After careful consideration, you trust the owl and enter the door with the wolf emblem.  The door shuts and locks behind you and you see no choice but to move forward.  An eery glow beckons you forward down a passageway that is leading you deeper and deeper underground.  You can't tell if that is a good thing or a bad thing but you follow it anyway.  When you reach the bottom you see a large room decorated to look like the antechamber of a church.  You aren't sure what to make of all this, but you feel like you must be getting close to the Craxil now.

 

The next chamber is substantially different than the one you just entered from.  Instead of being all decorated and kept, you see half eaten farm animals in a pen and three large lizardfolk guarding a doorway.  They bear polearms and plate mail and you don't think you would be able to take even one of them in combat.  The blue door has shut behind you and you don't really see any reliable means of setting a trap.  You have dealt with these types of situations before though.  You just have to keep your cool and figure a way to deal with this.

 
For one, you could start a fire in the antichamber to distract the lizardfolk from the door, then slink in.  The antichamber is big, but a fire large enough to attract their attention might also illuminate most of the room, making it hard for you to operate unseen.  Another possibility is their food source.  You surmise the half eaten farm animals are what they've been feeding on during their meal breaks.  You could try using some of the poison Brandolf gave you on some of the meat of the freshest looking animal and wait until they feed again.  Of course, there is no telling how long you will have to wait for them to feed again.  Your call adventurer.

You poison Their Food Supply And Wait For Them To Feed Again

Brandolf gave you more than enough poison to kill the Craxil.  It takes only trace amounts to kill even the largest of creatures so why would you need to save the entire vial?  You carefully creep up and apply poison to various parts of the bovine flesh, particularly the meaty parts, and take care to poison all the carcasses in the pen so you don't have to try and guess which ones they will feed off next.  You then back away to the antichamber-like room and begin waiting the long wait.

 
It is almost 7 hours later and only now do the lizardfolk appear to be conversing with each other and gravitating towards the food pen.  "About damn time" you think to yourself, eagerly waiting for them to begin eating as you watch them from a dark corner in the next room.  You struggle to contain your glee as the first one sinks his teeth into the freshest cow and another picks up a smaller animal you also poisoned.  Before long, they are all dry heaving and you are doing a silent victory dance in the darkness.  For some reason it took a while for one of them to finally die, but when he did the way to the door was clear. 

 
Crossing through the doorway and into the underground chasm, you come to realize the Craxil is NOTHING like what you had expected...

The Craxil

The Craxil is nothing like what you were expecting.  You are standing in a massive underground cavern that extends as far as the eye can see in all directions (except the one you came from).  Running across it is an underwater stream and floating above it is a beautiful woman bathed in pure white light.  It almost appears to leave an after image of itself behind as it moves.   You aren't really sure if you would categorize this as a ghost or spirit or what, but you remember that it is a supposed to be a creature unlike anything since discovered. 

 
Almost as if reading your mind the Craxil remarks "Indeed... I am not like any other creature your kind has ever seen before, but then I believe I have already told you that haven't I?"

 
To your shock and horror she transforms into the likeness of Brandolf the Bray, the mage who visited you in the village of Jacquescrappe, then into the old man who watched over you as you slept.  Was it really the Craxil all along?!?  Is this why you had that dream that it was watching you the entire time?!?  What does this mean for your sister, is she still alive?  And what of the poison?  Surely she wouldn't give you something that would actually work on her. 

 
Sensing the millions of questions that flurry through your mind, the Craxil begins to laugh and float about you in circles.  The door once guarded by lizardfolk now slams shut and locks on its own.  With this door shut, there is no longer any light and the Craxil itself is the only thing left that you can actually see.

 
"I can take whatever form I please swineherd, and I have been watching you in various forms throughout the entirety of your journey.  You fancy yourself the king of sneak yet you were clearly unaware that you were being watched the moment you entered my territory."

 
Your face grows pale and you have no idea how you are going to deal with this being.  She knows all your secrets.  She knows your plan.  You haven't any element of surprise whatsoever.  Hell, you aren't even sure if your weapons are going to work and you're sure as hell certain the poison isn't going to be effective given that it was her that gave it to you.  Your mind races to discern a proper course of action as she continues to toy with you.  However, your concentration is broken when another figure enters your view...

The Other Figure

You turn to find your sister, dressed in one of the war garbs you saw in your dream, walk out towards you from the shadows.  She doesn't look as glossy-eyed as the other riders you encountered (in fact she looks perfectly normal) but from her demeanor and obvious reverence to the Craxil you know she is in fact a thrall.  How can this be?  This is the same war garb from the dream!  But your sister has never been like that.

 
"We have big plans for her" the Craxil coes.  "She is the carrier of a great plague, a slower acting yet more contagious version of what you carry in that vial I gave you.  As a carrier she will be immune to its effects, but she will spread them among the humans whereever she goes."

 
"Why?!?  Why would you do something like that you sick bitch?!?"

 
The Craxil only laughs at your insult and seems to take delight in your obvious fear and frustration at this moment.

 
"With the surrounding kingdoms of Mihtana and Lima buckling from the plague, there will be little resistance when we move out of the mountain range and into their lands.  As you may have noticed on the way here, I have many humunculi, goblins, grippli, kobolds, and even a handful of orcs all gathered here in these mountains."

 
"So you really are planning an invasion then?"

 
"I believe that poor servant you so ruthlessly interrogated several days ago already explained that much to you."

 
You struggle not to be blinded by your anger at this point, but there is nothing you can do to stop her.  

