Prologue (3k)
Chapter One: Designing Beasts (61k)
Chapter Two: New Rules for Familiars (2k)
Chapter Three: Familiars and Saga Development (42k)
Chapter Four: Popular Familiars (103k)
Chapter Five: Quadrapeda (84k)
Chapter Six: Birds (84k)
Chapter Seven: Serpents (62k)
Chapter Eight: Worms (9k)
Chapter Nine: Fish (13k)
Appendix One: Humans as Familiars (12k)
Appendix Two: Familiars of the Realms (70k)
Appendix Three: Forms, Effects and Sizes (11k)
Bibliography (6k)
This appendix contains some of the more experimental pieces from the "Familiars" document. Since it has been separated from the core text, sections may be unclear. Since I've read the originals repeatedly, while they were developed, it's difficult for me to assess which portions are now unclear, due to later cuts. My email address is provided elsewhere on this site. Please contact me for clarifications.
So far as can be discovered, in the Mercurial tradition, all of the earliest familiars were creatures of a realm, and many of them of realms other than the magical. The earliest familiars were guardians bonded to temple functionaries, summoned by the power being worshipped. In the Grove Tradition the avatars of the divine would often take the form of a tree, usually an oak. As civilisation spread, Etruscan magi developed techniques of familiarisation with intangible "house spirits", which they called lares or penates. These creatures were often tied to the magical realm, and used what minor powers they had to aid the humans living under "their" roof. These are ancestors to Mercurial familiars.
A brilliant magus, whose name is lost to history, decided to profane a local temple, attempting to bind the god who dwelt there. Although the effort failed, the possibility of bonding directly to the god of each shrine had been broached. A movement of "secular" magi, who saw the divinities, which they called genii loci, as little more than large house spirits formed. Their early discoveries, such as the tides of vis that encompass the world and the nature of arcane connections, lay the foundations for the later Bonisagian Theory of magic.
Despite this leap of technology, the Mercurial Magi did not develop the flexibility of Hermetic magi, instead concentrating on spells of extreme range and marvellous effect. They enslaved the elementals, lares, fae and even some demons, using them as focusing tools and agents for their great works. As the Empire fell into decline, so too did the Order, with the Roman magi casting out those with "impure" blood, such as the Iberians. The magical potency required to harness genii loci was lost, then as the barbarians invaded the heart of the Empire, the techniques of the Order were buried under history.
In recent decades, Hermetic theorists have been able to rediscover, or re-engineer, some Mercurial techniques. House Guernicus, and to a lesser degree House Bonisagus, have each developed unusual enchantments that create familiar-like bonds. Most of the Guernican techniques are held privily within that House, although the Bonisagian are shared with other magi.
The Order of Hermes has a cluster of spells that influence magical creatures directly by altering the bubble of mystical energy which forms their spirit. These spells are not commonly used, as alternatives which alter the physical nature of each beast are simpler, and the Vim technique is notoriously dangerous. When dealing with house spirits and genii loci, these "elemental" spells are useless, as there is no body for them to target. The rules for the physical alternatives are found in the Elemental section below.
Destroy Spirits: PeVi Gen. Reach, Instant, Individual
For every point that (quality die + spell level) exceeds the target's Magic Might, the target loses a Might point. This spell is similar to "Demon's Eternal Oblivion" but acts against magical creatures.
Bind Spirits: ReVi; Gen. Near, Concentration, Individual
You can control the spirit targeted with this spell if your spell's level + a quality die exceed its Might. If the creature is already bound by a working of higher level, your own fails. If you rebind the elemental after this spell wears off, you gain an added botch roll for each day the creature has been in your service. A botch allows the creature to attempt your murder.
Summon Spirits: ReVi; Gen. Near, Concentration, Individual, Ritual.
To summon a spirit you must already know of that type of creature and must overcome it's Might with your spell level + a stress die. A botch indicates that the wrong type of creature has been summoned. It may be displeased at your activities. This spell is widely considered to verge on the diabolic, and is used only with discretion by those who have it.
Ward Against Spirits: Re Vi; Gen, Near, Concentration, Ring.
This spell forms a magical ring of eleven paces diameter around you. The storyguide secretly determines it's strength, which is level + 5 + simple die. A creature of a Magic Might less than the ring may not cross it. The ring lasts until the magus leaves it.
Craft the Bottle of Spirits: MuVi; Gen, Reach, Permanent, Individual, Ritual
With this ritual you change an object into a fetish that holds the mystical energies of a creature with Magic Might. If the creature is incarnate it's body dies unless you use a requisite to also trap it also. While bound the creature is essentially harmless, although it you can still communicate with it using Intellego spells. Bottled spirits are either left indefinitely to their fate, accidentally released when their container breaks, released after they have promised great favours, or released after Binding to the will of their liberators.
House spirits are incorporeal beings with a Magic Might score. Once common in the cities of Europe, they have been driven off by the spread of the dominion, but they still form in places distant from churches and ancient or slumbering ones can sometimes be found in ruined Roman structures. It is believed by some magi that the original House Spirits were ghosts of buildings' founders, transformed to act as guardians for their descndants. How Etruscan magi altered the dead into these creatures, called lares familiaris, is unclear. This is a much-sought after technique, as it might allow Covenant founders to guide their creation beyond death.
House spirits are naturally diffuse creatures, with whom the ancients found it easiest to communicate by constructing a totem or altar, to focus the attention and presence of the House Spirit. Sometimes spirits can be transferred from one building to another by having them rest inside these figurines. When a house is being destroyed, for example by fire, it's not unusual for a house spirit to fall into slumber within their figurine. This is the only object to which the creature retains an arcane connection. If all of those things that the creature feel "theirs", they cease to exist, or fall asleep until they create a new connection. Penates, "guardian spirits" are easier to transfer than lares, which are in turn easier to move that lares familiaris, which are often unseparable from the buildings they created in life. Several dozen such spirits have been released by magi, who have awoken an inhabitant while investigating a fetish in their laboratory.
