The characters are servants working in the lightless kitchens of the Castle, lorded over by a tyrannical Chef called Filmor Mawthse. Sent into the cellars on various errands they discover a crevice in a pile of rubble by a collapsing wall. It seems to lead to a larger space behind. When Mawthse comes searching for them to find why they've been so long, he gets angry and beats one of them. Assuming the PCs don't just stand there and let him do it there'll be a little altercation. In this scuffle, Mawthse is killed: either purposefully with some cutlery or accidentally by slipping on the wet floor and cracking his head open. Fearing suspicion, the PCs will probably flee into the caverns through the crevice.

The caverns extend a long way beneath the foundations of the castle, undermining its structural strength (in a very real sense). In this underworld they find out a terrible secret of the castle: it's collapsing. The stone pillars which hold it up are crumbling beneath its weight and the caverns are starting to buckle. Not only is it dangerous to be underneath, but a sense of conscience (or desire for reward) will probably make the characters want to warn the people inside the castle. This is difficult as they are murder suspects.

Suddenly, in the darkness, they hear voices. It's two guards. The dungeons of the castle extend far below it and they intersect with the caverns in a number of places, though they are separated by heavy iron gates to prevent prisoners escaping into the caverns. The guards are discussing a murder. But by the sound of it, it's a different one...

'She was found in 'er bedroom, sheets covered in blood so I 'eard.'

'Arh. I 'eard that too. And word is 'es still on the run.'

'Probably in these very caverns.'

'Don't bear to think of do'm it?'

'Come orn, let's get away from 'ere. It give'm me the creepes.'

The iron gate is unyielding, impassable. But now the characters are in an interesting situation. There's another, more likely candidate for the murder of the Chef who can take the blame away from them. Unfortunately they're trapped in a cave system where he might be on the run...

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