Session 003 - Welcome to Barovia: Part II

The heroes leave the Burgomaster Mansion with Kolyan Indirovich's body and Ismark Kolyanovich to head to the Church of the Morninglord. When the group arrives at the church, Ismark Kolyanovich is disturbed by the damage wrought on its walls and roof. As the heroes are about to enter, Parriwimple Cantemir walks pass and explains that Father Donavich has not left the church since two weeks ago, offers the heroes to pop by Bildrath's Mercantile, and continues with his early walk.   When the heroes enter the church they meet Father Donavich who apologises for the church's state of disrepair. When the group informs Father Donavich that they are here to bury the deceased burgomasteer Kolyan Indirovich, he expresses his condolences to Ismark Kolyanovich but explains that while he would be glad to oversee the burial, he cannot perform the holy rites that would sanctify Kolyan's remains as he has lost his holy symbol.   When Ismark Kolyanovich notes the damage done to the church, Father Donavich informs the group that it was caused by a vampire spawn that attacked amidst the siege - the undead husk of his son, Doru, Vampire Spawn and Ismark Kolyanovich is shocked and horrified to learn of Doru's fate believinig him to have died at Castle Ravenloft.   Ava Reigh intrigued, inquired further on the events and Doru, Vampire Spawn, and Father Donavich shares that when Doru sent off for Castle Ravenloft, the priest had given his son his holy symbol of the Morninglord - a bronze sunburst on a leather cord - to keep him safe in the face of darkness. When Doru failed to return, however, Donavich feared the worst. Doru returned to the church at midnight, now transformed into a vampire spawn. Donavich managed to lure Doru into the undercroft and trap him there. Ever since Doru returned, Donavich hasn’t been able to cast spells or feel the Morninglord’s presence. He believes that this is because Doru still has his holy symbol, and that Strahd’s foul influence has corrupted Donavich’s connection to the gods. Donavich believes that his son is dead, and that the creature that wears his skin is a mockery that must be destroyed.   Father Donavich knows that he can't defeat Doru and can't bear to see his son's face again, and the group offers to assist the prief. Father Donavich produces the key to the padlock that is keeping the undercroft locked, and allows them to enter. Ismark Kolyanovich decides to stay with Father Donavich to discuss repairs of the church. The heroes descend into the dimly lit undercroft and meet Doru, Vampire Spawn who is clinging to the ceiling. Doru, Vampire Spawn asks if they are there to kill him, however Ava Reigh says that they want to help and confides in him that she is also a vampire. Doru, confident that the heroes are benevolent has a simple request. To prove to himself that he can control his vampiric urges, he asks the heroes to expose him to the fresh blood. Aurora Silverleaf does, and Ava Reigh coaches Doru through the urges. As the test is underway, Doru provides information to the heroes:  

• As a child, Doru was enraptured by stories of the sun and the light and hope that it once brought to the valley. As he grew older, he learned swordsmanship from Ismark and studied the book Van Richten’s Guide to Vampires to learn how to destroy the undead. He dreamed of one day destroying the Devil of Castle Ravenloft and bringing freedom to his people.
• Sixteen weeks ago, a foreign scholar calling himself Alanik Ray arrived in Barovia and rented a room in the burgomaster's manor. When an enormous undead dire wolf attacked a group of children who had strayed too far from the village, however, Doru alone saw "Alanik" fend it off with expert skill—and when the wolf knocked the hat off of "Alanik's" head, his appearance magically changed, revealing him to be the legendary vampire hunter Dr. Rudolph van Richten.
• Doru confronted him and insisted that Van Richten lead the village in revolt against Castle Ravenloft. Though Van Richten was reluctant at first, he eventually agreed—on the condition that Doru allow him to keep his disguise. Two days later, Doru, aided by a man named Escher—the village bard and Doru’s oldest friend—had assembled more than two dozen fighters to march on the keep. With Van Richten’s aid, the mob struck down any undead guards that tried to stand in their way. However, when they finally opened Strahd’s crypt, Escher was nowhere to be found—and Strahd’s coffin was empty.
• Shortly thereafter, Strahd emerged from the shadows and attacked the mob with merciless force. Most of Doru’s companions were slain. Doru himself was turned into a vampire spawn, and later learned that Escher had been as well. Doru doesn’t know what happened to Van Richten, but was forced to confess the old man’s identity when Strahd interrogated him later.Doru spent nearly three months at Castle Ravenloft, during which Strahd repeatedly forced him to drink the blood of his former companions. Two weeks ago, Strahd commanded Doru to return to the church and his father.
• Doru can’t disobey Strahd’s direct orders, and can feel his presence at all times. His vampiric bloodthirst is a constant distraction, and it’s difficult to control his predatory urges and instincts. When he first returned to the church, he was almost grateful that his father had locked him in the undercroft, where he couldn’t do any harm. Doru doesn’t know if his soul or body can be saved, but he’s kept his father’s holy symbol to remind him of his faith and family, and to steel his will against the addictions of his new form. If not for that, he suspects that he would have lost control days or even weeks ago.

