The Witches of Elliott Island

Magic is real.

Fantasy

PART ONE: 14-1500S IRELAND

PART TWO: 1600s

In 1665, settlers from the Celtic nations came to Elliott island, which had been established fifty years prior. Notable settlers included young Tamsin Marrow, Eveida Lavery, Emily Marling and Matilda Caster all of which were witches belonging to the Free Church of Earth. The Lavery Family was disgusted with mortals and any behaviors associated with them.

In 1676, Eveida was to marry the warlock Ender Pierce. After noticing Ender's friendship with Tamsin, a rift developed between the former friends, furthered by their fundamental disagreements. Tamsin took a lover in the mortal James Carpenter; the two were very much in love, though Eveida disagreed greatly with their affair. Frustrated with Eveida's "boring" nature, Ender frequently abused Eveida physically and emotionally, often resorting to gaslighting; Eveida began to lose faith in herself, and searched for meaning within the darker areas of magick.

In February of 1677, Ender's younger brother Edmund drowned in the Caill River, causing great despair in Ender and the witch community alike. Eveida, in her desperation to keep Ender's attention (due to her mother's coercion to value marriage), performed a rite to resurrect Edmund. Tamsin refused to take part, and was horrified after she learned that Eveida murdered an Encyve and ate it's heart to gain the power of resurrection. Ender, however, was impressed with Eveida and rewarded her as such. Soon after, Tamsin was attacked and nearly killed by local villagers after a mind control spell performed by Eveida went terribly wrong.

The rivalry between the two women reflected the growing dissonance in the Free Church, with two factions emerging; one, believing in polytheism, creation, and the banning of blood magic, and the other, believing Satan to be the true god, and that all means necessary must be used to enforce Satan's will, including blood magic. The second faction also looked down upon mortals, with some radicals going as far as to advocate mortal eradication. Tamsin and Emily sided with the first "Sky" faction; Eveida and Matilda sided with the second "Soul" faction.

Rivalry turned into bitter hatred after the murder of Eveida's brother, Damon. Tamsin, a witness, purposefully withheld information in hopes of damaging Eveida's reputation, and went as far as to insinuate that Eveida had a sexual relationship with Damon. The hate between Tamsin and Eveida deepened to the points of murder, poisoning, and hexing, with Matilda Caster recalling several instances of one woman murdering the other, and resurrecting her several days later. With Ender's encouragement, Eveida continued to murder local animals and the occasional villager so as to eat their hearts and maintain her power.

Walking home one night after being hexed by Tamsin, Eveida came upon James and Tamsin while they were together. Furious, and enraged in the moment, Eveida placed a blood curse upon Tamsin, creating the following circumstances:

1. Tamsin, nor any descendant of hers, shall birth a living son.


2. Tamsin, nor any descendant of hers, shall birth more than one living child.


3. Tamsin's descendants are almost guaranteed to die in childbirth.


4. Infertility and sterility will haunt the marriages of Marrow women.


5. Should Tamsin or any of her descendants fall in love, the object of their affections shall die a cruel and untimely death.

After the curse was cast, the Free Church of Earth disintegrated, with the Sky Faction forming the Faith of the Old Gods, and the Soul Faction forming the Church of Eternal Night. With the split, much attention was cast upon the families involved, and they were forced to flee into the forests to avoid the noose. Even in desperation, the Faith of the Old Gods and the Church of Eternal Night could not stand one another, and settled on opposite sides of the Caill River.

Eveida and Ender married, and had six children; two daughters and four sons.

Matilda married a warlock named Edward Caster and had three children.

Emily set up a healing practice, married, and had four children.

Tamsin and James married, and Tamsin gave birth to two stillborn sons. During Tamsin's third pregnancy, James was killed in a boating accident. Tamsin gave birth to a daughter; Saoirse Marrow. When her daughter was a mere three months old, Tamsin was found guilty of witchcraft and hung.

To this day, the curse still plagues her descendants.

Witches can destroy, create, and move things with certain spells.

Most beings can travel between realms and planes, however movement, time, and abilities can be limited.

All magic has an equal price.