Unwanted Necromantic Attention: The Ellywen Incident

First, some disclaimers/housekeeping:

• This is an attempt to create opportunities for roleplay and open-world PvP that are fun and enjoyable for everyone involved - out of character, Ellywen and Sheearyn are working together closely to make sure it remains a positive experience.
• We'd really like the event to be welcoming and inclusive to as many people as possible - when it started, Sheearyn was circle 73 and Ellywen was right around 90, which is...kind of tiny, by most PvP standards. We're hoping that characters around our size can participate, without just getting smashed by bigger characters.
• That said, if you'd like to be involved, please reach out and let us know! We're excited to be having fun telling stories with one another, and we ALSO want to include other interested parties.

2025-11-19

Last night, Ellywen killed Sheearyn , and proceeded to threaten to kill her AGAIN after she came back and granted Ellywen's request for a discussion. After Sheearyn ran away, refusing to be used in threats to coerce others, Cambin attempted to reason with Ellywen - eliciting information that makes it clear that Sheearyn should expect more, um, attention - but also cutting a deal with her that gives us a week to prepare before any more attacks (assuming Ellywen can be trusted to keep her word). Sheearyn's looking for folks to accompany her when she needs to venture outside of city walls, and for folks willing to come to her aid when Ellywen inevitably gets her hands on Sheearyn's corpse again.

2025-11-21

After making a deal with Cambin not to attack Sheearyn for a week, Ellywen killed again last night and confirmed everyone's suspicions that the necromancer's word can't be trusted. Sheearyn showed up for a discussion about how she'd really appreciate her friends' flesh not being Ellywen's choice of knife storage - but that conversation didn't happen, as Ellywen chose to take the opportunity to slay Iceander , Sheearyn , and Cambin before they really even pulled their act together.

Luckily, at least some of Sheearyn's recruiting efforts seem to have paid off - Salvitoriel was able to dispatch the assailant and drag Sheearyn's corpse to the (relative) safety of Phelim's shrine while waiting for aid - which Ellywen seemed none too pleased about.

Meanwhile, Cambin and Sheearyn are both receiving letters from Ellywen which ride a very confusing line between sweet and threatening, and there are some, as yet ineffective, efforts afoot for others to court Ellywen in an attempt to distract from her...love?...for Sheearyn.

2025-11-22

(Ellywen's Perspective)

Mine and Sheearyn's first date went really well. This is the story as I recall it:

Finally... @Sheearyn asked me out on a date!

Lipstick? Classy. Mascara? Regal.

The Gilded Unicorn - A Bar in Kaerna. She wants to introduce me to her friends!

I'll be there. I stepped into the bar and quickly made a combat assessment. Cambin - Paladin, Iceander - Moon Mage, Larxene - Thief?Barbarian?, Daevhid - ?, Venshen - gross, Sheearyn - Gorgeous!

Drinks were flowing, tea was sipping, jokes were laughing. "A gift?"... I whisper, "Thank you, Venshen... this is very thoughtful." "BURN HER!""BURN HER!"

Hey.. I think we need to go for a stroll.. get some fresh air?"

We take the party to the street. More fun. More friends. We move outside the gate.

Sheearyn gestures. A thick, dusky light reminiscent of honey shimmers over her body. Have tensions been rising? THUNK Darkness.

Violence is upon me..

I don't recall what I'd done to upset the young thief, but she was charging me stiletto in hand and a glint in her eye!

I love her passion. I rip her to shreds.

I turned my attention to the other assailant (Daevhid) and his large clockwork crab. A brutal and skilled assailant. In the end I devour his corpse.

Almost alone with her..

But that pesky pacifist paladin suggested they leave, thwarting my chances this time and leaving me to start planning our next date.

(Larxene's Perspective)

Sheearyn asked me today to meet up with her to discuss an incident that happened last week. Seems some filthy necromancer's taken it into her mind that she's in love with Sheearyn. Understandable, but she needs to learn a lesson about relationships.

I met Sheearyn at a tavern in Kaerna before the group moved into rock trolls for some strategic training. We practiced keeping Cambin alive against a single (overwhelming) opponent and I think they did alright. I've got a lot of work to do, though, if I'm going to be able to protect my friend.

Then she arrived.

I don't really understand why, but we agreed to a truce to try to talk things over. I have very little to say to a necromancer, but I agreed for Sheearyn's sake. Sometimes I wish I could break that kind of truce. Sometimes. Thankfully, she broke it for me.

