The boy seemed to be leaning back a bit, as one does when they're unsure of, afraid of, or intimidated by someone but he manages to otherwise hold his ground, the pair staring at eachother, Karl  looks like he's about to say something in response to Beren's first words the ones regarding him, his mother, and Luvash and all.But Beren see's on the boys face the same resignation Beren himself feels in terms of 'why bother talking or explaining?' where Karl seems to not see the point of arguing back for fear the words will fall on deaf ears. Instead, the boy just stares at Beren for a long while as the man speaks, a scowl on his face the entire time. As the conversation continued, and the chest was brought up, Karl finally found some of his lost words. Crossing his arms as he began to speak, atleast trying to put on a brave front .. Oh? If it's somehting stolen, I'm sure you won't mind telling me exactly what it is, and leaving with Only that item. For I know that chest contains some of mothers diaries, a gemstone that was passed down through our family, and a few other esoteric items. Mother told me as much. And hah! there isn't a place in this plane that Strahd cannot touch. If such a thing existed, he would have wiped it off the map by now.. the boys words rung with belief that his last statement atleast, was for certain truth. But he seemed to be getting overwhelmed by everything, the possibility of a hangover despite the short time passing likely also being a factor.

The staff... I have no idea. They only spoke to me when necessary and I didn't care to speak to them. They seemed strange but I've no idea why. So long as they did their jobs, I did not care. Though i didn't think they would fight to the death. And had I not seen some of them clad with weapons i would not have believe they fought at all. Though I am still not sure that you did not back them into a corner. Before I came to in the ally thanks to a passerby.. you could have been in here trying to stab people for no reason. I have no reason to believe one over the other. his voice quaked just a bit. He was trying to hold it together. And at the last words, the boy swallows, hard. Just barely maintaining the ability to stand in the face of the 'avatar.' The last thing Beren see's writ upon Karls face before he )Beren) turns around is the desperate look of ('I may not have a choice...') if the head of house was the one Strahd dealt with, and the mother was gone....

Nivi explores Wachters body in front of her son, finding little more than a set of keys that look no different than the butlers, aside from having a single extra key. And her coin-purse, which contains 30 EP worth of the Strahd-Branded coins. Though as Nivi goes on about the devil worship, Karl seems legitimately confused. As if what she just said made no sense. My mother would never consort with devils... we have enough trouble staying on Strahds good side and keeping him from killing us for disobedience.. or.. worse. She has had a rather lot of people coming and going the last few months... he says thoughtfully as he makes his way down to take them up on he 'offer' to look at the chest. But they were all just aquaintences.

He does look at the book, but clearly the boy can't tell who's writing it is. So he shrugs noncomittally.  So you say. Could be, but i've seen no proof for or against. Maybe I'm just being wishful, but maybe you're wrong. I don't know and.. right now, I don't care... And if you plan to kill me make it quick. he says, doubting you do but stating it just in case. He's clearly shaken by everything going on.

He finally reaches the Chest, cringing for fear of an attack from the group as he does. Inside, he spies the various bones, some of the books and deeds, and other few items within. He seems mildly confused for a moment, but brushes it off. I don't see why she would have all this in a chest.. bones... the deeds make sense but nothing else. She never told us much. Said she would when the 'time was right.'

In any case... get what you came for and go. I need.. time to think. I can't beat you in a fight..., so I can't stop you either. Just hurry on with your business. Please.

updated and done

Beren finds that he lacks any sympathy for Karl, even though he probably should sympathize with him. After all, he's been telling himself the same thing for years now. I don't have a choice. That's probably the biggest lie that he continues to believe, even though he knows he shouldn't. Regardless, he's trying to change that so Karl should too. 

He watches as Karl opens the chest, standing close to Olamoira in case the kid tries anything--even though at this point it's pretty obvious he won't. He doesn't feel like stating what they will and won't take. He'll leave that to Nivi. She apparently found some evidence that could be useful against Wachter, so as far as he is concerned they are at liberty to take it. If this is an arrest, they might as well take everything relevant to the case. 

"If the time comes to kill you, I assure you it will be quick," he says, his voice low and rather emotionless. The light glows steadily as he watches Karl, emphasizing the fact that Karl's actions will determine whether or not he is deserving of death. It is up to him to make the right choice, and they are giving him an opportunity to do so. He could choose the hard road, and probably die by Strahd's hand, or he can choose the easy road and Beren will kill him instead. Perhaps those aren't the greatest options, but at least if he chooses the prior he has a chance of survival or at least a chance to retain some shred of honor. 

