Elspeth Stewart was with the Devon coven for some thirty-five years before following her vision to found a new branch in Oregon. She and a select group bought out a farm about ten miles south of Whispering Pines from the remains of a nearly defunct Hippie commune in the early 1980's. Under her leadership, the coven thrived. The time, however, came for Elspeth to pass on the leadership of the group two years ago. She stays on in an advisory capacity and is well-loved by all the coven members.

At 82 years of age, Elspeth is short and plump with snow white hair and sparkling blue eyes. Despite her small stature and comfortable grandmotherly looks, though, she's a force to be reckoned with. She's noted for her sharp wit, decisive nature, and impatience with those who like to waste half the day in their beds. Her teaching skills and patience with those who show an interest in learning are legendary. Her sense of humor is definitely on the ribald side. She's also a trifle too fond of the coven's infamous homemade blackberry wine.

The greatest gift Elspeth has, however, is the gift of sight. She's a visionary, and has the capacity to discern what a person in pain needs most in order to heal him or herself. That's how she came to set Buffy to work in the vegetable garden. She could see the girl needed to learn how to tap into her natural nurturing abilities and spend some time in the sunshine. Under her tutelage, Buffy has learned a great deal in a short time.

Current Leader: Deborah Coleman is a tall, regal woman in her late fifties whose dark hair has gone silver-white in a very elegant way. She would accept no less of it. Since receiving leadership of the coven from Elspeth's hand two years ago, Deborah has done her best to set and maintain high standards in the work she and her coven do. If she's occasionally humorless, she's always fair-minded and genuinely believes in the responsibility to do good in the world.

While Deborah sets high standards for others, she expects even more of herself. She lives according to a strict regimen of relentlessly clean living and precise clock watching. A moment wasted is never regained. Deborah is determined to have as few wasted moments on her conscience as possible.

As skilled in magic as she is in organization, Deborah weighs the pros and cons very carefully before performing any spell. She likes the Scoobies, but worries at times about their unconventional, seat-of-the-pants approach to the otherworldly.

Joanna 'Jo' Christianson has been with the coven for about four years. She came to live there after her two-year marriage ended in a bitter divorce. The intervening years, however, have done a lot to heal her spirit. She still has a temper, but has good control over it most of the time. She has a bitingly sarcastic sense of humor and can deadpan with the best of them. Occasionally, though, she doesn't see the funny side of things that she cares passionately about. She's also a moderately powerful witch who is pretty proud of her accomplishments in the dark arts.

At age 31, Jo is very pretty with large and expressive eyes. She's has long light brown hair and and her figure is...well...remember when Giles described Miss French, the Bug lady as 'woman-shaped'? That's about what Jo's figure is like. The packaging is definitely shiny. Giles takes a pretty immediate liking to said packaging.

Of course, to engage Giles' interest, one has to have more than a curvy figure and pretty eyes. Jo definitely has a brain. It's a good one and she knows how to use it. She's well educated. And she's opinionated. And willing to argue her point until she wears her opponent down through sheer emotional exhaustion if need be. She adores the fact that Giles can give her a good run for her money in a debate. She's also a sucker for that smile, as are so many of us. In addition to this, she's grudgingly grateful for the advice he can give her in running the coven New Age store, The Other World.

Lessa Nightsong. Originally named Jane Plunkett, Lessa decided this was entirely too prosaic a name for a Druid commune member. Most of the coven are happy to call her Lessa, but there are a few who continue to call her Jane, despite her best efforts - or possibly to annoy her. A long-legged, clean cut 22 year old, Lessa joined the coven shortly before Buffy and Company arrived.

Lessa's heart is in the right place, but her enthusiasm is sometimes overwhelming to strangers and those of a placid nature. She's fond of fantasy novels, Bugs Bunny cartoons, fresh apple pie, and her work tending vegetables for the coven. Her magic work is at novice level and she's prone to accidents both physical and mystical, but she's endlessly enthusiastic about learning more.

Some of the members of the coven have questioned the wisdom of having Lessa among their number, but Elspeth sees potential in the girl. When Elspeth sees potential, that's usually enough to earn someone a spot in the group. Lessa's genuinely cheerful demeanor usually doesn't hurt, either.

Lessa took to the Scoobies the instant they arrived. Working with Buffy in the gardens, she always wants to hear stories of the Slayer's exploits. She longs desperately to hold the sort of power Willow does, and Xander's jokes make her laugh - even the really bad ones.