"Octobitch" was the nickname Faith Lehane gave to a powerful demon that dwelled on the town of Hanselstadt. It fed upon the expression of a person's fears and regrets, particularly those of children, though vampires were also vulnerable to it, which caused them to avoid the town. At some point, however, the demon eliminated all children on Hanselstadt. The threat of the vampires caused Duncan Fillworthe, one of the few surviving members of the Council to devise a plan to keep the demon fed and the town safe from vampires. Resentful that the Slayers had rejected the Council, he let word get out of a sanctuary for those new Slayers that did not want to join the fight, feeding them to the demon.