You are never the same person you were yesterday. Experience will force you to change.
On our way to Levoca we noticed as we were making camp that we could not start a fire no matter what we tried. I had a Bad feeling The Margreve is Messing with us again. On the upside the party handed me the Fancy half sword in exchange for my old rapier. When we Finally Made it to the Village there was some commotion about town. Apparently they couldn't start any fire no matter what they tried. This had the Village worried as if this would continue for much longer they would have to start to eating raw uncooked food just to stay alive. Well I guess its good to know we are not the only people cursed by the Margreve. The Margreve Fucks us all.
We eventually found Baba Magori. The conversation went something Like this.
Party: "WheRe CAn wE FinD BabA YagA?"
Baba Magori: "Have you tried asking the Margreve?"
Me: "Oh Yeah I did that and the Margreve actually Replied."
Party: "ThAt eaSY?"
Me: "Si..."
Party: "hUR DuR!!!"
Didn't take us long to figure out the Direction of Baba Yaga after that and we were back on the road not soon after.
On our way to Baba Yaga we heard a rumbling on the road. Suddenly a Mob of Villagers came into view running in panic in the other direction. After they passed us we finally saw what they were running from. A hunting party made up of four humanoid creatures on horses and two dog-like creatures. They were some kind of corrupted plant creatures made of twisting black and purple vines. Wordlessly we Decided to make a stand against these foes to save the villagers.
I mounted Stevnar and we charged them. Unfortunately our bravado didn't last very long. The sabrethooted doglike creatures had Paralyzing venom in their fangs and when they bit us we went down and the rest of the hunting party just beat us down as we were paralyzed. I quickly went unconscious before Stevnar brought me back with some healing herbs from his Med Kit before he dragged me away from the fray. I came to my feet and decided that discretion was the better part of valor and ran back the road to a corner where Eluine was taking shots at our foes. I drew my bow and took shots. The battle was turning against us despite our efforts. Spells where being slung, weapons rose and fell, We shot arrows at the group but they were getting the best of the exchanges and I saw Several of my Companions go down only to be brought up again to continue the fight. Finally the unthinkable happened Stevnar was overwhelmed and was Brought down and his throat was ripped out by one of the dogs and the other one ripped his guts out. I was under no doubt Stevnar was dead. But all was not lost I remember the root Baba Magori gave us that oh so long ago when we were still starting out in our adventure. I fished it out of my bag. I debated myself if I could charge back in there embed the root into Stevnars chest and get out, I looked at my body and looked at all the damage and bloodloss and realized I wasn't going to be quick enough make it out alive if I charged in there at same time I remembered all the times Stevnar has gotten me out off very deadly situations and thought to myself maybe now is the time to repay my debt to him. I could just wrap it around my arrow and aim it at his heart but my hands were shaky and I was seeing double from all the damage and bloodloss. I was still debating my next move when I heard Eluine yell.
"Hand Me The Root!"
I looked at Eluine and saw his Hands outstretched ready to receive the root, his eyes grim and determined.
"I can make the shot. Hand me the root! No time for debate!"
Now my mind drifted to all the times we were competing to see who was the better archer and if I hand him the root I will undoubtedly admit that he was better shot and that will be the end our little rivalry and I would have lost. I glanced back at Stev and I realized some things are definitely more important than the way I value myself. More important than My Pride. I Looked back at Eluine and say.
"If you tell anyone I will Kill you."
Eluine smirked and said "Not a single word."
I tossed him The Root, he snatched it out off the air and attached it to the tip of his arrow. I looked again at the location of Stevnar. Dodgy I don't know how he knew but he knew what we were planning and was Holding Stevnar's Torso up at us for a clearer shot. But the mass of bodies getting in the way, the gnashing teeth and steel, and the small target... It was an Impossible shot even with Eluine's skill. A sudden Realization came to me. This might be it, my last adventure, We could all die here. Eluine made calculations in his head, knocked the arrow with the root tip, drew his bow and loosed. Now you hear it here and there where ever men gather, whispered in quiet corners, by people boosting about their skills in the range, by hunters in a once and a life time kills, by old men in bars reliving past glories but rarely does anyone in their lifetime get to see it. The Perfect Shot. And I bore witness to it like it was straight out of Legends. Eluine's form Perfect, his execution flawless and his arrow struck True. I saw Stevnar's wounds instantly heal and he came back to life with a Vengeance. He let out a Defiant roar and He Looked Pissed.
