ULTRAMagic Archive - Entry 13
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Master Post - Patreon
Witch's Covens
Disclaimer: I do not claim to be an expert on Witchcraft or Wicca, for I am an Occultist and an Alchemist. This is also primarily a work of fiction. Regardless, I will do my best to represent the subjects discussed as accurately as possible with obvious and expected creative liberties. If you are an expert on these subjects and wish to provide critique, you are more than welcome to do so.
INTRODUCTION
Alchemy and necromancy have always been persecuted throughout history. People fear what they do not understand. Alchemy has been labeled as heresy and necromancy has been deemed as blasphemy of the highest degree. And at its worst, some have labeled them as mental illness in the modern era. This has led to many mages and scholars of the arts keeping to themselves or going underground. The most noteworthy types of underground organizations for magic are brotherhoods, orders, and covens.
Covens are an interesting anomaly amongst magic circles. They are predominantly female, but have allowed men for a variety of reasons (family, lovers, outcasts, etc.). For a long time, these fellowships were ignored by the rest of the world. They were able to keep a low profile on account of no one taking them seriously. If everyone believes you are complete nonsense, then why worry about what you study and practice? Several covens have even gotten to the point of rivaling some of the most noteworthy brotherhoods and orders of magic.
THE HISTORY
The 900s AD was when the term “witch” started being used to describe female practitioners of magic, to our current knowledge. The word could refer to a “wise woman,” while the old English roots of the could mean “separate” or “choose.” Typically it was reserved for practitioners of magic and sorcery. Despite the negative connotations assigned to them and occasional conflicts, things stayed calm for the field of study as a whole. Fellowships of female mages (witches in particular) studied in relative peace and kept their eyes open for potential neophytes. Jumping ahead to the 1500s, the term “Coven” would pop up in reference to these fellowships of witches. Many witches took a liking to this concept and adopted the term as their own.
In 1556, a new coven called “The Devil’s Brew Coven” was formed by a woman named Aelia Albus. She was an alchemist from ancient Rome who had the privilege of studying under Hermes Trismegistus. Aelia had long since created a Philosopher’s Stone and had a desire to spread her knowledge. As for the name, Aelia was still brooding over the fall of Rome and felt edgy that day. Plus she wanted to spite the churches as she felt they were bastardizing Rome’s legacy. She eventually realized that the name she chose was another name for coffee, but decided to keep it regardless, stating she had come that far and was going to commit. In regards to the founding of the coven, Aelia had stumbled on a group of witches one day and decided to whip them into shape. She would teach them alchemy and the ways of Hermes Trismegistus, allowing the coven to grow and flourish.
THE 1600s - EARLY 1900s
The 1600s were turbulent for The Devil’s Brew Coven for two reasons: Witch hunts and The Death Knell Coven. The churches of Europe had decided that they had finally had enough of the covens and went after them. Many were wiped out or forced into hiding. Aelia had grown fed up with this nonsense to the point of wanting to leave Europe. Her goal was North America as it was mostly untamed. She doubted the colonists would give them too much trouble and was legitimately interested in learning from the indigenous people.
Fortunately Aelia had come to know a shaman whose name is lost, but translated to “Great-mind.” Great-mind was more than happy to help her get settled in. The only issue was getting to America. Not many would be willing to transport a coven of witches across the Atlantic. This is where the wanderer, Ellen the Wayward, came in. She knew a privateer, Captain Rowena Murphy, who would be more than happy to transport them across the pond. Of note is that the Devil’s Brew Coven merged with an obscure guild of alchemists right before the journey. Funnily enough they had been accused of witchcraft. Aelia was more than happy to welcome them into the coven.
The journey to America would be undertaken in 1636. Ellen led the coven to Ireland where they would board Rowena’s ship, The Grim Rover. Aelia asked Ellen if she wanted to come with them, but she had many things to tend to in Europe. The trip was not an easy one. There were several storms and many run-ins with the English and Spanish navies. Rowena even stumbled across her former pirate captain. He was in a jolly mood and helped escort The Grim Rover as they were going in the same direction.
