Guardians of the Forests details the birthplace of the Order of Hermes, Mythic Germany. From the sinister faerie heights of the Black Forest, home to Durenmar, through the prosperous and venerable cities of the Rhineland, to the fog-ridden Harz Mountains, to the lowland plain and Crintera's island retreat on the Baltic coast, the northern Holy Roman Empire is a diverse landscape of countless magical and faerie forests, interspersed with a patchwork of powerful realms, where prince-bishops vie with dukes and merchant gilds for temporal power. This is the land of the epic Nibelungenlied, the heroic conquests of Charlemagne and Frederick Barbarossa, the miracles of St. Boniface, the splendour of the Imperial Cathedrals, the gifts of minstrels and wood-wives, and the curses of witches and the Wild Hunt. Guardians of the Forests reveals the many unique traditions of the First Tribunal, its archaic politics and lost glories, its reverence for its founders and its woodlands, the workings of the Great Library of Durenmar, and the secrets of those who pursue obscure wilderness paths in search of the primal power of the Forest. The richness of the German landscape is fully explored, replete with numerous story and saga ideas. The region of the Rhine Gorge receives a special focus -- its lost covenants, vis sources, sites of legend, towns, castles, inhabitants, and a mysterious curse are all detailed -- providing a perfect location to jump-start an Ars Magica 5th Edition saga.

Guardians of the Forests: The Rhine Tribunal (Ars Magica Fantasy Roleplaying)

Mark Shirley

Andrew P. Smith

Atlas Games

The covenant is the home of magi and the heart of an Ars Magica saga. Much more than just a base camp, its prosperity determines the power and safety of the characters who live there, and the challenges faced by a covenant shape the whole saga. The Covenants sourcebook includes:
<li>New Boons and Hooks, for a wide range of saga styles 
</li>
<li>Guidance on governance and covenfolk 
</li>
<li>Story-based rules for determining the covenant's wealth 
</li>
<li>Rules for developing libraries and enchanting books 
</li>
<li>Rules for personalizing and improving a magus's laboratory. Everything you need to bring your covenant to life is here!
</li>

Covenants (Ars Magica Fantasy Roleplaying)

Timothy Ferguson

Neil Taylor

ANDREW SMITH

Demons work to corrupt all the people of Mythic Europe. They take on attractive forms, but ultimately they seek to drag all of humanity down into damnation with them. No matter the nation, the creed, or the race, they are the true enemy. 
The thirteen chapters of this book cover all of the manifestations of the forces of the Evil One. The purest appearances are the infernal auras, regiones, and vis, all of which taint those who merely come into contact with them. 
Almost as pure are the demons of hell. The central section discusses the nine Orders of demons, providing rules for creating your own demons, as well as examples of demons from every Order and with different motivations. Some demons seek to corrupt, others to deceive, and still others simply to destroy. 
Finally, there are rules for human characters caught up in Hell's plots. Whether demons have shaped their lives since before birth, or they have foolishly bargained for infernal powers, these chapters show how to use them as foes in your saga. 
Be ready to fight, with sword, spell, and faith.

Realms of Power: The Infernal (Ars Magica Fantasy Roleplaying)

Erik Dahl

third and final volume in the Houses of Hermes series, Societates covers Houses Flambeau, Jerbiton, Tytalus, and Ex Miscellanea. These houses are formed of wizards who have come together out of shared interests and philosophies. House Flambeau includes the champions and knights of the Order, individual warriors who fight for glory and honor, both their own and that of the Order as a whole. The House admires bold adventurers who seek out and overcome fearsome opponents. Worthy opponents are chosen according to the magus's sense of honor, not external rules. As a result, many of the Order's Hoplites are from House Flambeau, as are many of the magi they hunt down. House Jerbiton live lives in pursuit of beauty, and in pursuit of living beautifully. This requires interaction with the world beyond the Order of Hermes, both for the sake of the beauty found there and to avoid the stunted lives that result from a life lived entirely within a covenant. Experts in the use of Mentem and Imaginem, followers of Jerbiton generally prefer to interact subtly with the world. The fall of Constantinople has, however, been a great shock to them, and has pushed the House onto a more active path. House Tytalus thrive on, and admire, conflict. The main conflict they see is between an individual's nature and the rules imposed by surrounding society, but this central conflict plays out in many, less abstract, contests. They are renowned for long-running rivalries with their Housemates, convoluted political schemes, and activities that skirt the edges of legality. House Ex Miscellanea gathers together magi who do not fit into any other House, normally because they are still tied to elements of a pre-Hermetic tradition. The House claims to embody unity in diversity, but the emphasis is definitely on the diversity. This book provides eight detailed examples of traditions within the House, complete with rules for their non-Hermetic abilities.

Houses of Hermes: Societates (Ars Magica Fantasy Roleplaying)

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Andrew Gronosky

John Post

Nick Simmonds

Fantasy

In much of Mythic Europe, magi build covenants in remote wildernesses to avoid contact with mundanes. In northern France the Normandy Tribunal this is all but impossible. The wildernesses have been tamed and plowed under, the Church plants monasteries in the wastes, noble lords build castles to enforce their rule, and great cities grow up where once was nothing but fen. The magi of the Order of Hermes have adapted to living closely with mundane society in Normandy, even distributing their limited magical resources by way of contests modeled on the chivalric tournaments of the nobility.
 But while magic is under pressure in Normandy, it is far from dead. Ancient megaliths stud the landscape, faeries control many forests, and caves and burial mounds hide relics of the past. Demons and monsters imprisoned in ages past by saints and sorcerers stir uneasily in their confinement, and magi wield potent and spectacular magic throughout the land.
 The Lion and the Lily provides full details for the Normandy Tribunal, where magi must balance the demands of the nobility, cities, Church, and Tribunal.

