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    Idoc - Pub WW Mage 3e Tradition Book Order of Hermes Revisedpdf

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    Joel Carreira

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    ee ee ‘ES a y B @ Geek + 0 a © $ 8 a a = = 5 g 8 4 a Bl) = § FE — G E a Authors: Stephen Michael DiPesa and Phil Brucato. ‘World of Darkness created by Mark Rein® Hagen Storyteller game system designed by Mark Rein Hagen, Development: Bill Bridges Editing: Ana Balka Art Direction: Aileen E, Miles Interior Art: Leif Jones, Jeff Laubenstein, Alex Sheikman, Melissa Uran Cover Arts Christopher Shy Front and Back Cover Design: Aileen E. Miles Layout and Typesetting: Aileen E. Miles 1554 LITTON DR STONE MOUNTAIK, GA 30083 USA Came StuDiO ©2003 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission ofthe publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be reproduced for personal use only, White Wolf, Vampire, Vampire the Masquerade, Vampire the Dark Ages, Mage the Ascension, Hunter the Reckoning, World of Darkness, Exalted, and Aberrant are registered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Ine. All rights reserved. Werewolf the Apocalypse, Wraith the Oblivion, Changeling the Dreaming, Werewolf the Wild West, Mage the Sorcerers Crusade, Wraith the Great War, Trinity, The Swashbucklers Handbook, Guide to the Traditions, Tales of Magick High Adventures, Dark Ages Mage, The Fragile Path, The Book of Chantris, Tradition Book Order of Hermes, Tradition Book Sons of Exher, Forged by Dragon's Fite, and Blood Treachery are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc Al rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing, Inc ‘The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages isnot a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction ‘and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised, Fora free White Wolf catalog call 1-800-454-WOLF. Check out White Wolf online at htp:/wwew.white-wolf.com; alt.games.whitewolf and ree.games.frp storyteller PRINTED IN CANADA. TRAD 1 OOF ORDER HERMES GENTENTS PR@L@GUE: RENEGADE INTR@DUCTICN: PHOENIX FROMTHE FLAMES CHAPTER I: LIGHTNING AND SERPENTS CHAPTER II: THE MILL AND THENX7@RD CHAPTER III: THE W/ AY. ©F PYITANDER. | EPIL@GUE: DANCE WITH THE DEVIL CenTeNTs ae ee ee Jo eyes reflectednone ofthe desperate gleam of mines. Even his Soeur pa cami oth tn ai ofthe hopelent mundane, He smiled weakly ashe tuted to face Augustus Buhiegs es Goa oes ofr a fia oe we Rs ipblondcd ihand “Peale he wid cal, i boi ‘workplace colleague en route to the elevator. Augastusdid peticlax, did nod glgiad oft Glock 17 holed ach i "Richa ts Wins "ad Ata evel but cet Sac noe Pembroke ei Rich Pics, kr Fg javes feral kip romecaln abr lbealc temo rn Pelee with you then. Ths wl me anche ve mide Aegis doviy drehisgin,Soething inthe Fame ld ‘him that, although be was perfectly lucid, he had no intefftion of leayiing Sefrelas wrt hee wisdre Ponting on dowavadl caine the Tyalan preate *Rchad tine lear no. en hc a ree kT angry" Richard absently studied an uireinarkable,éxpanse of gorrider wall. tel Reed aien fom hs conta peed exe He tdarcedovecnincohenigs, seb leggy suet Aart Fa tah hr eed 0. expecedyouthuneeotand, Sh efi “The nod lg Ano pete eh ceo baa ia oft Hebd teed a ery wo Rhone ove eae az when the man a ben lee rl en then he peop i mantenbip in Howe Fa 6 Yor two. weeks aftef the Tectmocmtic raid, they bad provenimiore than happy gi okt SavAdept verging ce Mgr ar er ne Rchdidconinued, "Neo alls inthe OREM ng sce che tn cnner ince etepecaly ser tT Tea en oy bear, ein recgE one IF sc ven Ags hing down hese Teckocr, woulse just dliseraring to the Sleepers tlt the tools of the Technocracy are Mirco cn tabwethy SSptlen thon the Orr of Reason Gs finde oy at tobe, Slt Ju cn sete lagi i ha” Bt arackor power ey Rica” Augie, now ring the chy, “Yet burdands— not of hounds of pope” leer," Richa hioered, locking pained and achamed thowgh Foch tv sen at tcl tae dec Stic rouse ped floes oe caught nthe allesone Lara ot poof ain Scilgeatroke” "Phen sp dng i” Angus spit, eoing esl thi on , fguow Pemboke”ichrd retorted; ner ling tht blow Gear lattale"rcallappgainct ha very thing wih an Beak igh bere ce ry tby lin cb foe Pee, spall ray sweater, now stained with the blood 1 could thik o say le’ the kindof thing » deperate man says when inevitability Baton co searll bmn sharers world” “Fortena pis these Sleepers forthe deaho of your wife god Augustus shot hock, now beginning ta rin teough As Vir rags ins head, Once, Richard had Bon a reat imjteris of the Ars Phare, Hat now his command of foundation Sphere had grown to elo even his considerable knonledge of the Pine ats “Pm not punishing them, Pembroke,” Richard Said, as though ex- laining the matter co achik.