Previously, on Curse of Strahd...

You took on various jobs with a group of traveling-folk and left the city for the open road. After a day of traveling you made camp near the Misty Forest . Your employers played fine music, danced, and drank, and some of you joined them. The man leading them, Stanimir , told you a story about their homeland. About how his people saved a prince from death, and who who then welcomed them into his lands. But now the prince is cursed, and their leader Madame Eva waits in his domain for the arrival of 'the right travelers.' That night the mist from the forest slowly enveloped your camp, obscuring everything around you as you stood a comical watch. When morning came, the camp and the traveling-folk were gone, while you and the other new hires were here in this strange new woods. A bit of exploration revealed a road, and upon following it for hours in the rain you were brought to a large, oppressive gate that opened for you and closed behind you. A single raven cawed and flew off as you entered. You found a dead body shortly thereafter, torn apart by wolves. A note in his hand bade visitors to turn away, but it was too late - you were already here. His valuables were rescued and a cloak curiously caused the one who wore it to hear the ghostly voices of a pair of children until it was removed. The sound of rapidly approaching wolves convinced you to leave the body and press on, eventually spotting a large, gothic castle high on a cliffside looming over a small town. As the road lead you to this town, the rain subsided upon your arrival.

As you explored the town you arrived at, you found the buildings to be old and damaged. The few people you initially spotted were fearful and kept their distance. Viky helped Tate get a better view of the town from the top of one of the buildings. But the aged roof couldn't support the Tortle's weight and he fell into the abandoned building, discovering too late it was infested with rats. The rest of you rushed inside to help, and saved your companion while also clearing out the house of rats. While deciding how to proceed next, an old lady pushing a pie cart walked by you. She introduced herself as Morgantha , and offered to sell you some of her " dream pastries " for only one gold each. Bingle bought one, while Viky bought five and then proceeded to eat one right there. As soon as she finished eating the small, warm pie she fell unconscious into a deep slumber filled with dreams. Pauly slyly put back the one he was working to steal. Morgantha assured you that what happened to Viky was normal, though usually people wait until they get into their beds before eating one. She answered a few questions then walked away with her cart, looking for more customers. While you discussed options a couple of you noticed Morgantha at another home give six pies to a man, and instead of being paid she was offered a small child. She scrutinized the child and then accepted the deal. You went up to her and demanded to know what she was doing with the child. She told you he would "help her make more pies." Her smile fooled everyone but Alvarwinx . He paid her gold so she would relinquish custody of the child to him, and she obliged. She was threatened to leave town, and with a pleased jingle of a small sack at her waist she also obliged. You took the boy back to the house. His mother answered the door, and emotionlessly conceded that the boy was your problem now - they had other children. She answered a few more questions but was eager to end the conversation. She had dreams to get to. With the child, Lucian , in tow the five of you headed towards the center of town, where you saw a tavern called Blood of the Vine and across from it a store called Bildrath's Mercantile . A raven cawed at you from the sign on the tavern. Lucian sang a song to himself as he walked with you. Outside the tavern, Bingle took a few minutes to have a short conversation with the raven on the sign before it flew away.

After using Bingle 's familiar to create a map of the town, the four of you entered the Blood of the Vine  tavern. You struck up conversations with all the patrons but the three women you first met were not very talkative, and suggested you see Madame Eva by the Tser Pool for answers to your questions. A man in the tavern introduced himself as Ismark Kolyanovich , also referred to as Ismark the Lesser  by the townsfolk. He asked you for help - to bring his sister Ireena Kolyana  to safety in the town of Vallaki , and away from Strahd  who had been stalking her and drinking her blood. During your conversation with Ismark, one of the women you first met left the tavern ahead of you. Ismark brought you to his house in the south part of town where you saw it had been assaulted by wolves and other creatures. Upon confirming Ismark's identity Ireena let you in and you found out their father, the burgomaster  Kolyan Indirovich , passed away a few nights ago due to the stress of the constant attacks. Ireena refused to leave until their father had a proper burial, so with Viky still asleep you four went up to the Church of the Morninglord . There you met the priest Donavich , who prayed night and day for the Morninglord to save his son Doru - now a vampire spawn he kept trapped in the undercroft. You convinced Donavich that his son was dead, and enacted a plan to free the starving vampire and end him once and for all. The fight went about as planned, but you learned that vampires are hard to kill unless done in a certain way. Unable to bear his sun suffering any longer, Donovich broke out of the room you trapped him in and, with tears streaming down his face, showed you how to stake and kill a vampire.

After you setup with Donovich to return in the morning and bury the Burgomaster, you returned to Ismark and Ireena 's home. There you found Viktoria finally awake, but unwilling to part with her pies despite being told their suspected ingredients. You all took some time to examine the items found upon your entry to Barovia, and Bingle decided to attune to the cloak. The remaining items were divvied up as best as could be. Ismark provided you a map of Barovia as part of your agreement to take Ireena from this village and bring her to the safety of Vallaki . The map showed where the Tser Pool was, an area of interest where you had been told the Vistana Madame Eva could be found. You also noted the location of the windmill where the old lady who made the pies lives. Bingle also indicated his desires to explore more of the town of Barovia tomorrow. With a tentative travel plan you tried to take a long rest, only to discover the lights you used to ensure nothing would sneak up on you were attracting zombies. Through the night you watched them warily as they kept their distance, focused on the lights, until Viktoria became aware of them. She went on the offensive, and everyone else followed suit in fighting and defeating the strange undead. Once their threat was neutralized, you all retired to try and complete your long rest. Bingle offered to give up his cloak to Viktoria, then seemed to change his mind abruptly and go to bed. The rest of the night passed uneventfully, and you lot work up shortly before dawn to bring the old Burgomaster's body to the graveyard.

