This is a story of excess & indulgence. Luxury & depravity. Lust & love. Horror & debauchery.
But mostly it's a story of rediscovering your inner witch.
Bad Witch is set in a matriarchal, gothic universe eerily similar to our own, where magic runs the world. And at its core, it is a love letter to the incredibly strong and vibrant friendships that we forge in our youth, and how they ultimately shape the people we become.
Witxhes dominate the upper echelons of society, and magic has seeped into every facet of day-to-day life, for witches and humans alike. Humans were relegated to a lower class of living and as witches tend to be quite opulent & over indulgent [and more often than not revelling in their own personal vices], the bougie Season of the Witch began. Witching Society flourished and quickly overtook over the world, trickling down to influence even those without magic.
SO WILL YOU BE A BAD WITCH, OR A GOOD WITCH?
You were born to one of the most ancient and thus, important witching families; the only child of a famous mother and an even more infamous grandmother. Your ancestors were among the very first witches to lead the revolution, desperate to create a world where their children would never again die by human hands.
Your childhood was rather lonely and spent under the tutelage of the worlds best witches and academics, whilst your mother did her best to ignore your existence whenever it didn’t directly benefit her. And so years later you would often joke that your life really began once you were accepted into Ariadne Academy, the premiere school for exceptionally gifted Witxhes.
You were placed in a coven with eight of your peers; girls and boys who would quickly become your family, until it was almost like you couldn’t remember a time before them. They shared your all-consuming hunger for magic and knowledge and experiences, traits that made your coven [nicknamed the Silverlakers] an unstoppable force within the Demonhall arena. Everything was going so perfectly until it suddenly burned down around you, leaving your coven a husk of its former self.
Aaand this is currently where the stories splinter off.
OG DEMO — In the OG demo, your coven is still somewhat intact. MC’s feelings towards them may or may not have changed, but on the whole, the Silverlakers are still functioning as the overachieving badasses they were at the academy. They’re still your best friends, your soulmates, your lovers. You love them and they most definitely love you — it’s just one big lovefest.
As a master alchemist you tediously work through trials of your newest potion while still coasting off the success of your last serum, the wildly popular Moon Juice. The story focuses on the unnaturally strong bond that exists between the remaining Silverlakers, and the powerful magic you’ve wrought because of that. The incredibly deep but complicated friendships that you built are maintained to this day, and still just as co-dependent... or have they been making you feel stifled or claustrophobic?
You can choose how your relationship with Ash progressed post-breakup. Was it messy and dramatic, or did you keep going back to them, again and again? Have you and Ori been just the bestest friends all this time, or have things gotten a bit awkward?
AU DEMO — In the AU demo, your coven was broken following the loss of one of your own. You all went your own ways and everything that you shared was left by the wayside. You’ve spent the better part of a decade running away from your Silver Lake family, the only real home you ever knew. But now, against all of your better judgements, your returning to York. Only for a few days, of course. A couple weeks, tops.
You haven’t returned since you absconded after graduation, when you used a somewhat controversial but entirely contrived excuse for your disappearance. And as if The Fates themselves had seen to it, you once again find yourself thrown together with the other witches formerly known as Silverlakers. Their reactions to your return are not at all what you had expected, and you’re left second-guessing what actually happened all those years ago.
No matter how deep of a rift was left between your coven, Ori was the one who really refused to give up on you. In their very unique way, they practically strong-armed you into maintaining some kind of contact. Of all your former covenmates, you are hands down closest to Ori. Your breakup with Ash, no matter how it was done, was shocking and cut deep. You can choose whether to stand by your past actions or try to make amends with your first love.
Both the OG & AU stories will feature opportunities to reconnect with: the former childhood friend turned academy rival; as well as the young professor from your university years. And despite their shorter and more mysterious descriptions, they are both main RO’s, along with Ash & Ori.
Will you try to repair the broken connections plaguing your coven, or forge a brand new path? Will you decide to confront the nightmares of your past face on in the Demonhall arena, or continue to ignore the literal demons that chase you?
