The Witch's Brand

The Witch's Brand is an affliction that is obtained by performing a forbidden incantation. Forbidden incantations are very destructive spells and are completely unacceptable to use. Using one will cause a Witch's Brand to form. While the spell is being cast, a painful burn will scorch its way on the body of the user in a random location. It burns in the shape of a four pointed star with concave sides and an elongated point on the bottom. The burn leaves a permanent scar and one has to hide it because if anyone found out the user would be executed. The first time the spell is used, the scar remains fairly small. But if the user casts another spell for any reason, the scar will get bigger and more may appear. In some cases the body is covered almost entirely in very large symbols. The main affliction, and also the most dangerous, is that the newly created Witch (Rutch for male cases) will gain a very high metabolism and has to eat constantly. If they enter a starved state they become Feral and will eat any living thing in sight until their hunger is satisfied. They remember everything during this period and the results can be quite tragic. The larger the scars, the more they have to eat. They also gain a significant boost in strength regardless of whether they are feral or not and the ability to morph their body into a unique form. This form is called a Beta Body and each one can be very strange. Some range from fabric to bone matter. There are several stages that one goes through when becoming a Witch/Rutch; The initial pain of the burn, a state of paranoia where they lack any form of trust even in their closest friends. The third is short periods of the feral state. It lasts only a few seconds at a time but it happens at random intervals. The fourth is first appearance of their Beta Body and the last is the mastery of the feral state where one can starve themselves and stay in control of their body. There is only one Rutch who has done this, this individual has the most scars of anyone and his Beta is glass. Witches/ Rutches are generally segregated from society but there are so few of them many believe they are just myths.

Cultural Reception

People who receive this curse are often exiled from society, or worse publicly executed. Thus many individuals will go to great lengths to hide or protect their condition, covering it with items of clothing, purposefully burning a larger part of their body to hide the brand or tattooing over it.

Type

Supernatural

Origin

Magical

Rarity

Extremely Rare