A Comprehensive Guide to the Noctees: The Machik · 8:30am Mar 8th, 2015
Perhaps more mysterious than the Nightmancers themselves are the whimsical people of the Machik. Just to be clear, even though the information about them is almost non existent, their presence can be traced, at least in paper, into the very bosom of royalty, which is why it was considered in order to add them to the final research paper. Despite the fact that it would be interesting to analyze the structure of the royal family tree and others less noble houses in Equestrian and their neighboring countries, the motion was immediately banned. The idea that just the only mention of the possibility that one of the royal members could have belonged to this discrete brotherhood is such a strong tabu that open threats to take down the research were casted from very powerful circles. So, in spite of the impediment posted by the authorities, this research is just going to address their cultural background.
Noctees Bearers
Originally, they were part of a tradition that was established at the end of the Pony-Noctees war, where the Noctees would receive anyone, independently of their gender or race, who would like to learn their ways in a completely selfless act. Of course that this chance wouldn't be slept by anyone interested in learning the race's secrets, but at all it wasn't an open call, and only those who would truly commit to the Coven and the Noctees would be allowed to join.
The result of those who were accepted to live and be taught by the Nightmancers themselves were called the Machik, which in old Noctees supposedly means "carrier". Griffon legends describe the first generations of Machik like powerful witches and warlocks, everyone of them, even those who didn't had innate magic abilities, capable of performing spells that would be difficult to imitate even by present specialists. According to those, the Nightmancer families would receive them at very young ages, some of them when they were just babies, taking care of the subject's families as well, and successively train them in their occulted ways of conjuration as well as countless subjects more in order that whenever they'd be able to leave the Coven, they would do it with as much knowledge as they could.
Because of their diverse origins, Machiks doesn't have a standard representation, but it is widely accepted that most of them share a number of common characteristics, such as distinctive features in their trappings and other traits that outstand them from the rest of individuals. It's been speculated that they used to have a secret code as well, but to think so would be to deny the fact that most of them come from different Covens, and therefore shouldn't have any direct relation rather than their designation and, perhaps, purpose.
Talking about direction, there has never been stated the purpose of these particular individuals, and their methods of training as well as the details of their organization are a secret that all of them have sworn to take to the grave, a promise that they've all yet fulfilled. Some theorize that they were named in order to serve the Noctees as spokespersons so that they would improve the diplomatic relations with other races and nations; others think that they were intended to execute guerrilla and sabotage actions whenever the Noctees would enter again in war, and the most outlandish believe that they are part of a secret society destined to protect the world from its destruction at the claws of ruinous powers. Whatever it is, from based speculations to the most crazed of conspiracists, the truth is that these fameless individuals have always come and go in the same manner: as if they never had been there.
