Let’s learn all about the Hace Ascension, an order of female sorcerers in DireLands. Join Adam as he explores his DireLands fantasy campaign setting. You can learn more about DireLands here: https://reverendcampbell.com/direlands/
About DireLands Fantasy Campaign Setting
DireLands is a system agnostic, dark fantasy tabletop roleplaying campaign setting. It was created by Adam P. Campbell in 2024. DireLands is set in a land that is in the final century of an ice age that saw the rise of the Witch-Queen who subjugated the three realms’ populations and cast out the demi-human races. The Triumvirate rose in the last century and liberated two of the three nations, but after their victory, they have become corrupt themselves.
Transcript
Cold Open
This once revered order seeks to further its influence in Bressus and rejects any resistance to females practicing sorcery.
Intro
Welcome to this continuation of my DireLands system agnostic, dark fantasy campaign setting! My name is Adam and in this episode I will be discussing the all-female sorcerous order Hace Ascension in DireLands. If you appreciate the development of this campaign setting, or the features of other games on this channel, I would like to invite you to consider becoming a patron on Patreon. You can even purchase tabletop roleplaying games using my affiliate link in the description below.
Details
The Hace Ascension is an all-female fraternity of sorcerers. Their history is one of bloody infighting and public distrust. But no organization in Bressus would dare refuse an audience with one of its mothers. To understand the Hace Ascension, one must understand the gods. For it is in their honor that the Hace Ascension was founded and ultimately, their ties to the cosmic balance is the reason they are distrusted to this day. But that was not always the case. Before the fall of the Witch-Queen, the Hace Ascension was regularly consulted by the Triumvirate on cosmic omens, and the timing of tactics.
The Sacred Order of Hace, also known as the Hace Ascension, was formed by the Universal Mother, Laeph Hacuul. In fact the order took the name of its patron as she formed the coven in 1751 A.M., or ‘After Men Arrived from the West’. She was a devout follower of the gods, Danu the Mother Goddess in particular. It is believed that Laeph was granted a vision by the Mother, revealing the coming of a patron who would liberate the races of Ciar-mhonadh (kierd-vonnig) and unite its disparate peoples. Convinced that the coming of these patrons would happen in her lifetime, she began to define and practice the arts granted to her by Danu. These cosmic teachings were feminine in form, and could be directed most effectively against the male and androgynous amongst the population. But that did not stop her coven from using it against each other.
As the coven was becoming more organized, and the Sacred Structure of the Mother was being defined, sub-groups began to spring up and in 1746 A.M. an internal schism solidified itself. The Sacred order of Hace, as the coven came to refer to itself, wanted to preserve the teachings of its founder Laeph Hacuul, but the Second Circle of the Mother led by Grendal Jav, believed they should use their power to overthrow the burgeoning Bressus government, especially with the failed coup of the Domhain Clach (Tow-un Kla-kh). But their teachings centered on preparing for the coming of their patrons, not to interfere with the affairs of men.
Ultimately this ended in the Bloody Night of Kin. In the Sacred Grove of Kin, outside Valcaston, the Second Circle attempted their own coup. They turned their power against the Sacred Order and brutally tortured and killed the entire First Circle. Had the Universal Mother been in attendance, the Second Circle would have overrun the Sacred Order, but she was experiencing an unusually painful menstruation, and gave authority to her second, the Bosom Mother Eve Ansel, to run the ritual in her stead. Upon hearing of the assassination, and arriving to witness the aftermath, the once thriving Sacred Order had been all but annihilated. It would later be told that her menstruation was a gift of salvation from Danu, and it has become custom to share your first blood of the month with the earth in honor of that gift.
It would take the remainder of that year for the Universal Mother to hunt down and kill every member of the Second Circle who committed the act. When complete, she presented each of their tongues as tribute to Danu in a cistern of fire. Its smoke rose high into the heavens, and this act gave the name of the Hace Ascension to the Sacred Circle. From this moment forward, the Sacred Circles were disbanded and the order was structured so that the Universal Mother would oversee the rituals, ancient knowledge, and sacred texts of Danu. The Bosom mothers would oversee the instruction and daily discipline of the coven. And the initiates would gain Sorceress status upon completing the Nine Steps of Ascension to Danu.
Upon the defining of the Nations in the Founding Epoch, the Triumvirate and the emperor would consult regularly with the Universal Mother, even to the point of asking for an assigned Bosom Mother to attend their counsels. This afforded the Sacred Order to have intimate knowledge and influence over the course of the nation. But it all changed when the Witch-Queen came to Ciar-mhonadh. The current Universal mother, Fuit Urathis, believed her to be the foretold patron, and sent three of her Bosom Mothers to treat with her. Their souls were ripped from their bodies, and their eyes were returned so the Universal Mother could witness the pain and horror first hand through the Rite of Clairavoyance.
It was then the Universal Mother began attending the councils herself and even suggested aligning with the first-nations people of Caelia (kay-lee-uh). And while we know the Triumvirate was successful in overthrowing the Witch-Queen and her Gaullix (gaw-lex), the events of that moment turned the tide of feminine sorcery forever. In the final moments of the Witch-Queen’s life, she passed her consciousness to the Universal Mother, possessing her, and turned her power against the soldiers of Bressus. The devastation was greater than any present could have imagined, as friend and foe alike were torn apart at the cellular level. The Master of Arms, Commander Wils, directed the detonation of a bomb crafted by the Jhion Order which levelled the Szesz fields as he stood and faced off against the possessed Universal Mother, sacrificing himself in the process.
From that moment on females have not been trusted with the use of magic of any sort, and in some regions of Locaston (low-cast-on) and Caelia they are killed on sight. Bressus is only slightly less direct as they have mock witch trials which end in hangings. Today, the Hace Ascension operated in secret, unsure of the truth of Danu’s prophecy as revealed to their founder Laeph Hacuul. Were those cosmic beings the patrons foretold? Was the role of the Sacred Order to join with them, or stop them? And will they ever find the opportunity to stand face-to-face with the cosmic entities again? Only your home campaign can answer those questions, as the future of these DireLands are in your hands.
Outro
Thank you for watching today’s DireLands Fantasy Campaign Setting episode. Please consider subscribing to this YouTube channel, liking and commenting on this video. And if you enjoyed this episode, consider becoming a patron on Patreon. Always remember that evil spelled backwards is live, so get out there and be evil!