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At one time or another, all of us have considered setting an Ars Magica saga in an alternate period. What would the Order of Hermes be like if it were set in the Elizabethan era, for example, or in our own day and age? How different would the Order look within its first hundred years? In this article I intend not to answer the particulars of these and other related questions, but rather to establish a framework for how to go about converting Ars Magica to any other period you might consider fun!
The point of this article, as I said, is not to come up with specific answers, but rather to pose the types of questions that should be entering one's mind when approaching a new era. For each overarching question, or group of questions, there will be two "examples" of ways to approach the issue, one for the modern era and the other for some other time. Some sample eras I have been mentally playing around with have been the Spanish New World, the Regency era made so popular recently by the book Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (by Susanna Clarke), the Elizabethan period (which in many ways overlaps with the Spanish New World, but with more of a European emphasis), and Ottonian Europe, essentially in the days of the very formation of the Order of Hermes. It is my sincere hope that this article will provoke some discussion and inspire others to complete an alternate setting for Ars Magica.
Consider the place of the Order itself. The Order of Hermes is the general focus of your entire game. What is the place of the Order in society? For that matter, what is the place of magic in general? These are some of the most fundamental questions you should ask as they will set the whole tone of your saga.
Ottonian Example: In the later 800s and early 900s the Order is still in its infancy, recovering from the Dav'Nalleous incident and coming to grips with the attempted takeover by House Tremere. The Order is probably quite secretive and is still enforcing its "Join or Die" policy. Still, there are non-Hermetic magi working as court magicians and in other open positions, placing the Order in a precarious position. Some of the tribunals have not even come into existence and others have different names from their 13th-century counterparts.
Modern Example: One way the Order of Hermes might have changed is by becoming a public, open organization. Maybe there are branches of it in major cities. Many people nowadays believe in magic, although probably not in a form that the Order would recognize. Many people in society would decry the Order if it is so open, but many more would shrug or smirk. How have the tribunals evolved? Presumably there are now more than thirteen Tribunals, but how many would be too many? Are there multiple "Grand Tribunals," perhaps one per continent, all reporting to a "Super Tribunal"?
After this it is important to turn to the internal structuring of the Order of Hermes, especially the nature of the houses. Are the same houses in existence, or have some died away, perhaps to be replaced by others? If Diedne could disappear, why not others? If Ex Miscellanea could arise, why not others as well? Of the ones that are left form the "traditional" mix, which are now in the ascendancy and which have faded into the background? On top of this, what new tribunals have formed? If there are 13 that cover most, but not all, of Europe, will there be even more as time goes on or will larger tribunals be more the order of the day?
Regency Example: With the prominence of such groups as the Hellfire Club in the 18th and early 19th centuries, perhaps House Flambeau has become prominent. House Jerbiton might become fairly redundant, as most magi would be part of the educated elite of society, while the interest in spiritualism and ghosts in general might lead to an offshoot of House Ex Miscellanea (House Ossium, a House based around the necromantic arts, was created in one campaign I played in), which might rise to become its own institution. During the early stages of colonization it is quite probable that the nations that settled in one area brought their local tribunals with them - this might have even led to legal disputes, internal conflicts or wars for "tribunal independence," and other mirrorings of the ear.
Modern Example: House Verditius would probably achieve a new level of prominence in the Order, especially with the rise of computers. There might even be a split within the House between those interested in "traditional" crafts (weaving, smithing, etc.) and those interested in modern creations (hardware design, nanotechnology, etc.). House Bjornaer might also be more distinctly divided between those who fit in a modern, urban environment and those who are more wilderness-oriented - again, there is a strong potential for friction here. Are there now continent-wide tribunals? Do tribunals still follow geographical and national boundaries, or have they opened up? It is possible that the tribunals now bear no resemblance to the territory that they cover, if one were to look at an overlay of the political map. There is lots of room for questions and political maneuverings here!
The Order of Hermes is governed by rules. What is the status of the Oath of Hermes? Has the Peripheral Code expanded? Is it more codified? Do the Quaesitores make the magi quake in their boots or are they simply other magi passing through the background? In general, as societies grow older, their legal codes become more complex.
