"sisters bound by blood, silver, and vengeance. once you are marked, you are never alone."
THE SCARLET CIRCLE
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ .
the scarlet circle is a coven of women who turned to dark magic after suffering at the hands of men—or others—bound together by blood oaths and faith.
they are more than just a coven: they are family whose souls are meant to be intertwined for all eternity, from one lifetime to the next.to join is to accept a fate of one's own choosing—no one else's.autonomy. sisterhood. freedom.rage. vengeance. blood.rebirth.they do not kneel for men.
they do not wait for salvation.
they are their own saviors.
CONTENT WARNING
a mature rated pack with many adult themes including mentions of abuse, misandry, ritualistic and cult-like practices.
✦ PINTEREST BOARD ✦
WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?
Time Period: Think 17th century fantasy, rooted in old-world Europe. A liminal place caught between plague years and witch trials, where the rot of one era feeds the righteousness of the next. Kingdoms have splintered and monarchs are dying. The churches grows fat on fear and talks of freedom.Languages & Faith:Latin echoes through the cathedrals, sacred and hollow, but the people cry and curse in Spanish, French and English. Most can’t read the prayers they recite, but they know the cost of forgetting a verse. God is everywhere—etched into doorframes, stitched into bodices, branded into flesh without consent. Infants are baptized before they can crawl. Women are taught to bow their heads before they can speak. Men are given stolen power, taught lessons of cruelty and falsehood. Every sin is cataloged. Every act of desire, defiance, or joy is a mark against the soul. Confession is not a release; it is a ritual of control. Heresy isn’t just punished—it is hunted. A whispered doubt, a misplaced herbal tonic, a child born breech, too early or too late—all of these can be spun into signs of wickedness. The holy men walk the streets and town squares, preaching of damnation and purity, and behind them linger smoke and suspicion.Vibes: IIt is a place of lantern-lit villages and fog-heavy woods near the sea, where the line between the sacred and the profane blurs like choking mist. Cobblestone roads crumble under carriage wheels and horse hoofbeats. Candlelight flickers against stone altars. Crosses hang above every hearth. Rain soaks the earth often and in the summer, it smells of rot and roses. In winter, of ash and prayers, and hungry souls.There are livestock, farmland, markets, hand-bound books, flickering firelight and blood on the church steps. Towns are separated by great stretches of forest. Beyond the borders, few dare to tread. The woods are forever feared—not only for what lives there, but for who might have once fled into them.Market days still come, as they always have. Women sell cloth and honey and hand-bound books beside pigs in slop and bundles of herbs strung up to dry. Gossip coils between the stalls like smoke from roasting meat. Children run barefoot in the streets until the bells ring.
THE BEGINNING
Once, the woods stretched wild between towns, and in those woods gathered women—older women, mostly, cast aside by their families and townsfolk. They were herbalists and midwives, storytellers and spirit-speakers. Some called them witches. Most simply called them auntie. Nana. Mother. Sister.They were never a threat… until the men decided they were.As fear spread like rot through the neighboring towns—of failed crops, of sick children, of barren wives, outspoken daughters—the blame fell as it always does: on women. On those who knew too much. Who lived alone. Who didn’t kneel fast enough when prayers were spoken, who dismayed their husbands one too many times.The burnings, drowning and hunts came swiftly. One town lit the pyres, and the others followed like dogs catching the scent. Old women were dragged from their homes, accused of curses, devils, fleshcraft, adultery and unnamable sins. Some were betrayed by family. Some vanished into the fog, into memories.Few escaped the wrath and slaughter done by men.What came after was not forgiveness. It was not kindness.From the ruin, a new sisterhood formed.A handful of girls, half-feral with grief and fire in their lungs, took to the woods and did not die. They gathered around three broken things: A girl with visions she didn’t understand. A girl with blood on her hands and a betrayal that polluted her heart. A girl who refused to kneel. They were not sisters then. Not yet. Only survivors, girls learning to exist together.But they chose each other. And choice, in a world that offered them none, became their first ritual.They did not call themselves witches. They were not queens. They were not holy. They were women who had been burned and would not be burned again.Together, they stitched a new order in red thread and bone: The High Mother, born of fury, who would one day speak for them all. A woman who gave her blood, her name, her soul to the Circle, and asked others to do the same. The Red Hand, born of violence, who would bleed and be bled in their name. The enforcer, the shield, the blade. Her teeth would never yield. The Silver Hand, born of dreams and soulbinding song. A keeper of rites and renaming, who whispered forgotten truths into the mouths of the willing. She would lead them home.They found others. Some they saved. Some they made. And from these came the first generation of the Circle.Not all the elders burned. A few old ones—the ones who knew better than to wait for salvation—went deeper into the woods and waited. They watched the Circle rise, and they whispered forgotten things back into the mouths of the young. Now, they are called The Council. They are never forgotten and always heard, their place amongst the Circle everlasting.
