Valerie almost forgets that she has the letter. She reaches to her pouch and search for the letter, hands it over to Ismark. "Here it is. Do you know anything about the people that were mentioned in the letter?"
Ismark takes the letter from Valerie and quickly reads over it his eyes widening,"Tha... That's NOT my father's writing."
He looks utterly confused by your letter,"Is this some trick? I - I - I don't know what to make of it. Ireena wounded? This cannot be - I was with her not more than an hour ago."
Ismark whispers under his breath to Valerie:
"The only 'evil' my sister, Ireena Kolyana, is 'afflicted' by is the Count, himself. He has become..." Ismark struggles to continue, "obsessed with her... he lusts after her."
"How did you come by this letter?", the look on Ismarks face is dark as he passes it back to Valerie. He addresses Dormark, "You mention you found it on some poor soul's corpse? Strange. I wonder what purpose this letter serves."
Dormark nods and pats him on the shoulder and says, “I brought the fallen lad here since I thought he came from here. I suggest calling the priest over right away to properly bury him. If there is a spot you want me to move him to I can do that as well. I might stop by later to see how the arrangements are going, but we spent a good part of our night in the wilds, is there an inn we can stay at to rest?”
Baern replies quietly to Alder as they exit "Ismark seemed nice, at least." "I think they're all afraid, and of this Count Strahd." "What's a 'Count, anyway? Is that a title in human towns and cities, or something?"
Triple checking to ensure that no one is listening once they are outside, Baern also gestures for Alder to bend down to hear him. Cupping his thick dwarven hand near the massive barbarian's ear he adds "Ismark said to meet him at his house tonight to talk more."
Ismark looks briefly confused, "Lad? Oh, for a second there I thought you were referring to someone else. There is a church with a graveyard to the North West of the village, turn to the right as you leave this place. Father Donavich is the priest there, he should be able to provide you any funeral services you may require."
Looking Dormark up and down, Ismark continues, "If you are going by way of the church I could use your assistance. It is a personal matter, one which I would not look to discuss here."
Valerie approaches Ismark as soon as she hears he talks about crying woman. "Excuse me for interrupting, but I heard you said the woman crying outside, her daughter has gone missing?" Her concern grows stronger as now she knows what happens to the woman. "Can you tell me where is she right now? I heard the crying but not sure where to find her. Also, can you tell me anything about her missing daughter?"
Ismark nods at Valerie, "That's right - Mary. It's her daughter, Gertruda, she went missing within the last week and has not been seen since. She's been beside herself with grief, thinking the worst. Her townhouse is just next door to Bildrath's Mercantile."
He pauses to think, "Anything I can tell you about Gertruda? She always seemed like a nice girl - not quite 'all there'. If you get my meaning. A dreamer, I suppose. I know Mary used to keep her shut up in that room of hers. Petrified something might happen to her little girl. Poor woman. Gertruda must not have been more than 20 years old, too young."
Baern replies quietly to Alder as they exit "Ismark seemed nice, at least." "I think they're all afraid, and of this Count Strahd." "What's a 'Count, anyway? Is that a title in human towns and cities, or something?"
Triple checking to ensure that no one is listening once they are outside, Baern also gestures for Alder to bend down to hear him. Cupping his thick dwarven hand near the massive barbarian's ear he adds "Ismark said to meet him at his house tonight to talk more."
Alder nodded, briefly. "Yes. It's a title of nobility. Rich people." Somewhat hesitatingly, he leans down to hear Baern, replying in a rumble of a whisper himself. "Perhaps we can get answers there. We should be careful." Alder straightens back up and nods towards the nearby mercantile building. "Let's see if there's anything worth looking at there."
Dormark nods his head and says, “Fair enough, maybe you could point out a place to stay on the way there. Meet you outside.” He proceeds to walk outside so he can collect the body.
Ismark takes the letter from Valerie and quickly reads over it his eyes widening,"Tha... That's NOT my father's writing."
He looks utterly confused by your letter,"Is this some trick? I - I - I don't know what to make of it. Ireena wounded? This cannot be - I was with her not more than an hour ago."
"So you're saying this letter might be a fake? Should we check on your sister, just in case?" Valerie clutches the letter in her fist. The look of concern can be seen on her face. She turns to Sandu. "Do you think we should check out his sister? Also, I think I need to check on Mary too. Missing one's child can be very torturing." Her voice sadden as she speaks.
"There is no question this letter is a fake, it is not written in my father's hand." Ismark says adamantly."Though I am not sure why anyone would want to fabricate such a thing."
Sandu followed the conversations with a troubled mind. Everyone around here seemed to have problems of varying degrees and honestly, he was not as big a bleeding heart as some of his companions were. He just wanted nothing more than to get out of this place. Barring that, a soft bed would be his second choice. Sandu's train of thought was interrupted when Valerie addressed him.
