---

"The cathedral lay in disrepair, a saddening sight, though one much too commonplace in the somber hellhole of what is Barovia. The Hand of Fate, consisting of the timid yet hopeful chef and kobold paladin Rorka, the stern and strongly worded dwarf wizard Orrin, and the ironed stomach and ironed willed drow Beryl, made their way through the ground floor of the holy site. The remains of each room whispered their stories to the party, clear signs of struggle and decay greeted each member through the quiet walk.

A stairwell was found, leading to a balcony that overlooked the main hall for church services. As the three made their way up the spiraling steps, each subtle footstep made the planks moan in a sickening echo. It was as if the very floorboards were breathing, struggling out a death raddle as the group went further within. Beryl reached the landing and noticed two figures upon a bench. Deciding to make introductions, he headed over to the slumped bodies. However he jumped back as the two creatures lunged for him as he greeted himself; these weren't shivering church-goers, these were corpses brought back from the hereafter as a sick joke from Strahd.

Somehow steady on his feet despite lingering scent of a recent binge drink, Beryl unsheathed his blade in a flash. His sword hit true and deep, a strong kick followed its path as he freed his weapon from the monster's side. Continuing his momentum, Beryl used his free hand to withdraw his flintlock. The deafening darkness recoiled for a spilt second as the drow fired his gun against the staggered corpse. The attacks made the zombie collapse into the other, and both fell back into the darkness of the first floor. Beryl sighed a brief of relief, as the others joined him. They were on a mission, and if Strahd though he was too afraid of a simple zombie, then the vampire lord had another thing coming to him."

---

Not necessarily furry art, but recent art I made nonetheless. This is of one of my friend's characters, Beryl Alexandrite of the Black Diamond group, and now semi-official leader of the Hand of Fate. I wanted to try out atmospheric lighting and harder poses, so I hope it came out well. The image is slightly cropped due to file size limit, but I hope it looks nice. Any suggestions, critiques, or feedback is always welcome!