TEXT: Sub Rosa 
  The Ars Magica Magazine 
  www.subrosamagazine.org 
  @subrosamagazine 
  Issue 15, September 2014 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  2 
  Out Now and Coming Soon 
  Mythic Locations 
  Authors: Christian Rosenkjaer Andersen, Timothy Ferguson, Richard Love, John Post, 
  Matt Ryan, Mark Shirley  
  Cover Artist: Christian St. Pierre  
  Stock Number: AG0309 | ISBN: 1-58978-150-3 | MSRP: $29.95 US  
  Format: 144 pages, hardcover  
  Release Date: September 2014 
  Faith & Flame: The Provençal Tribunal 
  Authors: Erik Dahl, Mark Faulkner, Lachie Hayes, Ben McFarland, Christian Jensen 
  Romer  
  Cover Artist: Christian St. Pierre  
  Stock Number: AG0308 | ISBN: 1-58978-149-X | MSRP: $29.95 US  
  Format: 144 pages, hardcover  
  Release Date: June 2014  
  Transforming Mythic Europe 
  Authors: Timothy Ferguson, Mark Lawford, Mark Shirley  
  Cover Artist: Christian St. Pierre  
  Stock Number: AG0306 | ISBN: 1-58978-141-4 | MSRP: $29.95 US  
  Format: 144 pages, hardcover  
  Release Date: December 2013 
  Hooks 
  Authors: Christian Rosenkjaer Andersen, Jason Brennan, Richard Love, David Mac-
  Gregor, Xavier Requejo  
  Cover Artist: Christian St. Pierre  
  Stock Number: AG0307 | ISBN: 1-58978-143-0 | MSRP: $22.95 US  
  Format: 96 pages, softcover  
  Release Date: March 2014  
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  3 
  Contributors 
  Publisher: Distant Lands Publishing 
  Contributors: David Agnew, Christian Rosenkjaer 
  Andersen, Mark Baker, David Chart, Mark Lawford, Pelle 
  Kofod, Ben McFarland, Xavier Requejo, Mark Shirley, 
  Jason Tondro, and Gerald Wylie 
  Cover Art: Angela Taylor 
  Interior Artists: Patrick Demo, Barrie James, Elizabeth 
  Porter, Angela Taylor 
  Art Coordinator: Ben McFarland 
  Editors: Ben McFarland, Mark Lawford 
  Design/Layout: Mark Lawford 
   
  Contact Sub Rosa 
  Email: subrosa@distantlandspublishing.com 
  Web: http://www.subrosamagazine.org 
  Twitter: @subrosamagazine 
  Snail Mail: 
  Sub Rosa Magazine C/O Mark Lawford 
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  Eastbourne 
  BN20 8RJ 
  England 
   
  Legal Disclaimer 
  Sub Rosa is an independent publication not affiliated with Atlas 
  Games or White Wolf Gaming Studios. Distant Lands Publishing 
  is not affiliated with Atlas Games or White Wolf. 
  Ars Magica is © Trident Inc. d/b/a Atlas Games. Ars Magica, 
  Mythic Europe, Covenants and Charting new Realms of the 
  Imagination are trademarks of Trident Inc.  
  Order of Hermes, Tremere and Doissetep are trademarks of 
  White Wolf Gaming Studios. Ars Magica was created by 
  Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein•Hagen. 
   
  The intellectual content of Sub Rosa is © and held by the 
  authors. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any issue of Sub 
  Rosa for commercial use by any means without written 
  permission from the Publisher, except short excerpts for the 
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  be construed a challenge to their ownership. 
  This Issue 
  Issue 15 
  September 2014 
  Contents 
  Under the Rose  ................................................................. Page 4 
  From the Line Editor ...................................................... Page 5 
  By David Chart 
  The Cattle Raid as a Story ............................................. Page 6 
  By Gerald Wylie 
  Covenant Finances: An Alternative............................ Page 14 
  By Mark Shirley 
  The Journal of Vulcan ..................................................... Page 26 
  Rats Magica ......................................................................... Page 30 
  By Jason Tondro 
  The Second Lineage: Explorers of Time & Space .... Page 44 
  By Mark Baker 
  New Heresies: Fixed Arts ................................................ Page 50 
  By Xavier Requejo 
  The Body in the Bog ......................................................... Page 54 
  By David Agnew 
  Designing the Intangible Assassin ................................ Page 60 
  By By Pelle Kofod and Christian Rosenkjaer Andersen 
  Mythic Bloodlines ............................................................ Page 74 
  By Ben McFarland 
  Mappa Mundi ....................................................................... Page 79 
  Contribute to Sub Rosa 
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  It’s taken a while, but once again, thanks to everyone who made this issue possible and also to our fantastic subscribers for being so patient 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  4 
  Under the Rose 
  It feels like it’s been a while since the 
  last issue. About six months, actually, 
  and there’s a lot that’s gone on. 
  Transforming Mythic Europe had just 
  come out and gave us all ways in which 
  to make our sagas bigger, bolder, and of 
  more impact to our game world. Then  
  the wonderful Hooks arrived that 
  instantly taught us how to mine our 
  precious libraries of Ars Magica Fifth 
  Edition books for stories, the hooks 
  that draw us into stories, and the 
  threads that trail away and lead to 
  others. 
  Of course, the star of the show for 
  this year is the sublime Faith & Flame. It 
  is no surprise that this Tribunal book 
  has already, so soon after its release, 
  generated so much excitement and 
  positive feedback. 
  Quite rightly, in my view, each of the 
  Tribunal books published under Ars 
  Magica Fifth Edition has brought 
  with them a unique play style. Each 
  Tribunal is very different from the 
  others and each reflects some aspect of 
  the lands in which it is set. Normandy, 
  for instance, as represented in The Lion 
  and the Lily, reflects a chivalric society 
  with a great tournament the centerpiece 
  of Hermetic culture. The Thebes of The 
  Sundered Eagle harks back to classical 
  times with its citizenships and 
  democracies and its direct connection 
  with ancient patron spirits. And of 
  course Hibernia’s high-conflict setting 
  in The Contested Isle sharply reflects the 
  political and interpersonal turmoil of 
  the period. 
  Faith & Flame provides yet another 
  unique style of play; unique in that it 
  attempts not to be so. Some 
  commentators have described it as 
  default or vanilla, and not unkindly either. 
  Provencal Hermetic society provides 
  no barrier to starting magi or players at 
  the beginning of their saga who want 
  simply to create a covenant and start 
  their journey. There’s both beauty and 
  utility in that simplicity and it’s a line 
  cleverly navigated. 
  There’s another element in this 
  Tribunal book that I did not get from 
  the others, and that’s demons. As 
  someone who owes much of my own 
  Ars Magica education to the old Third 
  Edition I have to admit I have missed 
  the overt presence of demons and their 
  kind in Ars Magic Fifth Edition. Even 
  in Hibernia we took the conscious 
  decision to keep the infernal very much 
  at arm’s length, to keep it subtle and 
  hidden. There seems no such concern 
  here. 
  While the book is confident to 
  leverage the infernal, in keeping for a 
  place in which so much turmoil has 
  occurred, it is not gratuitous, which 
  again shows the maturity of the piece. 
  Outnumbered by magical and faerie 
  beasts they may be but these demons 
  are not tucked away, kept separate in 
  their own chapter; they are instead front 
  and center, there to be encountered, a 
  threat overdue for some attention. 
  That little thrill at seeing demons 
  dotted through the book is just one 
  small part of what this Tribunal brings 
  to some of us old-timers who still drag 
  out the old Third Edition books from 
  time to time. Seeing Mistridge on the 
  cover, finding Windgraven, Lariander, 
  and Bellaquin all referenced between 
  the covers, and even the basic premise 
  of a Tribunal enduring a crusade on its 
  own soil. All these things seem instantly 
  familiar, comfortable, and completely in 
  keeping with the game that many of us 
  started playing. 
  But Faith & Flame doesn’t just ride 
  on the coat tails of nostalgia. It would 
  be an easy task to simply throw in a few 
  knowing references and leave it that, 
  but the truth is that Faith & Flame 
  presents an immediately usable setting. 
  Page after page there is content that can 
  be directly applied to your saga, from 
  the list of fallen covenants to be 
  explored, to the lists of magi suitable as 
  parentes for your player characters; 
  from guidance on what the very next 
  Tribunal meeting entails, to dozens of 
  story seeds, characters, and supernatural 
  locations. 
  Why wax so lyrical? Not simply 
  because it’s a superb book, but also as a 
  strange and lengthy introduction to 
  Rats Magica by Jason Tondro. Yes, 
  this issue we’re pleased to present 
  something that is both quirky to the 
  point of being niche and also strangely 
  classic. 
  In Rats Magica, you play Gifted 
  rats existing side-by-side with the Order 
  of Hermes in a world suddenly so large 
  that the politics and foibles of men 
  seems oddly immaterial. Rats Magica 
  does something incredibly clever; it 
  distills the very essence of Ars Magica 
  down to its core; you play magi making 
  your way in a magical world filled with 
  threats both to you and those you are 
  sworn to protect. For all its quirkiness, 
  Rats Magica is Ars Magica boiled 
  down to its fundamental components, a 
  little bit like Faith & Flame. 
  So wherever you choose to set your 
  stories, however you choose to play, 
  and indeed whatever characters you 
  choose to play, Ars Magica is a game 
  that continues to reward year after year, 
  book after book. Long may it continue. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  5 
  This summer I attended Grand 
  Tribunal UK, and met Mark 
  Lawford. Fortunately, our esteemed 
  editor refrained from putting any 
  pressure on me to write these 
  notes, so I was able to enjoy the 
  Tribunal. And I have ended up 
  writing this piece rather late. 
  (Sorry, Mark!) 
  Grand Tribunal is a wonderful 
  event, and so I must start by 
  thanking CJ Romer and Andrew 
  Oakley for organising it. It is true 
  that it is held in a slightly shabby 
  church hall just down the road 
  from Cheltenham’s Tesco, but the 
  setting is not the point. In any case, 
  Gas Green Community Centre is 
  actually a great place for the 
  convention: it has several rooms, 
  meaning that it is rarely necessary 
  to have more than one game in the 
  same room. With Tesco five 
  minutes’ walk away, and a small 
  kitchen in the community centre, it 
  is easy to get lunch. Still, I do feel 
  sorry for the people who were there 
  on their first visit to England: Gas 
  Green on a wet Saturday is not 
  exactly the best that England has to 
  offer. I hope the gaming made up 
  for it. 
  There were a lot of attendees 
  from abroad. I went from Japan, 
  although I was also visiting family 
  so I only half count, and the Viking 
  contingent (from Norway and 
  Denmark) were there as ever. There 
  were also attendees from France, 
  Spain, and Germany, making 
  “Grand Tribunal” an appropriate 
  name. I got to play in an excellent 
  freeform by Andrew Oakley, and in 
  a fun tabletop game that he wrote. I 
  also managed to save the Maid of 
  Norway and get around a faerie 
  curse, and try out a fan-made board 
  game based on the Schism War. At 
  the Line Editor’s speech, I gave 
  away lots of secrets about the 
  future of the line, but that was a 
  bonus for attendees, so I'm not 
  going to repeat them here. 
  Spending a weekend with Ars 
  Mag i c a  f ans is great . It ’s 
  particularly good for me, because it 
  involves lots of people enjoying my 
  work, and telling me how much 
  they like it; I imagine it is the same 
  for other writers. Because we write 
  the game without any direct 
  interaction with the fans, it is very 
  encouraging to hear that they like 
  it. However, I hope that it’s also 
  good for the other attendees: the 
  chance to play with new people, 
  and new styles of story. 
  I’m not sure when I’ll next get 
  to a Grand Tribunal, but there will 
  be a next time. 
  Finally, I’d like to say a bit about 
  Mythic 
  Locations, our next 
  release. Mythic Locations was 
  inspired by the old second edition 
  Mythic Places books. It is a 
  collection of places where troupes 
  can find stories. Some of them are 
  closely inspired by medieval 
  legends, such as the entrance to 
  Purgatory that can be found in 
  Ireland, while others, such as the 
  faerie toy market that can be 
  entered from many cities, are more 
  original. The locations are all 
  designed so that they can be used 
  more than once, and in a couple of 
  cases they are designed so that 
  troupes can found a covenant there, 
  if they wish. Although almost all 
  the locations are placed in a 
  particular part of Mythic Europe, in 
  most cases because that’s where 
  they really are, they also include 
  notes on moving them to other 
  Tribunals, to be nearer to your 
  troupe’s covenant. 
  The purpose of the book is to 
  provide setting elements that you 
  can just drop into a saga, ready for 
  play, to add a strong mythic 
  element to the area around your 
  covenant. Combined with Hooks 
  and Tales of Mythic Europe, we 
  are steadily creating the books 
  necessary to make a ready-to-play 
  saga. 
  From the Line Editor 
  By David Chart 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  6 
   
  Back then the messengers go till they 
  arrive at Cruachan, the stronghold of 
  Connacht. Medb asks their tidings, and 
  macRoth makes known the same: that 
  they had not brought his bull from Darè. 
  “And the reason?” demanded Medb. 
  MacRoth recounts to her how the dispute 
  arose. “There is no need to polish knots 
  over such affairs as that, macRoth; for it 
  was known,” said Medb, “if the Brown 
  Bull of Cualnge would not be given with 
  their will, he would be taken in 
  their despite, and taken he shall 
  be!” 
  Táin Bó Cúailnge 
   
  The world of Mythic 
  Hibernia presented in The 
  Contested Isle: The Hibernian 
  Tribunal owes much to the 
  a n c i e n t  
  c y c l e s  
  o f 
  s t o r yt el lin g  
  a n d  
  t h e 
  Tribunal has been designed 
  to 
  promote 
  action 
  and 
  conflict. This conflict is 
  not simply for 
  action’s 
  sake, but to hold a mirror 
  to those old poetic tales of 
  cunning 
  and 
  valour. 
  A 
  significant part of both the 
  old tales and life in Mythic 
  Hibernia is the cattle raid. 
  Cattle raids are not only 
  the stuff of story and 
  legend, in 1220 they are 
  very much a reality. So 
  much so that it might be 
  worth working out a way to 
  model these events. At 
  their heart, cattle raids are 
  about far more than just 
  the cattle. Anybody can rob 
  another individual of their 
  possessions for profit, but in Irish 
  folklore the relationships between 
  the participants on both sides is 
  important. In some stories, the 
  cattle involved are almost a 
  secondary concern. For instance in 
  the Táin Bó Regamon, the cattle are 
  taken along with the seven 
  daughters of Regamon and they are 
  subsequently returned to Regamon 
  in the ensuing negotiations. 
   
   
  In this article we break down 
  some of the common elements of a 
  cattle raid story, presenting them as 
  options for the storyguide, and 
  even players, to draw upon when 
  creating their own stories of high 
  heroism. 
   
   
  Anatomy of a 
  Cattle Raid 
  There is a clear difference 
  between a theft or robbery 
  and a cattle raid. As a 
  story, there must be some 
  k i n d  
  o f  
  p e r s o n a l 
  motivation behind the raid. 
  That may be rooted in an 
  animosity 
  between 
  the 
  parties or, in cases like the 
  Táin Bó Cúailnge, rooted 
  in vanity and envy. 
  The parties on both sides 
  likely know of the intention 
  to raid and they likely have 
  the opportunity to raise 
  allies and prepare, turning 
  the 
  engagement 
  into 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  skirmishes 
  or 
  battles. 
  The object of the raid is 
  more 
  often 
  than 
  not 
  something other than the 
  monetary value afforded by 
  the cattle. This could be a 
  particular beast, a source of 
  political leverage, or even 
  The Storyguide’s Handbook:  
  The Cattle Raid as a Story 
  By Gerald Wylie 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  7 
  wives taken for the sons of the 
  raiders. 
  So, the raid tends to have the 
  following key events: 
   
  The Reason: What is it that 
  sparks the raid? 
   
  The Object or the Target: 
  What is it that the raiders are 
  after and why? 
   
  Planning 
  of the Raid: 
  Perhaps negotiations between 
  the parties; perhaps the 
  assembling of the attacking 
  forces; perhaps the use of 
  cunning to infiltrate the 
  target household. 
   
  Learning of the Raid: How 
  the target learns of the threat, 
  what allies the target raises to 
  defend their cattle. 
   
  The Raid Itself: Combat, 
  cunning… this is where the 
  heroes (or villains) get their 
  hands on the prize. 
   
  The Legacy: What happens 
  to the target of the raid? Is it 
  a story of the futility of 
  conflict in which neither side 
  end up with the cattle? Or is 
  it a story of reconciliation in 
  which the parties right 
  wr o n gs ,  t h e catt le ar e 
  returned to their rightful 
  place, and a peace is forged? 
  These are the narrative elements, 
  the factors that help derive the 
  actor’s actions and responses, but 
  in putting the action of the story 
  together there are practical things 
  to consider. The sections below 
  look in a little more detail at these 
  practical considerations. 
   
   
   
  Whose Cattle Are 
  They? 
  Then it was that macRoth the 
  messenger was summoned to Medb, and 
  Medb strictly bade macRoth to learn 
  where there might be found a bull of that 
  likeness in any of the provinces of Erin. 
  “Verily,” said macRoth, “I know where 
  the bull is that is best and better again, in 
  the province of Ulster, in the hundred of 
  Cualnge, in the house of Darè son of 
  Fiachna; even Donn Cualnge (‘the Brown 
  Bull of Cualnge’) he is called.” 
  Táin Bó Cúailnge 
  In most cattle raid stories, the 
  owner of the cattle is at least as 
  important to the narrative as those 
  who are taking the cattle. They 
  usually have power, influence, and 
  resources comparable to those 
  seeking to steal the cattle and are 
  usually in a position to sustain a 
  feud over the affair. 
  Herds as Sources of 
  Income 
  Given their value, it is fair enough to 
  claim a large herd of cattle as a Standard 
  source of income for a covenant and a 
  small herd as a Minor source of income. 
  A successful raid against a herd reduces 
  the income from that herd for that year 
  by half! It regains one step each year, so a 
  herd raided once loses half its income in 
  the year that it was raided but recovers 
  fully by the end of the following year. A 
  herd can be raided multiple times in the 
  year and each raid reduces the income by 
  half. A herd raided multiple times takes 
  time to recover. 
  However, successfully raiding another 
  herd completely replenishes a depleted 
  herd regardless of relative sizes! You can 
  also gain a Source of Income from 
  raiding. A single raid is enough to create 
  a Minor Source of Income and this can 
  be increased to a Standard Source of 
  Income by a second raid. Why is raiding 
  so profitable? Because this stacks the 
  odds in favour of raiding, which is an 
  inducement to story, which is really what 
  we’re after. 
  So how do we model a player 
  character raid on another herd? First we 
  work out where the cattle start out, how 
  the characters intend to get in and then 
  out, where they are being taken to, and 
  what stands in the way of their escape. 
  That gives us the physical journey that 
  the player characters can expect. We then 
  need to work out some incidentals; what 
  time of day or night is the raid happening 
  and what kind of guards do we have in 
  the way. The players can probably 
  determine the time of day they want to 
  undertake the raid and they may well 
  have information on who or what may be 
  guarding the cattle. 
  The following lists of options are 
  designed to help define new scenarios 
  around the theme of a cattle raid. They 
  are narrative tools rather than mechanical 
  ones, which means you have a lot of 
  leeway in deciding what they mean for 
  your saga in the particular story you are 
  looking to tell. You don’t need to be too 
  methodical in picking something from 
  each list but you should be able to 
  quickly build different scenarios and 
  challenges by mixing and matching from 
  the lists. Of course, as storyguide you 
  then flesh out the detail around the 
  events, providing statistics for any 
  opposition, how watchful the cow-herd 
  is, how many defenders can be raised, 
  deciding just how rickety the old bridge 
  is, etc. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  8 
  In terms of individual power, we 
  might expect magi to raid other 
  magi as this would provide some 
  kind of parity. However, the player 
  characters may choose to raid 
  against any level they like, taking 
  advantage of those weaker than 
  themselves or tempting mundane 
  friction by stealing from men of 
  influence or even the Church. 
  Some examples might be: 
   
  An Irish Landowner 
   
  An English Landowner 
   
  The Church 
   
  An Irish King 
   
  An English Knight 
   
  A Hedge Wizard 
   
  Faeries of the Otherworld 
   
  A Hermetic Magus 
   
  A Hermetic Covenant 
  It is important to consider the 
  reprisals that might be visited upon 
  the player characters. Low-ranking 
  land-owners may appeal to the 
  king, who may or may not see value 
  in taking up his defense; a member 
  of the Tuatha De Danann on the 
  other hand my move Heaven and 
  Earth in order to gain revenge. 
  The Quarrel 
  Flidais was the wife of Ailill Finn in 
  the district of Kerry, but she loved Fergus 
  the son of Róg on account of the glorious 
  tales about him; and always there went 
  messengers from her to him at the end of 
  each week… 
  “If it were one of thy people who had 
  the quarrel, he should stay with me until 
  he had made his peace. But thou shalt not 
  stay,” said Ailill Finn, “for it has been 
  told me that my wife loves thee!” 
  “We must have a gift of cows then,” 
  said Fergus, “for a great need lies on us, 
  even the sustenance of the troop who have 
  gone with me into exile.” 
  Táin Bó Flidhais 
  The best cattle raid stories are 
  those where a quarrel exists 
  between the parties. So as a 
  storyguide looking to support cattle 
  raid stories, you can highlight the 
  disagreements that might exist 
  between the player covenant and 
  their external relationships. Make 
  references to the disagreements 
  now and then along with their root 
  causes and any antagonistic actions 
  taken by either side. 
  This quarrel often arises out of 
  personal frailties, such as the 
  intense lust of both Flidhais and 
  Fergus mac Róich in the Táin Bó 
  Flidhais. 
  You might also create others, 
  perhaps of lesser power than the 
  player characters, who also have 
  disagreements with some of the 
  same NPCs as the player characters 
  do. Use these third parties in order 
  to demonstrate the behaviour of 
  their enemies, thereby building a 
  justification for raiding them. 
  Those same disagreements might 
  also provide fuel for others looking 
  to raid the player characters. 
  Where are the 
  Cattle? 
  They set out, seven times twenty heroes 
  was the number, till they were in the south 
  of Connaught, in the neighbourhood of the 
  domain of Corcomroe in the land of 
  Ninnus. 
  Táin Bó Regamon 
  Spend a little time determining 
  where the cattle are, both in terms 
  of whether the cattle are in friendly 
  or enemy territory and also what 
  the situation of their pasturing is. 
  Some examples might be: 
   
  Open Mountain Pastures 
   
  Lowland Pastures 
   
  Coastal/Cliffside Pastures 
   
  Protected by a Rath 
   
  A Regio 
   
  The Magic or Faerie Realm 
  It is a very different proposition 
  to steal cattle from a fortified rath 
  than it is to drive them down from 
  the mountain pastures. Having a 
  clear idea of their starting situation 
  helps the player characters plan 
  their attack. 
  How do you Get to 
  the Cattle? 
  South-east from Cruachan Ai, by 
  Mag Cruimm, 
  over Tuaim Mona (‘the Hill of Turf’), 
  by Turloch Teora Crich (‘the Creek of 
  three Lands’), 
  by Cul (‘the Nook’) of Silinne, 
  by Dubloch (‘Black Lough’), 
  by Fid Dubh (‘Black Woods’), 
  by Badbgna, 
  by Coltain, 
  by the Shannon, 
  by Glune Gabur, 
  by Mag Trega, 
  by Tethba in the north, 
  by Tethba in the south… 
  Táin Bó Cúailnge 
  Getting to the cattle is an 
  important part of the narrative. 
  Understanding how the raiders 
  gather helps inform whether the 
  defenders are aware of the raid in 
  advance. For instance, a raiding 
  force gather en-masse in the nearby 
  town is a give-away, but assembling 
  under the guise of merchants, 
  traders, and teamsters on market 
  day is likely to attract less overt 
  attention. 
   
  Across the hills 
   
  Through the town 
   
  Through the woods 
   
  Sail up the river 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  9 
   
  Along the coast 
   
  By Magical Means 
  The longer the route, the more 
  chance there is of being noticed, 
  which gives opportunities for allies 
  or enemies to be encountered.  
  How Do You Get 
  Them Out? 
  “Come ye away,” said Mani, “and 
  bring your cattle with you. That will be a 
  good deed. We shall assist you with our 
  honour and our protection, O ye daughters 
  of Regamon,” said he. 
  The maidens drove together their cows 
  and their swine, and their sheep, so that 
  none observed them; and they 
  secretly passed on till they 
  came to the camp of their 
  comrades. The maidens 
  greeted the sons of Ailill and 
  Medb, and they remained 
  there standing together. 
  Táin Bó Regamon 
  It is likely that the 
  first 
  line 
  of 
  defense 
  during a cattle raid is 
  going to be slight but 
  t h en  
  t h e 
  q u es t io n 
  becomes how to get the 
  cattle 
  out 
  of 
  their 
  pastures or corrals and 
  started on their journey. 
  Examples might include: 
   
  The Hidden Track 
   
  Stampede Through 
  the Town 
   
  A Run Through the 
  Woods 
   
  Down the River 
   
  With the Aid of 
  Faeries 
   
  By Magical Means 
  Cattle protected by a 
  rath are more likely to be 
  driven through a town, 
  w h i c h  
  p r o v i d e s  
  a 
  different backdrop to having to run 
  them through woodland. At this 
  stage, we are more concerned about 
  how easy it is to get the cattle away 
  than finding difficulties for the 
  journey – we’ll cover that shortly. 
  To Where are They 
  Being Taken? 
  Fraech’s mother came to him. “Thy 
  cows have been stolen,” she said, “and thy 
  three sons, and thy wife, so that they are 
  in the mountain of Elpa. Three cows of 
  them are in Alba of the North with the 
  Cruthnechi.” 
  Táin Bó Fraech 
  The player characters might not 
  take the cattle back to their own 
  covenant or lands. Depending on 
  the nature of the story, the cattle 
  could go anywhere, including being 
  taken oversees. Examples might 
  include: 
   
  The Next Farm Over 
   
  A Parish or More Distant 
   
  Across the Border 
   
  Straight to the Coast and 
  Overseas 
   
  The Magic Realm 
  The further the journey the 
  more likely it is to include 
  complications. For instance, if the 
  characters have a ship waiting at 
  port, what’s to guarantee that the 
  captain hasn’t double-
  crossed 
  them? If the 
  cattle are intended to 
  cross 
  the 
  border 
  to 
  another province, how 
  do they guarantee that 
  the English knights and 
  their forces are diverted 
  to clear the route? 
  What Stands 
  in the Way of 
  Escape? 
  The sons of Ailill had for the 
  moment made hurdles of white
  -thorn and black-thorn in the 
  gut of the ford, as defence 
  against Regamon and his 
  people, so that they were 
  unable to pass through the 
  ford ere Ailill and his army 
  came; so thence cometh the 
  name Ath Cliath Medraidi 
  ( t he  H ur dl e  F o r d o f 
  Medraide) 
  Táin Bó Regamon 
  You 
  need 
  something 
  more than simply “you 
  take 
  the 
  cattle” 
  and 
  p u t t in g 
  a 
  d ef in i t e 
  obstacle 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  10 
  provides a check point, a point at 
  which further action happens. The 
  point of such an obstacle is to slow 
  the escape, provide a scene shift 
  into a different landscape, and 
  allow other characters to come to 
  the fore. Example obstacles might 
  include: 
   
  A Ravine or Valley 
   
  A Deep Woodland 
   
  A Bridge 
   
  A River 
  A woodland, for instance, might 
  present a number of challenges. 
  There might be faeries or magical 
  beasts in the woods that might try 
  to pick off the stragglers or try to 
  exact a toll for passing through 
  their lands. A bridge might not take 
  the weight of the herd, threatening 
  to collapse before the herd is 
  halfway across. And a river might 
  be running higher and faster than 
  anticipated. 
  What Time does 
  the Raid Take 
  Place? 
  Then, while he was asleep, the 
  Morrigan took the cow of Ner’s son, and 
  the Donn of Cualgne bulled her in the 
  east in Cualgne. 
  The Adventures of Nera 
  Any detail about the story 
  influences the kind of actions taken 
  and the reactions they engender so 
  it is worth making a point about the 
  time of day in which the raid takes 
  place. The actual events might even 
  span several days, but it helps to 
  know when the key events are 
  going to happen as this allows you 
  to set the tone appropriately. 
   
  Dusk 
   
  The Dead of Night 
   
  Dawn 
   
  Broad Daylight 
  Who is Protecting 
  Them? 
  Corp Liath, the son of Tassach, met 
  them with seven times twenty warriors to 
  oppose their march. A battle was fought, 
  and in that place fell the sons of the kings 
  of Connaught, together with the warriors 
  who had gone with them, all except Orlam 
  and eight others, who carried away with 
  them the kine, even the forty milch-cows, 
  and fifty heifers, so that they came into the 
  land of Connaught 
  Táin Bó Dartada 
  It is not unusual for the defense 
  to at least be equivalent to the 
  attacking force. This is particularly 
  the case where the raid is 
  anticipated and can be prepared 
  for. The status of the cattle owner 
  helps determine the kind of 
  protection in place. 
   
  Quite Unprotected 
   
  Peasant Cow-herds 
   
  Armed Guards 
   
  A Skirmish Force 
   
  A Hero Stands Guard 
   
  Magical Protection 
  Covenants could certainly raise 
  magical protection and even a 
  young magus is likely to be able to 
  destroy an attacking force or send 
  them packing, but Irish kings could 
  have their own druids and hedge 
  wizards to call upon. In terms of 
  military might, covenants tend to 
  have a small turb while Irish kings 
  can raise entire armies. 
  Heroes are those characters with 
  a little something special about 
  them. They might be faeries, have 
  faerie blood, or come from a Fir 
  Bolg lineage, for instance. You can 
  expect such a hero to have 
  capabilities beyond a mortal man. 
  For instance, take a look at The 
  Clesrada in The Contested Isle: The 
  Hibernian Tribunal, page 101, and 
  Battle Transformations in page 120 
  of the same supplement. The hero 
  might even lead their own warband 
  of similarly powered individuals, 
  setting the scene for heroic combat 
  against the players’ own heroes. 
  How Far Will They 
  Go? 
  “I swear to the god that the Ulstermen 
  swear by,” said Cuchulain, “I will break 
  thee against a green stone of the ford; and 
  thou shalt have no healing from me, if 
  thou leavest me not.” 
  “I will in truth be a grey wolf against 
  thee,” said she, “and I will strip a stripe’ 
  from thee, from thy right (hand) till it 
  extends to thy left.” 
  “I will beat thee from me,” said he, 
  “with the spear, till thy left or thy right 
  eye bursts from thy head, and thou shalt 
  never have healing from me, if thou leavest 
  me not.” 
  Táin Bó Regamna 
  You’ve determined who is 
  protecting the cattle, but how far 
  will they go to prevent them being 
  stolen? A lone cow-herd may still 
  try to fight to the death to protect 
  his charges from thieves. 
  A herd can be raided multiple times 
  in the year and each raid reduces the 
  income by half. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  11 
   
  Let them go, we’ll track them 
  later (No real defense when 
  they are taken) 
   
  They’re not worth risking 
  your life over (Someone will 
  try to prevent the cattle from 
  being taken) 
   
  To the Blood (Some kind of 
  armed/combative resistance) 
   
  Protect Them with Your Life 
  (Someone will defend the 
  cattle with their life) 
   
   
   
   
  What is the 
  Quality of the 
  Cattle? 
  These were counted and numbered and 
  claimed, and were the same for both, equal 
  in size, equal in number, except only there 
  was an especial bull of the bawn of Ailill, 
  and he was a calf of one of Medb’s cows, 
  and Finnbennach (‘the Whitehorned’) was 
  his name. But he, deeming it no honour to 
  be in a woman’s possession, had left and 
  gone over to the kine of the king. And it 
  was the same to Medb as if she owned not 
  a pennyworth, forasmuch as she had not a 
  bull of his size amongst her cattle. 
  Táin Bó Cúailnge 
  The quality of the cattle has 
  little bearing on their value as far as 
  an income source is concerned, but 
  it has narrative interest. However, 
  you could decide that they are so 
  old and past their best that the raid 
  is a wasted opportunity. It’s up to 
  you. 
   
  Old and Weak 
   
  Hale and Healthy 
   
  Prime Beef 
   
  Something Supernatural 
  The Wildcard 
  It was there Cuchulain had doffed his 
  tunic, and the deep snow was around him 
  where he sat, up to his belt, and the snow 
  had melted a cubit around him for the 
  greatness of the heat of the hero. And 
  Manè addressed him three times in like 
  manner, whose man he was? “Conchobar’s 
  man, and do not provoke me. For if thou 
  provokes me any longer I will strike thy 
  head off thee as one strikes off the head of 
  a blackbird!” 
  Táin Bó Cúailnge 
  You might want to throw a little 
  complication into the mix, an extra 
  element of drama that turns the 
  story on its head at the last minute. 
  T h i s  c o u l d  b e  t h e  f i n a l 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  12 
  complication before the player 
  characters get the cattle home and 
  dry or it could be something early 
  on that puts a different spin on the 
  entire raid. 
   
  They Knew We Were Coming 
   
  No-One Said Anything about 
  a Full Moon 
   
  Wait… You’re trying to steal 
  them too? 
   
  These Cattle are Sick 
   
  Stubborn, Stubborn Beasts 
   
  The Bridge... It’s Gone 
   
  The Tide’s Coming In 
   
  They’re Not Giving Up! 
  How Long Should 
  the Raid Last? 
  Then the bull calf and the Whitehorn 
  meet in the plain of Cruachan. A night 
  and a day they were there fighting, until 
  at last the bull calf was beaten. 
  Táin Bó Aingen 
  You should work out what the 
  final success or failure of the raid 
  looks like. At what point will the 
  pursuers give up? What kind of 
  failure means that the player 
  characters lose their cattle or are 
  caught? 
  Ideally, you should be looking at 
  three key events involving game 
  mechanics. These are likely to be 
  any resistance or complications 
  around the theft itself, which could 
  be down to combat or cunning; 
  dealing with crossing any obstacles 
  and/or fighting a running battle 
  against the defenders; and then 
  finally a wildcard, which could 
  again be a heroic combat or dealing 
  with the cattle themselves or even 
  the elements. 
  Getting to the cattle should be 
  roleplayed, as should sneaking them 
  out past any guards, and any major 
  complications along the way (such 
  as the missing bridge, the tide 
  rushing in, the Hero Blocking the 
  Way etc.). 
  Controlling the 
  Cattle 
  Getting the cattle moving and 
  keeping them going in the right 
  direction is down to Presence + 
  Animal-Handling rolls. These could 
  be rolled during any narrative event 
  at an appropriate point in the 
  narrative. These events might be 
  when the raiders take the cattle 
  from their pastures, when they 
  attempt to cross the ravine, when 
  they are set upon by defenders, or 
  when they encounter a particular 
  challenge along the way. Rolls are 
  not required on a round-by-round 
  basis. 
  An Animal-Handling check 
  should be considered any time an 
  event interrupts the escape. This 
  could be when the guards give 
  chase, when the player characters 
  try to marshal the cattle across the 
  river or down into the valley. 
  On a raid, these rolls are always 
  rolled as stress dice and the Ease 
  Factor starts at 9. The characters 
  can choose a modifier to the Ease 
  Factor to adjust it between 6 and 
  12 representing how gently they are 
  working. Shouting and hollering at 
  the cattle will get them moving 
  (Ease Factor 6, 7, or 8) but 
  increases the chances of them being 
  noticed (+3, +2, or +1 to 
  Perception + Awareness rolls of 
  any guards). Trying to do things 
  quietly makes the job harder (Ease 
  Factor 10, 11, or 12) but decreases 
  the chances of them being noticed 
  (-1, -2, or -3 on Perception + 
  Awareness rolls of any guards). 
  Altering the Ease Factor by any 
  number up or down also adds the 
  same number of Botch Dice. 
  Magic used to help control the 
  cattle provides a bonus to this roll 
  equal to the magnitude of the effect 
  used. In the case of multiple spells 
  or effects, only the largest bonus is 
  applied. 
  Failure to control the cattle 
  provides a penalty to actions within 
  that scene equal to the number by 
  which the roll failed to meet the 
  Ease Factor. So a roll of 7 against 
  Ease Factor 9 imposes a -2 penalty 
  to all actions taken by the raiding 
  characters for the duration of that 
  scene. 
  A botch in such situations is 
  potentially deadly. A botch imposes 
  a penalty, as with a failure, of -3 to 
  actions in that scene, but that is not 
  the end of the threat. The scale of 
  the botch, i.e. the number of zeroes 
  rolled when checking for botches, 
  can then be used by the storyguide 
  to weight the events against the 
  raiders. These can be applied as 
  automatic rolls of 1 for those 
  opposing the raid, allowing them to 
  double their roll for a particular 
  action, or imposed as a roll of 0 on 
  a stress roll about to be taken by a 
  raiding character, enforcing an 
  immediate roll for botch. 
   
