1 Otherworld
General Summary
Boarding the Melsildal
18th Eleint Amethyst and Dragneel boarded the Melsildal in the early morning, followed soon by Vaerys and Hushed Storm. Amethyst, Vaerys and Hush were prompted to assist in setting sail until the ship was on a steady course.
Captain Rieta met with Amethyst and Vaerys below deck, where she confronted Vaerys about why she had brought a Cleric of Bahamut onto her vessel. While still cautious, she accepted Vaerys' assurance that Hush would not cause her any issues.
A Storm is brewing
22nd Eleint Four days into the voyage Captain Rieta called everyone on deck and explained that Autes had predicted a violent storm to hit the Melsildal and that all hands would be needed on deck. As a precaution, everybody was provided a waterbreathing charm in case they got swept off deck. During the storm, after multiple violent waves struck the ship, a particularly tall one swept across the ship and flushed the members of the party into the sea.
Unable to navigate the raging waters, the party members quickly tired themselves out and succumbed to exhaustion. They were washed ashore on a foggy beach not too far from each other.
Lost at Land
After coming to, the party quickly found together and took a moment to orient themselves, before heading inland to try and find a place where they could make camp. During their rest, Vaerys noticed that the surrounding forest was unsettingly quiet and brought that up to first Hush's and then Amethyst's attention when she took over watch duty.
23rd Eleint Throughout the morning the fog grew denser, obscuring the surrounding trees more and more. Dragneel, who took the final watch, eventually noticed that the clearing the party now found itself on was not the same that they set up camp in.
Having no other choice, the party left the clearing and made their way through the woods until they reached a pathway, which they ended up following - pushed forward by the fog that seemed to almost follow them.
I don't think we're in Faerûn anymore, Dorothy
As the party followed the road they reached the gate of Barovia, which swung open as to invite them inside, though nobody was in sight. Unable to turn back, as the dense fog had crept up on them, the party pressed forwards.
While they were walking, Hush noted an unpleasant smell and drew the others' attention to it. Vaerys sent her familiar to check it out and discovered the half-buried corpse of a man surrounded by paw prints that was carrying a letter from Barovia's Burgomaster, warning of 'The Devil Strahd' who had taken an interest in his daughter Ireena.
Before they could further investigate, the howling of wolves in the distance animated the party to press on and get back on the road and soon after reach the village Barovia.
So small and all alone
Being pushed through the streats of Barovia by the fog, the party came across the children Rosavalda and Thornbolt Durst, who were standing in front of their family manor. They told the party that there was a monster in their home and their little brother was still inside, begging them to go in and get him, but refusing to follow themselves.
On the ground floor, nothing much of note could be found, other than some still edible, albeit bland, food in the pantry that Amethyst put into her backpack and some crossbows in the Den of Wolves, one of which Hush took alongside the appropriate bolts.
Family Secrets
On the first Floor, the party found a hidden room in the library, containing a chest with a skeleton inside and books on obscure topics such as the infernal, though the group decided not to linger and to keep looking for the missing child. They investigated the other rooms before finally moving up into the second floor.
Realizing the armor on the balcony of the second floor looked different from the ones on the first floor, the group stayed far away from it and investigated the Master Suite first, where they discovered some jewelry and an earring of message that Vaerys claimed for herself. Checking the balcony, they could see the dense fog still tightly surrounding the House, apparently determined to keep them trapped.
The players headed for the Nursemaid's Suite. Unable to find anything in the room itself, Amethyst opened the door to the Nursery and triggered the Nursemaid's specter to attack the party. During the fight, Vaerys got struck by the specter and collapsed, unconscious.
Once the group finished off the spirit, they got Vaerys back up on her feet and checked the crib, which seemed to contain a tight bundle. When investigated, the bundle collapsed as if it had been empty the entire time.
The group decided to take a long rest to recover from the fight against the specter, setting up their bedrolls and blankets on the floor and letting Vaerys' familiar handle keeping watch.
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