The Great Convocation
Held every seven years in Alexandria, the Great Convocation is a meeting of all members of the cult. New discoveries, inventions, and shape and material bonuses are shared with a prize for the greatest contribution. Below are a few ideas for the convocation. Some are story seeds, while others are suggestions for the kind of thing other cult members might present as their discoveries.
Foreign Relations
The Order of the Green Cockerel secretly maintains strong ties with the wise men and sorcerers of the Islamic world, a fact which would horrify some magi. Several members of the Order of Solomon usually attend the convocation as guests, and this has always been welcomed – the hermetic magi are happy to share what discoveries are applicable to both magical systems, while the solominic sahirs are comfortable in their own tradition’s obvious superiority in the field of alchemy. Now, however, some sahirs have heard rumours that the secret master of the magi has completed the great work, something which hasn’t been seen in centuries.
A delegation of sahirs at the convocation ask for admission to the cult, wanting to learn this secret. This poses both a problem and opportunity – having them join the order of hermes, if they are even willing, will be impossible to hide. Refusing them will risk alienating other sahirs, valuable allies. Is it even possible for a sahir to learn their mysteries without hermetic magic? On the other hand the potential for new discoveries and insights based on their Solomonic magic is immense. What will the cult do, and what will the player characters think of this development?
The Master Speaks…?
Two senior members of the cult both claim to have received instructions from the secret master. There is just one problem – the instructions are contradictory! It seems unthinkable that one of the leaders of the cult would lie about this, but both cannot be true… unless it is a test? Some clue to the great elixir hidden in cryptic and conflicting commands? Of course, there are some who don’t believe there even is a secret master, in which case this is simply a power struggle clothed in obfuscated language.
True Transmutation
Two magi are collaborating on a research effort to allow hermetic magic to turn one substance into another, as a true change. They are exploring two approaches:
-
Trying to enchant the items with a constant Mu(Fo) effect without warping them through constant effect. Or create a Mu(Fo) ritual spell which is permanent, like a momentary Creo ritual. This would push or break the Limit of Warping.
-
Trying to create a spell which truly changes the essential nature of the substance. This would break the Limit of Essential Nature and seems much less probable, but they aren’t discounting it.
Much of their experiments are uninteresting to look at – objects enchanted with constant (sun, environmental trigger) Muto effects to change them from one substance to another.
They are nearing a minor breakthrough – this allows magi to enchant insubstantial things (like a fire, or a quantity of air), but only as a lesser item containing a Mu(Fo) power which transmutes the thing into a solid object. This is more of a curiosity than anything, though the idea of items made of transmuted fire might appeal to certain Flambeau. They have a crystal flask which is transmuted from air to show off.
One oddity they also have is a small lead figurine. The intent was to enchant it to turn into gold, but instead it became an awakened item. The creature, called Plumbeum, has 2 might. It is a dolorous little being which laments (in broken Latin, which it has been slowly learning) the missed opportunity to have become a “noble metal” instead of dull lead. A talking figurine is quite impressive, even if the effect was unintentional. They have not been able to recreate the result – it seems to have been a fluke.
One of their stranger new ideas is that transmutation may not be possible for mundane objects, but it might be for awakened ones. One of the magi believes that an awakened mind might be able to undergo something like a mystery initiation, and be truly transformed. They intend to experiment with Plumbeum. The thought of transforming into gold is the only thing that seems to cheer the little creature.
Plumbeum is a small lead figurine of a man, about three inches tall.
Magic Might: 2
Characteristics:* Int +2, Per -1, Pre +3**, Com -1, Str -15, Sta +3, Dex +0, Qik +6
*Including adjustment for size
**Despite its small size, Plumbeum is a fascinating oddity and oddly compelling
Size: -9
Age: 3
Qualities and Inferiorities: Magic Thing, Reduced Might x2, Gift of Speech, Personal Power, Improved Characteristics x2, Improved Soak x3, Pessimistic
Personality Traits: Living Statue* +3, Morose +3, Wants to Become a “Noble” Metal +6
Reputations: Unique Magical Oddity +1 (Order of Hermes)
Soak: +9
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: –1 (1), –3 (2), –5 (3), Incapacitated (4), Dead (5)
Abilities: Latin (Hermetic) 3, Folk Ken (Magi) 1, Philosophiae 1
Powers:
Like Atlas Writ Small
0 points, Init +4
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual
This power allows Plumbeum to lift and carry an object as if it has a strength of +5. It can carry the object without effort for the duration, but must concentrate to do anything else, such as putting it down.
