The Great Bat, Child of Callieach

CONTENT WARNINGS: torture, death, civil war

The title of the leader of House Chiroptera is as convoluted as the House itself. Until recently and the discovery of an ancient tablet, the title was Queen of Bats for lack of a better term. When the House was originally formed it was a unification of several tribes and run by a council of tribal elders so all members would have a say. The final decisions were always up to The Great Bat, Child of Callieach.

Qualifications

In order to achieve the title of The Great Bat, one must be a literomancer and the acknowledged leader of House Chiroptera and their council.

Requirements

The requirements are simple, Literomantic skill. The person holding the title doesn't have to be the strongest literomancer of the house but they do need to be capable of performing literomancy.

Duties

The Bat Monarch's duties include any that involve ruling House Chiroptera. The Monarch is responsible for ensuring that all of House Chiroptera's bats are well-fed and content. They must also ensure the safety and security of their House.

Responsibilities

The Great Bat must be able to lead the House in a way that is acceptable to the council.

Benefits

The only true benefit of the title is access to the sekret library. It is a library built deep into the cavern and accessible only through a series of secret passageways. Each entrance has a test or "key" that needs to be used to gain access. The only entrance into this labrynthine "test" is hidden within the Great Bat's quarters. Since the re-emergence of the house these are the chambers of the Queen of Bats.

History

The title and House were formed in the early Iron Age by Celtic tribes who came together for mutual protection upon hearing of the advances of the Roman empire into Gaul. They hoped by forming a literomantic House they could stave off the Romans from invading their territory. This was successful and so once the threat was gone from the English shores they remained as a unified group. This helped during the intervening invasions, until the creation of the castles into their territories divided their numbers. This did not prevent them from continuing and the House grew in numbers. House Chiroptera originated in what is currently Wales.

by TFB + S

THIS SECTION HAS BEEN REDACTED BY THE CHIROPTERAN PROTECTORATE FOR SECURITY REASONS BY ORDER OF THE KNIGHTWINGS. CONTENT WARNING: Torture of Werebats (The Great Purge)

During the 1440s the Inquisition began against some of the literomantic Houses in the UK. Chiroptera was particularly targeted because of the association with bats and creatures of the night. They were accused of having truck with the devil and their totemic ability to shift was the proof that was needed. Those who were captured became the targets of torture until they shifted in an attempt to escape. Once they shifted their wings were cut off and cauterized, preventing them from being able to regenerate. These people were then released and tracked to find more of the House. This was called the 'Great Purge', a way of purging the House of their power. This did not in fact remove the totemic connection but to some of the House it signified that they were no longer "Bats". The Great Bat at the time was one who had this done to them.

This led to the 'Great Wing War' that saw Chiropteran turn against Chiropteran. This civil war coincided with the War of the Roses. The Great Bat was a captive of the Inquisition during this time and unable to quell the fighting. When she returned to the Cavern and saw the devastation that had been wreaked upon her House, she walked between the warring sides and shifted to show her healing scars. Using her skill in literomancy she put an end to the needless bloodshed by preventing either side from affecting the other. This caused the House to be healed in a way and also to fade into the shadows of history. Their literomantic power wasn't diminished. They chose to use it in secret and let the tales of their House die out. With the fall of Literomancy, the title was forgotten until very recently. The First Word War and the zombie invasion caused the re-emergence of House Chiroptera. The House didn't have access to all of its assets until after the Iron Tome was secured by House Mollusca. With the resurrection of all who had been zombified there was a major shifting of the world's geography. This meant that the original stronghold of Chiroptera moved from Wales to the scions of the House, mainly Siobhan the then-current holder of the title Queen of Bats.

Cultural Significance

The title of The Great Bat was associated with all things that went 'bump' in the night. This came about because of the House motto which was originally "Write by Night". The motto became "Type by Night" since the original texts referring to the motto were indecipherable when found at the beginning of the First Word War. With the House writing at night they became associated with Vampires, Werewolves, and other nighttime creatures. This was not entirely inaccurate, all creatures of the night are welcome in the House. This brought about the 'Great Purge' which in turn led to the 'Great Wing War'. What finally ended the 'Great Wing War' was the acknowledgement that the Great Bat was still capable of performing their literomantic duties for the House. Since then any member who does not have wings is still a valued member of the House for what they can contribute.