Jeremiah recognises the wrong done to this woman, and kneels, meditating on his many dark deeds, and the darker acts performed on the woman. ‘I’m sorry...’ he whispers to her...

He reaches out and takes up Tuir’s Scorched Bead, as a constant reminder of the dark uses he had for fire when in thrall to Strahd...

Shiara kneels by the altar. She feels her sins wash over her, and silently repents. When she rises, she claims the painted bead.

When you are all done, it is time to discuss your next quest. This one has been completed. Armed with the Three Marks, your souls, for the moment, have experienced a sort of cleansing, making you all that much more powerful to face the Dark Emperor - should you survive.

Ingrid stands, looking out the window of the tower. "To the northwest a short way lies the town of Krezk. There we will find the Charred Visage, a desecration and abomination of the affliction. We could backtrack to the northeast as well, and search for the temple on Mount Baratok, where the Thorned One sleeps." 

DESECRATION:  DEFEAT THE CHARRED VISAGE
"I can feel Our Lady between these walls. I can feel her warmth, for her face still burns, a reminder of her sacrifice and ours. The pain, the cold and the burn are our Rules."
A young villager named Alanna had such a beautiful and pious face that even as a child, statue sculptors took her as a model for their creations. Her face became so recognizable that, little by little, people took her as the living, breathing image of divinity, until it reached a point where they ended up taking her out on procession, and even replacing their own images. Such was the fervour around her that she could not bear to be mistaken with the divinity, and burned her face with boiling oil to gift her pious beauty to God, and took up the habits of a convent. Later, she was found by the Brotherhood and slain. The Affliction turned her into something beyond mortal comprehension. Search west of the town of Krezk.

DESECRATION: DEFEAT THE THORNED ONE, AFFLICTED MONSTROSITY
"I am awake in a sleeping body.."
The Thorned One is a combination of demon and plant with the body of a human and the skeletal head of a goat. According to the ancient scriptures, he was once a man who was haunted by visions of the Affliction. He became very tired and slept in the arms of the statue he is found in, in the ruins of a temple east of Mount Baratok, but then woke up and realized he had been transformed into a beast of constant anger and pain. Legends state that when the creature is asleep, the man inside awakes within the creature's dreams.

Jimmy wasn't one to prostrate himself out for anyone....well, not at least anymore, after seeing where doing that for the Dark Lord led him. However, he will reverently kneel and pray for the lost soul that the Brotherhood, his family, needlessly took. His thoughts quickly led back to revenge....most of his thoughts these days tended towards that dark place.

Upon giving his respects, he casually palmed the Pelican Effigy and rejoined the group as they discussed where to go to next.

Hera remembers the Brotherhood slaying Alanna, slaying her after she burned her beautiful face.

"We should go to Krezk and put her out of her misery."

DESECRATION:  DEFEAT THE CHARRED VISAGE
"I can feel Our Lady between these walls. I can feel her warmth, for her face still burns, a reminder of her sacrifice and ours. The pain, the cold and the burn are our Rules."
A young villager named Alanna had such a beautiful and pious face that even as a child, statue sculptors took her as a model for their creations. Her face became so recognizable that, little by little, people took her as the living, breathing image of divinity, until it reached a point where they ended up taking her out on procession, and even replacing their own images. Such was the fervor around her that she could not bear to be mistaken with the divinity, and burned her face with boiling oil to gift her pious beauty to God, and took up the habits of a convent. Later, she was found by the Brotherhood and slain. The Affliction turned her into something beyond mortal comprehension. Search west of the town of Krezk.

The ruins of an old convent lay in the wasteland west of the town of Krezk. As you make your way, large rock formations have massively carved faces of holy women crying.

INSIDE

The convent is in shambles. You can moaning and other horrible wailing inside. Bones litter the floor. A faint musty green gas can be seen among the ruins, and even when you step inside. It is unremarkable, except for the fact that, at one point, this was a holy place. The entire place is made out of brick but there is still enough of the convent that as you enter inside, it blots out the sun. As you traverse the halls, you can tell you are not alone. In addition to angelic statues, the brick flooring, and the shattered cathedral windows, large pots of molten lead dump long streams of magma like material into the floor vents, hissing. 

Suddenly, you are greeted. Nuns, altar boys, and priests, horribly tainted and deformed by the Affliction emerge slowly from the rooms and engage you all.

CHALLENGE

The Afflicted will not allow you to desecrate the Charred Visage. They know who you are, and you have been deemed unworthy, and unholy. Prove them wrong. To defeat this wave of Afflicted, go ahead and each take your attack turn in any order you desire vs an AC/DC of 15. That is also the amount of damage you need to do at a bare minimum on your turn. If you do not, you take points of damage equal to the difference. For example, if you hit and do 12 damage, you take 3 damage yourself for that round. Any damage you do ABOVE 15, will be put into a pool. The goal of this challenge is to get to 30 points before you are overwhelmed and die.

Strong is the heart, penitent ones. 

PLAYER ROUND ONE, go ahead. 

