The Burgomaster's Burial

Walkthrough

Getting the quest

Ismark Kolyanovich sits with a sword across his knees at the table by the hearth in the common room of Blood of the Vine, the tavern on the village square. He is there at any hour until you give him an answer. Ask him "What do you want from us?" and he asks for two things: help carrying his father, Kolyan Indirovich, to the church to be buried with Father Donavich's words over him, and then taking his sister west (that is Ireena's Escort).

• "We'll help you." starts this quest and the escort, and makes Ismark friendly (Godrick +2, Liriel +1, Kip +1).
• [Persuasion DC 12] "We don't work for gratitude. What can you pay?" is a single try you can make first. On a success Ismark promises you whatever is in his father's strongbox (Kip +1, Godrick -2, Liriel -1); on a failure he tells you he has nothing. Either way you can still agree afterwards.
• "We can't. Not now." starts only the escort (Godrick -2, Liriel -1). You can take the burial on later at the mansion by telling Ismark "We'll help bury your father after all." (Godrick +1).

There is a second way in. If you knock on the mansion's barred front door before you've met Ismark, Ireena Kolyana answers through the wood. [Persuasion DC 13] "We can help you. Let us in." or a Cleric's "I'm a priest. Let me pray over your father." opens it. [Intimidation DC 15] "Open the door. Now." opens it too, but costs approval (Godrick -2, Liriel -2, Kip -1); if it fails she drags a wardrobe across the door and remembers your voice. Both checks are one try each; if they fail, find Ismark at the tavern. Once you're inside, telling Ireena "We'll help you bury your father." starts the quest at the Find a Priest stage (Godrick +2, Liriel +2).

Step by step

1. Go to the mansion. It's the house behind the iron fence on the north-west side of the village: Burgomaster's Mansion. Ireena waits in the parlor, Ismark (once you've met him) in the hall, and the coffin lies in the wake room. Your first talk with Ireena after you've agreed to help moves the quest to Find a Priest.

   

   Worth doing while you're here:

   • Ireena's [Medicine DC 12] "Look at what the scarf is hiding." shows you the two bite marks. Strahd notices that you've seen them at the burial.
   • A Cleric can "Offer a blessing over your father's coffin." (Ireena turns friendly, Liriel +1).
   • The study holds the burgomaster's strongbox (lock DC 12: 40 gp and a Potion of Healing). Open it only after Ismark has offered it. If you open it without leave, whichever of them you talk to next notices, and if that's Ireena she turns cool toward you.
   • Also in the study: a loose panel behind the desk (Investigation, search DC 13) hides a Brooch of Shielding, and studying the map of the valley (Survival DC 13) marks a farmers' cache by the field wall at The River Ivlis Crossroads (Gauntlets of Ogre Power). The kitchen larder has three rations and four candles.
   • "We'll stand watch with you tonight." (Ireena or Ismark) starts the siege as soon as you agree: at level 3 or higher, 2 × Dire Wolf, 2 × Strahd Zombie and 2 × Zombie (900 XP, a moderate fight); below level 3, one dire wolf and two zombies. It's optional. Afterwards, "About last night" with each of them makes them friendly (Godrick +2, Thistle +2, Wren +1 for holding the house).
2. Ask Father Donavich. The church stands on its rise at the village's north-east: Village Church. Donavich kneels at the altar. Choose "Will you bury the burgomaster?" (it only appears once you've agreed to help). He agrees, asks you to bring Kolyan to the grave behind the church, and begs you to keep singing if his son cries out. The quest moves to Priest Agreed.
   • He refuses only if you've destroyed his son Doru in the undercroft without his blessing (see The Priest's Son). Then the quest moves to No Priest and he orders you out of his church. You can still bury Kolyan without him.
   • In the church: the vestry chest holds 2 × Holy Water and six candles (if you want Donavich's own two flasks as well, ask him before you open it; see The Priest's Son), and a loose stone under the front pew (Investigation, search DC 14) hides an Amulet of the Devout, +1.

