Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Manos del Sol
Men of the sun
I wonder if they're like Schattenjagers, only Brazilian
Looks like biographies here.
I wonder if there's anything on... yes, Ludwig!
Hmmm... German.
That's not much help.
The journal of Victor Ritter.
Numerous deaths at the hands of a marauding wolf
being recorded in a neighboring county,
I set out to see if I could determine the cause.
There had been rumors of a werewolf,
and the dark signs did indeed seem to be present.
The deaths had all occurred within a 40 km range of woods,
and at the heart was the village of Alfing.
My assistant and I set a trap a short distance from the village.
Though the beast had shown a propensity for human flesh,
livestock had also been taken.
It was a newling lamb we loosed in the thicket as a lure.
We awaited down-wind.
For 2 nights the lamb bleated to no purpose
and once we had to fend off a hungry fox.
But, at last, the beast himself took the bait.
I might have missed him--
the night was so dark
and the wolf himself was black,
but my assistant saw the light of his eyes
and I heard the lamb's cries turn fearful.
He had the poor dumb lamb by the throat when we sprang.
He was swift and might have escaped,
but his fatal mistake was to attack rather than run.
My dagger struck through his chest and into his right lung.
As I had agreed,
we bound the wolf and tied shut its jaws.
We brought it home to Rittersberg still breathing,
and turned it over to the magistrate.
I pray for the man's unfortunate soul.
May the law be swift and merciful.
God be praised for aiding his servant.
From his hand came the strength and wisdom
to end the killing.
Victor Ritter, Schattenjager.
20 April, 1750.
Remember that werewolf trial I asked you about?
I have a date now. April, 1750.
Excellent. Let me go look.
I heard of this case when I was a boy,
but I always thought it was just a scary tale.
I never thought to look in the archives.
It was there, alright.
Ehhh... what did you want to know?
Why did they bring the wolf to Rittersberg?
I know the Schattenjager lived here, but why didn't he just...
... kill it when he found it? I don't know. Let's see.
Ah! Yes. They wanted to know what man it was... who it was.
They brought it here so it would change back?
Yes. Exactly.
Ah.
Did it... change back?
That's what it says.
They put the wolf in a cell, and the next morning,
they found a man in there.
A labourer from out of town
identified him as Baron von Ralick, from Alfing.
Why did they want to find out who the werewolf was?
I would guess...
yes, it says here
that a group of villagers were sent to the werewolf's home town,
once they learned its human identity.
Why? They thought there were more of them there?
In those days,
the family of the identified werewolf would be in great danger.
Many believed such curses
were handed down through the bloodline.
What happened to the alleged werewolf?
He was interrogated for two days.
He confessed his guilt.
The trial took place on the third day,
and he was sentenced to death by quartering,
and the stake.
He was given a final meal.
He asked to see a confessor, and this was granted.
He died at dawn, the following day.
They pulled off his limbs *and* burned him?
Don't think harshly of us, Miss.
That was a long time ago.
Huh.
Where was the werewolf kept while it was here?
The dungeon. There's a dungeon in the Rathaus basement.
We don't use it anymore, of course.
Haven't for many years.
Was there anything else?
I suppose not.
Unless...
is there any way I could see the dungeon?
It would be my pleasure.
Everything's been kept the way it was when the dungeon was in use.
We show it off to tourists sometimes.
Are you all right, Miss?
I'm fine. It's just that... this place... it's so claustrophobic.
I tell you what.
Normally, this place is locked to keep out the village children.
I'll leave it open.
You can come and go as you please.
Would you? Thank you so much.
You are most welcome.
Goodbye, and good luck!
Bye.
Von Ralick slept here.
Claw marks!
He asked to see a confessor!
I wonder what kind of flowers these are.
St Georg Church
Hallo.
Guten Tag.
How do you say that... uh ...
Sprechen Sie Englisch?
Nein, leider spreche ich kein Englisch.
Alright. Danke.
Bitte sehr.
I had a thought while I was in the dungeon.
Yes?
You mentioned that Baron von Ralick
was allowed to give a last confession?
I suppose the priest was from St. Georges?
I suppose it was.
Would there be a record of the last confession?
It might tell us more about the Baron's life.
