Where is that from? I can't remember seeing it anywhere, and I couldn't find it in the Grand Grimoire of Hermetic Spells.
I'm inclined to agree on this: "being king" has measurable consequences in Mythic Europe. Sensing MR seems a reasonable InVi effect. But that's not the same as knowing the reason for the MR. So it's not a proof. If there is a more direct way to sense kingship, I don't know what its Form is.
I doubt you'd be able to sense the royalty of someone.
You could probably sense the qualities of a king in someone with Mentem, but thatd just be their Leadership Score plus relevant personality traits imo. The cloaest is perhaps an Intellego Vim spell to trace whether MR comes from parma, Might, Relics and such.
Granted, I don't think being a king is part of one's Essential Nature. King's rise and fall all the time, and even if they are divinely appointed I don't think that suggests they are inherently unique.
Integrating solomonic astrology into hermetic magic or otherwise coming with a way to detect the property of relation between targets could allow hermetic magi to ascertain the social position of someone.
Alternatively- if kings are innately different from people, then if this difference is in the mind or body it should be detectable via hermetic magic.
I think you're right: being king, pope, peasant, these are not necessarily part of your Essential Nature. They're social qualities.
It may be that some people have inherent nobility, and you can argue that yes, the king is chosen by God by virtue of being born to a royal bloodline, but that is still not Essential to them: kings can be deposed, even if it offends God and Nature.
I was being a little too good at casually referring to The Example Spell That Does Not Exist, which is found in the Whimsical Spellbook. Nice to know I can still summon verisimilitude.
However,
See the Gleaming Magic Armor
InVi 10
R: Self, D: Conc. T: Vision
Detects a Magic Resistance, of any kind. The spell does not reveal the origin, nature, strength, weaknesses, Realm Alignment, or any other qualities of the Resistance, only that it exists. Often the viewer sees the Magic Resistance as a blur or shade over the Resisting being.
Use of this spell against a magus is technically scrying. This spell affects the caster's vision, not the Resisted person, so that person or being is unlikely to be aware of the spell. Demons cannot be detected through this spell, but other Infernal beings might be.
Base 1, +1 Conc, +4 Vision
I think that's valid; detecting magic resistance should be very easy.
I'm wandering off topic, though. My apologies.
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Argument: Hermetic magic can detect specific Essential Nature qualities relevant to Forms.
So, something like:
See the Body's Essential Form
InCo 35
R: Self, D: Conc. T: Vision
Allows the caster to see the Essential Nature of a human body, ignoring those qualities that have been acquired and also showing lost body parts that should be present. A person who is blind by nature may be seen with white eyes; a naturally deaf person with no ears, even if they have normal appearance otherwise.
Bjornaer appear as humans under the affect of this spell while in human form, but are not shown as animals; a similar spell for animals would show the Heartbeast as a beast. Other shapeshifters can be detected through this spell.
Base 10, +1 Conc, +4 Vision
Is the phrase "essential nature" a bit misleading here? I agree that being a king isn't a part of someone's essential nature, but that doesn't affect whether you can sense a property or not. "Does the person have their eyes closed?" is a perfectly good InCo question.
I think being king isn't just a social quality, it has an objective truth to it, in the medieval mindset. It's a bit like a Virtue acquired by initiation.
May I suggest taking a look at the spells
The Whole From the Part (HoH:TL p72)
Sight of the True Form (ArM5 p130)
It may be that there are properties that are radiated, although those properties may not be Essential to the nature of the property-holder. A magus magic may be affected by a transient property. Imagine magi with Deleterious Circumstances when near:
A King. At the coronation the magus would find his spells become more difficult (ignoring the other reasons magic would be difficult). Similar for a priest or bishop; it was that casting spells was not particularly hard in the presence of Brother Michael, but not that he's been ordained, spells are harder.
Children: Apprentice George had trouble casting spells when in the presence of coven children, but now that they are adults, he doesn't.
Another part of the question is whether the Gift is sensitive to a species that the living mind and normal corporeal senses are not aware of. It seems likely. The Gift does seem to have an awareness of/entanglement with supernatural qualities, although sensitivity is unclear.
To my mind of ME, there is the implication that "King" is some sort of distinct property, otherwise why describe the Lion as "King of Beasts" and the Eagle as "King of the Birds"?
Sympathetic magic?
Whereas the social status of Kings has been known to start off as first amongst equal Barons.
There is a property to kingsmanship certainly- the property of relation between him and his kingdom.
However- hermetic magic is unable as of now to scry that.
You can also check for the expected qualities of a king such as a Leadership score and certain personality traits- however, non-kings may also have that so it isn't guranteed.
A good possibity may be some supernatural virtue that acts like nature lore but in relation to ones kingdom. But thats probably both high fantasy for ars and non-canon.
KIngs have existed for much longer than barons. Much longer than christianity for that matter.
Many of the really old versions of kings were seen as somewhat of an intermediary between the people and the gods. The Egyptian pharaos are a prime example of this. The ancient Romans are another example. Even after they had disposed of their kings and become a republic they retained the office of "Rex Sacrorum" to handle the religious ceremonies that were specific to the kin.
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