House Flambeau, Restricted

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Introduction

House Flambeau is a loose fraternity of magi drawn together by their warlike tendencies and love of adventure. While other magi sometimes consider them an unruly, violent rabble who must be kept under control, House Flambeau's courage and fighting prowess have helped the Order of Hermes survive the worst crises in its history.

Flambeau magi see themselves as magical warriors. Combat is not necessarily their raison d'être, but they are prepared to fight when necessary. Some think of themselves as the Hermetic parallel of mundane knights: elite warriors charged with defending the weak and upholding justice. Like mundane knights, Flambeau magi tend toward bravado.

When most wizards think of House Flambeau, they think of fire magic. Flambeau the Founder was the first and most famous master of the Art of Ignem. While fire magic remains popular within the house, it is by no means the only speciality practised by its members. There are several additional "schools;" or styles of fighting magic, which can be pursued by any magus with an interest in self-defence.

In their hearts, followers of Flambeau believe that magic is meant to be used. They admire achievement above all else, though each maga within the House follows her own path to personal glory. This could be anything from fighting perceived enemies of the Order, to leading a Hermetic political movement, to writing great books to enlighten and inspire future generations of magi. Theirs is a vigorous and active House, deeply involved in all aspects of Hermetic society.

History

The Founder

Flambeau the Founder is a rather obscure figure. He left few writings, partly because he learned letters late in his life and was never comfortable with a quill in his hand. What the Order knows about him comes from the memoirs of his filii, and the few surviving letters he dictated to them.

Details such as Flambeau's exact age, birthplace, and even his Christian name are lost to history. He was born to a family of petty nobles in Gascony, probably around 715 AD. His family estate was caught in the path of the invading Moorish army of Emir and AI Raman; which crossed the Pyrenees and advanced through France in 732. The Frankish King Charles Martel repulsed the Moors at the Battle of Tours (October 10, 732), but before that battle the invaders cut a swath of destruction along their northward march. Moorish outriders attacked and burned the young Flambeau's family estate, slaying his kinsmen. Flambeau himself was shot with an arrow and left, for dead. Surviving serfs found him and cared for him as best they could, but his wound festered and he languished with fever.

The peasant brought the ailing youth to a local hermit who was known for his healing skills. This was Laberius, a wizard whose magic descended from the ancient Roman cult of Mithras. Laberius immediately recognized Flambeau's magical potential. He nursed the youth back to health and then began training him as his apprentice:

Flambeau proved to be an apt pupil, but a wilful one. He chafed at the pagan mysticism underlying his masters ritual spells and kept trying to modify the incantations so they would work without mentioning the pagan gods.

Laberius sensed an opportunity to gain a position as a court wizard by offering to help the Christians against the Moors. The Franks rebuffed his overtures, so he and his apprentice travelled to the Kingdom of Asturias in northern Spain. There, he was welcomed as court magician to a lesser cousin of the royal house. Laberius and his apprentice served always at their lord's side; even fighting alongside him in the early battles of the Reconquista.

With Laberius's magical assistance, his mundane lord enjoyed great success raiding and skirmishing against the Moors. By the third yeat of the campaign, the Moors came to suspect their enemies had magical assistance. They assembled a group of five or six sahirs (jinii-summoning wizards) to hunt down and destroy the enemy magician. The sahirs lured Laberius and his patron into an ambush. The young man who would become Flambeau managed to escape with his life; but his master, his mundane lord, and most of their knights and men-at-arms were massacred by the sahirs' jinn.

Laberius's apprentice swore to avenge his master He tried to find a member of Laberius's magical tradition with whom he could complete his studies, but the few wizards he found greeted him with distrust or outright hostility. Finally he went into hiding in a cave on the French side of the Pyrenees and continued his magical studies alone: Through trial and error, he adapted a simple spell Laberius had taught him for lighting ceremonial braziers to produce ever-larger sparks and flames. After five years in seclusion, he had perfected a single, powerful attack similar to Pilum of Fire. It was then that he adopted the nomme de guerre Flambeau and returned to Iberia to avenge his master's death.

Flambeau managed to hunt down three of the sahirs who had slain Laberius, but the others eluded him. After fighting a number of Infernal jinn, Flambeau became convinced that all sahirs were demon-summoners, and he attacked them whenever he found them. He had slain as many as a dozen Moorish sorcerers and become one of the most feared wizards in Europe by the time Trianoma approached him with an offer to join the Order.

Flambeau and the early Order

At first, Flambeau was sceptical about the idea of an order of magi. He had a deep distrust for wizards of all kinds, even members of his own tradition, and did not believe Trianoma's alliance of magi could last. After Trianoma demonstrated to him the efficacy of the Parma Magica against hostile spells, Flambeau realised he would be at a severe disadvantage if he did not learn its secret. He agreed to travel to Durenmar and listen to what Bonisagus and the other Founders had to say.

Trianoma asked Flambeau's permission to extend her own Parma Magica over him before he met any wizards at Durenmar. She told him it would protect him against treachery, but it also protected him from the distrust and hostility engendered by the other magi's Gifts. To Flambeau's surprise, he found the other Founders to be trustworthy and likeable. He came to believe in the Order as a league of honourable wizards who could bring an end to the treachery and petty rivalries so common among European wizards before the Founding. He hoped to build the Order into a military alliance that could destroy the putative Order of Suleiman.

Like all of the Founders, Flambeau contributed to Hermetic theory. His accomplishment of having invented a single, original spell shows that he had more talent in the laboratory than his violent reputation might suggest. Still, his contributions were modest' compared to those of some other Founders. Flambeau was more interested in applying Bonisagus's theory than in extending it. He soon invented many new spells, greatly expanding his personal repertoire. Later in his career, he spent years searching for ways to overcome the Parma Magica, in case the secret should ever fall into enemy hands. This work pioneered the study of Penetration as an Arcane Ability.

Flambeaus lasting contributions were in politics, not research. To expand the new alliance of magi, she travelled throughout what are now the Normandy and Provençal Tribunals, recruiting as many wizards as he could find. He proved to be a capable negotiator. The weight of his reputation was enough to make non-Hermetic wizards willing to talk to him rather than fight, and once he had their attention, he was charismatic and persuasive. His enthusiasm for the Order was contagious. Though he trained only two apprentices of his own, his House grew rapidly through recruitment.

When the Order was young and numbered only a few dozen magi, there appeared to be a risk that non-Hermetic wizards might organise to resist its expansion. Through a combination of diplomacy, intimidation, and a few well-chosen battles, Flambeau worked to quash threats from outside wizards.

Together, Flambeau and his followers founded the covenant of Val-Negra in the Pyrenees, a location chosen for its strategic value against the sahirs of Moorish Iberia. Over time, this strength of its location became less important to the Founder as he shifted his efforts away from fighting the sahirs and toward helping to build and strengthen the Order.

The controversy over Wizards War

Flambeau came to support Bonisagus's idea for an Order of wizards, but he balked at the early version of the Hermetic Oath. He was concerned that if he swore the Oath, his enemies might be able to escape his vengeance by joining the Order themselves.

At the time of the First Tribunal, it was unclear exactly how the Order would enforce its own Code. Guernicus had not yet agreed to become the first Quaesitor, and neither certamen nor the Peripheral Code existed. Flambeau had spent his adult life fighting Moorish wizards in Iberia. He firmly believed that deep-seated enmities existed among wizards, and said it was naive to think they could simply be se aside.

Flambeau argued persuasively that wizards needed the right to use violence when necessary. He gave a number of hypothetical situations where one magus could bully, blackmail, or torment another without being in clear breach of the Code: He argued that if the law strictly forbade one magus from taking vengeance against another, wicked magi would flourish and honourable ones could be driven to outlawry.

Several of the Founders opposed Flambeau's proposal: his most outspoken opponent was Guernicus, who feared that legalised Wizard's War would undermine the peace of the Order. The matter was finally settled in a famous debate. Flambeau pointed out that Guernicus himself had been forced to avenge his slain master. Without Wizacd's War, Flambeau would be denied the same opportunity. Many of the Founders had firsthand experience of the atrocities wizards had committed against one another before the Founding, so finally they approved adding Wizard's War to the Code.

Flambeau envisioned Wizard's War as a kind of trial by combat; he expected wizards to simply meet on the field of honor to settle their differences in open battle: The legal concept of Wizard's War, however, evolved into something rather different than he would have expected, as will be explained later in this chapter.

Flambeau himself never actually resorted to Wizard's War. His sworn enemies, the sahirs, did not join the Order until more than a century after his death.

The Second Generation

Flambeau's eldest apprentice was a Basque boy he named Michel in honor of the archangel Michael. Flambeau secured the best tutors he could find to teach the boy Latin and the liberal arts. He also made it a point to give his apprentice a firm and balanced grounding in the Hermetic Arts.

Michel accompanied Flambeau throughout Mythic Europe and learned the art of diplomacy at his master's side. Flambeau had high hopes for his apprentice and groomed Michel to succeed him as leader of the House. But after Michel passed his Gauntlet, he changed his Hermetic name to Apromor. He and Flambeau grew apart, and had many disagreements. Though Michel did eventually become the first Primus of House Flambeau, he made many changes, few of which would have met with his pater's approval.

