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About Witches

Witches

Witches are humans (generally female) with magical talent, and generally with the power to affect change by magical means ("Witchcraft"). Many escaped the Salem witch trials and sought refuge in New Orleans. Among the population of witches, there is always, but one, Supreme Witch per generation. As the witches settled in their new territory, a rivalry between them and the native Voodoo practitioners arose. The feud is still on going in present day New Orleans[1]. A group of witches are the focus of Coven, in which magic is a genetic heredity that connects a person to the elements and forces of nature in order to practice witchcraft.

Coven

A coven is a community or gathering of witches, a group of believers who gather together for ceremonies of worship, such as celebrating the Sabbaths and honoring the gods.It is unclear how many covens are distributed around the world, however there are at least two recognized covens in the series: the notorious coven of the Salem descendants and the vaguely mentioned coven of Northhampton, England.VAfter the Salem Witch Trials, their descendants established a haven in New Orleans, where they were involved in frequent territorial skirmishes against the resident Voodoo sect. The stronghold of Miss Robichaux's Academy was founded in 1868 in the Garden District by Supreme Marion Warton, both to protect the coven and to nurture the gifts of blossoming witches and warlocks. A family of non-magical stewards has served the school for generations, and a mysterious group of albino guards protects and enforces the will of the Witches Council (itself a judicial body against witch crimes).

The Supreme

The Supreme Witch, known more colloquially as The Supreme, is a worldwide recognized status among the witches descending from the Salem witch trials. While most witches possess only a handful of gifts, the Supreme is said to embody multiple, if not all, gifts. Historically, there is said to be only one Supreme per generation (approximately 30-50 years). Part of being a Supreme meant no ailments or diseases would harm the Supreme.

The Supreme role come with the responsibility of the entire Coven as a leader of the new generation. "Guided by ancient tradition, witches survived only if united under a strong, singular authority".

One of the most important task of the Supreme is to identify her successor. As a new Supreme flowers, the life force of the current regnant gradually fades, which manifests as multiple organ failures, disease, and cancer due to the crippled immune system. In the cases where a new Supreme must rise before the natural death of the incumbent, a ritual known as "The Sacred Taking" is employed; it is a stylized suicide blessed by the coven members. It was developed when the ailing Prudence Mather was not able to make the journey to relocate the coven home to New Orleans during the Salem Witch Trials and allow a potential to ascend to Supremacy. To be identified as the Supreme, the witch in question must have the mastery of 7 distinct abilities, known as 'The Seven Wonders' and include the following: Telekinesis, Divination, Transmutation, Pyrokinesis, Concilium, Descensum and Vitalum Vitalia.

The Witches Council

The governing body of the witches and warlocks, depicted as elders and very old fashioned as they still use typewriters in the modern times. They are responsible for policing witch crimes, the concealment of witchcraft to the uninitiated, and for the welcoming of potential students to Miss Robichaux's Academy. The council only visits covens on very important cases, such as the death of another witch.

Despite the dwindling number of Salem descendants, the council will punish a witch, if she is found guilty of murdering another witch.