Witch

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A Witch is a term used to describe a human who has mastered magic and transcended to a higher state of existence, allowing them to operate beyond the physical world. Witches embody a concept or ideology that is closely tied to their human counterpart, capable of existing independently from the witch themselves.

Abilities

• Superhuman Physical Characteristics
  • Superhuman Strength (The murders committed by Beatrice were noted to only be feasible if there were four armed people and can easily mutilate a persons body after killing them)
  • Superhuman Durability
  • Superhuman Speed
  • Superhuman Reaction
  • Superhuman Energy Efficiency
• Intimidation (A witch's portrait and stories can unnerve one enough to send a chill down their spine)
• Longevity (Witch's can live for over a thousand years, and this is considered young for a witch. In the world of wtiches, six years can be a thousand and a thousand years can pass in a single sweep)
• Contract Bestowal (Witch's can forge contracts in return for one's soul)
  • Soul Manipulation
• Immortality
  • Life and Death Immunity: To a witch, death on the game board is nothing more then sitting to the side of chess board, and they can freely enter back into the game board even if they're dead.
• Dimensionless Existence (Witches are real and exists however they has no form lacking a body therefore ordinary people cannot see them unless they wish it)
  • Abstract Existence
    • Mathematical
      • Primordial Source: Witches exists as illogical integers, having a case where there can be more then 18 people but less then 19. Battler likens a witch's existence to an imaginary number. Witches can exist as mere illusions that should not exist, even after being noted to be a hallucination by a red truth.
      • Personal Nonexistence
        • Mathematical Nonexistence:
      • Logic Manipulation
  • Transformation
    • Shapeshifting: Witches can take a human form if they wish or can sometimes manifest in the form of a shining butterfly.
  • Extra-Planar Existence (Witches naturally exist in higher planes where they can view the "game world" from. Witches are cast adrift from the physical human plane and walk between fragments)
  • Avatar Creation (Witches can make themselves pieces in the game world as they view themself from the higher-plane. The pieces can also still operate even if their higher plane self is effectively loses all will. It's noted that choosing a piece is the equivalent of a character select screen of a video game and one's consciousness from the higher plane can be sucked away when throwing their piece in)
  • Incorporeality (Witches initially manifest as shadowy figures that cannot be seen or felt asides from the occasional odd sixth sense)
    • Invisibility (It's noted that witches like Beatrice have mysterious happenings happen around the mansion with no one ever seeing anyone, down to claims of seeing floating lights and shining butterflies along with eerie footsteps echoing through the halls. Witches are completely invisible to those who either do not believe or they do not wish to show themselves too)
    • Intangibility
      • Phasing: Witches can phase their hand through objects.
      • Planar: Witches cannot be interacted with in their domain without summoning a pawn into their domain.
• Empowerment (October is the most active time for the powers of witches and demons)
• Supernatural Resilience (Supernaturals are perfectly fine with small holes in their chest even being able to play with it with no real injury)
• Precognition (Witches can have premonitions of the future)
• Extra-Planar Existence (Witches naturally exist in a higher realm from the human world)
• Magic (It's noted by Maria that witches can do anything with magic)
  • Emersion (It's noted that witches like Beatrice can step out of their own portrait and prowl the halls)
  • Flight (Witches can fly)
  • Creation (Witches can make gold appear out of thin air)
  • Absolute Access (Witches can attempt passage by physical, conceptual, or other means. Witches can travel outside of the story to the realm where Featherine resides)
  • Erasure
    • Physical Erasure: Noted how Kanon's corpse was erased for fun.
  • Transferal (Witches can transfer their power to other witches)
  • Regeneration
    • Type: Immortality-Based
    • Source: Magical
    • Capabilities: Witches possess the power to endlessly regenerate to where any concept of destruction or decay no longer applies.
  • Non-Standard Defenses (Witch's can take being pierced by Red Truths)
  • Duplication (For witches it is easy to make a hundred from one)
  • Subjective Reality (Witches can bring objects back into existence with magic through belief)
  • Emotion Manipulation (Witch's can give love and steal it away)
  • Light Manipulation (Witches can make floating lights and shining butterflies)
    • Animal Manipulation
  • Weather Manipulation (The summoning of a witch causes massive storms and winds, cutting an island off from the rest of the world)
  • Lock Manipulation (A witches magic can not only forcibly lock doors but it can also make it where doors cannot be locked)
  • Miracle Manipulation (The ability to win despite the astronomical odds is a "miracle" while the astronomical rewards received from such a bet is "magic")
  • Paradox Manipulation (The usage of magic causes layered world compression causing an effect similar to paradoxes like Schrodinger's Cat.
  • Forcefield Manipulation (Witches can make anti-bullet barriers though it requires significant practice and ritual preparation)
  • Illusion Manipulation (Lambdadelta notes that she can use her witch's illusion to crush one's spirit, the witch's illusion exists to prove they exist)
  • Fate Manipulation (Witches can bestow one with the Golden Butterfly Brooch, an object that arranges all fate variables in a favorable manner to form relationships between the sexes)
  • Resistance Manipulation (It is revealed in reality that witches set their own weaknesses as they believe being an all-powerful witch with no weaknesses would lead them to boredom)
• Plot Manipulation (Witches like Bernkastel and Lambdadelta showcase that they can interfere in a game master's gameboard and tamper with the story. This is even shown in Bernkastel and Lambdadelta's story mode in Umineko: Golden Fantasia where they tamper with Beatrice's game board just by entering it. The witches domain is a world of narrative, where a witches true form resides while their human self resides in the human domain)

