The last session saw our characters drive off the 'faithless' Forest Folk from the Wizard of Wines vineyard restoring it to the Martikov family. We pick up the story the next morning...
Our dramatis personae:
Ser Adon de Rouge of House Starbright (a half-orc Paladin, from a knightly background, with two human retainers and a priest), played by Paul (dr_mitch). Lawful Good. Married to Ser Alys.
Kelwarin (Kel) (a half-elf Sorceror flush with the powers of wild magic, an outlander), played by Graham (First Age). Chaotic Good.
Gaddock Teeg (a halfling wizard and former prizefighter), played by Alex (Doggetay), Neutral Good
also featuring:
Ireena Kolyana (a human warrior, daughter of the Burgomaster of Barovia, Twice-Bitten reincarnation of Strahd's unrequited love, Tatyana) - upgraded as a sidekick.
and introducing:
Alexei the Vistana (a young human expert, sent to pay off his debt to the party by his Vistani elders after they rescued Arabelle from certain death when Alexei lost her in town. A late teenager who is so taken by Ireena and the excitement of the adventure that he's forgotten he planned to be sulky and surly for his 13 moon exile) - upgraded as a sidekick.
Keeping the home fires burning:
Ser Alys de Adon-Rouge of House Starbright (a half-orc Fighter with a soldier background, currently the leader of the town militia of Daggerford), played by Tom (Guvnor). Lawful Neutral. Imagine a slightly greener take on Grace Jones... Married to Ser Adon.
All characters are presently 5th level, including the sidekicks.
27th November
In the morning, the group joined the Martikovs for breakfast, which was a splendid feast after the exertions of the previous day. Davian Martikov and his son's Adrian and Elvir returned in from surveying the damage with dour faces. They explained that the Forest Folk must have stolen the precious vinestone, an artefact dating back into history which reflected the good graces of the Ladies Three. The vinestone blessed the land with life and fertility, overcoming the overcast damp and cold that the land had suffered since Strahd's transformation to a lord of darkness. The vineyard originally had three; one was stolen ten years ago on Urwin's watch, causing the falling out with his father. The second was stolen three weeks before; they tracked the thief back to the marshes outside Berez, but feared to enter because of the witch, Baba Lysaga. This final one would destroy the vineyard; each of the vinestones was tied to a particular vintage, and without them there would be no more wine and cheer in Barovia.
The party swiftly agreed to try and recover the stone, gaining a description of a glowing green gemstone perhaps as large as two clenched fists and shaped similar to a pine cone. They set off shortly after breakfast, following the track south. In the distance, they could see Yester Hill rising from the mists, with a dark stormcloud illuminated with lightning looming above it. To the west, the mist rose in a dense wall, rising up into the clouds.
About an hour into their journey, they became aware that the woods were unusually quiet, and soon spotted a druid hiding in the bushes. Alexei snuck closer to see what was going on; it looked like they had been left there to guard the road. The druid stepped out; she insisted that the party should turn back as the road was closed by the forest folk. Kel dissembled, eating the sandwich he had for his lunch, agreeing that they'd turn back. Alexei gingerly turned around, realising that the tree he was under was host to a swarm of the twig blights that had nearly killed Ireena. The party headed back north, and as they turned the corner, Gaddock sent his owl familiar out. Several swarms of the blights had come out of the bushes and the druid appeared to be telling them to follow the party. Kel stepped back around the corner and blasted them with a fireball spell, leaving nothing but charred remains. Gaddock used his prestidigitation to put out the fires, which were pretty minor due to the dampness of the area.
They pressed south, reaching the edge of the forest; above, the mists gathered around the terraces of Yester Hill. It had clearly been shaped by man in the past. Cairns surrounded it, and on top there was a circle wall of stones which was being randomly and regularly blasted by lightning. There was some kind of giant figure looming out of the mist. There was also a large grove of trees.
