You stand before a full-length mirror, tugging at the purple cloth draped over you. You have equipped yourself with the extra protection that Catarina provided. As you look over your image within the mirror, you think that you look very much like a priest should. But you do not feel like one. You grip the cross hanging around your neck and pray that there is as much mercy for you as for these wretched creatures that you slay.

You have slept for a few hours, and are at the best physical condition you could asked to be in in such a short time. The clock tells you it is about 10:15 at night. On the north side of town, an establishment called Sal's Steakhouse has just finished closing. And it is time for you to make your way there. The evidence you've collected suggests that Klaus Hind, a dangerous vampire, is hidden within the city, and his lair is somehow connected to this restaurant. What's worse, an Enforcer by the name of Wayne Tepes learned of this well before you, and is planning to investigate there tonight. Should he reach Klaus before you and kill him, you would lose the proof you need of your skill, and with it your tutelage under Catarina. And should you lose that, you may also lose the trail of your missing father.

Time waits for no man. You must be off quickly. But there are people here in this Church that may wish to speak with you before you go. But do you wish to speak with them?

>1. Find Catarina.
>2. Find Lucien.
>3. Leave the church.

>>29195964
>1. Find Catarina.
Anything else we should know? How do we act if we meet the Enforcer while searching for Klaus? etc.

>>29195964
>>2. Find Lucien.
Does he have any advice on how to deal with these sorts of problems? Has he been in the field before? What would he say to advise his younger self?

>>29195964
>1. Find Catarina.
We need to know how to deal with the Enforcer.

>1. Find Catarina.

Don't worry Beatta. I will not drop your quest.

>>29195999
>>29196182
>>29196187

You decide to speak with Catarina. You step outside of the small room you've been staying in, and look around. You are just down the hall from her office, and decide to check there first. Approaching the door, you rap your knuckles against it. "Catarina, are you there?"

No answer. You are persistent, and try again, a little harder. The door is pushed open from the force, and you peer into the room. The scene is just as tragic as the last time you were here, and once again, your mentor is face down on her desk, snoring lightly.

"Catarina," you hiss. Her eyes snap open, and she sits back up with a start.

"Huh--what?" She looks at the door and sees you there before her eyes droop again. "Oh. What is it, Bartolomè?"

>1. What should I do about the Enforcer?
>2. Ask her something else.

>>29196402
>1. What should I do about the Enforcer?

>>29196402
>What should I do about the Enforcer?

>>29196402
>2. Ask her something else.

What was your first assignment like? How long since you became an Executor?

Wheedle advice & Sympathy, while dissenting from all these 1's!

>>29196475
>>29196486
"What should I do about this Enforcer?"

Catarina looks down at her desk, straightening out a few of the papers her nap scooted around. "It doesn't matter to me. You might not see him at all. If you do, just get him out of your way."

"Does that mean you want me to kill him?"

She shrugs. "Not my call. Do whatever you want with him, just don't let him interfere with killing Klaus."

You lean against the door frame, feeling a bit exasperated with her half-answers. "And I'm not to take him as a threat? You don't expect him to be too dangerous for me?"

Her eyes shift right, and give you a sideways glance. "Your mission is to kill Klaus Hind. Even if the Enforcer could kill you with a word, that wouldn't change. His level of threat is irrelevant. Just deal with him however you can."

So avoiding him isn't an option. You simply have no other choice but to handle Wayne in some manner. You nod in acknowledgement. "Good," she says. "Was there anything else?"

>1. Yes. (Ask her something.)
>2. No. (Find Lucien.)
>3. No. (Leave the church.)

>>29196662
We might as well ask >>29196610 now.

>>29196662
>3. No. (Leave the church.)

We're on a time limit, friends.

>>29196865
Wait, shit, we should ask her about any powers Klaus is known for. Do that before we go.

>>29196705
>>29196921
>>29196705
"Actually, I was thinking... what was your first assignment like? How long have you been an Executor?"

This gets her attention, and she looks straight at you. She motions for you to step inside and close the door before you take a seat across from her. She leans forward, folding her hands. "Why do you want to know?"

"I know very little about you. Can't I be curious?"

