Origin of Witches

Origin of Witches

In the heart of a secluded forest, hidden from the eyes of mortals, there lived three witches, bound by blood and magic, each representing different facets of power and wisdom.

The Origins of the Witches of Gloomwood: The Rise of Agatha, Selene, and Isolde

Long before the first stones of Ravenshollow were laid, before even the earliest wooden camps dotted the forest's edge, the Gloomwood Forest was a land of vibrant, untamed magic. This ancient forest was ruled by a pantheon of minor gods or elder spirits, each embodying a fundamental aspect of nature—the Stormkeeper, who called forth the rain; the Earthmother, who nurtured the roots of the trees; and the Moonwatcher, who guided the rhythms of life beneath the night sky. Together, they maintained a delicate balance, a harmony that was the heartbeat of the forest.

The Fall of the Old Gods: A Dark Curse

However, within their ranks, there was one spirit whose ambition outstripped his kin—a dark, shadowed figure known only as The Devourer. The Devourer was not satisfied with merely maintaining the forest's balance. He craved dominion over all aspects of the Gloomwood, seeking to consume the power of his fellow spirits and twist the land to his own design. A great struggle ensued, a battle that raged through the canopy, shaking the very roots of the oldest trees.

The combined might of the elder spirits was enough to imprison the Devourer, but it came at a terrible cost. Severely weakened, the spirits could no longer sustain their full strength. In his final moments of defiance, the Devourer unleashed a curse upon the forest, using the last of his essence to ensure that he would one day return. This curse seeped into the soil, the roots, and the very air, dooming the elder spirits to a slow, lingering death. Over the course of a thousand years, one by one, they faded away, leaving behind only traces of their once-great power.

The Sisters’ Discovery: A Chance Encounter with Destiny

Centuries passed, and the memory of the elder spirits became nothing more than whispered legends carried on the wind. It was during this time, several hundred years ago, when the land was still wild and largely untouched by human hands, that three young sisters—Agatha, Selene, and Isolde—wandered into the depths of the forest. They were daughters of a wandering herbalist, already gifted in the ways of woodlore and nature magic. Even as children, they felt an inexplicable pull towards the forest, sensing a connection that others could not perceive.

On a fateful day, the sisters ventured deeper into the woods than ever before, following a trail of moonlit blossoms that seemed to glow with an ethereal light. At the heart of the forest, they stumbled upon a sacred glade, a place of ancient power where the last remnants of the elder spirits lingered—a dying fragment of the Earthmother herself, intertwined with the twisted roots of a great oak. The spirit was a mere shadow of its former self, its essence fading, but its sorrow and pain filled the glade like a thick mist.

Unbeknownst to the sisters, the Earthmother’s power, weakened and desperate, reached out to them. In their innocence and curiosity, the sisters performed a ritual—a simple act of reverence, an offering of blood and breath, but it was enough. They unknowingly consumed the lingering essence of the spirit, drawing its ancient power into themselves. The transformation was immediate and profound. Agatha felt the wisdom of centuries flood her mind; Selene’s connection to the moon and the tides deepened, her magic now infused with the ebb and flow of the night; and Isolde, the youngest and most daring, was filled with a vibrant, fiery energy.

They had become the new guardians of the Gloomwood—the Witches of the Forest, elevated far beyond the powers they had once known.

Agatha, the Old and Wise

Agatha, the eldest sister, was once the most beautiful of the three, but time had worn her face and body. Now, she is old and hunched, her once-silky hair turned to thin, silver strands. Her skin is wrinkled, her voice soft and raspy, but behind her appearance lies immense power and an even greater heart. She is the embodiment of forgiveness and love. Agatha has seen the cruelty and beauty of the world, and her experiences have shaped her into a gentle, nurturing figure. Despite her frightening visage, she is a protector of the weak, often helping lost travelers or healing the sick. She believes in second chances, always willing to forgive even the gravest of sins, for she knows that true strength lies in compassion.

Selene, the Middle and Balanced

Selene, the middle sister, is the perfect picture of serenity and strength. She has matured into her full power, embodying justice and balance. Her eyes glow with an unyielding sense of fairness, and her magic is neither light nor dark, but something in between. She stands firm against evil but is equally quick to reward those who do good. Her punishments are swift and just, always meted out according to the severity of the crime. To Selene, every action has a consequence, and it is her role to ensure balance is maintained. Unlike Agatha, she does not believe in forgiveness without penance; only those who atone are worthy of redemption. Her demeanor is calm, her decisions measured, and her power vast but never wielded without cause.

