Ioben approaches the corpse cautiously, keeping his bow raised. Sandu's screams shatter the air and Ioben sees his companion run down the road. Clearly he had seen something Ioben had not. "I'll go get him," he calls out to the rest of the group and heads off after Sandu.

Valerie instinctively draws out her sword and shield as Sandu screams out. "What do you see?"

"Four questions. Who are you? What are you? why were you up there? Are you undead," says Dormark letting the being explain itself, but keeping his mace in easy smacking distance.

"I am Galqarin. Some people say I am monster and try to kill me", he rubs his neck. "They are not very good at it."

Almost as if to punctuate Galqarin's words a loud raven caw sounds out, followed the fluttering of wings.

(Medicine check to see if they are alive or dead and current condition. With guidance.)

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The young, dark haired dwarf moves closer to Dormark and Galqarin and wonders aloud "so, ah, is it a monster?"  "I mean, ah, what are you?  Where are you from?  I'm Baern, by the way."

(I picture Baern as something like this, but with an even more youthful face (and crappier armor, for now!)

"I am Galqarin", Galqarin repeats, with a finality as if to imply that it answers the first question. "I am from... was from... Vallaki."

He shudders, as if repressing a memory. After a short pause he continues, "Too young to remember before Vallaki."

If Galqarin is still down Baern will put away his hand axe and offer a hand up off of the ground.  "Who did this to you?"

Taking the proffered hand, Galqarin pulls himself to his feet. For a man - or whatever - that was until a few minutes hence a corpse swinging from the gallows, he seems in remarkably fine fettle.

He holds up a hand, brow furrowed. "More than handful. Hunters with crossbows looking for missing child, but scared of shadows. I always monster to men. String monster up, they say, no more need to go so far from village."

Dormark's Medicine check:

"I'm sorry, that's terrible.  Are they nicer to you in Vallaki?"

Galqarin looks at Baern as if he is simple. "No. I leave Vallaki. For awhile the Vistani tol... not mind me being monster. But people always same. So I leave again."

Suddenly he looks wistful, "Not all people".

“Well been a bit since I seen a bugbear, last one I met didn’t go so well. You don’t appear seriously injure, how or why I don’t know. I must assume magic was involved or bugbear’s can survive a long time without breathing not sure which is the case,” says Dormark curiously then says, “I hope to assume that you don’t see yourself as a monster. Like I said the last time I encountered a bugbear it didn’t go well, though I heard that you can find even a good goblin on occasion though the are few and far between.”

"Was raised in the orphanage", his eyes linger briefly on Baern, "Was a short boy there too. They buried him in the dung heap to make him grow. Didn't grow him any bigger, he just grew dead."

"I got angry when they called me monster. People afraid. So they put chains on me. After a while I got used to it", he continues, but his eyes belie his words. "They said monsters like me should be dead, and I would be but for important man they called Patron. The one who put me in there. Then one day they just threw me out the gate."

Rubbing the welts on his neck again, "I still live. Strong neck. Bad hangman. Not magic." 

His gaze then takes in the motley group before him, "Who are you? Heard whisper about revenants." Poking a knuckle at the armoured chest before him, he asks curiously, "Are you a revenant?"

Sandu's voice died out faster than he anticipated. Perhaps the surroundings drowned out the sound much faster than usual. Or maybe running and screaming at the same time was not such a good combination. It also did not help that he was not in great physical condition. Sandu paused to lean against a tree to catch his breath. In between deep heaves of air, he turned his head to look back.

He did not see anyone. Sandu did not like that. He considered the possibilities. Was the thing really not dead and the others were now preoccupied with fighting it? Or did he get scared by a mere corpse and they were having a good laugh at his expense? Both options did not sit well with him.

And then there was the actual corpse. It was hairy and ugly and it had those long arms, gruesome fangs and yellow, bestial eyes. There was no mistaking it. While Sandu had never seen one before in the flesh, that thing was a bugbear. But that could not be. It was utter nonsense. Anyone who had lost their milk teeth knew that bugbears were just a scary fable, a made-up story told by grown-ups to frighten children into being good little kids who do not wander outside after dark, make too much noise or steal cookies from the top shelf. Like Susie. Sandu remembered.

And if it was an actual bugbear? Then Barovia was officially a land made out of literal nightmares. Sandu suddenly felt very alone. He slumped against the tree and hugged his knees to his chest. Maybe he should not have run.

Ahead of him Ioben finally saw Sandu come to a stop. “Finally,” he muttered to himself. As he did so, Sandu slumped down beside the tree. “Are you ok?” He called out to his companion. “We really should head back in case the others need us. I mean, I dont even know what that thing was, but I couldn’t have you running off on your own.” Ioben continued to walk toward Sandu as he spoke. 

“No I’m not a revenant, I’m closure to a golem accept I can think, feel, and eat and drink if I feel up to it. Well there is nothing overtly wrong with you from what I can tell, but your welcome to travel with us to make sure your doing alright we are heading to a Vistani camp currently, but our destination after that is Vallaki. First We need to retrieve our rather timid magic caster that ran away. My guess is never got out of the cities much and got scared of your ‘mystical revival’,” says Dormark waving Valerie over he looks down the road Sandu traveled.

“It would be his fortune to run away from apparent danger, only to end up into the thing that will actually get him. Let’s find him quick and get moving. I need to teach him that  running away will more likely get him killed than sticking together,” says Dormark heading done towards the road Sandu went.

"Vistani camp? I was heading there too. I would be pleased to join you, if you would have me."

Sandu - Please can you make a Survival check.