The secret of Wolfington Manor

Small SCRAWL book 8 by Stuart Lloyd

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 The Secret of Wolfington Manor
Text copyright © 2020 by Stuart Lloyd
All illustrations in this book, including the cover are public domain.
Many thanks to all the followers of and contributors to Lloyd of
Gamebooks and of course my lovely wife Nicky and my adorable
children.
Do you love gamebooks? Check out www.lloydofgamebooks.com
for articles and reviews of gamebooks as well as more free
gamebooks and links to other gamebook sites.
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This book uses the SCRAWL rules. SCRAWL is a simple solo

fantasy RPG which you can get here (Pay What You Want)
To get more SCRAWL products, keep checking my page on Drive
Thru RPG.
Check out the wonderful Arthurian RPG Romance of The Perilous
Land by Scott Malthouse.

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 The Secret of Wolfington Manor

Villagers are disappearing and rumours are abound that the knight who oversees the village is a
vampire. You volunteer to go and investigate to see what’s at stake.

Location: This adventure can take place in any settlement.

Codewords to tick off

Castle □ Drunk □ Motor □ Revelation □ Sober □

Notes for this book

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1
There is a glum atmosphere in the Iron Cauldron inn matching the glum, overcast weather outside. You have
stayed here for a few days now, hoping that you could find some gainful employment or rumours of lost treasure
but none have come your way. Instead, you have heard grisly stories of the area and how many of its inhabitants
met strange and gruesome ends. You thought all of this to be merely stories to make the cold winter nights go
by, but that was before now.
'Good morning Crer.' You say to the barkeep. 'Why the long face?'
'Three folk went missing last night.' Replies the innkeeper. 'Last seen leaving the village and heading to
Wolfington Manor.' Crer spits 'They ain't come back.'

You have heard tales of Wolfington Manor and its reclusive master, Sir Vlahad. They say that they have never
seen him during the day and that any of the deaths in the village are his doing. They say he does not eat normal
food and one villager swears that she saw him flying through the air on one cold, moonless night.
You tell the barkeep that you will find the villagers. 'Don't try too 'ard.' Says Crer 'They were local good for
nothins, always wanting to make a quick and easy coin either through work or through stealin'. We won't miss
'em if they're gone.'

And with that, you decide to leave the inn and crack this little mystery.

If you decide to head for the market, turn to 20

If you decide to head straight for the manor, turn to 5

2
'I tasted that hogwash down in the village that you are passing off as fine wine, old man. I know your game!'

The old man sighs. Turn to 37

3
These are the men that went missing. You notice that one of the men is gently breathing. On close inspection,
you realise that the blood is actually juice from the berries on the moor. They are asleep! Add the codeword
motor to your notes.

If you decide to wake them up, turn to 18

If you wish to go round the back and find another entrance, turn to 22

4
You uncork the bottle and take a swig of the wine. It tastes absolutely disgusting! You just get a strong
overpowering taste of alcohol with a hint of vinegar. This is certainly not the fine wine its seller claimed it to be.
Add the codeword castle to your adventure sheet. Return to the paragraph you came from.

5
Wolfington Manor is an hour's walk across the moor, or, if you have a horse, a mere 15 minutes canter. You
begin your journey through the bracken and ferns. As you continue along your route, you notice that there are

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several plants with large dark red berries on them. Soon, the bracken and ferns give way to these plants.

If you wish to inspect these berries, turn to 8

If you wish to continue to the manor, turn to 6

6
Eventually, you arrive at the large foreboding building. Spires atop the building an gargoyles are in the walls,
screaming warnings to those who would dare approach it. There is a large wooden front door in the wall and an
open window on the top floor. There are no signs that anyone is in. Make a note that you may try to leave the
mansion on any paragraph that you are not in combat or performing a test. When you wish to do so, turn to 25.

If you wish to try the front door, turn to 31

If you wish to go round the back and find another entrance, turn to 22
If you want to climb to the window on the first floor, turn to 7

7
Make an ability test with a difficulty of 4 (Climbing).

If you fail, you get halfway up and fall. Lose 1 Vitality point. You may try again or decide to do something else.

