Hallows (CTD)
The Hallows is a Secret Society in House Eiluned.
Overview
- Hallows: (from Celtic mythology) The regalia or emblems of empowerment wielded by a king or hero, often the object of a quest. The 13 Curiosities of Britain and the Holy Grail are examples of a culture's hallows.
The Purpose of the Hallows is to track down fae (sidhe) artifacts (treasures and chimera) from the times before the Shattering. The members concentrate on the conventional European or Celtic culture of the fae. Most use what they can learn from the fragmentary knowledge of other fae, but their richest resources come from human folk tales, myths, and legend. Most members are experts in this lore.
The Hallows contains a mix of both courts and all political philosophies, although Traditionalists abound due to the nature of the Hallows' work. Reformers within the society wish to admit members of other houses. They point to the successes of the once-opposed commoner fae, such as Margaux de Desiree. Modernists, especially the Unseelie factions, wish to pursue new talismans and chimera. The Traditionalists frown on all of these ideas. They see the established methods of subversion, seduction, eavesdropping, and the use of their cantrips to be methods more apt for gathering information.
The Hallows has an informal structure; the members of House Eiluned know that they will keep some secrets from each other. However, members cannot afford to keep too many secrets for they often need help investigating leads or recovering items. Although not adverse to doing a little treasure finding, most members of The Hallows prefer to manipulate others into risking life and limb for the artifacts they search for. Members aid each other by supplying information useful for coercing, bribing, and blackmailing their stooges... or agents.
The Hallows holds gatherings called tuam (Gaelic for vault) during major festivals that its members already attend. On the Isle of the Mighty, the International Eisteddfod, the Trooping of the Colour (the queen's birthday) and the Edinburgh International Arts Festival provide venues for members of The Hallows to meet, plot, and admit new members.
It is at these meetings that the society also appoints its leadership, the Archivists. The three Archivists hold their positions for life. Archivists decide the fate of the artifacts that the society recovers. They also deal with problems that may arise. The Archivists have little compunction for hiring members of the Monkey's Paw if their society or an artifact is in danger.
References
- CTD. Isle of the Mighty, p. 98.e