Isolde, the Young and Wild

Isolde, the youngest, is a vision of beauty. Her radiant youth and fiery passion captivate all who see her. But behind her enchanting exterior lies a storm of ego and vengeance. Isolde is quick to anger and even quicker to exact her revenge on those who wrong her or her sisters. She revels in her magic, often using it to manipulate and bend others to her will. Unlike Agatha, who forgives, and Selene, who judges fairly, Isolde holds grudges for lifetimes. Her heart is not yet tempered by wisdom or time, and her selfishness often leads her down dark paths. She loves deeply but possessively, and anyone who betrays her risks her wrath. However, her passionate nature also makes her incredibly powerful, for her emotions fuel her magic in ways her sisters cannot match.

Together, these three sisters form a delicate trinity of power—one of heart, one of balance, and one of fire. Though their differences often lead to conflict, their bond is unbreakable, for they know that only together do they embody the full spectrum of magic and the human spirit. The forest they protect thrives under their watchful eyes, but woe to those who enter with ill intent, for they will face the justice of three very different yet equally formidable witches.

The witches' home was nestled deep in an ancient, enchanted forest, where time seemed to flow differently. In this haven, they lived together in a sprawling, gnarled house woven from the trees themselves, hidden from the eyes of mortals. The forest flourished under their care, a balanced sanctuary where life and death coexisted in harmony. But that balance had begun to tilt, and the sisters' bond was tested in ways it had never been before.

They live together and despite their differences, they are mostly loyal to each other. Isolde tries to manipulate the others to get her will, and though Agatha always forgives her tantrums or wickedness, Selene do not.

The Golden Era of the Witches: A Fragile Balance

For the next several centuries, the Gloomwood thrived under the care of the three sisters. They upheld the ancient pacts left behind by the elder spirits, performing rituals under the full moon, weaving spells into the roots of the great trees, and guiding the natural cycles of the forest. Their influence stabilized the land, healing the wounds left by the Devourer’s curse. Agatha, wise and patient, became the healer and protector of the forest’s creatures; Selene, attuned to the moon’s cycles, watched over the rhythms of life and death, ensuring the balance was maintained; and Isolde, full of passion and creativity, brought forth new life and vibrant growth.

Yet, not all in the forest were pleased with this new order. The fae of the Gloomwood, ancient spirits of the wild, were deeply suspicious of the human witches who now wielded the mantle of the elder spirits. The fae had long revered the old gods, and they viewed the sisters as interlopers—mortals who had stolen power not rightfully theirs. While the witches and the fae maintained a tense peace, there was always an undercurrent of mistrust. The fae kept to their hidden groves, rarely showing themselves, and the witches, in turn, respected their boundaries.

The fall into darkness

Despite their differences, the three sisters were mostly loyal to each other, bound by blood and magic. Agatha, the forgiving matriarch, always kept the peace between her younger siblings. Selene, steadfast in her sense of justice, ensured that order prevailed, while Isolde’s passionate, fiery nature was often kept in check by the wisdom of her elder sisters. But as time passed, Isolde’s hunger for power grew, and so did her resentment toward Selene’s constant checks on her wildness.

Isolde had always harbored envy toward her middle sister. While Agatha’s love and forgiveness allowed her to weather Isolde’s tantrums, Selene’s fairness was unforgiving. Selene refused to bend, refused to let Isolde get away with her selfish schemes. Each time Isolde overstepped her bounds, Selene stood firm, holding her accountable and reminding her that the forest was not her plaything.

This irked Isolde to no end. Her fiery temper flared with each confrontation, her mind plotting how to break free of Selene's control.

The Corruption of Isolde: The Dark Influence Awakens

For many years, the uneasy balance held, but the seeds of discord had already been sown. Deep within the heart of the forest, the Devourer’s curse lingered, a dark shadow buried beneath the soil. Isolde, the youngest and most ambitious of the sisters, was the first to feel its pull. At first, it was subtle—fleeting thoughts of power, dreams filled with whispers that promised her more. She began to venture deeper into the forest alone, seeking out places of old magic, testing the limits of her newfound abilities.

The dark entity, sensing her curiosity and ambition, began to influence her, feeding her desires and slowly corrupting her thoughts. Isolde’s once-bright magic grew twisted, her vibrant spells turning darker and more dangerous. She began to resent the limits imposed by her sisters, chafing at the balance they sought to maintain. Unbeknownst to Agatha and Selene, the whispers of the Devourer were slowly poisoning her mind, urging her towards forbidden magic.

The First Signs of Decline: A Shadow Over the Gloomwood

As Isolde’s influence grew darker, so too did the forest begin to change. The once-clear streams became clouded, and the vibrant groves withered. The animals of the forest grew restless, some becoming twisted and aggressive. The fae withdrew further into their hidden sanctuaries, whispering of a shadow that had returned. Agatha sensed the change but could not trace its source, and Selene, weakened by Isolde’s growing power, struggled to maintain the balance.