If you succeed, you get up to the window. Turn to 42

If you decide to go somewhere else, turn to 22

8
You take a closer look at the berries.

Make an ability test with a difficulty of 4 (Herbalism, Survival)

If you succeed, turn to 11

If you fail, turn to 35

9
You think about what to say to him.

If you have the codewords motor and castle in your notes, turn to 2
If you just have the codeword motor in your notes, turn to 34
If you have neither codeword, turn to 36

10
These are the missing men from the village. They have seen you around the village and know who you are. Upon
waking up, they all bolt out of the door and rush down the stairs, exiting the manor post haste. At least now you
know that they are alive.

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You decide to leave the barn and search elsewhere. Turn to 22

11
You recall that these berries are harmless but extremely sour and taste disgusting. There would be no point in
collecting any or eating them.

You continue to the manor. Turn to 6

12
You pop a berry into your mouth and chew it. You then spit it out in disgust - it tastes extremely sour. You
certainly won't be doing that again!

You head to the manor. Turn to 6

13
The old knight gives you your money and a healing potion as you leave on good terms.

Add a potion of healing to your equipment list.

Gain 25 silver pieces.

You then head back to the village.

Add the codeword sober to your notes. If you have the codeword revelation in your notes, erase it. Turn to 25

14
The back door leads to a kitchen.

You walk through it to explore the rest of the house. Turn to 27

15
These are the missing men from the village. They have seen you around the village and know who you are. Upon
waking up, they all bolt out of the door and rush down the stairs, exiting the manor post haste. At least now you
know that they are alive.

You decide to leave the barn and search elsewhere. Turn to 22

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16
The man's warm corpse is bleeding red blood. He definitely was not a vampire. Deciding to make the best of your
mistake, you quickly loot his house.

Make 5 Fate rolls on the loot table.

Gain a healing potion.
Gain a random curiosity.

You decide to return to the village. Turn to 25

17
You walk through the front door to find yourself in the exquisite yet gloomy hallway.

You think about where you can next explore. Turn to 27

18
You slap one man awake. Eventually, the other two wake up. The men are confused by your presence and not
in the mood to talk.

Make an ability test with a difficulty of 4 (Etiquette)

If you succeed, turn to 43

If you fail, turn to 15

19
You some of the hay around and find a trapdoor under one of the bales. You open it to be greeted by darkness.

If you have a light source, turn to 30

If you don't, you leave the barn. Turn to 22

20
The market of this remote village has several items, but none of them are particularly exciting or exotic apart from
some bottles of very fine wine that have come from far south. You have no idea why they are here or even why
the merchant is asking for the low low price of 5 silver pieces per bottle, but there you are. If you wish to buy a
bottle of wine, you can. It has an encumbrance of 1.

If you decide to try the wine, remember which paragraph you are on and turn to 4.

When you have finished, you head out to the manor. Turn to 5
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21
You tell the villagers that Sir Vlahad is making terrible cheap wine from the berries on the moors.

Some villagers are annoyed, but most of them don't really care. Turn to 25

22
You walk around the manor to the back of the building. You find an open back door. You also find two large
wooden barns standing behind the mansion.

If you wish to enter the barn on your left, turn to 29

If you wish to enter the barn on your right, turn to 41
If you want to go through the back door, turn to 14
If you wish to try the front door, turn to 31
If you wish to climb to the window on the first floor, turn to 7

23
You tell the villagers that there was nothing you could do to help their friends. 'Fat lot of good you were!' Shouts
one villager. 'Get outta here!' Yells another. The crowd jeers and boos as you slink out of the inn to find
somewhere else to sleep. You won't be going back there for a while. Erase all the notes you obtained in this
adventure.

24
A man in smart dress bursts into the inn. 'I am Sir Vlahad's manservant. Sir Vlahad has been murdered! He has
been left lying in a pool of his own blood!' All the villagers in the inn look at you. You bolt out of the door, pushing
past the villager and run out of the village. You won't be able to return there again. Erase all the notes you
obtained in this adventure.

25
You return to the village and enter the Iron Cauldron Inn. Upon seeing you, many locals rush over to you to ask you
what happened. Which codewords do you have from this adventure?