Many of these are killed, either due to alarm on the part of the magus or because they desire the vis the spirit contains for another purpose, but some survive to become laboratory spirits. Most of these creatures are not very intelligent, but are useful in that they understand how people store things and, brownie-like, will sometimes tidy up. Older or wiser house spirits can sometimes converse, plan and actively assist in magical research by monitoring experiments. Some few, when displeased, vent their frustration by throwing things, which magi who believe the original house spirits were ghosts claim as a point in favour of their theory.
Although it is rare, new house spirits sometimes form automatically after an emotive event in a magical area. Such spirits rarely develop consciousness, and remain inactive save if a similar event to that which caused their formation is occurring. The most common type of these sleepy spirits are ghosts that appear only when a member of the family is dying. This has caused some confusion amongst theoreticians, as some faeries exhibit similar behaviour.
It's important to note that the idea of Realms is an Hermetic invention. The Mercurial Magi saw no essential difference between the Infernal, Faerie and Magical, as they had some degree of control over each. It's rumoured they also had rituals to beseech the aid of angels. Although many modern magi scoff at this idea, those familiar with the Quabbalists of Barcelona acknowledge that it is possible that God might allow such things. Many peasants in Mythical Europe consider a friar, a faerie, an imp and a magus to all be "magical" and when one is troubling them, they'll just grab a bigger "magical" charm to settle them down. In this respect God and his Saints are considered the "most magical", both by modern peasants and ancient Mercurial magi. As such, faerie House Spirits are regularly discovered in Etruscan totems, as is the occasional bound demon. Some Merinitans claim that all House Spirits are really faeries, it's just that some are good at playing at being aligned to the magical realm. From a game perspective, "House Spirit" is the Hermetic way of labelling anything that lives as a House Spirit lives and they can be aligned to any Realm, although the divine ones are beyond Hermetic power, should they choose to be.
These rules are for bonding House Spirits of the magical realm. Faerie, Infernal and Divine house spirits use these rules, modified by those given in the section for their realm.
To play one of these characters requires the storyguide's approval, in advance.
Bonding a House Spirit requires the magus to have scores of at least 5 in Intellego and Mentem and 10 in Vim.
Spirits capable of maintaining a permanently tangible presence can be bound directly.
Intangible spirits require a representative object to take their place during the forging of the physical cord. This is usually a small, humanoid mannequin although sometimes a piece of building, such as the fireplace of a house, will be used. These objects may be enchanted using the rules given in the "Laboratory" chapter of the main rulebook. If the object is appropriate, the magus may add their affinities to the bond pool. The spirit usually "slumbers" in these objects if it has nothing better to do, or if it wishes to travel.
All familiars generated under the rules in Chapter Two have a spell-like power. For House spirits this is often similar to ReTe10 "The Unseen Porter".
Bond Score = Vim + Mentem + Intellego + Affinities - ( Magic Resistance + Range)
Range determines how big the spirit is and how far from its centre it can affect things with its powers. Range is essentially the "size" attribute for House spirits.
| Virtue | Effectiveness |
| -1 | Personal: The House Spirit's powers affect only itself or its magus. |
| 0 | Touch: The Spirit may affect things which take up the same space as its "centre". |
| +1 | Reach: The Spirit may affect things within about two meters |
| +2 | Near: The Spirit may affect things within fifteen paces. |
Even to a person using InMe magic, house spirits can be difficult to see. To such mages they usually look like a denser cloud of mist hidden within the psychic fog that quickly fills any residence in which a house spirit lives. To the untrained observer it appears that the fog is all part of the creature, an illusion that they like to maintain.
Some spirits, especially those in what they consider safe surroundings, draw their body into a vague shape resembling their mannequin, if they have one. The more detailed the shape, the smaller it is, so that the apparently solid ones are tiny, while the human-sized are wavering and transparent. The house spirit can waft along at human walking pace, but is unaffected by material obstructions. To a normal human all these phenomena remain invisible, but some can sense a "mood" in the house that matches the spirit's.
The Mercurial Magi were familiar with the methods whereby small faeries or ghosts could be transformed into House Spirits. Pressed by their rivals, the magi adapted these techniques to create potent guardians, the equivalent of the gods their rivals worshipped. The rituals were immensely complex, and were for a time lost after the fall of the Order. Even after this restitution, the similarity of the spells which create these warders to those that call and bind major demons was sufficient to cause most prudent magi to avoid them. The Domii Magna of Guernicus, Bonisagus, Bjornaer and Criamon are familiar with these techniques, but only Criamon uses them regularly.
The rituals that alter House Spirits are beyond the resources of all but the largest of covenants, being of such high level that they require wizards to enter Communion before casting. Most covenants use far simpler spells to create magical beasts which act as guardians. The last use of this spell in warfare was during the Schism.
Evoking the Spirit of Place: (Mu Vi Gen.)
R: Touch/Near D: Sun/Instant T: Individual , Ritual
Spell Focus: The fresh heart of a magus +5
This ritual is cast on a small, friendly, magical creature, usually a house spirit, but sometimes an elemental. It pours digestible magical energy into the being, stretching its borders and packing in the spaces with fresh mystical correspondences. A well-spirit, for example, might be expanded to governance of the covenant's moat. If these correspondences are not accurately designed the spell fails. Accurate design requires either the magus or spirit to make a successful Enigmatic Wisdom, Magic Theory or Art + Free Expression roll of 12+.
So long as the level of effect is higher than the creature's Magical Might, the being adds on point of Range or Size and five points of Magical Might. For every twenty levels the effect exceeds the creature's Magic Might it gains another point of size or range and another 5 points of Might.