"Do you think we should check out his sister? Also, I think I need to check on Mary too. Missing one's child can be very torturing." Her voice sadden as she speaks.
'I...' Sandu wanted to raise an objection when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He had heard the sadness in Valerie's voice. He did not know why, maybe it was a passing moment of sympathy or a memory tugging at the back of his mind, but something kept him from following through. Sandu relaxed his shoulders. 'If you believe that is for the best, we'll do it.'
The interior of the shop is much as you may have imagined; shelves neatly stocked with all manner of flasks and boxes, a polished counter with a set of scales upon it, draws full to the brim with different tidbits. Behind the counter stands a well-dressed gentleman of advanced years, he peers at you as you enter, weasel-like eyes darting back and forth,"Welcome! Gentleman! How can Bildrath help you this morning?"
Dormark - As you move outside of the tavern and look to the right you can just about make out a church spire poking through the fog. It looks no more than a couple of minutes walk away.
Valerie, Sandu & Ioben - Ismark's face softens at Valerie and Sandu's words, "Yes.. I.. Mary might be pleased to have company. Gertruda, it would seem, is still somewhere out there... There may yet still be hope that she lives." It is clear, even without a perception check, that Ismark finds this very unlikely to be the case. "You are all more than welcome to pay myself and Irena a visit at the Burgomaster's Mansion later." He smiles fleetingly at Valerie,"That way you can check that she is alright."
((OOC Sorry for the delay. I will try and weave this in as best I can.))
Ioben watches as Bearn talks to the man in the inn, overhearing snippets of the conversation. Ismark, the name on the letter? So strange that in this unusual place the first person we should run into would be one of the few names we actually know.
"Maybe, the Count is a MOST generous host."
The whispered comment to Bearn hadn't passed Ioben notice, but he hadn't been able to make out what was said. Still, he felt this was a man that he should talk to when he got the opportunity.
As Bearn left and the conversations continued, Valerie remarked on a comment.
"Excuse me for interrupting, but I heard you said the woman crying outside, her daughter has gone missing?"
Also intrigued by the earlier wailing, Ioben stepped up beside Valerie. "Yes, it was the most unsettling of welcomes to the town. What is that all about?"
However, the conversation shifted quickly again to the letter that had been found and the dead messenger.
"How did you come by this letter?"
Valerie and Sandu, who were holding the Ismark's attention, concluded that it would be best to check in with Gertruda. That seemed to Ioben to be the best idea at this time. "Thank you for the invitation Ismark. I am sure we will be taking you up on that offer sooner rather than later. I am glad that the first face we met in this land was a friendly one." Turning to the other two he says, "I believe I shall come with you. I must admit, the mystery intrigues me and," glancing around the room, "the remaining company doesn't interest me too much."
A piercing laugh cuts the air, punctuating Ioben's words, from the table the ladies are sitting at. This is followed by further laughter as though something, or someone, had greatly amused them.
As you glance around the room and mention the 'remaining company', you notice one of the ladies' heads quickly turn from yourself back to the other ladies. Had she been watching you? In fact, as you think about it, everything about the ladies had been 'off'; their body language, their laughter - you get the distinct feeling that the ladies were a lot more interested in the group than they were letting on. Your skin prickles.
"Then we will go check out Mary first then maybe visit Ismark and his sister if we still have time." Valerie says to Sandu and Ioben. Then she leans closer to them and whispers so that only Sandu and Ioben can hear. "Should we ask him about Madame Eva? Is it too early to give out all the information to a stranger that we've just met?"
"Greetings Bildrath, how are you? I am Baern. Ismark sent me to inquire about your prices on armor, shield, weaponry and the like. May we see your wares and the prices, please?"
Bildrath's face briefly drops at the announcement, before returning to it's usual composure. "Oh, 'Ismark the Lesser' sent you did he? Armour, shield, weaponry and the like? I am not sure what type of shop you take this for."Bildrath shakes his head in mock upset, tutting.
"I MIGHT be able to sort you out with a suit of armour of some variety. But know this - such items are HARD to come by in Barovia, very hard. What precisely were you looking to buy?"
((In terms of the wares he stocks it is most of the items from the Adventuring Gear list - prices may not be as listed though!))
Baern eyes the less than pleasant merchant. "I am not a rich man, so let's start with what you have for shields or something simple such as hides for armor."
Bildrath's eyes narrow as Baern mentions that he is not a 'rich man',"Hmm, I could be persuaded to part with my shield for say 100 gold. Though, as you did mention you are friends with Ismark the Lesser, I shall offer it to you for 90 gold."
Bildrath's lips curl up in a sneer,"As for the armour, I happened to come across a suit of hide armour a while ago. One of the mountain folk from Ghakis misplaced it and, well, it found its ways to my hands. Frankly it stinks. I could do without it. I think it would suit you VERY well. I would sell that to you for a mere 60 gold pieces."
