"Yes, let's go. Digging up coffins in a land ruled by a vampire prince, what could possibly go wrong?"says Alexei the puppet...
"Right!" Vlad joins the irony "Not to mention that if for some strange reason, however, something were to go terribly wrong, at least we would already be in the most suitable place".
Chara considers Lucian's suggestion. It might work, though the 'travelling pack' would certainly look unusually large even if her wings were bound as tightly as humanly possible.
"It wouldn't look especially pretty," Chara's puppet says. "And if we meet anyone on the road, they might wonder why the second smallest member of the party is carrying the largest pack... but it's probably the best option we have considering the circumstances. Someone else might need to carry my actual equipment pack as well...
"Alternatively," Eithne proposes, as usual, through Vlad "you could travel seated in the hand cart. We could cover you and the rest of the contents of the cart with a fur, so that only your head is left out. If we saw someone approaching, you'd have time to hide completely under the fur, even with your head, so that nobody can see you. But should someone meet us unexpectedly and see you, you might be a little girl who can't walk. And in case of trouble... you can be down the cart in a moment, ready for actions, with wings and all. You wouldn't be very heavy for me, I would be able to push the cart even with you inside. You can believe me".
Regardless of how Chara chooses to travel, Eithne has her puppet propose: "Anyway, the sun has now set. As eager as I am to start doing something against the devil Stradh..."
The perspective evidently excites the voices in the savage stranger's head quite a bit, so the coherent speech is momentarily submerged by a flood of overlapping phrases, until they are incomprehensible (but which still contain the words 'yes', 'Stradh 'and 'die').
With a visible effort of will, the last of the dusk elf maidens regains Vlad's sole control: "... to start, I said, it would be impractical and unsafe to travel at night. Perhaps we could spend the night right here, since we are here and we do not want to attract attention. Sleeping on the floor will not be a great comfort, but at least no one will be able to notice us. And we will be free to leave at the first light of dawn. Unless Gadov has anything against it, that is. I can keep watch over all of you, just to be even more sure, and wake you up when it's time. I'm not much sleepy".
The tall and pale human is clearly umcomfortable when they all sit and are told that they can use their given puppet to talk their minds. After seeing the others doing so and talk among themselves a little bit before the monkey reveals himself as the master mind behind the conspiration he reluctantly puts his hand inside his. Suddenly a low, female, angry voice says only three quick words. "Drink them all" and he puts his hand out so abruplty that the doll falls to his feet. He recovers it and thanks that the on going coversation has masked that.
It is hard for him to follow Van Ritchen's words and, probably not for the last time, he regrets not having waiting in the rain a little bit more to sing up for this. A monkey? A soul from another Realm? And what was the plan... to attack Stradh with an army of... monkeys? Fortunately he hadn't put the hand into the puppet again so none of this thoughts materialize.
Even when the others are discussing the details of the journey he tries to talk over his puppet for the first time. The voice that came out of the puppet is surprisingly soft compared with Lenn's. It is as if it is younger than him.
"Wait... wait.. do you, at least, know how that book looks like? And you really pretend us to dig all the tombs? You know that we are, after all, in Barovia, right? That could be a very bad idea..."
"Well, alright," the she-devil's puppet says. "But at least let me share my travel rations... I have more than I need for a four-day trip."
"Oh... okay," Lucian laughs, the mirth seeping into the puppets words as he responds to Chara. "I know better then to say no to food."He diverts his gaze for a moment, realizing he hadn't really meant to say the last part but it was to late to take it back.
He looks to Eithne as she comments on Nicolai's observation, "...I suppose you're right. At least we've got a good group though. We should be fine...right?" He shakes his head, what was he thinking? Still, he wants to be on the optimistic side if he can.
He nods when Eithne suggests that Chara rides in the cart, "That...might work better. I was worried that the pack might be to difficult to get on and off if we get into combat, but it was the first thing that came to mind..." He looks to Chara, "Its up to you though. I don't mind helping out if Eithne needs a break pulling the cart." He pauses, "I mean, we could use both ideas, that way if you get tired of sitting in the wagon you still have the option of walking if you want to..."
When Eithne mentions sleeping on the floor, "I mean... I'm fine with that idea. Honestly this is better shelter then some of the places I've stayed in, sure the floor's hard but that's alright by me. Though... I don't really...sleep. So I can keep watch for part of the time if you decide you want to get some rest."
Feeling that she no longer has anything too secret to say, Eithne puts Vlad away and steps out of the magic circle, so she can answer the young monk herself.
"You can bet we'll be fine!" she smiles, simulating an optimism that she really would like to feel.
In the meantime, in her head her voices would all like to speak to Lucian, some to cheer him up, some to cheer him on, some to entrust him with messages for other dusk elves, in the unlikely event that he had a way to deliver them...
'If you all keep it up,' the last of the dusk elf maidens thinks, mentally speaking to them 'I'll go mad. And as a result, I won't be able to finish what I've just started: killing Stradh. How about leaving me alone for a while?'
"And thanks for the offer to let me rest a little..." the savage stranger is satisfied with the thoughtfulness "But I sleep so rarely lately... It must be..." she claps his hand on the side of hier head "...the company, you know... But if at some point you have rested enough, you can still also keeping me company. A hundred thousand and one voices will not be much worse than a hundred thousand, will it?" she realizes that she is already smiling once more "Plus, four eyes see better than two".
