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The old house creaked loudly in the wind. Grizelda scooped up a bowl of foul smelling soup and placed it into a dirty pot. She took a sip, enjoying the scenery of her dilapidated house.

"Halloween approaches, and soon we will be able to return to Wormwood".

Grizelda's cat, Graymalkin, leapt onto a broken chair and folded its paws over.

"It's been years since we've seen your sisters. It will be a welcome treat to be able to do so once more. They always made the most exquisite beetle pies" said Graymalkin.

"Do you think your nieces and nephews will remember you Grizzy?"

"Oh I'm sure they will, who could ever forget a gorgeous face like mine?!" Grizelda cackled. Graymalkin grinned in response to her display of humor.

"You best eat up that fish head stew and pack your things as well Malky. We must leave at dawn if we are to catch the portal."

Grizelda began packing up an old sack with books, reagents and scrolls. She reached her pointy fingers up into the cupboards and tossed an assortment of moldy cheeses, stale bread and bottles of potions into the sack. A potion fell to the ground, shattering with a large hissing noise. As the smoke cleared, all that was left was a giant hole in the ground.

"Adds to the decor of the place." Graymalkin said cheekily as he too, began stuffing objects into a tiny satchel.

"Well I'm done packing. Are you going to be the one to hold us up all night again?" Grizelda teased.

"I've just finished packing. I'm ready to go too". Said Graymalkin. Graymalking pushed his paws into the straps of the old satchel and with a tremendous leap, leapt into Grizelda's sack just as she was fastening it up.

"Ohhhh now I presume you expect me to carry you all the way to the Bog of Desolation?" Grizelda responded. Graymalkin's eyes widened, melting Grizelda's crochety old heart.

"I hate when you do that" Grizelda groaned as she strapped the sack containing her supplies and Graymalkin to her back.

Grizelda hobbled to the door, muttering "I'm entirely too old for this stuff, I really should just teleport all the way there".

As she pushed open the door of the old house, the wooden door fell off the hinges, crashing into a million pieces before them.

"If you're going to break everything you touch, I'm staying in this sack till we get to Wormwood" quipped Graymalkin. The frisky cat rustled in the sack, avoiding Grizelda's backhand at the previous comment.

"I'll fix it when we get back" Grizelda muttered. The strange duo walked off into the distance while the evening fog rose up, blanketing the area. Graymalkin peered back, watching the house get smaller with every step.

Archived topic from AOV, old topic ID:6201, old post ID:36993

"Finally, we've arrived" cried Grizelda as she hunched over, gasping for air.

"Great, my paws were beginning to get sore" said Graymalkin as he leapt out of the sack Grizelda was carrying on her back. Grizelda scowled at her cat familiar as she followed closely behind him.

Graymalkin walked towards a red tree in the Bog of Desolation. Before his eyes, a portal opened up, leading to a foreign land.

"Made it just in time it seems" Grizelda said, still trying to catch her breath.

"Surely you can't be tired, we traveled by gate to this spot in less than two minutes!" Graymalkin quipped, staring at the witch as she hobbled towards him.

"When you're 322 years old like me, then you can make such a comment" Grizelda shot back.

"In case you have forgotten, I'm 2 months older than you are and I'm in better shape than you are!" Graymalkin preened before Grizelda, who made every effort to roll her dry, crusty eyes before him.

"Well you cheated, assuming the form of a cat. Less weight to drag around."

The pair entered the red portal and soon found themselves in a swamp surrounded by mushrooms and sinister looking trees.

"I love the smell of rancid bog in the evening....smells like home." Grizelda reminisced.

They walked to the northwest of Wormwood and before long, heard the cackles and banter of a group of witches.

"Are you going to stir the pot all day Bathilda? Let it stir itself lest you turn to dust before my very eyes" Tabitha said, pointing her bony finger towards her sister.

"You're just jealous because you couldn't make a soup as foul smelling as mine!"

Bathilda continued stirring the pot of soup. She snarled at her sister as a magical spark flew out of Tabitha's fingers, smacking Bathilda behind the head.

"Childish" replied Bathilda. "Why don't you go lick a toad?"

