Galqarin - Please make a Perception check as you stand outside the church.
Valerie - Lucian leads you quickly down the stairs below the altar to the crypt of St. Andral. "Quick Valerie, we must restore the bones to their rightful place," the old man's voice is hoarse, fraught with excitement. "In truth, I am unsure whether the protective wards these bones offered will persist. Should they have been desecrated..."he lets the sentence drop, not wanted to give much thought to that eventuality. "We must delicately lay the bones within the stone coffin and beseech the Morning Lord - or your Tyr - for assistance." You notice that he looks a little worried as he continues, "Andral was always a stalwart follower of the Morning Lord's, surely this place will be able to be re-sanctified. The Morning Lord would never turn his back on us."
The Father proceeds to place the bones back where they once resided. He kneels down on the stone floor and begins to pray.
Dormark - Before leaving your sight and proceeding with Valerie to the crypt, Father Lucian looks at you with a confused expression on his face. "I've not seen Henrik since he was implicated in the theft. Why? Were you supposed to meet him here?" He scratches absent-mindedly at his head,"I'm sure he'll be along momentarily... In the meantime, I must go with Valerie and return the bones - the sooner the better." With that, the old man disappears down the stairs to the crypt, Valerie in tow.
Dormark - Before leaving your sight and proceeding with Valerie to the crypt, Father Lucian looks at you with a confused expression on his face. "I've not seen Henrik since he was implicated in the theft. Why? Were you supposed to meet him here?" He scratches absent-mindedly at his head,"I'm sure he'll be along momentarily... In the meantime, I must go with Valerie and return the bones - the sooner the better." With that, the old man disappears down the stairs to the crypt, Valerie in tow.
'He what?!'
Sandu looked up from where he was seated. His mind began to process that latest piece of information. Henrik had left the shop but not arrived at the church. There were few options as to why: did he circle around and was now back at his place? Did he hide somewhere to bide his time? Those thoughts painted Henrik as much more a devious man than he had appeared to Sandu. Henrik was scared. Sandu could at least sympathise with that, especially after the vision he had had. It was far more likely that the old man had turned pale and abandoned town. It was what he would have done as well, were he in the coffin maker's shoes.
But it were his own boots Sandu wore and those were now nervously tapping on the church's floor. He addressed Dormark and Valerie before she headed downstairs: 'Should we prepare for...'
He did not know exactly what he was expecting to happen now. 'Trouble?'He finished the sentence. Uncertainty and a tinge of fear permeated the last word.
Your eyes scan up and down the street in front of the church. At first, you cannot see much. Your mind races, wondering whether there have been any pursuers from the coffin-maker's shop. But there are none.
Minutes pass and you feel relief wash over your body. However, it is short-lived, a number of people, a mob if you will, are making their way down the street towards the church. They appear to be wearing matching uniforms - you recognise them as the Town Guard. Worse still, the figure leading them you know intimately; for as long as you can remember there has been someone that has dogged every step you have taken, has turned people against you, a man which, if he had his way, would see you hang.
Izek Strazni holds his hands up and points towards the church.
Valerie's Divine Sense:
The bones lay before you, carefully arranged - unobscured by the sack. You hear Father Lucian murmuring to your left, desperately asking the Morning Lord for his blessing.
A thought strikes you, a pang in the back of your mind... You focus on the bones and let your Divine Sense lead you. If you had focused on Father Lucian at this point then you would be able to tell that he is clearly a man of great religious conviction, filled with holy purpose. Instead, a smell assails your senses, sickening you to your core, to the point of feeling nauseous.
More than that, the smell seems to permeate all it touches, spreading like rot. It comes from the bones of St. Andral; clearly, a powerful beast, or demon, has desecrated them.
Sandu - As you finish your sentence you see Baern uncomfortably grip at his warhammer,"Seems like as good a place as any to make a stand." Ioben, at least outwardly, looks cool, calm and collected. "We're not done yet."he says, looking around the large open church hall,"Besides, I reckon this place has stood in defiance to Strahd for a good many years - can't all be down to a few bones."
