TW: Derealization, Time loop, sexual reference.
There is a lot of dust in the air. The room appears to be empty, except for a few bookshelves and an old desk. There are a large number of very old, dusty books on the shelves. A small book with a red cover lies open on top of the desk. Dustin approaches it curiously.
The book is called "An Introduction To Blood Magic". It's rather thick. Dusty opens the pages carefully so as not to damage them further.
You find yourself standing at the center of the pentagram, inside which you have just cast your spell. The room around you is now filled with swirling shadows that twist and writhe like snakes before finally disappearing into nothingness. You feel a strange tingling sensation across your skin, but otherwise there seems no change. You gaze about in confusion. What was that? It almost felt... sexual!
You're back in the main hallway of the castle. Everything seems normal again. You turn east towards the door that leads out to the south wing, but then stop. Something seems wrong here, you can't quite put your finger on what it is. But something is off.
Aaaah! I've been tricked!
I'm afraid this isn't working out.
You hear a click behind you.
What was that?
You look back to see a small door concealed in shadow. On its surface is an engraved sign with a symbol that looks vaguely familiar.
Gnome's Private Bathroom.
You're standing in the private bathroom of a gnomish nobleman. This is definitely one of those places where they keep things locked up tight. You don't know if you can trust this place or not.
You head south down the corridor.
Dustin stops suddenly when he reaches the door. He realizes that he has forgotten the password.
He turns around and goes back to the north end of the hallway.
This place is full of traps!
You go west through the tunnel.
The tunnel continues to stretch into the distance, but eventually you reach a dead-end. The walls and ceiling are covered with moldering fungus that makes breathing difficult. However, there is a narrow walkway leading off to the south side. You follow it until you come to another tunnel opening. This time, the path continues to lead south into darkness.
Dustin heads south.
Dustin finds himself standing in the middle of a large, musty library. The room is filled with rows upon rows of dusty bookshelves. A large fireplace sits to the northwest. There is also a desk at the far end of the room. An ancient scrollcase lies open on the desk. The only other items in the room are two chairs.
Books lie scattered across the floor. Many of them are missing their covers and are crumbling away. Dusty picks up one of the fallen books and examines it closely. It seems to be titled "The Art Of Self-Mutilation". There are several pages torn from the book, probably due to careless handling.
Dusty walks over to the fireplace.
While the fireplaces in most houses are meant to heat the rooms, this one is obviously used for more sinister purposes. In fact, you can smell the smoke of the burning flesh wafting down the chimney.
Dustin heads south out of the library.
Dustin sees a man in black robes standing on the balcony of a turreted tower. The figure is shrouded in shadow, but it seems to be holding something close to its chest. The figure beckons Dustin forward with a gesture.
