Connyberry

Following the path back to the main road, and then north, we continue our search for the Priestess of Tymora who is missing We come to a town called Connyberry. The town is abandoned, worn, and in disrepair. We each seem to take a different direction out of pure curiosity. Lluthe calls out that splitting up is not a good idea. Yep, she is right.
 
I enter a home and there appears to be a meal that has been recently prepared and eaten. Some sort of fowl with vegetables. The meal was finished,but nobody is here. Further investigation shows dried blood, claw marks. The marks are deep hewn into the wood. The blood dried up, old.
 
I head to the church where the rest of the party went. It appears to be a church of Kelemvor. After the Time of Troubles, Kelemvor ascended and took over the death portfolio. He was able to secure it from Cyric, and evil manifestation. Kelemvor is a fair judge and will send your spirit to your Deity if he feels you upheld your fealty. If not, you are sent elsewhere.
 
The church also has the claw marks. Darkness begins to fall. Suddenly, a spirit is seen at the statue of Kelemvor. I am in another room when I hear Weston talking to someone. I immediately take up a stealthy position and peek out the door. Weston and Aelar appear to hold a conversation with the spirit. Names are exchanged and the spirit, possible femaleand quite polite, takes quite the interest in the party. Lluthe doesn't appear cooperative with volunteering information about the party to this spirit. Wise choice. The spirit then turns and looks right at me, and addresses me. I remain silent.
 
So far, we do not know too much about Connyberry. Weston earlier ran into a group of men, but as the sun started setting, they suggested we leave, and they move quickly to the house on the hill.
 
The spirit politely says she must leave, and then advises in a tone not so friendly, not to leave the church when it is dark. The doors are secured with spikes and during the evening, a bestial visitor begins clawing and growling at the door. We take up some defensive positions. As the beast appears to move on, the windows shatter and 3 ravens, WITH BOWS!!!!! attack.
 
They take up high perches and snipe at the group. Aster Aelar, Lluthe and I have no problem with this sort of strategy. The battle goes on for about 5 minutes. between my crossbow bolts, magic missiles,chromatic orbs, and arrow, we handle the birds. Closer inspection shows there are wereravens.
 
My knowledge of lycanthropy is that when dead, one returns to their original form. THESE DID NOT!!!
 
Aster begins to harvest materials. These sort of magical beasts can be valuable. Aelar notices a bright light coming through the windows. He climbs up and and I hear an audible gasp escape his lips. he looks down to me and motions that I climb up and look.
 
I carefully ascend the wall and then look outside. My night vision is far clearer in these instances, but it isnt night. The amount of light outside is almost daylight. About a 100 feet away, on a hill is a headless an riding, A NIGHTMARE!!!!!
 
Normally, I am in control, but I let it slip "shit, that is a nightare, we are in over our heads here".
 
That seems to be our motive operandi. Seems every thing we encounter, is above our paygrade. How we are alive still, is beyond me, but here we are again.
 
Aelar and I look at each other, no words are exchanged, but we both understand what we are thinking. We climb down, and Weston suggests we head to the bedroom. It has 1 window and 1 door. Defensible, but also, we are kind of trapped. The spirits words seem to echo in our heads. "Stay in the church while it is dark"
 
She apparently was a helpful undead, if that is a thing.
 
We do what we can with the resources we have. We are able to block most of the window with a table. This should limit more wereraven attacks.
 
I also suggest minimum rest to get spells back. We take a tiered watch so time is minimized. We all settle in and attempt to get rest where we can.
 
Waiting for the sun to rise. I must say, not being a spell caster has its advantages. Others have prayers, study, meditation. I can light sleep and still maintain a healthy awareness. Living in the underdark trains one in these practices. Lluthe has shown her experience in this area being a Drow.
 
Calanthia thinks back to when this party was assembled. Lluthe was assigned to the party and Calanthia was vocally opposed. Lluthe was arrogant, snobbish, prideful, typical Drow personality. Calanthia disliked her immediately.
 
There is a lot about Calanthias past that reinforces her hatred of Drow. The leadership of her underdark village agreed to children lottery's to keep the peace. Calanthia discovered this heinous practice, and it resulted in her fathers death.
 
But something has been happening over the last month. Calanthia has kept a weathered eye on Lluthe, both visibly and in secret. Lluthe has shown herself to take the party's well being in hand. Like tonight when she spoke up about not splitting up. Not something a Drow would normally do.
 
Calanthia's wall of suspicion seems to be fading. Lluthe meditates in the corner of the room and Calanthia wonders, could she be a valuable party member, even........... a friend?