Shiara grunts as she goes tumbling into unconsciousness.

Jimmy continues his maniacal giggling while attacking-

• Rapier Attack: 9 Damage: 9
• Rapier Attack: 14 Damage: 13
• Sneak Attack Damage: 3

 With that, Jimmy jumps on top of the now-dead corpse of the giant, and begins to carve off its ears.  For his collection.  Ewww.

Hera walks over and gives Shiara five points of Lay on Hands.

Death. Death was an old friend, an old ally. But Shiara was its master, not its victim. So when she felt Hera's healing energy course through her body, she bared her teeth and cast death's tendrils aside, opening her eyes. "Why thank you, Hera." The necromancer pulls herself to her feet and casts a dispassionate look at the corpse. "Unfortunate I am so weakened. That would have made a truly fearsome raised servant."

Like a fallen ancient tree, the Warden of the Brotherhood dies, crashing to the ground and moving no more. As was customary since the inception of the Brotherhood, per the Rule, one was to remove your helm of the Brotherhood from your head, collect the blood of the fallen enemy like a pail from an open wound, and re-wear the helmet - drenching your head and body with the blood of your fallen enemy. To do so was to accept the Grace of the Affliction. (Those of you who do this receive inspiration)

WARDEN OF THE BROTHERHOOD: DEFEATED

As a member of the Brotherhood, each of you have the equivalent of a necklace that acts as a Rosary of sorts. The Rosary can hold a number of beads that make your more powerful, either being cursed by the Affliction, or blessed.

TREASURE
Among the Warden's belongings are the following. Share them among yourselves.
ROSARY BEADS:
Knot Of Hair - A tangle of hair knotted with the strength of three broken bonds. A strong knot that allows it to be used as a rosary bead, carrying part of its unyielding strength to the wearer. A person who places this bead in his Rosary gains +1 damage to attacks always.
Silver Grape - A dead fruit converted into a bead, in a display of clerical vanity. Its cold hardness passes onto its wearer, enhancing their defenses considerably. A person who places this bead in his Rosary gains +1 AC permanently.
Amber Eye - A bead carefully carved in the shape of an eyeball that appears to glint in the dark. A sacred tree was struck by lightning, but did not suffer any damage. Its resin did not allow the lightning to escape, so it still remains in the amber nucleus, providing great protection against attacks. A person who places this bead in his Rosary takes -1 damage always.
Bead of Red Wax - A sphere of accumulated crimson wax. Echoes of ancient prayers resound in its core, and moderately reinforce the vitality of the wearer. A person who places this bead in his Rosary gains +5 forever.
Bead of Blue Wax - A tiny pebble of melted wax, of a dusty cerulean. The cries from tortured zealots still reverberate inside, and it slightly strengthens the wearer's fervor. A person who places this bead in his Rosary has a 10% chance when casting a spell to have that slot back.

Jeremiah calls out a Healing Word, drawing on the lifeblood of the earth. Shiara feels the cleansing force wash through her, restoring 6 health.

He looks down on the Warden, in pity as much as anything, then turns his back and moves away to prepare a Detect Magic ritual, to allow him to better perceive anything of interest / danger - as he does though, he cautions the others, ‘We are new born into this world, carrying our burdens of pain, and needing to atone for what we have done at the behest of our former Lord.’ a pause to spit, as though even the thought was distasteful, but he stops - the ground around him has been sanctified by the lives of his Brothers and Sisters. ‘We must stand together, lest we fall, but we should be mindful that many of our rituals and practices will have been corrupted by Him. I counsel, do nothing before we have rested and spoken of plans, lest we inadvertently weaken ourselves for the coming battles.’

You all gather your things and follow the stairs out of the ruined Abbey of the Brotherhood. When you exit, it is dusk. The sky is a mixture of oranges and reds - the sun setting. All around you are ruins. The entire land area of the Abbey, as far as the eye can see, is dry and dead - like the aftermath of a terrible nuclear explosion. It is as if the land is stuck in a permanent dusk. There are no trees, only dust and mountains.

Oddly, a man is by the entrance, waiting for you. He is wearing clergy robes and holding a very large scroll that droops down to his feet from holding it elbow high. On the scroll is holy scripture. As you approach, he speaks to you kindly and reverently.

