▁dread s ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁pre - ord ained ▁rit ual ▁that ▁st ret ches ▁before ▁him . ▁His ▁desire ▁for ▁freedom ▁is ▁aw ak ened ▁by ▁the ▁sight ▁of ▁his ▁fost er ▁sister , ▁known ▁only ▁as ▁" The ▁Th ing ", ▁a ▁fer al ▁child ▁who ▁lives ▁in ▁the ▁woods ▁of ▁G orm eng h ast ▁( due ▁to ▁her ▁mother ▁being ▁ban ished ▁as ▁an ▁out cast ) ▁and ▁who ▁terror izes ▁the ▁Bright ▁Car vers , ▁the ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁the ▁mud ▁dwell ings ▁outside ▁the ▁castle ▁walls . ▁Her ▁life ▁of ▁wild ▁freedom ▁makes ▁him ▁real ise ▁that ▁an ▁existence ▁is ▁possible ▁other ▁than ▁the ▁rig id ▁formal ities ▁and ▁rit ual ▁of ▁the ▁castle . ▁Meanwhile , ▁Ste er pi ke ▁continues ▁his ▁rise ▁to ▁power ▁by ▁killing ▁Bar quent ine , ▁the ▁Master ▁of ▁R it ual , ▁and ▁taking ▁his ▁place , ▁but ▁he ▁is ▁eventually ▁un mask ed ▁as ▁a ▁tra itor ▁and ▁murder er . ▁The ▁castle ▁is ▁flo oded ▁by ▁a ▁ra inst orm , ▁and ▁in ▁a ▁wat ery ▁du el ▁with ▁Tit us , ▁Ste er pi ke ▁is ▁killed , ▁leaving ▁the ▁way ▁clear ▁for ▁Tit us ▁to ▁reign . ▁However , ▁his ▁desire ▁to ▁leave ▁G orm eng h ast ▁is ▁now ▁over wh el ming , ▁Tit us ▁fle es ▁the ▁castle ▁for ▁the ▁wider ▁world ▁beyond ▁G orm eng h ast ▁Mountain . ▁ ▁Tit us ▁Al one ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁follows ▁Tit us ▁as ▁he ▁travel