Session 51
General Summary
The Blood Drinker & The Child of Blood
Octyavr 1st
(8:00 PM)
Upon a Pale Horse He Rides- Riding a phantom steed—an ash-gray horse with dull, shadowed eyes—you see a tall, lithe man of dusky complexion, with long, black hair that falls past his neck. A light cloak is draped across his shoulders, its edge rimmed with thick, white fur, and gloves of supple black leather cover his hands. A deep blue tunic trimmed with bronze is visible beneath a layer of tough, yet flexible leather armor, and a curved saber hangs from a sheath at his belt, with a pair of scimitars strapped to his back above it.
- Rahadin makes his way down the winery path after Pumat has bamfed back to Barovia Village...he dismounts and approaches.
- His ears taper sharply upward to elven points, and his dark, brown eyes bear a quiet awareness and a casual, almost predatory gaze as they shift slowly across his surroundings. A long, wicked scar cuts across his forehead, just above where lines have begun to mark his face with age, and his lips are pulled back into a thin, perpetual frown.
It begins with a dull roar—a prickle at the edge of your awareness, like the washing of the ocean against the shore. As the man grows closer, however, the muffled sound grows ever—more insistent, amplifying and building upon itself—until it resolves from a more innocuous sound, almost like waves, into a torrent of screams. Your ears fill with a cacophony of a thousand voices, pleading, suffering, dying: a psychic onslaught that crashes against your mind from every direction, leaving little room for thought. The man, however, remains unflinching—seemingly undisturbed by the symphony of screams that surrounds him.
- When Rahadin speaks, the screams somewhat recede—enough to allow him and others to be heard—but gain a notable accent of fear.
- Rahadin greets you and informs you that he has come to deliver them an invitation from his “master."
- He then retrieves an envelope sealed with crimson wax and bearing the Von Zarovich crest: a raven with its wings spread across a tall shield wrapped with a banner and bearing the image of a castle at its peak.
- The party opens and reads the invitation.
- Rahadin inclines his head and notes that he will expect them at Castle Ravenloft promptly at dusk on the noted date.
- Rahadin coldly notes that Strahd is lord of the land, and his word of safe passage to and from the dinner is binding on both others and himself. “He has promised you guestright," Rahadin notes, glaring. “Do not presume to spit upon his honor or authority."
- The party ask whether Ireena would be safe at the castle, Rahadin coldly notes that both you and Ireena would be welcome guests and protected under guestright, so long as they have not committed any offense against Strahd personally.
- Rahadin notes coolly, “Had my master sought to take Lady Kolyana from you, he could have done so as it pleased him, without your permission." He notices her absence and wonders about her safety.
- She is, of course, not obliged to attend—but I advise you not to question the strength of his word.
- Rahadin coolly notes that his “master" expects an answer upon his return.
- Delaying their response, Rahadin quietly, without touching his scimitars or raising his voice above a whisper, asks them if they think it wise to insult the lord of Castle Ravenloft.
“It is no threat, I assure you," he promises. “Consider it . . . cordial advice."
- Rahadin shakes his head in disappointment. He notes that he had warned “his master" of his suspicion that you would be “difficult, impolite, and undesirable guests," and shares that he will take no pleasure in informing his master that he was correct.
- He then moves toward his spectral horse, pauses, and quietly notes that, despite his own misgivings, he would not be surprised if his master holds open the invitation despite his warnings, regardless. He then departs.
Octyavr 2nd
(5:00 AM)
The Path to Yester Hill- Muriel wakes you two hours before dawn, as planned.
- After asking you whether you had a good night’s rest (long rest accomplished!), she quietly informs you that she’ll need to make a quick detour enroute to Yester Hill to meet with a contact she has in the area—a man named Kavan. While she can’t be sure, she has reason to believe that Kavan might have more information about the Forest Folk’s plans and defenses.
- Muriel asks you to promise not to share this detour with Davian, who she believes would likely disapprove.
- She’s reluctant to provide more information than that, promising only that Kavan is neither dangerous nor a servant of Strahd, and that she’ll share more when you meet him.
