Kartakass: The Barovia Chapter

[lostboy]

Observing the movement under the blanket Draven reasons that the best idea is to get whoever this is inside the Inn. Drawing his rapier he bangs on the door with the hilt, all the time watching the deserted rainswept streets in front of the inn.

"Valerian! Lucius! Cornelius! Its Draven, open the door" he hisses, eyes darting around in watchfulness, his rapier held in front of him.

[VAN]

Van nods ok to Draven and says:

"Sefi, can you get the package? I'll cover Draven. Pay attention how you get it though."

Then, Van goes and stands at the side of the roof above the door, so he can see if anyone try to attack Alexander.

[BigBadQDaddy]

William emerges from his room, loaded pistol in hand. He makes his way down to the front room, staying towards the rear to provide cover fire for whoever opens the door.

[NeoTiamat]

Still moving slowly and dreamily, Sefi reaches for the package and takes it firmly in hand. Something clinks as she tucks the package under her arm and sits on the roof, waiting for something to happen, oddly at peace with the world.

==============================================

Valerian walks over to the door and opens it, examining the bundled form and looking around.

"Draven?"

Stooping, the Warden picks up the note and reads it.

[lostboy]

As soon as the door opens, Draven turns the ring on his finger and fades into view right in front of Valerian, his face is obscured by the hood pulled low over his face but he flashes the warden a quick grin. "Thanks for answering."

With a nod to Van up on the roof, he bends down next to the priest and gingerly lifts the edge of the blanket with his sword...

[VAN]

"Come on Sefi, we can get down now. I'll go first so you can pass me the packet before you get down too."

With that the wizard gets the rope and climbs down.

[VAN]

Once he gets safe to the ground, Van says:

"Come on Sefi, handle me the box and climb down yourself too. I'm eager to know what's inside and also what had seen our friend Draven to the front door."

[NeoTiamat]

Nodding somberly, Sefi ignores the rope and jumps down lightly onto the ground, managing to land beside Van with no more then a skinned elbow falling past the balcony.

Quietly, she passes the package to the wizard and looks oddly at the reappeared Draven, before cocking her head to listen to howls of the nearby wolves.

[OOC: Jump Check 20+2=22, jump down twenty feet from the roof, take 3 nonlethal damage. What a waste of a natural twenty....]

[steveflam]

The sound of the wolves grows nearer for Sefi. She can tell that before they sounded on the hunt. Now they appear to be fighting something and losing badly.

Opening the package Van finds vials inside. Oddly enough there are enough for all of you, plus one. A map is also in the package.

As you unwrap the blanket, you see the sleeping form of the woman from the painting! She sleeps peacefully. A syringe and an empty vial account for her peaceful sleep.

[lostboy]

Draven leans down and checks the pulse of the sleeping woman, feelign the thready beat between his fingers he realises she has been drugged and is sleeping soundly. Looking up he winks quickly at Sefi, before inclining his head towards Valerian.

"Warden, this is the woman we were after! Lets get her inside, I dont like being abroad after dark in this land. We can decide what to do once inside."

With that he sheaths his rapier and picks up the slight woman and turns back towards the light flooding from the Inn door. Passing William, Lucius and Cornelius in the hall he gently lays the stranger down in the first room he comes to.

[ewancummins]

Cornelius has come into the room where the woman is laying. He rummages through his kit and takes out some supplies: a dry blanket, coals in a brazier, some cheese and bread, and a waterskin. He lights the coals in the brazier and sets it on the table.

''We should get her warm and dry, before she catches her death of cold.''

[VAN]

Van looks the others take care of the woman but he is standing by the window looking outside. A worried look is at his face.

"The wolves seem to come closer. I don't like this."

Turning for a moment to look the others he says:

" I'm happy Tarlyn has completed our task, but now it's the most difficult part. What we will do once the woman feels ok? I mean will we leave Barovia as Tarlyn said or we will get her to the Strahd?"

Turning again to look outside he says with a sad tone at his voice:

"I believe we should leave, as all of you I don't trust the powerful undead Count and even if the woman is a criminal I don't dare to think what fate she might have with him. Tarlyn hasn't betrayed us and probably now is out there fighting wolves or I don't know what else to clear our way. I think we should leave at the morning, getting the woman with us. I'm sorry Draven, I know that the Count might have some answers for you, but I prefer seek answers elsewhere, as in Levkarest. We can head to Borca soon after Kartakass. With Josphine's help, it will be easier to find out what had happened to Percival and get the items."

Turning one more time to face his companions the evoker says:

"So, what do you say?"

[lostboy]

Draven pulls his hood back and shakes his wet hair, looking with some concern at the woman lying asleep before him.

He arches a dark eyebrow at Van's speech. "We should be able to hold out in here until morning, wolves or no wolves."

Musing on Vans other words, he pauses before continuing. "Personally I am less inclined to leave Tarlyn behind than I am to return to the count, answers or no, however it seems Tarlyn has made his choice. I suspect the counts motives in offering to help me, and although I need to know the truth, Im not about to end up a lab rat for some sorceror to dissect. I doubt this demon or whatever it is goign anywhere fast" Glancing down he says "Let us see what happens when she wakes, but I for one would be happier to have that discussion on Kartakan soil. Now Im going to my rope and crossbow back."

With that he leaves the room and returns to the roof to collect his effects.

[OOC climb: 10+5-1 = 14]

[steveflam]

The sound of the wolves is not more, having stopped abruptly while you brought the woman inside.

When Draven gets to the roof, a figure stands there looking at him. In the moonlight you can see Tarlyn's clothing is full of blood. His face too and fangs are apparent.

"You must leave now. The Count won't give up easily with just wolves. There are more monstrosities on the way which I won't be able to hold off. Now get the others and get out of Barovia for your own good. I'm going to scout back so I can at least head off some of them but you must leave. The fog wall is not far and you should be able to make it in safety." Tarlyn turns and jumps from roof to roof until in the distance you see him climb down.

[lostboy]

Draven gasps at the apaprition fo Tarlyn, his mind is barely able to accept that this creature is the elf he knew but a few short hours ago. He says nothing as tarlyn vanishes across the rooftops, then the full gravity of his words break into Dravens thoughts, his eyes go wide and he bursts into action.

The rain beats down on his face as he feverishly works to untie the rope and collects his crossbow. Swiftly he drops back to the balcony and races down the stairs to the others.

As he reaches the final stair he stumbles and falls against the door of the room, his vision going spotty and his stomach burning. The door flys open depositing him in a heap on the floor. "We have to leave, NOW, something is coming and we need to be gone from these lands as quick as possible." He gasps, his head spinning and a greensih pallor on his features. "Tarlyn, I saw him, he warned us to go and quickly, take the woman and flee for the mists!."

[OOC: Failed morphine come down fort save by 2, therfore nauseated for 2 hours with -1 penalty on all actions)