Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults (Ars Magica Fantasy Roleplaying)

138 Pages·2006·6.74 MB·English

by  Erik Dahl

Mystery Cults
Credits
WRITING AND DESIGN: Erik Dahl (Merinita), Timothy Ferguson Graney, Kevin Sides; Erik Tyrrell; Alexander Bader, Stefan
(Criamon), Matt Ryan (Verditius), Mark Shirley (Bjornaer) Ehret, MaPhi Werner
EDITING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT: David Chart SECOND ROUND PLAYTESTERS: Jason Fryer, Emily Dyson,
COVER ILLUSTRATION: Grey Thornberry Matt Dyson, Michael Johnson; Donna Giltrap, Malcolm
INTERIOR ART: Kelley Hensing, Brad McDevitt, Jeff A. Menges, Harbrow, Aaron Hicks, Richard Love; Wendell Joyner,
Grey Thornberry, Kieran Yanner Angus MacDonald, Sarah MacDonald, Brian Watson; Volker
ARS MAGICA FIFTH EDITION TRADE DRESS: J. Scott Reeves Bürkel, Christoph Safferling, Andrew Smith; Neil Taylor,
LAYOUT, ART DIRECTION, AND PROOFREADING: Jeff Tidball Sheila Thomas; MaPhi Werner
ADDITIONAL PROOFREADING: John Nephew THIRD ROUND PLAYTESTERS: Christian Jensen-Romer, Kevin
FIRST ROUND PLAYTESTERS: Donna Giltrap, Malcolm Harbrow, Sides, Peter Hiley, Ed Woods, Luke Price; Wendell Joyner,
Aaron Hicks, Richard Love; Wendell Joyner, Angus Angus MacDonald, Sarah MacDonald, Brian Watson, Quetta
MacDonald, Sarah MacDonald, Brian Watson; Matthew L. Watson; Neil Taylor, Sheila Thomas; Erik Tyrrell, Roberta
Seidl; Volker Bürkel, Christoph Safferling, Andrew Smith; Olson; MaPhi Werner
Christian Jensen-Romer, Luke Price, Peter Hiley, Lloyd SPECIAL THANKS: Jerry Corrick and the gang at the Source
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Ars Magica, Mythic Europe, Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, The Mysteries, Covenants,
Guardians of the Forests, Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, Realms of Power: The Divine,
The Broken Covenant of Calebais, and Charting New Realms of Imagination are trademarks of
Trident, Inc. Order of Hermes, Tremere, and Doissetep are trademarks of White Wolf, Inc. and
are used with permission.
DIGITAL EDITION VERSION 1.O
JUNE 2006
2
Mystery Cults
Table of Contents
The Mechanics of House Verditius 107
WHat tHe House Believes .............45
Initiation 4 Practices & Beliefs ........................48
Apt Action ..........................................48 History .......................................107
Riddles ................................................49 The Cult of Hephaestus ...................107
Potent Magic .................................6 Stigmata .............................................50 The Cult of Vulcan ..........................108
Body Modification Rules ....................51 The Founder Verditius .....................108
House Bjornaer 7 Life as a Criamon Magus ...................51 The Early Years of House Verditius .......110
The Gorgiastics ..................................52 The House After Verditius ...............110
History ...........................................7 Final Transmission ..............................52 Crises in the Order ..........................111
Bjornaer the Founder ............................7 Adulterations: Lingering Problems ....53 Conflicts in the House .....................111
The Founding of House Bjornaer ........8 tHe cave of tWisting sHadoWs ...55 Current Concerns ............................112
The Early Years of the House ..............9 The Central Clutch ............................55 verditius Magi............................112
The Schism War...................................9 The Prima ...........................................55 Apprenticeship .................................112
Recent Events .....................................10 tHe PatHs .....................................58 Gauntleted Magus ............................113
custoMs of House Bjornaer ........10 Stations ...............................................59 Journeymen and Masters ..................113
Harmonists & Wilderists ....................11 Enigmatic Wisdom .............................60 The Primus .......................................114
House, Clan, & Sept ...........................11 The Path of the Body .........................61 Prices for Enchantments...................114
The Bjornaer Council .........................15 The Path of Seeming .........................64 Vendettas ..........................................115
The Gathering of Twelve Years .........15 The Path of Strife ...............................67 The Contest .....................................116
The Apprenticeship of a Bjornaer Magus .16 The Path of Walking Backwards ........70 tHe Mystery cult of verditius ....116
tHe HeartBeast .............................18 Other Paths ........................................73 Initiation ... Mysteries of Verditius .....117
Choosing the Heartbeast ...................19 New Virtues .......................................73 The Outer Mystery of Verditius Magic .117
The Heartbeast in Play ......................22 New Flaws ..........................................73 Learning the Inner Mysteries ...........118
