Witch

**Witches** are a term used to classify those who practice magic while also being a individual species themselves.

## Overview

### Classifications

There are three recognised categories of a witch ie; 1. the borrowers, 2. the naturals, and 3. the students.

The term "Borrower" is used to define those who harness the power of a higher being most commonly a demon in order to practice witchcraft. While it is common for these witches to have traded their souls for power, it has been implied that not all Borrowers sell their souls, but rather promise the demon something else of value as a sacrifice for strength. Borrowers are looked down upon by the other witches as "talentless hacks". It is the most frequently appearing type of Witch seeing as it is difficult to study witchcraft and achieve more than a modicum of witchly power and that Natural witches have declined ever since the salem witch trials and the Spanish inquisition. A borrower could pass on their deal to another willing witch thus freeing their soul.

The term "natural witch" is used to define any human born with a predisposition for performing spells and rituals as well as possessing a inherent mystical battery so they can be their own "source". It has been stated that natural witches are chosen by the greek goddess Hecate who are credited with imbuing them with her essence. Naturals are said to be three times as good as students who try twice as hard.

The term "Student", also known as "trained", is used to define those with no natural ability who, with enough practice and training, can produce magical powers and cast spells that vary in strength. Any species can become a student witch so long as they are not incapable of harnessing magic. According to the witch Rowena, these witches are less common than Borrowers, but more common than Naturals.

Witches are often referred to by other names which include "Strega" of Italy which reference Shtriga of Albania; "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.

### Biology

Witch blood is a highly coveted item in the supernatural world with many unique properties and can be used to deal harm unto the witch it was from. Magical energy flowing through a witch's veins makes their blood more intoxicating for Vampires.

Everybody in the world, supernatural or human, has some inkling of mystical aptitude or energy regardless of how small, but very few have the ability to actually use it ie; witches. Student witches are regular humans who cultivate their spark of magic through studying and practice eventually becoming a flame that usually takes years and years before being able to accomplish more powerful feats. According to legend, this magic is remnants of the divine spark used to create the first two humans with some having more of it than others due to closer ancestry for example; the Winchesters as direct descendants of Cain and Abel subscribed them with greater aptitude for witchcraft in their hunting which is most evident in Sam Winchester.

Supernaturals have a larger *pool* of magic, so to speak, with more of it than normal humans and therefore making them more adapt at spell casting aside from their innate powers. As supernatural's are immortal, their magic accumalates over the centuries becoming stronger the longer they are alive. Demons are a notable example with their dark powers becoming stronger and developing new ones over time as older demons are more powerful than black-eyed demons who are younger.

Borrowers essentially "cheat" by making a deal with a demon to become enhanced and therefore accelerate their potential compared to Students. With the added down side of being condemned to Hell at the end of their life.

Natural Witches possess a far greater inherent power source referred to as a mystical battery granted by Hecate herself thousands of years ago to the original bloodlines, including the Macleods, in exchange for their kindness and worship. Magic regenerates naturally inside one the same way that the human body regenerates from damage over time or more accurately from fatigue. Some witches are able to use their magic supply faster than others like, if you have a bottle of water you can only pour so fast because of the size of the hole. Magical ability can be improved by constant use and age just like muscles to both improve the amount of magic held and the amount usable. If a natural witch expends too much energy in a small time frame they will experience what is referred to as a "burn-out" where all their magical energies will leave the body to fuel their ongoing spells and will take them a while to recover from such usage. Rowena Macleod notably expended a large quantity of power during her attack on a cosmic being which did not leave her powerless as she was able to perform magic afterward but was still reeling from the lost more than a year after.

The use of magic regardless whether natural or student extend ones lifespan significantly which can be improved by spells making them nearly immortal.

### Community

> "*There's almost nothing as strong as a full coven*"
> ― Olivia about the strength of a coven
>
>

A coven is a community or gathering of witches who commonly gather together for celebrations of holidays, ceremonies of worship, practices of witchcraft, and more. Covens normally seem to have a high priest or priestess acting as their leader though at times they will be referred to as regent, used as a gender neutral term, especially if its a large coven. A full coven is considered to have members equal to no less than 12 witches of any category while 3 or so witches are considered a witches "den". At times a family may be considered a coven in their own right even if they have less than 12 members but only if they have more than 3 members.

The Grand Coven is the largest community of witches in history though their numbers, power, and supernatural objects including grimoires have been declining for centuries as a result of human influence from hunters and the Men of Letters. It is estimated that, in modern day, they have as much as a 100 members or more, excluding contracted allies, spread over 9 disciplines of witchcraft which include those who specialise in Necromancy, Sacrificial Magic, Voodoo, and Elemental Magic.

### Powers

Before a natural witch has come into their power, they're considered "untapped", and their magic is considered pure as well as "taste like strawberries". 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, Wicca, or any number of other magical practices from countries and cultures all around the world.

According to Rowena, all Naturals have a spiritual connection to the elements of the Earth and the forces of Nature. She later explains that those of her sisterhood can feel the essence of life or magic itself.

