Witches
Overview
What is a Witch, you ask? Why are they not Vael?
Good question and the answer is simple: a Witch performs spells and rituals using her power source while a Vael redirects the druidic power from the Eternal Life to perform certain actions without the usage of the Eternal Runes.
If people have a choice they tend to go to a Vael because of the myths and legends regarding Witches. They eat children, they perform blood sacrifices, they want your Firstborn and other, darker things.
And the best part? Some of this is actually true.
How to...
...become a Witch
To become a Witch someone must be female - otherwise you are a wizard! - and have the endurance to learn and the will to survive. And last, but not least, the capability to perform magic. These are the entry requirements to be a Witch.
The next thing a young soon-to-be-Witch needs is a teacher. Nearly every Witch wants to have an eager pupil, so they can transfer their (probably very vast) knowledge. Some Witches have two to three pupil during their lifetime.
It can be that they find a lost girl in the woods or an infant at their doorstep or a girl or sometimes a magic-affin woman knocks at their door. Others are born into a coven or brought into it.
In theory every woman can learn. There are some Witches who are under the impression that only young girls can learn, but that is a false statement. It is certainly true that a Witch has her way of doing and that can collide with the teachings, but that is only a minor inconvinience.
If the soon-to-be-Witch is accepted by the older Witch, the training starts. Most Witches try to determine the existing knowledge of her pupil and start with the most basic things like cooking and herbalism.
Venturing onwards it is followed by biology including organs, bones and hormones which can be treated. This includes animals and the reading of organs which should result in a deeper understanding what is happening with the animal or the person.
In the third year of her training the older Witch starts with runic knowledge and the carving of said runes. Into wood, flesh, stone and earth. Once the pupil has mastered every rune - don't forget, there are 250 runes with at least thirty meanings - with every meaning, they start with spells, rituals and sacrifices. Yes, there are blood sacrifices, even with good Witches.
After the older Witch has taught her pupil everything she knows - or at least a huge amount of it - they venture to the nearest not corrupted coven for the acceptance test. Most call it "Witch Trial", but it isn't a trail like in a court.
If the pupil passes the tests, their are a Witch and get a small pendant with her insignia and one from the coven as proof.
If they fail they have to come back in five years. Some have seven years, but normally covens use five years for learning periods between tests.
...be a Witch
After the test the older Witch and the new Witch venture home. Then it depends on how old the teaching Witch is. If the teacher is old enough, they live together until the old Witch dies and the younger one becomes the new Witch. She inherits her knowledge, her books, her tools and the hut. Most of them stay their lifes in the same place for a very long time, help the citizens and the animals in their forest in her unique and own way.
Hut of a good Witch by CrazyEddie via Midjourney
Hut of a corrupted Witch by CrazyEddie via Midjourney
Good Witches
Good Witches are basically the Witch you would expect if the corrupted ones weren't the reason for the myths and legends.
Good Witches - or just "Witches" - use the energy of the Eternal Life as their power source like the Vael, but with the help of runes. They brew potions to help people and have a clear understanding which is wrong and which is right. Poisons are mostly out of the question and using force as a method of getting their way or the way of others is right out.
"Hey, uhm... I was wondering, can you brew me a love potion for my Felira?"
"Does she love you in a way?"
"Uh, I dunno... I don't even know if she knows about my existance."
"Then is the answer no. It would be forcing her to do a thing and that is the same as you would rape her."
"That... is that so? I would never..."
"Yes, that is so and I won't brew you a potion. Win her heart the old fashioned way."
Good Witch brewing a potion by CrazyEddie via Midjourney
Good Witch brewing a potion by CrazyEddie via Midjourney
Good Witch in her hut by CrazyEddie via Midjourney
Witches who have accumulated a great amount of knowledge and their imagine precides them are most likely to recieve an invitation to join a Coven. That means that they have access to a great amount of resources and knowledge and the combined power of every Witch in the Coven.
