Implicit Setting and Thematic Concerns
Implicit Setting and Thematic Concerns
This thread is all about the Genre of Ars Magica as I like to play it. I will share some of the conceits and features of the game setting that are especially compelling to me, and how I like to treat them, so that you can understand where I'm coming from, and provide your feedback and questions (in the setting discussion thread, of course) for ongoing conversation!
Re: Implicit Setting and Thematic Concerns
Rule Zero:
This isn't the traditional rule zero, but it's my rule zero for Ars Magica.
My GM style for this game will be a mix of referee and advocate. Whereas in my West Marches game, the world has largely been built and just set in motion with the players inside, and I adjudicate as impartially as possible, in this game the world will be generally defined but I reserve the right to alter the contours in ways that I think will make for a cooler or more interesting story for everyone.
This doesn't mean that you could have the rug pulled out from under any of your previous experiences in the game: rather, every new encounter will be viewed (by me) as an opportunity to introduce new items of interest and setting details, some of which might be wholly invented on the spot.
The goal here is to pack as much excitement and drama into adventuring and politics as possible, since so much of magus-life is drudgery to the rest of us
That also means that I'm open to suggestions on many things, though I won't always reveal if I'm accepting one, and I might tweak it in new ways to fit the stuff I already know or things I think will lead to the most interesting stories. In the end, these changes will all be initiated as responses to you and the decisions you make during play.
This isn't the traditional rule zero, but it's my rule zero for Ars Magica.
My GM style for this game will be a mix of referee and advocate. Whereas in my West Marches game, the world has largely been built and just set in motion with the players inside, and I adjudicate as impartially as possible, in this game the world will be generally defined but I reserve the right to alter the contours in ways that I think will make for a cooler or more interesting story for everyone.
This doesn't mean that you could have the rug pulled out from under any of your previous experiences in the game: rather, every new encounter will be viewed (by me) as an opportunity to introduce new items of interest and setting details, some of which might be wholly invented on the spot.
The goal here is to pack as much excitement and drama into adventuring and politics as possible, since so much of magus-life is drudgery to the rest of us
That also means that I'm open to suggestions on many things, though I won't always reveal if I'm accepting one, and I might tweak it in new ways to fit the stuff I already know or things I think will lead to the most interesting stories. In the end, these changes will all be initiated as responses to you and the decisions you make during play.
Re: Implicit Setting and Thematic Concerns
The Cosmology of Mythic Europe:
There are two axes of reality: the literal and the metaphorical. In the book, these are sometimes parsed as The Mundane vs. Domains. The world is not flat: far from it. It's curved, like space-time, warping to the moral, ideological and symbolic actions and beliefs of those who reside in or interact with a place.
When enough magic touches a place, a thing, or a person, it becomes more magical. When the hand of God touches something, it becomes connected to the pattern of the divine. In this universe, the unlimited power of the Creator seems to place the divine at the top of the hierarchy of powers, and scholars and magi alike are in disagreement about what this means about the nature and origins of magic, the idea of heaven, and how they fit into the bigger picture.
The hierarchy is thrown into chaos a bit when you consider that the actions of Man seem to profoundly impact the influence of the Divine at any given place. The exact mechanics of this are unclear, but the effect is indisputable. Scholars have made arguments that reassure us all that this doesn't have a negative connotation regarding the nature or power of God, but it remains complicated. Free will is a tricky thing.
In some sense the four Domains are in constant conflict when they meet. Only one can inhabit a place at an given time, and inhabiting a place also means rebuilding it in your own image. As a result of this, and the character of the various actors, the general shape of the conflict emerges:
The Dominion and the Infernal realm vie constantly for territory, judged not by acres but by souls, because those souls bring their Domain with them wherever they may roam. The Fae and the Magi, on the other hand, are concerned less with propagation than with survival. In some sense, both are threatened by the conflict between the others, directly and indirectly.
Magi have no implicit interest in expanding the Domain of Magic, except in very specific instances (such as building a useful ground for a new Covenant). When Magic takes over a place, the effects can be unpredictable or dangerous--and can draw the attention of those who might wish to exploit or harm it.
On the other hand, the Domain of Magic is a place of great benefit to Magi. Their spells are more potent there, and the raw essence of magic can often be found by those with eyes to see it. Only the Dominion, the Divine realm, offers no aid to Magi--the lands of faerie and the demons can both aid magical power and bring dangers of their own.
All magi, whether they hold to a strong set of beliefs about this arrangement or not, will eventually become embroiled in these issues in their pursuit of knowledge and power. There is no way around it: the world is too small. These things are too central to your purposes. And they are always in motion.
There are two axes of reality: the literal and the metaphorical. In the book, these are sometimes parsed as The Mundane vs. Domains. The world is not flat: far from it. It's curved, like space-time, warping to the moral, ideological and symbolic actions and beliefs of those who reside in or interact with a place.
