Derwyddon

The Derwyddon, literally "Wise Ones", are a group of Mynydd, Cerniw, and Mynyw witches, healers, druids, wise women, and healers that worship Branwen.

Their dedication to the goddess of earth, life, and harvest has been known throughout the Vale. At one time, they were equal in stature to the Sereliaid, the stewards of all the Hen Duwiaid, but their status has fallen with the introduction of the Holy Light. Though they were not officially repressed, a deal was struck by the House of Dyfed that they would look the other way if they kept to their covens outside the villages. Additionally, no one would seek them at their annual meeting places deep in the woods of the northern Vale.

The Derwyddon (singular: Derwydd) are staunch enemies of the blood-worshipping Gwaeddon, a cult who worships Nathair, the snake god whom was banished from the Vale by Branwen in Mynydd mythology. Their nature magics are the antithesis of the darker magics of the Gwaeddon and the magical, secret war between them has gone on and is recorded by the Dewiniaid.

Covens all over the Vale exist, typically outside every minor village. The Hynafs of each village regularly interact with the Covens in order to ensure that the harvest goes correctly or the sick are mended with the natural treatments of the land that the Vale provides to the Derwyddon. The Derwyddon are well-respected by the Mynydd and other cultures which keep their secret away from the Church of the Holy Light in order to avoid accusations of heathenism and purges.

Since the evacuation of the Vale, several Derwyddon covens stayed behind in order to resist the Scourge and eventual Forsaken occupation of the Vale. Though communication has been cut off from these covens who stayed behind, rumors have circulated among the Mynydd that they continue to resist the Forsaken in their northern portions of the Vale, near where the covens would meet every year.

The other covens went with the Mynydd to Stromgarde and eventually Loch Modan, both times separating themselves from the main settlements and making places for themselves among the wilds. However, the Arglwydd Llewellan ap Gruffudd who is a staunch but secret supporter of the old ways like many of the Mynydd keep them honored and it is known that they saved his life after he took a mortal wound after killing the Golem.

=Organization=

The Derwyddon are organized into covens.

Draig y Cylch
Current Leader: Lythelwyn mab Mwylachen, High Prophetess of the Dragon and de facto speaker of the covens sworn to the Arglwydd.

While Lythelwyn is labeled as “the Prime,” this is no indication of her leadership of all covens. She is simply the speaker and organizer of the covens when they must be presented unilaterally.

The Coven of the Dragon was established several hundred moon rotations, their praise to the High Goddess coming in the form of primal magics of the dragon (sometimes known as the ‘fire serpent’). Primal magics include, but are not limited to: Fire, Earth, Water and Air. Each element within the coven is looked after by a high priest / priestess known as a ‘Magi.’

Younger coven members (acolytes) are trained in the uses of ritualistic magic in their everyday lives. When they have passed their studies, they then go on to undergo a blood connection. The mythology is that many moons ago, a collective of dragons blessed the Progenitor with the ability to call upon his inner dragon when they had infused his blood with that of one of their retinue. Since then, the Blood Ritual has infused members of the coven with dragon blood; some survive this and some do not. Those who survive go on to become the Dragonblood, and full-fledged members of the coven.

Creation of the Dragon Spellblade
At one point and time during the Great Purge or “Great Death” (Y Pla Mawr) that had happened around the paranoia of the plague, many of the lesser covens had found themselves being eradicated in the belief that it was the failure of the witches and their magic, or some unspoken vengeance plot against their kin.

Villagers and townsfolk, spurred by the Church in more rural areas, would round up coven leaders and followers alike, and even in some cases innocent folk who had been charged with being part of the covens, and would either burn them alive or simply slaughter whole families in their homes. Covens that had kept themselves around major cities had either gone underground or had fled in the great exodus from Lordaeron, saving their traditions and rituals.

The Prophet of the Dragon at the time believed that the only way to protect the coven was to create a small army for themselves. Those who were imbued with the blood of the dragon would learn not only magic, but how to apply that magic to their weaponry. To become a Dragon Knight meant that they would sacrifice their lives, if necessary, in the propagation of the coven.

Of these knights arose one warrior who would become legend. As the tale goes, Aelion ap Anwenn’s transfusion of dragon blood gave him incredible self-healing powers and strength. With each battle he would fight, he would not die, but grow stronger until it was said he was the most feared knight to their enemies. In spite of his immense strength and abilities, Aelion was also said to have been a loyal knight, and a kind man to his people.

As these things go, Aelion had many admirers, and while he was a kind man, he was also very devout in the belief that it would be the prophet who would determine who he would marry. Before his Great Passing, the Prophet Jacen ap Kraygan determined that the spirits of the elements had insisted that Aelion would wed the next Prophetess and bear their coven a new generation.

Aelion, being a loyal servant agreed, though he would not understand that his agreement would spiral a set of a events out of his control. One of the Gwaedden, Gwynfar the Wretched, had found herself smitten by Aelion, and wished to seduce him away from the Dragon Coven and his intended bride.

When he could not be spirited away and had denounced Gwynfar’s love for his duty to his betrothed, Gwynfar decided that if she could not have his love, then his betrothed would not either. She cursed Aelion to remain in a dragon whelpling state for all of his days; permitting the lovers to be near each other without allowing them to be near each other.

Aedenydd y Aventia
Current Leader: Brangwen mab Efa, Flight Maiden

Basic Practices
Most witches, unless they’re still in training (often referred to as Cyw, or Cywion referring to a group of learning witches.), have a familiar and a flight form that lines up with their familiar. The bond between bird and witch is very strong, and through a ritual their spirits are linked, allowing the bird to live for much longer than they would originally.

These witches and familiars choose each other both from young ages. The witch, who would generally around fourteen or fifteen, and the bird old enough to not need its parents anymore. A witch, ready for her life companion and nearing the end of her training, will craft a sort of pendant by hand- each is unique to the witch who made it. They then take it to a special area where birds of all sorts have made their nests and live peacefully together.

The young witches wait for the birds to descend to the forest floor below. She will offer the pendant to birds of her choice, if accepted, the pendant will be placed around the bird’s neck and both will be taken to the ‘Cysylltiad y Defodol’ (Ritual of Connection) so they can become life companions. That is when the witch unlocks her flight form, a similar form as her familiar’s. The pendants are then usually worn by the witch, whether by a cloak clasp or around the neck.

The Aedenydd y Aventia often are known for their care of animals, they heal them, care for orphaned animals, and help them migrate with others of their kinds. They also seem to have the ability to communicate with animals, while they don’t hear a voice, they can sense their emotions and ‘language’ gifted to them by their bonds with a familiar.

Newer Events
Many of the Adenydd have taken the worgen curse since the Forsaken invaded the Vale. Often embracing it so they cannot be raised into undeath and betray their people. The first, who inflicted the curse upon herself through imbibing the blood of a worgen, was Brangwen- the leader. She recommended her sisters do the same so they can continue to fight to keep the Forsaken from completely overtaking their lands.