Guild Ranks

The High Priestess

Atom and Autumn were led away from the normal world. There spirits ran together to be as one, in love. They wandered far to find a place to belong, but alas, there was no where for them. Dismayed by the groups they tried to be apart of, they continued their search. It was at the forest's edge, Autumn took Atom by the hand; and ran deep into the woods. Her eyes wide with the Moon. The creatures of the night all around them; They reached a clearing that formed a circle deep in the woods. They turned to face each other, breath heavy and smiled; without a word they both threw their heads back and howled to the moon. They could feel a strong, old magic in this sacred place. Everything in those woods were as one, and they knew they belonged; so they made their home and coven there, welcoming all who dare brave the dark old forest; to answer the call of magic, adventure and the wild.

:: The High Priests are the founders of the coven: Circle of the wildwood (CW). They are the ultimate ruling authority, overseeing all daily operations, rituals, and Coven gatherings. The High Priests have the end say of all decisions that effect Coven. All Rank and Memberships are managed by the High priests Alone. The High Priests are autonomous within the Coven. There is no higher authority within the Circle of the wildwood. All requests are considered by the High Priests. ::


Snag

Oh, the poor dying trees of the wood. Can you believe at one point these lifeless decaying towers were once coven members? The snag's is a sad tale of getting lost on their way to the inner circle. The fire didn't burn hot enough for them to make it. They're stuck in a limbo between becoming dust to be carried away, or finding their magic and breaking the curse of the snag; to be a coven member once again.

:: This is a level for low to non-reppers. To be here your activity in CW is almost nonexistent. ::

Coven Member

As you near the edge of the forest you hear a soft voice carried on the wind, "Who approaches this sacred place? " It whispers.  

You walk to the edge of the forest and are greeted by glowing eyes and deep snarling from the beasts within the wood. You don't back down and find your voice guided with the knowledge of the words you should speak, "I bring you one who wishes to know the mysteries of this coven."  The fangs of the creatures glisten from the pale light of the moon. You can hear twigs snap under their weight as they move slowly toward you.

"Seeker, by what name will you be known within this sacred circle?" asks the wind. Confidently you speak your name and await the response of the wind. After a while you notice the eyes beginning to move away, and the snarls lessen, as an eerie; foggy path is faintly seen. "The gods have deemed you worthy; if you find your way to the inner circle and kneel in their presence." The voice on the wind says challenging you. You take a breath and your first step into the wildwood. "Beware", warns the voice, " less you loose your way and fall into the curse of the snag"

Dedicant

As you enter the circular clearing deep inside the wood you breathe a sigh of relief, and are greeted by the high priests. "Coven member" as they speak you recognize their tandem voices were the same as the soft voice of the wind. "Before you are initiated as a dedicant, you must be purified." A circle of torches all light at once. As your eyes adjust to the new light you can see the members that come before you "Are you ready?" asks the priests.

"Yes!" As the simple word passes your lips you suddenly find yourself in the middle of the circle of torches, you look down to see a five pointed star. You kneel to show your reverence to the gods.

You feel your bones burrowing deep under ground "Earth!"; chants your fellow coven members. Suddenly the dirt and leaves start swirling around you, as a mighty gust sweeps up your hair in a chilly blast, "Air!" The wind dies as your body lights with flame, you're engulfed with a heat that does not burn. "Fire!" Their chant continues, A wave crashes into you dosing the flames. "Water!" Their thunderous chant dying down to a low guttural melody. You feel your heart become weightless and full of radiant inner light and filled with all the voices of the wildwood. "Spirit!" you say with your new family as your body lifts from the ground.

The high priests once again speak, "by joining this coven, you become part of a greater spiritual family. As such, you are part of an endless circle of kinship. hail ye, gods and goddesses!"

"Hail!" Proclaims the coven
"Hail!  Kinsmen and clan!" says the high priests
"Hail!" Sounds of the coven

"To the ancestors who watch over us, and to those who may follow; here before is the seeker, soon be a sworn dedicant of this coven." They pause as you lower to the ground. They walk over to you, each holding one of your hands, they speak your name, "The Mysteries of the gods are many. We can never hope to learn them all, but we can indeed follow them on our journey. As a dedicant you will learn and grow and evolve every day. You will seek knowledge, and attain it in direct proportion to our efforts. Let the gods guide your path."