The manner in which Flambeau trained his second apprentice seems to have been a reaction to the disappointment he felt about Apromor. She was a Frankish girl whom he named Elaine. Flambeau kept a tighter control over her education and training than he had with Apromor (though he did rely on tutors to teach her Latin and writing). He made sure she was exposed to the Church's moral teachings. Flambeau trained Elaine primarily in fire magic, though he gave her plenty of time to read on outside topics. As a result, Elaine followed Flambeau's example more closely than did Apromor. Like her pater, she dedicated her career to serving the Order as a whole. Elaine was both a warrior and a scholar: she served with distinction as a Hoplite, and wrote several books that are still popular in 1220.

Elaine trained four apprentices and eventually became an Archmage. She was never very active politically, but her influence on the House was nonetheless far-reaching: she trained her apprentices to share Flambeau's sense of honor and his deep commitment to serving the Order. Elaine is also credited as the first intellectual leader within Mouse Flambeau. Her insightful writings on magic theory and philosophy show that Flambeau magi can be interested in more than simply blasting things with fire spells.

The Founder's End

Flambeau's Arts were never strong outside of his area of speciality. Due to a weak Longevity Ritual, the Founder had grown old and frail by the year 820. One morning in the spring of that year he left Val-Negra alone. Where he went after that is unknown.

Some magi, including Apromor, believed Flambeau sought an encounter with the sahirs. Opinions are divided as to whether he wanted to die in battle against his lifelong enemies or whether (as Apromor suspected) he was tired of fighting and was trying to offer peace. Whatever his intentions, Flambeau never returned, leading Apromor and others to conclude the sahirs had ambushed and killed him.

Other magi believe that Flambeau retired from magic and joined a monastery to live out his final years in quiet devotion to the Lord. Flambeau was a Christian throughout his life: zealous in his youth, more pious and contemplative in his later years. Many who knew him, including his filia Elaine, believed this version of the story.

The House Under Apromor

Apromor led House Flambeau along a decidedly different course from that which his pater had set. Apromor was an astute diplomat and strategist. He believed that the Order of Hermes was already firmly established and the need to defend it from external threats was diminishing with time. On the other hand; he regarded the consolidation of power within Houses Tremere and Tytalus as a sign of internal rivalries emerging. He made strong moves to strengthen his own House against political competition within the Order.

One of Apromor's major initiatives was to continue his pater's efforts to recruit non-Hermetic magi. Flambeau himself had observed the Christian religion throughout his life; while he had been willing to ally himself with wizards who revered the "old gods," he never realty approved of paganism, and made efforts to convert his allies to his own faith. This led some new members of the Order to depart House Flambeau for other Houses they felt were more accepting of their beliefs. In an effort to increase the number of magi within his House, Apromor embarked on a long-running, consistent campaign to ensure that pagan wizards recruited by House Flambeau remained there.

A number of Flambeau magi traced their magical lineage back to the ancient Cult of Mercury. They worked with Priamitus of House Mercere to reconstruct the Roman cult. Apromor encouraged these efforts and provided some resources, though he did not personally participate, As a result of House Flambeau's involvement in rebuilding the Cult of Mercury, a number of its members continue to practice Mercurian magic in 1220.

Apromor's other major deviation from his pater's practices was in the use of the magical Arts. Flambeau had originally trained Apromor to fight using fire magic, but in the middle of his career, Apromor turned away from that approach. Unlike his pater, Apromor had been trained in Hermetic theory from the beginning and, by all accounts, had a much broader knowledge of the magical Arts. He was never as powerful with fire magic as the Founder himself, so over time he began experimenting with other forms of magical attack. He settled on Perdo as his favourite Technique. Apromor described his new fighting style as more "subtle" than Flambeau's, by which he meant that it was both more precise and less obtrusive.

The Schism War

Members of House Flambeau generally believe the Schism War was justified and necessary. Descendants of magi who Fought in the war usually regard their ancestors' actions as heroic. They tend to overlook the role their own House played in the lawlessness leading up to the war.

There had never been much love between Houses Diedne and Flambeau. Flambeau himself disliked pagans and often spoke out against House Diedne, which actively promoted a non-Christian religion. When Apromor changed policy toward actively recruiting pagan magicians, most of the pagans who joined House Flambeau belonged to Roman traditions; their rivalry with the druids went back to the days of the Roman Empire.

Following the corruption of House Tytalus, suspicions ran high within the Order. Some magi suspected House Diedne of atrocities such as diabolism or human sacrifice. When House Diedne used its political power to block Tribunals from investigating its covenants, a number of Flambeau magi decided to take the law into their. own hands. They declared Wizard's Wars so they could raid Diedne covenants and search for clues of the druids' Infernal rites. Diedne magi defended themselves from these raids, leading to deaths on both sides. Conflict escalated as members of each House then declared Wizard's Wars to avenge their slain comrades. In many cases, magi abandoned all pretext of legality and simply attacked their enemies without warning.

Of course, magi from other Houses were also involved in the conflict. When Primus Cercistum of House Tremere declared war on House Diedne and called for assistance from the rest of the Order, Primus Entisimon of House Flambeau was the first to answer. He rallied his House in a famous speech at Val-Negra.

Until Entisimon threw his weight into the conflict, there had been voices within House Flambeau calling for restraint and peace. Some Flambeau magi spoke passionately at Tribunals, urging their sodales to preserve the Founders vision of peaceful coexistence among the Houses, Others took more direct action, escorting Quaesitors into the lawless areas in an effort to restore order. But even the Flambeau magi most committed to peace stopped short of using force to curb the troublemakers within their own House. After Entisimon took a side in the conflict, the voices of reason within House Flambeau were shouted down. At least one magus who persisted too long in trying to soothe the conflict was slain in a Wizard's War by a fellow Flambeau magus who considered him an enemy collaborator.

Rise of the Milites

Although House Flambeau enjoyed early success in the Schism War, the enemy quickly organised themselves and began to inflict substantial losses. House Flambeau simply lacked the discipline, command structure, and logistical capacity to wage a fullscale war. Realising this, some of its magi allied themselves with covenants of House Tremere, essentially placing themselves under the command of Tremere leaders.

Others within House Flambeau realised they could succeed on their own if only they could improve their tactics and strategy. Some elder Flambeau magi were veterans of the campaign against the sahirs of Iberia and knew how to support one another in battle. They gathered young magi to their banners and taught them how to fight as coordinated units. Members of these warbands swore oaths of brotherhood and mutual defence. These wizards came to see themselves as direct analogues of mundane knights: elite warriors sworn to a life of honor and service. They came to be called the milites ("knights") because their oaths and code of conduct.

The milites usually fought in teams of at least three or four wizards, accompanied by strong parties of grogs. They had enough discipline to send advance scouts and to guard their flanks and rear. They rarely charged headlong into House Diedne's ambushes. The milites suffered fewer losses than other parts of their House and fought more successfully. Their success, in turn, attracted more magi to their banners.

When Primus Entisimon tried to implement a grand strategy for the Schism War, the milites freely disregarded his plans, conducting the war from the front lines as they thought best. They emerged from the Schism War with almost a quarter of the House's members and have been gradually gaining numbers and influence ever since.

The Normandy Crisis

After House Diedne was finally defeated, magi turned their attention to the magical sites and vis sources formerly owned by Diedne covenants. There had been Diedne covenants throughout Mythic Europe, but they were particularly plentiful) (and rich) in Brittany.

Flambeau veterans of the Schism War saw themselves (along with House Tremere) as having borne the brunt of the fighting, and believed, accordingly; they should be entitled to the lion's share of the spoils. House Tytalus saw things differently: House Diedne's former territory was a great prize, which would go to whomever was strong enough and clever enough to win it. The stage was set for the two Houses to clash.

House Flambeau saw the Tytalus magi as ruthless opportunists, falsely claiming land and vis sources that should belong to House Flambeau by right of conquest. They resisted House Tytalus's claims on Diedne territory with every means at their disposal: Hermetic legal complaints, certamen, and, ultimately, Wizard's Wars. House Tytalus did not shrink from the conflict but, rather, intensified it. Before long, the dispute over territory and resources took on an ideological dimension. For their part, House Flambeau portrayed their Tytalus opponents as contemptible parasites and scoundrels, who had been timid during the actual fighting but were now bold enough in claiming the spoils. House Tytalus saw the Flambeau veterans as invaders in a region that had traditionally been their homeland; and resolved to fight to the end.

The Normandy Tribunal was unable to contain the conflict. The situation in Brittany deteriorated until it seemed to mirror the very lawlessness that had preceded the Schism War itself.

In the end, it was House Flambeau who brought an end to the conflict. Led by the milites, members of the House insisted on the restoration of law and order. They brought the violent members of their own House to heel and, at the Grand Tribunal of 1063, negotiated a truce. Special Tribunals were held to divide the disputed territory. The Flambeau Primus Entisimon, who had been encouraging the conflict, was forced to resign in disgrace.

The House in 1220

House Flambeau has a very loose internal organisation. Although there is no formal hierarchy and there are no House offices other than that of Primus, there is a loose pecking order based on individual prestige. Flambeau magi place great esteem on practical ability: those who make significant achievements gain respect and status in the House. On the other hand, magi who accomplish little or display a reluctance to act can lose status. The most respected members of the House are usually middleaged magi who have many victories and accomplishments to their credit, but remain active and involved in Hermetic affairs.

