Open Season

Session 27

Session 26

Session 24 & 25

You lock yourselves into the winery as best you can from the hordes of tree creatures. Soon, two horrid looking figures reveal themselves to you and that you are not wanted here. You strike out against each other as a hive of more twig creatures is revealed inside an empty wine vat.   Chorus and Toshi pursue one of the forest folk seen wielding a black wicker staff as he runs along the upper level. You stop him and knock him unconscious. As Arabella runs up to inspect the body you carry on deeper into the winery. In the main fermentation room, twig blights continue to swarm out of the vat, Timbo, Tass, Dee Knaw, and Luven continue to fight them off while Luven continues to search, opening up another door to the outside by mistake. Ravens from the upper level swarm down and also do their part to pick off a few blights.   Back up top Toshi stumbles upon a group of goblins speaking with another one of the forest folk. He hears the end of the following conversation: "Strahd promised this land for us! For Char'uul! You may worship Strahd like a god, but you do not serve under his instruction" Attention is turned back to Toshi as they begin to brawl in the hallway. Chorus follows and inspects a room and finds old bloody bandages along with a small leather pouch to hold small jars and alchemy ingredients also a jar of blood. Toshi takes this later.   Continuing on the fight the Hobgoblin leader calls for the forest folk to flea, "Head back to Yesterhill! Prepare your creature for attack!" That figure bestows a boon onto the hobgoblin before fleeing in the form of a swarm of insects.   Throughout the winery just as it seems you are gaining control of the building the barricaded door bursts open and somewhere in the building you hear Arabella scream. You rush up just in time to see her fighting with the now conscious tree hobo man, over control of the black staff. In an act of desperation she snaps the staff and out bursts a wave of decay, instantly killing the encroaching blights. Black soot stains her palms and her body grows cold as magical healing is unable to wake her.   Toshi rushes around the building and takes the contents of a chest from one of the bedrooms: Inside the chest are 50 gp, 270 ep (each electrum coin stamped with the profiled visage of Strahd von Zarovich), and 350 sp. Also a secret compartment. It holds a gold locket (worth 25 gp) containing a painted portrait of a beautiful woman, as well as a pouch containing five 50 gp gemstones.   Luven speaks with the ravens who ominously command you to "return to the Martikovs. Someone there can help you". With that you run back to the Martikov's forest loadge, Chorus carrying Arabella's cold body. The initial alarm and panic from the Martikov's is quelled by the family elder, Davian. "Come, I think it is time for you to meet the silver flame." He walks you maybe 100 feet into the woods where a figure is seen chopping wood. The figure turns to addresss you, her left arm in a sling, a strand of silver white hair from her forehead blowing in the breeze like a flame. Standing before you is Ara Grimsbane

Session 23: High Flying Bird

You pursue the surviving hobgolbin to find her tied up to a tree. She is confused and refuses to believe that anyone other than your group stopped her and tied her up. You also find a silver arrow shot into her shoulder.   You question her and she reveals that her and the rest of the Granduul Hobgoblin tribes have found favor with Strahd and he has promised them prosperity under his service. When given an ultimatum she chooses to fight for her freedom against Toshi hoping that she could use the opportunity to escape and flee. Despite that she is unable to get away and is struck down by Toshi. On her person all that is found is a fiendish mask and a handwritten note with the word "Varenguul"   You return back to camp and finish the rest for the night.   Day 13   You travel for almost another full day before coming across the property of the Wizard of Wines winery. Before you can continue on a weary hunter from the woods warns you the winery is not safe. He is revealed to be a man Tass met back in Vallaki, in the Blue Water Inn. He has been doing work for the family that owns and runs the winery, the Martikovs.   He takes you to the lodge they are holding up in, and you learn that the winery was attacked maybe 5 days ago by the "forest folk" and their devilish blights. You meat Adrian, eldest son of the family who informs you of the situation and the winery layout. Apart from concern over recovering their family's livelihood he is also weary that this may not be where the forest folk stop, and they may continue to march through Barovia.   With the information you head off towards the winery. You trek through the sprawling vineyards that surround the estate like building and are swarmed by vile plant creatures, evading and fighting against them as you charge forward to the winery. You find the open loading dock, charging inside and establish ways to fortify your position, Toshi and Chorus prepping to roll a wagon at the horde of creatures, while Luven and Tass find barrels to weigh the doors shut behind them.

