*332*
While looking the door over Antoni notices that this door has a small silvered lock. Do you have a Silver Key? If you have, turn to the paragraph whose number is the same as the number on the key. If you haven't, you can't open this door.
"We need to search for a key to this door. Hmm, anyone have a good idea of where to start?" Antoni ponders.
This key could be anywhere and only the gods would know what we'd face having to get it. But I get the feeling this door is important.
He furrows his brow trying to think of a good starting point. He knew danger lurked in a few of the rooms, but he did not want to rush headlong in to the fray. The battle with the ghost has left its mark upon him. He winced thinking of the bruises.
I am merely a man, Antoni thinks to himself.
It seems that this place is the home to much evil. Lets backtrack some and explore some areas we left. Trust me if we can put any undead to rest we are doing them a favor... Grim trails off and walks away from the group a few feet.
Antoni follows behind Grim. "Perhaps we should check those doors to the west first."
Grim nods his agreement with Antoni but stays silent.
That black bear tries to push the locked door, then it attempts to force its way through, to no avail; it does not understand what a lock is. If the pureness we felt from the outside is beyond this wooden wall, you should find a way of bypassing it. Mayhap it is the granddaughter of the old hag who is trapped. I do not care for her, and I trust the undead has a sense for its kin and for other evil beings, it says, teaming up with "Grim". What do you say, skeleton, about the evil in this castle? Where can we find its source?
The source of evil is the castle itself. I believe we must destroy the entire castle to remove this blight. That is why we can feel the goodness so strongly. It is like an oasis in a desert of evil.
*54*
Your party moves back out of the corridors into the courtyard. Passing the crypt, you come to the lower West door (#1 on Grim's Map). From the book:
You open the door into a wolf pen! Two large wolves glower at you and lick their lips! Will you:
Attack the wolves? Turn to 103
Shut the door and get away? Turn to 152
Search for something to use against the wolves (other than your swords)? Turn to 299
go with another idea?? tell the dm.
FIRST WOLF SKILL 6 STAMINA 5
SECOND WOLF SKILL 7 STAMINA 7
wolf #1 begins walking cautiously toward the doorway...it's hackles rise as it gets closer. These are some of the Count's special pets...
Antoni hesitates no longer and draws his blade, attacking the closest of the wolves .
; "Foul creature!" Antoni exclaims as he makes a clean slice against the wolf.
; Antoni comes across again with his sword, not bothering to taunt the animal because...well, it was an animal.
; With a final blow, Antoni dispatches the first wolf. He flicks his blade, spraying a thin line of blood behind him.
The black bear charges, comes onto two paws and heaves over the wolf which swiftly moves to dodge the attack, circles around the bear and bites its hind, but that time the wolf was not fast enough to evade the quickly turning bear which caught the lupine's muzzle with a hit from its wide paw, but missed a deadly bite to its neck. The wolf charges to reposition itself.
Bear: -2 STAMINA
Wolf: -2 STAMINA
the second wolf sees his buddy going down and his eyes turn red with rage. It continues circling, looking for an opening, wondering which of these bi-peds would be the next to strike!
These wolves are quick!! Damn this gun! Try and hold them off, I'll give 'em one good shot between the eyes and put 'em to sleep for good!
Rattus quickly fumbles with his powder horn.
Rattus has gotten quicker...minuteman quick...he's ready to fire...
His fingers may be small, but they're very dexterous. He aims down the barrel squeaks and...
Smoke fills the room in a torrent of heat and sound. Through the cacophony it's unclear what happened.
no misfire :(
the wolf takes 3 damage and yelps in pain!!!
eigh eigh eigh...
Grim Moves in for the attack.
Grim Heads in for the kill with both arms raised...The wolf takes the advantage and strikes with tooth. Grim stumbles back from the blow of the creature.
Wolf: Skill 7, Stam 2
Look at it limp! Come, let's put this sad excuse for a wolf out of its misery!
Rattus spits in contempt for the wolf and makes a fist, shaking it wildly.
the wolf is in very bad shape. It can no longer fight back...it turns and slinks into the corner, an evil, hollow stare in it's eyes. Although The beast's body is just that of a wolf, its spirit is almost certainly un-natural. Yet...is that compassion you feel welling up in your heart?
then the wolf speaks.
I am not afraid of death it says but perhaps we can make a deal. I can bestow upon a gift: the gift of the werewolf. If you let me live, I shall give this gift to one of you. What say you?
Ahashuaria, goddess of the wolves, does not normally allow this. But perhaps she will understand, since you've killed Grettel-Howel, my bride.
Looking down, you notice that indeed, the wolf you killed was a female... if such a fact were important to you at all.
Antoni sheathes his sword. "I will not take your gift, wolf, but neither will I take your life. If you would give us information, then we can make a bargain on that. I am sorry for slaying your bride, but the count's demesne is known for the evil it contains. If you had spoken, perhaps this could have been avoided but still the fault lies with me."
Antoni approaches the wolf, looking for a bowl. If he finds one, he pours his potion of stamina into it and offers it to the wolf.