Chara takes off her puppet and leaves the circle, happy to use her own words again. The whole talking puppet thing was... well, really weird.
"Thank you both," Chara says with a smile to Lucian and Eithne. "Honestly, if our plan is to toss me in the cart covered in a pile of furs, maybe we'd be best off buying a mule to pull so that no one has their hands full if we're attacked by ghouls or whatever. That would also free us up to carry more supplies as a nice bonus. And we should definitely pick up the pack as well... it would probably be best for me if I can alternate between hiding in the cart and walking so that I can stretch my legs every so often but I also don't have to keep my wings tied up for the whole trip."
Lucian gives a small smile as Eithne mentions her voices and not much sleep, "Oh... I understand...." He trails off, eyes growing distant for a minute as if lost in thought. Shaking his head, he brings himself back to the present and smiles wider this time, "Sure though! I can keep watch with you. I usually just meditate for a few hours and then I'm good to go."
He looks to Chara, "Uh, well...do we have enough money for a mule? Rudolph said they were going to give us a hand cart... I'm not sure if we'd be able to attach a harness to that anyways, we'd be looking at...well a lot of money. I don't know if we want to spend that much just for this one trip..." He hesitates, "Do you think we'll need more supplies? I mean...its just four days...maybe five depending on how long it takes us to...well, you know... once we get there."
"Well, I'm not an expert on mules... but I don't think they're all that expensive," Chara says thoughtfully. "Though you're right that we might not be able to hitch it up to a hand cart... I'm just throwing out ideas here, I really don't want to be an inconvenience."
Hearing Eithne and Lucian talking about how they don't need to sleep makes Chara just a little bit jealous of her new friends... whenever she closes her eyes in slumber, Chara usually ends up seeing the demonic entities that her father used to summon. Or worse... her father's body after Stradh struck him down. But she quickly reminds herself that Eithne is dealing with much worse things than bad dreams... and for all Chara knows, Lucian could be as well.
(OOC: Lucian doesn't know that. :) He's thinking about horses...)
"Oh..." Lucian frowns. "I haven't been around any mules... I thought they'd be similar in price to a draft horse." He shrugs, then smiles, "You're not an inconvenience! I'm sure those wings of yours will be plenty useful if we ever find ourselves in a difficult situation." He hesitates... she thinks she's an inconvenience? Lucian knows full well that he'll likely prove to be the biggest inconvenience in the group... Shaking his head he says, "Don't worry about it. We'll figure something out."
"Sadly, I don't have the founds to help you with the mule" admits Eithne. "Plus, yes, I don't know if would it feasible to have a mule pull our cart. But I don't think it will be necessary. I can push your cart, even more so with Laucian eager to help and Chara walking every now and then. I'm good with the food I have, I might also lend some to someone, if needed. Anyway, we'll not find a shop open now... I'd say now rest, tomorrow do shopping, if needed, as soon as possible, then be on our way".
"Well, if both of you are in agreement, I guess that I'm on board with this plan," Chara says, though it's clear in her voice that she feels guilty about burdening the others this way.
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“I can pull the cart too. But we can try to bring a mule with us. We can see about that first thing in the morning. We don’t know how big that cementery is so we should prepare for being there a couple of days maybe? If we have spare food once we come back we could use it in our next step on the plan.”
He looks directly to Chara. “You will not be harassed by anyone as long as I am near. This I promise you. I will not let that happen. You are as free as the rest of us to do what you want. Either walk, be on the cart if you want or fly. “ he nods to emphasize his words and turns saying. “If you don’t need me right now… please excuse me. I have things to attend before coming back to rest.” And he heads upstairs.
"Thank you," Chara says in response to Len's declaration as he walks away. "I really appreciate it..."
As much as she was wary of the pale man when she first saw him, and still is to a degree, she does genuinely appreciate his gesture of kindness. That being said, she has mixed feelings about openly showing herself; on one hand, it would certainly be for the best to stay inconspicuous. On the other hand, she has a hard time imagining any possible way that she could remain a secret indefinitely. People tend to notice a devil walking among them (or flying above them). Simply hiding her from view will probably be a temporary solution at best, and perhaps they should think about a more permanent way to divert attention. She finds herself thinking again about the possibility of passing themselves off as some kind of travelling side show... after all, would Strahd really pay any heed to a band of performers with an odd gimmick?
"I guess we'll figure something out in the morning," Chara says to Lucian and Eithne. "But maybe we should try and get some rest now... I know that you both said you don't need sleep, but I'm ready to crash for the night."
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"Alright," Lucian says to Chara. "See you tomorrow then."
He looks to Eithne, "I think I'll meditate first, then I'll join you in keeping watch."
Before finding a corner to meditate in, he hesitantly approaches Nicolai, "Um... If you don't mind, I wanted to ask... you're half dusk elf right? I hope that doesn't sound rude...sorry. I just... well, I was wondering if you are from Vallaki? If not...or even if you are... uh..." He hesitates, "Well, I was wondering if you have met any of the dusk elves outside of Vallaki? I've tried to contact them but...they've made it pretty clear that they don't want anything to do with me and I don't know why." He sighs, hoping he isn't intruding, but also hoping he can get some answers. Even here in town he'd had little contact with other dusk elves, and Nicolai is the first half-elf he's ever had the opportunity to speak to.
