Ravenswood

Chapter One

Isla Devereux had lived in Ravenswood, Massachusetts since birth. The same can be said of her sisters, her mother, her grandmother, her great-grandmother...you get the picture. She came from a very LONG line of famous Devereux witches.

The oldest known Devereux ancestor, Anika, can be traced back to West Africa from which her daughters, Noni and Akina, were taken to become slaves during the slave trade in 1450. A French family, the Dubois', acquired them and brought them back to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The older slaves on the Dubois estate raised Noni and Akina Devereux.

They tried their best to protect the two from the wrath of Mr. Dubois, but paid the price whenever they tried to intervene in the many punishments dealt out. The slaves were very lucky in the end. Their kindness towards the girls saved their lives on the faithful day their powers manifested. The same could not be said for the Dubois family.

The then teenage girls traveled for weeks in search for something. They had no idea what it was until they crossed paths with Maude Langford in Brookline, Massachusetts. The Langford family were unlike any White family they had ever seen. They had acres of land with servants and maids of all shades.

The Langfords abolished all slavery mandates and terminology on their estate. Every worker was paid. There were living quarters for those who had nowhere to go. The Langford family were the definition of good people during a time where there didn't seem to be any. It was the true bond between Akina, Noni and Maude that allowed the Langford and Devereux families to be as unexplainably close, as they would be for generations.

For a long while, things were good and the Devereaux women thrived. Then came talks about the great massacres happening in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The descendants of Noni and Akina began to fear that their lives and that of their children and grandchildren would be in danger. They gathered their families and made their way to an abandoned town on the outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts and conducted the hardest spell they had ever done.

They created a barrier to keep all of the supernatural people in the town safe. They would call this haven Ravenswood. The spell was quite powerful and called to keep out anyone that intended to do harm. The spell took three days to complete, as well as, the lives of both Akina and Noni's descendants Elizabeth and Sarah Devereux. Elizabeth and Sarah's daughters knew this was a possibility and took heart that they would be reunited with their mothers and the other Devereux women on the other side.

In the years that followed, word traveled of the illustrious Ravenswood, Massachusetts hidden on the Massachusetts coast for the supernatural to find refuge. A contingency of the barrier spell was that only a Devereux witch could invite humans in. Humans could not hear of, know about or enter Ravenswood without being invited. The founders knew that humans feared what they didn't understand and Ravenswood would be a town that was inclusive and accepting.

As the years went by and Ravenswood allotted peace for so many supernatural families that were tired of running and living in fear, the Devereux family continued to grow in esteem and respect. The daughters of Sarah and Elizabeth Devereux created systems and processes to gain financial backing from local and state officials to allow Ravenswood to compete with nearby towns and cities in terms of architecture, commerce and agriculture in exchange for protection of their towns and cities.

Almost every family in Ravenswood was of supernatural descent. The number of human families residing in the town could be counted on one hand. The Langford family was one of them. The other two families, Jacksons and Tighes, were also human families intertwined with supernatural families in some form or fashion.

The town, though small in comparison to Boston, was very mighty in its own right. Ravenswood was divided up into estates and communities based on supernatural ability. It seemed segregation was the means of balance and peace when the town was first developed.

The very center of Ravenswood is the Enchanted Forest. The forest is magic in itself as it spans a few acres, however as you entered it continues to expand and grow for thousands of miles. It is said that the Enchanted Forest grew from the seeds spelled and planted by Elizabeth Devereux herself before she died. This is where the ents (tree giants), fairies and pixies live.

The ents are an old and large community that span throughout the forest. The knowledge they have of the town and the world really is invaluable. They provide wisdom and understanding to the many people that seek either or both in Ravenswood.

The fairies are the healers in the town. Though they are tiny in their natural form, the fairies can morph into human size as needed. A majority of the medical staff at Ravenswood General are fairies. They do more than help heal people. They help supernatural beings better manage their abilities and powers when manifesting. Their ability to provide insight to the young is irreplaceable.

The last inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest are the often-rancorous pixies. The pixies are so small that they can only feel one emotion at a time and due to the ongoing rivalry with the fairies, anger is the most common emotion felt.

West of the Enchanted Forest is The Gates community. This is where all of the vampires of Ravenswood reside. The Gates goes against every cliché stereotype of vampire decoration styles. The décor is contemporary and modern with sleek colors and designs in architecture.

The vampires in Ravenswood are like any average vampire. There are no super pale people who shimmer in the sunlight. They can walk or run in hyper speed. They can control humans by looking in their eyes and compelling them. They drink blood, but understand they are prohibited from drinking without consent within Ravenswood and have blood banks at their disposal in the estate. The vampires, for the most part, are appreciative of the life they have in the sanctuary that is Ravenswood. 

Harmony Harbor is the small community for the humans in Ravenswood and is located on the East side. The community opens up to the coast and just exudes tranquility. The water splashes along the cove, while the illustrious mansions of the three human families span the small, but sizeable property.

South of the Enchanted Forest is Bane's Manor. This is where the werewolves of Ravenswood live. The community is filled with acres upon acres of wide, open spaces to run and hunt. The community is filled with homes that look like modernized log cabins fit for the greatest huntsman. Trees surround every inch possible, which gives this community a very closed off vibe.

Southeast, in the mountains, is where the dragons reside. These are not stereotypical dragons. Though they can take their true form, which is much similar to size and scale of the Game of Thrones dragons, the dragons of Ravenswood also have a human form. Elizabeth Devereux created charms and spells in the mountains, which allowed the dragons to have a life outside their caves. It was one of the first acts that fortified the loyalty of the dragon community to the Devereux family.

All of the witches in Ravenswood live North of the Enchanted Forest, in a growing estate called Charmed Circle. The name seems ironic and cheesy, but the Devereux ancestors came up with the moniker and sections way before Alyssa Milano and the other faux witches. This is the largest community in Ravenswood and the most powerful. There are over eighty witches in the coven. The ages range from two to eighty-five years old - all with different personality types and powers.

The Devereux manor is at the center of the estate. It is the oldest standing building in all of Ravenswood. No witch, not even Isla's mother and grandmother can undo the spells used to reinforce the house. However, for a home that was spelled into existence in the late 1600s it is quite timeless. The decor of grays, blues and ivory throughout the house interior make it look larger than it really is. The stone exteriors fortify the symbolism that the Devereux family shall not be moved.

Outside of the weird names and even weirder inhabitants, Ravenswood is truly like most towns. There is a Starbucks in every community, a Target in both Harmony Harbor and Charmed Circle and an enormous mall in Bane's Manor. There are businesses throughout each district and an elementary school, middle school, high school and college in the supernatural town.

Most of the inhabitants have everyday, typical jobs to make money like everyone else. And though witches could do a spell here or there to make ends meet the punishment for self-centered use of one's powers is never worth it.