The World Before Crux
To avoid unintentionally spoiling anyone, this guide covers the world as it was at the start of Crux. Want an updated view? With each book release, we'll put up an updated view of the world. These updates, however, will include spoilers for the previous books! Repeat: these pages contain spoilers!
Supernatural Hide & Seek
In the world of Southern Arcana, supernaturals do their best to live beneath the radar. A lot of work goes into keeping magic under wraps and safely out of the news, including a boatload of bribes, a squadron of shapeshifters and wizards working inside the government, and sometimes more than a little luck.
Shapeshifters or spell casters who call attention to themselves are likely to be dealt with harshly by their respective authorities. Though non-wolves and spell casters are far less organized than the shapeshifting wolves, plenty of bounty hunters make a good living by tracking down troublemakers and removing them from the public spotlight--permanently, if necessary.
The only exceptions to this policy are the psychics. Popular opinion is divided on whether psychics are an offshoot of spell casters or particularly evolved humans, considering they seem to have some traits of both. 
With the human world mostly tolerant of the idea of psychics, a careful psychic can make a good living in the public eye. Crossing the line or performing too ostentatiously, however, can still result in a visit from the supernatural bounty hunters.
Setting: Time & Place
The Southern Arcana series is set in contemporary times, and moves (more or less) roughly in time with our world. Sometimes there will be a large time gap between books, sometimes a small one, and sometimes hardly any gap at all. Rest assured time is moving forward, and we're keeping track of it with obsessive precision!
Though characters may range over the Southeast and across the country--and maybe the world--for the most part, the heart of the series is set in New Orleans. In the present Southern Arcana timeline, New Orleans is something of a haven for shapeshifters who don't fit into the wolves' particular view of order. Many gravitate toward the city, giving it a thriving underground full of magic, mystery and mayhem.
Spell Casters
The catch-all phrase for those who practice magic. Perhaps, if any of them could sit down long enough to agree on more specific titles, they might exist. Some call themselves wizards or witches, some sorcerers or magic men. Some even credit gods and goddesses with their powers, and call themselves priests and priestesses.
What do the different titles mean? No one knows. Magical skills and traditions are as widely varied as those who practice them. Spells and methods are generally passed down from teacher to student, and are as shaped by personality and temperament as anything else. How the individual casters work their magic doesn't matter--it's clear that the power is there, and can be used to do some amazing things.
As far as anyone can tell, magical aptitude is a dominant trait. Very few spell casters have children with no magical power--including those who mate with shapeshifters. The fact that spell caster magic trumps shapeshifter heritage makes couplings highly forbidden, and children born of such matings are complete outcasts from shapeshifter society. Especially in one particular case...
Seers
Highly rare and highly powerful, Seers are the ultimate abomination in the eyes of shapeshifter society, and some might even say with good reason. Born as shapeshifters, some genetic mutation gives Seers access to incredibly powerful magic--the kind that can easily produce tyrants.
Many Seers are killed as children, or die grisly deaths as their power grows and shifts to ambition. Wolves, in particular, have a history of producing more Seers than most breeds (perhaps because there are so many more wolves) but are unflinchingly brutal in eliminating the threat early.
When a Seer child (Michelle Peyton) was born to John Peyton, it was only his position as Alpha of the United States wolves that saved her from meeting an early death. Her reprieve was questionable, however, as she lives a very restricted life as a tool of the Conclave, forbidden from unauthorized travel, friendships or relationships.
Spell Casters of Note
* Jackson Holt
* Mahalia Tate
* Mariko Ardovini
Life & Politics
By far the most organized of the shapeshifters, the wolves are also the most numerous. For reasons often debated but never confirmed, wolves are the only shifting breed that can transform humans by infecting them. Not all attacks result in a transformation, and not all wolves who are transformed survive the experience.
The only thing known for sure is that current wolf society values lineage and bloodline above all else--even money, though plenty of them value that, as well. Changed wolves suffer persecution and exclusion from the rest of wolf society, at least until enough generations have passed for the origins of their shapeshifter heritage to be forgotten.
