Session 7 : Take me to church

Serenity rubbed her eyes, held her head in her hands for some time, then stretched out her arms; she seemed to wince as she did so. Her movements were slow and laboured. When she stood, her head hung forward and her shoulders seemed lopsided.

“The night terrors came again?”, asked Ireena. “I tried to wake you when they started, you were tossing and turning and nothing I could do would wake you up. You look completely exhausted."

Each night since the windmill the terrors had come to Serenity in her sleep and each morning, she woke unrested, weaker both physically and mentally.

“I feel my life fading away. If these terrors continue, I do not think I will last much longer”

The party of adventurers who promised to escort Ireena to the town of Vallaki had succeeded. But they were broken. Hoskgak and Destiny, fighting their addiction to the dream pies, were weak and suffering the effects of their withdrawal. Serenity, who had avoided the pies all along, was even worse, a shadow of the monk who arrived in Barovia.

It was Ireena, who in gratitude to them, was now holding the party together.

They stayed at the Bluewater Inn, the innkeeper Danika and her family seemed kind, but the party were finding trust difficult, apart from Destiny, who seemed to want to tell everyone everything. In spite of the nightmares and withdrawal, they were grateful for Danika’s hospitality. They needed to make allies and find answers and the Bluewater Inn seemed a good place to start.

The party ventured out, escorting Ireena to St Andral’s church and Serenity did her best to keep pace. As they approached the church Destiny suddenly fell behind. Serenity turned to see Destiny in intense discussion with her tail; every now and again she would try to walk forward but made no progress. She looked equally confused and frustrated. Then Destiny’s peculiar imp familiar flew forward to the church - before suddenly stopping dead in mid-air, as if he had flown into an invisible wall. He looked back at Destiny with a very indignant look on his impish face. 

"What are you doing?" Serenity muttered.

"Well, either the church doesn't like my tail or my tail doesn't like the church?" Destiny quipped back.

It seemed Destiny and Watch were unable to enter the church, as if some force had denied them entry. Serenity looked into the distance, her eyes flitting back and forth as she seemed to consider this new situation. “Maybe the church is protected from magic somehow. Perhaps the protection will save me from the terrors...”.

Destiny and Watch were left outside the church, Serenity briefly smiled at the thought of Destiny's frustration at not being able to see inside. Her curiosity was a force to be reckoned with.

The Church was kept in good order and Father Lucian seemed a kind person, even offering her the protection of the church for the night after hearing of Serenity's torment. It was a far cry from the disarray of the church in the village of Barovia.

Serenity left Hoskgak and Ireena talking with Father Lucian and retired to a quiet room in the church to sleep. Sometime later, she sat up slowly. No terrors had come, but the rest was not long enough to help her exhaustion, although she felt more clarity in her thoughts.

She emerged from the room to an excited Hoskgak who had learned that St Andral’s was named after his idol Andralos and was now raving about a burning sword. Ireena walked over to Serenity and reassured her that she would stay travelling with them and they all went outside to reunite with a slightly impatient looking Destiny.

All will be well! – that seemed to be the echoing call on the streets of Vallaki. Pretty much everyone they had spoken to had uttered the words at least once. Before long, the party found themselves reassuring those they met on the streets that all would be well, especially the guards who also made it very clear that attendance at the many festivals of Vallaki was mandatory. All will be well!

The party journeyed West to the Vistani camp outside Vallaki. The camp sat atop a tall hill, Serenity stopped for a moment, stared at the hill and then heaved herself up it.

The leaders of the camp seemed to be two brothers, Luvash and Arrigal, very different from the Vistani they had met so far, somehow larger and rougher looking. The kind of people you did not want to upset when you were weak from addiction and exhaustion. The party were quick to explain their presence in the camp.

Serenity respectfully approached Luvash. “We heard your daughter Arabelle is lost. We want to offer our service in helping to find her.”