tHe Mysteries of House Bjornaer 24 Hubris...............................................118
Initiating the Clan Mysteries .............25 House Merinita 75 Ordeals .............................................120
Initiating the House Mysteries ..........25 Confraternities .................................121
Initiating ... the Inner Heartbeast ......28 History .........................................75 House verditius inner Mysteries ..123
The Three Inner Mysteries ................30 The House Divided ...........................77 Enchant Casting Tools .....................123
The Inner Heartbeast in Play .............32 200 Years After ...................................78 Items of Quality ...............................124
Refining the Inner Heartbeast ............32 The Future of the House ....................78 Reforging Enchanted Items ..............125
tHe Huntress in tHe Wood .........33 House society ..............................79 Verditius Elder Runes .......................127
History of the Huntress in the Wood .....34 The Search for Arcadia ......................79 Automata ..........................................128
The Huntress Today ..........................34 Belief & Mythic Europe ......................80 Bind Curse ........................................131
Structure of the Huntress ...................34 Do Faeries Dream of Counting Sheep?....82 Bind Magical Creatures ....................134
tHe Magic of House Bjornaer ......35 The Sundered Realms ........................83 Item Attunement ...............................135
cHaracters of House Bjornaer ....36 Merinita Mysteries ........................85 virtues & flaWs ..........................135
Virtues & Flaws ...................................36 New Virtues .......................................85 New Virtues .....................................135
New Virtues .......................................37 New Flaws ..........................................87 New Flaws ........................................136
New Flaws ..........................................38 New Abilities ......................................88 aPPendix: exPanded forM & Material
New Abilities ......................................38 Familiars .............................................88 Bonuses ......................................137
aPPendix: Mundane Beasts ...............38 Arcadian Mysteries .............................92
Folk Mysteries ....................................96 Contributors 138
House Criamon 44 Illusion Mysteries .............................100
Nature Mysteries ..............................102
tHe founder ................................45
3
Introduction
The Mechanics of Initiation
The process of Initiation into a most often the case in the event of a maga extend the Script, to make it more effec-
Mystery is given a full treatment in The who decides to try to initiate herself in tive. If that is still not enough (for exam-
Mysteries Revised Edition, but a summary a Mystery Virtue without a Mystagogue, ple, no Script exists) then the Mystagogue
of the mechanics is provided here for in which case the Initiate acts as her own can experiment to attempt to discover a
reference. Mystagogue and uses her own scores in Script.
All of the Exoteric (that is, House) the Initiation Total.
Mysteries are governed by a separate
(House) Lore; thus there is a House to initiate a neW Minor virtue: tHe initiation scriPt
Bjornaer Lore, a House Criamon Lore, Target Level 18
a House Merinita Lore, and a House An Initiation Script is a written text
Verditius Lore. Initiates who have not to initiate a neW Major virtue: (similar to a Lab Text) whic h describes
been apprenticed to a member of the Target Level 30 the process of a successful Initiation: the
House need at least (House) Lore 1; the chants and methods, the places and times,
Mystagogue for any Initiate must also In addition, if the Initiate underwent and the sacrifi ces made. If this Script is
know the same Lore, but generally needs a previous Ordeal (gained a Flaw, lost a followed exactly, it grants its bonus to the
a high level if the Initiation is to succeed. Virtue, or increased a Flaw from Minor Initiation Total. Scripts usually detail the
To grant the Initiate a new mystery Virtue, to Major) for a previous Initiation, reduce price of Initiation, which may take the
the Mystagogue generates an Initiation the Target Level as follows: form of an Initiation Ordeal (the acquisi-
Total, which determines the success or tion of a Major or Minor Flaw, loss of a
failure of the Initiation: first initiation after an ordeal: Major or Minor Virtue, or increasing a
Subtract 3 for a Minor, 6 for a Minor Flaw to Major level), an Initiation
initiation total = Presence + (House) Medium, or 9 for a Major Ordeal Quest (a lengthy journey with a series of
Lore + Script bonus challenges), and/or an Initiation Sacrifi ce
second initiation after an ordeal: (of time, wealth, knowledge, or power).
