Talus frowns, thinking, "He rules the land but restricts his entrance to this and I assume other homes by this 'custom'. How strange...."
Talus thinks back to his learning with the Immortals for glimmers of a smiliar custom in thier own lands...
He then bows deeply to Ireen, "M'Lady." and indicates to the others that he's ready to transport the body.
"Will you be coming with us Lady Kolyana?" Valen inquires as he too indicates he is ready to leave.
Ireena and Ismark assist in loading the casket into the cart and Ismark takes the prod and begins prodding the mule hitched to the cart forward.
We will bury him in the Gregoravich Cemetery, and may the Morninglord guard his soul. Ismark says as you travel north
Ireena stays quiet, and soon you approach a foreboding Church.
Atop a slight rise, against the roots of the pillar stone that supports Castle Ravenloft, stands a gray, sagging edifice of stone and wood. This church has obviously weathered the assaults of evil for centuries on end and is worn and weary. A bell tower rises toward the back, and flickering light shines through holes in the shingled roof.
The rafters strain feebly against their load.
Ismark nods toward the doors Go, summon Donavich the Prior he says to the heroes.
Gail didn't need to be asked twice. She walked straight over to the church and tries to open the door, still used to the relaxed attitude most places of worship had on the sword coast.
Either way she says, saying "Prior Donavich? You are needed good sir! The burgomaster has need of you to commend his soul to the afterlife."
She awaits any reaction...
Malthorn follows Gail to the church, adding his voice to hers if needed . "Hello! Prior Donavich" walking to check the sides if the front door is locked and no response.
Talus looks at the dilapidated church doubtfully, then cranes his neck an looks up, up, up at the looming thing that is Castle Ravenloft.
"Subtle." he comments dryly, before joining the others
at the door, banging his staff agains the aged wood.
The heavy wooden doors of the church are covered with claw marks and scarred by fire.
Gail moves to the doors and bangs on it...the door opens with the force of her blows.
Listening in Gail can hear/see
The doors open to reveal a ten-foot-wide, twenty-foot long hall leading to a brightly lit chapel. The hall is unlit and reeks of mildew. Four doors, two on each side of the hall, lead to adjacent chambers. You can see that the chapel is strewn with debris, and you hear a soft voice from within reciting a prayer. Suddenly, the prayer is blotted out by an inhuman scream that rises up from beneath the wooden floor.
Ismark's hands go to his sword while Ireena's goes to her mouth.
Morninglord protect us. she whispers.
Following Gail in the front door, Malthorn is as surprised as everyone else at the inhuman scream. "vigor maligna" he whispers as he brings his staff up turning towards the sound and moving forward.
Making a warding signal, Gail cries "Sylvanus preserve us!" Mace in hand she rushes inside, seeking the source of the scream.
Talus grunts in surprise at the horrible scream, then focuses his will on his spear, it's business end taking on a pearlesent gleam.
He moves forward into the church with the others...
Valen follows his allies into the chapel, face grim. "Ismark! Do you know how to get downstairs?"
The party girds themselves and moves into the Chapel. Ireena trails behind them and Ismark stands wary, ready to protect his sister. Outside the donkey brays mournfully.
A thick faced man rises from where he was kneeling before a small shrine
Ah! Ireena. Ismark. You've brought your father. Quickly quickly. We must bury him before nightfall. the man says
Talus looks sharply at the thick faced man, "I hate to ask,but why such haste to bury before nightfall....and what is making that hideous noise?"
Standing shoulder to shoulder with Talus, Gail adds, "A good question, whatever it was made a sound to curdle blood... Oh I have another question, do you have a spade?" She casts about to look for one.
Malthorn waits for an answer to both of the questions, the second more so than the first. Figuring the explanations could come afterwards as easy as now, but sun down wasn't waiting around.
Malthorn will gladly dig in the indicated spot, when a spade is provided.
"This place is seriously weird, just how did we wind up here?"
Valen waits in silence with Malthorn, Talus and Gail's questions echoing through the hall and their minds. His eyes are steely as he stares at the man. That was no simple noise of the wind or the night. Something is very wrong within this chapel.
Oh. Yes. That was my son, Doru. He is. He is not well. the plain faced man says. Prior Donavich points to a nearby set of tools, a spade is present.
There is a place for the late Burgomaster in the cemetery. It is not safe to venture out after dark.
Ismark glances outside and says Then we must hurry.
Talus frowns as the Prior doesn't entirely answer his question, then stops, head turned to one side, "Did you hear that? Is that your son? Speaking of hunger? What's wrong with you man, are you starving your own son?" he demands, rounding on the Prior, eyes blazing with indignation.
Donavich's eyes widen NO! I. I am not. You do not understand. Please. Go into the cemetery, we must hurry if we are to bury the Burgomaster before dark!
Ismark looks from Talus to Donavich We don't have time for this. he mutters.
Grabbing a spade from the stack against the wall, Malthorn pauses as the sound come from below once more, and Talus poses his question.
"Talus the Burgomaster is dead and I don't think the Prior is going anywhere in the meantime. Let us finish burying the dead, this place seems to have a history of those who should be gone hanging around." thoughts going back to the strange house they'd encoutered.
"When this is done there are questions to be answered." he says taking in both Ismail and the Prior, a hard look given to each of the men.
Looking like she's bitten something sour, Gail reluctantly agrees saying, "Aye, there's something restless about the dead in this town. Let's make sure the good Burgomaster's repose is undisturbed." Turning briefly to the Prior She asks, "Is there a spot reserved for the grave?" After hearing any reply she hurries outside, picking up a spade if there is one.
