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The Relations between the Four Realms

By Angus Macdonald

There are four Realms of Power defined in Ars Magica - Divine, Infernal, Faerie, and Magic. Two of these denote moral absolutes (Divine, Infernal) and two relate to the physical world (Faerie, Magic). The Four Realms have a complex set of interrelations, due to a combination of theological necessity and game canon and mechanics. This article will attempt to tease out some of these specific relations and how they might affect any particular saga.

First off, however, a few points regarding the thrust of this article. This article is in no way a work of theology, even though it may touch on such topics. It is not presented in an attempt to persuade individuals towards one or another mode of living or to portray any given philosophy as superior or inferior to another. Instead this is strictly an exploration of the four Realms in terms of internal game logic and the implications of the various interactions between the Realms as they relate to game play. Equally, since none of the Realms books have been published yet, much of the material in this article may be contradicted or appear outmoded in the near future.

That being said, let us review the basic Realm Interaction Table:

As may be quickly seen here, Divine Power acts as a form of trump, as does its attendant aura. Divine Power is never diminished and Divine Auras severely limit all powers except the Divine. Equally Infernal Power is limited in all non-Infernal regions. Magic and Faerie Auras are neatly balanced, but the Powers connected with them are not, for Magic is less intensely limited in non-Magical Auras than Faerie Power is. Overall the array may be ordered, from most to least powerful, as follows: Divine, Magic, Faerie, Infernal. Still, this is only in terms of interaction and modification, rather than spread of the auras or the how common the power may be, so further investigation is definitely warranted.

Now for most sagas, the single most important Realm is that of Magic. Magi are the primary characters and they require a covenant with a magical aura, as well as vis, so that they are able to conduct their experiments, invent new spells, and create magical items. The Realm of Magic, then, is of utmost importance, at least on a base level. If the Realm's aura is too weak the magi will have a difficult time performing even the most basic of tasks; if too strong, the magi, as well as potentially their allied companions and grogs, will be warped out of all recognition. This puts magi in an interesting position. On the one hand they are desirous of a powerful Magic Aura to improve the lab work, but they realize that if they spend too much time there the benefits are balanced with severe penalties, so ultimately magi are placed in an ambiguous relation to their source of power. Couple this notion with the fact that even the members of the Order of Hermes disagree on the actual origin point of Magic, as opposed to the connection of Heaven, Hell, and Arcadia with Divine, Infernal, and Faerie Auras, and one may begin to comprehend a love/hate relationship between magi and their nominally allied aura.

The other three Realms are of great importance to magi, but on a very different level. For many the Faerie Realm is both mildly helpful and massively annoying. The Infernal is necessarily a vile place where even the vis is corrupted. Several magi view the Divine as something that not only trumps their power, but also appears to be spreading at an alarming rate. Each of these powers interacts with Magic in very different manners and needs to be considered in turn.

Faerie Auras could be construed as being interconnected with Magic, at least to a minimal extent. Faeries gain a small benefit from Magical Auras, just as magi receive the same advantage from Faerie Auras. This would initially suggest a form of alliance between the two. This is further borne out by notion that both of these powers are heavily impeded by the two remaining auras, but at this point the two powers diverge heavily. For all that the Faerie Aura is tied up with human imagination, it is an alien Realm filled with rules that make little sense to mortals, magi included. The Faeries themselves range from whimsical to annoying to treacherous to incredibly dangerous, and all of these at the drop of a hat. Faerie Auras, conversely, are often rich in vis, thus making them tempting and valuable commodities to the Order. Strangely, faeries do not seem to use the vis themselves, though they do appear to value it; perhaps this is only because they have come to realize how much magi relish the material.

Both Magic and Faerie Auras have much to lose with the increase of either Divine or Infernal Auras. Again this suggests that the inhabitants of these Realms would be natural collaborators - the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Thus while Faerie and Magic do not draw upon the same source and do not have precisely the same goals, they are allied in the need to keep the other two Realms at bay.

The Divine and Infernal Realms may, in many ways, be seen as the obverse and reverse faces of the same coin, but this concept falls apart after a while. Core to them both, however, is the moral basis of their respective causes. The Dominion seeks to draw all of humanity towards righteousness and redemption; the Infernal, conversely, seeks to drag all towards sin and depravity. By necessity these Realms stand in direct opposition to each other. Still, they are connected to each other because they are, to put it flippantly, playing the same game. Human souls will have a final resting place, either in Heaven or in Hell, and hence the Divine and Infernal powers attempt to draw human beings in one direction or the other. Each gain by one power is a direct loss to the other, and vice versa.

The Divine Realm, as noted above, act as the ultimate trump - it damps down all other powers, and the associated Divine Power is least affected by other Realms. Still, the Divine finds no solid allies in Magic or Faerie in its struggle. As the Divine is an absolute, the following of a very strict code of conduct, any deviance from this path is a step in the wrong direction. Heaven is forgiving, but only up to a point. As such the denizens of the Divine find little to aid their cause in these two other Realms and the adherents of Faerie and Magic find little to recommend in the Divine.

The Infernal Realm, however, sees potential allies, though sometimes without the other party's knowledge, in both Faerie and Magic. As all that Hell needs in its struggle is to have individuals deviate from the path laid out by Heaven, it is possible to move humans along a wandering path, first tempting them towards Magic and only later bringing them truly into the fold. Though the people who collaborate with Magic and Faerie may have no desire to aid the Infernal, and indeed may hate, loath and fear it, it serves the long term goals of the Infernal Realm to have humans follow these other realms, as long as they do not fall into the camp of the Divine. By keeping humans away from the Divine, the Infernal has a much greater chance of advancing its ultimate cause in the final days.

Appendix: Virtues, Flaws, and the Four Realms

Many Virtues and Flaws may be easily tied to specific Realms, while in other cases a possible relation is less obvious. A suggested list follows:

Magic

All Hermetic Virtues and Flaws, Magic Sensitivity, Failed Apprentice, Latent Magical Ability, Student of Magic, Arcane Lore; Plagued by Supernatural Entity, Supernatural Nuisance, Magic Air, Covenant Upbringing, Magical Animal Companion

Faerie

Strong Faerie Blood, Faerie Magic, Faerie Blood, Arcane Lore, Student of Faerie; Plagued by Supernatural Entity, Supernatural Nuisance, Faerie Upbringing, Faerie Friend

Divine

Guardian Angel, True Faith, Sense Holiness/Unholiness, Mendicant Friar, Priest, Arcane Lore, Relic, Student of Divine; Pious, Monastic Vows, Plagued by Supernatural Entity, Supernatural Nuisance, Continence

Infernal

Arcane Lore, Student of Infernal; Greed, Hatred, Lecherous, Proud, Wrathful, Diabolic Upbringing, Plagued by Supernatural Entity, Supernatural Nuisance, Tainted with Evil

Ambiguous

Entrancement, Greater Immunity, Greater Purifying Touch, Shapeshifter, Death Prophecy, Ghostly Warder, Giant Blood, Ways of the Land, Animal Ken, Dowsing, Enchanting Music, Lesser Immunity, Lesser Purifying Touch, Premonitions, Second Sight, Skinchanger, Wilderness Sense, Inoffensive to Animals; Greater Malediction, Dark Secret, Offensive to Animals, Visions, Lesser Malediction

Text copyright © Angus Macdonald 2005.

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