Iron & Gold, Curse of Strahd
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18 - The Abbey[1]
At dawn, they gathered around Ilya’s body. The smell of death was still evident in the room despite the herbs brought in. Ilya was due to be buried today, so they had little time: funerals, as Donavich had said, were normally done at dawn.[2]
Hrelgi was nervous: using a spell scroll should be easy, but there was always the chance of failure. She said to Anna, “Are you ready?”
Anna nodded. Dmitri looked nervously around.
Hrelgi looked at Uthrilir, who smiled up at her, and she began reading.
It felt like forever but it took only a dozen heartbeats to read. She felt the threads of reality altering, just as she felt them when she did her own magic, but this felt….different. More powerful, perhaps. Something in this made it more permanent.
She read the spell and then, as the instructions dictated, she laid a hand on Ilya’s dead brow.
Another heartbeat passed.
Ilya inhaled and screamed in terror. Hrelgi was afraid to take her hand away but she could feel that the magic was done. She left her hand there, pressing on Ilya’s forehead. Anna broke from the circle of witnesses and rushed to Ilya’s side. The young man’s scream faded into sobbing, and he weakly put his arm up to hold his mother.
Felewin whispered to Uthrilir, “Are they supposed to scream?”
“I’ve only seen one other resurrection, but she didn’t scream,” Uthrilir whispered back.
Ninefingers added, “He’s been dead in Barovia. That’s worth a scream.”
Hrelgi stepped back. The scroll was disintegrating in her hands, so even if she wanted to check that she had done everything right, she couldn’t. “It’s done,” she said. “Up to you to check him, now.”
Anna held the young man as he wept; she soothed him, making sounds in his ear, listening to him sob. Finally, he spoke. “Mother…I’ve had the most terrible dream.”
“It’s all right,” Anna said to him.
“I have to check,” apologized one woman. Anna went to stop her, but Dmitri protected the woman, who pulled out a needle like the one used to test the fingers of the group. She plunged it into the teenager’s shin.
The boy gasped when the needle went in, said “Ow!” And then tried to swat the needle away.
“Not a monster,” the woman said.
And then Anna laughed and cried at the same time; Dmitri was stony-faced until it sank in, and he grabbed Felewin’s hands and began to dance.
Hrelgi murmured to Uthrilir, “I did good?”
“You did good.” To Anna, Uthrilir said, “He is weak, but should be fine if he rests for as many sleeps as he was gone. He is young and will want to start moving by tomorrow, but make him rest.” To Ilya, he said, “Ilya, it is a pleasure to meet you. We do not expect you to remember our names, but I am Uthrilir. She who brought you back is Hrelgi; the big fellow is Felewin, and the small green one is Ninefingers. Welcome back.”
Ilya nodded, mute with surprise.
The group left the happy family and stood outside in the yard: chickens to one side, family graves to the other, the house ahead. The dawn was cool; hundreds of feet above, the Abbey loomed.
Felewin said, “Now that we know that Ireena can stay, we need to go to the Abbey. Arm up: I don’t know how exposed it is. I think that road is the only way.”
Hrelgi asked, “Must we go? I’d like to stay and bask in their approval for a bit.”
Felewin said, “Remember the reading? We’re supposed to find an ally there.”
Ninefingers said, “I don’t know about that. Look, the Vistani are supposed to be allied with Strahd. The fact that we found the book in Madame Eva’s camp is awfully convenient.”
“You think the whole thing’s a trap?”
Ninefingers shrugged. “Maybe. There’s motivation there in that text and an allusion to…something. A sword that he feared. Not much, really. It’s possible that we go into the abbey looking for help and it’s a second trap, and another chance for Strahd to catch us.”
“But if it’s real and we don’t go, we lose out on an ally,” said Uthrilir.
Hrelgi said, “Why does he need to trap us? If the book is correct, he thinks that he’s the land. He can catch us anywhere.”
Felewin thought about it and then said, “If the Abbot is actually allied with Strahd, any ally might be imprisoned there and the Abbot won’t let her free. Going through the abbey without the Abbot might be best. But if it is a trap, we should probably leave Ireena here.”
“But I want to go,” Ireena said.
“We’re trying to keep you safe, and we’ve arranged for you to be safe here,” said Felewin.
Ireena looked disappointed. “I don’t suppose I could order you?”
