The night was young, the moon nearly full in the sky. The waves crashed on the rocks far below the ominous castle-like mansion set on the cliff. On this night, a terrible agent of chaos entered the villa, intent on ruining the night of whoever lived here.

They had no idea how they had ended up so far from home. Well, they did, but they wouldn't admit they did, or that it was definitely their fault. They had snuck onto a boat just before it departed. But now, on their way back to where they called home, they encountered a strange sight. A large, majestic mansion set on the cliff on an island connected to the coast by a natural land bridge. It was intriguing. He had never seen a house so large. He had to go inside and take a look. And some souvenirs.

Outside the mansion, the little creature placed a hand on the wall, invisible in the darkness of night. Their shadow shifted its shape and reached up onto the wall, a pitch black hole forming around their hand until the creature scurried right through, into the mansion.

They found themself in a tiny room filled with pots and pans. No, this wasn't a room. This was simply a cabinet, they realized as they pushed open the door to see the rest of the kitchen. They pushed all of the pots and pans through the inky hole in the wall behind them until the cabinet was empty, and then the hole shrank back down into their shadow without a trace.

A large fireplace crackled and snapped spreading its dull orange light across the rather expansive dining hall. Three figures were in this space, one at the head of the table and the others standing. The Master of the Estate, the Necromancer known as Bellighul, sat proudly in the night amongst a formal dinner setting. A once wax sealed green bottle was within arms reach as its contents half drunk and in a wondrous chalice carved from moonstone. His robes were elegance, the soft moonlight entered through the large stained glass window painting his dinner attire with a wash of a multitude of color. An elegant but quite rustic seafood dish had been prepared; Crayfish Thermidor with wild mushrooms. Paired with fresh bread and radish and beet salad, the Tomb King was preoccupied with the manor’s latest release of white wine; slightly saline but absolutely bursting with citrus and tart apple aroma and flavor. He was incredibly proud of such an accomplishment. 

Yet all was not well in the Villa of Lost Souls. 

Jacapo, his Scarecrow Majordomo, was was reciting a rather lengthy but dramatic monologue from the latest tragic play taking Sol City by storm. Whilst his Ghoul servant was busy dusting shelves sloppily, yet slowly as not accidentally destroy something. Bellighul’s wrath was a sight to behold. 

However, the white hair of the Lord was sent into air in luscious waves as he turned to hear a rhapsody of clanking metal from the kitchen. The Majordomo silently reassured Bellighul and was making its way to the kitchen; for disturbing the master’s dinner was a severe punishment. Even for the ghostly hauntings that patrolled the Villa by night. A pumpkin head sat on makeshift shoulders, carved out eyes unnaturally narrowing into a glare as it marched into the dark; prepared to hound such spectre for not only taking the master’s attention away for his meal but also interrupting a well prepared monologue. 

Yet, as the Scarecrow ripped open the cabinet door, larger than most rooms amongst the peasantry, he was stricken and dumbfounded as all the steel and iron cookware had gone completely missing. He inspected the shelves, the denizen of the cabinet, a large black spider was all that remained. Unaware that a little devilish creature was running amuck, and had slipped passed his sight with incredible stealth. 

Jacapo did not want to disturb Bellighul so said nothing for the time being, but began to prowl around the kitchen; unable to attack he would belay anything he saw in a torrent of verbal assaults but finding such a nuisance would prove to be a ghastly endeavor. 

Lord Bellighul would soon be unable to enjoy his feast, and be haunted by a mischievous phantom in the Villa.

Hylltywyll stood still beneath a large table in the kitchen, undetectable with the use of his shadowy magics. THe pumpkin-headed scarecrow stalked around the kitchen, obviously looking for him. He used all of his willpower to stifle his laughter at their angry face, having seen his handiwork.

They reached a hand down to the floor, tracing a finger along the ground in a circle until a dark hole appeared on the ground next to the table. The scarecrow angrily stalked around the table, looking for the intruder, but didn't notice the shadowy circle on the ground until it was too late. The scarecrow fell straight through the hole, down into the cellar beneath. The hole quickly shrank and then vanished, leaving no indication that the scarecrow had even been in the room at all.

