LutherAugustine
2012-09-25, 12:53 AM
This game is open to the public. All may play so long as they follow the rules.
The rules are contained in this spoiler First you must make a character. You have 14 points to assign to your attributes. The attributes are Charisma , Strength, Dexterity and Intelligence (abbreviated CHAR, STR, DEX, and INT respectively). No less than 1 can be assign to an attribute and no more than 6. When asked to make a roll, you roll d6s equal to the appropriate attribute and each 5 and 6 you roll counts as a success. Your character has 5 Health and 5 Sanity, though it may become higher or lower during the game. Your first post should be your character's stats.
Second, everyd Monday, Wednesday and Friday a scenario will be given with an appropriate choice and roll. Pick only ONE choice and make only ONE roll (unless otherwise noted). You must “roll” the appropriate dice in your post and announce for what stat. The scenario will tell you what happens, usually determined by the number of successes you roll, and it is up to you to keep track of your Health and Sanity (though a history of your character will essentially build up in the thread). The scenarios will be added to this first post, so come back to the first post!
Last, characters do not interact. This is just between YOU and the GAME. However, see what other people are choosing to do. Some will escape the darkness, some will succumb to it, and a few may even beat it. Ask any questions you have by emailing the GM or sending him a private message. Do not post anything on this forum except your rolls and flavor text like “I attempt to light a fire in the humble stove, praying that I do not have to spend more time in the darkness”
You roll dice in your post by typing “#d6” and just insert your stat number where the # is. DO NOT preview your post, it will not roll correctly then.
The Game Starts October 1st and ends October 31st. Your character might die before the end.
Your posts should include the Day (1,2,3 etc.), stat, flavor text (optional) then roll.
You may post multiple rolls at once, you do NOT need to keep up with it daily (though that is more fun). Multiple characters welcome, within reason. The goal is fun after all
The Year is 1784. You lived your whole life in a little village in the countryside, knowing nothing of horror. Now, all of the sudden, perpetual night has taken over and a thick fog surrounds the entire village. To make matters worse everyone in the town has disappeared: save you. You have tried to escape through the dense fog, but even though you do nothing but travel straight, you always end up back in town. Everyone has disappeared, and now you begin to hear howling, as if wolves were just out of sight. You get the eerie feeling you are being watched. You know help is not coming. The only real question now is what will you do and do you have the mettle to survive?
1st Day
You live near the edge of the wood, with fields and pastures around your home. Despite the normally scenic view, the howling in the distance unnerves you, made worse by the fact that you can barely see in the perpetual darkness. Currently you have enough food and supplies in your small farm house, so instead your thoughts turn to a warmth and light bringing fire. It will keep the demons at bay. You can either:
Build a big fire outside by chopping firewood (STR)
0-1: You fail to chop enough wood and spend more time in the darkness. -1 Sanity
2+: You create a large fire to warm yourself by, lighting the surrounding area. Gain +1 Sanity
Build a small fire inside your house, using the wood you have and some kindling (DEX)
0: No fire. The shadows seem to grow larger. -1 Sanity
1+: You easily build a fire. While it sheds not much light, it does keep the shadows at bay.
2nd Day
You got a fire going eventually. The shadows it casts create playful shapes and you feel you have a safe haven here from the darkness. But what of the rest of the village? Surely not the entire village can be empty. There must be some survivors, and thus you begin your search of the village. You happen upon a small, out of the way cottage during your search. The house is a mess, shelves overturned, the cupboards flung open with their contents strewn about, while embers still burn in the fireplace. No one is here. However you do find a locked trapped door. Perhaps there is a key around?
You can search for the key (INT)
0-1: No key to be found.
2+: You find the key! And in the cellar you find page of a book with strange markings on it. What could it mean? Gain 1 spellbook page.
You can try to pry open the door (DEX)
0-1: You hurt yourself trying to break it down. -1 Health
2: The trapdoor will not budge
3+: The door opens! Your efforts are rewarded as you find a page of a book with strange markings on it. But what could it mean? Gain 1 spellbook page.
3rd Day.
The loneliness is beginning to get to you. 3 days now without meeting a soul and nothing but the occasional wolf howl for conversation. However you have noticed that a scruffy dog has been visiting your shed as of late. It seems scarred and is skittish around you, but perhaps it could be convinced to stay. It would bring some much needed companionship.
Try to entice the dog with food (CHAR)
0: The dog is hostile to your advances and bites you. -1 Health
1: The dog is friendly but does not trust you yet.
