[GAME INTRO - CINEMATIC CUTSCENE] – CHAPTER 1
FADE IN:
EXT. WOODS – NIGHT
Darkness. Heavy breathing. Twigs snap. Leaves thrash. A man sprints through the dense forest, panting, eyes wide with terror. Moonlight slashes through the branches in jagged shafts. A demonic howl tears through the night—inhuman, guttural and close. He glances back, trips, and crashes through thick brush slamming into the ground. Scrambles to his feet, then
A SCREAM.
FADE TO BLACK.
EXT. GRASSLAND PATH – DAWN
Soft wind rustles the tall grass. A lone rider crests the hill — LUCIUS, cloaked in dark leather armour, rides with quiet confidence. His hood is drawn low, casting shadow over piercing eyes that scan the horizon with a hunter’s calm. Stubble lines his jaw; his expression, unreadable. A silver cross hangs from his chest, strapped tight across a breastplate scarred by old battles.
In the distance, a thin trail of smoke curls into the sky. He narrows his eyes, then turns his horse toward it.
EXT. EDGE OF THE WOODS – SHORTLY AFTER
Lucius enters the tree line. The atmosphere darkens. The village appears — quiet, unnatural stillness as smoke wafts from smouldering rooftops. At the village gates “Dunham” — bodies hang, lifeless, swaying gently. Their eyes gouged. A cruel warning.
LUCIUS (grimly)
"…Too late again."
He dismounts and walks carefully through the village. Crows scatter. Blood stains the walls. He kneels in the dirt, running gloved fingers across charred soil.
LUCIUS
"Working faster these days."
A shape stirs in the shadows behind him. A man emerges — his body human, but wrong. Veins bulge black beneath his skin, his eyes burn with an unnatural light. His movements twitch, unnatural, as if something else pulls the strings. A low, guttural growl escapes his throat—not his own. He is no longer just a man, but a vessel for something far darker.
DEMON (smirking)
"You always did arrive just after the fun ended — I was wondering when you would finally"
—THWIP! A crossbow bolt tears through the demon’s eye. It drops instantly, dead before it hits the ground. Lucius stands, walks to the body.
LUCIUS
"…Talk too much."
He rips the bolt free, flicks it clean. Pulls a small vial from his belt, uncorks it, and fills it with the demon’s blood. As the liquid fills the glass—The demon’s body collapses into ash.
SOUND OF HOOFBEATS — growing louder A convoy arrives. Armoured horses. Banner of the KING. At the front rides SIR CALRIC — stoic, cold, armoured like judgment.
SIR CALRIC
"Well. What a curious sight. A village full of corpses… and one man still standing."
Lucius doesn’t look up. He corks the vial, slipping it into a pouch.
LUCIUS
"I was too late to save them."
SIR CALRIC (coldly amused)
"How fortunate then, that you arrived in time to be a suspect."
He dismounts slowly, boots thudding against the ground. His men fan out, crossbows ready but not raised — yet.
SIR CALRIC (circling Lucious)
"You know, if I were a man with secrets, I’d be cautious about leaving such a trail. Hanging bodies, burnt homes, stench of death in the air… it doesn’t exactly scream 'hero.'"
LUCIUS (dryly)
"If you'd arrived earlier, you would have seen it."
Calric’s eyes narrow. A faint smile touches his lips, but it's not kind.
SIR CALRIC
"Ah, the infamous Lucius— demon hunter, gravedigger, or glorified murderer depending on the tale. I wonder… which are you today?"
LUCIUS (steps toward him calmly)
"The kind who just gave your kingdom another week's peace. Not that your king will thank me for it."
SIR CALRIC (voice sharpens)
"The king does not thank men who leave ash and suspicion in their wake."
pause
Calric signs for his men to bind Lucious. Lucius stiffens as Calric’s men step closer. One grabs his sword. Another begins to bind his wrists.
LUCIUS
"You know exactly what was here, Calric. You've seen the signs before — the stench, the ash. You know it wasn't me."
