Sessie 4

General Summary

Session 3

The Raven and the Shadow

• The Party grieved Nina's death and burned her corpse.
• Nina met With the Shadow in the Mist again, she got one more chance to prove herself. Her return was helped by the prescence of a fey Raven , send by Madam Eva. Madam Eva promised to help in return Argentus made a blood pact to do a quest for her. Bring a Wolfman Toy from Blinsky to her niece Arabelle whom lives in the Vistani Camp at Valakia.
• The Party met with Strahd, trying to please him and make him believe that Ireena had perished. Strahd was impressed and flattered by Argentus.
• The party came across a wounded Raven , the Raven seemed familiar to the one they saw in Barovia . The Raven was beeing hunted by some Strixs, magical made bird constructs that shoot silver barbed wire. They saved the bird and made madam Eva heal her. He now resting in Argentus's pocket.
• The party met with Madam Eva at Tser Pool. Madam Eva is a very powerfull Vistani Seer. She predicted the future of the party and the objects they need to defeat Strahd once and for all.Tarokka
• She also predicated all of the players own destinies. Told Seraphiel where he could find his query. Pointed out that Argentus was handeling powers he does not understand. Told MeNA about how to become Ayen Kelfiel again or turn into something completly else. Nina was reminded of her doom. Only Jake remained skeptical.


• The players also played the game of storries with the Vistani and won the following items
  Worn deck of Tarokka cards
  A collapsible brass spyglass with a small,maneuverable mirror, allowing the user to peer aroundcorners.
  a short manuscript on werewolvesauthored by Dr. Rudolph van Richten.
  

Stories

Lela's tale

“It is said that within each raven flutters a lost soul, and that each raven’s song tells a tale of ages past. They whisper, so listen closely.” She takes a deep breath; when she speaks again, her voice is quiet, with an eerie, melodic quality to it. “Sing, ravens, of Barovia, birthed from the mists and bathed in twilight. Sing of Lugdana, the Morninglord’s stalwart, dawntouched foe to the deep-lurking dark. The Holy Symbol of Ravenkind, her radiant testament, the warrior’s beacon of faithful resolve. “Sing, ravens, of Chernovog’s rise, named Demon-Lord upon Yester Hill. Lugdana, gray-haired, weary of battle, her longsword and shield yet polished and ready. Guided through shadows, toward sacred ground, she clashed with the demon, their tempest-like dance. “Sing, ravens, of Lugdana’s last fury, of Ravenkind’s token now blazing with sunlight. The battle’s tide turning, a hero’s bravecry, a final onslaught with divinity’s grace. The Demon-Lord banished, the warrior now fell, the wound at her side gougedtoo deep to bear. “Sing, ravens, of light’s final moments, a shadow descending from radiance on high. Sing of the angel, black-feathered and beaked, the Morninglord’s angel reclaiming its gift. The Symbol retaken, in ravens’ claws held. “Sing, ravens; you are the keepers, the watchers, the tellers of stories untold. Sing, ravens, of Lugdana’s memory, the shadows that lurk, and heroes to come.”

Arturi's tale

“There was once a silver Fox, renowned among all for his curative touch. On a cold, moonlit night, however, a rustle of wings disturbed his peaceful reprieve. A flock of Sparrows brought him one of their own, the tendrils of Death clutching its small, shivering body. The Silver Fox took the sickly sparrow into his den, but all his wisdom and skill was clouded by the devil in the bottle, he failed to cure its ailment, and it breathed its last in his paws. “Fearing the Sparrows’ anger, the Fox begged them to take anything in exchange for peace. The Sparrows, hearts filled with grief, departed into the moonlit night. It was only at dawn that the Fox realized what they had taken: His beloved kit had vanished, taken by the Sparrows’ claws.