If used on a Familiar, this spell usually fractures the cords, as it swells the creature's magic resistance and snaps the anchors that secure them in place. If the characters have sufficient unspent Bond Pool that the new magic resistance does not make it negative, the cords do not snap. Since the character's correspondences have changed, the storyguide should feel free to alter the body or personality of the familiar, to reflect those things that it now represents. Usually the familiar gains a point of Decrepitude after the ritual, as the magic coursing through its body cause irreparable damage.
Copies of this spell can be found in the private libraries of the Praeco of Bonisagus, Guernicus, Criamon and, suprisingly, Bjornaer. This last copy was stolen during the Mendalusian Exodus, after the return of Quendalon.
The "gods" that the magi worshipped were not always great faerie or magical beasts. Regularly they were mystical presences, able to communicate to those with exceptional talents, especially Visions and Second Sight. Initially the piety of the priests made them unable to see that the beings they worshipped were the same sort of thing as the House Spirits. These beings are called genii loci. Vim specialists sometimes use the terms genii loci and lares interchangeably, but the average magus uses them to describe the power of the creature, calling those they are afraid of or unable to kill genii loci, regardless of their powers. From a storyguide's perspective, if it alters the ability of magic to be cast in an area, its a genius loci, if it doesn't, it's a lar.
Genii loci are bundles of symbols, mystical correspondences linking them to the place they haunt. Over time, they warp the place in which they dwell so that it becomes increasingly similar to a target environment in the Magical Realm. Once the spirit's section of the mundane realm and it's target site in the magical realm are identical, they become the same place. At this point the genius, which can be imagined as a stalagmite growing toward a roof, anchors itself in both realms. Once in this state it is essentially indestructible, as it if loses it's mundane anchor it can simply hold on in the Magical realm and, if it wishes, grow back down toward the Mundane, waiting for any barrier, a church for example, to be removed. A genii loci with links to both realms can define the matter inside itself as it wishes, tapping material from one plane and magic from the other and combining them for its amusement or edification.
Genii loci are the most powerful characters available in this supplement. Most campaigns will not allow genii, or will include only a single genius. It will be a supporting character, run, like the covenant which it replaces, by all of the characters in committee. Ask your storyguide before selecting a genius as your character.
Genius characters are generated and bound just like house spirits, with the following changes:
| Virtue | Effectiveness |
| -3 | Touch: The genius may affect things which take up the same space as its "centre". |
| -1 | Reach: The genius may affect things within about two meters. |
| 0 | Near: The genius may affect things within fifteen paces. |
| +1 | Far: The genius may affect things within one hundred paces. |
| +3 | Sight: The genius may affect things between itself and the horizon. |
| +5 | Arcane: The genius has the ability to change things in the Connection vicinity of itself, its magus and those things linked in an Arcane manner to either of them. |
| Value | Aura Strength | Might |
| -3 | 1 | 10 |
| -1 | 2 | 20 |
| 0 | 3 | 30 |
| +1 | 4 | 40 |
| +3 | 5 | 50 |
| +5 | 6 | 60 |
Humans are bound as familiars by genii loci, a process which is the ancestor of Hermetic links between humans and animals. Genii loci will always have the "superior to magus" virtue, which is free. The bond pool of the pair is equal to Might - the human's size, which represents their bond to the material world. When magi are bound, the pool is enlarged by their Vim score and Enigmatic Wisdom, but reduced by their Twilight Points, which represent bonds to parts of the Magical realm other than that one to which the genius wishes to merge with.
These bonds look like three cords, usually gold, silver and copper or bronze. Their effects are the same as those between humans and animals, although some bond qualities are not sensible between the two partners and therefore are not possible.
Magi who bond with a genius must chose the flaw "Twilight points" with a value at least equal to their partner's Aura. The anchoring points the genius places into the magus's soul are both irremovable and attracted to the magical realm.
Genii have Intelligence, Perception, Presence and Communication scores, although only magically-aware creatures are affected by the Presence of a Genius. Those Genii that can create solid forms have physical statistics, as appropriate for their form.
Your character has 100 experience points to spend in non-academic skills and has a score of "Area Lore (Locus)" of 6.
Most genii have an ability to teach abilities and magic. As this replaces your covenant's library, precisely how competent your genii is depends on your library scores.
Genii can move, but prefer not to. The larger they are, the slower they become. A genii with a strength of 3 can move at human walking pace, whereas one with a strength of 6 can only move at half that speed. A genius with a score of 10 is a conduit into the Magical Realm and is immobile from an Earthly perspective. Genius who move away from "their" place lose the arcane connections which maintain them. That is, when they leave the location they are the spirit -of-, begin to lose magical power, so they will not wish to escort magi on expeditions. Movement alters their personalities, so that if they travel from pleasant meadows to jagged mountains, they become more viscous. Fortunately for genius fleeing the creeping approach of the Dominion, the weaker they become, the faster they move. At worst, they lose their ability to alter the environment and diminish back into potent house spirithood. This process of sloughing off potency sometimes damages their memories and skills, so that they do not recall being a genius.
Before magi developed the capacity to bond directly to the genii, a genius would often lure a magically-sensitive creature into its territory, to act as the interpreter of its will. In rural areas, these beings were often quite large, assigned as guardians for the sacred place, the surrounding homes of worshippers, or even the magus. In urban locales, where sustenance was more scarce, these creatures were often less conspicuous.
In time, each animal used like this becomes more easily manipulated by the genius, so that eventually, the genius seems to be riding inside the body of the possessed creature. Beings like this are called "avatars". Sometimes, more rarely, a human will become an avatar, but this is a very difficult process, generally avoided by the creatures.
