The Warden of the Hare (A.K.A. The Burrow Butcher)

Supernatural Easter Killer

Centuries ago, in a small, insular village nestled in the heart of Eastern Europe, a sacred springtime festival celebrated renewal and fertility. The festival revolved around a guardian spirit, a spectral hare believed to ensure a bountiful harvest and the protection of the village's children. Villagers would carve wooden eggs and leave offerings of grain and flowers on their doorsteps, believing these acts pleased the spirit. One year, the fields failed, famine struck, and disease spread like wildfire. Desperate to appease the spirit, the villagers turned to their aging priestess, an enigmatic woman named Elira. She claimed the spirit demanded a greater offering—human sacrifice. The villagers, blinded by fear, abducted a family of outsiders traveling through the region and bound them to a towering wicker effigy shaped like a hare. As the flames consumed the offering, the family’s screams echoed across the hills. The villagers cheered, but the spirit they worshiped did not. Instead, something monstrous was born from the fire. Twisted by rage, betrayal, and the innocence stolen, the spirit of the hare transformed into The Warden of the Hare—a vengeful, unholy creature bent on punishing those who betrayed its ideals. The Warden roams desolate fields, abandoned towns, and forgotten woods, appearing only during the spring season. It preys on those it deems selfish, greedy, or cruel, twisting the symbolism of renewal into a grim reminder of their sins. Victims often find ominous signs before its arrival: nests of bloody feathers, eggs oozing with black ichor, or clawed footprints leading to nowhere. Over time, the legend of the Warden spread, evolving into modern urban folklore. Children tell tales of its "death eggs," warning each other never to pick up a strange egg in the woods, lest it mark them for death. Parents use the story to frighten misbehaving kids into obedience. The Warden, however, remains more than a story. Each year, it seeks new prey, perpetuating

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its gruesome cycle. Only those with pure hearts and true humility have a chance of escaping its wrath—or perhaps earning its mercy. But in the end, The Warden of the Hare serves as an eternal reminder: some traditions are best left forgotten. Before its corruption, the festival honoring the spirit of the hare was one of joy and abundance. It marked the end of the harsh winter and celebrated the rebirth of life. Villagers believed the hare spirit lived in an ancient, hollow oak tree deep within the forest. They whispered that the hare could traverse between the realms of life and death, ensuring the village’s prosperity by carrying the souls of the departed to the afterlife and returning with the blessings of spring. The festival featured dances, feasts, and games. Children would hide and find brightly painted wooden eggs, symbols of fertility and the cycle of life. Each egg was inscribed with the names of loved ones to honor the bonds of family and community. The famine that led to the Warden’s creation was no ordinary misfortune—it was brought on by the greed of the village’s elders. Unbeknownst to the common folk, they had been exploiting the land, over-harvesting its resources and selling them to neighboring towns for personal gain. When the soil turned barren, the elders blamed an "angry spirit," hiding their sins behind superstition. Elira, the priestess, was not the pious figure she appeared to be. She conspired with the elders, using her position to manipulate the villagers into sacrificing outsiders to conceal the truth. The family they burned was innocent, their only crime being their presence in the wrong place at the wrong time. The hare spirit, bound to the land by ancient oaths, was powerless to stop the atrocity. The flames of the wicker effigy consumed the innocent family, and their dying screams shattered the fragile harmony between the spirit and the mortal world. The hare, once a gentle guardian, was twisted by the anguish and fury of the

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victims’ spirits, becoming The Warden of the Hare. The transformation of the hare spirit into the Warden marked the birth of a powerful curse. The wicker effigy, now a grotesque talisman, remains in the village’s abandoned square, overgrown with thorny vines and blackened by soot. It is said that the effigy houses the souls of the sacrificed family, their sorrow and rage fueling the Warden’s endless hunt. Every spring, when the cycle of life begins anew, the Warden emerges from its lair in the hollow oak. Its arrival is heralded by an unnatural silence in the forest, followed by the sickly-sweet scent of charred wood and rot. The Warden targets those who embody the sins of the village elders: greed, cruelty, and deceit. However, it spares no one who crosses its path if they interfere with its purpose. To the Warden, every spring is an opportunity to cleanse the land of corruption, ensuring that the wrongs of the past are not forgotten. The village that birthed the Warden now lies in ruins, avoided by locals and travelers alike. The cursed land has a life of its own, with trees that bleed sap the color of rust and flowers that bloom in ghostly shades of blue. The ruins are dotted with remnants of the villagers’ misguided devotion: broken effigies, shattered eggs, and crude carvings of the hare spirit, now warped into monstrous forms. At the center stands the charred wicker hare, a grim monument to the horror that created the Warden. The Warden’s legend has evolved in the modern era, blending folklore with urban myths. Paranormal enthusiasts and thrill-seekers occasionally venture into the cursed woods, often leaving behind cryptic recordings of strange phenomena: Ghostly whispers reciting nursery rhymes. Shadowy figures darting between the trees. Eggs filled with crimson liquid appearing on their doorsteps upon their return. Few survive a direct encounter with the Warden, but those who do often speak of the creature’s hollow, echoing voice. It asks only