SIR CALRIC (stepping in close)
"Oh, I know. That’s what bothers me."
He leans in slightly, voice cold but controlled.
SIR CALRIC
"You're always nearby, aren't you? Redmarsh, Dornvale. Wherever there's blood and ruin, there you are… collecting your little trophies."
A glance at the vial tucked in Lucious’s belt.
LUCIUS
"You don't understand what you're dealing with."
SIR CALRIC (smirks)
"No. But the king will. And he prefers his monsters chained before he speaks to them."
He turns away.
SIR CALRIC (without looking back)
"Take him, on suspicion of murder. We ride for Ebonreach."
[CUTSCENE - ESTABLISHING SHOT]
EXT. EBONREACH – DAY
A sweeping aerial shot reveals the grand city of Ebonreach — carved into the edge of a jagged cliffside where land meets sea. Towering stone walls, winding cobblestone streets, and steepled rooftops.
The Ebonreach Castle looms at the city’s highest point — a massive citadel of stone and silver towers, perched like a watching hawk.
INT. THE KING’S THRONE – EBONREACH – EVENING
Lucius is led through towering stone halls, lit by the cold flicker of braziers. The King’s Chambers loom like a sanctum—vaulted ceilings, stained glass, and the scent of incense. At the end of the hall, on a raised platform, sits King Roderic—a lean, hawk-eyed man wrapped in red and silver. His presence is as rigid as iron, and his voice, rings with authority.
KING RODERIC (quietly, but firm)
“So, you’re the one found at the edge of a massacre.”
Lucius stands, unflinching. His wrists still bound. Sir Calric steps forward.
SIR CALRIC
“Every time blood is spilled, he’s there. Conveniently too late to help, it would seem.”
Lucius glares at him but keeps his tone even.
LUCIUS
“I’m not a butcher. I hunt what hides in the dark. Creatures of the old blood. What happened at the village… wasn’t human.”
A pause. The King watches Lucius, reading the weight behind his words. Then, something shifts behind his eyes—a thought forming.
KING RODERIC
“I should have you hanged for suspicion alone.”
leans forward slightly
“And yet… I may have use for you.”
He stands slowly, stepping down from the platform. His armour barely makes a sound.
KING RODERIC (cont’d)
"My forces are stretched thin — House Valmore presses our border, and Northman raiders strike without warning.”
Lucius remains silent.
“I recently dispatched a scouting party to the village of Thornmere, they didn’t return. Rumours… speak of something vile stirring there. My people have gone missing.”
Lucius tilts his head, curious.
LUCIUS
“And what do these rumours say?”
KING RODERIC
“A shadow. A figure that comes with the fog and takes what it pleases. Nothing more. But that’s often where truth begins.”
SIR CALRIC (urgently)
“Your Majesty, this is a mistake. He can’t be trusted.”
King Roderic raises his hand to enforce silence.
KING RODERIC (to Lucius)
“Nor can silence in the face of evil.”
“You’ll be freed, under one condition—you serve the crown. You will travel to Thornmere and uncover what plagues it. If you run, you will be hunted.”
Lucius meets his gaze without flinching.
LUCIUS
“Then I’ll need steel. And men who won’t scream at shadows.”
The King nods once.
KING RODERIC
“You’ll have three. Two swordsmen and Captain Renald, my guard’s second. They leave at first light.”
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Lucius gives a slight bow, and takes leave accompanied by King Roderic’s guard.
EXT. ROAD TO THORNMERE – MORNING
The sky hangs heavy with clouds as Lucius, Captain Renald, and two soldiers ride a narrow trail cutting through wind-swept moors. Crows circle overhead.
They pass through a battlefield, littered with broken banners and the bodies of Northmen and Ebonreach soldiers alike. A silent testament to war.
CAPTAIN RENALD (breaking the silence)
“I know who you are, cleric. You were at Dornvale. You saved my nephew from a sickness.”
Lucius doesn’t look at him. He keeps his eyes ahead.
LUCIUS
“He wasn’t sick. He was possessed.”
