Witches of the Wyld

Summary

Type Coven of Witches in the Ixchel Wilds Affiliation Leader(s) Members

Geography

Headquarters Emberfell Location(s) Ixchel Wilds

Out-of-character information

Image Source AI Created on 11/17/2024 Link to threads

Rooted deep within the Ixchel Wilds, lies a fearsome clan that has lived for centuries. Untamed and perilous as the expanse of land, where the natural order is that of tooth and claw, the Witches thrive. The lands are rife with beasts, toxic flora, and terrain that make it inhospitable to outsiders. Yet, for the Ixchel Witches, it is their sanctuary, their sacred homeland, their proving ground where they have bent the savage lands to their will- not by force, but rather by mastering its horrors. Their people are resilient and cunning, blurring the lines between predator and prey. And above all else, they must survive.

Small settlements have popped up over the years, often temporary and disappearing as time goes on. The first home to the witches is a lost land once known as Cindersend. Now, the true home of the Ixchel Witches is known by the name of Emberfell.

• The witches believe in unity. The clan is a web of tightly woven bonds, a tale of trust and loyalty to themselves and one another. Disregard of unity has been considered one of the greatest sins, punished by exile…a death sentence alone in the Ixchel Wilds.
• Knowledge. Rumors have led people to believe they are a primitive group, however that could not be further from the truth. Knowledge is a power that Witches are expected to continually develop. There is a great library of knowledge collected from both the Witches and from those who have been fearless enough to share knowledge from other parts of Epressa.
• Survival, above all. The wild takes the weak. Witches must prove themselves resilient and resourceful enough to survive the Wyld Trials.

• The Wyld Trials:
  At the end of adolescence, young Witches undergo a harrowing and rigorous trials to prove strength, resilience, and magic. The trials are not only a test of survival, but also a rite of passage to earn their place in the clan. These trials are deeply rooted in the clan’s tradition, designed to push a Witch to their limits in order to ensure only the strong and cunning survive to adulthood.
  1. The Trial of Thorns
     1. The initial trial features a vast, ever-shifting labyrinth of briar covered vines. Thorns here are imbued with toxins that induce vivid hallucinations to reveal the Witch’s worst fears. The trial begins at dusk, and the young Witch must find their way to the heart of the maze by dawn and make contact with the Nightshade flower at its center.
  2. The Trial of Wither
     1. The young Witch is taken to the Withered Grove, a part of the jungle cursed eternally with an ancient decay. Here, nothing grows and the land is plagued by death itself. In order to pass, the witch must use her magic to cleanse a portion of the curse in three days' time. If the Witch fails, their own life force will be drained by the grove’s eternal curse.
  3. The Trial of Serpents
     1. The young Witch is locked in the Serpent’s Den, a pit filled with Nightvipers, known for their lethal bites. To pass, they must use their skills to capture a viper, extract the venom and use it to create an antidote. The Nightviper’s venom is potent, able to incapacitate in minutes and kill in less than an hour, so the Witch must act quickly.
  4. The Trial of the Blood Moon
     1. Armed with nothing but a dagger, the young Witch is brought to a cursed part of the forest during the blood moon and must hunt one of the creatures. Using only blood magic, they must subdue and bind the creature and present it to the Clan Mother as proof of victory
  5. The Trial of the Wyld Hunt
     1. The Final trial. This is the ultimate test of all skills a young Witch should have developed: survival, combat, magic, wit. The initiate is left deep in the heart of the Ixchel Wilds, stripped of all tools, weapons, attire, and with the aid of an herbal mixture, their magic. The task is to survive the lunar cycle and return with the Heart of the Wyld, a rare gem where the heart should be in the Wildborn beasts, a monstrous guardian of the jungle.

• The Fleshrippers: Whispers reveal that the Witches of the Wyld have a taste for human flesh. Tales tell a story of creatures stalking the edges of the Wilds, luring travelers in with illusions. Once they enter, they are captured. It is said that the Witches sacrifice these poor souls, eating their flesh and using the rest of them in their wicked rituals.
  • The truth: Witches do not consume human flesh, usually. They have no issue scavenging the remains of fallen trespassers, however. Human bones have found their way into wands, totems, and other decoration, but humans are not hunted to obtain these. In fact, humans have been captured for their knowledge and released back where they will likely not be harmed in exchange for sharing.
• Changelings: A story told to misbehaving children…Witches will snatch children up when they disobey their parents, swapping them out for a changeling who will kill crops and spread famine. The stolen child will be brought back to the Witch’s home as a servant or sacrifice.
  • The truth: Witches have rescued orphaned children, yes, and raised them as their own. They do not use them as servants and they are given the opportunity to leave when they have hit adolescence rather than face death in their trials.
• Soul snatchers: Many believe the witches are able to steal souls and trap them within crystal, enslaving a person for eternity.
  • The truth: For the most part, Witches are only able to take souls from something as it dies and store it in a crystal for use in magic.
• Beast-Bound: Myth claims the Witches control the monsters of the Ixchel Wilds, using their wicked powers to release them in villages and towns that have spurned them. Monsters have ranged from wolves to wyverns. It has been said that with their control over the monsters, Witches can stand against armies.
  • The truth: Witches do not control the monsters. They have learned to adapt alongside them, avoiding or defending against them mostly. Rarely, they have been known to tame smaller monsters, but most stories are exaggerated. They prefer for monsters to remain a deterrent for intruders.