Houses in my sagas are more like academic fellowships. Wizards from a particular House, or lineage, share similar magical strengths and weaknesses, that have been passed down from teacher to student since the time of the Founders. Like two students majoring in the same field of study, magi from the same lineage will probably have things in common, but their beliefs, values and goals will be shaped more by their immediate surroundings and their mundane existance.
Below is the revised history of the founding of the Order of Hermes, listing the Founders in order of their 'introduction'. In my version of Mythic Europe, the "Order" was simply a loose organization of wizards coming together to share knowledge for the first several decades. It wasn't until its numbers and power grew that it became more structured and more like its modern self.
Bonisagus -- Acknowledged as the discoverer of modern Hermetic theory, Bonisagus was a brilliant theoretician and teacher. He was not, however, as is commonly claimed, an impressive worker of magic. Bonisagus was a magical scavenger for most of his early life, learning bits and pieces of magical knowledge from whomever he could. His years of hedge wizardry gave him a very broad understanding of magic, the foundation he needed to decipher much of the Emerald Tablet and form the basis of modern Hermetic theory.
Technically all modern Hermetic wizards can trace their lineage back to Bonisagus, but in practice only the apprentices he taught in the last few years of his life, after the Order was firmly established, claim to come directly from his line. To these magi did Bonisagus pass the wealth of his knowledge of Hermetic theory and the Hermetic history, and those of his line continue to study both and pass down what they learn to their own apprentices.
Merinita -- One of Bonisagus's contemporaries, Merinita had spent much of her life seeking out the elusive secrets of faery magic, with little success. After learning of Bonisagus and the Emerald Tablet, Merinita sought him out, hoping that somewhere in his new Hermetic Theory would be the secrets she needed to better understand the Gentle Folk. After a few years of study Merinita became disillusioned with the new Hermeticism. The answers she sought were not to be found with there, she believed. She left the company of the other magi and spent her remaining days studying in faery places, passing on her knowledge to seekers who approached her.
Merinita never did perfect her Hermetic technique, and she has passed on certain flaws to her apprentices. Some of her line are barely Hermetic at all. Though Merinita was one of Bonisagus's contemporaries, her general ambivalence towards Hermetic Theory, and the strangeness of her line, has kept her followers from great prestige within the Order.
Flambeau -- Another of Bonisagus's contemporaries, and seen as one of the most powerful of the Founders, Flambeau was almost responsible for the destruction of the Order before it was even finished forming. Originally, Flambeau's interest was purely in the Emerald Tablet. He hoped that somewhere within its secrets might be the weapon he needed to defeat the Moorish sorcerers in Iberia. When he was denied the Tablet by what he saw as an upstart young hedge wizard, Flambeau let loose with his destructive magicks. When Bonisagus survived, Flambeau's curiosity was aroused. Eventually he was convinced that the benefits of the Parma Magica and of Hermetic allies was more useful than destroying Bonisagus and taking the Tablet for himself.
Flambeau's interest was always in magicks that would help him in battle against the Moors, and he passed down his knowledge of war spells and destructive magic to his apprentices. While Flambeau was a master of fire spells, many of his followers have branched out into the other equally-destructive forms of Hermetic magic.
Verditius -- The last of Bonisagus's contemporaries, Verditius was a powerful enchanter, who was highly interested in the idea of a universal magical theory. He sought out Bonisagus both to learn from him and to share his own expertise in enchanting objects. It turned out that Hermetic Theory was not as universal as Verditius had hoped, however. In many ways, it was incompatible with Verditius's enigmatic understanding of enchantments. Each was able to learn something from the other, but the integration they had hoped for did not seem possible.
Verditius passed on his partial grasp of Hermetic magic to his apprentices, and even today his line has difficulty duplicating Hermetic effects. They are the unchallenged experts at enchanting items, however, and their essays on magical crafting are always well received by other magi.
Bjornaer -- Bjornaer was an apprentice of Merinita, her first apprentice taken after learning the basics of Hermetic Theory. Bjornaer was already a talented shapeshifter, but she learned much of the magic of the woodlands from her parens. Bjornaer was only marginally interested in the newly forming Order and its magic, and after completing her training under Merinita, she left the company of the other Hermetic wizards and spent her life seeking out other shapeshifters, with whom she felt the most comfortable. It was actually some time before her apprentices came to join the Order. A few never did.
Bjornaer's apprentices were poorly trained in Hermetic techniques, and to this day her line suffers from various gaps in their knowledge. Though they are acknowledged as master shapeshifters, Bjornaer's lineage lacks prestige within the Order to this day. Some wizards argue over whether Bjornaer should be considered a Founder at all.
Criamon -- Criamon was the first true apprentice of Bonisagus. He had studied for a time under a Mystic and Soothsayer, but was drawn to Bonisagus by news of the Emerald Tablet. Criamon believed that the true message of the Tablet was not magical theory, but instead the enlightenment of the greater Mysteries of existence. To Criamon, magic was simply a means to greater enlightenment, not the goal. Because of this, he had little to do with the other Hermetic wizards, most of whom he considered crass opportunists.
Criamon's writings about the Emerald Tablet are copied out by each of his new apprentices, though most spend their lives trying to interpret them. There are many prophesies sprinkled throughout the text as well, some on the future of the Order and of magic itself. Criamon's apprentices continue to use magic as a path towards enlightenment, and most carry on their Founder's tradition of cryptic prophesies.
Jerbiton -- Jerbiton became the second direct apprentice of Bonisagus in an unusual way. His father, a Lombard nobleman, had a reputation for enjoying educated discourse after meals, and he was known to entertain wizards and wise-men for this purpose. When his father began to hear stories about Bonisagus, he sent an invitation, which the wizard accepted.
