At Jared's blunt comment, the robed figure on the other side of the scarred altar jumps up frightened, his prayer ending abruptly as he makes it to his feet. He whirls around to face you, surprise and fear etched into his worn face. The robed man appears to late into his middle years, his graying hair a testament to his age, or perhaps the stress that comes with living in this sort of place. His intense, watery blue eyes are wide as he takes in the group that managed to enter the church unnoticed to him. You can see he is a portly man, and his soiled brown robes don't do any good for his figure. He raises a pale hand to his chest, clutching a golden sunrise pendant hanging from a chain there as he sputters out, "By the Morninglord's First Name! You can't go sneaking around like that; you're liable to give someone a heart attack!"
He places a steadying hand on the battered altar next to him as he takes several calming breaths. Ismark raises an eyebrow at the priest's antics as he says, "I'm inclined to agree with Jared over there. I know it's been a while since I've attended church, but last time I checked, destruction and clutter aren't tenants of the Morninglord. What happened here?"
Finally seeming to have calmed down a bit, the older man whom you assume to be Father Donovan, manages to sputter out. "Nothing has happened here, and no. Nobody is hurt," he says to answer Anthony's question. "There was simply a monster attack a week ago, and I haven't managed to clean up the place yet. That's all. Haha," he chuckles nervously, running a hand through his graying hair.
Contrary to his claims of "nothing happening here," you hear a young man's voice shout up from under the dirt-encrusted floorboards. "Father, I'm starving! Please let me out,'' he whimpers from beneath your feet.
A confused expression strikes Ireena as she hears the voice. "Is that Doru down there?" she asks incredulously. She points her sword at the priest demandingly, and he flinches as the silvery blade is leveled at him. "Why on earth are you keeping him down there?"
He stutters nervously several times as he tries to forms words, his wide eyes staring frightenedly at Ireena's sword. "I- I- He, uh, he's just sick right now. Um, he's just staying down there so we won't get others sick. Yes, that's it! You're just sick right now, aren't you Doru?" he shouts with desperation down at the thing beneath the floor.
All he gets in response is a bestial scream of, "FEED ME!" The young lad's unholy cry seems to shake the rafters and chill the air around you with its unearthly tone. Donovin winces at the cry and then looks up at the group with despair in his eyes.
Zathon
As you open up your senses, you find yourself in a swirling nexus of darkness. The shadowed energy is all about you, suffusing this world with the power of undeath and despair. You see a small aura of light surrounding you that feebly pushes the darkness away from you, forming a small sphere of gentle illuminance about you free from the evilness of this world. Below you, you sense a single undead, but nothing more.
Akyan stops his internal clock when Kora and Jared reenter the building. Sounds like everyone is heading to church. He's not particularly thrilled about this, but at least everyone is going together rather than splitting up. He'd been a bit worried that Jared would want to run off alone.
He's glad Ireena and Ismark are both going to the church as well. Ireena had already voiced her wish to get to know them all better, and he silently wishes the same thing. It's always good to know as much as possible about those you will be working with.
Nearing the church, the drow tenses at the sound of the scream. Preparing to summon his blades, he glances at his siblings then enters the chapel. He scowls at the priest for a second as he scans the room. Whatever that noise was, it came from below.
When the priest rises, Akyan hangs back slightly to watch the interaction between him and Ireena. Then grits his teeth, and stands next to Ireena. "Sick? Like I believe that. No sick man could scream at that volume, no normal sickness at least. What reason do you have to lock him down there without feeding him?" He hisses. "Explain yourself."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Aoufie has a hand near his rapier as he hears the scream but relaxes slightly when nothing jumps out to attack them. He looks to Father Donovan and asks "What has happened to your son? What ailment is he afflicted with?"
Insight to see if what Father Donovan says next indicates sincerity or deception.
He doesn't quite believe what Father Donovan is saying about his son being 'sick'. Something about that tone is.. more. But he's not inclined to see this turn into a violent confrontation and everyone is on edge."Alright, look, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation that doesn't require anyone to be stabbed in a church." Looking pointedly at Ireena and Ismark with drawn weapons and Akyan standing with them. "Some of us are healers. Maybe there's something we can do to help." Anthony keeps his voice calm, rational, his movements relaxed.
