Witches, Part 3 - The Ideology of Witches

 

You Believe Too Much, Think Too Little
'Frpth' by Marina Krivenko

It is often difficult to believe that witches, already viewed in a light of mystery, can achieve such feats as Calling. The forces which fuel The Occult are already fraught with danger, foreshortening many Artisans-in-training and inattentive practitioners. To presume that The Primeval Forces are somehow kinder is a gross understatement. Druids do not take kindly to those they deem unworthy of wielding "their" gift, and the natural world takes ambivalent pleasure in ruining those who only exist to take. 

For a witch to swing then between both ideologies of magic, a master of two paths, drives some folk to the point of madness. For more context on witches in Bromeilles, click here and here.

So what is it about witches that makes them so exceptional? Are they special at all, or is it merely their training regimen? By exploring the more personal aspects of the witch's life, we can find some indication of what differentiates one from her contemporaries. 

Note: —I touch on a lot of ideas in this piece. Although I have tried translating these ideas into something both comprehensible and worldly, some may come off as distasteful, harmful, or rude. That's okay, and under no circumstances does a concept in this blog post translate 1:1 to a fundamental value or belief of mine. As a consequence of writing ideology, especially in a fictional setting, you are bound to hit points where your decisions will make certain groups of people uncomfortable. That uncomfortability is valid. However, not only is it created for exploratory fiction, I refuse to censor any content on this blog under the pretense that it may or may not offend an individual. 

Many of the ideas I form in my writing are capable of making me feel uneasy. I do not condone bigotry or discrimination of any kind, nor do I believe personally in any prejudice I write. The ideology of Witches in Bromeilles is arguably fucked up in many ways, nothing short the violence and discrimination against Cis and Trans men who uphold masculinity. That's fine because I want to write it. If you wish for a more accepting rendition of covens, wait for me to write about Séraphine a bit more, they're way nicer! Please accept the content for what it is; a head-first dive into something you may know little about, a piece of prose, and a pleasurably intense analysis of concepts.

Mother, Mother

There is no patriarchy among witches. The very word "patriarch" is absent from speech, only uttered in its many synonyms with giggled whispers across the dinner table. Existing in the masculine can become a dangerous game when confronted with witches, who often respond to its presence with playful cruelty. 

There has never been a male witch. If there has, the coven they joined has not been deemed official nor recognized on the continent, or merely viewed as "not a real witch." 

Magic is not segregated through any means but social; there are no rules written in the stars which claim that, by sheer measure of existence, an individual cannot learn spells. The Artisinal Schools of The Republic are open to all folk, both rich and poor, fledgling and savant, and although regulated through wealth, class, and risk, programs exist that swathe the continent for any would-be talent. Witches are not the same. Only two covens in Bromeilles—Institut de Thibaud and Florence Benine—are run on an institutional basis by The Republic. Neither of which accepts men. 

Yes, I'm Going With Gothic Inspiration. No, I Won't Be Taking Criticism.
Image from u/beersjob on Reddit(?)

The foundations of a coven vary wildly between individual groups, but some pieces are universal. One such piece is the isolation of women from their male peers and the segregation of the masculine from the feminine. The study of magic, as one witch academic writes, argues a branching complement to:

    "... the study of isolation. Magic, as it is understood through the eyes of the [occult] Artisan, invokes sacrifice in its user. Thus, it is under the system's obligation that one must separate themself from material woes—socially, chemically, or otherwise—so that one may fulfill what is desired of them. What is different about a colleague's conversation from the sound of birds conversing? The tapping of branches on a windowsill from that of gusting winds? Decades have been spent arguing the semantical value of stimuli, but rarely has the aura of the classroom itself been challenged. We as an institutional body have observed the effects of sex in every aspect of Republique, so why suddenly stop at the schools?"

To witch ideology, especially that critical of the institutional system, the existence of a sub-sectioned population is paramount. For one reason or another, an independent group of scholars, casters, and researchers must prioritize subjects different from the bulkhead. A witch's definition of "Masculinity" need not be scornful or despised (although this does not stop specific communities from doing so). Still, recognition is made to facilitate a distinct environment. This environment is bred primarily through the efforts of Matrons—experienced or "retired" Witches and Artisans—who act in a role similar to overseers.

A Set of Circumstances

Covens are typically designed to function like boarding schools. A hierarchical structure is set in place, where the coven Matron—like a college dean—supervises and educates the witches, all while developing an aura of collective bonding. Older witches learn to play the teacher and arbitrator, while fledglings adapt to their new environment's hazing. Witch covens, like other organizations within The Republic, rely on self-sustainability. Witches must first be taught to tolerate one another before the coven can be retained and improved. 

Witch covens all pertain to a particular code of rules & regulations, but unlike the systematic manner of the Artisinal Schools, coven codes mainly depend on the coven itself. Covens often form around groups of individuals with intersectional environments, either the result of close bonded relationships or shared trauma, which reflects back upon the code and attracts others from similar circumstances. While not always the majority population in a coven, more esoteric circles rely on these similarities for growing their flock. 