“You could,” replied Felewin, “but I would not obey and then we would be angry at each other.”
Ireena pouted to show disappointment but in an exaggerated fashion to show acceptance. “I will have Dmitri give me the grand tour,” she said. “Maybe there will be some ideas I can take back to Ismark.”
Felewin nodded. “Even if the place is run by magic, as Uthrilir thinks, people can make some changes. They can make their lives better.” He looked up at the Abbey. “I don’t see a way to get up there without taking the road.”
“If we take the road once, I can get us there afterward, but I need to be some place before I can get us there,” said Hrelgi.
“But you did at the coffin maker’s shop,” began Ninefingers.
“I was lucky. Once in a million happening.”[3]
Felewin said, “So we should walk up there once, visibly, so we can go up there later, in secret.”
“If it’s all visible, then by all means, let’s meet the Abbot,” said Felewin.
“Then I can go!” Ireena said. “With me along, you are safer from the Abbot.”
“I don’t think that’s true,” said Felewin.
“With her, we do have some degree of noble immunity,” said Uthrilir.
“No! We are supposed to be protecting her!” said Felewin. “Ireena, you stay here, in the village walls, where you are as safe as you can be. I’m not going to order you to stay inside because you wouldn’t obey me—”
“I would not,” said Ireena.
“And I know that. But stay in the village. Not up by the Abbey, not outside on the road. In the village.”
“I am not an idiot,” she said.
Felewin softened. “I know, and I apologize for implying that. But you have to get to know these people. You rely on them now.”
“You’ll come back?”
“From the abbey? Of course.”
“I mean…back here.”
Felewin smiled. “We’ll be going back and forth in pursuit of the big plan, which is to make you…and all of Barovia safe. In the meantime, Kasimir wants us to accompany him somewhere, and according to the reading we have an ally in the abbey and a weapon in the mountains, and really…nothing in Barovia seems more than two day’s walk from anything else. We’ll be here again. Any reason for the question?”
“Just a fear that I won’t see you again.”
Hrelgi said, “Kind of a reasonable fear in Barovia.”
“True. We can make no guarantees, and he is powerful…but we’re going to do our best not to die.”
“Unfortunately, if Felewin makes a promise, he’ll keep it unto death,” said Ninefingers. “So we’ll be back.”
“Good,” said Ireena. “I will wait here unless something extraordinary happens.”
“That’s all we can ask,” said Felewin.
“Let’s go to the abbey,” said Hrelgi.
They were out of the village by the time the sun had noticeably moved, and starting the climb up the switchbacks of the road. The Abbey of St. Markovia was up the mountainside: a person alone could make it up without using the road, but there was no way an army could. The abbey was, as far as Felewin could see, defensible.
At the top of the road was a pair of iron gates and matching guardhouses, set in a stone wall that was taller than Uthrilir or Ninefingers but not as tall as Hrelgi or Felewin. The guardhouses were occupied by sleeping animal-man hybrids. One was patchy with wolf parts, including a wolf snout and muzzle; the other had lizard scales across the portion of face they could see. Uthrilir reached out for them, but Felewin stayed him. He said in a low voice, “Let’s look a moment before waking them. Ninefingers, what do you see?[4]”
Ninefingers pointed. “Entrance over there. Garden beyond it, so they’re probably self-sufficient. I can’t see how big the garden is, but can’t be more than twenty people.”
Uthrilir said, “Dmitri hinted that the abbey and the village don’t interact for anything but wine. The winery wagon can’t make it up that road, so it has to wait in the village for a couple of hours.”
“The Abbot sometimes comes down,” Hrelgi pointed out.
“We can ask him,” said Felewin. He rattled his knife against the bars. “Hello? Hello!”
The guards jerked awake. “Who goes there?” said one of them. He looked at Hrelgi for a long minute and then winked. She smiled politely at him.
“We are travelers, who would like to see the Abbot and possibly tour the Abbey.”
The other guard was a woman, and though one half of her face was lizard scales, the other half was a bird’s feathers, with a strip of human skin between as border. One eye was feline; the other was brown and human. She said, “We can take you to the Abbey, of course.”
“Walk with me,” said the first guard. He was a little taller than Uthrilir and almost as wide. He pulled open the gate, which squealed, and let them enter; then he leapt through air, landing about two dozen paces away.
