As Dormark begins to walk away. The thoughts of all those people being left to die... What Moradin would think of his actions... What Dormark would think of his actions. He stopos and turns back with almost a look of resignation as he looks at the coming cloud.
"I'm sorry Sandu and church, but I don't think I can abandon those people. If you and these other folk wish to go to the church I won't stop you, but I don't think I can look Moradin in the face, if I turn my back now," Dormark turns to confront the upcoming storm.
(I'm very conflicted at what to do at this point. If we want to fight Dormark will fight. If not, someone needs to convince Dormark to go back to the church. I know I was the one proposing going to the church, but I've no idea what the right thing would be to do at this point. Chalk it up to my play inexperience.)
Dallid sees the cloud coming and looks at Dormark impassively.
“I believe Moradin cares more that you run and save some people than having fought and saved no one. 100 guards… they may not all be dead, but we certainly can’t count on them being alive. People will need a shelter, and the church is more easily defensible than this street. But I’m just assuming, I have no idea who Moradin is.”
Dallid heads after those going to the church, turning to keep an eye on the cloud from time to time.
Pushing back against own base instinct to hide outside the town and away from its vestige of civilisation, Galqarin realises the sense behind the blue stranger's words. Besides which, Ireena's brother is at the church, and he has a bond to look after the woman.
"A church?" Dadeveth says, glancing around with too-wide eyes. "Yes, a church would be perfect..." She turns and looks where the group is moving. She stops to glance to the metal man. "If I were you I'd consider if your god would rather you die here needlessly, doing no good at all, or if they would rather you live and do what you can for those who survive." With that she clomps off after the others, moving towards this church mentioned.
"If ya wanna hang out here for a sense o' duty, that's yer business," says Cerio to Dormark. "Me, I'd rather be under a roof when it's rainin' hell. Let's go, folks!"
Sandu placed his hand on Dormark's shoulder. 'If what the guard said is true, then there is nothing you can do for those people.'He said in a sombre voice. 'Sometimes it's better to' He refrained from calling it running, 'plan a tactical retreat than to hurl yourself headfirst into certain danger.'
His voice took on a more gentle tone. 'If you are an as devout follower of Moradin as you claim, I'm sure he would rather have you fight the good fight without needlessly sacrificing yourself.'
He smiled at the warforged. 'And if he objects, then I will have words with him.'He patted Dormark on the shoulder with friendly affection. Please don't let it come to that. He vehemently prayed.
'Come on, Father Lucian and the others have need of you.' He ran shoulder to shoulder with the cleric back to the church, back to what he hoped was a safe haven against the coming darkness.
Choosing to head towards St. Andral's, you leave the Morning Gate behind. The guard that brought you the grim news gets to his feet wearily and yells after you,"you've got the right of it friends! Vallaki is doomed, get out whilst you can!". He runs down a side street towards the northern Zarovich Gate.
You walk at speed, hoping for the best, down the main street of Vallaki, passing the Arasek Stockyard as you go - what were their names? Gunther and Yelena? Undoubtedly safe within the walls of their stockyard. Leaving the place behind you pass your new shop - was this all Henrik's doing? Greed had claimed his life.
The streets are quiet now, no one is about. Most homes have extinguished their lights. You hear it then, the flapping of wings overhead. Looking up you see an unkindness of ravens soar over you. Damned strange the way the birds act in this land is it not? You are reminded of the dead birds at the Morning Gate. Odd that they would fly towards, rather than from, danger.
All coherent thought leaves you as your mind hones on getting to the church and safety. You run past the Blue Water Inn, no lights are on and the doors are shut. It had been the bravery of Brey that had first warned you of the true nature of the murderer that had plagued Vallaki. What fate would befall the Martikovs? Perhaps more children will join the Orphanage before the night is up.
Minutes pass, each one feeling like an eternity, before the Church of Saint Andral comes into view through the mists. It is as you remember it... The slouching, centuries-old stone church with a bulging steeple and large caved-in doors.
Wait.
