The American
Way
Several boats of Pagans left their homes back on the other
side of the ocean and sailed away, looking for a new home. A place they could
worship their ways in peace. After much hardship, they discover a new land. It
is rich in resources and an ideal setting for the weary people. They landed and
the first thing they did was thank their Goddess for delivering them safely.
It wasn’t long before it was discovered that there were Native Peoples already living here. At first they all got along, especially once it was discovered that both sides had a similar worship, though the Natives followed a Male deity they called the Great Spirit. Over time some of each other’s views bled into the other. The Natives started worshiping a Father Sky and Mother Earth, while the Pagans fell to worshipping a Goddess and a God. But somewhere down the line, bad blood sprang up, and war ensued between the Peoples. Unknown to both sides, the fledgling Christians that had started coming, was the cause of the war.
After many years, finally the High Coven’s Priest and Priestess were given a dream to end the war. They gathered their Coven together, and spoke the spell; each person had a line to say to make the spell work. And work it did. The war came to an end with the Natives no longer able to shift into an animal form and sneak up or attack, but the Pagans were cursed themselves. Now some requirement must be met in order for them to reproduce. In the case of a Pagan joining a Coven, their curse is supplanted by the High Priest/Priestess’s curse, also known as The Coven Curse.
There is an uneasy peace between the Natives and the Foreigners. But there is still much raiding between the two. A sort of Badlands has sprung up between the two Nations as a sort of buffer, but it doesn’t stop everyone. Children born of a union between Native and European are generally left out to the elements and wild animals to be destroyed on both sides. Due to the fact that those half breeds, now have the shape shifting ability of their Native parents, without the control. If shifted too often or long, they will become feral and attack everything and anything. It is as if they go insane.
The original High Coven, broke up, each of the thirteen members founding a Coven of their own. Every Coven has a special something to their Coven, i.e., affinity for plant life, healing, poisons, ect. Siblings and other ‘close’ relatives are not allowed to join the same Coven, for breeding purposes. Should a Coven not meet their Curse, the entire Coven dies out. So Siblings are broke up and scattered to various Covens in the hopes that one will carry on the family bloodline. The exception being the child that is chosen to take over the Coven they are born into. When they are ready, the Parents will step down and become advisors to the new High Priest/Priestess until their death.
Each Coven is set up in a Castle/Serf kind of way. The Coven owns a large acreage, and has it walled off, within the walls is a Castle, generally but not always in the middle, and then several houses, some Stables, orchards, ect. Things that can make them completely self-sufficient, but cities have also sprung up around the original complex. These being those lone practitioners of the Pagan ways, and wandering Christian monks trying to spread their faith, as well as converted Christians, few though they really are. There are also neglected Native Burial grounds within these cities. Everyone leaves them alone out of respect for the dead; Natives do not cross over, however, to tend them.
Within the cities are your typical shops, coffee houses, eating establishments, malls, art shops,, bars, ect. As well as apartments, hotels, and condos, and such. There are cell phones, and vehicles, electricity, radios and music, security systems, ect, but horses and buggies are just as often prominent and most people still prefer doing things as their ancestors did, with scythe and plow, picking by hand, ect.
On the Native side of things, they are caught in time. They still live exactly as their ancestors have for generations. Small bits of things like drawing pads, pencils, and such have reached their hands, but not much, and in truth they don’t really want them anyway. The Natives also have about where Devil’s Rock is in our time, a Council of Elders. They live up in the rock, and a village is located below. Those who wish to seek council with the Elders must undergo varied tests to determine if they truly have a reason, or are just being frivolous. After all the Elders are busy recording Native History and other such things. The Elders also come from all over the Native regions, and from varied tribes.
It wasn’t long before it was discovered that there were Native Peoples already living here. At first they all got along, especially once it was discovered that both sides had a similar worship, though the Natives followed a Male deity they called the Great Spirit. Over time some of each other’s views bled into the other. The Natives started worshiping a Father Sky and Mother Earth, while the Pagans fell to worshipping a Goddess and a God. But somewhere down the line, bad blood sprang up, and war ensued between the Peoples. Unknown to both sides, the fledgling Christians that had started coming, was the cause of the war.
After many years, finally the High Coven’s Priest and Priestess were given a dream to end the war. They gathered their Coven together, and spoke the spell; each person had a line to say to make the spell work. And work it did. The war came to an end with the Natives no longer able to shift into an animal form and sneak up or attack, but the Pagans were cursed themselves. Now some requirement must be met in order for them to reproduce. In the case of a Pagan joining a Coven, their curse is supplanted by the High Priest/Priestess’s curse, also known as The Coven Curse.
