<< February 25, 2022 | Notes | January 28, 2022 >>

(Mel was absent for the first part of the session so there are no notes.)

-1,300 gp (split into 325)
-Five gemstones
-A vial of sharpness oil
-Two spell scrolls (Dren identified as mass cure wounds and revivify)
-A pouch of magic sling bullets
-Magic pipes (pipes of haunting)
-Stone cats face, etched. Emerald eye

--- Graveyard ---
Bell searched the graveyard in raven form and found headstones with names on them: Sorina, Grigor, Oleg, Lazlo, Dragomir, and Clavdia.

Enclosed by an iron fence, a statue of a kneeling peasant girl holding a flower. Looks like Ireena. Epitaph says "Marina taken by the mists." Bell inspects the statue. Frogs and crickets go silent. Stench of decay. Bloated, grey shapes begin to shamble out of the fog.

Gale rides on the Shield Guardian through the muck because it's too deep for him but Percy makes him say please first.

--- Mansion ---
Remains of a mansion built on higher ground, now just timber and stones. An untamed garden south of it. East of it, a crude wooden fence with skulls on the posts, containing goats. As we enter, it seems as if the fog is taking shape every so often, sometimes almost walking in front of it. A ghost appears, in the form of a giant, mutilated man with his entrails hanging out. There is a light in his eyes. "Why do you invade my home? Begone!" The group introduces ourselves. "This place is too dark and too sad for your jokes and infighting. You must leave at once." Dren mentally asks Brand what he thinks -- "he seems sad." Gale apologizes for his levity. Says that it's odd that he's still here, on this plane, and asks if he needs any help. "It is impossible." Says he's a cursed soul. Gale asks if he was cursed by someone -- "I should not speak of it." Gale convinces him. "I used to be the Burgomaster of Berez. Lazlo Ulrich." Tells us the story of Marina. Knows that she looked like Tatyana. Strahd came and seduced her and fed upon her blood, but before she was turned he and one of the priests killed her, to save her from damnation. Strahd killed him and Brother Grigor, and used his powers to flood the land. The villagers fled and he has remained here ever since. Gale tells him about Ireena and reincarnation in Barovia. He is upset that he didn't save her soul. Dren asks when did Baba Lysaga move in and who she is to Strahd. He doesn't know. He says she's dangerous and we show him the head. He is surprised and Percy says that we'll kill Strahd too, saving or avenging Ireena and Marina. Asks him about ancient/land saying. He's heard it before and says it's the reason for everything we see around us but doesn't know what his connection with the land is. Says he can't leave his old home. Gale says maybe he'll be free when we free the land. He says he'd like to meet Ireena and apologize to her for not being able to save her. He tells Percy he died around the 1400s. Doesn't know anything about the Mage of the Mountains, Van Richten, the path in the woods, or people having dreams about Marina. We say goodbye and he disappears.

We begin to search the rest of the mansion and his voice sounds, asking if we would really loot the dead. Percy says any boons in the fight against Strahd would be helpful, but he re-materializes and grows larger, angrily telling us to leave. Percy uses Detect Magic and sees nothing so he drops it. We leave and Percy calls out, "Enjoy your damnation."

Dren tries to climb on the SG but Percy tells it to stop since Dren refuses to ask.

Bell relays his scouting information to the party. Gale tells him about the ghost encounter. Percy comments that they must have lied about her death ("taken by the mists" vs "we killed her to save her soul").

Percy identifies the Seed: gem of life. It can bring life or animation to inanimate objects, or life and fertility to the land that it is buried in.

Bell asks Percy for the cat head and Percy says he'll think about it.

We return to the crossroads and tell Nellshan and Nikolaj about what happened. Nellshan says she can maybe try to speak with the dead. Percy gives her BL's head. She asks about the "baby Strahd" but gets no answer and says she "can't do it yet." Bell casts Gentle Repose on it.

We return to Valleki. Still no guards at the gates. Gale takes his hell hounds through the town and into the inn. Danika tells her to leave them in the stable.

Dren goes to look around the town to see who is still here and see if he can find any of the soldiers that he recruited. Gale, Percy, and Bell go to Rictavio's. The saber tooth tiger is not particularly pleased to see us again. Bell asks him where the wagon's owner is -- "he has his own business that he tends to." Bell asks where to find him -- "If you let me out I can take you to him." Bell thinks it really could find Rictavio but might not wait for us to follow. Doesn't think he has violent intents towards Bell. Bell asks if his master is in town -- "He is in town, he seems to have bonded with the people." Bell asks when he's returning -- "It is almost dinner time now." Bell asks if he always returns for dinner -- "yes."

Gale practices his flute, Bell puts on his ear muffs, and Percy heads to the coffin maker's.

Dren doesn't find the soldiers he recruited but he does meet up with Magda. She's impressed with the Baba Lysaga kill. She explains what has happened in the town: people were stoned in the street, no one trusts anyone, people tried to burn down the mayor's house. She says that Marek and Nikolaj are at Argynvostholt where Dren sent them. He tells her we've been invited to Ravenloft. He tells her to abandon her post to recruit people in the town. She warns him that the Mayor can't defend himself and he says to "sit tight for now."

--- coffin maker ---
Two stories tall, sign shaped like a coffin. Deathly silent, windows closed up tight. A carpenter's workshop. 3 tables on the west wall. A man at work -- older, large white beard and moderately long white hair, with a weathered face. His name is Heinrik van der Voort. Percy asks about the wagon parked nearby but he knows nothing about it. A man comes by every so often. Percy asks him if it's a family business and he says no. He seems suspicious and not eager to be questioned. Percy leaves and he locks the door behind him. Percy enters the ethereal plane and snoops through the building. A sitting room with a table, a room of 13 haphazardly-arranged coffins. Upstairs: a kitchen, a modest bedroom with well-made furniture, and a large, drafty room filled with planks and crates marked "Junk". Percy comes into the material plane and opens one with Mage Hand. What seems to be a vampire pops out, then the other crates open revealing more, 7 total. Percy takes a bit of damage and Dimension Doors back over to Gale and Bell and tells them what happened. Bell Wild Shapes and flies off to find Dren while Gale and Percy walk back to the workshop. Percy Mage Hands open the lock and the door. Henrik is in the back room, surrounded by vampire spawn and dead. We kill them but Henrik has no clues on his body as to whether or not he knew about the vampires.