The Initiation Total is based on the Subtract 2 for a Minor, 4 for a The Scripts detailed in this book give
Mystagogue’s scores. There is no die roll; Medium, or 6 for a Major Ordeal the bonus contributed to the Initiation
if the total is higher than the target level Total from each component of the Script
the Initiation succeeds. Initiation Scripts tHird initiation after an ordeal: involved. More details about Initiation
and their bonuses are described in the Subtract 1 for a Minor, 2 for a Scripts can be found in The Mysteries Revised
following chapters. The target for this Medium, or 3 for a Major Ordeal Edition, Chapter 2: Entering the Mysteries,
total is the Initiation Target Level, which which also includes details of the process
depends on the kind of Virtue to be initi- Only one past Ordeal counts towards of creating a new Script.
ated, Major or Minor: a new Initiation, and there is a minimum
Target Level of 9 no matter how great a
to initiate a Minor virtue knoWn By reduction is applied. varying a scriPt
tHe Mystagogue: Target Level 15 If the Initiation Total equals or exceeds
the Target Level, then the Initiation suc- It may be necessary for a Mystagogue
to initiate a Major virtue knoWn By ceeds automatically. No die roll is made to modify an Initiation Script; for exam-
tHe Mystagogue: Target Level 21 — the Initiate need only be properly pre- ple, to add additional elements to it to
pared, and skilled enough to succeed. make a diffi cult Initiation possible for an
The target level is increased in the If the Mystagogue’s Initiation Total inexperienced Mystagogue. To vary the
unlikely event that the Mystagogue does does not exceed the Target Level, the Script, the Mystagogue makes the follow-
not know the Initiated Virtue. This is Mystagogue may be able to vary and ing test:
4
Mystery Cults
Stress Die + Intelligence + (House)
Lore vs. Ease Factor
The Ease Factor is 9 to extend the
Script with a new component, such as
an additional Quest. Magi with lower
Presence or (House) Lore often try to
extend Scripts they acquire.
The Ease Factor is 12 to change a
component, such as varying the place,
the time, or the subject of a Quest. It is
impossible to change the Virtue a Script
Initiates; that requires a new Script.
The Mystagogue may only attempt
one change in a given Initiation. If the
test fails, the Initiation would fail (and
the Mystagogue knows this), but the
original Script (or a different variation)
may be attempted in another season. If
the variation test roll succeeds, the modi-
fi ed Script is used as above to generate
the Initiation Total, and if this equals
or exceeds the Initiation Target Level,
the Initiation succeeds with no further
rolls. If the Script would fail, the Initiate
does not need to make any of the sacri-
fi ces that the Script would require; the
Mystagogue realizes the problem before
that stage is reached.
