The group woke after a fitful sleep and had an awkward breakfast with the Abbot and Clovin. After breakfast, the Abbot wished them well on their journey and reiterated his threat should any harm befall Verushka. As they were leaving, Clovin rang the abbey bell signaling feeding time for the Belviews. The entire abbey erupted in mad screeches and howls as the group hastily departed.
On their way through Krezk the group stopped to speak with Dmitri. Bramo spoke with him about the illnesses that had affected their children. Bramo at first thought they might be similar afflictions, but the disease in Krezk was not one of muscle weakness, but a sickness brought on by the failure to properly absorb nutrients in the body accompanied by excessive diarrhea. Eventually the afflicted could no longer eat or remain hydrated and became weak and jaundiced until they passed away. Dmitri explained that their small village had no doctors or magic other than the Abbot. The Abbot had healed many different afflictions in the village, but to Dmitri’s knowledge had never healed this one.
Dmitri and Bramo had a friendly parting as two fathers dealing with the death of their children. Dmitri offered to keep Bramo and his children in his prayers and wished him well on his journey. Bramo gave the man a friendly goodbye, but muttered curses under his breath, calling the man useless in his quest to save his daughters.
The group departed Krezk intending to track the werewolf pack to their den and rescue Johan’s son. They entered the nearby woods and Johan and Riley worked together searching for any sign of tracks that might lead them to the den. While in the woods they came across an odd spool of black thread all wound up. The group though this was a curious item to discover in the woods and were somewhat wary of it.
Bramo inspected the spool and could tell there was some minor magic on it. He spooled some of the thread out but could not figure out what the enchantment was. With no other recourse, he pocketed the spool and the group moved on.
The group worked their way further through the woods eventually coming out the other side in the mountains. At the base of the mountains was a small lake. Bronwyn was immediately excited and looked around quickly spotting a tower on the lake. She implored the group to investigate the tower and see if Valentine was there. She convinced them that a famed monster hunter could be of use in hunting down the werewolves. Since it was still morning, they agreed to stop by the tower.
They came to a tall, decrepit, stone tower overlooking a cold, mountain lake. The tower extended onto a small, marshy peninsula. A large gash split the wall of the tower on the third floor with a collapsing scaffolding leading up to it. Parked outside of the tower was a large, barrel-topped wagon with fresh purple paint on it. The group gave it a wide berth as Wyssilka had warned them it was her wagon, and it was rigged to explode with alchemist’s fire.
The group investigated the door to the tower and saw strange symbols and patterns on the door, a series of lines connecting what looked like little figures. Carved above the door was the name, “KHAZAN.” Bramo discovered that the door was magically trapped, and the group searched for another way inside.
Johan and Bronwyn circled around the tower and found that the scaffolding was the only other way into the tower. Seeing that the scaffolding was unsteady, they decided to send Bramo up first to investigate. He made his way up the rickety scaffolding which swayed in the wind. Reaching the hole in third floor, Bramo peered inside. He found the floor was empty for a large square hole in the center of the room. Chains in the four corners ran down the hole and up through an identical hole in the ceiling. The walls here were covered in black mold and the floorboards appeared to be rotting.
Bramo asked Johan to join him up there but first secured himself by grabbing onto the stone wall of the opening. The scaffolding groaned under Johan’s weight as he scaled it. Making his way along the platform, the entire scaffolding collapsed bringing Johan down with it! Bronwyn dodged out of the way of the falling scaffolding and Johan rolled to safety.
Forty feet up, Bramo clung to the wall for his life. Bramo eased his way inside and walked carefully across the creaking floorboards. He tried to reach one of the chains in the center of the room, but the floor gave way beneath him, and he crashed down twenty feet to the floor below injuring himself.
The second floor was virtually identical to the third, but the floorboards were sturdier here. Bramo made his way to the chains and lowered himself down to the first floor. There he found a wide platform attached to the chains. At the corners of the platform, the chains ran through pulleys. Standing next to each pulley was a large, clay, humanoid statue.
