Day 15 - Midday - Courtyard of the Abbey
The abbot asks, "Would you like a tour of the abbey?"
Fidelia responds, "Sure, but what can you tell me about the gods of Barovia?"
"Of course," responds the Abbot. "Before Strahd invaded this valley, the population worshipped four gods based on the cardinal points. First and foremost was the
Morning Lord, the god of the east and the rising sun. Opposite of him was
Mother Night, queen of darkness and shadow. To the north was the god of Fall whose name lies buried amongst the fallen leaves.
And to the south, the goddess of spring and rebirth whose name whispers amid a warm gentle breeze. For ages, the gods of the East, North, and South cherished this valley and life within it, but Mother Night felt ostracized. Eventually, she fought the Morning Lord, but lost and was banished. Her followers work and sacrifice to her to this day in the hopes that she will prevail over the light of the morning sun."
The abbot opens a door in the north wall of the courtyard passing into a small cluttered vestibule. Based on the smashed remains, there had been a desk and chair making for some sort of office. The abbot looks chagrined while explaining, "Sometimes the mongrels have fits that result in a bit of harmless destruction. Allow me to introduce you to another of our guests by following me up the stairs."
Upon reaching the landing of the stairs, the smell of mold and must rolls over the party as they look over a long room with decayed and rotting furniture. Turning left, the abbot opens a door unto a catwalk above the square housing the mongrel folk, he heads south to a corner door and raps loudly before asking, "May we come in?"
A female's voice quickly responds, "Busy! Go away."
Looking chagrined the abbot hems and haws stalling for time. Then the door opens revealing a lady dressed in a clash of colors and fabrics. Smiling she greets the abbot, "How may I assist you today abbot?" then seeing the party beyond continues, "Oh we have guests today! Please do come in."
As she steps back deeper into the room, the group follows into a thirty square foot room with three beds along the north wall. "Allow me to introduce Ezmerelda D'Avenir," the abbot boasts, "She's staying with us for a few days."
Nazgog studies her from head to toe noting that the right leg has been replaced with a metal contraption, then asks, "How do you like it here?"
"It's moldy," responds Ezmerelda as she fights off a sneeze, "But the abbot has been a good host allowing me time to rest. Why are you here?"
Nazgog grunts, "To eat meat. What else is there?"
As the laughs fade, Morgana shares, "We are curious about the abbey. It seems out of place in this land."
Fidelia continues, "We're seeking a safe refuge for a friend of ours. We heard about the abbey and wanted to be sure. You seem to favor clothes that look Vistani. Is that a coincidence? "
Shakking her head, Ezmerelda says, "I was born a Vistani, but I've long traveled my own road."
"Oh!" Morgana exclaims, "Can you do readings? What do the cards say?"
A stricken look crosses Ezmerelda's face, "You would seek a reading right under Her eye?"
Confused Morgana replies, "I just want a reading about my future. Is that dangerous?"
Sighing with relief, Ezmerelda clarifies, "I thought you were looking for something else."
She pulls a deck of cards from a pocket within her cloak, "A simple fortune for one so young. This should be a nice distraction." She brings Morgana over to the nearest bed and lays three cards out from left to right, she flips the first over and says, "Your youth found favor amongst the gods giving you strength beyond your years." Morgana nods excitedly as Ezmerelda turns of the next card,
"You find yourself surrounded in a new and mystical land. I mean that's not much of a fortune considering where we are, but the card is accurate." Turning over the final card, she intones, "Your future is hidden in mists. There is a battle to be fought and the outcome is uncertain."
Fidelia steps closer, "So why are you here? I don't mean here as in the Abbey, but here in this land."
"I am searching for my mentor, Rudolph Van Richten," Ezmerelda answers. Looking at the party's puzzled faces, she continues, "It'll be easier if I tell you about my life. You do know Van Richten's life, yes? The way his son was lost to him?" Fidelia and Jagger nod uncertainly while Morgana and Nazgog stare blankly at her. Seeing the uncertainty, Ezmerelda clarifies, "Dr Rudolph Van Richten, the most famous vampire hunter of all began his life as a medical doctor, but had his son kidnapped by Vistani who then sold his son to a vampire. Van Richten tracked those Vistani down, but let them live instead of killing them for their heinous act. I was the daughter of those Vistani and that act of mercy changed how I saw the world. When I came of age, I went after the now famous monster hunter and became his protégé. I learned much from him, but trust comes hard to those betrayed and after many years, we agreed to my departure to save our friendship. Several months ago, I was hunting a monster outside Neverwinter. That monster tried begging for its life by intimating that Van Richten was going after Strahd the immortal one. As soon as the job was done, I came here to provide any assistance I can which includes killing Strahd myself."