Resistances

• Resistance to
  • Disease Manipulation (Noted by Maria that witches don't get sick)
  • Mortality Manipulation & Plot Manipulation (Witches are incapable of being killed through the execute command which changes a character's bio to explain how their story ended)
  • Conceptual Manipulation (Witches need to fight against the trials where disproving their existence puts their life on the line though denial of their existence is translated as pain which they can take until there's no possible way to prove their existence)

Weaknesses

• One can make special chants or charms to protect themself and others from witches. These charms protected Natsuhi from the witches attacking her. Maria initially thought Battler was safe from Beatrice due to the charm she gave him with Battler admitting later he actually did have it. It's further explained that these charms are the fifth pentacle of mars, acting as a powerful ward against evil making it difficult for magical beings to get past.
• A witch cannot fully complete their miracle if one person born with a high resistance to magic doesn't believe in magic fully, making their magic slowly stop working overtime.
• Witches cannot appear before everyone as long as someone with a high resistance to magic denies their existence. If too many gazes turn a witches way with their anti-magic toxins they will cause the witches body to vanish.
• Spiders and their cobwebs are able to ward off evil.
• Witches are in constant need of entertainment or else they will literally die of boredom. Beatrice notes most witches grow tired of life after a millennium. Boredom is considered a direct toxin to witches.
• Eternal boredom is the worst poison of all: that which kills all witches.
• Holy based magic even if it's not targeted towards a witch can seal and weaken their powers. Items such as the Spirit Mirror showcase their ability to suppress the evil spirits of Akujikishima and by proxy can effect witches and holds evil spirits at bay.
• Witches cannot completely debunk the argument of the human realm as scientific and magical theories co-exist making it where to fully prove their existence they would need to show it, allowing things like Battler to ever deny a magical battle happening because there are no leftover traces or proof of it.
• Beatrice explains to EVA-Beatrice that contemporary humans like Battler have a fundamental denial of all magic, being made of anti-magic toxins, which can be spread and weaken a witch's magic.
• Witches when using summoning or resurrection spells require a vessel, without it, a difficult spell becomes virtually impossible.
• A denial of a witch's existence is translated as pain for them.
• Most witch items lose their power if they are not given directly by the witch.
• Magic is limited by what the user believes they can achieve, it being the reason the seven sisters of purgatory couldn't kill Ange's classmates at St. Lucia's.
• Witch's cannot commit logic errors within the rules of the game as it would go against red truths causing them to not make magic that's still feasibly a trick under human methods. If they are caught within a logic error their soul is trapped in the sealed room for eternity with them trying to figure out how to get out of it through the logic error.

Explanations

In-Universe ExplanationsOut of Universe Explanations

Rokkenjima

Rokkenjima is an island in the Izu Archipelago South of Tokyo, being a small island no more than six miles across and owned by the wealthy Ushiromiya family. The island is plentiful with wildlife (specifically large flocks of seagulls) being left largely untouched by the Ushiromiya family and they only disappear to incite disaster occurring. The island was bought by the head of the Ushiromiya Family after the great Kanto earthquake nearly brought the clan to ruin in 1923.

