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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ealli" data-source="post: 3335144" data-attributes="member: 804">Chapter 4:  New FacesThe party turned to see who was calling out.  There at the eastern barricade stood a human and a dwarf in matching breastplates.“Come along, Cyron,” called the human to the glum dwarf.  “Ah, people.  We haven’t seen anyone else in town.  Where are you going?”Thundina turned and approached the two strangers.  “We are a party of Lightbringers.”  Orning of course piped in with, “I’m a lightbringer.” Thundina continued without pausing, “soon to be setting off in search of new allies and greater insight to the mysteries of the town.”The reply came, “I’m Romann Ardell.  And this is my assistant Cyron.  We heard rumors that perhaps the answer to what happened to Cyre may be found here.”Halas hurried over and introduced himself, “Halas is the name, and adventuring’s the game.”Once more Romann introduced himself, “I’m Romann Ardell.  And this is my assistant Cyron.  May we join your group?”While Thundina took a moment to look over the newcomers, Halas immediately jumped in with, “Why yes, you may join us.  As I said, I’m Halas, and the lovely lass is my companion, Thundina.”  Thundina immediately proved what a head-turner she is by delivering a hard slap to Halas.“Halas is neither the leader of our group, nor even a full member.  He is a follower who is auditioning for a spot on our team.  However, yes, we are in need of additional allies.  We are about to set off to the west in search of a seer who can guide our quest.  You are welcome to join us.”One final thing to be resolved as Thundina and Krel discussed whether or not to allow Halas to travel with the party.  Krel made what Thundina considered to be a very good point, “If we allow Halas to travel with us, maybe he’ll get eaten by the zombies and we’ll be rid of him?”With Halas firmly entrenched in the party, Ashlyn bowed out to stay with the peasants and protect them from any further zombie attacks.Perhaps twenty minutes outside of Barovia town, Thundina thought she heard something off in the woods.  She signaled a halt to discuss the possibilities of friend versus foe.  “Have weapons ready, I hear voices.  Halas, scout the woods.”“No, no, no.  I’m not a scout.  I’m a leader.  Karl, scout the woods.”  Halas stuttered.“Halas!  You are not the leader, I’m in charge here.  Are you of any use?  I’m having trouble seeing why we bring you along.”  Thundina retorted.Halas appealed to the new recruits, “Of course I’m the leader.  Romann, who is the leader?”Romann nodded, “Right, it is only reasonable that Halas would be the leader.”“Uh, sir.  I think the lady is the leader, not Halas.”  Cyron whispered to Romann.Romann followed, “I’m being told that perhaps I was under a misimpression.”“Oh, screw this.”  Thundina shook her head and then called out, “Ho there!  Who is out there?”No response.  With no one skilled in woodcraft or scouting, it was decided to continue on, but still keeping weapons at the ready.  The fog had broken a little, and the sun was beginning to show through.  A little further up the road, at the crossroads splitting off to either the Tser Pool versus the castle, stood a gallows and graveyard.  The party’s non-investigation of the woods proved to be an important time saver for as the party came into view of the graveyard, a battle was already under way.    Five shadowy creatures were attempting to swarm a man in platemail emblazoned with ravens.  The man pointed to one of the shades and commanded, “Hurn”, and the raven which had been flying nearby began to attack and distract one of the shades.The first to be ready to react was Halas, “Yes, I think I will take up a position at the rear to ensure that nothing catches us from behind.”While Halas looked slightly yellow, the rest of the party charged forward to assist the man in distress.  “The enemy of undead is my friend.  The power of the Host compels you,” Cyron said when he rushed forward.  The shadows ignored him, but one did reach through Romann’s armor inflicting no apparent harm but after that Romann had a very glazed over look.  A second round and Romann fell to the ground, motionless.  After so many cuts had passed harmlessly through the ethereal forms, the party refocused and began making the right cuts to actually harm and dispel the darkness.  