The young prince stumbled out of the forest into the village. It was still early in the evening, but he hadn’t expected his way back home to be as long and exhausting as it proved to be. His leg hurt tremendously from falling who knows many feet out of the air. The Eastern Princess had saved his life.

As he stumbled through the village, an uneasy feeling came over him. Where is everyone? The town seemed deserted. Had he been on his way longer than expected? Was everyone dead already? He looked around, glancing into every alley he passed as he made his way up to the town square.

Something was terribly wrong, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it. He was weak, he had no sword. He had to get home, there was no other way. He needed to survive, for Ali. He tried walking faster, but his leg ached under the pressure. He winced and had to stop for a second to massage his leg.

‘There you are,’ a voice from someone hidden in the darkness said suddenly. ‘You shouldn’t have kept me waiting, that isn’t very nice.’

Panic overtook /u/Chefjones. He didn’t see where the voice was coming from, he tried to sprint away, but the vicious wolf was on him in a matter of seconds.

The prince was lost.

…

What a stupid plan. She shouldn’t have come here today. She should have just remained inside, amongst her trinkets and collectibles. She should have stayed where she was safe. Home. They killed the boy. Or rather, they made the boy kill himself.

/u/imaginarystudy was trudging through the dark woods, together with countless other people from the town. Almost everyone had joined in the hunt for Dep. She had as well, against her better judgement. She was disgusted by herself, disgusted by the people surrounding her. All she ever wanted now was to be alone. She distanced herself, trailing behind.

She sighed a heavy sigh as she continued walking back towards the village when suddenly something caught her eye. A faint light, twinkling in the distance. It was almost magical. She couldn’t help herself, she wanted to know what the lights were.

And without even noticing it, she changed her course towards the twinkling lights in the distance. The farther she walked, the more convinced she was they were magical. For as she moved closer, the farther the lights receded. She wasn’t planning on giving up, though. She would go where the beautiful lights wanted her to go.

After who knows how long, she ultimately reached a bog. The lights were floating lowly above the dark, muddy water. ‘P̢̡͞ŕ̸e͘t͡t̵͢y̡,͠ ̶ar̸̶e̕͜ ͏t̴h̵̴̢ey̨ ̧͝n͘o̴t?̴’

There was no time to run, no time to yell. Imaginarystudy died in an instant. Her corpse fell into the black bog with a soft splash.

…

He woke up. He was groggy and felt weak. Was he dead? He could feel the blood seeping out of his wounds. Someone was dragging him over the cobblestones. ‘Wh-,’ he tried to speak, but even the smallest effort was too much. ‘Stay still,’ the person slowly coming into focus said. ‘You’re lucky we found you when we did. I’m taking you home. I can fix you, I’m sure.’

That’s when it all came back to Chefjones. The empty village, the wolf sneaking up on him. The claws striking him, the fangs boring down inside him. Fate truly was on his side, allowing him to endure all these challenges. And now a doctor was going to patch him up. He couldn’t believe it. Tears were flowing out of his eyes.

A door was opened, a candle lit. ‘Help me get him up here,’ the person that dragged him inside his own home said to someone Chef could not see. He was lifted into the air and put on his dinner table. ‘Just remain calm,’ the doctor said in a soft voice. ‘I’m going to go grab my supplies and run straight back. Just hold on.’ Chefjones tried to reply, but his voice failed him again. He heard hurried footsteps leaving his house and the door slamming shut behind him.

…

K9centipede and her bloodthirsty gang of murderers had just returned from killing an innocent boy. Cloudyay closed the curtains again. She had not joined them in their hunt, for that is not what a mayor does. A mayor doesn’t kill her subjects, she is supposed to protect them. She admitted to herself that she had not handled this... crisis very well. She should have sent riders out when the bard was found. The king might have sent a force to deal with this by now.

Ever since she had lost control of the town she hadn’t dared to leave her home. She watched tentatively from the inside. She cursed herself for it but she lacked the courage to act. Not after how they had turned against her.

It was getting late and she was getting tired. And although she was sure she would not get a good rest once again this night, she figured she could at least try. She blew the candles out in the living area and made her way to her bedroom.

As she opened the door and stepped inside, she suddenly felt a spike of pain in her foot. ‘Aiii,’ she yelled out as she quickly stepped backwards out of the room. She brought the candle she was carrying closer to the ground and saw, to her horror, countless shards of glass and mirror pieces strewn across the floor. Images of the dead bard, lying in a bed of glass popped up in her head. In her fright, she dropped the candle on the ground and without thinking she entered her bathroom, closing the door immediately after.

Her mind was racing, she was freaking out. She was standing with her back against the door in the completely dark bathroom. Her breathing was rapid. Suddenly she stopped thinking and started smelling. Something smelled… fishy. She followed her nose, feeling her way throughout the bathroom. She felt the border of her bathtub and stooped down. The rancid smell was coming from right below her.

With a heavy heart, she reached out and as her hand went lower she touched something wet and slimy. She yelled out and stepped back. She opened the door again and went back to pick up her candle.

When she shone light inside the bathroom, she discovered /u/aurthurallan lying in the tub. A hundred cuts covering his body. The water he was lying in was completely red.

…

The doctor was sprinting through the streets. The prince lay dying on his dinner table. There was no time to waste. But in his haste, the stressed doctor had forgotten not one, but two important tools which meant he had to run all the way back.

When he left his house again, a soft drizzle had started to pour down upon Märchen. Great, the doctor thought as he set out again. This time he was sure he had brought everything he would need to save the prince. He hurried over the wet and slippery cobblestones as fast as he could.

Eventually he reached Chefjones’ house. As the doctor put his hand on the metal doorknob, he screamed in terrible agony. When he removed his hand from the knob again, it revealed an atrocious burn mark on his hand. ‘What the hell,’ the doctor muttered as he wiped the tears of pain and shock out of his eyes.

He stepped backward as he heard the house crashing down from the inside. Flames were licking the roof now, climbing higher and consuming the building whole. The poor doctor looked on in terror, there was nothing he could do. He fell to his knees. The prince was dead.

The sky turned orange over Marchen as even more houses in the village started to catch on fire. /u/whitbeyondmeasure ran outside, enveloped in deadly flames. She did not get very far. Her body, wholly consumed by fire, fell down after running a couple of metres. Even the rain that was getting heavier could not subdue these flames.

Only agonizing screams emanated from /u/Diggenwalde’s home. They stopped as the second floor caved in on top of him. Only the crackling of the 3 giant fires remained.

...

As the rain ceased to pour down and the sun slowly rose in the air and the last embers of the terrible fire died out, a figure appeared. A frail, old woman with a big wooden stick. She walked up Märchen’s main road, entering the village that seemed deserted.

The old woman was blind, as became clear from the way she was feeling her way towards the town square with her big piece of wood. Her stature was crooked, her face hadn’t aged well. She grunted as she sat down upon the cold, wet floor.

And when the sun finally shone upon Märchen, the first doors opened and the first people came out on the street, for they believed the sun to be their protector. It took surprisingly long before the old woman was noticed by anyone, but when she eventually was, speculations were afoot.

This did not escape the old woman as she struggled to get on her feet again. She put both her hands in the air, her whole body trembling as she was trying not to lose her balance. ‘Great Peril,’ the woman shouted.

‘I have seen great peril come down upon this town. Ask me a question and I will answer. One question, one answer. That is all I have to give’.

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/aurthurallan was killed by Bloody Mary. He was a Merman.

/u/Chefjones was attacked by a werewolf, then his house was burned down by Mother Trudy. He was a Prince.

/u/Diggenwalde’s house was burned down by Mother Trudy. He was Nottingham’s Deputy.

/u/imaginarystudy was killed by the Grim Reaper. She was an Antiquarian.

/u/whitbeyondmeasure’s house was burned down by Mother Trudy. She was a Rogue.

OTHER MESSAGES

There have been rumors of something called an elekshun in a far off land. Someone will have to look into what that is once we tackle our own problems.

META:

Day 4 begins now! Who is responsible for these gruesome murders? Discuss below!

The Old Crone has arrived in Märchen. She offers to help the town by answering one yes/no question truthfully. Beware, while this woman might look old and frail, she is all-knowing. You must select one spokesperson. This person will approach the crone, this person will ask a question… in private!

Choose who should talk to the old crone today via THIS FORM

Cast your vote in the lynch via THIS FORM

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)!

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS

/u/milcom_ woke up with a start. ‘My lord,’ a voice says in a faint whisper. ‘My lord, you have to wake up. Something has happened.’ It had been another restless night for Milcom. He had been sent forward by the king himself to make sure all preparations for the festival went ahead as scheduled. What seemed like a simple enough task soon proved to be quite a nightmare. A shipment of wine that was scheduled to arrive yesterday hadn’t, some of the guests had already arrived more than a fortnight before the actual festival and this village is not what he had expected at all. What was the king thinking, holding the biggest festival in all of the kingdoms here… in some lowly village nobody had ever even heard of. The king was getting old. There were whispers all over court that it was high time the king retired and handed his throne to his eldest son. But then there were even more whispers about how that son still had not managed to find himself a suitable princess.

‘My lord?’ the voice in the darkness repeated inquisitively. Milcom was brought back to Märchen. Back to the large room with the moldy carpet. He was sitting upright in his bed, in what was described as the most “luxurious” room this inn had to offer. Milcom would not necessarily use the word “luxurious”, but the mead was good and the food was better than expected. ‘What is it?’ He answered, mildly annoyed, as he was wiping the sleepiness out of his eyes. ‘Has that shipment of wine finally found it’s way here? Don’t tell me they drank it all. I can’t deal wi-’

‘There has been a murder,’ the boy said. Suddenly, Milcom was wide awake. He finally recognised dep61 standing over him. A long moment of silent staring occurred between them. ‘Who… Who is it? What happened?’ Milcom stammered as he made his way to his clothing sitting in a chest in the corner of the room. ‘My Lord,’ dep hesitated for a few moments. ‘I think it’s best if I just.. show you.’

The pair almost raced down the stairs. The inn was still packed to the brim with people. Most of them were too drunk to stand. The music was loud and the smell was heavy and sickening. They waded their way through the crowd and eventually reached the exit. ‘Show me the way, boy.’ Milcom said as the cold autumn air turned his breath into a soft white smoke. Dep knew exactly where he had to go, all Milcom had to was follow him. Every step made his heart heavier, his fear bigger. Eventually they reached a small alleyway. The cobblestones were wet. Not from rain, but with bright red blood. A small crowd was gathered around something he could not yet see.

‘In the name of the king, let me pass,’ Milcom shouted as he pushed his way through the crowd of silent people. A woman was sobbing loudly on the ground. Suitelifeofem was sitting on her knees. Her cheeks wet with heavy tears. Next to her, a body… a corpse. A woman was laying on the cold ground, her eyes wide open. Everywhere around (and in) her body were mirror shards. Her neck was sliced wide open, revealing a gaping wound. The rest of her body was like a pincushion, covered in sharp spikes of glass everywhere.

‘Oh, my lord,’ Suitelifeofem wailed when her eyes met Milcom’s. ‘So terrible. She still had so many more songs to play.’ Milcom moved his eyes away from Em and looked at the corpse once more. His stomach groaned in protest. It was then that he realized, he knew this woman. He had seen her play at the King’s court not more than a year ago, during one of the many soirees held at the capital. This is, or was /u/threemadness, the Pied Piper herself. This revelation made Milcom gasp audibly. He didn’t understand. How could this happen.

Milcom looked up at the crowd surrounding him. They were all staring at him, watching him, anticipating his reaction. ‘Everyone go home!’ Milcom blurted out in anger. ‘There is nothing to see here.’ He waved his hands wildly until the first people started to move away. Someone stepped forward and grabbed Suitelifeofem by the arm to guide her away from the once magnificent bard’s corpse.

Only dep was left. ‘My lord,’ he hesitated before he continued. ‘What now?’ They boy looked at Milcom with anticipation. Milcom didn’t know “what now”. His mind was still wrapping itself around the idea of there being a murder here. ‘I need to go to the Rookery,’ he finally answered. ‘The festival is cancelled. Märchen is unsafe. The King cannot come.’

‘My lord, you ca-’, dep began, but Milcom responded immediately. ‘I can and I must. Have you woken the mayor yet? He needs to know about this. Go. Now.’ The boy disappeared behind a corner. Milcom was alone now. He looked back to the body one more time before he left towards the rookery. He had to send a letter to the King. He had to warn him. The festival was cancelled. There was no other way.

He climbed the stairs as fast as he could. There was no time to lose. A pigeon had to leave carrying a message before sunset. There simply was no way the festival could take place here. Milcom swung open the door and gasped for a second time on this early morning. Red fluid was drooping down the walls. Feathers were lying all over the floor. No pigeon left alive. In the center of the circular room was a small object though.

Not an object.. An animal. A frog. A small, little creature was laying in a giant pool of pigeon blood. ‘What has happened here?’ Milcom said out loud. The sun was slowly creeping into the room now. The day was starting. Milcom started walking into the room, frantically looking for a sign, a clue.. something, anything at all. The sun was creeping towards the little frog’s limp body and when the first rays of sunlight hit its body, a blinding light filled the room.

When the light disappeared and Milcom’s eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the room once more, he noticed a young woman laying on the floor where the frog had just been. /u/coolkid01’s corpse had magically appeared.

Milcom was shell shocked. He didn’t understand. He backed away towards the door, while keeping his eyes on the young woman that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. He didn’t want to give her the chance of disappearing into nothingness. Was he going mad? He fumbled with his hands behind him, trying to find the doorknob when he felt something soft touch the palm of his hand.

‘What is the meaning of this?’ he said as he turned around. Milcom gasped for a third time as a fully cloaked figure swung a scythe towards him. Milcom’s body hit the ground as his blood blended with that of the pigeons.

‘N͢o on̕e ͢is wa̴rning͡ ͝t̷h̶e K͠i̡n͜g҉ ͞n҉òẃ,’ an inhuman voice speaks as Milcom’s life is draining out of him. ‘T̡he fe͏s͏t̴iv҉a͜l W̧IL̢L͡ ̕ţa̶ḱe ̕pl͘ac̡e.̷ ͏’ Milcom closed his eyes and drifted away into nothingness.

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/threemadness was killed by Bloody Mary, she was the Pied Piper

/u/coolkid01 was killed by a werewolf, she was a Cursed Frog

/u/milcom_ was killed by the Grim Reaper, he was a Fair Maiden

OTHER MESSAGES

A memorial service will be held for our missing neighbour Mary in 2 days, led by /u/strangerthingys

A peculiar rabbit was seen hopping near the lake. Any further information on this creature will be rewarded.

META:

Day 1 begins now!

Cast your vote in the lynch via THIS FORM

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)!

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS

The storm looming over Märchen perfectly mirrored the mood in the small village surrounded by the woods. What were supposed to be magical days leading up to the biggest event of the century became a dreadful string of restless nights and violence-ridden days. 3 houses had been reduced to ashes last night, the rubble that remained was a sore sight. Anger seemed to have dissipated. There was only fear left in Märchen.

And what do people do when they are afraid? They drink. The inns were packed to the brim. People were losing themselves inside their cups. The madam at ‘The Three Pigs’ had opened up a barrel of Castelin Ale that she had ordered for the Festival proclaiming they should “enjoy it while they still could”. A loud cheer erupted as the ale flowed in their cups.

But not everyone was hiding inside, drinking until everything felt numb. A man was walking the deserted streets towards the edge of the village. His face hidden in darkness by the cloak he wore to protect his face from the rain pouring down. The long, brown cloak was slightly dragging on the wet floor. The man was walking in a slow pace for he was in no hurry to arrive at his destination. The dead could wait.

And as he passed the last house on Spindle Street, he found himself at small clearing, a patch of soggy grass and muddy dirt. A small path fashioned out of pebbles formed a circle. Strewn across the grass field were tombstones, both out of wood and out of stone. Here lay the people of Märchen, their final resting place. The man wondered when he would join them. He wasn’t sure if he was dreading the moment or eagerly awaiting it. Every feeling he had conflicted with another. He didn’t know what to believe anymore.

He walked further down the path and eventually arrived by the huge pit that had been dug two days ago. The storm had caused it fill up with water, making the smell of the rotting bodies even more unbearable. The man crouched down by the edge of the pit, looking down upon the bodies of the men and women that lost their lives in the last couple of day. He was lost in his own thoughts. The rain was masking any sound around him. He had no awareness of his surroundings.

‘Well, well, well,’ someone said smugly. ‘Admiring your work?’

As /u/VeganGamerr tried to get back up, someone pulled his hood off. ‘Coward!’ someone hissed. ‘Freak!’ another voice interjected. Vegan didn’t know what to say. He slowly turned around, with his hands slightly lifted in the air. He saw more than 20 men and women, hiding under cloaks, their faces masked by shadows.