TW/CW: violent & horrific imagery; explicit language; explicit sex scenes (with options to fade to black); misandry (within context of the story); mentions of blood/gore; child abuse (past tense against MC); very questionable magic usage; frequent scenes where NPCs are intoxicated, under the spell of drugs or magic, as well as just as many options for MC to imbibe; elder abuse; voluntary magical torture
~ Fully customisable character — you can currently play as a woman, man, or non-binary person; straight, gay, or bisexual. Customise your character's personality, style and how they reacted in major moments of their life leading up to present events,
~ Choose how to react to your current coven dynamics — fight to save your soulmates & strengthen your long-established bonds, or play around on greener pastures with other witches
~Experience the Witch's Journey through the Major Arcana – but will your MC make it to the final tarot reading?
~ Meet your familiar and decide which form it takes, with your familiar's animal impacting the story
~ Set up a cozy, witchy corner to call your own! A few options include a reclaimed lighthouse, luxurious penthouse in the sky, and a secluded cabin in the woods
~ Continue to cross sexual conquests off your list of Lovers to Bed, or get serious and pursue a more serious connection. There are currently 4.5 love interests [all gender variable] as well as an optional poly route. I'm also considering bringing back a character who was cut from the OG story... TBD!
~ Decide what happened to MC's relationship with Ash, in the years since graduation. Have they drifted apart while leading separate lives, or have they been on-and-off for the better part of a decade?
~ Get answers & closure by chasing down ghosts from your past. Give yourself over to the demons in your past, or fight to find a balance between your life and the monsters at the gate.
~ Explore the ever-changing hellscapes of Demonhall and confront your demons, or keep those traumatic memories in the past where they belong
~ But above all else, choose which path your character takes going forward. Chase your dreams and loves, or turn your back, light it up & watch the world burn around you.
During your time at Ariadne Academy, rumours swirled nonstop about your coven.
You got along too well.
You loved each other too hard.
Some people said you were a bunch of weirdos, while others whispered [a little too loudly] that all of your parents had conspired together, bribing the Witches Council to put you all together in one coven. But back then you couldn't give a shit about anyone or anything outside your Silver Lake home.
You found your first love within your coven, as well as seven other soulmates. And for a long time, that was all you needed.
☆ Elijah Akos {m}
☆ Suki Aoki {f}
♡ Aisling Casablanca {f} // Asher Casablanca {m}
♡ Oriana Helyr {f} // Orion Helyr {m}
☆ Belladonna Humphrey {f}
☆ Endora Stills {f}
☆ Hazel Trout {f} — Deceased
☆ Bren Wylder {nb}
The grandiose and horrifying Demonhall is a favourite pastime for Witches young and old. Two opposing covens enter the arena (or as it's lovingly called by fans, the Demon Dome) and are sealed inside. Usually a timer is set for 6 hours, but some exhibition games run a 'last Witch standing' simulator, that can go on for days.
At the core of every Demonhall arena lies it's true power, a demonstone. The crystalized heart of a demon powers and creates unique and dangerous environments for covens to progress through. Whether it's a futuristic, neon playground; the dilapidated ruins of Titans; or a much too lifelike version of the floor is lava, each unique setting has been randomly and lovingly crafted by the demonstone.
Just as each demon is unique and come with their specific set of baggage challenges, so do their corresponding arenas. Some are more manipulative in luring you into their traps, while others don't waste time in throwing everything they've got at you.
The object of the game, quite simply, is to challenge & toss opposing witches out of the match, using whatever spells & curses, or hexes & charms you keep in your arsenal. All while avoiding the real terror of the Demonhall, the demon itself.
For over a decade, your life revolved around Demonhall. You were the Lead for your coven, meaning you often bore the brunt of whatever the demonstone was hurtling at you. Your Silver Lake coven dominated the amateur Demonhall circuit for the better part of a decade. You and your covemates were elevated to a level of celebrity that few others at Ariadne Academy could relate to, as you were splashed across dozens of magazine covers before you were 18.
You planned your life around your obsession and love of the game, and as your graduation approached, you fielded dozens of offers to play for top-tier professional teams. But then... the unexpected happened during a match and you lost a member of your coven.
Ash was your first love. You dated for several years during your time at Ariadne Academy. You grew up together in your Silver Lake cottage and soon after you met, you found it hard to deny your teenage crush.
You bonded over a mutual (rather mad) obsession with Demonhall, and it didn't take long for that bond to translate onto the arena. The Silver Lake Demonhall coven dominated the competition, thanks in large part to the connection you shared with Ash.
You made plans together to follow your passions after graduation, and even courted the interest of several top-tier professional clubs. They wanted you both, and were willing to restructure their teams around you & Ash.
