Gray smoke issues from the chimney of this large, two-story wooden building with a stone foundation and sagging tile roof, upon which several ravens have perched. A painted wooden sign hanging above the main entrance depicts a blue waterfall.

The Blue Water Inn is Vallaki's main gathering place for locals, especially at night. The innkeeper, Urwin Martikov, considers the inn a sanctuary from the evils of this land. In the event of trouble, the windows and doors can all be barred shut from within.

A bed for the night costs 1 ep. Characters looking for something to eat are fed hot beet soup and fresh bread at no additional charge. A cooked wolf steak costs 1 ep.

The inn offers a pint of Purple Grapemash No. 3 wine for 3 cp, or a pint of the superior Red Dragon Crush wine for 1 sp. Urwin is hurt if the characters complain about the wines, for his family makes them.

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You wake up in one of the larger guest rooms, more like a common room, with your bedrolls on the floor and a fire threatening to go out in the stove. You feel like you've slept for two days straight.

You finally pull yourself up, muscles sore, and head down stairs to find it is around noon.

Further, the room is empty save for one young man who has a look in his eyes like he knows you, but you have never seen him before.

Karasha groaned as she turned over, her body still sore after the burns of the fireball from the hag. She had made it out (Unlike Lando), and spent the first night, asleep, wondering how she could have saved the man. She knew, in her heart, she had not the power against the woman...she even recognized her in her animal form, but the thought pained her as much as the burns.

The next two days she alternated between healing herself and the others and resting, eating the soup and having wine with a smile and thanks quietly. By the second day, all her wounds were healed, her skin red and sensitive in areas, but healing well. In her meditation she had found new strength and focus.

It was the next morning she sat up, and looked around, her eyes locking on the young man. She had not met him, but something in his eyes seemed familiar

A white hot pain tear through Lando, then everything went grey.  He thought everything would go black, maybe his mind was compensating, maybe the after life was grey. There was a dull remembrance of the pain that killed him, but he mostly felt numb.  He hoped he was at least dignified in his death. He reasoned that he should be in Kelemvor's realm awaiting his final rest in the prescience of Oghma, but he knew he wasn't the most devoted worshiper, he put more effort into drinking wine than knowing things, so he'd probably have to wait a while.

Eventually, he heard voices, distant a first but growing clearer.  "Who's there?" he called out, and was shocked by the hollowness of his voice, "where am I?"

"You are in Barovia," answered a voice, "Barovia doesn't give up its victims even in death."

Lando remembered the parade of ghosts.  He certainly didn't want to spend his death as a morbid shadow wandering around.  He was an ambitious spirit on the go who was going to leave his mark on the world even if it killed him, and that was already taken care of, so back to work.  "I can't float around in this grey nothing forever.  How do I get back?"

"What do you have that's worth living for?"

"Spite!  Strahd brought me to this realm as his play thing, well, if I'm going to be here, I'll play my own game.  If my soul is trapped here for eternity, I will spend eternity mocking Strahd, so he learns the mistake of toying with a bard!"

He reached out blindly, trying to find something solid to hold.  After a while he felt something ephemeral. It was like trying to grasp the wind, but in time it became more substantial.  It was like a suit of some kind.  He was able to struggle into it.  That's when the pain returned, and the blinding light, and the deafening sound.  Life rushed back to him in a cacophony of sensation.

He wandered delirious for a time. Some instinct drove him on.  In the Blue Water Inn he found a common room, and there the three adventurers.  He took a seat, and let them rest.  They'd had a tough few days, and they had all of eternity to make Strahd pay.

When Karasha woke up, he smiled and said, "good morning, Sunshine."

Zrakrud rolled over looked about the room at his companions, the strange elf creature that came from the tree and the "dragoneborn" as she called it. Shaking his head he got up, stretched his muscles a bit before he gathered up his items and went downstairs to the main room looking to gather some food and drink. Quizically he looks over to the young man staring at him like he knows him, before speaking up "Ain't got much to take if you're looking for a mark. And you'll regret trying so."

Karasha looked at the man with narrowed eyes. He was a complete stranger (though most were yo her and her memory), but something in his eyes screamed a familiarity.

She stood up, taking a breath. "I don't know who you think I am but...."

Then recognition hit her. The liok of warmth, friendliness and cheekiness was the same Lando had, the person most she had a bond in the party with.

...the same eyes.

Her eyes widened in shock as her hand came to her mouth. "No.....how?"

Skuldja was very depressed, after having to retreat and not being able to save Lando. She drank heavily the next couple of days and ate many wolf steaks. She was quite fond of the Red Dragon Crush. Skuldja sat up, a little hung over, and squinted at the man in their room. "Huh?"

