Endur's Expedition to Castle Ravenloft

[Legildur]

"And a fine job that was," Ismark replies with gravelly voice, twirling his drooping moustache with his left hand as he speaks. "But there is some honest work to be be done here now," he adds as he stands up from his seat.

"And when it is done, I would you help you with what you have been doing. For my blade is sharp <taps his sword hilt>, my armor thick <raps his knuckles on the breast of his full plate>, and my heart strong."[sblock=ooc]Someone let me know if my text color clashes.[/sblock]

 

[Rhun]

Skorl nods at Ismark's words. "Your blade welcome. We lost friends at church. Dirk and Nikolai dead. Saw ghosts. Tomorrow go check on Ismark's sister."

Turning, the half-orc looks around for something potent to drink. It had been a long day. Skorl had always been a hard worker, and had experienced long days many times. But there was something different here in this valley. An oppressiveness hung over the place, and the warrior could feel it clawing at him, wearing him down. Some wine or ale was just what he needed.

 

[Legildur]

"...Tomorrow go check on Ismark's sister."

[sblock=ooc]My character's (Ismark the Lesser's) sister??[/sblock]"I pray that she yet lives," says Ismark sadly. "I will be indebted to you to allow me to assist you when you return to the manor."

"If my sister lives, then I may bury my father and then I will seek justice on whomever stole the holy symbol of ravenloft."

 

[Pyrex]

Ashlyn nods in agreement with Skorl's comment, "I pray she has fared better than poor Danovich. It is a great loss that such a good man should be driven to such base acts."

 

[Le Noir Faineant]

Ismark the Lesser adds, "It is unfortuntate that the Village Church is burning down as we speak. Since Alessandra is our new village priest, we will just have to build her a new church. We will probably have to spend all day tomorrow on funeral services. We will start building the new church the day after tomorrow."

"Better pack your bags and leave this cursed place! Inly pain waits for those who remain here."

Dareios staggers into the open door of the Blood on the Vine Tavern, still wearing the wet and blood-stained claok. He must be a horrible sight for everyone.

His longsword still in the hands, he walks over to Skorl, sits next to him on the bar, shouts "Gin!" and henceforth becomes silent, the hood still taping his face...

Dareios will leave the sword drawn next to him and later fade away into uneasy dowsing where he sits. Should anyone comment on the sword he will brusquely answer that his watchdog was slain.

 

[Voadam]

"I'll need a place I can read in peace, I hope to find more answers." Jack will find a place he can sit and read by candlelight.

 

[hafrogman]

Cedric does his best to find a small space to huddle in, surrounded by the crowds of people crammed into the tiny inn. He looks over to the others.

"I wonder if it was Danovich or the book that did all this? Or perhaps he was being controlled by some darker force. I wonder if this is an end, or if more terrors await us here."

[sblock=ooc]Gotta thing for stealing my text color, don'tcha, Leg! I think I'll let it slide this time, given the mortality rate of the campaign, etc etc.[/sblock]

 

[Pyrex]

"Better pack your bags and leave this cursed place! Inly pain waits for those who remain here."

"And where would they go? Their homes, livelyhoods and families are here. If they start fleeing from evil now they will never stop running. Danovich has been stopped, and the curse appears to have been broken. Better to rebuild than leave I'd think."

Ashlyn shakes her head and refills Darios' mug by way of a peace offering, seeing that it's unlikely he'll be drawn into conversation just yet.

 

[Endur]

Jack is unable to find a quiet place in the inn, but he does find a seat near the fireplace and he begins to read Danovich's journal.

The first half of the journal contains only sparse notations, spanning months or years with hardly a word.

In one section, Danovich wrote, "He is cursed, the land is cursed, and we are doomed. He was born long before anyone now living, yet still he rules us. There is a book, the Tome of Strahd, that might shed light on the details of the curse. It is well known that our lord kept meticulous notes from ancient times on all he did or said. Perhaps something could be found there. The Tome of Strahd should have been in Ravenloft's library, but it wasn't there when I searched the library, all I could find was the Liber Blasmpheme. I asked Madam Eva about it, and she mumbled something indecipherable. Why do seers always speak in riddles?"

Another section mentions the former Burgomaster and his daughter Ireena.
"Ireena Kolyana is not the natural daughter of Kolyan Indirovich. Ismark and Ireena never knew, but Kolyan found her one day at the edge of the Svalich Woods near the very foot of Ravenloft's crag. She was but a newborn babe, exposed to the elements. Kolyan adopted her as his own and loved her dearly."

The last portion of the journal goes into greater detail on what happened after Doru died and Danovich chose to read the Liber Blaspheme. The last portion makes Jack uncomfortable, as if something horrible will be revealed if he reads the last few pages.

Does Jack read the final portion of the journal?

 

[industrygothica]

Sitting next to Jack by the fireplace, Willow takes note of the sudden discomfort on his face. "What is it?" she asks.