But life happened, and you surprised everyone when you suddenly broke things off with Ash and the Demonhall teams. Instead you followed a secondary love and traveled across the world in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries.
In the decade that you've been working out in the field, Ash has been named Demonhall MVP for three years in a row. Their legions of adoring fans have only multiplied. Is there room for you in their life nowadays, or is it truly too late?
☆The Best Friend☆ ...& Ori's playlist
Oriana Helyr {f} // Orion Helyr {m}, 30
Ori has been your longest and closest friend. No matter what your relationship was like with the rest of the coven, you could always count on Ori having your back. And sometimes being a shoulder to cry on, during the rockier parts of your relationship with Ash. In a way, it's always felt like the three of you had your own kind of connection, but at times, that could put Ori in the middle of your shit with Ash.
Ori is a highly sought after Master Architect, one of only two in the country. They’re instrumental to the buildings integrity and the future success of it’s residences. Ori often spends weeks onsite, crafting intricate enchantments around the bones of the structure, ensuring not only structural safety but doing everything in their power to position them for prosperity.
There's never been any fronts or facades with Ori, just transparent (sometimes brutal) honesty. You've never had to pretend around them and you might even be your truest self when you're with them. And then the two of you would stay up all night, talking and watching movies, and polishing off copious amounts of alcohol. In fact, many of those nights ended up serving as inspiration for your new experimental potion, a cure-all hangover draught.
In the years since the academy, Ori has tracked you down across the globe too many times to count. It always seemed like they had some magical way of knowing when your life was going to shit and they'd spontaneously turn up with boxes of wine & chocolate, immediately taking over your kitchen to cook up something utterly delicious
☆The Lifelong Rival☆ ...& Poe's playlist
Viridian ‘Poe’ Black {f/m}, 31
Poe was one of your very first friends, long before the academy. Your mothers ran in the same high society circles and so you were often left to your own devices. For Poe that usually meant running off into the woods to scout for berries and beasts, or tirelessly watching or reading up on anything to do with Demonhall. And in fact decades later, you've still never met anyone as obsessed with the game as them. Even as a kid, Poe was haughty and overtly snobby; they always knew exactly what and who they liked, and rarely strayed outside the lines.
But for some reason or another, you were someone they happily tolerated and actually seemed to like. Much to their delight their Demonhall fanaticism eventually infected you as well, and you spent countless hours debating the various forms, methods, and positions of the beautiful but deadly game. The two of you would often daydream about your future life at Ariadne Academy, and their eyes lit up with unabashed glee when they spoke of how together, you would bring about a new era of Demonhall. But then came the week before coven placements. And even after all of their extensive testing, you & Poe weren't placed together.
After that Poe very rarely spoke to you and altogether stopped responding to your many messages over the years, and just like that, the delicate friendship you once shared was snuffed out. And while they'd always been sarcastic and biting, that had rarely been directed towards you. Until you were put in competition, both academically and in the Demonhall arena, and then you were introduced to an entirely different side of Poe. The one that knew your weaknesses and just when to exploit them, who seemed to take a particular happiness from your defeat.
☆The One That Got Away☆
Julia St. James {f} // Julian St. James {m}
Jules is the youngest of nine children and grew up in Bilbao, Spain. They were generally spoiled as a child, doted on by all of their siblings, aunts and uncles. They could never want for tutors or toys or courtiers, but it was all rather tiresome.
They would later travel the continent as a young apprentice of a new philosophy, but they were never alone; always in the company of their cousins, Vix and Maz. Jules developed a deep appreciation for the fine arts and very delicious things during this time away from home.
Jules has now perfected the balancing act, living in both worlds. They work tirelessly as a professor of Theological Witchcraft but lately they've been feeling the pull to leave the classroom and get back out into the world.
Hey Witxhes!! it's been so long and I miss y'all and Bad Witch sooo fucking much. apparently I greatly underestimated the difference between healing a single rib fracture and trying [and failing at least twice] to get them all to set in harmony. it was a whole thing and it took a lot out of me, each day, to the point where even updating tumblr seemed out of my reach.