She purses her lips and flexes them a few times, then her eyes refocus. "I was fourteen. Volgograd. I was sent to kill a man named Markus Pear. That was his alias, no one ever told me his real name. He was a former Executor, went by "The Angel of Death" when he worked for us. But he went AWOL. They'd been tracking him for years when they sent me. He was living in a homeless shelter in a dirty corner of the city. He thought no one would look for him there. He worked in a kitchen and gave food out to the other poor. He was a very haggard man, and most of his hair had fallen out."

"When I walked in, I think he recognized me. Knew what I was there to do. But he still smiled and poured me a bowl of stew. He invited me in, and sat me down with the others. He laughed, and smiled, and kept the others' spirits up, even in the harsh winter. He was like a father to them."

A long silence passes before you gather the nerve to speak. "Did you kill him?"

She looks you in the eye and says unflichingly,

"Yes. I killed him."

>1. How could you!
>2. Couldn't you have let him live?
>3. I understand.
>4. Ask about Klaus.
>5. Something else.
>6. Leave.

>>29196955

>3

Fear of rejection, indoctrination, fear of punishment, and being told by a superior (especially in a religious setting) are scary...

> "I'm sure he forgives you."

>>29196955
>>3. I understand.

>>29196955
>>3. I understand

>>29196955
>3. I understand. and >6. Leave.

It seems he had accepted his death, and there's no reason for us to judge her for something that happened long time ago.

>>29197033
>>29197034
>>29197090
>>29197125
Would you have done any differently? It seems the man had accepted his death. You do not feel you have room to judge Catarina for doing her duty, especially at so impressionable an age.

"I'm sure he forgives you," you tell her.

She doesn't emote, but she says "I hope so."

The clock reads 10:30. It is time you left. You give Ms. Belmont a nod, and she returns it, before you step back outside. It is only a short stroll to the front door of the church. Time is running short, and a confrontation with Wayne may be inevitable if you do not leave immediately. Yet you wonder if there might be some advice your other colleague could give.

>1. Go back inside and find Lucien.
>2. Head for Sal's.

>>29197238
>2. Head for Sal's.

>>29197238
>2. Head for Sal's.

>>29197319
>>29197333
You hail yourself a cab, thankful that you still have enough change to make the trip. After assuring the driver that yes, you know most businesses are closed, he peels into traffic and takes you to the north side of the city. Traffic is light for a Monday, and you slip through town unmolested. It's still a fair trip, though, and you have time to think on the coming trials. Before you even begin to think of Klaus Hind, you must consider Wayne. What will you do if your paths cross?

>1. Avoid him, if I can.
>2. Try for a truce. Two vampire hunters is better than one.
>3. Scare him off. You must do this alone.
>4. Kill him. The Mages will not be allowed to interfere in affairs of the Church.
>5. Let him go in first, and hopefully soften Klaus up for you.

>>29197435
>1. Avoid him, if I can.

>>29197435
Ah! Decisions!
>5. Let him go in first, and hopefully soften Klaus up for you.
This is good, especially for an inexperienced Executor. however, he doesn't give a hoot about the vampire, only the artefact.

I think the best option is this:
>2. Try for a truce. Two vampire hunters is better than one.
You mostly want the vampire dead. Although securing a magical MacGuffin is nice, a vampire will kill innocents. If you both can drop the vampire and he can get his loot, better for both of you!

>>29197435
1. avoid him, if I can

We get REKT if we fight him and if he gets to the vampire, he will kill the dead apostle.

>>29197567
I agree with the first option, but your second one makes no sense. We are to kill that vampire by ourselves, with no assistance. The entire point of killing this vampire is to prove that Catarina has something of value in us.

>>29197435
>1. Avoid him, if I can.

>>29197435
>1. Avoid him, if I can.
It would be best not to deal with him.

> Get Klaus to abduct you and train you in the way of the Magi, become Holy Mage, and then destroy the Executor heresy

>>29197465
>>29197601
>>29197695
If at all possible, you would like to keep away from this Enforcer. You'd only be getting into unnecessary trouble fighting him.

The cab grinds to a creaky halt. You pay the driver his fare and step outside to find yourself on a street corner. Just a minute down the way you see the dark sign that, when open, would say "Sal's." You are here. The brisk wind is fluttering your frock. It really IS cold out tonight, and your spine is shivering. The establishment is squeezed between dozens of multi-storied buildings all around it, and seems quite thin to you.

>1. Break through the front door.
>2. Scope out another entrance.

>>29197910
>2. Scope out another entrance.