As Galqarin locks eyes with his adversary he momentarily freezes. Ashen faced, he calls breathlessly to the others inside. “Izek come with town guard. Bar the door. I go, lead them away.” As he closes the door and prepares to sprint, he throws a final, quiet, farewell behind him, “Thankyou”.
But it were his own boots Sandu wore and those were now nervously tapping on the church's floor. He addressed Dormark and Valerie before she headed downstairs: 'Should we prepare for...'
He did not know exactly what he was expecting to happen now. 'Trouble?'He finished the sentence. Uncertainty and a tinge of fear permeated the last word.
Valerie nods to Sandu. "Yes. We should prepare for the worst. Though I hope it is just me being paranoid."
In the crypt, after sensing the false from the bones, Valerie quickly takes the bones and puts them back to the sack. She looks around before quietly calls out to the father. "Father! I think we should not put the bones here just yet. As you have said, it has been desecrated and it spread to everything it touched. I am afraid that it cannot defend us any longer... Not until we find a way to remove the curse."
Before Galqarin leaves, Dormark grabs the bugbear. Looking towards the bugbear, gestures toward the stairs and says, "Take Ireena and hide behind the door. We can handle them Galqarin. I don't want you to die for our sakes."
He then stands before the door waiting for the crowd to come to door.
Valerie - The Father seems lost in his prayers and barely stirs as you place the bones back in the sack, not acknowledging your words. That is until all the bones have been removed. Father Lucian opens his eyes and looks at you; his eyes look bloodshot and bloody tears begin to streak down his face. When Lucian speaks his voice sounds strained,"Valerie? What is happening? I...". The sentence is cut short as he attempts to stand but instead slumps forward, falling hard on the stone floor.
Dormark, Galqarin & Sandu ((assuming you are standing with your fellow adventurers)) - You hear a muffled confirmation from Ismark as he secures the door to the church from the inside. A number of Towns Guard, totalling six, form a semi-circle around the front of you. "Stand down!"One of them shouts nervously, "By order of the Burgomaster - lay down your weapons!". It is then you see Izek walking into view; his visage is dreadful and fear-inspiring, scars run along his face. Izek's wicked, demonic right-arm is holding a massive battleaxe that he wields menacingly.
((Izek Strazni))
Placatingly, Izek waves his human left arm, signalling everyone to calm down. When he speaks it is with a cold and calculated voice, "I believe introductions are in order. My name is Izek Strazni," Izek pauses for effect,"Welcome to Vallaki." He shoots a look towards the Town Guard that spoke, before continuing on, "A crime, most foul, has been committed this morning. A crime that we cannot allow to go... unpunished. You will submit yourselves to my men and I for questioning at the reformation centre. Failure to do so would be... unpleasant."
With a wave of Izek's hand the Town Guard advance on your position - weapons sheathed. He turns to a different guardsman and says under his voice, but audibly, "I heard there was a fourth, a woman in full chainmail - search the church and bring her to me."
Dormark standing tall says, “I do not remember committing any crime since being in Vallaki. In fact, All I remember doing is helping the town of Vallaki get rid of a fiend. What charges are we being given? What would justify summoning so many guards in one place?”
As the men comes toward the door Dormark turns to them and says, “The people in this church have claimed sanctuary under the Morning lord’s gaze. Interfering in the matters of the church is a great insult to the deity. I would suggest if you are worshipers to not continue your actions.”
Dormark - Izek narrows his eyes at you."What defiance is this?"his voice booms, the guards look around nervously. "Do you mean to say that you did not, this very morning, enter the shop of HENRIK VAN DER VOORT?! Were you not seen battering at his door? Were you then not spotted in a heated discussion with the man? And am I to believe that his battered body and caved-in skull were not your doing?!"
At his point Izek is almost overcome with a fervent fury,"A fiend?! A fiend?! Henrik was a man of Vallaki, a pillar of the community!". He strides over to you,"Why - pray tell - did you feel the need to get rid of him? Is that a confession?!".You see a couple of the guards shift uncomfortably and tighten their grips on their weapons.
