Party 4

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Still massaging his shoulder that remained stiff since the last battle, Beldar stopped at the approach to the gates. Looking at the rusted gates and destroyed statues Beldar grimaced. This is definitely not what I had in mind when I decided to help the Duchess.


Turning towards Ismark Beldar said in a low voice, Is that Vallaki? Turning his head back towards the fog, he was hoping the answer would be no.
 
Smiling to Ismark, Arinthia looked over the many cuts and bruises he had. 'That - was close.' Arinthia thought to herself.

"No problem." She said to Ismark as she glanced over to Beldar, who was being tended to by Juni. 'Dammit, I shouldn't have left him alone!' Arinthia scoulded herself, 'But if I hadn't, for all I knew in the moment Ismark would have been attacked.'

Spending the rest of the time while they were waiting for Beldar to regain consciousness in her thoughts, trying to go over what she could do differently next time. When they were ready to move, Arinthia followed along just behind and to the side of Beldar. The fact that their path was enclosed by fog and forest was making her uneasy. 'No telling what could come jumping out of the fog.' Arinthia thought as she stopped besides Beldar. Looking up, Arinthia wondered what the stone buttresses were meant to be protecting.
 
As Beldar awakens, Juniper greets him with a wide smile. "It's about time you wake up. I was getting cold." Who knew a human could have made me so worried. She grabs her cloaks and throws it over her shoulders. She adjusts Monte back into his favorite sleeping place. She turns toward Ismark, "we'll get you and your sister to Vallaki in no time."

As the group stands in the fork. Looking towards the gate, "This is the second time we've seen headless statues. I wonder if these statues were a force of good?"

She turns toward Ismark and Ireena, "Does this cobblestone path lead to Castle Ravenloft?" As the words leave her mouth, her shoulders tense up.
 
"Hey, little buddy. What are you doing up there?" She watches as the raven hops around. "Do you think we should sleep in here tonight? I don't know about you, but this place is creepy. Are you evil like everything else in this place? I hope not because you are a pretty bird."

Is there anything in this town that's not creepy. Juniper thinks to herself. She wouldn't mind being surrounded by the forest but she knew how uncomfortable Ismark and Ireena would be. She isn't sure how well she could sleep in a place like this.
 
Dess cocks her head as she watches the exchange between Juniper and the raven, then shrugs as he gaze sweeps up the windmill, examining it and its surroundings. With a sideways glance, she sends Nadir off to check the sides of the building she can't see, giving Juniper a wry smile.

"We lost a lot of time after that attack, spending the night here, rather than trying to make it the rest of the way in the dark may be safer. As long as you can convince the landlord to let us stay, of course."

She looks over the entrance to the windmill, and nods slightly.

"With a minute or two, it looks like I should be able to give us a fairly solid bulwark around the front door, and if we want, I can set some alarms as well."
 
Arinthia looked up at the windmill, staring at the raven as Juniper talked to it.

'Wonder if that limit Ismark was talking about would apply here. About Strahd being unable to enter a residence uninvited.'

"Alarms would be a good thing to have, how would they work?" Arinthia asked Dess as she looked to Beldar, Ismark and Ireena.

'Hopefully we won't have to fight again so soon.' Arinthia thought to herself.
 
Alarms?, Beldar thinks to himself, Wouldn't that be nice to have. But I'm no craftsman, nor do I possess any knowledge that could alert me, but perhaps...

I do not believe I am of any use with an alarm, but I do propose that if we rest here, we take shifts on guard. In addition, I may be able to adjust the ground near the entrance to that windmill so that i would be a little more difficult for anyone to come charging through.

Turning his attention to the Raven, he focuses on the bird. I'm not sure if Juniper can actually speak with this bird, but that gives me an idea that might just help us. Beldar than grabs his amulet and begins to speak and gesture towards the raven.
 
As Beldar finishes communicating with the Raven, he grimaces and thanks the creature for there assistance. What else did I expect it to tell me?, he wondered.

About to speak to the group, still clutching his holy symbol, he sees Juniper poke her head inside the door. Without restraint, he yells, Juniper! Don't go in there!. Aggravated at himself for potentially drawing his attention to the party, he says in a more calm, low voice, This place isn't safe. There is evil about, and it will not hesitate to harm us. We must make all haste for Vallaki. Looking towards Ismark, Would you know a quick path?
 
