1. The light of the day begins to wane. Night comes earlier starting this time of year. It’s All Hallow’s Eve and there is no finer way than to celebrate tonight at the Fantasia Tavern. At least that’s what you’ve been thinking all day.
A slight chill rushes past you. It’s been unusually warm during the day but the night reminds you of the season. Your pace quickens not only to warm yourself, but to get you to the Fantasia with haste. This is the first year since the curse on the Town of Dimble has been lifted and you do not want to miss a thing.
Your thoughts of the festivities lose focus as you suddenly become aware of a sobbing. Soon you notice a woman off to the side of the road with her head in her hands, visibly distraught. Your pace begins to slow as your mind weighs decisions.
You wonder if you should help her, or at least find out what’s wrong, thinking back to the known goblins in the woods just outside of town. Then again, you think, it is All Hallow’s Eve and spirits are known to walk freely this night. What if she’s a witch or some other ghastly manifestation of evil?
Do you go to the woman to see what’s wrong(7) or do you think it safer to ignore her tonight and continue to the tavern(20)?
2. In the center of the glow is a small deformed baby who begins crying at your presence. Could this be the woman’s child? The crying becomes louder and the glow grows brighter causing to you to squint and rub your eyes. Once you refocus you realize the baby is no longer there and a small girl is there instead. Her deformed face tells you that this is the same child just older. However the crying still persists from her lips and has become deafening. Make a L2SR against your INT. If you make it go to (19). If not then go to (9).
3. You head in the direction of the cry for help. Mist swirls around you.
“Help me.” you hear again. You quickly look around trying to find the source of the voice. You go to take a step but your leg suddenly feels heavier than usual, like something is holding you back. Looking down at your leg reveals a hand firmly grasping it. The hand belongs to Arwin Fneebarn to whom it is still attached. The fact that Arwin is grabbing your leg asking for help isn’t shocking. He is quite well known as a klutz around town and is often falling down and needing assistance back up. The problem is that he fell down for the last time a year ago striking his head off of a large rock in the process, He’s been residing in the cemetery ever since.
“Arwin?” You ask, confused as to why he is attached to your leg at this time.
“Aye. It’s me. Help me please. It was bloody nathin’ goblin grave robbers done dug me up. Please take me back to my hole. I just want to go back to my grave.”
It’s now that you notice only half of Arwin is attached to your leg.
“Arwin, what happened to you? How can I be talking to you, well half of you, right now?”
“It’s All Hallow’s Eve ye bloody boob. The only night o the year the bloody dead can come back. Did ye forget I’m dead? “
“No, I didn’t, but…”
“Heh heh ye should have seen them, them stinkin’ gobs. They weren’t expectin’ to find me alive. Scared the begibbies outta them. That’s why they only stole half o me. Tore me right in half of all the bloody nathin’ things. Not sure what happened to them though. Maybe the ghouls got them. Anyways, can you just take me back to my hole? That’s all I want. Look at me. I ain’t fit to be out in public.”
Do you help Arwin out and take him back to his grave site(5) or do you shake him off your leg and just keep moving on and try to forget this weirdness tonight(15)?
4. Her MR is 80. If you win the fight take an additional 100 AP and then go to (17) if not then she sucks your soul from your body as if it were a breath.
5. “Thank Ye me kind Sir. I appreciate it.” Arwin says to you as you pick him up and strap him to your back. It’s only a short walk to the cemetery just outside of town. The gate of the cemetery swings in the wind. The breeze brings a foul stench to your nose.
You enter the cemetery and find paths that go to the left and right.
“Which way will take us to your grave Arwin?, you ask the living corpse.
“How the bloody nath do you expect me to know. All I can see is what’s behind me. Story of my death. Can only see the past.”, Arwin replies with a chuckle. “Just pick a direction and I’ll tell ye when we’re there.”
Do you go left (23) or right(16)?
6. The rustling fades but the baby’s whimper get’s louder as you approach. Just beyond the leaves of the bushes in front of you there is a faint glow. Do you continue forward(2) or do you have second thoughts and go to follow the howl(12)?
7. “Fair Lady, are you alright? Tell me, why are you sobbing so?”, you ask.
The woman is slightly startled to hear your voice and looks up.
“What? Oh my dear sir, please help me if you can? My baby is gone, taken!”, with that she buries her head in her hands again sobbing harder.
“Taken you say! Fair Lady, you must tell me, taken by whom or dare I say what? Was it the goblins?”
“N-Nay sir,” she looks at you with tear filled eyes, “it was the Howler, the Black Howler. I was walking home from my shop, my baby in my arms. I like to have him with me at my shop you see. We were walking home. There was a howl, an awful howl that curdled my blood and froze me in my tracks. The howl rode on a wind that knocked me down and carried my baby off with it. Oh please sir, you have to find my baby!”
The woman grabs your shirt and begins sobbing into you.
Do you feel for this poor woman and vow to get her baby back(24) or does your heart of ice convince you that you do not need a diversion from a night of drunkenness at the Fantasia(20).
