Something ancient; Something new

There has always been a Grand Coven, though the names it has called itself over the last several thousand years has changed. There will always be a Grand Coven, though its membership is constantly in flux. There have been other groups which all themselves the Grand Coven, splinter sects perhaps, or maybe the shifting illusion of something which has warped and changed with the tides of the world. The Grand Coven is nothing more than the foremost organization of magical study and application in existence. There have been many Grand Covens, all of which were born from and originate in, different parts of the world. The coming of the Information Age, and the facility of communications in the modern era has permitted to the Grand Coven to truly become “Grand”.

The Grand Coven is a group of Magi, Witches, and Warlocks that is dedicated to magical lore, magical practice, and the safety and security of those that practice magical arts. In different ages of the world, there were many such groups, bound to geography and which only rarely interacted or intersected. Now, with travel being easier and communication being widespread, the Grand Coven has brought those organizations together in an effort to preserve, protect and defend Magi, Witches and Magical Lore and understanding.

History

The history of the Coven is hard to follow, because while there have always been organizations dedicated to magical learning, most of these groups have arisen spontaneously and fallen just as quickly for a variety of reasons ranging from persecution by the Church to the simple inclination of the members to disband. There has always been something like the Grand Coven, from modern ages back into the distant reaches of time: the lector-priests of ancient Egypt, the Druids of the Celts, etc. The traditions of the Grand Coven are born from a thousand lands, known by a thousand names, and are practiced by a thousand different people from the beginning of all things to the end.

The Grand Coven as it exists today was born out of the fires of the Inquisition, a group dedicated not only to the protection of witches and magi, but also to the governance of magic. During the Inquisition many people that could use magic did so, lashing out at their attackers and accusers with violent spells, which only brought more of the Inquisition to them, resulting in considerable and unnecessary deaths. It was decided that something needed to be done to protect Magi from their own violent inclinations, and from the ardent hatred of 'normal' people against those that could use magic.

Purpose & Goals

The goals of the coven are remarkably simple and practical.

• Protect Magic and Magical Knowledge - The Grand Coven exists to safeguard magical traditions, magical knowledge, and the secrets of magic through the ages. Considered to be of more importance than scientific understanding, the Grand Coven believes too much learning has been lost to history and so it seeks to preserve what is known.
• Protect Those Who Use Magic - The Grand Coven believes that the ability to use magic, regardless of whether or not the potential is inborn or learned, is rare and that it has a duty to safeguard such people. The Coven will use its resources to protect and defend magicians of any stripe, sometimes acting openly and at other times covertly as needed.
• Punish Excess - The modern world accepts magic as part and parcel of life and the world, but there are those who will use magic to destructive ends. The Grand Coven believes that the worst of these magicians must be caught and dealt with because their egregious and excessive use of magic draws continued anger and outrage from normal people. Such uses are ultimately destructive to the Coven's goals.

Ranks & Hierarchy

The Grand Coven does not truly have ranks; rather its organizational elements are fluid and subjective. Generally speaking, the Coven uses groups called Chapters who all share the same rough geographic area such as a city. Members of the local Chapters gather together as they desire to do so.

In many ways, Chapters resemble Fraternities or Sororities more than a secret society. The only exception to this are the agents who capture other magicians or witches, known as Quaesitor's. These agents represent an elite force of powerful Magi who act as a group within a group.

Benefits of Membership

The Grand Coven is perhaps the most 'open' of the secret societies, with membership being given to anyone who asks to join the local Chapter provided they demonstrate some facility with magic.