Avatar-Familiars use the normal rules for bonding to animals. When creating the avatar, two sets of statistics should be drawn up, one describing the creature's abilities with its sacred place, which reflect those of the genius, the other describing it outside that place, when it is dependant on it's own resources. The Bond Flaw "Wild" is appropriate for many avatars. Avatars may only trade to the magus qualities they have while outside the genius's influence.
Some few Avatars retain unusual abilities beyond the range of the genius. There are five usual reasons for this occurring. Some avatars had exceptional abilities before they were tamed by the genius, and may continue to use these outside it's influence. Some genii spend a great deal of time training their avatars how to survive in the genius's absence, so that they can survive emergencies or seasonal disappearances. Although it is uncommon, sometimes the genius will fission off a child, a House Spirit, and place it within the avatar, relaying its commands through this third party, which can use its own abilities in the genius's absence. This is especially common for seasonal aurae, as it helps ensure their avatar returns to its controller after the genius returns. Some genii so heavily influence the material realm they overlap that the avatar, through dwelling in it, is distorted, rather like humans dwelling in a covenant with a high aura, or humans who eat some vis sources. Finally, there are some avatars able to exercise power through arcane connections. Under the Law of Contagion, that which was once together is always together, so these avatars leave the presence of their genius, but not their influence. Note that simple spells such as "Confound the Connection" usually fail in this case, as the Magic Might of the genius interferes with the working.
If a player wishes to trade their magus for an avatar paired to a genius by this last method, the Storyguide may wish to make the Arcane Connection Range virtue free, and may adjudge the link beyond the power of Hermetic magic to affect.
A magus wishing to create an avatar magically can do so using the creature creation details given later in this chapter. Usually, however they prefer to use InAn (Vi) spells to track down a local animal suitable for domination. The properties desired for a good avatar differ from those of a competent familiar, including indecisiveness and malleability, so potential avatars are far easier to find.
Human avatars, although rare in modern times, are possible See the later section on Camilli.
The Garnering of Strength of Spirit
R: Touch/Near D: Sun/Instant T: Individual , Ritual, Enigmatic.
Focus: The Heart of an Enigmatic Magus +5.
The Garnering of the Strength of Spirit is a slightly modified version of one of the Thirty Eight Rituals of The Cult of Mercury. It is known only within the central Clutches of the Cave of Twisting Shadows. This ritual increases the Aura value of a genius by causing more of the liquid vis that washes over the world to pool into an area. The genius takes control of this new energy and uses it to grow closer to the Magical Realm. Magi within the genius's area of effect can then access this more friendly atmosphere.
To be effective, this spell requires an Enigmatic Wisdom roll of twice (the aura strength +1). The spell must have a level twenty times that of (current Aura + 1) to be successful. The spell cannot raise the Aura strength more than 1 point per casting.
If the focus is used a ghost-like copy of the magus's personality is grafted into the memories of the genius.
A similar spell to this one may form part of the Bjornaer Gathering. Alternatively, they might be the largest remaining Grove Cult, simply performing worship to allow their genii to grow naturally.
House spirits and genii have lived, in many cases, quite long, if not necessarily interesting, lives. During that time many have developed pools of skills which magi value. They can teach magi either using the Training or Disputato techniques. Rumours persist of books written by Genii, but if these exist they are jealously guarded by their owners. Some students have written their side of Disputes down in libri quaestionium, but these lack the essential sparkle of one who fully comprehends the material discussed.
Some Genii have learned sufficient Hermetic theory, from watching magi in their covenant, to train an Hermetic magus. These magi usually have a poor reputation initially, but several have later joined a Roman house, like Bonisagus or Criamon. Usually Genii prefer to train humans so that they become useful tools, which can entail tuition in anything from fire magic to lapidary. Magi raised like this are hedge wizards.
A "Camillus" or "Camilla" is a child selected by a genius to be its human avatar and substitutes for both the magus and familiar characters, in those campaigns where the storyguide wishes to allow them. Essentially there are three characteristics for Camilli: presence, intelligence and independence. The usual camillus is unintelligent and unable to act without instruction from its genius, much like animal avatars, but this causes no difficulty, as the genius is continually present. Some few Camilli are intelligent when beyond the area of their genius's control and some few are independent even within their genius's range.
Before designing your Camillus, you should design their genius. The Virtue "Range: Arcane Connection" may prove valuable if the character is to be regularly used outside of the covenant. Storyguides may consider giving it for free, since the player is sacrificing their "magus slot" and "familiar slot" for this character.
Gifted Camilli can be members of any House, although they are most common in Ex Miscellania, Merinita and Criamon. They usually have the quality "Camillus" although this is not always the case. If they are both intelligent and independent they have the same statistics as other magi, but can train from the memories of their genius. Gifted Camilli that are not independent are tools through which the genius can channel its own abilities, and do not have a separate ability pool. Gifted Camilli from House Ex Miscellania, or more rarely Merinita, may also take the "Isolated Tutelage" flaw. After taking this, they can, if they wish, take the "Non-Hermetic Flaw."
Ungifted Camilli are almost always Magi Ex Miscellania and often have flaws "Hedge Wizard", and "Isolated Tutelage". They must take the flaw "Ungifted".
Camilli of either variety are protected by the might pool of their genius and can use its abilities while within range, as if they were themselves the genius, because, practically speaking, they are. If the player has designed a Camillus that has the "Independent" flaw, it is up to the stroyguide to ensure that it is a flaw, by playing the genius accordingly, and withholding its powers if the Camillus is disobedient. Camilli are ruled by their genius and players selecting them are trading their abilities for some freedom of action.
Camilli can be replaced quite readily, most of the time, even if it's only with an animal-avatar since the process takes only a year, which means little to a genius. The annoying thing is to have to train the new Camillus so that it becomes as useful as the old one.
