ORDER OF HERMESThe Houses

House Bjornaer

Roots: House Bjornaer is not one of the latinate houses. It traces its lineage back to Germanic shaman-magicks and animal-based rituals. Its “Hermetic” principles—based on runic inscription, heroic saga recitation, bold chanting, and nature-based ritual—were largely a matter of parallel development, and not directly descended

from the school of thought finally gathered by Hermes Trismagistum in the 2nd century.

Founder: The child of a shaman and a shapeshifter, this Germanic witch was cursed and abandoned to die by her clan. However, inheriting the gifts from both her parents in full strength gave her the ability to survive. Her magick, initially self-taught, soon earned her respect among the rune-mages and shifter-magi of nearby clans,and she was chosen to represent them at theConcord of Durenmar. Many of the otherFounders looked down upon Birna and herpowers, but Bonisagus was eager to incorporateher magic, since her different approach to magicpromised to teach him much. She studied withMerinita to learn Latin and the basics of HermeticMagic.

Paradigm: Although House Bjornaer houses afew Christians, it views the world from a non-Roman paradigm which stems from the Germanicpagan tribes. Members venerate animal ancestors,and strive to perfect the “Heartbeast.” Thesefierce Magi shun civilized lands and embrace thewilderness. They respect strength, bravery, andboldness over book learning. They look to nature, oral lore, Norse saga, and direct mentorship as the sources of its teaching. Bjornaer magicks invoke the cunning and strength of animals, and theraw power of the natural world.

Specialty Sphere(s): Life, Forces

History: During the “Schism War” (A.D. 1004), which ended in the destruction of fellow non-latinate House Diedne, House Bjornaer lay low and stayed out of the conflict. In 1466, at the Grand Convocation, Bjornaer will realign itself with the Verbenae and leave the Order.

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House Bonisagus

This the most prestigious House in the Order of Hermes, tracing its descent from Bonisagus himself. The House is largely concerned with research and expanding the frontiers of magick.

Roots: Theoreticians and scholars of magick, House Bonisagus might trace its origins to philosopher-magi like Plato, who attempted not only to codify how mortals might influence reality, but also sought understanding of the metaphysick behind such influence. The development of Neo-platonism, and the Gnostic and

Manichean inquiry of the 2nd century A.D. fit into “meta-magickal” curiosity.

Founder: Bonisagus was the brilliant but reclusive Magus that brought together disparate traditions of magick into a form learnable by all. After centuries of divergent development, by dozens of orders, Bonisagus attempted to synthesize Hermetic magicks into a system all could recognize—a feat of scholarship & imagination perhaps rivaled only by Hermes Trismagistus himself. Trianoma, the co-founder of the House, was the more diplomatic andpolitically active of the two, and spearheaded theeffort to bring the Hermetic groups together atDurenmar. She established her own lineage ofpolitically active Magi. Both liked the idea of aunion of wizards, for they deplored the warfarethat often raged between magi.

Paradigm: Masters of magical knowledge and theory. Most Magi seek knowledge throughscholarship. This House is the most revered TrueLineage, continuing to supply knowledge andleadership to the Order. They explore the theoreticalapplications of magic, delving deep into its arcanesecrets. Some Magi follow the example of Trianoma, sharing

knowledge through diplomacy. The Oath of the Order allows the Bonisagi to claim apprentices from the other Magi, but they are legally required to share all their discoveries.

Sphere(s): Spirit, Correspondence

History: One of the Founding Houses in 767; Bonisagus himself is instrumental in calling together the disparate fellowships that founded the Order. The House continues to serve leadership and diplomatic functions throughout thehistory of the Order. It adopts the members of House Golo as it collapses in 1189.

Above: Crest of House Bonisagus, ca. 1198; Left: Heraldic Blazon of House Bonisagus, ca. 1466.

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House Criamon

Roots: Bizarre esotericists dedicated to mad pursuits, House Criamon arose from Arabic astrologers and metaphysicians, researching the nature of space and the limitsof time. Seers and oracles would meditate on the mysteries of time, enter trance-like visions of the future, prophesy in ecstatic outbursts, or summon djinn or other spirits

to discuss the puzzle of what they called “the fourth dimension.”

Founder: The non-latinised version of this Arabic wizard's name was Qahir'amon. There was a lot of discussion about his eligibility to join the Order, because of his non-Christian roots. Bonisagus was keen for him to join, for he could see that the strength of the Order was in diversification. Qahir’amon actually hadlittle to do with the founding of the Order,though he saw it as a positive step becauseonce it was founded he would no longerfear the intrusions of other Magi. Fearsabout the “heathen” were lessened whenQahir'amin revealed that he had abandonedconventional faith in Allah in favour ofusing his magic as a pathway to the Enigma, a concept that to the otherFounders found difficult comprehend;which from his writings sometimes seemedto be a universal principle, sometimes ametaphor for human thought, andsometimes a deity.