 
"The humans are a truly repugnant race.  They have no respect for those that labor, those that produce, those that sacrifice for the good of others.  Whenever they want something (be it money, power, or respect) they simply take it for themselves, and only those who do are respected.  This is why the beastfolk I serve have been pushed deep into this barren mountainside."

 
To your astonishment, you actually find yourself identifying with the Craxil.  Even when you agreed to stick your neck out on their behalf they snickered comments about your intelligence under their breath.  Even now, after all the dangers you've faced, you're sure they have probably already assumed you're dead and are likely redistributing your property as we speak.

 
"The beastfolk here are loyal to me and to themselves, they have honor.  And they certainly deserve the lands of their ancestors, taken from them by the humans." 

 
"And you think slaughtering humans is the answer?"

 
"Since when has diplomacy not ended with a beastman's head on a human's table?  Since when did the humans ever sit down to negotiate with my brethren?  The humans understand only the simplicity of death and destruction so that is what we will bring to them."

 
You know this is morally reprehensible, but from a purely stoic and logical standpoint you can understand the rationale behind the Craxil's argument.  You wonder if peace between humans and the beastmen really is possible.  Since the beginning of time, beastmen have always preyed on humans and humans have always responded with military force on their camps.  Perhaps there really is no better way to advance their position right now but you cannot stomach the loss of life that would come with it.  

 
"My beast brothers have every right to be happy, and so they shall.  They humans will be brought to the breaking point with this plague and the forces I gathered will retake the lands they deserve.  But I am not without understanding.  I can see you have an open mind and have considered my position.  You were wondering if peace between human and beast is possible.  It is a noble but impractical thing.  If you were to join us, I could make you powerful..."

 
You think to yourself "damn, does this Craxil thing read my mind too?"  Still, it is a tempting offer.  You have always toiled as a swineherd, providing the ever popular hams and bacon that are so popular at festivals and weddings and even fed those without homes, yet you've always been looked down upon as a swineherd by those who have probably never worked a day in their lives.  You've seen girls you had feelings for go for men who were of "higher social standing" than yourself.  You've always wanted respect, maybe even a little money or even power.  You think about what the Craxil said, about how only those who TAKE it can ever HAVE it, and upon reflection you must admit it makes sense.  But the Craxil's plan would involve massive loss of life and you are unsure if you want that on your hands.

 
"Your sister did not understand the situation as well as you and I, so I had to make her a thrall.  When the acquisition is finished, I will return her to you... but only if you join me and help spread this plague throughout the human lands."

 
The Craxil, now clearly curious about all the thoughts running through your head, moves closer until her face is less than a foot away from your own.  "Well human, how do you respond?"

You Will Join You, And Seize The Respect And Power you Deserve

The humans of Mihtana refused to send aid to the villagers of Jacquescrappe (even when people were dying) because it didn't suit their political or military interests.  The villagers practically elected you for this quest without even asking you if you wanted to, then mocked your intelligence when you accepted on their behalf.  You're sick of being looked down upon as a low class swineherd despite all the hard work you've done to provide for your community.  All of that is about to change. 

 
You proclaim your allegiance to the Craxil and to your astonishment she is actually overjoyed.  Seems she needs as many people as possible to help spread the plague and your sister is the only thrall that doesn't look like an obvious thrall.  Your voluntary support to the Craxil's plan is well recognized.  You and your sister are made to be carriers of the great plague.  When you return to the village of Jacquescrappe, you misinform the people that the Craxil is dead and deliver a liquid dose of the plague into the town's wine supply and shaking hands with everyone who comes to congratulate you.  Shortly thereafter, you make sure to thoroughly infest all your pork before the next big wedding in Lima.  Meanwhile, your sister gets a position as a laysister at a cathedral in the kingdom of Mihtana.  By poisoning the holy water, she manages to infect everyone who comes in for a blessing. 

 
Between the two of you, and the increased contagiousness of this version of the plague, you are able to infect a massive segment of the population.  You work to continue spreading the disease, but the damage is already done.  Quarantines are set up in Mihtana and Lima in a desperate attempt to quell the spread of the plague.  Those who are uninfected (or who believe themselves uninfected) revolt against the guards in a desperate bid for self preservation.  Others lock themselves in their homes and arm themselves in hopes of outliving the vile plague.  Criminals take full advantage of the choas to operate unchecked and before long both kingdoms (and their militaries) are completely at their knees. 

 
When the beastmen move forth to retake human lands, there is nothing to stop them.  As you and your sister have become the Craxil's right and left hands so-to-speak, you are now recognized as a person of power and all respond with fear and respect when in your presence. 

 
"The Craxil was right" you think to yourself.  "If you want respect, you have to take it.  If you want power, you have to take it.  Nobody else is going to recognize your merit and deliver these things to you.  To have anything worth having in life, you simply have to take it."

 
Unfortunately, it wasn't quite what you imagined.  You enjoy your newfound respect and power, but the fear felt by everyone else only makes you feel more alienated and alone.  By choosing this path, you have seized what you've always wanted, but what good is respect if it comes with the kind of fear that pushes people away?  What good is power if there is no one to share it with. 

 
When the time comes, the Craxil honors its agreement to release your sister and as you feared, she is appauled by what the two of you have wrought.  You recieve word the next week that she was found in a clearing in the woods.  She hung herself in the field where she used to play as a child.  You try to establish some sort of peace between humans and beastfolk, but given what you have done the humans want nothing to do with you.  They only respect you out of fear because of the beastmen you now command.  Realizing you are now completely alone, you go to meet your sister in the clearing and follow her to whatever lies beyond.

 
CONGRATULATIONS! 

This is official ending #1 of 2