Session 6

General Summary

Well, That Was A Lot...

After exiting Madam Eva's tent, the party had a lot to think about. Turns out that Ireena is part Strahd's curse, and she is, in fact, a magnet for all things bad. Loquacious one under a madman's vessel? Great stone dragon? Where is the highest peak within the mountains? A lot of new things to think about with not much of a lead to go on other than the words themselves. Overhearing the conversation, a Vistani woman approached the party and gave some information. Mt. Ghakis is the highest peak in Barovia, and there was an order of paladins and clerics in the west known as The Order of the Silver Dragon.
After discussing a bit more, the party managed to set up their tents, split off into pairs, and camp out for the night. Ariadne and Ireena had a brief conversation about keeping calm and how they currently feel. Ireena took a bit of time to practice her hobby, embroidery, before heading off to sleep. Working on a pattern of a bluebird inside a boquet of flowers, Ireena revealed that she has never seen a bluebird before, though the idea and image of it seemed clear in her mind. Ariadne said that it was as beautiful and vibrant as bluebirds she's seen back from home. Ahrieya took the first watch with Viggo, and looking around, managed to find a small magpie flying away from the camp. Not taking any chances, Ahrieya launched a spell and fried the bird as Viggo grabbed it. It seems it has some kind of message attached to it at some point, but it was destroyed in the aftermath of the spell. Aside from a few more noises heard throughout the night, nothing excited happened during Ahrieya's watch.
Swapping watch with Ahrieya, Gio took over for watch, looking around the camp despite getting quite distracted. However, despite this he didn't seem to notice anything during the night. Waking up Idris to finish up watch, Viggo (and by proxy, Idris) along with Gio noticed some footsteps leaving and coming from the exact spot where Gio was sitting. Looking at the footprint, it was an exact match for Gio's boots. Following the trail, the two journeyed into the forest only to find one set of hoof prints, a pair of prints from a fancy pair of dress shoes, and the faint smell of brimstone. Concerned, the group returned to the camp to wait for the party to wake up. However, briefly checking up on Nova revealed that she was sweating profusely, and that the wound on her arm had opened back up.
Ireena woke up just a few minutes before the remainder of the party, and though she tried to be sneaky, Idris and Gio noticed her leaving the camp and decided to follow. Following her to the forest, the two saw Ireena begin to practice her swordsman stance against a tree. Gio revealed himself, startling the young woman, and offered to help her out a bit before heading back to camp. Returning to camp, Ireena took Nova's arm and redressed the wound. Nova definitely didn't hurt Ireena at any point, she ain't no snitch.

Who Now?

Ahrieya chose to discuss the issue of the message with the bird with Madam Eva, and Idris decided to come along as damage control in case things went south. Talking about the potential mole in the camp that might be associated with the magpie with the message attached to its leg, Madam Eva replied by saying she cannot control what her people do, and perhaps everyone might not be as like-minded as she is, especially if Strahd has something they did. They also asked about a horse that might be able to fly or teleport, as well as be associated with the smell of brimstone, Madam Eva's face dropped for a moment before creating the image of a noble-looking man atop a flaming steed. Asking if that is another servant of Strahd, Madam Eva revealed that the image is of Strahd himself, causing some panic within the two in the tent.
Is Gio lying to the party? Why did he visit the party? Why did he not do anything? Do you remember anything, Gio?
The pair returned to the party from the tent to find Nova, Gio, Ireena, and Ariadne sparring. Ireena managed to outmaneuver Ariadne, and Gio, borrowing Nova's axe, cut Nova's stick in half in a single swing. Angered, Nova whacked Gio across the face with the rest of the branch, and discussing what they just heard from Madam Eva, they decided to head out towards Vallaki once again.

