Realistic or Modern ✶ 𝓗𝓮𝓬𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓐𝓬𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓶𝔂 ✶ (LORE)

[BELIAL.]

✶ 𝓗𝓮𝓬𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓐𝓬𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓶𝔂 ✶
Hecate Academy for Higher Learning LORE​

• WITCHCRAFT
• ANTIQUITY
• EUROPE AND AMERICAS
• 18th - 19th CENTURY
• MODERN TIMES
• Hecate Academy

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  THE THREE OATHS OF THE GREAT THIRTEEN
  I. In the beginning, there was one. Her true name has become unknown after so many years, so many eons, but we recognize her as Hecate. Goddess of the Witches. It is from Hecate’s will that we, the witches of Salem, live. Her power lives on through us. It is through our actions that her legacy persists.
  
  II. In Salem the real witches were we three: Elizabeth Parris, Mary Walcott, and Abigail Williams. We cast the accusations on other heads to preserve our own. No one thought the wiser, and our progeny grew strong with Hecate’s blessing. Through our protection, true magic was safe kept.
  
  III. For the good of witch-kind, we will do what it takes to live on. Live on through our daughters. Live on through the plagues of mankind. ​
  
  
  Witchcraft is a practice of magic that encompasses many different types of activities including astrology, divination, spell casting and spirit communication. It includes the practices of many cultures, nations and religions as well as many books and writings dating back to ancient times. Depending upon the individual, some witches practice their power by certain belief systems, such as Voodoo, Wicca, or any number of other magical practices. Magic comes from blood, tracing all the way back to the Goddess Hecate herself, or gifted from a witch to a mortal. When a witch gifts her magic to a mortal, she no longer is able to practice magic. She may give a little bit of magic at a time, but too much and the original witch is left powerless.
  
  Every witch is born with an innate ability to perform the Seven Wonders, the ‘bare minimum’ for being recognized as having witch-blood or witchcraft abilities. They are: Telekinesis, Concilium, Teleportation, Divination, Vitalum Vitalis, Descensum, and Pyrokinesis. After mastering the Seven Wonders, witches can hone in on their niches and specialize in a class of magic. The eight schools of arcane magic are abjuration, conjuration, divination, enchantment, evocation, illusion, necromancy, and transmutation. Necromancy and other blood witch dark magic is forbidden by the Supreme Council to be practiced publically. Evidence of such results in expulsion from the witch’s coven and potential burning at the stake.
  
  If a witch does not have a niche, or does not choose a specialization, she will be deemed unfit to roam society and be stripped of her rights. These witches, called the 'Nicheless' are often in enforcer jobs, sanitation/servitude jobs (but not slavery), or other jobs deemed 'low class'.
  
  European witches exist in covens, consisting of three or more witches. An entire established hierarchy exists, completely beneath the noses of civilization for hundreds of years. At the highest rank, above all covens and all witches, is the Supreme. The Supreme has his/her council of High Chancellors, consisting of three witches from her trusted coven. The Supreme Council dictates all edicts and rules that covens should abide by, and his/her council polices the most offending crimes.
  
  The current council consists of: Marie Walcott, Adelaide Parris and Gemma Bane. The current supreme is Agatha Laveaux.
  
  Ozwall Private school houses male witches, or warlocks, that specialize in training to be hunters. The men at this school have traces of Williams’ blood, and all have magic nullifying skills. No specializations exist of these men, as they merely use their powers to amplify their hunting skills. They exist, hidden from society of their intention. Until recently, that is.
  
  Hedge witches encapsulate self-taught or gifted witches that were not born into magic.
  
  Voodoo or Native Magic users do not have to abide by the same rules that Salem Witches have made for the world. As consequence, those who do not are pushed to the edge of witch society. They are either ignored for help if hunters come or altogether ignored if they seek audience with the Council. Those who do abide follow the same rules of the above.
  
  
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  Year Unknown: Hecate, goddess of the witches, roams the land. She brings mischief to the darkness and strength to the light. The most powerful, but the most lonely, she spreads her seed among the mortals and impregnates these women with her spawn. The first witches are born from here, and the bloodline is from mother to daughter only.
  
  Ancient Greece: Theoris of Lemnos, a local healer and witch, is executed with her family. The witches in the community stay quiet, but continue to practice. Those deemed good are spared, while those accused of evil are executed. Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi, for example, was a witch free to practice and was not degraded by grecian society.
  
  Ancient Rome: In the purging of a city-state, ten accused witches are burned at the stake by the Roman Empire. The emperor watches, and he saves their heads to put on display outside their homes. Many witches in hiding who hear of this flee in the night, taking ships or traveling by foot.
  
