Hi all. I'd like your help in what will probably be a useless excercise, but I figure might be fun anyways.
I have recently been playing a D&D campaign-at-a-box. The game since died, but left me with the idea of creating an entire Ars Magica saga in the D&D full-campaign style: a premade adventure including specific encouters, complete with creature and NPC statistics, and a full plotline spanning 120 years that starts with magi fresh out of gauntlet and culminates with archmagi changing the face of Mythic Europe.
Even if completed, I dobut anyone would play it through. And I don't seriously think I'll finish it all. But I've been thinking of this Ultimate Saga some, and have some ideas. It's fun. I'd like to share, and hear what thoughts anyone has on the matter.
The main plotline I was thinking of centered around the problem of the expansion of the dominion. As I see it, the ultimate problem of the Order is that the religion of the populace is at odds with Hermetic magic. The dominion hinders working magic, and (worse) devours auras and with it raw vis and magical beings, and (worse) this creates the fact that religious worship and magic cannot abide together, making magic anathema to god.
Accordingly, the PCs in the saga would be required to bridge this gap by choosing from a few possible resolutions for this dillema. The saga will have three stages:
- Journeyman: The magi get to know the key players, their covenant's soroundings, the problems the rising dominion poses, and the possible solutions.
- Master: The solutions are put to the test on the local level, and the magi are allowed to choose their allegiance as the ramifications of the different solutions unfold. The magi make allies and enemies, and grow in power.
- Archmagus: The magi must convince the Tribunal and perhaps other major Hermetic NPCs of the validity of their solution. Following a short period of rapid acceptance in the tribunal, the world reacts and the PCs must defend their solution on a large scale. This stage culminates in a symbolic victory over opposing mundane forces, cementing the long term stability and viability of the solution and giving it credence as an Order-wide policy.
A premise of the saga is that the solutions are viable. The overriding nature of God's power will not manifest directly in a way that will ultimtely prevent any of the solutions, although it may hinder them. This is a metagame decision, which is compatible with the setting but if you don't accept it this plotline won't appeal to you.
There are different solutions, based on different visions of the future. Each is associated with a sin, to provide a unifying thematic element and emphasise the rejection of God. The different solutions are:
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The Wilderist Solution: Humanity and with it the dominion is huddled in isolated pockets, leaving the bulk an untamed wilderness alive with Magical aura. If this is in the Rhine Tribunal, the hold of the dominion at the heart of the forests is shattered, and the forest spirit is restored to unity and greatness. The smaller Faerie and Infernal spirits are subsumed and dwindle before the Magical.
This path is associated with the sin of gluttony, for the desire for the greatest possible abundance of magical power lies at its root. As such it is a lack of temperance, showing no moderation or restraint. -
The Harmonist Solution: The opposite of the Wilderist Solution, magic is restricted to a few areas. Organized religion is prohibited in these places, as it is in covenants and the land they control. Magi are respected as lords of these domains, and are accepted. They may not be liked, but they are accepted - much like, say, Jew moneychangers.
I think this path is associated with a lack of wisdom, showing recklesness and overconfidence. It is not prudent to present such a constant temptation to the masses or to abolish the worship of god from your lands. -
Paganism: The Order encourages paganism and establishes it as the dominant religion, replacing Christianity. Magi likely serve as mage-priests. Faerie auras abound, many magical auras are corrupted into faerie.
This path is associated with the sin of pride. The magi seek to usurp the role of God himself, considering their pagan religion superior to His.
I have originally thought to allow the players to choose from any number of solutions, but that seems to extreme to allow one to construct a meaningful plotline. I narrowed the list to the above, but that still seems too much. Other solutions might be:
- Divine Magical Religion: Magi discover a magical religion that has a dominion that does not hinder Hermetic magic. Perhaps a magus messiah rises up. This path is very similar to the Pagan Religion path, but less sinful.
- The Order as a Secret Society: Instead of stopping the tide of rising dominion, this solution accepts it and works around it. This is achieved through Mythic Architecture that allows the construction of artificial regios. The order continues as a secret society living side by side with the mundanes but on another level of reality, secluded in their regios. The natural magical and faerie auras of the world fade almost completely as the dominion envelops them, however, leaving the Order almost without raw vis. It therefore becomes a much more scholarly persuit.
This path is associated with the sin of sloth. It is a cowardly and unispiring reaction to the chaning world that consists of as little change as possible, and is charactarized by a lack of effort to strive for better and greater things. - Divine Magic: The Order embraces Divine Magic, and Catholicism. Pagan sects within the Order are rooted out, and the order is eventually recognized by the holy see and refounded as a monastic order. Magi become accepted and even respected members of society, much like other monks.
This solution is not associated with any sin, but rather with the virtue of humility. It shows Loyalty and Faith towards god by respecting the pope as a higher authority. - General Divine Magic: Magi use Divine Magic but align themselves with no religion, or with a minority religion. They are accepted to a far lesser degree.
- Magical Religion: The people are converted from Christianity to a "religion" worshipping natural things, Magical things. Perhaps the Bjornaer start awakening the hidden heatbeasts of the mundanes and teach them to venerate their ancestral spirits.
- The Status Quo: Do nothing. Find no solution, just let things slide. This will lead IMO to the fall of magical and faerie auras and the gradual eradication of the order's covenants, ending in the diminishing and the fragmentation of the Order into a number of secret societies.
- Escape to Arcadia: The magi orchastrate a "jail-break" and escape on masse to arcadia or some regio, continuing to live in a magical world. This will lead to a high-fantasy Ars Magica future, not set in Mythic Europe at all.