Witch

Witches are female magic users that are usually ugly, and practice dark magic. The evil witches tend to be hags.

Background

Witches are practitioners of magic that come in flavors of good and evil, and the shades of black and white. Some follow the Left-Hand and others the Right-Hand paths. There are friendly-type witches known, but in general most examples tend to be quite evil and wicked, witches of the evil persuasion.

There are histories that tell of witches swooping from the sky so fast it was almost impossible for anyone to escape. The few that had, muttered how they were imprisoned and kept caged, much like a dangerous pet. They talked of how some witches played with their new pets, and they groaned out details of unspeakable torments to both mind and body. Only a few of those that got away escaped with their sanity.

There is a belief, not so common anymore, that a wicked witch can throw a magic bridle over someone's head and turn the person into a horse. The witch then rides the unhappy person a long distance to some witches' gathering, and rides back in the morning. The victim soon becomes ill and weary from lack of sleep and died. A number of folktales exist that tell how some victims were able to escape this fate.

Evil witches cause fear or hold victims in bondage. Hags and their sisterly witches keep stewpots at ready for the unwary.

Dahlia is the witch that stole the Chest of Gold from Edward the Benevolent. She lived in a Gingerbread House and would turn those she captured into gingerbread men. She was later slain by Sir Graham who shoved Dahlia into her own oven.

Hagatha was a witch in Kolyma that kidnapped Valanice.

The three hags that lived in a cave in Tamir using a single glass eye to see, were also witches. They were not necessarily evil, but perhaps neutral in the affairs of humans, despite their cannibalistic tendencies.

The Witch of the Dark Forest who lived in the dark woods of northern Serenia had turned Princess Alicia into a weeping willow, and banished Herbert to a farway forest. She was captured in a Genie bottle by the vengeful genie trapped inside. A similar hag (if not the same) had long time before turned Prince Cocteau into a beast, set him on the Isle of the Forest. She sent him and his mansion there, and caused the forest to grow dark and envelop his home. She set up three magical barriers to imprison him, and to keep people out. Part of her curse, was anyone who broke past the three barriers would become slaves to the prince, taking on beastly appearances as well. The only way the prince could break the curse was if a maiden would join him and live in his castle on her own free will. The curse was broken when Prince Alexander broke through the magical barriers and convinced Beauty to join Beast.

Sinofas lived in a marsh in Daventry just past the Old Wood. She helped Alexander re-enter the black castle by turning him into a frog. Sinofas is also an example of either a good witch or at least neutral.

An evil Swamp Witch lived in the Swamp near Daventry. She was eventually slain by Connor during his quest to restore the Mask of Eternity.

Witches are known for using black cauldron, and often making vile potions and stews

Witches are apparently immune to most projectiles other than a gun with a silver bullet (the bane of many mystical creatures, including were-folk, Efreeti, Vampires, and Lizard Folk).

The male equivalent to a witch would be a warlock.