Session 22: Dream # 1

Your team discusses its next course of action. Van Richten expresses that he should not continue to travel with you but offers you his life in exchange for saving his. He tells you he will answer your call for your final fight with Strahd, but until then he must return to Vallaki to reclaim some supplies.   He offers up one of his leads, a secret organization he knows as "The Keepers of the Feather". He warns you to use caution while you seek them out. Don't do anything that may expose them to Strahd. He intercepted one of their messages that came from the Wizard of Wines Winery, and tells you that may be the best place to start the trail. With that Van Richten plans on waiting in Drundle as well as checking in with the Vistani camp looking for willing bodies to take a stand with you.   During your travels west, you narrowly avoid bumping into a horde of wandering zombies as you bed down for the night. Chorus dreams of his time undersea until it is perverted into a taunting message from Strahd.   Day 12   You continue for another day coming across some inept hunters before settling down for the night. During your rest you group is discovered and attacked by another group of hobgoblins. Despite being caught off guard, your group has learned much since you last faced a group like this and you hold your own, before one begins to flee into the dark woods...

Session 21: Live Like Horses

You group squares off in your first fight against Strahd. While it is clear his first priority is to claim Ireena he still manages to send you all running, destroying your weapons or gravely wounding you.   During the fight his werewolf army also attempts to capture Van Richten, but you swipe him up and take off with him. You regroup on the western bank of Lake Zarovich and discuss with Van Richten.   He says you cannot return to Vallaki, and plan on continuing west. He reveals he has heard mentions of a secret organization known only as "The Keepers of the Feather" and it is likely they may not be allies of Strahd's regime. Someone at the Wizard of Wines Winery may be able to give you a clue.

Session 20: Tower of Babel

You are all urgently lead to the western wall of Vallaki, where this mysterious jester figure, named Rictavio revealed a concealed underground tunnel as a way to get in and out of the city.   To try and be stealthier your group convinces Chorus to dismiss his new giant lizard mount, Duffy. You travel for 3 hours before you make it to the tower that Ireena had told you about. During the travel you try to make conversation with Rictavio, but he is reluctant to say too much until you reach your destination. He claims to have a common goal with you and you all have a shared interest in keeping Sasha(Ireena) alive and away from Strahd.   After performing a perimeter sweep to confirm no one is spying, Rictavio navigates you through the towers defenses and you ride a chain driven elevator to through the rickety tower to the top floor where you are reunited with Ireena.   Rictavio removes his disguise revealing himself to be an old human monster hunter named Rudolph Van Richten. He came to Barovia about 3 years ago to stalk, and hunt Strahd. He has a hunch that Strahd is more than just a vampire and there is something more to his power.   You all decide to break into the book you stole from Wachter house before heading back to the church. After three hours of reading the tower is surrounded by howling and a booming voice calling from outside demanding Ireena be surrendered. Van Richten is alarmed and has no idea how Strahd found you all insisting that you were not followed or watched. You recognize the voice of Strahd and he further threatens to bring Ismark to coax out Ireena. He also threatens to trigger the magical traps of the tower and bring it crashing down. You all decide to stay thinking that Strahd will eventually leave because after all he has a very important meeting in Vallaki tomorrow.   The tower begins to rumble before the entire structure shatters in an instant and you are all blinded while the tower collapses around you. Miraculously you sit alive surrounded by the rubble and only Ireena and Arabella are knocked unconscious, (healed up by Tass). You look out and see Lenark, the side burned man from Vallaki walking towards you. The prophecy from Madam Eva echos in the wind "You will face the devil many times" as Lenark's form shifts into his true form, that of Strahd Von Zarovich.