We fought on and we managed to bring down one dog and then the other dog and soon the rest of the hunting party was laid low before us. We were once more Heroes.
We talked to the Villagers after the battle, it turned out, were headed to Baba Yaga to entreat with her. A sage told them she had cursed the Margreve and that's why fires wouldn't light anymore. With the Villagers in tow we continued on until we found Baba Yaga's house and Looked like Exactly like the stories say. It was a house with chicken legs. The Villagers refused to join us as we entered Baba Yaga's house.
When we entered an old Lady was standing over a cauldron look at it very intently. I was guessing it was Baba Yaga. She grunted all annoyed before tearing her gaze from the cauldron to acknowledge us. After the proper threats and trash talking was exchanged the conversation began in earnest. She admitted she'd cursed the Margreve (I like her already.) to stop all fires because someone had stolen the cinders from her fire. She was suprised it worked this time for she says she's tried to curse the Margreve many times before but this was the only time a curse actually stick. She also says until she got her cinders back her curse would remain in place. She knew who stole the cinders, but she was trying to figure out why, or really who was behind it. We suggested she try and scry Kerok, and we gave her a brief summary of what they knew about him. We then suggested to get her cinders back in exchange she ends her curse and she helps us in finding Kerok. She Agreed.
When We exited her abode we were surprised it was night time and that a few days have already past since we entered her house. We made camp and Decided to continued on in the morning. In the morning we followed a magical trail which led them to some cages where werewolves were stacking the bodies of the corrupted plant creatures they'd killed. The party somewhat split up on this. Some hid (including me.) just in case they were hostile, Eluine pretended to be drift wood and floated on a close by stream and some of us just came and talked and negotiated with the werewolves. I was glad that the negotiations ended peacefully and the wolves left us to talk to a young man in one of the cages.
He says her name was Dimitri and that he was the one that stole Baba Yaga's cinders. He stole them so that he could dry out his beloved Elena's cloak which would release her from a Vodyanoi that had captured her. He took the cinders to the Vodyanoi and it grabbed them and sank beneath the water. He had no time to think of what to do because he was instantly chased and caged by the corrupted plant-people. He agreed to help us get the cinders back as long as he could use them to dry out Elena's cloak and release her from the watery grave the Vodyanoi kept her in. We Agreed to this.
On the way to the Vodyanoi's lair we were stopped by a ghost who says she was Elena. She warned us that the vodyanoi planned to give the cinders to someone really powerful that desired to rule the Margreve (We concluded this was Kerok.) in exchange for the power to rule over this party of the Margreve. She also revealed Dimitri was a werewolf which Eluine found very refreshing.
We came before before the Vodyanoi's Lake and Dimitri pulled out some potions. Ones that lets us breath underwater and other ones that let us walk on water. I Beamed at this. This are the greatest inventions in history. Some of our Party members were investigating the water when the Vodyanoi Appeared with two giant monsters made of water (The Deadliest Kind). The battle with the Vodyanoi looked like it was going to be rough, but then Lavaell summoned four giant octopi that surrounded the vodyanoi and dragged him out of the water where he was finished off by the rest of my companions. I then almost Single Handedly Dispatched both Water Monsters (No joke! Compared to the Hunting Party these monsters where pieces of cake it was just a matter of over coming my fear of water) I jumped into there bodies slashing and stabbing and when I came out the otherside they then just all lost all form and turn into regular water. I hate water and was Soaked head to toe but I faced my fear and Came out the other end tougher.
We found the cinders and Dimitri used them to dry out Elena's shawl, releasing her from the Vodyanoi's spell. Rather than be alone, Dimitri joined Elena in passing into the afterlife, leaving behind his fur cloak as thanks. Elena then told us to take some rose petals and brew tea for Baba Yaga and she might grant us a favor and that we can take the Cinders back to Baba Yaga now.
So we did. Dodgy and Laveall brewed some tea and brought then to Baba Yaga. She looked up from her bowl and accepted the tea. She reheated it up for her and after some luxurious sips her whole demeanor changed. She agreed on her end of the bargain and ended the curse. She then also agreed to help us and Identified some magical items we've been hanging on to. After awhile she found out that she found someone that knew where Kerok was. She mentioned it was a centaur. I asked if she knew what the centaurs name was. I was surprised when she said it was our old friend Hazel who was back in Bluth grove. After we requested it she agreed to walk her house to bluth grove. Upon arrived we thanked her and proceeded to the next leg of our journey.