The Enlightened Society of the Weeping Moon is a secret society which achieved its height of popularity in the Victorian Era. They're devoted to the reverence of the Wyrm in its guise as the Moon, and are devoted to the Prophecy of the Weeping Moon: one night, Luna herself will descend upon the Earth, purifying it with righteous tears.
Garou naturally considered these beliefs blasphemous, but the Society was difficult to ferret out due to its ties to mortal society. They were especially prevalent in the United States, but in the latter decades of the 19th century also founded a chapter in London.
Structure[]
- Most Enlightened Magister, the Grand Unveiler of Secrets: The highest position within the society.
- Tenders of the Lunar Lore: Similar to the Most Enlightened Magister, but limited in scope to a given "Collective" of three or four states.
- The Circle of Stars: The group of Society members who govern activities within a given state.
- Revealers of the Mysteries: Distinguished Society members with the authority to start a new chapter, if they desire. The most senior Revealer of a given chapter was probably the founder, and referred to as the Malviosin.
- Initiates, Acolytes, Novices, Vestals: The bulk of the Society, albeit not truly "members."
The Society additionally assigns roles to its members based on the phase of the Moon under which they were born, another element which angers the Garou.
- Absent Moons: Those born under a New Moon, it is the responsibility of Absent Moons to challenge the presuppositions of others as the Society's visionaries and innovators.
- Horned Moons: Born under a crescent moon, the Horned Moons are attuned to spirits and magic, and are revered in the Society for their wisdom.
- Balance Moons: Those born under a half-moon, these dispassionate, rational thinkers are commonly investors or bankers.
- Nascent Moons: Born under a gibbous moon, the Nascents are charismatic carousers, performers, and celebrities: vital for building popular opinion of the Society.
- Harvest Moons: Members born under the full moon, these are the brutes and thugs of the Society, used when more subtle action has already failed.
History[]
- 1796
- Aloysius Goddard translates a sheaf of ancient scrolls, which describes an ancient sect of secret beings devoted to shepherding the children of Seth trough trials and tribulations. These translated documents become known as the Goddard Rubric.[1]
- Laurent de Mer forms the Enlightened Society of the Weeping Moon, a cult founded on garbled interpretations of Black Spiral Dancer and, possibly, Black Hand lore, in France.[2][3]
- 1838
- The Enlightened Society opens lodges in California and Oregon.[4][3]
- 1849
- Laurent de Mer, over one hundred years old at this point, vanishes mysteriously. Lloyd Fairweather takes over directorship of the Enlightened Society of the Weeping Moon.[3]
- 1873
- The Enlightened Society of the Weeping Moon begins an "enrollment drive." Membership soars to over a thousand full members.[5]
Background Information[]
- The Latin in the Society's crest, Societas Erudita Lunae Lacrimandi, translates as the Enlightened Society of the Weeping Moon.
References[]
- ↑ WTWW: Frontier Secrets, p. 48
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 WTA: Werewolf Storytellers Companion Revised Edition, p. 59
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 WTWW: Frontier Secrets, p. 56
- ↑ WTWW: Werewolf: The Wild West Rulebook, p. 40
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 WTWW: Frontier Secrets, p. 57
- ↑ WTWW: Frontier Secrets, p. 61
- WTWW: Frontier Secrets, p. 43-53
- WTWW: Werewolf 20th Anniversary Wyld West Expansion Pack, p. 45-53
- VAV: Victorian Age Companion, p. 16-17