Ravenloft: Beyond the Mists

[SolidSnake]

October 10th, 747- “Who makes frequent inquiries about the road does not go astray.”

As Monsette walked into the Inn’s rather shabby lounge, he noticed that some color had returned to Vanyel’s face. Perhaps the cloak of blankets encasing Vanyel’s frail body had somehow managed to warm him up. The fire had burnt out a while ago, but Monsette supposed that the warmth it had generated did help the healing process. He would have stayed with Vanyel, but the last few days had exhausted him; he could barely keep himself up as it was. Easing himself into a chair, Monsette began pulling tobacco out of his pouch and stuffing his pipe when he heard a large crash coming from the rooms down the hall. The investigator continued to fill his pipe with icy calm as the innkeeper ran down the hall and began yelling obscenities at the top of his lungs. Gathering some tinder, Monsette lit the pile with flint and steel he had borrowed from Sam just before their hellish trip into the Warehouse District a few days ago. He began to inhale deeply while he lit the tobacco with the burning tinder. The smoke was intoxicating. He almost didn’t hear the shouting going on right behind him. Shinlaiden had broken a bed and the innkeeper seemed rather agitated about that. Something about tossing while having a nightmare…it really didn’t matter. The gold coin that Monsette produced was quickly snatched away by the greedy Innkeeper’s. The investigator watched as the glint of gold disappeared in between the rolls of fat covering the man’s deft hands. Monsette didn’t bother to count the sum of money returned to him, while he ordered breakfast amidst the chaos. Everything was going to hell anyway, why not? Looks like Vanyel is up.

Vanyel struggled with blankets embalming his body, until Sam appeared and helped him out of the cocoon.

“She’s gone isn’t she,” Vanyel gasped as the Sam freed him from the last blanket.
“Yeah, I took care of her,” Sam intoned somberly.
“By the Council, what have we done? We have destroyed her only hope of salvation. She was so confused…I am a monster.”

The fork carrying food to Monsette’s mouth clattered to the floor, drawing everyone’s attention. The walls Monsette had erected these past few days to stave off the madness had slowly been crumbling, slowly deteriorating. Spider-web cracks erupted on an hourly basis…whatever Vanyel had said simply shattered them in a single blow.

“What did you say,” Monsette hissed as he slowly rose from his chair. Stalking over to Vanyel, his voice began to grow as he shouted. “We almost died out there because of that selfish ghost! That THING was killing its own child and haunting its husband! It didn’t care about anything but itself and you are defending it?!! Defending a monster that was causing harm to the innocent! Are you insane?!”

The last word rung out in the silence of the room. Monsette wiped the saliva from his mouth with the back of hand and returned to his breakfast with a growl. The investigator’s words had more effect than he had anticipated. Sam and Shinlaiden were staring at him with shock plainly etched in their faces and tears were welling up in Vanyel’s eyes. With a sigh, Monsette got up once again from his food and walked over to the distressed Vanyel. Calling upon the power of Viminau, Monsette attempted to repair some of the damage the specter had caused Vanyel. As the energy poured from Monsette’s hands, into Vanyel, it dissipated over his body! Shinlaiden and Sam’s eyes only got wider.

“I told you Monsette. We are alone out here. I don’t even feel Salvx anymore…it’s as if he has abandoned me,” Sam said with morbidly.
“Shut up Sam,” Monsette snapped.

Invoking Viminau’s power once again, Monsette attempted to repair his own vessel of flesh. Nothing happened. Even Sam’s divine power dissipated over Vanyel’s body.

“We are cursed,” Vanyel said prophetically.
“Thank you for that lifting speech Vanyel. You two watch him, while I go talk to Raul.”

Monsette stalked out of the Inn, leaving plumes of smoke in the air around him. The day passed quickly and still there was no word from him. The party waited impatiently for the return of Monsette: Vanyel drew Leyla, Shinlaiden slept, and Sam drank. Only well after the sun had set on the horizon did he finally return with Raul in tow.

“Here’s the deal. One of the guys on the list without his name crossed off lives in this place called Barovia. This country is a few days away by horse. Raul has agreed to guide us there and help us find this…Gunter Edel. Apparently he lives in the capitol. Everyone rest up tonight, because it is going this is going to be a long trip.”

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October 11th, 747

Atop horses provided by a grateful Dimitri did the party proceed on their journey. Raul packed up the wagon and only took his son Nikki with him. When asked if he was afraid someone would steal his belongings, he only became grimmer and answered that they would suffer a fate worse than death…no one asked about that again. The baby was difficult to satiate, as the party possessed no milk, but divine power from both Monsette and Vanyel seemed to stave off death. The party didn’t quite understand why it was that their spells worked some of the time, but then again, no one spoke much anyway.

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October 12th, 747

The blue skies became more and more overcast as the group progressed towards the Barovian/Invidian border. The lush deciduous forests gave way to harsher evergreens as the temperature began to visibly drop. The party made light conversation with one another to keep morale up. The two times, the party was frightened was when Shinlaiden expressed worry about “seeing something funny” and when Vanyel woke everyone up because he had a nightmare. Needless to say that both incidents did not help the party’s confidence.

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October 13th, 747

As the river wound up towards the domain of Barovia, it forked allowing one branch to go north while the other went south. Nestled between the forks resided a fairly large town called Zidendorf. Raul explained that this town was on the edge of Barovia because Lord Strahd, ruler of Barovia, had recently annexed the land. Needless to say that the land and its people were in turmoil, thus a large battalion had been stationed in Zidendorf to ensure the “peace.” Gundaraks were known for their short temper…this kept many people in jail.

Simply by entering the town, the party already noticed the dramatic difference between Invidians and Barovians. The men in this town seemed bigger, heavier, and meaner altogether. They wore their black hair in braids and donned stout woolen vests. The women seemed to cover every inch of their bodies with drab clothing and no one seemed to be without a male counterpart. The approach of seven heavily armed guards did nothing to lighten the atmosphere. All of the men wore identical chain shirts, covered with an orange tunic that bore crest of a raven. The men’s looks were adamantine. As no one but Raul seemed to understand their thick accents, none of the party members bothered to speak. Although it was tense, the moment was quickly gone as the regiment dispersed with Raul’s last words.

“What did they want,” Monsette asked.
“They just wanted to know what we planned to do in the town,” Raul replied.
“I don’t need the language to tell me those guys thought we were trouble,” Sam said sternly.

Monsette’s mind worked at a thousand paces a minute, while he discussed the party’s next move. The conclusion was that Vanyel and Raul would go look for a midwife, while Monsette, Sam, and Shilaiden looked for information. Shinlaiden didn’t like the idea of leaving Vanyel, but he finally agreed after some coercion from the frail linguist. As Vanyel and Raul disappeared into the crowd, Monsette led his group towards the one place everyone could help but talk: the local tavern. It wasn’t hard to find. Put a bunch of angry men and alcohol together in a cold desolate region and you get noise. All Monsette had to do was follow the sound.

Normally alcohol breaks down social and economical barriers…in this case it did not. There was a visible schism in this tavern. On one side, the men tasked with preserving the peace sat and on the other lied a lesser-armed majority without the benefit of identification. Both groups eyeing one another and muttering in hushed tones as Monsette entered. When the investigator walked in with Shinlaiden and Sam flanking him, all conversation stopped as every eye turned towards him. Monsette couldn’t help but use this opportunity to his advantage. In a halting form of the language, Monsette spoke to the waiting audience.

“I am looking for the capitol of this country. I believe it is called Vallaki.”

The silence was shattered as the tavern erupted in laughter. Both sides laughed and pointed at the now blushing investigator. As the laughter began to die down a man red from laughter spoke between gasps of air.

“Maybe you should go back to Invidian and ask your mother!”

This only produced more laughter from everyone but Shinlaiden, Sam, and Monsette.

“Thank you but no good sir,” Monsette replied calmly. “I am looking for a path to Vallaki. Would you please help me?”
“If I were you Invidian, I would follow the Old Svitch Road to Vallaki. I wouldn’t stray from the path…you wouldn’t want to get attacked by ghouls and goblins on your first night here.”

The man’s somber tones were crushed with another round of laughter from all parties. Shinlaiden’s jaw clenched and unclenched in anger. He didn’t understand the language, but he didn’t need to be a linguist to know that everyone was laughing at them! The burly man stepped forward, his massive frame interposing itself between Monsette and the group of laughing townsmen. Watching Shinlaiden from the other side of Monsette, Sam followed suit. The tension that had been dispelled by the laughter returned with renewed force. The man Shinlaiden was staring at stood up…eight men following suit. Both men simply starred at one another, neither backing down. The men in uniforms looked on with growing amusement.

“I think we have had enough here Shin; don’t you think,” Monsette asked in soothing tones.

