Witches

Forget (almost) everything you thought you knew about witches. In Ravencrest, they do not (necessarily) wear black, they don't have unusual headgear and they certainly do not use cleaning apparatus as a method of transport! To all extents and purposes, they are indistinguishable from anyone else (yes, they even have a full head of hair and ordinary shaped feet!).

The ability to use magic appears to be confined to the female line, most male witches are unable to and are labelled "Duds". There are a few males who can wield the craft, but it's very rare.

When magic is used there's a cost to be had. Depending on how long the spell takes to cast, that amout of life is taken from the caster. Those who use lots of magic and complex lengthy spells tend to go through their life really fast. These magic users are called "Burners". When black magic users are caught alive, they have two possible punishments: Death or Binding. A Binding can only occur though if Four of the Seven Coven members agree to it.

In Season of The Witch, a Binding Vote is brought up about Kelly but only 2 of the Members actually agreed to it.

Witches are protected by individuals called Wardens.

Witches have an intricate governing system made up of the Coven, the Inquisitor and the Magistrate.

Teaching Witchcraft
When Witches teach Novices magic, its usually a mother teaching her daughter. Generally the mother will teach her eldest daughter first and if she has a second daughter, a family member or close friend will take that daughter on as a pupil. No witch can have two pupils at the same time.

Each daughter witch is given their first spell book by their teacher. Its usually a spell diary passed from mother to daughter, sometimes for generations. The pages are blank first but become filled in as the Novice progresses through training.

A Witch is a Novice until the age of 20.

Forms of Magic
There are different forms of magic in the world, chief among them are Light and Dark. Though Light is a broad term that contains many different kinds, Dark is in a category all by itself.

Types of Magic
 * 1) Offensive
 * 2) Defensive
 * 3) Healing
 * 4) Elemental
 * 5) Academia (Knowledge)
 * 6) Dark Magic
 * 7) Crafting

Witch Families
There are Seven Witch Families in Ravencrest. These Seven make up the Ravencrest Coven.
 * 1) Crawford
 * 2) Donovan
 * 3) Pratchett
 * 4) DeWitt
 * 5) Williams
 * 6) Drake
 * 7) Holden

There are Five Witch Familes in Skogshaven. These Five make up the Skogshaven Coven
 * 1) Teauge
 * 2) Byrne
 * 3) Berg
 * 4) Kreig