The Conclave

## What is The Conclave?

Once Morraine took over the Shifas, she disbanded the group, and sent any healers to the Qnorth, claiming that magic and medical knowledge do not belong together. She became “The Voice of Luthien”, and restructured the pack in the original way Luthien intended, and it became The Conclave.

The Convlave is the magical standard when it comes to Arilyan. They are the most powerful magical users, due to their connection to Luthien, and have the greatest knowledge when it comes to spirits and how to use spirits in magical practices.

Members of the conclave are experts in connecting with the genus loci (“spirits of place”), communicating with Luthien, combating rogue spirits, and practicing general magic.

While all faiths and ages are able to join, those with the strongest power are connected to Luthien, and generally are raised within the borders of the territory. The pack is open to orphaned cubs and cubs under 1 year of age dropped off by their parents, as they are trained as apprentices and learn faster than older grans. Cubs over one year of age and matured adults will receive basic training as needed, and are held to the same standards as those who have a natural magical talent. (These training sessions can be role-played, or they can be assumed to have taken place at the player’s choice.)

### Joining::

Creatures of all ages are able to join The Conclave. Orphaned cubs and cubs under 1 year of age dropped off by their parents will be trained as apprentices. Cubs over one year of age and matured adults will receive basic training as needed, though it is assumed those interested in joining would already have some knowledge of the magical arts. These training sessions can be role-played, or they can be assumed to have taken place at the player’s choice.

Creatures MUST stay within pack territory to learn the spells required to do proper magic. This is due to the temperamental nature of spirits. Untrained members of the conclave, who attempt to practice magic above their rank, without a teacher, can cause injury to not only themselves but others around them.

Once they learn enough to practice on their own, their job is to wander Arilyan and patch holes in the Veil, set spiritual lights for the wandering dead, and assist others in their magical needs.

### Who is Lúthien?

"There is a strange power in the joining of unlike things...."

Lúthien is the goddess of magic and watcher of the Veil. Since the Veil is the source of all magic, she opens the door between worlds so that the coven can access this otherworld. She's an impassive goddess, with a very black and white view on the world, but she also is curious to see what mortals will do with the magic she provides them.

How pack members address one another

### Children of Luthien ::

This is a blanket role for all official magic users of the pack (minus Guardians) who are past the apprentice stage and can be used as a title, such as “Sister/Brother/Sibling so and so”. The responsibilities of this role include patching the Veil, setting spirit flames for wandering spirits to find their way home, and practicing general magic for those who need it.

The way they formally greet one another goes “Title Name, Sibling and Role”

#### Example ::

“Mistress Moiraine, Sister and Alpha”

“Claw Merlin, Brother and Mentor”

“Hexerai Brigid, Sister and Conjuror”

The way they formally greet Guardians, is simply “Guardian Name”

### Ranks and Titles

**Master & Mistress of Luthien :: (1/2)**

Current Mistress: Moiraine

Current Master:

* Alphas of The Coven
* Do not have to be mates, but usually is the case.
* Female always outranks the male.

**Alpha’s Claw :: (1/1)**

Current Claw :: Merlin

* Advisor to the Alphas.
* Can be male or female.
* Always over the age of 20
* Never uses their power to lead others, they strictly answer to the Mistress/Master of the pack.

**The Gray Lords :: (0/4)**

* While they answer to the Mistress/Master of the pack, they act as speakers for the pack, in each of the four corners of Arilyan, with the pack in the middle where the Mistress leads from.
* Are not only the most powerful magical users, however, they are the most charismatic, with a level head.
* Their word is second to that of the alpha.

**The Oracles ::  (0/3)**

* Never under the age of 3.
* Always a virgin. This is not because virgins are seen as more powerful, but because it’s in honor of Luthien being a “virgin goddess”.
* Once they take a mate, or have sex, they are removed from the role as Oracle, and generally are excused from any roles in the pack.
* If an oracle decides to enjoy more physical pleasures over her spiritual studies, this is usually looked down on, and it’s not unheard of for them to leave the pack if they do this.
* They live in the pack territory, and often become detached from the living, as they spend so much time mentally on the other side of the Veil.
* Speaks in riddles and often die young, or retire addicted to the herbs required for them to pass into the Veil.

