The Llandona Coven is a group of Awakened Mages in Wales.
Overview[]
A loosely organized Chantry of willworkers from northern Wales, the roots of Llandona Coven span hack to ancient history. The Verbena Rheibau ferch Llandona (Daughters of Llandona) comprise the vast majority of members, though from time to time it plays host to Hermetic mages, Cultists of Ecstasy, or the occasional Celestial Chorister on pilgrimage. Some of these Tradition mages come to Llandona in hopes of making alliances with the Rheibau ferch Llandona, even through marriage as it has occurred in centuries past. Members of the Coven consider themselves to be a Hereditary Chantry, keeping a culture of ancient ways alive for generations of their blood yet unborn. Members generally dwell within a few hours drive. Those Coven members who have children nearly always bring them along, as the Rheibau ferch Llandona regard these wee ones as welcome family members and the hope of the future.
The Rheibau fetch Llandona hold some respect for the Sleeper "witches" who live in scattered pockets across Wales, even though these folk are rarely Awakened or even practitioners of hedge magic. Periodically, a member of Llandona Coven will visit one of the witches, many of whom refer to themselves as Dynion Hysbys, properly translated as "wizards." The Rheibau ferch Llandona will then use True Magick to alter one of the witches' potions or "spells" so that it may have a "real" effect. This assures that the local population accepts small degrees of the supernatural as within the realms of possibility.
The outskirts of Niwbwrch, a small village on Anglesey's coast, house the Coven's grove and entrance to their Horizon Realm. Amrys Gwent, a Coven member, owns the grove and a few small cottages nearby. She uses these as lodging places for Rheibau ferch Llandona in need or visiting allied willworkers. The grove itself is on a small rise above the waters of Caernarfon Bay and the Menai Strait between Gwynedd and Anglesey. While small trees grow on the slopes of the seashore, they do not extend up into the grove. Instead, thrift, sea champion, bird's foot trefoil, and kidney vetch flower over the rough ridges of the Coven's most sacred meadow. A rare variety of crows called choughs sometimes call out as they fly overhead looking for purchase on the cliffsides, along with more common guillemots, kittiwakes, and peregrine falcons.
The Horizon Realm's entrance is through a hidden door in the cottage closest to the grove, where many of the Coven members also store their cauldrons and magickal implements. Amrys or her children or apprentices always remain nearby. The realm itself appears much like the grove in static reality, complete with calls of birds and scents of flowers. However, a single perfect rowan tree, their world tree, rises from the grove's center, its ever-blooming silver leaves bear Quintessence within their veins. The sky always remains dark yet full of bright stars and a full moon. The Realm does not extend beyond a slight downward slope from the edges of the grove.
Style of Living[]
Today, they live simply and happily, most of them in northern Wales, yet I daresay Llandona's descendants practice their ways in many parts of the world. They take pride in their gardens, their homes and children and lovers, their renewal of the ancient blood of Llandona, and the thread of life that connects everything in this universe and all others. The turning of seasons remains a special time for them; the changes bring endings and beginnings, birth and death, heat and frost. They celebrate the old holidays of Beltaine, Lughnasad, Samhain, and Imbolc in honor of their ancestors. And yes, their daughters still remain choosy about their mates! Even in this modern age, suitors must be of certain standing and skill to court them. One mystery they do not understand, though, is how some of the fae seem to have returned and yet dwell in secret, apart from their distant kin. They would not oppose rebirthing their venerable ties with the Tylwyth Teg.
Other Members[]
The Tale of Llandona[]
Llandona's mother was Blodden, a woman of the Wyck, a respected practitioner of the arts in a village near the Northern Sea. From miles around, everyone ill came to see her, for she had renown as a mighty healer. Here in her cottage by the shore she was working one early spring morn, when she heard shouts of terror from nearby. Blodden saw Roman soldiers encircle the village and then ride toward her home. One centurion came forward, while the others held their ground within easy bowshot. She knew these men held the lives of the villagers in their hands, and that she must give her aid.
"You are Blodden, healer-woman," said the Roman soldier in broken Welsh.
Blodden met his gaze boldly and answered smoothly in his native Latin. "I am she. What do you want with me and the people of this village who have done you no harm?"
