Session 50
General Summary
Under the Raven's Shadow
Octyavr 1st
(6:00 PM)
The Flaming Fist- The party rests up , while further investigateing the confines of the western half of the winery.
- During this brief respite sounds of strix and a male voice could be heard coming from an eastern door along the balcony over the fermentation vats. the door is covered in razorvine and appears barred from the opposite side.
- Vincenzo, at personal risk dodging the razorvine, produces flame in his fist once more and punches the door, withering away much of the razorvine.
- Verce thanks him for clearing the vine and politely requests to take over, as it's less dangerous to bash than to burn, and after several tries succesfully beats one of his arch-nemeses of Barovia...inanimate objects.
The roof over this room has collapsed, scattering mounds of debris and revealing a dark, stormy sky overhead that flashes with lightning. Heavy rain falls down onto the room’s wooden floor, which has a ten-foot-square hole cut into the middle of it and a wooden winch mounted upon the north side. A dead, misshapen tree grows through the hole at the center of the room, its gnarled branches forming a skeletal canopy overhead where the roof should be. Blood oozes from its trunk like sap, and two man-sized birds crafted of wood, animal skins, and burlap eye you warily amongst its branches. Perched atop the winch is a man with wild hair, rotted teeth, and skin painted blood-red. He carries a gnarled staff made from a black branch, with blood oozing from cracks along its length and a dark trail of smoke wisping from the broader end. As you watch, the man waves the staff toward the dead tree, which groans, bark snapping and splintering, as its branches rustle and its trunk grows slightly taller.A Mad, Mad World
- Lorghoth greets the players with maddened cackling upon their arrival, inviting them to “revel in the glory of the spawn of the Gulthias tree" and asking if they have come to “honor the might of the Shadowed Lord."
- Verce creeps closer, gaining tactical positioning whilst eyeing the staff
- Engaging the druid, named Lorgoth, in distracting conversation The protagonists learn quite a bit from the ramblings of this madman.
The Forest Folk have come from Yester Hill to the south, which lies beside the Whispering Wall. They worship Strahd von Zarovich as a god, whom they call “the Shadowed Lord." The ravens of the winery and their masters, whom the Forest Folk call “the feathered ones," are old enemies of Strahd and his servants. The Forest Folk have come to “claim what is theirs"—ancient magic that the “feathered ones" stole from the druids’ ancestors long ago. To this end, they have allied with the “witch of the swamp," whose flying servants are called “strix," and whose children call her the “Mother of Darkness." They have also allied with a woman they call the “Child of Blood," whose mastery of magic has given them new power over the Gulthias tree and its spawn. (The party assumes Lorghoth is referring to Baba Lysaga and another unknown woman.) The dead tree is a cutting of the Gulthias tree, which grows atop Yester Hill. Soon, nurtured by the Gulthias staff, it will grow to rival its parent, and give birth to blights of its own. Tomorrow at dawn, the mighty Wintersplinter will march from Yester Hill and reduce the winery to rubble, turning it into mulch to feed the young Gulthias tree. (“Wintersplinter comes, and all will crumble in his wake!")From the Top Rope!
- Lorghoth tires of the adventurers... he thanks you for your presence, promising that your blood shall well-nourish the Gulthias tree. He and the two greater strix then attack.
- The man raises his staff to the thundering sky and shrieks, “Nature, heed my will, for I have the Shadowed Lord’s staff!" An arcane war horn sounds.
- You hear the rustle of dead vines all around you. On the grounds below viewed through the windows, over three dozen inhuman shapes emerge from the vineyard, their limbs cracking as they trudge toward the winery through the mist and rain.
- The party knows that shortly their position will be overrun.
- What follows is poetry in motion, each party member contributing in harmony with the other, knowing that time is short.
- Verce maintaning control of Lorgoth in position dealing heavy damage, pumping in divine radiance to his mighty sword swings and absorbing damage meant for others.
- Another great strix appears in the skies above threatening to enter the fray when its progress is halted by several swarms of ravens, harrying it from all angles.
- Ilyson focuses fire on the Lorgoth and uses his powerful runic etchings to deliver the wrath of the giants.
