The Secret in the Woods - Episode 14

The Door
The door at the cavern being opened.
Campaign	The Secret in the Woods
Episode	14
Exhibited in	07/11/2020
Duration	03:13:29 (YouTube) 03:30:43 (Twitch)
Episode link	Twitch[restricted] YouTube
Previous episode	"The Cave"
Posterior episode	"Source"
Characters in the episode
Arthur Cervero Cesar Cohen Elizabeth Webber Joui Jouki Thiago Fritz Jennifer The Artist The Blacksmith The Doctor The Gardener † The Gatekeeper The Guard The Hotelier The Nurse The Tailor The Tavernkeeper Eric Jour/Crazy Gramps (photo) Eva van Gloss (audio and photo) Ingrid Volkomenn (photo) Mick Vultz (photo) Paula Verdante (photo) Valter Luz (photo)
Locations in the episode
Holy Cradle Holy Cradle Cavern Holy Cradle Mines Holy Cradle Smithy Infinite Labyrinth Trial Woods

I knocked on the door several times, but I always came back, didn't I?

Thiago Fritz

The Door is the fourteenth episode of The Secret in the Woods. It aired on July 11, 2020.

Synopsis

The team passes through the mine's door and finds out about the Holy Cradle's origin and functioning. Liz and Thiago finds connections with an old case, and a sacrifice's cost divides the group.

Summary

The mysterious door inside the cave opens, giving sight to a staircase. Before entering through it, Elizabeth pulls Thiago to a corner and says that she can't follow Joui's plan for so long, and that if anything happens, he needs to take care of the rest of the group. Joui listens both talking, but says nothing. Then, Liz, Thiago, Joui, Cesar, Arthur and The Gatekeeper go down to a kind of bunker semi-covered with ooze, with a large model of the village of Holy Cradle in the middle, with metal lockers and documents scattered everywhere.

At the opposite end of the room, the group spots a ladder leading to a hatch. Joui and Arthur approach the model, and realize that it represents an old version of the city, with only five buildings around the maze - they theorize that they belonged to the five doctors that founded Holy Cradle. Liz and Cesar starts to read documents left under a desk, and they find cassette tapes and a tape recorder. There are the narrated reports of Eva van Gloss, telling about some of the events that occurred during the creation of Holy Cradle and their experiments with "Subject 01".

Meanwhile, Thiago pulls from the lockers a folder with information of this subject, revealed to be Ingrid Volkomenn. Thiago remembers Liz and colleagues about their meeting with her daughter, Agatha Volkomenn, during their previous case, and how this explains the girl’s behavior. They still read about the discovery of the Spiral Symbol on one of the archaeological expeditions of Eva van Gloss, and how it seems to affect the flora and fauna around it. The documents further explain the effect of temporal distortion that separates Holy Cradle from Carpazinha, and the doctor makes references to their unhappy alliance with the Haunteds.

After discussing the content of the documents, Cesar and Liz read about the lost civilization found in the expedition of Eva van Gloss, at the european island of Heilag Vagga, that seems to have developed and succumbed in an abnormal time frame. The two attribute this to temporal distortion. Returning to the lockers, Cesar feels a strange chill when he finds a sheet covered in ooze with a pentagram in the center. He gives it to Elizabeth Webber, and she recognizes the symbol that brought them to Carpazinha, next to the drawing on the cover of the book found in the undergrounds of Nostradamus High School. Next to the hatch, Thiago, Arthur and Joui read a document written by Eric Jour, where he reports on how the other doctors went crazy when they touched the Black Crystal, and that he needed to flee Holy Cradle to warn the investigators of the Order. From the inscriptions on the page, the group deduces that he was the "Crazy Gramps", because he had the Symbol engraved on his back.

With this, Joui takes advantage of his friends distracted and pulls The Gatekeeper to a corner, asking him to mark the Symbol on him, for it must be the only way to get around the labyrinth. The Gatekeeper says he must be right, but even so, they must follow his plan to deceive The Blacksmith: he will sacrifice himself to distract the Lusidii, while the group enters the Labyrinth. Joui disagrees with the idea and insists on his suggestion. The group listens to the conversation and everyone enters a serious conflict. Angry, Thiago moves away and opens the hatch, which he finds in the Blacksmith’s room. With the team again distracted, Joui tries to convince the Gatekeeper to make the Symbol on him again, but the others notice and try to make him give up the idea. Thiago threatens the Gatekeeper, saying that if he draws the Symbol on anyone there, he'll kill him.

