Witch

Witches are a race of supernatural beings with the ability to affect physical change through the use of magic. A Witch is an individual, either male or female, who has tapped into the powers of witchcraft and bonded with the elements of nature in order to practice their particular branch of sorcery. Witches are amongst the most powerful and versatile beings on Earth, as well as one of the oldest and most respected species in the Night World. They are commonly known amongst the other Night Worlders as "Keepers of the Balance". As such, they are seen as one of the highest authorities on the laws of magic pertaining the supernatural. Despite their famed status as servants of nature, many other witches have been known to actively work against the balance and use their vast powers for personal gain, which often results in a number of disastrous consequences for the supernatural community.

The black dahlia is the primary symbol used to represent witches in the Night World, but some use a secondary emblem in the form of a snake coiled around an apple. Male witches are sometimes referred to as wizards, but most of the time they are still call themselves witches, the Sons of Hecate. Although witchkind is predominantly female, about thirty-to-forty percent of their species are male, making the birth of a boy unlikely but not exactly a rarity.

The Five Mothers
The Five Mothers are a group of ancient and powerful goddesses who reign as the progenitors of witchkind. The oldest among them is Hecate, the Goddess and All-Mother of Magic; then Lilith, the Mother of Monsters; Mother Suspiriorum, Goddess of Sighs; Mother Lachrymarum, Goddess of Tears; and finally, Mother Tenebrarum, Goddess of Darkness. Out of all of them, Suspiria is the most powerful. Hecate is also known as the Triple Goddess, and exists in a triad alongside Artemis and Persephone, whom are also worshipped by witches all over the world.

Balance Of Nature
The Balance of Nature is a spiritual belief system based around the observance of the Earth and reverence of Mother Nature. The goal of many witches is to honour the design of Nature and to maintain balance within the natural world. The Balance of Nature is intimately tied to one's spiritual relationship with the Earth, and the idea that all living things are considered sacred, as they are all different aspects of nature. Contemporary witches often use ceremonies, rituals, or shamanic practices to attune themselves with the natural rhythms of Nature in their efforts to obtain guidance and knowledge from wiser known witches called "the Spirits" or from their ancestors. However, according to Gloria, who referred to herself as an "old-school voodoo" practitioner, not all witches follow this belief system and have free will to choose how they practice their power. Those witches who do exalt the powers of nature, have a strong relationship with Gaia.

History
The origins of witchcraft can be found in the earliest days of humanity, preceding even the War In Heaven. The Original Witch was Lilith, who was also the first mortal woman. Lilith came into being when the young goddess Hecate, shed a tear for the original human men, Adam and his brother, Arcadius. From this tear, which combined with the dirt and soil of Gaia's earth, arose Lilith herself, who wielded great magical power but unlike her divine progenitors, was born mortal with the potential to evolve into something more. Lilith married Adam, but when she refused to submit to him and teach him her magic, she left their home of Eden and returned to earth, where she was met by Adam's long lost younger twin brother, Arcadius, with whom she fell in love, eventually taking him to the Wellspring of her creation and teaching him magic.

Together, she and Cade produced many magical and non-magical children, from whom all true modern-day witches claim descent. Since that time, witches have passed down their knowledge and skill through family lines and teaching the odd talented mortal or two how to develop a modicum of mystical might, thereby imbuing their own blood with magical properties that give to an entirely new family of magi. This proves that one does not need to be born with it in order to use it.

While witchcraft is commonly practiced by humans, it is not limited to a species, as magic is an all-inclusive force of nature, to the point where demons, lycanthropes and vampires are known to practice their own variations of the Craft. Contrary to popular belief, not all witches receive their magic from demons, nor do they worship the devil. No code of conduct or beliefs contemplate all practitioners, although the majority of covens on earth try their best to maintain the Balance of Nature.

Some few millennia into the life of witchkind, a coven of six siblings rose to power over the others of their kind, overthrew the Dragonborn, and reigned as the Witch Lords, three males and three female. The six terrorized the earth for thousands of years, taking turns ruling their people and attempting to exterminate or enslave humanity. Eventually, five of them were seemingly slaughtered, leaving their power to the last remaining sibling, the legendary Witch Queen. The Witch Queen was the most powerful of her kind and came to very close to destroying the human race and claiming the earth for the supernatural, but eventually she too was defeated by an ancient alliance, and used the energy provided by her betrayal to enact a death curse in which she and her siblings' souls which she held within her, were reborn into a single child who would one day become the original Supreme Witch.

