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The Coven

In a time so far removed from the present day World of Dreams as to seem another world (and perhaps it was), the wizard Mondain reached the apex of his art. Through his work, he had forged a gem of such power that it granted him immortality. He was invincible; no mere mortal could challenge him. Each day, his armies of monsters conquered more of the world. However, before he achieved total victory, a hero from another world stepped through time and slew the dark wizard. Mondain’s gem was shattered, and the shards were lost.

This is not his story, however. Mondain was the first great threat to the land, but he is also responsible for the second. As wizards often do, Mondain took an apprentice and, some say, a lover. Her name was Minax, and she was as dark and terrible as her master. Following his death, she gathered his defeated legions and set forth to conquer the world. Again, a hero emerged and defeated the evil enchantress.

Unlike her master, Minax did not take an apprentice; she took thirteen, all women. A sisterhood of sorceresses trained in the dark arts of magic. They were not present when the hero slew Minax; perhaps Minax had sent them away, believing she could defeat the hero alone. Or perhaps Minax feared she would lose, and sent them away to plant the seeds of her revenge. In any case, the apprentices escaped the purge of evil that followed Minax’s death.

They formed a secret society: The Coven. Hiding from the world, they would find other like-minded women to recruit and train. They feared discovery, so no two would live in the same area, lessening the potential damage if one was found. They never met face to face. Instead, they used their necromantic skills to bind spirits to do their bidding. These Coven Messengers, as they were called, became the stuff of folk tale and nightmares. Appearing as ghostly riders atop black steeds, each carried a flaming staff. Never resting, they would race from sister to sister, carrying news and orders.

For hundreds of years, the Coven hid and grew. The death of Lissar was the catalyst that sent their plans into motion. Sarah, the aide of Councilor Samuel and the secret leader of the Coven, called her sisters to action. Without a ruler to rally behind, the land would fall swiftly. But first, the sisters needed to revive their own leader.

After centuries of hiding, activity made some of the Coven careless. Coven Messengers, once creatures of shadow and night, began to travel in broad daylight. Once only seen by frightened villagers, now they were observed by the heroes of the land. One was encountered and killed by Roderick and Ciara. Over the next several days, more Messengers were killed and the notes they carried taken. These notes spoke of a great resurrection coming.

Following the clues, a group of heroes attempted to track down the Coven. Fighting their way through the ruins near Yew, they discovered a portal that transported them to the City of the Dead. Here, a horde of undead guarded the temple where three sisters prepared the ritual. The heroes fought with bravery, but they were too slow in defeating the monsters. Just as the heroes broke through to the temple, the ritual was completed and Minax was restored to life. Fortunately for the heroes, she was weakened by her long sleep. Though she might have been able to destroy all gathered, she chose to depart and gather her strength.

Since the night of her resurrection, Minax has stayed in hiding. The one exception was when the Coven attempted a similar ritual to resurrect Mondain. This time, the heroes arrived in time and foiled the plan. Mondain was restored as a powerful wraith that the heroes quickly destroyed. Minax escaped, but she left behind a few key items, including Mondain’s spell book, his blackened skull, and shards from his gem. The Coven would have to retrieve these items if they ever wanted to make another attempt to raise the dark wizard.

Although Minax remains hidden, the sisters have given up their secrecy. They formed an alliance with the pirates of Buccaneer’s Den, and visitors to that island have learned to fear the magic of the Coven.

-Wode, Historian Errant

It's been entirely too long since your name echoed across our world. Looking forward to doing some catching up with you sometime soon.

A brave tale, indeed.

Interesting story.
I certainly don't know much of our history, how do the Pillars of the Coven fit in?