Paradigm: Cryptic seers and prophets,they seek to understand the enigma--therealm of magic, considered as a riddle.When an understanding comes to them, they tattoo it onto their bodies. They are the mystics of the Order, walking spiritual paths to answer the question posed by their founder, "How do we escape time?" The many paths that they walk may grant powers, which can include immortality, or removal from chronological history.

Specialty Sphere(s): Time, Correspondence

History: A founding house in 767. Criamon adopted both Arabic and European apprentices, and recruits might be Christian, Muslim, or secular. Its power base remained concentrated in the Eastern half of the Mediterranean and Moorish Iberia. Successive crusades and reconquistas sweeping through their lands weakened their numbers, until finally in the 1700s they were subsumed into House Ex Miscellanea.

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House Deidne

This non-Latinate House practices Druidic magic.

Roots: Celtic wizards descended from Druidic traditions. These pagan priests and priestesses oversaw the construction of Stonehenge, a vast focus for their season-based magicks. They used the wheeling of the stars and moon to predict—and with ritual sacrifices, even influence—future events. “Hermetic” in the sense that they practiced

ritualism, complex timekeeping, and astrological study.

Founder: An Irish druid, and a friend of Merinita, Diedne taught Bonisagus the use of spontaneous magic, though she was capable of casting formulaic spells. Her House began as one of the largest, for she persuaded many of her fellow druids to join the Order. In the early days of the Order, this House consisted of mainly British, Welsh and Breton druids, for Diedne's Irish counterparts disapproved of the Order; because the druids of Ireland were teachers in their tribes,they chafed under the "non-interference with mundanes" clause of the Code, and many refused tojoin. These druids were protected by their brethren, who even after joining held loyalty to both the Order of Hermes and the Order of the Wise, a fellowship of the Wyck in Alba and Eire.

Paradigm: This non-latinate House practices Druidic magic. Fiercely pagan in outlook and style,they doggedly resist the cultural elitism of the Latinate Houses, just as their forebears resisted theincursions of the Romans, and later Christianity, into Angleterre. Nature, especially cosmological and seasonal rythms, guide their magicks, as does a deep tie to the earth and land. It is not unknown for them to incorporate blood (their own or someone else’s) in their rituals.

Specialty Sphere(s): Life, Time

History: A founding house in 767, but never fully trusted by more traditionally Hermetic Latin Houses. In 1003, they were renounced for diabolism and human sacrifice by House Tremere; members were ruthlessly hunted down and destroyed in the Schism War, principally by membersof Flambeau, Tremere, and Tytalus. Several Houses (including Qaesitores and Bonisagus) strovefor neutrality, but none actively sided with the Diedne. (The non-Latinate Houses Bjornær and Merinita ran for cover, re-emerging decades after the War.) House Diedne was destroyed, but its leaders were never found, and may have escaped capture and execution. They, and their lineage, are still subject to a sentence of death by the Order, but any survivors have in all likelihood simply melted into the Verbenae.

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House Ex Miscellanea

Roots: House Ex Miscellanea (literally "House out of hash") was founded in order toaccommodate all the smaller Hermetic traditions.

Founder: Incorporated into the Order in 817, itincluded magi from other traditions, who werepressured into joining by the Order's intimidationpolitics of the eighth and ninth centuries. It isdiverse and eclectic, with many members who areonly nominal practitioners of Hermetic magic.Members of the House are often considered hedgewizards, if not outright charlatans, by members ofother Houses.

Paradigm: This House gathers Magi who do notfit into any other House. Such Magi may be tied toelements of pre-Hermetic Traditions, or mayembrace an eclectic mix of traditions. This Houseembodies unity in diversity, but the emphasis is ondiversity. It also became a haven for Houseswhich had lost numbers, esteem, or influence. InEx Miscellanea, these groups can maintain their individual identities while belonging to a “bloc” large enough to wield some marginal influence in the Order.

Specialty Sphere(s): Varies

History: Founded in 817, this hodge-podge “House” swells as smaller groups continue to join. Founding Houses would occasionally be “demoted” to the status of“House Ex Miscellanea,” and small fellowships of wishing to join the Order of Hermes could be adopted into Ex Miscellanea if they were not large enough to stand as full-fledged Houses.

The crooked wand, staff, or tree of House Ex Miscellanea.

Above: Sigil of the House, ca. 1198. Right: Crest of Ex Miscellanea, ca. 1466.

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House Flambeau

Roots: The spiritual ancestor of House Flambeau would be the proud mage who used her power to awe and terrorize mortals. The “Pyrenean Alliance” of the Iberian Peninsula – a group of Christian warrior-magi who (unsuccessfully) opposed the Moorish army – were the specific group that became House Flambeau.

