Stories in the city of Bhaengyl tell of the terrible Red Service at Sunset Chapel, a day that took the lives of hundreds of the faithful. When the screams stopped and the Beast of Bhaengyl fled into the night, and the doors were hauled open, the floor was awash with blood and torn viscera. Only a single member of the parish lived to tell the tale- a young acolyte named Rhyc. Blood-spattered and terrified, he shakily stammered out the terror of witnessing the Beast tear apart every member of the congregation, wolfing down bites in between savage attacks. The Beast was never found, and many years have passed. Now young Rhyc has become the deacon of Bhaengyl, and shepherds his flock in the very chapel that saw such desecration. He is welcoming to adventurers, and if they are doing works to protect the city, he is willing to offer healing for free.
One ancient woman of the town, however, accosts adventurers who come nearby. She tells the story from a different angle- she was a young woman at the time, late to chapel because she had been dallying with a farmhand. She missed the Red Service itself, but saw the Beast as it fled the scene, springing down from the steeple and bounding into an alley behind- where she saw it change form inexplicably into a young man. She tells the story because she wants those responsible for her parents' deaths brought to justice. How you can use the Red Service in your games: - Rhyc is some kind of Were-beast, and was responsible for the deaths of his parishioners years ago. This was his first transformation, and took him and others by surprise. Since then, he has learned to prey on animals or travelers outside the city when the time comes, laving him blameless. - Rhyc was a Were-beast, but through prayer and meditation, controls his beast-form, having claimed no more lives since the Red Service. He is truly contrite, and tries to live the most moral life he can to make up for the slaughter at this hands. If confronted, he admits his mistake in his teenage years, and asks them to consider whether his service can be balanced against the evil he once did. - Rhyc was only another victim of the Were-beast of Bhaengyl, and the true Beast is someone else from town, who has concealed their responsibility - a dwarven cooper named Deffyd. If he hears that an investigation into the Beast's identity has begun, he may try to silence witnesses, starting with the old lady, Myrdia, and moving on to the PCs. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 3 April 2021. Comments are closed.
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