The once-thriving Gloomwood began its slow decline, the first signs of the curse’s return taking root in the soil. The sisters, who had once brought stability to the forest, now faced a growing darkness from within their own ranks—a darkness that would one day threaten to consume them all.

The Whispering Begins

The entity had been lying dormant, trapped between realms, sensing the growing tension within Isolde’s heart. It knew she could be the perfect vessel for its resurgence into the world. In the dead of night, during her restless moments, the entity’s voice first slipped into her dreams, where it took the form of a seductive whisper—one that mirrored Isolde’s own desires. The voice promised power, freedom, and dominance, and for the first time, Isolde felt like someone truly understood her thirst for greatness.

It didn’t begin with loud declarations of conquest, but rather with soft, seemingly innocent suggestions. The entity’s whispers were like subtle nudges, reinforcing her belief that she was destined for more than the small, quiet balance her sisters were content with.

"You are stronger than they know, Isolde. Why should you bend to their will when your power surpasses theirs?"

"Selene holds you back. She fears your fire. She seeks to contain you, to suppress the power you could wield."

"Do you not deserve more? Is your vision not the future this world needs?"

The voice never revealed its true nature. Instead, it mimicked Isolde's own inner monologue, amplifying the resentment she already felt toward Selene’s balance and justice, portraying Selene as a barrier to her destiny.

Driving the Wedge

As the days passed, Isolde found herself growing increasingly irritated with Selene’s constant mediation and insistence on maintaining the equilibrium. Every decision Selene made seemed to slow Isolde’s vision of progress. The entity seized this opportunity, speaking directly into Isolde’s mind during moments of frustration, further intensifying her doubts about Selene's motives.

"Does she not see that her balance is weakness? That by shackling herself to this false ideal of fairness, she denies you the power to make true change?"

"Do you notice how she looks at you with suspicion? How she fears what you might become if you embraced your potential fully?"

The whispers became more frequent, twisting every conversation and action between the sisters. Small disagreements were magnified into slights, and Isolde began to perceive Selene’s role as judge not as fairness, but as control. The entity cleverly manipulated Isolde into believing that Selene, despite her calm demeanor, was undermining her, keeping her from becoming the leader she was meant to be.

Isolde’s growing resentment became apparent to Selene, who sensed the tension but could not pinpoint its true source. Selene, ever just and fair, sought to mediate and talk through the frustrations. But the entity’s whispers had already warped Isolde’s perception.

"See how she speaks to you, as if she’s wiser? As if she knows better? She does not respect your strength."

"If it were not for her, you would already be in control. She stands between you and the future you deserve."

In Isolde’s mind, Selene’s every word became a veiled insult, every attempt at balance an effort to keep her weak. It wasn’t long before the entity began to plant darker seeds—more than just resentment, but the idea that Selene was a threat.

The Poisoned Tea

Once the entity had fully ingrained the idea that Selene was actively working against her, it whispered its most dangerous suggestion: eliminate Selene. It didn’t come all at once but was instead a slow progression. The entity knew Isolde wasn’t ready to betray her sisters outright, so it planted subtler ideas.

"Selene is an obstacle, but obstacles can be removed. There are ways to silence her, to keep her from standing in your way."

"She would not have to die. Merely be… incapacitated. Weaken her influence. Dull her mind. Then you could make the decisions you know are right."

The suggestion of using poison came to Isolde slowly, but once it did, the entity latched onto it. It whispered of ancient herbs and concoctions that could cloud Selene’s judgment, making her slower of thought and easier to manipulate. At first, Isolde was reluctant—Selene was still her sister, after all—but the entity twisted her thoughts, framing the act as a necessary step to free herself from Selene’s control.

"It is not murder; it is simply taking what you need to succeed. You will keep her alive, but you will also free yourself from her grasp."

"Once she is out of the way, you can take your rightful place as the true power among the sisters."

Isolde, consumed by ambition, finally gave in. She used her knowledge of herbs to create a potion—one that would not kill Selene, but would slow her, dull her senses, and make her malleable. The entity whispered guidance as Isolde prepared the mixture, ensuring that it would work as intended.

One night, under the veil of a moonless sky, Isolde enacted her plan. She had spent months crafting a slow-acting poison, a subtle brew made from venomous roots and dark magic. It was not meant to kill, but to weaken Selene—to cloud her sharp mind, dull her senses, and make her vulnerable. Isolde laced Selene’s favorite tea with the poison, watching with a hidden smirk as her sister drank it without suspicion. One evening, Isolde invited Selene for tea under the pretense of mending their differences. Ever the mediator, Selene accepted, hoping to bridge the growing divide between them. As they sat together, Isolde handed her the tea, feigning reconciliation, all while the entity whispered encouragement in her mind.

"Good, let her drink. Soon, you will be free."