  You can gain an Income Source 
  through raiding. A single raid is enough 
  to create a Minor Source of Income 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  13 
  Experience 
  Rewards for Cattle 
  Raid Stories 
  There are a number of different 
  rewards that can be gained through 
  cattle raiding, from experience to 
  raw vis. 
  Experience 
  We know that experience 
  rewards for Ars Magica scenarios 
  tend to be either five or ten XP. As 
  a rule of thumb, consider weighting 
  the XP reward on the power or 
  influence of the enemy. So a story 
  in which the players are raided by 
  or go raiding against a foe that is 
  equal or lower to them in power 
  you should consider a reward of 
  five XP. If the enemy is greater in 
  power then consider a reward of 
  ten XP. 
  Confidence 
  Pulling off or defending against 
  a cattle raid against a strong 
  resistance is worth a Confidence 
  Point in itself, let alone those 
  awarded for any specific feats or 
  tasks undertaken during the raid 
  story. 
  Reputation 
  Cattle raids are the events upon 
  which reputations are built. A 
  character who incites or leads a 
  cattle raid gains an appropriate 
  Reputation of level 1 on the event 
  of their first raid. Each subsequent 
  raid incited or led gains an 
  experience point towards increasing 
  that reputation. 
  However, if the target of the 
  successful raid has a reputation, in 
  the same way that Finnbennach was 
  a bull known throughout Ireland, 
  then the inciting/leading character 
  gains a reputation of an equal level. 
  Reputation Gained on First 
  Successful Raid: 
  New Reputation at Level 1 
  OR Reputation Equal to the 
  Reputation of the Raid’s Target 
   
  Reputation Gained on 
  Subsequent Successful Raid: 
  1 Experience Point Towards a 
  Reputation 
  A character who undertakes a 
  on e-on-one or  on e-on-m any 
  combat of any kind either in 
  pursuit or defense of a cattle raid 
  gains an appropriate Reputation on 
  the first raid and an experience 
  point towards increasing that 
  Reputation on each subsequent 
  raid. 
  Reputation Gained for Heroic 
  Combat Actions in First Raid: 
  New Reputation at Level 1 
   
  Reputation Gained for Heroic 
  Combat Actions in Subsequent 
  Raids: 
  1 Experience Point Towards a 
  Reputation 
  Other Rewards 
  Successfully raiding cattle could 
  provide political leverage instead of 
  an income. The cattle can be 
  ransomed back to their rightful 
  owner, for instance, and in doing so 
  the raiders demonstrate their 
  superiority and right to demand 
  some form of tribute but a 
  willingness to be conciliatory. The 
  raid could be done in revenge for a 
  previous slight, righting a wrong 
  for the benefit of others. 
  The cattle may in fact be a 
  source of vis. In this case, treat the 
  herd as a vis source rather than a 
  source of income. 
  Finally, there may be a particular 
  bull or cow within the herd with 
  magical or faerie blood. Such an 
  animal may make for a familiar. As 
  with a herd being used as a vis 
  source, a herd containing a familiar-
  worthy beast does not function as a 
  source of income. 
  Conclusion 
  So why would player characters 
  choose to go cattle raiding? It’s a 
  way of building a reputation, albeit 
  a source of infamy, it’s a way of 
  gaining an income source through 
  story, and it is potentially a means 
  of gaining and exerting leverage. 
  Importantly, in a land where 
  history repeats itself, magi are 
  simply continuing the tradition of 
  cattle raiding, playing out the old 
  storytelling cycles with new actors. 
   
   
   
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  14 
  Covenants introduced a financial 
  system for Ars Magica Fifth Edition. 
  While it did not quite involve tracking 
  every Mythic Pound coming in and out 
  of a covenant’s coffers it came pretty 
  close. Our saga is now fifty years old (in 
  game time), and as storyguide I’ve been 
  using that system for most of this. I’ve 
  found that the system is not always 
  stable over the long term. Relatively 
  small changes to cost-saving can have 
  large effects on cash flow, and I’ve had 
  to tweak the system to account for this. 
  Plus I have to use a spreadsheet. Whilst 
  I have no objection to this in principle, 
  it does reveal the level of complexity 
  needed to easily update the covenant. 
  Some players enjoy the simulationist 
  approach of finances in Covenants, and 
  like to model their covenant’s resources 
  down to the last Mythic Pound. Others 
  find the system too unwieldy, and prefer 
  instead to concentrate on stories. Just 
  recently I’ve been trialling a system that 
  strikes a balance between the two: there 
  is still some number-crunching (it is an 
  economics system after all!), but the 
  focus is very much on events and 
  stories. The  simplest system is 
  accompanied by a number of options 
  which add complexity but also (I 
  believe) richness to the rule set. All 
  options can be used together, or a 
  troupe can pick and choose which they 
  prefer to use. 
  This system is broadly based on the 
  Labor rules found in City & Guild 
  (Chapter Two). It can be easily adapted 
  for running any entity that has an 
  income and expenses, and some notes 
  have been provided for using the 
  system to account for the finances of 
  manors, religious houses, and guilds. 
  Basic concepts 
  Resources: A covenant’s material 
  wealth is tracked by seven (or nine, see 
  below) Resources such as Covenfolk, 
  Covenant Finances: 
  An Alternative 
  By Mark Shirley 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  15 
  Purse, and Equipment. The rating of 
  each of these is indicated on a 6 point 
  Quality rating: Negligible, Shoddy, 
  Average, Superior, Excellent, 
  Legendary. Unless stated otherwise, 
  these characteristics have a rating of 
  Average. 
  Inhabitant Points: A means to rate 
  the share of the income that each of the 
  covenant’s inhabitants consumes. A 
  magus or nobleman is typically worth 5 
  Inhabitant Points, a Companion 3, a 
  specialist 2, and grogs, servants, 
  laborers, and horses 1. To calculate the 
  minimum number of servants and 
  laborers needed, add up the Inhabitant 
  Points for all other characters. Add one 
  servant for every 5 points (or fraction) 
  of this total, and one laborer for every 
  10 points (or fraction). Add these 
  individuals to the total count to get the 
  overall Inhabitant Points for the 
  covenant. Some covenants have more 
  servants and laborers than this 
  minimum; for example it is common to 
  assign each magus a personal servant. 
  A quick rule of thumb is to allow 20 
  Inhabitant Points per magus at a 
  covenant, broken down as follows: 
  Magus (5) + Companion (3) + lab 
  assistant/apprentice (2) + specialist (2) 
  + 3 grogs (3) + 3 servants (3) + 2 
  laborers (2).  
  [Note that the calculation of 
  Inhabitant Points is slightly 
  simplified from Covenants] 
  Labor Points: an abstract concept 
  introduced in City & Guild to represent 
  effort spent maintaining a business. 
  Labor Points approximate to money, 
  although the value may be inherent in 
  stored goods, favors, or credit rather 
  than cold hard cash. A Poor covenant 
  has to work harder than average to earn 
  the same number of Labor Points, and a 
  Wealthy one has more time on its 
  hands. 
  Autocrat: an autocrat is the officer 
  — usually mundane — left in charge by 
  the magi to run the covenant’s finances. 
  In addition to overseeing the covenfolk, 
  the autocrat must collect revenue from 
  the income sources, manage the 
  harvests from the covenant’s own fields, 
  arrange payment of tithes, bribes, and 
  fines, and perform countless other tasks 
  to ensure the covenant runs smoothly. 
  A  g o o d  a u t o c r a t  i s  o f t e n 
  underappreciated by the magi because 
  they only ever become aware of him 
  when there is a problem. Managing a 
  covenant is governed by the Profession: 
  Autocrat Ability. Autocrats often have a 
  staff of minions to assist him in his job, 
  and therefore also benefit from the 
  Leadership Ability. 
  Stores: Each covenant has a store 
  that contains the surplus wealth 
  generated by the covenant activities 
  under his control. These stores rarely 
  consist of money, rather they are 
  comprised of excess consumables, 
  stored food, owed favors, promised 
  labor, and so forth. As a result, they are 
  tracked in terms of Labor Points that 
  are earned in excess of that needed to 
  run the covenant. Stores can be spent to 
  mitigate years of dearth, or to make 
  improvements to the covenant. A good 
  manager uses his stores and replaces the 
  goods with fresh material each year, but 
  there is inevitably some waste in 
  spoilage, wear and tear, and migration 
  or death of debtors. 
  An Economic System 
  A number of optional rules are 
  offered in the following sections. In all 
  cases these options sacrifice simplicity 
  for detail, and the troupe should feel 
  free to use none, any or all of the 
  options presented here. None of the 
  optional rules preclude the use of 
  others, so the troupe can choose the 
  level of complexity they desire. Many of 
  the optional rules do not need to be 
  consistently applied in every year. For 
  example, in years where the stories 
  come thick and fast and the troupe is 
  intensely focused on a particular story 
  arc, it might for example make sense to 
  skip the Fluctuating Resources Option 
  in order to focus the characters on the 
  stories at hand. In other years, the 
  troupe can go into more details. 
  Covenant Income 
  A covenant has a Typical income 
  equal to 20 Mythic Pounds per magus 
  per annum. Furthermore, it might have 
  the Wealthy Boon or the Poor Hook. 
  Example Income Sources can be found 
  in Covenants, Chapter 5. 
  Option: Wealth Levels 
  Not all covenants have a steady 
  income. Some are in charge of more 
  lucrative sources of wealth, whereas 
  others barely scrape through each year. 
  Rather than having just enough to 
  support its members, a covenant has 
  one of the following income levels:  
   
  The income listed in the above table 
  should be considered to be a guide; a 
  covenant could bring in 80 or 150 
  Mythic Pounds per year and still be 
  considered to have a Typical Income 
  Source. 
  Option: Multiple Sources 
  of Income 
  Rather than having a single income 
  source, a covenant might rely on two or 
  more different businesses, enterprises, 
  or revenue streams. This adds a certain 
  amount of stability to covenants that are 
  using one or more of the methods to 
  vary income over time (principally the 
  Random Events option, see later).  
  Covenant Resources 
  The covenant’s Resources are 
  summed up by seven descriptors: 
  Covenfolk, Equipment, Laboratories, 
  Income Source Table 
  Rank 
  Income 
  Trivial 
  10 
  Minor 
  25 
  Lesser 
  50 
  Typical 
  100 
  Greater 
  250 
  Major 
  500 
  Mythic 
  1000 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  16 
  Provisions, Purse, Armaments, 
  Defenses. These Resources can be rated 
  as Negligible, Shoddy, Average, 
  Superior, Excellent, or Legendary. Each 
  one starts at Average. These Resources 
  are described in more detail later. 
  Option: Three Groups of 
  Covenfolk 
  The basic system treats all covenfolk 
  together. An alternative to this converts 
  the Covenfolk Resource into three 
  separate Resources: Specialists, 
  Servants, Soldiers. It stands to reason 
  that a covenant could have superior 
  soldiers but below-average craftsmen, 
  for example. 
  Option: Non-Average 
  Starting Resources 
  Spring: The covenant starts with 
  one Resource at Negligible or two at 
  Shoddy. 
  Summer: The covenant starts with 
  all Resources at Average. 
  Autumn: the covenant starts with 
  one Resource at Excellent, or two at 
  Superior 
  Winter: The covenant starts with 
  one Resource at Legendary and one at 
  Negligible; or two at Excellent and two 
  at Shoddy. 
  The troupe may then make an 
  optional adjustment to a single 
  Resource. That Resource may be 
  increased by one level by decreasing 
  another by one level. Alternatively, the 
  Resource may be increased two levels 
  by either decreasing another Resource 
  by two levels or else by decreasing two 
  Resources by one level each. A 
  Resource cannot be decreased below 
  Negligible, and only Autumn and 
  Winter covenants can raise a Resource 
  to Legendary. 
  Income Management 
  The autocrat is in charge of 
  managing the covenant finances. He 
  generates Labor Points during the 
  seasons he attends to covenant business 
  (i.e. in the seasons he gains Exposure 
  experience points). The number of 
  points he accumulates is equal to: 
   
  Labor Points Per Season: 
  (Intelligence + Profession: Autocrat) 
  × Wealth Multiplier 
   
  Wealth Multiplier: ×2 for a 
  covenant with the Poor hook, ×6 for a 
  covenant with the Wealthy Boon, ×3 
  for covenants with neither. 
  The autocrat must accumulate 36 
  Labor Points each year. On average the 
  autocrat from a Poor covenant must 
  work for 3 seasons a year, one from an 
  average covenant must spend 2 seasons 
  per year, and the lucky autocrat from a 
  Wealthy covenant needs to labor just 
  one season per year. This assumes that 
  the autocrat has an (Int + Profession: 
  Autocrat) of at least 6; covenants with 
  less-experienced autocrats than this will 
  struggle to keep the covenant afloat. 
  Assessment of the autocrat’s success 
  should be done once a year. The 
  summer season is a good time to do 
  this; a counterpoint to the aging and 
  warping events that are usually 
  performed in the winter season. 
  Note that without some of the 
  options presented below, a covenant 
  will always know if it is going to be able 
  to meet its target of 36 Labor Points 
  each year. This predictability might suit 
  some troupes, but it does reduce the 
  potential for stories to arise from wealth 
  and poverty. 
  Option: Three Officers 
  Many covenants do not have a single 
  autocrat running every aspect of its daily 
  affairs; rather they appoint three officers 
  to divide the work between them. Each 
  officer has three Resources under his 
  purview (this option includes using the 
  “Three Groups of Covenfolk” option 
  presented above): 
   
  The steward’s role is managing 
  the day-to-day operation of a 
  covenant. It is his responsibility 
  to maintain the fabric of the 
  buildings and their contents, keep 
  each room lit and heated 
  according to its needs, and 
  provide furniture and fittings. 
  The steward is typically 
  responsible for the specialists at 
  the covenant, which includes the 
  craftsmen, laboratory assistants, 
  scribes, librarians, and all ancillary 
  staff. The steward controls the 
  Resources of Specialists, 
  Equipment, and Laboratories 
   
  The chamberlain is in charge of 
  the treasury and the daily 
  expenses. He marshals a host of 
  servants and laborers who cook, 
  clean, and toil for the covenant; 
  he also oversees the covenant’s 
  lands, livestock, and food 
  production in general. The 
  chamberlain is responsible for 
  maintaining the covenant’s 
  stores, larder and pantry. The 
  chamberlain manages the 
  Resources of Servants, Purse, and 
  Provisions 
   
  The marshal (or turb captain) 
  maintains the defenses of the 
  covenant. He heads the turb, and 
  must ensure that all the soldiers 
  are battle-ready. He is also 
  responsible for the watch duties 
  and sentries; and the physical 
  defenses --- and by extension, the 
  other buildings of the covenant. 
  The marshal is also in charge of 
  the covenant’s horses and 
  messengers. The marshal 
  commands the Resources of 
  Soldiers, Armaments, and 
  Defenses 
  Each officer has to generate his own 
  set of Labor Points each year, with the 
  same target as an autocrat (usually 36). 
  They each use their own Profession 
  Ability for this task. Any modifiers to 
  the target Labor Points (through the 
  various options presented here) affect 
  all officers’ Labor Point target unless 
  specifically mentioned otherwise (e.g. 
  Random Events, see above). You will 
  need to keep a separate record of the 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  17 
  store of each officer. 
  When Making a Profit (see later), 
  each officer can improve one Resource 
  each, so potentially three Resources can 
  improve each year. However, the 
  covenant also has three chances to 
  Make a Loss (again, see later) 
  Option: Cost of Resources 
  A covenant with Average Quality of 
  Resources incurs no extra running costs, 
  but those that maintain Superior or 
  Excellent Resources find themselves 
  having to maintain a higher cost of 
  living to afford the increased luxuries. 
  Likewise, a covenant with below 
  average Resources get by on a lower 
  annual budget. For each Superior 
  Resource, the autocrat must earn one 
  extra Labor Point per year; for each 
  Excellent Resource the autocrat needs 
  an additional three Labor Point. Each 
  Shoddy Resource saves one Labor Point 
  per year, and each Negligible Resource 
  saves three Labor Points. 
  Legendary Resources cost variable 
  amounts. Sometimes they are money-
  saving devices and can entirely replace 
  that resource (saving four Labor Points 
  per year). Other Legendary Resources 
  have ridiculously high running costs 
  (e.g. covenfolk that must be fed on 
  gold), and may each cost at least four 
  extra Labor Points per year. Each must 
  be judged on a case-by-case basis. 
  If using the Three Officers Option, 
  only the officer in charge of a non-
  Average Resource has to find the extra 
  Labor Points. 
  Option: Over and Under 
  Population 
  The covenant must bring in one 
  Mythic Pound for every Inhabitant 
  Point. If the covenant has too many 
  inhabitants, then it cannot support its 
  covenfolk. Alternatively, if the covenant 
  is small, it might accumulate wealth 
  more quickly. 
  If the covenant has more Inhabitant 
  Points than Mythic Pounds per year, 
  then it is overpopulated. It must work 
  its resources harder to feed everyone. 
  Add one third of the difference between 
  Inhabitant Points and Annual Income 
  (rounded up) to the Target Labor 
  Points needed each year. 
  If the covenant has more Mythic 
  Pounds in income than Inhabitant 
  Points, then it has a surplus of resources 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  18 
  every year. Subtract one third of the 
  difference between Inhabitant Points 
  and Annual Income (rounded up) from 
  the Target Labor Points needed each 
  year. 
  If using the Three Officers Option, 
  the effects of Over and Under 
  Population apply to the Target Labor 
  Points of all officers. 
  Option: Random Events 
  A covenant cannot necessarily rely 
  upon either its income source or labor 
  requirements remaining constant. This 
  option allows fluctuations in the 
  fortunes of the covenant to take place. 
  Each year, roll a simple die and consult 
  the Random Events table.  
  The storyguide can apply an optional 
  modifier to this die roll. If the covenant 
  has been drawing heavily on its income 
  source, or if it is trying to improve that 
  source, or if there is local instability that 
  might affect covenant’s profits, add 1 to 
  3 to the simple die. If they have been 
  unusually profligate or mean in their 
  spending, or else if the local economy 
  shifts into a depression or boom due to 
  external events, subtract 1 to 3 from the 
  simple die. The storyguide can similarly 
  add or subtract a modifier of 1 to 3 
  from the roll on either subtable; a 
  negative modifier biases the roll towards 
  a detrimental outcome; and a positive 
  modifier biases the roll towards a 
  beneficial outcome.  
  Alternatively, the storyguide could 
  just choose a result that is appropriate 
  to external events or character actions. 
  For example, if war breaks out then 
  grain prices rise; this could cause the 
  immediate effects of inflation with 
  respect to covenant provisions. A 
  covenant that creates a permanent 
  enchantment to keep its crops healthy 
  might earn an automatic +10% to the 
  yield from that income source, without 
  need for a roll (see Magical 
  Enhancements Option). 
  Note that all effects of random 
  events are permanent; they do not just 
  apply to one year, but all subsequent 
  years. Over the long term, Income 
  Sources tends to return to an 
  equilibrium of their typical values. 
  However, inflation results are more 
  common than deflation so over time the 
  covenant will need to find new income 
  sources or work its autocrat or officers 
  harder if it is to continue at the same 
  level of spending. 
  If you are not using the Over and 
  Underpopulation option, then changing 
  the value of the Income Source has no 
  practical effect; if these random events 
  come up, roll on the Fluctuating Labor 
  Points table instead. If you are not using 
  the Three Officers option, then you can 
  apply effects specific to the steward, 
  chamberlain, or marshal directly to the 
  autocrat’s total instead. 
  If using the Multiple Sources of 
  Income option, then determine random 
  events separately for each Income 
  Source. 
  Making a Loss 
  If the autocrat fails to generate 
  sufficient Labor Points this harms the 
  Resources of the covenant. This might 
  come about because the autocrat is 
  neglectful of his duties, is overworked 
  or inexperienced, or it maybe simply 
  that the covenant is living beyond its 
  means. 
   
  Shortfall: Target Labor Points 
  (36) – earned Labor Points 
  Random Events Table 
  Simple die 
  Random event 
  3 or less 
  Roll 
  on 
  the 
  Fluctuating 
  Labor 
  4 – 8 
  No event 
  9 – 10 
  Roll 
  on 
  the 
  Fluctuating Income 
  Fluctuating Income Source Table 
  Simple die 
  Effect 
  2 or less  
  Slump: Decrease yield 
  of Income Source by 
  10% of its value on the 
  Income Source Table 
  3 – 5  
  Stagnation: Decrease 
  yield of Income Source 
  by 5% of its value on 
  the 
  Income 
  Source 
  Table 
  6 – 8 
  Growth: Increase yield 
  of Income Source by 
  5% of its value on the 
  Income Source Table 
  9 or more  
  Boom: Increase yield 
  of Income Source by 
  10% of its value on the 
  Income Source Table 
  Fluctuating Labor Points table 
  Simple die 
  Effect 
  1 or less   
  Hyperinflation: 
  Add 
  3 
  Labor Points to the annual 
  target of the autocrat (or 
  all three officers) 
  2 – 3 
  Inflation: Add 1 Labor 
  Point to the annual target 
  of the steward / autocrat 
  4 – 5 
  Inflation: Add 1 Labor 
  Point to the annual target 
  of the chamberlain / 
  autocrat 
  6 – 7  
  Inflation: Add 1 Labor 
  Point to the annual target 
  of the marshal / autocrat 
  8 
  Deflation: 
  Subtract 
  1 
  Labor Point from the 
  annual 
  target 
  of 
  the 
  steward / autocrat 
  9 
  Deflation: 
  Subtract 
  1 
  Labor Point from the 
  annual 
  target 
  of 
  the 
  chamberlain / autocrat 
  10 
  Deflation: 
  Subtract 
  1 
  Labor Point from the 
  annual 
  target 
  of 
  the 
  marshal / autocrat 
  11 or more 
  Economic Relief: Subtract 3 
  Labor Points from the 
  annual target of the autocrat 
  (or all three officers) 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  19 
   
  For every five points (or fraction 
  thereof) of the shortfall, one of the 
  Resources of the covenant decreases by 
  one level of quality. This reduction can 
  only be applied to the same Resource a 
  maximum of two times in a given year 
  (i.e. reducing it by two levels of quality), 
  and a Resource cannot be decreased 
  beyond Negligible Quality. The 
  mundane component of a Legendary 
  Resource can be degraded as far as 
  Negligible Quality without apparent 
  effect on the covenant’s actual standard 
  of living; that is, the Resource remains 
  Legendary (see Legendary Resources, 
  later).  
  The player of the autocrat chooses 
  which Resource is affected by the 
  shortfall. If using the Three Officers 
  option, then the officer/s responsible 
  for the shortfall choose which Resource 
  to degrade, which must be one of the 
  three Resources under their purview. 
  Each reduction is accompanied by 
  an event or a story hook that involves 
  the reduction of that Resource. These 
  need not be full-blown stories (although 
  could be good hooks for such), but they 
  draw the magi’s attention to the 
  shortfall. These decreases in quality are 
  due to the failure of the autocrat to 
  acquire sufficient Labor Points, and the 
  event or story hook should take this 
  into consideration. Is it that the autocrat 
  has been shirking his duties? Or is it 
  because the covenant is overpopulated? 
  Perhaps a random event required more 
  Labor Points this year, and that is the 
  cause of the shortfall. As a result of this 
  event, the magi might resolve to give 
  the autocrat some help fulfilling his 
  duties, or use magic to replace that 
  Resource. Note that an event is merely a 
  signifier of the problem; reversing it will 
  not restore the lost level of Quality. 
  Example events 
   
  A magus doesn’t realize until too 
  late that the grogs he has chosen 
  to accompany him are only 
  wearing piecemeal armor. They 
  report that the covenant has not 
  been able to afford to maintain 
  the wear and tear (Armaments) 
   
  Fed up of the poor conditions, 
  one (or more) servants run away. 
  Magi might have to clean their 
  own chambers (Covenfolk) 
   
  A building collapses, revealing an 
  unknown tunnel beneath. Has 
  s o m e o n e  b r e a c h e d  t h e 
  covenant’s defenses, or does the 
  tunnel date to before the magi’s 
  occupation of the site? 
  (Defenses) 
   
  A magus finds that the stores do 
  not have enough parchment, so 
  the project he is working on will 
  not have an accompanying 
  Laboratory Text (Equipment) 
   
  The covenant has switched to a 
  cheaper supplier of laboratory 
  reagents, but he is a swindler, and 
  many of his products are cheap 
  substitutes. One or more magi 
  h a v e  t o  r o l l  o n  t h e 
  Experimentation Results Chart 
  this season even if they are not 
  experimenting. This roll is at ¬a 
  –2 risk penalty, unless the 
  c h a r a c t e r  a c t u a l l y  i s 
  experimenting, in which case 
  there is a +1 bonus to the risk 
  bonus used (Laboratories) 
   
  The autocrat is unable to pay a 
  customary bribe, meaning an 
  important consignment that the 
  magi are needing does not arrive 
  (Purse) 
   
  The magi are embarrassed to 
  discover that they cannot serve 
  their guest a fine wine; all that the 
  cellars have is soured vintage or 
  white wine (Provisions) 
  Option: Mitigating Losses 
  If the autocrat has been storing up 
  excess Labor Points from previous 
  years (see Making a Profit, later) then he 
  can liquidate these stored points to 
  partially or wholly compensate for this 
  year’s lack. Two stored Labor Points are 
  worth one immediate Labor Point — 
  this reflects the general degradation of 
  stored goods and old favors. Even if he 
  cannot totally prevent a loss this year, 
  he may be able to reduce the severity. 
  If using the Three Officers option, 
  then an officer can donate some of his 
  store to help mitigate the loss of 
  another officer. However, because the 
  stored materials and favors are unlikely 
  to be a perfect match for that needed, 
  the exchange rate is three stored Labor 
  Points for one immediate Labor Point. 
  Making a Profit 
  If the autocrat generates excess 
  Labor Points in a year, he may 
  accumulate the excess to make 
  improvements to the covenant. 
  Through hard work, diligence, 
  prudence, and/or good fortune, the 
  autocrat has managed to increase his 
  stores this year, and may choose to 
  spend some of this profit on improving 
  the covenant.  
   
  Profit: earned Labor Points – 
  Target Labor Points (36) 
   
  The annual Profit gets added to the 
  autocrat’s stores. Once each year, the 
  autocrat can elect to spend some of his 
  stored profit to increase the quality of 
  one of the covenant’s Resources. He 
  does not have to increase a quality if he 
  (or his masters) do not wish it. The 
  autocrat can only do this in a year that 
  he has made a net profit, and only one 
  Resource can be increased by a 
  maximum of one point each year. A 
  Resource cannot be raised beyond 
  Excellent. Increasing the quality 
  depletes the stores by the amount 
  indicated in the Resource Improvement 
  table: 
   
  Resource Improvement Table 
  New Quality 
  To raise 
  Shoddy    
  20 
  Average  
  30 
  Superior  
  40 
  Excellent 
  50 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  20 
  The improvement of a Resource 
  may take one to two seasons to come 
  into effect as the autocrat arranges for 
  the improvements to take place. 
  Option: Initial Stores 
  A covenant might start play with 
  some stores. If using the Three Officers 
  Option, each officer has this store: 
   
  Spring Covenant: 0 Labor 
  Points in stores 
   
  Summer Covenant: 20 Labor 
  Points in stores 
   
  Autumn Covenant: 30 Labor 
  Points in stores 
   
  Winter Covenant: 20 Labor 
  Points in stores 
  Option: Increasing Income 
  A covenant’s Income Source can 
  fluctuate in size due to random events 
  or character actions without actually 
  increasing in rank (see Random Events 
  option, earlier); however, improving the 
  Income Source has a much larger and 
  immediate effect on covenant finances. 
  It is possible for a succession of 
  Growth events to increase an Income 
  Source to the level of the next rank, but 
  the source is still considered to be at its 
  former level. For example, if by 
  extraordinary luck or hard work a 
  Typical Income Source is raised to be 
  producing 250 Mythic Pounds per year, 
  it does not automatically become a 
  Greater Source. Further Growth events 
  continue to increase the income by 5 or 
  10% of the Typical Income, not the 
  Greater Income. 
  A covenant can increase its income 
  level by investing in improvements — 
  spending Labor Points. Improving 
  Income Sources should never be 
  resolved with a simple expenditure of 
  the requisite points; there should be one 
  or more character-driven stories 
  explaining what is being done to boost 
  productivity. The covenant might need 
  to acquire more land to grow crops, 
  invest in more ships for their 
  merchant’s business, significantly extend 
  their silver mines, and so on.  
  It is costly to increase a Income 
  Source, taking 360 Labor Points to 
  increase the income source by one level 
  on the Income Sources table. Most 
  covenants have sufficient income to 
  support their men and pay for any 
  activities they desire, and do not 
  consider it necessary to accumulate 
  wealth beyond what is needed. Living 
  within one’s means is considered 
  admirable behavior in Mythic Europe; 
  constantly seeking to accumulate wealth 
  is the sin of avarice. However, a 
  covenant that has recruited or desires to 
  recruit more magi often needs to 
  expand its sources of income to support 
  the new members. 
  If using the Three Officers option, 
  all three officers must contribute Labor 
  Points to increase income since all 
  aspects of the covenant are affected; no 
  officer can contribute less than one fifth 
  (i.e. 72 Labor Points) of the total 
  needed. 
  Magical 
  Enhancements 
  Magi will be motivated to create 
  enchantments or cast spells that ease 
  the economic situation of their 
  covenant. These can have four principle 
  effects on this system: 
  Reduction in Labor 
  Points 
  This is the most common effect of 
  magical intervention in finances. This 
  type of magic either replaces the need 
  for part of a resource or reduces the 
  effort needed to maintain the covenant. 
  There are any number of ways in which 
  costs can be cut with magic: magical 
  heating or lighting; bedspreads created 
  with a Sun duration; devices that repair 
  damaged goods or buildings, cook food 
  without fuel, or clean laboratories; and 
  so on. All these multifarious magics cut 
  the costs of the covenant, and therefore 
  can save Labor Points.  
  As a rule of thumb, for each full 20 
  levels of effect constantly applied to the 
  covenant, the Target Labor Points is 
  reduced by 1. This is a one-off (i.e. 
  Permanent) decrease in Labor Points, as 
  long as the covenant has constant 
  access to the magic. Note that the 
  enchantment or power also actually 
  needs to be capable of having an effect 
  on one or more Resources. For 
  simplicity, if using the Three Officers 
  option, assume that the labor saving 
  measures are defrayed across all 
  budgets. 
  New or Improved 
  Income Source 
  The second most common method 
  of enchanting a covenant is to use 
  magic to assist in the generation of 
  income. Magic can make crops grow 
  better and disease free, cause fish to 
  swim into nets, help miners find and 
  process silver more efficiently, and so 
  on. If the storyguide judges that the 
  item or spell can make an appreciable 
  effect on an income source, then a 5% 
  increase in yield from the base value is a 
  reasonable bonus for every 20 full levels 
  of effects. Depending on the nature of 
  the effect, magic could be used to 
  generate anything from a Trivial Income 
  Source upwards; the bigger the income, 
  the more obvious the magic is. 
  Generation of Wealth 
  Magic can also be used to generate 
  wealth de novo (directly or indirectly), 
  although some tribunals have strict rules 
  about the magical generation of wealth. 
  Ritual spells can create precious metal 
  directly, or else valuable goods which 
  can be exchanged. Alternatively, it can 
  create material that is cheap but in 
  constant use, such as grain, beer, 
  firewood, lamp oil, and so on. Each 
  spell that creates wealth adds Labor 
  Points to an officer’s stores when cast, 
  depending on what is created.  
  A 20th level spell that directly 
  creates silver adds 100 Labor Points to 
  the (chamberlain’s) store, worth about 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  21 
  £100. If left as cash, use the excess 
  Labor Points to buy the Purse Resource 
  as high as it will go (e.g. from Average 
  to Superior then Excellent, costing 90 
  Labor Points in total). This can then be 
  liquidated at a later date (see 
  descriptions of Resources, later). Other 
  Hermetic Forms used to generate 
  wealth have a lesser return; although 
  they can create vast amounts of spices, 
  pearls, furs, etc., there is a limited 
  market for such resources. Spells that 
  create perishable resources generally 
  create a number of Labor Points for the 
  store equal to their level. 
  A covenant cannot benefit equally 
  from subsequent castings of the same 
  spell — all they end up with is an excess 
  of one commodity which can never be 
  sold for its actual value, and potentially 
  causing an economic glut which drives 
  the selling price down even further. 
  Repeated castings of the same spell 
  yields half the Labor Points (rounded 
  up) of the previous casting each time. A 
  20th level ritual spell cast six times to 
  create grain yields 41 Labor Points 
  (20+10+5+3+2+1), not 120. The 
  storyguide should determine when this 
  glut has run its course; one year per 5–
  10 Labor Points generated is a good 
  guide. 
  Note that tribunals may impose rules 
  on the magical creation of wealth in an 
  attempt to prevent destabilisation of the 
  local economy. Such restrictions are 
  beyond the scope of this article. 
  Legendary Resources 
  A covenant might be able to replace 
  a whole Resource entirely with magic. 
  The Legendary Resource Quality 
  represents the existence of 
  enchantments, supernatural beings, or 
  other non-mundane means that entirely 
  replaces or substantially alters a 
  resource. No Resource may be raised to 
  the Legendary Quality through the 
  application of Labor Points  Instead, 
  they result from Covenant Boons, 
  seasonal activities, and/or stories. The 
  Legendary Quality is not imparted by a 
  single enchantment; as a rule, it requires 
  a Major Boon, 50 levels of 
  enchantments, or at least three seasons-
  worth of stories to acquire Legendary 
  status in a single Resource. The 
  components of the Legendary Quality 
  must actually be capable of conferring 
  the benefits on the covenant’s 
  inhabitants, and do so continuously 
  without consuming covenant resources 
  (money, favors, or labor). The troupe 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  22 
  should determine the overall effect 
  using the mundane Qualities as a guide. 
  The chief benefit is that Legendary 
  Resources cannot decline due to neglect 
  (i.e. insufficient Labor Points). For 
  example, Legendary Provisions may 
  only provide the same benefit as 
  Superior Provisions; but the food 
  always exists even if the autocrat fails to 
  generate enough Labor Points in a year. 
  However, a covenant could have 
  Legendary Provisions that far surpass 
  even an Excellent Resource, if they 
  apply sufficient effort. 
  Because a covenant can have both 
  mundane and magical resources, the 
  Legendary Quality is in addition to a 
  mundane Quality. Thus the Equipment 
  Resource might be described as 
  Legendary (Typical) if its mundane tools 
  qualify for Typical Quality but its 
  covenfolk rely on the use of magical 
  tools. It is important to note the 
  mundane level as well as the magical 
  one, since the supernatural elements can 
  be nullified, stolen, or killed. If not 
  specified, assume that the Resource is 
  Typical. Covenants may deliberately 
  allow the mundane side of a Legendary 
  Resource degrade in years of dearth, 
  relying on their magic instead. This can 
  prove problematic if they are denied 
  access to it due to story events. It 
  behooves a storyguide to exploit such 
  weaknesses. 
  Resources 
  Armaments 
  Negligible: Soldiers are restricted to 
  inexpensive weapons, and can only have 
  inexpensive partial armor. 
  Shoddy: Either the armor or the 
  weapons (or both) of each soldier must 
  be inexpensive. 
  Average: All soldiers are armed with 
  standard or inexpensive weapons, 
  according to their preference. They can 
  have any standard partial armor, or any 
  inexpensive armor. 
  Superior: Each soldier can have 
  either expensive partial armor or an 
  expensive weapon.  Their equipment is 
  otherwise standard or inexpensive 
  according to preference; and they may 
  choose standard full armor. 
  Excellent: Soldiers can have any 
  arms or armor that they are capable of 
  using. 
  Legendary: Soldiers are armed with 
  magical weapons and/or armor. 
  Covenfolk 
  This Resource covers all aspects of 
  covenfolk not dealt with by other 
  Resources (such as Provisions and 
  Equipment). This includes quality of 
  housing, level of overcrowding, wages, 
  pension, personal freedom, and so 
  forth. All these things translate directly 
  into a level of satisfaction that the 
  covenfolk have in their masters. This is 
  tracked by the Prevailing Loyalty score 
  (as per Covenants, Chapter 3: 
  Governance). 
  Negligible: The covenfolk suffer a 
  –2 penalty to the Prevailing Loyalty 
  thanks to an ongoing situation that 
  makes them surly and uncooperative. 
  Shoddy: The covenfolk suffer a –1 
  penalty to the Prevailing Loyalty thanks 
  to an ongoing situation that makes them 
  unhappy. 
  Average: the Specialists have no 
  penalties to their Prevailing Loyalty. 
  Superior: The covenfolk suffer a +1 
  bonus to the Prevailing Loyalty thanks 
  to an ongoing situation that makes them 
  well-inclined towards the covenant’s 
  leaders. 
  Excellent: The covenfolk suffer a 
  +2 bonus to the Prevailing Loyalty 
  thanks to an ongoing situation that 
  makes them devoted towards the 
  covenant’s leaders. 
  Legendary: The covenfolk are 
  unaffected by The Gift and/or 
  fanatically loyal to the magi. The 
  covenant could be peopled by magical 
  creatures with different needs to 
  humans. 
  If the troupe is using the Three 
  Groups of Covenfolk option, then the 
  Resource level of the Servants, 
  Specialists, and Soldiers are tracked 
  separately. Any modifiers to Prevailing 
  Loyalty only affect that group rather 
  than the covenfolk as a whole. 
  Defenses 
  The Defenses Resource is rated in a 
  similar fashion to the Defenses of a 
  castle in preparation for a siege (Lords of 
  Men, page 111), and the quality directly 
  translates to each section of wall. 
  Negligible: the covenant has no 
  defenses to speak of. 
  Shoddy: the covenant has makeshift 
  defenses 
  Average: the covenant has typical 
  defenses of a fortified manor or small 
  tower 
  Superior: the covenant has a shell 
  keep or tower keep 
  Excellent: the covenant has a keep 
  surrounded by curtain walls with mural 
  towers, and probably a barbican and 
  moat. 
  Legendary: The covenant relies on 
  magical defenses, such as a regio 
  boundary, invisible walls, instant 
  ramparts, glass cliffs, and the like. 
  Equipment 
  This category covers the basic tools 
  that the covenant craftsmen use on a 
  daily basis, but also raw materials for 
  their trade and non-food consumables 
  such as firewood, fresh straw for 
  mattresses, oil for lamps, candles, and 
  so on. 
  Negligible: The specialists of the 
  covenant have to make do with the 
  barest minimum of facilities; not only 
  do they suffer a –1 to all Craft rolls and 
  Workshop totals, they are restricted to 
  projects that have an Ease Factor of 6 
  or less. 
  Shoddy: The specialists have 
  substandard equipment and premises, 
  resulting in a –1 to all Craft rolls and all 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  23 
  Workshop totals 
  Average: Specialists have all the 
  tools, materials, and facilities they need 
  for their craft. 
  Superior: Each specialist can expect 
  to have at least one tool of Superior 
  Quality, granting a +1 to all Craft 
  Ability rolls and totals. 
  Excellent: Most of the tools at the 
  covenant are of Superior Quality, and 
  many specialists have an Excellent piece 
  giving them a +3 to appropriate rolls 
  and totals. 
  Legendary: the covenant’s tools are 
  Wondrous Items, Items of Quality or 
  enchanted in some way. 
  Laboratories 
  Negligible: The covenant’s 
  laboratories are in a deplorable state in 
  one way or another; and all have a 
  Minor Outfittings Flaw (Covenants, page 
  117) that is not balanced by a Virtue. 
  No laboratory can have a positive 
  Upkeep. 
  Shoddy: The covenant has poor 
  supplies and materials for its 
  laboratories. All laboratories have a Free 
  Outfittings Flaw (Covenants, page 116–
  117). The sum of all Upkeep scores for 
  the laboratories must be 0 or less. 
  Average: The covenant can 
  maintain all its laboratories in a 
  satisfactory manner. The sum of all 
  Upkeep scores for the laboratories must 
  be 0 or less. 
  Superior: The covenant can support 
  a net of 4 points of Upkeep amongst its 
  members: four labs with +1 Upkeep, 
  two with +2 Upkeep and the rest zero, 
  or any combination thereof. 
  Excellent: Every lab can have a 
  Free Outfittings Virtue, and Upkeep 
  scores of laboratories have no limits. 
  Legendary: The covenant has no 
  restrictions at all as to the Upkeep of 
  the laboratories thanks to a great wealth 
  of magical artifacts. Every laboratory 
  has at least one Minor Outfittings 
  Virtue which does not have to be 
  balanced with a Flaw. 
  Purse 
  This Resource represents the 
  coinage that the covenant has, as well as 
  the luxuries in which it indulges. Note 
  that much of this money is allocated 
  each year to tithes, rents, feudal dues, 
  and the like. Liquidizing the Purse 
  results in a decrease in Resource 
  Quality. 
  Negligible: The covenant exists on 
  a hand-to-mouth basis; while it can 
  meet its expenses, it cannot raise any 
  spare cash for emergencies. 
  Shoddy: The covenant uses all of its 
  income to make its financial 
  commitments. It can raise one fifth of 
  its yearly income in hard cash, but this 
  drops this Resource to Negligible 
  Quality. 
  Average: The covenant can afford 
  most mundane expenses and the 
  occasional luxury. It can raise one 
  quarter of its yearly income in hard 
  cash, but this drops this Resource to 
  Shoddy Quality. 
  Superior: The covenant is affluent, 
  and can afford every day luxuries like 
  beeswax candles and perfumed soap. It 
  can raise one third of its yearly income 
  in hard cash, but this drops this 
  Resource to Average Quality. 
  Excellent: The covenant displays 
  ostentatious wealth; even the servants 
  have tailored clothes, and the magi have 
  ready access to gemstones and precious 
  metals for enchantment. It can raise one 
  half of its yearly income in hard cash, 
  but this drops this Resource to Superior 
  Quality. 
  Legendary: the covenant has a near
  -endless supply of magically created 
  wealth, and lacks for nothing. It can 
  spend extravagantly without fear of 
  depleting its reserves, and the magi want 
  for nothing. 
  Provisions 
  Negligible: Mundanes at the 
  covenant get barely enough to eat, 
  resulting in a –2 Living Conditions 
  modifier. The magi eat little better, 
  resulting in –1. 
  Shoddy: Magi eat basic peasant fare, 
  whereas the mundanes are restricted to 
  poor quality food giving them a –1 
  Living Conditions modifier. 
  Average: The food is sufficiently 
  good that magi have a +1 Living 
  Conditions modifier. 
  Superior: Good food all round 
  results in a +2 Living Conditions 
  modifier for magi, and a +1 modifier 
  for all mundanes. 
  Excellent: Both magi and 
  mundanes eat like lords, and benefit 
  from a +2 Living Conditions modifier. 
  Legendary: Food is either magically 
  created (at the cost of vis), provided 
  (such as magical trees that provide fruit 
  all year round), or the covenfolk’s 
  nutritional requirements are somehow 
  met without recourse to food.  
  Finances for Non-
  Covenants 
  Other than the fact that only 
  covenants tend to have Legendary 
  Resources, the system described in this 
  article can be used for any institution. 
  This section has a few details on the 
  three most common economically-
  active institutions in Mythic Europe: 
  lordly manses, religious houses, and 
  guild chapters 
  Castles and Manses 
  The homes of barons and knights 
  are the closest to covenants, in terms of 
  finance. Only the Laboratories Resource 
  is inappropriate, and should be ignored. 
  The reputation of many lords derives in 
  part from the apparent success of their 
  manors, and they often go to pains to 
  have ostentations that their Resources 
  cannot actually afford. 
  A castle need not include its serfs, 
  villeins, and freemen in its Inhabitant 
  Points, only those peasants who 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  24 
  contribute directly to the upkeep of the 
  lord’s demesne.  
  Religious Houses 
  Churches and monasteries can be 
  modeled using this system if their 
  success is an important part of the saga. 
  Such institutions do not have 
  Laboratories, and they rarely have 
  Defenses, Soldiers, or Armaments only. 
  Under the Three Officers Option they 
  can usually dispense with the position 
  of marshal and his Resources altogether. 
  Some religious houses at significant 
  shrines maintain a small cadre of 
  watchmen under the guise of lay 
  brothers; and cathedrals are occasionally 
  responsible for the safety of the citizens 
  in one or more of its city’s wards (and 
  sometimes the entire city). In these 
  cases a marshal and his Resources are 
  warranted. 
  Guild Houses 
  Guild houses and the workshops of 
  craftsmen can also be simulated using 
  this system. Their income usually comes 
  from their own production, so good 
  Equipment is essential. City & Guild 
  introduced the idea of bonuses to 
  workshop totals based on Raw Materials 
  and Innovation which map onto 
  Provisions and Laboratories 
  respectively. A guild house usually 
  maintains a small cadre of warriors for 
  maintaining discipline and enforcing 
  guild law, but typically has lower than 
  Average Quality in Soldiers, Defenses, 
  and Armaments. 
   
