01 - arriving

[alliegiance]

HOUSE GUESTS

The world has built up centuries’ worth of stories.

Stories passed with love from parent to child, snug in their beds, their words the only sound that could exist in a world muted beneath thick, soft snowfall. Bawdy songs and outrageous tales scream-sung in taverns. Jokes and anecdotes shared between friends, an unseen piece of one another exchanged. Bits of comfort stolen and divided among a ragged circle, a ring seated in a campfire’s glow as though it exists as the last warmth in a cruel and cold land. Stories you press your hands against for warmth – tug around yourself as you might a comfortable blanket. Stories so dear that you hold them hard against your heart until they leave an imprint. The sort you can’t wait to escape into.

This will be another sort of story.

A dead land. A cold scar of a valley, choking with trees hard and dead and wild, seamed by a single treacherous road. Godless churches, black and cold in the ever-gathering mists. Soil centuries unkissed by both dawn and its Lord. A people hardened by fright, starved by a land that gives to them nothing and takes from them everything. An ancient castle, maze-like and imperious and named by a son for his mother. The deadly lair of a vampire king.

The vampire king.

Here in the valley you stumble your way to, gasping and sick from the poison, live a thousand, thousand miseries. Ruled by their king, from his throne in the castle Ravenloft. He is the ancient, and he is the land.

He is Strahd von Zarovich.

Though you will soon wish otherwise, you now have his attention.

(random.org for your rng pleasure)

1. THE VILLAGE BAROVIA Julien | Joon-gi Han | Gale | Halsin | Reliani

If “run-down” were a place, chances are good that it would look something like the valley’s own castle seat.

It is a ravaged village, lashed together by nothing but the tenuous will of the land’s own master. Barovia Village has no walls, no armored guards.

No protection.

The roads are gouged mud and the people retreat from you like dogs beaten one too many times. Their homes are rotting and bug-eaten wood, and each looks ready to collapse into the mud for good. The priest is too maddened by the state of his son to do anything but pray to a God who will never answer. The only purveyors of goods here are a cutthroat scam artist who has found a number of ways to squeeze blood from a stone, and an old woman tottering a chipped-up cart of meat pies up and down the village’s central artery. The bar is run down and full of drunks trying to wash away some tragedy. The wailing of a mother bereft of her child cuts through the village. The burgomaster is dead, and his children, Ismark and Ireena, are reticent to bury him for the beasts that circle and attack the walls and doors of their home.

Standing imperious and undeniable above this slump of tragedy are the black towers of Castle Ravenloft, clear and sharp even as the mist softens the lands before her. From one of those black spires, a pair of red eyes silently fixes on this very roof.

He watches. And he waits.

2. THE TOWN OF KREZK The Ghoul | Lozelle | Vasilka | Shadowheart

By virtue of comparison, the town of Krezk must seem like a veritable paradise.

The town is stationed securely at the other end of the valley from far-flung Barovia Village and the valley's castle seat. Built from rock, old and sturdy homes nestled around cobbled roads. The town is nestled in the trees and cliffs, surrounded by wolf-song and fog, but hedged in by a sturdy stone wall. The village's crust of snow has built into a blanket this far north, but the town yet defies the cold. The people here maintain what gardens they can and raise animals for food.

They smile.

But above the village sits a compound to rival Castle Ravenloft. An ancient monastery. The place where, so it's said, the sainted hero Markovia made her first stand against the Beast in the name of the Morninglord, and struck out on a holy crusade against he and his forces of darkness.

She failed, and the monastery closed its doors, standing silent for well over a century. Only a handsome pilgrim found it in him to disturb its rest, demanding the right to reopen the monastery for the good of the people.

That pilgrim is the Abbot, a mysterious figure who still operates the abbey to this day, fighting ailments spiritual and physical alike.

And it is he who will stay the guards and, on the very eve of a frigid and harsh winter, make another demand of the townsfolk who would shut you out to conserve their own supplies - let me take them.

code bases by tricklet

Comments

[joongipan]

He took note of the way the tiefling pulled his mug close as soon as it was sat in front of him, downing half of it in one go. Perhaps he was simply parched, or perhaps he suspected Joon-gi would spike his drink if he took his eyes off it for even a moment.

Well, it wasn't such a bad thing to foster a healthy bit of suspicion around strangers. Because Joon-gi had most certainly dosed a few adventurers with a powerful sleeping draught when the situation deemed it necessary.

Fortunately, this wasn't one of those situations. Not yet, anyway.