   

3. (Optional) Hire a pallbearer. At Bildrath's Mercantile (shut from 19:00 to 6:00), tell Bildrath Cantemir "We need help carrying a coffin." and pay 15 gp for three hours of Parriwimple (the option to pay only appears if the party has 15 gp). If you've befriended Parriwimple first ([Persuasion DC 10] "You're good at this, Parriwimple...", one try, or a Wizard's "Show him a little magic"), he does it for nothing: ask him "Could you help carry the burgomaster's coffin?", or tell Bildrath "Parriwimple already offered. For free." He takes the foot of the coffin and digs the grave. Nothing in the quest needs him; he adds a few lines and stands at the graveside.
4. Carry the coffin. Back at the mansion, tell Ireena or Ismark "We're ready to carry him to the church."
   • If Donavich agreed, the procession leaves at once.
   • If you haven't asked him yet, Ireena asks whether he has agreed. "Not yet. Give us a little longer." ends the talk; "We'll bury him without the priest." sets off without him.
   • If he refused, Ireena says he won't come, and you can only go on without him.

   The quest moves to Procession. Ireena and Ismark (and Donavich and Parriwimple, if they're coming) now wait at the open grave in the churchyard behind the church, beside Kolyan's wife. While you're in the churchyard, three finds are close by: a crack in the lych-gate post (search DC 14, or coax the raven on the lych-gate down with Animal Handling DC 13 to show you) holds a flask of Holy Water; reading the oldest names on the old graves (History DC 13) points out a grave dug up and filled in again (search DC 14: a Wand of Secrets); and the rope of the well in the square (search DC 12) has a Potion of Healing.

5. The burial. Talk to Ireena, Ismark, Donavich or Parriwimple at the grave.
   • With Donavich, he begins the rites. If Doru is still locked under the church, the boy howls for his father partway through and Donavich loses the words. [Religion DC 12] "Take up the prayer where he lost it." or a Cleric's "Pray with him, one voice under his." carries him through and makes him friendly; a failed roll, or "Wait for him to find his voice.", leaves him to finish in a whisper. Either way these count as the church's rites.
   • Without him, Ismark asks someone to say something. A Cleric can "Speak the rites of your own faith over him." (Ireena turns friendly, Liriel +2). [Religion DC 12] "Recite the Morninglord's burial prayer" works pass or fail (Ireena finishes it if you stumble). "Say a few honest words of your own." earns Godrick +1 and Thistle +1. "Fill in the grave. There's no time for words." is the hasty burial: Ireena turns cool (Liriel -3, Godrick -2, Kip -1) and, as step 6 explains, the dead will rise.
   • Kolyan goes into the ground. The quest ends (Buried), Ireena's Escort moves to Ready, and every party member may level up (a milestone).
6. Strahd at the lych-gate. Unless you freed Doru, Strahd von Zarovich appears at the lych-gate as soon as the grave is filled. He has a word for several of you, and for Ireena's scarf if you saw what's under it.

   

   • "Ireena is under our protection. Leave." is defiant (Godrick +2, Thistle +2, Wren +1, Kip -1).
   • [Intimidation DC 20] "Come one step closer and find out what we're capable of." is one try. Pass or fail, it counts as defiance (Thistle +2, Kip -2, Ratatouille -1).
   • "What do you want with her?" only gets an answer and returns you to the choice.
   • "Bow, and answer him with courtesy." (Liriel +1, Kip +1, Ratatouille +1, Thistle -2, Wren -1, Godrick -1) is the only answer after which he simply leaves.
   • "Attack him." (Thistle +1, Kip -3, Ratatouille -2): your blows pass through mist.
   • "Say nothing."

   Every answer except courtesy ends with Strahd choking Ismark with a look until Ireena begs him to stop. After defiance or an attack, the churchyard graves split open and the village's dead come for you. After silence or courtesy he leaves without a fight, unless you buried Kolyan hastily: then the unblessed grave wakes the dead anyway.

7. The churchyard dead (if they rise). At level 3 or higher it's 4 × Strahd Zombie and 2 × Zombie (900 XP, moderate); below level 3, one Strahd zombie and two zombies. Strahd zombies lose limbs to heavy slashing or bludgeoning hits and the severed parts keep fighting until the body drops, so finish one zombie at a time. An ordinary zombie's Undead Fortitude can't save it from radiant damage or a critical hit.