☽◯☾
KNOWN BY EACH SISTER AND HOUND, THE LAWS OF THE SCARLET CIRCLE ARE ABSOLUTE.
Each Sister is her own, but the High Mother is the tether that binds
her hand is steady, her will unwavering. her word always heard, always heeded.Order is Strength; The Circle Does Not Fracture.
the high mother’s word is law, the red hand’s blade is swift, the council’s wisdom is deep. a Sister who forgets her place forgets her power.Joining is a sacred gift
only those who choose to step into the circle may do so. once the vow is spoken and accepted, it is eternal.The price of life is blood
a new sister must bleed before she is reborn. a child of the circle is bound in silver before they may walk free.You may never truly leave
the bond is unbreakable. even in death, the scarlet circle does not forget its own.Betrayal is met with Blood & Brine
those who turn against the sisterhood are bled dry or drowned in silver-laced (moon-kissed) water but never forgotten. their names are whispered and written into song.No Sister shall kneel to any but herself
“you are your own salvation. power is taken by your own bloodied maw.”The Sisterhood does not beg
a sister may ask, she may demand, she may take—but she will never beg.All debts must be paid in kind
a gift given must be returned. a wound inflicted must be repaid. blood calls for blood.The Scarlet Hand must never be raised against a Sister
to harm another bound in silver is to wound yourself. the only hand that may strike is the hand of judgment.Oaths are spoken in blood, and blood cannot lie
a vow given in the circle cannot be undone. those who break their word will feel it unravel their soul and pay the price.The Moon sees all. The Sea takes what it is owed. The Earth remembers the blood that stains it.
nothing is lost. nothing is forgotten. respect the gifts you are given.Men are not equal
they are tools, consorts, or sacrifices. they may serve, they may be bred, they may give, and they may die.No man may walk the Circle unbound
men enter only by invitation. they may be consorts, vessels, or offerings—but never brothers. men may serve, but he may never lead. men may give, but he may never take. men may live, but only if the circle allows it.Sons belong to the Circle
men are born as shadows, raised as servants or given back to the sea. no son may claim the name of a sister.A Sister’s secrets belong to the Circle, and the Circle alone.
what is whispered in silver stays in silver. to betray this is to forfeit your tongue.The weak are given strength, never pity.
a sister may stumble, but she must never be helpless.The dead are not abandoned.
every sister lost is honored, their name etched into souls, their blood returned to the earth and bodies to the sea.The first cut is your own.
to shed another’s blood, you must first offer your own as a blessing to the earth.Mercy is a choice, not a duty.
a sister may spare, but she is never expected too. the choice is hers and hers alone.
"a sister stands alone, yet never without her kin.”
even within a coven of sisters, there is still a hierarchy.all are equal, but order is everything to ensure the balance never breaks.here, the High Mother guides, the Red Hand enforces, and the Silver Hand binds them in ritual.nearly every members wears blood marks, location determined by rank.
The Original Sisters
The Three Who Guide
☽ The High Mother ☾
matriarch. keeper of blood & oaths. the first among equals.She is who bears the heaviest burden - the hand that delivers judgment and carries the sins of all.Her word is law, and her presence can be either curse or blessing.
☽ The Red Hand ☾
enforcer, executioner. the second among equals.She is the first to strike and the last to fall.
The blood-stained blade of the circle; the shield of its laws.It is her duty to ensure loyalty, discipline, and obedience.
