Order Of Witches

Across the Omniverse there exist hidden powers and forces which may be manipulated in return for raw power. This power is immense and can only be called upon by those with arcane knowledge and skill, leading to the development of magic-users, people who are often simply labeled Witches.
Known by many other names, including sorcerers, warlocks, mages, spellcasters and more. To those among these learned and practiced individuals a few will witness a glimpse of the full web of arcane power that flows throughout existence. These will become Adepts of the Order of Witches.
AKA: the Order Arcane, the Witch Order, the Covenant, the Order of Sorcerers, Spellcasters, etc.
Paradigm: Magick.
== Facts: ==
-Without a doubt, the Order of Witches is one of the most powerful Adept Orders out there. Among the Established Orders, few other Adepts can bring to bear the full power and knowledge that the Witches wield on a daily basis. The Witches have a long track record of being persecuted and there's a reason for that - people are genuinely afraid of them.
-There are myriads of different forms of organizations out there for magick-users. Witch covens, magick chantries, alchemist guilds, mage orders, etc. All have their own unique specialties in magick and their own system of organization. And all of them are under the protection of the Order of Witches.
-The Order of Witches is clearly a member of the Heretical Orders and has little to do with the Ecclesiastical Orders.
-Technically, a Witch is a female magick-user. Male magick-users are called Warlocks, although in modern times both men and women are now labeled as Witch.
-The Order of Witches are the premiere members of the Arcane Orders.
-Witches come in myriads of forms and functions, although the classical conception of a Witch is a female user of magick who practices what is commonly called Hearth Magick (magick used at home, to help with daily life, usually little spells that have minimal effect). However. there are many different types of "Crafts" (schools of magick) and they hail from every area of the world.
-The Order of Warriors do not respect the Order of Witches. They find the (often physically puny) members of the Covenant Order to be inferior to their natural strength, skill and courage. Because of this, there is often an intense rivalry between the Witches and the Warriors.
== Burning Times: The Witchfinders: ==
Few things scare people as much as magick. Knowledge of magick is intricate, complicated, and requires extensive learning. Even relatively simple forms of magick like hearth magick or potion magick can require preparation, arcane supplies and daily rituals to keep the energy flowing.
Because of this, most individuals know little if anything of real importance in regards to how magick works. And because magick can produce effects both subtle and terrifying, this naturally leads to most magick-users being segregated within their native communities. Even in cultures that accept magick, usually only people who have themselves taken up the mantle of arcane education will truly tolerate other magick-users.
It also doesn't help that magick leaves little in the way of traceable, physical evidence. Crimes committed by Witches are feared because they can be done over great distances, often with no real defense or way to identify the culprit. Primitive or superstitious societies will often view Witches and the study of magick as anathema, exiling or outright executing members of the Witch Order.
This state of affairs often leads to two things. The first is that professional witch-hunters, often known as Witchfinders, tend to pop up across the Omniverse. Witchfinders are Hunters who specialize in hunting Witches and may or may not use supernatural means of defense against witchcraft in general.
The second effect of all of this is that many, many Witches who started out as White Witches and had nothing but the best of intentions often turn to the dark side of magick after some tragedy befalls them thanks to fearful locals. Witchhunts often force Witches to go underground, and to make pacts and bargains with darker forces in return for protection. It also hardens their hearts, causing many a Witch to become numb to the crime of hurting other people with their magicks.
*Note: Among the many specialists of the Hunting Lodges, there exist the Witchfinders. Witchfinders are, essentially, monster hunters who specialize in finding magick-users. Unlike most hunters who primarily utilize firearms and traps, Witchfinders instead are versed in the unseen arts themselves, and come prepared with minor amulets and tricks to escape the notice of Witches or avoid their spells.
== Witchcraft: ==
Members of the Order of Witches, and all magick-users, gain access to all sorts of arcane power through the various Crafts. But learning to access this power is often time-consuming and fraught with dangers. Miscalculated spells or rituals gone haywire can lead to catastrophic results, and more than a few Witches have accidentally opened themselves up to possession or worse by communing with unknown forces.
