BILDRATH’S MERCANTILE
They go into town and enter Bildrath’s Mercantile shop. There they meet a shrewd looking man who slides them a list of what he has for sale. Somewhat taken aback by the prices Thaldir asks if he has any weapons, which Bildrath says he doesn’t carry those.
They make a few purchases and a huge well built, very muscular young man enters the room carrying their goods. He flexes his pec muscles doing the little “pec dance” and smiles as he enters the room.
Upon hearing Jaylyn complain about the high prices of things like rations, Bildrath asks the party to retrieve a large, leather-bound bundle that he believes to be downstream of the Ivlis River Bridge, south of the village. If the bundle is returned to him, undamaged and still tied in its original string, he offers a 20 gold discount off any purchase.
SYRREN & THE MORTU SISTERS
The followed Ismark who needed to visit the Blood on the Vine Tavern. Inside he spoke to the three (3) owners, Alenka, Mirabel, and Sorvia. They all had scars under their eye on their cheeks. Thaldir asked if they could get some information on finding Madam Eva. They agreed to provide the information if the characters helped them in return.
The sisters pointed out a drunk man at the bar, “Radu” they called him. He needed to pay his tab of 10 gp. Thaldir and Aydin convinced the man to give them the money and the sisters in return, told the party how to find Eva.
It was also here that they met a strange dusk elf named Syrren who told them he was supposed to meet them there. They agreed to let him join their party.
THE FUNERAL MARCH
Ismark explains the funeral march tradition and asks who will carry which coffin. As the group leaves the manor they see two ravens perched atop the gates and they fly off to a rooftop not far from there as they approach.
As they move through the streets, a few villagers come out from their homes. They make a circular motion in front of their hearts and bow their heads as the procession heads to the church.
The group sees two men fighting in the street over a small paper bag. One man swings his fist connecting with the jaw of another man. When Thaldir see’s this he tries to put a stop to it telling them how disrespectful it is. Aydin jumps and sees that they are fighting over one of Granny’s pies and gives them a pie to calm the situation down. The group then continues and they arrive at the Church of Barovia.
THE CHURCH OF BAROVIA
The group arrives at the church and see way above in the distance Castle Ravenloft. Looking at the church they see that the heavy wooden doors are covered with claw marks and scortched by fire. Ismark and the group go in to talk to father Donavich to make preparations to bury their dead.
Inside they find father Donavich kneeling and praying in earnest. Ismark quietly asks the priest for help with the funeral and Donavich hurriedly ushers them outside and they begin work in the graveyard of digging the holes so they might bury their dead.
THE FUNERALS
Thaldir quietly bury’s his brother Straldir performing his dwarven rights as a cleric. Then the funeral for the former Burgomaster, Ireena and Ismark’s father, begin. Father Donavich performs the Elegy for the Dead which is a spoken ceremony that alternates between Donavich, Ismark, and Ireena. They give praise to the Morning Lord and after the ceremony, they say a few words.
As they are standing giving their last moments of silence, they see a mist in the woods beyond the far fence of the graveyard. There they seethe dark silhouette of a tall, man standing in teh mist, his head bowed as if in prayer. It appears to be Strahd, and he disappears as the funeral wraps up.
Once the funeral is over Ismark tells the party he needs to settle up with Donavich for services rendered and they all go inside to pay him.
FATHER DONAVICH’S SECRET
While inside, they hear a scream coming from below, “Father! I’m so hungry, feed me!!!” They learn that this is Donavich’s son, Doru who was turned into a vampire spawn by Strahd. They try to talk to father Donavich to be able to go down and talk to Doru. They convince him if they promise not to hurt him.
The group unlocks the door to the undercroft below the church and they hear Doru scream at them,
“I can smell your blood! I am so hungry!!!”
They try to reason with him, but can’t so go back up and try to tell father Donavich that they need to put Doru out of his misery. Clotilda is very persusive and father Donavich reluctantly agrees but isn’t very happy about it.
THE BATTLE WITH DORU
They go down and see that the locks to Doru’s cage have been broken open and a battle with Doru breaks out. During the battle Term is hit by Doru several times and falls unconscious. Syrren turns into a wolf and begins trying to bite Doru while Jaylyn tries unsuccessfully to throw fire bolts at him.
The battle rages for a while and eventually even Aydin falls unconscious. The rest of the party is putting up a brave but difficult battle. Doru keeps regenerating and healing while the rest of the group keep trying different things. Jaylyn keeps missing as he keeps attempting to fire bolt Doru. Finally after what seems like an eternity Thaldir’s spiritual weapon hit’s Doru and Doru finally goes down.
They take Doru’s body up to father Donavich who breaks down and starts sobbing over the body of his son. He asks them to please leave as he grieves and they leave the Church.
THE OMINOUS CHURCH BELL
As the group leaves the church, they hear the church bell ring once, omniously. They stop in their tracks and rush back into the church to find Father Donavich dead. He had hung himself with the bell’s rope behind the alter…
What will happen in the next session! Stay tuned!