Ingrid steps forward, touching the rosary around her neck. She closes her eyes and speaks, "I will be an avenging angel, a purifying flame to cast out the taint of the Dark emperor. I pray these souls find rest in the arms of the truth, that they come to understand through the embrace of death and rebirth as I have." 
As she finishes her prayer, two massive Dove-like wings unfurl from her back, set alight as if by pyre. A halo of flame wreathes Ingrid's brow, slowly burning at her skin. She cuts a sight as an angel being burned at the stake. She cuts her hand with the axehead, setting the weapon alight with holy fire. (Ingrid takes 1 damage for her Blood rite, and a continuing 2 damage from her Radiant Consumption)
"I have become a sanctifying fire."
She plummets forward into the mass of the impure, hacking with her holy axe. As she is surrounded, her flaming brilliance seems to burn away at all around her, including herself.
Attack: 20 Damage: 15 (Includes 1d4 blood rite, +4 for Radiant Consumption AND +2 For Radiant consumption Aura)

Excellent post. No loss of health, but nothing gained for Ingrid. You hack away at deformed bloodied nuns, and Afflicted altar boys, all of them seeking to dismember you.

Shiara spins together a sphere of fire that begins smacking into Afflicted.

Flaming sphere, DC 14 Dex ST for half of 11 fire damage to start out.

20, 22, 19, 5, 21

About half way there. Keep it up.

Forgot about my bead: 98

Jeremiah focuses for a moment, before launching an Ice Knife into the attackers.

Initial attack: Attack: 8 Damage: 4

Then additional damage: 12 per each of the 5 targets (DEX ST DC 12 for half damage)

Hera swings at the horde!

Attack: 10 Damage: 13

Smite: 5

11, 8, 19, 6, 13

Pre-round action: Jimmy casts Hunter's Mark on a particularly dreadful looking nun...

When called upon, Jimmy gayfully marches into battle behind Hera, using her as a shield to strike out from behind, the trixter unfair fighter that he is (also using Inspiration to attack @ Advantage):

• Rapier Attack #1: 22 Damage: 17
• Rapier Attack #2: 25 Damage: 30
• Sneak Attack Damage: 5

NOTE: All attacks include additional 1d8 Planar Warrior force damage + 1d6 Hunter's Mark damage

"I can feel our lady between the walls. I can feel her warmth, for her face still burns, a reminder of her sacrifice for our sins. The pain, the gold, and the burn are our Rules."

With the first wave of Afflicted defeated, you reach an area of the ruined cathedral that contains cauldrons of lava and flame chained from the ceiling above. 

CHALLENGE

You'll need to climb further up into the cathedral in order to continue. High above, an Afflicted nun pulls on chains when the cauldrons are full, dumping it's contents on you, hoping to cleanse you in fire. 

ASCENDING

Make three DC15 (Athletics or Acrobatics) checks to climb the rickety stairs and rafters to ascend to the top.
FAIL: If you fail ANY, you fall, taking 2d6 damage per failure which you can roll, and then you can try again. You must pass all three to ascend to the top.
PASS: Wait on a ledge for all of your companions to be together. Only then, will the challenge be complete and you can dispatch the afflicted nun - (which happens automatically, but you can describe it if you wish.)

CAULDRONS OF CLEANSING

In addition to the above, you'll also need to make a DC15 (Athletics or Acrobatics) to dodge the lava from above as you climb. Make three rolls.
FAIL: If you fail any, you take 3d6 fire damage for each failure, but nothing else happens.
PASS: You remain unscathed.

‘The spirits will aid us now...’ whispers Jeremiah, appalled by the carnage he’s had to inflict, and visibly pale.

He focuses his attention outwards for a moment, and suddenly you are joined by the spectral presence of a Bear spirit.

(Bear Spirit. The bear spirit grants you and your allies its might and endurance. Each creature of your choice in the aura when the spirit appears gains temporary hit points equal to 5 + your druid level (9). In addition, you and your allies gain advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws while in the aura).

Jeremiah will have the spirit move with his brothers and sisters, he’ll go last in case he needs to heal anyone from a fall.

In addition, he’ll ask the spirits for aid, casting Guidance on each person to help with their first roll.

"Thanks for the assist, Brother Jeremiah" he nervously announces.  "We're gonna need all the blessings we can get.  I volunteer to go first!"

Jimmy fumbles a bit as he walks up to the base of the stairs, straightens his robe and pulls out a fragile little string from his pocket (the Frontal Skull Bone of Martinus, the Ropemaker).  Concentrating on it for a bit, he finally shakes it and in a flash, the little string turns into a 100 long coil of rope.  Wrapping one end securely around a statue at the base of the stairwell, and the other around his waist, he intends to lay the rope down behind him for others to use on their way up behind him, assisting them to ensure their safety.

Jimmy's rolls

Round 1 rolls-

• DC15 Athletics Ascending roll: 25
• DC15 Athletics Cauldron of Cleansing roll: 19

Having been overcome with nervousness, Jimmy trips on the very first stair, falls face forward (taking 6 damage), and while attempting to stand back up to try again, a glob of lava comes tumbling down the stairs and slams into him (taking 9 damage).

Standing back up and quickly patting some of the robe that has caught on fire, he sheepishly deadpans "Right.  Now that's a demonstration of how not to do it.  Now, here's how it's done!"