Witchfinder

One who wields tandh to investigate, find, and persecute witches and other women or non-men who use esoteric powers not approved of by patriarchal powers.

Severing Maternal Bonds

In order to access tandh, an energy of misogyny and the antithesis to aemoa, one must sever all bonds to their mother or maternal figures in their lives. Aemoa is associated with mother-right and matriarchy, but includes any parental bond that does not fit within patriarchal definitions. As such, severing connection to it may include severing connection to a trans masculine birthing parent. These bonds come in five forms:

• Physical bonds: these are the genetic or other physical connections one might have to one's birthing parent. This usually requires supernatural intervention into one's own genetic material or esoteric bloodline. If one's parents adopted them and they have no emotional or social connection to their biological parents, the physical bond still exists.
• Emotional bonds: perhaps the easiest bonds to sever, one may sever them simply by hating one's mother or causing one's mother to hate them (preferably both), or by gaining enough emotional distance as to no longer feel anything for them. This may come pre-severed if the witchfinder was raised without any maternal influence in their lives.
• Mental bonds: this comes in three forms - social connection, memory, and thinking patterns. To sever a social connection (which overlaps strongly with emotional bonds), one must simply stop interacting with one's maternal figure(s). Erasing memory is more difficult and usually requires supernatural intervention.
• Metaphysical bonds: the soul bond between mother and child is often profound, but it can be withered if the other three connections are weaker. However, it is strengthened by shared experiences, faith, or esoteric powers. Severing usually involves either supernatural intervention, a renunciation of shared faith, or the murder of one's maternal figure(s).
• Nommic bonds: the nommic bond is the combination of all four of the above and can only be severed via profound supernatural means.

Some species have different gender roles proscribed by their methods of reproduction (i.e., they may reproduce asexually) and therefore may have only an approximation of a maternal bond. This will vary in part by the culture surrounding the individual character, but ultimately, it may simply mean one or more bonds never existed to begin with. However, unless the character has no nurturing presence in their childhood whatsoever, the will always have some kind of "maternal" bond, even if it's with a cisgender male or agender individual who helped raise them and provided comfort, nourishment, or protection. Furthermore, some cultures may feature violent anti-maternal norms that reduce the presence of maternal bonds and thus have a greater presence of tandh.

Most commonly, witchfinders are from cultures where they are intentionally separated from their mothers, often via surgical removal to reduce birthing connections, and raised in harsh, unsupportive environments, trained from an early age to hate women and view them as the enemy and reason for suffering, and therefore primed for wielding tandh even before they are adults. There are still rites and rituals within these cultures, usually driven by a patriarchal religion, to initiate a witchfinder and remove all or most of their lingering maternal bonds.

Common Rites

Depending on the culture, rites may have some variation, but there are some commonalities amongst the rites that exist:

• Religious rites: religious rites that create witchfinders are the most common and usually involve oaths to specific Divines (almost always infernal, though masked as "good"). They will often require a sacrifice (either a symbolic one involving an animal or a human one, if they are a more extreme religion, or one that simply requires the witchfinder to give something up, such as a certain kind of food, or sex, or some other thing that shows conviction on the part of the witchfinder). And they will usually involve a test of the witchfinder's knowledge of the tenets of their faith. The end result is usually a severing of metaphysical bonds (at least) and ties the tandh directly to the witchfinder's faith.
• Blood rites: sometimes combined with other forms of rites, blood rites involve spilling of the witchfinder's blood into an esoteric circle and the blood sacrifice of a person or animal. These rites usually focus on supernaturally severing the physical maternal bonds and infusing tandh directly into the blood of the witchfinder.
• Coming-of-age rituals: in some smaller patriarchal communities, men (or those deemed men by the local authorities) are subjected to coming-of-age rites that automatically remove maternal bonds. These often involve tests of prowess, strength, and/or courage and incorporation into a warrior grouping of some sort, and end with an extended separation from all maternal influences and interactions. This will focus on severing the emotional and/or mental bonds by playing to the witchfinder's pride and desire to be a "man" in the eyes of their culture. These tie the tandh to their prowess as warriors and their acceptance into the culture.
• Legal or graduation rites: in some larger patriarchal communities, potential witchfinders are empowered directly by the state after completing schooling or training for a legal or policing framework. These rites are like graduation ceremonies or hazing rituals that involve social rejection of "needing" maternal connections, physical tests that involve blood loss or other sacrifices, and/or oaths of service that sever allegiance to family. These tie the tandh directly to their authority as agents of the state.