   
   
  Example: The 
  Covenant of Vidua 
  Vasta 
  This large covenant in the Loch 
  Leglean Tribunal has 8 magi, 1 
  noblewoman, 9 companions and 
  apprentices, 6 specialists, 23 grogs, and 
  3 horses. This constitutes 110 
  Inhabitant Points, requiring 22 servants 
  and 11 laborers, for a Inhabitant Point 
  Total of 143. It has a Typical Source of 
  Income (a herring fishery), one Lesser 
  Source (a small farm), and one Minor 
  Source (a stake in a merchant business), 
  bringing in 175 Mythic Pounds per year.  
  The covenant is neither Wealthy nor 
  Poor, so its autocrat generates 27 Labor 
  Points per season (he has Int +2 and 
  Profession: Autocrat 7). 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  25 
  Vidua Vasta is a Summer covenant, 
  and its Resources are currently as 
  follows: 
  Covenfolk: 
  Average 
  Equipment: 
  Average 
  Laboratories: Superior 
  Provisions: 
  Average 
  Purse: 
   
  Shoddy 
  Armaments: 
  Average 
  Defenses: 
  Average 
  There are currently 23 Labor Points 
  in the autocrat’s stores.  
  The magi have created a few 
  utilitarian magical devices. The covenant 
  is heated magically through an 
  enchanted hearthstone CrIg 25 (Base 2, 
  +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +3 Struct, +1 Size; 
  +5 maintains concentration) . It also 
  possesses a spindle that generates linen 
  bedsheets, saving on washing and 
  repair. CrHe 20 (Base 1, +1 Touch, +2 
  Sun, +2 processed and worked; +10 
  unlimited uses). Between them, these 
  devices reduce the covenant’s costs by 2 
  Labor Points. 
  Francis the Autocrat is severely 
  overworked. He is expected to oversee 
  a merchant business (the Lesser Source 
  of Income) as well as teaching at the 
  local grammar school. Consequently, he 
  can only devote a single season to the 
  running of the covenant each year. As 
  noted above, he generates 27 Labor 
  Points in this season. 
  His Target is normally 36, but fifty 
  years of Inflation has raised this to 43 
  through Random Events. The covenant 
  has one Shoddy Resource and one 
  Superior Resource, which cancel each 
  other out in terms of extra Labor 
  Points. The covenant’s enchantments 
  s a v e  2  L a b o r  P o i n t s ,  a n d 
  Underpopulation reduces the total by 
  another 11 points (175 Mythic Pounds – 
  143 Inhabitant Points, divided by 3), 
  resulting in a final Target of 30. Francis 
  is a skilled autocrat, but he still has a 
  deficit of 3 every year. He can rely on 
  his store of Labor Points to negate the 
  shortfall of 3, but this costs him 6 
  points of his store every year. He can 
  only keep this up for three years before 
  the covenant starts to suffer. 
  If, in one year he manages to spend 
  two seasons putting the covenant 
  straight, he can double his earned Labor 
  Points to 54, giving him an excess of 24 
  to replenish the stores. This gives him 
  another four years of scraping by before 
  the covenant’s Resources suffer. 
  However, in doing this he is neglecting 
  his other duties to his pupils and his 
  staff. Nevertheless, the magi are 
  pressuring him to find money for better 
  equipment for the grogs, superior 
  laboratories, and a break from herring 
  twice a day. 
  The stress is too much for Francis. 
  His pleas for help have fallen on deaf 
  ears, and he decides to take measures 
  into his own hands. Having exhausted 
  his stored Labor Points, the covenant 
  goes into deficit. The covenant requires 
  30 Labor Points, and Francis supplies 
  only 27. He is forced to borrow from 
  the servant’s wages and pensions to 
  meet the bills, and the Covenfolk 
  Quality reduces from Average to 
  Shoddy. Since Francis has made it clear 
  to them who is to blame, the magi find 
  their servants surly and uncooperative. 
  In the following year, Francis still 
  earns 27 Labor Points and the covenant 
  now needs 29 (since under the Cost of 
  Resources option, the drop in Quality 
  saves the covenant 1 Labor Point). This 
  is still not enough, and Francis is unable 
  to procure sufficient raw material for 
  the armorer. The turb’s Armaments 
  declines to Shoddy, and the grogs are ill-
  equipped with poorly maintained armor. 
  By the third year, the covenant still 
  needs 28 Labor Points and Francis can 
  only provide 27.  The magi finally take 
  notice when Francis fails to pay the 
  upkeep costs of their laboratories, and 
  their former Superior Laboratories are 
  now merely Average. Some of the 
  laboratories lose the Virtues that incur 
  an Upkeep cost to bring them in line 
  with the new Quality level. 
  A crisis council meeting is held. 
  There is much shouting and a few tears, 
  but Francis gets his way. He is released 
  from his duties as autocrat; and instead 
  concentrates on his other businesses. 
  He recommends a steward and a 
  chamberlain to share his previous role, 
  and the turb captain steps up as 
  marshal. The covenant is now operating 
  the Three Officers option. 
  Although the Covenfolk Resource 
  fell Shoddy Quality under Francis, only 
  the chamberlain’s Servants Resource is 
  assumed to be at this level under the 
  new regime. The Steward has to find 30 
  Labor Points each year: 36 (base) + 7 
  (Random Events) – 2 (Enchantments) – 
  11 (Underpopulation). The Chamberlain 
  has to find two less since he has two 
  Shoddy Resources (Purse and Servants). 
  The marshal has to find one Labor 
  Point less (only Armaments is Shoddy). 
  The steward and chamberlain 
  generate 36 points each in their two 
  seasons of work (Int+Profession of 6); 
  the marshal is still learning his trade, 
  and only generates 24 Labor Points 
  (Int+Profession of 4) in his two 
  seasons, so he works a third season to 
  raise his Labor Points to 36. The 
  covenant is stable financially. This year 
  the new marshal receives three seasons 
  of Exposure in Profession: Marshal, and 
  also a season of Teaching, enough to 
  raise his score of 2 (with the correct 
  specialty) to 3. He’ll only have to work 
  two seasons next year. 
  Over the next few years, the turb 
  captain steadily improves his 
  Profession: Marshal Ability, and once 
  more proficient with his new role, he no 
  longer has to rely on aid from his fellow 
  officers. Between them, the three 
  officers build up a Labor Point store in 
  order to buy back the covenant’s former 
  Quality, and perhaps, in the future even 
  improve them further. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  26 
  From the Journal of Vulcanis 
  Argens: 
  The earth-moving device has finally 
  been removed from my sanctum. There 
  really was little room for a device that 
  looked to all intents like some kind of 
  siege engine. Indeed, for all I know that 
  may be its ultimate purpose. In fact, it 
  seems quite likely, given its ability to 
  create tunnels under the ground. I 
  destroyed any remaining arcane 
  connection to myself as a precaution. 
  Running on four solid wheels, I 
  constructed the with an array of shovels 
  at its forward edge that were themselves 
  set upon a shaft that rotated as the 
  device is moved forward and back by its 
  team of engineers. Where these shovels 
  touched earth, clay, and even stone, so a 
  quantity of that substance was 
  destroyed. The device is intricate 
  enough that earth containing metal ores 
  are spared, which makes the device an 
  effective mining tool, an argument I aim 
  to maintain should knowledge of the 
  device somehow become widespread. 
  I am not foolish enough to believe 
  that the covenant took no interest in my 
  work of the past several seasons. My 
  forge-companion Halbert told me on 
  many occasions that he had been asked 
  about the deliveries of timber and my 
  unusual and sudden interest in 
  carpentry; I reminded him that under no 
  circumstances should he make eye-
  contact with magus Bellatorius and to 
  stay entirely distant from maga Valeria. 
  When at last the device was 
  completed, I spent a week in preparing 
  my sanctum for the transportation of 
  the device. This was to be achieved 
  through magic as the difficulty of 
  spiriting the contraption away unseen 
  through other means was scarcely 
  achievable. Instead, I had Conrad fetch 
  arcane connections from the point to 
  which the device was to be delivered. I 
  used these to remotely see that place 
  and to draw in chalk upon the walls of 
  my laboratory surrounding the device 
  the scene as it would look were I 
  standing there. I am well-versed in the 
  preparation of casting spaces and the 
  use of specific resonant items to assist 
  with ceremonial casting, as all magi of 
  my House should be. 
  As yesterday dawned, I started my 
  spell-casting. I took my time. While I 
  had practiced the magic in the week 
  before, casting spontaneously is not the 
  From the Journal of 
  Vulcanis Argens 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  27 
  same as when calling upon a set 
  formula. The time of the day, the day of 
  the week, the phase of the moon, the 
  presence or not of witnesses to the 
  magic… These must all be accounted 
  for during the spontaneous casting. The 
  complexities involved give me a respect 
  for Magic Theory and its ability to 
  transmute time spent in designing a 
  formula into the ease of casting. I 
  imagine it like a balance; on one side 
  there is study and on the other the ease 
  of casting. One side is always full and 
  the other always empty. As an idle 
  thought, I wonder whether there is way 
  of making the balance more even. I 
  think that may be something best left to 
  followers of House Bonisagus. 
  At the concluding of a most tiring 
  ceremony, the great wooden frame 
  disappeared from my sanctum and, as I 
  checked with a spell to view the site 
  remotely, appeared alongside Conrad 
  and the grogs that accompanied him. I 
  watched as long as it took for Conrad to 
  receive payment from those sent to 
  collect the device. 
   
  From the Journal of Vulcanis 
  Argens: 
  Conrad returned last evening, 
  bringing with him the prize; in excess of 
  forty pawns of vis. 
   
  From the Journal of Vulcanis 
  Argens: 
  An alarm has been raised and I am 
  called from my bed to the council 
  chamber by Publius, Chamberlain to 
  Charonicus. The messenger said only 
  that a maid from the lower village has 
  gone missing. I am confident the matter 
  can be quickly resolved. 
   
  From the Journal of Vulcanis 
  Argens: 
  The missing woman is Octavia, a girl 
  I know in passing, though more from 
  Halbert’s description of the going’s on 
  in the covenant. Coming from the lower 
  village and afflicted with the 
  unfortunate warping that assaults many 
  from that part of the covenant, she 
  most frequently attends Charonicus in 
  his sanctum in the bowels of the tower. 
  The mundanes searched for her for a 
  time before raising the matter with the 
  magi. Benedic has confirmed that she is 
  not in the woods and both Bellatorius 
  and I have confirmed that she is not 
  within the Aegis. I have returned to my 
  sanctum to fetch vis, casting tools, and a 
  book of astrological tables that I often 
  find useful during ceremonial magic. 
  I am certain the woman will make 
  herself known, but her proximity to 
  Charonicus and the access she has to 
  the deepest levels of the tower are a 
  concern. 
   
  From the Journal of Vulcanis 
  Argens: 
  Octavia is found, though no spell of 
  our devising found her either living or 
  dead, on our island or off. We 
  attempted to cast words into her mind 
  to inform her that we were looking for 
  her and that she was to make herself 
  known by some means. Again, this was 
  fruitless. 
  Eventually, Legalitus summoned us 
  to his chambers at the top of the tower. 
  There, he commanded one of his spirits 
  to appear and to tell us what it saw. The 
  airy spirit told how he heard Octavia 
  scream and then the sound of running. 
  By the time the spirit found her basket 
  of washing rolling upon the ground, she 
  was gone. 
  The spirit was certain that the voice 
  was Octavia’s. Asked where this had 
  taken place, the spirit seemed abashed 
  until prompted by its master. 
  Following the spirit’s story, we 
  descended to confront Charonicus. It 
  was clear from the outset that he knew 
  more than he first wanted to reveal, but 
  given that the evidence led to him he 
  acquiesced. He had heard the scream 
  but he was not its architect. Reluctantly, 
  he revealed a chart that purported to 
  show a number of variable regio 
  entrances. He claimed that they rose 
  and fell likely with some regularity, 
  though he had not yet divined it. He 
  believed that she had either fallen into 
  one such regio or had been taken into it. 
  By using his chart and my book of 
  astrological tables we were able to find 
  some correlation between the two. 
  Finding the regio entrance, we found a 
  series of caves far larger than we 
  anticipated. It was clear from some 
  simple magics that the caves were 
  formed of multiple unstable regiones. 
  Treading carefully, we found Octavia. 
  She had indeed been snatched by 
  jealous ghosts of the covenant’s past. 
  What they sought to do with her 
  beyond torment her was not clear. 
  Perhaps that is all these desperate 
  creatures had in mind. Nevertheless, 
  once Bellatorius unleashed his magic the 
  motivations of these spirits hardly 
  mattered. 
  We returned Octavia to her family. 
   
  From the Journal of Vulcanis 
  Argens: 
  I wrote before of wishing Quaesitor 
  Valeria well in her search for an 
  apprentice. Those words now seem ill-
  considered. She has her apprentice and 
  there seems little any of us can do about 
  it. 
  Having been away visiting friends 
  elsewhere, much of what I write here is 
  based on reports from the other magi of 
  the covenant, but I have no cause to 
  consider any of this incorrect. 
  It seems that the story started some 
  years ago when Quaesitor Valeria was 
  sent to investigate reports of a covenant 
  that had once been thought lost but was 
  apparently still thriving, although 
  outside the Order’s intentions. I 
  remember the season well as she took 
  Benedic with her, with neither of them 
  considering it sensible to inform me of 
  his leaving. This covenant was by all 
  accounts occupied by two magi, both of 
  whom knew the Arts and some 
  common spells, but had never sworn 
  themselves to the Order. Worse, they 
  both knew Parma Magica. While both 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  28 
  claimed to be descended from certain 
  Houses, Flambeau and Jerbiton if 
  memory serves, they had no connection 
  to or knowledge of them. 
  Valeria soon unravelled the mystery. 
  The covenant, on the Isle of Wight, had 
  been a rarity from the days of the 
  Schism War; it was home to magi of 
  different Houses, including a maga of 
  House Diedne. I find it hard to 
  comprehend, but these magi were more 
  than simply members of a covenant; 
  they apparently felt genuine friendship 
  towards each other. It is an intriguing 
  notion. I am myself not without feelings 
  approaching friendship of course; I find 
  Benedic occasionally agreeable and 
  Bellatorius has a superb grasp on Magic 
  Theory that must truly be admired. I am 
  known to smile politely, even, from 
  time to time. 
  This covenant of long ago, however, 
  chose to declare itself fallen at the hands 
  of this Diedne maga and then to declare 
  her killed in the assault. They sacrificed 
  their covenant for the sake of providing 
  cover for this one maga who was by this 
  time considered an enemy of the Order. 
  Astonishing, quite astonishing. Should 
  the Order come to its senses and rid 
  itself of House Guernicus at some time 
  in the near future, I doubt I would risk 
  one yard of Donum Chanuti’s ground 
  over any maga of that House who 
  happened to call the covenant home. 
  But to the matter. In the ensuing 
  years, the descendants of those magi 
  closed themselves off from the Order 
  and hid their presence. Generations 
  later, the magi were startled by the 
  sudden appearance of a standing stone 
  in the grounds of their hall. Knowing 
  little else to do, they wrote for 
  assistance, a task that was assigned to 
  Valeria. The standing stone was, so it 
  seemed, enchanted through magic 
  unknown to provide a means for this 
  Diedne maga to lay dormant. Soon after 
  Valeria and Benedic arrived, the stone 
  cracked and the maga escaped from its 
  magic. 
  We must presume that the magic 
  had the ability to transform the very 
  body of the maga into stone. According 
  to Valeria, there were no regiones 
  involved and the standing stone itself 
  had risen from the ground rather than 
  simply appeared from nowhere. The 
  transformation was likely a means of 
  confounding Intellego Corpus spells 
  aimed at locating the errant maga. 
  Tracking this self-proclaimed 
  Diedne, Valeria confronted her with the 
  history of the Order since her flight 
  from the world. For reasons that I am 
  sure have some grounding in good 
  Quaesitorial practice, Valeria let the 
  woman go. Perhaps neither she nor 
  Benedic possessed the power to stop 
  her, but to hear Benedic tell it, Valeria 
  concluded that as House Diedne did 
  not exist, this woman could not be of 
  that House. As there was no evidence 
  of her possessing the Parma Magica, 
  Valeria considered her a hedge wizard 
  and let her about her business. As to the 
  two unwitting magi of the Isle of Wight, 
  she had Benedic adopt them into House 
  Ex Miscellanea forthwith. 
  Here the story might have ended; as 
  an ill-conceived display of clemency. 
  That was indeed how it seemed. Until 
  years later and the attack on Wheostan 
  the Old. 
  Wheostan is a friend to Donum 
  Chanuti, as he is to most across 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  29 
  Stonehenge. The first we knew of the 
  attack was when his familiar, the hound 
  Brodvik, came to the covenant. He took 
  Bellatorius, Valeria, and Benedic to 
  Wheostan’s camp, where they found 
  him dreadfully wounded, cut down on 
  the threshold to his wagon. 
  This was not all. Bellatorius fell first. 
  The blade bit into him from behind, the 
  assailant quick and unseen. Benedic was 
  the second target, but the enchanted 
  cuirass I had made for him turned aside 
  the blade. Two grogs fell in quick 
  succession and Valeria cast her magic to 
  try to find the attacker. Tostig, who I 
  had left behind, called upon the magi to 
  raise up a mist within the camp. They 
  did so and he used it to find their 
  invisible attacker. Making out her trail in 
  the mist, Tostig swung his axe and 
  caught her a deep blow to the side. 
  It was a pity he did not kill her 
  outright. The wound dispelled the 
  enchantment about her and she was 
  revealed to be little more than a child. 
  Magically binding her wounds, they 
  brought her back here, where Valeria 
  took charge of the prisoner. By the time 
  I returned, Wheostan’s wagon had also 
  been brought back, Wheostan himself 
  was in deep twilight, and Brodvik stood 
  guard over him. This girl, Godrun, is 
  Gifted, apparently taken by this Diedne 
  soon after her return. Her Hermetic 
  training had already started. I made clear 
  to Valeria that so too had her 
  indoctrination into the ideologies of 
  House Diedne, whatever they might be. 
  It was certain that this maga and now 
  her apprentice were a danger. 
  Valeria though has adopted Godrun 
  as her apprentice. Bellatorius is 
  understandably furious, as am I. Valeria 
  simply says that it is a quaesitorial 
  matter and not a covenant one. She will 
  come unstuck. The best thing we can do 
  is to hand the girl over to more senior 
  quaesitors and let them decide the 
  repercussions to those involved. 
   
  From the Journal of Vulcanis 
  Argens: 
  Valeria brought her apprentice down 
  to the hall to dine with us tonight. She 
  had the nerve to seat her at the table 
  with the magi. Not only are we 
  harbouring the offspring of House 
  Diedne under our very roof, but we are 
  now expected to eat at the same table as 
  an apprentice. We are being expected to 
  treat this dangerous cuckoo in the nest 
  as a maga of good standing. 
  If I did not fear the sudden and 
  overwhelming influx of Houses 
  Guernicus, Tremere, and Flambeau to 
  our little island I should report every 
  pertinent fact of the matter at the next 
  Tribunal. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  30 
  Willhardt of Bjornaer was a Rhine 
  magus with a plan. Using his House’s 
  mystery of Sensory Magic, he enchanted 
  a flute with the power to summon all 
  children who heard its tune. A further 
  enchantment allowed him to give 
  commands through the flute’s music 
  that only Gifted children would hear. 
  The flute had a very specific use: finding 
  potential apprentices. Once it was 
  complete, Willhardt set out to test the 
  flute on an unsuspecting village. 
  Unfortunately for Willhardt, there 
  was a terrible accident, and the magic of 
  the flute went wild. Instead of 
  summoning children, he summoned rats 
  and mice by the thousands. Willhardt 
  ran for it, terrified, when he saw hordes 
  of rats coming at him from all 
  directions. They would not stop chasing 
  him, and eventually he was forced to 
  throw the flute into the River Weser. 
  Most of the rats followed the flute and 
  drowned, but a very small proportion, 
  about a hundred rats and a few of the 
  largest mice, managed to save 
  themselves and crawl ashore, sputtering, 
  wet, and forever transformed. 
  The potent and uncontrolled magic 
  of Willhardt’s Enchanted Flute had 
  warped the rats, replacing their animal 
  Cunning with human Intelligence. 
  Confused and afraid, they huddled 
  together in the shadow of a large stone 
  and began to speak to each other as 
  they never had before. Some of the rats 
  remembered (“What a strange thing,” 
  they admitted, “to suddenly 
  remember!”) the secluded grove where 
  Willhardt and his fellow wizards dwelt. 
  They resolved to go there, but because 
  some were afraid that Willhardt would 
  kill them if he were to find out they still 
  lived, they resolved also to hide from 
  Rats Magica 
  By Jason Tondro 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  31 
  the sight of the wizards and keep their 
  true nature a secret. 
  It was miles to Willhardt’s covenant, 
  and the journey there was perilous, 
  taking many days. A few rats perished 
  on the way, but through their new 
  intelligence and the wisdom of their 
  leaders, most of the rats reached their 
  destination. Because they were only 
  warped animals, and not creatures with 
  Magic Might, they were able to enter the 
  Aegis. Moving in small groups to avoid 
  notice, they found temporary homes in 
  the huts and cottages of the covenfolk; 
  this meant they often had to 
  exterminate the mundane rodents and 
  other pests which already lived there. 
  The rats call this conflict The Great 
  War, and they consider it a tragic, but 
  necessary, evil. 
  This was a small covenant, really 
  only a Fengheld chapter house; aside 
  from Willhardt there were only two 
  other magi: an ancient Bonisagus named 
  Tancred, French by birth, who had fled 
  the chaos of Normandy a century ago, 
  and his final apprentice, Marjery, now 
  newly Gauntleted. Each of the magi had 
  a private tower hidden among the trees 
  of the grove. While the two younger 
  magi busied themselves with the politics 
  of the Tribunal, the rats settled in to 
  their new home. Because of their great 
  number, some moved into the towers of 
  the magi, and there they began to 
  witness magical activities such as 
  laboratory work and the casting of 
  spells. 
  A few of the rats were more 
  intelligent and curious than the others, 
  though their ideas were seen as 
  dangerous and they themselves were 
  constantly under suspicion. The leader 
  of these rats, who had taken the name 
  Socrates, broke the laws of his people 
  after many long nights of observation 
  and revealed himself to the old 
  Bonisagus in whose tower he lived. 
  Amused and intrigued by the intelligent 
  rodent, Tancred spent a season 
  conducting various tests and 
  experiments upon his new friend, and in 
  the end made a startling discovery: 
  Socrates was not just intelligent, he was 
  Gifted! 
  Suddenly, the rat infestation in the 
  covenant took on new importance. 
  Increasingly obsessed, the old magus 
  took it upon himself to try and open the 
  Arts for Socrates, and he succeeded. But 
  although a rat could now work 
  spontaneous magic, something was 
  wrong. Perhaps because of his tiny size 
  or his brief lifespan, all the magic 
  Socrates wielded was reduced in scale 
  and potency. Even so, it was a 
  remarkable discovery. Socrates poured 
  over his master’s books and lab, 
  learning everything in much less time 
  than an ordinary apprentice. At the end 
  of a year’s instruction, he was as 
  knowledgeable as any newly-Gauntleted 
  magus. With his last words, Tancred 
  made the rat swear the Oath and gave 
  him the name “Aux Gernon,” (“with 
  mustache”, in Tancred’s native French, 
  and a joke on the rat’s prodigious 
  whiskers). Then, he faded into Twilight. 
  Socrates was held in suspicion by his 
  fellow rats, but he wielded his new 
  powers for good even as he continued 
  to study and refine his Gift. He 
  identified a handful of other Gifted rats, 
  opened their Arts, and taught what he 
  could. Meanwhile, the chapter house 
  was falling apart. Willhardt’s continued 
  meddling in mundane affairs got him 
  killed, leaving only Marjery. Unwilling to 
  carry on the covenant by herself, she 
  dismissed the covenfolk, packed as 
  many books as she could carry, 
  activated the covenant’s defenses, and 
  returned to Fengheld, locking the gates 
  behind her. The rats were alone. 
  Soon after the departure of the magi 
  and covenfolk, the rats gathered 
  together openly for the first time since 
  their escape from the Weser. They 
  named this gathering the Second Great 
  Council, retroactively marking that 
  frightened meeting under the shadow of 
  a stone as their First Great Council. 
  Over days the rats debated their future 
  until finally Tobias, one of their leaders 
  and a close friend of Socrates, managed 
  to persuade them that this place could 
  be made into an ideal home.  
  With the help of many rats and the 
  equipment left behind by the departing 
  magi, Socrates was able to invent a Creo 
  Herbam spell to grow a mighty oak tree 
  in a single day and, moreover, to fill that 
  oak with chambers, stairs, and halls. 
  This became the new home of the rats, 
  and they named it Oakhollow. Socrates 
  and his fellow magi Aux Gernon 
  became the de facto leaders of the rat 
  community, though they seldom gave 
  instructions directly, instead operating 
  through mundane rat intermediaries 
  such as an autocrat and other custos. 
  The rest of the community was also 
  organized along covenant lines, with a 
  Turb of Grogs and covenfolk toiling to 
  produce food, tools, and other crafted 
  goods.  
  Over a decade has passed. Socrates 
  has now grown very old indeed, and 
  would have died years ago if not for the 
  power of his Longevity Ratual. Even so, 
  he has grown weak and feeble, and will 
  soon pass from the world forever. The 
  Rats of Oakhollow are filled with doubt 
  and fear over the future. What will 
  become of them, when Socrates is 
  gone? When will the magi of the Order 
  return to collect the remaining treasures 
  left behind in Tancred’s old covenant? 
  What will they, the rats, do when this 
  happens? Perhaps they should move, 
  and make a new home somewhere the 
  Order will never look for them. But 
  where? And how? 
  The Rats of 
  Oakhollow 
  To a casual inspection, the Rats of 
  Oakhollow look like perfectly normal, 
  uninteresting, black rats. They have 
  slender bodies, large eyes and ears, 
  pointed noses, and long tails. However, 
  a closer look reveals a strange 
  intelligence in their eyes, almost as if 
  they know something. While the rats 
  seldom wear clothing over their bodies 
  (which are after all covered in fur), they 
  do use gloves, boots, and tools, and 
  carry their belongings in satchels, bags 
  and packs. They sometimes wrap their 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  32 
  tails for warmth or protection; hats are 
  considered fashionable and a useful 
  marker of status. These objects, and 
  others, can sometimes be found on 
  their person.  
  Most rats are Size -7. (ArM5 assigns 
  rats Size -8, but this is corrected to -7 in 
  subsequent books.) However, larger 
  (Size -6) and especially smaller (Size -8) 
  examples are not uncommon. There is 
  also a mouse minority living in 
  Oakhollow, descendants from the 
  handful who survived the river ten years 
  ago. They suffer a social stigma due to 
  their size and physical weakness; 
  represent this with the Dwarf Flaw. 
  They are Size -9. A rat with Giant Blood 
  would be a freak among his kind, as 
  large as a rabbit (Size -5) and probably 
  the Infernal spawn of a large rat and a 
  small herbivore like a badger.  
  The Rats of Oakhollow can speak. 
  All know Rat with a Score of 2. They 
  can speak to other rodents with a 
  Language Score of 1. However, the 
  language of rats is too limited for the 
  Rats of Oakhollow, and they have 
  adopted Latin, learning it from 
  immersion in the covenant when the 
  human magi were active. Latin is now 
  passed down as the living language of 
  everyday speech. A few rats have 
  experimented with a new form of Rat 
  Language using invented vocabulary 
  and complex syntax, but it hasn’t caught 
  on. Note that, because the Rats of 
  Oakhollow have Intelligence, Animal 
  Ken does not work on them. 
  Rats of Oakhollow age very rapidly, 
  at a rate roughly 13 times faster than a 
  man. This has significant consequences 
  for them, both mechanically and 
  magically. A Rat of Oakhollow is a 
  mature adult at the age of one year; at 
  that time it has acquired the 
  characteristics, abilities, and other 
  features of a Typical Rat of Oakhollow 
  (see below). They begin making aging 
  rolls after three years, rolling once a 
  month. When calculating a rat’s Aging 
  Total (ArM5, page 168), use the rat’s 
  actual age instead of (age/10).  
  Rats of Oakhollow can perform a 
  seasonal activity in a single week; this 
  specifically includes methods of 
  advancement such as Practice, Training, 
  or Teaching. While a typical NPC gets 
  15 XP a year (30 for magi, academics, or 
  other special cases), a Rat of Oakhollow 
  gets 15 XP (30 for rat magi) every four 
  weeks, or 195 XP in one year! (390 for 
  rat magi.) This is balanced by the fact 
  that Rats of Oakhollow are usually dead 
  by the age of 5. Rat magi can extend 
  their lives through magic, but 
  accumulate warping at a quickened rate 
  and still roll aging rolls every month, 
  ensuring they live only a fraction of the 
  span afforded a typical Hermetic magus.  
  A rat can use a Profession skill to 
  craft objects using the rules detailed in 
  Craft & Guild, and can do so in weeks 
  instead of seasons, but the objects are 
  all rat-sized. 
   
