Editing Ars Magica (section)

==Setting==
The setting, '''Mythic Europe''', is primarily based on Europe of the 12th and 13th centuries; the geography is the same, and the mundane (non-magical) politics are practically identical. However, in ''Ars Magica'' the "Medieval [[paradigm]]"<ref name="paradigm">The [http://redcap.org/FAQ/FAQ2.htm#paradigm Medieval Paradigm]{{dead link|date=October 2016|bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} section of the ''Ars Magica'' FAQ</ref> – the way the world was described or understood in that time period – is the literal truth. In this setting, Faeries actually do steal lost children, Demons cause disease and crop failure, Angels help the righteous, and dragons and other Magical creatures are real (though perhaps forgotten or hidden). In 3rd edition, to tie the game into the ''[[World of Darkness]]'' line, this was reality ''because'' of the beliefs; other editions distance themselves from this interpretation, simply taking place in a world where those beliefs happen to be true.<ref name="reason"/>

[[Player character]]s typically alternate between the role of a '''[[magus]]''' (plural ''magi''; female '''maga/magae'''), and a '''companion''' (''Consors''). Companions are select skilled non-magi who help wizards conduct their affairs (as magi tend to be distanced from "mundanes" due to the effects of their magical "Gift"). Additionally, there are a number of '''Grogs''' (usually skilled peasants, often bodyguards or watchmen) who can be controlled by any player. (As of the Third Edition, Grogs are also a viable player 'class'; the Fifth Edition has added an entire supplement dedicated to 'fleshing out' Grogs.) The wizards generally gather in specialized strongholds called '''covenants''', which are often built in [[ley lines#In popular culture|places of power]]. A covenant is typically a 'home base' where the magi are in charge (though they may travel Mythic Europe for reasons of politics, resources, study or even leisure). Some consider the covenant to be the central character of the game,<ref name="cov">[http://www.redcap.org/page/Covenant#Covenants_in_the_Saga Covenants] on Project Redcap</ref> and the official rules encourage troupes to develop the covenant along those lines.

===The Order of Hermes===
{{main|Order of Hermes (Ars Magica)}}
Standard player-character magi belong to the '''Order of Hermes''', a society of magically "Gifted" humans which was inspired in 767 A.D. by the witch Trianoma and magus Bonisagus after the latter developed a breakthrough in communicating and manipulating magic (termed 'Hermetic Magic' for its roots in both the Greek deity [[Hermes]], upon which the ancient Roman Cult of [[Mercury (god)|Mercury]] was based, and the works of the legendary figure [[Hermes Trismegistus]]).
While magicians at this time were scattered, rarely social and highly distrustful of each other as a rule, two factors strongly favored mutual co-operation.  One was Trianoma's political vision of an organization that would unite the Gifted for their mutual benefit.  The other was Bonisagus' second breakthrough, the ''Parma Magica'' (loosely translated as "magic shield"):  a highly efficient and easily taught personal ritual which could allow these disparate individuals and traditions to meet on common ground with some assurance of safety.  Over subsequent centuries, with very few exceptions, magi who quit or refuse to join the Order have been hunted down and destroyed, giving the Order a definite monopoly over magical resources within its 'jurisdiction'.

While each of the Order's twelve [[Order of Hermes (Ars Magica)#Houses|Houses]] maintains a distinct baseline or tradition in pursuing and transmitting knowledge and power, the Order is also divided into ''Tribunals'', each defined by a geographic region of Mythic Europe.  Each Tribunal holds a gathering of its magi once every seven years; attendance is not mandatory, though it is essential for certain procedures (e.g. those who have completed their apprenticeships are formally presented for official membership; the ''Quæsitores'' judge the types of disputes deemed beyond simple inter- or intra-covenant resolution).  Once every 33 years, each Tribunal sends a representative to the '''Grand Tribunal''' at the site of the Order's founding in the [[Black Forest]].

The Tribunals loosely correspond to groupings or portions of modern-day nations; each has a distinct cultural and historical flavor which is expanded in the ''Tribunals of Hermes'' series.  For example, the Roman Tribunal is a densely populated area with a shortage of magical resources, offering highly politicized plot-lines (both within and without the Order itself); Novgorod features vast areas of harsh wilderness, where pagan tribal warfare and magical beasts are significantly more common than elsewhere.