That was not how you remembered it. You were pretty sure those doors had been intact earlier when you used them as a barrier to protect the Father from Izek.
Now that you come to think of it, there were also fewer bats.
Hundreds of bats hang from the roof of the church looking like tiny black stalactites.
Overhead you see swirling black shapes, three in total. One of them separates from the group and smashes through the church's stained-glass windows, the sound echoes down the cobbled streets. The sound of fighting can be heard now... it has become all too familiar to you; the sound of metal clashing against metal, of agonised screams, of desperate shouting, and of harsh words.
"Gods..." Vasili murmurs, "it's like they knew we were coming."
Siege of St. Andral's - Round #1 - Initiative Order
Spotting the party approaching the church the two dark, black clouds separate from each other and take up position on either side of the building. Inside you can make out the faint murmur of shouts as well as the sound of sword clashing against sword.
Cerio - One of the clouds swirls in front of you around 60 ft away. You are sure that you can occasionally make out the form of a woman within the mists but it is obscured. Your mind races back to Isolde's warnings of Barovia, of it being a land fraught with horrors. An agonised scream from the church punctuates your thoughts, bringing you back to the moment. It seems like there are innocents trapped inside, the time for fight or flight is now. It is your turn.
Battlemap:
Initiative Order & Symbols:
Cerio - 24 - Light Blue Dagger
Sandu - 22 - Purple Wizard's Hat
Enemy Mist (Right Side)- 21 - Light Orange Bat
Dadeveth - 20 - Light Green Horse
Galqarin - 19 - Dark Blue 'Raven'
Dormark - 19 -Dark Grey 'Robot'
Dallid - 18 -Dark Green Bow & Ferelyon- Small Dark Green Shield
Vasili- 12 - Brown Sword
Enemy Mist (Left Side) - 12 - Light Orange Bat
Ireena - 5 - Pink Heart Book
((The grid on the battlemap is a little hard to see, I'll try and remember to tell you distances. I've switched the map to the lighter version.))
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Cerio screams out a stream of expletives heretofore totally foreign to the realm of Barovia. The filth of the language taints even the foul air indigenous to the native environs. To those unaccustomed to such profanity, the sensation is not unlike having one’s own ears pickled.
"GAAAAAAAH!" He sprints up to the front doors of the church, trying to pry them open! If the door opens, he tries to tuck away out of sight behind the door. ((move and interact with doors..))
((I'll use my Cunning Action feature to attempt to hide as a bonus action: 25))
Darting towards the door, Cerio finds that it has been smashed off its hinges. He enters the church and managed to crouch down, hiding himself away in the shadows.
Surveying the situation in front of him, Cerio sees a muscular aasimar woman dressed in chainmail and a stout dwarven man bravely going toe to toe with a small lady wearing a beautiful evening dress and a skull mask; at a closer look, Cerio can see that the masked woman has blood dripping down from her mouth to her chin, she is currently overpowering the others. At the back of the church, an elderly man in priests robes attempts to shelter himself behind a large stone altar. A number of churchgoers are hiding behind pews, it looks like a few have already been slain.
((The Masked Woman))
The masked woman speaks in a shrill, almost child-like voice. "You will relinquish the Father over to my safe-keeping!"she declares. "Lay down your weapons and you shall not be harmed!"
"Never!" the armour-clad woman shouts, "you shall NEVER take Lucian!"
The masked lady lets out a short, shrill, laugh, "HA! So be it."
Sandu - You remember the words Father Lucian first said to you when you first met him;"... locate the bones and restore them to their resting place... the Church will once more become a safe haven."Looks like the Father had not accounted for their desecration, undoubtedly whatever had been done had rendered the bones useless. You stand and watch as Cerio, one of your new companions, darts through the mists and into the church with little regard for whatever may be waiting on the other side. In the meantime, two dark, ominous clouds, one to your left and one to your right, are enclosing on your position. It is your turn to act.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Sandu watched the one named Cerio take off in a sprint towards the church. The doors were smashed off their hinges and from within the building a shrill, piercing laugh eminated. He desperately did not want to but he recognised the voice. He knew who it belonged to though he had never seen her. An image of a woman, attractive with a high collar dress but a maniacal grin, flashed before his eyes. Volenta, one of Strahd's brides and not one to take lightly.