>>29197910
>2. Scope out another entrance.

>>29197910
>2. Scope out another entrance.

>>29197980
>>29198061
As you approach, you see that there is a slim alleyway between the left side of Sal's and the adjacent building. There is little light that can breach it, but it seems empty. You step closer, and inspect within. Your only company is a plastic bag fluttering in the contained wind and an empty dumpster. But you're in luck. A set of cement stairs leads up to a side door. You could probably sneak in here, undetected by anyone walking the streets.

>1. Head through the door. (d100+1)
>2. Take the front door instead.

Rolled 90 + 1

>>29198203
>>1. Head through the door. (d100+1)

Rolled 67

>>29198203
>1. Head through the door. (d100+1)

>>29198228
Nice rolls.

Rolled 71 + 1

>>29198203
>1. Head through the door. (d100+1)

>>29198228
You try the doorknob and to your surprise find it unlocked. Someone must have made a mistake when closing up the restaurant. You open it up and step inside. It is immediately and oppressively dark, but you're lucky enough to find a light switch by the door. Harsh, bright lights buzz to life and illuminate the room you're standing in. Specifically, the kitchen. Your shoes are sticking to the poorly-mopped floor. What a mess. This isn't at all like the brochure said. To your left is the fridge, like fully of raw meat. There are several aisles darting through the kitchen, separated by tables normally full of utensils and kitchenware for prepping the meals. It's all been cleared away for the night, though, and they seem to shine a bit now that their surfaces are uncovered. You run a hand along them as you walk past, careful not to hit your head on the pots and pans hanging above you. It's cramped, and you're not sure what you could find in here having to do with a vampire. There is a door on the other side leading out into the restaurant proper.

>1. Search the kitchen. (d100+1)
>2. Head to the dining area.

Rolled 2

>>29198479
search the kitchen

Rolled 43 + 1

>>29198479
Rollin for searching.

Rolled 16 + 1

>>29198479
>>1. Search the kitchen. (d100+1)

Rolled 7 + 1

>>29198479
>1. Search the kitchen. (d100+1)

Rolled 78 + 1

>>29198479
>>1. Search the kitchen. (d100+1)

Rolled 2

>>29198479
>>1. Search the kitchen. (d100+1)

Rolled 82

> 1 Search the kitchen for signs of violence, blood, or people.

>>29198494
>>29198513
>>29198515
You search up and down. You open every cupboard, pull every drawer, and leave no pot unturned. But you find nothing. The kitchen seems to be exactly as you would expect a kitchen to be. Perhaps a tad too much grease, but nothing malicious to be certain. Come to think of it... how would a vampire hide here to begin with? Were you expecting to find him in the back of some cupboard, curled up into a ball? You scratch your head, grumbling. Where would a vampire even try to conceal himself in such a cramped space? You suspect there is probably nothing here.

There is still the rest of the building to cover, but you wonder if you've been thorough enough here.

>1. Search the kitchen again. (1d100+1)
>2. Head to the dining area.

>>29198755
>2. Head to the dining area.

>>29198755
>2. Head to the dining area.

>>29198755
>2. Head to the dining area.

I have no idea what we were looking for in the kitchen in the first place.

Rolled 42 + 1

>>29198755
>>1. Search the kitchen again. (1d100+1)

>>29198927
>>29198897
>>29198866
You sidle out from the kitchen. There isn't anything of worth to find here. The faint scent of grilled meat still hangs in the air as you make for the dining area. Your immediate thought is that it's dark. No lights are on out here, and the shadow you project from the arch leading out here hides most of the light from the kitchen. From what little you can make out, it is a darkly-decorated place, with wood-paneled walls and seating made mostly of booths. Two rows lining the walls, and a third up the middle, splitting the room. It extends left, parallel to the kitchen and beyond your field of view. There is probably a room at the back for special parties.

You take a step out into the darkness, and immediately feel revulsion. Your nerves are on fire, telling you the same thing over and over: "Not alone."

There is something here with you. Some kind of presence is off to your left. You can feel eyes upon you. What do you do?

>1. Retreat to the kitchen.
>2. Strain your senses and try to make out what's there. (d100+1)
>3. Throw a Black Key at it. (d100+16)
>4. Call out, "Who's there?"
>5. Approach the presence.
>6. Find a light switch. (1d100+1)

Rolled 61 + 16

>>29199057
>3. Throw a Black Key at it. (d100+16)

Let's not take any chances. If it was a civilian they would have called us out already so it's probably either the Enforcer or the vampire.