Upon reaching the new world, Great-mind was able to secure land for the coven, which benefited her tribe greatly. This area would be in New Hampshire, close to the Appalachian mountains. Things would settle down once everyone was all moved in, up until the Salem Witch Trials. The Devil’s Brew Coven had been scouting in the area until they found a coven practicing black magic, so they blew the whistle on them. This somewhat backfired, as this led to the formation of their eternal enemies, The Death Knell Coven.
Dealing with the more chaotic indigenous tribes, The Death Knell Coven, and The 13 Colonies made Aelia realize she had opened a massive can of worms. The Revolutionary War was not fun given that the coven had previously fled Europe, especially the English. Typically Aelia stayed out of the war, but would assist General George Washington whenever she could. She even became friends with him as he was more enlightened then he initially seemed. Sadly he died before she could teach him how to create a Philosopher’s Stone.
Oddly the Civil War was fairly uneventful. Aelia knew the country would reunite under the Union eventually and bided her time. Thankfully the influx of Africans did allow for shamans and tribesmen to introduce new insight and knowledge into the coven. Aelia also happily recruited any foreigners who were willing to learn and study with the coven. Mind you she was selective given the discipline needed for her teachings, but that did not stop people from joining.
THE 1900s AND THE WORLD WARS
Arriving in the 1900s, The Devil’s Brew Coven finally returned to Europe by way of the European branch. This was led by Ragna Eklund, a descendant of the Aesir and the Tuatha De Danann. She claims that Cú Chulainn was her grandfather and there is a lot of evidence supporting that. Ragna would discover the Wicca, descendants of Anglo-Saxon sorcerers. They had gone down a similar path to the witches, causing her to recruit them to rebuild The Devil’s Brew Coven in Europe. Aelia was pleasantly surprised by this, initially having had no idea what Ragna was doing.
It should be noted that Witches and Wicca, while sharing common goals and philosophies, are distinct from each other. Witches typically study the occult and hermeticism while Wicca study subjects such as paganism. Many true witches and Wicca do not consider most modern witches and Wicca to be legitimate mages, citing that many claim to be these for the clout and self-gratification. While their hearts are usually in the right place, they typically lack the discipline to study magic. That has not stopped true witches and Wicca from tutoring some of them into proper mages, however.
Master Post - Patreon
Witch's Covens
Disclaimer: I do not claim to be an expert on Witchcraft or Wicca, for I am an Occultist and an Alchemist. This is also primarily a work of fiction. Regardless, I will do my best to represent the subjects discussed as accurately as possible with obvious and expected creative liberties. If you are an expert on these subjects and wish to provide critique, you are more than welcome to do so.
INTRODUCTION
Alchemy and necromancy have always been persecuted throughout history. People fear what they do not understand. Alchemy has been labeled as heresy and necromancy has been deemed as blasphemy of the highest degree. And at its worst, some have labeled them as mental illness in the modern era. This has led to many mages and scholars of the arts keeping to themselves or going underground. The most noteworthy types of underground organizations for magic are brotherhoods, orders, and covens.
Covens are an interesting anomaly amongst magic circles. They are predominantly female, but have allowed men for a variety of reasons (family, lovers, outcasts, etc.). For a long time, these fellowships were ignored by the rest of the world. They were able to keep a low profile on account of no one taking them seriously. If everyone believes you are complete nonsense, then why worry about what you study and practice? Several covens have even gotten to the point of rivaling some of the most noteworthy brotherhoods and orders of magic.