When enough magic touches a place, a thing, or a person, it becomes more magical. When the hand of God touches something, it becomes connected to the pattern of the divine. In this universe, the unlimited power of the Creator seems to place the divine at the top of the hierarchy of powers, and scholars and magi alike are in disagreement about what this means about the nature and origins of magic, the idea of heaven, and how they fit into the bigger picture.
The hierarchy is thrown into chaos a bit when you consider that the actions of Man seem to profoundly impact the influence of the Divine at any given place. The exact mechanics of this are unclear, but the effect is indisputable. Scholars have made arguments that reassure us all that this doesn't have a negative connotation regarding the nature or power of God, but it remains complicated. Free will is a tricky thing.
In some sense the four Domains are in constant conflict when they meet. Only one can inhabit a place at an given time, and inhabiting a place also means rebuilding it in your own image. As a result of this, and the character of the various actors, the general shape of the conflict emerges:
The Dominion and the Infernal realm vie constantly for territory, judged not by acres but by souls, because those souls bring their Domain with them wherever they may roam. The Fae and the Magi, on the other hand, are concerned less with propagation than with survival. In some sense, both are threatened by the conflict between the others, directly and indirectly.
Magi have no implicit interest in expanding the Domain of Magic, except in very specific instances (such as building a useful ground for a new Covenant). When Magic takes over a place, the effects can be unpredictable or dangerous--and can draw the attention of those who might wish to exploit or harm it.
On the other hand, the Domain of Magic is a place of great benefit to Magi. Their spells are more potent there, and the raw essence of magic can often be found by those with eyes to see it. Only the Dominion, the Divine realm, offers no aid to Magi--the lands of faerie and the demons can both aid magical power and bring dangers of their own.
All magi, whether they hold to a strong set of beliefs about this arrangement or not, will eventually become embroiled in these issues in their pursuit of knowledge and power. There is no way around it: the world is too small. These things are too central to your purposes. And they are always in motion.
Re: Implicit Setting and Thematic Concerns
The Order of Hermes:
Magic can be a powerful thing, but also a nebulous and dangerous thing for those who only meddle but do not understand. Lust for power, incompetence, and even demonic trickery can all lead a well-meaning practitioner astray.
In addition, the resources needed to support a wholehearted pursuit of magical power are vast, while the supply of those resources most vital is small. This leads to conflict between those practitioners, just as a need for natural resources leads to conflict between nations.
The Order of Hermes was created largely to address these two problems: the danger of practice and the danger of competition. An effort to more deeply understand magic so that it can be systematized and communicated about more effectively means fewer accidents, fewer dangerous (and unpopular) experiments, and less trouble from non-magi.
On the other hand, the Code of Hermes very clearly establishes the rules by which wizards are expected to conduct their affairs with one another and, to some extent (though these provisions have mostly been added later), with mundane society. This is intended to build trust and decrease the devastation that unchecked, no-rules competition breeds between individuals capable of conjuring wildfires or lightning. Mortality is down, and danger from the community, as well. The Code helps the Order keep a relatively low profile where possible.
However, the efficacy of the Code relies on its consistent enforcement. Violators are punished, swiftly and mercilessly, hunted when necessary, to preserve the integrity of the Code and the sanctity of the secrets that come with membership in the Order. There are more than a handful of offenses for which the only punishment is death. For beings such as Magi, lesser penalties have little deterrent effect.
Like on the cosmological scale, this breeds a kind of conflict: the individual magus is constantly bumping up against the ways in which the Code limits their own ambitions ("that Magus one town over has a bunch of vis and some items in his tower--I could go over there and just take it all right now") because the Code doesn't care about individual ambition. Its purpose is the survival of all Magi.
The most powerful magi have learned exactly how far the language of the Code can be stretched before it is broken.
Magic can be a powerful thing, but also a nebulous and dangerous thing for those who only meddle but do not understand. Lust for power, incompetence, and even demonic trickery can all lead a well-meaning practitioner astray.
In addition, the resources needed to support a wholehearted pursuit of magical power are vast, while the supply of those resources most vital is small. This leads to conflict between those practitioners, just as a need for natural resources leads to conflict between nations.
The Order of Hermes was created largely to address these two problems: the danger of practice and the danger of competition. An effort to more deeply understand magic so that it can be systematized and communicated about more effectively means fewer accidents, fewer dangerous (and unpopular) experiments, and less trouble from non-magi.
On the other hand, the Code of Hermes very clearly establishes the rules by which wizards are expected to conduct their affairs with one another and, to some extent (though these provisions have mostly been added later), with mundane society. This is intended to build trust and decrease the devastation that unchecked, no-rules competition breeds between individuals capable of conjuring wildfires or lightning. Mortality is down, and danger from the community, as well. The Code helps the Order keep a relatively low profile where possible.