“No I was talking about the orphanage the day before who were being plague by an actual demon. I admit we did seek out Henrick today due to a matter that Father Lucian wanted us to investigate. We believed based on our investigation that Henrick hired a person to steal something from the church. We were at his business to retrieve the item in question. However, there I learned Henrick was under duress to steal the item by another party we told him to the church for his own protection. The last time I saw of Henrick he left for the church, while we went to secure the stolen object. If you want I can cast a spell that makes it impossible to lie if you want to verify my words,” says Dormark.
Dormark - "What a convenient explanation," Izek says smirking,"I am sure the good Father will provide support to your claims? Trust me, we have our ways of extracting the truth from people."You watch as Izek's mood quickly changes, as though on a coin-flip, as he reaches out and grabs a nearby guardsman and roughly shoves him towards you. Izek growls at the surprised guardsman,"Make sure they come along to the reformation centre... oh and the others from the church whilst you're at it."
The guardsman is physically quaking as he makes his way towards you,"Please sir, if you would... please - follow me."Izek smiles wickedly at you,"That's it, steady as you go. We shall root out the truth."Turning his attention to the church he moves to walk past you to the door.
Realising that Izek has not yet recognised him, Galqarin quickly hatches a plan...maybe not the best plan, but a plan nonetheless.
Doing his best to alter his speech, he says squeakily, "Let me be of ass... ass... help. You see, this is not normal man, he is metal. If we just press here"; like lightning, Galqarin's left hand shoots to the back of Dormark's head, whilst the other gently but very firmly presses on his chest, "he goes to sleep and can be carried".
((Assuming Dormark catches on and goes along with this charade, Galqarin will lower his rigid body to the floor and gesture to the guardsmen to pick him up. Guessing it would take at least four of them to carry him, if not more.))
Dormark looks at the shaking man with what appears to be a sad solemn look. Then a fire flickers in his eyes as he uses thaumaturgy twice. The ground begins to qauke around Dormark as he yells with magically amplified voice, "To those who are trying to defy the rules of the gods heed me before you step any further. Sanctuary has been called for those who reside in the church. To remove them wouldn't be defying the rules of your burgomaster. It would be defying the rules of every good deity you know. If you still believe in the Morninglord or any other good deity, you should go home and pray for forgiveness from your gods. If you persist in this matter I will stop you from performing this evil. So says I Dormark, cleric of Moradin, the chief deity of the Dwarven gods, for I serve as the tool to prevent the evils in an realm." After saying those he turns to Izek and pulls out his mace looking at him in defiance.
Sandu raised his head at the intrusion. A group of what seemed to be town guards had approached the church and were demanding entry. At least their leading commander was. Sandu focused his gaze. The commander was a most unpleasant man: he had a bald head with an evil grin plastered on his face and a menacing battle axe more fitted for executions than battle in his hand. His right hand. A right hand that was attached to a demonic limb with dirty fingernails and hardened skin.
It was weird. Had he seen the man before? Sandu certainly had not but there was something about that arm that tugged at his memories. He may not have encountered the man before but he was sure he had seen something like him. If only he could remember.
Sandu's heel began tapping, as it often did while he was forcing himself to remember something. The tapping caused his backpack to fall over with a small thud. He nearly picked it up when, peeking out from a small opening at the top, something faded and crinkled caught his eye. A piece of paper with something on it. Something he had not written. Something he had found. He gingerly pulled it out and folded it open.
There is was! Staring at him straight from the paper. A drawing of a bald-headed, scowling man, his left arm a twisted, demonic limb coated with jagged scales. Wait: the left arm? Sandu held the drawing up to compare it with the man shouting near the church's door. Disregarding the childish scribbling, it was an accurate representation of the man. Aside from the left and right arm, that was. Why was that? A question for later Sandu decided. The immediate situation demanded his attention.
'Henrik's dead?'He asked more in disbelief rather than being shocked by the fact. That meant something had gotten to him. Had it been whatever they had heard back at the shop? It must have been. Who or what else had a reason to dispose of the coffin maker? He was a loose end. But it was day now, was it not? So it could not have been one of the women he had seen in the vision, for he was reasonably sure those were vampires by association with Strahd and everyone knows vampires could not move around during the day.
