Pizazz's Ravenloft and Beyond

     "Battling a devil and raising a man's only offspring from the dead... Seems like a just, true cause to me.  The wedding dress is odd, but I try not to judge..."  Ketch looks around for horses or other conveyance.  "Umm, just how far away Wallaki from here?  Is it possible to there and back in 3 days?"

"Meepo help get dress." Meepo says with a shrug. "Maybe help against vampire, maybe not... Either way Meepo help."

Vallaki is about a five hour walk each ways from here.

The burgomaster's relief is plain on his face, "Oh...thank you so much...yes....Vallaki should have a dress...please....thank you....but...I'm afraid we don't have horses you can use....best make haste on foot!"

Specifically Lionel could make haste on his horse (and take someone light with him). "I would prefer us to stay together, and we can make there and back in three days anyway, but if we need to, I and, say, Meepo, can get there and back today."

"Let's all go.  If there are no complications, there's plenty of time to walk.  And if there are complications it's more likely that you'll need extra numbers than extra time.  If we run out of time, you could always ride back ahead of us."

"True to that." Lionel still had his doubts about Abbot's ability to restore life or honesty at all, but was not going to kill last glimpse of hope of a devastated father. "Let's pick up Adrian and get to Vallaki as fast as we can."

((Too bad Meepo can’t raise horse skeletons!))

     “Do we know what size the abbot wears?  And is white appropriate or should we like for something in more a taupe?”

"I'm sure if we find a dress, it can be hemmed in by my wife Anna.  Though, I think it's for a woman, not the Abbot."

The day is grey and foggy as the group departs Krezk and heads back to Vallaki. Adrian comes with you, departing with the wagon and heading back to the winery when you reach the crossroads. You continue down the well traveled old Svalich road. You infrequently see other travelers and most are quick to move along on their way without a word or eye contact. However, five men and a woman emerge from the fog and that is not what happens. They walk in a tight group and are walking past when the man and Ketch make eye contact. The man slaps another next to him, and exclaims, "I'm sure I've murdered that bastard!"   

Ketch, you recognize the man, in human form, who led the pack of werewolves that killed you.

Mordekai casts Minor Illusion as discreetly as possible to create the image of Ketch standing, arms folded, behind the group. 

"And now there are two of him. What can we do for you good folk?" He says with a smirk. 

     “Funny, I don’t feel very murdered...” Ketch says with laughter in his voice, a grin on his lips, and his axe swinging at the man who gave him his fourteenth death.  Assuming Ketch kept an accurate count.

initiative: 17
(I’m assuming there is no surprise round.  Don’t exactly talk about murdering someone and not expect to throw down...)

(Guess, for Lionel that would be mounted combat?)

Initiative: 21

"Just remember, we do not have much time," pointed out Lionel from the back of his warhorse. "You sure know how to make friends, Ketch." He activated his blade.

(FYI I'm using the DndBeyond encounter manager for this battle and used the "auto initiative" roller in there for these kind innocent travellers on the road that you're accosting.) 

(Very convinien feature, I just wish they already implemented possibility to pause the active encounter.)

Mordekai initiative: 10

Meepo initiative: 13
Skeleton initiative: 7

((Innocent traveller?  Ha!  As if!  But even if, I'm sure they wouldn't be the first innocent traveller Ketch has accosted for dubious reasons...  Though really, Ketch considers it a kind of post/pre-emptive self defense.))

(The DM was being sarcastic about innocent.....)

The three bigger men in front, already with hackles raised and angry faces, see Ketch reach for his axe...and....their muscles begin to distort, their knees crunching and snapping, their bones breaking as their bodies rearrange themselves....their mouths pushing out of their faces, their teeth growing long and pointed, and thick fur, black, and brown, sprouts from their flesh.  Their clothing tears apart as their bodies twist and grow.  A moment later three werewolves stand there, their breath pluming in the air as ferocious growls and snapping issues from them.  They move forward.

One of the other men behind, Bogan, takes a step and mutters an arcane word, hurling a ball of fire at Ketch:  Attack: 22 Damage: 2

Everyone's turn. 

[ Round 1: Anton,Darzin,Emeric: 22, Bogan: 20, Ketch: 17, Meepo 13, Mordekai, Lionel: 12, Skeletons: 11, Clavdia: 7, Gorek: 2 ]

((Yes yes, just playing along with the sarcasm...  Did we get a stirring speech for temp hit points before heading out?))

     Shifting, spell casting, it made no difference to Ketch- he was putting this dog down!  Ketch continued his swing and followed it up with another brutal swing thanks to his status as a War Priest of Fruumsh!

Battle Axe 
Attack: 16 Damage: 9

Bonus Action War Priest Battle Axe
Attack: 25 Damage: 11

     “As Gruumsh says, Eat Axe!”

Ketch also uses Channel l Divinity: Guided Strike to add +10 to the first attack roll to turn it into a 19 to hit...

(On the map, the PC inside a blue ellipse, should that be Lionel? It's labelled Ulthan, but so is the PC at the back)

Mordekai casts Hex on Anton, the werewolf to the left of the three, and fires his two Eldritch Blasts at him. 

Attack: 25 Damage: 9

Attack: 18 Damage: 18

(Yes, everyone should have their 12 temp hp. We've not had an encounter since Mordekai last used the ability. It doesn't say they go away after a certain time, although I've never thought to double check the PHB for that? If they go away at a long rest, Mordekai would've given an empassioned speech about the value of the child's life, but I just assumed he didn't need to use the ability again)