During the events of Episode 3 and onward, Rokkenjima entered a state of being a layered world, where both scientific and magical theories coexist thus neither side can cancel out the others arguments.

Ushiromiya Family

A wealthy family that annually goes to Rokkenjima island for family gatherings. There was a time when the great Kanto earthquake brought the Ushiromiya clan to ruin in 1923 but the head of the Ushiromiya family used his considerable talent and astonishingly good luck to revive the family's fortunes, being the one to have bought Rokkenjima where he makes his home. This is done due to his legendary ten tons of gold that he used as the foundation of his fortune, which other members of the Ushiromiya family are trying to get through inheritance of finding the location of the gold. According to Kinzou Ushiromiya he got ten tons of gold by making a contract with the witch Beatrice.

Those that marry into the Ushiromiya family are not treated the same as those born by blood into it, they are never allowed to wear the family's crest even after marrying into it and are treated like a complete outsider due to not sharing the blood being considered by some of the family members "glorified maid-servant" and insulted at the idea of receiving any orders from those that do not share the blood.

The family is sat in according to the line of succession which is as follows: Head of the Family, Kinzou Ushiromiya -> Future Head of House, Krauss Ushiromiya (Jessica's Father) -> Second in Line, Eva Ushiromiya (George's Mother) -> Third in Line, Rudolf Ushiromiya (Battler's Father) -> Fourth in Line, Rosa Ushiromiya (Maria's Mother) -> Fifth in Line, Jessica Ushiromiya -> Sixth in Line, George Ushiromiya -> Seventh in Line, Battler Ushiromiya -> Eight in Line, Maria Ushiromiya -> Ninth in Line, Natsuhi Ushiromiya (Jessica's Mother) -> Tenth in Line, Hideoyoshi Ushiromiya (George's Father) -> Eleventh in Line, Kyrie Ushiromiya (Rudolph's Second Wife)

Spirit Attunement

It's explained by the family servant Chiyo Kumasawa that every human being has the ability to sense the presence of ghost, but this affinity gradually fades with age, characters like Maria Ushiromiya being the youngest of the family is able to sense oncoming calamities and disasters.

Witch of Rokkenjima

The Witch of Rokkenjima is a legend that was told to the children of the Ushiromiyas about how Beatrice comes on dark, stormy nights wandering out of the forest in search of human sacrifices. With this legend also comes a mystery with Beatrice's epitaph that reads as follows:

MangaVisual Novel

If you seek the Golden Land, follow the river and seek the key downstream, you will find a village. In this village, seek the shore of which two will speak. There the key to the Golden Land sleeps. Whoever finds the eky should follow these directions to the Golden Land. On the first night, offer up as sacrifices the six the key chooses. On the second night, those who remain will tear apart the two who are close. On the third night, those who remain will praise my noble name. On the fourth night, gouge the head and kill. On the fifth night, gouge the chest and kill. On the sixth night, gouge the belly and kill. On the seventh night, gouge the knee and kill. On the eighth night, gouge the foot and kill. On the night night, the witch will revive, and none shall be left alive. On the tenth night, the journey will end, and you shall reach the capital in which the gold dwells. The witch will praise the wise and bestow four treasures. One shall be all the gold in the Golden Land. One shall be the resurrection of the souls of all the dead. One shall be the ressurection of love lost. One shall be the witch, put into an eternal sleep. Rest in peace, My beloved witch, Beatrice. —The Witch's Epitaph Manga