This time, two more sparks flew out of Tabitha's fingers and began circling around her sister's head.

"That's it" Bathilda exclaimed furiously as she pulled a glass vial out of her pocket, which contained a smoky liquid.

"What's that? Your beauty cream?" cackled Tabitha as she took cover behind a tree.

"Here, take this to go with your wicked sense of humor! cried Bathilda as she chucked the vial at her sister, turning her into a toad.

The toad flopped about for awhile before hopping towards Bathilda.

A green spark flew across then landscape, hitting the frog and restoring Tabitha to her original form. The two witches shot a glance in the direction the spell had come from to see Grizelda standing there, carrying Graymalkin in her arms.

"Well look what the reaper brought" exclaimed Tabitha.

"It's been too long sister, how have you been?" Tabitha and Bathilda rushed to greet their sister.

"Still up to the same tricks I see" replied Grizelda. Grizelda placed Graymalkin to the ground, who immediately ran into Bathilda's house, following the trail of the foul soup's smell.

"If you lay a single paw on that soup Graymalkin, I will turn you into a kettle and make tea out of you!" Bathilda rushed to her house, leaving Tabitha alone with her sister.

"Nice to see you brought Graymalkin along to eat all our food. Paddock will enjoy his company." said Tabitha

"The children are out for a few days as are most of the other witches. They've gone to DreadDale to spend Halloween with the vampires. They'll all be thrilled to see you once they get back. Come rest your bones in my house, I've just made a beetle pie".

At those words, Graymalkin leapt from Bathilda's house and followed Tabitha and Grizelda into the wooden hut.

Archived topic from AOV, old topic ID:6201, old post ID:37002

The old hut was small, but cozy. Cobwebs littered the place, but Tabitha would grace their presence, as that meant tasty spiders to add to her meals.

"Would you like a cup of swamp water tea, sister?" said Tabitha, holding a rusty kettle.

"Yes, of course. I would enjoy a cup right now" replied Grizelda. Grizelda helped her sister along by taking two cracked mugs out of a mold infested cupboard.

She sat down at the yew wood table and cut off a slice of beetle pie, placing it before Graymalkin. Graymalkin looked up at her, with a perplexed face. The whiskers on the cat's face twitched to-and-fro, analyzing the size of the piece he had been given. A soft thump was heard as Graymalkin slammed his rump to the floor and began tapping his paws in an aggravated manner.

"Eat that slice first and maybe I'll cut you a bigger one." Grizelda scowled.

Graymalkin folded his paws over and pouted.

"If you ask me, you could do with less beetle pie, roly poly" said Tabitha from the kitchen. Graymalkin's jaw dropped to the floor. He quickly snarfed the slice of pie down and took off out the hut.

"Was it something I said?" Tabitha inquired, puzzled.

"Oh he's just being a moody cow, he'll walk it off" Grizelda muffled with her mouth full of beetle pie.

Grizelda got up from the table and peered out the window.

"I see the spirits are roaming around again. They always tell the best stories" said Grizelda

"Last year one of them told me where he saw a treasure chest buried. I went to dig it up but it was only old bones" replied Tabitha. Tabitha poured the thick and pungent tea into the mugs. It made a disgusting slopping noise as it swirled about.

Suddenly, there was a loud cackle and a booming noise could be heard. Grizelda knocked her mug of tea over before she could have a chance to drink from it.

"Oh that's just Ethel sis" Bathilda said casually as she walked in to sit down for tea with her sisters. Tabitha filled the mugs back up then went to the cupboard to get a third mug.

"Ethel? You mean Ethel that old crone? Has she finally lost her marbles?" replied Grizelda.

"Yup" Tabitha and Bathilda responded in unison.

"We locked her in that haunted house. She finally lost her last screw and wanted to control all the witches in Wormwood to lead an army against the vampires of DreadDale. Talk about a kook."

"It took 12 of us to finally lock her in. Her powers are strong for somebody that old" Tabitha exclaimed from the kitchen.

Bathilda pulled a green key out of her pocket. A look of self satisfaction appeared on her face.

"Mathilda personally entrusted me with the key. I was so honored" Bathilda said gleefully.