Ireena glances at Akyan as he steps up next to her, and he sees respect for him and his bearing in her eyes. She turns her attention back to the trembling man, her eyes narrowing.
At Aoufie and Anthony's urging, Father Donvan manages to stammer out, "He's too sick to eat normal food, you see. The only thing he can eat right now... is blood," he whispers out, a single tear escaping his eye to run down his dirt-smudged cheek.
He falls to his knees, a distant and empty expression taking hold of him. "He can only have blood," he repeats, barely loud enough to be audible.
Ismark almost drops his sword at the sudden confession. "You're telling me... that Doru is a vampire!?" His voice starts out quietly, but it quickly crescendos into a frustrated shout. Doru wails from down below, his pitiful, famished cry mingling with Ismark's exclamation. The blonde man's sword arm falls to his side as he accusingly asks, "Why didn't you tell anyone one you were harboring a monster down there?! Do you have any idea how dangerous those things are?! A single spawn of the Devil could wipe out this entire town by itself, and you've been hiding one!?What were you thinking!?"
Father Donovan bursts out crying, blubbering uncontrollably as he shamefully covers his pudgy face with his dirty hands while Ismark shouts his angry accusations. Ireena lowers her sword and places a hand on Ismark's shoulder. "There's no need to get angry. He's obv-"
"No need to get angry?!" he roars, his face turning red with anger. He angrily slaps away her hand. "Ireena, he's been hiding something like the thing that's been hunting you! He should have destroyed it the moment it came crawling back to him!'' He grips his sword tightly, his eyes furiously glaring at the blubbering excuse of a man kneeling before him. Angrily, he turns around and stops away from the group and slams open the door, stalking outside and disappearing around the side of the church.
Ireena watches him go, her expression unreadable. "Sorry about that," she says to the group. "He's cares a lot about the safety of the village and my safety. He's been risking his life for the past month to protect me against vampires, and to discover Father Donovan hiding one in the church of all places must be very frustrating to him. He'll come back once he's cooled down a bit." She turns her attention back to Father Donovan, empathy softening her features as she regards him.
Aoufie
You get the sense that Donovan is desperately trying to deceive himself that nothing is wrong. He knows that something is terribly wrong with his son, but if he accepts that truth, you have a feeling that despair and the pain of a father unable to help his son would crush him
"This is a dangerous situation." "Anthony scrubs his hair, taking note of Ireena's attitude and demeanor. She's level headed and can manage the brother who isn't. Those are both good things at least. As for the guy downstairs. He's of two minds. Put the guy out of his misery. He sounds like he's being tortured. Or try to give him a chance. On the other other hand, someone in that state in a place like this.. setting him up for failure really.
"Father I can appreciate your devotion to hope for deliverance." Choosing his words carefully, he doesn't know a lot about vampires or if they would be the same here if he did. Drinking blood, hard to kill, but a ...cure or treatment? It was well beyond his abilities as a healer if there was such a thing beyond the acts of the gods themselves. He wanted to help, but of everything they'd encountered so far, this was the first situation that really seemed both like a lost cause and too dangerous to leave alone. What to say even? He looks around to the others to see where they are landing.
"Do you know anyone who's been able to .. recover from this illness?"
Akyan ignores Anthony's comment. This man is supposed to be a priest, and yet he is holding his own son captive and starving him. He doesn't care if this place is a church or not, if someone deserves stabbing, then he won't hold back. He doesn't acknowledge Ireena's approving glance, she'd gained a bit of respect from him as well through her own actions.
The drow takes a step back when Donovan falls to his knees. His expression doesn't soften, but there is a spark of sympathy in his eyes. However, when Ismark starts yelling at the poor man, his eyes grow cold again. Donovan may be harboring a 'monster', but this monster was once his son. He does understand where Ismark is coming from, but yelling about it won't help, if anything it will only make matters worse. Ireena's intervention gains her even more of Akyan's respect.
He breaths out heavily between his teeth when Ismark storms off, then he shrugs. "His reaction was understandable, but still uncalled for." Sympathy returns to his eyes when he looks back down at Donovan. Then he turns away, lowering his voice so only Ireena and anyone else close enough to him can hear. "I'm assuming you have no way of removing the curse? If that is the case, then killing Doru may be the only option. It sounds cruel, but in his state it would be a mercy." He hopes the woman understands where he is coming from, and that his words didn't just wash away any respect she had for him.