Len walks up to the toymaker shop and leaves it, leaving in a shelf the vampire puppet he had to use below for communicating. He wasn't sure if that would be effective but he wouldn't take the risk. However, for what he had in mind he didn't want to carry it with him.
He stepped out into the night. The storm had passed and instead of the heavy curtain of rain now a more gentle rain came down the little city. He donned his hood and walked into the night, his armor still making some even when his boots enter the mud of the street. He was looking for something, he hasn't been in that particular part of Barovia or in that city before, but it was the same in every place. He didn't had to walk very far to find it.
The buildings were crunched together in that part of the city, almost leaning in one another not to crush to the ground due to the elements and lack of maintenance. Ceilings in bad shape, cracks in the walls, and broken windows surrounded the armored warrior as he let his ears guide him. The faint sound of laughs and music could be heard ahead over the sound of the gentle rain that persistently fell in the night. There, the only building with the flickering light of a fire inside and the sounds of life in the entire neighbor. The tavern. It didn't had much better aspect than the nearby buildings and the wooden sign over the door had lost the original painting long ago. Someone had drew an obscene picture instead. Some stone steps lead to a wooden door keeping it above the mud of the street in a failed attempt to have the entrance to the establishment clean. Len didn't head that way. He looked to the bottom of the stairs and saw a figure there, trying to cover himself from the cold and the rain. An old man mumbling to himself. The face was covered with deep wrinkles that almost made a map of the hardness and tribulations that man had suffered in his life. He had only two teeth and was skinny, too skinny. Len wondered himself if that man would be one of the soulless bodies that Van Ritchen said were across the land, but the sadness and loneliness that he saw in the man's eyes, even across the street, made him doubt it. "Of course" he thought "If the Dark Powers allow a soul to dwell here, it would be to suffer a life of pain..."
After a few minutes hiding in the dark, looking at the old man, Len crossed the street, allowing the lanterns of the tavern's door to cast light upon him. The old man extended a hand towards him, but when he glanced to the looming figure of the warrior hesitated. Slowly, Len kneeled and offered the man one gold piece. Gently he took the man's hand and put the coin on it. Without a word, he walked away, disappearing again in the shadows.
He didn't went too far though, and after a few moments of shock, the old man did what Len had expected, he entered the tavern. Still Len waited. He hadn't to wait longer. The man was old and he had a fragile constitution. Not more than half an hour later the tavern door opened again and the old man walked out. More than stumbled. He was drunk. Len hoped that he, at least, had some hot dinner too. The old man walked under the effects of the alcohol towards an alley at the right, not the same that Len was waiting.
The door of the tavern opened again, and two figures stood at the top of the stairs. One of them, the bigger one, almost as tall as Len, pointed to the poor old man. Both figures went in that direction. It was always the same.
Len followed them, taking care that his armor made no sound that time.
Before he even reached the entrance of the alley he could hear the cry of the old man. He could smell the fear of the poor man, and the greed of the two thugs who was trying to rob him whatever coins he could have left. Len opened his senses and felt the urge to puke. The evilness of that two men sent shivers down his spine. They could have been desperate, but no, they were about to enjoy hitting and robbing an old man.
Len didn't warn them. He fell upon them from the shadows. Hitting one in the face with his gauntlet and kicking the other in the gut, making him drop the old man who cowered sobbing in the mud. The two thugs never had a chance. Still the bigger one tried. The other had fell unconscious after the first punch, but the other one was thoughter He threw a punch to Len stomach, but the armor made him scream in pain when he almost broke his wrist.
"You thought you were hunters. " Len said as he hit again the man "You were mistaken"He grabbed the man from the shoulders. "You... are my prey".
Len bit the man in the neck, puncturing the flesh over his carotide. The man screamed and tried to fight back, but Len's arms stood firm and quickly he stopped fighting.
The old man could hear the sound of the life of that thug being sucked away. Len left the corpse fall to the ground. He let the rain fall on his face for a moment, cleaning the blood that fell from his lips. The Beast wasn't satiated though, and he turned and jumped into the other thug, drinking his blood too. Now it was the screams of horror of the old man who puncture the night.
He hated that, but for a second, just for a second, he enjoyed the feeling of the warm blood inside him, making the raving beast that lurked in his soul quiet for now.
Finally, he turned to the old man. Who was trembling at the mud. He took one step towards him, two. When Len loomed over him he fainted.
A few minutes later, inside one of the abandoned houses, Len lit the fireplace and turned towards the figure of the sleeping old man. He covered the poor man with a blanket and made sure that the fresh food and water were nearby but covered to avoid the rats eat it while the man slept.
He walked back to the toy shop, hoping that it was enough to placate the Beast during that small journey. Van Ritchen's army could do as better without that two souls that he had sent back to the Dark Powers that night.
While some companions rest, others talk to each other and others take care of matters they prefer not to share, Eithne simply chooses a corner of the room from which she can easily monitor all possible access points (doors, windows...) and focuses on her oversight task.
Focusing on her surroundings, their appearance, their sounds... it is something that absorbs her completely, that keeps her from thinking too much. Keeps her from remember that she doesn't remember. That she remembers almost nothing of what she was or what happened to her before. Before waking up that day, in that clearing. Around her, no one. On her head, some pigeon poops that have been dried for some time. And inside her head... Inside, the voices.
