Coven of the Yellow Rose

Witches of Knowledge and Friendship

While the yellow rose has been hidden to keep our secrets, our knowledge still thrives, growing with each woman who dedicates themselves to the goddess and chooses a life in the pursuit of truth and friendship.

— Unknown

Scrolls and tomes litter every surface in the small house, books open on the floor to diagrams of flowers and plants, each a fact that was necessary for this pursuit of an answer. The woman's notes were hurriedly scribbled in the margins of an already overflowing page, line after line scratched by an owl feather quill, a gift from her familiar and closest friend. The search for this single answer had kept her working late into the night, her only company was the Snowy Owl who kept watch over her shoulder as the candles lit burned low and the scent of a spring rain in the night filled the room.
Once her thoughts had run their course and the pursuit of a specific piece of knowledge reached its end, she would compile her scattered notes, inking them in perfect calligraphy in a tome that would eventually find its way into the coven's library. So the cycle would begin again, another question to answer, more research spread across the floor as she followed the train of thought to an answer previously unknown. She may even leave the safety of the village to find first-hand knowledge to better answer her questions, but only if completely necessary.
The Coven of the Yellow Rose is one of the three major Covens of the Tree. These women excel in the pursuit of knowledge and the friendships they keep with others, including their animal familiars. Those of the Yellow Rose must be vicious in their pursuit of truth, but they should be soft in their relations, fostering friendships with all they meet as connections can mean greater knowledge. In the service of Libra, these Witches keep the secrets of the Yellow Rose but never stop pursuing greater knowledge.

Structure

The Coven of the Yellow Rose is not necessarily a formal organization but instead is a name used to describe the variety of Witch covens that follow the ideals of the tree's yellow rose. This coven has its own Coven Leader, but a variety of lesser covens exist under the title of the Coven of the Yellow Rose.

Covens

Covens are the closed communities that teach Witches how to forge a connection with the natural world far before it became civilized and settled. These are more than places of knowledge and enlightenment; they act as extended families that remain close to their members. Their daily pursuits can range from solemn and strict like that of a monastery or center of religion, but they can also be vibrant and full of intensity depending on how they decide to serve the goddess Libra.
Covens are not commonplace, but the lesser covens of the Coven of the Yellow Rose are more open and welcoming than most. These women, while somewhat secretive, will welcome outsiders into their villages if a connection can be made, friendship established, and the merit of one's heart weighed in favor of Libra's teachings. Most knowledge of Witches comes from these covens.

Coven Leaders

A sacred rite of all Covens of the Tree is the passing of the Coven Leader. This passage is often rare, occurring upon the death of the previous leader, and is not something that is taken lightly in this culture. The oldest or most powerful of the Witches is rarely chosen. It is believed that only those who have been touched by Libra and have received her blessing can become the next Coven Leader.
Lesser covens of the Yellow Rose pass the mantle of Coven Leader more frequently than most, but this is due to leaders in these covens having the ability to move on to another calling if they are of longer-lived races. Because the Coven of the Yellow Rose is seen as the most open to outsiders, a Coven Leader can serve for a time and then choose to step back in the pursuit of knowledge or some other purpose.

Villages & Lands

As friendship and knowledge are our callings, our homes and villages are open to those who wish to learn or to open themselves to Libra's teachings. Rarely will we turn someone away, but we will also not endanger ourselves for someone else's gain.

— Unknown

The Witches of the Coven of the Yellow Rose are often scattered, but they are not as hidden as others might be. These women keep villages that can number nearly a hundred in population and will bring in friends from other places if their research allows. It is not difficult to stumble upon one of these villages wandering through the Fairy King's Wood, especially if one is lost and looking for sanctuary.

Divine Origins

The Coven of the Yellow Rose was the final of the covens to form, following closely behind the Coven of the Black Thorns. This coven formed as the representation of the yellow rose that bloomed on the white tree that was granted to the Witches by the goddess Libra. It was believed it was these women's divine right to gather knowledge but to also serve as the most welcoming of the Witches to outsiders, building connections that would aid the Covens of the Tree in moments of true difficulty.
From the earliest days, this coven blossomed, splitting into lesser covens that were scattered far and wide. Research and kindness were paramount to these women and any who were willing to open their minds and hearts to Libra would be welcomed into the fold, allowing the coven to grow faster than the others, but once the Persecution of the Witches began, that greatly changed.
As safety and defense became a necessity, Witches began turning away from the Yellow Rose, joining the other covens to aid their tortured sisters. The Coven of the Yellow Rose became more secretive, hiding the true secrets of their namesake, but these women never stopped searching for more answers to everything that plagued them.

Tenets of the Yellow Rose

Pursue Knowledge. Our secrets and truth may have been hidden, but that does not mean that we stop searching for answers, asking questions, and moving forward with the knowledge we have found.
Be the Example. We have been given a bad name, an identity we do not deserve. Do not give others a reason to believe the evils spouted about us, give them reason to change their minds.
Kindness. All who live deserve kindness, from the people who walk the earth to the animals and plants that wander and roam.

To Search for Knowledge, for the Tree

Founding Date

190,000 IM

Type

Religious, Coven

Demonym

Witches

Leader Title

Coven Leader

Parent Organization

Covens of the Tree

Subsidiary Organizations

• Flowered Hill Coven

Deities

• Libra

Location

Fairy King's Wood

Related Ethnicities

• Witch Culture

Culture of the Witches

The culture of Witches holds on to the lingering effects of persecution throughout the land of Isekai. These casters were only women, gathering in groups called covens, and practicing magic that often used their own life force to complete the spells. For these reasons, they faced nearly torturous persecution by other casters and those that were often feated by the magic that the Witches could weave through harm or how they often turned harmful and dangerous things to be good and virtuous. Due to this, many witch covens were forced to the Fairy King's Wood and the protection of the word of Festival Snix.
Here in the lands of the Fairies, the Witches are left to their magic, often serving in the Fairy King's court and throughout the woods as healers and other useful casters. Some dare travel into the Wandering Forest, using their connection to the lands of Isekai to turn the upside-down world of the Ancient Fey to the aid of others. During the Eldritch War, the Witches and their creations were needed to aid those across Isekai, but history often repeats itself and their creations went unused by many.

Exodus of the Witches

Decades after the formation of the Covens of the Tree, the Witches were forced to leave the Fairy King's Wood and branded as allies of Morgoth the Arch-Demon. This led to millennia of systematic persecution by all races in Isekai. Many Witches either hid their magic or became hermits under the fear that any show of their type of magic or their ties to the goddess Libra could mean their death.
Upon the ascent of Festival Snix to the throne of the Fairy King's Wood, an apology was issued by the Fairy King for the wrongs that were committed over the millennia. With his apology, the King welcomed the Covens of the Tree back to the Fairy King's Wood and offered his protection to those that returned.
Thus began the mass exodus of the Witches throughout Isekai returning to the Fairy King's Wood with the promise of safety and a homeland where they could practice their magic and their trades. For seven years, large groups of Witches of all races traveled to the wood, gaining gifts of land from the King which became the homes of the various covens. New covens were formed and the old ways of the Witches that had been lost during their persecution began to flourish in the safety of the Fairy King's Wood.