Witch

## Abilities

 E |  | **Scourge of Destiny** | The Witch curses the target. An evil mark appears above the target, causing damage to a specific unit several seconds.

## History

**Aleera, the villain witch.** The Order of Sorceresses had always kept its secrets well hidden in the deserts of El Fior. Seductive, beautiful and immortal witches had been increasing their power for ages. They lived in pyramids in forgotten sand valleys, unseen by anyone. They mistrusted men and would kidnap only girls from local villages, choosing those who had a magical gift. The little girls were taught magic. Year after year, local women would find crystal balls in empty cradles. One could see the faces of kidnapped babies in those balls.

People say that the ball cracked in the cradle of Aleera's, the daughter of the local stargazer - her image was too powerful for the ball to reflect it.

Young Aleera was different from other girls. Her talent was too powerful, and her temper was unpredictable. Things that would have taken other sorceresses years to learn, she would master in a couple of weeks. Ghosts inhabiting ancient pyramids in the sand obeyed her as though they knew something about the girl that was concealed even from her teachers. Magic didn't trouble her at all, which gave Aleera a lot of time to travel and read – a luxury unknown to other girls. Books showed her how immense the world was beyond the sand valleys, where the witches domineered. This knowledge ignited a dangerous fire in her heart.

The knowledge of witches was considered so dangerous and valuable that only senior witches were allowed to leave the sacred pyramids. Aleera, who'd already had her first taste of freedom, soon started feeling a prisoner of the pyramids, the entrances to which were guarded by the most powerful magicians she knew. But there was nothing that could stop her now.

When Aleera turned 19, she rebelled. In the hall of sacraments she confronted the Ancient Witches, who had been her teachers for all those years, demanding freedom. She was supported by the ghosts that had been sleeping in the sand, and for the first time in the world's history, the magic of the Order was directed against itself, when the power of 12 Ancient Witches struck the rebellious pupil. It did struck her, but it failed to break her. The power of curses made the ceiling crack and the floor break into thousands of tiny pieces under the girl's feet. But her craving for freedom was much stronger. The ghosts came to her rescue and summoned whirls of sand that covered the valley and made the earth shake under their pressure. A crack ran through the valley breaking the pyramid into two parts and separating the pupil from the witches. She was free now.

Aleera came out of the sand whirl and left the Valley of Witches that very day - she was the only one who had ever managed to do that. The whole world lay before her now. She was seen in many parts of the continent. The young witch travelled around the world looking for new knowledge and trying the limits of her powers. She was mistakenly tipped to become the court magician. Aleera's rebellious nature protested against any kind of authority and knew no laws. The sorceress preferred to achieve her goals using force or magical seduction. That's how she would get money from rich merchants' purses. Her legend became unique – a legend of a villain with immense magical power and insatiable desire to travel who would look for new treasures to steal and new lands to explore.

When rumours about discovering the Golden Lands and their capital - the mysterious Alcatta - spread in all kingdoms, Aleera immediately decided to start a new journey. Now, when she was wanted in all kingdoms, every hunter knew he should look for Aleera in the Golden Lands, since it was there, where her restless soul found its final destination – new mysteries, the world's largest treasures, and numerous legions of heroes from all lands with whom she could practice her magical skills.