Social Structure

Witches, aware of their difference from the rest of their eco-system, have created their own society. They habe build a headquarters in a secluded location on a ring of islands referred to as the Eye of Sycorax. The headquarters is home to many witches, but members of this witch society (sometimes called the Witch Alliance) are allowed to branch off and live anywhere in the world. Witch society is made up of many branches of organizations but all witches must life under the same code and this code is enforced by the witch council.

The Council
The council is the most powerful group of witches in the Alliance. The council is the witch form of government and is made up of the leaders of witch-organizations and other revered individuals. The council judges and enforces the code, keeping all witches in life. council and organization leaders are generally over six life-cycles old.

List of Council Members (that have been mentioned):
Odin

Cerberus

Medusa

Hanuman

The Witch Code
1. A witch shall not kill another witch unless in self-defense.

2. Prey is not a recreational sport, it is for food.

3. A witch may own land but not more than needed to survive.

4. Every new witch needs to experience apprenticeship in order to learn control over their powers.

5. All witches are equal no matter species, size or gender.

6. A witch shall never eat another witch, even if starving.

7. A witch may leave the headquarter region but not the code.

8. Word of a council is as strong as the code itself.

9. A witch shall not bring cruel or unusual treatment on anyone.

10. A witch should never upset the delicate balance of nature.

11. Sycorax and Prospero are Blessed names and should not be given to cubs.

12. Tempest and Hathorne are Sin names and should not be given to cubs.

13. A witch shall not control another witch against their will.

14. An honorable witch knows witches and non-witches are equal.

15. Witches may bring life to other witches but not non-witches.

16. Nature and it's inhabitants are more important than your witch life.

17. A witch must love humans, they are part of nature as well.

18. A witch may kill a Wendigo witch or report its whereabouts to the council.

Following the Code
Witch society encourages a sense of honor and structure but the council is usually loose about punishing those who break or bend the code. A witch might have to break several code rules to experience anything more than a scolding. However, certain codes are also taken more seriously when broken than others are. Codes broken involving murder or eating witches receive swift action.

Punishments received range quite a bit (and may also depend on the individual council member working as judge) but serious punishments are often sealing a witch's powers away temporarily or permanently, immediate execution or banishment. Banishment kicks the guilty witch from witch society's safety and allows any witch the right to harass, abuse or kill said guilty witch.

Wendigo
Wendigo are witches that have committed the worst of crimes. These are witches that have eaten other witches (often they are also responsible for the murder of their victims as well).

It is often believe that if one eats a witch they become more powerful. It is unsure if this is true or not, but it is often dismissed by authorities and elders as a complete myth. Nevertheless, making a habit out of eating other witches can begin to cause anatomical changes to the wendigo. Wendigos are much different from the usual anatomical changes of witches. While wendigo changes are still an over-time process, these changes make the wendigo look further and further from their original species. They often become much skinnier and lankier (although it is unsure if their skinniness could also be attributed to them eating an unhealthy diet of only witches). They form new joints in their limbs or they may form completely new types of limbs (a horse may grow cat paws). Their colorations often begin to change.

No one knows what a wendigo looks like when they finish their transformation (or if their transformation ever stops) because it is often such a high priority to kill Wendigos.

Apprenticeships
Since witches are born randomly and are scattered around the world, it cannot be counted on that these witches will learn of the witch socierty, find them and join. Experienced witches may volunteer (or in the case of there not being enough volunteers, forced) to hunt for these new young witches. The experienced witch can then choose if they wan to take the young witch(es) on as their apprentices or if they would rather another take on the task.

It is important for witches to go through apprenticeship to learn to control their powers as well as memorize and understand the Witch's Code.

A master and apprentice do not need to share the same magic type. In fact, often times the power of the apprentice is not known at the beginning of apprenticeship. However, all witches must use similar self-control and focus, so learning the basics of their witchcraft can be taught by a completely different witch type.

Apprenticeship is usually quite brief and a witch may finish in 2 - 4 years. After their apprenticeship, witches will be encouraged to depart from their teachers side in order to further their studies independently or find a master of their own witch-type to continue the mastery of their training. Any witch that has finished the initial apprenticeship can teach a beginning witch, but it is uncommon for a newly independent witch to do so.