"Can you tell the time of day, Violet?  Or just when the Sun will rise?"  Qvar gazes up at the gray sky again.

The young woman considers the question, and finally shrugs.  "I fear not.  But then...the sun might never rise here, or never fully."

It's hell; it doesn't necessarily follow the world's rules.

Caesius smiles at Violet's explanation regarding the wall, which seems plausible to him.  Some noble, or ruler, owns the land and marks it as his property, separate from that of his neighbours.  The village is on his land, but does not fill it.  In all likelihood, the villagers are considered property too.

As the buildings loom through the mist, he reigns in Hammer and peers into the gloom.

"Not exactly the cheeriest place to live." he remarks, "Let's hope the locals are simply abed and sleeping."

As you reach the outskirts of the village, tall shapes loom from the dense fog, and the muddy ground underfoot gives way to slick, wet cobblestones.  A dilapidated wooden sign reads "Welcome to the Village of Barovia."  As you grow closer, the shapes resolve into tenements whose windows are boarded, broken and lightless.  Nothing moves nearby, though the fog limits visibility.  Faint sounds, as of something groaning, echo hollowly from somewhere deeper in the settlement.

Hell, indeed.

Violet sniffs the air, grimacing at the distant scent of rot. Her eyes dart left and right; perhaps her spirit cannot be slain, here, but if it falls, what then?  Eternity of torment?  Better to remain standing, win her way free to...to...whatever awaits, she supposes.

Priests speak of Heaven, but she saw no sign of it in the world of her birth.

Nocking an arrow in her bow, she leaves it un-drawn, merely readied.  "Not the cheeriest at all," the young woman echoes Caesius.

Zertin reads the sign and chuckles softly.

"The Village of Barovia. If anybody wants it, they are welcome to it, apparently. Pity. The name Barovia sounds noble enough for a whole nation, not just this poor village. Oh, well, let's see if we can find the Burgomaster's house, shall we? No doubt we will know it when we see it."

He continues walking along the cobblestone road they are already following but his pace slows slightly as he concentrates on reciting a short incantation.

OOC: Casts 'Detect Golden Arches'.  ;o)

Cocking his head to one side, Caesius listens to the distant groaning sound.  "Somebody in distress?" he ventures, "Or some vile creature of darkness hunting its prey?"

A shrug.

"In either case, it behooves us to find where the sound is coming from."

The young woman grimaces.  Getting involved isn't her habit...but if she's going to escape Hell, that will need to change.  Her thoughts shift to her pouch for an instant; she has something she needs to do, as well, and hiding from danger isn't going to finish that task.

"All right," she whispers to herself before moving to the fore and raising her voice.  A touch.  "If you like, I can scout ahead.  Maybe catch an idea of what's going on, without alerting...well, anything."

Zertin looked a little surprised at Violet's suggestion but he only hesitated a moment before nodding.

"If you think you can do so without getting ambushed, I see no reason to doubt you.  Those of us who lack such stealth should continue along this road unless we hear you call for help," he suggested. "Don't go too far away from us, though. Keep Qvar's holy glow in sight so you know where we are. It would be too easy to get lost in this fog. Unless anyone else thinks it is a bad idea?"

"Mmmm."  Arafarafarfa nods her agreement, her nose twitching as she dismounts, patting the shoulder of the big cat as she draws a heavy blade.

"Hunt !"

Two seeming agreements, which is enough for Violet.  If the others disagree, they can call her back.  The young woman pads ahead into the mist, heading in the direction of the unearthly sounds of before.

OOC - Violet will move ahead, being sneaky as she can and keeping to whatever cover she can, while searching for interesting (read: potentially lethal) things.

Caesius bridles.

An offer to go ahead of him to check for danger.  And using stealth, instead of simply riding forward and issuing a loud challenge to any who might hear.  In his father's day, such a suggestion to a knight of the Shield Lands would have been deemed an insult worthy of the highest penalty under the law.

The young knight is, however, a little more tolerant.  Perhaps Violet had simply not realised the magnitude of her misstep.  He considers calling out to stop her, or simply riding past.

