Expedition to Castle Ravenloft (IC)

[Kish]

Spoiler: Suga, Tarak

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The window from which the wailing comes is too high for you to see through it, but through a lower window, your darkvision sees a house that appears to have been ransacked.

[razorback]

Feagon, when he hears the moaning, brings his bow up reflexively towards the sound. As Tarak moves forward, he puts a staying hand on Ashlyn's shoulder before returning it to nock his arrow, giving Tarak covering fire if needed.

[Cavir]

Suga puts his hand to the door and quietly opens it, then moves in. He tries to figure out the sound. Someone slowly dying in pain? Some undead creature doing what came naturally to it? He quietly moves to the stairs, careful of the ransacked debris around.

[Kish]

The wailing, which sounds like a human voice, continues unabated as Suga moves over to the stairs.

[RolandDeschain]

Tarak

The hobgoblin lightly taps Suga on the shoulder then presses his finger to his lips, and slips in front of him moving stealthily up the stairs.

Spoiler: Stealth

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(1d20+17)[35]

[Cavir]

Suga nods and waits at the bottom of the stairs, ready to dash up them.

[Kish]

Tarak enters a bedroom painted bright pink with fluffy white clouds. A big yellow sun with a smiling face stares down from the ceiling. A great fairy castle with gleaming crystal windows adorns a wall, with pretty girls, unicorns, and handsome lords painted on its verandas and in the courtyard. A small canopied bed stands in one corner of the room, made up perfectly. Dolls, play-princess crowns, and other little girls’ toys fill shelves. In the center of the floor sobs a despondent older woman, the source of the noise you heard from outside. She is apparently unaware of you, or indeed anything going on around her.

[RolandDeschain]

Tarak

Slipping back down the stairs silently, the hobgoblin puts his hand on Suga's shoulder and motions for Feagon to come forward, and speaks quietly, "Older woman sitting on the floor of what looks like a little girl's bedroom wailing and crying."

With a glance back at Suga, "I think Suga or I might frighten her if she is what she appears to be....perhaps you could speak with her. Suga could be right behind you on the stairs if things aren't what they seem, so to speak."

Spoiler: OC

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IF that sounds okay, Tarak will remain on the ground floor keeping a look out for unusual activity and ready to run upstairs if things go terribly haywire.

[Cavir]

Suga nods, agreeing with the plan. He''ll take great care going up the stairs quietly behind Feagon, at least until the time for silence is over.

[razorback]

Feagon nods as he puts his bow away. He touches his morning star and keeps it in hand, but low and as unassuming as possible. "Alright, let's give this a go." He says as he makes his way up. Moving up the stairs, he turns the corner and sees the woman on the floor. "Hello... are you ok? I'm Feagon... I'm hear to help."

Spoiler

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Diplomacy
(1d20-1)[5]

[Kish]

"Uh!" The woman looks up at Feagon. "You--have you seen my daughter? My Gertruda!"

[razorback]

"I don't know that name" the elf says with a smile "but if you can describe her, maybe I can remember seeing her or help you find her?"

[Cavir]

From the bottom of the stairs Suga can see Feagon's stance soften a little. The orc keeps his wits about him, ready in case things change quickly.

Spoiler: OOC

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Adaptive Style. Changing Readied maneuvers.

[Kish]

She blinks at Feagon, looking dubious. She finally starts to talk again, but what comes out isn't a description. “I kept Gertruda in this room her entire life! She was safe here. Safe! She was happy here—she knew only the storybook tales I told her. The real world is too hard, too dangerous. I never let her know anything of it. My girl had everything she ever could have wanted. Why did she run away? I fear that the master of the castle has her now. Oh, my poor Gertruda! I know the worst has come to pass!"

[razorback]

Feagon blinks a bit as the response he got wasn't what he expected. "What's your name? And, why would you think the master of the castle has your dau... your Gertrude?"
Once she responds, he asks "Can you describe what she looks like? What she might have been wearing... how old she is?"

