon being elected to their role take up residence at Crintera.

Candidates for primus are chosen by the Bjornaer Council, whereas all other positions on the council are decided by a vote of the entire House (usually at the next Gathering of Twelve Years). The primi are most often drawn from Clan Wilkis (like the current incumbent, Falke), but even if this is not the case, they represent that clan on the Council. If a primus is chosen who has the heartbeast of a bear, then the Seats of Wolf and Bear are combined (regardless of the clan of the new primus), and the Seat of the Fox (named after Fauho, second primus of the House) is occupied by a representative from Clan Wilkis. The Seat of the Fox only exists under this circumstance.

The Gathering of Twelve Years

The members of House Bjornaer congregate every 12 years at Crintera, during which time they perform rituals associated with maintaining their lineage and solidifying the bonds within the House. The Gathering is also a social and political occasion, and no member of the House is willingly absent. It is an event central to the House’s cult of ancestors, a time to honor one’s predecessors in the company of one’s mystical family

The Gathering begins on the night of the full moon closest to the summer solstice, and magi begin to arrive up to a fortnight beforehand. Only Initiates into the House Mysteries are permitted to attend, and they assemble in human form at the center of Crintera, on top of a huge wooden platform. A pool fed by a substantial stream lies nearby. Those awaiting Initiation must wait on the ground. The Bjornaer Council intone an ancient Gothic ritual which is supposed to ensure that no shapeshifters are present at the meeting, for it causes all those with a heartbeast to simultaneously assume that form. After this initial change, individuals are free to take whichever form they prefer, although human form is most prevalent, for sheer ease of communication rather than anything else.

The Ritual of Twelve Years is then conducted for each applicant to the House; all who fail the Initiation are then escorted to the lowest level of the regio, out of Crintera and forever barred from House Bjornaer. Nominations for vacant council seats follow the Initiation, with the actual vote taking place much later in the Gathering. All Initiated members of the House, whether they have completed their apprenticeship or not, have the right to vote.

The only other organized event takes place towards the end of the Gathering. All Initiates assemble — seated — to hear the Eagle Elder present the news of the Order, and the Horse Elder recites all news from within the House. Finally, the Bear Elder announces any political decisions to be pursued over the next twelve years. Everybody present has the right to speak, signifying their desire to do so by standing up; points may be debated and decisions changed as a result of these debates.

During the rest of the Gathering, which lasts about a week, the House honors the memory of its lineage. Those skilled at the performing arts prepare songs, sagas, or mystery plays that revolve around famous ancestors, or their own deeds in pursuit of the secrets of the House. Each member of the House strives to uncover as much information about his lineage as possible, as this information is vital in the pursuit of the Inner Mysteries of the House. It is also a time for the reaffirmation of old friendships and the settling of grudges.

No Bjornaer magi discuss what goes on at Gatherings with magi from other Houses. They neither confirm nor deny anything rumored to have gone on, which has added to the mystery of the Gathering amongst the curious magi of the Order. The most paranoid members of the Order intimate that House Bjornaer have very good reasons for wanting to keep the business of the Gathering a secret.

Sagas with Bjornaer magi should not neglect the Gathering of Twelve Years (the next few will be held in 1227, 1239, and 1251); players without Bjornaer characters should be given significant characters to play during the event. It is a great opportunity to introduce powerful and enigmatic members of the House, make new friends and enemies, and resolve internal matters, as well as introduce story hooks that lead the characters into new adventures. All characters who attend a Gathering of Twelve Years should gain five experience points (as Adventure experience) which can be applied to any appropriate Ability used during the Gathering.

The Apprenticeship of a Bjornaer Magus

There are two distinct phases in the training of a young Bjornaer magus, known as the sleeping years (from Opening the Arts to the Ritual of Twelve Years) and the awakened years (from the Ritual of Twelve Years to induction into the Order).

The Sleeping Years

When Gifted children are found by a Bjornaer follower, they normally spend at least two years with the magus before apprenticeship begins. During this period the child is taught Latin and closely observed for his temperament and personality. If deemed suitable for the sept, the child is taken as an apprentice, otherwise he is passed on to another magus. A new apprentice is called a catulus, or “cub.” The catulus period is very different from the apprenticeship of other Hermetic magi. Catuli are the common property of the sept; all magi of the sept take a turn in teaching the catulus, and likewise, all members have an equal right to his assistance in the laboratory. As sept members tend to dwell in close proximity, this regular travel does not impinge upon an apprentice’s study. During the sleeping years, a sept attempts to guess the heartbeast of the catulus, based on his personality and physiognomy. This is important, for the Initiation of the Heartbeast might fail if the catulus is unsuited to the sept. Little mention is made of the cultic practices and beliefs of the House to a catulus; such secrets are revealed in the season immediately prior to the apprentice’s Initiation into the House Mystery, giving him only sufficient understanding to get him through the ritual. A catulus apprenticed to a magus without a sept receives training under one magus, much like a standard Hermetic apprenticeship.

