Hexe or Hexy (The Sorceress) [Nightbane Sorceress N.P.C.]:

Name: Hexe or Hexy (The Sorceress)

True Name: Afra Kölbl (Has gone by a wide variety of names over the years)

Alignment: Unprincipled (Good / Selfish)

Hit Points: 70 [146 Nightbane Form] S.D.C. (Physical): 53 [205 Nightbane Form]

Horror Factor (Nightbane Form): 10 (16 when bleeding fire)

Attributes: I.Q.: 21 (+7% / +3), M.E.: 14, M.A.: 11 [20 (60%)], P.S.: 17 (+2) [29 (+14)], P.P.: 21 (+3) [27 (+6)], P.E.: 20 (+3 / +10%) [34 (+8 / +34%)], P.B.: 15 [25 (75%)], SPD: 24 [34]

Attributes in brackets [] are when in Nightbane form [Physical Strength and Endurance are Supernatural in Nightbane form]

Weight: 94 lbs (42.6 kg) [135 lbs (61.2 kg) in Nightbane Form] Height: 5 ft (1.52 meters) [5 ft 6 in (1.68 meters) in Nightbane Form]

Age: 530 years (Appears in her early twenties) Race: Nightbane (Human) Sex: Female

Disposition:

How do you describe a five hundred year old person, somebody with the knowledge of many people. While she has done her best to adapt with the times, she has not down as well as some. Still sometimes uses phrases from when she was much younger and sometimes has trouble with the new aspects of technology. Still prefers books over computers.

She is far more inclined to work with other already experienced practitioners of the mystical arts than willing to teach a new apprentice. It would have to be just the right student. As well, she kind of lacks in patience to teach those with no experience at all. Still, she can be persuaded to teach a bit of magic to others from time to time. She also can be persuaded to research long lost mysteries.

She is pretty pragmatic when she deals with an enemy. She will slay them without mercy and is relentless in hunting them down. While she will kill an enemy in a gruesome manner and make a spectacle, she will not torture anyone, even the darkest minion of the Nightlords. Might have been from when she was tortured by the witch hunters all those centuries before. Still, trickery is fair game. She does not like to enter hand to hand combat if she has a choice even though she is pretty good at it as all nightbane are.

Doesn’t have many friends in actually. Those who are actually her friends are extremely treasured and she would do virtually anything for them. There are families that she has watched for many years, where she has been a friend of the family for centuries. Often she has acted as their guardian angel. Since dark day, this has become far harder unfortunately.

Even though she might look like a sex demon, she is not as overtly sexual as some who wear similar forms. Likely her transformation has more to do with how the witch hunters saw her, she became a reflection of how they saw her. Not to saw that she has not had plenty of lovers over the centuries. Deep in her heart, she is as much a romantic as anything.

If she has any weakness, it is likely that she is not much of a wanderer. She prefers to have a relatively stable base of operations, a home which she can return to. Granted, she has been pretty smart about that and has purchased a number of homes under different names. She has homes scattered around the United States, England, and Germany. Some are urban while others are rural.

R.C.C.: Nightbane Sorceress Experience Level: Twelfth (12)

Combat Skill: Hand to Hand; Basic [Hand to Hand: Martial Arts in Nightbane Form]

Attacks per Melee: Seven (7) [Eight (8) in Nightbane Form - One (1) additional attack with prehensile tail]

Bonuses, Combat: Facade Form: +5 to Strike, +9 to Parry, +9 to Dodge, +2 to Damage, +6 to roll with punch, fall, or impact, +4 to pull punch, +0 to initiative, Knock Out on Natural 20, and Critical Strike on Natural 19 and 20. Kick attack inflicts 1D6+2. Judo Body Flip/Throw - inflicts 1D6+2 damage and target loses initiative and one attack.

