"The bones...are actually there, right? You've looked in the box recently to be sure? Not that I doubt you, but it seems like a trick Strahd might pull to make things 'entertaining'."

"The last time someone checked was when Razz looked at them. I don't think Strahd's had the opportunity since then, but I'll check anyway." He starts to walk towards the altar and continues talking. "I have no doubt they'll target the bones during the attack. That'll be something to look out for." He gently opens the box beneath the altar. "They're still there."

"Alright, good. That's a few less things to worry about."

((Kess is ready to head to the inn if everyone else is.))

The inn is much more crowded this time around. There are about a dozen patrons scattered around the room. All of them are quiet, except for two young men, who are drinking wine and laughing obnoxiously. They both bear a striking resemblance to Fiona Watcher. Everyone else here seems slightly annoyed at their behavior. Rictavio isn't here, but Urwin is. He's washing glasses as usual.

Kessintra looks around the crowd, quickly noticing the two who look like they could be related to Watcher. Her children? Her gaze grows distant as she considers for a moment before heading for Urwin. No more drawing blades without the others agreeing to it. "Things got busy. And...loud, for around here anyway." She gives a slight nod in the direction of the Watcher-likes. "Are they uh, family of the new leader?"

Urwin doesn't look up; he knows who you're referring to. He sounds much more irritated than he looks. "Her sons. They were like this before, but the power transfer didn't exactly help."

Kessintra grimaces just slightly at the confirmation, giving the others a glance before casting message on Urwin.

 Persuasion: 24

Urwin pauses. Then, he calls out, "Danika! I need you to watch over the bar!" A woman swiftly descends the staircase against the north wall. When she arrives, Urwin turns to you. "Follow me." He guides you to a door just behind the bar. 

This room looks like the kitchen of someone who loves to cook. It has piles of pots, walls lined with utensils and shelves of ingredients, and all manner of pleasant odors. Two lanterns hang above a sturdy pine worktable in the middle of the clutter. A pot of soup bubbles on the hearth. Urwin says, "There should be a bit more privacy here."

“One moment, I’ll make sure we aren’t followed invisibly”

Garrick, ritually casts Alarm, setting it to go off only in his head if it’s triggered. With that done, he nods for them to continue.

Razz decides to keep watch over the bar area while rest are in the back.  He's sitting in the rafters watching the two sons and trying to see what conversations he can overhear.

Perception Check: 21

Razz mostly hears humorous insults about the late baron, whom they call "the old fool". They continue to get drunk and joke about the baron. 

Urwin hesitates for a moment, as if this was hard to share. "I'm a member of a secret society called the Keeper of the Feather. It's made up entirely of wereravens, such as myself and my family. Yes, I am a lycanthrope."

Kessintra seems to have a delayed reaction to the revelation, preoccupied peering over her shoulder at nothing. Someone certainly has an opinion about what should happen to those drunken fools. She finally turns her attention back to Urwin, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, so those ravens that are on the roof...are other members? Do you know the ravens that live at Ravenloft? Apparently they and the bats get along. Do you work for Strahd, or...?"

Quote from scorch19 >>

“One moment, I’ll make sure we aren’t followed invisibly”

Garrick, ritually casts Alarm, setting it to go off only in his head if it’s triggered. With that done, he nods for them to continue.

[[ Guessing this is back at the church before heading over? (Ritual-casting it takes 11 minutes.) If so, Chipper could also join in with another alarm to cover more ground. ]]

At the bar Chipper notices Kess talking with Urwin and heading down with him. Seeing she has that under control he turns to Razz, "Think we should try chatting with those fellows?" From a distance he does first try to get a sense of their fighting prowress, if they might be prominent members of Fiona's force or just heirs.

Investigation: 19+7 = 26

[[ Planning to get them even more drunk one way or another. Either to loosen lips about information, get them blackout drunk so they can't be part of the fight, or both. ]]

(Sorry should’ve have clarified. My alarm is in the back kitchen area with Kess and Urwin so no one sneaks in while he’s talking)

They're about as strong as Ireena, so they shouldn't be much trouble in a fight. 

Urwin responds, "The ravens here are members, yes, but anywhere else could go either way. They could be other members, but Strahd also has a special connection to the beasts here. Anyway, if it's reinforcements you need, I can certainly send a few."

"Hm, interesting...Thank you," Kess nods in gratitude before crossing her arms, as if slightly uncomfortable with the next subject, "As for those boys out there...surely Fiona cares about Strahd more than anything, but if we 'leveraged' them, do you think she'd take the bait? I--We might be able to kill her before the battle even begins. Take out the head and throw the rest into confusion."

Urwin thinks for a moment. "She doesn't have the best track record regarding caring about her kids, but she might be somewhat concerned. Especially now that she thinks she's won and isn't worried about conquest. She would likely take a few bodyguards with her, though. If you request none, she might invest in stealthy ones."

"Hmm well my alarm spell will trigger if invisible bodyguard cross its boundary, so that is not for nothing at least. We wouldn't know where they are or how many, but would know at least one was present. Having regular guards standing visible next to her might be more beneficial however."

"Yes, the regular guards sound easier. I have faerie fire in case you detect any invisible ones too. Does she have magic or anything that you know of, Urwin? It seems like she'd need more than her personality to get the cult to follow her."

"Yes, she is a spellcaster. From what we know she has a lot of utility spells. Things like light, mending, thaumaturgy, command, and gentle repose."