5 July 1939

Killer reconnoitred the various boxes and crates in the outer warehouse.  Chance peeked through a crack in the door and saw a pretty woman there.  He announced himself and startled her.  After Evelyn stated that they had been sent from Krupna, the woman disappeared for a few minutes and then returned and invited them in.

Once in the warehouse, Chance and Evelyn were surrounded by men who took their long arms.  The woman questioned them as to their motives and why they had created so much trouble.  Chance responded that they had had no choice.  Killer, Gus and Tomas were invited in and surrendered their weapons without a fuss.  Chance showed her the letter from Frantisek Moravec.

The woman accepted that reply begrudgingly and took him to meet the leader in an upstairs office, while the others shared beer and cigarettes with the resistance men.

Chance was introduced to Vaclav Zajic, who was not pleased with the team’s performance so far.  Chance explained that their mission was to investigate atrocities at the castle and to put an end to them.  He also mentioned that the letter promised equipment and support for their movement in the future.

They discussed Father Andrej and Chance questioned him about the Father’s motives.

  • Zajic responded that the Father was not acting on behalf of the resistance, and that he was not part of their group.  The resistance leadership is leery of the Father, and Zajic questions his motives.
  • The Father’s activities have distracted the Germans from looking at their group, but the recent shootings have probably changed things.
  • Zajic mentioned that Father Andrej initially infiltrated the castle with the help of Helena, the resistance woman, who has befriended several of the German officers.  She was able to bring Father Andrej in to speak with the German wounded in their infirmary.  Somehow, he managed to leave the castle with half a dozen children who were being held there with their families without being noticed.

It was unknown what was going on up at the castle, but people believed that the children were to be used in experiments.

There were rumours of entire families being taken. But until the latest rescue, Father Andrej had only rescued children—it’s unknown why. No one knew what had happened to the adults Father Andrej had not rescued.

A witness to the third rescue said that Father Andrej seemed obsessed with rescuing “just the children”, and didn’t seem to care for the adults. He seemed somewhat deranged.

  • Chance asked what was happening at the castle.  Helena said that an SS doctor was doing medical research in one of the towers.  Only SS personnel could even get near it.  She added that, whatever they were doing there, none of the prisoners taken there has ever come out.
  • Chance went out on a limb and suggested an occult purpose to the Nazi research, and that perhaps Father Andrej was affected by what he saw at the castle.

Helena mentioned that Father Andrej was initially horribly disturbed by what he had seen at the castle, and refused to speak of it.  Sometime later, he became strangely elated by something he had discovered, and spoke of stopping the atrocities, even driving the Nazis out of Karlstein, and fighting fire with fire.

Zajic added that recently people had begun to worry about Father Andrej.  He had become very confident, even over-talkative, and his talk of doing God’s work was verging on blasphemy.

Chance postulated that Father Andrej may have stumbled upon some of the black magic that the Nazis were experimenting with and thinks that he can use it to his own ends.  Chance warned that such temptations were difficult to refuse, especially when one has a just cause to pursue.  The Father might have seen it as weapon from god.

Zajic said that Chance should meet the Father and see for himself.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy machine gun fire was heard nearby.  Zajic sent someone to investigate.  They came back a few minutes later and announced that the Germans has executed 20 peasants in retaliation for the ten German soldiers killed in Krupna.  He also reported that the Germans were on high alert, and that there were patrols all over town.

  • Evelyn was overcome with hysteria over the deaths of innocent people because of the team’s actions.
  • Chance talked her through it until she calmed down.

Zajic ordered his people to act normally, while he and Helena escorted the team to the monastery to meet with the Father.

  • Along the way, they were stopped by several patrols.  They told the Germans that they were coming to claim their dead.
  • They saw the bodies of 20 peasants who had been gunned down by a halftrack mounted MG38 against the wall of the monastery.

At the monastery gate, Zajic knocked on the shut door.  A monk spoke with them through a peep hole.  Zajic said that they had come to speak with Father Andrej.  The monk admitted them reluctantly.

At the entrance to the cathedral, they were met by a priest.  Zajic again said that they had come to see Father Andrej.  The priest stated that the Father did no represent the church or the monastery, and was only allowed sanctuary as would anyone under the circumstances.  Nevertheless, they had not told the Germans that he was hiding in the catacombs.

A monk was summoned to escort the team to the Father.

The Team

  • Sgt. Jack “Killer” Killarney, Irish British Army Sniper – Jordan
  • First Lt. Nathan “The Professor” Chance, American Military Attache and expert on occult matters – Jon
  • Evelyn Rose-Wolfe – SOE operative – Lucien
  • Petty Officer, Second Class Gus Anderson – Navy Diver and Demolitions expert – Blake
  • Tomáš Plašil, Czech Resistance Member – Kyle