Session Three: Into the Domain of One Called Devain

General Summary

Bite Club engage their first night of slumber here at The Blue Water Inn. Some slept peacefully, others barely slept at all. Regardless, all awoke at the crack of dawn for breakfast, before setting out on their first mission as a group.

Urwin explains that the farm is the home base of operations for the Martikov family. Additionally, the party would be wise to avoid mention of him and his wife having been the ones to send them. Family feuds over the years have torn the inn-keep from a relationship with his father which is mutual on both sides, ultimately having led to complications regarding lack of communication if a problem such as this reared it's head. The party is informed that the safer alternative is to address them by their organization as signed off in Blaidd Laurent's letter from Danika: "The Keeper of The Feather". Additionally, Urwin provided them with with a comprehensive family tree of the Martikov's and who they would be able to openly trust.

Anybody explicitly circled are members of Urwin's family whom he believed were trustworthy and still maintained a high(ish) opinion of him. A (?) indicated those he believed could either be an incredibly good ally or, on the contrary, also wished him dead. Finally, a cross indicated the sole individual who could not by any way, shape or form, find out that the party were sent on behalf of him. Additionally, anybody left unmarked was probably indifferent to the situation.

Bite Club arrive at the farm via horse and carriage on loan to them from Urwin's stables. They are apprehended on the footpath about a mile away from where their map would highlight the location of the Conjurer of Caffeine farms was situated by a man who singalled them with the light reflecting off of a handheld mirror. As with all mirrors in Barovia, this reflected their true selves, and so the man was expectantly shocked that three travelers would arrive accompanied by both a were-wolf and a vampire (though all were oblivious as to the former at the time). This man is later to be revealed as Adrien, after he stands down upon hearing their key phrase: "The Keeper of the Feather".

It is apparent that the farm has been undergoing ravenous assault by fiends known as "Needle Blights" over the past few weeks. This explained rather suddenly why no occupants of the farm were able to have found the time to deliver The Blue Water Inn's coffee supply. The Martikovs had developed a rather strict regimen to highlight who would defend the border of their camp, as they'd been forced out of their beloved farm a few weeks ago and forced to reside in the forests to the north. The schedule is documented as followed:

Devain (8am-12pm)

Stephania (12pm-4pm)

Adrien (4pm-8pm)

Kara (8pm-12am)

Dag (12am-4am)

Elvir (4am-8am)

Adrien confesses that his nephew (Viggo) had lost the wheelbarrow intended for delivery when he was coursed into a walk through the woods by his older brother (Claidiu). They'd found little information from Viggo due to his tendency to burst into tears of guilt when confronted- other than that the two boys were attacked and fled back to camp. Upon taking matters into their own hands, Bite Club learned the following:

“I wasn’t able to see the sun from where I was, even though it was morning time.” “There was a gap in the trees overhead, that’s how I was able to fly out.” “I think I heard the wheelbarrow fall on something hard?”

The party split up to investigate. The wheelbarrow had remained undisturbed, albeit heavily guarded by eight Needle Blights who figured that the two defenseless boys might come looking for it eventually. As Adrien had previously stated, these Blights were easy enough to eliminate individually, however their true dangers lie when ambushing as a group. Regardless, our party succeeded in eliminating them one by one and returned to camp in time for Devain to have come off shift and switch with Stephania. The man had his own words to want with Bite Club, though only Blaidd and Cedar approached his tent to hear him out.

Devain disclosed that, by the looks of things, the party could relay the message that this supply would be the last for The Blue Water Inn indefinitely. Three crystals that have been heavily guarded by the Martikov's for decades have all been stolen, though he refused to give specifics. He did, however, make it very clear that he believed his Urwin by admission had begun the domino effect for their downfall, as he had shirked off his duties many moons ago to fornicate with his beloved, resulting in the first of three thefts. Where this crystal had been taken was a mystery.

  Three weeks ago, hags from Berez had been unleashing Scarecrows onto their farms while they still had ownership of their home. These onslaughts eventually ended in the loss of the second crystal. Finally, these Blights had been sent from Yester Hill by the Forrest Folk to the south of their domain. Clearly not satisfied that they had succeeded in ridding them of their final crystal, their minions still continued to terrorize them out of their land to this day. Urwin was exiled from the family over a decade ago, however his mistakes had ruined the Martikov's in the present. His very name is enough to make Devain's blood boil with rage. He stated rather plainly that an innocent man would never flee his father- instead would work to prove his innocence. If a rational individual has been framed and a justifiable argument placed against them, the individual in question would search high and low for an alibi and double their efforts to set things right.

Bite Club believe that they have more than extended their welcome at the farms and decide it best to return to Vallaki, with the knowledge that their inns proprietor's supplies may be endangered. Cedar suggests it best to have a private word with them and Danika advises that they utilize his room, as it is the larger of the three provided, and that she will meet them shortly with some food and drink as a thanks for doing her business a great service. Once reunited, Urwin is visibly horrified at the revelation that all three of his families crystals are no longer in their possession. He recollects that night, as does his wife, both trying to justify their innocence and find ways to consider what possibly could have happened. In a moment of clarity:

"Her sister was with her..."

-he raised his head to report his findings. However, the only remaining trace of Danika having being there at all was a singular black feather where she once sat- none had witnessed her leave.

  The night is consuming the sky at an alarming rate. Will the party be able to find her before she too becomes one with the mists?