Nightbane Form: +10 to Strike, +16 to Parry, +16 to Dodge (+17 while flying), +18 to Damage, +8 to roll with punch, fall, or impact, +6 to pull punch, +1 to initiative, Knock Out on Natural 20, and Critical Strike on Natural 18, 19, and 20. Kick Attack inflicts an addition 1D8 to punch damage. Jump Kick, Leap Kick, and Entangle attacks. Judo Body Flip/Throw - inflicts 1D6+2 damage and target loses initiative and one attack. Has paired weapons.

Supernatural Punch Damage (Nightbane Form): Inflicts 2D6+18 S.D.C. on a restrained punch, 4D6+18 on a full strength punch, or 1D4xl0+18 on a power punch (counts as two melee attacks). Also can make tail strikes which inflict 2D6+4.

Bonus; Save: Facade Form: Lethal Poison [14] +3, Non-Lethal Poison [16] +3, Harmful Drugs [15] +3, Insanity [12] +0, Psionics [15] +0 (+1 with Amulet), Magic [12] +8 (+9 with Amulet), Horror Factor +2 (+4 with Amulet), Possession +2

Nightbane Form: Lethal Poison [14] +8, Non-Lethal Poison [16] +8, Harmful Drugs [15] +8, Insanity [12] +0, Psionics [15] +3 (+4 with Amulet), Magic [12] +15 (+16 with Amulet), Horror Factor +5 (+7 with Amulet), Possession +2

Nightbane Abilities:

Change to Nightbane Form: Takes one full melee round (Save vs M.E. [12+] to transform in one attack)

Supernatural Senses: Night vision (Facade, 200 feet / 61 meters; Nightbane, 500 feet / 152 meters) / Sense Other Nightbane (300 feet / 91.4 meters with an additional 30 feet / 9.1 meters per level)

Regeneration: 10 S.D.C./ Hit Points each melee round.

Mirror Walk: Cross into Nightlands. Costs 2 P.P.E., takes one round.

Immunities: Immune to all forms of mind control and transformation

Nightbane Characteristics: Bizarre

Unearth Beauty: Animal Magnetism (+8 PB (20 minimum) / +8 ME (20 minimum))

Unearth Beauty: Physical Perfection: Build of an athlete. (+1D4 to PS, PE, and PB, and +4D6 S.D.C.)

Bat: Bat Wings: Has bat like wings protruding from her back. (Flying Speed 1D6x10, has +1 to dodge while flying. Add 4D6 to S.D.C. and +2 to Horror Factor.)

Unusual Facial Features: Small Horns: Has small ram like horns on her head. (Inflicts 1D6 head but and +1 to Horror Factor)

Unnatural Limbs: Spiked Prehensile Tail: Tail ends in a stinger (Adds +20% to climb, one attack pe melee round, and tail inflicts 2D6 damage. Adds +1 Horror Factor.)

Stigmata: Blood of Fire (Rifter 15 - Page 63): Whenever she bleeds, the blood is on fire. (Add 5D6 S.D.C. When bleeding, increase horror factor by 1D4+2 and blood inflicts 3D6 damage.)

Nightbane Talents: P.P.E.: 324 (Gains 2D6+6 per level)

First Level Talent: Animate Shadow (15) [1 minute per level 12 PPE],

Purchased Talents: Mirror Sight (5) [10 min per level / 2 PPE], Premonition (2) [2 PPE], Shadow Blast (5) [500 feet / 1D4 per 1 P.P.E. - 4 P.P.E. per level], Shadow of Fear (5) [4 P.P.E. +2 P.P.E. for 10 ft additional radius], Shadow Shield (7) [30 min/level 20 S.D.C. per 2 PPE.- 4 P.P.E. per level], Shadow Slide (8) [10 P.P.E. minute], Soul Shield (6) [4 P.P.E. per hour]

Magic Abilities:

Understand the Principles of Magic: 98%, Same as the Sorcerer O.C.C.

Sense Ley Lines and Nexus Points: Range 1 mile (1.6 km) or line of sight (whichever is less). Ability is same as the Sorcerer O.C.C.

