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Message: <blockquote data-quote="James Heard" data-source="post: 3515786" data-attributes="member: 7280">Janis culls the wounded that can be helped by her Mass Lesser Vigor spell apart from the rest and casts it while she is listening to the villagers tales. (OOC: Right now that means she can do 3 targets, fast healing 1 for 16 rounds on those in the most peril.)The sickened, Janis tries to classify into groups of "why are they sick?" and either treating them together or sending people to gather things to aid them ("This man is missing a leg. Don't waste me time, make him a crutch!", etc) If there's nothing to be done for someone, Janis tells everyone and moves on. No wasting time with those too weak to survive. For the malnourished Janis recommends that groups of men with torches and weapons that they can find move in force from building to building looking for foodstuffs that might have been abandoned, along with escorting people determined to venture out to seek out loved ones and the collection of the dead and notation of the err, not so dead. Janis even tries to take the time to tend to the sick puppy, not from any affection, but because inviting any more sickness to this place could be a pathway for a larger infection while the people are still weak.Janis tries to get directions to Mad Mary's house. Anyone that needed to be locked up for 19 years and who is loose is probably part of the problem.Janis tells the people of everything she knows of Viktor Litmunova.I wonder what this has to do with the Witches of Lysaga Hill?Janis dutifully makes a 'v' shaped sign herself, and sighs."Tell me more about the Devil Strahd. For what purpose would he turn Danovich and how?""Pull some water from the well and call one of the priests outside attention to it. If a curse truly resides in the water then it, at least, will presumably be a less agile foe to turn a blade into than some."Janis sighs and shakes her head, obviously annoyed at being drawn away from the people. She restates some of the directions for care she has indicated for the sick and wounded, and berates anyone that she thinks might be too dull to follow her directions."I will go with you to see to Ismark's sister, but before we plan on any raids upon the castle our time here shall stretch longer than a few hours for you to swig some ale and nail some boards into barricades. There are more red daggers in the shadows to kiss these necks here than one."Janis continues as she stands, gesturing with her thin hands as she walks to join the others."I am aware that the rest of you think that I'm less than sympathetic, or somehow fail to put the proper perspective on things. This is also the case in my views of the rest of you I'm afraid, and I've been assembling a list of needful information, actions, and duties we either need to perform to achieve our stated goals, to reasonably be expected to survive to leave this valley, and to perform some basic missions of charity for the people who live here.One, the Witches of Lysaga Hill and the fate of Ireena Kolyana. While the note that drew us here has proven to be suspect, that doesn't mean that the issue doesn't warrant investigation. Urik calls them "a new blight", but that only impresses me that other forces are at work here and contrary to our purpose - which Jarrith said that the seeress witch confirmed with her telling.Two, we still haven't found the Claw agents that stole the records from the caravan. If the Agents fled here then there is likely a Claw cell either operating from or moving into Barovia, and which records they stole and why is also of interest. All of this directly impacts our mission from Orchem. If a Claw cell is operating here then merely slaying one simple village priest will not ultimately be enough to lay the dead to rest, and merely achieving possession of the Tome will not preclude those agents from striking at it to gain its secrets. Unless those agents have since returned to the village, I believe that they are likely operating from somewhere along the road to the west and were indicated by the three bodies of the villagers we found as we left town. Three, brigands. There was mention of brigands on at least one occasion, though I know not of what wealth such would find here. The girl, Andrzej's daughter, mentioned "men who kept her and her father safe," - Bors, Piotr, and Tomasz. I cannot say for certain, perhaps it is truly Vistani doing, but it seems likelier to me that those three are the culprits since Daellin saw no further tracks once we reached the cemetery crossroads. If they are brigands, then they could either know of the Claw agents or be them. In any case, it still seems suspicious to me that any farm outside of town could survive on stubbornness and pure thoughts. They know something that we do not, and in this land such information may be critical to survival.Four, the attacks. We slew the priest, but while we slew him the barricades were attacked. This suggests that he might have been a diversion. Again, what wealth might be found in the blood and deaths of these villagers is small - except for a necromancer. Perhaps a necromancer as such as who already possesses the Tome? This escalation though, is it a preparation for something? What ritual or dark purpose needs to slay an entire town? Or is there someone specific within the townspeople to slay, or some needful artifact that lies within the barricades? Who slew Doru? The Holy Symbol of Ravenkind, which Urik has claimed as a "toy of the burgomaster?"Five, fanes and shadows. Jarrith apparently has decided that fanes are objects. They are not. Fanes are sanctuaries, holy or unholy places. Furthermore, the seeress also said that the shadow is the land and that the ir'Zaroviches rule the land still - and have had no recent heirs. Given that we seek a Tome of darkest necromancy... this web is tangled, indeed. I believe, based upon what Jarrith has said, that we first need to collect all the other objects with holy sites hidden within the keep and activate them. Then we need to collect the Tome and perform some ritual contained within which will summon the "shadow of the land" and slay it.Six, finally...these people...these wounded. "Mad Mary's" daughter...it sounds like a story to frighten children but the believe it to be true. A woman who locked up her own daughter for nineteen years for some reason. In any place other than here I'd dismiss it, but here I think there may be reasons to lock up even children for the safety of others - and she's loose. I told them we would check the well water as well, for curses and disease. Orwell is dead and I shall require time to cast my Will upon the land for a suitable replacement. I will make a list of the needs of the people here, so that you priests can prepare yourself in magics aidful of them while I rest to perform my summons. I also think it would be best if you all spent some more time with them, not only in ingratiating yourselves in their good stead but also in case there exists agents of out enemies among them."Janis rubs her eyes in fatigue." There is so much to do."OOC: Score one for "Thai Food wakes me up at night recaps."</blockquote>

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