Splinters in the Dark

Even for Elves, the Par’thee are a secretive and mysterious people. Strikingly tall, red-eyed, with jet black hair and deathly pale, they have throughout history been falsely accused of vampirism. For this reason, the Par’thee are mostly found in tiny, isolated villages in Yuthul Gor, a demon-cursed wasteland that the more “civilised” peoples are happy to leave to them. The Par’thee are known to be powerful mages, and practice a unique branch of magic known as [[spell-crafting]]. [[The Carpenter.]]

Spell Crafting does not draw directly from Source, and for this reason the Par'thee have avoided the attentions of both the Divine Order and the Voidwoken. Spell crafters use raw materials to create their spells, carving them out of wood or stone or metal. With the right sigil carved into it, a simple piece of wood can become a source of healing, a gateway to another world or a terrible weapon limited only by the crafter's skill and imagination. [[The Carpenter.]]

You are The Carpenter, a name you have earned from your skill in carving spells out of wood. Like all Par'thee, you keep your true name hidden. For decades, you served as the exorcist of your village of fellow Par’thee, which stood in the shadows of the Black Glass Mountains and where demonic possession was an ever-present danger. The villagers relied on you to draw demons out of their victims and trap them in specially carved figurines, which would then be locked away safely in your hut. You also occasionally made chairs and kitchen tables. [[Your quest.]]

One terrible day, you returned from a pilgrimage in the mountains to find your village abandoned. Every last Par'thee was gone without a trace. The only clue was that your home had been burnt to the ground, and your trove of possessed figurines was gone. That was over twenty years ago. You have been searching for your people ever since. [[Life on the road.]]

You have been wandering the Southern Coast of Rivellon, desperately searching for rumours of Par’thee amongst the taverns, fighting pits and drunk tanks of the port towns. Your appearance is frightening, and you make enemies more easily than friends. But in this part of Rivellon, a good exorcist is never short of work. The mountain pass joining Hiberheim to the village of Hound's Den has always been treacherous. But recently, fewer and fewer travellers have been making the journey safely in one piece. The village elders suspect something more vicious than bandits, and hungrier than wolves. They have paid you good coin to safeguard the pass. [[Consult an oracle for guidance.]]

You are armed with 50 splinters, and your Gaul'nash. More than enough to deal with any threat. [[Examine the splinters.]] [[Examine the Gaul'nash.]] [[Continue up the pass.]]

The splinters look like common tooth picks. It is only on close inspection that the tiny, intricate carvings you have painstakingly etched into them become visible. When thrown, they explode on impact. Just be careful to keep them away from your actual toothpicks. That happened to your uncle and he blew his head completely off. Still, he almost certainly got whatever was between his teeth. [[Examine the Gaul'nash.]] [[Continue up the pass.]]

It looks like a massive broad-axe carved entirely out of wood, layered over and over with incredibly intricate engravings. It doesn't look like much of a weapon, but that only makes it all the more deadly. The spells carved into the Gaul'nash's wood have rendered it stronger than iron, sharper than winter and lighter than air. [[Examine the splinters.]] [[Continue up the pass.]]

You place a small carved wooden pyramid on the ground, ancient runes delicately carved over its surface. You place your hand on it, and reach out with your mind, hoping that something is watching and willing to talk. Slowly, a tiny, pale blue figure appears on the tip of the pyramid. She is as small as a pin, but you can barely make out the figure of an old woman with long wispy hair. [["Spirit, I am of the Par'thee. Tell me of the path ahead."]]

The night is bitingly cold and the ground is harsh, bare rock. You do not relish camping out here tonight. Suddenly, you see a light in the distance. Many miles up the pass you can see a tavern. The thought of a hot meal and a warm bed is suddenly all you can think about. You'll resume the hunt tomorrow. [[Enter the tavern.]]

The spirit blinks, and you wonder if she understands the question. The oracles exist outside of time and can see the future. But they understand what they see only dimly. Any answer she gives will be vague and open to interpretation. "You hunt/are hunted. The four. Their names are Master, Spider, Merry-with-Bones, Household Fast. The cat is in the rafters. The apple girl. Trust her." The oracle fades in a tiny burst of blue flame. You put the pyramid back in your pocket. [[Try to decipher her warning.]] [[Examine the Gaul'nash.]] [[Examine the splinters.]] [[Continue up the pass.]]