A pause. The horses tread around a rusted spear jutting from a corpse.
CAPTAIN RENALD
“Well… you have my thanks.”
LUCIUS
“Do you know anything more about this fog?”
CAPTAIN RENALD
“Only that when it comes… someone disappears. No screams. No tracks. Just gone.”
LUCIUS (quietly, almost to himself)“Then it's not a fog. It's a veil.”
He finally glances at Renald, eyes cold.
LUCIUS (cont’d)“And something’s watching from the other side.”
They ride on in silence.
EXT. THORNMERE – NIGHTFALL
They arrive at Thornmere, a village draped in fog and silence. Lanterns flicker in windows, but the streets are empty. Carts abandoned. Doors barred. The air feels wrong—heavy, like breath before a storm.
A peasant woman, dirt-smudged and hollow-eyed, steps from behind a broken fence. She clutches a child to her side.
PEASANT WOMAN
“Are you here to help us? We’ve got nowhere left to go. It’s getting worse…”
She looks toward the tree line, haunted.
PEASANT WOMAN (cont’d)
“Whoever’s left is hiding in their homes. They only come out when the sun’s high… And even then, they don’t go far.”
LUCIUS
“We’ll need shelter. And answers. Point us to who’s still talking.”
She hesitates, then nods toward a dimly lit chapel at the far end of the village.
PEASANT WOMAN
“Father Halwin. If anyone knows anything, it’s him. But he’s… not been the same, since the fog took his brother. “
INT. THORNMERE CHAPEL – NIGHT
The chapel is dim, lit by a few dying candles. Rows of pews cast long shadows. Father Halwin stands before the altar, head bowed in prayer—but his posture is stiff, strained.
FATHER HALWIN
“You shouldn’t have come here. The people—there’s little left to save.”
CAPTAIN RENALD
“We didn’t come for your blessings, priest. We came for answers.”
LUCIUS
“The fog. The disappearances. You’ve seen it, haven’t you?”
Father Halwin’s eyes twitch. He looks up, face pale.
FATHER HALWIN
“I... I’ve prayed. I’ve begged for it to stop. It’s a curse. My brother was the first… the fog took him. Took his soul.”
Lucius narrows his eyes, studying the priest’s face. Something feels off.
LUCIUS (coldly)
“We’re done here.”
CAPTAIN RENALD (confused)
“Wait—what do you mean, we’re done?”
Lucius steps past him, voice low but firm. He glances over his shoulder at Halwin, eyes sharp.
LUCIUS (cont’d)
“Post two men outside the church. No one goes in or out without my word.”
Lucius exits the church alone.
EXT. CHAPEL – MOMENTS LATER
Lucius circles around the back of the chapel. Moonlight casts eerie patterns through the fog. He finds a locked door to the presbytery—a private chamber for the clergy. He draws a dagger, slips the latch, and enters.
INT. PRESBYTERY – CONTINUOUS
Dusty. Claustrophobic. A single oil lamp flickers on a desk cluttered with parchment. Lucius rifles through drawers until he finds a leather-bound journal. He flips through pages—shaky handwriting, ink smeared with emotion.
I loved her. She was never meant for him...
He found us. The argument turned to violence.
I didn’t mean to—
I buried him and blamed the fog...
But the guilt festered. Something answered. I hear it in the night.
Lucius closes the book slowly.
LUCIUS (to himself)
“You didn’t just invite it… You fed it.”
EXT. CHAPEL – NIGHT
He moves to return—but a scream cuts the air. Then another. Blades ringing. The fog thickens unnaturally fast. Lucius runs back toward the square.
EXT. TOWN SQUARE – NIGHT
One of the soldiers lies eviscerated, body twitching. The other is missing a head, still slumped against a post. Blood stains the mist. From the chapel steps Captain Renald, sword drawn. A growl behind him.
Too late.
A demon—tall, skeletal, its face half-human, half-horned horror—rips through him, lifting him into the air and tearing him apart like paper.
Lucius draws his silver blade, eyes locked.
