History PlayingWith / BurnTheWitch

** Both sides of a war openly use witches as shock troops and for supernatural consultation. Burning withces, via mundane pyres or [[PlayingWithFire fire spells]], is a common pratice on both sides that witches condone.

* '''Downplayed''': Helen is marked with a branding iron and [[TheExile exiled from her hometown]].

** Several suspected witches are [[TheresNoKillLikeOverkill sprayed using naplam and flamethrower]] at the stake, killing unwitting bystanders in the process. Some are real witches, but most are not.

* '''Zig-Zagged''': Helen is burned, ostensibly to death, but it turns out after the townspeople leave her to her fate that she's NotQuiteDead or OnlyMostlyDead. When they find this out, to finish the job, they hang her, but that doesn't work either. So, they try drowning, then freezing, starving, [[BuriedAlive live-burying]], poisoning, and beating her.

* '''Discussed''': ???

** Warlocks and witches once lived peacefully with {{Muggle}}s, but then an accident occurred involving the use of magic, killing many innocent people in the process. In their anger, the townsfolk gathered together to have all magical beings burned at the stake, a practice that would continue over the years until only a scarce number remained within the town, hiding in secret.
** The villagers are terrible at telling the difference between a witch and a muggle and end up killing a lot of innocent people.
* '''Played for Drama''': Helen really '''is''' a witch and had placed a curse on the town and its citizens. And now that she's gone, no one can reverse the spell.

** [[KillItWithFire Witches are particularly vulnerable to fire]].

** [[HealItWithFire Helen cauterizes the wounds the townspeople inflict on her]].

** [[KnightTemplar Victoria]] is burned at the stake because she is a [[TheWitchHunter witch hunter.]]

** Helen was framed by someone who hates witches.

** Helen accuses Alice of witchcraft and uses magic to tie her up at a stake and burn her down.
* '''Zig Zagged''': ???

* '''Enforced''': ???

** Several unfortunate and unexplained occurrences are happening within the town (i.e. drought, famine, dead or missing children and/or livestock, etc.). Taking advantage of the superstitious townsfolk, Alice [[TheScapegoat places the blame on Helen]] by claiming that she has been using witchcraft to conjure up said occurrences, resulting in Helen being burned at the stake while Alice is commended for exposing her.

* '''Conversed''': ???

** Warlocks and witches once lived peacefully with [[{{Muggle}} Muggles]], but then an accident occurred involving the use of magic, killing many innocent people in the process. In their anger, the townsfolk gathered together to have all magical beings burned at the stake, a practice that would continue over the years until only a scarce number remained within the town, hiding in secret.
** The villagers are incredibly bad at telling the difference between a witch and a muggle and end up killing a lot of innocent people.
* '''Played For Drama''': Helen really '''is''' a witch and has placed a curse on the town and it's citizens. And now that she's gone, no one can reverse the spell.

%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
%%

%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???

** The villagers burn Helen specifically because she is practicing BlackMagic rather than for just being a witch.

** The CorruptChurch uses the charge of "witchcraft" to get rid of the traditional shamanesses/"wise women" who are a threat to the beleif system they are trying to impose upon the population, claiming such women are malefactors in league with {{Satan}}.

** [[KnightTemplar Victoria]] is burned at the stake because she is a [[TheWitchHunter witch hunter]].

** [[KnightTemplar Victoria]] TheWitchHunter is burned at the stake.

** [[KnightTemplar Victoria]] the WitchHunter is burned at the stake.

** Exaggerated Inversion: [[https://darksouls3.wiki.fextralife.com/Burning+Stake+Witch Helen the fire witch uses a burning stake to cast her fire magic.]]

* '''Subverted''': The townsfolk realize Helen is not a witch and don't burn her.
* '''Double Subverted''': But then she is caught casting spells and she is burned.

* '''Inverted''': Helen uses fire magic to burn her accusers alive.