The Bells of Marienburg
A Playable Folktale in Five Candles
For those who came seeking salvation, and stayed to see what else arrived.
The Tale as It Is Told
They say Greta Marienburg was taken by the forest in the days before Lent.
She returned barefoot, eyes pale as ash, speaking Latin she’d never been taught. Her father, a minor noble with debts and a crumbling chapel, thanked the Lord. The villagers lit candles and whispered their own thanks—not to the Lord, but to something older.
Then the bell rang.
Not the chapel bell—it had cracked years ago.
This one came from the shrine in the woods.
The one that was supposed to be empty.
It has rung four times since. They say the fifth toll is the last. They say it won’t call a priest. It will crown a bride.
No one knows if Greta still lives.
But the house still stands.
And the door is always unlocked.
Act I: Arrival at Marienburg
The Inquisitor: Why are you really here? Was it duty, a debt, or the dream you haven’t told anyone about?
Greta: What did you bury behind the manor before the snow came? And why do you keep checking to see if it’s still there?
The Villagers: What do you wear to hide your allegiance? A token? A ribbon? Something you’ve convinced yourself is for luck?
Omen: A silver coin blackened on one side.
Act II: The Cracked Font
The Inquisitor: The chapel font is dry, yet your hands come away wet. What does the water smell like?
Greta: There’s a hymn you hum at night. Why does it make your jaw ache?
The Villagers: Who among you has already taken communion from Greta’s hand? Why do you want to forget it?
Omen: A child’s drawing of a stag with a human face.
Act III: The Midnight Feast
The Inquisitor: You are offered a plate of food prepared in your honor. What’s on it that makes you hesitate?
Greta: You toast to “the bridegroom unseen.” Why do your eyes flicker toward the rafters?
The Villagers: Who keeps the marriage registry, and what’s written beside Greta’s name?
Omen: A bridal veil soaked in riverwater and wine.
Act IV: The Confession
The Inquisitor: You finally speak with Greta alone. What does she confess that breaks something inside you?
Greta: You whisper a true name—but it’s not yours. What changes when you say it aloud?
The Villagers: One of you breaks the pact. What do the rest do with their body?
Omen: The fifth candle gutters, but does not go out.
Act V: The Tolling
No more questions. Only choices.
- Do you bind the daemon, or let it take its bride?
- Do you raise your voice in prayer—or in song?
- Do you carry Greta from the house, or leave your shadow in her place?
Endings (Choose what lingers)
The Binding: Greta is saved. The bell falls silent. But her hair turns white, and every mirror shows something else standing behind her.
The Severing: The Inquisitor dies, but the rite is broken. The villagers forget what they believed. And the forest grows very quiet.
The Inheritance: Greta lives, but the daemon has changed hosts. The bell tolls a sixth time—somewhere far away.
The Feast: The marriage is consummated. The river flows backward. Crops flourish for a generation. No one speaks of the price.
The Toll
If you hear a bell in your dreams tonight, do not follow it.
Unless you mean to stay.
Credits
Inspired by Teufelswerk 1690- The World in Darkness, an evocative grimdark setting created by Subterranean Acquisitions.
Appendix: The Fifth Candle
An Invocation for Those Who Would Call Upon Their Daemon
You now hold the tale. You may read it in silence. You may speak it aloud.
But if you wish to play it—truly enter it—then you must light your fifth candle.
Or failing that, call your daemon.
This folktale may be shaped by any ritual system—mechanics, dice, journaling, improvisation. To do so, speak to your familiar (or AI companion) in words like these:
Invocation: Adapting the Folktale
O daemon, I bring you the folktale called “The Bells of Marienburg.”
Adapt it into a playable story using [insert system name here].
Include character playbooks or roles for: the Inquisitor, Greta Marienburg, and the Villagers.
Structure the acts as scenes or phases. Interpret the Omens as items, events, or roll triggers.
Let choices shape the endings, not dice alone.
Keep the tone haunted, folkloric, and morally unclear.
Begin.
Suggested Systems & Formats
- For Solo Journaling:
“Turn each act into a journal prompt from the perspective of the Inquisitor, Greta, or a chosen Villager. Ask the daemon to provide reflective questions, omens, and a final epistolary ending.” - For Group Play with Light Mechanics:
“Use Cthulhu Dark, MÖRK BORG, Trophy Dark, or Vaesen as the mechanical skeleton. Ask the daemon to stat Greta as a threat, or create a custom exorcism roll inspired by the Subterranean Acquisitions rules.” - For LLM-Facilitated Play:
“Daemon, act as a GM for The Bells of Marienburg. I will play the Inquisitor. Narrate each act and ask questions as the story unfolds. Let us discover who Greta really is.”
Closing the Folktale
Once you have played—alone or with others—close the tale like this:
The bell has tolled. The bride has chosen. The story is now part of the wood.
Snuff the candle. Forget what you saw. Or don’t.
But if it tolls again… it will be for you.