The Wotch

The Wotch is a webcomic that has been running from 2002. While not explicitly furry in nature, the comic has included various anthropomorphic characters, due to its many transformation plots. Because its storyline so frequently changes the major characters (both in species and in gender), many major non-anthro characters have later been made into anthro characters. This has included cats, mice, dragons, pokémorphs, werewolves, and other sorts of anthropomorphic animals. The story centers around the small town of Tandy, and its high school Tandy Gardens High (TG High).

Characters

Anne Onymous

The titular heroine of the story is Anne Onymous (a take on both Ominous and Anonymous), who is the Wotch. Similar to other 'magical girl' stories, Anne is gifted with special powers, and opposed by people who want to use them for ill. She gained her powers when she was given a flute by a mysterious cloaked figure "this one time at band camp."

As the star of the series, she has changed frequently. In an early comic, Abra-Cat-Dabra, Anne was accidentally changed into an anthropomorphic cat, and could not change back for a time; after the events of that series, she made a spell to change into an anthro cat willingly (and, most importantly, easily reversibly), and has been seen in later stories turning into a cat to relax, or to hang out with her were friends as a fellow 'were'.

Later, in the story SchizophrANNEia, where Anne splits up into a dozen different characters, all reflecting her strongest base personality traits, one of her 'shards' (Curiosity) is a cat. Since Anne had to deal with another repressed personality trait in that issue -- namely, her anger -- this suggests that, deep down inside, Anne is a bit more animal in aspect than she normally acts.

Other stories have involved her turning into a demonic dragon (known as a Uricarn) and a lamia.

Other protagonists

Robin Ericson is Anne's more grounded friend. Although he is more cautious and tactful than his counterpart Jason, he is ironically more likely to throw himself in harm's way; in other words he is courageous, but not careless. He has an unrequited crush on Anne, which he doesn't even admit to himself. However, his various attempts to learn magic have usually ended in disaster. While under the effects of the Mythos Virus, he was turned into a centaur , and he remembers being a centaur fondly. Other stories have seen him becoming a dragon.

Jason Grey is Anne's wilder friend. A huge comics fan, he is sarcastic to a fault, and sometimes blunt. Jason has been the one that changes most often -- namely, switching gender -- and so has created a whole alternate persona, the flirtatious Sonja, in case. (He even has two wardrobes, male and female.) Although Jason previously thought highly of buxom redheads, he's found he enjoys being one just as much. He also had a crush over Angelique, which he admitted freely, but circumstances could not allow to develop, one of the few splashes of grey in his character. While under the effects of the Mythos Virus, he was turned into a female satyr that heavily resembled Sonja; he later had a Sonja centaur form in the crossover with Accidental Centaurs.

Other characters

Evan "E" Onymous is Anne's big brother. He is a legal adult, and is raising his sister while their parents are 'away'. Although he is mostly (and happily) mundane while paying the bills, he has one esoteric trait: when his 'adult responsibilities' are done, he uses a magic amulet (and Anne's help) to turn into Lily "e" Onymous, a four-year-old female version of himself. Lily relieves all of Evan's stress, by letting adult worries disappear into the endless optimism of youth. Evan was Lily when the Mythos Virus struck, turning her into a mermaid.

Milo Happerbasket is a normal human; in fact, he is immune to most magic. Using that talent, he has opened up a magic shop (which Anne shops from frequently), and occasionally dabbles with potions. Since he is immune to magic, he is one of the very few people who have not changed gender or species yet in the series.

Samantha Wolf (or 'Wolfie') is a tomboy who is deeply into athletics; in fact, she is the first girl to join the formerly all-boy wrestling team. Although she first appeared while being picked on, it later became known (in Moon Over Tandy) that her strength derived from her actually being a werewolf.

Katie McBride is Samantha's friend and has always stood up for her, even though she is one of the 'popular girls'. She had taken her supposed 'red-headed Irish' hot temper in stride, until an accident in Moon Over Tandy turned her into a were-cat. She decided to stay a werecat, however, to provide support for her lupine friend.

Cassandra SinClair is a 'gothic' (she resents the term) girl from Tandy Gardens. Although she is 'known' to be a 'witch', it is only after her rage with Anne boils over that she unlocks her full power. She is also one of the few people to know Anne's secret (Anne is not aware that she knows). However, despite knowing Anne's deepest secrets, and having been in a position to kill Anne without risk of retaliation, Cassandra's honor code has thus far won out. She has also been a tool used in Xaos's plans on multiple occasions. She was turned into a spider-centaur (drider) when afflicted with the Mythos Virus.

Antagonists

Xaos is the force of evil behind the story. It is through his hand that Anne's life is made so complicated; he intends to 'test' her, to make her stronger, before he attempts to claim her life. One of his powers is the ability to use his sword to transform anyone into a demon. Xaos is also known as "The Worlock", and was long ago a partner with a previous bearer of the "Wotch" powers.

Kohain Ravime is Xaos' right-hand man, and often does the dirty work his master cannot or does not want to do. He often plants items into the lives of the citizens of Tandy Gardens without their knowing of his plans. His species is not known, but he resembles a squat elf.

Uricarn (or the Uricarn Demon) is a dragonic demon who works for Xaos. It thrives on panic, confusion, and fear; although it has no qualms against killing, it prefers terrified survivors. Its modus operandi is to use transformation magic to alter reality -- turning people into statues, switching people's bodies, anthropomorphizing characters, and so on and so forth.

General Tigerclaw is both a skilled warrior and a sorceress, as is befitting of a female anthropomorphic tiger. She is the leader of the Soldiers of the Resistance, a faction of freedom fighters of various races in Xaos's dimension. However, the resistance currently plans on preventing Xaos from "joining his powers with those of the Wotch" by destroying Anne. Proving the adage that "the enemy of my enemy is only my enemy's enemy, no more and no less."

External links

• The Wotch