W
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Witch
European (Early Modern / Folk)
Western & Central Europe
Folk Magic (Humanoid)
Trickster
AffinitiesHerbs, Moonlight, Cauldron
Lore
Witch — Trickster (Folk Magic/Humanoid): a housewise figure who reshapes the ordinary into the uncanny. Smell: a layered tang of drying herbs, singed sugar, and the damp loam of a hearthyard. Sound: low, conversational mutters threaded through sudden, bright laughter or the metallic tinkle of pins and keys. Temperature: pockets of surprising chill that prick the skin, followed by brief embers of warmth like a hand passed over a candle. Field notes often record small domestic disturbances — milk curdled in a perfect ring, a kettle that sings at odd hours, or a carefully re-stitched doll left on a windowsill.
Origin: European (Early Modern / Folk) • Western & Central Europe
Classification: Folk Magic (Humanoid)
Field Notes
Observations
- A tell-tale sign is an ordinary object returned altered (a mitten with a new stitch, a coin with a hairline scratch) accompanied by the scent of rosemary or soot.
Encounter Advice
- mischief: Favors and tricks are their currency: they swap sweet for sour, answer a question in a way that bends meaning, misplace names in ledgers, or lead travelers in circles with a borrowed lantern. Mischief tends toward ironic justice rather than wanton harm.
- interaction: Be precise: state terms plainly and avoid ambiguous promises. Never accept an unexplained gift outright; returning a gift or leaving an exchange item keeps the balance. Small offerings left at thresholds (bread, a sprig of rosemary, a plain coin) ease relations. Carrying a simple iron pin or a pinch of salt is traditional caution; do not flinch from clear refusal, and never barter in riddles.
- offering: A plain hearth-cake, a sprig of rosemary, a simple coin, or a small iron pin.
Abilities
- Poppet BindingSews or crafts a likeness of a victim and drives needles or pins into it to cause pain, illness, or death to the linked person.
- Cauldron TransmutationBoils specific herbs and powders in a cauldron to brew potions that heal, curse, induce sleep, or alter shape and perception.
- Familiars' SightSends a familiar (black cat, toad, raven) to spy, steal a scrap of hair, or deliver small curses and whispered instructions.
- Besom Midnight FlightMounts a besom (broom) or staff at night to traverse long distances quickly and attend secret Sabbaths or gatherings.
- True-Name CompelUses a discovered true name—learned from gossip, theft, or a bound spirit—to locate, compel, or bind a target's will.
Weaknesses
- Destroyed PoppetSmashing or burning the witch's effigy severs the magical link and breaks the active curse on the victim.
- Cold Iron (horseshoe, nail)Touching or placing cold iron like a horseshoe or nail on thresholds disrupts charms and repels familiars.
- Consecrated ThresholdSprinkling holy water or consecrating a home's hearth and doorway prevents entry and nullifies many household spells.
✦Tales & Stories featuring Witch
monsters and myths
Skinwalker: The Witch That Wears Fur
We do not speak its name. To speak it is to invite it. It is a witch who has gained the power to transform into an animal by committing the ultimate taboo.
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monsters and myths
Soucouyant: The Fireball Witch
She looks like a harmless old woman during the day. But at night, she sheds her wrinkled skin, turns into a ball of fire, and flies through the window to drink your blood.
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Lore Check: WitchQuestion 1/17