ReTe 15 (base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 constant): Personal Power (15 levels, –2 Might cost)
Hermetic Formulae
Another magus is experimenting with methods to integrate hermetic lab activities with mundane philosophic formulae. This is possible with Rego craft magic, but that requires very high (often impossible) finesse rolls. The aim is to allow a hermetic lab total to be used in place of, or addition to, the academic skill normally used.
Their research to date is mainly Rego craft effects that replicate formulae. Eventually this will lead to a minor breakthrough. This can be taught to any magus with Hermetic Alchemy or Vulgar Alchemy without needing a new virtue, but the effect is much more limited than the inventor is hoping for:
Hermetic Formulae : Any magus who learns this breakthrough may add a technique bonus to their lab total when dealing with formulae, equal to Technique/5 (rounded up). Their lab total is now Intelligence + Academic Ability + Philosophic Bonuses + Technique Bonus. The techniques used are Intellego for Inceptions, Rego for Reagents, and Creo for Theriacs. The technique bonus is not limited by the academic ability, and does not count towards philosophic bonus.
Solomonic Alchemy
Some members of the cult located in the Levantine and Theban tribunals are studying the magic of Solomonic wizards, specifically how they can replicate the products of mundane science magically with seemingly much more ease than hermetic craft magic and resulting in a true (non-magical) change.
This will, eventually, lead to the Scientates Suleimanis hermetic breakthrough described in TC&tC. That is, assuming they manage to get that far. Their studies rely on covert trade with the sahirs, and occasional theft. If discovered, their methods would be highly controversial, as the cult values ties to the Islamic world.
Thus far they have achieved two noteworthy unique effects:
The first is a spell called Speed the Vitriolic Reaction which is a Rego craft spell for creating vitriol. Like all alchemical craft magic it requires the caster to possess the formula, requisite ingredients, and make a finesse roll. Unlike most craft magic there is no ease factor penalty for doing a month’s work in a moment. This is presented as the first step to removing the finesse requirement altogether.
The second is the result of attempts to make a hermetic version of the Solomonic spell What Jabir found inside the rock. This spell purifies a gemstone, greatly enhancing the value and, more importantly, increasing the material bonus the stone grants by +3. Because sahirs cannot take advantage of shape and material bonuses directly these are not considered magical by them and have been freely traded to the Order of Hermes, but their utility for hermetic purposes is immense.
The integration attempt did not produce a usable spell but has produced an alchemical reagent formula to replicate the result.
Refine the Mystical Qualities of Jasper
Reagent Level 20 Alteration: Major
This process enhanced the material bonus of a Jasper by +3, so that it now has bonuses of Healing Wounds +5, Versus Demons +5.
(Base 5, +3 Major)
Ancient Wisdom
The allies of the Order of the Green Cockerel in Egypt claim that the wisest Coptic monks are the greatest practitioners of alchemy in all the world, having preserved much ancient magical knowledge. Of course, the monks would claim this about their Muslim counterparts as well – but there is no way for magi in 1220 to know this.
There is a real desire to build ties with the Copts among the members of the cult, especially among the more devout Christian members. Realistically, this can only be done in Egypt.
The idea is proposed for a “hermetic expedition” into Egypt. Based out of Alexandria, this group would spend the next fermentation cycle (seven years) living among the Egyptians, making ties to local scholars and magicians, and surveying the land of Egypt for supernatural wonders. This may form the heart of a new covenant in Alexandria. The word goes out for any willing cult members or like-minded magi from outside the cult to join the cause. Care must be taken, however, not to start conflict with the Order of Solomon in the region – for this to be seen as hermetic aggression would be a severe blow to the cult’s prospects in the region.
The Question of Universities
Mundane alchemy flourishes in the nascent universities of Europe, an exciting development that many members of the Order of the Green Cockerel actively work to support. In Stonehenge, however, one group has gone far beyond mere support. The covenant of Schola Pythagoranis is coterminous with the new university in Cambridge, and the magi there take an active role in it. To some degree the university is an extension of the covenant, and vice versa. A risky venture which skirts the limits of the code, but one which has undeniably granted Schola unprecedented access to, and influence over, the great minds of England.
One or more of the magi of this covenant attend the convocation to advocate for the success of this method. They hope to convince other magi to take direct roles in some of the new universities so that they can better guide their mundane counterparts. More radically, some members of the cult who are taken with this idea propose that the Order of the Green cockerel should found new university-covenants. Some suggest that the emperor Frederick could be covertly swayed into sponsoring such a venture. If they try this, however, they will soon run up against the Learned Magicians and Virgilian Wizards who have previously gone mostly unnoticed by the Order of Hermes.