Witch



Witches are magical beings born from the unity of humans and fae in ages past. They are a majoritively female race and number more than humans in the current era.

History
The first witch was born millennia ago, when a human and faerie fell in love and bore a child. The child was mostly human in appearance and was born with the innate ability to use magic, something which was unheard of for humans of the time. Due to human fear, however, they were forced to hide amongst humans or driven away to live with the fae. Through the eras, witches hid their talents from view, meeting in secret with others of their kind to commune with and practice their magic. Those who were found out by humans were believed to be cursed creatures and often slaughtered over fear of their powers.

It took a great many centuries for the witches to decide to hide no more and revolt against humanity. They were joined by the fae, who held their own grudges against humans, in a bloody war between the races. At first, the witches and fae had the upper hand thanks to their magic. They slowly killed off more and more humans, culling their population to less than half of what it had been before. Towards the end of the war, however, humans were joined by the Gods themselves and were able to reverse the tides.

Finally, the war ended proper once the witches were forced to concede, realizing they were no longer on the winning side and not wanting to suffer any more losses. The two races, alongside the fae, entered into a tenuous ceasefire. The witches who were left separated from the human population and spread across the land, crafting their own civilizations where they would no longer need to live in hiding. Since then, interactions between humans and witches have been few and far between, with any communication tense and brusque. Ultimately, though, each have decided the war is no longer worth it and peace has mostly settled on the lands.

Overview
Witches initially have very few visual characteristics to differentiate them from humans. The more a witch utilizes their magic, the further their body will change due to its influence. Most develop similar features, such as pointed ears and cat-like pupils, while others find themselves with more unique appearances. All of these features, unique or common, are invisible to those who lack magic.

While they are mortal, witches are able to live for many centuries, possibly even into a new millennia with the help of their magic. This extended lifespan affects their bodies as well, giving them youthful appearances for the majority of their lifetimes. As such, any witch who appears elderly is considered worthy of reverence and respect for the centuries they have lived. There have even been tales of the eldest witches attaining Godhood through unknown means, although there is no evidence of such a witch alive now.