Macon:The Circle of the Crone

Though not active in Macon's politics the Circle of the Crone have been present in the area longer than the Invictus, or so the Circle claims. Their roots alledgedly stem back to pre-colonial times through a kindred known only as The Shadow Maiden. Reportedly The Shadow Maiden lived among the native americans, learning their culture and teaching them magic but no one outside of the Circle has ever claimed to have seen her.

It was not until the 1990s that members of the Circle began introducing themselves to the city's administration. At first the administration thought little of their presense but as their numbers grew so did the concerns. By the time the city decided to crack down on the Circle's numbers in the city they had already admitted over a dozen Acolytes. The lax administration had not even bothered to question the duration of their stay or scrutinize the purpose for their arrival. To pre-empt conflict, the Crone claimed the city of Lizella, a tiny rural community southwest of Macon, as their private domain and continued to rarely interact with Macon's kindred.

In late 2010 an emissary from the Crone left from Lizella to contact Macon's administration in person; the administration deny having ever seen the emissary.

The Shadow Maiden
The identity of, and indeed the very existence of, the Shadow Maiden is matter of contention among the local Crone. Some claim that she is a native american myth, others suggest that she was a Khaibit that somehow made its way to America hundreds of years before Christopher Columbus. More likely, she was a partially feral Gangrel that lived among the natives to hide from crimes committed in another's domain.

Regardless of the truth, the stories have shaped the mystical practices of the Crone that believe in her. She is regarded as an avatar of the Crone, whether she is kindred or not. When spirits are contacted by the shamanistic Crone, she is asked for directly before attempting to contact any other spirit for answers or guidance, even if she may not be the ideal spirit for the information sought after. Great care is taken not to offend her. Preferential treatment is given to young female Crone and Khaibit are enlisted to protect her honor, aparently a symbolic duty. During the night of the Winter Solstice, generally around December 20th to 22nd, effigies are made of her and are hidden in dark places and are said to give good luck to those who find them. Mortals who find them are either sacrificed, ghouled or embraced.

The Shadow Maiden is said to appear to Crone in need, but never in civilization.

Modern Nights
The Circle of the Crone continues to keep to itself. Outsiders remain oblivious to Crone practices and motives. On the rare occassion that a member of the Crone does enter the city of Macon they do so seek permission from the Prince of the domain to begin a long and drawn out vetting process before embracing a citizen of Macon.

An Insider's Perspective
The Crone may seem dull and odd from the outside, but from the inside they are quite active. Macon's Crone have been engulfed in an internal conflict for over two decades. The exact nature seems to elude some members of the covenant. At the core of the debate is the nature of the Dark Mother and how best to worship her. The opinions range from a 'strict practice steeped in discipline and personal daily ritual' to a 'worship as it suits you and trust that the Goddess will teach you the way' to the heretical idea that the Dark Mother is not a divine being at all, but rather a construct conceived only to be a unifying figure head that the covenant is now ready to out grow.

Children of the Dark Mother
The Children of the Dark Mother are a young group that have taken it upon themselves to hunt down heretics and transgressors (those that share Cruac with those outside the Crone or those members of the Circle deemed to be unworthy of knowing Cruac by the faction). They also investigate Dark Mother sitings to verify the legitimacy of the claims, often executiing witnesses claiming that the siting was a hoax and the guilty party sought to disrupt the Circle's integrity. The Children are not welcomed by the Crone in most cities and disdain all other covenants to such an extreme as to react violently to those who do not show them what they deem to be due respect. The order is led by five Daeva, all of which are of the Spina bloodline.

Sons of Telyavev
The Sons of Telyavev are a young faction among the Circle of the Crone. They claim that the image of the Dark Mother is not only obsolete but serves as a hindrance to true enlightenment both spiritually and mystically. The order, led by Telyavev, only permits male members and denies access to Mekhet of any gender. Telyavev himself seems to have a special hatred the Mekhet and has no qualms torturing one should they wander into his domain. The Sons of Telyavev seem to be intentionally trying to draw out the Children of the Dark Mother to bring them to central Georgia, but it is not clear why. The Sons of Telyavev exist only in Lizella.