The Remnant

[Wensleydale]

Nah, Welsh Rarebit. We use pure home-made (in China) cheese.

And indeed I am.

More coming up tomorrow!

[Wensleydale]

Witcherblight

The area once named Arranim Province - and still called as such by its inhabitants - was at the most southeasterly point of the Empire, and is still the furthest official extent of knowledge. Arranim has always been the most heretical province, and near to two-hundred years ago, the Witchers there rose up in mass rebellion. Since then, 'Witcherblight' has been its unofficial, and in some cases official, name.

Witcherblight has a... different... culture from the other parts of the old empire, and seems at times a twisted parody of the Imperial states. Temples of Tor exist side-by-side with - indeed, are often part of - academies of Witchers, and the council of nobles is replaced by the High Coven, with representatives from each cabal powerful and cunning enough to be invited. Ma'an Kataan holds the 'first among equals' position in the High Coven.

Other than this, Witcherblight is... generally normal. The normal people are USED to witchers walking among them - their grandparents, great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents were born into this setup. Inhabitants of Witcherblight are taught that Tor was the first Witcher, and that all other Witchers stand above normal men, bathed in Tor's light and continuing his bloodline. All witchers, whatever their apparent ancestry, are monarchs of a sort, of pure royal blood. To be the father or mother of a Witcher is considered a great honour.

Whilst the common people get along generally as normal, the Witchers organise themselves into Colleges and Cabals. These are two extremely different things, and many witchers are part of one of each.

A Cabal is a collection of experienced Witchers, often politically-minded, who allow others to enter by invitation only. There are generally twelve or less Witchers in a cabal, with twelve being a rarity. A College, on the other hand, often includes several Cabals among its ranks, and thus has several representatives on the council (making Colleges extremely powerful in the political life of Witcherblight). Colleges normally accept 'students', who become part of a body known as the 'Unbound' or 'Accepted'. Colleges are not necessarily buildings, although many are at least a few scattered accomodations and lecture rooms, but they are all, essentially, training grounds and selection arenas for the Cabals. It is rare that a Cabal from outside a college binds a student from that college (binding being a process the student has very little say in), instead having to wait for Accepted to come to them.

The most famous Cabal of all is that of Ma'an Kataan, said to be the most powerful Witcher in the Empire and possibly the world. She is said to be unaging - it is certainly true that a woman answering to the name of Ma'an Kataan was there at the Rebellion - and she is known for always wearing a white porcelain mask with a sinister, laughing face marked upon it in red ink. She herself is rarely seen anymore - she only occasionally turns up in person for High Coven meetings - and rumour has it that she is plotting something greater than anything ever done before...