Order of Hermes

This article provides information on the Order of Hermes specific to Radio Noir.

As ideological fault-lines are shifting in the mortal world, the ancient Order of Hermes again finds itself thrust towards the center of the Ascension War. Plagued by stale traditions, inertia, internal division, and a long litany of defeats, today’s order appears less like the first among the Traditions and more like an antiquated remnant of the mythic past.

In 1909, Doissetep, the order’s Domus Magnum, was described by a visiting Master from the Celestial Chorus as, “a pit of cunning vipers, where every possible action is ruled by some age old ritual and even the lowliest initiate is more focused on political status than pursuit of wisdom.” Though perhaps a little harsh, this sentiment mirrors the reputation of the Hermetics among the other Traditions in the modern age.

In its heyday, the Order of Hermes was an alliance of Houses united by a common Paradigm. Over the centuries, dwindling resources have pitted House against House, causing the Grand Tribunal to become mired in squabbles over resource allocation and gridlocked by ancient grudges. This has given birth to a culture of distrust, where Mages are forming their own alliances in order to achieve their goals. Over the last couple of centuries, these alliances have coalesced into two factions that have taken on the role of ideological parties. In the early 20th century, these parties have come to wield more political power than the Great Houses.

Organization
The Great Houses of Hermes and their Primi
 * House Bonisagus: John Visballi
 * House Flambeau: Porthos Fitz-Empress
 * House Fortunae: Hassam al-Jadidi ibnu Faridi
 * House Janissary: Caeron Mustani
 * House Quaesitori: Ishaq Ibn-Thoth
 * House Thig: No Primus
 * House Tytalus: Getulio Vargas São Cristóvão (Council of Nine)
 * House Ex Miscellanea (Criamon, Jeribton, Lictori, Merinita, Shaea): No Primus

The Goethian Party
The Goethians believe the only way to restore the Order of Hermes to its former glory is to take a much more active role in the Ascension War. For this to happen, they also believe that the Grand Tribunal must be disbanded, and that the leadership of the order must be given to one individual: a Magister Tyrannus, who is granted full and unchallenged authority to lead the order back to its rightful place.

This party was founded in 1771 by Abakuk deVermis, Legatus of House Flambeau, Master of the 9th degree. It is now one of the largest factions within the order with members from every House and it controls most of the Lesser Tribunals.

The High Tower
Often called the Conservatives, this group has grown from a philosophy to a party in response to the growth of the Goethians. The goal of this party is to preserve the Hermetic the laws and traditions. It counts four of the six Primi of the Great Houses among its members, as well as a number of Masters and senior Adepts. The Conservatives wield a great deal of theoretical power but is hampered by the same issues that plague the order at large.

The Grand Tribunal
The order has been ruled by the Grand Tribunal since its founding in the Mythic Age. This conclave of Masters and Primi act as the highest court of the order and has the power to dictate policy. In practice, the meetings of the Grand Tribunal rarely manage to penetrate endless debates about theory and quarrels about protocol. On the rare occasions where a resolution is brought to the vote, it is almost always blocked by a veto.

The Lesser Tribunals
There are two types of Lesser Tribunal, the Regional Tribunals, such as the High Tribunal of the New World and the Rhine Tribunal, and the Ad-hoc Tribunals assembled by individual cabals or chantries to adjudicate disputes between members.

In the modern age, the Regional Tribunals are where decisions can be made, largely because as a rule, they are dominated by one of the two political parties. Most of the tribunals on the European mainland belong to the Goethians, whereas the Tribunal of the Islands and the High Tribunal of the New World belong to the Traditionalists.

Ranks of the Order of Hermes
The order is highly structured and each of its members are ranked by their degree of magical mastery. The degrees listed below replaces the official hierarchy as presented in Tradition Book: Order of Hermes.
 * First Degree: Neophyte - little to no power, testing phase to become accepted as an apprentice.
 * Second Degree: Zelator - Hedge magic, training towards Awakening.
 * Third Degree: Practicus - the final test, the end of apprenticeship.
 * Fourth Degree: Initiate - full membership after achieving the first rank in Forces.
 * Fifth Degree: Initiate Exemptus - achieving the first rank in another Sphere.
 * Sixth Degree: Adeptus - Achievement of the third rank in any Sphere.
 * Seventh Degree: Adeptus Maior - Achievement of the fourth rank in one Sphere, the third in another and one in any other.
 * Eighth Degree: Magister Scholae - Full mastery of one Sphere, as well as the third rank in two others.
 * Ninth Degree: Magister Insignitor - Full mastery of two Spheres.
 * Tenth Degree: Magister Mundi - Achievement of Archmastery in one Sphere.
 * Oracle - Achievement of Oracleship.

No Mage is believed to have reached the Tenth Degree since the hardening of the Gauntlet and the mere existence of Oracles is held to be little more than a myth.

Notable Chantries

 * Doissetep
 * Durenmar
 * Flesland
 * The Occidental Collegiate
 * Second House