“Show off,” muttered the other guard, who led them to the abbey’s wooden doors, where he was already waiting for them. The curtain wall above the doors held armed guards.
“Dummies,” muttered Ninefingers.[5] “Dressed as guards.”
Felewin acknowledged by squeezing Ninefingers’ shoulder.
The leaping guard smiled and opened the door to the abbey. He held Hrelgi’s hand as she crossed the threshold, then bent over Hrelgi’s hand and licked it. He wiggled his eyebrows as though this were clearly the most seductive thing she had ever encountered.[6]
“Thank you,” she said.
The female guard said, “Wait here,” and traipsed over to the door on the right.
They were in a courtyard, open to the rain. Chicken coops were scattered along the edges; straight ahead were the ruins of three horse troughs; off to the left was a well; and further in the corner was a tethering pole, with someone tethered to it: another of these mongrel people with bat wings and spider mandibles. When any of the group showed a chance of coming near, she took off, flying until her restraints stopped her, and she stayed in the air, making piteous mewling sounds.
The guard accompanying them said, “Don’t worry about Marzena, there; she’s more scared of you than the other way.”
“Why is she tied up like that?” Hrelgi asked.
“If she weren’t tied up, she’d fly away. This way she gets some exercise.”
“And the chicken coops? You keep chickens?”
“Sometimes. If it rains, don’t go into those.”
“They’re padlocked,” said Ninefingers. Otto ignored him.
Otto said to Hrelgi, “I’ll keep you dry.” His wolf-like tongue came out suggestively. “I’m Otto, by the way.”
She looked at Felewin, who shrugged. “Hrelgi. And what’s her name? The other guard?”
“Zygrek. She’s my second cousin.”
The door opened. “The Abbot’s down in the village.”
Ninefingers asked, “How? We didn’t pass him on the road.”
Zygrek said, “I don’t know. They just told me he’s down in the village.”
Otto said, “You can stay here in the courtyard and wait.”
“Whatever,” said Zygrek. “Otto, we have to go back to the gates.”
Otto nodded. “Of course. I am always in demand,” he explained to Hrelgi. “For guarding and…other things.”
Zygrek rolled her eyes. “Come on. You know I hate being near other people.”
Otto blew Hrelgi a kiss and they left. As soon as the door closed behind them, Hrelgi started wiping the back of her hand against her tunic. She asked, “Do we just wait here?”
Horrible screams came from one of the sheds. That caused several of the other sheds to emit screams.
“Why are they padlocked?” asked Uthrilir.
“Our possible ally might be in one of them,” said Felewin.[7]
“While I could pick those locks,” Ninefingers said, “it would be a very public act. I know the Abbot is away but this abbey is still occupied by the likes of Otto and Marzena. I’m shy and prefer privacy.”
“You sound like Otto.”
“Don’t be insulting,” said Ninefingers. “There’s a door to that wing of the abbey over there. Could we try that first?”
Marzena screamed and flapped harder; the voices from inside the sheds paused a moment and then all started.
Felewin headed for the other door. That took them nearer to Marzena who responded with more frantic screaming. Hrelgi started flipping pages in her spell book and then changed her mind.
It was dark inside the abbey and Hrelgi unshipped and opened the lantern. Ninefingers pushed his smoked goggles up, and Uthrilir kept moving.
Felewin muttered, “That lantern cost me a lot. It’s my lantern.”
Hrelgi said, “If you want to live without magic….”
Felewin didn’t bother answering.
The room hadn’t been cleaned since the desk and chair had been smashed to pieces; the wood had the grayness that comes with age and exposure. There were two hallways out: one led to a stairwell, and the other was full of whispers and mad laughter. The odours of animals wafted out of that hallway.
“Upstairs,” said Felewin. The stairs were stone, rather than wood; Felewin took them several at a time.
“Uh, hi,” said Ninefingers to something else, Felewin didn’t know what.
“It” was a monstrous assemblage of dead body parts that had come out of the hallway and both Ninefingers and Uthrilir could see it. Hrelgi played the light over it and made a yeep sound.
“We’re looking for the Abbot,” said Uthrilir.
With a roar the assemblage of dead body parts attacked, aiming for[8] Ninefingers and sending him across the room against the wall. Ninefingers staggered up afterward.
Uthrilir drew his mace and hit it[9] to little effect. The thing turned its attention to Uthrilir.[10] Its swing went wild.
