Barovia - Road to Zeidenburg - Berez

[TorkaUmbra]

What seems to be a “fat unicorn” is running around the forests at night and hunting wolves, worgs, and werewolves.

[Nekro83]

A paper is pinned to a tree just outside the gates of Berez

OOC: Placed in game

[Iconoclast]

During the night, with a downpour and frenzy of howling, a ferocious werewolf attacked the gates of Berez, the gates shuddering and nearly shattering under its brute strength.  The lone militia man on duty was not alone in protecting the village, as the missionary of the Lawgiver placed himself before the gates.  The man from Hazlan was heard shouting at the beast, making it known that the villagers were under the protection of the Church of the Lawgiver and that it should flee at once to find easier prey. The Gudkaede remained steadfast before the gates, not leaving the side of the militia to give chase once the beast was heard departing.

[DM Brimstone]

Residents of Berez awoke in the morning clamoring about a bizarre cold that suffused through the village overnight accompanied by eerie chanting in the darkness nearby.  Some of the livestock, mostly goats and pigs left outside, were found dead in the morning; Their coats and skin still touched by frost when discovered.  The chill was vanquished with the sun of the morning and the chatter of rumors about the abrupt, frigid night were stilled with the shrill cry of the cemetery groundskeeper.

Those that investigated found a grisly, macabre scene among the interred and grave marker littered grounds.  A single grave was the site of a profane ritual.  A yet unidentified Barovian man’s body was bound and supine, limbs splayed out, and sacrificed. Blood spilled over the raised grave and pooled like a nimbus at the base.  Bottles of wine were shattered and broken around the grave and their contents spilled upon the corpse and surrounding area.  Piles of wolf fangs were spread about in a circle around the ritual and blood was smeared over the tomb’s marker which depicted a weather and time-worn rosy disk – a symbol of the Morninglord faith. The people of Berez have given the site a wide berth, at least for now, fearful and wary of what horrors being even near it may bring.

[Midgetalien]

With the coming dawn smoke rises on the Road to Zeidenburg. Blood stains the ground. All that remains are smoldering embers and burnt remains. Rumors of soldiers bearing the crest of Lord-Boyar Ioan Wachter marching the road some point before headed to a known rebel camp.

[DM Brimstone]

Rumors spread of increased unrest in the Barovian village of Berez. 

In recent days, numerous villagers have been jailed for various crimes ranging from petty larceny to drunken brawls.  Violence and crime seem to be relatively rampant in the usually quiet fishing village leading to speculation as to the cause of this sudden alteration of demeanor and current chain of events.

[DM Brimstone]

Unrest continues to simmer in Berez.  Petty disputes escalate to violent outbursts and the populace's growing unease is palpable. The militia is nearly overwhelmed with the ruckus and host of normally unassuming townspeople's increased lawlessness. 

One such spectacle early today involved two Barovian dockworkers. Scuttlebutt spreads that the disagreement arose regarding missing wages and accusations of theft. Tempers flared and one of the men was beaten, severely, and carried off by a local layman of the Morninglord faith to have his wounds tended.  The other was apprehended by the watch and tossed into a holding cell. The fishing town was rife with hushed whispers of curses and foul malignancy; many lamenting their woes and fueling the already fanned flames of fear and distress.

[Monktrus]

Just outside the village of Berez, along a forest trail, the inky black hearts of three Hags have been nailed to the trees in a row. Someone has left an etching under one of the foul organs, the Halan symbol of thirteen snakes in a circle.

[Aeryndyl]

     A lithe elven figure, adorned in red styled robes and golden in hair, can be seen making a trek every few days into the town of Berez with a notebook in hand before returning on the road back to Vallaki a couple hours later. If spotted, they are seen standing around town taking notes studiously. They speak no one however and are faithful to not staying for more than two hours.

[DM Brimstone]

Tragedy strikes the already reeling Berez.  The town is abuzz with word of a grisly murder overnight within the home of a local resident and Morninglordian layman, Stan Nuta. According to the rampant rumors, while tending to the care of a local Berez man harmed in a recent altercation, Stan was brutally slain while asleep in his bed.  His lifeless body was littered with a veritable wealth of coin spread about his bedchamber – whether as some macabre mark of his murderer or a nefarious, profane rite is unknown but wildly speculated in hushed, conspiratorial tones.

The town’s populace seems all but assured they are somehow cruelly cursed and many are left sleepless due to mourning and fear. It is said that even the Burgomaster himself appears uneasy in the aftermath of catastrophic events and tumult.

[Jetaimie]

An unassuming Vistani looking man, dressed in white and powder blue, has become a common face at the city of Berez. Through hushed whispers, he offered free potions in exchange for the local gossip, always keeping a low profile.



// Jetaimie on Discord if anyone wants to use this for some RP!

[Vastgoten]

A recent arrival to the village, a Hazlani priest has been observed walking among the villagers, engaging them in conversation during the day and often assuming the role of a sentry by night, a presence that likely is met with varying degrees of acceptance by the local militia.

[MyShiningArmor]

[A well-dressed and well equipped woman in dark and silver garb finally arrived in the later hours of the afternoon.  She spent the rest of the afternoon looking around with her trained eyes and listening with her trained ears for anything or anyone of note.  At night she would employ stealth, great agility and tactical caution using the shadows to get a better picture or what could potentially be happening in the fishing village.]

[DM Stygian Witch]

Amidst the northern cliffs, just beyond the village's wooden walls, stands a modest granite shrine. This sacred monument pays homage to the enduring mission of the Lawgiver in the western reaches of Barovia.

[Vastgoten]

Amidst the cliffs at the granite shrine to the Lawgiver’s mission in Barovia. Rumor speaks of two shadowed figures seen praying feverishly at its altar during the dead of night.

[Vastgoten]

The Hazlani presence in the area seems steadfast, as small groups of native Hazlani frequently gather around the village. While their numbers are not overwhelming, their presence is noticeable enough to catch the attention of bypassers. Local merchants, observing this growing activity, have begun to wonder if opportunities for trade or profit might arise from these gatherings.