Centuries ago, ancient witches were known to be extremely brutal and unforgiving. It was common practice to devour the hearts of their enemies in order to increase their power and vitality, but the act of cannibalizing a fellow witch was considered anathema and punishable by death, usually by fire and/or their own hearts being removed and eaten by the victim's closest relatives. The eating of hearts in general has since been forbidden by most witches, and those that still do are usually exiled or even put to death by their respective covens.

At some point in history, the Lower Being D'Hoffryn created Vengeance Demons by appearing to and converting witches who had exacted notable magical revenge in one form or another.

Supreme Witch
The Supreme Witch, known more colloquially as the Supreme, and sometimes referred to as the Grand High Witch, is a worldwide status recognized among the witches descended from the Salem Witch Trials. While most witches possess only a handful of inherent supernatural gifts, the Supreme is said to embody multiple, if not all. To be identified as the Supreme, the witch in question must have mastery over 7 distinct abilities, known as 'The Seven Wonders'. Historically, there is said to be only one Supreme per generation (approximately 80-100 years). Part of being a Supreme means no ailments or diseases, until a new Supreme ascends and the Supreme before them dies of rapidly declining health.

Cardinal Witch
A Cardinal Witch is an extremely powerful mage with vast powers and resources at their command. It is not just an official title but also a level of magical ability. Cardinal Witches, sometimes known as Grand Witches, are usually the head of an entire coven, or perhaps several, in the case of the Regent of New Orleans. In some cases, a Cardinal Witch may be even stronger than the Supreme, though this is extremely rare and only ever happened once or twice that is known in supernatural history.

Physiology
A witch's physiology is subtly different from ordinary mortals, but they are more noticeable in Cradle Witches than Students and Contractors. They naturally possess the same physical abilities of normal humans, but these can be enhanced through various spells and rituals, yet they do have a more complex brain structure, which can be seen on medical equipment. Their blood is also highly desirable amongst the supernatural black market. Their lifespans are far longer than humans, but they are not naturally immortal. They can be killed like non-magical folk, but are immune to most diseases and ailments known to mankind. They are however, highly susceptible to iron, which can block their powers from being used, causing their magic to go awry, but exceptionally powerful witches can overcome this weakness and practice their craft as normal.

Although they possess the power to heal themselves through ritualistic spells, witches also have in them the inherent ability to recover from grievous injuries instantly by devouring the hearts of living beings. This also serves to extend their lifespan and increase their powers, an ancient tradition which is now forbidden.

In addition, a witch's tears are acidic to everything they come into contact with, save the witch themselves. Witchcraft can be both learned and inherited. Those born with magic are known as Cradle Witches and those who have tapped into it through years of tedious study are referred to as Students, with the former being the most common and usually more powerful than the latter. A third type known as Contract Witches exist. These are people who have made some sort of pact with an entity of otherworldly origins, usually a demon, in exchange for magical powers. A person who was once a witch in a previous life, but has no genetic trace of mysticism can become an actual witch following reincarnation.

When a witch delves into black magic, they begin to develop physical abnormalities. These can vary in severity and can be quite diverse, but they all worsen and become permanent the further they go down the dark path. Their eyes usually turn black, whilst their skin pales and their veins darken and bulge with power. Eventually, they become demonic shadows of their former selves, with ghoulish physiques and unnatural characteristics, such as an ancient Japanese witch becoming a twelve-foot tall spider-woman whilst another turned into an horrific mermaid-like abomination. Cardinal Witches of extreme power could mask these changes to appear normal.

When a witch is overwhelmed by their power due to exertion, they experience the "Bleeds". This is when their eyes and occasionally their nose and ears begin to bleed profusely. If a witch goes too far, the Bleeds can be fatal, otherwise the side-effects will pass in a few weeks. They are usually followed by excruciating migraines and sometimes, hallucinations and sporadic and uncontrollable outbursts of magical power.