It Musn't Be All Bad, Right? Suffering Is Not Without Respite; Darkness Cannot Exist Without Light. 
Art by Gigi Cavenago

Fragments of Codes Remembered And Lost

1. Tide Coven: "...and although all manner of beasts shall try to tame us, with their steel and their weights and their lies, we shall respond like the ocean to the sailor who hopes to bring us harm: I shall never be controlled again."
2. Red Coven: "I am my thoughts. I am my mind. I am she who wills creation into existence. Where my mind goes, there shall be fire, and where my thoughts go, there will be war..."
3. Lunar Coven: "Stretch yourself beyond the veil, within thine pool of alabaster light. You will be cut out, untethered from this world and its vile forces, and born again from Sleeping War. Rejoice! Thy pool is crimson; the pact is sealed."
4. Purple Coven: "...I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me..."

What Is Femininity? Explanation & Complication

"Femininity" to a witch is a collection of foci, often separate from the student herself. Coven doctrine promotes these core beliefs as above an individual's moral compass, and all members must adhere to them, such as Expression, Community, Cooperation, and Sensitivity. These are not inherently feminine mores, but to a practicing witch, these are seen as fundamental aspects of their identity. This does not mean that witches are not violent. It also does not mean that witches never go against these tenets. They are guidelines first and fundamentally second.

Teaching a witch about "sensitivity" is more than just explaining how they can better understand their emotions. Every aspect of a witch's education interprets their teachings into three fundamental languages; Understanding their peers, understanding their magic, and understanding themselves. To even a fledgling witch, these ideas all overlap, and the final language—understanding the self—is crucial in finalizing what femininity means to them.

Tell Me Your Secrets
Art by F3LC4T

By this definition, witches embody the feminine. Covens are social havens; tightly-knit webs of trade and information capable of stretching over miles. No coven witch is alone in their duties, for even beyond the safety of their demesne, work is done in packs. A ranger or traveller who comes upon a group of witches is unlikely to see a group of soft-spoken, expressive women but rather a whispering cacophony of cackles and giggling edging from identical shadows. Much like their druidic counterparts, little safety is guaranteed in the natural world. All beasts and mortals disappear upon wandering into a witch's den. 

Although the power witches wield is great, controversy is often shone in public discussions whenever mention is made of their discrimination against men for participating. To some, the answer is obvious—these covens were never designed for men in the first place—while others argue the legitimacy of the practice. To this, more esteemed witches may claim as follows:

Men and the spirits they possess are not excluded from covens just by being men. This would be cluelessly discriminatory and no different than excluding women from a "masculine-pure" setting. A witch's obsession with what they call the "feminine" does not lie only in the context of their body, either: fledglings and matrons alike can be found scarred and re-named, androgynous, or with flesh unlike their sisters. Importance lies firstmost in the faith they hold for the feminine—to view it with a sense of sanctity—followed by the validity of that claim. There exist witches who are born and did not recognize themselves as—but at one point in their life choose to uphold—an icon of femininity. Even witches who identify in the flesh as neither men nor women defend their creed regardless.

This is normal behaviour in a witch's environment. Although complications and exceptions always arise, and not all covens agree, a general understanding permeates the culture. This does, however, bring issues to resolve. A witch who transitions and finds themselves engrossed in the masculine is loved still for their being but usually asked to leave. These are merely the necessities of circumstance.

On Topic: The Distinction of Terms

There is a distinction between concepts such as 'the masculine' and actually identifying as male. In the former, 'masculinity' serves the role of a series of concepts, norms, and beliefs that portray the individual as 'masculine'—someone stereotypically associated with the male gender and, by extension, sex. Many in North America, for example, may associate body-building and gym culture with purely 'masculine' behaviour, inspiring and discouraging people from engaging in those activities.

This does not mean that anything you think of as masculine is masculine behaviour (the argument of whether anything is genuinely masculine or feminine is ripe for debate), but that an individual society can designate certain ideals or beliefs. Any group of people, when large enough, will start assigning groups to things. It can be something other than a binary group, a static choice, or even exclude any of the concepts you'd expect! These things differ on a case-by-case basis. By this logic, it is crucial to recognize that when we talk about specific behaviours as being associated with the masculine or feminine, it is not necessarily focused on some universal concept of "genderhood" but rather the context of the society in question.

Just as societies differ in real life, fictional cultures are likely to have distinct values that differ from ours. Artists often resort to transposing many of our own expectations of how society works into a fictional setting for the sake of accessibility (such as the function of government, stereotypes surrounding gender, the education system, and curse words like "God Damn It!"). 

This translation is not a bad thing; in fact, it's helpful! As writers or creatives, we can sometimes lose sight of the grand scope of things, so having a simple way to connect the viewer with our content helps make it more digestible, not to mention easier to read. I bring this up because fiction won't always align with our lived expectations, which is a good thing. The peoples of Bromeilles are similar to ours in many ways due to that same accessibility and the folly of my own humanity. Still, it is those differences in perception that really make fantasy shine. Non-humans, particularly, benefit from this kind of perspectival analysis.

How might an alien think? What differentiates the standpoint of an insect person from that of a human? Why don't these [society]-inspired citizens act or think like their historical contemporaries? Why should they?

One of my goals when developing both Bromeilles and Séraphine is to try and explore things I felt I haven't seen in fiction. So far, this has been the result of creative ignorance on my part—I have not consumed nearly as much content as I would like, and my attitude so far has been hopeful yet lazy—but also dotted with success. Sitting down at the drawing board, I've found myself increasingly focused on exploring things I'd otherwise never consider. Developing concepts I'd never written about prior. The fun I've had working on this project has only emboldened that feeling.