Rolled 68 + 1

>>29199057
>2. Strain your senses and try to make out what's there. (d100+1)

Rolled 84 + 1

>>29199057
>>2. Strain your senses and try to make out what's there. (d100+1)

>>29199173
You shift your arm, and let slip one of the Keys you've kept tucked beneath your sleeve. The blade falls into your hand, and with a flick you pull your left arm up and let the blade sail. You cannot see its trajectory in the darkness, but hear it thud against a booth on the far wall. And with the thud, you hear a human voice whisper "Shit!"

A shadow jumps up from the booth, his silhouette somewhat visible in the darkness. You can see his hands are in the air. A sign of peace, maybe, but then again you can't see what's IN his hands. The shadow talks to you.

"Bartolomè! I was hoping you would show up. Do me a favor and flip the lights on; I'd do it, but, well, apparently you'd gut me like a trout."

>1. Tell him to do it so you can keep an eye on him.
>2. Find the light switch.
>3. You were expecting me?
>4. Something else.

>>29199513
>>29199518
Whoops. Sorry, I'd already posted the update by the time I saw your vote changed which I should have taken.

>>29199518
>4. Move closer to cover while keeping a Key aimed at him. Be ready to move at any sign of danger.
>3. You were expecting me?
In that order.

>>29199518
>3. You were expecting me?

>>29199518
Note, that our eyes have adjusted to the darkness by now and turning on the lights would blinds us for about half a minute, as well as possibly alert people outside or the vampire. Best not rush this.

>>29199641 here, >>29199600 seems to be a decent idea.

>>29199600
>>29199687
You do not do either of these things. Does he take you for a fool? You'd be as good as blind once you flipped the lights on. Your eyes have adjusted enough to the darkness now that you can navigate well, and keep another Black Key in hand as you approach the silhouette. "You were expecting me?" you ask the man. He does not answer at first, but you demand, "Answer!"

He shakes his hands in a submissive gesture. "Hey, hey, calm it, Mr. Megaphone-Lungs. 'Expecting' isn't the right word. More like 'hoping.'"

You tilt your head in confusion, and he seems to notice that, explaining himself. "You told me you were a priest, right? But you look a little young to be an ordained minister. So, basically, I dropped a few hints that'd get any good man of the cloth suspicious. Then I high-tailed it, and dropped off a few clues for you to comb over. If you really were just a priest, I guessed you'd report it to the police or something. But you came looking. Only a special agent sorta guy would do that. Or a crazy person. Either way, that makes you someone special! Lemme guess... Executor?"

>1. Shrewd. What do you want?
>2. It doesn't matter. Get out of here.
>3. Don't taunt me. [ATTACK] (1d100+16)
>4. Something else.

Rolled 34

>>29200081
What do you want with the vampire?

>>29200081
>1. Shrewd. What do you want?

>>29200081
>1. Shrewd. What do you want?

>>29200081
>1. Shrewd. What do you want?
>4. Listen only enough to absorb the information and remain vigilant. Don't immediately believe anything he says.

>>29200165
>>29200211
>>29200226
If Wayne is speaking the truth, then he's not above manipulating you. "How shrewd. What do you want, Enforcer?" There is no harm in letting him speak, but you are prepared to strike at him should he do something threatening.

"Well, hear me out, okay? Basically, I was thinking, I've got this really big job here, and it's gonna be a drag fighting Big-Teeth McGooglyeyes all by my lonesome. But then I thought, hey, you're a priest! You hate sinful stuff, right? Blood-sucking vampires, creatures of the night, you're not exactly inviting them to Christmas dinner, eh? So I was thinking... we could cooperate?"

"Cooperate?" you ask.

"Yeah! Sure, I mean, we're already pretty much best friends, right? We both like continental breakfasts, we both frequent the same steakhouses..." he glances at your frock before adding, "Apparently we both have the same taste in purple outerwear. And, the clincher, we both want Klaus Hind dead. So I thought we could pool resources."

You squint at the mage, unable to discern the fine details of his features in the darkness. He seems to be smiling pretty widely, though.

