A BARDS TALE: Session 10: "For whom the bell tolls...." or "Better dig 3 graves then!"

 22/08/23

20th Day of Rainmoot: 1492 

Mission:  Find Our Lady's Heart

Campaign:  Tales from the Bard

Location(s):  Barovia

Present: Bernadette Greycastle, Dramos Ethrane, Niall Tharivol, Ragul-Nur, Roscoe Tosscoble, (Moonwhisper) Plus Mule.

20th:

Ragul rested but as request was woken very early so he could perform a long prayer to Moradin. As the others awoke he told them of his prayer and the answer he had received. To cure the priests son would take very strong prayers, prayers he did not have access to. First Danovich's son would have to be killed then resurrected. That was the only way to cure what ailed him.

Rested, healed and breakfast, for what it was, eaten. They started to prepare for the burial of the Burgomaster. The burial party set off after Dramos cast his floating disc spell to enable the coffin to be moved easily. As they left the church they were alerted by the crypt grate being banged repeatedly. Moonwhisper and Roscoe told the others to continue, they would check it out.

The burial party continued to the churchyard gate.

The gate was that rotten as soon as Tharivol opened it, the gate just fell to pieces. They entered the graveyard.

As the party neared a central monolith with faded reliefs carved into each of its sides a huge plume of blackness came out of the older part of the graveyard. A swarm of bats!

The bats swarmed around the monolith, diving down and distracting the group but they continued on, steadily.

Danovich: "Zarovich!"

Dramos uttered words, he pointed his hands, fingers splayed and a cone of fire erupted into the swarm. 

The distraction had allowed a number of wolves to approach stealthily towards the graveyard.

Ragul charged a wolf and it quickly fell to the swipe of his battleaxe.

Niall attacked a second wolf over the graveyard wall, Bernadette could hear the wolf but could not see it, yet, on the other side of the hedge and prepared for its attack.

Wolves were all around them.

A gust of wind blew across the graveyard and suddenly standing near the old part of the graveyard was Zarovich. 3 times he raised both his hands from his knees to above his head then a horde of zombies burst from the ground all around the group.

Zarovich: "As she approached, I came to see that she was as beyond beauty as a river in spring flood is beyond a drop of water."

The group prepare to stem the assault as Roscoe stepped around the corner and into sight of a wolf. Baring its teeth it crept slowly then charged towards Roscoe. Danovich stopped his prayers and slammed the but of his staff into the ground, brilliant light cascaded from it and 2 of the zombies fell dead.

Niall dispatched the wolf with ease then rushed over to assist Bernadette who was no fighting 2 zombies.  The wolf took advantage of this and jumped over the hedge to attack Dramos. Ireena moved as if in a trance toward Zarovich.

The swirling swarm of bats disappeared for a fleeting second. The group could now see what they faced.

The zombies shambled, did not move with speed but there were enough of them to keep the group busy, distracted.

The wolf attacked Roscoe but could not bite the elusive, small Bard. His rapier struck out, once twice and missed. Then it struck out twice more and the wolf lay dead. Danovich struck down with his staff again and another 2 zombies fell dead.

Ireena seemed to be struggling, she was trying to take a step forward but some internal struggle was fighting back and she hesitated. The group fought on. Ragul charged forward to attack Zarovich.

Ragul was assailed by 2 zombies but he shrugged them off and his battleaxe whistled down towards Zarovich. It struck something hidden, a force he could not see. Blue light exploded where the battleaxe hit.

Ragul was hit by the 2 zombies and an almighty blow from Zarovich. Ragul slumped to the ground.

The remaining zombies attacked the group and blocked off any chance of getting through to Zarovich, Ragul or Ireena. Suddenly Zarovich threw his hands up to his head and screamed in agony. 

Zarovich: "Tatyana......aghhh"

Roscoe had cast a minor spell but it had caught Zarovich unprepared. The distraction caused Ireena to pause once more as her internal struggles continued. 2 zombies began ripping and biting the body of Ragul as it lay on the ground, unmoving.

The fight was frantic, friend helping friend where they could, Dramos using spell and dagger. One by one the zombies were felled and the wolves closed in. No one saw that Dramos was down, hidden by the two raised graves.

Ireena moved up to Zarovich, his task nearly done his minions had done their work well in delaying the group from stopping him. Niall was free to act and he charged Zarovich, casting a spell as he attacked. Vines sprang up around his feet, distracting him again as Niall's short sword hammered downwards and into the blue force surrounding Zarovich. 

Bernadette rushed over and assisted Danovich killing the wolf attacking him.

Ireena started to move away from Zarovich and towards Roscoe. Roscoe had cast a charm of his own, Zarovich distracted, his own charm broken again could do nothing but watch. Zarovich turned to mist and disappeared.

Danovich used his remaining power to bring life back to Dramos and he slowly opened is eyes. The group stood around the dead body of Ragul. 

Danovich: "Unfortunately I could only help one of you, poor Ragul."

Smoke started to rise from the ground near Ragul's inert body. It coalesced into an old man cloaked in grey with a grey beard. It uttered strange words whilst its hand hovered over Ragul. The old mans form turned back into smoke and disappeared into the ground. Ragul opened his eyes.

Ragul: "Now why did I have a dream where you chopped off my head?"

The group were alive, the burgomaster had been buried and prayers spoken over his grave. They all looked at each other and Niall spoke......

Niall: "Vallaki then?"

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