"Regretful be the heart, Chosen Ones. The anguish of the Warden has now come to an end. I am Theogratica, witness to and narrator of the acts of the Grievous Affliction. Such is my penance, as yours is redemption. The Grand Cathedral of the Dark Emperor Strahd is what you seek. It is a remote place separated from the rest of these lands by it's great sacred and forbidden door. Even a wise penitent like me knows nothing of what lies beyond those high walls. However, what I do know is that, according to the Rule, one must carry out a number of tasks, including, most importantly, the Four Desecrations - in order to gain access to what they guard. You are at the mercy of the Grievous Affliction, whether for its punishment..or it's forgiveness."

In order to defeat the Dark Emperor Strahd, a number of quests must be completed in an order of your choosing before you are able to enter the Cathedral of Affliction. Here they are in no particular order. There are four Boss Fight quests, three Item Hunts, and the Cathedral. You'll need to finish all the Boss Fights and Item Hunts before you can enter the Cathedral, but the order you do them in is up to you.  Some quests will be more difficult than others. 

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.

DESECRATION: DEFEAT KRISTIANA OF THE WRAPPED AGONY, KNIGHT OF AFFLICTION
"I, Kristiana in penance, excommunicate you, expel you, execrate you with the blessing of our Affliction of the greatest pain."
Kristiana is a knight and holy warrior dedicated to Strahd, The Dark Emperor. She is said to wander around Tsolenka Pass near the Amber Temple on Mount Ghakis, ready to confront any who defy His Holiness. Legends state that her sword is affected by the Affliction, so it is covered in red bandages that are anointed in consecrated oils just like the armor of the Brotherhood. She has been known to say that goals of her and the Brotherhood are "different, opposite, yet complementary," suggesting that she is in direct opposition to the Brotherhood.

DESECRATION: DEFEAT COERCITOR EZZOZITO, SCION OF ABJURATION
"The unborn one stopped crying when placed in the arms of the false mother. Sometimes I can't help but think there's something living in that wicker. Sometimes it seems to be rocking him in the darkness."
Truly a deformity of the Affliction, Ezzozito has the appearance of a giant warped fetus, pulsing with power and cradled by an unholy automoton, accompanied by a strange, snake like creature that protects him and attacks any foe that enters his chambers deep beneath the earth of the Ruins of Berez. His supposed birth mother was burned at the stake for being a witch by the Brotherhood, and a blindfold was put on him so he would not see her burn. Before she died, she asked someone to build a horrible representation in her likeness so that her son would not miss her. When it was finished and Ezzozito was placed in the wicker person's arms, he stopped crying.

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.

RELIC: FIND THE CHALICE OF INVERTED VERSES
A most powerful relic. A rusty iron cup, of simple appearance, filled with the tears of atonement. Its interior is embossed in lackluster silver, and depicts rows of spiral verses, which descend to the bottom. These rhymes speak of pagan beasts and forbidden fruit. It is guarded by a faceless god. He awaits you at the end of a long and winding road, deep in the mountains in the Amber Temple.

RELIC: FIND THE THREE MARKS OF REFUGE
One, a sign of protection that freed its bearer from pain. The wounds appeared in the flesh of their lady, who once swore to suffer instead of her wards. Two, a sign of protection that protected its bearer from all harm. The Pious Lady of the Perpetual Agony locked herself in the great cathedral, its walls a lightweight barrier compared to the constant pain that clouded her mind. Three, a sign of protection that prevented the suffering of its bearer. The Grievous Lady was wrapped in crimson mantles, a symbol of her link to the flesh of her wards. All three vital. All three stolen. Look for a wizard's tower on a lake. Let the wizard's name and servant guide you to that which you seek. Seek the tower of Van Richten.

RELIC: THE DRIED FLOWERS BATHED IN TEARS
I remember it with great sorrow. Intagria was one of us, born in Barovia like you and me. She was peculiar, however, because every day, after a day gathering olives, she stayed in the mountains while the rest of us left. Some said they had seen her cry, and that's why she stayed among the olive trees, to be alone with her sorrow. Many years of drought razed the land back then, but although the other crops dried up and died, the olive trees on our hill would not: they remained the best harvests, to everyone's surprise. This gave rise to the rumor that the olive trees were being watered by the girl's very tears. One morning, we found the girl dead, leaning on one of the olive trees: whether she died of sorrow we will never know. We buried her in Argynvostholt next to the olive trees where she cried. The next day, the olive trees has withered.

REDEMPTION: DESTROY THE DARK EMPEROR STRAHD, THE LAST SON OF THE AFFLICTION.
Travel to His Cathedral, and using the three holy relics, enter his domain. Only the most penitent will survive.  

