Curse of Strahd Solo Run (IC)

[RandomWombat]

The wood creaks and bends in ways that bring back unpleasant memories - the Durst house, and alongside it all the horrors therein. But the wood holds, carrying him up to the second floor. Two doors sit atop the stairway, to either side. A quick peek in both shows nothing unusual, not yet at least.

To the right is a kitchen. Or the skeleton of one, at least. The old man doesn't have anything as fancy as a wood burning stove, so the best he might muster to cook a meal is a fire pit in the yard. A square wooden table sits in the kitchen, and along two of the walls is a broad wooden cupboard and countertop, lined with tarnished knives, old wooden plates and bowls, and a cutting board. Through the kitchen is another door.

To the left is a much larger room, a storage room from the looks of it. A large, drafty room full of cobwebs and piles of stored wooden planks, raw materials for the fashioning of a body's final bed. There is an open crate full of more stacked planks in the corner, and several more deeper inside - shut, but with telltale signs of dirt here and there around the bases. Everything is only dimly lit by light sneaking in around the edges of the shuttered windows around the border of the house.

[Prehysterical]

After checking that the immediate coast is clear, Kellon looks back down the stairs and tilts his head toward the room on the left. He whispers, "The windows are shuttered... Let's get them open, aye?" Kellon himself does not do that, but instead moves further into the room to check for any nasty surprises. The thought briefly crosses his mind of attempting stealth, but a quarter-ton of turtle-man would never be able to creak on wooden boards on the second story.

[RandomWombat]

With a nod of agreement, the group files in after him and spreads out around the room, giving the crates a cautious berth. The latches are undone, and windows swung open, letting dreary sunlight in to illuminate the dust swirled in the cool breeze that accompanies it. The crates remain still, and the storage space is eerily quiet save for their footsteps and the creaking of hinges on the windows.

In large letters, 'JUNK' is stamped upon the sides of the crates.

[Prehysterical]

So far, so good... Kellon approaches the closest of the enclosed containers and spies the word written on the side. He scoffs at the cheap attempt at deception. "Pfft, indeed." He looks to the others and instructs, "Be ready with the stakes."

The warhammer and shield are slung away as Kellon grabs the lid of the box and pulls it away.

[RandomWombat]

With his claws, Kellon digs in under the crate's lid and lifts it away. The heavy wood thuds to the floor, revealing the crate to be filled with soft dirt. The dirt lays still for a single, tense moment. Then it bursts out in a cloud that is momentarily blinding. There is a bestial hiss as claws scrabble against Kellon's arms, but their ferocity is soon drown out by pained shrieks as the sunlight pouring into the room causes the creature distress.

Clad in leather armor and fine clothes, the creature wears a necklace of four vials, three of them filled with dark red blood. Its pale flesh bubbles, boiling at the touch of sunlight. But shrouded behind the dread clouds of Barovia, and filtered in through the window, the light does not seem as potent as it should be. The creature soon regains its composure, and before Kellon can react it is upon him again. This time desperate hands dig deep into his arm with wicked claws, and the vampire lunges forward to bite him upon the cheek, draining sanguine liquid like a parasite.

He can hear more shuffling sounds from the other crates in the room, and then the thud of wood on the floor as they emerge, shielding themselves with their cloaks and attempting to approach the newly opened windows. Six in total.

Spoiler: Combat Log

Show

Vampire Spawn multiattacks Kellon with claws, but misses both.
Vampire Spawn suffers 10 radiant damage from sunlight, halting its regeneration.

Vampire Spawn multiattacks Kellon with a claw and a bite, for 11 physical damage, and 4 necrotic health drain.
The other Vampire Spawn use their actions to emerge from their crates.
All Vampire Spawn suffer 10 radiant damage.

It is Kellon's turn.

