If the characters enter the study, they're confronted by The Gatherer (see below), who has come to collect Kristofferson. Kristofferson is warded by Samael's ritual, however, so The Gatherer attempts to take the characters in Kristofferson's stead.
If the characters choose not to enter the study and confront what lies within, they're condemned to wander the purgatory of the house and its grounds. The Gatherer eventually collects them wherever they may be; if the characters dawdle in the house, you can speed up the timing of The Gatherer's arrival. The Gatherer can make its appearance by stalking down the hallway from both directions, essentially herding the characters into the study.
A small lamp is lit on a table by the study's bed. Shelves line the walls; the upper shelf holds all sorts of toys. The lower shelves are covered with broken glass. Scorpions and snakes crawl and slither in the glass and on the floor. A big teddy bear, mutilated and pierced with several knives, dangles at the end of a hangman's noose. Blood trickles from the bear's open wounds. The walls are covered with pictures of lonely and crying children, and the faint sounds of crying children can be heard. A hard rain rattles against the window. Kristofferson sits, huddled on the bed, clutching a toy tiger to his chest. He's staring blankly ahead, murmuring seemingly nonsensical words.
Logs bum and crackle in the hearth. Tossed before the fire are four bodies. Glassy eyes stare out of deteriorating faces, and maggots crawl on the grisly remains of two adults and two children. The bodies of the Hansen family are covered with countless lacerations, and the floor around them is stained black with their dried blood. When the last character enters the room, the door slams shut; it cannot he re-opened by them.
The Gatherer will only make his presence known after the characters are trapped in the study. It rises from the congealed blood as the room expands and distorts. Distances seem skewed and unnatural, and the characters see themselves and each other as twisted caricatures.
The Gatherer looks coldly upon the characters before turning its gaze toward Kristofferson, who is standing on the bed. When looked upon, Kristofferson wrenches as if struck. He reaches out toward the characters and cries out in a shrill voice: "Take them instead. They're yours. You have no power over me! Take them!"
The nightmarish creature turns to the characters once again. Its cheerless face scrutinizes them thoroughly. Its voice is cold and deathly as it intones, "I come not for them. 1 have come for you Sinner." It steps toward Kristofferson, but seems unable to advance any further.
"You see!" Kristofferson cries out, his thin voice filled with triumph. "You cannot have me! 1 offer you them in my place! Take them," he hisses, pointing at the characters.
If the characters choose to attack or defend them- selves against The Gatherer, it first uses its creations (see below) to fight them and its own powers to defend itself. Each character that "dies" in this battle effectively becomes trapped permanently in Kristofferson's purgatory, where she has to endure all the sufferings of a tormented child. Even if the characters otherwise defeat Kristofferson, characters who are killed remain in his purgatory- a terrible fate.
If the characters close on Kristofferson, he shrinks back and screams that they must keep away. If they don't, he threatens that "daddy" will show them a thing or two, and The Gatherer's creations will burst into the room (see below).
Sooner or later, the characters undoubtedly understand that their only hope is to deliver Kristofferson to The Gatherer. Kristofferson does whatever is necessary to keep the characters back, including drawing a gun and shooting anyone who approaches.
The Foster Parents
As the repercussions of the ritual unfold, and it appears that The Gatherer is unable to collect Kristofferson, it turns its wrath upon the characters. "You shall be the Sinners 1 will punish.
The door slams open and crashes into the wall. Two grotesque figures fill the doorway. A dirty and unkempt man unbuckles his belt, ready to lash out at anyone nearby. Behind him is a hysterical woman armed with a gleaming kitchen knife.
"Let's not be naughty, now. Daddy will show you what happens to naughty children".
The grotesque figures created by The Gatherer draw closer to the characters.
The two beings were created to torment Kristofferson in his purgatory, but they attack his replacements instead. They're twisted caricatures of his foster parents, taken from the visions of Kristofferson's fevered brain. The Gatherer stays back while these monstrosities act, still hoping for a chance to seize its true target.
Kristofferson stays on the bed, clutching his toy tiger and concentrating on the arcane phrases that keep The Gatherer at bay. He believes The Gatherer will leave with the characters; this hope bolsters his confidence.
However, if the characters defeat The Gatherer's two creatures, Kristofferson momentarily loses his concentration and hope. This lapse is all The Gatherer needs to reach out with its long arms and bring the Sinner to it. As the sounds of screams echoes, the room fades away as the characters find themselves back in the "real" world.
Killing Kristofferson also saves the characters from potential imprisonment. If the characters don't survive the confrontation with The Gatherer or its phantasms, they take Kristofferson's place in the purgatory. In this case, they will see Kristofferson fade away as they permanently inhabit Kristofferson's purgatory.
Conclusion
The remainder of this story assumes that the characters manage to defeat Kristofferson or his "foster parents."
You blink and shake your head as you find yourself in the study on the second floor. Kristofferson's last words still ring in your ears. "No, Mommy, help me! No...". You're greeted by dawn's first light as the warm sun emerges above the tree-tops.
The characters find themselves in the house where they began their journey into Kristofferson's purgatory. Only the survivors return, still bearing whatever wounds they received. They are free to search the rest of the house and grounds. The study appears to he a normal one, albeit in disarray. The bodies of the family are gone, but the bloodstains remain.
The only thing left to do is leave the house and return to the city. The characters probably never really understand what happened or precisely what part they played in the drama, although they may eventually understand the details, (This could make a future story).
Further Opinions
This adventure may be expanded upon in a number of ways. Various encounters with Kristofferson may be spread out over other episodes in a campaign, and this story could he the culmination of those events. Kristofferson would he a good underworld contact for the characters, eventually building their trust (and making the initial meeting that much easier).
Perhaps after this adventure, you may allow further research into the history of Thomas Kristofferson. Thus, characters might team the truth of how they found themselves in Kristofferson's purgatory.
The characters might also have angered Samael, The Avenger, who might have had future plans for Kristofferson. If this is the case, they now have a very powerful enemy.