Rattle of bones

In the shadow‑streaked depths of the Black Forest, two weary wanderers stumble upon a ramshackle tavern marked only by a cleft skull. The proprietor, a hulking, bearded figure with unsettling red eyes, greets them with a grudging hospitality that feels more like a warning than a welcome. Inside, the flickering candlelight throws grotesque shapes on the walls, hinting that the place has seen far more than ordinary travelers.

Solomon, a grim English swordsman, and Gaston, a flamboyant French adventurer, share a tense night in a spartan room, each wary of the other and of the silent host who watches from the darkness. Their uneasy conversation turns to practical concerns—bars, bolts, and the unsettling feeling that the tavern is designed to keep its guests from leaving. As they explore the dim corridors, the unsettling atmosphere suggests that the forest’s secrets are far from exhausted, promising a night that may test both their resolve and their trust in one another.