Summary:  Into Barovia

The heroes have been informed that Rosvetta’s cousin Ireena has been detained by Count Strahd von Zarovich in the Barony of Barovia.

Although a strategic outlet of Bloodstone from Damara, reports indicate a rising monster army may be related to the drastic fall in mineral, ore and bloodstone shipments out of the NE Moonsea.

The crew of the Imperator make fast the lines to the single dock extending from the hardscrabble village of Balinok into the Moonsea.

You all notice Pyotr and Rosvetta are significantly dressed down from before.  Replacing the luxurious furs and highly polished boots are more drab, practical skins lined with felt.

The harbor master work with a few scrawny underfed looking lads to handle the Ampner coach to the creaking dock.  It sways from the crane and knocks one of the shoreman into the gray green water.

Delvaryn and one of the crew leap into the water to assist the flailing lad.

The harbor master will offer his accommodations of a threadbare common room in the Weary Horse.  The villagers aim sharp looks at the Guryerovichs, and make the sing of Lathander’s protection when they seem they are not looking.
Quilro asks Rosvetta for local clothing, and Pyotr interjects and directs one of his guardsmen to assist in procuring some local clothes.

Dagnar chuckles stating “Elven purses rarely last long enough to jingle everywhere we go!”

Delvaryn dries his armor and stows it on the Ampner wagon while the rest of the group heads into town to the Weary Horse Inn where the hostess offers a fare of roast potatoes and thin stew.

The guards are able to find appropriate outer clothing for the companions, even as their winter clothers are plenty enough for the climate.

It is clear the other villagers hold some contempt for the Guryerovichs.  Kailute asks to the reasons and it is clear that Barovia is a more direct, but also more mountainous route for trade goods out of Damara.  Also the boyar class are the only citizens allowed to travel.

The Weary Horse offers a large common room and comfortable if not extravagant beds.  Dagnar passes around a wineskin and starts a song of fey elves, heroic dwarves and deadly barbarians.

The road is a muddy track of snow-covered cobblestones long since abandoned of maintenance.  It climbs rapidly east out of the hills along some precarious switchbacks.  Upon some of the hillsides the route is barely able to manage two carts astride, with treacherous falls to the cliffsides below.  After six miles it levels out somewhat and the road is bordered by deep and thick conifer and shadowtop trees.

The road is a muddy track of snow-covered cobblestones long since abandoned of maintenance.  It climbs rapidly east out of the hills along some precarious switchbacks.  Upon some of the hillsides the route is barely able to manage two carts astride, with treacherous falls to the cliffsides below.  After six miles it levels out somewhat and the road is bordered by deep and thick conifer and shadowtop trees.

The Barovians and Delvaryn lead on foot with Pyotr and Rosvetta behind them.  The Ampner wagon and trailing men-at-arms.

The further you proceed the forest closes in on the route.  The treetops are lost in heavy gray mist block out all but a pallid daylight.  The tree trunks almost touch.  Thick damp undergrowth presses in, making it almost impossible to even see one another in the woods.  The forest has the silence of a forgotten grave yet exude the feeling of an unsounded scream.

Delvaryn walks on edge with his sword raised as much as possible.  All feel a sense of dread and unease as you advance west.

A group of three undernourished humans in gray skins with worn thin caps atop their head make their way listlessly down the road in the direction back toward Balinok.  Two carry worn hoe like implements over their shoulders while the other has a leather backpack.

“Aye.” They look up flatly, but curious at the contraption behind the Ampner wagon.
Kailute observes the poor nutrition of all Barovians he’s seen, and the elf offers three days of rations.  Appreciative they make the sign of Lathander.

“We’re not high Guryerivichs!  No travel, no trade!  We need food and bloodstone!”

The dwarf ponders Strahd’s possible role in cutting off trade and recalls that political instability in Damara itself may be more prominent in the economic situation than the Baron directly.  Barovia was always a relative backwater compared to the other petty baronies of Damara.

DonBrapp and Quilro communicate quietly in dwarvish, and plan to investigate further aided by magic.
Quilro calls for a halt to eat lunch and discuss the state of affairs.

