Worldwide Witch Convention

Every summer, in a remote manor in the countryside of Delvenore, witches from across the world gather for the annual Worldwide Witch Convention, which is normally shortened to just Witch Con. Held by The Mother Coven, this event is open to witches from all Crafts and of any level of expertise. The Con runs for a full three days, ending on the Summer Solstice. The remote location of the manor ensures the witches won’t disturb the general public as things can sometimes get a little wild, especially on the final night.

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"Magic and mayhem, that's what you can expect from the Con! Oh, a word of advice, since this is your first time here I'd avoid accepting any liquids Yalden tries to give you, especially on the first day. They are a brilliant witch, but their potions can definitely have a kick to them, and even they aren't always sure what the potion might do to you. Last year one poor witch was stuck to the ceiling for hours! She just floated right up there and stuck there like glue. Of course she came down eventually - and rather gracefully too, I might add, so no harm was done other than missing out on a competition or two. You better sign up quick for those, by the way, if there are any that catch your eye, as they get filled fast. If things get a bit too much, there are plenty of incredible places to get some peace and quiet - they should all be noted on your map..."

Organised Chaos

At a first glance the Con might appear like pure chaos, but months have been spent in preparation and careful organisation for it, ensuring that the three days run as smoothly as possible. The manor has been modified heavily to meet the needs of all witches and their familiars, with large areas both inside the manor and within the expansive grounds set aside specifically for witches to rest and recharge during the hectic three days.
Upon arrival, each witch recieves a small welcome pack that includes a map of the manor and its grounds, a thick booklet detailing all the coordinated events and those who run them, and a plethora of pamphlets advertising different arcane businesses and services. Among the events organised are courses on how to best care for your broom, a variety of competitions for all Crafts, and, of course, plenty of stalls to pick up unique equipment and reagents.
For the more adventurous witch, there are highly protected rooms of the manor to experiment with new inventions or ingredients. It is partly because of this that the Mother Coven was forced to look for a more private venue to host the Con, due to some rather unfortunate side-effects of such experimentation. Arcane creativity is always a dangerous business, but the Con is one of the safest places to carry out such innovative studies and actively encourages witches to challenge themselves.

Every year the Con has at least one famous witch as a guest speaker to run a seminar or workshop on their area of expertise, or simply to share their stories to inspire and encourage. Arcane schools and academies from across the world are also invited to represent themselves here, with most offering the possibility to study with them for a year or more as part of a foreign exchange.
The grounds of the manor provides a great area for novice witches to improve their flying skills, and for the more experienced to test their skills against one another in aerial races. These races have few rules, other than that the participants must be airborne to cross the finish line. The manner in which the rest of the race is undertaken is up to the individual, and leaves plenty of room for mischief and mayhem, all of which is in good humour.

A Pact of Familiars

Pact (of familiars): the collective noun for when more than one familiar gathers together.

Familiars are more than welcome to attend alongside their witches, the manor having been adjusted to accomodate all sizes and species, whether natural or unnatural. The worst-kept secret of the Con is the fact they have their own private gathering during the event, but there is a quiet agreement amongst the witches to act as though they don’t know, as the familiars like to think of it as their secret.
Before the Mother Coven made use of the country manor, the familiars had little space to call their own away from the witches and would get themselves into all kinds of mischief. While witches may be used to this on a smaller scale, it is incredibly rare to have such a large pact of familiars, and so the mayhem that ensued was often quite considerably magnified. On numerous occassions this caused issues with the general public and was another reason for the Coven to find a new venue for the Con.

Summer Solstice Celebrations

The final night is by far the busiest, as the witches gather together bringing with them all their different cultural traditions to mark the summer solstice. A huge variety of old and new traditions from across the world merge into one here, creating what some have called a "summer spectacle". As the sun begins to set, the evening air comes alive with the sounds of music and singing, this, along with the dancing that follows, can draw creatures and spirits to join the witches. Harmony and positivity is at the heart of these celebrations, both with one another and the world around them. The bonds between witch and familiar are strengthened during this time, which can have the additional affect of enhancing a witches abilities, if temporarily.
The celebrations are concluded with a ritual of Purification. The manner in which this carried out varies according to each witch and their culture and preferences, but the end result is the same. The purpose is to cleanse each witch, as they reflect on the previous months and whatever bad energies might have accumulated, drawing these out and refreshing themselves in preparation for the rest of the year. It is a very personal ritual, and some may choose to do this in privacy as there are those who literally draw out these energies visually. Others use particular herbs to infuse a body of water in which they bathe, cleansing the body as well as mind and spirit. No matter what else happens during the three days of the Con, any witch who partakes in the solstice celebrations will undoubtedly leave fully refreshed.