House Flambeau tries to hold frequent meetings. It is held together mainly by esprit de corps, so meetings .are considered important to the House's cohesiveness: Most House gatherings are social occasions. Flambeau magi are fond of telling tales over tankards of ale, debating about their favourite Arts or combat tactics, and holding the occasional friendly certamen. Increasingly often, Flambeau gatherings include some organised, combatrelated activities such as a hunt or tournament, which further builds fellowship and helps the magi hone their fighting skills.

House Culture

House Flambeau is a diverse group of magi. They come from a variety of magical traditions; including magi who have transferred in from other Houses. While each member of the House has a unique outlook, it is possible to generalise about the common culture that has emerged.

House Flambeau has a strong martial spirit. Its members believe that naked force is often necessary, perhaps inevitable. Many of them see combat as the purest test of strength and the greatest source of glory. While not all members of House Flambeau are single-minded fighting machines — many of them have other interests — they do share a sense that combat prowess makes them an elite within the Order. Many see themselves as the maintainers of the Order's peace and protectors of their less violent colleagues. Even the more cultured and intellectual members of the House make a point to keep up their fighting skills. Certamen is considered an essential part of a wizard's self-defence: a magus who specializes in killing but neglects certamen is unable to defend himself in lawful disputes against other magi.

Flambeau the Founder had a strong sense of personal honor, which is emulated by most of his followers. Individual members of the House have different ideas about exactly what honor means, but they tend to have firm beliefs on the subject. When the values of two Flambeau magi conflict quarrels, certamen, and even Wizard's Wars can result.

Members of House Flambeau are fiercely independent. With their sense of honor, their bravado, and their thirst for glory, they tend to resemble a magical version of medieval knights. An outsider once described House Flambeau as "fivescore princes, and no subjects."

Partly because of their independent streak, Flambeau magi can be fiercely competitive with one another. This competition takes many forms, from racing to be the first to slay a renounced magus to trying to bond the most impressive familiar or invent the most spectacular Ignem spell. Whenever Flambeau magi gather, there is a certain amount of bragging and showing off.

Another legacy of the Founder is a commitment to service. Flambeau spoke often of the responsibility magi have to use The Gift in some worthy cause. In their zeal to carry out this directive, members of House Flambeau have a reputation for sometimes exceeding the boundaries of the Code. For instance, some of them are active in the Crusades and Reconquista, the Code's clause against mundane interference notwithstanding. The House's independent spirit leads many to secretly admire the maverick wizards who are willing to transgress the Code to do what they think is right. At the same time, House Flambeau is known for its readiness to aid the Quaesitores in trying and (especially) punishing lawbreakers. Conflicting agendas among the House's members often bring them into conflict with one another.

The Primus

Whenever the position of Primus becomes vacant, members of House Flambeau from all across Mythic Europe gather at the domus magna to elect a new one. Magi who cannot attend are allowed to vote by proxy. The election process is tumultuous and disorganised, and is sometimes described by attendees as a 'bragging tournament'. Prominent Flambeau magi proclaim their candidacy and make blustering speeches about their magnificent accomplishments (which qualify them for leadership), and their glorious plans for the House's future. The House Quaesitor presides over the meeting and accepts motions from the floor. To maintain a minimum of order; the Quaesitor forbids certamen between candidates. House members may move for a vote to eliminate any candidate after all candidates have had a chance to speak, but such motions rarely pass on the first attempt. Speeches, debates, motions, and occasional voting continue, sometimes over several days, until a final winner emerges.

The Prima nominally serves for life. In practice, there is a limited span of years during which a Prima's leadership can be effective. House Flambeau respects decisive action, not empty words. Not only does this place heavy expectations on the Prima, it also puts her in a delicate political position. If her policies are too bold, she risks alienating members of her own House. If she is too reticent, she rapidly loses credibility and members of the House feel free to ignore her. The most common Fate of a Flambeau Prima is to make a strong start, then gradually lose her authority until she becomes hopelessly ineffective and finally resigns. A few Primi have had the foresight to resign while they still had some of their authority left. The typical Flambeau Prima is a middle-aged to senior magus, who presides over the House for only two or three decades.

The direct powers of the Primus are relatively few; he rules more by influence and persuasion than by formal authority. He has the authority to preside over any Gauntlet for admission into House Flambeau. He is the nominal leader of the covenant of Castra Solis; though in practice there are other magi, long resident at the domus magna, who really control its resources. By tradition, the Primus organises and presides over the grand tournament at Castra Solis.

The current Primus, Garus, is an ageing magus who was an adventurer and soldier of fortune in his younger days. He fights according to the School of the Founder (see "Schools of Magical Combat" later in this chapter). His leadership is beginning to weaken because he has remained so long within the wails of the domus magna. He realises that his days as leader of House Flambeau are numbered.

The year 1220 represents a difficult time in House Flambeau's history, as it comes in a period of protracted peace. The Schism War has been over for two centuries; the majority of magi believe House Diedne will never be heard from again. With few overt threats looming before the Order, House Flambeau has no unified cause around which it can rally. Its members are divided, pursuing their own priorities and creating rival factions within the House. Recruitment grows increasingly difficult as the House seems to lack a collective purpose.

Garus is one of the Milites. He believes that the future of the House depends on finding a way to strengthen its members' common identity and shared values. His vision is to organise the House into something resembling an order of knighthood, with a unified mission and a formal command structure. In this, he faces formidable opposition from within his own House.

The Primus knows that reforming House Flambeau must be done gradually or the House's members will never accept it. He does not expect the work to be completed in his own time. He devotes considerable political energy to helping certain promising and likeminded magi gain prestige within the House. Evidently, he hopes that one of them will be chosen as his successor:

Garus has implemented a number of reforms aimed at strengthening House unity. Before his tenure, the House tournament was held only during Tribunal years. Garus increased the frequency to every four years (there was a tournament in 1220). The tournament helps build fellowship; additionally, the opening ceremonies provide with him a convenient bully pulpit from which to lecture about his vision of the House's future. Another of Garus's reforms has been to codify the milites idea of chivalry in written form. Swearing to the Milites' code of conduct is strictly voluntary, but Gams encourages young magi to do so. He has also introduced more formal bylaws for House meetings, which met with stiff opposition at first. Magi soon realised they made the meetings more streamlined and therefore shorter; after this, the new rules enjoyed widespread support.

Domus Magna

The original domus magna of House Flambeau was Val Negra, a covenant on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees mountains. During the Schism War, the Primus Entisimon found that Val Negra's remote location made it unsuitable as a headquarters, so he moved his command to the covenant of Castra Solis. His successor officially moved the House's headquarters to the new site; there are rumours that neo-Roman elements within the House had a hand in the decision to move the domus magna.

Castra Solis was founded by Kaeso, a member of the Roman Cult of Mithras whom Apromor had recruited in 809. Kaeso built the covenant atop a subterranean cave that was once sacred to the cult: the covenant's name is a reference to Mithras's aspect as a sun god. Castra Solis is located in the Provençal Tribunal, several leagues south of Bordeaux.

One might expect the domus magna of House Flambeau to be an imposing fortress, but in fact Castra Solis more closely resembles a large manor house. Kaeso realised that even the mightiest stone walls could be easily breached by magic, so he concentratedon building magical defences rather than physical ones. The covenant has a number of enchanted items available for its defence.

Castra Solis avoids building a large fortress for another reason: it is located within the territory of the Duke of Aquitaine and does not wish to antagonize him by building a strong castle on his lands: The covenant's turb is small for the same reason.

The covenant has many guest rooms and there are a couple of guest houses in the nearby village. Even so, there is not enough space to accommodate all the magi in Mouse Flambeau, let alone their apprentices, guards, and servants. A large, empty field near the covenant is used for tournaments and other House events. During major events, visitors pitch their tents in the field, which is large enough for both the encampments of the magi and the event itself.

The library of Castra Solis has an impressive collection of books on combat magic, including lab texts for combat spells and tomes on Abilities such as Spell Mastery, Penetration and Parma Magica. The library also includes many books about dragons and other fantastic beasts. The covenant does not allow visitors to copy any of the books, but members of House Flambeau are welcome to study from them for a fee. (The fee is payable in money or vis; the amount should be about twice what would be necessary to sustain a maga at her home covenant.)

Castra Solis has a relatively weak magical aura — only level 3. The aura is stronger in the sacred cave of Mithras, which is connected to the covenant's main house by a secret stairway. The exact properties of that cave, and the ways the residents of Castra Solis use it, are a covenant secret.

Joining House Flambeau

The procedure for joining House Flambeau is the same for apprentices as it is for magi coming from other Houses. If the candidate is already a magus from another House, he must forsake his membership in that House before actually entering House Flambeau (although usually such candidates only leave their original House after passing House Flambeau's Gauntlet).

