Witch

> "Witches are Protectors of Nature, the connection runs deep within every witch, but to keep the Balance, we are often turned into Nature's servants. [...] and now, you are one of us."
>
> -Danae to Diana

## Species Information

### Related species

* Human
* Hunters
* Werewolf
* Hybrid
* Kitsune (affiliation)
* Shifter Werewolf
* Immortal Hybrids
* Immortal Witches
* Werewolf-Witch Hybrid

### Distinction

* Architects of the Supernatural
* Keepers of the Balance
* Servants of Nature

**Witches** are supernatural creatures that are born with the power to use magic from themselves, and their ancestors to affect change. Also known as witchcraft. While many witches are the self-proclaimed "Keepers of the Balance," other witches have been known to work against the Balance and use their power for personal gain.

## History

The origin of witches, and by extension witchcraft, remains unknown, however, witches have existed for many centuries passing down their knowledge and skills through generations of family lines. Contrary to popular belief, witches do not receive their powers from demons, nor do they worship the Devil. Instead, witches consider themselves "the Servants of Nature," as they make it their duty to maintain balance within the world.

## Witchcraft

Witchcraft is the practice of magic. However, before a witch has come into their power, they're considered "untapped", and their magic is considered pure. Prior to tapping into their magic they are, for all intents and purposes, "human", and before the destruction of the Other Side, would have passed on to their destined afterlife. After awakening their power, witchcraft can encompass many different types of activities including astrology, divination, spell casting, and spirit communication. It includes the practices of many cultures, nations, and religions as well as many books and writings dating back to ancient times. Depending upon the individual, some witches practice their power by certain belief systems, such as Shamanism, Voodoo, Wicca, or any number of other magical practices from countries and cultures all around the world. Although the majority of traditional witches are commonly portrayed as being kind and selfless humans who use their powers to maintain balance within the world, some witches are not and go directly against the Balance of Nature by practicing their powers for dark and sinister or selfish deeds. A few darker witches go so far as to subvert the very laws that govern Nature.

## Balance of Nature

The Balance of Nature is a spiritual belief system based around the observance of the Earth and reverence of Mother Nature. The goal of many witches is to honor the design of Nature and to maintain balance within the natural world. The Balance of Nature is intimately tied to one's spiritual relationship with the Earth, and the idea that all living things are considered sacred, as they are all different aspects of nature. Contemporary witches often use ceremonies, rituals, or shamanic practices to attune themselves with the natural rhythms of Nature in their efforts to obtain guidance and knowledge from wiser known witches called "the Spirits" or from their ancestors. However, not all witches follow this belief system and have free will to choose how they practice their power.

## Classification

While witches, in general, are numerous throughout the world and thrive in various cultures, they're often referred to by other names. Though these cultures are not elaborated upon, they include "Strega" of Italy; "Aje" of the Yoruba people of Nigeria, West Africa; "Häxa" of Sweden, as well as Latvian (of Latvia), Santería (of Morocco), and Obi (or Obeah of Nigeria) witches.

Witches with special abilities or gifts can further distinguish them; those being siphoners, Travelers, Seers, pyromancers, and muses. Siphoners, or siphon witches, are few in number and born without the ability to generate their own magic but they possess a rare power that allows them to siphon magic from external sources through touch. Traveler witches were cursed a millennia ago and forced to become nomadic or face destruction while developing their own brand of magic. Seers and Oracles are witches specializing in the practice of divination, typically without the aid of spells. Oracles, when they change the outcome of their visions, they change and become a Fury, which grants them a connection to the minds of gods. Pyromancers, of unknown origins but found mostly in East Asia, are another unique and rare type of fire-breathing witch; however, only a couple dozen are said to remain. Muses are another unique witch with the special power of inspiration and born under extremely rare circumstances; i.e. the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter.

## Powers and Abilities

Witches can achieve a variety of powers or abilities through their use of witchcraft and spell casting; however, age, experience, knowledge, or power can limit the capabilities of one witch to that of another.

* **Spell Casting:** One of the defining characteristics of a witch is their ability to cast spells; a "spell" being a word, a verse or incantation, ritual action, or any combination of these to carry out a magical action. On rare occasions such actions can be performed without the use of a verbal spell.
* **Channeling:** The power to invoke extra forms of energy by focusing on external forces.
* **Potion Brewing:** The power to brew and concoct potions, remedies, and elixirs that have supernatural properties with varying effects.
	+ **Telekinesis:** The power to move objects and persons through mental influence.
	+ **Pain Infliction:** The power to create excruciating migraines or aneurysms through supernatural means.
	+ **Elemental Control**: The power to control and manipulate the elements of air, earth, fire, and water.
	+ **Divination:** The power to divine future, past, and present events based on extrasensory perception.
		- **Clairvoyance:** The power to divine future, past or present events through instinctive knowledge.
		- **Intuition:** The power to divine future, past or present events through the use of instinctive knowledge.
		- **Premonitions:** The power to divine future, past or present events through the observation and study of dreams.
		- **Psychometry:** The power to divine future, past or present events through contact with or proximity to a certain object or person.
		- **Projection:** The power to separate from one's body and project the mind to another location or to instantaneously travel from one point to another.
		- **Transmogrification:** The unique power to alter the physical structure of objects living or dead, changing their form through spells.
		- **Telepathy:** The power that allows witches to access the minds of others through spells.
		- **Possession:** The power to jump one's spirit into the body of another, taking control of said host body through spells.
		- **Illusions:** The power to alter the senses of others to perceive a false reality through spells.
		- **Dream Manipulation:** The power to control people's dreams through spells.
		- **Resurrection:** The power to bring someone or one's self back from the dead through spells.

