Creating a Cult of Apollo

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

This may seem haphazard a start to the conversation but here goes.

My current table top character is a Gifted Mercere magus, with the Major virtue Hyperborean descent. He has two wives and soon to have a family of seven children. ((currently based on rolls, one child is Gifted... though he is only 4 so we don't know entirely that he is.... one daughter has Enchanting music... and one child has Heroic blood )) Mind you none of the children are player characters, and as such they are only background story for Philo my ship's captain Mercere.

In a discussion with other players, I noticed how my character had no ultimate goals or plans... I had downtime, two seasons, and I sorta shrugged and thought how content Philo was with his life. This seems a good thing and a bad thing, but for a PC I should be a bit more driven. Then it struck me just what I wanted and what the character would want to be a ultimate goal.

I decide to return the society and magic of the Hyperboreans, as well as the worship of Apollon, back to the world of the Order. Of course this will be done as a Mystery cult, as per the rules of starting a cult, because I am fully aware ((and oh I look forward to!!!)) that there may STILL be magi alive who's master or they themselves participated in the purging of the Hyperboreans. Maybe there was a bit more of time passed than I let on, but still the Order may not, as a whole, enjoy hearing about the rise of the Hyperboreans.

Here is the plan. I will not intend to use Hyperborean magic, at all if I can help it. I will base some of the Hermetic magic and virtues and flaws on the source in Ancient Magic, and may even attempt to do Hermetic breakthroughs, though that will not be absolutely necessary for the first decade of play or so. A few directions will be names of power, but only using aspects of Apollon and his many forms. There may be flaws reflecting a religious proscription against harming the minds of anyone, enemy or not, however Apollo did love hurting people with just about everything else.

There will be a lot of civic duty obligations as well as vengeance and retributions (often impulsive and swiftly applied vengeance hahaha) within the initiations of the cult. I have written 18 pages so far on the cult throughout last night and today, but I think I will miss some glaring and obviously cool things to do within the cult. So I am posting it here. Many minds are better than one...

One observation, this does not have to be a pathway to power, rather it is a return of the Hyperboreans. Eventually I see the goal being a return of the worship of Apollon to the masses, even to the point of it being accepted by the Christians and Islam... well at least tolerated in certain places.

So any thoughts?

2

I toyed with the idea of an hyperborean descent shepherd of yugoslavia (region) finding the temple in the mountains, and being instructed by the spirits there so he became their agent in the outside world to try to return the cult of apollo to preeminence. So some random thoughts.

The spirit path is a must. IIRC it is Azai that deals with ,leadership and spirits. Reinstating the respect of Apollo by the spirits of his ancient sacred places is a must. Talk with them, show who is the boss and re-sacralize the place. Make sure you leave someone to take care of the place. Spreading the places of worship so that it is at least a regional power/spirit is a must. Then you start spreading the cult to the population. After that go Cult of Heroes or similar and bring a daimon of Apollo to see what you have done and put himself in charge of the area. He might even reward you if he sees you as a worshiper and not an hubris jerk trying to steal his place (anything can happen in that adventure). Playing around islands in the Aegan might be a good idea.

Going Ancient Magic Apollonian magic is a good thing IMO, so it is a pity you discard it, but to each one his own. Make sure to visit the temple of thousand columns for sure in your initiation path, and to use the phylos (or whatever the stones are called) to guide your path to greatness and cool places. Pythia might have something to say to you as well. And obviously serpent-slaying can be quite a nice hobby. Respect tradition, respect the elders and rejoice in beauty and human power as well as be a total jerk when it comes to punishment by spite. Temperance, Tradition, conservatism and diligence.

Cheers,
Xavi

3

There is some tip-toeing that needs to be done within my TT group as to not try and through out the balance of the game, I cannot allow this to look like some power play to be superpowered. :laughing: Not that I am, gods I just want a awesome story, but things are tense sometimes.

Your suggestions are outstanding and well thought out. Our current story is set in the Theban Tribunal and when inhabit a covenant on the island of Nisyros, with Polybotes being our totem.... well we are taking over a winter covenant wherein all the magi died.... it is a long story. :wink:

My Mercere is Hyperborean and took Pious as a Major flaw, Necessary Condition: must sing spells and Visions. He also has the free flaw Dutybound due to the Major Virtue Hyperborean blood. On top of this his Personality traits are Benevolent +1 Decisive +2 Forgiving -3 and Pious +3. He even owns a Hyperborean relic. So I have completely geared him for this story. (( I avoided the Hyperborean magic, because it was getting dirty looks from the group hahahah ))

The character is currently a member of the Favonius covenant and is based on Andros to start... we are caretaking the covenant on Nisyros for the next three years until Tribunal. ((at which point we will take it over of course as our covenant)) So Philo has some descent Magic Lore and Area Lore to seek out the temples in the Tribunal. Puissant bow and Piercing Gaze to impress the Delos ladies.

The Ancient Magic source is not being tossed out entirely, it is that I wanted to avoid actually having MY character learn Hyperborean hymns. However I will hope to have his daughter and son possibly lead the new cult and since a mortal can use Hyperborean stuff it may not be a problem. Philo's Gifted son, could possibly be given over to learning the HB magic, though a Gifted Mercere in Theban Tribunal is a rare enough thing.

4

Hyperborean magic is an out of stage ritualistic kind of magic. If you run up a character you will see. he will have a few spells per day (the spells work like an item with limited used in practical terms) but when you have a month to spare and a pair of colleagues, you can rump up level 6o hermetic rituals quite easily with quite high penetration totals. A kind of really long term ritualistic spont magic. Expensive in vis, but quite powerful. It takes a while to develop it, though. An example of a spell (boundary marsyas spell with penetration +60 or +70) was put up by me on the "cheese up a character" thread. Not the best character ever, but unless you catch up with him he can obliterate a covenant including the magic. That level of power is what we are talking about. Do not mess with the Olympics :wink:

Xavi

5

OH yeah, I did see that and I have to admit... I did it once on paper myself to see what it would take to use Hyperborean magic.... so easy.