Witch horns

(Here's a thing I wrote up a while back which doesn't have any connection to any larger project, except as a tangent from some lore-theorizing about the power sources of D&D classes. I just went with the term "witch" instead of "warlock" because it's obviously cooler.)

Witches have horns, as a general rule. Part of the initial transformation to witch status is the growth of a single horn on some part of the subject's body (usually the head, but not always). They vary quite a bit in size and shape, but color, texture, and a few other qualities will typically be uniform among witches of the same patron (or even type of patron). They grow more horns as they gain power, with new horns typically appearing on the head if the first horn was on the head, or growing absolutely anywhere if the first horn was not on the head. Previous horns might migrate and reshape a bit to accommodate new ones. Asymmetry is the norm, though.

It's commonly believed that horns are the source of a witch's power. This is totally untrue. They aren't inert, though: Witch horns are markers and beacons, broadcasting the witch's location (and possibly other particulars) to their patron at all times, and announcing their patron's identity to other supernatural beings. Removing a witch's horns doesn't particularly harm the witch, but their patron won't be happy with the witch or the one doing the removing.

Witch horns continue to broadcast their signal for some time after removal. The patron may or may not realize that an amputation has occurred, making it theoretically possible to fool them as to their witch's location, or even allow someone else to masquerade as the witch. Witch horns are also pretty much guaranteed to get the attention of nearby supernatural beings, for good or ill.

Lost horns grow back once the witch gains enough power to grow a new horn (meaning that multiple horns will grow at once), and may return in a new location.

Rogue witches typically remove all their horns immediately. Gaining power is dangerous for them, since in that time between the regrowth and re-removal of horns, their patrons know where they are.

A witch's power resides all throughout their body, but mostly in their heart and blood. It is possible to absorb some power by drinking a witch's blood, but it's not very healthy for someone who's not also a witch. However, the beneficial effect is much more dramatic (if less controlled) for non-witches. The same is true of consuming a witch's heart, but to an even greater degree.