Baern - The battle appears to be drawing to a close - only a few bats remain.  Aside from a few squeaks from what is left of the swarm of bats there is an eerie silence.  It is your turn.

Baern thinks about pushing through the crowd to strike at the bats, but also feels bad abandoning the coffin.  Still feeling a sense of dread that the nightmare that is Barovia is far from over he hurries back to where he stood before and gets ready to defend Ismark and Ireena's father if necessary.  He does take a moment to look his handaxe up and down quickly one more time, still confused about the magic that just exploded from it.

Move and Dodge Action

Ireena watches as Baern runs back to the coffin and assumes a defensive stance against any further danger.  She runs beside Valerie and attempts to kill the remaining bats currently in close combat with her.

Swiping wildly with her shortsword her first attack sails wide of the swarm, failing to connect.  Her next attack however is made with precision and it slashes through the swarm killing the remaining bats.  "THANK THE MORNING LORD!" she cries before looking around at the group, "Is everyone alright?  Valerie!  You fell?!".

Valerie smiles at Ireena. "Yes. That was not pleasant, but I'm alright, right now." She holds tight to her amulet which has the symbol of Tyr on it, then she looks at Dormark. "Thanks to Torm and also Dormak." She looks at Ireena. "How about you?"

 "THANK THE MORNING LORD!" she cries before looking around at the group, "Is everyone alright?  Valerie!  You fell?!".

"Everyone appears to be alright, but I fear this is not over," Ioben says as he gestures to the houses in the street beyond the dead bats. "Did none of you hear the scream coming from within the building?" 

Ioben nocks another arrow and keeps it trained on the door to the house as the others regroup.

Alder all but snarls as he plants a foot on the dead man, wrenching his axe free. His eyes, almost entirely pupil now, flit around the area, searching the streets and buildings around them for another target. When he speaks it is a rumbling bellow of challenge and coiled rage.

"Is that it? Is that all you've got?"

Baern waits at least ten seconds to see if anything happens while the hairs on the back of his neck still stand up, but eventually suggests "should we get your father there as quickly as we can?"

Ireena looks a bit shaken, "Yes, I - I am alright.  Just a bit shocked by that..." she beckons towards the corpse of the man, "monster."  Ismark steps alongside his sister protectively, "I fear we must get moving, the longer we take to bury our father the more likely we are to be attacked."

After listening to Ioben's words he adds, "Scream?  Are you sure Ioben?  We must get moving and quick.  It'll not be the last time he tries to take..." he cuts himself off before continuing, "to disrupt my father's funeral procession."

Giving her brother a look Ireena yells, "LOOK LIVELY EVERYONE!  It could be more surprises lie head!"

Sandu collected his bearings. He had questions. So many questions. But that would have to wait.

He overheard Ioben and Ireena. 'What now?' He replied back in a dull voice. He took his staff and poked the bats and the dead man to sufficiently convince himself they were indeed dead before he fell in line with the others going forward.

"Do we move forward? Who knows what could be watching us here? At least if we get out of the streets to the church, we can be assured that some place is safe. Can't we?" 

Ioben lowers his bow and prepares to pick up the coffin again once there are enough people to help.

The orange glow left the cleric, as he moves back towards the coffin, but after witnessing the current events he was sure of one thing, and that they been lied to. "Ismark, you know that Strahd is after Ireena," he whispers to the man as we walks back with him to pick up the coffin.

"Everyone appears to be alright, but I fear this is not over," Ioben says as he gestures to the houses in the street beyond the dead bats. "Did none of you hear the scream coming from within the building?" 

Upon hearing what Ioben says, Valerie gets to the center of the street, takes out her amulet and closes her eyes. She begins to say the prayer to her deity and her amulet glows in radiant energy once again. 

Cast: Divine Favor (3/4)

Ioben - Ismark looks despairingly at you, "First thing we bury my father, that is the most pressing matter.  After that I... I have to think about where myself and Ireena can go which is safe.  Maybe Vallaki or Krezk."

Dormark - Ismark gives you a subtle nod and whispers back, "I try not to constantly remind my sister of that fact... he has been relentless."

Funeral March - Interlude

Valerie - As you use Divine Sense you are overwhelmed by a disgusting, pungent odour.  You sense that there are a number of undead creatures moving on your location, quickly.  The evil emanates from a number of places (see the small pink/purple pins above):

• the barrels / crates to the right of the coffin
• the house grating to the left of the coffin
• the house in front to the left (near the body of the fallen 'man')

A sense of foreboding washes over your body as you get the distinct sense that they are waiting to pounce on your location.  You have moments to act before fighting resumes.

((ALL - I have tried to visualise where people would be based on posts - the 4 coffin holders are in position, Valerie and Ireena in the centre of the street, Sandu and Alder near the body of the 'man'.  You will be able to move your positions slightly before combat resumes, should you wish to.))

A wave of nausea rushes through Valerie's stomach. She tries to hold it but the pungent is too strong for her, since this is the first time that she senses such a strong sensation for her divine sense.

She wipes her mouth and gathers herself again feeling a little embrace about what happened. "Erm... Sorry about that. Ioben is right, I sense many of the coming our way. We have to move quick or will be surrounded."

Dormark shakes his head at Ismark, but grabs hold of the coffin. “Let’s moved forward as fast as possible. Let’s try to put some distance between us,” he says trying to move the company forward.

Funeral March - Round #4

Initiative Order

1. Crawling Claw #3 (22)
2. Crawling Claw #6 (20)
3. Baern (18)
4. Ireena (15)
5. Ioben (14)
6. Sandu (14)
7. Valerie (14)
8. Crawling Claw #4 (10)
9. Crawling Claw #5 (10)
10. Strahd Zombie #2 (10)
11. Ismark (9)
12. Alder (6)
13. Crawling Claw #2 (5)
14. Dormark (5)
15. Strahd Zombie #1 (5)
16. Crawling Claw #1 (3)

As Dormark reaches down to pick the coffin from the ground a SMASHING and SPLINTERING of wood can be heard.  The tip-taps grow louder as a number of zombified, dismembered hands come scurrying out of the grating from the house to the immediate left of the party.  Almost in unison a number of the hands burst out of the barrels and crates on the street over the opposite side of the road.

A low, guttural moan echoes over the silence from the street in front - Alder and Sandu watch in horror as a couple of corpse-like figures start attempting to claw there way through the door.  The party, on high alert, act swiftly in meeting the threat.

((ALL - Given the fact that the party had readied themselves for the coming combat, coupled with Valerie's use of Divine Sense to spot any undead enemies, they receive a surprise round prior to the incoming threat; as the 'ambush' of sorts has failed.))

Baern - The reprieve has ended, as Ioben and Valerie had warned it would.  It is time for you to choose whether fight or flight is the correct action now - it is your turn.

"Let's go while we still can!"

Baern bends down to try to lift the casket and is ready to move quickly, pending agreement from the others.

Ireena springs into action, "Move, move, move!".  She levels her hand crossbow at the nearest claws and shoots off a bolt.

The bolt pierces the centre of the claw and it topples limply to the ground.

Ioben - You watch as Ireena kills one of the claws with a single shot.  Baern is shouting for your assistance to move the coffin.  It is your turn to act.