05th July - A long walk through the mist
General Summary
It is late at night, and the full moon is shining brightly in the night sky. The forest was eerily silent as Lars pursued the tracks of a mysterious beast, the trail leading him to a rustic tavern nestled at the edge of the woods.
Inside, Aeli savored her meal, her keen eyes catching the sight of Lars entering, looking wary and on edge. Vidar descended the stairs, their stomachs rumbling. They greet the barmaid and order a hearty meal, oblivious to the brewing tension.
The enticing aroma of food distracted Marcus, causing him to bump into a Tiefling who had just entered. The Tiefling, Sorrow, looked around the tavern, seeking warmth and refuge from the cold evening air. Lars, unfamiliar with Tieflings, eyed Sorrow cautiously, his hand never straying far from his weapon.
As night fell, a panicked townfolk rushed in, whispered urgently to the barmaid, and hurried out with a bundle of provisions. Vidar, with their sharp hearing, caught snippets of their conversation, noting mentions of mist, wolves, and werewolves. Fear gripped the locals, and one by one, they quickly left the tavern, leaving the adventurers in uneasy silence.
Arrigal, entered and approached the party. In an accented voice he says, “I have been sent to you to deliver this message. If you be creatures of honor, you will come to my Master’s aid at first light. It is not advisable to travel the Svalich Woods at night!” He pulls from his tunic a sealed letter, addressed to all five adventurers in beautiful flowing script. He drops the letter on the table. “Take the west road from here some five hours march down through the Svalich Woods. There you will find my master in Barovia.” Amid the silent stares of the patronage, the man strides to the bar and says to the wary barmaid, “Fill the glasses, one and all. Their throats are obviously parched.” He drops a purse heavy with gold on the bar. With that, he lleaves.
The adventurers introduced themselves and read the letter, which detailed a plea for help from the Burgomeister of Barovia to help him protect the love of his life, Ireena from a terrible evil.
Deciding to rest before embarking on their mission, the party prepared for the night. Lars tested his keys at all the doors, gaining access to rooms that were not meant for him.
Sorrow, wary of potential threats, secured her room with ball bearings, and she and Vidar both prop chairs under the door handles to their room to reinforce their makeshift barricade.
In the dead of night, Lars heard wolves howling, but the dense mist obscured any movement outside. Investigating the noise, Lars ventured into the hall, only to be startled by the barmaid dropping a tray, shattering the silence. Morning light revealed tracks of wolves and something larger, confirming Lars’s suspicions of nocturnal prowlers.
Aeli awoke to the sight of three ravens perched outside her window, which flew off as she approached.
With their goal set, the party embarked on their journey to aid the Burgomeister of Barovia. The forest quickly enveloped them in a thick mist, reducing their visibility to mere feet. They eventually emerge from the mist and find themselves on a forest path with looming trees on either side, clouds threatening rain and the sunlight strangely muted.
Lars smelled death in the air. Upon investigating, they noticed the bushes rustling but dismissed it as wind or small animals. The path leads them to large stone buttresses flanking a massive iron gate, foreboding and ancient.
The party take a brief respite, enjoy a meal and take care of necessities before continuing.
As they keep walking down the path, a foul scent leads them to a gruesome discovery: a human corpse half-buried in the underbrush about fifteen feet from the road. The young man appeared to be a commoner, all signs clearly showing he has been dead for several days. His muddy clothes are torn and raked with claw marks. Crows have been at the body, which is surrounded by paw prints and a crumpled envelope found in his pocket.
The letter, also from the Burgomeister, was in direct contradiction of the letter Arrigal delivered only a day ago. It was more of a warning for all to stay away as they are currently plagued by a Vampyr, who has been draining life from the town, and sadly his daughter Ireena the latest victim.
Eventually, the gravel road leads to a village, its tall houses dark as tombstones. Nestled among these solemn dwellings are a handful of closed-up shops. Even the tavern is shut tight.
A soft whimpering draws their eyes toward a pair of children standing in the middle of an otherwise lifeless street. The younger one one tearfully pleading for help, claiming a monster was in their house with their parents and baby brother still inside.
Aeli swiftly led the children to an empty house for safety while the party readied themselves to face whatever lies in wait inside the house.
Notes
Report Date
09 Jul 2024
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