Day 56: Tuama Beannaithe
General Summary
Day 56 (Волчаялуна 4, 736/?)
The party presses on from the Wizard of Wines, with Danica and Bray's bodies, and Sylvain's still-inhabited one, in tow. The early hours of the morning are spent journeying to tuama beannaithe, the steadily falling snow that's been their near-constant companion gradually becoming icy sleet as they get closer to the ever-raging thunderstorm above the hill's circle of stones. They stop at the Huntress's shrine to pay their respects, Sylvain offering up a prayer for Danica and Bray, and as they press on they notice various animal spies: wolves skulking off into the woods, and bats circling in the sky. They decide it's not worth the effort of trying to kill them, as one way or another Strahd will know where they've ended up. It's a miserable trek up the hill under the freezing rain in the dead of night, and though Sylvain is protected from the cold even as his winter gear is soaked through along with the rest of the party's, all of them are sopping wet by the time they reach the stone circle where they first fought alongside Oileán. Crossing the circle, they begin to realize that the sacred grove to the south of the hilltop is obcured by more than just the late hour; the entire area seem to be cloaked in magical darkness. Though no one should be able to notice such a thing, Ayduin's keen elven ears pick up the gentlest of sounds from the heart of the darkness aura: soft little makeout noises. Calling tentatively in that direction, they startle Makar and Azuth into sudden vigilance, as it seems their shift on watch had turned into an opportunity to get to know each other a little better. They navigate their way to the mansion's hidden door, and the initial relief at seeing allies still alive and well shifts into something more tense when the pair notice the covered bodies the party has brought with them. The party never got to read the Christmas fic that showed Danica and Makar were, at some point, best friends, but the players have, which helps contextualize how intense his distress is. He stalks off to get Elvir, while Azuth goes to wake Oileán to notify her of the party's return. Oileán, somewhat ruffled at this 3 a.m. wake-up call, informs the party there's just one issue with their arrival: the yew hasn't resprouted yet, which means they can't undertake the Huntress's trial yet. However, she can help with some of Sylvain's mental distress, as her goddess informed her after they'd last parted ways that she had permission to use a Greater Restoration spell on him. She also, she tells them, can try to get an answer on Danica and Bray's potential resurrection sooner rather than later, if they give her a few minutes to cast a ritual spell. She does, and is given the all-clear to resurrect them, and the knowledge that their ten days of grace are not yet up. She partially unfucks Sylvain's brain and goes back to sleep, while Elvir comes to confirm the identity of the bodies, and does his best to act like he's totally emotionally equipped for this situation. The party has vague intentions of unfucking their sleeping schedule at this point, but it's still some time before they can settle down to rest. Sylvain gets drunk and Bodaway gives him a pep talk that he actually half-listens to — a minor miracle, by this party's self-esteem standards. Osrin busts out her newly white feathered wings and flies around the mansion lobby because why not, and Ri-An once again does their best to explain the concept of class levels and HP to their companions, as the only one of the party who has access to those stats. That night, Osrin and Sylvain both have nightmares, but they're of the blessedly mundane variety, quickly soothed by the use of Lesser Restoration spells. It seems to be true that Strahd is incapable of plaguing their dreams when they're in the mansion's demiplane. When the party awakes — with a report from Godfrey that Strahd was briefly in Krezk again late that morning, for a couple of hours — they take the day to rest, observing the successful resurrections of Danica and Bray from afar. They're relieved to see the pair back alive, but leave them to recuperate with their fellow wereravens, giving them time to process what they've been through. Ayduin goes outside the mansion to use his druidic magics to help restore the land in the hope it will accelerate the yew's regrowth, and the Huntress answers Sylvain's prayers, out loud, in his brain, because no one can get the gods to talk like Sylvain can.
Report Date
20 Oct 2023
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