When Jimmy cuts off the giant's ear, blood comes rushing out of his head.  Removing his helm, he captures a bucket full of the putrid blood, and replaces it back on his head, allowing the blood to pour all over his head, face, and body.  He then jumps down off of the giants body, places his hand on the shoulder of Jeremiah, and prays.  Prays for forgiveness.  Prays for redemption.  Prays for ... revenge.

Grabbing the curious looking lock of hair ("Knot of Hair"), he quickly stuffs it in his pocket like a child about to be caught with his hand in the cookie jar.  Turning to the group, he announces "I agree with Brother Jeremiah....we must rest, gather our strength, and prepare our spirits for the coming revenge that is our due."

Jeremiah tentatively takes up the Amber Bead, what he sees as the least harmful of the beads, recognising the need to use whatever tools the group comes across... 

He pays careful attention to Theogratica. (Do we know him / of him?)

Insight: 14

He also considers what he knows of the items and individuals mentioned.

History: 10

Hera will collect the Warden's blood before taking the grape. "We should get the chalice." 

Shiara feels Jeremiah's healing energy rush over her as she pours the Warden's blood over her head. She picks up the blue bead, never one for qualms over the source of such items, and rubs her sticky hands together. "Agreed. Some rest, and we can discuss our plan."

Jimmy, Hera, and Shiara gain inspiration for performing the Act. The Abbey of the Brotherhood is in the top right area of the map. You do not know who Theogratica is personally, but you have heard of him and the relics/Afflicted ones he speaks of. During your time in the Brotherhood, scripture or rumor has informed you of these places, people, and items.

"Let's go get the Marks of Refuge. We should deal with the things that are closest to us before going far away."

RELIC: FIND THE THREE MARKS OF REFUGE
One, a sign of protection that freed its bearer from pain. The wounds appeared in the flesh of their lady, who once swore to suffer instead of her wards. Two, a sign of protection that protected its bearer from all harm. The Pious Lady of the Perpetual Agony locked herself in the great cathedral, its walls a lightweight barrier compared to the constant pain that clouded her mind. Three, a sign of protection that prevented the suffering of its bearer. The Grievous Lady was wrapped in crimson mantles, a symbol of her link to the flesh of her wards. All three vital. All three stolen. Look for a wizard's tower on a lake. Let the wizard's name and servant guide you to that which you seek. Seek the tower of Van Richten.

QUEST BEGIN 

Legend says that, long ago, one of the men loyal to the Dark Emperor Strahd to raise His Great Cathedral was an archwizard named Khazan. After his work on the cathedral was complete, Khazan retired to the Barovian valley and built a tower for himself on a small island on Lake Baratok. With the help of some engineers and laborers, he also built an earth-and-gravel causeway connecting the island with the nearby shore.

As you leave the Abbey, a wasteland presents itself before you. Untendered and desolate, even the trees have withered away, as if a great unknown plague has sapped the life from everything and left a supernatural taint in the air. 

18, 3, 9 - 20

As you walk through the wasteland towards the tower, an undead creature bursts forth from the ground, a revenant. It looks weakened.

"Sorrowful is the heart, Brotherhood!" it screams, "For the Dark Emperor!"

The revenant will not let you pass. Time to administer judgement, or revenge. Let your heart decide.

Revenant: 11

Unable to prevent the giggles from bubbling up from deep down below, Jimmy yells out at the revenant "You have been deceived by the Dark Lord!  Do you not see the waste that is all around you?  Your weakness....our weakness....allowed for this to happen.  Don't let it be so!  COME!  JOIN US in punishing those who did this to our beautiful land!"

Persuasion to have the Revenant stop and join us as an NPC: 8

Jeremiah looks over to Jimmy, as sighs as Jimmy’s over-exuberance undermines the seriousness of the message.

’What my brother means to say is that we’re not your enemy, the one who caused this wasteland is. We failed when we followed him blindly. He has failed both us and the land itself...’

Persuasion: 6

Initiative, because I'm sure that Crispy's not going to give us a third shot at persuasion:10

"I doubt this one will listen to us much, I'm afraid," Shiara says, dark fire surrounding her hands.

The revenant attacks, either unaffected by the negotiations, or blinded by loyalty by the Affliction. Roll Initiative.

COMBAT ORDER
Shiara16, Revenant11, Hera10

Big smart forgot to actually roll init: 10