Octavia Hale, also known as the Witchfinder was a witch hunter from the Hale family and the leader of the Vigilantes.[1]
Biography[]
Early life[]
Born in a far corner of the Nilfgaardian Empire, Octavia grew up in a Nilfgaardian assimilation of culture. When she was young, she dreamed of being a thespian, though that dream however never came to be when she had her two sons: Fabian and Ignatius. Being a realist she understood that she couldn't provide for her sons with her performative prowess and thus delayed her aspirations. Together with her sons, she later immigrated to the Northern Realms in search of fame and fortune.[1]
Northern Realms[]
Octavia was no stranger to prejudice, having grown up in an assimilated region, yet the passion for it and persecution she witnessed in Novigrad baffled her beyond comprehension. As she saw the townsfolk burning hatred and lustful jeers during the executions of magical folk, she saw an opportunity, realizing people craved scapegoats to blame for all their troubles. As mages were dangerous opponents, she decided to make use of isolated communities' ignorance. Instead of hunting actual witches, she fabricated acts of witchcraft to frame innocent villagers, then offering her services to save the village from the made up threat. Through this scheme she could also finally live out her dreams, in the persona of the Witchfinder.[1]
Witch hunts[]
Some 300 years before the witch hunts from 1272 to 1276, Octavia, together with her two sons, started persecuting anyone involved in magic. They were said to have an unparalleled knack for tracking the scent of witchcraft and tallied up an impressive number of profitable hunts during their active years. So much in fact that it became an often used jest that "if there's yet to be a witch burned in your town, 'tis only because the Hales have yet to visit."
Eventually word of her and her sons actions reached a sorceress named Alissa Henson. She came after Octavia and her family and made the whole charade crash down around them.[1]
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