However, the efficacy of the Code relies on its consistent enforcement. Violators are punished, swiftly and mercilessly, hunted when necessary, to preserve the integrity of the Code and the sanctity of the secrets that come with membership in the Order. There are more than a handful of offenses for which the only punishment is death. For beings such as Magi, lesser penalties have little deterrent effect.
Like on the cosmological scale, this breeds a kind of conflict: the individual magus is constantly bumping up against the ways in which the Code limits their own ambitions ("that Magus one town over has a bunch of vis and some items in his tower--I could go over there and just take it all right now") because the Code doesn't care about individual ambition. Its purpose is the survival of all Magi.
The most powerful magi have learned exactly how far the language of the Code can be stretched before it is broken.
Re: Implicit Setting and Thematic Concerns
The Gauntlet and Apprenticeship:
After roughly fifteen years of servitude and learning, a magus' apprentice becomes eligible to engage in the Gauntlet, a test of skills that a master (Parens) uses to determine whether the apprentice is worthy to become a Magus of full standing in the Order and take the Oath (the same document as the Code of Hermes). The form of the Gauntlet depends largely on the House of the master (and the student, of course, as House affiliation passes along a lineage directly), but also on the personality of the master.
House Bonisagus, for example, generally has more academic Gauntlets, involving a lot of magical theory and laboratory demonstrations, while House Flambeau favors more dramatic demonstrations of power, often testing the uppermost limits of their students' capacities. Similarly, House Tytalus often pits apprentices in a single Covenant both in their fifteenth year in a competition or direct contest, allowing only the winner to pass, believing that this results in a higher quality of Magus than a more solitary process.
Only after the Gauntlet is passed and the Oath taken does the Parens teach the student the secret of the Parma Magica. To do so any earlier would violate the Code, and to wait any longer would potentially endanger the new Magus. Thus, it is like a parting gift from master to student to begin his or her new career.
Unless the apprenticeship was especially arduous and the master cruel, the relationship between master and former apprentice remains an important part of the magus' role in the Order and sense of identity. Much of what they learn of magic in their formative years comes directly from the mouth of the master, and a kind of trust develops there that is difficult to replicate, especially among such solitary and untrusting folk as magi. Even when the relationship is abusive in some way, the requirements of the tutelage still create unbreakable bonds of dependence or rivalry among some parens-apprentice pairs.
Of course, as the student grows in power and influence, and seeks to carve out a place for him or herself in the world (and especially once the student begins taking on his or her own apprentices), that bond of trust can evolve into a rivalry as well, sometimes friendly but at other times quite competitive and serious. The world of the Order is a very small place indeed, and an even smaller place for those with large ambitions.
After roughly fifteen years of servitude and learning, a magus' apprentice becomes eligible to engage in the Gauntlet, a test of skills that a master (Parens) uses to determine whether the apprentice is worthy to become a Magus of full standing in the Order and take the Oath (the same document as the Code of Hermes). The form of the Gauntlet depends largely on the House of the master (and the student, of course, as House affiliation passes along a lineage directly), but also on the personality of the master.
House Bonisagus, for example, generally has more academic Gauntlets, involving a lot of magical theory and laboratory demonstrations, while House Flambeau favors more dramatic demonstrations of power, often testing the uppermost limits of their students' capacities. Similarly, House Tytalus often pits apprentices in a single Covenant both in their fifteenth year in a competition or direct contest, allowing only the winner to pass, believing that this results in a higher quality of Magus than a more solitary process.
Only after the Gauntlet is passed and the Oath taken does the Parens teach the student the secret of the Parma Magica. To do so any earlier would violate the Code, and to wait any longer would potentially endanger the new Magus. Thus, it is like a parting gift from master to student to begin his or her new career.
Unless the apprenticeship was especially arduous and the master cruel, the relationship between master and former apprentice remains an important part of the magus' role in the Order and sense of identity. Much of what they learn of magic in their formative years comes directly from the mouth of the master, and a kind of trust develops there that is difficult to replicate, especially among such solitary and untrusting folk as magi. Even when the relationship is abusive in some way, the requirements of the tutelage still create unbreakable bonds of dependence or rivalry among some parens-apprentice pairs.
Of course, as the student grows in power and influence, and seeks to carve out a place for him or herself in the world (and especially once the student begins taking on his or her own apprentices), that bond of trust can evolve into a rivalry as well, sometimes friendly but at other times quite competitive and serious. The world of the Order is a very small place indeed, and an even smaller place for those with large ambitions.