He had to get into the church. The bones of Saint Andral might be their only hope. They might have the numbers' advantage, at first glance, but if it truly was Volenta, then home field advantage and, he shuddered, whatever Strahd would have turned her into would cancel that out hard. Sandu ran up to the entrace, stopping just outside the threshold of the church. Peering inside he could see Valerie and Baern locked in combat with a masked woman. Is that Volenta? He could not see much else of the church interior but Sandu did spot Father Lucian seek refuge behind the stone altar.
'Father Lucian!'Sandu shouted. 'You need to sanctify the bones. We'll hold them off. Hurry!'
He locked his sight on the woman fighting with Valerie and Baern. It did not look good. The memory of the animated armour fresh in his mind, Sandu opted for the same strategy to heap everything they had onto the enemy. One hand grasped the silver raven icon beneath his shirt and the other was outstretched with the palm aimed at the masked woman. 'Pleacã!'The foreign word conjured forth a bolt of purplish energy that streaked towards the masked woman, a trail of pale green light flittering in its wake.
Move: 6 spaces up to the entrance of the church Action: Attack with Eldritch Blast23 Damage: 10
Leaving this here in case it comes up.
Among the Dead
You learn the spare the dying cantrip, which counts as a warlock cantrip for you. You also have advantage on saving throws against any disease. If an undead targets you directly with an attack or spell, that creature must make a WIS saving throw (DC 15). On failure, they must choose a new target or waste the attack or spell. On success or if you target the creature with an attack or spell, the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours.
As Dormark begins to walk away. The thoughts of all those people being left to die... What Moradin would think of his actions... What Dormark would think of his actions. He stopos and turns back with almost a look of resignation as he looks at the coming cloud.
"I'm sorry Sandu and church, but I don't think I can abandon those people. If you and these other folk wish to go to the church I won't stop you, but I don't think I can look Moradin in the face, if I turn my back now," Dormark turns to confront the upcoming storm.
(I'm very conflicted at what to do at this point. If we want to fight Dormark will fight. If not, someone needs to convince Dormark to go back to the church. I know I was the one proposing going to the church, but I've no idea what the right thing would be to do at this point. Chalk it up to my play inexperience.)
Dormark Calling of Strahd (warforged cleric) 4
Dallid sees the cloud coming and looks at Dormark impassively.
“I believe Moradin cares more that you run and save some people than having fought and saved no one. 100 guards… they may not all be dead, but we certainly can’t count on them being alive. People will need a shelter, and the church is more easily defensible than this street. But I’m just assuming, I have no idea who Moradin is.”
Dallid heads after those going to the church, turning to keep an eye on the cloud from time to time.
Paladin - warforged - orange
Pushing back against own base instinct to hide outside the town and away from its vestige of civilisation, Galqarin realises the sense behind the blue stranger's words. Besides which, Ireena's brother is at the church, and he has a bond to look after the woman.
"A church?" Dadeveth says, glancing around with too-wide eyes. "Yes, a church would be perfect..." She turns and looks where the group is moving. She stops to glance to the metal man. "If I were you I'd consider if your god would rather you die here needlessly, doing no good at all, or if they would rather you live and do what you can for those who survive." With that she clomps off after the others, moving towards this church mentioned.
"If ya wanna hang out here for a sense o' duty, that's yer business," says Cerio to Dormark. "Me, I'd rather be under a roof when it's rainin' hell. Let's go, folks!"
Dormark looking back at the coming wave begins to follow the group. The uncertainty gnawing away at him.
Dormark Calling of Strahd (warforged cleric) 4
Sandu placed his hand on Dormark's shoulder. 'If what the guard said is true, then there is nothing you can do for those people.' He said in a sombre voice. 'Sometimes it's better to' He refrained from calling it running, 'plan a tactical retreat than to hurl yourself headfirst into certain danger.'