Re-Establishing Bonds

Some witchfinders may lose their powers if they re-establish their bonds with maternal figures or create new maternal bonds with someone else. These can even be accidental if they allow their hearts to open up via a relationship of some kind. Others may intentionally seek out a re-establishment or new bonds as they find themselves no longer willing to be witchfinders. These rogues are often ruthlessly hunted by other witchfinders. Re-establishing maternal bonds requires and equal and opposite rite or process to the severing of bonds, though this may be measured in different ways. For example, someone who was raised without any maternal figures in their lives need not spend equivalent years with a maternal figure to establish such a bond, but must find someone with which they may have as profound an emotional connection as they might have with a maternal figure. The end result is a complete loss of all witchfinder powers.

Lessening

Some witchfinders who accidentally establish a maternal connection may not completely lose their powers, but find their powers weaken. Others may find their devotion to the culture, religion, or state authority that their tandh is tied to wavers because of changing beliefs or feelings, and thus their powers may weaken. In most witchfinder groupings, this will result in re-education, expulsion, or death at the hands of the other witchfinders.

Gender

As mentioned above, some species or cultures may have different approaches to gender that lead to variations in which maternal bonds exist amongst them. However, witchfinders most commonly exist among cultures and species with a definite "male" gender role that is politically and socially considered supreme. All witchfinders must either be of this gender or willing to accept the supremacy of this gender. For trans feminine people, this means they must deny their trans femininity and live as if they were men in order to be witchfinders. Any deviation from this will result in loss of tandh and probably persecution at the hands of other witchfinders. For trans masculine people, this means denying their trans masculinity and accepting the subservient role of "women" in such a society in order to be accepted as a witchfinder and to have tandh. Cisgender women may only be witchfinders if they believe in and act within the bounds of patriarchal roles as well. Other genders all must conform to a gender binary view of themselves in defiance of their true selves. Ironically, this may be accepted as a sacrifice in some rites and give greater power to these gender traitors. Furhtermore, this may also ironically lead some people who come from non-binary or asexual species or cultures to cross-dress as a gender that doesn't exist in their native cultures - i.e., a crystal folk who reproduces asexually may take on a "male" role that has no meaning to their birth-culture - making them effectively transgender in the eyes of their original people (in the eyes of a patriarchal culture, such species and/or cultures are usually regarded as abominations).

Witchfinding

Witchfinders' powers derive from the tandh that is infused into them or granted to them via their rites of severing. Though the rite or culture they come from may determine the method their powers are employed, they generally have some variation of the following powers:

• Finding: the ability to sense their targets.
• Binding: the ability to ensnare their targets in some kind of supernatural trap, usually esoteric ropes or chains of some sort.
• Defense: the ability to resist, repulse, or nullify the powers of their targets.
• Proving: the ability to convince others that their target is guilty of witchcraft.
• Marking: the ability to brand or otherwise leave a mark on the target that weakens them and shows others that they are a witch.
• Persecuting: the ability to carry out torture or execution of the target.

Classic Methods

The most common forms these powers take are in the trappings of a major patriarchal religious state, and thus, these are how they usually appear:

• Finding: through prayer and focus on a religious token, such as a holy symbol or small rite, the witchfinder is given either a supernatural sense or direct guidance via a vision or voice.
• Binding: use of blessed objects (ropes or chains) or religious tokens to paralyze or bind a target, rendering them powerless to fight.
• Defense: use of a holy symbol, prayer circle, or blessed boundary to form an invisible field around the witchfinder - i.e., a circle of candles, a rosary held aloft, or blessings upon a literal wall.
• Proving: words from a holy script that will cause the target to react negatively or inherently unjust tests the target may be subjected to (if she is a witch, she will float; if not she will drown, etc.).
• Marking: usually a literal brand in the shape of a holy symbol of the witchfinder's faith.
• Persecuting: sometimes the same as the proving tests, but often just burning at the stake.

Targets

Every witchfinder has the power to sense and affect wielders of aemoa, no matter the cultural or political context they exist in, as tandh is inherently antithetical to aemoa. Furthermore, all witchfinders can sense witches and tahawals and use their powers against them, though within different cultures, some witches may be allowed legally even if the witchfinders may sense them. Witchfinders cannot discern between kinds of witches except those that have infernal powers will feel different than those with other powers.