- Pressed further, Muriel shares only that Kavan is a spirit that dwells in the Svalich Wood, and that she intends to summon and speak with him as she has multiple times before.
A thin, chilling mist curls through the vineyard, twisting around your ankles as you set off from the winery toward the main path. You head south, cold moonlight filtering in from the lower clouds and casting long shadows across the loamy earth. The velvet cloak of the night sky rests silently overhead, but it's soon swallowed by the gnarled canopy of the Svalich Wood, whose long, dark branches reach over the path like skeletal limbs. The mist is thicker here, the air crisp and chill, and a palpable silence seems to envelop the entirety of the wood. The quiet is only occasionally broken by the snap of a twig underfoot, the squelch of mud beneath your boots, or the distant hoot of a mournful owl.
- As you travel south, four swarms of ravens take off from a nearby tree and follow you down the road, flying above the canopy. Muriel informs you that the ravens likely want to help, and that they can keep watch in the skies while the players traverse the road.
- While traveling along the path, she notes wistfully that she used to walk it with a friend of hers not long ago. "It's so strange," she says quietly, "how quickly things can change for the worse."
- When asked, Muriel shares that her "friend" was Elric Martikov, Elvir's twin brother and her own betrothed, and that Elric proposed to her during a walk in the woods along this very path.
- Asked her "friend's" fate, Muriel replies curtly, "He died," and refuses to elaborate; when pushed, she shares only that his death is too fresh and painful in her mind to relive it.
- Three-quarters of a mile and fifteen minutes south of the winery, Muriel briefly leads them off of the main path and onto an old and overgrown footpath.
- The footpath veers deeper into the undergrowth, the vines and underbrush clutching at your clothing like soft, grasping hands as you cut forward through the tangled flora. The trees grow close together here, and the air grows thick with heavy silence.
- It's not long, however, before the path opens up into a small, mossy clearing, illuminated faintly by pale moonlight. A soft, crisp wind dances through the trees here, the rustling of the leaves sounding almost like a cacophony of whispers.
- At the center of the clearing stands a tall mound of large, black stones—an ancient cairn adorned with lichens, red blooms, and a collection of strange runes.
KAVAN, THE BLOOD-DRINKERFORSAKEN OF THE ROZANAFIRST AND LAST CHIEFTAIN OF THE BALINOK MOUNTAINS.MAY HIS SPIRIT REAP THE HARVEST OF HIS ARROGANCE
- Muriel kneels before the cairn, produces a dagger from her boot, and makes a cut across her palm, allowing a few drops of blood to drip into a basin at the base of the cairn. She then quickly curls her palm into a fist.
- As Muriel's blood drips into the basin, the low curtain of mist around the cairn seems to quiver. The mists rise, gently swirling into the air, until the spectral form of a man steps forth from their moonlit depths.
- His face is lined and weather-worn, his thick brow creased above dark, piercing eyes. He is clad in simple, leather armor and roughspun cloth, his arms and chest marked with a tapestry of scars and tattoos that seem to shimmer in the pale, eerie light. Earrings forged of animal bone and jagged obsidian hang down to his shoulders, which are near-covered by a cascade of long, dark hair.
- His hands are calloused and rough, a wooden buckler grasped in his left. In his right hand, he wields a long, wicked spear forged of mist, its point seeming to devour the ethereal light that suffuses the clearing.
"Greetings, Muriel Vinshaw," the spirit rumbles. "I see you have brought new companions this time."Whispers In The Dark
- Muriel introduces the spirit as the ghost of Kavan, an ancestor of the Mountain Folk, and introduces your party by name.
- Kavan greets you all warmly, hailing you as warriors, and asking to know of your "clans and victories."
- When asked about his own clan, his smile fades, and he declines to respond, noting only that his relationship with his people is complex.
- You hear a rustling from the woods behind you, and the ravens above you shuffle uneasily. The spirit’s gaze snaps to a point across your shoulders and he holds up a hand, his grip tightening around the haft of his spear.
“Hold, Muriel Vinshaw," he murmurs. “We are not alone. Something watches us from the shadows."
- Rumex sees a humanoid silhouette flicker in the trees before vanishing amidst the darkness.
