The Verbena[]
The Verbena have roots in the ancient pagan cultures of northern Europe. Blood, sex, and passion in its rawest forms shape their Arts. They prefer groves to temples or chantries, and share the Dreamspeaker's affinity for Nature. The Old Ways they practice seem anachronistic to the modern world, and yet they seem they often show up in romanticized forms in popular media. Covens of three, seven, nine or thirteen Verbena are the most popular style of organization. More than other Traditions, they have a focus on bloodlines and family lineage, chosing apprentices among younger relations. There's more women than men in the tradition, and there's a great deal of veneration for the oldest members, who often lead the covens.
Verbena in ECC[]
Nonestica has vast, nearly virgin forests and the Cascade mountain range which could hide any number of Verbena covens. A number of settlers came from England, Germany, and the Scandavian lands which were traditional homelands for the Verbena. Small towns barely mentioned on maps dot the forests and the coasts, practically off the grid, where the kind of families that could easily support a coven could easily be found.
Making A Verbena Character[]
Affinity Spheres: Life or Forces
Suggested Focus: The Verbena are pagans in every sense of the word. Their Arts focus on natural cycles such as birth, death, healing, cursing, shape-shifting, divination, and weather magic.
Suggested Paradigms: A World of Gods and Monsters, Might is Right, Bring Back the Golden Age, Everything is Chaos.
Suggested Tools/Instruments: Blessings and curses, Bloods and fluids, Bodywork, Bones and remains, Brews and concoctions, Cards and instruments of chance, Celestial alignments, Crossroads and crossing-days, Dances and movement, Drugs and poisons, Energy, Eye contact, Food and drink, Gems and stones, Group rites, Herbs and plants, Household tools, Knots and ropes, Offerings and sacrifices, Ordeals and sacrifices, Prayers and invocations, Sex and sensuality, Symbols, Tricks and illusions, Wands and staves, Weapons, Writings, inscriptions and runes.