"Healer, we have need of you. Our commander was seriously hurt in a skirmish with the blue-painted savages north of here. A week we have traveled by sea, and his wounds fester. Will you come?"
"I would come even if you did not threaten the village," she replied, quickly gathering her herbs and poultices to follow the centurion. He led her to a nearby, hastily constructed camp and escorted her to the commander. Blodden drew back in shock, not only at the deeply infected wound he bore, but also at his handsome features and the aura of power she felt in his presence. Gently she bathed his hurts and gave him specially prepared wine to ease his pains. He smiled weakly at her and touched her hand.
"My name is Gavin Marius," he whispered. "You have my thanks and my word of honor that no harm will come to any in your lands." Blodden nodded, shaken by sudden stirrings of desire for this Roman.
Under Blodden's gentle care, Gavin Marius healed rapidly. And as she suspected, be himselt possessed gifts of magick, blessed or cursed to know the future before its time. As summer turned to fall, the commander and his men stayed in the fair village. Gavin himself becoming the mate of the willing Blodden. Desertion was a serious crime in the Roman army, but so few of Gavin's men remained and so far off course they were blown, no one ever sought them out.
From Gavin and Blodden's union came the child, Llandona. Mother and father trained her in the ways of True Magick, dwelling intently on the patterns of life, emotion, fortune, and essence we all share. And as the child bloomed with power, so too did she grow in beautyand wisdom under the light of the Goddess.
As custom demanded for all girls, she led the dancers of Beltaine the spring season after her first broken link with the moon. Her dark glossy tresses flew unbound behind her like a sail as she danced, faster and faster to the wild strains of the music. But as the song ended, and the dancers collapsed into a heap of laughter, silence tell on the festivities. From the edge of the village where sand touched sea came a lone rider, a tall man on an armored white steed. His noble garments flashed scarlet and gold, and from his saddle jangled bells of merriment. The faerie, for such he was, rode to Llandona's side, dismounted and knelt before her.
"Llandona fetch Gavin, well met! I am Cunedda ap Cythan. From the other world I have ridden on the straight sam this night to meet you and claim you as my bride. For Lady Dan has deemed it so, and by my heart. I do love you well."
"How is this?" asked Llandona, her knees trembling in adoration and fear. "For my eyes never beheld you before this night, yet you say you love me.'"
Blodden's words of protest stopped in her throat; the appearance of the faerie folk sometimes boded ill. The Tylwyth Teg often took offense at the slightest of remarks. Thus Blodden feared her daughter's tart tongue would darken the stranger's mood, and a plague of frogs was the last thing the village needed. But Gavin's hand and soft voice restrained her.
"Leave this as it should be," he whispered, "For no ill will comes of this but rather great joy for ages to come." Blodden swallowed her fear and watched as the light of the faerie prince's eyes pierced the heart of her child, and Llandona succumbed to his ardor and passion. That very night, they made oaths of troth and laid in a bower of spring blossoms, lulled to sleep by the breaking of the waves. In the morning, scarlet flowers grew where Llandona's virgin blood soddened the ground.
The many children of Llandona and Cunedda grew up fair and fresh as their parents, but as fate would have it, all were girls; the seed of the faerie lord produced no sons. Cunedda, for his part, delighted in his brood of flower-faced children, and Llandona decreed that only lords of the fae or powerful practitioners of magick could wed her daughters. This brought suitors from Cymru, Hibernia, Albion, and even members of a faraway noble house of magi called Merinita. The daughters married and in turn produced their own daughters, so that the tradition of Llandona continued.
As for Llandona herself, no one is certain. After many happy years w ith her, Cunedda seemed to slowly fade and weaken with a wasting illness. One day, he never returned home from his usual morning ride and was not seen in this world thereafter. Llandona never shed a tear, but it is said her heart broke that day. Her eldest daughter Glenia saw her walking on the ocean shores calling for the will of the Goddess to end her loneliness. A great storm blew up then, scattering the villagers indoors for shelter. When the storm ended, no trace of Llandona remained... yet in the vales near Anglesey, her scarlet flowers grow still. And in the cottages of those who call themselves the Rheibau ferch Llandona still flows the blood of love from mighty mages and noble fae.
References[]
- MTAs: Isle of the Mighty (Book), p. 5-7, 162-163