When bonding themself to a creature of a realm other than the magical, a magus alters their own nature, being drawn closer to that realm themself. This is why, for example, those diabolists with the most potent minions are harmed by the Dominion. The smaller and weaker the familiar the more easily it is bound, and the less distortive the effects of the bonding process. Hermetic magi, in most cases, prize their individual achievements, and so they regularly choose comparatively weak familiars. Although the following guidelines allow player-characters to create powerful familiars, most wizards do not, and for good reason. The storyguide should check with the player that they understand the degree to which their character will change if they select a familiar from the upper ranges of potency.
The elementals first bound by the magi of Hermes were minor creatures, those that lived in their hearths and gardens, in the eddies that tossed their curtains and dwelt in the sediments at the bottom of wine bottles. These elementals are essentially the weakest of the magical beings, easily bound by the techniques designed for binding House Spirits. Some of them seem, over time, through interaction with magi, to grow into larger and more competent creatures, so tiny elementals might be a form of juvenile House Spirits. Others grow into larger elementals of their own type.
Early Hermetic history left little time for the research of the Elementals. The great thinkers of the Houses tended to focus on the recovery of ancient rituals. Once the House Ex Miscellanea had formed, some of its members began to examine ways to use Hermetic magic to interact with the little spirits that they had encountered. Interaction with small elementals indicated that they have a life-cycle that often includes predation by larger creatures, and these, since they appeared useful, did attract interest. A seminal work on Elementals concerns the nature of the Stormrider and was written by Grimogroth, a magus of Jerbiton (or Tremere, depending on which redcap you ask.)
The members of the Order are now capable of summoning and interacting with very powerful elementals, although there is some debate whether the mightiest of these are summoned or created by magic.
Elementals are such diverse creatures that no single set of statistics can do them justice. Storyguides should choose a creature from the surrounding chapters which is of similar size and combat-worthiness to that which they wish to use, then modify it slightly. For amorphous elementals, the section on octopi is particularly handy. The attacks of many elementals ignore armour after the first round, as the mass of the creature's temporary body seeps through the character's layers of protection.
All elementals have Magic Might scores, which rise if they are in a Magic Aura. Virtually all have spell-like powers involving manipulation of their element. Most elementals affected by hermetic magic are either only as intelligent as animals or tiny. It is said that the Moorish sorcerers can call forth giant genii, who are wiser than wizards, but these may be Arabic Fae.
Elementals only take on a shaped body of matter when they wish to interact with an element other than their own. Many are curious and playful, or they would not be outside their element. An elemental in its "natural state" has no body and therefore cannot be killed with physical attacks except if they destroy the medium it depends upon for survival. If, for example, a water elemental is resting in a fountain and a grog were to slash it repeatedly with a sword, the elemental would be unharmed, because it is not incarnate in the water. Even were it incarnate and the watery form were to be destroyed, it's likely the elemental would ride one of the falling droplets back into the safety of the fountain. If magus evaporates the water, the elemental will die, as it requires the medium to dwell in. Minor fire elementals are therefore quite fragile, although it is whispered by some Flambeaux that there exist spirits who dwell in light or warmth, which are frighteningly difficult to kill.
There mare many spells that affect elementals, but the following are the most commonly known within the Order. They are written generically, in terms both of technique and level, but any spell researched must specify each, for example "Bind Spirits of the Air (ReAu 30)".
Destroy Spirits of the Element Pe (Aq/Au/Ig/Te); Gen. Near Inst.
Destroys an elemental of the type specified if its Magic Might is exceeded by Level + quality die -5. This spell operates by destroying the body the elemental inhabits.
Bind Spirits of the Element Re (Aq/Au/Ig/Te); Gen. Near Sun.
You can control the elemental targeted with this spell if your spell's level + a die exceed its Might. If the creature is already bound by a working of higher level, your own fails. This spell takes control of the creature's physical form, but it's spirit is aware of it's enslavement. If you rebind the elemental after this spell wears off, you gain an added botch roll for each day the creature has been in your service. A botch allows the creature to attempt your murder.
Summon Spirits of The Element Re (Aq/Au/Ig/Te); Gen. Reach/Special, Ritual.
To summon an elemental with this spell you must already know of that type of creature, must have to hand a quantity of the appropriate element and must overcome it's Might with your spell level + a stress die. A botch indicates that the wrong type of creature has been summoned, although of the correct element. It may be displeased at your activities.
Ward Against Spirits of The Element Re (Aq/Au/Ig/Te); Gen, Special, Ring.
This spell forms a magical ring of eleven paces diameter around you. The storyguide secretly determines it's strength, which is level + 5 + simple die. A creature of a Magic Might less than the ring, and of the warded element, may not cross it. The ring lasts until the magus leaves it.
Many inexperienced magi, wishing to avoid the difficulties involved in the search for a familiar, attempt to create their own. This process is usually a waste of vis, although the creature so created can sometimes be bargained away to another, in exchange for some consideration. The basic problem is that a standard CrAn spell doesn't create a creature that has the deep and abiding respect for the magus that is required for the bonds to anchor into it.
The ancient magi of the Order of Mercury sidestepped this problem by bonding to a genii, then having it posses a body that they crafted for it, using their magic. The rituals to do this do still exist, as they are recalled by the genii who were previously participants, but the amount of vis required is prohibitively large, especially since the magus still needs to find a spirit that is willing to bond with them before the body is designed
The barrier to Hermetic advancement in this field has been a lack of interest on the part of the Order's specialists in the Ars Animal. The great practitioners of the art of animal magic have no interest in the creation of magical familiars for historical reasons. House Diedne magi tended to be part of the Grove Tradition, travelled widely and had a network of contacts able to seek out suitable beasts for the formation of a partnership. The Bjornaer magi are not interested in forming familiar bonds, seeking the animal nature within themselves. The Merinitans have been turned from the study of nature to the study of Faeries by the Primus Quendalon, and the techniques of the Mendalusian school have been lost, or are secreted in House Bjornaer.