Founder: An Iberian noble by birth, whose family lost battleafter battle to the Muslims, retreating further and further north.His master plucked him from this violent background andtaught him magick. Both of them fought alongside theChristian nobility against the Moors, but to no avail.Flambeau's master was an expert in the art of destruction,but Flambeau studied and mastered the art of fire. Hisfighting style was flexible, ruthless, and brilliant. Hegathered around him a group of other wizards to form amilitary unit to use against the hated Moors, thus he wasthe leader/founder of the Pyrenean Alliance. WhenTrianoma came to him he was skeptical, not wanting hisfreedom restricted. When the Order seemed more likely toform, with or without him, his attitude changed. He insistedon Magi having the right to use violence when necessary.

Paradigm: House Flambeau is direct, organized and aggressive. They are Hermes’ war-magi, who fight for glory and honor, both their own and that of the Order. The House revels in bold endeavors, and they seek out and overcome fearsome opponents. Tempestuous and hot-headed (no pun intended) and not usually the greatest thinkers, they have a fearsome reputation on the battlefield, & there are fewer better than a Flambeau to have at your side during a confrontation.

Sphere: Masters of Forces in an Order that already prizes the study of that Sphere. Despite their name they are as proficient with bolts of lightning, chilling cold and devastating telekinetic blasts

as they are with fire. Most are as skilled with swords, ballistics and martial arts as they are with spells.

History: One of the founding Houses. House Flambeau plays a major role in the destruction of House Diedne after the latter is accused of Diabolism in 1003. As champions of the Order, Flambeau are masters of fire magic and combat. There is one Flambeau lineage that studies magical war machines and siegecraft in lieu of fire. And, a secret lineage is dedicated to the extermination of all Diedne and Bjornær House magi. Most of the members come from France and Spain.

Top: House Flambeau, ca. 1198; Below: House Flambeau, ca. 1400.

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House Fortunae

Origins: In 1910, Qabbalists within House Ex Miscellanea form aFortunae Group. For the first years, the group is an informal club,discussing matters relating to fate, destiny, and free will—and howthey relate to chronomancy. The chronophilosophers are vindicatedin 1933, when an ongoing debate on arithmosophy and probabilitymagick leads to acceptance of House Fortunae, Ex Miscellanea.

Paradigm: Qabbalists with an emphasis on prophesy and prediction; they are especially interested in the tension between the foreknowledgepromised through such studies, and the question of free will. Their inquiries have branched out to include probability, chaos study, philo-sophy of destiny, and free will. Especially hot topics within the House are whether destiny is influenced by the will, and whether “fate” is immutable.

Sphere(s): Entropy, Time

History: In 1936, a Grand Tribunal formally admits House Fortunae as a full House.

House Golo

Roots: One might trace this house to the Kitab al Alacir, an ancient Arabic tome of magickal theory. It is also a product of the scientific leanings (mathematics, systemization, study, experimentation) within Hermeticism, and the desire of some early Daedaleans (Order of Reason) to cooperate with the Order of Hermes. The (re)discovery of the Kitab prompted the creation of this House to promote magical science.

Founders: Lorenzo Golo bani Verditius, and Simon de Laurent bani Cabal of Pure Thought. A Hermetic mage and a Daedalean philosopher-scientist dared to cooperate on a common goal: the study of the “Book of Ether” and the creation of a school of magickal science based on it.

Paradigm: Based on the Kitab al Alacir, the “Book of Ether,” this House’s goal was the research, exploration, and codification of the Aether, and etherial magick. As the fabled essence or material between the stars, the aether was a theoretical “subtle fluid” offering the insights into other forms of matter, and the movement of the celestial bodies.

Sphere(s): Matter, Spirit

History: Precursors of the Sons of Ether, this House has the dubious distinction of being the shortest-lived of the Order. Formed in 1171, it collapses less than twenty years later, in 1188. Members disperse into House Bonisagus, House Verditius, and some into the Order of Reason. Later, Golo and de Laurent found the Natural Philosopher's Guild, an independent Craft.

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House Hong Lei

Roots: Descended from an ancient group of Chinese ritualists, the Wu Lung (or “Dragon Wizards.”) This fellowship of powerful magi are older than the Order of Hermes by millennia.

Current Status: In 2000, refugee ritualists from the Wu Lung (fleeing the Technocracy) are admitted into the Order of Hermes as House Hong Lei. Currently under probationary status.

House Janissary

Roots: The Ixoi (also known as the House of Ixion) were a secretive group named after the first murderer of Greek mythology. Myth holds they held the obsidian knife of Ixion; these “dagger mages” used its power against infernalists in Enoch, Babel, and Gehenna. In 1336 the descendents of the Ixoi joined the Order of Reason as

the Ksirafai, intent on punishing mages and Artisans alike who strayed from the path of Ascension. These “razor-men” were only a rumor even among the Daedaleans, working in the shadows.

Foundation: By the late 17th century, the Ksirafai began to doubt the purity of their mission, given the Technocracy’s pogrom. They quietly faded into the shadows, eliminating all traces of their existence, and then, in 1716, "defeated" their own Construct in Turkey. Using the name Dincer Albayrak, the leader of the Ksirafai presented the

"victory" over the Technocrats to the Order of Hermes, and asked to be recognized as House Janissary.