According to Bobby Singer, the power of a witch is not only dependent on the source of their magic, but also on their knowledge and training in witchcraft, and Rowena strongly implies there are differences of power among them, as she claims witches of sisters Plum's level would not be able to make good use of Black Grimoire in its totality. For example, whereas novice witches may struggle to defend themselves from human attackers, more experienced witches have been known to overpower some of the most powerful creatures in existence.

By joining together, regardless of class, witches can increase their magical strength to varying levels which is referred to as "channeling". They can also channel supernatural objects, powerful beings, the elements, or a celestial event/object. Channeling another witch(es) appears to be a intimate act not to be taken lightly and is usually only done between witches of the same coven who are familiar with eachother. Furthermore, the connection between the channeling witches is most stable when they are acting in total unisen. Channelling the energy of a different type of magic from what you practice or have practiced is dangerous due to the potential collide of opposing forces.

Many witches seem immortal and possess a degree of invulnerability which is somewhat innate in naturals though enhanced through spells or curses and borrowers specifically bargain for a longer life along with their power.

See page; Spells and Rituals for a in-depth list of spells witches are capable of casting depending on age, skill, and power.

#### Magical Proficiency Level

A specific tiering system where for different skill levels, knowledge, and spell potency/power is used to classify a Witch. This can be used in tandem of the previously explained mystical batteries for example say a witch has 800 magic which is used to identify how much raw power is in their battery. A combination of number and letter is used for the points regarding knowledge and skill.

Each categories point level is determined by statements/quotes, history of the witch in question, and feats.

While many have the knowledge to cast immense spells they wouldn't have the needed power to execute said incantations and even if they acquire said power somewhere they might not have the proper skill to handle it risking the magic going haywire or the ritual failing. This was experienced by Lorenzo Gilcrest when he failed to perform a resurrection spell due to not possessing the required skill to handle such transfers of energies.

Knowledge/Skill Levels

* 10C - Simple Novice
* 10B - Moderate Novice
* 10A - Advanced Novice
* 9C - Low level Apprentice
* 9B - Mid Level apprentice
* 9A - High level apprentice
* 8C - Simple competant user
* 8B - Moderate competant user
* 8A - Advanced competant user
* 7C - Proficient
* 7B - Mid level proficient
* 7A - Advancedly proficient
* 6C - Low level Expert
* 6B - Mid level expert
* 6A - Advanced level expert
* 5C - Low level master
* 5B - Mid level master
* 5A - High level master
* 4C - Unknown
* 4B - Unknown
* 4A - Unknown
* 3C - Unknown
* 3B - Unknown
* 3A - Unknown
* 2C - Unknown
* 2B - Unknown
* 2A - Unknown
* 1C - Unknown
* 1B - Unknown
* 1A - Unknown

### Weaknesses

1. **Disbelief:** The act of denying or disbelieving in one's potential could cause a natural witch to inadvertently suppress their magical power.
2. **Emotions:** Magic is subject to the influence of the casting witches emotional state. Strong emotions such as confidence or anger can fuel a witch's power, while emotions such as fear and sadness may prevent a witch or warlock from properly accessing a spell. According to Rowena, one of the cardinal rules of magic is that disposition affects execution; this implies that performing spells correctly demands a certain frame of mind.
3. **Distraction:** Preventing a witch from concentrating or giving full attention to their spells, may render them ineffective.
4. **Iron:** As a hard and strong magnetic metal, Iron is able to repress the supernatural power of a witch, supposedly rendering them powerless. However, some magic can still be practiced while cuffed to iron particularly if they are powerful or natural.
5. **Magic:** Despite being noted for their use of magic, witches are still susceptible to the effects of magic.
6. Witch Killing Spell/Bullets
7. Power Sealing
8. **Mortality:** Despite their mystical attributes, witches are commonly still human and share many of the same weaknesses as non-supernatural beings (e.g. age, blood loss, decapitation, disease, heart-failure, incineration, suffocation, snapped neck, etc.). However, it is known that especially skilled witches can overcome these weaknesses through powerful magic.
9. **Overexertion:** The excessive use of magic could lead to fatigue, unconsciousness, the depletion of a natural's reservoir of power, and if taken to the extreme, death.
10. **Witchcatcher:** A witchcatcher is a device used to restrain witches, most were thought to be destroyed after the Inquisition. The witchcatcher is a large iron collar with seven spikes affixed to the inside of the collar. Once affixed to a witch's neck, the witch is forced to do the bidding of whoever is in control of it.
11. Species specific weaknesses

### Notable Witches

* Macleod Family which includes Isaac Macleod-Labonair and Rowena Macleod (renowned for being powerful natural witches)
* Ellis family which incudes Elizabeth Ellis and Noah Ellis (renowned for being grace-enhanced)
* Tarrayo family which includes Jaden Tarrayo, Silas Tarrayo, and Katerina Tarrayo
* Hector Labonair
* Parker Lockwood
* Petrova family which includes Qetsiyah Petrova and Gregor Petrova
* Harry Miller

*More TBA*

## Trivia

* When a witch dies, willow moss is said to grow on the graves, making them easily identifiable to hunters
* Female witches are said to be more common than male witches.
* A male witch is generally referred to as a Warlock or a sorcerer.