General Info
The Mother is one of the divine entities of the faeries. She was the one that spilled the Cauldron's content creating Prythian and all the known world. It is said she has a dark counterpart called the Dark Mother. The Cauldron is a powerful magical artifact that is said to have been used to create life. A magical Cauldron with the cosmic matter from which the world where Prythian originated from. It is to these two great 'deities' that the Priestesshood devote themselves to.
In the world of Prythian, there are those who dedicate themselves to serving the Mother, the Cauldron and the link between them and the Faerie populations. They oversee religious ceremonies and rituals of all kinds, record histories and legends and are generally considered to be women of great political power that often serve as advisors or confidants of their Lords and Ladies and are usually able to hold the attention of High Lords. They do not serve one court but all courts of Prythian in the name of the Mother and the Cauldron. The Priestesshood is said to reign from their altars. Their magic largely coming from the practice of their ceremonies and rituals. The Priesthood has also become a bit of a sanctuary, not just for females looking to be educated but also by man that have suffered some sort of trauma.
All Priestesses are allowed to dally sexually as its considered blasphemous to the Cauldrons gift of sensuality to lock up those base, carnal instincts. Yet the do not tend to marry or 'love' for themselves and bearing children requires permission since children are considered extremely sacred. They do not bear them without the full blessing of the twelve High Priestesses and the intention of one day becoming a High Priest themselves. The children of ordained High Priestesses are typically seen as powerful or 'Cauldron blessed' and are often well-respectedd as any Lords children would be. Using sex and seduction as a finely crafted weapon to gain favour and trust in a High Lords inner circle or among his top ranks who have sufficient power.
A Fledgling and Priestess can depart from the Priestesshood at any time, for any reason without being shunned for it. They may choose to leave to marry or simply because they believe their journey as a Priestess has come to an end. A High Priestess cannot leave the priestesshood until she either dies or relieves her position to an apprenticing Priestess placed under her wing. She is not to bear children for herself but for the great of the realm. Leaving what offspring she births to be reared completely by their sires after birth. A High Priestesses loyalty is meant only for the Mother & the Cauldron.
However, over recent decades with the ascension of Mishanti, there have been some Priestesses and High Priestesses that have become 'corrupt' with the ideals of ambition and power. Letting the high seat of community importance that they sit upon go to their head. Doing as they pleased, using whoever they would and never really being held toward any accountability for their actions. Because of these few, the rot of these Priestesses has corrupted the overall image of the Priestesshood in general. Souring their once sacred place in the eyes of the Fae folk communities. This does not mean that all Priestesses/High Priestesses are corrupt nor does it mean that everyone has grown skeptical. It merely means that the Priestesshoods reputation has become blemished in some Faes eyes. To most though, the 'power' beneath the blue cloak and invoking stone remains and whether they approve of the Priestesshood or not, most still recognize it for the powerhouse it still maintains throughout all the courts and few dare to actually mess with it.
Invoking Stones
When writing your Priestess or High Priestess, one of their 'unique powers' should be their 'Invoking Stone'. The Invoking stone is given as a gift to all priestesses when they become one. It is a cobalt, ovular stone that sits idly at the center of a headband/circlet they wear. Often hidden beneath the hood of their cloak unless they lift it. The stone is used as a sort of Siphon to hone their magic and sharpen it. The invoking stone itself is not capable of inflicting harm but instead is used to summon/craft protective and healing properties to be used. The stones are bonded directly to the priestess that wears it and can only be used if they are conscious. They cannot be removed by anyone but the priestess themselves or a High Lord.
Additional Information
The contract forged between a High Priestess and her chosen sire is traditionally the verbal consenting set of laws that which initiate the start to conceiving and carrying a child to term in the name of the Cauldron. It typically consists of the High Priestesses conditions, her comfort level, anonymity following the child’s birth, and so on to ensure that she obtains no physical and mental upbringing after the child is given to the lord essentially (but not magically) ‘bound’ to her.
Should the High Priestess prefer it, the contract can be a physical set of papers requiring the sire’s own signature that he is agreeing to her terms as a means of evidence and liability in the matter she believes him or any sire may revoke his decision at any time which they are together until the child is born.
These ‘contracts’ are not at all like bargains, but they can be if the High Priestess and sire come to terms with whatever it is they are benefitting (as part of the conditions made at the start) aside from bringing a Cauldron-blessed child into the realm.
Because a High Priestess’s womb can often be a desirable rite of passage, as well as still be part of her oath to act on her fertile urges, obtaining multiple sires under one contract at the same time can be done. However, all high fae males participating must agree as well as be informed of whom and all are in lieu with said High Priestess.
A contract can end only if a High Priestess wishes it to. Once a sire agrees, he cannot abandon the contract, nor the babe until it is born. In the matter the sire does not take it, it will be either forced or put onto the next of kin to raise.
If a High Priestess/regular priestess is to fall pregnant because neither her nor her partner were taking the contraceptive tonic, it can be tried before another unbiased member of the Twelve or High Lord/Lady if a contract is then forced into submission as a ‘call’ from the Mother. If the priestess is considered as having ‘dallied’ outside of her mission and did not disclose ahead of time that she was not taking the tonic, she can threatened with removal of the priestesshood out of negligence for her training prior to ascension.