"And did you find Van Richten?" Fidelia asks.
"No," Ezmerelda responds. "He is a master of disguise, but I did find much of his belongings in a tower on the edge of Lake Baratok. I'm sure he's here in Barovia so I'm determined to assist him even if he doesn't know I'm here. I'm working on a plan to kill Strahd myself."
"Child," the abbot begins, "Strahd does not need killing. She is no monster by choice."
Looking back at Ezmerelda, the party sees a look of pity and sadness cross her face, then she asks Fidelia, "What about you? What are your plans here in Barovia?"
Fidelia hems a moment before answering, "We just want to return to our world. Abbot, shall we continue the tour?"
"Please follow me," the Abbot responds as he heads back out onto the catwalk and then back through the office at the top of the stairs. Opening the door to the east, he says, "This was once a great and noble hospital." Nazgog moves several feet into a long room filled with two rows of beds covered in cobwebs and dust. As the party follows her inside, several dark shadows detach from the corners as they attack the party.
The six
shadows close around Nazgog and the Abbot. Nazgog's great axe swings mercilessly keeping the shadows at bay, but one drifts toward the Abbot who cries out as the cold touch drains his strength. Fidelia blasts another with fire bolting from her hand. Jagger cowers behind the doorway as he mocks the tenuous shadows. Sticky darts toward another shadow slicing as the Abbot draws forth a mace smashing the inky spirit before him. Quickly the shadows lose cohesion and silence returns to this deserted hospital.
Sticky rants, "What just happened!! I thought you said the abbey was safe!"
The Abbot's face frowns as he answers, "I don't know. I don't roam the abbey. I've been focused on crafting the perfect bride for Strahd. Only through love will this land be restored."
Curious, Fidelia asks, "Why is that? What makes love so important to Strahd?"
The abbot nods as he replies, "To understand, you must first know how she came to be. Our tale begins with Strahd continuing the war that her father started. She cornered the last of his enemies here in this secluded valley back when it was still part of a normal world. When she won that final battle, she was struck by its beauty and decided to settle here. However, her mother, Queen Ravenovia had become fearful of her daughter's cold and arrogant view. This lead her to keep her son, Sergei, back home and away from the battlefield. Strahd was determined that her entire family live in this beautiful valley and sought out wizards and artisans to build the monumental castle that stands above the village of Barovia and named it Ravenloft in honor of her mother. Months passed and eventually Strahd demanded that her mother and brother move into the castle, but Queen Ravenovia died while traveling here. Upon arrival, Strahd sealed her mother's body in the crypts of the castle while sealing a part of her heart."
"Hope springs eternal though as Strahd soon found her attention drawn to a young and beautiful Barovian woman named Tatyana. Strahd sought Tatyana's favor with gifts and attention, but Tatyana favored Sergei instead. Strahd's pride would not let her stand in the way of love, until the day Sergei and Tatyana were to be married. Looking in the mirror that day, Strahd raged in anger against being made a fool and blindly killed her brother and then drank his blood which sealed a pact between Strahd and the ancient dark powers within this land. Strahd then chased Tatyana through the castle's gardens and up to the ramparts where Tatyana hurled herself over the cliffs to escape Strahd's lust. At that moment, treacherous castle guards peppered Strahd with arrows to kill her."
"But Strahd did not die. The Dark Powers honored their pact and the sky went black! Strahd's eyes blazed red as she became a vampire before their very eyes. After feasting upon the guards, Strahd saw the faces of her father and mother judging her. She in a single day destroyed the family bloodline and doomed Barovia. The castle and surrounding valley was now locked away in a demiplane away from reality with Strahd as its immortal master. Strahd and her people were doomed for eternity without escape."