Selene, trusting her sister, drank the tea. Almost immediately, she began to feel the effects—her thoughts became slower, her reactions dulled. She noticed the growing fog in her mind, but by then it was too late. The poison worked subtly but effectively, leaving her weaker, both in body and mind. While she remained alive, her ability to counter Isolde’s decisions faded, and she became more easily influenced by Isolde’s growing dominance.

Days passed, and Selene’s sharp judgment began to waver. Her thoughts became muddled, her once firm grasp of justice slipping from her. She was slower to react, easier to fool. Isolde, now unchallenged, began to extend her influence over the forest. Her magic, wild and untamed, seeped into the woods, transforming it. The once balanced and serene sanctuary became a darker, more dangerous place. The trees grew twisted, the skies often clouded, and the air was thick with an ominous presence.

Isolde reveled in her newfound freedom. No longer did Selene stand in her way, and without her sister's interference, she indulged her ego and vengeance. Her magic called to the shadows, and with it came evil spirits and other wicked creatures drawn to the forest’s growing darkness. Demons, wraiths, and twisted fae now roamed the woods, sowing chaos and fear.

Agatha’s Blind Love

Agatha noticed the changes in Selene, her once sharp and firm sister now appearing lost in a haze. But she attributed it to exhaustion or the burden of her duties. After all, Selene had always been the one to take the world’s weight on her shoulders. And when Isolde's actions grew more erratic, Agatha, as always, forgave. She was blind to her youngest sister's treachery, believing Isolde was simply acting out of her passionate nature. In Agatha's eyes, Isolde's mischief was just that—mischief, nothing more.

Agatha’s big heart was her greatest strength but also her greatest weakness. She never saw the danger growing within her own family. Even when the forest began to turn dark and evil creatures took refuge within its shadows, she convinced herself that it was merely a phase, a temporary imbalance that would correct itself with time.

Selene’s Awakening

While Selene was weakened, she was not broken. Her mind, though clouded, still fought against the poison’s grip. She sensed the shift in the forest, the darkness creeping in at the edges of her perception. She knew something was wrong, but her thoughts were too sluggish to grasp the full scope of what had happened. However, deep within her, the spark of justice remained, flickering but not yet extinguished.

As Isolde’s reign of chaos spread, the creatures of the forest began to suffer. Those who had once thrived under Selene’s careful watch were now hunted or twisted by Isolde’s dark influence. The balance that Selene had fought so hard to maintain was crumbling, and with it, the very soul of the forest.

Though slow to realize it, Selene began to suspect that Isolde was behind the growing darkness. Her younger sister’s sudden freedom, her unchecked power—it all pointed to treachery. But Selene was not yet strong enough to confront Isolde, not with the poison still coursing through her veins.

The Darkness Spreads

With Selene weakened and Agatha unaware, Isolde grew bolder. She began to test the limits of her power, summoning greater evils to the forest. Her beauty masked the wickedness in her heart, but her soul was darkening with each spell she cast. The spirits she had once merely called upon now answered to her, their twisted laughter echoing through the trees.

The forest, once a sanctuary, became a place of nightmares, and Isolde’s hold on it grew tighter with each passing day. But deep within the twisted woods, Selene was regaining her strength, and Agatha was beginning to see the cracks in the world she had so lovingly protected.

The sisters' fragile loyalty was on the verge of breaking, and soon, the balance of power between them would come crashing down.

Corruption and the Shift in Balance

The entity's plan had succeeded. Selene, once the voice of reason and balance, had been silenced, and Isolde found herself with more control than ever before. The forest, sensing the weakening of Selene’s influence, began to shift—Isolde’s magic took hold, turning it darker, more chaotic, and the creatures that now roamed its depths reflected the imbalance. The gloomhounds, the bloodthorn dryads, and other twisted beings emerged, born from the unchecked power Isolde now wielded.

Unbeknownst to Isolde, her victory came at a price. With Selene weakened, the entity’s hold over Isolde—and the forest—strengthened. The whispers continued, pushing Isolde to take bolder and darker actions. While Isolde believed she was now in control, the truth was that the entity had woven its tendrils deep into her soul, slowly turning her into an instrument of its own designs.

The Entity’s Greater Plan

Though Isolde had succeeded in corrupting the balance, the entity’s true goal was far grander. By using Isolde’s ambition, it had created a rift not only between the sisters but also within the very magic that bound the forest together. It now sought to consume the sisters’ combined power.

It knew that, for now, it could not directly confront all three witches, but with Selene weakened and Isolde under its influence, it could bide its time, growing stronger, spreading its corruption through the forest, and preparing for the moment when it could overthrow the witches completely.

Isolde, drunk on her perceived victory and newfound dominance, remained blind to the fact that the entity—whose true nature she had never fully understood—was orchestrating her every move, setting her up for her eventual fall.