Spoiler: Initiative

Show

Vampire Spawn - 19
Kellon - 17
Sokol - 7
Father Donavich - 6
Gweyir - 4

[Prehysterical]

Kellon had been hoping to catch the dead napping, but it seems that their sleep was merely feigned. Kellon blanches at the ferocity with which the vampire spawn springs to action, which allows the creature to inflict deep cuts into his arm and sink its teeth into his face. For its trouble, the spawn receives not only blood, but Kellon's own inner lightning. He cries out in pain and pushes the vampire spawn away before reaching for a chip of mica in his spell component pouch. "Bloodsucking filth. Stoneshatter!!!" The insult hisses from Kellon's beak before he shouts as if to snatch thunder from the sky and bring it into the room.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Kellon uses Wrath of the Storm to deal (2d8)[4] lightning damage back to the vampire spawn (Dex save for half).

Kellon casts Shatter two squares to the right in the upper right corner to catch the three spawn next to him.
He will use his Channel Divinity to maximize the damage to 24 thunder damage. Con save for half. The vials that they are wearing and the stone in the wall has disadvantage on the saving throw.

[RandomWombat]

As the dead one drinks down his blood, it receives an unpleasant surprise, the shock startling it and causing it to rear back, flinching in pain - and ruining any nourishing restoration it may have gotten from the meal. What follows is a mighty roar, blasting the monsters with a shockwave of sound that causes ripples in the air, shattering stone and wood and sending pieces flying in every direction. The old floor beneath them collapses, and the ceiling above tumbles down on top of them as the rafters break apart. The stone wall bursts, letting in more sunlight and leaving a gaping hole to the outside, overlooking a neighboring building... which has suffered some unfortunate broken windows.

"Nicely done, my friend!" Sokol shouts over the ringing in everyone's ears as he draws his blade and lunges at the vampire in front of him. His thrust is caught by the vampire's elbow as it shifts into a close-quarters combat stance. When he shakes off the scarf around his face and lunges in for a bite of his own, the vampire grabs his face and holds it back with a look of disgust. Twisting the blade in the vampire's grasp, Sokol aligns the blade with the arm holding it in place, cutting into the pale flesh beneath its fine garments.

Father Donavich takes the holy symbol around his neck in hand, stepping away from the window and holding it aloft in the room, and above the hole to the floor beneath. "Fell creatures! By the Morninglord's light, you are forbidden! Return to the dust from whence you came!" The symbol gleams with radiance that reflects the light pouring in from outside, gathering it into a ball of blazing divine fury that scorches the screeching undead.

"Hang in there, Kellon!" her supportive words ringing with magic, Gweyir runs over to their side of the room and slashes the vampire Sokol is keeping busy with her blade, landing a solid hit.

In their desperate state, the vampires cast below by Kellon's spell flee from sight, and from the cascading light above them. They disappear into the lower reaches of the house, outside of view.

Those left above fight ferociously, like cornered predators. The one from the furthest corner of the room runs at Kellon, grabbing him by the neck and digging in deep with its claws. But its lunge to bite at him is blocked by the collar of his shell, getting in the way of its thirsty fangs. The others are under similar assault, with the vampire fighting Sokol turning its attention to Gweyir - a much juicier, living target. But she fends it away with her blade, as the continued exposure to sunlight weakens it.

The last can't seem to reach Father Donavich, struggling against the light from his holy symbol. But it reaches back and shuts the window, holding it closed with one arm and shrouding its corner in, if not darkness, shadow.

Spoiler: Combat Log

Show

Kellon's Wrath deals 4 lightning damage, eliminating the healing it got from the bite.
Kellon casts Shatter, dealing full 24 damage to the two lower vamps and half damage of 12 to the northern one. They fall through the floor, taking 5 damage from the fall and collapsing debris, after being halved by resistance.
Sokol attacks twice, missing both. He uses Action Surge to attack again, hitting for 2 damage.
Father Donavich uses Radiance of Dawn, dealing 19 radiant damage to the two nearest vampires; the rest take a halved 9 damage.
Gweyir casts Healing Word on Kellon, restoring 5 hit points. She attacks Sokol's vampire for 5 damage.