8. As you both put you arms around each other, there is a sudden flash from the pendant. The woman lets go of you and recoils back. You look in horror as the beauty that was once before you melts away revealing the hideous form of a demoness. She cowers from the sight of your pendant but soon recovers and advances in your direction. If you have the bell go to (11). If not then you must fight her to save your soul. Go to (4).
9. You fall to your knees. Your hands holding your ears. You can feel the pounding in your skull. Soon it all comes to a stop as your brain shuts down completely. Consider yourself lucky that it has, so you cannot comprehend the things that are happening to your body while it’s still alive…for now.
10. Just off the path ahead is a goblin sitting in a circle of white powder. He sits beside a small pile of bones, two of which he picks up and begins to strike against one another. He looks up at you and begins to chant. If you have a missile weapon or can cast a TTYF, make a L1SR against your LUCK. If you make it you can get a shot off before anything happens(fire or cast as per the rules). If you don’t have a ranged weapon or miss the roll then the goblin wizard looks up at you and casts the two bones outside the circle in your direction. From the two bones spring two skeletons(MR 16 each or 32 together), each holding a bone sword in their bony hands. If you defeat the skeletons then you must face the goblin wizard. He has an MR of 26. Every other round he tries to cast a TTYF(INT 16 DEX 12). On the 3rd round of combat he realizes he has broken the circle and runs away. If you win the combat or the goblin runs away you can continue on(21) or go back the way you came(16). If you lose the battle, the goblin grins over your corpse about the prospect of fresh parts for his ritual.
11. Make a L2SR against your INT. If you make it then then you remember the bell’s power against evil this night Go to (18). If you miss then you must fight her for your soul. Go to (4).
12. The howl has lead you to a small clearing, a break in the woods. Blood red eyes glare at you from the center. There is a smell in the air letting you know that you are facing a primal beast of the night. In the moonlight, you can see a bundle beside the Black Howler’s massive form. You pray that the baby is still alive. You take a few steps closer and the creature lets out an ungodly howl and charges you. The Black Howler’s MR is 36. Every other round make a L2SR against LUCK. If you miss then the Howler howls and disorients you enough to make you fight at 1 less Attack Die the next round. If you survive go to (14). If not, it is best to not know.
13. The bell is barely audible to you, just a small tink and echo of the clapper. The witch, however, grabs her ears and screams.
“I will kill you for this! I will find you again and kill you!”, she bellows in pain.
She takes a hand away from her ear and manages to scratch you for 1d6 of CON(it cannot take you below 1) before she turns into a ball of light and flies off into the night sky screaming.
You stand there for a few seconds, look around, and decide it might be best to start your way back to the road and the Fantasia. Take 100AP for this little diversion and go to (20). You may keep the bell to if you want.
14. Your final blow causes the howler to rear back on it’s hind legs and collapse. It’s body goes through a series of grotesque convulsions until finally the form of a man lies dead at your feet. You shake off the horror of what you’ve just seen and remember the bundle and go to it. You pick it up to find it’s not a baby at all. It’s a bundle of clothes(the man’s?), a parchment with what looks like a spell on it, and a bell.
You become very aware that you are not alone. You turn to find the woman standing there, looking a little different, looking evil. It dawns on you now that you’ve been manipulated by A WITCH!
“I’ll be taking that if you don’t mind!”, she commands with a growl.
“What have you made me do?” You ask in slight shock.
“What did you make me do?”, she mocks. “The Howler meant to destroy me. Probably because I turned him into that. That’s what happens to the miserable rubes that betray me. I couldn’t touch him so I waited until some poor sap would do it for me. That sap was you. NOW GIVE ME THAT BUNDLE!”
Her eyes begin to burn with hate and fire. Your first instinct is to flee then your mind turns to the bundle. Maybe one of these things can hurt the witch. That must be it since she wants it so much. But is it the spell or the bell? If you decide to read the parchment out loud go to (22). If you decide to ring the bell go to (13). If you decide to take off running you drop the bundle and can hear her laughing all the way back to the road. Might as well head for the Fantasia(20).
15. You’ve finally made it. You can hear the party going on inside the Fantasia. You can almost taste the many ales that you will consume once inside.
A soft whistle distracts your attention. You turn to see the most beautiful woman as you ave ever seen. She is dresses all in black.
“Come here.”, she says “I have many things to show you. You’d like that wouldn’t you?”
Something in her eyes, her voice, has you mesmerized. You are being drawn to her.
“Come on, I won’t bite.”, she coos. “I promise I won’t”
You are now close enough to embrace her. She reaches out to you with her arms.
If you are wearing a silver pendant go to (8). If not go to (26).
16. As you walk down the path, you hear the sound of shoveling. In the moonlight you can see the shapes of two goblins digging up a grave. You begin to ask yourself why goblins would be robbing graves, especially on a night like this one, but quickly put it out of your head. That’s a mystery you feel better left out of. They seem really intent on their work so there might be a chance of sneaking by them without incident.