   If you freed Doru, he perches on the churchyard wall instead of Strahd and delivers his master's message. "Tell your master the answer is no." (defiant) or "Attack him." brings up the dead as above. "Doru. Your father is still praying for you." sends him away (Liriel +2, Godrick +1, Wren +1), with no fight unless the burial was hasty.

8. At the grave afterwards. If there was a fight, Ireena and Ismark stand by the grave when it's over. Talk to Ismark first: he gives you his father's sword, a Weapon, +1 blessed in Vallaki, and then hands you over to Ireena. Her question about leaving belongs to Ireena's Escort. If there was no fight, Ismark hands you the sword right there in the burial scene, and it runs straight on into Ireena's question.

Choices and endings

The quest has one ending, Buried, but how you got there sticks.

• Rewards. A milestone level (most parties reach level 4 here) and Kolyan's +1 Longsword: Ismark gives it in the burial scene if there was no fight, or at the grave if you talk to him before answering Ireena after one. The Gem of Brightness listed above comes from Father Donavich only when you destroy Doru with his blessing (see The Priest's Son).
• How he was buried. Ireena remembers it when she answers you: angry after a hasty burial, pleased with Donavich's rites, thankful for a cleric's rites or for honest words. A hasty grave stays a rough, unmarked mound. The village knows too: ask Vasile and Petre in the square for gossip and they say the burgomaster was buried "properly, with the priest" if Donavich said the rites, properly with "one of the strangers" saying the prayers if your cleric did, and with "no priest, mind" any other way.
• Your answer to Strahd. Strahd brings it up again when he rides past you on the road, and at his dinner table in Castle Ravenloft if you defied or attacked him. In Vallaki the Baron has heard if you defied or attacked him, and Lady Wachter if you defied him, attacked him or bowed to him. Defying him adds 1 to how closely Strahd watches you; attacking him adds 2.
• Morgantha and her pastry cart leave the village square once the burgomaster is buried.
• Kolyan's grave. If Madam Eva's reading names Kolyan as your ally, you can call him back at his grave later. That takes a cleric or bard of 9th level and 500 gp of diamonds.

If you're stuck

• The mansion door won't open. It opens once you've given Ismark an answer (yes or no) or Ireena has let you in. Saying "Goodbye" to Ismark doesn't count.
• Donavich has no burial option. You have to agree to help first, with Ismark or Ireena.
• Donavich isn't at his altar. During the procession he waits at the grave if he's officiating.
• The dead in the square. After you've met Ismark, walking into the village square at night (19:00 to 6:00) brings out the dead, once: 2 × Strahd Zombie and 4 × Zombie at level 3 or higher (600 XP), three zombies below. Wait for morning if you can.
• Ismark's sword is missing. On the routes without a fight (courtesy, silence, or telling Doru his father prays for him, after a proper burial), he gives it in the burial scene, just before Ireena's question. After a fight he gives it only at the graveside, and he leaves the grave as soon as you give Ireena any answer about the escort, even "Not yet", so talk to him first.

Rewards

• Gem of Brightness
• A level (milestone)

What your companions think

• Liriel Dawnsong: +2 you gave Kolyan the rites of your own faith; -3 you filled in Kolyan's grave without a word; +2 you promised Ireena a proper burial for her father; +1 you agreed to help Ismark bury his father
• Godrick Pendlebrook: +1 you said a few honest words over a man you never met; -2 you filled in Kolyan's grave without a word; +2 you promised Ireena a proper burial for her father; +2 you agreed to help Ismark bury his father; +1 you came back to help bury Kolyan after all
• Thistle: +1 you said a few honest words over a man you never met
• Kip Smudgewick: -1 you filled in Kolyan's grave without a word; +1 you agreed to help Ismark bury his father

Journal

Related

• People: Ismark Kolyanovich, Ireena Kolyana, Father Donavich, Parriwimple, Doru
• Places: Village of Barovia, Village Church, Burgomaster's Mansion, Blood of the Vine
• Next in the story: Ireena's Escort