A faint baying of wolves can be heard.   After another half an hour the baying appears louder and closer.  The Barovians appear utterly unconcerned, but Dewey and Una the newest MAAs look concernedly to the sides of the roads.
“If the strength of the wolf is the pack, that pack sounds strong.  And hungry.”

“Wolves are just dogs who haven’t been told who to follow.” Pyotr snorts.

“The Guryerovich family long served as Heralds for the Von Zarovichs.  There was a deep falling out over a forbidden love.”

Outsiders may not understand the ways of Barovia, but Strahd von Zarovich is of the land.  There is great fear that the Baron seeks to court and marry Ireena.

A Zarovich has sat upon the throne for centuries, long having cleared the land of orcs and monsterkind.  He is of the land, and knows of all that transpires within.  He is also a powerful student of arcane death magic.  This causes Rosvetta to tremble with fear and she asks that nobody speak of such things once they reach the village.

“Bah.  We have experience with such things.” DonBrapp remarks dismissively.

Delvaryn expresses his growing dread and is rebuked by Quilro.

When the dwarf asks directly what they want, Pyotr and Rosvetta express hope for assistance in opening a trade route;  that may serve to distract or amuse Strahd enough to avoid any further attention to Ireena.
“He’s human, right?” Kailute asks.  The Barovians are unable to reconcile the suggestion, but admit they cannot remember anyone that wasn’t the Baron on the throne
.
Quilro shares the deep fear the Barovians have for Strahd.

Continuing along a pair of cartwheel tracks appear in the snow and mud ahead.  The tracks appear to move in the same direction of the party for about three miles, and then bear north into the woods.  At this pace the party will arrive in the village a couple hours after nightfall.

Up ahead in the road, large gray shapes shift in the path.  Lost in and out of the everpresent fog, the baying and shifting of wolves can be heard.  At least 8 can be seen, apparently milling and snapping at something.
Delvaryn unsheathes his sword and Kailute advances as Quilo enables a magical shield of fire.

The enormous wolves ahead fan astride the road.  The Barovians take to the flanks and DonBrapp takes a position atop the wagon.

The wargs are chewing upon a piece of meat.  Quilro races forward with his moonblade held over his head shouting “ELDARYM ELDARYM ELDARYM!”

Dagnar remains at the ready between the Barovians and the wagons as Tomas blesses all with the knowledge of Mystra.
As Quilro sprints forward he notices the wolves have been chewing on a human and he slices into one with his blade.
DonBrapp unleashes a sonorous prayer as Shuos leaps through the air.  The boar misjudged his distance and landed his first attack upon the elf, who cringes as the fire shield activates upon wide eyed boar.  The pig flips into the mush beyond the line of battle scorched from the attack.

Concerned by the initial strikes Kailute swings his axe into the first line of wolves.

Delvaryn lifts his sword and his feet sweep from under him and he falls in the much of the road.  Two of the wolves leap to attack the fallen human warrior.

El Don Brappo MacJurgin slowly reaches his hands into his pack while invoking the holy words of Vergadain.

Clutching the collected sticks and branches he tosses them all toward the two leftward wolves with one hand whilst casting the final words of the spell with the others.  Mid flight the divine power of the dwarven god animates them in the air into writhing serpents that seek divine justice and the flesh of wolves.

Two wolves recoil in pain from the snake bites.  The paladin and half-orc make the center of the line with the elf and skald fighting the wargs on the wings. The Barovians dismount and close while Tomas unleashes a magic missile.
Quilro cuts one of the wolves down and pivots to engage another.  Two wargs leap to attack Delvaryn as he reaches to recover his weapon.

Making another swing Quilro slips and catches his own blade in the hip; thankful he is that his magical protection do not harm him.

Shuos is clawed down by two of the wargs.  This enrages the half-orc so he cleaves one of the wolves clearly in half, then rolls on his shoulder to come up into a defensive position between him and the boar before slicing another deeply for a wound.

Kailute signals Tomas to advance, but before the cleric can close Quilro pours a powerful potion of heal into the maw of Shuos who slowly shakes off the damage and snarls back upon all fours.