Session 19: Ball and Chain

Level 5   After killing the dragon, looting its horde as well as the Vistani treasure, and burning the source of the diseased plants you head back through the swamp and make it back to Drundle. You inform hilt of your actions and the dragon that was found. He thanks you and offers up Drundle as a sanctuary for whenever you need a place to stay or rest.   You leave and stop back back at the Vistani camp and offer up the treasure. They encourage you to keep your share saying you have earned it and they have much less use for their treasure if they cannot take it to trade with other worlds. From here you rest at their camp for the night.   Day 11   When you awake and prepare to head back into Vallaki, Luvash, Arabella's uncle overhears your talk of Strahd, and shares what he has heard about a rare artifact. He tells you about what you know as the Bones of St Andall, and asks that if you ever come across them to bring them to the Vistani camp in hopes that they may protect them from Strahd.   You hurry up into the city and make it to the Church where the bones are placed on the basement altar and the Church is consecrated. Unfortunately Ireena is nowhere to be found.   Tass sends a magical message out to Ireena, to which she responds that she is safe and in an old Wizard tower North West of Vallaki. Chorus goes outside to summon a mount for himself, and draws attention from some aggressive villagers. An unnamed figure reveals himself by killing these aggressors and urges you to come with him for he can take you to Sasha(Ireena)...

Session 18: Ego

Your group faces down a young green dragon, one who has cultivated this disease as a methods of debilitating it's prey allowing it to spend most of its time hidden in its cave, hiding from the outside world and from prospective Trace Hunters.   You overcome this tense battle through teamwork by aiding each other. When the beast is slain you turn to the horde of the dragon, a collection of items belonging to fallen prey or things brought to the dragon by its lizard folk servants.   Arabella conducts a reading to identify the following items:   1 Dark Shard Amulet 1 Pole of Angling 1 Potion of Storm Giant Strength 1 Necklace of Adaptation   Custom Items   1 AMP Coil Mark II (Magic Scabbard) 2 Bands of the Monolith   Treasure amounts : to be added later

Session 17: All the Nasties

Day 10   You awake and quickly run back to Drundle to find a means of opening the box from wachterhouse and to put an end to the disease plaguing that land.   You stop at the Vistani camp and are gifted a rudimentary set of theives tools which Luven expertly uses to open the boobytrapped lock revealing an ancient, hand written tome with a seal of a raven on the cover. Among it are crumbled and broken bones...not the bones you seek though.   You finish the trip back to Drundle and without meeting up with anyone you head right off into the swamp with Chorus leading the way as the rest of you do your best to avoid the spore producing lilly pads.   You come to an empty vistani wagon, robbed of all of its contents by lizard folk. A little further and you see lizard folk carrying in a dead humanoid body.   You follow them inside a cave and walk among the dried up bones of a large hydra. Further still you find large blue fruit that looks to produce the vines that lead to the lillypads permeating the swamps.   You pursue and eliminate the two lizard folk but that leads you face to face with a large green Dragon....

Session 16: Sleeping with the Past

After the events of the Massacre you plan to infiltrate the wachterhouse to claim the item prophesied by Madam Eva and Arabella.   With some spider shape from Luven you find rooms filled with cats, a strange acting woman locked in a room, empty bedrooms and the master bedroom with a dead but preserved male body laying on one side of the bed.   You find a heavy lockbox and with some help from Tass, Luven is able to make his escape and rejoin the group.