>1. Why should I trust you?
>2. What would you have to offer to make me want to cooperate?
>3. This is a church affair. Keep out of it.
>4. You're only interfering. [ATTACK] (1d100+16)
>5. Something else.

Rolled 92

>>29200511
1
and
If we cooperate I get the kill.

>>29200545
"Why should I trust you?" you ask him. His shoulders shrug, and you think you see his smile grow.

"My natural charm? My impeccable fashion sense? Because I can guess from you fumbling around in the kitchen that you don't know where Hind's lair is?"

His hands, still raised, point both thumbs at his face. "Because I totally do. I can show you."

"And you understand," you ask, "that if we cooperate I will be the one to kill Klaus?"

"So long as YOU understand that I'll be taking anything I please from his coffers then, sure. I'll even get the head embalmed so you can put it on your wall if you like."

>1. I will cooperate with you.
>2. I will not cooperate with you, go away.
>3. Do something else.
>4. Ask another question.

Rolled 58 + 1

>>29200795
>1. I will cooperate with you.

>>29200795
>4. What does Klaus has that interests the Association?

>>29200795
>4. What does Klaus has that interests the Association?

Might as well ask this.

>>29200795
4. What does Klaus has that interests the Association?

>>29200892
>>29200910
>>29201049
"What does Klaus have that interests the Association?"

Wayne frowns, an expression you don't think you've seen him make yet. "Something very valuable to us. Something that he shouldn't have. I'm not at liberty to say more, but it's real important I get it back." He gestures behind you with a nod of his head. "So whaddaya say, Bart? Wanna team up?"

>1. You don't have a problem teaming up with an Executor?
>2. I will cooperate with you.
>3. I will not cooperate.
>4. Something else.

>>29201185
>1. You don't have a problem teaming up with an Executor?
I understand the organizations don't exactly get along.
Then,
>2. I will cooperate with you.

>>29201185
if it interests the Association it interests us.

>3. I will not cooperate.

>>29201185
>2. I will cooperate with you.

"And I think we can both see fit to neglect mentioning this bit to our bosses.

I doubt yours would be any more enthused by this turn of events than mine."

>>29201310
You think we're really ganna be able to take him?

>>29201185
>3. I will not cooperate.

I don't trust him. He seems like the kind of guy who would stab us in the back.

>>29201185
>2. I will cooperate with you.

>>29201185
>2. I will cooperate with you.

It might hurt our evaluation that we're consorting with the Magi, but we're probably going to struggle enough with the vampire alone, nevermind an Enforcer on the side.

>>29201185
>4. Tell me Klaus' abilities, what I can expect from him. If I'm to cooperate, I am to kill Klaus on my own. If I fail, then at least you will have an easier time of it.

>>29201185
2 I will cooperate with you.

>>29201219
>>29201315
>>29201435
>>29201542
This seems to be too good a deal to be true. "And you do not mind cooperating with an Executor?"

"Sure don't," remarks the oddly-haired mage in a chipper tone. "It's basically the only option. You go fight the vampire and die, I go fight the vampire and die, or we fight each other right here, and probably both die on the spot. Not the best choices, ya ken?"

"In that case... in that case I will cooperate," you say, resolving the matter. "But I think we can neglect mentioning that to our superiors, yes? I doubt yours would be any more enthused by this turn of events than mine."

Wayne gives a low whistle. "You have NO idea. C'mere, I'll show you the entrance."

He steps to the wall and flips the lights on. Your eyes cringe shut from the light, but settle to the new setting quickly. Wayne, still dressed in his t-shirt and jeans from that morning, waves you into the back of Sal's. The back room you imagined turns out to exist, with many large, round tables to seat larger parties. He takes you towards a spot of barren wall. "Run your hand over this," he says.

It is smooth to the touch, cold, and most importantly not out of the ordinary at all. You question him on the point of that. He tells you, "So you'd get why it's important I did this."

Brushing you aside, Wayne rubs his hands together before slapping them against the wall. What you see next astounds you.

The wall warps; no, that's not quite right. The world around the wall warps, as if the touch of Wayne's hands revolted it so much it tried to escape. The image of the wall tears itself apart, the shreds drifting away as a new image sets in. There against the wall stands a dark, wooden door. Wayne steps back and presents his work. "Ta-da! You wanna go first, or should I?"

