Session 32 - Walking Among Spirits

General Summary

Dobrynya - a powerful woman standing over seven feet in height - finds herself approaching the south side of the village in the evening via rickety bridge. To the right are some important local buildings - the fenced off convent, an empty courtyard, and homes with shut doors. Dobrynya stands in the courtyard and calls out for a place to rest for the evening. A nun (Sister Evdokia) who seems to know her pops her head out from the convent entrance. Dobrynya confirms she is indeed Dobrynya and confirms she beat back wolves and helped out her home town of Yasnyi. After Dobrynya explains she’s heard of a sorcerer and undead tormenting the town the nun invites her in. She explains the situation, how the locals and slaves had been lured away by heathen priests infecting their minds with heretical thoughts, and Dobrynya becomes nervous.
The situation is more complicated than she expected, requiring political suppleness and understanding rather than simply whacking the bad guys, which is what Dobrynya is used to. Evdokia tells Dobrynya some mercenaries were brought in to beat down the heretical priests, but they were turned into Nezhit' and came back to attack Aleksandrovka, before they were driven back by the locals. She warns Dobrynya that the people in this town are on edge now, they’re not inclined to deal with outsiders - especially ones whose appearances they don’t like. Evdokia further informs her there is a strange woman in a cave nearby who other pariahs have gone to stay with, tells her not to show her face around here, but offers food.
Dobrynya heads in the direction of the cave, and after hearing voices in the woods, encounters Ivan, Alena, Munkh and Lada in the midst of a heated discussion. She greets them heartily despite hearing the anguish in their voices, asking if they’re from Aleksandrovka. They introduce one another and swap updates about the town and surroundings. They chat and inform Dobrynya of what awaits them in the cave, she agrees that the spirit within must be dispatched for the safety of others. Its presence there is inexplicable for the time being, but some mention that Vashti used to engage in magical rituals in the back of the cave.
They decide to face the specter of Vashti head on. Despite their caution they eventually engage her in combat and though she disappears at one point they manage to corner and slay her. She explodes into a pile of cold, wet, surprisingly fleshy goo.
The group waffles over where to go next. They have just come from the north. Going west would put them in territory controlled by the pagan priests. In the south there is a host of Kochmaki preparing a raid. What happens in the east is unknown, but it’s the opposite of the direction Ivan wants to go. He means to head about a week west, toward the old capital, Dubno where there is an important monastery built over a series of caves. The group decides to head south, and then west, hopefully avoiding the volkhvy in the process.
Munkh attempts to lead but takes the group too far east so Ivan course corrects to start them in the right direction. Soon, they see a large, all black carriage cross in front of us with the flash of a face in the curtained window. They decide not to follow and to keep to their chosen course. Dobrynya splits off at some point, presumably to bash heathens, or to return to her home in Yasnyi. As they walk we pass an old man hunched by a fire on the side of the road. Munkh tries to avoid him but Alena calls out a greeting and Ivan gives in to his nagging about being rude and ignoring him. The man offers Ivan a strong smelling drink in a hollowed out goat horn, he grasps it close to his chest. As they speak to the mysterious man Munkh becomes nervous, a deep unease in his chest grows into a low growl caught at the back of his throat. The man begins to speak about how dogs growl because they know things are changing, they’re more sensitive than people give them credit for, that things are moving in the world, things are out of whack, broken in the west, that we’re stuck in motion, that all roads lead to the same place, and when will we get on the carriage? It’s already passed. The man says Alena’s comment about him being here because “the hour glass is stuck” is insightful. He says they should stay with him a few days, get to know him so we’re no longer strangers, that Ivan should drink what he’s been offered - Ivan declines, saying it’s too strong. Munkh focuses his sixth sense on the man in an attempt to understand who or what he is, but doing this leaves him with more questions than answers. He cannot detect the man, only a hole in reality. Something is wrong.
They finally manage to leave. As Munkh looks back the old man points at the ground. They travel more but seem to be caught in a loop so we give in and step out in front of the carriage. It stops, inside is the man from the side of the road He delivers more cryptic information and offers the group a ride which they decline until he finally decides to move on - but not before freaking Munkh out one last time by telling him “it’s coming”.
They look at the the cart disappearing into the distance as it moves away from them. They then find a place to rest for the night and scavenge enough food for us all. The night is restful, and they find more food in the morning. Alena and Munkh go off to scavenge, and the dog-man finds animal carcasses to feast on, which he discretely does in private. Ivan stays behind to fish with Lada. As they sit on the riverbank, they see a dark-robed figure approaching. It soon reveals itself to be the spirit of their deceased friend Sister Irina bathed in golden light. She tells them God still loves them. She also explains why she left her rosary to Lada - the girl needs it more than the others. Saying she has no regrets, and blessing them on the occasion of the Great Day , she walks off on the surface of the water, still glowing.

Report Date

11 Jun 2023

Primary Location

Aleksandrovka