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one question: "What would you sacrifice to make the land whole again?" Those who fail to answer truthfully vanish, leaving behind only a faint trail of ash and clawed earth. Legends of Its Powers The Egg Rituals: Each egg the Warden creates is a miniature effigy, housing fragments of its victims’ souls. These eggs act as traps, cursed to ensnare the unwary. Breaking one releases the spirit within, which either aids the Warden or drags the breaker into the spectral realm. The Crook’s Binding: The Warden’s shepherd’s crook is said to be forged from the cursed oak’s branches. Any soul ensnared by the crook is forced to relive the moment of its deepest betrayal, its energy feeding the Warden’s strength. Burial Blessing: On rare occasions, the Warden spares those who prove their innocence or purity. To these fortunate few, it offers a single blackened egg. If planted in the soil, the egg sprouts into a tree bearing golden fruit, said to grant protection against famine and misfortune. Abilities and Traits Burrowing Shadows: The Warden can disappear into the ground and reappear anywhere within a certain radius, leaving behind the scent of burnt grass and damp earth. Eggs of Dread: It crafts horrifying, sentient "eggs" from bone and sinew, each containing a trap, toxin, or spectral entity. These eggs are left as cursed "gifts" for its victims. The Shepherd's Crook: The rusted weapon is imbued with dark magic, capable of ensnaring souls and dragging them into a spectral plane of torment. Animal Minions: Corrupted woodland creatures—rabbits with glowing red eyes, birds with talons of bone—act as its spies and hunters. Powers 1. Spectral Burrowing The Warden can phase into the ground, vanishing from one location and re-emerging elsewhere. This ability is tied to the cursed roots of the ancient oak tree, which act as a network linking it to the forest and its surrounding lands. It can use this ability to ambush victims or retreat when threatened. 2. Egg Creation

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Each "death egg" is a twisted amalgamation of bone, sinew, and magical energy. They serve multiple purposes: Exploding Eggs: Detonate in a burst of fire and cursed ash, leaving burns that don't heal. Binding Eggs: Generate spectral chains to trap a victim in place. Illusionary Eggs: Create false visions to confuse and torment targets. 3. The Crook of Harvest The Warden’s weapon is a shepherd’s crook, seemingly rusted and brittle, but unbreakable. Soul Snare: It can pull a victim’s soul partially out of their body, leaving them dazed and vulnerable. Reaping Swipe: A swing of the crook can cut through multiple foes, leaving behind black, necrotic wounds. Spectral Herding: The crook can summon ghostly animals—such as hares, wolves, or crows—to attack or harass victims. 4. Corruption Aura Wherever the Warden walks, the land rots. Flowers wilt, grass blackens, and trees ooze sap like blood. Prolonged exposure to this aura causes victims to experience paranoia, hallucinations, and eventually madness. 5. Judgment Gaze Through its cracked porcelain mask, the Warden can see into a person’s soul. It discerns their darkest secrets, greatest betrayals, and hidden guilt. Those it deems unworthy are marked with a glowing sigil visible only to the Warden, ensuring their doom. Weaknesses 1. Bound to the Oak Tree The Warden’s power is tied to the ancient oak tree in the forest. Destroying the tree weakens the Warden significantly, reducing its ability to teleport and summon spectral allies. 2. Purity of Heart The Warden is repelled by those with pure hearts and selfless intentions. It cannot directly harm such individuals unless they attack it first. 3. Salt and Iron Traditional protective measures, such as lines of salt or weapons forged from pure iron, can ward off the Warden temporarily. These tools disrupt its spectral nature, forcing it into its physical form. 4. The Golden Egg Hidden within the wicker effigy is a single golden egg, containing the essence

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of the original hare spirit. If this egg is destroyed, the Warden’s connection to the mortal realm is severed, banishing it permanently. Side Characters and Allies Elira the Revenant The corrupt priestess who orchestrated the family’s sacrifice was cursed by the Warden after her death. Now a tormented specter bound to the ruins of the village, she endlessly tries to atone for her sins by guiding lost souls who stumble into the cursed land. She warns them of the Warden and may offer cryptic advice, but her motives are unclear. The Watcher in the Forest A hermit who lives near the forest, claiming to have survived an encounter with the Warden. The Watcher knows many of the Warden’s secrets and weaknesses but is reluctant to share them. Rumor has it that they were once part of the village and carry their own burden of guilt. The Hollow Children Ghostly apparitions of the village’s sacrificed children. These spectral beings are not inherently hostile but are often used as scouts or distractions by the Warden. Occasionally, they rebel against their master, offering guidance to those pure of heart. The Rotting Herd A collection of corrupted forest animals—hares with elongated, bone-like teeth, crows with flaming eyes, and deer with antlers twisted into grotesque shapes. These creatures serve as the Warden’s enforcers, spreading its curse to nearby lands. The Spirit of the Golden Egg A fragment of the original hare spirit resides within the golden egg. It represents the Warden’s last trace of purity and can be used to weaken or even redeem the creature. However, accessing the egg requires surviving the Warden’s wrath. The Legend’s Modern Survivors Maeve Carlisle An investigative journalist obsessed with uncovering the truth about the Warden. She survived an encounter by narrowly escaping the cursed forest and now dedicates her life to researching the legend. Maeve carries a blackened egg she found during her escape, which she believes holds clues to defeating

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the Warden. Brother Callum A wandering priest who believes the Warden is a manifestation of divine judgment. Callum seeks to cleanse the curse using faith and ancient rituals, though his dogmatic approach often puts him at odds with others. Lana the Witch A modern-day practitioner of hedge magic, Lana lives on the outskirts of the forest. She offers aid to those brave enough to enter the cursed land, crafting protective charms and potions from herbs and stones. However, her price for assistance is often steep, as she fears the Warden’s retaliation.