Vampire Spawn all take 10 sunlight damage.
Vampire Spawn claws Kellon for 10 damage, but its bite misses.
Vampire Spawn claws and bites at Gweyir, but misses both.
Vampire Spawn shuts the window behind it and slashes at Father Donavich with a claw for a miss. It uses its bonus action to hold the window closed, keeping it out of direct light in its corner.
The Vampire Spawn below flee into the dark.

It is Kellon's turn.

Spoiler: Initiative

Show

Vampire Spawn - 19
Kellon - 17
Sokol - 7
Father Donavich - 6
Gweyir - 4

[Prehysterical]

Distracted by the pain, Kellon hadn't even counted on the ceiling collapsing on top of the foul creatures or their fall through the floor. If this place is not purged by fire, let it by thunder and lightning...

Only Gweyir's magical words of encouragement allow him to stand against the next attack. The claws of these horrors seem unnaturally sharp as they part Kellon's scales like butter. Thankfully, his plastron protects his neck from dispensing blood wine. He feels his body growing sluggish and his eyes blurry as blood loss begins to stack up. Kellon thinks for a fraction of a second about healing himself, but stubborn pride compels him to strike back at the monster with his own claws. He calls out to his god to once again summon Poseidon's trident to smite the unholy abomination.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Kellon uses Wrath of the Storm again on this other vampire: (2d8)[13] lightning damage. Dex save for half.

Kellon claws at the vampire spawn.
Attack: (1d20+6)[18]
Advantage: (1d20+6)[25]
Damage: (1d4+4)[5] melee slashing damage

He spends a bonus action to summon a Spiritual Weapon on the opposite side of the vampire spawn.
Spell attack: (1d20+5)[7]
Advantage: (1d20+5)[9]
Damage: (1d8+3)[10] Force damage

[RandomWombat]

Like an electric eel, touching Kellon proves to be a bad idea for the vampire, who suffers a brutal electrical shock and only manages to pull away thanks to its undead flesh being immune to pain... save, it seems, for the pain of the light. His claws don't cut as deep as he would like, however. The vampire's flesh offers impressive resistance, like trying to claw into thick clay.

Circling around his opponent, Sokol takes advantage of Gweyir's assistance to get behind it, pulling free his blade and stabbing it through the vampire's spine. Unfortunately the wound doesn't prove as debilitating as it should be, but Sokol grabs on and bites viciously into the vampire's neck with his own unnaturally sharp jaws, in an attack of great poetic irony if not efficacy. Gweyir strikes from the front, delivering another shallow slash across its clay-like flesh.

Father Donavich holds out his holy symbol once more to the vampire in front of him, pressing it back with the weaker, lingering motes of light that float around it. "You will not escape the light! Bask in its glow!" Its claw flashes out, cutting through the priest's robes and leaving a scratch along his arm.

Flickering fairy lights gather around Kellon, drifting out of Gweyir's hood and floating near his wounds. The pain begins to subside, and a fragile shell of protective force guards them from further bleeding. The vampire keeps coming at him, but its weakness is clear. It can barely lift its arms, as the sun beats down upon it.

Gweyir's foe gets better luck, practically falling at her and landing a bite upon her arm. She grunts as she kicks it away, blood running from the wound and painting around its mouth. "I heard creaking from the stairs! I think some of 'em came back up!" she calls out in warning. But no vampires emerge into the room.

Spoiler: Combat Log

Show

Kellon's counterattack blasts the vampire for 6 damage, as it passes its save.
Kellon's claw deals 2 more damage to his Vampire Spawn, while the Spiritual Weapon misses.
Sokol attacks twice for a 3 damage critical, and a 3 damage bite to his Vampire Spawn.
Father Donavich casts Hand of Radiance, dealing 3 radiant damage to his Vampire Spawn and keeping its regeneration down.
Gweyir uses Balm of the Summer Court, granting Kellon 5 healing and 2 temp hp.
Gweyir slashes her and Sokol's Vampire Spawn for 2 damage.