Cyron made another attempt at compelling the creatures and this second channeling of holy energy caused the shades to flee, directly down.With the threat turned, the knight introduced him as Sir Urik, and an actual Knight of the Raven.  Thundina turned to Halas to have a quick chat with him over expectations.  Running away while everyone else is putting their souls on the line, for instance, is an unacceptable choice.Cyron knelt down in an attempt to restore Romann to consciousness.  Such a Lesser Restoration attempt however failed.  Sir Urik reached into his pack and withdrew a potion.  Passing it to Cyron, Urik said, “Try this.”After the potion fully brought Romann back, he tried to thank Cyron for tending to him.  Cyron then needed to explain to Romann what truly had happened and that it was Urik who had saved Romann.“Thank you for your assistance.  You said something about coming from the town.  I do not recognize you, are you new there?  What are you doing out here?”  Sir Urik inquired of the party.“Yes, we are new to Barovia.  We came to reinforce a previous Lightbringer expedition to the area.  We are now on the road to seek Madam Eva for insight on the zombie infestation in town.”  Thundina answered for the party.“Madam Eva is a good woman, although too cryptic for my taste.  But what of this zombie infestation you speak of.  I have not been back into town recently but I have not heard of this!”  Urik seemed agitated by the news.“From the church at the edge of town, a plague of zombies have been attacking the village.  We engaged those forces, but our attack was repulsed and we lost two of our party.  They are very dangerous and that is why we seek Madam Eva.”“If it so dangerous, it must be dealt with immediately!  You may travel on to Madam Eva, but I am going to return to town and put an end to this threat.”“Dangerous enough for a team, the threat is much greater to a single man without allies to assist.”  Thundina protested and looked to Orning and Krel.  “Madam Eva can wait, we will also return to the church.  The way you handled that blade was very impressive, I know that this time we will prevail.”The journey back to town should have been uneventful, except Romann and Halas were exchanging some words, culminating with the challenge from Halas, “Shall we duel for my lady’s honor?”Taken aback, Romann looked to Thundina for how she viewed this declaration of chivalry.  Thundina glided over to Romann to whisper, “If you take him up on his offer, I’ll aid you in the fight.  Might not strictly be a duel anymore, but that’s fine by me.”Seeing Thundina beginning to circle around behind, Halas gave a jolly laugh, “Oh, I was only joking.  Besides, I have no wish to kill you.”Eventually arriving at the church once more, Krel and Cyron both spoke up, offering services for the imminent battle.  “Does anyone need any enhancements to blade or armor?”  Krel volunteered.  Like the previous time, Thundina pointed Krel over to Orning.  “I can cast something to Hide from Undead for the party, but it can only affect 6 of us,” Cyron followed with. “Well, Halas is always going on about how great he is; I think he would be most capable of succeeding without your spell.  He’d be the one to leave out,” Thundina directed.Once Cyron had touched his holy symbol to each person in turn, leaving out Halas, and Halas had protested how he was both less competent in fighting and more competent and would be ‘allowing’ everyone else to prove their worth, the doors to the church were once again thrown open.  A lack of planning became obvious as everyone then proceeded to do their own thing.First Thundina attempted to cajole Halas to join the fight, going so far as to threatening to toss him down the pit if he didn’t.  Halas steadfastedly clung to his cowardice, preferring to hide behind the now open door.  Disgusted, Thundina stalked forward on her own, towards the altar.Urik began kicking each storeroom door open, looking for undead.  Orning proceeded to where the boxes covered the trapdoor and began shifting boxes about with Krel close behind.  Romann and Cyron each peeked into the pit, with Cyron lighting a sunrod to toss down to provide light for Romann.  By the time Urik had finished kicking doors, Orning had cleared the trapdoor.  Urik immediately flipped the door open and charged down the stairs.  Orning followed and took up a defensive position just up the stairs from Urik.  Thundina had once again tied a rope to the altar and lowered herself a little down to get a clear view of what was in the basement.  