“The Fox pursued the sparrows through barren lands and shadowed woods. He found them slumbering amidst the branches of a gnarled tree—and, in his cleverness, snatched two of their flock in the jaws of his teeth. “‘Where is my kit?’ the silver Fox roared. The Sparrows, now prey in his claws, shared the terrible truth: they had given his kit to the Kingdom of Night, where the cursed Sovereign of Dusk dwelled in the darkness.

“And so the Fox passed from light into dark, his legs aching and sore, his paws bramble-pricked and bloody. It was in the keep of Dusk’s Sovereign that he found his lost quarry—and uncovered his kit’s dreadful fate. His kit now shared the Sovereign’s curse, the features of life now twisted and warped,his once-lively eyes now deadened and cold. The kit begged for reprieve—for his father to free him from his cursed existence. And the silver Fox, with a heart heavier than the mountains, with eyes stinging with tears, did the unthinkable—and ended his kit’s torment. As the Fox’s anguished howl shattered the night, so, too, did his heart. A father had entered the Kingdom that day, but it was a phantom, born of anguish and rage, that vanished into the shrouded night.”

Arajha's tale

One night, a wounded soldier staggered into our camp and collapsed. We nursed his terrible injury and quenched his thirst with wine. He survived. When we asked him who he was, he wouldn’t say. All he wanted was to return home, but we were deep in the land of his enemies. We took him as one of our own and followed him back toward his homeland. His enemies hunted him. They said he was a prince, yet we didn’t give him up, even when their assassins fell upon us like wolves.”

“This man of royal blood fought to protect us, as we protected him. We bore him safely to his home, and he thanked us. He said, ‘I owe you my life. Stay as long as you wish, leave when you choose, and know that you will always be safe here.’”

Arturi’s manuscript—authored by Dr. Rudolph van Richten

Werewolves are among the most fearsome lycanthropes,bearing a curse as ancient as it is terrifying. For them, the affliction of lycanthropy transforms even the most civilized individual into a monstrous beast, warping the lines betwixt man and nature.

In its humanoid form, a werewolf retains many of the characteristics of its original identity, save for certain nuances such as heightened senses, an explosive temper, and an odd preference for rare meats. Over time,subtle features that hint at their animalistic nature beginto manifest. Nevertheless, it is in their wolf and hybrid forms that the true horror of the curse is revealed. A werewolf's hybrid form is particularly terrifying, with a muscular humanoid body crowned by the head of aravenous wolf. It is capable of wielding weapons, though its favored means of attack are its devastating claws and powerful bite.

Werewolves typically abandon civilization soon after their transformation. Those who reject the curse flee infear of harming their loved ones, whereas those who accept it fear exposure and the repercussions of their violent deeds. Out in the wild, they form packs, living in cohesion with ordinary wolves and dire wolves alike.

The most tragic aspect of lycanthropy is its transmission. A humanoid can contract this curse through a wound inflicted by a lycanthrope or through inheritance if one or both of its parents are lycanthropes.

The cursed have two paths: they may resist the beastwithin or embrace it. Those who resist bear unending strain—until the rising full moon triggers a compulsory and horrific transformation. These individuals often experience bloody, haunting dreams: echoes of the carnage wrought in their madness. Some twisted souls, however, choose to accept their beastly nature. With time, they can master their abilities, calling upon the wolf's resilience and strength as they will. To do so, however, they must first perform agruesome act: to murder another and consume their flesh.
One sure way to identify an afflicted individual is thepresence of a perpetually raw, bloody wound: the scar ofthe initial curse transmission. This wound never fully heals until the curse is lifted.

Beyond this mark, however, these creatures bear anextraordinary resilience. Conventional methods of harm prove ineffective in permanently subduing a werewolf.Only through the bite of silver or the chill of death's power can a werewolf be truly put to rest. A spell of removal can also cure an afflicted lycanthrope, though those who accept the beast may fight it bitterly. As for those unfortunate souls born under the curse, they are doomed to bear their affliction for life. As far as my research has shown, there exists nocure, no respite for such individuals. They are caught in an eternal struggle, forever haunted by the wolf within.

Report Date

10 Sep 2023