I'm slowly trying to get back into the swing of things, even if that means relying a bit more on voice to text apps than before. but I'm getting there! I won't promise anymore post dates for the new draft but I'm writing and still looking forward to sharing with y'all ✨
Hey Witxhes! I was really hoping not to have to make an update like this for at least a few months, but here we are... 😅
so I've written & rewritten this a few times but here's the short & sweet version. I've never really been a healthy person, and in addition to an evergrowing list of health problems, I've had a condition called osteogenesis imperfecta since I was a kid. you might know it as brittle bone disease. and over my lifetime I've broke or fractured dozens of bones
aaand a few days ago I fractured 3 ribs leaning over a short fence in the front yard to pet our dog. snap snap *snappity* snap, there went a few of my ribs 🦴
sooo yeah, unfortunately this seems to be a new thing, as I've done it a couple times already in the past year. that means I have a semi-decent idea about rest & healing times and such, but it is gonna slow me down for the next couple weeks
I was making good progress with the prologue before this mess, so I think my original date of 1 June should only be affected by a few days. but if anything else pops up (pun intended) I'll keep y'all informed (=
I'm a huuuge trailer nerd and after an extremely crap day yesterday, it's not an exaggeration to say this trailer made my day. aaand then I proceeded to watch it like, 6 times in a row, because that's how I do.
there are a LOT of 80s influences throughout Bad Witch, so much so that I've joked that it takes place in a world where time just sorta... paused. but the biggest influence overall was the brat pack
I knew when I started creating this story that I wanted it centered around a group just like the brat pack — the relationship dynamics of a group of people that were put in a pressure cooker during adolescence, and then further scrutinized when they became famous together. but obviously with a big injection of ✨magic✨
aaand then we pick up the story a decade later! so it's fair to say the general public feels some sort of way about MC & the other Silverlakers. regardless if they were fans or cheered for rival covens during Demonhall matches at the time, they were very overexposed. and you either loved them, or...
"Hail to the guardians of the watchtowers of the South, the powers of fire and feeling. Hear us"
Horror Character Appreciation - Neve Campbell as Bonnie in The Craft (1996) dir. Andrew Fleming
oooh I am just having the best, most twisted time working on the prologue!! 😅❄️🌲✨🔥
I'm trying to incorporate a new [for me] storytelling method, that does away with the need for the really jerky intro; while creating your MC, establishing key decisions and personal/historical choices. and so far I'm really happy with the way this new version is shaping up!
anywho, as I'm writing I'm listening to the TR0N Legacy soundtrack which is a HUUUGE inspiration for Demonhall, along with the TR0N arena itself [and vaporwave in general]... and I'm just so excited to see it all coming together like this
technically I'm behind my original schedule but with the rate I'm currently writing & plotting, I'm looking to have the new, FULL prologue released by 1 June. it could possibly be sooner but it won't be later 😃
OHHH!! and in case you missed it, an overwhelming [almost] 90% of you voted to embrace your inner spooky bitch Witxh. aaand although I promise to keep most of the choices ranging between both extremes, it was really encouraging to get those results. Bad Witch is definitely a grittier dark-fantasy story, but that doesn't mean your MC can't choose to see the best in every person or situation 🔥🪽
ohh hey Witxhes! sooo as I've mentioned, I'm deep in prologue-rewrite mode and finding myself in darker & darker territory. and as usual, I'm just seeing where the story takes me but I'm genuinely curious... where's everyone else fall on the horror spectrum? 👀
Bad Witch now starts right in the middle of some seriously twisted shit, MC's disturbing childhood, and lays the groundwork for a particular brand of insidious, unholy magic...
hey Witxhes! sooo the Jules epiphany has temporarily taken ahold of the story, specifically the prologue. MC has a rather intense childhood/background, and I'd been planning to dole it out as necessary... in bits & bites throughout the story
but the Jules Changes™️ have forced my hand much earlier and honestly... I think the story will be better off because of it. as the reader, you get to start shaping your character's past and current reactions to their early life, giving you [I believe] a much better idea of the Witxh you're creating.
the real big change is that it immediately starts pretty really fucking dark. like, with your MC's scariest & worst memories of their evil Witch mother, and then we're just off running from there. my concern is that by not easing into the bleak soul shit, that I risk losing some readers.