Hrelgi started flipping pages in her grimoire. Felewin heard the noise and started back down the stairs, drawing his sword.[11]
Uthrilir swung but missed to avoid hitting Ninefingers.
Felewin got up front[12] and smote the thing with a blow that would have disabled a mortal man.
Hrelgi cried, “We don’t want to kill it!” She cast spell[13] that shot the flesh golem to the far end of the hallway, where it lay in a twisted lump. “We don’t want to get on the Abbot’s bad side!”
“Yet,” said Felewin. He asked Ninefingers, “You okay?”
“I hurt a lot,” replied Ninefingers. “Did Hrelgi put it down?”
The thing was unfolding itself and getting up.
“No,” said Uthrilir.
A woman’s voice came from the stairwell. “It attacks if you are not with the Abbot. If it has not seen you, you can hide but it sees in the dark.”
The thing was charging.[14]
Felewin got his shield up. “Clear behind me!”[15] At the last moment he stepped aide, letting the thing ram into the wall.[16] It collapsed and did not get up.
A woman in Vistani man’s clothes came down the stairs, her rapier in her hand. “Ah. You do not need my help.” She sheathed her blade. “Ezmerelda d’Avenir. And you are?”
Felewin introduced them quickly. “Should we stand here?”
“I’ve made a space upstairs; come on up.”
She led them upstairs; the room at the top of the stairs had a wooden counter, but she didn’t stop; she went out a door on the left that led to the ledge that circled the courtyard. On one side were the dummies that looked like guard, but she led them away to another door. In that room were some beds, one of which had been fixed and made sturdy. Ezmerelda’s travel bag was on one side of the room, by the door.
Once inside, she said, “I do not invite you in.”
Felewin stopped short. “Oh. Vampires.” He walked in anyway, as did the others. Ninefingers staggered and Uthrilir said, “Just a moment,” and he prayed to the Lady for help.[17] He then laid his hand on Ninefingers, who said, “I didn’t feel anything.”
“This is a difficult place,” said Uthrilir.
“I might be able to help,” Hrelgi said. She flipped pages in her grimoire and then touched Ninefingers.
The goblin stretched and said, “Thank you, Hrelgi.”
“I might want to ask you about that later,” said Ezmerelda.
“Oh, it’s easy if you know how,” said Hrelgi.
“She’s looking for more compliments,” said Uthrilir, smiling.
“Are you looking for someone in particular?” Felewin asked.
“A few people,” she said, “but for different reasons.”
“Your mentor, maybe?” Hrelgi asked.
“What?”
Ninefingers looked at Felewin. “You’re going to tell her, aren’t you? Even though there are advantages to keeping it a secret and checking her out.” He shook his head. “Good thing you’re a third son because you couldn’t keep a state secret on threat of tickling.”
“Truth shortens things,” Felewin said. He said to Ezmerelda, “We were told to look for a Vistana searching for her mentor.”
“And?”
“She will help us in our fight.” He looked around to make sure they were not overheard. “Against Strahd.”
“And where did you hear this bit of advice?”
Hrelgi said, “A reading of the cards. It told us to look in the Abbey.”
Ezmerelda said, “Well, I always take the cards seriously. Who did this reading?”
“Madam Eva was her name.”
Ezmerelda sucked her breath in. “Tell me more. Why were you with Madam Eva? The Vistani are allied with Strahd.”
“And your clothes identify you as a Vistani,” Felewin said carefully. “My impression is that, while most are allied with Strahd, some are not. That might reveal itself only as a failure to act for him but it is sometimes sufficient.” He shrugged. “We were on our way from Barovia to Vallaki and fell in with them. They offered us a lift.”
“For free?”
“No.” He grinned. “While we were there, Madame Eva insisted on doing a reading for us.”
“If it were a fraud you’d think it was your idea.” Ezmerelda sat on the sturdy bed. “I fear that Strahd has taken my mentor.”
“You are the one in the reading?”
“Probably,” said Ezmerelda.
“We are visitors.”
“I gathered.” She indicated Hrelgi’s ears. “But you’re here now,” she said.
“That’s what they tell us,” Felewin said. “We escorted a local to Krezk to keep her from Strahd’s interest; we hoped that the Abbey would be a refuge for her.”
Ezmerelda snorted. “The Abbot is mad. This is no refuge.”
Uthrilir said, “Mad how? I admit he doesn’t seem to have helped the residents much.”
