Flowered Hill Coven

Coven of the Hills of Lazarus

We are as resilient as the White Lazarus because we need to be. Our task from the goddess is to protect these hills and this flower, but it is so much more than that. We are tasked with living in a way that we were not allowed to for millennia. We are to live as wild and free as the flowers we tend to.

— Sera Whiteclaw

A sea of flowers, the various colors of Dragon Scales, surrounds a small village. Passersby may never see the simple thatched roofs nestled within a shallow valley, just barely hidden from sight by the waves of flowers on the Hills of Lazarus. Vines of greens, littered with flowers, climb the walls of the buildings, further hiding the village of Serebi from the wandering eyes of those that travel through the Fairy King's Wood. Those that live here, women of all ages, races, and backgrounds, do not wish to hide from the outside world, but the forest chooses to swaddle the village and its residents in the flora of their trade.
The village of Serebi, decorated in the living flora of the Fairy King's Wood, is home to the Witches of the Flowered Hill Coven. One of many of the Covens of the Tree that cross Isekai, this coven finds its place as part of the Coven of the Yellow Rose, Witches who focus on the healing arts and magic with purpose outside of battle. These women revel in nature and what it brings to their magic, and what their magic can bring to the forest.
More often than not, they are called by the name of their home, the Hills of Lazarus, and the flowers they take pride in cultivating. For centuries, the flowers of the Hills of Lazarus have given purpose to these women, allowing them to discover things about nature and expand upon them to make much-needed potions and other healing tools for the world. Their presence and work bring a sense of reverie to the forest, one that brings happiness to all those that inhabit the forest.

Culture

Passing of the Coven Leader

The passing of the Coven Leader is a sacred rite amongst the Witches of the Flowered Hill Coven. It is not as simple as handing the mantle to the oldest or most powerful of those in the coven. Those that can handle the stress and isolation of the Flower Distilling process have a chance to claim the role, but only if the goddess Libra is on their side.

Common Rituals & Practices

The Flowered Hill Coven finds purpose in the flowers and plants that surround their homes. Many of the rituals and practices that these Witches partake in are, in part, related to these florae and their life cycles. Two of the most common practices and rituals of this coven center around the White Lazarus and its many uses as both poison and potion.

History

The Witches that would become the Flowered Hill Coven were the first to receive a new home from Festival Snix. In his gift, known as the Gift of the Hills, the Witches were gifted the Hills of Lazarus. These hills held the White Lazarus, a deadly flower that had been the catalyst for their exile millennia ago. These Witches were tasked with the protection of the hills and its deadly flower, as a poison of that potency would be disastrous in the wrong hands. With the task at hand, the Witches formed the Flowered Hill Coven and made their home amongst the deadly petals.
Within five years of the coven's founding, the need for a permanent home arose. The town of Serebi was built nestled between two hills, providing the small village safety from outsiders. A central building, Libra's Hearth, was built and dedicated to the goddess as a place of worship, meditation, and safety. This building served many purposes, from a teaching space, to a storeroom, to serving any need of the various Witches that called Serebi home. The building quickly became the heart of the village and would serve a much greater purpose as the coven grew.

It was only through the love of the goddess that we were to return to and care for the very lands and flowers that had caused our pain so long ago. Without our knowledge and our magic, the hills had withered, even in the depths of the Fairy King's magic. Through the new King, we are allowed our right, and Libra once again smiles upon us.

— Unknown

As the Witches watched over the fields of White Lazarus, it was discovered that the deadly flower had healing properties if handled correctly. The discovery of the process was accidental, becoming known as Flower Distilling. With some trial and error, the process was refined, eventually allowing a very potent healing draught to be made from White Lazarus Petals. When mixed with other ingredients, the distilled petals could become the Potion of True Life, the most powerful healing potion ever created.
After decades, the ritual of harvesting the petals became a time of celebration for these Witches. The Day of Roses became a festival to celebrate the harvest of the petals and the beginning of the Flower Distilling process, but it also became a celebration of freedom and safety for the Witches. The week-long festival served as a time of work, but also a time of rest. The White Lazarus Petals were harvested and packed away in small lace bags to be housed in Libra's Hearth to eventually be distilled and used for potion making.
Even though the coven and land flourished, the return to the Fairy King's Wood was not without adversity. The Wither Blight brought a harsh drought to the wood, draining the magic from the flora and fauna. While the drought only lasted ten years, it took nearly three decades for the forest to recover, drawing its magic back from the Wandering Forest and those that called the forest home. During these years, the harvest of White Lazarus Petals was small, barely enough to distill and use. These years, the Day of Roses became less of a festival of celebration and more a time of prayer as the Witches prayed to Libra for the prosperity of their home.
The Flowered Hill Coven remained mostly hidden for thousands of years until the publication of the book, Seven Deadliest Poisons. A Halfling from the Little Greenwood came to study the ways of the Witches and the potent poison that could be created from the White Lazarus. While this was not the only use of the flower, the deadly effects of the plant were the focus of the book, eventually becoming the only widely-known use of the flower. The Potion of True Life and its effects were lost for some time to the world, but would return when the Eldritch War began.
The Eldritch War brought many horrors to the world of Isekai, but some races banded together. The Witches were no different, offering their aid to anyone that could use it. Because of feelings of distrust that lingered from the Persecution of the Witches, many races were wary of the help the Witches were offering, often choosing to ignore the aid, even when offered the Potion of True Life or other healing. Within two years, the covens turned to aiding the Fairy King's Wood and those of their homeland instead of wide-spread help. Some groups outside of the wood used the chaos of the war to persecute Witches, but Festival Snix held his promise to protect them.

Strong Flowers Flourish Even in the Most Adverse of Circumstances

Founding Date

99,900 IM

Type

Religious, Coven

Leader

Sera Whiteclaw

Leader Title

Coven Leader

Parent Organization

Coven of the Yellow Rose

Location

Hills of Lazarus

Related Traditions

• Day of Roses

Controlled Territories

• Libra's Hearth
• Serebi

Related Historical Events

• 98,000 IM
  Invention of Flower Distilling
• 99,990 IM
  Creation of the Flowered Hill Coven

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 feared by the magic that 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.

Legacy of the Coven

Originally tasked with the protection of the White Lazarus and the Hills of Lazarus, the Flowered Hill Coven established a legacy that extends far beyond that original task. With the invention of Flower Distilling, the coven has allowed plants that can normally only be used for a deadly poison to be used for healing draughts and other potions. While the most well-known of these plants is the White Lazarus, the process can be used on other plants with similar results.
While often ostracized during the Eldritch War, the Potion of True Life saved many lives. This healing potion is a specialty of the Flowered Hill Coven and can only be made by the Witches of the Hills of Lazarus. Their potions have been used across Isekai to heal or aid in some way, often preventing deaths that would have been inevitable without their aid.