This interpretation of the Order's place in Mythic Europe demands a certain style of saga, however, one in which it seems perfectly reasonable that there is "some way for noblemen to make known that they have a legal issue with the Order." (LoM, 40 sidebar). This assumption, that the Order would make itself so transparent to mundanes that any nobleman could make a complaint to the Order against a magus, might seem perfectly reasonable to many magi Jerbitonis, but the majority of magi would have issues with this approach.

This assumption of widespread knowledge of the Order, even if some of it is confused or false, is also one-sided and ignores the fundamental mechanics of the game. Namely, characters do not know about organizations unless they have the relevant Ability. Just as magi do not "just know" details about the organization, structures, and laws of the Catholic Church or the Holy Roman Empire without the relevant Ability, noblemen do not either.

Lords of Men makes a nod to this with the statement that "Educated nobles may have low Order of Hermes Lore scores, and those who have family members - either current or ancestral - associated with House Jerbiton may know far more." (LoM, 40). However, these justifications for knowledge about the Order are actually only viable as justifications for having Ordo Hermei Lore scores. Just because a character's aunt was whisked away by a strange man for an education, does not mean that character automatically knows anything about the Order. However, it could provide a reason for that character to have a "low" Ordo Hermei Lore score, and that Ability would of necessity indicate some knowledge of Ordo Hermei.

For the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga, this distinction is clear: a character knows next to nothing about any organization without the relevant Organization Lore Ability, and this includes Ordo Hermei Lore. There is also a distinction between knowledge about the Order, and knowledge about its legal structures. Lex Hermei (Code of Hermes) is an Arcane Ability, and thus not available to the vast majority of mundanes, educated or otherwise. While Ordo Hermei Lore might include knowledge that the Order has a code of behavior, the details of that code fall under Lex Hermei, and are governed by strictures regarding Arcane Abilities.

What is the case for widespread knowledge of Ordo Hermei? Five major factors tend to support the concept that characters who are not directly involved with Ordo Hermei might possess Ordo Hermei Lore:
First, the Order is one of only two organizations that span the extent of Mythic Europe (the other being the Catholic Church).
Second, most magi Jerbitonis seek greater engagement with the Church and nobility, and thus tend to act as ambassadors for Ordo Hermei to those groups. Nobles and clergy tend to talk to each other, and thus knowledge of Ordo Hermei could spread beyond direct contact with magi Jerbitonis.
Third, many magi Verditii seek to sell enchanted items to mundanes. Nobility and wealthy merchants are the most likely customers for such things, and such wondrous items tend to attract notice. Again, nobility and merchants talk to each other, and like to show off their pretty things, and thus knowledge of Ordo Hermei could spread beyond direct contact with magi Verditii.
Fourth, depending on the saga, Redcaps may move throughout mundane society openly, and may have local reputations that discourage people from robbing, detaining, or otherwise hassling them.
Fifth, depending on the saga, there may be magi who seek "engagement" with mundanes in less diplomatic ways, and this confrontational approach could lead to some awareness of wizards and magic among those who survive such encounters.

What is the case against widespread knowledge of Ordo Hermei? Taking each of the above points in turn:

Although Ordo Hermei, like the Catholic Church, spans the extent of Mythic Europe, it is not as ubiqituous as the church. The Order does not have representatives in nearly every village, nor does it pursue an expansionistic evangelical policy like the church does. The number of magi is "around 1200" while the number of bishops, abbots, and similar high clergy alone exceeds that number, without counting the thousands upon thousands of monks, priests, and lower clergy in Mythic Europe. Thus, although the geographical extent of the Order matches that of the church, its direct impact on most people of Mythic Europe is necessarily far less.

While magi Jerbitonis do seek greater engagement with mundanes, they also must remain within boundaries set by Lex Hermei. There are two directly relevant statements in the Oath: "I will not endanger the Order through my actions" and "I will not interfere with the affairs of mundanes and thereby bring ruin upon my sodales." Both of these statements may be interpreted more or less stringently by a Tribunal, and thus the degree of ongoing mundane involvement by Jerbitonis will tend to vary by Tribunal.

Rulings of Tribunal Grandis impose additional restrictions on engagement with mundanes. Magi may not serve as court wizards, nor may they make alliance with mundane lords. Magi may not use overt magic against mundanes, or if they must, they must leave no survivors. Because these are Tribunal Grandis rulings, there is less variation in interpretations between Tribunalia. Wise magi Jerbitonis are circumspect in their dealings with mundanes, as they wish to avoid giving the impression that they are in service to any particular noble, or are aiding him in an "interfering" way.

However, it is generally not a crime to speak about the existance of the Order or to use benign magic in front of mundanes (HoH:S, 46). Thus, the engagement of magi Jerbitonis among mundanes is a viable source of Ordo Hermei Lore, to a superficial extent. Magi Jerbitonis are likely to emphasize that the Order has strict provisions against interfering in the affairs of the nobility; that it strictly forbids dealing with demons; and that it requires that Gifted children be "properly" educated. Magi Jerbitonis are also likely to want to draw a sharp distinction between the Order and other mystical groups in Mythic Europe.