First, the candidate must find a sponsor within House Flambeau. Any member of the House may act as a sponsor, but the candidate will gain acceptance and recognition proportional to the sponsor's reputation. Being asked to sponsor another magus's apprentice into the House is considered an honor. The sponsor is responsible for arranging a Gauntlet for the candidate. In House Flambeau, the purpose of the Gauntlet is to demonstrate the candidate's fighting ability. The sponsor has broad latitude to set the challenge she considers appropriate to the candidate's reputation and potential. The challenge for an "adult" magus is usually more difficult than one for an apprentice. Typical challenges might be a certamen using the candidate's favourite Arts, participating in a House tournament or an organised hunt, or a quest that takes the candidate through a dangerous area. The test can be risky. Asking the candidate to singlehandedly hunt and kill a supernatural beast would be an example of an especially dangerous challenge. The sponsor is the final arbiter of whether the candidate passes or fails.

House Flambeau likes Gauntlets to be as public as possible. The more prestigious the sponsor, the more magi attend the Gauntlet. A good turnout at the Gauntlet helps establish and spread the reputation of the new Flambeau wizard. If the candidate should fail the Gauntlet, there is a good chance he will gain an unfavourable Reputation as disappointed (or amused) spectators spread the story of his inadequacy.

By the Peripheral Code, an apprentice who fails his Gauntlet three times is given his fourth by a Quaesitor. When this occurs, a successful candidate is allowed to join the Order, but not House Flambeau. He must join another House, often House Ex Miscellanea.

In special circumstances, a magus or even an apprentice may be accepted directly into House Flambeau without the need for a Gauntlet. This is done for candidates who have already proved themselves in some dramatic way. For example, a Flambeau apprentice named Cindrallon was made a full maga of House Flambeau after only seven years of apprenticeship because she single-handedly killed a renounced magus in a Wizard's March. Though she had used a spear rather than a spell to slay the renegade, her master and the Primus agreed she had shown outstanding courage and fighting ability. Other, similar, battlefield promotions occurred during the Schism War.

Since the days of the Founder, Flambeau magi have held a public initiation ceremony after the Gauntlet. The new Flambeau magus stands an all-night vigil (perhaps in a church, if his pater is a Christian, or perhaps in an ancient temple or magical site) and then appears in a plain white robe before an assembly of the House. The new magus swears or reaffirms the Hermetic Oath before an official (the Primus, a Quaesitor, or a highly-respected magus), who then taps him on the shoulder with a wand or staff and bestows his voting sigil. Sometimes the new magus's parens presents him with a gift at the conclusion of the ceremony.

Societates Flambonorum

The Milites

The group of magi calling themselves the milites (singular; "miles") came to prominence during the Schism War, though they trace their origins back to the earliest days of the House. They see themselves as the Hermetic equivalent of mundane knights, serving similar roles in both a military and a social sense. They are a political movement within House Flambeau, seeking to spread their values and practices.

The milites believe that along with their magical power comes responsibility to exercise restraint, to uphold justice, and to serve the community of magi rather than their individual aims. Flambeau the Founder spoke often of his followers` duty to the Order; the milites see themselves as inheritors of this legacy.

Personal honor is paramount to the milites. They subscribe to a code of conduct similar to the code of chivalry followed by mundane knights, and believe that striving to uphold this code of chivalry ennobles the spirit.

The milites seek to use their power justly and to fight with honor. They tend to look down on magi who overuse their powers against mere mundanes: they usually regard only wizards and supernatural creatures as worthy opponents. Some go so far as to use a fighting style that favours handtohand combat, disdaining ranged spellcasting as ignoble.

The milites pledge fealty to the Order as a whole, which is usually taken to mean the Grand Tribunal. While the Primus of Bonisagus is the overall leader of the Grand Tribunal and hence the Order, the milites see the Primus of their own House as their immediate superior. They regard their Primus as their liege lord and the Primus of House Bonisagus as an overlord. They stand ready to assist the Quaesitores, their regional Tribunals, and even Redcaps. The Primus of Flambeau does call upon the milites to perform occasional errands, but the current primus uses them only for official business of the Order and does not abuse their services.

Unlike most members of House Flambeau, the milites are willing to work together. They consider other sworn members of the movement to be their brothers and sisters: they aid and support one another, and, if necessary, avenge one another. As a political movement, the milites seek to get more members of their House to subscribe to their code of honor. Most of them believe their own House is in great need of honor and discipline. In addition to trying to reform their own House, the milites are often involved in broader political movements in the Order as a whole. Not everyone supports the milites' goals. Some magi are suspicious of the movement's authoritarian nature and suspect the milites of scheming to take over House Flambeau. Others chafe at the milites narrow definition of honor and resent being judged by the same standards mundanes use among themselves.

The Cult of Mercury

When the Founders began to invite others to join the Order, Mercere's son Priamitus sought out hedge wizards who believed that their magic came from the Roman priests of the Cult of Mercury the same group from which the Order of Hermes took its name. These Mercurians (as they called themselves) still knew some of the secrets of Mercurian magic; including Wizard's Communion, but had lost all but a few of the ceremonial spells associated with their tradition. At Apromor's invitation, most of them joined House Flambeau, where they are still most represented. Through Priamitus they have always had very close ties to House Mercere, and they welcome any magi who wish to join their group.

Mercurians believe that the gods of ancient Rome and Greece are mechanisms of nature with a magical aspect. When they speak of Venus's influence, they are talking about the natural process of love given magical assistance spells to inspire love might be described as blessings from Venus. Many also believe that there are magical spirits (daimons): associated with these processes that reside in the Magic realm; and with which; as magi; they can interact directly. When they speak of "the gods," they are sometimes referring to daimons, but more often they mean the anthropomorphised concepts that generally represent their magic.

Cult members generally have a strong appreciation of Roman culture. For many of them the society is simply an opportunity to dress up in anachronistic clothes and reenact what they see as a more magical era. They organise festivals on important dates from the Roman calendar, such as Bona Dea in May, Consualia in August, or the Ides of March ~ a portentous day usually given to mystically preparing for the new year.

A Mercurian magus is called a flamen ("priest"). The activities of such magi are mostly ceremonial, often officiating at Hermetic events and interpreting "the will of the gods" for others, usually by reading omens. This draws upon their knowledge of Magic Lore to read magical signs in mundane things; insights which they often enhance with Intellego magic, Premonitions, or other divinatory powers. When Mercurian magi perform ritual magic, a flamen usually leads the rite, acting as the focus of the spell and expending any necessary vis.

Mercurian rites have had great influence on the customs of the Order of Hermes. For example, many covenants cast their Aegis of the Hearth on the eve of 'the winter solstice, when Mercurians celebrate the festival of Saturnalia, and so many of the traditions associated with it include Mercurian practices, such as everyone walking the boundary together. At Tribunal, the flamines often perform an invocation or a blessing before the event, and fulfil other duties such as leading Hermetic naming ceremonies, witnessing oaths, or conducting funereal rites.

The pagan trappings of the cult are seen by many as foolish or even blasphemous conceits, but few Mercurians take them seriously. Just as most magi do not believe the name "Order of Hermes" is anything but symbolic, Mercurians use "gods," "blessings," and "offerings" as terms that evoke the grand history of magic, not sacrilegious practices. A good many cult members consider themselves Christian as well as Mercurian.

Within House Flambeau, the flamines and other Mercurians tend to emphasise gods with martial or civic aspects, such as Mars, Apollo, Minerva, or Jupiter. They look back on Imperial Rome as a bringer of civilisation, prosperity, and enlightenment; many of them regard the Order of Hermes as having inherited this role. Just as the ancient cult supported the Roman state, the Flambeau branch of the Cult of Mercury seeks to guide and support the Order. It is said that there are other Hermetic groups that have an interest in Roman ceremonies and culture. If this were true then a magus who of the Cult of Mercury might be invited to join one of these groups.

The Mithraians

Kaeso was a hedge wizard who belonged to Flambeau's ancestral tradition of Mithras priests. Apromor recruited him into the Order, so he was nominally Apromor's apprentice. He brought together three other magicians descended from the Cult of Mithras, all of whom eventually joined House Flambeau. In addition to sharing common magical powers, these magi shared a philosophy of promoting justice and harmony and of using their magic to battle the forces of evil in the world. They worked together to learn Hermetic magic, then helped one another teach Bonisagus's arts to their apprentices. They founded the covenant of Castra Solis south of Bordeaux, over the site of a cave that had been sacred to the Cult of Mithras during Roman times. They then set about collecting the surviving fragments of the ancient cult.

Reconstructing the Cult of Mithras was more difficult than Priamatus of Mercere's job of rediscovering the Cult of Mercury. The Cult of Mercury was part of the Roman state religion and its rites and ceremonies were public. The Cult of Mithras, on the other hand, was more private, even secret. Many of its magical secrets were undoubtedly lost after the collapse of the Western Empire. While Kaeso was able to reconstruct some of the cult's beliefs and ceremonies, it is unclear whether he made any important magical discoveries. If he did, he did not share them with the Order at large. Even in 1220, four centuries after Kaeso began his work, there is much about the Cult of Mithras that remains unknown.

Magi descended from the ancient priesthood of Mithras do not always actually worship the pagan god (at least not publicly), but they do tend to share the ethos of the Mithras cult. They believe in building harmony and concord; in honesty and good conduct; and in personal excellence. Kaeso's followers believe that it was Flambeau's Mithraic heritage that made him such an active supporter of the Order, and seek to follow his example.

