Post by gavmeister on Nov 27, 2017 16:25:01 GMT
The party spend an uneasy night at the Old Bonegrinder windmill. Next morning they set off for Saint Ekaterina’s monastery in search of Patrina Veilkovna.
Beyond a curve in the Svalich Road, Lysaga Hill lies at the foot of Mount Ghakis. The steep hill is bereft of trees and is more than eight hundred feet higher than the Svalich Pass, its summit hidden by many jutting rocks. They climb up through the mists.
Giselle scouts ahead. She makes out the ruined remains of a large circular tower against the overcast sky. The low-hanging clouds, almost brushing against the 20-foot-tall outer walls, are tinted yellow by a golden glow emanating from within the ruins. Humanoid figures pace among the crumbling walls, as if on patrol. A woman’s voice, eerily beautiful, can be heard echoing through the stone-filled landscape.
The rest of the party catch up and they approach the monastery. The figures are revealed as the armed skeletons of female dusk elves. Arrows are loosed at the party and battle is joined. Pankas and Bran charge forward – Bran immediately shatters one of the skeletons with his war hammer. Ricken summons his own skeletal allies with Spiritual Guardians and plunges into the midst of the fight. Then the spirit of Patrina Velikovna emerges from a circle of unhallowed ground. She unleashes a dread Wail, filled with pain and horror. None of the adventurers are unaffected, but Theo and Giselle prove most vulnerable and are instantly struck down. Patrina turns her Horrifying Visage on Bran, who retreats to Lay on Hands and bring Theo round. In turn, Theo stabilises Giselle with Spare the Dying. Pankas goes head to head with Patrina, forcing the banshee back. A salvo of Eldritch Blasts from Theo finally decide the battle, and Patrina’s spirit flies back to her crypt in Castle Ravenloft. The last skeleton crumbles to dust.
On the way back to Vallaki the skeletal rider reappears and gifts Giselle with a bottle of perfume marked with the symbol of a smiling wolf. It smells pleasant enough, but Giselle is nervous. Ricken splashes it all over.
Vallaki
They reach the Bluewater Inn for a long rest. Theo has another prophetic dream, this time of a statue of Strahd glowing green on a hilltop. Next day visits Kasimir Velikov and tells him his sister has been dismissed back to her crypt. They agree to meet at the Amber Temple.
Ireena is persuaded to look after Myrtle and Freek. Ismark has handed the burgomaster’s mansion back to Victor and his mother. Ireena asks the party to investigate Krezk to see if the Abbey there may be a safer hiding place than Vallaki. The Martikovs remind the adventurers of the wine supply crisis.
Arrigal, the more dangerous of the Vistani leaders, reveals that the Vistani have given shelter to Lady Wachter. They have refused to carry out her orders to kill the adventurers, but this clears Luvash’s debt and the adventurers will now have to watch out for themselves. Arrigal makes it clear that he doesn’t issue empty threats.
Van Richten’s Tower
They head west once more and cross the Luna River bridge. Giselle repairs a broken signpost to show them the way to Lake Baratok. They press on through the woods passing an autumnal copper beech which sheds its leaves and dies as they approach it.
A mile further they come to the causeway from the shore of misty Lake Baratok leading to the ruined tower van Richten told them of. Fragile scaffolding clings to a side of the tower with a large gash. Parked beneath the tower is a brightly painted but mud spattered Vistani caravan. A steel padlock seals the entrance door with a sign marked “Keep Out!” Giselle finds the lock fiendishly difficult to pick and is unnerved by evidence that the caravan is heavily trapped. They decide to leave it alone for now.
Approaching the tower itself, Theo feels his magic powers blocked by some kind of anti-magic field protecting the tower. A sign above the iron door reads “Khazan”. In the middle of the door is a large embossed symbol of lines and stick figures. A barely audible crackle of static lightning warns them of potential traps. Theo guesses that the symbols suggest a series of dance moves which could safely open the door. He and Pankas begin a dance off to open the door, which succeeds on Theo’s second attempt.
The door swings open to reveal a smiling van Richten, who invites them inside for tea. They enter the ruined tower and ascend to the top floor via an elevator operated by four clay golems. This is van Richten’s home for now, holding a perfumed chest and a set of highly decorated plate armour. He explains that the tower was built by Khazan, a wizard in Strahd’s service and the architect of Castle Ravenloft, who became a lich before disappearing.
Van Richten is certain that the caravan outside belongs to his protégé, Ezmerelda d’Avernir, who may be searching for him. They did not part on good terms, but van Richten assures them that Ezmerelda is a staunch ally. Bran speculates that she may be the Vistana spoken of by Madam Eva, and if so will probably be found at the Abbey of Saint Markovia in Krezk.
Van Richten warns them to be on their guard against Strahd’s Scrying spell, and his spies.
The Road to Krezk
They head south west and rejoin the Old Svalich Road to Krezk. At the Raven River bridge, Pankas spots an old ‘friend’ who asks him whether he would like to “run with the pack” again. Pankas refuses outright; the trapper turns into a savage werewolf and attacks. Two other werewolves in wolf form emerge from the trees and attack the rest of the party. Giselle finds her arrows and shortsword are of no avail against the lycanthropes so sits this one out. Pankas rains down blows on his former running mate with his silver sword. The others kill one werewolf and drive the third away, but not before Bran is bitten and infected. Before the curse can take hold, Bran Misty Steps over to the last werewolf and plunges his Magic Weapon into the monster’s heart. Ricken agrees to cast Remove Curse in return for giving Bran a long lecture on the correct worship of the Morninglord.
Pankas comes across a corpse lying by the side of the road, partially torn by werewolves’ jaws. The corpse looks identical to Ricken. This sets off a revealing conversation during which Pankas eventually fesses up to being a former werewolf himself, and that he had been one of the pack led by Kiril Stoyanovich which killed Ricken’s family and neighbours. Tortured by self-loathing, Pankas sought out a cleric and had his curse removed. Since then he has devoted his life to taking out monsters.
They arrive at Krezk in the late evening and hear the toll of the Abbey bell inviting them in. The guards and burgomaster, Baron Dmitri Krezkov, are less welcoming and bar the gates. Whether the adventurers are Strahd’s allies or enemies, it can only spell trouble for Krezk. The adventurers promise to bring wine to the village and the Baron agrees to honour his oaths and let them in if they succeed.
They’re off to see the Wizard… the wonderful Wizard of Wines!