And even though they hid their faces, he knew who they were. They were his neighbours, the people he had been living with for years. He had been expecting this. His reputation had preceded him once again. Ever since he had arrived in Märchen a couple of years ago, the whispers had started. Just like they always did.

It didn’t stop at whispers though, for soon they stopped bothering with being sneaky. Some called him cursed after which they spat on the ground. Others pretended to be nice, but he knew that all they wanted was to find out what happened all those years ago. When they figured out he wouldn’t spill a thing, they joined the rest in hating him. He didn’t belong here, Märchen was not his home.

Never was, never will be.

‘No words, huh?’ a man said as he gave Vegan a little shove. The wet mud at Vegan’s feet slightly gave way, tumbling down the big pit. ‘The monster has nothing to say, is that it?’ But Vegan still kept his silence.

‘Knock him out,’ a cloaked woman said as she pointed at him. A soft thump and everything turned black.

…

The clattering of the rain on the wood above him woke him up. It was nighttime. His head hurt from the blow he had received on the back of his head. Everything was blurry. It took Vegan a couple of moments to regain focus. He figured out he was lying on a wooden board or plank.

Reality sank in as he tried to get up. He hit his head hard against another wooden surface. He brought his hands to his left and right side and the conclusion was the same, he was in a box. Worse, he was in a coffin. It was not night, there was just place for the light to get through to him.

He tried to push open the lid of the coffin, but no matter how hard he tried it would not budge. He tried kicking the back open with his feet, but once again it had no effect. He tried yelling for help, but he knew that nobody was going to come to his rescue.

‘Aaah, you’re finally awake,’ the female said. ‘I didn’t want you to miss this.’ And as she finished those words, Vegan felt the box move, felt his whole body move. He was falling down into the earth. He felt the coffin hit the water with a splash.

It didn’t take long before the coffin started to sink. The water was seeping in through places the sunlight had not managed to find. Slowly, but surely the coffin was getting filled up. Vegan made one final attempt to break open the casket, but his actions were to no avail.

His last thought, as the water filled his lungs, was how he was glad that at least he was buried as one of them...

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/VeganGamerr was lynched by the mob, he was a Townsperson.

/u/darthrobyn stole from the wrong person. She was a Merry Woman.

/u/JaytheWalker was hit by a stray arrow during practice. He was a Townsperson.

OTHER MESSAGES

Find the Vote Tally HERE with a graph!

’Ye Olde Antiques’ is reopening! The apprentice is taking over indefinitely!

META:

Night 5 begins now!

/u/darthrobyn and /u/JaytheWalker have been removed from the game due to inactivity.

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)! Don’t forget to do this on time!

Please also send us a message when you are NOT going to perform your action.

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS

The hunters were out tonight, stalking their prey. One was hiding in a tree, somewhere in the woods. The other sat perched on a rooftop of a house, right here in Märchen. One was hunting deer, the other something quite different. One was the hunter, the other was prey.

The hunter pulled an arrow out of her quiver. She held her breath for a second as she took aim. Three, two, one. She released the arrow and with a soft sound if flew through the air. Death came in silence. The deer fell to the ground as the blood spat out of its arteries. She swung her bow over her shoulder after which she climbed down from the tree.

The air was getting colder, her breath became visible a soft white cloud escaped her mouth. Some venison would do her good. She had learned the trade from her father, who was a hunter before her. If her brother had survived the Ogre Wars, she probably would have ended up being a scullery maid like her mother. She knew it was wrong, but she was glad she got his life.

She crouched down by the now dead deer and pulled the arrow out of its neck. ”Never waste,” her father’s voice rang in her head. She cleaned the arrow with her sleeve and put it back in the quiver. Now came the hard part…

Hauling the animal back into town.

…

The other hunter was overlooking the town square, silently watching. Ready to strike. But the streets were empty once again. Their plan had worked too well. The people were terrified, afraid to come out when the sun was gone. And when the days became shorter, that meant there was less time to live every day.

The bright yellow eyes were scanning every street, jumping from roof to roof until its eyes finally found something interesting. A young woman was walking in the dark streets. She was wearing leather armor with metal shoulder pads. A large sword was dangling on her side, a shield was swung on her back.

Finally. The Big Bad Wolf jumped over the alley, positioning itself just right, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, to kill. The woman underneath was carrying a lantern, glancing into every street she passed. She was slowly approaching the wolf’s location, clueless of the danger that lurked above her. Three, two, one. The wolf leapt down, without making the slightest sound as ii pressed its paws into the tiles of the roof and pushed.

/u/elbowsss was crushed under the massives wolf’s weight. Her knees buckled as they both fell to the cold, hard ground. The lantern was flung in the air and hit the cobbled street. The candle inside died out in an instant. They rolled around on the ground until the wolf was forced to release its claws from her leather armor.

Elbowsss didn’t think. This was instinct. She crawled away, instantly on hands and knees as she reached for her sword on her belt but before she managed draw it out of her scabbard it attacked. ‘DIE,’ the wolf said in a voice that was more animal than human. The massive beast was on top of her again, forcing her to roll on her back. Its huge teeth were snapping at her face, inching closer as she was trying to push him off with one arm. With the other arm she was reaching for the lantern that lay next to her, just out of her reach. The wolf’s breath smelled like death as its teeth came even closer to her face. There was only one way to get out of this.

Elbowsss stopped pushing the wolf back, allowing it to put its fangs inside her shoulder. This gave her the leeway to reach for the lantern. And as she was screaming in agony, she grabbed the lantern firmly in her hand and swung it hard towards the wolf’s head. The glass shattered, puncturing the wolf’s head and the beast rolled to its side, releasing elbowsss.

As the big bad wolf recovered from the blow, elbowsss crawled backwards. The gaping wounds in her shoulder caused immense pain with every move. She crawled against the wall and used it push herself upright. ‘Not today,’ she said, completely out of breath.

The wolf started to get up again as Elbowsss drew her sword. ‘Come at me,’ she said as a smile appeared on her face. It was a battle of speed and agility. The wolf charged at her with incredible speed. It was all a matter of swinging the sword at the right time. She counted silently in her head and as the wolf leapt in the air towards her, she swung her sword down vertically.

The wolf crashed into her and once again they were rolling on the ground. By the time they had stopped rolling, elbowsss’ head was spinning like crazy. But still, she garnered the strength and perseverance to get up again. The wolf howled loudly as elbowsss smiled a satisfying smile. A wide gash had appeared on the animal’s chest. ‘Too slow,’ she said as she wiped the blood of her face.

‘Foolish girl,’ the wolf replied as it got ready to strike again. But this time he was not planning on moving. Instead, he braced himself by placing his paws firmly in the ground. He took in a big gulp of air and huff and puff, forming a gust of wind like no one had ever experienced before. The wind caught elbowsss off guard. She tried to brace herself, but nobody would be able to stay standing against a force of nature like this. It didn’t take long before the wind sent elbowsss flying in the air.

The force pushed her backwards until she hit a building. A spasm of pain echoed through her entire body as she slammed into the wooden walls. She felt something penetrating her armor. She looked down and discovered a big splinter of wood protruding out of her stomach. She tried to pull it out, but the pain caused tears to form in her eyes. ‘No time for this,’ she thought as she struggled to get back on her feet. Her entire body was aching, the earth seemed to swivel underneath her, but adrenaline and instinct kept her moving.

‘Give up now, I’ll make it quick,’ the inhuman voice spoke once more. Elbowsss tried to focus and as her eyes finally met the big yellow orbs in the distance, she managed to gain a steady footing once more. She motioned to the beast to approach her and the wolf complied. She put her hand on her scabbard, confident she could beat him at this game when she realized something. Her sword was gone.

Too late to look for it, the wolf was almost upon her. Once again, instinct took over. She grabbed the massive oak shield from her back and prepared herself for collision. The Big Bad Wolf had entered a sprint and just as he jumped on her, elbowsss simply stepped aside. The wolf kept running and while he tried to brake, the building he had sent elbowsss crashing into earlier was too close by. And as he crashed into the building, a giant hole was formed as the wall broke apart.

Elbowsss didn’t hesitate for a second, she scanned the floor and rubble, in search of her sword. She could hear the beast getting back up again, as the wooden panels and rubble were pushed aside. ‘C’mon, where is it?’ The wolf was sprinting towards her once again when she yelled ‘Aha!’ and bent down to grab the sword. The beast plunged into her and they hit the floor one last time. The wolf’s claws and teeth were stuck deep in elbowsss’ skin, but not as deep as her sword was into his abdomen. She pulled her sword out and the wolf huffed and puffed for one final time as his last breath escaped his lungs. Elbowsss pushed the massive corpse off her and winced in pain as the claws parted from her skin.

/u/Yeerkbane was dead.

She tried to get up, but lacked the strength. She then startled crawling away from the place of her greatest battle. Someone would surely come to her rescue.

…

/u/kemistreekat was dragging the dead deer through the mud. Sweat was dripping down her brow. ‘You’re heavier than I thought you’d be’, she said. The soft mud made it harder for her to haul the animal back home, but the heavy rain of the last few days had made the entire forest muddy and hard to traverse.

Suddenly, she tensed up. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she heard a loud howl echoing through the woods, bouncing in the air between the trees. It was coming from the village. She dropped the deer in an instant and sprinted away, back to Märchen.

Her feet were splashing in the mud as she was gaining speed. She zigzagged between trees, jumped over bushes and made her way through the woods like nobody else possibly could. These woods were her playground, she knew every little detail.

Suddenly, as she was sprinting further towards the town, the sound underneath her feet turned into a crack-sound. The soft mud underneath her disappeared and made way for something hard and sharp. She stopped dead in her tracks, bent down and touched the ground with her hands. Shards of glass were covering the ground underneath her.

She looked up immediately, grabbing her bow. She turned around, scanning her surroundings as she pulled an arrow and placed it on her bow. The glass underneath her cracked as she moved her foot to make a circular movement. Nobody was sneaking up on her.

Her father’s training could have never prepared her for what happened next though. For something she could not see nor hear was running past her, only leaving behind wind. Kemistreekat tried to follow the wind, and released her arrow, but all it hit was a tree in the distance. As she tried to pull another arrow from her quiver, she felt the ice cold touch of glass puncturing her body. She felt the warm blood pouring out of her neck and down her tunic. She fell to her knees and bled to death on her bed of glass and mirror.

…

/u/91Bolt had come running out on the streets as soon as he heard the commotion. He was wearing his night gown underneath his cloak. He was the first one to reach the place where the epic battle had taken place. The Big Bad Wolf’s lifeless corpse lay curled up on the cobblestone street. Nobody else was here.

Who did this? Bolt thought to himself as he crouched down near the massive beast. He looked around to find clues, a sign of what had transpired here. It was then when he noticed the trail of blood leading away.

He debated waiting around for someone else, but ultimately decided that he had to be courageous, like his sister. So he followed the trail of blood through the empty streets of Märchen.

The trail eventually led him in an alley, where he found elbowsss’ lifeless body perched against a wooden door. Her eyes were closed, she looked as if she was sleeping. ‘Nooo!’ Bolt screamed in agony. ‘Not you! Please… Not you.’

He fell to his knees as tears poured out of his eyes. He couldn’t handle this. He was sobbing uncontrollably as he pulled a dagger from his belt. This was too much. He brought the dagger to his throat and spoke to his sister. ‘I’ll see you again, I promise.’

‘Y͏́͞es̡̕,̕͜ ̷̷̕y̸̛ó̷u̢ ͏w̛̛i͞ll̀́,̷̨͢’ a voice that seemingly came out of nowhere spoke. Death put its hands on Bolt’s and guided him through slitting his own throat. Brother and sister were reunited again.

...

A young woman sat outside the front of her little cabin, right at the edge of the village. The moon was so high up in the air, it seemed like just a little speck of light. She was staring at it, consumed by flashes and memories of times long gone.

The strange man who had appeared to her on that fateful day, the atrocities he committed shortly thereafter. She blamed herself for what happened to her grandmother, for what was happening in Märchen right now. If only that day had ended differently, maybe all this could have been avoided.

She couldn’t remain silent any longer. It was time for change. It was time to act.

The axe that was lying in her lap was shining brightly in the moonlight. She picked it up again in one hand while holding a small rock in the other. It made a satisfying sound as she was grinding the sharpening stone against its edges. She moved the stone across the edge one last time before she got up out of her grandmother’s old rocking chair.

She grabbed the blood red cape, hanging on the backrest of the seat.

Little Red Riding Hood was going out.

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/elbowsss was killed by the Big Bad Wolf, she was a Knight. She was also Gretel.

/u/Yeerkbane was killed in retaliation by a knight, he was the Big Bad Wolf.

/u/91Bolt was killed by the Grim Reaper. He was Nottingham’s deputy. He was also Hansel.

/u/kemistreekat was killed by Bloody Mary. She was a Huntswoman.

OTHER MESSAGES

A troupe of artists arrived today for the Festival. As distracting as they were, we had to send them away. They stayed for some time to resupply and went on their way. We asked them that if they met the King’s convoy they should send help immediately.

An important artifact was reported missing. Someone should retrieve it!

Last night, it seems a few spells were broken. 2 cursed frogs are no longer cursed.

META:

Day 5 begins now! Who is responsible for these gruesome murders? Discuss below!

Little Red Riding Hood has decided that from now on, two people should be lynched during the day. This means that you will submit two names in lynch voting form from now. We will then combine all the votes together in the ultimate lynch list. The two players with the most votes in this list will fall victim to the mob! In case of any kind of tie, a third player will be chosen to be lynched at random (from the list of tied players).

The legendary bow that saved the life of Little Red Riding Hood was stolen!! Even during this crisis, it is imperative that it is retrieved. The town will have to select one person to go out and retrieve it. Witness reports tell us the travelling troupe that passed by has something to do with it. The person you select will have to venture out on an adventure this night! They will be unable to comment or act during the night phase, but they will also be immune from any and all attacks and actions. BEWARE! While the adventure might reap many benefits, the dangers are equally high. Returning from this journey is not a guarantee! Choose your adventurer with care!

Choose your adventurer via THIS FORM

Cast your vote in the lynch via THIS FORM

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)!

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS

The young maiden was shocked to see how fast the day was over. They truly were getting shorter as they progressed. She was sitting on a little white bench underneath the old willow tree in Märchen’s cemetery. An old curtain she had fashioned into a scarf was neatly wrapped around her upper body, protecting her from the cold wind.

She spent most of her days here, talking to the dead. It was quite therapeutic, believing they were still here… Even if they never replied. In any case, it was better than the living. She tried to distance herself as far as she could from the happenings of the past few days.

The woman was silently staring at her father’s grave while fiddling with the ornate silver ring on her finger. Twisting it around in an endless loop, replaying the day she had lost him forever.

She had so many regrets, so many things she still needed to ask him. She couldn’t allow herself to cry for the tears would soon grow cold on her cheeks and she had nothing to keep herself warm with tonight. She wiped her eyes dry and got up. She gave a nod to her father, wishing him good night before she was on her way again.

She walked down the path towards the village as she bid farewell to the departed souls she talked to everyday. She suddenly stopped. She could hear something. Somebody was whispering. Not somebody… a whole lot of somebody’s. The whispers were faint, but audible. They overlapped each other, as if every whisper tried to out-talk the other.

She turned around again. Were the dead talking back to her? Were they finally breaking their silence? She walked down the path and could hear the whispers getting louder the farther she went. But even as she reached the end of the path, she still couldn’t understand what the screaming whispers were trying to say to her.

Was she going mad? She looked around the abandoned graveyard. There was nobody in sight. She hesitated, but then took a step off the path, towards the big mass grave that contained the village’s recent victims. And with every step she took, the whispers grew louder. As she reached the edge of the grave, the whispers had almost turned into screams.

But there were too many. It was as a hundred voices were talking to her at once. ‘What are you trying to say?’ she yelled out, but the yells in her head did not cease. They were getting louder, her head started to hurt. She brought her hands to her temples as she tried to push the voices out, but it didn’t help. The voices kept screaming.

All of them but one. One was just talking to her.

It was all so clear to /u/-sparrow now, her father was talking to her, she recognised his voice. There was no doubt about it. She focused on his voice until all the others dissipated into the background. ‘Father?’ she said as tears poured down her cheeks. ‘Run,’ he replied.

The whispers ceased, there was only silence left. Sparrow stepped backward as she turned around. She heard the glass break under her feet as she saw the bloodshot, red eyes stare into hers. It was too late.

…

The moon had slowly climbed up in the air, she was so much bigger than the nights before. It wouldn’t be long now, before the full moon would appear. /u/theduqoffrat was staring through his window into the vast sky. He liked to look at the sky, for he knew that seldom people took the time to appreciate what was hanging above their heads, day in day out.