Monsette backed his belligerent companions out of the Inn…slowly. Laughter shortly resumed once the group had left. After reprimanding Shinlaiden for almost getting everyone killed, the group linked up with Vanyel and Raul. Vanyel said that they had been unsuccessful in obtaining a midwife, because of the level of racism against Raul’s people. Something about how no one wanted to get involved with “the dark magic of the Vistani.” However, the good news Vanyel did bring was the fact that he had managed to secure a female goat at the cost of some paper and his harp; the most prized possession Vanyel ever had. Monsette added sacrifice to the mix, but donating the remainder of his money and selling his (or rather Sam’s) flint and steel to purchase furs for everyone. Once they were well equipped, everyone agreed that it was safer outside the town than within. Slinging his bedroll over his shoulder, Monsette led the party away from Zidendorf.

 

[SolidSnake]

October 14th, 747: “Fiat Veritas pereat vita (Let there be truth and may life perish).”-Friedrich Nietzsche

The party awoke wearily the next morning at first light. No one had slept well; even Shinlaiden, who had pulled the final leg of guard duty, seemed bleary-eyed when he roused everyone. Sam and Raul were eager to make headway on their long journey towards Vallaki immediately, but Vanyel astutely pointed out that the horses did not have enough food to last a long trip. A grappling hook, belt pouch, and strange metal box with a seven-pointed star later, Monsette had grudgingly secured horse feed, a harness, and an old rickety cart to tie the goat to with a small chain he had also purchased. The Old Svitch Road was a large highway, which would have been able to allow three wagons to ride abreast of one another. As it was, no such traffic existed as the party made their way North. Vanyel began to suspect that the sun set faster than normal in the realm of Barovia, but Monsette assured him that the cloud cover was at fault for that phenomenon.

Guard duty had been the same every night: Sam, Monsette, Vanyel, Raul, and then Shinlaiden. Sam was about reaching the pleasant stages of slumber when he was awoken by gentle hands shaking him.

"What? What is it," Sam said groggily.
"Sam, I thought I saw something. Something is out there," Vanyel whispered.
"I don't see anything, you must be just imagining." Sam's voice trailed off.

The Old Svitch Road wound its way north and was flanked, to the east, by an enormous forest of evergreens so thick that the light of the sun could barely penetrate its outermost reaches. To the west of the road lied plains of tall brown grass; the area where the party had decided to make camp, over one hundred yards from the road. Suspended ten feet above the ground, in the forest, were glowing red orbs.hundreds of small red orbs simply suspended among the trees. Needless to say that no one slept for the rest of the night. The party huddled together, weapons drawn, awaiting the inevitable.

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October 15th, 747

Morning came, if slowly, banishing the glowing red orbs from forest. Exhaustion had set in anew, wreaking havoc on the party's conversational capabilities. In fact, the situation had become so dire that Shinlaiden was ordered to travel next to Sam in order to catch him if he nodded off in the saddle. Monsette was going over the finer points of his religion; to keep himself and others from falling asleep, when his speech was rudely interrupted by a loud squawk from within the forest. Monsette continued on unabated, but the squawking only seemed to get louder. First a new crow joined in the song and then another shortly thereafter. Soon the sound became deafening as a chorus of crows began to sing with chilling tones. Monsette didn't need any more encouragement to pick up the pace. He was about to tell everyone to move a little quicker when a white dove broke from the forest's cover and landed on Vanyel's shoulder. No one had anytime to react to the situation as a cloud of darkness burst from the tree line right on the dove's tail. The morning sun was eclipsed as hundreds of crows encircled the party in a shower of black feathers. Vanyel attempted vainly to shield the dove with his hands as a storm of beaks rained down upon him. Monsette, in the meantime, struggled to channel the power of Viminau into a shield that could protect the party from the forces of evil, but the hail of claws proved to be more than a match for his concentration. Sam strained his arms to keep his horse from bolting, but Shinlaiden did not possess the skill to do so. The frightened horse bucked and threw Vanyel into the air. Only by the luck did Vanyel backwards into Sam's waiting arms. Once he had secured Vanyel, Sam galloped his horse into the forest not daring to look back. Shinlaiden and Raul urged their horses forward in a similar fashion, while Monsette unhooked the cart from his horse. Unbuckling the straps, Monsette heard the hopeless cries of the goat as the crows tore it to pieces. As Monsette galloped his horse over to the forest, he took one look back at the cart only to see that no trace of the goat remained and the chain had been broken. The crows were dispersing somewhat, but Monsette wasn't will to stick around and find out if the goat had satisfied their hunger.

A few minutes later the party had regrouped a mile or so into the forest. The dove that Vanyel had so desperately tried to save was perched on a branch just above his head, cooing innocently.

"I think that we are supposed to follow it," Vanyel uttered.
"How can you be so sure," Mosette asked.
"I saw this bird in a dream I had two nights ago. It is a guide."
"A dream Vanyel?"
"Yes, it was where I had to make a choice.I don't remember fully, but I do remember the dove."
"The forests in Barovia are dangerous," Raul interrupted worriedly. "Sometimes Barovian brides are taken on their wedding nights and later found in the woods.mutilated. It is a dangerous place at night."
"Why am I not surprised," replied Monsette. "Tell me Raul, is it faster to Vallaki through the forest?"
"Yes it is much faster, but."
"Good, then that settles it. Your baby needs milk after all…we can't just let him die now can we?"

The party’s silence was mirrored in the forest. Not a single bird call; not a single insect’s chirp. The rest of the day was suffocating for everyone as they followed the dove through the forest.

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October 17th, 747

New days only brought more misery to the party as they trudged though the damp forest. Yesterday saw a torrential downpour, making the trek more difficult for both the horses and the riders. Only a sliver of the once proud full moon remained hidden in the folds of the clouds. The party’s self proclaimed guide wasn’t much help, as his navigational skills asserted that a small town should have appeared by now…this did nothing for morale. Monsette did everything he could to cling to the crumbling vision of hope. He had about exhausted his stories of victory when Raul spotted a small house in the distance. As the group approached and dismounted it seemed more like cottage than a house. The dove serenely perched itself over the roof of the structure and waited in expectation. Vanyel shivered as he moved forward, but was violently yanked back by Monsette.

“What’s wrong,” Vanyel asked.

He hadn’t noticed it before, but it there were humanoid shapes surrounding the cottage. Monsette counted three of them as he cautiously examined them from afar. They were as tall as a man, but hunched over in a sitting position. Monsette couldn’t make out any features as the figures wore dark heavy robes, adorned with the rot of fungus. All three were sitting in the center of circular patterns outlined in chalk…simply staring at the house.

“This is a bad idea Vanyel. I say we just forget we ever saw this house and move along. The longer we stay out here the more chance there is of Nikki dying.”
“No Monsette…I have to know. All my life I have questioned my existence; I want answers now,” Vanyel replied coolly.

Before Monsette could retort with witty sarcasm, Vanyel was walking towards the cottage.

“You fool! Phah! Well, don’t just stand there you idiots, go after him!”

Sam and Shinlaiden looked at one another with the glance of understanding before chasing after Vanyel. As he approached the house, the cloaked figures began to stir. Slowly at first did they rise from their positions in unison. Their skeletal hands reached out simultaneously but came up against an invisible force. Their arms strained against the barrier causing blue sparks to fly from the very air they touched. As they pushed through, their hands narrowed into curved steel blades. Shinlaiden grabbed Vanyel, pulling him back, as Sam interposed himself between the hooded figures and his companions. The instant Sam freed his rapier from its scabbard did the creatures explode into action. Moving faster than anyone could register, the skeletal men routed their pray. One rushed Sam directly, while the other two went after Van and Shinlaiden. Sam would have lost his life had he not brought his sword up in a defensive posture to deflect the steel weapons growing out of creature’s forearms. For the first in many years Sam saw the look of fear as he gazed into the monster’s glowing green eyes.

Shinlaiden watched as Vanyel’s spellcasting was interrupted by a slash of the creature’s blade across the frail man’s torso. Watching his friend fall back in anguish triggered something deep in his subconscious mind. Primal instincts of protection were awoken from buried corners of his soul. He ignored the skeletal monster attacking him. With a scream of rage, Shinlaiden brought his mace down onto the monster’s skull as Vanyel scurried away to safety. This proved to be a mistake, as the final creature skewered Shinlaiden through the shoulder. Ignoring the pain, the behemoth grabbed the skeleton’s arm and began to ram his skull into its forehead over and over. The force of each blow was enough to move the skeleton back. While Shinlaiden was wrestling with the undead, Sam was doing all he could to stay alive. Raul and Monsette battled the remaining creature with aid of Viminau. In the ensuing chaos, Vanyel slipped away towards the house. During the huge melee Monsette saw Vanyel’s form approach the cottage. When he arrived at the door, light flared up from within the structure. Ignoring the cries of battle, Vanyel creaked the door open. Broken furniture, dust, and dirt littered the floor. The only intact object was a small chair, occupied by an older man. He, like the rest of the room, had a layer of dust covering his simple white robes.

“Who are you,” Vanyel asked in Balok (Local language).
“The better question is who are you,” the man replied with flawless Nymbardaxian Common.

As he turned, his gaunt frame became apparent. A hawkish nose protruded from rather pale skin. His hair was snow white, radically contrasting his dark eyes. They were black pools, without any illusion of pupils.

