At the creak of the inn’s double doors, Ernst spotted Garavon exiting the building and evaded his attempt to grab Ernst by rolling around the support pillar he had been leaning against.

“Woah!” He exclaimed, peeking out from behind the pillar. “Whatever I did to offend you good sir, I apologize wholeheartedly and without reservation!” Ernst looked at Vicky, “I assure you I have no intention of fighting! Please. If your traveling companion doesn’t want me around, I’ll be happy to make myself scarce.”

"Okay what is happening? I go up to talk to a Barovian stranger, only to watch him almost get thrown to the gravel by someone I barely know!" Vicky looks towards Garavon and stares into his eyes. "Who is Ernst and why do you hate him all of a sudden?"

Quote from colloquium >>

"Okay what is happening? I go up to talk to a Barovian stranger, only to watch him amongst get thrown to the gravel by someone I barely know!" Vicky looks towards Garavon and stares into his eyes. "Who is Ernst and why do you hate him all of a sudden?"

 Just a quick note, Ernst dodged Garavon's grapple attempt and didn't get thrown.

I apologise, auto correct did its thing and said amongst instead of almost.

Veronica sighs... she was really planning to avoid whatever crap Garavon was getting into. But it would probably be best to get this mess figured out before anything else happens.

"Yes, I second Vicky's question," the dhampir says to Garavon. "What exactly is your problem with this man? He hasn't done anything to us, unless there is some history between the two of you that I am not aware of."

"Can't be. I can tell Barovian from..." Vicky looks guilty for saying this, "you guys." 

Skanon tail twitched as he tried to keep the children entertained while also trying to keep an eye on his allies just to be on the safe side. As he balanced one of the stones that had been used and cast Prestidigitation on it to mark the stone with a purple star. It might not have been the coolest trick ever but he had to work with what he had at his disposal.

'Garavon... please don't cause any trouble. I... I don't want to kicked out of town so soon after gaining entry.' He thought as he momentarily glanced towards the others before making the stone 'disappear'.

"Naive, children," he says to to the others.  "This man has been following us, and apparently he sells information to the highest bidder or worse.  The barkeep found this wretch so odius she kicked him out.  I, for one, wish to get home and a man that is overly curious in this place is dangerous."

"This 'place' is my home! And you're poisoning it every second doing this! You don't have to fight... Put your grudge aside 'till you next see him stalk us. Leave him alone..." Vicky immediately retorts at three different things:

1) Being called a child puts her on edge for being actually quite young and she wouldn't be in this situation if she were either any older or younger.

2) The use of 'wretch' is taken more literally than it should be, and Vicky compares the stranger to a wretch and honestly thinks he is attempting to describe himself for one moment.

3) The way Garavon calls Barovia just some place makes Vicky feel less belonging in her home realm.

P.S. I'm really proud of how this post turned out. ;P

Just checking in if everyone is ok with the direction this intra-party conflict is going. It's a bit hard to tell when people are not around the table.

Please speak up if this isn't fun for you.

Quote from PebblesTheSentientRock >>

Just checking in if everyone is ok with the direction this intra-party conflict is going. It's a bit hard to tell when people are not around the table.

Please speak up if this isn't fun for you.

 Yeah, sorry about that, I got carried away with roleplay and I was already a bit sad before writing it, I guess my emotions carried over. If anyone feels like stepping in, I'llbe happy to tone my responses down if needed.

I don't have an issue with the conflict at its current level, but I would say it's probably best to resolve quickly.

Garavon raises one eyebrow spockishly, "We will rue letting him go.  But now that we are together, let us eat and then go and see the priest of the Morning Lord.

Ernst scampered away from behind his pillar, figuring it was best not to push his luck any further for now. The party returned inside the Blue Water Inn with the exception of Skanon who remained outside playing with the children.

Urwin Martikov welcomed you back, arms wide and wearing a smile. “Your meals will be ready soon. One very rare wolf steak and one chef’s surprise, yes?”

“Get the boys to help you dear,” said Danika from behind the bar.

Urwin peered out from one of the front windows at the children playing and replied, “Let them have their fun, it’s not often they get to make friends.” He returned to the kitchen whistling a little tune.

Veronica’s very rare steak arrived lightly seared and absolutely dripping with pinkish juices. It was stringy and lean, but was sufficiently filling (costs 5 sp). It turned out the chef's surprise was some beet soup and fresh bread, for which Urwin declined any payment. The glasses of wine (costs 3 cp each) were utterly average. As Urwin brought the food out himself, Danika spoke up, “These new arrivals look capable, why don’t we get them to help us with the wine delivery problem?”