Upon waking up in the morning, you gathered your party and brought the Burgomaster's body to the graveyard. Donovich was ready and waiting, having already buried his son Doru in a nearby grave. Words were said and the body was lowered into the grave. A black carriage led by a flaming horse pulled up at the gates. Three women in tattered wedding dresses and a man in luxurious clothing exited and stood to the sides of the carriage door. Then Strahd von Zarovich emerged. Strahd charmed Bingle when he tried to talk with him, then ignored him as he proceeded to come to the grave and pay respect to the Burgomaster. The four who came with Strahd stayed nearby and watched. Strahd introduced himself you you, and called Ireena by the name " Tatyana ." He told her he looked forward to seeing her that night. Ismark tried to attack Strahd but was held back by the rest of you. Donavich was aghast and cowered until Strahd and the four who came with him finally left. You finished the burial and stopped at Mad Mary 's on the way back to Ismark and Ireena's. The church bell rung once after you left, and Alvarwinx discovered too late that Donovich hung himself by the bell rope. At Mad Mary's, the lone woman there was inconsolable about her missing daughter Gertruda . There were no clues to her wherabouts - only her old doll with a unique tag sewn into it. At Ismark's you decided to get supplies at Bildrath's Mercantile then leave right away for Vallaki with Ireena. You discussed heading to the Tser Pool on the way in order to meet Madame Eva , and perhaps also stop at a certain windmill along the way. During your journey you all realized a swath of Viky 's hair had been roughly cut and was missing. At the River Ivlis Crossroads , a strange corpse suddenly appeared hanging at the gallows which seemed to specifically freak out Viky. Once she was calmed down, you all headed to the Tser Pool and the sounds of distant partying and merriment coming from the Vistani camp there...

After leaving the village of Barovia you arrived at the Tser Pool , which was home to a camp of Vistani partying by an inviting fire. They waved at you and called for you to join them - Viky and Tate eagerly accepted. Bingle stayed back on his mastiff mount Dio to look for magic and caught a glimpse of something in one of the wagons. In the camp Alvarwinx asked to speak with Madame Eva , and the Vistani directed those of you willing to meet with her towards her tent. The old woman invited everyone in except Bingle. She told him what she had to say was for the living, not the dead. He left his cloak and bag by the fire with Tate and was then allowed in. Madame Eva addressed you all by name, and revealed something of your past as she greeted you. She told you that Strahd had to be defeated in order to free yourselves from this land. But to accomplish that you would need help. With your permission she pulled out an old, well-used deck of Tarroka cards and used them to divine your fortune. She told you the following: Knowledge you would need could be found at a dead village drowned by a river. A holy symbol of hope could be found in the house of a saint. A sword of sunlight is held by a wounded elf. One who would help you greatly is at the lake... a child in imminent danger... but she distastefully told you to take your time. Finally she told you the tomb of the man Strahd envied above all is where you are certain to find him, once you are ready to face him. Madame Eva answered other questions for each of you, then told you to leave her be to rest. Alvarwinx gathered everyone to take the footpath along the river but Bingle stayed behind to barter a diamond neckalce for the magical item he saw. The trade was accepted and he got a vial of magical powder. He caught up and was with you when the footpath ended at a sheer cliff, requiring some backtracking into the woods to reach the Old Svalich Road . A centuries old grave was noticed by you along the way. Back on the road you continued towards Vallaki . You saw the path to the windmill but decided to visit it another day. Close to sundown you came within view of Lake Zarovich . You saw a man in a boat throw a struggling, child-sized sack overboard and then pick up his fishing pole. Everyone but Tate and Ireena quickly went out into the water - Dio, Pauly and Viky swimming, while Bingle and Alvarwinx rowed out in a boat from the shore. The man confirmed to Alvarwinx that there was a child in the sack - "Big bait to catch a big fish," he said. In the combat that immediately ensured the man was killed, and swarms of fish were drawn to the activity in the lake. Dio was also killed, but the sack was retrieved and the young girl inside was freed and revived. As you all rowed back to shore, Tate waved at you but the mists surrounded him and when they receeded, he was gone, leaving Ireena alone on the shore as you returned.

On the shores of Lake Zarovich you realized you had less than an hour of daylight left. Weighing your options you decided to press on quickly to the safety of Vallaki , not too far away. The young girl you saved from drowning introduced herself as Arabelle but was very guarded and didn't share much else about herself or how she got in that situation. She tried to claim she was from Vallaki, but was not a convincing liar. She was dressed as a Vistana and when pressed she admitted that she was Vistani, and that they are not welcome in Vallaki so she knew little of the village except they have frequent festivals. A pack of wolves and dire wolves attacked you on the road as the sun was setting. They fought you to the death but you kept one dire wolf alive so Bingle could try to convince it to join your group. It scoffed at the offer and attacked to no avail. In the distance you noticed a lone wolf watching the battle and the aftermath. Once you noticed it the wolf disappeared out of sight. As you continued on your way to Vallaki Pauly used his skill with disguise to try and make Arabelle less noticeable as a Vistana , but without a kit it was a mixed success. You reached the gates of Vallaki at the tail end of twilight. Wolf heads on pikes lined the road leading to the gates, but the guards refused to open the gates for you. The Burgomaster's orders were to keep them closed after sundown, and they would not violate that order nor seek an exception from him. "All will be well, all must be well," they told you. Pauly took the time to pick the gate lock open while the guards were distracted telling the rest of you "No" repeatedly. The unlocked gates swung open and you entered past the blustered guards, who became convinced they forgot to lock it. The gates were closed and re-locked just in time - a larger pack of wolves and dire wolves emerged from the woods to run straight for the gates. The guards readied pikes but Alvarwinx and Bingle worked together to disperse them with magic. The guards suggested you follow the main road through the village to the Blue Water Inn . You passed the Arasek Stockyard along the way and found the inn near the center of town. You entered the tavern area below and strode up to the bar, where Bingle immediately announced you were there to kill Strahd. That got some mixed reactions from the other patrons in the tavern, a couple of which abandoned their drinks and left in a hurry. You paid for a few rooms and tried to strike up other conversations and get food. As you ate one of the bar workers was heard telling the bartender that they noticed a Vistana girl, and Bingle hurried her and Ireena up to one of the rented rooms...