Beren remains silent as they begin gathering the bones. Once the items are in order, he moves to lift Wachter from the floor before waiting to follow the others out. 

Olamoira, eyes of her magical spell showing her which of the two sets of bones are likely Saint Andral's, lets Karl look his fill before she closes the chest again. "Saint Andral guide your steps," she says to Karl, and hugs the chest tightly. The boy is in such ignorance of what his mother has been doing, she cannot find it in herself to blame him, despite his poor coping behaviors. "And pray that he will help your mother's soul find repentence, for all demon worshippers are condemned." She too waits until everything is in order and the others are ready to leave, to follow them out, standing close beside Beren. "Let us stop by the church first," she says. "I think Saint Andral will be most eager to be restored to his home."

 Jack, who had been standing by patiently to hear anything in regards to his 'bird question' from Nivi, raised a brow when nothing appeared to come of it. Not that he blamed her, of course, given the tense situation. So instead, he simply shrugged it off, before taking to leaning against a nearby wall or door frame with every intent on playing the observer going forward. For a time, anyhow. But like any reader or audience member fully enthralled by the story and/or ongoing performance before them, Jack couldn't really keep a straight face during the ongoing exchange. Thus, he took to feigning thoughtful chin rubbing while keeping his mouth mostly obscured behind it.

Although even then, anyone attentive enough would catch hints of a look of worry in his eyes after Beren speaks, a smile in his eyes as Olamoira suggestion of prayer to Karl, and before all that, a flat look given to Karl as his insistence of hi smother's... well, not quite innocence, but at the very least lack of commitment to foul devilry in consorting with them. As that last thought is making its second tour through his mind, Jack looked away with furrow brows and thought, 'That reminds me. Was there no imp body? How curious. Very, very curious... Are spirits then free to leave these lands at the very least? Or has landlord of these lands given fiends leave to depart and reform on their home plane? Hmm.... Note to self, find a brave researcher in these lands'

".... Oh! Uhh, one last question, dear Karl -- at least one last one for me. I know this is a terrible large ask and one that might speak of heartlessness on my part in even gently insisting on putting the question out there, but.... Could you be so kind as to describe these other visitors of your mother? Any of them at all. For if nothing else, perhaps they might even be a touch at fault for encouraging your mother for perhaps going a step further for the, eh, uhm, dark lord presiding over these lands."

(@DM: If you require some kind of charisma/persuasion check, feel free to check out the spoiler below. Otherwise, ignore it.)

At this point, Nivi is mentally done with the petulant self-pity and sniveling defensiveness from the same spoiled lordling that had treated those at the Blue Water Inn like trash, and whose manor house they had just saved from burning down in a fire started by a devil-worshipping household staff member.  She leaves Lady Wachter's Strahd-faced coins on the noblewoman's person, but confiscates her set of keys as well, making no apologies for doing so.

"Already laid it out plain as day but seems like you're hard of hearing.  No deeds or gold in the chest, yeah?  Could have taken the deeds and coins easy from the other chest they were in.  Didn't since your mum's the only thief here, like I said.  Not taking gems either, besides this one that goes with the bones.  It's coming with us in case it stops the other bones, the ones your mum didn't steal (as far as we know), from reanimating or something."

Nivi stands up from examining Lady Wachter's unconscious body and glances back at Karl.

"We get the holy relic she stole situated back where it needs to be, and pass our evidence on your mum to old Lu-lu, and then we can talk about you getting the other bones, the gem, and your keys back.  Whine about it all you like to the darklord.  Suggest you answer Shorty here first though."

Nivi gives Karl a toothy grin, cleaning her rapier on the unconscious serving staff's clothing, then turns to Beren and Olamoira.

"Two of you are the muscle, yeah?  Guessing Prophet carries the Bones.  Beren, you want to put Lady Wachter on your shoulder to take to Lu-lu?  And Shorty... sending a bird, you said?  Figure you know best.  Could be, Lu-lu''s got to see this for himself."  Nivi glances around at the shambles around them, a touch of ruefulness entering her otherwise fierce expression for the first time since Karl spoke up.  "Not sure how to even explain this in writing."

Is Shorty gonna turn himself into a bird?  He already was a spider and a cat.  Nivi grins to herself, recalling the scalp massage after the Imp's sting.