Hmmm. Good idea, young lady!
Those records are in German, though,
and father Getz doesn't speak English.
Do you think this would really help your Schattenjager?
I'm not sure. It couldn't hurt.
Alright. I'll write you a note.
You give it to father Getz,
and he'll see if they have a record of the confession.
If they do, you bring it back here to me,
and I'll help you translate it. OK?
That would be wonderful!
Thank you so much!
Certainly.
You've got my curiousity up too, you know.
Entshuldigen Sie, bitte.
Ja?
Das hier ist von Herr Habermas.
Einen Moment, bitte.
Das ist fur Sie.
Dankeschon.
Hello again. Did you need something else?
I have the church file.
Excellent. Let me see it.
What's this?
This is in English.
It's from a lawyer in Buenos Aires.
It's addressed to St. George's church,
the date is 1764.
What's it say?
It's a request for information
about the death of Baron Klaus von Ralick.
It says it's for the family.
I assume someone answered it.
Hmmm.
Curious.
What?
The seal on the envelope.
A wolf.
OK. The last confession. Mm-hmm.
The Ralick family
took the symbol of a black wolf
to represent their great skill at the hunt.
Let me see.
Klaus von Ralick says
that he lived up to the family symbol too well.
His friends nicknamed him the Black Wolf.
But, he confessed it was more because he was prideful
and treated his villagers, and women, very badly.
He was much feared.
The Baron confesses that
a life of sin brought the werewolf curse upon him.
Ah, listen to this!
A gypsy camp, Hungarians,
came to Alfing one day.
He wanted one of their young women.
He had her brought to his castle by force, and there he...
*** her?
*** her, yes.
He intended to release her,
but before he did, the girl killed herself.
The next day,
an old Gypsy woman from the camp cursed him,
saying that he was to become the shape
that his name and his crimes showed his heart to be.
I see.
Soon afterwards, her curse came about.
Klaus von Ralick began to change,
to run at night as wolf,
to kill and eat human flesh.
He begs forgiveness from God,
and from his wife and son.
He says he welcomes his punishment,
if only it will pay for his sins
and save his family from further pain.
Hmmm.
That is all that is written.
Wow. Thank you.
I'll return this to Father Getz for you.
Thank you.
Good luck to you, young lady,
and to your Schattenjager.
St. George's Church records.
Gives Baron von Ralick's last confession.
Says before he became a werewolf he was a real S.O.B.
and was nicknamed THE BLACK WOLF.
Also had a black wolf on the von Ralick coat of arms.
Says he became a werewolf when cursed by a gypsy
to 'live up to his name.'
Am I going crazy?
The Black Wolf is who Christian Ritter was warning Ludwig II about.
But that was 1864 and von Ralick died here in 1750 ???
Do all werewolves call themselves that?
Definitely need to find out more about
the 1864 Black Wolf if possible.
I wonder if Christian Ritter's journal is here.
Christian Ritter. Born - 10 January 1820.
Ordained a Schattenjager.
Died - 4 March 1864.
4th March... that's the date on the letter!
3rd January, 1864
I am now in Prussia.
The beast that brought me here has so far bested me.
He is secretive and skillful.
He has much self-control,
unlike what I'd been led to expect.
He seems to know almost before I do
where and when I will be stalking him.
He turns up his nose at my lures.
Three more disappearances have occurred
and I'm no closer to learning his identity
nor finding his lair.
I can't even prove he took them.
Not a single corpse has been found.
March 3rd, 1864
I have had a break at last.
The key was in front of me all the time.
The Black Wolf, he so daringly calls himself,
for all to hear and none to truly see.
It is worse than I could ever have suspected.
He is not just a beast, but a monster!
His jaws are already around
some of the best throats in Europe.
I return to Rittersberg tonight.
I must warn those in danger and get someone to assist me.
I am in over my head.
Bert Barclay knows more about history than I ever will.
Especially at this rate.
Hello?
Professor Barclay?
This is Grace Nakimura.
I'm calling from Germany.
Germany?
I thought you were in New Orleans.
I was, but... anyway,
it's rather important or I wouldn't have bothered you.
Do you know anything about King Ludwig II of Bavaria?
Heh, that's a hell of a thing to ask a man in the middle of the night.