How I describe "masculinity" or "the feminine" does not need to be the same as how you describe it or even how I view it in real life. I try to be somewhat educated on the topic—I'd rather know something than nothing—but it also doesn't mean I'll get everything right. However, thanks to fiction, it doesn't have to be "right": fiction allows me to explore worlds as they are, ideas about how they are, and why people believe what they do. To be completely honest with you, I'm not 100% sure how humanity in Bromeilles views masculinity or femininity, or how witches handle it, nevermind if any other species cares about it in the first place.

Words are power. Ideas, being the progenitor of words, are thereby even more powerful. It is a great pleasure to develop a system of how people function and interact with one another and thereby see the world. Much of it has been unorthodox, quite uncomfortable or cruel, and a fair bit outright bad. I'm glad to be exploring it, regardless.

Witches, Part 2 - Structures & Sirloins

It Is Not Who You Are
Art by Tithi Luadthong

Middling

As practitioners of The Primeval Forces, witches share much in common with the druids who thrive amongst them. The artform is a fundamental part of a witch's practice, stewing together slow, powerful magic with the more explosive forces of The Occult. Through this combination, witches are considered masters of feats which other casters would find impossible, such as the sewing of hexes. 

Covens exist on a leyline between two different worlds. By locking themselves between the urbanite and the natural world, a witch lives in both but belongs to neither, helping themselves to the little tricks by which magic subsides. Witches have succeeded in reverse-engineering many of the gifts possessed by druids, such as the transformation of the body through wild-shape, much to the dismay of the druids themselves. Witches found in their homes, ripped limb from limb by brambles or teeth, discourage exiles from joining a coven.

Witches are not druids, but they are also not wizards. Their spells are informed by quieter, older powers, and the rituals they undertake are tinctured with chaos. Much of the structure surrounding a witch's power involves convolution and process. Witch problems require witch solutions, only solved through witch processes. 

The Faux-Rabbit

Fear The Hound Who Speaks In Threes
'Shape on the Stairs' by Dappermouth

It is not easy to transmogrify oneself into the shape of another. Legend tells of the great lengths the ancient Deûlémain had to undertake to sculpt their physical forms, picking apart the flesh of their mountainous prey. Whether through ritual or plague, druids of the wild-shaping variety may claim to have simplified the process, although it remains nonetheless strenuous and gruesome. With the introduction of Occult doctrine, witch ideology chose to ignore this process in place of its own.

A witch's glamours do not hold up to the same scrutiny as a druid's wild shape. Witches who drink their potions and apply their oils merely add layers to the canvas, a potent mimicry of wildlife. They contort themselves into shape, prancing along on hands and knees, dancing along the earth like a puppet on strings. A witch's disguise is near-indistinguishable from the beast she shadows, but more than once has a hunter struck a deer or wolf from afar, only to peel off its coat to reveal the woman inside.

A witch's disguise is limited but versatile. She does not adopt the flesh or biology of her borrowed form, but retains its physical adaptations. The difficult task of maintaining their facade and the question of size means that most witches who engage in mimicry limit themselves to less expressive beasts—mammals such as wolves or deer. A witch can maintain a larger or more shrivelled form, but many report the experience to be uncomfortable, even requiring dexterity (especially in the case of flight). Mimicking the appearance of a creature rather than transforming wholly into it means that the witch maintains much of her own mind, a fact lesser claimed by the druid, and most witches even claim to be capable of complete speech while inside. 

In some covens, revealing as much of the original body as possible without destroying the facade is considered a kind of sport.

An Alchemist's Pet

By the very nature of the practice, witches do not trust familiars. Many genuinely love their pets; familiars are trained by the boatload for this reason—clever tools in collection and espionage—but even the young witch is aware of the danger an Artisan's companion resides. Whether tamed by witches or the partner of a Republican Artisan, familiars are hosts to intelligent minds capable of tact and humour alike. 

Sisters and Siblings, Brothers In Arms
Art by Koukouvayia

Most familiars take on the shape of animals, but not all familiars are animals themselves. Although some may claim that the bond between man and beast is akin to one between humans, witches see this relationship as shaky at best. Most will resort to other approaches if the opportunity does not reveal itself. 

Calling is popular among possessive witches, who prize their familiars more as tools than companions. Invoking the powers respondent to them, a witch can embed their magic into a still vessel, constructing their familiar from baubles and parts and producing loyal homunculi. Most called familiars assume the appearance of regular animals, but inklings of their magical creation occasionally seep through the cracks. This sometimes serves to the witch's benefit.

What's Wrong With Your Dog?

1. Eyes sprout from the familiar's face and body, their pupils alien and unnerving.
2. Feathers take the place of fur, and manes adorn a plumaged brow.
3. It caws when it should bark and mews when it should shriek. Was that a laugh?
4. Synthetic material relieves the flesh; feathers of silver and classic stones.
5. Stitches can be seen along the neck or the back. Something peers from within it. 
6. It responds to stimuli others cannot see. Forgotten tongues and forces of nature, as if happy to reply.

Life-Weavers

Out of all the tools in a witch's arsenal, the hex is the tour de force. Hexcraft exists in all forms, in all manners of being, permeating the very existence of a witch's craft. No deal is made beneath a witch's tongue, and no action is made in her cauldron without first acknowledging the power of its icons. 

Hexes are commonly associated with symbols or runes, but not all maintain a physical form. The process of sewing a charm is interpersonal to the witch. Although there is a multitude of universally-accepted curses, most witches design at least one for themselves. Witches are taught early on to sew this magic in their belongings. Mundane objects become magic items, clothes and accessories become animated or living tools, and each flick of the occult festers more profound power. 