Flambeau Concepts

As the self-styled knights of the Order, magi of House Flambeau are active in all manner of Hermetic affairs. The following are some ideas for both player and nonplayer character concepts.

Hoplites

The Hoplites are an informal group of combat magi who work closely with the Quaesitores. They hunt down and slay magi who have been cast out of the Order for Hermetic crimes. While all members of the Order have a nominal duty to slay Hermetic outcasts, the Hoplites aggressively hunt for renegades. Tradition holds that whoever slays an outlaw magus is entitled to any loot he may possess.

In addition to their role as the Order's executioners, Hoplites may be called upon to accompany Quaesitors on dangerous investigations, or to apprehend fugitives for trial. Many Hoplites get started by working with Quaesitors they know personally, such as members of their home covenants. Over time, a magus who gains a reputation for reliable service may be called upon to help other Quaesitors as well. A successful Hoplite needs strong combat ability to overwhelm his enemies, and enough skill with Intellego magic to be able to track down wizards who flee from Hermetic justice.

Crusaders

Some magi in House Flambeau believe the Order still faces significant threats from nonHermetic wizards. In Iberia and the Holy Land, Saracen wizards still practice their arts, sometimes with the patronage of Muslim nobles. Paganism still prevails in parts of the Novgorod Tribunal. In Scandinavia, there are rumours of a secret society of magicians who get their power from the old Norse gods. Even within the heartland of the Order, the Rhine and Roman Tribunals, there are still hedge wizards who have escaped the Order's notice. Some of them are harmless, but others may be enemies of the Order, even diabolists.

House Flambeau has a long history of fighting against the Order's enemies, both real and imagined. Members of the House are active in both the Reconquista and the Crusades in the Holy Land. While the Code prohibits magi from interfering in mundane affairs, nonHermetic wizards generally lack similar restrictions. Fighting against hostile wizards who happen to be accompanied by mundanes falls into a grey area of Hermetic Law. Flambeau magi who fight in such battles often claim that they were really fighting against enemy wizards, and any mundane casualties were simply the wizards' minions.

Whether the Quaesitores are persuaded by such explanations, and how aggressively they pursue magi who fight in the Crusades or Reconquista, is a matter for your individual troupe or storyguide to decide. Even if your saga is one where the Order of Hermes strictly enforces the Code, there are likely to be some maverick Flambeau magi who think they can get away with fighting in the Crusades.

In the Holy Land, Iberia, and other areas where nonHermetic wizards may be found, some members of House Flambeau attempt to carry on the work of their Founder by recruiting these wizards into the Order. Others claim that the remaining nonHermetic wizards have had plenty of time to join the Order and must have decided not to do so; they feel justified in purging them from Mythic Europe. Since magi holding these two opposing views usually operate in the same areas, they often clash with one another. Many certamen and even some Wizard's Wars have been fought over the issue of nonHermetic wizards.

Demonhunters and Exorcists

The Quaesitores are responsible for investigating signs of diabolism within the Order, but that does not mean they always work alone. Some members of House Flambeau are experts in fighting demons, armed with spells like Demon's Eternal Oblivion.

Demons and diabolism do not restrict their activities to the Order of Hermes: they can be found among mundanes and nonHermetic wizards as well. In these areas, which are outside the Quaesitores' direct authority, some Flambeau magi have taken it upon themselves to investigate and combat demonic influence. The Founder himself warned that demons were one of the great threats to the Order. A number of his followers dedicate their magical careers to confronting that threat.

Demons are notoriously difficult to identify because their deceptions cannot be penetrated with Hermetic magic. A combination of Intellego magic and mundane investigation skills is usually required. Since The Gift makes it difficult for magi to obtain useful information from mundanes, Flambeau demonhunters often rely on the assistance of grogs or companions. A partner with the Virtues of True Faith or Adjuration can be especially effective. Flambeau magi who specialise in fighting demons usually prefer the School of Apromor, which is very suitable to Perdo Vim magic.

Duellists and Champions

Sometimes a maga's best defence against becoming the target of Wizard's War is to have a senior magus of House Flambeau sworn to avenge her. The Peripheral Code does not prevent magi from waging Wizard's War to avenge slain friends and allies. Flambeau magi, especially those with a sense of chivalry, are often willing to make a public pledge of vengeance to deter other magi from declaring war. They swear to declare Wizard's War on any magus who first declares Wizard's War on their ally.

The legal basis for this practice derives from the Normandy Tribunal of 898 AD, which exonerated Dominicus of House Jerbiton from wrongdoing when he used Wizard's War to avenge an amicus who had been killed in a separate Wizard's War. The presiding Quaesitor ruled that the Code's wording that "no retribution shall fall on the magus who slays me" means only that the Order will not punish the victor in a Wizard's War. Other magi who wish to avenge the loser of the Wizard's War remain free to do so, provided they declare and fight the war in accordance with the Peripheral Code.

Magi have several reasons why they might offer to become another wizard's avenger. They may be close friends (amici) of another magus and wish to protect him. Some Flambeau magi are simply a little bloodthirsty and pledge to avenge other magi in the hope they will get the chance to fight a Wizard's War. Others' sense of chivalry motivates them to defend weaker magi against bullying and aggression. Sometimes a magus seeking protection offers payment or favors in return for a pledge of vengeance.

Another way Flambeau magi serve as champions is in certamen. Many Flambeau magi relish certamen because it is as close as a magus may legally get to fighting another magus ~ outside a Wizard's War or Flambeau tournament. Certamen is considered a worthy form of practice because it exercises skill in the Arts, Penetration, and Parma Magica. Although members of House Flambeau lack the special talent for certamen enjoyed by Tremere magi, years of tournament practice have made some of them into formidable duellists. Flambeau magi serve as certamen champions for various reasons: out of chivalry, to protect their friends and sodales, or because they are being paid to. Besides duelling in their House tournaments, some Flambeau magi travel Mythic Europe challenging other wizards to certamen just for the sport and challenge.

Mercenaries and Adventurers

Magi of House Flambeau occasionally put their fighting skills to use as soldiers of fortune. Covenants sometimes need extra muscle to help protect them from the bullying of a larger covenant, or from hostile creatures like dark faeries or marauding dragons. Sometimes two or more Flambeau magi will form a small mercenary band and wander Mythic Europe looking for employment.

Like mundane mercenaries, Flambeau soldiers of fortune are not renowned for their loyalty. They may back out of missions they consider too dangerous, or even switch sides if the opposition makes them a better offer. A variant of the mercenary concept is the magical knight-errant, who helps other wizards (or mundanes) out of generosity of spirit. Both mercenaries and knightserrant are drawn to major conflicts, such as when two major covenants become fierce rivals or when enforcement of the Code breaks down in an area.

Statesmen and Orators

Flambeau magi tend to be both pragmatic and proactive. They may get involved in Hermetic politics with hopes of shaping the Order's policies and advancing their favourite causes. Flambeau himself was a warrior and a statesman; politically active Flambeau magi like to think of themselves as emulating their Founder.

The political stance of House Flambeau tends to vary with the Prima. When a relatively new, influential Prima is in office, she sometimes tries (with varying degrees of success) to steer the House toward a unified political agenda. If the Prima is weak, members of her House pay her little heed and pursue their individual (often conflicting) political goals. The current Primus's influence is beginning to wane, but even in his earlier days he pursued an inwardlooking agenda of reforming his own House.

Regardless of the Primus's political objectives, House Flambeau generally favours a permissive interpretation of the Code. For example, some of its members believe the Code's restriction against mundane interference should not prohibit them from uniting with mundane allies against a supernatural enemy (such as diabolists or a dragon). The House tends to oppose any treaty or restriction that constrains its freedom to use force against supernatural opponents.

Apart from a shared interest in leaving legal room for their various activities, members of the House have varying, sometimes conflicting, political goals. Individual Flambeau magi can be influential within their home Tribunals, but the House as a whole tends to lack political clout because of its lack of consensus. The political objectives of a Flambeau magus can be nearly anything; here are some possible examples:

• Persuading the Order to take seriously a potential threat such as the rumoured Order of Odin, or putative Order of Suleiman
• Trying to build military alliances or defensive pacts among covenants, especially in border Tribunals where threats appear more common
• Moving toward more harmonious relations with mundanes and the Church · Preparing the Order to counter aggression from mundanes and the Church · Supporting or opposing legal reform in the Order.
• Ensuring enforcement of the Code in remote Tribunals
• Defending the right of magi to fight non-Hermetic wizards, for example, in the Crusades.

Hunters and Dragon-Slayers

Organised hunting is a popular activity for Flambeau magi. Of course, wizards are not usually content to chase mundane beasts: they prefer supernatural quarry. A proper hunt requires a skilled huntsman to track the beast.

In addition to hunting for sport, some Flambeau magi seek supernatural beasts for the Vis and rare magical ingredients they provide. Hunters may either work alone, or with a small team of grogs and companions. Magi may seek the services of a hunter to obtain materials they need for their projects and research. Some Flambeau hunters practice techniques to capture magical beasts alive, for use as familiars, pets, or guardians. From time to time, a supernatural beast becomes a menace to mundanes or even magi: a Flambeau hunter is well equipped to deal with such a threat.