- Dead leaves crunch underfoot as Rumex passes between the trees followed by Verce, and the thick mud squelches beneath their boots. There’s no sign of any living soul amidst the cold darkness, however though, he notices a faint, reddish light flickering in the distance, like a campfire obscured by branches and brambles.
- He moves toward the light and suddenly, the ambient sounds of the forest - the whispering wind, the rustling leaves, even the distant hooting of an owl - go eerily silent. From the depths of the shadows, where the trees are thickest and the light dare not penetrate, comes a deep, lurking malevolence.
- The air seems to hum with tension, like the tendons of a beast waiting to pounce, and he cannot help but feel, to the very depths of his soul, that he is being watched by something powerful, old, and almost unfathomably patient.
- And then—the sensation fades. The quiet sounds of the woods return. And, a heartbeat later, the crimson light flickers out.
- Rumex notices a faint glitter of cold, cerulean light from the forest floor, half-concealed by mulch and dimly illuminated by the little moonlight that pierces through the canopy.
- As he sifts through the underbrush, his fingers brush against something hard and smooth, half-buried in the soil.
- It appears to be a small statuette of a butterfly, no larger than the palm of his hand and carved from petrified wood, which is embedded with small, glittering blue minerals that seem to dance with captured moonlight. The figurine's wings are outstretched, as though caught in mid-flight.
- Ilyson hears a different message in his head as he sees Kavan's spirit stare directly at him.
"Long have I waited for one who is worthy. My spear hungers for blood. Retrieve it and rule these mountains in my stead. Just like the mighty warriors from the early days of the Whispering Wall."Spiritual Reconnaissance At Muriel’s request, Kavan shares the following information about the Forest Folk of Yester Hill:
- The druids of the Forest Folk have been more active lately, gathering berserkers from the northern basin and leading blights of the Gulthias Tree down to the lands below. They appear to have obtained a new leader: a dark-skinned woman clad in a white gown and a golden tiara, with piercing eyes and a pair of sharp fangs. Kavan believes her to be a mage, having seen her conjure strange lights and sounds.
- Recently, the Forest Folk of Yester Hill—which Kavan’s people once called Sarmizeget—obtained something both new and yet incredibly old: an enchanted gemstone once belonging to Kavan's people that he thought lost long ago. The Forest Folk have constructed an enormous effigy of wood and earth atop the hill, within the great stone circle that serves as their meeting place, and placed the gemstone within the statue’s chest.
- Some of the Forest Folk appear to be preparing to instill the power of the gemstone within the statue, which is woven from the roots of the Gulthias Tree that grows atop Yester Hill. The ritualists have bonded themselves to the tree’s bloodthirsty roots, and plan to harness the power of the eternal storm above Yester Hill to give life to the being within the statue.
- The Gulthias Tree is a dark and corrupted entity, and an accomplice to the druids’ will. Kavan warns them that the tree might attempt to obstruct their efforts, but informs them that radiance burns it and slows its new growth. He notes that the tree thirsts especially for cursed blood, which strengthens and restores it.
- There are more than a dozen druids and berserkers now atop Yester Hill, though more have been arriving every day. They appear to be waiting for the one they call the “Shadowed Lord"—the lord of the fortress to the east.
- Kavan advises you that the druids of the Forest Folk appear to be far less capable than their ancestors. Should you succeed in disrupting their ritual the resulting backlash from the storm’s harnessed energy could kill any surviving ritualists and be a danger to any near the enormous effigy.
- He warns against destroying the Gulthias Tree itself noting that, while he does not know the source of its power, it is the host to a great and terrible evil.
- He shares that until the mage taught the druids to command its children, the tree took little action on its own and appeared content to remain atop Yester Hill. Should you defeat the druids of the Forest Folk, he notes, you will likely find the Gulthias Tree to pose little threat to you or your friends.
- As the party departs, Kavan informs them that one of the druids—an elder named Svarog—wields a gnarled wand forged of petrified wood. Kavan asks them to retrieve Svarog's wand, which was once wielded by the spiritual leaders among his people. "Should you return it to me and prove that you are trustworthy," he promises, "I shall tell you where you may find a weapon of great strength to aid you in your fight."