"I have no idea why, you always lose everything! I personally wouldn't even trust you with half a rotworm sandwich!" Tabitha cackled in between sentences. Bathilda fired off a round of curses in her direction, forcing Grizelda to slam Bathilda's arm onto the table to maintain the peace.

"I never lose anything, but I could see how you'd think so as you've clearly lost your head" Bathilda yelled.

"What about great aunt Edna's ancient bronze cauldron then? How do you lose an entire cauldron?" Tabitha responded as she sat down next to Grizelda, pouring herself a cup of tea.

The arguments continued amongst the siblings. Grizelda listened intently, taking sips of the sludge-like tea as they rambled on.

Archived topic from AOV, old topic ID:6201, old post ID:37019

"It is nice to be back in Wormwood" said Grizelda as she walked along the swamp shoreline with her sisters, Tabitha and Bathilda.

"We missed having our eldest sister around" replied Bathilda. Bathilda picked up a large stone and tossed it across the water. Despite the stone's weight and size, the witch magically hexed it to skip along the water, several times.

"Why did you leave, Grizelda?" inquired Tabitha. Paddock, Tabitha's frog familiar, made a croaking noise from within her arms as she carried him around. Grizelda stared down at the sandals she wore.

"I was hoping to find a new place to continue my life's work. I wanted to explore the lands and find new uses for plants and fungi. I did manage to expand my skills but it does get awefully lonely"

"You should find yourself a husband!" Bathilda piped up.

"Funny, I thought she was already married to Graymalkin! HAH!" cackled Tabitha.

"Speaking of husbands, where is Corgan?" Grizelda asked her sister.

"He'll be around. He went to DreadDale with the children so that he could pick up something hideous for me." said Tabitha, scrunching her face towards the moonlight.

A series of voices could be heard in the distance. A man with a hoarse, creaky voice was talking to a woman with the most agonizing laugh.

"Speak of the devil....there he is" Tabitha responded, pointing her bony finger towards her husband.

"Tabitha, you look uglier every time I see you" Corgan responded.

"You really know how to please a witch!" Tabitha said, extending her arms to accept the present he brought for her. In her excitement, she dropped Paddock to the ground. The frog toppled about dizzily then hopped towards Bathilda who quickly scooped him up.

"Rude...." Paddock whispered to Bathilda who nodded her head in agreement.

"Want me to turn her hair into snakes?" Bathilda joked to Paddock who croaked happily then quickly went to sleep in Bathilda's arms.

Meanwhile, Corgan placed a large sack of dung into the arms of his wife. With a pleased expression on her face at the gift she just received, the pair raced home, leaving Bathilda and Grizelda with the other witch.

"Good evening Grindol. Did you have a good time in DreadDale?" Asked Bathilda. "You of course remember my sister Grizelda".

"Yes, I remember Grizelda. I had a fantastic time in DreadDale, thank you very much. Take a look at what I found there" Grindol opened her arms to reveal a strange creature with tiny root-like tentacles extending from it.

"I found this little beast growing in the alley behind an old house. I named him Herpekitus." Grindol cooed affectionately to the creature, which made a hissing noise and whipped at her with its tentacles.

"Odd name for such a creature. It looks positively vicious!" Grizelda said as she observed the creature.

"Perhaps it's just hungry Grizzy. Here, feed him this!" Bathilda reached into her pocket, retrieving a large, dead cockroach. She tossed it towards Herpekitus who devoured it instantly. Only moments later, Grindol dropped Herpekitus to the ground and began rubbing her arms in pain.

"Are you alright Grindol?" inquired Bathilda.

"I'm alright, Herpekitus just became very heavy all of a sudden." Grindol reached down to pick up Herpekitus. The vile creature continued to swipe at her and the other witches with its root-like tentacles.

"Probably just being cranky. What a good plant creature" Grindol continued to coo to Herpekitus.

"Lucky it didn't run off!" Bathilda questioned, staring confusedly at the creature.

"I don't think it can walk. When I found him, it was practically rooted to the ground. I couldn't just leave it there to wither away so I brought it with me." Grindol said

Grindol stared off into the distance, squinting her eyes to locate her home amongst the darkness of the night.