"Bye bye." Hylltywyll snickered as he came out of his hiding place and got back to work making mischief. They climbed on top of the counters and grabbed some intricate, expensive-looking salt and pepper shakers. These would make nice souvenirs. He dumped the contents out onto the floor before hiding the empty shakers in his fur.

He continued along the counter, knocking over a block of knives onto the ground. He stopped to eat some fruit from a bowl before sending the rest tumbling onto the floor, the bowl breaking.

They took some time to ransack the kitchen, stealing a few more trinkets including a very pretty little paring knife in a sheath and a silver spoon that was displayed on the wall, before deciding to move onto another room. They peaked through the door the scarecrow had entered from, seeing the room was currently occupied by a pale, angry-looking man. Probably best not to go that way. They went to a different door and entered into a new room that was unoccupied.

The ruckus continued on as Bellighul feated, slowly the meal began to be less decadent as the noise disturbed and reverberated within the villa. The Majordomo found himself in the lower portion of the cellar, in a dark room that left one wandering in the darkness for the stairs. A silence took over as the mischevious being crossed over to the Blue Room, leaving Bellighul, sipping fine wine with merely the company of his ghoul. The Tomb Lord waited patiently, his robes glistening in the candlelight as he pondered. Growing tiresome, he announced. 

"Jacapo, my souffle..." A baritone voice announced. There was no response. 

"Jacapo, my third course..." He proclaimed.

Yet again there was no response. Signaling his ghoul, Ronaldo, he sent him forth into the darkness. 

Ronaldo, a creature of ill wittedness, attempted with the best of its ability to try its hand at retrieving the souffle, but burned its hand on the pot and dropped the course onto the floor. A searing flame crackled from the kitchen fire place. Jacapo was much less of the imbecile, yet had not returned. Ronaldo however, was alert and heard the commotion in the Blue Room. Pain tolerance of the undead was understandably high. Thus it continued through the hall, skulking and ape-like. Knuckles dragging across the floor quickly. 

As it entered, it found the white stag head menacing, a beckon of luxury and vigilance. The ghoul, as dim as it was, latched onto a pillow and tossed it into the corner with no avail. Some attempt at drawing out whatever poltergiest that lurked within. "Masssster....will not be pleaaaased." He professed. Knowing full well Bellighul was more prone to hedonism and violence than understanding. It lurched over to the day bed, up turning it swiftly but found nothing, further knicking over a rather expensive lamp from a mahoghany table as it searched. 

A great chase was afoot. 

Passing from the kitchen into a hallway, they ran into the next door they could find. They were shocked once they opened the door.

Hylltywyll had entered a room that was astoundingly blue. He was surprised how blue it was, the color coordination of all of the furniture and decorations was absolutely revolting to the Dark Fairy. The tiny creature craved chaos. This was far too orderly. If he couldn't change the colors of everything, he would just have to wreck the room in other ways.

He jumped up onto a lavish couch and pushed the cushions off, onto the floor. Underneath the cushions they found a few lost coins which they happily snatched and hid away in their fur. Along with the coins, they also found a small book that seemed to have been purposefully hidden there. 'Fifty Shades of Decay', was written on the cover, though Hylltywyll couldn't read. They simply tossed the book away, into the middle of the room. A bookmark fluttered out from between some of the pages as the book flew through the air.

As he was about to continue tearing the room apart, he heard the sound of clumsy footsteps approaching the door to the room and dove under the coffee table. The door opened and a ghoul walked in. He watched the ghoul pick up a pillow from the armchair near the door and toss it into the corner, probably trying to draw him out.

The ghoul mover further into the room, knocking over a lamp as they went. Hm, maybe this ghoul can help me cause a little chaos in here. Hylltywyll thought to himself. They began making small noises in different corners of the room using a little bit of magic to attract the ghoul's attention. The ghoul followed the noises, pushing over furniture and causing devastation in its hunt for the Fairy's red herrings.