“'m yng hel them piece the sien sf cmforandsaery thas stranglingthe hime dd agai, weave seen ther only fear and the threat of pain have the power to mbve the {Sipe to change perspective. Do youngres that we have a dity to protect them, Pembroke?” OF course,” the Tytslan epi Blehee chuckled gimly“And what fyouhad tallow hamtocoie to a thousénd of them in otder fo give a milion the scrgth to save themel ea What des yoo Tyels tang ell you at barangay sweabnes andthe srvivol of thefts” “My cessing” Avguzus asked. He then returned Richard's blk sind. "iellsmethat your maces sawesknes witinigarOrderand chat Jeu carpaie of ebcion dies tonight” Jubtthen, however Augustusstippedup. ln thecoursecfmentally reciting oetcourtenmagi hegiey tees ro ables fh pale Iw no leucer than a whisperedumater, bx Aug di ne doube chat Richard a recreates onal Fee BArd, strangelysfillat hot appear to be coficemed in the slightest, gO etter rn, al drainer Ne Re udlgete cha vinen ddecomnspite Trakrsoon SR crc cousunct cane ogee naps CPG ee cincsashrenle Ac iterdclgcitncysenoce cde caer nas fog igs ped rhe ged Acco Tre Tyee hing andre esha craigsa lk Sapo ol cg eens ead oar Be a apenas Sie seat Ret powell enieelog wlEin Hae geNiie ac stiches cbt Aghecomndad i agi) icallelpii teen pos hp, enn arb "Acro ing ll 0? atic ttc core nd bute ol “Tardis erated Hace eer einnceettsodagpieemieee credo cena bored Ang Babb Tyla he Seabee Powe: Pa happen or pete al sy eee prmange ees PR@L@GUE: RENEGADE 5 HRM) F PRAT AT TT ae aa eine eters eft, Dies — Master Porthos Fits-Empress, The Fragile Path V SeTr ls Dene Nec puis Necflamma. (Nox Dest Nor Flam¢. Nor Tempest. Nor Fear.) NeTAIEN @e.DUsT Questtongholdilies intruins. Our enemies are ascendant. ‘A cower is greater than the sum of its stones. Even if those stones crumble, the grand design remains. ‘Acumbled tower can be rebuilt. And Purpose resolute, Time is on our side — time, and the wisdom of the ages. Webearthe threefold name of Hermes: He who was the god of messengers and thieves; the Thrice-Greater One who shaped the Cor- pus Hermeticum; and the Thrice-Greater-Than-He Hermetic spirit who crackles even now in the tenor of cour times. Al chree lend inspiration to the workings of our Art, All three are immortal. And all three bear the flame of insight and the seal of secrecy. Hermes, in all aspects, is thought. Speed. Luck. Trickery. He's the truth behind illusions that leads to more illusions still. A living labyrinth, he whips across the cosmos in paths too puzzling to comprehend. Like the thunderstroke of the Kabbalah, Hermes flies from sgodhood to matter; like its serpent, he climbs again back todivinity. Heis lightningand serpent, clarity and trickery. He isgold and quicksilver, flashingbrighteven. on the darkest days ‘And we share his light, even in the darkest worlds. Tothose whothink theyknowus, weare graybeards and eaters of dust. Wrapped in brocade and sequestered in crumbling archives, we're said to mumble away our years in ancient nonsense. At times, such conceptions have seemed true. But now, from the ashes of our forebears flies a new Hermetic Order — one that shall ignite the era that has dawned. For now, more than ever, we live in the age of Hermes. Ideas hurtle the length of a world in seconds; sheer will crafts worlds of light and formulae; children play with toys that leap time and space, and their elders design their lives around such toys. That such play- things ape the tools of Technocratic rivals cannot lisguise the Hermetic cruth behind them: knowledge is reality — and neither one has limits. Hermes is master of thought and vision. He scoffs at mortal boundaries. And like him, we leap obstacles that clog the paths of lesser men. Weare the wind in the lock. The spark within the sun. Bach droplet in the sea calls our name; each stone upon the earth lends us strength. No chains of matter or magic can shackle Hermes. And none shall hinder us. The only limit we accept is Will. And no one understands true Will like us. TH@USAND-YEAR SURVIVORS Having conceived chat nothingisimpossible wo you, consider yourself immental and able 10 understand everything, all art, all leaming, the temper of every living thing... and when ‘you have understood all these at once — times, places, things, qualities, quantities — then you can understand God —Mind, from the Corpus Hermeticum For over 1000 years, the Order of Hermes has been the mystic Tradition. The Akashics may boast an older fellowships the witches might prac- tice elder Arts; the shamans can date their ways to the dawn of time. Regardless, itis the sonsand daughters of Hermes who define the western magical tradition, whose shadowshave loomed overeveryone from Aleister Crowley to Harry Potter. So what the hell happened to them? In the last decade, while other groups watched their stars rise in the cultural firmament, while the Sleepers themselves embraced magic in waysnot seen since medieval times, the Houses of Hermes trembled co their foundations. Devastated by attacks from without and treachery from within, the Order's proud wizards have been force-fed humble pie and generous helpings of crow. And yet... Anyone who counts the Onder out is very badly mistaken. Despite catastrophes, Hermes’ descendants remain one of the most potent forces in the magical world, Likea corporation whose ranks have been purged by scandal, the Order has retrenched and reorganized. ‘Outsiders might see the same old wizards huddled in their robes, but there's a new heart beating beneath those vestments — the lion’s heart of true survivors. For the Hermetic magi have always been survivors. ‘When Gnosticsagescomposed the Corpus Hermeticum, they considered themselves last bastions of Egyptian wisdom; the founders of the current Order preserved their Arts in a barbarian world; the wisards of the Convocation boasted noble lineage in a world spinning ‘out of control; and now, with magic steeped culture, the Hermetics of this Reckoning Age know it's their determination alone chat keeps the ancient