- Kavan's Shame: Asked about his epitaph, he replies, "I failed my people in life. In death, I wish to atone for those mistakes."
- After departing Kavan’s cairn, the party returns to the path and continues traveling south to Yester Hill. After one and one-quarter miles and an additional twenty-five minutes, the party comes across an encounter...
"Good evening," echoes a voice from ahead of you, "or, perhaps, good morning?" A tall, pale figure emerges from the inky darkness betwixt the trees, riding atop a fiery steed. The figure's eyes burn through the shadows like smoldering coals, and his alabaster skin seems as cold as marble in the moonlight. He is immaculate in dark, tailored armor, and beneath his pristine, obsidian-black hair, his lips—as red as fresh blood—curl into a satisfied, malevolent smile. The steed beneath him snorts, flames dancing from its nostrils as its fiery mane flickers like a hellish halo around its head. Wisps of acrid smoke fill the air with a scent like sulfur and burnt flesh, and powerful muscles flex faintly beneath the contours of its coal-black hide. You notice a flash of metal, gleaming with gold and deep burgundy, glittering within the saddlebags strapped to the beast’s back. The man's heel clicks against his steed's side, and it steps obediently forward to obstruct your path. Strahd's smile widens as he drinks in the sight of you, his gaze boring through the dancing shadows that lurk amidst the path.
- Strahd greets you with familiarity.
- He greets Muriel with lazy, feigned surprise, asking you to introduce him to your "new friend." His eyes then flicker to Muriel's hairline, and he suggests, quietly, that she appears familiar, before wondering aloud whether they have met before. Muriel's eyes widen, and she swiftly denies it.
- Strahd then asks what business you might have on the road to Yester Hill—especially at such a dark and forsaken time of night.
“I find that it is always the final hours before dawn that I most enjoy," Strahd says, “but I confess I did not expect to find kindred spirits on such a lonely path this eve."
- Strahd guesses aloud that you have come for much the same reason he has—to witness the Forest Folks’ great “triumph," the birth of the tree blight they call Wintersplinter.
“Although," he notes with amusement, his dark eyes glittering in the darkness, “I would hazard to guess that you have come not to celebrate the druids’ mighty victory, but to vanquish it—by sword and spell."
- Strahd invites you to walk alongside him as he rides to Yester Hill, “for the road is dark, and company always welcome."
- Accepting Strahd’s invitation and walking alongside him, he begins by asking them how they have enjoyed their time in Barovia following their last meeting.
- Strahd notes that Anastrasya appears to have had quite the memorable encounter with them—a tale he quite enjoyed hearing in full upon her return to Castle Ravenloft.
“Like my other brides, she does always endeavor to please me—though I must abashedly confess that my favor can be a fickle one."
- Strahd is glad to introduce his nightmare steed, Beucephalus. “The Wonder-Horse, they called him in life," Strahd notes, tracing his hands through the flames of the nightmare’s mane. “He is a different sort of wonder now."
- Inquiring as to the dinner at Ravenloft, Strahd shares that he is looking forward to dining with them at his castle, and that he hopes that they share his enthusiasm. He ensures the party that this meeting so quick on the heels of Rahadin'd deliverance of the invitation is merely fortune's favor as he is here on unrelated business.
- He pats the contents of his saddlebags and merely states that they are his personal belongings—an old possession that he has come to dispose of in exchange for something new.
- Asking whether Strahd was the silhouette watching them by Kavan’s cairn, Strahd smiles faintly. Instead of answering your question, he says, "Intriguingly, I was not the first creature called 'blood-drinker' in this valley. Can you guess who that was?"
"Long before my time, in the centuries before it came under my protection, Barovia was ruled by a different kind of darkness. His name was Kavan, warlord of the Mountain Tribes, and he swept forth from the Balinok Mountains like a raging storm to slaughter all who stood in his path. They called him Blood-Drinker, for the cursed spear he carried and his own, terrible thirst. "Kavan, you see, was not of my kin. He was something far worse—a man of mortal lusts and ambitions. He drank the blood of his victims and buried himself beneath the red-stained soil when he slept, bathing in their terror and pain." "His reign, though it lasted no longer than his lifetime, was an era of bloody excess—a testament to the depths of human brutality." Strahd's smile is thin and sharp, like broken glass. "Remember his tale as you walk these lands, for the echoes of the past never leave us, and the blood Kavan spilled still stains these hallowed hills."