Late 1800s, right?
Yes.
Uh, this isn't really my field
but I think he was crazy or something.
I wish I knew.
Do you know anyone who specializes in German history?
Yeah, I have a friend at the University of Berlin.
I'll ring him.
What's your number there?
It's 49-89-555-7878.
OK, I'll call you back,
if I remember this conversation in the morning anyway.
Great! Sorry again. Thanks, bye!
Bye.
Hard at work, Knight?
I suppose in the next Blake Backlash book,
good ole 'Fujitsu' will be replaced by 'Hildegard.'
Herr Huber?
Yes?
Do you know anything about King Ludwig II?
Of course! Everybody knows about Ludwig!
He was the last true king Bavaria had.
Why do you think I hang his portrait, heh?
Or that article on the wall?
Do you know what that is?
That is from the Munich newspaper
the day after the king died.
My great grandfather saved it.
It's been handed down to every first son.
That is what Bavarians think of Ludwig.
What was Ludwig like?
Why is he so revered?
Oh, he was a genius!
He had a great mind, you know.
He built castles, is what he did.
And kept on building them,
until they killed him.
Who killed him?
Them. Those... politicians.
They said he was crazy.
Got a doctor to sign some papers.
They arrested him.
Then what happened?
What do you think? They killed him.
Oh, they said it was suicide, but me...
I don't believe that!
It was ***!
Thanks.
Bitte.
Alright, Knight, I've got your research.
Now I just need somewhere to send it to.
I found the items that Gabriel wanted.
Did he tell you where to send your research?
Yes. His lawyer's office in Munich.
Can I get the address?
Harald Ubergrau.
Marienplatz 21, Munchen.
Thanks.
Danke shoen.
Bitte sehr.
That'll give him something to chew on.
Guten Abend.
Uhh.. Guten.. how are ya?
Is this the castle of the Schattenjagers, here?
Yes, but I....
How exciting!! Come along, Emil!
We are so thrilled to be here!
Emil said it's the 1990s for heavens sake,
the Schattenjagers are probably long gone.
"Well, of course they aren't," I said.
"A family like that doesn't just dry up and blow away!
The good Lord's put his mark on them."
Who are you?
I was just wondering the same thing, dear.
Neither of you girls look like the heroic type,
but who am I to judge?
God chooses his soldiers,
and who am I to put in my two cents?
Oh, we're the.. we're the Smiths,
from Merrimack, Pennsylvania.
Uh, this is my wife, Meryl;
you can call me Emil.
My husband,
if I don't get right to the point, he'll get there for me.
It's nice to meet you both.
Uh-huh, well how did you hear about the Schattenjagers?
Oh, we're demonologists.
My wife makes it her business
to know a lot about a lot of different things.
She's a regular, whatcha call...
occultist scholar, aren't you, mother.
That's right!
I read about you all
when I was studying an old witch trial last spring.
And I have been dying to get over here ever since!
Well, so nice of you to stop by,
but I'm afraid the Schattenjager isn't here right now.
I'll let him know you called, though.
Oh no! And I was so hoping to talk shop!
We fighters of darkness are so rare these days.
Don't I know it,
can't scare one up to save your soul.
Eh, it's not your fault missie.
I told Meryl to call before we came.
People just don't take you seriously
unless you're standing right there.
You know that, Em.
Well, it's rather late,
and if you're driving, you might as well...
Oh, don't worry about that.
We're going to spend the night at the guesthouse in town.
Stop by tomorrow won't you, dear?
You and I can exchange stories at least.
We'll see.
Come on, Meryl,
these ladies are tired and I thought we ought to go.
But Em.. --Come on Meryl, let's go!
Em!
Good night, ladies.
Goodnight.
Ahhhh!
What, what's wrong?
It's not your fault, this just happens, ma'am. I'm sorry.
I'll get her some water.
Give me your hand!
I see...
I see danger...
someone close to you is in danger.
Gabriel?
I see something...
something like a wolf...
a black wolf!
Oh hey hey, don't you worry, Miss.
Ehhh, my Meryl is gonna be all right.
This just happens sometimes, that's all.
It just happens.. come on, Meryl, let's go.
Come on.
What happened?
I don't know.