uge Castle hallway. On both sides hang gigantic paintings depicting various battle scenes from the history of the Empire. There are no doors. High vaults, enormous arches and various decorations make this part of the castle look like a cathedral. Another peculiarity of the corridor is the fact that it is so long that you cannot see its end, and at its entrance… arrive the adventurers.]
[Gottfried] [slightly irritated] Lithaniel, are you absolutely sure there are bedrooms here somewhere?
[Lithaniel] [looking at the map he is holding] I don’t understand any of this. This place isn’t marked on the map.
[Yorri] Nice one, long ears, as usual, you never fail to fail.
[Lithaniel] [calmly tearing the map to pieces] Well, now it’s your call, shorty.
[Yorri] [happily] Ha! That’s more like it. We should’ve always trust the good ol’ guts…
[Lithaniel] [coldly] Yeah, same guts that made you an outcast?
[Yorri] [drawing his axe] Careful, you’re treading on thin ice.
[Lithaniel] Oh yes, but it will not crack under me, buddy…
[Gottfried] Hey, calm down! Yorri, look for a bedroom. We have no choice but to improvise, since our map turned out to be inaccurate.
[The elf and the dwarf look coldly at each other and move forward. They are followed by Gottfried and Jack. The halfling produces a sandwich from his backpack and starts eating it. They walk for a while, and at one point Lithaniel stops at one of the pictures and starts giggling.]
[Yorri] What’s so so funny, tree-climber?
[Lithaniel] [pointing to the painting] Witness the dwarven art of war in all its glory.
[Yorri stands next to him and looks at the painting. The canvas depicts a scene in which the dwarven king stands pierced by an orc spear on a hill that is actually a heap of the bodies of his elite warriors. There are goblins and orcs running around, mocking him. Yorri grinds his teeth almost audibly.]
[Yorri] [through gritted teeth] Oh yeah wise-ass? Remember the battle …
[Lithaniel] [moving forward dismissively] Yeah, yeah, move along, porky…
[Yorri] [panting heavily] Why you!
[The dwarf lunges at the elf and knocks him over. After a while, they both start hitting each other in the face and kicking their ribs. Seeing this, Gottfried suddenly becomes furious.]
[Gottfried] Damn morons!
[The human grabs his cane with both hands and starts to beat the dwarf and elf one after the other.]
[Gottfried] [hitting furiously] I told you, no quarrels!
[At one point, the elf seems to regain consciousness suddenly. He leaps to his feet and jumps out of range of the blows.]
[Lithaniel] Wait! I know where we are!
[Yorri] Bravo, detective. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m about to kick your ass straight into your head.
[Lithaniel] No, wait! This is all because of this place! Snap out of it!
[Gottfried] [still furiously] What are you raving about?
[Lithaniel] [in a calm voice] It’s this hallway. I’ve heard about this place. All these scenes on the walls… The magic forces accumulated here make everyone argue with each other. They release our worst instincts and make us fall into a blind rage… They make us want to kill each other.
[Yorri and Gottfried seem to slowly calm down.]
[Gottfried] [after a while] We have to get out of here as soon as possible. I don’t want to spend a minute longer in this strange place. We’re going … [suddenly, as if he remembered something] Wait, where is Jack?
[The adventurers turn back to see their companion standing some distance away from them. The halfling stares blankly at his backpack, which he has previously placed on the floor.]
[Gottfried] Jack! Come on, we gotta get out of here. It’s dangerous in here.
[Yorri] [ironically to Jack] Yeah little guy, move, or Gottfried will do as his ancestors and lock you in a concentration camp or just build you a little barrack here…
[Gottfried] [annoyed again] Damn you, don’t you start this again! I cannot be held responsible for the fact that a thousand years ago the people of the Empire decided to fence off the halflings for the mutual benefit of the races!
[Yorri] Yes, yes, I know …. Sigmar mit Uns! Purity über alles!
[Lithaniel] [in a nervous voice] Stop it! Damn, this place is going to end us all. Jack! Let’s go! Get over here before we kill each other.
[Gottfried] [to Yorri] At least the Greenskins didn’t slaughter us at Black Water!
[Yorri] If it weren’t for our cowardly human allies, the only green stuff in the woods would be the one in the treetops!
[Jack does not move from where he’s standing. After a moment, however, his face twists with a piercing, demoniacal smile. The halfling reaches into his backpack and produces strange steel claws and mounts them on his hands.]
[Lithaniel] Jack, what the hell is this?!
[Jack] [laughing demonically] Right, you little wretches, judgment is upon you… time to pay for your sins!
[Yorri and Gottfried stop arguing and watch in horror as the halfling approaches. The elf, the human, and the dwarf begin to slowly retreat. Jack follows them smiling madly, claws out front. The frightened party starts to run away. The halfling runs after them. Then Wilhelm comes out of a wall under one of the paintings. The demon folds his hands and looks towards the running adventurers.]
[Wilhelm] [shaking his head] What weird things happen in this hallway… [towards the audience] Well, let’s follow them, should be interesting.
[The demon calmly follows the adventurers’ footsteps.]