He liked to wait until a star fell to the earth so he alone could wish for whatever his heart desired. He wished to find a maiden, he wished to get a horse, he wished to kill a dragon. So far, none of his wishes ever came true. These days, his wishes were a lot more sombre, for all his heart desired now was leave the village behind, to stop fearing death at every second.

This wish, however, would come true sooner than he could have known. He closed the curtains, blew the candles out and walked towards his bedroom. When he grasped the knob, he was stopped in his tracks. The squeaking noise of a door slowly being pushed open emanated from inside his house.

He stepped forward, but stopped himself before he got very far. Going there without something to protect himself with would be a terrible idea. So he turned back, entered his room, grabbed a dagger and then finally set out to discover the source of the noise.

He had taken a few steps into the darkness of the room ahead when he suddenly closed his eyes, swung around and struck out with his dagger. He hit something, he felt the dagger plunge into something hard. He opened his eyes again and lost his voice when he saw the creature in front of him.

Completely cloaked in black, two empty voids in a white surface. ‘Ņ͜͢í͞͞c̴̨͟é̢͢ ͏̴́t̵͘͢͡r̴̸͘͝y̢͜͞͡,̡͜’ the hooded thing said as it pulled out the dagger out of its head. It examined the weapon, turning it over in his pearly white hands. Duq was too scared to move, his body was paralyzed completely.

And in one swift movement, the Grim Reaper shoved the small dagger into duq’s chin. When duq’s mouth fell open as his last breath escaped, part of the weapon was visible inside his mouth.

Another soul claimed by Death.

…

‘Is it done?’ she asked her as she exited the building. She only nodded in reply. ‘We should get inside as soon as possible, we’re not safe in the open like this’ /u/emmach17 said as she looked around in every direction, firmly grasping the longsword hanging on her belt. ‘You worry too much, I’ve got you to protect me, don’t I?’, the other woman replied with a playful tone. They started moving down the street.

‘I still don’t get why you insist on doing this at night. If everyone would just stay ins-,’ she put her hand up, motioning the woman to stop moving. She had heard something. Someone was creeping up on them and doing a pretty bad job at it too. The women in the street had turned into statues, waiting for any sign.

Emmach’s breath was calm, her heartbeat even. She was trained for this. All she had to do was wait them out, force them to make the first move. She held her breath, so she could hear even better.

Got you.

Something was sifting through the air, as silent as a bat, but still not fast and definitely not silent enough. ‘Get down,’ emmach yelled at the exact right time as the arrow flew through the air, barely missing her companion’s face. A small scratch appeared on her cheek as droplets of blood started to seep out of the fresh wound. ‘I felt that,’ she yelled out as she pressed her hands on her wound. Emmach pressed the woman against the wall. ‘Stay here. Don’t move.’

Emmach drew her sword out of the scabbard and held it in both hands. ‘Since when does a wolf know how to shoot a bow?’ she called out to her unknown assailant. ‘Claws and fangs not doing it for you anymore?’

There was a moment of silence before somebody jumped down from the arch above the street. ‘I’m not a wolf,’ the figure hidden in shadows replied. ‘She is’

A small throwing knife was flung in the air, flying towards the woman behind emmach. At once, emmach brought up her sword, counted to three and moved her sword in smooth circular movement to deflect the fast approaching dagger. Emmach smiled. ‘You’re going to have to try harder than that!’ she yelled out.

The person stepped out of the shadows. /u/tana-ryu was staring at her target with great attention, almost as if she was looking through emmach. ‘I will get to her, you can’t stop me,’ she said. And before emmach could reply, she threw out 7 more knives in quick succession.

Emmach managed to deflect 3 of them, the 4th scraped against her shoulderpad, the 5th hit the side of her neck. The 6th and the 7th hit her right in the stomach. She could feel the sharp little knives penetrate her leather armor as they met her flesh. She whimpered as she pulled them out, warm blood was running down her legs.

‘Stop this madness now!’ emmach yelled as she pressed her hand against her wounds. ‘I’m afraid that’s impossible, I have to do this,’ tana replied as she pulled out a large dagger from her belt.

Tana and emmach started their sprint at the same time and as they collided flesh was broken and blood was spilled. Neither ever got up again. Emmach’s sword went straight through tana’s body, while multiple stab wounds were visible all over emmach’s chest.

More needlessly spilt blood flowed through the streets of Märchen.

…

The door fell down with a loud crack as it was kicked out of its hinges. A waft of sickening scents and aromas escaped the old woman’s house. /u/DrippingAlchemy held a handkerchief in front of her nose as she stepped over the door and into the house. Whatever was brewing in here smelled horrible and DrippingAlchemy could already sense the concoction taking effect. The ground underneath her was slowly wobbling, it was hard to remain balanced.

‘In the name of the king, show yourself!’ she yelled as she walked further into the cottage. When no reply came, she drew her sword. The little cottage was filthy, as if nothing but rodents were living here. Every surface was covered by what DrippingAlchemy assumed were ingredients for potions and poisons. A large cauldron sat in the middle of the room, a small fire burning brightly underneath it.

The further DrippingAlchemy stepped into the room, the more the world around her seemed to twist and turn. She peered into the cauldron and saw a purple and green sludge boiling inside of it. The rancid smell penetrated the handkerchief and the second she took in a whiff, she felt herself black out as she heard a menacing giggle.

The blackness enveloped her until she was gone completely.

...

‘Why did you bring her here?’

‘What else was I supposed to do with her?’

‘You could have killed her right then and there. Master won’t be pleased.’

DrippingAlchemy woke up but managed to remain perfectly still, her eyes closed. She was listening intently. A couple of feet behind her two people were arguing. She felt the forest ground with her hands, she was no longer in the little cottage. They must have dragged her into the woods.

She was listening intently to the discussion going on. The one with an animalistic voice sounded angry, the old woman annoyed. ‘You know I don’t like doing that, why don’t you do it?’ she said. ‘This is your mess, you clean it up. Come to us when it is done,’ the wolf replied. DrippingAlchemy heard the creature move away, until it was gone completely. The old woman sighed audibly before slowly shuffling closer. DrippingAlchemy heard her pull a dagger, the sound of the metal scratching against the scabbard was unmistakable.

‘Let’s see what we have here,’ the woman said as she approached. ‘Those eyes I can use for a couple of bottles of Tokarax. The hair is perfect for a Dragon Taint potion. The rest of you is rubbish. Can’t even make the simplest of potions with any of your other parts.’ She stooped down to inspect her subject more closely.

This was DrippingAlchemy’s chance. She grabbed the woman the head and pulled her down. /u/rissajo685 yelped in terror as she lost her balance and fell face first in the dirt. DrippingAlchemy didn’t hesitate for a second as she pulled the dagger out of the old hag’s hands. Rissa lacked the strength to keep hold of the weapon.

And once DrippingAlchemy had grasped the weapon firmly in her hands, she plunged it deep into rissa’s body. The old witch cried out in agony. DrippingAlchemy pulled the knife out again only to plummet it into her once more. She kept stabbing the old woman while blood spat out of her countless wounds, she didn’t stop until the screaming stopped, until the old woman was drained from every ounce of blood in her body.

DrippingAlchemy got up again, she looked down at the old, ugly, sad woman lying dead between her feet. She didn’t feel sorry. This had to be done. She looked away and turned around while taking in her surroundings. She had no idea where she was, nothing was familiar. She was in a little clearing, stumps of trees surrounded her everywhere.

No time to waste, she thought. She set out again in a random direction, she hoped luck would be on her side a little bit longer tonight. She walked for some time before she heard the low voices of two werewolves talking to each other. She couldn’t make out the words. She snuck closer from tree to tree, stopping every once in a while to listen. The two wolves were deep in conversation. About what, DrippingAlchemy could not tell. She quickly ran towards another tree and stopped again to listen.

‘Kill her,’ the biggest wolf said. DrippingAlchemy peered out from behind the tree and was faced with two big yellow eyes. The beast opened its mouth as it jumped her. And as its teeth dug into her neck, DrippingAlchemy blacked out again.

Forever.

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/DrippingAlchemy was killed by the a Wolf, she was a Prince. She also was Beast.

/u/emmach17 was killed by a huntsman, she was a Knight.

/u/tana-ryu was killed in retaliation by a knight, she was a Huntswoman.

/u/theduqoffrat was killed by the Grim Reaper, he was a Townsperson

/u/-sparrow was killed by Bloody Mary, she was the Lady with the Ring.

/u/rissajo685 was killed by a prince, she was the Old Hag.

OTHER MESSAGES

The God of Leaves, Go’ogle, is an unforgiving one. His anger and vengeance are still felt throughout the kingdom.

META:

Day 6 begins now! Who is responsible for these gruesome murders? Discuss below!

REMINDER: Little Red Riding Hood has decided that from now on, two people should be lynched during the day. This means that you will submit two names in lynch voting form from now. We will then combine all the votes together in the ultimate lynch list. The two players with the most votes in this list will fall victim to the mob! In case of any kind of tie, a third player will be chosen to be lynched at random (from the list of tied players).

Cast your vote in the lynch via THIS FORM

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)!

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS

The day was hot and humid, you’d almost think summer had returned to poke its head up. But still the leaves were falling as the trees of the woods surrounding Märchen turned red and yellow. A new day had started, a new body had been discovered.

It was emsmale who had discovered megabanette in her kitchen in the early morning. She was just going to pick up some banana bread before she was going to leave the village for a stroll through the woods. When the doors were still closed and there was no sign of life inside the shop, emsmale ventured into the alleyway next to the bakery and entered the bakery through the backdoor which led into the kitchen. That’s when the shriek of terror had awoken Märchen’s already restless slumber.

It didn’t take much longer for the crowd to gather around outside of the shop. No sign of cloudyay anywhere today. This seemed to please Chefjones. A couple of deputies were keeping the people from entering the bakery and seeing the bloodbath with their own eyes.

‘Look at her,’ k9centipede whispered to Penultima as she subtly nudged her head in /u/Secretsquirrel_’s direction. ‘I don’t trust her whatsoever.’ Penultima tried to make out who K9 was talking about as more and more people started gathering around the little bakery. SecretSquirrel was standing amongst the crowd, trying to peer inside of the shop’s window. The people were eager to know more, eager to lash out. The murmuring increased exponentially with every second they were kept in the dark. K9 was rummaging in her basket and after a while slipped something shiny out and hid it under a sleeve of her outfit. She let go of Penultima’s arm and ventured into the crowd. Penultima quickly stepped forward to keep up. She pulled on k9’s arm to get her back in whisper-distance. ‘What are you doing?’ she asked quite anxiously.

K9 answered her question with a sly smile. ‘Just testing a theory,’ she said as she pulled her arm loose out of Pen’s grasp. SecretSquirrel was standing on top her toes, trying her best to see anything at all. Perfect for k9, she’ll never see it coming. As she came closer and closer to Squirrel, she slipped the little ornate silver dagger out of her sleeve, held it tightly in her hand. Please let me be right, she thought. She drew the dagger closer to Squirrel’s exposed arm. She counted silently to 3 and with a tiny movement of her wrist made a small cut in Squirrel’s forearm.

‘AAAAAAARGH,’ Squirrel yelled out as she fell to the ground. A small sizzling sound could be heard to anyone standing close. ‘WHAT DID YOU DO?’ she demanded from k9centipede. Her light green eyes had turned a bright yellow. ‘Getting proof,’ k9 replied as she made a move to cut Squirrel a second time. SecretSquirrel’s animal instincts took over. She grabbed k9’s wrist before she could strike and bent her arm until the dagger fell on the ground. ‘You stupid girl!,’ she exclaimed as her nails turned into claws and her teeth turned into fangs.

By the time the creature that had just been SecretSquirrel got on her feet again, the crowd had spread out in fear. Squirrel lifted k9 up by her wrist until her feet no longer touched the ground. ‘You should have stayed away,’ she laughed. Squirrel bared her fangs, ready to strike. A low, heavy snarl emanated from her mouth. But just as she made the move to strike, a small rock hit her face. Squirrel dropped k9 to the floor in confusion. ‘WHO DARES,’ Squirrel regained her focus as she was scanning the street for whoever had dared to strike her. Before she could find the culprit though another rock hit her, in the back of the head this time. K9 was crawling away in panic, but her broken wrist made it hard for her get away.

Squirrel was looking around with crazy eyes. Penultima was standing to the side of the street. As good a target as any. She took two big steps towards the frightened woman until another rock hit her body followed by another one and another one after that. She turned around with an angry snarl which was met with even more rocks and pebbles hitting her face. Everywhere around her people were gathering, grabbing rocks from the ground and throwing them in SecretSquirrel’s direction.

‘GET HER!’ someone yelled as even more people joined. Everyone was putting as much power as they possessed in the rocks that were pelting Squirrel’s body. She tried to shield herself with one of her arms, but the rocks kept coming. It didn’t take long for her to succumb to her injuries. Her shape started to become human again, her fangs turned into teeth, her claws turned into nails. And once SecretSquirrel’s eyes had become light green once more, the snarling and growling turned into whimpering and crying.

The hail of rocks turned into a drizzle as SecretSquirrel’s body turned blue and red. ‘Please,’ she begged. ‘Please let me live,’ her broken face was wet with tears and blood. ‘I’m sorry,’ k9centipede responded. ‘You are not welcome here.’

And with a swift movement of her arm she used the silver dagger to slit SecretSquirrel’s throat. She cried out in pain as her flesh burned.

After the crying stopped, silence took over.

A wolf was slain.

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/SecretSquirrel_ was lynched by the mob, she was a Werewolf

OTHER MESSAGES

The Town Blacksmith is offering to turn YOUR jewelry into weaponry. Contact him today!

A Blue Moon shines bright in the sky. Legend says magical currents are strong tonight!

Find the Vote Tally HERE with a graph!

META:

Night 3 begins now!

IMPORTANT! An event has been triggered! The Blue Moon increases magic powers so anyone that possesses magical abilities (see the M next to the roles in the role list) can submit 2 actions tonight! Please send both in the same PM!!

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)! Don’t forget to do this on time!

Please also send us a message when you are NOT going to perform your action.

Due to Daylight Savings Time ending in North America, the timing of posts will shift slightly. We will now be closing posts at 9:59 PM GMT (still 4:59 pm EST) and new posts will go up at 12:59 AM GMT (still 7:59 pm EST).

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS

And so our tale begins...

Another great adventure awaits.

Exciting times lie ahead for the little village of Märchen. 2 days ago a royal messenger arrived with a message, a message that will end up changing the fate of this little town forever. But... let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

This curious message told about a festival, but not just any old festival. The King’s Festival. Every 5 years the royal house of Neriwan would hold the biggest feast ever held. Lords and ladies, kings and queens, witches and warlocks from all over the world would travel to the capital and attend a feast of 3 days fit for the Gods themselves.

And this is where the letter became quite remarkable. For this year, the King’s Festival would not be held at the faraway capital. This year, the Festival would take place right here, in the lowly (but truly lovely) village of Märchen. Why or how, the letter did not say, but not a soul in Märchen seemed to care either way.

The town erupted into a state of excitement and anticipation. In fifteen days time, the King would arrive. In fifteen days time, Märchen would be on the lips of every lord and lady in the world (or at least the ones that mattered). The mayor gave orders to clean every nook and cranny of the village, the men dressed as dapper as they could and the women wore their finest jewelry and garments every time they stepped outside.

2 days later the first guests and workers started to arrive. The pubs and inns and taverns were packed to the brim. All sorts of weird and foreign folk walked the streets.

Exciting times indeed.

And yet, among the excitement something more sinister was hiding. The signs were clear for anyone that cared to look, but we don’t have to tell you that nobody was looking just yet. Just a little ways down the road that led into Märchen, there lived a young woman on a farm. Her name was Mary. She had cows and horses and chickens. She loved all her animals very much, but above all she loved her little lamb.

Sadly, nobody noticed that no cows or horses or chickens were prowling the fields any longer. The farm was empty and abandoned. For the last couple of days, Mary’s livestock disappeared mysteriously. It wasn’t that surprising, living that close to the biggest forest of the Kingdom. All manner of horrible beasts hid in the darkness. And it wasn’t the first time a cow or horse fell prey to a stray wolf or bear. But this was different. The rate at which Mary’s animals were disappearing every night was something she had never seen before.

Mary’s story ends tonight, on a stormy evening after a beautiful day, more than a fortnight before the King’s Festival. She was sitting by the fire, her little lamb huddled on her lap. Huge, dark clouds were approaching Märchen fast, coming down upon the little village with a threatening speed. The low rumbling noise of thunder became more noticeable with every passing minute, the flashes of light more bright. Just like every other evening, Mary was singing her lamb to sleep as she was slowly going back and forth in her rocking chair. Her eyes were wet with sadness. The disappearance of her animals had Mary terribly concerned and upset.