A second complication is the lack of success of research into the creation of personalities through Hermetic magic. The Criamon are interested in the creation of thoughts, but generally prefer not to fix those thoughts into matter, preferring to allow them to range freely, influencing objects with their magical powers and allowing them to create increasingly complex webs of arcane connection and mystic correspondence around themselves. Doubtless the Criamon insights into the construction of thoughts could be translated into the form of, for example, a cat, but few Criamon desire that it should be so. When it does occur spontaneously, the procedure is usually no different from the possession of an avatar by a genius.
Certain magi of Bonisagus are looking into the matter, and have found ways of bottling ghosts inside animals. So far none has designed a completely satisfactory method of creating familiars, although the best spell currently available is given here. Although it was designed by a Bonisagian Mentem specialist, he did so using experimentation and no magus is known to have actually used it. Most are unwilling to risk thirty-two pawns of vis and their own lives on an untested spell. The inventor has made it known that he'd be quite grateful if anyone doing so could report flaws or unexpected effects to him, via Redcap. Certain knowledgeable Criamon magi have offered to contribute a pawn or two to the casting, so long as they can watch the performance from a safe distance.
Summoning of the Beloved Companion: CrAn(InMe) 80 Ritual.
This spell, derivative of two, now intertwined, Mercurial rituals reads the desires of the caster, creates the shape of the beast and designs its personality so that it suits the magus. During the "reading" process, the Magus needs to make a Concentration roll of 9+ to emphasises those characteristics they find the most desirable, keeping them in the forefront of their mind while continuing the casting of the ritual.
The personality of any beast created by this spell, the inventor warns, may be stereotypical, or flawed. Hermetic magic has grave difficulties with the creation of intelligence. The method of creating a complex personality is one of the conundra facing Mentem specialists at the moment.
Since this ritual is essentially two spells performed together, it requires twice as much vis than is usual.
Some magi, of course, are simply lucky. They cast a basic CrAn spell and the beast respects them enough for bonding to occur. It's rare for a magus to accept another's creation as their familiar, as paranoia is a healthy emotion by many magi. Some magi have reported success with the "kitten trick", where the creature they create is a juvenile that bonds to the magus as it's "mother", but this often creates psychological complications as the creature grows into what virtually amounts to a spouse.
Some Hermetic magi desire to alter their familiar magically before familiarisation begins. The simplest method is to cast Instant or Permanent spells on the Familiar. Since these mystical effects are either natural, or maintained by Hermetic magic, there is no attunement charge for these powers.
Some magi, however, desire a somewhat more durable alteration in the creature to which they are about to become bound. For example, one Hermetic wizard desired to so alter the structure of his pet octopus to allow it to fly through jetting, to breathe air, and to allow it to spray a coloured smoke in the place of fluid. What's more, he didn't want a simple PeVi to turn his familiar into a flopping puddle of dying calamari. His ingenious solution is now the standard for similar situations.
He made the octopus his talisman.
Other magi have turned their animals into invested devices, but the Talisman trick is considered a particularly efficient use of magic by many.
An octopus for instance, is invested thus:
The octopus, in a tank, is taken into the laboratory. In the first season, 6 pawns of vis are expended upon it, opening it for enchantment. This creates the Talismanic bond.
In the next season, the Octopus is opened for one type of magic, in this case, +5 (camouflage, going unnoticed), as its master was a sneaky fellow.
The invested enchantments were:
The Octopus, of course, knows the triggering motions for the various powers.
When bound as a familiar, the magus gains a bonus of 2 on his lab total, due to the closeness of the Talismanic bond. Some magi report that the talisman's bond is incorporated into the physical cord during it's construction, a process that weakens it , preventing it from having a positive bond score. Certain high-ranking Bonisagian magi have indicated that a young magus might make a name for themself by developing a method of avoiding this effect.
The ancient alchemists of Arabia had abilities which have not yet been replicated by Hermetic alchemists, who use minor alchemical skills to bolster their quicker style of magic. It is possible to take the reproductive essences of two animals and combine them mystically to produce a magical hybrid. This process takes far longer than the gesture and words used to create Hermetic creatures, but unlike their Permanent durations, alchemical beings are considered "natural" and so cannot be dispelled. The Alchemists did not determine how to design animal minds, so this system is no more likely to produce an acceptable familiar than the other, save that for some magi only a winged cat would be an acceptable familiar. That being said, they did discover how to graft human minds onto animal bodies, though a mixing of human and animal reproductive essences. The difficulty with this is that the magus has no guarantee that the centaur or satyr they create in this way will want to bond with them as a familiar. All such cautions aside, there are at least three known examples of magi who have raised such halflings as though they were children and have later successfully bonded to them. Such a centaur is believed active in Thebes at the moment.
Guerincan theorists, who consider the mixing of human seed with animal muck to be scandalous and against the Code, with possible dispensation for Bjornaers, nonetheless agree that the animal-headed gods of the Egyptians may, in some few cases, represent avatars created for the Old ones by a similar process. They claim that it is likely that was a mixing of animal-formed Old One substance with human matter, rather than human matter with animal matter, that led to the ancient hybrids, which would mean that even if alchemical halflings are made via the same technique, they are not made with equally worthy materials, and so their creations should probably be avoided. At the moment an informal compromise allows the creation of halflings in non-Christian states, or in places so distant from the mundanes that they will remain perpetually unaware of the products of this research.
Many Seekers favour halfling-producing alchemy, as they believe that all magi are descended from Old Ones through interbreeding with humans. They consider it possible that, in time, the alchemists will develop techniques to permit dragons, or other ancient powers, to inseminate humans, essentially reverse engineering the Old Ones, or at least the servant races who are left within the world, thereby accessing broader mystical insights and more potent magical technologies. With these finer tools they hope to be able to uncover the secrets of the Old Ones more easily.
