This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Regmiir curses under his breath, "Grick piss,"as he helps himself up from the tumble he took upon entering into the room. He quietly stands up, brushes off the dust from the floor, and straightens out his tunic. Looking upon Milivoj, Reg's gaze softens with a scowl meant not for the boy but for the ill fortune that beset him. "Poor lad,"he whispers and begins to scan his surroundings. He is caught off-guard, however, at the sudden sound of a child's wails piercing the quiet of the orphanage. Time was not on their side, it would seem.
Looking around quickly for anything out of place, uncharacteristic to find in a child's room, or hidden dangers present in the room with him: Perception 13
(Assuming there was no dangers) Regmiir turns quietly to the window and braces his boots against the wall space beneath it. He extends out an arm and quickly makes a signal to the others to join him inside.(Regmiir offers Aid to help the others come in stealthily as to not awaken Milivoj or alert anything else in the house)
Grano flits out of the open doorway of Milivoj’s sleeping chamber, emerging into a much larger room. A living area features an old couch, a few mismatched stuffed chairs, chests crammed with worn toys, and two small dining tables surrounded by chairs. A dollhouse is tucked against the wall in the south of the room. Several doors exit here. Beyond one is a large staircase that leads up to the higher levels. The cry comes from upstairs.
From this staircase the soft glow of a candle flickers.
Grano issues a soft hoot, involuntarily, and the staircase creaks.
“Who’s that? Who’s out of bed?” The voice is elderly, but cracks like a whip. Grano can hear the speaker coming down the stairs…
(Milivoj’s room):
Milivoj remains sleeping, his breathing labored, his face contorted in distress.
Regmiir gestures to the others to climb inside the building after him.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Zied gives Regmiir a thumbs up and prepares to hop in after glancing around lightly. Once within the room, Zied creeps towards the inner doorway to listen and prepare for any unexpected ventures.
[13 If stealth is needed
10 Perc to listen to the hallway for any incoming.
¨There is a large room past the bedchamber door and someone is entering it right now,¨whispered Alessandra to the group but not before Grano was ordered to hide. Any dark corner should have worked for a small black bird, even a dollhouse.
Grano flights toward the dollhouse by the wall, perching within one of its open sections. Peering out through the little wooden windows, he sees the candlelight grow more intense. Then, an aging woman in a white nightgown emerges into the room, peering into the darkness. "Felix?" she hisses. "Is that you? Show yourself this instant!"
"Felix? Is that you?" The woman's tone is severe but... fearful? She crosses the room, the flickering light of the candle preceding here like a manifest spirit, heading toward Milivoj's room.
Despite the presence of strangers around his bed, Milivoj remains practically comatose.
The woman freezes outside the doorway to the bedroom. "You should know that I am armed. And I will scream for guards. Punishment for burglary, assault, or murder is death! Now, show yourselves!"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Regmiir looks to everyone taking positions of hiding, cover, or otherwise, and waits until they are settled. Standing tall in the center of the room, he clears his throat and responds in a neutral, consistent tone. "Peace, we 'ad 'eard of reports from the church that a young boy 'ad fallen gravely ill and came to offer aid. We mean no 'arm or foul play, knowing t'same laws as you describe and all."
Trying to disarm her aggressive tone, Reg poses a question right back at her, "We 'eard a scream from t'orphanage and rushed in as quick as we could. Are you all right ma'am? Is there something we can 'elp you with, eh?"
Persuasion @ the Woman to try and convince her we mean no harm: 17
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Additionally..." Zied continues the stout one's attempts, "with everyone sheltering for the night there, then a scream from here. We thought mayhap the night came to claim the sick and young. Thus we ventured forth to ascertain the dangers. None of the townfolks seemed to care enough to come help."
20 Deception and Persasion are the same values. So whichever you feel is more applicable to this statement.
The woman gasps in fear as Regmiir presents himself. It’s clear she had galvanized herself against the threat of an intruder, but the reality of strangers before her has thrummed at her nerves.
“I will speak, and you will answer my questions, ignoble dwarf. And do not believe for instant that feigned displays of etiquette are like to sway me. It is not place of intruder to enter premises unannounced and then to make demands of home’s occupants.”