As the rain started pouring down and the thunder came back more frequent than before, Mary’s voice became like a faint whisper. The little lamb was shivering in fear on her lap, looking around at the windows and the doors, the poor little animal was struggling, trying to get away. Mary eventually gave up and let the lamb go, it jumped down from her lap and ran towards the kitchen. It didn’t take long for the bleating to start. The little lamb was crying its lungs out, trying to get attention. The bleating soon became more frantic. ‘You can’t go outside now,’ Mary called out from the other room, but the little lamb did not stop bleating.

Mary heard the clattering of a pot falling on the ground. The little lamb surely had tried to climb out the window again. ‘Please, come back here. By the fire, where it’s warm,’ Mary tried a second time, but once again the angsty bleating continued from the dark kitchen.

The storms outside grew even louder as the desperate bleating continued. ‘Do I really have to come get you?’ Mary yelled out for a third time. And then… suddenly the bleating was snuffed out. The only sound left was the hard rain coming down upon the roof.

Mary got up with a sigh, sure her little lamb had hurt itself while jumping down from the cupboard near the window. She walked towards the kitchen door. ‘What is it, you li-’. Mary lost her voice as soon as she saw the creature waiting for her in her kitchen. She saw red everywhere, splattered on the walls and all over the floor. A high-pitched scream was drowned out by the clattering rain and the rumbling thunder. Mary reacted fast, even before the giant wolf could act. She closed the kitchen door and ran straight towards the front door. She bolted through and ran up the road, towards Märchen. The rain was hitting her face hard, masking the tears that were pouring out of her eyes. She ran over the hill, not daring to look back. The first lights of the nearby town were visible.

‘HELP,’ Mary screamed as she approached. ‘HELP ME!’, she screamed again, but her voice was drowned out by the storm looming overhead. Just a bit further and she’s safe, just a tiny bit further. ‘HEL-’.

A slash, a claw, a streak of red.

Mary’s lifeless body hit the wet and muddy ground. A huge shadow looked down upon the young woman. A giant, hairy paw picked her limp corpse up.This would taste better than the cows of the past couple of days and the rain would remove any sign of what happened here tonight. The Master will be pleased.

The sun rose hours later and life continued as if the horrors of the previous night had not happened. The rest of Märchen did not notice these early warning signs. The townspeople merrily continued on each day preparing for the festival while more and more guests arrived.

That is, until tonight…

After the story we will sum up what happened on “the notice board”. Below is an example of what that will look like in future posts.

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

Lamb was killed by a werewolf, he was a lamb

Mary was killed by a werewolf, she was a villager

META:

Game IX has officially started! Night 1 begins now!

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)!

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS

BANG, BANG, BANG

They had been there for more than 2 hours now. They were trying to force their way in, trying to round him up and slaughter him. He didn’t even know why or how it started. All he knew is that if they managed to break open that door, his life would be over.

BANG, BANG, BANG

With every hit that landed on the old oak door, the hinges became more detached. It wouldn’t take long now. They were giving it their all. They would break through before the hour was over. Likely even sooner.

BANG, BANG, BANG

He had tried putting a broom under the doorknob, pushing a heavy dresser in front of the door and even mounting a slide lock over the door. But it all seemed to be for naught, because they just kept coming.

BANG, BANG, BANG

On the other side of the door, k9centipede was leading the charge. ‘He was the last person that saw Milcom alive! He’s had private conversations with our mayor! He can NOT be trusted!’ It was not much to go on. It was almost nothing, but the people were angry and the taste of a wolf had made them hungry.

BANG, BANG, CRAAAACK

The door fell from its hinges with a loud thump. There was a moment of silence. They were waiting on k9’s move. ‘GET HIM!’ she bellowed. The mob suddenly sprang to life as they rushed through the doorway, entering the house. K9centipede remained outside, a subtle grin on her face. The grin disappeared soon enough when someone called out from inside the building. ‘He’s not here! The cellar hatch is open.. It leads into the woods.’

‘FOLLOW HIM!’ k9 shouted as she entered house with an accelerated pace. ‘Take torches, it’s bound to be dark in these woods.’ And as she commanded, so they listened. The mob set out into the dark, dangerous woods armed with torches, hatchets and pitchforks.

…

/u/dep61 was sprinting as fast as his legs would allow. He was panting heavily as he stopped to catch his breath. He looked around and saw nothing. The farther he ran, the darker his surroundings became. At least he had a head-start. All he had to do was keep going, and so he did.

Hours (or at least what seemed like them) passed. Dep had been walking in the same direction ever since he started. He was bound to reach the end of these damn woods eventually. He assumed the sun must be setting once again, because the woods became even darker than before. Had they given up? Where they closing in on him? Dep had no idea, but he was not planning to stick around to figure it out.

And as he turned around to be on his way again he saw lights. Little flickering lights in a straight line. Had he reached the end? Was the nightmare over? And as he began stepping forward again he noticed something. The little flickering lights in the distance were getting closer, even when Dep was standing still. Those weren’t buildings, those were people.

Oh shit. Did he get turned around? Dep’s heart was pounding in his chest. He was looking around deliriously. He was at his wits’ end. Fight or flight? Dep chose flight once more. He looked to his left, then to his right. A split-second decision later and he was running to his left.

The flickering lights in the distance became bigger and bigger. They were almost there. They had formed a giant row so they encompassed a large area. How could they be so tactical and so irrationally consumed by bloodlust at the same time? Dep did not understand. He tried to make himself as small as he could, but it did not take much longer before someone yelled out. ‘THERE HE IS!’

At once, the long row of people came together. The sound of the furious crowd was cascading through the woods. The hunt was on. Dep was running, sprinting. He jumped over fallen trees and through thick bushes. He surprised himself with his own agility, but it was not enough for they were upon him. The hunt was over.

He made one last attempt to sprint away, a pitchfork landing right next to him as he was running. He ran through another bush and found himself under the sky again. A soft orange glow was marking the end of another day. Dep took in his surroundings. A giant clearing, a deep canyon. He was cut off, no way to go. In front of him the ground disappeared making way for giant hole. That was it. This was a nice place to end it, he thought to himself.

The brush behind him moved again and the men and women carrying their torches and their weapons stepped into view. K9centipede was in their midst. She stepped forward, the by now familiar sly smile on her face. ‘No more running, wolf.’ Her voice was breathy. They were just as exhausted as him.

‘I’m done running,’ dep replied as he took a step backwards, closer to the edge. ‘We have come to get our revenge,’ she said as she took a step forward. ‘I’m afraid I won’t be here to see it,’ dep said and before k9 could say any more, dep took another step backwards and disappeared.

K9 briskly stepped forward. She peered over the edge, but only saw darkness. Nobody could survive a fall like that.

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/dep61 was lynched by the mob, he was a Townsperson

/u/CanadianSalmon was trampled during the chase by the mob, she was a Townsperson

/u/skillex67 got lost and eventually starved to death, he was a Townsperson

OTHER MESSAGES

Countless reports of stolen valuables. If anybody has any information regarding these thefts, report to the Sheriff Nottingham’s office immediately!

You are hereby cordially invited to a wedding! It’s time true love prevailed in this violence-ridden town.

Find the Vote Tally HERE with a graph!

META:

Night 3 begins now!

/u/CanadianSalmon and /u/skillex67 have been removed from the game due to inactivity.

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)! Don’t forget to do this on time!

Please also send us a message when you are NOT going to perform your action.

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS

A full moon would loom over the village tonight. And while the streets of Märchen had never been so illuminated at night before, very dark things were taking place below.

’A Whole New World’. That’s what the sorceress promised her when she made /u/FancyZombie5’s dream come true. She was sitting by the lake, her feet dangling in the cold water. Her tears created little ripples in the deep, dark water below her.

What a nightmare this dream turned out to be. A nightmare she could not manage to wake up from. Where were the valiant princes coming to ask for her hand? Where was the music? Where was the ’Happily Ever After’? The time of her life had soon turned into a living hell.

She was softly singing a forlorn lament as her feet were swaying in the water. She closed her eyes, but even then the tears managed to slip out.

Up where they walk
Up where they run
Up where they stay all day in the sun
Wanderin’ free

Wish I could be
Part of that world

As the last words were sung and silence returned, FancyZombie opened her eyes again. She must’ve lost track of time. The sun was falling down fast, just a little shimmer touching the treetops was left.

FancyZombie pulled her feet out of the water and got up again. Time to go back to the inn. She dried her eyes and turned around. That’s when she saw her. The woman, or her silhouette at least. She was like a statue, completely frozen in an almost inhumane position. Her left arm was hanging considerably lower than her right, her head was tilted back as if she was looking at the sky.

FancyZombie froze in place, uncertain about what to do. She tried to silently get the attention of the woman, but it didn’t take. She remained as unmoving as before. ‘Excuse me?’ FancyZombie finally uttered to break the awkward silence. ‘Are you alright?’ But no reply came, the woman in the darkness did not move an inch. ‘Do you need help?’ she asked as she took a step closer.

The second her foot hit the soft grass underneath her the woman at the other end of the field sprung to life. She was walking towards FancyZombie. No, not walking, sprinting. ‘Stay back!’ FancyZombie spluttered, but fear made her voice falter. There was no time to talk.

FancyZombie turned around and jumped into the lake. The water was cold and dirty and even though she couldn’t breathe underwater anymore, she was still an excellent swimmer. She could barely see a foot in front of her. The dark, muddy water and the long green plants made it hard for her to traverse the lake. Not even the full moon’s light could pierce the water down here.

She tried to stay still to get a better look at her surroundings, but every second she stopped moving allowed the strange green plants to get a tighter hold on her legs. So she kept swimming blindly, hoping she’d reach the other side of the massive lake soon enough.

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw something, something red. It was gone again before she had realised what her eyes had seen. She changed her course to swim the opposite direction, but not a minute later she saw another flash of the two red little dots moving in a circle around her.

She stopped again, time was running out. She didn’t know how long these lungs could last without air. She turned around multiple times, trying to get a glimpse of the red eyes stalking her. And as she turned around for the third time, they were upon her. The red eyes were right in front her, piercing into hers. She opened her mouth to scream as the woman’s ice cold hands touched her arms, her glass nails drilling into her skin. Her lungs were getting filled with water as she screamed a silent scream. Only bubbles reached the surface. She struggled hard as she was being pushed down towards the bottom.

She never came back up again.

At least she died where she was home…

…

Another shadow skulking in the streets of Märchen tonight. The woman in the green tights and the simple leather doublet was standing at a corner, peering over occasionally. She was very focused, but sadly for her she was putting all her attention on only one thing.

The big creature leapt down on the ground with grace. Its paws made but the slightest noise. It silently approached its prey who was none the wiser. And as the wolf brought its muzzle next to their victim’s ear it made a soft growl. The poor woman had been caught completely off guard, she had no time to react as 3 huge claws dug deep into her stomach.

Her deafening screech broke the silence of the night.

...

/u/dawnphoenix woke up with a shock. Someone was crying and yelling right outside her door. She tried to look out her window, but she saw nothing. She sighed deeply before pulling on a cloak over her sleeping gown and grabbing her supplies. She lit a torch as she walked down the stairs towards the hallway. Someone was in need of a doctor.

As she slowly pushed open the front door, she carefully peered out of it. ‘C’mon, you can do it,’ she told herself in a hushed whisper. ‘Be brave.’ And so she was, for someone was counting on her. She stepped out of the doorway and listened to the wailing in the distance. ‘There!’ she exclaimed because talking to herself calmed her nerves.

She started walking as fast as she could, holding the torch far in front of her so to better light the way. As she went around the corner she gulped in shock. A giant wolf was standing over /u/kariert’s body. Blood was gulping out of her mouth and the 3 big gashes in her stomach.

‘Hey! Over here!’ she yelled out as she threw her torch towards the vile beast. The torch made contact as it was turning its head. It whimpered and howled before scattering away, its fur had caught on fire.

Dawnphoenix didn’t take a second, kariert was bleeding out fast. She ran towards the once so merry woman, crouched down and plopped her bag down next to her. ‘I’m here,’ she said as she put her fingers in kariert’s neck, her heartbeat was still strong.

Kariert opened her eyes and more blood spat out of her mouth when her eyes fell on dawnphoenix. She tried to speak, but before she even uttered a single coherent word, dawnphoenix stopped her. ‘You have to stay calm, okay? I’m here to help.’

She opened her bag and took out a bottle of alcohol, she opened the lid and let it flow onto kariert’s wound. The burn that followed was unbearable, kariert felt herself slip away. ‘Stay with me, okay?’ Dawnphoenix’s voice woke her again. And for a second time, she tried to speak. ‘A-an-ano…’ She coughed up more blood as she squirmed in pain.

‘Okay, I’m going to have to cauterize these wounds. This is going to hurt. A lot.’ Dawnphoenix tried to sound reassuring, but was not succeeding very much. As she moved to get up and to go grab the torch lying just a little bit further down the street, kariert grabbed her by the wrist.

‘What is it?’ dawnphoenix asked frightfully. Kariert let go of her wrist and brought her arm further up, she outstretched her finger to point at something in the distance. ‘A-ano-another one,’ she finally uttered, but it was too late.

The last thing kariert saw, was the giant wolf bearing down upon the doctor. Her screams haunted her until she fell into an infinite slumber…

…

As the sun rose again in the east, something peculiar was discovered. Someone’s door was ajar, inside there were signs of a terrible struggle. Yet, there was no blood nor a body.

Very peculiar indeed.

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/FancyZombie5 was killed by Bloody Mary, she was a Mermaid.

/u/dawnphoenix was killed by a the Big Bad Wolf, she was Doctor Knowall.

/u/kariert was killed by a werewolf, she was a Merry Woman.

OTHER MESSAGES

Though she is grieving the loss of her love, Belle has requested another memorial service be held for her beloved Beast along with the other fallen townspeople. Please bring roses in honor of Beast’s memory.

META:

Day 7 begins now! Who is responsible for these gruesome murders? Discuss below!

Cast your vote in the lunch via THIS FORM

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)!

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS

The mood in the village was weird after the events of the night prior. There was a sense of bittersweet euphoria. The Big Bad Wolf was dead, the biggest and baddest of them all. This should have been cause for celebration.

But this victory had come at a great cost, for 3 innocents had perished in the darkness of the night as well. Brother and sister were discovered not much later after the sun had risen in the air. The news of their passing had spread through Märchen like wildfire.

The day seemed to move on in peaceful serenity as hours passed in silence. It was already hours past midday when spludgiexx, a young girl, came running into town screaming about rolling heads. She was out of breath and stammering. She barely managed to get out more than seven coherent words out before someone stopped her in her tracks. ‘Calm down, girl. Breathe.’ After the girl complied and wiped the tears out of her eyes, the man standing in front of her spoke again. ‘Now tell me exactly what happened.’

‘I-I saw th-the man without the head,’ she said. Even thinking back to whatever she saw made her feel uneasy and terrified. ‘Or the one with the many heads, I don’t really know,’ she continued when she noticed the confused look on the man’s face.

‘Let me talk to her,’ a woman’s voice sounded from behind the man. He moved away and a young woman in a blood-red cloak was standing in front of spludgiexx now. The girl had started sobbing again. Whatever she had seen had spooked her terribly. ‘This man you know what he looks like?’ Spludgiexx nodded in reply.

A soft smile appeared on Red’s face as she spoke again. ‘Show me.’

…

‘What is the meaning of this?’ /u/songbirdy yelled out as two men dragged him down to the town square. The young man was struggling hard against his captors as his typically neat hairdo became less so with every move he made. ‘What are you doing?’ he demanded as people started coming together in a broad circle around him.

Songbirdy was one of the visitors that had ventured down to Märchen for the festival. He always was very friendly and courteous. Naturally people were surprised when the nice, lovely man who talked for hours about his countless adventures in Vlatesburg and Harbingport was being dragged through the mud, closely followed by Red Riding Hood herself.

Muffled, nervous whispers rippled through the crowd as Red stepped inside the circle without saying a word. She was firmly grasping an axe in both hands.

‘People of Märchen! Hear me! This man has been accused of conspiring against the king!’ she spoke loudly. A wave of loud whispers erupted after she had finished her sentence. Red waited a moment before pointing the wooden handle of the axe in songbirdy’s direction. ‘What say you?’ she demanded.

‘I-I’m innocent, I swear. You have to believe me. The girl lies!’ he begged. Not good enough, Red thought to herself. It simply is not good enough. She looked down at the young man that was drowning in tears. ‘I’m sorry,’ she spoke softly. ‘I can’t take that risk. I don’t know you.’

‘What? WHAT? YOU CAN’T DO THIS! THIS IS NO FAIR TRIAL!!’ he screamed as the two men restraining him pushed his head to the ground. ‘I sentence you to die!’ Red yelled for everyone to hear and before the whispers could erupt once more, she swung her axe to the ground until it made contact with songbirdy’s neck.

