There have long been whispers of witch covens in the vicinity, hidden away in the deep forests and secluded corners. These covens, secret societies of witches, are said to gather to perform rituals, casting spells and communing with unseen forces. While many dismiss these tales as mere folklore, there are those who swear by their existence. Those who claim to have encountered these covens speak of their power and mystery, describing eerie gatherings in moonlit clearings and darkened caves. The main idea is that there are rumored witch covens in the area, and while some dismiss them as folklore, there are those who believe in their existence and describe encounters with them..
The Tamarilyn Witches
The Tamarylin Coven
Location – Menevia, west of Whiteflower Garden and Lysandus' Tomb.
Description – A circle of seven dancing girls on a clearing, and in the center of the circle is the beldam
If you want to add some style, you could say they broke the Witches Rede, the Laws of the Witches but in Elder Scrolls version So hunting hagravens could be a plot for the witch faction. The Sisters of The Bluff The Coven on The Bluff Location Daggerfall, northwest from The Ashford Graveyard and south of Burning Martyr of Kynareth on the west coast of Daggerfall.
.
Witch covens in the vicinity
Post by Wollirollo » Tue Jan 20, 2015 10:08 pm
Witch Covens, the community hubs for witches. Each coven is lead by a Bedlam, a lead witch. Some covens are found near towns; these are the more "commercial" covens, offering servicesto the local villagers. The covens are of course responsible for many of the problems they are payed to fix.
Then there's the more solitary covens, the ones just for witches, or those that are truly seeking the aid of witches. The more important, powerful witches are in these much rare covens, and although their services are much greater, the covens themselves are much, much harder to find.
I'd suggest that every 2nd town has a nearby coven, excluding the Iliac bay, which I'd imagine is too public, and therefore hazardous.
Also, how do people feel about the witch faction only being join-able if you are a female? It would be a bit more lore correct, and add a nice uniqueness to the faction. Perhaps there can be another male only faction, such as a joinable branch of the Witchmen of the Reach?
Here's a list of old Covens from Daggerfall, some of them can probably be ignored seeing as some are located in places we won't be including due to the world-space size.
The Beldama
The Beldama Coven
Location – Daenia, North Central, south of Greenham Manor, north and slightly east of the Old Masterhouse Shack
Description – This coven is inside a mound, with two spear wielding female guards outside it. Inside is the beldam surrounded by a Circle of Dancers; same layout as the Coven of the Dust and the Glenmorial Coven.
The Daggerfall Witches
The Daggerfall Coven
Location – Shalgora, on the west border with Daggerfall, south and slightly west of Woodham Manor.
Description – Within a Ruined Tower, it consists of the beldam accompanied by a single Dancer.
Notes – This coven is not actually in Daggerfall, but the neighboring kingdom of Shalgora shortly beyond the border.
The Daughters of Wroth
The Wroth Coven
Location – Wrothgarian Mountains, southeast edge, due east of Deerville
Description – A circle of spear wielding women in a field of rubble. The beldam stands in the center of the circle.
The Glenmoril Witches
The Glenmorial Coven
Location – Ilessan Hills, East Central, north and slightly west of Old Chrystausa's Place.
Description – Same layout as the Beldama Coven and the Coven of the Dust.
Notes – Sometimes called Glenmoril Coven (no "a"), although the map says its name is Glenmorial Coven. All covens inside cities seem to be affiliated with it: they can summon Hircine and they offer the standard coven quests, upon completion of which you earn reputation with the Glenmorial Coven.
The Sisters of The Bluff
The Coven on The Bluff
Location – Daggerfall, northwest from The Ashford Graveyard and south of "Burning Martyr of Kynareth" on the west coast of Daggerfall.
Description – This coven consists simply of the beldam standing beside an altar - no followers.
The Skeffington Witches
The Skeffington Coven
Location – Phrygias, south central region near the border, due west of Old Barbyn's Farm.
Description – Inside a a circle of stones; the beldam stands next to four dancers.
The Tamarilyn Witches
The Tamarylin Coven
Location – Menevia, west of Whiteflower Garden and Lysandus' Tomb.
Description – A circle of seven dancing girls on a clearing, and in the center of the circle is the beldam
The Witches of Alcaire
The Alcaire Coven
Location – Alcaire, northwest near border, southeast of Ashsmith Plantation.
Description – The beldam stands alone within a circle of shrubs on a clearing.
Re: Witches, Covens and Bedlams
Post by Le Grimacier » Wed Jan 21, 2015 9:29 pm
During the events of Morrowind, three witches of the Glenmoril Coven (or Glenmoril Wyrd), Ettiene, Fallaise and Isobel, can be found on Solstheim.
Some witches are trading their humanity for access to powerful magic and transform in Hagravens. It's the case for the three witches above later in the events of Skyrim.
You could probably think, at this time, they have been banished from their coven because they sought too much power: normal witches are at the edge of humanity and can "travel" from one side to the other and link them (transform in animal, speak to them, cure lycanthropy/vampirism, summon daedras, etc. ) but this three have gone too far and became fully monsters. (If you want to add some style, you could say they broke the Witches Rede, the Laws of the Witches but in Elder Scrolls version ) So hunting hagravens could be a plot for the witch faction.
Found reference of the Skeffington Coven of Phrygias in 2920 books. There is some explanation about how witches' magic work. If you decide to make it different, you could still say it's because the author wasn't familiar with witchcraft or he had to invent because they're secretive, etc.
----------------------------
You pointed the problem with genders. It would be unfair for male characters only to be limited. And creating new covens for males and the accompanying quests would be too more work. Instead you could make it a faction like Bethesda did with the Ashlanders tribes and the player can only progress to a certain rank (ex: familiar?). For example, you can say belonging to a witch coven is hereditary and only the daughter of a witch can be high-ranked.
Not all covens are in the outdoor. You could also put some of them in ruins, caves, dungeons or even cities. All depends of the "creepiness" you want to give each of them.
The covens could also be used for daedric quests instead of having statue/shrine in the wilderness. The quest could be given by the Daedric Prince himself (its voice or summoned by a witch) or by the Beldam so you can keep the "dark occult" feeling of the traditional witch.
You could also play with the relations between the different covens. The curses they're throwing to each others, the same goal they're fighting for, their difference in the doing of rituals, etc. You could make a quest to "elect" the Queen Witch of High Rock. Unable to break the balance of votes, they choose the poor player as some kind of elector and he has to side with one camp. Of course each coven is trying to influence him. And each choice the player make during the quest could provoke fights, curses, tensions, etc. A the end, the Queen Witch would free the player of any curse he could have and reward him. Think about it like a sort of Game of Crones
.
Reviews for "Witch Covens and the Art of Spellcasting in the Modern Age"
- Emily - 1 star - I was really disappointed with "Witch covens in the vicinity". I felt like the characters were one-dimensional and the plot was weak. The writing style was also not engaging at all. I was hoping for a thrilling and immersive witchy story, but instead, I was left feeling bored and uninterested. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a captivating read about witchcraft.
- James - 2 stars - "Witch covens in the vicinity" had so much potential, but it fell flat for me. The pacing was incredibly slow, and the world-building was poorly executed. I found it hard to connect with any of the characters, who lacked depth and development. The story felt disjointed and lacked a clear direction. Overall, it was a disappointing read.
- Sarah - 2 stars - The concept of "Witch covens in the vicinity" seemed intriguing, but the execution was lacking. The writing style was clunky and awkward, making it difficult to immerse myself in the story. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, and the plot lacked originality. I was left wanting more from this book and ultimately felt let down by the overall experience.