Flambeau magi who consider themselves hunters are often skilled at Animal magic. Intellego Animal and Intellego Vim are important to help them distinguish supernatural beasts From mundane ones. They rely on mundane hunting skills and/or Intellego magic to find Arcane Connections to their quarry (which improves their Penetration). Hunters may use any school of magical combat, but most of them avoid the School of the Founder. Incinerating a beast with fire is not a good way to preserve the vis and other valuable parts of the carcass.

Outlaws and Rogues

Not all Flambeau magi are honourable. Like the robber-knights of Mythic Europe, certain members of House Flambeau and other Houses, for that matter resort to robbing mundanes or even other wizards. Magic can be very useful in escaping capture: a clever magus may be able to live as a bandit for a long time with the Quaesitores none the wiser.

Some outlaw magi are villains who rob and bully those weaker than themselves. Others see themselves as freedom fighters, willing to violate the Code in order to help resist an evil king or a foreign invader. A few are forced into banditry by the collapse of their covenants' normal sources of income. Like mundane outlaws, robbermagi are not always professionals: they may only be resorting to banditry as a sideline. The likelihood of magi resorting to outlawry is related to how strictly the Code is enforced in their Tribunal and in the saga as a whole. Even where the Quaesitores enforce the Code rigorously, there may be a few magi who feel the rewards of banditry are worth the risks.

Robber-magi usually prefer magic that is not readily apparent, so their victims can't identify them as wizards. They often fight according to the School of Ramius because its tactics are less obtrusive. Rather than using spells of attack, cunning outlaws prefer to use magic for reconnaissance, defence, and evasion.

Flambeau Tournaments

House Flambeau has held organised tournaments since the years following the Schism War. The major tournament is a regular competition held at Castra Solis, which lasts for five days surrounding the summer solstice of every fourth year (the most recent tournaments were in 1216 and 1220). Other tournaments are sometimes held at other Flambeau covenants, either at regular intervals (for example, every seven years), or to celebrate special occasions.

House Flambeau's tournaments are not exclusive: any member of the Order is welcome to compete. Tournaments usually draw a number of competitors from Houses Tytalus and Tremere. Part of the way tournaments build fellowship is by giving Flambeau magi a chance to cheer for their own House.

Certamen

The staple event of the wizards' tournament is certamen. The competition is usually organised as a single elimination tournament. In each round of the tournament, a pair of magi are matched together. The winner of two out of three duels within the match proceeds to the next round. Contestants are allowed 15 minutes of rest between duels, and at least one hour from one match to the next. A panel of officials (usually, magi who do not intend to compete) uses a seeding process to prearrange the matches into brackets, so the strongest competitors (in the officials' opinion) do not face one another until the final round of the tournament.

The normal rules of certamen are altered for tournament purposes. The youngest magus chooses the Form, and the oldest the Technique (it is unusual for contestants to be exactly the same Hermetic age; such situations are decided by a coin toss). Competitors may veto their opponents' choice of Art as usual, but may not use a veto in both the first and the second duel of the match. This way, each contestant is guaranteed to get his first choice of Art at least once. Although the Peripheral Code allows the winner of a certamen to cast a spell on the loser, the rules of the tournament strictly forbid it.

Dimicatio

Another popular tournament event is dimicatio, meaning "contest" or "battle." It is unrelated to standard certamen. The competitors try to cast real spells at one another using the "forceless casting" option. Each magus uses a fastcast defence (ArM, page 83) to try to block the opposing spell. The first magus whose spell reaches his opponent's Parma is the winner.

This contest carries substantial dangers. Aimed spells that bypass Magic Resistance are strictly forbidden. The contest is always conducted under tightly controlled conditions in front of a referee and many spectators. The referee uses an Intellego Vim spell such as Sight of the Active Magics to determine the winner. If a magus's spell actually penetrates his opponent's Parma, this is taken as foul play and there will be a prompt Hermetic investigation. The rules of the contest permit any spell that directly targets one's opponent and the higher the level of the spell, the harder it is to defend against. Ball of Abysmal Flame is a real crowd-pleaser.

Because dimicatio has great potential for accidents or foul play, some Quaesitors want to outlaw the contest. This only increases its appeal to most Flambeau magi. The grand tournament at Castra Solis always includes a dimicatio event; any magus who wins at least two matches in the certamen event is qualified to enter, and the dimicatio event has a separate prize.

Wizards' Melee

Even more controversial than dimicatio is the wizards' melee, an uncommon and dangerous event where magi and teams of grogs actually fight one another. The object of the wizards' melee is for one wizard to successfully cast a Touch Range spell on the opposing magus (using forceless casting). This requires defeating the grogs who protect that magus.

Each team consists of one magus and five grogs. It is permissible, and expected, for a magus to extend his Parma Magica to cover some or all of his grogs.

The wizards' melee is a tournament au plaisance, a contest for the pleasure of the participants and spectators. Exact rules for the contest vary from one tournament to another (they are not yet standardised) but usually include:

• Only Touch and Personal Range spells are usually permitted; this prevents magi from neutralising the opposing grogs too easily. Some tournaments permit Voice Range spells as long as they are used only on the caster's own grogs.

• Grogs are typically armed with blunted weapons (3 to Damage), and the selection of weapons may be restricted (warhammers are not safe tournament weapons).

• Damage-inflicting spells may be restricted to third magnitude and below, or banned altogether. (The tournament at Castra Solis bans damage inflicting spells.)

Enchanted devices are allowed as long as they obey all the restrictions for spells. Magi are permitted to use vis during the wizards' melee. Even with these rules, the potential for accidental death or injury is so great that many Quaesitors are appalled the event even exists.

Special Challenges

Tournaments may also involve a special challenge devised by the tournament host. A broad description of the challenge is announced in advance of the tournament itself so participants know what is in store if they succeed in the qualifying round. The challenge can be anything the host chooses to arrange, but it is usually something dramatic, possibly dangerous. Examples would be a contest to steal a magical jewel guarded by trolls, or a race through a maze filled with magical traps. Again, certain Quaesitors (and other magi in general) frown on the special challenges because they are often dangerous, and they sometimes cross the borderline of molesting the fae.

Entertainment and Side Events

Large tournaments may also include minor events. Tests of accuracy using aimed spells, similar to mundane archery tournaments, are common. There may be separate contests for apprentices and grogs. Alongside the competition, there is music, entertainment, feasting, and plenty of alcohol.

The Schools of Magical Combat

When many magi think of House Flambeau, they think of fire magic. Flambeau the Founder was a master of the Art of Ignem and a large number of Flambeau magi follow in his footsteps. As a House of warriors and champions, Flambeau includes a variety of combative magi, not all of whom rely on fire magic. Apromor, Flambeau's first apprentice, concentrated instead on Perdo spells Over time, subsequent magi have invented additional styles of fighting.

Magi of House Flambeau refer to each fighting style as a "school" of magi cal combat. These schools are not formal lineages. They are simply groups of magi who have chosen a common approach tc magical combat. Just as mundane scholars might describe a philosopher as belonging to the school of Aristotle, Flambeau magi speak of wizards belonging to the School of the Founder or the School of Apromor. Classifying wizards into schools is more precise than simply speaking of the Arts they prefer. Fighting with fire spells is straightforward, but other Arts, like Rego, can be used in a number of different ways. Speaking in terms of schools gives Flambeau magi the terminology to discuss tactics and countermeasures _ and to have long:winded debates about why their favourite school is better than everyone else's.

Flambeau magi name each school of magical combat after the pioneering magus who invented it. Sometimes, magi speak of other Houses' styles of magic as schools: a magus who fights using enchanted devices may be said to follow the School of Verditius, or a maga who fights by shapechanging into a beast may be said to follow the School of Bjornaer.

Choosing a School

Every magus who learns battleworthy spells is preparing to use some school of magical combat, whether he realizes it or not. Flambeau magi tend to carefully choose their schools of combat, devoting a great deal of study and lab time to mastering them. There is a great difference between a magus who knows a few mismatched combat spells, and one who has dedicated many seasons of carefully planned study to the interconnected Acts, Abilities, and spells that make a school effective.

Flambeau magi tend to gravitate toward whatever school of fighting is best suited to the individual strengths of their Gift that is, their Hermetic Virtues (and Flaws). This is exactly how most of the schools were invented in the first place: some bygone magus developed a strategy that played to his individual strengths. There are other reasons to choose a particular school; for example, magi often choose a second school to compensate for any weaknesses their primary school may have, or they may select a school that is suited to fighting one particular kind of opponent.

Magi who are trained within House Flambeau have their school chosen for them by their parentes. Usually, the parens simply trains the apprentice in whatever school the parens himself prefers, but there are exceptions. If an apprentice's Gift is obviously suited to a particular school, her parens may teach her that school for her benefit. Sometimes a parens chooses a different school for his apprentice because he wants to explore that school himself. In any case, the school assigned to a Flambeau apprentice may or may not be one she would have chosen for herself.

Magi who join House Flambeau from other Houses are free to pursue whatever school they like, as are Flambeau magi who have passed their Gauntlet.