They get hurt by sunlight. Small difference. Sometimes Sandu hated the cold, logical part of his brain. He looked past the contingent of guards. Has the sun actually been out in Barovia? He could not remember. But if the day was no longer a safe time... Sandu did not want to think too much about that. Not now.
'Don't bother reasoning with him, Dormark.'Sandu piped up. His voice was flat and nearly devoid from emotion. 'Bullies like him don't care about due justice: they just want to lord their might over others.'He stood up and lightly patted his trousers to get the blood flowing.
'If we are being accused, then we will speak with the Burgomaster.' Sandu's eyes steeled themselves as he stood his ground besides Dormark. 'Not his flunky.'
"Henrick was suppose to come to the church. Has he not shown up," asks Dormark looking around.
Dormark Calling of Strahd (warforged cleric) 4
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
(Galqarin's Perception: 18)
The father's words made Valerie realizes something. She closes her eyes and expands her awareness trying to sense any false presence on the bones.
Cast: Divine sense
'He what?!'
Sandu looked up from where he was seated. His mind began to process that latest piece of information. Henrik had left the shop but not arrived at the church. There were few options as to why: did he circle around and was now back at his place? Did he hide somewhere to bide his time? Those thoughts painted Henrik as much more a devious man than he had appeared to Sandu. Henrik was scared. Sandu could at least sympathise with that, especially after the vision he had had. It was far more likely that the old man had turned pale and abandoned town. It was what he would have done as well, were he in the coffin maker's shoes.
But it were his own boots Sandu wore and those were now nervously tapping on the church's floor. He addressed Dormark and Valerie before she headed downstairs: 'Should we prepare for...'
He did not know exactly what he was expecting to happen now. 'Trouble?' He finished the sentence. Uncertainty and a tinge of fear permeated the last word.
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
Galqarin's Perception check:
Your eyes scan up and down the street in front of the church. At first, you cannot see much. Your mind races, wondering whether there have been any pursuers from the coffin-maker's shop. But there are none.
Minutes pass and you feel relief wash over your body. However, it is short-lived, a number of people, a mob if you will, are making their way down the street towards the church. They appear to be wearing matching uniforms - you recognise them as the Town Guard. Worse still, the figure leading them you know intimately; for as long as you can remember there has been someone that has dogged every step you have taken, has turned people against you, a man which, if he had his way, would see you hang.
Izek Strazni holds his hands up and points towards the church.
Valerie's Divine Sense:
The bones lay before you, carefully arranged - unobscured by the sack. You hear Father Lucian murmuring to your left, desperately asking the Morning Lord for his blessing.
A thought strikes you, a pang in the back of your mind... You focus on the bones and let your Divine Sense lead you. If you had focused on Father Lucian at this point then you would be able to tell that he is clearly a man of great religious conviction, filled with holy purpose. Instead, a smell assails your senses, sickening you to your core, to the point of feeling nauseous.
More than that, the smell seems to permeate all it touches, spreading like rot. It comes from the bones of St. Andral; clearly, a powerful beast, or demon, has desecrated them.
Sandu - As you finish your sentence you see Baern uncomfortably grip at his warhammer, "Seems like as good a place as any to make a stand." Ioben, at least outwardly, looks cool, calm and collected. "We're not done yet." he says, looking around the large open church hall, "Besides, I reckon this place has stood in defiance to Strahd for a good many years - can't all be down to a few bones."
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
As Galqarin locks eyes with his adversary he momentarily freezes. Ashen faced, he calls breathlessly to the others inside. “Izek come with town guard. Bar the door. I go, lead them away.” As he closes the door and prepares to sprint, he throws a final, quiet, farewell behind him, “Thankyou”.
Valerie nods to Sandu. "Yes. We should prepare for the worst. Though I hope it is just me being paranoid."
