Kartakass: The Barovia Chapter

[lostboy]

Draven has been quiet and thoughtful since waking. he ate little of the breakfast and spoke little. Looking a little pale and sick.

However once they were finally under way and the days light was bright above them, he lets loose a great sigh, as if a weight has been removed from him. Squinting into the sun he blocks some of the previsus events form his mind and relaxes into the journey. The questions will remain, but for these moments he can let go, and all worries about criminals, dead women, the count and devils melt away for now.....

When Valerian calls a halt, Draven brings his mount to a stop and leans casually in the saddle, idly stroking the horses neck.

[Ail]

During the ride, Lucius purposefully falls back in the group, until he is riding side by side with Sefi, addressing her thus:

Dear lady, I haven't had the chance to beg your forgiveness yet. I did not mean to strike at you, I do like you and want to help remove your blight. I don't know what came over me, but rest assured, I was not in myself when I harmed you. Please, accept my apologies.

Some time later, Lucius heard Valerian's warning "If anyone has any magics of detection, now is the time to use them." .
He hadn't sensed anything out of the ordinary, but then again, he was not that used to wandering in the wild. He advanced his horse to the fore of the group, and began to chant a prayer to Ezra.

OOC: Casts Detect Magic as Cleric2

[VAN]

Van looks around as long as he waves his hands and pronounces some arcane words.

"What have you seen Valerian?"

OOC> Mage armor.

[steveflam]

During the ride, Lucius purposefully falls back in the group, until he is riding side by side with Sefi, addressing her thus:

Dear lady, I haven't had the chance to beg your forgiveness yet. I did not mean to strike at you, I do like you and want to help remove your blight. I don't know what came over me, but rest assured, I was not in myself when I harmed you. Please, accept my apologies.

Some time later, Lucius heard Valerian's warning "If anyone has any magics of detection, now is the time to use them." .
He hadn't sensed anything out of the ordinary, but then again, he was not that used to wandering in the wild. He advanced his horse to the fore of the group, and began to chant a prayer to Ezra.

OOC: Casts Detect Magic as Cleric2

Looking around you can see the usual items people have that are magic. You can tell that Tarlyn has quite a few. The surprising thing you see is Draven radiates a very strong magic. This should only confirm what perhaps you may have thought since the incident at the entrance of the Castle.

[NeoTiamat]

Valerian remained silent for a while, as the others cast their spells of detection and knowledge. After several long, increasingly uncomfortable minutes, the big blond man spoke.

"I think we need to speak, and I would rather we do it in private." Whether we've achieved that is another question entirely, and Ezra help me, I have my doubts. "There have been a few too many secrets in this group for what is meant as a mission for the Goddess."

"Now then, does anyone wish to be the first?" Valerian's tone had a false joviality as his eyes bore into Draven. "Come now, confession is good for the soul."

[VAN]

Getting that the Warden was intending Draven and having studied Alexander's reaction yesterady, Van says:

"I think he doesn't know anything Valerian, maybe we should tell them what has trully happened at the hall yesterady. What do you say?"

[NeoTiamat]

Valerian nodded. "Be my guest."

[lostboy]

Valerians glare breaks Dravens mood, the lightness he felt at being away from the castle is gone, replaced by the usual knot of fear and doubt.

[Ail]

Lucius approaches and assumes a listening and vigilant position. Draven has been intriguing him since he flinched at the name of Lamordia, way back when they first met. He is careful, however, to remain distant enough to not add to the pressure Alexander is feeling already. In fact, it might even seem he is not listening at all.

[NeoTiamat]

Valerian's eyes were sorrowful as he saw Draven turn nervous again. He hated to do it, but it was necessary. All men have their right to secrets, but not when it endangers another. The Warden wasn't about to move on until they figure out just what was going on.

"Not long after we entered Castle Ravenloft, you collapsed. Couldn't breath, near as I can tell. Then you rose again, but different. As if your soul was in your body backwards. You began to croak about the 'Chains being broken' and 'The accursed Black Mother' imprisoning you. You said you needed meat. Then a black shadow engulfed you, and there was a struggle. You collapsed again."

"A few moments afterwards, a magic circle opened behind Sefi and summoned what I can only call a fiend of some sort. It nearly killed Sefi. Would have slain her and myself if the Count hadn't destroyed it."

"I quite respect your need for secrets, Alexander, but there are limits to everything. So have you anything to say?"

[lostboy]

Dravens eyes grow wider and wider as the Warden speaks, his skin loses just about every bit of colour and his mouth drops open. Quite simply he is profoundly shocked by the situation laid before him.

He glances around at the others faces as if to confirm the words coming from the priest are true. "Is...is..this right? Did I really do....that??" He asks in a wavering voice.

[steveflam]

Tarlyn approaches Draven and places a reassuring hand on his shoulder. At the same time he was letting him know he wouldn't let anyone harm him. "Yes you did, Alex. Have you had these blackouts before?"

[lostboy]

Draven sighs and looks down at the hand on his shoulder. Trust, companionship, these were not things he normally expereinced. Always alone, its safer that way he thinks to himself. Yet he can tell there is no squirming out of this one.

With a look of resignation in his eye he turns to Tarlyn although he seems to be addressing all of you.

"There is a reason I always walked alone, and now it seems it has come to bear on our partnership. Both you Tarlyn, and the the Warden have asked about my affairs and I have not lied to either of you, I do not have any answers, in fact if what you say is true then you are all more enlightened than me."

He pauses licking his lips, a sheen of cold sweat on his brow, you sense this is difficult for him to talk about.

" However I can tell you a little more, yes I have had these blackouts before, in fact I have had these episodes for as long as I can remember. Yet remember is perhaps the wrong word, because I simply do not." He takes a deep breath and continues.

" When it comes upon me I feel a sense of darkness, of cold, of something not right, and then its is as if all memory is stolen from me. I often wake in strange places always with no memory of the elapsed time. Sometimes hours have passed, others mere minutes, there seems to be no pattern, no rhyme, no reason." He tails off into a whisper.

He finshes and looks around to gauge the reactions of you all. Self conscisously scratching at the back of his right hand with the fingers of his left.

[BigBadQDaddy]

William looks off in the distance as Draven gives his confession. He knew something wasn't right about that one. It's why he gave Draven such a wide birth as he passed him in the stairwell after the devil was vanquished by the Count.
William's feelings of satisfaction at the man's confession are quickly washed away by his own thoughts.
"Everyone has secrets and burdens to bare lad. Don't forget yours!"
William then sighs as he considers his own thought.

[ewancummins]

Cornelius spoke up-


''It would seem reasonable to surmise that the appearance of the devil was linked with your episode. If you are not a madman, then either you are sick...or possessed. I pray I am mistaken, but I fear something vile dwells within you, Draven. We should examine you more closely....''