We spent some time before bed discussing the many tasks that lay before us and tried to decide which is the most important and which we should pursue next. Ultimately, following the trail of Ireena still seemed the most important.
Find Ireena
Get wine shipment to Krezk
Go to the Abbey
Investigate Visilii Van Holtz
Deal with Hags
Kill Juniper, Ophelia, Bella
Find sword
Investigate Berez (hag sanctuary?)
Investigate Bat Cave (hag sanctuary?)
Burn windmill
Find Small Castle/Amber Giants-
'Under Mountain'
Find 'Knowledge of the Ancient'
Find Mother - Ravina (Ravenloft named for her)
Find Holy Symbol
Investigate Undertaker
Find Bones
Deal with Vampires
Investigate Wolf Hunters
Investigate Shaking Wagon
Investigate Wachter family
Cat Girl
Investigate Baron
Purple Lights
Baron and wife insight on Ireena
Find Night Elf living among Vistani
Investigate Winery
Clear winery
Purify wine
Investigate Old Manor House
Find Gertruda
We slept well for perhaps the first time in the two weeks we have been trapped in this corrupt and desolate world. The beds were comfortable and the rooms were warm, safe and secure. Nim and Janlynn were attacked once again during the night by the hags and we were able to stop them through Akkiir's arcane protections. After days of sleeping in the most decrepit of conditions and being soaked through to the bone, none really wanted to get up and start the day.
We ate our breakfast in a slightly lighter mood than the day before. Janlynn, however, seemed to be dropping lower into darkness, her speech somber and defeated at times. This became more apparent as the day wore on, and it fills me with dread as I do not know how to help her, for I am feeling somewhat defeated as well.
We met with the Innkeeper and after talking with her of our plans, she suggested that we could use the help of a trusted comrade - Hecate the raven. Hecate would journey with us and give what aid she can, making that a great blessing indeed. We attempted a ruse when we left Vallaki, making it look like we were heading east, back towards the windmill and the hags - but in fact we doubled back and started our journey to Krezk. Hopefully this trail would lead to Ireena.
There were many branches of the road to Krezk, some marked with sign posts but most unmarked. Along the road we noticed a fascinatingly creepy manor house high on a hill and decided that might be a place to explore in our travels and was added to our growing list. We passed by the clearly marked road leading to the winery as well (The Wizard of Wines).
We came upon a pack of wolves ripping into a fresh kill which looked to be human. It was decided that, for the sanctity of human life, we would try and scatter the wolves and find out who had befallen such a fate. We fired crossbow and spell to scare them away, but this only made them charge in our direction. As soon as this started to happen, stout Uphir was struck by a deadly arrow and dropped to the ground. Not only were we facing the bloody maws of howling wolves, but now an assassin hid in the woods south of us.
With the wolves approaching, we used our standard tactic of climbing trees, in this case also trying to keep on the north side so that the archer would have less of a target. Uphir was dragged up into a tree as well by Janlynn so that she could be healed and of course Akkir was the last up, protecting our lives with his own. It only took a few moments to frighten off the wolves by wounding enough of them and Hecate was sent to find the assassin. He was gone like the wolves, although Hecate could show us where she last saw him. Tracking from there proved unsuccessful. It was determined that Uphir had been poisoned and Nim brought the strength of Ilmater to bear and cast a antidote spell.
We made it to Krezk and found a well fortified town with tall stone walls and impressive gate, well guarded. The way was not passable and the guards would not even parley with us. Soon, the Burgomaster of Krezk, Dmitry Krezkov, showed up upon the walls and informed us that we could not enter the town as we were strangers. I put forth that we were simply hoping to visit the abbey of Saint Markovia but he remained un-moved by our mission. I offered that we could perhaps do some task for him as a show of our good faith and upon thinking upon it, he said that if we could find out what happened to his wine shipment and deliver it to Krezk, he would consider us more favorably.
So, after a very short visit to Krezk, we were off once again, this time heading back to the winery. It did not take us long to get to the branch in the road that led to the winery. We sent Hecate ahead to scout out the area and she soon returned with dire information. There were many Lost Wolves in the fields and as she flew over the winery she dodged an attack from what was assumed to be lost children. She also said that "The Old One" waited for us.
Well of course, if The Old One waited for us, then we should not keep him waiting long. Hecate led us on a safe course to the edges of the vineyard into a thick copse of trees virtually swarming with ravens. Within the woods we met with the old man Hecate spoke of - The master Winemaker, and his family. We introduced ourselves and he introduced himself as Davian Martikov; his eldest son, Dorian; younger son, Elvar; his daughter, Steffania and her husband, Dag; their children, Martin and Viggo, and baby Yolonda. They were the family that ran the Wizard of Wines. They had been hiding out in the woods since their winery was taken over.
They were attacked by druids and their minions - lost children and lost wolves. The wolves patrolled around the vineyard while the house was controlled by the druids and lost children. Davion was unsure of their true numbers but thought that there could be five or six druids and dozens of lost children inside. A flyover by Hecate could only show a dozen or so wolves outside. Davion explained that the druids were twisted men who worshipped the Night Mother, the great grandmother of all hags. It was the druids' evil rituals that turned soulless children into the monstrous lost ones that we have battled. We unfortunately know what happens to the children who do have souls.
Davion indicated that the druids had a sacred holy place to the south of the winery and that they could easily reinforce the winery. Davion knew enough about the hags to know that the one we killed was named Bella, and the other was named Ophelia. He seems to be of the same sort as the innkeeper, Danika, as they both show an affinity for and somewhat control over the ravens of this land.
Comments