English TranslationJapanese Text

OriginalOriginal Witch Hunt RetranslationSecond Witch Hunt Retranslation

Behold the sweetfish river running through my beloved hometown. You who seek the Golden Land, follow its path downstream in search of the key. As you travel down it, you will see a village. In that village, look for the shore the two will tell you of. There sleeps the key to the Golden Land. The one who obtains the key must then travel to the Golden Land in accordance with these rules. On the first twilight, offer the six chosen by the key as sacrifices. On the second twilight, those who remain shall tear apart the two who are close. On the third twilight, those who remain shall praise my noble name. On the fourth twilight, gouge the head and kill. On the fifth twilight, gouge the chest and kill. On the sixth twilight, gouge the stomach and kill. On the seventh twilight, gouge the knee and kill. On the eighth twilight, gouge the leg and kill. On the ninth twilight, the witch shall revive, and none shall be left alive. On the tenth twilight, at journey's end, you shall attain to the power of the Golden Land's treasures, once and for the last time. The witch shall praise the wise and bestow four treasures. One shall be all the gold from the Golden Land. One shall be the resurrection of all the dead souls. One shall be the resurrection of the love that was lost. One shall be to put the witch to sleep for all time. Sleep peacefully, my beloved witch, Beatrice. —The Witch's Epitaph Original English Translation

My beloved hometown, the sweetfish river running through it. You who seek the Golden Land, follow its path downstream and seek the key. If you follow the river downstream, you will find a village. In the village, look for the shore the two will tell you of. There sleeps the key to the Golden Land. He who lays hand upon the key shall travel under the rules below. At the first twilight, you shall lift up as sacrifice the six chosen by the key. At the second twilight, the surviving shall tear apart the two who are close. At the third twilight, the surviving shall praise my honorable name on high. At the fourth twilight, gouge the head and kill. At the fifth twilight, gouge the chest and kill. At the sixth twilight, gouge the stomach and kill. At the seventh twilight, gouge the knee and kill. At the eighth twilight, gouge the leg and kill. At the ninth twilight, the Witch shall be revived and none shall be left alive. At the tenth twilight, the journey shall end and you should reach the village of gold. The Witch will praise the wise, and should bestow four treasures. One shall be, all the gold from the Golden Land. One shall be, the resurrection of the souls of all the dead. One shall be, even the resurrection of the lost love. One shall be, to put the Witch to sleep for all time. Sleep peacefully, my most beloved witch, Beatrice. —The Witch's Epitaph Original Witch Hunt Retranslation

Behold the sweetfish river running through my beloved hometown. You who seek the Golden Land, follow its path downstream in search of the key. As you travel down it, you will see a village. In that village, look for the shore the two will tell you of. There sleeps the key to the Golden Land. The one who obtains the key must then travel to the Golden Land in accordance with these rules. On the first twilight, offer the six chosen by the key as sacrifices. On the second twilight, those who remain shall tear apart the two who are close. On the third twilight, those who remain shall praise my noble name. On the fourth twilight, gouge the head and kill. On the fifth twilight, gouge the chest and kill. On the sixth twilight, gouge the stomach and kill. On the seventh twilight, gouge the knee and kill. On the eighth twilight, gouge the leg and kill. On the ninth twilight, the witch shall revive, and none shall be left alive. On the tenth twilight, the journey shall end, and you shall reach the capital where the gold dwells. The witch shall praise the wise and bestow four treasures. One shall be all the gold from the Golden Land. One shall be the resurrection of all the dead souls. One shall be the resurrection of the love that was lost. One shall be to put the witch to sleep for all time. Sleep peacefully, my most beloved witch, Beatrice. —The Witch's Epitaph Second Witch Hunt Retranslation

懐かしき、故郷を貫く鮎の川。 黄金郷を目指す者よ、これを下りて鍵を探せ。 川を下れば、やがて里あり。 その里にて二人が口にし岸を探れ。 そこに黄金郷への鍵が眠る。 鍵を手にせし者は、以下に従いて黄金郷へ旅立つべし。 第一の晩に、鍵の選びし六人を生贄に捧げよ。 第二の晩に、残されし者は寄り添う二人を引き裂け。 第三の晩に、残されし者は誉れ高き我が名を讃えよ。 第四の晩に、頭をえぐりて殺せ。 第五の晩に、胸をえぐりて殺せ。 第六の晩に、腹をえぐりて殺せ。 第七の晩に、膝をえぐりて殺せ。 第八の晩に、足をえぐりて殺せ。 第九の晩に、魔女は蘇り、誰も生き残れはしない。 第十の晩に、旅は終わり、黄金の郷に至るだろう。 魔女は賢者を讃え、四つの宝を授けるだろう。 一つは、黄金郷の全ての黄金。 一つは、全ての死者の魂を蘇らせ。 一つは、失った愛すらも蘇らせる。 一つは、魔女を永遠に眠りにつかせよう。 安らかに眠れ、我が最愛の魔女ベアトリーチェ。 —The Witch's Epitaph Original Japanese Text

Despite it being a legend, Beatrice the witch is real and exists.