  The Lineage of Aux 
  Gernon 
  Rat magi can do anything a human 
  magus can do but on a much smaller 
  scale. They possess the free Virtue, 
  “Gifted Rat,” which is described in the 
  nearby sidebar. There have been about a 
  dozen Gifted rats in the history of 
  Oakhollow, but not all have survived. 
  The rules for rat magi are guided by 
  a single principle: if a troupe was to 
  make a covenant of rat magi and play 
  entirely on the scale of such animals, 
  they could use the rules for Ars Magica 
  and Hermetic magic entirely as written. 
  See the later section entitled A Rats 
  Magica Saga for more on this principle. 
  When rat magi interact with human 
  magi, however, the following rules and 
  guidelines apply: 
   
  The rat’s damaging spells have a 
  penalty of -7. For example, Pilum 
  of Fire cast by a rat magus has a 
  damage bonus of only +8.  
   
  The base target for rat Hermetic 
  magic is seven steps smaller than 
  an ordinary base target. For 
  example, an Animal spell 
  targeting an individual has a base 
  target of an animal of Size -6 or 
  smaller, or about the size of a 
  thrush.  
   
  An Aegis of the Hearth created 
  by a rat magus inflicts a casting 
  penalty seven less than it 
  New Virtue: Gifted Rat 
  (Special Virtue) 
  You are a rat or mouse without Might 
  but with the power to work magic, the 
  result of a freakish accident of Warping 
  which has continued to appear in the rat 
  and mouse population of Mythic Europe. 
  Amongst the Rats of Oakhollow, roughly 
  one Gifted Rat is born every year. 
  Technically, you are a Transformed 
  Animal (see Realms of Power: Magic) but 
  you use special rules for character 
  creation governed by your brief lifespan 
  and heightened rate of activity. 
  You suffer all the penalties of the Gift, 
  though this is less noticeable when you 
  interact with human beings, who will 
  already consider a talking rat strange and 
  untrustworthy. Animals with Intelligence 
  react to you with suspicion and mistrust, 
  as human beings react to Gifted magi. 
  Animals with Cunning treat you as they 
  would human magi. While an animal with 
  cunning will often flee Gifted people, you 
  are small and weak, and so predatory 
  animals such as dogs and cats are much 
  more likely to attack you out of 
  instinctual hatred. The Gentle or Blatant 
  Gift modifies these reactions as normal. 
  You can learn Supernatural Abilities 
  without the corresponding Virtues, and 
  may be taught Hermetic magic. If you do 
  learn Hermetic magic, you have the same 
  difficulty learning Supernatural Abilities 
  that Hermetic magi do. Your Hermetic 
  magic works on a much smaller scale 
  than it does for human beings; amongst 
  your fellow rodents this effect is 
  imperceptible, but when you interact with 
  human magi you suffer a serious 
  handicap. See The Lineage of Aux 
  Gernon for the specific mechanical 
  restrictions on your spells. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  33 
  normally would. For example, a 
  level 20 Aegis would normally 
  inflict a -10 penalty to casting 
  totals, but a human magus in an 
  Aegis created by a rat would have 
  only a -3 penalty. A rat magus 
  would suffer the full -10 penalty.  
   
  A rat magus engaged in 
  Certamen against a human magus 
  has a -7 penalty to his 
  Penetration total. 
   
  In other cases, the target has a 
  +7 bonus to Magic Resistance 
  against the rat’s spell. Do not 
  apply this penalty if one of the 
  other penalties has already 
  applied.  
  Scale also affects the way in which 
  rat magi use vis. One standard pawn of 
  vis is an enormous treasure for a rat, 
  who uses only a tiny fraction of a pawn 
  at a time. A single pawn of vis is worth 
  300 rat-pawns. Rat magi use rat-pawns 
  exactly as if they were regular pawns, 
  and are limited in their use of rat-pawns 
  by their Magic Theory score.  
  Like other Rats of Oakhollow, rat 
  magi can perform a seasonal activity, 
  such as lab work, in a single week. 
  When calculating advancement for a rat 
  magus, he gains 30 XP every four 
  weeks. Apprenticeship among rat magi 
  lasts for one year. A rat magus can make 
  a Talisman or any other enchanted 
  object using rat-pawns, but such an 
  object is always scaled for rat-size. 
  Rats can use Animal instead of 
  Corpus to extend their lifespan, creating 
  what are known as Longevity Ratuals. 
  They acquire Warping from these 
  Ratuals every month, instead of every 
  year. Rats can also bind familiars, but 
  the base Size for computing the vis cost 
  and bonding level is -7 instead of 0. So, 
  for example, a rat needs 4 rat-pawns to 
  bond a (non-magical) toad, 3 to bond a 
  bat, 2 to bond a minnow, and 1 to bond 
  anything of Size -11 or smaller, 
  Rats as Familiars 
  Gifted rats may be the ideal familiar for 
  a Hermetic magus. Intelligent and 
  capable of assisting in the laboratory, they 
  do not have Might and can continue to 
  learn from experience. 
  Rat magi that might be laughed out of 
  the Order, enslaved by pitiless human 
  magi, or wiped out as a threat to the 
  Order instead earn a protected status 
  under the Code, becoming magical assets 
  of their magi. To steal or injure them 
  becomes a Hermetic crime. The status of 
  familiars is greater than that of mere 
  apprentices, more of a lifetime 
  partnership, and therefore not insulting 
  to a rat’s dignity. 
  But a rat magus who is a familiar is also 
  at risk: the loss of a familiar is a standard 
  punishment for certain Hermetic crimes, 
  and a rat magus could find himself 
  sentenced to death for a crime he did not 
  commit. It was, instead, committed by his 
  magus! 
  Binding a rat magus as a familiar slows 
  down his rate of learning and activity, 
  along with his aging. The rat familiar now 
  performs seasonal activities in a season 
  instead of a week, and gains 30 XP every 
  year, instead of every 4 weeks. A rat 
  magus who is currently bound to a 
  familiar cannot, in turn, he bound. In 
  principle, the rat’s bond with his familiar 
  could be severed to permit bonding with 
  a human magus, but no sane rat magus 
  would ever consent to such a thing. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  34 
  including insects.  
  Rats can study from books, but most 
  human books are too large and heavy 
  for a rat to comfortably read. A rat 
  treats all human books as if they were 
  Huge, according to the guidelines in 
  C o v e n a nt s .  Se v er a l  r a t s  c a n 
  simultaneously study from sucbook, h a 
  if they have a way to easily open it, close 
  it, and turn pages. (The Rats of 
  Oakhollow have developed spells to do 
  exactly this.) The exact number of 
  readers depends on the size of the 
  book, but since there are so few rat 
  magi, it is probably safe to say that a 
  human book can accommodate as many 
  rat magi as wish to study from it.  
  A rat can study a human book at the 
  same time a human magus is reading it, 
  but this takes an entire season. Most 
  rats cannot afford to use three months 
  for such an activity, so this is something 
  of a last resort. Conversely, rat books 
  are too small for a human magus to use 
  unless he is willing to shrink himself to 
  Size -5 or smaller. Even then, a human 
  magus would need a season to 
  profitably study from such a book.  
  Oakhollow 
  The Covenant of Oakhollow is 
  housed within a large oak tree situated 
  on the bank of a stream. The tree was 
  created through ritual magic by Socrates 
  Aux Gernon of Bonisagus, the greatest 
  of the rat magi, and is a young Summer 
  covenant, growing in power but facing 
  dangerous external threats. Half a dozen 
  magi live on the upper floors, within the 
  trunk. The middle of the tree is for 
  social gatherings and is the living 
  quarters of the covenant’s custos; many 
  of the covenant’s specialist facilities, 
  including the hospital and a few 
  chambers for domesticated insects, are 
  here. Most of the turb live on the 
  ground floors, and a waterwheel 
  constructed by the rats dips into the 
  stream and provides motive power for a 
  number of mechanical innovations 
  including a pulley system, grain mill, and 
  clock. Winding staircases work their way 
  in and around the tree’s roots to storage 
  and additional living chambers 
  underneath the tree. A warren is kept 
  for domesticated rabbits used as draft 
  animals. Because of the danger of fire, 
  the covenant’s smithy and workshops 
  are beneath ground, some distance from 
  the tree, vented with carefully-hidden 
  smoke holes. More tunnels, storage 
  chambers, and living quarters are always 
  being hollowed out beneath the three, 
  carefully designed to avoid weakening 
  the tree’s structure. The dirt is removed 
  from the tunnels in small carts which 
  are hauled from underground through 
  the pulley system powered by the water 
  wheel. The entire tree is protected by an 
  Aegis of the Hearth cast at the sixth 
  magnitude (inflicting a penalty of -8 
  upon human magi who might try to cast 
  spells upon or inside it), and the grand 
  doors to the covenant, located on the 
  ground floor, are clearly marked with 
  the Order’s sign for a wizard’s sanctum. 
  (Technically, the entire interior of the 
  New Spells 
  Note that because the base target for 
  objects scales up faster than the Size of 
  creatures, the 7 point difference between 
  rats and human beings can generally be 
  overcome by a 2 magnitude increase in 
  the spell level. 
   
  There is Life Yet In You 
  CrAn 30 
  R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind, Ritual 
  All wounds on the target animal 
  immediately improve by one level of 
  severity; 
  an 
  Incapacitating 
  Wound 
  becomes a Heavy Wound, a Heavy 
  Wound becomes a Medium Wound, and 
  so forth. Light Wounds are healed 
  instantly. When a rat magus uses it, it 
  affects animals of Size -6 or smaller.  
  (Base 25, +1 Touch) 
   
   
  A Spell For Turning Pages 
  ReAn 4 
  R: Touch, T: Part, D: Mom 
  Casting this spell turns one page in a 
  book of up to Huge size. (For a rat 
  magus, that means the spell works on 
  ordinary 
  human 
  books.) 
  Socrates 
  developed it in order to safely use books 
  in Tancred’s laboratory. If the book’s 
  pages are paper (or some other more 
  unusual material) instead of parchment, 
  the spell gains an appropriate requisite. 
  Rats are nearsighted and typically walk 
  on the page in order to read it. Magi 
  benefiting from spells which enhance 
  their vision might learn a variant of this 
  spell with Range Voice. 
  (Base 1, +1 Touch, +1 Part, +1 Size) 
   
  The Levitating Laboratory 
  ReTe 30 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Room 
  This spell animates the tools and 
  equipment in a laboratory so that it 
  answers to the spoken commands of the 
  magus. Two magnitudes are added for 
  size, allowing a rat magus to use the lab 
  of a human magus. Finesse rolls will be 
  required for delicate work.  
  This spell has additional requisites 
  based on the materials used in the lab.  
  Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +2 Room, 
  +2 Size 
   
  Conjuring the Oaken Home 
  CrHe 45 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind, Ritual 
  Socrates’ greatest triumph was to 
  grow a mighty oak tree in a single day, 
  filling it with chambers, halls, and stairs 
  according to his own design. If this spell 
  were devised by a human magus, it would 
  be reduced 2 magnitudes.  
  Base 15, +1 Touch, +2 Size, +3 
  elaborate design 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  35 
  tree is Socrates’s sanctum, though the 
  other rat magi also have private 
  sanctums within it. No human magus 
  would risk living permanently inside 
  another magi’s sanctum, but Socrates is 
  trusted beyond doubt.) 
  The rats know the grounds of the 
  abandoned human covenant well, 
  having explored virtually every corner 
  of it in the last ten years. They have 
  plundered it for tools, trinkets, and raw 
  materials, but their needs are so small 
  that even after a decade their theft can 
  easily go unnoticed. Marjery’s Tower is 
  almost completely empty, as she had 
  few personal belongings beyond those 
  she carried away with her when she left. 
  The rats seldom have need to travel 
  there. Willhardt’s Tower is the only 
  place the rats have yet to enter; he 
  protected it with a ring ward against 
  vermin and, while the rats have long 
  debated how to break the ring, they’re 
  not entirely sure they want to. 
  Tancred’s Tower is a trove of 
  treasures, including Tancred’s old 
  laboratory and personal library. The 
  equipment and books are too heavy for 
  the rats to move; in the past, when a rat 
  magus wished to use the lab or consult 
  Tancred’s books, a large group of rats 
  accompanied him and, working 
  together, manipulated the equipment. 
  This is risky and accidents were 
  inevitable; some rats died in such lab 
  work and Solomon eventually invented 
  a spell allowing him to manipulate the 
  lab and its contents through magic. 
  Unfortunately, Tancred’s old familiar 
  still lurks within the tower and she 
  blames Socrates and the other rats for 
  her master’s passing. The rats tried for 
  years to come to a peaceful 
  understanding with the cat, but the 
  beast is so forlorn and melancholy over 
  the loss of her master that her grief has 
  become an obsessive need for 
  vengeance, and now the rats can only 
  avoid her. Using Tancred’s lab remains 
  a desperate last resort. 
  The covenant as a whole is 
  surrounded by an eight foot iron fence 
  broken by a single main gate which is 
  locked. The Aegis cast by the human 
  magi has long since faded, but some 
  protective spells on the gate remain. 
  The first time each day that someone 
  touches the gate, a face appears on its 
  surface and shouts a warning: “Who 
  dares intrude upon this chapter house 
  of Fengheld Covenant? Begone, lest 
  deadly curses fall upon you! You have 
  been warned!” 
  If someone touches the gate and the 
  first warning spell has already been 
  activated, a second spell activates. It 
  targets the touching individual and his 
  Group, if there is one, with a 
  Penetration +30 Mentem effect. If the 
  spell penetrates the target’s Magic 
  Resistance, the victim runs wild in the 
  forest, stripping off his clothes and 
  behaving like an animal until dusk or 
  dawn, whichever comes first. 
  If the gate is touched and both the 
  first and second ward have been 
  activated, the gate’s final defense 
  activates: the gate itself transforms back 
  into its true shape, a towering elemental 
  made of pure iron. Without directions 
  from a magus, the elemental attacks 
  anything bearing metal or stone, which 
  is all it can sense. If it senses nothing to 
  attack, it wanders randomly. 
  Stories 
  The Rats of Oakhollow can be used 
  to tell many different kinds of stories, 
  Enemies and Threats 
  The Rats of Oakhollow have been at 
  peace for years, but peace makes for 
  boring stories. Here are a few adversaries 
  and threats they are most likely to face: 
   
  Pride of the Bee King 
  The Bee King within Oakhollow is 
  young and aggressive, eager to make a 
  name for himself. Accordingly, he is 
  building up his forces to make war on the 
  rats, convincing his subjects that they are 
  vicious intruders touched by the devil 
  and wielding infernal powers. To a 
  human, a bee is an inconsequential threat. 
  To a rat, however, a well-armed and 
  arrayed army of flying soldiers - even 
  small ones - must be taken seriously. If 
  rat PCs are Size 0, an individual bee is 
  Size -4.  
  Dogs and Cats 
  The natural predator upon rats is the 
  dog and the cat, and rat magi are sure to 
  come into conflict with these animals. 
  The local farmer may have hounds to 
  guard his home, a terrier may keep the 
  local baroness company, and stray cats 
  and dogs are ubiquitous in town. 
  Hermetic magi often take dogs (Tytalus) 
  and cats (Jerbiton) as familiars, and these 
  creatures 
  sometimes 
  outlive 
  their 
  masters, as is the case with Tancred’s 
  familiar in Oakhollow. See Realms of 
  Power: Magic for the Lineage of Cats and 
  examples of other magical animals. 
  Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults can be 
  useful for determining the game statistics 
  for additional animals.  
   
   
  The Ratcatcher 
  The ultimate non-magical threat to a 
  covenant of rats is the ratcatcher. 
  Medieval ratcatchers use traps, terriers, 
  and poison. Intelligent rats will not fall 
  for most of a ratcatcher’s tricks or behave 
  in a way he can predict, but he will pose a 
  tremendous physical challenge, especially 
  if he has the company of a pack of 
  trained dogs. He will be so big that no 
  spell cast by a rat magus will affect him, 
  and his enormous Wound Levels will 
  make him all but invulnerable. A 
  ratcatcher who realizes he is outmatched 
  might resort to magic of his own, 
  including a rat-summoning flute such as 
  that wielded by the Pied Piper of Hamlin.  
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  36 
  from straight up combat to diplomacy, 
  intrigue, or exploration. 
  The Abandoned 
  Covenant 
  The default use of the Rats of 
  Oakhollow is to place them, and the 
  abandoned human covenant site in 
  which they dwell, near enough to the 
  PCs that the players choose to explore 
  it. Although they are ostensibly located 
  in the Rhine, the rats are easily moved 
  to virtually any Tribunal. The PCs may 
  be on an official recovery mission from 
  a powerful covenant (likely in well-
  established Tribunals like Normandy, 
  Transylvania, the Greater Alps or 
  Rhine), or they may be exploring on 
  their own in an effort to gather books, 
  vis, and enchanted items for their own 
  Spring covenant (more suitable to 
  border Tribunals like Hibernia, Levant, 
  or Novgorod). In addition to all the 
  standard dangers found in an 
  abandoned covenant site -- magical 
  traps, local Faeries or demons, ghosts of 
  dead magi -- the PCs also have to 
  decide what to do about the rats and 
  their magi.  
  As Storyguide, tailor the reception 
  given by the rats in order to create the 
  kind of story you and your players want 
  to tell. If you want a battle in the 
  Lilliputian style, vast numbers of rats 
  have prepared mechanical and magical 
  traps for human intruders, ranging from 
  simple pits and net traps to rat-sized 
  catapults and ballista fashioned out of 
  crossbows left behind by the human 
  Turb. A combat oriented story is 
  something of an uphill battle, however, 
  because the rats are inherently weak and 
  puny; defeating them isn’t much to 
  boast about. Instead, consider an 
  approach that emphasizes diplomacy, 
  communication, and an exchange of 
  ideas. After all, the Magi Aux Gernon 
  have sworn to the Code and, while they 
  have never been officially recognized as 
  Rat 
  Magi 
  and 
  Original 
  Research 
  The rat magi have no unique magical 
  secrets; there’s nothing they know which 
  is not known to the Order at large, save 
  for a few spells which are useful only to 
  rats. However, there is something Magi 
  Aux Gernon could do better than any 
  human magus: original research.  
  Rat magi can perform a seasonal 
  activity in a week. They don’t live very 
  long, but a Magus Aux Gernon willing to 
  dedicate his life to the task could develop 
  a minor breakthrough in a year, a major 
  breakthrough in a year and a half, and a 
  Hermetic breakthrough in two years 
  (assuming the breakthrough is even 
  possible). These are averages, of course, 
  and there is a lot of variability in original 
  research, but the benefit of a rat’s 
  accelerated lifespan is clear.  
  This could prove a powerful incentive 
  for a Hermetic magus, especially a 
  Bonisagus, to gather the Magi Aux 
  Gernon and force them to conduct 
  research on his personal interest. This 
  also exacerbates tension between the rats 
  and the Order, because rats who become 
  familiars to a Hermetic magi lose the 
  ability to rapidly perform seasonal tasks, 
  and cannot be exploited in this way. If, as 
  a Storyteller, you don’t want to worry 
  about the impact of original research 
  conducted by the rat magi, presume that 
  any breakthrough made by a rat magus is 
  also governed by the small scale of rat 
  magic; this might make it useless to 
  human magi.  
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  37 
  magi or as belonging to a House, they 
  believe in the Order and would gladly 
  join it if given the opportunity. Another 
  kind of story might emphasize 
  liberation and providing aid: perhaps 
  the rats have already been discovered by 
  an unscrupulous magus who arrived 
  before the PCs and who has bullied the 
  rats into servitude. The PCs have an 
  opportunity to free the rats from 
  bondage, but they’ll have to defeat the 
  magus and his allies, which might 
  include Grogs, a familiar, and 
  supernatural aid such as ghosts, magical 
  spirits, faeries or demons. 
  Secret Neighbors 
  Alternately, place the rats inside the 
  PC covenant! While their oak tree 
  makes a fine refuge, they could live 
  almost anywhere, including inside castle 
  walls or deep within underground 
  catacombs. The rats might have come 
  recently to the covenant and be seeking 
  a new home, or they may have been 
  here all along, predating the PCs arrival. 
  This makes for excellent Covenant 
  Boons and Hooks, such as Resident 
  Nuisance, Dark Secret, Inhuman 
  Covenfolk, or Mystical Allies. 
  Covenfolk probably notice the rat 
  infestation before the magi do, and the 
  first season might be spent just trying to 
  catch and trap the rats. Strangely, the 
  traps never work, forcing the covenfolk 
  to escalate to predatory animals like cats 
  or terriers or the hiring of a professional 
  ratcatcher, probably with the assistance 
  of the covenant’s autocrat. It’s not until 
  inarguable evidence of magic is 
  discovered that the magi are told about 
  the problem, though it is possible a 
  magus may already be wondering why a 
  rat is sometimes found in his lab or 
  sitting upon an opened tractatus. 
  It would not be too difficult for 
  magi to exterminate the rats en masse, 
  provided one of them is willing to put 
  the time and effort into inventing a spell 
  for poisonous air. But the rats will also 
  attempt to befriend at least one of the 
  magi in the hope of gaining an ally and 
  spokesman who can help protect them 
  or, at the very least, provide an escape. 
  Magi Aux Gernon and 
  the Order 
  In sagas which emphasize Hermetic 
  politics, the rat magi may petition to 
  join the Order within House Ex 
  Miscellanea. There are basically two 
  ways to do this, either of which might 
  happen during another story. For 
  example, while the magi are 
  investigating the strange rat infestation 
  within their castle, Socrates and his 
  fellow magi are trying to get into the 
  Order as a way of gaining protection 
  against the PCs.  
  The first form of this story is an up-
  front and honest one: the rats, probably 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  38 
  already discovered by the PCs, travel to 
  Cad Gadu and ask to join the House. If 
  there is a Tribunal looming, the rats 
  send an embassy and intend to register 
  Oakhollow as a covenant. Even if Ex 
  Miscellanea agrees to accept them, their 
  membership is likely to be challenged at 
  Tribunal, probably by a Tytalus magus 
  who seeks to use the case as a way to 
  establish precedent. Can a non-human 
  being join the Order? Quaesitors might 
  investigate, probably using size-
  changing magic to enter Oakhollow. 
  Redcaps need a way to reach the 
  covenant and might expect the Rats to 
  offer them hospitality. Human magi 
  might seek to replicate the accident that 
  gave the rats the Gift, or might try to 
  dominate the rats and use them for 
  personal gain.  
  A second approach is for the rats to 
  attempt to join the Order without their 
  true nature being known. If they can 
  manage to be accepted as magi and 
  register their covenant through a proxy 
  -- a magus ally, a hired Redcap, or 
  simple correspondence -- they can then 
  reveal their true nature and use the 
  Code as a defense against aggressive 
  Hermetic magi. For this strategy to 
  work, the rats need to slowly build their 
  own reputation, writing to various magi 
  in the Tribunal, introducing themselves 
  and offering to exchange spells and 
  books. Offers to meet are reluctantly 
  and politely declined, citing a reclusive 
  nature, nocturnal habits, and lab 
  experiments that cannot be interrupted. 
  These letters are, in fact, written by rat 
  magi using spells to operate human-
  sized quills. They sign their names as 
  magi Ex Miscellanea, trusting that 
  House’s lackadaisical records to make 
  their claim plausible, and are especially 
  interested in building alliance against 
  out-of-control Wizard’s War. Wizard’s 
  War poses the greatest risk to this 
  strategy since, even if the rats manage to 
  trick their way into the Order, nothing 
  protects them from an angry magus 
  who decides to take out his frustration 
  on the rats and their kind. The PCs 
  would make excellent defenders in this 
  case, provided the rats could come up 
  with some form of compensation, but 
  the rats have limited time to achieve 
  their goal before the PCs become too 
  suspicious of these mysterious magi and 
  come to Oakhollow to investigate in 
  person. 
  The logical compromise is for the 
  Magi Aux Gernon to become familiars 
  to Hermetic magi. Even one human 
  magus, if properly powerful and 
  influential, could be enough to provide 
  the rats a safe haven. But this does not 
  grant the rats actual membership in the 
  Order, and poses new risks. See the 
  nearby sidebar for more on Gifted Rat 
  familiars.  
  A Rats Magica Saga 
  Rather than interacting with the rats 
  as unusual NPCs, players can make rat 
  characters! Mechanically, this actually 
  simplifies things enormously. Use the 
  regular rules for Ars Magica and 
  Hermetic magic, treating rats as Size 0 
  and men as Size +7. Ignore all the 
  magic guidelines listed under The 
  Lineage of Aux Gernon; rat magi have 
  no penalty to damage, Certamen, or 
  anything else. Most foes, however, will 
  be enormous and deadly; spells will 
  have to be designed with extra 
  magnitudes just to affect them. 
  At their heart, rat sagas are about the 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  39 
  contrast between the Small and the 
  Great. On one hand, rat heroes are tiny, 
  fragile, and clever, surrounded by a 
  world both vast and deadly; they are the 
  ultimate underdog. On the other hand, 
  a rat magus is possessed of incredible 
  power far beyond his physical 
  proportions. Stories true to these 
  themes will highlight both the 
  advantages and liabilities of being small 
  and weak. For example, rat characters 
  may get swept up in events of great 
  historical import, and find themselves in 
  the company of famous historical 
  figures... who don’t know they exist. A 
  rat’s greatest strength is his ability to 
  hide and avoid notice, and a rat who has 
  attracted the attention of the great and 
  powerful has almost certainly done 
  something wrong. A rat Aux Gernon 
  wields Hermetic magic and is an 
  individual to be feared, but the world is 
  full of beings aligned with the divine, 
  infernal, faerie and magical realms, and 
  most of them are not Size -7. 
  In Rats Magica, a human Hermetic 
  magus is both the ultimate resource and 
  an apocalyptic threat; his library and 
  laboratory offer knowledge and wealth 
  beyond all imagination, but if the rat 
  magi are detected, it will mean the end 
  of their way of life, and possibly mass 
  extinction. 
  Because even a rat magus will be 
  dead or in Twilight within fifteen years, 
  a Rats Magica saga is ideal for 
  exploring a very narrow time frame in 
  great depth. In an ordinary Ars Magica 
  saga, the Sixth Crusade comes and goes 
  in a few sessions, but for rats who 
  perform seasonal activities every week, 
  it is the basis for an entire campaign. 
  The relatively short-lived reign of a local 
  lord might bracket an entire rat saga, or 
  a saga might be set within a specific 
  historical event, such as the siege of 
  Constantinople, King John’s tour of 
  Hibernia, or the Albigensian Crusade. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  40 
  The Rats of Oakhollow 
  All of the game statistics provided here are designed for 
  interaction with human characters. If you are playing in a Rats 
  Magica Saga, add +7 to Size and +14 to Str, but subtract 7 
  from Qik. Increase Wound Levels to account for the new Size. 
  Combat numbers will need to be recalculated; note that the 
  Dodge and Evasion numbers listed here include a bonus for 
  the small Size of the rats. This bonus will need to be removed 
  in a Rats Magica Saga.  
  Typical Rat of Oakhollow 
  Characteristics: Int +1, Per +1, Pre -3, Com 0, Str -12, Sta 
  +1, Dex +3, Qik +5 
  Age: 1 year 
  Size: -7 
  Confidence Score: 0 
  Virtues and Flaws: Lightning Reflexes, Sharp Ears; Poor 
  Eyesight 
  Qualities: Crafty, Keen Sense of Smell, Skilled Climber, 
  Timid 
  Personality Traits: Opportunistic +2, Timid +1 
  Reputations: Vermin 1 (among humans) 
  Combat: 
  Teeth: Init +5, Atk +10, Def +10, Dmg -11 
  Dodge: Init +5, Def +15. Includes a +7 Defense bonus from 
  Size. 
  Natural Weapons: A rat’s bite has Init 0, Atk +3, Def +1, 
  Dmg +1 
  Soak: +1 
  Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious 
  Wound Penalties: -1 (1), -3 (2), -5 (3), Incapacitated (4),  
  Abilities: Athletics 3 (food), Awareness 4 (people), Brawl 3 
  (bite), Latin 5, Profession 5, Stealth 4 (hiding), Survival 3 
  (covenants) 
  Vis: None (named Rats have 1 pawn of Vim vis in their tails) 
  Appearance: A black rat with a satchel on a strap over its 
  back, tiny gloves on its hands and boots on its feet, wearing a 
  green cap and with its tail wrapped in wool and tied with 
  yellow thread.  
  The typical Rat of Oakhollow has a relatively happy and 
  contented life. He is part of a small but growing family and has 
  practiced his trade all his life, having learned it from his father 
  and his grandfather. There is plenty of food, the magi keep the 
  tree safe, and there is satisfaction in work which benefits the 
  entire community.  
  Rats have comparatively poor eyesight, but they see perfectly 
  fine at the usual tiny scale at which they live. Ignore the penalty 
  for Poor Eyesight when a rat must see something which it can 
  touch or handle, such as its own melee attacks. However, the 
  rat does suffer the penalty when it tries to defend against 
  attacks from man-sized enemies, or against any ranged attacks. 
  Rats who are members of the Turb replace their Profession 
  ability with Single Weapon, Great Weapon, or Bow. 
  Blacksmiths, carpenters, and the like replace Profession with 
  an appropriate Craft.  
   
  Benjamin, Captain of the Turb 
  Characteristics: Int 0, Per +1, Pre -3, Com -1, Str -10, Sta 
  +3, Dex +5, Qik +5 
  Size: -6 
  Age: 5 years, 7 months (-5 to aging rolls thanks to longevity 
  ratual) 
  Warping Score: 3 (3) 
  Confidence Score: 0 
  Virtues and Flaws: Large, Lightning Reflexes, Sharp Ears, 
  Tough, Warrior; Careless with Carouse, Jinxed, Night Terrors, 
  Poor Eyesight, Weakness: Gambling, Temperate 
  Qualities: Crafty, Keen Sense of Smell, Skilled Climber, 
  Timid 
  Personality Traits: Brave +3, Loyal +3, Principled +2 
  Reputations: Reliable 3 (in Oakhollow), Sucker 2 (among 
  gamblers), Vermin 1 (among humans) 
  Combat: 
  Longsword and Infantry Shield: Init +7, Atk +15, Def +16, Dmg 
  -4 (add +5 Dmg for Blade of Virulent Flame and +2 for Edge 
  of the Razor when they apply, for a maximum final Dmg of 
  +3). 
  Teeth: Init +5, Atk +12, Def +10, Dmg -11 
  Dodge: Init +5, Def +20. This includes Shield bonus and a +6 
  modifier for Size.  
  Soak: +17 (Sta 3 + Tough 3 + Full Enchanted Chain 11)  
  Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious 
  Wound Penalties: -1 (1), -3 (2), -5 (3), Incapacitated (4) 
  Abilities: Animal Handling 3 (rabbits), Area Lore: 
  Oakhollow 3 (Grogs), Artes Liberales 1 (mathematics), 
  Athletics 4 (jumping), Awareness 4 (people), Bow 5 
  (crossbow), Brawl 4 (dodge), Carouse 2 (gambling), Etiquette 1 
  (magi), Folk Ken 2 (lies), Great Weapon 5 (pole axe), Latin 5, 
  Leadership 3 (rats), Ride 3 (rabbits), Single Weapon 5 (long 
  sword), Stealth 4 (hiding), Survival 3 (covenants), Swim 2 (in 
  gear), Thrown Weapon 5 (spear) 
  Vis: Benjamin has 1 pawn of Vim Vis in his tail. 
  Equipment: Benjamin carries a long sword, the hilt of which 
  is enchanted to cast Edge of the Razor and Blade of Virulent 
  Flame once per day. He bears an infantry shield which has 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  41 
  been enchanted with a constant Shriek of the Impending Shaft 
  effect. He wears a full coat of mail enchanted to have no 
  weight and a higher Protection bonus. 
  Appearance: A big big, black rat with a brooch-sized shield 
  strapped over its back and, beneath it, a sword the size of a 
  needle and a matching crossbow. It is wearing a coat of tiny 
  mail rings, its hands, feet, and tail are protected by leather, and 
  its head is covered in a rat-sized steel helmet. 
  Benjamin - a big, black rat - is something of a legend among 
  the Rats of Oakhollow, ever since he saved a foraging party 
  from a wolf. He is the Turb Captain and senior Shield Grog, 
  always accompanying Socrates whenever the old Rat leaves the 
  covenant. Indeed, he takes his job so seriously that on those 
  rare occasions that Socrates leaves the lab and does not want 
  Benjamin’s company, the proud captain presumes he has done 
  something wrong and becomes inconsolable. He rides a rabbit 
  named Bucephalus, and his tiny mail coat, shield, and sword 
  are all enchanted.  
  Benjamin benefits from a longevity potion crafted by 
  Socrates, so that he can continue to guard his enfeebled master 
  until the end of his days. He has become a jinx through 
  warping, but only the other magi recognize this fact. Recently, 
  Benjamin has also become afflicted with Night Terrors, again 
  as a result of warping, and he describes himself as feeling 
  “stretched thin.” He wonders if his extended lifespan is right 
  and proper, or somehow a crime against nature. 
   
  Mistress Jenny Goodmouse, Autocrat 
  Characteristics: Int +2, Per +2, Pre 0, Com +1, Str -14, Sta 
  0, Dex +3, Qik +5 
  Size: -9 
  Age: 3 years, 1 month (-7 to aging rolls thanks to longevity 
  ratual) 
  Warping Score: 0 (1) 
  Confidence Score: 1 (3) 
  Virtues and Flaws: Autocrat; Cautious with Leadership, 
  Clear Thinker, Good Characteristics, Lightning Reflexes, 
  Puissant Leadership, Sharp Ears, Strong-Willed; Dwarf, 
  Difficult Underlings, Dutybound, Pessimistic, Poor Eyesight 
  Qualities: Keen Sense of Smell, Skilled Climber, Timid 
  Personality Traits: Organized +3, Cautious +2, Pessimistic 
  +1 
  Reputations: Good at her Job 5 (Oakhollow), Uppity Mouse 
  2 (Rats), Vermin 1 (among humans) 
  Combat: 
  Teeth: Init +5, Atk +10, Def +10, Dmg -13 
  Dodge: Init +5, Def +19. Includes a +9 Defense bonus from 
  Size.  
  Soak: 0 
  Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious 
  Wound Penalties: -1 (1), -3 (2), -5 (3), Incapacitated (4),  
  Abilities: Area Lore: Surrounding Woods 3 (threats), Area 
  Lore: Oakhollow 3 (Mice), Artes Liberales 1 (rhetoric), 
  Athletics 4 (running), Awareness 4 (people), Bargain 3 
  (politicking), Brawl 4 (dodge), Church Lore 2, Civil and Canon 
  Law 2 (settling disputes), Etiquette 3 (Rats), Faerie Lore 2, 
  Folk Ken 5 (Rats), Guile 2 (Rats), Intrigue 5 (spies), Latin 5, 
  Leadership 5+2 (autocrat), Magic Lore 2 (Magical Beasts), 
  Order of Hermes Lore 2 (nearby magi), Stealth 4 (hiding), 
  Survival 3 (covenants) 
  Natural Weapons: A mouse’s bite has Init 0, Atk +3, Def 
  +1, Dmg +1 
  Vis: 1 pawn Rego in tail 
  Appearance: A light gray mouse wearing black boots on her 
  rear legs and black mittens on her front. Over her shoulders a 
  red mantle has been draped, clasped with a tiny diamond in a 
  gold setting.  
  Jenny Goodmouse is the current autocrat of Oakhollow, and 
  is responsible for the daily operation of the covenant. She is 
  the first mouse to ever hold the position, but has a natural 
  talent for administration and is (largely) respected. Some of the 
  Turb and male craftsmen, like the blacksmith, quietly grumble 
  about taking orders from a mouse, but these complaints are 
  considered rude and unfit for public discourse. Very recently, 
  on her third birthday, she agreed to take a longevity potion 
  crafted for her by Socrates. 
  While she is very grateful for the protection of the magi, 
  Jenny considers Socrates and his fellow wizards to be myopic 
  hermits who don’t understand the many dangers which 
  threaten the covenant. She has built a large and active network 
  of scouts and spies who regularly leave the forest grove to 
  collect information on the outside world, and in this way has 
  come to learn much about the Order, the church, and the 
  affairs of men. She is tracking the activities of local faeries as 
  best she is able, and is very concerned about the local Bee 
  King, who is making bellicose pronouncements to his people 
  about the need for more territory. In preparation for potential 
  war, Jenny has ordered Oakhollow’s craftsmen to build a 
  stockpile of weapons and she has initiated regular archery 
  drills. 
  
