The Shattered Coven

[Bellossom]

Mek-01, Region 77

People

There are two main peoples that populate Mek-01, humanoids who call themselves witches and sentient stone elementals or golems. The Witches came to Mek-01 in the far distant past looking for a new magic source.  They are tall and waifish descendants of human sorcerers. However, over centuries of experimenting on themselves with cinnakite, most have started to show signs of the magical material on their bodies. Some have sprouted stones along their hairlines and/or collarbones, others have developed amber colored stripe-like markings on various parts of their bodies, etc. Those with more noticeable cinnakite markings tend to have stronger affinity for magic and are treated as a sort of nobility.

Golems are short and stocky people whose bodies are made up of rough igneous type rocks laced with veins of smooth cinnakite stones, like the insides of mines. They are bipedal and tend to have 2-4 strong arms. The Golems subsist on cinnakite and must remain near it in order to stay formed. As a result of this, they began to consume cinnakite and make it part of their body, allowing them to travel. If they are damaged in some form of way, they could reattach appendages using a cement made with crushed cinnakite. Within a few days, the cement dries and all that remains is a dull stripe of amber where the break had been. The Golems were the first lifeforms to have called the asteroid, Mek, home. They are believed to have been created by the asteroid’s inherent magic and as a result, have always worshipped the stone. When the Witches came, a sense of camaraderie between the two formed and many of the Golems took up Mekhalan Unitarianism. Upon the realization that the other asteroids also held this source of magic, both groups re-named the asteroid Mek-01, with the hope that many more would join their Coven.

The two peoples coexist fairly comfortably as Golems can survive outside of the biodomes. Together, the golems and witches mine the asteroids for ore. The golems subsist on the same stones that power the witches’ magic and technology. Both communities work together to procure this most precious resource and sell the leftover ore. Both Witch and Golem regard knowledge and magic highly and quite a few of the Golems are in positions of power within the Cult of Mekhalan Unitarianism.

Geography

Mek-01 is one of the many asteroids in Mekhala. The majority of the landscape is a desolate place of rocks and glass biodomes speckle the surface like pox. Inside the biodomes exist little pockets of life; some house fields of food and pastures of animals to sustain the other biodomes, others include cities with various societal districts. The grandest biodome serves as the capital of the Shattered Coven and is crowned by a large structure that serves as the centre of the government and the holiest site. The building, the Amber Library, houses the largest piece of the asteroid’s magical core, a particularly large stone mined from deep within Mek-01.

The rest of the asteroid is riddled with holes and craters where mining efforts are either ongoing or abandoned. The mining tunnels go quite deep and there is talk of expanding mining efforts to other nearby asteroids and focus on developing Mek-01 as a livable hub.

Government

The Shattered Coven is a fervent theocracy based around Mekhalan Unitarianism. The absolute ruler is considered High Witch, and High Witch is chosen from a convocation of high-status members of the cult who have proven their faith and/or made significant contributions to the study and understanding of Mekhala.

Faith

Mekhalan Unitarianism - Cult dedicated to the worship and study of the late planet (now asteroid belt) known as Mekhala. While Sansar is thought to be the origin of life, here it is believed that the core of the former planet was the origin of all magic in Tekhum. Higher status members of the cult are powerful witches that are said to have woven a strong connection to the planet’s magical core. The Amber Library holds the largest single piece of cinnakite that has been found so far. Furthermore, the central efforts of the cult are not only to expand their ideology but also to connect with the other asteroids and communities in Mekhala.

Resource: The Coven’s major resource is Cinnakite, a magically active mineral, that can be stimulated in various ways to produce controlled gravitic anomalies.

Required Resource: As much as the witches attempt to create a self-sustaining environment, clean potable water remains a precious rarity.

Starting Tech: Vacuum Adaptation and Pseudogravity Engineering