Cyron, lying on the edge of the pit to look in, decided a Prayer was in order on the eve of battle.As everyone was still taking their places, Thundina let out a little gasp as the desiccated horror suddenly whipped around from its at ease position to charge Orning.  Hard pressed, Orning managed to keep both shield and sword between the creature and himself, but only just.  “Cyron oversold the strength of his spell, so much for being hidden.”Yelling an oath to the gods, Urik drove his sword deep into the horror.  Not to be outdone, Orning, shining with the strength of righteousness, twice smashed the terrifying creature.  Recovering from her shock, Thundina dropped the final couple feet down the rope and charged into battle.  Urik’s strike into horror’s left side had turned it just enough to open its entire back to the full force of Thundina’s blow.  Krel, from the top of the stairs, thinking of the lost friends, took slow and careful aim to burn the monster.  Its counter attack was furious, tearing into Orning and shoving him against the wall, dazing him for a moment.  The other lesser zombies joined in the fight grasping at Thundina who was in a vulnerable position. Eyes wide at the danger of losing another of her friends, Thundina once more drove her guisarme into the horror’s back.  This time, no mere flesh wound, it struck home, severing the spine and dropping the creature.  As soon as the desiccated horror dropped, so too did all the other undead trying to swarm.  With a flourish, Halas dropped to the basement level to proclaim that he was now ready for battle.Acting on a hunch, Thundina checked the zombies, looking for identification.  As she suspected, the three zombies bore strong resemblance to Mathilda, Thendrick, and BarBar.  She asked Urik to help her carry the corpses upstairs so they could be given a proper burial.  BarBar was buried promptly, but before burying Mathilda and Thendrick, Thundina sent word to Ashlyn to come and identify them and mourn the loss of her friends.  Urik insisted that the horror, which bore a resemblance to a villager named Doru, be buried as well.  Burying Doru was the easiest as there was already an open grave with a headstone for Doru.Returning to the fortified town square, Thundina found that word of the defeat of the zombies had already spread through the town.  Apparently all the zombies throughout the whole town had stopped at the same time and the villagers were ready to return to their individual homes.  Ismark came out of the inn and asked if the party would accompany him to his manor to check on his sister, Ireena.On the southern edge of town stood the manor, with a crumbling stone wall and unkept exterior.  Ismark approached the gate and called out to Ireena to open the door.  A young lady, almost more of a girl really, opened the door to admit the party.  Behind her lay the body of an older gentleman, placed on a table in formal garb with his arms folded on his chest.  The first breath in the room was enough to identify that this was a man dead for around ten days.  On the walls portraits of a series of stately gentlemen stared down.  The portrait at the end of the row matched the deceased with the title, “Kolyan Indirovich.”“Welcome to the Kolyanavich manor, I am Ireena Indirovich,” began the dark haired girl who had answered the door.  “I hear you are responsible for ending the zombie infestation and cleansing the church.  I wish to hire you now to help me bury my father at the church.”  She indicated the corpse laid on the table.“Yes, we can help bear your late father to the church and see that he has a proper burial.” Thundina answered, mentally adding, “Finally, someone actually willing to pay us for services rendered.”“And then I will be accompanying you to seek vengeance on Strahd for the murder of my father,” Ireena declared.“We may have already avenged your father, dear.  How did he die?”  Thundina asked, desperately trying to hold together the small force she now commanded.“It was poison.”“The priest Danovich, in his own hand, confessed to plotting to murder your father by poison.  You can rest, your father has been avenged.”“No, I am certain that it was Strahd who killed my father.”  Ireena drew up indignant.  Thundina drew out Danovich’s journal and pointed to the passage about a plan to poison Kolyan, but Ireena repeated, “The writings of a madman.  It must have been Strahd.  Just before my father’s death, Strahd came, but my father drove him off with the Symbol of Ravenkind.  