Pizazz's Ravenloft and Beyond

"Meepo know hungry."  meepo says to the boy.  He brightens up though.  "One moment..."  Meepo rushes out, and heads back to the store next door.  Ducking in and moving to his pile of junk he dropped earlier, he grabs up the chicken coop and the bucket of toads, then gives the shop owner, who is busily chasing the rooster, a toothy smile, before ducking back out again.  he moves back to the home and puts the coop and toad bucket on the floor.  "Meepo bring food." He says nodding to the toads and the chickens.

"Well, your honesty certainly gives us a chance of chasing that lead. I meant what I said about you having a home there. You certainly have some making up to do, but coming clean about this will be a good place to start. Where can we find this fellow?" 

Seeing everyone getting on inside, Olin moves around to the front of the house and in the front door. He listens to the conversation unfold between Milivoj, Mordekai, and Meepo. "Mordekai is right," Olin says, placing his hands on one of the children's tattered clothes and casting mending, repairing any rips or tears in the worn fabric. "Father Petrovich cares for you all deeply." Olin moves to the next child, similarly mending their clothing. "He understands that you did what you did because of great need, not ill intent, and he does not hold it against you. Your honesty in the matter today shows his faith in you is well placed." Olin moves to Milivoj, mending his clothes as well. "Tell us, how much were you paid for the bones? If we need to buy them back from Henrik we'll want to know if he's giving us a fair price." Finishing mending the childrens' clothes, Olin adds, "Before we go see the coffin-maker, is there anything else I can mend for you? Broken tools, pots, small items you cannot use any more?"

The children are amazed by how easily Olin wields the magical power of the gods.  They watch as he mends numerous items.  Eventually they become trivial as they hand him shreds of paper.  Milovoj eventually says, "Thank you.  We have been long without any help. We don't really know how to be here...we wish our mom and dad were with us.  He paid me five gold. Enough for weeks of food. Thank you for your help. Beware Henrik. I got a bad feeling about why he was so curious to learn about these bones. There's....something not right with him."

"Thank you again for your honesty. We'll make sure Father Petrovich knows of it, and of your motivations. Where are your parents? You speak as though they're just out for the day, but you're having to steal from the church to feed your younger siblings, and say this payment will keep you fed for weeks. Clearly you don't expect them back any time soon. What happened to them?"

Meepo moves towards the door, figuring that their work here is done, the kids have food, fixed clothes, and are good for a few more days.  He is ready to move on to finding these lost bones.  "Meepo ready." He announces as the bigs keep talking.  "Go find lost bones." He prompts.

The boy shrugs, "They are gone. They left us. Who knows if they live, or are dead. Who cares.  Not me." 

The group leaves the house and the dour boy behind with his siblings. You follow the directions to the coffin shop, checking the cloudy sky for light, knowing your time is limited.  You arrive at the coffin shop.  This uninviting shop is two stories tall and has a sign shaped like a coffin above the front door. All of the win­dow shutters are closed up tight, and a deathly silence surrounds the establishment.

Staring up at the imposing building, Olin whispers to his companions "Shall we try the direct approach again? The boy warned us against him, so we should be prepared no matter what tactic we take."

"Meepo ready." Meepo pipes up, heading towards the door.

Aga silently broods but follows Olin and Meepo towards the door. Mordekai and Kane are close behind. Ismark and Ireena watch from several feet back. 

Meepo tries to pull the door open, but it appears locked firm up.  Mordekai notices a shadow move from within. 

Kane walks to the door, "Hello? Are you open?" 

From within a grizzled voice can be heard, "Go away!  We're closed!" 

Ismark makes a wry face and looks about the group, he steps up next to Kane and bangs harder, "Let us in!" 

From within again, more insistent, "We're closed I say!" 

From the feel of pushing on the door, you'd figure it is held shut with a bar on the inside.  Each window of Henrik's shop is a latticework of iron fitted with squares of frosted glass.  The building is a two floor affair.  Looking around the side, you see that it has a side door, but a quick look shows no other ways in. 

Olin tests to see if the side door is similarly barred, then returns to the group to report the outcome. "Should we force our way in, or does one of you want to try and convince the fellow to talk? I'm not sure what other options we have... and we're quickly running out of daylight."

Olin looks around for any animals that might be able to give him more information on the house or its residents. If he finds a suitable creature he'll begin ritually casting speak with animals to ask if they saw the bones taken into the house or if there's anything else strange or dangerous about the place.

Olin returns to the group to report the side door is likewise barred. A bat hangs from an eave of the 2nd floor, in the darkness. Olin begins squeaking up to it. It squeaks in return. The two exchange squeaks for a short time. 

Olin turns to the group, "The bat says that more people go in, than come out."

Ismark says, "It is a coffin store after all." 

Olin shakes his head, "I thought the same thing, but the bat says they go in, alive, and don't come back out. Something bad is going on in there." 

Ireena shivers, then with determination says, "All the more reason to go in, with force if necessary." 

"Rat go."  Meepo says, sending his zombie tressym flying around the building in a quick scan for other possible entry points, including upper story windos and possible roof access points.

Rat perception:  10

Rat flaps around the building. It seem strangely bereft of open windows.  Even the upper windows are grids of small foggy cubes that don't open. There is only a thin pipe no more than 2 inches across to act as a chimney.  The roof is well maintained, even under the eaves are well sealed. 

Olin says a prayer to Silvanus for guidance and strides to the door, rapping on it soundly with his staff. "Henrik van der Voort, we are here to collect the bones of St. Andral, which you have stolen, leaving the church unprotected against evil." Olin bellows, voice carrying through the street. "Surrender the bones that we may return them to St. Andral's Church, or we will take them by force!"

Intimidation, 19

There is a long silence.  The wind blows through the street, cold from the snowy mountains. Eyes from the street seem to watch everything, but also stay averted entirely.  Then in a shaky voice you hear from inside, "We ain't open today...go away!  Not open!"  

"Meepo mighty dragon!" Meepo calls out. He casts minor illusion making the sound of a copper dragon's roar.  "Meepo no want tear down building, but need bones."

Intimidation:  19

(Can we see inside? Clearly enough for the purposes of Misty Step?) 

Unfortunately, the foggy glass cubes obscure any view inside. The streets fills with a loud roar.  People on the street screech and run away.  Shutters are slammed shut.  You are alone. 

There is the sound of a few things falling inside, but the door does not open and it's silent for a few more seconds.

Ismark grumbles, "Enough of this..."  and he steps past the group and puts his foot into the door. Athletics 13

The door smashes inwards, the bar on the inside flying across the room.  Splinters lay across the flagstone floor. Arranged haphazardly about the floor of this musty, L-shaped room are thirteen wooden coffins. (you all quickly count, yup, 13....). The room is dim. To the left wing of the room there are three doors.  Two on the left wall, and one on the right side of the wall leading to a back room. That door is open, and swinging slowly on its hinges. From here, through the angle it looks like a typical back room of a house, with some shelving and a bunch of junk littered about it.  A table with four chairs is in one corner of the backroom, with a lantern hanging from a chain directly above. Two well-made cabinets stand against the east wall.

You see a form hiding underneath the table in the backroom.  

Ismark bows and makes an "after you" gesture to the group.  Aga strides in confidently.  Ireena stands to one side beside Ismark, waiting for the group to head in. 

Olin casts shillelagh on his staff, then asking Silvanus for guidance, pushes into the coffin maker's shop. Seeing the figure crouched under the table he points his staff and says "Out from under there, now. And tell us where the bones are before we tear your shop to pieces."