The savage stranger realizes, every time she pauses to think about it, that something is wrong. That she hasn't eaten since then. Hardly ever. When she does it, she is out of desire, to taste something she really likes, like pomegranate. But not from hunger. Never. That she no longer feels the need to go into a trance, like any elf. She does this, briefly, when she feels that she must regain her strength. But she is never sleepy. Never.
Not even the voices know what to answer. Who she was before. What happened to her. They know who they were. What happened to them. And what they absolutely need. Peace. A peace that only the end of Stradh can give them.
'Maybe then I'll have peace too?' thinks to herself the last of the dusk elf maidens. She hopes so. And in the meantime she focuses on her task. Focusing on her task helps her not to think. It is as close to peace as she can get, for now.
Each of you sleep well (or meditate well) that night. Though the floor is hard, it is dry and the room is well-heated. Lenn is returned from whatever his errand was when you wake in the morning and you all break your fast from Blinsky'ssmall but satisfying larder, filling your stomachs with bread, butter, and sausage. On Blinsky'sshoulder, the monkey acts like a monkey, screeching and gamboling around Blinsky's neck. Only occasionally do you notice it giving one or another of you a hard stare. You gather your gear (rations for 6 days ("Just in case," says Blinsky), 4 shovels, 3 trowels, a map similar to the one you saw last night, three vials that Blinsky tells you contain holy water, three vials of oil, a dozen torches, 2 three man tents, blankets, hatchets and knives for making fires, and a barrel of water). You set Charain the cart and, with the blankets and other gear piled up around her, she looks like an invalid of some sort being carried about.
You make your way through the streets and then out the east gate, into Barovia proper. Your plan is to follow the Old Svalich Road until it comes to the old cemetery. Your path begins in the Svalich Woods, a dark, old forest that fills most of the valley. As you walk, the woods are eerily quiet. Occasionally, you hear movement in the bushes and grass on either side of the path, but it seems that even woodland creatures are frightened of leaving their homes in Barovia.
As the day winds on and you approach noon, you see a path leave the road, headed to the north and the great Lake Zarovich the lies to the north of Vallaki and this portion of the road. The woods around you fall exceptionally quiet. As you walk along, you all have a real sense of being watched. Then Onikasees, in the scrub along the right side of the road, a dark figure crouched low and perfectly still, aiming a crossbow in your direction.
Lucian gratefully accepts whatever food he is offered, eating like he hasn't seen food in a week. He is quick to help load their gear onto the cart, and also asks about a traveling pack for Chara, just in case she wants to be able to get out of the cart without fear of drawing attention. If he can get ahold of one that's big enough, he will cut a hole in the back of it and sew a border around the hole so it doesn't fray. It isn't the best sewing job, but he's clearly had some practice...similar stitches can be seen on most of his clothing. Once he is finished with that, he will put it into the cart without a word...he'll bring it up if Chara decides she wants it.
When they set out, he hesitates just before they cross the boundaries of town. He looks out into the forest, eyes traveling to a path he knows all too well. He stares at it for a moment, then looks down at the ground as if contemplating something... Shaking his head, he follows the others down the path, offering to pull the cart periodically, rotating out with Eithne and Lenn.
As they travel, his eyes dart towards whatever rustling or other noise comes from the forest. He doesn't seem particularly frightened of them...just...careful. He takes a long breath as the wind blows by. It reminds him of all the other times he's spent running through those trees. Some memories are good...others sad... others he pushes away in spite of the part of him that longs for that...freedom--if it could really be called freedom. They were all prisoners here in Borovia, each of them with their own chains, shackles, and cages. It seemed most of them thought that killing Strahd would break those bonds, those bars. Yet...would it?
He glances at Chara. Even if they manage to kill the Count, it won't change what she is, nor is it likely to change what he is either. He looks to Eithne, Nicolai, Onika, and Lenn... what about them? Will killing Strahd be their salvation? He hopes so. He takes another breath. He has other hopes for himself on that front... as for Strahd, well... even if killing that beast won't set Lucian free, it will be vengeance.
Chara hides in the cart until the party gets a good way out of town. She's honestly kind of surprised at how well she slept the previous night... maybe it was the comfort of having other people around that kept the nightmares at bay.
Once the party is a few miles out of town, she opts to get out and walk without having to worry too much about being noticed. She wonders if her hoof prints could be noticed later, but quickly dismisses the idea. Everyone would assume that the prints were made by a goat or something. The pack holding her wings isn't particularly comfortable, but certainly better than trying to somehow cram them under her cloak... actually hiding them that way would have probably required breaking the bone in several places. As much as she isn't happy about being a devil because of her father's foolhardy decision, even she has to admit that she loves being able to fly.
"Hey Lucian," Chara says as they walk. "I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate how much you helped me out; I honestly had no idea what I was going to do when Rudolph said that my wings might be a problem. Everyone has been so kind to me, especially you and Eithne. It's been a while since anyone bothered to get to know me instead of immediately assuming I was looking to steal their souls... or occasionally trying to sell their souls to me. That's always an awkward conversation when I have to tell someone that I can't actually make infernal contracts with them."
She can't help but smile to herself at the memory of one of those awkward misunderstandings.
Chara gives Lucian a grateful smile.
"Well, alright," the she-devil's puppet says. "But at least let me share my travel rations... I have more than I need for a four-day trip."
