With as much information about Yester Hill, the party went off. It didn't take long before they arrived at the hill. It seems that there was some localized storm up there. From a smaller hill with a cairn, Narmo could see that Yester Hill exists of 4 levels. From the 3th level, there were more cairons. She could see movement, but that was the most details they could muster. Therefore Grayson Black and Narmo decided to scout ahead. They saw that the hill is guarded by humanoids: strong people with huge axes and nature dudes like Sierra. When returned, Sierra asked a friendly fey spirit to scout the top of the hill as a bird. The bird sees a gnarly tree on the top of that hill. The wood reminds her of her new staff. More people are up there, chanting in front of a giant statue made of wooden sticks and dark earth.
With a clever ruse of dark faces and blankets, the party decides to climb up. Maybe an idiot idea, but thanks to the shadow magic of Narmo it works! The party climbs up the hill without being seen. At the top, they see the giant gnarly tree and a circle of black boulders, forming a wall around the statue. The storm above them picks up, and many of the lightning bolts seem to hit one of the cairns or black boulders.Stealthing around the guards and the black boulders, they are ready to attack the chanting druids. Using the element of surprise, the party is able to get some decent shots in. Unfortunately these druids were far tougher than the ones from the winery. The berserkers hidden in the ground didn't help either. Of course Strahd Von Zarovich had to make an appearance as he fog teleported with his horse of fire.
With some powerful magic and precise shots, many of the druids started falling. They were still chanting though, and green mana from the druids started to change the statue. When the chanting ended due to a shortage of druids, an old man came out of the statue and bliksem bliksem boeman-ed Kevdormu. Luckily, the old man was high on magic but low on life. The statue exploded and a little twig figure appeared from it. It called itself Wintersplinter. He took care of Camilla and Frank before he was defeated.
With their last resources, the defeated the guards near the circle of boulders, and Strahd Von Zarovich sighed. He was rather disappointed at the help and started staring in the distance like an edgy teen. Grayson looks in the fog as well, and sees a white fort in the mountains above a city. When asked, the Dark Lord tells him that the wall of fog is called the Whispering Wall, and the the fort in the fog resembles his ancestral home. After a short conversation, and confirmation that invitation is still on, he literally ghosts us and turns into fog.
The party decides to check out the tree, and there is where it all goes to shit. Narmo is scared of the tree when approached. Sierra tries to communicate with the tree. At a closer look, they notice blood on the tree. The tree let our druid know that he needs blood, and lots of it. The kind soul that she is, she prays to her deities and gives up her life force to the tree. The tree takes and keeps taking and puts Sierra at death's door. Kokmadon and Grayson acts first while the druid gets hoisted up by the roots. With some quick healing, and the party ready to save their friend, they are certainly in a pickle...