Razi is still trying to put all of this together.  "So this Strahd... he is the figure those cultists from the haunted house were trying to serve.  And the travelers... these vistani... who summoned us here also work for him?"

"If they serve him, is it certain we were tricked?  Perhaps he wants to have this curse, whatever it is, lifted.  And he sent these vistani to find aid?"

"Ismarck... you called him a devil.  And you say he 'fills the land with the soulless'... who is this Strahd?  What is his curse?  If we aim to lift it, we must understand it."

"And your sister is a reincarnation?  I don't understand.  But I agree... we will help in any way we can."

"Sure we can help.  I would like to meet this Madame Eva."

 Jim nods his head as he joins the others, "This Madame Eva does seem rather interesting."

"A... vampire...?" Razi's broad smile falters.

He tries to recall if his patron has ever told him anything about vampires, beyond what simple superstitions and legends he may have heard growing up.  Religion? 11

This man says Strahd cursed the land.  So... is he the victim of a curse?  Or its source?

"Hmm, I have heard stories of such things, thought it was all just stories to scare little gnome children.  I am guessing nobody here has any holy water.  Can't wait to get moving, the further from this place the better."

"That explains all the nasty bits of that house we just got out of," Caine says. He then nods to Ismarck. "Looks like everyone is onboard, but after the day we've had, we can really use some food and a good night's sleep. Is this the only place in town?"

"You know," Jim says smirking. "It's funny that you should say that Sleet. I do happen to be carrying a flask of holy water."

For a moment, Jims smile falters as if remembering something that causes him grief.

"I picked some holy water some time ago, I just kept it on me ever since."

"Holy water?" Caine asks as the discussion turns to what to do with a vampire. "Easy to come across? Just find some god following type and a barrel of water and get it blessed? Or is there more to it?

He looks back around at the soulless in the room and then to the sullen dull barkeep.

"So, you've got rooms here? Would be nice to get some sleep before we drop."

"I can prepare holy water."  

"Unfortunately, the ritual requires powdered silver... lots of powdered silver."  He looks out the window at the castle.  "This is unexpected.  A vampire is a powerful, undead creature.  An abomination."  He balls his fists as he speaks.  "We were asked to aid this cursed Prince.  But seeing all this... this broken land and its tormented people... this is wrong.  This is all wrong."

"We must put an end to this monster."

(5sp each?)

Caine fishes through the coins they'd collected from the house and finds 25 to pay for their rooms. He lays them on the bar.

"I imagine that's easier said than done. You know, killing a vampire who has the power to create whatever these are," he says waving his hand at the bartender.  "And to prevent anyone from leaving this land."

He looks around at the others, and lower his voice.

"We barely survived a few bugs, an ill-tempered suit of armor and a pile of trash." Caine says. Then he shrugs, "but I suppose everything will look better in the morning."

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"We barely survived a few bugs, an ill-tempered suit of armor and a pile of trash." Caine says. Then he shrugs, "but I suppose everything will look better in the morning."

Razi relaxes his fists and looks at Caine earnestly, his mood changing on a dime.  If there was any sarcasm in Caine's remark, its not reflected in Razi's reaction.  "That's the spirit!  A rest would do all of us good, and with the morning light we will no doubt see things from a new, brighter perspective."

"Well," Jim says. "I have started to gain the ability to cast magic spells when my studying previously wasn't paying off. Perhaps, the more time we spend travelling this land, the rest of you will change just as much."

He then shrugs his shoulders.

"We could reach a point where we can match the powers of this Strahd?"

After all the time in the house they just spent together, separate rooms for the night sound good and Caine pushes the 25 sp across the bar to the barkeep in exchange for keys.

Caine raises an eyebrow at the notion that this is the least gloomy part of Barovia.

"Really?" Caine says. "This is going to be a long couple of days if this is as cheery as everything gets."

He turns and looks out the window at the shadow of the castle again.

"But if the coin and treasure we pulled out of that haunted house was any indication, I might think about moving on out of the Field Ward once I get back to Waterdeep."

"I could use a really LONG rest, did he say more gloomy than this?!?!  Hard to imagine."