:: This is a powerful title, though it may not seem like much ,but this is the first step to ranking in the guild and shows dedication to the Circle of the wildwood. ::

Evoker

As the phases of the moon come and pass; you learn and grow, in joy, magic, and kinship. As your coven elders help guide you, your abilities strengthen. You walk through the forest lost in thought. You remember your life from before; it seems so long ago, you were so weary, and longed for a purpose, and fellowship. A gentle breeze rustles through the trees; brushing softly against your face.  You pause and close your eyes, savoring this peaceful moment. You open your eyes and touch a near  by tree, feeling the textures of its bark, but so much more. You feel the tree's essence, in your minds eye you see and feel how it grew and came to be here. You're so connected to this place and your fellow coven family.

You remove your boots and stockings and carry them in your hand. You walk; feeling the earth below. The cold dirt and grass, spots of warmth from where the sun crept through the canopy. Before you know it you find yourself near the edge of the woods. You stop and watch the outside world; as most walk by the forest paying it no mind; there one approaches the edge; the forest appears to grow darker in front of them. You see the silhouettes of the beasts with their glowing eyes as they greet the person just as they had done to you. You hear the High Priests voices on the wind, but as you watch you notice a shadowy figure behind the woodland beasts. Their arms and hands moving like  a composer to a song only they can hear. You notice how their movements seem to effect the beasts, and are filled with wonder upon this sight.

A dim light returns to that part of the forest and the beasts slowly disappear. The shadowy figure turns and notices you. As they walk to you, you both wave to one another. They reach you and turn to watch the new coven member make their way to the inner circle. "Hi." He says in an upbeat way. " What brings you out this way ?" he asks.

You turn to look at him, he's just a normal human man. "I don't really know" you state in a distant tone, I was just walking and thinking." You pause briefly and chuckle. He turns to look at you, a smile upon his face as you continue,  "And before i knew it, here I was." He gives you a knowing nod as his smile widens. "What were you doing over there?" you ask gesturing to where he stood before. He glances that way and then towards the member walking. He motions for you to come with him as he follows the new recruit.

"I'm an evoker" He said as you both start slowly walking. "I'm one of many evokers in the coven. It's our job, and part of our path, to summon the beasts that greet the possible new coven members. Doing this is not only to hone our magical abilities, but it shows and teaches us new things."

"What new things?" you ask.

"It's different; and yet the same for every evoker. " he states. "I hope they make it." He says looking at the slyvari clearly struggling to make their way to the inner circle. You wonder why he wants the slyvari to make it so badly, and almost as if reading your mind he replies "To let fear and doubt take over you in this place..." His voice trails off for a moment, "To loose the inner guiding light that leads you into the inner circle, and become a snag. " He stops walking and sadly places a hand on a near by; grey tree, as you take a closer look at this tree you see what appears to be a shape of a person swallowed by a tree. As your eyes trail up this form you see a face. "It was a norn at one point." Your walking companion states. You touch the tree and feel the Norn's despair and fear. You see how they lost their light, and way in the wood. You see them fight back a wail as the roots from the earth below began to take them. You quickly jerk your hand from the tree.

"Will they ever get out of this tree?" Your eyes pleading for a happy answer as you wipe away a single tear.

"Some do" he says. His face grows even more somber "Some don't." he removes his hand from the tree and starts walking once again.

After walking in silence for some time you notice the sylvari is almost at the inner circle and you smile. "How do I continue my training, and become an evoker? " you ask looking at the human; a new vigor in your voice. He smiles and starts to laugh as you run into a hard ... Fluffy Mass? You look forward and then up, and become face to face with a flamboyant charr holding a stein of mead. Your eyes grow wide as you start to recognize him from the posters around the coven's grove. It's the coven's Mascot and one of the summoners..... Chor !!

The man you were walking with continues walking into the inner circle, leaving you with this giant cat. Chor smiles as he watches the slyvari walk into the circle. " If a slyvari turns snag, is it just like falling asleep for them?  I'm sure it's not fun, but how do you think that works?"  He takes a healthy swig from his cup. You could tell he meant what he said in jest, but still, he had a point. " So you want to become an evoker?" he snarled friendly. You nod yes, and he continues, "Well, come with me, and after this new initiation we'll talk and start you on your new path.

Spell Binder

One early morning while sitting in a tree at the edge of the forest listening to the birds sing, and watching the little critters scurrying about, you notice high Priest Atom walking with a fellow Evoker out of the woods. You jump from the tree; landing on the ground with a heavy thud, catching their attention. They look at you, Waiting for you to come to them. "Good morning." Atom says.