**Bracherei :: (0/x)**

* General pack members who are past the apprentice stage.
* Specialize in telling the future and spells that result in positive results, including but not limited to guarding spells, creating talismans and amulets, and sigil making.
* They can shatter their minds, however it’s uncommon so long as they don’t dabble in magics they’re not experienced in.

**Hexerei :: (0/x)**

* General pack members who are past the apprentice stage.
* Specializes in curses and spells that result in negative results, including but not limited to poisoning spells, creating cursed objects, and working with wandering spirits.
* While they practice “darker magic” they are expected not to turn their powers on the pack, or to use their powers to harm the innocent. Basically, they can hurt those who deserve it, but not without cause.
* Can shatter their mind easier than any other role, as they work with wandering spirits more so than any other group.
* They often die young, or cause themselves great bodily harm, due to the corrupting nature of this type of magic.

**Guardians :: (0/x)**

* General pack members who cannot practice magic themselves, however are immune to magic.
* Acts not only as a guard for the pack, but as enforcers of the rules.
* Will kill those who fall into negative magic for the harm of the pack
* Are immune to magic of any kind. This is seen as a blessing, as not even the strongest magic can work on them, however they have no connection to the Veil, therefore no magic of their own.

**Banished Members :: (0/x)**

#### Member Roles ::

**Apprentice**

* This role is for cubs or older granthrow with no experience in the magical arts. These members will be given a Mentor to learn off of. Their responsibilities include guided meditations and gathering magical herbs, making minor potions, and occasionally reaching out to the spirits that live in all living thing. This stage can last anywhere between three to five years, and an apprentice cannot be younger than 6 months old. If a member of the pack stays in this role longer than a year, they are considered untalented in the magical arts and sent to live with another pack or tested to see if they can be trained as a Guardian.

**Charmer**

* More experienced members who know their area of study, and are no longer apprentices. They know how to handle themselves with magic, and have actively traveled to learn more about their specific field. When they’ve successfully spirit traveled without any prompting/corrections, they can graduate past this level. This stage can last anywhere between three years to the rest of the gran’s life. If they cannot complete this stage, they can still assist the pack, however, they’re just not one the most skilled members. A charmer will never be younger than three and a half years old.

**Conjuror**

* The most experienced and relied on members in the pack. In a crisis, lower ranks look to them for advice, and their knowledge is the most trusted. They are incredibly skilled in the magical arts and at this level, they often wear a pale feather in their hair at all times, as a gift from Luthien (given by Moiraine, not Luthien herself). It’s at this stage that a Child of Luthien will consider becoming a mentor, especially in their old age. A Conjuror will never be younger than twenty.

**Mentor**

* These are well traveled grans with a high level of experience in the magical arts, and at least one apprentice to pass their knowledge down to. They have the same responsibilities as any pack member, however teaching their apprentice is considered the highest priority. A Mentor will never be younger than twenty.

**Guardian**

* Guardians are special members of the pack with the responsibility of guarding the territory from anyone who wishes to harm the Children of Luthien. They can be apprentices and mentors but only to other guardians, and while they’re still a “Child of Luthien”, their official title is “Guardian so and so”.

### Classifications of Study by Rank

These are the types of magic a pack member can study, including the practices of the Guardians.

Spirit Walking

* Includes Hexerei and Bracherei
* This is an area of study that can be paired with any of the other area of study.
* These grans have shown responsibility and compassion for the spirits of the dead, and have proven to be spiritually inclined. They can learn a mixture of herbs that lets them commune with the dead. This can lead them to finding granthrow in need, or reveal the location of holes in the Veil.

