Velhot of Väinädin (ˈʋel.hot ˈof ˈʋæi.næ.din)

"They are devious, scheming manipulators, who keep their membership hidden and have infiltrators all over the Great Ring. They claim to be serving the greater good in the long run, but can we trust them?" - Cadwgan ap Llywarch, the Brenin of Elmet

The Velhot of Väinädin are an organization of True Mages in the service of the Haltijat god Väinädin, who carry out his mission in the world. They prefer to work behind the scenes to achieve their goals, and will not hesitate to lie, cheat, or deceive when dealing with others. Most often, they will keep both their affiliation with Väinädin and their abilities as a True Mage secret from all around them. The best intelligence available says that they are the second-largest group of True Mages in the Great Ring, exceeded only by the Burj Alhikma. It is possible that this is an illusion they have created, and it is impossible to prove the true size of the organization.

Structure

Each of the Velhot is an independent agent, operating directly on the orders of Väinädin. They rarely know many of their colleagues; most of the Velhot only know the person who recruited them and trained to use their gift for magic. When their missions cross, they can identify each other by certain code phrases paired with spells only taught by the Velhot for this purpose - this spell notifies Väinädin when it is used and records who witnessed it, allowing the god to keep track of which of his agents know each other.

When being accepted into the Velhot of Väinädin, each agent reveals their true name to the god, giving Väinädin the ability to target them with irresistable magics wherever they travel. This is a sign of trust from the new recruit, and is also a matter of practical utility. With their True Name, Väinädin can easily communicate with the Velhot, and coordinate their actions in the field. He prefers this method over making the Velhot into Avatars for a few reasons; one is that avatars of a god can always spot others with the same kind of connection, which would compromise many of their subterfuges. More importantly, an avatar can be used as a channel back to their god, and Väinädin chooses not to take such a risk.

Public Agenda

The Velhot of Väinädin do not maintain a high profile in the world, and most people have never heard of them. However, that does not mean they are completely unknown, and they have revealed the ultimate purpose of their mission on occasion when it was necessary to form alliances with individuals and organizations in the Great Ring.

In short, the Velhot of Väinädin act to carry out the mission Väinädin accepted when he became a god. He was granted apotheosis by the mysterious being known to him as Kettu, who charged Väinädin with the protection and nurturing of the world. Väinädin's mission is to preserve and improve the world, steering it towards a brighter future without anyone ever knowing there was a hand on the tiller. The Velhot see themselves as heroes, carrying out the necessary corrections that will eventually shape the world that is to come. Most importantly, they claim to have thwarted several threats to the survival of the world itself, since a world that has been destroyed can never be improved.

Known Velhot

While most of the organization is hidden, some of the Velhot are known to organizations like the Lorekeepers of Foxbridge and the Glass Shadows. One of these is Ilmatar Väinölä, who claims to have retired from the Velhot to run a tavern in Aabo. Another is a person known only as Red, who seems to have the ability to radically change their appearance at a whim.

Red

Red

Ilmatar Väinölä

Identification of other Vehlo are less certain, but include people from all the species and cultures in the Great Ring. It cannot be determined how many of these are real, and how many illusory.

Type

Secret, Religious sect

Demonym

Velho

Leader

Väinädin

Deities

• Väinädin

Location

Saari

Notable Members

• Ilmatar Väinölä
• Väinädin

True Mages? What's special about them?

Most people in the Great Ring are not born with the ability to perform Magic. This gift is present in roughly one in a million individuals, and no way has been found to induce it in those not born with the talent. While anyone can learn to practice one of the traditions of Folk Magic, the powers of these arts are extremely limited when compared to the feats available via Magic. In the great ring, the common term for those with the gift for Magic is True Mage, and there are probably less than a hundred of them alive today. You can read more about Magic here.

The Sacrifice of Despair

When Väinädin was granted godhood by Kettu, the elder god demanded that he sacrifice his ability to despair before recieving the gift of prophecy and knowledge. This sacrifice has shaped the plans and schemes of Väinädin ever since. He is incapable of giving up, or losing hope. No matter how ridiculous the odds against one of Väinädin's missions might be, he cannot abandon his goals, only create larger and more convoluted schemes by which to accomplish them. Whatever Kettu intended by this sacrifice, the long-term consequences have resulted in a strange kind of madness, where Väinädin has moved beyond the acceptance that anything he requires might be impossible. You can read more about Väinädin and his history here.