In the year 1200, in the remote village of Eolwyn, a terrifying tale spread about a clown known as "Joculor Tenebris." He was a court entertainer who was ousted by a fellow jester's slander. His wounded heart turned to revenge, and that revenge turned his laughter into a death scream.

It is said that Joculor Tenebris wore colorful clothes with small bells that jingled as he moved. However, behind his wide smile painted in charcoal and blood, there was a terrible intention. In the darkness of the night, he infiltrated villages, hunting down those who had once laughed at him.

On a moonless night, a shepherd named Edric heard the sound of bells in the middle of the fields. When he approached the source of the sound, he saw the clown standing with a dagger covered in blood. The clown said in a soft but sinister tone:

"Laughter is life, but for you, laughter is the end."

Edric was found dead the next morning, a horrified smile etched on his face as if death had come with a mockery. Soon, the terror of the murderous clown spread throughout the region. Villagers began locking their doors tightly and burning lanterns all night, hoping the light would dispel the darkness in which the clown hid.

However, Joculor Tenebris was no ordinary man. He was said to have made a pact with a supernatural being, trading his soul for the power to exact revenge. Every bell that jingled from his garment was a life he had taken, serving as a warning to all who heard it.

Eventually, a monk named Cedric of the Wycliffe monastery decided to put an end to the curse. Armed with a silver cross and a holy book, he tracked the clown to a haunted forest. There, amidst the shadows of the trees, he found Joculor Tenebris dancing, his body covered in blood, while his bells sounded like the wails of a ghost.

Cedric drew his cross and cried out:

"In the name of the Almighty, I end your suffering!"

But the clown only laughed heartily.

"My suffering has become my amusement, and my amusement is your curse, little priest!"

The battle between the two lasted until dawn. In the end, Joculor Tenebris was defeated, but Cedric did not leave the forest alive. Legend has it that before he breathed his last breath, the clown swore to return in 700 years to continue his reign of terror.

To this day, on certain nights, the ringing of bells can still be heard in the forest of Eolwyn, as if to indicate that Joculor Tenebris never truly died, but rather slept, waiting for the time to spread his deadly laughter again.