The Awakened Years

Shared training ends when the Ritual of Twelve Years is conducted and the apprentice takes his heartbeast shape for the first time. At this point he is considered to have passed his Apprentice’s Gauntlet and is a member of House Bjornaer, with a voice equal to any other member of the House. However, the Code of Hermes specifies that an apprentice will receive 15 seasons of training over 15 years before joining the Order. A single magus therefore takes over the training of the Initiated apprentice until he is ready to swear the Oath of Hermes and become a full member of the Order. The identity of this master is determined by the sept, although occasionally the House decides that the apprentice is better placed with another master. A particularly valued apprentice may provoke fierce politicking, brawling, or certamen to determine who has the right to complete his training. The training is always completed by a magus whose own heartbeast is suited to the heartbeast of the apprentice — no lynx magus will train a hare, for example!

As well as magical training, the apprentice is taught the doctrines of the cult of ancestors and its true history, and encouraged to research his Hermetic ancestry.

Bjornaer Magi and Shapeshifting Apprentices

Contrary to the beliefs of most magi, Bjornaer followers rarely take apprentices who already have the ability to change shape. House Bjornaer insist that the heartbeast must be awakened during the Ritual of Twelve Years, and believe children who can already shapeshift must be scions of the House’s ancient enemies, or else afflicted with the curse of lycanthropy. However, it is possible — although very unlikely — for a Bjornaer follower to reach Initiation into the Order of Hermes with either the Skinchanger or Shapeshifter Virtues. Clans Arelie and Ilfetu never accept shapeshifting apprentices for fear of infiltration by their ancestral foes. Clans Midusulf and Wilkis who discover Gifted shapeshifters publicly take them as apprentices, but these apprentices always meet with unfortunate accidents during their apprenticeship, and never become members of House Bjornaer. Clans Sirnas and Maruhs take on shapeshifting children as long as the apprentice can take only a single shape, for they believe that it is better to indoctrinate such children into the House beliefs to keep them from their heritage. If the Ritual of Twelve Years awakens a different heartbeast than the shape the apprentice has been using, the child is passed over to Clan Wilkis and not seen again. Of course, these measures do not safeguard the House for certain against shapeshifters; an apprentice may be skilled at hiding his heritage, be wholly ignorant of it, or his sept may be willing to hide the apprentice’s heritage for whatever reason.

Magi who are known to have shapeshifted before Initiation are called uswaurpa (“reject”), and acquire this byname along with the scorn of their peers. A shapeshifting magus who seeks Initiation will have to demonstrate an unwillingness to use his “unnatural” powers, and must accept the Secret Name Mystery before any other, giving the House power over him should he prove false. If the Inner Mystery of the House is sought, the ancestors reject the candidate unless the magus accepts the loss of his Skinchanger or Shapeshifter Virtue as the Ordeal; this is the equivalent of taking a Minor or Major Flaw respectively. Of course, the magus can seek other Mysteries that do not care about his shapechanging abilities, such as the Huntress in the Wood (see below).

Of course, all this assumes that the magus is known to have shapes other than his heartbeast (for example, he has been witnessed using a shape other than his heartbeast). If the House is ignorant of this ability, then the Dark Secret Flaw is appropriate to the character, as the discovery of this fact could have serious repercussions. It is perhaps better to accept the scorn of the House by admitting these abilities, rather than live in fear that the secret will be discovered.

Experiences of Apprenticeship

The experiences of a Bjornaer apprenticeship vary between individuals. Most apprentices are discovered in between two Gatherings, and therefore receive their training both before their Gauntlet and after it. The Ritual of Twelve Years need not be performed at a Gathering, but this is the most convenient time and place where the mystical forces align. Those septs that seek the ritual outside of a Gathering risk failure.

If the Gifted child is found immediately before the Gathering of Twelve Years, his apprenticeship starts with the Awakening of the Heartbeast, and proceeds much like a standard Hermetic apprenticeship. However, throughout this training, he is treated as the social equal of his master, helping his master in the laboratory in return for training. In the eyes of the Order, however, the apprentice is no different from any other apprentice.

If an apprentice is discovered immediately following a Gathering, he has twelve years of being traded between members of the same sept, being treated like a child no matter what his real age. During this time he must defer to the Initiated, even if they are apprentices themselves who are physically younger than he. The awakening of his own heartbeast will occur towards the end of apprenticeship, and he will be “finished off” under a single master for only three years.