Valen follows the others to the cementery, still eyeing Donavich suspiciously.
Talus frowns but nods at his friend's insistence on getting the job done, but he hold a finger up in the Prior's face , "We'll get him buried proper, but then you'll answer some questions. "
He glances at Ismark, then goes out the door with the others...
As the party exits into the Cemetery proper, a sense of foreboding fills them. It is vague, with no specific threat presenting itself...but its there.
The sun is falling rapidly into the western horizon. Ismark tosses someone a shovel, while he grabs the spade. Hurry. he says
Ismark works like a man possessed, tilling the dark earth easily with the spade.
Donavich begins intoning a prayer to some deity you only barely recognize. He calls it the Morninglord, but it only bears a passing resemblance to Lathander from what you know of such things.
Valen steps up beside Ismark and offers his assistance, digging out the grave.
Gail follows the desultory service with a certain professional interest. She attended a druid lead wilderness seminary devoted to the worship and praise of Lord Sylvanus. While much of this was related to agricultural matters such as prayers for a successful lambing season, funery rites from several major traditions were also included.
Valen gives Ismark the assist and the two manage to clear a hole deep and wide enough to allow the former Burgomaster to be laid to rest.
As the duo finish shoveling the last of the dirt over the grave and Donavich intones the last syllables of the Final Rites. The sun slips below the horizon, and night falls on Barovia.
We should get inside quickly. Ismark says, looking at Ireena with a worried expression on his face. Thank you Prior. We should take our leave now.
"We have questions that need to be answered, where will that happen best?"
Malthorn can go with either, as his background dealings could be considered suspect on their own. However he's not sure if the paladin or any of the others will let the boy in the church situation stand.
Not wanting to upset the locals, Gail whispers to the others, "This place is wierd. The service invoked 'The Morning Lord' but that sure as heck wasn't a Lathanderian funeral. Wrong time of day for starters... Anyway I'm concerned about the boy."
When Malthorn mentions questions, Gail echoes his words, saying "Thank you for the funeral service Prior. I'm sorry if we're poking our noses in unwanted but I'm deeply concerned about the boy. The sound we heard was most unnatural. Is he okay?"
"If we can help your son we would be happy too. We are not without ability."
Talus nods, "Or compassion, Prior. If we can help, we will" he says earnestly to the holy man.
No. No. Do not bother. Doru is my son. I will care for him. Prior Donavich is quite insistent
Ismark says Come, night is falling. We cannot be out of doors. We must leave. Now.
Gail narrowed her eyes in suspension. Clearly something was terribly wrong with the Prior's son. The real question was, should they stick their oar in or run for the hills?
Valen is greatly suspicious but cannot think of how to convince the Prior to let them help, we may have to take matters into our own hands. "Very well, let us head inside for the night then. You have no objective to us staying within the chapel do you? It seems it is dangerous to spend the night outside in this place."
Ismark growls We will not stay here! and he says Come Ireena, these fools wish death upon us all. and he begins marching south toward the Burgomaster's manse.
Ireena gives the heroes a sad look and adds Our home is protected. My father saw to it.
Puzzled and more than a little scared and angry, Gail demands, "What?! What do you mean death? What the heck is going on here?" The reaction of the locals was downright wierd. Gail felt all at sea and didn't like it one little bit.
Ismark doesn't stop to answer, but Ireena calls out The Devil Strahd cannot enter my home, but the Church is not protected!
Softly Gail mutters, "That sounds bad." Looking to her friends she suggests, "Perhaps we should go, back to the inn?"
"Ismark said nothing about the Inn being protected either. We may have to deal with whatever comes as we were not invited to their home."
"Look so far we've seen their house survived an attack, and they seem to be our only answers, grudgingly given albiet but our only answers
Let's go with them."
Talus frowns, then realizes that he's been doing so alot lately.
With a sigh, he bids goodbye and Goodluck to the Prior, then gestures for Ismark to lead the way back , asking along the way, " How is it that your home is 'protected' when a holy place like that is not....and what exactly should we be afraid of in the night?"
Prior Donavich watches the party leave from the doorway, and then some sound catches his attention and he whirls into the battered church slamming the door.
Ismark is being grumpy and just frowns and grunts while having his hand on his sword the entire trip, Ireena however tries to explain The Devil Strahd is Master of everything in Barovia...no place is safe from him unless his invitation is rescinded by the owner of the home. A Church is not a home. So there is no invitation...
As the party heads south in tense silence...the familiar fog begins to creep in. First only wisps but then the fog grows deeper and thicker
RUN IREENA RUN! Ismark shouts, spotting shapes in the fog
YOU WILL NOT HAVE HER! I WILL SLAY YOU MYSELF DEMON! the man shouts, seeming a bit unhinged.
The shapes in the fog loom large...
Round 1
Gail
Talus
Valen
Wolves
Malthorn
Ireena and Ismark
Fuelled by Ismael's reaction a prickle of fear runs up Gail's spine. She pulls out her warhammer and shouts, "Lord Sylvanus preserve us!" followed by a heartfelt prayer under her breath as she rushes in front of Items!
"These damnable mists again..." Talus mutters stepping up beside Ismark, momentarily concentrating, his spear once again taking on a pearlescent shimmer.
"Is it your Beast in the flesh, Ismark? Or merely his lackeys? See to your sister we'll deal with these miscreants..."
Valen draws his blade and shield and darts past Ireena to attack the wolf to her right.
Valen steps between Gail and Ireena, readying himself for the enemy to come.