The Lion and the Lily (Ars Magica)

Sheila Thomas

Richard Love

Christian Jensen Romer

Paul Tevis

Art & Academe

The magi of the Order of Hermes are not the only scholars and artists in Mythic Europe. In the Greek and Muslim lands, traditions of learning stretch back unbroken over centuries, while scholarship has emerged from long centuries of neglect in the Latin West with great vigor. From parish schools to the new universities, learning and creativity are everywhere.  Nor is this learning entirely theoretical. Doctors can cure many illnesses, and preserve the health of their charges. Natural philosophers can manipulate substances in a way that appears magical to the ill-informed, and gain some hints as to the future from the positions of the stars. The natural laws of Mythic Europe are very different from those of our world, and many strange things can be achieved by those who understand their secrets. Artists create the great cathedrals, but also more humble paintings, songs, and sculptures. The greatest of them draw the attention of the supernatural, and become part of the legends of the land.  Art & Academe provides background on the academic life of Mythic Europe, and rules for activities reaching from the astrology and alchemy of the natural philosopher to the regimens and treatments of the medic, from university disputations to the creation of masterpieces of art. Art & Academe takes your saga to the very limits of medieval scientific knowledge.

Matt Ryan

You mustn't call them by name - they are the "good neighbors," the "fair folk," the "gentry." Don't draw their attention, for those they notice are drawn into their stories, which no mortal can survive unchanged. Stay away from the edges of the dark woods, respect your superiors, and do what society expects. Or the faeries will come for you! The faeries of Mythic Europe live according to roles and stories, drawing vitality from mortals who play by the rules. Some vampiric faeries steal vitality from blood, while others draw it from the garlic placed over doors to keep them out. Some fey dragons live by devouring knights and feast on the fear they create, while others exist to be defeated, drawing vitality from the knight's victory. But afterwards, the dead dragon and the defeated vampire always take on a new role, to continue the faerie story. What story will they make you tell?

Realms of Power: Faerie (Ars Magica Fantasy Roleplaying)

Everyone knows what a follower of Flambeau is like ... a master of Ignem magic, a maestro with Pilum of Fire. Apart, that is, from those Flambeau who choose to wield mundane weapons, or who control the powers of darkness and cold.  And Tytalus magi are renowned for weaving intricate plots in society, manipulating those around them. Except for those excpetional few who live alone, testing themselves against the natural elements, of course.  Go beyond the expected.  Magi of Hermes presents fifteen fully detailed magi who redefine the norm for Ars Magica. From the rare to the extraordinary, you'll find them here with statistics given every fifteen years throughout their careers. And also included are the specifices for their magical creations, both spells and items, which are often as remarkable as they themselves are.  A source of inspiration, allies, and enemies for your characters, Magi of Hermes adds depth to any saga.

Magi of Hermes (Ars Magica Fantasy Roleplaying)

Mark Lawford

Volker Burkel

Christoph Safferling

Tim Goldbeck

Daniel Kemler

Pitt Murmann

Saul Roberts

Erik Tyrrell

The Order of Hermes is supreme, unchallenged in its mastery of magic. All other magicians are hedge wizards ... maybe interesting to researchers, but certainly no threat. Or so magi of the Order tell each other. And most of them actually believe it.  The four traditions in this book prove the folly of that complacency:  * The Amazons, female warrior wizards beyond the borders of Europe, harbor a deep hatred of the Order for reasons that no magus could ever guess.  * The Augustan Brotherhood serves as court wizards, supporting its political ends with mundane force as much as with magic discovered in the tomb of Virgil.  * In the icy north, the Muspelli plot to release their jotun masters and destroy the world in frost and fire.  * And in the the distant east, the powerful Soqotran sorcerers dwell quietly on their island, staying out of politics and looking nervously at the expansionist Order.  How long can the Order of Hermes maintain its pleasant illusion of superiority?

Rival Magic (Ars Magica Fantasy Roleplaying)

Chris Jensen-Romer

Once-proud Constantinople has been ravaged by bloodthirsty Crusaders, and has sunken into depravity and ruin. With the fall of the blessed city, ancient magical bindings maintained by Roman relics of the defeated Empire are now shattered and broken, releasing beasts and demons to roam the land. Tales of unseasonal happenings draw eager hunters and curious Seekers alike. Meanwhile, the magi of the Theban Tribunal and their supernatural patrons devote their efforts to maintaining the peace. They struggle against divisions that mirror the age-old battles of the Titans and Olympian gods, who even now stir among their ancient temples and sanctuaries.  The Sundered Eagle contains full details of the Tribunal of Thebes. The lands of ancient Greece and Asia Minor are the home of epic legends and mighty gods of both Faerie and Magic, while the Byzantine Empire has its own myths. The Theban Tribunal's magi and covenants, who govern themselves according to the democratic institutions of ancient Athens, live among plentiful sites of power. Both mundane and supernatural struggles for supremacy over these lands challenge characters to negotiate a maze of Byzantine schemes. Each faction will have the chance to restore peace and unity to the eastern Empire, under its own banner!

The Sundered Eagle: The Theban Tribunal (Ars Magica)

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