(Oh also i forgot to add due to the chest confusion, Moira would sense very strong magical energy from the gem, Conjjuration being the school. So feel free to edit your post if this changes anything)

"Hm?" Jack turns to Nivi towards the end of her spiel and raised a brow. "Oh yes! You're owl friend, in particular, if you are both amiable to such. And if we are to stop by the church first, I believe the note I had in mind for deliver could be amended to request he and several of his guards meet us there, if not along the way. Though even as half dead both the people and the streets tend to feel, I'd at least dare wager a lively enough guard will halt us long before we reach the building. And no doubt they'll have several questions for us if we are to carry so significant a figure like a sack of potatoes on our well-muscled friend's shoulder anyhow." The eladrin conveyed with off-handed flourish of hand gestures here and there as if to emphasize certain points.

"Either way, sending a missive ahead of time with some warning could mean the difference between days in the stock or merely a tension filled chat." At that point, he looks over to Beren and allowed the veneer of mild amusement fade into worry. "And in either case, there may yet be a reinforced... request of, uhm... taking a firmer stance in alignment with the Burgeomaster going forward given the, ehh, limited authority I feel that we yet have."

Reading and posting.

(Going to try to wrap this scene up here)

Whatever spirit Karl had possessed before was utterly gone now. The adrenaline that had led him to jump onto Beren before, and surprisingly nearly overtake him was gone, vanished into the ether. The boy was handling things poorly, for sure, in almost every regard, even before this all happened. But at this point, his spirit was crushed, or close enough. Between what he had seen upstairs, and down here. He saw what was in the chest, but did not seem to recognize anything within. He sat there for a long moment, as one does when the gravity of something is finally catching up to your senses. Finally responding to Beren. Then if the time comes, you better promise to make it so quick that I do not suffer. his tone was indifferent, and his body swayed unsteadily. He ignored what Nivi was saying - perhaps she had lived a similar life, but everyone handled situations differently based on the totality of their experiences, knowledge, and beliefs. He was in the wrong, but not from his perspective.

The last words he says as Beren hefts his mother up is Atleast do not hurt her further until judgement has been passed.. not that I expect her to survive at this point. he had gotten up at this point, sitting on the stairs as Jack asked his own question. They look like the people you killed here.  Townsfolk looking for work so they can eat. I was not privy to the details of their agreements. 'too young, not ready' and all that you adults like to spit in our faces. Maybe if you trusted your children more... his last words were directed at his unconscious mother. Moira may also feel the tug of magic from the room above, and to the right (if facing the stairs) but it is faint, and softly divine in nature. Even Moira could recognize it as a spell of preservation from here.

I will allow for any breif responses before moving you all towards the church once more.

Also I need clarification on what you're taking, it wasn't 100% clear. just a bullet point at the bottom of a post.

Ola hands the chest to Beren for a moment, pausing as she looks up the stairs.Glancing at Nivi and then Jack, she points towards the room where she felt the preservation magic. "What's in that room, there?"

And she walks over to Karl, patting him comfortingly on the shoulder. "In the deepest darkness, the smallest candle can still give us the way to keep moving... look for the light, even if it is small."

By this point Beren doesn't even feel the need to respond to Karl's statement. He already gave his assurance. Even though he has no qualms with ending a life if it's deemed evil, that doesn't mean he has any desire to inflict unnecessary suffering.

He pauses however when Karl starts talking about "trusting children" more, the light flaring slightly as he lets out a huff. He almost says something else, but shakes his head instead. There is nothing left to say at this point. Nothing he can change and nothing he can do to make things change right now. Not for this situation. All he can do is carry on with the current plan and accept whatever consequences come along with it. 

When Moira hands him the chest he fumbles for a moment as this forces him to balance Wachter over his shoulder. Instead of trying to keep it aloft he sets it down after the drow starts asking about a room above and then proceeds to move over to Karl. She'll have to pick it back up when she's done. Of course, he can't help but shake his head at her words. Not because he necessarily disagrees with them, but... he can't help but feel like it's futile to say them. 

Nivi glances the way that Olamoira indicates (the room with the Preservation magic).

"Master bedroom, where I lifted the chest with the Bones from - along with the key tucked in the fireplace.  Lord Wachter's laid out on the bed, dressed to the nines, coins on his eyes.  Not breathing.  So now Karl here says his dad's been dead for months.  Saw no sign of decay, though.  Call me crazy, but I want no part of a corpse that don't bleed or rot.  Undead, could be.  Got out of there, right quick, once I had the Bones and heard the ruckus below."