In the crypt, after sensing the false from the bones, Valerie quickly takes the bones and puts them back to the sack. She looks around before quietly calls out to the father. "Father! I think we should not put the bones here just yet. As you have said, it has been desecrated and it spread to everything it touched. I am afraid that it cannot defend us any longer... Not until we find a way to remove the curse."
Before Galqarin leaves, Dormark grabs the bugbear. Looking towards the bugbear, gestures toward the stairs and says, "Take Ireena and hide behind the door. We can handle them Galqarin. I don't want you to die for our sakes."
He then stands before the door waiting for the crowd to come to door.
Dormark Calling of Strahd (warforged cleric) 4
"Then stand beside me", says Galqarin resolutely. "Ismark can secure the door".
Dormark nods and stands by Galqarin.
Dormark Calling of Strahd (warforged cleric) 4
Valerie - The Father seems lost in his prayers and barely stirs as you place the bones back in the sack, not acknowledging your words. That is until all the bones have been removed. Father Lucian opens his eyes and looks at you; his eyes look bloodshot and bloody tears begin to streak down his face. When Lucian speaks his voice sounds strained, "Valerie? What is happening? I...". The sentence is cut short as he attempts to stand but instead slumps forward, falling hard on the stone floor.
Dormark, Galqarin & Sandu ((assuming you are standing with your fellow adventurers)) - You hear a muffled confirmation from Ismark as he secures the door to the church from the inside. A number of Towns Guard, totalling six, form a semi-circle around the front of you. "Stand down!" One of them shouts nervously, "By order of the Burgomaster - lay down your weapons!". It is then you see Izek walking into view; his visage is dreadful and fear-inspiring, scars run along his face. Izek's wicked, demonic right-arm is holding a massive battleaxe that he wields menacingly.
Placatingly, Izek waves his human left arm, signalling everyone to calm down. When he speaks it is with a cold and calculated voice, "I believe introductions are in order. My name is Izek Strazni," Izek pauses for effect, "Welcome to Vallaki." He shoots a look towards the Town Guard that spoke, before continuing on, "A crime, most foul, has been committed this morning. A crime that we cannot allow to go... unpunished. You will submit yourselves to my men and I for questioning at the reformation centre. Failure to do so would be... unpleasant."
With a wave of Izek's hand the Town Guard advance on your position - weapons sheathed. He turns to a different guardsman and says under his voice, but audibly, "I heard there was a fourth, a woman in full chainmail - search the church and bring her to me."
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Dormark standing tall says, “I do not remember committing any crime since being in Vallaki. In fact, All I remember doing is helping the town of Vallaki get rid of a fiend. What charges are we being given? What would justify summoning so many guards in one place?”
As the men comes toward the door Dormark turns to them and says, “The people in this church have claimed sanctuary under the Morning lord’s gaze. Interfering in the matters of the church is a great insult to the deity. I would suggest if you are worshipers to not continue your actions.”
Dormark Calling of Strahd (warforged cleric) 4
Dormark - Izek narrows his eyes at you. "What defiance is this?" his voice booms, the guards look around nervously. "Do you mean to say that you did not, this very morning, enter the shop of HENRIK VAN DER VOORT?! Were you not seen battering at his door? Were you then not spotted in a heated discussion with the man? And am I to believe that his battered body and caved-in skull were not your doing?!"
At his point Izek is almost overcome with a fervent fury, "A fiend?! A fiend?! Henrik was a man of Vallaki, a pillar of the community!". He strides over to you, "Why - pray tell - did you feel the need to get rid of him? Is that a confession?!". You see a couple of the guards shift uncomfortably and tighten their grips on their weapons.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
“No I was talking about the orphanage the day before who were being plague by an actual demon. I admit we did seek out Henrick today due to a matter that Father Lucian wanted us to investigate. We believed based on our investigation that Henrick hired a person to steal something from the church. We were at his business to retrieve the item in question. However, there I learned Henrick was under duress to steal the item by another party we told him to the church for his own protection. The last time I saw of Henrick he left for the church, while we went to secure the stolen object. If you want I can cast a spell that makes it impossible to lie if you want to verify my words,” says Dormark.