Joining House Bjornaer

On occasion, a member of the Order of Hermes wishes to join House Bjornaer from a different House. Most mature members of House Bjornaer have witnessed the Initiation of a magus from another House, but it is far from being a common event. The Bjornaer Council interviews all candidates, and if they appear to be sincere in their desire to join House Bjornaer, they are adopted by a sept. The candidate then assists that sept in its business — as if he were a catulus — earning the respect of the sept through this “apprenticeship.” After at least fi ve years, the candidate is brought to the Ritual of Twelve Years, preferably at a Gathering. Once Initiated into the House Mystery, the candidate is accorded all privileges of the House.

A magus who can shapechange without the use of a spell is always denied entrance to the House, although a reason for the refusal is never given. Likewise, any magus who is an Initiate of another House Mystery, or known to be a member of an Esoteric Mystery (see The Mysteries Revised Edition), is refused membership. A magus cannot successfully complete the Ritual of Twelve Years if he has ever bound a familiar, even if the familiar is now dead.

The Heartbeast

The heartbeast is the name that Bjornaer magi use to describe the animal form they all possess as the mainstay of their House’s cultic practices. Bjornaer magi are taught that a human is tripartite, consisting of a material body, an immaterial spirit, and an immortal soul. The spirit forms the link between the body and the soul, and controls the animal passions, the instincts and the fears, and the tendency towards virtues and vices. They believe that the heartbeast is an active expression of a person’s spirit, and therefore every human being has the potential to possess one, but in most people it lies dormant, preventing them from fully realizing their animal nature and completing the transformation between human and animal.

The secret taught to Bjornaer apprentices is that the spirit — the dormant heartbeast — is the spirit of an animal ancestor. These ancestral spirits are inherited through the line of the father, just as the materiality of the body is derived from the mother. (The soul, of course, is derived from God, at least according to Christian magi.) The Ritual of Twelve Years brings both spiritual parts of a person — soul and spirit — into an equal partnership, allowing both to inform the body. When the soul is in control, the magus is in human form; when the ancestor spirit is in control, the magus adopts animal form.

Undergoing the Ritual of Twelve Years is the only way to gain the Heartbeast Virtue (and Ability), and is synonymous with joining House Bjornaer. The ritual is more than a rite that awakens the heartbeast: it also joins the magus to the family of House Bjornaer, much as a cutting, grafted to a tree, becomes part of that tree. Mystically, his parens is now equivalent to a true parent, and sept-brothers and -sisters are as close as true relatives following the rite. Supernatural powers that affect ancestry or descendents (such as the Merinita Target Bloodline) operate now on the Hermetic family instead of the biological family. No one can leave House Bjornaer once Initiated — a cutting taken from its parent tree withers and perishes. The obligation for ensuring such cuttings perish falls on the shoulders of Clan Wilkis. In response to heinous crimes, the Bjornaer Council may on occasion declare a Bjornaer magus an orphan, severed from his sept and anathema to the House. Such unfortunates rarely last out the year, targeted as they are by multiple Wizard’s Wars.

Every individual has a different perspective on what it means to have an awakened heartbeast. These differing opinions are due to the deeply personal nature of the heartbeast — it cannot be described, it can only be experienced. It cannot be even remotely approximated by Muto spells such as Shape of the Woodland Prowler. The transformed body might look, feel, and sound like a wolf, but it is essentially still human, with a human mind. When a Bjornaer magus becomes his heartbeast, he actually becomes a wolf, and is indistinguishable from a wolf according to any test Hermetic magic cares to devise (see Ringing the Changes). A Bjornaer maga who becomes pregnant must remain in one form from the moment the pregnancy starts to show, or else the child will not come to term. Such pregnancies result in children with the same physical form as their mother at the time of birth, regardless of the species of their father. Cross-species mating is avoided by most Bjornaer magi: the limited experience of the House is that a child with an animal father appears to lack a soul (the normal state for mundane animals), and always has the mind of a beast (that is, possesses Cunning rather than Intelligence). Children with animal mothers are always born as animals, and appear to be no different from mundane beasts.

Bjornaer magi are more in touch with their passions and emotions than most; they have come to the realization that they are as much their heartbeast as they are the human form that they inhabited before the Ritual of Twelve Years. As time goes on, they learn to identify more closely with the animal side of their nature.