I reeeally hope that's not the case because I think this will end up being the absolute best version of the story I want to tell. your MC will not be railroaded into feeling or reacting a certain way to these events and I think it lays a better foundation... not necessarily for the good vs bad elements or variables, but to allow for different characters to emerge from shit circumstances.
anyway as I keep saying... the more I write, the more fucking excited I get to being one step closer to sharing the new demo with y'all. my original plan was to release it like I did with the OG/AU demos, as a prologue + chap1 package.
but the more I keep adding to my storyboard and moving things around... I think it's more likely that I release the full prologue, followed by chapter 1 released in two VERY LARGE parts. Probably 7-10k each, but right now this is all very much in flux until this Jules shit settles down, hahah. I'll keep y'all posted but I'd like to have the prologue up next week, sometime close to the original projected date of 15 May.
and this definitely won't be the last time you'll hear it from me, but thank you so much for all of your likes & asks & follows & reblogs! it has honestly meant sooo much to know that there are some people who are interested in what I'm doing 🖤💕🖤
ohh also!! I've updated the content/trigger warnings [they're at the bottom of the story section], so you may want to have a little looky-loo 👀
"Many years have gone by, But I knew you'd come, Quietly keeping this hope in my heart, Prayed the night bring back what I'd lost"
Jules is the youngest of nine children and grew up in Bilbao, Spain. They were generally spoiled as a child, doted on by all of their siblings, aunts and uncles. They could never want for tutors or toys or courtiers, but it was all rather tiresome.
They would later travel the continent as a young apprentice of a new philosophy, but they were never alone; always in the company of their cousins, Vix and Maz. Jules developed a deep appreciation for the fine arts and very delicious things during this time away from home.
[REDACTED]
Jules has now perfected the balancing act, living in both worlds. They work tirelessly as a professor of Theological Witchcraft but lately they've been feeling the pull to leave the classroom and get back out into the world...
Jules is just below average height with a curvy frame [Julia], with Julian having a more stocky frame. They both have a warm, golden bronze complexion, with luscious pink lips and are quick with a teasing smile that brings out a single dimple on their right cheek.
They have wavy, dark brown hair that Julia grows out a bit, while Julian keeps it trimmed just above their shoulders. Their brown eyes are lined with impossibly long, dark lashes, and their nose slightly crooked in a way that makes them even more attractive somehow, thus why they haven't seen to repairing it.
Classic lines & silhouettes. Valentino. Black, pink, or bright colours, nothing in between. THE biggest fan of capes and statement pieces in general.
*disclaimer as per ushe, I don't own any of the above images
"What's your pleasure, sir?" | "I thought I'd gone to the limits. I hadn't. The Cenobites gave me an experience beyond limits. Pain and pleasure, indivisible."
Hellraiser (1987) dir. Clive Barker
ohh hello! and welcome to this week's episode of —
Let Me Explain My Life Choices & How We Got Here 😅
I think I'd describe my writing style as... 'architect/gardener hybrid'? I don't start writing until I've plotted the entire story, knowing exactly what goes where and when. but when I start writing I allow myself a lot of wiggle room because in my experience, that's where the magic happens, where the planned and unplanned intersect ✨
one of my absolute favourite joys is learning things about my characters or stories along the way. hopefully it happens sooner rather than later in the writing process, but sometimes that storyline is just too good to pass up. aaand that's what happened this past week with the rewrite of Jules' character and their impact on the story...
they now have the second-most mysterious origins of all of the main ROs, so much so that it's been very tricky to write their bio in the style (and length) that I have for the others. sooo when I ended up having a huge epiphany about their character [and a smaller, trickle down epiphany about the story] I decided to embrace that & go with it 🔮
so I'll be posting a very pared down Jules bio tonight buuut they'll be introduced fairly quickly in the new chapter 1, so it's a bit of a trade off. and I'll be updating the bios are we progress through the story
What is the difference between OG demo and AU demo?
honestly, not much right now. hence my lovely Skeletor gif, hahah 💜
but I've gotten a few versions of this ask over the last few days and first of all, welcome new anon Witxhes! sooo it's been about a month now since I first released the initial demos, and I was having a really difficult time deciding between two different versions of what are essentially the same story.
the OG DEMO was the original story I'd written about a super close-knit coven and all the intimate, over-the-top magic they'd concocted together. Both stories catch up with the coven a decade after graduation but...
the AU DEMO follows a broken up coven where MC intentionally left them because of reasons. there was a vote to see which demo people liked more but it ended up being pretty split, so neither OG or AU is the real successor.
right now I'm working on taking the elements that did work from both versions and weaving it into the NEW demo, which I'm still aiming to release mid-May. both demos will remain up until I post the shiny new one, but I also won't be fixing any bugs for the old games. and for the kind anon who reported the RO gender bugs, that is appreciated! (=
