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Curse of Strahd

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As Arala and Angel Bones scouted, Riona watched over her. The Pale-haired woman had been around the Half-orc long enough to know the routine and would hate for them to get jumped as this happened. They had a lot in common and, while it was probably not mutual, Riona had come to see Arala as a friend.

Once the news was relayed to the group, Riona sighed. "May their soul find safe passage to the other side then. To whatever God or Gods that will accept them." Her own hand instinctively went up to her amulet to the Mystic Seer, gripping it tightly as she spoke. It would seem this was not going to be as simple as aiding the poor girl. At least, that was the gut-wrenching feeling Riona was getting.

"Then we shall keep our eyes out then. Thank you both for scouting for us." She gave a small nod before looking at their surroundings mostly out of slight paranoia.
 
TAVERN, NIGHT BEFORE
"Hey Molt-Wad," Karl snaps at Setesh with a hostile grin, "Anyone ever tell you that you're a lovely conversationalist?"

Karl, barely holding back his temper, cracks his neck.

"Whatever. I'll be around at first light. If you guys change your mind by the morning, let me know."

***

ROAD, MORNING
"I wish you'd changed your mind."

Karl grimaced, switching his walking stick from his right to his left hand.

"Well, you gotta wonder what kinda threat kills a body and leaves it there... Hm."

Karl runs his vision along the bushes on the side of the road. Who could've ambushed that traveler?
 
Bram had not woken up on the right side of the bed this morning. It seemed that drinking heavily on the tab of others led to headaches equaling the pain of getting hit by a horse. Bram had taken note to properly keep his breakfast down though. He had no idea what kind of monsters they might see in Barovia, nor the kind of dark magic being performed there. Rubbing his eyes and looking towards the broken statues, he took note of their surroundings. "Ominous fog, ruined structures and an eerie silence in the air.....oh we're in a wonderful place aren't we?" said Bram as his voice dripped with dry sarcasm. Then Arala and her "Friend" gave the best news of all, that there was also a dead guy. Better yet, even Bram could tell that whatever had KILLED that dead guy. It was probably lying in wait for them, ready to pounce the moment they let down their guard. In a moment of blissful clarity, Bram got out some salt from his pack and rubbed it against his blade. Salt was good against monsters AND it hurt them a lot. "Spare a prayer for us Riri, things could be getting........interesting" replied Bram to the prayers of their cleric.
 
Setesh can think of a dozen of creatures that would kill a person and leave their body behind - anyone who was in a hurry, for starters - but he decides to swallow the comment for once, focusing on their surroundings instead. Everyone else is acting like they've never seen a corpse before, which he knows is not true. Or perhaps they are influenced by the macabre feel of the place; he can't quite tell because it doesn't feel unwelcoming to him. He grew up in underground temples where sunlight was more of a myth than something to ever have a chance to glimpse. There is a certain sophisticated beauty to darkness, unparalleled by the obnoxious, dazzling light.

"Smart little bird," he praises Angel Bones, feeling a pang of jealousy, for he can't see through his snake's eyes - not yet, anyway. He feels… knows it is possible, but he is imperfect still, too imperfect to achieve that. Most of the time, he prefers to keep Akasha hidden anyway, sacrificing the pleasant feeling of having a companion that's always around for a moment of surprise. She is a large, impressive creature, and if he calls on her in danger, her appearance alone often makes a significant change in the balance of power.

"We knew what we were in for," he says matter-of-factly. "No point in mourning a dead man and fidgeting - let's see if the gate is open. From now on, let's keep our mouths shut and our eyes open."

As he walks to the gate, he notes that everything around them is… for lack of a better term... simply majestic: the trees, the gate, the statues, even the sky looked like it was arching to accomodate all the atmospheric fog. Yet the place has clearly seen much better days and is now in a desolate state that speaks of abandonment. The current burgomaster might possess much wealth, but he obviously has no interest in using to restore the former glory of the place.
 
You all step through the open gate. As soon as the last of you is through, the gate creaks shut.

