Belladonna of Sadness

On their wedding night, Jeanne is raped by the local baron and his courtiers. Jean attempts to comfort her and suggests they can start over from that moment. Moments after they embrace, Jean strangles Jeanne into unconsciousness and flees into the night.

That night Jeanne begins to see a phallic-headed spirit promising power and growth. The spirit claims it heard her call for help and can become as mighty as she desires. Its presence marks the first crack in her world, even as Jean remains unaware.

As famine grips the village, the baron raises taxes to fund his war effort. Jean is elevated to the role of tax collector, but the baron cuts off his hand when he cannot extract enough money. The loss leaves Jean miserable and drinking in defeat.

The spirit grows larger and returns to visit Jeanne, raping her again in exchange for more riches. She submits, but she insists her soul remains with Jean and God. The encounter deepens her pact with power and wealth.

Jeanne takes out a large loan from a usurer and dives into the village's trade networks, building real economic influence. Her wealth grows as the baron returns from war, and she becomes the true power shaping events. The shift places Jean further in the background.

The baron returns victorious from war, and his wife grows jealous of Jeanne's influence, branding her a witch and rallying the villagers against her. Jeanne tries to flee to her home, but Jean is drunk and won't open the door, leaving her vulnerable to the mob.

Jeanne escapes into the forest to evade capture, where the spirit reveals itself as the Devil and grants her greater magical powers after she makes a deal. She returns to the village with her enhanced abilities and new confidence.

A plague sweeps the village, and Jeanne uses her powers to create a cure, drawing the desperate villagers to her side. She also presides over orgiastic rites as her influence over the community deepens. The plague becomes a tool for consolidating her power.

A page falls in love with the baron's wife and asks Jeanne for help to win her. She provides a love potion that enables the attempt, but the baron discovers the affair and kills both the page and the wife. Jealously and violence escalate in the household and court.

The baron invites Jeanne to a meeting and she reconciles with Jean. He offers to make her the second-highest noble in exchange for sharing the plague cure, but she refuses, vowing to seize power rather than share it. The tension between ambition and loyalty peaks here.

Angered by her defiance, the baron orders Jeanne burned at the stake. Jean is killed by the baron's soldiers when he tries to retaliate, provoking a furious response from the villagers. The execution marks a climactic turning point in the village's fate.

As flames rise, the faces of the village's women transform into Jeanne's, fulfilling a priest's warning that a witch burned with pride would survive and spread. Her soul's influence persists, seeding a malevolent legacy rather than a simple death.

Centuries after Jeanne's death, the influence of her spirit is said to have sparked the French Revolution, altering the course of history from behind the scenes. Her legend endures as a force that continues to shape people and events long after her death.