The oracle has warned you of a coven of four demons and has given you four signs; Master, Spider, Merry-with-Bones and Household Fast. These are not the names of the demons, simply words that the oracle uses to describe what she has seen. The logic of oracles is often maddeningly opaque, you may well only understand what she meant when it is too late, if then. "The cat is in the rafters." That's a bad sign. Oracles often use cats as a symbol of sudden death, striking from nowhere. "In the rafters" suggests that the danger is everywhere, looming overhead. "The apple girl." "Apple" is oracle-speak for something good, trustworthy, uncorrupted, selfless. "Trust the apple girl" means to keep an eye out for a woman who may prove a loyal ally. [[Take stock of your weapons.]] [[Continue up the pass.]]

The first thing that hits you when you step through the door of the tavern is the heat of a roaring fire and the delicious waft of cooking meat. The tavern is...perfect. Clean, warm and inviting, it is everything a weary traveller could want after a hard day on the road. It feels like a home. Somewhere familiar and safe. The inn-keeper is a dwarf with a large red beard and a warm, friendly smile. He beckons you over to the bar. "Hello traveller." he says amiably "Shall you be wanting a bed?" [["Please. And a meal."]]

"Oh you're in luck sir." says the dwarf "Tonight Merula has made her Hiberheim Pass Stew. It's famous, and you'll know why soon enough. Take a seat by the fire and I'll bring it over." [[Pay the inn-keeper, and sit by the fire.]]

You sit down by the fire and warm your frozen hands. You let the heat seep in to your bones and feel pleasantly drowsy. You cast your eyes around the tavern. The dwarf wipes the bar top and whistles pleasantly to himself. By the window, an old woman knits with thin grey wool, her long fingers so pale and bonythat they seem to glint in the firelight as she works the needles. Crouched in the corner, another figure watches you intently. A human woman, fairly young (though you have never been particularly good at gauging the age of humans) and she wears the leather armour of a bounty hunter. You can feel her eyes boring into the back of your head. [[Time to move. Go talk to the old woman.]] [[Let the bounty hunter look. You have nothing to hide.]]

The old woman does not look up as you approach, but continues with her knitting. "Stranger." she says, and her voice is like old wood wrapped in velvet "You're looking for something." [["I'm hunting a coven of demons. They're said to be haunting the pass. Have you seen anything?"]]

The old woman turns to look at you. Or rather, she doesn't. She has no eyes, and two pitch black sockets stare awfully at you over her sweet, generous smile. "Have I seen anything?" she murmurs "Oh. I see such pretty things." [[Make your excuses, and return to the fireside.->Let the bounty hunter look. You have nothing to hide.]] [[Apologise for your mistake.]]

She does not seem to hear you. "Would you like to see?" she asks you. A deck of cards has appeared on the table in front of the old woman. You have no idea how they got there. You did not see her move. She gestures to you to sit down in front of her. Her eyeless sockets seem to be drawing you in, like you're falling down a well. Six words appear unbidden in your mind: The cat is in the rafters. The last thing you want to do is sit down with this old woman. But then you notice something; the cards are Par'thee tarot cards. Or at least, they are now. [["Where did you get those cards?"]] [[Make your excuses and go back to the fire.->Let the bounty hunter look. You have nothing to hide.]]

"It is terrible to be forgotten." the old woman whispers "That's true death. Last death. And to be forgotten by the gods is the worst fate of all." She turns over a card: The Lost Child. Uncertainty, helplessness. [["Do you mean the Par'thee were forgotten by the gods? Is that what happened to them?"->"Where did you get these cards, old woman? I shall not ask again."]] [["Where did you get these cards, old woman? I shall not ask again."]]

The old woman flips another card. The Fool. A terrible choice that cannot be undone. All you can see is blackness. The empty sockets of her eyes now fill your vision. [[Try to break free.]] [[Sit down. You are so tired. Sit down. Sit Down.]]