On this side of the gate, towering trees, whose tops are lost in heavy gray mist, block out all but a death-gray light. The tree trunks are unnaturally close to one another, and the woods have the silence of a forgotten grave, yet exude the feeling of an unvoiced scream.

Riona, even from here you catch the scent of death on the air. Most likely the corpse Arala mentioned.
 
Arala gives Riona a grateful smile. Seeing through Angel Bones' eyes leaves her body blind and senseless. She'd noticed Riona's vigilance, and she appreciates it very much. Arala enjoys the cleric's company in general, really. She has a kind heart, and Arala always appreciates kindness. It sometimes feels like a rarity.

"Thank you," she says as her bird hops on her shoulder.

But Angel Bones only has eyes for Setesh; he preens at the compliment, giving a coy, low whistle. "You'll spoil him," Arala comments in a low voice to Setesh, smiling despite the grim atmosphere. "I think he might like you more than me if you keep this up."

"Yes," Angel Bones chirps.

She, again, ignores him. Upon seeing Bram salt his sword, Arala gives an approving nod. It's best to be prepared in times like these. She's amused at Karl's first comment, though, even as she wonders about the second. "I suppose we'll find out," she remarks.

They walk through the gate, and one hand goes to her hand ax, and the other prepares to cast. The air weighs heavy; Angel Bones ruffles his feathers and spreads his wings, tilting his head from side to side, oddly eager but equally silent. Arala doesn't know what to make of this pallor, but she readies herself for anything. As they approach the body, she attempts to glean some information from her surroundings.
 
"I can separate my religious duties and formalities towards the departed from my own emotions separate, Setesh. To me there is a point. Even if that is foreign to you," Riona stated matter-of-factly with a small smile on her face. She glanced down the shield she held in her off hand and smiled. She loved that dented up shield more than anything else she owned. Saved her life on multiple occasions. Which is why she always held it in one of her hands while travelling.

There was an odd smell in the air. The pale-haired woman sniffed the air for a second. Yes, that was the familiar smell of death. Riona had grown accustomed to the smell over the years. Working with dead bodies does that to you. "I can smell death on the wind. I assume the body you mentioned Arala, but it could be something else too." Riona spoke quietly to the group, keeping her eyes out for movement in their surroundings or the dead body.
 
The path had led Dynis away from large cities and into the countryside unfamiliar to her. She had known the maps of Waterdeep and the northern provinces by heart having observed them on countless occasions during her education and free time. But this place was a mystery to her still. She had gone far from her homeland and while it wasn't an unpleasant feeling, being on the road in search of a quest worthy of her god and her family name, she had to admit she felt some trepidation walking the unknown roads.

The sight of a settlement with an inn was a welcome respite and she hurried to secure food and board for herself that night. Too bad she was far out of the reach of her family ties and the acquaintances of the Order of the Gauntlet. In this inn she'd actually have to pay.

The night came and went and Dynis witnessed something of interest to her. A group of travellers much like herself had been approached by a figure. She wasn't the one for eavesdropping or any similar shady activity, it was beneath her. But she had no problem asking the innkeeper the next day where the group headed. As soon as she had the information, she set off after them.

Armour weighing heavy on her shoulders after a number of hours spent on foot with only two breaks to drink out of her waterskin, Dynis finally caught sight of the group that was ahead of her. Actually, she first caught sight of a massive gate set between crumbling stone statues, unlike anything she'd seen before. Such a glorious looking ruin must have something glorious on the inside as well. A forgotten artefact? A trapped god? Whatever it was, it must have been something tremendously important, and if it was important it meant that she wanted to be a part of it. She could already imagine herself on her way home holding a holy grail that could cure all disease, and the name Arden on the lips of every Waterdhavian.

With such pleasant thoughts she walked through the gate as the party was out of sight, watching with awe as it opened for her too, but feeling the same unease from the day before as the heavy metal snapped closed behind her. No way to go but forward now.
 


Dynis, it’s only moments down the road before you can see the adventurers you were following. As a group, they trudge off the side of the road through the brush into the forest proper.

