Corrin moves closer to Anborn, clutching his amulet. “I think we may need to make sure the wailing one is not a danger to others...or if nothing else, free his spirit from this unnatural state.”

Donavich is telling the truth, and he loves his son very much, desperate to find a curse for his son that does not involve death. He opens the gate to the cemetery.

Orilo stops his passive scanning of the church at Anborn's words, to look to Donavich, and then over to Ledandra. Even without the trip to the eyes, the expectation can felt wafting off from the man. Though if that proves not enough, he gestures with his head over to Donavich. "Guess that means you, Quiet One. Or singer. Unless you have differing opinion?" He asks, sounding more interested than the usual underlying judgmental feeling behind his words.    

Just for the sake of covering all of the bases, is there a check Anborn can make to see if what Donavich is looking for exists, short of a miracle?

Sadly, realistically, there is nothing that can save his son unless you kill him and res him. However, Doru isn't causing anyone harm being locked up. It's an interesting situation to put the party into. 

Anborn will help Ismark and the others take the corpse of the Burgomaster into the cemetery and bury him. Anborn will silently pray to Torm for the save delivery of the Burgomaster to the next world, if only to make sure that he stays in the ground. Once everyone is finished paying their respects, Anborn will take Ismark aside for a one-on-one. "That priests' son will never be human again short of a miracle. And my brief time in Barovia gives me reason to believe that this isn't a land where miracles happen. You should tell Donavich the truth about his son, so that the both of them can stop suffering." Regardless of Ismark's response, Anborn will return to the party and get ready to visit Madam Eva and escort Ireena to Vallaki. It's harsh, but it's what needs to be done. He can call me a bastard later.

THE CEMETERY

A fence of wrought iron with a rusty gate encloses a rectangular plot of land behind the dilapidated church. Tightly packed gravestones shrouded by fog bear the names of souls long passed. All seems quiet. While Ireena cries softly, an says nothing, the Burgomaster is buried. It is a solemn moment. 

"You are correct on all counts." Ismark says to Anborn. He looks around to make sure no one is listening as he says the next words. "I am afraid that he already knows the truth, and yet, continues to act this way." He considers something and he turns to Ireena, "Ireena, come with me. We have waited long enough to do what needs to be done." She nods sadly, draws her sword, and goes with Ismark down to the lower level of the Church, despite the weak and emotional protest of Donavich. Within a few moments, Doru is forever silent, and Ireena and Ismark emerge unhurt from the undercroft. She gives Donavich a look he can easily read.

Donavich falls to the floor and weeps inconsolably, overcome with despair.

He says nothing more.

As Ismark and Ireena return from the undercroft, Elya turns to them, unknowing. She gives them a smile, “So did you manage to help the lad? He seems quiet, so that’s a good...”

She trails off as Ireena gives Donavich the look and he breaks down sobbing.

“You, you both... What have you done? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?”

With those words, she grabs Ireena by the front of her shirt and lifts the woman bodily into the air, staring into her eyes with a frenzied look in her own, waiting for a response.

Song did not want to pretend he knew how to help the priest's son. Magic like that... it's beyond him. Far beyond. The best thing they could do to save the lad... would likely be to end his suffering.

As Ireena comes back, the priest looks at her... and quickly falls into despair. Ireena had killed the boy. "I... I wish we could've done more. I feel so... powerless here. "

Elya shakes Ireena, outraged at what she did. "Elya! I understand, but... there was probably nothing we could have done."

"We can kill Strahd. We can bring him to justice and make sure that this never happens to anyone again." And then he notices Elya shaking Ireena. "Stop! She did what had to be done. That boy was never going to get better and his continued existence brought nothing but suffering to him and his father. It was a mercy killing."

Elya looks over at Song and Anborn, still enraged.

"You two... you two have been blessed with so much power, yet there's nothing we could have done? He was never going to get better? You throw around those words so lightly, what do they even mean to you? Nothing, nothing, NOTHING. Dammit, you disgust me."

Dropping Ireena, she mutters under her breath, "Almost as much as I disgust myself." 

She picks up Donavich and lays him on one of the pews, pitifully watching him as she sits next to him and hangs her head.

Winter shifts her weight from one foot to the other while folding her arms in front of her chest. She watches the scene before her with a sigh, but ultimately chooses not to intervene as it seemed like the others had it handled. Kind of.

Oh, here we go.

Orilo watched on dispassionately with arms folded across his chest. Yet for all the air of calm, one wrong move from Elya and the subtle re-positioning of foot and weight from the giant would've resulted in him at least trying to grab and drag the genasi away from Ireena at a moment's notice. Perhaps even throw her, if the moment warranted such an action. Seeing her calm(somewhat), he goes over to offer Ireena a hand up, assuming no one else closer sees to it.