[Kish]

"Wearing? She usually wore white...oh, my poor Gertruda. She was safe here. Safe!" If Feagon repeats his other questions, he can eventually learn that Gertruda was/is 18 years old, stands 5'4'', and most likely wearing a long white dress that would be entirely impractical for traveling through the terrain outside the town that you saw.

[razorback]

Feagon nods as the woman speaks, trying to console her. "I have a few friends... we were going to seek out some other people that we were looking for, we can keep an eye out for Gertrude. Why would she run away? And why would you think that she left for the master? What is the master's name, so if we see him we can ask?"

[Kish]

"She had no reason to run away. She had everything she ever could have wanted here," the woman says. She seems uncomprehending of Feagon's request for the name of the master of the castle, and you realize, after trying to get her to answer it, she also seems terrified by the subject.

[razorback]

Giving the woman his best smile, he says calmly. "Well, we will do our best to find Gertrude and bring her back to you. Ok? If there isn't any other information you can give us right now, we'll be on our way. Best if you lock your door once we have left." he says as he begins to move towards the stairs. He gives a shrug to Suga and Tarak. "Not sure what else we can get out of her, unless either of you can think of something else to ask." he says quietly once out of earshot.

[Cavir]

"She's stopped wailing at least. Maybe nothing will come for her until we're done. Let's keep going to the mansion."

Suga leads with a route that will keep them to the shadows for now while they take a closer look at the mansion.

[RolandDeschain]

Tarak

After Feagon recounts the exchange, Tarak shakes his head, "She kept the child locked in her bedroom for 18 years? Small wonder she ran away."

Resuming their route to the mansion, the hobgoblin moves cautiously, stopping periodically to study the environs of this dark and foreboding place for additional threats

[Kish]

An aged and dilapidated mansion squats behind a rusting iron fence, but the gates have been twisted open—one lies torn from its hinges, while the other swings crazily in the wind, screeching and clanging with mindless repetition. The house beyond is marked by claws, fires, and ominous stains. Every window is boarded, every door barricaded. The only sound from this mansion is from the gate.

[razorback]

As they move back outside, Feagon pulls his bow and sets an arrow, but doesn't draw yet.
Once the mansion is in view and the amount of damage is noticed, he spins about as he looks, muttering "Well, that does not bode well for them or us." in a grim voice as he continues moving forward with the group.

Spoiler

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Perception
(1d20+7)[16]

[Cavir]

With no signs or smells of immediate danger, Suga shrugs his shoulders and begins walking toward the house through the remains of the gates. "Announce ourselves as we enter? If anyone is still alive in there we don't want them running."

[RolandDeschain]

Tarak

With a look to Feagon, Tarak then nods at Suga's words, "hang back a bit and keep your eyes out Feagon". Tarak moves toward the door and then knocks loudly.

[Kish]

The front door doesn't look particularly sturdy. As you approach it, you still see no enemies, as far as you can see through the foggy streets.

[razorback]

Feagon nods as he moves to a post and halts, trying to blend in.

Spoiler

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Stealth
(1d20+1)[12]

Perception in case you need another
(1d20+7)[17]

[RolandDeschain]

Tarak

Seeing that the door seems a bit unstable, Tarak glances at Suga, then shrugs and raps loudly on the door frame, "HELLO?"

[Kish]

After a minute, you hear boards being ripped away from an upstairs window, and the window opens about four inches. You catch a glimpse of a startlingly beautiful human woman on her twenties, holding a longbow aimed in your general direction. "Who are you, and what do you want?" she asks.

[RolandDeschain]

Tarak

Taking a step back from the door, Tarak looks up to the figure in the window, "I'm Tarak, and these are my friends Suga and Feagon. We came in response to Burgomaster of Barovia's request for aid. We've met his son Ismark at the local tavern." Looking at his compatriots for a moment, "We believe we may have dealt with the village's troubles regarding the walking undead and would speak with you if we may."