Paradigm: Named for fearsome Arabian/Turkish soldiers, theJanissaries. These war mages serve as a sort of secret police forthe Order of Hermes in general, keeping an eye out for anycorruption which might stand in the way of Ascension.

History: Shortly after the foundation of the House, its founderselected a replacement, a young Bedouin by the name of CaeronMustai. Combining the knowledge of the Batini and the Ixoi,Mustai realized Armegeddon and Ascension might be one andthe same. Janissary was gradually led astray from its originalpurpose, but continued to function as enforcers. In 1764, thanks to the Mustai’s efforts, Janissary is recognized as a full House.

Eventually, Janissary contributed to the political warfare-turned-deadly which destroyed Doissetep and some of the Masters of the Order, in 1997. Mustai himself was responsible for the death of Porthos Fitz-Empress, dying himself in the process. In 2001, the Order uncovered the truth about Janissary’s history and secret dealings, and expunged the house.

Left top: The seal of the Ksirafai, ca. 15th century.Right: The crest of House Janissary, ca. 18th century.

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House Jerbiton

Roots: Jerbiton might trace its ancestry to the Cave paintings in Arles, and other prehistoric magicks which wedded artistry to magic. The Greek myth of Gallatea tells of a statue so beautiful it became real—imbued by its artist-creator with potent Life magicks. Later, Plato, Neo-platonics, and Christians linked Truth to Beauty.

Founder: A noble by birth, a member of an old Roman patrician family that had survived into the Dark Ages as a clan of land-holding nobles. His family cultivated in him a fine taste for music and other arts, so he felt isolated and distraught when he was taken from home and made an apprentice. Once a full wizard and free to travel, he spent his early years visiting city after city, steeping himself in whatever arts he could find in that dark time. When he heard that an Order of wizards was forming, he came, for he felt that only by cooperating in peace could Magi themselves develop traditions of artand philosophy based on theirmagickal arts.

Paradigm: These Magi live for thepursuit of beauty. Aesthetics andmagick are one, as the depiction ofthe world as it is (or might be) re-presents reality with a compellingvision of itself. Artists or patronsof the arts, they interact with themundane world more than mostHermetics, for the sake of beauty—and to avoid the stunted lives thatresult from living in a closedcommunity. The members areoften writers, artists, poets,philosophers, doctors, or otherprofessionals. Some Magi arerecruited from the nobility for theirdiplomatic leverage andaristocratic connections.

Sign of House Jerbiton, ca. 1198.Sphere(s): Mind, Matter

History: 767, one of the founding Houses. 1400s, demoted to Ex Miscellanea.

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House Luxor

Founder(s): The first American House, founded by Max Theon and Paschal Beverly Randolf, the first black Hermetic master.

Paradigm: Founded to explore the common ground between science, spiritualism, and religion.

Sphere(s): Forces, Spirit

History: Founded in 1872 as the first America House, Luxor will be hit hard by the Great Depression, finally subsumed into the Sons of Ether by 1936.

House Mercere

Roots: Of old, mortal consors of would run messages or errands for wizards or magick lodges. These messengers formed a primitive “mail” service, bearing tidings,offers of alliance, or threats. Through the effort of these servitors, communication was kept open between lodges—paving the way for a meeting at Durenmar in 767…

Founder: Erme l’Mercere was a French Magus who was very enthusiastic about the nascent Order, and visited many of the other wizards of the Pyrenean Alliance to invite them to join, considering it a means to restore the peace that was lost with the fall of Rome. In his old age, he was afflicted by a peculiar form of senility, gradually losing his grip on the Art, but remaining a cunning thinker. In these years, he no longer took apprentices, but trained classes of un-Awakened messengers in intrigue, spying, cryptography, & diplomacy.

Paradigm: House Mercere originally specialized in transformative magics, but the Founder of the House lost his Gift and established it as a provider of various services to the order. House membership is not restricted to those “Gifted” with magickal abilities, but includes all couriers trained in magickal history, politics,and theory. After all, Hermes was the messenger of the Gods.This group holds the Magi of Mythic Europe together byfacilitating communication, encouraging trade. They arethe heralds, heroes, mercenaries, and merchants ofHermes. A small lineage of Gifted Magi does survivewithin the Mercere, descended from an apprentice trainedbefore their Founder lost his Gift.

Sphere(s): Correspondence, Life

History: 767, One of twelve founding Houses of the Order ofHermes. By 1630, having waned in Magickal members overthe centuries, but still indispensible to the Order, House Mercere is adopted into House Ex Miscellanea. In 1936, House Fortunae is promoted to a full House, after it subsumes the remnants of House Mercere.

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House Merinita

Nature Magi and fae mysticcs of a non-Latinate tradition.