He reached for his own mug, dragging it across the table toward himself. The tiefling's story concerning his arrival provided little in the way of new information. Joon-gi had heard dozens of variations on a theme: that of people being drawn into the mists under various circumstances, and almost never by choice.

"I wish I could tell you the answer but, unfortunately, there appears to be no definitive pattern connecting those who are brought here by the mists. Bad luck, or mere chance? It's anyone's guess."

Well, Joon-gi had his own theories, but he wasn't about to divulge them this early in the relationship. Especially since neither of them had even exchanged names.

All in good time, though.

He lifted his mug, pausing for a moment when he realized that he was still wearing his half-mask. He considered the opportunity to manufacture a moment of vulnerability, to further ingratiate himself to the tiefling.

Joon-gi hooked a finger into the black fabric covering his face and pulled it downward, revealing pale skin that, he hoped, would appear more ethereal rather than sickly in the dim light cast by the meager fire. He lifted the mug against his lips and sipped at his beer. He couldn't taste it, nor could he recall the memory of its flavor.

But his expression betrayed nothing as he set his mug down and fixed the tiefling with a wry look. The corner of his mouth pulled into the barest hint of a smile.

"There is..." His dark eyes, heavily-lined with kohl, glinted with a bit of mischief. "Though, you might find the flavor a bit... intense for your liking."

It wasn't unheard of for those who had grown accustomed to eating such bland fare to season it with spicy peppers, if only because there were no other seasonings to be had. Many outsiders believed the native Barovians to be somewhat masochistic in their tastes, unable to understand how anyone could actually enjoy the stinging burn upon one's tongue with every mouthful.

Now he was curious to know what the tiefling might think of the house special...

[seemagicshit]

Okay, first, good to know the drink isn't poisoned since the other man seemed to drink just fine. Second of all, oh hello hotness. The liner around his eyes really accentuated the look, not to mention the pale skin. His tail twitched once before he calmed it.

"So, no pattern anyone can figure out. But just because we don't know what it is doesn't mean it ain't there."

He did raise an eyebrow at the idea of intense flavor, but why not get a stew? He ordered one and saw what immediately what the other man meant. Just an extra red film on top of greasy stew. Would mixing it altogether mitigate the taste?

Zhulong took a big bite and swallowed. It wasn't the spiciest thing he'd ever eaten but it made his eyes water. "You weren't fuckin' kiddin'."

[joongipan]

He noticed the tail twitch, but it was too quick for him to ascertain what mood it might signify. Agitation? Interest? He'd worked with tieflings enough to know that their true feelings were often betrayed by their tails, and so he made it a point to take note of it whenever possible.

"Well, I suppose that there is one tenuous thread that connects all of them..." Joon-gi tapped one finger against the side of his mug, brows furrowed in thought. "They tend to be mercenaries or adventurers with some modicum of skill. But that's the only thing I can think of, at the moment."

He wondered what sort of skills the tiefling might possess, and how they might prove of use to him. Sorcery was one of the few skills that Joon-gi lacked, which is why spellcasters were of particular interest to him.

He watched as the tiefling spooned a heaping bite of stew into his mouth and swallowed. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes, but he didn't appear to be in much discomfort at all.

Joon-gi blinked incredulously, then grinned. "Impressive. I've watched outsiders twice your size cry like babies or vomit from the pain, but you?" He huffed a laugh. "I take it dragon's claw peppers are commonly used in dishes where you're from?"

He felt a familiar weight settle across his shoulders as an invisible arm draped itself companionably against him. A cold breath of air brushed against his ear as a voice only he could hear spoke: I suppose he's stronger than he looks, but I wonder if he'll last longer than our previous companion?

Joon-gi felt his smile falter at his brother's words, and hoped the tiefling wouldn't notice.

[seemagicshit]

"Oh, is that what's in this bowl? Fuck me." It didn't stop him from finishing the bowl, but he certainly needed the rest of his drink and most of another mug to dull the pain.

"I'm used to a bit of spicy food. It wouldn't be that bad if there was only a bit of spice for taste. Fuck it. I'm going to have to learn to make this myself. At least it'll taste better."

So what was the play here? This guy was after something, but he hadn't done anything. Yet. Maybe if this place sucked as much as Zhulong had a feeling it did, having an ally wouldn't be a bad thing. At least until he got a better lay of the land. "Name's Zhulong. So what do you for fun while being stuck here?"

[joongipan]

Joon-gi watched as the tiefling continued to eat with relish while he occasionally sipped at his beer, pretending that he actually enjoyed the flavor.