The School of the Founder

RECOMMENDED VIRTUE: Puissant Ignem

Flambeau the Founder was a great master of fire magic. Incinerating opponents with Ignem spells remains the most popular school of magical combat within his House.

Although House Flambeau is not a true lineage, it does include a line of magi who proudly claim descent from the Founder through his second apprentice, Elaine. Over time, other magi with a natural talent for fire magic have joined the House, broadening and strengthening its fireusing tradition. A fair number of Flambeau magi have Hermetic Virtues pertaining to fire, such as a Major Magical Focus with fire and flames, making the School of the Founder a natural choice for them.

Fire has several advantages as a weapon. Ignem spells do excellent damage compared to other spells of similar magnitude. Fire can damage many different kinds of opponents: humans, animals, and even plants and inanimate objects. This allows a follower of the School of the Founder to specialise in only one Form and still damage most kinds of enemies. In addition to targeting opponents directly, Ignem spells can set their surroundings on fire: naturally burning fires can damage creatures regardless of Magic Resistance. Another advantage of fire magic is that hurling bolts and curtains of flame looks very impressive. Flamboyant Ignem spells can panic animals and mundane soldiers alike, creating pandemonium on the battlefield.

The School of the Founder is popular for all of these reasons, but even its most avid followers acknowledge that it has shortcomings. One of the most troublesome is that some potential enemies are resistant to fire. Dragons, for instance, are sometimes fire resistant, and even some humans have a magically granted immunity to fire (the Greater Immunity Supernatural Virtue). (Demons in Ars Magica Fifth Edition are no more likely to be fire resistant than creatures from other supernatural realms.) Followers of the School of the Founder must resort to alternative tactics against fire resistant opponents.

Although fire magic has some ability to affect targets indirectly, the higher damage spells must penetrate Magic Resistance. "Ignem" is a common speciality in the Parma Magica Ability (see ArM5, page 66). The Spell Mastery special ability of "magic resistance" doubles a magus's Magic Resistance against the mastered spell (ArM5, page 87). Magi who are really serious about protecting themselves from fire magic may master such Flambeau staples as Pilum of Fire and Ball of Abysmal Flame. This makes the School of the Founder one of the easiest for enemy magi to defend themselves against.

Fortunately, one need only learn (and master) a few spells, since the same spell can be used against so many different kinds of opponents, and repeated castings (or multiple castings) are just as effective as the first casting. Especially for magi who have a Hermetic Virtue that improves their fire spells, the School of the Founder is one of the easiest schools in which to develop a high Penetration, straightforward, versatile attack. Another disadvantage of Ignem spells is that they are not subtle. When a magus blasts his opponent with a bolt of fire, everyone can immediately tell who the caster was. Mundanes are apt to spread tales about magi who cast such spells, which can lead to uncomfortable questions from the Quaesitores. Magi who need to operate in close proximity to mundanes often find the School of the Founder inconvenient.

Fire is notoriously difficult to control; Ignem botches can be especially disastrous. Finally, magi who heavily specialise in the School of the Founder find their Arts are suitable for little else besides fighting. Many Flambeau magi don't care they are perfectly content to be one trick ponies when that trick is a high Penetration Ball of Abysmal Flame. Adventuring magi, particularly those who work without other wizards, often need more breadth in their magical abilities. Narrowly specialising in one Form also makes a magus potentially weak in certamen.

School of Apromor

RECOMMENDED VIRTUE: Puissant Perdo

The School of Apromor emphasises using Perdo magic to damage one's opponent directly. Apromor was Flambeau's first apprentice, who turned away from fire magic in the middle of his career.

Compared with the School of the Founder, the School of Apromor has a number of advantages. While some creatures are immune to fire, none are immune to Perdo magic as such (though Perdo spells do need to penetrate Magic Resistance). The Art of Perdo can do nearly as much damage as a Creo Ignem spell, yet is more versatile. Perdo spells may be used to disarm, blind, or otherwise incapacitate enemies instead of simply killing them. Perdo spells usually disregard the target's Soak, damaging fully armoured knights or ironscaled dragons as easily as more vulnerable opponents.

Perdo spells are less showy than hurling bolts of fire. Certainly, when opponents suddenly develop bleeding wounds or silently drop dead, onlookers can tell there is magic afoot, but they have a much harder time identifying the one who cast the spells. In the general confusion of battle, it can be difficult to even notice some Perdo effects: did the knight's sword break by accident, or because of magic? Apromor himself was fond of casting spells without gestures; many who follow his school take advantage of the Spell Mastery's "still casting" special ability (ArM5, page 87) to make their spells less obtrusive. This can be taken a step further to cast spells without voice, but most standard Perdo spells have Voice Range, and the caster would need to invent longer Range (and higher level) variants to fully benefit from such tactics.

Perdo spells are not limited to offensive applications. Experts in the Technique of Perdo can learn spells of invisibility, for example, or Perdo Mentem spells that can help avoid a fight, such as Calm the Motion of the Heart. There are a number of Perdo spells that may be used to make indirect attacks, bypassing the opponent's Magic Resistance. Pit of the Gaping earth is one example, and it may also be used to create defensive trenches and the like. Dispelling magic is a Perdo effect. High level Perdo effects can even remove properties of objects, making them behave in unusual but useful ways. For example, a highlevel Perdo Corpus spell can make a person weightless.

In spite of its greater versatility, the School of Apromor does have weaknesses. Most attacks in the School of Apromor need to penetrate Magic Resistance. Magi who follow the school must therefore devote scarce study time to the Penetration Ability and to Spell Mastery. This is somewhat offset by the greater variety of indirect attacks available in the School of Apromor: if one can't penetrate an enemy's Parma Magica, one can perhaps harm him by collapsing the building on top of him (End of the Mighty Castle, ArM5, page 155).

The School of Apromor requires a magus to learn several different Forms in order to affect different kinds of opponents. Perdo Corpus spells are no good against demons or animals, for instance. Followers of the School of Apromor gain the best Penetration Totals by trying to balance their study between Perdo, the Forms, and the Abilities of Penetration and Spell Mastery. This makes it one of the most study intensive schools. Magi must choose their priorities, often placing a primary emphasis on Perdo and Penetration, and a secondary emphasis on important Forms and Mastery of particular spells. The more narrowly a magus concentrates on the Forms, the more he sacrifices of the school's inherent versatility.

The School Of Boreas

RECOMMENDED VIRTUE: Puissant Ignem or Puissant Perdo

The School of Boreas relies on the single Form Technique combination of Perdo Ignem. Boreas was a ninth century magus descended from Flambeau through the line of Apromor. He sought to bridge the apparent schism in his lineage by developing a school of combat that was accessible both to followers of Flambeau and followers of Apromor.

Most magi find the School of Boreas too narrowly defined to be very interesting. Even the School of the Founder is broader and more versatile. The School of Boreas does have its advantages, so followers of other schools sometimes rely on it as a secondary attack form.

Cold and darkness are narrow enough areas for each to qualify as a Minor Magical Focus (ArM5, pages 46-47). Magi who enjoy Virtues in those areas can be highly effective when using this school.

As simple as Boreas's idea seems, cold based spells do avoid some of the weaknesses of both the School of the Founder and the School of Apromor. Cold spells that go astray can't set buildings on fire. Cold can damage most living things with a single Form, reducing the need for a follower of Apromor to learn multiple Forms in order to affect people, animals, and faeries. In this respect, Boreas succeeded in his attempt to create a school of combat that would appeal to both major lineages within his House.

Like the schools of the Founder and of Apromor, attacks in the School of Boreas need to penetrate Magic Resistance. Because the School of Boreas emphasises only one Form Technique combination, it requires less study to master than does the School of Apromor. Some young Flambeau magi choose to specialise in the School of Boreas early in their careers and then diversify into using the School of Apromor as they become more skilled in multiple Forms.

The main limitation of the School of Boreas is the very limited assortment of spells available in the Arts of Perdo Ignem. It does include spells of darkness, which can be useful for stealth. Perdo Ignem spells do less damage than Creo Ignem spells of similar magnitude, but they are approximately as effective as Perdo Corpus spells.

The School of Ramius

RECOMMENDED VIRTUE: Warrior

The School of Ramius seeks to ignore an opponent's Magic Resistance altogether by relying on nonmagical, physical attacks. The school uses magic to enhance the magus's own combat ability, usually emphasising magical defence rather than offence. Ramius was a midrank member of House Tremere who defected to House Flambeau after the Sundering of Tremere in 848 AD. He was skilled in mundane ArM5 as well as in magic. Ramius asserted that the emphasis on overcoming Magic Resistance led magi to overspecialise, which diminished their effectiveness both as wizards and as warriors. He went to Iberia and joined House Flambeau's struggle against the Moorish wizards, where he perfected his method of using mundane attacks supported by magical enhancements.

The School of Ramius does not favour spells such as Edge of the Razor or Blade of the Virulent Flame to improve a magus's physical attacks. When a weapon is enchanted by such spells, Magic Resistance can stop it. Instead, followers of Ramius prefer mundane steel and use magic to improve their defences or general fighting effectiveness. Some popular spells within the school are Doublet of Impenetrable Silk (ArM5, page 118); Steed of Vengeance (ArM5, page 119); Gift of the Bear's Fortitude (ArM5, page 131); Endurance of the Berserkers (ArM5 p. 134), Shriek of the Impending Shafts (ArM5 page 136), Ward Against Heat and Flames (ArM5, page 143), and Veil of Invisibility (ArM5, page 146). Personal wards (warding spells with parameters of Personal/Sun/Individual rather than Touch/Ring/Circle) are also very commonly used to protect either against weapons or against supernatural creatures.