Powers & Abilities
Magic is the power to affect change by supernatural means. Magic can often be split into black and white, though depending on the situation, it may also be neutral. All creatures (both human and non-human) are connected to this power and are able to access it through practice and training. While everyone has the ability to cast spells and perform other feats of magic, witches generally have more knowledge and understanding of the mystical energies and supernatural forces that charge the entire universe.

Depending on their level of skill, witches possess a number of magical abilities. While most witches focus their powers through the use of incantations and rituals, more advanced witches are known to use magic by sheer force of will. From telekinesis to teleportation, witches are virtually unlimited in their magical conquest. Minor can-trips (such as levitating a pencil) are relatively easy to perform, requiring only emotional focus, mental clarity and an understanding of the forces involved, while the more powerful witches can alter the very fabric of reality. The more powerful the witch is, the greater the feats they can accomplish in this way, but in general the effects achieved are straightforward.

Sometimes, witches may manifest other powers not mystical in nature but psychic. Gabriel Mikaelson portrayed the ability to perceive the energy fields ("aura") around a person. Althenea, a powerful witch of the Devon Coven, was considered a seer, having the ability to experience visions and knowledge of future events. With the aid of magic, witches are capable of achieving telepathy, projecting their thoughts and reading the minds of others. Many witches also possess psychic intuition, capable of sensing powerful mystical phenomena and imbuing them with general awareness of their environment.

Promising young witches sometimes manifest a Familiar; a unique animal that serves as their mystical guide and companion. Not all witches have a familiar, and those that do have become rarer as the centuries have passed. Some are ordinary animals like a cat, dog, or a bird with mystical qualities. Even more powerful witches can actually possess a supernatural creature as their familiar: such as Gabriel Mikaelson's being a Phoenix, or Heretic Josie having a shadow demon which appears as a dark image of herself.

By joining together, witches can double their magical strength. Witches also gain their magical powers by invoking the names of deities or summoning supernatural entities such as demons. Highly skilled and experienced witches who draw much of their power from dark forces are sometimes, if not always, identifiable through a number of inhuman physical characteristics, such as black eyes.

Despite these abilities, witches still have limits which prevented them from being truly invincible. For a novice, and in many cases even an adept witch, tapping into volatile and powerful magics can be particularly dangerous. All magic is draining, drawing mystical energy out of the witch to fuel it, the more so when the power was channeled directly, instead of through tools. Unless he or she takes a break, even the most powerful witch will quickly be worn down by the effort of hurling spell after spell. Prudent witches will merely rest until their powers resurface, while more reckless witches can search for a new source of power to replenish their strength and energy reserve. Weaker-willed witches can fall victim to the addictive properties of utilizing mystical energies, especially dark magics.

Classifications
There are many different witchbreeds across the multiverse which have their own unique magical abilities and/or special characteristics. Some are not really sub-species at all, instead they simply follow a different tradition or religion than the majority of their kind do.


 * Siphoners: Siphoners are an extremely rare sub-section of Cradle Witches who are born without the ability to generate their own magic but do possess an uncommon ability that allows them to siphon magic from other sources and use that magic for their own purposes. They are considered abominations by many witches, specifically the Gemini Coven, despite the fact that Siphoners are born with these abilities and may face harsh treatment 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.
 * Weavers: Weavers are an even rarer group of witches than Siphoners. Weavers are a near-mythical sub-sect of magekind with the ability to weave new spells and abilities at will. They have a unique bond with magic and can use it in ways that ordinary witches cannot. They are usually extremely gifted and troubled, with a variety of mental and emotional issues being very common among their kind, the reason for which is unknown, but it is believed that some weavers may possess a degree of Fae ancestry, but this has not been proven. The true extent of their potential remains unknown, but they are certainly the most versatile of their kind. For this reason, they were feared and despised by average witches, who hunted them down in centuries past. It is believed that Gabriel Mikaelson is the first Weaver born in over three millennia. All known Weavers are said to have familiars, but not all witches who have familiars are Weavers.
 * Satanists: Satanic witches are a malevolent sub-culture who worship the Devil and have a tendency to invoke demons rather than nature spirits and pagan gods. They are quite rare but are a common stereotype humanity has applied to all witches.

Trivia

 * Gabriel joked that all witches are either gay or bisexual.