"So you see it is the loss of love that doomed Strahd and all of Barovia and it is through love that Barovia will be set free. I've created such a bride and I've been working with her to make her perfect for the Lady Strahd. I merely need a wedding gown and then she can be introduced to Lady Strahd who will fall in love and have her heart healed." The abbot looks each person in the eyes as the tale comes to an end, then asks, "Will you help? Will you find me a wedding gown? If you do, I'll gladly use my powers to assist, for instance, I could raise the dead up to three times."
Morgana quickly asks, "Why do you have that power?"
"I'm a divine being, angel you might say," the abbot responds. "I was sent here to bring hope to this accursed land. Hope and love heals hearts and souls."
The party quickly agrees to consider the plan and then explores the three side rooms leading from the hospital. The first room contains only a single table covered in deeply aged bloodstains. Fidelia lightly touches the table to examine the blood and a long loud wail echoes through the ages. Other voices momentarily join this dying wail before falling silent from blades used long ago.
The second room is strewn with wooden debris. The party spends a few moments examining it before realizing these are the remains of cribs that have since crumbled with age.
Moving to the third room, Sticky opens the door on an empty room. Cawing from the window sill, a raven meet his eyes then flutters away. Sticky rushes to the window to watch as the raven glides around the edge of the building to presumably rest in a courtyard below. Turning around, he asks, "What's outside? Is there some place where the raven could've gone?"
Perplexed the abbot answers, "We have some abandoned gardens along the eastern edge, but I've no idea what a raven would want there. It's just some old turnips."
The party quickly backtracks to the stairs with the abbot and Ezmerelda following behind. At the bottom of the stairs they start down a a darkened hall. Whispered curses echo in the party's ears as they see a large hulking shadow lurch toward them. As the shadow solidifies, they see a seven tall monstrosity. A golem assembled from random body parts that patrols this madhouse. Just as it seems the golem will attack, the abbot comes forward saying, "Rest easy. These are friends."
Leaving the sentinel behind, the party exits the abbey through a doorway and enter a large courtyard nestled between rising and plunging cliffs. Within this eighty by one hundred foot area lies four rectangular stoned-walled gardens. White rabbits nibble on turnips upturned by the cold while two lifeless scarecrows tirelessly guard the plaza. Sitting atop the closer scarecrow, a raven flutters its wings and caws at the party.
Nazgog approaches the raven as the raven bobs its head in excitement. Believing that the raven wants her to find something, Nazgog smashes into the scarecrow's gut and feels around blindly. Within a moment, she feels something metal and pulls it outward. As she sees metal with a bit of sparkling red, seven creatures dressed in red and black attire erupt out of the ground around the party.
These undead creatures swarm toward the scarecrow attacking anyone in their path. Nazgog's battle cry rings loudly as her great axe slices into the nearest creature. At the same time, Morgana rushes forward blocking two of the undead while swinging her mace protectively. Not to be left out, the Abbot quickly moves toward a creature and slams his mace directly into it and emitting a devastating flash of light destroying the wight. Ezmeralda's sword flickers like lightning scoring multiple hits as Fidelia summons her arcane energies in defense of the party.
Suddenly, the abbot cries out in pain from being hit, life draining from his angelic body. The wights press against the party, but then the abbot scores another hit and a wight crumbles beneath the radiant light. The battle turns as the party overwhelms the ghastly creatures and then silence returns to the courtyard.
Nazgog examines the charm looking at its stylized sun shape with a ruby in the center. The party gasps as the abbot tries to take the treasure from Nazgog while stating, "Let me see that." Nazgog yanks the charm backwards while hefting her axe as the abbot pulls his hand backward and apologizes, "I'm sorry, but I believe I know what a treasure that is. If you let me see it, I can identify it." Handing it over the abbot examines it before saying, "Yes. This treasure has long been lost within this land. It first appeared long before any church in this valley. It is known as the Symbol of Ravenkind and rumor tells of its brilliant light and power over vampires. This will serve you well."
He returns it to Nazgog as Morgana approaches, "Nazgog, perhaps it'd be better if I wield it."
Nazgog grunts, "It pretty, but clash with my axe. You can take."
Morgana slips the chain and pendant over her head as the abbot says, "Shall we continue?"