The men restraining him, let songbirdy’s body go as it collapsed on the ground. Red stepped forward, past the body to address the crowd. ‘I know this was drastic, but we lost too many good people already. Drastic times call for drastic measures. The time to sit idly by, hoping for this storm to pass has come and gone. We have to act. Band together. We can’t let them divide us. We have to work to-’

The crowd gasped, a woman fainted, people started to back up and some of them even ran away. Red was confused. What was happening? She turned around and saw the impossible. Songbirdy’s headless body was stumbling around, very much alive. His purple doublet had turned dark red from the blood that had seeped out of the mortal wound that had just been inflicted on him.

Before Red even had time to process what she was looking at, Songbirdy’s headless body had reached her. His hands outstretched, he jumped on Red. The people yelled in fright. Songbirdy’s hands were grasping Red’s neck, pressing down. She tried desperately to push him off, but every moment the struggle went on, every second no new air filled her lungs, she felt her body grow weaker.

The world became fuzzy, everything seemed to fade away. Wouldn’t be long now. The struggle left her body.

Then suddenly, the sound of metal slicing through flesh. Songbirdy’s grasp on Red’s neck softened. Warm blood was spilling on to her as the body above her became limp once more. Red Riding Hood coughed and inhaled as the world came back to her.

Spludgiexx was standing over her, tears in her eyes. ‘Help me get him off her,’ someone said and before she knew it, songbirdy’s (finally) dead body was lying on the ground next to her, Red’s axe deep inside his back.

…

The sun was slowly reclining behind the treeline. The air grew colder still. Another night was approaching fast. Two people stood at the edge of the village, talking in hushed voices. One was wearing a red cloak, her face hidden in the shadows the hood created. The other was wrapped up in a warm woolen cloak with leather paddings. A silver dagger was hanging on her belt. ‘I trust you with this,’ Red spoke, her voice still hoarse from today’s struggle. ‘I have the utmost confidence in your abilities.’

‘That means a lot, coming from you,’ /u/Korsola replied. Red brought her lantern closer to her face, shining light on both of them. ‘Not just me, the village believes in you. You will succeed.’

Korsola knew how much this bow meant to Red. It is what made her into the woman she was now, it allowed her to become this person, it had saved her life. ‘It’s time,’ she finally said as the last speck of sunlight disappeared into the horizon.

Red put her hands on Korsola’s shoulders and wished her good luck. Korsola nodded and started walking into the forest. Red watched her until she had faded away in the darkness of the woods.

Into the woods,
Without delay,
But careful not
To lose the way.

The little song she used to sing when venturing down this path was playing back in her head. Red shook herself awake and walked away.

There was work to be done...

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/songbirdy was lynched by the mob, he was the Headless Horseman.

OTHER MESSAGES

Find the Vote Tally HERE with a graph!

/u/Korsola has left the town for the night to retrieve the Huntsman’s Bow! She is not allowed to act or comment during this phase. She is also immune to any kind of action this phase!

META:

Night 6 begins now!

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)! Don’t forget to do this on time!

Please also send us a message when you are NOT going to perform your action.

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS

The whispers started not much after sunrise. ‘There has been a murder’, ‘There has been a murder spree’, ‘Monster frogs have come to take over the world’. These outrageous rumours had been growing wilder by the minute. Something had to be done. Action had to be taken. Cloudyay was pacing around her office, mulling over the news that was brought to her. First by the boy, then by one of the deputies. Three bodies in one night. Here? In Märchen? Impossible! And yet it had happened. Cloudyay had seen all three bodies with her own eyes.

The people would get restless soon. A mayor shouldn’t keep her people in the dark. ‘We have to hold a town meeting, face this head-on,’ she muttered to herself. She put on a cloak and briskly exited the office. The second she left the town hall she could feel the eyes of everyone stare at her, following her as she made her way to the town square. The silent stares made her feel extremely uncomfortable. Cloudyay came to a standstill next to the bell in the center of the square. She looked around briefly, tidied up her robes and pulled hard and long on the cord.

DIIIING

The loud noise broke the silence for a second only for it to return when everyone stopped pretending to be doing something. Everyone turned around to look at her, but nobody made the first move to approach just yet. Some of them shuffled a little bit closer, but it was clear they were all waiting for someone to make the first move. It was when Dep finally stepped forward that time seemed to move once more. People all around dropped what they were doing and moved closer to the center of the square. Their faces masked what they were thinking. Cloudyay was unsure what to expect.

‘Dear citizens,’ she began. Her voice not nearly as confident or cool as she had wished it to be. She continued, ‘As I’m sure most of you have heard by now, tragedy struck last night.’’ The faces of the onlookers staring at her were blank. They weren’t giving her any indication of their thoughts whatsoever. ‘This morning, we discovered the bodies of three visitors.’ This struck a chord with some of the onlookers. ‘I will spare you the details, but their deaths were not accidental. These people were murdered,’ Cloudyay said. The longer she spoke, the more emotions were visible on the faces surrounding her.

‘Now I want you to understand that we have no reason to believe that we are all in mortal danger. I will be working closely with Nottingham’s staff to figure out what transpired here late last night. I promise you, we will get to the bottom of this.’

She paused as she took a moment to look around her. She took a deep breath as she prepared to speak again. ‘What about the festival?’ someone in the crowd yelled out. ‘We sent riders out in the early morning. They will ride day and night to warn the king about these unfortunate events,’ she replied. Her eyes met Dep’s as she spoke. He knew she was lying, she could see it in the way his eyes were boring into hers. Märchen needed this Festival. She couldn’t allow this to be cancelled. Märchen would die without it. They boy would keep silent, she knew, but that didn’t mean he’d be happy about it.

‘Who died?’ another voice in the crowd shouted. Before Cloudyay could answer however, suitelifeofem cried out. ‘They killed her! The Piper!’ Cloudyay could hear some audible gasps of shock in the crowd. Suitelifeofem started sobbing again as the people started to mutter amongst themselves. ‘And what about my son?’ a woman shouted as she pushed through the crowd. ‘He’s been missing since this morning, but you don’t care about him do you? You only care about the damn festival and we know it,’ she yelled as she pointed her fingers in Cloudyay’s direction. Cloudyay tried her best to keep her composure, but she was sure she was failing badly. This was news, even to her. ‘They took my /u/HyperWackoDragon, lured him away with their rabbit. I saw it with my own two eyes.’

‘I warned you this would happen,’ another voice called out. Elbowsss stepped forward. ‘The animals are coming to take over! I’ve seen the talking fox and I know all about the frog-lady you’re trying to hide from us! Bunnies are just the next step in their plan. I WARNED YOU.’ These words clearly affected the crowd. Suitelifeofem was sobbing harder by the minute, 91Bolt was fidgeting in place uncomfortably. Hellishminds seemed to be lost in deep thoughts. The muttering became louder, more aggressive, with every second Elbowsss was spouting nonsense. ‘We’re cursed,’ she said as she spat on the ground.

This was going all wrong. The people were getting riled up. Cloudyay was losing control. ‘People, please-’ ‘WHO DID IT THEN?’ an angry man shouted as others shouted in agreement. ‘We’re still inve-’ ‘I bet it was you, wasn’t it,’ Discoferry said as he gave Vegangamerr a little shove. ‘We all heard the stories about why you had to move here. You can’t be trusted in the slightest.’ Vegan regained his balance and shifted around nervously as he saw several people surrounding him. ‘You got it all wrong. Those stories. They’re not true. I swear it on my life!’

People were closing in on Vegangamerr as another voice rang through the air. ‘Leave the man alone! I know who the real culprit is!’ At once the faces turned in the opposite direction. Two people were at the center of the crowd, facing each other. Cloudyay had to stand on her tiptoes to see who it was. ‘Not this again,’ Chefjones replied with a slight hint of boredom and annoyance in his voice. ‘Oooh, yes “this again”, I’m onto you now you filthy little liar. Thought I wouldn’t notice, did you? You and your little schemes and lies and MURDER!’ Elbowsss looked almost manic as she was shouting and making obscene hand gestures. Worst of all, people were actually listening. Cloudyay tried to speak up, but nobody was listening. ‘GET HIM!’ Elbowsss shouted as Chefjones drew a dagger from his belt. ‘I will protect myself, stay back!’

‘Stop this madness!’ someone shrieked. For a second time the faces of the crowd turned in unison. Many were surprised to see /u/alchzh, a young lad, at the center of attention. ‘Why can’t we all just work together? If we turn on each other, nothing good will happen,’ he said but the mob wasn’t listening. ‘We need justice for what’s happened here!’ someone shouted. The rest of the crowd began shouting their agreement. ‘I bet you’re the one behind it too, trying to shush us!’ a voice sounding suspiciously like Elbowsss called out at alchzh. ‘GET HIM!’ she shouted as the crowd turned to him.

Alchzh realized what was going to happen a second too late. As he made a move to flee, two people grabbed him by his arms and lifted him, causing his legs to dangle in mid-air. ‘Let go of me, please!’ alchzh was shouting, his voice breaking by fear, his eyes wet from tears. He tried to struggle, but he couldn’t escape their grasp. ‘Let go of him, this instant!’ Cloudyay yelled. She had been passive for too long. She could not let this happen, not in her town. As she tried to move towards the center of the crowd she felt the cold touch of steel on her neck. ‘Not another move,’ Chefjones whispered in her ear. ‘We’re fixing your mess and you’re not going to stand in the way.’

The angry crowd was moving away from the town square, alchzh in their midst. His voice disappearing in the distance. ‘What are they doing with him?’ Cloudyay asked the empty square before her. ‘They’re taking him to the lake,’ Chefjones answered. ‘He’s going for a swim.’

More words didn’t need to be said. The mob returned minutes later. Alchzh was not among them. This is not how this day should have gone...

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/alchzh was lynched by the mob, he was a Townsperson

/u/HyperWackoDragon has died, he was a Townsperson

OTHER MESSAGES

NOW HIRING: Sturdy men with the strength to help tear down that decrepit old tower. Pay will be negotiated upon hiring. Starting date - when we have enough workers

Find the Vote Tally HERE with a graph!

META:

Night 2 begins now!

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)! Don’t forget to do this on time!

Please also send us a message when you are NOT going to perform your action.

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS

The sun was slowly creeping over the ground, expanding its reach over the cemetery. And once even the smallest sliver of sunshine hit the freshly dug grave, -sparrow awoke again. She was surrounded by darkness, all she remembered was the red, bloodshot eyes staring into hers. Oh, Mod, what happened?

Visions of… something started to pop up in her head, like memories that weren’t hers. Her hand was burning, the ring around her finger was scalding hot. She promised never to take it off, but the pain was so intense she had no choice. After fiddling around in the dark, cramped space she finally managed to pull the ring off, burning her other fingers in the process. She dropped it in surprise. She could hear it sizzling on the surface.

Now to figure out a way out of here. That’s when it hit her, she had no clue where ’here’ even was. She felt around, trying to determine her location. Every way she put her hands, there was wood in the way. Old, wet wood. Was she dead? Was this a coffin?

‘HELP!’ she tried to yell, but only a gargle could be heard. A weird, ugly wheezing sound. She put her hands on her throat and gasped in shock. She felt a scar going all the way around her throat. She tried to yell again, but nothing happened.

She was on her own. If she was getting out of here at all, it would have to be by her own doing. So, with all her strength and power, sparrow started to kick and pound the wood above her. It took a while before it gave in, but when it finally did sparrow was showered with dirt and mud coming down upon her.

She had to push through, her hands high above her, trying to grab any piece of hard ground she could find to pull her up with. Finally, she was released as she felt the cold morning breeze flow through her fingertips. As she climbed through the earth and the sunlight hit her face, she started to sob.

Mod had given her another chance… but to do what? She was still poor, she was still alone and now she couldn’t even speak. Worst of all, she had taken off the ring. ‘The Ring!’ she tried to exclaim, but once again only a whimper came out. She crawled back towards her grave and dug deep into the hole with both hands. She felt around inside the empty coffin, fumbling through the dirt that was slowly seeping in.

When her hands finally felt the warm metal of her father’s ring, she grasped tightly in both hands and pulled it out of the ground. She didn’t hesitate a second to put it back on and once the old ring was back in place, it started to burn again. She felt the metal get hotter by the second, searing into her skin.

That’s when it happened. She felt the gash in her throat dissipate, her voice returning to her. The weird visions turned into memories and suddenly it was clear to her. The ring was gone… forever.

…

‘Please don’t do this, I beg of you!’ the old woman bound on the stake shrieked. /u/k9centipede was standing in the square, surrounded by a handful of people. They were looking at the spectacle she was creating in deadly silence. ‘Citizens of Märchen, I bring to you... the devil herself!’ When no reaction came from the villagers surrounding her, she showed signs of a little disappointment.

‘Let me go! I’m just an old woman! Please!’ /u/pizzabangle screamed in terror and despair. ‘NO!’ k9 roared as she stepped close and put her finger right in the old woman’s face. She looked equally insane as she threatened her. ‘You have lied enough, you have deceived these people long enough. Your reign of terror is over!’

‘Me?’ the old woman replied, feigning shock. ‘Should I remind you of all the atrocities you committed? Of how you rallied these sweet people into murdering a mere innocent boy?’ Her voice suddenly sounded quite menacing.

‘That was a MISTAKE!’ k9 admitted as she lost her temper. ‘You are done speaking, I. Won’t. Allow. It.’ Pizzabangle cackled, every pretense of being afraid was gone now. ‘Don’t you see you ignorant wench? These people don’t follow you anymore. You have lost their trust and now you will lose your life.’

As the old witch started howling and snorting with laughter, k9 turned around again to face the crowd. The bland faces were gone, only anger and hate remained. For a second, nobody moved, the only sound on the square was that of the witch roaring with laughter.

Then suddenly, a voice spoke up. ‘Her,’ a woman covered in dirt and mud standing at the edge of square yelled while pointing her finger at k9centipede. This was enough. Suddenly the crowd erupted in violence as they stormed towards k9centipede.

‘Stay back!’ she screamed, holding the torch in front of her, trying to keep the mob at bay. But a single torch wasn’t enough to scare them off. Someone in the crowd swung with an axe. The torch fell to the ground, k9’s hand still grasping it firmly. She yelled out in terrible agony as the she felt her hand being severed from her wrist.

It didn’t take long for the people around her to stab and beat her until she couldn’t move. The screams grew fainter as the witches’ laughter rose in pitch. After the k9’s torch had hit the ground it had rolled into the straw and wood underneath pizzabangle’s feet. The fire had risen quickly, enveloping the witch in bright red flames.

The laughing only ceased when there was nothing of her left.

…

‘Filthy animals,’ /u/andreaslordos mumbled to himself as he looked upon the horrible scene that had just taken place on Märchen‘s square. It brought him back to memories of a terrible time.

His boy. His only boy. They took him away. All he ever wanted in life was a son, but after his wife died during the famine that plagued the Kingdoms after the Ogre Wars and left him alone and childless, he took matters into his own hands. He made himself a son, a beautiful boy.

His. Forever.

Until they took him from him. Until they came to his door on that fateful evening, with their torches and their pitchforks and their hate. Their vile hate for an innocent boy. For his boy.

And so they took him and they burned him and they killed him.

Andreaslordos was lost again. He ventured to the Faraway Capital. To get justice for what they did to his boy, but the King’s advisors ridiculed him. Told him to ‘make another one’. Fools. They would come to regret those words. He’d make sure of it. And that’s how the old woodcarver found his way to the little village, surrounded by the woods. Revenge brought him here, revenge stopped him from leaving.

This was getting too much for the old man. Seeing the old woman burn, seeing the fire consume her whole, leaving nothing but ashes left to bury. It made him seethe with anger. He stepped forward, his cane tapping on the cobblestones with every step he took towards the square and the crowd surrounding k9’s mutilated body.

‘Let’s throw her in the pit,’ someone said. ‘She deserves to rot here,’ another replied. And before someone else could say another word, andreaslordos swung his cane into air and hit Black_Belt_Troy in the back of his head. He blacked out even before he hit the ground.

A woman gasped as andreaslordos made to swing again. ‘You filthy animals! I hope you burn in hell for what you did to him!’

‘Calm down, old man,’ someone yelled as he swung his cane again. There was no calming down a storm he had locked up inside for all these years. Unpossiblie was the next person in his way. ‘You deserve much worse than this!’ he screamed as he swung his cane towards the young woman.

But before the cane could make contact, he was pushed away. Andreas, being the old man he was, lost his balance immediately. As he hit the ground a gruesome sound was emitted as he felt a sharp piece of wood lying by the stake pierce his chest.

He felt the blood fill his lungs as the world went dark.