Luvash welcomed the assistance, it seemed his daughter was adventurous and often ran off, but this time it was different as she had never not returned before. They learned that she often went to play at the orphanage in Vallaki, a town that was not welcoming to the Vistani. The party agreed they would search where the Vistani could not and investigate the town. They also warned Luvash of the women in the windmill and the contents of their pies. Serenity’s mind kept drifting back to her hope of sanctuary in the church and rest, but she knew she had to focus on finding Arabelle.

Their search led them first to the orphanage in Vallaki. The children there remembered her visit, but also recalled a strange man, unkempt and wearing a straw hat, who watched them from a distance, leaving shortly after Arabelle. Serenity felt certain this man must know something of her disappearance. They thought to check back with Danika’s children, to see if they had also played with the girl; they had not, but the man the party described was well known in the Bluewater Inn.

Bluto. Very few patrons had spent more time there than Bluto. Danika told the group of his deterioration after the loss of his wife and erratic behaviour. They heard how he had been talking of fishing in the lake to the North after gaining some kind of lucky charm.

The team headed North, stopping at Bluto’s deserted house. Apart from a nosey neighbour, who they assured all would be well, and evidence of neglect around the house, there was nothing learned and they hurried North to the lake. It was quite a walk outside of town and completely deserted.

“There! A man in a boat!” The lake was huge, but in the distance they could just make out the shape of a small boat with a lone figure sitting with their back towards the shore – wearing a straw hat.

The imp Watch turned invisible and flew out to observe the man. His telepathic link with Destiny told the party all they needed to know; a wriggling sack in the boat with the foot of a child poking out.

They needed to move fast before Bluto saw them coming. Serenity leapt into the lake, leaping as usual before considering the dangers, Ireena was close behind. Hoskgak and Destiny jumped into a nearby row boat and tried to keep up.

Then Bluto glanced round. He stood still for a moment, perhaps trying to make sense of the scene unfolding before him; a cat flying through the water like a fish, a large half-orc rowing furiously. He began to flail around in panic. The next moment, everything happened at once; Bluto heaved the sack into the lake, Watch appeared out of nowhere beside him, stinging him with his sharp tail. Bluto slumped motionless into the boat. A silvery mist exploded around Hoskgak, filling the whole boat; when it cleared Destiny was gone.

Then, seconds later, Destiny burst from the lake hauling the sack back up into the boat. Arabelle was unconscious, but alive. They helped her out of the sack and revived her, and the party rowed back to shore.

A curious child, Arabelle seemed unconcerned by her experience, she was well spoken and curious, fascinated by the party and glad to have made new acquaintances. Bluto, on the other hand, was well and truly dead. The party looked at Bluto and tried to decide what should be done.

Serenity was exhausted and the rest of the day passed in a blur as she tried to keep her eyes open. The guards of Vallaki were grateful for the party stopping Bluto and took his body away. The Vistani were even more grateful, Luvash offering the party a reward, which they declined; they were happy to have made an ally. Luvash took them to one side, out of earshot of the other Vistani and warned them that not all Vistani were to be trusted. After they returned to Vallaki, Serenity returned to the church to rest, whilst the others headed to the Bluewater Inn.

Then Serenity was woken up, still tired, now grumpy. Eventually she reluctantly agreed to travel to the Inn to meet an Elf named Rictavio who Destiny and Hoskgak were convinced was the ally the cards of Madam Eva had foretold.

Night Hags… Not only were the creatures of the windmill hags, they were also the source of Serenity’s torment. Rictavio the Elf Bard was strangely knowledgeable about the evils of this land. He also seemed to suggest that the church may provide the sanctuary Serenity had hoped for. Maybe there was some truth to these cards...

It had been a busy day. Serenity returned to the church and finally lay down to sleep.

-

Serenity awoke the next morning, refreshed and rested, free from the terrors that had plagued her. She lay in her bed, gazing up at the ceiling, her eyes seemed calm and she appeared for a moment quite serene.