Spells:

First Level: Blinding Flash (1), Cloud of Smoke (2), Death Trance (1), Globe of Daylight (2), See Aura (2), See the Invisible (2), Sense Evil (1), Sense Magic (2), Sense P.P.E.(3), Thunderclap(2)

Second Level: Befuddle (3), Cleanse (6), Climb (3), Cloak of Darkness (6), Concealment (3), Detect Concealment (4), Extinguish Fire(4), Fear (5), Heavy Breathing (3), Levitation (4), Mystic Alarm(4), Ritual: Call Creature of Light (10), Turn Dead (6)

Third Level: Breathe Without Air (5), Energy Bolt (5), Fingers of Wind (5), Float in Air (5), Fuel Flame (5), Ignite Fire (6), Impervious to Fire (5), Impression (4), Invisibility: Simple (6), Magic Armor(10), Negate Poisons / Toxins (5), Ritual: Call Nightlands Denizen (15), Telekinesis (6)

Fourth Level: Astral Projection (7), Charismatic Aura (7), Cure Minor Disorders (7), Energy Field (7), Fire Bolt (7), Multiple Image (7), Repel Animals (7), Shadow Meld (7), Swim as Fish (6), Trance (7)

Fifth level: Calling (8), Charm Weapon(15), Circle of Flame(10), Domination(10), Energy Disruption(12),

Escape (8), Eyes of Thoth (S), Heal Wounds(10), Horrific Illusion(10), Mend the Broken (10+), Midnight Wind (12), Sleep(10)

Sixth Level: Apparition (20), Call Lightning (15), Compulsion (20), Cure Illness (15), Detect Poison(10), Fire Ball (10), Impervious to Energy (20), Mask of Deceit (15), Ritual: Call Nightlord (25), Teleport: Lesser (15), Time Slip (20), Tongues (12), Words of Truth (15)

Seventh Level: Agony (20), Animate & Control Dead (20), Invisibility: Superior(25), Life Drain (25), Negate Mechanics (20), Paralysis: Superior (25), Purification [Food / Water] (20), Ritual: An Eye for An Eye (30), Second Sight (20), Wind Rush (20)

Eight Level: Locate (30), Love Charm (40), Luck Curse(35), Minor Curse (30), Negation [Magic] (30), Nightlands Portal (50), Oracle (30), Sickness (35), Temporary Enchantment (70)

Ninth Level: Curse: Phobia (40), Protection Circle: Simple (45), Summon and Control Canines (50), Swords to Snakes (50)

Tenth Level: Banishment (65), Bind Nightbane (70), Bonding (80), Control / Enslave Entity (80), Summon / Control Rodents (70), Summon Nightlands Denizen (75), Summon Shadow Beast (140), Wards (90)

Eleventh Level: Control Nightlands Denizen(85), Create Magic Scroll (160), Firequake (160), Nightlands Passage (100), Remove Curse (140), Summon and Control Animals (125), Summon Fog (140), Summon Nightlord Avatar (150)

Twelfth Level: Amulet (290), Calm Storms (200), Summon Entity (250), Summon Rain (200)

Thirteenth Level: Enchant Weapon (300), Protection Circle: Superior (250), Summon Storm (300), Summon Nightlord (425), Sanctum (390), Talisman (500)

Fourteenth Level: Close Rift (200), Id Barrier (600), Restoration (750)

Fifteenth Level: Dimensional Portal (1000), Teleport: Superior(600)

R.C.C. Skills (Nightbane Sorceress): Physical: Hand to hand: Basic, Science: Mathematics: Basic (+25%) 98%, Technical: Language: German [Native] 98%, Language: English (+15%) 98%, Language: Latin (+15%) 98%, Literacy: German [Native] 98%, Literacy: English (+15%) 98%, Literacy: Latin (+15%) 98%, Lore: Demon and Monster (+15%) 98%, Lore: Geomancy (+15%) 98%, Lore: Religion (+10%) 98%, Research (+20%) 98%, Writing (+10%) 97%.