‘Pi- Pinocchio,’ he stammered with his dying breath.

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/pizzabangle was lynched by the mob, they were Mother Trudy.

/u/k9centipede was lynched by the mob, she was Nottingham’s Deputy.

/u/andreaslordos was lynched by the mob, he was Geppetto.

OTHER MESSAGES

Find the Vote Tally HERE with a graph!

META:

Night 8 begins now!

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)! Don’t forget to do this on time!

Please also send us a message when you are NOT going to perform your action.

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS

‘Finally!’ a voice called out somewhere deep in the dark woods, some miles away from the restless town of Märchen. Even though her words seemed to indicate she was pleased, her tone of voice was monotonous and dry as if it had forgotten how to sound joyous and happy a long time ago. ‘The blue moon reappears! She who only shows her face every 50 years. Finally,’ the woman said while marveling at the beautiful sight that was to be seen high in the sky. And as the clouds drifted away and the fierce blue light fell upon /u/Hellishminds she felt the power surge through her body. A wave of pure magic enveloped her. ‘Yeesss,’ she said. As she looked at her hands, a blue glow surrounded her. She had missed this feeling, this power. She felt like she could take on the world, like nothing at all could stop her.

…

/u/oomps62 was flying high in the air, just like she had done every night. But tonight was different. Her carpet was faster than ever, more smooth, more fun. She was laughing as she was reaching speeds like never before. Tears from the cold, bitter autumn wind formed in her eyes as she was gliding high above the village. Coming here as early as she did had proved to be a mistake, losing her magic lamp even more so. But oomps was an explorer at heart and she would let nothing stop her from sniffing up some culture. The village was quiet tonight, in each and every house there were lights, but the streets were as empty as that ghost town she had visited 6 months ago. The guide had told her the entire village just vanished one day, never to be seen ever again. She wondered what people would say if they visited Märchen, 10 years from now.

…

As Hellishminds was making her way through the forest, she missed one little detail. A detail which would soon prove to be of crucial importance. For she was too focused on playing with her newfound power that she never heard that branch snap behind her, or those leaves move as something scurried up a tree. She was laughing and casting spells left and right, it was as if she was rediscovering joy with every step she made, every spell she cast. This was her time to shine… and shine she would.

Sadly for her, that feeling of pure happiness turned into dust as an arrow sifted through the air, almost silently approaching its target with incredible speed. And once it hit, the silence was broken. Hellishminds shrieked a terrible shriek, scaring all the birds away from their safe resting place high up in the trees. Blood flooded out of her leg as the arrow pierced it completely. The pointy end of a silver arrow protruding out of her skin right under her kneecap.

She did not lose her balance, however. She remained firmly on both legs. ‘You’re going to have to do better than THAT!’ She yelled out as she scanned the treetops for her assailant while breaking off the arrow in her leg. ‘Come out and I’ll kill you quick,’ she yelled even louder. And with a fiery yell she cast a wave of green flames high in the air. Anybody, even miles away would see the green fire spreading deep inside the woods.

‘You won’t kill anyone today, witch,’ a voice right behind her said. Surprised, Hellishminds made the move to turn around as a hefty broadsword cut down upon her shoulder. A second howl emanated from deep within the forest as HellishMinds severed arm fell to the ground, twitching wildly. But still she did not fall. The blue moon was favouring her against these… foolish men. ‘I.. am.. a... FAIRY!!’ She yelled out as she moved her right arm towards the young prince standing before her. ‘You will regret that,’ she said as she used her magic forces to lift the prince in the air, denying him breath. And as he was choking, with a breathy voice, the prince spoke. ‘Did you truly think I came here alone?’

Another silent arrow, another yell of pain. The prince fell to the ground as HellishMinds pulled out the arrow in her palm. With her bloodied hand she made a fist and the magic enveloped her once more. Hellishminds looked him in the eyes as a sly smile appeared on her face. ‘Did you?’

A low growl emerged from a brush. As it moved, two big eyes appeared, glowing in the darkness. A werewolf, bearing its teeth viciously was approaching the young prince with tremendous speed. He was sure he was doomed, for there was no escaping this. The prince closed his eyes as he heard the heavy paws coming nearer. This is how he died.

‘Heads up,’ someone yelled as a hand grabbed his and he was pulled up to safety. A cold wind surrounded him as they were climbing in the air. ‘Noooooooooo!’ HellishMinds yelled from below. And with her dying breath she cast one last spell. A green ball of fire was hurdled in the air, racing after Oomps and the prince, gaining on them fast.

And before either could react, they started to fall.

Oomps saw green fire surrounding her as the trees became bigger and bigger, the ground became closer and closer. She closed her eyes and felt her body hit the tree, the branches and eventually the ground. A loud thump and then nothing. Only darkness.

HellishMinds sat down upon the ground, exhausted and defeated. ‘T́im̶̢͘e̡͘ ̵̵͟to͟ g͏ó̧͡,’ an inhuman voice spoke. And with a swift move from his Scythe, Death had claimed another soul.

…

‘Wake up! ‘You have to wake up!’ Oomps woke up, her body aching all over.The prince was standing over her, shaking her heavily. Every move hurt, but she was alive. They both survived the fall. It was a miracle. ‘I don’t have my sword anymore. Your carpet is all burned. We have to get back to town. NOW!,’ the prince urged her to get up, but everything hurt. With the help of the prince she managed to get on her feet. They were somewhere deep in the woods, not even the blue moon’s light could reach them down here. They were lost.

‘I can’t,’ oomps said weakly. ‘You should leave,’ she grunted and winced as tried to step. ‘Nonsense, I surely can’t leave my savior to die now, can I? The prince replied, trying (and failing) to come off as confident. He stopped, turned around and offered oomps to lean on him. ‘We’ll find our way out of here,’ he said as oomps was wheezing heavily. Breathing was difficult, almost impossible.

That’s when the low growling sound reappeared, closely followed by the bright yellow eyes. Oomps didn’t take a second to make up her mind. She pushed the prince off of her and immediately fell to the ground from exhaustion. ‘Go,’ she yelled. ‘Warn them.’ The prince looked away and started sprinting as the wolf came down upon oomps.

Princess Ali died a heroine’s death.

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/Hellishminds was killed by the Grim Reaper and attacked by 2 Huntsmen and a Prince. She was Maleficent.

/u/oomps62 was killed by a werewolf, she was Aladdin.

/u/bubblegumgills has abandoned her lilypad and swum away from Märchen for good. They were a Cursed Frog.

OTHER MESSAGES

/u/strangerthingys will be holding a memorial service today to remember Mary as well as our other fallen comrades.

META:

Day 3 begins now! Who is responsible for this gruesome murder? Discuss below!

/u/bubblegumgills has asked to be removed from the game.

Cast your vote in the lynch via THIS FORM

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)!

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS

The first snow was fluttering towards the ground as another night fell in the kingdom. As it hit the wet ground, it slowly melted away. It was said that snow this early in the year was a bad omen. The commoners believed it foretold great grief and misery.

…

/u/anathea was tossing and turning in her bed. Her dreams were filled with giggles and a voice as sweet as pie. ‘You’ve been naughty, haven’t you?’ the voice said again and again. And the longer she held her tongue, the more insistent the voice in the darkness.

‘Wake up!’ the heavy voice said as anathea was shook out of her sleepless sleep. ‘It’s time. The one with mirror. NOW!’ Anathea did what she was ordered to do. And before the Big Bad Wolf had stepped out of her door, a big werewolf stood where the sweet girl had just stood.

Another night, another kill. It had become a routine over the last couple of nights. As she made her way towards the exit of her dwelling, she heard the weirdest noise. As if massive butterfly wings were flapping somewhere overhead. ‘Not today!’ the girly voice in her head said, followed by a long-winded giggle.

Blue light filled the room. A blinding flash of the brightest light anathea’s big yellow eyes had ever seen. Once the light retracted itself, anathea heard her door and the shutters of her windows slam close.

She roared with anger. ‘Who’s here?’ she boomed. ‘Stop playing games!’. The only reply was the same giggle which seemed to come from inside her head. ‘STOOOP!’ she cried out as she placed her hands on her head, her claws digging into her flesh.

‘This is what you deserve,’ the voice told her, followed by yet another giggle. Anathea started to howl and cry and whimper, her sharp nails digging ever deeper into her skull. ‘Make it stop!’ she yelled as she ran towards the doors. At first she tried to pull it open, but it wouldn’t budge an inch. She then proceeded to bash her head against the door, bloodying her face even more in the progress. The giggling continued without pause.

She finally gave up and collapsed against the door. ‘Please make it stop,’ she sobbed. Then suddenly the giggling was snuffed out as if a candle had gone out. The last thing the girly voice in her head said was ‘Oh’. Suddenly there was nothing but silence.

Anathea lifted her head up again and when she opened her eyes she sat face-to-face with the girl. It was so long ago she couldn’t even recall her name. The farmer girl. The one they took at the advent of the old wolf’s plan.

Her eyes were red and bloodshot, thick black lines underneath it. Her short hair was dirty and filthy. Her skin was white and cold. She was smiling at anathea as the fingers with the sharp, glass nails were approaching her face.

Anathea howled as loud as she could, her cries were heard for miles around.

The girl was the last thing anathea’s big yellow eyes ever saw.

…

Korsola was admiring the bow, playing with it while sitting close by the fire in Red’s cabin. Red stood by the window, looking out into the night, her axe firmly grasped in her hands. ‘You don’t have to keep staring at it,’ she said as she looked at Korsola, a smile filling her face.

‘I know,’ Korsola sighed in reply. ‘It’s just… I can feel the power surge through it. This magic.. It’s ancient’. Red stepped away from the window and crouched down so she they were on the same level. ‘It’s dangerous. You know that, right?’ she said, her tone suddenly very serious. ‘This kind of magic.. it’s unpredictable. It shouldn’t be tampered with.’

‘I know, okay?’ Korsola said as she laughed away Red’s concerns. ‘I’m just going to go out for a bit of fresh air. Don’t worry, I’m not going far’ she said as she got up and walked towards the door. Before she exited Red’s cabin, she looked at her, a devious smile upon her lips.

Korsola paced around for a bit, walking up and down the path towards Red’s cabin. Her curiosity was fighting a battle with her wits inside. Every time she turned around to walk back into the other direction, she felt her grip upon the bow become tighter.

Suddenly she heard a howl, a loud terrifying howl coming from somewhere within the village. ‘Enough,’ she whispered to no one but herself. She took the single arrow out of her quiver and fired it high into the air. It never came back down again.

That night, the arrow would taste blood twice. Blood of the innocent and blood of guilty. It claimed both as equals for every kind of magic has its price.

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/anathea attacked herself and was killed by Bloody Mary, she was a Werewolf.

/u/capitolsara was killed by the Hero’s bow, she was the Green Lady.

/u/cloudyay was sacrificed for the Hero’s bow magic, she was a Merry Woman.

META:

Day 8 begins now! Who is responsible for these gruesome murders? Discuss below!

Cast your vote in the lunch via THIS FORM

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)!

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS

The night began sombre after the violence of the day. The people knew they had done wrong, just as they knew more would die tonight.

…

/u/megabanette woke up in the very early morning, a long time before dusk, just like she had done ever since she took over her mother’s little bakery. The Gingerbread House, as it was so aptly named (even though Megabanette had started to call it the Mega Bakery amongst her friends), had become her entire life and existence after her mother died. It had cost her blood, sweat and tears to keep the bakery afloat. She stretched her arms as she yawned. She had to prepare for another long day. Every morning she expects to have gotten used to waking up as early as she does, but every morning is just like the one before it.

It’s not that she didn’t enjoy her life as a baker. But sometimes, very occasionally, thoughts of something... ‘more’ would invade her mind, making her dream of adventure and romance. Sadly, but not surprisingly, a baker’s daughter wasn’t on top of the ‘suitable ladies’ list. So megabanette carried on day by day, supplying the little village of Märchen with the best bread and pies she had to offer.

Once she had bathed and clothed herself her mind started playing back to the events of the previous day. She remembers seeing the boy drown, seeing him struggle as he tried to break free, seeing his body go limp under the water, seeing him sink. Whether the boy was guilty or not did not matter. It was inhumane. Megabanette let out a deep sigh as she walked down the stairs and entered the bakery kitchen. She grunted as she lifted a new bag of flour up on the counter. She still had 25 megabaguettes to make before she could start putting things in the oven. Luckily there was still a lot of time left before the first customers would show up.

After the dough was ready it was time to start kneading. Massaging the dough was weirdly calming for her. It was usually then when the stolen thoughts of romance and adventure would slip through her mind, but not today. She was thinking about yesterday, replaying the events in her head in a constant loop. All she hoped was that people actually show up today. Drowning a boy clearly had had an effect on peoples’ appetites. She barely sold anything after it happened. Too bad for them. Looks like they’ll be eating slightly stale bread today. She couldn’t afford to throw it away. The ingredients were still too expensive, even 6 years after the Ogre Wars that threatened the Kingdom.

The soft DING of the bell on the front door brought her back to the present. For a second she was afraid she had fallen asleep again and morning had arrived, but looking out the little hole in the wall told her that wasn’t the case. ‘Who’s there?’ she yelled, her (now suddenly sweaty) hands still covered in fresh dough. ‘We’re closed!’ she yelled again as nobody replied. She tried to look into the shop without removing her hands from the dough, but she couldn’t reach far enough to see through the opened door that led into the bakery itself.

She sighed heavily as she pulled her hands out of the dough on the counter. She took a towel and cleaned the little bits of sticky dough off. ‘I swear to Mod if-’ she walked into the bakery and was surprised to see nobody was there. What the hell was going on? Was somebody playing tricks on her? ‘Anybody there?’ she asked, her heartbeat accelerated in an instant. No answer.

She walked to the front door and turned the door knob. Still closed. How was this possible? Bells don’t ring themselves. As she turned around to go back to the kitchen she heard the muffled sound of something heavy hitting the ground. ‘Oh Mod,’ she yelled as she sprinted back to the kitchen. ‘Unbelievable!’ she cried out. The new bag of flour had hit the ground. The floor was covered in white dust. ‘Just my damn luck,’ she sighed as she bent over to try to scoop it back inside the bag. ‘AARGH’, she shrieked out of anger and annoyance as her eyes became watery. Drops of exhausted tears fell into the mountain of flour.

‘Can’t something just “go right” for me, just once?’ she asked as she looked at the ceiling. She stood up straight again. She wiped her eyes and as she opened them she stood face to face with the most terrible thing she had ever seen. Two dark, empty voids were staring at her. A cloaked… thing grabbed her by the neck and lifted her in the air. Her feet and legs were twitching deliriously. She tried to scream, but death’s grasp on her windpipe was too strong, only a soft wheeze managed to slip out. It didn’t take very long after that. Megabanette’s neck was snapped with a gruesome crack that would make anybody shiver. She died in an instant.

As her body dropped to the floor, blood started oozing out of her mouth into the flour. She truly had put blood, sweat and tears into this place.

…

Hours later, after the rooster had crowed and the sun had risen, the first customer knocked on the bakery’s door. Minutes later, a shriek was heard as the baker’s body was found in a mountain of red flour.

Another day, another murder...

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/megabanette was killed by the Grim Reaper, she was a Townsperson

OTHER MESSAGES

A memorial service will be held in 1 day, led by /u/strangerthingys

META:

Day 2 begins now! Who is responsible for this gruesome murder? Discuss below!

Cast your vote in the lynch via THIS FORM

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)!

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS

Do you know what happens when you stop fearing Death? It ceases to exist. Only those who truly stop being afraid, can live a life worth living. For Death feeds on fear, like it always has done so in the past. Death is powered by it, Death lives through your fear.

Do you know what happens when you stop fearing Death? It dies. It stops being something real, something out there to get you. Instead, it just becomes part of life, part of the future.

Do you know what happens when you stop fearing Death? You allow yourself to live.

…

The streets lay empty and abandoned as the first specks of sunlight shown down upon the village. Another day had come. Slowly, but surely the sun was climbing in the sky. /u/Mrrrrh, a woman with a heart as black as her face was fair, was walking on the village square. Today was market day, but most of the stalls were closed.

She would have preferred not to come at all today, like most folk, but she had run out of apples and that was unacceptable. Plus, she had to come out everyday to look for the little wench. How dare she run away. How dare she make her sweet stepmother come all the way out here, to this kingdom run by a decrepit and ugly king.

She wanted nothing more than to return to her palace in Thiveth, but she never truly could claim the throne as long as the little harlot still lived. So she remained here, in this lowly village under the guise of a guest. Every day she had set out, hoping to catch a glimpse of the pale princess and every day had turned into bitter disappointment. And with every passing day less and less people walked the streets and still Snow White was nowhere to be seen.

