Wix

Wix - also known as witches, or Touched - are humans with magical ability who make up the majority of the Betwixt, or the hidden magical society and its culture.

Biology

Physically speaking, wixes are indistinguishable from the Untouched. They catch colds, diseases, rheumatisms, and such. They may be treated by modern medicine or by the healing Craft practiced by the beldam who run the covens.

There are some exceptions: see "Favors" below.

Society

Recent generations of Touched are more and more integrated with the mundane world. They attend mundane school and have mundane jobs. At their core, however, they are culturally of the Betwixt and retain strong ties.

Education and Careers

Wix attend regular schools. Education in the Craft is done at covens, the teaching done by the nuns there. Many wix have careers in the mundane world. Conversely, some Betwixt positions may require credentials from a mundane education.

Enclaves and Houses

It is most common for Touched to live in enclaves - several families concentrated in the same neighborhoods and villages. Some enclaves are urban neighborhoods whilst others are villages. Some are old and established and associated with a particular coven, some are newer. Many are associated with a traditional Houses.

Marriage

A lot of match-making marriages happen and oracles are consulted - especially among traditional families. There is a strong desire for wix to carry on the Fae's Touch by partnering with other wix.

If you marry out, you'll be taking the first step of branching away from the Betwixt. There is a 50/50 chance of producing Touched children. This emphasis on wanting to continue Touched populations complicates the acceptance of same-sex couples among the Touched.

Discrimination

On the whole, no animosity is felt towards by the Touched towards the Untouched at large. There are varying levels of prejudice against non-human beings.

Craft

By nature, the Touched have innate magical abilities said to be inherited from their long-lost Fae ancestry. This allows them to perform simple magic like sensing magic, summoning objects, boiling a cup of water.

Practiced magic is known as Craft. "Magic" is innate to Touched, but Craft is innovated, created, and learned like a science. Craft often requires a focus, an incantation (rhythmic chant), or material sacrifices (called fodder).

Craft that involves sacrifice, malicious intent and violation of autonomy is usually referred to as dark craft. Some dark craft is considered forbidden craft by the Consortium.

Different types of craft may be quite specialised, such as music craft - or even conveyance craft, which is the craft of creating and maintaining the magical Doors used in the betwixt.

See: Craft Directory

Some wixes, typically those with the money, ambition, and privilege for it, may pursue a higher education in specialised craft at Knareswick.

Familiars

Upon leaving their coven, most wixes undergo a blood ritual during Samhain (Halloween) through which they are tethered to a creature who will serve as their familiar. The ritual extends the life span of the familiar to about 20 - 30 years.

Wixes can communicate with their familiars by understanding their intentions. Familiars can run errands, send messages, and may defend their wix. Familiars need not always be close by.

Those who have lost their familiars will usually join these rituals at their old coven. Due to the close nature of their bond, the loss of a familiar can cause intense grief. Some may feel it so intensely that they do not take on another familiar. All the same it is not unusual to have multiple familiars in a lifetime, though there are wixes who choose not to have a familiar at all.

Familiar examples: cats, spiders, birds, beetles, dogs, etc etc.

Familiars do not survive their wixes.

Favours

A favour is an innate gift, often inherited through a bloodline. It is known as a ‘blessing of the Fae’. Certain favours might run in certain families. Not all wixes inherit a favour.

Soothsayer

Craft alone cannot divine the future (though many claim it can). It takes a born Soothsayer to interpret the signs and predict the future. This can take many forms and varies from one Soothsayer to another. Ones skill can improve with practice.

▶ More on Clairvoyance

Shape Shifter

Some wixes, upon reaching puberty, will spontaneously show signs of being able to transform into animal forms. In order to control the ability they must practice it with a specific animal in the flesh. No matter what shape the shifter takes, there will be some tell about their identity. They cannot communicate with the animals they become.

▶ More on Shape Shifters

Changeling

Some wix are born with the ability to change their appearance within their human shape and size. They can don a different face, change their hair color, or conceal scars or injuries. Drastic structural changes require more time. The longer a wix wears a certain look, the more comfortable they become. Some changelings ‘forget’ their original appearance. The skill requires conscious effort.

▶ More on Changelings

Seeker

Wixes gifted at dream magic are sensitive towards anything to do with the mind. They are able to sense emotions and, if especially sensitive. surface level thoughts. Seekers can access and manipulate other people’s dreams. If they train in dream craft they may influence memory or the psyche.

▶ More on Dream Craft