   
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  42 
   Archmagus Socrates Aux Gernon filius 
  Tancred, scholae Bonisagi 
  Characteristics: Int +5, Per +1, Pre -2, Com 0, Str -
  15, Sta -1, Dex +2, Qik +4 
  Size: -7 
  Age: 13 years, 1 month (-15 to aging rolls thanks to 
  longevity ratual) 
  Decrepitude: 3 
  Warping Score: 5 (100) 
  Confidence Score: 1 (3) 
  Virtues and Flaws: Gifted Rat; Adept Laboratory 
  Student, Book Learner, Cautious Sorcerer, Flexible 
  Formulaic Magic, Good Teacher, Great Intelligence x2, 
  Inventive Genius, Lightning Reflexes, Puissant Magic 
  Theory, Sharp Ears; Compassionate, Enfeebled, Higher 
  Purpose: To Protect the Rats of Oakhollow, Poor 
  Eyesight, Waster of Vis 
  Qualities: Crafty, Keen Sense of Smell, Skilled 
  Climber, Timid 
  Personality Traits: Patient +3, Kind +3, Generous 
  +2  
  Reputations: Respected 5 (Rats of Oakhollow), 
  Mighty 3 (Rat magi), Vermin 1 (among humans) 
  Combat: 
  Dodge: Init +4, Def +17 (includes a +7 bonus for Size) 
  Bite: Init +4, Atk +11, Def +8, Dmg –14 
  Soak: -1 
  Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious 
  Wound Penalties: -1 (1), -3 (2), -5 (3), Incapacitated 
  (4) 
  Abilities: Area Lore: Oakhollow 5 (hidden chambers), 
  Animal Handling 1 (insects), Artes Liberales 5 (ritual 
  magic), Athletics 3 (grace), Awareness 4 (people), Brawl 
  3 (dodge), Code of Hermes 3, Concentration 5 (spells), 
  Finesse 5 (Herbam), Latin 5 (Hermetic), Leadership 8 
  (rats), Magic Lore 5 (magical beasts), Magic Theory 8+2 
  (Animal), Medicine 5 (physician), Order of Hermes Lore 
  3, Parma Magica 5 (Ignem), Penetration 3 (Animal), 
  Philosophiae 5 (ritual magic), Profession: Scribe 5 
  (Hermetic), Ride 3 (raven), Stealth 4 (hiding), Survival 3 
  (covenants), Teaching 8 (rats) 
  Arts: Cr 35, In 28, Mu 15, Pe 15, Re 30; An 15, Aq 12, 
  Au 11, Co 6, He 40, Ig 13, Im 13, Me 14, Te 6, Vi 10 
  Twilight Scars: Socrates’ eyes glow with golden 
  yellow light. His hat always stays on his head unless he 
  chooses to take it off. Cobwebs congeal onto his body 
  out of the air, and form themselves into a cloak. His 
  whiskers regrow within moments when plucked. His tail 
  moves with a life of its own.  
  Equipment: Staff Talisman, many rat-pawns of vis 
  covering various Arts, pointy hat.  
  Encumbrance: 0 
  Vis: 1 pawn of Vim Vis in tail 
  Spells Known: Casting totals with a T indicate a 
  Talisman bonus of +2-5; R includes a +12 bonus for 
  ritual magic. 
  True Rest of the Injured Brute +52T (CrAn 20) 
  There is Life Yet In You +64TR (CrAn 30, Ritual) 
  Weaver’s Trap of Webs +52T (CrAn 35) 
  Opening the Tome of the Animal’s Mind +45T (InAn 25) 
  Beast of Outlandish Size +32T (MuAn 15) 
  Doublet of Impenetrable Silk +32T (MuAn 15) 
  Beast of Miniscule Proportions +32T (MuAn 20) 
  Blunt the Viper’s Fangs +32T (PeAn 15) 
  The Falcon’s Hood +32T (PeAn 25) 
  A Spell For Turning Pages +48T (ReAn 4) 
  Ward Against Beasts of Legend +47T (ReAn 20) 
  The Gentle Beast +48T (ReAn 25) This spell works on 
  animals of Size -3 or smaller.  
  Mastering the Unruly Beast +48T (ReAn 25) This spell 
  works on animals of Size -3 or smaller. 
  Mighty Torrent of Water +46 (CrAq 20) 
  Enchantment of the Scrying Pool +39 (InAq 30) 
  Lungs of the Fish +26 (MuAq 20) 
  Push of the Gentle Wave +41 (ReAq 15) 
  Tower of Whirling Water +45T (ReAq 35) 
  Circling Winds of Protection +48T (CrAu 20) Mastery 1: 
  Fast-cast 
  Sailor’s Foretaste of the Morrow +38 (InAu 20) 
  Eyes of the Bat +38 (InAu 25) 
  Trap of the Entwining Vines +75 (CrHe 15) Mastery 1: 
  Multiple Casting 
  Wall of Thorns +74 (CrHe 20) 
  Conjuring the Oaken Home +91R (CrHe 45, Ritual) 
  Intuition of the Forest +67 (InHe 10) 
  Converse with Plant and Tree +67 (InHe 25) 
  Tangle of Wood and Thorns +69 (ReHe 15) 
  Ward Against Faeries of the Wood +71T (ReHe 30) 
  Lamp Without Flame +47 (CrIg 10) 
  Pilum of Fire +50T (CrIg 20) 
  Ball of Abyssal Flame +50T (CrIg 35) 
  
   
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  43 
   Circle of Encompassing Flames +47 (CrIg 35) 
  Soothe the Raging Flames +27 (PeIg 20) 
  Phantasmal Animal +42 (CrIm 20) 
  Haunt of the Living Ghost +42 (Cr[In]Im 35) 
  Eyes of the Eagle +40 (InIm 25) 
  Summoning the Distant Image +40 (InIm 25) 
  Veil of Invisibility +28 (PeIm 20) Mastery 1: Fast-cast 
  Mind of the Beast +33T (MuMe 30) 
  Lay to Rest the Haunting Spirit +33T (PeMe 10) 
  Loss of But a Moment’s Memory +33T (PeMe 15) 
  Ring of Warding Against Spirits +48T (ReMe 20) 
  The Unseen Porter +39T (ReTe 10) This spell has an 
  effective Str of -9. Quite strong for a rat! 
  Hands of the Grasping Earth +39T (ReTe 15) 
  The Levitating Laboratory +39T (ReTe 30) 
  Piercing the Magical Veil +37 (InVi 20) 
  Demon’s Eternal Oblivion +24 (PeVi 10) 
  Wizard’s Communion +39 (ReVi 15) 
  Aegis of the Hearth +53T (ReVi 30, Ritual) 
  Circular Ward Against Demons +41T (ReVi 20) 
  Maintaining the Demanding Spell +39 (ReVi 20) 
  Opening the Intangible Tunnel +40 (ReVi 15) Mastery 1: 
  Magic Resistance 
  Gather the Essence of the Beast +41T (ReVi 15) 
  Appearance: A black rat whose fur is streaking white 
  and whose droopy whiskers are very long. He wears tiny 
  sandals and walks slowly on his rear legs, supporting 
  himself with a staff. Atop his head is a pointy wizard’s 
  hat, decorated with stars. 
  Talisman: Socrates has enchanted his staff as his 
  Talisman. Its chief material is a splinter of cedar wood, 
  but it is capped with magnetite. It grants the following 
  bonuses: +5 on anything with a Mentem or Herbam 
  requisite, +3 Animal, +4 to control things at a distance, 
  +3 to project a bolt or missile, and +2 to repel things. 
  It is enchanted with a constant Wizard’s Sidestep effect, 
  a Ward Against Heat and Flames, and a self-sustaining 
  effect similar to Endurance of the Berserkers, but using 
  Animal instead of Corpus. 
  Familiar: Socrates’ familiar is a loyal raven named 
  Munin. He is Size -4 and Socrates can ride him, though 
  he has not done so in some time. Socrates always knows 
  Munin’s location and can sense his thoughts, but Munin 
  cannot do this to Socrates. Munin lives in the branches 
  of Oakhollow and is usually the first to spot trouble. 
   
   
  Socrates Aux Gernon is the intellectual and spiritual 
  leader of the Rats of Oakhollow. Unlike traditional 
  Hermetic magi, who think of themselves as among the 
  most powerful people in existence, Socrates has never 
  forgotten his humility and the fragility of life. He has 
  dedicated himself to serving others and is generous to a 
  fault. None of this, however, blunts the effect of his 
  Gift, and although his fellow rats are grateful for his 
  protection, they also fear him and generally like to stay 
  as far from him as possible. With few friends and 
  colleagues, Socrates is an insular creature who keeps his 
  thoughts to himself and gives explanations only at the 
  last possible moment, after much prompting. 
  As the senior magus of Oakhollow, Socrates has 
  trained three apprentices among the rats and tried to 
  instill in them both humility and a respect for life. 
  These magi went on to train others; no Gifted rat goes 
  without training. No matter how dull, clumsy or boorish 
  a Gifted rat might be, Socrates considers their training 
  to be a duty and he believes that everyone can 
  contribute somehow, often in unexpected ways at the 
  most surprising moment. He especially loves children, 
  and is both kind and respectful to the mice of 
  Oakhollow. It was Socrates who nominated Jenny for 
  her role as Autocrat, though she does not know this. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  44 
  This is the second stage of my 
  collection of Bonisagus lineages. Each 
  of the following wizards are a collection 
  of old and new Bonisagus magi who can 
  be placed as NPC’s in your campaign, 
  and involve a basic story seed for each, 
  or at least an amusing role-playing 
  opportunity that will take up a little 
  time. 
  While the ages indicated are 
  guidelines to power, the power of your 
  saga may vary, so simply take their age 
  as a guideline to power if you need 
  further statistics for them. 
  This lineage follows on from one of 
  the apprentices of Bonisagus, Tardanus, 
  a critical opponent of Criamon’s magic 
  and the twilight techniques that all 
  wizards in the order look into. Tardanus 
  was well known for his ability to travel 
  through odd and mysterious places, and 
  his famous lost work, the Complete Map 
  of the Magical Realms. 
  The Bonisagi who follow this line 
  tend to focus on and be skilled in travel 
  through regiones and the Magic Realm, 
  though tend to have high amounts of 
  warping for their troubles. Being 
  travellers in the magical realms, they 
  often can disappear for long periods 
  before coming back with incredible 
  tales. Wizards of this line may believe 
  that Twilight that Criamon integrated 
  into Hermetic Theory is a very 
  incomplete technique, as well as being 
  highly dangerous. This line often have 
  the Magic Realm Magic discovery 
  integrated into their magic as part of 
  their apprenticeship, and House 
  Bonisagus find it difficult to keep a 
  track of the research they give back to 
  the order. 
  The Second Lineage: 
  Explorers of Time and Space 
  By Mark  Baker 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  45 
  Thomas Bonisagus 
  Age: 175 (150 years out of 
  apprenticeship) 
  Theme: Sailor on the Twilight Sea 
  Quote: “Is that the Spirit of the 
  Earth’s Wrath? I believe it could be. 
  Does it look particularly angry to you? I 
  suggest we run.” 
  Master: Tardanus Bonisagus 
  Description: Thomas wears a 
  collection of wild robes of another 
  colour, has wild frizzy hair and moves 
  as if constantly on a mission. He is 
  rarely far from his large cart that can 
  travel through the magic realms at will. 
  He is often known to phase into reality 
  with a mission, grab a half dozen 
  people, and phase out again. Sometimes 
  they are even seen again. He seems to 
  have access to regiones which warp 
  time, and his apprentices appear to 
  come out fully fledged in record time. 
  Thomas has been referred to but never 
  attended Grand Tribunals since at least 
  1050, where he was theoretically 
  declared Orbus for never giving in his 
  research, though the description given 
  was exactly the same description as 
  what he bears in 1220. Given he 
  appears to have no Tribunal he is in for 
  more than a season or so, it is difficult 
  to breach him for vagrancy. 
  Personality Traits: Urgent +2, 
  Curious +3, Optimistic +2 
  Virtues/Flaws of Note: Magic 
  Realm Magic 
  Story Seed: An ancient tractatus has 
  lain hidden within another tractatus for 
  years in the covenant library. Picking it 
  up triggers an ancient spell that 
  summons Thomas, or a spectacular 
  botch or Story on the Experimentation 
  Table might also bring him. He arrives 
  in the middle of the library in his magic-
  realm travelling wagon. He is also 
  followed by a collection of spirits of the 
  elements that are locked into an endless 
  battle with each other. He is apologetic 
  for the destruction these great creatures 
  cause, and asks why in the local area the 
  spirits of Earth are particularly mad. He 
  can contain the spirits, but the PC’s 
  must investigate locally; what could be 
  stirring the normally passive spirits of 
  earth so badly? Could an elementalist 
  have a grudge, or is there something 
  even worse afoot? 
  Item of Note: Thomas has written a 
  tractatus on Magic Lore that involves 
  his Magic Realm Magic breakthrough 
  (Quality 10). Thomas is also very 
  cautious about who he gives such power 
  to, and so has put enchantments on 
  them so he knows who and where they 
  are being read. 
   
  Erasmus Bonisagus 
  Age: 130 (100 years out of 
  apprenticeship) 
  Theme: Alchemist 
  Quote: “I apologise, but I have 
  about ten diameters of the sun before 
  my beakers overflow. My standard vis 
  rates I have posted over on the board 
  yonder…” 
  Master: Thomas of Bonisagus 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  46 
  Description: Erasmus of Bonisagus 
  is a Hermetic researcher who is 
  engaging in an interesting pursuit – to 
  learn everything possible about 
  Alchemy by investigating all known 
  sources of it, and combining it with 
  Hermetic Theory with a series of Major 
  breakthroughs. Erasmus has ventured 
  into the Magical realms with his master, 
  but did not enjoy the process, preferring 
  instead the calm and somewhat 
  explosive life of the alchemist to the life 
  and death stakes of spirits powerful 
  enough to destroy the earth. 
  Erasmus is usually dressed in 
  scholar’s robes and is usually not far 
  from his laboratory and very busy 
  refining vis or attempting some form of 
  hermetic discovery. If he isn’t working 
  in his lab, he is on ‘holiday’ – attending 
  conferences on alchemy, travelling to 
  far lands and meeting distant wizards in 
  an attempt to learn anything more about 
  alchemy. 
  When young, he needed to move a 
  castle to appease a spirit of air. He spent 
  some time researching an appropriate 
  spell and attempted to replace the castle 
  in an area he thought was safe; on the 
  edge of a fairly solid cliff. 
  Unfortunately, he dropped it, giving 
  him something of a reputation in the 
  Order as a moron. 
  Personality 
  Traits: Driven 
  (Combine Alchemy with Hermetic 
  Theory) +3, Compassionate +3 
  Reputation (Clumsy) +1,  
  Virtues/Flaws of Note: Driven, 
  Dark Secret (Has Magic Realm Magic) 
  Story Seed: Erasmus often needs 
  unusual ingredients from faraway 
  creatures in difficult locations. He can 
  pay excellent vis rates for others to 
  retrieve such things for him, as he really 
  isn’t known for being much of an 
  adventurer. Technically he can pass on 
  Magic Realm Magic, but his master has 
  requested he never do so; and Erasmus, 
  having met a spirit who could destroy 
  the entire earth in the blink of an eye, 
  and found it easily made angry, agreed 
  to not let the order in on this 
  knowledge. 
   
  Concentratus of 
  Bonisagus 
  Age: 80 (65 years out of 
  apprenticeship) 
  Theme: Talentless Author 
  Master: Thomas of Bonisagus 
  Quote: “Oh! What did you think 
  about “Thoughts About Thoughts 
  Upon Thoughts Within Thoughts?” I 
  know I sent you a copy. 
  Description: Concentratus has an 
  unfortunate tale, in that his greatest 
  wish is to become famous for creating 
  works of art through writing prose and 
  useful instructional texts to the rest of 
  the order. In some ways he has already 
  achieved this, as he is practically a 
  household name in the entire order – 
  though not for his skill, but rather his 
  lack of it. 
  Concentratus is a decent magus and 
  could have made something of himself 
  if he hadn’t picked up an unfortunate 
  curse during apprenticeship he’s never 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  47 
  realised he had; after accidentally 
  insulting a faerie queen deep in Arcadia 
  he was cursed to never have talent. He 
  continued, however, making summae 
  after summae and tractatus after 
  tractatus on anything and everything he 
  possibly could. Concentratus learns 
  more only so he can write about it, have 
  it copied en-mass, and disseminated to 
  the entire order. 
  Concentratus has spent fortunes 
  publishing his sizeable but horrible 
  collection of works, and fortunes more 
  making sure every known covenant has 
  works such as “How the Parma is like a 
  Butterfly Making a Cocoon” and 
  “Ignem for Idiots.” 
  People often underestimate him, but 
  his inability to write does not mean he 
  doesn’t have a fairly professional 
  knowledge in anything from 
  swordsmanship to seamanship, the 
  Parma to Penetration. 
  Concentratus was used by Thomas 
  more as a scribe than an adventuring 
  companion, so Thomas never taught 
  him Magic Realm Magic, especially 
  knowing Concentratus desire to publish 
  everything he knows.  
  Personality Traits: Boundless 
  Misdirected Creative Energy +4, Wants 
  you to read his book + 5 
  Virtues/Flaws of Note: Delusion 
  (Will one day write the greatest book of 
  all time.) Malediction (All created books 
  or art will be horrible.)  
  Story Seed: Concentratus is going 
  on what he calls a ‘Book Signing’. He 
  goes from covenant to covenant 
  handing out execrable books and 
  staying at the covenant, making himself 
  a nuisance until people spend a season 
  reading them and giving him 
  ‘constructive criticism.’  
   
  Gracia Bonisagus 
  Age: 25 (3 years out of 
  apprenticeship) 
  Theme: Hopeless Romantic 
  Quote: “Thomas!? Thomas! I’ll find 
  you one day!” 
  Master: Thomas of Bonisagus 
  Description: Gracia Bonisagus is 
  determined to find her master, who was 
  trapped in a dimension of time eating 
  fungi after completing her Gauntlet.  
  Gracia’s problem is that Thomas 
  isn’t nearly so lost as she thinks he is, 
  nor is he half in love with her as she is 
  with him. They always seem to miss 
  each other by seconds. This doesn’t 
  stop her from following in her beloved 
  mentors footsteps into wild adventures 
  into different dimensions. 
  Despite her knowledge of Magic 
  Realm Magic, Gracia is not particularly 
  powerful enough to truly use it 
  effectively yet, and has found herself in 
  deep strife in the magic realms as a 
  result. She is looking to temporarily stay 
  in a covenant for a few years to increase 
  her power before she goes looking for 
  her master again. 
  One of Gracia’s trips to the Magic 
  Realm brought back with her an 
  annoying demon spirit which regularly 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  48 
  interferes with her life. The spirit causes 
  all those around it to grow stronger and 
  organises minor inconveniences to be 
  taken care of until the ‘important’ parts 
  of the story, where it will do its best to 
  make them just fail. It is usually 
  invisible, but when showing itself 
  appears to be a red faced, frustrated 
  child with overly long fingers that 
  endlessly click and snap.  
  Personality Traits: Driven +3, Sad 
  +1, Frustrated + 3 
  Virtues/Flaws of Note: Driven 
  (Research Magic Realm Magic), Lost 
  Love (Thomas of Bonisagus), Plagued 
  by Supernatural Entity 
  Story Seed: If Gracia is in 
  attendance, small annoying things just 
  keep happening, causing a loss of work 
  and increased frustration, such as 
  causing loss of days of work, and if long 
  enough a dip in the covenants finances. 
  Will the magi clue in that all of them are 
  having an amazing amount of breakages 
  around the lab at critical moments, that 
  the blacksmiths iron deliveries are late at 
  the worst possible time, that their 
  clients, customers and those who rely 
  on them are being disappointed… 
  aren’t their own fault? 
   
  Virginia Bonisagus 
  Age: 40 (20 years out of 
  apprenticeship) 
  Theme: Critic 
  Quote: “Bellia Bonisagus? Her 
  theories are outdated and unrealistic, 
  failing to compensate for commonly 
  accepted Hermetic theory discovered a 
  hundred years ago. Not to say she 
  doesn’t have some merit... her 
  discussion on Auram in 1027 is still 
  taught to apprentices, after all, but I fear 
  age may have dulled her capacity for 
  truly breakthrough research…” 
  Master: Concentratus Bonisagus 
  Description: Virginia is extremely 
  literate and well-learned, but not 
  inherently a researcher herself. Instead, 
  she has found a niche writing 
  commentaries on any and all research 
  she is privileged to see. Virginia is a 
  prolific writer and corresponds with 
  almost every researcher of note, though 
  some do not particularly care to 
  correspond with her due to her vicious 
  attacks. 
  Virginia has received a number of 
  threats of wizard war and has been 
  found guilty of ignoring Certamen 
  results for insulting the wrong wizards. 
  She is relatively young still, and has had 
  many warnings from older magi about 
  curbing the tone of her letters, but 
  Virginia gains personal pleasure from 
  the way she writes. When magi speak of 
  her, they are usually angered by what 
  she has written about themselves or 
  friends, or of the opinion she is soon to 
  be stomped flat by an angry wizard. 
  Some believe she is yet to be 
  stomped due to the fact that many of 
  the glosses and commentaries she writes 
  often have harsh truths about them, 
  rather than the inherent patience of 
  those she write about. 
  Personality Traits: Critic +3, 
  Acerbic +2 
  Virtues/Flaws of Note: Busybody, 
  Good Teacher 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  49 
  Story Seed: A glossed tractatus 
  comes to the covenant, which involves 
  a scathing criticism of one of the PC’s 
  written works by Virginia, which 
  mentions that she has sent her criticism 
  to all nearby covenants (And likely 
  affected the PC’s reputation). How will 
  the PC’s deal with this out of the blue 
  attack?  
   
  Valerius Bonisagus 
  Age: 35 (10 years out of 
  apprenticeship) 
  Theme: Chaste Knight and Scholar 
  Quote: “Don’t worry, fair maiden. 
  Your virtue is safe with me. “ 
  Master: Thomas of Bonisagus 
  Description: Valerius Bonisagus 
  sticks out from his Bonisagi brethren 
  like a sore thumb. Serving as a squire 
  before being trained a traditional 
  Bonisagus, he wouldn’t be out of place 
  in house Tytalus or Flambeau. Despite 
  this, he is still a scholar of note despite 
  his odd fascination with mundane 
  martial endeavors, and has a good 
  reputation amongst his house for his 
  research into Ignem. 
  Valerius always wondered why other 
  men had such weakness for women and 
  spent so much time talking about such 
  matters. As an adolescent he struggled 
  with his sexual orientation for years, but 
  the patient and understanding (And 
  somewhat unaware of the real world) 
  Thomas of Bonisagus helped him to 
  come to grips with himself and become 
  a great knight and scholar.  
  Being very pretty, Valerius is very 
  favored by women everywhere, and 
  finds it odd that he is always rescuing 
  maidens from unlikely situations who 
  throw themselves on him.  
  He has yet to find a partner that he 
  truly loves, and is romantic enough to 
  believe it will happen. While the Order 
  of Hermes is somewhat open to his 
  sexual practices, Valerius is often 
  dealing with mundanes and mundane 
  society, spending a lot of time with 
  lords and knights. 
  Personality Traits: Brave + 3, 
  Honest + 3, Good +3 
  Virtues/Flaws of Note: Gentle 
  Gift, Warrior, Major Magical Focus 
  (Beasts), Dark Secret (Homosexual), 
  Curse of Venus 
   
  Sextus Bonisagus 
  Age: 50 (25 years out of 
  apprenticeship) 
  Theme: Sailor on Far Seas 
  Quote: “Yeeeeaarrggghhhhhh, thar 
  be a regio I see aport!” 
  Master: Thomas of Bonisagus 
  Description: Sextus wears common 
  sailors clothing (a blue smock) and has 
  permanently browned skin and a large, 
  floppy hat. Sextus sails wherever the 
  trade routes take him, and regularly 
  investigates faraway places and regiones, 
  talking to any salty dog he finds about 
  magical or other auras they may have 
  come across.  
  Sextus has a crew of experienced, 
  salty sailors that have long since got 
  used to Sextus’ gift and appreciate his 
  weather and water magics, having saved 
  the ship a dozen times at least in the 
  few years since Sextus’ Gauntlet. 
  Slightly unusual in his way, Sextus 
  doesn’t research Hermetic theory 
  though he does regularly report on 
  regiones, vis sources and so forth. 
  Sextus has just tried a few trips into the 
  Magical Realm in his ship and sails far 
  seas in search of trade, adventure and 
  booty, and realises he needs to spend a 
  few more years before trying again. 
  Sextus speaks in a broad Welsh 
  accent. 
  Personality Traits: Wanderer +3, 
  Arr, have a pint +2 
  Virtues/Flaws of Note: Major 
  Magical Focus (Weather) 
  Items of Note: Sextus has been 
  given a small brass telescope by Thomas 
  of Bonisagus which appears to be a set 
  of finely crafted lenses in a tube, 
  allowing one to not only see far away 
  but to see magical regiones. He is the 
  owner of a small cog, which he hopes to 
  have enchanted when he earns enough 
  Vis. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  50 
  What was Heretic’s 
  Corner? 
  Back in the Hermes Portal (http://
  styren.pagesperso-orange.fr/
  hermesportal/hermes1.htm) ezine 
  days, there was a section by Michaël de 
  Verteuil dedicated to house rules and 
  ways to change Ars Magica following 
  alternative paths. The section was called 
  Heretic’s Corner. Since I think it is a 
  fitting name and the concept remains 
  the same, I am recovering the name for 
  Sub Rosa. I strongly believe that Ars 
  Magica Fifth Edition is the best 
  edition of the game so far, but it is not 
  void of areas that could use some 
  rethinking. In this section there will be 
  suggestions to do just that.  
   
  Fixed Arts: Reasons 
  One of the mid-term difficulties for 
  a saga is to prevent a good book ruining 
  a perfectly good player character. 
  Say, we have a Corpus Summa of 
  Level 15 and Quality 15. Not such a 
  rare book. 8 seasons to read, and you 
  end up being quite accomplished in 
  Corpus. Your season by season level 
  evolution (starting at 0) would be 
  Season One: 
   
  Level 5 
  Season Two: 
   
  Level 7 
  Season Three: Level 9 
  New Heresies: 
  Fixed Arts 
  By Xavier Requejo  
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  51 
  Season Four:  
  Level 10 
  Season Five: 
   
  Level 11 
  Season Six: 
   
  Level 12 
  Season Seven: Level 14 
  Season Eight: Level 15 
  To achieve a score of 10 in a single 
  year of study represents fairly fast 
  development. Level 10-14 is the 
  available level for a starting magus that 
  specializes in that field.  
  That means that a player that 
  selected to be a Corpus specialist can 
  have his specialization in Corpus 
  equaled by a non-specialist (or a 
  specialist in another field) just reading a 
  book for a year and a half of downtime. 
  Granted, he is likely to have some 
  tricks up his sleeve (spells and Virtues) 
  that make him more of a specialist in 
  the field, but he can be equaled by say, 
  the Ignem specialist in 2 years’ time. 
  After 6 years, it is quite likely that all the 
  magi in the covenant could have a score 
  of 12-15 in Corpus, while the specialist 
  has managed to increase his score to 
  perhaps 18. That’s not such a big 
  difference, really.  
  Suddenly, the character who started 
  out as the specialist is no specialist 
  anymore. This is a Bad Thing™. 
  This can be very frustrating for the 
  player concerned. His character build 
  and unique area of expertise in the 
  metagame of the troupe has been 
  suppressed by a single book that at first 
  was a very positive addition to the 
  covenant. And he has not even been 
  able to get a lot out of that book, as his 
  Corpus score was already fairly similar 
  to the upper limit of the book.  
  What do we do then? Do we refuse 
  or limit access to high level books in 
  order to prevent player frustration? 
  That does not represent a good option 
  either. Good books are cool in 
  themselves, and make for good features 
  of a covenant. Meddling with the 
  experience and book level rules falls out 
  of the scope of this article as well, and 
  they are fairly solid anyway (specially the 
  experience rules). 
  However, what we can easily change 
  is character creation. This is perhaps 
  much easier than it sounds, and a simple 
  test has shown that it speeds up 
  character generation by a large margin. 
  Character creation in Ars Magica is not 
  especially easy or fast, so simplifying the 
  process sounds positive. We’ll see it in 
  action, but first the rules. 
   
  Fixed Arts: Rules 
  According to the official rules a 
  magus has 240 experience points that he 
  has acquired through apprenticeship. 
  These 240 points can be invested in 
  Abilities and Arts, and they suggest 
  splitting them in a 50/50 basis between 
  the two. We propose the following 
  alternative system: 
  When you create a wizard, you have 
  120 XP to invest in abilities. 
  All Arts start at level 0 and you 
  cannot invest experience in them during 
  character creation. 
  Instead of dividing points between 
  the various Arts of the magus, we 
  choose one of these options: 
   
