The Knoblach Siblings
After a discussion about the unfolding future, the Ancient One departed swiftly to consult the Vishanti Trinity about what she had just learned. Left alone, Lucia found herself with precious time to reflect.
Her thoughts wandered to Gloria and the looming pact with Mephisto. Drawing a familiar eye charm from her pocket, she whispered an incantation, her voice soft and melodic as she called forth the name: "Gloria Knoblach."
As the chant ended, Lucia was pulled into a fragmented vision...
The vision began with a young boy and five other children discovering a meteorite while playing. Within six months, all but the boy, Hans Knoblach, succumbed to mysterious deaths—likely radiation poisoning. Yet Hans remained unscathed.
A decade later, Hans married Lady Gertrude Hunter, the daughter of an English lord. The couple was granted a vast tract of land in Virginia, where they settled and started a family. In 1673, Gertrude gave birth to their first child, Gloria, followed by two more children, William and Fiona, over the next six years. Each child held a latent mutant power alongside advanced longevity, due to the irradiation of the meteorite Hans had discovered long ago.
Lucia's vision narrowed on Gloria’s short but tragic life. As the eldest daughter of peculiar and neglectful parents, Gloria became both caretaker and protector for her younger siblings. She shared a special bond with her grandmother in Salem, who unknowingly nurtured the child’s budding telepathic abilities, by letting the young girl help her pastime of rearing animals.
Gloria had the power to read thoughts and manipulate emotions, effectively exerting mind control in limited lens. She could calm anger, manipulate memories, or even force happiness, as seen when she helped her grandmother sleep as a pain reliever or persuaded others to forget any displays of power by her little sister. She could also render individuals unconscious with a touch or alter memories tied to strong emotions.
However, Gloria’s gifts soon became a source of fear. Her parents, horrified by her telepathic acuities, labelled her a "demon child" and subjected her to repeated "cleansing" rituals against her will. Scarred by this treatment, Gloria learned to suppress her abilities, masking her true self to appear "normal."
Fiona, the younger sister, was the opposite—rebellious, fiery, and unafraid to wield her power to defend her siblings. She fortunately did not face the same repression of her abilities, as Gloria did, Due to Gloria often taking the fall for the girl's mischief, erasing any memories of Fiona's miscief as a child.
Meanwhile, William, the middle child and seemingly unremarkable, showed no outward magical abilities, but possessed a sharp mind that absorbed complex information with astonishing ease. Covered his talent under a guise of intelligence. Staying under the radar of their parent's eyes.
This semi-peaceful family dynamic changed forever when Gloria, as a teenager, visited her grandmother in Salem during an illness. A child, manipulated by Agatha's schemes, accused Gloria of witchcraft after witnessing her calm her mother with a mere touch. The rumors spread like wildfire, sealing Gloria’s fate.
In June, Gloria was executed in Salem, Massachusetts. Her story, shrouded in sorrow, was one of betrayal and loss...
As the vision faded, Lucia turned her focus to the other siblings, eager to uncover the talents hidden in the unremarkable Knoblach family.
Fiona, the youngest, born in 1680, was the strongest of the three. Like her older sister, Fiona possessed telepathy but also telekinesis, precognition, and longevity. Coupled with ambition, she was the most successful of the trio.
As the sibling closest to Gloria, Fiona was deeply affected by her sister’s death. When Gloria was accused of witchcraft, she begged her parents to help her sister and was enraged when, instead of helping Gloria, her parents urged Fiona to forget and move on. Their apathy, coupled with her father supporting the man behind the Salem Witch Trials’ rise to governor, ignited a deep hatred in Fiona for the men and women responsible for the trials.
This loathing festered until she finally killed her parents, inheriting their estate.
During the early 18th century, Fiona married three times, killed each husband after bearing their daughters, and accumulated their wealth.
With her newfound resources, Fiona founded The Dark Sisterhood, an organization of psychic female mutants and witches. Over ten generations and three centuries, her descendants numbered over 30,000. The Dark Sisterhood grew into a secretive, globally influential network with more than 3,000 active members. By the time the United States became a superpower, Fiona’s Sisterhood had infiltrated almost every sphere of influence—government, military, corporations, organized crime, law enforcement, and unions. Her ultimate goal was to install one of her descendants, Gina Anderson, in a position of ultimate power through assassinations and alliances with corrupt officials.
However, Fiona, now known as the Dark Mother, faced resistance from two of her own descendants: Cable, from 2,000 years in the future, and Marvel Girl, from an alternate timeline. These two posed a unique threat as their divergent origins made them immune to her precognitive powers. In response, the Sisterhood framed Cable for acts of terrorism, targeting him relentlessly. Yet Cable retaliated, crippling the organization by exposing its secrets to government allies, leading to mass arrests of sisters and their collaborators. In a final confrontation, Cable, Marvel Girl, and thousands of government agents stormed her base, rendering the Dark Mother catatonic.
Although the Dark Sisterhood regrouped years later, the mutants operating under Sinister's orders seemingly eliminated Fiona due to the threat of her precognitive abilities.
