This is a story of excess & indulgence. Luxury & depravity. Lust & love. Horror & debauchery.Β
But mostly it's a story of rediscovering your inner witch.Β
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 didnβt 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 couldnβt 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 β In the OG demo, your coven is still somewhat intact. MCβs 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. Theyβre still your best friends, your soulmates, your lovers. You love them and they most definitely love you β itβs just one big lovefest.Β
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 youβve 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?Β
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 β 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. Youβve 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.Β
You havenβt 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 youβre 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.Β
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 ROβs, 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 β 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 β 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 β 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.
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.Β
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.Β
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.Β
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.Β
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?
βThe Best Friendβ ...& 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. Theyβre instrumental to the buildings integrity and the future success of itβs 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
βThe Lifelong Rivalβ ...& Poe's playlist
Viridian βPoeβ 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,Β 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.
βThe One That Got Awayβ
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.
well hello everyone!! after the post earlier today I thought it was a good time to properly introduce myself! my name's jane, my pronouns are she/her, and I'm in my late 30s, so I've got that goin' for me! for over a decade I grew medicinal cannabis by day and bartended by night. I have an amazing fiance who I've been fortunate to have at my side for almost 15 years now, and we've spent the past 12 of those years raising the sweetest & cutest puppy. to say I'm obsessed with my little dorkasaurus would be putting it very mildlyπ
I've been writing and building complex worlds in my head and then later, notebooks and apps, since I can remember. the first story I wrote and finished was called the Teddy Bear from Hell, so I've obviously always been drawn to the darker and more twisted elements of stories.
I draw heavy inspiration from horror (right now I'm more into body horror and cosmic dread) and unknowable elements of supernatural/paranormal. music also plays a huuuge part in my life and how I write. for Bad Witch specifically, I drew lots of inspo from βtakes deep breathβ Practical Magic, Hellraiser, Lorde's Melodrama, Friends from College, the Craft, synthpop, Gossip Girl OG, TR0N: Legacy [movie & soundtrack], Alexander McQueen, St Elmo's Fire, Suspiria, vaporwave, Rocky Horror, and the magic school that shall no longer be named.
anywho like I keep saying, I'm sooo excited to finally be sharing this story with everyone! next up, I'm focusing on getting the new demo out and going forward from there. I'll be following the major arcana so there will be a prologue and 21 chapters. I don't want to make too many plans about how and when the chapters will be released, but I'll be working on it full-time so it should be pretty consistent but I'll have a better idea after the first few chapters are in the rearview. I'm rambling again but I just wanted to thank y'all for joining me on this wicked ride π€
Are you a good Witch or bad Witch? Remembering Billie Burke on her birthday. Unforgettable as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North in The Wizard of Oz. #billieburke #margarethamilton #glinda #goodwitch #badwitch #thewizardofoz #oldhollywood #alejandromogolloart https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg9hQeusOd0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
π€The Bad Witchπ€ By Miss Cherry Martini Ritual Series π€π€π€π€π€π€π€π€ Available in my Redbubble and Teepublic stores. Prints available in etsy when apocalypse is over. Stay safe everyone! πππππππππππ #sabrinatheteenagewitch #Sabrina #thechillingadventuresofsabrina #thebadwitch #badwitch #witch #praisesatan #blackmagic #witchcraft #misscherrymartini #coven https://www.instagram.com/p/B-5v-OFgzFA/?igshid=12j755w9g91jd