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Had you been expecting anything like Vallaki beyond the walls, you would have been let down. The mist-shrouded village is nothing more than a scattering of humble wooden cottages along dirt roads that stretch between stands of snow-dusted pine trees - so many trees, in fact, as to constitute a forest.
"You must forgive me," he says. "I am not normally so terse with adventurers. I am not my most accommodating self, as I am currently grieving the loss of my fourteen-year-old son, Ilya. Swept away by a fever."
"You have my condolences," you say. "I will include him in my prayers, if you wish."
"Thank you, miss."
As you follow the burgomaster through town, you pass a small handful people - men, women, and children - who live within the walls. Most of them stare at you as you pass; a few shout greetings, but most keep their heads low. The streets are mostly cleared of snow.
From inside the walls, you you catch sight of the road winding up to the abbey, which is now easy to see from this vantage. It rises up to the northeast, clinging to the gray cliffs. The abbey itself sits atop the highest hill in sight, crowned by a bell tower. That's where Strahd said you would find your sister. It almost looks like a town of its own up there, surrounded by a wall with towers at each corner. Your stomach churns at the thought that you may finally see Joannus again, but a part of you has learned to temper expectations - she might not even be there, after all.
"It may be an inconvenience, but there are no inns or taverns here," says the burgomaster. "The nearest would be Vallaki, but you won't make it there on foot in a day, as I'm sure you know."
"That's okay," you say. "You wouldn't happen to know someone named Joannus? Another adventurer - my sister, in fact. She is who I came here looking for."
"Ah, no," he says, "To my knowledge, nobody has come here for a long time. But I have been... absent, lately, so it's possible she slipped through my fingers."
"It's okay," you say. "I think I have an idea of where she would be. Basically I was planning on just heading on up to the Abbey."
The burgomaster stops and gives you a surprised look. "That's... brave of you," he says. "But I would have to advise against it. Nobody here goes up there anymore, not even the priest. Why would another traveler possibly be up there?"
"But I swear I heard church bells from outside the gates," you say, shooting him a look of genuine concern. "Are you telling me no one is up there ringing it?"
"The Abbey of Saint Markovia is defunct. Has been for a while." He pauses. "The one ringing the bell would be the Abbot. "
"Oh, I heard a little about this Abbot," you say. "Who is he?"
(cont.)
