1d20<7 wis save to not fuck everything up and derail history

[GM]
Early at the start of next month (fast forwarding a bit due to 2 slooooow players), Bernart returns to you. He asks to meet you privately via a letter ahead of time.
Are you going to meet with him privately, and if so, where?

[Otto]
The pike slaying grounds might work. I guess I have to show him the eyes and the trouble regarding it.

[GM]
He agrees to meet you there. He is once again there with a pavilion tent, if you do not arrive first (which you easily can)

[Otto]
Otto takes his time, partially out of shame.
"Well met, Bernart - there is one thing I have to explain immediately."

[GM]
He raises a hand
You see him seated atop a log, holding a rapier on his lap. The rapier's blade is blackened, and it's basket hilt resembles a silver serpent with ruby eyes. As you watch, the serpent moves to look at you and hisses. Bernart nods, listlessly.
"What were you going to say?"
He picks up the rapier and gives it a few swings.

[Otto]
"Ah... Well, do you remember the raw fish?"
"I ate it, and this happened." Otto points to his eyes.

[GM]
He nods, not looking at you. "So you've changed further. Not unexpected."

[Otto]
"It has been difficult not to eat more. An exercise in discipline."
"Fortunately, there was a time I made knightly wows, myself."
"Say, that looks like a mighty mean sword. Did you get it from the dwarves?"

[GM]
He nods, "Yes. Your sword is there," he points to a wooden rack by the pavilion tent.

[Otto]
Otto goes to retrieve it. Apparently his worst fears would not come to pass.

[GM]
"It was in trade for a valued relic of theirs we discovered. This blade.. hungers for the blood of Awnshegh. And.. I'm sorry. Draw steel."

[Otto]
"So it has come to this. If you fall, I'll return you to the order."
(Is he letting me pick up Shadowbane?)

[GM]
He is.
"If you fall... I will ensure you are buried with honor. I am sorry, I did not wish it to come to this. The blade has been starved for decades and demands this. I cannot stop it."

[Otto]
Otto draws it alongside is parrying dagger, taking up a fascimile of the Klaunstrichen stance.

[GM]
He wields the rapier in one hand, a cloak in the other. "En garde!"
(Going to fight him outright, or try for any dirty tricks?)

[Otto]
(Outright, though I am considering whether to go for three attacks or not. What armor is he wearing?)

[GM]
(He is unarmored at present. You can see it hanging from a rack nearby.)

[Otto]
(I imagine Otto would bring Studded Leather to a meeting with him, expecting something of the sort.)
Seeing the knight unarmored, Otto unties his leather breastplate as well. This is a knightly duel, if for the worst reasons.

[GM]
"No, leave it on!"

[Otto]
"...Fine." He stops, and moves to engage the paladin.

[GM]
The blade seems to leap forward, dragging his arm with it. "Make it.. right!"

[Otto]
"Swiftly." Otto finally decides to be wholly offensive about this.
(Meaning, dual-wielding. I will take Initiative, if he lets me.)

[GM]
He does not - the blade is in control now. You barely repel the initial thrust, the blade piercing your armor and scraping against the thick fur of your torso.
(Attacking with both the dagger and your longsword?)

[GM]
(Yes)

[Otto]
(You also get a bite)
But I'll roll that real quick
to not give the game away 👀

[Otto]
Otto sees an opportunity to bite the stabbing arm, and decides to take it.

[GM]
All three attacks hit
(He is still up, but you've hurt him)

[Otto]
Otto bites in, weaves in for a stab, and finally slashes the paladin with the Shadowbane. It doesn't seem to have been enough.

[GM]
"Impressive fangs!" Bernart hisses, speaking in another voice, "but I've fangs of my own, beast!"
Despite saying this, he is off balance, allowing you to press your furious attack.
(You broke a bone in his right arm with your fangs, you can describe this)

[Otto]
The beast, having bitten in, shakes the arm around, hoping to disarm Bernart. But, there is still the other one.

[GM]
He lands, despite your grip on his arm, a TELLING blow with the rapier. A deep stab into your left leg severs muscles and leaves you bleeding - it doesn't seem to have hit an artery, but the rapier is now blood-red.
Continuing your assault?
A red mist is starting to cloud your senses, and the best wants to rip his throat out and feed on his organs.

[Otto]
(Is there a Disarm action?)

[GM]
(there is indeed)

[Otto]
(I'll use the Bite for it, since it doesn't take a penalty. Though it doesn't make a lot of sense.)

[GM]
He shoves you off of his arm, screaming, and kicks you away when you try to knock the blade from his hand. Fortunately, your guard is up, despite the rapidly growing hunger and rage in the back of your mind, and you repel his counter attack. He backs up a bit to get some breathing room and switches which hand holds the blade.
"Nothing but a hungry beast! Submit to your death!"

[Otto]
Otto speaks, his teeth jittery. "There are still things I have to do. I can die later."

[GM]
(Trying for another disarm, or to seal the deal?)

[Otto]
(I guess I'll attack him again, and hope to get lucky. I will forgo the bite this time.)
(No disarm, just sword and dagger.)