Elizabethan Example: What did the Reformation do to the attitude of the Order towards the Church and Dominion in general? Have relations with mundanes become more relaxed? With Dr. John Dee tied to Elizabeth's court, what does the Order think of such interactions? Is Dee a member of the Order or something else entirely? Perhaps a magus of the Order, likely a quaesitor, sits in the Star Chamber to advise on hermetic matters. Also, given the witch hysteria of the era, it is possible that the magi are keeping an even lower profile, with the Code even more rigorously enforced than in the past simply to maintain the Order as a whole.
Modern Example: The Order would probably require lawyers to maintain its position and enforce intellectual property control. Some of these might be from House Guernicus, but others would undoubtedly be mundanes, as a Gifted Quaesitor would have a terrible time dealing with juries. Equally, the concept of the Wizards' War would probably have to be more heavily restricted, simply to keep the interest of mundane law enforcement at bay.
Moving to new lands means meeting new cultures, new traditions, and new assumptions. Obviously some of these meetings will be less than friendly, but not all of them need be hostile. When the European states begin colonizing new lands the Order of Hermes will probably come with them. Will the Order try to revive the old Join or Die policy? Will they act with the same attitudes as their mundane counterparts, the White Man's Burden and all that, or will they be more open to new groups and new ideas due to their dealings with faeries and spirits? How these questions are answered will also go a long way towards setting the tone of the campaign.
New Spain Example: We know that House Flambeau was instrumental in the Reconquista; this would suggest that they would be in the forefront of the Spanish conquest of the New World. How would House Jerbiton deal with the Aztec and the Inca? Do the Bjornaers find new heartbeasts in the jungles of the Amazon and the plains of North America? Perhaps the magi will try to save books from being burned by the priests. Conversely, they may determine that these societies have been tainted by Infernal influences. Where such a campaign falls on this dividing line is quite critical.
Modern Example: Now the Order of Hermes stretches around the globe...or does it? Is the Order confined to Western lands? If not, how has it learned to deal with other traditions? What are the Taoists like? What traditions have arisen in India and Polynesia? The Order is long past its "Join or Die" period; has it learned to compromise or are there new conflicts? It is likely that the Order of Hermes has met other organizations as ancient, as talented, and as powerful as itself, but stemming from entirely different traditions. This could be a period of Magical Cold War or of Inter-Traditional Cooperation...or perhaps something standing on the knife-edge in between.
In the 13th century, covenants of the Order are generally in off-the-beaten-path locations that are connected with Magical auras and vis supplies. With time, however, more and more of the world is explored, more of it claimed, and more of it settled. How does the timeframe influence where the Order sets up covenants? Is the covenant model still viable with the passage of time? Have Magic auras become rarer or more common? How far has the Dominion spread?
Ottonian Example: Much of the world is still open, with no obvious lordship. There are still many strong auras available for new covenants, thus lots of power to be grabbed early. The Dominion has not spread as widely yet, so there are many areas that will be useful for a century or more to come before slowly being edged out by Dominion. The largest problem for new covenants would be staying clear of the various tribes and peoples rampaging through - Magyars, Vikings, Saracens, etc.
Modern Example: Has the modern age made the Order more urban? Perhaps the cities have gotten beyond control by the Dominion, thus making them more generally available to the Order. The advantage of modern economies means that the Order no longer needs to worry about importing food and goods - such matters are much more open now. As long as a member of the Order can come up with the cash, it would be easy to gain title to the land. The only problem facing magi in this regard would be the state of the auras themselves - has diversity led to many weak auras spread far and wide, as opposed to fewer strong auras? Have covenants become smaller now, with a rise of "covenants of one"?
As we well know, in the Order of Hermes knowledge, quite literally, is power. Books, however, those wonderful summae and tractatus, did not simply spring into existence fully formed. As such it is important to consider the place of literacy, the ease of text copying, and the general availability of books, before settling on a given era. Are the books in question more or less readily available? Have they become corrupted? How does one tell a true book of magical lore from a false one?