She jumps as Zied speaks, backing away a few steps as the magnitude of the invasion grows. The candle falters as her hand trembles.
“There are children here! You will identify yourselves. And, I do not care what you did or did not hear, you will explain why I am finding you lurking in shadows, and not announcing presence at front door! Speak quickly!”
Alessa sighed and stepped into the light shaded by the candle. She wished she had Sezsu's glibness, alas, all she could hope was that the old lady would respond better to another woman. Alessandra paused for a few moments, letting this orphanage caretaker get a better look at her and, again, hopefully, calm a bit, then smiled and with the softest voice she could master added her line too. "Please, accept my apology on behalf of us all for the intrusion. My name is Alessandra. What my companions said is indeed true. We came to help to the sick man in here, then heard the scream and instead of knocking on the door, let ourselves in, hoping to be of help faster. Are we too late?"
Stay calm and polite no matter the circumstances." Alessa did not always follow that simple guide but right now it felt appropriate. (Persuasion: 4)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Regmiir sighs at the the mysterious rumor after Alessa gives her the same explanation and at the racist comment. Putting aside grievances, he then tries his hardest to soften his tone as he holds his palms out in surrender, "Please ma'am, yeh 'eard 'er and myself state t'same reasoning for being 'ere."
He tries a different tact, pointing a thumb towards Milivoj and being more forthcoming with the truth as they knew it, "T'boy's real sick, ain't 'e? We 'eard through 'is friend at the church, t'altar boy Yeska. Sounded real serious, enough that we didn't dare wait until morning," he casts a glance at Ed despite agreeing with his perceived urgency of the situation.
"And respecting t'fact that yer a caretaker of these children, I'll ask yeh if etiquette 'ave been yer first thought be if yeh heard the screaming like we did, eh? So, if yeh can show us some forgiveness, we only did what we thought best for the situation."
Taking the assist from Alessa on trying to Persuade the Woman in the doorway: 1
The woman visibly relaxes. Tenses. Her free hand clutches the white fabric of her nightgown until her knuckles are bone-white. "You... understand nothing!" She relaxes again. “Yeska sent you, hmm? I would have thought Father Lucian a better tutor. The boy should know better than to send strangers creeping into houses after dark. We have very strict rules here!” She looks over the group, her gaze lingering on Sezsu and Ed. “Very well. Come! Follow me to my office. And be quiet!”
She steps back into the spacious room beyond, her steps creaking against the old floorboards. The living area features an old couch, a few mismatched stuffed chairs, chests crammed with worn toys, and two small dining tables surrounded by chairs. An old dollhouse sits against the wall. Beyond this is a hallway, wood-paneled and dimly lit. The wooden floors are old and worn and the steps of the main staircase sag with age. A pile of children’s shoes lays by the wall.
A door from this hallway leading into an office bears a plaque reading, “Headmistress Claudia Belasco.” It is a relatively modest office space, featuring a desk set in front of an aged fireplace. The bookshelves lining the north wall appear to contain mostly official documents and volumes.
The woman shuts the door behind you and immediately sets to lighting additional candles and lamps until the room is dimly aglow. She takes a seat at the high-backed chair behind the desk, her posture nearly regal. There are only three seats, though she gestures for any who wish to sit. She peers across the desk at you through the lenses of her silver-plate lorgnette. You can see that she is in her early fifties. She wears her gray streaked brown hair up in a tight bun and has developed fin wrinkles around her mouth that perfectly fit her disapproving frown.
“Now then, we are in position to speak civilly. You find yourselves inside Andral’s Orphanage and seated before its Headmistress, Claudia Belasco. You may address me as Headmistress Belasco. It seems as though young Yeska and, I presume, Father Lucian, regard you as competent to assist with the peculiar… situation we find ourselves in at the orphanage at this time. But before I speak further I must gain some measure of trust in you. You will please introduce yourselves, explaining what you already understand of our situation and why you feel you have necessary expertise to help.”
Seeing that his companions had already managed to get the group in enough trouble with the Headmistress, Sezsu clears his throat and steps up to the desk. Laying on his smarmiest smile and giving a flourished bow, the cleric sets in.