But seeing the tiefling eat with such pleasure awakened some long distant memory, and he could almost recall what it felt like to eat curry seasoned with aromatic spices. He remembered eating together with the other children at the monastery, his twin sitting at his right elbow, spooning portions from his own bowl for him to eat. Joon-gi always balked at the idea of taking more than his fair share, but his brother said that he needed it more.

Because you're small and weak, so you need to eat if you want to grow up strong!

He set his half-finished mug aside just as the tiefling was scraping the last dregs of stew from his bowl. "In that case, I hope you brought your own spices. They're a rare commodity in these parts and only the Vistani can reliably bring goods from beyond our borders. But it won't come cheaply, so be prepared to pay an arm and a leg for it."

So, the tiefling could cook, which was a useful skill to others, but served no purpose for the likes of him. He no longer felt hunger or thirst—such pleasures of the flesh were beyond him, now. All food tasted of bitter ash upon his tongue, and if he forced himself to eat, his body immediately rejected it.

He wondered how much longer he could conceal his true nature from the tiefling...

"Zhulong, is it? You'll have to forgive my poor manners; I should have introduced myself right away."

He raised a gloved hand to rest briefly against his chest, inclining his head slightly in a show of deference.

"You can call me Argent." He smiled amiably, eyes crinkling at the corners. It was the alchemical word for silver—a clever little reference to the silver hair hidden beneath his hood. "As for what I like to do for fun? I read, mostly. Poetry, history, faerie tales, treatises on alchemy and sorcery. You could say I have a wide range of interests, and I'm always looking for new material to peruse."

Which isn't exactly a lie. Joon-gi did often read for pleasure and had done so ever since he was a child. But these days his focus was bent toward research, especially that pertaining to sorcery and spellwork. Of course, such books were a rarity in these parts, and the ones that made their way into Barovia from outside invariably found their way into Castle Ravenloft's vast library.

He wondered if Zhulong might have anything of interest in that little pack he was carrying?

[seemagicshit]

Even if the food sucked, he wasn't about to waste it. Being homeless had taught him to have a greater respect for so many things. He did cock his head to one side to listen to the advice from Argent.

"So you're a scholar kinda? Or at least it sounds like you're trying to find a solution in books to where we're all trapped."

Which would make sense. A scholar would want to get as much knowledge together from outsiders as possible to form a plan. Except for the way Argent carried himself. Zhulong might not be the Runaway King any longer, but he knew to listen to his senses when they screamed "thief or rogue."

Like knew like.

With a belly full, Zhulong turned toward the other man with a charming smile. He didn't know how it worked, only that it occasionally did. Sometimes if he turned on the charm, people would get less hostile and just be more agreeable to work together. It was possibly part of his tiefling nature, but he'd never had a deep conversation with one of his own kind to know how it worked.

"Well, thanks for the drink and the meal. I'm not sure what I can do for you, but you've been decent so how about this? Let's play a little game. I ask you a question and you answer it honestly and then you can do the same. Simple, yeah?"

[joongipan]

It was much easier to sell a story to someone who wanted to believe it, so he decided to lean into the tiefling's assumptions about his occupation.

"Something like that," Joon-gi said readily, "though, it might be more accurate to say that I'm an information broker. Clients provide me with inquiries, and I do my best to dig up answers. Sometimes those answers can be found in books, but in my experience, the more valuable the information, the less likely someone is to write it down."

While his answer was truthful, it only encompassed a small portion of his skills and expertise. Joon-gi had cultivated a small information network among the villages to stay apprised of local events, especially those pertaining to the appearance of outsiders.

He leaned back in his seat as he studied Zhulong's face, wondering if he would be satisfied with that answer. The tiefling stared back at him, bright yellow eyes peering from beneath the shadow of his hood as he flashed a disarming smile.

For a moment, Joon-gi was taken aback by that look. He hadn't had enough time to truly appraise the tiefling's features during that brief moment when his hood had been lowered. But now he allowed himself to simply appreciate what little of his face was on display—the soft jawline and plush lips, the carefully groomed facial hair.

Okay, so Zhulong was easy on the eyes, Joon-gi could admit that much to himself. But he found his gaze lingering far longer than it should have on that shapely mouth...

His brother's hand settled against his shoulder—a chilling and familiar weight—and Joon-gi stiffened involuntarily beneath that touch. He reached up, tugging his hood a bit lower, and wrenched his gaze away from that charming smile.

Go on, his brother whispered, play his little game. Let's see what more we can learn from him.