Some Of The More Infamous Curses Are Commonly Associated With Birds. Perhaps Another Time?
Art by Rea Kolarova

Making Cultures, Not Races

What Becomes Of Forgotten Knowledge?
'All Seeing' by Hector Mansilla

Culture is weird. 

I find it very hard to quantify cultural beliefs. That may be because it is flat-out impossible to boil down a complex system such as this to its foundational elements, which I don't necessarily believe, but it definitely proves challenging to imitate. The general sectioning of ideas that we call "culture" is so incredibly complex, so full of hypervariation, that even an amateur artist can handle what is effectively a bottomless chest of creativity. That difficulty seems to lie not in the department of numbers but in words. How does one form a culture? How does it come about in a way that is believable and not born from the seams of mockery?

If you do not intend to humiliate a group, 8 times out of 10, it will not be portrayed as such. I think that (far more often than some may believe) it is possible to tell whether a person is genuinely portraying a group as "bad" or "lesser" or if they are merely representing it. I also believe that you can describe a culture unfavourably even if it was not your intention, so definitely something to be aware of.

However, especially in fiction, sometimes the issue coalesces not in the portrayal of already-existent negativity but in the portrayal of culture as more than what it is. Culture is many things; it is representative of an individual's ideals, codifies a multitude of traits or features into identifiable groups, and can even serve as a microscope into more extraordinary truths. Through culture, we can identify ourselves within a community and, in turn, recognize what constitutes ourselves. 

If there is one thing that culture is not, it is race.

A Misunderstanding?

It should be stated that by no means is this a rampant issue. As more and more media has been published in film and literature, this odd contextualization of cultures as one big blob has begun to die down. Nevertheless, its presence is still felt, and some of the greatest works of our time have proven guilty of adjudicating its existence. From time to time, fantasy fiction predicates an idea that species persist off of mono-cultures—the elves and dwarves of Lord of The Rings, the Daleks of Doctor Who, and the many races of The Sword Coast in D&D—which inform their behaviour. All dwarves are trudging midgets with large beards who live deep within the earth, and all elves are ethereally beautiful aristocrats, deeply "attuned" with nature (wood elves) or snobbish of its creations (high elves), who wander the woodlands with longbows. 

This is in and of itself not a bad thing. The problem is when these ideas become assumptions of the norm rather than the individual. What comes to mind when you think of an elf? An orc? A human in fantasy fiction? A walking tree? Once these monoliths of culture become synonymous with the thing they symbolize, it becomes challenging to separate them again. Arnold Kemp over at Goblin Punch has a fantastic analysis of this problem here.  

So what can be done? If this issue holds the key to worse problems, how can we solve it? I don't know, not just because I think it still has some value but because I am looking for another solution. In designing cultures, not races, I wish to develop groups which stand against the grain of preconception. 

Of course, I'm bound to stumble and fall on the way down, and there is undoubtedly a fine line where culture and race intersect, but I see value in developing one separately from the other. Like faith, lore, and ideals, these totems can be set independently of one another, serving complimentary as a result.

Let's run through an example or two.

Art by Jessie Wu

Same Beginning, Same End

Unless you were grown in a vat or removed through cesarean (salutations, my fellow tumour babies), we were all born the same way. All human beings pop out of a womb after a couple of months, and in much the same way, we all eventually return to the earth. In this sense, we are all the same, but it is beyond this beginning and end that our differences arise. Everything from our genetic makeup to our surroundings to our cultural background differentiates us. 

In a group of a hundred people, the chance that two people share a birthday is nearly 100% (some argue that you can get >50% with as few as 23!). Imagine the fact that you share a birthday with somebody may just be the only similarity you have with them? 

Humanity as a species is ridiculously diverse. Ever since our ancestors scattered across the African continent and spread upon the rest of the world like lice, we've changed in nearly every way imaginable. Think of how many kinds of people there are, and not just in the visual sense? We have conquered entire landscapes—volcanos, canyons and island chains—for no reason other than a desire to live there. How much of your life do you think has been manipulated as a result of your living environment? Ever moved to a place that's nothing like where you grew up? Weird, huh? All aspects of our living experience—immigration examples notwithstanding—serve to teach us how to survive in that environment. Our customs, routines, and social norms act as how-to, informing us exactly how anybody stays in this place, especially the dominant majority. 

What would life be like if we all stuck around? What if humanity managed to construct a babel-esque structure, a leaning tower of pisa for communes, and we just evolved there instead? The issue with mono-cultures is that, in and of itself, the problem of settling, you cannot quell dissidents unless you first dispel free thought. An entire species living in a particular, interconnected location is bound to be made of dozens, if not hundreds, of different interacting groups of people. Sure, you can argue that it's unlikely you'll explore many of these groups in a story (or the author will simply focus only on the dominant majority), but there is absolutely value in depth. 

Ignoring questions of interracial and purely racist consequences, although intriguing and potentially significant, think of how a group can evolve only through their environment? In a tower-city surrounded by desert, how do you come about water? Is emphasis placed on the construction of aqueducts or mines? How does the every-man treat it? Is water a resource (at least somewhat) openly shared, for it is considered a necessity to all, or is it tightly regulated and/or hoarded? How do groups get around the tower, and is such transportation common? Are levels segregated?