2+: The dog seems fond of you and lets you pet it. +1 Sanity
4th Day
The dog is not a pet yet. You would certainly welcome it if it came back, but for now you sit quietly in your house, reading a book you had lying around. Just trying to pass the time between searches of the village. Suddenly you hear a monstrous growl outside that makes you drop your book and jump out of your chair. That was no dog. A look out the window reveals that something is standing about 7 feet tall, hairy, and vicious just in front of your door, but the darkness cloaks its features. A bear? A werewolf? Something different? No matter what, you know, you just know, that it means you harm.
Brace the door, preventing it from coming in (STR)
0-1: A claw forces its way through the door scratching you. -1 Health
2+: You keep the beast from breaking in
Hide in your home (DEX)
0: The creature hears you and rushes inside. You only catch a glimpse of it before it knocks you out. -2 Health
1+: It does not hear you
Try to calm the beast by throwing it some venison (CHAR)
0: The beast prefers live prey, swiftly striking your face with a massive claw. -1 Health
1-2: The beast eagerly swallows the meat.
3+: The beast eats the meat. It seems almost thankful for the gesture. The world does not seem as frightening any longer. +1 Sanity
Afterward the beast slinks back into the darkness.
5th Day
Yesterday shook you up quite badly. What was that thing? Your thoughts were interrupted, however, by the church bell ringing, something that has not happened since this ordeal began. A call for help? Excited that you might finally have found someone you rush to the church. The church is located on top of a small hill; a hill that seems steeper than normal. You run past the willow tree next to it. The tree, like much of this village, has withered and died since the darkness has taken hold. You run up to the double doors but when you fling the doors to church open you are greeted by a horrible sight. Blood and body parts have been strewn about this holy place. What a macabre sight!
Resist the horror (INT)
0: You vomit and your vision fades a bit. -1 Health and -1 Sanity
1: The image is burned into your mind. -1 Sanity
2: You are strong willed enough not to be overcome.
3+: Not only do you resist succumbing, you actually study the scene long enough to notice an untouched piece of paper. Gain 1 spellbook page
6th Day
You decided not to investigate the church further. It just did not seem worth the mental anguish. Besides, different problems face you now. As time goes on, you find yourself starting to run out of food and fresh water. Strangely some of the food you kept in barrels has spoiled. It seems everything has turned against you, even your own resources. In a lapse of judgment you ate some spoiled food and have become ill. Living in this desolate and lonely place is beginning to take its toll on you.
Power through the sickness (STR)
0-1: The sickness is too much for you. It takes its toll on your body. -2 Health
2: You have some symptoms but are mostly unharmed. -1 Health
3+: The illness has almost no effect on you.
Try to concoct an antidote from herbs (INT)
0: Sick and now hallucinating from a mixture gone wrong. -2 Health and -1 Sanity
1: The cure does not work. -2 Health
2: The antidote works. You recover.
Special
The experience over the last couple of days has made you tougher and smarter( Gain +1 to a trait of your choice, remember the trait limit of 6)
7th Day
You have seen shadows pass by your house more and more, while the howling has drawn closer and closer. The howling had grown familiar to you over the past week, seeming a distant threat. Now you have begun to suspect the creatures in the darkness are going to attack. You spend some time preparing for an attack as best as you can, for as you expected a horde of them descends upon your hovel just a few hours later.
Bar the door, bar the windows and brace for the worst (STR)
0-1: The barricades fail. You are consumed by a flood of darkness that seems to take its toll on mind and soul. -1 Health and -2 Sanity.
2+: The barricades hold but the experience has still left you wounded. -1 Sanity
Flee from the house, seeking to outrun the beasts (DEX)
0-1: You are not quick enough. A beast jumps on your back and tears into you. You faint. -2 Health and -1 Sanity
2+: You outrun the creatures. However running through the trees and underbrush has injured you. -1 Health
Make your neighbors’ home seem inhabited, hoping to fool the beasts (INT)
0-1: The creatures are not fooled. You are caught unprepared. -2 Health and -2 Sanity.
2+: The creatures destroy your neighbors’ house but leave you unharmed.
Despite their malevolent attack, they do not seem to want to kill you. You are beginning to wonder if these creatures are really flesh and bone or are spirits. Or maybe even imagined.
8th Day
It was one creature at first, now dozens. What could be next, hundreds? Who knew this many creatures were out there? And what is keeping them from murdering you, right now? They could easily overwhelm you! The wind howls and for a moment you think the beasts have returned. Luckily they have not, as you discover. Looking out the window you see that the creatures of the previous night have left footprints in their wake. Having had enough you decide to follow them. Hiding scared to death in your house is only going to get you killed in the end. Lord knows you do not want to go but there has to be an explanation for all of this!
Try to follow the tracks unaided (INT)
0-2: You lose the tracks and spend hours going in circles. At least keeping busy takes your mind of things.
3+: You pick up the trail and find it leads to a grove with a single book page in the middle of it. Gain 1 spellbook page.
You remember the dog you met. Perhaps it can pick up the scent? (CHAR)
0-1: You cannot get the dog to do what you want.
2+: The dog picks up the trail, leading you to a grove with a single book page in the middle of it. Gain 1 spellbook page.
9th Day
The fog grows thicker and the darkness grows deeper. It has become very hard to stay optimistic. The trees near your farm are wilting in the darkness, and the leaves have all fallen to the ground. Not only that but food is dwindling as much of it, even when barreled, has spoiled. Endless searches of the village turn up less and less. Even places you have visited before are beginning to seem unfamiliar and hostile. You must do something to improve your situation be it mind or body.
Food is most important. Try to hunt something in the local woods (DEX)
0: No luck. You have spent a lot of energy just to go hungry and start to give into despair. -1 Health and -1 Sanity
1+: With a little luck you catch a rabbit. Cute as it is, at least you do not grow more hungry. -1 Sanity
The dog has still been coming around, perhaps playing with it will pass the time (CHAR)
0-1: The dog seems uninterested even though you share your food with it. Your stomach growls and your mood does not improve. -1 Health and -1 Sanity
2+: The dog makes you feel a lot better. You even named it.
10th Day
A storm brews. The darkness is interrupted briefly by lightning. Rain begins to pour. The fog has been replaced by a dense rain that seems unending. In the excitement of the last couple of days you have let your house fall into disrepair. The shutters shake violently and one of the windows breaks under the stress. Water is even pouring in through some of the cracks on the northern wall. You must do something before your house is torn asunder by this typhoon!
Quickly bar up the windows and brace the door (STR)
0-1: The storm destroys large parts of your house. -1 Health
2+: You prevent much of the damage to your house.
The wind is not the most dangerous, it is the flooding that will do you in! You grab a shovel and try desperately to reroute the water outside (DEX)
0-1: You house sustains much damage and you are hurt in the storm. -1 Health
2+: You stop most of the damage to your home.
11th Day
The storm as finally subsided, and all that is left of it is a light shower. However, you feel a chill in the air. The howling stopped last night and has not resumed; you grow more restless with each passing minute. In the last days you have searched the entirety of the village. Nothing. No one. Your thoughts turn to the church covered in blood. What happened there? Was that the fate of every villager? While you do not wish to go there, you begin to believe it is the only place you may find some answers. You go there and try your best to find some clues. As you swing open the doors to the church you discover that it is no longer covered in blood. No body parts litter the scene. There must be something here to explain all this!
You decide to make the perilous climb up the bell tower, up the broken ladder (DEX)
0: You fall and nearly break a leg in the process. -1 Health
1: You cannot make it up the ladder
2+: You make it up and find a page stuck to the rafters. Gain 1 spellbook page.
You decide to search behind the heavy organ, trying to force it aside (STR)
0: You nearly tear something trying to move it. -1 Health
1: It does not budge.
2+: You move the organ an inch and find a page behind it. Gain 1 spellbook page.
The best place to look would be in the lectern, in the books (INT)
0: You are mesmerized by a book and begin to lose yourself in it. -1 Sanity
1: Flipping through the pages you find nothing.
2+: One of the pages of this bible does not seem right. You rip it out. Gain 1 spellbook page.
This is your darkest hour. You kneel before the cross and pray, hoping to find a light in the darkness (CHAR)
0: You hear faint laughter. -1 Sanity
1: Your prayer goes unanswered, but then you expected that.
2+: You open your eyes after your prayer and see a page peeking out from behind the cross. Gain 1 spellbook page.
12th Day
You have spent more time at the Church than you intended. Perhaps it was somewhat comforting, even in the disarray it was. Unfortunately your home has been robbed of its comfort since you last saw it. Upon your return you find jack-o-lanterns lighting your home, all around the entrance and throughout the house. Their glow is even more haunting than the darkness. On your bed you find a jack-o-lantern with a wicked grin. You stare at it for a moment until you realize in its mouth are teeth. Human teeth. How could this have happened? WHY would this happen?
Despite the frightening sight, you look for clues, doing your best to stay optimistic (CHAR)
0-1: No clues. And trying to stay cheerful is not helping. You swear you begin to hear the pumpkins laughing. -2 Sanity
2+: The pumpkins haunt you. But you do find a page. Gain 1 spellbook page, -1 Sanity
You smash the pumpkins hoping to gain control of the situation (STR)
0-1: You smash many of the lanterns. Not enough though. -1 Sanity
2+: With the eerie lanterns gone you immediately feel better.
There is a faint ringing in your ears. Madness has come.
Special
You feel the end drawing near. If you have no spellbook pages by now there is no hope left, and your character is considered dead. However, if you have at least 1 page you feel you are beginning to unravel this mystery ( Gain +1 to any trait, remember the trait limit of 6).
13th Day
There can no longer be peace. No matter where you go the darkness follows you. You must banish it, once and for all. And the solution, to all of this, has been under your nose the entire time. A spellbook. The pages are the key to ending this nightmare. It is difficult to read but you are beginning to put the pieces together. The ancient pages are written in a tongue no sane man could understand so now, naturally, everything falls into place. There is a ritual you must perform. You need candles. You need blood. You also need to set traps and protect the area, for it will call to you all the beasts in the woods. It must be done in the church and it must be done right. You shake a little reading this. As mad as it sounds, it seems more mad not to follow the instructions. This must all be done!
(You must make ALL of the following rolls)
Searching for candles in the village (INT)
0: You find a few candles but wonder if it will be enough. Worry begins to set in. -1 Sanity
1+: Enough candles and a few matches too.
The ritual requires blood. You must find an animal (DEX)
0: You happen upon a wolf, though old and barely alive, it still injures you before you take it down. -1 Health
1+: You catch a pheasant. It will provide enough blood for the ritual.
Building Barricades (STR)
0: These barricades are inadequate. They will not protect you, you are sure of it. -1 Sanity
1+: Strong barricades that will protect you inside the church.
The dog! Its barks will alert you and it will fight for you. That is at least the hope (CHAR)
0: The dog turns hostile towards you. It bites you and runs. You are truly alone. -1 Health and -1 Sanity
1+: The dog will fight for you, and it is nice to have it by your side.
14th Day
The ritual has begun. A bloody pentagram and candles adorn the church, while barricades bar its doors and windows. As you begin to read the pages, creatures begin to gather outside. You can hear their howls, their claws scratching, the jaws snapping. The barricades and your defenses begin to fail. The first creature’s snout appears through a crack in the door. You must do something before it is too late. Even if you are to fall, you will go down fighting. This will be your finest hour!
A hunter’s bow and a few arrows. Perhaps that will be enough to fend of these demons! (DEX)
0-1: Many of your arrows fly wide. You are unable to keep all of them at bay -2 Health and -2 Sanity
2+: Your arrows strike true! You are truly a Demon Hunter!
A sword and shield adorn the wall. It is time to fight like a warrior of old (STR)
0-1: It was a mistake to go toe to toe with these monsters. -2 Health and -2 Sanity
2+: You wield the sword as a natural. Your shield is a wall. You are truly a Mighty Warrior!
Cast a spell from the spellbook pages (INT)
0-1: You are no mage. The monsters assault continues unabated. -2 Health and -2 Sanity.
2+: The church is covered in a blue fire. The creatures cannot pass! A true Master of the Arcane!
You believe you can channel energy through the pages. May the gods protect you! (CHAR)
0-1: The gods seem to have forsaken you. -2 Health and -2 Sanity
2+: You are surrounded by light. The creatures cannot harm you. A true Paladin of Light!
Finale
The ritual is complete. The monsters that assaulted the church are gone in the blink of an eye. But has the curse been lifted? Are you free to go?
1 Spellbook page: The village is still cursed. The villagers still gone. Even the darkness continues unabated. But the fog has lifted. You can finally leave this damned place!
2 Spellbook pages: The darkness has lifted. Night no longer rules. The fog has also gone. While the curse may have been lifted, none of the villagers have returned. At least you have ended this nightmare!
3+ Spellbook pages: Everyone has returned, seemingly unaware of what has happened. The sun shines. You are truly fortunate to have survived. Though you cannot help but wonder if it was all a nightmare? The spellbook pages in your hand are proof enough that it was real but perhaps it is better to think of it all as just a bad dream.
