The Handmaidens of Lilith
From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki
This is reposted from OES documentation for the pleasure of the Atlantic Community. Works by Azalin of OES.
Yet mystery and manifestations Arise from the same source. This source is called darkness. Darkness within darkness. The gateway to all understanding.- Lao-tzu, Tao Te Ching
The Coven is a Circle within the Handmaidens that consists of witches, druids, sorceresses and other female mystical professions that revere Lilith. This Circle draws upon its magical strength through various foci, reagents and rituals that tap into the Night Queen's power. Blood rituals, sex magicks, curses, alchemical potions, stone runes and words of power are just a few methods in which the women in the Coven ply their arcane trade.
Like the Lilim, the Coven believe that magick is but one sphere under the Dark Mother's influence. Unlike the Lilim however, the enchantresses in the Coven do not claim to possess a direct channel to the Goddess and rely on the above mentioned methods to invoke Her dark blessings. At times these different manners in which these two Circles of the Handmaidens work the Mother's will causes rifts amongst themselves and their interactions with one another can become strained. The Lilim believe that they are closest to Lilith via their undeviating connection to Her and can often be haughty about it. Those in the Coven, however, believe they themselves are superior due to the fact that they can serve the Dark Mother in a multitude of ways and are not stuck in just one set paradigm as they believe the Lilim to be in.
When facing common threats and enemies or undertaking tasks set forth by the Queen of Demons, the two Circles work exceedingly well together. When the two factions work their considerable power together in unison there is very little that can stand in their way. Both of the Circles often command the other two groups within the Handmaidens. Magick often has sway over the physical prowess of the Brood and the intangible seductions of the Lamiae.
As one can imagine, there are many different arcane magick workers within the Coven. Just about every conceivable method of weaving spells and crafting charms can be and have been incorporated by the sorceresses. The Coven is always on the search for new possibilities of bringing forth Lilith's might and as such are the most scholarly of all the Handmaidens. The Coven as a whole never snubs its nose at rumors or tales of new magicks. They see all such claims as possible tools to use for the betterment of the Handmaidens as a whole, until proven otherwise. Gargish spells, orcish shamanism, dwarvish runes and necromantic rites all have a place within the Coven. The magi within the Coven believe that they are to explore the worlds of supernatural creatures and study their legends and myths, for Lilith is their creator, and each holds a piece of the puzzle. The Coven's strength is in its diversity. One can never be sure what manner of spell caster or will worker one shall stumble across when facing a Handmaiden from the Coven.
Let them hate, so long as they fear. - Lucius Accius, Fragment
The Lilim are the most religious Circle within the Handmaidens of Lilith. All Handmaidens pay homage to the Queen of the Night and recognize Her power and authority of course but those that are Lilim make it their life goal to spread the teachings of Lilith and to work Her will upon the land.
It is known among many scholars that the word "lilim" means a male or more often, female, child of Lilith. Most often the term is in reference to daemons and monsters of the infernal persuasion. However, within the Handmaidens, the priestesses of the Dark Mother are given this honorary title and ranking for their close ties and direct links to the Goddess. They are seen as the First Daughters of Lilith and revered as such by the other Handmaidens. Along with the reverence from the other sisters there sometimes lies envy and resentment towards the First Daughters.
The Lilim are often found spreading the revelations of Lilith throughout the land as well as endorsing what most would see as feminist movements for all females, whether they are servants of the Light or the Dark. Out of all the Circles within the Handmaidens, the Lilim are the most renown for their apparent hatred for the male species. This is not to say that all Lilim despise mankind but they are the most vocal among the Handmaidens for equal rights among the sexes and in some cases superior rights for women. Most males of course view this as a threat to their control over the world and hence are threatened by such view points and social movements. Whereas some Lilim are merely vocal in their actions to change the current state of affairs in Sosaria, others take matters into their hands in a very physical manner. It is no wonder then why such races as the dark elves find this religion so appealing.
Most Priestesses of the Lilim worship Lilith solely, yet it must be noted that there have been several converts in the past and will continue to be more in the future. It is almost always the case that the converted priestess worshipped another evil female deity. There are several instances when the clergy member still worships the former object of their religious fervor as well as the Dark Mother. The pure followers of Lilith view this with acceptance (and only a slight note of superiority) for they know that other female deities of darkness are but variant incarnations and avatars of the True Dark Mother. A few goddesses that are accepted within the mythos of Lilith and her Incarnations are, Lloth the Spider Queen and goddess of the dark elves, Takhisis a draconian goddess of Evil and Darkness and Hecate a goddess of witchcraft and black magicks.
