"Seems like a trustworthy individual everyone. Let's go to his house."

Ismark leads you to his home.

A weary-looking mansion squats behind a rusting iron fence. The iron gates are twisted and torn. The right gate lies cast aside, while the left swings lazily in the wind. The stuttering squeal and clang of the gate repeats with mindless precision. Weeds choke the grounds and press with menace upon the house itself. Yet, against the walls, the growth has been tramped down to create a path all about the domain. Heavy claw markings have stripped the once-beautiful finish of the walls. Great black marks tell of the fires that have assailed the mansion. Not a pane nor a shard of glass stands in any window. All the windows are barred with planks, each one marked with stains of evil omen.

(Everyone) Perception Check DC11

Perception: 11

“Looks like there are many stories to be told about the house, it is full of character,” Shayan offers uncertain to Izmark in a way of a positive comment about his dwelling.  “Thanks for offering us a roof, we’ve found that savage beasts roam these lands even during the day. I can not even imagine what stalks the nights,” Shayan stares at the claw markings. “And inside the village at that.”

(perception: 8)

Perception: 11

,You notice trampled weeds all around the mansion as well as scores of wolf paw prints and human footprints. 

Ismark walks up to the front doors and pounds on them with his fist. "Ireena! Open up it's me, Ismark! I've brought some people with me that can help us!" He shouts.  After a few moments you hear the sound of several bolts sliding home, and then one of the doors opens partially. A very attractive woman in her early twenties with long auburn hair and rich green eyes looks warily at you. She then looks questioningly at Ismark. "It's alright. They're adventurers. They're going to escort us to Vallaki on the morrow. Ismark reassures her. She glances at you again, and then with an audible sigh, fully opens the door and stands aside. This when you notice that she is wearing a breast plate with several claw marks on it. In her right hand is a rapier, that glows with a soft green light. Ismark walks inside beckoning for you to follow.

The interior of the mansion is well furnished, yet the fixtures show signs of great wear. Noticeable oddities are the boarded-up windows and the presence of holy symbols in every room. The burgomaster is in a side drawing room on the floor—lying in a simple wooden coffin surrounded by wilting flowers and a faint odor of decay.

"Ummm, pardon me if I sound rude or anything here but, is that a dead body over there?" Orlan says while pointing at the coffin. 

Entering with the others, Tuck takes a look around. wrinkling his nose at the faint odor in the room, he notes the obvious signs ofa picthed, perhaps prolonged batte with ... something canine. To the shouted introduction, he looks over to Ireena, and bows briefly. "Well-met, Lady Ireena, though one could hope for better circumstances for such a meeting. My condolenses on your loss - and the tsate of affairs here. I can only hope we may be of some small assistance."

Perception: 13 

Shayan enters the house with an increasing uneasiness. 'What in the nine hells had she gotten herself into?' She had thought this was an easy job with good payment but the whole affair takes one turn for the worse after the other.' She stares at the coffin with the body and asks, "Who is this? And why do they rest here? Inside? Didn't you have time for a proper burial? I mean they're gone for some time. If it's that, I'd help you."

Ireena nods in agreement with Shayan, " She's right Ismark. We need to let Father Donovich give Papa a proper burial. Only then will I travel to Vallaki." She tells him with a look of determination upon her face. Ismark stares at his younger sibling for moment before throwing up his hands in exasperation. "Fine! Have it your way, but it's getting too late to bury our Father now. Sundown draws nigh." Ismark turns to the Party. "For the last 3 weeks creatures of the night have Attacked this manor. The servants, those not killed in the attack have fled leaving the three of us to defend our home."  Ireena continues the tale. Around a week ago the stress of these constant attacks became to much for our father. I found him Dead in his Study, the morning after a particularly vicious attack."  Ireena begins to speak further when suddenly, Howls can be heard off in the distance.

 "We must prepare for Battle! They will be here in matter of minutes! Ismark shouts as he and Ireena rush to bar the front doors.

DM: First sorry for the delay. Work and all that. Let me know what your Character is doing to prepare for the assault. Remember, you probably have roughly 10 minutes before the enemy arrives, and you have a lot of space to defend.

Shayan checks which are the more likely points of entry for large beasts and prepares herself for battle. She has her shield strapped on her back and she wields two light hammers, with four more in her belt for easy access. Eyeing her heavy crossbow, she wonders, "Are we preparing for close quarters or can we shoot at them through some hole?"

Orlan will ask "What do you already know of the creatures? Any sort of weakness we can exploit?" While waiting for a response, Orlan clutches the crescent moon necklace he wears around his neck. A 60 foot sphere of twilight begins to emanate from him.

Action: Channel Divinity Twilight Sanctuary (7 Temporary hit points to every within the sphere, which I assume is everyone in the room.)

"I suggest we use what little time we have to make the most defensible spot we can - sounds like we're in for a long night." Tuck growls, scanning this room and those nearby for points of weakness for their defenses. "And perhaps arm ourselves with whatever weapons and protections we can muster. Fire, silver, holywater - have we any of those things? I've no idea if any of them will help; just the stories I've heard..." Tuck mutters off, glancing at the plethora of holy symbols adorning the manion. He will use whatever time remaining to try and bolster defenses with whatever is nearby - start a fire in the fireplace, block entrances with furniture, insure windows are securely boearded, etc.

Investigation (eamining defenses and looking for items that might assist): 11

(Tuck) Looking around you spot a large table that could be used to reinforce the front doors.

Ireena answers Orlan. "Father once used his cane to drive off one of the half wolf creatures that managed to get inside."  Ireena indicates a cane with a snarling wolf's head made of silver, leaning up in a corner.

(Shayan) When you approached the manor you noticed that the room above the front doors was an arrow slit.

Shayan glances to the cane, “Oh, this doesn’t bode well. I’ve heard of monsters that must be killed with silvered weapons, or others with acid, or magic.” She sighs, “If we face that I guess I could do some hurt  with that crane there, if you don’t mind,” asking no one in particular, then thinks a spell and adds, “ and a shield for holding out longer.” She offers her heavy crossbow up for someone else to use, “I’m not a great shot, anyone who prefers this, feel free, there’s a slit above the door.”

Tuck takes a moment to retrieve a crossbow of his own from his pack, as well as a holy symbol he then wears prominently, and looks at his bolts, frowning.

"Anyone got any silver we can melt down in a hurry, and dip these in?" Also, perhaps you bigger folk could move that table over to reinforce the blocked front door?" He points at the door, before scurrying to where he believes the kitchen or parlor might be, to look for silver utensils or serving pieces that could be melted, and a cast iron pan to withstand the heat to melt them in.

(Tuck) When you enter the kitchen you discover that the back door is wide open and heading towards the opening is a creature similar to the one described by Ireena.

Roll Initiative! (Tuck only)

(I'll set the map on Roll20, but it might take me a little time, please be patient.)

I need tokens for June and Orlan on Roll 20.

I rolled initiative on my character sheet, came up 15+3 = 18. Not sure if that translated over to roll20, I will check.

Nope, it didn’t work. I realized I don’t have the bot on my phone that automatically connects my D&D Beyond character sheet to roll 20. I will roll initiative here. 19

The werewolf bounds through the open back door and delivers a savage bite to Tuck for 5 (p) damage.

(Tuck) Your turn.

Everyone else, Roll Initiative! Good Luck.