The Priest's Son

Walkthrough

Getting the quest

Father Donavich kneels at the altar of the Village Church, on its rise at the north-east of the village. Something under the floor screams at you as you come in. Ask him "Who's screaming under the floor?" and he claims it's a madman he shelters out of charity. To get the truth:

• [Insight DC 10] "That's no madman, Father, and you know it." (one try)
• [Persuasion DC 12] "We can help. But you have to tell us the truth." (one try)
• "Then we'll sit with you, Father, until he goes quiet." This needs no roll: two hours pass while the voice begs and sings, and he gives in (Liriel +2, Godrick +1).
• If you've already been down to the undercroft and seen his son, he admits it at once.

The voice is his son, Doru, who went to storm Castle Ravenloft and came home a vampire spawn. The quest starts at Heard.

Step by step

1. Decide with Donavich. Choose "About your son." for three options:
   • "We'll look for a way to save him." The quest moves to Cure Promised and Donavich turns friendly (Liriel +3, Godrick +2, Kip +1). Doru stays locked below.
   • "Father, let us end his suffering." Win his blessing with [Religion DC 13] "What screams down there isn't Doru..." or [Persuasion DC 15] "One night that bar will break...", or a Cleric's "Speak to him as one priest to another." (no roll). You get one attempt: if a roll fails, he refuses for good and this option disappears. With his blessing he lifts the bar and gives you 2 × Holy Water (Thistle +1, Liriel +1).
   • "We'd like to speak with him. Lift the bar." Either [Persuasion DC 12] "Only talk. You have our word." (one try) or "Then come down with us, Father, and keep your own hand on the bar." (no roll, but an hour passes while he prays).

   You can also skip Donavich: the barred door to the undercroft stair, east of the altar, can be picked with thieves' tools (DC 15), forced with Athletics (DC 17) or opened with Knock.

2. Stock up first. Holy water burns him. If Donavich is friendly (promising a cure, a Cleric praying with him, or steadying his prayer at the burial all do it), "Is there anything you need?" gets you two flasks, unless he's already given you some. Ask him before you open the vestry chest beside the altar: once you've opened it, he just tells you to keep what you took. The chest itself holds two more flasks. There's one more in a crack in the churchyard's lych-gate post (search DC 14). A loose stone under the front pew (Investigation, search DC 14) hides an Amulet of the Devout, +1.
3. Go down to Doru. He hangs upside down from the undercroft ceiling, smiling.

   

   • With his father's blessing, he understands why you've come and asks you to tell Donavich he's sorry. "Rest now, Doru." starts the fight; a Cleric can pray for him as he goes (Liriel +2).
   • Otherwise you can ask who he is and what happened at the castle, try a one-try [Insight DC 13] to see that he's measuring your throats, or have a Cleric pray for him. Then:
     • "This ends now. Attack him." starts the fight.
     • "We'll let you out." followed by "Go, then. The way is open." frees him. The quest ends at Doru Freed, a failure (Kip -3, Liriel -2, Godrick -2, Ratatouille -2, Thistle -1).
     • "We'll leave you here." moves the quest to Doru Left. You can come back down any time.
4. The fight. Doru alone, a Vampire Spawn (1,800 XP): 90 HP at level 3 or higher, 45 HP below. That's above a hard fight for a level 3 party. He climbs walls and ceilings, grabs with his claws (escape DC 13), bites to heal himself, and can dash or disengage as a bonus action. Throw the holy water early, and use the narrow stair so he can't reach more than one of you at a time.
5. Search the undercroft. Doru's heap of rags holds a Dagger, a Holy Symbol (Amulet) and 3 gp. [Medicine DC 13] on the burial niches points out an old priest among the remains (search DC 14) with a Periapt of Health.
6. Tell Donavich. The quest ends at Doru Destroyed when you next speak to him, or when Kolyan is buried, whichever comes first.
   • With his blessing, he thanks you and gives you a shard of the old dawn window: a Gem of Brightness.
   • Without it, he turns hostile and orders you out. If the burgomaster isn't buried yet, he refuses to bury him (The Burgomaster's Burial moves to No Priest), and he won't talk to you again.

Choices and endings

• Doru Destroyed (success). Destroying a spawn of his adds 1 to how closely Strahd watches you. With the blessing you get the Gem of Brightness, and Donavich says the rites at Kolyan's burial without interruption. Without it you lose Donavich for good, and Kolyan is buried without a priest unless he's already in the ground. In Vallaki, Father Lucian (Donavich's old friend) hears what happened either way. The milestone level listed above comes at the burial, not from this quest.
• Doru Freed (failure). Donavich turns cool and sleeps for the first time in weeks. At the burial Doru appears on the churchyard wall in Strahd's place, carrying his master's message, and Ireena reproaches you for letting him go. If Strahd meets you on the road, he thanks you for the boy and mentions the family Doru fed on. Much later you find Doru chained in the dungeon of Castle Ravenloft (Castle Ravenloft, the Dungeon), where you can give him his rest, strike off his chains (a fight) or leave him. The epilogue tells his father's side of it (The Cook's Guests).
• Doru Left or Cure Promised. Doru stays below the church. He howls through Kolyan's burial rites, and Donavich loses the words unless you help him through. Promising a cure follows you: in the Amber Temple, the vestige Tarakamedes tells you there isn't one. You can still go back down and end it.

If you're stuck

• The mercy plea is a single chance. If the roll fails, Donavich refuses for good. You can still destroy Doru, but Donavich will hate you for it.
• Donavich isn't at the altar while he's waiting at Kolyan's grave during the burial procession.

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 sat with Father Donavich through his son's screaming; +3 you promised Donavich you'd look for a way to save his son; -2 you let a starving vampire spawn loose on the village; +2 you prayed for Doru as he went
• 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; +1 you sat with Father Donavich through his son's screaming; +2 you promised Donavich you'd look for a way to save his son; -2 you let a starving vampire spawn loose on the village
• Thistle: +1 you said a few honest words over a man you never met; -1 you let a starving vampire spawn loose on the village
• Kip Smudgewick: -1 you filled in Kolyan's grave without a word; +1 you promised Donavich you'd look for a way to save his son; -3 you let a starving vampire spawn loose on the village
• Ratatouille: -2 you let a starving vampire spawn loose on the village

Fights

• Doru drops from the ceiling without a sound. Whatever was left of the priest's son is gone behind his eyes., in Village Church: Vampire Spawn. Scales with your level.

Journal

Related

• People: Ismark Kolyanovich, Ireena Kolyana, Father Donavich, Parriwimple, Doru
• Places: Village of Barovia, Village Church
• More in The Village of Barovia: Cut After Noon, Mary's Daughter, Six Feet, The Burgomaster's Hound, The Goatherd's Count, The Nursemaid's Grave, The Oat Thief, The Polite Caller