There will be a time to murder and create. - T. S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred. Prufrock
Weapons are tools of ill omen. - Sun Tzu, The Art of War
All of the Circles within the Handmaidens of Lilith are feared but perhaps none more so than the Brood. This Circle has a devastating flair for being ruthless, cunning and exceedingly militant. Warriors, assassins, mercenaries, bounty hunters and more fill the ranks the Brood, the sword arm of Lilith. Mixed in with the fear of the Brood there is a strong dose of hatred as well. It is one thing to fight an enemy, blade to blade, on the battlefield but when you find that your opponent is a woman, perceptions can change quickly. Men typically fear and hate what they do not know and many do not know, nor how to handle, women fighting them face to face. The Brood are teaching them, however.
The women in the Brood are known to match, if not surpass, the Lilim in their strong negative viewpoints towards men. Either the Brood women came from cultures where the woman was stronger than the man or they came from a culture where they had to prove themselves against incredible odds in order to achieve ranking on the battlefields that men controlled. Either way they normally see men as a challenge they must face or an obstacle long past overcome, neither of which bodes well for the men they encounter.
As with the Lilim, many female dark elves can be found within the Brood. Their culture has practically bred them for the two Circles.
Among the other Circles, the Brood find the most common ground with the Lilim. Often they work together and in fact some paladins function equally well within the two Circles. Along with sharing similar opinions on mankind and their place in the world, the two factions operate well together in a very symbolic manner. The Lilim being the will and wisdom of the Dark Mother and the Brood being the physical presence, the body if you will, of the Goddess. They tend to rely on each other more closely than any other Circle relations within the Handmaidens. A Brood member will almost always aid a Lilim with more priority than other Handmaidens, excluding sister Brood.
The Coven and Lamiae are often seen with either distrust or disgust. Not many Brood are proficient in the arcane ways as the Coven witches are and hence do not trust the powers that the Coven members seem to possess. The Lamiae, on the other hand, are merely thought of as spoiled little children who like to play with their toys too much. A Brood sister will normally put on a face of tolerance and understanding, when around her fellow Lamiae Handmaiden, but within they rarely can fathom why the Lamiae are so fascinated with first enslaving and then (in some fashion usually) devouring men. All too cat and mouse for the more action oriented Brood.
Her skin of silk, her eyes acharm, Her voice of glass, her flaming hair. I sense her lust, she means me harm, My heart is hers, I do not care.
Sing, sing, in love I sigh
Without her touch, I'll surely die.
Weep, weep, my death is nigh,
And by her lips I die.
My heart is ice, my tongue is stone,
My blood runs cold, my spirit fled.
Dead fields of joy where salt is sown,
My love has gone and left me dead.
- The Succubus' Wedding
Temptation has always been a thorn in mankind throughout history. Whether it is from a circumstantial happenstance, a weak will or a charming seductress who entices the yearnings found deep within, all have faced it and all have succumbed at one point or another. Even the most devoted man has wondering eyes when someone he finds attractive crosses his path. Even the most pious priest of holy faith has thoughts of leading a different life, answering to no one but himself. Even the most virtuous Sage has knowing insights of how his life would be easier if he just caved in to using an anti-virtue instead, when the upholding of virtues can prove so difficult.
The Lamiae know what it is like to want something. Of what it is like to lust for what one cannot or should not have. Of how much easier it is to take the short road over the long road. The Lamiae know and the Lamiae provide.
This highly controversial Circle houses many different types of creatures and professions. Anything from night-bound vampires to infernal succubi to voluptuous harlots can be found among the Lamiae. The common thread connecting the Lamiae is their ability to cajole, tempt, entice and seduce others into committing actions that ultimately serve the Handmaidens and Lilith. The manner in which a Lamia works her cunning ways varies from woman to woman. Some use innate powers such as the Vampires and Succubi, while some use the persuasion of music and their voices like Sirens and bards and others use merely their looks and the promises of love, sex and power. The truly frightening thing is that many Lamiae are proficient in using all of the above abilities, powers and tricks to seduce a man to a fate often worse than death.
Not all, but several of the supernatural Lamiae use their charms to lure a man into their clutches for the purpose of draining them of some vital energy such as their blood or even their soul. Their victims, once ensnared, often begin to waste away, more and more, upon each visit from their newfound mistress. Eventually nothing remains but a dried up husk to be fed to the scavengers or a shell of a man who walks through life with his will broken, just waiting to die.
