Salem
Salem (short for “Jerusalem”) is 20 miles northeast of Boston, up along the coast. Many of the events of the American witch hunts that took place in the summer of 1692 actually took place in Salem Village, the site of modern Danvers. Salem revels in its reputation as “Witch City USA,” and capitalizes on that reputation every Halloween, as visitors converge from up and down the eastern seaboard to get a taste of the town’s “spooky” ambiance.
Salem’s reputation as a witch city is so well known that it spills over into the consciousness of the Sleepers. The unAwakened think nothing of Salem’s several witchcraft shops and occasionally go in for a book or a few exotic herbs themselves. This pre-eminence of witches is aided by the presence of the Ebon Noose. There is an unquestionable concentration of would-be mages in the area, although they show no signs of Awakening with more frequency than any other population. Still, those who do Awaken are usually already partially indoctrinated in the brand of magic practiced by the Ebon Noose.
Due to the large Awakened community and the relatively small size of Salem, the Awakened politics of Salem are unusually incestuous, with many different cabals competing for status and everyone knowing everyone else’s magical business.
The Consilium: Cormant House
Boston’s Consilium can meet nearly anywhere in town and the outlying area, but the Nemean prefers Cormant House, a mansion that the Ebon Noose donated to Salem 25 years ago. The bequest (the house was willed to the town by one of the mages) specifies that the house be converted into a small museum presenting “The legitimate history of Salem and Danvers,” with the upstairs providing income as executive suites. The house stands in a small woodlot: two acres of quiet a few minutes away from the gaudy middle of town.
The museum is unpopular because its “legitimate history” barely mentions the witch trials and concentrates on architecture. In short: It’s boring, and tour guides only recommended it for completionists. Cormant House’s executive board doesn’t really want to improve the place’s profile. As chairman, the Nemean rather likes a place that’s theoretically public, but practically unknown.
Cormant House has no enchantments except for what mages bring with them. The Nemean doesn’t care whether mages scry on each other and has threatened to kill anyone who enchants the building. In fact, he frowns on any spells in the house, but realizes that mages will back up their desires with magic too often to impose a blanket rule. The Wise are encouraged to comport themselves as if they were mere Sleepers, and mages who attend the Consilium are asked to donate a few dollars to cover renting the upstairs suites. Entering or leaving the grounds magically is considered a serious breach of etiquette.
The Consilium meets in a Cormant House boardroom at least once a month. The ruling council is made up of prominent mages from the region, most of them rather apolitical and unwilling to argue over much with the Nemean. Anacaona De Xaragua leads a security detail and Chain Parris calls meetings to order. The Nemean is an active (and perhaps overbearing) Hierarch. He leads with a combination of uncouth honesty and raw power, imposing the Ebon Noose’s wishes as forcefully as possible. Fortunately, the Noose’s desires are mostly reactionary; the cabal does nothing to improve regional security or relations between willworkers, touting this approach as a libertarian stance. Mages who pay occasional tribute can do almost anything they wish in greater Boston.
Sanctum: The Covenant
The Ebon Noose cabal’s sanctum can be found in the quiet neighborhoods of Salem.
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