"I hate to cut our conversation short but I really should go set up a pen for Herpekitus to play in." Grindol walked in the opposite direction of the two sisters.

The sisters watched as Herpekitus continued to grip all over Grindol as she escorted him to her house.

Bathilda turned to her sister, noticing she wore the same baffled look on her face.

"Methinks this does not bode well sister" Grizelda said as the two witches turned around and began their walk back home.

Archived topic from AOV, old topic ID:6201, old post ID:37043

"Did you see the look on that vampire's face when the firework went off? It was absolutely priceless!" The young warlock laughed loudly. His younger sister Maple, skipping behind him, giggled as she swatted the fireflies from her face.

Another young warlock jumped in front of her, trapping several of the fireflies into a jar.

"Got ya! This will look great in my room!" said the young warlock as he rattled the trapped bugs from inside the glass jar.

"Kal An Ex Ylem" a female voice chanted from behind the warlock. The warlock looked up with disappointment as the glass jar turned into a puff of sparks, freeing the fireflies.

"WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!" cried the warlock, as he swung his fists towards his older witch sibling.

"You know full well that you can't keep those flies in the house. Mother doesn't like their flashing lights. You're better off that I freed them or she'd have turned you into a rat when you got home" said Willow the witch.

The young warlock attempted to fling a curse at his older sister, but he was no match for her. She casually flicked her wrist, parrying the spell as she walked.

"Don't start. Your magic is not yet strong enough. Stick to cursing frogs Ash" said Willow.

Ash sulked and dragged his feet as the two brothers and two sisters walked up towards their home.

Their parents, Corgan the Warlock and Tabitha the Witch were seated at the table with their aunts Grizelda and Bathilda.

"Yea, Grunilda set up some kind of collection at her house this afternoon. Seems she's desperate for toadstools again. She's always trying to decorate her house to one up everyone" Corgan said from the table.

"She does have some decent things up for trade mind you. I took a stroll by earlier today. If I had the toadstools I would have picked something up" Bathilda muffled, spitting swamp tea everywhere as she talked.

Maple ran up to greet Grizelda, excited to be seeing her once again after so many years. Grizelda smiled and presented her with a spider in a box as a gift. A new pet for her, surely.

Ash followed shortly afterward, holding out his hand for his gift. Grizelda fumbled in her pockets and pulled out a wand made of yew.

"Here's something for you to practice your magic with." Grizelda said, as she handed the wand to the young warlock. His face glowed and a devious smirk ran across it. He pointed it threateningly at his oldest sister who rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Just don't blow up the house again!" Bathilda cackled, causing everyone at the table to cackle in return.

"I'll take that for now. You two had best be off to bed" Tabitha plucked the wand from Ash's hands. Ash stomped his feet as he took off to his bedroom upstairs. Maple followed behind him, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

The remaining two adolescent children grabbed a seat at the table with the adults.

"I haven't forgotten about you two either." said Grizelda, who reached into her sack and pulled out a box.

"I thought you might like this Oak" Grizelda placed the box before the older male child. Although he was far older and more mature than his brother Ash, he felt it difficult to suppress his excitement for the gift he had just received.

He opened the lid of the box, unleashing a group of skeletal ghouls which circled around the room before jumping back into the box.

"A Pandora's box! Thanks auntie Grizelda!" Oak exclaimed.

Finally, Grizelda placed an object before the oldest and wisest of all of Tabitha and Corgan's children.

"I think you're now old enough to use this. It used to belong to me but I've since memorized all of these spells. With time, you'll learn them all"

Grizelda placed the conjurer's grimoire into the hands of her niece. Willow ran her fingers through the pages of the old spellbook. Willow thanked Grizelda for the lovely gift she had received.

"Where's Selena today? You two are usually joined at the hip!" Bathilda inquired of her niece.

"She couldn't come. Her mother Gretel insisted she practice her hexes." Willow said with an air of disappointment.

"Well I'm sure she'll be a hex master by next year" Tabitha said enthusiastically.

"Oh dear, we ran out of swamp water" Tabitha said as she poured the last drop into Corgan's mug. "Willow, be a dear and fetch some out back"

Willow excused herself from the table, carrying the old kettle in one hand, her grimoire in the next.

