THE ADVENTURE
ADVENTURE DETAILS
INTRODUCTION
A new group of young adventurers have taken up residence at the Pair of Antlers Inn in the bustling city of Elturel. Soon their desires are met as they are hired to aid the exotic Silvo in his rush to head north with his small caravan of roving wagons. Little do they know that their quest for adventure will take them on a dark and terrifying path towards evil as they fall under THE CURSE OF STRAHD.
WIZARD OF WINES NPCs
The current owners of the Wizard of Wines Winery are the Martikov family, with Davion Martikov as its patriarch. The Martikovs who own the Blue Water Inn are his son Urwin and daughter-in-law Danika. The Martikov family appears to run or be involved in a sort of Spying and resistance movement against Strahd. Through their communion with the many ravens of the land, they pass messages and keep tabs on the goings on. They try to help those who they can in their fight for good in the land.
Davian Martikov - He is the patriarch of the Martikov family and master of the Wizard of Wines winery. His last name and nature points towards the family relations between Urwin and Danika, that were not made clear before the PCs set out. He seems to be quite attuned to the hundreds of ravens that watch over the area of the winery. He displayed being able to control them in a limited way. He appears to be the only trustworthy ally they have in this land, although the PCs have been betrayed before.
WIZARD OF WINES
The Wizard of Wines Winery is a historical winery in the land of Barovia. It was extablished centuries ago by an un-named wizard who infused the winery with magic so that the grapes would grow fruitful in the cursed soil of this cursed land. Many, many years later the Devil Strahd gave the winery to the ancestors of the Krezkov family for services rendered and loyal service. At some point in the long history of the winery it became the property of the Martikov family through marriage.
The current proprietors of the winery are Davian Martikov and his family. At the point when the PCs encounter them, they are living in the forest near the winery, having been ousted by foul druids and their ilk - the lost children and wolves. Much information was learned from the wise Davion about the land and major players therein, principally that the magic of the winery was contained in three Titanite stones and they have been systematically stolen from them over the last few decades or so by the druids and their patron, the Night Mother.
The PCs pledged to help the family oust the interlopers and a plan was hatched and an assault was undertaken. After a long and hard fought battle, the PCs managed to defeat their enemies completely and the Martikovs could move back in. Dozens of Lost Wolves and lost children, 4 or 5 druids, and several of a new type of larger lost children (Lost Teens) were destroyed.
The PCs learned that the Night Mother was the grandmother of all of the hags in this land and she had just recently stolen the third and last titanite stone. The first stone was stolen a decade ago and was used by the Night Mother to transform a huge Banyan Tree into a corrupted edifice to the druids and a powerful magic to transform soulless children into Lost ones. The second stone was stolen over three months ago and was used by the Night Mother to corrupt and enchant the stump of another giant Banyan tree. She uses this evil, enchanted tree stump as her home and it has the ability to "Walk" throughout the land. The third stone was stolen three days ago and the Martikovs do not know of its fate.
The PCs have managed to gain their first Titanite stone by destroying the Black Banyan Tree. They were unsure if they could trust the Martikov's with the stone again as they might just lose it again. Meeting with Davian Martikov's son Unwin back in Vallaki, ultimately they decided to give it to Urwin to give to his father as he said he had somewhat fallen out of favor and his father would be pleased with him. The PCs had no real idea what to do with the stone anyway.