His voice took on a more gentle tone. 'If you are an as devout follower of Moradin as you claim, I'm sure he would rather have you fight the good fight without needlessly sacrificing yourself.'
He smiled at the warforged. 'And if he objects, then I will have words with him.' He patted Dormark on the shoulder with friendly affection. Please don't let it come to that. He vehemently prayed.
'Come on, Father Lucian and the others have need of you.' He ran shoulder to shoulder with the cleric back to the church, back to what he hoped was a safe haven against the coming darkness.
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
Night - Day 6 - St. Andral's Church
Choosing to head towards St. Andral's, you leave the Morning Gate behind. The guard that brought you the grim news gets to his feet wearily and yells after you, "you've got the right of it friends! Vallaki is doomed, get out whilst you can!". He runs down a side street towards the northern Zarovich Gate.
You walk at speed, hoping for the best, down the main street of Vallaki, passing the Arasek Stockyard as you go - what were their names? Gunther and Yelena? Undoubtedly safe within the walls of their stockyard. Leaving the place behind you pass your new shop - was this all Henrik's doing? Greed had claimed his life.
The streets are quiet now, no one is about. Most homes have extinguished their lights. You hear it then, the flapping of wings overhead. Looking up you see an unkindness of ravens soar over you. Damned strange the way the birds act in this land is it not? You are reminded of the dead birds at the Morning Gate. Odd that they would fly towards, rather than from, danger.
All coherent thought leaves you as your mind hones on getting to the church and safety. You run past the Blue Water Inn, no lights are on and the doors are shut. It had been the bravery of Brey that had first warned you of the true nature of the murderer that had plagued Vallaki. What fate would befall the Martikovs? Perhaps more children will join the Orphanage before the night is up.
Minutes pass, each one feeling like an eternity, before the Church of Saint Andral comes into view through the mists. It is as you remember it... The slouching, centuries-old stone church with a bulging steeple and large caved-in doors.
Wait.
That was not how you remembered it. You were pretty sure those doors had been intact earlier when you used them as a barrier to protect the Father from Izek.
Now that you come to think of it, there were also fewer bats.
Hundreds of bats hang from the roof of the church looking like tiny black stalactites.
Overhead you see swirling black shapes, three in total. One of them separates from the group and smashes through the church's stained-glass windows, the sound echoes down the cobbled streets. The sound of fighting can be heard now... it has become all too familiar to you; the sound of metal clashing against metal, of agonised screams, of desperate shouting, and of harsh words.
"Gods..." Vasili murmurs, "it's like they knew we were coming."
ALL - Please roll initiative.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Dallid initiative 18
Paladin - warforged - orange
DM Rolls ((no peeking!)):
Party:
Ex-Party (adding after the first round):
No Hopers:
Nasties:
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Initiative 4
The crits keep coming ^^
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
((Just as long as you get them all out of your system now! XD))
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Cerio initiative: 24
Dadeveth pulls up, staring at the destruction ahead.
Initiative: 9
“No No …. Straaaaaaaahhhhhhdddddd,” yells the angry Warforge.
initiative: 17
Dormark Calling of Strahd (warforged cleric) 4
Galqarin remains silent, his face inscrutable behind his mask, but his body tenses like a coiled spring.
(Initiative rolled in campaign log: 19)
Siege of St. Andral's - Round #1 - Initiative Order
Spotting the party approaching the church the two dark, black clouds separate from each other and take up position on either side of the building. Inside you can make out the faint murmur of shouts as well as the sound of sword clashing against sword.
Cerio - One of the clouds swirls in front of you around 60 ft away. You are sure that you can occasionally make out the form of a woman within the mists but it is obscured. Your mind races back to Isolde's warnings of Barovia, of it being a land fraught with horrors. An agonised scream from the church punctuates your thoughts, bringing you back to the moment. It seems like there are innocents trapped inside, the time for fight or flight is now. It is your turn.