## Weaknesses

* **Disbelief:** The act of denying or disbelieving in one's potential could cause a witch to inadvertently suppress their magical power.
* **Distraction:** Denying a witch from concentrating or giving full attention to their spells, may render them ineffective. Since most spells are spoken verbally and take time to take effect, witches are vulnerable to attack before their completion. Additionally, certain spells require items, tools, and or special events during casting, therefore they can't be invoked on a mere whim.
* **Emotions:** A witch's magic is subject to the influence of their emotional state and may fluctuate according to them, especially when untrained. According to Sheila Bennett, strong emotions such as worry and anger can fuel a witch's power while emotions such as fear may prevent a witch from properly accessing them.
* **Herbs:** Ingestion of certain herbs can cause a witch to lose consciousness and prevent them from using magic for an undetermined amount of time. The Lobelia flower prevents concentration and, therefore, the practice of magic and can be used to temporarily weaken a witch.
* **Witchcraft:** Witches are still susceptible to the powers of witchcraft. This is inclusive of mystical and dark objects. A siphoner can siphon the magic from a witch and prolonged exposure is said to lead to death.
* **Mortality:** Despite their mystical attributes, witches are still human and share many of the same weaknesses as non-supernatural beings (e.g. age, decapitation, disease, heart-failure, suffocation, snapped neck, etc.). However, witches can temporarily get around this weakness through the use of protection spells.
* **Overexertion:** The excessive use of magic can lead to disorientation, nose bleeds, unconsciousness, and if taken to the extreme, death.
* **Nature:** It is said that Nature will always find a balance when witchcraft is performed, thus spells will always have loopholes. This means, among other things, that no being can be truly immortal.

## Tools

* **Amulets:** An object that is used to protect its wearer from harm.
* **Athames:** A ceremonial dagger with a double-edged blade that is commonly used to direct energy.
* **Candles:** A block of solid wax with an embedded wick that is commonly lit to amplify a witch's spell.
* **Cauldrons:** A large metal pot that is commonly used to hold the ingredients for elixirs and potions.
* **Grimoires:** A family journal is documented with magical recipes, rituals, and spells. Grimoires can also be used as a Talisman to represent a witch.
* **Herbs:** Various flora used as ingredients to be incorporated into spells as binding agents.
* **Stones:** Various minerals and ores used to boost or bind a witch's spell.
* **Symbols:** Seals drawn or written used as physical representations of spells.
* **Talismans:** Objects that can be used to magnify a witch's power and/or represent them supernaturally.

## Relationships

### **Nature**

The relationship between Nature and witches is a very deep and spiritual connection, even after the witch becomes immortal. While the majority of witches seem to respect Nature with just as much commitment and reverence as religious factions do about their churches or mosques, it has been proven that not all witches share this belief and have made malevolent acts that go against the Balance of Nature.

### ****Witches****

The relationship among witches is generally a positive relationship where witches not only help and protect each other but often treat one another as members of an extended family. However, while the majority of witches feel they have to help their fellow man, it has been proven that some witches may disregard this belief and turn against their people if it comes to it, such as with their safety, that of their loved ones or that of their own beliefs.

### **Humans**

The relationship between humans and witches is generally positive, although this was not always the case. Throughout the past, more than half of the human population lived in fear of the supernatural community. This fear caused many human parents to teach their children to hate and persecute all creatures who were different from them, especially witches. This eventually led to some of the world's most infamous witch trials that massacred hundreds (possibly thousands) of witches. While it has been implied that more than half of those who were accused were entirely innocent. Throughout the centuries, it appears that the belief in the occult has dramatically declined.

### **Werewolves**

The relationship between werewolves and witches is neutral to a negative relationship. Werewolves and witches are at odds more than allies. The two species did once have a strong relationship with one another, however, this was ruined by the inception of the vampires. However, witches and werewolves have been known to ally themselves with each other against their common enemy, though these alliances are typically short-lived due to werewolves not wanting to be controlled. It was further revealed that the Werewolf Curse was cast upon a Native American tribe of Witches begetting the seven werewolf bloodlines. There are relationships, such as Cassandra and Lucius Tlanta's, a witch and werewolf relationship to produce a werewolf-witch hybrid.

### **Immortal Werewolves**

The relationship between these sister species is generally positive, as they all have the same two sires, and many of them know each other very well. They come together on a lot of occasions, such as the congregation of the werewolves and witches of Conri's bloodline during World War II, in order to attend to the public.

### **Shifter Werewolf**

After many years, shifter werewolves were finally put on the radar of many witches, when an alpha of the shifter species moved into the Victorian mansion belonging to Conri Tlanta. They constantly get along on great terms, and playing around with each other, living around each other, aswell as fighting alongside each other when they needed.

### **Immortal Hybrids/Hybrids**

Since immortal witches are hybrids themselves of immortal beings, they have a good relationship with other hybrids of their own species, and other species as a whole.

### **Hunters**

While witches had been hunted by the hunters for a long amount of time, many of them have been allied with the Men of Letters since Danae Tlanta allied herself with the hunter, Diana Winchester. They are even more allied now, due to the supernatural division of the FBI formed by Diana and Stiles Stilinski once he became a full fledged agent, and began the division with Diana.

### **Werewolf-Witch Hybrids**

Since either Conri or Danae Tlanta are the sires of the immortal witch and immortal werewolf species, they are revered in each bloodline, and respected because they were able to use their influence over their sired creations to create somewhat of a family dynamic between all of them, allowing each witch and werewolf passage into a warm family.