Bjornaer Magi and Religion

While House Bjornaer derives power from its cult of ancestors, it is not a religion per se. These magi do not worship their ancestors, they honor them by remembrance, composing poems or songs of their deeds and performing reenactments of those deeds. These cultic practices do not interfere with the practice of any religion, with the exception of the core doctrine that every person has an animal ancestor, which can prove troubling for religious magus. The House presents this concept as a fact, offering no explanation. Bjornaer magi therefore have differing views of how this situation came about. Some simply assume that the ancestors were human, but took animal form after death. Many Christian magi link the animal ancestors to Adam’s command over the beasts, and it is the pure spirit of the beasts of Eden that accompany the soul. A more radical Christian view is that the “beasts” of Scripture (i.e., angels) are the ancestors. Other Bjornaer magi, influenced by Gnosticism, associate the introduction of animal ancestors into the lineage of humankind with the expulsion from Eden; it is a consequence of sin that humans are inflicted with animal passions (and thus animal spirits).

Pagan magi of House Bjornaer are rarely part of an organized cult, as these cults are involved in the worship of Faerie creatures and are anathema to the cult of ancestors. Instead, they tend to follow their own spiritual path, which incorporates the cultic practices of the House. The Huntress in the Wood (see below) is a counter-example of a society of pagan Bjornaer magi who profess the faith of Diana the Huntress. These zealous pagans often eschew the Inner Mysteries of the House for their own Mysteries, and may abandon the cult of ancestors altogether.

Choosing the Heartbeast

The heartbeast is part of your character as much as any other trait he possesses, and you should choose a beast that portrays the type of character you wish to play. This need not stereotype characters with similar heartbeasts. Although all magi with a fox heartbeast are cunning and sly, this is but one facet of their nature. Fox-Bjornaer can also be vengeful, forgiving, dispassionate, or lustful. They share only one (important) characteristic with each other — their essential foxishness.

Also be aware that your character’s heartbeast often has outward, physical signs as well. Most Bear-Bjornaer are large, most Weasel-Bjornaer are lithe, skinny, and small. You should not necessarily allow the heartbeast to dictate Virtues and Flaws (you do not need to buy Small Frame or Dwarf just because your character has the heartbeast of a weasel), although there is nothing wrong with doing this. However, you should certainly pick Characteristics keeping the heartbeast in mind.

Finally, consider the rest of your troupe when choosing a heartbeast, particularly if there are other Bjornaer magi in your covenant. Many Bjornaer followers do not get on with one another, particularly if they are directly opposed (Wolf and Hare) or identical (two Stags). Many animals do not share territory with members of the same species, and Bjornaer magi are no different.

Naturally, a magus can only have one heartbeast, for he only has a single spirit. Shapechangers who have multiple forms are likely to be not using their heartbeast at all, but using magic to make a physical rather than a spiritual change in form.

Heartbeast Temperaments

Heartbeasts can be divided into four basic types, named after the four classical temperaments of human physiognomy — sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic. In the past, these four types had different names, deriving from the four elements (air, fire, earth, and water, respectively) or further back still, the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, and winter). However, the temperament classification has been used by all Bjornaer magi since the Schism War, in an attempt to make a break with their pagan past.

The four main temperaments may be pure, or they may be aspected by another temperament.

Sanguine heartbeasts are birds, from the largest eagle to the smallest robin. Such characters are often gregarious and lively, quick-witted and dexterous. Those predatory birds who fl y by day have a choleric aspect; water birds are considered to be phlegmatic-aspected.

Choleric heartbeasts are land animals that are active, fierce, fast, or all three; nearly all predators are choleric, as are the free-spirited herbivores such as horses. Choleric characters tend to be emotional, but they are also loyal and brave. The smallest and fastest of the predators are choleric-sanguine, whereas the larger herbivores such as the horses and stags have a melancholic aspect.

Melancholic heartbeasts are all the slow-moving land animals, or those of a generally docile nature. Melancholic characters are steadfast, not generally quick to anger, but dangerous once roused. They also tend to be lazy and greedy. The more aggressive melancholic heartbeasts (bears, bulls, wild boar) have a choleric aspect, whereas the most placid (such as hares, wild sheep, and the like) have a minor phlegmatic nature.

Phlegmatic heartbeasts are all creatures that crawl and swim. Phlegmatic characters have reputations as deep thinkers, but are often introverted and find affection difficult. All fish fall into this category, including frogs and salamanders, as well as reptiles and aquatic mammals. However, dry-skinned reptiles have a sanguine aspect, whereas land animals that have an aquatic existence, such as beaver, otters, and seals, are considered to be aspected by melancholy.