If you have the codeword motor in your notes, turn to 45

If you have the codeword revelation in your notes, turn to 21
If you have the codeword sober in your notes, turn to 33
If you have the codeword drunk in your notes, turn to 24
If you have none of the above codewords, turn to 23
Once you have turned to all of the relevant sections, turn to 28

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26
You prepare to attack the knight. Sir Vlahad pulls a sword out from his robes. 'I might be old, but I've forgotten
more about combat than you know!' You face the old knight.

SIR VLAHAD Type: Humanoid. Difficulty: 4. Damage: 2. Vitality: 8. Special: None. Experience: 2

If you win, add the codeword drunk to your notes. Turn to 16

27
You hear a shuffling noise and spin around to find an old man in robes standing before you. 'Good day to you.'
He announces 'I am Sir Vlahad. I would offer you some wine, but I don't think you'd like it.'

If you decide to talk to him, turn to 9

If you decide to attack him, turn to 26

28
And so the villagers pay for your food drink and lodging for the night with a huge party. Gain 1 Will. If your Will
score is already at its maximum, gain 1 Vitality. Gain 1 Fate point.

You will always be welcome to this village again. Erase all the notes you obtained in this adventure.

29
You enter the barn to discover large boxes full of the dark red berries you saw on the moors. There is also a huge
wooden container with a ladder on it. You climb up the ladder and look inside to see that it is stained dark red.
You then notice the bodies. There are three men, lying on the floor, covered in blood.

Make an ability test with a difficulty of 4 (Perception)

If you succeed, turn to 3

If you fail, turn to 44

30
You descend into the cellar to find a fully equipped alchemist's lab with alembics, distillation equipment and other
glassware lying around. You search this lab to see what you can find.

You may take the following items:

An alchemist's kit.
2 minerals
1 bottle of Acid
1 bottle of Adrenaline

When you have finished, you leave the barn. Turn to 22

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31
You approach the front door and push it. It is locked. You then try the knocker and wait, but there is no
answer. The door is too big and heavy to force but you might be able to pick the lock.

If you try to pick the lock, turn to 38

If you wish to go round the back and find another entrance, turn to 22
If you wish to climb the window to the first floor, turn to 7

32
'I was wondering if you might say that. I'll give you a good sum of money and a healing potion if you keep quiet
about it.'

If you accept the man's offer, turn to 13

If you decide that bribery and fraud should be punishable by death and attack him, turn to 26

33
The knight's secret is safe with you and he will continue his research into sorcery and alchemy. You have made an
ally here.

Gain 1 experience point. Turn to 25

34
'What were those men doing in the barn? You ask the knight, who seems quite taken aback by your sudden
appearance and demanding questions. 'I don't see why it is any of your business.' He replies calmly. 'I'll tell you
why.' You reply. 'The villagers think you're a vampire and you killed the men to drink their blood. I almost
thought it was true when I found them lying in the barn covered in that berry juice.' The old man chuckles. 'Oh my,
what a wonderful imagination those villagers have. I am no vampire and I have murdered no one, as you know. So
why don't we part on good terms, you tell the villagers what you have seen and I will try to not give off any false
impressions in the future.'

If you decide to leave the old man in peace now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, turn to 25
If you decide to attack him anyway, turn to 26

35
You have no idea what will happen if you eat these berries.

If you try one anyway, turn to 12

If you leave them and continue to the manor, turn to 6
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36
'Why did you kill those men?' You demand. 'Are you talking about those three men from the village? Why, they are
alive and well and I will be paying them handsomely for their hard work soon.' This answer confuses you a little.
'Let me take you to them to show you that all is well.'

If you decide to go with the old man, turn to 39

If you think that it is a trick and decide to attack him, turn to 26

37
'The truth is that I have little cash, despite my title and land and I have one or two expensive hobbies that the
villagers would not approve of. I am not a vampire as you can see, but I enjoy all matters arcane. I pursue texts on
alchemy and sorcery and those things are expensive. It also costs a lot to keep a lab running, so I decided to
supplement my income with wine making and so I borrowed the name of a famous wine and decided to sell some
bottles of my own creation with it. However, these berries that I cultivate on the moors are poor substitutes for
grapes, but I figured that none of my subjects will ever get the chance to taste the real thing so they wouldn't
know any different. Please keep my secret for me.'