Your time at the Blue Water Inn was cut short by the arrival of a guard, who ignored you all and instead delivered urgent news to two hunters in the back of the tavern, Yevgeni Krushkin and Szoldar Szoldarovich . They immediately prepared to leave and when you asked what had them worked up, they admitted there was a pack of werewolves spotted north of town and they were going to try and take them down. They agreed to your help, and loaned a couple silver weapons to your group. At the northern gate, you all witnessed a stranger being tailed by a pack of wolves, which suddenly revealed themselves to be werewolves as they attacked. Viky leapt the wall to join the combat outside while the rest of you climbed to the guard towers or viewed the combat through the barred gates into the town. Yevgeny and Szoldar were looking for a particular wolf, which they spotted but were unable to take down before the werewolves fled. The stranger was no easy mark, and with the support of the rest of you the pack suffered a couple deaths and then fled back into the woods. Your trek together back to the inn allowed you to see festival signs for celebrations both past and future. A large, unusual house caught your eye as well while traveling back. Yevgeni and Szoldar were not very talkative, preferring instead to answer your questions back at the inn. Once you arrived, you resumed your meals and asked a lot of questions of Danika. She offered to better answer your questions in the morning, and said that her husband Urwin would want to speak with you. The stranger you helped introduced himself as John BearKiller Kalagiano , and he shared his story with you about how he ended up in this strange realm. During your conversations with him, you noticed a couple festering wounds from the werewolves on his body. Viky retired early with Ireena and Arabelle to the large common room she rented. As the evening wore on to early morning, Yevgeni and Szoldar found you and offered to have that conversation with you the next evening, since this evening proved too busy. Danika shooed you all out to your rooms so the tavern could close for the night and everyone could get some much-needed sleep...

You settled in to get a long rest at the Blue Water Inn . Alvarwinx and John shared a room - John played some music to relax and distract him from his injuries. In response Alvarwinx cast Silence over the area, causing a small amount of confusion among the the rest of you. Bingle and Viky shared a room with Ireena and Arabelle . Bingle had a conversation with the ghost children and ended up making a deal whose fine print has yet to be revealed. Pauly slept alone and noticed the shadows in his room acting weird. But when he got someone to come look, they were normal. Alvarwinx had a dream about a church in Vallaki , and about an Abby on a mountainside. A voice spoke to him. John dreamed of wolves, and the upcoming full moon. Bingle stood watch out in the hallway that night. In the morning, Ireena showed fresh bite marks, but no one had heard or noticed anything. She was very out of things, though, talking about dreams of castles and flooded villages. During breakfast you decided to take her to see the priest, but an errant comment overheard from a conversation between Urwin and Rictavio brought the toymaker Blinsky to your attention. You resolved to see him first as his shop was close by. Urwin told you that their supply of wine was nearly gone and the next shipment was overdue. He asked if you would be able to find out why the latest shipment hasn't arrived yet, but there was no urgency to this matter. He noted on your map where the winery, the Wizard of Wines , was located. You met Blinsky at Blinsky Toys . He lamented that people weren't buying his toys anymore, and you saw an assortment of weird and macabre items in his shop for sale. Blinsky tried to hide it, but the motion was noticed and he revealed that he had a doll which looked eerily like Ireena. He said he was forced to make it by Izek Strazni , the Burgomaster's right-hand man and enforcer. Ireena left the shop in disarray, and revealed to Alvarwinx some of her confusing dreams, as well as the fact she was adopted and didn't know where she was from originally. Inside the shop, a toy or two was purchased, and when Arabelle was asked what toy she would want she solemnly said she'd want an actual Vistani fortune-telling instrument, like a tarokka deck or something similar. Blinsky said it wouldn't be easy but he knew how to do it - in return he would want the group to find the "clockwork man" rumored to live in Castle Ravenloft . With new toys in hand, the group left the shop by midday.