“I’m sure they have their own business to attend to dear, and we don’t want to impose,” said Urwin.

Danika retorted, “I’m not saying they should do it for free, we’ll give them free food and boarding if they can get the wine shipment. Besides, if you weren’t so reticent about visiting the old crow at the winery, we’d have this problem solved days ago.”

Urwin turned to face your group, his face was as red as his beet soup with embarrassment. “Well, what do you say? Would you like to help us out with our wine problem? If you have something else important to do, you can always come back later and I’ll give you the details then. We have enough wine to last a few days and if all else fails, I guess I can make the trip to the winery myself.” He gave a long, reluctant sigh at the prospect of facing whatever awaited him there.

The other inn patrons casted glances at your table and listened to the domestic exchange, but nobody butted into the conversation.

{DM Note: Everyone can safely take a short rest at this point. Anyone can reply to Urwin for the group here, I’m under the impression the party is off to see the priest after this. If anyone wants to explore the inn, refer to the image in an earlier post. Also, if anyone wants to interact with the other inn’s patrons, here is the full list of the other groups at their own tables.

• Two drunkards near a window table.
• Three workmen at a table near the center of the inn.
• One flamboyant half-elf eating by himself.}

"I believe we were to the priest next, but I'd be delighted to go to the winery!" Vicky smiles at the fact that the winery is so close to Krezk (and therefore home), but also acknowledged how close it was to Yester Hill, and gets worried about how much the group she's traveling with might want to stray from the path. Last time that happened was with hags, but now, it could even be Lord Strahd himself...

“You will go to the winery for me?” Urwin exclaimed with relief. “Most excellent! Then I shall see you after your meeting with Father Petrovich.

You finished your meal (and get your short rest), before heading over to the church.

The slouching, centuries-old stone church had a bulging steeple in the back and walls lined with cracked, stained glass windows depicting pious saints. A fence of wrought iron enclosed a garden of gravestones next to the church. A thin mist crept among the graves and from it emerged a dirt-stained figure of a brawny young man wielding a shovel. It was the gravedigger you had seen when you had entered town, finished with his grim task of digging fresh graves. The youth gave your group a surly look before heading inside the church.

The church’s layout was similar to the one in the Village of Barovia, but the interior was much better kept. Its pews were unbroken and its flagstoned floor though old, had been recently swept and was clean. Seated on the frontmost pew was an elderly priest sharing some bread and broth with a boy you had seen earlier helping the priest with the candles.

The gravedigging young man sat down next to them and whispered something at the priest before sharing in the modest lunch.

The priest slowly stood up, you could almost hear his bones creak as his bent form shuffled toward you. His tired face gave a gentle smile and he said, “welcome to Saint Andal’s church travelers. Our daily mass only begins after sundown, but how may we assist you this afternoon?”

"Well met, Priest, we apologize for interrupting your repast," Garavon says.  "You are the Priest of the Morning Lord?  After the sun sets seems an odd time to worship."

"We are strangers to these parts as you might surmise, and was wondering if you might tell us something of the town and its surrounds.  You seem to be beset by wolves and other creatures here abouts."

"I say, Wolves, unholy and foul to the most of good people, are the vampire lord's 'eyes and ears', so to speak. These people seem to hate him deeply. I fear to speak his name in this holy place, however. And to add, I thought we were here to infer on if we could keep the young children here. They cannot go around with us to the winery, perhaps they, like these two, could help in this holy ground." Vicky looks around at the holy grounds and smiles, and thinks: feels like home... Vicky snaps out of the trance and returns the reality. Vicky tries to seem very stern and serious in the presence of a sane (Father Donavich was not such) priest, and will only break the mirage in dire situations.

“It’s no trouble at all. I am indeed Vallaki’s priest. My name’s Lucian Petrovich, most of the townsfolk call me Father Petrovich, but you can call me Lucian.

As for the nightly mass, you are right in surmising service to the Morninglord is usually held in the day. However, the church seems to provide some comfort to those townsfolk seeking protection during the nights, so that is when I’ve decided to open its doors to the public.