Alchemical halflings take a long time to produce, and often kill the mother, making repeated attempts a costly process. The original version of this working came from Araby, and it breaches Hermetic limits. Its users euphemistically call it "Hermetistic magic", magic that is similar to that of Hermes.
Preparation:
The ensorcelled foetus needs to be bought to term in a mother that will not abort it. This requires a Muto Animal effect of either 30th level, which changes the nutrients in the blood, 40th level, which also rearranges the organs and makes labour simple, or 50th level, which transforms the mother into a halfling. This may be done either alchemically or Hermetically. Since the change must be permanent, so that the mother may carry the foetus to term, this process requires vis.
Requires a skill in Alchemy of 5+
Hermetic Magic Theory is not used in this process. Hermetic lab texts do not add to the Lab total. Studying the formula in alchemical writings provide experience points in alchemy, but isn't of use in the laboratory. Without Hermetic Theory to guide in the application of its power, expenditure of vis cannot increase this working's lab total.
Lab total: Intelligence + Muto + Animal (or equivalent, requisites used if cross-breeding between forms) + Alchemy + Alchemy Transformation Bonus of 2 + Aura.
Essentially this working creates a potion that acts immediately on the reproductive essences of in the laboratory to fuse them together. This is a Muto Animal effect, but it's over in an instant and is relatively simple since the area of effect, which is about a teaspoon of reproductive fluid, is so incredibly small. Its suggested level is 40, but storyguides should vary this to suit the tone of their campaigns. This spell requires 8 points of art-specific vis to complete. For every 5 levels of effect above 40, the alchemist may spend additional vis to alter another foetus. Usually each foetus requires a separate carrier to be immediately available.
The new creature, at birth, is a juvenile of it's species, but it may not be dispelled unless there was a botch somewhere in the process. The sigil of the wizard may be prominently displayed by the halfling.
Some magi are such introverts that they find themselves unable to join with another being. These have occasionally created Familiars out of their own bodies, using alchemical techniques, or the magic of creation. Each magus has a slightly different technique for the creation of these beings, and each therefore should be designed in consultation with the Storyguide. As a guideline, one is presented here:
Crafting the Wizard's Child (CrCo 60) Sun/Per, Ritual, Mentem.
This spell is one of many workings which create tiny human creates referred to as Homunculi. Another is given in the "Plants" chapter under Mandragora, and a third is given in the Faerie section, later in this chapter. Yet others exist, but have not been detailed here. This working costs 20 pawns of Vim vis.
Hermetic Homunculi are formed, during this ritual, as babies, and although they grow into adult proportions, losing the pudginess and diminutive limbs of infancy, they do not gain size. They require education as any infant would. They feed, lifelong, on the blood of their creator, which reduces the magus's Stm score by 1. Some have been said to have learned Hermetic magic.
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Suggested Magic Might: 25 (+3 virtue)
Characteristics: Int: +1, Per: +2, Pre: 0, Com: +2, Str: -1, Stm: +2, Dex: +1, Qik: +1, or generate as per usual character creation. Size: -2 Personality Traits: Curious: +7
Weapon (Hands): Init: +4, Atk: +7, Dfn: +15, Dam: +2
Soak: +8 Fatigue: +10 Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0, -3, Unconscious Body Levels: OK, 0/0, -3, Incapacitated Abilities:
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Vis: 5 pawns Corpus, body.
The largest creatures of this type recorded by the order may be purely legendary, but it is said by some that the magician Merlin created two giants, one from the blood of Lancelot and the other from fingernail clippings of Gwenivere. This beings, according to legend, were gendered as their progenitors, were fertile, and had a son.
Although it is possible to bind ghostly familiars, this practice is uncommon, and often frowned upon. Ghosts are far less common than magical animals, and many are tainted with the Infernal. The Church is scandalised by necromancy, and it is therefore, if not illegal under the Code to bind ghosts, practised with extreme discretion.
Ghosts aligned with the magical realm can be bound using similar practices to house spirits and elementals. The Vim spells that affect them can also be used against Magical ghosts, although the body-affecting spells of the "elementals" section need to be redesigned as Mentem spells. They are usually called:
Lay To Rest the Haunting Spirit ("Ars Magica" p. 147)
Coerce the Spirits of The Night ("Ars Magica" p. 148)
Incantation of Summoning the Dead ("Ars Magica" p. 149)
Ghosts should be generated just like living characters, then altered using these rules. Characters who have been played and die can be continued as ghosts only with the permission of the storyguide. If so continued, their personalities and abilities change as described below.
All ghosts revolve around a purpose, although many do not understand their reason for continued mortal existence. This purpose must be expressed in a single sentence and usually has something to do with a responsibility left over from life. This keeps a ghost trapped in the physical realm. Some players may wish the storyguide to choose the ghost's purpose without consultation, as it makes play more convincing if they share the character's confusion. Some ghosts are more fanatical about their purpose than others. Each ghost should take a personality trait "Desires Rest" to represent how driven they are to pass on. Player characters should not have both a high desire for rest, knowledge of their purpose and the tools to gain rapid respite.
Regardless of if they are aware that they are dead, ghosts feel the need to show the living the site of their death, even if only by inviting them there for refreshments. Subconsciously they hope that this will bring them aid in passing on. This is purchased as a Compulsion.
Ghosts have the same skills they did in life, and have characteristics that match those either at death or at the instigation of the emotion that keeps them alive. For example, a ghost that cannot rest until he feels sorrow for murdering his wife's lover may look just as he did just after the murder, even having bloodstained hands, if the storyguide does not feel that clue too obvious. Sometimes, rarely, a ghost will take on a shape that aids their purposes, but this is more common amongst diabolic spectres, who are arguably minor demons.