If a single change is not enough
to make a particular Script work, then
Example Elements of an Initiation Script
either a different Script is needed, or the
Mystagogue must study more (House)
Lore. The Mysteries Revised Edition has many +1 Initiate sacrifi ces material goods or
examples of different Script bonuses, wealth (entailing real personal loss)
but the ones below are most com- +3 to +6 Initiate sacrifi ces something
Character Creation monly employed. See the following of great and symbolic value (familiar,
chapters for the bonuses of other Script talisman, powerful invested device)
& the Mysteries
elements. +3 Initiate suffers an Ordeal infl icting
a Minor Flaw or removing a Minor
Those who wish to play characters +3 Initiate has to be at a special place at Virtue
already Initiated into the Inner Mysteries a special time for the Initiation +6 Initiate suffers an Ordeal increasing
of a Mystery Cult should discuss this +3 Initiate has to complete a specifi c a Minor Flaw to Major level
with the storyguide. It is unusual (but Quest +9 Initiate suffers an Ordeal infl icting
not unknown) for a magus fresh from +1 Initiate sacrifi ces time — serving a Major Flaw or removing a Major
apprenticeship to know some of the another in the cult (one bonus only) Virtue
inner secrets of his House, in which case
the magus character should be designed Scripts demanding the Sacrifi ce of famil- and thus subtracts 10 experience points
with House Mystery Virtues as normal iars, talismans, and the like, or similar from the character’s total. The Ordeals,
Virtues, part of the standard ten Virtues Ordeals and Quests clearly beyond the Quests, and Sacrifi ces demanded by the
and Flaws. These are accounted for as ability of the character, should be vetoed Initiation Script must be suffered as usual;
normal: in particular, Flaws acquired now by the storyguide. a player may, for example, have to pay
do not later count as past Ordeals. Note For older characters who are advanced to create a talisman during character cre-
that if a particular Virtue requires some in years before play begins, the acquisi- ation, and then destroy it, if an Initiation
other specifi c Virtue or Flaw, this is tion of a Mystery Virtue can take the Script demands it.
still required. Mysteries with Initiation place of a season of laboratory activity,
5
Houses of Hermes
Potent Spell Example descriPtion Potency to his Casting Score; the Potent
Magic Virtue is required to design a
Minor Potent Magic covers the same Potent spell from scratch, but not to
A wand provides several bonuses narrow fi elds as a Minor Magical Focus, reproduce one from a Lab Text.
including +2 “repel things” and +4 and grants a +3 bonus to Lab Totals and To cast a Potent spell, the caster
“control things at a distance.” A Potent Casting Scores. must touch the specifi ed Casting Items.
version of Disguise of the Putrid Aroma Major Potent Magic covers the same, The items need not be large: they may
could use either bonus in its Potency. wider, fi elds as a Major Magical Focus, be small and symbolic (for example, a
Combining the wand bonus with a and grants a +6 bonus to Lab Totals and shield-shaped brooch is still symbolically
Magnetite bonus (+3 Animal) would Casting Scores. a shield). If the caster does not have the
allow a design with either Potency 5 A maga with Potent Magic may also Casting Items available, the spell cannot
(requires Magic Theory 5) or Potency invent new Potent spells (see below) be cast at all.
7 (requires Magic Theory 7). The within the fi eld of her Potent Magic, and
caster would have to hold a wand may vary spells she knows. See Potent
and piece of magnetite (or a wand set Magic and Potent Spells, below. Potent Magic and Potent sPells
with magnetite), and would then add
the combined Potency to his Casting A magus with Potent Magic may cre-
Score. Potent sPells ate new Potent spells or alter Potent spells
Potency applies only to Formulaic to vary the Casting Items.
spells. Spontaneous Magic allows A Potent spell has a bonus known as When inventing a spell within the fi eld
Ceremonial Casting to produce simi- its Potency, which derives from combin- of his Potent Magic (including from a Lab
lar results, and enchanted devices use ing one or more Casting Items into the Text), the magus simply chooses Casting
Shape and Material bonuses during design of the spell. Casting Items use the Items for the design, and then invents the
enchantment. factors given in the Shape and Material spell as normal. Each chosen Casting Item
Bonus table (see ArM5, page 110): each (up to the limit of Magic Theory) adds a
Potent Magic Casting Item provides one bonus. (If single Shape or Material bonus to Potency.
more than one bonus is possible, the spell (If more than one bonus might apply to
design states which one is used.) the spell, choose one and note it in the
design). The total Potency may not exceed
Potent Magic, a Hermetic Virtue Potency = Sum of bonus from each the magus’s Magic Theory.
available in Major and Minor versions, Casting Item A Lab Text written for this spell
was described in The Mysteries Revised includes the Casting Items and Potency,
Edition, but is reproduced here as it is Potency Bonus: Add Potency to and is usable by any other magus.