THE HISTORY
The 900s AD was when the term “witch” started being used to describe female practitioners of magic, to our current knowledge. The word could refer to a “wise woman,” while the old English roots of the could mean “separate” or “choose.” Typically it was reserved for practitioners of magic and sorcery. Despite the negative connotations assigned to them and occasional conflicts, things stayed calm for the field of study as a whole. Fellowships of female mages (witches in particular) studied in relative peace and kept their eyes open for potential neophytes. Jumping ahead to the 1500s, the term “Coven” would pop up in reference to these fellowships of witches. Many witches took a liking to this concept and adopted the term as their own.
In 1556, a new coven called “The Devil’s Brew Coven” was formed by a woman named Aelia Albus. She was an alchemist from ancient Rome who had the privilege of studying under Hermes Trismegistus. Aelia had long since created a Philosopher’s Stone and had a desire to spread her knowledge. As for the name, Aelia was still brooding over the fall of Rome and felt edgy that day. Plus she wanted to spite the churches as she felt they were bastardizing Rome’s legacy. She eventually realized that the name she chose was another name for coffee, but decided to keep it regardless, stating she had come that far and was going to commit. In regards to the founding of the coven, Aelia had stumbled on a group of witches one day and decided to whip them into shape. She would teach them alchemy and the ways of Hermes Trismegistus, allowing the coven to grow and flourish.
THE 1600s - EARLY 1900s
The 1600s were turbulent for The Devil’s Brew Coven for two reasons: Witch hunts and The Death Knell Coven. The churches of Europe had decided that they had finally had enough of the covens and went after them. Many were wiped out or forced into hiding. Aelia had grown fed up with this nonsense to the point of wanting to leave Europe. Her goal was North America as it was mostly untamed. She doubted the colonists would give them too much trouble and was legitimately interested in learning from the indigenous people.
Fortunately Aelia had come to know a shaman whose name is lost, but translated to “Great-mind.” Great-mind was more than happy to help her get settled in. The only issue was getting to America. Not many would be willing to transport a coven of witches across the Atlantic. This is where the wanderer, Ellen the Wayward, came in. She knew a privateer, Captain Rowena Murphy, who would be more than happy to transport them across the pond. Of note is that the Devil’s Brew Coven merged with an obscure guild of alchemists right before the journey. Funnily enough they had been accused of witchcraft. Aelia was more than happy to welcome them into the coven.
The journey to America would be undertaken in 1636. Ellen led the coven to Ireland where they would board Rowena’s ship, The Grim Rover. Aelia asked Ellen if she wanted to come with them, but she had many things to tend to in Europe. The trip was not an easy one. There were several storms and many run-ins with the English and Spanish navies. Rowena even stumbled across her former pirate captain. He was in a jolly mood and helped escort The Grim Rover as they were going in the same direction.
Upon reaching the new world, Great-mind was able to secure land for the coven, which benefited her tribe greatly. This area would be in New Hampshire, close to the Appalachian mountains. Things would settle down once everyone was all moved in, up until the Salem Witch Trials. The Devil’s Brew Coven had been scouting in the area until they found a coven practicing black magic, so they blew the whistle on them. This somewhat backfired, as this led to the formation of their eternal enemies, The Death Knell Coven.
Dealing with the more chaotic indigenous tribes, The Death Knell Coven, and The 13 Colonies made Aelia realize she had opened a massive can of worms. The Revolutionary War was not fun given that the coven had previously fled Europe, especially the English. Typically Aelia stayed out of the war, but would assist General George Washington whenever she could. She even became friends with him as he was more enlightened then he initially seemed. Sadly he died before she could teach him how to create a Philosopher’s Stone.
Oddly the Civil War was fairly uneventful. Aelia knew the country would reunite under the Union eventually and bided her time. Thankfully the influx of Africans did allow for shamans and tribesmen to introduce new insight and knowledge into the coven. Aelia also happily recruited any foreigners who were willing to learn and study with the coven. Mind you she was selective given the discipline needed for her teachings, but that did not stop people from joining.