Outside Blinsky Toys , your discussion about where to go next was solved when Alvarwinx took Ireena to the church on his own, and shortly thereafter Izek Strazni and a few town guards found you to lead you to the Burgomaster's mansion. Along the way he did not react to any of the baited conversation tossed at him, though he did mention two of the Burgomaster's help had recently disappeared mysteriously. Upon entering the mansion you had brief interactions with the overworked maid Drilvia and the Burgomaster's wife, Lady Lydia Petrovna , who was entertaining guests at a lunch party. You were directed to go upstairs to meet the Burgomaster in the library. There, you were introduced to Baron Vargas Vallakovich and his two mastiffs. The Baron invited you to be guests of honor at tomorrow's Festival of the Blazing Sun. He asked you to help assure the town that "All will be well," as he believes if the town can collectively shed its melancholy that the entirety of Vallaki will escape Strahd 's realm. During the conversation, the Baron mentioned there was a journal of his ancestors he read which wrote about a wedding at Castle Ravenloft hundreds of years ago. You also convinced him that perhaps instead of weekly festivals with mandatory town attendance, they should increase them to twice a week. At your insistence, you were given leave of the house to investigate the disappearance of their butler and lady-in-waiting. Executing this search uncovered a journal by the lady-in-waiting, who wrote about how distressing the Baron and Lady's son Victor Vallakovich was becoming. Her last entry was that Victor had invited her to come up to his room in the attic, and she saw no reason not to follow this reasonable suggestion. Arabelle had a conversation with Viky about the dice she wears, and then used those dice to foretell there was danger in this house. Arabelle then tried to repeat one of Madame Eva 's readings, the one about finding her, and she seemed to see similar results but passed out. Viky carried her as you all explored the house. Bingle sensed magic in two places and you investigated to discover a mirror with heavy conjuration magic, and an attic door laced with abjuration magic. You left Arabelle in a tub in a washroom and investigate the room the attic door was in. You heard the Burgomaster whipping someone in an adjoining room but saw no connection from this master bedroom to wherever that was happening. Bingle examined the abjuration magic and decided to just open the door anyway. You all filed up those stairs into a cluttered attic which had a path leading to a door with symbols on it and a sign that read "ALL IS NOT WELL." When you approached lightning magic shocked you all, and a teenager's voice yelled out "I told you to leave me alone up here, ugh." You opened the door to see several skeletal cats roaming around the room and the teenager's voice demand to know who you were. Pauly stepped back in shock into a shadow, and it enveloped him. Viky ran after and was swallowed by it too.

Alvarwinx and Ireena arrived at the Burgomaster's house, where they were directed to the second floor and were able to arrive with you just as Victor began to fight against you. He cast ice spells against you which coated much of the attic in ice. Alvarwinx used a Silence spell to prevent him from continuing to cast spells, at which point you easily overwhelmed him. The skeletal cats were quickly dispatched and you tied up Victor before waking him up for questioning. He told you he was building a teleportation circle to get out of this place, away from his family, Strahd , all of this. He tested it with the servants first, but something wasn't working and it kept killing them instead. The Burgomaster's voice then called up to the attic, demanding to know why water was dripping through the ceiling and ruining the library, the bedrooms, and the carpets. Izek was sent up and he recognized Ireena from dreams, but couldn't identify why. She didn't know why either - her memories were getting all jumbled recently. A tense discussion occurred between the two of them before you intervened. Izek wanted to keep her here but you convinced him to let her return to the church. You left the attic and informed the Burgomaster what Victor did - how he was responsible for the servants' disappearance, and that he has am "ALL IS NOT WELL" sign hanging up. The Burgomaster coldly thanked you and assured you that he would handle this appropriately with his son. Izek escorted you out. On the way out you passed the Burgomaster's wife and noticed she had an antique holy symbol to the Morninglord . She told you she was the priest's sister, and gave a story about how the symbol she wears is tied to their ancestor Tasha Petrovna and a grave to west, with roses that never die, in a place built by healers, in the village of Kresk . You left the Burgomaster's house and went back to St. Andral's Church . Sundown was approaching...

You approached St. Andral's church . A shadow by the church bulged outward and disgorged Viktoria , unconscious and gravely injured. She was awakened but anyone who touched her became injured as if slashed by a viscous whip. Viky couldn't remember exactly what happened, only that she somehow came face to face with the Drow Elf hunting her. You went inside the church and met Father Petrovich . He was offering prayers and messages of hope and comfort to the townsfolk who huddled in the pews in fear. As you all arrived and sought his help he brought you into his chambers to talk more privately. He heard your stories and tried to piece together some common elements, but wasn't able to find any. He told you how the souls of the dead can't move onto the afterlife and exist around us, waiting to be reborn. He informed John that a werewolf's curse isn't as easy to remove as just casting magic - the werewolf who infected you must also be killed. John was confident the werewolf was killed and Father Petrovich agreed to help, but also needed help in return. He cast the magic on John, which seemed to take effect and remove his curse. Then the priest told you the holy bones of a saint, which protected this church, were stolen recently. They needed to be found and returned or else the church couldn't offer any real protection against the monsters of Barovia . Father Petrovich told you who he told about the bones, and you questioned a chain of people to find the culprit. A gravedigger named Milivoj stole them and sold them to the the local coffin maker, Henrik van der Voort . You sought out the coffin maker and despite his objections, broke into his place to confront him. It didn't take much to get him to confess. He brought you to where he stashed the bones and turned them over. Some of you explored the place looking for the source of conjuration magic which was sensed earlier, and you found a dwarf-sized hourglass radiating it in a large storeroom. Henrik told you that room was rented by Lord Vasili von Holtz and no one was allowed inside. Lord Vasili von Holtz was also the signature on a note found on the body of the man who kidnapped Arabelle , and you set out to investigate the rest of the room. This exposed the six former-adventurers turned vampires who immediately attacked to feed in a frenzied, starving rush. All of you rushed into the room to help fight them off, but found yourselves so far outnumbered and outmatched. A fire spell lit part of the room on fire, and things were starting to look dire...