You are leaning against a pillar in the centre of the tavern and your head is throbbing. You don't remember how you got here. You look around. The dwarf is still tending bar, the woman you suspect to be a bounty hunter still sits in the corner and the old lady is knitting by the window. You were...going to talk her, weren't you? A strange chill passes over you. No. No, leave the old woman be. Best not disturb her. The old woman turns and smiles at you, her kind blue eyes glinting in the firelight. [[Go and sit down by the fire.->Let the bounty hunter look. You have nothing to hide.]]

The bounty hunter nonchalantly crosses the room and sits down in front of you on the other side of the fire. She fixes you with a rather ominous smile. She has the air of someone with the upper hand. "Show me your neck." she says simply. [["Do I know you, woman?"]] [[Pull down your collar, exposing your neck.]]

You have always been sitting here, in front of the old eyeless woman. There was never anything else but you and her, the table and the cards. The tavern, your village, the whole world has fallen away like a dream from childhood. You have always been here, gazing into the empty, eyeless gaze of the old woman. She turns the final card: The Spider. It means death. Final death. True death. You are the last of the Par'thee, and now they shall be forgotten. You feel something wrapping itself slowly around your ankles. It brushes gently against your skin, like wool. The old woman's face has changed. The eyeless sockets are as wide and black as a starless night's sky. Mouths have spread across her face like a psoriasis, more mouths than you can count. They all look hungry. YOU HAVE REACHED THE SPIDER'S END.

"No." she answers "Do you know what this is?" She produces a crossbow from her coat. It is polished, cleaned and has clearly been given more love, care and affection in its life than most pets or people. You have no doubt a single bolt from the thing would be more than enough to end any argument in the owner's favour. You could reach for the Gaul'nash or your splinters, but at this close range she would shoot you before you had a chance. Which of course, is why she waited until she was close to you before speaking. [[Pull down your collar, exposing your neck.]]

The bounty hunter studies your exposed neck carefully and then abruptly puts the crossbow away. She flashes you an apologetic smile. "Sorry 'bout that." she says "I thought you might be my contract and I didn't want to waste time making friends with you if I was going to have to kill you. Buy you a drink?" [["I'm on a job. Another time, perhaps."]] [["Why check my neck?"]]

"What line of business are you in?" [["Like you, I hunt bounties. Mine are not human."]]

Her eyes light up at that. She leans in and whispers. "Demon hunter?" she asks. [["I prefer "exorcist"."->"Yes."]] [["Yes."]]

She extends a hand to you. "Ulla Dee. Pleasure to meet you, mister...?" You blanch inwardly. The bounty hunter has just given you her true name. By Par'thee mores, what she has done is more intimate and inappropriate than if she had walked over to you and, without so much as a word, stuck her tongue down your throat whilst fingering your nethers. Even after all these years, it makes you uncomfortable when people introduce themselves to you so casually. [["I am of the Par'thee and my true name is not for you. You may call me Carpenter."]]

"My mark's been cutting a bloody trail through the South. Banditry, murder, arson. Real jack-of-all scumbags. But he wears a mask so the only thing I have to identify him is a brand on his neck." [[Nod.->"Yes."]]

"Par'thee? Can't say I've heard the name." [["I was afraid you'd say that."]] [["It doesn't matter. I am not from here."->"I was afraid you'd say that."]]

You and your new companion pass a pleasant few minutes discussing your respective trades while you stare half mesmerised at the fire. There is something rather odd about it. It seems to burn and flicker with absolute, perfect regularity. "So how exactly does one hunt demons?" Dee asks, bringing you back to reality. [["You look for things that are out of the ordinary."]]

"What, you mean like this place?" she asks. [["What do you mean by that?"]] [[You're too tired for small talk. Make your excuses and go to bed.]]

Dee wishes you goodnight graciously, but you can tell she's a little hurt. You stop at the bar to ask the dwarf to send your meal up to your room. [[Go to your room.]]

The room is, as you expect, perfect. Warm, clean and inviting, with a freshly made bed that looks as soft as powdered snow. There is a knock on the door. "Your food, sir?" [["I've changed my mind. I'm not hungry."]] [["Just a minute."]]

"Very good sir." If she is annoyed at having had to cook a hot meal for you and carry it up the stairs for no reason, you can't hear it in her voice. You hear her footsteps fade down the hall, and then silence. [[Go to bed.]]