William, later known by the alias Clarity, was the quietest and most reclusive of the trio, but also the most long-lived. Born in 1675, Clarity's mutant ability was superhuman sensory absorption, enabling him to process vast amounts of information from all forms of media at once. Operating as an enigmatic information broker, he spent his days surrounded by blaring televisions and radios, effortlessly identifying patterns and details. Visitors to his domain had to use specialized filters to avoid mental overload, as the constant streams of data were overwhelming to anyone but him.
Clarity rarely communicated directly, relying on a computer screen to convey his insights. He became a critical ally to Cable, providing essential intelligence on the Dark Sisterhood and its leader, Fiona. Initially supporting Fiona's early actions to challenge the patriarchy and avenge the Salem trials, he quickly found her methods too radical.
Emerging from her vision, Lucia the ever opportunist, saw an opportunity. The Knoblach siblings, powerful in their own rights, could serve her plans well if guided—or manipulated—correctly.
Returning to Salem with Gloria, Lucia cloaked them both in magical disguises, posing as sisters. She crafted a lifelike puppet resembling Gloria, enchanted to serve as a decoy. The villagers’ wrath was redirected to this illusion, allowing the real Gloria to remain hidden. Lucia convinced Gloria that her exile was a temporary measure to protect her family. In truth, she sought to shatter the girl’s trust in others, isolating her from family and community to secure her unwavering loyalty.
The two settled in an abandoned house on the outskirts of Salem—one that Lucia had prepared long ago, back when she was part of the coven.
Its wards were still intact, protecting them from unwanted eyes. The house exuded a quiet, magical hum, with shelves of old tomes, jars of mysterious herbs, and a softly glowing hearth that seemed to burn without fuel. In the safety of their new home, Lucia began teaching Gloria everything she needed to know about the hidden worlds she was now a part of.
“Magic,” Lucia explained one evening, “is not a singular force but a collection of systems, each with its own source and rules. Let’s start with sorcery.”
Gloria sat cross-legged on the floor, her attention fixed on Lucia as she sketched glowing diagrams in the air.
“Sorcerers,” Lucia began, “draw upon extradimensional energies to perform magic. These energies come from places like the Dark Dimension or the realms of the Vishanti. That means anyone—witch, human, or even mutant—can become a sorcerer if they learn to harness those energies. Of course, natural talent plays a role…”
“So, it’s like learning a skill?” Gloria asked, tilting her head.
“Exactly,” Lucia nodded. “Sorcery is external. It doesn’t rely on your body’s energy, only your ability to channel what’s out there.”
“And witches?”
“Witches are born with intrinsic magic,” Lucia continued. “Their power comes from within—a spark that’s part of their very essence. Witches’ powers can be tied to natural or elemental forces, and they often have a personal connection to their magic rather than channeling it from other realms. That’s why witches tend to specialize. A Green Witch might focus on nature magic, while a Protection Witch might only cast defensive spells.”
Gloria furrowed her brow. “So… witches can’t just learn new types of magic like sorcerers can?”
“Not exactly,” Lucia said. “A witch’s magic is tied to their essence, so they’re limited by their innate affinities. But through exploration and practice, it’s possible to develop other skills—though it’s a long and grueling process.”
“That’s… a lot to take in,” Gloria admitted.
“And then,” Lucia said, shifting her tone, “there are mutants like you. Your abilities come from a transformation in your genetic code.”
Gloria blinked. “What’s a genetic code?”
Lucia paused, realizing the gap in Gloria’s understanding. “Right. Science isn’t exactly common knowledge here. Let me show you.”
She conjured a simple illusion in the air—a double helix spinning gently. “Think of this as a blueprint for your body. It’s called DNA, and it’s what makes you you. Your hair color, eye color, even your ability to control emotions—they’re all encoded in this genetic blueprint.”
Gloria leaned closer, fascinated. “So… my powers are in my blood?”
“Sort of,” Lucia said. “Your DNA has something special—an ‘X-factor’ that gives you abilities others don’t have. That’s what makes you a mutant.”
“Do all mutants have the same powers?”
“No,” Lucia replied. “Mutations are unique to each individual. One mutant might control fire, another might read minds. And you…” She gestured at Gloria. “You can influence consciousness. That’s a rare and remarkable gift.”
Gloria smiled shyly. “It’s strange, thinking that my powers aren’t magical at all.”
Lucia offered a reassuring smile. “Strange, but powerful. Understanding your abilities is the first step to mastering them. And with time, you’ll learn to use them wisely.”
Over time, Gloria’s fascination grew, and her trust in Lucia deepened.
Meanwhile, Gloria’s puppet remained in hiding, her existence fueling a farce orchestrated by Agatha. Letters from Gloria’s grandmother, pleading for her parents’ help, went unanswered. Weeks passed, and Gloria realized the painful truth: her family had abandoned her.
This realization, as Lucia had planned, marked the beginning of Gloria’s transformation—and the Knoblach siblings’ entanglement in her web of schemes.
(End of Chapter)