* Greater [[Alps]] – including [[Early history of Switzerland#High Middle Ages|Switzerland]] with the Alpine regions of [[Margraviate of Austria|Austria]] and northern Italy.
* Iberian – the precursors to [[Spain]] and [[Portugal]]; note the [[Reconquista]] as current political climate
* Normandy – Northern [[France#High Middle Ages|France]] and what will soon be known as the [[Low Countries]]
* Provençal – Southern France
* Roman – [[Italy in the Middle Ages|Italy]]
* Theban – [[Frankokratia|Greece]], [[Second Bulgarian Empire|Bulgaria]] and Western [[Anatolia|Asia Minor]]
* Transylvanian – what will become the [[Balkans]]
* Rhine – centered on the [[Rhine]] River, core of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]
* Novgorod – the broader cultural region known as [[Ruthenia|Rus']], including [[Poland#Piast dynasty|Poland]]
* Stonehenge – [[England and Wales]]
* Loch Leglean – [[Scotland in the High Middle Ages|Scotland]]
* Hibernian – [[Ireland#Norman and English invasions|Ireland]]
* Levantine – lands of the Eastern Mediterranean known as the [[Levant]]

As with any system of [[Border control#History|borders]] not contingent on clear demarcation such as a river or wall, the territory of each Tribunal is rarely defined with precision; this is partially illustrated (via the Fifth Edition ''[[Covenants (Ars Magica)|Covenants]]'' book) with the 'Tribunal Border' characteristic, which situates a covenant in a location that could place it in more than one Tribunal (depending on political favors, conflicts over resources, and so on).  Such ambiguity can exist even with "clear" borders such as rivers or mountain ranges, since incorporating supernatural aid or power into the structure (and perhaps the constituency or lifestyle of its inhabitants) can allow them to thrive even in the middle of either such feature.

===Realms of Power===
The overarching premise of the ''Ars Magica'' setting is that the "mundane" world of ordinary, physical existence is a place where four great supernatural forces have varying degrees of influence and presence.

;The [[Divinity|Divine]] realm: This is the supreme, holy force of [[Creation myth|Creation]] – [[God]] as represented by the scriptures of the [[Abrahamic religion]]s, and his agents in the world.  Divine influence diminishes anything not attuned to it (i.e. anything of a Faerie, Infernal or Magical nature) and is categorically opposed to all things Infernal.  One of the Order's struggles is in reconciling their avoidance of mundane politics with the inexorable spread of the Dominion (Divine influence permeating the land as more land is settled by Christian and Muslim nations and more centers of Divine worship are constructed).
;The [[Hell|Infernal]] realm: [[Satan]] and his demonic forces.  In the medieval context, this includes everything from Satan himself to illnesses and bad smells.  Demons are compelled to corrupt, destroy, and tempt all mortals to [[sin]]; while the Order of Hermes refuses to explicitly name the Infernal as their enemies (which it is assumed would draw too much attention and wrath to the Order), they have been forbidden from entering into agreements with Hell's minions ever since a corruption scandal nearly ruined House Tytalus in the 11th century.  As the evil/negative counterpart to the Divine, Infernal power also weakens the effects of any Realm not attuned to Hell or other forsaken spaces.  Infernally tainted forms of magic do exist, usually of great deceptive or destructive power, or acquired too easily for understanding, especially in order to tempt magi.  Anyone in the Order found guilty of [[diabolism]] is expelled and hunted down.
;The [[Faerie]] realm: Creatures of traditional [[fairy tales]].  These creatures are often capricious, sometimes malicious, but invariably addicted to (even dependent upon for their very existence) human attention, emotion and creative expression.  Despite such considerations, Study of the Faerie realm can be rewarding to some.  Magi are allowed to associate with the Fae (in fact, one House of the Order has become increasingly dominated by its members' pursuit of 'Faerie Magic') as long as they do not incur their wrath and thereby endanger their fellows.
;The realm of Magic: A mysterious arcane force, to which all magi (among other rare entities) are inherently attuned.  This is the power almost exclusively used to cast spells and enchant objects.  Magic and Faerie have some positive resonance with each other, reflected in either aura's benefit to the other realm's powers, and in that remote or lost pagan traditions can have connections with either (in some cases, Faerie entities seem to have 'replaced' Magical ones when the devotees of the latter either lost their way or became extinct).

Additionally, a "Realm of Reason" appeared in the Third Edition.  This was associated with skepticism and empirical observation, and its "rational aura" challenged most supernatural effects.  Many fans of the game consider this to be paradoxical and inconsistent, since applying reason and rationality to the world of '''Ars Magica''' should really lead to the conclusion that magic does exist and fairies are real, etc., and yet the "True Reason" promoted by this fifth realm posited the contrary, and thus resembled a delusional (yet effective) state of mind rather than a rational one.<ref name="reason2">[http://www.redcap.org/page/True_Reason#True_Reason_and_the_World_of_Darkness "True Reason"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116150117/http://www.redcap.org/page/True_Reason#True_Reason_and_the_World_of_Darkness |date=2014-01-16 }} on Project Redcap</ref> The realm of Reason had additional counter-intuitive effects – for example, imposing penalties on wizard's magic use when in prominent mundane libraries, despite the predominant portrayal of Hermetic Magic as a scholarly pursuit.

Reason proved an unwelcome addition to the game; neither Fourth nor Fifth Edition have included this 'Realm', and all references to it have been stricken from the [[canon (fiction)|canonical]] setting.