The Story of Old Nori

There was a women who was said to have been banished to the forest. She kept to the trees, preferring those that were dead or decaying. Once in a while she would venture out into the world of the living, but mostly remained hidden among the leaves. Her name, as is known to us is Nori, though it wasn't her real name. Kind to those who stumbled on her humble abode, she would often sit them down and ask after their ailments. Talented in the ways of nature she would often brew up a tea of sorts to help her visitors on their way. Around this time, there was a visitor, a young man in his early years who came asking after an item rumored to be on her shelf, saying to hold great power. The woman sat him down, brewed some tea, and inquired about what he needed the item for. He told her that his grandfather had been the one to tell him of the item's powers, which he said could change his life forever if only he could get it from Nori. Laughing at his brash nature and honesty, she asked him what he was willing to pay for the object, as she dealt with folks like him before. Much to his dismay, he had no money or trade goods to offer, so instead offered something else of value to her; an extra pair of hands. It took several days for him to get the hands he wanted, but finally he brought them to the witch and left satisfied. However, as it is with greed, it was not long before the man was back, this time with more to ask from her, having noticed something else on her shelf.     Old Nori was keen to continue this business, until one day this man brought with him companions who tried to do harm to her. Letting many obejcts free from the robes she wore, she vanished in a spiral of bright teal flame and the man hunted for her for years. It was only after he traveled to the other side of existance that he heard of talk of an old woman in a dead forest who killed any who came near, and he knew he had found her. He set out to get the coveted item, the item that would grant him his greatest desires--that of a small lamp that was her prized possession.     In the time that had passed, Old Nori began to shift and change, her body seeming to grow darker, her hands forming into claws until she became the form of an unrecognizable beast she had always tried to hide. In her attempts to blend into her new home, she had killed a portion of the forest, and no one would come near, except those running from something terrible, and she would do her best to help them on their way, acting as a protector. Though she spent most of her time in her own little world, she was still able to see the outside world through a hole in a tree near her hut. She noticed the approach of a figure, and in their gait, she knew that she would need to buy time to shift somewhere new, as it was a cloak she recognized. In her haste, she grabbed her things getting a pack ready to go as a knock came at the door, and she opened it. Facing the man who tried to kill her once before. He had changed drastically, he spoke to her as if they were equals, and he was kind to her, but she knew he wouldn't leave without the item. Too late she realized he was not alone, and her old woman appearance dropped, and she allowed herself to unhinge, her feral instincts reaching out to protect her and those she loved. In but a few moments the man was no more, and any that were with him were burning with hateful fire.     When she turned to grab her things to leave and go return to her home, she found that her prized possession had been taken. She now visits the houses of those on the edge of towns, lurking in the windows, the shadows, and the dreams of those inside. Hunting for what was taken from her. Her voice is said to sound like a song, luring those who have interesting items into her embrace, never to be heard from again. Sometimes she will even visit those she has already had dealings with, hunting for the same item that brought them to her before