The country estate of Lord Payne has been mostly unaffected by the distant war between the city of Blackwater and its neighbour—but the lord's son and most of his men-at-arms are away at the front, which leaves very few retainers to investigate the fate of the reclusive herbalist Altus after his blood-spattered messenger pigeon arrives at Payne Castle. Is the nearby village of Red Creek once again threatened by mercenary bandits? It's up to your unlikely expedition to find out.

The Shadow of Devil's Peak creeps towards the University as hundreds of people move around the campus on the footslopes of the mountain. The warm summer afternoon's heat sends most diving for shade, and here you are, another tutorial...

Gruesome murders have been committed on Bodmin Moor, tensions are running high. Since the moor is a major tourist attraction in the area. The superstitious locals have put the murders down as more mysteries of the moor and are hurriedly buying rabbits feet and garlic, to prevent them from being the next victim. However the local police on the case must put aside their own fears of the supernatural beings and interrogate these deaths.

He sits on the cold, polished marble floor of the De Rais Institute, in nothing but a pair of suit pants. Around him burn red, white and black candles, their smoke lazily drifting up into the air. He sits cross-legged, concentrating. To his left, a studio photo of a beautiful woman; to his right a polaroid of a young girl.

"Is everything prepared, Doctor?" It is his accomplice, the gravely voice unmistakable.

"Yes, of course it is. I want this as much as you do." He replies. The emotion drains away from his voice first, then from the rest of him.

"Good. Losing focus now could be very detrimental to our shared vision."

"I know. I'm focussed."

"Soon, Doctor, soon. Now, spill the blood."

He takes up the knife, and gets up. He begins to cut his arms, spilling his blood carefully onto the various hand-drawn chalk circles and squiggles that occupy a large portion of the entrance hall.

He suddenly feels the surge of power in the air around him. He feels the air ripple across his bare skin. He feels the force of the buckle. It reminds him of being in a car crash.

Above him, the air is deformed, twisted. It tears right above him, in the middle of his sigils. A ragged hole opens. Through it, he can see infinity.

"We've done it! Or at least you've done it, Doctor!"

He looks down at his accomplice, a look of wonder and anticipation on his face. His reflection is grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes, yes, we have." The doctor's mouth spreads into a grin.