Session 32: The Return to Going Back to the Amber Temple Again

General Summary

The party, having raised Rickard at the Vistani camp in exchange for the magical cursed armor he wore, prepare to setout for the Amber Temple.
The party reads the Legend of Kazan, a book given to them by Ava, and learn the history of the powerful wizard who protected the Fey and the Amber temple. Kazan was eventually struck down by Strahd when Kazan rescued the Water Fey from Ravenloft.
As the party returns and begins to cross the bridge at Tsolenka Pass, they take refuge in the guard towers at the entrance to the pass. They are immediately attacked by two Vrocks. They resemble the stone statues at the first entrance to the pass. As the party is fighting the Vrocks the battle is interupted by the huge roc the party encountered on their first trip through the pass. The party, using the towers as protection, are able to beat down the roc and cause it to retreat. The party then tracks the roc to its nest and are able to steal one of its eggs after scaring the wounded bird away. The party takes a long rest and wait for the wounded roc to return. As the party leaves the roc attacks them as they are climbing down the cliff to go back to the pass.
Rickard is ripped from the wall and falls to the pass however he is able to survive the attack. The bird strikes in and out of the snow and sleet storm staying out of view of the roc. As the roc comes back for its next attack the team hits it with a barrage of spells damaging it heavily. The roc rips off the Cormacks pack which has the egg but continues to attack. One his last pass by the party he is polimorphed into a slug and the bag falls down to the pass with the slug laying harmlessly on the bag.
The party is able to surround the beast and kill it as it comes out of its polymorph. The party then decides to take the egg back to the vistani camp in order to attempt to trade it for the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind. They make their way back to the Vistani camp and they eagerly accept Rickards offer of 10,000 gold and the Holy Symbol for the Roc Egg. After resting up the party makes its way again to the Amber Temple.
Against all odds the party manages to find another foe to best on their way accross the pass. Two giant skeletons burst from the ground on either side of the pass and attack the party. The party, having a long history of fighting beats at the pass, are able to easily defeat the skeletons and move on to the temple.
Upon arriving at the temple, the party enters through the fissure where they entered previously. The scout the area to the west and are able to destroy the flameskulls that had returned from the previous visit. Afterwards. they find an old lachemey lab and are able to craft a few potions. Further down the hall they encounter another strange room that has a detailed replica of Ravenloft. They find the journal of a man named Artimus, and it explains that there is a secret compartment under the model with a map to Ravenloft. With this map the players are able to piece together the layout of the old castle and they can see that there is in fact a secret entrance from the bottom of the cliff near the village of Barovia.
As the party continues to search they also find a strange room with ghosts of the 7 wizards who protected the temple eating a feast and toasting to Kazan using a well adorned magic Ewer made of Silver. After a short time, the ghosts disappear leaving the magical ewer on the table.