Wolf organization is very strict at the top and somewhat chaotic on the ground. The five strongest or most powerful wolves in each territory make up the regional councils. The leader of each council sits on the Conclave, a group of five wolves headed by the Alpha.
* The Northeast Council meets in New York City.
- Current Leader: John Wesley Peyton (Alpha).
* The Southeast Council meets in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Current Leader: Noah Coleman
- Member of Note: Cesar Mendoza
* The Southwest Council meets in Dallas, Texas.
- Current Leader: Jorge Ochoa
- Member of Note: Alexander Jacobson II
The Midwest Council meets in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- Current Leader: Conrad Hoffman
* The Northwest Council meets in Seattle, Washington.
- Current Leader: Enrica Maglieri
At the local level, wolves may group into families and packs. The strongest wolves collect tithes and report to the councils, who in return provide protection from human and supernatural threats alike. In theory. In practice, most council members are more interested in holding their seats against challengers and plotting the day that they--or their children--will take a coveted spot on the Conclave.
Important Families
With lineage and bloodline so important, recent generations of wolves have begun falling into the trap of marrying within an increasingly small group of old families. Fresh blood, while necessary, is not always welcome, resulting in a ruling elite that is becoming increasingly insular.
The Parker, Peyton & Jacobson Families - Click to Enlarge
The Peytons
With John Wesley Peyton secure in his spot as Alpha, the Peytons are, by most accounts, the most important wolf family in the United States. It's an open secret that John hopes to have his daughter, Nicole, make shapeshifter history as the first female Alpha. Thus far, Nicole has seemed less than interested.
See also: John Peyton, Nicole Peyton, Michelle Peyton
The Jacobsons
Though not an old family, the Jacobsons are wealthy. Based on a sprawling ranch in Texas, Alexander Jacobson Junior has increased his family's status through association with Jorge Ochoa, who is both a Conclave member and a relative of his wife's. Unfortunately, his eldest son, Alec, seems more interested in leading the outcast shapeshifters in New Orleans than assuming his proper place in history.
See also: Alec Jacobson
The Ochoas
The Ochoas are rich in legacy and wealth, standing out as one of the oldest families still enjoying a strong bloodline. As head of the Southwest Council, Jorge Ochoa is patriarch of this sizeable family, which counts many of the most important wolves of the day as relatives by blood or marriage.
The Maglieris
Though old blood in their own right, the Maglieri clan has the dubious distinction of providing the first female Conclave member. Many claim the Alpha assisted Enrica Maglieri in claiming her late husband's seat to pave the way for his own daughter's ascension to power, but whatever the motive, it has not made the Maglieris popular amongst those who favor older traditions.
See also: Luciano Maglieri
The Mendozas
No one talks as smooth as Cesar Mendoza. As head of an up-and-coming family whose reputation is constantly reinforced by Cesar's own publicity, Cesar seems to be biding his time on the Southeast Council until he can take the Conclave seat from Noah Coleman. He'll use anyone in his family to achieve this goal, including his siblings and their children--not all of whom are wolves.
See also: Carmen Mendoza, Julio Mendoza, Miguel Mendoza
The Colemans
Noah Coleman put his family on the map for good when he ascended to the head of the Southeast Council and the Conclave. Though his family's modest legacy was enough to win him a Mendoza wife, the fact that she's failed to provide a male heir makes their relationship a difficult one.
The Hoffmans
Though not among the oldest families, the Hoffmans are perhaps one of the steadiest. Not as averse to bringing in new blood as some of the other elite families, they have amassed a fortune and managed to put their patriarch, Conrad, on the Conclave. Conrad is a quiet and intelligent man, but most don't know what his long-term goals--if any--might be.
Life can seem brutal and harsh for the wolves--especially those at the bottom of the pecking order--but the life of most wolves is still a walk in the park when compared to other shapeshifters. The disdain of the wolves certainly doesn't help.
No other shifting breed has a strong enough presence in the United States to form an organized central power. Most live scattered across the country, in small groups or families. Others live in hiding from the rest of their kind.