But he knows nothing of her ways.  Either course of action might be just as offensive to her as hers had been to him.

So he loosens Razor in its sheath, and holds Nail ready, in case the woman should find a worthy adversary, and be unable to defeat it...

Saeko nods her assent to Violet's request, and continues down the road.

Qvar nods his agreement.  "We should see if someone needs help."  He walks slowly beside Zed, brightening the glow around his head just a little so it can be seen through the fog, but not so much that it issues its own challenge.

Zertin squints at Qvar's glowing head and frowns.

"Do you notice the way that your head light reflects back off the fog and dazzles us a bit, Q? I have heard that the best fog lights are mounted lower and shine parallel to the road. Perhaps we should find you a nice, flat cap, then carry you along upside down so your head light is more effective in the fog?" he suggests.

OOC: Zertin rolled 9 using 1d20+5.  Knowledge (arch/eng) check.  [ROFL]

Qvar grins at Zertin.  "I can turn it off if it bothers you Zed."  But he doesn't.

With the assent or at least affronted silence of the rest of you, Violet moves ahead into the mists, her footfalls soft upon the cobbled ground.  Arafarafarfa swaggers at her side, humming tunelessly (or perhaps grunting a challenge), the Halfling brushing shoulders with her friend as Oooh'Awww stalks beside her.

The streets are choked with mist, limiting vision to only a few dozen feet.  The buildings here at the edge of town look abandoned, burned out, or barricaded.  Garbage litters the ground, and a carrion stench assaults your nose.

Brandishing her blade, Arafarafarfa makes to step forward ... then stops as her big cat suddenly turns back, sniffing at the air as it peers intently into the darkness of a side alley, growling softly.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:50, Tue 19 June 2018.

"Goodness!  That smell, and the groaning ... that sounds like some of the unfortunate dead that attacked my church in Glanquin."  Qvar is quite calm, speaking softly to Zertin, and watching the scouts for any hint of trouble ahead.

"Oh, unfortunate dead!" Zertin smacks his own forehead with the palm of his hand. "Of course. I should have realised the term undead was just common slang."

He pulls a slender wand from his backpack then looks at it doubtfully.

"Do you think there is sufficient musical quality in that moaning for a conductor's baton to improve their vocal performance?" he asks Qvar.

So much for staying silent, Violent bemoans within.  Clearly the woman and her cat have no intention of waiting for the others, or informing them of creatures...and the restless dead thing wandering the streets.  Violet herself has heard stories of such things, but never encountered them.

Until now, she thought that they were naught BUT stories; the sight puts the young woman's stomach into knots.  But that's probably what this thing is for, she muses, touching her pouch again.

Oddly enough, just touching the artifact calms her.

Reaching out, Violet touches Arafarafarfa's shoulder.  Unless ignored, she silently indicates herself, then back the way they came.

"That... isn't good." Caesius remarks, spurring Hammer forward.

"The will of Heironeous drives me.  His might flows through my arms.  His sword is my sword.  His hand protects me, and His gaze reveals mine enemies."

The paladin rides towards Violet and Arafarafarfa, peering into the mist.

"Let's just hope they're not the talking kind at all Zed, they're the worst."   Qvar grasps the well-worn holy symbol that hangs on a rope about his waist, the yellow paint worn back to bare wood around the Sun's face.  He quietly offers a prayer as he advances another 10'.  "Shining One protect them."

Seeing Oooh'Awww is suddenly interested in the side alley ahead of the party, Zertin decides that the edge of the road is probably not the wisest place for him to walk. As they move forward he moves across to Qvar's left, so he is more centrally positioned in the group.

Seeing the vague outlines of the scouts pause ahead, Saeko quickens her pace to join them.

"Je'unyuza wewe ithaouwa!" Arafarafarfa does not look around at the hand on her shoulder, but the irritation in her voice is obvious.

"No touch !" the halfling insists, intent upon the alley, her grip tightening upon her blade as she stares into the darkened alley.

"Ioiza weza ouiaraatha, Oooh'Awww?" she whispers to her friend.