Juniper walks closer to the door. The raven gave her the sense that we should not stay in there. Juniper looks back at her party and whispers, "Its not a good idea to go in here. The raven doesn't like it."

What's so bad in here that has his feathers in a ruffle.

She pokes her head in the door looking at the disaster in front of her. As she hears shrieks and cackling, she is aware that her presence has been known. I've made a mistake. As she hears Beldar raise his voice, she shoots him a look that says shut your mouth. She holds out a hand to her party, making sure they didn't advance.
She made the mistake of being nosy, she had to do soming to fix it.

Still keeping her hand up, she walks in the doors slightly.

"Woe is me, a lonely traveler all by my lonesome. I smelt your sweet pastries. I wanted to buy some from you, but I hear you're busy. I can come back later." She held back a gag as the smell stung her nostrils.
 
Hearing Juniper talking about being alone, Arinthia felt the instinct to stay close to Juni in case she was attacked. Concentrating more on the thought of Juniper being in danger and possibly being knocked out like Beldar had been than on her surroundings, Arinthia failed to spot the metal bucket left outside the windmill until she tripped over it, sending it clanging across some cobblestones as Arinthia fell into Juniper's back.

'Uh oh.' Arinthia thought as she realised whoever Juniper had been talking to would know Juniper had been lying about being alone.
 
Before hearing a response to his question from Ismark, Beldar notices Arinthia moving up towards the windmill. Ari... was all that came out of his mouth before she hit the bucket and stumbled into Juniper.

Chauntea help me, Beldar whispers to himself. Arinthia! Juniper!, Beldar yells out in harsh whisper, hopefully loud enough for them to hear but no one else, We need to get out of here now! This place is unholy and I was warned of that its inhabitants are not going to be welcoming! Clearly nervous, Beldar fastens his shield tight and draws his weapon. I hope you're ready for another fight, he says to Ismark and Ireena with a sidelong glance.
 
As Dess's attention is drawn from examining the windmill's exterior back to the front door by the loud metal clatter, she closes her eyes from a moment, as she gives a quiet sigh.

"Ah well."

She steps rapidly back from the windmill down the road, while directing Nadir to circle back above the door.
 
"Well Hello Morgantha, please to meet you." Juniper was entirely aware of the situation. She had a deep feeling that those where no ordinary pastries. By the look of the hag and the bones on the ground, she knew she did not want a dream pastries.
"Ohhh one gold piece. How sad. It seems that I do not have that. But soon I can require some and I will make sure to stop right back by and get my hands on your", Juniper pauses and inhales deeply through her nose, "dream pastries."

She steps back a little bit to initiate her leaving. "I must be off now. I will see you soon Morgantha."
 
Feeling the chill and wishing she had something more substantial than the thin red cloak that was draped over her armor, Arinthia wound her tail around her left leg, tucking the tip into her boot.

'This fog, it seems to follow us wherever we go.' Arinthia thought. Seeing the spikes, Arinthia wondered whose idea that display had been, and who it had been intended for.

Turning to Ismark and Ireena, Arinthia asked, "Is this how Vallaki usually is? Have you been here before?"
 
As the night chill sets in, and the fog grows thicker, Dess pulls her cloak hood up over her head, pulling her braid out the front and down under her chin as she watches the night fog warily. As the palisade forms out of the fog in front of them, she frowns at it. She'd been expecting solid stone walls in the middle of this unfriendly land, and even with the iron gate, the town's defenses feel more like tripwire than fortification. Though they seem to have held off the animals well enough, at least. She considers the figures behind the gate as the group pauses, then looks at the others.

"I suppose we ask them to open up?"
 
Letting out a long held breath, Beldar slides his weapon back onto his belt and throws his shield on his back. Thank you Great Mother for seeing us through this potentially fatal situation. Smiling towards Juniper, Glad to see you made it back...in one piece.

As the group continued on, the ever present feeling of grim depression and lost hope of this land pressed hard on Beldar. Praying silently as they traveled on, Beldar tried his best to hold a face of determination and comfort for his companions. As the road finally opened to a town, the brief glimmer of hope that the thought of life brought quickly dissipated from his mind as he saw the heads of wolves upon pikes. While he never enjoyed the thought of hurting nature's creatures, deep down he knew that these creatures are tainted with evil and beyond saving.

Approaching the gates, Beldar holds up, and looks towards his group. Anyone feel chipper enough to greet these people?
 