Jared watches the exchange, looking back and forth to its participants. "Ok, this has officially gone off the wagon." he mutters. Watching Ismark storm off, Jared just shakes his head and thinks for a moment. "We need to get out of here." he tells the others. "we're here to protect her," Jared points at Ireena. "But what we have done is escorted her into a place we aren't sure if it can be defended and houses a Vampire. Their house is the one place we know it has successfully been defended. I say we get back there, stoke some fires, and try and wait it out till morning. Then we get her and her brother out of this place."
Anthony didn't see it quite the same way regarding Ireena. As far as he was concerned she wasn't under his protection and could come and go where and as she pleased specially in her own village, they'd just agreed to travel to the next town together. He wasn't looking to debate semantics with bigger things at issue. And Jared wasn't wrong. the smartest thing to do was walk away. Something told him that's not what was about to happen though.
I feel for him and to have your son afflicted this way. A truly sad fate. "I hear you Jared and you may be right, but I feel we should do what we can for this priest. I am sorry I never caught your name. I am Aoufie and can you tell us how your son was turned. Was it from the recent attack?" says Aoufie.
It takes a moment for Zathon to steady himself. "He's undead.. I don't think there is a cure for such things. It is best to.. put him out of his misery."
Kora watches the scene unfold with calculating eyes. Her eyes follow Ismark as he runs out of the building, but she turns back to the Father and watches the man. She feels for him, she does. But she agrees with Akyan and Zathon.
Moving so she is directly in front of the Father, "I am so sorry you are in this situation. I cannot fathom what it must feel like to have your son..."her voice trails away a moment and then she continues, "He is undead good sir. There is no coming back from that. And wouldn't you rather relish in the good memories you have of him before this awful transformation that to listen to him suffer? Honestly it looks to me that you are the one suffering and can you imagine if he gets out? The guilt you would feel if anyone got hurt.."
She looks down at the floorboards towards the son and then back to the Father, "Please, we are strangers here and have no connections to anyone. Let us help you and put you both out of this misery."
Anthony wonders briefly if Aoelwyn knows how many of the kids she fostered find killing easier than helping. Putting a vampire 'out of it's misery', however pitiful it sounded wasn't going to be easy. He knew that.
"What do you think, Ireena?"Asking her quietly so as not to interrupt other conversations. "Is there no hope for those who've fallen victim?" His question pointed.
Akyan ignores Anthony's comment. This man is supposed to be a priest, and yet he is holding his own son captive and starving him. He doesn't care if this place is a church or not, if someone deserves stabbing, then he won't hold back. He doesn't acknowledge Ireena's approving glance, she'd gained a bit of respect from him as well through her own actions.
The drow takes a step back when Donovan falls to his knees. His expression doesn't soften, but there is a spark of sympathy in his eyes. However, when Ismark starts yelling at the poor man, his eyes grow cold again. Donovan may be harboring a 'monster', but this monster was once his son. He does understand where Ismark is coming from, but yelling about it won't help, if anything it will only make matters worse. Ireena's intervention gains her even more of Akyan's respect.
He breaths out heavily between his teeth when Ismark storms off, then he shrugs. "His reaction was understandable, but still uncalled for." Sympathy returns to his eyes when he looks back down at Donovan. Then he turns away, lowering his voice so only Ireena and anyone else close enough to him can hear. "I'm assuming you have no way of removing the curse? If that is the case, then killing Doru may be the only option. It sounds cruel, but in his state it would be a mercy." He hopes the woman understands where he is coming from, and that his words didn't just wash away any respect she had for him.
Anthony wonders briefly if Aoelwyn knows how many of the kids she fostered find killing easier than helping. Putting a vampire 'out of it's misery', however pitiful it sounded wasn't going to be easy. He knew that.
"What do you think, Ireena?"Asking her quietly so as not to interrupt other conversations. "Is there no hope for those who've fallen victim?" His question pointed.
At the questions, Ireena unconsciously begins rubbing the side of her neck with one hand. She purses her lips and shakes her head slowly. "Vampirism is not a disease or a curse like lycanthropy," she says quietly. "Vampires are made when someone is killed by a vampire that drinks their blood. They're undead."
