Lore:Glenmoril Wyrd

The Glenmoril Wyrd (also known as the Glenmoril Coven, the Wyrd Sisters or the Glenmoril Witches) is a loose association of female witch covens who revere nature and the natural world.  Their ranks consisting primarily of humans, though some covens include beastfolk such as    and  . When present, lamias and hagravens usually take on leadership roles within their respective coven. 

They admit no males members into their covens and enforce laws of nature which only they recognize. Additionally, the Glenmoril Wyrd have a propensity for living in the wilderness, away from more "civilized" settlements.  This fact alone has lead to a lack of understanding regarding their ways, and they are usually described by laymen as reclusive, uncanny, evil or dangerous. They have had a presence in High Rock,  Solstheim,   Cyrodiil  and Skyrim.  Some sects of the Glenmoril Wyrd are notable for possessing secrets for curing lycanthropy and vampirism.  The witches of the Glenmoril Wyrd are also known for their ability to transform into creatures such as wolves   and enormous ravens.   This beast-form magic is attributed to their knowledge of the mysteries of Hircine's domain.  
 

Geography and Beliefs
The Glenmoril Wyrd are few in numbers, but their several covens are spread all across Tamriel. There are around eight known Glenmoril Wyrd covens. The   is the easternmost coven, residing in central Skyrim. The westernmost of these covens resides in the   of  . The   resides in western  , and the   predictably live in  . The Markarth Sisters are the only urban Glenmoril Wyrd coven, and the only coven that lives even remotely near a city. The   live in  's  . The   make their home in the swamps of western Skyrim. There is also the  ,  whose location is unspecified, but likely practice near  , if   has anything to do with their namesake.

Each of these covens follow similar principles, but differ somewhat in their religious beliefs. They are inclined towards  -worship, and most of the covens worship Hircine. The Fen Witches are adherents of  , the Hagfeather Coven worships   and the Markarth Sisters revere  . Relations with the   also vary from coven to coven. The Hagfeather Coven, the Rimerock Wyrd, and the Markarth Sisters all have cordial relations with their neighbors from the Reach, but the Ilessan and Viridian Wyrd have clashed with the Reachmen for thousands of years. This can be chalked up to a difference in their reverence for Hircine.  The Ilessan and Viridian Wyrd venerate the less-feral aspects of Hircine, and even provide cures for  .  The Reachmen, on the other hand, prefer the vicious side of Hircine's sphere, and celebrate lycanthropy as a blessing rather than a curse.  Despite their many similarities, the Reachmen and Wyrd view each other as distinct groups. 

Due to their reclusive nature and refusal to accept men within their ranks, rumors have spread about the Glenmoril Wyrd replenishing their ranks by stealing young girls from neighboring farms. This is untrue, except in the case of the Fen Witches of  , who engage in practices far more objectionable practices than mere child abduction. Most covens gain new members when unwanted young girls are brought to the Wyrd by distressed parents.  The Glenmoril Wyrd also bolster their ranks by adopting orphaned girls.  The Wyrd also accept women who have been cast out by their families into the fold.  The Viridian Wyrd are accompanied by wolf guardians, some of which are their fellow sisters who have taken the shape of the wolf.  These powers allow the wyresses to enter the Nature Realm as wolf spirits, allowing them to bypass obstacles in the physical realm. 

The Glenmoril Wyrd believe in balance. For each life taken, a new one is given, in one form or another. They take only what they need, they ask before taking it, and they do not waste what they acquire.  The Wyrd live simple lives with what the land provides.  They do not command the forest, nor does the forest command them.  The Glenmoril Wyrd draw upon the power of nature for their magicka. 

Religious idols comprised of tree roots shaped by wyrd magic have been unearthed by scholars. They depict female humanoid-animal hybrids, such as a woman with stag horns and cloven feet, a scaled woman, and a six breasted wolf woman. One researcher initially theorized they were representations of Hircine, but later concluded they may represent totemic Divines, like those of the Atmorans. 

History
During the Interregnum, the Glenmoril Wyrd allied with the Kingdom of Evermore to fight against the Dark Witnesses invasion in northern Bangkorai around  . 

Before the  , the witches maintained a hidden coven in the wilderness of the Ilessan Hills in High Rock, as well as many covens in several towns and cities within the Iliac Bay area.  Some city-dwelling members of the coven are vampires.  This tribe of vampires grew so powerful as to gain the attention of the Cyrodiil Vampyrum Order, who considered them to be "Rivals". 

The witches occasionally visited the island of Solstheim, which they did in  , during the  .  ,   and  , three Breton witches, set up camp in Gloomy Cave, an ice cave on the  .  The witches offered to cure werewolves who came to the   of their Lycanthropy.  This was achieved through a ritual in which the life of an innocent was taken.  However, the witches also possessed an enchanted a scroll capable of curing Lycanthropy.  This trio of witches took on the form of hagravens by  , and crossed paths with the   at the Altar of Thrond. 

Although there were once covens located in Cyrodiil, none existed within its borders by  . A retired Breton member of the coven lived in   by the Nibenay Basin at this time. She was persuaded to create a potion to cure Countess Rona Hassildor of Skingrad of vampirism. 

Some time before  , an offshoot of the coven located in   made a pact with the Companions, an ancient mercenary guild based in Whiterun. It is unknown when exactly this transaction took place, but the Companions have existed for five thousand years, and the beast blood has only been afflicting the companions for a few hundred.  The pact made with the witches turned high-ranking members into werewolves, and since that time, partaking in the beast blood became a tradition within the Companions' inner circle.  Although many members embraced the affliction, it prevented the Harbingers of the guild from entering Sovngarde after they had died, instead becoming trapped in Hircine's  . 

By  , this coven, located in western Falkreath Hold, had become the last haven for the Glenmoril Witches in Skyrim.  All of the members present in the cave were hagravens.   , the Harbinger of the Companions, wanted to find a cure to his Lycanthropy before he died.  He sent a new recruit to wipe out the witches and retrieve their decapitated heads, which is where their magic is contained.  Kodlak was killed before he could be cured,  but his ghost was freed when the recruit burned one of the witches' heads in a ritual brazier and killed Kodlak's wolf spirit in the  .  Several other Companions followed his lead and cured themselves in the same manner. 

See Also
For game-specific information, see the Daggerfall, Bloodmoon, Oblivion, Skyrim, Dragonborn and ESO articles.

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