Roots: House Merinita was founded as a House specializing in nature magic, but was rebuilt as a Mystery Cult of Faerie Magi. Its members are often aloof and as unconcerned with the affairs of the Order as they are with the mundane world.

Founder: To the Magi of the 8th century, Lady Merinita of the Wood was a legend and a mystery. She traveled alone through the wilderness, and was said to be in league with the spirits of the wild. Trianoma spent a year trying to find her to invite her to help form the Order, and for reasons still unclear, she accepted & trained apprentices. After founding her House and seeing the Order into its first years of stability, however, she returned to her journeys through the wilds.

Paradigm: After their founder disappeared, theyreorganized as students of the Faeries under thePrimus Quendalon. They move freely among theFae, serving apprenticeships under both human andfaerie masters. Many of their most skilledeventually join their otherworldly tutors, adoptedas “honorary fae.” Their spells can draw on glamours, invoke Seelie alliances, or call onNature’s capricious power.

Spheres: Spirit, Life

History: Beginning in the 10th century, forunknown reasons, the faerie sidhe began leavingearth. At first a trickle, this became a downright exodusin the later 12th century as the fae nobility fled to Arcadia.This process intensified into the 13th century; eventually, thefaerie’s nobility would abandon the less powerful of their kind and slam the doors on the Dreaming. The House declines after most of its notables (including its centuries-old founder, Lady Merinita of the Wood) disappear into the Otherworld, and eventually becomes subsumed into House Ex Miscellanea.

House Ngoma

High ritualists, descended from African witch doctors, the Madzimbabwe. The Madzimbabwe were present at the Grand Convocation, but refused to join when the European magicians wishedto simply lump them in with the Dreamspeakers (an amalgam of various shamanistic, spirit-based groups). With the intensification of the Technocracy’s attacks, and no longer too proud to become a subgroup within a larger tradition, the Madzimbabwe petition for Hermetic membership in 2001. Although “founded” by an existing Hermetic, this wizard was essentially only sponsoring the remnants of the Madzimbabwe.

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House Quaesitor

Roots: The Guernicus family traced its lineage through the centuries, back through Latin nobles and civic patrons, all the way to the Imperial Senate. A wealthy, influential family deep-rooted in a Roman appreciation for Law and Civitas, the Guernici patronized experts in law, history, philosophy, rhetoric, and magick. These

masters as counselors to the family Pater, and tutors to the children, as part of a well-rounded classical education. In the eighth century, a scion of the family displayed an unusual facility for magick, going far beyond the elementary theory he was expected to learn…

Founder(s): When the Order was being founded, the Magus Guernicus showed the most skepticism that Magi could work

together; he had seen the infighting that occurred in the Pyrenean Alliance. He estimated the lifespan of the Order would be 'three-score years and ten, or a bit longer thanks to potions of longevity.' Trianoma finally grew weary of his never-ending wise-cracks and asked him what the Order would need to survive. Guernicus said that the Order would need a Magus whose sole duty would be to police the other

wizards, keep the peace, and enforce the Code of Hermes. At Trianoma's suggestion, Guernicus took this role, turning his

family estate into a collegium for like-minded magi and pupils.

Paradigm: Law is power. Babylon could not have risen without it; the Hebrews kept their divineTorah (and thus, identity) long after their kings died; and lastly, those true geniuses of law, the Romans built a world-spanning empire on it. Like Hermetic magicks, law is based on principles of order and consistency. Also like magick, it partakes of two worlds: the ideal of Law in its platonic perfection, and the worldly law, amenable to influence—So, both exist in a pure state, but both can be bent.

The Quaesitores are the judges and prosecutors,empowered to enforce order within Hermes. By force of law, these Magi have held the basic structures of theHermetic Order of Hermes intact for the centuries of itstempestuous existence. Some Magi act as the Order's historians, tracing its descent from the cults of Mercury inRome and Thoth in Egypt.

Sphere(s): Mind, Forces

History: Known early on as House Guernicus for itsfounder and the collegium founded in his manse, thename shifted eventually to Quaesitor. The House is thelineage of the Quaesitores, the police, judges, andsometimes executioners of the Order of Hermes.

Above: House emblem ca. 1198; Right: shield, ca. 1466.

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House Shaea

Roots: A primarily female House of the Order of Hermes, this House is actually one of the oldest Hermetic traditions, with roots confidently traceable back to Egypt.

Founder(s): No single founder; an Egyptian-hermetic order of wizards who petition for membership in the early 15th century. Alarmed by the nascent Order of Reason, and before the formation of the Traditions, they align themselves with those magi most like them in outlook andparadigm: the Order of Hermes.