And yes, the wolves cause us no end of trouble. But, we are mostly safe behind Vallaki’s walls from the four-legged fiends. It’s only when Strahd and his other minions who look like you and I take an interest in Vallaki that we truly are in danger. The Vistani living in the camp to the west of our town don’t seem to have any issues though.”

Lucian paused, his brow furrowed in thought before he continued.

“We do have some wolf hunters who try to thin their numbers during the day. You can find them at the Blue Water inn most nights, though it seems no matter how many our wolf hunters kill, there are always more wolves to take their place. The wolf heads you saw outside our gates are part of the last festival organized by our burgomaster, Baron Vargas Vallakovich.”

The priest shook his head despondently.

“I’ve counseled the baron to place his faith in the Morninglord, but he seems to think holding regular festivals and attempting to maintain an air of cheer is the answer. It’s been barely a week and he’s holding the next festival in three days. Ostensibly, his upcoming festival of the Blazing Sun is in honor of the Morninglord, but I fear his fervor has long since descended into mania.”

Lucian lowered his voice to a whisper.

“Don’t let him or his guards hear you besmirch his festivals though. I may get a pass as a priest, but you’ll likely be thrown into the town square’s stocks for being in league with the devil Strahd and ‘malicious unhappiness’ as the baron likes to call it.”

Ireena, who had been debating in whispered tones with Ismark, interjected, “You said the church provides protection at night? Were you speaking metaphorically?”

Father Petrovich looked back at the altar and the young man and boy having lunch. “Why…no. You see, a foreign mage arrived in Vallaki slightly over a month ago and…”

“Yes, we know. He convinced the impressionable folk to march with him to Castle Ravenloft. We had the same thing happen to us in the Village of Barovia,” said Ismark.

The priest nodded grimly. “Well I hope the same thing didn’t happen to you then, when some of those who went with the mage came back…changed. They shunned the light and hungered for blood. We had over five dozen townsfolk sheltering in this church that night, when we witnessed their changed parents, children, and siblings, stopped at the threshold, unable to enter.

However, I fear the church is no longer able to provide such protection.” He sighed. “The bones of Saint Andal, entombed under the altar, have been stolen. If you could find them and restore the bones to the rightful place, perhaps this house of the Morninglord can serve as a sanctuary once more.”

“Father, have you ever told anyone about the bones?” asked Ireena.

“No. Never. I’ve never told anyone about the bones, except for Yeska.” He pointed at the little boy having lunch. “I tell him stories about Saint Andal to calm him when he is scared.”

“Has Yeska told anyone else?”

The priest nodded. “He won’t tell me, but I’m sure Yeska has told Milivoj.” The priest gestured toward the young man who had been digging graves.

“Then have you confronted Milivoj about this?” Ireena pressed the priest.

Lucian shook his head. “The boy’s full of misguided rage at his lot in life. It wouldn’t be wise for me to provoke his anger right now. Give him time and a bit of patience, and I’m sure he’ll come clean with the truth eventually.”

Ismark spoke up, “We don’t have time, Strahd is out hunting as we speak.” He drew his longsword and moved toward the boy and young man who had their backs turned.

Ireena grabbed his brother’s wrist, holding him back while asking the priest, “if we get the bones back, can we shelter here in the house of Saint Andal?”

“Most certainly,” said the priest, casting worried glances at Ismark, “and only if your friend here would refrain from spilling the blood of my young charges.”

“He’s my brother, and please excuse his behavior, the midwife dropped him on his head when he was born. Who does Milivoj talk to? Friends? Family? Associates?”

The priest gave a small smile. “The boy’s an orphan, he takes care of two younger siblings, a boy and a girl. The only other people with whom he has regular contact are Yeska, myself, and the local coffin maker, Henrik van der Voort. He has much resting on his strong, but inexperienced shoulders.”

“Thank you father.”

“May the Morninglord’s light shine on you child.”

The priest returned to his lunch and Ismark said to his sister and the party, “This seems like a good place for you to hide from Strahd sister…if we can find the bones of Saint Andal.”

“Let’s go then,” said Ireena.

“Hold on,” said Ismark, “It may be better for you to stay here with the children. The fewer people seeing you in Vallaki, the better.”

“Am I to become a nun brother? Hiding in the church for the rest of my life?”

Ismark shook his head. “It’s only until the adventurers and I can deal with Strahd.”

“And the hag. Or if everyone died trying,” finished Ireena.

Ismark looked at the party. “You’re more experienced in these matters, what’s your take on our next steps?”