“So, Vanyel, would you like to come inside?”

Vanyel was torn from his thoughts by the pressure of blood soaked hand on his arm. Turning around, he saw his weakened companion staring at him. Directly behind him were Raul, Sam, and Shinlaiden; still locked in fierce battle against the undead creatures.

“Don’t go in there Vanyel,” Monsette told him.

“Oh come now Monsette. Surely you don’t think I would wish harm on our…unique…friend Vanyel do you? Besides, it’s raining…if you stay out there any longer you will catch your death.”

Monsette was just about to refute the strange man’s point when a light drizzle began. Vanyel looked up at the sky one last time before entering the cottage.

“Tell me who I am,” Vanyel demanded.
“In due time young one. There are many things that must be done…many things indeed,” the strange old man answered.
“Tell me now! No more games.”
“It is…difficult to explain.”

In anger Vanyel wheeled about and headed towards the door.

“I wouldn’t do that,” the old man cautioned.

Vanyel paid no attention to him. Passing the threshold caused an arc of lightning to surround him and hurl the poor man back into the room. Shaking his head, the old man began dragging the smoking linguist towards the center of the room.

“Now, before you do something rash, let me tell you that your friend is only half-dead. Only I can save him now, so do not interfere if you value his life.”

Monsette stared on in anger as the man began weaving his hands in strange motions. Runes began to light up all over the house, encasing the two in brilliant light. Shielding his eyes, Monsette barely saw what happened next. Lightning shot from the runes and began to flow through Vanyel…they moved faster and faster until Monsette had to close his eyes in pain. Then quite suddenly it all stopped and Vanyel was gone.

“That was taxing. Well, I fulfilled my end of the bargain.”
“What have you done to my friend,” Monsette screamed in rage. “I will kill you!”

Clicking his tongue, the old man only smiled. “How are you going to kill me if you aren’t even here.”

Blink.

Monsette, Shinlaiden, Raul, and Sam found themselves right outside an enormous town on the Old Svitch Road. The stream of curses Monsette proceeded to unleash could have flayed the hide from a demon in the ninth level of the hell…

 

[SolidSnake]

October 17th, 747- “Even though you know a thousand things, ask the man who knows one.”

Only after Monsette had made sure that he was nearly hoarse did he allow everyone proceed into the town. The main road was fairly easy to spot; everyone trudged onward. Although it was late in the night, Monsette did notice the familiar glow of torchlight not too far in the distance. Within moments a young man dressed for battle intercepted them. He had on a chain shirt and wore the raven’s tunic Monsette had seen in Zidendorf. Although the man did not brandish his weapon, Monsette was clear on one thing: if he was provoked there would be a battle here.

“Gentlemen, how may I assist you,” the man spoke. It was more a demand than a question.

“Could you tell us where we are? It seems that we have lost our way,” Monsette replied in a raspy voice.

“This is the village of Vallaki. What business do you have here?”

“We are here to speak with a local merchant by the name of Gunter Edel. However, we are very tired at the moment and require lodgings for the night. Could you recommend any places to stay?”

The tension visibly melted from the young man’s face.

“Come with me, I have just the place. It is a quiet place called the Blue Water Inn. The innkeeper is named Takoff…he is a good man. Stay there the night and let me berth your horses. I am the Watch Captain tonight, but it is almost the end of my shift anyway.

The young captain led the party through the streets of Vallaki. For a village, it seemed rather large to Monsette. The main road ended in the center of the village, where a great cobblestone plaza had been built. The plaza was complete with a well, a small park, and most manner of shops anyone could conceive off…for a village, it seemed rich indeed. As it was late, the captain had to wake Takoff from his slumber so that the party had an opportunity to acquire rooms. The rooms were fairly steep for Monsette’s tastes, but it was better than freezing to death outside. Takoff made no fuss about Raul being a Vistani and his wife even offered to take care of the baby for the night. Everyone was so enamored with this show of generosity that even Monsette’s naturally paranoid behavior evaporated.

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October 18th, 747

The next morning, Monsette awoke rather refreshed. The rooms they had rented were simple, yet very cozy. As he existed his room, Monsette found Raul playing with his baby in the company of Helga (Takoff’s wife). Breakfast had already been laid out on the table, so Monsette politely obliged by taking a pastry and cup of coffee. While he ate, he began to go over the events of the previous night in his mind. What did that man mean about half-dead?

Sam and Shinlaiden joined him a little later in the company of an older gentleman. The man was garbed in simple blue robes and almost completely bald. As Sinlaiden and Sam sat down, so too did the old man. Both of the warriors exchanged perplexed glances with each other and with Monsette. The man didn’t hesitate to help himself to everything available on the table. Monsette was just about to ask them man if he could help him, when he began to launch into a litany of questions.

“Came in last night, eh,” the man asked murmured.

“Yes, last night…we are travelers from a distant land,” Monsette replied smoothly.

“Distant land eh? Where did you say that was again?”

“A small country far to the south…I’m sure you never heard of it.”

“Come, come. Tell me the name. I am a traveler as well, I am sure that I know it.”

“It is called…Gamoosh,” Monsette declared quickly.

“You’re right. I never heard of it, which explains your funny accent. I would have said that you were from Invidia, but there is something wrong with your pronunciations. So what are you folks here for?”

“We came looking for a man called Gunter Edel. Do you know him?”

“Of course I do. Gunter is a good friend of mine. Why one time-”

“Do you know where he is, I meant to say.”

“Well he did leave town a while back, but his daughter runs his store in the meantime. Here name is Anya. Beautiful girl she is.”

“I’m sorry, I never properly introduced myself. My name is Monsette Dezerai.”

“Fezzini, at your service. And may I give you folks some advice about Barovia?”

“Every little bit helps,” Monsette answered knowingly.

“This land is ruled by Count Strahd von Zarovich. Is a ruthless man; a true tyrant…lives in Castle Ravenloft, a large keep overlooking a huge lake. He only has two rules: don’t ever go to his castle uninvited and don’t ever harm a Vistani. No one really much likes the Vistani, but anyone who harms them is executed. The people in this town mind their own business, so don’t go poking around too much if you know what I mean.”

“Thank you Fizzini, you have been most helpful.”

Leaving Raul with Helga and Fizzini, Monsette took Sam and Shinlaiden to the shop Fizzini had described. It wasn’t difficult to find as it was directly across the plaza. It was a small shop, devoted mostly to common items useful for long journeys. Anya was as Fizzini described her: beautiful. Monsette nearly forgot was he was going to say, until Shinlaiden bumped into him in an attempt to enter the building. While Monsette recovered his sense, he asked Shinlaiden to remain outside with Sam. He then proceeded to strike up calm conversation with the lovely Anya. From little dialogue Monsette was able to piece together a very important bit of information: namely that Gunter Edel had traveled to a festival in Karina…the capitol of Invida (the country the group had traveled from)! In a fit of rage Monsette ran out of the store and began to punch a confused Shinlaiden in the chest. Once he had calmed down Monsette reentered the store and began to explain the whole story of why he was in Vallaki. Anya patiently sat there and listened to everything. Monsette asked many questions of Anya: where Gunter was staying in Karina, what day he and his wife were married, what he looked like, what kind of nicknames did he have, who he was traveling with…and so on. At first Anya was hesitant with the information as some of it was of personal nature, but Monsette assured her that this information was crucial to the group finding him and warning him of a possible assassination attempt. Monsette was so persuasive that Anya granted him a hefty loan to save her father. Still…Monsette wasn’t satisfied with the amount of information he had received…he needed to be sure. Before heading back to the Blue Water Inn, Monsette visited the local baker (Petrov) and a rich merchant named Aressek…both knew Gunter and would be able to corroborate any information Monsette had. Although both had nothing terribly interesting to say, Aressek let slip the fact that there was a ship about to set sail from Zidendorf. The captain’s name was Timothy and if Monsette could catch it, he could make it to Karina in no time!

Dropping by the Blue Water Inn to pick up their things, the party said goodbye to Raul who had decided to stay in the village. Raul suggested picking up a guide in a village called Berez; someone who might be able to secure safe passage through the woods to Zidendorf…if it was indeed Monsette’s intention to take a shortcut through the forest.

The trip down the Old Svitch Road was fairly uneventful. Monsette and the rest of the party had no trouble locating Berez, as it was the only other village on the Old Svitch Road besides Vallaki. Whereas Vallaki was near in stature to a small town, Berez was closer to a hamlet in size. Only one large building graced this dirty, ragged community: The Boar’s Tavern. As it’s name implied, it was mostly filled with disreputable men forced to hide from the reality of life with large quantities of ale…well it was mostly that way. The rough tavern was typical…except for the dark armor-clad individual that no one would sit next to. He was a very tall man, endowed with obvious physical strength. His armor was freshly polished and decorated with many markings of a distinguished military officer. Clasped to the armor was a rich blue cape and adorning his hands were thick leather gloves. Covering his face was black hood with three red lines streaking across the face. The man would occasionally lift the mask to sip at the small mug of tea in front of him. No one dared to look in his direction, for the pale blue eyes that the mask did not hide were as cold as steel.

