This slouching, centuries-old stone church has a bulging steeple in the back and walls lined with cracked, stained glass windows depicting pious saints. A fence of wrought iron encloses a garden of gravestones next to the church. A thin mist creeps among the graves.

Vyktor and Chokahr return successful, carrying the bones of St. Andral and laying them respectfully at the altar.

"By the grace of the Morninglord! You did it!"

The priest gets to work immediately, preparing for the ritual of lesser restoration.

He was relieved that they had in fact made it back to the Church, alive, and with their goal. He reverently placed the bones in their place.

"Evil has been vanquished, at least for a while..."

Vyktor felt time working against them as though a massive weight was slowly crushing down. The curse was not only physically diminishing, but it was disheartening as well. Having lost his vigor and strength was a difficult burden upon his heavy heart.

"Allow me to assist you," he said to the priest, and joined in setting up for the ritual, paying very close attention to how it was to be accomplished.

Earlier…

Once the vampire in the alley was confirmed slain, Jun Jia heard Chokhar’s strangled cry. She rushed back to the Coffin Maker’s home at top speed, concern on her face as she approached Chokhar…

…then ran right past him to Ceila! Jia fussed over her friend. “Ceila, did they hurt you?!”

The Church

Jun Jia watched Vyktor with a worried frown. Hands clasped, she whispered a prayer to the spirits of her ancestors, that they might bless Vyktor.

"Nothing of importance," said Ceila.  "I landed badly, jumping out a window.  I'll be fine."

But she was touched by Jun's concern.

First, Father Lucian reverently replaces St. Andral's bones in the space under the floor under the altar. Then hands Chokahr a small hammer and nails to replace the boards.

The barbarian calmly hammers away, trying to keep the noise down.

Lucian has Vyktor help him light a few candles, and then gives Vyktor and Chokahr both pinches of diamond dust to hold in their hands. Very small pinches.

If anyone knows anything about this spell, it requires 100gp worth of diamond dust. The amount of dust in their hands would hardly be enough where you come from, but here...

"Morning Lord, long have you been shut away by the dark powers that cover Barovia. Yet we, your humble servants, seek your light. Restore your servants to their former glory. Remove this curse of old age from their young and noble hearts." He then makes a symbol of the sunrise with his hands, and then one at a time touches you on your heads.

The diamond dust in your hands is gone, and you slowly feel your former strength returning to you. The others can see your wrinkles fade and your hair darken.

Chokahr jumped up and hugged the priest, lifting him up off his feet and spinning around. "Yes! Yes! Yes! You've done it, Father Lucian! The Morning Lord answered your prayer!!!! Do you know what this means for the town??? Faith will increase! But more importantly, I look good again!" He put the priest down and flexed his biceps, which were actually growing as he flexed.

Vyktor closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He could feel the curse lifted as if a window had been opened and the light of a hundred suns had shown through to rid him of shadows that hung to him like unpleasant memories. He shifted and felt his armor and weapons return to their proper places. After a few moments of basking in the warmth, he opened his eyes and the feeling faded away.

"Thank you Father Lucian! And thanks to this Morning Lord of yours! It feels... well I have not the words to describe how good it feels to be myself again! I certainly don't look forward to the day in which I really am as old as I was a moment ago. Perhaps a slow onset will not be so bad."

Vyktor clasped the cleric's hand firmly. Then he noticed Chokahr flexing his muscles and laughed. It was the first time he'd laughed since their curse, and one of the rare few since he'd been exiled to this forsake realm. "I think your head might be swelling a bit as well my friend!"

"Now that this evil has been dealt with, perhaps we might assist Vallaki in some other way?" This was directed again at Father Lucian.

"Or perhaps Celia and Jun Jia have other pressing matters we might attend to?"


OOC: Just catching up, where to next?

“Even in this forsaken world, your ancestors smiled upon you both.” Jun Jia smiled at Vyktor’s return of vitality. “We defeated the vampires. Perhaps we should ensure that we truly foiled their plans? We should speak with our allies at the Inn so we may know for certain.”

"Agreed," said Ceila. "Vampires are the kind of foe that you must ensure is truly defeated, and that's not always a simple task."

Father Lucian is soaked in sweat, but his face is covered in a smile. You have perhaps never seen such joy on anyone's face in all of Barovia.

"Praise the Morning Lord and his sun!!!" He claps Chokahr and Vyktor on the back. "Tomorrow is the Festival of the Blazing Sun. Most of Baron Vargas's festivals are a bit of a farce, but I will spread the word of this miracle tomorrow before we light the effigy. If you adventurers are interested, there is an old fortress southwest of here called Argynvostholt. It belonged to paladins of the Morning Lord, but has since been overrun by the undead. If you cleared them out I am sure it would strengthen the Morning Lord's gaze upon our land. There is hope, friends."

This message was deleted by the player at 20:49, Mon 20 June 2022.

Vyktor's eyebrow raised a bit as if an idea hand struck him. "I, that is, we, could use a holdfast such as this old fortress you speak of. As for me, I'm certainly inclined to return the favor you've helped us acquire from the Morning Lord. I'd be interested thereafter in the site's renovation..."

He thanked the cleric once again and joined his companions.