>1. How did you do that?
>2. How was that door hidden?
>3. I'll lead.
>4. You lead.
>5. Something else.

>>29201884
>2. How was that door hidden?

And let him go first.

>>29201884
>3 I'll lead.
We're the dude with swords and armour, might as well go first. We should ask about his combat capabilities, what his specialties are, and what Klaus can do. Need to be prepared.

>>29201884
>3. I'll lead.

>>29201970
>>29202046
"I will." You push past Wayne and open the door. On the other side is a dark, humid place. It is not at all like the pleasant restaurant you're standing in on this side. Even so, you press onward. There is a staircase spiraling downward here, and it strikes you that the only place a vampire could hide a lair in so cramped an environment was underground. How these hidden rooms came to be, and what they were originally for, you think you'd rather not know.

Following you down comes Wayne, whistling a happy tune to himself. You hope he's not alerting anyone to your presence. "I may as well ask..." you start off. "Can you actually do anything in a fight, Wayne?"

"Who, me?" he asks. "Ha ha, I'm more of a lover than a fighter, really!" You groan at him, and he tuts at you. "Oh, lighten up, Crossy! Of course I can fight. The Association wouldn't have sent me if I couldn't. They wouldn't have made me an Enforcer if I couldn't!"

You hear his fingers rubbing against his chin, and he makes a contemplative humming tone. "Unless... my leaders are incompetent... bears further investigation..."

He seems set to do that for a while, but a snap of your fingers brings him back. "Oh, right!" he exclaims. "But the real reason they sent me instead of one of the other thirty is my Origin."

"Your... what?" you ask, confused.

"Er, don't worry about if you don't know. The point is, I have a special skill. Let's call it... hrm, "Circuit Breaker" sounds snappy. Snappy like fingers. Not fingery though. Too lewd..."

You snap your fingers once more. "Right, yeah, like that! Snappy!" he says. "Circuit Breaker makes me a... hazard around magecraft, and magical things in general really. When they come into contact with me, spells... well, they break."

>>29202399
"And that's useful here?"

"Oh-ho, very! Klaus used to be a magus before he turned, way back when. He's an illusionist of sorts. Probably got illusions all over his lair! Like the one on that door. But, y'know, Circuit Breaker. One touch from me and 'poof.' Or, maybe more of a 'krk-zk-rrk-bb-bwuh...'" You try not to watch him as he jerks his body around, imitating the breakdown of machinery.

You take a deep breath and ask, "Anything else to watch out for?"

"He's probably got some Dead guarding the place, but nah, that covers it pretty well. What can YOU do, Señor de la Fuente?" he asks, questioning your own abilities.

Before you can answer, the stairs end. It is a cramped room, about ten by fifteen feet, with no notable features save the way you came in through. There is no exit. A single lever stands upon the far, otherwise bare wall. A dead end?

>1. Search the room. (d100+1)
>2. Pull the lever.
>3. Have Wayne pull the lever.
>4. Answer Wayne's question.
>5. Go back.
>6. Do something else.

Rolled 28 + 1

>>29202421
>1. Search the room. (d100+1)

After the search pull the lever.

>4. Answer Wayne's question.

"Stab the undead until they simply become dead."

Rolled 52 + 1

>>29202421
>1. Search the room. (d100+1)
"I hit things with my swords."

>>29202421
>1. Search the room. (d100+1)
I'm good at throwing stuff.

Rolled 3 + 1

>>29202421
>1. Search the room. (d100+1)

Rolled 78 + 1

>>29202421
>>1. Search the room. (d100+1)

>>29202540
>>29202555
>>29202563
>>29202612
>>29202493
"I, uh, hit things. Until they die."

"Fascinating," Wayne says with a quirked brow. "You'll have to teach me that later."

You resist the urge to smack him, and tell him to help search the room. You each take a different wall and scour it from one side to the other, looking for anything out of the ordinary. You all but press your face against the stone, but see nothing that could give you a clue. You're ready to give up when Wayne whistles at you. "Take a look at this."

When you come over, he points you to a slight imperfection in the wall. A very thin line going up from where he's pointed. "See this? This stone isn't smooth. Part of this wall is a chunk. Someone's slid a chunk in and disguised it all as one wall. They're hiding something."

Your eyes drift to the lever. Maybe it has something to do with that?

>1. Pull the lever.
>2. Do something else.