While the guest of Jerbiton's father, Bonisagus discovered that Jerbiton, though he seemed mundane, had been born with the Gift. Bonisagus asked if he might stay at the court and tutor the boy, and the noble, primarily out of curiosity, agreed.
Bonisagus taught Jerbiton for several years, but conflict arose and Jerbiton's father was killed, leaving Jerbiton as the new duke. Jerbiton was forced to cease his studies in order to take on his new responsibilities. Jerbiton considered himself a noble first, and a wizard second, and though he used his wealth and position to act as a patron for the fledgling Hermetic Order, he always thought of himself as an ally rather than a direct member.
Jerbiton went on to teach three apprentices later in his life, all of whom came from the nobility and from families allied with Jerbiton's. They, like their teacher, generally put their loyalty to their families and their position above their loyalty to other wizards. This lead to a great deal of conflict later in the Order's history, but that is another story.
Today, Jerbiton's line is one of the most diffuse in the Order. The tradition of picking apprentices only from the nobility was not always practical, and changes to the Code now make loyalty to mundane responsibilities much more difficult. While there is still a tendency among Jerbiton's apprentices to lean towards mundane society, it takes many different forms. Some of Jerbiton's line try to follow his tradition of living an aristocratic life as best they can, while others push for the Order to recognize the value of mundane art and philosophy. The more radical would like to see the Order completely integrated into mundane society. Of all the true lineages, it is Jerbiton's apprentices who have the least in common with each other.
Tytalus -- A hot-tempered young wizard, Tytalus was an apprentice of Bonisagus only briefly. While he wanted the power that came with Hermetic magic, he thought the idea of an Order made things too easy for wizards. To Tytalus, who was wracked with pain when he used his magic, anything that came easily was suspect. Tytalus was rebellious and defiant, and soon left Bonisagus to learn magic on his own, slowly, painfully, and relishing every success.
It is a marvel that Tytalus survived to train apprentices, however he trained two. Neither suffered from the same magical flaw he did, and so Tytalus tortured them throughout their apprenticeship, until they came to associate magic with pain and pain with growth. Tytalus also forced his apprentices to fight him for every bit of knowledge he granted, and this tradition of apprentice challenging master has been passed down to this day. Because they are known for pushing the limits and challenging convention, Tytalus' apprentices are often at odds with other Hermetic wizards. Still, their creation of a ritualized wizard's duel (Certamen), is considered a useful contribution to the Order.
Tremere -- Tremere was the last Founder to be a direct apprentice of Bonisagus, and thus benefitted from the many discoveries his Master had made over the years. Of more interest to Tremere, however, was the shape of this growing Hermetic Order of wizards. Tremere had been raised in a warlord's household, and had a fine appreciation for rulership and obedience. He felt that the new Order should also be based on such principles if it was to survive. Tremere constantly pushed to establish hierarchies of power within the Order, something that did not always go over well with the other magi. Still, much of the current shape of the Order (Tribunals, Quaesitores, Voting Sigils) is a result of Tremere's vision, and that of his followers.
Tremere trained his apprentices strictly, and enforced the ideal of obedience that he wanted to impose on the rest of the Order. Tremere's apprentices continue to organize themselves in a hierarchy to this day, and they are the only line to form a pseudo-political body.
Mercere -- Mercere was one of Jerbiton's later students. He was a noble's son, like Jerbiton, and it was this quality, rather than the strength of his Gift, that earned him an apprenticeship. In truth, Mercere's Gift was severely flawed, and he had trouble with many basic concepts of Hermetic Theory. Mercere was also disturbed by what he saw as the fragmentation of the Order; magi were spreading far and wide over Europe, making it impossible to keep in contact. Because he needed to confer with other magi who might help him overcome his Hermetic inadequacies, Mercere began relying heavily on messengers to send questions to other magi and to bring back information. He himself travelled to several different covenants, and he became more convinced that Magi, like any court, should have official messengers they could trust to send important information back and forth.
Though Mercere never did train a Hermetic apprentice, he is generally credited with forming the tradition of the Redcaps, and for ensuring protection for them under the Code. Because of this Redcaps are occasionally referred to as being of Mercere's line.
Quaesitores -- Guernicus was an early student of Tremere. Like his master, he felt that a strong sense of structure was the only thing that would ensure the survival of the Order. His particular concern, however was with upholding the new Code of the Order. Originally Magi were supposed to police each other; however Guernicus saw this as too arbitrary. Different magi interpreted the Code in different ways and too often overlooked infractions that didn't bother them. Guernicus argued that the Order needed a body of magi who were dedicated to enforcing the Code, and were trained to that end. Support was not unanimous among the other magi, however with the backing of Tremere and Flambeau, Guernicus was able to begin training magi as Quaesitores.
Magi have to complete their magical studies before training as a Quaesitor, so all Quaesitores come from their own lines. Despite this, Quaesitores are occasionally referred to as the line of Guernicus, giving him a kind of Founder's status. Those magi who resent the Quaesitores consider them just another way for Tremere's line to usurp control of the Order, while those who support them point out that many Quaesitores come from other lines, including Flambeau's and Jerbiton's.
Ex Miscellanea -- Not a true lineage at all, any non-hermetic wizard who joins the Order is occasionally referred to as coming from the line Ex Miscellanea. Hermetic magi who depart radically from the traditions of their Founder (such as a Bjornaer who never develops a heartbeast) are occasionally included in this group as well.