Training, discipline and experience are paramount to a Witch Adept developing their powers.
== Threat of Possession: ==
Another major weakness of the Order of Witches is their higher-than-average probability for suffering possession. Witches often attain new power by dealing with eldritch forces found across existence. These forces could be benevolent, or they could be wicked. Should a Witch open themselves up to commune with such forces, they may suffer a catastrophic loss of self-control as their mortal coil is subsumed by an outside entity.
This is why so much of spell-casting for a Witch involves various forms of protection such as the chalk circles, salt or spiritual wards. Darwinism is alive and well among the Witches and the foolish perish quickly leaving only the wise and cunning behind.
Of course, the issue of possessed Witches doesn't just go away. Witches possessed by dark and dangerous forces often go on to do great damage. This further blackens the history of the Witch Order and helps to fuel the fires of fear and hate towards all witches everywhere.
== Both A Strength And A Weakness: ==
Magick is the main shtick of the Order of Witches. Their mastery of the arcane forces often ranks them among the strongest Adepts around. And their penchant for knowledge often means they are also among the smartest as well.
However, while magick is more often nothing but a boon to the Order (even including the threat of possession it brings) it can at times prove to be the downfall of the Covenant Order.
Should the Witches go up against a foe who has the ability to dampen or cancel out magick abilities, they may quickly find themselves stripped of all their abilities and left vulnerable! The Order of Enforcers, champions of brutal Order, often possess the ability to chain magick to the physical laws of the material universe, robbing it of its arcane traits. And the Order of Oblivion has the awesome power to cancel out the powers of anyone they go up against.
Of course, as with most things related to witchcraft, it's all about preparation. There are forces out there even beyond those of the Enforcers or Nihilists. Given enough time, a Witch can show up with special Relics and spells designed to counter even these considerable foes!
== Dangerous at a Distance: ==
It has been said that Witches are most dangerous at a distance. Their ability to spy on people from a distance through the use of magick means they usually have the best intelligence info to go on. And their ability to strike from a distance through spells, rituals and curses makes them even more of a threat.
This is also why it is best for Witches to keep a low profile. Because magick, as a weapon, leaves little in the way of physical evidence, it is difficult to trace. Even the enemies of a Witch do not even know a Witch is present in the area, they will probably not be actively searching for signs of magick use, let alone actively searching for her. Anonymity itself is often one of the best weapons wielded by the Order of Witches.
== Preparation is Best: ==
The truly learned and creative among the Order of Witches know that it is best not to wait for trouble to come around looking for you, but instead to prepare for its arrival. The oldest Witch Covens have a plethora of magick wards and traps in place.
They will also have eyes and ears everywhere, everything from magick mirrors (actual magick mirrors which allow the Witches to scry on people from a distance) or enchanted animals in the forest whose minds are connected to the local Witches.
Those Witches not above crossing ethical lines may even enchant people or bind their minds to their own through spellcasting. Imagine trying to assault a known nest of Witches only to discover that the chief of the local police is under thrall to them and sends every available squad car your way!
== Super-Charged: ==
Few things are more dangerous than a rampaging Witch who is super-charged. Occasionally, a Witch may gain access to a particularly potent source of magick, or maybe they've been storing it up for awhile. In such a case, the Witch will be able to overcome all but the most potent of obstacles and their powers will be doubled or even tripled!
== Friends in Strange Places: ==
The Witches spend their time studying the arcane and attempting to access hidden forces throughout creation. Naturally, this causes them to come into contact with all manner of strange entities and forces across the Omniverse. From the Pagan Gods to the Eldritch, to Celestials, Infernals and more, Witches have sought an alliance with all of them.
Remember this when role-playing or writing as a Witch, expect them to have strange friends with even stranger powers secretly backing them.