The following creatures are not available as heartbeasts:

• Domesticated Animals: Only “noble” animals became the ancestors of humans. There are Bjornaer magi who take the form of rams, bulls, and goats, but they always take the wild versions of these beasts.
• Creature Smaller than a Weasel (Size -7): Vermin are excluded for the same reason domesticated animals are; they are not noble. However, a storyguide may permit such a heartbeast, but the Dwarf Flaw should be obligatory.
• Creature Larger than an Auroch (Size +3): While there are rumors of Bjornaer magi with the heartbeasts of elephants and whales, none of these shapes have been substantiated. If a player desires to play such a creature, the storyguide should consider carefully before allowing it, as it may well unbalance the game. At the very least, it is reasonable to expect such a magus to have the Giant Blood Virtue.
• Creature with Might Scores: Only natural creatures exist as heartbeasts.
• Inanimates Objects: Objects such as rocks or clouds no spirit, and thus cannot become heartbeasts.

A creature from beyond the bounds of Mythic Europe is an unlikely choice for a heartbeast, but not impossible. However, many such beasts, like the crocodile or hyena, are so unusual to the inhabitants of Mythic Europe that they are best represented as beasts of legend with Magic Might scores (and therefore not allowed as heartbeasts). Playing a magus with a heartbeast that is a mundane version of one of these animals (if permitted by the storyguide) requires, at the very least, an exotic origin, and perhaps the Well Traveled Virtue or Outsider Flaw.

A player choosing a creature of Size –5 or smaller as a heartbeast can take it as one Size category larger if he wishes, as a particularly noble member of its species. Thus, creatures who are naturally Size –8 are allowed as heartbeasts, but only if this option is applied.

Plant Heartbeasts

The possession of a plant “heartbeast” is permitted, but such characters should be highly unusual. While having an animal ancestor is at least conceivable to the thinkers of the Mythic Europe, a plant ancestor is not. Such individuals have posed a puzzle to the philosophers of House Bjornaer, as they are not in accord with the origin myth of the House. When assuming his plant form, the Bjornaer magus is capable of doing whatever a plant can do; that is, not very much. Without the application of magic, he cannot move, nor do things that are unnatural for the season, such as bear fruit in winter. It is highly likely that such characters have the Cyclic Magic Virtue and/or Flaw. Such characters may also change their temperament and personality according to the season. Only “noble” plants may be chosen as “heartplants,” this includes trees and mystical herbs.

Shapeshifting, Lycanthropy and the Bjornaer Heartbeast

Members of other Houses often fi nd it surprising that members of House Bjornaer do not make greater use of shapechanging spells. Bjornaer magi hardly ever know spells that can turn themselves or others into animal form, and they eschew the use of magic that makes more than a superfi cial change to either their heartbeat or their human form. The idea of changing shape to a creature who is not part of one’s being generates feelings of revulsion in most Bjornaer magi. Despite the general opinion of the House, there are some Bjornaer magi who transcend these bounds of “decency,” and they may suffer the disapproval of their sodales and a negative Reputation. Magi from other Houses who use shapechanging spells regularly are treated with disdain, but are not expected to know any better.

The shapeshifter who uses his innate supernatural power is treated with a superstitious dread by even the most urbaneof the House. Without the Ritual of Twelve Years, these shapeshifters cannot adopt the forms of their ancestral spirits; instead, it is believed, they must acquire spirits from elsewhere. Those shapeshifters who can take multiple forms are especially abhorred as soul-stealers, a dreadful perversion of Birna’s sacred rite. All Bjornaer apprentices learn the stories of the Gothic shapeshifters who lurked on the fringes of society, stealing babies for their forbidden rituals.

Lycanthropes are afforded some pity by the House, as creatures overcome by their ancestral spirits. Instead of being in balance, their animal ancestors dominate their souls at certain phases of the moon. Bjornaer magi often take on responsibility for hunting down lycanthropes to prevent their depredations, or even for finding a cure for the fiendish curse that caused the condition in the first place.

Because of these strong feelings about shapechanging, calling a member of House Bjornaer a shapeshifter or a werewolf is considered to be a mortal insult, and has led to Wizard’s War on more than one occasion.

Ringing the Changes

There are three basic types of shapechangers in Mythic Europe, and they have different responses to magic due to their natures.

The use of a spell or invested item (including the Skinchanger Virtue) to change shape does not change the underlying fact that the target is human. While he may be affected by Animal spells, he may also be affected by Corpus and Mentem spells, and any ongoing magics using these Forms cast prior to transformation remain in effect. The transformation magic is bound by a duration, during which time the spell or effect may be detected with Intellego Vim spells. The Penetration Total of the caster must exceed the Magic Resistance of anyone that the shapechanged human wishes to touch (or attack). Furthermore, remaining in this form may incur Warping.