Session 15: Don't Trust That Woman

As the chaos from the festival massacre calms down, an old woman, Lady Fiona Wachter, addresses the crows and declares Vallaki free from the tyrant Baron Vargas. She banishes Lash for being an accomplice with the Baron and for the harm he has done to the people of Vallaki. You meet with Lash out side the castle walls and you plan for him to lay low north of the lake and asks you to come find him when you need him for a fight.   You check in with Ireena (Sasha) and father Lucian at the church and they seem to be fine and taking care of scared townspeople.   You are invited to the Wachter house and you are lead to the gated mansion that Luven had previously found. You enter and speak with Lady Wachter. She explains her motivations and that she is not afraid of Strahd. He has the power to improve Vallaki so she aims to appease him so that he can bestow good fortunes on all of them. She shares her plan in bring Strahd to Vallaki in 3 days time. For now her only request is for your cooperation during this regime shift.   You make it back to the empty Blue Water Inn to discuss the state of Vallaki and plan your next move.

Session 14: Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me

With your group managing to piece together the source of the disease you decide to rest for the night, setting out to find the source of the roots first thing in the morning. During the night Chorus and Arabella are awoken by one of her dreams. She reveals what she saw was blood raining down onto a city below she recognized as Vallaki. Winged bats descended on the city and violence erupted. Concerned by this Chorus encourages Arabella to try and reach out and better interpret her dream.   For the rest of the night Arabella meditates before finally entering a trance and conducting her own card reading where she draws the abjuration card where she reads a prophecy previously given by madam Eva telling you to look for a wealthy woman, a staunch ally of the devil. Arabella says she actually managed to see this woman and is confident that she would recognize her if you ever saw her again.   Day 9   This dream gets shared with the party and you decide it best to rush up to Vallaki in hopes of stopping this vision from happening. You share what you have learned about the disease with Hilt and warn the village against wandering back into the water or risk contracting the disease, and you tell him that you need to leave. He shows his disappointment but does nothing to halt your new plan and wishes for you to do what you think is necessary.   You arrive at Vallaki and are guided to the town square where you see the Baron, and his wife beginning the opening ceremonies. A disturbance in the crowd distracts Lash and the other guards and an uncountable number of assassins overwhelm them and one successfully slits the throat of the Baron. Your party splits among the chaos, attacking these assassins, and you notice they are only attacking guards or attacking to defend themselves against you.   The assassins begin to disappear, slipping away into allys, before a new regime of soldiers reveal themselves dispersing themselves around you and the panicked citizens. An old woman walks out with them shoulder to shoulder declaring! "All is well! The Baron is dead! and Vallaki is finally FREE!"

Session 13: Sick City

With your group forming back up you decide to start finding the source of this disease. You speak with Hilt, who has been speaking with the citizens and gather information. He directs you to a small boy Rodney, the boy that Herb healed but then fell ill shortly after a few days. You speak to him about his experience.   He release that against the orders of his parents he snuck outside and ran to the water to play. While there he saw a weird yellow flower on a lily pad. He picked the flower but said that it died quickly. He eventually tells you that he also noticed the flower give off some weird dust, most likely spores. He is still sick and Herb is holding onto the last dose of antitoxin and waiting for when the boy needs it most, afraid that he may get sick shortly after.   Luven wades out into the water to take a sample of the flower and also notices that all of the lily pads are connected by an underwater root system that runs south. Herb tells you that long ago there was known to be a hydra in a cave to the south.   Luven, Timbo, and Toshi decide to head back into Vallaki to give a sample of the flower to the herbalist, Anya. During your travel Toshi contracts the disease. When you make it to Anya you ask if she can help heal Toshi. You finally agree to a deal to offer her the sample of the flower and spores and she will heal Toshi there on the spot. Before heading back to Drundle you are warned by Danika from the tavern that tomorrow is the festival of the blazing son in Vallaki and attendance is mandatory. She suggests you not spend the night in the city or else you will be forced to attend the festival. With that, you head off into the night back to Drundle as you run off into the swamp.

