Witch

## Witchcraft

Though the name witch is often used erroneously, in the sense of herbal women or even blasphemous heretics, those of the Wyld know better. Witch is the title of the highest servants of the Feyfolk on Earth and , as such, a title that holds reverence among the elves, the gnomes, and the rural peasantry, whose folksy knowledge is often disdained by nobles, clerics and academics alike. In fact, most nobles and academics, despite all their knowledge and training remain utterly oblivious to the existence of these ‘queens of nature’. Since the Transcendent Treaty that marks the end of Classical Antiquity, never have there been more than 12 witches on Earth and they tend to shy the most populated areas. They govern the remaining areas of wilderness and express the will of the Fey. This means that sometimes they will be ‘Seelie’ , well-inclined to collaborate with mankind to create a balance between nature and civilization; and yet on other times, they may be ‘Unseelie’, having decided that man is a blight on Earth that must be constrained, and cut down. Due to their connection with Nature, Witches have extreme longevity and most of them predate this modern age. Consequently, meeting a Witch will highly likely be an epic event, as it will probably involve an ancient and powerful entity who might well have witnessed the fall of Rome. That being said, Witches are still mortal, and ultimately die. If this happens, a new witch is invariably born somewhere at the whim of the Fey overlords. This young girl’s journey to witchhood will not be easy, as her developing powers invariably alienate them from society, often sowing fear and distrust among the rest of the tribe.

## Patrons

As said earlier, Witches are the leading Earthly servants of the Fey Lords. It is by their deep connection to their patrons that they gain their powers. Consequently, the character of the Witch will often evolve toward that of her patron. And while allied fey folk and gnomes might show deference to a witch, her master’s rivals and their subordinates most certainly will not.

There are several Grand Fey, but their true number is only known unto God. It is easily conceivable that some of them do not engage themselves with the realms beyond the dreamlands, but others most certainly do. These entities have been given names by the world of men, and are known to meddle in worldly affairs.

King Oberon : Fairy king

Queen Titania : Fairy queen, lady of Grace and Harmony

Queen Mab : fomer Fairy queen, lady of Moon and Magic.

Squelaiche : trickery and illusions.

Damh  : song & dance

Verenestra : charm & beauty

Grandfather Winter :

## Familiars

Are non-optional for witches, they get an attendant whether they want to or not. Often a witches’ familiar will take the shape of a fey creature fitting the theme. (eg. leprechaun butler for the Irish witch, or a barnacled sea hag for the witch of the Grecian isles). Follows campaign rules for familiars, meaning they grow as the level of their ladies increase.

## The Pact

Once the pact is concluded (and usually the witch has no say in this, but is bombarded into the position) , the witch is no longer really human/noble/whatever-she-was-before. All powers linked to the previous self (like eg. noble bloodlines) are lost forever, and replaced by Fey-induced alternatives. Witches are always adopted by Fey powers, never born as such. Several curses and effects are connected to this position  :

* Wyld Transformation : Witches become creatures of the wyld, but at a price. Witches gain the ‘fey’ template but develop a vulnerability and allergy to cold iron.

* Curse of Celibacy : Witches must stay true to their purpose and cannot build a happy little family of their own. All are cursed in this way : they do not marry, cannot marry, even should they want to. Something will always go wrong and if they do try, it will never last long. (eg. long enough for the evil witch to marry the king, mindcontrol him, and push him off the stairs long before the marriage is ever ‘consumated’. Even ‘good’ witches are subject to this effect, or -if you doubt this- ask the late Mary Magdalen how long/happy her own marriage was, if you like. )

* Curse of Similarity : After a while, all witches slowly start to resemble their patrons in one way or another. Though, like so many things in nature, it is a slow process, it is inevitable. Baba Yaga’s old and deep wrinkles are as grizzled and frozen and those on Grandfather Winter’s own face and Titiana’s witch will always become blond and beautiful as the dawn.

* Curse of the Patron : this can vary. Fey patrons can be very demanding and even whimsical and this will have an effect on their witches. Some patrons will offer additional benefits, but always at the price of some other detriment. (eg. the [unseelie] Grecian witch is said to have fabled powers over the ocean, but it is also rumoured she can and must eat the flesh of sentient humanoids in order to remain at full power. )