Fairy and Witch anatomy in "Love made in Gardenia (and a granita)" AU
With chapter 9, I've finally introduced some actual anatomy for witches and fairies, I did say my next post would be about that... Very long post btw I'm sorry :(
•Are there any differences between witches and fairies?
Yes, there are! And very significant at that. Fairies have the most evolutionary adaptations. Their bones resemble those of a bird: mainly hollow to permit flight, and their sternum is longer and wider: a perfect keel for chest muscles to attach to and become stronger. Because of that, their shoulder blades and clavicles are far apart and that makes their backs broad, so that more back muscles can grow and have major flight power. To balance this great amount of weight and new appendages, a fairy must also develop a strong, defined core. The wings aren't magical. The articulation is attached to the body via the vertebrae; there is a high set and a low set of wings, both expanding by a juncture or node that expands in two long and short costula (costula maiora and costula minora). When not transformed, fairies absorb their wings into their body; the costula fuse to the spine, but the fairy's build remains untouched.
•What are the similarities between witches and fairies then?
Witches and fairies share only one organ: the thaumic gland. Its shape resembles a heart (hence why Stormy has referred to it as a "second heartbeat") and it functions almost like one too: it has one main vein that connects it to the heart, and it pumps processed mana across the entire system, until it exits the body as magic.
The thaumic gland is, on the inside, a spongy organ and it has a crystal attached to it that determines the elemental core of the host's magic (wether the user has a particular resonance with fire, ice, darkness, illusions etc.) and it's hereditary: if the magical being has at least one magical parent, the offspring will inherit that parent's elemental affinity.
•Where is the thaumic gland located?
Once a magical being starts to use magic, depending on the host's tendencies, it changes location to gather specific mana inside the body:
Fairies use light magic, which is powered by positive emotions like love and joy, so the thaumic gland finds its home close to the heart, where all feelings are pure.
Witches use dark magic, which is powered by negative emotions like rage and hate, so the thaumic gland buries itself just above the guts, where all feelings are raw and dangerous.
Mana comes mainly from the host's nutrition and the energies of the environment around said host. That's why, as of now, the Winx struggle with their strength while the Trix thrive on it. Good care of the body also improves the gland's functionality and health.
•Since witches and fairies use different magic sources, does the thaumic gland act differently between the two species?
Yes, the gland does act different. In fairies it's most stable; they don't use it for each and every spell, for example, flight does not require magic since their bodies adapted to fly. But really, it is light magic that helps balancing mana: the purer the emotions, the better can the gland absorb them to fuel itself, they are a continuous flow of clear energy.
Witches on the other hand, have the thaumic gland most unstable; raw and ugly feelings like rage are sudden bursts of energy that the gland has little time to process correctly, causing more harm to the host. They're also more inclined to abuse their power for every little thing, starting from something as simple as levitation. Ironically, dark magic needs much more concentration than any other magical practice.
•What are some illnesses linked to the thaumic gland?
As of chapter 9, I have introduced manaclastia.
Informally known as mana depletion syndrome or MDS, this illness is mainly observed in witches rather than fairies for the aforementioned reasons. What happens to the organ though, exactly? When the user abuses their magic, mana is slowly, but surely drained from the thaumic gland, until it completely dries up. Symptoms may vary from subject to subject.
Once the organ has failed, the sick may experience extreme pain where the gland is located because even if dried, the organ tries to force magic out of the host's system, causing also an inability to regulate body temperature (subjects may overheat or freeze). Manaclastia completely shocks the body and mind of the subject, dizziness and a sudden need to sleep may be experienced, it also causes the host to become emaciated faster than normal. If not readily treated, manaclastia may drive the subject mad or completely numb their psyche, until death comes, naturally or not.
Witches' ancient name for this illness is "The Hollowing", and every witch knows the legend by heart: a warning to not repeat the same tragedy.
Thanks to all that actually read through all of this, thank you for bearing with me. This post will probably be expanded in the future💞