R.C.C. Related Skills: Domestic: Cooking (+10%) 98%, Espionage: Wilderness Survival [Gained at Sixth Level] 67%, Physical: Boxing [Gained at Twelfth Level], Pilot: Pilot Automobile [Gained at Ninth Level] (+5%) 78%, Science: Archaeology (+10%) 92%, Astronomy (+10%) 97%, Technical: Language: French [Gained at Third Level](+10%) 95%, Literacy: French [Gained at Third Level](+10%) 92%, Lore: Nightbane (+10%) 98%, Lore: Nightlands (+10%) 97%, Lore: Vampires (+10%), Wilderness: Identify Plants and Fruits 87%,

Secondary Skills: Domestic: Dancing 92%, Singing 97%, Physical: Athletics - General [Gained at Eighth Level], Prowl [Gained at Eighth Level] 52%, Running [Gained at Fourth Level], Swimming [Gained at Fourth Level] 97%, W.P. Ancient: W.P. Archery & Targeting - Crossbow (+1 Parry / +5 Strike / 8 Attacks), W.P. Knife (+3 Throw / +3 Strike / +4 Parry)

Appearance:

Her facade or human form, whatever term you prefer, she is a relatively short woman at only five feet tall. She looks young, maybe in her early to mid twenties. While not a model, she is far from unattractive. She had dark brown hair which she keeps shoulder length. She has brown eyes and relatively dark skin. Her figure is not unattractive either and one can tell that she is a woman. She has medium breasts and reasonable hips.

She does wear a bit of cosmetic, usually having her lips painted a bright red and darkens her eye with eye shadow. In addition, she wears nail polish normally. As far as her clothes, she does generally prefer dresses, having gotten more or less used to them with pants only being something that women have worn for the last fifty or sixty years. She does not have a hang up and will sometimes wear slacks. She dislikes wearing jeans however. She usually wears dress shoes including high heels. Does usually wear some jewelry as well, some of which is enchanted both with the spells of “Amulet” and “Talisman.”

While she has a reasonably good feminine body in her facade form, her Nightbane is extremely eventuated. She has quite large breasts, wide hips, and a pinched in waist. Instead of having brown hair, she has red hair. On her back is a pair of bat wings and she has a set of horn on her head. She also has a long prehensile tail with a stinger on the back. While reasonable attractive in her facade form, she is stunning in her Nightbane form. Her form wears minimal clothing, not much more than her breasts and loins covered. Jewelry she wears is carried over to this form.

Weapons, Magical:

2 Enchanted Knifes: Weight: 0.6 lbs (0.3 kg) each

Weapon is enchanted with the spell of “Enchant Weapon” permanently enchanted and inflict double damage to supernatural creatures.

Damage: 1D6 (+2 for facade strength / 4D6+18 for Strength as Nightbane), does double damage vs supernatural creatures. Range: Hand to Hand or Thrown.

Enchanted Modern Crossbow: Weight 7 lbs (3.2 kg)

Weapon is enchanted with the spell of “Enchant Weapon” permanently enchanted and inflict double damage to supernatural creatures.

Damage: 2D6 [+2 for Strength) - does double damage vs supernatural creatures. Range: 700 feet (213 meters).

Weapons, Normal:

24 Crossbow Bolts - 8 Silver tipped for use against vampires.

Magical Items:

Enchanted “Amulet” Necklace - Stones are enchanted with the spell “Amulet”

Charm: Gives a bonus of +1 to save against magic and psychic attacks

Protection from the Supernatural: Gives a bonus of +2 to save vs Horror Factor

See the Invisible: Enables the wearer to see the invisible

Turn the Undead: The charm prevents the undead from physically touching them while they wear or touch the amulet. The amulet works much like a cross does against a vampire. Effective against all undead, including mummies, zombies, and vampires.

6 Enchanted “Talisman” Bracelets:

Wears three bracelets on each arm, each enchanted with the spell of “Talisman.” Each stores 50 P.P.E. for a total of 300 P.P.E. Enchanted by her so can be recharged by her as well.