>>29202813
>1. Pull the lever.
Nothing else for it, I guess.

>>29202813
>1. Pull the lever.

Flip ze switch!

This might go terribly awry.

Rolled 13 + 1

>>29202813
Pull the lever.

Also, prepare for an trap.

>>29202813
>1. Pull the lever.

Pray that this isn't a trap.

>>29202855
>>29202933
>>29202939
You grip the lever. Nothing to do but pull, you guess. Hopefully this will remove that stone Wayne found. You pull down...

The grinding of stone scrapes against your eardrums, and the room shakes. Five slabs of hewn stone shake for the from the wall, slamming to the ground. Wayne only barely manages to duck away from the one he was next to. You immediately feel ill at ease. There can't be five doors in here.

Your hands drift to your blades as a terrible moaning fills the chamber. Five ghouls step forth, their dried and emaciated bodies jerking uncomfortably in the humid, choking air. Wayne sums the situation up succinctly.

"Uh oh."

Mechanic time! You are currently Distanced from the ghouls, which means that you have the option to make a ranged attack, such as throwing Black Keys. Once a ghoul has moved into melee range with you, you can no longer make ranged attacks, even against Distanced enemies. You can maneuver away from all enemies in melee distance to continue making ranged attacks, but this requires a successful roll, and if it fails you are attacked by all those you're maneuvering away from.

Also, you currently have 11 Black Keys, and each time you throw one it's used up until you retrieve it!

>1. Charge a Ghoul and attack. (1d100+16)
>2. Throw a Black Key. (1d100+21)
>3. Flee up the stairs to get into more open ground. (1d100+1)
>4. Do something else.

Rolled 48

>>29203071
>2. Throw a Black Key. (1d100+21)

Rolled 66 + 21

>>29203071
>2. Throw a Black Key. (1d100+21)
Let's get to work.

Rolled 12 + 21

>>29203071
>2. Throw a Black Key. (1d100+21)

Rolled 27 + 21

>>29203071
Back up to the stairs so they can't surround us and they have to climb the stairs to get to us. We want a choke point.

As we're doing that throw a Black key at one of them.

>>29203132
>>29203140
>>29203166
You choke down the instincts of revulsion and fear that come with the sight of these creatures and toss a Black Key. The weapon buries itself within the creatures face, and a disgusting howl fills the air as it is split apart. It nearly buckles, but manages a last leap at you.

"Hey, nice one, Bart!" A long knife dances a jagged path through the ghoul's midsection, splitting it apart. The thing cracks the ground as it lands, dead. Wayne throws you a two-fingered salute before tossing the knife at a second ghoul, slicing its belly open.

The offending creature yowls in ravenous hunger, and leaps at the Enforcer. It tries to chomp him, but Tepes weaves around it, playfully tapping the top of its head as he goes. Another swipes at him with its claws, but he ducks beneath it and hops out of reach.

You don't have time to observe any more of the mage's antics, as the other two are charging you. You try to draw your blades, but are too slow. One rams you with its shoulder, pinning you up against the wall. It gives a slavering groan and sinks its jagged teeth into the meat of your left shoulder.

You grit your teeth, but a desperate scream still whistles through. The ghoul's fangs are sinking deeper, and nothing you're doing is shaking it off.

There is a second ghoul as well. With you being trapped as you are, it takes its time flaying your chest with its claws. Your frock and shirt take the brunt, but blood is already flowing from the wounds. You scream and shake, but cannot escape him like this.

Wounds: 4/15 Taken!
4 Ghouls Remaining!

A Ghoul's Painful Bite deals 1 Wound per round until they are shaken off, or killed.

>1. Attack the biting ghoul. (1d100+16)
>2. Attack the slashing ghoul. (1d100+16)
>3. Try to force the biting ghoul off. (1d100+1)
>4. Call Wayne for help.

Rolled 24 + 16

>>29203432
>1. Attack the biting ghoul. (1d100+16)

Stab the motherfucker, aim to sever the spine.

Rolled 63 + 16

>>29203432
>1. Attack the biting ghoul. (1d100+16)

Rolled 25 + 16

>>29203432
>1. Attack the biting ghoul. (1d100+16)

>>29203468
>>29203476
>>29203479
Still struggling with the fiend grappling you, a Black Key wriggles its way to your hand. With what leverage you can find you push back, driving your blade into its pelvis, then pulling up to split open bottom-to-top. Blood and entrails gush out from beneath the ghoul, but it only seems to bite harder as it nears death. Blood spurts out from your wound as it shakes its head around, doing all the brutal damage that it can.

