Strega Rossa

The Red Witch

Morrigan felt him glancing at her every few minutes, but couln't bring herself to speak and give him an explanation. It wasn't until they approached the neon signs of a motel that he spoke, pulling in and rummaging around in a duffel bag for a clean shirt.
“I know what the passion is,” Tyler said. She said nothing, only stared out the window at the haze of blue light, “It’s a lot scarier than The Book makes it seem.”
“It always is,” Morriganwhispered. "I'm a red witch, though. I feel the passion more than others."
“It's a trance, I know it wasn't you.”
“It's not a trance,” Morrigan said. "The blood is like…” she tried to find the word but sighed instead, “We all have a knack for something. Blood is mine, but it does have a price. I wanted to kill you, to feel the blood on my hands. I was-” she paused, disgusted by the words, “You offended me.”
“Why?”
“The carnage," she began, "the killing feels like art, and you didn't like it. I made something for you and you hated it.”

— The Scarlet Ashes

The Children of The Fiery Lock once maintained an order comprised of those skilled in the combat applications of The Scarlet Arts. La Streghe Rosse, or The Red Witches, protected the cult and acted as a beacon of zeal and strength.
The order was dissolved by Matron Honorée De Luré in the 1500s, but the title and rank is still the highest honor in the cult outside of becoming the matron. It is a representation of the cult's power, control, and the order a practitioner finds in the chaos of The Passion. The Red Witches are trained in The Scarlet Arts, a form of The Prestige focusing on the power of blood. Those who gain the rank excell beyond their peers, able to use The Scarlet Arts in ways others can only dream of.
They feel every moment of their victim's pain as if it was their own. They expirence the embrace of death over and over again. These experiences take their toll. The passion is an addiction. They maintain mental composure at all times. It's easy for a friendly chat on the street or a night of passion to end in a bloodbath as the witch falls into a violent and visceral rage.

Benifits

Those who gain the title of Strega Rossa enjoy certain benefits fitting their rank. They act as guardians of The Fiery Lock's most holy places, they are closer to their goddess than others in the cult, and have access to both the armory and reliquary maintained by the cult.
Red witches also have access to powers and skills others do not. The Scarlet Arts are vast and few know just how much there is to explore. Red witches can sustain their life through bathing in sacrificial blood, blood that is willingly given and prepared using the gifts of The Strain of New Moons. Doing so extends their life and vigor, but only does so for so long. The older the red witch is, the less life they gain.
Red witches are the only members who can become the Matron of the cult. A Matron must choose among the red witches who will be their successor, and continue to choose a line of succession to be used if their first choice fails in The Pilgrimage

Fun Fact: The Red Words

The Red Words act as a rare form of communication between the cult's goddess, The Red Maiden, and her followers. They are illegible lines forming symbols and words etched into the cultists skin. The cultists love every word, even though they cant read it. It is the most sacred script, and red witches tend to have more than others.
Moreover, red witches exhibit a peculiar effect when engaging in The Scarlet Arts. When a red witch casts a spell, the red words begin to glow dark crimson. Its faint, almost undetectable. Those who look hard enough and notice it, however, will never fail to notice again. It becomes clear as day, as if it were a message, or perhaps a warning: This woman is blessed.
The words will glow at other times as well for the red witch. In moments of incredible emotion, particularly anger, the words will glow like a hot iron. This is incredibly rare, as the emotion required is more than most can achieve. The witch must be caught somewhere on the dividing line of rage and sheer hatred.