While discussing the best way to distract The Blacksmith, The Gatekeeper is convinced to draw the Symbol in Joui, but Arthur stops him. He vents, saying he’s lost everything and couldn’t take the pain of losing one of his only living friends. On the other side, Liz tries to calm down Thiago, but he approaches the Gatekeeper and points his Magnum at his head. Cesar manages to disarm him, and, amid the group discussions, Thiago decides that if anyone among them should sacrifice himself, that someone would be him.

Arthur interferes, shouting that he is the least fit member of the group and that he should not even be there, so he is the best candidate. Joui argues the pain his death would cause in Ivete, and Arthur answers that dying for those they love is what it makes him a Vulture. Thiago, again, argues that he is the one who has the greatest connection with the Symbol as he visited the labyrinth while in the cocoon of the Aracnasite. This arouses the curiosity of The Gatekeeper, telling him that’s how the Lusidii felt. Thiago finds out that he can assume the gray form, and with that, everyone feels that the choice of who will receive the Symbol is already made. Liz refuses to accept this decision, while listening to Joui begging his master to confirm that everything will be okay. Everyone is in despair but with no other option.

The Gatekeeper requests a red crystal, and when Cesar, reluctantly, passes him one, the Symbol begins to be drawn on the back of Thiago. Cesar says he would like to have the heroic posture of his friend, but is too selfish for that, and would not want to lose the only family he has left. Cheerless, Arthur asks for a group hug, and, with everyone united, the Gatekeeper asks if the group has any kind of name. Everyone says their names and professions, but they didn’t choose a name for the team. The Gatekeeper says that to him the five represent his only hope. With this, Liz decides that they'll be named Team H.

She holds Thiago's hand, and says that even if he gets lost in the Infinite Labyrinth, she will go back to get him. Then, The Gatekeeper ends the drawing on the back of Thiago, who feels his mind boiling, and sees himself, once again, in the white space of the Labyrinth. He feels alone, and he can’t see anything until his friends get close, and they’re the only thing he can see. The journalist realizes that his friends are his only connection to the real world, while only seeing white everywhere. With Thiago ready to guide them through the Labyrinth, the Gatekeeper warns that their clothes will disintegrate with the end of the Holy Cradle, and everyone decides to change them. The Lusidii opens the hatch and leaves to distract The Blacksmith, saying goodbye to the recently named team.

After a while, Team H guides Thiago to the Smithy, where they hide, until they notice all the Lusidii going to a specific location. They were going to the woods to witness the execution of The Gatekeeper. Cesar replenishes its red crystals in the fireplace of The Blacksmith, while Joui espia o movimento. In this, the gymnast is surprised by a Lusidii, who asks why he is not going to the Woods like everyone else, to which he argues that he needs to change. With the street deserted, the team enters the labyrinth, where Thiago feels the directions in which to follow in the burns of his back. They walk inside the Labyrinth for half an hour, until they see a dark cave at the end of a corridor, with a strange wind coming out of it.

