Jasper's Journal: Battle with Strahd, and the Roc of Mount Ghakis

9th of Utkar, 1491 DR
 
It has been an absolutely exhausting evening. What has been about 12 hours has felt almost like three weeks worth of time; how strange that is... Unfortunately, given the current circumstances, I do not have time to dictate everything that happened in my normal elaborate detail, however I will explain things as best I can in a brief format.
 
The discussion with Strahd did not go well... He demanded the artifacts from us, and Sergei told us to run while he held them back. We all retreated into the temple, eventually followed by Sergei and Ander. My dear Piccolo and I finally unlocked more potential from the magical ring which his spirit is now tied to, and through our connection we managed to reform his shape from a small monkey into that of a menacing gorilla capable of fighting! Strahd's army was magically kept outside, but Strahd and Rahadin were able to enter the temple. We fought for a few minutes, and then Sergei managed to slay Rahadin, cutting his head clean off!
 
This led to a dire fight with Strahd, his fury was unending! But, we were able to stand our ground and began to actually win the fight it seemed. However, I was paralyzed by the magic of the devil. Soon after, I watched as the lich of the temple arrived and put Sergei into some sort of comatose state. Strahd rushed over to him and teleported away with his body. A few moments later, my paralysis ended, and I began to rush off after them, calling for my allies to follow as fast as possible.
 
I flew through the air on the magical wings gifted to me by the dragon Argenvost, using my inner ki to bolster my speed. In a matter of seconds, I burst forth out of the temple and saw Strahd in the distance on the back of his flying steed with Sergei unconscious in the back. I darted after them, quickly catching up over 500 feet in the air. With the last of my ki, I managed to stun the beast, sending Strahd and Sergei's body descending down towards the earth. I caught Sergei as he fell, but the devil used his sick magic to polymorph me into the shape of a mouse.
 
My tiny and strange body began falling just as fast as Sergei's, until suddenly I was caught in a hand. I looked up and saw Ander levitating in the air! He had caught me, but was not able to catch Sergei. But, Strahd managed to catch Sergei, and remounted his steed as my ki wore off on beast. He began to fly off and then disappeared from view.
 
The chase sadly ended, and we had lost. Strahd had escaped with our dear friend. We returned to the temple, and about 10 minutes later the polymorph ended and I returned to my normal form.
 
With this information, we decided to seek our the lich to see why he betrayed us. On the way back to the temple we encountered a strange old man named Nikolai who claimed to know Sergei! Apparently, he is the rival which Sergei always would talk about in his stories. He agreed to help us get back our friend, and we all made our way back into the temple to rest.
 
Once inside, as we were settling down, Ander decided to open the Tome of Strahd... Unfortunately, we all were sucked back in time to a period in Strahd's past. We were in Castle Ravenloft, and got a glimpse around, as well as some insight into a secret chamber full of gold! But, just as quickly as we found it, we were sucked out of the book and back into reality.
 
With that, we all decided a rest was in order, so we went to bed for the night.
 
10th of Utkar, 1491 DR
 
After a restless night, and the unfortunate recollection of the loss of Sergei yesterday, we began to head towards the Lich's library. After a bit of a challenge getting through one of his magical doors, we entered the library much to the Lich's surprise. We played the game once again of introducing ourselves to him, and managed to calm him down. In this time he claimed to remember Sergei, but he seemed to be referencing someone else. Ander leaned in and quietly informed me that Sergei was the named of Strahd's brother.
 
As Ander said this, the hilt of the Sun Sword began to run cold and informed me that its old master was Sergei, Strahd's brother. At the same time, it seemed as though it wanted to tell me more but couldn't. I pleaded with me to go see a woman named Eva. I can only assume that it was referring to Madam Eva. After this happened, the lich began to leave the room confused and trying to remember something.
 
So, as he left we began to clean the room. While doing so, I informed the group of what I heard, and we all agreed to go see the Vistani and also to go see someone named Jenny Greenteeth in Vallaki... Of course it has to ben Vallaki... But, no worries! I have my ways of sneaking in and out of that town.
 
With this decided to chose to just leave and not interact with the Lich again. I found the magical book of ancient monastic traditions and martial arts techniques, and I decided that given what the Lich had done to my friend, I would take this book. I no longer felt any guilt for taking it, and even if the book is lost, the knowledge will live in me and I can pass it off to the next generation.
 
We left the temple and began to make our way down the Tsolenka Pass back to my cart; hoping to get off this mountain as soon as possible. On the way down however, this massive goat charged through us and nearly trampled me! But before it could make another pass, we all grouped up and Morric cast magic to make us less detectable. We snuck towards the bridge and past the illusion of Strahd that we once fell for a few days prior.
 
Ander turned as we started crossing the bridge and created a magical Wall of Force to prevent the creature from entering onto the bridge. However, just a moment later we hear a massive screech coming from above us, and within seconds a humungous bird lands on the bridge, pecking Nikolai in the chest and ripping into my back with its talons. It yanks me off my lift and grips on its talons and dangles me over the edge of the bridge, 500 feet in the air! A second later it cuts into Nikolai the same way, grabbing him, and then flying upwards 120 feet up above the bridge!
 
The absolute distance up in the air was terrifying, even for me, someone who can fall 100 feet without taking a scratch! My companions below looked like ants, and river below that looked like a twig on the side of a road.
 
I could see Nikolai struggling and trying to break free of the grasp of the bird, but I began to calm my breathing and remember the teachings of my monastery. Fear will not lead to success. I began to harness my inner ki in an effort to the stun the bird like I did to Strahd's steed, hoping to send it down to its watery grave. I delivered four punches into the talons of the bird, my ki coursing into it, but its large body was able to resist all of my blows!
 
In this time, Morric launched a volley of arrows that impacted the talons holding onto me, but luckily none hit me. In just a few short moments however, the bird was 200 feet higher than it was and over 50 feet away from the bridge, and it released myself and then a few seconds later it dropped Nikolai as well...
 
We began plummeting through the air, but I stayed calm and called upon my inner ki, clutching at my dragon tattoo. Great wings of golden sunlight sprouted from my back, and I slowed my fall and then managed to catch Nikolai as well! He was very heavy, and with my equipment as well, I became encumbered and barely able to maneuver in the air. I managed to fly us back to the bridge close enough that we both could fall onto it without getting more than a couple scratches, and I immediately tumbled and ran for the other side of the bridge, calling to Piccolo in my mind that I would recall him to me in a moment.
 
As Nikolai began to stand back up, Ander, Piccolo, and Morric began to cross the center of the bridge. At the same time, the giant bird did a dive-bomb towards the center of the already broken bridge. It impacted the bridge right where they where, breaking it apart a distance the same length as the bird's wingspan. As the rubble flew into the air and I tried to see through the dust cloud, I could see Apollo on the other side of the bridge, Piccolo cut and bleeding but flying above the ruin, and my three companions all falling towards the river below....
 
~ Jasper Solavich