Then my father died and the symbol disappeared, it is no coincidence.  My father was protecting me, and Strahd killed him.”“Why is Strahd trying to harm you?”  Thundina inquired.  She had been hoping to rescue princes in distress, but one could always take the classical route to make a reputation by rescuing damsels in distress.“He has been haunting my dreams.  He has been calling out to me, calling me Titania, chasing me.  Except, that morning, when I awoke, this…” and she pulled down the high neck of her dress to reveal two spots on her neck.Everyone started, with Cyron exclaiming, “Vampire bites!  Are you feeling alright?  Can you see yourself in mirrors still?  How do you feel about the sun?”“Yes, I’m fine.  I am coming with you, I will avenge my father, and it is settled as I have already paid you.”“Why do you think you think you have the strength to face Strahd?  This is not the place for a child, this will take a warrior’s training.”  Thundina objected.In response, Ireena took a sword down from above the mantle, and sliced cleanly through a vase.  Orning’s eyes lit up and he too pulled his sword to slice through a vase with a declaration of, “Bravo!”  As he started eyeing a second vase, Ireena spoke up, “One vase per person only.”“Very well, you do have some training.  Let’s take your father to the church, and then we’ll visit Madam Eva,” Thundina said and directed Orning and Romann to honorably bear Kolyan.With Kolyan laid to rest, once more Thundina, her immediate party, plus Halas and Ireena, set off towards the Tser Pools and Madam Eva.  At approximately the same place where Thundina had previously heard something, Romann and Cyron called a halt.  “I heard something off in the woods,” Romann boldly declared.“Yes, I heard something too,” Cyron mumbled dejectedly.Once again, for all the peering into the woods, nothing and no one was willing to venture into the woods to scout.  Continuing on, just shy of the crossroads and the gallows and the graveyard, Orning declared, “Bravo!” and started pointing and then walking into the woods.Thundina started to hold Orning back and then turned to Ireena and said, “What kinds of things would be in the woods around here?”Ireena replied, “It could be vere-volves, or it could be vestani.”Romann needed clarification, “What was that, I didn’t catch what that first one was.”“Vere-volves.  You know, men turn into volves.”“Ireena, what exactly are the vestani?” Thundina needing clarification on the other half.“The vestani are tinkers and travelers.”No longer able to hold Orning back, Thundina turned to Halas and said, “Orning seems to want something.  Please accompany him on the scouting.”“How about we both scout the woods, eh?”  Halas winked.With a sigh, “Fine, come along.  Orning, what is it that you saw?”  While thinking to herself, “Oh gods, oh gods, we’re all going to die.  What am I doing splitting off from the group?”Orning lead Thundina and Halas through the first layer of trees.  Thundina caught sight of brightly colored forms dashing further from the path.  Remembering the vestani from town, Thundina concluded that it was more vestani who had been shadowing the party.  Presumably Madam Eva now knew that she’d be having guests soon.Past the graveyard, the trees along the path that lead to the Tser Pool became less dense eventually opening up into a clearing.  A series of brightly painted wagons encircled a dancing bonfire with several brightly colored tents outside the wagon circle.  Several unsmiling vestani stood by their wagons with one eventually approaching the party to ask, “Why have you come here?”Thundina answered the challenge, “We have come to seek counsel from Madam Eva.”“Very well, proceed to Madam Eva’s tent,” said the vestani and pointed to the large, rectangular tent at the far side of the clearing.Approaching the tent, two more vestani stood guard and once more challenged Thundina and her party.  Once more Thundina answered, “We have come to seek…” However, before she could finish, the bony claw of a hand reached out from the tent to beckon.  From inside a voice like dry reeds spoke, “Yes, come in.  I’ve been expecting you.”Thundina strode into the tent.  Cushions in every color filled the tent.  Sitting behind a small table at the back was an ancient and wrinkled lady.  A step further and Thundina realized it was not that the table was small, but the lady behind it was large.“You come seeking counsel.  What is it that you wish to know?”  Madam Eva said looking into Thundina’s eyes.