THE 1900s AND THE WORLD WARS
Arriving in the 1900s, The Devil’s Brew Coven finally returned to Europe by way of the European branch. This was led by Ragna Eklund, a descendant of the Aesir and the Tuatha De Danann. She claims that Cú Chulainn was her grandfather and there is a lot of evidence supporting that. Ragna would discover the Wicca, descendants of Anglo-Saxon sorcerers. They had gone down a similar path to the witches, causing her to recruit them to rebuild The Devil’s Brew Coven in Europe. Aelia was pleasantly surprised by this, initially having had no idea what Ragna was doing.
It should be noted that Witches and Wicca, while sharing common goals and philosophies, are distinct from each other. Witches typically study the occult and hermeticism while Wicca study subjects such as paganism. Many true witches and Wicca do not consider most modern witches and Wicca to be legitimate mages, citing that many claim to be these for the clout and self-gratification. While their hearts are usually in the right place, they typically lack the discipline to study magic. That has not stopped true witches and Wicca from tutoring some of them into proper mages, however.
Ragna would keep Aelia updated on The Great War and the eventual World War II. Aelia would promptly blow a gasket when she learned that the Germans were bastardizing the occult. Her Roman blood was pumping like a roaring rapid, causing her to directly seek out the German Anomaly Investigation Group (or G.A.I.G., pronounced “Gauge”). She was on the warpath and headed over to Europe with utmost haste with G.A.I.G. in tow.
Aelia and Ragna were ruthless, responsible for wiping out many Axis covens all across Europe. Strangely a lot of them were in the Balkans, but that did not make a difference. During this campaign, Aelia had called upon the demon Amon for help. He was privy to certain knowledge, alerting her and G.A.I.G. to an Axis coven in Serbia that had been trying to harness the power of a celestial dragon that had been expelled from Heaven. They promptly double timed it over there and found utter chaos.
A girl named Morana (surname unknown) had been successfully bonded with the dragon, but was in rebellion towards her captors. She escaped on account of the G.A.I.G. operatives refusing to shoot an innocent girl. While the ritual had gone through, the Germans did not get their hands on the dragon in the end. Aelia and Ragna were able to draft some innocent witches from the destroyed Serbian Axis coven. Chief among them was Galina Zharov, a recently resurrected lich. She was beyond confused to be alive again, but graciously accepted Aelia’s help in getting back on her feet. Galina had knowledge of the other Axis covens, allowing Ragna to have a field day. This also greatly expanded the roster of the Devil’s Brew Coven.
POST WORLD WAR II
Aelia’s concern was that the Death Knell Coven was active in Europe and this suspicion was confirmed. There was evidence all over the place to suggest that they were responsible for convincing so many covens to ally themselves with the Axis powers. The Death Knell Coven had naturally allied themselves with the Germans, but were smart enough to cover their tracks. Despite Ragna’s efforts, she was only able to wipe out about 75% to 85% of the European sect of the Death Knells.
Aelia and Ragna were ruthless, responsible for wiping out many Axis covens all across Europe. Strangely a lot of them were in the Balkans, but that did not make a difference. During this campaign, Aelia had called upon the demon Amon for help. He was privy to certain knowledge, alerting her and G.A.I.G. to an Axis coven in Serbia that had been trying to harness the power of a celestial dragon that had been expelled from Heaven. They promptly double timed it over there and found utter chaos.
A girl named Morana (surname unknown) had been successfully bonded with the dragon, but was in rebellion towards her captors. She escaped on account of the G.A.I.G. operatives refusing to shoot an innocent girl. While the ritual had gone through, the Germans did not get their hands on the dragon in the end. Aelia and Ragna were able to draft some innocent witches from the destroyed Serbian Axis coven. Chief among them was Galina Zharov, a recently resurrected lich. She was beyond confused to be alive again, but graciously accepted Aelia’s help in getting back on her feet. Galina had knowledge of the other Axis covens, allowing Ragna to have a field day. This also greatly expanded the roster of the Devil’s Brew Coven.
