The Bewitched Book

**The Bewitched Book** is a Story Arc of the the Exteria Multiverse. It takes place in Elysiana, in the subplane of Eludocia and follows the perspective of talented but cursed witches Sordaria and Jasmine.

## Main Arc

### Witches Assemble

A chance meeting between Jasmine, a young shaman looking for her father, Inquisitor Alexis, and Sordaria, an ambitious witch that was cast out from her previous Circle due to her heretical research, quickly turns to the two of them teaming up upon discovering their aims are connected to a mysterious Book of the Damned.

This tome, which Alexis searches, and which Sordaria seeks to use in order to return to her previous abilities, has been sealed away a long time ago, yet there exists an elaborate ritual that allows to summon it back to the world of the living. Accompanied by the ever-curious and avaritious Kanata, the pair attempts to learn more about this ritual.

### A Deep, Dark Scheme

This eventually brings them to the land of the Drow, dark elves led by the new Deity Llothfaen, whose champion Sorath attempts to corrupt Jasmine in order to accomplish part of the ritual. The triad of witches is saved by the intervention of the mysterious Songbird, a bard with strange powers that seems to hold an interest in the group.

As many groups attempt to solve the ritual simultaneously - Llothfaen seeking to expand her own power, the demon Haagenti manipulating the drow to further his own ends, and Alexis attempting to destroy the book by unlocking it first - the wandering witches, try to race the ritual as well to prevent people with ill-intent from claiming it first.

In a city manipulated by an evil and twisted **Hag**, a monstrous abomination that is in fact Jasmine's mother, the witches, joined by a crafty and insightful companion, Vayas, watch as Alexis intervenes and kills the hag, accomplishing once more part of the ritual. While Jasmine attempts to reason Alexis, the latter leaves.

### The Fairy and the Winter-Witch

The next steps of the ritual brings the group to the First World, a realm populared by Fairy-like creatures. Despite accomplishing their part of the ritual, the witches learn that "Songbird" is in fact Echo, a criminal from another world with never-ending ambitions seeking to seize the Book for his own, twisted intentions.

Echo dismisses the accusation and despite the witches' growing suspicion, keeps traveling with them. The group's travels lead them to a holy town, under Alexis's control. There, the group is stopped by Melaniel - the witch that once banished Sordaria from her Circle and deprived her from her powers, and seeks to prevent the ritual from unfolding.

Although trapped in an icy extradimensional labyrinth by Melaniel at first, the group manages to evade it and clash with the powerful ice witch. However, before the combat unfolds, attacks from inquisitors result in Melaniel taking a sealing bullet and being reduced to a weakened familiar form, and Sordaria chooses to bring her alongside herself despite their past.

### The Drows' Meddling

Investigating Alexis's whereabouts in the town, the group teams up with freelance inquisitor-witch Elegy upon learning that Alexis has slaughtered cultists of an evil god in order to further the ritual. As Haagenti attempts to swoop in and absorb the cultists' souls, Sorath's meddling results in the group unwittingly transferring the souls to Llothfaen.

Llothfaen then contacts herself the group by the means of her witch servant Lliandra, seeking to form an alliance with them - relinquishing her ties to the book if the group manages to kill Haagenti, as she greatly resents him for his actions. The group complies, due to Haagenti's hateful acts, and despite his best temptation, the fiend lord is defeated.

### Alexis's Reckoning

The ultimate part of the ritual requires for only a single person to desire the book. Echo agrees to renounce the book on condition that Sordaria is the one to have it - in exchange for which Sordaria would join his own organization. However, Alexis has yet to give up, and instead plans to become immortal and seal himself away to permanently deny the book.

The group confronts Alexis before he puts himself through endless purgatory, and Jasmine manages to obtain an agreement from Alexis - that he would relinquish the book if the group was able to purify it. Alexis tells the witches about the book's past, as it was written by a broken angel named Thamiel, whose consciousness still suffuses the Book.

Through shared power, sorcerous talent and empathy, the group manages to purge Thamiel from his pain, accomplishing their part of the deal, and allowing Sordaria to hold custody of the book. With the ritual over, Echo returns to the sidelines, enigmatic as ever, as Jasmine reunites with her father and Melaniel applauds her student's progress.

## Characters

* Sordaria
* Jasmine
* Echo Cypher
* Melaniel
* Kanata
* Vayas
* Elegy
* Lliandra
* Llothfaen
* Kuri-ma Sorath
* Haagenti
* Alexis
* Thamiel

## Trivia

* This Storyline follows a **Pathfinder** narrative, as customary of Elysiana stories.
	+ Each of the main characters possesses the ability (as defined in Pathfinder) to join a witch circle.