Summoning his courage and his entourage, Monsette walked calmly over to the intimidating warrior and asked if he could sit. Without speaking the man motioned for the only other chair at his table.

“Hello good sir, my name is Monsette Dezerai and I as I am new to these parts I am need of assistance,” Monsette said through forced calm.

“What can I do for you Mr. Dezerai,” the man intoned coldly.

“Well, you see…my companions and I need to get to Zidendorf quickly, but the only obvious way to the town is on the Old Svitch Road. Now if someone knew how to-”

“-navigate the forest, it would get you there much quicker,” the man finished smoothly.

“Yes…that’s right.”

“I happen to be going in that direction and I wouldn’t mind escorting you and your friends. My name is Sullivan Dane,” the man said as he extended his gloved hand.

Monsette shook it vigorously with thanks and was willing to pay the man for his services, when Dane refused. As it turned out Sullivan was a priest for a deity named Ezra. The faith he described was very similar to Monsette’s and the two had a long theological discussion before setting out on the road. Dane rode atop a large black war horse; an animal that seemed to fit him all too well. The group rode in absolute silence, with Dane stopping every so often to get off his horse in order to allow it to rest. All day and all night did the group travel until by divine intervention did they reach the town of Zidendorf without any encounters with the Children of the Night. Monsette and the rest of the party were only able to stay awake through sheer fear of being devoured by evil…Dane had told them he had been hunting vampires a few days before, but that others might come to avenge them at any time…he coincidentally timed this story when it was too late to turn back onto the road.

_________________
October 19th, 747

The town of Zidendorf was a sight to see at sunrise. True, he had cursed the town most of the way to Vallaki, but somehow it had changed from a thug-infested border town to bastion of hope! With a bright smile plastered to his haggard face, Monsette and the rest of the party walked down to the docks in search of Captain Timothy. As it turned out, he wasn’t a very hard man to find…his ship, “the Virgo,” and him were infamous in these parts. He looked and talked like an old sailor…which wasn’t saying much for him as person. Negotiations were slow going as he really didn’t want anyone on else on his ship. Monsette had to agree to a hefty sum of money to get all the members of his group on the ship…and even still, Captain Timothy didn’t agree to allow any horses on. This left Monsette with the task of selling the horses off at nearly half their price to the local merchants. The only other passenger on the Virgo besides Monsette, Shinlaiden, and Sam was an alluring woman by the name of Miss Romaine. She also claimed to be headed towards the festival. Miss Romaine was a quiet and soft-spoken woman whose voice resembled crushed velvet. Her scarlet dress clung to the contours of her body, testing Monsette’s powers of will. The only way the priest was able to distract himself from the seductive woman was to listen to Captain Timothy’s racist remarks on the Vistani. Apparently he had an endless supply of stories on Vistani cursing sailors and the consequences of such evil magic on their lives. Monsette listened to the bigot drone on for hours before he had had enough. Before going below deck to his “sleeping quarters” (the cargo hold floor), he took one more look back to see Shinlaiden and Sam staring up at the stars in the company of Miss Romaine. Although neither Sam nor Shinlaiden could communicate in the local language it was interesting to watch them try. Smiling to himself, Monsette went to bed…it was going to be one of those trips after all…

 

[SolidSnake]

October 21st, 747- "He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword."

Monsette watched the acres upon acres of vineyards wash by his vision as the Virgo approached Karina. Captain Timothy was talking about something, but it couldn’t distract Monsette from the gorgeous view. The leaves were beginning to change color…

“So I’ll be staying at the Black Swan if you are interested in REAL entertainment,” Captain Timothy announced.

His attention now diverted, Monsette began to ask about the city of Karina and where one could find the “Maiden’s Kiss.”

“That is far too expensive for my tastes…but since you asked…go down East Front Street to the Wine Garden until you hit Brewer Street…even you three can’t miss it,” Timothy said with a slight chuckle.

Entering the city with weapons proved to be rather expensive, but almost worth the economic impediment. Everyone appeared to be joyous and merry. No one was without a glass (or in some cases a bottle) of Karina’s finest wines as they danced through the streets adorned with colorful costumes and masks of interesting design. Monsette was about to go explore a small stand selling interesting trinkets when Shinlaiden grabbed him roughly and pointed into the crowd. The investigator couldn’t see anything at first, but after a few moments he spotted Vanyel in the throng of people! Using Sam and Shinlaiden as human plows, Monsette pressed forward. Grabbing Monsette, the group made for the nearest quiet area…which turned out to be Vanyel’s room (located in the Maiden’s Kiss). As it turned out, Vanyel had no idea how he got in Karina, or even that any time had passed at all. Right after he vanished into thin air, Vanyel remembered floating a void with a grey, white, and black orb. The orbs told him that he would be tested and then he woke up in this Inn. Needless to say Monsette wasn’t satisfied with this answer…

“The creature that kidnapped you said that you were ‘half-dead’…care to explain that,” Monsette said with a rather penetrating stare.

With a heavy sigh, Vanyel began to recount his tale.

“Ever since I was a young boy I had been deemed “special” by all those around him. I have powers that come naturally, beyond the arcane instruction the True Way have so generously donated. I am attuned to the life energies around me; I feel the life in all living things.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before,” Shinlaiden demanded.

“I am your superior Shinlaiden…you need to know whatever I decide is necessary,” Vanyel said with a hint of irritation.

Sam burst out laughing.

“We are fighting for our lives out here and you are still concerned with pulling rank,” Sam gasped between fits of laughter. “We are finished out here!”

“Sam, we shouldn’t lose hope. We are doing good deeds while looking for a way out of this situation,” Monsette declared in the hopes of diffusing the situation.

After checking into the Maiden’s Kiss, Monsette inspected the guest list for any signs of Gunter Edel. Sadly, the man had checkout out of the Inn a few days ago. Angry, Monsette decided to call it a day. The rest of the night past quickly in slumber once every door and window was checked…with the addition of a secret passcode only known to the party…

_________________
October 22nd, 747

In the morning Monsette saw his reflection in the wash basin smile wickedly back at him. The day pretty much started the way it ended…badly. A pipe full of tobacco later the group was off looking for Gunter Edel. The search party consisted of Sam, Shinlaiden and Vanyel. Monsette wanted to stay behind in the off chance that Gunter would come back.

The excursion party seemed to do more sightseeing than searching. Karina was indeed a beautiful city; the huge clock in the center of the city was testament to the creativity of the people. Nestled between two rivers, Karina seemed to have mild weather at any given time of the day…the drawback was that the humidity produced fog. Vendors littered the streets, making it difficult not to sample many of the wines available. People from all over the realms were at the Festival: Borkans, Barovians, Falkovians, and even merchants as far as Dementlieu. The only contrast to this joyous occasion was that for some reason gallows had been erected in the middle of the main plaza of the city. Further inquiry revealed that at the completion of the Festival, prisoners were to be executed.

Sam, Vanyel, and Shinlaiden returned to the Inn empty handed and a bit inebriated. Getting anywhere in the city was difficult because of the sheer number of people in the streets. Luckily everyone made it back without injury, even after an arrogant nobleman attempted to ride the party down because they did not move quickly enough for his tastes. Shinlaiden and Sam rested a bit before Monsette switched places with Vanyel…More searching and questioned revealed little, if not the layout of the city. The city seemed constructed around the great plaza housing the clock. To the east lay Brewer street, with its rich shops, eloquent minstrels, and lovely cafés. To the west lay what people referred to as the Maze…it was an extremely poor section of town, inhabited with prostitutes, street thugs, and other degenerates society had to offer. Directly south of the Maze was the Falkovian Quarter. Apparently Falkovian merchants were able to purchase an entire section of the city together. Where the Maze was chaos, the Falkovian Quarter was absolute law. Apparently the Falkovian merchants brought some soldiers from their home country to ensure that none of their goods were “liberated” by the local populous. In the center of the Quarter stood a small fortress with a flag bearing the symbol of a hawk on it. The locals described the Falkovians as cold and ruthless disciplinarians...no one with half a brain would antagonize such people. Monsette made a quick appraisal of the environment: “east part of town nice, west part of town bad.”

While staying on the pleasant side of the city, the party the party was privy to many wonderful sights and sounds of the Festival. The day was not completely without its brush with reality; however. While through the Wine Garden, the band noticed a duel break out between two important members of a wedding: the man to be married and what appeared to be the “Best Man.” The fight was quick and brutal, with both men dying instantly after drawing blood…Monsette didn’t need to be an alchemist to know that poison was at fault. That wasn’t the strangest part…during the fight a woman approached Sam as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Between the screams of horror and rage, the woman began to flirt with him! Monsette agreed that she was well beyond the bounds of gorgeous, but he refused to let Sam endanger his vows of chastity over a woman. Monsette explained the reason for Sam’s inability to speak: mental retardation. The priest of Viminau, sworn to the pursuit of the truth, told the fair maiden that Sam couldn’t speak because a donkey had kicked him in the head when he was a boy. Needless to say that the woman didn’t stick around for much longer once she was presented with that piece of information.