Thank you for playing!
-Vincent
The rules are contained in this spoiler First you must make a character. You have 14 points to assign to your attributes. The attributes are Charisma , Strength, Dexterity and Intelligence (abbreviated CHAR, STR, DEX, and INT respectively). No less than 1 can be assign to an attribute and no more than 6. When asked to make a roll, you roll d6s equal to the appropriate attribute and each 5 and 6 you roll counts as a success. Your character has 5 Health and 5 Sanity, though it may become higher or lower during the game. Your first post should be your character's stats.
Second, everyd Monday, Wednesday and Friday a scenario will be given with an appropriate choice and roll. Pick only ONE choice and make only ONE roll (unless otherwise noted). You must “roll” the appropriate dice in your post and announce for what stat. The scenario will tell you what happens, usually determined by the number of successes you roll, and it is up to you to keep track of your Health and Sanity (though a history of your character will essentially build up in the thread). The scenarios will be added to this first post, so come back to the first post!
Last, characters do not interact. This is just between YOU and the GAME. However, see what other people are choosing to do. Some will escape the darkness, some will succumb to it, and a few may even beat it. Ask any questions you have by emailing the GM or sending him a private message. Do not post anything on this forum except your rolls and flavor text like “I attempt to light a fire in the humble stove, praying that I do not have to spend more time in the darkness”
You roll dice in your post by typing “#d6” and just insert your stat number where the # is. DO NOT preview your post, it will not roll correctly then.
The Game Starts October 1st and ends October 31st. Your character might die before the end.
Your posts should include the Day (1,2,3 etc.), stat, flavor text (optional) then roll.
You may post multiple rolls at once, you do NOT need to keep up with it daily (though that is more fun). Multiple characters welcome, within reason. The goal is fun after all
The Year is 1784. You lived your whole life in a little village in the countryside, knowing nothing of horror. Now, all of the sudden, perpetual night has taken over and a thick fog surrounds the entire village. To make matters worse everyone in the town has disappeared: save you. You have tried to escape through the dense fog, but even though you do nothing but travel straight, you always end up back in town. Everyone has disappeared, and now you begin to hear howling, as if wolves were just out of sight. You get the eerie feeling you are being watched. You know help is not coming. The only real question now is what will you do and do you have the mettle to survive?
1st Day
You live near the edge of the wood, with fields and pastures around your home. Despite the normally scenic view, the howling in the distance unnerves you, made worse by the fact that you can barely see in the perpetual darkness. Currently you have enough food and supplies in your small farm house, so instead your thoughts turn to a warmth and light bringing fire. It will keep the demons at bay. You can either:
Build a big fire outside by chopping firewood (STR)
0-1: You fail to chop enough wood and spend more time in the darkness. -1 Sanity
2+: You create a large fire to warm yourself by, lighting the surrounding area. Gain +1 Sanity
Build a small fire inside your house, using the wood you have and some kindling (DEX)
0: No fire. The shadows seem to grow larger. -1 Sanity
1+: You easily build a fire. While it sheds not much light, it does keep the shadows at bay.
2nd Day
You got a fire going eventually. The shadows it casts create playful shapes and you feel you have a safe haven here from the darkness. But what of the rest of the village? Surely not the entire village can be empty. There must be some survivors, and thus you begin your search of the village. You happen upon a small, out of the way cottage during your search. The house is a mess, shelves overturned, the cupboards flung open with their contents strewn about, while embers still burn in the fireplace. No one is here. However you do find a locked trapped door. Perhaps there is a key around?
You can search for the key (INT)
0-1: No key to be found.
2+: You find the key! And in the cellar you find page of a book with strange markings on it. What could it mean? Gain 1 spellbook page.
You can try to pry open the door (DEX)
0-1: You hurt yourself trying to break it down. -1 Health
2: The trapdoor will not budge
3+: The door opens! Your efforts are rewarded as you find a page of a book with strange markings on it. But what could it mean? Gain 1 spellbook page.
3rd Day.
The loneliness is beginning to get to you. 3 days now without meeting a soul and nothing but the occasional wolf howl for conversation. However you have noticed that a scruffy dog has been visiting your shed as of late. It seems scarred and is skittish around you, but perhaps it could be convinced to stay. It would bring some much needed companionship.
Try to entice the dog with food (CHAR)
0: The dog is hostile to your advances and bites you. -1 Health
1: The dog is friendly but does not trust you yet.
2+: The dog seems fond of you and lets you pet it. +1 Sanity
4th Day
The dog is not a pet yet. You would certainly welcome it if it came back, but for now you sit quietly in your house, reading a book you had lying around. Just trying to pass the time between searches of the village. Suddenly you hear a monstrous growl outside that makes you drop your book and jump out of your chair. That was no dog. A look out the window reveals that something is standing about 7 feet tall, hairy, and vicious just in front of your door, but the darkness cloaks its features. A bear? A werewolf? Something different? No matter what, you know, you just know, that it means you harm.
Brace the door, preventing it from coming in (STR)
0-1: A claw forces its way through the door scratching you. -1 Health
2+: You keep the beast from breaking in
Hide in your home (DEX)
0: The creature hears you and rushes inside. You only catch a glimpse of it before it knocks you out. -2 Health
1+: It does not hear you
Try to calm the beast by throwing it some venison (CHAR)
0: The beast prefers live prey, swiftly striking your face with a massive claw. -1 Health
1-2: The beast eagerly swallows the meat.
3+: The beast eats the meat. It seems almost thankful for the gesture. The world does not seem as frightening any longer. +1 Sanity
Afterward the beast slinks back into the darkness.
5th Day
Yesterday shook you up quite badly. What was that thing? Your thoughts were interrupted, however, by the church bell ringing, something that has not happened since this ordeal began. A call for help? Excited that you might finally have found someone you rush to the church. The church is located on top of a small hill; a hill that seems steeper than normal. You run past the willow tree next to it. The tree, like much of this village, has withered and died since the darkness has taken hold. You run up to the double doors but when you fling the doors to church open you are greeted by a horrible sight. Blood and body parts have been strewn about this holy place. What a macabre sight!
Resist the horror (INT)
0: You vomit and your vision fades a bit. -1 Health and -1 Sanity
1: The image is burned into your mind. -1 Sanity
2: You are strong willed enough not to be overcome.
3+: Not only do you resist succumbing, you actually study the scene long enough to notice an untouched piece of paper. Gain 1 spellbook page
6th Day
You decided not to investigate the church further. It just did not seem worth the mental anguish. Besides, different problems face you now. As time goes on, you find yourself starting to run out of food and fresh water. Strangely some of the food you kept in barrels has spoiled. It seems everything has turned against you, even your own resources. In a lapse of judgment you ate some spoiled food and have become ill. Living in this desolate and lonely place is beginning to take its toll on you.
Power through the sickness (STR)
0-1: The sickness is too much for you. It takes its toll on your body. -2 Health
2: You have some symptoms but are mostly unharmed. -1 Health
3+: The illness has almost no effect on you.
Try to concoct an antidote from herbs (INT)
0: Sick and now hallucinating from a mixture gone wrong. -2 Health and -1 Sanity
1: The cure does not work. -2 Health
2: The antidote works. You recover.
Special
The experience over the last couple of days has made you tougher and smarter( Gain +1 to a trait of your choice, remember the trait limit of 6)
7th Day
You have seen shadows pass by your house more and more, while the howling has drawn closer and closer. The howling had grown familiar to you over the past week, seeming a distant threat. Now you have begun to suspect the creatures in the darkness are going to attack. You spend some time preparing for an attack as best as you can, for as you expected a horde of them descends upon your hovel just a few hours later.
Bar the door, bar the windows and brace for the worst (STR)
0-1: The barricades fail. You are consumed by a flood of darkness that seems to take its toll on mind and soul. -1 Health and -2 Sanity.
2+: The barricades hold but the experience has still left you wounded. -1 Sanity
Flee from the house, seeking to outrun the beasts (DEX)
0-1: You are not quick enough. A beast jumps on your back and tears into you. You faint. -2 Health and -1 Sanity
2+: You outrun the creatures. However running through the trees and underbrush has injured you. -1 Health
Make your neighbors’ home seem inhabited, hoping to fool the beasts (INT)
0-1: The creatures are not fooled. You are caught unprepared. -2 Health and -2 Sanity.
2+: The creatures destroy your neighbors’ house but leave you unharmed.
Despite their malevolent attack, they do not seem to want to kill you. You are beginning to wonder if these creatures are really flesh and bone or are spirits. Or maybe even imagined.