☽ The Silver Hand ☾
keeper of rituals. the soul binder. the third among equals. the original oracle.She is the voice of the circle, the guide in sacred rights and ensures the magic stays alive.She possesses the power to unname, and rename sisters.
The Pillars of the Circle
voices preferred to be unseen by outsiders, if it can be helped.
☽ The Council of Veils ☾
elders. lore keepers. advisorsThey are the keepers of both the deepest rituals and the histories of the circle.These sisters are often the oldest and wisest, whose voices are always heeded by each and every sister, the High Mother included.
☽ The Oracles ☾
the dreamers. the touchedSisters bound to visions, omens, and whispers from beyond. They possess a direct pathway to the sea, the earth, and everything between.Chosen by fate or curse, they are thought to be more than mortal, touched by something beyond.
The Bloodbound
the heart of the circle
☽ The Bloodsworn ☾
warriors. guardians. protectorsThe circle’s teeth; its shield and spear.
Trained in war, bloodshed, sacred battle-rites.Blessed by silver, they are bound to the sisterhood by oaths carved into their skin (self-inflicted scars in places of their choosing)
(unlimited)
☽ The Hollow Eyes ☾
spies. whisperers. unseen bladesSisters that can remain unseen, unheard, who listen when others do not. Masters of deception, trickery, poison, and weapons of secret.
They are sisters sent to travel beyond the circle’s lands, carrying the Circle’s word to those who would listen.
(unlimited)
☽ The Bonewalkers ☾
hunters. foragersThe sisters who stalk, hunting prey, to ensure the circle never goes hungry or grows weak.
They bring offerings to the silver-kissed, feed the young. Dried pelts, bone carvings and berries are harvested by them.
(unlimited)
☽ The Red Weavers ☾
healers. crafters of cursesThe enders of flesh, binders of bone, workers of magic. They oversee births, bless the newborn.
Like their sisters of hollow eyes, the red weavers are skilled in toxins and poisons.
Gentle hands, with unyielding hearts.
(unlimited)
☽ The Red Cloaks ☾
keeper of young. tenders of the elderlyMothers to the lost, the weak, the broken.
They sing lullabies that carry curses, weave protection spells into whispers and tell stories to all who will listen.
(unlimited)
☽ The Thorns ☾
truthseekers. torturers.Sisters with pain as their craft, and truth as their reward.
To learn their trade, they must first willingly experience it themselves. Scars mark their skin.
(limited)
☽ The Silver-kissed ☾
the vessels. the givers. the ones whose blood feeds the circleSisters pure enough to shed each moonright. Their veins are open so the circle may thrive.
Never do they cry nor hesitate.
To be chosen is an honor. To refuse is unthinkable.
They were special veils crafted from the sea.
(limited)
The fresh blood
those yet to find their place
☽ The Bloodborn ☾
true born daughtersSisters born or taken into the scarlet circle at a young age, groomed for power, blood, sacrifice.
Never coddled, or hidden from the truth.
Always loved by each sister, and taught closely until 1y of age.
Safe from ritual or sacrifice.
(unlimited)
☽ The Wildborn ☾
new initiatesOutsiders, yet to be fully welcomed into the circle, whose names are only whispered.
They are watched, tested and judged but still protected.
They are not permitted to speak in council, wield silver freely, or call upon the sea.
(unlimited)
The Threadbare
the blackened
☽ The Shadowborn ☾
the sister’s birthed bloodhoundsSurviving male children allowed minor protection if a sister cannot bear to part with her son.
Fed and raised, but not protected like the sister bloodborn.
Rarely, it has been known for someone to be marked as an oracle or carry blood marks or groomed for ritualistic roles.
(very limited)
☽ The Scarlet Hounds ☾
male servants, consorts, bloodbound beastsMen who have been claimed, collared, or broken who are used for service, pleasure, war, or sacrifice.
They do not eat with the sisters or sleep beside them of their own accord.
They are devoid of blood marks or allowed participation in righteous ritual, deemed unworthy by their birth.
(unlimited)
"to enter is to bleed. to stay is to serve. to rise is to kill.”
RITUALS AND PRACTICES ARE COMMON LAW. EVERY SISTER MUST KNOW THEM LIKE THE BACK OF THEIR HAND.RESPECT FOR THE EARTH, THE SEA AND THE MOON ARE NEVERENDING.please note silver = moon/moonlight "blessed".