She went out around the back of the house where the swamp was. As she crouched to scoop up the swamp water, she heard a whisper from behind her. She spun around to notice her friend Selena, hiding in the darkness.

"Willow, I'm going to be in so much trouble. I did something bad!" Selena said, trembling.

"Calm down, what did you do?" Willow inquired, a tad bit frightened

"I was practicing my hexes in the graveyard when I hit a pumpkin. It grew and is now terrorizing the cemetery. I managed to lock it in the haunted house there but there's still some evil pumpkins lurking about in the cemetery. If my parents discover the mess I've made they are going to toss me in the stew!" Selena said, terrified.

"You've got to help me!" Selena begged of her best friend.

Willow nodded. Willow quickly brought the kettle of swamp water back to her house and clutching her grimoire tightly in her hands, ran off with Selena to the cemetery.

Archived topic from AOV, old topic ID:6201, old post ID:37101

As the morning dew glistened the corrupted mushroom tops of Wormwood village, Grizelda hopped out of the guest bed Tabitha set out for her. She hobbled down the stairs and found nobody else was awake.

"I think I'll take a walk" she said to herself. She grabbed her gnarled staff which was leaned up against the kitchen wall, then prepared to leave the house.

Graymalkin stood in the doorway, parked his rump to the floor and stared up at her.

"I suppose you want to come" Grizelda said, rolling her eyes. With that, the duo walked out of the house and made their journey around Wormwood village.

As they approached the large house owned by a family of witch neighbors, they heard some fierce snarling noises and growling coming from inside the house. Dust and pieces of roof flew off the house and fell to the ground.

Graymalkin clawed into Grizelda's leg, shaking with fright. Grizelda groaned in pain as she hobbled to the door, the cat still clinging to her.

They peered inside to see several witches and warlocks, casting spells at a large, monstrous plant. Its tentacles whipped at all of them threateningly.

"Is....is that Herpekitus?" Grizelda cried out in astonishment.

Grindol rushed to Grizelda, grabbing her and pulling her outside, away from the beast.

"Hopper's BOG! What happened to that thing? It multiplied in size!" Grizelda asked Grindol.

"I have no idea how it happened. We fed it as per usual and in the morning it had grown to double its original size. I fear what will happen if it grows any bigger" cried Grindol.

"We have no choice but to destroy the thing. It'll take over all of Wormwood with a growth rate like that! If it grows any larger, I fear we won't be able to stop it " Grizelda said.

"It has grown too powerful already. We've tried to harm it but it just will not take any damage!" Grindol said frightened.

Grindol pulled a rusted red key out of her pocket and pointed off into the distance.

"We'll lock it in the haunted house there. That should contain it for awhile until we can figure out how to destroy it. Come, we must bind the beast!" Grindol responded.

The two witches ran to aid the others, Graymalkin continuing to cling on to Grizelda for dear life.

"Grindol, next time you find a strange beast somewhere, just leave it there" Grizelda groaned. Grindol nodded acknowledgingly. The two witches pulled out their wands and tomes and prepared to fire at will.

Archived topic from AOV, old topic ID:6201, old post ID:37158

Grizelda and Grindol stepped away from the large building. Grindol twirled the red key around her finger. They were covered head to toe in soot from spell residue, their robes were torn and their hats a bit more crooked.

"Well, that solves that problem for awhile" said Grindol as she walked back to her house. Graymalkin followed Grindol. Grizelda grinded her teeth.

"Oh sure.....you latch onto me all throughout that ordeal and now you bugger off!" Grizelda snarled.

Graymalkin, who continued walking with Grindol shouted "I've had enough excitement for one day, I need a nap"

Graymalkin and Grindol vanished into Grindol's home, which had a few more holes in it after the ordeal of sealing Herpekitus. As Grizelda walked towards the house, she noticed a green boat on the swamp, with a strange, shady figure standing there.

"Oh hello there, didn't see you there" Grizelda called out to the boatman. There was an eerie silence, as though the words carried past him into the unknown.