Kellon and Sokol's Vampire Spawn take 10 radiant damage.
Vampire Spawn misses Kellon twice.
Vampire Spawn misses Gweyir with a claw, but bites her for 5 physical damage and 5 necrotic health drain.
Vampire Spawn claws Father Donavich for 7 damage, but misses its bite.

It is now Kellon's turn again!

Spoiler: Initiative

Show

Vampire Spawn - 19
Kellon - 17
Sokol - 7
Father Donavich - 6
Gweyir - 4

[Prehysterical]

Such unholy vigor only serves to fuel Kellon's own rage. He finds the space to draw his silvered warhammer and glares at the weakening spawn. "Back to the Pit with you!" Kellon swings the weapon down like... well, exactly what it is.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Kellon draws his weapon as part of his Attack action.
Attack: (1d20+6)[11]
Advantage: (1d20+6)[26]
Damage: (1d8+4)[9] silver melee bludgeoning damage

Kellon uses his Bonus Action to attack with the Spiritual Weapon.
Spell Attack: (1d20+5)[6]
Advantage: (1d20+5)[18]
Damage: (1d8+3)[11] Force damage

[RandomWombat]

The hammer smashes into the vampire's face. His head snaps backwards, and his nose twists at an unnatural angle. Staggering back, the vampire glares at Kellon through a horribly disfigured face. A trident flies in from behind and jabs into his back, compounding his wretched state.

Sokol tries to keep up his attack on the vampire, but it shakes him off with only a small scratch from his teeth. Drawing out her druidic totem, Gweyir holds it up and points it at Kellon's opponent. "Malamalama Mahina!" she incants, conjuring a brilliant pillar of white light around the vampire.

Their two vampires are nearly at the point of collapse now, each struggling to fight from one knee as their exposed flesh catches fire and begins to blow away as dust. The one in front of him lunges forward at an unexpected angle - at his legs. Its fangs sink in and Kellon feels his blood draining out from beneath. Flickering lights sparkle in his vision and he falls to the ground.


What feels like only moments later, Kellon finds himself pulled back out of the dark of the void with a gasp. More fey light gathers around his wounds to seal them and stem the flow. Gweyir's words echo in his still-dazed ears, and a beam of white light surrounds the vampire looming over him again. Beneath the light of sun and moon both, it finally gives out, and in a flash of flame and dust it blows away, leaving empty clothes that fall to the floor.

Gweyir is in as rough shape as he is, struggling to fight off the vampire snapping its jaws at her neck. Father Donavich has moved away from his opponent to open a new window, forcing the vampire to charge at him. But with the light to his back, the monster cannot get a hold of him.

There is still no sign of the three that Kellon knocked down from the attic space, but their healing has surely reinvigorated them by now.

Spoiler: Combat Log

Show

Kellon critically hits Vampire Spawn for 6 damage with his hammer.
Spiritual Trident hits Vampire Spawn for 11 force damage.
Sokol stabs at his Vampire Spawn, but misses. He bites for 1 damage.
Father Donavich casts Hand of Radiance, dealing 4 radiant damage to his Vampire Spawn.
Gweyir casts Moonbeam on Kellon's Vampire Spawn, dealing 5 radiant damage as it passes its save.

Kellon and Sokol's Vampire Spawn take 10 radiant damage from the sun.
Kello's Vampire Spawn bites him for 7 physical damage and 8 necrotic health drain, KOing him.
Sokol's Vampire Spawn bites Gweyir for 9 physical damage and 5 necrotic health drain. She fails Concentration, ending Moonbeam.
Father Donavich's Vampire Spawn bites him, but he uses Warding Flare to inflict disadvantage and make it miss.

Kellon is unconscious. Spiritual weapon technically does not end, but cannot attack without direction.
Sokol bites his Vampire Spawn for 2 damage.
Father Donavich risks an AoO, which misses. He opens up a new window, bringing in more light against his Vampire Spawn
Gweyir uses Balm of the Summer Court to bring Kellon back up with 9 health and 2 temp hp.
Gweyir casts Moonbeam on Kellon's Vampire Spawn again, dealing 6 damage.