Other potential targets include

• Trans people or non-patriarchal genders
• Women who defy patriarchal rule or do not fit into enforced gender roles
• Men who reject their male privilege and act against patriarchal rule
• Women who gain too much power within the system and pose a threat to the witchfinders' political power
• Queer people
• Promiscuous women (by patriarchal standards)
• People from matriarchal cultures
• Escaped slaves
• Ex-witchfinders
• Women who reject the sexual advances of their husbands or other authority figures
• Women who speak up
• Women who have a "bad attitude"
• Women who use esoteric powers not approved of by the local patriarchal powers
• Any adelfoi
• Followers of certain religions not approved of by the local patriarchal powers
• Any maternal figure

Inventory

Witchfinders' tools may vary by culture, country, and time period, but these are the classic accoutrements:

• Holy symbol: the token of their faith most commonly used.
• Chains: usually made of cold iron or steel and blessed by their faith.
• Brand: usually shaped like holy to the witchfinder.
• Robes: black robes with large white stripes and deep pockets.
• Hat: a broad-brimmed hat that conceals their face when they please.
• Sword or spear: a piercing weapon (very phallic) blessed by their faith.
• Tender: something to start the fires with.
• Book: a holy book that carries the laws and rules that identify witches.
• Candles or censer: either enough candles to form a circle of power or a censer that releases blessed smoke to drive off enemy powers.

Variants

There are many, many variants in different cultures, countries, and time periods. Here are some common ones:

• Gangol: a member of an all-male cult devoted to persecuting women for power.
• Goodfinder: a con artist who does not have the powers of a witchfinder, but acts as one anyway, falsely accusing women of being witches to get them killed or imprisoned. They are often accepted by state and religious authorities, even if they are also often opportunists.
• Goodlady: a female witchfinder whose role is to rat out witches; a spy among women.
• Good Unit: a unit among police devoted to witchfinders, using batons as their weapon, badges as their holy symbol and defense, and chains as their binding tool.
• Sewallian: a prosecutor or judge who is a witchfinder and serves as the legal agent in a patriarchal society devoted to prosecuting or judging witches.
• Stought: a witchfinder who trains other witchfinders.
• Witchbaiter: an extortionist who uses their powers of witchfinding to blackmail their targets or to blackmail people they falsely accuse in order to gain power.
• Witchhunter: an agent of a religious authority tasked with witchfinding and executing witches directly by a Divine rather than simply by a church or religious order. One with a more powerful faith, therefore.
• Witchslayer: an assassin who kills witches without a trial, often working clandestinely.
• Witchtaker: a slaver who captures their targets and enslaves them, stripping them of their powers, usually selling them into slavery to patriarchal lords.

Declarator

A witchfinder who travels from town to town to pronounce that a witch has been executed by the witchfinders, as a warning to others.

Goodbutcher

A witchfinder who uses their power to terrorize a community, usually one of many women, in order to draw out witches or other targets. They employ terroristic tactics to find the witches, then employ those same to kill the witches. Often they are involved in genocides.

Hopkinian

A member of a powerful international religious order of witchfinders dedicated to the eradication of witches around the world. Their symbol is a coiled serpent made of umbilical cords.

Inquisitor

A very powerful variant of witchfinders, inquisitors are usually either state-sanction or religious witchfinders who torture their targets in order to "purify" their souls (that is, remove the aemoa or other celestial powers) to turn their victims into deadened souls that can be controlled and enslaved for the patriarchy.

Misogynologer

A witchfinder who takes a scientific approach to witchfinding, usually within the context of a powerful patriarchal state, and serves as an expert witness, executioner, and/or detective.

Mynet-Cipa

A witchfinder who works as a moneychanger and merchant, deriving wealth from the exploitation of women.

Shining Blade

A witchfinder who is part of a special order of holy warriors who hunt and kill witches, usually accompanying a powerful witchfinder as muscle. Some are called Shining Riders if they are mounted warriors.

Wracnian

A witchfinder who is undertaking or has undertaken a pilgrimage to a place of powerful tandh in order to engage in a second ritual cleansing them of further maternal influences, improving their powers, faith, and political position.

Similar Occupations

Societal Role

The purpose of witchfinders is to root out those who pose a threat to patriarchy in class socieites. They are common in societies where women have few rights, in societies where patriarchy is the strongest form of oppressive institution, and in societies where witches are still a force that is feared by the powers-that-be. In some patriarchal societies, they are rare because witches' power has been reduced over time or because movements have weakend the patriarchy enough. In matriarchal societies, they are anathema.

Skills

Some common skills include

• Detectiving
• Hunting
• Law
• Religious lore
• Strategy
• Terrorism
• Persuasion
• Manipulation
• Politics

Stats

Modifers from base of nation/species:

PRO +1
ATH -1
STR /
AWA +1
WIL +2
PRS +1
STH /