"Haven't seen you in Wormwood before. What's with the boat?" Grizelda inquired.

Once again, there was silence. The figure gripped onto the staff it was holding. Its hands were withered and white as snow.

"What happened to the bridge that was here? We used to be able to pass here many years ago. Did the bridge decay or something?"

Grizelda's voice once again fell on deaf ears. Submitting to defeat, she shot the boatman a dirty look and continued on down the path to Grindol's house.

"Alright you, come on, we're heading back to Tabitha's" yelled Grizelda. She picked up Graymalkin and continued her stroll back to her sister's house.

Archived topic from AOV, old topic ID:6201, old post ID:37235

As Grizelda and Graymalkin entered the musty smelling home of Tabitha, they were greeted by her husband and children. Tabitha eyed her sister's torn caster's robe and crooked hat.

"What happened to you? Did you wrestle a lycan?" Tabitha said sarcastically.

"Long story. Let's just say if I never see a plant again for the rest of my days I'll consider myself lucky" Grizelda responded, as she sat at the table to rest her feet.

Tabitha nodded, already knowing exactly what her sister was talking about. She turned around and began making a pot of swamp water tea for her sister.

"What's the deal with the creepy boatman over by Grindol's house?" Grizelda asked, picking up a slice of beetle pie. Before she could take a bite, Graymalkin leapt in the air and snatched it from her bony fingers.

"Cat! You have a death wish. You better hope you have a few lives left!" Grizelda screamed at the cat, launching jinxes his way as he scampered about, dodging them with impressive skill.

"Don't worry, I'll get him auntie Griz...." Ash said confidently, grabbing his practice wand from the counter. The young warlock pointed the wand at the cat, preparing to cast a curse its way.

"I wouldn't do it Ash....." his sister Willow muffled while taking a bite of beetle pie.

Ash ignored her and launched a spell bolt at Graymalkin. Graymalkin yawned as the spell sailed towards him.

"In Vas Jux Sanct" said Graymalkin. An impressive magical shield surrounded the cat. As the spell hit, it sailed back towards its caster with amplified force.

The shockwave of the rebounded spell sent Ash sailing through the window, into the swamp outside.

There was a great ruckus of laughter from within the house. Ash stormed in, soaked head to toe with donkey ears and a bushy tail as Graymalkin stood in the corner, doing little bows to a round of applause.

"Ohhhh ya, try this one you smug smelly feline!" Ash pulled his arm back and prepared to cast another spell. His attempt was cut short as Tabitha plucked the wand from his casting hand. He stared at his mother with a bewildered look.

"You've had enough lessons for one day. That'll teach you to challenge a 300 year old wizard"

Ash stared in disbelief. He stammered as he pointed to the cat, observing everyone's faces in an attempt to confirm what Tabitha had just told him.
Ash took a seat next to his brother who was still rolling his face into his palms from laughter.

"To be fair, Graymalkin still acts childish" Grizelda quipped. The cat stuck its miniscule tongue out in her direction, then leapt onto the kitchen table next to her.

"You were inquiring about the boatman Grizelda?" asked Corgan, who found it an appropriate time to steer the conversation back on track.

"Yea, that's right. What happened to the bridge to the Isle of Mist? I checked around and the whole area is sealed off"

"Nobody really knows auntie Grizelda. Something happened on the Isle of the Mist a few years back. A thick fog grew one day, then the bridge was destroyed by magic and that boatman arrived" said Willow.

"Many of us think that the druids are involved. We think that they cut off passage to the isle. I personally have never seen anyone go across or come back but we still think it's their doing" Corgan responded.

"Druids? That's strange. There were barely any around when I lived in Wormwood. I thought they had faded out of Sosaria." said Grizelda, astonished.

"Well, there are clues to suggest it's a work of the druids. That boatman was conjured of magic. I don't know a witch alive in Wormwood that could have created a summon so lifelike that doesn't dispel" said Corgan.

Corgan continued. "There were also relics found around here belonging to druids. They could have lived around here for centuries before the witches settled here. Strange indeed that we've only seen the traces they've left behind."

Corgan pulled an object out of one of the cabinets in the kitchen. He placed the object before Grizelda.