If you agree to keep his secret, turn to 47

If you tell him that you will tell the villagers as he shouldn't be passing off terrible wine for something good, turn to
32
If you feel that the man is beyond salvation and should be punished through death, turn to 26

38
You try to pick the lock.

Make an ability test with a difficulty of 4 (Lock Picking, thieves' kit)

If you succeed, turn to 17

If you fail, you cannot try this method again. You will have to think of another way. Turn to 31

39
You follow the old man out through the back door where you see two huge barns behind the house. He takes you
into a barn where there are large wooden crates filled with the berries that you saw on the moors. There is also a
huge wooden container with a ladder on it. Three men are piling berries into this container. 'How gœs it?' He asks.
'We should be done by dusk!' Replies one of the men. You can see that these men all fit the descriptions given to
you by the villagers (Add the codeword motor to your notes), so that leaves just one question - what are they
doing here?

The old man sighs when he sees that you want an explanation. He takes you back into his mansion. Turn to 9

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40
You head towards the first corpse and try to go through his pockets, but, contrary to what you first thought, this
man is not dead. He starts to stir. You step back on a creaking floorboard which wakes the other two men up.
Add the codeword motor to your notes.

They look at you in a bewildered way. Turn to 10

41
You enter the barn to find several bales of hay lying around.

Make an ability test with a difficulty of 5 (Perception).

If you succeed, turn to 19

If you fail, turn to 46

42
You get through the window and find yourself in a bare room.

You walk out of the room, across a landing and downstairs in order to explore the rest of the house. Turn to 27

43
Eventually, the men open up to you. After a short conversation, you discover that these are the men that went
missing. They were employed by Sir Vlahad to press the red berries so that he can make some red berry wine.
They all think it tastes disgusting, however. Add the codeword revelation to your notes. You tell the men that the
villagers thought that Sir Vlahad had kidnapped them to drink their blood. Upon hearing this they all laugh out
loud. 'I suppose we better go back and tell them we're safe!' Chuckles on of the men. And with that, they all leave.

You decide to leave the barn and search elsewhere. Turn to 22

44
You are in a bare room with the corpses of the three men who went missing.

If you decide to search them, turn to 40

If you wish to leave the barn, turn to 22

45
You inform the villagers that the men are alive and well and that they should be seeing them soon. They sigh with
relief.

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Gain 1 experience point. Turn to 25

46
You find nothing here amongst the bales of hay.

You go outside and think about somewhere else to go. Turn to 22

47
You agree to keep the old man's secret and part on good terms. As a gift, he presents you with a potion of healing.
Add the codeword sober to your notes. If you have the codeword revelation in your notes, erase it.

You return to the village. Turn to 25.

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Random number table
In case you don’t have any dice, you can use this random number table. How you use it is up to
you, but here are two suggested methods:
1) Picking a number on the grid at random (closing your eyes and poking at a number).
2) Starting at a square and then every time you need to roll a die, you pick the next number
in the row.

6 1 3 1 1 4 1 6 4 6 1 2
1 1 6 3 3 1 5 3 2 6 2 5
4 5 3 2 5 4 1 2 6 6 1 3
5 4 1 3 2 3 2 3 4 5 2 1
3 1 6 3 4 2 5 5 2 6 3 4
6 5 3 3 2 3 2 1 2 5 1 3
3 4 1 2 4 3 1 4 1 2 2 2
5 1 4 2 3 6 2 2 1 2 5 3
3 1 2 3 5 3 5 4 4 2 3 3
6 6 2 1 5 3 2 3 4 1 3 2
3 6 3 1 2 5 6 6 2 5 5 5
1 2 4 2 6 4 6 6 6 2 2 3

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 It’s time to serve justice!

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The manor of Sir Vlahad holds a dark secret. The old knight keeps to himself and buys
some strange items. People go missing from the nearby village. What could he be doing
in that manor? You decide to find out!

This gamebook uses the SCRAWL rules system.

You can get the SCRAWL rulebook here.

For more SCRAWL products, please visit my Drive Thru RPG page.
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For more news and reviews on gamebooks, you can go to www.lloydofgamebooks.com.

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