  Focused: One Art at +15 
  Specialist: 
  Two Arts at +10 
  Generalist: 
  Eight Arts at +5 
  These bonuses work exactly like a 
  Puissant Art with the difference that the 
  bonus counts as part of your effective 
  knowledge of the Art for everything 
  except study. 
  So a +10 in Ignem allows you to 
  write 2 tractatus, adds +2 to your soak 
  for fire damage, and doubles if you cast 
  a Pilum of Fire and you have a focus in 
  flames. 
  However, when the magus uses a 
  level 5 summa, he can still learn from it: 
  his knowledge is visceral, intuitive, 
  primeval, but not formal and structured 
  and can still benefit from it since his 
  Ignem score is 0.  
  This makes our sample focused 
  wizard (Corpus) remain as the Corpus 
  master in the covenant no matter what 
  (or almost). All the magi start at Corpus 
  0, so he can learn as much from the 
  Corpus summa as everybody else, with 
  the added benefit that he will have a 
  +15 on top of that. 
  None of his fellow magi will be able 
  to reach the same level in corpus 
  Modified Virtues and Flaws 
  Skilled Parens: You have an 
  additional Art at +5. You have 30 
  extra spell levels and 30 experience 
  points to spend on abilities. 
  Weak Parens: You have just 60 
  experience points to spend on 
  abilities and 90 spell levels. Suppress 
  a +5 bonus from your Arts: 
  Reduce a +15 to +10 
  Reduce a +10 to +5 
  Or Reduce a +5 to 0.  
  Other Virtues and Flaws that affect 
  the Arts remain the same. So you 
  might have a +18 on a particular 
  Art, choosing the option of +15 to 
  Art and a Puissant bonus for it.  
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  52 
  without investing a lot more time and 
  effort in acquiring the necessary 
  experience to offset his +15 bonus. 
  As such, he can easily maintain his 
  leading position in his field despite the 
  efforts of other magi.  
  With this system of Fixed Arts magi 
  will be more powerful in their area of 
  expertise than under the standard 
  system. It also makes magi develop 
  somewhat faster in their area of 
  expertise and makes the area of 
  expertise of a magus remain constant 
  throughout the saga (unless he does 
  something radical like undergoing a 
  major mystery cult initiation). The 
  differences between magi remain 
  throughout the saga even if they have 
  access to exactly the same sources of 
  experience points. This is the objective 
  of this system and I think it can be a 
  substantial improvement on the 
  metagame. 
  Character creation also becomes 
  much simpler, as it saves all the 
  calculations to see if an extra Art point 
  in X or Y can give you access to a 
  certain spell. Now it tends to be more 
  black or white: you either have the 
  ability or do not, without the severe 
  number crunching taking place. My 
  gaming group despises this (even if it 
  does it; talk about conflicted 
  preferences) but I think it is better if the 
  abilities of a magus and his access to a 
  certain power level is clear cut. This 
  tends to speed up the process of 
  character creation as well and tends to 
  create more focused wizards instead of 
  the “yes, my mage is an Aquam 
  specialist, but I have 10 spells from 
  other Forms” syndrome. 
  Anyone that has not done this 
  before or seen it in their gaming table 
  can rise his hand and I will congratulate 
  him. Now, magi are specialists or not, 
  but do not become specialists-
  generalists at the same time: they now 
  have a much clearer hermetic design. 
  Library Design 
  Another derivative of this approach 
  is that it allows you to design a library 
  without it being a Major ordeal. 
  Library design is one of the main 
  drawbacks in Ars Magica Fifth 
  Edition in my opinion: according to the 
  Ars Magica supplements, it is 
  extremely rare for a covenant to have 
  several books on a subject, or the 15 
  hermetic Arts covered by its library 
  without investing massively in it. Even a 
  covenant with 50 to 100 years of history 
  behind itself has these issues. I can 
  understand them not having good scores 
  in a lot of subjects, but most presented 
  covenants do not cover the full range of 
  Hermetic magic. 
  This is strange since the training of 
  apprentices requires a broad knowledge 
  base and magi would be sure to have 
  the resources to do that. Library 
  construction as written (with some 
  awesome books and a lot of subjects to 
  be covered) has always seemed really 
  weird to me. This is caused by the 
  pricing of books at covenant creation (I 
  consider this an OK feature, by the 
  way) but when you invest in a good 
  book for the specialists (like the sample 
  Level 15 Quality 15 summa of our 
  opening example) suddenly you are 
  running out of points as well as 
  affecting your own specialists 
  negatively. Or even acquiring good 
  specialist books that your specialists 
  cannot use! 
  By starting all characters with a base 
  of 0 in all Arts, you are effectively 
  creating a situation where low level 
  books (level 4-7) are useful to 
  everybody, specialists included. 
  This improves the usefulness of a 
  library. By giving breath to your 
  specialists in their own Art, you can 
  diversify the library a little with books 
  of lower level. Everybody can use those 
  books, and the magi will still walk in 
  different directions in their studies. A 
  level 7 Summa is suddenly very useful 
  for a specialist, while under the official 
  system it would be useless to him. This 
  system re-values the low and medium 
  range books, something that can be 
  positive. 
  The magical interests of the magi 
  should remain more or less fixed over 
  time, even with access to the same study 
  materials. It makes magi develop faster 
  and increases the power level slightly, 
  but since Ars Magica Fifth Edition 
  already has over-the-top power levels 
  for magi, that is not a major issue; this is 
  not really a new problem but rather a 
  feature that is slightly increased. The 
  advantages of this system are greater 
  differentiation between magi and a 
  faster character creation process based 
  on a particular concept. I think it’s a 
  significant improvement of the official 
  system without touching anything 
  fundamental. 
  I hope you have enjoyed this first 
  heresy and I have given pause. Cheers 
  and until next time. 
  With this system of Fixed Arts magi will 
  be more powerful in their area of 
  expertise than under the standard system 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  53 
  Had the magi never wondered at the 
  fine and fair weather their covenant 
  enjoyed, or the fertility of their fields? 
  Now that the body in the bog has been 
  disturbed, they are about to discover the 
  uncomfortable truth behind their good 
  fortune. 
  This story is designed with a young 
  covenant in mind, one that is only just 
  starting to explore the area around 
  them. It is nominally set in Hibernia, 
  but the events can be transported to any 
  Tribunal where preserved bog-bodies 
  are likely to be found. 
  Précis 
  While about their daily chores, the 
  covenant labourers uncover a body in 
  the boggy land just outside the 
  covenant. Investigating, it becomes clear 
  that the man was ritually murdered 
  centuries ago. 
  Now disturbed, Ibor, the spirit of 
  the murdered man rises. Enslaved in 
  service to the people of his ancient 
  lands, he has acted as an intermediary 
  for the spirits of fertility, weather, good 
  fortune, and strength in battle for all 
  those years. Finding his people gone 
  and his servitude all for nothing, he is 
  enraged and breaks his bargains with 
  the spirits he had bound through his 
  sacrifice. 
  Reclaiming his body, the spirit stalks 
  the covenant while outside a storm 
  raised by the angered spirits damages 
  the covenant to its foundations. 
  If the magi have already destroyed 
  the body or its ghost, then the spirits 
  that it was charged with controlling 
  become the main focus of the story. 
  Now freed from its control, they seek 
  revenge on those who bound them and 
  the covenant’s lands, people, and 
  livestock are placed under threat. 
  The magi must find a way to quiet 
  the spirits, either holding them to their 
  original promises, or to defeat them 
  somehow and convince them of the 
  power of the new owners of the land. 
  Background 
  Centuries ago, without the 
  protection of the Dominion, ancient 
  peoples made sacrifices to the spirits in 
  return for favour. These sacrifices 
  The Body in the Bog 
  By David Agnew 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  54 
  sometimes took the form of people 
  ritually murdered at liminal places, 
  places where the mundane world met 
  the spirit world. 
  These human sacrifices were often 
  unwilling prisoners, but there were cases 
  of high-value willing sacrifices being 
  made; individuals for whom being part 
  of a bargain with the spirits or the gods 
  was a duty and a responsibility. 
  Such sacrifices would often undergo 
  multiple deaths, i.e. they would be 
  symbolically killed in a number of ways, 
  including being strangled, stabbed, 
  drowned, and beaten. That individual 
  would then be able to intercede with the 
  spirits on behalf of his people, securing 
  their aid. 
  It was not always people that would 
  be sacrificed, of course. Food, drink, 
  and livestock were frequently offered as 
  were master-worked objects of beauty 
  and value. Swords, other weapons, and 
  jewellery were offered too, almost 
  always also ritually killed in some way. A 
  sword may have its blade bent, and a 
  shield might be split before being buried 
  or cast into the water. 
  The kinds of spirits that could be 
  controlled or influenced in this way 
  might be spirits to make the rain fall, 
  spirits to grant a long growing season, 
  spirits to ward off ill-health, and spirits 
  to make the villagers strong in battle. 
  Ibor, Willing Sacrifice 
  Ibor was a man of value and brother 
  to his chief. His people, the O’Dierma, 
  sacrificed one of their own once in a 
  generation in order to secure favour 
  from spirits of weather, health, fortune, 
  and strength in battle. For more 
  generations than their own counting, 
  the spirits kept their side of the bargain 
  — the sacrifice mediated and spirits 
  provided. 
  Then the spirit of strength in battle 
  was swayed by a druid of the MacColl. 
  It broke the bargain and withheld its 
  favour. The O’Dierma suffered an 
  attack they could not resist and they 
  were driven off their lands. The 
  MacColl, taking those lands, did not 
  continue the sacrifice. Ibor, as the last 
  of them, still waits to serve, unaware 
  that his people are gone and he has 
  endured centuries of pointless servitude. 
  Unaware of the prior betrayal, only 
  when his resting place is disturbed do 
  the spirits now consider the bargain 
  broken. 
  Prologue: Introduce 
  the Library 
  This scene is a reminder of the 
  covenant’s library and assumes that the 
  covenant owns or has recently acquired 
  one or more books on Infernal Lore. As 
  written, it also assumes a librarian 
  personality, although you can of course 
  change to suit your own covenant. Later 
  in the story there is the possibility of 
  damage to these books in the library so 
  it makes sense to foreshadow its 
  involvement from the outset. 
  The librarian tries to catch the 
  attention of one of the magi before 
  explaining his concern over some of the 
  books he has been cataloguing. 
  “But I don’t mind the other 
  books,” he explains, “because I don’t 
  understand them. They talk of 
  philosophies that I can only wonder 
  at, but I understand the meaning 
  behind these books and I do not like 
  them. They talk of unholy things, 
  curses and demons, and the like. 
  They should be removed, I tell you.” 
  When his pleas to have the infernal 
  volumes removed fall on deaf ears, he 
  departs shaking his head and insisting 
  that, “No good will come of it, 
  meddling in things that man has no 
  right to meddle in.” 
  If your saga has not yet defined its 
  librarian, you can go ahead and use 
  Gillespie. He is a young clerk of just 
  twenty and selected by the covenant as 
  he can both read and write Latin. 
  Gillespie: Age 24, Worrisome +3, 
  Pious +2, Helpful +1 
  Scene 1: The Body is 
  Found 
  Start with the covenant’s grogs: 
  Some labourers are digging a new latrine 
  away from the covenant buildings on 
  instruction from one of the magi as the 
  smell from the last carried too strongly 
  near his sanctum for comfort. One of 
  the players takes the role of poor dim 
  Tully, while another one or two take the 
  roles of grogs set to stand guard and 
  make sure they get their work done. If 
  you have any female grogs, then please 
  do use them in this scene. The 
  storyguide should take the role of 
  Teague, a philosophical and lazy 
  labourer who believes the world owes 
  him far more than he is currently 
  granted. 
  While Tully dutifully digs his ditch, 
  Teague complains bitterly: 
  “If these were such fine and 
  educated wizards, why then do they 
  not command the earth itself to open 
  up for them? Or perhaps ask the 
  spirits or the people who live under 
  the ground to open a hole? I have 
  seen nothing that tells me of their 
  magic, not when they must instruct 
  poor overworked honest men such 
  as I and thee to pitch about with 
  shovel and bucket. Instruct me? 
  Instruct the good neighbours, I say, 
  then might I see something in the 
  line of magic.” 
  This labourer is a man called Teague. 
  Not often ones to feature in stories, the 
  roles of the lowly more often filled by 
  grogs who tend to wear armour and 
  carry weapons for a living, Teague and 
  his colleague Tully represent the 
  everyman who toil at the behest of magi 
  who by rights should be able to do 
  more with their magic than they do. 
  “If I had magic then not a man 
  would work a day in his life, as God 
  is my witness. Not a man except 
  those as can read, for those as can 
  read do claim they work but in truth 
  they simply scribble and record and 
  other such pastimes that make no 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  55 
  demands upon the body. But for all 
  men that toil in sacking, that must 
  lift and carry, dig and drag, then all 
  those shall be free from their 
  burdens, and you may hold me to 
  my word.” 
  If confronted on his views that if 
  men shall not work then what about 
  women, he replies: 
  “Nay, not women. Women shall 
  work, for do we not hear dawn to 
  dusk and round again how a 
  woman’s work is never done? That is 
  the natural order of things and I 
  would not, upon my oath, interfere 
  with the natural order of things.” 
  When ordered to keep his mind to 
  his work and be back about it, he orders 
  Tully onward wile he has one further 
  outburst: 
  “Two days we have been about 
  this work. And what thanks have we 
  received for it? Not a one such word 
  as ‘how goodly and straight a ditch 
  you do dig’, not a one, not when he 
  might say instead, ‘what, not done 
  yet?’ or ‘put your back into it’ while 
  he does observe from a cart-length 
  distant.” 
  Teague: Age 30, Lazy +3, 
  Philosophical +2, Outspoken +1 
  Tully: Age 24, Easily-Led +3, Slow-
  witted +3, Hardworking +2 
  Tully digs on into the peat until his 
  shovel strikes something that isn’t peat. 
  It is less giving and stops the wooden 
  shovel in its tracks. 
  Teague immediately takes that as a 
  sign that the latrine is deep enough, 
  “Then we have dug as far as can dig 
  and that means the day’s labour is 
  done. Pick up your tools and retire.” 
  But there’s something under there. 
  Scraping at it with the shovel clears 
  away some residual peat to reveal some 
  decayed cloth. It tears easily under the 
  shovel to reveal what looks like old 
  tanned leather. 
  As storyguide, don’t feel obliged to 
  read the Teague’s dialogue word-for-
  word, but consider its content – Teague 
  is complaining at his lot and musing 
  about what he would do if he had the 
  power to do it, which is ultimately… 
  not very much. The idea is to build 
  some character here. Along with dull-
  witted Tully, expect Teague to be 
  mentioned in more than passing by the 
  players when the notion of human 
  sacrifice is mentioned later in the story. 
  Scene 2: Investigating 
  the Body 
  It is easy enough to uncover the 
  body. If the magi come to the ditch, a 
  simple Rego Terram Sight, Momentary, 
  Part, level 10 spell (base 2, +3, +1) is all 
  that is needed to uncover the body. 
  Either that or another hour spent by the 
  labourers. 
  The body is dressed in some kind of 
  armour; leather covered with bronze 
  rings. Much of the soft tissue has rotted 
  away, leaving a naturally tanned hide. 
  The skin has split here and there to 
  reveal the bones beneath. 
  There is also a rope or cord around 
  his neck. 
  Once the body is uncovered, the 
  excavators find more grave goods 
  buried along with the unfortunate man: 
  A Bent Sword: With a blade made 
  of iron and a handle wound with bronze 
  wire, the sword looks to be a 
  masterwork. 
  Broken Shield: A wooden round 
  shield with a central boss of bronze. It 
  is wielded with a handle formed from 
  the back of the central boss. One edge 
  has been struck from it. 
  A Golden Torc: Perfectly preserved 
  and not broken in any way, although the 
  twisted golden rope is slightly dented as 
  a result of being under ground for so 
  long. 
  None of the items are inherently 
  magical. 
  Closer examination of the body once 
  out of the ground shows that he 
  suffered a gruesome death, likely 
  inflicted over some time. Firstly, there is 
  the cord. It would once have been tight 
  around his throat. Then there is the 
  knife wound to his neck. He has also 
  been struck across the head, breaking 
  his skull. Lastly, there is the stab wound 
  to his ribs, a wound that goes all the 
  way through to his heart. 
  The four wounds and so the four 
  deaths placate the four spirits that 
  feature later in the story. 
  What do they do with 
  the body now? 
  A Christian burial is, frankly, too 
  late; it has already been in the ground 
  for centuries. 
  They may bring the body inside the 
  covenant while they work out their next 
  steps, or they may rebury it pretty much 
  straight away (in which case Scene 5, 
  below, does not take place). 
  Can the Magi Talk to 
  Him? 
  You might want to adjudicate that 
  the body is too decayed for Whispers 
  through the Black Gate, although that is a 
  Mallon the Druid 
  Mallon found the spirits that the 
  O’Dierma had bargained with and he 
  approached the Spirit of Fortune in 
  Battle, offering it some other sacrifice if 
  the spirit withheld its favors from the 
  O’Dierma. The greedy spirit agreed, but 
  Mallon was a trickster. With the battle 
  decided in the MacColl’s favor, Mallon 
  reneged on his deal. Unable to reveal that 
  it had betrayed the O’Dierma, the spirit 
  of Fortune in Battle remained silent for 
  all these centuries. 
  However, it was no accident that 
  Mallon himself was killed in battle, struck 
  in the throat by an arrow loosed by one 
  of his own people and apparently turned 
  aside by the wind. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  56 
  spell that even were the magi not to 
  know between them they are likely to be 
  able to achieve through Ceremonial 
  Magic. However, the body can be used 
  as an Arcane Connection to summon 
  the man’s spirit. 
  If they do manage to speak with 
  either the body or the spirit, then they 
  learn much of the back story straight 
  away. They certainly learn the man’s 
  name, that he was a willing sacrifice, 
  that he is one of the O’Dierma, that he 
  bound the spirits to bring fortune to his 
  people. 
  Scene 3: Investigating 
  the Old Ways 
  Assuming that the magi are not 
  ultimately local to the area that they 
  have settled in, they might ask some of 
  the locals for their stories or 
  remembrances of old events. Doing so 
  is potentially quite enlightening. 
  They manage to find a couple of old
  -timers, probably fishing or just sitting 
  out in the open quenching their day-
  long thirsts. These are Gharvin and 
  Keefe, both in excess of 60 years. 
  Gharvin is more prepared to talk about 
  the old stories, while Keefe is more 
  reticent. Treat them as though they both 
  have Local Area Lore (History) of at 
  least 6. 
  They say that the whole area used to 
  be O’Dierma land, before the MacColl 
  drove them out. They say it happened 
  long ago, far before anyone alive could 
  remember it, although the O’Dierma 
  do bring it up from time to time (a 
  reference to the generations-old blood 
  feud that still defines O’Dierma-
  MacColl relations). Gharvin and Keefe 
  are, of course, MacColl by lineage. 
  If asked directly about the sacrifice, 
  then Gharvin says that there are all sorts 
  of stories about it, but he is quite 
  defensive on the part of the MacColl 
  stating that they are all goodly Christian 
  folk. Of course, it wasn’t always that 
  way. Back in the day, a MacColl druid 
  named Mallon discovered the secret to 
  Ibor, The O’Dierma Sacrifice 
  Magic Might: 20 (Me) 
  Characteristics: Int 0, Per +1, Pre 0, Com 
  0, Str +2 , Sta +2, Dex 0, Qik +3 
  Size: 0 
  Season: Autumn 
  Confidence Score: 1 (3) 
  Virtues and Flaws: Magic Spirit; Magic 
  Monster; Wealthy; Improved Characteristics 
  (x2), Tough, Warrior; Magical Air, Oath of 
  Fealty; Baneful Circumstances (day) 
  Magical Qualities and Inferiorities: No 
  Fatigue; Improved Might x5, Improved 
  Powers x3, Improved Soak, Lesser Power x3 
  (Claiming the Mortal Coil, Donning the 
  Corporeal Veil, Invisibility) 
  Personality Traits: Angry +3, Brave +3, 
  Vengeful +3 
  Reputations: Angry spirit in the swamp 2 
  (local) 
  Combat: 
  Fist: Init +3, Attack +4, Defense +7, 
  Damage +2 
  Longsword: Init +5, Attack +10, Defense 
  +12, Damage +8 
  Shortbow: Init +2, Attack +8, Defense +8, 
  Damage +8 
  Thrown Dagger: Init +3, Attack +6, Defense 
  +8, Damage +4 
  Soak: +12 (chain mail shirts, or fuller 
  leather armor) 
  Fatigue Levels: None. 
  Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 
  (11+) (no incapacitating or kill wounds) 
  Abilities: Athletics 4 (sprinting), Awareness 
  4 (the living), Area Lore: Hibernia 4 
  (farmlands), Bows 4 (shortbow), Brawl 4 
  (dodge), Bargain 4 (spirits), Carouse 3 (jokes), 
  Dead Language: Gaelic 5 (commands), Dead 
  Language: Latin 3 (commands), Etiquette 3 
  (spirits), Faerie Lore 5 (creatures), Folk Ken 3 
  (spirits), Guile 3 (nonverbal), Hunt 3 (deer), 
  Leadership 3 (maintaining a household), 
  Single Weapon 5 (longsword), Stealth 3 
  (keeping hidden), Thrown Weapon 4 (dagger) 
  Powers: 
  Invisibility, 0 points, Init -7, Imaginem 
  R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind 
  Ibor becomes invisible when he wishes, but 
  can still be seen by Second Sight. PeIm 15 
  (Base 4, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +1 moving 
  image): Lesser Power (25 levels, -5 Might 
  cost) 
  Claiming the Mortal Coil, 0 points, Init -7, 
  Corpus 
  R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind 
  Ibor can animate a corpse and cause it to 
  look like him. ReCo 25 (Base 10, +1 Touch, 
  +2 Sun); Lesser Power (25 Levels, -5 Might 
  cost) 
  Donning the Corporeal Veil, 0 points, Init 0, 
  Corpus 
  See Realms of Power: Magic, page 102 
  Ibor can assume material form. Lesser 
  Power; Improved Power (-5 Might cost) 
  Encumbrance: 0 (0) 
  Vis: There are four pawns of Mentem in 
  Ibor's strangulating cord, but only when he's 
  destroyed. 
  Appearance: Ibor manifests as a ghostly 
  pale man in the prime of his strength, 
  although one who has been wounded terribly. 
  He has a cord wound tight around his neck, 
  just above a vicious slash from left to right, a 
  visible stab wound over his heart, and his hair 
  on the back of his head is matted with blood. 
  None of these wounds seems to impair him, 
  though. 
  Design Notes: Ibor is built as a base shade 
  with 15 Might, adjusted through his Qualities 
  and Inferiorities. If the SG wishes to make 
  Ibor weaken with each body he animates, 
  then increase the Might cost of Claiming the 
  Mortal Coil and Donning the Corporeal Veil. 
  For each point the powers cost, increase the 
  power's initiative modifier by 1. If the 
  combined powers are increased a total of 5 
  points, then do not increase initiative, but 
  give Ibor the Improved Soak quality again 
  and increase his soak to +14. 
  Notes: If any of the scenes above are 
  searched, then the players find a bronze ring 
  from his armour, likely torn from him in the 
  fight or his flight. 
  
   
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  57 
  the O’Dierma’s good fortune. He 
  made a deal with one of the spirits that 
  they had bound through blood, 
  breaking the O’Dierma’s sacrifice. 
  They don’t know what became of 
  Mallon. As to the O’Dierma... They 
  were driven off the land by the 
  MacColl following a battle. 
  If this event takes place after the 
  downpour (described below), then the 
  old-timers ask about that frightful rain. 
  It seems not to have overly bothered 
  the village, but the storm seemed to be 
  fierce enough. 
  Scene 4: The Downpour 
  As the sun goes down, a deluge 
  opens up. The rain falls so hard that it 
  actually starts to damage crops. Before 
  long, the ground is sodden and the 
  covenant is at risk from flooding. The 
  following vignettes can be thrown in: 
  Crops: One of the farmers calls out 
  that the fields are being washed clean 
  Livestock: Livestock breaking loose 
  from their pens - they are being 
  frightened by the storm 
  Covenant buildings: The roofs 
  letting in water, servants rushing with 
  pans to catch it 
  The library: As it is on the ground 
  floor, there is a risk of damage to the 
  books. The librarian makes the danger 
  known and calls for help in protecting 
  the books, likely referencing those 
  infernal texts he was so concerned 
  about. 
  Remember, the rain itself is natural, 
  but observation of the skies sees that 
  clouds from all around are being drawn 
  towards the covenant. Something is 
  causing the clouds to behave 
  unnaturally. 
  Scene 5: The Spirit of 
  Ibor Returns 
  Whether the body is removed or 
  not, the act of disturbing the body has 
  awoken Ibor’s spirit. Unless already 
  summoned and bound within a circle or 
  some other ward, Ibor appears within 
  the covenant at the site of his body, 
  using the body as a means to cross 
  through. 
  The scene ends with his recapture, 
  his body’s destruction, or his escape. 
  There are three set-pieces to this 
  scene: 
  The Escape from the 
  Chamber 
  Who is set to guard the body? 
  Whoever it is, they are guarding the 
  room and then they hear something 
  move. Looking around, they realize that 
  the body is missing. However, it is still 
  in the room with them. Ibor attacks, 
  pushing one into the other and 
  attempting to make his escape. He 
  needs to successfully break from the 
  combat in order to escape. This means, 
  the first round is his (ambush) attack, 
  and the next he decides to go all-out 
  defense. 
  The Escape in the 
  Courtyard 
  He manages to reach the courtyard, 
  his leathery skin and old bones 
  surprisingly swift. Have another one or 
  two grogs outside. There are some 
  barrels stacked against the wall. If the 
  storm is still in full swing, any grogs or 
  magi present may be focused on the 
  damaging rain. However, they see him! 
  He intends to evade again, so with grogs 
  behind and others ahead, he takes to the 
  barrels and up to the roof. He needs 
  one round to leap to the barrels, 
  another to leap to the roof, and another 
  to run clear over and outside the 
  covenant. To prevent him, the players 
  need to confound him somehow. This 
  might be charging either him or the 
  barrels before he gets to them, trying to 
  grab him before he gets on the roof, or 
  catching him before he leaves the root. 
   Players need to make increasingly 
  difficult Dexterity + Athletics rolls in 
  order to stop him: 12+, 15+, 18+ 
  Fleeing the Covenant 
  As Ibor makes it over the roof, there 
  is a crash of thunder overhead, 
  accompanied by a spear of lightning 
  that strikes in the courtyard. Any 
  present needs to roll D10. On a 1-3 they 
  are within the blast area and they are 
  thrown from their feet. 
  Those who follow over the roof 
  (make a Dexterity + Athletics vs 9+) 
  see Ibor heading away from the 
  covenant and up the hillside. 
  Scene 6: Falling Ill 
  In the morning after the deluge, 
  some of the covenfolk have fallen ill 
  with pneumonia (see below). 
  If the covenant is not fully protected 
  by an Aegis, then this includes grogs 
  and servants that attend on the magi. 
  Pneumonia 
  Serious Phlegmatic Disease, Severity 
  9 
  Stable: 6, Improve: 12, Interval: 
  Week 
  This inflammation of the lungs is 
  diagnosed by the presence of blood or 
  choler in the sputum. It is caused by 
  polluted air (Contra-Natural). 
  Pneumonia has a tendency to exhibit a 
  Crisis on the seventh day. Treatment is 
  typically bleeding to reduce the excess 
  fluid, and drying compresses applied to 
  the chest. 
  Symptoms: Acute pain in the chest, 
  quotidian fever. The afflicted character 
  is also reduced to the Winded Fatigue 
  level until he improves. At the Major 
  stage of the disease, the victim suffers 
  from the Enfeebled Flaw in place of the 
  Disease Penalty 
  Magi should make Disease 
  Avoidance Rolls versus 6+ 
  Disease Avoidance roll: 
  Stamina + Living Conditions 
  Modifier + 
  (Corpus/5) + Wound Penalty + 
  stress die 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  58 
  Scene 7: Poor 
  Fortune 
  In the evening following on from 
  the sickness being discovered, the 
  librarian reports a blight creeping into 
  the books. If using his introduction 
  scene as presented above, he blames the 
  infernal books mentioned earlier. 
  There is no damage now as far as 
  book Level or Quality are concerned, 
  but every week that passes without the 
  spirit being appeased means that a book 
  chosen at random from the library loses 
  a point of Quality. In the event of a 
  Laboratory Text, impose a five-level 
  penalty to it. 
  Scene 8: Arguments 
  The morning following on from the 
  poor fortune with the books, against 
  Penetration +15, individuals are 
  affected with rampant opinions or 
  emotions that make them quarrelsome, 
  causing arguments and even fights. 
  The magi first notice a commotion 
  out in the courtyard. 
  Unless dealt with, the arguments 
  turn into fist fights. Only those who 
  have entered from outside the Aegis are 
  affected, however. 
   
   
  Scene 9: The 
  Captured Ibor 
  If the covenant captures Ibor, they 
  can interrogate this living bog-body to 
  find out what’s going on. 
  Now that Ibor is free from his 
  servitude, he wants his revenge on those 
  who left him so long. His service was 
  for a generation but he has been under 
  the ground for centuries. He wants to 
  be free. But he does admit that he was a 
  willing sacrifice, murdered so that he 
  could control the spirits and ensure the 
  prosperity of his people. The spirits will 
  not be placated until the sacrifice is 
  renewed. 
  Ibor can take the magi to a place 
  where the spirits are strong, as per the 
  next scene, but only does so under 
  compulsion or promise of freedom. 
  Scene 10: Finding the 
  Regio 
  If Ibor escapes and is tracked, his 
  tracks lead out into the hills surrounding 
  the covenant and then they vanish. 
  If Ibor is destroyed before he can 
  escape or is otherwise prevented from 
  leaving the covenant, the magi may be 
  able to track the source of the magical 
  effects assaulting the covenant back to a 
  central point. Accessing the level 5 
  magical regio from the mundane world 
  follows the usual rules. 
  Alternatively, if the magi are young 
  and likely to be frustrated through a lack 
  of the right spell or device, then have 
  them find the entrance to a tunnel 
  barrow, long since overgrown and now 
  simply part of the landscape. Exposing 
  the entrance allows the magi to walk 
  through the cramped tunnel. When they 
  do so, they exit out into a domed 
  barrow chamber; the inside of the regio. 
  Inside the regio, there is a throne 
  surrounded by armour, weapons, 
  treasures, food and drink, and fresh 
  flowers. These are the grave goods 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  59 
  buried with generations of sacrifices. In 
  fact, these were the spiritual 
  representations of those goods rather 
  than the items themselves, but they are 
  physical in the regio. If removed, they 
  crumble to nothing. Entering the regio 
  again reveals them to be in-situ. 
  If Ibor managed to escape, then this 
  is where he can be found. However, the 
  spirits consider, with his disturbance 
  and lack of replacement sacrifice, that 
  the bargain has been broken. They have 
  him pinned to the ground, separated 
  from his sword and shield. In this place, 
  he appears as he did on the point of 
  death, with each of his wounds fresh 
  and glistening. 
  If Ibor is destroyed or otherwise 
  inaccessible (they may have reburied 
  him, for instance) then the spirits 
  themselves can lead the characters to 
  the regio. Either the rain, the illness, the 
  rot on the books, or any wound caused 
  as the result of a magically-induced 
  argument can be used as an Arcane 
  Connection in order to track the spirits. 
  Using an arcane connection to remotely 
  view the place does reveal the inside of 
  the barrow and may, depending on the 
  troupe and/or storyguide, provide 
  enough information to provide a course 
  the magi can follow to reach its 
  entrance. 
  The spirits attempt to defend their 
  domain. 
  The Spirits 
  The four spirits are: 
  Weather: Brings the Storm 
  Health: Brings illness 
  Fortune: Causes the books to rot 
  Battle: Causes arguments among the 
  covenfolk 
  Each has 15 Might and each has 
  three main powers: 
  Eidolon: The ability to take a 
  physical form 
  Give Fortune: The ability to give 
  the element or favour associated with 
  the spirit 
  Take Fortune: The ability to 
  remove or withhold the element or 
  favour associated with the spirit 
  In the case of powers affecting 
  individuals or groups, each power has a 
  Penetration of +15. This covers powers 
  that promote or remove harmony from 
  individuals or those that deal with 
  health, and even those that promote 
  luck and fortune. 
  Of course, they need to act through 
  the Aegis if they can so some of the 
  symptoms may not affect the covenant 
  straight away. 
  Scene 11: 
  Confronting the 
  Spirits 
  If the spirits are summoned (any of 
  them), then they demand tribute in the 
  form of a sacrifice. If Ibor is still around 
  then they can go through the ritual 
  again, although he is unwilling this time 
  around. Or they could find another 
  unfortunate. Or they could blast the 
  spirits apart. Or find another 
  accommodation. The storyguide should 
  adjudicate any bargain or threats made. 
  In particular, if the betrayal of the spirit 
  of Fortune in Battle is revealed, the 
  spirits accept him as a sacrifice; he 
  becomes powerless and simply serves to 
  bind the bargain once more in favour of 
  the covenant. 
  If a deal is reached, then the illness 
  stops, as do any arguments, as does the 
  torrential rain and any blight in the 
  library. 
  In order to summon the spirits, the 
  magus needs to cast a Base 15 spell at 
  Arcane Connection range. If the 
  duration is Momentary, the spirit is not 
  compelled to stay. The effect must 
  penetrate, of course. 
  The magus could summon the spirit 
  into a circle/ring ward and that would 
  keep it in place. 
  An example summoning spell is this: 
  Summoning the Spirit of Fire 
  ReIg 40 
  R: Arcane, D: Conc, T: Ind 
  Calls a fiery spirit if the magus has 
  an Arcane Connection or knows its full 
  name, and overcomes the spirit’s Magic 
  Resistance. (The name can be a non-
  magical name; it need not be a magical 
  true name or name of power). A fire 
  serves as an Arcane Connection to any 
  elemental fire spirit that resides in the 
  area. 
  (Base 15, +4 Arcane, +1 Conc) 
  That summons a spirit of fire. Any 
  Arcane Connection can be used. For 
  the rain spirit, any part of any puddle 
  left by it can be used, as can the rain 
  constantly falling from the sky. For 
  illness, any sick individual under its 
  power, etc. 
  The spell does need to Penetrate, of 
  course. 
  So the magus effectively needs to 
  cast the spell (level 40) and then 
  Penetrate. The Arcane Connection 
  could help. 
  Help At Hand 
  Assuming that the covenant facing 
  this trial is a young covenant, they may 
  need help. It is worth seeding the 
  potential for help up at the beginning of 
  the story. Perhaps a book returned from 
  a friendly covenant, or a book borrowed 
  recently arrived. Either way, remind the 
  young magi that they are young and that 
  they cannot be expected to know 
  everything; they have allies should they 
  need them. 
  Of course, you should then ensure 
  that the friendly covenant has casting 
  tablets (as per the Covenants supplement) 
  to hand so that the player magi may 
  retain their agency in the story. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  60 
  Inspired by Mark Lawford’s articles 
  on two of the arch-types presented in 
  Hermetic Projects, the Hermetic 
  Shipwright and Architect (Sub Rosa 
  issues 10 and 11, respectively), we 
  would now like to offer some thoughts 
  on another archetype from this tome, 
  the Intangible Assassin. 
  We offer thoughts, suggestions and 
  observations, nothing more. We hope 
  to inspire, not dictate character 
  development. Especially because this 
  concept has such a huge potential for 
  spreading out in curious specializations 
  and benefit from doing so. 
  Identifying the End 
  Goal 
  As discussed in Hermetic Projects 
  the Intangible Assassin is a character 
  build around the use of Arcane 
  Connections to cast the spell Opening 
  the Intangible Tunnel and it’s 
  derivatives, as well as spells to use 
  through these created Tunnels. We will 
  specifically be focusing on using these 
  effects for destructive purposes, though 
  we hope to include a small section for 
  beneficial uses as well. We must also 
  refer the interested reader to chapter 5 
  of the Hermetic Projects book as we 
  will be using effects designed therein 
  and do not wish to replicate them here. 
  Discussions 
  Certain things have to be given due 
  thought and considerations before we 
  embark on actually designing this 
  character. This will help us make 
  informed choices and help us 
  understand why some choices have to 
  Designing 
  The Intangible Assassin 
  By Pelle Kofod and 
  Christian Rosenkjaer Andersen  
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  61 
  be made or avoided, respectively. Each 
  major element of the character design is 
  first discussed in general before we 
  make our choices. 
  Since we are two authors we have 
  chosen to collaborate on the general 
  discussion but to design one example 
  magus each, to better showcase the 
  different concepts. 
  Arcane Connections 
  Essential to this way of waging war 
  is the Arcane Connection. Something 
  which is a part of your subject - or so 
  strongly connected with your subject 
  that for mystical purposes, it is indeed a 
  part of the subject. One major 
  consideration for this concept - indeed 
  perhaps the most central one - is how 
  you see the character collecting these 
  Arcane Connections to his enemies. 
  Some sample approaches to collecting 
  arcane connections are presented here. 
  By Magic 
  This is the approach given the most 
  space in Hermetic Projects, pages 86-91, 
  for obvious reasons. These methods 
  have their own problems, mainly those 
  of penetration and legality. And as 
  discussed in Hermetic Projects both can 
  be overcome in certain ways. 
  By Force 
  Since we have already mentioned 
  magic, this will be physical force. 
  Readers familiar with Houses of 
  Hermes: Societates may recall the 
  schools of Ramius and Vilano. The 
  school of Ramius focuses on using 
  mundane weapons because these are 
  not resisted by Parma Magica (nor other 
  sources of Magic Resistance). And 
  cutting your enemy with a sword largely 
  guarantees that a residue of blood will 
  be left on the sword. Blood that will 
  serve as an excellent arcane connection. 
  The weakness of this approach is of 
  course that it is unsubtle and likely to 
  earn you ill will from the rest of the 
  Order – and that if you can expect to 
  stick a sword into your opponent, why 
  not simply finish the job in the same 
  way? The school of Vilano can be 
  thought of as combining the school this 
  approach with the previous one. 
  Essentially Magical force. 
  By Charm 
  We’re not talking about magic here. 
  If you can mind-control your target into 
  giving you an arcane connection, why 
  would you need one in the first place? 
  Rather, we’re taking about skulduggery 
  and pretending to be a friend. Or 
  perhaps actually being a friend, but 
  preparing for the worst, including 
  having to kill your friends. 
  By Stealth 
  This approach involves things like 
  hiding and following your target, 
  gaining access to his person or 
  possessions without his knowledge. 
  Perhaps a few hairs from a comb or his 
  used clothes could be stolen? The 
  drawbacks of this approach is that it is 
  time consuming and not very dignified. 
  In an RPG-context it also has the draw 
  back of likely demanding a lot of solo-
  play, thus annoying the rest of your 
  troupe. 
  By Social Pressure 
  Hermetic Projects mentions 
  obtaining arcane connections via 
  certamen (page 91). Another way of 
  doing this will be discussed below. 
  By Agents 
  This is the big one. You don’t 
  actually have to collect these arcane 
  connections yourself. In fact it is often 
  beneficial to not do so. Let others do 
  the hard work for you. Classical uses of 
  this approach involve hiring random 
  thugs to assault your target (probably 
  while traveling) in hopes that at least 
  one of them will draw blood that you 
  can gather after the battle, or infiltrating 
  the household of your target. The latter 
  can mean planting someone loyal to you 
  in a hostile covenant or it could mean 
  suborning someone already present in 
  your target’s environment, be it by 
  magic or more mundane means. 
  This is by no means a complete list, 
  but merely represents a collection of 
  methods for consideration. 
  Building the Magus 
  Both of the above mentioned 
  articles discuss great and focused 
  enchanters. Magi that require huge lab 
  totals and very high scores in Magic 
  Theory to handle all the Vis they need 
  for their projects. 
  Exempli Gratia: House 
  Octavianus 
  In this design we chose House 
  Guernicus because of the interesting 
  potential of a Quaesitor as an assassin. 
  We’ll call this magus Octavianus. Also, 
  this is perhaps not the most obvious 
  choice when Ars Magica players think 
  of the Intangible Assassin concept. The 
  tendency of the Quaesitores to focus on 
  truth-telling through the Intangible 
  Tunnel. Investigative Vim spells are also 
  a staple of this House so not only can the 
  Guernicus network provide reading 
  materials, it is not even suspicious for this 
  magus. 
  Ragna 
  For this concept we choose a Bjornaer 
  maga and go for the stealthy approach to 
  AC collection with a raven as Heartbeast. 
  We will call her Ragna. We also intend to 
  take advantage of the communal teaching 
  of apprentices in the sept, at least before 
  they undergo the Gathering of the 
  Twelve Years, and intend for said 
  apprentices to fix ACs as to not waste the 
  time of our maga. A less tangible but still 
  potentially useful synergy from choice of 
  House. Clan Midusulf seems the likely 
  choice for an aggressive Bjornaer maga. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  62 
  This is not what we will see here. 
  The Intangible Assassin is more worried 
  about penetration and as such favors 
  spells of low levels. Thus Magic theory 
  becomes much less of a focus, where as 
  the Penetration ability (and it’s 
  adversary Parma Magica) will be of 
  much greater interest. 
  House 
  Since we are not focusing on 
  enchanting, the choice of hermetic 
  house is much less obvious than in the 
  inspiring articles mentioned above. 
  Indeed an Intangible Assassin of house 
  Verditius would likely focus on 
  recreating these effects via devices and 
  as such look much more like e.g. the 
  hermetic architect. But that’s a 
  discussion for a later time, it is not that 
  character we will be looking at here. 
  Thus the choice of house becomes 
  much more one of taste than of 
  necessity. But of course some houses 
  are still perhaps a better fit than others. 
  For the Intangible Assassin, the House 
  is less about raw ability and more about 
  style and how to approach the problem 
  of collecting arcane connections. The 
  choice could depend on useful House 
  Virtues, and even though many houses 
  offer Puissance with an Art or useful 
  Ability this is of less use to the Assassin 
  because he needs a ‘two-stage rocket’ to 
  work his methods. No House offers 
  unique mechanical benefits. Another 
  factor might be how members of a 
  given house is likely to think of a target 
  and thus how to prosecute either a 
  Wizard’s War or even an out-right 
  assassination. 
  A few suggestions are offered below: 
  Bjornaer 
  A magus of this house has one 
  major advantage when using the Stealth 
  approach. The ability to take the shape 
  of a specific animal and be secure in the 
  knowledge that no hermetic magic can 
  distinguish the magus from any ordinary 
  animal of this type. A wolf-bjornaer 
  could combine this with the forceful 
  approach, while a bird-bjornaer might 
  simply pretend to be particularly 
  obnoxious about collecting for a nest. 
  Of course, if your enemy knows he is 
  your enemy, he will likely be able to 
  learn of your heart-beast and take 
  precautions against all beasts of that 
  kind. Still, it’s a place to start. The 
  closely knit organization of the Bjornaer 
  septs is also something to consider 
  utilizing. Bjornaer magi can have many 
  good reasons to want to kill, many 
  political issues to defend and a tradition 
  for doing this brutally. 
  Guernicus 
  Here’s a magus who can use social 
  pressure like almost no-one else. A 
  charge of code violation can likely get 
  him into your sanctum and who knows 
  what he’s picking up while looking 
  through your things for signs of 
  diabolism or book-theft or what-ever-
  have-you. Even better if he states at the 
  outset that “Personally I don’t believe a 
  word of it, but I’ve been asked to 
  investigate. Yeah I know it’s a bother, 
  sorry about that, just doing my duty.” 
  Along with house Tremere, the member 
  of this house are perhaps the most likely 
  to study their target before engaging in 
  v iolen ce.  Wit h  th e r is k  o f 
  unintentionally shattering the illusions 
  of anyone, not all magi Guernici can be 
  trusted to be infallible, honest, and 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  63 
  truthful. This is only one possible 
  interpretation, varying from saga to 
  saga. And a less honest and law abiding 
  Quaesitor can become an efficient 
  Intangible Assassin. 
  Jerbiton 
  Magi of this house are likely to use 
  Charm and deception as their approach, 
  quite possibly even layered, like paying a 
  harlot to get close to the target “it 
  doesn’t matter if he rejects you, I will 
  pay in gold for a single hair off his 
  head!” while cloaked in disguises so that 
  she doesn’t know who she’s working 
  for. A fine example of this is Imanitos 
  Mendax from The Guardians of the 
  Forest. 
  Tremere 
  Abusing certamen to obtain an 
  arcane connection to a target was 
  probably written for this house, but 
  suffers from one near-fatal flaw. Who in 
  their right mind would actually have a 
  certamen with a Tremere if it can be 
  avoided? As the rules and conventions 
  for certamen stands refusing a certamen 
  challenge is tantamount to admitting 
  defeat and that you are wrong in the 
  matter. This however is not very useful 
  to a Tremere Assassin so trivial matters 
  should not warrant challenges. But nor 
  should matters so great as to attract 
  undue attention, as this risks tipping off 
  the intended victim and his allies. 
  However, if there’s one house that 
  understands the value of minions and 
  loyalty, it is house Tremere. As such 
  they are probably most likely to use 
  agents - and to recognize what member 
  of your household could be suborned 
  for his purposes. And who would 
  suspect a Tremere of harboring 
  murderous intentions just because he’s 
  studying the strengths and weaknesses 
  of a fellow magus? Bearing in mind the 
  current edition’s definition of this 
  house, that is. Scientia est Potentia after 
  all! Nor should anyone be surprised that 
  a magus of house Tremere is studying 
  Rego and a few select other Arts. 
  Tytalus 
  The only house were a member 
  might include an arcane connection to 
  himself with the declaration of Wizard’s 
  Exempli Gratia: 
  Characteristics 
  Octavianus 
  Characteristics are not really central to 
  Octavianus’ concept. So he got a bit of a 
  smattering. Intelligence for calculating 
  horoscopes and for being generally 
  smart. Communication for being able to 
  talk with other magi, combined with low 
  Presence to be forgettable – but not 
  presence so low as to be downright 
  unpleasant. No deep thoughts went into 
  these, because characteristics just aren’t 
  that important. 
  Ragna 
  The characteristics choices for a 
  Bjornaer maga require more thought than 
  for other houses since they affect the 
  values for Heartbeast shape (Houses of 
  Hermes: Mystery Cults, page 23 ). They 
  matter the most when Ragna is gathering 
  ACs, a good Perception, Dexterity, and 
  Quickness is prioritized. However as this 
  is likely to be done in animal form, it is 
  the animal’s characteristics which matter, 
  affected to a minor degree by the 
  human’s scores. If both human and 
  animal’s scores are positive we use the 
  higher one. As a natural raven has 
  positive scores for Perception, 
  Quickness, and Dexterity there is no 
  reason to ‘waste’ the human shape’s 
  characteristic points here, unless we can 
  exceed the animal’s scores. 
  In the opposite end of the spectrum the 
  rule is that if both scores are negative we 
  use the lower one. Otherwise one uses 
  the sum of the two values. So as we don’t 
  want Ragna’s Heartbeast to be weaker 
  than the natural raven we take care to 
  avoid this, and even have room for some 
  dump-stats. Yes, tragically we stoop this 
  low! But the intent is to showcase an 
  efficient build, and don’t tell me you’ve 
  never designed a magus with negative Str! 
  A raven would typically have Per +2, 
  Pre -2, Com 0, Str -7, Stm 0, Dex +1, 
  Qik +5. Cun is irrelevant as the human 
  value for Int is always used. The choices 
  made for human characteristics may 
  change these. Even though in raven 
  shape Ragna can speak with other ravens, 
  it requires good social skills and patience 
  to use dumb birds to important work, 
  hence Pre and Com is not important, in 
  either form. Although we did assume the 
  Bjornaer magi teach their sept members 
  so if there are points to spare we may put 
  them here. Blatantly abusing the system 
  we go for a Human Pre of -2 for no net 
  change to the Raven Pre, freeing up 3 
  additional characteristic points. A Human 
  Str of -3 has no effect on the Raven Str. 
  Human Stm of +3 results in a Raven Stm 
  of +3 as well, useful when we want to 
  cast a spell. This min-maxing evens out, 
  we still have 10 points to spend. A 
  Human Dex of more than +1 and 
  Human Per of more than +2 is needed to 
  affect Raven Dex and respectively. We 
  need to ask ourselves whether we want or 
  need such high values for human form. 
  Per may be useful to avoid enemies 
  sneaking up on you, but also the more 
  expensive characteristic to buy. Dex is 
  less useful, we don’t intend to do much 
  sneaking about as a human or crafting 
  items, so this seems a waste, even though 
  the Raven intends to rely on stealth. A 
  Human Per of +3 is chosen due to being 
  most useful overall, for an expenditure of 
  6 characteristic points, leaving 4. Qik is 
  so high that any positive change is 
  impossible, and since this is not 
  important for human shape either a 0 is 
  enough. Int is used in both shapes and 
  while usually important for magi the great 
  effect on lab totals is negligible, but Int 
  +2 costs 3 points. Which brings us back 
  to Human Com which may as well be 
  granted the last point. 
  To sum characteristics up, we end with: 
  Int +2, Per +3, Pre -2, Com +1, Str -3, 
  Stm +3, Dex 0, Qik 0 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  64 
  War, just to give you a sporting chance, 
  of course. Or they might not. It all 
  depends on what sort of challenge they 
  are looking for. Fortunate, they might 
  also well be the house most likely to 
  declare war on you and let you live. To 
  provide a challenge another day. Having 
  the Self Confident virtue can be a nice 
  and flexible joker, to turn the tables at 
  an opportune moment. However if a 
  significant Penetration Multiplier is 
  achieved even a +6 modifier has less 
  impact. Plus, Confidence is an 
  exhaustible resource. 
  Flambeau 
  As a House known for fighting 
  ability the Flambeau deserve mention, 
  but there is no particular synergy with 
  their House Virtues nor with their 
  archetypical personalities and ethos. In 
  fact their tendency towards noble 
  actions and fair fights can be a 
  hindrance to the garbage-rooting and 
  kill-from-the-shadows Assassin. That 
  said noble does not equal stupid, and 
  the 5th edition interpretation should not 
  rob them completely of their legacy 
  from previous editions as efficient 
  warriors. 
  Characteristics 
  We won’t be focusing on 
  characteristics. Intelligence is used for 
  lab totals, but these can be surprisingly 
  low for this type of character. Stamina 
  adds to both casting totals and soak but 
  the advantage is fairly slim. Stamina 
  should not be ignored entirely but 
  probably isn’t worth focusing on. More 
  important is how you obtain Arcane 
  Connections to your opponent and a 
  wide variety of characteristics might be 
  of use here, in particular Perception, 
  D e x t er i t y ,  P r es e n c e a n d / o r 
  Communication. Certainly a decent 
  communication can help you limit your 
  pool of enemies so that’s always a 
  decent investment. When designing an 
  Assassin a choice needs to be made 
  between min-maxing for focus in one 
  field, or to take a broader approach. 
  Virtues 
  Previous design articles stated that 
  magi can have no more than 5 minor 
  virtues, however this limit is for minor 
  flaws only. This aside, some virtues are 
  obviously more useful that others for 
  this character concept. 
  Major 
  Flawless Formulaic Magic takes the 
  prize as most useful major hermetic 
  virtue here. Spell mastery is extremely 
  useful in the 5th edition and is a 
  potential point-sink, so getting the first 
  level for free and then doubling all XPs 
  dedicated to this purpose is extremely 
  useful. Useful Masteries include 
  Penetration Mastery, Multi-casting and 
  Resistance Mastery, as well as certain 
  other tricks that are more specific to 
  certain spells. Flawless Magic doubles all 
  experience for spell mastery so 
  Independent Study is particularly useful 
  in combination with this as it adds 2 to 
  Source Quality when practicing spells. 
  Flexible Formulaic Magic has been 
  suggested for this purpose as well, but 
  since any spell with a range of Touch or 
  greater (Hermetic Projects, page 79) can be 
  used via the Intangible Tunnel, this 
  becomes much less useful. A single 
  argument towards this virtue is the 
  flexibility of knowing most spells at R: 
  Touch for use through Tunnels and still 
  being able to boost them to a greater 
  range if need be. Plus they are easier 
  and faster to invent by being lower 
  level. However note the spell Evil Eye 
  from Hermetic Projects which in a way 
  removes this potential advantage. 
  Seemingly useful major virtues like 
  Elemental Magic or Secondary Insight 
  may very well grant additional 
  experience in one Art when studying 
  another, however this pales in 
  comparison with the benefits of spell 
  mastery. 
  Exempli Gratia: Virtues 
  Octavianus 
  Flawless Magic is taken as our Major 
  Hermetic Virtue without question. 
  Almost all of our remaining virtues go 
  into affinity/puissant virtues for Parma 
  Magica, Penetration and Vim. This 
  character will be overly specialized. 
   