After what seemed like an eternity of "diplomacy" that went nowhere, Ellywen summoned a dirt construct and I... snapped. I failed miserably. And then she snapped me. In half. Terror gripped me as I realized my companions were dropping like flies. This necromancer is a monster, and we were giving her more bodies to defile with every passing roisan.

Things have calmed down but I need to go back South for now. I'll be back for Ellywen, when I'm ready.

2025-11-28

(Sheearyn's Perspective)

After a few days of not having heard much from Ellywen, my crew and I - hopeful that something had happened to her - decided to perform a wellness check to ensure Ellywen's unwellness. Unfortunately, we chose a team (Sheearyn, Cambin, and Souv) that was much more suited to ensuring someone's health than their death, and Ellywen remained quite well. The same couldn't be said for us, and we returned to Crossing to reassess our approach around our daily lives.

My daily life, right now, includes attending Wyvern Trials fairly regularly - so I was, of course, at the Hollow Eve Tournament helping to heal. Elly showed up and - neither party wanting to make a scene around such a large crowd - things went smoothly until the end, when Elly got the idea that I'd been flirting with her, and offered - rather insistently - to walk me home. I opted, instead, for a different escort - and thankfully made it home safely, but with a newfound appreciation of the buddy system.

Unfortunately, Elly didn't seem to get the hint that I'm not interested - and started requesting that I come visit her for some alone time. She put on quite a convincing act of being a lonely girl who just needed some human contact, which I have quite a soft spot for. While I managed to resist her charm, it did occur to me that kidnappings don't always happen by force alone.

Meanwhile, Larxene was paid a visit while hunting near Shard and, as I hear it, agreed to...trade makeup tips? Instead of stabbing the murderous necromancer? Anyway, she did warn us that Ellywen was coming for Cambin, next, giving us time to join him in Lost Crosing under the Moon Mage Guild. It was Zaelinn's first time encountering the villain, and - caught off guard by her strength - everyone went down fairly quickly. Ellywen did, inexplicably, spare my life - this time - allowing me to heal my companions just as Daevhid was showing up to make one final (valiant, but unsuccessful) attempt to bring her down.

Last night, I finally put the pieces together - between the temptation to fulfil her requests for time with me against my better judgment, Larxene's agreement to have makeup-time, Cambin's repeated hanging out with her despite reliably ending up with knives embedded in him - Ellywen's not a necromancer at all. She's some sort of succubus or siren, masquerading as a necromancer because it's easier to blend in to society.

With this new realization about her true nature, Zaelinn, Cambin, Salvitoriel, and I were able to show up and defeat her while resisting her wiles even as she begged for mercy. Once dead, she was much less charming, and we must have all let our guard down, because we then found ourselves at a bar, drinking together, and passing around a cake she offered as shared food. Eventually, everyone had their fill, and she encouraged me to finish the cake, which I did. I must have blacked out for a moment, after that, because I came to my senses in a different place, alone with her. Fortuitously, Salvitoriel's leopard showed up in short order, reassuring me that rescue was on its way. Cambin and Salvitoriel got me safely back to Crossing, where we took the opportunity to learn from the encounter and prepare for next time we inevitably cross paths with the necromantic siren.

2025-12-02

Cambin's Diary

I was hunting near Shard when I felt Ary's—that is Sheearyn's—death. The young necromancer, Ellywen, had seen me there earlier in the day and planned her attack well, knowing I'd be far away and unable to come to Ary's defense this time. We'd apparently been rude to her in the previous days, and she planned to extract an apology from each of us.

I ran, still injured from hunting. Delay at the gondola. Delay at the ferry. All the while sending her small taunts over the gweth, hoping to goad her into coming after me to give Ary a chance to be resurrected. I knew a friend would come for her body, and it would be easier without the witch there trying to tell her story about demons to Ary's dead ears.

By the time I arrived, Inouvu had come for Ary and had driven off the necromancer in the process, but I saw saw signs of the struggle and knew her obsession wouldn't let her go far.

I soon found Diane, her poor Risen, and knew. I was already hurt, alone and outmatched, but unable to consider letting Ellywen think she could slaughter one of us while the rest of us stood by and did nothing. But she's strong, and she wasn't alone. She had an arisen lout zombie with her. And the centipede. Why does it have to be a centipede?

I made my best effort to return the poor lout to his slumber. The witch screamed for me to stop, that she'd just healed him.

Funny.

