Wizards's and the mediveal era

[vyshan]

Hello,

I am thinking of using the dresden files to run a game in the Medieval era. This does bring up one question though. The books mention that wizards screw up technology. How though would this work in the medieval era? Ideas and suggestions are welcome.

-vyshan

[Hick Jr]

The books mention that the effects of hexing changed throughout the ages. I believe in medieval times, the effects were multicolored fire, milk going sour, and facial pockmarks.

[Dr.FunLove]

What Hick Jr said - also, since that is mostly virgin territory (at most, we know a little of the history of the Dresden-verse over the past 500 hundred years) you can feel free to create an effect that you feel fits your Medieval Dresden-verse.

I think it's an exciting period to run a game, and I think the Dresden-verse is well suited to it. Would you care to share some thoughts you're having for your game?

[blackstaff67]

Don't forget birthmarks, they were a sign of the Devil! 

And according to reliable witnesses, they float when you toss them into ponds.

[vyshan]

Thanks, I should have thought of those ideas sooner. heh

I think it's an exciting period to run a game, and I think the Dresden-verse is well suited to it. Would you care to share some thoughts you're having for your game?

Well the game is sort of Dresden-verse. Sort of in the fact that I am using the Order of Hermes from Ars Magica instead of the White Council. The game itself is set in Ireland right when Brian Boru became High King of Ireland, 1002 C.E, and in Ars Magica's time line a year or so before the Schismatic war occurs. Ireland in this time period is rather fascinating.

This came out of a desire to use a system other then Ars Magica's system, and the dresden files system is a good one that I enjoy. Also I see more politics with the usage of the house system from Ars Magica. Though beyond the magi of the Order most of the rest of the setting will be drawn from the dresden-verse.

[Dr.FunLove]

@vyshan
I've been long of the opinion (based on the setting) that while The Council is an omnibus governing body, that wizards themselves probably have other sects and orders within them. I don't buy into the idea that there would be zero diversity of institution among wizards from that many different cultures.

For your concept, you could still very well have The Council in the background, and have the Order of Hermes being their own order within it. They're not mutually exclusive if you tweak it just right.

[vyshan]

@vyshan
I've been long of the opinion (based on the setting) that while The Council is an omnibus governing body, that wizards themselves probably have other sects and orders within them. I don't buy into the idea that there would be zero diversity of institution among wizards from that many different cultures.

For your concept, you could still very well have The Council in the background, and have the Order of Hermes being their own order within it. They're not mutually exclusive if you tweak it just right.

Oh? Could you explain a little more on this? But this does seem like an interesting concept of tying the two together.

[Dr.FunLove]

In the novels you tend to see small orders of minor talents crop up. Like the Ordo Lebes. I take it a step forward and say there would be smaller organizations within the council based on culture or tradition. The Council is big brother but I feel that smaller groups would exist at the regional level.

My character Sunny is from one such group in Ireland that I invented that acts to preserve and pass on magical and historical traditions and protect Ireland. These groups also could serve the function to help flesh out Council politics if that angle comes up in game.

[Vargo Teras]

In the novels you tend to see small orders of minor talents crop up. Like the Ordo Lebes. I take it a step forward and say there would be smaller organizations within the council based on culture or tradition. The Council is big brother but I feel that smaller groups would exist at the regional level.

My character Sunny is from one such group in Ireland that I invented that acts to preserve and pass on magical and historical traditions and protect Ireland. These groups also could serve the function to help flesh out Council politics if that angle comes up in game.

I'd go yet farther; the White Council is, in my mind, the NATO of wizards. It's a body which has a narrow mission and substantial but narrow power to accomplish that mission. For anything other than the destruction of warlocks and the organizing of wizards against other supernatural threats, it has no interest or jurisdiction; I don't recall anything indicating that magical research, to name a prime example, is in any way organized or funded by the White Council. The fact that they don't cover anyone other than full wizards is another point in this; sorcerers would clearly have their own organizations, with the only rule in common being "Don't bring down the Wardens". Wizards that shared interests with such groups might sponsor them, join them quietly, or take them over entirely, as their needs and abilities suited.

[Dr.FunLove]

I like that approach Vargo. The Council isn't entirely fleshed out and its scope is open to interpretation.

[vyshan]

Here is a question. In the Dresden-verse how long has the White Council been around? The leader is called the Merlin, but no idea if the postion was around when Merlin might have existed or not. Mainly as I was thinking that the white council or the seeds of it, could have formed out of the ashes of the Schismatic war in order to prevent such a tragic event from happening again.

[Tedronai]

According to the wiki, and this is in line with my recollections, the first Merlin (that would be the Arthurian Merlin of legend) is the one credited with the founding of the current form of the White Council around the time of the fall of Rome.  The White Council existed before then, but not in its current form.

[Dr.FunLove]

In the books it is said that the concept of a body like the Council has existed for thousands of years. The actual body that exists today was formed sometime after the fall of the Western Roman Empire by Merlin. So probably something like 1500 + years or so.

EDIT - Exactly what Tedronai said.

From the sound of it, this Schismatic War concept might fit in well if you make it an intra-sect conflict between groups of practitioners within The Council. You would have to come up with a trigger of course - the Council's role would be trying to put out the fire and enforce order. It's not unlike many of the intra-national wars that occurred between feudal lords during the Medieval Era. Except with wizards.

[vyshan]

Ah I did not know that thanks

As for the Schism war. it came about during a period of chaos. Prior to the war, House Tytalus was corrupted by diabolists and then purged, but this brought just fear and suspicion to the Order. Intrigue, competition, and skirmishes escalated tensions and added to an atmosphere of distrust that began to dominate the Order. Differences of opinion led to frequent wizard's wars and raids against covenant resources.

The confusion thus bred led to an open conflagration as old feuds were sparked anew and recent disagreement grow into open hatred. Some houses became insular and retreated into hiding, while others became increasingly violent to deter potential attackers or to resolve personal grudges.The quaesitors* lost effective control as the magi all but stopped obeying their orders. Sides shifted continually and chaos threatened to consume the Order.

It was during this time that House Tremere fought many Wizards War against House Diedne. House Tremere is a highly militarized and orderly house;also a house with a strong ectomancy tradition. Tremere is a house which sought to make the order stronger with itself at the top.  This contrasts with House Diedne who were the Descendants of Druids. House Diedne was an insular, secretive house; that mainly cared to be focus on their magic; they had a strong tradition of evocation.

This was a break down of politics due to the chaos of the time. No one was in the right and when the dust settled after House Diedne was renounced for being infernalists, and the rest of the order wanted to patch things up asap. Tremere and their allies lost about half if not more of their numbers fighting the wizards of Diedne.

*quaesitors: they are like wardens but more lawyeresqu and not so quick to just kill someone for breaking the code of hermes.

[Dr.FunLove]

Sounds pretty much like what I described  . Ah...feudalism.You can easily adapt that concept to the Dresden-verse. In this case, the suscipsion can come from the Council and other wizards/orders if you like. Plenty of look-and-feel items you can throw in to "Dresdenify" it and there you go.