POST WORLD WAR II
Aelia’s concern was that the Death Knell Coven was active in Europe and this suspicion was confirmed. There was evidence all over the place to suggest that they were responsible for convincing so many covens to ally themselves with the Axis powers. The Death Knell Coven had naturally allied themselves with the Germans, but were smart enough to cover their tracks. Despite Ragna’s efforts, she was only able to wipe out about 75% to 85% of the European sect of the Death Knells.
Aelia and Ragna would frequently cross paths with Ellen the Wayward during the war. The three would do a great deal of things behind the scenes, the most notable event being helping Vlad III Dracula rescue Spiritus Lapsus Fausta from the Germans. The resurrected and now nigh immortal voivode had turned over a new leaf of sorts and was in love with Fausta. He also sympathized with the fallen Spiritus Magni, refusing to let her fade away into obscurity. His past brutality could not be forgotten, but Aelia could not ignore such a noble cause.
Before leaving Europe, Aelia would ask Ellen once more if she wanted to join The Devil’s Brew Coven, but she turned her down again. Despite Ellen growing tired of Europe, she still had things to do. She was also being stubborn as a result of nervousness. Aelia would promptly go over her head and make her an honorary member of the coven. In the 1970s, Zoltan Dracul (son of Vlad III Dracula and Fausta), would become friends with Ragna. This led to him becoming an honorary member of the coven. Zoltan would ask the coven to let his newly wed wife, Morana, join them in the 1980s. Aelia and Ragna were apprehensive as Morana was a bit of a rogue. Galina, Morana’s former mentor, would advocate for her. This did not stop Aelia from having a gut feeling that things were going to get hectic, however.
THE MODERN ERA
Morana naturally had to push the coven’s patience by starting her ultimate weapon project. Compelled by the dragon sealed inside of her, Morana would bear a child who would be a human in body, but dragon in soul. This boy would be named Vlastimir Bartholomew Dracul. Aelia nearly blew a gasket over this, but Zoltan promised to keep the two on the straight and narrow. Plus a good chunk of the coven thought Vlastimir was an utter cinnamon roll (despite his madness).
Aside from skirmishes with The Death Knell Coven and assisting M.A.I.G. with their missions (pronounced “Mage,” and the successor to G.A.I.G.), not much has happened for the Devil’s Brew Coven. Things were calm up until Bethany Briggs resurfaced in New Hampshire during the early 2020s. She had been a witch that had died during the Salem Witch Trials and was blasphemously resurrected by the Death Knell Coven. Ragna was busy dealing with Vlad IV Dracul’s nonsense (the illegitimate child of Vlad III Dracula) during this period, so she was of no help. Aelia would deploy Morana and Galina to help out against Bethany from the shadows. Zoltan would also be there, so she figured things would be fine.
With the chaos surrounding the Briggs family in full swing, the Devil’s Brew Coven has been thrown back into the heat of things. This has led to some interesting opportunities for them. Because of ULTRAMagic Ignition’s involvement in the Bethany incident, Aelia now has the chance to work with the ULTRAMagic Guild. She’s also very interested in the Unlight. While she is tight lipped about it, it is suspected that Aelia wants to move all of her coven there. They would be safe, and protected by the guild, The Iron City, Shadowland, and The Metal Empire. Plus Aelia and Ragna are growing tired of Earth’s petty conflicts.
TRIVIA AND FACTS OF INTEREST
Next: Ghosts
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Before leaving Europe, Aelia would ask Ellen once more if she wanted to join The Devil’s Brew Coven, but she turned her down again. Despite Ellen growing tired of Europe, she still had things to do. She was also being stubborn as a result of nervousness. Aelia would promptly go over her head and make her an honorary member of the coven. In the 1970s, Zoltan Dracul (son of Vlad III Dracula and Fausta), would become friends with Ragna. This led to him becoming an honorary member of the coven. Zoltan would ask the coven to let his newly wed wife, Morana, join them in the 1980s. Aelia and Ragna were apprehensive as Morana was a bit of a rogue. Galina, Morana’s former mentor, would advocate for her. This did not stop Aelia from having a gut feeling that things were going to get hectic, however.