They don't have to stay inside the Covens building, they can return every day to their own hut for whatever reasons. Since they are still a member of said coven they still have access to resources and communications sigils for inside the Coven.
Coven of normal Witches by CrazyEddie via Midjourney
Coven of normal Witches by CrazyEddie via Midjourney
And here is where the paths of a Witch and a Corrupted Witch divert.
Corrupted Witches
Corrupted Witches are the reason why normal Witches have to battle against myths and legends like they would eat children or sacrifice a Firstborn to a demon.
Which is the thing what a corrupted Witch is doing in addition to their original teachings. They learned that blood is a much stronger force than the druidic powers of the Eternal and so they draw their magic from there. But that is only half of the truth.
Corrupted Witch brewing a potion by CrazyEddie via Midjourney
Corrupted Witch potion brewing by CrazyEddie via Midjourney
Corrupted Witch brewing a potion by CrazyEddie via Midjourney
Those Witches also have their Covens but not so openly as the normal "good" ones. In those Covens they try to strengthen themselves and enhance their power by performing rituals in the dark of night.
But they do not only reach for power for their own good. Most of them aim for a world where no magic user is feared and hunted (which is not the case, but superstition and such), so they try to get into the ranks of the leading powers in the world. Hulwar, Aeloria, Bjarghjarta and even Chanvilesia. The Garladans might have their light magic, but Corrupted Witches pack a punch not from this world.
Corrupted Witch performing a ritual by CrazyEddie via Midjourney
Corrupted Witches performing a ritual by CrazyEddie via Midjourney
Corrupted Witches performing a ritual by CrazyEddie via Midjourney
Difference between Witches
So... what is the difference between a normal "good" Witch and a corrupted Witch? Well, it is their power source.
As stated above, the normal Witches draw power from the Eternal Life or the land surrounding them and pour it into runes to get the result they aim for.
Most of the corrupted Witches think that they can't get enough power from the Eternal Life or the world itself. This could be because they lost someone or something they couldn't save like the life of a child or a loved one. They start to grief so badly that they open a passage to...
Others dream about having more power for whatever reason. Be it because they were wronged or they are just that: power-hungry.
In both cases they open a gateway to the beings behind the veil, come into contact with them. They either forge a deal with it or venture forth to another being which has a better deal for them.
After closing the deal the Corrupted Witch has access to stronger demonic power, which is still limited to their bodies capability of withstanding the flow of said power. A Corrupted Witch can do something against the literal burnout of her body if she casts a healing spell in the same moment.
The problem here is that the healing spell is corrupted at the same time, so others can see that a Witch has made a deal by glimmering eyes, wounds in the face or hands, a strange smell or just by how they speak.
Their blood also turns into a strange ichor, mostly red, but the more power they draw and the more they need to heal, their blood starts to get in various colours of black. And we don't start with other changes in their biology.
Witchy Tales
"Can you save her?!"
"Of course I can. Come here, Kitty... oh, you are really fluffy. What do we have hey hey hey, no scratching. I can't heal you otherwise." not amused growl "Yes, I know. Now hold still, that is an easy one."
"Can you...what... can you do something?"
"Against demonic posession? That looks like she had made a deal and can't uphold her part of the bargain... but yes, I can do something. Bring me this green bottle with the skull, the branch of juniper and a kitten."
"What do you need the kitten for?"
"Not for me, for you, silly. Now stand back, that isn't going to be pretty!"
"You...want what?!"
"Your firstborn of course. If you want to save your wife I want your firstborn as a sacrifice."
"So it is true what they say about witches..."
"Not everything, but some things, yes." clothes rustle to the ground "Shall we start?"
"W-what...now? With you?"
"Sure. That is my way of ensuring that you uphold your part of the bargain. You can choose between keeping your promise to your dead wife or you keep your wife."
"Fuuuuck!"
"The ritual is ready. We only need your guidance, Mother."
"Ah, do you? Well, then lets start. Those Elves can't withstand our power and the power from our Master!"
Damn corrupted witches,, making life harder for all the other witches out there. XD
Yes, how can they?!