Despite Paulie's fortuitous return from the shadows which him, the battle against the vampire spawn turned dire. The fire continued to spread uncontrolled and the monsters held the upper hand. Arabelle fled to seek help, and the party began to plan their escape. Paulie and Alvarwinx were able to make it down the stairs and outside, while the rest of the group teleported out with the aid of Bingle's fire spirit. Arabelle was flagging down two figures for help, which Alvarwinx recognized as two of Strahd's entourage from the funeral. He warned Arabelle away as the figures ran towards the group. Instead of fighting, they gave the group a small amount of aid as they ran into the burning building to take the hourglass and teleport away. Alvarwinx ran the bones of St Andral back to the church while everyone else tried to clean up the fight against the vampire spawn. With the building fully engulfed and Heinrick van der Voot dead inside due to the building collapsing, the surviving vampire spawn fled into the night. Everyone reconvened at the church, where the bones were placed back in their rightful resting place, re-consecrating the church. Bingle and John searched the church for signs of the holy symbol Madame Eva's fortune reading indicated was in the "house of a saint," but it was not to be found here. The group rested in the church in safety that night. In the morning, Ireena announced her intentions to stay there. The next morning, before heading to the Burgomaster's in preparation for the Festival of the Blazing Sun , they stopped by the Arasek Stockyard to purchase supplies. There they discovered Rictavio's carnival wagon and became intensely interested. Their investigations soon discovered the presence of an animal caged in the back, and magic emanating from a secret compartment in the front. Bingle and Alvarwinx talked with the animal and it said it was not mistreated and was content for the time being. Rictavio arrived and endured their questions, answering as much as he dared. He invited them back to the Blue Water Inn for breakfast and more answers. After they ate, Rictavio invited them up to his room and in the protection of a magic circle he revealed he was not a Half-Elf entertainer, but a vampire hunter named Rudolph Van Richten . He told them he cleaned up their mess last night, and that his goal was to lay low and learn more about Strahd so he could destroy him. He asked the group what they knew of Strahd, and after their answers told them of his heavy distrust of the Vistani , who he saw as betrayers and nothing more here than Strahd's servants. In another place, a different group of Vistani had kidnapped his only son and sold him to a vampire. When Van Richten finally found him to rescue him, he learned his son had been turned into a vampire spawn, and Van Richten was forced to kill his own son. His retribution upon the Vistani who did this to his family ended up cursing him, and he has never trusted them since. By this time it was nearly midday, and the festival was about to start. Everyone headed to the town square under threatening skies. While there the group saw Morgantha selling pies, and Alvarwinx set her cart on fire - earning her ire. A rich noble stood away from the crowds, observing the proceedings, and Pauly stole a large sum of money from her without her noticing. Another of Strahd's entourage was seen on a nearby rooftop, and before that could be investigated more the festival and parade started. When the Burgomaster arrived in the square he announced in delight that festivals would be held twice a week now, and everyone in town could thank the newcomers for the wondrous idea. The town's attitude noticeably shifted against the group. As the Burgomaster went to set a massive twig ball ablaze, the skies opened up in a heavy downpour. The Burgomaster was able to light the ball thanks to Bingle's intervention, and in the cold rain the town completed the festivities as fast as possible before fleeing to safety and warmth. A crash, a roar, and a scream all cut through the noise of the rain. The sounds came from the direction of the Arasek Stockyard. The group ran over to investigate...

As the party ran over to the Arasek Stockyard , two figures fleeing the scene caught their attention. They gave chase, but in the rain and the alleys of Vallaki they lost the duo's trail. At the stockyard they discovered Rictavio's wagon had been tipped over, and the creature inside broke out and was now loose. They began tracking the creature and searching for it in the streets. They ran into Rictavio, who was also looking for the creature. He welcomed their aid in this matter, as he wanted to have the creature found before this escape brought undue attention upon him. They split up to search and encountered the town guard also on the hunt for the disturbance. The party eventually found the beast hiding in an alleyway. It was a saber tooth tiger clad in barding, and they were successfully luring it out until it noticed Arabelle and attacked her. The party defended Arabelle while Bingle , wildshaped into a horse, rode away with her to bring her to safety. He decided to head back to the stockyard. Their ride through the streets also attracted the attention of the guards, who after their passing were now searching for a mysterious monster as well as young girl riding a horse recklessly through the streets. The tiger was nearly subdued when Izek arrived on the scene and delivered the final blow with fire he summoned form his demon hand. He briefly talked with the party before leaving them to dispose the beast so he could focus on finding the reckless horse rider. Alvarwinx was able to stabilize the tiger so it did not die, but remained unconscious and critically hurt. On their way back to the stockyard with the injured saber tooth tiger, the party was intercepted by the other two of Strahd's entourage. The tall and regal Ludmilla , dressed in white and wielding a longsword, alongside the smaller and instigating Volenta , wearing her platinum skull mask. Egged on by Volenta, Ludmilla demanded the party tell her what Anastraysa and Escher were doing in the city the night before. Unable to give any good answers, Ludmilla finally gave up and left, telling Volenta they needed to " finish what they come there to do ." The two women scaled a building and quickly disappeared out of sight. The party arrived at the stockyard to find Bingle and Arabelle already there. Bingle had convinced the folks at the stockyard to help in repairing the wagon. When no one was looking, Bingle smashed open the front of the wagon and stole all the items stored there to investigate later. During the repair of the wagon, a large doll dressed like a Vistana was found in the wagon - it was clear now that Van Richten had been training this creature to attack the Vistani, which explained why it pounced on Arabelle. Arabelle opened up to Alvarwinx about her people and how they had turned away from tradition to follow Strahd. She had visions of how this would destroy her family and people here, but none of them believed her. Madame Eva was no help to her either, since according to her father the seer had forbidden him from ever bringing Arabelle to see her. This had prompted her to run away, and led to the events of how the party rescued her. Cold and wet, the party finished repairing the wagon, placed the tiger securely within, and returned to the Blue Water Inn . There they found Van Richten in his Rictavio disguise packing up to leave. He had been informed the tiger was killed, and he was pleased to hear it survived and they had repaired his wagon. It didn't change anything though - he needed to leave. This event put too much scrutiny on him. The group accosted him about training his tiger to attack the Vistani, and he expressed no remorse and re-iterated his beliefs about them. When they claimed Arabelle was not like that, Van Richten told them " ...yet. Give it time ." Unable to bridge this gap between them, the group let him go. He told them not to seek him out. After a hot meal at the Inn, the group returned to St. Andral's Church to rest and spend the night. In the morning, they would decide on their next course of action...