It is also revealed by Genji that Beatrice was the second lover of Kinzou who perished before the mansion was built and he spent years focusing on his dark arts in order to revive her.

The Meta-World

Debates

There is a plane that watches the regular plane where one can deal with debating, effectively the same as a chess game, effectively being the same as viewing them from a different plane where witches can simply restart over and over the game, the number of times they can play being entirely up to them.

Gameboards can have witches effectively get everything they want, making it harder to prove them wrong during a debate. One can tweak facts previously established on the game board to effectively create new rules and truths.

Gameboards can have turns stalled if one of the members refuse to continue, one can even fall into the reality of the game board.

Death is also handled differently in the gameboard where the lost of a piece means they simply bide their time on the side of the chessboard. One's voice cannot reach into the Game Board.

Along with this it has no effect on anything in the main world.

It is established further in Battler's game board against Eva Beatrice that witches are allowed to resurrect the dead for testimony the human side cannot use this move even if there's witches on their side. Along with this, witches can bind one in solid undeniable red truths that they cannot break out of unless they can deny the truth. Though red can also be used to fully deny a witch exposing the answers and destroying all the magic.

Witches can also add new pieces into the Gameboard that function as detectives.

Each gameboard is its own world with each one's conclusion having an effect on reality. For example, Eva Ushiromiya being the only survivor in one of the gameboards allowed her to live in the real world and escape the island, even when Ange found other bottles that listed the other game worlds endings.

Each gameboard exists as one small game in the endless sea of Fragments.

Pawns

Pawns are pieces on the game board set by the people in the Metaworld.

Some pieces have awareness that they're pieces on the game board.

The rights a pawn are given within a game allow them to enforce their rights within the gameboard making them able to push others off of them if it gets in the way of their role in the game.

The injuries pawns receive in a game board or events they experience within a game board have no effect on those in the metaworld. Battler even makes note that the versions of him and Beatrice on the game board aren't actually them but just pawns under the Game Master's control.

Pawns cannot do what it deems impossible, and will execute actions best suited to the original personality, Dlanor notes that due to this, if Battler and Beatrice of the game board were in the same position as the pawn they would have done the same thing. Battler makes note that the people within the chessboard aren't a meter metaphor, they really are chessboard pieces.

Game Masters

Game Masters are the controllers of the game board. Erika getting the title and power of Game Master was able to construct a new truth on the game board and give it a new title.

In these games, they are telling entire stories and controlling it how they see fit with their pawns with these gameboard stories being compared to films such as mysteries and splatter films.

The Game Master can establish an illusory court when one believes they have found the culprit.

Game Masters can make entire court trials based off the games they made.

Game Masters have full control over what is or isn't truth. Through this control, they decide the story of the world and how it will play out.

Battler as Game Master was able to full reconstruct an entirely new Beatrice without her old memories.

Battler as Game Master learns how difficult in reality game board stories are to construct with Beatrice constantly agonizing over contradictions in her story and a constant battle with logical fallacies as inconsistencies within the story that cause paradoxes can prove fatal to the game and instantly cause it to fall flat on its face and disintegrate.

Noted during Ange and Featherine's discussion tha the Game Master is allowed to smoothly alter their plot at will.

Game Masters can grant the power to one to pull the truth from someone, known as "the right to spectate".

Death in the Gameboard

Death in the Game Board occurs in two ways a pawn being removed from the game board, a "death" only in the game and once the game resets the pawn can be returned to life over and over, the other being the death of being outside of the game where one loses interest in playing the game anymore, Beatrice gave up her victory during the previous game causing her to die and disappear thus she will never come back to life.

It is later revealed that Beatrice as the game master made all of these stories as an attempt to hide the true story in Rokkenjima of the Ushiromiya's all being killed by Rudolf and Kyrie before Eva killed both of them.

