Leann nods, pushing her long blond braid back behind her shoulder as they start across town. Her sky-blue eyes watch every shadow, not trusting that this place is any different than others in this land, oftimes beuty hides more than ugly does after all.

((There is about half an hour until th sun completely disappears.))

You follow the main street for about half a mile, passing houses left and right until you come to the town square. The shops and homes that enclose the town square are decorated with limp, tattered garlands and painted wooden boxes filled with tiny, dead flowers. At the north end of the square stands a row of stocks, locked in which are several men, women, and children wearing crude, plaster donkey heads.

In the center of the square, peasants in patch work clothes eye you suspiciously as they use cups and vases to draw water from a crumbling stone mountain. Standing tall at the center of the fountain is a gray statue of an impressive man facing west. All around the squares are posted proclamations:

Come 1, come all, 

To the greatest celebration of the year:

THE WOLF'S HEAD JAMBOREE!

Attendance and children required.

Pikes will be provided.

ALL WILL BE WELL!

~ The Baron ~

A few lamplighters come into the town square and being fire to the street lamps that shed light upon your surroundings. As you pass through, you see two men in guard uniforms. One of them begins tearing down the proclamations and replacing them with another as people begin to hear home:

COME ONE, COME ALL!

To the greatest celebration of the year:

THE FESTIVAL OF THE BLAZING SUN!

Attendance and children required.

Rain or shine.

ALL WILL BE WELL!

~ The Baron ~

You continue onwards for another half a mile when you come to a church building similar in design to the one in Barovia. This slouching, centuries old stone church has a bulging steeple in the back end walls lined with cracked , stained glass windows depicting pious saints. A fence of wrought iron closes a garden of gravestone's next to the church. A thin mist creeps among the graves. You see a brawny lad with a furrowed brow digging amongst the graves, and he stops and stairs at you with a perpetual scowl as you enter. The doors open to reveal a 10' wide, 20' long hall leading to a brightly lit chapel. The hall is unlit and smells of incense. 4 doors, 2 on each side of the hall, lead to adjacent chambers. You can see the main chapel has 5 adults and 7 children huddled in small groups along the benches or laying on the floor with flat pillows and tattered blankets. You can see a man dressed in worn clerical robes emblazoned with a symbol of a white sun standing at the pew and saying to the congregation in a soothing tone, "-be safe from the darkness when you turn to the light. No shadows can abide in the light." He cuts off when the door opens. He turns to a young boy standing at attention nearby and says something to him. The boy nods and scampers up to the pew and continues reading from a bible to the congregation. The priest makes his way to the party and asks with a worried expression as he gestures towards Alev, "What happened?" 

 The priest looks to be in his fourties. His thinning black hair has streaks of gray running through it, and he has thick mutton chops along the sides of his face. He eyes are a pale green, and he look tired but calm. A golden amulet in the form of a sun dangles across his dark gray robes.

Leann gives the man a solem bow of respect. She nods to the bird-man. "Our friend here was bitten." She says, keeping her voice low enough so that the priest is the only one who can hear. "By a wolf... It was not a normal wolf though." She holds the priest's eyes as she takes his measure. "Can you aid him?"

Sergei would like to try to recall what he can about this man’s religion, based on the cues of his medallion and the passage of scripture he heard citing imagery of light vs darkness/shadow

religion check 5

Pulling some items out of his pack, and holding forth the Ivory and silver brushes, Skip murmurs “This and a platinum amulet to pay for your help....and discretion”

At Leann's words, the priest throws a furtive look at the congregation behind him to see if they heard. He turns back to the party and says quietly, "Bring him in here." He pushes open one of the doors with squealing hinges and walks inside while saying to Skip, "I don't need payment. Helping him is enough payment for me." You can see that this austere room is about 15 foot by 15 foot. A small bed lies in the corner and has wolf fur atop it for blankets. A small small, battered wardrobe rests in the corner, and a large, clear vase filled with dried plants is atop it. He gestures for Rudick to put Alev on the bed as he reaches up and gathers the plants. A few withered leaves fall from the bushel as he whispers a few words to the plants. You watch as the plants suddenly become revitalized, withered stalks becoming green and full of life. A fresh herbal scent fills the air as he places the herbs next to Alev, and he says as he goes back to the wardrobe to gather a few more supplies, "I've had that wolfbane for a long time now. It's about time I use it." He comes back with various herbs and liquids in beakers with a few clerical implements mixed among them. After he sets them on the bed as well, he straightens up and says, "I will be working with him all through the night. If you want to stay here, you can sleep in the chapel with the others. If you don't want to do that, you can go to the Blue Water Inn." He gives a weak smile and says, "May the Morninglord light your path."

Sergei, calling back on your childhood, you remember briefly learning about Lathander, the God of Light, Birth, Redemption, and Joy. You recall that the tenets of Lathander include helping others to embrace the goodness of life, calling others to repent, becoming better people, and resisting darkness in all its forms. You think the the Morninglord might be another name for Lathander."

