July 19, 2012 - Brennenburg Castle, Poland

642

Rumor speaks of a castle hidden deep in the Prussian forests where once unwholesome rituals were performed to open a gateway between universes. None could tell me anything about the specifics of what had happened, apart from fragmented anecdotes hinting at the dark history of Brennenburg Castle.

I wasn’t expecting to find anything helpful there. After checking through multiple prestigious libraries, an abandoned castle and some scattered rumors weren’t exactly the most promising options. But my other options had run out, so to the castle I went.

Don’t know what happened to this place, but it must have been nasty. Parts of the castle looked like they’d been torn apart, bloodstained torture instruments were hidden in the dark corners of the dungeons, and there were a lot more skeletons than I was expecting. There was a library in the outer section of the library, but while the books it had were interesting, they contained nothing I didn’t already know. For the real knowledge, I needed to go deeper into the castle.

Didn’t help that the castle seemed to be designed like a maze. What kind of dumbass architect makes sections of a building only accessible by going through the sewers? And what was with gears for the elevator being hidden in the next room, or keys being placed in seemingly inaccessible spots? I found myself just smashing through walls instead of having to deal with the circular insane logic needed to navigate this castle.

I had an encounter with what might have been a remnant of the castle’s past while searching through some flooded hallways. Heard the sound of splashing coming toward me, as though something was chasing me. I could see the splashes it made in the water with its approach, but I couldn’t physically see it. However, I was able to see its presence in time. When it lunged for me, I grabbed it and tore it in half. Guess this shadow arm’s going to be useful after all.

Once I reached the innermost section of the castle, I found the knowledge I sought. A ritual had been performed here, not unlike the one done by Lupine. Those glowing orbs were the keys: they were ancient devices, older than humanity, which could open the gates between universes. With the right modifications to the ritual, it could be used to open a hole into the Quiet.

So the main issue for me is going to be getting those orbs. Might take more research to figure out where I should be looking. But I’ll get them, sure enough.

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