Truths

Red Truths

“	In that case... From now on, when I speak the truth, I will use red.	„
	~ Beatrice introducing the Red Truth

During the gameboard between Battler and Beatrice, she introduced the concept of red truths, where when she speaks the truth, she will use red. Everything said in red is the truth, when speaking the truth one is under no obligation to provide further proof that will confirm the truth of what they say. They cannot be used for things where they cannot give an explanation with a red truth. Red truths can tweak facts if an explanation can be provided. It is normally advisable to not use red truths when one already has the advantage. They can be used even to insult one as if it was the truth along with being used to fix quick mistakes. In Episode 3 when explaining red truths again Beatrice notes everything she speaks in red is absolute and unwavering truth with no room for dispute. Battler finds out the loophole to red truths as they're a double-edge sword that can cut one down if they're not too careful with it, where the red is actually information that exposes the truth and allows one to formulate a counterattack if used incorrectly.

The red truth is defined as an absolute truth, a tool available to witches. It is later shown that witches can permit humans to use Red Truths.

Red Truths cannot be used to force oneself to speak in red when they cannot which will cause them to suffocate.

It is noted by Ronove that there are no red truths in the Human World.

The usage of a red truth effectively changes everyone's perception of logic, such as making everyone believe Kinzou could jump out of a third-story window and be perfectly unhurt upon landing.

Red Truths can only be said about actual truth, if a witch's trick contradicts the red truth then it is a lie which breaks the rules.

Battler later reveals there are two types of red truths, one for red that applies to a specific game board and a red truth that is shared across all game boards and can operate in the world outside of the cat box too.

Blue Truths

Beatrice: As of now, Battler, I will allow you to use the blue. Battler: Blue...? Meaning that I can demand that you repeat my words if I say them in "blue"? Beatrice: Not quite. Your requests could be concerning any minute detail. But the blue truth must deny the witch's position, or it is not valid. Battler: ? Beatrice: For example: "There are five master keys." This is merely a confirmation of the number of keys and does not deny the witch. In order to use the blue, you must change your phrasing. In actuality, there are more than five master keys, and the killer used an extra key to access the locked room! ...And by doing so, you have now forced the witch to respond.

Blue Truths are something Beatrice allowed Battler to use in Episode 4. They function similarly to red truths, however, the catch is that the blue truth must deny the witch's position or it is not valid.

For example, a blue truth cannot be used to claim "There are five master keys." as that does not deny the witch, instead the phrasing must be "In actuality, there are more than five master keys, and the killer used an extra key to access the locked room!".

Blue truths alleges that humanity and clever trickery are the truth of the matter.

However, witches can use blue truths too as they exist purely to denote a theory that denies the opponent where the opponent must disporve the blue with a red truth.

Blue Truths not only refute Red Truths but make them unable to be used if their theory is too solid for a red truth to counter.

Golden Truths

“	The Golden Truth... It is the divine truth, derived through different means than the red truth. Its power is equal to the red truth- sometimes inferior, but other times superior!!	„
	~ Dlanor on the Gold Truth

Golden Truths were first introduced when Battler raised to the level of a game master and used it to prove the corpse could be identified as Kinzou Ushiromiya after a red truth countered it. However, golden truths can only be used by the Game Master along with the strength of the truth varying, its power is equal to a red truth; sometimes inferior but other times superior.

Purple Truths

“

Purple statements have equivalent power to red truth. However, the culprit alone is capable of lying in purple statements.

„

During the final game made by Bernkastel, she introduced a new statement known as "Purple Statements" (otherwise Purple Truths), Battler directly asks what they are with Bernkastel responding that it's a rule devised to make the story easier to understand, purple statements have the same power as red truth, however, only the culprit can lie in purple statements.

Souls

One's soul can linger even after they are killed.

Kinzou nearly resisted through his soul being erased until a red truth was placed on him.

Fate

When something is fated to happen it is hard to change such, if a vase is broken even if a witch uses magic to remember its original state the ultimate fate "the vase was smashed" has not been changed thus it will remember the true state and break.

The Endless Witch

The infinite realm that all witches ought to aspire to, the endless witch is free of all worldy suffering, certain to eternal bliss. Life and Death are empty concepts to the Endless Witch.

The Endless Witch succession has them pass their most secret arts to a single pupil, once they pass down their arts they retire to further stem their propagation.