Other Equipment:

Properties: Several households (Households in United States, Canada, England, and Germany) under various assumed names. Some are in cities while others are in rural areas. Many of the houses have small to medium sized libraries (including occult sections.)

Vehicles: 1999 Oldsmobile Aurora - Grey / Silver in color

Clothing: Multiple dresses, some dress slacks, sweaters, dress shoes, high heels, and underwear. Has a quite extensive wardrobe.

Other Items: Makeup and feminine items, perfume, comb and brush, purse, cell phone, several extensive libraries, multiple spell books, notebooks,

Valuables & Properties: 4 million in bank accounts (under different names), 20,000 worth of jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings.)

Hexe’s History (In her own words):

There are a few Nightbane older than I am but not many. I don’t know exactly how old I am but know that I grew up in the later part of the Fifteenth Century. I was raised in a town which was in one of the numerous small kingdom that made up the Holy Roman Empire. Now it is in the eastern part of Germany.

I was raised in a minor noble household. Maria Kölbl, the woman I called my mother was a skilled practitioner of the mystical arts. Not until I was sixteen was I told that I was not actually her daughter by birth but loved me just the same as if she had bore me herself. A basket with me was found at her door, a mystery even to her where the basket came from. Apparently, her husband had died around the same time as she had found me. How he died, she never said although I suspect that it was a disease.

My first memories were lessons in magic. While my mother was a skilled sorceress, I could always call on much higher mystical energies than she could. It was only much later that I learned why I was so powerful in the mystical arts. I was not actually human but instead a creature known as Nightbane. Almost never got ill as a child either.

While there had been some witch hunts in the last few centuries, they were few in number before then. In general, as long as it was kept quiet, those that practiced the magic arts were left alone. Times though were changing. Honestly, few of the victims were actually practitioners of the mystic arts. Most were innocent women, many old and destitute. In some cases though, the witch hunters went after wealthy women to seize their properties.

One reason for that was a “witch hunter” by the name of Heinrich Kramer. He wrote the book “Malleus Maleficarum.” Translated into English, the tile of the book means the “Witches Hammer.” Almost no book ever written is as hate filled towards women. The horrid book advocated torture to get women to confess to being witches.

Modern scholars have various positions on Heinrich Kramer, trying to understand his hatred for women. Not so sure myself. I have my own theories myself. Could he have been a Doppelganger servant of the Night Lords. Even worse, could he have been a Night Prince or the Avatar of a Night Lord. The goal of the Night Lords could have to kill those who practiced the mystic arts as potentially stopping the Night Lord’s plans. Could also simply have been their sheer love of torture and carnage.

The world was changing in other respect as well with the Enlightenment slowly spreading. Syphilis also first appeared. Many considered it a curse from god in response to perceived sexual depravities. People looked around for someone to blame. In prior centuries, the Jews had been a scapegoat and blamed for anything went wrong. Now, witches were added to the list after Pope Innocent VIII.

Should not really have been surprised when my mother was accused of being a witch. We should have fled when we saw them. Who accused her, I have some ideas but cannot say with any certainty. Over the years, many men had visited my mother and tried to be quite forceful in getting her to agree to marry them. Not the only possibility and there are a number of corrupt priests who might have accused her. There are other possibilities as well.

We were arrested together. Of course, if the mother is a witch, the daughter has to be a witch as well. We were chained up and prevented from being able to speak. Of course, that also prevented any ability to cast spells to escape. Completely stripped naked, they searched us for witches marks. There was the suggestion that if we “cooperated”, that we might find the situation easier.

Tortured long enough, one will confess to anything. The torture started with not being allowed to sleep for days. Three or four days of being prevented from sleeping. We were given no food or watch. Afterwards, we were both almost delirious from this. Periodically the metal bridle was removed so that we might confess. Somehow though, both my mother and I managed to hold out.