"I found this during a stroll to the cemetery. I've seen one of these long ago. Undoubtedly, it would have belonged to a druid" said Corgan.

Grizelda stared at the shiny black stone. It was a relic from the past, part obsidian, part crystal. The strange runes marked into the stone emitted a faint, blue light.

"Brunilda found some strange druid seal right outside her house one day. She used to carry that thing around everywhere until the boatman reached out to her every time she walked to the dark woods. It creeped her out, so she locked it up." Tabitha said, pouring some tea for Grizelda.

Grizelda silently drank her cup of tea, mulling all the information over in her mind. Did the druids still exist? If so, why would they destroy the bridge and hide from everyone. That boatman surely had the answer, but what kind of events would be waiting to be unraveled?

Archived topic from AOV, old topic ID:6201, old post ID:37302

The air was cold around the Land of Mist. The very air that swept through the area drained you of your stamina and hope. It had become a cursed place, nobody would dare live there by choice.

Lars, the druid leader, started towards one of the crude houses. His long, blue robe left a trail in the dusty ground as he walked.

"Has any progress been made?" Lars asked another druid.

"No sir. Her powers are too strong for us. Her dreadful mist has left those who challenge her, weakened before her, at the mercy of her blade. She shows no mercy. Her heart is ice. She shows no emotion once she slays her victims" The druid said, hopeless.

Lars took a moment of silence to analyze the situation in his mind.

"There has been no progress in years, only death. We cannot continue this battle. She WILL find a way to escape the building we've imprisoned her in." The druid continued.

Lars raised his hand to silence the druid's pessimism. Lars walked inside the building and noticed a male druid mage, laying on the dirt ground. He was white as a sheet, while a druid healer tended to his wounds.

"He will not survive the morning. His life is no longer his....the Sorceress of the Night took that hours ago. He only clings on to hope now" the druid healer let out tears as she went back to her satchel to grab an ointment to soothe the druid's wounds.

Lars turned to the hopeless faces, and with a weak smile, he spoke:

"Soon, the time will come. I have seen it, in the death of my people. Their souls have spoken to me. Adventurers of a different world will aid us in defeating the Sorceress of the Night."

"How could you possibly know such a thing? We have destroyed the only entry into this area when the Sorceress threatened to escape. Only those with ties to the druids could possibly entice the boatman to sail here." A druid mage replied.

Lars stood before his people, silent but strong. He slowly walked toward the swamp, where Edwin the boatman stood on a rowboat.

"Edwin....I have summoned you from the afterlife to guard this land to keep innocent blood from feeling the wrath of the sorceress. Her wrath is the burden we druids have chosen to wear upon our shoulders." Lars said.

The boatman turned towards its master, obeying only his words. Lars continued:

"Those who will aid us will carry a seal. A druid seal. This is a memory of the existence of our ancestors. Once they come, allow them, and ONLY them, to pass to the land of mist. They are the ones I have seen in my dreams. The ones who will bring an end to the sorceress of the night."

Lars raised his hand into the air. Without a word spoken or a reagent in hand, his hand glowed green and black with wisps of magic. The boatman nodded and sailed to the other side of the swamp.

"My lord, what magic doth thou wield? No words, no reagents. You say you speak to the dead, and conjure souls from the afterlife!" A druid follower asked of his leader.

"All will be made clear soon Alvared. If the Sorceress is our only problem, I shall count my blessings" Lars tapped the shoulder of the druid, then knelt before the druid altar, and began to pray.

Archived topic from AOV, old topic ID:6201, old post ID:37352

Ivanna spotted Lars staring into the distance

"You are thinking about her again, aren't you?" Ivanna asked. Lars did not reply, his mind circled with thoughts of the past.

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"You cannot be serious my lady. You do know what you are suggesting" Lars said, with an air of disgust.

"Ohhh and why not? I am a reaper. I hold the power over life and death. I feel it is my duty to rid the world of the souls that do not deserve life!" said a female voice.

The woman whom Lars spoke to was beautiful, though her heart was ugly. It was only a matter of time before her true colors showed to her apprentice.