Kellon's Vampire Spawn is dusted by sunlight. The other two take 10 radiant damage from the sun.
Sokol's Vampire Spawn misses both attacks on Gweyir.
Donavich's Vampire Spawn misses both attacks on him.

It is Kellon's turn!

Spoiler: Initiative

Show

Vampire Spawn - 19
Kellon - 17
Sokol - 7
Father Donavich - 6
Gweyir - 4

[Prehysterical]

Is there anything more disheartening to a warrior than seeing a foe shrug off what should have been a deathblow? Such a feeling washes over Kellon as the vampire spawn still stands despite his best efforts and even Gweyir's aid. Once again, the legs prove to be the tortle's weak spot and he feels the dark closing in... raging in the dying light...

Sharp, painful reality reasserts itself as Gweyir's druidic magic brings him back from the brink. The light from the sundered wall proves the ultimate weapon and the downfall of his foe. Kellon sees Gweyir fighting for her life and charges forward with a roar, the spectral trident moving in tandem and surging over the vampire spawn before striking it in the back. With his hammer still in one hand, Kellon draws the Spear of Light in the other and stabs its head at the vampire. He's throwing everything at the wall at this point.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Kellon moves toward the vampire spawn and draws the Spear of Light as part of his Attack action.
Attack: (1d20+6)[8]
Advantage: (1d20+6)[13]
Damage: (1d6+4)[5] damage

The Spiritual Weapon moves beside Kellon and attacks the Vampire Spawn.
Spell Attack: (1d20+5)[8]
Advantage: (1d20+5)[14]
Damage: (1d8+3)[5] Force damage

[RandomWombat]

The dual polearms from each side cause the vampire to snarl and spin around, swerving between both attacks. But even as it moves, it falters and parts of its body fall away in clouds of dust. The creature is clearly on its last legs. Sokol's weapons dig into it, but it rasps out a defiant shriek right up until Gweyir slashes off its head with her sword. A glance of her eyes directs the pillar of moonlight across the room, enveloping the one that Father Donavich is still struggling against.

"I think I heard another window opening somewhere," Gweyir says, weakly, through her blood loss fatigue.

The good Father is holding up his symbol, but the brilliance of the sun flooding in behind him seems to overshadow the lesser light from his symbol, and the vampire scarcely seems to tell a difference. It falls upon him, and he yelps as it sinks fangs into the soft tissue of his arm, draining blood that refreshes its ghastly existence.

Spoiler: Combat Log

Show

Kellon and his Spiritual Weapon attack, but each miss.
Sokol attacks Vampire Spawn twice, dealing 3 damage total.
Father Donavich casts Hand of Radiance, but his Vampire Spawn resists.
Gweyir slashes Vampire Spawn for 4 damage, finishing it off.
Gweyir moves Moonbeam to the last visible Vampire Spawn, dealing 4 radiant damage after a successful save.

Vampire Spawn takes 10 damage from the sun.
Vampire Spawn attacks Father Donavich, missing with its claw but landing a bite for 9 physical damage and 8 necrotic health drain.

It is Kellon's turn!

Spoiler: Initiative

Show

Vampire Spawn - 19
Kellon - 17
Sokol - 7
Father Donavich - 6
Gweyir - 4

[Prehysterical]

Kellon, running ragged himself, doesn't want to think about how they're going to handle the vampire spawn downstairs. All they can do is kill the beasts one at a time.

In an effort to give the vampire spawn something else to think about, Kellon charges forward with the trident beside him and stabs forward at the undead.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Kellon attacks with the Spear of Light.
Attack: (1d20+6)[9]
Advantage: (1d20+6)[11]
Damage: (1d6+4)[6]

Spiritual Weapon moves north of the vampire spawn and attacks.
Spell Attack: (1d20+5)[16]
Advantage: (1d20+5)[8]
Damage: (1d8+3)[8] Force damage

[RandomWombat]

"Careful!" Gweyir calls out, as Kellon runs into the pillar of silver light. It sears his flesh, and he feels the beast inside, in its accursed cage, yowling in pain. It's too much, throwing off his aim with the spear, but his magical trident manages to score a hit upon the undead.

