Entry 19

Despite the specter Olrik’s insistence of our departure, we consider exploring his cellar. But the stairs are blocked with rubble causing us to reconsider. We exit the ruins to confront the scarecrows gathered in the town square. Morthos advances first to gather them in a tighter grouping. ‘Fireballs’ cut their numbers in half. “Look east; something else advances!” It’s a walking treehouse with some white thing flying around it. Remembering the ravenkind (Murial Venshaw) spy’s words, we assume it's the hag Babalasaga inside her protective dragon skull animation.

        As she draws closer, she casts causing the ground around us to erupt with black tentacles that whip and snare us. We are distracted trying to free ourselves while also attacking her and her mobile-home. It is the elf Kassamir who is targeted by a small boulder thrown by the tree. Which encourages Domine to cast ‘Dispel Magic’ to remove the tangle of tentacles. But he fails. While most escape the entangling area, the elven caster falls from the tentacle wounds.

        At least the flying skull falls from all the ‘Fireballs’ cast its way. Which allows Morthos and Esmerelda to advance on the huge tree. And Domine to cast ‘Healing Word’ to revive Kassamir at a distance, while healing Morthos being pummeled by the tree. As Xoji advances on the down skull protecting the hag, Esmerelda scores multiple critical hits on the tree. Combined with Morthos’ deadly flanking (sneak attack), the tree soon falls as the hag is silenced with more ‘Fireballs’.

        We explore the downed tree-hut, freeing a score of ravens trapped inside two iron cages. The small room holds a table with stool, wardrobe closet, barrel chest and a baby bed aglow with green light emanating from the floorboard beneath it. Domine and the vestani Esmerelda fixate on the crib holding a small child with an angelic expression. The crib carved with the name “Strahd.” Domine lifts the babe only to see it fall back into the crib; scolded by the vestani for being so careless. But the cleric quickly reasons the crib and babe only a ‘Programmed Illusion’. Thus he taunts the woman, “The babe rejected me. He must want to suckle your teets.” Which earns the cleric a scowl. And backhand when he confesses the illusion.

        Meanwhile Morthos has pried up the floorboards finding the pinecone shaped gem we sought for the winemaker Davien. As for the chest, the rogue is cautious per the glyph warding till the cleric ‘Dispels the Magic’. Inside the chest we find gold coins, precious gems, and an assortment of magical items (vial, scrolls, sling bullets, haunting pipes, spell book, and a ‘Luck’ stone).

        Before we leave the ruins of the village, we pause at the monolith raised in the town square. The stone carved with the likeness of a child holding a rose. The child image the likeness of Irena. The inscription, “Marina, taken by the mist.” We cross the river to rest within the protective aura of the Stonehenge as we confer with Murial and attune to the magic items.

        Along the return to Kresk, we stop at Esmerelda’s tower beside the lake, finding Rictavio’s wagon parked before it. An angry vestani storms into her keep to confront the trespasser, but soon bursts into joy. The carnival ringmaster is none other than her vampire-hunting mentor Von Richten. [Great! Now we can let these two get about their business of dealing with Strahd as we gather the treasure we’ve collected, and await the fall of the mist that will allow us to return home. Oh. Never-mind. It doesn’t work that way.]

        We drive on to Kresk to deliver the wedding dress to the Abbott. Then off to the vineyard to return the pinecone gem to Davien. In the morning we travel the roads south into the mountains following Kassamir’s quest to seek clues of his sister. [It doesn’t hurt that the rumored book of Strahd is in the same direction.] The weather turns wintry, evident as we come upon a frozen river with icy cliffs. Across the snow-covered bridge, a high black-stoned wall blocks the path. Spikes line the walls discouraging climbing while demonic vultures rest atop the walls. A gate splits the wall but is blocked with a lowered portcullis and green flames.

        When Morthos approaches, the portcullis rises although the flames remain. He dashes thru the flames, patting out the smoldering fires on his clothing. “Nothing to it.” Domine reasons better as he approaches to cast ‘Dispel Magic’. With the bars raised and flames gone, Esmerelda drives her wagon thru the gate along with the other party members.

        Inside the gate, Morthos pauses before the door of the watch tower to the right of the road.

Entry 18

We stand on the bridge leading to the taller “heart” tower. Now 80 feet above the courtyard, dark clouds are punctuated by random lightning flashes as strong winds rip at our cloaks. With slick stones and strong crosswinds, we cross the rail-less bridge in pairs, when a cackle from behind proceeds the horizontal lightning flash that hits Kassimer, Domine, and Xoji. Dom casts “see Invisibility” to find Strahd the culprit…who backflips over the side before flapping away in bat form.

Once again we enter the “heart” tower having to deal with its throb that threatens footing and balance. We race to the top to get closest to the heart dealing arrows and fireballs at it. Another shutter has Domine and Xoji knocked prone sliding near the inner edge and 190 foot drop. Xoji regains his balance just in time to grab the cleric sliding over the edge, when 10 swords (once decorations on the walls) animate and attack…Xoji defenseless with his hands full till he plants Dom on his own feet.

More reinforcements as 4 bats arrive transforming into vampire spawn who attack. Fortune as Dom’s “Helm of Brilliance” hinders the vampires (Disadvantage and automatic Radiant damage). Kassimer casts fireball as the cleric plucks opals from his helm to cast his own fireballs. Soon the animated swords and vampires as destroyed, then the heart that explodes into crystal shards that rain down inside the tower. And that’s when a thunderous voice from beyond screams in anger.

The shaking has stopped allowing an easy climb to the top where we find a small room filled with a wood-framed bed, empty manacles hanging along the walls, and a ladder propped up leading to a trap door on the ceiling. As Morthos climbs the ladder he notes movement within the rafters…a child. Yet closer inspection reveals it made of leather painted like a jack-o-lantern, whirring sounds suggests gears drive the thing. It is the clockwork man (Piddlewick) we were told of by Blinski. Morthos grabs the “man” bringing it down. “Great, now all we need to find is the dragon skull.” And that’s when Piddlewick gestures for us to wind him up as he apparently can guide us to what we seek.

It’s a 190ft climb to the base of the heart tower to stairs that descend even further down. Passage to a long room with 4 alcoves covered in lichen. In one alcove, Morthos finds a loose flagstone with a sack of electrum coins beneath. Entering further into the long room we notice blades embedded in the walls, the hilts broken off, as if an explosion drove the blades into the walls.

A side-door opens to a 30x60ft room composed of nothing but bones (human, animal, unknown). Walls, ceiling, floor, table, chairs, even a bone chandelier. Yet there, above the steel-banded double-doors, hangs a large dragon skull. At last! It’s time to leave. Uneventful as we work our way out the castle and over the draw-bridge to Esmerelda’s waiting wagon for our ride to Vallaki. Except when we arrive we have send thoughts of giving the clockwork man to Blinski.

Come morning, we ride on south to the dragon house with Morthos leading us around the back to Argonovostal’s mausoleum where he sets the skull upon the pedestal. Nothing. No re-appearance of the dragon, no secret door opening to reveal the fortuned artifact to help the fight against Strahd. Yet as we leave the crypt, we notice the beam of light shining forth like a lighthouse beacon sweeping across the valley. It provides an protective aura for all (+1AC and +1 all saves).

And now its Xoji’s turn to lead us into the castle, up the stairs to the 3^rd floor throne room where the undead King Vladimir Hornguard sits upon the throne. And there drapped around his neck is a platinum amulet embedded with a large crystal in its center. The “Holy Symbol of Ravenkind”.  Also of note, a +2 greatsword.

With daylight still available, we follow the road north then east then south toward the ruins of Berez. Davin the winemaker’s spies had told of one of their magic gems being seen here. Shaped like a pinecone…rumors a wizard had commissioned its theft. But Berez is nothing but abandoned houses obscured by a black cloud of flies. “Anyone else see that light across the river. Flashing as if someone is signaling us over.” While the waters are slow the river is 120ft wide. Which has Kassimer plucking the last patches from the “Robe of Many Things”: four potions of healing and another 24ft ladder, but no boat.

Domine removes his armor tying his shield in the middle of the ladder that he then pushes across the river. Landing downriver of the light he has to work his way back. Meanwhile Xoji braves the water snorkeling his way across. Large rocks stand as pillars arranged in a circle (Stonehenge);  a woman holding a dagger and lantern beckons us forward. Murial Venshaw is one of Davian’s spies. She tells of an ancient hag, Babalasaga, occupying the ruins. “Beware. She has scarecrows as her lookout guards. And I’ve seen her flying around on a giant skull.”

We cross the river to rejoin our allies, then stealthfully follow the river bank to get closer to the mansion to the south. A crude wooden pen placed in the mansion’s frontyard corals goats. But a lone scarecrow blocks our approach. Well, it did for a little while. Until it became a burning bonfire ending our stealth. With more scarecrows approaching from the village center, we enter the ruins of the mansion. With walls collapsed, it’s not like we had to open a door. And inside we are confronted by a ghostly giant-of-a-man, “I’m am burgomaster Olrik. Begone from my abode. Begone I say!”