Prologue: The Plot Thickens, Murder at the Monastery

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The game continued straight from where it was ended last time. Sir Aran read the chronicles of the monastery and finds out about an unfair duel that was fought there when it was still a barony. The winner “accidentally” killed his opponent just after he had surrendered and now the murdered noble haunts the manor. Aran also finds out that the lover’s suicide pact, which has become a legend in the monastery, actually happened. His reading is interrupted when the old blind monk Ulric comes up to him asking after Cut, who is nowhere to be seen. As Aran or Richard, who is also in the room do not know where Cut is Ulric tells them what he remembered. He was on the lowest level of the library about a month ago one evening. He heard a creaking sound as well as a crack and then he felt a shift in the air as if there was someone with him in the room. Aran asks if there has been any recent work on the monastery and Ulric tells him that a couple of years ago there was some work done on the chapel and the crypts. Sister Mia and brother Benedetto would know more about that a they were the ones mostly responsible for the work. They hired outside help from the village. Richard and Aran agree to go to the crypts.

In the meantime father Gotmund asks Meori to join him in evening prayer in the chapel and she agrees. Not all the monks and nuns are present for evening prayer, but this is typical because everybody does not always come to all the prayers. Veronica also came to evening prayer.

Eventually night falls and everybody returns to the sleeping hall except Cut. Nobody has seen him or knows where he could be. Meori gets worried and they decide to go looking for Cut in the last place they know him to be the crypts.

Meanwhile Cut is in the crypts and is trying to find his way back to the monastery. He manages to find the old crypts instead. He is not in the same place where he entered the crypts. This area looks like a bomb shelter. Cut decided that there is no time like the present and begins to loot the area, but for that he needs some light. When he lights his candle he notices that the remains in the old crypt are wearing hazmat suits, which could mean many awkward things. When Cut looks around it would appear that he has entered some sort of vault. Cut leaves and continues to look for a way out of the crypt.

Meanwhile the others have entered the crypts from the place where Cut also entered, however they do not bump into him. They manage to find his tracks and start following them. As they continue they notice that the walls of the the tunnels are made of ceram steel. There are even remains of wiring on the walls. The place appears to be a base or a shelter for some long ago settlers. They manage to find markings on the walls and they turn out to be made by Cut.

Meanwhile Cut finds a door panel in the wall and he manages to open it. Cut can hear chanting from the other side and there is also light. He sneaks through the door and then notices that the door he came out of is a hidden door. He is in a washing hall in the lower level of the monastery. He sneaks upstairs and ends up in the novices dormitory, where two small forms are asleep, one blonde head and one red head. Derry is not in the novice’s dormitory. Cut sneaks into the sisters and brother’s dormitory and continues to the guest dormitory from there.

Suddenly there is a scream that echoes across the monastery’s grounds. It is Ulric’s scream. Cut rushes to the rookery and in the crypts Meori and Richard hear a muffled scream and everyone decides to abandon the search for Cut for now and go see what has happened above. Cut finds Ulric’s body at the bottom of the bell tower and screams for help. Mia he silent arrives on the scene and is soon followed by others.

The inhabitants of the monastery gather at the crime scene. Derry also arrives and he is in his day time clothes, while the two other novices are still in their night clothes. Stacy is almost panicky and very sad. The bell tower is a newer building that was built especially for the monastery. Cut goes up into the tower to look for clues but cannot find anything, no signs of scuffle or struggle. He and Mia go around the base of the bell tower trying to find entrances to secret passage ways or something else but come up empty. Father Gotmund and sister Gabriella come to ask questions about what has happened.

Brother Bogumil tells the abbot, father Gotmund and sister Gabriella what he has found out and Cut is close by listening in and gathering information of the monastery. He also tells the monks that he has found secret passageways and what he has managed to find out about them. Bogumil wants to know if one o the pilgrims could have killed brother Ulric. Cut does not thinks so however. The others find their way to the courtyard and Gotmund tells Meori that he suspects that the ghost has started killing. It is also possible that it was an accident. Meori is shaken about Ulric’s death. They reunite with Cut and he tells the others about the secret passageways.

Meori and Aran go to examine the body of Ulric. Ulric died on impact. Meori is left with the feeling that if she had more time to observe his body more closely she could find out more. She finds a medium length red hair in his hand. Meori arranges with the abbot to organize a wake for brother Ulric. Veronica and Richard offer their condolences and aid to the monastery and the abbot understands that they mean to give a donation to the monastery and so veronica agrees to do so. Richard asks if there is a reason to suspect foul play but the abbot does not think so.

After this everyone goes to the chapel to pray for brother Ulric’s soul. Meori tries to console Stacy, who is devastated. Cut is the only one who does not go to the chapel. He goes to the dining hall instead and he takes a nap there. After the service everyone goes to bed and Meori decides to perform a ritual to find out a little more information of the events that led to Ulric’s death.

Meori does get a vision. In it she is walking around the monastery performing chores. She realizes that she is Ulric and she is blind. She is in the library telling something important to someone. He is telling it to one of the pilgrims, the friend of the one who he should tell and somebody who shouldn’t is listening. Meori wakes and knows why Ulric died. They discuss Ulric’s death together. It is possible that Ulric heard something that he did not remember he had heard or had not understood the significance of yet. After much pondering they decide to go to the library to investigate further. Meori tells everyone about her theurgy and it makes Richard nervous. Meori notices that Richard feels unease. Veronica is impressed by Meori’s abilities.

When they are in the library, hey decide to split up. Meori, Richard and Veronica go to the cellar and Cut and Aran go to the attic and roof. Cut and Aran climb onto the rafters where they find a hatch to the attic space. It has suspiciously well oiled hinges. They climb onto the attic and find a large open space which is completely empty, save for the dust. There is no debris, no animal waste or carcasses, only dust and it is clear that nobody has been there in a long time.

Meanwhile Meori, Richard and Veronica are in the cellars trying to find the secret door they suspect is down there. Richard finds a strange tubular container by accident. It has the Justinian seal on top of it and it looks like nobody has touché it in decades or even centuries. It is rather heavy and it has a peculiar lock on it. They continue to look for the secret door and finally Meori finds a place where the dust appears to be more swept and then she finds the secret door. The corridor behind the secret door looks like the old crypts.

While Cut and sir Aran are making their way down to the cellars Cut asks questions about the Justinians and sir Aran’s relationship to them. When they reunite with the others. They show Cut the strange container and he finds out that it is made of ceram steel and that the peculiar lock is a gene lock. Richard and Veronica do not understand what a gene lock is. Cut says that nobody else should see it because it could be forbidden technology. Cut and Veronica argue and brother Bogumil hears the commotion and comes to the cellars to see what is going on. They spill the beans to Bogumil who trusts Meori but is baffled about brother Ulric’s death. Meori asks Bogumil to keep their secret and he agrees to do so for now but if there are more fatalities he will tell the truth. They notice that the ceiling is creaking and there might be somebody listening. Cut goes upstairs to investigate. This is where the game ended.

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