Re: Implicit Setting and Thematic Concerns
Taking on Apprentices:
Now that we have reached more or less consensus on having new Magi enter the game as apprentices, here's what you need to know--
In order to take on an apprentice, you are advised to have the following:
1. At least a score of 5 in every one of the 15 Arts. If you begin a student's apprenticeship with less that that in one or more of your Arts, the student will begin with a Deficiency in all of those Arts, seriously hampering his or her development. Although Deficiencies can arise through other means, you will get yourself in trouble by knowingly starting your student off on such footing.
2. One season per year to dedicate to direct instruction of your apprentice. This is a minimum requirement of apprenticeship set down by the Order, and failure to meet this obligation can result in your apprentice being taken from you.
3. Facilities available to house the apprentice.
4. Tutelage and training available for non-Arts skills. At the very least, the student should learn Latin and Magic Theory, and does not need a Magus to provide instruction in either of these skills. During your non-dedicated season, it is useful for the Apprentice's abilities to not be stagnating. However, the Apprentice can gain exposure XP in abilities by assisting you in Laboratory work, though this tends to be MUCH slower than getting instruction from someone in terms of development.
5. Resources to round out the apprentice's education. A good range of texts in the library will help the apprentice improve on skills once you have started them down a path. If they have literacy in Latin, and access to the Arts, they can use texts in the same way as a full Magus to learn more about magic and grow their abilities. Whether you barter for texts from others, or scribe them yourself based on your own abilities, building out a library of Summae, Tractatus and Spells is a great way to help your apprentice and your fellow magi thrive.
---
If you decide to take on an apprentice, note in advance that this will change some aspects of your story--because the apprentice will be a PC, you'll be expected to take the relationship seriously and commit to roleplaying interactions with them even during study seasons so that they don't get relegated to the role of Lab Monkey. You should also be thinking of interesting ways to help them build their own stories, as more established participants in the Saga, so that they will have a niche. Work with the concept of the character as they've presented it, and don't shy away from the power dynamics inherent in the master-apprentice relatioship. Any new PC will begin as a half-formed child with a LOT of learning and changing to do. You don't get to decide who they are, but a lot of your choices should impact the course they take in significant ways, whether as a benevolent guide or as a poor role model they strive to distance themselves from.
Basically a child-parent thing
The last of your duties is to monitor their progress closely (or not, if that's the kind of Master you want to be) and offer them a Gauntlet when you think they are ready to strike off on their own. Those final steps can be as much an exciting story as any other part of the magus' life if you really decide to dig into it.
Now that we have reached more or less consensus on having new Magi enter the game as apprentices, here's what you need to know--
In order to take on an apprentice, you are advised to have the following:
1. At least a score of 5 in every one of the 15 Arts. If you begin a student's apprenticeship with less that that in one or more of your Arts, the student will begin with a Deficiency in all of those Arts, seriously hampering his or her development. Although Deficiencies can arise through other means, you will get yourself in trouble by knowingly starting your student off on such footing.
2. One season per year to dedicate to direct instruction of your apprentice. This is a minimum requirement of apprenticeship set down by the Order, and failure to meet this obligation can result in your apprentice being taken from you.
3. Facilities available to house the apprentice.
4. Tutelage and training available for non-Arts skills. At the very least, the student should learn Latin and Magic Theory, and does not need a Magus to provide instruction in either of these skills. During your non-dedicated season, it is useful for the Apprentice's abilities to not be stagnating. However, the Apprentice can gain exposure XP in abilities by assisting you in Laboratory work, though this tends to be MUCH slower than getting instruction from someone in terms of development.
5. Resources to round out the apprentice's education. A good range of texts in the library will help the apprentice improve on skills once you have started them down a path. If they have literacy in Latin, and access to the Arts, they can use texts in the same way as a full Magus to learn more about magic and grow their abilities. Whether you barter for texts from others, or scribe them yourself based on your own abilities, building out a library of Summae, Tractatus and Spells is a great way to help your apprentice and your fellow magi thrive.
---
If you decide to take on an apprentice, note in advance that this will change some aspects of your story--because the apprentice will be a PC, you'll be expected to take the relationship seriously and commit to roleplaying interactions with them even during study seasons so that they don't get relegated to the role of Lab Monkey. You should also be thinking of interesting ways to help them build their own stories, as more established participants in the Saga, so that they will have a niche. Work with the concept of the character as they've presented it, and don't shy away from the power dynamics inherent in the master-apprentice relatioship. Any new PC will begin as a half-formed child with a LOT of learning and changing to do. You don't get to decide who they are, but a lot of your choices should impact the course they take in significant ways, whether as a benevolent guide or as a poor role model they strive to distance themselves from.
Basically a child-parent thing
The last of your duties is to monitor their progress closely (or not, if that's the kind of Master you want to be) and offer them a Gauntlet when you think they are ready to strike off on their own. Those final steps can be as much an exciting story as any other part of the magus' life if you really decide to dig into it.