AKA: Jettatere di Bambini (Fascinator of Infants), Troll WitchCursed by ancient, powerful elves long ago, Wicks were once human. They began as a group of people who befriended the fae; yet, their friendship was sought after for a malicious purpose—to gain great power for selfish plans. The group’s intentions discovered, they were granted their wish, but with repercussions: they were transformed into repulsive, squabbling, hate-filled monsters. Their mouths became fumbling, with tongues so thick that it made fae spells difficult to enunciate; their bodies always felt uncomfortable—aching, smelly, and clumsy. Cursed to live as semi-magical horrors, they learned to get around their imposed regulations: the fetid creatures concocted their own spells and methods of magic.Wicks are appalling creatures that no one would wish to be the adversary of. They have a horrible body odor that reeks of onions, sweat, and mold—a scent that gives away their presence long before they can be seen or heard. Their namesake, Wicks have lumpy bodies made of a waxy substance that melts and oozes in the heat, or freezes and chips off in the cold; chunks of flesh left behind smells just as pungent, leaving a room foul-smelling even after it is disposed of. The creatures have a pointed, cone-shaped head encircled by black, oily, coarse hair; throughout the strands, remains of ingredients, insects, or small, dead creatures can be found. Their pointed ears are just as long as their bulbous noses—all of which are droopy and unappealing. Wicks’ beady, black eyes are deep set, concealed behind matted bangs and a wide snoot. Bulky, yellow fangs always poke from their maw, displayed in an ever-present grimace; though they do not have many teeth protruding from their black gums, the ones they do have are formidable. The troll-ish creatures have five fat fingers and toes, which leave clear, gooey prints behind. Wicks are between 3 - 4 ft tall and 220 - 350 lbs; their unisex bodies range in color from pale/dark brown, green, yellow, and gray, or a mottled mix of all these hues.Wicks eat bitter roots, animal organs, fungi, insects, and moss, but their favorite meal is human children. If a child wanders into the forest alone near a coven, Wicks capture them and throw them into a pot with a few other ingredients; this rare stew is shared by the whole group — for if such a treat was hoarded, hard feelings would be had. Wicks also raise domesticated cats, as the animals provide essential ingredients for their spells and are used in a variety of dishes.Wicks seem to enjoy other Wick’s company, though they often argue and bicker. Covens may also disagree with another group’s actions—and even temporarily shun them—but will never war against each other. All Wick’s prefer harming non-Wick organisms together; it is their favorite past-time, aside from eating.These creatures die when their head becomes separated from their body or a misuse of magic. Most Wicks perish by becoming too cocky, performing a spell that requires more casters or a more experienced hand. When confronted with large, dangerous beings, they flee to safety before casting a spell; in times of desperation, they resort to trickery and a quick wit, though they prefer to have time to fully develop a plan. According to folklore, the strongest of these creatures can pretend to be an elderly, ugly woman; their residences, however, can be distinguished by the broomstick they place above their door—part of the ritual that keeps their disguise in place.Wicks only allow thirteen of their own to be present in a region at once, as it is their lucky number; this population is easy to keep track of, as each coven member lives less than one mile away from their denoted meeting place and their presence is sensed by other Wicks. There are between 4 - 6 distinct covens in West Virginia. If a member is lost, they must be quickly replaced in case of situations requiring the casting of a difficult spell.Noteworthy Anatomy Wicks do not have normal skeletons, but hollow, carapace-like shells; their bones are striated and bark-like, taking on a brown or gray hue. Most of the creature’s interior anatomy is comparable to that of a human’s, except that they possess only a single kidney and lung. Inside, coating both organ and ossein, a thick, gelatinous goo resides, known as ‘wickor.’ The liquid is frequently excreted through pores in the body, succinctly replaced; it is the source of the creature’s magic, changes color depending on the type of spell cast, and hardens to a waxy texture when exposed to air. After each casted spell, wickor is expunged through the being’s pores, causing the body to temporarily deflate; a special organ near the stomach quickly generates more of this substance, pumping it throughout the body and returning the creature to its normal girth. The goo keeps its color only for a little while outside of the body before desaturating; if touched, it may retain some of the last spell’s effects (an example, a fire spell might cause the excretion to feel extremely hot).When Wicks are casting a spell, their head swells like a balloon. If a spell that is too advanced for the creature is attempted, it may burst, killing it.Spells, Potions, and Hexes Wicks are versatile, magical creatures. They can brew poisons, cures, hallucinogens, and otherworldly concoctions by mixing everyday materials with bizarre ones, wickor, and by chanting/dancing around their giant, cast-iron pots. They can also direct curses, steal luck, inflict pain, and bring forth harsh weather; the creatures can target specific individuals if they have a lock—sometimes only a strand—of their hair. When groups gather, they may even summon evil entities, like Corpse Walkers, or create new ones, like elemental golems, to destroy enemies, rid their land of nuisances, and do their bidding (in southern WV, these summoned beings are known as “boogs”, or “boogers”). However, less experienced magic-casters may have these monsters turn on them. Proficient Wicks stick to one or two specialties, mastering their chosen domain(s). Some focus on one of many elemental magics, while others fixate on potions, hexes, curses, or summoning. When a coven joins together, they can cast almost any spell. If there is a threat looming over Wicks as a whole, several covens join together for an especially rare meeting—and to cast an extraordinarily powerful spell.The first spell a Wick learns is how to create a flying broom. This magical object is the creature’s preferred way of travel, as it allows them to quickly escape danger, gather ingredients that are far away, and escape from view; it is also used to keep their hovels free of debris and to mix potions. The brooms themselves are not well crafted—rough, splintery, and crude—but the magic cast on them lasts a lifetime. Humans that find these items may easily use them, as they require no magic to operate; however, they are very uncomfortable to fly. To fly a Wick’s broom, one only needs to think of a direction or specific place they want to go while seated upon it. As long as the thought is in one’s head, the object travels smoothly.Everything a Wick does is to make their life easier, entertain themselves, or bring more power to their coven. The more a Wick practices, the stronger it becomes, so they look for any excuse to cast a spell. They often torment nearby human communities and have been known to cause: droughts, floods, high winds, lightning storms, and pestilences, as well as infertility, illness, misplaced affection, and livestock maladies. In the past, Wicks would frequently cause cows to stop giving milk or turn it into blood, in addition to making horses aggressive to their masters. The trouble-makers also have been known to cause food to taste rotten, soaps to smell like Wick wax, and homes to be filled with flies. Potions are often dumped in common water sources, though modern purification methods combat most of these concoctions. Humans that have come into contact with such creatures describe them as hateful, crabby shrews that are difficult to understand.Reproduction With their metamorphoses, Wicks lost the ability to reproduce; intended to force them to die out, Wicks devised a way to keep their species going to spite the fae. When a coven member needs to be replaced, the creatures invade small human communities in search of a newborn infant. They are known to cast a few minor spells that bring babies joy or calm them, making the abduction less vociferous; spells include making their faces more agreeable, conjuring colorful balls of light or soft bells that sing a soothing lullaby. Some Wicks also cut the faces off of humans, projecting a spell onto them so that they conform to their own profiles; this tactic is used to infiltrate communities and make infants feel at ease. However, these disguises never look quite right.Once a baby has been seized and brought to their meeting place, the creatures dance around the child—waving their hands, hopping up and down, and chanting garbled words— casting a transformative spell. Next, it is fed a slimy, vile, magical soup that is mostly comprised of Wick wax and cat hair; the babe is administered the brew every day for a month. The combination sparks changes within the human; its form slowly morphs into that of a small, plump Wick. Over a month, it loses all human qualities; after three months, it reaches full size and is taught the ways of magic and of Wicks.