The corruption in the forest was not just a manifestation of Isolde’s unchecked power, but of the entity’s growing dominion. And while Isolde continued to see herself as the queen of this new dark realm, the entity waited patiently, knowing that soon enough, it would no longer need to whisper—it would have all the power it needed to take control fully.

The Legacy of the Witches: A Struggle for the Forest’s Soul

The story of the witches of Gloomwood is one of both triumph and tragedy. They rose to power by chance, fate, or perhaps the design of the very forest they sought to protect. For centuries, they held back the creeping darkness, but the seeds of corruption had already been planted. Now, as the balance falters and the dark whispers grow louder, the fate of the Gloomwood hangs by a thread.

The villagers of Ravenshollow still leave offerings at the forest’s edge, hoping to appease the spirits within. Some believe the witches are the only hope of saving the forest from the growing corruption, while others whisper that it was their power that brought the darkness in the first place. The fae, watching from the shadows, remain silent, waiting to see whether the witches will restore the forest’s balance or lead it to its final ruin.

The village

As the darkness crept into the heart of the forest, it began to spill into the small neighboring village of Ravenshollow, a peaceful settlement that had long enjoyed the protection of the witches’ magic. Nestled on the edge of the woods, the villagers lived in harmony with the natural world, drawing upon the forest’s bounty without overstepping their bounds. They had always known of the witches, though few had ever seen them. The balance of the sisters’ magic had kept the village safe for generations, but with Isolde's growing influence, that protection had slowly turned to peril.

The Shift in the Forest

At first, the changes in the forest were subtle. The birds that once filled the trees with their songs became silent, their cheerful tunes replaced by an eerie stillness. The forest, once a place of life and beauty, began to take on a sinister air. Trees that had once seemed tall and welcoming now loomed like twisted, gnarled sentinels, their branches curling like claws. The underbrush thickened, and strange shadows flickered at the edge of the villagers’ vision.

Hunters and foragers who ventured into the woods began to notice that familiar paths would suddenly shift, leading them deeper into the darkness. They would hear faint whispers on the wind, voices that seemed to call their names but vanished the moment they turned to look. It became common for people to return to the village with stories of strange lights in the woods, fleeting figures just out of sight, and the growing feeling that the forest was watching them.

Crops Wither and Livestock Sicken

The village's once-thriving crops began to wither. Plants that had always flourished in the shadow of the forest now shriveled, their leaves turning black as though poisoned by some unseen force. The villagers, who relied heavily on the land for their food, grew desperate. No amount of tending or prayers to the old gods seemed to help.

Livestock, too, began to suffer. Sheep and cattle grew weak, their eyes clouding with a strange sickness. Some animals disappeared altogether, only to be found later at the forest's edge, their bodies twisted and lifeless, drained of color as if the very life had been sucked from them. Those that survived became skittish, refusing to go near the boundary of the woods, as if they sensed the malevolent presence lurking there.

Strange Visitors and Unnatural Creatures

As Isolde’s dark magic grew stronger, the creatures she had summoned began to wander beyond the forest. At first, it was just whispers of strange beasts seen at the edge of the village—shadowy figures that seemed to melt into the night. But soon, more frightening things began to happen. On moonless nights, villagers would hear the distant howls of wolves, but not the ordinary wolves they had known for years. These howls carried a strange, otherworldly echo, as though the creatures making them were not of this world.

Children began to wake screaming from nightmares, speaking of dark figures with glowing eyes standing at their windows, though no one ever saw them when they rushed outside. Homes that had once felt warm and safe grew cold and drafty, even in the heart of summer, and strange marks began to appear on the doorframes—runes that none in the village could read, but which filled them with an unshakable sense of dread.

Some villagers claimed to see figures wandering the village at night—spirits or demons, it was hard to say. These figures never entered homes, but they would stand just at the edge of the light, watching. In the morning, those who had seen them would wake with strange bruises on their skin, as though something had tried to touch them while they slept.

The Village Divides

Fear began to divide the village. As the darkness spread, so too did suspicion and paranoia. Some believed the witches had abandoned them or worse, cursed them. Old stories of witchcraft and devilry resurfaced, and some villagers began whispering that the witches had turned evil, that they had made a pact with dark forces to destroy the village. Others, however, still believed in the witches' protection, especially in Agatha’s kindness, and prayed that the strange happenings were just a temporary imbalance that would soon pass.

A rift formed between those who believed the witches could still save them and those who thought the village needed to take matters into its own hands. As the darkness grew, some of the braver—or more desperate—villagers attempted to venture deeper into the forest to confront the witches or seek their aid, but none of them ever returned. Whether they were lost to the shifting paths, taken by the creatures that now roamed the woods, or worse, no one knew for sure.

The Rise of Superstition

With no answers and only growing danger, superstition began to take hold. The villagers started placing iron horseshoes above their doors and hanging bundles of herbs at the windows, hoping these old charms would ward off whatever was lurking in the woods. Most avoided the forest entirely, even during the day, and began lighting bonfires at night, believing that the fire would keep the darkness at bay.

The village priest, once a figure of comfort, now delivered sermons filled with fire and brimstone, urging the villagers to cast out evil and pray for salvation. But even his words could not shake the sense of impending doom that hung over Ravenshollow. Some villagers spoke of fleeing entirely, leaving behind the homes their ancestors had built, but where could they go that the darkness would not follow?

The Toll of Desperation

As food grew scarcer and fear more pervasive, the villagers began to turn on each other. Old grudges resurfaced, and accusations of witchcraft flew as neighbors blamed one another for the misfortunes befalling them. The once tight-knit community began to fray at the edges, with small acts of violence and theft becoming more frequent as desperation took hold.

Though no one had yet dared to openly challenge the witches, the idea was growing in the hearts of many—perhaps the only way to stop the darkness was to confront the source, even if it meant risking their lives. A group of the more determined villagers began secretly plotting to find a way to break whatever curse they believed had been cast over them, even if it meant destroying the witches themselves.

A Darkness Unchecked

Meanwhile, the darkness continued to grow. Isolde's grip on the forest and its creatures tightened, and as her power spread, so too did the evil spirits she had invited into their world. The balance that Selene had once maintained was shattered, and without the full strength of her judgment, the scales tipped ever further toward chaos.

The village teetered on the edge of ruin, caught in the web of the sisters' conflict. Soon, if nothing changed, it would fall entirely under Isolde's dark dominion, a place where nightmares walked freely, and the light of hope was smothered.

The Entity Behind the Shadows

In the dark woods surrounding Ravenshollow, where Isolde's influence has grown, something far more ancient and malevolent than she anticipated has slipped through the cracks in reality. When Isolde called upon dark forces to increase her power, she believed she was summoning spirits to aid her domination over the village and control the forest. However, one entity she brought forth was not like the others—an ancient, manipulative being from a forgotten era, a creature that was once sealed away by older magics, far beyond the comprehension of even the witches.

This entity, which hides its true nature, is immensely powerful but restrained, weakened by eons of imprisonment. It has used Isolde's recklessness as an opportunity to gain a foothold in the mortal realm again, but its primary agenda is not to serve her whims. Instead, it seeks to corrupt and control the world around it, starting with Isolde and the village, using them as stepping stones to restore its former strength.

Lucian Reyne’s Corruption

The entity first manifested itself to Father Lucian Reyne as a divine or spiritual figure, preying on his insecurities and fears. Lucian, already shaken by the growing darkness and the moral decay around him, was in a vulnerable state. The entity approached him in the form of a radiant, otherworldly being during his prayers in the dead of night, speaking to him in a voice that sounded both holy and seductive, convincing him that the gods he once worshipped had turned their backs on him.

It whispered that the darkness falling over the village was a trial—not a curse, but a test of his faith, one that only he could pass by shifting his worship. At first, Lucian was hesitant, but as the entity showed him visions of destruction and redemption, of him standing as a savior among the ruins of Ravenshollow, he began to believe that he was chosen. Lucian's new devotion is driven by the belief that this mysterious being is the true deity, the one that can protect him and the village, if only he follows its commands.

As a result, Lucian's sermons have taken a darker, more apocalyptic tone. Behind closed doors, he conducts secret rituals, offering small sacrifices and performing rites the villagers would never recognize. These rituals draw power to the entity, allowing it to grow stronger and subtly influence the village’s fate. Lucian sees the destruction of the old ways as the birth of something greater, but he is unknowingly feeding the very thing that will lead to greater chaos.

The Entity’s Hidden Power and Agenda

While Isolde believes that she summoned this entity to serve her, the creature has its own plans. It does not yet fully dare challenge Isolde or the witches because, individually, Isolde might be powerful, but the combined might of all three sisters would still be a threat. Selene’s judgment and balance could see through its deceit, and Agatha’s ancient wisdom might recognize the entity for what it truly is.

However, the entity is patient and cunning. It seeks to corrupt Isolde further, encouraging her ambition and feeding her dark desires. It whispers in her dreams, planting ideas of greater conquest and domination, fueling her rage against her sisters. By emboldening Isolde, the entity hopes to weaken the bond between the sisters and turn them against each other. If Isolde continues on her current path of destruction, she might not realize that she is walking straight into the entity's hands, weakening herself and the other witches, allowing it to act freely.

Isolde’s Unawareness

Isolde is intoxicated by the power she believes she controls, blind to the subtle shifts in the energies around her. The forest is darker, more chaotic than even she intended, but she assumes this is simply the manifestation of her growing influence. The dark creatures and spirits that roam the woods are increasingly malevolent, but Isolde does not yet see the signs that something more is at work.

The entity’s influence over the forest has led to the appearance of creatures and phenomena even Isolde didn’t summon, which she mistakes for signs of her own strength. In truth, these manifestations are the entity’s own doing, testing its limits and gradually building its power, hidden beneath Isolde’s shadow. It allows Isolde to think she’s in control, encouraging her to push further, while quietly siphoning off her strength and feeding on the darkness she creates.

The Entity’s Strategy

The entity plays a long game, knowing that direct confrontation with the witches is not yet an option. Instead, it works through subtle manipulation:

Corrupting Father Lucian: By turning the village priest into its agent, the entity has a foothold in the village. Lucian now unknowingly serves as its eyes and ears, and through his rituals, the entity gains strength.

Dividing the Witches: It seeks to deepen the rift between Isolde and her sisters. If it can push Isolde further into her madness and lust for power, it will weaken the unity of the witches, making it easier to deal with them individually. The entity whispers dark thoughts into Isolde's mind, suggesting that Selene and Agatha are conspiring against her and that she alone is destined to rule.

Corrupting the Forest: The entity uses the forest as a breeding ground for evil, inviting dark creatures and spirits into the world. The deeper parts of the forest have become almost alien in nature, with strange energies warping the landscape, a sign of the entity’s growing power. These creatures are loyal to the entity, not Isolde, and answer only to its command.

What Comes Next

The entity grows bolder with each passing day. Once it feels strong enough, it will begin to act more overtly:

Lucian's Madness: Father Lucian will begin to demand more extreme sacrifices and rituals from his congregation, perhaps even calling for blood offerings, believing this is the only way to appease the "true god" he now worships.

Twisting Isolde’s Power: Isolde may soon find that her magic becomes harder to control, as the entity begins to warp her own powers against her. She will become more erratic, more destructive, unknowingly speeding up the entity’s plan to weaken the witches.

The Final Play: The entity’s ultimate goal is to break the bond between the witches. If it succeeds in turning them against one another, it will strike when they are divided, using its newfound strength to overpower each sister in turn. Once the witches fall, the entity will be free to spread its influence over Ravenshollow and beyond, turning the entire region into a corrupted wasteland of darkness and despair.

The entity’s insidious nature means it works through deception, slowly tightening its grip on Isolde, Lucian, and the village. The witches’ only hope of stopping it lies in discovering the truth before it’s too late.

The Entity Behind the Shadows is an ancient, malevolent being of unknown origin to all except maybee the eldest of the fey lords, far older than the witches themselves. When Isolde attempted to summon spirits to aid her, this entity, lurking in its prison, found a crack in which a mere whisper could escape. It proved enough.

Nature of the Entity

The entity is not a simple spirit or demon but something far more primal and elemental, tied to the very fabric of dark, corrupted magic. It existed long before the witches came to power, possibly before recorded history, and was once a powerful force of chaos that thrived in times of conflict and suffering. Ancient civilizations worshipped it as a god of deception and shadow, offering blood sacrifices to keep it at bay, but over the millennia, it was sealed away by powerful magics, forced into the dark corners of existence.

Now, having slipped through the crack in reality created by Isolde’s reckless summoning, the entity has begun to subtly rebuild itself, feeding off the dark energy that Isolde channels and the fear growing in Ravenshollow.

Physical Form

In the mortal realm, the entity does not have a fixed physical form. It exists primarily as a shifting shadow, a being of smoke and darkness that moves between dimensions, able to manifest only briefly. When it does reveal itself, it takes on various forms depending on who it is manipulating. These forms are always twisted and unnatural, but it masks them under a guise of divinity or power.

To Father Lucian Reyne, the entity appears as a radiant, angelic figure shrouded in light, with wings that seem to flicker between ethereal beauty and grotesque feathers. It speaks to him in a soothing voice, offering promises of salvation and divine purpose.

To Isolde, when it subtly whispers in her dreams, it takes the form of a dark, regal figure cloaked in shadows, appearing as a reflection of her own ambitions. Its voice is seductive, feeding her ego by reinforcing her belief that she alone deserves power.

When observed more closely, though, its true form begins to show: a twisting, shifting mass of shadow that is neither fully corporeal nor entirely ethereal. Its "body" seems to ripple like smoke caught in a wind, constantly shifting and changing, with red, glowing eyes that peer out from the darkness, revealing its malevolent intelligence. Those who have caught glimpses of its true form report seeing distorted limbs and faces that flicker in and out of existence, as if the entity is made up of countless trapped souls.

