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Latro throws a knife into the throat of a goblin. It drops to its knees clutching the wound, and slowly expires.
With a flap of shadowy wings, another shape comes up from behind the warrior and lashes out with shadowy claws.
Only one of the dark smears reacts to Tinker's lightning blast, and even then it doesn't absorb the full shock.
In response the man rubs at his eyes and looks about wildly.
The dark smears reach out to grasp at the man.
The smear out of reach throws bits of shadow at the man.
"Last I saw Ireena, she was sitting by our father's corpse in the mansion." Ismark salutes you with his goblet of wine as you leave. No more zombies have assmebled outside of the barricade and now seems as good a time as any to slip away. Ashlynn wishes you luck and the blessings of Pelor as you go off into the darkness. A few blocks of travel brings you to the western edge of town. The road continues west, and a quarter mile later you cross an old wooden bridge over a slow moving river. The road continues to wind mostly west, and you have gone just over half a mile from town when a yell grabs your attention. Approaching a crossroads, you see an armored man charging towards a graveyard, drawing a gleaming silver sword as he runs. A jet black raven flies at his shoulder. Then you see dark smears of air encircling him, like shadows cast by clouds over the moon. The man has long black hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He wears full plate armor and carries a shield and longsword. An amulet shaped like a raven's head hangs around his neck.
The goblin spins on his heel and looks square at Latro when the shuriken sinks into the stone wall behind his head. With a yell, the rest of the goblins are alerted.
Ismark mutters something barely audible, "What is Strahd?" He pours some wine into his goblet and places the bottle on the table. He takes a swig before gesturing for you to help yourself to the bottle. "A few months ago, he who rules the castle - that devil Strahd - tried to pay us a visit. I don't know why. However, my father bravely stood up to him, using the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind. Then the attacks began." Anticipating your next question, he continues, "No, the zombies didn't get my father, the infection began after Kolyan was already dead, thank the gods. No it was the master of the castle, or his servants, that killed Kolyan Indirovich!" Ismark lowers his voice and starts again, "The Holy Symbol of Ravenkind is a powerful amulet that hurt Strahd. But one morning we woke to find our father dead from poison. After that the power of the amulet would not work for me, or my sister. Perhaps she'll give it to you - much good it will do you."
Edit: "...and she refuses to leave."
"The mansion lies on the southern edge of town. A smart direction to go considering the plague began in the church. Danovich, the priest, used to ward the church and the village, but his vigil lapsed when his son Doru was slain by brigands on Old Svalich Road six days ago." He walks over to the bar to grab another bottle of wine as he continues. "But I don't think you'll do much saving of Ireena. She's been sitting vigil by our father's body to make certain he doesn't become a zombie, and she refuses to lead." He pops the cork and raises the bottle to those assembled "Curses to the devil, Strahd!" As he takes a large gulp, many of those assembled repeat "Curses!"
The wolves in the pen seem aware of the party's movement, but do nothing to reveal your presence to any of the keep's other occupants. Latro Spoiler: Map Link
You see goblins in leather armor holding bows stationed at various positions around the courtyard. The pen is latched, but there is no lock. If you do anything that would expose you, make sure it's only a single action.
Parriwimple rubs his face on his shirt sleeve and declines the cloth. Before he can answer one of the grim-looking men says in heavily accented common, "Go to the encampment west of town. Talk to Madam Eva. Maybe she will read your fortune." He then gives a toothy grin before returning to his work.
Latro exits the relative safety of the tower. Latro - Spoiler:
The wolves don't seem to take notice of you. No sign of anybody else. Map link
The young nobleman sighs dramatically and takes one more longing look at his goblet before speaking again. "My father is -was- the Burgomaster of Barovia. But the Burgomaster is dead! His body lies these ten days in the mansion. My sister remains with him, barricaded there against the zombies." ~ Parriwimple shrugs and shakes his head, then says "My uncle says I woke the dead by being too loud, but I think he's just upset when he says that." Parriwimple lowers his voice, "The dead people took his sister, so sometimes he gets mad." The big man's eyes seem to well up a little bit.