Waking up, Alev opens his eyes as he smells the herbs around him and tries to talk, still out of it. "...Is that the cure? Do I eat it or what?"

“I’ll be staying here” skip whispers quietly, looking to the rest of the group. Although scared for his friend, he fingers the silver short sword, looking at the rest of the group

Rudick grunts. "The same goes for me. I will stay here as well... least my countenance prove more an issue in finding a proper room." He looks to the priest. "With your blessings, of course, and my thanks... Though, regarding another matter, I would ask something else as well." He pauses briefly for the go ahead, before then curtly nodding and making some offhanded gesture to the doors. "Those people in the stocks int he center of town... do you know what crimes they committed to be put on display in such garish head pieces? Or if not that, are festivities here truly so frequent? I won't ask you forgiveness for being so blunt, for it's the only one can be. But, it seems highly unusual given the state of these lands."

Sergei nods to himself. Good questions.

He smiles at the priest and says, "I'll stay here in the church, as well. You are a good and kind soul, Father.....?" (asking for his name)

"Looks like we are all staying." Leann says, giving the priest a nod of respect. "You have my thanks for your aid here." She tells him, then moves out of the room and takes up a position outside the door. Pulling her blond braid over her shoulder, she lets the pale strands flow down the front of her chain mail. Glancing to the others, with her pale blue eyes, she gives them a nod. "Get some rest, I'll take first watch here. Who should I wake up for second?" She adjusts the sword at her waist, angling it so it does not scrape the wall as she leans her back against it, just to one side of the door.

The priest says, "My name is Lucian Petrovich." A look of understanding dawns on his face as he says, "You all must be outsiders." He pauses a bit before saying, "The people were arrested by orders of the Burgomaster because they were accused of 'malicious unhappiness.' He pauses for a moment as a look of extreme tiredness comes across his face. "The Burgomaster forces the town to have a holiday every week so everyone can be happy. He believes that happiness will drive away Strahd, but everyone is so tired of the festivals." He smiles weakly as he says, "I'll see you tomorrow." With that, he closes the door, and the party is left in the hallway. Where does the party sleep?

((Everyone is now level four))

“I’ll take the second” Skip says.
He finds a spot underneath a pew, pulls his cloak about him, and places his small pack down. 
before he goes to sleep though, he finds a brass brazier in the church. He sprinkles in some charcoal and herbs, and spends an hour meditating over the fumes. He pictures an owl, swooping down on small prey, gliding through the night sky, its range of vision, imagines it swooping down to land on his outstretched hand.........

.......as he opens his eyes, he sees a tawny owl perched on the pew above his pack. He smiles under his hood, amazed that he had managed to summon this familiar. He gently walks over to it, lest he spoon the animal in some way....no, not an animal his inner gnome senses tell him.....a celestial familiar, bonded to him. He puts forth his hand and the owl glides over to it and perches there.....

”Hello there Nook” he whispers to it. With that, his owl Nook perched back on the pew, skip climbs underneath into the shadows there, puts his head down on his small pack, wraps his cloak about him, and falls into a deep and exhausted sleep

Assuming that he's left feeling better after taking the herbs, Alev falls sleep right there and then. He dreams back to his childhood, of sleeping inside rusted birdcages and on rainy rooftops, and he melts into the warm of the wolf fur blankets.

Feeling a shiver of arcane magic rush through him, he softly chirps as he goes back to sleep.

As Leann stands guard outside of the room where her bird-man companion sleeps, she thinks back over the past few days in this cursed land. Her convictions harden and she whispers words out loud...

"I vow to kindle the Light. Through my acts of mercy, kindness, and forgiveness, I will kindle the light of hope in the world, beating back despair." She narrows her eyes as she looks over the rows of pews where people lay sleeping. "I vow to shelter the Light. Where there is good, beauty, love, and laughter in the world, I will stand against the wickedness that would swallow it. Where life flourishes, I will stand against the forces that would render it barren." Her eyes focus more on the air in front of herself then, thoughts turning inward. "I vow to preserve my Own Light. I will Delight in song and laughter, in beauty and art. If I allow the light to die in my own heart, I can’t preserve it in the world." She straightens up, pushing off the wall she had been leaning on, and then brushes her long braid of blond hair behind her as she stands straight and proud. "I vow to be the Light. to Be a glorious beacon for all who live in despair. I will let the light of my joy and courage shine forth in all my deeds."

As she speaks the weight of her oath settles on her. It does not bow her down though, but strengthens her resolve and faith. The symbol on her shield glows brightly in the church, where it leans on the wall next to her.

 (Woot woot! Level 4 baby!)

Rudick cannot help but give the priest an 'Are you serious?' sort of look upon having his question answered, before then bowing his head and shaking it disbelief. "What a strange man this Burgomaster... Hmph.. Guess I won't be walking around without a helmet any time soon." He commented, sighed, and then regarded the others. "Third will be mine. Rest well, and-.." He catches himself, looking to whatever godly iconography is around, before snorting and repeating "Rest Well" under his breath while walking away.

