COS 004 - Pledges, Potions, And Premonitions

In the mansion of the Burgomaster, the party attended a modest dinner, and made a deal with Ismark and Ireena. For 50 gold, the most that could be spared, they would take Ireena to safety after ensuring that the dead Kolyan Indirovich was properly buried. That night, they rested and reflected, realizing they had grown stronger after their dangerous encounter. Shakti further connected with the dull Barovian moon, and found she was able to harness its light into powerful spellcraft, much as Ylyana had done before her. Jarmo found mutagen research Alchemical Secrets Best Left Untold, and found he could further his blood magic and modify his body; if he continued studying this, he possibly could find the key to curing the Doomgolems. At dawn, Ghalwin went to the woods and made a dreamcatcher dedicated to saving Rose, Thorn, and Walter; he swore a sacred oath to the Ancients of the land to protect Barovia, and the nature spirits granted him the power to speak with animals and invoke druidcraft.

While Ireena stayed in the safety of the mansion, researching more information on a Map of Barovia, everyone else carried Kolyan's coffin to the Church of Barovia. As they approached, they noticed that the church grounds had clearly been terrorized many times by beasts and flames. At the altar, they met the half-mad Father Stefan Donavich, and learned that his son Doru Stefanovich had been turned into a Vampire Spawn after a failed attack on Castle Ravenloft a year prior. Father Donavich had kept Doru locked under the church for more than a year, and his screams of hunger were audible beneath the floorboards.

Donavich plead with the party to not involve themselves with Doru, as he believed that his son would be saved by the "Morninglord," which Shakti deemed to be an interpretation of the sun god Thestus. Similarly, Donavich blamed Barovia's hardships on the leaving of Mother Night, an interpretation of the moon goddess Telyth. Through gritted teeth, the party agreed to allow Doru to live screaming in the church's undecroft, and held a proper funeral in the cemetery behind. There, Shakti spotted a Strahd-shaped figure across the graveyard, bowing in reverence and bereaving the Burgomaster's death; she raced back with Jarmo to check on Ireena, but everything was thankfully secure. Ghalwin stayed with Ismark to learn more from the priest, who indicated that they may find horses at the Vistani encampment at Tser Pool. 

After the funeral, the party attempted to purchase more items from Bildrath Cantemir at his mercantile store, but found that the proprietor was charging ridiculous prices. The merchant refused to budge, and called for his nephew Parriwimple to intimidate them by breaking a javelin in half. Ghalwin and Jarmo both immediately split their own javelins in an impressive show of strength. Though now technically two javelins lighter, they celebrated their moral victory and collected Ireena, leaving the village behind.

They crossed over the Ivlis River on what ended up being a three-day foot journey to the Vistani encampment. Though the roads were muddy, they found little opposition on their way, and Ireena proved a competent if inexperienced traveler. They found a couple of side paths, one stemming from footsteps entering the village and leading to underbrush, and one that lead to a hidden pit trap. They successfully avoided a pair of Scarecrows made of rusted scythes and knives, and passed through the Ivlis River Crossroads, where at the gallows, Jarmo found his dead self hanged from a rope. On touch, his body was reduced to a hissing, boiling liquid, and the goliath was quite shaken - nonetheless, the party pressed on, and made it to the encampment before nightfall.

Approaching the Vistani camp, they found an immediate change in energy compared to the dour and hostile conditions of the rest of Barovia. The Vistani were friendly, and they were welcomed in by Jino, a man who gave a the party some bad purple wine and invited them to swap stories. As Ghalwin danced with the alluring Vistana Floriana, Jino informed the adventurers that the matriarch of the encampment, Madam Eva had been expecting them. She was a great seer of her people, and had foretold the party's arrival.

Madame Eva forbid Ireena from joining the group in a reading from the Tarokka Deck, one which intonated the fate of the party's struggle against Strahd. The party was told the location of three objects needed for their quest, an ally who would aid them until the end, and finally, the location of Strahd himself. She then revealed personal struggles that the characters had been grappling with, as well as where potential solutions could be found throughout Barovia. Shakti learned that her struggles had already been foretold her preceding prophecy, and the party left Madame Eva's tent to the warmth of the Vistani and their fire.