Climbing down from the rooftops, they discussed their options. The
majority of the group decided that they should accept Fellhand's
invitation since it seemed the only way to find the whereabouts of
Leah. It was decided that Jenner, William, Reynaldo, and Enrique
would go to the keep and the others would stay with the smith, who
they finally had persuaded to speak with them (once the fog had
gone).
They learned from the smith and another old village man that the town
was only recently (within the last few years) re-inhabited. They also
told of an old lady who had come into the town a few weeks back and
stated that the village was under a curse. She said that evil would
visit the town for the three nights of the next full moon; the maiden
moon, the matron moon, and the crone moon (waxing, full, and waning).
A couple of days before the full moon, a man in cardinal's robes
walked purposely up the road and, passing through the village, up to
the ruins. None of the villagers attempted to speak to him and he was
not seen again.
This was the third night of the moon, the crone, and the smith said
that earlier that day a black-cowled figure pass through town with a
laden, covered cart and headed up to the ruins. The group presumed
that the cart held the kidnapped women. The townsfolk had mostly
cowered in their homes for the last few days and prayed to the
prophets for deliverance. The smith stated as soon as this night was
over he and most if not all of the others would be leaving. There
were several townsfolk missing and presumed dead or kidnapped by some
evil force. Also, many of the outlying families had not been heard
from.
After hearing the stories and gathering some torches and a lantern,
the four made their way up the road while the others stayed behind.
The keep was large and impressive and brightly lit with many
celebration torches and candles. The strains of a traditional Eisen
waltz wafted toward them on the cold breeze. The sounds of laughter
and many voices accompanied it. While William, Reynaldo, and Enrique
kept the occupants of the keep distracted, Jenner would try to find
the women.
As they approached the gate they noted many armed guards on the
parapets and inside the open gate. They were challenged at the gate,
but after showing their "invitation" (Fellhand's note), they were
led
into the main ballroom through a courtyard filled with the many
splendid and ornate carriages. Everything seemed solid and normal, as
if the keep had never been ruined.
They were handed black masks (the kind that are half-faced masks on
rods) as they entered the brightly lit room full of extravagantly
dressed people. Couples danced an elaborate waltz in the middle of
the room while other revelers drank, ate, and talked at tables
surrounding the outside of the dance floor. At the end of the long
room were two chairs; one lower than the other. In the lowest chair
sat a beautiful woman in a dress dripping with pearls.
In typical highlander fashion, William barged his way through the
dancers toward the seated woman, disrupting the dance. Reynaldo
hurried to keep up as Enrique chatted unconcernedly with one of the
beautiful young noblewomen. As the dance faltered and the music
stopped, a group of angry young noblemen gathered in front of
William, barring his way, hands on hilts. Angry words were exchanged
and the guard was summoned. Before violence broke out, however, a
younger looking and well-dressed Fellhand arrived from another
room
and demanded the meaning of the intrusion.
He sat and seemed well disposed to allow the `troublemakers'
to stay
since he had apparently invited them, though he claimed not to
remember doing so. He asked them to sit and enjoy the celebration.
William was not content to do so however and began to loudly accuse
him of being in league with Legion and other various vile things (all
of them true, of course). The shocked crowd pulled back as Fellhand
lost his patience and stood up...
Meanwhile, Jenner had gained access of the dungeons below the kitchen
by posing as a servant who had orders to give the guards some
refreshment. Having gained access, he quickly dispatched them and
searched the cell area. Finding no signs of the women in the cells
other than evidence that they had had recent occupants, Jenner
searched for some other clues to their whereabouts. He found a heavy
trapdoor toward the back of the dungeon area and made his way down
the steep spiral stairs he found beyond it. As he climbed down he
heard the sound of many voices chanting slowly and methodically.
At last Jenner came to level ground and peered around the corner of
the stairwell. Beyond the stairwell lay a large rectangular room. In
the center of the room was a donut-shaped fire pit of stone which had
a stone bridge that accessed the middle of the pit. Standing on the
space there with his back to the entrance of the room was a priest of
some kind wearing a mockery of a Vatacinne priest's robes. He
faced a
part of the pit that sprouted blue flames instead of the normal red
flames that surrounded him on either side. Three robed and hooded
women stood facing the `priest' across the blue-flamed pit,
swaying
to the rhythm of the chant. Their faces were covered completely by
the hoods. Ten black-robed and hooded figures stood in a large semi-
circle a good distance outside the pit, chanting loudly. A large
wooden cross of the prophets hung upside down on the wall behind the
chanters.