(6:00 AM)
Strahd's Wager- As you all approach Yester Hill, Strahd asks them—in a bored, disinterested tone—why he should allow them to meddle in the affairs of his servants at Yester Hill. “After all," he notes, with a gleam in his eyes, “they do work so hard in their efforts to please me."
- Although he briefly revels in playing Devil’s advocate throughout the conversation. Strahd eventually accepts the following amalgamation of arguments:
- As with Volenta and Anastrasya, Strahd appears to enjoy seeing his servants tested and challenged. Allowing you to fight the Forest Folk at Yester Hill will provide an additional opportunity to do so.
- Strahd appears to be interested enough in the players to have invited them to dine personally at his castle. Killing you now, before you’ve had a chance to do so, would be a waste.
- The Wizard of Wines is an economic pillar of the Barovian community. Depriving Strahd’s people of wine would do harm to an old and honorable family, and bring sadness and despair to the people they serve.
- Upon reaching the base of Yester Hill, Strahd notes that he is impressed by your audacity, and offers the following wager:
If you succeed in your task, you may meet him at the base of the Whispering Wall to the west of Yester Hill after the ritual, where he will offer you a gift—and share with you a secret. Asked what you will lose should you fail, Strahd merely smiles, and notes that your "opponent" likely has plans for that eventuality.
- The trail through the thick woods leads to a hill covered with dead grass and cairns of black rock.
- Dark, ominous clouds gather high above, and a single bolt of lightning strikes the hilltop.
- West of the hill, the land, the woods, and the sky vanish behind a towering wall of fog.
- A flash of brilliant viridian light suddenly flickers from within an enormous ring of stacked boulders atop the hilltop. As you watch, the light thrums like an unsteady heartbeat—even as it slowly, gradually, and yet steadily grows in intensity.
- You think you can faintly hear the distant sound of drumming echoing across the mountains from atop the hill.
- Strahd tells you if you wish to make good on your bet, you must first meet him at the point where the road meets the top of the hill.
- He promises to you that he'll "make sure the festivities don't start without you," adding, "You must meet your opponent, after all." He notes that he will "see you at the top," and vanishes astride Beucephalus.
- The swarms of ravens that accompanied you to Yester Hill follow in the skies behind them, but begin to hang back.
- You mention this, Muriel points out that they'd be of little use when attacking against more dangerous foes than the blights of the winery, but notes her belief that they may find some way to help all the same.
- Atop the hill is a wide ring of black boulders and smaller rocks that collectively form a makeshift wall enclosing a field of dead grass. Lightning strikes the edge of the ring from time to time, illuminating a ghastly, fifty-foot-tall statue made of tightly woven twigs and packed with black earth. The statue resembles a towering, cloaked man with fangs.
- A deep viridian light flashes from the statue's chest, and the swell of the drumbeat fills your ears. As you pass through the boulders, it's joined by the sound of chanting, which rumbles from a circle of thirteen figures that stand around the statue's base. Above the beast hides they wear, they bear antlers, wolfskins, and crowns crafted of wicked thorns, and crimson markings paint their faces a bloody hue.
- A circle of thick, black roots three feet high surrounds the chanting figures, just beneath a thin layer of pale, drifting mist. Several figures bearing stone axes and quarterstaffs form a protective ring around it, their mouths and forearms bearing jagged crimson markings. A dark-skinned woman clad in a white gown stands at their head, her eyes fixed upon the statue and her chin lifted proudly.
