The Geometer's Garden

Roughly covering an acre on the rocky lip of the Caldera, a jumble of statuary lies directly opposite of the former sanctum of Aurioanus. Once a grand statue garden, it lied in ruins - little more than an interesting spot to play hide-and-seek for adventurous, young covenfolk - for many years. Recent investigation, fllowed by restoration ahs revealed a nobler structure.

Learning from the Garden
The garden was once used by several magi of the Gauntlet of the Four Quarters as an intellectual exercise for apprentices. There are many mathematical and philosophical puzzles hidden in the statutes, such as discrepancies in position and composition.

Contemplation in the garden teaches the Exceptional Knowledge Geometry. Geometry functions like a knack, adding to Artes Liberales or Philosophiae rolls whenever geometry is involved. A examiner must have a Int + Artes Liberales of 4+ to learn Geometry.

The garden is a Summa in Geometry, Level 6, Quality 6.

Magic of the Garden
The garden can grant and train a magus in the magical Affinity Geometry (+2 Virtue equivalent). The magus must set up a minimal laboratory in the garden. Learning the Geometry Affinity works just like learning Magic Theory from vis (ArM4 p. 191), except that a) experience points gained go toward Affinity Geometry rather than Magic Theory, b) the magus must spend the season in the garden, rather than his lab, and c) the Affinity cannot be raised higher than 4 by this method.

The Geometry Affinity works as follows: if a task were to require significant geometric calculations if performed mundanely, the Affinity is added to magical attempts to perform the same task. Such magic is of the time before Bonisagus, however, linked to ancient religions and mysteries. A Hermetic magi acquires this Affinity at his own risk.

Statuary
There are six statues depicting the noblest of geometric shapes:

• Sphere: Upon a green marble pedestal rests a marvelous bronze sphere gleams in the light.
• Cube (Earth): A diagram has been etched on the top of the cube. It is a pictographic "blueprint" on how to properly arrange the statues, and illustrations on how to move their massive bulk by mundane means.
• Tetrahedron (Fire): The pyramid is the only, entirely intact statute from the original garden, possible because it is the only statute that was carved from the same block of stone as its pedestal. Hidden underneath its granite surface is a reservoir of mercury. There is a central basin, but various tubes radiate out from it, allowing the mercury to slip and slide within the thing.

The tetrahedron is actually a map of the auras of the covenant. The pyramid represents the entire mountain, and many of the tubes represent important tunnels within. The mercury moves in response to the motions in the heavens, and thus represents the tides of the various auras and their strengths. Although the great changes since the Sundering have reduced its accuracy substantially, the tetrahedron is an excellent indicator for large scale or dangerous changes.

• Icosahedron (Water): Carved of Porphyry on a silver engraved pedestal.
• Octahedron (Air):It is perfectly balanced and can be sent spinning or rocking on its tip by the push of a finger.
• Dodecahedron (Cosmos): The strange crystal it is composed of is cracked in many places, and some edges have been crushed. A 7th magnitude InVi spell will reveal that this statute was once a remarkable source of power, that the crystal itself was magical beyond one's wildest dreams, but is now utterly mundane. A foolhardy magus might say that the dodecahedron was made of the crystalline ether itself, now drained of all its heavenly majesty by contamination with terrestrial matter. Any worthy seeker would scoff at such claims.

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Last modified: Thurs Nov 19, 1998 / Jeremiah Genest