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(OOC: You're right! Eithne was too distracted from the multitude of voices in her head, it had been said, that's the time needed, thank you)
"Right!" Vlad joins the irony "Not to mention that if for some strange reason, however, something were to go terribly wrong, at least we would already be in the most suitable place".
"Alternatively," Eithne proposes, as usual, through Vlad "you could travel seated in the hand cart. We could cover you and the rest of the contents of the cart with a fur, so that only your head is left out. If we saw someone approaching, you'd have time to hide completely under the fur, even with your head, so that nobody can see you. But should someone meet us unexpectedly and see you, you might be a little girl who can't walk. And in case of trouble... you can be down the cart in a moment, ready for actions, with wings and all. You wouldn't be very heavy for me, I would be able to push the cart even with you inside. You can believe me".
Regardless of how Chara chooses to travel, Eithne has her puppet propose: "Anyway, the sun has now set. As eager as I am to start doing something against the devil Stradh..."
The perspective evidently excites the voices in the savage stranger's head quite a bit, so the coherent speech is momentarily submerged by a flood of overlapping phrases, until they are incomprehensible (but which still contain the words 'yes', 'Stradh 'and 'die').
With a visible effort of will, the last of the dusk elf maidens regains Vlad's sole control: "... to start, I said, it would be impractical and unsafe to travel at night. Perhaps we could spend the night right here, since we are here and we do not want to attract attention. Sleeping on the floor will not be a great comfort, but at least no one will be able to notice us. And we will be free to leave at the first light of dawn. Unless Gadov has anything against it, that is. I can keep watch over all of you, just to be even more sure, and wake you up when it's time. I'm not much sleepy".
The tall and pale human is clearly umcomfortable when they all sit and are told that they can use their given puppet to talk their minds. After seeing the others doing so and talk among themselves a little bit before the monkey reveals himself as the master mind behind the conspiration he reluctantly puts his hand inside his. Suddenly a low, female, angry voice says only three quick words. "Drink them all" and he puts his hand out so abruplty that the doll falls to his feet. He recovers it and thanks that the on going coversation has masked that.
It is hard for him to follow Van Ritchen's words and, probably not for the last time, he regrets not having waiting in the rain a little bit more to sing up for this. A monkey? A soul from another Realm? And what was the plan... to attack Stradh with an army of... monkeys? Fortunately he hadn't put the hand into the puppet again so none of this thoughts materialize.
Even when the others are discussing the details of the journey he tries to talk over his puppet for the first time. The voice that came out of the puppet is surprisingly soft compared with Lenn's. It is as if it is younger than him.
"Wait... wait.. do you, at least, know how that book looks like? And you really pretend us to dig all the tombs? You know that we are, after all, in Barovia, right? That could be a very bad idea..."
PbP Character: A few ;)
(OOC: lol, no problem! It happens. :D)
"Oh... okay," Lucian laughs, the mirth seeping into the puppets words as he responds to Chara. "I know better then to say no to food." He diverts his gaze for a moment, realizing he hadn't really meant to say the last part but it was to late to take it back.
He looks to Eithne as she comments on Nicolai's observation, "...I suppose you're right. At least we've got a good group though. We should be fine...right?" He shakes his head, what was he thinking? Still, he wants to be on the optimistic side if he can.
He nods when Eithne suggests that Chara rides in the cart, "That...might work better. I was worried that the pack might be to difficult to get on and off if we get into combat, but it was the first thing that came to mind..." He looks to Chara, "Its up to you though. I don't mind helping out if Eithne needs a break pulling the cart." He pauses, "I mean, we could use both ideas, that way if you get tired of sitting in the wagon you still have the option of walking if you want to..."
When Eithne mentions sleeping on the floor, "I mean... I'm fine with that idea. Honestly this is better shelter then some of the places I've stayed in, sure the floor's hard but that's alright by me. Though... I don't really...sleep. So I can keep watch for part of the time if you decide you want to get some rest."
Feeling that she no longer has anything too secret to say, Eithne puts Vlad away and steps out of the magic circle, so she can answer the young monk herself.
"You can bet we'll be fine!" she smiles, simulating an optimism that she really would like to feel.
In the meantime, in her head her voices would all like to speak to Lucian, some to cheer him up, some to cheer him on, some to entrust him with messages for other dusk elves, in the unlikely event that he had a way to deliver them...
'If you all keep it up,' the last of the dusk elf maidens thinks, mentally speaking to them 'I'll go mad. And as a result, I won't be able to finish what I've just started: killing Stradh. How about leaving me alone for a while?'
"And thanks for the offer to let me rest a little..." the savage stranger is satisfied with the thoughtfulness "But I sleep so rarely lately... It must be..." she claps his hand on the side of hier head "...the company, you know... But if at some point you have rested enough, you can still also keeping me company. A hundred thousand and one voices will not be much worse than a hundred thousand, will it?" she realizes that she is already smiling once more "Plus, four eyes see better than two".
Chara takes off her puppet and leaves the circle, happy to use her own words again. The whole talking puppet thing was... well, really weird.
