Party 17

Kiv takes in the grim scene in the valley before them. Does the sun ever shine in this place? He imagined going through the dull monotony of life in that town and shuddered. The shrieking raven snapped him back to his senses.

Was the bird disturbed by their presence ... or was it something else? The bird! Kiv had almost forgotten about his own feathered familiar. He looked up to see it perched in a tree branch above them. He must name it, perhaps after one of his fallen companions. Kiv focused and closed his eyes, concentrating on seeing what the owl saw. Suddenly he could see them below on the ground, himself standing a little apart from the others. The owl took flight and circled above them, keeping a watchful eye on that raven in case it was feeling territorial. He circled higher when something caught his eye at the edge of the forest: a ring of squat, heavy stones, with ravens whirling about in the sky above them. Kiv opened his eyes.

"There's a circle of large stones near the forest's edge. There are many ravens nearby." Kiv turns to Ireena and Ismark. "Where I'm from ravens can have ominous meaning. Is it the same here? Are the agents of the dread lord as well?"
 
Thorvir narrows his eyes at the raven, distrusting the bird's seemingly innocuous squawking. He focuses himself for a moment, drawing on his limited magical ability. Feeling the earth around him, the sky above and the beasts and plants between, Thorvir reaches out and senses something very wrong. The windmill...not the raven, exactly, but nearby. There is not a doubt in his mind that the bird is a bad omen.

"Careful of that bird. I sense a fell presence in that windmill, likely demons or devils. I'd wager the raven knows about it, too."
 
Magnus thinks abouut what both of them said before speaking up. "I can't speak about what the ravens know or symbolize. However, fiends are bad news and ominous circles of stone are not something... good on most tales I've heard. The wolves hurt you all badly near that bridge, I don't think it's wise to seek a fight." He tries to fidget with the signet ring but remember it wasn't there since Zaal 'died'. "If that's what you guys wanna do, I don't want to walk over your decision."
 
"Yeesh. Are all Barovian villages this friendly looking?" Thorvir questions rhetorically as the group reaches the gates. He eyes the shadowy guardsmen for a moment, noting their weaponry and suspicious glances. "Magnus, perhaps you or someone else confident in social charm should take the lead here. These guardsmen don't look too happy to see us."
 
ismark.jpgNo charmer, Ismark nonetheless steps forward to hail the guards through the gate. "Good afternoon," he says, displaying his signet ring. "I am Ismark Kolyanovich of Barovia Village. This is my sister Ireena. Our father is Kolyan Indirovich, Burgomaster of Barovia. These men, servants of a visiting nobleman, Baron Zaal, are our guests. We've had a difficult journey on the Old Svalich Road and seek the protection of these walls. I have not been to Vallaki since I was a boy. Are your gates open these days?"
 
Rolax moves up behind Ismark, casually holding the severed wolfs head he had taken from the previous battle.

It's jaw hanging open and tongue flopping limply out the side.

Seeing a nearby empty spike, he walks over and pulls the wolfs head on to it before returning to Ismarks side.
 
ismark.jpgAs they pass through the gates, Ismark whispers to his companions, "Did I just hear those two guards disparage their Burgomaster by insinuation, and to strangers? Bold, that. At least it makes me feel not so bad about the the shabby way the common folk treated me in Barovia. My first thought would have been to seek the Burgomaster's assistance, as a fellow noble. Now I'm not so sure. What do you think? "
 
Magnus thinks for asecond about what Ismark said. "I mean, we don't know the inner workings of the city, and if the guards told us to not go there we should avoid it. If you think it's necessary to go there I can always make use of my charming presence, the same way I did it in the church back in Barovia." He checks the weight of his coin pursebefore continuing. "I'm not in a position to buy anything at least, so the shops are not a priority, we should head either to the Inn or the Burgomaster's house, if you think it's a good idea. Unless we want to take the guard's advice and seek out the coffin maker, he must be an interesting fellow." The half elf smiles to himself and waits for the other's to decide, as he fidgets with his pan flute and admires the new scenery.
 
Kiv eyes the ravens as they approach the tavern, remembering the guard's warning against throwing rocks at them. Curious. He'd only known ravens to be an ill omen in his time. Harbingers of bad tidings. He turned to the two humans who were natives to Barovia as they entered the bar.

"Do ravens have special significant significance in this land? It seems they're revered ..." he trailed off, noticing the wolf heads mounted around the walls "... almost as much as wolves are loathed." He couldn't blame them on the latter after their most recent encounter.

Kiv remembered his owl familiar and concentrating, sending it away for the time being until he would summon it again. Perhaps the form of a raven, next time he casted it? He would consider it later. For now, it was a hard drink which called to him most. He took a stool at the bar and nodded to the barman, looking for signs of distrust.

"Excuse me, barkeep. I'd like a drink." He reaches for his coin purse and sighs, remembering it was a little lighter after their visit to the Vistani camp. "Something cheap, if you have it. Thank you."
 
"Not revered, per se," answers Ismark to Kiv's question, "but it is very back luck to harm a raven. It is like getting the evil eye. Do not test this, please."
 
Patrick sits down next to Kiv, and looks to the barkeeper.

"Just give me something warm, and a bed to sleep to in. I've had a rough day."