Session 12: Medicine Man

[Last night's session took about 3 hours in game so no one has had a long rest yet]. The group met and talked to Herb. They learned that when he fell ill (about two weeks ago) he was out in the swamp collecting a general healing herb called "Harpy Feathers". He has used this herb to make a healing elixir to remedy his own sickness and the sickness of another boy, but that boy fell ill again two days later while Herb appears to remain healthy.   Your group offered to explore the marsh to collect more of the herb. Tass would tend to the sick and Dee and Toshi take the time to rest. Luven spoke to an owl to employ its help searching in the west while you search east. After VERY good rolls, you managed to get enough harpy feathers to make a single dose of the remedy but at the cost of Arabella and Timbo falling ill. Chorus healed Arabella using the blessing of his goddess. Oh, and you also fought a giant constrictor snake. *Luven will remember this*   When you returned to Drundle you are met by the owl from earlier except he is panicking and flying into things after being rendered nearly blind by the unnamed illness. Through an internal struggle Luven heals the owl that he had sent on this search. The owl had unfortunately not found any of the herb.

Session 11: Crocodile Rock

Day 8   The group wakes up in the Vistani camp south of Valaki, heading out in search of the village, Drundle. After defending themselves from a giant crocodile and lizard men, Timbo and Tass start showing symptoms of hazy vision. With some magic they relieve themselves of it as they head into Drundle.   You are met with warm welcomes and the appearance of other creatures besides humans and elves. You mean an elf named An'voral, a druid of the shepard circle from the Jades. He has been assigned to Drundle nearly 2 years ago after the evil druid Osiris poisoned the land. In an attempt to make up for the actions of their former member An'voral serves as a custodian to the land to help it heal.   You meet up with the town leader, Hilt, who is eager to hear any updates about the state of Drundle and how it is surrounded by the new land of Barovia. He calls for a town meeting hoping you to speak to the people.

Session 10: The Man Who Never Died

After watching the public execution of Bluto, Timbo showed a keen interest in Lash, the captain of the Valakian guard. You confronted Lash and confirmed him to be Timbo's long thought dead younger brother. The two brothers are overjoyed to be reunited. After a tense standoff between Lash, and Danika at the Blue Water Inn you begin drinking and talking of Valaki. A man playing cards prepares a dagger before sheathing it when the stand off dissipates.   Lash tells his story how Timbo and their other siblings were kidnapped outside of Barovia to be used as slaves. Lash was heavily scared and injured but eventually got free and found himself back in Barovia and joined back up with the Vistani. As the years went on Lash's physical condition was getting worse and worse as his left side had been crippled. The Vistani take him to the Abbot in Kresk hoping to heal Lash. Lash was indeed healed, his torn and disfigured flesh replaced with jagged and ridged material giving off a faint green aura.   Lash accuses the Vistani of casting him out soon after; nearly two years ago. They said he acted unbecoming of a Vistana, and was no longer one of them. He found a new home in Valaki, where the burgomaster, Baron Vargas Vallakovich recognized Lash's strength and gave him purpose as his captain of his guard. Lash displays intense loyalty towards the Baron, and a few times you witness his temper flare up.   Tass, confronts the man with the dagger, catching on to his sketchy nature, before returning to the group. The group informs Lash of the missing bones and that it may be important in protecting Valaki. he promises to continue an investigation and inform you of his findings when you return. With that you leave Valaki to deliver Arabella to her father and to stop by the fletcher.   The fletcher offers up some finely made bows before drawing your attention to some unique arrows that Timbo purchases. he reveals he got them from a strange vendor in a new village deep in the southern woods. He claims the towns name was Drundle...