Sam was about to ask why it was that the woman left when he noticed Shinlaiden staring down a man in the crowd. It was the very same noble that had nearly run down the party earlier in the day! Cracking his knuckles, the 6’ bruiser strode forward with purpose. Stopping two inches in front of the noble, Shinlaiden simply stood menacingly. The noble seemed no stranger to fights, because his eyes bore right into Shinlaiden’s skull. Things might have gotten out of hand had Monsette not intervened with soothing words for both men. The priest was so successful; in fact, that the noble invited the party into the nearest tavern for a drink. Ordering Sharp (local ale), the noble sat down with the members of the party.

“I can tell that you men are foreigners from your manners. Frankly I don’t care where you’re from or what you are doing here. My name is Matton Blanchard and I have invited you here to offer you a very important job,” the man said contemptuously.

Before anyone could respond to the man’s “offer,” he continued on unabated.

“A woman of great importance was recently kidnapped by a she named the “Gentlemen Caller.” I have found out that she is being held captive in a mansion not far from Karina. The man who holds her is evil beyond understanding, which is why I will pay you five gold marks per day to find and return her to me. There is some entertainment scheduled tonight at a warehouse in the Falkovian Quarter…if you want the job, meet me there at the stroke of midnight.”

Leaving the tavern in a contemplative mood, Monsette directed the party back towards the “Maiden’s Kiss.” The group was about to turn down Brewer Street when they heard a barker hail them.

“Brave the ghosts of the past for a modest fee,” the man challenged.

He was instantly recognizable as a Vistani from his dark skin tone and colorful clothing. He stood next to a large wooden box with a curtain hanging over the face. An exotic bird was perched on top of the box, squawking at the pedestrians passing by.

“Come…it is safe,” the man encouraged.

Monsette was really in no hurry to get back to the Inn and it seemed that Shinlaiden was in need of some entertainment, so he sanctioned the immense warrior to give it a try. Logically speaking, Monsette didn’t really know what a box with a curtain over it could really accomplish in the way of entertainment. From the look of its depth, it would appear that Shinlaiden would only be able to walk in and out…if barely. Shinlaiden stepped into the box and the Vistani closed the curtain behind him. Sam and Monsette starred at one another with looks of confusion for a few minutes and then went back to watching the box. What could he be doing in there that could take this long? It was then that his questions were answered. Shinlaiden fell out of the box on the verge of tears; he looked like an emotional wreck, but he was physically fine.

“What have you done to my friend,” Monsette demanded.

“The help you need can be found at Vulpwood…if you have the courage,” the man replied just before slipping inside the box and disappearing altogether.

Trying to drag the troubled Shinlaiden back to the Inn was difficult. His eyes were wide with fear and he kept yelling about how he was a dead man. Monsette waited until they got back to the Inn before questioning the poor man about what happened. Recounting the tale was slow going, because Monsette was barely able to piece together the fragments of fear Shinlaiden was experiencing. To the best of his ability, Monsette managed to get this out of Shinlaiden’s incomprehensible story: the were-panther that had attacked him back in Invidia was somehow contained in that box. This was impossible as Shinlaiden barely fit in the box, not to mention that no sound was emitted the entire time Shinlaiden was inside. However, according to the story he had fought with it inside and managed to wrestle it to the ground somehow. In a fit of rage, he snapped its neck…or so he thought. When he looked down again it was himself he was holding and his neck that was snapped…very disturbing indeed. Monsette would have continued to try and piece things together had not Raul burst into the Inn’s common room!

The Vistani looked haggard, like he had run all day and all night with no rest in-between. Dashing over to the table the party was sitting at, he sat down quickly…a wild look in his eyes. Before he could speak, Monsette spoke:

“Raul, mind telling me how you got here? Never mind the fact that you don’t have Nikki with you.”

“Nikki is back at the camp with my people in Vulpwood! The Mists transported me somehow from Barovia in order to fetch you for the Zarovin clan. They are the oldest tribe of the Vistani people and they summoned me here to get you! You must come quickly,” Raul said out of breath.

No one wasted anytime talking, they just acted. Within minutes, they were heading towards Vulpwood completely ready for anything that could possibly happen.

The group was heading towards the North Gates on the High Road when Vanyel and Monsette heard “Watch out!” from directly in front of them. People had only seconds to react to the oncoming barrels. The driver of the cart was thrown out of his seat as his horses went wild and bolted down the street. His cargo unfortunately was casks of heavy liquid that were hurtling towards children playing in the street. Everyone reacted at once. Shinlaiden ran towards the kids while Sam tried to stop the horses from trampling any other innocents. The burly man did manage to save one child from injury, but he could not rescue the other from a broken leg caused by the heavy barrel. As soon as the danger was over, the parents of the children ran up to Shinlaiden and Monsette to retrieve them. Everything instantly went back to the way it was…like no one had seen anything. Monsette was livid! The driver of the cart nearly killed two innocent children and he didn’t even apologize for his negligence! Monsette was about to grab the nearest pedestrian and demand what was going on when he spotted a child scowling at him from across the street. He was obviously a noble of some sort from the way he dressed: black and white finery. All time seemed to slow...the boy and the man simply looked at one another. A group of revelers unconcerned with the chaos passed between them laughing…once they had passed, the boy was gone. Monsette continued to stare at the spot where the boy was.

“What should we do Monsette,” Raul asked.

“Nothing…no one cares anyway,” Monsette replied sourly.

The group moved quickly to make up for lost time. I want answers! This had better be worth it!

 

[SolidSnake]

October 22nd, 747- “We all labour against our own cure, for death is the cure of all diseases.” -Sir Thomas Browne

With their heads held high, the party walked into Vulpwood. The forest in question was barely a few miles north from Karina, but everyone still remained tense as soon they left the safety of the stone walls the city provided. Raul seemed to have a good indication of where he was going, as he guided everyone through the dense deciduous forest. Shinlaiden remarked on the abundant wildlife, something that was nonexistent in the dark woods of Barovia. The attempt to lighten the mood was earnest, but unfortunately everyone was too deep in thought to embrace such emotion. After a good bit of walking, the forest began to thin out and eventually reveal a clearing. Within this clearing stood a circle of wagons not unlike the one Raul used in their first encounter...although these seemed to be much more elaborate in design. Campfires gave off warmth and light within the circle...just enough to notice two figures standing infront of the wagons: the Vistani the party had encountered in Karina and an elderly woman!

Before the party even closed the distance, Shinlaiden was running towards the man with a look of hatred in his eyes. Sam and Raul had only seconds to react before the great warrior attacked the Vistani with his bare hands. Luckly, the combined effort of Sam and Raul's body weights was enough to bring the behemoth to the ground. Restraining him was a bit more difficult and consequently required the physical strength of Monsette as well as the soothing words of Vanyel. Once the anger from Shinlaiden had subsided, Raul began to apologize profusely to the old Vistani woman. During the litany Raul gave, Vanyel was picked up the names of both of the mysterious figures: Vincenzo and Madame Eva. Neither one of them seemed to be concerned with Shinlaiden's blatant act of violence; in fact, Madame Eva waved the attempt on Vincenzo's life away as she would a pesky fly.

With some short introductions from the party, Madame Eva invited everyone inside the circle of wagons to the revelries contained within. Vistani danced around the fires to the sound of Raul's violin. Monsette noticed over 20 wagons (Raul's included) and 5 campfires. As the party approached the fires, the investigator began to flesh out Madame Eva's features...it was obvious from her wrinkled flesh that she was very old; however, her eyes betrayed a hunger for life that Monsette had not seen before. Not the hunger of youth, but the one of the wise man who had too much to do before his time expired. Once everyone was seated and with drink, Madame Eva whispered something to Vincenzo that not even Monsette's keen ears picked up.

"It is time for the Daroq," she said solemnly.

A look of confusion passed over the party as they were completely unfamiliar with the customs of the Vistani. As they began to question what Madame Eva had said, another woman by the name of Marsella, supported by Vincenzo, made her way to the campfire the party was seated at. She was young and attractive woman, but her eyes seemed glazed over. It was as if she was not looking at anyone now, but some far off place that only she could see. As soon as she was seated, she
began to speak in a melodious voice.

It was a story of a mother in need and a treacherous daughter…the story of Gabrielle Aderre, a Vistani woman cursed by her own evil. After watching her mother die from a mortal wound inflicted by a werewolf, the Vistani woman wondered the Realms and finally arriving in Invidia. Using her powers of seduction, Gabrielle was able to weaken the previous ruler, a tyrant named Barkolis, and slay him in his sleep. As the new ruler of Invidia, Gabrielle enjoyed much power afforded by the position…power, which she exploited much as the former ruler to harm the people of Invidia. Then, one day all of that changed when the great seductress was enchanted by a man she called the “Gentleman Caller.” It wasn’t long before the “Gentleman Caller” disappeared, leaving Gabrielle with child.

“It is this child that the Zarovan clan is concerned with,” Madame Eva interrupted. “He is the Dukkar…a creature of evil beyond your comprehension. You must find this creature for us…it is our responsibility to deal with it.”