Something is Definitely Not Right

Moving along the road towards Vallaki, the party came to a crossroads, either turning east towards Castle Ravenloft or west towards Vallaki. The answer seemed obvious...
While walking on the road, the party saw wolf carcasses skinned and butchered on the side of the path, pierced with arrows, bolts, and spears. Not staying too long to look, the party quickly left.
Eventually, they came up to an old looking windmill on the side of the road. Certainly looking worse for wear, the party remembered that this was one of the two locations Ismark mentioned that someone fitting Gertruda's description was seen here relatively recently. Approaching the mill, a raven atop the doorway cawed loudly at the group. Nova took this opportunity to talk to the Raven, mentioning that "They should not be here, turn away." Before flying further up atop the mill. 
Knocking on the door, the party was met by an older-looking woman by the name of Bella. She apparently lives here with her sister Ophilia and her mother Granny, whose name is actually Morgantha (though it scares people, so she prefers not to be called by this name). After taking a moment to clean off some seats and set a pot for tea, Bella invited the party inside. While Ariadne, Ahrieya, and Idris went inside, Nova and Gio stayed outside and looked around the mill.
Bella revealed that she makes the dough and pies along with her sister, and her mother, who made the recipe, delivers them to the Village of Barovia. When being told that Ahrieya had the deed to the mill, Bella immediately got worried that they were there to evict them from their home. Her mother works very hard to keep her daughters taken care of, and loves bringing joy to the tormented people of this land.
During the conversations, Idris took this opportunity to look around the first floor. While it definitely looked like relatively unsanitary kitchen conditions, he made note of a large barrel filled with a somewhat clear liquid. Taking a quick sniff, it burned his nostrils like a shot of alcohol before taking it.
Moving the conversation upstairs, the party met Ophilia pushing the millstone to make flour. The mill hasn't been operational in quite some time, so they need to work it manually. Ophilia seemed to be shoveling some of the flour into bowls and bags as the party arrived. During this time, Ahrieya heard some noises coming from upstairs. Stealthily, she sent Viggo up to take a look.
Outside, Gio and Nova investigated the perimeter of the mill. Finding some traces of flour that have escaped through the house and tasting it, Gio noticed that it is a lot grittier than typical flour, and tastes a bit off. The two then turned to find 4 monolithic stones standing behind the mill. Upon each stone was the depiction of a town in multiple different seasons: summer, spring, fall, and winter. In the center of the monoliths was a small pile of tiny human-looking teeth. The raven then flew down atop one of the stones and warned Nova once again to leave, stating that the old women "Are not what they seem." Realizing it was time to go, Gio turned to gather the rest of the group when he started hearing the creaking of Granny's cart approaching.
Catching Granny outside, Gio loudly proclaimed her arrival so that everyone inside could hear, about the same time the rest of the party began suspecting something strange with the old women. As everyone moved outside, Idris and Ariadne stayed inside to look more into the open barrel and the cupboard. Dipping his finger into the barrel, Idris felt a powerful burning sensation that coupled the burning smell of the liquid. Shifting their attention towards the cupboard, Idris saw a multitude of different ingredients, as well as a bunch of different potions and bottles with different colored liquids, most unlabeled. The ones that were labeled, however, were "Laughter", "Youth", and "Mother's Milk". Along with these were numerous locks of hair.
Discussing with Granny now in the presence of the entire party, conversation quickly shifted from staying the night to leaving immediately. Ahrieya briefly saw through Viggo's eyes to see a young woman with features resembling the description of Gertruda, as well as a pile of small clothing (perhaps for children) in room as well. Granny seemed insistent on having them stay, though the party, specifically Ahrieya, was just as adamant on leaving. When Granny stated she would like the party to bring some of her business to Vallaki (due to their strictness on letting outsiders in), Idris, Nova, and Gio staged a 'lovers quarrel' in order to swiftly slink away. Taking in and discussing everything they saw, they decided to come back to the mill at some point, frustrated at the information they were given regarding Gertruda. 
With a bit more travel, they arrived at the massive palisades of Vallaki, where they hope to gain entry...

Report Date

31 Aug 2022

Primary Location

Tser Pool Encampment

Secondary Location

The Old Mill

Related Characters

• Granny Morgantha
• Madam Eva