Session 9: Slow Down Georgie

After making your way back to shore, you question the man revealed to be named Bluto. Guards meet you to take Bluto away saying he will be dealt with when Captain Lash gets his hands on him. Bluto tells you that he hears voices and they told him to drown Arabella saying that there can only be one. Then Bluto's eyes change and he stares at each one of you with his new piercing eyes. Chorus hides his face but he gazes at each of you.   Bluto is taken away and Arabella and Arrigal inform you of the local Vistani camp where Arabella's father resides. You make tentative plans to deliver Arabella back there and will try to stay in contact with her. For now they agree to stay with you until you head south towards the camp.   Tass, Toshi, and Timbo head back to the church to check in on Ireena. She introduces you to Father Lucian who confides in you that the church cannot be truly safe until the sacred bones of St Andral are returned to the church's crypt. Only then will the church be consecrated and become a safe place for Ireena. Father Lucian admits that few know of the bones, but that he told a young orphan boy, Yeska, the story of the bones to help lift his spirits.   Tass suspects that Yeska had stolen the bones but after an unconventional questioning doesn't see anything to indicate that Yeska would have done such a thing.   The group heads back to the Blue Water Inn to rest for the night, leaving Ireena in the care of the church.   Day 7   You awaken and after returning to the church for Luven to learn more about the bones you begin your search of the city using Locate Object you scan the West, North, and Eastern blocks of the city not finding your target.   You do notice a conspicuous figure following you, and while taking the form of a mouse, Luven follows the figure as he flees to the north end of town and enters a decrepit but grand mansion. As Luven guides the rest of the party to this building you are swept up in the crowd that gathers in the town square.   A public execution is building for the criminal, Bluto. The Baron's right hand man, Captain Lash, stands on the stage, a viciously deformed left arm made of sharp jagged black glass that also climbs up that side of his face and around a glowing green eye. The crevasse of his deformity crackle like glowing green embers. He shouts out to the crowd, praising the Baron, and rousing excitement for the coming festival. As a sign to any others that may disturb the peace in Vallaki, he cleaves off Bluto's head.

Session 8: Madman Across the Water

With the Trace settling into the Blue Water Inn you meet the woman behind the bar, Danika Martikov. When you ask her about work to make money she offers the job of journeying west from Vallaki to the winery. They are overdue for another shipment of wine and will pay you if you return with the next shipment. She also directs you to two other stores that you ask about, a blacksmith, and an apothecary.   While you workshop a place for Ireena (Sasha) to stay you ask her of any useful skills or trades she might have. She admits she is a quite capable nurse (of sorts) and can mend wounds and knows some basic remedies.   You visit the blacksmith, Piersym Rowley, an old weathered man trained by an old dwarf adventurer. Tass pays to get the hobgoblin splint mail repaired, while Chorus catches a glimpse of a pile of weapons in the back of the shop. Piersym shares that they were from his mentor's collection and all he has left to remember him by. You ask him about buying arrows or bows and he refers you to a fletcher who can be found outside of the city in the southern forest.   On your next stop you enter the apothecary and meet Anya Trevali, a half elf half Vistani woman. Health potions and others can be bought here. She offers discounts to you if you bring her exotic herbs or materials and she will find ways to make them into potions for her store. Sasha asks about being an apprentice of hers. Anya unfortunately does not feel she can provide Sasha with the pay or the housing she needs but happily refers the group to the church at the far west end of the city.   Walking back towards the city square, you come across a battered and disoriented Vistani man, he frantically begins searching around shouting "where is she! She's Gone! ARABELLA!". He brought his niece, a young Vistani child named Arabella into Vallaki, and the last thing he remembers is a large bulbous bald man striking him on the head. When he awoke Arabella is nowhere to be found.   Despite getting a prophecy, referring to a Vistani child, that literally says "find her at the lake!" the group decides to split up to begin searching the city. Chorus and Toshi head towards the lake, and Luven speaks with animals hoping some nearby vermin saw the kidnapping. He comes across some ravens who offer a single word to him "Lake".   Chorus sees the large drunk man you encountered earlier, loading a writhing burlap sack into a small rowboat, and push off towards the center of the lake. With Chorus diving in and swimming after, the rest of the group regroups in the square and heads down to the lake. The man in the boat says "the work is almost done, soon there will be no one but master" before tossing the bag into the water that sinks like a rock. Chorus keeps hidden underwater and dives after the bundle eventually reaching it and freeing a young girl from the brick filled bag. She has started drowning but with a creative use of "Gust of Wind", Chorus is able to force air back into the girls lungs and keep her alive long enough to make it back to shore where you meet with everyone else.   Chorus offers the girl to the vistani man, diving back in to pursue the crazed man. Luven takes the form of a fish and follows Chorus. The rest stand around the girl to make sure she is all right. Her eyes open and she looks at you all, claiming to recognize each of you from her dreams. Dreams where water filled a room but you all appeared to her and the water went away. She points to each of you and speaks your name and in another unsettling display her eyes turn white.   She speaks "He is trying to reach the other side of the lake to escape...but that's alright. Chorus will stop him"   You all load up into available row boats and eventually reach the man's boat where Chorus and Luven have caught and restrained him.