Relieved that this discussion went so well, Beldar let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Finishing up his notes he was taking on everything the guard said, Beldar was certain he wanted to see the house of Lathander first, but as he took his first step into town, the loss of alertness gave way to a sudden feeling of exhaustion.

I believe a trip to the inn would do me well right now. Anyone else feel like some warmth and some drink?, he said to the group, hopeful his companions had similar notions.
 
Arinthia just gave the guards a smile as she walked past them through the gate, although her tail tightened in its coils around her left leg, the tip slipping into the top of Arinthia's left boot.

"Something to drink sounds like a good idea," said Arinthia, turning to Ismark and Ireena. "I'm glad we got you here safely." Arinthia said, still feeling a little on edge about the bucket incident. 'That was clumsy. Need to be more careful.' Arinthia chided herself.
 
"Something to drink and a night's rest are just the thing, I think. Then we can figure out whether Ismark and Ireena need to move on, or are safe here in the morning."

As they enter the protection of the walls, Dess drops her hood back to her shoulders once the wind is no longer blowing around them, and looks down the surrounding streets, unsure if she's actually feeling safer at the moment, or simply less under imminent threat. After a moment she sighs, and glances back out the gate.

"This place is making me more paranoid than the back alleys of Luskan."
 
Hearing the mention of Luskan, Arinthia's natural tendency to be nosy picked up. She'd heard stories growing up in Highcliff, the sorts of things adventurers who had rolled through the town or sought out her mother's services would tell. About the sorts of atrocities that Luskans were capable of, how they had no rule of law and were generally not to be trusted.

"So, are you from Luskan Dess?" Arinthia asked, figuring if Dess was, she was trustworthy so maybe the stories she'd heard were a load of hogwash.
 
"Some sleep sounds wonderful." Still feeling repulsed with herself about leaving the hags alive, she let's out a sigh.

I really hope the Blue Water Inn has pie.... that's not made out of children.
 
Entering into the tavern, Arinthia shivered a little. Looking around the room, Arinthia glanced up at the balcony. With all the windows barred, the only exit she could see if they had to leave suddenly was the one through which they'd entered.

'You're being paranoid.' the rogue thought to herself, 'that incident with the scarecrows not to mention the hanging woman that Juniper thought was her has everyone on edge. We've got Ismark and Ireena where they wanted to go, now just to get them safe.' Arinthia's eyes checked over each individual she saw. She had no interest in stealing directly from people, pickpocketing just for the sake of it wasn't how she'd been brought up. 'This is a public house so maybe Strahd doesn't need an invitation to get in. On the other hand, the bartender looks like he could take care of himself in a fight. I wonder how he got that scar? Those other two younger men look like they might be part of a group. Wonder if there's a story behind those black feathers?'

Approaching the bar, Arinthia tried her best to appear as non-threatening as possible, weary after what had happened at the gate but equally hoping it was a one-off. 'Not everywhere is as liberal as Waterdeep and Highcliff,' Arinthia thought as she smiled to the bartender, though her tail wrapped tighter around her black leather covered left leg, the tip disappearing down into her boot out of sight. "Hi there," said Arinthia, "How much will it be for a round of drinks for six people?"
 
Rubbing his hands together to warm them, Beldar was extremely grateful to be inside the inn. Having stayed at many inns through his travels, this one may not have been the best, but it was far from the worst. Smiling at Arinthia who was spot on with ordering drinks, Beldar listened closely as the Urwin spoke about his establishment.

I assume we are all planning on spending the evening here, Beldar said to his group hopefully. But before others could answer, he turned to Urwin and said, I'll leave the choice of drink to my companions, but I could really use a hot meal. The beet soup and bread sounds wonderful. Normally Beldar would lean towards meat for dinner, but the thought of eating wolf seemed odd to him, and he wasn't ready to start accepting all the customs of this land yet.
 
"Hello Urwin Martikov. Soup and bread sounds wonderful. Oh and would you happen to have some pie?"
Juniper looks around the establishment, her eyes focused on the two men sitting down. She catches the black feathers woven into his clothes. How interesting.
 
Arinthia thought for a moment. The Red Dragon Crush sounded tempting, but she had no idea how long she'd be needing to stretch out her meagre coinpurse so she decided to opt for the cheaper options instead.

"One Purple Grapemash, a serving of beet soup and bread and a room for me thanks." Arinthia said, figuring she'd share with someone if they wanted to make their gold stretch that little further.
 
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