Regardless of the gentleness of which the situation of his son was discussed, the man continues to weep and blubber. "P- Please. You ca- can't kill him! The Morninglord will send help eventually. I know he will..." He trails off as he continues to cry.
Turning her attention to Aoufie, Ireena says thoughtfully, "I remember about a year ago, a wizard from beyond the mist came to our village and convinced a bunch of the townsfolk to launch an assault on Castle Ravenloft. Thought he could overthrow the Devil as long as he had some poor souls drawing the attention of the lesser vampires." She shakes her head mournfully. "I remember Doru volunteered to go with the mage, but none of them ever came back. I'm pretty sure I know of their fate now," she says as she gestures with a nod towards the creature beneath the floor.
He nodded with her words, catching her in a look of sympathy, but not commenting further. It was her business.. for now. In Scornubel, the wealthy could afford to be brought back from death. But something told Anthony that kind of magic would be hard to come by. The tale of the wizard from beyond caught Anthony's attention. "This wizard, does anyone know his name? Are there any other spellcasters been through here?"He added as an afterthought
He nodded with her words, catching her in a look of sympathy, but not commenting further. It was her business.. for now. In Scornubel, the wealthy could afford to be brought back from death. But something told Anthony that kind of magic would be hard to come by. The tale of the wizard from beyond caught Anthony's attention. "This wizard, does anyone know his name? Are there any other spellcasters been through here?"He added as an afterthought
Ireena scrunches up her face in concentration as she tries to remember. "I'm not sure. I'm pretty sure it started with an 'M.' Mordo- something." She sheaths her blade as it is needed at the moment. "As for other mages, I don't remember any recently. There were a few others several years back, but I don't remember their names either."
Kora watches the scene unfold with calculating eyes. Her eyes follow Ismark as he runs out of the building, but she turns back to the Father and watches the man. She feels for him, she does. But she agrees with Akyan and Zathon.
Moving so she is directly in front of the Father, "I am so sorry you are in this situation. I cannot fathom what it must feel like to have your son..."her voice trails away a moment and then she continues, "He is undead good sir. There is no coming back from that. And wouldn't you rather relish in the good memories you have of him before this awful transformation that to listen to him suffer? Honestly it looks to me that you are the one suffering and can you imagine if he gets out? The guilt you would feel if anyone got hurt.."
She looks down at the floorboards towards the son and then back to the Father, "Please, we are strangers here and have no connections to anyone. Let us help you and put you both out of this misery."
Father Donovan looks up at the group, focusing his bleary eyes upon Kora. As you all converse with each other, you see defeat and resignation take hold of his features. Teary-eyed, he sobs, "I always feared that this day would come. Deep down, I knew I couldn't help him, but I always held to my hope, but it appears my hope is in vain." He dries his tears with a grimy sleave and then reaches into his robes and pulls out a battered bronze key. Reverently, he offers the key towards Kora, his head bowed. "I hoped to have helped him, but you are right. You can help him more than I." A tear drips from his downturned face, splatting on the floorboards beneath him. "This key unlocks the trapdoor to the basement."
Kora gives the man a slight bow before taking the key from the Father. "Where is this trapdoor my good sir? and we will make sure he doesn't suffer." She also looks to Ireena in case she knows where the trapdoor is located.
Mordo something. Didn't sound familiar to Anthony, but maybe it would come up again.
Watching Kora, he scrubbed his hair. So this is what they were? Inquisitors? It didn't sit well with him, but he didn't have a better solution under the circumstances. Just opening the trap door and letting Doru out was a terrible idea.
"Ireena would you mind taking Father Donovan somewhere safe while we see what can be done." He hoped she'd understand there were several reasons he shouldn't be here and not argue.
"We should have a plan so he doesn't get out to the street. That would be a mess however it ended. I don't mind offering up a... donation to keep him calm." more quietly to Akyan he adds, "Might be a good idea to try to get him talking if we can. He might know something, even if it's just castle defenses"
"I can try to charm him though I would need to be able to see Doru for the spell to possibly work. As for keeping him from escaping we can close and bar the front door and surround the trapdoor, so he has no path for escape." says Aoufie. He takes hold of the cittern ready for what may come next.