As the moonbeam shifts off of Kellon to hang in the air above the hole in the floor, Sokol moves in and lands a powerful thrust into the vampire's side. Father Donavich joins in the dogpile, using the wooden church scepter this time to clobber it upside the head.

Finally, Gweyir leaps over the empty crate and strikes with her blade. Impaled between Sokol and Gweyir's swords, it writhes and tries to escape, but the light of the sun saps the last of its strength. With a dying whimper the monster vanishes, as dust on the wind.

In the aftermath, everyone is panting, exhausted, drained - save for Sokol, whose old and stale blood the vampires rather pointedly ignored. Everyone remains on guard, spinning around, looking for a sign of the other three attacking. But the house is silent. Dust from the broken boards floats in the air, dancing in the sunlight pouring in from all sides.

Spoiler: Combat Log

Show

Entering the Moonbeam causes 4 radiant damage, after Kellon passes his save.
Kellon's spear misses, but his Spiritual Weapon hits Vampire Spawn for 8 force damage.
Sokol stabs Vampire Spawn for 4 damage, but his bite misses.
Father Donavich attacks Vampire Spawn with his club, dealing 2 damage.
Gweyir moves Moonbeam off of Kellon and attacks Vampire Spawn for 3 damage. Just enough for the sunlight to finish it off as its turn comes around.

Combat has ended.

[Prehysterical]

Father Donavich's plight had concerned Kellon so much that he had forgotten that the moonlight might burn him, as well. Fortunately, the party's surge to help the priest wear down the vampire spawn enough for the Morninglord himself to bring an end to the accursed one.

Kellon feels more than hurt, more than tired. It feels like some of the strength and life has been sapped from his very bones. His breath comes in ragged and shallow as he leans upon the Spear of Light, the dark green of his scales turning grey with reduced vitality. They're in rough shape, but there's still three more vampire spawn below. Eyeing the hole in the floor with that thought in mind, Kellon whispers to the others as quietly as he can... when he has the breath.

"Father, can you do anything about these wounds? I don't know how long we have before the bastards downstairs come up to pay us a visit. I have a bit of healing, but it would take a while and I'd rather give the graveborn a second helping of thunder." He slings the warhammer back onto his belt.

[RandomWombat]

Pushing off of the wall, Father Donavich coughs a little and walks around the pile of dust, giving it a wary berth. He nods softly and takes his holy symbol, beginning to work healing magic upon the three of them. He doesn't look so bad, but Gweyir is looking every bit as pale and drained of color as Kellon. Healing light mends wounds and restores vigor to sore and tired bodies, but the paleness remains, and it's as though their buckets have sprung a leak at 'half-full' and can't hold any more.

"I feel a little better at least," Gweyir says optimistically, even as she stretches her stiff neck.

Moving around them as Father Donavich tends to wounds, Sokol places himself between them and the door, keeping watch. "I should take the fore when we go looking, ay? Still fresh as a rose."

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Father Donavich casts four Cure Wounds, two on Gweyir and one each on himself and Kellon.
Kellon is healed for 8, but cannot go above his temporary maximum of 12.
Gweyir is healed for 4 and 8.
Father Donavich is healed for 11.

[Prehysterical]

Kellon can almost feel the healing stop as the withering afterbites leave their mark. Gweyir displays her trademark confidence, but Kellon isn't so sure now. They're operating at half strength and the vampire spawn below will have had time to recover. That's not going to stop him from going downstairs, of course, but it is a thought that is in the back of his mind.

He is loathe to let Sokol go first; Kellon feels like he always needs to be the first in with his shell and shield and thunder. The tortle swallows his pride, however. Sokol is at full strength and the stairs are narrow. The zombie wouldn't be able to do anything from the back, anyway. Kellon gives a reluctant nod. "All right, but I'll be right behind you. Gweyir, you got any more of those vines from the other day? Would be real nice to pin these bastards down." This time, he will have his shield ready.