The wolves leap up against the battle line landing blows on the barbarian and the Barovians.

Dagnar steps forward with his broadsword as the snakes of vergadain continue their onslaught against the warg pack felling yet another.

Kailute leaps to the defense of Delvaryn and makes a series of slices that kill one of the wolves and significantly wound another.

Two striking wolves hit the elf to their chagrin learning the reflective burn of his magical fire shield.

Tomas steps behind Quilro and lays his healing hands upon him for minor curative magic.

“Heal me!” Shouts Quilro spinning to hit another warg with a killing blow.

The remaining wargs realize the battle is no longer within their reach and form a defensive circle surrounded by the allies.
DonBrapp’s serpents close on the wargs continuing their venomous attack upon the super cannines.

DonBrapp ceases his chant and reaches to the elf to lay healing hands upon him.

Gritting his teeth in disgust Quilro lands another sword blade as Kailute spins to hack another warg down.  Shuos leaps to Quilro’s side and bites at warg.

The skald breaks into a lusty song that sounds out over the muddy road.

“ELDARYM! ELDARYM! ELDARYM!” The elf screams again as he slips and misses opening himself to a minor attack from the wolf.

The snakes finish another one of the dire wolves, leaving two in the fight.

Kailute explodes in a series of furious slices, cutting down the remaining wolves.

Sieben runs up from the rear yelling manically “Look upon the pack!  The pack is bested!”

Kailute looks quickly to see if any remain as DonBrapp directs the hirelings to put four dire wolves on the wagon and cart

DonBrapp withdraws to seek further favor of Vergadain and afford more healing to the elf.
Delvayrn notices the corpse of a human boy.  Aside from the ragged fur and cotton tunic the blood smeared remnants of a letter.

Excellency,
A ship bearing your spoilt relations has returned from abroad.  Several outsiders accompany them.  They appear powerful and are accompanied by a holy warrior.
Yaroslav

Rosvetta and Pyotr do not know this Yaroslav directly, but repeat that Strahd has agents everywhere in Barovia.
“We need to be in an inn drinking wine before night falls.” Quilro states shortly at the activities to strap the wolves on the wagon.

“I haven’t gotten a coin since we left Hillsfar, elf.” DonBrapp states flatly observing the men-at-arms load the wargs to the wagons.

“Perhaps the elfs purse is empty, but the dwarf’s heart is a vault.” Observes Dagnar.

The dwarf gives a sidelong look and raised eyebrow before turning to the front of the wagon.

Ahead on the road two high stone buttresses loom up in the gray fog.  Huge iron gates hang from the stonework.  Two headless statues of armed guardians in Barovian studded mail flank the gate.  Their heads lie in the snow, small snow covered boulders discarded to the ages.

“Welcome to Barovia.” Pyotr turns and states
.
Tall shapes loom ahead out of the dense fog, some backlit with the glow of faint torchlight.  The muddy ground gives way to slick wet cobblestones.  The tall shapes become recognizable of a somewhat larger dwellings in a village.  The windows of most thatched roof home stare out as pools of dark nothingness.  No sound emanates except a mournful sobbing that is somewhat muffled by the everpresent dampening fog.  The sobbing appears to come from the SE quadrant of the village.

Moving through the forlorn village, the muted torchlight grows somewhat brighter to the east, illuminating an empty circular plaza in what appears to the be the center of the village.

Two buildings in particular have sconced torches outside, flanking the plaza on its western side north and south.
To the north a shaft of bright light shines like a solid pillar in the heavy fog.  Above the double doors hangs a precarious sign proclaiming the establishment “The Blood on the Vine Tavern.”  Muted voices can be heard from within.

Rosvetta and Pyotr suggest the party stay for the night at the inn rather than proceeding through the darkness to their home.

Delvaryn refuses to ignore the sounds of sobbing, and Kailute agrees to join him in investigating the source.
DonBrapp directs the men to securing the wagons and processing the wolf pelts.

Inside a roaring fire affords little warmth from the winter chill.  Chandelier candles light the greatroom, where several patrons sit at tables and a human barkeep absentmindedly polishes wine glasses.