“What of our needs,” Monsette retorted. “Why should we risk our lives in pursuit of this…Dukkar?”

“What is you wish for Giorgio,” Madame Eva asked.

“First, we want to know how to remove a curse that was placed upon us. Second, we want to know how to cure lycanthopy. Finally, we seek knowledge in the Occult,” Monsette recited.

“This is fine,” Madame Eva said impatiently.

“Could you tell us more about the creature,” Vanyel interjected. “Can it assume different forms? I am also curious why is it that you have selected us for this task.”

“As far as we know, the Dukkar cannot change shape. The reason you were selected was the fact that you can pass easily through Karina and the surrounding area. The creature can sense Vistani…this makes it very difficult to find it.”

“What of the Mists,” Monsette said intently.

“That subject is not to be discussed,” Madame Eva hissed.

“Why not,” Monsette demanded. “It is the Mists that brought us here and they can get us home. I want to know what is going on right now! We were brought here and soon thereafter cursed by a ghost…I want to know how to fix these this!”

Calmly allowing the angry investigator to vent, Madame Eva simply watched him from across the fire.

“The Mists brought you here…for what purpose I do not know. The curse is your fault. You wished to save Raul against his wife…noble, but foolish. I have a proposition: find the Dukkar and you will be rewarded. If you don’t like what I offer that is your own problem,” Madame Eva intoned calmly.

“I am through with your riddles and your games,” Monsette screamed. “Find this thing yourself for all I care!”

Bolting up, Monsette began to stomp away from the camp. Vanyel and the others were soon upon him inquiring what had just happened. Both Shinlaiden and Sam did not have a good grasp on the language yet, so the events had to be explained to them…the facts did not please Sam.

“You did WHAT?!” Sam was enraged beyond the belief. “That was the only chance we had to get home and you THREW IT AWAY! You FOOL! I can’t believe that they put you anywhere near the concept of responsibility back in Nymbardax.”

“Be careful Sam, I am still your commanding officer out here,” Monsette warned.

“Oh yes sir, how could I forget? May I polish your boots sir? I am at your command. Can I fetch your pipe?” Sam’s voice dripped of sarcasm.

Both men then stalked off in opposite directions…Vanyel went after Monsette and Shinlaiden went after Sam.

“Hold on Monsette,” Vanyel called.

Stopping a few paces away, Monsette began to fervently stuff tobacco in his pipe.

“That IMBECILE,” Monsette yelled.

“He is just high-strung…you have to apologize to him to fix things.”

“I will do NO SUCH THING!”

“Come…let’s talk about it back at the Inn,” Vanyel spoke softly.

The two walked back towards the town, discussing how to reign their subordinates under control. Monsette still wanted Sam back but only if he knew his place. Vanyel attempted to explain that the environment was eating away at everyone…himself included. Monsette still wasn’t convinced, but he listened nonetheless. Back at the Inn both men engaged in a long debate on authority and the rights it had. Monsette believed his power was absolute when men were entrusted to his command. Vanyel, on the other hand, tended to think of Shinlaiden as man like any other…but he still agreed that it was better to keep the strong warrior under control…he had seen what the man was capable of in a fight.

Monsette was just about finished relaying the finer points of etiquette to Vanyel when his discussion was interrupted by the sound of shattering glass. Looking up, he saw the bloodied body of Sam lying near the window. Screaming erupted from all corners of the common room as people dashed out the door. Monsette followed suit to intercept whatever had done this to Sam when he noticed a man out of the corner of his eye. It is him…Gunter Edel! Not now! Monsette cursed as he saw his target being carried off by the crowd. Not stopping to indicate his plans to Vanyel, Monsette rushed after him. Forcing his way through the throng of people, Monsette followed Gunter Edel into an alley next to the Inn. Rounding the corner, Monsette came upon his worst fear: Gunter Edel was face to face with the monster that had thrown Sam through the window. The creature was over seven feet tall with jet-black fur. It was cross between a man and a panther; it’s eyes glowed a malevolent green. Rushing up to the monster and throwing Gunter aside, Monsette slashed into it with his sword. The were-panther brought its forearm up to block the attack…the sword bit through bone and sinew, stopping halfway through the appendage. The monster merely roared with stronger ferocity. Backing away in fear, Monsette watched as the creature slowly approached him with a look of hatred in its eyes. Fumbling with divine power, the priest of Viminau attempted to freeze the creature in place with enchantments…it did not work. Monsette was saved by the sounds of the local Guard and the sight of many lit torches. The creature, sensing danger, ripped the sword from its arm and leaped to the roof of the nearest building. As the guards poured into the alley, Monsette began to give them instructions on how to defeat the creature while simultaneously retrieving the unconscious form of Gunter Edel.

Dashing back into the Inn, Monsette lay Gunter Edel next to the bloodied form of Sam. With little to no success in rejuvenating Sam (courtesy of the curse cast by Leyla), Monsette asked the guards to fetch for a local healer. While the local herbalist was retrieved, Monsette and Vanyel worked to rekindle Gunter Edel’s dying flame. Apparently the shock had been too much for his frail heart to handle. The old man had stopped breathing and only through the combined divine efforts of Vanyel and Monsette did he begin to breathe again. The healer did come in time to patch up Sam’s mutilated body. With a few words to the guards, Vanyel and Monsette called that a night…well they went to their rooms armed to the teeth anyway.

______________
October 23, 747

Shinlaiden awoke with a start. He didn’t remember what happened…one minute he was talking to Sam and the next minute he was here. Where am I? Looking around, the great warrior found himself near stream in a heavily wooded area. This still must be Vulpwood. Searching the area thoroughly, Shinlaiden found no trace of Sam anywhere. His clothes were shredded, his sword belt torn, and his boots were in pieces. Not understanding what had happened, Shinlaiden set out for Karina. It was a long walk without footwear, but eventually he managed to haul himself back to the Inn. The guards gave him reproachful glances, but this was a festival after all!

Upon arrival Monsette began the questioning with Vanyel’s help. Shinlaiden tried to answer the questions as best he could, but he simply didn’t remember anything. He did remember going after Sam and talking with him. While they talked, he remembered feeling rather hot…odd since it was late fall. His memories ended there. Taking the warrior upstairs, Vanyel began to berate him in the presence of the unconscious Sam and Gunter.

“You will never go off without my permission again,” Vanyel ordered. “You are under my command, do you understand?!”

Shinlaiden nodded sheepishly. With his head bowed, Monsette noticed something that he hadn’t noticed before…it seemed as though there was a needle prick at the base of his neck. It was too centered to be haphazard. Even the best shot in the world wouldn’t be able to land it in that spot.

“I would say that you were the were-creature that attacked us last night Shinlaiden if it weren’t for the fact that yesterday say a new moon, not a full moon,” Monsette remarked.

“His illness might not be normal lycanthropy…his might be a different infection,” Vanyel observed.

The two went on about any strange occurrences they had noticed with respect to Shinlaiden for some time, completely oblivious of the man’s presence. After some time, the two decided to wake up Gunter Edel for some questioning. The answers they received were troubling at best. It seemed that the old man neither remembered where he was or his name. When asked, he even managed to get the year wrong. Vanyel was convinced that he was lying and was about to use more extreme methods of magical interrogation had not Monsette stepped in with a more gentle hand. Monsette was not being charitable in any way; he was simply convinced that Gunter was the shapeshifting creature that had nearly killed them back in Valetta! It took some more questioning before both men came to the conclusion that Gunter’s memory had been erased somehow…but most likely it was the doing of the evil force working against them or what Monsette classified as “the Bad Guys.” Just to make sure, the men waited for Gunter’s traveling companion Carl to see if he could corroborate Gunter’s facts. The men waited all day, but Carl never came back to check up on his friend…

______________
October 24, 747

Monsette spent the day accomplishing many errands while Vanyel and Shinlaiden waited back in the Inn. His first order of duty was to hire a local blacksmith to make huge chains and a lock to secure Shinlaiden should the desire to become a beast overtake him in the future. His next stop was in the city prison to talk with the Lieutenant of the city guards. He explained about the “hit-list” his party had found and left his contact information with the man should anything come up as it pertained to the investigation he was conducting. Finally, using a messenger service, Monsette drafted a long letter to Gunter’s daughter explaining exactly what had happened. The rest of the day was spent feeding Sam through the corner of his mouth.

_______________
October 25, 747

Monsette jolted awake with the sound he had so desperately been waiting to hear:

“Ow,” Sam whispered.

Everyone was awake in seconds, mostly through the efforts Monsette made in kicking everyone as hard as he could.

“I really am sorry,” Shinlaiden murmured.

“It’s not your fault. I tried to warn you about the monster, but you feinted before I could speak out.”

“So you definitely saw both Shinlaiden and the were-creature at the same time,” Monsette asked pensively.

“Yes…I am sure of it,” Sam replied in a hoarse whisper.

