Halswith Sprite Massacre

The Halswith Sprite Massacre was a disastrous event in Southern Gilneas, where six hostile Thorn Sprites managed to hold hostage the township of Halswith.

During the events of the massacre, the Sprites managed to set elaborate traps throughout the town, slaughtering any carrier animals or covering any potential escape routes for the poor civilians. While Thorn Sprites are normally akin to pests rather than threats; occasionally the Sprites have been shown to become malicious and twisted. In the case of Halswith, the near impossible happened; with six of these sprites banding together for their macabre game.

Over the span of a month, the township of Halswith's population was subjected to torturous trials, starting with the burning of the town hall upon the discovery of several dead bodies near the outskirts of the now blocked off town. While the center burned, a lone window was broken open while the others were blocked off by the sprites, forcing men and women to climb out over broken glass to escape the blaze, killing nearly two dozen attendees.

In the days to follow, the Sprites transformed the town into a competition, with the sprites splitting into groups of three to work against the poor Gilneans. Through trickery and stoking suspicion, the sprites managed to divide the township into two factions, and ultimately pin the two against one another. By the time a victor had emerged, the township had erupted into a bloodbath that left another two dozen civilians dead.

With the numbers of the town having dwindled significantly enough, the sprites began to abduct the remaining survivors, torturing and murdering them as part of their game, eventually leaving their corpses strewn about for those who remained. By the end of it, the remaining two families, the Hulsworths and the Hewwitts, managed to deduce that it was the work of sprites. Arming themselves with what they could find, the two families banded together, attacking and slaying one of the sprites as they attempted to abduct the Hulsworth's youngest son, Albert.

Upon the death of one of their companions, the Sprites went into a frenzy, attacking the survivors outright. By the end of it, young Albert was the only remaining Hulsworth to survive, having been adopted by the Hewwitt family following the death of the five remaining sprites. The township was left to burn, as the Hewwitts were forced to put it to the torch following the slaughter of the Hulsworth's, and was left in ruins.

Aftermath
The Halswith Sprite Massacre has since become a precautionary tale for the towns within Southern Gilneas. Halswith was known to leave the Sprite population mostly alone, and tales of missing travelers were usually dismissed as hearsay or rumor. As a result, not one, but six hostile sprites managed to flourish within the woods, and grow bold enough to take over the town.

Since then, Sprite culling has been known as "preventing a Halswith" among some of the rural communities, as justification for clearing nearby woods out of Sprites, even if no hostile ones could be found. This is often used to justify lumber operations, which are known to be harassed immensely by Sprites as they defend their home.