Session 7: Burning Buildings

The Trace squares off against Granny in her revealed fiendish form. Early into the fight they decide it would be better to not stay in the confined space of the windmill. You see granny nearly tear off Chorus's arm and she nullified an attempted healing spell from Tass. On top of that you hear more creatures calling down from an upper level. You all manage to leave with Toshi downing a potion of fire breathing and using the fire to cover your escape. One by one you each escape the windmill but not before Granny turned Dee into a toad forced to hop away to safety behind Toshi.   As granny attempted to follow you a congress of ravens swarms around the windmill and overwhelmed her forcing her back inside. One raven flys around you cawing and diving towards your heads before you decide to abandon the location, continuing on towards Vallaki.   With the smoking windmill behind you you get plenty far away and bed down for the night.   Day 6 - LEVEL 4   You finish the last leg of the journey and reach Vallaki in the late morning. After going through high fantasy customs you are told the rules of Vallaki: Everyone MUST be present for the Festival of the Blazing Sun which is to occur 3 days from now, and no one will speak the name "Strahd". Finally no one will disturb the peace through "uncheerfulness".   You wander to the local tavern, The Blue Water Inn where you see a large portly man uttering disturbing nonsense and shouting "Strahd". This behavior gets him thrown out of the bar.   "Let the guards deal with him, maybe Lash will even get his hands on him" shouts a tavern worker.   After following him for a bit you confront him in an alley. He utters more nonsense but claims he is preparing.... Says he needs to kill someone's enemy. And with that you leave him to be found by the authorities and travel back to the Blue Water Inn to settle in.

Session 6: Have Mercy on the Criminal

The Trace turn their attention to their hobgoblin prisoner. You learn that him and his group are also from Granduul and seem to be thriving in the valley of Barovia. The hobgoblin does not cooperate any further. The group finally decides to be done with the prisoner but if he is going to die he will be unbound and with a sword in his hand.   He is armed and faces Toshi in single combat. Before the duel commences he warns you that there are more members of his warband than what you just fought and they are also in Barovia. Toshi then relieves the hobgoblin of his head.   The group continues back to the main road and continues on the path to Vallaki. After a couple more hours of travel found encounter another landmark on your map, a tall dilapidated windmill. With the goal of potentially using it as a base the Trace approaches. Chorus senses a fiendish presence inside and also desecrated ground out towards the forest behind the windmill.   With Luven shifting down into a spider he is able to enter the windmill and encounters Granny making pies and sprinkling in ground up human bones. Luvan is forced to make a loud and destructive escape in order to get away from Granny and the group rushes in and after a strange and awkward standoff with the inocent granny, Dee throws a wild punch. Granny blocks Dee's fist and reveals herself as a fiendish hag.

Session 5: The Trail We Blaze

Day 4   The Trace wakes up in the Vistani camp amidst the commotion being stirred up by Pavel. The camp becomes torn upon hearing the news that Strahd has forbid all travel through the mists.   Unable to procure alternative transportation or even wagons the Trace continues on by foot to escort Ireena away from Barovia.   They cross a bridge over a river that flows from a mighty waterfall and continue on past the gates that lead to Castle Ravenloft. Hitting another stretch of forest the group comes across two vistani wagons that have been raided with no survivors. They find the only sign that one of the attackers was wounded and follow the trail of blood south into the forest. After nearly loosing the trail they eventually find themselves on the top of the waterfall they saw earlier in the day. They bed down for the night determined to catch these attackers.   Day 5   They pick up in the morning following the trail across the river and almost literally bump into a tribe of hobgoblins. The hobgoblins reveal a prisoner, a vistani woman. They make killing her the priority before the Trace can end the fight. Several goblins manage to flee into the woods but the Trace manages to take a hobgoblin prisoner, and he now has their undivided attention...