"Indeed it is." you say in a chipper voice. "What brings you two beyond the woods today?"

The female asura stands as tall as she can as she states "Atom is assisting me on my journey to spellbinder. He's assured me he knows some suitable techniques to optimize my time and efforts out in the world. " She said very matter of fact, in the way only an asura could.

"Hey!" you proclaim, "that's the next stage for me too!" You smile widely and start to beam with excitement, "Mind if I tag along? I'd love to learn and start my studies as a spellbinder too. " You look between the Asura and Atom eager to hear their answer.

The Asura was quick to respond "I suppose." She said abruptly,  "You look like you could really use the help from the both of us." She crossed her arms smugly and gave a sly smile. You chuckled nervously, confused about how she really felt. "Man, you really can't tell when someone is messing with you, Huh?" Her arms falling to her sides. "Of course you can come! We're All family here!" She hopped to give you a light tap on the arm, "Come on boys!" She said starting to walk, "We've got a lot to do!"

As you three start walking into the world Atom begins his lesson, "As I'm sure you're both aware a spellbinder is really just a smooth talker; that's why I'm helping out." he gives a goofy smile and chuckles "Spellbinders are powerful speakers who can captivate people by using their words to "bind" people into doing their will, in a way. " He glances at you and the asura for confirmation that you understand. You both give him a nod and he continues, "This comes in handy when recruiting, the wildwood will weed out the wrong people. Another great way to use this powerful magic is rallying others, Coven Members and others alike, to help you face a foe or foes. This is why we're going to the silverwastes. On our journey there you will practice your spell binding to convince others to join you to the silverwastes to hunt and kill the legendaries there."

Atom continues his stride with a calm confident smile on his face as you and the asura stop walking.You share a worried look as it just hit you how serious and hard this will be.


Watchman

You finally make it back to the wildwood after your long journey to the silverwastes. Covered in mud and the blood of your fallen enemies. You're exhausted, but proud of all you've accomplished, and grateful for all your help and guidance from your coven. Atom gives you a nod and tired smile while you walk into the sacred circle. Suddenly the world starts spinning you reach for anything to help steady you; but miss and collapse on the ground. Your coven rushes to check on you, you hear Atom tell  them to stand aside. He and Autumn rush to you, you can faintly see their lips moving but you hear no sound. Then everything goes black.

You come to; Laying in a lush, soft bed in the rejuvenation chamber. You rub your eyes still a bit groggy. As you stretch you winced feeling a sharp pain on your side. You lift your shirt slightly to see a new scar. "Oh Hey!" A bright friendly voice says, "You're up!" You look up to see a tall female norn walking toward you, Her long white hair swaying with each step. "Everyone was super worried, glad you're okay friend." She said taking a seat at the foot of the bed.

"What happened?" you ask in a hoarse voice, "And who are you?"

As the norn opened her mouth to answer you another female spoke, " You got cut by one of the legendary mordrem in the silverwastes." You turn your head to see Autumn and Atom walking into the room toward you. "Though the cut itself is simply a vanity scar now; the slow acting poison is what put you here. " They reached your bedside and Autumn takes your hand in hers "We're all so glad you're okay." Atom placed a hand on her shoulder and she took a hand to his. With tenderness in her eyes and a smile gracing her lips, she gave your hand and Atom's a gentle squeeze " Thank you for making sure Atom came back to me."

You smile. "He didn't make it easy." you jest, as everyone starts to laugh.

Autumn embraces Atom with a huge smile and say's "He never does."

Atom smiles and shakes his head, turning toward the now standing norn. "Mom" he said catching you off guard "How long have they been up? Have you talked to them yet?"

"Who's this Mom?" The norn asked scowling at Atom. " I Told you not to tell people that, makes me feel old."

"The white hair should do that ,mom" chimes in Atom. Autumn side steps away From Atom raising her hands up as to show she has no part in this.

"You're grounded!" Says Bera laughing,"No, I haven't gotten to talk to them yet" She said while handing you a glass of water.

You take a drink and clear your throat. "Talk to me about what ?"

"Well... Atom says you did very well on becoming a spellbinder, and that you fought like a bear! So he asked me to find out if you'd like to become a watchman." She sat; a chair materialized out of no where under her. "Watchman is seriously challenging." Her gaze narrowing on you "They are the heart of the coven, great protectors. Up to the task of any mission. " She pauses as you sit up straighter in the bed your eyes widen. "You showed bravery and strength in battle and great care for your kinsmen." she placed a fist over her heart staring you in the eyes "I'd be honored to help you achieve the rank of the watchman. what do you say?"