Near the edge of the forest was a small shrine; a low circle of standing stones surrounded a tripod table of stone with dry stone layers and a slab bearing the runes of the Seeker, the Huntress and the Weaver on it, the Ladies Three. As they neared, a voice whispered in the wind to them, saying that they were worthy and to approach. They, and a horrifically visaged ghost appeared from the mist, and started a conversation with Ser Adon as the others hung back. It congratulated them for protecting the rozana and driving the Faithless away. It told them that the vinestone was to be used for an dark ritual; originally planned for the full moon on the 30th, preparations had been brought forward to that night. Ser Adon pledged to stop the ritual and in return was told where to find the spear of the ghost, Kavan, a weapon of power, the Blood Spear. At that the Ghost thanked Ser Adon, laid its hands-on in blessing and looked over him with its bloody, empty eye socket and gouged chest before fading back into its grave.
The party rested for a short while, then headed up the side of the hill rather than the path, scrambling up rocky slopes and picking up bumps and bruises. As they reached the first terrace, two figures came looming out of the mist; barbarian warriors. Hiding, they were ambushed, immobilised by a web sell cast by Gaddock and cut down. They were harder to kill than expected. The bodies were rolled off the hill edge, and they soon found the cairn that Kavan had pointed them out, digging and liberating the spear. Sir Adon meditated upon it, attuning to it and assessing its mettle. The spear whispered for blood and told tales of defeating enemies.
They headed to the south of the stone circle as the lightning and rolling thunder seemed to gather. Cutting between the grove of trees (which they could now see had a large tree in the centre), they snuck up on the entrance to the stone circle. They spotted more warriors and also a druid guarding the entrance. Kel loosed another fireball, hurting them badly, and Ser Adon was hasted by Gaddock, and rushed in, attacking the Barbarian Berserkers with almost demonic energy and bloodlust. They were soon defeated, and Ser Adon turned, covered in blood, looking enthused with energy. They headed into the circle towards a group of druids. An elder blocked off their advance with a wall of fire, and more warriors rushed from the north of the circle. The whole area was full of druids and their guards and a brutal battle ensued with Ser Adon becoming more and more bold and aggressive, looking to slay his enemies with the Blood Spear which seemed so natural, so effective. Kel blasted a group of Druids with another fireball, and Gaddock joined in too. Ser Adon used his misty step ability to appear on a a standing stone, leap down and savagely cut down some of the druids. Pressed by Berserkers and a barrage of searing moonbeams, he fought on. Gaddock used his owl to allow him to target the druids casting the spells, and fireballed them, killing three of the four and the rest fled. Kel used scorching rays and witch bolts to attack, with magic missile flying from his halfling friend. Ireena and Alexei working together to engage the enemy.
As Ser Adon killed the last two Berserkers, Gaddock saw him licking blood off the spear; when Adon realised that it had been seen he made an excuse about orcish customs. He then chased down the last two Druids, killing them, before collapsing as the haste wore off. As he staggered to his feet, Kel caught up, seeing that Ser Adon's eyes were bloodshot with bloody tear running down.
They headed back to the circle and turned to look at the fifty foot tall wicker and twig figure, packed with earth and glowing green in its chest cavity. Clearly, they had attacked soon enough to prevent its animation...
Camera cuts back, surveying the carnage. Mists swirl to the west, but is that a city that briefly shows through for a few moments like a vision in the distance? Who is the dark emissary who was due to come for the ritual? Have they stopped the evil in this place, and what is the spear doing to Ser Adon?
GM Notes - lots of fighting. Ser Adon is giving in to the bloodlust inherent in the spear. It's not evil, but it is hungry. Or that's what he tells himself. What of the tree in the grove? Is it the Gulthias tree where the staff came from? Fireball is dangerous, especially when they can throw four in a fight. Ser Adon and Ireena, once again, became those closest to death. I think one more session until we conclude this season.
14 July 2021
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