The second ghoul takes a swing at you, but with all your strength you push left, and drag yourself along the wall and out of the way. The claws slam into the portion where you stood and carve out a terribly deep chunk. You don't wish to imagine what that would have done to your body.

Wayne, on the other hand, continues his masterful dance around the pitiful ghoul, jabbing him four more times with his knives before a final slice beheads the ghastly thing. It collapses in a heap, giving the mage a second to gloat. "Ah, I do love the smell of blood at night..."

He has forgotten the second ghoul chasing him. From behind, its teeth gnaw at his right side, and its arms pin him against the wall chest first. Several discomforted noises come from him, but he powers through the pain more easily than you.

Wounds: 5/15 Taken! (You are Hurt: -1 to rolls.)
3 Ghouls Remaining!
Wayne: 3/20 Wounds Taken!

>1. Attack the biting ghoul. (1d100+15)
>2. Attack the slashing ghoul. (1d100+15)
>3. Force off the biting ghoul. (1d100)

Rolled 7 + 15

>>29203802
>1. Attack the biting ghoul. (1d100+15)

Finish killing it.

Rolled 10 + 15

>>29203802
>1. Attack the biting ghoul. (1d100+15)

Rolled 35

>>29203802
>1. Attack the biting ghoul.

Rolled 62 + 15

>>29203802
>2. Attack the slashing ghoul. (1d100+15)
These rolls.

>>29203839
>>29203844
>>29203866
"Rrr...RrrrrAAGH!"

You pull your arm free of the tangle, winding it up for a killing blow. You swipe to the right, and shunt the blade of your Key through the Ghoul's skull. The weakened creature hisses at you once before the haunting light passes from its eyes. It releases you, letting fresh pain spring from your wound as its teeth are loosened. Another down. Your vision blurs for a moment, but your instinct carries you as the last ghoul in front of you chops downward. You roll forward and away, letting it cleave out sections of the wall as you recover. Turning to face the creature, you see it twisting around in unnatural motions to square up for a charge.

Wayne is in the process of removing himself from the wall. The ghoul only has him there for an instant before the Enforcer slices behind his back, taking off the creatures hands. Juking around, he drives a knife through its neck, killing it. With his own enemy dead, he joins up with you to face down the last minion of Klaus Hind.

>1. Distance yourself, and throw a Key. (1d100, then 1d100+20)
>2. Attack close up. (1d100+15)
>3. Something else.

Rolled 35 + 15

>>29204075
>2. Attack close up. (1d100+15)

Rolled 100

>>29204075
>1. Distance yourself, and throw a Key. (1d100, then 1d100+20)

We're better at throwing.

Rolled 10 + 20

>>29204141
...and the second dice.

>>29204141
holy shit

Rolled 90 + 20

>>29204141
Well, with rolls like that I can't disagree.

>>29204141
>>29204162
>>29204172
"Ready?" asks Wayne, legs shaking as he readies his knife. Your eyes narrow, watching the disgusting gyrations of the foul beast. You place a hand in front of the Enforcer, waving him away.

"No," you tell him. "I have this."

The Ghoul charges, but you leap backwards. For an instant, just an instant, you are faster than it is. You hit the ground, feet still sliding back from the force of your leap, but it's all the time you need to ready your blade. The Black Key spins from your hand, carving a downward arc towards the ghoul. You have no idea how you did it; you're not even sure what you've just done is possible, but you did it all the same. Unable to stop, its own momentum feeds the ghoul to your Black Key, slicing downwards and splitting it cleanly in half, top to bottom. It only makes it another pace before the two halves peel away, hitting the ground on either side of you. You don't even flinch, still frozen in the motion you used to toss the miracle blade.

"Praise Be," you say as you gasp for breath.

Wayne stares at you, corpses strewn about you. In cases, pieces of corpses. A grin creeps onto his face. "Hot damn."

>>29204334
And that's where we'll be stopping for the night! Thank you all so much for playing, I hope you enjoyed it. Please, let me know in this thread or on my Twitter @Frolloswagendir what you thought went well, and what you thought could be improved!

And also, have a Happy New Year!