"As a reaper it is out duty to show a just and fair heart to the souls we take to the afterlife. We must only take those whose time has run out! You know this, I know this" Lars exclaimed, furious.

"Quit your blubbering Lars. Look at all this power we possess, yet we can't even use it to our will! Think of the things we could do together. We could rule the world and slay armies of those who oppose us!" the woman responded.

"Just look! Look at what we can do!" The woman tore open the door of her house and peered outside to a gorgeous meadow. She pranced out into it, her hands extended towards the ground. Every living thing died in her path. Soon, the grass was yellow and the dirt black as tar. The butterflies that got caught in her path shriveled into black husks.

"STOP! STOP Malevolent!!!!" Lars cried out.

The woman scorned back at him. "Don't you EVER call me that. My name is Melynda. Malevolent is what those vile peasants call me when I come to reap their souls. You will respect me, for I am your teacher and your mentor!"

"I will no longer follow you. Look at you, you've become corrupt by the power of death. You claim to hold the power over life and death but I know now that this is a lie, for you have let your own compassion die at your fingers!" Lars pointed at Melynda.

"I've had enough of your lip. Follow me in my quest for true power or die at my hand apprentice!"

Melynda fired death spells at Lars. Green fields rose up from the ground, threatening to steal the soul out of his body. Lars jumped back, carefully analyzing the situation.

In her furor and cockiness, Melynda carelessly tossed spells, not caring where the death spell landed. Before long, the gorgeous meadow where she lived turned into a barren wasteland. Death and decay surrounded her.

Lars had been timing her spells the whole time. When the moment was right, he let out a spell of his own.

"IN VAS CORP!" Lars yelled. A bolt of green energy flew through Melynda's fields and struck her square in the middle of her body. Lars' reaper magic was not yet strong enough to kill his master.

Melynda fell to the ground. Her once beautiful figure had now aged and withered into a hideous living corpse. Her body had died, but her soul remained.

He picked up the unconscious Melynda and placed her in the basement of her house. He searched through the robes she was wearing and pulled out the key to her home.

"What did you do.....what did you do to me? I'm hideous!" Shrieked Melynda.

"I did the world a favor. Now you look as ugly on the outside as you did on the inside. The world shall call you Malevolent like never before."

Lars ran to the teleporter as Malevolent yelled at him.

"When I find you Lars, you will suffer a fate worse than death! Mark my words former apprentice....you will fear the wrath of the underworld as my bone hounds tear you to pieces!"

Malevolent hobbled to chase after Lars in her weakened state, her spells still zinging past him with no control. Lars locked her in the basement of her house and casted a powerful spell so that she could not escape.

He pocketed the key then ran out of the destroyed meadow. As he ran, he bumped into a man, robed in blue. He flew to the ground and rubbed his head in pain.

"Why art thou in a hurry son?" asked the man.

The young Lars looked up to see the bearded elder. From his robes, he knew that he was of the druid race.

"Please....I need sanctuary druid elder. I have bound the dread reaper Malevolent and need time and safety to build my skills. She cannot be allowed to escape, and I fear she will never change her ways." Lars babbled on.

"Calm down.....breathe my boy. Everything will be alright" The druid elder picked Lars off his feet, and escorted him safely to the druid village

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"LARS! LARS!" Ivanna shouted, breaking Lars out of his daydreaming state.

"Sorry Ivanna. Yes, I was thinking about Malevolent. Tomorrow marks the 20th year since I casted the spell to seal Malevolent in her home. When the moon wax is full by tomorrow night, the seal will dissolve and she will be free. We cannot let this happen. We must collect an army of druid warriors and fighters to hold her off. The sorceress of the night can wait, we have a bigger problem on our hands!" Lars said.

Ivanna nodded and rushed to inform the others. When Lars was alone, he spied a large yew tree in the distance. Using all his power, he conjured up a bolt of death.

"IN VAS CORP!" He yelled as the wispy green bolt spiraled toward the massive tree. As the bolt hit the tree, it dissolved into a trillion specs of ash.

"I bought my time my old master. I have grown powerful enough to defeat you. Now we shall rise together to rid the world of your evil."

Archived topic from AOV, old topic ID:6201, old post ID:37374