Battlemap:
Initiative Order & Symbols:
((The grid on the battlemap is a little hard to see, I'll try and remember to tell you distances. I've switched the map to the lighter version.))
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Cerio screams out a stream of expletives heretofore totally foreign to the realm of Barovia. The filth of the language taints even the foul air indigenous to the native environs. To those unaccustomed to such profanity, the sensation is not unlike having one’s own ears pickled.
"GAAAAAAAH!" He sprints up to the front doors of the church, trying to pry them open! If the door opens, he tries to tuck away out of sight behind the door. ((move and interact with doors..))
((I'll use my Cunning Action feature to attempt to hide as a bonus action: 25))
Siege of St. Andral's - Round #1 - Cerio's Turn
Darting towards the door, Cerio finds that it has been smashed off its hinges. He enters the church and managed to crouch down, hiding himself away in the shadows.
Surveying the situation in front of him, Cerio sees a muscular aasimar woman dressed in chainmail and a stout dwarven man bravely going toe to toe with a small lady wearing a beautiful evening dress and a skull mask; at a closer look, Cerio can see that the masked woman has blood dripping down from her mouth to her chin, she is currently overpowering the others. At the back of the church, an elderly man in priests robes attempts to shelter himself behind a large stone altar. A number of churchgoers are hiding behind pews, it looks like a few have already been slain.
The masked woman speaks in a shrill, almost child-like voice. "You will relinquish the Father over to my safe-keeping!" she declares. "Lay down your weapons and you shall not be harmed!"
"Never!" the armour-clad woman shouts, "you shall NEVER take Lucian!"
The masked lady lets out a short, shrill, laugh, "HA! So be it."
Sandu - You remember the words Father Lucian first said to you when you first met him; "... locate the bones and restore them to their resting place... the Church will once more become a safe haven." Looks like the Father had not accounted for their desecration, undoubtedly whatever had been done had rendered the bones useless. You stand and watch as Cerio, one of your new companions, darts through the mists and into the church with little regard for whatever may be waiting on the other side. In the meantime, two dark, ominous clouds, one to your left and one to your right, are enclosing on your position. It is your turn to act.
Battlemap:
Additional Symbols:
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Sandu watched the one named Cerio take off in a sprint towards the church. The doors were smashed off their hinges and from within the building a shrill, piercing laugh eminated. He desperately did not want to but he recognised the voice. He knew who it belonged to though he had never seen her. An image of a woman, attractive with a high collar dress but a maniacal grin, flashed before his eyes. Volenta, one of Strahd's brides and not one to take lightly.
He had to get into the church. The bones of Saint Andral might be their only hope. They might have the numbers' advantage, at first glance, but if it truly was Volenta, then home field advantage and, he shuddered, whatever Strahd would have turned her into would cancel that out hard. Sandu ran up to the entrace, stopping just outside the threshold of the church. Peering inside he could see Valerie and Baern locked in combat with a masked woman. Is that Volenta? He could not see much else of the church interior but Sandu did spot Father Lucian seek refuge behind the stone altar.
'Father Lucian!' Sandu shouted. 'You need to sanctify the bones. We'll hold them off. Hurry!'
He locked his sight on the woman fighting with Valerie and Baern. It did not look good. The memory of the animated armour fresh in his mind, Sandu opted for the same strategy to heap everything they had onto the enemy. One hand grasped the silver raven icon beneath his shirt and the other was outstretched with the palm aimed at the masked woman. 'Pleacã!' The foreign word conjured forth a bolt of purplish energy that streaked towards the masked woman, a trail of pale green light flittering in its wake.
Move: 6 spaces up to the entrance of the church
Action: Attack with Eldritch Blast 23 Damage: 10
Leaving this here in case it comes up.
You learn the spare the dying cantrip, which counts as a warlock cantrip for you. You also have advantage on saving throws against any disease. If an undead targets you directly with an attack or spell, that creature must make a WIS saving throw (DC 15). On failure, they must choose a new target or waste the attack or spell. On success or if you target the creature with an attack or spell, the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours.
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