Second Day
Ana confirmed with Nicolae that the good doctor had in fact set up the team with room and board at the Red Wolf Inn. Ana, the cook, agreed to cook lunch for the party. It would take a about an hour to complete. Charles thought about the garlic and the incantation on the door and procured a string of garlic for the party, just in case.
During that time, Mutu made small talk with two of the matrons in the inn. They mention the history of the area. The loss of Papa Pepestu the former clergy of the church and his disappearance. The fact that the father disappeared shortly after the loss of two lovers. Lena and Hans vanished four years ago. The Beast of Dunkervald is massive and shadowy. It leaves behind bloodless bodies. Shortly before the loss of Lena, Hans, and the priest the beast started to come out during the day. This pushed the timber workers to stop logging and to leave the area. Gregor, a partner in the logging company, was pretty and stopped coming as well.
There is a fallen church to the north that has recently been seen to have strange lights and the plants may attack. There is also the Muller house which is further away that has the possibility of lights too. Lastly there was the company’s secure “castle” much further away. It was decided that the team would investigate the church first to see what information may be available and to see how to look for the elf gate or mist gate that we had been hired to initially investigate. Charles reminded the team of their original goal and charter by the good doctor.
Ana returned with a full meal of cream soup and cabbage rolls, Charles was delighted with the meal having had to deal with rations and foraging while traveling between towns.
While happily munching away, it did strike Charles as odd that Nicolae had taken over the inn about a year before the town started to suffer the attacks of the beast. Yet there was nothing too these intrusive thoughts for now. Maybe something to keep in mind while looking around. Another thought that came up, because of Mutu, was the reclamation of the the church in the name of Sarenrae. Perhaps this town would be a useful location to bring the light unto the people here.
At the chapel Charles checked and found that the trees and bushes did not appear to be healthy and were corrupted. There were eeire green lights around two mausoleums. As the party moved up and passed a bush it lashed out and attacked, but Mutu was able to make quick work of it. Then as we approached the first of the two lights, Mutu and Thulnir were struck with a cold that if he had been a man might have chilled Mutu to the bone. The hair on the poor dwarf, Thulnir, began to stand on end. Charles reached out to Sarenrae and cleansed the area and banished the eerie light. As Thulnir and Charles went to inspect the headstone of the mausoleum, a nearby tree swung at the two of them. Thulnir protected Charles. Thulnir did significant damage to the tree with his axe until the tree fell the dwarf. Charles and Mutu defeated the tree while Kiren pulled Thulnir to safety out of the reach of the tree. After being nearly surprised by both a bush and a tree, Kiren took some time while Charles healed Thulnir to identify three more issues: another bush, another tree, and the second light around the other mausoleum. Kiren, feeling challenged and wanting to do damage to something, struck at the bush until Mutu had to take the final slice to put it to rest. The power of Sarenrae was used by Mutu and Charles and put the tree to rest. The green eerie light was laid to rest with the supreme power of Sarenrae’s blessing.
Before the team continued, a mist coalesced and ascended the stairs and the pathway.
(While we investigated the first headstone which informed us of the memory of Vladamir Ionesku we have not yet looked at the second headstone. We’ll have to ask in town about this Vladamir to see what stories may be told of them and the other crypt.
Perhaps this chapel can still be cleansed of the evil which so clearly inhabits it and returned to the light of Sarenrae.)