Those who have an innate supernatural power to change shape (represented by Virtues or Flaws such as Shapeshifter and Lycanthrope) only invoke a magical effect at the moment of transformation. Thus, the shapechange is not an active effect while that character is in animal form. Consequentially, Penetration is not required for mundane attacks, nor does the creature radiate magic or suffer Warping due to the transformation. However, this type of shapechanger is still a human in an animal shape, and so Corpus and Mentem magics are effective, as are Animal spells. An exception is the lycanthrope, who do not retain his human mind when transformed, and therefore cannot be affected by Mentem spells, although Corpus spells still work.

The heartbeast is the most total transformation of the three. Unlike the other two, the Bjornaer magus does not merely take the physical characteristics (the “accidents”) of an animal shape; he actually becomes the animal in question. Despite retaining his human intelligence, he cannot be affected by Mentem or Corpus magics while in heartbeast form. Spells already in effect before the transformation remain in effect, however. Similarly, Animal spells cast on the heartbeast remain in effect after transformation to human form. As with shapeshifters, there is no ongoing magic beyond the moment of transformation.

The Heartbeast in Play

The consequences of possessing a heartbeast are discussed below, expanding the details of the Outer Mystery of House Bjornaer. An expanded description of the Heartbeast Ability is given under New and Modified Abilities, below.

Changing Form

A Bjornaer magus can adopt his heartbeast form after a moment’s concentration, and under most circumstances this requires no roll. The actual transformation takes a full round, as the magus gradually transforms into animal form. During this round, the magus can perform most physical or mental actions unhindered, but cannot perform complex tasks such as casting spells. An action undertaken during transformation can use the Abilities of either form, as the magus controls which part of his body transforms first. Thus, he could attack with a sword, dropping it at the very end of the round as his hands become paws, or instead transform his upper body first and use a bite attack whilst his hindquarters are still changing from human legs. For small heartbeasts, these distinctions of the change may be lost because of the dramatic decrease in overall size. The transformation to human form is identical but in reverse. The clothes and possessions of the magus do not transform with him.

If the magus is under the influence of a shapechanging spell, he may attempt to adopt either of his forms by making a Stamina + Heartbeast roll, against an Ease Factor of (3 + magnitude of the spell). If successful, the spell is canceled. As the actual process of changing between shapes is a magical act, a magus affected by spells which would normally suppress his magic (such as Aegis of the Hearth) must also make a Stamina + Heartbeast roll against an Ease Factor of (3 + magnitude of the spell) to effect the transformation.

A magus in heartbeast form cannot make the gestures necessary for spellcasting; even exotic forms such as apes do not have sufficient manual dexterity. It is not possible for a magus to partially change form without assistance from a spell or the Mystery of Theriomorphy (see House Mysteries, below).

Statistics of Shapechangers

Appendix B to this chapter describes the process for producing the statistics for an average member of a particular species, but most player characters are not average humans, and so tend to have characteristics in animal form that differ from the species average. For Bjornaer magi and other shapeshifters, determine the statistics for the creature as described in the appendix, then follow these steps:

1. Characteristics: For all Characteristics other than Intelligence/Cunning:

• If the human and the animal Characteristic are both negative, use the lower of the two.
• If the human and the animal Characteristic are both positive, use the higher of the two.

Otherwise, add the two Characteristics together.

2. Cunning vs Intelligence: If the shapechanger is a lycanthrope, apply the Cunning score of the animal, otherwise retain human Intelligence. Example:

• Ulf (magus): Int +2, Per –1, Pre +2, Com 0, Str –1, Sta +1, Dex +1, Qik +1
• Wolf: Cun +1, Per +2, Pre 0, Com +1, Str –1, Sta +3, Dex +2, Qik +1
• Ulf in Heartbeast form:
  • Int +2 (human value)
  • Per +1 (sum of human –1 and wolf +2)
  • Pre +2 (sum of human +2 and wolf 0)
  • Com +1 (sum of human 0 and wolf +1)
  • Str –1 (lowest of human –1 and wolf –1)
  • Sta +3 (highest of human +1 and wolf +3)
  • Dex +2 (highest of human +1 and wolf +2)
  • Qik +1 (highest of human +1 and wolf +1)

3. Size: Human Size has no impact on the Size statistic of the shapechanged form. However, if the animal form is within the size range of most animals (Size –4 to Size 0) and the character has a Virtue or Flaw that affects Size, then she will be a notably large or small member of her species.

4. Virtues and Flaws: Apply all the Virtues and Flaws of the animal form while shapechanged, as well as all Virtues and Flaws of the human form, if applicable. For example, a Lame character is still Lame as an animal. If the animal form already has a Virtue or Flaw possessed by the character, it applies only once.

5. General Abilities: Use the General Abilities of the animal form. None of the human General Abilities can be accessed other than languages (which can still be understood) and lores. Arcane and Academic Abilities are available to the shapechanger if he retains Intelligence. Supernatural Abilities can always be used.