Paradigm: Language is power, and the symbols of language tap and control that power. This House embraces the early Egyptian trappings of the Order, and promote base linguistics as a key to understanding thought, perception, and thus the universe. Tongues, alphabets and hieroglyphs as their tools and trade. Adepts undergo intense training in linguistics, and are expected to master several tongues to the point of complete fluency. As they learn the deep structures that rule thought (syntax) and the symbols that contain different ideas (vocabulary, sound, and writing), in several languages, they break free of the channels and ruts that any one language imposes on the mind. They also learn the power of words as the clay jars of the divine Forms. Those that grasp this to learnmagick; those who do not are valued as skilled interpreters,

scribes, and historians of the House. Though the rest of the Order often dismisses them as simplescribes, they diligently maintain archives and record.

Sphere(s): Mind

History: Accepted into the Order Ex Miscellanea in 1412. In 1982, House Shaea decides to break away from the Order of Hermes. Other Hermetics realize how much they've come to depend on the Shaea, and offer them full House status. The Shaea accept, to the consternation of other constituents of Ex Miscellanea

House Skopos

A tiny sect dedicated to quantum reality and nanotechnologickal magick, founded Ex Miscellanea, 2000. Sphere: Forces

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House Solificati

History: An organization with a long, checkered history.Originally founded as the Solificati, they first joined the Orderof Reason as one of its founding Conventions, left, then joinedthe Council of Nine Mystic Traditions as one of its founding Traditions, fled, hid in secret for generations as the Childrenof Knowledge, and finally joined to the Order of Hermesrather than face extinction. They are accepted in 1999, as a fullHouse.

Paradigm: Supreme Alchemists. See “Solificati” for more.

Sphere(s): Matter, Spirit

House Tharsis

Founded in 1522. A collective of storm-wizards with a deep connection with the sea. They are occasionally referred to as "buccaneers." They, along with House Janissary and House Validas, arose during the "golden age of kings," and thus were raised as archetypal examples of the Order of Hermes, the Tradition's "golden boys."

Paradigm: Storm-wizards, based around water, weather, and sea-travel. The sea, which mirroredthe tempestuous forces of hubris and will which the magus sails, and the awesome power he wields. They took to the sea as sailors, pirates, and privateers, using their mastery of Forces magic to their advantage. Some fit the Hermetic mold more than others. Some Tharsis used maps, astronomy, sea charts, and sextants/compasses/astrolabes, as the focus for their magicks. Then again, in a way it was the dreadful “Salt Witches,” – who terrorized the high seas with theirblatant (& vulgar) command over the elements – who best embodied the Order’s Faustian spirit.

Sphere: Forces (obviously)

Fate: 1897 - House Tharsis is accused of diabolism. It's unknown whether the cause was curiosity, boredom, disillusionment or corruption. Tharsis is renounced, attacked, and expelled from Hermetic dominions. When they fall, it seems almost as a death knell for the Order as a whole.

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House Thig

Founding: In 1762, Joseph Ryelander, an Orphan, forms his own cabal. In 1804, Ryelander and his cabal apply for membership in the Order of Hermes under the name “The Ruby Children.” The Hermetics accept them into House Ex Miscellanea, and promptly forget about them.

Promotion: 1846 - After Joseph Ryelander’sthree cabals (the Ruby Children, EmeraldChildren and Diamond Children) discover ordamage a dozen Artisan operations, CaeronMustai bani Janissary speaks eloquently in theirfavor at a Grand Tribunal. The Council grantsthe three cabals recognition as a full House.

Paradigm: Prior to being subsumed by HouseVerditius, House Thig was the Order's residentTechnomancy specialist. It's members wereoften radical and innovative, fusing theirknowledges of Hermetic magic and moderntechnology. Older Houses saw this as foolishdabbling at best and a mockery of their Art atworst. With the fusing of House Verditius camean inherited pedigree that 'legitimized' theiroccult technomagick. This did not sit well withall members, and some broke off to form HouseXaos.

The Crest of House Thig prior to 1999.Sphere(s): Forces, Matter

Later History: In 1999, Sharad Osei, Primus of House Thig approaches House Verditius with anoffer - they will join Verditius, supplying it with new members and technological knowledge in exchange for their name and pedigree. Most members of House Thig join and Verditius once again becomes a Major House. In 2001, some former Thig, dissatisfied with the merging of House Verditius, form their own House within Ex Miscellanea, House Xaos.

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House Tremere

Roots: House Tremere was one of founding Houses within the Order of Hermes. It was a very powerful house, having been largely responsible for the destruction of the druidic House Diedne in the Schism War, although the actual purging of Diedne was mostly carried out by other Houses. The House was abnormally powerful given that it

seemed to consist largely of sorcerers (hedge magicians) rather than true mages. Even Tremere himself was said to have been a sorcerer.

Founder: Lord Tremere, who may or may not have been a true Awakened magus. Either way, it was true that he was weak in magic relative to the other founders of the Order; still, he managed to outlive every other founder. He co-created certamen, the magical duel, as a means of dispute resolution, and as a rite of passage for Tremere Magi. He managed to keep a tight control over his House, and his House influenced the Order beyond their numerical significance.

Paradigm: Masters of dominance and intrigue, assembled from a cult of personality around LordTremere. House Tremere was built on order, obedience, and hierarchy. The House tries to control events, gathering influence and resources as crises draw near.