The decline of a breed is often accompanied by a breakdown in civilization and acts of desperation on the part of those trying to save their bloodlines. The instinct to find one of their own kind to mate with can be overwhelming, and has driven many shapeshifters to acts of violence or criminal behavior. In this day and age, the life of a non-wolf shifter can be brutal. And short--even for those making their lives in New Orleans.
The Cougars
Current Population
Cougars are all but extinct, and everyone knows it. Finding hard numbers on exactly how many cougar shapeshifters are left in the world is impossible, as many of the remaining shifters have gone into hiding or married into human or spell caster families.
Cougar Seer
Though few know how many cougars are left, most supernaturals know that there is one cougar Seer. Charles Talbot is rumored to be old and extremely reclusive, residing somewhere in the forest in New England.
Known Shifters
- Steven Donovan
- Charles Talbot
The Lions
Current Population
Though not tremendously numerous in the United States, enough lions exist across the world to make them one of the more robust non-wolf breeds. Usually more independent than the wolves, they occasionally gather in small prides. In New Orleans, there's only one lion, Zola, and she protects her territory viciously.
Lion Seer
Like the cougars, the lions have one known Seer. Unlike the cougar Seer, the lion Seer is anything but reclusive. Tatienne leads the largest pride in the world, attracting lions from all over the globe. Their territory stretches across much of Africa, Europe and Asia, making them a force to be reckoned with, but not an American concern.
Known Shifters
- Tatienne
- Zola
- Walker Gravois
The Coyotes
Current Population
In recent decades, the coyote population has reached a critical turning point. Once numerous, coyote numbers have dwindled to the point where finding a mate has become an obsession for many shifters.
Unfortunately, the current state of affairs has led males in the grip of species-preserving instinct to pursue coyote females from the moment they reach maturity, often through unsavory methods. Many have noted that such behavior is likely what drove the remaining cougar families into hiding, and popular opinion holds that coyotes will soon follow, dropping into relative extinction within a few generations.
Known Shifters
- Franklin Sinclaire
- Sera Sinclaire
Other Breeds
While other breeds exist, they have not (as of yet) played a significant enough role in the series to merit a specific mention. Rest assured that they will be added, when that day comes.
Life as a Psychic
No one knows exactly what psychics are. The fact that their powers are always limited in scope seems to exclude them as a subset of spell casters, but some psychics exhibit abilities far more impressive than the average wizard. Whether they're mutated or evolved humans or dumbed down spell casters, one thing is for sure--there are a lot of them, and they can do some pretty amazing things.
Because they're generally considered barely more than human, many psychics choose not to interact overly much with the supernatural community. Those that do often find themselves at a disadvantage against stronger, faster shapeshifters and more versatile spell casters. Only the strongest can hope to hold their own, but being a strong psychic carries its own risks.
Psychics of Note
* Kat Gabriel - Empath (Reads & projects emotions.)
* Wesley Dade - Precog (Sees the future.)
* Carmen Mendoza - Empath (Reads emotions with weak projection.)
* Julio Mendoza - Precog (Sees the future.)
* Miguel Mendoza - Telepath (Hears thoughts.)
New Orleans
Mahalia's
Opened years ago by Mahalia Tate, Mahalia's is a popular bar and restaurant in the French Quarter. One of the city's best connected and most intimidating spell casters, Mahalia has more than earned the respect her name brings--and her early retirement. A few years ago she sold her bar to Nicole Peyton, who continues to operate it as both a happening spot for tourists and as an informal meeting place for much of New Orleans' supernatural community.
Holt & Jacobson Investigations
Tucked away in the Central Business District, Holt & Jacobson Investigations is an unassuming office serving human and supernatural clientele alike. Owned by Jackson Holt and Alec Jacobson, the business is founded mostly on solving mundane problems--though not always via mundane methods. Kat Gabriel has served as the office manager for many years, and provides deft tech support along with her less marketable skills of empathic lie detection and illegal computer hacking.