6. Communicating: Acquire the ability to communicate with members of the same or similar species as the shapechanged form. Animals of the same temperament and aspect, which also share the same diet and habitat, can be considered to speak dialects of the same language. Thus, it can be assumed that all eagles, hawks, and buzzards share a common language, but this differs from the shared language of the swans, storks, and herons, and also from the language spoken by songbirds.

7. Wounds: Any wounds taken in the human form are reflected in the animal form, and vice versa. Thus, a human with a Medium Wound has a Medium Wound in cat form, despite the fact that if that wound had been inflicted when in cat form, it would have been more serious due to the different wound ranges of a cat and a human. Lycanthropes are an exception to this — when transforming back into human form, all wounds taken while an animal are healed, although wounds suffered as a human remain.

8. Experience: A character who spends a substantial amount of time in animal form may apply any experience gained for that period (either through adventuring, exposure, or practice) to the Abilities of her animal form.

The Hidden Shape

Another aspect of the Bjornaer heartbeast is called the Hidden Shape. While the actual act of change is magical, there is no continuing mystical effect once the transformation has taken place, because the heartbeast is a reflection of the magus’s essential nature. To any magic that is subject to the Limit of Essential Nature (including Hermetic magic), a heartbeast appears as a mundane animal. Nevertheless, a Bjornaer magus in heartbeast form under the influence of a magical effect (including Parma Magica) may be distinguished from a mundane beast by spells and powers that can detect the presence of magic. The magus still has The Gift, but humans rarely notice the negative social penalties of a wild animal, as they are usually pretty distrustful of wild animals anyway.

Bjornaer Magi and Familiar

The final consequence of being Initiated into the Outer Mystery of House Bjornaer is the inability to bind a familiar. The Ritual of Twelve Years, like other Mysteries of Initiation, leaves a scar on the soul of the Initiated magus; Birna, having no personal desire to bond a familiar, considered it to be an acceptable loss when she invented the ritual. Any magus who has ever bound a familiar, even if it has since died, cannot successfully complete the Ritual of Twelve Years, and so cannot join the House.

Heartbeasts and Wizard's Twilight

When a Bjornaer magus undergoes Wizard’s Twilight, he usually adopts the form of his heartbeast. However, he often acts like the mundane animal of his heartbeast rather than as a being with intelligence, and some liken Wizard’s Twilight to a form of Bjornaer Lycanthropy (although not within earshot of a member of the House!). Magi with high Warping Scores may well adopt the form of their innermost heartbeast (see Inner Mysteries, below).

When Final Twilight comes to a Bjornaer magus, he always adopts the form of his heartbeast and flees all human contact. If the magus only knows the Outer House Mystery, he becomes a mundane beast. However, if he has achieved any of the Inner Mysteries of the House, he converts into his inner heartbeast and acquires a Magic Might equal to (5 x Heartbeast Ability). House Bjornaer refers to these beings as Great Beasts, and treats them with a great deal of reverence and superstition. The appearance of a Great Beast is considered to be a powerful omen, especially at the Gathering of Twelve Years. The last time a Great Beast was seen was at the Gathering of 1167; only a year later, the island was invaded by the King of Denmark.

Magical Items and Changing Form

Bjornaer magi who make enchanted items for their own use face a problem when changing form, in that they will not wish to abandon the items if they are the wrong size or they can no longer hold them. The solution is the following well-known effect, instilled into the item, and then connected with a Linked Trigger to any other effects instilled in the item, such as those that change its size, shape, or appearance.

Perceive the Change

• InAn 14
• R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind
• Pen 0, constant effect

This effect detects whether the enchanted item is touching an animal; if so, it triggers any effects tied to it with a Linked Trigger. Linked powers should be designed with constant effect. It cancels any linked effects as soon as human form is assumed. The wielder can choose not to resist this effect. If this effect is instilled in a talisman, it can be made with Range Personal for a final level of 9.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun; +1 two uses/day, +3 environmental trigger [sunrise/sunset])

The Mysteries of House Bjornaer

The Outer Mystery of House Bjornaer is the Heartbeast, which brings the ancestral spirit into harmony with the human soul. It prepares the way for acceptance of the House Mysteries, which allow the magus to emulate his ancestors and their magic. The Clan Mysteries assist the clans in fulfilling the duties to their ancestors. The Inner Mysteries of House Bjornaer bring the magus even closer to his ancestors. The magus learns through the process of atavism — the acquisition of ancestral characteristics — how to adopt the form of a particularly notable animal ancestor. He acquires a third form of the heartbeast; giving him an outer heartbeast (the animal form) and an inner heartbeast (the ancestral form).