You douse the light and get into bed. The bed is so comfortable you feel like you've been drugged. You instantly drift off to sleep. [[Sleep.]]

You awake in darkness with a searing pain across your chest. The blankets have tightened around you and you cannot move. You struggle desperately but you are caught fast. You feel the air being squeezed out of your lungs. You feel the bed sinking down into the floor. The floorboards are closing around your head but they don't feel like wood. They feel living...and moist. As you sink into the floor you smell a hellish stink of rotting flesh and demonic bile. In your last seconds you realise that the whole tavern is a living thing, a predator that lures its prey in from the road and then consumes them. And you are now in its stomach. YOU HAVE REACHED THE HOUSEHOLD FAST ENDING.

You open the door to reveal a pretty, dark haired woman with a knowing smile. She carries a large bowl of steaming hot stew that smells delicious. This must be Merula. [["Thank you. Please come in."]]

You hold the door open for her, and her hips brush against you as she passes in. She sets the dish down on the table and turns to look at you. "I hope you're hungry." she says. [["Famished."]]

"For stew. Right?" she asks and she plays with her hair, as innocent as milk. [["Yes."->She leaves.]] [["Why, what did you have in mind?"]]

"I thought we might discuss theology." she says, laying back on the bed, her hair flowing down her shoulders "I'll have you calling out the names of the gods. Loudly." You move to kiss her but she gently pushes you back with the toe of her boot. "Finish you stew." she says "It'll get cold. I'll wait." [[Eat your stew. Quickly.]]

The stew is delicious, thick and meaty. And yet, there is something not quite right. Merula watches you intently as you eat, her dark eyes betraying nothing. You take another spoonful. There it is. Amidst the rich wholesome flavour there is the tinny, tingling sensation of magic. Your senses are being lied to. You roll the stew around in your mouth and slowly the true flavour is revealed. Cold, dirty water and... You look down at the bowl in front of you. Out of the grey gruel, small white bones peep at you. Finger bones, most likely. You hear laughter coming from the bed. It is the thing you thought was Merula. [[Reach for your Gaul'nash.]]

You reach for your weapon but your arms have gone as heavy as lead. Too late, you realise the "stew" was enchanted. You fall to the ground, Merula's laughter echoing as you [[slip into darkness...]]

"Good bones..." The words slowly rouse you from your stupor. You are lying on the floor of your bedroom in a pool of your own blood. The stew left you paralysed and numb, which is why you feel nothing now. "Good bones." Merula says again, and she gives you a blood spattered smile. In her left hand she holds your femur, in her right, your shin bone. She knocks them together and they make a rich cracking sound. "Good for stew." YOU HAVE REACHED THE MERRY-WITH-BONES ENDING.

"Well, look at this place." she says "Big. Clean. Well stocked kitchen. Have you seen the bar? They've got everything. They've got Lizard ale, do you have any idea how much that stuff costs?" [["What's your point?"]]

If Merula is offended by your refusal, she certainly doesn't show it. She slides off the bed and bumps your hip with hers on her way out. [[Eat the stew.]]

The stew is delicious but there is something odd about the after-taste. You suddenly feel very weary, and barely manage to climb onto the bed before you slip into unconsciousness. [[Sleep.]]

"This is the kind of tavern you'd see in one of the big cities. Not a remote mountain pass. We're the onlytwo travellers that have come in all night. How do you think they're making enough money to run a place like this?" [[As you ponder this, a dark-haired woman emerges from the kitchen with two bowels of stew.]]

This must be Merula. She sets two steaming bowels of stew in front of and gives you both a flirtatious wink and smile. "Thanks." says Ulla, returning the smile in the spirit with which it was given. Ulla reaches for the spoon, but you're still lost in thought. How does a place like this make money? Ulla raises the spoon to her lips. Because they don't want money... You remember the Oracle's warning. Over at the bar you can see the dwarf innkeeper. Master. Over by the window, the old woman knitting with grey wool. Spider. And standing over you. Merula. You can feel the glamour around you now, like a gossamer web resting on your senses. You see what's actually in the bowl. [[Slap the spoon out of Ulla's hand.]]