Ghosts do not have souls or humours. The soul has passed to its reward, leaving behind the spirit and the ashes of the body. Ghosts therefore cannot have the Gift and do not usually have passionate emotions. In place of the Gift, ghosts have Magic Might of Creo + Vim + 10. Non-magus ghosts usually have Might scores between 15 and 20, although particularly powerful, notably determined or grievously wronged individuals may have higher values. Magical aurae add to a magical ghost's might. When resisting spells, the ghost's protection is current Might + a simple die.
Ghosts purchase the ability to affect their surroundings using virtues and flaws. Ghosts may affect each other as if both were alive. Wizard's ghosts may cast spells at the cost of 1 might per five levels, which affect spirits normally, but affect their haunt only if the loss of Might is made permanent. Objects which were not in their haunt at death are immune to the ghost's spells, treating them as illusions. If a living magus casts a spell at a ghost, it can fire a Corporem or Mentem working back along that arcane connection, which acts normally.
Ghosts are able to mimic demonic possession, but are usually only able to maintain it for a short time. Possession requires attempted contact, where the ghost enters the body, the attempted control, when it attempts to subvert the mind.
Contact:The ghost attempts to force it's way into the character's body, matching it's might + simple die against the character's resistance. For Hermetic magi, this is considered a ReCo effect. Even if it fails, the attempt costs 3 temporary points of Magical Might. If it succeeds, the ghost has invaded the human.
Control: In the same round as a successful Contact, the ghost attempts to dominate their host to perform a short action. Roll personality traits t hat represent the motivations of the two characters, with the following results:
Ghostly wizards who botch their ghostly spells gain perfectly real Twilight points and, if they reach 24, their spirit goes to join their soul in the void, sometimes also removing their remains. If a ghostly familiar enters Twilight their magus must make a Twilight check. If the ghost has been consumed by Twilight, then the Twilight Intensity roll has a bonus equal to:
Spiritual Bond Score + Mental Bond Score +5 - Physical Bond Score.
If the magus has multiple familiars, described elsewhere, then they may also subtract those other bond scores, as they help tie the magus to the mortal world.
Certain Tremere cast "Waiting Spells" on themselves which contain curses triggered by their deaths. If properly crafted, these sometimes create ghosts, but most are short-lived. Most lack the passion required to return or they fulfil their purposes very quickly. This practice has become unfashionable in the last twenty years as Hermetic ghosts are outside the Code, and many were enslaved or tortured for information by Tytalean hopolites during the Cauterisation of Tremere.
Animals and objects may also leave ghosts, although these are usually tied to a human emotion. As such they should usually be treated as ghosts of the person whose goal they can fulfil.
Certain areas seem to have several ghosts acting in concert, like the warriors on a ghostly battlefield. Sometimes these ghosts are individuals, but on other occasions these have either congealed together or have been absorbed by a local spirit, essentially becoming a single, greater, creature. Such creatures should be designed as genius or House Spirits.
Bond Score: (vis type were fae to be killed) + Mentem + Intellego + Affinities - ( Magic Resistance + Size )
Faerie familiars are best generated after browsing the "Faeries" supplement. Many of the fae desirable as familiars can be found there. Lacking that reference, take a common animal, declare it a faerie and choose some unusual attributes to make the classification appear valid. An example of this is Blue, the hummingbird in the Birds section. The creature should have Faerie instead of Magical Might, which is a free conversion. It is allowed to use its points to fuel mystical powers, bought either as virtues or bond qualities.
Binding to a faerie can gradually warp the magus in quite profound ways, especially if the cords used contain copper. Slowly the magus will develop Faerie Blood, then curses reflecting the intolerances of the Fair Folk. After greater exposure, the magus's spells will be cast using the Faerie column on the Aura table. The oddest effect reported is that magi of this type overcome by their magic go not to Twilight, but to another place. If utterly overcome by magic, their soul goes to its eternal rest, leaving behind the body and spirit (which would otherwise become a ghost), which occasionally remain active as a faerie. A redcap from Cornwall mentions a magus who died in his sleep and lived for three further years in his covenant, utterly unaware he was now a faerie.
Some magi have developed ways to cripple or otherwise imprison faeries in material objects. One of the most popular is a rag doll made from a mandrake root, stuffed with herbs and bones. This is yet another creature called a Mandragora, which in this case has the power to find herbs and hold humans immobile and insensible by eye contact. In some cases the possessing spirit is a minor demon, not a fae, which makes them even more difficult to deal with. These Mandragora are not known within the Order, as the other methods of mannequin production are available, and there are aggressive magi who would destroy a demonic slave, or free a suffering Mandragora spirit.
The most potent demonic familiars are bound to Geotic sorcerers and cannot be constructed under these rules. They are described in "The Malificiuem". Smaller demonic familiars usually take either human, animal or hybrid shapes. These are generated with the usual statistics of an animal, modified with a cluster of virtues and flaws. It's important to remember that triumphant evil is not a usual part of European myth. Satan is the enemy, as are his servants, but they seem to spend an inordinate number of myths being tricked, captured or put to flight. Minor demons designed for play in "Ars Magica" should reflect these essential weaknesses, otherwise the setting becomes unrealistic, or needs regular angelic intervention to maintain amongst humans the free choice to sin or abstain.
Angels cannot be bound to material things. They are transcendent. They may not be familiars.
There are certain animals in Mythical Europe whom act as the hand of God in lesser issues. These may, with the approval of the Divine, be bound to exemplary Hermetic magi. These creatures will desert player characters that act unconscionably, snapping the cords as simply as shaking off a fly or tick.
Divine animals are supernaturally beautiful and have True Faith, both of which should be purchased as Virtues. When acting as a vessel of miracles, these creatures are incapable of failure. How much this virtue is worth depends on how often the storyguide is willing to allow your character to act as the smallest finger of the hand of God.
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