Kora gives the man a slight bow before taking the key from the Father. "Where is this trapdoor my good sir? and we will make sure he doesn't suffer." She also looks to Ireena in case she knows where the trapdoor is located.
Father Donovan mutters, wiping tears away on his soiled sleave, "As you enter the church, it's the first door on the right."
Mordo something. Didn't sound familiar to Anthony, but maybe it would come up again.
Watching Kora, he scrubbed his hair. So this is what they were? Inquisitors? It didn't sit well with him, but he didn't have a better solution under the circumstances. Just opening the trap door and letting Doru out was a terrible idea.
"Ireena would you mind taking Father Donovan somewhere safe while we see what can be done." He hoped she'd understand there were several reasons he shouldn't be here and not argue.
"We should have a plan so he doesn't get out to the street. That would be a mess however it ended. I don't mind offering up a... donation to keep him calm." more quietly to Akyan he adds, "Might be a good idea to try to get him talking if we can. He might know something, even if it's just castle defenses"
Ireena nods at Anthony's suggestion, giving the man an appreciative look. You see some tension leave her body now that she doesn't have to face another vampire. She had looked tense during the whole conversation about Doru. She's dealt with a fair share of vampires the past few weeks, and she gladly takes the opportunity to avoid dealing with another one. "I'll take him to the tavern," she says.
She walks over to Father Donovan and helps him rise to his feet. "Up we go," she says gently as she helps lift him. She takes hold of his arm with one hand and places the other hand comfortingly on his back as she guides him towards the large double doors that mark the entrance of the church. Just before the duo steps out of the stuffy church, Father Donovan pauses, and then he turns to face the group. With despair etched firmly upon his fatigued face, he say with quietly with an air of finality, "May the Morninglord shine upon you this day." With that, they turn back and head out the gaping entryway.
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DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
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At Jared's blunt comment, the robed figure on the other side of the scarred altar jumps up frightened, his prayer ending abruptly as he makes it to his feet. He whirls around to face you, surprise and fear etched into his worn face. The robed man appears to late into his middle years, his graying hair a testament to his age, or perhaps the stress that comes with living in this sort of place. His intense, watery blue eyes are wide as he takes in the group that managed to enter the church unnoticed to him. You can see he is a portly man, and his soiled brown robes don't do any good for his figure. He raises a pale hand to his chest, clutching a golden sunrise pendant hanging from a chain there as he sputters out, "By the Morninglord's First Name! You can't go sneaking around like that; you're liable to give someone a heart attack!"
He places a steadying hand on the battered altar next to him as he takes several calming breaths. Ismark raises an eyebrow at the priest's antics as he says, "I'm inclined to agree with Jared over there. I know it's been a while since I've attended church, but last time I checked, destruction and clutter aren't tenants of the Morninglord. What happened here?"
Finally seeming to have calmed down a bit, the older man whom you assume to be Father Donovan, manages to sputter out. "Nothing has happened here, and no. Nobody is hurt," he says to answer Anthony's question. "There was simply a monster attack a week ago, and I haven't managed to clean up the place yet. That's all. Haha," he chuckles nervously, running a hand through his graying hair.
Contrary to his claims of "nothing happening here," you hear a young man's voice shout up from under the dirt-encrusted floorboards. "Father, I'm starving! Please let me out,'' he whimpers from beneath your feet.
A confused expression strikes Ireena as she hears the voice. "Is that Doru down there?" she asks incredulously. She points her sword at the priest demandingly, and he flinches as the silvery blade is leveled at him. "Why on earth are you keeping him down there?"
He stutters nervously several times as he tries to forms words, his wide eyes staring frightenedly at Ireena's sword. "I- I- He, uh, he's just sick right now. Um, he's just staying down there so we won't get others sick. Yes, that's it! You're just sick right now, aren't you Doru?" he shouts with desperation down at the thing beneath the floor.
All he gets in response is a bestial scream of, "FEED ME!" The young lad's unholy cry seems to shake the rafters and chill the air around you with its unearthly tone. Donovin winces at the cry and then looks up at the group with despair in his eyes.
Zathon
As you open up your senses, you find yourself in a swirling nexus of darkness. The shadowed energy is all about you, suffusing this world with the power of undeath and despair. You see a small aura of light surrounding you that feebly pushes the darkness away from you, forming a small sphere of gentle illuminance about you free from the evilness of this world. Below you, you sense a single undead, but nothing more.