Once the room had been thoroughly redecorated, he created a hole in the ground as he had done before, hiding it beneath a rug, and made a noise to cause the ghoul to walk over it. The ghoul fell down the hole into another room below, the hole disappearing above them.

Now, Hylltywyll could safely search the room for any treats and trinkets that had survived the ghoul's rampage. He crept out from under the undisturbed coffee table, having lured the ghoul everywhere except their hiding place, and began combing through the room, snatching all the small bits and baubles that struck their fancy.

If every room offered this much treasure, they were going to need much thicker fur to hold all of it.

Bellighul sat at his table, wine swirling his a chalice as he took in the nose of the pale yellow luxury. He had finished his meal, prepared to take in a chocolate souffle and finish another bottle before retiring to his chambers. This quiet and peaceful ordeal would not manifest. Havoc and ruin were to come. Not in a grand battle, no, rather dealing with a foe that would haunt him for some time. A foe called Hylltywyll, a thieving fey who would plague his Villa worse than any phantom. 

He was the phantom of the Villa. No treasure was safe. No dinner without dismay. 

The Lord of Ghouls barked for his servants, echoing in the candlelight. They did not show. He waited with already tried patience before he got up himself, chair legs grinding against the hardwood as he headed for the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo was plummeting through the floor along with a fantastically expensive rug from a merchant in Zeinav City. Hand knotted in the traditional fashion, he was now somewhere, dust covered and dirt ridden in the cellar. Along with his ghoul. Jacapo had finally found the stairs but in such a large home, it would take a few moments to see to his master. 

Bellighul found the souffle in a decorative enamel bowl but it lacked the sauce and the spoon. He was now furious. Again, he made his way to the cabinets; all of the silverware was missing along with the other cutlery and steel. 

"Jacapo! Ronaldo! By the Dark Maiden I'll...."

He head a loud thud coming from the Cobalt Room. He had thought sincerely to toss Ronaldo out the window in the past, now was the time to do it. 

What he had happened upon was nothing short of distaster. His cushions were spread about, a chair or two toppled, his vintage set of candelabras vanished. The cerulean curtains held by a brass rod on the floor near the window. Where was the rug? His scarlet eyes scanned the room only to find a book on the ground. No, he thought. Lifting it from the ground, several pages creased and the binding scuffed greatly on one side. The spine was bent from impact. Further, his wooden bookmark was undeneath an ottoman. He flipped through his signed copy of "Fifty Shades of Decay" maddeningly. His page was lost in the fiven hundred page novel, he had forgotten the chapter.


To describe the Tomb King's fury was diffcult, in the least. His ashen hair seemed to lift off his shoulders as mana coursed through his body. A several streams of purple energy gathered like a vortex in his palm as he lifted his hand in vile Necromancy. Thus, he fired a Chromatic Blast at a couch nearby, upturning it in a wild tumble. He was not done as he loosed another across the room, smashing out the window in a display of glass fragments which reflected the purple hue in a dazzingly display of light.

Hylltywyll was not safe in the area as he perpared another and fired, somewhere in the general direction of the thief by pure chance. 

A beam of purple energy flew toward Hylltywyll from the furious necromancer. He jumped, screaming, to the side to avoid the beam, but in doing so had to leave the shadows that hid him from detection. He was immediately exposed, but didn't leave the man any opportunity to attack. He ran, leaping from furniture to furniture to avoid the continuous beams.

Holes were left in the walls. Feathers scattered into the air as a stuffed peacock was blasted to pieces. Shrill screams filled the room. The Fairy leapt and swung from the horns of the white stag mounted on the wall, jostling it just enough to send it crashing to the ground as he launched himself onto the top of a bookshelf. He knocked over the ornate blue glass sculptures on display as he ran across it before leaping down onto a plush loveseat. He grabbed a pillow and threw it at the man, distracting him for just a moment.