Joon-gi nodded, acknowledging his brother's words and accepting the tiefling's offer at the same time. "Sounds simple enough. I'll allow you to ask the first question." He smiled in return, though there was something a bit over-confident in the look. "It's only proper, seeing as how you're an 'honored guest' in these lands."

It was meant somewhat facetiously, but Joon-gi would extend as much hospitality as he could afford, so long as it got him what he needed.

[seemagicshit]

Okay, provided Argent was telling the truth to any degree, having him be an information broker made sense. Zhulong also figured Argent could be a fence on the side. If you're already potentially buying and selling information, why not things as well? So this was a guy that had to know everything for his own personal satisfaction.

Also, given that Argent actually answered his question -- instead of shanking him -- Zhulong might be able to work with the guy.

It was a good start. So far.

"How long have you been stuck in this place?" Best to start simple.

[joongipan]

Without any hesitation, he said: "All my life. Not once have I set foot beyond the borders of Barovia, though I have often wondered what sort of lands lay beyond the veil of mists."

This answer was also true, and though there was much more that he could say, he purposefully chose not to elaborate. The point of the game was not to answer honestly, but to learn as much as he could about the tiefling without tipping too much of his own hand. Lowering his mask was already a risky gambit, and Joon-gi was not about to reveal anymore about himself than was strictly necessary.

But now he was presented with the perfect opportunity to further test Zhulong's skills. There was a certain cunning look to his eyes, and he sensed that the tiefling was far more clever than he let on.

Joon-gi extended his right hand, flourishing a silver coin seemingly from nowhere. He held it between his first and middle finger, displaying a weathered face against its gleaming surface.

"Do you like magic tricks?" The corner of his mouth pulled into an amused grin.

He pressed his fingers together, flipping the coin onto its side, and began rolling it across his knuckles. It turned nimbly on its edge, from heads to tails and back again, like the moon waxing and waning. Waxing and waning. Waxing and waning.

He was no magician, but he was fairly skilled in sleight-of-hand. Any thief worth his salt knew how to palm a coin, but to truly master the art of pickpocketing, one needed to be skilled in misdirection.

He'd test Zhulong to see if he could follow the coin. A clever thief should have little trouble keeping up with such a simple parlor trick.

[seemagicshit]

So assuming the guy was telling the truth, why would anyone gather so much information on a place they'd never been? They either really hated it here, just wanted to know shit for fun or, most likely, they weren't from here and just were posing as such to gain trust. Argent probably wanted to get back to whatever business he had elsewhere and wanted to milk every angle in order to do just that.

Zhulong drained the last of his alcohol with a little belch. He wiped his mouth but then stopped at the next question of magic tricks. "I like 'em way more now that I can do 'em." Was he going to make a coin disappear? Or no, what was this? He had to get a better look.

Figuring the crowd had calmed down, Zhulong dropped his hood and loosened his robes enough to let his tail be more free. His black hair was shaved on the sides but had grown long enough to loosely braid. His yellow eyes watched the track of the coin while he reached behind his head to fix up his braid.

When invariably the coin seemed to disappear from Argent's hands, he clapped in appreciation. And at the same time, he tapped a portion of the other man's sleeve with his tail, showing where the coin went. Art of misdirection indeed.

"So if you've been here all your life, you know everything about every town, yeah?"

[joongipan]

I like 'em way more now that I can do 'em.

His eyes sharpened with a tight smile at the tiefling's answer. Was he admitting to being a charlatan, or did he know the true sorcery? Hard to say, but Joon-gi was nothing if not patient.

He'd have his answer, in time. And he would savor the challenge of unraveling the mystery of the tiefling's motives.

"It's nice to meet a fellow practitioner," he said mildly. "Please, enjoy the show."

The coin continued to dance across his knuckles, but his eyes were focused on Zhulong's face as the tiefling lowered his hood once more. His gaze locked onto those piercing yellow eyes, watching the way they tracked the coin's movement as he flourished it from one hand to the other. It multiplied into two coins, then four, each of them flitting across his palms and between his fingers in a complicated dance of spinning silver.

There was no magic. None whatsoever. Just multiple coins secreted away in his sleeves and years of practice under his belt. He could easily do this routine blindfolded, if he wished, but that would rob him of the opportunity to study this stranger further.

And study him he would. Appraise him, as one might a marble bust put on display in a private collection. He watched as Zhulong raised his hands to adjust his braid, taking note of the thick, black claws on each of his fingertips as they carded through his hair. Potential weapons, perhaps, but they would pose little threat to the likes of him.