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
Akyan stops his internal clock when Kora and Jared reenter the building. Sounds like everyone is heading to church. He's not particularly thrilled about this, but at least everyone is going together rather than splitting up. He'd been a bit worried that Jared would want to run off alone.
He's glad Ireena and Ismark are both going to the church as well. Ireena had already voiced her wish to get to know them all better, and he silently wishes the same thing. It's always good to know as much as possible about those you will be working with.
Nearing the church, the drow tenses at the sound of the scream. Preparing to summon his blades, he glances at his siblings then enters the chapel. He scowls at the priest for a second as he scans the room. Whatever that noise was, it came from below.
When the priest rises, Akyan hangs back slightly to watch the interaction between him and Ireena. Then grits his teeth, and stands next to Ireena. "Sick? Like I believe that. No sick man could scream at that volume, no normal sickness at least. What reason do you have to lock him down there without feeding him?" He hisses. "Explain yourself."
Aoufie has a hand near his rapier as he hears the scream but relaxes slightly when nothing jumps out to attack them. He looks to Father Donovan and asks "What has happened to your son? What ailment is he afflicted with?"
Insight to see if what Father Donovan says next indicates sincerity or deception.
19
He doesn't quite believe what Father Donovan is saying about his son being 'sick'. Something about that tone is.. more. But he's not inclined to see this turn into a violent confrontation and everyone is on edge. "Alright, look, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation that doesn't require anyone to be stabbed in a church." Looking pointedly at Ireena and Ismark with drawn weapons and Akyan standing with them. "Some of us are healers. Maybe there's something we can do to help." Anthony keeps his voice calm, rational, his movements relaxed.
((Persuasion a whole 5 if needed))
Ireena glances at Akyan as he steps up next to her, and he sees respect for him and his bearing in her eyes. She turns her attention back to the trembling man, her eyes narrowing.
At Aoufie and Anthony's urging, Father Donvan manages to stammer out, "He's too sick to eat normal food, you see. The only thing he can eat right now... is blood," he whispers out, a single tear escaping his eye to run down his dirt-smudged cheek.
He falls to his knees, a distant and empty expression taking hold of him. "He can only have blood," he repeats, barely loud enough to be audible.
Ismark almost drops his sword at the sudden confession. "You're telling me... that Doru is a vampire!?" His voice starts out quietly, but it quickly crescendos into a frustrated shout. Doru wails from down below, his pitiful, famished cry mingling with Ismark's exclamation. The blonde man's sword arm falls to his side as he accusingly asks, "Why didn't you tell anyone one you were harboring a monster down there?! Do you have any idea how dangerous those things are?! A single spawn of the Devil could wipe out this entire town by itself, and you've been hiding one!? What were you thinking!?"
Father Donovan bursts out crying, blubbering uncontrollably as he shamefully covers his pudgy face with his dirty hands while Ismark shouts his angry accusations. Ireena lowers her sword and places a hand on Ismark's shoulder. "There's no need to get angry. He's obv-"
"No need to get angry?!" he roars, his face turning red with anger. He angrily slaps away her hand. "Ireena, he's been hiding something like the thing that's been hunting you! He should have destroyed it the moment it came crawling back to him!'' He grips his sword tightly, his eyes furiously glaring at the blubbering excuse of a man kneeling before him. Angrily, he turns around and stops away from the group and slams open the door, stalking outside and disappearing around the side of the church.
Ireena watches him go, her expression unreadable. "Sorry about that," she says to the group. "He's cares a lot about the safety of the village and my safety. He's been risking his life for the past month to protect me against vampires, and to discover Father Donovan hiding one in the church of all places must be very frustrating to him. He'll come back once he's cooled down a bit." She turns her attention back to Father Donovan, empathy softening her features as she regards him.
Aoufie
You get the sense that Donovan is desperately trying to deceive himself that nothing is wrong. He knows that something is terribly wrong with his son, but if he accepts that truth, you have a feeling that despair and the pain of a father unable to help his son would crush him
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
"This is a dangerous situation." "Anthony scrubs his hair, taking note of Ireena's attitude and demeanor. She's level headed and can manage the brother who isn't. Those are both good things at least. As for the guy downstairs. He's of two minds. Put the guy out of his misery. He sounds like he's being tortured. Or try to give him a chance. On the other other hand, someone in that state in a place like this.. setting him up for failure really.
