01st November - The Investigation in the Storm
General Summary
In the Taproom of the Blue Water Inn, where the hearth’s fire barely held back the morning’s chill, Father Lucian’s face was lined with a deep weariness as he revealed the unsettling news. Overnight, the Bones of St. Andral—the sacred relic that protected the church and all those within—had been stolen, leaving Vallaki vulnerable. His voice trembled with a mix of desperation and hope as he implored the party, each face dimly lit by flickering lantern light, to track down every lead and restore the hallowed power the bones granted to the church.
The party pressed him with questions. Who would dare steal such a precious item? Father Lucian hesitated, then explained that, to his knowledge, only he and Yeska knew of the bones' existence. Unsettled by the revelation, the group made their way through the downpour to speak with Yeska, raindrops drumming against their cloaks and splashing across the cobblestone streets.
In the shadowed shelter of the church porch, Vidar and Aeli took the lead, their voices gentle but probing as they questioned the young altar boy. Yeska, his small frame shivering with more than just the cold, nervously confessed that he had told Milivoj about the bones. He stammered, recalling how he’d witnessed Milivoj sneaking toward the crypt one night. Yet, the gravedigger’s fierce gaze had sent him fleeing, too frightened to question or reveal what he’d seen.
With suspicions swirling, the party sloshed through the rain-slicked streets to the church cemetery in search of Milivoj. His absence only thickened the mystery. The empty cemetery lay silent under the heavy clouds, and Father Lucian, visibly shaken, suggested that Milivoj might be at home with his siblings. Reluctantly, the priest admitted it was strange indeed that Milivoj hadn’t shown up to work.
The party navigated their way to Milivoj’s small home, where his sister answered their knock, her brow furrowing in worry at the news of her brother’s absence. Vidar gently pressed her, inquiring about anything unusual she might have noticed—rumors of alliances with the Wachters, perhaps, or talk of strange gatherings. She seemed certain of her brother’s integrity, even mentioning how he’d managed to bring them a rare, nourishing meal recently, a small victory in their hard-scrabble life.
Taking stock of their options, Vidar shared with the group what he knew: rumors had it that Lady Wachter’s so-called book club was little more than a front for a cult and that she herself was devoted to Strahd. They exchanged uneasy glances, each entertaining the possibility that Milivoj, however reluctantly, might be caught in the web of her influence.
As the rain continued its relentless cadence, Sorrow spotted a slanted wooden cellar door, half-hidden by weeds, leading beneath the Wachter house. She motioned to Aeli, and together they slipped quietly toward it. Vidar moved to the front of the house, knocking on the door with an air of purpose, hoping to draw any attention away from his companions’ silent investigation.
Vidar was led into a shadowed parlor, an oppressive space dominated by the smirking portrait of a nobleman with a nose set at a crooked angle. He kept his expression neutral as he scanned the room, ears straining to pick up any sound that might hint at secrets whispered behind closed doors.
Below, in the dim recesses of the root cellar, Aeli and Sorrow crept through a space lined with crude cots and dirt flooring. The silence pressed around them, broken only by their soft footfalls and the distant hum of the storm above. They noticed tracks in the earth, leading from one staircase to the next, some veering to a blank section of wall. As they moved closer, the ground trembled, and with a sickening shudder, two skeletons clawed their way from the soil, clattering to life. Without hesitation, Aeli and Sorrow sprang into action, their swift strikes reducing the undead to dust.
Their breaths fogged in the chill air as they examined the wall, revealing a cleverly hidden door. Carefully, Aeli placed her ear against the cold stone, listening, but only silence greeted her. Together, they pressed against the door, which swung open to reveal a chamber awash in flickering candlelight. Shadows danced across a great black pentagram inscribed upon the floor, and five wooden chairs were arranged around its points. Four were occupied by figures clad in dark robes: a fair-faced youth, a brutish man, a squat woman, and a tall woman with a glare like a blade. Sorrow and Aeli exchanged a quick look and retreated, shadows in the darkness.
They rejoined Marcus and Lars outside, and Vidar, who had discreetly made his exit from the parlor. The party gathered their resolve and returned to the cellar, only to find that something had changed. The dirt floor quivered ominously, and, with a surge of malevolent energy, eight skeletal figures clawed their way to the surface, skeletal fingers reaching for the living. Sorrow stood firm, her blades flashing, but the undead surged around her. Aeli and Lars moved in tandem, felling skeletons left and right, while Marcus conjured a roaring sphere of fire, engulfing the enemies that dared approach. Vidar’s voice rang out in a low, commanding incantation, scattering some of the undead with its power.
With the skeletal threat vanquished, they turned their attention back to the secret chamber. This time, they breached the door, stepping into the cultists' lair. Shadows flared as the robed figures lashed out with necrotic spells and summoned spectral weapons. The air grew thick with crackling magic, and each member of the party felt the press of danger bearing down. Sorrow took a heavy blow, knocking her unconscious, but the group rallied, and with a final sweep of Lars’s sword, the last cultist fell, their body slumping lifelessly to the ground.
Taking stock of their surroundings, the party’s eyes fell upon the bodies—yet there were only three. A realization dawned, chilling them. Somewhere, the fourth cultist remained, their intentions unknown, lurking in the shadows.
Report Date
01 Nov 2024
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