The man tips back his goblet and holds it up inches from his mouth as the final drops of wine fall in. Then he slams it onto the table and wipes his mouth with his sleeve before answering, "I am, and good luck."
Parriwimple drops the load he was carrying to scratch his head and then count out on his fingers. "This was the 5th day of dead people," he says rather sadly.
A man dressed quite affluently sits in a shadowed corner sipping from a goblet. Though his clothes are fine, they are dirty and stained. The muscle-bound youth responds to Izera with a sagely "Ohh... Yeah, I've seen armor before, but you're like an elf. I never met an elf before, nevermind a githserwhat. My name is Parriwimple. My uncle owns the store here." The other two men grumble in a quickly spoken variation of common as they work. They seem unhappy about the task, but keep at it.
"No, I'm not sick." Izera replies as she works with Tinker on getting the barricade repaired. She seems amused by the question. "So, you're cursed."
As Danea and Garret enter the tavern they notice that the sign originally read "Blood of the Vine Tavern," but an N has been scratched over the F. Several frightened looking townsfolk occupy the common room. Another grim looking man sits near the door and chuckles to himself while shuffling cards. A somewhat overweight, middle-aged man stands behind the bar, cleaning crockery.
Latro - Spoiler: Stepping out a little bit further, you can see a wooden pen at one edge of the open courtyard. The floor is covered in filthy hay, and several wolves lay in the pen.
Ashlynn nods. "I will stay, but please bring word back as soon as you hear of Thendrick or Mathilda. If you haven't returned by morning, I will come looking for you."
Ashlynn replies to Izera first, "I think the barricade will hold up fine, as long as there isn't anybody out here tempting the zombies. They seemed to gather any time somebody tried to leave, and this was the first time in 3 days that they broke through. Protecting the innocent is not a waste of time, so if you'd prefer I can stay and guard the square." The two men from the tavern try to give Izera a wide berth as they work. And the strapping man from the other building goes so far as to slowly ask her, "Are you sick?" Ashlynn turns to Danea, "Nobody in the tavern is injured. There are about ten local families in there, along with the owner, Arik, and Ismark." She lowers her voice and gestures at the two men that had come from the inn. "And there is another one of them inside, Vistani." "I'm not sure how much food they have stored, but at least they don't seem worried about that yet. At least, not more than they fear the undead."
"I don't know where the burgomaster is, but his son, Ismark the Lesser, is in the tavern drowning his sorries," she says pointing to the buildingto the northeast. "I'm here with two companions, Thendrick, a faithful servant of Pelor, and Mathilda, a fighter of great renown. They went to check out the church to the northwest. The townsfolk believe that's where the zombies arise. Everyone told them to talk to Madam Eva first - she's some sort of wie woman who lives west of town, but they wouldn't listen... the arrogant clods. They went to the church, confident they could handle whatever they found without needing advice. That was three days ago. I haven't heard from them since, and I haven't been able to venture beyond this square." "If you're here to destroy zombies, our aims likely coincide. Will you help me find my companions and talk to Madam Eva? The townsflok also say she would know the most about the existence of the Sword of the Risen Sun, an artifact I am questing for. It is a mighy weapon against evil, especially undead, and most potent against vampires. It fell out of history long ago, but I've determined that it was last seen and used in these lands."
The woman wipes soe of the bigger chunks of corpse from her armor. "I think I'll survive, thank you. I am Ashlynn. I and my companions are called Lightbringers. We slay undead wherever we can find them. We'd heard Barovia was thick we the horrors."
The door to a building on the south side of the squares opens up and a burly young man in a leather jerkin comes out. Sparse light gleamsfrom gaps the boarded up windows of the building. A sign over the door creaks on its hinges, proclaiming "Bildrath's Mercantile". The human rushes over to the breached barricade ad begins to hastily reassemble it. Meanwhile, a mutter of voices, a clatter of dishware, and the squeal of a poorly played wind instrument usher from the rambling building on the north side as the door opens. A sign hanging precariously askew reads "Blood on the Vine Tavern." Two grim looking men come out and begin assisting the first, giving your party a dirty look before starting.
Latro slowly advances as the tension builds.
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