Dawn magical traditions

Of all the Nations of the Empire, Dawn seems to be the most closely affected by the magic of the Eternals. Heralds, the faithful servants of the Eternals, are a much more common sight here than anywhere else, and Dawn legends are replete with personal encounters between nobles and powerful Eternals. What is clear is that for better or worse, some Eternals take a particular interest in the Dawn people, particularly in the nobility.

Those who study magic are called Witches in Dawn. Witches can be men or women, and are generally split between two traditions. The War Witches are nobles who fight alongside the Knights of their noble houses, while the weaving cabals tend to be yeomen and strive to remain separate from the noble houses.

War Witches train alongside a house's knights, using their magical skills to deliver aid at the most pivotal moments of battle. Some are skilled with weapons, but all are drilled so that they can keep their wits in the thick of battle. As a result the noble houses regard their witches every bit as important as their knights. Even if they are not martially minded themselves, War Witches offer magical support to the rest of their household, often in the form of magical healing. While some War Witches explore ritual magic, the majority concentrate their efforts on mastering useful incantations. The glorious and forthright nature of Dawnish nobles often means that they are often a little sceptical of the more group-oriented practice of ritual magic.

Dawn mages who eschew the tradition of the war witches usually study ritual magic, often focusing on weaving as part of a weaver's cabal. The first weaving cabals began as a place for noble magicians to trade skills and cultivate magical and crafting techniques, but eventually they found it more effective to leave their houses to work magic together. Over time the cabals became independent of the Dawn houses, choosing their own heads and even adopting their own children. As the cabals cannot set Tests of Mettle, they include yeomen amongst their numbers. It is not uncommon for a noble to forsake their noble house when they join a weaving cabal, as a form of self-imposed exile or retirement.

Much of their time is spent weaving cloth, embroidering banners and similar arts. As well as being beautiful and practical works of art, the items the waevers produce tend to have protective charms woven into them. Some cabals now practice other forms of ritual magic but Summer magic remains closely tied up to the making and embroidering of cloth. A properly Witch-woven banner from Dawn is the envy of every military unit in the empire.

Many weaver cabals perform magics to bring good fortune to villages, fertile harvests and good weather. As a result they tend to be more popular with Dawnish yeomen than the war witches prized by the noble houses. The popularity of the weaver cabals has translated into considerable political clout. As a result few noble houses will refuse a request by a noble witch to study with a weaver's cabal even if they harbour a fear that the student may not return to their house.

Although secretive, and rarely acknowledged, some witches specialize in curses. Several famous tales speak of knights who jilted their magical lovers, only to find their enchanted banner a curse that ensured their defeat and dishonour instead of victory.

The apogee of magical power in Dawn is the tradition of the Enchanter, a witch who becomes Earl of a house. Wielding both the magic of incantation and ritual, Enchanters are viewed as mystical powerhouses regardless of their actual abilities, not least because they often have the resources of their entire house at their command. Many make pacts with the Eternals to further enhance their arcane powers, and deal with Eternals on a more-or-less equal footing, backing up their magical might with political clout. Enchanters have played a key role in the history of the Dawn, and in stories are often portrayed as patrons and paramours of famous Knights.