"Headmistress Belasco. My name is Sezsu, devotee of the Moonmaiden Selûne. My hulking, abnormally silent friend here is Edlanar, champion of Lethander. We, along with our companions, are traveling through your fine town and, while paying our respects at the temple, heard of young Milivoj's current state. We were told that his illness seemed quite dire and, as holy men, it's our duty to help those in need however we're able."
He makes a show of sitting in one of the chairs ostentatiously to keep the attention on himself, straightening his clothing to ensure he remained presentable.
"Granted, we made the ill-advised decision to try to check on the lad's condition through his window to see if we needed to intercede this night or if it could wait until morning. Seeing the state he's in, we decided to move forward. But hearing the distressed cry, we made yet another poor choice and entered through said window as quickly as possible. Being the middle of the night in an orphanage with screams being heard, we expected anyone about in the house to be up to no good. So when we heard you coming, we assumed the worst and took cover in case of trouble."
Pushing his hair back with one hand, he smiles again and gestures to the woman.
"As we can now see, our fears were unwarranted. However, we came here for the boy (and we need to see to that before long). I'm not sure what sort of 'situation' you're in, but if there's something we can do to help... As I said, as men of the cloth, we're duty-bound to assist where we can."
His last sentence trails off almost as if it were a question. One eyebrow perks up ever so slightly.
The Headmistress’s eyebrow curls upward like a fish hook. “Do not think me foolish. Unfettered generosity is fool’s gold, for in Barovia all are driven by at least their own survival. I expect no less of you. I can see that you are not not native. Like the Vistani who travel beyond the realm, your skin has seen the sun. But you are not Vistani, and thus I wager you are seeking a way out. For who would choose to remain in Barovia, given choice? You are turning stones, looking for means of escape. But, at times such as this, help is in short supply, yes?”
She considers a moment, then continues. “Here is situation. This orphanage is home to myself, Milivoj, our caretaker and gravedigger for church, and nearly two dozen orphans. For few months, children have suffered horrible night terrors. This is screaming you hear. But, is peculiar… Children have bruising and wounds, as though physically attacked, but there is nothing to be found. None have any idea how they are injured. I was just attending to a child when I discover you skulking in my orphanage.”
“Worse, a child has died. Young Cedrik fell from second floor window. Since then, fear has taken hold of orphanage. Three boys - Lazlo, Hans, and Franz have fled. Now Milivoj is gravely ill…”
The Headmistress sighs, shaking her head. “I do not know what to do. I am at wit’s end. I--” She hesitates. “Is foolish to think, but trouble started with Felix. Vexatious boy!” She turns and runs her hand over the numerous volumes on the bookshelf behind her. There are several provocative titles, including Toxic Parenting: The Hurtful Legacy of Corporal Punishment and Beyond the Morning Lord’s Sight. She plucks a dark bound journal and quickly navigates to the final pages. “Felix came to us several months ago, just before troubles began. His report states that his parents were both brutally murdered, but killer never caught. Poor Felix witnessed what happened. Who can say how it has scarred him…”
“So then, if you want to help. Find out what is making Milivoj sick. What is giving children wounds and night terrors? Why did Cedrik die? And how can this madness end?”
"Oh..."Breathed out Alessa in a surprise. She was quietly listening the Headmistress with politely horrified expression, though, the expressed feeling was not far from the real one. In the light of this revelation, Milivoj's potential act of thievery of the holy relic began to look like a desperate attempt to save the children from a mysterious murderer. "I think I can talk for all of us when I say we are willing to help."She glanced at the others - it's not like they had much choice anyway but others could disagree. "Could you tell a bit more about the events. Did someone try to stay with the kids all night to watch them? Who were those killers that murdered Felix's parents? Do you learn about them from Felix himself? How did he survived? Does he has the same nightmares too with the signs of injuries? Did you try to invite priest to maybe bless the place?"
“So then, if you want to help. Find out what is making Milivoj sick. What is giving children wounds and night terrors? Why did Cedrik die? And how can this madness end?”
"Amicable all things considered. As Alessa stated, we need more information. What wounds, and explain the death. In our short time here in Barovia-Madness often ends when it gets stamped down." Zied pushes along the lines of information and agressive control.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Regmiir listened intently to the Headmistress with respect, begrudgingly forgiving the brash accusations she had levied at the dwarf and crew from earlier. She had a point, after all, for they were very much intruding in the night upon her grounds. Best keep on good behavior, he thought.