  Ragna 
  Again Flawless Magic is taken as our 
  Major Hermetic Virtue without question. 
  Independent Study boosts this 
  considerably for quick mastery of spells. 
  In addition we choose Apt Student , 
  finding it likely that the Bjornaer sept 
  members teach each other to a higher 
  degree than other magi, instead of using 
  books. This will boost Arts and Abilities 
  over time. Minor Magical Focus 
  (Creating Fire & Acid Burns) gives a 
  significant boosts to the maga’s killing 
  power effects and is shamelessly chosen. 
  Seeing as ‘Damage’ is a Major Focus this 
  seems like a fair design, limited to narrow 
  and specific effects under Creo Aquam 
  and Creo Ignem respectively. We hope 
  Puissant Stealth and Puissant Awareness 
  becomes a boon in the long run for 
  procuring ACs. To boost Penetration we 
  take Puissance with it but forgo Affinity. 
  Affinities are without doubt useful 
  however this is mostly true in the long 
  run. For short term benefits Puissance is 
  preferable. This is because we need one 
  final minor Virtue: Inoffensive with 
  Mundane Animals (House of Hermes: 
  Mystery Cults, page 86-87) to blend in with 
  other birds and animals and not stand 
  out. We don’t give a hoot about how 
  obnoxious we may seem to any other 
  beings, even humans – the trick is to 
  avoid these. For shapeshifters all 
  applicable Virtues and Flaws from human 
  shape affect the animal shape as well, 
  Social being the obvious exception. All 
  Virtues chosen affect Ragna’s animal 
  shape as well. 
  We do not want or need any Virtues for 
  reducing voice and gesture penalties 
  when in animal form. Few if any spells 
  are needed here, and Mastery can take 
  care of it nicely then. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  65 
  Minor 
  Again we can shift our focus away 
  from the multitude of excellent virtues 
  for lab rats. While Adept Lab Student 
  can ease the process of inventing new 
  spells, provided lab texts can be 
  procured, this may be unlikely for highly 
  specialized or non-standard parameter 
  spells, and may not be worth it. Also, 
  since most spells to be used for this sort 
  of character are of rather low levels, lab 
  totals become less important. Instead 
  we focus our attention on virtues that 
  provide an advantage for casting spells 
  or resisting the same. Especially worthy 
  of attention are Puissance and Affinity 
  with Parma Magica and Penetration 
  respectively. These both provide a 
  bonus that will then be multiplied 
  before applying to your relevant total. 
  Some troupes discourage Puissant 
  Parma Magic. Please check with your 
  troupe before using this. 
  Other options include Method 
  Caster or Special Circumstances, for a 
  small bonus to casting totals. For 
  building a strong magus the Unholy 
  Trinity of Book Learner, Free Study and 
  Independent Study are recommended 
  for raking in those bonus experience 
  points As they keep on giving they are 
  more efficient in the long run than 
  Skilled Parens or the various virtues 
  granting 50 exp for a specific group of 
  abilities. Apt Student is also useful for 
  maximizing the fruits of study, but 
  requires finding a suitable teacher. 
   
  Exempli Gratia: Flaws 
  Octavianus 
  The Restriction, Susceptibility and the 
  Lame flaw are really here to illustrate a 
  point. This type of character can usually 
  choose his own location when attacking 
  and is not particularly dependent on 
  physical defences (like dodge). Sure, he’ll 
  have to go on investigations every once 
  in a while and these flaws might limit him 
  there, but for his focus of magical 
  warfare, these are surprisingly irrelevant. 
  The enemy and obsession are there to 
  explain why a member of house 
  Guernicus has gone down this fairly dark 
  road: he’s a classical archtype popularized 
  in many movies, the cop-turned-vigilante, 
  who is focusing on “Justice not Law” 
  and hope to keep himself safe by 
  investigating his own misdeeds. Thus 
  finally leading to the last flaw, which is a 
  joke of justice being not blind but one-
  eyed. 
  Ragna 
  We immediately go for a whopping 3 
  major flaws to avoid dithering around 
  with minor ones. Even though the Virtue 
  choices mention we are most definitively 
  not creating a people person we still 
  avoid Blatant Gift since only reactions by 
  animals is affected by the cleverly chosen 
  Virtue. When we sneak into a sanctum of 
  a magus for an AC, or raid the 
  clothesline we don’t want to stand out 
  like demonspawn to the covenfolk. 
  Chaotic Magic is chosen since we intend 
  to use choice formulaic spells, abilities in 
  Heartbeast form, and avoid spontaneous 
  magic except for rare occasions where we 
  hope weak spells are sufficient. Also, a 
  little risk is also fun! We also take 
  Deficient Perdo to try and work around 
  direct destruction. For Story Flaw we go 
  for Servant of the Forest; Ragna was 
  saved by an ancestral spirit and is bound 
  to protect this wild domain. To round it 
  off we go for minor personality flaw 
  Hatred, specified against those to defile 
  the natural areas. We now have a 
  motivated Wilderist. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  66 
  Magical Focus 
  But why haven’t we mentioned 
  Magical Focus at all. Shouldn’t every 
  magus have a magical focus? No. The 
  problem is that you will almost always 
  have to cast a mix of spells. As a bare 
  minimum you will be casting a ReVi 
  effect based on Opening the Intangible 
  Tunnel and at least one other spell to 
  affect your target. These will both need 
  to penetrate. It will be very hard to stick 
  both of these effects under the same 
  focus, and a magus can only ever have a 
  single magical focus, regardless of 
  source. For a similar (but more 
  aesthetically pleasing) effect, look to 
  Potent Magic from The Mysteries: Revised 
  Edition, pages 31-32. Also, it is tedious 
  when all magi are forced to have the 
  same virtue, is it not? An efficient build 
  may utilize a minor focus covering his 
  Intangible Tunnel spells potentially 
  lowering the necessary levels needed in 
  Arts for this and freeing experience 
  points for the Technique-Form 
  combinations needed for the killing 
  spells. The other argument against the 
  magical focus being that while the virtue 
  exists to grant each magus a mechanical 
  bonus for using a consistent “flavor”, 
  using it with every magus makes it dull 
  and boring, thus defeating the very 
  purpose of the virtue itself. 
  Flaws 
  Nothing springs to mind as 
  particularly suited for this concept, save 
  of course that every magus should have 
  a story flaw, preferably major. After all, 
  a person who would dedicate so much 
  of his life to the study of how to kill 
  from a distance is likely to have a few 
  enemies, surely? And speaking of which, 
  a personality flaw or two wouldn’t come 
  amiss either, be it founded in arrogance 
  and pride or ungratefulness. And 
  perhaps a secretive streak as well. 
  Deficiencies need to be carefully chosen 
  as to not ruin certain approaches, 
  however is can also pose an interesting 
  Exempli Gratia: Abilities 
  Octavianus 
  Some attention should probably be paid 
  here, and indeed more XPs have been 
  spent on Abilities than on either Arts or 
  Spells. The Ability set can be roughly 
  divided into three groups: 
   
  Basic Wizard Needs 
   
  Quasitor Needs 
   
  Intangible Assasin Needs. 
  But as well shall see, this division is 
  partially false. 
  All magi need Magic Theory, Latin and 
  Artes Liberales. And these are typically 
  kept low for starting magi, to save XPs, 
  which we have also done here. But we 
  have picked astrology as the specialty for 
  Artes Liberales, because Octavianus 
  plans to create horoscopes for his targets, 
  to increase penetration. We also note that 
  Magic Theory is kept to a score of only 3 
  – the bare minimum – but specialized in 
  inventing spells. 
  Abilities such as Awareness, Folk Ken, 
  Guile, Code of Hermes and Order of 
  Hermes Lore are extremely useful, 
  possibly even down right necessary for 
  investigators. But many of these are also 
  extremely useful for locating and 
  collecting Arcane Connections to targets. 
  Finally we come to the abilities essential 
  to the Intangible Assassin, mostly Parma 
  Magica and Penetration – abilities that 
  could just as well have been placed under 
  Basic Wizard Needs. Both have stacked 
  Affinity and Puissant, for maximum 
  resistance and penetration – in particular, 
  we want a nice, high penetration skill, to 
  really benefit from those penetration 
  multipliers. We also note that Parma 
  Magica starts fairly high, but since 
  Octavianus has an affinity with this 
  ability, we feel that this is entirely 
  justified. 
  Ragna 
  Early Childhood Abilities are usually 
  not difficult to select - but they are in this 
  case. Again referring to (Houses of Hermes: 
  Mystery Cults, page 23) when in animal 
  shape no General Abilities (apart from 
  languages and lores) from human shape 
  are usable, instead the animal’s natural 
  values are used. Arcane, Academic, and 
  Supernatural Abilities are usable, but 
  none of these are normally available at 
  this stage, without Virtues. For Bjornaer 
  magi Heartbeast Ability and House 
  Bjornaer Lore fit these categories but 
  these are not learned within the 
  character’s first 5 years. In effect all 
  abilities chosen here are useless when in 
  animal form if not chosen wisely. A 
  notable exception is Area Lore which is 
  readily available during childhood, usable 
  in animal form, and also potentially 
  useful in a fight or search for an enemy, 
  so [Area A] Lore 3 and [Area B] Lore 2. 
  That was 45 of our total of 480 
  experience points spent. Of these we also 
  need 120 spell levels and about 120 
  points on Arts, leaving us with 195 for 
  remaining Abilities. Give and take, 
  depending on how Arts are best 
  optimized. The most basic package for a 
  magus uses 90 of these on Artes 
  Liberales 1, Latin 4, Magic Theory 3, and 
  Parma Magica 1. We also need House 
  Bjornaer Lore 1 for another 5 points, to 
  cover the knowledge and dedication to 
  the cult needed to initiate the first outer 
  mystery of the Heartbeast. Heartbeast 
  ability itself is gained for free with a score 
  of 1 from the House Virtue, while Dead 
  Language: Gothic is skipped as it is only 
  important for rituals and Clan Ilfetu. 
  So 100 points for fun and games. Social 
  skills we don’t want, Stealth and 
  Awareness we use in Heartbeast form. As 
  a note for further progression, spending 
  seasons in animal forms for the better 
  part allows Practice or the spending of 
  Story Experience on the General Abilities 
  we use, and Independent Study Virtue 
  enhances this even further. And we 
  shouldn’t forget Spell Mastery. 
  We take Penetration 5 (remembering 
  the bonus from puissance of +2) and 
  Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 1. 
  This totals only 80 points, the remainder 
  is saved for Mastery, see selection of 
  Spells later. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  67 
  challenge working around a given 
  defect. Some will suggest that the 
  Blatant Gift is a cheap and easy choice 
  for a magus like this, but we must 
  remember that we do need to gather 
  arcane connections somehow and the 
  Blatant Gift will likely make this much 
  harder, especially if we tried to go about 
  that business via stealth and secrecy. 
  Weak Magic and Weak Magic 
  Resistance should be avoided like the 
  plague as they are counterproductive to 
  the entire concept. 
  Abilities 
  We are going to keep this character 
  nicely focused on his magical aims, so a 
  lot of the nice-to-haves like Area Lore, 
  and even Realm Lore Abilities have 
  been pushed to one side; the character 
  can always learn them later if needed. 
  The usual rules apply though, so 45 
  experience points need to be spent on 
  childhood abilities. Beyond that, we can 
  make our own choices. 
  Best choices for childhood skills, 
  and indeed a lot of design for this 
  character, depends on just how the 
  character intends to collect those vital 
  arcane connections. 
  Stop and think about this for a 
  moment. If you intend to gather arcane 
  connections by stealth, why not throw 
  15 or even 30 of those starting 
  experience points into Stealth? If your 
  intended method relies more on charm 
  or skulduggery and misdirection then 
  Guile and Charm are both available as 
  childhood abilities as well. 
  Artes Liberales (Astronomy): 
  Used to calculate a horoscope for the 
  target for that added penetration. 
  Leadership: For those who wish to 
  gather arcane connections via minions. 
  Charm, Guile: As explained earlier 
  Stealth: As mentioned earlier. 
  Craft (Sculpter/Painter/other): 
  Us ed  to  cr eat e a s ym bo lic 
  representation of your target. 
  Concentration: Opening the 
  Intangible Tunnel is a D: Concentration 
  spell, making this skill essential. 
  Consider using the Minute of 
  Reckoning, making this ability much 
  less necessary. 
  Finesse: Opening the Intangible 
  Tunnel is a D: Concentration spell, 
  meaning you can drop it at will. this is 
  useful when your target notices you and 
  starts casting spells back through the 
  Tunnel. If you’ve decided to go with the 
  Minute of Reckoning instead, you will 
  need to be able to Unravel that tunnel 
  when your opponent starts using it 
  against you. To do so quickly, you will 
  need Finesse (Casting Speed). 
  Magic Theory: A must have for all 
  magi, but not nearly as essential for this 
  character as for an enchanter. The 
  Intangible Assassin is likely to prefer 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  68 
  low levels spells and focus on having 
  high Arts, meaning that spells can be 
  invented easily and usually quickly, 
  sometimes even several in a season. 
  Parma Magica: Yes please. This is 
  often said to be an irrelevant defense, 
  but since with Flawless Formulaic 
  Magic, we can easily pick up some of 
  the more common attack spells and take 
  Resistance Mastery with them, which 
  suddenly makes for rather more 
  impressive resistance. 
  Penetration: Again, yes please. In 
  many ways, this is the iconic ability for 
  the Intangible Assassin. It will be 
  multiplied due to possession of an 
  arcane connection and possibly also a 
  Sympathetic Connection (ArM5, page 
  84) 
  Arts 
  Arts are useful - indeed vital - for the 
  Intangible Assassin, as they provide 
  penetration and allow us to cast spells 
  without fatigue. Interestingly though, 
  this concept could theoretically be made 
  to work with very low Art scores, as 
  long as penetration was high enough 
  and the penetration multiplies abundant 
  enough. 
  Still, most will want to have at least a 
  few high Arts. Rego and Vim are 
  obvious choices, for creating the 
  Tunnel, but having an Intangible 
  Tunnel is no fun if we can’t push 
  anything through the Tunnel and expect 
  it to penetrate. One approach is finding 
  your favorite attacks below and focusing 
  on those Arts, at least when starting out. 
  Another suggestion is to consider how 
  you would go about gathering your 
  arcane connections. Auram, Corpus and 
  Mentem are excellent for this. With 
  experience though, one should spread 
  out. Simply put, that Flambeau 
  Archmagus is going to be better at 
  Ignem than you will ever be, so it’s a 
  good idea to add a little variety, 
  preferably after studying your target to 
  find his strengths and weaknesses. 
  Spells 
  The obvious must-have here is 
  Opening the Intangible Tunnel or one 
  of it’s variants, i.e. one of those given in 
  Hermetic Projects, pages 80-81. We can 
  highly recommend The Minute of 
  Reckoning as one would not have to 
  roll for concentration every time one 
  cast a spell through the Tunnel. 
  Similarly, Vim spells to manipulate 
  the Tunnel or detect Tunnels cast by 
  others are useful as well and can be 
  found in Hermetic Projects pages 81-83. 
  Finally Learning Unraveling the Fabric 
  of Vim and fast-cast-mastering it will 
  allow the character to undo a Tunnel 
  which has been compromised by the 
  Target. 
  Then we come to spells that are 
  useful to cast through the Tunnel. This 
  selection depends on taste as much as 
  anything. It is however worth 
  mentioning that a magus could 
  conceivably focus on using either Rego 
  or Vim effects against his target, as this 
  would allow the character a sort of 
  “double-benefit” from these Arts. 
  Finally one spell from Hermetic 
  Projects deserves special mention, 
  because it can so fundamentally change 
  the tactics behind this entire design. 
  Break the Shield is an awesome spell 
  which should probably have been 
  designed as a General spell, as it is quite 
  easy to vary the base level and thus the 
  strength of the Parma Magica it can 
  destroy. Break the Shield gives us a new 
  strategy as Intangible Assassins. 
  Estimate the target’s skill with Parma 
  Magica. Open a Tunnel and cast an 
  appropriate-level-version of Break the 
  Shield down the Tunnel. Close the 
  Tunnel. Immediately open a new 
  Tunnel and cast whatever spell you 
  prefer through this. 
  Because it takes a two minutes to 
  raise the Parma Magica again, your 
  target is unlikely to have any Magic 
  Resistance except that afforded by his 
  Forms. With your arcane connection at 
  hand, you now have a window of about 
  20 rounds to cast a much higher level 
  Tunnel and have it penetrate, and then 
  Exempli Gratia: Arts 
  Octavianus 
  Being a member of house Guernicus 
  means that Ocatvianus was taught a great 
  deal of Intellego magic even before he 
  decided what to focus his studies on. 
  Indeed it is a poor Quasitor who does 
  not know the Frosty Breath of the 
  Spoken Lie. Having decided his path in 
  life, he was faced with a dilemma: He 
  would need to be strong enough in 
  magical combat to be able to hurt 
  nominally more powerful magi, but at the 
  same time could not neglect his powers 
  as a magical investigator. Luckily, mastery 
  of Vim magics could provide both (to 
  some extent). He would however need 
  skill with a variety of techniques and even 
  forms. 
  Octavianus is currently very focused on 
  Vim. If his opponent’s Parma Magica is 
  too strong to be broken with his Break 
  the Weak Shield, his only available 
  recourse is trying to inflict a Twilight 
  episode on his target. Octavianus though, 
  is a patient hunter and believes his 
  enemies are still unaware of him, so that 
  he will have time to study further before 
  having to engage in any confrontations. 
  Ragna 
  Rego and Vim are the most important 
  Arts, since they are needed for the 
  Intangible Tunnel necessary for all 
  attacks, so in effect they are the limiting 
  factor. However with the Focus chosen 
  to cover attacks spells we do not need all 
  relevant Arts to be equal. For Ragna we 
  choose a dual Form to attack and kill 
  with – Aquam and Ignem – but tied to a 
  single Technique. A number crunching 
  endeavour to optimize tells us that Rego 
  and Vim at equal levels makes for the 
  cheapest buy. And with a Focus helping 
  us for Creo, Aquam, and Ignem we want 
  scores here of 2/3 what we buy for Rego 
  and Vim to have them at comparable 
  levels. Dividing up 120 experience we 
  choose Creo 5, Rego 8, Aquam 5, Ignem 
  5, Mentem 2, Vim 8. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  69 
  proceed to cast whatever kill-spell you 
  prefer down that Tunnel and not worry 
  overly much about penetration. 
  We strongly recommend taking 
  resistance mastery with both Opening 
  the Intangible Tunnel and Break the 
  Shield as soon as possible if you even 
  suspect you might get into this sort of 
  debacle. 
  Penetration in 
  Practical Use 
  We’re going to have a look at 
  penetration and that means abusing 
  ArM5, page 84. 
  Thoughts on Parma 
  Magica 
  It has often been stated that in Ars 
  Magica Fifth Edition, Parma Magica 
  is largely irrelevant. The argument tends 
  to be that with penetration multipliers, 
  anyone can penetrate any amount of 
  magic resistance, which is to some 
  degree true, if somewhat exaggerated. 
  Indeed this assumption is to some 
  degree what this character conception is 
  all about. But the Fifth Edition has a 
  very interesting mechanic: The level of 
  the spell is subtracted from the casting 
  roll for purposes of penetration, which 
  means that higher-level spells penetrate 
  less well than low-level spells. This is 
  obvious. So we use low-level spells 
  against targets with magic resistance, for 
  better penetration. But lower-level spells 
  are more easily countered (ArM5, page 
  83) or Unravelled (using Perdo Vim, 
  ArM5, page 160-161). 
  Thus, while a higher score in Parma 
  Magica might not make you immune to 
  your opponent’s spells, it forces him to 
  use lower-level spells, that you can more 
  easily counter. 
  To maximize this, use the magic 
  resistance mastery (ArM5, page 87) with 
  some of the more common attack 
  spells, even if you never intend to use 
  them for any other purpose! This isn’t 
  perfect immunity, but does force you 
  opponent to rely on relatively lower-
  level spells. 
  Now, if you’re planning on being 
  serious with the Intangible Assasin 
  approach, you will need to be good at 
  Vim anyway, so using InVi to sense 
  incoming spells and PeVi to unravel 
  them should be an entirely sensible 
  approach. 
  Thoughts on Killer 
  Spells 
  For dealing damage with the intent 
  to kill there are two basic types, each 
  with pros and cons. Direct damage 
  Exempli Gratia: Spells 
  Octavianus 
  Right at the outset, Octavianus is not a 
  powerful magus. He knows basic 
  investigation spells and what he hopes 
  will be a few nasty surprises for his code-
  breaking prey. His focus in somewhat on 
  defensive effects for the moment, with 
  The Minute of Reckoning master with 
  defense mastery, giving him an effective 
  resistance of no less than 70 against this 
  spell and similar effects – which 
  essentially cover almost any Intangible 
  Tunnel-like effect he’s likely to ever 
  encounter. A similar choice has been 
  made with his Break the Weak Shield 
  spell which is still Vim and so still affords 
  resistance 70 against similar effects. 
  Resistance 70 is not unbreakable, but it’s 
  a good start. Next Octavianus has the 
  Frosty Breath of the Spoken Lie, Sense of 
  the Lodestone, Odor of Lingering Magic 
  and Demon’s Eternal Oblivion – all 
  classical spells for Quaesitores, being 
  either extremely helpful with 
  investigations or in the case of DEO, the 
  basic go-to spell when facing the infernal, 
  which seems to occur much more often 
  for members of house Guernicus than 
  for those of other houses. 
  Octavianus has both a low-level version 
  of Opening the Intangible Tunnel (for 
  strong penetration) and somewhat higher
  -level version of the basic Tunnel-effect 
  (The Minute of Reckoning, ReVi15) for 
  use when breaching the target’s resistance 
  is not an issue. This also allows him to 
  play a bit of silly buggers by taking 
  advantage of the mastery rules, mastering 
  one for penetration and the other for 
  resistance. Finally he also has Shroud 
  Magic in order to cover his tracks (before 
  the deed) in case he needs to break the 
  Code – or simply needs to conceal 
  evidence of his activities from his 
  enemies. 
  (Continued on page 70) 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  70 
  spells using Perdo Copus inflicts 
  wounds of a specific level. This 
  disregards Soak but unless using Base 
  30 they can never kill outright. You also 
  need to take into account any Size 
  modifiers necessary. Stacking myriads of 
  Light Wounds eventually renders the 
  victim useless in a fight, after which 
  even a weak, untrained punch can 
  theoretically kill. The massive penalty to 
  Defense almost guarantees a good 
  Attack Advantage eventually making a 
  killing blow likely. But this is no good 
  for the Intangible Assassin, unless they 
  have an agent on hand. 
  The other type deals damage 
  through some medium, fire for instance. 
  Damage is +X and is Soaked, while Size 
  is taken into account for Wound Range. 
  This is a non-combat Soak so it is rolled 
  and compared straight to the damage 
  roll. While not completely clear in the 
  Rules As Written it makes sense to us 
  that Wound Penalties are applied here 
  [Wound Penalties apply to all rolls, unless 
  otherwise instructed. Ed.] The argument is 
  that in melee or missile combat the 
  Wound Penalties apply to Defense 
  eventually allowing even a mediocre 
  Attack roll to kill. But why can’t a +5 
  dam spell ever kill, even if the victim 
  has accumulated 25 Light Wounds, 
  when a corresponding stab with a knife 
  can? The assumption for this design 
  process is that Wound Penalties are 
  applied to non-combat Soak. Of course, 
  several consecutive 1s on the damage 
  roll can really do wonders, however 
  unlikely this is. Killing efficiently should 
  not rely too much on luck though, but 
  rather on being clever and wearing the 
  opposition down. 
  Conclusion 
  As thoroughly described in the 
  article, it is quite possible to design a 
  magus fresh out of Gauntlet to be an 
  efficient Intangible Assassin. It is a 
  highly specialized magus though, and 
  care needs to be given to choices. The 
  choice of House has less impact than 
  first anticipated, and some surprises 
  occurred while discussing and writing 
  this. For Virtues a lot of the choices 
  seem rigid, however none of them are 
  necessary just very useful for efficiency! 
  Abilities especially and Arts as well are 
  the most important factors. Spell 
  choices less so, even with the 
  unavoidable Rego Vim spells around 
  which the entire concept is based very 
  few levels are actually ear marked for 
  Assassin’s activities. 
  Future advancement of the example 
  magi follows in a later Sub Rosa article. 
  Here we will develop and improve the 
  magi in an appropriate environment to 
  iron out their respective weaknesses. 
  Among others the immediate killing 
  power once Parma Magica is breached, 
  but also personal defenses, methods to 
  find and procure ACs, utility spells, and 
  other useful elements in the example 
  magi’s lives. 
   