[RandomWombat]

"Enough power left for one," the druid answers, falling in behind Kellon and leaving the old cleric at the rear of their procession down. "Or one more pillar of moonlight."

"Blasted thing had me pinned in the corner... couldn't toss any sunlight spears," Father Donavich laments. "It was a good idea to open the windows. We'd not have emerged victorious in the dark."

When they reach the first floor and enter the main room of the house, a pile of broken wood and stone is strewn about atop the coffins, alongside one of the grave dirt crates which has spilled all over the floor. Gweyir and Kellon peek into the other rooms, with no sign of the vampire spawn. Then the druid looks down and squats on the floor. "I see boot tracks, one of them must have stepped in the dirt. They go into the workshop, but double back and up the stairs. But nothing came at us from behind," she points out, puzzled.

There is a knocking from the door. "Ay, outlanders. What is going on?" the town guard's voice hollers through the muffling wood.

[Prehysterical]

Father Donavich's compliment only further sours Kellon's mood. Even by separating the vampire spawn and using superior numbers, they had just barely scraped out a victory. Hardly worthy for a disciple of the Tempest.

The downstairs prove silent as the grave. If anything, the absence of the vampire spawn is even more disturbing than their presence would be. Confusion gnaws at him until Gweyir's words from earlier click with horrible realization. Kellon gives Gweyir a horrified look. "Check the windows upstairs. Not the ones we opened, but the other ones."

Moving closer to the door, Kellon raises his voice for the guard to hear. "Stay outside! We have three unaccounted for. Make sure no one leaves the building!"

[RandomWombat]

Gweyir nods solemnly and marches back upstairs, Father Donavich following her with huffing breaths as his creaky old legs traverse the stairs once more. Sokol remains behind with Kellon, not wanting to leave anyone alone.

"Er, alright! Sure thing," the guard answers through the door.

Not long after, Gweyir peers down the stairs and motions the two of them up. "You're going to want to see this." She waits until Kellon and Sokol are following, and leads them through the small dining room into the coffinmaker's bedroom. It's a mess, with the mattress tossed aside and the bedsheet and blanket missing. The drawers have also been opened and their contents spilled upon the floor. A pair of windows overlooks an open area of trees and unkempt grass in the crook behind two neighborhoods. Not at all like the carefully planned and beautified park, but rather like a small forgotten pod of wilderness that the town forgot to pave over.

They can't see the vampires outside, but the glass of the windows has been raised up. Someone must have climbed out.

"I think they covered themselves up. It doubt it can protect them completely, but all they have to do is find shade until nightfall."

[Prehysterical]

Kellon's grim suspicions are confirmed. He nods in confirmation of Gweyir's speculation. "Then like any fester, we will have to go in and tear this problem out by its roots. Gods only know what sort of havoc they could wreak on a town so distracted..." He's not happy about the news, but maybe the undead are contained for now.

He lugs his carcass back down the stairs and opens the front door to the surprised guard. "We got three of them, but the other three vampire spawn went through the back window into yon copse of trees." Kellon motions over his shoulder with a clawed thumb. "I need you to grab what members of the watch you can and lock that area down. When we go in to flush them out, they may try to slip out behind us."

[RandomWombat]

"In the state we're in it wouldn't be a bad idea to seek some help. Spider should be back soon. Ismark and Ireena?" Gweyir suggests, while they make their way down. Father Donavich stops in the main room and starts taking some of the grave dirt, pouring it from his hand into a small pouch while they open up the door to talk to the guard.

"What do you mean v-" the guard stops and looks around, then hushes his voice to avoid stirring a panic. "Vampires on the loose? Aaagh, there's nothing we can do against a vampire! Maybe... maybe Izek could take one..." The man is practically shaking in his boots.

[Prehysterical]

It stings Kellon's pride to admit it, but Gweyir is right. Still, he clacks his beak unhappily before suggesting, "Aye, you're right. If anything, I'm sure Ireena will be happy to stick it to Strahd in some manner. I just hate bringing them here to sanctuary just to throw them into a fight... Father, could you go find them at the baron's place? If anyone has the authority to countermand the baron and get them out of whatever noble nonsense they're currently involved with, it's probably you."