"Father I can appreciate your devotion to hope for deliverance." Choosing his words carefully, he doesn't know a lot about vampires or if they would be the same here if he did. Drinking blood, hard to kill, but a ...cure or treatment? It was well beyond his abilities as a healer if there was such a thing beyond the acts of the gods themselves. He wanted to help, but of everything they'd encountered so far, this was the first situation that really seemed both like a lost cause and too dangerous to leave alone. What to say even? He looks around to the others to see where they are landing.
"Do you know anyone who's been able to .. recover from this illness?"
Akyan ignores Anthony's comment. This man is supposed to be a priest, and yet he is holding his own son captive and starving him. He doesn't care if this place is a church or not, if someone deserves stabbing, then he won't hold back. He doesn't acknowledge Ireena's approving glance, she'd gained a bit of respect from him as well through her own actions.
The drow takes a step back when Donovan falls to his knees. His expression doesn't soften, but there is a spark of sympathy in his eyes. However, when Ismark starts yelling at the poor man, his eyes grow cold again. Donovan may be harboring a 'monster', but this monster was once his son. He does understand where Ismark is coming from, but yelling about it won't help, if anything it will only make matters worse. Ireena's intervention gains her even more of Akyan's respect.
He breaths out heavily between his teeth when Ismark storms off, then he shrugs. "His reaction was understandable, but still uncalled for." Sympathy returns to his eyes when he looks back down at Donovan. Then he turns away, lowering his voice so only Ireena and anyone else close enough to him can hear. "I'm assuming you have no way of removing the curse? If that is the case, then killing Doru may be the only option. It sounds cruel, but in his state it would be a mercy." He hopes the woman understands where he is coming from, and that his words didn't just wash away any respect she had for him.
Jared watches the exchange, looking back and forth to its participants.
"Ok, this has officially gone off the wagon." he mutters.
Watching Ismark storm off, Jared just shakes his head and thinks for a moment.
"We need to get out of here." he tells the others. "we're here to protect her," Jared points at Ireena. "But what we have done is escorted her into a place we aren't sure if it can be defended and houses a Vampire. Their house is the one place we know it has successfully been defended. I say we get back there, stoke some fires, and try and wait it out till morning. Then we get her and her brother out of this place."
Anthony didn't see it quite the same way regarding Ireena. As far as he was concerned she wasn't under his protection and could come and go where and as she pleased specially in her own village, they'd just agreed to travel to the next town together. He wasn't looking to debate semantics with bigger things at issue. And Jared wasn't wrong. the smartest thing to do was walk away. Something told him that's not what was about to happen though.
I feel for him and to have your son afflicted this way. A truly sad fate. "I hear you Jared and you may be right, but I feel we should do what we can for this priest. I am sorry I never caught your name. I am Aoufie and can you tell us how your son was turned. Was it from the recent attack?" says Aoufie.
It takes a moment for Zathon to steady himself. "He's undead.. I don't think there is a cure for such things. It is best to.. put him out of his misery."
Kora watches the scene unfold with calculating eyes. Her eyes follow Ismark as he runs out of the building, but she turns back to the Father and watches the man. She feels for him, she does. But she agrees with Akyan and Zathon.
Moving so she is directly in front of the Father, "I am so sorry you are in this situation. I cannot fathom what it must feel like to have your son..." her voice trails away a moment and then she continues, "He is undead good sir. There is no coming back from that. And wouldn't you rather relish in the good memories you have of him before this awful transformation that to listen to him suffer? Honestly it looks to me that you are the one suffering and can you imagine if he gets out? The guilt you would feel if anyone got hurt.."
She looks down at the floorboards towards the son and then back to the Father, "Please, we are strangers here and have no connections to anyone. Let us help you and put you both out of this misery."
Anthony wonders briefly if Aoelwyn knows how many of the kids she fostered find killing easier than helping. Putting a vampire 'out of it's misery', however pitiful it sounded wasn't going to be easy. He knew that.
"What do you think, Ireena?" Asking her quietly so as not to interrupt other conversations. "Is there no hope for those who've fallen victim?" His question pointed.
