Session 20

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Entry 20. After taking turns watching the body of Ambrose tied to a tree near the makeshift camp Valyra and Ismark made in the middle of the forest they began traveling to the nearby West Gate area where they were intercepted by undead creatures. Valyra's fireballs lit up the night sky revealing their place to Eleonora who was riding through the night searching for her friends. Soon after the fight ended the group was rejoined and continued on with their quest to take Ambrose to the Abbot in Kreszk. Arriving to Vallaki, Valyra made a display of her magic turning the dead body they were carrying into a dead hamster in an attempt to smuggle it into the city. After convincing the guards to let them in the village, they ran to the nearest inn, into the room they had rented before the spell faded and a dead corpse appeared on the floor of the room. Ismark offered to buy some horses with the money he had saved in hopes to re-locate his sister to a safer location. After gathering their horses, the sorceress once again polymorphed Ambrose into a dead hamster and ran with it on horseback out of the city before the spell faded once more. The party arrived at the gates of Kreszk only to be met with unbothered guards and a snotty burgomaster unwilling to let them in unless the benefited the village in some way. Desperate, the group accepted to secure a wagonload from the Wizard of Wines for the city had ran out of wine and the next delivery was long overdue.

Arriving there, the group were met with dozens of crows and a silent cloaked figure. As they approached it, crows began to land next to the figyre and take on human form. The cloaked figure finally speaked. "We are the Keepers of the Feather and we oppose Strahd. This is our domain, the Wizard of Wines. We supply the lifeblood of Barovia." He made his acquaintance as Davian Martikov and revealed to the group that they were in fact were-ravens and they had been watching the group hoping they would help them fight against the devil Strahd. The group inquired about the wine and the other were-ravens, descending from the nearby branches taking human form revealed to them that the winery had been over taken by evil druids and blights that they couldn't fend off. The were-ravens asked of them to rid the winery of its invaders in order to resume the production of wine. The group in return asked the were-ravens to keep watch on the dead body of their friend.

Venturing into the winery before dozens of blights could reach them, they found inside some wild and unkempt humans carrying leathers and furs and casting magic with staves made of twisted branches. After killing 3 of them, the group descended to the cellar where they found a more powerful enemy, seemingly the head of this druid cult, waving a gnarly blackened staff in their direction.

"Nature bows to my every whim, for I have the vampire staff", the old man shrieked before attacking them with powerful spells. The fight proved to be more than a match for the group but before he dropped to the ground he managed to cast one last spell on Eleonora, who dropped to the ground devoid of life. Valyra in a fit of rage issued her fire spells once more, managing to reduce the archdruid into ashes.

With both of her friends now dead, she broke down crying in the arms of Ismark who's words brought her no comfort. The fear of herself dying or letting another one die made her reach out to whatever being brought her back to life in that lake. The being answered with a silent boost of health and magic allowing her to perform one last trick. She took on the guise of the archdruid and convinced the other druids to leave the house after surrendering the 'seed' to her.

There is something dark brewing inside her,

and a voice whispering guilt into her heavy soul.

Two down, one more to go.

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