You look at Atom and Autumn who smiled at you. "The honor, Coven mother Bera, " you say turning back to the norn, "Would be all mine." Bera slaps her knee and stands; The chair she sat on vanishes "Wonderful!: she exclaims, "it starts with a lot of sitting!" You all laugh and Bera says "But first; rest and heal, you'll need all your strength for what's to come."

:: Watchman are the true heart of the Wildwood. Fierce warriors; whose battle cries carry through the wind, like a wolf baying at the moon, warning all who near the edge of the forest. Valiant protectors the create the Circle we all dwell within. Watchmen take command and are always ready for any mission that comes their way. ::


Scribe

:: As a Scribe you will be in charge of building up our Coven's Sacred Space through crafting. You will also be in charge of making sure everyone is informed on all upcoming missions and correspondences. ::

One night after a long shift on the watch, you and some fellow coven members go for a drink at Chor's tavern. You spend hours drinking, singing, dancing, and just having fun and letting loose. You all talk and laugh and share stories as the evening festivities die down, you take your leave. Stepping out of the tavern you're greeted by a sobering nights chill. You shiver, rubbing your hands up and down your arms as you start to walk. You look across the way and see a light still burning in the scribe building, and startled  by a loud crash from within.  You walk to the building choosing to investigate the commotion.

As you slowly enter the building you are greeted by an asura jumping around gathering things. "Oh Good!" he says upon noticing you. "Will you lend me a hand?" he asks giving you a welcoming smile.

"Umm... Sure?" you say, "What do you want me to do?" You follow him with your eyes as he continues to run around.

"Well," he starts "Help me gather these supplies " He then hands you a piece of paper with a list. His hand lingering as he gives you a quizzical look, "Are you a scribe by any chance?" He asks tilting his head up towards you.

"Noooo" you pause.

He snaps his fingers, "Dang", he says leaping forward and then pausing for a moment. He turns his head to look at you; and slowly walks backwards "Would you like to be?" he asks grinning mischievously.

"Yeah, sure" you say, "I'm always willing to learn and help"

"Good, good" Says the asura. He then nods his head and adds "We'll start in the morning." he shoes you out of the building and you head home and fall asleep. You're awakened by a knocking at your door. You get out of bed, rubbing your temples, slightly hung over. You try to remember what all happened the night before. Who was that asura, and what did you agree to do? Your head pounding just like the knocks at the door. Just as you open your door to an asura holding a stack of papers just as tall as him; you remember everything. "Good morning." he says, walking past you into your home, and plopping his papers near your kitchen table.

"Summoner CK" you stammer, "I'm so sorry, I completely forgot!" You shut the door and rush over to help him place the papers on the table.

He chuckles softly "it's fine" He states still smiling "but we wont accomplish much if you're to be in pajamas all day." You look down at yourself; your cheeks hot with embarrassment. " Go change and I'll see about breakfast." After a few minutes you come back into the kitchen as CK finishes making eggs. You both sit at your table.

"So...." your words trailing off as you play with your eggs.

"Right!" He exclaims, "No need to waste time! There is much to do to become a scribe within the coven; including becoming a Master scribe! With the scribe rank you'll still have plenty of fighting to do...but far less. At this point in your journey you start getting more meetings, talking, crafting, and a whole lot of running around." He takes a quick bite of eggs before continuing. " This is where your dedication reliability, and willingness to bend to the needs of the coven will truly be tested."

You finish eating your eggs and ask "So, Where do i start?" Ck smiles widely and stands on the chair, placing a hand on at the stack of papers.

"Well this here is a small guide to help you along! Should you have any further questions; I'm happy to help."

You tilt your head to the side, a concerned look upon your face "That's a small guild ?!" You ask staring at the large stack of papers before you.

"Well,yes." Answered a confused CK.
 

Elder Council

It's late afternoon and you pace outside the Elder Council Chamber; murmuring to yourself what you plan on saying. "I'm determined to become a member of the Elder Council. My time and hard work in the coven have given me valuable insights, and some interesting policy ideas. I'm ready to do whatever steps it takes for a seat on the Council." you pause briefly ans squint your eyes, nodding your approval to what you just said. "Yeah," you say to yourself, "that's what I'll say!" You turn and walk in front of the chamber doors; raising your hand to knock on the oak doors, but just as you hand is about to connect the door burst back, opening.