Some of these questions may seem purely anecdotal, but they fulfill two objectives: to serve and to inform. What may be seen as "normal" to one faction may be reprehensible to another and openly preached by a third. Culture is not some magical background force that symbolizes the penultimate person; it is an evergreen, constantly changing power, which not only evolves with the group who created it but with the individual it seeds.

There's Lots More To Explore. I'll Be Back.
Art by Pieter Bruegel The Elder

 

A Short Catch-Up

Note: After reading through the first two chapters of Annie Dillard's "The Writing Life," I am happy to report that our feelings on creative literature intersect comfortably. I particularly enjoy one of the themes she makes apparent throughout her essays in Chapters 1 & 2; that much of a writer's work is conjured from their own experiences, especially those that occur around the time of writing. I am a jovial victim of this clause, and reading it in someone else's words makes me somewhat cathartic. As such, I wish to spend the day trying to crawl around in my mind and dissect something of use to put on the blog. Enjoy!

Make Your Own Witty Caption
By Mario Zucca

    I've been struggling to develop ideas recently. Writing, in general, has proven hard, although there hasn't necessarily been a lack of creativity in that timeframe. In fact, I'd argue that I have been very creative this past month: I just haven't been able to write it down properly. When Covid had just begun to sweep the globe (and I hate using it as an example), one of the long-term symptoms that struck me as horrific was the report of "brain fog" among patients. Folks who were once spry and active were feeling lethargic and fatigued, and those in positions that required writing acuity found themselves suddenly unable to meet demands. 

Brain fog is not something unique to Covid-19, but as someone who's suffered the ails of this mind cloud in the past (and has gotten sick with Covid twice!), I feel as if I am in a constant state of paranoia—fear of its chokehold on my ability to create. After devoting years of my life to understanding my overall difficulty with writing despite the pleasure I take in it—inconsistency of creation, language choice, a "strange" writing style, etc—it's been very hard to accept some of my limitations. That's part of why I started this blog; it gives me an excuse to speak my mind without judgment or fear of bubbling myself. I definitely have still bubbled myself a little, that's one of the consequences of online communities, but I'm still searching for opportunities to be humbled. 

When you're a 20-year-old nobody with a blog, the very idea of influence becomes an illusion. I do not believe this project is a hail mary or a hidden gem. The time of blogs is mostly past, and if I really wanted to be popular in this business, I probably should have started a decade ago. Sadly, it would have been illegal as a 5th grader, and the fact that I'm getting distracted even while writing this means that I'd probably fail to pull it off. 

Self-Perception Can Become Self-immolation
Art by A. Shipwright (Rare OOC shoutout, this dude's awesome)

But we persevere and push on despite our doubts. Although I recognize my flaws and laugh at my errors, there is a footnote to be made at the end of every page: Even when I struggle, I write. Suffering is a word that is sometimes used, even by myself, but I feel it doesn't fit as well as struggle does. Suffering implies an amount of contempt, that one would be better off without trying. When I write, I do so to explore, learn and feel. It is a struggle, but there is nothing sufferable about it. 

This is more of a rant than a "normal" blog post, but at the very least it means I'm writing. The hope is that this will inspire me to start putting things up again, whether that be content or just other ramblings. I think I'm going to write about something a tad more appropriate soon. 

Stay Tuned.

The Lolea

The Workplace Recommends Dexterity
Art from Bloodborne

Per The Twelve Laws, Artisans never stop learning. Their education is perpetual, a machine that winds around itself, fueled by wind, wine, and blood. Graduates from the Artisinal Schools move on to join the ranks of coordinators and warmages in the military arm of The Republic or return to their hometowns to serve as courtiers. Occasionally, however, a student will show some prestigious bout for talent early on in their studies, and their name will be called separate from their classmates. Rarely does this occur in a single graduating class, but all who witness the sight of well-dressed inquisitors fear what is to come.


Lolea are executioners. Plucked most often from the classrooms of the Artisinal Schools, Lolea are curated by inquisitors and other Artisans (particularly professors) for inordinate talent, selecting those in the top percentile of their classmates. A Lolea's purpose is to serve both as warden and executioner, defending the school's interests and the well-being of its students. Their hand is expected when intruders breach the walls, or when a mage's rituals go awry, and violent acts must be performed. They are killers, calculating and ever-watchful, and these young artisans' training regimen ensures that. If the training lacks impact, trauma eventually achieves the same.


Not all Lolea are trained artisans, but all understand the danger of chaos left undivided. Numerous Lolea have been conscripted from the ranks of soldiers and guildsmen, seen by some of the former as a sign of honour and respect. Others are hired from less-pleasing backgrounds and then shipped off to the farthest corners of The Republic, serving as intermediaries. Occasionally a Lolea will retire from their services only to return to the job market touting their skills, a mage-slayer for hire. Demand is high among The Twin Provinces.

The Appearance Is Different But Ask An Artisan; The Vibe Is The Same
Art by Saeed Farhangian

The Lolea

Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Insight
Tool Proficiencies: Any one set of Artisan's Tools
Equipment: A set of Artisan's Tools, a steel mirror, 10 feet of chain, a signet or badge of your corresponding patron, and a belt pouch containing 5 gp
----------
Optional Feat: Mage Slayer

Feature: Architect Slayer

You were brought upon the chambers of great constabularies and artisinal schools, serving as a last defence against the chaos. As someone who serves (or served) among the ranks of the Lolea, your title pulls immediate respect. Soldiers and academics will nod as you pass; your presence is welcome in positions headed by the military and anti-magical environments, and those in positions of power may grant you small benefits otherwise unfit for your station. Artisans will often spite you, and those who choose not to satisfy your ego will likely discredit you entirely. 