Nivi tilts her head when Karl bemoans not trusting kids.  "Oh, I trust kiddos plenty, Karl.  Like the orphans at the church, for starters.  Not you, though."

To the others, she observes, "got to let Lu-lu know, on top of Lady Wachter's shenanigans with swiping holy relics and impersonation to abet murder of his daughter, she's running a household full of devil-worshippers.  Other than two clueless sons and one batty daughter, turns out."

Shiv hoots softly and Nivi turns back to Jack.  "Don't much like letting Shiv out of my sight in a place like Barovia.  Lose comms after a hundred feet, yeah?  But you're talking sense, Shorty.  We walk out of here with Lady Wachter and it looks like a kidnapping.  Better if the guards know what's up."

If Nivi can find pen, paper and ink, she writes, with penmanship which looks almost (but not quite) elegant for a Waterdeep dock ward crook.  As befits her aristocratic high-elven schooling to which she only paid grudging attention and was always found wanting compared with her siblings:

(On the front):  To Lu-lu, from Nivi, Avatar, Prophet and Shorty.  We need to talk.
(Inside the fold):  Lady Wachter implicated.  Impersonation to abet Arabelle's murder.  Grand theft of sacred relic from church.  Runs devil-worship cult.  Ally of darklord.  Got evidence and testimony.  Taking relic back to church, then her to you.  Just so your guards like Smiley know.  Maybe meet us, yeah?

(If no one else has anything to add or suggest for the note, Nivi hands Shiv the note with instructions to fly to either the Blue Water Inn, then to the Vistani camp to the south, looking for one of his guards to whom the owl can pass the note to forward on to Luvash, then fly back to Nivi en route).

Items Nivi plans to take with her from the Wachter house:
1.  (Olamoira carrying) Chest with both sets of bones and the gem, in case it's needed to protect the relic, or prevent other set from reanimating as undead.
2.  (Beren carrying) Lady Wachter's restrained and unconscious body.
3.  Manuscript penned in Lady Wachter's hand ("The Devil We Know") - the only thing Nivi took from the other chest in the secret room next to the cats.
4.  One full set of keys to the Wachter house - Lady Wachter's set.  Nivi tosses the Butler's keyring back to Karl so he can get into his own room (where the Butler is currently lying unconscious) and also into his sister's room, assuming someone needs to provide her with basic necessities.

Jack frowned ever so slightly at Karl for implicating the eladrin as a killer. Yet a moment later, said Eladrin looked askance in reconsideration of his position. For while he hadn't drawn blood personally, he'd seen the fight in passing and did next nothing to stop it, deserving though the 'cultist' may have been of punishment. The realization left him rubbing at his chest and frowning further in discomfort, before eventually shaking his head and brushing it all off for the moment.

Later bemused at Olamoira's question, Jack scarcely began trying to piece together some kind of answer when Nivi's own has him instead smiling in relief. "Right, that was, uh... Right..." He trails off muttering and stroking his chin. At least until he noticed the party's ex-aristocratic head off to find supplies. Jack thoughtlessly followed along to assist, even if that only amounted to in the end providing some scratch parchment from the deeper bowels of his pack. And he would go on to watch, hovering nearby a shoulder, but otherwise providing nothing more to add to the letter. After all, the whole messy ordeal of killing the staff would be better cleared up in person, or so Jack dared to hope. Either way, once all was said and done, he was quite content to leave the Wachter's residence with naught except all he went into the building with and mixed feelings over everything that had ultimately gone down.

Ola nods as Nivi explains to her the scene she found of Lord Wachter. "There is nothing too strange about it," she says. "I can sense a spell of preservation magic in that room. Such magic will prevent a corpse from decaying. The stranger question is, why?" Ola looks back at Beren and realizes he can't carry the chest and Wachter, and she picks the chest back up while waiting for Nivi to finish her note. "Let's go..." and she follows the others out, anxious to head back to the church as quickly as possible.