Three Vistani are at a table to the left.  A solitary Barovian in somewhat smarter clothes sits far opposite with a half-empty carafe of wine in front of him.

“Ismark!”  Pyotr exclaims and makes his way directly toward the gentleman.

“PYOTR!  ROSVETTA!”  You’ve returned….   You’ve returned.

“What has happened to Ireena?” Rosvetta demands.

“My sister is in grave danger.”  He lowers his voice to a whisper, and looks suspicisiouly at the outsiders.  “Your Uncle is dead.  Ireena is in mourning…    and has been summoned to Ravenloft.”  He looks upon all of you with heart rendering dread.  “Every night the wolves hunt with no abandon.  At first, we organized hunting parties;  but several were lost.  These wolves are far greater than simple forest beasts….   They must be cursed…  or something else.”

“Only Father Donovan’s pleas to the lightlord appear to have held off any attacks.  Even so…  some of the fallen return from their graves to attack!”

“Your cousin is sought as bridemaid to the count.  Until his demands are met…”

Rosvetta begins to weep quietly as Ismark asks who are the outsiders are.

DonBrapp introduces the group to Ismark.  The Burgomaster’s son speaks of the death of King Virdin of Damara by an evil army to the west.  This has plunged Damara into political chaos as his daughter is the only issue.

“Please help us protect my sister!  If you can bring wealth to Barovia perhaps we can avoid the Baron’s gaze!”

The elf, half-orc and paladin head down the main road to the south.  They find themselves in front of a modest townhouse from which the wailing emanates from.

Quilro investigates with wizard’s eye a modest but well kept home with a kitchen on the first floor and tow bedrooms on the second.  In the first bedroom a white haired women wails for the empty children’s bedroom immediately adjacent.

Kailute strikes the door again;  the elf deftly picks the lock to find the stale remnants of a days old dinner in the kitchen.

Delvaryn does his best to approach loudly so as not to frighten the woman who recoils at the image of a knight in her home.

“How may we help you my lady?” Quilro asks gently, and the woman relates how her daughter was kept from the horrors of the village until the repeated wolf attacks.  She ran away beyond her mother’s control and is now beside herself with fear and worry.

Kailute asks if the daughter Gertruda may have a girlfriend but the mother protests to her virtue, and Quilro calms her with his magical ring.

The daughter probably took a knife, a pouch for mushrooms and tubers and her winter clothes.  It is shared that she liked to collect these near the Tser falls to the east.

Kailute searches for tracks but is unable to locate any visible tracks.

Quilro puts her to sleep magically and the knight returns her to her bed and builds a fire.  Kailute leaves a note explaining who they are and where to find them in the morning.  The elf suggest preparing a breakfast and the group returns north to the center of town.

Quilro scans the return with the gem of true seeing and notices a slight change to the sign of the tavern.
An alabaster skinned human female appears to shadow the group as they head north.

Kailute stops and observes until she approaches and asks “Is the horde already upon us?” with a smile that attempts to reach into his soul.  The half-orc feels his body has rejected a charm attack.

The woman asks for company and protection and Kailute responds she should join them at the inn.

Observing through the gem Quilro immediately takes position behind her as Kailute leads her down the road.
Delvaryn has his sword drawn and ready, alert to the danger of something evil…

Stepping from behind the elf thrusts his moonblade into her back to immediately reduce the vampire maiden to a gaseous cloud that floats away to the northeast.

Kailute reaches toward the sky with his axe but is unable to reach, and the elf shoots a noxious magical cloud into the sky.

Searching the body the group locates a coinpurse and two potion vials with a dagger of silver.

Delvaryn is nearly overwhelmed by the migraines that envelope him from the area.

Upon returning Quilro notices the sign of the tavern has been altered from blood “on” the vine to blood “of” the vine.

The group confers and agrees to meet with the Ireena the Burgomeister’s daughter and the local priest to determine the next course of action.

Most of the attacks have been coming from the north and east, but some have come from the south.  All of the attacks have come during the night.