For the Lamiae who do not feed off of the energies of their victims they use their slaves for resources such as money, power and political status that ultimately serves the entirety of the Handmaidens
To a fault the Lamiae are exceptionally beautiful. Even the ones, whose true form is not pleasing to the eye, have powers to make themselves appear as whatever their chosen victim wishes to see. Illusion and enchantment magicks run strong in this Circle.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the other Circles often look down upon the Lamiae. The Lilim, Coven and Brood rarely have pleasant things to say in regard to the Lamiae and their apparently frivolous ways. Why waste time in making sexual and flirtatious overtures to a man when a simple spell or well-placed blade can procure a similar result? However, few can argue their effectiveness in the end. The Lamiae claim that the other Circles are jealous due to the beauty and charm that the seductresses possess. Not only that but all Handmaidens know that Lilith, Herself, was the first harlot, the first sexual pioneer and lover of many. Lilith is the Queen of Succubi and as a result the Lamiae believe that they are closest to the Goddess for they are a direct reflection of Her dark beauty.
Succubi - Corynn Corvus
tonight i dream of Succubi-
with forms as exotic dancers
graced by huge gray wings
and gripping with ivory claws,
gnashing their pearly teeth--
their eyes, like cats, narrow in fury
and tails lash about like living things-
snakes following behind--
the cold deamon flesh- pale as a dying moon, dark as a star's shadow- is warmed by their lust- they lust for my blood--
and they descend upon me ripping me to shreds tracing and retracing lines down my arching back-- and their needle teeth bite and they run their tongues along offered neck- they touch and taste every piece of me pressing their skin- burning like coals- against my breast as i scream in ecstasy-- and i die in the arms of Succubi- and i do not cry for mercy--
A recounting of the Dark Mother, Her existence in Sosaria and the roles of Her daughters.
Her lips were red, her looks were free, Her locks were yellow as gold: Her skin was white as leprosy, The nightmare Life-in-Death was she, Who thicks man's blood with cold. - Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
The legend of Lilith is as ancient as the story of creation itself. Throughout several planes of existence, through several names and identities, Lilith has been known as the first sentient, female being. Born immortal, She instantly assumed the power of a Goddess, the first and most powerful Goddess. In descriptions and stories of other goddesses, especially ones whose profiles incorporate feminine strength, evil or seduction, there can always be found a common thread that links back to the Dark Mother. All such goddesses are incarnations of Lilith.
It details in many venerable texts how the Creator made both Lilith and the first man, whose name has been stricken from the disciples' vocabulary, for none may mention the first man's true name due to the sins he committed to the Goddess. She existed for some time with the first man but found Herself unhappy with Her lot in life, for the first man treated Her not as an equal but as a serving wench, always second to him. In Her growing unease, Lilith taught Herself many things and became exceedingly knowledgeable and powerful in the ways of Her form, the land and the heavens. However even that could not pacify Her sense of dismay. After it was made apparent by both the first man and the Creator that Lilith was to fulfill nothing but a subservient role to Her husband, She used the powers innate to Her immortal essence and left the two to their realm to make Her own destiny elsewhere.
In Her many travels through the myriad planes of reality, She encountered many a strange creature. In Her newfound mental, spiritual and sexual freedom, the Goddess dabbled and mated with these creatures as She deemed fit. From these couplings, Lilith gave birth to one hundred of the Lilim, demons and creatures of the supernatural, on a daily basis. From this aspect Lilith had become the Queen of Demons. To her offspring and other creatures of the Night, Lilith taught them the use of magick and the powers innate to their forms. From this aspect Lilith is seen as the mother of all sentient, supernatural creatures and as the first true mage.
As the first recorded female entity, Lilith has assumed all of the feminine traits, both good and bad, accorded to the female species of any race. However, due to the treatment of women throughout the ages by the discriminating hands of mankind, the Dark Mother has embodied the more negative characteristics more strongly than the positive. Through the skewed perceptions of mankind towards a deity who embodies and encourages equal rights among the sexes, Lilith has become a monstrous she-devil, a vixen of utter anti-virtue and sin. To all but Her own children and those who recognize and pay homage to Her, she is as such. To the Lilim and Her allies She is as caring and nurturing as any mother figure can be.
While many cultures revile Lilith as the epitome of evil femininity, in others She has come to represent the fight for women's equality and free sensuality. The Handmaidens revere Her for all of her aspects, both of the light and the dark, equally.
Heaven hath no rage like love to hatred turned
Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.