"Thank you both," Chara says with a smile to Lucian and Eithne. "Honestly, if our plan is to toss me in the cart covered in a pile of furs, maybe we'd be best off buying a mule to pull so that no one has their hands full if we're attacked by ghouls or whatever. That would also free us up to carry more supplies as a nice bonus. And we should definitely pick up the pack as well... it would probably be best for me if I can alternate between hiding in the cart and walking so that I can stretch my legs every so often but I also don't have to keep my wings tied up for the whole trip."
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Lucian gives a small smile as Eithne mentions her voices and not much sleep, "Oh... I understand...." He trails off, eyes growing distant for a minute as if lost in thought. Shaking his head, he brings himself back to the present and smiles wider this time, "Sure though! I can keep watch with you. I usually just meditate for a few hours and then I'm good to go."
He looks to Chara, "Uh, well...do we have enough money for a mule? Rudolph said they were going to give us a hand cart... I'm not sure if we'd be able to attach a harness to that anyways, we'd be looking at...well a lot of money. I don't know if we want to spend that much just for this one trip..." He hesitates, "Do you think we'll need more supplies? I mean...its just four days...maybe five depending on how long it takes us to...well, you know... once we get there."
(OOC: a mule is actually only 8 gold pieces https://www.dndbeyond.com/equipment/donkey-or-mule )
"Well, I'm not an expert on mules... but I don't think they're all that expensive," Chara says thoughtfully. "Though you're right that we might not be able to hitch it up to a hand cart... I'm just throwing out ideas here, I really don't want to be an inconvenience."
Hearing Eithne and Lucian talking about how they don't need to sleep makes Chara just a little bit jealous of her new friends... whenever she closes her eyes in slumber, Chara usually ends up seeing the demonic entities that her father used to summon. Or worse... her father's body after Stradh struck him down. But she quickly reminds herself that Eithne is dealing with much worse things than bad dreams... and for all Chara knows, Lucian could be as well.
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(OOC: Lucian doesn't know that. :) He's thinking about horses...)
"Oh..." Lucian frowns. "I haven't been around any mules... I thought they'd be similar in price to a draft horse." He shrugs, then smiles, "You're not an inconvenience! I'm sure those wings of yours will be plenty useful if we ever find ourselves in a difficult situation." He hesitates... she thinks she's an inconvenience? Lucian knows full well that he'll likely prove to be the biggest inconvenience in the group... Shaking his head he says, "Don't worry about it. We'll figure something out."
"Sadly, I don't have the founds to help you with the mule" admits Eithne. "Plus, yes, I don't know if would it feasible to have a mule pull our cart. But I don't think it will be necessary. I can push your cart, even more so with Laucian eager to help and Chara walking every now and then. I'm good with the food I have, I might also lend some to someone, if needed. Anyway, we'll not find a shop open now... I'd say now rest, tomorrow do shopping, if needed, as soon as possible, then be on our way".
"Well, if both of you are in agreement, I guess that I'm on board with this plan," Chara says, though it's clear in her voice that she feels guilty about burdening the others this way.
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Len steps out of the circle too.
“I can pull the cart too. But we can try to bring a mule with us. We can see about that first thing in the morning. We don’t know how big that cementery is so we should prepare for being there a couple of days maybe? If we have spare food once we come back we could use it in our next step on the plan.”
He looks directly to Chara.
“You will not be harassed by anyone as long as I am near. This I promise you. I will not let that happen. You are as free as the rest of us to do what you want. Either walk, be on the cart if you want or fly. “ he nods to emphasize his words and turns saying.
“If you don’t need me right now… please excuse me. I have things to attend before coming back to rest.”
And he heads upstairs.
PbP Character: A few ;)
"Thank you," Chara says in response to Len's declaration as he walks away. "I really appreciate it..."
As much as she was wary of the pale man when she first saw him, and still is to a degree, she does genuinely appreciate his gesture of kindness. That being said, she has mixed feelings about openly showing herself; on one hand, it would certainly be for the best to stay inconspicuous. On the other hand, she has a hard time imagining any possible way that she could remain a secret indefinitely. People tend to notice a devil walking among them (or flying above them). Simply hiding her from view will probably be a temporary solution at best, and perhaps they should think about a more permanent way to divert attention. She finds herself thinking again about the possibility of passing themselves off as some kind of travelling side show... after all, would Strahd really pay any heed to a band of performers with an odd gimmick?
"I guess we'll figure something out in the morning," Chara says to Lucian and Eithne. "But maybe we should try and get some rest now... I know that you both said you don't need sleep, but I'm ready to crash for the night."
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"Alright," Lucian says to Chara. "See you tomorrow then."
He looks to Eithne, "I think I'll meditate first, then I'll join you in keeping watch."
Before finding a corner to meditate in, he hesitantly approaches Nicolai, "Um... If you don't mind, I wanted to ask... you're half dusk elf right? I hope that doesn't sound rude...sorry. I just... well, I was wondering if you are from Vallaki? If not...or even if you are... uh..." He hesitates, "Well, I was wondering if you have met any of the dusk elves outside of Vallaki? I've tried to contact them but...they've made it pretty clear that they don't want anything to do with me and I don't know why." He sighs, hoping he isn't intruding, but also hoping he can get some answers. Even here in town he'd had little contact with other dusk elves, and Nicolai is the first half-elf he's ever had the opportunity to speak to.
Len walks up to the toymaker shop and leaves it, leaving in a shelf the vampire puppet he had to use below for communicating. He wasn't sure if that would be effective but he wouldn't take the risk. However, for what he had in mind he didn't want to carry it with him.