Session 4: Tell Me What the Papers Say

The Trace heads back Barovia to retrieve Ireena and begin her journey to safety.   Day 3 They arrive back in the village and make plans to sneak out of the village as early as possible to get Ireena out with plans to head to the Vistani camp at Tser Pool.   They arrive at the end of a long day of travel to be welcomed by the Vistani at their camp. Timbo rounds the group up to consult the village elder Madam Eva. She knows each member by name and knows where they are each from with no prompting from them. She warns them that unless they wish to submit and die that they must confront Strahd. To provide them with crucial information she interprets a series of visions through a card reading:   Card 1: This card tells of history. Knowledge of the ancient will help you better understand your enemy.   Abjurer - Look for a wealthy woman. A staunch ally of the devil (Strahd), she keeps the treasure under lock and key, with the bones of an ancient enemy.   Card 2: This card tells of a powerful force for good and protection, a holy symbol of great hope.   Missionary - The treasure lies in a dragon’s house, in hands once clean and now corrupted.   Card 3: This is a card of power and strength. It tells of a weapon of vengeance: a sword of pure sunlight.   Druid - An ancient tree grows atop a hill of graves where the ancient dead sleep. Earn the favor of the land to claim the treasure. The ravens can help you find it. Look for the treasure there.   Card 4: During your journey you will find people unwilling to join you or claim that they are unable. This card sheds light on one who is different for unlike the others they WILL join you in your crusade.   Seer - I see a child — a Vistana. You must hurry, for her fate hangs in the balance. Find her at the lake!   Card 5: In Barovia you will clash with The Devil more than once but none of those will be the last. This card will lead you to the place where your final confrontation will be, where he will finally draw his sword. From that point you must either kill him or be killed yourselves.   Artifact - He lurks in the depths of darkness, in the one place to which he must return.   As the Trace heads off to sleep for the night they doze off to the stories of the Vistani. One tells of a wizard that came to the valley a year ago, inspired a revolt on the castle before falling in battle against the might of Strahd. The wizard is thought to be killed but of course a body was never found...

Session 3: Border Song

Day 2 The party journeys east towards the mists and on their way they encounter a Vistani family. The father, Pavel, is leading them to the mists as well to journey outside the valley, as the Vistani are allowed to do by Strahd. They find an old wagon, from the world the party was taken from. After clearing out some roaming skeletons and searching the wagon they find an unmarked deck with a note including instructions on how to deliver it.   ”Deliver the deck to Blitzfield. It’s harmless but it should either distract or scare off any orcs for our client.”   They continue on and make it to the misty border, where an ominous 30 ft tall face conjures itself in the wall of mist. It declares:   "Ah Vistana. I regret to inform you that I cannot allow you to leave my domain. I have important matters that I must prepare for, and I cannot afford to have anyone enter or leave Barovia. For the time being. ...My word is FINAL!"   Luven - "Pavel, who was that!?!?"   Pavel - "That...was Strahd"

Session 2: Funeral for a Friend

The party meets Father Donovich and Ismark, and aid in the funeral arrangements of Ismark's late father. After speaking more with Ismark they agree to escort his sister, Ireena, to safety, away from the village. They learn how Strahd has attempted to get to her in the past with his most recent attempt being interrupted by something unseen that drew away the Vampire's attention. Before taking on the task of escorting Ireena, they make plans to head East to investigate the mists as well as the disappearance of "Mad Mary's" daughter, Gertruda.

Session 1: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Day 1 in Barovia as the party becomes acquainted with a local Vistani who offers to journey with them in this strange new realm. They wander into a dour village and learn of the Valley of Barovia and its absolute ruler, Strahd von Zarovich.