Ottonian Example: Early in the Order's history there will be few summae or tractatus of any serious levels generally available. Certainly there are magi with the appropriate knowledge of the Arts, but writing and copying is slow and tedious. In addition there are probably still members of the Order who have come out of oral traditions, rather than the Classical world's literary traditions. Also, given the waves of barbarians still on the move, communications are even more limited than in the 13th century.
Modern Example: On the one hand there are more books in the modern world than ever before, not even counting texts available on the internet. Conversely, it is possible that many truly magical texts were destroyed in earlier times or are locked away in restricted sections of major libraries or in the hands of the Vatican or private individuals who have no true knowledge of their worth. Equally, many of the texts on the internet are no doubt corrupted, thus making them worse than useless, potentially even dangerous.
While the magi of the Order may not wish to admit it, sometimes we must speak of arms and the man. Depending on when the game is set, different kinds of weapons will be available to people. What would the impact of gunpowder weaponry be on magi? Do explosives excite members of House Flambeau? How easy is it to obtain various kinds of weapons and armour? Are licenses necessary and if so how does the Order obtain these?
Regency Example: Armour is more or less a thing of the past, yet there are still the breastplates of the cuirassiers and the occasional helmet - how are these to be dealt with? Flintlock weapons are the order of the day. Pistols, muskets, blunderbusses, and the occasional rifle are fairly common, but swords, especially smallswords and cutlasses, are also in vogue. Depending on where the game takes place, various types of knives, axes, and clubs are also around, along with the potential of shortbows. Has certamen become more formalized in a world filled with formal sword and pistol duels?
Modern Example: After a long period with no armour, ballistic armour is now available again, along with modern helmets, even shields (riot gear). Weaponry has opened up in scope to a vast array - shotguns, compound bows, rocket-propelled grenades, knives, machine guns, explosives. How do the destructive powers of the Order of Hermes match up against a world with atomic weaponry?
One of the thorniest issues is left for last, that of vis and auras. One of the primary difficulties with this topic is just how each storyguide views the place of magic in the world at large. Some view magic as a finite and diminishing resource, one that is slowly being used up; others see it as self-replenishing, more like a forest, but in need of tending. Still others see magic as going into hiding, thus placing most auras in regiones, rather than openly available in the mundane world - this would certainly make such places more difficult to discover! Equally, the growth of cities and increases in general technology will probably have an effect on these auras, but how and to what extent is difficult to tell. Of course the notion of BDR (Belief Defines Reality) could also set in, but that is a whole separate can o' worms. Whatever is decided, however, the place of auras and vis will always be important to Ars Magica, no matter what the era.
Elizabethan Example: Vis often feels like the product of the wilder reaches of the world - how does this work with increasing urbanization? Are magi making trips to Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall, and Brittany to refill diminished stocks? Perhaps magi prefer to travel about to gain the best advantage, going forth with the many explorers. With the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the collapse of a single Church, has the Dominion faded in the world? If so, which aura has gained the most - Infernal? Magic? Faerie? Certainly there is a great belief in faeries, but somehow they are diminishing, becoming smaller creatures, no longer the sidhe of old. The Devil, too, is slowly opening himself up to become a creature of ridicule, though witch hunts still exist. Perhaps it is the case that all of the auras are fading simultaneously.
Modern Example: Even more than in the above example, this has become an urbanized world. However, we hear of the many powers to be found in crystals and herbs - are these Forms or are they types of vis? Have new ways to harvest vis been discovered due to interactions with other traditions? Equally, in this new multicultural world, has the Four Aura paradigm fallen apart? What sort of aura would be prevalent in China? Africa? Antarctica? Perhaps this is a new Golden Age for magic as more people come to believe in it in the face of a more glaringly technological and bureaucratic society.
So, there you go. No answers, just a lot of questions. Still, I hope this will provide the impetus to work through some of these thorny issues, eventually leading to a fully developed Alternate Ars Magica. If nothing else, I hope this provides some serious food for thought.
And if anyone is interested in recasting Ars Magica in the late 18th and early 19th century, drop me a line...
Text copyright © Angus Macdonald 2005.