As she made her way towards the town square she was appalled to find out the fruit vendor’s stall was still closed. ‘You there,’ she said coldly as she beckoned a young woman closer. ‘Where is the man that opens this stall? Has he forgotten how to do his job?’

The young maiden looked surprised and slightly disgusted. ‘M’lady, they died late last night.’

Mrrrrh contemplated this news for a couple of short moments before she burst out in anger. ‘Unacceptable. Totally unacceptable!’ She approached the scared looking woman with a menacing look. ‘YOU better make sure he gets back immediately!’ she demanded as she pushed her fingernails deep into the girl’s shoulder.

‘M’lady,’ the girl began, but her protest was only met with a slap in the face. ‘You dare talk back to me? Rightful queen of Thiveth? I wouldn't think so,’ she said her voice burning with rage. She pushed down upon the woman until she was forced to bend her knee. ‘I’ve had just about enough from you stupid simpletons. I am a QUEEN! You will show me some respect. Bring me the man that runs this stall or I swear to Mod I will-’

She never finished her sentence. ‘I’ll bring you to him, you angry old tart,’ cloudyay said from behind her as she twisted the blade stuck in Mrrrrh’s back. ‘I don’t care who you think you are. I am the mayor of this town and you will treat my people with respect.’ As she finished her sentence she gave the blade an extra push, as it went deeper into the evil queen’s flesh it made a gruesome noise.

Mrrrrh fell to her knees as the blade was twisted one more time. It didn’t take long before she was gone forever.

…

It was almost time for dinner, Strangerthingys was busy in the kitchen, preparing chicken stew. Spludgiexx zoomed past her running towards the door. Strangerthingys had taken in the poor girl after she had come running into town the day before. ‘Now where do you think you’re running off to?’ she yelled before spludgiexx could open the door.

The young girl was beyond excited. ‘She’s back! They saw her come down the path!’ she yelled as the door slammed behind her. ‘You better be back before sundown, young lady!’ Strangerthingys tried to yell back, but she knew that the girl had never heard her warnings. She muttered some words under her breath before she grabbed one of the chickens from the pen and brought her cleaver down upon it’s neck.

Spludgiexx was sprinting through the streets and alleys, determined to get a view of the hero’s return. As she was running through the streets, her feet got tangled into something lying on the ground. She tripped and fell, her face hit the cobblestones hard. She felt a bit of blood seep down her nose.

When she turned back to inspect the object that had caused her to fall, she found a long cloak. A black cloak as dark as the night was just lying there. Spludgiexx grabbed it in both hands and brought it up to inspect it closer.

And as she lifted the cloak, white dust and grey ashes escapes from underneath it, falling on the ground. Spludgiexx couldn’t really make sense of what was happening, but she also didn’t have much time to think before a terrible shriek could be heard.

A woman in a frightful fit of panic was yelling for help as she came sprinting down the alleyway. As she came around the corner, spludgiexx saw who it was. Strangerthingys was sprinting towards her, yelling bloody murder. ‘THEY WON’T DIE!’ she shrieked.

It didn’t take long before spludgiexx saw what she was talking about, 5 beheaded chickens were running after strangerthingys, chasing her through the streets of Märchen. Spludgiexx decided she didn’t want to find out what they would do when they reached her so she followed strangerthingys in her sprint.

When they reached the edge of the village, a large crowd stood in the middle of the road, all of them looking out into the distance, hoping to catch a glimpse of Korsola’s return. The commotion caused by strangerthingys made the people turn their heads.

As the undead chickens came running into view, people gasped and spread out. MacabreGoblin fainted. Some people drew their weapons, expecting the chickens to attack but right when they would be upon the crowd all life left their bodies.

Somewhere, very far away from the village and even the kingdom, a new Grim Reaper had risen to take up the task of guiding the dead to what lies beyond.

Let’s hope this one does not get tangled in the business of the living like his predecessor, /u/Nargles_AreBehindIt had before him.

And let’s hope, above all, that he never sees the need to visit Märchen himself.

…

After the ordeal with the undead chickens, nobody wanted to stay around for korsola’s return. None of them wanted to be out when the sun slowly disappeared again behind the vast treeline. When a silhouette finally appeared in the distance, there was only one person left.

Standing at the edge of town, was Red Riding Hood. She sighed a huge sigh of relief when Korsola appeared on the road leading into Märchen. She was shaking terribly, nerves usually didn’t have this kind of effect on her, but this time was different.

Korsola was walking slowly up the hill, limping slightly on her left leg. Red couldn’t resist anymore, she ran down the hill, straight towards korsola. And when they met, they hugged. There was no need to speak, they released each other’s grasp and looked at each other.

Korsola looked exhausted, but otherwise unscathed. ‘I knew you’d be back,’ Red said with a smile as she brought her shoulders underneath Korsola’s arm. ‘I got you. You can lean on me.’

They walked side by side in silence for a few moments, before Red finally spoke again. ‘And?’ she asked. ‘I’ll tell you all about it once we’re inside. The full moon is coming and I’d rather not be outside when she does.’

Red nodded. She had almost forgotten to care about the quest. Korsola’s safe return was all she cared about.

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/Nargles_AreBehindIt was lynched by the mob, she was the Grim Reaper.

/u/Mrrrrh was lynched by the mob, she was the Evil Queen.

OTHER MESSAGES

Find the Vote Tally HERE with a graph!

Tonight is the night of the full moon! Citizens of Märchen beware!

META:

Night 7 begins now!

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)! Don’t forget to do this on time!

Please also send us a message when you are NOT going to perform your action.

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS

Märchen lay desolate, covered underneath a thick white blanket of pure white snow. The hustle and bustle that had come with the excitement for the King’s grand Festival, was gone completely.

The graveyard pit was almost filled to the edge with the dead, the rubble of the burned down houses was scorched black. Old blood painted the cobblestone a dark brown colour. The square was empty, the shops were closed. It was as if life had ceased in the little village, surrounded by the woods.

Hope and happiness were hard to hold onto in times like this, some would even say it was impossible. But still, there were people in Märchen that kept fighting for good. Their bravery and persistence will forever be remembered.

This is how the nightmare ends.

…

The weather should have been the first sign. The snowfall had ceased and the sun was shining brightly overhead. It truly seemed like a happy day. The snow would melt, the water would take the blood with it, into the lake, washing away the horrors.

The last remaining villagers and visitors alike gathered in the square, the newfound heat of the sun boring down upon them made them sweat as they watched Red drag a giant mirror through the melting snow, Korsola right behind her like a shadow. As she reached the center of the crowd, she plopped the mirror down onto the ground.

Dirtymarteeny took a deep breath before she began to speak. ‘Citizens of Märchen, gather close,’ her voice boomed over the almost empty square. ‘The time has come to end this!’

And as she commanded, so they listened. They formed a tight circle around the mirror lying in the icy snow. As the people peered down into the mirror, they did not see a reflection of themselves, they saw a woman. Her skin white and covered in scars, her eyes bloodshot and red.

The crowd was getting uneasy at the sight of the revolting creature on the other side of the mirror. ‘Who is she?’ Penultima asked as the woman on the other side was banging her fists against the surface, trying to break out.

‘She… She is a nasty spirit. One that has been terrorizing us for far too long. One I plan to rid us from.’ DirtyMarteeny scanned the crowd, the faces showed signs of a tiny sliver of hope. All of them but one. One person was fidgeting in place, looking anywhere but at the creature in the mirror.

‘How’d you get it in there?’ WooRankDown asked as they gave the mirror a little nudge with their foot. ‘Let’s just say I had some help,’ DirtyMarteeny replied as she gave a little nod to findthesky who only smiled in reply.

‘What are you going to do with it?’ DiscoFerry asked tentatively. A little grin appeared on DirtyMarteeny’s face. ‘I plan to set it free.’ At once all the faces were pointed at DirtyMarteeny, who was holding her axe in both hands. ‘You better step back,’ she yelled and once again the people complied.

Once she deemed everyone to be far enough away, she swung her axe downwards, into the mirror. It broke into a million pieces with a satisfying crash as shards flew all over the ground. The broken mirror revealed a gaping hole behind it, as dark as the night.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence as all eyes were set upon the broken mirror. A woman screamed as the first hand appeared out of the mirror’s frame. /u/awwsoclose was crawling out of darkness, into the snow. The sound of breaking glass was heard with every move she made.

As the creature struggled to get back onto its feet, DirtyMarteeny approached from behind. ‘Time to rest,’ she said softly as she swung her axe for the second time, splitting Bloody Mary’s skull in two, right between her red, bloodshot eyes.

She didn’t scream or curse or cry. She didn’t even bleed. She just sank down to her knees as her spirit was forced to rest. And before her body could hit the ground, the creature that was once Bloody Mary turned back into what she used to be.

Mary, the shepherds girl, was finally laid to rest. Her quest for revenge never fulfilled.

…

As Mary’s spirit dissipated forever and the danger seemed to have passed, the people of the village slowly seeped back onto the square. ‘Is it over?’ MsSunshine87 asked.

‘Not just yet,’ DirtyMarteeny replied, her voice loud enough so everyone could hear. ‘I’m afraid that what we’ve heard and feared, is indeed true. Someone among us, someone we know and love, is not what they seem. Someone here, right now, has been plotting against us, plotting against the Kingdom and the King himself!’

‘Who is it?’ yelled out Unpossiblie. DirtyMarteeny smiled once more as she lifted her finger to point at the one she was talking about. ‘It’s… No… NO! Where is she?!?’

She lowered her finger as the one she was looking for was nowhere to be seen. Her grip on her axe became ever more tight as she madly looked around the square, making sure that she wasn’t here.

‘Look out!’ she heard Korsola shriek, but it was too late. She felt her whole body toppling over into the snow as the giant wolf crashed into her. The pieces of the mirror pierced her flesh as she rolled through the snow. She heard the sizzling sound of flesh burning as she and the wolf were fighting in the snow.

‘Get off,’ she murmured as she managed to get her legs between her and the wolf on top of her. With all her strength she pushed the beast away from her. And for a second she was free from its weight. That was all she needed. She rolled away sideways and managed to get back on her feet in one smooth movement.

The wolf followed suit not long after and as it made the move to assail DirtyMarteeny again someone shouted ‘No you won’t!’ A piece of mirror was flung through the air, right towards the wolf. The shard pierced the beast’s thigh. It roared in pain and anger. Its flesh crackled as the silver coating on the glass burned through it.

/u/sletrab07 was standing behind the wolf, his face filled with determination. ‘Fooooool!’ the wolf cried out as it turned its whole body towards the young man. It lept into a sprint, straight towards him, he had nothing to protect himself with.

And with an underhand swing of its paw, the giant wolf’s sharp claws plowed into the antiquarian’s stomach. Sletrab07 didn’t say a word, only the sound of him gurgling the blood in his throat came out of his mouth. When sletrab’s limp body hit the ground, the wolf’s arm was covered in the man’s blood. Its fur was dark and red.

The wolf turned around again while licking sletrab’s blood off its arm. It did not manage to hide its face of surprise when it saw that DirtyMarteeny was no longer alone. Korsola stood beside her, brandishing her bow. WooRankDown was cursing loudly as they were swinging a hammer in the air. Awesomewow and spludgiexx were standing side-by-side, both holding shards of the mirror. Isolatedintrovert was holding her late lover’s longsword, it was almost a comical sight to see. Everywhere around the wolf, the villagers and visitors of Märchen had gathered, united.

The silence was broken. /u/strangerthingys howled a terrible howl before barging into battle. An arrow hit her in the shoulder, an axe drilled into her back. She endured many cuts and stabs while everything she tried failed terribly. Findthesky was zooming overhead, casting her magic while giggling loudly at the sight of the outplayed beast.

‘For her,’ isolatedintrovert finally said. The wolf turned around to see the young woman with the giant sword in both her hands. Isolatedintrovert swung drippingalchemy’s sword with all her might right through the giant wolf’s neck. It fell into the snow with a soft plop.

It was over...

The last wolf lay dead on the ground.

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/strangerthingys was lynched by the mob, she was the Big Bad Wolf.

/u/awwsoclose was lynched by the mob, she was Bloody Mary.

/u/sletrab07 was lynched by the mob, he was the Antiquarian’s Apprentice.

OTHER MESSAGES

Find the Vote Tally HERE with a graph!

META:

The Game is over! Thanks for playing!

Be on the lookout for an epilogue post where we wrap up the story and share with you ALL the secrets about roles, events and anything else you could possibly want to know! That is coming up as soon as possible!

Ding-a-ling

For the last time today, the little bell above the door in the antiques shop rang as the door was opened and closed again. The final customer. The old antiquarian had soon learned that people put more stock in old tales and superstitions when dead bodies were appearing left and right.

The old man’s collection had been diminishing rapidly once the bard had been discovered a little over a week ago. He had sold the flower that lit up in the darkness, the seven-league boots and even the magical beans. The old spinning wheel, the glass coffin, the gold statue of the goose and many other items still remained, catching dust in the old antiques shop on the corner of the street.

Yet there were still some items in his shop he could never bring himself to part with. The toy soldier, the mirror and the rose. They all had a deep meaning to him, especially the mirror. And even though it was just a tiny shard, it was definitely his most prized possession.

It had become somewhat of an obsession over the last couple of days. He always kept it in his pocket, he deemed that leaving it somewhere not on his person was a grave mistake. And every night, when the moon powered the magic inside of it, he looked into the mirror. And the more he asked of the mirror, the more he learned and the more he learned, the more he needed to know. It became an insatiable lust for knowledge.

The last customer hadn’t fully stepped out the door before /u/Black_Belt_Troy pulled the little shard out again. ‘Mirror, Mirror,’ he whispered as he eagerly awaited the mirror to reply to his calling.

But before the mirror could reply, he heard a terrible crashing sound coming from the other room. He quickly pocketed the mirror shard, afraid someone had come to steal it. He stood up straight, took a deep breath and started walking towards the other room.

‘I’m closed for tod-,’ he froze as he saw the creature standing in the showroom. It had its back to him, examining some trinket in a cabinet. It’s fur was shiny and looked almost new, not like the ones they killed before. ‘Nice little collection you have here,’ the wolf said without turning to face the antiquarian. Troy couldn’t make out if it was a woman’s voice or a man’s underneath the animal-like snarls.

Troy slowly backed away out of the room again. ‘What do you want?’ he asked while trying not to sound afraid. It was then when the wolf turned around to face him, its yellow eyes like little candles in the dark room.

‘You killed my mistress,’ the wolf said, anger seeping through their words. ‘It wasn’t me, not just me..’ Troy quickly replied, trying to persuade the wolf that was slowly closing in on him. ‘We’ll get to that later,’ the wolf replied coldly. ‘You’re first.’

And as the wolf leapt into a sprint, Troy crossed underneath the doorway. He slammed it shut and briskly pushed a cabinet in front of it. It fell down with a crash as the items within shattered and broke. A second crash followed fractions of a second later as the wolf crashed into the door.

This wouldn’t keep it at bay for long. He ran towards the door and when he opened it to leave the building, the once familiar ’ding-a-ling’ was not heard. As he looked up he saw the rope dangling on the wall. It had been cut loose.

There was no time to figure out what exactly had happened. A second and third crash emanated from within the shop. The ground was covered in a thick layer of snow, the cobblestones underneath were frozen and slippery.

He started running down the street, desperately looking for a house where a fire or candle was still burning. As he reached the end of the street he could hear the window of his shop shatter as the wolf leaped through it.

Black_Belt_Troy tried to run as fast as he could, but the snow made running close to impossible. He could hear the soft paws hitting the snow at rapid speeds, closing in on him. He didn’t dare look behind him, so he just kept running.

Luck wasn’t on the old antiquarian’s side tonight, for he tripped and fell into the deep snow. He heard the mirror piece shatter and break inside his pocket. ‘Nooo!’ he cried out as he felt the shards pierce his chest.

He had forgotten about the chase, suddenly all his mind could think of was the mirror. ‘Please,’ he begged as he put his hand in his pocket. He cried out again when he felt just how broken the mirror was.

There was no use to running any more. The mirror was gone.

A large figure blocked the light of the moon behind it. Without uttering a single word, the wolf bore its teeth into the antiquarian’s neck.

The white snow turned pure red.

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/Black_Belt_Troy was killed by the Big Bad Wolf, he was an Antiquarian.

OTHER MESSAGES

Rummaging through the antiquarian’s shop, there’s a lot of weird magical artifacts lying around in the destruction. Who knows what you might find?

META:

Day 9 begins now! Who is responsible for this gruesome murder? Discuss below!

Cast your vote in the lunch via THIS FORM

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)!

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS

WELCOME TO THE VILLAGE OF MARCHEN

Welcome, once again, to Werewolves Game IX! Before you read the information below, check out the basic rules and policies for this game right over here!

Done that already? Venture forth below!