“The thing you fought? The Abbot made that. It was his practice for the one in the other wing.”
The dwarf said, “To what end?”
“He has built a woman like the one that Strahd desires and plans to offer her to Strahd, so that the curse will be lifted.”
“What does she look like? I need to see her,” Uthrilir said.
“I can take you to her but do not attack her. The Abbot has told me that Strahd will come to take his bride, and I plan to attack Strahd then.” Ezmerelda frowned. “Planned. This news about Madame Eva makes me reconsider.”
“Apparently we need a holy symbol, which is probably in Berez, and some kind of sword which is in a wizard’s tower.”
“Huh. I might know of that.”
“She was specific,” said Felewin. “There is a weapon there.”
“I have been in the tower, and there is no weapon,” she said. “Is there a chance that the whole thing is a trick? That she’s sending you to places where you might die?”
“Sure,” said Felewin. “But you were foretold, and you are where she said.”
“Unless of course you’re lying,” said Ninefingers.
“Ninefingers!” Felewin said.
“He’s quite right,” said Ezmerelda. “The other items will be the real test.”
“Or,” said Ninefingers, “the items might be things that Strahd can’t touch, which is why he needs us to get them.” He shrugged. “A thought.”
Felewin said, “Which we’ll keep in our heads but proceed as if we believe the reading. The first item might have been planted; you are less likely to be so; and then we’ll try to find the next one, probably in Berez.”
“Let’s get you started.” Ezmerelda stood up. “The construct is named Vasilka, by the way. The Abbot is quite protective of her. Why do you need to see her?”
Uthrilir stood too, which caused the others to stand. “I have an idea that Strahd responds to women who look like someone he knew when he was alive.”
“She must have been important to him.”
“He was obsessed with her, I think. Really, I need a description of her,” said Uthrilir. “I suspect that our friend, Ireena, resembles her, which would make his interest easier to understand and harder to foil. Ireena has some unusual features, and if Vasilka has them too, then it’s circumstantial evidence that Tatyana had those features.”
“That’s very complicated,” Ezmerelda said.
“I can explain in more detail if you need, but—”
“But your theory is not appropriate for this time or place,” Felewin said.
Ezmerelda said, “I have to think about that. I can show you Vasilka.”
“Please. Because if the Abbot has a plan for Strahd, its consequences might be bad for Ireena.”
They didn’t go by the flesh golem (“Don’t know if it’s still unconscious; I’m safe but you won’t be,” said Ezmerelda.) Instead, Ezmerelda took them along the curtain ledge. She paused at the door. “Wait!” said Hrelgi. “I can get us to the courtyard. Bunch together. Touch me.” She checked the grimoire and said the spells.[18]
They were in the courtyard.
“I like that,” said Ezmerelda.
“It’s her new trick,” said Ninefingers.
“I’ve been studying,” said Hrelgi, pleased with herself.
Ezmerelda led them to the door that Zygrek had gone in earlier. She knocked and said, “Vasilka? Some people would like to meet you. They are safe.” She said, “Come in,” to the group.
The hall was dimly lit; the lights on the wall had gone out, and no one had re-lit them. From the smell, they had not been out for long. Vasilka was sitting by the dead fireplace, attempting embroidery.
“Vasilka? You remember me, Ezmerelda. I have brought some people to meet you.”
Vasilka shyly ducked her head.
“Greetings, my lady,” said Felewin. “I am Felewin, and these are my companions Ninefingers, Uthrilir, and Hrelgi.”
Felewin could not see her clearly in the dimness, but Uthrilir could, and he said, “The fault is mine that we are here. I wished to see you because I have heard of your beauty.”
Vasilka bowed her head. She might have blushed; the fine scars on her neck changed colour briefly. Her body language suggested that she did not believe him.
Uthrilir said, “They did not lie; you are as lovely as I expected.”
Vasilka said nothing.
Hrelgi said casually, “He doesn’t lie, which is really annoying.”
Vasilka relaxed slightly.
Felewin saw what was on her lap, and said, “Embroidery? My mother did that. Might I see some of your work? You are free to refuse.”
Vasilka shook her head.
“Of course.” Felewin nodded and stepped back against the wall.
Somewhere down in the town was a tremendous thunderclap, and everyone jerked.