Turning to the panicking guard, Kellon plants a clawed hand on his shoulder and fixes the guard with a steady gaze. "Focus, man! I'm not asking you to handle the vampires; I need you to make sure that they don't slip out unnoticed. Right now, they are cowering beneath the shade of those trees and waiting for nightfall before they make their move. Your job is to make sure that they sit there until we go in and to raise the alarm if they get around us. We will handle slaying the rest, but they cannot be allowed to exit that little wooded area. Think for two seconds what would happen if they had free run of this place." Kellon sweeps his gaze over all of the townspeople walking by, especially any children running in the street. He looks back to the guard and swears, "We need your help. I swear in sight of storm and thunder that they'll have to walk over my corpse before I let anyone get hurt, but we can't be everywhere at once. We need your help."

[RandomWombat]

"Look at it this way. If the vampires find some way to steal or sabotage the bones before the ritual, this place won't be sanctuary much longer. And that's as much their problem as anybody else's."

"I will," the Father nods to Kellon's instructions, beginning to plod away out of the small neighborhood.

His heavy and menacing claw is perhaps less comforting to the town guard than he'd intended. But the man makes a groaning sound of reluctant agreement. "Right. Just keeping watch. I will alert the rest of the militia." He slides out from under Kellon's claw and scuttles away after the old priest.

"We can at least keep watch while we wait for him to bring more eyes. Or the vamps might slip away before he gets someone over here... if they haven't already," Gweyir rounds the building and sets her sharp elven eyes on watching over the unkempt copse.

[Prehysterical]

Kellon had had the same thought himself, but he remembers that Ireena has seemingly suffered from the vampire more than any person they've met here in Barovia. She hardly seemed to need coddling, but just one day of sanctuary would be a blessing for the woman.

At the very least, the guard seems finally motivated to do his job. Kellon nods in fervent agreement with Gweyir's assessment. "Aye, we can do that." He moves to watch over a section of the copse that is not immediately visible to Gweyir, trying to cover every angle that can possibly be covered. "Sokol, we may need a third pair of eyes. I don't imagine I need to tell anyone to make some noise if they see anything..."

[RandomWombat]

While they wait in their watch positions, Sokol - still fresh, figuratively speaking - starts to slowly patrol within view of the two. "I will be sure to holler if I see anything," he says, scanning the trees and bushes.

The first one to arrive back is Spider, crawling up over a rooftop that the group can see on the northern edge of the copse. Spotting them too, the arachnid raises a foreleg to wave it at them and continues hopping rooftops until close enough to talk to them properly from up above.

"Spider did just like you asked and delivered the bone bag, Kellon!"

[Prehysterical]

A small smile curls Kellon's beak as the ever-positive Spider returns. He waves back and tells the arachnid, "Thank you, lad. Now, we need your help. There are three dead things hiding in those trees over there. Vampires, you understand? Can you tell if they are still in there? We don't want them hurting anyone."

[RandomWombat]

Peering out into the wild area from its vantage point, an eight-eyed scan with a bird's eye view. "I don't see anything, Kellon!" Spider reports back cheerily, perhaps still not understanding what a vampire is.

"Worst case scenario they've already crossed through. Hid somewhere in town."

Spoiler: Kellon Knowledge

Show

From his previous success on vampire knowledge, Kellon recalls that a vampire cannot enter a private building unbidden. Suspiciously wrapped up in blankets and rags, the trio of vamps is unlikely to be invited in. So it will be hard for them to find easy shelter.

[Prehysterical]

As unpleasant as that thought is, it does make Kellon switch tactics. "Spider! I need you to head that way," Kellon points in the direction that the vampires fled, "and see if there are three people that are really dressed up in blankets and clothes, way more than usual. That'll be them, hiding from the sun. Once you see them, hurry back here." It feels awkward, barking orders like a captain, but they will have to keep moving to stay on top of this threat.