== Superstitious: ==
Magick is the study of unknown and hidden powers. Practitioners of magick frequently employ unusual means in locating and manipulating magick, and their daily rituals often pay homage to eldritch forces which lay beyond the senses and reason of those who are unitiated. For the Witches themselves, their daily life is wrought with arcane study. To outsiders, they often come across as eccentric and superstitious.
It's not uncommon for Witches to take up certain practices like avoiding certain numbers, letters or locations out of fear inspired by their arcane studies. The number 9 is considered lucky in many fields of magick, and so many Witches prefer to associate with that number as much as possible, even going so far to demand they stay in the number 9 room in a hotel, or always organizing their Coven into 9 sub-groups, etc.
It also doesn't help that Witches are known to have their heads in the proverbial clouds. Spirit guides and entities from the great beyond usually are not visible to mere mortals, and so when the companions of a Witch see that magick-user seemingly talking to people who aren't there... well, it causes people to see magic-users as kooky and overly eccentric.
== Thirst For Knowledge: ==
Like all of the best members of the Arcane Orders, Witches feel a drive for greater knowledge. This is often a borderline quasi-religious motivation for them, especially since developing learning and experience are the keystone to magickal advancement.
Even regular learning and education is difficult enough. When you throw magick into the mix, things tend to get a lot more colorful and dangerous quickly. You can really play this up if your writing or playing as a Witch because initiation into magick can be rife with adventure.
== There Are Higher Powers: ==
The Order of Witches are easily among the most powerful of Adept Orders, but even for them, there are still limits. Creation is vast and there are many different kinds of powers and authorities out there. If the Witches amass a horde of power and decide to be bellicose with it, they may end up stepping on someone's metaphysical toes. In which case, some of those higher-powers may decide to pay the Witches a visit a remind them of their place in the grand scheme of things.
Should a Witch decide to place a curse on a Pagan they don't like, they may regret it when that Pagan's personal god sends an Avatar of themselves to attack the Witch and force her to break her curse. Or perhaps the Witch cursed a Druid, in which case she suffers constant setbacks from natural disasters such as flooding or severe storms. Or maybe the Witch was stupid and pissed off a Fallen, in which case something even worse than the previous examples shows up....
== Hidden Arts: Mastering the Crafts: ==
A Craft is a school of Magick and which Craft a White Witch studies in will determine what kind of spells and enchantments she can use. Witches are unique among Petitioners in that they do not call out to a single sentient Supernatural force but instead call upon the latent, supranatural powers present within creation.
=== A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ===
== Alliances: ==
-Order of Scribes = It's no real leap of logic that an Order of Witches, whose power stems directly from arcane knowledge, has a close relationship with the Order dedicated to the collection and preservation of all knowledge. Scribes are viewed by the Covenant Order as distant brothers and the two Orders frequently share assets, sometimes even Chantries.
-Order of Infinity = All powers within creation can be traced back to a primordial Source, this Source is thus the highest object of study for the Order Arcane. Thus, Witches who delve deeply into the arcane often become associates of the Infinite Order. It should be noted that, while Theists who stem from the Abrahamic faiths may be distrusting of Witches, many Theists have proven quite friendly towards them. Theists from Names like Sum Of All Knowledge or Mystery Of Existence may be active magick-users themselves.
-Order of Fallen = The Fallen Ones have a long history with the Witches as well. Both because of the ever-present danger of possession, and because too many Witches choose to take the easy route to power in the form of Infernalism. It is no small secret that many present Fallen are themselves former Witches, a fact which further drives a wedge between the Covenant and the more mainstream Orders.
*Arcane Orders = In the minds of most Adepts, the Witches are the Arcane Order, and they lead the other Occult-oriented Adept Orders. Even the Occult Chapters are often host to a majority of Witches.
== References: ==
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchcraft
-http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Thousand_Sons
-https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Tremere_(VTM)
-https://witcher.fandom.com/wiki/Triss_Merigold
-https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OurMagesAreDifferent
-https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115963/
-https://www.pottermore.com/
-https://www.witchescoven.net/
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicca
-https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0158552/
Category:Magick