Mortal life / The Ritual
O1: I am Walder Hoffner, son of a veteran of the Great Northern war and the only member of my family to survive the plague of 1720s. The losses I experienced have made me desperate to cheat death.
O2. I cultivate the loyalty of my servant Gabriel while he teaches me French, by showing interest about Lyons and his life there before he was forced to flee unknown prosecutors.
O3. My heart longs for Frieda's touch but our love can never see the light of day. She is a peasant, I am of noble blood and I have dedicated my life to escape death. I dread the day that she will tell me she's married to someone else but I have to look past the pursuits of the flesh.
O4. My cousin Hans and the radicals he falls with are in the area. In one of his short visits my cousin informed me with excitement about another witch hunt. Gabriel is especially careful around Hans.
O5. Moving in the circles I move, I have noticed Karl von Gerter. I saved the arcanist from Hans' gang. Grateful, Karl revealed he has unlocked immortality. The key to the blasphemous ritual is frequent baths in the blood of mortals. Karl revealed several drawbacks but I didn't care. I was bathing in the blood of a peddler within a forthnight. My skin is now alabaster and cold. I use rouge and avoid touching humans with bare hands. Will Frieda join me in immortality or she will be repulsed by the creature I have become?
Characters:
Mortal: Frieda, the peasant woman I love.
Mortal: Gabriel, My mortal servant - refugee from Lyons.
Mortal: Hans Hoffner, my distant cousin and fierce opponent of the supernatural.
Immortal: Karl von Gerter, Gave me immortality.
The Early Years, Part A
A1: The flames of my laboratory illuminate our path as I escape into the night with Gabriel. The blood of several of Hans goons is fresh on my sword. We escape to Baden and I adopt the name Klaus Meyer.
A2: Less than a year in Baden, Gabriel introduced me to the Dark Shepherds; a group of scholars in the city of Rastatt with blasphemous pursuits of the occult deemed blasphemous by the church. My servant and new friends are aware of my pursuits but not my nature.
A3: I cut open Hans' throat with my sword after he found me in Rastatt while I was trying to lure a victim to my bath. I ended my cousin's life and his crusade against creatures like me. I feel a pang of guilt as I add his blood in the bathtube, sustaining my immortality but I was running out of time.
A4: What have I done!? Oh, Frieda, why did you have to follow Hans? The envy when I found your love letters among Hans' belongings turned to blind rage when I spotted you among the radicals following his demise. All I could do as you were dying was to use their blood to bathe you and save your life by spending theirs.
Will you ever forgive me?
The Curse of Lethe will eventually take this memory from you - and me - and perhaps we can share eternity together.
A5: Karin Lundberg was saved by my father in the Great Northern War from Russian troops - unbeknownst to him, Karin is a blood bather. She tracked me through Hans to Rastatt seeking to repay the favor before the Curse of Lethe erased the memory of the debt. In the years that followed she taught me how to cultivate the power of stolen lives to lay blood curses. I gifted to her the book of dark magics that I got from Karl.
Characters:
Immortal: Frieda, the peasant woman I loved. I had to turn her to a Blood Bather to save her life after I nearly killed her.
Immortal: Karin Lundberg, Swedish Blood bather and my mentor.
The Early Years, Part B
B1: Investigating rumors about precious books led me to an abandoned village in Reinhardswald forest. In a dark cavern I encountered and battled the Thing of Reinhardswald. The touch of its tentacles changed me. My eyes are black and my world has no colors anymore but at least, I can see in the dark.
B2: My heart is heavy as I hold Gabriel's corpse to my bosom after Frieda's surprise attack. His mortal mind could not withstand her curse and he turned on me; I barely survived. When did Frieda steal the book I gifted to Karin? I decided to flee to Alsace to escape Frieda but I cannot escape the passion for her that still burns in my heart. I both dread and look forward to the Curse of Lethe liberating me from the memories my heart holds so dear.
B3: Gabriel's family located me in Strasburg. I incorporate the few Dark Shepherds that escaped with me into the clan and share their arcane knowledge. They enter my service after spending a night lying next to Gabriel's remains.
B4: Karin lent me her power and we bathed Gabriel's skull with the blood of his firstborn daughter. The woman didn't want to die despite her age but she didn't struggle as we slowly drained her. Gabriel didn't return to life but the skull occasionally talks now.
B5: Societies like the one Hans was a member of are spreading as the number of blood bathers increase. More Blood Bathers means more drained corpses and that draws attention. These zealots are more knowledgeable than Hans has been as they knew to target my diary. As I wipe the blood of these zealots from my sword, I wonder what memories were lost with it. Frieda, before Hans stole you from me, did we ever shared a kiss that is now lost to the curse?
B6: I hear the screams of the Bishop's bastard as she burns to death along with her father as Gabriel's kin hold the door barred. Bishop, your lackeys burned my diary and now my lackeys burned you along with your illegitimate spawn. The inquisitors won't bother me for some time.
Characters:
Immortal: The Thing of Reinhardswald. An abomination that stole the color of my eyes.