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Tobias Blackburn
A Trip To The Bookstore: The Writings of Andre Bellamont
The Background
In the literary circles around the Core, there is a name on everyone's lips. To some, he is a true master, capable of pouring tales of the purest horror from his pen as one would pour water from a jug. To others, he is a hack who produces little more than sensational trash. Andre Bellamont cares little about what others say about him. What he does care about is the fact that he is the one being discussed.
Two years ago, Bellamont began to publish short stories and novels. Each was a tale of murder, written from the point of view of the victim. Filled with terror, gore, and vengeful ghosts from beyond the grave, Bellamont's works have been selling throughout the Core in record numbers. The fact that each chapter only costs two coppers helps the matter greatly. The materials used in printing might be shoddy, but none can gainsay the quality of the writing.
Few actually believe that the son of a poor clerk from Richemulot could possibly write such vivid tales, and Andre is often the first to agree. He claims that he does little more than records of his dreams and dark fancies. Andre explains that the realism comes from the inspiration of his muse, though he refuses to explain who, or what, that is. He has weathered several accusations of dark magic because of this, but there has never been any proof behind them.
Then, one month ago, the circus that surrounded Bellamont became even wilder. A particularly savage monster had been stalking peasants in a hamlet near Ste. Ronges. Many thought that there would be no stopping it, until a group of adventurers showed up carrying its head. Having recently slain the creature, they gave the credit for their success to a text of Bellamont's they had recently acquired. The victim in the story had fallen to the beast, and through careful study they had been able to discover the secret to the it's identity. Demand for Bellamont's latest "copper copies" has skyrocketed and several publishers are clamouring to get the rights to a collection of his works.
The Hooks
So why is Andre Bellamont such a popular author? For one thing, his tales do capture something primal, encapulsing the reader in the final moments of the narrator's life. In game terms, several of his tales require minor fear and horror checks (DC of no more than 5). A reader who succeeds in this check gets a +1 competence bonus to their next check (Fear if they succeeded in a Fear check, Horror for Horror) for the next week. Though few know it, he has begun work on his masterpiece, one that promises to be a heart stopper. Literally.
As a person, Andre is charming but shallow. He is quite egotistical and takes every chance he gets to turn the conversation towards how great he is. He would sell his mother for a silver and give back 99 coppers in change if he had the chance. In short, he is a blatant opportunist who seems to have a talent for writing what sells.
Andre Bellamont (male Human Exp3/Rog2)
The exact reasons behind Andre's success is left up to the DM. Here area few ideas:
- Andre is a ghostwriter. Really. After recovering from an almost fatal bout of pneumonia, Andre discovered that his perception of the world around him had changed and that he could now see and speak with the dead. Realizing and opportunity when he saw one, he began to travel a bit to areas which had suffered from recent murders. He would look to see if he could find the spirts of any victims and get them to tell him their stories. He has begun to lose his grip on his sanity because of these late night graveyard talks, but he is unwilling to stop. Added to the fact that a few of these restless spirits have begun to haunt him for abusing their trust, and Bellamont is becoming frantic for help.
- Andre is actually the puppet of something much worst. The real "artist" hides in the background, writing out its every macabre fantasy and act, trying to spread its visions to as many people as possible. As readers around the core begin to go mad, it will rise up to revel in the chaos it has caused.
- Andre is telling the truth. These dark visions are actually dreams that come to him in his sleep. He took to writing them out to save his sanity and discovered that he could make a quick buck from it. Whether he is dreaming through the eyes of those destined to die, or has become a toy for the Nightmare Court, has not been determined.
The Works of Andre Bellamont:
The Life and Death of Leon Valneur - This story in fifteen chapters describes the death of a noble from Ste. Ronges who found himself devoured alive by a horde of rats beneath the streets of Pont-a-Muse. It begins slowly, after he kills a rat that had gotten into his food stores. As more and more rats rise to torment him, he runs, only to end up trapped in a pit in the sewers. The narration sticks with him until the last of his bones has been picked clean. More than one critic has called it gratuitous and lacking any subtly. The description of Valneur's tongue being devoured from inside his mouth is a favourite among the rebellious Renier youth, who often evoke the scene as a subtle threat to those that annoy them.
This tale requires a Fear check (DC 5) and a Horror check (DC 4).
The Final Visitations of Natalia Eliade - At thirteen chapters in length, this story is about the wasting and death of a Barovian villager. As her body slowly fails her, her dreams are haunted by the sinful visitation of a beautiful man. It is only near the end that she realizes what fate awaits her and begins to struggle. By then it is far too late and it is only the brutal actions of her brother that prevents her from a fate worse than death.
This tale requires a Horror check (DC 3).
The Horrifying Tale of the Encounter in the Alley - Bellamont's latest work, sitting at twenty chapters, the narrator of this story enters into a darkened alley in a large city, having heard a young girl crying. The result is capture, torture, and an eventual slow death at the hands of a madman.
This tale requires three Horror checks as the descriptions get progressively worse (DC 3, DC 4, DC 5).
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