I am tied to my creator even after he left this world nearly a decade ago... The gun ties me to him, after all these years though I feel it's not just possessing the blunderbuss anymore, he's somehow worked his way into my core. I've a strong calling to accept this. Excuse me, Antoni, this is something we just can't pass up.
Rattus sets his gun on the ground in an odd manner and begins to walk towards the wolf in the corner opening his arms to receive this... Gift.
I do not know what kind of effect the gift of Ahasuaria will have on a-- a rat. But i offered and you accepted. Prepare yourself, creature!
The wolf steps forward. He is a menacing evil looking thing. He opens his maw unaturally wide and from it, a hissing sound and a blueish plasma begins to exhume!
You realize this may be your last chance to change your mind before your life changes forever...
"Rattus, wait! As I've said before, this is the count's demesne and this creature may be truly evil. It may just intend to eat you," Antoni cries out, as the wolf approaches.
Tooooo late...the plasma seeps into your nostrils and down your gullet. You feel a terrible burning sensation. When the ritual is over the wolf bolts off through the open doorway behind you and out the front portcullis of the castle. It howls off into the night.
There is additional treasure here in this room for anyone macabre enough to take it:
GRETEL-HOWEL'S PAWS
if you remove any or all of her paws and wear them somewhere on your body as a talisman you will gain the 'speed of the wolf'. This means
You may roll a free SKILL CHECK at the end of each of your combat turns with 3d6. If this check succeeds you do an additional 2 STAMINA damage to the enemy...a quick shot just before the next player's turn.
A voice escapes from Rattus' mouth a voice no one in the group has heard before. It sounds like an old mans voice, very creaky and maniacal.
It says:
Yes, yes! Let's have it wolf, feed me this power! We MUST HAVE IT!!
Rattus' feet stand firm in front of the miasma coming from the wolf, his body is shaking in a scary and odd way squeaks are mixed in with very human sounding grunts f. Finally his body slacks one last squeak is emitted and his fate is sealed as he's enveloped in the plasma.
Antoni can pour the potion back into it's bottle. It will be a bit grittier when imbibed due to the bits of straw and wolf fodder from the bowl:)
The imposing black bear marches, in silence, until it is snout to snout with the exhausted wolf.
The woods do not deny shelter or food to those who seek to be a part of them; they do not deny life to any, as they do not deny death to any, yet in this den of evil one is certainly denied life, but death is dealt profusely unto all.
It then commands, invitingly: return to the forest, wolf. Return your b&!!% to a place of rest for its remains, and a shelter for its breath. Just as the woods sprout from the scorched soil, so too you, wolf, may com forth with new life from your past.
Seeing the rat engulfed in the plasma rather than eaten, comforted Antoni little. He hoped Rattus would be strong enough for such a "gift". He poured the potion from the bowl back into its bottle. Whether in anger or in grief, Antoni hacked all four of the slain wolf's paws off and passed them among the group.
"Any tool that aids us in the destruction of evil is welcome to me," Antoni says, looking for any stray pieces of rope to use to thread the paw through.
Perhaps I should bite off your hand and wear it as a fetish, then, snarls the black bear when Antoni approaches it offering Gretel-Howel's paw.
We should not associate with the likes of this wolf-rat fiend, it adds, to the others, it will do us, itself included, more harm than good not to deliver it from this disgraceful state.
"You seek to free these lands from the Count's grasp, then take whatever help you can find," Antoni declares fearlessly. "Good must be as ruthless as evil if it hopes to triumph. It does not mean we sacrifice our compassion, but, if we wish to go further, offering evil creatures quarter does us no good and turning up our noses at things that may give us an advantage over our enemies is just sentimentality."
He places the paw meant for the bear back on the wolf's body. "Make your choice and live with it."
He wipes off his sword with a rag from his back pocket and strides out of the pen.
Rattus puts his hands up, remember he's temporarily unarmed.
Bear, I think you know not what you say! You're of the woods, I'm of the world of men! Alchemy made me, I was not born. It's true I'm never too personable, but I wasn't made to be. This experience has opened my eyes, I'm not just a werewolf or a Ratfolk, I'm also my creator. Somehow he has sewn his life-force in to me. I feel he has the power to control this new found ability if you will.
Rattus walks toward the bear.
I've never taken a life as glorious as yours, nor do I aim to. If you keep up this kind of rhetoric though you will have forced my hand to try.
Rattus' tone is as sincere as anyone's can be. He stares into the bear's eyes as if to speak to him without words.
This keep holds more evil, I swear by it, you'll be hard pressed to make it out alive without me. Do good by the people of the village below. I can't convince you to stay your hand... Er... Paws, but feel I speak the truth. You've a big heart just don't get yourself mixed in with all this too much. You may have more blood on your claws than just mine when you're through...
A squeak and a few steps closer Rattus leves his life in the bear's claws.
Should the bear wish to attack me he may do so to my back... I feel a sense of urgency that we must head back to explore this place and get down to the business at hand!
Rattus turns to leave the room, he stops to get his gun and look back to make sure the group follows or offers a different course of action.
Antoni points to the other western door. "Let's try here next."
As usual he looks the door over for any hidden dangers.