White Hand Clan
The White Hand are a clan of Olona that long ago broke from the Red Tooth Clan. They are famed magic-users among the Olona, and hold a position of political power that far outweighs what they would normally be afforded for the small size of the Clan. The White Hand are the largest faction of unaligned mages on the continent, but the Order of the Eye leaves them alone as they do not provide spellcasting services for the Empire or anyone besides themselves.
Structure
The White Hand are closely knit even for Olona. They are a matriarchal magocracy, their most powerful female mage called Ugrshi, The Mother, leads them with the aid of her Coven, a circle of powerful magic-users that each represent a different school or practice of magic. It is not uncommon for White Hand to send their future leaders to study at The University for a few years to better understand practical magical theory.
Culture
The White Hand practice a strict code of honor, broken down into the Five Fingers, or The Tenets.
- The Clan Is Your Own And The Clan Is Family: No White Hand is to marry or even keep friends from outside of the Clan. They may not speak of the Clan or it's practices when away from home. Anyone caught associating with the Black Hand is to be exiled.
- Magic Is Sacred Of The Gods And Must Be Respected: White Hand must give precedence to magic users of greater power than themselves, especially within the Clan. White Hand children that show no affinity for magic are exiled from the Clan. Anyone caught mishandling magic or practicing Forbidden Spells are punished according to the severity of their crimes and if not killed are exiled from the Clan.
- The Mother's Word Is Law: Members of the White Hand must follow the orders of the Urgshi without question. It is for the Coven, not for the individual, to call into question her ability to lead. Disobedience breeds disaster.
- The Dead Are To Be Honored: Necromancy is strictly forbidden, as is the disturbing of graves even if they were not of the White Hand. White Hand mages are typically versed in the funeral practices of the Empire's many peoples so they can serve in that role when others are unable. Speaking ill of the dead is akin to pissing on their grave.
- Knowledge Is Power: A White Hand makes it their life's work to learn endlessly. One never knows when an obscure bit of trivia might help.
Public Agenda
To preserve the traditions of the White Hand
Assets
The Clan grows many medicines on their land, which they trade for gold or supplies to fuel their endless studies of the arcane. When they come into a significant fortune, they spend the gold immediately on training at The University for their youngest members, and on rare occasions pay for a Scholar of Magic to come to their tower and train the youth directly. It is rumored that the White Tower holds as many magic items in it's depths as a Mage's Guild outpost.
History
The White Hand formed as a splintering of the Red Tooth shortly after the Death of Skaldor and the beginning of the Red Dragon War. The Red Tooth went to fight on behalf of Birgit the Dragon for her claim to the Imperial Throne, while the White Hand, previously the magical arm of the Red Tooth, insisted that it was not the place of Orcs to fight the human's battles for them. They left the Clan and founded their own at the Bogsh Norkanti, The Bone Tower or The White Tower, which Olona legend holds was the place where the first ever wizard learned their trade. Within two centuries, the White Hand itself splintered again, with a majority remaining White Hand and a few leaving to form the Black Hand. The two remain the most bitter of rivals, though the White Hand has repaired relations with the Red Tooth.
Founding Date
146 EK
Type
Geopolitical, Clan
Alternative Names
The Warlocks
Predecessor Organization
Successor Organization
Parent Organization
Location
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
Related Myths
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