“Ireena!” said Felewin. “Pardon us.” He started running.[19]
Three minutes later, he had reached the village. There was a crowd around the pool and Felewin joined them. A statue lay on the ground, and there was a crack in the stone surrounding the pool. The others were already there.
“How…?” He asked as he muscled others out of his way to the others of his group. Even Ezmerelda was there.
Hrelgi said, “My new trick. I’ve been to Dmitri’s wine cellar.” A Krezk-ite looked at her. “Which is empty, by the way,” she said to the local.
“Ireena is gone,” Ninefingers told him.
“Strahd?”
“No,” said Uthrilir. “She was the reincarnation of Tatyana.”
A stunningly handsome man came toward him; the Krezk inhabitants moved aside in reverence or fear. He was dressed in simple monk’s robes. “You must be Felewin,” said the man.
“I am. And you are Abbot….?” He let the question hang there.
“They just call me the Abbot,” the man said, not giving his name. “I understand you were responsible for Ireena’s arrival in Krezk.”
“Several of us guarded her,” said Felewin cautiously.
“I have congratulated them already. Her arrival in Krezk is what allowed her soul to escape the terrible cycle of reincarnation that besets so many residents of Barovia.”
“Pardon?” From the corner of his eye, Felewin could see Dmitri afraid to talk to him—no, afraid to interrupt the Abbot.
“She has been taken into the afterlife. She recognized her previous existence as Tatyana and has joined her beloved Sergei.”
Carefully, Felewin said, “And did anyone see this?”
“Several people,” said Uthrilir, leaving who were not the Abbot left unspoken.
“I think that’s going to work out wonderfully,” said the Abbot. “She is free from the cycle of reincarnation and now Strahd must search for another solution to his curse!”
“His curse?” Ezmerelda asked. “Is he not the curse on Barovia?”
“Yes. All of this is a vast punishment for Strahd. I’m sorry that some souls are trapped in it but he is the one who has committed the heinous acts.” He held his palms up. “He desires Tatyana but cannot get her. He has never been able to get her, and now never will be able to get her.”
Uthrilir said, “The departure of Ireena’ soul furthers this punishment?”
“It brings Strahd closer to salvation, for he must now confront the futility of his actions. Sometimes we must fall to the bottom before we can climb back up into grace.”
Felewin noticed the mood of the crowd. “Perhaps we could discuss this elsewhere?”
“She went into the pool!” one cried.
“It’s not safe to drink now!” someone else asked.
“It’s the Abbot! He led her to the pool!”
“But the strangers brought her here!”
“No water, no wine!”
“We can get you wine!” said Hrelgi. The group looked at her; the crowd subsided. She muttered to them, “Like we weren’t going to look into it anyway.”
The Abbot held up his arms. “The water is safe! I prevented harm to it, but at the cost of the blessing upon it. Now, go about your business! We shall handle this!”
People slowly dispersed. Dmitri stayed behind.
Wringing his hands, Dmitri said, “I am grateful for your help, but Strahd will be displeased and active here. You must leave.”
“Even if we return with your wine?” Hrelgi said.
“I— The people need wine,” Dmitri said. “Perhaps.”
“I too have a task for you,” said the Abbot. “Return with the wine, and I shall put it forth to you. Aside that, from my brief talk with Ireena, it seems that you, Felewin, are a noble?”
“I have that responsibility,” said Felewin.
“I have been teaching Vasilka to dance, but it would be good to have a second partner for her. She needs the experience of dancing with others. I have many gifts, but a knowledge of courtly dances is not among them.” The Abbot smiled[20] and Felewin could understand why people were charmed by him. He tried not to let it affect him.
“If we do not get the wine, I fear we will not be able to approach the Abbey,” said Felewin. “My willingness to dance with Vasilka thus hinges entirely on this next enterprise.”
“Of course,” said the Abbot. “It is not yet mid-morning. You should be able to walk there by noon and implore them to send more wine.”
“Of course,” replied Felewin.
The Abbot left, gracefully but covering a suspicious amount of ground.
“I’ll get your things,” said Dmitri; he grabbed two passers-by and pulled them along, moving almost at a run.
Felewin looked at Hrelgi. “We can get you wine?”
“Everybody wants wine,” said Hrelgi. “The inn was low on wine—both of them were, in Barovia and in Vallaki. There’s something going on at the winery, and it’s on the way to the tower.”
