Ivy would like to think of herself like this . . .
This week begins Part III of Martha’s Children, entitled “Sorcerers.” The ghostly sorceress Ivy McIlwraith has prided herself on being one of the most knowledgeable sorcerers in the world. But in chapter 24, Ivy finds the root of her problems is a creature that’s not in any of her books, indeed a creature that shouldn’t even exist!
With the sorcerers of Martha’s Children taking center stage, a few words of explanation are in order. These are not the magicians of The Dragon Lady of Stockbridge; don’t assume that what applied to those magicians applies to these sorcerers and sorceresses. Sherlock Kammen set out the basic principles for sorcerers back in chapter 15.
. . . while most of the council members think of themselves like this.
The social and political organization of sorcerers is more complicated than that of vampires. Sorcerers are governed by the Conventions, first promulgated by the European Council in 1749 and since revised or adapted by all other councils. The councils serve as the main ruling bodies over the sorcerers. They are comprised of the most powerful sorcerers in a given area, which in 1969 is usually of continental scale. For example, there are councils for North America and Latin America in the New World. The tribunals are responsible for administering justice, and are organized on the same geographic basis as the councils. No one is allowed to have both a council and tribunal seat. Finally, there are the bearers of the rulers of justice, single sorcerers whose function is to serve as moral gadflies to the councils and tribunals.
In practice, all of these mechanisms have begun to break down in North America. The council has not met as an organized body since 1954. Although killing a council member is a capital crime under the Conventions, in practice sorcerers who successfully assassinate council members and take their place have their crimes overlooked. The tribunal has become subservient to the council, and ignores the bearers of the rulers of justice on any petition touching on the council’s members and their behavior. They are not yet lawless, the sorcerers of North America. But the more powerful among them do as they please.
Sillyverse 
Sounds a bit like politics in Renaissance Italy. There’s nothing quite as exciting, story wise, as political corruption mixed with assassination.
Yes, it does, doesn’t it? 🙂
The vampires have no laws, only customs. The sorcerers have laws, but the mechanisms for enforcing them are breaking down.
So what will a vampire police unit mean for the future?
I really love the picture you chose for how Ivy wants to see herself. It is perfect!
Sometimes the search for pictures does produce one that works well. That one is “The Sorceress” by John William Waterhouse (1849-1917), and depicts Circe. I didn’t recall ever seeing that picture before, which surprised me, because it looks like a pre-Raphaelite painting. Indeed, while he was a generation younger, Waterhouse was heavily influenced by the pre-Raphaelites. One might call him a post-pre-Raphaelite!
I’d say a great number of Waterhouse’s paintings would be apt for these rule-bidden but lawless sorcerers. Perhaps ‘Echo and Narcissus’? And I thank you for the explanation.
I don’t recall Waterhouse’s paintings at all. So I just spent a pleasant moment hunting down “Echo and Narcissus.”
History of Art, part of the course. But I think many of his paintings would suitably illustrate your characters
Just coincidentally ran into another Waterhouse painting on another blog I follow: http://mysearchformagic.com/2013/08/13/witches-and-wicked-bodies-scottish-national-gallery-of-modern-art/
And the first image I see is by Albrect Durer, whose work cast a strong influence when I was at Art College. Hmm. And followed by Henry Fuseli, who still entrances me. As to the Waterhouse, it seems almost like a dawn awakening after those two grim souls. I thank you for supplying the link.
I can see that, after Durer and Fuseli. Where would you put Caspar Friedrich?
Oh, I like him. Pensive, deep. There is in his paintings a reverence for the eternal, thus spiritual. Can we make it more of a triangle and set him off to one side, ca midway.
“Painters considered in a multi-dimensional crystal”