  After what feels like a long time, Doru is able to resist his urges and refrains from attacking the heroes. As a token of his gratitude, Doru provides the heroes with the location of a hidden weapons cache that Van Richten kept in case of emergencies. Before the heroes leave the undercroft, Dory asks them to tell Father Donavich that his son is still alive, and provides them with the holy symbol as evidence.   The heroes return to Father Donavich with his holy symbol in hand and he accepts it with gratitude. When they tell him they spared Doru and relay his final message, Father Donavich is shocked. Acknowledging that he will attempt to support his son, Father Donavich guides the group with Kolyan's coffin to the cemetery, where the heroes support his by getting shovels and digging a grave. When the grave is fully dug and Kolyan's coffin is lowered into the ground, Donavich offers prayers to the Morninglord, asking for Kolyan’s deliverance in the following refrain:    

O Morninglord Lord of blessed light and patron of new beginnings We commend into thy mercy and thy radiance Master Kolyan Indirovich Now departed hence from us and gone evermore into your glory. We beseech thee to grant unto him thy mercy and everlasting peace As thou deliver'st him from this everlasting darkness into infinite light From pestilence into growth From shadow into day And from death into new life. Grant him entrance into Your land of light and joy In the fellowship of thy saints And the brilliance of thy presence By Your will and grace.

  Before the heroes leave the cemetery at the end of service, Father Donavich warns them of a Barovian supersition that young women with red hair often find that ill luck travels beside them, and asks if Ireena plans to remain in Barovia now that the Devil has awoken. They inform him that Ireena Kolyana and the heroes intend too leave, Father Donavich suggests the Abbey of St. Markovia in Krezk as an eventual destination. He notes it was once a bastion of good, and may yet still offer some protection.   As they leave the cemetery, the heroes decide to go shopping for supplies and Ismark tells them to meet him at the mansion after noon. Once they are finished shopping at Bildrath's Mercantile, the group meet with Ismark who had just finished briefing a part of Barovian scouts regarding Gertruda's appearance. Ismark notes to the group that Ireena Kolyana is misising, and asks them to find her and bring her home. The heroes find Ireena Kolyana at Lugdana's Knoll and she is digging a hole in the earth between the tree's roots. Ireena greets the players with warmth, though with some embarrassment for having driven them to come search for her. She shares freely that she is digging for a small wooden chest that she and her mother, Korina Targolova, buried here before her mother's death fourteen years ago—a coffer whose contents she hopes to take as a keepsake when she departs for Vallaki, given that she doesn't know when, if ever, she'll be able to return home. Ireena opens it, revealing its contents.   The chest contains a silver bracelet set with gemstones, a pressed aster flower, a wooden charm in the shape of the yarrow flower on a leather cord, and a handkerchief with floral patterns. The bracelet holds no sentimental value for Ireena, and she doesn't remember why she was carrying it when Kolyan first found her, or where she obtained it. She gifts it to the heroes as a gift for their agreement to escort her to Vallaki, as compensation for their trouble. After sharing the items in the chest, Ireena apologises to the heroes explaining that she had not been entirely forthright with them, and informs them that Strahd von Zarovich has been feeding on her, revealing bite scars on her neck. The heroes promise her that they will safely guide her to Vallaki and Ireena is visibly relieved.   The group then returns to Barovia Village and say their goodbyes to Ismark Kolyanovich before leaving the village towards Vallaki. As the group travel through the Svalich Woods they meet two Barovia scouts who question them on their travel arrangements, and asked if they had seen the Lansten Family - two parents and three young children, which the heroes replied they had not. The two groups go their separate ways and the heroes make their way to the location of Van Richten's hidden cache. When they arrive they are attacked by five zombies who match the descriptions of the Lansten Family. The heroes easily defeat the zombies and obtain the resources in the cache.   After a short rest, the heroes continue on the path and arrive at the River Ivlis Crossroads, where they see a carriage arrive, and out steps Strahd von Zarovich who greets the heroes.