Documents and evidences

Main page: Documents

Evidence	Description
	Seventh page of Eric Jour's diary. Found in the crystals table of the Holy Cradle bunker by Cesar Oliveira Cohen. "Internal Conflicts" - November 23, 2019 - 4:32:54 PM Things have definitely gotten out of hand. The Builder was able to convince everyone else to actually abandon the studies and implement traditions and rites in order to make the next generations ignorant. How did Eva The Miner fall into this conversation? Forcing the future of Holy Cradle to ignorance so that they feel blessed, instead of searching and exploring more of the Other Side? If our Saint the PARASITE is powerful in this way only with proximity to the Crack, what else could we achieve? We can’t stop research. It’s for science.
	Yellow VHS tape of Eva van Gloss. Found with the seventh page of Eric Jour's diary. Beginning of the symbol investigation found on the island Heilag Vagga. The subject voluntarily submitted to the procedure of marking the symbol and has shown restlessness and sudden changes in behavior. Subject 1 suffered severe psychological damage, at times becoming aggressive and speaking repeated and meaningless phrases, always using the terms "Holy", "Labyrinth" and "Cradle", in different ways. There’s no coming back for Ingrid anymore. She’s aggressive with constant psychotic attacks. I assume as a scientist that it was a mistake to use her as a subject, considering that her daughter is still in school. But... I never thought anything like this could happen to her. I understand now that the effects of this symbol are far beyond my scientific understanding. I have concluded my preliminary investigation of the symbol, with the decision to contact doctor Eric Jour.
	Model of the beginnings of Holy Cradle found in the bunker. In this representation, it can be identified a big cavern in the place where it should be the center of the Infinite Labyrinth and five houses raised around it, and among it: the smithy, the farm and an initial version of the hotel.
	Red VHS tape of Eva van Gloss. Found in one of the gray lockers of the bunker. The studies of Eric using Subject 1 determine the interesting sequence of facts. Subject 1, having the symbol marked on it, became what Eric calls a source of Potential Energy. Its life was parasitized by the Symbol, or rather by the entity summoned in it. The result of this is now called Spiral Hypnosis, which affects not only the psyche of the PE source, but also the surrounding environment and its organisms. Eric contacted his mentor Mick for more advanced study. They expect weakening of the local veil to have great determination in the potential of the entity they call Dimensions Parasite.
	Subject 01's Project Holy Cradle file. Found in one of the gray lockers of the bunker. Analysis of Environmental Evolution with Regional Exposure to Subject 01 Name: Ingrid Volkomenn Age: 42 years Blood type: B+ Initial date of experiments: 12/22/2018 DAY 1: Since the marking of the symbol on her body and cell, the petrographic evaluation of miniature sandy soil environments located around its containment site, previously poor in clay minerals and highly leachate, has now demonstrated the possibility of developing vegetation and microorganisms responsible for the storage of nutrients. DAY 3: The miniature environments show humid and temperate climate, with an extremely rapid evolution to common geological patterns. New micro-perforations indicate the precipitation of metallic minerals such as lead, copper, zinc, gold, and unidentifiable crystals that emit radiation never seen before. DAY 7: The soil is well developed. There are plenty of microorganisms and sufficient geochemical reserves for planting the most diverse types of plantations. The conditions for obtaining food and mineral resources are ideal. Conclusion: Unlike the environments directly exposed to the symbol, which showed extremely accelerated degradation, environments in a spherical region around Subject 01 after exposure to the symbol demonstrated evolutionary mutation extremely appropriate for life. This seems to indicate that the symbol can somehow, not yet investigated, convert vital energy into dimensional distortions by nearby areas.
	Document about the Project Holy Cradle. PROJECT HOLY CRADLE Name: Dr. Valter Luz - Medicine and Analysis of Parasitic Behavior Name: Dr. Eva van Gloss - Geology and Archaeology Name: Dr. Paula Verdante - Zoology and Agronomic Engineering Name: Dr. Eric Jour - Paranormal Quantification Analysis Name: Dr. Mick Vultz - Dimensional Engineering and Esotericism PROCEDURES AND EXPECTATIONS: The Project Holy Cradle, named so thanks to the behavioral responses of Subject 01, seeks to use the effects of Spiral Hypnosis Distortion as a tool for the study of the Symbol itself and its effects. With the establishment of an operacoinal base in an isolated region with weakened veil, and the use of Sources as a source of Potential Energy, studies may reach levels never before approximated. Doctors Vultz and Verdante will be responsible for allocating the necessary resources for the initial construction of a sustainable independent life in complete isolation.
