Martha walks up and knocks, “Hello? Is the Burgomaster here? We received a letter about you needing help.”

Lilitu holding Loo Loo stands just behind Martha, tugging at Martha's clothes whimpering and whining, "MARTHA, MARTH, MARTHA, you forgot to mention the scones, tell them we are here to eat the scones... oh and the tea, cannot have scones without tea... earl grey... tell them about the tea too!!!"

Briella leaves the house, not noticing Kia's presence, and returns to the group. She is shaking slightly, her hood is drawn up covering most of her face, and her hands are still clasping Briarfang's fur. She lets out a few shaky breaths to try and compose herself.

A female voice answers though the closed door.

”State your business! Who are you? How do I know you are not in league with...HIM?”

“Oh well I’m Martha, and like I said, we’re here cause the burgomaster sent us a letter. Also, Him? Cold? Brooding? Possibly monster? If that’s who you’re talking about, we just killed his wolf. So if you could open the door for us that’d be great!”

The door opens, and you are greeted by a young woman in her 20s. She lets you in, reluctantly.

The interior of the house is well furnished, although the fixtures show sign of considerable wear. Obvious oddities are the boarded-up windows and the overuse of  holy symbols in every room.

The Burgomaster is in a side drawing room - dead. He is lying in a room that is dark, despite the candles burning in his honor. The stench in the house is horrible.

”I am Ireena Kolyana. Forgive my suspicions. This is my father, the Burgomaster. He has been dead for 10 days. I doubt he wrote any letters recently. And dont worry. Strahd has many pets to torment you. He has been assaulting this house for years. His attacks stopped when my father died...”

“Oh. I’m so sorry. You have my condolences. Bors, you have the letters, right?” Martha says after she gives a silent blessing toward the late burgomaster.

Lilitu looks about the house somewhat impressed by it all, looking at the dead Burgomaster she cannot help but wonder if Ireena here is going to allow Grishkar's friends to come inside the house and join the fun or if she will permit the necromancer to wake up her father for a playdate with his minions... perhaps something like that is off the table. Lilitu giggles, "yes Loo Loo, I thought that last part was funny too." Then suddenly Lilitu notices something vital is missing... and cries out, "MARTHA, MARTHA, MARTHA, I most certainly do not see any scones... ask her where the scones are... you promised me scones, yes you did. If I would have known there would be no scones I would have dragged the dead wolf with us and cooked it right up, yes indeed!"

“Well of course you don’t see the scones, they're invisible, you’ll need Looloo’s help to find them.” Martha says with a smile.

Lilitu eyes narrow fixing on Martha's gaze as she offers her a creepy smile, "yes, true but Loo Loo can make them visible and she wants you to enjoy a reward for being so kind to me, to us and take the first big bite! If you don't then that will show us that you are not really our friend but just pretending."

With that Lilitu reaches inside her pack and pulls out a freshly picked (from outside in the street) a road apple scone and holds it up close to Martha's mouth, "here you go... come on just take one big bite." Lilitu's eyes grow wide as she waits with anticipation and giggles.

Grishkar stalks up to the door of the manor, impressed by the blighted scenery. At the doorway, a sense of wrong fell and Grishkar felt a trepidation. "Guard the door," he hisses to his servants and they stay a good distance away. Upon entering, the entire house seems...blurred. It was too clear to be fog or darkness, but everything lacked definition or permanence. It was almost like stepping into a fleeting, lucid dream. Whatever was happening, it made Grishkar uncomfortable and angry three times over.

Briella watches the exchange between Grishkar and his guards. She follows behind him as he steps into the house,guiding her wolf along with her.

"Grishkar, is something wrong? You seem upset."

"Yes, I have the letters right here. You have my condolences milady. Is this your father's handwriting?" Bors  presents the letters and after he answer moves to inspect the burgomaster's  body in an attempt to figure out what happened to him.

Lilitu seeing Bors go to examine the dead body gets rather excited and slams the road apple into Martha's hand, "here hold this for me," and rushes off to join Bors, watching him examine the corpse with keen interest. She gives it the once over wanting to please him with a possible second opinion.

Medicine 18

She giggles, "it is my humble opinion that he is dead... not just a little bit dead but card-carrying mostly dead, did you want to go through his pockets or did you want me to take care of it?" She looks up at him offering him a sweet helpful smile...

NEW ALLY:

IREENA KOLYANA (FIGHTER 4)

Ireena gives a wary glance to Grishkar - about to ask a few questions, but decides against it. She takes the letters from Bors. "Thank you.." She says.

She reads the letters, and a frown crosses her face. "This is not my fathers handwriting. Where did you find these? Well. No matter. The situation seems clear. Come. There is much to discuss."

She leads you to a sitting room and begins to explain. "I am a troubled woman. Over a short amount of time, I have been bitten twice by a creature called a Vampry." She pulls on her collar and you see two very evident bruising from where she has been bit. "The townspeople here in Barovia are scared of me, avoid me, and do not talk to me. I have the notion that you are my only hope for protection, and that, for some reason, fate has brought us here, together, tonight. What the vampyr wants with me, I have no idea. I have no memory of how I came to this land, no memory other than living in this house since he found me. My father adopted me when I was a little child, and I loved him dearly. I am by no means a hapless woman. I can take care of myself, but in this particular case, I do implore your assistance. Each night the wolves, zombies, and horrible other undead attack the town. Since my father has died, they do not attack this house any longer. So, you are safe here for the moment."

QUEST: BURY THE BURGOMASTER

Ireena continues describing her situation. "My brother, Ismark, and I have not been able to leave the house to bury my father. Up the street is a church and cemetery. I beg you to put his body to rest there. Then, I will tell you the rest of my story."

Ireena hands Lilitu a scone. "Here. Take this. Leave my father alone, please. I assure you, his pockets are empty."

Lilitu eyes grow wide as she looks at the scone and snatches it away and ravenously eats it, and looks up at Ireena, "thank you... you are very kind, very kind indeed. Loo Loo and I are not afraid, we will help to bury your father and put him to rest." 

Kia has stayed quiet and in the background as we meet Ireena. Her tail is calm, only drifting from side to side. But at this she speaks up. 

“Will we wait for morning to bury your father?” She asks respectfully. 

"Oh my, you're a hungry one, aren't you. And yes. We leave in the morning." Ireena says "To leave in the night, now, would be suicide."

In game terms, you all take a long rest, and awake the next morning to undergo the quest, unless someone has something to add.

While Lilitu isn’t looking, Martha passes the scone to Briarfang. “A Vampyre? Interesting. Pardon my bluntness, but did he have a hand in your late father’s death?”