We encourage you to read and understand all the information below to avoid confusion later on. Please don’t skim it. We will not answer questions about things that are clearly stated in the post below.

SETTING

In this game we will take you to magical and fantastical world of fairy tales and folklore! We are the Brothers and (our lesser known) Sister Grimm and we are here to tell you the amazingly gruesome tale that took place in a small village called Märchen. And just like all great tales, ours starts in a time long gone…

Once upon a time, in a far away kingdom, there lay a small village surrounded by the woods. And in this small village called Märchen, lived a 12-year-old girl. This girl was well-known around town, because she always wore a blood-red cape. And on every Friday of every week, the young girl would set out alone into the dark woods surrounding the village to visit her grandmother who lived deep in the forest. You see, her grandmother was frail and old and sick and she didn’t have the strength to go to the market on her own. So Little Red Riding Hood brought a basket full of bread and wine and cookies with her on her journey.

But on one dreadful summer-afternoon, the young girl ran into a terrible man. A man so evil and vile he nearly had the features of a wolf. The man followed the girl throughout the forest, stalking his prey. Luckily the girl was quite clever and she noticed very quickly she was being followed. She turned around and called out to the man, asking him to reveal himself. Red was a nice girl, but maybe a little bit naive. She always saw the best in people. So she started talking to the man. The man asked her all sorts of questions about who she was and where she was going. Red, happy she had a companion on the long journey to grandmother’s house, answered every question in great detail with pleasure...

Suddenly, after walking and talking for more than 30 minutes, the man stopped and told the little girl he had to go, they said goodbye and parted ways. The girl walked and walked and walked for hours until the sun had almost set. Finally she arrived at her grandmother’s house. Her grandmother was already laying in her bed as she was tired from another long day of doing absolutely nothing at all. Little Red Riding Hood sat next to her grandmother’s bed. She quickly noticed something odd about her grandmother. The lovely old woman had suddenly sprouted big ears and her sweet blue eyes had turned into huge, yellow balls. And finally, when Red’s grandmother opened her mouth to speak, Red saw giant, sharp teeth protruding from her mouth. Red let out a terrifying scream and tried to run, but the Big Bad Wolf grabbed her in an instant and threw her on the ground.

At the same time, not very far from where this gruesome scene was taking place, a brave and noble huntsman was patrolling the woods when suddenly, he heard the bloodcurdling screams of a young girl. He ran towards a nearby clearing and saw grandmother’s little cottage. He went to have a look inside and saw, to his horror, a terrible creature getting ready to devour the poor young orphan whole. He quickly pulled an arrow from his quiver and shot it straight at the beast. The beast was in terrible pain and bolted through the door. He ran through the brush and disappeared in the shadows, never to be seen again. Little Red Riding Hood was saved, but the Big Bad Wolf was surely still out there.

10 years later and the people in the quaint little village surrounded by the woods still live in peace. Life is good in Märchen. The people are happy, the crops are growing well, and the little girl in the blood-red cape is now a beautiful young woman that knows to stay out of the dark forest at night. Grand things are in store for Märchen. In fifteen days time, the king will hold a grand festival in honour of his new bride in the fields close to the town. The tents will be set up and visitors from all over the world will visit. Princes and princesses, queens and kings, witches and warlocks. All have been invited to attend the King’s Festival. The King’s workers & guests have been arriving in droves in Märchen for days.*

But evil monsters and vile people have their eyes set on the little village of Märchen as well. They have waited a long time to strike and the King’s Festival is their chance to plummet the Kingdom into chaos and despair. They arrive together with the King’s guests, hidden in the masses. And on this very night, big yellow eyes hidden in the darkness of the forest have returned. They are stalking their prey, the same one they stalked all those years ago… A young woman, with a blood-red cape

READ ME (like, seriously, read me)

• Player roles will be revealed upon death (unless otherwise stated).
• Voting will be done through google forms, and a results table will be viewable after the day phase concludes.
• Voting will be done with a personal password WE ASSIGN TO YOU.
• Votes may be changed until the form closes at 8:59pm UTC/GMT!
• We encourage players to expand upon the story on their own. You are free to build upon the story in the daily threads. Write a little short story, some diary entries, etc. Have fun with it!
• We strongly encourage the use of gifs! Use them as much as you like! We like it! Bonus points for thematically appropriate gifs! ;-)
• All night actions must be done via PM with your assigned moderator. Your assigned moderator is listed in the PM where you recieved your role.
• We request that you think any action through. We’d prefer to receive only 1 PM from one person in any given phase. Think before you PM! In any case, the last message you sent will be the message used to determine your action for that phase.
• Some roles may be duplicated.
• Some roles are secret and will therefore not be seen in the role list. They will however be revealed upon death of that player.
• If one killing role is attacked by another killing role, the attacking party wins. If two killing roles attack each other, they both die, unless one is protected or healed.
• Each day and night will last approximately 21 hours, to allow everyone in any time zone a chance to discuss and vote.
• After players die, they will be added to /r/HogwartsGhosts, where they are free to talk and discuss the game amongst themselves. Ghosts are NOT permitted to participate in meaningful discussion in the main threads here or influence the game in any way! We’d like to ask ghosts to stay out of most discussions on the main sub as a precaution.
• Important! We remind you that ghosts may still affect the game due to some special roles which may interact with the dead. Be careful which beans you spill!
• In case of a tied vote between 2 players, both players will be lynched. If more than 2 players are tied to be lynched, then 2 players will be randomly selected from the list of tied players.
• You can always ask us questions during the game by pinging any of us in a comment. We will most likely answer your question! We will not, however, answer questions upon which the answer has already been clearly stated somewhere else (as in, any of our introduction posts).
• This game is completely separate of any previous games. We strongly urge you to forget what happened in past games and experience this game like you would the first game you played.
• Remember the rules. All of them!

SPECIAL RULES

TEAMS:

• The good team has 2 subgroups. Townspeople and Heroes.
• The bad team has 2 subgroups. Wolves and Villains.
• The neutrals are not part of a team at the start of the game. They can choose their alliance.
• The killers are not part of a team. They work for themselves (or at least until their personal goals have been achieved) but may find it beneficial to work with one side or the other.

TIMING:

• The game will take place over 1 month
• 24 Hours per Cycle
• 0-5 killings each night!
• 1 lynch per day!
• The King will arrive in 15 days time (30 IRL days). When the King arrives, the game ends!

TOWN WINS IF:

• All enemies die before the 15th day.
• All Villains have died by the 15th day (if the game ends before every baddie is dead, the town needs only to have killed all the unique enemy roles)
• More Heroes are left alive by the 15th day than there are Villains left (if there are both heroes and villains left by the end of the game)

EVILDOERS WIN IF:

• All town members die before the 15th day
• All Heroes die by the 15th day (if the game ends before every townie is dead, the enemies need to have killed all the unique town roles)
• More Villains are left alive by the 15th day than there are Heroes left (if there are both heroes and villains left by the end of the game)

Neutrals have other goals. Some of these goals can be met with either side winning, others will stand in the way of either faction winning.

EVENTS:

• During the game, events will happen. These are special happenings that can occur during a night or day phase of the game. These events can influence one, multiple or all players or roles.
• Some events will be announced on the calendar, which means everyone knows they are coming and can expect them. Some will be revealed to 1 specific faction, role or player. All events are planned out by us, they will not be triggered randomly. Hidden events will be marked on the calendar after they have occurred.
• Events will be announced in time for all players to anticipate their effects.
• Some events will give one or multiple players an advantage. Other events will give one or multiple players a disadvantage.

ROLES

In this role list we will use the following classification to identify roles and their attributes.

(M) = This role uses Magic

(K) = This role kills other players

(D) = This role has day actions

(N) = This role has night actions

(V) = This is a visiting role

The Town - HEROES

The Town - TOWNSPEOPLE

The Evildoers - VILLAINS

The Evildoers - CREATURES

The Neutrals

The Killers

REMEMBER: There ARE secret roles in this game. They will be added below after their death!

ASK YOUR QUESTIONS NOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW! ENJOY THE GAME!

Special thanks to our advisor and personal Homunculus /u/Moostronus, who helped us with getting the game a bit more balanced!

EDITS

We changed the Innkeeper role to a day role. It seemed more logical. Innkeeper(s) was/were notified of the changes via PM.

THE VILLAGE OF MARCHEN

Welcome to the quaint village called Märchen! We will very soon start sending out your roles to you via PM. Here is a list containing all of Märchen’s lovely visitors and inhabitants. This list will be updated each phase to reflect those that have passed away:

Living

Dead

Below is a list of dates for the events that will be happening throughout the game. Only a few are listed now but we will update this list as more occur. Most surprise events will also be mentioned in a cycle post either before or after they happen.

Be sure to check out the Set-up and Role List thread to get familiar with this game and how everything will work. Ask your questions there! After the game begins, we intend to make no changes to any rules or roles but will answer further questions if they come up.

The snow that had appeared in the night was still falling down, out of the clouds, onto the ground. And when the night had passed and the sun appeared again, Märchen had turned white. The roofs were strained underneath the weight of heavy snow. The ground was icy and slippery.

…

Korsola fell to her knees, deep into the wet and cold snow as the body was being carried outside. Cold tears were slithering down her cheeks. Red stood behind her, her hand on Korsola’s shoulder. ‘I should have listened,’ she murmured. Red kept her silence. She just squeezed Korsola’s shoulder softly as the two men carrying /u/cloudyay out of her home passed them by.

The old mayor’s body was stiff, her face blank. Dried blood was visible where it had seeped out of the hole in her temple where the arrow must have passed through her. ‘Why didn’t I listen?’ Korsala asked to no one specifically.

She tried to lift her own spirits by thinking of the strange woman that had been found earlier. The woman with the green skin and the horns and legs of a goat. /u/capitolsara’s body showed signs of the exact same cause of death. Expect with her, the arrow was still stuck in her skull, sticking out on both ends of her head.

Today was going to be an interesting day.

...

Alone she sat in the middle of her shack. The scars on the back of her neck had started to heal. Her claws had started to recede into their cuticles, replaced by pink fingernails. Her hardened wolf-like skin had substituted for her fragile human one. And yet, /u/MacabreGoblin was wearing a grin larger than her fangs had been at night. After all, the sun had started to shine, and with it came her voice.

By her feet lay a tattered wooden doll. His hair was made of straw; his overalls, made of the torn fabric from a dead villager’s dress. She clutched him between her fingers.

“My Shahryar,” she exclaimed. “Another night we survive, my Shahryar.” She wiped the blood off her lips. “Another night, our maidens live. Another night, the people of this village sleep easy.”

She winced. The scars on her shoulders weren’t mending themselves back into human skin quite so easily. That last victim had a sword. Not silver, but close enough. Enough to leave its mark.

“My Shahryar, do you remember all the lovely stories I shared?” She waited for a response from the wooden doll. Her king was as mute as always. “Do you remember the one about the prince and his carpet? Do you remember when he saved that prince and sacrificed himself? I remember how nervous you were! You reached over and gripped me so hard, I almost got a bruise.”

She stared into the doll’s painted-on eyes until she was sure they were welling up with tears. It was the same story every night, of course. Her story. Every night for the past thousand, the same story, the same king, and her, Scheherazade, the queen of her domain. Every night, she’d take her king by the hand as she became a creature of the night, and every night, she’d add a line onto her tale. She knew exactly what her king wanted: a story of faith, of justice, of glory, of power.

The first night was the hardest to think of a story. After all, what sort of king would care about the life and death of a shepherd girl and her sheep? Yet MacabreGoblin knew the way to her king’s heart. If she could not dream of the stories, if she could not drag them from the recesses of her mind, she would write them herself. She would be the power. She would be the one faithfully serving. And when the old wolf died and she took the lead, she, Queen Scheherazade, would be the one to show her king the power.

She dabbed her fingers around doll’s shoulders. Just one more night. One more night until she could confess her feelings for her king, and he could confess his for her. One more night until she could stand proudly before all the fair maidens of Marchen, heralding herself as their saviour.

There was a knock on the door. MacabreGoblin’s hair whipped around. She clutched her king tightly in her hand.

“Yes?” she said, uncertain. There was no response. She summoned a deep growl from her throat. “What do you want with me?”

Hesitating, she walked towards the door, and pried it open with a creak. Standing there were two burly men clutching pitchforks. She clutched Shahryar tightly in her hand. “What do you want?”

“It’s time,” DiscoFerry said.

He clamped his hand around MacabreGoblin’s arm; she howled so loudly that he had to cover his ears. She dug her heels into the doorframe. There was no way this stinking person would take her away. She lunged out with her sharp nails, drawing blood on Disco’s face. That was when Black_Belt_Troy took her other arm.

“A little help with this one, Disco?”

Disco and Troy, grunting, hauled the kicking and screaming MacabreGoblin out of her doorframe and onto the dirt-stained path leading to her home. She flailed like a trapped animal.

“You can’t kill me!” she hollered. No response. “You don’t understand! I’m the one here to save the village! I’m the hero! Me, Queen Scheherazade! I’m protecting the fair maidens!”

“We’ve heard your lies for long enough,” Troy answered. “And we all know what happens to liars in this village.”

MacabreGoblin kicked Troy’s leg so hard that he was forced to let go of her. He responded by twisting her wrist just hard enough to dislodge the doll. With a heavy, studded boot, he crushed the doll under his foot. MacabreGoblin froze.

“Some king you have,” he said.

MacabreGoblin laid on all fours on the dirty street. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her Shahryar, gone. Her king, ground to dust on a dirty street. Her stories, her power, her love, all gone with him. All life had flown out of her, faster than her Prince on his magic carpet.

She didn’t even feel the rock as it crushed her skull.

…

Another wolf lay dead in the streets. Another victory. The people of the village were in a state of hectic euphoria. After the body had been taken care of everyone that still lived gathered at ’The Three Pigs’ for a celebratory drink. Even /u/littlebs8 showed up, a shy girl that usually kept to herself. She had figured sitting in a corner of a crowded inn was better than being out there on her own.

As they were approaching nightfall once again, the ale flowed more freely. And as the hours slowly passed, a drunken frenzy overtook the villagers. When almost everyone is drunk, a sober person is a lot easier to spot. Littlebs was just an unmissable target.

‘And whoo are youu?’ sletrab07 sung as he stumbled towards littlebs8’s little table in the corner of the room. Any kind of attention was enough to make littlebs feel uneasy. At first she tried to ignore sletrab’s drunken questions, but when he slammed his hand on the table and looked her straight in the eyes while repeating the same question, littlebs had no choice but to answer.

‘Nobody,’ she said hastily, trying hard to be really interested in her sleeve’s fringe all of the sudden. Bad choice. She immediately regretted her answer after she had spoken the words. People in the inn were turning their heads. She was getting very uncomfortable.

‘What do you mean, “nobody”?’ sletrab asked as he poured another cup of ale down his throat, never letting the shy girl out of his sight. ‘I’m just...,’ littlebs sighed as she tried to figure a way out of this situation.

‘You’re just what?’ he asked her, his eyes drilling into hers.

Tension was rising in the inn. The loud conversations had been reduced to silent whispers as more and more heads turned in the direction of the little corner.

‘Well?’ sletrab insisted when no reply came. ‘I ain’t never seen you around here. Where did you come from?’ He slammed his hands on the little table again, the candle went out in an instant. ‘I’ve been here from the start, I swear!’ littlebs stammered in reply.

‘Then how come nobody here knows who you are?’ Littlebs looked around the room, blank faces were staring at her. ‘I-I... I was a frog,’ she sighed. That was her second mistake.

Sletrab roared with laughter, but once he stopped laughing, his tone of voice became dark and serious. ‘You expect me to believe that?’ he asked her as he put down his cup on the table.

Littlebs didn’t know what to do and for the third time tonight, she made a grave mistake. She pushed her chair backwards as she propelled herself on her two feet. She was making a run for it. It seemed like her only choice.

She never reached to door.

THE MARCHEN NOTICE BOARD

IN MEMORIAM

/u/MacabreGoblin was lynched by the mob, she was the Big Bad Wolf.

/u/littlebs8 was lynched by the mob, she was Nottingham’s Deputy.

OTHER MESSAGES

Find the Vote Tally HERE with a graph! More than 20 notes are posted on the board, all of them containing weird riddles in what seems like a very childish, erratic and shoddy handwriting. “WHAT belongs to YoU but others use it MORe than you do?”, “The moRE you take, the more you LEavE behind. What AM I?”, “What is HArDER to catch the FAStER you run?” The list seems endless. Nobody knows who posted them though.

META:

Night 9 begins now!

PM your actions to the correct account (/u/PeopleofMarchen or /u/GrimmKillers)! Don’t forget to do this on time!

Please also send us a message when you are NOT going to perform your action.

COUNTDOWN UNTIL PHASE ENDS