[i]"Something's coming. Something that's beyond any one of us. Maybe beyond all of us."[/i]

Since the beginning of time, there have been witches. Women and men who traffic with strange and dark powers, wielding abilities beyond what most people can even dream of. They tend to congregate in covens for fellowship, learning, and defense. One of the most famous, or infamous, covens is the Carlsford Coven, named for its hometown in North Carolina.

Since the beginning of time, there have been hunters. Men and women who have sworn to defeat witches, and protect innocent and ignorant people from their threat. Now, a group of hunters have descended upon Carlsford, seeking to wipe out the local coven.

But things are stirring in the darkness beyond the world, things that no coven or group of hunters can stand up to alone. Can the two sides put aside their differences, or are millennia of differences and hatred too much to overcome?


[hider=Carlsford]

A typical Southern town of 30,000 that isn't sleepy as much as comatose most of the year. The one exception is the first full week of August, when the annual "Blues, Brews, and 'Cues" festival happens and tourists descend in their hordes. Popular places in town include Main Street, filled with your average small-town shops and restaurants, Reynolds Park, the main outdoor spot in town, and Carlsford High School, where the predatory nature of the cliques outshines even the legions of Hell.

I'm very flexible, though; if you need a romantic field or a dark creepy cave to explore, make it up!
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[hider=The Carlsford Coven]

Back in the 1800s, Carlsford was a major stop on the Underground Railroad. Many houses and barns in town had secret chambers that were used to hide runaway slaves. When the coven moved into town in the early 1900s, it was a fairly simple matter to use magic to conceal, connect, and enlarge these spaces. The coven now has a library, training spaces, and dormitories for emergencies, all in a space that is far bigger on the inside than the outside. There's even a genius loci linked into this underground home, capable of spontaneously rearranging the architecture if needed.


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[hider=Recent Developments in the Carlsford Coven]
The last month or so has been rough for the coven, with two major problems. First off, some of the newer witches have been sloppy in keeping their spellcasting secret when out in town. Nothing too flashy, but rumors of pencils flying into hands or punches in fistfights sliding by their target for no reason have gotten to the point where hunters are starting to come poking around. Secondly, and perhaps more serious, is the leadership crisis brewing.

Covens traditionally have a single leader, referred to as the First Brother or First Sister. Each coven keeps its own method of nominating a new First Sibling when the old one passes, whether a vote, a test of magical skill, or some other method. Many covens keep a Council for day to day issues, but in time of crisis, such as threat of discovery, the First Sibling has sole authority in order to provide focus.

Last week, First Sister Mary Anne Redding died of natural causes. Normally, the coven elects a new first sibling by secret ballot, but on her deathbed, Mary Anne took an unheard-of step in the Carlsford Coven: outright naming a successor, her 20-year-old niece Elizabeth. Needless to say, many other witches were angry at various things; not being consulted, feeling passed over, and defiance of tradition. And they've started taking out their frustrations on the new boss. It hasn't gotten to the point of outright violence, but you can cut the tension with a knife.

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[hider=Magic]

There are almost as many different styles of magic as there are witches. Some witches prefer to use drawn designs and rituals, while others use potions, incantations, artifacts, or sacrifices. (Long story short, I am willing to allow virtually any system of magic, and even the same witch being capable to use multiple styles. Just bring it up with me first if it's something [i]really[/i] weird.)
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[hider=Witch Weaknesses-To make things a little more fair]

Silver- burns witches on contact.

Crosses-burn witches on contact.

Gold- Resists magic, and excellent at dispelling enchantments.

Olive juice-Deadly poisonous to witches.

Salt- Dispels magic.
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In this RP, you can play either a witch or hunter. (Or both, there's no character limits.) Characters do not necessarily have to be affiliated with one side or the other at the start; you could, for example, have a witch who's just found out that they have powers and eventually come across the coven. Note also that not all witches are necessarily evil, nor are hunters always good. Dark and light is a better way to think of it.



[hider=Witch CS]

Name

Age (16+)

Gender

Sexuality (You never know...)

Appearance (Pic or description)

Personality

Bio

Magical Specialty (Each witch usually has one particular skill they're really good at, like potions or enchanting items. Doesn't mean that they can't eventually learn other things, and there's a handful of basics everyone learns, like minor telekinesis)

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[hider=Hunter CS]

Name

Age (16+)

Gender

Sexuality

Appearance

Personality

Bio

Weapon Specialty (One weapon they are extremely talented in. Could be a shotgun, or something more old-school, like a sword. Again, this doesn't have to be the only weapon they have.)
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[hider=The Rules]
I am GM. I'll try to be patient, but if I have to step in, that is the end of it.

Keep IC and IOC separate

You wanna smut, that's fine, but keep it in PMs.

If you have ideas, feel free to share them.

Last, and BY FAR the most important: Have fun!
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