Bellighul wanted to continue his assault on the Fairy, but they were unable to. Using the moment he swatted the pillow away as his chance, Hylltywyll dived between Bellighul's legs and under his robe. He moved along beneath the robe, evading attempts to kick or step on him and not allowing the poor necromancer to step away and expose him for an attack. Bellighul looked as if he was doing a strange dance around the room as he tried to get a shot or kick in on the Fairy.

Once Bellighul had danced his way fairly close to the door, Hylltywyll darted out, rushing out the door and down the hall, away from the furious master of the Villa. As he ran down the hall, he heard Bellighul shouting behind him. He quickly turned a corner to avoid any more beams of purple energy from the man and spotted another door. He leapt up to turn the knob, the door swinging inward with him still hanging from it. He looked around at the new room he had entered.

To Bellighul's surprise, he was not alone in the Cobalt Room. As he fired off Chromatic Blasts in a rage, a bloodcurdling screech resonated within the chamber. Like a disastrous ape, the creature ran about the room in a frenzy. The Tomb King, with a fiar amount of wine in his system, was wholly inaccurate as he destroyed his prized peacock taxidermy in a violet beam. Madness. Bellighul gave chase but was nearly imapled on the horns of his centerpiece as the stag head drove it's great antlers into the hardwood. He leaped out of the way, nearly tumbling over his velvet ottoman and caught himself on the end table. However, watched as his hand blown blue sculpture plummeted into pieces as the little fairy knocked it over. 

"Foul creature! I'll skin you alive!" He roared, only to be silenced as a soft goosedown pillow, its golden tassles rotating through the air, struck him in his beauiful face. It did not damage, yet, injured his pride greatly. Should the foremost Necromancer in all of Zeinav be bested in his own home in a rumpus with a being a third his size? Perhaps. 

To the Tomb King's dismay, he attempted to remove the creature who bolted between his ankles, his robes disguising it's presence. He stomped and leaped wildly, aiming another Chromatic Blast but could not see nor balance himself enough to destroy his bedevilment. Suddenly, Hylltywyll left the room in a scream and Bellighul gave chase, the toxins of the wine slowing him down as he nearly tripped over that damned pillow in haste. 

"Who sent you?! Who brings forth such a wicked little monster into my home?!" Bellighul fired another Chromatic Blast down the hall. However, poor Jacapo, who had just navigated the darkness of the cellar came around the corner at the most inopportune time and was senting barreling backwards from the impact; nearly the pumpkin head flying off as he was launched ten feet through the air. The lone window to the kitchen shown a brightly lunar light was smashed as Jacapo was flung outside. The sea mist and smell of roses in the air as a parade of glass fell and Jacapo landed onto the pots and pans Hylltywyll had teleported out previously. 

He heard the door to the Scarlet Room slam shut. He looked out past the broken window, his Majordomo surely in pieces but would be easily resurrected. He did not look to see if Jacapo was stirring still.

Bellighul bull rushed the door, damaging the door frame. His wicked necromancy present as wisps of black smoke fumed from his person. Yet, another pillow was hurled and struck him again. What manner of insanity is this? He had seen his books; his most prized posessions in reach of that diabolical creature; he would not fire another ray so long as Hylltywyll remained nearby. Thus, he pleaded with the fairy. "Sir or madam, for the sake of knowledge and Lunala herself...release me from your havoc and you shall have whatever you desire. Leave my library in peace or by the Dark Maiden, I will summon something far more vile than you can imagine. I will tear this villa apart in my wrath and see that you suffer endlessly as a walking corpse!"

Hylltywyll had found himself in a library, the walls entirely lined with bookcases and a couch with pillows in the center of the room for someone to sit and read. He dropped from the doorknob and ran over to the couch. As he heard the crack of wood behind him from the necromancer slamming into the doorframe, he grabbed a pillow and threw it at them, hitting them in the face. He crept under the couch and hid in the shadow as the man started to plead with him.

He listened to them and thought about it. They offered anything he wanted just to leave this library. It was a great offer for anyone else, but unfortunately for Bellighul, it didn't work on the Fairy because even they had no idea what they wanted. At the moment, the Fairy was simply enjoying causing such mayhem in the villa. It was fun. He didn't want to leave. That thought gave him an idea. He crept out from his hiding place, climbing up onto the couch he had been beneath.