Call of Honor
The lifestyle of a Lolea begins with equal parts talent and image. No matter how qualified you may be, you cannot join the ranks of the mage slayers unless you are chosen to be one. When trying to figure out how your character's patronage came to be, consider the table below for ideas.

d6	Lore
1	I was assigned my position through hard work and rank-climbing. Those in my detachment chose me worthy.
2	I earned my role through nepotism: a bloodline of stalwart killers.
3	I was chosen by my artisinal school to ward against my classmates.
4	Inquisitors approached me sometime after graduation. In exchange for wealth and comfort, I must shadow other Artisans; my friends and my partners.
5	I earned this position by being unorthodox. My esoteric talents perpetrate my lifestyle, a trait others found compelling.
6	Another Lolea granted me his title as punishment for a deed I'd done.

Suggested Characteristics
Being a Lolea is not an easy task, nor is it explained away as one. Many cope with their occupation by finding other vices to confide in, while others take pride in their work. Not all executioners work on behalf of the Artisinal Schools either: plenty of dedicated individuals (with or without the proper education) are willing to perform the same tasks for coin. Whatever your background, your duties remain the same, and those who genuinely believe in protecting the greater populace will surely be rewarded.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I am cold and unflinching. Violence is a necessity; death must be dealt.
2	I am empathetic toward those I supervise.
3	I hate working alone and, if possible, perform all of my tasks in pairs.
4	Hypervigilance has kept my partners and me alive.
5	There has never been a moment where I have doubted what I've done.
6	I am a strict loyalist to the laws of man.
7	I carry an odd glibness in my words, fragments from another time.
8	I perform any task to the highest bidder.

d6	Ideal
1	Order. My actions are for the greater good, to protect the world from the whims of chaos. (Lawful)
2	Utilitarianism. The needs of the many outweigh the fears of the few. (Neutral)
3	Pride. The occult disgusts and terrifies me, so I must stand in their way for posterity's sake. (Evil)
4	Pleasure. The acts I perform grant me untold satisfaction. I will do it again and again until the earth is dry. (Chaotic)
5	Service. I will perform my duties with the utmost respect. There will be no victims while I serve. (Good)
6	Avarice. No man has ever word a job for free, not of their own accord. (Neutral)

d6	Bond
1	This is the blade of the colossus, which strikes down the architect and all its crafts.
2	My sigils are in the eyes of a thousand dead men. My armour is the vessel for a messenger of death.
3	Those who share my craft are more than siblings; they are the roots which hold me taut.
4	I am a soldier first and a Lolea second. My allegiances are to The Republic and its many suzerains.
5	Magic is a gateway to things beyond the veil of understanding. By perfecting it, I become truly superior to those I supervise.
6	The Artisans think themselves slick, devoid of imperfection or rot. I am living proof of their foretold annihilation.

d6	Flaw
1	The last time I faltered, people died. Never again.
2	Artisans are simply frogs who have yet to realize they are in the pot.
3	This job is a chore; these tasks are a farce. I wish I was at home in my underwear.
4	I am sensitive to the sight and smell of blood.
5	Work has desensitized me to social situations. I find it difficult to converse about things besides my occupation.
6	I am suspicious of everyone and everything related to the supernatural, even my closest friends.

Witches, Part 1

What distills from pain but pure, delicious rage?
Art by Sackcloth & Ashes

There are two distinctive schools of thought within the artisinal schools of The Republic; the study of transmuting reality through tangible things, The Occult, and the study of that which lies beyond our purview. Although studies have begun in recent regarding paranormal effects such as that of the Elkem's Yr Drannas, their discoveries are fledgling, and resources are spread thin between the two remaining processes. Of the two, The Occult receives more praise, as well as most of the funding.

It is well-known that forces within the universe exist far beyond our human understanding. Villages and cities are haunted by the presence of the Mirages, Artisans are ripped apart by the mysterious acts of chaos, and the continent slowly cracks under the weight of an indefinitely stormy sky. Hardship and strife are a natural state of being, but humanity has always held the opportunity to somewhat level its playing field. 

In the past, they went by different names; Eldermen, Gods, Faith. Terms once combined in symbiosis were stripped of their original context, leaving their corpse to rot. But nothing in nature dies for long, and the restoration of these old & primal powers has returned with booming voices.

The Primeval Forces are a catch-all phrase for the many gifts of the old world. Its servants take many shapes, most notably druids and nature spirits, but occasionally a particular creature or location will attract its pleasant (or repugnant) touch. Witches constitute a social commune dating back to pre-storm practices, but have become entangled in academic circumstances.

Bubbling Oils

Witches constitute a minority within the hierarchy of occult-casters in The Republic. This is partly thanks to the trouble surrounding their practitioning, as while artisans typically come from all backgrounds, walks of life and identities, Witch covens are strictly feminine. There are multiple theories as to why this decision was made, and any estimate would likely be correct. Still, the most obvious answer is typically the appropriate one: groups of women sought to study in an environment that suited their own needs and amenities, rather than the comforts of those who considered themselves superiors.