Leaving Sam in locked room, Monsette and Vanyel went to investigate the area Shinlaiden claimed to have passed out in while talking to Sam. It did take a while, but eventually their efforts were rewarded. The patch of land was much as to be expected: the floor of a forest, littered with dead leaves. However, a few hours of inspection revealed a small pile of blackened herbs. Vanyel suggested that the herbs were used to cast a spell, but that theory was quickly discarded within minutes of examination. Placing a small sample into a pouch, Monsette headed for the Vistani camp to set up a meeting. Marsella and Vincenzo greeted him even before he reached the edge of the circle of wagons. It was decided that within one hour the meeting would take place on neutral ground, so that no one would gain an advantage. Monsette was elected to do the bargaining even with his tarnished record with the Vistani.

The meeting did proceed as planned. Madame Eva, Marsella, and Vincenzo met Monsette, Vanyel, and Shinlaiden at the edge of Vulpwood. There it was agreed that both sides gained with the following arrangements:

For the Giorgio: 1) information on were-creatures (enough to cure the infected Shinlaiden), 2) removal of the curse, and 3) a way home (at this point Monsette didn’t care about knowledge on the Mists themselves).

For the Vistani: the party would determine the location of the Dukkar and immobilize it with a special item the Vistani would create for the party. The party’s task was to find the Dukkar and throw the object at it…their contract ended there.

While they deciphered the location of the Dukkar, the Vistani would begin the creation of the object in question with the help of Raul.

“Where do we start to look,” Monsette asked.

“Look for a man called Scar in the Maze of Karina…or if you prefer, go to the “Dog Fights” your friend Captain Timothy generously invited you to,” the last words were uttered with a knowing smile by Madame Eva.

Monsette only had time to stand dumbfounded as the Vistani melted back into the forest…

 

[SolidSnake]

October 25, 747- “Right now I’m having amnesia and déjà vu at the same time. I think I’ve forgotten this before.” –Steven Wright

Morale for the group had reached an all time low. Not only were they at the mercy of a land they didn’t understand, but now they had to deal with backstabbing gypsies. If it wasn’t one thing, it was another. To Monsette it seemed like a futile task to continuously clean up the mess everyone else was making. In an effort to clear their friend’s name, they had secretly stumbled upon a “hit-list” of some shapeshifting monster and every time they thought they got close to some real answers, they invariably were always two steps behind!

No one said much on the journey back to the Maiden’s Kiss. It wasn’t necessary. Everyone’s mind was ablaze with conspiracies and possibilities. It was difficult to keep their objectives clear with all of the continual problems that plagued them. Everyone yearned to get home, but no one wished to return there dead…or worse. At least we are all alive, Monsette thought.

The festival had begun to wind down. In a few days, it would culminate in the public executions of the finest scum Invidia had to offer…or just some poor unfortunates, depending up on which side of the gallows you were on. The streets were visibly less congested with merry revelers, except for the few diehard drinkers who came to Karina with only one thought on their minds.

I guess no one finds the thought of were-creatures running amok in their streets a festive idea.

His small moment of triumph was short lived, as he saw yet another obstacle on his road to victory: Gunter Edel was leaving the inn. Apparently he wasn’t the only one, as Shinlaiden was already upon the man and shoving him back into through the doorway none to gently.

“What is the meaning of this,” Gunter spat with incredulity.

“Stay put,” Shinlaiden warned as he turned to watch Monsette and Vanyel enter the common room and close the door.

Monsette automatically took a survey of his surroundings. Old habits die hard. The Inn was completely empty. The Inn Keeper, a large man getting on in the years sat at a corner table near the shattered window and sipped a glass of ale. The look on his face was a similar sight. Monsette had seen it countless mornings as he stared into his companions faces. It was the look of defeat. The commotion Gunter was causing didn’t seem to detract the Innkeeper from his appointed task: drowning his sorrows.

“Perhaps we should continue this conversation upstairs Shinlaiden,” Vanyel said while he motioned for the stairs.

With a nod, the bruiser simply picked up the now screaming Gunter and walked him up into one of the rooms they had purchased. As soon as he crossed the threshold of the doorway, he deposited the flustered man upon the bed and folded his arms. The look he gave him gave no doubts as to what he would do if the Gunter became uncooperative. Monsette and Vanyel hurried in after the pair and again closed the door, sealing the man off from escape.

“Where are you going,” Vanyel asked.

“I’m leaving,” Gunter screamed whilst he shot a dangerous stare at the frail man.

“To go where,” Vanyel asked.

“Anywhere I damn well please! You can’t do this! This is kidnapping,” Gunter spat.

“Remember the conversations we had yesterday,” Vanyel’s voice lowered and became almost hypnotic in nature. “I was trying to explain why what you say doesn’t make sense.”

“Don’t you understand? I have a child who cannot care for herself. My wife-“

“Is dead Gunter,” Vanyel interrupted smoothly. “She died many years ago and you know this. Anya has been more than capable of taking care of herself and running the store in Vallaki. The year is not 737, but 747 as hard as that may sound.”

“Shut up you liar! My wife isn’t dead!! How dare yo-,” Gunter sobbed.

Monsette used that cue to slide over to where Gunter was sitting and sit down next to him. With a gentle hand he placed an arm over Gunter’s shoulders.

“Listen Gunter, no one is expecting you to take this all in stride. You have had a huge shock. I’ve read that sometimes when the mind doesn’t want to believe what is happening it forgets whatever it desires. I won’t tell you what caused that to happen, but you must believe us. We are here to help you and saved you from harm. Even the Karina Watch told you this and were so trusting of us that they left you in our custody after they spoke with you. Why would they do this if we were bad people,” Monsette asked.

“I…just…want…to go,” Gunter gasped between sobs.

“I understand that you do. You are scared and want to go back to something familiar. I understand this more than you can possibly imagine. But through that door leads death Gunter. The person who tried to take your life last night will come again…next time he will not fail. We have a list of people that this man wants. He has already killed one person and you are next. He is extremely dangerous and powerful. Alone you will not survive Gunter.”

“I don’t understand why this is happening to me…”

“Neither do we, but we will figure it out, don’t you worry Gunter. You are safe here. Stay with us for a bit until we can figure all of this out together,” Monsette said soothingly.

The investigator looked up from Gunter and gave a quick head jerk to Vanyel. Vanyel nodded and signaled Shinlaiden to stay near Gunter while the two discussed a suitable plan of action out of earshot.

“What do you think,” Monsette asked.

“I think he is being honest with us. I generally know when people are lying about emotion…his were sincere,” Vanyel replied.

“I was afraid of such,” Monsette intoned absentmindedly as he instinctively began to light his pipe and walk down the stairs to the common room. “We are in no better position now than when we started. I wish we could get something useful out of all of these ordeals.”

“Perhaps we have. Our new alliance with the Vistani has opened a few possibilities. This Scar character in the Maze, Captain Timothy, or even that arrogant noble Matton Blanchard are all people who we have yet to tap for information.”

Monsette’s eyes lit up. “You are right! Why didn’t I think of this before?!”

“What’s that,” Vanyel’s voice betraying the slightest bit of fear.

“Remember what Captain Timothy said to us the night we got here? Something about a ‘good time’ at a seedy warehouse in the Falkovian Quarter. Well, after that bastard Matton Blanchard tried to hire us he told us to be at that very same place at the stroke of midnight. Of course that was a few days ago…still, why all the interest in this place? I must say my curiosity is peaked. Captain Timothy was staying at the Black Swan if I remember correctly. I wonder what time it is. Damn, we may be late.”

Monsette’s eyes took on a new fervor as he rounded on Vanyel, puffing his pipe furiously.

“Here is what we will do. Go upstairs and tell Gunter to stay put while we go check this out. We will lock Sam up in the other room…I don’t trust Edel as far as I can throw him. Shinlaiden and you will come with me. We will make our way to the Goldfinger first to check the time. If it is on our side, I say we head for the Black Swan and see if Captain Timothy is there. If not, then we go directly to that warehouse in the Falkovian Quarter! The directions are already coming back to me.”

Vanyel stared at him with a new appreciation.

“Well what are you gawking at Vanyel? There is work to be done!”

While Vanyel carried out Monsette’s instructions, the investigator took the opportunity to walk over to the Innkeeper and toss a handful of silver coins on his table.

“That should cover us for a while…and that-,” he said as he dug into his pouch to toss over a handful of gold coins, “-should cover you for all the trouble we caused.”

“Thank you,” the man replied. “I’m sorry about your friend. You don’t have to do this.”

“Well I feel partly to blame for the loss your fine establishment has endured.”

“I don’t know how I can repay you,” the Innkeeper said.

“I always enjoy useful information. If you could just keep your ear to the ground so to speak and let me know what is happening that would be much appreciated,” Monsette said with a smile. His confidence was growing by the minute. It was almost as if he saw the opportunities now and believed that they would all make it out of this festering cesspool.