Jenner quickly drew a map of where he was and rolled it up. He then
went upstairs and told a servant to give it to William. (He described
William to the servant and judged, correctly, that the servant would
do as he was told. It is their lot in life, after all, and they
rarely question what is demanded of them). He then went back to
observe the proceedings; bow in hand.
William received Jenner's note and quickly pocketed it as an
angry
Fellhand and his guards showed William and Reynaldo the door. Enrique
managed to avoid the confrontation all together and was still
chatting up the local beauties. Fellhand challenged William to a duel
(which was gladly accepted) but it was just a ruse to get William to
leave. Once outside, Fellhand ordered the doors shut in William's
face. Angry and frustrated, William and Reynaldo discussed their
options.
Making their way around to the side of the keep unnoticed the two
stealthily climbed the castle walls and made their way into the inner
courtyard. Just as they were trying to decide how to find the outside
door to the kitchen, a half-door opened next to them and kitchen-
swill was poured onto their feet. As they entered the kitchen through
the door that providence provided, they heard the clock strike eleven
o'clock. It was much later than they thought and they had little
time
in which to act!
Making their way through the kitchen (which was still bustling with
servants) they narrowly avoided running into Fellhand as he and
several of his noble friends tramped through the kitchen and down the
stairs to the dungeons. Fellhand was telling the twelve nobles that
followed him that "Soon the Church will no longer be able to
stand
against us. We shall be too powerful. All thirteen of us!" After
waiting for Fellhand to pass, Reynaldo and William followed them as
quietly as possible. The servants completely ignored them, thinking
they were just two more noblemen doing the unfathomable things that
nobles do.
Jenner heard the tred of many feet and knew he had to act quickly, as
he would soon be exposed. Fitting two arrows to his bowstring, he
pulled back to let fly. Yet before he could, the priest had turned
around to greet the coming of his master. Seeing the armed man, the
priest quickly flung some blinding dust in the air, causing Jenner to
miss with both arrows! As the chanting continued, the priest began
chanting another spell of his own. A short fight continued between
the priest and the unseeing Jenner until Fellhand and his cronies
arrived. Fellhand felled Jenner with a swift blow to the neck,
knocking him to the floor where he lay, apparently unconscious (he
was faking). Fellhand then strode forward and took the priest's
place
in the inner circle of the fire pit.
William and Reynaldo ran forward (having heard Jenner scream a
warning before he was knocked senseless) and began fighting the
noblemen who had accompanied Fellhand. Fellhand continued to chant
and the flames began to dance more brightly.
After dispatching a few noblemen, William shot Fellhand in the back
of the head, blowing his brains all over the three women facing him.
Fellhand fell, lifeless, into the blue flame of the main fire pit.
Chaos suddenly broke out among the chanters and the noblemen. As
William and Reynaldo (and the partially recovered Jenner) rushed
forward to the rescue, two of the maidens were knocked into the pit
and screamed pitifully as the flames consumed them. The other swayed
to one side as one of the chanters accidently fell into the pit and
was consumed.
A blue-flamed figure crawled from the pit and stood up. Fellhand was
back!
William roared a challenge and rushed forward, claymore in hand to
fight this monster as the others gathered the last remaining woman.
All of them hoped the woman was Leah though there was no time to
check to make sure.
William struck Fellhand a mighty blow with his sword but the evil
villain merely shrugged it off! Passing his hands over his body,
Fellhand suddenly extinguished the flames. The face that grinned out
at William was the all too familiar face of the enemy he had come to
despise. Fellhand appeared as he had when they first met, complete
with red cardinal's robes. He laughed and raised his hands in
celebration. He was complete!
The castle began to shake and groan as great, unnatural forces were
let loose into the world. Gathering the woman in his arms, Reynaldo
encouraged the others to flee amid the general chaos as the dungeon
shook itself apart. Flying up the stairs they could hear
Fellhand's
laughter...
****************** Epilogue ****************
So here is where the game left off. Would they escape before the keep
shook itself apart? Were they back in time as they thought they might
be? Had they inadvertently helped Fellhand become the monster that
they despised? Had they truly stopped a greater evil from happening?
After all, as vile and powerful as he is, thirteen Fellhands would
have been much, much worse. How would they get back to the time they
knew if they were truly back in time?
Maybe there will be an answer to some of these questions at the next
game. Be there to find out!!!