Dead Walking

* Includes Hexerei only
* This is an area of study that can be paired with any other area of study.
* Considered the most dangerous form of magic, this is an area of study that requires talking to, asking favors from, and requesting assistance from spirits who are refusing to move on (Wandering Spirits). Because wandering spirits want to get back to their old life, and not be reincarnated, they will often try to trick, betray, or hurt the living, especially those who ask for favors. This is an EXTREMELY risky form of magic, and requires the knowledge of general spirit walking before you can begin to interact with malevolent spirits.

Divination

* Includes Hexerei and Bracherei
* This area of study is usually a specialization that can only be paired with Spirit Walking
* Those experienced in divination are not only talented at watching for signs, omens, and reading the stars as a way to predict the coming weather, plot the migration of herds, and even tell if a famine is coming, but they are also very sensitive to the spiritual environment around them. Should they be a spirit walker, they can also ask spirits their opinions of what the future holds.

Alchemist

* Includes Hexerei and Bracherei
* An Alchemist is a gran who favors creating salves, poultices, and potions. They enjoy mixing things together and experimenting to find the next remedy or something to bolster a gran’s senses or fortitude. Some of these creatures are considered dangerous because, for those who create remedies, there are also those who create poisons. Alchemists who deal with deadly herbs are watched closely for their conduct, and are usually only grans who are incredibly trusted within the pack. Poisons are to only be used to end a terminal gran’s suffering on their specific request to do so. Any other use of poison will result in exile.

Talisman & Amulet Making

* Includes Bracherei only
* The practice of creating accessories that are blessed by Luthien. Works best with a form of Spirit Walking.

#### Guardian Areas of Study Only

Apotropaic Guardians

* Apotropaics are those who focus solely on protecting the territory from outside attackers, both spiritually and physically. They know what herbs to eat to help boost their energy, can see spirits, and are experts in fighting and combat.
* They strictly live on the outside of the territory, and protect the physical location of the pack. Usually they have more “tank” body types.

Omniscient Guardians

* Omniscients are those who focus solely on protecting the pack members from threats from the inside. They know what herbs to eat to help boost their energy, can sense when a creature’s mind has shattered, and are experts in how to kill quickly and quietly.
* They strictly live with one member of the pack, and protect that single member from themselves. Usually they have more “rouge” body types.

### Downsides to the Conclave

#### Practicing Too Advanced Magic, and "The Shattering"

There are a few ways a member can become "shattered". If they're untrained and practice too advanced magic, if they're pulled from the Veil in the middle of working spells, if they eat the wrong herb with the wrong spell, or if a volatile spirit attacks them in the middle of a spell. Because magic has such a dangerous side to it, grans must work for years to fight against what coven call "The Shattering", and this study is taken VERY seriously. If a mind is shattered, the only way to get their full consciousness back to their body is to petition Lúthien for help.

However, if a gran is put back together by her, they will never be able to work magic, as Lúthien deems anyone who's been shattered unfit to linger behind the Veil. If a mind is "shattered", they can still function, however they will never be the same. They come off as absent minded and distant, having trouble distinguishing between what's real and what's not and rarely make sense when they talk. It manifests in different ways for every character, and they can't work magic properly, but members watch over them in hopes that one day their consciousness will return to them on their own.

#### Banishment

This pack takes magic and their position in the world very seriously. If any member is caught doing the following they will be marked as traitors to their coven.

* Practicing curses and making poisons to harm others who don’t deserve punishment.
* Causing a sibling to shatter by intentionally pulling them from their spells
* Causing pain or intentionally botching a healing
* Practicing too advanced spells after being told not to, multiple times

#### Banishment Ceremony

Upon the decision to banish a member of the coven, the alpha will mark the “sibling” in some noticeable way, included but not limited to claw marks on the shoulders, chest and/or hips, cutting their mane, or biting them along their legs. After the alpha is satisfied with the mark, other pack members will follow suit, cutting claw marks deeper, or voicing their shame in roars. It's considered a painful experience for all involved, as the coven see this as the ultimate betrayal of what they stand for. Banishment is not taken lightly, and they try to avoid this outcome at all cost.

### Application Form

* Gran Name: here
* Played by: here
* Age: here
* Role: here
* Rank: here
* Area of Study: here
* How did your character get into healing?: here