Not satisfied, they went to harsher techniques. We were whipped, hung from the ceiling with our arms pulled behind us, and metal boots were used to break our legs. That broke us and we both confessed. When my mother confessed, I am not sure. Might have held out a bit longer than she did but does it really matter.

With dislocated joints and broken legs, there was no way we could escape. Of course we were condemned to death, burned alive. While I had somehow avoided it, my mother had caught some kind of fever. She was babbling incoherently, or trying to. Even while being carried to the stake, they kept us gagged. Otherwise, we might be able to yell out to the crowd that gathered to watch us burn.

As the wood caught fire around me, I could feel something different. I was transforming. In a way, I became what they expected. Horns grew from my head, a pair of wings grew from my back, and suddenly I had a tail. There are many other female Nightbane who look like female demons, Sukkabus, but as far as I know I am the oldest one. Suddenly, I was strong enough to rip the ropes that tired me to the stake. I tried to rescue my mother but she was gone by this point.

Seeing the execution still holding a torch, I attacked him and ripped him to shreds. Several of the guards had brought out crossbows and arquebus and had begun to fire at me. The smoke from the fire obscured their view and guns were incredibly inaccurate back then. Still, a few managed to hit. They hurt a little but not like they would have hurt before I had transformed. Where I bled rom being shot, my blood came out as fire. Still, I made myself invisible. That is what my mother and I should have done as soon as we saw the men heading for our estate.

Over the next few days, I hunted down all of those that had tortured my mother and I. Yes, they met very gruesome ends. Will not apologize for that and they at least would not be able to put any other women into the fire. I purloined their stolen wealth. They had made themselves quite wealthy off the suffering of others and the gold and silver offered me to make a new life.

Decided that England would be my best choice. The money I had liberated was carefully invested, keeping carefully behind the scenes. Stayed in the larger cities, where I might be less noticeable. London is where I first settled. Every few years, I would move, either to another part of the same city or a different city. London is where I first met another Nightbane. There were only a few hundred of us at the time. Over the years, I met some more practitioners of the arts, both human and other Nightbane. Some were just as evil as the vampires.

London was also where I fought the first vampire menace. There were vampires that basically kept their heads down but these were a group who had already killed dozens of victims. The master vampires and several of the secondaries were also sorcerers. With the help of some of the other Nightbane, the vampires were defeated although the master managed to escape. Later, I found out that he had gone to the New World.

Vampires and other sorcerers are not the only menace. Periodically even then the Nightlords would send their minions across the mirror wall. We had to fight them to keep them from getting a foothold. Did periodically go across the mirror wall to attack at the source. There were also demons not related to them. Sometimes a sorcerer would make a pact with them and bring them across. They are just as evil and dangerous as the Nightlords. Of course, with my form looking like a demon, I have been mistaken for them quite a number of times.

With the discovery of the new world, a surprising number of Nightbane headed for the New World as fresh start. In fact, some of the first wave of settlers were Nightbane. If you read the lists of survivors, there are good odds than many of those were Nightbane. Tougher, able to regenerate. Some of those who could transform into animals also decided to just meld into the wilderness, living a life of hunters and trappers. Some of the native peoples were also Nightbane.

In the meantime, in England, Oliver Cromwell murdered the king and made himself ruler of England. Under his rule, witch hunters flourished again even though it had previous died down. Was concerned that witch hunting would sweep the whole country. It seemed like a good time to head of the New World myself. Of course, soon after I came across, there were the witch trial in Salem Massachusetts. There were still Indian attacks but there were enough settlers that it seemed secure.

Settled my own isolated estate where I was mostly left alone. Made a deal with a Nightbane Indian Mystic named Paponaw that his tribe and I would leave each other alone. We worked together against creatures of the dark. On occasion, we fought against the other tribes and against encroaching English colonists. Over two hundred years old at the time, I was a pretty skilled sorceress. We kept it secret but Paponaw and I were lovers. From time to time in England and Germany before then, I had lovers as well. Had plenty of suitors over the years but did not want to give what I had to anybody.

