Corpus Hermetica: B+ [Anti-Unit]
The Teacher’s Lexicon
"My poor ignorant student,
It is my duty to enlighten those who can not see,
Do not fret, let me read from the Hermetica"
Targets: 1
-The Hermetica are Egyptian-Greek wisdom texts from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, which are mostly presented as dialogues in which a teacher, generally identified as Hermes Trismegistus enlightens a disciple. The texts form the basis of Hermeticism. They discuss the divine, the cosmos, mind, and nature. Some touch upon alchemy, astrology, and related concepts.
Hermes is always looking for students to teach, it is one of the few things he both loves and is good at. Because of this, if Hermes finds a suitable candidate for a disciple, he will jump at the chance to take them under his wing. A “suitable” candidate must be strong willed, not scared to take risks, naturally intelligent, and patient, the necessary traits needed to perform high level alchemy. When a disciple is found, Hermes will insist that he needs to spend at least 24 hours training said disciple, but forced learning through magic is possible, if incredibly dangerous. When fully taught, said graduate will be able to perform near the limits of human alchemy, about as powerful and knowledgeable as any master alchemist from 1300s Europe.
Book of the Watchers: C+ [Anti-Army]
The Forgotten Gospel of Enoch
"I have foretold the flood, the coming of Christ, all things,
And yet my words were ignored, and yet my manuscripts were lost,
But no longer! Open the Book of the Watchers and release the sins within!"
Targets: 1000
-This first section of the Book of Enoch describes the fall of the Watchers, the angels who fathered the Nephilim and narrates the travels of Enoch in the heavens. This section is said to have been composed in the 4th or 3rd century BC according to Western scholars.
The first section of the book depicts the interaction of the fallen angels with mankind; Sêmîazâz compels the other 199 fallen angels to take human wives to "beget us children". “And they became pregnant, and they bare great giants, whose height was three hundred ells: Who consumed all the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain them, the giants turned against them and devoured mankind. And they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another's flesh, and drink the blood.” This mention in the Book of the Watchers, written by none other than Hermes himself, allows him to “open” the book and summon forth the bloodthirsty giants of old to destroy all things around him. However, Hermes is unable to control the giants and they will rampage across the land until they are all killed.
Emerald Tablet: EX [Anti-World]
The Authority over both God and Cosmos
"Know the secrets of the Prima Materia,
As above, so below, My Magnum Opus!
The Emerald Tablet!"
Targets: ???
-The Emerald Tablet, also known as the Smaragdine Table, or Tabula Smaragdina, is a compact and cryptic piece of the Hermetica reputed to contain the secret of the prima materia and its transmutation. It was highly regarded by European alchemists as the foundation of their art and its Hermetic tradition. Although Hermes Trismegistus is the author named in the text, its first known appearance is in a book written in Arabic between the sixth and eighth centuries. The text was first translated into Latin in the twelfth century. Numerous translations, interpretations and commentaries followed. The layers of meaning in the Emerald Tablet have been associated with the creation of the philosopher's stone, laboratory experimentation, phase transition, the alchemical magnum opus, the ancient, classical, element system, and the correspondence between macrocosm and microcosm.
To control the primordial forces that created the universe, is to be able to recreate the universe itself. Being able to both create and mold the prima materia is not only powerful, but godlike in its scope. With the prima materia, one can create or recreate any single thing to ever exist in this dimension or the next. A piece of matter that is formless, just begging to be melded by the master hands of a creator. And Hermes will be that creator. When Hermes deems it necessary, he will raise the original, solid emerald tablet from the depths of the earth…
From here, he will be able to create prima materia as long as he is inside a territory he previously created. If fighting Hermes, it is imperative that you do not allow Hermes to acquire prima materia, as his acquisition of this formless base of all things will elevate him from a near unmatched caster second to none in subjects related to alchemy, astronomy, and theurgy, into the very definition of a man wielding godlike power. So far away will Hermes become in terms of power, that only that strongest of heroes, Gilgamesh, would be able to defeat him. However, this knowledge is considered forbidden in the eyes of the universe, and takes such incredible energy and willpower to create prima materia that it isn’t out of the question to use human sacrifice. It will also catch the ire of Gaia herself, as this blatant disregard for the proper order of the universe is something that can not simply be overlooked, and most certainly can not be ignored. Still, the mana cost of this is incomprehensible, this usually wouldn’t be a problem for the old divine Hermes, but in his now fully mortal form even his incredibly high mana isn’t able to fully cope with the weight of creating such a primal material. A rough approximation of how much mana it would cost is around two of Hermes’ extreme limits combined. The cost is, by all accounts, worth the payoff in the end.