"Grief for the Past, Suffering for the Present, Hope for the Future." -a Watcher's Hymn.

There have been numerous species, or members derived from a certain bloodline, species, or individuals of specific quality, that have been blessed by the weavings of Fate since the birth of Atma. Unfortunately, few groups or species survive from the devastating events of the Sundering. One such group that has survived are the witches. They were sourced from humans originally, but after the fall of man the weavings of fate continued to choose members from those species that are descendant from humans.

Witches are born (specifically born female) and not an individual who meets certain requirements to fulfill a pattern of Fate. They are born with an identity and the knowledge of what they are. Some witches claim they are a reincarnated witch from past days who has returned to the world to achieve one goal or another. Their so-called 'special' knowledge has never been completely substantiated, and attempts to confirm anything these 'reincarnated' witches know has lead to very strange and baffling inconsistencies. As if they come from an alternate version of Atma, where things played out slightly differently.

Whatever the case, it seems true that the witches are gifted from birth with an identity. From the moment their body is capable of speaking, they are able to speak their native language fluently (and at least 4 other languages); they further show the ability to form complex ideas and hold full conversations. As soon as a witch is mature enough to move around under their own locomotion, they head out into the wider world to meet up with others of their kind.

For some inexplicable reason the witches are never targets of superstition, hostility, or exploitation during their most vulnerable years. It's almost as if the very weave around them bends and twists Fate so that events, parentage, and chance encounters work out just so.

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The Novir (another loved by Fate) speculate that the witches are the consort concept to their Patron Diety: Mr. Vision, and as a result they receive some kind of preferential treatment in their youth. This is unsubstantiated and Mr. Vision seems only a bit amused whenever the topic is brought up.

The witches don't age and mature like other members of their species. They reach a certain upper limit to their outward age and then cease aging. Their special connection to magic grants them very long lives. Their physical appearance seems to denote the number of reincarnation cycles a witch has gone through. Thus witches are usually referred to by their title as an honorific to their name: Maiden, Mother, or Crone.

This trinity is not a coincidence. The witches serve the Sisters Gestalt. It's said that their purpose is to ease the pain the Sisters feel from the events of the Sundering. The Sisters, who have never been the same since, are traumatized beyond words. This doesn't necessarily track though, as the witches existed before the Sundering, participating in many well-known legends and tales.

But... it is true that the reports of them participating in any Fate-changing events has thinned. Perhaps innocence heals grief, or love dampens madness, or maybe wisdom puts the past events into perspective, easing guilt and shame. The story of the Sisters Gestalt is perhaps a story for another day. However, the witches do seem more concerned with protecting the well-being and safety of the species moving across the shattered remains of Atma than with the wider workings of Fate.

After all, their actions leading up to the Sundering didn't do a thing to prevent the wellspring from overflowing and breaking the planet. In fact, many contemporary scholars have criticized the witches openly and with malice for their heavy involvement and guidance in developing the methods that inevitably led to the development of technology adjacent to wellbreaker tech.