Dormark Calling of Strahd (warforged cleric) 4
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Realising that Izek has not yet recognised him, Galqarin quickly hatches a plan...maybe not the best plan, but a plan nonetheless.
Doing his best to alter his speech, he says squeakily, "Let me be of ass... ass... help. You see, this is not normal man, he is metal. If we just press here"; like lightning, Galqarin's left hand shoots to the back of Dormark's head, whilst the other gently but very firmly presses on his chest, "he goes to sleep and can be carried".
((Assuming Dormark catches on and goes along with this charade, Galqarin will lower his rigid body to the floor and gesture to the guardsmen to pick him up. Guessing it would take at least four of them to carry him, if not more.))
"Father?... Father!?" Valerie rocks the father a few time and tries to check his pulse.
OOC: (Do I hear the commotion outside?)
Dormark looks at the shaking man with what appears to be a sad solemn look. Then a fire flickers in his eyes as he uses thaumaturgy twice. The ground begins to qauke around Dormark as he yells with magically amplified voice, "To those who are trying to defy the rules of the gods heed me before you step any further. Sanctuary has been called for those who reside in the church. To remove them wouldn't be defying the rules of your burgomaster. It would be defying the rules of every good deity you know. If you still believe in the Morninglord or any other good deity, you should go home and pray for forgiveness from your gods. If you persist in this matter I will stop you from performing this evil. So says I Dormark, cleric of Moradin, the chief deity of the Dwarven gods, for I serve as the tool to prevent the evils in an realm." After saying those he turns to Izek and pulls out his mace looking at him in defiance.
Dormark Calling of Strahd (warforged cleric) 4
Sandu raised his head at the intrusion. A group of what seemed to be town guards had approached the church and were demanding entry. At least their leading commander was. Sandu focused his gaze. The commander was a most unpleasant man: he had a bald head with an evil grin plastered on his face and a menacing battle axe more fitted for executions than battle in his hand. His right hand. A right hand that was attached to a demonic limb with dirty fingernails and hardened skin.
It was weird. Had he seen the man before? Sandu certainly had not but there was something about that arm that tugged at his memories. He may not have encountered the man before but he was sure he had seen something like him. If only he could remember.
Sandu's heel began tapping, as it often did while he was forcing himself to remember something. The tapping caused his backpack to fall over with a small thud. He nearly picked it up when, peeking out from a small opening at the top, something faded and crinkled caught his eye. A piece of paper with something on it. Something he had not written. Something he had found. He gingerly pulled it out and folded it open.
There is was! Staring at him straight from the paper. A drawing of a bald-headed, scowling man, his left arm a twisted, demonic limb coated with jagged scales. Wait: the left arm? Sandu held the drawing up to compare it with the man shouting near the church's door. Disregarding the childish scribbling, it was an accurate representation of the man. Aside from the left and right arm, that was. Why was that? A question for later Sandu decided. The immediate situation demanded his attention.
'Henrik's dead?' He asked more in disbelief rather than being shocked by the fact. That meant something had gotten to him. Had it been whatever they had heard back at the shop? It must have been. Who or what else had a reason to dispose of the coffin maker? He was a loose end. But it was day now, was it not? So it could not have been one of the women he had seen in the vision, for he was reasonably sure those were vampires by association with Strahd and everyone knows vampires could not move around during the day.
They get hurt by sunlight. Small difference. Sometimes Sandu hated the cold, logical part of his brain. He looked past the contingent of guards. Has the sun actually been out in Barovia? He could not remember. But if the day was no longer a safe time... Sandu did not want to think too much about that. Not now.
'Don't bother reasoning with him, Dormark.' Sandu piped up. His voice was flat and nearly devoid from emotion. 'Bullies like him don't care about due justice: they just want to lord their might over others.' He stood up and lightly patted his trousers to get the blood flowing.
'If we are being accused, then we will speak with the Burgomaster.' Sandu's eyes steeled themselves as he stood his ground besides Dormark. 'Not his flunky.'
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Iòlinder Corrach: Half Elf War Cleric - Allansia Adventure
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