"Okay. I'll leave this library, but only if you promise not to try to harm me ever again. No more beams or anything. And no ordering anyone else trying to hurt me! Deal?" he said with a wide, mischievous smile.

"Creature, I have made deals with unimaginable horrors and fiends; beings of darkness that would rend the soul and heart...I accept these terms." He was unaware of Hywyltyll's treacherousness, though by his vile smile he knew well that the creature intended to best him in wits. However, the deal was without it faults, no matter the toxicity of Bellighul's blood. Wine made fools out of philosphers they say. Yet, the fairy lacked the knowledge of Bellighul's inner machinations. He too, was a scheming bargainer. Venom was his tongue and sickness his melodious words. Further, he had plans for this little monstrosity. 

The Lord of Ghouls eased his hands, the purple energy dissipating rapidly as he pulled the chair nearest to him under his slouching physique. He eyed the creature, a dreadful scarlet glare. What was it plotting? What diabolic and ruinous mischief would it wreck upon his home. The conditions were intentionally vague. 

"I have a deal for you...a lucrative one." He mused, his baritone voice sounding in the darkness. The wind rapping on the window, ever blooming red roses caressing the glass in a dance as they swayed. 

"However, I doubt you are clever enough to understand...thus I test you, little fool. A riddle for a great reward." 

Bellighul leaned forward, his elbows supporting him from his knees, he too smirked a sinister smile. Eyes a deeper red than the roses in view. His ashen hair swaying in an absent wind. 

"The poor have it, the rich need it..if you eat it then you die. What am I?" 

Hylltywyll's smile at the man agreeing to his deal turned to a scowl as he was insulted and called a fool. So this man has made deals with horrors and fiends? Well, he had never made a deal with a Fairy before and Hylltywyll would make sure he regretted it after that.

He thought about the riddle. Despite not being very smart, about ninety percent of their brain was dedicated to mischief making, they were pretty good with riddles. It was a talent that came with making sure your deals were worded properly to avoid easy loopholes or misinterpretations. He smiled up at Bellighul as he knew the answer to such a classic riddle easily.

"You're nothing." he said in a tone that implied he wasn't only referring to the answer to the riddle.

He walked past Bellighul and out of the library. He had to keep his end of the deal, though he hadn't specified when he had to leave, he might as well get it out of the way. Once he had exited the room, fulfilling his part of the bargain, the Fairy just turned around and walked right back in. There was nothing in the deal about him not entering it again once he'd left.

"There, library left. Now your part of the deal. No trying to harm me." he laughed as he pulled a book from one of the lower shelves while staring directly at Bellighul. If the man was going to try to test him, he would test them right back.

Hylltywyll's implied insult didn't seem to bother the Lord of Ghouls in the slightest, in fact, he had expected such. The speed in which the riddle was solved surprised him however, perhaps the fairy was more clever than he assumed. He would find out certainly how clever it was, when it exited the door, nonchalantly walking past Bellighul as he sat down. Then, lifting a book from the shelves and held the large tome, which was almost comically large in its small hands. The darkness shading him slightly, but Bellighul knew well every book in the library, arranging them obsessively in order of depth and severity. The lower portion of the shelves, held the most vile of books in his posession. 

Thus, Bellighul smiled, even as he had been skillfully tricked. The sound of his ghoul finally clamoring in the distance as it rose from the lower cellar. 

"Perhaps we should find out what is inside that book...go ahead and throw it." The Tomb King mused. 

The spine on the tome, in gilded lettering read "Advanced Diabolism of the Ancients". 

Bellighul now gripped a bottle of unopened wine, and proceeded to tear at the wax to reveal the cork. The firelight of the Scarlet room dancing on his person. He spoke slowly, eerily calm in spite of the situation he found himself in. His library was full of curses, vexing languages and vile ritual summons. This is where he caled upon Dark Powers and the most despicable creatures across the Hells and far Cosmos. What happened this night was up to the fairy. 

