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 common sight, and Dawn legends are replete with personal encounters between Knights-errant and powerful Eternals, despite the clear impossibility of such encounters outside the Hall of Worlds. What is clear is that for better or worse, some Eternals take a particular interest in the Dawn people, particularly her nobility.

Those who study magic are called Witches in Dawn. Witches can be men or women, although some male witches have recently taken to calling themselves warlocks, rather than witches, a habit regarded as somewhat pretentious by many. Witches in Dawn are split between war witches who remain part of a noble house and those who join the weaving cabals which are usually separate from them.

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.

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 mages 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.

Much of their time is spent weaving cloth, embroidering banners and the like, in addition to weaving protective charms 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 Dawn 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 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 Enchantress. A witch who becomes Earl of a house is often called an Enchantress (technically an Enchanter if male). Many make pacts with the Eternals to further enhance their arcane powers. Enchantresses have played a key role in the history of the Dawn, notably in the split from the Marches, and also as patrons and paramours of famous Knights.