Nivi lets the bird go, message in hand. Though both destinations would be out of range, the Owl would be smart enough to find a patrolling guard - as few as those were. The town was sparse, and far wider than it needed to be for its population. but seeking one out for the owl and its ability to fly was an overall easy feat even with the highly limited visibility. The owl remaining within range of its 'leash' and scanning the roads until it found someone who could take the letter to its destination. With that dealt with, Shiv returns to Nivi's side, for now as the group makes their way towards the Church. The day having drug its way towards evening by this time. Few people about aside from fish peddlers and basic merchants (simple under 10GP adventuring gear) 

Barring any stops, you all make it back in roughly 30 minutes. The church is more full now, apparently many of the homeless sleep within the churches confines. And it seems you're all arriving during an evening sermon, or at-least a time when those gathered hear the words of Father Lucian. His words are soft and comforting. Everyone the party had met earlier in relation to the church was there, listening, along with about a dozen or so others. Though this land is dark, children, there is always light to be found. Hope to be shared. Strahd did not always rule this land as he does now, nor will he rule it like so forever. Saint Andral's protection has endured all these many years, providing sanctuary to all who sought refuge. Now, I will pass out the flat bread, and you may all partake of it. It is not much but it will soothe you and your aches atleast slightly. The party hearing this, and the rustling of feet as everyone begins to shuffle for their piece of the metaphorical pie.

Although his curiosity had been piqued at Olamoira's question, Jack remained very much keen on the group being on their way, least another "incident" occurred at the manor. So, he offered no word to encourage further investigation, but made a mental note to possibly bring it up with the burgomaster. Just whether or not he'd remain in a season that would still care by then is however a different matter.

Nevertheless, if there's to be any pit stops along the way, it's but to collect Bluto and Arugal. But having left the pair on church grounds (or so Jack's player vaguely recollects), a straight shot back would be more so the party's future. "Oh my, oh dear~ He really should've delayed things for a little longer." Jack softly uttered mysteriously with a grim look about his face. "My friends we should hurry forward, and encourage the good priest to perhaps wrap things up early so we can see the bones secured back in their rightful place as swiftly as possible."

(OOC: I believe we left Argual and Bluto at the inn where we knocked out Karl.)

Beren doesn't intend to make any pit stops. They don't need to drag Argual and Bluto into this, at least not in his opinion. He intends to wait outside of the church, not wanting to risk another run in with Saelethin--regardless of the likelihood or unlikelihood that she'd be here again. So unless someone asks him to join them in restoring the bones, he'll wait outside with their unconscious prisoner slung over his shoulder. 

If he can hear the sermon from where he's waiting... likely just a piece or two as the door opens and closes... he just lets out a long breath, closing his eyes and shaking his head just slightly. Otherwise he simply stands there like a sentinel next to the door until his companions come back. 

Nivi eyes the church and the people inside it with the cool reserve of an urban criminal, sizing up the situation as she enters, with Beren waiting outside.

Best if Sunshine, being the Avatar and all, was the one to make the handoff with the crowd here.  Can't blame the man for wanting to avoid that piece of work, Saelethin, though.  So, got to to be one of us three elves instead.  Prophet's the one carrying the chest and Shorty... could be a little too detached...

Making a quick decision, she slips quickly ahead to the front, using her Cunning Action (Bonus Action disengage) and her high dexterity (or Acrobatics) to weave between people without bumping anyone, stepping on any toes, or causing any major commotion if she can avoid it.

Knowing that seeing a strange (and wounded) redheaded elf speaking to the priest may raise eyebrows in this land (though perhaps less so than a drow or a beanpole of an eladrin?), she tries to keep it quick as she makes eye contact with Father Lucian and stretches to whisper in his ear.

What Nivi thinks, and is on the verge of quietly drawling, is:
Don't want to interrupt, Father, but you really got to hear this, yeah? Won't lie. Lot has happened, some of which you're not gonna like. But we got the Bones back from Wachter. Two sets actually, plus this magic gem, could be related, dunno. One set is Saint Andral's, though, Prophet's pretty sure.

Yet, just in time, she catches herself, and it is someone else who whispers instead.  Niva'ele Farstrider of Silverymoon.  Channeling her bard of a sister.

"Evening grace you, Father Lucian.  We beg forgiveness for our hasty entrance and unseemly interruption as you tend your flock.  Yet these tidings, I believe you will wish to learn without delay.  We have the relic back from Wachter's manse, though our success was tinged with bittersweet and bloodshed.  Olamoira bears the chest in which rest two sets of bones and an arcane gem of unknown function.  Out of caution, we have refrained from disturbing the chest's interior, yet she believes that the Bones of Saint Andral are indeed within, sensing the holy aura which they radiate."

Slowly, Shiv's eyes blink, then reopen, dawning like moons as the owl perches otherwise motionless on the high elf's shoulder.