"You solved the riddle quickly, now I propose something to you. Do you find platinum as beautiful as I?" 

Hylltywyll stared suspiciously at the man as he sipped his wine. He seemed almost happy that the Fairy had pulled this book from the shelf. He didn't like that.

He let go of the book, letting its front cover drop onto the floor with a loud thud. He pulled another book from the shelf and stacked it on top of the other large tome, continuing to do this until there was a stack tall enough to climb on top of to reach the next shelf. He started a second stack, slowly forming a staircase of books in front of the shelf.

As he worked, he thought about Bellighul's second question. Platinum? He didn't love it any more than any other shiny thing. It was pretty and he liked pretty things. But, there were a lot of other things that were just as pretty. The only difference was apparently platinum was more valuable to people for some reason and so they would be more upset if he stole a platinum item from them than if he stole the same thing made of gold or silver. He knew from experience.

"Hm... You know telling me to open a book with some curse or something in it without saying anything counts as trying to harm me, right?" he said as he placed another book on a stack.

"How could I possibly know how much you like platinum? I like stealing it from people, but I don't have a weird thing for it like you." he mocked with a smile.

Another tome slammed onto the floor as a third step of the staircase was started.

"A weird thing?" Bellighul, now clutching an empty chalice launched into a guffaw. His pearl white teeth visible as he laughed, tucking his head close to his shoulder, eyes closed as he snickered away into the dark. Rubbing his forehead, his ghostly pale skin rouged with wine. He then poured wine into the chalice as he continued. 
"You are a conundrum little fool...if theft is all you crave, surely your life is less meaningless than I assumed. Yet, I see a talent and a will within you." He watched the impish fae use the number of tomes as a staircase, almost delighting in the nonsense and mayhem, knowing that all manner of hoorible curses and deeds lay beneath him so casually. His fury had completely subsided, no longer did he view this creature as a misfortune but a product of purest chaos. 

As Hylltywyll climbed higher, stretching the bindings and ruining the leather under dirty paws he spoke, justifying his question. "Platinum, my weird thing, diamonds, rubies, gold and silver...allow me to do things others wish they could. While you can surely steal my books, you could not make a Caligrapher forge documents to show treason amidst innocent politicians." Bellighul rose to his feet and made his way to the fireplace, watching embers dance and wood crackle. His library would soon be in shambles surely, but it was of his own doing. 

"That is mischief you could not attain...I like mischief. I love Chaos. More than all the barrels of Noir in Zeinav. We are not unlike, you and I in that respect." Sipping his wine, his ghoul entered the room, by his side, glaring at the devious fae as a whip like tongue exited its mouth. 

"But making deals, as you did so with me...you can achieve incredible amounts of it." Bellighul thought of everything he could possibly do, a sinister smile formed on his normally melancholy facade. 

Hylltywyll sat on top of their staircase of books, their little legs dangling over the side. The staircase was now taller than Bellighul and was comprised of valuable tomes that the Fairy carelessly walked all over. He reached up to one of the top shelves and pulled out a bookend that was keeping the volumes from falling over into the small empty section of the shelf. The books fell as he looked at it, a beautiful ebony carving of a raven perched upon a branch that extended from the weighty L shape designed to hold the books in place.

He threw the bookend at the ghoul that was now standing in the doorway. It moved to attempt to catch it, but they weren't fast enough. It crashed to the floor in front of it and broke into several pieces. The ghoul fell flat on its face as it tripped over itself trying to catch the item. Hylltywyll scurried down the staircase and placed a hand on the ground, conjuring another door underneath the fallen ghoul and sending it straight back down to the basement again.

He laughed as the door disappeared. It was even amusing to the Fairy now, the third time he had done such a thing. He walked back up the staircase of books and looked down at Bellighul.

"I'm not a fool. I can get what you're implying. You want me to work with you, don't you, Mr. Chaos Lover. This place seems too neat for someone that loves chaos so much. I can fix that."