She looks at you in shock and anger, which suddenly turns to terror as she sees Merula's face. Merula's mouth has unfolded like a flower and her eyes have gone dead and glassy. You reach for the Gaul'nash and it whips through the air, sending the demon's head spinning across the tavern floor. Merula's headless corpse grabs you by the throat and tries to pull you towards the bleeding, gaping neck wound which is now sprouting razor sharp teeth. Suddenly, her grip goes slack as you feel two jolts. Ulla stands with the crossbow having appeared in her hands as if by magic. Merula's corpse slides to the ground, two crossbow bolts protruding from between her shoulder-blades. One down. You hear a hideous shriek and look up to see the old woman standing and staring at you with eye-less sockets, a nest of grey wool swimming around her, her mouth a mass of razor sharp teeth. The dwarf has hopped onto the bar, and is crab walking towards you, his face dead, but his belly open and a massive purple tongue lolling out over his belt. You glance over at Ulla, who has readied her crossbow. "Ready when you are." she says grimly. [[Fight for your life.]]

Kicking over tables and chairs, you form a barricade and you and Ulla fire at the two demons. One of your splinters strikes the old woman in the head, blowing it across the room in an explosion of sickly black ichor but her body keeps coming, propelled by the strands of grey wool that pull her body across the floor like the legs of a millipede. A second splinter stalls it, and a third kills the thing utterly. Meanwhile, the thing that was the dwarf, with five crossbow bolts sticking out of its sturdy hide, leaps over the barricade to attack Ulla. She never screams, and keeps firing bolt after bolt until your Gaul'nash comes crashing down on the creature, splitting it in two. [[Help Ulla to her feet.]]

You both survey your handiwork. The tavern now looks considerably less inviting with the viscera of the three demons spread across the floor, walls and ceiling. "Is that all of them?" Ulla asks you. You shake your head. The oracle warned you of four demons. Which means... [[Attack Ulla.]] [[Search the tavern.]]

She's too fast for you. The instant she see you go for the Gaul'nash, she's already fired a bolt into your chest. As you lie bleeding to death on the ground she looks down at you with a mixture of pity and disgust. "Stupid bastard." she says sadly "If I was going to kill you it would have been before now. Why didn't you just <i>think</i>?" YOU HAVE REACHED ULLA'S ENDING.

You methodically search every room in the tavern, but cannot find the fourth demon. "I don't suppose you have any wood magic that could help us?" Ulla asks. [["That's not a bad idea."]]

The whole tavern is built from timber. It should be possible for you to sense a demon's presence through the wood. You place your hand on a wooden doorframe and try to feel the "hook", the magical grip that will let you manipulate it your mind. Suddenly you feel a deep, painful jab in your head and stomach. you stagger back and Ulla catches you. "What is it?" she whispers. "I've found the fourth demon." you say "It's not in the tavern. It <i>is</i> the tavern." Without another word, you lead her down to the basement. [[The basement.]]

The walls of the basement are dark purple and slick with bile. The tavern itself is a trap, designed to lure weary travellers in like flies to a pitcher plant where they are then consumed in their sleep. The creature's heart, or its closest analogue, pulses malevolently in the darkness. With great satisfaction, you swing your Gaul'nash, slicing the heart in two. The entire tavern seems to scream and you and Ulla race to the exit as the walls start to collapse around you. Outside, the night air is fresh and clean and you feel the last of the tavern's glamour fall away. You turn and watch as the tavern dissolves into a foetid lake of flesh. Within a few hours, it will have dissolved completely, as if it was never there. Ulla sits on the ground beside you, taking big, grateful breaths. "That was...that was close..." she wheezes. You nod, and thank her for saving your life. She nods. "So." she says with a smile "Now do I get to know your name?" [["I am of the Par'thee. My name is not for you."]] [[Tell her your name.]]

"Fine." she says, rolling her eyes "Then you can by me a drink at the next tavern." You smile, and the two of you make your way down the pass, together. YOU HAVE REACHED THE CARPENTER'S ENDING

You lean in and whisper your true name to her. "That's...surprisingly pretty." she says "I wouldn't have guessed." You smile, and the two of you make your way down the pass, together. YOU HAVE REACHED AETHA'S ENDING