Patrick points to the claw and bite marks left by the wolves from the day's journey.
He then looks to Magnus and asks:

"Magnus, do you want anything? I'll treat you to a drink if you want. Its the least I could after you saved my skin."
 
Without ordering anything to drink, Thorvir will find a table near the others, content to just sit for a while. He sets his heavy pack down and sinks into the chair. "Do you have rooms upstairs?" he asks. "I'm sure my companions and I would appreciate a roof over our heads."
 
Magnus just slides away happy to finally reach a place they can rest. He hears Torvir's request and smirks, "No need to make a big deal out of it, buddy. The way this is going I'll probably still save your lives a few more times." He then gets closer to the rest of the group not to be over-heard. "If anyone needs a favor from one of these citzens, just like I did to the Father, let me know."

The half elf finds a table close to the bar and far from the other patrons, sitting there with a deep sigh. He unholsters his pan flute and starts to play a calm tune more to himself than as a show to the rest of the tavern.
 
ismark.jpg Ismark joins the others near the bar, but soon wanders away, nervously scoping out the main room of the inn. "Yes, this will do for a meal and to get our bearings. Tomorrow morning, or this evening even, we'll have to see about someplace more permanent for Ireena to stay. If the Burgomaster is indeed unreliable, maybe another family of good standing, or the local priest."
 
ismark.jpg Coming back to Kiv and the others, Ismark murmurs, "The tongues are much livelier here in the big city than where we come from. I think that's more than the owners of the Blood on the Vine tavern said all month."
 
Magnus was halfway through his song when the man behind the bar speaks up. He looks over the man, hearing what he had to say while continuing the music, when the man mentions a probability of work his eyes light up hastily getting up and approaching. "We had a little encounter with some wolves on the way here, they were ferocious, to say the least." The half elf looks to his companions waiting for their wounds to fully close by the bar. "But we are more than pleased to help you with some work buddy, especially if we receive the right compensation for our troubles."
 
Upon hearing the price, Kiv looks at his coin purse and scoffs. Had he thought he might need to cover the extra cost of an inn he might have brought more money. Even 3 copper for some lousy wine sounds too expensive. And beet soup? But as Magnus finishes speaking, Kiv nods in agreement.

"Yes, perhaps a roof over our head in return for services provided? I've not been with most of these men long, but I can tell you they are quite capable. They just dispatched nine wolves with very little trouble."
 
"If it helps pay our way, I am for it."

Rolax pauses and looks at the group. "But we have a serious task already. Which takes precedent. I assume we will have to pass Vineyard at some point. So I see no harm in it."
 
Magnus hears the work proposition and smiles, "Why did it have to be a winery? I cross half a word to come across a vineyard all over again." He hods in agreement to Rolax before talking. "Yes, we have some matters in our hand already. But we'd be more than happy to bring you some wine, it's probably just a small detour from our destination."
 
"Indeed." Thorvir mulls over the task for a minute, nodding to Urwin's explanation. "Before we leave, just a couple questions. Have the deliveries been late like this before? And if not, should we expect trouble?"
 
ismark.jpg "I'll be glad to join you on this errand to the winery," says Ismark to Rolax and the others. "The last shipment to Barovia village never arrived either. But I cannot go until Ireena is established someplace trustworthy here in Vallaki. If you don't think the Burgomaster or this Wachterhaus is safe, maybe the local priest can shelter her at the church."
 
"Ireena, what do you make of this? The priest would probably be a safe bet, but it's ultimately your decision. Urwin did say to avoid the Wachterhaus if possible though." Thorvir peeks out the window and down the street towards the church, squinting to try and make it out.
 
Rolax takes a look at the Church as they approach.

A small smile appears across his mouth as he pulls out his Amulet of Ilmater from around his neck so that it hung visible to all.

He walks towards the priest and greets him.

"Hello! It is always a welcome sight to see a follower of Lathander.
My name is Rolax and these are my companions. I would hate to impose on you, but can we talk? We are in need of information and a small favour. Would now be a good time for us to talk?"
 
Kiv takes a moment to watch through the eyes of his familiar after they step inside the church. Nothing suspicious presents itself in the churchyard, though he still didn't like the look of that massive grave digger. Coming back to his own senses, he listens as Rolax greets the priest. Kiv was beginning to let his guard down with his newfound fellow travelers, though he everything else about this land still filled him with unease. And so as Rolax speaks, it's the priest upon which he focuses his gaze.

The man was clearly ill at ease.

"Excuse me, sir," Kiv says, moving one hand to his belt, if only to be closer to the hilt of his sword. "Is everything OK? You seem distressed."
 
ismark.jpgIsmark grumbles a bit at this news of the relic's theft. "Well," he says to Kiv, Rolax and the others, "Ireena can hardly be safe from that devil Strahd here if this is no longer hallowed ground. I wonder, sister, if these men are willing to help me return the bones, would you be able to stand staying at this church for a time, while we scout out the lands to the west of Vallaki for a more permanent refuge? I can't imagine Father Petrovich will refuse you shelter if we do this thing for him. And what kind of resistance will this groundskeeper give the five of us? I imagine we'll learn all he knows quickly enough."
 
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