- Rumex peppers the strix in the branches attempting to keep their attention and the silvery-barbed projectiles they loose from their unnatural wings.
- Ozan watches the field for injury and calls down the twilight magic of the moon itself to help burn away the mother of all barkskin spells as the Gulthias cutting wrapped its very essence around the druid.
- Vincenzo, defying death, teleported to the top of the tree and delivered a stunningly beautiful elbow drop right onto the mad lad, sending him sprawling.
- Fenrir, hackles raised guarded the walkway's steps in the Fermentation Vat room from a horde of advancing Vine blights as the battle came to an end in the Loading Winch Room.
- The party, victorious in the eastern wing were about to be overrun, and things seemed dire...
- Vincenzo picks up the druid's vile, blackened, bleeding staff, and considers his next move when his patron began his whispers once more.
- After a tense conversation, Hammer screams two words, "BREAK IT!!!"
- Vincenzo raises the staff reluctantly at first, but with a firm resolve brings it down across his knee.
A terrible human scream erupts from the staff’s splintered wood, piercing the air like a banshee's wail. The earth seems to tremble beneath its intensity—and, all around you, the corrupted flora begins to twist and writhe, blood pouring from blackening leaves and stalks. The blights freeze in place, then slowly crumple, the life leaving their shriveling forms until naught but dead husks remain. At the center of the room, the bark of the dead, gnarled tree begins to boil and melt, the trunk collapsing in upon itself until there's nothing left but a pool of thick, grayish sludge. With a final, wheezing wail, the staff disintegrates, leaving behind a stream of fine, gray ash that wisps away on the wind.
- Lorgoth raises from the dead momentarily, reverting to his human form to deliver this final promise...that your victory shall be short-lived. “For Wintersplinter comes," he wheezes, cackling, “and when dawn rises, the nectar of victory will turn to ash on your lips."
- He then returns to the sweet oblivion of death...or does he?
- The three strix fought until the Gulthias staff was broken, at which point they retreat to points east.
- The thunderstorm subsides soon after Lorghoth’s defeat, though the rain lingers to wash away the sludge and blight. The rain stops completely as the adventurers first descend to meet a group of people who are running up the path to the winery.
- The Martikovs heard the staff's shrieking wail and returned to the winery, where they thank you for their heroism.
- Elvir and Claudiu are awed and slightly shaken at your ability to defy Strahd and his servants, and the your victory brings hope to them and the entire Martikov family. (Elvir in particular is stricken by the thought that, had Elric asked for help and been granted it, his brother might still be alive today.)
- After thanking and congratulating you (with 100 platinum as well as a bottle of Champagne du le Stompe for each), Davian Martikov reveals that he has not been entirely forthright with you.
The Forest Folk didn’t attack merely because they are “bad neighbors." Davian and his family are members of the Keepers of the Feather—a secret society dedicated to aiding those who oppose Strahd von Zarovich and his servants. The Keepers of the Feather, which aim to guide and shelter others rather than fighting Strahd directly, uses ravens as their messengers and spies. Davian is the leader of the organization, and all of his children are also members. (Davian can confirm that Muriel Vinshaw and Urwin Martikov are also members of the Keepers of the Feather, as well as a number of other Barovians scattered across the valley.) Just over three months ago, one of Davian’s youngest sons—Elvir’s twin brother, Elric—planned to travel to Castle Ravenloft to join the revolt against Strahd. Davian forebade it, reminding Elric that the Keepers of the Feather were spies, not fighters, and that joining the rebellion openly could compromise the secret of their existence. Elric defied him and joined the revolt anyway. Elric died in Castle Ravenloft. Not long thereafter, Baba Lysaga’s scarecrows and the druids of Yester Hill—often accompanied by a mysterious, dark-skinned woman—began staging attacks against the winery. The Winery’s best-kept secret is the source of its wine: three green gemstones the size and shape of pinecones enchanted with plant-growing magic. Since its founding, the Martikovs have used these gemstones to grow three vintages of wine: Champagne du le Stompe, Red Dragon Crush, and Purple Grapemash No. 3. However, ten years