Ancient and mysterious, the Coven of Night once prevailed as the spiritual link within the Gloriana Forest Commune, who worshipped the Great Nature Spirit Mother Night. During the Fall of the Holy Celestine Empire, fair Gloriana fell into the embrace of the Taint, and with the forest so fell the Night Coven. Rowena Nightshade, once High Priestess of Night lurked deep within the forest boughs, tending the whims of Night as she waited for the day when the Coven would once more rise again.
In the year of 115 after the Coming of Estarra, a group of like-minded individuals left the cities and the commune and ventured deep into Glomdoring to learn the old magic of Night. The goddess Viravain remade the Glomdoring forest to prepare it for its reawakening, and then demanded that Rowena Nightshade give up the secrets of Mother Night so that a coven could serve the spiritual needs of the dark forest. The undead witch led them all in a long pursuit, which ended with the birth of Rowena's children by Laeroc, the Consort of the Fae Queen. It was then, that the mantle of power was passed from Rowena Nightshade to the new Queen of the Night, a wiccan of the name Gwynevere Whytetower-Drakonis, who formed the fledgling coven of Night once again calling itself the Shadowdancers.
Shadowdancers are a class of the wiccan archetype. As such, they are required to take Lowmagic as a common skill before they are able to study the arts of Nature magic. Once having mastered Nature magic, they can specialize in Wicca, a skill which draws the powers of the Ethereal Realm and its inhabitants in times of need. Their main secondary skill is Totems, which allows them to bond with the various Spirits that reside in Nature. Once they have mastered Totems, they are able to specialize in the studies of the Night totem, enabling them to form covens and perform shadowy ceremonies to better aid themselves. At some point wiccans choose either to take Healing to become a healer or to train in Hexes or to study Astrology. Wiccans may take Alchemy as a trade skill.
The Halls of Conquering Darkness
Carved deep under the Master Ravenwood Tree of the Glomdoring Forest is the guild hall of the Shadowdance Coven. Within the Halls of Conquering Darkness are the offices of the Elders of the Night Coven, as well as the guild's library and various chambers for rituals and meditation. Dominique Nightshade, the daughter of Rowena, serves as the tutor of the guild.