At the questions, Ireena unconsciously begins rubbing the side of her neck with one hand. She purses her lips and shakes her head slowly. "Vampirism is not a disease or a curse like lycanthropy," she says quietly. "Vampires are made when someone is killed by a vampire that drinks their blood. They're undead."
Regardless of the gentleness of which the situation of his son was discussed, the man continues to weep and blubber. "P- Please. You ca- can't kill him! The Morninglord will send help eventually. I know he will..." He trails off as he continues to cry.
Turning her attention to Aoufie, Ireena says thoughtfully, "I remember about a year ago, a wizard from beyond the mist came to our village and convinced a bunch of the townsfolk to launch an assault on Castle Ravenloft. Thought he could overthrow the Devil as long as he had some poor souls drawing the attention of the lesser vampires." She shakes her head mournfully. "I remember Doru volunteered to go with the mage, but none of them ever came back. I'm pretty sure I know of their fate now," she says as she gestures with a nod towards the creature beneath the floor.
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
He nodded with her words, catching her in a look of sympathy, but not commenting further. It was her business.. for now. In Scornubel, the wealthy could afford to be brought back from death. But something told Anthony that kind of magic would be hard to come by. The tale of the wizard from beyond caught Anthony's attention. "This wizard, does anyone know his name? Are there any other spellcasters been through here?" He added as an afterthought
Ireena scrunches up her face in concentration as she tries to remember. "I'm not sure. I'm pretty sure it started with an 'M.' Mordo- something." She sheaths her blade as it is needed at the moment. "As for other mages, I don't remember any recently. There were a few others several years back, but I don't remember their names either."
Father Donovan looks up at the group, focusing his bleary eyes upon Kora. As you all converse with each other, you see defeat and resignation take hold of his features. Teary-eyed, he sobs, "I always feared that this day would come. Deep down, I knew I couldn't help him, but I always held to my hope, but it appears my hope is in vain." He dries his tears with a grimy sleave and then reaches into his robes and pulls out a battered bronze key. Reverently, he offers the key towards Kora, his head bowed. "I hoped to have helped him, but you are right. You can help him more than I." A tear drips from his downturned face, splatting on the floorboards beneath him. "This key unlocks the trapdoor to the basement."
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
Kora gives the man a slight bow before taking the key from the Father. "Where is this trapdoor my good sir? and we will make sure he doesn't suffer." She also looks to Ireena in case she knows where the trapdoor is located.
Mordo something. Didn't sound familiar to Anthony, but maybe it would come up again.
Watching Kora, he scrubbed his hair. So this is what they were? Inquisitors? It didn't sit well with him, but he didn't have a better solution under the circumstances. Just opening the trap door and letting Doru out was a terrible idea.
"Ireena would you mind taking Father Donovan somewhere safe while we see what can be done." He hoped she'd understand there were several reasons he shouldn't be here and not argue.
"We should have a plan so he doesn't get out to the street. That would be a mess however it ended. I don't mind offering up a... donation to keep him calm." more quietly to Akyan he adds, "Might be a good idea to try to get him talking if we can. He might know something, even if it's just castle defenses"
"I can try to charm him though I would need to be able to see Doru for the spell to possibly work. As for keeping him from escaping we can close and bar the front door and surround the trapdoor, so he has no path for escape." says Aoufie. He takes hold of the cittern ready for what may come next.
Father Donovan mutters, wiping tears away on his soiled sleave, "As you enter the church, it's the first door on the right."
Ireena nods at Anthony's suggestion, giving the man an appreciative look. You see some tension leave her body now that she doesn't have to face another vampire. She had looked tense during the whole conversation about Doru. She's dealt with a fair share of vampires the past few weeks, and she gladly takes the opportunity to avoid dealing with another one. "I'll take him to the tavern," she says.
She walks over to Father Donovan and helps him rise to his feet. "Up we go," she says gently as she helps lift him. She takes hold of his arm with one hand and places the other hand comfortingly on his back as she guides him towards the large double doors that mark the entrance of the church. Just before the duo steps out of the stuffy church, Father Donovan pauses, and then he turns to face the group. With despair etched firmly upon his fatigued face, he say with quietly with an air of finality, "May the Morninglord shine upon you this day." With that, they turn back and head out the gaping entryway.
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable