Most witches belong to covens. Whilst each family may legally form a coven of its own, it is more usual for the smaller, newer witch families to join the covens of the larger, more established families.
There has been criticism from other supernatural factions in recent years, driven by what many refer to as the ‘elitist attitude of witches’. Whilst all supernatural enclaves (sub-dimensional regions) are accessible by witches, the witches keep their own enclaves strictly private. Mildred Valentine, currently running for the presidency of the Irish vampire enclaves, has stated that, if she gets into power, she will do her ‘utmost to uncover the secrecy surrounding witch enclaves, and ensure that all enclaves are accessible to all supernatural communities.’
Warlocks:
The warlock movement has been around for centuries. It began in the Year of the Snout (2001 B.C), when a small group of male witches formed the Warlock Society. Their original manifesto has been lost to the ages, but it is widely accepted that their modern manifesto is representative of the society’s early beliefs: that men are unfairly represented within the matriarchal structure of witch society, and recognition of their unique male capabilities is important to society as a whole.
Because warlocks are, genetically speaking, witches, they are free to access all witch enclaves.
Wizards:
(Note: This edition of the Compendium is the first to include wizards in the Major Supernatural Beings section. To find references to wizards in previous compendia, the chronicler suggests you begin looking under the section labelled: Others)
Wizards can be male, female, or anything else they like. They are also known as mages, shamans and wiccans, and are often overlooked. This is due to the fact that wizards are almost always of human origin. Their power is neither innate, nor inherited. A wizard’s power is hard won and, because of that, this chronicler feels they should be treated with respect instead of derision.
With no access to any of the major magical enclaves, tomes or educational facilities, wizards have nevertheless managed to study and (in many cases) perfect the art of magic. They have become expert at harnessing and directing the elements, and utilising OUPs (objects of unusual power), OAPs (objects of awesome power), AUPs (areas of unusual power) and AAPs (areas of awesome power).
Wizards traditionally reside in the human enclaves, most often working in science and technology – though a small few run candle stores, yoga studios, holistic centres and the like. In recent years, witches have – somewhat – relaxed their attitude to wizards. Wizards are now free to work in witch enclaves (wearing a Pendant of Privilege), but they may not reside there (although they are entitled to reside in the enclaves specifically open to others).
These days, many wizards can be found working in the magical devices sector. A growing number of witches are choosing wizard-made brooms.
Mages: See entry for Wizards
Shamans: See entry for Wizards
Wiccans: See entry for Wizards
Werewolves:
Werewolves are an example to us all that, with the right attitude, you can make a curse work for you. There are many conflicting chronicles of how, when and why these beings were hexed. Werewolves themselves have a long-standing policy of neither confirming nor denying any single chronicle.
What we do know is this: during the full moon (and including the day preceding and the day following said moon) all werewolves transform from their humanoid body, becoming wolves for three consecutive nights. But though the change lasts for three nights, during these nights it begins at sunset and ends at sundown. Because of this, the transformation tends not to affect werewolves in their daily lives.
The werewolf curse can be passed on via a simple bite or scratch to any part of the body. The curse has many upsides: unusual strength, longevity (some werewolves have been known to live as long as vampires) and good looks. Rigorous testing has proved that even the ugliest human or witch, when transformed into a werewolf, instantly becomes more attractive.
The lure of werewolf-hood is irresistible to many witches. The well-known actress Veronica Berry has recently chosen to be turned by her werewolf lover, lead guitarist with the Call of the Wild. In a statement to Young Witch Weekly, Veronica said, ‘I’ve been told ad-nauseam that there’s a danger of losing quite a large chunk of my power. Do I care? No. Not when there’s so much sexiness to gain.’
Fans have been speculating that Veronica – already considered an incredibly beautiful witch – will become the best-looking witch in history after the turn.
Veronica is not alone in her feelings about werewolves. In the last year alone, a thousand Pendants of Privilege have been issued to werewolves, allowing them to enter the witch enclaves. The Call of the Wild, and a number of other werewolf rock bands, regularly perform concerts there.
Vampires:
Like the werewolf curse, there are many conflicting chronicles of the origins of vampirism. Many vampires have submitted themselves for testing, and recent findings confirm that vampirism is, indeed, a blood-borne virus – albeit a virus with extremely unusual behaviour. The blood of a vampire is both a poison and an antidote.
Often a human will resist a vampire bite. This is, frankly, the most foolish thing they could do. A willing bitee (as the vampires refer to them) will be drained by only a minor amount. Full penetration of the vein will do no damage whatsoever, and may even give the bitee a burst of energy equal to a strong cup of coffee or a shot of ginseng. After the bite, the vampire will perform a simple act of hypnotism, thus striking the event from the bitees memory and leaving them with nothing but a spring in their step.
If the human resists and manages to escape before full penetration, a vampire bite can leave the victim feeling weak for days. Often humans will complain of flu-like symptoms.
The process of becoming a vampire is a little more complicated than becoming a werewolf: in order to turn, you must drink a vampire’s blood before sunset on the day following the original bite. It is always preferable to drink from the vampire who administered the bite. Drinking from a different vampire can result in many complications (further details of which can be found in the Compendium of Supernatural Ailments). In recent years, the most common complication arising from such turnings has been the virus known as Dayturning (see Dayturner entry below).
Benefits of the vampire virus include: increased strength; near-perfect health (a small number of humans and witches with terminal illnesses resort to vampirism in order to cure their illness. In the majority of cases, the vampire virus does, indeed, provide a cure); ability to transform into a bat; ability to transform into a nearly-invisible vapour; ability to hypnotise; telepathy (the telepathic link can generally be established from vampire to vampire only, however there have been cases of vampires who can read the minds of all creatures); long lifespan.
Problems associated with the vampire virus include: blood-drinking as the main source of nutrition (a small subset of vampires who were vegetarian in their previous life have set up the No Food with a Face Foundation. They are currently researching many alternatives to blood. Promising results have been seen with a vitamin popular in the human world, known as B12); sensitivity to daylight (although the hat and sunglasses sector is quite happy about this); long lifespan.
Dayturners:
(Note: in previous compendia, dayturners were listed in the Others section)
A hitherto rare being, dayturners are becoming more and more common, with fifty new dayturners registered in the Year of the Lizard (2016 AD). Dayturners are vampires who feel the need to feed by daylight, and are incredibly sensitive to the dark. Feeding at night leaves them with serious indigestion (often resulting in hospitalisation). Additionally, venturing outside after sunset results in a rapidly spread rash, for which there is no known cure. Recent findings revealed that the dayturner virus is activated primarily by careless turning practices (drinking from a vampire other than the one who administered the bite). Research into a cure has been suspended due to l
ack of funding.
Weredogs:
(Note: in previous compendia, weredogs were listed in the Others section)
Like werewolves, the shifting of a human into a dog is controlled by the full moon, but instead of transforming into a supernatural variation of Canis Lupus Lupus, they transform into any of the many breeds of Canis Lupus Familiaris. There is little known about the origin of the species. In the Year of the Cat (2010 AD), outspoken vampire politician Mildred Valentine claimed to have been sent evidence that the weredogs are descendants of werewolves, having come about as the result of long-ago trysts between werewolves and Canis Lupus Familiaris. Both werewolves and weredogs hotly deny this. However, neither side will agree to DNA testing. As for the evidence Mildred Valentine allegedly received? She has refused to produce it, stating that doing so would endanger her source.
Familiars:
Familiars are animals with limited magical capabilities. They usually reside with witches. A witch does not choose her familiar. The familiar chooses the witch. The most common familiar animals are cats, though other animals have been known. The most notable magical ability of a familiar is the ability to communicate in any language it chooses – thus, familiars may communicate freely with their witches. They have been known to converse with other supernatural beings, but only when they want to. Speaking with humans is rarer still for familiars, but not unheard of.
The Unempowered:
Not to be confused with the disempowered, the unempowered witch is, like the wizards, far too often overlooked. In fact, unempowered is a modern term, and will not be found in compendia earlier than the Year of the Cat (2010 AD). Before then, there was no word for these witches. Officially, they did not exist. In the compendia dating from the Year of the Cat to the Year of the Lizard (2010-2016 AD) you will find the unempowered under the listing: Others.
In rare cases, a witch is empowered from the moment of conception, but most do not display any signs of power until a little later (five or six is the norm). The very latest that any witch has been known to come into their power is twenty-one. If they have not been empowered by then, they never will.
Unempowered witches can live in the witch enclaves if they so wish, but only with the use of a Pendant of Privilege. Even then, their access is restricted – not by other witches, but by the simple fact that they do not have the capability.
Most unempowered feel (understandably) excluded, and turn away from supernatural life, choosing to live in human enclaves instead. It is becoming more popular for unempowered witches to study wizardry.
The Disempowered:
A disempowered witch is a witch who has been stripped of all power, as a result of crimes committed. This can only occur by decree of the Wyrd Court. The length of disempowerment depends on the crime in question. In serious cases, a witch may be disempowered for life.
Riddler’s Edge Book One
A Little Bit Witchy
by A.A. Albright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organisations, places, events and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously.
Text Copyright © A.A. Albright 2018
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author.
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Website: https://aaalbright.com
1. The Daily Dubliner
I sat in the most uncomfortable chair in the world, staring at my computer screen.
Bike for sale in Blanchardstown. Seat, handlebars and back wheel missing, otherwise in good nick. Call after six.
Cat bed for sale. 10 euro if you want the cat sick washed off, 5 euro if unwashed. Call at any time.
Wild pigeons for sale. Meet me on O’Connell Street to discuss terms.
I banged my head against my desk. Was this really what my life had come to? A few short months ago I had been a reporter on this very newspaper. I was going places. Now … now I was stuck in the basement of the Daily Dubliner office, preparing classified advertisements and obituaries.
The rest of the morning went on much the same. A woman wanted to sell all of her old shoes, and made sure to add that only the left one of each pair smelled like cheese. A band was looking for a new singer, who had to look like a supermodel and sing like a siren. A modelling agency was looking for new models – and would only charge a three hundred euro fee for a consultation. What a bargain.
As the phone ran for the umpteenth time, I decided to bang my head on my desk again – might as well get the frustration out before I had to talk to the latest nutter – and picked up the receiver.
‘Daily Dubliner classified ads,’ I said. ‘Aisling Smith speaking. How may I help you?’
The person on the other end seemed to be hacking up phlegm. After a few seconds, he said, ‘Got a room for rent. Lupin Lane. Three twenty a month.’
My heart began to drum, and I pulled my special notebook towards me, frantically scribbling.
‘Lupin Lane,’ I said. ‘Where is that exactly?’
The caller hacked a bit more phlegm and said, ‘Y’know. If you know, you know.’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘But I don’t know. Tell you what – I’ll let you include full directions at no extra charge. You’ll get a lot more potential renters that way.’
He hacked, and then (I think) he spat. Finally, he said, ‘Nah. You’re all right doll.’ He went on to quickly list his credit card details and phone number, not letting me get another word in before he finally hung up.
I stabbed my notebook page with my pen a few times, muttered, ‘Criminy, criminy, criminy!’ and then reluctantly prepared the advertisement.
That was the tenth weird address this week alone, I thought, as I read over the details in my special notebook. And the third occurrence of Lupin Lane. I flipped through the pages I’d filled so far. There were rooms for rent and items for sale in Madra Lane, Lupin Lane, Westerly Crescent, and quite a few more places that didn’t actually exist.
I was making some notes in the margins, trying to make sense of it all, when a shadow fell across my desk – a short, oddly-shaped shadow which belonged to the paper’s editor.
‘Hey John.’ I covered up my notebook. ‘How em … how can I help you?’
‘I saw you hide a notebook, Ash,’ he said. ‘Show it to me.’
I picked up my coffee, taking a casual slug. ‘Ugh! Cold!’ I shuddered and pushed the cup away. ‘You look nice today, John.’
Remind me, will you, that the next time I tell a lie, I ought to make it less obvious. John did not look nice. John never looked nice. And it had nothing to do with the fact that he was short, round and bald. There were lots of bald guys I fancied. Bruce Willis. Mark Strong. Okay, so that was just two. But still.
‘Thanks,’ he said, puffing up his chest. ‘I’m on a new diet. I can eat anything I like as long as it’s meat.’
‘Ah.’ I nodded, taking another sip of my cold coffee. Sure, it was disgusting – but at least I could pretend that the grimace on my face was caused by the beverage. ‘That sounds great. You can really tell. Hey, em ... how’s it all going up above? Anything you guys need help with?’
He sat down on top of my desk, crossing his legs and picking up one of my pens. It had a bobbly unicorn on top, and he started to wave it back and forth. ‘You really like unicorns, don’t you? I don’t know many other thirty-year-old women who do.’
‘I’m twenty-nine, actually,’ I informed him. The truth was I could have been thirty. I really had no idea of my precise age – but I’ll tell you more about that in a while. For now, all you need to know is that, whether John was wrong or John was right, he just had the sort of face that I was always going to disagree with.
‘Sure.’ He smirked. ‘Because that really makes a difference. You know, my little
niece likes unicorns, too. She’s three. Oh, and in answer to your question – no. There is nothing you can get involved in up above. Now show me the notebook.’
Darn it! I was sure I’d managed to distract him. ‘Oh, I don’t have a notebook,’ I said vaguely. ‘You must have imagined it. Hey, are you sure you’re getting enough calories on this diet of yours? Last time I went on a cleanse I started to hallucinate. I was totally convinced that the woman in the spa was a vampire. True story.’
For a moment he just looked at me, arms crossed across his large upper body, forehead sweating as his anger increased. As you can see, the feeling of loathing I felt towards my boss was very much reciprocated. After looking at me for a few seconds more, he lunged across my desk, grabbed the notebook and said, ‘Aha! I knew you were up to something.’
I stood up, towering over him even though I was an average five foot six and wearing flat-heeled shoes. ‘You can’t open that, John. It’s an invasion of privacy!’
He wriggled out of my reach and sped away from the desk. How did he move so quickly? He was like a cat, I tell you. And not one of the cute, fluffy ones. He was more like one of those sneaky, stinky cats who manage to poop in corners without you ever catching them.
‘You don’t have any privacy while you’re at work, Ash.’ He was at the other side of the room now, standing under the small window, opening my notebook and peering at the pages. ‘What is this? Why are you writing out all of these classified ads?’
A Magical Trio Page 16