The WILDBORN OFFERING ☾
the first blood. the first oath<the first ritual all initiates must endure before they may even begin their trials.>i. > a single drop of their blood is mixed with the blood of the high mother, binding them to the circle forever. this must never be done when the sun is watching.
The Birth of a Sister
◯
a woman seeking entry into the scarlet Circle must come of her own will.
no sister may force another to join. once she has spoken her vow, her first offering is herself.
this MUST happen at night, under the silver moon
The Choice ☾
a choice must be made.I. > the initiate stands before the high mother, the red hand, and the hand. at this time, no words may pass the lips of any sister.× if the initiate stays, she has chosen her fate. she has chosen the circle.
× if initiate leaves, she is forgotten. she will never return.II. > If the initiate has chosen to stay, the silver hand steps forward. she presses a kiss of blood to the initiate’s crown and whispers: "you are known."
The First Cut ☾
to shed another blood, you must first offer your own.i. > the initiate must willingly cut her paw, her foreleg, her muzzle, or her chest with a silver-kissed claw or sacred stone× her blood is to be spilled upon the circle’s sacred ground as an offering, a gift. (some say the earth swallows the blood. others say the moon takes it)ii. > the circle speaks as one: "the earth swallows. the moon takes. the sea remembers."
The Binding ☾
a sister does not walk free until she is bound in silver.i. > the silver hand steps forward and marks her—a scar kissed with silver— leaving behind a permanent wound of devotion. as the silver burns into her flesh× the silver hand speaks:
“The Circle is eternal. Blood remembers.
You are bound, as we are bound.
You are silver, as we are silver.
You are scarlet, as we are scarlet.
The Sisterhood takes you, and you take us.
Speak your vow, and be made whole again."× the initiate must then speak:
“I vow my blood, my body, my breath.
I vow my fangs, my claws, my soul.
I vow my love, my loyalty, my vengeance.
Bound by silver. Bound by blood. Bound forever.""iii. > the circle calls as one:
"she is ours. she is free. she is home."
The Drowning ☾
silver and sea always cleanse.<for sisters in search of vengeance or memories left behind, the silver drowning is offered.
this may happen at any time after joining, so long as one of the original sisters or a council member is present.>i. > select initiates, especially those seeking vengeance, may undergo the silver drowning. they are submerged in a moonlit pool infused with silver until their lungs are filled with saltwater.x if they survive, they are seen as reborn. stronger, purged of weakness.
x if they do not, the sea has taken what it was owed.
The Veil-Bleeding ☾
<for those chosen to become the silver-kissed.i. > these sisters must bleed beneath the full moon. their veins opened by the silver hand.ii. > once the first drop falls, their blood is mixed with silver dust and then carved into sigils upon their skin.iii. > the silver hand then makes them a veil created from dried kelp, bones and shells. no veil is alike.
Blood & Brine ☾
Saltburn Rite ☾
The Kept Sons ☾
motherhood is a curse and a blessing< for the rare times a mother wishes to keep a son.i. > a woman must first admit her sin for loving a son, then allow the first feeding.ii. > her son is left upon rocks out at the sea or shoreline. if the son survives into the morning, he is brought home and marked by the mother.
The Last Gift ☾
a sister always gives.<when a sister grows old, weak, or loses her magic, she should not die naturally.>I. > She is laid upon an altar, bled dry, and her magic is given back to the circle. each sister must taste her blood and bleed for her.I. > a celebration is held. song, music, dance and a feast.
one of the beaches... will have to rework this
BLY
the high mother
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3.5y. she/her.
(npc note: what is this character normally doing? where are they usually?)
ELSWYTH
the red hand
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age. she/her.
(npc note: what is this character normally doing? where are they usually?)
open for adoption!
the silver hand
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age. she/her.
(npc note: what is this character normally doing? where are they usually?)
???
rank
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age she/her.
(npc note: what is this character normally doing? where are they usually?)
???
rank
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age. she/her.
(npc note: what is this character normally doing? where are they usually?)
???
rank
profile
age. she/her.
(npc note: what is this character normally doing? where are they usually?)