"If he's trapped and impaled it sounds like he would escape if he could already," Everlie points out.  "Unless this is a bigger trap and he is but the bait for us..."

Talion stares at the newcomer for a moment. "Good point. I wonder what would use a vampire as bait." He grins. "Guess we'll find out."

“It does sound like a trap.”  Erven says as he hastily bends down and picks up a good sized stick, at least 2 inches in diameter.  He pulls out his sharpest dagger and quickly cuts a section that 1 - 1.5 feet long, begins whittling and sharpening one end, but fast.  “Why else was he pierced in non-critical points?  I’m going to shove this into his heart and end this.”  After he finishes the wooden stake, he puts it in his belt and prepares to creep forward when everyone else is ready.  

     “A stronger vampire,” Everlie answers with eyes narrowed.  He watches as Erven makes himself a stake and considers it a moment, but then looks to his own Greatsword and smiles.  Not been a scrape yet that it didn’t get him through…

Talion snorts as he stifles what would have been a much louder laugh. Again he stares at Everlie. "You're not what I expected."

He keeps moving, "And I really hope you're wrong."

Bertolt stays to the back, watching as they approach the seemingly trapped vampire. "If it goes to attack we must use everything we have to put Doru down."

As you approach where Osgar indicated, you hear a bit of laughter mixed with sobbing.  It's definitely Doru.   His body is broken and he lays half face-down on a couple of broken tree branches.  Surveying the area, it is clear from the claw marks on the trunk of the tree nearby that he scrambled up there and...fell?  The sharp ends of sticks that erupt from a leg and his back were not cut by a blade.  Looking under, you notice the stakes seem forced into the ground.  Doru's rasping voice bubbles around you...

"Finally here, eh?  Just as well.  I couldn't do it, I can't do it myself.  The curse on me is that I haven't even the ability to do the one true act of freedom available to everyone.  She said this would make me stronger, better; that we could change things; that when Tatian was found there would be peace," he spits some blackened blood from his mouth.  "What a joke.  Do you know how many times I have tried to end this?  Begged my father not to listen to me?  Wanted to kill him for what he brought me?  To wither and dry up."  He sighs.  "It's up to you to kill her.  The mage was close, we were so close - I know it.  We needed people like you there...this all would have been different...."   He turns his head to look at you all.  "Can I have it?  I know you have my locket - I can sense it on you from here.  Before you do your duty, for which I am thankful.  I just wanted to see my father again, but she even took care of that.  As I ran, she told me he would never be the same; that she "changed" his mind.  Please, give it here," he opens a hand, "and do what you came to do."

It's silver.

Talion stares at the creature before him, trying to comprehend what would drive him to this. At his darkest and most wretched hour, Talion chose life over death. Looking into Doru's eyes he can see a longing that he hopes never to understand.

He pulls out the locket, and as he does so, his eyes are drawn to Sho. Between them, they represent points on a line: Talion would cling to life no matter the cost; Doru rejected it once and now, again, rejects whatever 'life' he has...and Sho? He sighs as he looks at the enigmatic priest. Sho seems to be stuck in the twilight, drawn to the light but bound to the darkness. Better to live in the twilight than spend all ones days in darkness. He smiles at Sho, then looks down at the locket, opening it.

Holding it in his left hand, he lets it dangle on the end of the chain, as inhuman sounds form in his throat and his hand lights up with otherworldly energy.

"Take it" he says, dangling the open locket within reach of the man's -- he can only think of him as a man now -- mangled body. "And then we will do as you ask."

Doru takes it in his hand and flicks it open.  His eyes lock as he gazes on the pictures of those within. 

"Thank you" Doru says.  There is a sense of genuine thanks in his voice. 

Talion glances to either side at his companions, waiting for Erven to ready the stick that he prepared. His face is set as he struggles to find another, quicker, way of killing the man, but he can't. He hopes Everlie's huge sword and Erven's wooden stick will be merciful.

When the others are ready he launches bolts of energy into the trapped body.

Erven. nods and steps forward, pulling out the stake that he has created.  “May you go to a place of rest, away from this horrible existence.  Sehanine, comfort him for his courage at the end.  Doru, know that we will perform your last wish and destroy that ***** that made you this way.”  With that, Erven plunges the wooden stake into Doru’s heart, hoping to end his misery.

• Bertolt steps forward and looks to the others and then waits for them to finish with the task of ending the poor wretch that was once Doru. He will go about starting to gather deadfall and other flammable material to build a makeshift pyre to burn the body. "Help me burn the remains. This way he won't be used anymore."

     Everlie positions himself behind Doru and in position to strike down upon his neck.  He waits for Erven to strike but he will do so as well once he does, swinging time and again until he separates head from shoulders.  

     As the body burns (if it's not getting ahead of things assuming such,) Everlie tosses the collection of teeth Doru had in the basement onto the flames.  He reaches into a sack and grabs the head of the doll, ready to throw that too into the flames, but hesitates.  Reconsiders.  No... He keeps the doll.

     "The ashes should be spread in a stream or river... to cleanse and disperse the evil," Everlie says quietly.

Talion's blasts rock Doru's body and he stifles a scream, skin peeling and pale flesh burning off.  Bubbles form and still Doru remains silent but for a few clenched groans.  Everlie begins to hack away but it is when Erven plunges the stake in Doru's chest, through the space where his human heart once beat, that Doru stiffens and dies.  Slowly, inexorably, the composition of Doru's body changes.  It wilts and caves in on itself.  After about a minute, where his body once was is an outline of ash.  The amulet that was handed to Doru glints from within a pile of gray ash...

Messy work, that, but you gain more knowledge about vampire spawn and how to destroy them.  There is a feeling of lightness - a sense that you have righted a wrong here.  From somewhere far off, you think you can hear a guttural scream - anger, despair, frustration?  You know not exactly but in spite of it, you feel that it is at least a metaphorical slap in the face of your true foe....

Everlie, the teeth don't burn up when you toss them in.  You could potentially collect the majority of the ashes if you want.  

     "Huh," Everlie says thoughtfully.  "That was tidier than I expected.  That end part at least... Saved us the whole burning the body and all, yes?"

     Everlie does toss the teeth into the ashes, having no need for them.  He sees no reason to gather the ashes at this point as the display seemed quite final.

When Doru is finally dispatched, Talion stares at the body as it withers to dust, his expression unreadable. He waits until it seems to have completed its transformation then lowers his pack and pulls out the tarpaulin he has been carrying. Using his spectral hand he quickly scoops the piles of dust onto the tarpaulin, grumbling all the while about the mess.

Once the task is complete, he puts on his backpack again and lifts the tarpaulin. With a nod to his companions, he takes one step forward then disappears.

A few moments later, he returns without the tarpaulin or its grisly contents. "Strahd will never touch him again -- not even his ashes" he says, with a grim smile.

After a moment he looks in the direction of the road, "Let's get going." He says, hoping that they still have time to catch up with Stanimir.

Bertolt says a quick word before he moves to follow after the other, not wanting to look back towards where they had ended Doru in a rather gruesome fashion. "Let us continue on to our next task."