also used by some of the Mysteries in Casting Score In addition, a magus who knows a
this book. spell within the fi eld of his Potent Magic
The Potent Magic Virtue describes Potency is part of the spell design; may invent a variant spell with different
how a maga’s magic is particularly attuned a Lab Text for a Potent spell includes the Casting Items (including a variant with no
to a narrow fi eld, much as in a Magical specifi ed Casting Items and Potency score. Casting Items). If the only difference is a
Focus. The benefi ts of Potent Magic are A magus teaching a Potent spell teaches the change in Casting Items, he may invent
compatible with a Magical Focus; unlike formula he knows, including the Casting the variant in a single season.
a Magical Focus, a magus may have more Items and Potency score. The level of a
than one area of Potent Magic, though Potent spell, for the purposes of inventing
only one Potent Magic Virtue applies to it as well as for casting, is unaltered by the designing covenant liBraries
any single activity. Potency score. However, a magus may not
Potent Magic provides a maga with invent a Potent spell with a Potency higher When creating a covenant and
a bonus in her fi eld of magic, and permits than his Magic Theory score, even with choosing Lab Texts for the library, add
her to devise Potent spells, which gain a the aid of a Lab Text or teacher. Potency (if any) to spell level when count-
casting bonus from the sympathetic magic Any magus can learn a Potent spell ing Build Points, and record the Casting
in shapes and materials. from a Lab Text or teacher, and apply Items required.
6
Chapter One
House Bjornaer
History
Key Facts
The childhood of our House has passed. We were
born into darkness, weaned in the wild places of the
world, took our fi rst tottering steps in the shadows
of our forefathers. Now it is time for us to come Population: 79 Over the four and a half centu-
forth from the wilderness and experience the full Domus Magna: Crintera in the ries since the founding of the Order of
light of the Order of Hermes. Now it is time for us Rhine Tribunal Hermes, House Bjornaer has changed
to honor the memory of our ancestors by living our Prima: Falke. She had this posi- substantially in its demeanor, politics,
own lives, fi lled with the wisdom we have learned tion in the House thrust upon her, and and magic. From primitive shapechang-
— and still learn yet — at their knees. Now is is struggling to acquire the qualities ers to savage defenders of the wilderness,
the time that we stand proud as heirs, as adults, of leadership. She currently strives to and now to upstanding members of the
as magi. carry out a strategy of isolation and Order of Hermes, these dramatic changes
— Primus Salmo, patience, and is trying to regain the have left scars on the House that are still
speaking to the House in 1023 trust of the Quaesitores and others in apparent today. To fully understand the
the Order. Falke’s heartbeast is a silver- Bjornaer magus, one must understand the
When asked, all that most magi know gray falcon with white-banded wings. history of the House, and it is no accident
about the members of House Bjornaer is For more information on Falke, see that much of this history lies shrouded in
that they can change shape. The more arro- Guardians of the Forests: The Rhine Tribunal, mystery — House Bjornaer do not want
gant magi dismiss them as practitioners of page 96. other Houses to understand them.
primitive magic; the more misty-eyed ones Favored Tribunals: The Novgorod
see them as the last remnants of a forgotten and Loch Leglean Tribunals, where
people — noble savages. Neither group will there are still many wild places left in Bjornaer the Founder
be easily able to fi nd a magus of the House which to roam undisturbed, followed
who fulfi lls either stereotype, yet they by the Rhine Tribunal.
endure. Few can mention a famous historical Motto: Potentio super ipso potentia As with many Mystery Cults, the
member of the House, fewer still know any super allis. (Power over the self is power story of the central fi gure of House
historical event which involved a Bjornaer over others.) Bjornaer — the Founder herself — is
magus. Although the Order does not real- Symbols: A cone. When Trianoma as much legend as it is history. She
ize it, they know next to nothing about this was devising the iconography of the was from a remnant tribe of the Gothic
secretive House, and what they do know Order she chose the cone as a symbol people who once occupied the whole of
is unsupported by fact. This is a result of for House Bjornaer; as it can cast the northeastern Germany, and her name was
deliberate efforts on behalf of the followers shadow of triangle or a circle, but never actually Birna, which means ‘she-bear’ in
of Bjornaer, who recognize the power inher- both at the same time, thus refl ect- the language of her tribe. As an initiate
ent in secrets. In truth, House Bjornaer is a ing the heartbeast. House Bjornaer of a witch-cult, Birna received visitations
cult of the ancestors, gaining power in the also uses another symbol; a Janus-style from an ancestor, who took the form of
present because of the weight of all of those head combining the face of a bear with a spirit-bear. It told her that the witches
who have gone before. They believe that it that of a woman. enslaved ancestor-spirits with evil magic,
is the ancestor-spirits that reside within them and convinced Birna to try to fi nd a way
that gives them the power to change shape; to break the power of the cult. Birna pre-
through greater communication with these tended that she was magically weak, while
spirits inside them, they seek to become learning the hidden lore of her tradition.