As I waited, hoping to be rescued by someone friendly, I had no choice but to listen to her madness. How I taunted her in some way. She was about to say something about why she must vex me when Ary thankfully showed up and dragged me away. It's best to not let her words get traction in your mind. But still I wonder...

2025-12-03

Cambin's Diary

Ary, Zaelinn, Salvitoriel, and I received word that the necromancer was in Fang Cove. Knowing her habits and routines well by now, we decided to throw a little party near the Fang Cove portal at Shard's east gate.

Eventually Diane passed by and spotted us, and we knew the witch's arrival couldn't be far off. Diane tried to throw us off guard with idle chitchat, but I'm onto this trick by now. I watched and waited.

Soon Ary's empath powers detected someone hiding a sort distance away. We knew who it was.

Things happened quickly. I was unable to protect Ary, and disgracefully she was killed while I still lived. A sin for which I must atone. However, our efforts allowed Zaelinn and Tori to regroup, and Zaelinn was finally able to kill the witch.

Ary and I were returned to life. The necromancer...did whatever unholy thing it is that returns her to life and ran off.

And that's when she's at her most dangerous. After dying, she pretends she's in a weakened state. A helpless baby bird. Then her words begin, and this harmless and defenseless young woman couldn't possibly be truly evil, and the words work themselves into your mind.

It's dangerous to speak to her alone, especially when she's in this state. I know this. I've fallen for her tricks before. She can make you do things you don't want to do, just because you want to make her happy. I don't think Ary knows this. And the things that make her a great empath—empathy, understanding, compassion—make her particularly susceptible, I think, because she suddenly decided she was going to go speak with the witch alone, if she could find her. She believed she could reason on the necromancer in her weakened state.

I was too stunned to argue.

Our group disbanded, and I wandered the streets of Shard, feeling uneasy. Time went by. Too much time, and I began to worry about Ary.

I've watched the young necromancer for a long time. I know her habits and haunts and thought I would check a nearby tavern I knew she frequented to see if Ary was there and all right. I saw no one in the common room, but with a sinking feeling decided to check upstairs. I found them together in the hallway. I suddenly felt I'd interrupted something intimate, even indecent. I turned away and rushed down the stairs before they could see me blush to the tips of my ears.

I'll need to keep an eye on Ary. This isn't a good development.

This was confirmed later when I found Ary in the Empath's Guild courtyard. Diane was there claiming Ary was the necromancer's girlfriend. Ary didn't argue.

2025-12-05

Cambin's Diary

I took Ary hunting with me, hoping to keep an eye on her and away from the witch. Unfortunately said witch knows my habits and haunts as well as I know hers, and she found us. She announced her presence by mocking my ability to parry. She cast a few spells at us, but seemed oddly...restrained. I think she was still trying to persuade Ary she was only an injured baby bird. But then something suddenly shifted in her, and she began to advance. She pretended she didn't want to, and that she couldn't help herself. And her attacks did seem subdued. Yet I am not included to trust her and dragged Ary to safety some distance away.

The necromancer followed. Pleaded. She didn't want to attack us. She just wanted to see us.

While she doesn't lie, her words still can't be trusted. And I was right. She couldn't help herself, and a small scuffle ensued. She stopped and urged everyone to stay calm. A funny thing from her, as she next lost control a suddenly grabbed Ary and wouldn't let go. Ary couldn't escape. I had no choice but to attack and managed to keep the necromancer at bay long enough for her to return to her senses and release Ary.

Following this, Ary somehow managed to get her to stay and to remain mostly calm. We tried to get the witch to explain to us why she'd attacked us, but it turned out to be more of her paranoia: we'd somehow insulted her, we were setting a trap for her and our friends would be there soon, how threated she is by us. The same madness as always.

The conversation eventually became whispers between Ary and the witch. I pretended not to be paying attention, but quietly worried. Never let the necromancer's words into your head. Ever.

Whatever was said it was hurtful to both sides, and the witch ran off while I comforted Ary.

2025-12-06

Cambin's Diary

Ary has written our little team a letter. She suggests a new approach to dealing with the witch. Compassion. Understanding. Empathy. But no tolerance for murder or necromancy. We'll stand up to her when she gets out of control, but otherwise offer her kindness and the opportunity to change. An empath's solution, but one I myself have advocated. Yet it still makes me nervous. Is this Ary's kindness? Or is it the necromancer's words working on her mind?

I must be vigilant. The witch must not succeed.