Everyone else, you step off the road into the woods. It’s darker here. The air is thick and moist. There are sounds all around you despite the short distance walked. Here you find a human corpse half-buried in the underbrush about fifteen feet from the road. The young man appears to be a commoner. His muddy clothes are torn and raked with claw marks. Crows have been at the body, which is surrounded by the paw prints. The man has obviously been dead for several days. He holds a crumpled envelope in one hand.
 
Even a less experienced person could tell that the corpse is a few days old; the unpleasant odor of decomposition clearly gives it away. If the claw marks are anything to go by, it appears that he had been killed by an animal, though things aren't always the way they seem at first sight. Animals usually kill when they need to feed, not for sport, and from what Setesh can tell, not a single part of this guy's body has been eaten. Immediately, thoughts of werewolves come back to mind; a sentient beast, of course, would have a selection of motives to kill aside of the taste for human flesh.

"Well, at least we can be sure that whatever killed the guy isn't waiting specifically for us," he concludes, because that would have been one long wait. "Which is not to say we won't meet it soon..."

He suspects that inspecting the claw marks and the paw prints in the forest ground around the body will take them some time, and since he probably isn't the best qualified person to tell which beast they belong to, he goes for the easy clue: the envelope. Careful not to destroy any prints, he circles the body and crouches down, slowly pulling whatever the man is holding out of his hand. It is remarkably easy, rigor mortis has already passed off, which further confirms the age of the corpse.
 
Setesh, you take the letter. It has a large "B" set into its wax seal. The parchment is worn and flimsy.

Everyone, the woods have grown quiet, like a spider in her web. The mist spills through the trees, obscuring all but what’s in front of you.

Setesh, do you open it?
 
Setesh turns the parchment in his fingers, mentally comparing it to the letter they had been presented with the previous night in the tavern. If the dead guy used to be an adventurer that had received an invitation similar to theirs, this would be a good time to find out. However, the seal doesn't look at all similar, featuring a decorative letter. B as in burgomaster? Hardly, the man has a name. Unless he wants to save on the seal iron too, in addition to failing to repair the stonework on his gate, and it is passed on from father to son... Setesh is inappropriately amused by this thought. He needs to hide a smirk as he gets back up and carefully opens the letter, hoping not to damage the seal more than necessary in case someone wanted to check it later.
 
Not being the stealthiest person in all that chainmail, Dynis left the path and quite inelegantly stumbled through the undergrowth, most likely alerting anyone nearby. But she was a Paladin and Paladins didn't hide. Holding her head raised high, she proudly stepped forward, calling after the group as soon as she set foot out of the brush.

"Good morning to you, travellers!" She would raise her hand in greeting if they noticed her, focused on the group rather than on what they were investigating.
 
Setesh, you open the letter. It reads:

A7CBE7FA-759D-487B-AC10-DE882BA51F9E.jpeg
Hail thee of might and valor,

I, the Burgomaster of Barovia send you honor–with despair.

My adopted daughter, the fair Ireena, has been these past nights bitten by a vampyr. For over 400 years, this creature has drained life blood of my people. Now, my dear Ireena languishes and dies from an unholy wound caused by this vile beast. He has become too powerful to be fought any longer.

So I say to you, give us up for dead and encircle this land with the symbols of good. Let holy men call upon their power that the devil may be contained within the walls of weeping Barovia. Leave our sorrows to our graves, and save the world from this evil fate of ours.

There is much wealth entrapped in this community. Return for your reward after we are all departed for a better life.


Kolyan Indirovich,
Burgomaster

Everyone hears a not-so-distant wolf howl split the silence of the forest right after Dynis introduces herself.
 
