A New Barovia: Cutscenes

[steveflam]

August 23rd, 775
Village of Barovia, Barovia

The cloaked figure giggles uncontrollably. "Ha ha ha...... bones...... bones..... look here...
I see a bone! Hahahahahahahah!!!!! Vassili, look, I found a bone! Hahaaahahahahaaah!!!!!!!!"

The other figure sighs. A strapping man of near thirty years. "Jacob, listen to me. Yes I can see that
is a bone. But it is not the right one, Giorgio. Come now, let me see." The man approaches and inspects
it. Not old enough by his standards. He smiles politely at the cloaked figure. "It isn't old enough, old man.
Now let us search further, shall we?"

The cloaked figure laughs some more, only saddening Vassili more. I really wish there was something I
could do for him. This disease came upon him suddenly and has been slowly stripping his mind ever since.
Del told me it usually strips the mind of the elf in less than ten years. Well, it has been near nine years now and I fret the day he shall perish. Sighing he looks at the cloaked figure. Just a few years ago Jacob had helped him find the cure and after that, it had been downhill from there.

"Jacob, let us look over here, I sense we are closer to our goal, friend."

"Yes, yes Vassili, whatever you say, hee hee hee!" And the figure dances and hops around like a rabbit. As
they delve farther into the tomb, the less they find any coffins, wooden or otherwise. Soon they are on the last
room and Vassili is about to give up. Jacob's hood flips back, revealing a very ancient dark elf, amber eyes wild,
looking everywhere. His hair is unkempt and his mouth and face are in a perpetual smile and grin. "Vassili, Vassili,
there's no more here. But wait...... wait..... I can ....... hahahahaha.... seee..... hee hee hee hee....... feel .......
another portal here. HAHAHAHAHAHHAH! Wait, let me check it, I feel it, oh oh oh .... yes yes yes....."

The dark elf now hops around the last chamber, gurgling and moaning like a banshee. He stops twice, near a wall.
He taps the wall and then lays down, feet at he wall, on his back. His foot taps the wall and he looks up at Vassili,
upside down. "I tell you, I tell you, yes there be a door here, yes yes!" His foot taps uncontrollably on the wall as he
giggles uncontrollably. Vassili moves to Jacob's location and casts a spell, eyeing the wall where Jacob's foot taps.
He is rewarded with the outline of a door! Moving quickly he is now a the door, and utters a few words. The outline
becomes a door and once visible, it swings open, pushing the dark elf's feet aside. Vassili smiles and pushes
forward, passing through the doorway. Sure enough he is rewarded with two tombs! Both are indicated quite clearly
in Ancient Balok. Not many knew of this language, but had studied it, thanks to his Uncle Lucius who had
insisted he study and learn this ancient tongue. He smiles as he reads the inscriptions to both tombs. One is a named
one, the other is similar but not quite. Now he grins. Moving over to the tomb he has come for, he takes his
time pushing the lid aside. It crashes to the floor, making Jacob jump in boots, frightened somewhat. Soon the dark elf is
back to babbling and muttering nonsense.

Vassili looks inside the tomb and sees a skeleton. "Success!", he hisses to himself. Reaching down, he touches the
skeleton, making sure it is real. Satisfied, he breaks off a finger bone and pockets it in his pouch. He mutters a prayer to the
dead and departs the chamber, pulling the dark elf along with him "Jacob, I have found it, now let us get back to the Temple,
Giorgio. You will have some work to do for me later, ok? Now, come on, I know you can do it for me, can't you?"

Jacob says nothing but follows Vassili. Soon they have exited their location and are walking through the village of
Barovia towards the Temple of the Morninglord. Upon arriving, they enter the Temple and are greeted by an acolyte. He leads
them to the back of the Temple and down a flight of stairs. Past a long hallway through a door, then another hallway to
pass through a final door to open to a rather large room. The only thing is this room is an altar and a makeshift bed. Four
men are here. They look up from their prayers to eye the three men. "Ah, Vassili, I sense you were successful in your search
this day."

"Yes, Father, I was. I have the bone. Now Jacob can help you with your quest, sir."

He moves to the elder man and hands him the bone. Moving back, he taps Jacob on the shoulder. He nods at him, and smiles.
The dark elf grins wildly and moves over to the other men. The first one places the bone on the bed and looks to the others.
"Are you ready, Master Jacob?"

"Yes, yes, ready ready I can be and am..... hahahhhhahahahaha!!!!!!!!! Bone bone bone, I like the bones! HAHAHAHAHH!....."

The elder man looks at Vassili with a quizzical expression. The younger man merely nods. "Just get on with it, he will perform
admirably."

