Work Text:
Hundreds of years after the publishing of the epic novel series Witch Hat Atelier, which depicted a controversial perspective of the final years of the Old Pact, an anonymous witch compiles records of a local folktale for an unknown purpose. Was it a task from a master or an employer? Was it simply a keen interest? Or does it serve the deeper purpose of proving that Witch Hat Atelier was more fact than fiction? We may never know.
It was self-published in pamphlet form rather recently, and since I found it to be quite an interesting read, I took to translating it to a digital format for your pleasure.
Everything below this line was part of the pamphlet. Please pay special attention to the “Compiler’s Notes”, as I found them extraordinarily helpful.
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Excerpt from "Cryptids of the Highlands” by Irilin Olara, regarding the ‘Nighttime Scalewolf’:
The ‘Nighttime Scalewolf’ is a beast said to shapeshift between the image of a young boy and that of an unnaturally large, black scalewolf, as well as hold the ability to disappear and reappear at will. The myths surrounding it likely stem from a series of encounters during the final years of the Old Pact. The few documented reports claim that the creature ‘held [the witnesses] gaze’ before vanishing. Witnesses sometimes claimed to have experienced days of ‘good luck’ following an encounter. In regions where reports lacked the inclusion of good luck, the creature is often known as the ‘Nightmare Scalewolf’ in lieu of ‘Nighttime Scalewolf’. No reports of the Nightmare Scalewolf make any mention of the creature causing or imparting distress towards the witness.
The commonly held belief among scholars is that the Nighttime Scalewolf was a young victim of forbidden magic who was pressured into hiding due to the strict inquisition enforced at the time. There is no evidence pertaining to the victim’s identity, or to their whereabouts after the abrupt end of eyewitness reports. There are two common theories regarding the later:
One- The victim was able to reenter society under their own identity after the creation of the New Pact, or after having discovered a permanent ‘cure’ for their curse. The second is more likely, as no official New Pact records mention a person who can transform into a scalewolf at will.
Two- The Knights Moralis recaptured the victim and relieved them of their memories. There is no physical evidence to support this theory, though some scholars claim that it is explained easily by the Knights Moralis’ poor record-keeping in regards to victims of forbidden magic.
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Excerpt from “An Encyclopedia of Secrets” by an Anonymous Author.
Compiler's Note: This source, though admired by many for its elaborate descriptions of its era, is considered non-canon by most historians. Even so, I wished to pull from a wide range of sources to allow you, reader, to come to your own conclusions.
The names were blacked out in the original manuscript, and while many of them have been correlated with real-life counterparts, the boy’s remains unconfirmed to this day.
The “anonymous author” is widely acknowledged to be Agott Arklaum.
“ […] — was able to transform into a black scalewolf via an intricate casting seal inscribed on the back of his neck. In our initial attempts to rescue him we could only manage to bring him back to his own consciousness while in the scalewolf body. We were forced to accept assistance from a Brimmed Cap to return him to his human form via a medallion bearing a similar inscription. It would only maintain his human form if it were held flush aligned with the tattooed seal. As we grew older, I knew — to exclusively wear high collars and cravats with a spell of sticking to keep the transformation seal in place. Once that solution came into play, his transformations between human and scalewolf were almost entirely at his own leisure (or that of — , should she demand it).”
CN: It is hard to determine which of Agott Arklaum’s historical companions are included in the oft-referenced ‘we’.
“In the years shortly after his reintroduction to polite society, our company would have many a good laugh over his beast-like mannerisms. I recall vividly sitting by the hearth with — and — , when he kicked his leg up quite suddenly with a violent twitch. It startled all of us, and we were terribly worried for him before he sheepishly revealed he had an itch […] — would tell us stories of their dinner table, where — would barely remember that he had opposable thumbs to grip a spoon or fork before plunging headfirst into a bowl of stew. The first time a story of that sort was told in his presence he blushed furiously […] He was quite fun to embarrass, and any gathering of our company would include going once around the table with a memory of him, just to watch him squirm […] “
“ […] but I’ve never seen a more ridiculous gift for a ten-year-old boy than the cloak — gifted him. It could be a textbook example for the phrase ‘necessity breeds innovation’. The original cloak of darkness, which had saved many lives in its youth, was now merely a tool of destruction for a budding societal menace.
CN: You may remember the characters of this book as Morian, Siria, Calliope, etc. Those names were added years later by publishers to make the story more palatable for casual readers.
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CN: Our ways of tracking the passage of time have changed drastically from the time the following charts were recorded. I tried to make sense of it and clarified it for your sake.
From “Knights Moralis Registry of Missing People”
Name, Date Reported, Last Seen
Alaira - 23 XX3 - Cape Romonon, 22 XX3
…
Euini - 39 XX3 - Cape Romonon, 22 XX3
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From “Knights Moralis Registry of Test Takers (Sincerity of the Shield)”
Name of Testee, Date Scheduled, Master, Proctor
Euini - 22 XX3 - Kukrow - Alaira
Agott - 22 XX3 - Qifery - Alaira
Richeh - 22 XX3 - Qifery - Alaira
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From “Registry of Test Takers (The Query of the Qui Vive)”
Name of Testee, Date Scheduled, Master, Proctor
Euini - 35 XX8 - Alaira - N/A
CN: Please note the following-
-That Agott Arklaum and “Euini” were both scheduled to take the second test the same day, the very day he was last seen, with Alaira as the proctor.
-That the apprentice “Euini” attempted the third test five years after being reported as missing from Cape Romonon, the location of the second test.
-That Alaira was also last seen at Cape Romonon the same day, and was listed as “Euini’s” master five years later.
-The chaos after the dissolution of the Knights Moralis means that no “found” dates are listed for any missing people for several years.
The majority of initial Nighttime Scalewolf sightings were reported within this five-year time span.
These registries are the only official mentions of “Euini”, including in the registries of the fourth and fifth tests, all taken within the span of four months. The name “Euini” also appears on several birth certificates some ten years later, but there is no indication that it is the same person.
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From “Paper Whispers”, a collection of miscellaneous, anonymous letters written around the advent of the New Pact.
CN: The writer and recipient of this letter are both anonymous, but tradition lists it as being from Richeh, one Agott Arklaum’s companions.
Dear Friend,
How are you? I am well. I passed the fourth test yesterday, and am officially free from the atelier! Thank you for your words the last time we met- they really made me view this all differently. After everything that’s happened, I still don’t feel grown up. I suppose being able to do what I want isn’t what determines grown up-ness. Someday I’ll understand.
Do you understand it yet? I hope you do. I’ve always felt you’ve understood things before I do, even as children. What I DO know is that I’ll never take apprentices. You might like the idea of “imparting wisdom to young souls”, but I would loath to subject others to my own values.
Have you thought of a design for your cap? I still think golden scales would be lovely— does it hit too close to home? Good. I believe that’s what a cap should do. But you can choose what you like, so long as it’s pretty.
I love you, and eagerly await our next meeting that fate allows. Don’t get eaten.
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If any readers know where I can find other sources discussing this subject, please let me know.