"Best be praying to whatever god you believe in, Paladin. We're in the devils den....and he has pets" said Bram as he waved to the approaching woman. This stranger was unexpected, but the way she blustered out of a bush and acted so self important seemed genuine. Bram himself had never been one to care about Paladins, all that clanking armor and oath swearing. He'd also met a few who looked down on him because of his profession. Yeah, he slew monsters for coin. They were the idiots for thinking that someone who isn't a member of some stupid knightly order would ask for PAYMENT in exchange for hunting something that makes town guards wet themselves. Now there were wolves about, maybe even werewolves. Bram took a deep breath and tried to remember Ixl'Van's training. First he got low to the ground, crouching down. Then he opened his ears to the sounds around him, he needed to see if he could pick up ANYTHING. Luckily things were already silent enough that Bram could make out the faint sounds of pawpads hitting mud and the sound of predatory heavy breathing. "Guys...we may have company" said Bram as he gripped his Morningstar.
 
Despite best efforts and senses, you’re all surprised when six sleek black wolves burst out of the mist at a full sprint from all directions. One of the six leaps at each of you, teeth bared. Back further in the forest, the glowing red eyes of a dire wolf observe the action unfold.

Dynis, a wolf all but materializes behind you and takes a bite out of your calf (6 damage).

Setesh, one wolf lunges at you and sinks its teeth into your arm (5 damage).

Karl, you leap out of the way of the wolf in front of you at the last possible moment.

Bram, the wolf attacking you chomps down on your thigh (10 damage).

Riona, your armor comes through and protects you from the jaws of the wolf lunging at you.

Arala, somehow you shift your body away from the deadly jaws of the wolf that’s on you.

Everyone roll initiative.

Dynis, Setesh, and Bram, roll a Strength save DC 11 or be knocked prone.

MechanicalSnake MechanicalSnake , Vanira Vanira , Gaius Danius Griinia Gaius Danius Griinia , Wondertainment Wondertainment , dae mec dae mec , ArcticFox ArcticFox
 
Setesh takes too long a time trying to understand the letter, because for some reason he has a hard time connecting its content to the one they already have. "So it really IS fucking vampires!" he states aloud, before returning to the ornate writing.

Wasn't it just yesterday that the gypsy approached them with a message, in which the Burgomaster was hoping to save this Ireena person? Yet in this letter, he seems to have abandoned all hope, asking to be virtually sealed in Barovia with all the other inhibitants and left for dead. The concerning part is that the person carrying this new letter has been dead for a couple of days, which means that THIS letter is actually older than the other letter, which again means...

The conclusion has sort of formed itself in his head, but before he can voice it, the unexpected presence of a stranger in a shining armor distracts his entire attention, and as a new threat appears to which is too slow to react, he is quite certain whom he will blame.

(Initiative 17
Saving throw 14 + 1 = 15)
 
Dynis wanted to respond to the greeting and ask what in Morninglord's name was going on, when something large and mean appeared behind her and she felt pain in her calf, only slightly reduced by her heavy armour. Not a great time to make an entrance, was all she could think as she desperately tried to take a hold of her sword and rotate to face the attacker. If only her armour wasn't so clunky.

(Initiative: 13-1=12; Strength saving roll: 4+3=7 :closedeyesfrown: the shame)
 
Bram heard Setesh loudly declare that it was VAMPIRES after all. Inwardly cursing himself, Bram tried to go over everything he knew about Vampires. Bloodthirsty, brutal and morally bankrupt in quite a few cases. He had heard stories about vampires from Ixl'Van. They were challenging prey for the novice Blood Hunter and difficult prey for even the Veteran Blood Hunter. They were fast, strong and could devour the life force of someone as easily as a man devours a loaf of bread. Beings who rejected their mortality for greater power. Bram had never seen a Vampire before so he wasn't quite sure how he'd react. Then out of nowhere, a pack of black wolves attacked the group. Some managed to avoid any injury, others like Bram were not so lucky. His leg was bitten by a snarling canine as pain flared up his leg. While it hurt a lot, Bram stood his ground and refused to let this mutt harm him any more than it has.

Initiative: 11+2= 13
Saving Throw: 12+2=14
 
Arala eyes the corpse. It's not quite pity she feels—quiet understanding may be the better way to describe it. In passing from this mortal plane, the stranger's soul has found peace. (Death is gentle, Death is kind.) Still, he likely had unfinished business... and that always leaves the potential for bitterness. Interesting, though, how the corpse is several days old and still at the side of the road. The letter, before Setesh picked it up, was equally untouched.

