My original plan for today's post was to write about two of Eolyn's students, Ghemena and Mariel, but I've decided instead to talk more generally about Eolyn's coven and its place in the history of Moisehén.
Prior to the beginning of High Maga, Eolyn founds her coven in the Moehn, a remote mountain-bound province considered something of a backwater by the rest of the kingdom. Even Moehn's nobility are rather humble people, impoverished compared to the wealthier families of Selkynsen and the other provinces, yet happy with the life they lead and relatively unambitious in the political realm.
Born in one of the small villages of this province, Eolyn grew up in the South Woods after fleeing the wrath of the Mage King. She identifies strongly with the province of Moehn and considers it a safe haven against the stormier conflicts of the outside world. This is why she chooses to begin rebuilding the tradition of the magas here.
Recruitment to Eolyn's coven is a slow and difficult process. The War of the Magas and the purges that followed have had a lasting impact on the structure and temperament of the society of Moisehén. Even with the backing of the Mage King, Eolyn can find few families willing to entrust their daughters to the enterprise of women's magic.
As a result, Eolyn's first generation of students come from impoverished and troubled backgrounds. They were brought to the
Aekelahr by families hoping to rid themselves of unwanted daughters. This includes Ghemena, Eolyn's first student and the youngest member of the coven, Mariel and Sirena, who are almost ready to petition for a staff of High Magic, and Tasha and Catarina, the newest arrivals.
Adiana and Renate, whom you met last week, came to the coven as adults at Eolyn's invitation. They assist her in teaching and caring for the girls.
The Aekelahr, which is the name given to the physical location in which a coven lives, has a long history in Moisehén, though its precise origins remain obscure. Throughout the centuries, mages and magas interacted on a regular basis through intellectual pursuits, festivals, and the like. However, when it came to living in a community with other practitioners, the sexes generally kept themselves apart.
Some would say this is how the tensions that eventually threw the kingdom into chaos got started, but Eolyn was steeped in the appropriateness of this practice by her own tutor, and she wishes to establish a coven according to the oldest traditions of her people.
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Come back next week for a scene with two of our young coven members, Ghemena and Tasha.
