31/05/2016 - Vampyre in the Undercroft (4)

Save Ireena

Antonio considers Ismark’s request to help his sister and agrees. Peter is convinced it means nothing but trouble but there is a general feeling that it would be worth helping Ismark.

Ismark says he wants to transport his sister to a safer place further west, such as the town of Vallaki. This is still within the estate of the Devil Stradh, but it is not cowed under the shadow of Ravenloft Castle and is thought to be safer. It has a wooden palisade for protection.

Antonio, Peter, Johan, Horatio, Father Jacob and Pierre go with Ismark to his family home. He is the son of the Burgermeister – the Mayor.

The house is run down and there are signs of wolf attack. Inside, his father is dead in a coffin in the living room, attended by Ireena, a beautiful red-headed woman.

A Proper Burial

Ireena will not leave until her father is given a proper burial in the church yard. Peter Magpie is furious and asks why Ismark did not point this out before.

They agree to escort the coffin through the village to the church. When they arrive, the church looks in a poor state. Protestant Father Jacob complains this is a Catholic church.

The priest, Father Doravich, is weeping at the altar. Ismark speaks to him and tries to persuade him to help bury his father, but Doravich does not want to know.

Noise in the Undercroft

Horatio investigates a noise in a side room with a broken roof and finds a chained trapdoor in the floor, with sounds of a voice calling for his father in Romanian and banging on the door.

Horatio opens the door, despite Father Doravich trying to stop him. Below is a teenage boy, thin and pale with clawed hands and fanged teeth. His father says he has been “cursed by the vampire”.

The boy screams for help but Horatio closes the door and chains it up again.

Burial

It is finally agreed that Father Jacob will preside at the burial, despite his objections to this Catholic place, and he does not want to see the body. They go into the graveyard and carry out the ceremony. It begins to get dark.

Wolves Attack

They return to the Church and decide to stay the night here rather than risk walking around in the dark. Horatio bars the doors, with him and Pierre on watch.

As the night draws on, wolves begin to howl and a pack of them appear to surround the church. They scratch and claw at the walls and the door, howling and calling out.

Peter asks if Ireena drew them here due to being on her period and Ismark angrily tells him to shut up.

The wolf howls and clawing continues for some hours until around midnight, when they go quiet. Boots are heard walking towards the doors, then someone knocks on the main doors of the church.