"Don't let the cubs get under your skin. They haven't learned yet." He offers by way of explanation, caring not if Song or Elya heard him. Afterwards, he goes over to stand in front of Donavich, and if allowed to do so, stands there in silence for a long moment staring down at the man. "I have been in your place, Donavich....  Do not dishonor your cub's spirit further by grieving over the mockery of his memory.... You have had a year to do so properly. Now... Now is the time to be the light he once aspired to be again when he made his choice that day... Or truly fail him by letting the one truly responsible doom you, and those still in need of your strength." 

Ireena, startled by the aggressive action, pushes Elya away forcibly with a strength uncommon to a woman of her size, as Elya grabbed her. "Get off me! I did what no one else would do. What needed to be done. Look around you, open your eyes. This land is cursed, as was the boy. We are in greater danger than you think. Where are you even FROM?"

She looks at Orilo, nodding to him that she is ok. 

"Let us leave this accursed place."

"Hate us all you want if that makes you feel better." As Anborn says those words, he isn't being snarky, he genuinely means that. "But it won't change anything. The only way to help those Strahd has turned is to send them to the afterlife and put the bastard down."

Corrin watches forlorn as the scene unfolds and the others argue. At last, he wanders over to the grieving priest. 

“Take heart, my friend. Your son’s painful torment is at end. His soul now resides where it should, among loved ones and in the embrace of your faith. Know that. Believe that. And carry on with that strength in your heart.”

"I've felt your land's curse, and nearly died to it. We are in danger from what? A child, locked in a basement, waiting to be saved? And all you would do for him is bring him death. You would like to think of yourself as brave, but you are not willing to fight for the things that are important."

Hearing Orilo speak, she glares up at him, "He is grieving not for the thing his son became, but the hope that those two extinguished. You say you have been in his place before, and that he should not let himself be doomed by his mistakes, but I think you are the doomed one. I think you are too weak to bear the burdens of your past mistakes."

Standing up, she addresses Anborn, "You mistake me. I am not angry at you to make myself 'feel better'. I am angry at you because you do not feel any sort of responsibility here. I will destroy Strahd, whatever it takes, but I will not destroy the lives of innocents along the way in the name of 'mercy'."

"Strahd already destroyed that boy's life. What he had down there was a mockery of life, being condemned to starvation and agony unless he was allowed to feed on others like a monster. What ever hope that his father had was false hope, another tool that Strahd was using to bring misery to these people. What we did was a mercy. Believe me, don't believe me. I don't care."

And at that, Anborn walks out of the church and waits for everyone to finish up so that they can move on to the next step of the journey. I really have a knack for doing the right thing and still being the bastard. And yet I do it anyway. 

Orilo unflinchingly meets Elya's gaze, and then looks to over to the rope dangling from the bell tower as she addresses Anborn. And he in turn replied before taking his leave. "I don't much care for that cub. But on this point we are of agreement. That sort of hope is a trap. A poison created by the greatest blight upon this land to amuse himself by snuffing out a light many would otherwise turn to for true hope. One I similarly fell victim to twice over... Because of what I am." He turns back to her, and takes off his helmet for the first time before the group. The face beneath was both young and old, and tired but determined all at the same time. There's a certain detachment there of one boarding on the mad.

Surrounded in ways by darker-blueish and grey marking were eyes yellow and cloudy, yet they followed movement with an uncanniness of normal eyes. "Every day I draw breathe, I continue to bear the burdens of my mistakes. They are etched upon my flesh, upon my dreams, and in the names upon the shield that I carry. For to do otherwise, means betraying them again in the worst way possible. Do not speak of me of being too weak, one too young and too blind of limitations. If you wish to protect the innocent, learn not to damn them first through misplaced compassion." 

Reference Pic:

You bid Barovia village farewell. Ismark and Ireena take a quick moment to pause, and look behind them at the village they grew up in, and catch up to you all and begin the journey to Madam Eva. 

Random encounter: 10
Random encounter: 11
No encounter.

TSER POOL ENCAMPMENT
MADAM EVA

AFTERNOON

The road gradually disappears and is replaced by a twisted, muddy path through the trees. Deep ruts in the earth are evidence of the comings and goings of wagons.

The canopy of mist and branches suddenly gives way to black clouds boiling far above, even though it is afternoon. There is a clearing here, next to a river that widens to form a small lake several hundred feet across. Five colorful round tents, each ten feet in diameter, are pitched outside a ring of four barrel-topped wagons. A much larger tent stands near the shore of the lake, its sagging form lit from within. Near this tent, eight unbridled horses drink from the river.

The mournful strains of an accordion clash with the singing of several brightly clad figures around bonfire. A footpath continues beyond this encampment, meandering north between the river and the forest’s edge.