Powers and Abilities

The entity's powers are vast, though still limited due to its weakened state. It draws strength from corruption, fear, and despair, and as the village of Ravenshollow falls deeper into chaos, its influence grows. Some of its primary abilities include:

Corruption of Minds: The entity can influence the thoughts and emotions of those who are vulnerable. It preys on doubts, fears, and insecurities, twisting them to its advantage. Father Lucian is the prime example of this, as the entity has slowly convinced him to abandon his old faith and serve a new, darker purpose.

Shapeshifting and Illusions: The entity can take on different forms, appearing as whatever the target desires or fears most. It uses illusions to deceive and manipulate, often making itself appear as something divine or powerful to gain the trust of its victims.

Influence Over Dark Magic: Though it cannot yet wield its full strength, the entity has control over the dark magic of the forest. It can summon twisted, corrupted creatures and influence the very nature of the forest, creating strange phenomena and warping reality in its vicinity.

Dream Manipulation: One of the entity's subtler powers is its ability to enter the dreams of those it wishes to manipulate. It often visits Isolde in her dreams, whispering promises of power and domination, feeding her ambition and nudging her toward more destructive paths.

Soul Feeding: The entity grows stronger by feeding on negative emotions, particularly fear, despair, and suffering. As more villagers succumb to the growing darkness in the forest, the entity siphons off their pain and terror, slowly restoring its strength. It can also feed on the magic of others, subtly siphoning power from Isolde without her realizing.

The Entity’s Agenda

The entity’s goals are far-reaching and malevolent. It seeks to fully manifest in the mortal realm, regaining the power it once held when it was worshipped as a god. However, it knows that it cannot yet face all three witches at once. The bond between Agatha, Selene, and Isolde is too strong, and their combined power is still a threat to the entity's plans.

Thus, its strategy is one of subtle corruption and division:

Weaken the Witches’ Unity: The entity’s first goal is to sow discord between the witches, particularly between Isolde and her sisters. By encouraging Isolde’s reckless ambition, it hopes to drive a wedge between her and Selene, who stands for balance and justice, and Agatha, who represents wisdom and forgiveness. If it can divide them, it will be able to deal with them individually.

Corrupt Isolde: Isolde is the key to the entity’s plan. By feeding her ambition and desire for power, the entity hopes to push her into making decisions that will weaken the sisters' bond. As Isolde grows more confident and ruthless, she will unknowingly be giving more of her power to the entity, which feeds on the darkness she creates.

Control Ravenshollow: The village is a microcosm of the entity’s greater ambitions. If it can corrupt and control Ravenshollow, it will be able to spread its influence further. Father Lucian is its foothold in the village, and through him, the entity spreads whispers of doom and apocalypse, furthering the despair that gives it strength.

Restore Its Full Power: Ultimately, the entity seeks to restore its full power and become a god of chaos and corruption once more. It longs for the days when it was feared and worshipped by ancient civilizations, and it will stop at nothing to reclaim that status.

Weaknesses and Fears

Despite its growing power, the entity is still vulnerable. It fears the witches, particularly the bond they share, as they represent a threat to its plans. Together, Agatha, Selene, and Isolde could banish or destroy the entity, which is why it works so hard to divide them.

The Bond of the Witches: The entity knows that the combined power of all three witches is something it cannot yet face. It must carefully manipulate Isolde without revealing its true nature, for fear that the sisters will unite against it.

Ancient Magic: While the entity has forgotten much of its imprisonment, it knows that ancient, forgotten magic was used to bind it long ago. If the witches or someone in the village were to discover this magic, they could potentially banish the entity back into the void from which it came.

Overconfidence: The entity’s own arrogance and desire for power can be a weakness. It believes itself to be the superior force in the forest, but it underestimates the witches and the potential for the villagers to resist its influence. If it pushes too hard, it risks revealing itself too soon.

The Final Play

As the entity grows stronger, its influence will become more overt. Strange phenomena will begin to occur in the forest—unnatural storms, creatures of shadow, and areas where reality seems to warp. The village will sink further into despair, with Father Lucian leading darker and more dangerous rituals, convinced that he is preparing the village for a divine trial.

Meanwhile, Isolde will find her magic growing more chaotic and difficult to control. The creatures she summons will become more twisted and dangerous, and the forest will seem to turn against her in subtle ways. Eventually, she will have to confront the truth: the entity she believes she summoned is not under her control and may even surpass her in power.

If the witches do not realize the truth in time, the entity will seize its opportunity, breaking free of Isolde’s influence and turning Ravenshollow into a realm of corruption, a domain where it can rebuild its strength and once again reign as a god of chaos and shadows.

As Isolde's power grows, and especially under the subtle manipulation of the entity she unknowingly unleashed, a variety of lesser spirits, fey, and dark creatures have begun to manifest in the forest and the village outskirts. Some are directly tied to Isolde's will, while others have come into being under the entity’s dominion, their purposes darker and more malevolent. These creatures have started to warp the once mysterious but balanced forest into a realm of chaos, corruption, and danger.