“I overheard what you said to your friend. I would be careful about going to the Falkovian Quarter if I were you. The entire area is under martial law. Even the town Watch won’t venture there as they frequently have run-ins with the Falkovian Infantry. Before they acquired land in Karina that area used to be a safe haven for thieves, brutes, and cutthroats…now there is no crime…period. Everyone who crosses them mysteriously disappears and those who would openly challenge them are mercilessly cut down. Their Commander has a good stranglehold on the local economy because of his ruthlessness and few can challenge his power,” the Innkeeper said just before taking a large swig of ale.

Wiping the foam from his mouth, he continued…his voice dropping to little more than a whisper: “That however isn’t even the problem. Recently there have been killings near Bog Street. Thankfully most of the people have only been Falkovian soldiers, but some others were not. The fog that comes up from the river makes the entire area difficult to navigate by night and this killer strikes when the fog is at its worst. They call him the Midnight Slasher. He leaves bloody writing on the walls near his victims…ravings of lunacy from what I hear.”

The tense silence was broken by the heavy footfalls of Shinlaiden making his way down the stairs. Monsette realized that he was holding his breath the entire time and took the opportunity to take a deep gulp of air. The innkeeper just went back to staring out the window.

“Is everyone ready,” Monsette asked as he composed himself.

Shinlaiden and Vanyel both nodded.

“Then let us be off,” Monsette said with forced confidence.

The three men braced themselves as they opened the door. Their breaths caught on the crisp night air as a slight breeze stung their faces with its icy rapture. But it wasn’t the cold that made Monsette’s blood freeze…off in the distance, a blanket of fog began to creep over Karina.

 

[SolidSnake]

October 25, 747- “I have seen the universe yawning; Where the black planets roll without aim; Where they roll in their horror unheeded, without knowledge or luster or name.” –Cthulu Mythos

Impressive.

The Goldfinger; in Monsette’s opinion, was the only thing of substance Karina had to offer. It was a tower over 60 feet high, hewn from polished yellow granite that could reflect the sun’s rays like a beacon of light in the darkness. Atop this marvel of stonemasonry stood a white clock face, whose hands and numbers were painted lustrous black. The endless rhythmic churning of gears could barely be heard from the foot of the clock tower; its sound only punctuated every hour by the chimes. To Monsette the courtyard housing the tower was the last bastion of hope against the chaos that had threatened to engulf he and his colleges during the past few days.

11:30. Do we have enough time? I guess we shall find out.

Monsette led the party down Tower Road, across Bog Street and onto East Front Street to find the Black Swan. It was not as difficult as the investigator might have anticipated. With all the fog that had now covered the docks and the streets a few blocks up, Monsette believed that it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. He couldn’t have been more wrong. Confirmation of the correct establishment came in the form of a drunken sailor hurtling out the front window, followed promptly with a roar of laughter from within. Monsette gingerly stepped over the bloodied man and made his way to the tavern’s barkeep.

“Excuse me good sir,” Monsette called with diplomatic trepidation.

The barkeep, engaged in an arrangement of sorts, turned away from the charming woman of “easy virtue” and rounded upon Monsette.

”Wadda ya want?”

“I was hoping you could help me,” Monsette said with a little more force. These brutes only respect strength. “I am looking for Captain Timothy.”

“So,” the barkeep snorted.

Monsette produced a handful of silver from his robes.

“It’s a simple question with ample rewards,” Monsette with an irritated look on his face. “Do-you-know-where-he-is,” he said with slow deliberation.

The barkeep was about to say something and visibly stopped himself before completing the translation of thought into speech.

“Ya, I heard of him. Captain Tim be enjoying some late night sport if ye catch my meanin’. You can find him where such things occur I’m guessin’.”

“Thank you,” Mosette said as he dropped the silver on the bar and exited the Black Swan.

Having missed their objective, the group hurried towards the Falkovian Quarter by cutting down Bog Street.

“Stay close,” Monsette warned as the group hurried onwards.

It was obvious to everyone but Shinlaiden that group had entered the right area. Despite the fact that the Festival was almost over and the dense fog obstructing everyone’s vision, it was clear that this was the Falkovian Quarter. Infrequent pedestrians ran quickly down the clean cobblestone streets, their eyes transfixed upon the road. The clank of armored divisions marching was a disturbing backdrop to this somber place. Iron bars and shutters were on every window. No scrap of the Festival’s merriment had ever made it here.

Monsette was ripped from his musings on the varied definitions of tyranny by the sudden appearance of a shadowy figure standing on the street corner. The investigator must have stopped for; he felt Shinlaiden’s form colliding with him.

“What’s wrong,” the large man asked.

Monsette’s stare was enough to silence him. The warrior turned slowly to follow the priest of Viminau’s gaze.

The slender man was leaning up against a building near a street lamp. He wore a wide-brimmed hat and a billowing cloak of dark fabric that seemed to drink up the night. A dark scarf covered the lower half of his face. Abruptly he stepped out of the light and was instantly swallowed up by the darkness. Where he was standing, Monsette saw a crumpled piece of parchment lying on the sidewalk.

Shinlaiden instantly drew his sword and interposed himself between his companions and the parchment. Monsette drew his sword as well and the group advanced upon the parchment slowly. Upon reaching the illuminated area containing the parchment, Monsette immediately scanned the region for any signs of the man. Nothing moved. His attention focused on the parchment.

“Shinlaiden, Vanyel keep a lookout while I check this out,” he said absentmindedly while his mind raced to absorb every detail of the paper.

He slowly reached down and grabbed the crumpled piece of paper. He could see that it was wrapped around something and stained through. As he loosened it, his eyes went wide with terror.

“What is it,” Vanyel demanded.

Monsette moved the paper closer so that all could see. A gasp came from Vanyel as the light more thoroughly illuminated the object. Sitting atop the paper was a freshly severed human finger, still wearing an iron signet carved with a resplendent hawk’s head. On the paper itself, a message was scrawled in blood:

The darkness is mine.
The anger is mine.
The vengeance is mine.

Monsette cringed as his thumb accidentally brushed against the last verse, smearing the fresh blood across the page. The investigator neatly folded the note and tucked it into his pouch for analysis at a later time.

“Let’s go.”

Everyone nodded at that suggestion, but no one wanted to sheath their weapons as they made their way down the street. This fog may be a blessing. Perhaps we won’t run across any of the Infantrymen I keep hearing about. No doubt that with our weapons drawn like this, they will not hesitate to use force.

A few blocks later, Monsette called a halt. He could barely see the warehouse a block up, but his attention wasn’t on the structure in question, but rather on the man directly in their path that seemingly emerged from the mists. Matton Blanchard was tall and would have been handsome save for the nasty scar that ran down the side of his right cheek. He was dressed even more elegantly than usual.

“Normally I would have you flogged for the offense you caused me, but luck is on your side it would appear,” the nobleman said with a sneer.

Monsette recovered quickly from the advantage Matton had gained.

“I’m sorry we could not make the appointment, but our group was indisposed. That incident by the Maiden’s Kiss…have you heard of it,” Monsette asked.

“Yes, the supposed monster that attack revelers.”

“The rumors don’t even hold a candle to the truth. We were attack and are down a man because of it.”

“Don’t feed your excuses to me, as I am uninterested.”

The last phrase made Shinlaiden’s knuckles go white on the hilt of his brandished sword, a low growl escaping his lips. If Matton noticed, he gave no sign and continued on unabated.

“Be thankful that my contact is as punctual as you. It was fortuitous that you chose this night to arrive, because I have…assurances that he will show this time. Your job will be simple: ensure my protection. We are to locate the contact inside and at that time I will negotiate for some information. You will not be privy to that conversation but don’t stray too far and try to keep a low profile. If the information is accurate and we succeed in our task, you will all be rich men.”

Matton gave the group a long stare before rounding on his heel and walking towards the warehouse. The warehouse’s most obvious entrance was a pair of sturdy wooden double doors over ten feet wide; large enough for a horse-drawn cart to pass unimpeded. The noble; however, did not fancy this entrance for he walked straight past it to a smaller side door and rapped his knuckled upon it three times in rapid succession. Monsette took in his surroundings. All the portals to gain entry to this building were heavily fortified and the windows had reinforced shudders. The whole building seemed to scream “go away.”

A slide window opened in the door and man’s voice called out.

“Vat do you vant,” the man asked in a thick ascent.

“Arkendale Lives,” Matton Blanchard replied smoothly.

Monsette heard the numerous locks unlocking and thought he may have heard a wooden bar being slide of its holsters. The door swung open revealing a small side room decorated with a few crates and another door in the back. Four heavily armed Falkovian guards stood at the ready, their shortswords plainly brandished and in defensive stances. Monsette’s eyes immediately noted that their swords had been silvered. I guess they believe the rumors after all. One of the men had a salivating war dog on a chain leash. It howled and yelped as it tugged against its master. What was unnerving to the investigator were the symbols branded upon each man’s forehead: the same hawk’s head that he saw on the ring they had just recently discovered.

“Kara smells fear,” the man with the dog said. The other soldiers chuckled and cautiously lowered their weapons. One of the men immediately went to re-secure the door after the last of Matton’s escort entered.

“Sheath you veapons, the fight is in the pit,” the soldier said with a smile as he moved to open the back door.

Monsette thought he could hear howls in the distance.