Initiating the Clan Mysteries

Clan Mysteries are Initiated by elder members of the clan acting as Mystagogues; these clan members are often members of the same sept as the Initiate. The Initiation Scripts used by a clan are unique to that clan, and are not employed by other clans. These Scripts originated from the native beliefs of the founders of each clan, but have been elaborated over the years; however, they all follow broadly a similar template. All Clan Mysteries (with Clan Ilfetu as the only exception) are Minor Virtues, and thus have an Ease Factor of 15. They require a Mystagogue who knows the sought Virtue and has a (Presence + House Bjornaer Lore) of at least 8, although a previous Ordeal bonus may be in effect, which reduces this.

The Trial of (Name): In a special place and at a special time (+3), the Initiate must undergo a rite of physical or mental mortifi cation (+1), and suffers a Minor Ordeal (+3). If a Major Ordeal is suffered instead, this script has a +13 Script bonus.

The Deed of (Name): The Initiate is charged to discover a quest that will satisfy his ancestors (+3); complete that quest (+3); then spend a season composing a poem, lay, or song detailing his heroic deed (+1).

The Oath of (Name): The Initiate must make a solemn oath equivalent to the Vow Flaw (+3) that will please her ancestors, and spend a year demonstrating her dedication to that oath (+1). Her Mystagogue must then spend a season teaching her the new Virtue (+3). If the oath is broken in a minor way, the Virtue is lost until amends are made. If broken in a major fashion, no restitution is sufficient.

Example Ancestor Sites

Pripet Marshes: The Pripet Marshes, in the Novgorod Tribunal, are the supposed origin of all the Slavic people, although all migrated away many centuries ago. They are occupied (and protected) by the Bjornaer-only covenant of Pripet Maior, who are careful not to interact too closely with the spirits of the marsh, least they become tainted by human imagination and turn fae.

Kerry Mountain Pool: Deep in the Kerry Mountains in Hibernia there is a pool where the ancient Irish came to cast votive offerings of great personal value to their ancestors. The still black waters of the pool are believed to hide untold wealth in gold, silver, and perhaps even ancient enchantments.

Initiating the House Mysteries

The House Mysteries (Heartbeast, Secret Name, Sensory Magic, Theriomorphy) are Initiated by members of Clan Ilfetu. The description of each of the House Mysteries listed below includes the Initiation Script, although alternate, more stringent scripts may be known to Clan Ilfetu if the Mystagogue does not know the Virtue being Initiated, or has insufficient knowledge of the House Lore. However, the Ritual of Twelve Years is the only method employed by the House to Initiate new members.

The Initiation Scripts for the House Mysteries often call for the ritual to be conducted in a specific location that is resonant with the power of the ancestors, known as an ancestor site. All members of House Bjornaer know Crintera to be such a place, but other locations are also known to Clan Ilfetu. These are invariably located in regions of pristine wilderness, far from the habitations of mankind, where the ancients made long pilgrimages to make offerings to their ancestor spirits. As such, reaching the location of the rite is not merely a long journey, it is one fraught with peril, for the spirits guard these regions still, and set challenges to test the mettle of those who would reach them.

Appendix A: Story Seeds

The Secret Enemy

The Gothic shapeshifters gain a charismatic chieftain who unites some of the tribes under one banner. This leader becomes sufficiently motivated to try to eradicate House Bjornaer, possibly due to actions performed or witnessed by the player characters. These people do everything in their power to wipe out every last one of the Bjornaer followers, even at the expense of their own lives. They are magically weak compared to Hermetic magi, but they are physically strong, highly loyal to each other, and fanatical in their task. More about the Pomeranian witches can be found here.

In Search of a Heron

The Seat of the Swan on the Bjornaer Council has always traditionally been held by a lineage of magae who share a heron heartbeast. However, no Initiate has possessed a heron heartbeast in over fifty years, and Ardea is already old. The whole House is desperately seeking a suitable apprentice for her, but each potential candidate turns out to be a different creature. Some are whispering that the ancestors are displeased with House Bjornaer for some reason, and are punishing them.

Rumors about heron heartbeasts may send Bjornaer player character magi all over Europe in the service of their House. A player character with a heron heartbeast will become the heir of Ardea, marked for great things, but stifl ed by the over-protectiveness of the House.

The Unwelcomed Apprentice

A good friend of the covenant (perhaps even a companion) has a Gifted child who can also change shape. The characters may well decide that it is in the child’s best interests to be trained by a Bjornaer magus (unless there is a Bjornaer magus at the covenant to persuade them against this course). When the child goes missing a few years later, the characters may be asked to investigate.

Attribution

Content originally published in Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, ©2010, 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)