The command room lies beyond the zombie castle's iron doors. Outside, living defenders and undead guards crash against each other, their boots and snarls shaking dust from the ceiling.
Behind a barricaded desk, the zombified Captain of the Guard sits restrained at the wrists and ankles. He remains conscious, pale eyes fixed on Lavarsky.
the Captain of the Guard
You arrive to kill me, yet you do not know who ordered it. Ask your mysterious client what they promised for my death.
The client stands beside Lavarsky with empty hands plainly visible. No weapon is drawn, though the captain's accusation makes the silence between them feel deliberate.
the mysterious client
I paid for an execution, Captain. The identity of the true payer is not part of our agreement.
the Captain of the Guard
Then you were hired to bury a secret, not to end a life. Look outside. Their battle is for whoever controls this room.
Lavarsky Barnacle
The captain is restrained but conscious; the client carries no visible weapon.
✓ Quest Accepted
Learn who ordered the Captain's execution
“"Well, how about you tell me after we get some sweet, sweet bloodshed"”
SUCCESS (Fair Willpower, rolled +2)
Lavarsky Barnacle
Well, how about you tell me after we get some sweet, sweet bloodshed?
Lavarsky's provocation cuts through the command room. Beyond the iron doors, the crashing battle abruptly surges toward the entrance.
the Captain of the Guard
At last, a practical suggestion. Open those doors.
The client turns sharply, but the captain slams his restrained hands against the desk. The barricade shudders as undead guards force their way inside.
the mysterious client
You wanted bloodshed. Do not pretend surprise when it arrives.
Defenders and undead collide in the doorway, filling the room with boots, snarls, and the harsh crack of weapons. The captain watches the client through the chaos.
the Captain of the Guard
Now, assassin, ask who profits when this castle changes hands.
“"Who?!" I ask the client”
SUCCESS (Fair Willpower, rolled +1)
Lavarsky Barnacle
Who?!
Lavarsky's question cuts through the crush at the doorway. The client keeps their gaze on him while defenders stagger against the desk and the restrained captain listens.
the mysterious client
The castle's surviving command staff profits. They want the captain gone, the undead guard blamed, and every loyal defender answering to them by dawn.
the Captain of the Guard
A partial truth. The city quartermasters profit first. They control the food stores beneath this castle, and whoever holds this room controls the keys.
The client finally looks toward the captain. Their expression tightens as another impact rattles the iron doors, scattering dust across the captain's restraints.
the mysterious client
The quartermasters hired me through intermediaries. Your death removes the only person who can expose their theft. That is who profits.
the Captain of the Guard
Now you know the bargain's true shape, assassin. Kill me, and the thieves inherit the castle. Leave me alive, and they lose their cover.
Quest Complete
Learn who ordered the Captain's execution
Attribute Upgrade: Willpower Fair→Good
“"I wan't paid for making decisions" I take out my tommy gun”
SUCCESS (Legendary Firearms, rolled -1)
Lavarsky Barnacle
I wasn't paid to make decisions.
Lavarsky draws his tommy gun and brings it ready across his body. The weapon's metal catches the command room's dim light as the doorway buckles again.
the mysterious client
You were paid to kill one target. Do not broaden the contract now.
the Captain of the Guard
There is your answer, assassin. The quartermasters want a corpse, not justice.
A defender stumbles through the doorway and drops behind the desk, while an undead guard crashes against the iron frame. The restrained captain keeps his eyes on Lavarsky's gun.
the mysterious client
Lower it, and I can still pay you to leave. Raise it, and everyone here decides what your silence is worth.
the Captain of the Guard
Ask the client who holds the food-store keys. That answer matters more than my life.
“"You are wrong, both ofyou. I was paid to kill the Captain!"”
SUCCESS (Good Willpower, rolled -1)
Lavarsky Barnacle
You are both wrong. I was paid to kill the Captain.
The declaration lands over the gunfire. Lavarsky keeps the tommy gun trained across his body, making the contract plain to everyone in the room.
the mysterious client
Then stop arguing and finish it. Your payment was for his death, not an inquiry into mine.
the Captain of the Guard
And now you have said it aloud. Every defender in this room knows whose assassin you are.
A burst of gunfire cracks from the doorway. Splinters strike Lavarsky's shoulder and the desk, raising a sharp sting while the captain's restraints rattle.
the Captain of the Guard
If you mean to honor that contract, do it before the quartermasters arrive for their keys.
the mysterious client
Choose quickly, Lavarsky. The captain is still your target, and now your hesitation has witnesses.
✓ Quest Accepted
Kill the Captain of the Guard
“I fire at the captain, and keep firing at his corpse even when he's dead.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Firearms, rolled -1)
Lavarsky fires. The tommy gun's roar fills the command room, drowning the battle outside as the restrained captain is killed behind the desk.
He keeps firing into the captain's motionless corpse until the weapon clicks empty. Smoke hangs beneath the ceiling, and the room falls briefly silent.
the mysterious client
Contract fulfilled. Reload, Lavarsky. The quartermasters will hear that gunfire and come for the keys.
the Captain of the Guard
The captain does not move. His restraints remain fixed to the desk while the defenders stare at Lavarsky and the undead press against the damaged doorway.
the mysterious client
You made witnesses of everyone here. Now decide whether you want payment, answers, or a way out before the next wave arrives.
Footsteps thunder beyond the corridor, heavier and more organized than the struggling guards. A metal key ring clatters somewhere outside the command room.
Quest Complete
Kill the Captain of the Guard