The Whispered Ones

Older than all others with so few members most believe they were wiped out in the Reconciliation the whispered ones are the stuff of legends and myth. Yet their purpose and means are so simple, they deal in trinkets, favors, and talismans, the old ways. They see the The Great Tree not as something to be worshipped but as a part of nature to be protected, perhaps this is why the The Order of the Fallen Leaves hates them so much seeking to wipe them out for their blasphemy and still even with their dwindled numbers occasional kill orders arise for them. But for the few who are left power and influence flow abundant, and many protect them, especially from the low and downtrodden, these are the Whispered ones or Witches.

"I heard that Mirabel was saved by a Witch, the witch simply handed her an old ring and was told to keep this under your pillow for a fortnight and all would be well, the strange thing was the Collegiate came for her kids in the night and Mirabell says she heard the Witches cackling and then the Collegiate was just gone."

Public Agenda:

A witch's agenda is as inscrutable as they are, though what is known is that many of them seek to protect the community that they are a part of however large or small that may be. Offering trinkets, potions, and sage advice from those who seek it out and in some cases are willing to pay the price.

Public Perception

Lower Class

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For those at the bottom, the Whispered Ones represent a possible helping hand if a bit of a mysterious one but far less dangerous than a devil's bargain. In return the Lower Classes have unwritten rules to protect the Witches from the prying eyes of the Collegiate or anyone else who comes looking

Middle Class

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Unless in desperation the Middle Class doesn't even acknowledge the existence of the witches or maybe they believe the stories that are told of their power to be nothing more than wishful thinking by an oppressed population.

Upper Class

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Those at the very top know to respect a Witch their council and their warnings, though they do so with much chagrin, and in all likelihood would prefer to see them removed altogether from the world of Arbor.

History:

The witches have claims that go back to the The First Ones or even before it. Perhaps to a time when magic was far less plentiful and their particular brand of sorcery was all that truly worked in the world. Over the ages, they have remained largely as they were enigmatic figures at the edge of the world and its peoples. Careful and patient guardians.

Attire / Common Garb / Quirks:

Every witch is different and no two seem to dress the same, some even say that the witches themselves are immortal and that those who walk the earth today are the same as those who walked when the First People did. Of course, this is likely just people's short memories but images and paintings going back hundreds of years do depict largely the same designs and people over and over again. Suffice it to say much of a witch's attire is linked to who they are and where they are from so no commonality or identifiable features can be attributed to the whole.

Saying that though one quirk that seems to be consistent is the trinkets, either on their person, displayed openly or hidden away in a million pockets the witch always seems to carry with them an innumerable amount of tiny magical objects that can bestow sometimes quite powerful effects on the individual who holds them.

Structure and Hierarchy:

None as far as anyone has ever been able to determine, they proclaim themselves as the protectors of the Great Tree but have no hierarchy with which to decide how best to do this so how and why there is the need for this is beyond anyone.

Notable People:

Witches are a secretive lot and thus there are no notable people to write about try as this author might to find any to speak to or ask the veil they cast across the populace and those they directly interact with prevents such a meeting.

Notable Abilities

This though I can write on and it is something the Collegiate Arcanum are desperately interested in. The Witches seem to have some deep connection to the Memoria of Arbor. The spells they weave, and the trinkets they leave behind all seem to have some wisp of a memory associated with them. Rumors and stories tell of witches conjuring the memories of long-forgotten knights to settle disputes or a lover's first kiss to soothe the tinge of heart break. Memoria creation and manipulation seem to be their greatest and most secret gift and it's one the Collegiate is desperate to understand.

Territory:

None

Notable Structures:

None

Founding Date

???

Type

Secret, Occult

Alternative Names

Witches, Old Ones