Witches

## Background

A witch is a person who is learned in witchcraft. A witch can be either female or male, as they commune with the natural forces and channel them in order to practice magic. Witches can be extremely long lived & very powerful.

It is believed that witches have existed since the beginning of humanity, passing down their knowledge & skills through generations of family lines. Contrary to popular belief, not all witches receive their magic from demons nor do they worship the devil. Some witches receive their power from nature & practice their witchcraft however they saw fit. Depending upon the individual, some witches practice their power by certain belief systems or any number of other magical practices from countries and cultures all around the world.

There are three recognized kinds of witch in the world: the Borrowers, the Naturals & the Students.

### The Borrowers

The term "Borrower" is used to define those who harnesses the power of a demon, angel or a deity (i.e. The Presence) in order to practice witchcraft. These witches are known to have summoned demons & made deals with them in exchange for power. 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. Unlike humans who sell their souls to Crossroad Demons, Borrowers do not appear to have a time limit on their deals as some Borrower Witches live very long lives but expect to go to Hell when they eventually die an unknown condition. In one case, a witch's powers took the form of a ring that enabled her to cast powerful spells. By passing the ring onto another witch, she passed on her powers & the deal with the demon.

### The Naturals

The term "Natural" is used to define any witch who is born with a predisposition towards practicing magic. Not much is known about these witches apart from the fact that they are known to have an innate affinity to accessing certain supernatural powers of the universe. Being born of a natural witch doesn't necessarily make that individual one as well but it does mean that their offspring does have a disposition for such power.

### The Students

The term "Student" is used to define those with no natural ability who, with enough practice & training, & a mentor to show them the path, can eke out a modicum of witchly power. While these witches are commonly known to have been taught about witchcraft from other witches, there is an extremely small group that has been self-taught.

## Covens

Coven usually refers to a group, gathering or community of witches. The word "coven" comes from the Anglo-Norman "covent," Old French "covent" & from Latin "conventum" (which means convention). The word has been used for centuries but became known to commonpeople around the late 19th to early 20th century when the propoganda of witches meeting in groups was being spread across Europe.

Covens usually had three, seven or thirteen members. But after the European witch-hunts & the witch trials in the early modern period led to tens of thousands of executions, most covens tended to operate in groups of three to keep their witchcraft under the radar. In these groups of three, each member had a set role, which was uncommon in larger covens.

* **Crone / Elder:** Represents wisdom, repose, death, and endings represented by the waning moon. This witch is usually the oldest or most senior member of the coven.
* **Lady (or Mother) / Lord (or Father):** Represents ripeness, fertility, sexuality, fulfilment, stability, power and life represented by the full moon. This witch acts as the leader of the coven.
* **Maiden (or Damsel) / Bachelor:** Represents enchantment, inception, expansion, the promise of new beginnings, birth, youth and youthful enthusiasm, represented by the waxing moon.

## Powers & Abilities

The power of a witch is not only dependent on the source of their magic, but also on their knowledge & training in witchcraft. 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, witches can increase their magical strength. Most of their power to change & control events comes through the use of incantations and/or ritualistic gestures. Witches can access various supernatural powers via spells, but some of the most common are:

* **Alchemy**: The power to brew & concoct potions, remedies & elixirs that have supernatural properties.
* **Astral Projection:** The power to separate from one's body and project the spirit to another location.
* **Conjuration:** Spells that magically create objects seemingly out of nothingness. Such spells can be used to conjure various objects (e.g. maggots, blood, needles, razors, or even hearts), sometimes through a hex.
* **Elemental Manipulation:** The power to control & manipulate the four basic elements (air, earth, fire & water).
* **Energy Blasts:** The power to fire blasts of concentrated energy.
* **Healing:** Witches are capable of healing themselves or others with their powers, though some had to use potions or remedies to help.
* **Hexing & Cursing**: Witches have the ability to hex & curse others. Spells such as these affect an object or person in a negative manner; hexes cause major inconvenience to the target, while curses are truly malevolent acts of magic.
* **Illusions:** The power to alter the senses of others to perceive a false reality.
* **Immobilization:** The power to immobilize a person in place through a spell.
* **Invulnerability:** Powerful witches have displayed invulnerability to conventional forms of harm, with some even scoffing at the idea of a bullet being used against then.
* **Longevity:** The power to live hundreds, possibly thousands of years while maintaining a youthful, even beautiful appearance. Via spells, some witches can even gain immortality.
* **Mind Control:** The power to control and manipulate the behavior and thoughts of others.
* **Memory Manipulation:** The power to take away memories from people and/or place false ones.
* **Molecular Combustion:** Through a spell, witches can cause one to combust, usually into blood & ash.
* **Necromancy:** The act of controlling and manipulating death. This is inclusive of undead creatures such as zombies.
* **Scrying:** Using crystals, mirrors, or prisms, witches are able to find whoever they want, although the spell is easier to perform if the witch knows the appearance of, or possesses an object belonging to, the person they seek.
* **Spell Creation:** Extremely powerful witches have shown the ability to create their own spells.
* **Enhanced Strength:** Empowered by spells, witches can be endowed with enhanced strength.
* **Telekinesis:** The power to move objects and persons through mental influence.
* **Teleportation (Limited):** The act of disappearing from one location and instantly reappearing in another location through supernatural means. Witches can gain the power to teleport if they are powerful enough.
* **Warding:** The power to place protection spells and wards on places and people, shielding them from harm.

## Trivia

* By simple definition, witches are practitioners of witchcraft.
* Witches have been confused with & likened to necromancers, shamans, sorcerers, warlocks, wiccans & wizards. There is subtle difference between them all. Sorcerer is more of a blanket term & can apply to both witches & those of Homo Magi descent.
* Witches will sometimes have a companion known as a familiar who can appear in either animal or human form.
* When a witch dies, willow moss is said to grow on the graves, making them easily identifiable to hunters.
* Some witches use hex bags, a charm composed of a mixture of herbs, talismans, & other supernatural ingredients, placed in a piece of cloth & bound with leather. It is used to bring about a specific effect – usually, but not always, malicious. A hex bag intended to harm someone also contains a personal belonging of the intended victim (usually clothing).
* Although witches are not inherently evil, many are often corrupted by their power butt still, majority are considered benevolent & even allies to noble causes. Because of this, hunters will normally leave them alone if they are not doing anything malicious or harmful to others.

## Notes

* Most of the lore on witches come from tv series, *Supernatural*.