One of the main advantages of the School of Ramius is that it does not require its followers to specialise in any particular Arts. With no need to develop high Penetration Totals, its followers can be more eclectic in their choice of Arts and spells. Followers of Ramius tend to prefer Arts that are not normally associated with spells of attack: Muto for improving their armour and defences, Rego for personal wards, and Corpus for self improvement and healing.

Another distinctive trait of the School of Ramius is its emphasis on defence rather than attack. Instead of concentrating on the Penetration Ability, followers of Ramius often emphasise Parma Magica. Parma Magica provides an excellent all-round defence that can be enhanced even further by using selected magical wards. Ramius pointed out that a magus who neglects his defences will easily fall to a magical counterattack if his opponent survives the first spell.

The School of Ramius is even more unobtrusive than the School of Apromor. A magus can usually cast his protective and combat-enhancing spells before a battle starts, reducing both the chance of being identified as a wizard and the risk of a botch or failed Concentration roll in the heat of battle.

A follower of Ramius can be even more effective in combat when supported by a trained group of grogs. A daring magus may choose to act as the vanguard, bearing the brunt of enemy attacks in the hope that his magical protections will leave him undamaged.

The School of Ramius lacks magical attacks. It is ineffective against opponents who are too physically powerful to be damaged by swords, so it is much better against mundanes and renegade wizards than against giants or large dragons.

There is another weakness unique to the School of Ramius: the magus's own Parma Magica can prevent him from casting spells on himself. Spells of Personal Range always bypass the caster's own Magic Resistance (ArM5 page 85), but Touch and VoiceRange spells are resisted. Some followers of Ramius prefer to learn or invent PersonalRange variants of common spells, though this limits the spells' usefulness. Another solution is to invest the

PersonalRange effect into one's Talisman: a Talisman is considered part of its creator, so Personal effects in the Talisman can affect its wielder (see ArM5 page 98). Followers of the School of Ramius often prefer Talismans in the shape of armour, clothing, or jewellery, leaving both hands free to wield weapons and shields.

The School of Ramius is popular with magi whose sense of honor leads them to scorn ranged attacks as ignoble.

The Schools of Sebastian

RECOMMENDED VIRTUE: Magical Focus (Major or Minor)

The Schools of Sebastian are a family of schools that rely on conjuring harmful objects or substances using Forms other than Ignem. Sebastian was an eighth century hedge wizard who joined the Order as a member of House Flambeau. He accomplished the unusual feat of learning Hermetic magic after having been trained in a non-Hermetic tradition, but he was hampered by several Deficient Arts. Sebastian developed a method of fighting that played to his only strength, the Form of Aquam.

"Schools of Sebastian" is really a catchall name for a large number of minor schools based on unusual Forms: the School of Ebroin, based on conjuring animals; the School of Marosa, based on Herbam attacks; and so on. Even members of House Flambeau have trouble keeping track of so many tiny schools (some of which have only one living adherent), so "Schools of Sebastian" has emerged as a generic term. The actual School of Sebastian was only the first and most famous of these minor schools.

Most members of the Sebastian family of schools have a Magical Focus (either Major or Minor) and design their attacks to take advantage of that Focus. The schools are also attractive to magi who want to specialise in Arts other than Perdo or Ignem. Such Arts can have significant noncombat uses.

Like the schools of the Founder and of Apromor, the Schools of Sebastian depend on the ability to penetrate Magic Resistance. They tend to offer spells that do less damage compared to Ignem spells of similar magnitude. The schools remain a good choice for magi who want to specialise in certain Forms (Animal, Aquam, Herbam, or Terram). They are commonly used outside House Flambeau by magi who think of themselves as specialists rather than combatants, but who want to be ready to defend themselves.

The School of Vilano

RECOMMENDED VIRTUE: Puissant Finesse or Cautious With Ability (Finesse)

The School of Vilano relies on indirect attacks that bypass Magic Resistance. An example of an indirect attack is using magic to levitate a rock over someone's head, then dropping the rock. Several examples of indirect attacks are given in ArM5, page 86.

Vilano was a ninth century Flambeau magus from Istria in the Transylvanian Tribunal. He suffered from the Hermetic Flaw Weak Magic but remained determined to prove himself in battle. Vilano was the first member of House Flambeau to succeed using only indirect spells, most famously when he slew the Green Dragon of Labin by crushing it with two falling trees. His tactics have been widely emulated both within and outside his House.

Using indirect spells allows a follower of Vilano to attack any opponent regardless of how strong its Magic Resistance may be. Members of this school don't need to worry about using low magnitude spells in order to get a better Penetration Total: they may bring their mightiest spells to bear against even the most powerful opponent. This makes the School of Vilano surprisingly effective.

The School of Vilano is very popular as a secondary school, to be used when a magus's primary attack doesn't work. It is probably the most commonly used school of magical combat in the Order as a whole, for it requires neither specific Arts nor Mastery of any spells. This makes it attractive to magi who want some combat capability but are unwilling to dedicate many seasons to improving their Penetration Totals.

Like all schools, the School of Vilano has its weaknesses. The selection of indirect spells is fairly limited (see sidebar) and many of them only work under specific circumstances. For example, Cascade of Rocks can do a lot of damage, but only if one's opponent happens to be standing on a steep hillside or at the base of a cliff. Magi usually try to compensate by choosing a few versatile spells that can be used anywhere (Invisible Sling of Vilano is popular; see New Spells in the Rules section of this chapter) and by making sure they have the broadest possible repertoire of spells to cover various situations.

Indirect spells generally need to be aimed, and can miss. A good score in the Finesse Ability reduces but does not eliminate that risk. A less obvious consequence of aiming is that indirect spells require two stress rolls (one to cast the spell and another to aim it) and therefore have two chances to botch.

Most indirect spells do fairly low damage. They are good for trapping or wounding opponents, but may have trouble ending a fight quickly (unless the caster is fortunate enough to bury his opponent under an avalanche). The great risk is that one's opponent might still be able to make effective counterattacks. Some followers of Vilano develop strong magical defences, perhaps combining their tactics with ideas from the School of Ramius. Others use invisibility when they fight, to make it difficult for the enemy to attack them. A third option is to rely on shield grogs to protect the magus long enough that he can fully neutralise the enemy.

Many followers of Vilano make extensive use of enchanted items in addition to spells. One of the main limitations of enchanted items is their generally weak Penetration, but the tactics of this school circumvent that problem.

House Flambeau Acclaim

Magi of House Flambeau measure their relative prestige by an informal system of House Acclaim. This is somewhat similar to the House Acclaim system used within House Bonisagus, though of course Flambeau magi gain renown for tournament victories and deeds of valour, not writing books and doing lab work.

House Acclaim is a free Reputation that every Flambeau magus gains at the start of play. Most characters begin with a House Acclaim of zero, but those who choose the Famous Virtue (or other Virtues that grant a favourable Reputation) may apply its benefits to House Acclaim. Unlike the Acclaim system of House Bonisagus, House Flambeau's Acclaim is a Hermetic Reputation, potentially known to everyone in the Order.

Noteworthy deeds of prowess, valour, and honor are rewarded with experience points in the House Acclaim Reputation. However, a member of House Flambeau may never rest on her laurels: unlike other Reputations, House Acclaim can diminish over time if the character fails to continue an illustrious career. Furthermore, ignoble acts can seriously damage a magus's House Acclaim. Loss of House Acclaim is handled by taking away experience points instead of adding them. It is not possible to have a negative House Acclaim, but if a magus with zero House Acclaim performs an ignoble act, he gains a bad Reputation according to the normal Reputation rules (ArM5, page 167).

In order for a deed to grant experience points in House Acclaim, it must be done in front of witnesses. They need not be members of House Flambeau, as long as they are credible and are likely to tell of the magus's accomplishments.

Example Acclaim Awards

Flambeau magi can gain experience in House Acclaim just as they can in any other reputation. Certain remarkable deeds can result in the gain or loss of more than one experience at a time. The following are some example awards and penalties; the storyguide should feel free to make ad hoc awards for other glorious (or despicable) achievements that become known to other members of the house.

Action	Experience points
Exceptional Gauntlet	25
Participating in a Wizard's March	1
Winning a meaningful certamen (outside tournament)	1
Winning certamen against a more senior magus	1
Competing in a magical tournament	1
Fighting bravely in Wizard's War	13
Winning a Wizard's War	2 x highest reputation of opponent
Finalist in a magical tournament	+2
Champion in a magical tournament	+2
Slaying a renounced magus	3 x highest reputation of opponent
Slaying a supernatural beast	Might/5
Each year without gaining any acclaim point	-1
Dismal tournament performance	-3
Appearance of dishonesty or cowardice	-1 or more per incident
Losing certamen (outside a tournament)	-1
Losing certamen against a more junior magus	-1 (cumulative)