“We need to know about the Sunsword.”“I can tell you.  There is more though.”“What, yes.  We also need to find the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind and the Tome of Strahd.”“I can tell you.  Anything else?”“When will I find my true love?”“Your true love is dead.  He died five years ago.”Choking a little, Thundina protested, “I’m only 19.  How could my true love already be dead?!”“He was a young one.”“Who summoned us to Barovia, pretending to be Kolyan.  Both his children deny that he wrote the letter.”“My lips are sealed.  I wish I could tell you.  It would help you immensely.”Thundina looked around, “Did anyone else have any questions they needed answering?”Romann came forward then, “Will I find the end to my quest to learn what happened to Cyre?”Madam Eva replied, “All quests have an end.”  Satisfied, Romann moved back.  Madam Eva addressed the party once again, “If I am to answer your questions, you must tell me of yourselves.”  She looked at each in turn.  Romann told of his military experience and started to speak of Cyron before Madam Eva cut him off and said that Cyron needs to speak for himself.  Krel told of how he became an artificer.  Thundina claimed to be the hero of many adventures and Madam Eva did not press her further.  Halas copied Thundina in the adventuring career, and Ireena spoke of her heritage.  Finally Madam Eva’s eyes fixed on Orning.  Orning had been getting more and more excited as Madam Eva went around the table and burst out, “Bravo!  I’m a Lightbringer.  I’m always watching.”With the introductions and histories done, Madam Eva once more made a demand.  “And why should I give to you the answers of these questions?”Orning was the first to take a crack at it with, “Good wins.”Thundina reached a new resolution, “For we have the strength and will to oppose Strahd.”Finally Cyron matched Madam Eva’s mysticism with, “Because you think we can use them.”Madam Eva gave the tiniest of smiles to each of Thundina’s and Cyron’s answers before beckoning to Thundina, “Come and sit, pet.  I will tell you your fortune.”Taking out a deck of cards from her robes, Madam Eva shuffled and dealt a card.  “The Blade of Light, weapon made for vengeance.  This card, covering card, is location.  Place of Holiness, where humans reach to the sky.  The blade sleeps.  To awaken, bring to place where hellish magic made.  This what you wanted to know?”Thundina scratched her head, “You know, a little more concrete would have been nice.”“Ah, this card is aspiration and religion.  Find the blade in the church in the highest place.  Hell comes to castle, servants work atop a tower.”“The rumors say that the Sunsword will not work for just anyone.  How do we get it to work for us?”“It is powerful magic.  Bind to the soul.”Madam Eva then dealt a new card, into a new pile.  “Symbol of Ravenkind, powerful for good.  Seek in place of death, among dead.”“The Symbol also will not work for everyone.  How do we use it?”“Holiness in item.  It waits for hands of holiness.  Bring to dizzying heights, all loathe to climb, reaching to heaven.”  Madam Eva glanced up.Thundina coughed and indicated that continuing would be appreciated.Madam Eva continued on the pile, “Find in the graveyard.  Take to the top of the castle.”Madam Eva then began a third pile.  “The tome, ancient knowledge of land.  Find with other treasures of castle.  Hmm, not good, your quest is doomed.  To gain the power of land, take tome to three defiled places described in tome.  Hold vigil through night.”Thundina nodded but Cyron asked for further clarification and so Madam Eva continued, “Blazing fire offers protection.  The vigil very dangerous to soul.  Reading tome will strip lord of protection.”“Is there anything else you need to know?”Thundina thought a moment, “Um, no, I think that’s what we needed.  Wait!  Yes, tell us about Strahd please.”Madam Eva then dealt a fourth pile.   “Strahd, dwells in Ravenloft, with powers beyond mortals.  He shall find you many times, but you shall find him only once.  On his throne, there are good influences in that place, and your blows shall strike hard and true.  This card, finds purpose and reason.  The key to life, death, and beyond.  Darkness seeks light.  Death seeks warmth and a bride.  Darkness fears darkness.”After a final look over all the cards, Madam Eva collected all the cards back up and asked, “Have at the fire tonight?”Thundina, having heard too many stories from her father of strange lands where that would constitute a double entendre was uneasy and asked, “Uh, I’m … by what do you mean ‘have at’?”Madam Eva responded, “Food, … bed.  