- William Shakespeare
The Handmaidens of Lilith have been in existence since shortly after the birth of the realm of Sosaria. They exist on other planes of reality as well. Wherever the Demon Queen has set forth Her attention, the Handmaidens have sprung into being.
The Goddess is worshipped through Her own Handmaidens, that had been previously scattered to the four winds up until recent times, as well as through the many different faiths of demi-human entities that dwell in Sosaria. Those faiths that are the closest tied to the original aspect of Lilith are that of Lloth the Demon Queen of Spiders and that of Takhisis the Queen of Darkness. Considering that these and other similar deities are incarnations of the Goddess, it is no wonder why Her power has been strong and has been growing stronger in Sosaria for some time. Especially in light of recent events throughout the lands.
The Cycle of Lilith and the Revelations of the Dark Mother, both revered tomes of holy scriptures and prophecies, have detailed how the coming of one of the Goddess' chosen incarnations shall bring a new found sense of power and unity to the Handmaidens. That when this incarnation made its presence known and split the world asunder that it would be the time for the many different species, races and creatures of the Dark Mother to make their presence formally known.
This incarnation is known to the populous as Minax the Enchantress. Upon her appearance and her role in the upheaval of the realm and it being split into two, Felucca and Trammel, the daughters of Lilith knew that their time had finally come. The Handmaidens revere the Enchantress as the chosen Avatar of the Goddess and currently seek Minax out to carry out her, and therefor Lilith's, bidding.
Until that time, the Handmaidens have been busy with establishing themselves within Caina, the city of Evil, on the frozen tundra of Dagger Isle. After many years of strong alliance with the Order of the Ebon Skull, the Handmaidens of Lilith married into the Order and have become one strong entity, as if straight from legend itself. It may seem somewhat bizarre for the Handmaidens to find a common bond with the Necromancers and Undead of Oblivion but the Revelations of the Dark Mother contain the principle reasons why such an alliance had been formed and why the strange courting period ended in a marriage of dark design. After Lilith left the first man and the Creator (the antithesis of Oblivion), it has been recorded that She encountered many beings. The Revelations state that Lilith met within these travels the greatest of evils who, after being courted by the Queen of Night, became Her mate. The ancient texts bear the true and venerable name of Oblivion as this powerful evil. Together through the negative energies of Entropy and the life bearing fruits of the Dark Mother, the two deities created many races of daemon-kin, as well as the first of the greatly feared Undead. This is one reason why many Kindred look upon Lilith as the Mother of Vampires and many Necromancers invoke Her name in addition to Oblivion within their rituals. Now that the bonding is complete, the Handmaidens now reside inside the Order as an all female faction of devout worshippers of both Lilith and Her mate Oblivion which spans across the entire guild, within each Sect. A more dreadful union has never been known.
Variety is the mother of Enjoyment.
- Benjamin Disraeli, Vivian Grey
Learned scholars and sages know that one of the Holy symbols frequently used in reverence to Lilith is the circle divided into four equal parts. This is the adopted favored symbol for the Handmaidens. The symbolism in this choice is apparent. The Handmaidens of Lilith are formed of four Circles. Each Circle represents an aspect of the Dark Mother and together they embody the concepts of Lilith in Her entirety.
The Lilim represent the will and wisdom of the Goddess. The Lilim (not to be confused with the more generic term for demons and other creatures born by Lilith) are named as such due to their extremely close and personal bond with the Dark Mother. They are the First Daughters of Lilith, closest to her thoughts and emotions.
The Lamiae embody both the softer more feminine side of Lilith as well as the darker more sexual side. Succubi, vampires, whore and sirens alike join the Circle of the Lamiae. None have the power to discredit or shame these beautiful women for they know that they are but one of many aspects of the Night Queen and revel in their depravity and sensuality as She does.
The Coven is the mystical and arcane aspect of the Mother of Magick. They represent her vast knowledge and power of the mind. There is no riddle too challenging, no puzzle that cannot be pieced together and no secret that cannot be learned by those within the Coven. Those witches and sorceresses in the Coven are the most ardent in the search for Minax.
The Brood personify the physical strength and the knowledge of warfare and combat that Lilith possesses. Amazonian in their might and demeanor, they carry out the needs of the Lilim and the other Circles when military matters are called for. There are very few men who can match a Brood sister in combat and walk away not limping.
Together they make the entirety of the Handmaidens, favored children of Lilith. The time for stepping out of the shadows for all to witness their terrible beauty has come.