LUCIUS (calmly)
“You’ve fed long enough.”
INTENSE FIGHT SEQUENCE
The demon lunges. Lucius rolls aside, slashes across its chest—black blood hisses on the stone. It vanishes into the fog, strikes from above, claws sparking against Lucius’s blade.
A brutal back-and-forth—Lucius slashes tendons, evades with precision, chants a binding rite under his breath.
The demon retreats into the chapel, Father Halwin screams, Lucius enters the chapel. Fathers body hanging from the ceiling as an upside down cross. The fight continues. Lucius pins the demon with a dagger of blessed iron—then plunges his sword through its chest. The demon shrieks, begins to rot from the inside out.
It collapses, the fog lifting with it, then turns to ash.
EXT. THORNMERE – DAWN
Smoke from the smouldering chapel mingles with the morning light. The fog has receded. Villagers peek from their homes, blinking like they’ve awoken from a dream.
Lucius wipes his blade clean, silent.
EXT. EDGE OF THORNMERE – EARLY MORNING
An uneasy silence behind him. Lucius stands alone, breath misting in the dawn chill. His blade rests at his side, blood still drying on the edge.
Then—he hears it. A soft voice. Familiar. Gentle.
“Lucius…”
He freezes.
WIFE’S VOICE (whispering, like wind through trees)
“Find me…”
His eyes widen. His breath catches in his throat.
LUCIUS
“No… it can’t be.”
He turns slowly, scanning the mist along the forest’s edge. Nothing—just trees and fog. But the voice returns, closer this time.
WIFE’S VOICE
“Lucius… please…”
He takes a cautious step forward. Then another. A look of pain flickers across his face—a memory, raw and unhealed:
FLASHBACK – A DIM ROOM IN FLAMES
Lucius runs towards his wife, screaming her name as a demonic shape looms above, wrenching her soul from her body. Her scream echoes, eyes wide in terror, then—silence.
BACK TO PRESENT
“He shakes the memory off, but the pain lingers in his eyes.”
LUCIUS (low, broken)
“You died. I saw it. I saw it take you.”
The voice doesn’t answer. Instead, a glimmer—a flickering silhouette—disappears between the trees. Lucius runs towards the silhouette, slips, falls, and becomes unconscious.
EXT. FOREST BEYOND THORNMERE – UNKNOWN TIME
Lucius jerks his head up—the sky is wrong. It was morning when he entered. Now it’s twilight, and he doesn’t remember the sun ever moving.
LUCIUS (under breath)
“How long have I been here?”
Lucius emerges from the deeper woods, dazed. His eyes scan the now familiar path, trying to find his way back to Thornmere.
Then
Voices. Footsteps. Dozens of them.
SIR CALRIC rides into view, flanked by a fresh squad of soldiers. Armour clinks. Horses snort. Crossbows drawn.
SIR CALRIC
“There he is. Step away from the blade, cleric.”
Lucius doesn't move, still gripping his sword, remains silent.
SIR CALRIC
“Three of the King’s men are dead. And you—wandering alone into cursed woods like some damned heretic. This isn’t a hunt, Lucius. It’s treason.”
Lucius lowers his sword slowly, but his gaze is locked on Calric’s.
LUCIUS
“The demon is dead. The village is safe.”
SIR CALRIC
“Safe? You vanish, two men are torn to ribbons, and the captain is in pieces. The King ordered your service, not your disappearance.”
Lucius says nothing.
SIR CALRIC (to his men)
“Disarm him.”
They close in. Lucius doesn’t resist and his blade is taken.
SIR CALRIC (mocking)
“Back to the dungeon where monsters belong.”
The hilt of Calric’s sword strikes Lucius. Screen fades to black.
EXT. EBONREACH STREETS – CONTINUOUS
The camera swoops down into the bustling city streets of Ebonreach.
Children dart between vendors, clutching candied fruit. A street bard strums a lute, singing tales of ancient kings. Merchants shout prices. Townsfolk laugh. Flags and streamers flutter overhead — today is Harvest’s Grace, a local festival celebrating the season’s end.