Tremere grasp power of any sort, by whatever means available. They consider it the rightof the Magus to achieve total mastery – through study, practice, dark experiments, blackmail, manipulation of mortals, experimentation with supernaturals (when they could be obtained for study), and a policy of adding various “low” magics (hedge magic) to their repertoire.

“Sphere:” Forces (& various hedge magics), later: vampiric Thaumaturgy

History (by period):

POST-ROMAN TIMES. One of twelvefounding Houses in 767. In 772, Lord Tremereand Bonisagus invent Certámen, the formalsystem for magickal duels; it is soon adoptedas official means of settling disputes. In 848,Lord Tremere, having lived more than 150years, is the last remaining Founder; heattempts to seize control of the Order, but isstopped by a band of unidentified Magi. In 1003, House Tremere declares Wizards' Waragainst House Díedne. In 1012, Diedne isformally found guilty of Diabolism andeliminated, largely by Houses Flambeau,Quaesitores, and Tytalus.

EARLY DARK AGES: In 1021, Goratrix captures an elder of clan Tzimisce, forces him to turn his two apprentices into vampires,and then kills him. He takes his apprentices back to his Chantry to experiment. The following year, Goratrix announces his success to Lord Tremere. Tremere gathers his six closest friends

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Sigil of House Tremere, in use until 1198

and heads to Goratrix Chantry, much to the objection of Etrius. Within hou they were all vampires. They began the conversion of the other Mages of their House secretly. Meanwhile, Etrius successfully argued that a “mortal” arm of House Tremere should be maintained, to keep up appearances among the other houses, as well as to continue to pursue High Magick. By 1055, infighting among the new

vampires had grown so high that Tremere himself was forced to Blood-Bond the Inner Council of

Seven. In 1067, the Tzimisce form alliances with

Eastern European Gangrel and Nosferatu to attack the Tremere. Chantry after Chantry falls

until Goratrix perfects the new Gargoyle bloodline,and tells them to "...go forth and multiply."

Combined with their fledgling discipline of Thaumaturgy, or “blood magic,” the Tremere begin to hold their own against other vampires.

In 1133, Tremere discovers the havens of several sleeping Antediluvians. He chooses and diablerizes Saulot. He and the Seven become Third and Fourth Generation vampires, A few years later, Tremere begins to slip into Torpor lasting weeks or months at a time. He tells the Council to organize the House. They divide the known world among

themselves, and begin blood-bonding all members to themselves to insure stability.

DARK AGES. (1197 - Default date for Vampire: The Dark Ages.) In 1199, The Order of Hermes discovers that the Tremere have nearly all become vampires. Three years later, the First Massasa War is declared. Although there are no decisive victories on either side, casualties are high, and the fighting eventually ceases due to attrition. At this point, with their ejection from theOrder, “House Tremere” is no more – There is only Clan Tremere. There are, however, some mortal remnants within the clan—masters of True Magick who are morevaluable as blood-bound ghouls than vampires. When the Inner Councilfinally decides it is time to embrace all remaining members, some of thesemagi object, a few even managing to elude the blood bond with Mindmagicks. A very small number manage to escape, and rejoin the Order ofHermes, ex-Miscellanea, as Maison Liban. Other Hermetic mages neverfully trust Maison Liban, suspecting them for Tremere spies; by the 1500sthey have died out.

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Heraldic Blazon of Clan Tremere, ca. 1198

Clan Tremere, 20th. cen.

House Tytalus

Roots: Tytalus, a tempestuous wizard, who was always pitting himself against others. He gathered a number of “apprentices” – defeated magi whose fire and courage he admired, and whom he taught his warlike magick and credo.

Founder: Tytalus was one of the reasons that the formation of a peaceful Order was appealing toother wizards. He was known as a hot-tempered wizard, prone to challenging other powerful wizards just for the sake of testing himself and learning from his victories (which were many) and defeats (which were few). Initially he spoke out against the Order, but Trianoma beat him in a magical duel, and he agreed to join; thenceforth he continually tested the bounds of the Code. Like Flambeau, he took pleasure in hunting down those that refused to join the Order, though he often let them live once they had acknowledged defeat. Tytalus's

relationship with his apprentices set a tradition of 'beloved rivals', constantly involved in games and contests of power

which made others believe that they hated one another.

Paradigm: Magick is nothing else if not an act of Will;the Magus seeks to impose his will on the world, others, even reality itself. The domination of the Supreme Will over lesser wills is the natural order of things. These Magi strive to improve themselves through conflict. They believe the main conflict is

between an individual's nature and the rules imposed by society. They are famous for their long-term in-House rivalries, convoluted political schemes, and activities that

skirt the edge of legality.