As the plight of the children was revealed from Belasco, his stomach churned again with that unpleasantly familiar feeling he had experienced back at the windmill. His right hand began to shake uncontrollably as anger prickled its way through his veins. He felt the feeling give way into warmth, as if his blood was slowly being brought to a boil. His prized coin similarly felt as if it were baking within his pocket. He quickly dismissed this bodily change as withdrawals. It had been several days since he last lit up a cigar to take the edge off, and it was starting to wear on his psyche.
Seeing a moment to jump in the discussion with the others, Regmiir turns the discussion towards a different subject, "We're in agreement with t'Lady Alessandra, if t'children in this orphanage are in 'arms way, we'll do what we can to 'elp."
Regmiir tries to get a sense of whether Headmistress Belasco is genuinely worried about the children at the orphanage or has some sort of ulterior motive for the request for help: Insight Check 18
(If he senses via the insight check that she's being honest about the safety of the children, see spoiler, otherwise he keeps his mouth shut.)
He pauses and clears his throat, "If yeh would kindly 'ear us out on a different matter, we are sharing similar goals. Not too long ago, we discovered a windmill in t'forest. Turns out it 'ad been a staging grounds for some 'ags. They were, 'ehm, abducting t'local children and, well," he could feel his anger rising once again, and the strain of saying the next few words was clearly evident, "Killing and eating them..."
Another pause, "We managed to rout them, and made off with two surviving children. They're at the church now, safe. Along the way 'ere, they 'ad told us their parents 'ad been the ones to give them up to t'witches. On that account, I was thinking this might be a much better alternative than to see them 'ome, eh?"
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Regmiir curses under his breath, "Grick piss," as he helps himself up from the tumble he took upon entering into the room. He quietly stands up, brushes off the dust from the floor, and straightens out his tunic. Looking upon Milivoj, Reg's gaze softens with a scowl meant not for the boy but for the ill fortune that beset him. "Poor lad," he whispers and begins to scan his surroundings. He is caught off-guard, however, at the sudden sound of a child's wails piercing the quiet of the orphanage. Time was not on their side, it would seem.
Looking around quickly for anything out of place, uncharacteristic to find in a child's room, or hidden dangers present in the room with him: Perception 13
(Assuming there was no dangers) Regmiir turns quietly to the window and braces his boots against the wall space beneath it. He extends out an arm and quickly makes a signal to the others to join him inside.(Regmiir offers Aid to help the others come in stealthily as to not awaken Milivoj or alert anything else in the house)
Alessandra:
Grano flits out of the open doorway of Milivoj’s sleeping chamber, emerging into a much larger room. A living area features an old couch, a few mismatched stuffed chairs, chests crammed with worn toys, and two small dining tables surrounded by chairs. A dollhouse is tucked against the wall in the south of the room. Several doors exit here. Beyond one is a large staircase that leads up to the higher levels. The cry comes from upstairs.
From this staircase the soft glow of a candle flickers.
Grano issues a soft hoot, involuntarily, and the staircase creaks.
“Who’s that? Who’s out of bed?” The voice is elderly, but cracks like a whip. Grano can hear the speaker coming down the stairs…
(Milivoj’s room):
Milivoj remains sleeping, his breathing labored, his face contorted in distress.
Regmiir gestures to the others to climb inside the building after him.
(Actions?)
Zied gives Regmiir a thumbs up and prepares to hop in after glancing around lightly. Once within the room, Zied creeps towards the inner doorway to listen and prepare for any unexpected ventures.
[13 If stealth is needed
10 Perc to listen to the hallway for any incoming.
¨There is a large room past the bedchamber door and someone is entering it right now,¨ whispered Alessandra to the group but not before Grano was ordered to hide. Any dark corner should have worked for a small black bird, even a dollhouse.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Grano flights toward the dollhouse by the wall, perching within one of its open sections. Peering out through the little wooden windows, he sees the candlelight grow more intense. Then, an aging woman in a white nightgown emerges into the room, peering into the darkness. "Felix?" she hisses. "Is that you? Show yourself this instant!"
