Seeing the armor, Baern inquires "oh yeah, you don't happen to have some heavier armor (than he has on currently) or a proper weapon, do you?"  He gestures towards his hand axe when asking about the latter.

“True. It much easier to simply drop the armour than to try and take it off.” Ioben finishes gathering what he can and come back to the broken wagon. 

Galqarin gathers up the armour. Incredibly, he seems to be able to balance it all and still be able to lope along as usual.

Quote from IrRy0 >>

Sandu - "Hmm... We could build a pyre of some variety - tha' will take some time though.  Could be best ta leave it be...  It's not like we can summon fire magically out of our hands an' incinerate the thing..."  He raises an eyebrow to you, "Can we?"  he says suspiciously.

Your initial search of Radu's goods does not reveal much other than the ordinary goods (adventuring gear) you would expect to find a merchant selling.  As you sift through some of the items, hoping to find something of added value, you come across a bundle of cloth shoved into a now broken clay jug.  As you pull the cloth from the jug you find a tiny item wrapped inside - a ring (see below).

Other than a pattern around the outside, you see no distinguishable markings - though you are pretty sure it has magical properties.  Radu does not appear to be aware of your discovery as he is currently engaged with Baern and Galqarin.

Sandu let his fingers slide over the ring. For a singular moment, he was strangely entranced by the curiosity. By now he had enough experience with magic under his belt to tell if something was magical. Well, he was reasonably sure he could tell. He could also tell that Radu was distracted by Baern and Galqarin, leaving him an opportune window to just slip the ring into his pocket. Sandu was conflicted. In one hear the voice of Miss Esther espoused the virtues of honesty and character while in the other a strange mixture of his own voice interspliced with Strahd whispered promises of power and taking what should be his. Neither voice managed to drown out the other so Sandu did what he most often did: he postponed the decision. He shoved the bundle of cloth with the ring along with some of the broken shard into one pocket. At the very least he could always claim that was how he had found it, which was true. And before resorting to petty theft, he could try to haggle for it with Radu. The merchant was in need of money so he had a fair shot, he figured.

Sandu turned to Radu when hearing his question. 'Sadly I can't.' He shrugged. 'But maybe the others...'

He directed his attention to the group and addressed them with a louder than normal voice. 'Does anyone have a quick way to dispose of the horse? Like alchemist fire or some way to put it six feet under? Wouldn't want wild animals to know we're leaving them free meals.'

"Better they eat dead horse than us", points out Galqarin, now laden and impatient to be on their way.

"I agree with Galqarin. While we sit here trying to get rid of the horse we are a target, drawn by the very thing we are trying to dispose of. Let us leave, and then the horse can delay, or even satiate, any wolves that may follow."

Baern - Radu narrows his eyes at you a little, only briefly, before returning to his normal self.  "I might 'ave somethin' suitable" he says begrudgingly, knowing that the party are his best bet to get to Vallaki, "I dun 'ave much in terms of weaponry.  Not my forte, y'see."  Rooting around in his wagon he returns with a rolled up mat.  Unrolling the mat he reveals a rather old, poorly maintained, yet functional, Warhammer.  "Don't ask me 'ow I got it...  But I trust this will suffice."  Radu says before quickly adding, "Only a loan, though.  Y'understand?!"

Sandu - You go unnoticed as you pocket the ring.

Ioben - "Really gentlemen!"  Radu loudly exclaims before looking a little abashed and adding, "oh and ladies."  He looks a little flustered, "Might it not be best we ge' underway?  Th' light seems ta be failin' fast...  travellin' these roads by night..."  he lets his sentence hang.  "I agree with Ioben 'ere.  We should be leavin'... hastily!"

"Let's go nothing to be gained from staying here," says Dormark moving forward.

Ioben takes up a spot near the front of the group but allows Ireena and Ismark to take point.

"Hey, that'll work" remarks Baern regarding the warhammer.  "How much for this once I have some coin?"

Baern - Radu looks at the warhammer then back at you, "Tell ya what.  Hows about I give ya that instead o' gold when we get ta Vallaki?"

Night - Day 4 - Almost... there!

Once more the party continues on towards Vallaki.  The evening has by this time given way to night; Ismark and Ireena have lit torches (as well as any party members that wish to light there torches).  In the distance there is a faint glow which you can only assume to be your destination, not much further now - a half mile or so.

Initially relieved to be within site of the Town, something draws the party's attention.  Shadows coalesce in the near distance as something corpulent lumbers along the road, the face of a huge froglike ape bumbles along.

((Image of the creature ((ignore the arm descending from it's mouth!)))

"Ho! ho! ho!” the creature croaks to itself, “I am the Banderhobb, and I hobb banders. Ho! ho! ho!”, it does not seem to be interested in the party.  It carries a large sack over it's back. 

Galqarin whispers tersely, "Maybe it no want fight."

Ireena shrugs, keeping her voice low she whispers to Galqarin, "Maybe... have you any idea what it is?  I've never seen anything like it before."

 "I know not". Standing motionless and preparing to drop the merchant's precious armour at a moment's notice, Galqarin eyes the strange creature warily.

(Wow Dormark rolled a nat 19 on arcane so 19.)

Dormark's Arcana check:

The strange looking creature, which identifies as Banderhobb, continues forward paying little heed to the party - seemingly more than contempt with whatever task it was undertaking.  "Ho! Ho! Ho! Off I go!  Baba Lysaga told me so!  Ho! Ho! Ho!" its loud mumbling appears to be more for it's own benefit than anything else.

Galqarin - can I have a History check?

Sandu watched the strange frog thing appear, speak and walk towards and past them. His mouth was slightly ajar and his eyes widened in a bigger expression of surprise and incomprehensibleness as the creature hobbled along.

'This is happening, right?' Sandu asked the others incredulously. 'We're all seeing the same thing here? I'm not just going insane?'

Ismark chuckles softly under his breath, "Now that is something I have to ask myself every day..." his tone turns serious, "That being said, these are unusual circumstances... even for Barovia.  The fact that a creature such as this should be found so close to Vallaki?  Strange."