  Middle Ages: Witchcraft is forgotten, forcibly, by the Christians. Those who practice are relieved at their renewed secrecy, but remain tight-lipped and secretive of their societies. The practice dies out, and those born with magical abilities are kept hidden from the Christians and other members of society. Thus begins the Age of Secrecy, where witches were in hiding completely.
  
  
  
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  EUROPE:
  
  1278: A coven of young witches, reckless, sign a deal with the devil and practice necromancy. Word spreads and concern reaches the church. The lands are terrorized by the dead that have risen for three weeks. Church appointed ‘hunters’, with no specific title, are sent out to take care of the girls. The girls are quickly disposed of, being young and unpracticed, but their terror persists after their death.
  
  1282:Some years later, another coven makes their presence known. An accident, this time, when they are caught dancing in the woods and stealing infants. A trend has started of desperate witches reaching out to Lord Satan for power. Bloodline integrity is kept within the more secretive covens, but those who are jealous of the natural ability of these witches are the ones who reach out to the devil. These BLOOD WITCHES spread rumours of the terrible, sacrilegious deeds. They eat infants, participate in orgies and worship Satan. The Black Sabbath starts here, an inverse and dark alternative to the regular Witch’s Sabbath that was practiced.
  
  1300: The church officially decrees witchcraft heresy and assembles a group of Inquisitors to patrol the land and hunt witches. Those caught in the crossfire of a centuries long battle between mortals and witches are in the thousands. Innocent witches, good witches, and nonwitches are executed for supposed witchcraft. Thus begins the Age of Blood, with witch-hunts blossoming the lands red.
  
  1302: The Great Thirteen, a band of witches composed of thirteen covens, pledge their fealty to Hecate and promise two unique oaths. They will do whatever they must to protect their legacies, and witch-kind. These witches resort to the same methods in the Age of Secrecy, but with an added layer of desperation: they will throw any person, blood witch or not, in the line of fire to protect their lines. These are the oldest coven families, and have persisted to present day for their resourcefulness.
  
  1486: The Malleus Maleficarum is published with no support from the church. The author, a devoted witch hunter, is able to spend four years freely using his book to try and execute witches. By 1490 the book was banned, but Heinrich Kramer continued to practice hunting in secret. The Order of Malleus is born, and is the oldest order of Witch-hunters known to this day.
  
  1542:Henry the VIII decrees the first Witchcraft act. In the midst of religious tension, an outspoken witch is promoted by the people for her views. Her name was Grace Baker, but she was swiftly taken down by authorities and tried when accused of witchcraft, beyond simply voicing her opinion. Witchcraft is thrown in the loop of religious tension, and Henry takes all his frustration out on them.
  
  1563: The next Witchcraft act is passed by Henry’s daughter, Elizabeth I. Grace Baker’s sister, Analise Smith, had been taken in as a handmaiden to the Queen. Perhaps due to magic interference, or sympathy from a friendship, Elizabeth’s creed proved more sympathetic, and aimed toward Blood Witches rather than regular ones who did not resort to violence for their actions.
  
  1604: The third Witchcraft act is ordained by James I. He is not as sympathetic as Elizabeth, but he is a man of law. WIth his ‘ear’ bent to Witch-finder General Matthew Hopkins, witchcraft is deemed a crime to be dealt by a criminal justice system. Witch-finder General Matthew Hopkins, a secret member of the Order of Malleus, begins his tirade on the English countryside. He and his men execute over 300 witches in the next forty years. The Great Thirteen send their progeny on ships to the Americas. Thus begins the Age of Rebirth.
  
  EARLY AMERICAS:
  
  PRE-COLONIAL: Magic has persisted, perhaps some of the most strong to rival the European Witches and the African Witches, in the form of native magic. Long since has their numbers died down, but the Navajo were a predominant practicing group that had witches. The Native Americans, in general, had much different views on ‘witchcraft’ than the Christian demonization. These practitioners don’t focus on bloodline, but on imbuing those worthy with supernatural abilities. Their magic comes from nature. However, where there is good and pure, there also lies a darker side. Skin-walkers.
  
  1590: The colony of Roanoke disappears, leaving only the message “CROATOAN” carved into the side of the fort. Their fate is left unknown, but there are speculations that they are assimilated into the native tribes, or perhaps outright murdered. Claw marks and clear foul play pepper the land where they once were. There was little
  
  1620:The Mayflower drops her anchor on the coast of New England. Among the pilgrims aboard are three of The Great Thirteen. These women marry quickly and change their names.
  
  1680: Samuel Parris meets and marries Elizabeth Eldridge, a daughter of The Great Thirteen. Her beguiling looks persuade Samuel to wed her, and she wears his name to hide any affiliation with her witch-kind.
  