(Everyone, please make a Stealth check)
Alessa Stealth: 5
¨Yet another old lady," whispered Alessa almost inaudibly translating Grano`s observations.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Sezsu crouches behind Milivoj's bed and tries to remain out of sight.
Stealth: 20
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Neria Tallfellow (Halfling Rogue) - Curse of the Crimson Throne with Ashen_Age
A floorboard creaks under Alessa's step.
"Felix? Is that you?" The woman's tone is severe but... fearful? She crosses the room, the flickering light of the candle preceding here like a manifest spirit, heading toward Milivoj's room.
Despite the presence of strangers around his bed, Milivoj remains practically comatose.
The woman freezes outside the doorway to the bedroom. "You should know that I am armed. And I will scream for guards. Punishment for burglary, assault, or murder is death! Now, show yourselves!"
(Actions?)
Regmiir looks to everyone taking positions of hiding, cover, or otherwise, and waits until they are settled. Standing tall in the center of the room, he clears his throat and responds in a neutral, consistent tone. "Peace, we 'ad 'eard of reports from the church that a young boy 'ad fallen gravely ill and came to offer aid. We mean no 'arm or foul play, knowing t'same laws as you describe and all."
Trying to disarm her aggressive tone, Reg poses a question right back at her, "We 'eard a scream from t'orphanage and rushed in as quick as we could. Are you all right ma'am? Is there something we can 'elp you with, eh?"
Persuasion @ the Woman to try and convince her we mean no harm: 17
"Additionally..." Zied continues the stout one's attempts, "with everyone sheltering for the night there, then a scream from here. We thought mayhap the night came to claim the sick and young. Thus we ventured forth to ascertain the dangers. None of the townfolks seemed to care enough to come help."
20 Deception and Persasion are the same values. So whichever you feel is more applicable to this statement.
After her hiding fiasco, Alessandra kept quiet, hoping the words of others can if not persuade then at least somewhat calm down the woman.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
The woman gasps in fear as Regmiir presents himself. It’s clear she had galvanized herself against the threat of an intruder, but the reality of strangers before her has thrummed at her nerves.
“I will speak, and you will answer my questions, ignoble dwarf. And do not believe for instant that feigned displays of etiquette are like to sway me. It is not place of intruder to enter premises unannounced and then to make demands of home’s occupants.”
She jumps as Zied speaks, backing away a few steps as the magnitude of the invasion grows. The candle falters as her hand trembles.
“There are children here! You will identify yourselves. And, I do not care what you did or did not hear, you will explain why I am finding you lurking in shadows, and not announcing presence at front door! Speak quickly!”
Alessa sighed and stepped into the light shaded by the candle. She wished she had Sezsu's glibness, alas, all she could hope was that the old lady would respond better to another woman. Alessandra paused for a few moments, letting this orphanage caretaker get a better look at her and, again, hopefully, calm a bit, then smiled and with the softest voice she could master added her line too. "Please, accept my apology on behalf of us all for the intrusion. My name is Alessandra. What my companions said is indeed true. We came to help to the sick man in here, then heard the scream and instead of knocking on the door, let ourselves in, hoping to be of help faster. Are we too late?"
Stay calm and polite no matter the circumstances." Alessa did not always follow that simple guide but right now it felt appropriate. (Persuasion: 4)
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Regmiir sighs at the the mysterious rumor after Alessa gives her the same explanation and at the racist comment. Putting aside grievances, he then tries his hardest to soften his tone as he holds his palms out in surrender, "Please ma'am, yeh 'eard 'er and myself state t'same reasoning for being 'ere."
He tries a different tact, pointing a thumb towards Milivoj and being more forthcoming with the truth as they knew it, "T'boy's real sick, ain't 'e? We 'eard through 'is friend at the church, t'altar boy Yeska. Sounded real serious, enough that we didn't dare wait until morning," he casts a glance at Ed despite agreeing with his perceived urgency of the situation.
"And respecting t'fact that yer a caretaker of these children, I'll ask yeh if etiquette 'ave been yer first thought be if yeh heard the screaming like we did, eh? So, if yeh can show us some forgiveness, we only did what we thought best for the situation."