After all, it's rather difficult to kill that which is already dead.

Joon-gi's hands passed across his face, briefly obscuring his view of the tiefling. The coins were quickly palmed with a flourish as he exposed empty hands for inspection. He smiled as Zhulong clapped with appreciation, thinking that he had managed to outwit his opponent.

But Joon-gi had gotten so caught up in his own display of skill that he hadn't noticed the tiefling's tail had slithered up to touch his right arm. He flinched at the unexpected touch, brows arching briefly in a look of surprise.

"Clever. Very clever." With a laugh, he flourished the coin once more and flicked it across the table, where it landed in front of Zhulong. "Keep it. You should always keep a bit of silver close at hand in these parts. To ward off evil."

A bit of Barovian superstition, but one with a degree of practicality. It was a well-known fact that lycanthropes have a strong aversion to silver-forged weapons, and Joon-gi kept a pair of leather gloves studded with silver in case he ever crossed paths with their kind.

He settled back in his seat and made another show of sipping at his beer. "I wouldn't say I know everything, but I know quite a bit about this land and its people. I'll gladly tell you anything you wish to know. Hell, I'll even give you a discount on my going fee because I like you so much."

A joke. Mostly. Rumors, gossip, and hearsay would all be offered free of charge. Anything more substantial than that may require an equal exchange of information in return.

Speaking of which: "You said before that you know a few magic tricks yourself. Care to show me one?"

[seemagicshit]

Oh good, he managed to follow along with the magic show and figure out where the coin went. Argent was a quick son of a bitch, to be sure. Zhulong grinned, catching the silver coin. "Well if you're going to give me free money, who am I to argue?"

And he got a discount on information? How lovely. Maybe hanging around with this guy wouldn't be so bad. It'd be entertaining for a while, anyway, while he got his bearings.

"Do I know any tricks? Sure. Learning more all the time." Zhulong took a quick look around to see if anyone was paying attention. When the coast seemed to be clear, he reached for his magatama under his clothes and focused his power.

He hoped Argent didn't mind having his beer stolen by a spectral hand. It raised the mug with Zhulong and they clinked together. "I find it good for reaching things I can't and triggering traps from a distance." He then let the spectral hand fade away, but still stole some of Argent's beer to drink.

[joongipan]

The tiefling reached for something beneath his robes, but Joon-gi could only catch a glimpse of a weathered piece of cord tied around his neck. A pendant of some sort?

Suddenly, his mug slid across the table, grasped by a spectral hand. His jaw dropped open in a look of shock.

"H-Hey! That's mine!" He tried to snatch the mug back, but the spectral hand pulled it just out of reach. He watched helplessly as Zhulong stole his drink, grinning all the while. He seemed rather satisfied with his little trick.

Joon-gi settled back in his seat and huffed a laugh. All right, the tiefling earned a free drink with that one.

But, more importantly, he'd just revealed another useful skill at his disposal. Thievery and sorcery combined could prove to be a rather potent skillset, especially if one planned on exploring trap-laden tombs and catacombs...

If he had still possessed a beating heart, it would surely be pounding in excitement. The opportunity was too good to pass up!

He could feel the cold touch of his brother's hand laying against his own, seeping into his flesh. The fingers of his right hand twitched involuntarily, and Joon-gi willed them to curl against his palm, pulling against his brother's influence.

A chilling breath ghosted against his ear. I like this one. We should take him with us.

Joon-gi pulled his hand back and massaged his fingers, as if to work the feeling back into them. He fixed Zhulong with a steady look, and though he tried his best to soften it with a friendly smile, there was a flicker of hunger in his dark eyes.

"Actually, I think I've had enough to drink for one evening." With one hand, he pulled the black mask over the lower-half of his face. "And I think you've more than earned that drink. In fact, I have a business proposal for you, if you're interested?"

[seemagicshit]

Oh here we go. Finally Zhulong intrigued Argent enough to get to the meat of their back and forth. A business proposal. He let the spectral hand pour the rest of the beer into his mouth and wipe it with his sleeve.

It wouldn't be a bad thing to have at least one ally of sorts in this new land. Not to mention he was good on the eyes so at least if nothing came of it, Zhulong would have some good eye candy to look at.

There was something slightly intense in Argent's gaze. The tiefling chose to ignore that for now. "All right. Let me see if I'm pickin' up what you're puttin' down. Just as long as it doesn't involve shanking random people 'cause I'm not exactly built for that."