	Blue VHS tape of Eva van Gloss found with some other papers in the floor, next to the tape recorder table. The new studies with the help of Dr. Paula Verdante and Valter Luz gave us many answers. Coming to an isolated city with the fragile veil was really a good idea. Valter explains that the symbol functions as a host mark, a kind of permission for the parasite to enter. The effects of the Spiral Hypnosis of the parasite have the purpose of satisfying the pleasures and needs of its hosts. This would result in tasty food, bountiful crops and pleasant weather. Even geological transformation from unfit to fertile terrain. The parasite keeps its hosts with high quality of life to keep it fed with Potential Energy sources. Valter has tried to use animals and bodies related to the veil weakening as hosts of the parasite, using those stupid bikers as sources of PE. We gave them small medallions with the symbol to work as a PE source, but Eric does not seem satisfied. His plan is to recreate what we found with Subject 01, but now with two people. Using what he calls Sources, trapped humans converting their entire life into Potential Energy for the parasite.
	Paper with Holy Cradle's rules. HOLY CRADLE The inevitable expansion of the project may result in moral conflicts of fire that do not yet understand the greatness of Our Holy. We will now begin the process of Sanctification and traditionalism so that the Holy may prosper ever stronger. Future generations of Holy Cradle will not know what keeps them here and the environmental Spiral Hypnosis will keep them alive and happy, while the Blacksmith, the chosen leader, will take charge of maintaining the Sources, preferably their own descendants, keeping the Holy Cradle fed and the Distortion ever alive. - Pilgrimage: seeking substitute in the outside world for vital role. - Translate findings into traditional rites: the Trial will serve as proof of temporal distortion for the residents of Holy Cradle. - Segregate foreigners as ignarii and residents as Lusidii: tactic to keep the Secret more difficult to access, giving enough time for the Spiral Hypnosis reaches the brain. So when the target eventually finds out about the temporal distortion, it can no longer wish to leave Holy Cradle. - Instruct the Lusidii to use the ignarii time count for new Holy Cradle ignarii, so that the temporal confusion does not initially frighten them. Temporal distortion must be the last revelation before the Trial. - Exposing the lusidii to the Hypnosis Crystal before the Trial only after prolonged period of exposure to Spiral Hypnosis, so that they are unconsciously attached. Otherwise, as seen in Subject 01, the psychological shock can be maddening. - Reveal the truth only to the lineage of Blacksmiths, who choose select members of Holy Cradle that they find fit to reveal for aid in the maintenance of Sources. - All the children of the Blacksmith must be Sources so that he does not develop affection or empathy for its children. - We will be remembered as the Guardians as a testament of the true creators of the future. We will be eternal in the Holy Cradle.
	Document about the island of Heilag Vagga. Found in the Holy Cradle bunker by Cesar Oliveira Cohen. Following the Deconjuration Order, this archive records the archaeological expedition led by Eva van Gloss in newly found ruins on the remote island of Heilag Vagga. Military documentation of the time indicated a patrol camp sent 1 year before the volcano erupted on the island. The ruins found are from a developed civilization that emerged and prospered on the island for hundreds of years, without any text record. The local geological formation is also completely unregulated and incompatible with the region, the result of some kind of unnatural mutation. Large buildings and stone tablets contained the same carved spiral symbol. Civilization seemed to hold some kind of cult or worship to this symbol. The social development presented is not compatible with the dates previously analyzed in the documents, presenting an extremely accelerated evolution, considering the volcano eruption also advanced considering the regional geological calculations. The determinations of the Decojuration are to continue with independent studies around the Spiral Symbol until obtaining relevant information.
	Eighth page of Eric Jour's diary. NO GOD. PARASITE. - DECEMBER 12, 2019 - 9:32:13 PM I AM THE BLACKSMITH. MICK CANNOT STEAL THIS FROM ME. THE TEAM HAS BEEN COMPROMISED. THEY DON’T REALIZE. ONLY I STILL REMEMBER. THE CRYSTAL OF HYPNOSIS. THEY ARE CONNECTED TO THE PARASITE. HOW THEY WERE STUPID ENOUGH TO ALLOW THEMSELVES TO TOUCH HIM. The HOLY PARASITE DOES NOT ALLOW ME TO APPROACH. I HAD TO MARK THE GREAT SYMBOL IN ME TO BE ABLE TO GUIDE ME IN THE LABYRINTH. WE’RE SCIENTISTS. IT’S NOT A GOD. IT’S A PARASITE. MICK NEEDS TO REMEMBER THAT. THE SYMBOL IS STRONG. DON’T FORGET. I WILL CONFRONT MICK TODAY. WE MUST LEAVE OR DESTROY THE ORIGINAL PARASITE. IF MICK DENIES, I WILL EXPOSE HOLY CRADLE. I WILL FIND THE ORDER INVESTIGATORS AND SHOW HOW TO GET TO HOLY CRADLE. I JUST CAN NOT FORGET. I CAN’T LET THE SYMBOL MAKE ME FORGET. I’M GONNA LOCK UP THE LAB AND DESTROY THE OTHER KEYS. THEY CAN’T DESTROY THE WORK I DID. NO SAINT, PARASITE. PARASITE. PARASITE. PARASITE. PARASITE. PARASITE. PARASITE.
	Document of "Analysis of Temporal Distortion Based on Potential Energy". Found in the big puddle of black ooze.
	Paper with the Other Side Symbol drawn. Found in the big puddle of black ooze.

Episode cast

• Cellbit - Game Master
• Rakin - Thiago Fritz
• Luba - Joui Jouki
• Guaxinim - Arthur Cervero
• Calango - Cesar Cohen
• Gabi Cattuzzo - Elizabeth Webber
• Kalera - Eva van Gloss (voice recording)

Trivia

• With only 3h30min of duration, this is the second shortest episode of the series so far, just behind "The Beginning of the End".
• In this episode, streamer and singer Kalera makes a special cameo, voicing Eva Van Gloss at the audio tapes found by the team.
• In this episode, the "Deconjuration Order" is mentioned by the first time, being the main storyline of the third season of the RPG.

Gallery

Episode's YouTube cover

Cavern Bunker's door with the Holy Cradle Symbol shining in the episode