Normal custom includes that a witch from another sect makes a recommendation before a succession may occur.

Lambdadelta recommended EVA and Bernkastel recommended Ange.

Initially the name Beatrice was not passed down but it later became customary for the name to be inherited as well with EVA following suit giving ANGE the name of Beatrice.

Knox's Decalogue

Knox's Decalogue The ten commandments created by Dlanor A. Knox's father and used in heresy trials. Knox's 1st: It is forbidden for the culprit to be anyone not mentioned in the early part of the story. Knox's 2nd: It is forbidden for supernatural agencies to be employed as a detective technique. Knox's 3rd: It is forbidden for hidden passages to exist. Knox's 4th: It is forbidden for unknown drugs or hard-to-understand scientific devices to be used. Knox's 5th: (not included) Knox's 6th: It is forbidden for accident or intuition to be employed as a detective technique. Knox's 7th: It is forbidden for the detective to be the culprit. Knox's 8th: It is forbidden for the case to be resolved with clues that are not presented. Knox's 9th: It is permitted for observers to let their own conclusions and interpretations be heard. Knox's 10th: It is forbidden for a character to disguise themselves as another without any clues. The debate over the interpretation of these laws continues to this very day, and it has become the source of countless unfair controversies. While fundamentalists call any infringement upon these commandments heresy, revisionists point out that many canonized geniuses have violated these rules. —Umineko: When They Cry - Answers Arc Episode 5 Tips Knox's Decalogue

Knox's Decalogue were first mentioned by Bernkastel as a way to refute arguments used against Lambdadelta in their game.

Duel Pistol Set

Duel Pistol Set A set of demon duel pistols prepared by Zepar and Furfur. The number of shots loaded depends on the format of the duel. In most cases, it holds just a single round. The emotions of the duelers are loaded into them, and if one of their bullets grazes any part of the body, the concept of the target will be denied without exception. In the past, duels were performed in the classic style with swords, but this took a great deal of time before an outcome was reached, which displeased certain impatient theatergoing witches. For this reason, a duel weapon that would always kill with a single shot was asked for and created. Of course, this weapon is not particularly popular among theatergoing witches who are fans of good-old drawn out, dramatic duels. —Umineko: When They Cry - Answers Arc Episode 6 Duel Pistol Set

A pistol set created by Zepar and Furfur for duels that were made in order to reconcile impatient theatergoing witches.

Even if one grazes the other with a bullet, the concept of the target wil be denied without exception.

City of Books

"The Honored City of Books Curated By Her Majesty The Witch Of Theater, Drama, and observation", a massive "library" that contains all stories, including where the entire stories in Umineko are merely a single book.

Virgilia describes it as a place where the witches who traverse the sea of fragments collect those fragments in text form and store them.

The City of Books is sacred territory under the administration of the Senate and there are holy barriers erected around it.

Only Witches of the Senate are allowed in the City of Books, though non-members can be given a special invitation that temporarily grants them entrance tot he sacred territory, but the invitations specify arriving on the dot, a second late tot he party's starting time and they automatically lose the effect.

Creators

Creators are mentioned multiple times throughout the series, however Lambdadelta defines them more properly, noting they are omniscient all-powerful beings beyond even witches.

Canon

Manga
The manga adaptation is directly noted to be an official answer from Ryukishi07 and is essentially the primary canon as it deals with extra info and more concise answers he did not add in the original Visual Novel.

Anime
There are some beliefs the anime for Umineko is non-canon, however this is not true. In an interview, Ryukishi directly stated he is all for anime and manga adaptations of his works, which adds on to a later interview where he noted that he fully overlooks and supervises the anime suggesting one to watch all of the versions of Umineko.

Minor Differences
While it is noted that one won't be able to discuss all mysteries by looking at just the anime, Ryukishi not only notes, though as explained in the same quote, this is due to the impossiblity of having the mystery written the exact same way across different media, an anime cannot perfectly replicate a visual novel and vice versa, thus the anime is limtied in the amount of clues it can receive as opposed to the visual novel. Ryukishi himself directly notes that things need to be condensed to fit in the manga or anime versions but there's also far more fake leads in the original compared to the manga and anime and he believes one should enter into Umineko from the type of media they are most comfortable with and then look at the different formats to see the information in a new light.

