Post by gavmeister on Nov 18, 2018 16:41:37 GMT
Ricken removes the curses from Pankas and himself. The adventurers return to van Richten’s Tower, then take the rescued children to safety in Krezk. On the way back, they encounter an old Vistani who is leaving Barovia forever. He tells them he witnessed the battle between the foreign wizard with his peasant army, and the forces of Strahd. He and a companion saw the wizard cast down and found his spellbook; but they were attacked by scarecrows who killed his friend, stole the book and gave it to an ugly old lady with flies buzzing around her head. He tells them the Mad Mage can be seen wandering the slopes of Mount Baratok to the north.
They decide to investigate. The trees begin a steady climb up the slopes to the oppressive monolithic mountain. The ground is rocky, uneven and tiring to navigate. The woods are empty of life. They climb above the fog and see dark thunderclouds ahead. They see an elk standing on a rocky spur. It assumes the form of a man in tattered black robes, with long black hair and beard streaked grey. His eyes crackle with eldritch power. “You think my magic has grown weak? Think again! Your dark masters will never break my spirit”.
The Mad Mage casts time stop and mage armour, then places himself in a perfect position to launch a cone of cold. The adventurers are hit hard; and to make matters worse an invisible dog tries to bite Theo’s leg. Ricken has the sense to dial it all down with Calm Emotions, and the Mage agrees to a cease fire.
The Mage calls his invisible faithful hound to his side and tells the adventurers of his battle with Strahd. He can’t remember his own name, but does recall meeting Elminster of Shadowdale in the Forgotten Realms. Ricken senses that the Mage has been driven mad by his inability to defeat Strahd or free the people of Barovia. There also seems to be a powerful magic shielding the Mage’s mind. They promise to try to find his spellbook. If successful, he invites them to join him for tea in his magnificent mansion.
The adventurers try to rest. Giselle sees three mysterious lights moving outside during her guard shift. She wakes the others and investigates. Giselle is confronted by an ancient skeleton carrying a lamp. Spirits emerge from the lamp and attack everyone; and the lamp fires beams of flame.
The other two lights turn out to be Will-o’-Wisps. One attacks Giselle with lightning, the other blocks Bran and Pankas from intervening. Giselle fights for her life while the others focus on bringing down the skeleton holding the lamp.
The Wisp attacking Giselle hovers over her, ready to Consume Life, but the rogue evades the worst of the lightning blast and dashes for cover.
At last the skeleton is smashed and the lamp floats gently to the ground. Bran closes it with the point of his sword but shudders from the sensation of evil. Theo casts Shatter and damages the lamp, but they decide instead to bury it in a nearby grave ‘out of harm’s way’. The adventurer’s innocent faith in the sanctity of Barovian graves is touching.
Next day, Muriel meets Bran for a private word. She believes the prophecy about the Sunsword relates to the abandoned village of Berez, in the Luna River marshes. The village was abandoned long ago after the river rose and flooded the houses. An ancient and powerful hag called Baba Lysaga lives in a hut in the middle of the village. The scarecrows are under her control and have been killing ravens and attacking the Wizard of Wines vineyard; they stole one of the vineyard’s gems several months ago.
Muriel offers to turn Bran into a wereraven but the paladin shuffles his feet awkwardly before turning her down. She offers to meet him again at the circle of standing stones on the east bank of the river opposite Berez.
As they pass a dense thicket of trees, five vampire spawn emerge; one of them is their old acquaintance Sasha Ivliskova. Then Strahd himself manifests form the mist, and battle is joined.
The vampires charge in, grappling and biting the adventurers. In response, Ricken brandishes the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind, bringing the first sunlight seen in Barovia for four hundred years. The vampires scream in pain and begin smoking.
Strahd leaps for the shadows just in time, but Sasha and the other spawn are burnt and forced to dash for the shadows; not before one is cornered and killed.
Strahd rushes here and there, striking powerful blows whilst avoiding the sunlight, but Bran charges him on Binky. He catches Strahd off-guard with a vengeful rain of Divine Smites.
Sensing that things could be going better, Strahd casts Children of the Night to summon a huge swarm of bats. He orders the rest of the vampires to cover him, transforms into a cloud of mist, and flees back to Castle Ravenloft.
Ricken presents the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind again, paralysing Sasha Ivliskova. Pankas wrestles Sasha into the sunlight and holds her fast until she burns to dust. Abandoned by Strahd, one of the remaining vampires flees.
For a third time Ricken presents the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind. One vampire is Turned and flees; the last one is caught by the adventurers and killed.
Strahd’s bat swarms arrive, but most are blasted out of the sky by Theo’s Shatter spell. The rest attack him, but are toasted by Hellish Rebuke after their first bite.
Strahd has fled to his lair. The adventurers take a well-deserved rest.