Kept slaves, something I cannot say I am proud of tody but I can only say that times were simply different. They were not Nightbane, not like anybody could keep one of us a slave, and I didn’t consider myself to mistreat them at the time. Obviously, nobody wants to be a slave.

Powerful sorceress or not, one can only keep settlers at bay for so long. Paponaw was forced to flee west with his tribe. Thought about going with the tribe but in the end never was much for the life of a nomad. Wish I knew what had happened to him. There is some rumor that his tribe was massacred by settlers but from what I heard, he escaped, possibly through the reflection in a pool. Maybe he is somewhere still in the Nightlands.

Soon after the tribe headed west, I decided to sell my estate and move to Philadelphia. There was a large society of mages in the city. It was just in time for the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Ran a brothel for a time. Never really concerned myself with the wars between people if I had a choice, instead dealing with servants of darkness. Vampires, an occasional servants of the Nightlords, and other creatures.

Over what seemed just the next few years, the world changed. Prior to that, there were slow changes but nothing like what hit my world. Just a few of the changes were gas lighting, steam engines, and the railroad. One could light your home far brighter than with lanterns or candles. On a train, one could travel across the country in just a few days when it would have taken weeks or even months before. Inherently, some of the Nightbane I met incorporated some of this new technology into their forms such as having steam powered arms and legs.

While traveling, ran into the vampire that I had banished from London almost two centuries before. This was just before the Civil War. He had set up in a plantation in Georgia. There were a large number of humans bound to him and his secondary vampires. Although his magical arts had not gained, he had grown powerful in the politics of the south.

Recruited a number of younger Nightbane to fight him. By now, I had begun to be called simply “Hexe” or the “Sorceress.” I was considered ancient by many of them, knowing mystic arts far beyond what any of them did. By this time, I regretted keeping slaves and recruited slaves into helping fight the vampires and their minions. After this time managing to kill the master vampire and most of his secondary vampire as well. Afterwards, I helped the slaves escape to the north. Don’t know if the incident might have been one of the sparks which fed the war coming. Otherwise, I avoided the War although plenty of Nightbane fought on both sides of the War.

With steam ships, I was able to visit both England and Germany once again. I had not been across the Atlantic and returned “home” in hundreds of years. At least this time, I was able to travel in style with my investments making me pretty wealthy by this point. Basically, otherwise I just enjoyed the life of a wealthy socialite.

Germany was no longer the Holy Roman Empire and the industrial revolution had taken hold. Where it had been a hodgepodge of small countries only loosely joined, now it was a single empire on its way to being a world power. I generally preferred to stay out of wars between just normal peoples. Granted, people are always as good at killing each other as any demon.

As a result, I sat out World War One, or “The Great War” as it was called at the time. World War Two was different however. The Nazis were willing to deal with the dark forces including evil sorcerers and demons. One plan was to summon a massive demon army to kill the allied armies. As a German speaker, I ended up going to Germany working to stop the demon summoners. We managed to stop them just before the summoning began.

Some of us who practiced the art knew something was happening a few years before Dark Day but we never knew exactly what. There were some ideas and we thought it had something to do with the Nightlords. We considered going public but never did. I never picked up a knack for computers. My ways was always in the shelves of a library. As such, I was shocked when one of the other practitioners of the arts told me about what she found on the internet. It was the diary of apparently a truly ancient Nightbane known as the Wanderer. Watched with alarm as we saw minions of the Nightlords take over key positions in the government all over the world.

Still, when Dark Day happened, it was far worse than anything most of us had imagined. As one of the oldest Nightbane Sorceress on the planet, I had to take a role in the fight. There were so many more of our race that appeared over the coming months. Somebody had to help them. Those of us, the elders, had to do it. I had already had the name “Hexe” for over a century but young people, as they will do, decided to be humorous with it and call me “Hexy.” Don’t mind really. Maybe we will win, maybe we will lose. I have been around a long time but nobody lives forever.

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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