Taking the assist from Alessa on trying to Persuade the Woman in the doorway: 1
The woman visibly relaxes. Tenses. Her free hand clutches the white fabric of her nightgown until her knuckles are bone-white. "You... understand nothing!" She relaxes again. “Yeska sent you, hmm? I would have thought Father Lucian a better tutor. The boy should know better than to send strangers creeping into houses after dark. We have very strict rules here!” She looks over the group, her gaze lingering on Sezsu and Ed. “Very well. Come! Follow me to my office. And be quiet!”
She steps back into the spacious room beyond, her steps creaking against the old floorboards. The living area features an old couch, a few mismatched stuffed chairs, chests crammed with worn toys, and two small dining tables surrounded by chairs. An old dollhouse sits against the wall. Beyond this is a hallway, wood-paneled and dimly lit. The wooden floors are old and worn and the steps of the main staircase sag with age. A pile of children’s shoes lays by the wall.
A door from this hallway leading into an office bears a plaque reading, “Headmistress Claudia Belasco.” It is a relatively modest office space, featuring a desk set in front of an aged fireplace. The bookshelves lining the north wall appear to contain mostly official documents and volumes.
The woman shuts the door behind you and immediately sets to lighting additional candles and lamps until the room is dimly aglow. She takes a seat at the high-backed chair behind the desk, her posture nearly regal. There are only three seats, though she gestures for any who wish to sit. She peers across the desk at you through the lenses of her silver-plate lorgnette. You can see that she is in her early fifties. She wears her gray streaked brown hair up in a tight bun and has developed fin wrinkles around her mouth that perfectly fit her disapproving frown.
“Now then, we are in position to speak civilly. You find yourselves inside Andral’s Orphanage and seated before its Headmistress, Claudia Belasco. You may address me as Headmistress Belasco. It seems as though young Yeska and, I presume, Father Lucian, regard you as competent to assist with the peculiar… situation we find ourselves in at the orphanage at this time. But before I speak further I must gain some measure of trust in you. You will please introduce yourselves, explaining what you already understand of our situation and why you feel you have necessary expertise to help.”
Seeing that his companions had already managed to get the group in enough trouble with the Headmistress, Sezsu clears his throat and steps up to the desk. Laying on his smarmiest smile and giving a flourished bow, the cleric sets in.
"Headmistress Belasco. My name is Sezsu, devotee of the Moonmaiden Selûne. My hulking, abnormally silent friend here is Edlanar, champion of Lethander. We, along with our companions, are traveling through your fine town and, while paying our respects at the temple, heard of young Milivoj's current state. We were told that his illness seemed quite dire and, as holy men, it's our duty to help those in need however we're able."
He makes a show of sitting in one of the chairs ostentatiously to keep the attention on himself, straightening his clothing to ensure he remained presentable.
"Granted, we made the ill-advised decision to try to check on the lad's condition through his window to see if we needed to intercede this night or if it could wait until morning. Seeing the state he's in, we decided to move forward. But hearing the distressed cry, we made yet another poor choice and entered through said window as quickly as possible. Being the middle of the night in an orphanage with screams being heard, we expected anyone about in the house to be up to no good. So when we heard you coming, we assumed the worst and took cover in case of trouble."
Pushing his hair back with one hand, he smiles again and gestures to the woman.
"As we can now see, our fears were unwarranted. However, we came here for the boy (and we need to see to that before long). I'm not sure what sort of 'situation' you're in, but if there's something we can do to help... As I said, as men of the cloth, we're duty-bound to assist where we can."
His last sentence trails off almost as if it were a question. One eyebrow perks up ever so slightly.
Characters currently being ruined on this forum:
Neria Tallfellow (Halfling Rogue) - Curse of the Crimson Throne with Ashen_Age
The Headmistress’s eyebrow curls upward like a fish hook. “Do not think me foolish. Unfettered generosity is fool’s gold, for in Barovia all are driven by at least their own survival. I expect no less of you. I can see that you are not not native. Like the Vistani who travel beyond the realm, your skin has seen the sun. But you are not Vistani, and thus I wager you are seeking a way out. For who would choose to remain in Barovia, given choice? You are turning stones, looking for means of escape. But, at times such as this, help is in short supply, yes?”