creatures of magic. She was scorned and mocked by the
witch-cult for her meager powers, and her
resentment for them grew daily.
7
Houses of Hermes
Famous Figures The Name “Bjornaer” The Formation
of the Clans
Birna: Gothic witch and Founder of Birna spoke no Latin when she
the House met Trianoma, and was never much of
Hérisson: Founder of the Harmonist a scholar. Her fi rst apprentices called The last instructions offered to
philosophy; unappreciated in his themselves the barns Bjornaer (mean- Birna’s followers were characteristi-
time ing “The Children of Birna” in Old cally enigmatic. To each of her six
Salmo: Primus following the Schism Gothic), which became the auditores apprentices she said but one word. To
War who refocused the House in a Bjornaer (“Followers of ‘Bjornaer’”) to Midusulf she said “Lead,” Sirnas was
more traditional Hermetic mould the nascent Order. Neither Birna nor told “Protect,” Ilfetu was command-
Urgen: Previous primus, a direct and her followers saw fi t to correct the ed “Teach.” Maruhs was told “Strive,”
sometimes violent magus who grammatical error, recognizing the Arelie “Remember,” and fi nally, to
resigned in favor of Falke power inherent in names, and Birna Wilkis she said “Nourish.” The appren-
was therefore known as Bjornaer to the tices divided the House into six clans,
rest of the Order. each of which undertook one of these
Crintera: Domus
All Bjornaer magi know the real duties. Wilkis, the most eloquent of
Magna name of their Founder, but never speak the six, was appointed to be the fi rst
it to outsiders. They use the name primus of the House on the passing of
Bjornaer only as an adjective, know- Birna. The second primus was Fauho,
The domus magna of House ing that it means “of Birna” in Gothic. the fi lius of Midusulf, with the heart-
Bjornaer is Crintera, situated on the Thus, a member of this House is not beast of a fox.
island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea, just “a Bjornaer,” but instead “a Bjornaer
off the northern coast of Germany. magus,” “a Bjornaer follower,” or “a ated them into the heartbeast as well as
Its permanent members are the six member of House Bjornaer.” Hermetic magic, and her early apprentices
members of the Bjornaer Council. The assisted in the teaching of the later ones,
covenant proper is situated in a regio The Founding of mirroring Birna’s own “apprenticeship”
in the middle of a magical forest. As under Bonisagus and Merinita. Midusulf
House Bjornaer
well as the six huts of the Bjornaer and Maruhs came from her own tribe;
Council, the top level of the regio Midusulf literally means “mead-wolf” in
has a large meeting area where the Birna’s native tradition relied on Old Gothic, and signifi es a bear, whereas
Gathering of Twelve Years is held. For shapechanging and ecstatic trances, while Maruhs means “stallion” in the same lan-
more information about Crintera and the magic of Bonisagus was based on a guage. When her third apprentice proved
the members of the Bjornaer Council, classical understanding of natural phi- to be a spy from the witch-cult, Birna hunt-
see Guardians of the Forests, page 92. losophy, and Birna found it necessary to ed down the traitor and ended his life with
change her entire worldview to adopt the her claws and teeth; henceforth she turned
When stories of a traveling witch new magic. However, Merinita proved to her attentions to other Germanic tribes.