THE MODERN ERA
Morana naturally had to push the coven’s patience by starting her ultimate weapon project. Compelled by the dragon sealed inside of her, Morana would bear a child who would be a human in body, but dragon in soul. This boy would be named Vlastimir Bartholomew Dracul. Aelia nearly blew a gasket over this, but Zoltan promised to keep the two on the straight and narrow. Plus a good chunk of the coven thought Vlastimir was an utter cinnamon roll (despite his madness).
Aside from skirmishes with The Death Knell Coven and assisting M.A.I.G. with their missions (pronounced “Mage,” and the successor to G.A.I.G.), not much has happened for the Devil’s Brew Coven. Things were calm up until Bethany Briggs resurfaced in New Hampshire during the early 2020s. She had been a witch that had died during the Salem Witch Trials and was blasphemously resurrected by the Death Knell Coven. Ragna was busy dealing with Vlad IV Dracul’s nonsense (the illegitimate child of Vlad III Dracula) during this period, so she was of no help. Aelia would deploy Morana and Galina to help out against Bethany from the shadows. Zoltan would also be there, so she figured things would be fine.
With the chaos surrounding the Briggs family in full swing, the Devil’s Brew Coven has been thrown back into the heat of things. This has led to some interesting opportunities for them. Because of ULTRAMagic Ignition’s involvement in the Bethany incident, Aelia now has the chance to work with the ULTRAMagic Guild. She’s also very interested in the Unlight. While she is tight lipped about it, it is suspected that Aelia wants to move all of her coven there. They would be safe, and protected by the guild, The Iron City, Shadowland, and The Metal Empire. Plus Aelia and Ragna are growing tired of Earth’s petty conflicts.
TRIVIA AND FACTS OF INTEREST
- Ragna is an odd individual. She’s 234 years old and has a strange aberrant ability. Her aptitude is Alchemy, but she has the ability to make anything work. What does this mean? It means she can take any amalgamation of parts and make them do something. Guns that are impossible to use fire perfectly and vehicles with broken parts go as fast as they can. All she has to do is turn them red with her Alchemy and they work. They cease functionality when she stops using them, however.
- Aelia has reached a point where the only thing that can stop her is a doomsday weapon, of which she has her own, or at least she claims to. She realized a while back that the world is always gunning for her and she refuses to take that sitting down. Whether or not she would actually activate this supposed doomsday weapon is up for debate.
- Galina was very close to Morana before the dragon ritual. Morana was a slave, but Galina felt bad for her and made her life bearable. What ended Galina was her own hand after she found out her coven had joined the Axis powers. This is also what pushed Morana over the edge. Fortunately the two can now pursue magic in relative peace. Galina has also found another lich who she has taken on as an apprentice.
- Ellen had crossed paths with Aelia long before the Devil’s Brew Coven, given her constant wanderings. While Ellen was never one to settle down (until the modern era), she always wanted to join the coven deep down. Aelia would rectify this once Ellen settled down in America and established her company, Arcane-Life. As a result of this, Arcane-Life helps fund The Devil’s Brew Coven.
- Vlastimir is considered an honorary member of The Devil’s Brew Coven. When he was young, Galina promised to look after him if something ever happened to his parents. As a result of this, Vlastimir views Galina as his aunt. Galina has also promised to do her best to keep his uncle, Vlad IV, away from him for obvious reasons.
- Great-mind is immortal in a sense. She cannot die, and if she does, she will resurrect somewhere else in due time. This led to her tribe being shunned by the majority of other tribes, viewing Great-mind as a being of ill-omen. How she attained this weird immortality is unclear and even she’s not sure herself.
Next: Ghosts
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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