Fabula
S15E11 · Image of the Fendahl Part 3

Colby taunts Stael toward violence

Colby’s mocking of Stael escalates the lab’s tension, pushing the unstable antagonist past restraint. Stael’s threats, framed by his demand to silence the Fendahl scanner, reveal his desperation for absolute control. Fendelman’s rifle shifts, but his question—why?—goes unanswered as Stael asserts dominance over his prisoners. Colby’s cruel humor exposes his fear, making the threat feel inevitable: Stael will either kill for worship or for contempt, and the ritual’s delay only sharpens the danger. key_dialogue: [ COLBY: Oh no, Max isn't famous for his sense of humour, are you, Maxie? STAEL: I shall not warn you again, Colby. COLBY: You're going to kill us anyway, aren't you? ]

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

1

Colby taunts Stael, suggesting he is not known for his sense of humor, escalating the tension as Stael threatens to kill him.

fear to heightened tension

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

3

Desperate rage masked by fragile grandeur

Stael strides into the lab, producing a small revolver and immediately asserting control by ordering the scanner turned off. His dialogue shifts from threats to theological justification, revealing his desperation to delay the ritual until his followers arrive.

Goals in this moment
  • Silence the disruptive scanner to maintain temporal leverage over the Fendahl’s awakening
  • Enforce absolute obedience from Fendelman and Colby through escalating threats
Active beliefs
  • My followers’ arrival will sanctify my ascendance and justify any atrocity
  • The scanner’s readings are an affront to the Fendahl’s imminent dominion
Character traits
ruthless theologically delusional authoritarian
Follow Maximilian Stael's journey
Supporting 2

Fear masquerading as bravado

Colby turns off the scanner on Stael’s orders but couches his compliance in sarcasm. His mockery of Maxie escalates tension, exposing his fear and baiting Stael toward either violence or ritual justification.

Goals in this moment
  • Survive the immediate confrontation through calculated compliance
  • Provoke Stael to reveal his weaknesses
Active beliefs
  • Stael will kill regardless of obedience so resistance is the only honesty left
  • Sarcasm is a shield against imminent violence
Character traits
sarcastic fearful but defiant morally aware
Follow Adam Colby's journey

Confused and increasingly fearful

Fendelman reacts to Stael’s demands with confusion and physical tension, slipping his larger revolver into his lab coat pocket. His pointed question—why?—reveals a momentary defiance before Stael’s threats dominate the scene.

Goals in this moment
  • Protect his research from Stael’s interference
  • Understand Stael’s motives and regain some control
Active beliefs
  • The scanner’s data is vital to preventing catastrophe
  • Stael’s actions reveal deeper occult motivations beyond mere power
Character traits
scientifically analytical instinctively resistant questioning
Follow Max Fendelman's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

4
Genesis Origin Research Scanner

The Fendahl Origin Research Scanner, humming and displaying its countdown clock during Colby’s mocking dialogue, becomes a battleground device. Stael demands it be turned off for fear its readings will disrupt the Fendahl’s awakening, while Colby complies with sarcastic compliance.

Before: Active, monitoring and broadcasting readings with a visible …
After: Deactivated, its signals silenced as Colby turns it …
Before: Active, monitoring and broadcasting readings with a visible countdown displayed on its screen
After: Deactivated, its signals silenced as Colby turns it off per Stael’s command
Fendelman’s Revolver

Fendelman’s own revolver is drawn and pocketed as a defensive measure when he realizes Stael’s intent. Its familiar weight becomes a reluctant symbol of defiance against Stael’s weapons, though its use remains hypothetical.

Before: Stored in the lab, visible but not actively …
After: Secured in Fendelman’s pocket, prepared though not drawn
Before: Stored in the lab, visible but not actively held
After: Secured in Fendelman’s pocket, prepared though not drawn
Stael's Small Revolver

The small revolver appears early in Stael’s hands, immediately asserting dominance in the confined lab space. While not yet fired, its presence shifts the power dynamic, becoming an extension of Stael’s voice as he issues threats.

Before: Concealed by Stael upon entering, hidden but ready …
After: Brandished openly, its small frame contrasting with the …
Before: Concealed by Stael upon entering, hidden but ready for use
After: Brandished openly, its small frame contrasting with the threats it portends
Stael's Larger Revolver

Stael wields a larger revolver, its size and weight apparent as he brandishes it to dominate the lab. This object amplifies his authority, transforming the scientific space into a hostage scenario where every movement is life-or-death.

Before: Unseen at scene start, produced by Stael after …
After: Held threateningly, pointed toward Colby after the taunt …
Before: Unseen at scene start, produced by Stael after entering
After: Held threateningly, pointed toward Colby after the taunt escalates

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Fendelman's Lab Exterior

The cramped lab, its flickering monitors and exposed brick walls overwhelmed by Stael’s violent entry, becomes a pressure cooker of escalating hostage dynamics. The scanner’s deactivation dims the space’s eerie glow, yet the atmosphere tightens as weapons enter the frame.

Atmosphere Tense and electric with suppressed violence, the air thick with unspoken threats and the hum …
Function Confinement site and staging ground for coercive power play
Symbolism Represents the collision of science and occultism, where knowledge is weaponized and reason is rendered …
Access Restricted to authorized personnel, now forcibly controlled by Stael
Flickering overhead strip light casting jagged shadows as Stael moves Scanner’s countdown ceases, plunging the lab into sudden mechanical silence

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What this causes 2

"Stael's violent seizure of Fendelman's lab (beat_890813858a3897d8) escalates into the full public enactment of his ritual in the chapel with followers (beat_9bc153d89c6413d9), demonstrating his unchecked ambition and growing threat."

Stael activates the Fendahl ritual console
S15E11 · Image of the Fendahl Part …

"Stael's violent seizure of Fendelman's lab (beat_890813858a3897d8) escalates into the full public enactment of his ritual in the chapel with followers (beat_9bc153d89c6413d9), demonstrating his unchecked ambition and growing threat."

Fendelman realizes family ties to Fendahl
S15E11 · Image of the Fendahl Part …