Siphoner

**Siphoners**, or **Siphons**, are a subsection of witches born without the ability to generate their own magic but do possess a rare power that allows them to siphon magic from other sources and use that magic for their own purposes. They are considered abominations by many witch communities despite the fact that Siphoners are born with these abilities and may face harsh treatment by their covens when discovered.

They appear to be rare and few in numbers although they are rather controversial because they have the potential to become witch-vampire hybrids.

## Powers and Abilities

* **Siphoning:** Siphoners possess the rare ability to absorb nearly all forms of magic from external sources in place of their lack of personal power. As a result of this ability, they are able to detect the magic within other beings as well as unravel the most sophisticated of spells. Siphoning can be used to siphon the magic of enchanted objects as well as the magic from supernatural beings such as other witches, vampires, werewolves, doppelgängers, etc. This also extends to a supernatural being's body fluids, such as the blood of a witch, vampire or doppelgänger, or a werewolf's venom.
* **Spell Casting:** Siphoners, after having absorbed magic from an external source, have the ability to cast spells like any witch. This allows them to change and control events through the use of incantations and more. However, the amount of power they have absorbed is finite and will eventually need to be replenished by siphoning more magic, though the frequency of which depends on the amount and strength of the magic they absorbed.
* **Potion Brewing:** The power to brew and concoct potions, remedies, and elixirs that have supernatural properties.
* **Telekinesis:** Siphoners, after having absorbed magic from an external source, have the ability to move objects and people like any witch.
* **Pain Infliction:** Siphoners, after having absorbed magic from an external source, have the ability to inflict excruciating migranes like any witch.
* **Pyrokinesis:** Siphoners, after having absorbed magic from an external source, have the ability to generate and manipulate fire like any witch.

## Weaknesses

* **Distraction:** Denying a witch from concentrating or giving full attention to their spells may render it ineffective.
* **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 a witch from being able to focus and concentrate, which is necessary to effectively cast spells, making it a common herb used in the weakening of a witch in the same manner as someone would use vervain to weaken a vampire. There are also other herbs that will temporarily mute or suppress the use of magic, though the length of time the herbs are effective are based on the strength of the witch in question.
* **Huntress' Blood:** A supernatural huntress' blood can suppress all magic of a witch when consumed,as well as prevent magic from working on said witch, as seen when the Armory could not perform a locator spell on Bonnie Bennett. Prolonged ingestion is toxic and ultimately leads to the death of the witch. Once black scabs start appearing on their body, the infected witches have less than a week of life, similar to how Vampires react to Werewolf Venom. There is no known cure to combat this disease.
* **Mortality:** Siphoners, like any witch, are still human, and thus share many of the same weaknesses as non-supernatural beings (e.g. age, decapitation, disease, heart-failure, suffocation, etc.).
* **Magic:** Siphoners are just as susceptible to the forces of witchcraft as any other being. This is inclusive of mystical objects such as Papa Tunde's Blade, and Dark Objects. It is currently unknown if Siphoners can siphon magic from one another but this is very likely.
* **Physical Contact:** Siphoners need physical contact with their source in order to siphon from them. This can be overcome through the use of magic containing amulets that can be worn with them to be siphoned in defense.
* **Staff of Arcadius:** An ancient Mesopotamian tuning fork capable of producing a frequency that disrupts psychic activity. It is shown to inflict great pain on Siphoners in the same way it inflicts pain on Sirens seeming due to been rooted in psychic energy. Josie and Lizzie were in pain when the Staff vibrated after been dropped on the floor. It is unknown if the Staff also has an effect on neutralizing a Siphoner's power like it does with Sirens.

## Known Siphoners

* Siphoners
* Former Siphoners

 Josie Saltzman | Josie and her sister are twin Siphoners born from the union of Josette Laughlin and Alaric Saltzman. They are currently under the care of Caroline Forbes, who became their surrogate mother after Jo's death.
 Emma Kirby | Emma is the adoptive daughter of Matt Donovan and the biological twin sister of Landon Kirby.

 Malcolm | Malcolm was a young Siphoner who was kicked out by the Gemini Coven. At some point after joining the Heretics, he was killed with Lily's blood in his system, becoming a witch-vampire hybrid.

## Trivia

* The existence of Siphoners seems to be limited to witches born from the Gemini Coven, though this remains unconfirmed.
* Siphoners are the only type of witches who have the potential to be turned into witch-vampire hybrids as they keep their ability to practice magic after being turned into vampires as a result of their Siphoning ability.
	+ As hybrids, they can draw upon their vampirism as a nearly endless source of power, though completely siphoning their vampirism would result in their deaths.
* Siphoners are capable of healing vampires from werewolf bites by siphoning the magic of the werewolf venom from their bodies.
	+ This could serve as an advantage to any of Niklaus Mikaelson's enemies, considering that Klaus is no longer the only option for a cure for a werewolf bite.
* Siphoners are able to become full-fledged witches by competing in and "winning" the merging ritual. If successfully performed, said Siphoner will gain their twin's power of a typical witch while retaining their ability to siphon.
	+ However, it remains unconfirmed that this would be the case if two Siphoner twins were to perform the merging ceremony, such as Lizzie and Josie Saltzman.
* Siphoners are somehow born with rare genetic mutation that can pass through and across generations, which gives them their ability to absorb magic from any witch, magical object, or supernatural being.
* Siphoners, Doppelgängers, Immortals, Supernatural Hunters and Sirens are among the rarest species shown in the series.
* Josie and Lizzie are the first known pair of twins to both be Siphoners.
* It is unknown how previous mothers survive the birth of a siphoner seeing as it nearly killed Caroline.
	+ It can be assumed that the spell creating a focal point of magic can be used, similar to that done in Caroline's case, or perhaps the mother could augment her own power by channeling other witches, supernatural beings, or enchanted objects.
	+ It is also possible that it was because Caroline was carrying two Siphoners and the birth of a single Siphoner would not normally overwhelm a mother.