Eventually, the Orc finds his way to corner of the main room to rest in the meantime. Though, he only allows himself to get so comfortable however, having enough sense to go full Orc about things. As went about do some last minute maintenance upon his gear, a thought unprovoked by any conscious comes to him. Before long, Rudick becomes immersed in some ritual of his own that has him shifting and feeling out his old suit of chain mail, only to scribble in charcoal on the under side of his shield. With every line written or small symbol made they faintly begin to glow.

And soon the same began to happen with the mail as well until it began to resemble more like a bundles of molten metal that -- to Rudick's touch at least -- could be manipulated like strands of fabric. The more he tugged and layered and twist the strange material, the more the Orc became lost in the trance of reforging, his eyes eventually like glowing pits forge until the work is done. Blinking back tears at the end of the hour, what Rudick comes to see is a set of finely cared for and made smith's tools inlaid in its own leather bound casing of sorts.

And though confused and even fearful for a moment, that quickly gave way to elation and peace, as he come to intrinsically understand the gift. Come tomorrow morning, what little can be done without a forge to adjust the Half-Plate, Rudick would do so with an uncommon gusto, whistling an almost joyful sounding tune all the while.

Assuming of course nothing that next morning ruins that...

---> Used Channel Divinity - Artisan's Blessing to sacrifice his old chain mail in order to make Smith's Tools.
(Technically the metal's value is meant to be equal to the item being created, but hoping a greater value of the sacrifice will be fine and just make the tools more higher quality to match)

Sergei has fitful dreams.

He found himself in the chapel of this church, sitting on one of the benches, while the priest Lucian Petrovich gave a sermon. He was preaching about keeping the soul pure and unstained from demonic influences. Sergei felt uneasy and looked around, and saw the the other congregants all wore the face of his demonic patron. These faces were all turned towards him, staring expressionlessly, eyes unfathomable, for once not laughing or taunting.

"Turn away from the fiendish light of the Hells Below, turn towards the True Light of Lathandar, only then can your soul be safe..."

As Lucian Petrovich continued, he began to glow with a white light. Then the demonic faces of the other congregants turned towards the priest with snarling expressions, and they all stood and thrust their arms forward towards the priest. Out shot beams of black fire, smashing the altar and other paraphernalia of the church, but missing the priest, until a beam burst out from Sergei himself, striking the priest square in the chest, and the priest collapsed, and his light winked out....

Then the other congregants congratulated Sergei, each clapping him on the shoulder in turn and smiling at him. He felt dark energies enter him with the touch of each one.

Alev, as you languish in the bed, you faintly feel someone feeding you bitter herbs and hear half-remembered holy phrases. After about an hour of this, a small ball of warmth in your chest suddenly expands, and you feel the pain and sickness code from your body. The sweet bliss of sleep takes you. 

You find yourself perched atop your favorite rooftop in your hometown. The sky overhead is smothered with black and gray stormclouds. Everything you can see is draped in gloom and shadows, the rooftops a dark version of themselves. The city around you is utterly devoid of sound. No wind, no voices, no birds chirping. The streets are empty of the usual people milling about. Suddenly, you become aware of a presence behind you. You turn, and standing on the ridge of the rooftop behind you is Strahd. His features are veiled by darkness, but you can clearly see his mouth curve upwards into a predatory and cruel mockery of a smile. You watch as the lips form words, but his voice comes from all around you, encircling you in its cold embrace, "What does life mean to you, Alev? Is it an adventurous game full of laughter and fun? No, it isn't. Life is a cruel mistress that destroys all she touches. Your expectations, your hopes... your love." He pauses a moment before stepping out from the shadows and revealing himself. He wears fine purple clothing fit for a lord, and a cape the color of blood is draped across his shoulders. His skin is the color of alabaster, and his long hair the color of a raven's plumage. His cold, scornful eyes glare down upon you as he says, "I would like to extend an invitation for you and your companions to meet me at my castle. There, we can discuss important matters."

"...Why should I go, or anyone else for that matter?" Alev asks, on edge. He's not sure if this is just a dream or not, but something tells him it isn't. "An invitation... That sounds like a trap. If we go to the castle, what will keep you to kill us all as soon a we go inside? I'm young, not dumb."

A cruel smirk comes across his face as he says coldly, "Have it your way then." With a start, you suddenly awaken. You find yourself in a room nestled in wolf fur blankets atop a bed. A wardrobe rest in a corner, and slumped against a wall is a man in gray robes. His head is bowed, and he is snoring slightly.

Everyone else awakens as the sound of a church bell is struck. It's doleful tones echo across the town six times, and each strike of the bell causes the floor you are upon to resonate in unison with the sound. Looking over, behind the podium, the lad you saw last night in the graveyard is tugging mightily on a rope dangling from the ceiling. His shovel leans up against the wall near him. After he rings the bell six times, he grabs his shovel and exits the church through a side door. The townsfolk who slept in the church also begin to rouse from their slumber.

((Any tips on how I can improve as DM?))