8th Day
It was one creature at first, now dozens. What could be next, hundreds? Who knew this many creatures were out there? And what is keeping them from murdering you, right now? They could easily overwhelm you! The wind howls and for a moment you think the beasts have returned. Luckily they have not, as you discover. Looking out the window you see that the creatures of the previous night have left footprints in their wake. Having had enough you decide to follow them. Hiding scared to death in your house is only going to get you killed in the end. Lord knows you do not want to go but there has to be an explanation for all of this!
Try to follow the tracks unaided (INT)
0-2: You lose the tracks and spend hours going in circles. At least keeping busy takes your mind of things.
3+: You pick up the trail and find it leads to a grove with a single book page in the middle of it. Gain 1 spellbook page.
You remember the dog you met. Perhaps it can pick up the scent? (CHAR)
0-1: You cannot get the dog to do what you want.
2+: The dog picks up the trail, leading you to a grove with a single book page in the middle of it. Gain 1 spellbook page.
9th Day
The fog grows thicker and the darkness grows deeper. It has become very hard to stay optimistic. The trees near your farm are wilting in the darkness, and the leaves have all fallen to the ground. Not only that but food is dwindling as much of it, even when barreled, has spoiled. Endless searches of the village turn up less and less. Even places you have visited before are beginning to seem unfamiliar and hostile. You must do something to improve your situation be it mind or body.
Food is most important. Try to hunt something in the local woods (DEX)
0: No luck. You have spent a lot of energy just to go hungry and start to give into despair. -1 Health and -1 Sanity
1+: With a little luck you catch a rabbit. Cute as it is, at least you do not grow more hungry. -1 Sanity
The dog has still been coming around, perhaps playing with it will pass the time (CHAR)
0-1: The dog seems uninterested even though you share your food with it. Your stomach growls and your mood does not improve. -1 Health and -1 Sanity
2+: The dog makes you feel a lot better. You even named it.
10th Day
A storm brews. The darkness is interrupted briefly by lightning. Rain begins to pour. The fog has been replaced by a dense rain that seems unending. In the excitement of the last couple of days you have let your house fall into disrepair. The shutters shake violently and one of the windows breaks under the stress. Water is even pouring in through some of the cracks on the northern wall. You must do something before your house is torn asunder by this typhoon!
Quickly bar up the windows and brace the door (STR)
0-1: The storm destroys large parts of your house. -1 Health
2+: You prevent much of the damage to your house.
The wind is not the most dangerous, it is the flooding that will do you in! You grab a shovel and try desperately to reroute the water outside (DEX)
0-1: You house sustains much damage and you are hurt in the storm. -1 Health
2+: You stop most of the damage to your home.
11th Day
The storm as finally subsided, and all that is left of it is a light shower. However, you feel a chill in the air. The howling stopped last night and has not resumed; you grow more restless with each passing minute. In the last days you have searched the entirety of the village. Nothing. No one. Your thoughts turn to the church covered in blood. What happened there? Was that the fate of every villager? While you do not wish to go there, you begin to believe it is the only place you may find some answers. You go there and try your best to find some clues. As you swing open the doors to the church you discover that it is no longer covered in blood. No body parts litter the scene. There must be something here to explain all this!
You decide to make the perilous climb up the bell tower, up the broken ladder (DEX)
0: You fall and nearly break a leg in the process. -1 Health
1: You cannot make it up the ladder
2+: You make it up and find a page stuck to the rafters. Gain 1 spellbook page.
You decide to search behind the heavy organ, trying to force it aside (STR)
0: You nearly tear something trying to move it. -1 Health
1: It does not budge.
2+: You move the organ an inch and find a page behind it. Gain 1 spellbook page.
The best place to look would be in the lectern, in the books (INT)
0: You are mesmerized by a book and begin to lose yourself in it. -1 Sanity
1: Flipping through the pages you find nothing.
2+: One of the pages of this bible does not seem right. You rip it out. Gain 1 spellbook page.
This is your darkest hour. You kneel before the cross and pray, hoping to find a light in the darkness (CHAR)
0: You hear faint laughter. -1 Sanity
1: Your prayer goes unanswered, but then you expected that.
2+: You open your eyes after your prayer and see a page peeking out from behind the cross. Gain 1 spellbook page.
12th Day
You have spent more time at the Church than you intended. Perhaps it was somewhat comforting, even in the disarray it was. Unfortunately your home has been robbed of its comfort since you last saw it. Upon your return you find jack-o-lanterns lighting your home, all around the entrance and throughout the house. Their glow is even more haunting than the darkness. On your bed you find a jack-o-lantern with a wicked grin. You stare at it for a moment until you realize in its mouth are teeth. Human teeth. How could this have happened? WHY would this happen?