Sphere(s): Entropy, Forces

History: Devotees of Supreme Will, House Tytalus is gathered tochallenge other wizards. It continually tests the strength and convictionof the other Houses, and the Order itself. It revels in Wizards’ Wars,is in the forefront when Houses are hunted down for infernalism, andbelieves that only the strong edifice deserves to stand. Members willoften challenge other magi to certamen or even conventional duels withlittle provocation, simply to test themselves. Similarly, skirmish warsbetween Chantries – both intra-house and with other Houses – keeps theirblades sharp and the skills honed.

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Sign of House Tytalus, ca. 1198

Shield of House Tytalus, ca. 15th century

House Verditius

Roots: House Verditius traces is spiritual ancestry to the Cult of Vulcan, which revered the blacksmith god and bent its occult prowess to the forging of powerful magical items, and the creation of wondrous devices.

Founder: A Byzantine Magus residing in Italy, and the last priest of the Cult of Vulcan. Verditius was utterly incapable of “casting spells,” but as a creator of magical items, he was unmatched. He was eager to join the Order because it gave him certain protection from other Magi - he wanted to be part of an Order which would allow him to practice his craft in peace.

Paradigm: Artificers and enchanters who do not perform magicwithout tools. They forge great items, putting a little of themselvesinto their finest creations. They suspend spells in their craft,using sigils, symbols, inscriptions, and runes to hold themagicks. They take great pride in their work.

Sphere(s): In addition to the Order's speciality Sphere of Forces, House Verditius also specializes in Matter. Prime is alsoimportant to them as it allows the permanent enchantment ofartifacts. Other spheres are valued for the spells and weavings that aVerditius might want to bind to an object.

History: House Verditius are the Order's wonder-crafters. When the Order was first founded, it was mages from Verditius who crafted the Hermetics' magical swords and dragon-summoning amulets.

As the centuries rolled by, their work continued along an occult trajectory, even as popular belief turned more towards science. The symbols, runes, and spells inscribed on their

objects began to hold less awe to the commoner; the gems and metals they were composed of were no longer believed to resonate with certain constellations or powers. Increasingly, their wondrous creations were “Vain” or “Vulgar” magick, and they lost members (and potential recruits) to the Craftmasons and Artificers of the nascentOrder of Reason.

For example, in 1171, Lorenzo Golo, a Verditius member leaves toform House Golo, devoted to the study of the otherworldly Aether. House Golo is disbanded in 1188 and some members are re-absorbed into House Verditius—while others join the Order of Reason.

In the 1600s, the house is ‘demoted’ to House Ex Miscellanea due to dwindling membership. In 1999, Sharad Osei, Primus of House Thig approaches Verditius with an offer - they will join Verditius, supplying it with new members and technological knowledge in exchange for their name and pedigree. Most members of House Thig join and Verditius once again becomes a Major House. Now, with the addition of "fresh blood,” House Verditius is turning its knowledge to creating enchanted guns, magical computers and mystical vehicles.

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House Validas

1557 – House Validas founded by Sir “Shining Edward” Validas, a petty noble in the English town of Naseby – mentioned in the Domesday Book, and named for the Old English word naefela (“navel”), because it was believed to be the navel of England. Sir Validas was tied to (perhaps the founder of?) an occult gentleman’s club based in the area, which claimed lineage from an ancient Roman cult, the last true descendents of which were wiped out when the Black Death swept through the area in the 1349. House Validas enjoyed success under during Elizabeth’s reign, but was decimated in 1645 during the Naseby Catastrophe, when Royalist forces were crushed during the Civil War. In 1700, it is accused of diabolism and renounced. Mostly wiped out, Validas’ survivors become an Infernal sect which may still be active in rural England.

House Xaos

Founder(s): Founded Ex Miscellanea (informally in 1999, and officially recognized in 2001) from the ruins of House Thig. Some ex-Thig magi felt that other Thigs "sold out" by joining House Verditius. Most other Hermetics consider the House a joke.

Paradigm: House Xaos continues the tradition of House Thig (a technomantic house organized during the Industrial Era). They pursue a grafting of technomagick with Hermetic principles, often “suspending” ritualistic spells in software or sophisticated devices. They also mine the potential of new paradigms of science, such as Chaos Theory and Quantum Dynamics, which they believe hold great potential for undermining the Modernist scientific rigidity of the Technocracy. Spheres: Matter, Entropy.

House Ziracah

Roots: In Enochian tradition, Ziracah is one of the angels who descended to earth; he was set up as a king over an unnamed land in the South, and held dominion over desire and lust.

Founder(s): Alimonde Ziracah

Paradigm: Masters of Ars Cupidae, the art of desire. Ziracah magi make a study of desire in all its forms: eros, platonic attraction, drugs, hunger, greed, and lust for power, to name just a few. These magi specialize in understanding and manipulating others' passions, and know how to manipulate others' desires to achieve their own.

Sphere(s): Life, Mind

History: Weakened in the Naseby Catastrophe of 1645, leading to their demotion to House Ex Miscellanea. The House is later wiped out in the Hellfire Incident, in 1780.

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