He stepped out into the night. The storm had passed and instead of the heavy curtain of rain now a more gentle rain came down the little city. He donned his hood and walked into the night, his armor still making some even when his boots enter the mud of the street. He was looking for something, he hasn't been in that particular part of Barovia or in that city before, but it was the same in every place. He didn't had to walk very far to find it.
The buildings were crunched together in that part of the city, almost leaning in one another not to crush to the ground due to the elements and lack of maintenance. Ceilings in bad shape, cracks in the walls, and broken windows surrounded the armored warrior as he let his ears guide him. The faint sound of laughs and music could be heard ahead over the sound of the gentle rain that persistently fell in the night. There, the only building with the flickering light of a fire inside and the sounds of life in the entire neighbor. The tavern. It didn't had much better aspect than the nearby buildings and the wooden sign over the door had lost the original painting long ago. Someone had drew an obscene picture instead. Some stone steps lead to a wooden door keeping it above the mud of the street in a failed attempt to have the entrance to the establishment clean. Len didn't head that way. He looked to the bottom of the stairs and saw a figure there, trying to cover himself from the cold and the rain. An old man mumbling to himself. The face was covered with deep wrinkles that almost made a map of the hardness and tribulations that man had suffered in his life. He had only two teeth and was skinny, too skinny. Len wondered himself if that man would be one of the soulless bodies that Van Ritchen said were across the land, but the sadness and loneliness that he saw in the man's eyes, even across the street, made him doubt it. "Of course" he thought "If the Dark Powers allow a soul to dwell here, it would be to suffer a life of pain..."
After a few minutes hiding in the dark, looking at the old man, Len crossed the street, allowing the lanterns of the tavern's door to cast light upon him. The old man extended a hand towards him, but when he glanced to the looming figure of the warrior hesitated. Slowly, Len kneeled and offered the man one gold piece. Gently he took the man's hand and put the coin on it. Without a word, he walked away, disappearing again in the shadows.
He didn't went too far though, and after a few moments of shock, the old man did what Len had expected, he entered the tavern. Still Len waited. He hadn't to wait longer. The man was old and he had a fragile constitution. Not more than half an hour later the tavern door opened again and the old man walked out. More than stumbled. He was drunk. Len hoped that he, at least, had some hot dinner too. The old man walked under the effects of the alcohol towards an alley at the right, not the same that Len was waiting.
The door of the tavern opened again, and two figures stood at the top of the stairs. One of them, the bigger one, almost as tall as Len, pointed to the poor old man. Both figures went in that direction. It was always the same.
Len followed them, taking care that his armor made no sound that time.
Before he even reached the entrance of the alley he could hear the cry of the old man. He could smell the fear of the poor man, and the greed of the two thugs who was trying to rob him whatever coins he could have left. Len opened his senses and felt the urge to puke. The evilness of that two men sent shivers down his spine. They could have been desperate, but no, they were about to enjoy hitting and robbing an old man.
Len didn't warn them. He fell upon them from the shadows. Hitting one in the face with his gauntlet and kicking the other in the gut, making him drop the old man who cowered sobbing in the mud. The two thugs never had a chance. Still the bigger one tried. The other had fell unconscious after the first punch, but the other one was thoughter He threw a punch to Len stomach, but the armor made him scream in pain when he almost broke his wrist.
"You thought you were hunters. " Len said as he hit again the man "You were mistaken" He grabbed the man from the shoulders. "You... are my prey".
Len bit the man in the neck, puncturing the flesh over his carotide. The man screamed and tried to fight back, but Len's arms stood firm and quickly he stopped fighting.
The old man could hear the sound of the life of that thug being sucked away. Len left the corpse fall to the ground. He let the rain fall on his face for a moment, cleaning the blood that fell from his lips. The Beast wasn't satiated though, and he turned and jumped into the other thug, drinking his blood too. Now it was the screams of horror of the old man who puncture the night.
He hated that, but for a second, just for a second, he enjoyed the feeling of the warm blood inside him, making the raving beast that lurked in his soul quiet for now.
Finally, he turned to the old man. Who was trembling at the mud. He took one step towards him, two. When Len loomed over him he fainted.
A few minutes later, inside one of the abandoned houses, Len lit the fireplace and turned towards the figure of the sleeping old man. He covered the poor man with a blanket and made sure that the fresh food and water were nearby but covered to avoid the rats eat it while the man slept.
He walked back to the toy shop, hoping that it was enough to placate the Beast during that small journey. Van Ritchen's army could do as better without that two souls that he had sent back to the Dark Powers that night.
PbP Character: A few ;)
While some companions rest, others talk to each other and others take care of matters they prefer not to share, Eithne simply chooses a corner of the room from which she can easily monitor all possible access points (doors, windows...) and focuses on her oversight task.
Focusing on her surroundings, their appearance, their sounds... it is something that absorbs her completely, that keeps her from thinking too much. Keeps her from remember that she doesn't remember. That she remembers almost nothing of what she was or what happened to her before. Before waking up that day, in that clearing. Around her, no one. On her head, some pigeon poops that have been dried for some time. And inside her head... Inside, the voices.