On the other hand, they are likely to avoid topics such as Wizard's Wars, Wizard's Marches, the right of a magus to kill an apprentice or kidnap a Gifted child, or the requirement to leave no survivors in any conflict with mundanes that involves open magic. They are also likely to avoid mentioning pagan magi, magi Bjornaer, or magi Merinitae. They would even wish to avoid mentioning the Oath, as the ramifications of an Oath that takes precedence over one's worldly allegiances would be politically messy and theologically problematic.

Most magi Jerbitonis would also use a euphemism when speaking about the Order with mundanes. Thus, knowledge of the Order that mundanes might gain through contact with Domus Jerbitonis, either directly or indirectly, will be skewed toward what Domus Jerbitonis would regard as "favorable" information, and probably not even refer to "Hermes" at all.

Magi Verditii also face restrictions in dealing with mundanes, including additional provisions such as the limit on effective life of an enchantment sold to mundanes. Magi Verditii have less motive than magi Jerbitonis to discuss the Order, unless it is somehow beneficial to their business. Thus, while mundanes might gain knowledge that there are enchanters who can make wondrous items, they are less likely to gain knowledge that such enchanters belong to an Order that includes other magi. Indeed, magi Verditii are very competitive amongst themselves, and are unlikely to even admit that another craftsman is even close to their equal.

Further, magi Verditii are not the only sources of enchanted items in Mythic Europe. Hedge craftsman exist who can craft wondrous items, for example. Thus, magi Verditii, despite their engagement in selling enchantments to mundanes, are not a likely source of Ordo Hermei Lore, although they might be a source for Magic Lore.

Redcaps present a variable, depending on the saga. In some sagas, or in some Tribunalia in some sagas, Redcaps are known to belong to an organization that protects them and takes retribution on those who harm them. In such situations, some knowledge of Ordo Hermei is likely to disseminate from Redcap activity. However, this sort of "protect the Redcaps" policy may not be entirely desirable for Domus Merceris. In addition to delivering correspondence, Redcaps engage in commerce, both mystical and mundane. If "harming" Redcaps is bad, what about competing with them in commerce? It is not a long road from protecting Redcaps from robbers, to a mafia-esque commercial empire, and that could result in charges of interference with the mundanes.

Again, this would depend on the specifics of a given Tribunal. Domus Merceris might desire a protective reputation for Redcaps in some Tribunalia, but not in Tribunalia in which the Domus has significant involvement in mundane commerce. Domus Merceris might also wish to discourage knowledge of the Order in regions in which they have significant commercial interests. This could set them at odds with magi Jerbitonis in some Tribunalia.

But what about magi who seek to dominate mundanes, and who skirt the restrictions of Lex Hermei, or even violate them openly? For example, it is arguably legal under Lex Hermei for a magus who desires to take over an area to simply slay all of the mundanes in the area, and to keep slaying anyone who gets in his way, so long as he leaves no survivors that witness the open use of magic. Depending on the circumstances and the Tribunal, this may or may not result in charges of "endangering the Order," but it almost certainly would lead to rumors about wizards or monsters or whatever comes out of the febrile imaginations of those who survive on the periphery of the area.

The issue regarding knowledge of the Order, however, arises if the magus is not entirely successful. What if there is a survivor, or survivors, who spread tales of terror and evil magic? What if the Tribunal has to get involved? In such situations, knowledge of Ordo Hermei might spread in the region. Would this include the knowledge that the problem within Ordo Hermei wasn't that a magus wiped out an entire noble family, their retainers, and their serfs, but that the magus didn't entirely wipe them out? In some Tribunalia, the magi of the Tribunal might prefer to "correct" the situation by slaying anyone who gained knowledge of the involvement of a magus in the unhappy event.

For all of the above factors, there is an underlying variable, which is the relative prevalence of Hermetic magi and covenants in the region. In Tribunalia such as Sarmatia, nobles are unlikely to have knowledge of Ordo Hermei unless there is a covenant in their immediate vicinity. Sarmatia is simply too immense, and the number of magi too few, to have much of an impact. In Tribunalia such as Britannia and Gallia, however, with strong central governments and relatively greater prevalence of magi, knowledge of Ordo Hermei is more likely to spread.

Thus, it is reasonable to assume that some mundanes, including some clergy and nobility, would have Ordo Hermei Lore for various reasons. The specifics of how they came by such knowledge would be significant, and should be reflected in the Ability specialization. It is also reasonable to assume that such knowledge would in most cases be limited, resulting in a "low" score (0 or 1 at the most). NPCs gain experience and Abilities by the same mechanics as player characters, and most have better things to do than allocate points to Ordo Hermei Lore. Only those who repeatedly encounter the Order are likely to gain a score of 1 in Ordo Hermei Lore, and only those with significant motivation and opportunity to learn more about Ordo Hermei are likely to develop a score greater than 1 in the Ability.

Also, it is important to remember that some things that people "know" about a topic are not accurate. A person's "knowledge" may include speculation, misconceptions, and outright fabrications. Even for mundanes that know about the Order, much of what they "know" is not accurate. This could be further complicated by the fact that not all magi refer to the Order using the same terminology. A myriad of groups exist in Mythic Europe, some of them mystical. Various parts of the Order could easily blend into the mystical scenery, as it were, without nobles, clergy, or anyone realizing that this particular group is connected to that "Order of Hermes" group. Similarly, it might be possible for a group that is not part of the Order to be confused with the Order. Thus, even if a nobleman or clergyman has Ordo Hermei Lore, they may not apply that knowledge accurately to the world around them.