There is an uneasy peace between the Natives and the Foreigners. But there is still much raiding between the two. A sort of Badlands has sprung up between the two Nations as a sort of buffer, but it doesn’t stop everyone. Children born of a union between Native and European are generally left out to the elements and wild animals to be destroyed on both sides. Due to the fact that those half breeds, now have the shape shifting ability of their Native parents, without the control. If shifted too often or long, they will become feral and attack everything and anything. It is as if they go insane.
The original High Coven, broke up, each of the thirteen members founding a Coven of their own. Every Coven has a special something to their Coven, i.e., affinity for plant life, healing, poisons, ect. Siblings and other ‘close’ relatives are not allowed to join the same Coven, for breeding purposes. Should a Coven not meet their Curse, the entire Coven dies out. So Siblings are broke up and scattered to various Covens in the hopes that one will carry on the family bloodline. The exception being the child that is chosen to take over the Coven they are born into. When they are ready, the Parents will step down and become advisors to the new High Priest/Priestess until their death.
Each Coven is set up in a Castle/Serf kind of way. The Coven owns a large acreage, and has it walled off, within the walls is a Castle, generally but not always in the middle, and then several houses, some Stables, orchards, ect. Things that can make them completely self-sufficient, but cities have also sprung up around the original complex. These being those lone practitioners of the Pagan ways, and wandering Christian monks trying to spread their faith, as well as converted Christians, few though they really are. There are also neglected Native Burial grounds within these cities. Everyone leaves them alone out of respect for the dead; Natives do not cross over, however, to tend them.
Within the cities are your typical shops, coffee houses, eating establishments, malls, art shops,, bars, ect. As well as apartments, hotels, and condos, and such. There are cell phones, and vehicles, electricity, radios and music, security systems, ect, but horses and buggies are just as often prominent and most people still prefer doing things as their ancestors did, with scythe and plow, picking by hand, ect.
On the Native side of things, they are caught in time. They still live exactly as their ancestors have for generations. Small bits of things like drawing pads, pencils, and such have reached their hands, but not much, and in truth they don’t really want them anyway. The Natives also have about where Devil’s Rock is in our time, a Council of Elders. They live up in the rock, and a village is located below. Those who wish to seek council with the Elders must undergo varied tests to determine if they truly have a reason, or are just being frivolous. After all the Elders are busy recording Native History and other such things. The Elders also come from all over the Native regions, and from varied tribes.
NOW WE COME TO THE
STORY
Set on the European side of things, mainly at a Coven that
doesn’t have a High Priestess. They can’t have a High Priestess actually, not
permanently anyway. The Coven isn’t up to full member status yet (usually
thirteen, but more or less isn’t unheard of). There being about 3 pairs, of
members, equally divided, and the High Priest being the extra male. His curse,
is that he cannot produce an heir until he finds, ’the one for him’ (for those
who know ElfQuest, think Recognition, for those who don’t I suggest Original
Quest and continue from there.) He wasn’t the one meant to take over the Clan,
but with the death of his sister, and both parents, it fell to him at the age
of 16. He is now 18, and his Coven are all young as well, friends who flocked
to him when he took over. They share each other easily and with no jealousies,
though some do have a favorite, if another needs their help for a private
spell, or whatnot, they will gladly do so.
This Coven is a direct descendant of one of the thirteen from the original High Coven. They are watched closely for the fact that they have no Elders, and are fully expected to fail. Like all of those descended from the original thirteen, they are considered a Ruling Coven, it is similar to a Ruling Council, but mainly in districts, somewhat divided among the thirteen. Other lesser Covens will come to them for advice and help if the need arises.
This Coven’s Special is that they never run out of money. No matter what, The High Priest has access to gold and shares it with his Coven, they never want for anything within the Castle compound. Their security is high tech, they pay the best, ect.
The true element of the story will be reviled bit by bit through my character that is a half breed. There will be one other half breed, played by Bhaal. The rest of the player characters will be mainly European, though at some point a couple of Natives will be needed. Need of course the Coven members of the main one, but others are good as well.
[code][b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Sex:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b] (European or Native)
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Bio:[/b]
[b]Other Info:[/b][/code]
This Coven is a direct descendant of one of the thirteen from the original High Coven. They are watched closely for the fact that they have no Elders, and are fully expected to fail. Like all of those descended from the original thirteen, they are considered a Ruling Coven, it is similar to a Ruling Council, but mainly in districts, somewhat divided among the thirteen. Other lesser Covens will come to them for advice and help if the need arises.
This Coven’s Special is that they never run out of money. No matter what, The High Priest has access to gold and shares it with his Coven, they never want for anything within the Castle compound. Their security is high tech, they pay the best, ect.
The true element of the story will be reviled bit by bit through my character that is a half breed. There will be one other half breed, played by Bhaal. The rest of the player characters will be mainly European, though at some point a couple of Natives will be needed. Need of course the Coven members of the main one, but others are good as well.
[code][b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Sex:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b] (European or Native)
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Bio:[/b]
[b]Other Info:[/b][/code]