Note: I want to explore themes such as casual sexism and the effectiveness of a collective response to its grasp, but it's fair to say that not everybody will be comfortable reading or playing with it. Not every setting needs sexism for a compelling story or world, nor does it need racism, classism, or other bigotry. Create according to the material you wish to emulate and the narrative you'd like to create. Not everyone will be comfortable with this kind of thing; if it cannot be omitted, that's fine. Not everyone has to like it.

By the way, feminine doesn't have to mean born a woman.
Art by Aleksander Brodzinski

Of the many covens discoverable throughout the continent, only two lie beneath The Republic's jurisdiction, specialized colleges akin to the artisinal schools. All witches are spellcasters, even those physically incapable of learning Occult techniques, for there are no rules regarding who can and cannot learn magic. Availability is a different problem, but the steady flow of new witches from the colleges has proven their worth tenfold. 

Bound by a similar artisinal dictorum to the academies, Witches are notably not bound by The Twelve Laws, instead aligned with a complex collection of rules and stipulations. Coven Laws differ between bodies, save for the two Academic Covens, which have yet to abscond from The Republic.

Broiling Cauldrons

There are two fields of study within the realm of a Witch; the explosive, chaotic energy of The Occult and the slower, seeping patronage of The Primeval Forces. Rarely called by its full name, most witches call their particular practice Alchemy or Herbology—the art of creation through concoctions. 

Witches rarely devote themselves entirely to acts of the Primal; instead, they combine Occult magic with profound, more applied techniques. The Republic makes a notable distinction between their work and the work of an Artisan, for Witches combine the effects of both worlds, creating something else entirely. Fast-acting movements combined with a slow, methodical outlook provide a perspective within the world of magic completely unlike its contemporaries.

Community

The vast majority of covens in Bromeilles are decentralized. While the number of would-be witches aspiring to join the academic covens is great, they are a minority compared to those filled with runaways and convicts. 

When you dress only for the sky, we all dazzle like stars.
Art by Qistina Khalidah

Joining a coven is much like joining a fraternity or a cult. Initiation is required, a pledge to one's oaths or tenants, and a pact of loyalty to your new sisters which stretches beyond the veil of life and death. Your fellow witches are your teachers, your Matron most of all, but they are also your students. Covens are commonly an open space for discussion, practice and evolution. Change is accepted in full, and emotional conflicts are recognized and validated.

Every coven holds true a different set of beliefs. Like an institution, witches attract different individuals and promote certain kinds of behaviour according to their values. Organized most typically by region and the primary source of magic they practice, Witch Schools are frequently associated with colour, and every witch has at least a rudimentary understanding of their coven's magic.

Coven Magic

1. White Magic: Unity, Purity, Health, Nurturing
2. Black Magic: Death, Protection, Compulsion, Individuality
3. Red Magic: Passion, Energy, Violence, Concentration
4. Blue Magic: Creativity, Patience, Understanding, Wisdom
5. Green Magic: Empathy, The Natural, Peace, Health
6. Purple Magic: Acuity, Spirituality, Manipulation, Perception
7. Orange Magic: Change, Luck, Creativity, Goodwill
8. Tide Magic: Balance, Control, Freedom, Strength
9. Lunar Magic: The Natural, Secrecy, Family, Freedom
10. Blood Magic: Health, Spirituality, Individuality, Control
11. Steel Magic: Violence, Balance, Compulsion, Patience
12. Tea Magic: Kindness, Balance, Perception, Spirituality

Mind Before Matter

    Around 1440 AD, the german inventor Johannes Gutenberg introduced Europe to the sublime gift of the printing press. His own twist on the invention sent shockwaves throughout the continent, having effects potentially unknown even to him at the time. Literary skyrocketed, hierarchies shattered, and all of a sudden the educated elite found themselves privy to reading the same material as serfs, who happily flipped away at their own copy of the bible. Johannes Gutenberg changed hundreds of millions of lives in a thousand unforeseen ways, and his contributions (as well as his contemporaries in the east) have objectively changed our society for the better. 

How much information do you think a book can store? Theoretically the answer is an infinite amount, because all you would have to do is shrink the font and increase the number of pages, but how much information really is that? We consider a novel that's less than 200 pages a novella, which somehow isn't a book but is also just enough detail to be considered complete. Dictionaries are hundreds of pages of words, with definitions for those words, using the exact same terms it defines. One of the grandest pieces of literature of all time is a Super Smash Bros fanfiction. It's over 4,000,000 words long.

But knowledge is cumulative, and just because you write something doesn't mean it has any intrinsic intellectual value. A monkey with a typewriter could write all the most extraordinary works that'll ever exist, but it would have to type gibberish first. Who's going to supply all of that paper? Is there something to be salvaged in the pile of scrap? Should we make a book out of it?

Imagine this is your brain. Or maybe you're an evil zoologist.

Our brain answers these questions monotonously and with a mere (on average) 20 watts of energy. Constantly and throughout our day, like clockwork, our mind will reshuffle itself like a deck of cards. Reminders will pop up in your head, old memories from past moments will flood into consciousness, and all the while, older memories are quietly thrown out the back. Do you know what you had for breakfast this morning? Do you remember the first time you cried? 

The human brain is a fascinating organism, but it is an organ, and as far as we know, in the current state of things, these organs are limited by space. Actual evidence about how we store this information is limited. Ironically, the thing the brain knows least about is itself. But there is one nugget of truth we can know for sure: We use it. 