se- crets strong. For centuries, these wizards have trumpeted tradi- tion as the saving grace of magic. Yet in part, it’s the Hermetic devotion to tradition that’s caused the cur- rent mess. Fusty old wizards and labyrinthine ways almost destroyed the Order, and did destroy many of its ‘most notorious members. Tradition may indeed be vital, but as the Hermetic survivors have learned, not all Old Ways are necessarily the Best Ways So what does a survivor do when old methods fail? Change methods ‘And how might that survivor change methods while remaining true to his traditions? ‘Ab, now that’s a challenge. ‘And for over 1000 years, meeting challenges is what the Order of Hermes does best. ‘THEME; REBIRTH UNT® PERFECTION In the Hermetic art of alchemy, lesser substances are transformed into gold; symbolically, the “lesser sulbstance” isthe mage and the gold” represents Ascen- sion. Expand the metaphor further, and youcansee the object in question as the Order of Hermes itself Stretch, abit, and it becomes the Council of Magekind; stretch, a bit more, and it becomes humanity as whole. Yer there’sa step in alchemy that few folk recall: putrefaction, the breakdown that precedes perfection. The subject of transformation quite literally turns to shit before ic starts changing into gold. And although it’s noe very politic ro say so out loud, many Hermetic mages have begun to see the disasters of the last few decades as the putrefaction of the Order — a vile necessity leading to a higher state. And if this is true, then the best is yet to come — for the Order, for the Traditions, and forthe world at large. Everything's gone into the crapper, but it’s heading to the stars and beyond. And so, as the survivors of the Ascension War and itsfallout shake the ashes from their sleeves, they begin the hard but necessary work of turning shit into gold. Already, the glimmers begin to show: eager new re- ‘ruits, strearnlined organization, and a sense of purpose thar’s been lacking for generations. The cranky old Merlins that have stymied the Order for so long are history; their heirs are searching the dung heap for treasures, and with those secrets, have already begun to craft a City of Pymander in this turbulent new era... a city built of fresh-minted gold. Toop; DEFIANT EUPHORIA Shit stinks. So does the lot of the current mystic generation, shaken by their elders’ failure, swamped to the waist in sewage. Yet while other folks might whine about the injustice ofitall, the Hermetic survivorshave been galvanized by the Order's misfortunes. Doissetep's ruin provides their opportunity. For too long, the Arx Hermeticum — the meta- phorical fortress of Hermes that provided a real power hase for its members — protected strong and ancient sorcerers. Young mages aspired togreatness, but the line to that summit was long and stubborn. Under old Masters’ tutelage, progress within the Order was mea- sured not in years but in decades or centuries. A small but powerful faction of corrupt insiders kept challeng- ersslippingiin their own blood, and the very heart of the Order was clogged with excess protocol. But now the ancient Order has broken and a new breed has set up shop in the Arx Hermeticum. The cracking of old walls simply gives its new residents new building material. Now, for the first time in centuries, there's room within the Order to move, to grow — to improve the sacred fellowship and invoke the spirit of Hermes once again. There'll be a lot of shit to wade through, but these proud young mages are ready for the chore. CONTENTS PSS And the words written om my heart ‘were in the letter for me to read. By | remembered that I was the som of kings 74 And my free soul longed for its own kind. SS — “The Hymn of the Pearl” (anony- mous Gnostic fable) In years past, anyone hoping to under- stand the Hermetic Path beheld a maze of arcane triviaand choking formality. Now, though, time is "sy WREL ty short. The days when a would-be Hermeticist couldspend decades sequestered with his tomes are gone. (So, for that matter, are many of the tomes in question...) A new aspirant must hit the ground running, and so a shorter, more casual overview supplants the old minutiae: * Chapter I: Lightning and Serpents spans the millennia-old Path of Hermes. Like the Kabbalistic serpent that glides from earth to godhood, this Path rises from the dust and ascends the Tree of Being; and like the thunderbolt chat strikes from Crown to King- INTR@DUCTION: PHOENIX FROMM THE FLAITIES 9 . ro ¢ stan tats Cac Gab t dom, it crackles down from the seat of perfection to the mire of humanity. [’s a two-way journey, this strange passage, but the children of Hermes the Messenger can expect no less * Chapter II: The Will and the Word reveals the inner secrets of the Order, from the degrees of attain- ment and the Laws of Pymander that govern behavior and justice, to the Houses themselves — the Greater and the Lesser — and the philosophy behind the Ars ‘Magicae. Also revealed are new manners of communi- cating with astral spirits and binding them into pacts. © Chapter Il: The Way of Pymander shows the Heretics themselves, from Archmasters to Initiates. A sample cabal— the Teaching Staff ofthe Straussen Acad- cemy — is provided, along with tip for storytelling Order of Hermes chronicles, Eight emplate characters flesh out the living, modem traditions of the venerable Order. Truly, this is a watershed age