The man is still unsure, but trusts Vassili and thus begins the incantation. Soon the others join in. It doesn't take long before
Jacob stops his lolligagging and a serious expression adorns his face. Now the three men chant in unison and Jacob moves to
join them. Soon they are all chanting. Energy begins cackling all around the chamber, building to a crescendo. In one final
outburst, the three men and Jacob expend the energy of the spell, directing it on the bone. At first, nothing occurs, then slowly
the bone begins moving and taking form. Soon an entire skeleton takes form and then flesh, tendons and finally skin take the
form of a human male. A young man of near thirty years, dark hair, good looks.

Jacob collapses to the floor after the spell is completed. Vassili rushes to him and swallows. The dark elf barely breathes, but is alive.

"We thank you and Jacob. We knew not he was sick, Vassili. He has done the right thing, don't forget it. You should take him away from here. Now let us take care of this man."

Vassili doesn't say anything, but nods. He picks up the unconscious Jacob and exits the room.

[steveflam]

August 27th, 775
Krezk, Barovia
Temple of the Morninglord


The figure on the bed has only stirred once or twice, but not woken. The
elder man looks at the slumbering form and frowns. "The spell is quite
powerful, Ruri. But I am beginning to understand why, now. He will wake slowly.
He has been deceased for many centuries as you well know."

"Sentire Thomas, I agree."

The figure stirs on the bed and suddenly sits up, eyes opening. "TATYANA!!!"
he yells, then something incomprehesible is mumbled. He looks around confused before
lying back down and falling into a slumber.

"Tatyana? Maybe his wife, sire?"

The older man appears pensive. "I think we need to research something. In my old age
I am forgetting something I should remember."

They leave the room and move deeper into the tunnels of the Temple. Thomas stops at a door
Ruri has never been to before. "This is where we keep our most valuable items, whether they be
art objects, tomes, weapons and so on." He utters a prayer to the Morninglord even as he removes
a key from around his neck and places it on the keyhole. There is a click and the door opens.
Inside there are items everywhere neatly placed on shelves and several chests, locked. The room
is lit magically. "Have a seat, I shan't be long."

Ruri takes a seat at a long table and waits. It doesn't take the Sentire long to find what he is looking for.
He removes two tomes from a shelf and carries them back to the table, handing one to Ruri. "You know
how to read the ancient language. These tomes are in that language. One is from the begninngs of our
land and the other a diary of some sort given to us by an elderly doctor many years ago. His name
escapes me at the moment. Read on, we will find our answers here."


For the better part of the day and into the night, both men read their respective books. Once terminated,
Thomas suggests a slight rest and then back to read the others book to make they miss nothing.


August 28th, 775
Krezk, Barovia
Temple of the Morninglord


Sitting back from the book, Ruri rubs his tired eyes. There is a lot of information to process here.
The one thing that he finds sticking out is if the man calling out to Tatyana is indeed Sergei
Von Zarovich, then this is indeed a very great day for the Temple! And for Barovia no less! Sergei
could bring hope to the people and claim his rightful place as ruler of the land, and not that Soth
monster who seems to care little for the land or its people.

Thomas puts down his book and looks at Ruri. "So, my son, you have seen who this Tatyana is?"

"Yes I have, Sentire Thomas. Betrothed to Sergei she disappeared from Barovia. I think this has
something to do with the Devil Strahd as well, sire. These books are quite ancient so we may
never know the whole truth or even if they are genuine. One person's point of view may not actually
be as accurate as another's as you well know."

"I am of the same thinking, Ruri. Come, let us go see the progress of our patient."

[steveflam]

"Master, the dark elf is dead."

"Ah, very good my child. Has the father any notion of this event?"

The woman shrugs, unsure of the answer. "I fear I can not tell you this. Why does the crazy one interest you?"

The other moves slightly from his place in the corner. She can see his form there, but never, never has she seen him in the years she has
served him. "This is of no concern to you. Just be happy he doesn't turn his attentions to us. Jacob may be insane but he has his moments of lucidity and that is when he is most dangerous. He is a powerful enemy, my dear. Even back in the Dales, when we took care of his wife and son, we barely escaped with our lives. Even now, one of his sons is here in Krezk, the mage, the youngest one. He is unaware of us and I plan to keep it his way. Now, what is your next move?"

She mulls that information over. So, one of the sons is here. The wizard is dangerous but nothing I can not handle, I hope.

"I plan to keep an eye on the younger ones and see if they plan to act upon the death of Delsenora. This item you gave me is wonderful. They suspect nothing, Master. Now, I need to get some rest for tomorrow. It is looking to be a good day for us. With your leave, I bid you good night."

The figure in the corner waves his hand to dismiss her and goes back to his thoughts. The other has exited the room already as if she was never there.

[yankee]

Hello, all. Just wondering if there are any new games that are getting ready to start up, or any currently running that would work for a level 5 character? I changed my PC from 3.5E rules to Pathfinder, and am working on traits now, since I see them making sense and adding more depth to a character. I can type up my PC on a site I use that hosts Pathfinder sheets and link him in my signature, if it would be of any use to the DMs here. Thank you for your time, everyone.