“YA STINKIN” GOBS! GET YER BLOODY MITS OFF ME FRIENDS!” Arwin explodes in anger from behind you. You close your eyes in frustration and shake your head.
The goblins look up and charge you with their shovels. They have an MR of 15 each or 30 combined. If you defeat them then you can either take the bend in the path(10)or go back the way you came(23). If they manage to defeat you, consider yourself luck that you can’t hear Arwin’s fit of rage as he curses the goblins and your soul.
17. You are greeted with cheers as you walk through the doors of the Fantasia. A frosty pint of ale manages its way into your hand from an unseen benefactor.
“You look like a man with a story to tell.”, Someone calls in your direction. “Make it a good on and your next drink’ll be free.”
Not one to turn down an offer of a free drink. You make yourself comfortable in a nearby chair, smile, and begin to tell your tale.
18. You ring the bell. The demoness shrinks back squealing in pain. A second ring drives her back into the darkness. A blood curdling scream rips through your brain and then she is gone. Take 100 AP and go to (17).
19. Whatever this evil is, it realizes that you are too powerful for it. The glow fades to nothing in the quick of an eye. The girl/baby is gone too. You are a little stunned by what just happened but quickly recover. Do you want to go back and follow the howl(20) or are you too rattled and want to give up and just head for the Fantasia(15)?
20. The road continues on. A fog, more of a mist, is settling in. The chill still makes it’s presence known. Up ahead through the fog, you can see the friendly glow of the Fantasia.
“Help me.” says a strained voice in the mist.
You lower your head and shake it. Tonight of all nights, you think, this is how my luck runs.
Do you investigate the source of the cry for help(3) or do you just say forget it and head to the tavern(15)?
21. “This is it! Put me down!”, Arwin cries out. “That’s me grave right over there.”
You take Arwin off your back and place him in the dug out grave. He has a big smile on his face.
“Thank ye sir. Thanks for putting me back in me hole. Here, before ye cover me back up, let me give ye this.”
Arwin takes a silver pendant off of his neck and hands it to you. The shape of the pendant is like nothing you’ve ever seen before.
“That’ll protect ye sometime. Trust me on that. Saved my life on many an All Hallow’s Eve. Now be quick about burying me. I just want to go back to my eternal slumber and be done with all o this.”
You take the pendant and put it on. You give Arwin a nod then grab a nearby shovel and quickly cover him back up with dirt.
You can give yourself 100 AP for finishing this diversion and go to(15).
22. As you read the parchment the witch begins to laugh. Your lips speak the final words as her laughter reaches a crescendo.
“You fool! You really don’t know what you have done to your self now have you?”
Your body is suddenly wracked with pain. You drop everything you were holding. Your clothing feels tighter causing you to tear it off your body.
The witch bends to pick up the bell.
“You saps. You never learn.”, she says before she turns into a ball of light and flies off into the night sky.
Your skin ruptures and your bones break before you collapse into a sickening ball of pain and agony. After a few minutes, you arise slowly until you are stable on all four of your legs. You let out a terrible howl to the wind and then run off into the night.
23. You walk past headstone after head stone. An uneasy feeling comes over you. Not that you’d show it, but you have just become scared of the dark. There’s something there. You can feel it.
Out of nowhere you stumble over something. You look down and see it’s the severed arm of a goblin.
“Hmmf, I knew it. The ghouls got them.”, Arwin snorts.
The path turns 90 degrees. The is also a path cutting diagonally through the cemetery. Do you take the turn(25) or go back in the other direction(16)?
24. “Fair Lady, which way did this Black Howler go?”
“You-you are going to help me? Oh thank you sir! Thank you! The Howler wind went that-a-way.” She points to the woods. “It was minutes ago. You may still be able to hear the howling. You MUST hear the howling.”
“Lady fair, take yourself to the Fantasia. I will meet you there when I return.”
With that you head into the dark woods. The full moon lights your way. You’re a good bit into the woods when you hear it, a howling in the wind. It sounded like it came from your left but you can’t be sure. Is it just the darkness of the woods being disorienting or are spirits toying with you? Suddenly off to your right you hear a rustling, just out of your sight, then what sounds like a whimper of a baby. Will you go to your left where you think the howl came from(12) or will you confront the rustling, hoping that maybe the howler dropped the baby there(6)?
25. The path is darkened by a cloud crossing in front of the moon. When it passes the bright moonlight uncovers a twisted form sitting on top of a tombstone right in front of you. The creature seems to be chewing on something, a bone perhaps. Unfortunately the moon has also revealed you to the ghoul. The foul undead creature slinks off of the stone, dropping whatever it was eating, and starts in your direction. The ghoul has a MR of 31. If you win the fight you can continue on the path(21) or go back the way you came(10). If you lose the fight, well, sometimes dead is better.
26. If you have the bell then make a L2SR against your INT. If you make it then then you remember what tonight is and all the creatures of evil roaming free. You also remember that the bell’s power against evil this night Go to (18). If you miss then you must fight her for your soul. Go to (4).