- Just beside the entrance to the ring of black boulders that forms the Druids’ Circle and ten feet above the ground hovers a now familiar sight:
You hear a familiar cold, resonant voice pierce the air above you. "Quite the impressive display, wouldn't you say?" intones Strahd von Zarovich.He is mounted upon his fiery steed, which hovers nearly ten feet off of the ground above you. His cloak whips gently in the chill air, and a small, contemplative smile curves his lips as he turns a small object over in his hand. "Ludmilla was always one to put on a show."Ludmilla's Challenge
- Shortly after you enter the circle, you see Ludmilla, "The Child of Blood," turn, notice you, and vanish in a curl of mist. She then reappears before you in similar fashion, standing just thirty feet away.
- Ludmilla greets Strahd respectfully, calling him "my Lord," and notes with concern—and a slight edge to her voice—that she had not known he would be bringing additional company.
- Strahd gestures with a flourish toward you, and notes, with obvious relish, that he had no hand in your arrival—but that he is intrigued by what Ludmilla will do next.
- Ludmilla recognizes the pawn in Strahd’s hand and abruptly becomes stony-faced, her voice going sharp and cold. She then eyes the players with distaste, her lip curling, and notes, "Another one of your games, then. Very well, my Lord. I assure you, however, that you shall be disappointed."
- Strahd gives Ludmilla a small smile, and says, “Perhaps. But I have always relished the opportunity for surprise." He and Beucephalus then vanish.
- Ludmilla then greets you. Ludmilla's eyes narrow and she adds, "I have heard tell of your encounter with my sister-brides. I imagine you thought you could rest easy atop your laurels. But Volenta has always been a halfwit, a hothead, and a fool. Anastrasya distacted by a need for any scrap of attention. You will find me a far less pleasant adversary—as these pitiful ravens and their ilk have done."
- As this conversation unfolds, the two barbarian looking foes and two Forest Folk split off from the protective ring around the circle of druids and approach you, moving to flank Ludmilla.
- Seeing Muriel, she begins a tale,
Three months ago, when Doru's rebellion awoke Strahd from his slumber, there was a raven among them—but no ordinary raven. It seemed to possess an intelligence far beyond any ordinary beast. Strahd took the raven captive, and when I returned to the castle—"to my Lord's service"—I was granted permission to investigate its properties. I soon found that the raven swiftly regenerated any wounds dealt to it, even those that seemed to be mortal—except those inflicted by silver or necrotic magic. I surmised that I had discovered a wereraven—a mythic counterpart to the wolfish lycanthropes that ranged in packs across the Barovian valley. With my research completed, I moved to vivisect the creature, aiming to uncover any final hidden attributes. "It shrieked and squealed like a pig," she notes coldly, "but fortunately, the silver of its restraints burned it too fiercely for it to even contemplate the possibility of escape." Muriel begins to tremble, her hand curling tightly around the hilt of her shortsword until her knuckles turn white. When the raven finally expired, it reverted to the form of a man—seemingly proving my theory. I took the body to Baba Lysaga—an old colleague and mentor of mine—in Berez. Through Baba Lysaga's guidance, I tracked the wereraven to a seditious and traitorous family that dwelled in the Wizard of Wines winery—the Martikov clan. Baba Lysaga vowed to see the wereravens dead, and so I brokered an alliance between her and the druids of Yester Hill, who were eager to bring the downfall of any who defied their "Shadowed Lord." It was sheer luck that Baba Lysaga's scarecrows uncovered the source of the winery's fecundity—a pair of enchanted gemstones that the Forest Folk recognized as heirlooms stolen from their ancestors. The druids were, understandably, eager to reclaim their heritage from the feathered usurpers. I must warn you that, though you may view me as your enemy, your new "raven friends" cannot be trusted. "What other secrets are they hiding from you, I wonder?" she asks, eyeing Muriel, thoughtfully, "but a good specimen never holds its secrets for long."
Is it next Saturday yet?
Wizard of Wines
Kavan's Cairn
Cairn's Alternate Art
Yester Hill
Alternate Art of Yester Hill
Yester Hill Approach
Druid's Circle
Barovia
Report Date
03 Aug 2024
Primary Location
Secondary Location
Dinner Invitation
Rahadin
Muriel
Ravens
Kavan
Strahd & Beaucephalus
Ludmilla Vilisivic
Forest Folk
Druid Ritual Alternate Art
Berserkers
Svarog
Wintersplinter
Wintersplinter Alternate Art