   
  Exempli Gratia: Spells 
  Ragna 
  The cornerstone of the Assasin’s 
  concept is an Intangible Tunnel spell, but 
  before choosing this we need to decide 
  how we want to kill people. We want 
  Creo Aquam spells to inflict acid burns 
  and Creo Ignem to incinerate our victims. 
  Hermetic Projects, page 84 lists the spell 
  Searing Touch (Creo Ignem 5, Touch/
  Mom/Ind, +5 dam). 
  Creo Aquam guidelines list the general 
  guideline for “create a corrosive 
  substance doing +[level] dam”. We start 
  out with a base 4 for a measly +4 dam, 
  and add a magnitude for R: Touch. We 
  disregard the somewhat loose phrase 
  about increasing Range above Touch 
  because Hermetic Projects says that Searing 
  Touch spell may harm the caster unless 
  cast through a Tunnel-effect. The final 
  design is Acid Touch (CrAq5 Touch/
  Mom/Ind +4 dam), and since it will cost 
  a full magnitude for only +1 more 
  damage we leave it at this. If we add a 
  further magnitude (for a total of level 15) 
  adds another +5 damage, and while this 
  is cost effective if you will, it also requires 
  a higher level Tunnel-effect and seriously 
  hampers our Penetration. This is one for 
  later development, as Ragna’s Arts 
  increase. 
  Flawless Magic grants a free Mastery of 
  1 in all spells, for these three we choose 
  Multicasting. The Virtue also doubles the 
  Study Total for Mastery, and like 
  Affinities this is easy to take into account 
  at character creation (unlike, for example, 
  Secondary Insight and Elemental magic). 
  Thus, we spend another 5 experience per 
  spell – doubled to 10 – to raise Mastery 
  to 2, choosing Penetration as the ability. 
  With the killer spells in place we see a 
  need for an Intangible Tunnel to allow at 
  maximum a level 10 spell, but to optimize 
  we also want a level 5 version for the 
  lower level spells used. To avoid 
  unnecessary Concentration rolls we take 
  Minute of Reckoning from Hermetic 
  Projects to get the D: Diam. We want 
  Penetration Mastery for these two spells. 
  We add in a D: Diameter version of 
  Arcane Seal to be able to close the 
  tunnels: Minute of Arcane Seal ReVi15 
  (Touch/Diameter/Ind seals a level 10 
  Tunnel). Fast Casting Mastery for this 
  one, just to be on the safe side. Although 
  we have a Deficiency in Perdo we still 
  take Unravelling the Fabric of Vim Pe 
  Vi10. It is handy in case we want to 
  completely stop a Tunnel, and 
  Penetration does not matter. 
  This was only 45 of our 120 spell levels. 
  For the remainder we choose useful 
  spells within our specialty of Arts with 
  little or no impact on the Intangible 
  Assassin concept or any great benefit 
  from Masteries chosen. 
  Designing such a maga means you are 
  horrendously over specialized post-
  gauntlet, but the fact that such a magus 
  can be built it is a point we are trying to 
  make. In time you can fill in the gaps 
  with all those nice-to-have utility spells as 
  well as expand in the Intangible Assassin 
  concept. 
  (Continued from page 69) 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  71 
  Exempli Gratia 
  Octavianus 
  In this example, Octavianus has found a hair belonging (he 
  believes) to Eldavus of Ex Miscelelanea, whom he believes is a 
  secret murderer and code-breaker. Octavianus would prefer to 
  take this AC to his lab and fix it as an indefinite Arcane 
  Connection, but for some reason of other, that is not practical 
  at this point. As an AC, a hair lasts for “months”, which means 
  it provides a penetration multiplier of “+2”. Octavianus is then 
  going to work with Sympathetic Magic. He has several options 
  here. He can try for a daily horoscope, a nativity horoscope or 
  a symbolic representation. In this case, Octavianus lacks the 
  information to do a nativity horoscope, but will attempt both 
  of the other options. 
  Creating a daily horoscope requires a roll of Intelligence + 
  Artes Liberales of 9+, using the Astrology Specialty. For 
  Octavianus this is a total of (2+1+1) 4+die. 
  Creating a symbolic representation is uses a roll of Dexterity 
  + (Craft) of 12+. For Octavianus, this would craft would be 
  Sculpture, and his total would be (1+2) 3 + die. With a lower 
  difficulty (of only 9) a simple representation could be created, 
  but it would be good for only one use – probably meaning only 
  a single spell – which would limit it’s usefulness as we shall see 
  below. 
  For the sake of the example, let’s assume that passes both of 
  these rolls. Sympathetic magic now provides him with a further 
  penetration multiplier of “+3”, for a total multiplier of +5. 
  What will this mean in practice? Octavianus starts out by 
  casting Opening the Intangible Tunnel (ReVi 5). Normally his 
  penetration would be the result of the die used for casting +25. 
  But Octavianus has mastered the Intangible Tunnel for 
  penetration, has a 3 + 2 score in Penetration and a specialty in 
  Vim. That’s an effective Penetration Ability score of 7. With a 
  multiplier of +5, that’s a further +35. 
  His penetration is now the die of his casting roll + 60. 
  Enough to even threaten his own fairly impressive Vim 
  resistance of 70. 
  Had Octavianus opened with his Minute of Reckoning (ReVi 
  15) his Penetration would have been substantially lower, as this 
  spell has not been mastered for penetration, so his effective 
  penetration score would have been only 6. Combined with the 
  higher level of this spell, his penetration (without the die) 
  would have been only 13+30 = 43, which is still good, but 
  rather less impressive. 
  Octavianus now casts Break the Weak Shield (PeVi 5) 
  through his Intangible Tunnel. This spell is not mastered for 
  resistance either (though Octavianus probably will in the 
  future), so penetration will only be (21-5 from casting total 
  minus level)+((5+1)x(1+5) from Penetration + specialty times 
  the multiplier plus the penetration we always get) 52+ die. Had 
  Octavianus decided to go with a single use representation, his 
  penetration multiplier would by now have been only +3, 
  making the above calculation into (21-5)+((5+1)x(1+3)) for 
  only penetration 40. 
  Hopefully, this will bring down Eldavus’ Parma Magica, so 
  that his resistance will be limited to his Art scores. Now 
  Octavianus drops concentration on his Opening the Intangible 
  Tunnel spell and casts Minute of Reckoning on Eldavus via the 
  same hair. As seen above, his penetration should be 43+die, 
  which should hopefully make it through Eldavus resistance. 
  Octavianus now proceeds to cast Fading Star of the Evening 
  (CrVi 15) on Eldavus. Probably repeatedly, just to make sure 
  Eldavus is forced into Twilight, buying time for Octavianus to 
  take that hair back to his lab and fix it. 
  Ragna 
  The earlier example of Octavianus’ clever use of using several 
  elements to combine Penetration modifiers illustrates both the 
  concept and mathematics nicely. The example give for Ragna 
  offer no new tricks, merely showcases her approach and what 
  she can attain. 
  We picture Ragna in a Rhine Tribunal setting, where she and 
  her Wilderist sept battles members of the Apple Gild who well
  -meaningly improves the life of mundanes. The Bjornaer magi 
  resent active plans for settling a previously wild and untamed 
  area made possible by the wealth and population growth 
  brought on by the Apple Gild magi. Ragna targets the Apple 
  group’s main enforcer Magnus of Flambeau, who is to lead a 
  group of combat capable men into the sept’s sacred area, to kill 
  and drive out wild animals. A camp is to follow, and eventually 
  a village will be formed. Once a church is built the Dominion 
  is bound to drive out the last remains of the wild, magical 
  power. 
  In hindsight it may have been more clever to preemptively 
  have disrupted the growth and resources leading to this 
  expansion. But as the Bjornaer sept keeps to the wild they have 
  tragically missed noticing the early signs. As Ragna needs time 
  to study her opponent and gather a usable AC she allows the 
  project to venture quite far, before attacking her sworn enemy 
  from a prime position. 
  Spying on Magnus as a raven Ragna has only managed to 
  gather a chunk of Magnus’ excrement from a latrine. Not very 
  dignified, but also very hard to spot by her enemy. Also, all is 
  fair in love and war. This Arcane Connection however only 
  lasts mere hours and is only good for a +1 multiplier. Luckily 
  Ragna has taken time to prepare before striking down on 
  Magnus, plus she shamelessly uses her sept. A young member, 
  with his opened to Hermetic Magic but still not having 
  participated in the Gathering of the 12 years spends a season in 
  lab (and a single pawn of Vim vis) to fix the Arcane 
  Connection. In the meantime Ragna has overheard an old, 
  trusted grog mention Magnus’ secret nickname “Longspear” 
  used only by his closest fighting men. 
  Once ready, Ragna declares Wizard’s War on Magnus, 
  knowing he is in the city with the other Apple Gild magi 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  72 
  waiting around in the Bishop’s Court to clear out political and 
  administrative matters of the expansion and a future church. 
  She intends to take advantage of Magnus being in the 
  Dominion, which is detrimental to his Resistance, while she 
  herself attacks from the safety of the sept’s sacred place in the 
  wilderness, where the high magic aura is to her benefit. 
  Ragna has a fixed Arcane Connection plus a nickname, good 
  for a (5+1) multiplier, she has a Penetration Ability of 5+2 for 
  Puissance, and her combat spells to be used all have Mastery 2 
  Her final Penetration bonus, added to the excess of Casting 
  Total-Spell Level is ((5+2)+2) x (1+(5+1)) = +78. 
  First she opens a Tunnel using Minute of Reckoning level 10, 
  Casting Total is Stress die +20+ local aura (we assume a 
  magical aura of 4, although a place sacred to Bjornaer magi 
  may be even higher). With an average roll of 5 that’s 29. 
  Penetration is calculated as Casting Total (29) – Spell Level 
  (10) + Penetration bonus, calculated earlier (78) = 95. 
  She follows up using Scorching Touch level 10, confidently 
  believing Magnus to be a follower of the School of Ramius as 
  her spying suggests, meaning he is less likely to be more or less 
  immune to fire. With assumptions as mentioned earlier we get 
  an average of Casting Total (29) – Spell Level (10) + 
  Penetration bonus, calculated earlier (78) = 95. 
  Now, Magnus is located in a place most inconvenient for his 
  Magic Resistance, even is he is merely in a Dominion rating of 
  3, equivalent to a village or town, his Resistance is modified by 
  -3 times this for a -9. Had he been inside the Cathedral it 
  would have been -15. While significant, if Ragna can rack up a 
  Penetration Total of 95 it is not decisive, however a School of 
  Ramius magus of House Flambeau is likely to have a good 
  Parma Magica. But nowhere nearly enough. 
  As Ragna multi-casts 2 additional copies per round, each 
  doing +10 damage, for 20 rounds if need be, this totals 60 
  times +10 damage. Even though Soak is rolled for each and a 
  lot of the Scorching Touches may be completely inefficient, a 
  few good damage rolls are bound to pop up, or a Soak Botch. 
  We divert the attention of our readers to the section Thoughts 
  on Killer Spells later for a point about this method of killing. 
  Otherwise, Ragna may just have to repeat the circus once 
  again. After all, where is Magnus going to go in a matter of 
  mere minutes to prevent this? If he or an ally casts Ward 
  Against Heat and Flames Ragna merely switches to using Acid 
  Touch, although the damage is lower there is less chance of it 
  being circumvented. 
  Of course, there is the argument that with this many rolls a 
  nasty Botch, or even a Twilight, is bound to happen. We know 
  that our gaming group happily does this, finds reasons for 
  additional Botch die, for fun and games or because some 
  things should not be too easy. But strictly speaking there are 
  few reasons in this situation, as Ragna is in the comfort of a 
  well-known place, protected by her sept, in an aura she is 
  aligned towards, and has Mastery 2 to reduce some of the 
  Botch dice. 
  But how nasty an opponent could Ragna actually have taken 
  down, in the earlier example? What range of Parma Magica are 
  we talking about here? Magnus is described as specifically not 
  being an Ignem expert, so let’s assume a score of no more than 
  10. Situated in a Dominion with a meagre level 3 aura, his 
  Resistance is modified by –9, worse if timed as he is inside a 
  cathedral or even during mass, but never mind. To withstand 
  Ragna’s Penetration of 95 Magnus would need a Parma Magica 
  score of 19 to avoid being toasted! 
  Had Ragna’s target instead been a powerful Flambeau 
  follower of the Founder’s School his Ignem may have been in 
  the mid 30s. Could he have Mastered a relevant Ignem spell for 
  Resistance? Possibly, however he would need to have had 
  invented a Range: Touch spell spell for it to count as similar – 
  Pilum of Fire does not (in this author’s mind) cut it. But let’s 
  assume he in fact did have this, which means his Resistance is 
  doubled. Parma Magica of 6 is not unlikely among magi 
  voluntarily seeking out danger, with a specialization in Ignem 
  as well. So we end up with 2x (Parma Magica x5 + Ignem 
  score) or 2 x ((6+1) x 5 + 35) = 140! Here we clearly see that 
  Ragna is not even near this, which is also as is should be seeing 
  as she is fresh out of Gauntlet and the Flambeau opponent is 
  experienced. But we also see that without the effort given to 
  Resistance Mastery of likely spells to be hit by he would in fact 
  be vulnerable! On an end note, the Form Bonus you should 
  remember to apply to the Soak is quite significant when the 
  attack spells are as weak as in the example given. Which is 
  precisely why a successful Intangible Assassin may want to 
  have two different Form options and obviously needs to 
  research the enemy to find weak spots. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  73 
  Octavianus 
  Characteristics: Int +2, Per +1, Pre –1, Com +2, Str 
  –1, Sta +1, Dex 0, Qik +1 
  Size: 0 
  Age: 25 (25) 
  Decrepitude: 0 
  Warping Score: 0 (0) 
  Confidence: 1 (3) 
  Virtues and Flaws: The Gift, Hermetic Magus; 
  Affinity with Parma Magica, Affinity with Penetration, 
  Flawless Magic, Affinity with Vim, Hermetic Prestige*, 
  Puissant Vim, Puissant Parma Magica, Puissant 
  Penetration, Skilled Parens; Restriction (Cannot cast on 
  a boat), Missing Eye, Susceptibility to Divine Power, 
  Obsessed (Bringing Justice to the Guilty), Enemies 
  (Briganus of Ex Miscellanea), Lame 
  Personality Traits: Obsessed +3, Devious +2, 
  Outgoing -2 
  Reputations: Quaesitor 3 (Hermetic) 
  Combat: 
  Dodge: Init +0, Attack n/a, Defense +0, Damage n/a 
  Fist: Init +0, Attack –2, Defense +0, Damage –1 
  Kick: Init–1, Attack –2, Defense –1, Damage +2 
  Soak: +1 
  Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious 
  Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), 
  Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+) 
  Abilities: Artes Liberales 1 (Astrology), Awareness 2 
  (determining effect), Code of Hermes 1 (wizards’ 
  marches), Concentration 3 (spell concentration), Folk 
  Ken 3 (magi), Guile 2 (lying to authority), Latin 4 
  (hermetic usage), Leadership 1 (magi), Living Language 
  5, Magic Theory 3 (inventing spells), Order of Hermes 
  Lore 2 (personalities), Parma Magica 2+2 (Mentem), 
  Penetration 3+2 (Vim), Scribe 1 (copy lab text), 
  Sculpting 2 
  Arts: Cr 7, In 7, Mu 0, Pe 4, Re 5, An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, 
  Co 1, He 0, Ig 6, Im 0, Me 5, Te 0, Vi 12+3 
  Equipment: 
  Encumbrance: 0 (0) 
  Appearance: At Gauntlet, Octavianus is an 
  unassuming, somewhat boring looking man of 25. At 
  home or among magi he tends to dress in simple robes, 
  usually grey. venturing outside, his outfit includes a 
  simple tailed hood. His hair and beard are dark, and he 
  is already losing the hair at the top of his head, while 
  still not able to grow much of a beard. Octavianus’ most 
  distinguishing feature is his missing right eye. He does 
  not have a false eye and usually does not cover the 
  empty socket. He wears a small amulet depicting a scale 
  (symbol of House Guernicus) on a string around his 
  neck, but this is usually worn under his clothes.  
  Spells Known: 
  Sense of the Lodestone InCo 5/+10, Mastery 1 
  (penetration) 
  Searing Touch CrIg 5/+15, Mastery 1 (penetration) 
  Frosty Breath of the Spoken Lie InMe 20/+14, Mastery 1 
  (acute sense) 
  Fading Star of Evening CrVi 15/+24, Mastery 1 
  (penetration) 
  Flesh Crawls at the Intangible Touch InVi 30/+24, Mastery 
  1 (acute sense) 
  Odor of Lingering Magic InVi 30/+24, Mastery 1 (acute 
  sense) 
  Shroud Magic MuVi 15/+17, Mastery 1 (disguised 
  casting) 
  Break the Weak Shield PeVi 5/+21, Mastery 1 (magic 
  resistance) 
  Demon’s Eternal Oblivion PeVi 5/+21, Mastery 1 
  (multiple casting) 
  Opening the Intangible Tunnel ReVi 5/+22, Mastery 1 
  (penetration) 
  The Minute of Reckoning ReVi 15/+22, Mastery 1 (magic 
  resistance) 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  74 
   Ragna 
  Characteristics: Int +2, Per +3, Pre –2, Com +1, Str –3, Sta 
  +3, Dex 0, Qik 0 
  Size: 0 
  Age: 25 (25) 
  Decrepitude: 0 
  Warping Score: 0 (0) 
  Confidence: 1 (3) 
  Virtues and Flaws: The Gift, Hermetic Magus; Flawless 
  Magic, Apt Student, Heartbeast (Raven)*, Independent Study, 
  Inoffensive to Mundane Animals, Minor Magical Focus 
  (Create Acid & Fire Burns), Puissant Penetration, Puissant 
  Stealth, Puissant Awareness; Chaotic Magic, Deficient 
  Technique (Perdo), Servant of the Forest, Hatred (Defilers of 
  the natural areas) 
  Personality Traits: Hateful +3 Patient +3, Raven +3, 
  Forgiving –3 
  Reputations: None 
  Combat: 
  Dodge: Init +0, Attack n/a, Defense +0, Damage n/a 
  Fist: Init +0, Attack +0, Defense +0, Damage –3 
  Kick: Init –1, Attack +0, Defense –1, Damage +0 
  Soak: +3 
  Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious 
  Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), 
  Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+) 
  Abilities: Area Lore: Area A 3 (geography), Area Lore: Area 
  B 2 (geography), Artes Liberales 1 (rhetoric), Concentration 1 
  (spells), Heartbeast 1 (resist change), Latin 4 (Hermetic), Living 
  Language 5 (common), Magic Theory 3 (invent spells), 
  Organization Lore: Bjornaer Cult Lore 1 (initiations), 
  Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 1 (personalities) , Parma 
  Magica 1 (Corpus), Penetration 5+2 (Vim) 
  Arts: Cr 5, In 0, Mu 0, Pe 0, Re 8, An 0, Aq 5, Au 0, Co 0, 
  He 0, Ig 5, Im 0, Me 2, Te 0, Vi 8 
  Equipment:  
  Encumbrance: 0 (0) 
  Appearance: Ragna at her Gauntled is 25 years old. She is a 
  short woman, with sinewy arms and legs. She has piercing 
  eyes, a rather prominent, beak-like nose, a weak chin and wild 
  ruffled curly black hair. She is tanned and often dirty. Her 
  posture is often slightly bent forwards and her arms gesture 
  wildly - much like the wings of a bird. When she is not 
  speaking but observing she tends to turn one side of her face 
  towards whoever speaks and look at them sideways, alternating 
  between being motionless and moving her head in jerking 
  motions She wears a simple and well-worn dress in earth tones 
  and almost always walks barefoot.  
  Spells Known: 
  Acid Touch CrAq 5/+20, Mastery 2 (multiple casting, 
  penetration) 
  Creeping Oil CrAq 15/+14, Mastery 1 (multiple casting) 
  Comfort of the Drenched Traveler PeAq 5/+5, Mastery 1 (quiet 
  casting) 
  Cloak of the Duck’s Feathers ReAq 5/+17, Mastery 1 (quiet 
  casting) 
  Searing Touch CrIg 5/+20, Mastery 2 (penetration, multiple 
  casting) 
  Scorching Touch CrIg 10/+20, Mastery 2 (multiple casting, 
  penetration) 
  Pilum of Fire CrIg 20/+19, Mastery 1 (penetration) 
  Tremulous Vault of the Torch’s Flame ReIg 5/+17, Mastery 1 
  (quiet casting) 
  Touch of Falling Feathers ReMe 10/+14, Mastery 1 
  (penetration) 
  Unravelling the Fabric of Vim PeVi 10/+6, Mastery 1 (fast 
  casting) 
  Minute of Reckoning ReVi 5/+20, Mastery 1 (penetration) 
  Minute of Reckoning ReVi 10/+20, Mastery 1 (magic resistance) 
  Minute of Arcane Sealing ReVi 1/+20, Mastery 1 (fast casting) 
   
  Ragna’s Raven Form 
  Characteristics: Int +2, Per +3, Pre –2, Com +1, Str –7, Sta 
  +3, Dex +1, Qik +5 
  Size: –4 
  Virtues and Flaws: Keen Vision 
  Combat: 
  Dodge: Init +5, Attack n/a, Defense +8, Damage n/a 
  Soak: +3 
  Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious 
  Wound Penalties: –1 (1), –3 (2), –5 (3), Incapacitated (4), 
  Dead (5+) 
  Abilities: Awareness 4 (ACs), Athletics 3 (flying), Brawl 2 
  (dodging), Hunt 1 (voles), Survival 3 (woodlands), Stealth 1 
  (sneaking) 
  Notes: Design of the raven uses Houses of Hermes: Mystery 
  Cults, page 38-43, with inspiration from the Raven of Virtue 
  from Realms of Power: Magic for additional Abilities. 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  75 
  For magi, the Mythic Blood Virtue 
  offers a fantastic benefit. As a Major 
  Virtue, it grants the character fatigue 
  benefits, a magical power with no 
  limitation on use and maximum total 
  level of 30, a Minor Magical Focus, and 
  a minor Personality Flaw. Additionally, 
  this establishes a birth legacy for the 
  character, opening the door to the 
  possibility of blood-siblings who share 
  their heritage and may serve as potential 
  allies, rivals, or enemies. Such a 
  background gives easy hooks for 
  Storyguides to tie in the lost projects of 
  powerful sorcerers, enemies who simply 
  wish to eliminate a wizard’s lineage, or 
  grudges born by unaging creatures and 
  transferred to the player magus. 
  However, for those seeking a source for 
  their character’s Mythic Blood, hunting 
  down suitable ancestors can prove 
  challenging. To ease the search, we 
  offer this series. 
  Stonehenge Tribunal 
  The Stonehenge Tribunal is rich 
  with magical legends. It is a strange 
  confluence of Roman heritage, Celtic 
  legacy, and Anglo-Saxon culture, all 
  mixed together to bring about the wild 
  and sometimes conflicting stew of 
  traditions and backgrounds. The fae are 
  commonplace, the friction between 
  tribunals is regular, and the vis is 
  plentiful. It is well documented in the 
  Ars Magica Fourth Edition book by 
  the current Line Editor, David Chart. 
  The book itself is almost completely 
  statistic-neutral and can easily be used in 
  Ars Magica Fifth Edition games. 
  Due to the mingling of peoples in 
  the British Isles, by 1220 these 
  bloodlines could appear anywhere but 
  are more common in residents of the 
  Hibernia or Loch Leglean Tribunals. 
  Nothing prevents them from being 
  found in a wizard originally from this 
  region who has since traveled to 
  another part of Mythic Europe. 
  Gwydion fab Dôn 
  Gwydion fab Dôn was a magician, 
  hero and trickster who fought many 
  battles and performed a number of both 
  decent and terrible acts. He spent years 
  transformed into a variety of animals 
  for raping the woman his uncle later 
  married, and he started a war between 
  two kingdoms by stealing the southern 
  kingdom’s magical pigs. After his 
  uncle’s forces suffered badly, Gwydion 
  ended the conflict when he defeated the 
  attacking lord in single combat. Later, 
  he led an army of trees against the 
  armies of Arawn, the Welsh god of the 
  Mythic Bloodlines: 
  More than the Founders 
  By Ben McFarland 
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  76 
  Underworld, to help his brother. To 
  end the battle of the trees, he 
  successfully declared the hidden name 
  of one of Arawn’s champions, who 
  could not be defeated until his name 
  was spoken. 
  Possible Powers: 
  Speak & Gesture: ReHe 30 Freeing 
  the Striding Tree (R: Voice, D: Conc, T: 
  Ind) As per the spell, ArM5 page 139. 
  Speak: MuCo 25 Shape of the 
  Woodland Prowler (R: Touch, D: Sun, T: 
  Ind) As per the spell, ArM5 page 131. 
  Gesture: InMe 20 Posing the Silent 
  Question (R: Eye, D: Mom, T: Ind) As 
  per the spell, ArM5, page 149 
  Neither Speak nor Gesture: MuIm 
  15 Disguise of the Transformed Image (R: 
  Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind) As per the spell, 
  ArM5 page 146. 
  Possible Minor Magical Foci: 
  Changing into animals, controlling trees, 
  disguising illusions, learning people’s 
  secrets, single combat. 
  Possible Personality Flaws: 
  Ambitious, Greedy, Lecherous, 
  Overconfident. 
  Gwynn ap Nudd 
  Gwynn ap Nudd was the king of the 
  Tylwyth Teg or “fair folk” and ruler of 
  the Welsh Otherworld, Annwn. Gwynn 
  helped King Arthur complete the tasks 
  listed in the Culhwch ac Olwen, an 11th 
  century Welsh tale, including the 
  capture of the great, magical boar, 
  Twrch Trwyth, which was a cursed 
  creature covered in vicious, poisonous 
  barbs. He was considered a 
  psychopomp and led the Great Hunt to 
  collect souls. Gwynn ap Nudd was 
  bound to fight a battle every May Day 
  until Judgement Day, where he fights to 
  keep his sister Creiddylad from his rival, 
  Gwythyr ap Greidawl. Some claim he is 
  also Nodens, a Gaulish god associated 
  with healing, the sea, hunting and dogs. 
  He is equated with the gods Mars, 
  Mercury, Neptune and Silvanus. 
  This bloodline is also appropriate for 
  wizards with Faerie Blood (minor). 
  Possible Powers: 
  Speak & Gesture: ReMe 30, Like 
  Visions of the Infernal Terrors (R: Voice, D: 
  Sun, T: Ind, but everything the target 
  sees induces madness. Personality Traits 
  such as Strong-willed, Resolute, or 
  Dedicated help on the associated roll, 
  while Weak-willed, Accepting, or Naive 
  subtract from the roll.) See ArM5, page 
  152. 
  Speak: MuCo 25 Gift of the Bear’s 
  Fortitude (R: Per, D: Mom, T: Ind) As 
  per the spell, ArM5 page 131. 
  Gesture: MuTe 20 Edge of the Razor 
  (R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind) As per the 
  spell, ArM5 page 154. 
  Neither Speak nor Gesture: PeMe 
  15 Calm the Motion of the Heart (R: Touch, 
  D: Sun, T: Ind) As per the spell, ArM5 
  page 150. 
  Possible Minor Magical Foci: 
  Battle, causing madness, commanding 
  one type of faeries, commanding spirits 
  of those killed in battle, eliminating fear, 
  hunting beasts, inspiring bravery. 
  Possible Personality Flaws: 
  Compulsion: Fickle, Dutybound, Faerie 
  Upbringing, Wrathful. 
  Menw 
  Menw was a skilled magician and 
  capable warrior, able make himself and 
  his companions invisible. Uther 
  Pendragon taught him the ability to 
  shapeshift, a power called one of the 
  “Three Great Enchantments of 
  Britain.” He participated in the hunt for 
  Twrch Trwyth, with Gwynn ap Nudd 
  and King Arthur, where he spied on the 
  magical boar in the form of a bird and 
  suffered a poisoned wound. Menw 
  never completely healed the injury, but 
  no one else had survived an attack from 
  Twrch Trwyth. Later, Menw served as 
  one of Arthur’s chief advisers, gaining 
  the title “the Enchanter Knight.” He 
  had a son named Anynnawg. 
  Possible Powers: 
  Speak & Gesture: PeIm 30 As per 
  Veil of Invisibility, but with a Group 
  target (R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Group) 
  Refer to the spell, ArM5 page 146. 
  Speak: MuCo 25 The Form of Beast 
  (R: Pers, D: Conc, T: Ind) The caster 
  may transform into any bird, fish, or 
  beast for the duration of the effect. 
  (MuCo 20 + 1 Conc) 
  Gesture: CrCo 20 Purification of the 
  Festering Wounds (R: Touch, D: Moon, T: 
  Ind) Refer to the spell, ArM5 page 129. 
  Neither Speak nor Gesture: InMe 
  15 Perception of the Conflicting Motives (R: 
  Eye, D: Mom, T: Ind) Refer to the spell, 
  ArM5 page 149. 
  Possible Minor Magical Foci: 
  Changing into animals, combat, finding 
  enemies, healing wounds, remaining 
  unseen 
  Possible Personality Flaws: 
  Generous, Higher Purpose, Humble, 
  Reckless. 
  Merlin 
  Merlin’s story is known to almost all 
  wizards in British isles. The tales claim a 
  demon sired him on a virgin as an 
  intended Antichrist. When Merlin’s 
  mother, Adhan, informed her confessor 
  of the situation, they baptized him at 
  birth to free Merlin from diabolic 
  power. However, Merlin still possessed 
  a preternatural knowledge of the past 
  and present, supplemented by God. 
  Others state he was a mad druid. He 
  could shapeshift, traveled safely 
  amongst beasts, and supposedly 
  engineered the birth of Arthur through 
  magic and intrigue. He defeated dragons 
  and supposedly constructed the 
  Stonehenge monument itself. Later he 
  served as one of King Arthur’s advisers. 
  Possible Powers: 
  Speak & Gesture: ReMe 30 Invoke 
  the Muse’s Inspiration (R: Voice, D: Sun, 
  T: Ind; ReMe 10 + 2 Voice + 2 Sun) 
  The caster may cause the target to 
  imbue all of their responses with a 
  particular emotion until the sun rises or 
  sets. 
  Speak: MuCo 25 All Forms in One 
  (R: Pers, D: Conc, T: Ind; MuCo 20 + 1 
  Conc) The caster can change into any 
  
   
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  mundane beast, bird, or fish up to Size 
  +1. As this requires speaking, the caster 
  must shift into a human between each 
  transformation. 
  Gesture: MuIm 20 Image Phantom (R: 
  Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind) As per ArM5, 
  page 146. 
  Neither Speak nor Gesture: ReTe 
  15 The Monument in Motion (R: Voice, D: 
  Conc, T: Ind; ReTe 2 + 2 Voice + 1 
  Conc + 1 Stone + 1 Size) The caster 
  may move a stone up 10 cubic paces in 
  volume, lifting it up and floating it 
  through the air. 
  Possible Minor Magical Foci: 
  Calming animals, changing appearance, 
  influencing emotions, moving stone, 
  transforming into animals 
  Possible Personality Flaws: 
  Compulsion: Inappropriate Humor, 
  Delusional, Lecherous, Wrathful. 
  Morgana Le Fey 
  Morgana is a creature of conflicting 
  and mysterious heritage. She is a queen 
  of Avalon, she is the sister of King 
  Arthur, she is a student of Merlin, and 
  she is the mother of Oberon by Julius 
  Caesar. All of this implies she is mortal 
  and yet she is also Faerie, contemporary 
  to King Arthur and yet predates him. 
  Morgana was said to be the wife of 
  King Urien and the mother of Yvain, 
  some stories make her the mother of 
  Modred. She dwells either in Avalon 
  with her lover, King Guingemart or in 
  an equally mysterious realm known as 
  the Perilous Vale, where she trapped Sir 
  Lancelot and other knights of the 
  Round Table several times. She hated 
  Guinevere for exposing her affair with 
  Guingemart and chased Lancelot, both 
  because she had feelings for him and to 
  hurt Guinevere. Morgana kept many 
  lovers, though, including the knights 
  Accalon of Gaul, Helians, Kaz, Gui, and 
  Corrant. She fashioned several items in 
  attempts to disrupt Arthur’s court- a 
  mantle which set its wearer ablaze, a 
  false Excalibur, and a drinking horn 
  which only spilled its contents when the 
  bearer was unfaithful. She also provided 
  healing potions to several knights 
  before leaving Arthur’s court and 
  helped carry King Arthur away to 
  Avalon to sleep and heal his wounds 
  after the Battle of Camlann. 
  This bloodline is also appropriate for 
  wizards with Faerie Blood (minor). 
  Possible Powers: 
  Speak & Gesture: ReCo 30 The 
  Restless Servant Persists (R:Touch, D: 
  Moon, T: Ind) As per The Walking 
  Corpse, ArM5, page 135, but this has a 
  Moon duration. 
  Speak: ReCo 25 A Leaf on the 
  Breeze (R: Pers, D: Sun, T: Ind) The 
  caster may fly about quickly, as per 
  ArM5, Wings of Soaring Wind on page 
  126, but does not require a Finesse roll 
  or Concentration. 
  Gesture: InMe 20 Frosty Breath of the 
  Spoken Lie (R: Eye, D: Conc, T: Ind) As 
  per ArM5, page 149. 
  Neither Speak nor Gesture: MuCo 
  15 Disguise of the New Visage (R: Touch, 
  D: Sun, T: Part) As per ArM5, page 
  131. 
  Possible Minor Magical Foci: 
  Curing madness, flying, illusions, 
  necromancy, revealing lies (deceptions), 
  shapeshifting. 
  Possible Personality Flaws: 
  Ambitious, Compulsion: Vindictive, 
  Faerie Upbringing, Proud. 
  
   
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  Nimue 
  Known by the names Elaine, 
  Evienne, Niniane, Nivian, Nyneve, and 
  Viviane, Nimue was said to be the Lady 
  of the Lake, the Queen of Avalon, a 
  huntress, the student of Merlin, and his 
  unrequited love interest. Once Merlin 
  completed her training, Nimue 
  entombed her master and replaced him 
  as King Arthur’s magical adviser. She 
  married one of the knights of the 
  Round Table, Sir Pelleas, bore him a 
  son named Guivret, and helped bear the 
  King’s body away after he fell in battle. 
  This bloodline is also appropriate for 
  wizards with Faerie Blood (minor). 
  Possible Powers: 
  Speak & Gesture: InMe 30 Peering 
  into the Mortal Mind (R: Eye, D: Mom, T: 
  Ind) As per ArM5, page 149 
  Speak: ReAn 25 The Prey’s Destiny 
  Sealed (R: Sight, D: Conc, T: Ind; ReAn 
  5 + 3 Sight + 1 Conc) The caster holds 
  an animal, which they can see at the 
  time the effect is invoked, rigid and 
  unable to move for as long as they 
  concentrate on it. As per Viper’s Gaze, 
  ArM5, page 120, but with Sight range. 
  Gesture: MuCo 20 Lungs of the Fish 
  (R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Part) As per 
  ArM5, page 122. 
  Neither Speak nor Gesture: CrHe 
  15 Trap of the Entwining Vines (R: Voice, 
  D: Sun, T: Group) As per ArM5, page 
  135. 
  Possible Minor Magical Foci: 
  Changing water, convincing others to 
  act in some way, hunting, imprisoning 
  individuals, learning secrets 
  Possible Personality Flaws: 
  Busybody, Lecherous, Lost Love, 
  Meddler. 
  Orddu, Witch of the 
  Uplands of Hell 
  There is not much written on 
  Orddu, except in the Culhwch ac 
  Olwen, where she bests four of King 
  Arthur’s men, including Gwynn ap 
  Nudd, before King Arthur cuts her in 
  half. The group had been sent to 
  complete a series of tasks so that 
  Arthur’s cousin Culhwch could marry 
  the giant Ysbadadden’s daughter. 
  Orddu was reputed to have great 
  strength, the ability to hold men in 
  place, and could command demons and 
  spirits. Her cavern home was said to be 
  a portal between Hell and living world. 
  Possible Powers: 
  Speak & Gesture: ReMe 20 
  (effectively 30) Coerce the Spirits of the 
  Night (R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Ind; with 
  10 Penetration) As per ArM5, page 152. 
  Speak: PeVi 10 (effectively 25) 
  Demon’s Eternal Oblivion (R: Voice, D: 
  Mometary, T: Ind; with 15 Penetration) 
  As per ArM5, page 160. 
  Gesture: ReCo 20 Bind the Foolish 
  Upstart (R: Voice, D: Diam, T: Ind; 
  ReCo 5 + 2 Voice + 1 Diam) The target 
  is held in place and unable to move. If 
  the target was in motion when affected, 
  they fall to the ground, otherwise, they 
  remain motionless until the duration 
  ends. 
  Neither Speak nor Gesture: MuCo 
  15 Preternatural Growth and Shrinking (R: 
  Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind; with 10 
  Penetration) As per ArM5, page 131. 
  Possible Minor Magical Foci: 
  Commanding spirits, demons of lust, 
  increasing strength, imprisoning people, 
  pagan ghosts 
  Possible Personality Flaws: 
  Busybody, Lecherous, Lost Love, 
  Meddler. 
   
   
  
   
  Sub Rosa 
  79 
  With the recent release of Faith & 
  Flame, we thought it might be useful to 
  know about some of the additional 
  legends and myths of the region which 
  didn't make it into the book, as well as 
  the source materials some of us used 
  when researching. Certainly, these lists 
  aren't comprehensive, but they might 
  help Storyguides looking for the 
  optional homework assignments to add 
  depth and variety to your saga. Some of 
  these topics may appear in greater detail 
  in a later issue of Sub Rosa, but until 
  then, we offer a brief treatment now. 
  Myth and Legend 
  The region of Gevaudan, in the 
  Massif Central is mentioned in the 
  sidebar of chapter 7 as the home to the 
  wolf-like Beast of Gevaudan in the 18th 
  century, and between the 15th and 18th 
  centuries, tales of wolf attacks 
  proliferate across France. A pack of 
  wolves actually hunted the Paris streets 
  in the 1450's, while the wolves of 
  Perigord, Sarlat, and Soissons all hunted 
  the people at other times. A rare 
  resource on these creatures is Wolf-
  Hunting in France in the Reign of Louis 
  XV: The Beast of the Gévaudan, by 
  Richard H. Thompson. Monsters of the 
  Gévaudan: The Making of a Beast by 
  Jay Smith is easier to come by and 
  available electronically. 
  The giants of Castlenau were 
  discovered by workers building a 
  reservoir outside Montpellier in 1894. A 
  trio of skulls, 28, 31 and 32 inches in 
  circumference were uncovered, 
  belonging to men between 10 and 15 
  feet in height. These creatures have very 
  little documentation, discussed in the 
  w i k i p e d i a  p a g e  ( h t t p : / /
  e n . w i k i p e d i a . o r g / w i k i /
  Giant_of_Castelnau) with some 
  additional articles referenced. They 
  could easily be a clan of Corpus-based 
  magic kin descended from jentilak of 
  the Pyrenees, or even a tribe of the 
  fading giants, who fled to the hills near 
  Montpellier. 
  Discussed in the mythology of the 
  Founder, the Cave-shrine of Flambeau 
  simply did not make it into the 
  manuscript of Faith & Flame. Located 
  somewhere in the Pyrenees, this place is 
  easily the object of many a Flambeau 
  magus' quest, either as an initiation to 
  the Cult of Mithras, or for those who 
  venerate the Founder and wish to better 
  understand their roots. The drake-
  infested slopes of the mountains serve 
  as adequate challenge, the magical 
  nature of the cavern, and the renown 
  within House Flambeau both offer 
  ample reward. Such a story seed also 
  offers an opportunity to introduce the 
  ghost of Pyrene. 
  The mad Verditius, Himinis, lived in 
  Provence, and his Confraternity likely 
  keeps a watchful eye on potential sites 
  associated with their founding member. 
  For a Verditius hoping to join the sect 
  of the House, or those seeking the 
  magus' secrets, Provence is the best 
  place to hunt. Given his focus on traps 
  and curses, such a search will certainly 
  prove to be interesting. 
  Other books used by the authors 
  include, Folklore of Provence, by 
  William Johnson, Old Provence by 
  Theodore Cook, and Provençal Tales by 
  Michael De Larrabeiti. One unifying 
  aspect the authors all noticed was that 
  most books on the myths of Provence 
  were out of print, but occasionally show 
  up on Amazon for reasonable prices. 
   
  Geography and History 
  Many historical topics make for 
  great story seeds within Provence, but 
  the authors simply lacked the space to 
  treat them appropriately. For instance, 
  there are an enormous number of active 
  Templar sites in Provence in 1220, 
  allowing for great intrigues utilizing one 
  of the interpretations of that Order 
  presented in Sub Rosa, issues 1 through 
  4. Eleanor of Aquitaine was closely tied 
  to the region, and has family still living 
  there. The Black Madonna is a Christian 
  icon which, while found in many parts 
  of Europe, is quite common in 
  Provence, allowing for a Divine Societas 
  to grow from its veneration; one which 
  could merge with or spring from the 
  Maters and Matrones cult. La 
  Graufesenque, the Millau roman ruins, 
  might serve as a covenant site, but this 
  would require the 1221 tribunal 
  gathering to occur in another location. 
  The authors found Cadogan Guides 
  to be a good resource on the region; 
  they utilized the volumes on Gascony, 
  the Pyrenees, and Southern France, as 
  well as the Knopf Mapguide to 
  Provence and Cote D'Azur. Other titles 
  included The Albigensian Crusade, by 
  Sumption; The Albigensian Crusades, 
  by Strayer; France in the Middle Ages 
  987-1460: From Hugh Capet to Joan of 
  Arc, by Duby; Urban and Rural 
  Communities in Medieval France: 
  Provence and Languedoc, 1000-1500, 
  by Reyerson; The Road from the Past: 
  Traveling through History in France, by 
  Caro; and The World of the 
  Troubadours: Medieval Occitan Society 
  c.1100 –c.1300. 
  Mappa Mundi 
  
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