"Does no one travel this path?" she wonders out loud. "This muddy stretch isn't overgrown, so it's clearly maintained in some way or another. Yet the corpse has been undisturbed." Arala tilts her head. "If the gypsy left before this man, then he must have seen him on the way back."

None of this feels right. And, according to Setesh, there's a vampire plague—a sense of purpose settles over her at that knowledge. The unwilling undead must be freed.

A voice interrupts her thoughts. Arala isn't startled, but she is wary. It's justified by the immediate howl following the woman's introduction. Bram replies first, guessing that the new stranger might be a paladin based on her armor. It's not a bad assumption to make; Arala can only hope that she'll decide to fight with them against whatever lupine beast this may be.

"Hello, traveler," she calls back, smiling pleasantly even as she readies a cantrip. Arala nods at Bran's quip. Unlike the possible paladin, who might be friendly, this new company likely isn't.

The words are barely out of her mouth when wolves leap from the undergrowth. Angel Bones' warning squawk and her own senses let her avoid the wolves' first lunge; she sees her companions may or may not have been so lucky. She calls upon magic and prepares to attack.

Initiative: 7+1= 8
 
Riona cursed under her breath as she heard Setesh mention vampires really were behind this. She had been hoping it would be a far more simpler affair. Alas, the pale woman never seemed to have that luck. In fact, before she could even give anything more than a smile as a greeting to the lady knight approaching them they were all attacked. Wolves no less. They really had been an unlucky bunch, but thankfully the trusty shield saved her from the wolf that seemed to want to take a few chomps out of her.

Some of her companions, however, did not seem to be so fortunate. She would have her work cut out for her keeping them alive.

(Ugh, 7 total)
 
Karl rolls his eyes at the paladin that approaches them, then glares at Setesh.

"Oh, so you're okay with this guy bumping in, but when it's me, ooooh scary stranger! And yeah, I told you it was a fucking nightmare zone. But whatever. I'm sure we can figure this out-"

Karl scowls as he hears the wolves howl in the distance. That can't be good. He needs to watch for any ambush-

Before he can even process it, Karl has tumbled out of the way as a wolf lunges at him. He spins the quarterstaff in his hand.

(13+3 = 16)
 
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Setesh, it's your turn.

The wolf on you just sank its teeth into your arm. You manage to shake it off, but he's ready to attack again.

What do you do?

Initiative order round 2:
17 - Setesh <======
16 - Karl
13 - Bram
12 - Dynis [prone]
08 - Arala
07 - Riona
06 - Wolves (A, B, C, D, E, F)

MechanicalSnake MechanicalSnake
 
Vanity is a horrible character trait, Setesh is quite aware of that, yet his first thought after pulling his arm from the beast's foul-smelling maw is "this better not scar". Despite the fact that he has far bigger problems, because another bite like easily sever his artery and leave him bleeding out next to the rotting corpse at his feet. And he truly doubts that he has enough time to even try and shoot the thing, not to mention it is far too close. A dagger would hardly even get to its flesh through the thick, matted fur.

It is moments like this, when he feels most helpless, vulnerable, in pain, that he thinks of his companion - a strong, elegant, perfect form made of glistening scales, flexible muscles, darkness and magic, everything Setesh is not, but strives to be. And the thought is enough to make it materialize in front of him and fix the wolf with an intimidating, unbliking gaze of its yellow eyes. Kill, Setesh thinks, making a side step in hopse that the wolf will lose interest in him and engage the more formidable enemy. Akasha doesn't think twice before sinking her fangs in the beast's nape.

Sorry for the dice confusion: Use the first. I tried to roll another dice for damage, but didn't know how to roll a different dice than d 20 in the same post, and now I cant delete it either so the other is superfulous.
It seems I can't do anything but make more posts with more rolls, so here we go.
 
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