for the Houses of Hermes. Not since the Renaissance has there been s0 auch freedom, so much possibility, so much at stake and yet s0 much to gain The Path of ritual magic has never been easy. Ie requires heroic levels of self-mastery. Few modern pur- suits — save military Special Forces — demand such dedication. But like the hardy souls who pass boot camp, young initiates of the Hermetic Order share a bond of admiration that comes only through hard work and sacrifice. Now, as its internecine struggles become bad memories, the Orderssparse ranksswell with pride. ‘The tower has been shaken. But has it fallen? Never. Hermes is alive and well. ‘The Order is eternal. st Seay’ iM ath Mderol. Older mages still use ancient formalities pith one another, but even they have bowed to the necessity of quick communications and simplified ‘Adam Kadmon: The Primordial Man, reflecting he Divine within humanity. Seen asa guide to godly fection captured within the imperfect human form. Art (or Ars): Magic; a Sphere o the magic performed with one, (See Chapter Il: The Will and the Word for Hermetic Sphere names.) ArxHermeticum: Symbolically, the structure of the Order and the strength of its resolve. Literally #Fortressof Hermes,” itwas ltenequatedtoDoissetep; like Doissetep, this Fortress has not been demol- ed, simply reorganized. Bani: “Of thé House of”; an honorific used ex- sively in titles buton its way out in all bu the most mal conversations. Also used t0 address membérs ‘of other Traditions (Aria, ban! Eestasy) in diplomatic situations. (Note: Few Hermetics ever use the ex- tended versions of other Tradition names in formal acldress; instead, bani covers “Brotherhood,” “Cult hildren of,” “Sons of,” and so fo e. “Kannagara, bani Akashica’’ ‘athe Kannogar, bani Akashic Brothethood.”) Enochian: The language of thé spirits, suppos- edly handed down from Umbrood lords. More likely, 2 secret language cobbled together by Renaissance Masters, then “tegfed” by various sages and dupes until the kinks were worked out of it. Instruments: Magical tools, ie, foci (a term no Hermetic mage would ever use!) Massasa: Vampire. Old term repopularized by the recent difficulties with the Tremere. uicksand? apcterm for Herinetic politics, Sephierah: “Spheres”; the 10 Kabbalistic crowns. or aspects of Divinity withinCreation. Also Sed ay f terra for the Nine Spheres (below), with Kether being the “lost” 10th Sphere. Twilight: Quiet Wing: The Internet, named for the wings of Hermes and used as both’ noun (*T've been tiding the wing this morning”) and a verb ("Were You winging when I called earlier?”). ®uTMe@dED TERS (RARELY USED BY DERN HERITIETICS) Circlus Abstrusus: The now-fallen inner circle of Hermetic Archmasters, cracked by Doissetep’sy ruin and wrecked during the Concordia War. City of Pymander: The shining city of Hermetic idealism; magical*Utopia guided by hidden WH Archmasters. Considered a naive, if noc utterly ab- surd, goal these days, the Pymander concept still has its adherents. ‘Covenant: Old form for Chatty: still used by some new-generation romantics. Domus Magnus: The home base” of an ind? Vidual Hermetic Houses Heka; Magic. Mater: “Mother” traditional addressfora female. mentor. Parma Magica: “Mayic shield” —céuinte?magic. Once:sed as a symbol of Hermetic solidarity, fut: undermined by recent creacheries, Patert “Father”; a male mentor. Sa: Favors or obligation; from magical fluids i Egyptian lore. (Vulgarly referreditoas“Janissary juice” by those who bitterly recall Caron’ Mustai.) a wi 2 BS aC ES Valentinus of Alexandria THE DANCING TAGE ‘Once, there was a wisard — a fine, upstanding cchap with wings on his and the fire of God buming in his heart. In youth, this wizard crackled with bright promise and gen erosity. He made fiends, built homes, carved an and words in his head like crowded ‘roun and laughi Ac first, he cried bitter tears cursing everyone known. But thing broke within him ik ep inside. A wash of pain shot through the wirard, chen in a lash was gone. From the place where he had fallen, the wizard rose up hale strong again. With blaring eyes, he punished those who'd rom him. With noble words, he spol 3 throughout the land. ec nent to his head an heyand: le wood. With dined him, His eneres fed idiot break Like a | him strong in youth ‘of gold charagod gavehim and thaewise fell poishedundlitshone. Gur Selananae seers 1 Mahe YEk fa Mig VEE wai ais ty ie a Babite et Iny 1 s Lan, need, our wizard drew his hear from beneath his robes and raised i to the sun. The gold began to glow, and light ‘embraced the land. Shadows fled and children giggled. With his heart of gold alof, the wizard rose into the sky. His heels spouted wings with which to dance across the clouds. His gray hair flared inco gold, and then to fire, and then to sunlight. The wizard became both ightand laughter athiefofdarkness. Inhisradiance, the children began to sing. Their song transformed the world ‘And so it was that the musty old wizard regained his youth, And thistime he swore he'd be careful where—andhow heavily —he walked! SACRED FIRE It's nice Lie fable. So how true is it? As true as our new Hermetic Order can make it. | can see from your expression that “dance” isnot exactly a verb that comes to mind when you think of Hermes’ Order. But thae’s my poinc: we dampened the vitality of the Great God Hermes, wrapped ic in sackcloth, and called that “enlighten. mene.” But