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==Jack-of-the-Marches==
==Jack-of-the-Marches==
Stories of Jack have been told since before the Marchers seceded from Dawn. Jack was said to appear when words or actions were needed to help common folk with the daily challenges of a life born of hardship and graft. Jack was the farm hand that appeared to help with a difficult harvest, the beater that arrived to assist with local disputes, the Landskeeper that came to lend their wisdom, or the musician who lightened a burden with shared song.  A solitary but friendly figure who kept tender watch, revelled in games and lent their voice to a chorus.


The Marcher Egregore is '''Jack'''.  
With the Brass Coast  ritual 300 years back, Jack stepped out of folklore.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kit-the-mummer.jpg|align=left|width=150}}
=== Winter 379 - date ===


<!-- a simply-dressed figure carrying an axe, and often adorned with leaves.
Jack as walks now is Kit the Mummer. Kit travels place to place, bringing news and gossip, plays (invariably magical in nature) and songs and always plenty of tunes to tap your foot to! There is nothing more important to her than keeping the customs and traditions of the Marches alive. This Jack is most at home in the thick of a crowd, whether in taverns, round the maypole on the village green or a town square.


It is possible to discern Jack’s mood from the nature of the foliage or the type of axe; flowers indicate Jack is filled with Spring’s hope and joy, keen to see new life prosper, taking a particular interest in Marcher children. '''Jack’o'the’Spring''' is the woodcutter, and carries a small hatchet, or pruning-hook.
Whether at a rowdy game of foot-the-ball, a jolly Wassail parade or a grim acknowledgement of the shortest days of Winter, she will be there.  The more people that are involved in the spectacle, the better. She has a particular fondness for maintaining Marcher magical traditions, including its hearth magic, and is a friend and supporter of the landskeepers.  


A forest bill, or battle-axe, indicates that Jack is girded for war, supporting Marcher troops as they line up to fight, and interested in the work of Marcher generals. That’s '''Jack-in-the-Green''', the soldier, who often bears leaves of binding ivy.
If you want to find her, look for the horns bedecked in ribbons or seasonal leaves and flowers.  You might hear the sound of massed voices raised in song, or the strains of an accordion or fiddle first!


When Jack appears bearing a ceremonial axe crafted from gold, then their interest lies with the political life of the Marches; '''Jack with the Axe of Gold''' is a reminder to yeomen, stewards and Wardens alike that the Marches prospers through its honesty and integrity, rather than through taking short cuts.


And finally, when Jack appears bereft of foliage and carrying a scythe or executioner’s axe, then their mind is focused on matters of religion and introspection. '''Jack Frost''' speaks rarely, and only when there's something important to say; almost always intended to guide the Marchers to stay true to the old ways and tend to the land.
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{{CaptionedImage|file=CM-140526-7684.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
=== Winter 376 - Autumn 379 ===
 
Jack as he walked until Autumn 379 was Robert of Ramsbruck. He claimed to have performed his duties for several generations, 75 years by his last count, although he's unsure when that started.  Seldom drawn on his life before he took up the mantle, he appeared as a Beater and performed the role of one. Convinced that “Nothing gets done sat down” he was fiercely stubborn once his mind was made up, but he never made a decision before drawing counsel from those he believed knowledgeable. Once his shoulders were set to a task no-one could tell him no. This Jack had little time for the politics of the senate or the guiding of the synod, but often sought the advice of senators and priests, believing a quiet conversation by a fire side or bar table achieved just as much, and in considerably less time.
[[Category:Egregore]]
[[Category: The Marches]]
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[[Category:Egregores]]

Revision as of 20:09, 12 August 2019

Jack-of-the-Marches

Stories of Jack have been told since before the Marchers seceded from Dawn. Jack was said to appear when words or actions were needed to help common folk with the daily challenges of a life born of hardship and graft. Jack was the farm hand that appeared to help with a difficult harvest, the beater that arrived to assist with local disputes, the Landskeeper that came to lend their wisdom, or the musician who lightened a burden with shared song. A solitary but friendly figure who kept tender watch, revelled in games and lent their voice to a chorus.

With the Brass Coast ritual 300 years back, Jack stepped out of folklore.

Kit-the-mummer.jpg

Winter 379 - date

Jack as walks now is Kit the Mummer. Kit travels place to place, bringing news and gossip, plays (invariably magical in nature) and songs and always plenty of tunes to tap your foot to! There is nothing more important to her than keeping the customs and traditions of the Marches alive. This Jack is most at home in the thick of a crowd, whether in taverns, round the maypole on the village green or a town square.

Whether at a rowdy game of foot-the-ball, a jolly Wassail parade or a grim acknowledgement of the shortest days of Winter, she will be there. The more people that are involved in the spectacle, the better. She has a particular fondness for maintaining Marcher magical traditions, including its hearth magic, and is a friend and supporter of the landskeepers.

If you want to find her, look for the horns bedecked in ribbons or seasonal leaves and flowers. You might hear the sound of massed voices raised in song, or the strains of an accordion or fiddle first!