Orders and Societies
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| Orders and Societies | |
|---|---|
| Type | Collective framework |
| Founded | Late 1970s (reformed from Greek system) |
| Leader | |
| Headquarters | Elysian Road, Verdant |
| Affiliation | Eastern Tsuga College |
| Members | |
| First appearance | Making the Grades: Kelly's Unveiling |
About
The Orders and Societies are a collection of student organizations at Eastern Tsuga College, each occupying one of the seven mansions on Elysian Road. They exist because ETC banned all Greek-lettered fraternities and sororities in the late 1970s following a series of hazing incidents that resulted in student deaths. The organizations found loopholes in the ban, reforming under names drawn from Greek mythology. The ban technically holds. The organizations never went away.
Each Order or Society operates independently with its own culture, rituals, and internal hierarchy. They are bound to one another by an agreement known as the Pantheon Pact, the full terms of which have not been established in canon. The Order of Aetherion is notably absent from the Pact — consistent with its status as an outside organization whose modern members have no knowledge of its occult origins.
The Orders and Societies occupy a unique position in Verdant's social ecosystem. On the surface they are campus organizations. Beneath that they are some of the oldest continuously operating social institutions in the town, with roots that predate the college itself in some cases.
Member organizations
Named for the Greek goddess of justice and innocence. Functions as a sorority equivalent. One of the most socially prominent organizations at ETC. Headquarters at Astraea House on Elysian Road, which contains a ritual basement with a stone pentacle. Known members include Kelly Spaihts, Cassandra Blake, and Bridgette Hutchinson.
Named for the Greek god of strength and power. Functions as a fraternity equivalent. Mark Rogers, boyfriend of Astraea sister Stacy Cantrell, is a member. Further details not established in canon.
Named for the Greek goddess of peace. Further details not established in canon.
Named for the Greek god of sleep. Further details not established in canon.
Named for the Greek goddess of the night. Further details not established in canon.
Order of Dionysus
Named for the Greek god of wine and festivity. Further details not established in canon.
Outside the Pact
Order of Aetherion
A Boston-based occult order that is now a hollow ETC fraternity. Modern members have no knowledge of the organization's origins or its historical role as a rival to the Order of the Hemlock. Aetherion is not listed among the Pantheon Pact organizations — consistent with its outsider status. Details of its modern operations have not been established in canon.
Relationship to the occult
Several of the Orders and Societies have documented or suspected connections to occult practice. The Astraea Society's headquarters contains a ritual basement with a stone pentacle. The mansions on Elysian Road were originally built by wealthy families rumored to be occult practitioners. Whether the current student membership of each organization is aware of this history varies and has not been fully established in canon.
The Pantheon Pact
The Pantheon Pact is an agreement binding the six primary Orders and Societies. Its terms, enforcement mechanism, and origins have not been established in canon. The Pact excludes the Order of Aetherion, whether deliberately or by circumstance is unknown.
Canon notes
- There are seven mansions on Elysian Road but only six named Orders and Societies within the Pantheon Pact. The occupant of the seventh mansion has not been established in canon.
- The full terms of the Pantheon Pact are not established in canon.
- Which specific Order occupies which mansion on Elysian Road has not been fully mapped.
- The Order of Aetherion's exclusion from the Pact may be deliberate or circumstantial — this has not been established in canon.