The savage stranger realizes, every time she pauses to think about it, that something is wrong. That she hasn't eaten since then. Hardly ever. When she does it, she is out of desire, to taste something she really likes, like pomegranate. But not from hunger. Never. That she no longer feels the need to go into a trance, like any elf. She does this, briefly, when she feels that she must regain her strength. But she is never sleepy. Never.
Not even the voices know what to answer. Who she was before. What happened to her. They know who they were. What happened to them. And what they absolutely need. Peace. A peace that only the end of Stradh can give them.
'Maybe then I'll have peace too?' thinks to herself the last of the dusk elf maidens. She hopes so. And in the meantime she focuses on her task. Focusing on her task helps her not to think. It is as close to peace as she can get, for now.
Each of you sleep well (or meditate well) that night. Though the floor is hard, it is dry and the room is well-heated. Lenn is returned from whatever his errand was when you wake in the morning and you all break your fast from Blinsky's small but satisfying larder, filling your stomachs with bread, butter, and sausage. On Blinsky's shoulder, the monkey acts like a monkey, screeching and gamboling around Blinsky's neck. Only occasionally do you notice it giving one or another of you a hard stare. You gather your gear (rations for 6 days ("Just in case," says Blinsky), 4 shovels, 3 trowels, a map similar to the one you saw last night, three vials that Blinsky tells you contain holy water, three vials of oil, a dozen torches, 2 three man tents, blankets, hatchets and knives for making fires, and a barrel of water). You set Chara in the cart and, with the blankets and other gear piled up around her, she looks like an invalid of some sort being carried about.
You make your way through the streets and then out the east gate, into Barovia proper. Your plan is to follow the Old Svalich Road until it comes to the old cemetery. Your path begins in the Svalich Woods, a dark, old forest that fills most of the valley. As you walk, the woods are eerily quiet. Occasionally, you hear movement in the bushes and grass on either side of the path, but it seems that even woodland creatures are frightened of leaving their homes in Barovia.
As the day winds on and you approach noon, you see a path leave the road, headed to the north and the great Lake Zarovich the lies to the north of Vallaki and this portion of the road. The woods around you fall exceptionally quiet. As you walk along, you all have a real sense of being watched. Then Onika sees, in the scrub along the right side of the road, a dark figure crouched low and perfectly still, aiming a crossbow in your direction.
Tamryn - lvl 4 Wood Elf Rogue - Circle of Light Campaign || Drusilla - lvl 1 Half-Elf Ranger - Sleeping Gods || Grrzark - lvl 1 Goblin Barbarian - Danger at Darkshelf Quarry || DM - LTG - Curse of Strahd
Lucian gratefully accepts whatever food he is offered, eating like he hasn't seen food in a week. He is quick to help load their gear onto the cart, and also asks about a traveling pack for Chara, just in case she wants to be able to get out of the cart without fear of drawing attention. If he can get ahold of one that's big enough, he will cut a hole in the back of it and sew a border around the hole so it doesn't fray. It isn't the best sewing job, but he's clearly had some practice...similar stitches can be seen on most of his clothing. Once he is finished with that, he will put it into the cart without a word...he'll bring it up if Chara decides she wants it.
When they set out, he hesitates just before they cross the boundaries of town. He looks out into the forest, eyes traveling to a path he knows all too well. He stares at it for a moment, then looks down at the ground as if contemplating something... Shaking his head, he follows the others down the path, offering to pull the cart periodically, rotating out with Eithne and Lenn.
As they travel, his eyes dart towards whatever rustling or other noise comes from the forest. He doesn't seem particularly frightened of them...just...careful. He takes a long breath as the wind blows by. It reminds him of all the other times he's spent running through those trees. Some memories are good...others sad... others he pushes away in spite of the part of him that longs for that...freedom--if it could really be called freedom. They were all prisoners here in Borovia, each of them with their own chains, shackles, and cages. It seemed most of them thought that killing Strahd would break those bonds, those bars. Yet...would it?
He glances at Chara. Even if they manage to kill the Count, it won't change what she is, nor is it likely to change what he is either. He looks to Eithne, Nicolai, Onika, and Lenn... what about them? Will killing Strahd be their salvation? He hopes so. He takes another breath. He has other hopes for himself on that front... as for Strahd, well... even if killing that beast won't set Lucian free, it will be vengeance.
Chara hides in the cart until the party gets a good way out of town. She's honestly kind of surprised at how well she slept the previous night... maybe it was the comfort of having other people around that kept the nightmares at bay.
Once the party is a few miles out of town, she opts to get out and walk without having to worry too much about being noticed. She wonders if her hoof prints could be noticed later, but quickly dismisses the idea. Everyone would assume that the prints were made by a goat or something. The pack holding her wings isn't particularly comfortable, but certainly better than trying to somehow cram them under her cloak... actually hiding them that way would have probably required breaking the bone in several places. As much as she isn't happy about being a devil because of her father's foolhardy decision, even she has to admit that she loves being able to fly.
"Hey Lucian," Chara says as they walk. "I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate how much you helped me out; I honestly had no idea what I was going to do when Rudolph said that my wings might be a problem. Everyone has been so kind to me, especially you and Eithne. It's been a while since anyone bothered to get to know me instead of immediately assuming I was looking to steal their souls... or occasionally trying to sell their souls to me. That's always an awkward conversation when I have to tell someone that I can't actually make infernal contracts with them."
She can't help but smile to herself at the memory of one of those awkward misunderstandings.
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