Before resting, Bingle examined and split up the items he took from Van Richten 's cart, and defended his actions as right to the rest of the group. During the night, everyone in the party received a notable dream. Viky dreamed of her fight against a shadowy Khareesa H'kar , and came closer to remembering the deal she agreed to when she defeated the illusion and overcame her fear. Pauly dreamed of the family he saved from the mad barber of Daggerford , and recalled an important lesson related to that moment from his mentor, Arsène . Bingle dreamed of a conversation he had with his brother during their trek out of the underdark, and recalled the words he said to his brother to assuage their fears. Alvarwinx dreamed of Saint Andral , who was thankful, but communicated his sadness at how zeal had led first Saint Markovia , and now the Morning Lord' s own servant, astray in Kresk . John dreamed of a cave in a mountain shaped like a wolf's head, and saw several children kept in cages within, surrounded by werewolves. He recognized one child from Daggerford before a statue of a wolf-headed goddess glowed with bright moonlight, forcibly ending his dream. Neither Ireena nor Arabelle were asked about their dreams, though Arabelle had a bad reaction when John drew a picture of the statue from his dream, and told him they should not draw any more attention from Mother Night . The group decided to visit the Vistani camp south of Vallaki to try and learn the location of the werewolf den. The kidnapped children Jon had seen held the highest priority to them. Arabelle thought her "uncle" Kasimir might know where it was. As they left the church they encountered Lady Petrovna , the Burgomaster's wife. She thanked them for their discovery of her son Victor 's indiscretions and their help at the festival She warned them that her husband wanted them arrested for the suspected murder of Szoldar and Yevgeni , who were found dead last night, as well as their suspected involvement in the fire that killed Heinrik , the coffin maker. Izek and a group of guards were looking for them now at the Blue Water Inn . Ireena realized this town would not be safe for her, and agreed to travel with the group again if they would head to Kresk, which they said was in their plans. Lady Petrovna gave them her holy symbol passed to her through generations from her ancestor, Tasha Petrovna , in thanks as they all left. They slipped out of Vallaki with no trouble and headed south. Arabelle hid in the woods rather than return to the camp, and Alvarwinx and Ireena stayed behind with her. The other four visited Kasimir's hut at the base of the hill. The old Dusk Elf did not know where the cave was. He suggested Luvash and Arrigal , the Vistani brothers in charge of this camp, might know, but told them Luvash's young daughter Arabelle went missing a few days ago and the Vistani's focus was currently on the search for her. Kasimir admitted to being visited in his dreams by the spirit of his dead sister Patrina Velikovna , who was put to death centuries ago when Strahd courted her. Her remains were taken to the crypts in Castle Ravenloft , and her repentant spirit had told him the secret to returning her to life could be found in the Amber Temple . Kasimir offered to give the party a powerful magical artifact known as the Sunsword , if they swore to accompany him to the Amber Temple so he could fulfill this dream. They agreed, and he handed them the ancient sword hilt. The party went to the nearly empty tent at the top of the hill to talk with Luvash and Arrigal, and briefly met a very worried Alexi . The party tried to convince the Vistani that the werewolves had stolen children, but this did not surprise or bother them. Jon tried to convince them the werewolves had kidnapped Arabelle, but the Vistani refused to believe such a bold lie - the wolf brothers knew better. As Jon pressed this angle, Luvash and Arrigal became hostile. The situation was barely diffused by Viky and her tales of her time with Vistani, and that allowed everyone to leave with no further escalation. The party walked back down the hill, uncertain how to proceed with locating the werewolf den, when they spotted Arrigal take off at a fast pace on a horse, heading in the northwest direction...