Misconceptions

Witches lose their powers as soon as one does not believe in them/One can simply debate a witches existence away

Throughout most of Umineko, Battler and Beatrice are debating over her existence, and Beatrice's strength slowly comes back with each game due in part to the hesitation within Battler's heart. Battler even establishes that simply refusing to believe in Beatrice is not enough to beat her and instead will turn him more and more into the defensive until he's simply overpowered and loses.

It should be noted too during majority of the first episode, none of the characters left alive believe in Beatrice asides from Maria Ushiromiya, yet she was still able to manifest in the end as she killed everyone.

On top of this, simply not believing would not be enough to work; Beatrice makes direct note that Battler has a strong resistance to magic thus her magic cannot reach him.

Of extra note, Battler directly has Bernkastel helping him, Lambdadelta slightly raising the chances of Battler winning, and Beatrice's own teacher explaining to Battler how to counter Beatrice's arguments. Beatrice's teacher mainly being the reason for why Battler was able to argue against Beatrice's points. It was even further noted by Lambdadelta and Bernkastel that Battler couldn't win Beatrice's game even with all of the sloppy loose ends it had and the amount of help he received. Battler himself realizes while Beatrice faces against Bernkastel that she was going easy on him in all their games so that it would be a fair fight between them, constantly giving Battler hints until he got used to the game.

Beatrice explains to EVA-Beatrice that contemporary humans like Battler have a fundamental denial of all magic, being made of anti-magic toxins, which can be spread and weaken a witch.

It's further noted too that people who've lost their sight also lose all anti-magic power and magical resistance.

Even while Battler was battling against Eva-Beatrice, he couldn't truly deny her witch form for good and required Beatrice to use a red truth to kill off all magic there.

Kinzou further reaffirms that Battler was born with more of his anti-magical blood than anyone else.

It's noted by Maria during her status as the Witch of Origins that all humans are born with toxins that block magic.

It's noted by Greed that humans are walking blobs of anti-magic though she can manifest as long as a witch like Ange concentrates.

Despite all the anti-magic toxins, due to Ange fully believing in magic and her determination being strong she was able to have her familiars interact with the human world to kill all the guards that were after her.

Eva even tries to argue that there's no way for Ange to call the seven sisters of purgatory due to her anti-magic toxins, yet she still does.

Thus simply denying the existence of a witch is not enough to defeat them, as Battler himself with a narrative strong resistance to magic needs a lot of help to truly even counter Beatrice. On top of this, it's specifically noted in-universe that humans built up a strong anti-magic toxin overtime that became strong enough to deny a witch's existence, thus this is not a weakness that applies out of universe unless a series has a similar mechanic.

Magic Isn't Real

This comes from the arguments of debates over whether or not it's truly just characters having mental issues as a way to cope with scenarios.

For example, Maria believes she is the daughter of the Holy Ghost as a way to cope with the fact that her mom abused her whenever she asked about her dad.

However, it is proven that the Meta-World is an actual place that witches reside in and there are many scenes throughout the series that can't truly be explained through characters hallucinations.

Such as Ange having her familiars directly interact with the human world and kill all of its people.

The truth of "magic isn't real"/"magic is real" debate is also answered multiple times in the Umineko franchise.

Using the final talk between Beatrice and Ange, Beatrice does a magic trick and asks Ange if it is magic of a sleight of hand with Ange noting it's a cheap trick but it is also magic as Beatrice has taught her this magic to spread to others to give them happiness. No matter the magic one cannot use it properly and cannot see it without love.

It is also repeated multiple times throughout the series how there is no one true truth, it is everyone's point of view as to what their truth is.

Effectively magic is real but also isn't, it is in the situation of a catbox.

It should also be noted that the manga adaptation is directly noted to be an official answer from Ryukishi07 and is essentially the primary canon as it deals with extra info and more concise answers he did not add in the original Visual Novel, giving all the answers for the reader to conclude.

Witches can easily die to guns

This statement is noted by Ronove noting that witches are weak to weapons such as guns and require anti-bullet barriers in order to be made.

The issue is within the scan itself, within the context of Umineko, bullets specifically contain anti-magical power that cuts right through witches and demons.