Despite the frightening sight, you look for clues, doing your best to stay optimistic (CHAR)
0-1: No clues. And trying to stay cheerful is not helping. You swear you begin to hear the pumpkins laughing. -2 Sanity
2+: The pumpkins haunt you. But you do find a page. Gain 1 spellbook page, -1 Sanity
You smash the pumpkins hoping to gain control of the situation (STR)
0-1: You smash many of the lanterns. Not enough though. -1 Sanity
2+: With the eerie lanterns gone you immediately feel better.
There is a faint ringing in your ears. Madness has come.
Special
You feel the end drawing near. If you have no spellbook pages by now there is no hope left, and your character is considered dead. However, if you have at least 1 page you feel you are beginning to unravel this mystery ( Gain +1 to any trait, remember the trait limit of 6).
13th Day
There can no longer be peace. No matter where you go the darkness follows you. You must banish it, once and for all. And the solution, to all of this, has been under your nose the entire time. A spellbook. The pages are the key to ending this nightmare. It is difficult to read but you are beginning to put the pieces together. The ancient pages are written in a tongue no sane man could understand so now, naturally, everything falls into place. There is a ritual you must perform. You need candles. You need blood. You also need to set traps and protect the area, for it will call to you all the beasts in the woods. It must be done in the church and it must be done right. You shake a little reading this. As mad as it sounds, it seems more mad not to follow the instructions. This must all be done!
(You must make ALL of the following rolls)
Searching for candles in the village (INT)
0: You find a few candles but wonder if it will be enough. Worry begins to set in. -1 Sanity
1+: Enough candles and a few matches too.
The ritual requires blood. You must find an animal (DEX)
0: You happen upon a wolf, though old and barely alive, it still injures you before you take it down. -1 Health
1+: You catch a pheasant. It will provide enough blood for the ritual.
Building Barricades (STR)
0: These barricades are inadequate. They will not protect you, you are sure of it. -1 Sanity
1+: Strong barricades that will protect you inside the church.
The dog! Its barks will alert you and it will fight for you. That is at least the hope (CHAR)
0: The dog turns hostile towards you. It bites you and runs. You are truly alone. -1 Health and -1 Sanity
1+: The dog will fight for you, and it is nice to have it by your side.
14th Day
The ritual has begun. A bloody pentagram and candles adorn the church, while barricades bar its doors and windows. As you begin to read the pages, creatures begin to gather outside. You can hear their howls, their claws scratching, the jaws snapping. The barricades and your defenses begin to fail. The first creature’s snout appears through a crack in the door. You must do something before it is too late. Even if you are to fall, you will go down fighting. This will be your finest hour!
A hunter’s bow and a few arrows. Perhaps that will be enough to fend of these demons! (DEX)
0-1: Many of your arrows fly wide. You are unable to keep all of them at bay -2 Health and -2 Sanity
2+: Your arrows strike true! You are truly a Demon Hunter!
A sword and shield adorn the wall. It is time to fight like a warrior of old (STR)
0-1: It was a mistake to go toe to toe with these monsters. -2 Health and -2 Sanity
2+: You wield the sword as a natural. Your shield is a wall. You are truly a Mighty Warrior!
Cast a spell from the spellbook pages (INT)
0-1: You are no mage. The monsters assault continues unabated. -2 Health and -2 Sanity.
2+: The church is covered in a blue fire. The creatures cannot pass! A true Master of the Arcane!
You believe you can channel energy through the pages. May the gods protect you! (CHAR)
0-1: The gods seem to have forsaken you. -2 Health and -2 Sanity
2+: You are surrounded by light. The creatures cannot harm you. A true Paladin of Light!
Finale
The ritual is complete. The monsters that assaulted the church are gone in the blink of an eye. But has the curse been lifted? Are you free to go?
1 Spellbook page: The village is still cursed. The villagers still gone. Even the darkness continues unabated. But the fog has lifted. You can finally leave this damned place!
2 Spellbook pages: The darkness has lifted. Night no longer rules. The fog has also gone. While the curse may have been lifted, none of the villagers have returned. At least you have ended this nightmare!
3+ Spellbook pages: Everyone has returned, seemingly unaware of what has happened. The sun shines. You are truly fortunate to have survived. Though you cannot help but wonder if it was all a nightmare? The spellbook pages in your hand are proof enough that it was real but perhaps it is better to think of it all as just a bad dream.
Thank you for playing!
-Vincent