You are a witch.
Not a witch in the traditional sense, though. You are nothing like the "witches" of Salem, Christian mythology, or new-age culture. You do not have green skin and you do not wear a pointy hat (although you might do so for fun). You might not ride a broomstick or wear a black cloak, but you are a witch all the same. Witches are powerful beings with the ability to use magic- something that most lack. They resemble humans and are like humans in so many ways. But they are inherently inhuman. Witches, after all, use magic.
Magic as it is used by witches has varied and unique applications. Witches can make wards and charms and potions out of herbs and other natural ingredients, yes. They use this skill to its full advantage. Crafting these magical items is a vital skill to any witch, young or old. But witches can also cast devastating, destructive spells. They can ravage the Earth with these destructive forces at their discretion. They can call down storms, earthquakes, and create fire from their fingertips with a single word. The magic of witches is dangerous, and not to be tampered with.
But this magic takes its toll. Power has its cost. Magic is more of a resource than an ability- only certain beings (witches are one) can use it and generate it, but it is finite. Generating magic without a source has a steep cost. It requires sacrifice. The scale of the sacrifice depends on the scale of the spell, but it can be a devastating one. Witches may offer something as simple as blood or energy as their sacrifice, generating magic for them to use. But to produce power of epic proportions requires a sacrifice equally powerful. To do anything devastatingly powerful, a witch must give up something central to their being. Happy memories. A body part. Their ability to be happy. A piece of their life force. The life of someone else. The list of things a magical being could sacrifice to gain power is immense, but each one harms them in some way. Magic is dangerously greedy. It will devour its user and everything around them until nothing is left.
However, this is not the only way to gain power. Other beings (such as vampires, werewolves, etc.) choose to use other sources only accessible to them. Some witches bind themselves to demons, an incredibly dangerous yet advantageous practice that is punishable by death. Others sacrifice the lives of others, which is also expressly forbidden. Yet the vast majority of witches choose to bind themselves to magical wellsprings. Wellsprings are extremely rare, natural sources of magic that witches have a monopoly over. They take the forms of natural features, such as lakes, mountains, swamps, and others. While bonded to them, witches don't have to give up nearly as much for their power. Not that using them doesn't have its own cost. To access this power, witches must conform to the rule of the covens.
The covens are communities of witches centered around the wellsprings. They are all loosely connected into one overarching organization that has one goal- to protect humanity and themselves from other supernatural threats. The covens have stringent rules for witches that wish to be a part of them. They forbid many behaviors and uses of magic. They even hand down punishments which range from exile to execution. If a witch wishes to be in a coven, they must do work for them, too. Witches risk their lives doing the bidding of covens, and many die. They are pressured to have witch children for the coven, who are then made members upon birth.
You are a young, uninitiated member of the Sisters of the Dying Branch- a coven with its wellspring located somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains. You probably grew up in your coven, surrounded by other witches. You were taught magic by someone- most likely your caretakers, whoever they may be. By now, you have a good command of magic. While you are not a master, you know various spells and can craft items with skill. For your whole life, you've been drawing on the powers of your teachers.
But now it's time for you to be initiated. To be bonded to the wellspring, whatever consequences that may present.
Your path depends on what you do from here on out.
Not a witch in the traditional sense, though. You are nothing like the "witches" of Salem, Christian mythology, or new-age culture. You do not have green skin and you do not wear a pointy hat (although you might do so for fun). You might not ride a broomstick or wear a black cloak, but you are a witch all the same. Witches are powerful beings with the ability to use magic- something that most lack. They resemble humans and are like humans in so many ways. But they are inherently inhuman. Witches, after all, use magic.
Magic as it is used by witches has varied and unique applications. Witches can make wards and charms and potions out of herbs and other natural ingredients, yes. They use this skill to its full advantage. Crafting these magical items is a vital skill to any witch, young or old. But witches can also cast devastating, destructive spells. They can ravage the Earth with these destructive forces at their discretion. They can call down storms, earthquakes, and create fire from their fingertips with a single word. The magic of witches is dangerous, and not to be tampered with.
But this magic takes its toll. Power has its cost. Magic is more of a resource than an ability- only certain beings (witches are one) can use it and generate it, but it is finite. Generating magic without a source has a steep cost. It requires sacrifice. The scale of the sacrifice depends on the scale of the spell, but it can be a devastating one. Witches may offer something as simple as blood or energy as their sacrifice, generating magic for them to use. But to produce power of epic proportions requires a sacrifice equally powerful. To do anything devastatingly powerful, a witch must give up something central to their being. Happy memories. A body part. Their ability to be happy. A piece of their life force. The life of someone else. The list of things a magical being could sacrifice to gain power is immense, but each one harms them in some way. Magic is dangerously greedy. It will devour its user and everything around them until nothing is left.
However, this is not the only way to gain power. Other beings (such as vampires, werewolves, etc.) choose to use other sources only accessible to them. Some witches bind themselves to demons, an incredibly dangerous yet advantageous practice that is punishable by death. Others sacrifice the lives of others, which is also expressly forbidden. Yet the vast majority of witches choose to bind themselves to magical wellsprings. Wellsprings are extremely rare, natural sources of magic that witches have a monopoly over. They take the forms of natural features, such as lakes, mountains, swamps, and others. While bonded to them, witches don't have to give up nearly as much for their power. Not that using them doesn't have its own cost. To access this power, witches must conform to the rule of the covens.
The covens are communities of witches centered around the wellsprings. They are all loosely connected into one overarching organization that has one goal- to protect humanity and themselves from other supernatural threats. The covens have stringent rules for witches that wish to be a part of them. They forbid many behaviors and uses of magic. They even hand down punishments which range from exile to execution. If a witch wishes to be in a coven, they must do work for them, too. Witches risk their lives doing the bidding of covens, and many die. They are pressured to have witch children for the coven, who are then made members upon birth.
You are a young, uninitiated member of the Sisters of the Dying Branch- a coven with its wellspring located somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains. You probably grew up in your coven, surrounded by other witches. You were taught magic by someone- most likely your caretakers, whoever they may be. By now, you have a good command of magic. While you are not a master, you know various spells and can craft items with skill. For your whole life, you've been drawing on the powers of your teachers.
But now it's time for you to be initiated. To be bonded to the wellspring, whatever consequences that may present.
Your path depends on what you do from here on out.
Lorebook
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General Information
You can have as many as characters as you'd like, but I'd recommend a maximum of two. More might become a bit of an issue for you to manage, and I wouldn't want you to get bogged down with posts and slow down the roleplay. Of course, you can also have NPCs that you can manage when you need to! PM me if you want to add any of your characters to the main storyline- odds are I'll say yes!
I will be progressively adding to this as I write more lore. I look forward to reading sheets! Please contact me if you have any questions or ideas!
-canaryrose
I will be progressively adding to this as I write more lore. I look forward to reading sheets! Please contact me if you have any questions or ideas!
-canaryrose
