Book 4: The Beast - The Mistway

General Summary

Nightmares

Heading away from the haunted house with Ezmerelda, the group begins to recognize the telltale signs of the Mists thickening around them. They find themselves at a crossroads, the mist closing up around them, making the road the only thing they can truly see. At the cross roads is a sign that points in three directions: North to Barovia, South to Kartakass, and West to Invidia. The road continues to the east but there is no sign indicating where it leads. The group decides to rest for the evening on the Mistway, which Ezmerelda describes as being a place in between the Domains. They often lead from on Domain to another that is far away or directly next to it. They can be very unpredictable. After a restful night’s sleep, the group walks up to the Crossroads and follow the path that leads to Kartakass. As they walk by the sign it grows as tall as a tree and covers the path with a jagged shadow.
The Mist begins to thicken along the road, reaching out like spinally fingers trying to grasp them and pull them in. As the group continue forward, in the distance they can just make out the silhouette of a lean figure dressed in the garb of a ballerina as they perform an elaborate dance. Their arms and legs pivoting and swirling with graceful, elegant movement. The Mists seem to move with her, reacting to her every movement.
She dances with the Mists as the high-pitched ting of a music box envelopes the Mists that surrounds the group. Her movements becoming less graceful and more jerky as the sound grows.
As each member of the group approaches or flees from the dancer, they find themselves alone in the Mist and experience a vision related to their past. Eventually the dreams forms paths that lead that lead to a single room containing nothing but darkness and a creature wearing a dark hooded robe with inky tendrils wriggling beneath the cloth.
As the group fights this creature, it continually shifts – taking on the appearance of something the individual facing it fears or regrets. Once the group defeat it, they awake, finding themselves in the comfort of Ezmerelda’s vardo.

A Kartkass Welcome

The group continues on towards Kartkass and as the Mists dissipates they find themselves in an ancient pine forest by the shores of a large, stagnant lake. On the far side of the lake, two figures crash through the underbrush and thrash wildly into the lake, instantly struggling in the peat-choked waters. One of the figures lets out a shocked cry as a large, hunch creature emerges behind them, throws back its fury mane and lets out a piercing howl into the night. A moment later, a chorus of howls return the call.
The group runs to aid the unknown figures and face off against an enormous bipedal wolf who instantly kills one of the individuals before the group can get to them. The other is a familiar face, Casimir. They had met Casimir a few days ago at the border between Barovia and Kartakass. The bard, however, believes it has been a year since they last met.
Casimir leads them to a compound in the woods, on horseback and under the cover of “pass without a trace” as wolves howl throughout the forest.

Report Date

27 Oct 2022