Grouping up, the party relayed all that happened at the camp with everyone else. Pauly was given the sword to hold onto for now. Bingle summoned an owl familiar to follow Arrigal through the woods for about a half hour, then return to him. Reviewing their map of Barovia , the group decided to head to Kresk and stop by the tower Van Richten had told them about. Arabelle came out of hiding holding a bundle of clothing she found tucked away off the road, which had a couple raven feathers incorporated into it similar to the way the Martikov 's decorated their clothing. They brought the bundle with them. They began to walk along the Old Svalich Road . They passed the Luna River Crossroads and carefully continued west. Bingle's owl returned, reporting Arrigal continued his west-northwest travel before the Owl returned as ordered. The rider did go near a tower which had a wagon parked by it, but the owl couldn't give many more details. The party arrived at the Raven River Crossroads and went north towards the tower. They found the tower to be extremely dilapidated, with a hole in its side a couple stories up and very questionable scaffolding leading up to it. The door had a strange pattern of figures on it, connected by lines, which Alvarwinx figured out how to manipulate to cause the tower door to open. Alvarwinx also noticed magic was suppressed around the tower. The name " Khazan " was written above the door, and when Pauly noticed it a flood of sadness and anger washed over him from the sword hilt he carried. Bingle set a trap on the entrance causeway to the tower island, and hid it with a plant growth spell. A rider to the north caught his eye, heading southeast now, and though distant seemed to resemble Arrigal. This spooked Arabelle, who immediately hid in the overgrown weeds. Bingle summoned another owl to follow Arrigal and report back if he went to a wolfs head shaped location. The wagon was examined and determined to not be Van Richten 's. Pauly picked the lock on the back door and Bingle carefully opened it, causing a flask of alchemist's fire to break and create a massive chain reaction explosion which blew up the wagon and all its contents, sending Bingle, Pauly, and Ireena flying away. Bingle and Ireena were knocked into unconsciousness by the blast, and Pauly just narrowly avoided the same fate. Alvarwinx and Arabelle ran to give aid, with Arabelle again casting magic without realizing it. As everyone recovered they realized the large blast could have attracted attention at the same time they began to hear the howling of wolves in the distance. The decided to enter the tower for safety. Inside, four clay statues stood around chains which raised and lowered a simple platform elevator. They realized quickly just saying "up" or "down" would cause the statues to raise or lower the platform, and after calling it down rode it up to the top of the tower. The floors on the way up were empty and clearly unsafe. Through the hole on the third floor Bingle was able to spot a wolf's head in the side of a mountain not too far away to the northwest. The top level of the tower was in decent shape and showed signs of recent habitation. Searching around revealed a Vistani 's head preserved within a chest. An exclamation from the causeway grabbed their attention. An injured Vistana woman's horse had become caught in the trap Bingle set earlier and threw its rider. The woman stood up from the ground and cursed her luck, lamenting about her wagon's destruction and now this horse's injury. The wolves howled again, much closer this time and much more numerous than before...

Bingle  and Alvarwinx  came outsite the tower and convinced the Vistana woman to come inside to safety with them. She introduced herself as Ezmerelda  and had a lot of questions like, "What happened to my wagon?" and "Why are you all here in the tower I've been living in?" You all had valid questions too but the Q&A was cut short as the howling wolves you had heard began to arrive. Bingle's plant growth and trap helped to slow their approach but they eventually emerged and began encircling the tower. Paulie  and John  fired at them from the top of the tower but didn't slow them down. Viky  waited at the bottom floor, preparing for a fight, as the wolves shifted into humanoid form and called out for you all to come out. They audibly noted a mixture of scents outside the tower, including that of the "the missing girl." When the group refused to leave they tried to enter forcibly, triggering the trap on the front door of the tower. A powerful aura of lightning enveloped the tower, arcing into the sky and summoning a blue dragon to defend it. The dragon scattered the werewolves back into the Svalich Woods  while the dilapidated tower, now stressed beyond its limits, began to shake and collapse. Everyone barely made it out in time as the tower fell around them, and with some quick healing efforts everyone survived. With the tower destroyed, its magic ended and the dragon faded from existence. Ezmerelda accosted Paulie and the group about the distinctive crossbow he wielded, which she recognized as belonging to the man she was searching for:  Dr. Rudolph van Richten . The group explained his planned actions against the Vistani  as justification for why they took these things from him, but for some reason this made her even more upset. She left them and suggested their paths not cross again. The group started arguing about what they planned to do next when Count Strahd von Zarovich  materialized astride his nightmare horse, Beucephalus . He clapped at the wonderful entertainment they were providing him. He commented on Ezmerelda being the mysterious tresspasser from earlier in the day, and expressed his surprise that Arabelle  survived her experience in Lake Zarovich . He entranced  Ireena , again calling her  Tatyana , to come with him but the critically injured party held her back. Amused at their defiance, he allowed her to continue exploring Barovia  with this group, but presented a sealed envelope to Alvarwinx. Strahd then took his leave, fading from view and he rode away on the nightmare. Alvarwinx announced his intention to travel to Krezk  now, as his dreams had been pushing him to do. John wanted to excavate the rubble of the tower to try and find the plate mail armor he saw on the top floor. John convinced Viky and Bingle to help while Paulie, Ireena, and Arabelle followed Alvarwinx towards Krezk. During their excavation, those digging in the tower rubble were interrupted by Arrigal  and a group of Vistani from the camp near Vallaki . Arrigal demanded they tell him where his neice, Arabelle was, as he knew she had been here. They tried unsuccessfully to convince Arrigal that the werewolves had her, but he just kept cutting a path through the dense foliage Bingle had created, approaching them menacingly. Bingle summoned storm clouds and called down lightning as a warning, which caused Arrigal to back off, taking the other Vistani who accompanied him back into the woods. John and the others went back to their task, and by dusk had unearthed the armor. John found it resisted being worn and seemed to naturally want to stay together. They also unearthed one of the Clay Golems as well, but it was beserk and began attacking. They fled into the night, leaving it behind as it mindlessly smashed into the rubble over and over. Alvarwinx and the three with them found a noblewoman dead on the side of the road shortly before dark, along with a destroyed cart and several dead guards. They recovered her jewelery and signet and continued towards Krezk, arriving after sundown. At the gate of the town the Burgomaster was summoned, and he declined to allow them to entre until Alvarwinx revealed the dead they saw on the way, and showed the ring. In sorrow he ordered the guards to let them in and met with them, leading the four to his house. John, Viky, and Bingle made it as far as the bridge spanning the Raven River , just north of the crossroads. There they found a nook under the bridge and settled in, trying to get a long rest in as safe a space as they could find, as the moonlit darkness loomed oppressively all around them...

