Order of Hermes (Ars Magica)

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The Order of Hermes is a fictional mystical group of wizards in the role-playing game Ars Magica by Atlas Games, set in Mythic Europe.

1 History
2 Houses
3 Tribunals
4 See also

[edit] History

The Order of Hermes was founded by the wizards Trianoma and Bonisagus. Trianoma had the desire to unite the disparate magi of Europe into a single group who could learn from one another. She didn't know how to accomplsih this goal until she came across Bonisagus. Bonisagus had created a consistent theory to describe magic which would allow Magi to share information. He also had invented the ritual Parma Magica, a magical shield. Trianoma became Bonisagus student and learned his magical theory and the Parma Magica. She then travelled Europe recruiting other wizards. Eleven magi joined her and agreed to found the Order of Hermes. Bonisagus and the eleven became the founders of the twelve houses; With the advantage given to them by the Parma Magica, the Order quickly recruited or killed almost all the wizards in Europe who refused to join the Order.

[edit] Houses

Each member of the Order belongs to one of twelve Houses. Each house is led by a primus (male) or prima (female). The authority and duties of the primi vary greatly between houses. The primus lives in the domus magna of the house, which acts as the "headquarters" for that house.

Bjornær: Shapeshifters and beast-magi belonging to a Germanic tradition (instead of the Latin of most Houses). Each Bjornær has a heart-beast - an animal (or, very rarely, plant) which is their true form. The domus magna is Crintera in the Rhine Tribunal.
Bonisagus: Masters of magical knowledge and theory. Most seek knowledge through scholarship, but some follow the example of his apprentice, Trianoma, in seeking the sharing of knowledge through diplomacy. Bonisagi can claim apprentices from other magi, but are legally required to share all their discoveries. The domus magna is Durenmar in the Rhine Tribunal.
Criamon: Cryptic seers and prophets. They seek to understand the enigma - the realm of magic, considered as a riddle. When understanding comes to them, they tattoo it onto their bodies. They are the mystics of the order, walking spiritual paths to answer the question "How do we escape time?" posed by their founder. The domus magna is Cave of Twisting Shadows in the Greater Alps Tribunal.
Flambeau: Masters of fire-magics in specific and combat in general, though a lineage of magi within this house study magical destruction (Perdo) in lieu of fire. The domus magna is Val Negra in the Provence tribunal.
Guernicus: The judges and lawmakers (Quaesitores) of the Order. Some also act as the Order's historians, tracing its descent from the cults of Mercury in Rome and Thoth in Egypt. The domus magna is Magvillus in the Rome Tribunal.
Jerbiton: Magi concerned with interaction with the mundanes. Members are often writers, artists, philosophers, doctors, or nobility. The domus magna is Valnastium in the Greater Alps Tribunal.
Mercere: The messengers of the Order; membership is not restricted to the Gifted, out of respect for the House founder, who lost his Gift, but even those incapable of magic are considered to be full magi by anyone who wishes to continue receiving mail. The domus magna is Harco in the Rome Tribunal.
Merinita: Originally nature-magi, but reformed as students of the Faeries under the primus Quendalon after the house founder disappeared. The domus magna is Irencilia in the Rhine Tribunal
Tremere: Magi who believe in order, obedience, hierarchy and coordination. Their founder was weak in magic relative to the other founders of the Order (largely due to their respective ages), but created certamen, the magical duel, as something to be good at. The domus magna is Coeris in the Transylvanian Tribunal.
Tytalus: Magi who strive to improve themselves through conflict. The domus magna is Fudarus in the Normany Tribunal.
Verditus: Artificers and enchanters who cannot perform magic without tools. The domus magna is Verdi in the Roman Tribunal.
Ex Miscellanea: Magi from other traditions who answered the Order's "join us or die" policy by joining the Order. This was the only house to be recognized after the formal creation of the Order, having been established by Pralix, formerly of House Tytalus. The domus magna is Cad Gadu in the Stonehenge Tribunal.
Diedne: This extinct House practiced Druidic magic. It was destroyed in the Schism War by an alliance of the other Houses, especially Flambeau, Guernicus, and Tremere.

[edit] Tribunals

The Order is divided into 13 Tribunals, which each administer a a region of Mythic Europe. Once every seven years, the magi within a Tribunal area stage a meeting, also called a Tribunal, where new magi are presented to the order and the Quaesitores judge disputes which cannot be resolved within a covenant. The tribunal is presided over by a praeco, usually the eldest magus present. The legality of the tribunal is supervised by the ruling quaesitor.

Once every 33 years, each Tribunal sends a representative to a Grand Tribunal, which takes place in Durenmar, the domus magna of the House Bonisagus in the Black Forest. The Grand Tribunal proceeds much like a regional tribunal, but the primus of House Bonisagus is always the praeco, while the primus of House Guernicus is the ruling quaesitor.

The 13 regional tribunals are: