Entry 14

Outside the chapel was a cemetery and a mausoleum. Mausoleum had 4 alcoves, where "items once rested." Words were carved into the marble in draconic:

                Here lies the bones and treasure of Argynvost, lord of Argynvostholt and founder of the Order of the Silver dragon.

Seen a man looking at them from the third floor of the keep while in the cemetery.

Second floor: Mostly empty rooms and one trapped hallway where 7 Phantom warriors attacked. Also killed a smoke mephit from another fireplace.

Third floor: Lots of debris from collapsed roof. Room with an undead thing sitting on a throne. Another room with 5 more sitting at a table. Much conversation, too much to type. Vladimir was on the throne and Sir Godfrey at the table with 4 others.

Found a journal entry:

My knights have fallen, and this land is lost. The armies of my enemy will not be stopped by sword or spell, claw or fang. Today I will die, not avenging those who have fallen, but defending that which I love—this valley, this home, and the ideals of the Order of the Silver Dragon. The evil surrounds me. The time has come to throw off this guise and show these heat hens my true fearsome form. Let it spark terror in their hearts! Let t hem tell their stories of dark triumph against the protector of the Balinok Mountains! Let Argynvost be remembered as a dragon of honor and valor. My one regret is that my remains will not lie in their rightful place, in the hallowed mausoleum of Argynvostholt. No doubt my bones will be scattered among my enemies like the coins of a plundered hoard, trophies of a hard-won victory. I do not fear death. Though my body will die, my spirit will live on. Let it serve as a beacon of light against the darkness. Let it bring hope to a land wrought with despair. Now, to battle!

After finding a torn painting the group mended it and re-hung it which caused its magic to be revealed. The painting was of the mansion in better days. A beacon flashed a brilliant silver light from the top of the six story chapel tower. Then the image of a silver dragon filled the room and said “My skull lies in the fortress of my enemy, displayed in a place of ill omen. Return my skull to its rightful crypt, and my spirit will shine here forever, bringing hope to this dark land."

Searched the rooftop and then the tower.

Left and returned to Vallaki. Met with mayor and then Victor who told the group about the mirror which keeps the spirit of an assassin in it and then stole the dress. Proceeded to the Wacther house to speak to Fiona as there has been trouble with her and the mayor vieing for the town. The group suddenly attacked Fiona and her henchman while speaking to her. Domine cast hold person on her and she was easily killed as was the man. Searched her house and found her dead husband in her bed and her crazy daughter. Killed her too. Went into the basement and that is where we stopped.

Entry 13

Having cleared out the druids at Yesterhill, we stopped at the winery to pick up the rest of the Krezk shipment for delivery.

We awake the next morning to a joyous family reunion, the deceased son sitting at the breakfast table! The Abbott visited in the night resurrecting the boy "to restore the Krezkov bloodline." Enough suspicions for Xoji to 'Sense Divine' to confirm the boy not undead; a good deed by the powerful Abbott! Yet the next morning is a somber gathering. The mother distraught, "There is not enough material or skills within the town to meet his demands. Will he claim our child when we fail to meet his demands?" We quickly learn the Abbott visited again, "With your son back at your side, I require you to deliver a bridal gown within a month." Domine remembers the gown in Vallaki, "Fear not lady, we may know of a solution to the gown. But it may mean bartering with your neighbors." For our efforts, Xoji asks the town to build a villa for Ireena and to protect her while we are gone. For a clearer understanding, we climb the path to the Abbey of Saint Markovia hoping to learn dress details and see the Abbott himself (and opportunity to confirm firsthand the rumors surrounding the Abbey).

A 400ft climb up a switchback rocky path. An ominous feeling as the temperature drops as we climb, mists swirl, and even a dusty layer of snow colors the trees as we arrive at the rusted gates partially open. Then surprise and bewilderment at the startled guards (one letting out a "Eeyore" donkey bray) that arise from inside the gate.

A horrid creation of creatures - part human and animal mixtures, that Esmerelda identifies as "Mongrelfolk...an aberration that usually results in crazed beings." But these are actually conversant and agree to take us to the Abbott. Led to a courtyard between the two main buildings of the abbey compound. Scarecrows dot the yard, with sheds lining the inside - animal screams from within each, a well, and two posts - one with a chained skittish mongrelfolk continually squealing, "They're hunting me! Everywhere." Then Xoji checking out the well, curious if the water is blessed as the town shrine pool. Jumping back when a spidery creature emerges and attacks. Short-lived as hacked by Xoji and Morthos. And upon inspection, realization these creatures are sewn together.

We are ushered in to meet the forever-young Abbott lounging in a chapel dedicated to the 'god of dawn", string music echoing from above, and his auburn-haired bride sitting beside him. "Vasilka? Oh no, she will soon be Strahd's bride. The Morning Lord has guided my efforts; she is the key to freeing this land." She too another sewn-together creation. "I regret the mongrelfolk you've encountered. My early attempts that have led to her perfection. For them, I can only offer life whether imprisoned for their madness or as helpers here. The townfolk would only want to kill them."

We are given the tour of his abbey. A basement wine cellar with mostly full barrels and bottles, "I drink so little yet the townfolk continue to offer me barrels." The upstairs belfry is his workshop; a two-headed cloven thing expertly plays a violin with its clawed appendage.

His latest creation under wraps, removed to reveal the likeness of Domine! A double-take to realize the eyes deceive as this is created from female parts. Walking the ledge around the courtyard we enter the other building filled with song and laughter (from the sane mongrelfolk creations) echoing from the 1st floor. The verses, "The devil dwells in the dark house, tasting her sweet blood, then has to kill her." Outside the building we find garden plots. Back inside, "Upstairs? I avoid that place. It's haunted." Which is an invite for us to clear the rooms of the ghostly aberrations. Domine's "Channel Divinity" destroys most while magical blades slay the remaining.

We return to town with the Abbott's unused full wine barrels and bottles. That night receiving a sealed letter from the devil himself, Strahd. "It was I who brought you to this land and have enjoyed watching your endeavors. It is time we meet. Please, come for dinner when you can. I await your arrival." But we are in no hurry to confront him yet; so, we head to the dragon house in search of another fortuned aid to our cause.

Holy Symbol (1 of Swords): The treasure lies in a dragon’s house, in hands once clean and now corrupted.

With Esmerelda's wagon filled with wine barrels for Vallaki, we take the road east towards Vallaki before turning south into the hills. The fortress rises before us, a silver dragon statue standing before it facing the entrance.

Xoji climbs the steps noting the handles are carved as small dragons with an inscription over the doorway, "Argynvostholt". When he touches the door, a cold breath vents from the dragon statue. Inside we find tapestry of noble warriors and alabaster busts on pedestals arrayed around the room. Then a great shadow of wings crosses the walls...the ghostly dragon has made its presence known! We search the dusty rooms long abandoned. A great dining table and chairs with dragon clawed legs and folded wings for backing. When Xoji steps into the room, the fireplace lights and a fiery dragon elemental appears, "My knights have fallen into darkness. Show them the light." The room then growing dark and silent.

Wine barrels occupy the next room, along with a figure in hiding. From Casamir, "Savied, what are you doing here?" The young Vistani boy was out looking for Arabell, was attacked by twigs, and sought safety here. "This is the Order-of-the-Silver-Dragons. But Strahd's army destroyed the knights and ransacked this keep." We continue to explore after sending the boy outside to guard our wagon (and for his safety). A crumbled room with webbing and giant spiders. Then a chapel with arched ceiling and flanking spiral staircases. Three armored figures kneel before the altar. Then turn with glowing red eyes and attack! A long pitched battle with them healing from cast fire and slashing blades. Until we realize radiant damage stems their healing. Xoji's sunblade and Domine's 'Sacred Flame' swing the momentum. "What were those things?!" Revenants.

Entry 12

Krezk is a commune; thus, no inn for rooms. Which explains why we were welcomed into the mayors' house for the night to recover from the werewolves attack. Come morning our plan to address the missing winery gem...confront the druids at Yesterhill. But first a stop at the courtyard gazebo and pool so Domine can cleans his bite wound with the magical restorative properties of the pool water. When suddenly a figure rose from the pool calling for Ireena, "Tatyana, let us be together at last." Ireena drawn forward as she vaguely remembers a lost love, "Sergey, it has been so long". Ismarck restraining her for protection despite her pleas, "Sergy would do me no harm." The rest of us can only ponder, Tatyana? Maybe her true name before she was found abandoned and adopted by her Burgomiester father. Persuasion trying to convince her to stay away from the pool until we could find out more.

Hours on the road to Yesterhill. A chance discovery of a silvered vial of ink that is invisible when applied. Then discovery of a broken female statue at the road fork toward the winery. Overgrown with vines, the broken arm/hand clutching a leather pouch of coins. Yet when we detour to Davion at the winery, he knows of the abandoned statue but is surprised at mention of the pouch...not there before. We open the pouch finding 19 gold coins stamped with Strahd's image. Payment to someone or bait? Now treasure tucked away as we continue towards the druid camp.

Dark clouds and lightning strikes lead the way to the hill, rising 400 ft from the forest floor. A single path weaving toward the turn proceeding past stone rings ending at a cairn atop the hill that draws the lightning. The ring of black stones hundreds of feet across with  a huge 50 foot tall wooden statue occupies the center. Morthos leads the way as we hope his staff will aid his stealthy approach being ignored by any blight.

From a distance, we watch him enter the stone ring flinching as lightning strikes randomly.

Then his pause as he stoops to attacks something at ground-level. Unintelligible screams and a head rising give alarm to anyone and anything druid as the rest of us close to find Morthos battling a berserker druid that was resting within the ground, eleven others rising nearby (apparently they honor their god by sleeping underground). Domine and Cassamir cast "Fireballs" weakening the group as Morthos/Xoji/Esmeralda swing blades to kill the survivors. Once clear, we search for the winery gem shaped like a pinecone. Xoji pointing above to the heart of the wooden statue per his 'Detect magic' spell. Morthos climbs to begin hacking thru the branches that compose the structure, until he gives warning, "From the grove south comes a walking tree...huge!" We encourage the rogues' efforts to get the gem as we hope to hold off the newest threat.

As the Treant enters the cairn, we notice dozens of blight swarming alongside. Fortune Cassamir has spells left to blast them twice with "Fireball" till only the Treant remains. Branches swinging to attack those nearest as roots grapple Xoji/Esmeralda. Roots squeezing tighter, the two struggling to get free. Domine gives support casting "Prayer of Healing" to stave the wounds of his allies while Cassamir now relies upon his bow. A pitched battle against the unrelenting pruned tree, Xoji near death at 3HP when Morthos finally cuts thru to the gem and is able to climb down to join the fight distracting the tree from his weakened ally. A 'Magic Missile' blast from Cassamir finally topples the tree; fortune it falls away from Xoji.

A short rest is in order prior to any thorough search. Time to inspect the magical Battle Axe found stuck in the tree. And to search the tree groove where the Treant came from...a wool garment/cloak. Magical (Robe of Useful Items).

Post 11

We clear the remaining floors of the winery. 4 vats although one has a long split...aged and dry so not recent damage by the druids. But suspicions prove true as a taste test confirms the other vats have been poisoned. The upper floor proves to be living quarters and access to the upper tiers of the vats. And pulley to load the wagon. The cellar...wine bottle storage currently infested with mold blight. A deadly threat for Morthos till we rid the fungus.

By the time we return to the front, Davion has arrived, so we admit taking his silver (to edge our weapons) leaving his other coins. For our honesty, he tells us his shapeshifting...WereRaven. When we tell him our plans to split his available 6 barrels between Krezk and Vallaki shipments, he laments, "Sadly, what you found is the last of my wine. I cannot make more. The druids stole the magical gems used to grown the specific grapes. The broken vat was our champagne; that gem stolen some 10 years ago. A pinecone size and shape. 3 weeks ago they stole the 'Red Dragon Crush' gem. And just 5 days ago, our 'Purple Crush' gem has gone missing. My fellow raven contacts report a renowned human magician Babalysaga is negotiating for the 'Red Dragon Crush' gem. He may already have it; he's claimed the ruins of Barez his keep. I can only guess the 'Purple Crush' gem is still at the druid enclave south at Yesterhill."

We rest the night, rising to cast "Purify" on the poisoned vats. With his sons driving the wagon, we leave for Krezk with 3 barrels; half the normal shipment. Ambushed along the way by werewolves! Fortune the boys smelled shapeshifters and gave warning.