A parade moves through the square — jugglers, flame-dancers, painted horses. Barrels of mead are tapped. Flowers are thrown from windows.
EXT. EBONREACH CASTLE – CONTINUOUS
The camera pulls up the hillside path to the castle. Guards in polished armour with crimson accents patrol the perimeter. Banners with the royal crest flap in the wind. The music from the city fades, replaced by the echo of steel on stone.
The camera glides past a stained-glass window — a regal image of the King of Ebonreach. King Roderic.
Then: into the shadows beyond the glass... down a spiraling staircase… through a heavy iron door…
INT. CASTLE DUNGEONS – DAY
(DIMLY LIT) Torchlight flickers. Rats skitter. Water drips from moss-covered stones. The cheer of the city above is gone — silence here is heavy.
The camera moves through the stone corridor until it stops at one cell with iron bars.
Inside, slouched against the back wall in chains, is LUCIUS— head bowed, wrists bruised, cloak torn. A streak of dried blood clings to his jaw. He sits in stillness, alone in his cell.
A single shaft of light cuts through a crack in the stone wall, illuminating half his face — the other half lost to shadow.
Lucius sits in silence on a stone bench, chained at the wrists. In the cell across from him, lounging like he owns the place, is CASSIAN BLACKWOOD — mid-twenties, ruggedly handsome, sharp-eyed, charming, and wearing a smirk like it’s part of his wardrobe.
CASSIAN
"So… demon hunter, huh?"
LUCIUS (flatly)
"No."
CASSIAN (grinning)
"Ah. Mysterious traveler with a death wish then. I can respect that."
Lucius doesn't reply.
CASSIAN (leans forward)
"I’m Cassian. Cassian Blackwood. Thief, liar, gambler… and, if you ask Lady Rowena of Dunmere, a heartbreaker. Allegedly."
(pauses)
"You got a name, or are you one of those mysterious types who only speaks in riddles?"
LUCIUS
"Lucius."
CASSIAN
"Just Lucius?"
LUCIUS
"That’s all you need."
CASSIAN (scoffs)
"Alright then, Lucius. Just so you know, this isn’t a long-term lease. My ride’s on the way."
Lucius raises an eyebrow.
LUCIUS
"You're expecting a carriage?"
CASSIAN (grinning)
"Not exactly."
INT. PRISON BLOCK – EBONREACH DUNGEONS –NIGHT
The camera lingers on Lucius and Cassian, still in their adjacent cells.
CASSIAN (casually, to Lucious)
"Don’t worry, this part of the evening’s always the most boring. Until it isn’t."
Lucius raises an eyebrow, unconvinced.
CASSIAN (leans back, smug)
"Any moment now…"
EXT. EBONREACH CASTLE WALL – SAME TIME
A faint flicker of light. Then: a massive BOOM!
A section of the outer wall explodes inward in a burst of smoke, flame, and stone. Debris rains down the hillside. Guards shout in panic as bells begin to echo.
INT. PRISON BLOCK – MOMENTS LATER
Dust and fire ripple through the dungeon as the shockwave hits. Chunks of ceiling fall. Lucius instinctively ducks.
A hole is blasted in the far wall of the corridor — still smoking — revealing SERENA VOSS, her long, dark brunette hair flows in waves, catching the glow as it spills over her shoulders. She has striking features, sharpened by soot and shadow — piercing eyes silhouetted by the firelight. She steps in through the haze, bow in one hand, smirk on her face.
CASSIAN (coughing, amused)
"That’s not exactly subtle, Serena!"
SERENA
"If you didn’t keep getting locked up, I wouldn’t have to knock down half the bloody castle!"
CASSIAN
"I prefer the term ‘temporarily detained.’"
She tosses him a key. He catches it with flair and unlocks his cell.
Lucius stands, watching through the bars.
SERENA (nods toward Lucious)
"Friend of yours?"
CASSIAN
"More like… brooding cell neighbour. But he fights demons, apparently. Could be useful."