Alvarwinx , Pauly , Ireena , and Arabelle were received into Krezk by the Burgomaster Baron Krezkov . He asked how they came to have the ring of his wife, Baroness Krezkova , and they told him of the dead they passed on the road here. He told them of his wife's ill-fated mission - to locate and obtain a wedding dress for The Abbot as repayment for his resurrection their son, Ilya . The Baroness had thought they might find one in Vallaki. They had until the next wine tithe on the new moon to deliver, or else The Abbot promised there would be "divine retribution." John , Viky , and Bingle took turns standing watch and sleeping at the Raven River bridge. During the night they survived attack by a patrol of zombies and witnessed a Skeletal Rider lost in the mists. In the morning they were confronted by Arrigal  and a group of his Vistani . They demanded to know where Arabelle was. Tired of the lies, a fight broke out and the Vistani were defeated. A few ran away back to their camp but Arrigal was defeated by John. As the Vistana died, he cursed John. " If my blade will not end you, then another's will ." The three of them left the Raven River bridge and completed the trip to Krezk, to reunite with the rest of their party.

You all reunited in Krezk . The Baron Krezkov's tale was told again, and you agreed to retrieve the body of his wife, Baroness Krezkova  from where she was killed on the road. Paulie  stayed behind. Outside of Krezk you encountered the half-elven Enna  wandering the roads, lost, with a familiar tale of abduction by the mists. She accompanied you to the ruined wagon, learning what she could of this land and your own journey so far. The bodies of Baroness Krezkova and her guards were recovered, but a heated argument occured among the group about whether or not to tell Arabelle  about her uncle  Arrigal's  death by their hands earlier that morning. During the fight that broke out, Alvarwinx  finally told her the truth. You all returned to Krezk with Enna. Baron Krezkov thanked you, and in the discussion mentioned they had little wine in the village - the Wizard of Wines  was well past due to deliver, and without it he worried about The Abbot's  wrath. That was a problem for another time and he began notifying the families of the dead guards. You visited the spring and the shrine to the Morninglord at the north end of town. You had a short rest and discussed what you have done so far and what you should do next. Both Ireena  and Arabelle opened up about some of their strange dreams, worries, and motivations. Ireena dreamed living other lives, but dying in different ways in each one. Arabelle has had visions of the Vistani losing their identity to become Strahd's servants, like her uncle Arrigal had, and that's why she still wanted to help you defeat Strahd. Enna played music and you all relieved some stress with dancing and stories. A spirit appeared from the waters and tried to call Ireena into the water, calling her " Tatyana ." You snapped her out of this trance and demanded answers from the spirit, who relented. He identified himself as Sergei , Strahd's dead brother. He told you about how Strahd murdered him and his bride-to-be, Tatyana, on their wedding day. That murder completed his pact with Dark Powers  he bargained with in the Amber Temple  - the gods of the valley were sealed away or dimished and the valley itself was plunged into the mists. Sergei could tell that Ireena was Tatyana reborn, but Ireena was adamant that she was not  Tatyana. She was her own person in this life, and Sergei now saw and respected that. Sergei's spirit departed peacefully, and you made the decision to visit the Wizard of Wines since so many people you've met have brought up the issue with their missed deliveries.

You left Krezk  and traveled towards the Wizard of Wines  vineyard. Along the way you discovered the bodies of the Vistani  you left at the Raven River  bridge had been taken, including Arrigal's  body. Heading south, you were ambushed by crazed druids who were leading a group of needle blights. You fought them and their summoned beasts, trying to convince them to renounce their false worship of Strahd  as The Land, but it seemed your words did little to convince them before their deaths. As you neared the vinyard, you noticed a raven watching you. It flew ahead once you noticed it. You approached the area stealthily and saw the vineyards were abandoned and dying. A copse of trees off the path caught your attention as you noticed an older man and a younger woman in ill-fitting clothing, arguing about whether or not to ask for help. Enna and Ireena  approached and talked to them. The old man introduced himself as Davian Martikov  and the woman as  Muriel Vinshaw . Davian said the druids and their blights had attacked them relentlessly for over a week but then two days ago overran the vineyard, driving him and his family from their home. Davian bore a resemblance to Urwin , the owner of the Blue Water Inn  in Vallaki , but when Davian was asked about the relation he reacted angrily, calling Urwin lazy and a liar. As more of your party revealed yourselves to Davian and Muriel, the rest of Davian's family began to reveal themselves from their hiding places further back in the woods. Davian asked, and you agreed to clear out the crazed druids and blights infesting the vineyard and their home. But Davian asked if you could do it without damaging the vineyard any further. There were moments he seemed about to say or ask more, but he held back, and you didn't press for more. When Muriel tried to push him to say more, he angrily told her to return to the swamp. She left, frustrated, while you made plans to draw out the druids and blights and ambush them further away from the vineyard.

After some planning, you set a fire in the woods about a half mile away and made a commotion to draw out as many druids and blights as you could from the vineyard. You hid to ambush them as John led them over, prepared to cut off their retreat with fire. Thirty blights and a couple druids were unlucky enough to fall for your plan, and in a fierce, fiery battle you wiped them out. The druids promised " Wintersplinter will come! " before they died. Six scarecrows stuffed with dead ravens joined the fight from the other direction, but you found they fell quickly to fire as well. The vineyard seemed clear, leaving only the manor and whatever was inside. Dusk was approaching, and you decided to meet with Davian  again and camp there for the night to regain your strength. Enna  created a magical green dome that provided a comfortable place to sleep away from the cold and the rain. During the night, you noticed a couple of ravens watched your dome with interest. The lost Skeletal Rider  emerged from the mist, traveled the path with its glowing green lanteren until nearly out of sight, then disappeared into the mist again. Under the light of the nearly full moon a pack of wolves emerged from the woods, sniffing around the dome with interest before finally leaving, unable to enter or do anything else. Morning approached, but the night wasn't done with you yet...