Both you and the elders are startled. None of you expecting what just happened. They smile at you, waiting for you to say something. You grow hot, your heart starts racing, and you begin to sweat and panic. They're looking at you. Smiling! You have to say something, you think yourself. "Ah.... Hi!" you shout your nerves getting the better of you. "It's a beautiful day." you say slowly backing away from the elders.

They all look at each other confused and then focus their attention back on you. "Ah... yes it is." Some of them say, "Is that all you came here for?" they ask.

"YUP!" you say slowly clapping your hands; low in front of you. "That's it. The only thing." you purse your lips together and gesture for them to pass you. They start walking and some ask if you're certain there was nothing else as they walk pass you, you just nod yes. Once you're sure they've all gone; you cover your face with your hands. "What the heck was that?!" you ask yourself, in disbelief. "Its a beautiful day? That's it ? you got to be kidding me!" You sit frustrated on the ground and begin to draw in the dirt.

"Yeah" you hear a female start saying, your cheeks turning bright with embarrassment when you notice Autumn, Atom, And Gunther standing before you. "It was kind of hard to watch." Says Autumn. Smiling, Atom extends his arm to you to help you stand. You take it with a warriors grasp.

"You were clearly here for a reason." Says Gunther, once you were on your feet.

You scratch the back of your head and look down for a moment. You take a deep breath, summing calm and gathering your thoughts before you speak. "I did" you say in complete control; looking at them with respect. "I'm ready to do what I must to become a part of the elder council."

Atom smiles "We were wondering what was taking you so long to seek this rank." He chuckles. Autumn elbows him in the side and reminds him that everyone walks their own path at their own pace.

"Well, I'm ready now." You state. "I just need to know what to do to earn this honor, so the real work can begin." Everyone smiles including you. Atom turns to Gunther and wiggles his eyebrows widely at him.

"Yeah, I can help you with that. No problem." says Gunther walking over to you and placing an arm around your shoulders. "Let's start working on it now, Before Atom gets any stranger."

"Hey!" Says Atom. As everyone starts laughing, "I'll come with and cheer you guys on!" He says smiling wide as he begins flailing his limbs and poorly singing some made up song about becoming a council member.

"No Man." Gunther says as you two start walking away. "That's okay, i got this."

"Okay, your loss." Says Atom clearly amused by himself.

"I'm not sure that it is." You say on a chuckle and begin dancing as you walk with Gunther.

"Oh no." Gunther sighs. "It's spreading." He starts laughing and bursts out a couple moves of his own.

:: Council members are trusted advisors to the High Priests and summoners. As part of the Council you help set and enforce Coven policies. Should a stalemate vote occur between the High Priests and the Summoners; the Elder Council will be brought in and asked to vote. ::


The Summoner

You sit at a table in front of the high priests and the summoners. They look at you with serious expressions. You sit tall. You've been waiting for this day for a while now. "A week ago" Starts Autumn "You asked us to consider you for the role of the summoner." She pauses for what appears to be dramatic effect. "It's the highest honor and rank any coven member can hope to achieve."

"So it doesn't come easy or often. " Adds Atom. to the agreement of all the summoners.

"This role is only bestowed after you reached the Elder council to which you have.So Congratulations on that." Says Sar. "It comes to an unanimous vote, after we dissect everything you've done in the time you've been with us."

"This is so much more then just the things you've achieved, is about your true, genuine spirit. Your love for your fellow kinsmen and the wildwood; we all call home." States Priestess Autumn.

"The Votes have been cast. " Says Atom "And" he pauses, "We're glad to call you Summoner." You hear the words and feel your throat constrict with emotion, your eyes welling up with tears of joy. "Congratulations."

"Congratulations !" Cheer your new peers and the high priests. You stand and give a respectful nod unable to speak, as they all walk over to you for a group hug.

:: Summoners are understudies to the High Priests. Summoners may be asked to guide the Coven when necessary, due to an absence of the High Priests. Summoners Teach, Instruct, Give Counsel and insight to other members of the coven. Mentor-ship is bestowed to those who have shown themselves proficient in a special area of expertise. Summoners answer only to the High Priests. To apply for the title of a Summoner, every member considered must first attain and achieve the rank of “Elder Council” before consideration will be entertained by the High Priests. ::