Winter Witches

The Winter Witches rule the Sabrelands with an iron wand.

Structure

While Winter Witch is the name given by outsiders to all of the witches in the clan coven ruled by High Winter Queen Khlodelle, within the strict hierarchy of the clan itself, there are three witch tiers:

The lowest tier consists of witches who may have any patronage and have not specialised into winter specifically. Although granted fewer privileges than the other tiers, their presence keeps the clan heterogenious and less vulnerable.
Next are the winter witches, who are followers of Winter that have pledged themselves to the path of Zima, but have not (yet) reached their full winter potential.
Finally, there are the Zimavedma, the most prestigious level, answering only to the High Queen and their winter patron. These powerful witches, who are almost always female, work closely with their Zima Spirit patrons, who are always members of Ded Moroz's immediate family.

Non-witches of the clan come further down the chain below any of the witches:

The witchs' families, arranged by the rank of the witch, are given special treatment among non-witches.
The regular subjects, known as the Winter People, are the educated class.
Next come the Servants of Winter, the serf class.
At the bottom are the Kholops (slaves). These are normally children who have been stolen from elsewhere, or sacrificed by the surrounding tribes, for the High Queen to drain their youth to increase her own power.