"I hope I didn't disturb your rest; I was trying to be quiet, but it seems of late I've developed a case of insomnia, and I was making some notes to pass the time."  he lifted up a sheet of paper with writing on it as proof.

"As to why I'm here, don't worry, I mean you no harm, but this will require a bit of explanation. Some of you may remember the march of the dead in Barovia village, it's true that those brought here are trapped even after death.  However, we are not limited to wandering phantoms.  I was dead myself, but through my will, I was able to force my soul back into a solid form."  He stood and bowed dramatically to the others. "Although I am transformed by the experience, I am Lando Cortigan, your companion, returned from death." He smiled, "and I am so happy to see you all."

There was a knock at the door. Hopefully it was Danika or Urwin with some food and fresh towels and soap.

It was not.

Before you could ask or open, the door opened on it's own.

It was a man both regal and completely monstrous in the same breath. It was THE MAN. It was everything you expect him to be and more. He smiled at you, THOSE TEETH!

"May I come in?" He asked, then chuckled and came in anyway.

"The rumors you have heard, if you have heard them, are true, that is, what they say about vampires. They may not enter a home without being invited. But here is the rub, you are in MY home. I own everything. I am the Ancient. I am the Land."

What in all of the 9 layers of hell could he want?

Lando turned to face the intruder with a mild carefree expression, "Ah count Strahd.  I'm sure your great power is only surpassed by your great churlishness.  To what do we owe this visit?"

Karasha was shocked by the new form of Lando, and when the count came in, she had an instant chill down her spine. Druids knew the presence of undead, and this was a major one. She made no attempts to hide her distain from the beast, but still tired and healing, she could do nothing - and with the hag's defeat of them, she knew this was beyond them.

She let Lando - or the new man that was now lando, speak

Skuldja looks very happy and surprised when the man says he is lando, but then her expression turns to one of doubt. She opens her mouth to say something, but then Strahd suddenly appeared in their doorway and she turned to him with her mouth agape. Then she remembered that he had asked them to get Ireena for him and that she had totally forgotten. "OH!" She points to Strahd and looks to her comrades. "Weren't we supposed to bring the nice handsome man Ireena for a dinner party and then we were gonna have a lot of good food and then he was gonna let us go home? Why didn't we do that?"

Strahd claps his hands, sort of like a golf clap, "Great memory, Skuldja. Instead you stoked the raven's nest and tried to kill my insane nursemaid. Which is why I am here...I have been thinking, a dangerous thing for everyone."

He stepped further into the room, the door closing on it's own. He took a seat on the bed near the window, continuing to act like he is supposed to be here.

"I wish to be free of this curse. I want my dear Ireena but she does not want me. I want an heir to my throne, perhaps someone else in charge will release me of the responsibility of suffering. Up until now I have believed that if I can convince those from beyond-you-to carry out my two goals it will end the Curse of Strahd. But now that Baba Lysaga has been challenged..."

He produces a small gold bell, it must be worth a fortune. You know at once it is incredibly magical.

"I believe she is leaching my power. If you ring this bell near her you will bind her to earth. I am offering you revenge. Kill Baba Lysaga for me."

Skuldja looks surprised. "You want us to kill Baba Lysaga? Isn't she like a mom to you? I would love to kill her, but it seems I am not as powerful of a warrior as I once thought. I think she killed me. There was a flash from her hand and then everything went black. Luckily, I got better though and managed to escape, with all but Lando, thanks to the lute you gave me. Will that bell stop her magic?"

Lando regarded Strahd with suspicion.  This was the man, well, he could hardly call him a man; this was the creature who had sent them to capture a woman to be his lover.  He didn't need a paladin's sense to know he was evil.  Then again, so was Lysaga; he knew that first hand.  He decided to try and get Strahd to talk more, and hopefully discern his motives.  "I'm glad to hear you've given up your pursuit to Miss Ireena.  It was not ment to be, I'm afraid.  I hope you find a woman who wishes to be with you some day.  If not, of course you could adopt an heir; it's not common, but not unheard of."  He nodded in agreement with Skuldja,  " good thinking, Skuldja.  Count, if we are to aid you in this matter, we will need detailed information.  Tell us everything about Lysaga, and a this bell."

18:03, Today: Lando rolled 25 using 1d20+5.  insight. Nat 20!
Lando is listening closely to what strahd says.  He wants to figure out his motivation as well as his honesty.  Are they being set up? Even if the bell's magic binds her, could she still kill them?