Hermes himself was a trickster, a thief, a fleet ‘messenger who seemed todance upon the clouds, Looking down, ‘on the sad assemblage our Onder hod become, Hermes must have laughed his ass off. or eried his heart out. Or both. (You never ‘can tell with gods, especially those temperamental Greek ones.) ‘The Corpus Hermeticum itselfspeaks of singing in the soul, ofjoy and energy. Yet centuries of tradition have convinced us that to be truly a serious" magus, you must become s dusty old relic Tehas not always been thus. And it need not stay that way, Inthe frst days of our auguse Order, Hermetic lore lent tothehuman mind. Bucasdiscipline gave way to dogmatism, the ‘laze of inspiration guttered to a hidden flame. That fire could stil burn — and often did! Bue its luster paled on stronghold walls warming distant men gathered inthe name ofadying god. Like the wieard ofthe fable, our Masters grew corrupt. Torn by suspicion and intrigue, they husled theie brightest pupil in seclusion, or wasted them on pointless wars. To approach these wizards, you had to suffer text upon test. To dare the throne of Hermes, they said one muscprove che righ todoso. That right” became more and more diffeul to atain ‘And then i al blew up. Not long ago, thar scted flame became a holocaust. Con suming many of ts anciene tenders, it raged through every plane ‘known to man... and several more besides. By the time the blaze die down, the old Order was in embers. Like the Tower ofthe ‘Tarot, our proud Tradition had been shattered. But wislom cares greater weight than sone. Is trvia may bum lik the scrolls of Alexandria, bu true knowledges immortal And so, Hermetic mages hanked those raging fires sfed through the ruins, and — as previous survivors did — began to bul! anew. ‘Oh, we still have cranks among us, vituperative old toads whose venom hasbeen steeped by centuresof inertia But Hermes himsefisalive and well —active, boisterous filled with guile and aflame with inspiration. In hiswake,ifwe but follow, theokl gates will crash tothe ground and Sophia's garden will bloom anew. And che wizard may once again begin to dance. Forhim, and for our Order, che spring season has returned. Be@DY @F HERITIES: \X/ HERE Dees IT BEGIN? God, being male end female, beginning os bie ar lgh, gave bit, bythe Word, toate Now the (Creator ofthe worl he, beng the god of fr are, formed seven powers who encompass in thercrcles the sensory weld, and the governances of these powers is called Destiny —Poimandres, fromthe Corpus Hermeticum “ (¢ Nous, vital word in Hermetic though, BENE hiasrodirece English translation. Icconveyscon- sciousness, intellect, wisdom, perception, primal divinity and sophisticated ereacvity,and tmeansallyet none of these ching directly.) THE W/@RD 1AM said Voce, THAT 1AM ssbb st Rag dU cle sek ‘Logos was supreme — all words, songs and languages that would eeee aiese Waste agin alee tem the herve fling che Neching wth Al Irspoke in the void of possibility: che all-that-is-nothing yet sibtccome a ting tines laces de ele pegereapec mag eprapeeeyoyhea ty ged eas es] 4 apes ety 1 nh ‘And in darkness the Crown began to shine. And in that alow, there was light. For what is a Crown without a kingdom! What kingdom could there be in void? What lege might make Itself known ift didnot know Itself well enough to govern? And what gold might forge crown if earth itself did not exist! Al chings began from such conundrums: From a Voice where there was no form, in a kingdom where there were no subjects in a mind that knew not what it was, weaving music where there was no sound. ‘And lightning shattered that dark silence, andl Creation ‘was born. THE TREE OF LIFE From the heavens formed by the lighting flare, the Sephiroth (Spheres) beyan to chime. Thee songs marked elements of God, separate aspects made Divine One: * Kether, the Crown, consciousness and heart of God * Chokamah, Divine Wisdom * Binah, Understanding * Chesed, Merey '* Geburah, Severity * Tiphareth, eternal Beauty ‘© Netaach, Victory ‘* Hod, God's Splendor and that of Creation. + Yesod, the Foundation ofall world, ‘and Malluth, the Kingdom and moreal consciousness that is ruled by God and living things From themall sprang Otz Chaim, the Tree of Life, thar span cof being that cuns through all existence. All-present yer rooted ‘nowhere, this Tre joined heavensand worlds and spricintoone, A storm off inspiration struck. New lightning cracked from (Crown to Kingdom, searing paths from exch Sphere to the next, ‘lazing path of awareness through which Creator arced down to Created. Then from the Kingdom, twin serpents rose. Slithering, they aicended the Sephiroth from soil to supreme consciousness. Trailing che dirt of their bellies, they traveled the path of Divinity once mote, bringing knowledge of mortality to the Crown that can never die ‘And God became both lightning bole and serpent: mortal, yet etemally without death. ‘THE REGENTS AND ALL EARTHLY FRIIS In Its wisdorn, God beyat the seven Thrones, che Regents and their servitors. From this emanation came all gods and angels, the spits and the lesser Spheres, The heavens rang with ten million voices all raised in honor of the Crown, God then wrapped those songs within God's One Voice, and spun chem into elements. The Earthand Water, Fireand Air spooled out from the Sephiroth, forming sublime patterns and earthly forms. Gods spirit wove throughout them all, drawing them