Circle of the Crone

At that instant he saw, in one blaze of light, an image of unutterable conviction, the reason why the artist works and lives and has his being--the reward he seeks--the only reward he really cares about, without which there is nothing. It is to snare the spirits of mankind in nets of magic, to make his life prevail through his creation, to wreak the vision of his life, the rude and painful substance of his own experience, into the congruence of blazing and enchanted images that are themselves the core of life, the essential pattern whence all other things proceed, the kernel of eternity.

-Thomas Wolfe, Of Time and the River

I love magic.

-Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

No matter which pantheon any individual may chose to look to, the religious covenant known as the Circle unifies under the symbolism of the Crone. The Circle encourages each Kindred to seek personal enlightenment and spiritual growth by any number of methods. It is because of the individual nature of the covenant that the Circle has been described as a confederation of faiths.

While other covenants seek to explain away their new existence or ignore it completely in pursuit of power, the Circle sees the Requiem as part of a natural cycle. Similar to ancient beliefs akin to Posiedon's creation of horses or even modern views on the mortal evolution from apes, they view that Kindred have always been a part of the world through the darkness that feeds into the mortal realm's worst fears. The Circle accepts the condition of the Undead state, and seeks to accommodate the balance between mortal and monster. It is through the influence of the Crone and the nature of old religions that worshipers may gather to express their separate and unique beliefs in unified rituals. It is their belief that a collection of voices equals one greater song.

Their two unifying philosophies are 'Creation is Power' and 'Tribulation Brings Enlightenment.' The first comes from a realization that the Kindred condition is stagnant, unable to create new life, and that they should therin find new ways to express the beauty of conception. Besides the inevitable effects on the person, creation also relieves the eternal paralysis that comes with immortality. The second philosophy can be epitomized by the old proverb 'What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.' This promotes a view that every experience can be turned into a lesson that increases our own physical, mental and spiritual boundaries, providing the individual is wise enough to realize it.

Nights in Memory

While the Circle may seem placid to those looking on from outside, turbulence does stir within. The recent murder of a Dragon doctor by Al Lee caused a minor stir, but public praise from Stagger Lee on the act drew the ire of Regent Featherby and others for so blatantly tossing at Farragut's law and the peace of the city. More notibly, the recent resignation of long-time partisan Alex Crane from the Circle came rather abruptly. While some speculate the split came about due to the murder, others believe the ascendence of Maximillion and Angélique Alaina De Gyuz have wounded his pride.With the defection, or infiltration depending on who you ask, of Angélique Alaina De Gyuz to the Lancea Sanctum, and the chronic absense of Heirophant Stagger Lee from Acolyte or even kindred gatherings, the Circle has begun casting about for new leadership.

Members of the Circle