Dance, eat, share stories.”Around the dancing bonfire, the vestani served bowls of stew.  Orning laid into his with gusto, though others seemed to be less impressed.  Madam Eva had retired back into her tent and none of the other vestani seemed to be leading the dancing.Romann came up to Thundina and asked, “My I ask the young lady for a dance?”“Why, yes.  Let’s dance.”Thundina and Romann took a whirl before Halas slyly came forward and interjected, “May I cut in?”Thundina smoothly countered, “Of course, you may have the next dance with Romann.”With the vestani seemingly not joining in the festivities, Thundina lead the party back to town before dark.  Instead of leading them back to the inn for lodging, she first lead them to the church.  “I want to find the sword tonight still.  We have a little light.  Do we wish to search outside or inside first?”Romann suggested looking for a ladder and began looking in the store rooms.  Thundina made an inspection of the store rooms, but on a hunch went to check behind the altar.  Overlooked previously, she spotted a fine vertical line.  Feeling along it, she then found a latch and pushed aside the stone.  A narrow ladder ascended in the recess.  Scampering up the ladder, Thundina found another, hidden storeroom and in this storeroom she found the hiltless golden blade made of crystalline-glass-steel.  “This must be a fantastical blade of legend.  Nothing ordinary could require that many adjectives to describe,” Thundina said aloud before securing the blade and climbing back down the ladder.Showing the blade to Krel, Thundina asked, “How important do you think the hilt is to the swords powers?”Krel poked and scratched and sniffed at the blade before answering, “Well, there’s no power in the blade currently, but I think that’s because of what Madam Eva mentioned, we need to hold that ritual atop the castle.  I think we could make a replacement hilt if it came to that.”“Will that be difficult?”“Not too bad, just a matter of finding sufficient quantities of platinum to shape into a hilt.”Halas took that opportunity to sidle up and eye the blade, “So Thundina, perhaps you should tell us where you will keep that so that you will not run off with it?”“I will be keeping it on my person.”As Krel handed the blade back to Thundina, he said, “Shouldn’t we put it somewhere Halas doesn’t want to look?”Back at the Blood on the Vine, over dinner, Romann shared the tale of how Cyron and he came to be in Barovia, looking for the cause of the destruction of Cyre, while Cyron offered corrections and clarifications on the more outlandish statements.  Thundina then told what had been happening in Barovia just before they had arrived and began another run down of what she had read in Danovich’s journal.  Finally she just said, “You know, read it yourself.  Um, but this page, icky.”  After tearing out the offending page, Thundina passed the diary over.While Thundina talked, Orning ate the served stew with even greater gusto than he had eaten the vestani’s stew.  Krel declared it to be a better stew.  After dinner Thundina asked the innkeep if he knew where Ismark could be found.  Thundina and companions traveled to the Kolyanavich manor to speak with Ismark again.“Greetings again, Ismark.  Your father found the Sunsword, did he ever say anything about the hilt?”“No, he did not speak of it.”“A personal question, who is older, you or your sister?”“I am.”“Do you remember anything of her birth?  Danovich, admitted mad, seems to think she may have been found in the woods and adopted.”“There is nothing unusual about my sister.  I do not like all these questions about my family.  We’re done here, I want you to leave.”With a faint growl in the back of her throat, Thundina stormed out of the manor.  “Useless git.  No wonder he couldn’t use the Symbol, I’m not sure that he’s ever learned anything from his father.”  The others in her party lingered a moment more in silence before deciding perhaps there was nothing more to be said.Back to the inn once more, and the end of a very busy day.  Everyone settled into their own rooms, while Orning stood watch outside all night long.  The squeaking of a flight of bats drew Orning's gaze heavenward.  He watched the bats circling the town for most of the night before they turned and flew away.</blockquote>

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