Our brain makes room for other memories and allows us to experience things without remembering them. We designate specific memories as more valuable than others, birthdays or important dates, until we eventually replace those memories with different ones. Diseases of the mind ravage us. By the time we die, we'll have experienced a lifetime of memories, both lost and found, and the ones we hold on to will define how we write verses of our history.

Or just be an elf; they remember everything.

Light-Weightedness, Light-Headedness

I like elves. There's a natural appreciation to be had for the concept, especially the effect they've had on popularizing fantasy and all of its variations. Tolkien had a good thing going with them; tall, swanky, perfectionist figures with fae-like features and an impeccable historical edge. But of the many crumbs of knowledge left behind in LOTR's wake, one bothers me, specifically when it is hijacked (at times incidentally) by other IPs. That crumb is memory. 

I don't hate the notion, far from it, but I hate how it is treated. Call me out for being finicky, tell me I'm picking at straws, I'll accept those taunts, but I refuse not to die on this hill. Elves in LOTR are synonymous with spirit creatures, but their relatives in TTRPG settings, such as the Forgotten Realms, do not have this benefit. They are living things with lives and expiration dates, but it's more or less assumed that with their long lifespans comes a long memory, exacerbated through trancing.

Living long does not need to be synonymous with memory. In fact, people who live a long time often forget quite a lot more. A solid majority of people suffer some form of memory loss by the time they enter their 60s.

Art by Lizzart

"Oh, but author!" you may say, running your fingers through speculative evolution textbooks, "Elves aren't human! They're an entirely different species; obviously, they won't have the same form of memory as us!" and you would be correct. That is why I argue that if your elves are disconnected entirely from human mechanics, why not explore that? If the human brain is arguably inferior in terms of raw storage space, why in the seven hells wouldn't a human being explore that beyond ethical concerns? 

I want to reiterate when I say that you do not have to do any of these things. Your story is yours; I fully support any and all approaches to the medium, including the softest soft fiction. As a representative of the H.F.F. (Hard Fiction Fans), however, I cannot help but push an alternative perspective.

Humans explore art partly because our lives are so short. Fragile and brief, we create things that will far outlive us. In a thousand years, our society will be nearly unrecognizable to us, but our novels and sculptures will surpass even the ideas which made them. Is that process lost entirely when your species remembers generations past? At what rate does a culture record history that isn't at risk of being forgotten? 

Is it only long-term memories? Can a member of that race recall ancient history as if he were there but deflect the memory of his meals like a mesh screen deflects flies? What changes can be found in their diets compared to another race? Is it specialized? Do they consume far more than other races, or are they just efficient with their energy? If I plucked two prods into their brain, could I turn on a lightbulb? For how long?

When an alien writes a novel, what words does it think will fit best?

What Makes A Brain?

Within Elkem enclaves, there is a silent understanding of the weight of one's words. Language was one of the first things taken from the Sun-Walkers when they arrived in Bromeilles, and it has cost them centuries to stitch something together resembling it. Most of those alive now were born on the cracked continent, but the population of pre-storm Elkem is still staggeringly high, an act proven to be no small feat.

It's the ears and skin texture specifically that, to me, fit the Elkem's design. You can imagine how difficult it is to do things myself when you can't draw!
Art from Ava's Demon, a webcomic by Michelle Czajkowski Fus

Elkem culture is an exceptionally compact encyclopedia. What knowledge has been lost— save for fragments—is presumed to be gone forever, but what remains on the minds and persons of its kind is ripe for the taking. Elders are revered among the colonies, comforted and protected for the secrets they have yet to share. The oldest are treated with a deistic fervour, known as Ytrl, where they become specialized in their role.

Human biology differs greatly from incursors. What few connections can be drawn are made regarding limbs and general shape, but the most confusing difference lies in the brain. An Elkem's mind is composed of three distinct lobes, the whole approximating sack more than a spheroid, with its third positioned in front of the others just below the eyes. This third lobe almost exclusively handles the processing of visual stimuli, providing the rest of the brain with the space required to perform its calculations.

Elkem physiology supports slow-acting but constant processing. While Republic-backed studies have shown a marginal decrease in quick-response proficiency compared to humans, their ability to retain and expout information is substantially improved so long as they remain un-malnourished. 

State-sanctioned expeditions to the Elkem enclaves have revealed the presence of massive tree-like growths constructed with the help of an unknown fungal biopsy. Ytrl are often found within the growths in varying degrees of entanglement, presumably fed either by hand or the growths themselves. Despite their condition, these Elkem are still capable of speech, a feat the others treat with reverence. 

Every word spoken from the shaman's mouth is frantically inscribed in an exalted process. Every bit of information, from the devout to the seemingly mundane to the incomprehensible, is stored and retained for study. The enclaves call it Yr Grullik: "The Message". 

Knowledge is sacred to the Elkem. Knowledge of any capacity, of any calibre, is a requirement for archivization and study. This is often confusing from the perspective of archivists' within The Republic, but the cultural impact is prevalent. Humans, in their brief and fragile lives, attempt to refine the details of their history to the finest grain of sand, constructing a picture of reality which lacks any bloat or redundancy. To the Elkem, everything known is already known, but the new is an act of the sublime. What is found may never be found again, nor may it ever be experienced by another living thing, and so it must be saved.

It is a violent, emotional conflict. While the archivists of The Republic dream of a return to the old world, the sculptors of the Elkem struggle to recover what remains of it.

Down the rabbit hole.
Mycelium Sun by Raya Wolfsun