She considers a moment, then continues. “Here is situation. This orphanage is home to myself, Milivoj, our caretaker and gravedigger for church, and nearly two dozen orphans. For few months, children have suffered horrible night terrors. This is screaming you hear. But, is peculiar… Children have bruising and wounds, as though physically attacked, but there is nothing to be found. None have any idea how they are injured. I was just attending to a child when I discover you skulking in my orphanage.”
“Worse, a child has died. Young Cedrik fell from second floor window. Since then, fear has taken hold of orphanage. Three boys - Lazlo, Hans, and Franz have fled. Now Milivoj is gravely ill…”
The Headmistress sighs, shaking her head. “I do not know what to do. I am at wit’s end. I--” She hesitates. “Is foolish to think, but trouble started with Felix. Vexatious boy!” She turns and runs her hand over the numerous volumes on the bookshelf behind her. There are several provocative titles, including Toxic Parenting: The Hurtful Legacy of Corporal Punishment and Beyond the Morning Lord’s Sight. She plucks a dark bound journal and quickly navigates to the final pages. “Felix came to us several months ago, just before troubles began. His report states that his parents were both brutally murdered, but killer never caught. Poor Felix witnessed what happened. Who can say how it has scarred him…”
“So then, if you want to help. Find out what is making Milivoj sick. What is giving children wounds and night terrors? Why did Cedrik die? And how can this madness end?”
"Oh..." Breathed out Alessa in a surprise. She was quietly listening the Headmistress with politely horrified expression, though, the expressed feeling was not far from the real one. In the light of this revelation, Milivoj's potential act of thievery of the holy relic began to look like a desperate attempt to save the children from a mysterious murderer. "I think I can talk for all of us when I say we are willing to help." She glanced at the others - it's not like they had much choice anyway but others could disagree. "Could you tell a bit more about the events. Did someone try to stay with the kids all night to watch them? Who were those killers that murdered Felix's parents? Do you learn about them from Felix himself? How did he survived? Does he has the same nightmares too with the signs of injuries? Did you try to invite priest to maybe bless the place?"
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
"Amicable all things considered. As Alessa stated, we need more information. What wounds, and explain the death. In our short time here in Barovia-Madness often ends when it gets stamped down." Zied pushes along the lines of information and agressive control.
Regmiir listened intently to the Headmistress with respect, begrudgingly forgiving the brash accusations she had levied at the dwarf and crew from earlier. She had a point, after all, for they were very much intruding in the night upon her grounds. Best keep on good behavior, he thought.
As the plight of the children was revealed from Belasco, his stomach churned again with that unpleasantly familiar feeling he had experienced back at the windmill. His right hand began to shake uncontrollably as anger prickled its way through his veins. He felt the feeling give way into warmth, as if his blood was slowly being brought to a boil. His prized coin similarly felt as if it were baking within his pocket. He quickly dismissed this bodily change as withdrawals. It had been several days since he last lit up a cigar to take the edge off, and it was starting to wear on his psyche.
Seeing a moment to jump in the discussion with the others, Regmiir turns the discussion towards a different subject, "We're in agreement with t'Lady Alessandra, if t'children in this orphanage are in 'arms way, we'll do what we can to 'elp."
Regmiir tries to get a sense of whether Headmistress Belasco is genuinely worried about the children at the orphanage or has some sort of ulterior motive for the request for help: Insight Check 18
(If he senses via the insight check that she's being honest about the safety of the children, see spoiler, otherwise he keeps his mouth shut.)
He pauses and clears his throat, "If yeh would kindly 'ear us out on a different matter, we are sharing similar goals. Not too long ago, we discovered a windmill in t'forest. Turns out it 'ad been a staging grounds for some 'ags. They were, 'ehm, abducting t'local children and, well," he could feel his anger rising once again, and the strain of saying the next few words was clearly evident, "Killing and eating them..."
Another pause, "We managed to rout them, and made off with two surviving children. They're at the church now, safe. Along the way 'ere, they 'ad told us their parents 'ad been the ones to give them up to t'witches. On that account, I was thinking this might be a much better alternative than to see them 'ome, eh?"