  1692: The Salem Witch Trials begin. Abigail Williams, Elizabeth (Betty) Paris and Mary Walcott were some of the girls who accused fellow townspeople of being witches; men and women. In reality, these three girls were the only real witches in town. Following the oath of The Great Thirteen, they shed the doubt of them and cast the guilt on others. All were innocent in these girls’ path… aside from Tituba.
  
  1692: Abigail Williams goes missing, and no written record exists of her after this year.
  
  1693: Tituba is released, sold to an unknown buyer and taken from Massachusetts. Word spreads that she is taken south to the Carolinas, but it’s not confirmed. Maybe she was taken back to Barbados as well.
  
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  (I’ll add specific events in later. If you have any questions I will fill in the blanks.)
  
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  20-21st CENTURY EVENTS:
  
  Witches had a rising importance in contemporary society. While acknowledging that other supernatural beings did exist, to an extent, none did so much for society as witches. Prominent women’s rights activists were often witches, as were a portion of the artists and women scientists. With the lack of witch trials in the last three to four hundred years, numbers were allowed to flourish. Society grew semi-accepting, but more due to the other world events that turned their eye from hating witch-kind. It was a prosperous, accepting time for the witches.
  
  Witches were prevalent in the world wars, and used for their abilities. The Night Witches, Russian bombers, were nicknamed for being just that-- witches. For the most part, there was little discourse about them. The conservative sides fought that witches were monsters and a menace to society, but there was little evidence of their negative influence to draw upon their conclusions.
  
  Things changed in the fifties and sixties. With racial tension high in the United States, and war blooming across the world, all it took was a rebel group of Blood Witches, and some regular witches, to sour the pot. They staged a terrorist attack in New York City to protest against the Vietnam War. Reception was negative, beyond belief, and witches were soured in humanity’s mind. Shortly after, protest from humans and attacks against witches started. Witch-hunters resurfaced as a profession, and the Order of Malleus found itself dusting the cobwebs off. The world seemed to be on fire a third time. The cold war that freezed the world itself was only further hit by the suppression, and resurgance of witch genocide. Witches were demonized once more, but for their danger. They were wiped from history and deemed stories and fake. Witches were once again sent into the corners of society, to hide and wait for the smoke to clear.
  
  In the late 60s, hedge witches began to grow in popularity. New forms of neo-magic, including Wicca and nature-born types, resurfaced. There were strict rules against it, and these witches obeyed. They proved a new standard, and in the cracks, the Salem Witches sought to come out of their hiding. Marie Walcott and her sister, Adelaide Parris, along with their friend Agatha Deveraux, became representatives for the witch-kind. In the last thirty years, and maybe for the first time in history, there were women who elected to speak for witches and for their benefit. Honouring the oath of The Great Thirteen, they chose to do what it took to preserve their legacy. They added one more oath, honouring their ancestors. It took time for anyone to give the girls the time of day to speak.
  
  In 1979, the Salem Accords were signed. It took over ten, nearly twenty, long years for an agreement to come to fruit. With this new era for witches, the acceptance was even slower and a lot more. 1980 marked the year that the Parris-Walcott School opened its doors for the first time as well.
  
  There have been little violent acts since the Salem Accords were signed, and witch numbers have been kept low. They’ve been complacent for forty years… but murmurs exist beneath the ground.
  
  The Order of Malleus still exists, and they are the most vocal against witches in society.
  
  Small orders of hunters exist as well, but they are mostly for hire and not grouped.
  
  Abigail Williams, having gone so many centuries ago, didn’t simply turn to dust. She kept to the ground and resented the impact she had on all those innocents in Salem. Legend has it she buried her magic so deep that it inverted itself, and all her descendants have magic-nulling ability. As well, they are passed through men only.
  
  The current year is 2020.
  
  The political climate within the United States is fairly neutral with more leanings toward negative about witches. More progressive regions have more positivity for them, while more conservative or traditional parts are very against having witches in their town. While the Salem Accords have guaranteed basic freedoms for witches, some states/jurisdictions have put laws in place to prevent witches from exercising their rights or living in places at all. Louisiana is one of the more conservative parts of the south when it comes to witch tolerance. Big cities are more lenient while rural areas either hate witches outright or haven't hardly heard of them.
  
  As it is, going out and flagrantly displaying your witch-status won't get you thrown in jail, but it will potentially catch the attention of hunters. Because of such, witches usually keep their head down but are free to walk around and practice as they please-- so long as their actions don't harm a mortal or put them in potential danger. Still, hunters will go out of their way to bring witches magic out in order to have a reason to kill them.
  
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  HECATE ACADEMY FOR HIGHER LEARNING
  Location: Outside of Belle Chasse, Plaquemine Parrish, Lousiana.
  On-site Dormitory: (three girls a room)
  Features: Lush garden, Greenhouse, access to swamplands, (TBD)​