We arrive at the gates of Krezk only to be denied by Dimitri, "That is only half my order. Come back when you can deliver it all and THEN I'll let you in. Diplomacy finally sways his stance as he allows us in to his commune. A self-sustaining village with fields and animal pens by every home. The city buys the wine and distributes evenly to all. Except for the Abbey. "No one ventures up that path. The Abbott and his followers live up there. A storied history of their uprising against Strahd as they stormed his castle. Survivors? If they weren't destroyed, they turned to Strahd or turned mad. Some say cannibalism within those walls. The Abbott arrived a century ago...hasn't aged a day. As the Morning-Lord Priest, he occasionally visits the shrine of the White-Sun (statue and gazebo-pool) to demand tribute.

We've a lot to learn within this city. Now questioning whether Ireena will be safe at the Abbey!

Entry 10

Leaving Victor to study a mysterious mirror found in his parents' master-bedroom, we head to Blinski's to ask of the shredded doll found in the empty tiger cage. "I sold that to Rictavio, said he HAD to have it. He traded this monkey for it." So which is the fortune warning of...'Beware the  madman with the monkey.'?!

We follow the crowd headed to the inn where the ringmaster boards, as the mayor blames him for bringing a deadly tiger into his town. We personally confront Rictavio sneaking away and agree to meet him west of town "at the stone tower on Lake Baratok. There I have more to tell you."

Half-day later, on foot and thus slower than the horse-drawn carnival wagon, we arrive at the tower but find another gypsy wagon...unlike Rictavio's as this one has windows. A sign above the tower door reads "Khazan". Beneath that a strange symbol:

Ismarck steps forward to touch it causing chain lightning to arch thru all of us. Minutes later, after considering scaling the rickety scaffolding along one side of the tower, Xoji steps forward to examine the symbols. Standing still, he begins to move his arms mimicking the symbols; the door swings open.

Thinking wizards like to show off their spells, seeing 4 clay golems flanking a platforms with corner chains rising to the upper floors, we step onto the platform, say "Khazan" and point up. The golems animate pulling the chains raising us up. Rotting floors on the 2nd and 3rd landing but living quarters on the 4th. 

Where we find a poised suit of armor. We follow the fortune instructions "Let the wizard’s name and servant guide you to that which you seek." Saying "Khazan" and commanding "show us what we seek" the armor animates pointing to a wall. Inside we soon find a magical 'sun' sword to use in our fight against Strahd.

Outside, we find the owner of the wagon, a gypsy woman named Ezmerelda.

She's battled Strahd himself (evident by her current wounds and battered state) in her search for her associate 'vampire hunter' Rudolph Von Ricton.  Another member joins our party as we continued on the road to Krezk.

Only to be denied entry. But consideration of admittance if we can supply them with wine as their supply has also ceased. So south to the "Red Wizard's Winery" were we come upon a displaced family. It's Davion Martikov the wine-master himself  

who tells how his winery has been overrun by druids and blights (of all kind).

Entry 9

Next morning, we returned to town and arranged another 5pm dinner date with Lady Fiona. Which meant we had hours to kill to explore the lake in search of the White Tower. Yet all we found was a mad wizard. Mad indeed! That man desperately needs a tin-foil hat to keep aliens from probing his thoughts.

Lady Fiona had her own agenda. Little concern for Strahd, "Why my family has had a long standing loyalty with the Von Strovich line." Her interests lie in her pure hatred of the town's Burgomaster, "What can you do to help rid this town of the troublesome oft?!" We left with no real answer, and dropped jaws when Xoji revealed, "Did you also pick up the fact she is evil?"

The next day proved long per preparations for the nights festival. A parade of unhappy children carrying a large wicker ball that was raised in the town square, doused with oil, and set ablaze. Well it would have blazed had the dark skies not opened to a deluge of rain. But what really stopped the festival was the vocal alarm "Tiger loose!" Someone released Rictavio's "pussy cat."

Chaos everywhere. Which provided the opportunity for Isaac to snatch Ireena. To the Burgomiester's manor where we confronted the henchman. Found a chained prisoner. And searched the attic where we meet Victor, the aspiring wizard. And learned the fate of the missing butler and chamber-maid.