Kailute recommends a lure to bring the attacks to them, perhaps in the center of the village.

Ismark is heartened by the efforts of outsiders to assist in defending the village.

DonBrapp directs the hirelings to place the ballista in the southwestern corner of the plaza in front of the Blood of the Vine.

As the midnight hour approaches the baying of wolves is accompanied by fog and a deepening chill.

The wind is dead, and Ismark is taken aback when Quilro shifts to a harpy and takes to the sky to observe a mixed host of wolves and undead advancing upon the city.

The wolves flank from north and south while the undead are marching straight down the street southwest toward the companions.

Quilro lands to explain the situation before taking wing back to the sky.

Kailute slices his arm with his axe to bring the scent to the air.

DonBrapp quickly grabs two oils of etherealness to Kailute and Delvaryn;  the paladin immediately applies it to his blade.

Quilro pins several wargs to a building in the northeast quadrant, and lights them aflame with a fireball that also begins to consume the building.

The companions form a line of battle along the northeast plaza.

Quilro swoops low to finish the webbed wargs in a lightning bolt attack.  The building they are webbed to is fully engulfed in a structure fire.

An enormous “TWANG” is sounded as a spear is launched from the twitchy ballistae crew to the northeast.

Quilro arcs to the north and releases a volley of magic missiles against the wargs in the north
.
Delvaryn has had enough and charges forward with a cry of “TORM’S JUSTICE” immediately in the line of fire of the ballistae.

DonBrapp takes a position slightly off angle and releases his lightning bolt felling four advancing zombies to the north of the paladin.


“FALL BACK TO THE LINE YOU IDIOT!” the dwarf yells.

Quilro releases another magical missile.

DonBrapp pivots and releases another lightning bolt to the wolves to the north.

Kailute holds against the advancing attack as Dagnar begins to sing.

As the wargs leap in from the south Kailute swings and delivers two blows to the furry monsters, killing one.
One of the northern wolf falls to a magical missile from Quilro.

The undead continue to slowly advance as the wolves advance from north and south.

Quilro fells another northern wolf by engaging his ring stored spell.

Kailute spins in a blur of axe blows against the onslaught of southern wolves.

Delvaryn is surrounded by undead, in a moment a flash appears to emanate from his holy symbol before he is overrun by the undead.

Quilro releases another volley of missiles to the wolf engaging Fyrnlocke and it falls as DonBrapp swings his hammer.

Kailute cuts through one wolf to attack another to the cheers of the Barovians.

The final surges of the battle convulse in the square, and Quilro lands behind one of the wolves and drives his moonblade into the shoulder blades of the warg destroying it.

DonBrapp lifts his holy symbol to the sky and marches directly toward the undead invoking Vergadain which turns a few into smoking dust…  but several take no effect and reveals a weakening connection to Vergadain in Barovia.

The wolves land glancing blows on the skald and Kailute until the barbarian unleashes a flurry of killing blows dropping the remaining wargs to just three.

DonBrapp is struck by one of the undead that pulls deeply upon his soul with negative material damage.

Quilro flys to the south and levels his wand of lightning bolts toward the remaining wargs.

DonBrapp is faced with the final onslaught of undead and levels Buzzkiller, exploding one with his lightning bolt and damaging several others.

Another lightning bolt sears from the flying elf scorching two more of the wargs as one is felled by Fyrnlocke.
DonBrapp turns himself invisible to undead and disengages to cast further spells.

The elf lands behind a wolf and ends it with a fatal backstab.

Fyrnlocke is struck by several undead as the dwarf invokes protections from the negative material plane.

DonBrapp calls down an overwhelming gout of flame upon the remaining wights.

Kailute smacks the remaining wight with the intent to subdue as two wights continue to approach until Quilro blasts them with a final lightning bolt.

All the monsters have been cleared from the plaza, but the flames of the building to the north light the sky.

DonBrapp casts death door upon Delvaryn as Pyotr directs the defense of the burning building.

Quilro ensures the wights are burned as the family whose home was lost is brought into the tavern.  Quilro is overcome with hopelessness.

Kailute pens the subdued warg in the stables as the rest turn in.