together, binding C ineffable perfection, This weave drew forth twin essences of God: Yahweh the Lon KingFather, and Shekinah the Great Queen Mother. From them all things descend: each man and wornan, each mortal beastor being, Every godor godess bears their perfectfacesjeach stir within a mortal breast recalls the union of their love. And the seas welled and the lands arose. The windsflowed down like a breath of song, and the fires lit the world’s core and shimmered doven fram endless skies. Then spirit breathed into them all and brought forth life upon the world ‘And God saw itall. And it was good. BREKEN PREMISES Yet the dire of the twin serpents’ pasage flaked away, becoming new and darker Spheres. In time, they blosomed black, ripened dry with obscene knowledge, chen shattered from theironn profanity. Within those midnight Sephiroth, new and terrible things were born — horrors in the mind of God, night- mares of self-knowledge. As these profane eggs broke to pieces, the terrors howled in their rage. Cast back by Gad into the shadow of Its soul, they became dark fears: demons and the Qlippoch (Shells), they endured. “Why forsake you us" they ered. “Are we noc aspects of ‘your Truth as well? Did you not birth us in your climb of self dkcovery, and are we not as dear to thee as all chose brighter thing” cation ina living weave —a Logos of Wig EN As But God dismissed them, saying *! am done with thee. 1 need thee not.” ‘Andthedemonshowledandsworetheydbe avenged. And ‘Creation trembled as God's bax! dreams emerged. Seas grew black with deep-bred things; earth trembled under giant strides; the skies hore furies of pestilence and ruin; the fires blared forth flaming horrors in mockery of Gods ‘And there were ages now lost, where elder race raised great cities thar soon toppled into destruction. Fine treasures were ‘wrought for peace and war, then cast aside by ime and memory Creation buekled, and the hosts of God demanded that light ‘extinguish darkness and sweep the Shells away. Then there were battles joined; gods warred and spirits quarreled; new mortal races sprang from light and shadow, some beautiful others piceous, sill others rereibl with rage. All ore howls of Divinity within them, and God wepc forthe miseresof| earth. ‘God's teats consumed the land. Her sorrow rent the skies; His wrath blazed sky-fire inthe heavens, where light and datk- ness were devoured The angels screamedforpunishment;demens cried out for justice. Despite the ruin they had wrought, God had pity on the dare kin. For they, too, were aspects bom ftom Divine passage “Thou art apart of me," God said. “I cannot deny thee now. For asthereispleasue, there must be pain; asthereisjoy,there must ‘be anguish, Each thing that lives mus die, each dead thi arise again. For Lam All, and no thing is outsile me. Sail, chese demons were disturbing, shades of things God Aid nor want to learn. Sood madeplaesforthem inthe hidden comers of Creation, lent them the disonance between clear ‘tes of song, gave chem daminion ofcorruption and mastery of dou. ‘And Creation was whole again, light and darkness, certor and inspiration, Yet God helda price upon their peace: thac those whodared to face the terrors bore by dariness and light both could command dhe legions ofeach aspect. And soit was in time, that ‘mortal men could seek and sometimes find dominion over the spirie world Recall this tale, you who would be wise. For even God has doubts, and even Paradise has shadows. That which we dismiss sul gnaws within cur wuls. Best to make some peace with our demons, lest their distractions crack ws from within. ITIAN GR@WS FRET W/ISDeIns SEED Ages passed. Elder races thrived, then stumbled, becoming coze and ashes. Theie kingdoms were forsaken, thet legacies dismissed. The world moved on, age to age, iodiferent in perfection. Allhigh racespeished or moved beyond thisearthly plane All aces save our ow, From whence dd mankind spring? Were we bred a pets in some Garden, shadowy forbidden trees!Orwere wenurtured (CHAPTER @NE: LIGHTNING AND SERPENTS oe ty faylead PYPC yy MART Uh AUP oe, bY by Promethean flame till we rose to meet the gods? Were we coffpringoftwo elderraces, joined inloveor conquest? Ordid we slough of skins of animals to rejoin Divine repast? So many tales, s0 many possibilities It's been said that mankind raised great cities, too, in the dlays when light and darkness warred: or that we served greater beings, wrapped like dogs in the caprice of our masters. The truth sinks beneath shrouds of myth whatever the case, we survived where they did not Myths passed into history, The world of gods gave way to worlds of men. Our forebears crafted alphabets ae agriculture, trade and treasure. Tribes became villages; villages grew ocities; those citiesswelled to nation-states;and those begat civilizations — the Ubaids, the Uruks, Sumerians, Alekads.... There were ‘wars and plagues starvationsand prosperity. Attimes,tscemed, man was a flower on the verge of an abyss. But if so, our flower possessed hardy roots. And gradually we grew into a forest. ‘Three gifts ensured mankind’ survival: the imagination to ‘create, the technology torefine,and the willto triumph over all. From these things flow all human achievements: art, craft, wit, device, language, writing, philosophy... and magic most of ll For magic weaves these separate things in one, reaching toward Divinity with the legacies oftman. Magic is