came to the ears of the tribe, Birna’s supe- be a kind and patient mentor, and they Ilfetu (“Swan” in his native tongue) came
riors naturally sent their most expend- became as sisters. With her help, Birna from the marshes of ancient Frisia, whereas
able member to face her. However, this was able to overcome her shortcomings, Wilkis (“Wolf”) and Arelie (“Eagle”) came
“witch,” named Trianoma, told Birna of and over time became an equal of the from a Prussian tribe. Finally, Sirnas (“Stag”)
a new magical society where she would other Founders. Birna referred to the originated from amongst the Wends of the
be treated as an equal and be taught bear-shape granted by her ancestor as Baltic Coast.
magic that would surpass that of those “the beast of her heart,” and it forever Only Ilfetu learned the Ritual of
who despised her. Birna readily agreed frustrated Bonisagus that his theory had Twelve Years from his master, and the
to join the Order of Hermes, but advised no means of penetrating the “disguise” House met on a regular basis to conduct
Trianoma that there was little point con- of Birna’s bear form. Birna realized that it this ritual for new apprentices at Birna’s
tinuing further east into the territory of should be possible to cause other Gifted eventual home, the covenant of Crintera.
the German tribes, as the sorcerers there individuals to come into communion with At one of these early Gatherings in 831,
were both hostile and of little conse- their own ancestral spirits. Using her the ancient Birna, then over a century
quence. This petty revenge denied her knowledge of her tribe’s magical rites, and old, imparted some last instructions to her
former tradition the possibility of joining Merinita’s training in the pagan Mysteries, House and disappeared forever in the form
the Order, and they in turn assumed that the two magae devised the Ritual of of an immense bear. Birna’s six “children”
Birna had been killed by the witch and Twelve Years to do just that. continued to recruit apprentices from the
mourned her not. Birna chose her apprentices only from shapechanging traditions of the Germanic
among the Germanic tribes. She initi- and Slavic tribes, just like their mater. Due
8
Mystery Cults
to this predominance of “pagan barbar-
The Gothic Shapeshifters
ians” among the barns Bjornaer, the House
quickly gained a reputation for savagery,
a reputation that the House is still trying According to House Bjornaer, the They bear a deep and abiding resentment
to shake. The goal of most of its members Gothic witch-cult practiced Infernal for the great traitor Birna, whose name is
was to defend the wilderness against the magic. The ancestor-spirits of the Goths reviled in stories transmitted from gen-
invasion of the Dominion brought by the took the form of animals, and protected eration to generation.
expanding human population. Birna had their descendants from ill-fortune. Once
taught that the wilderness holds a great these spirits were enslaved by the cult, a
secret of magic, a secret that can be expe- witch could become any animal whose saga seed: tHe
rienced, but not tamed. The soil unturned spirit she controlled. The witches could secret eneMy
by plowshare, the river untouched by the also force the ancestors to prophesy, or
prow of a boat, the forest that had yet to to reverse their protective powers and The Gothic shapeshifters gain a
feel the bite of an axe; these things were instead lay curses. Denied the Order by charismatic chieftain who unites some of
sacred to Birna’s Children. the vengeful Birna, this magical tradition the tribes under one banner. This leader
was gradually wiped out by the civilizing becomes suffi ciently motivated to try to
forces of Charlemagne’s Empire, expand- eradicate House Bjornaer, possibly due
The Early Years ing Christianity, and the secret pogroms to actions performed or witnessed by
of House Bjornaer. The last remnants the player characters. These people do
of the House
of the Goths were assimilated into the everything in their power to wipe out
Slavic people of the region, and the every last one of the Bjornaer followers,
In the early days of the Order, a shapeshifters are believed to have been even at the expense of their own lives.
rift struck House Merinita. Two magi eradicated shortly after the Schism War. They are magically weak compared to
of that House battled to determine its Unbeknown to the House, the descen- Hermetic magi, but they are physically
future course, and when the matter was dents of this magical tradition — the strong, highly loyal to each other, and
decided, the losers were accepted into witch-women and their skin-changing fanatical in their task. More about the
House Bjornaer. They were initiated into people — still exist in secret in the forests Pomeranian witches can be found in
the Outer Mystery of the House, and, of Pomerania (and perhaps elsewhere). Guardians of the Forests, page 99.
despite their differing philosophy, were
made welcome. This lineage has now long he was ridiculed and became the laugh- When House Bjornaer emerged
since died out, but they left behind a last- ingstock of the House. from Crintera they were lead by a pri-
ing legacy in the shape of a secret society mus called Salmo, a descendent of Ilfetu.