Shrugging forlornly, exaggeratedly so, Bildrath continues,"Still... if you are as poor as you look. I could always use some help with a task. It may well persuade me to reduce the cost of the items somewhat. You know... prove yourself useful to me and I may see my way to extending some charity...",the word sticks in Bildrath's mouth as he says it, "...towards you."
Valerie almost forgets that she has the letter. She reaches to her pouch and search for the letter, hands it over to Ismark. "Here it is. Do you know anything about the people that were mentioned in the letter?"
Ismark takes the letter from Valerie and quickly reads over it his eyes widening, "Tha... That's NOT my father's writing."
He looks utterly confused by your letter, "Is this some trick? I - I - I don't know what to make of it. Ireena wounded? This cannot be - I was with her not more than an hour ago."
Ismark whispers under his breath to Valerie:
"The only 'evil' my sister, Ireena Kolyana, is 'afflicted' by is the Count, himself. He has become..." Ismark struggles to continue, "obsessed with her... he lusts after her."
"How did you come by this letter?", the look on Ismarks face is dark as he passes it back to Valerie. He addresses Dormark, "You mention you found it on some poor soul's corpse? Strange. I wonder what purpose this letter serves."
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Dormark nods and pats him on the shoulder and says, “I brought the fallen lad here since I thought he came from here. I suggest calling the priest over right away to properly bury him. If there is a spot you want me to move him to I can do that as well. I might stop by later to see how the arrangements are going, but we spent a good part of our night in the wilds, is there an inn we can stay at to rest?”
Dormark Calling of Strahd (warforged cleric) 4
Baern replies quietly to Alder as they exit "Ismark seemed nice, at least." "I think they're all afraid, and of this Count Strahd." "What's a 'Count, anyway? Is that a title in human towns and cities, or something?"
Triple checking to ensure that no one is listening once they are outside, Baern also gestures for Alder to bend down to hear him. Cupping his thick dwarven hand near the massive barbarian's ear he adds "Ismark said to meet him at his house tonight to talk more."
Ismark looks briefly confused, "Lad? Oh, for a second there I thought you were referring to someone else. There is a church with a graveyard to the North West of the village, turn to the right as you leave this place. Father Donavich is the priest there, he should be able to provide you any funeral services you may require."
Looking Dormark up and down, Ismark continues, "If you are going by way of the church I could use your assistance. It is a personal matter, one which I would not look to discuss here."
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Ismark nods at Valerie, "That's right - Mary. It's her daughter, Gertruda, she went missing within the last week and has not been seen since. She's been beside herself with grief, thinking the worst. Her townhouse is just next door to Bildrath's Mercantile."
He pauses to think, "Anything I can tell you about Gertruda? She always seemed like a nice girl - not quite 'all there'. If you get my meaning. A dreamer, I suppose. I know Mary used to keep her shut up in that room of hers. Petrified something might happen to her little girl. Poor woman. Gertruda must not have been more than 20 years old, too young."
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Alder nodded, briefly. "Yes. It's a title of nobility. Rich people." Somewhat hesitatingly, he leans down to hear Baern, replying in a rumble of a whisper himself. "Perhaps we can get answers there. We should be careful." Alder straightens back up and nods towards the nearby mercantile building. "Let's see if there's anything worth looking at there."
Dormark nods his head and says, “Fair enough, maybe you could point out a place to stay on the way there. Meet you outside.” He proceeds to walk outside so he can collect the body.
Dormark Calling of Strahd (warforged cleric) 4
"So you're saying this letter might be a fake? Should we check on your sister, just in case?" Valerie clutches the letter in her fist. The look of concern can be seen on her face. She turns to Sandu. "Do you think we should check out his sister? Also, I think I need to check on Mary too. Missing one's child can be very torturing." Her voice sadden as she speaks.
"There is no question this letter is a fake, it is not written in my father's hand." Ismark says adamantly. "Though I am not sure why anyone would want to fabricate such a thing."
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Sandu followed the conversations with a troubled mind. Everyone around here seemed to have problems of varying degrees and honestly, he was not as big a bleeding heart as some of his companions were. He just wanted nothing more than to get out of this place. Barring that, a soft bed would be his second choice. Sandu's train of thought was interrupted when Valerie addressed him.
'I...' Sandu wanted to raise an objection when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He had heard the sadness in Valerie's voice. He did not know why, maybe it was a passing moment of sympathy or a memory tugging at the back of his mind, but something kept him from following through. Sandu relaxed his shoulders. 'If you believe that is for the best, we'll do it.'
