Commentary and Discussion for November Cases

Games Discussion Ars Magica
21

Case #6 – Micellia ex Merinita vs Creteu ex Tremere - Slaying of the Golden Boar of the Forest – Molesting the Fay

The articles of the Code really at play here are:

  1. “I will not endanger the Order through my actions.”
  2. “I will not molest the fay, least their vengeance catch my sodales as well.”

This clearly doesn't come upon the first one, for the Order as a whole was not put into danger.

As for the second article, there is nothing in the case that mentions that the boar is actually a faerie. If it wasn't a faerie, then killing it was not molestation. It may have angered faeries, granted, but that is not the same as molesting them.

Regarding how much Creteu knew when he set out to kill the boar, that could be determined if he agrees to be questionned under the effects of Frotsy Breath of the Spolen Lie, but he is in no way obligated to do so.

So the case comes down to how well-liked both magi -- and their covenants -- are by the others at Tribunal. What Tribunal this is could also change the results, depending on things like how protective the Tribunal is of faeries, how individualistic its values are, precedents on its Peripheral Code, etc.

So I voted Neutral.

3 Likes
22

For #6 far to much was unclear- primarily the understanding of the boar as a threat to the covenant- it is stated that the Tremere entered the forest to hunt the boar which had emerged from the forest to threaten his covenant. This implies that it had done no actual injury to the covenant before it returned to the forest and so I have to wonder about how the threat was assessed to lead to an expedition to kill a boar in "self defense" that he clearly knew would be slain by faeries in any case.
The second issue is the nature of the boar. Clearly a golden boar born once a year is not a natural phenomenon, and had some direct connection to the fairies which hunted it. The punishment if the act was not justified should likely be minimal- even if the boar was fae then it was part of its story to be killed.