within House Bjornaer (see The Huntress He had a clear vision of the future of his
in the Wood). The Schism War House, the foremost aspect of which was
As human populations expanded to integrate themselves more closely with
and the tangles of forests disappeared the Latinate Houses. Under his guid-
all across Europe, House Bjornaer tried At the Gathering of Twelve Years in ance, House Bjornaer kept a low profi le,
to turn back the tide of mundane expan- 999, concerns were raised that the Order and its members gradually became more
sion. Most Bjornaer magi saw little wrong of Hermes was in danger of fragmenting similar to the standard Hermetic magus
with extreme measures — such as killing due to internal confl ict. The non-Latinate in a deliberate attempt to prevent itself
peasants — in the fi ght to keep mankind Houses of Diedne, Ex Miscellanea, and from becoming a target in the event of
within the stone walls of its towns. Many Bjornaer seemed to be in particular dan- a future Schism War. Whilst it retains a
legends about ravaging creatures who ger, as the traditionally Roman Houses House structure that preserves features of
could walk as both fearsome beasts and banded together and openly attacked its tribal past, the average member of the
men stem from this time. In the tenth cen- magi from “primitive” traditions in fl agrant House Bjornaer of today is as civilized
tury, a member of House Bjornaer called disregard of the Oath of Hermes. House and cultured as any other magus in the
Hérisson came to the realization that this Bjornaer became paranoid and insular, and Order.
attitude was proving counter-productive many retreated to Crintera. When the Another consequence of the Schism
— humans destroy what they fear. The wholesale attacks against House Diedne War was the increasing popularity of
behavior of his sodales was making the began in 1004, the last few members of the teachings of Hérisson. They were
locals more determined to cut down the House Bjornaer joined their sodales in attractive to the post-Schism House, pri-
forests and destroy all of the dangerous Crintera. Some Roman Houses feared that marily because they espoused a policy
beasts within. Hérisson tried to convince House Bjornaer would side with House that attracted less attention from the
his House to encourage the humans to Diedne, but instead, none were seen for Quaesitores. The more traditional mem-
live in harmony with nature, rather than nearly15 years until the Schism War was bers of the House started to call them-
attacking those who violate it. However, well and truly over. selves “Wilderists” in response to these
9
Houses of Hermes
Customs of
new “Harmonists.” Both factions still exist Tribunal fell on deaf ears; the House was
in House Bjornaer, and the Harmonists merely reminded in the strongest terms of
House Bjornaer
have grown to equal the Wilderists in its duty to uphold the Oath of Hermes,
number. and many Bjornaer magi are still resentful
that the Order failed them in their time of
greatest need. Fifty years later, the biggest House Bjornaer has several unique
Recent Events effect that this invasion actually had on conventions that set them apart from
House Bjornaer was to cause the primus other magi, but also make them a tar-
to change twice. The fi rst time brought get for accusations of savagery and bar-
The most notable event to have the aggressive Urgen to the leadership of barism. This maintenance of “primitive”
struck House Bjornaer in the last century the House. He spent the three decades customs, such as animal names and a
or so was the invasion of the island of of his tenure lashing out at the mundanes tribal organization, forms a link to their
Rügen by King Valdemar I of Denmark in and covenants whom he believed were past and their ancestors, from which the
1168, followed by the conquest in 1201 responsible for aiding the invasion. He Bjornaer magi draw power. The stereo-
of the surrounding German provinces. was popular in the House, unpopular in type of the Bjornaer magus is a scruffy,
While the covenant of Crintera itself was the Order, and largely impotent with uncultured individual who spends much
safe within its regio, the House feared respect to his overall goal. He resigned time in the wild, uses primarily nature-
that the settlement of Christian folk on as primus in 1203 in favor of the pres- oriented magic, and is afraid of fi re. While
a formerly pagan island would result in ent incumbent, the level-headed Falke, individuals like this do exist, they are no
the destruction of its aura. Appeals to though he remains active in the politics more common in House Bjornaer than
both the Rhine Tribunal and the Grand of the House. they are in any of the other Houses. They
10