William Brackwater: Human Fighter - The Windward Isles
Tyrgram, the Butterfly Knight: Dwarf Warlock - Secret of Greenwold
Iòlinder Corrach: Half Elf War Cleric - Allansia Adventure
Valerius Sergius Publius: Dhampir Paladin - Vae Victus
Alder & Baern -
Bildrath's Mercantile
The interior of the shop is much as you may have imagined; shelves neatly stocked with all manner of flasks and boxes, a polished counter with a set of scales upon it, draws full to the brim with different tidbits. Behind the counter stands a well-dressed gentleman of advanced years, he peers at you as you enter, weasel-like eyes darting back and forth, "Welcome! Gentleman! How can Bildrath help you this morning?"
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Dormark - As you move outside of the tavern and look to the right you can just about make out a church spire poking through the fog. It looks no more than a couple of minutes walk away.
Valerie, Sandu & Ioben - Ismark's face softens at Valerie and Sandu's words, "Yes.. I.. Mary might be pleased to have company. Gertruda, it would seem, is still somewhere out there... There may yet still be hope that she lives." It is clear, even without a perception check, that Ismark finds this very unlikely to be the case. "You are all more than welcome to pay myself and Irena a visit at the Burgomaster's Mansion later." He smiles fleetingly at Valerie, "That way you can check that she is alright."
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
((OOC Sorry for the delay. I will try and weave this in as best I can.))
Ioben watches as Bearn talks to the man in the inn, overhearing snippets of the conversation. Ismark, the name on the letter? So strange that in this unusual place the first person we should run into would be one of the few names we actually know.
The whispered comment to Bearn hadn't passed Ioben notice, but he hadn't been able to make out what was said. Still, he felt this was a man that he should talk to when he got the opportunity.
As Bearn left and the conversations continued, Valerie remarked on a comment.
Also intrigued by the earlier wailing, Ioben stepped up beside Valerie. "Yes, it was the most unsettling of welcomes to the town. What is that all about?"
However, the conversation shifted quickly again to the letter that had been found and the dead messenger.
Valerie and Sandu, who were holding the Ismark's attention, concluded that it would be best to check in with Gertruda. That seemed to Ioben to be the best idea at this time. "Thank you for the invitation Ismark. I am sure we will be taking you up on that offer sooner rather than later. I am glad that the first face we met in this land was a friendly one." Turning to the other two he says, "I believe I shall come with you. I must admit, the mystery intrigues me and," glancing around the room, "the remaining company doesn't interest me too much."
A piercing laugh cuts the air, punctuating Ioben's words, from the table the ladies are sitting at. This is followed by further laughter as though something, or someone, had greatly amused them.
Ioben passive Perception and Insight:
As you glance around the room and mention the 'remaining company', you notice one of the ladies' heads quickly turn from yourself back to the other ladies. Had she been watching you? In fact, as you think about it, everything about the ladies had been 'off'; their body language, their laughter - you get the distinct feeling that the ladies were a lot more interested in the group than they were letting on. Your skin prickles.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
"Then we will go check out Mary first then maybe visit Ismark and his sister if we still have time." Valerie says to Sandu and Ioben. Then she leans closer to them and whispers so that only Sandu and Ioben can hear. "Should we ask him about Madame Eva? Is it too early to give out all the information to a stranger that we've just met?"
"Greetings Bildrath, how are you? I am Baern. Ismark sent me to inquire about your prices on armor, shield, weaponry and the like. May we see your wares and the prices, please?"
Bildrath's face briefly drops at the announcement, before returning to it's usual composure. "Oh, 'Ismark the Lesser' sent you did he? Armour, shield, weaponry and the like? I am not sure what type of shop you take this for." Bildrath shakes his head in mock upset, tutting.
"I MIGHT be able to sort you out with a suit of armour of some variety. But know this - such items are HARD to come by in Barovia, very hard. What precisely were you looking to buy?"
((In terms of the wares he stocks it is most of the items from the Adventuring Gear list - prices may not be as listed though!))
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
(Gulp, regarding pricing...)
Baern eyes the less than pleasant merchant. "I am not a rich man, so let's start with what you have for shields or something simple such as hides for armor."
Bildrath's eyes narrow as Baern mentions that he is not a 'rich man', "Hmm, I could be persuaded to part with my shield for say 100 gold. Though, as you did mention you are friends with Ismark the Lesser, I shall offer it to you for 90 gold."
Bildrath's lips curl up in a sneer, "As for the armour, I happened to come across a suit of hide armour a while ago. One of the mountain folk from Ghakis misplaced it and, well, it found its ways to my hands. Frankly it stinks. I could do without it. I think it would suit you VERY well. I would sell that to you for a mere 60 gold pieces."
Shrugging forlornly, exaggeratedly so, Bildrath continues, "Still... if you are as poor as you look. I could always use some help with a task. It may well persuade me to reduce the cost of the items somewhat. You know... prove yourself useful to me and I may see my way to extending some charity...", the word sticks in Bildrath's mouth as he says it, "...towards you."
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)