Ludi Blog

Cweno's axe sheared the first of them, cutting away an arm and part of the shoulder. He continued his swing, cleaving the head from the second. The third ran from the fight, escaping into the morning mist in the direction of the church.

Ashlyn healed Marsha, and the party advanced together to the old church. A hoarse chanting could be heard from within the tired, sagging building.

Inside, the party were ambushed by more zombies, and met the chanter. The local priest, Danovich, sprung up from behind the altar screaming "Never! Never! You'll Never take my Son..." as the zombies attacked, biting Hugh and Jacob, Danovich read a spell of great and terrible power from a sheaf of yellowed papers held in his crazed hands. A circle of blackness exploded from him, drawing the air with it like the back draft of some gigantic ethereal fire. The wave blasted everyone in the church - Isaiah, Cweno and Ashlyn were knocked down by the blast, and lay still as the grave.

The remaining characters raced to the altar and subdued the priest. Jacob recognised the signs of possession, and tore the cursed pages from his hands. Laughing, Danovich said it would do them no good, that they were too late. And that they should go and see his son "who dwelt below". He would provide and answer to all their questions...

But at that point, the priests Son decided to come upstairs and see the new arrivals for himself. Doru stood seven feet tall, a blasphemous undead creation with peeling skin and a huge oversized maw filled with steaming black teeth like ice from hell itself. It moved forward to consume the living. In a pitched battle, the creature was finally slain, but not before Bovrain, Jacob and Marsha had been bitten, drained of their strength, blood and vitality.

After the battle for the Church of the Morning, the force possessing the priest was driven out, and he returned to himself once more. Isaiah, Cweno and Ashlyn lay dead, and those who had survived were bloody and drained by evil power hardly able to move, their strength consumed by the blaspheme's link to the negative plain.

The survivors managed to help Danovich bury his sons remains, and to convince him that they were here to help. The old priest confided in them; that in the castle dwelt a monster that literally fed upon the people of the town - and those who opposed him vanished without trace. The people have long lived in fear. Danovich offered what aid he could provide it the party would only help the village - and put an end to Strahd Von Zarovich.

The priest's journal contained information about the adopted daughter of the Bergomeister, and Hugh wondered if this might be a clue in his search for his long lost sister.

It is mid afternoon. Bodies are looted, stored in the hole, buried, etc, magical finds are detected for, and a little money is found. Everyone feels ill. Weak. Unsteady. And feverish.

It begins to rain. Looking down into the village, not a single zombie can be seen. It would seem that the force which animated these monsters ended with Doru.

The party plan to return to the Inn to recover, and speak to Ismark, the son of the Burgomeister, but first a well deserved nights rest - and prayers that they do not succumb to the zombie curse...

When the night was over, no one had transformed. It appears that the necromantic infection had ended with the destruction of Doru, the source. In the morning the party found that the village was, if not returning to normal, at least returning to life. Ismark came into the Blood on the Vine mid morning, and the party spoke to him at length. He is the son of the Bergomeister, dead these 10 days, killed, he suspects, by Strahd or his spies.

The lord of the castle came to their house in person to see Irena. Kolyan stood up to him, holding up the Symbol of Ravenkind, and forbidding him entry. The brave Bergomeister was repaid with poison and death.

Ismark's sister Irena sits vigil over his body - and Hugh set off at once to speak to her.

Gently, Hugh explained to the dark haired woman that he may, very likely, be her brother, and that he had come both to find her and put an end to the Devil Strahd.

Once convinced, Irena told him that she was convinced that it was her Strahd is after. She has terrible dreams in which she is chased. He calls her Tatyana. And when she awakens, she finds marks upon her neck...

Something is draining this poor woman, and if it is not stopped, she will not long survive.

Hugh returned to the inn with this news, and the survivors decided to head to the Tser Falls to try and find a local oracle called Madame Eva. Bovrain stayed behind too weak to travel, trying to urge the villagers to start a cleanup operation before the bodies of the undead began to fester. Initially, he was unsuccessful, but helped by Danovich, he may still succeed.

The rest of the party headed North West out of town, over the Ilvis Bridge, and by late afternoon came to a fork in the road. A creaking wooden gallows stood at the fork, its frayed rope twisting in the wind. A ruined graveyard stood nearby.

As they approached, they saw a tattered, wild haired man running down the road, pursued by three blurred black shapes - the fearsome blackness of shadows.

The undead set about the man, clawing at his with their chill touch, sapping and draining his energy. He tried to defend himself - a powerful glow coming from an eldritch wand, but he was overwhelmed before he could complete the spell.

Sprinting towards the shadows, Jacob was able to turn them with the power of Chauntea's light, and they fled, shrieking into the night.

The man was still alive, but barely conscious. He was light as a feather, and very cold. Jacob picked him up, and as dusk drew in, together, the survivors continued their journey to the Vistani encampment at Tser falls...