ago, the gemstone producing the Champagne du le Stompe was stolen. Davian doesn’t know who stole it, but blames Urwin for failing to keep watch. Although Urwin claimed to have seen an old woman in the fog with a raven perched upon her shoulder, and the same raven carrying the gem away shortly thereafter, Davian has never believed his story—largely because the Keepers of the Feather know all of the ravens in the valley. Three weeks ago, Baba Lysaga’s scarecrows uncovered and stole the second gem, depriving the winery of the means of producing Red Dragon Crush. Five days ago, the Forest Folk attacked and stole the third gem, preventing the Martikovs from producing Purple Grapemash No. 3. The Keepers staged an attack on Yester Hill in an attempt to reclaim it, but were easily driven back. (“We’re spies," Davian notes mournfully, “not warriors.") The druids returned two days later, now joined by a small army of corrupted blights, and drove the Martikovs out. (Davian had never seen the Forest Folk command the blights of the Gulthias Tree before, and hadn’t known it to be possible.) According to snippets of conversation that his family overheard before they were driven out of the winery, Davian believes that the druids have been searching for the first enchanted gem—the one stolen ten years prior. (Davian isn’t sure why the druids are searching for it, or how they came to know of it.)With Success Comes Requests
- Davian doesn’t believe that the players are capable of defeating Baba Lysaga—certainly not with their current abilities. The druids, however, are a different story. Davian asks you to travel to Yester Hill, defeat the druids there, and reclaim the third gemstone so that the winery can resume at least part of its production. (Although the Martikovs will be busy restoring the winery, Davian offers Muriel Vinshaw—one of the Keepers’ few combat-ready members—as a companion for the task.)
- Davian also promises you that, should you succeed at Yester Hill, he will provide them with the full support of the Keepers of the Feather permanently thereafter, including intelligence, shelter, supplies, and speedy communication across the valley.
- Seeing your willingness, Davian also asks you whether the druids mentioned anything by the name of “Wintersplinter"—a word that the Keepers and their raven spies heard briefly during their attack on Yester Hill. The Keepers have noticed that the druids appear to be preparing for a ritual of some kind atop Yester Hill, and have seen them building something in the stone circle at its peak.
- After the party sharies Lorghoth's warning, Davian urges you to travel to Yester Hill before the next dawn, recover the stolen gemstone, and defeat the druids’ evil plot. Because Yester Hill is less than an hour’s walk from the Wizard of Wines, Davian is glad to offer the players shelter that night at the winery to rest and recuperate, promising to send Muriel to wake them a few hours before dawn.
- The Martikov's perception of time and distance seem quite disproportional to how the party has perceived it thus far in Barovia. It seems all the party's calculations and experiences have been amplified by a factor of about 4...meaning time and distance have seemed 4x as long as the Martikov's have described landmarks and travel times....hmmmm.
- In the midst of unpacking this new information, Ilyson hears a voice in his backpack.
- It is Dr. Rudolph van Richten, communicating through the sending stone...he informs the party that he is working behind the scenes in the village of Barovia to assisst Ismark, Ireena's brother.
- He is still reluctant to directly team up with anyone but he offers his assistance where he can from the shadows.
- In this case, it seems an eight foot Firbolg named Pumat Sol has been drawn into the mists and has been hanging with Dragomir, the arcane merchant of curios and curiosities. Victor has scraped enough material components for a temporary teleportation jump for a small tent, Pumat, and a number of items that Dragommir would be willing to sell to you, you know, for the cause!
- Choose the items wisely, for upon completion of your purchase, Pumat said he is unsure if he would be able to return, given the particular nature and great cost of such a translocation type of spell. (there is a touch of Canadian to his pleasant speech patterns)
Rewards Granted
Wizard of Wines
WoW 1st Floor
WoW 2nd Floor
Map of Barovia
Report Date
20 Jul 2024
Primary Location
Related Characters
Lorgoth the Decayer
Guardian of the Gulthias
Greater Strix
Needle Blights
Davian Martikov & Family
Martikov Family Tree
Muriel Vinshaw
Dr. Rudolph van Richten
Pumat Sol
Gulthias Staff