[GM]
You attack in a frenzy, slamming your blade into his chest, knocking him down. You hear the crunch of a breaking bone, and follow up with your dagger into his leg. He tries to swipe at you but you easily fend him off.
"Ughhh... that the best you've got, beast?"

[Otto]
Otto focuses on a single attack with the Shadowbane, and tries to disarm Benart again - even if he has to hack the arm off to do it.

[GM]
You attempt to knock the blade from his hand, but the serpent forming the basket-hilt has wrapped around his upper arm. More to the point, it, in fact, knocks Shadowbane 10' away, towards the shore of the lake. Bernart stands up and hobbles closer, bleeding from several bad wounds. "No more!"
"Submit and it-" he coughs a mouthful of blood, "it will be swift."
(He looks terrible - a nasty gash on his torso, bite marks on his arm, and a stab wound in his left leg)

[Otto]
Otto retreats to pick up his sword, to regain his defenses.
"If he dies here, people won't wield you for a while. I like the lad."
"Didn't you drink enough?"

[GM]
"I cannot suffer an Awnshegh to live. It is my purpose - surely you understand why! Look at yourself - you are becoming a beast, soon to be a true beast in nature as well as form."
"Save yourself and your loved ones true remorse and let me cleanse your blood."

[Otto]
"...Cleanse?" Otto wonders about what he just heard. "Can you cleanse a bloodline with a killing blow?"

[GM]
"Yes. I take it into myself, sharing a portion with my wielder. Those slain are purified, dying as men rather than beasts."

[Otto]
"...Then you will have to wait just a little longer. It has to be passed on first."

[GM]
"I cannot wait, nor should you. The longer you live, the more you change. As you said, your eyes are now those of a monster! More will change, faster and faster!"
The serpent slightly uncoils from Bernarts arm to look at you.
"Drop your weapon, I will make it swift. I must return to my duty."

[Otto]
"I ask for just a month."
"The life of one paladin, no matter how much I liked him, is not worth Rheulgard's future."

[GM]
"You are planning to get me away from him somehow. I know your tricks. Bernart is a good man, but he lacks the purity of purpose and focus I possess. He already chose to try and sacrifice himself rather than fight you at his best."

[Otto]
"He was wiser than you, serpent."
"What do you do with all that power you store, anyway? Does it not bother you that your form matches that which you hunt?"

[GM]
"More foolishly merciful."
"No, I take the sin of the Awnshegh into myself. My form changing matches my purpose being fulfilled."

[Otto]
"I see. Then there is nothing more to be said."
Otto charges in, hoping the knock the sword out one last time.

[GM]
This time, Bernart (or, rather, the sword) was ready and strikes you, serpent-fast, with a jab to the torso, fending off your attempt to remove it.
Bernart is weeping.
"I am sorry..."

[Otto]
"We both are."
(Time to actually kill him, then.)
"But you did save me."

[GM]
(You could try to literally 'dis-arm' him)

[Otto]
(The coiling around upper arm implies that I could not. If there are no other modifiers, I will keep trying for that.)

[GM]
(You could cut off his upper arm)

[Otto]
(That is the intention, then.)

[GM]
You sever the upper arm of Bernart, who begins to bleed profusely, falling unconscious. The serpent uncoils from the arm and returns to being a basket hilt, though it's eyes gleam as red as the pommel of your own sword.

The smell of blood and the rush of victory urges you to fulfill base desires - consume the arm, feast on the blood! You've earned it with this victory!

[GM]
Otto slashes the arm away as far as possible. Bernart has lost a lot of blood, and Otto was no medic.
Neither was he of clear mind at the moment.

[Otto]
The hunger fairly pounds in your head:
EAT
EAT
EAT!
This causes physical pain, and the smell grows intoxicating.

Bernart is moaning on the ground, bleeding out.

[Otto]
(Since player does not want to go for it but Otto's blood does, I suppose I should make a will check.)
(Or wisdom anyway)

[GM]
It's fine to deny it on your own in general, but a Wis check to resist would be good.
You did it!

[Otto]
(Holy hell)

[GM]
You are like a junky surrounded by his drug of choice that... DOESN'T indulge.
The taste of blood on your lips is enough to keep you sane... to attempt something.
Or perhaps you wish to flee the scene?

[Otto]
(I would like to prevent Bernart from dying. If woken up, he might be able to heal himself, but I probably can't reliably induce that.)

[GM]
OK... you know some very, very basic first aid. You wrap his wound and staunch the worst of the bleeding.
He doesn't wake up after a mere hour, though, and it is beginning to grow dark. He did set camp, though, so you can drag him to the pavilion and prepare dinner...
Though the scent of blood and his arm are extremely compelling, you do NOT eat them. Instead, he had a dozen fish hung on fishing lines to one side of his tent. They smell... equally compelling to the arm, yet are not human flesh.

[Otto]
(Those should be fine, when I distance myself a lot. So that I don't get any more ideas while eating.)
Otto eats a fish, hoping not to mess this all up after getting so lucky with the result.

[GM]
It tastes delicious, and after finishing it in a gluttonous feed, you feel satisfied.
[Otto]
"...Now I just have to make sure he doesn't die, and get Wilhelm over here somehow."