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Description

~ STORY ~

Welcome. I am sure you have picked up this book to learn how to survive in this god-forsaken, man eat man, man burn witch world. I shall warn you now. This story is not for the faint of heart. Right now, I'd like to take you back in time. A little history lesson if you will. The rise of Christianity is when it all began but we have been around for a very, very long time, hiding in the shadows. The population started to rise, humans were getting smarter, rulers were getting meaner, greedier, castles rose from the ground and swords clashed as man waged wars on one another.

The humans started to get suspicious that they weren't alone and it brought chaos with it. "WITCH!!! BURN THE WITCH!!!" They would chant with their pitchforks. If they caught us, they would torture us and burn us at the stake, our blood curdling screams chilling the air. This time was known as the witch trials. We lost many of our kind in the years to come, the humans even killed some of their own. I know there is many of us still out there who have survived and this is why I write this book. Unable to just stand by and watch more of our kind die, a handful of witches came together to build two sanctuaries a short distance apart, deep within an enchanted forest behind the mountains - one sanctuary for the light witches and the other for the dark witches. The witches who founded the sanctuaries formed a council known as The Circle . They rule both our sides.

So come find us and be safe.

For the most part, light and dark witches are at peace with one another but the threat of man is still on the rise. We do have some human allies, they live with us in the sanctuaries and without them, our magic would be almost useless. They are known as our vessels. A witch can only cast the most minor spells without a human vessel to harness their powers through. Their bond makes the magic more powerful depending on how strong it is. Think of this as an energy exchange of sorts, vessels feeding life force energy to their witch so the witch can perform magic. Witches can even put spirits in their vessels and the vessel will gain the spirits abilities/strength.

In a way, we need each other.

Light witches usually find their vessels through an emotion based choosing system.
"Hey we have good emotional energy.”
“OH BOY."

Dark witches usually find their vessels through a blood connection.
"Lemme cut you bby and see if I like your blood."
"NO PLS."

Some human vessels join the sanctuaries to escape a bad life, or because they were sold there, maybe they were born there, some come to seek power and fame for themselves or simply because they are on the witches side - and many other reasons. Vessels are usually well taken care of in the sanctuaries and respected...usually.

So come and join us, choose your side!

Learn more lore if you want: Lore doc

~ SETTING ~

Most of the coastline is made up of cliffs, with only a few small hidden beaches nestled here and there.
The forest west of the haven is fairly thick, the coast and ocean are not visible from the villages.
The map is not completely accurate to scale, but serves to give a general feel for the area!

Map by mementomortea

Trek to the sanctuaries through the Savoi mountains and you may see some mythical creatures along the way…
The mythical creatures are drawn to the haven’s magic; they’re a fairly common sight for witches, but exist only as legend to most outsiders. The lush green mountains have helped keep the witches hidden for many years. The forest is abundant and overgrown, and there are green fields that stretch for miles. There are a few secreted pathways, made by those who seek the sanctuaries.

First, you will arrive at the light witch sanctuary, known as Aradia...
Aradia is a very light and bright place. Most of the buildings are either white or cream, and there are plants hanging out of almost every window. Many of the homes and buildings have stained glass windows and oak doors. Above the winding stone path are white archways with beautiful engravings. There are many tranquil places you can visit in the village, such as the library, the wishing well, or the thriving gardens and fountains.
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Next, on to the dark witch sanctuary, known as Hekates...
The skies seem to darken as you near the dark witch village. The stone path is lit up by black lanterns, and the haven’s graveyard resides here. Hekates is also home to the black market, for those who wish to seek out illegal curses and ingredients. Most of the buildings are made from either gray or black stone, and crows nestle on the rooftops, beady eyes peering down at everyone below. Many of the trees closest to the village seem to be haunted and have no leaves.

The human city, known as Geneva, is ruled by the cruel King Bellinor. He is said to have a great hatred of witches...
Geneva has high, impenetrable walls and a large steel gate, keeping the population in and intruders out. There are red flags flapping in the wind all around the city, with a decorative letter G painted on each one. Inside, a massive stone castle is surrounded by many tiny communities and marketplaces. Knights keep guard over the city, both in the watch tower and walking around the perimeter.

Concept/Story created by mementomortea and written by Sleepybara
All credit goes to the artists in the thumbnails.