Witches

**Witches** are supernatural beings who are born with the power to affect change by magical means, known as witchcraft.

## Characteristics

In addition, it is said that witches’ bonds to their family and their local communities are important. They are rooted in their communities and have a deep sense of place. Witches are very territorial and take other witches coming onto their land very seriously. This can be seen when Gabriel first arrived with Nathan and Annalise in France and not only announced himself but paid their way as well for the right to pass through. The consequences for crossing into another witch's territory unannounced and uninvited can be fatal. The Ozanne Clan, a Blood Witch Clan Family, were prepared to kill Nathan, Annalise, and Gabriel for crossing into their lands. Witches have a wide variety of powers, some can brew potions and some have elemental powers, but they all have strong personalities and certain shared abilities.

Witches vary in their magical abilities and strengths, including shapeshifting, necromancy, invisibility, visions, healing and weather control. Being a witch is a genetic trait, passed down from parent to child. Moreover, it appears that certain powers can appear more common in a family. For example, the Fairborn O'Brien family sees chlorokinesis as a common ability in their family line. However, just because a certain power is common in a family line, that does not mean that a witch will absolutely awaken that power. Certain powers such as pyrokinesis and electrokinesis are more favoured for combat, while others like chlorokinesis and illumination are considered weak for combat.

There are two types of witches, Fairborn Witches and Blood Witches. It appears that both sides and individual families within them can have rituals and cultural practices unique to them. Despite the fact that both can share the same abilities, cast the same spells and work to hide their secrets from the outside world, the two sides have been fighting for as long as anyone can remember. They both harbour prejudices and hatred towards the other. Furthermore, witches from both sides have taken countless lives from the other.

## The Giving Day

The Giving Day is a ritual practised by both Fairborn Witches and Blood Witches. It is considered sacred by both sides and appears to be one of the only things that both sides respect the other's right to. The ritual takes place on a witch's seventeenth birthday and is the day when they come into their magic. It appears to be a celebration by the witch's family and can include the witch's community and friends. However, this could depend on the witch's standing in the community as Jessica Byrne's Giving was only attended by her grandmother and half-brother (although, they were currently the only Witches in town at the time) while Annalise O'Brien's Giving was attended by not only her family but also by many members of the Fairborn Council and other witches as well. While both girls were Fairborn Witches and therefore members of the Fairborn Community, Jessica's family was looked down upon as her mother was branded a traitor for having a son with Marcus Edge, an infamous Blood Witch. Annalise on the other hand was the daughter of a respected member of the Fairborn Council and from a respected Fairborn Witch family as well.

A witch's Giving Day must take place on their seventeenth birthday. It appears it is preferred that the ritual take place outside surrounded by nature. For example, Jessica's Giving Day took place under a tree decorated with red ribbons, while Annalise's took place under an altar of flowers and vines. The ritual begins with a family member of the witch presenting them with three gifts. These gifts usually have a deeper or special meaning, such as a handmade item, family heirloom or precious information. The witch will then drink the blood of their family member in order to activate their power and the full extent of their magic.

It is not known if there are consequences if a Fairborn Witch does not get their family blood on their Giving Day, but it has been proven that if a Blood Witch does not get their family blood, then they will die a painful death while bleeding from their eyes, ears and nose.

## Powers and Abilities

### Basic Abilities

* **Spellcasting:** The act of changing and controlling events through the use of incantations and recitations.
* **Accelerated Healing:** The ability to heal at supernatural speeds. This ability is shared by both Fairborn Witches and Blood Witches but Blood Witches heal faster than Fairborn Witches.

### Individual Powers

* **Shapeshifting:** The power to shift into the forms of other people, taking on their appearance and voice.
* **Animalshifting:** The power to take on the form of any animal.
* **The Sight:** The power to see significant visions or premonitions of the past, present, and future.
* **Potion Brewing:** The power to brew and concoct potions, remedies, and elixirs that have supernatural properties with varying effects.
* **Decimation:** The power to explode something from the inside out. This power is rare among Fairborn Witches.
* **Alchemy:** The power to create powders and remedies that have supernatural properties with varying effects. It said to be more complex than Potion Brewing.
* **Chlorokinesis:** The power to create and manipulate plants.
* **Geokinesis:** The power to manipulate the earth.
* **Hydrokinesis:** The power to generate and manipulate water or liquids.
* **Cryokinesis:** The power to generate and manipulate ice.
* **Pyrokinesis:** The power to generate and manipulate fire.
* **Electrokinesis:** The power to generate and manipulate electricity. All of those seen with this power have generated blue electricity.
* **Umbrakinesis:** The ability to generate and manipulate darkness.
* **Illumination:** This power has yet to be explained, it can be assumed that it may have something to do with the generation and manipulation of light.
* **Necromancy:** The power to summon and communicate with the dead.
* **Invisibility:** The power to make oneself unable to be seen by other beings.
* **Elixir:** This power has yet to be explained, but it may be similar to Potion Brewing or Alchemy.
* **Healing:** The power to heal a wound or injury.
* **Immobilisation:** The power to stop people in place as though they were frozen in time.
* **Tracking:** The power to track people by scent.
* **Size Alteration:** The power to alter ones size.
* **Enhanced Speed:** The power to move at a speed greater than humanly possible.
* **Enhanced Strength:** The power to exert physical strength greater than humanly possible.
* **Sensory Deprivation:** The power to muffle another person's senses, particularly hearing.
* **Know when you die:** The power that makes the user knows when he/she dies.
* **Atmokinesis:** The power to control the weather.
* **Manipulate heat and cold:** The power to manipulate heat and cold.

### Unique Abilities

* **Heart Eating:** The power to eat the heart of another witch to absorb their individual power. This power is unique to Blood Witches and those who possess are revered by the Blood Witch community but viewed as monstrous by the Fairborn Witch Community.
* **Heart Hearing:** The power to hear heartbeats. This power appears to be unique to Blood Witches and connected to Heart Eating. It seems to be rare even among Blood Witches as only Marcus Edge, his family and descendant; Nathan Byrne, and the head of the Ozanne Family of the Ozanne Clan and her daughter have been known to possess this power.