Serena eyes Lucius for a beat, then tosses him the second key.
SERENA
"Hope you're better with a blade than you are at introductions."
Lucius unlocks his shackles, rolls his wrists.
LUCIUS (quietly)
"Let’s find out."
INT. CASTLE CORRIDORS – ESCAPE SEQUENCE
The trio sprints through the crumbling corridors as guards rush in. Fire brushes the stone walls behind them. Serena leads the way, dodging arrows and hurling smoke bombs. Cassian grabs a fallen sword and spins it with flair.
Lucius fights with sharp, brutal efficiency — no wasted movement. He deflects a soldier’s strike aimed at Cassian, saving him from a deadly blow. Cassian, pausing just long enough to register the save, offers a rare look of acknowledgment.
EXT. RIVER DOCK – NIGHT
They burst through a tunnel exit onto a dock hidden beneath the castle. A small boat rocks against the waterline, half-hidden in the mist.
SERENA
"Get in!"
They leap into the boat. Serena cuts the rope, and they drift into the fog just as horns blare across the cliffs above.
EXT. RIVER DOCK – NIGHT
The boat drifts into the mist-shrouded waters. Behind them, the silhouette of Ebonreach Castle burns in the distance — horns echo faintly across the cliffs.
INT. SMALL BOAT – MOMENTS LATER
Lucius sits opposite Cassian and Serena. The water laps softly against the hull. No one speaks for a beat — the adrenaline still fading. Cassian leans back, catching his breath, tossing a wink at Serena.
CASSIAN
“Well, that went smoothly.”
SERENA (dry)
“We blew a hole through a royal dungeon.”
CASSIAN
“Details.”
Lucius eyes them both, silent. Then:
LUCIOUS
“You risked a lot for him.”
SERENA
“He’s annoyingly good at finding trouble. I’m just better at getting him out of it.”
CASSIAN (grinning)
“See? She likes me.”
Serena rolls her eyes — then her expression shifts. She reaches into a pouch at her side and pulls out a small, cloth-wrapped object.
SERENA
“And speaking of trouble...”
She unwraps the cloth — revealing a crimson jewel, jagged like cracked glass, pulsing faintly with an unnatural inner light. It hums softly in the air, vibrating with quiet menace.
Lucius leans forward, his demeanour sharpening.
LUCIUS
“Where did you get that?”
CASSIAN (shrugging)
“Little souvenir from Lord Haldrin’s manor.”
The jewel pulses. Faint whispering fills the silence for a moment — barely audible.
LUCIUS (eyes narrowing, voice low)
"I’ve seen that symbol before. Varnak’Thul."
Serena and Cassian exchange a glance, the air suddenly heavier.
SERENA
"You know what it is?"
Lucius stares at the artifact, almost reverent — but cautious.
LUCIUS
“I’ve read about it in the old texts. That stone is ancient... It wasn’t forged — it was found. Pulled from the heart of something that never drew breath.”
CASSIAN
“So, this shiny red rock’s not just creepy — it’s a relic of some undead god? Great.”
LUCIUS
“Not a relic. A key.”
Serena’s expression darkens.
SERENA
“A key to what?”
Lucius doesn’t look away from the gem.
LUCIUS
“I’m not sure, but I might know someone who does."
CASSIAN (half-joking)
“Remind me to stop stealing things that glow and hum ominously.”
Lucius slowly wraps the fragment in cloth again, shielding it from view.
LUCIUS (cold)
“Turn this boat and head to the Ashmore Pines, near Dunmere. I need to get a few things.”
Serena turns to Cassian.
SERENA
“Haldrin’s men torched everything after we slipped out of Ebonreach, we’ve lost everything.”
Cassian stares at the jewel wrapped in cloth.
CASSIAN
“Not everything it seems.”
He pauses for a moment, staring blankly.
CASSIAN
“Well then, I suppose we’ll be joining you — seeing as it’s technically ours. And I must admit… you’ve piqued my interest.”
They fall silent, the boat gliding onward into the mist.