the lightning and the serpents both, blazing from on high to illuminated ‘most humble, then racing back again to regain the Crown of God. From wisdom's seed grew triple gardens: the discipline ro drow magic from within; the cleverness to cratitin device; and the courage to demand it from outside entities. The finest Ars crmployed them all, wrapping inner stength with outer power, then binding it into talismans Shamans and witches, arisns and priests tended each garden according to cheir needs. duals undamertal’y no diferent from the Supreme “— Clement Salaman, fiom the translator? forward to he Way of Hermes ‘Within each human form, there's aroadmap to God The ‘tick isto find i, follow it, and reach Ascension through i. Fy According to clasic forthe human body teflectsheav= Hortzon and our Ne (Other Archmasters left their mi ‘men —for good and ill Mester Porthos was the diplomat. Though half-mad and ‘occasionally murderous, he had an eye on the future and kind: words forthe young. Irs been said that his tottered sanity cam from self-awareness: Porthos knew his age and power drew him ved itwith missionary eal. In thar pursuit, he became all that he saw hindering out Tradition, bbutstll he knew tharifhe faltered, other Masters woul place and probably do worse Master almost every way. Despite affectationso lesser magesas 5, of course, but these three set the tone for the coming century further from Ascension, yet he pu eron was Porthos’ spawns, A conspirator through and through, he ed himself to destroying our Technocratie rival, yet lice for his Hermetic cou Porton and e him, they hs come 10 owed him, no one trusted him, and if anyone save Master Avis Malone han! Bonisagus dared o his death, Must all that was wrong with our Order. In life though, he never did so openly. Si epitomi was considered its greatest strength. ‘And then we have Sao Christa robably deserved betrer than his legacy. Our face before the ouncil, he served poorly indeed. Ie was Sao Christavao who salted the Iroquois, incensed the Verbena, and encouraged the acini to leave their seat and recur to their homelands for god. Abrasive, haughty and too powerful to ignore, he became “the Hermetic,” symbol forall we had become. Disgraced and removed (bodily) frombisCouncil yearby ‘our brethren in spite of many good dee: Porthos, heleftatodeasteamong he performed. x —brought down by tumbling ne, they presented Hermes’ face ‘not often well, but with all Alllthreemenhave: ‘Towers, one and all. Buc before the world. Noval CHAPTER @NE LIGHTNING AND SERPENTS 31 ey 4 the power they could bear. That power shaped the realms they welled within, the mages living there, and the very atmosphere of Hermes! chambers...an atmosphere that presaged a storm, ACENTURY @F STORMS ‘Queen Vietoria wos the herald of proverbial interesting times” During her lie, an interest in faeries, mysticism ad ancient Egypt arose against Industrial qualoe, This rebellion began nthe are 1800s, when pirinualiss occultissandarcheolor ists iitedSleepercorsciousnesswith dscoveriexanddaceptions Although the procession of cuts, prophets, ances, unkstes, “pharach'scurses." Penny Dreads sideshows, witches, Masonic lodges and other hokum hale rodowith Hermes, they proved that mankind wanted magic, desired magic. Victorian highsociety (in-which many of our Ordertaveled) may have hain mechanis- ‘ait burkeneath he siffacade,themortakeraval enchantment Ies been said the “seret and ascended masters” that in formed Dion Fortune, the Golden Dawn and others were of Hermetic origin. I don’ know, bu I doube t was the Order's plan. Some Masters may have used Ars Mentis to stir the brains ‘of moral paws, but most seemed to have beter things to do, Regardless the earthy mystics began to claim that weld for us again. The iron door of Reason began to creak. ‘And then it shattered. THEGREAT W/AR ‘Victoria's death set machines inmotion. The last kings took ‘oquanteling-Soon iron crows began to flap ther wings. Likes@ many other kings, the heals of empires beat their war-drums, sending soldiers marching. If they'd watched the United States, they might have known what to expect. ‘Gas. Machine-guns. Barbed wire and airplanes. Muddy trenches breeding filth. Boys herded inco meatgrinders called “no man’s land." Then pestilence om a global scale So much for order. So much forthe Machine. So much for the empires that had bred them both. By 1920, all was broken. ‘And then our War began in earnest. Youknowthetale: the Technocratic Orderdeclaredits Pogrom; cu Counc tome magic in the cracks of scence; the Mad Ones ‘blossomed and the Fallen conspired, and Reality went up for grabs. ‘The last century's Ascension battles recalled the Renais- ‘sance: unbridled courage and open war. Though “vulgar” magics remained hazardous, the new conflict allowed new rule. Like tmoral, we alopted feah technologies; the Sons of Ether and laterthe Adepts joined our Council, while the Technocrats sent theie machines against us. che bttle-lineshad been drawn thatclealy, things might havegone more logically. But war is never clear, and man istarely logical. The lines of nation and bigotry that lead ro hell on earth bind men and mages both. And so, when Hitler and his allies raised their swords, Hermes himself wos divided HERITIES AT THEGATES OF TROY Homer wrote of the Trojan W'ar, when friends slew friends and fathers slew daughters and great empires fell co ruins al for