Ezmerelda said, “No, it isn’t. Different direction.”
“Ooops,” said Hrelgi. “Same difference.”
“I’d love to join you on this fool’s errand, but I have to wrap up at the abbey,” said Ezmerelda, “I’ll see you when you come back….even if it’s outside the village.”
“Thanks,” said Felewin.
“Great,” said Ninefingers. He said to Hrelgi, “We’re not the Barovian National Guard, investigating every problem.”
Felewin intervened. “I’m sure Dmitri has our stuff out by now. Let’s go.”
Monsters
Flesh Golem — There are golems presented in the Iron & Gold Enhancement Pack, but this was done before I had that supplement, and it does not have a Flesh Golem. Still, it’s pretty close, so you can use that the wood golem but increase the Fitness to 4 (it could be 3, but I had it as 4).
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Mechanics
[1] Triumph Intrigues (NPC Positive) The immediate interpretation is Ireena in the pool, so I guess it’s happening.
[2] Hrelgi must still make a magic roll, at nine or less. Because it’s all on the scroll, difficulty zero (one target, -2 difficulty for range, +2 for complex). She rolls a 6, for margin 3. It works!
[3] That is, unwitting GM intervention. I’m not going to change it in the past, but will make it so that we don’t do it again (without a justification).
[4] Ninefingers rgets margin 0 on his Investigation roll, and spots the sleeping guards.
[5] Ninefingers rolls a 6 to notice; Felewin an 8, Uthrilir an 8, Hrelgi a 7.
[6] Hrelgi is stunningly beautiful, so must play that up sometimes.
[7] Mythic: do they try to go into the sheds? CF 7 92, they do not.
[8] 1d2: 1 is Ninefingers, 2 is Uthrilir. I rolled a 1.
The Flesh Golem rolls a 5, margin 4; Ninefingers rolls a 9 margin 0, so it hits for FAT; Armor cuts off 2 of that. Ninefingers takes 2 FAT.
[9] Uthrilir rolls 5, margin 4 but reduced by 2 because he does fast draw. He does 4 Inj, but 2 are topped by the flesh golem’s armor. That’s 2 Inj, half by its resistance.
[10] It’s a second attack, so the golem rolls a 10 which is margin -5. Uthrilir rolls a 6, margin 3, and avoids it easily.
[11] Reactions: Felewin 12 Ninefingers 10 Uthrilir 13 Hrelgi last, Golem 7
Uthrilir rolls 10 (margin -1) vs Golem (margin 0) and misses.
[12] He rolls 5, margin 10 versus the flesh golem’s 7 margin 0. His weapon is magical, so we’ll see how much the armor protects it from the 4 Inj … rolls 5, 6, 6, 6 so not at all.
[13] Hrelgi rolls an 8 on her Fabrica Motus spell, which is difficulty 0. The flesh golem rolls a 12 on its Fitness task to land properly, so it doesn’t. We’ll call that a 4 Fatigue landing but armor protects against only 1 of that, so 3 Fatigue…halved by its resistance. 1 Fatigue damage to go with the 4 Injury damage.
Let’s roll an influence task to see if it goes berserk: rather than difficulty, we’ll do it the D&D way, and roll a d6; berserk on a 6. Rolled a 1, so not berserk.
[14] Reactions: Ninefingers 12-3=9, Felewin 11, Uthrilir 11, Hrelgi last, Golem 9, Ezmerelda needs to be written up.
[15] Felewin actually does an Athletics thing, dodging out of the way at the last minute. He gets margin 2, the golem gets margin -1, so he dodges out of the way. The charge does 4 Fat to the golem, two removed by armor, 1 removed by resistance.
[16] I think a charge is +1 fat so that’s 5 fat, and according to D&D any attack from a form is magical. So check 5 fat va 3 armor: 5, 6, 5, 6, 6 — it all gets through. I’m calling it unconscious. It gets 1 fat level back every 8 hours so it’s out for a while.
[17] Uthrilir rolls a 10, which does not make it. Hrelgi looks up the correct words and rolls a 6, so she gives him back her four levels.
[18] Hrelgi rolls an 8 for Materia a 5 for the R+C roll, a 3 for Ge and a 7 for the R+C. Easy peasy.
[19] Felewin rolls an 11 and fails his composure roll.
[20] Felewin rolls 6 on Reasoning+Composure, which meets the difficulty of 2.
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