pride. Thar same pride and sense of destiny tore cur Couneiland the Technocrats in half. We were both Hector and Achilles, then — both strong and fal fie. Given time, I could recite a thousand names and tales of Hermetic mages who fought and died fo ithe freedom or the Nasi flag, Ie does us no great credit thar several prominent members af Baron von Sebottendor?’s Thule Society were Hermetic mages; then again, even more ofthem belongedto the Verbena Tradition. ‘There was plenty of blame to go around, and plenty cf bloed and honor shed before the greatest war in history was ove. Pethaps our brightest hour — our D-Day, as it were — was the Simdering of Bern. A huge cabal of Nephandic masters had preparedanendgame of monumental proportions — no essthan ‘mass sacrifice to summon through the Qlipporhie hordes. An «equally huge force of Tradition and Technocratic mages broke the wards, smashed the ritual, and bound the Fallen masters beyond the Great Horizon, As with the Battle of Flames and Horizon Sieg, it was Hermetic Ars thatclosed one gate, opened another, and locked them both securely, House Flambeau lost24 images, House Tytalus 10, House Quaesitor seven and House Shaea, four: Since 1945, those spells have held. Nor even the catastrophes that followed could undo them. CRACKS Tshould have been euphoria. Instead, it was dsc. In the sare of the Atomic Age, our Masters withdrew once more 9 contemplate man'srun. Humanity, eseemed til waned war. Less than 10 years afer World War I, other wars began. This time, snalikepomersofestnction lin Seepers hands! The implications drove Archanastes mad, In their Ozherworld, they sought escape. And the Technocracy rolled on. Onearth, humanity rebelled. Hippiesand venal slobswiped their arses on Victoria's sobriety. To mages who'd been ralsed ‘with manners, the excesses of this age were handfuls of shit smeared across our principles. The Cultsts and Dreamspeakers may have prospered, but Hermetic discipline seemed quale at best. This ust made our Masters more fixated on antiquity, and drove them futher into theit handmade worl Asif they could escape themselves Resonance isa subdle thing. Unless you look for it, the changes that ic works upon your world seem minor. But minoe changes breed major shifts. The realms of Doisstep, Horizon and soon grew too volatile ro last. For all their wisdom, our Archmasters forgot le Kctus! declaration: Realcybelongsto bose who elaimie. Andasthe witch- folk say, you claim your word simply by existing in it. Hermes children are no exception. By building worlds to ourdesign, then isolating ourselves within them, we Hermetics crossed The ‘Tower with The Devil. Our stagnation demanded change. Porthos saw ite Matk Hallward Gillan saw it. The later was ‘cast out at the command of his own House, Famben, for seeing it too clearly. Asa young, outspoken rebel, he epitomized ou newest generation —onethaccould not have recognized is elders as the vital magi they once had been. They had litle use for prison, less for Doisstep, and no patience let for ether one ‘And when the Conflagration came, would be this genera- tion — your generation — that would help Hermes soar again, rgwee ot sgn Yptdhan t S@UL @F HERIMES: HERITIES INVICTUS The wordisnotjustascund rawrzenssmbel. The wordis afore: itis the bower youhavetoexpressand commuricate, to think, and thereby to create the ceventsinyourlif... Thewordis.. he woo magi — Dom Miguel Riz, The Four Agreements Transplity reigns in the Rech of Forces. Al- though’ sue thrstornslash therakedrockandsaes smash beleaguered shores wo sand, those tempest pale EY i compurison wo those tha raged here not long a9. ‘Amid the rns tiny creatures feed. Nowand then, anodghost «greedy mata will cwcuch upon the canbled slag, seeking solace or an unfourd frize. Occasionally, you might hear raised voices on the ‘xin, echoes of argumenes long resolved. The ead of ants sir his ce; even inthe wizards absence, some habits never de ‘Smashed hulk of Unbralships jut from the si like dead men’s ‘ingers. Glassine boils mark the spss where science and high sorcery | warred without limison thedrven plane. Buca hat'sover now. The | tinlanenowscrns hese rage hl, suecpingasis edslaves alte nc the everhiing sky. Butevery so often, a Master dares the Avtar Stomm to bring a unger magus here, Even mane occasionally, a youth temps the Faxes and visits the plac alone. These runs marth end ofa era for the Onder of Hermes; mene important, they marche bireploce of redemption. And though no visitor has been crass enough to erect a stone herein the name of Fubrs, the lessons obvious just the same, Thisis what happens when wisdom gives wer to power. This is where the Order died, end was rebar. UR SINS REIMEINBERED He called himself “HeyleL” Supposedly the eincarnation cfthe Great Betrayer, herouiched off the Dosetep Conflagration, led the Concordia War, a inspiceda legion of young wird 9 tise aginsttheir elders Although the Seer Artes disproved his claim, his false Heyle rangi the Reckonmg, the cracking of ur ‘Order's chains andthe rebirth of its sou. Inbegan with rumen. Then shouts. Then thunder. A fuse had teen powdered in Doiserep for some time; false Heyl! lit the match. The explosion rocked all known workls and brought Doiserep down forever. Master Mustat diedin the Conflagration Master Porthos ded to contain it. Without his eactfice, the

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