Bramo made his way across the room to the front door which he opened for the rest of the group. They entered and were immediately wary of the four statues. With some investigation they determined that the statues were in fact magical golems that operated a primitive lift to the upper floors. It required some experimentation to figure out how to activate the golems, but eventually Bramo figured out the command words and went to the top floor.
At the top of the tower he discovered a comfortable bedroom that had been recently cleaned and maintained. While the others were using the lift to join him, he investigated some scientific apparatus setup on the desk. The setup there included equipment to make both potions and poisons.
Riley, Bronwyn, Lancelot, and Elora followed up next. Bronwyn searched the room for any sign of Valentine and quickly discovered his favorite tea on the stove! Bramo investigated a suit of armor in the corner but could find nothing unusual about it. Elora searched through the room and discovered a chest that smelled of lavender. She opened it eagerly only to find a severed head inside! She screamed and the group rushed over to help.
Johan, McCoy, Ireena, and Verushka came up the lift as Elora was screaming. Verushka was nervous on the lurching lift and the echoing screams, but Johan and Ireena managed to calm her down. The group came to Elora’s side and calmed her down. Elora was still rattled from the previous night in the abbey and could not handle the shock. She took a minute to sit down and Ireena held her hand.
The rest of the group wanted to ignore the head, but McCoy was interested in trying to speak to it. To everyone’s surprise, the head opened its eyes and answered! The head introduced himself as Yan, a Vistana who had traveled with Valentine until Yan had tried to rob and kill him. In return, Valentine had beheaded him and enchanted his head to ask him questions. Valentine had asked Yan a lot of questions about Barovia and was interested in locating a particular girl. Bronwyn asked him if he was looking for “a” girl or “the” girl, but Yan wasn’t sure.
Riley didn’t like Yan and thought he got what he deserved for trying to rob and kill Valentine. Yan continually implored Bronwyn and McCoy to help him and take him out of the tower with him. Bronwyn was insistent on not messing with any of Valentine’s things including Yan and no one else wanted to help him. McCoy finally agreed to place Yan on a nearby table but refused to rest him on the bed’s soft pillow as requested by Yan.
Bronwyn searched the room thoroughly and eventually discovered a secret compartment hidden behind the suit armor but was unable to access it. Elora studied the suit of armor and concluded that it was enchanted and could be commanded with the right command word. Yan told them he had seen Valentine use the armor before, and he offered to help them if they would free him. Bronwyn lied to him and promised that she would. Yan told them that the command word was a single word, someone’s name and that it sounded magical.
The group tried many different names until Riley recalled seeing the name KHAZAN on the front door of the tower. Speaking the command word, the armor came to life and opened the secret compartment revealing its contents. Bronwyn reached in and drew out a heavy, leather tome with the Von Zarovich crest on the cover.
Reading through the tome, Bronwyn saw that most of the passages had been ruined by time, but a few were still readable. The book was the Tome of Strahd, one of the three treasures Madam Eva had told them to search for. It told the story of Strahd’s past, his conquest of Barovia, his life of sadness and regret, the relationship between Tatyana and his younger brother Sergei and how he became a vampire.
Strahd had once been a good man who settled Barovia and built Castle Ravenloft for his family. By that time, he was old and bitter regretting all he had given up in pursuit of doing his duty as the lord. Sergei brought home a young and vibrant woman named Tatyana who was a commoner. It would be unseemly for the lord to date a commoner, but young, handsome Sergei had no such restrictions. Strahd was jealous of his brother and found that Tatyana also had an interest in him. She was a willful, young woman who would do as she pleased. She spent her days with Sergei and every night crept to Strahd’s bed and carried out a long affair with him.
Strahd lamented deceiving his brother but could not resist Tatyana. Eventually Sergei and Tatyana were engaged to be married, an act which broke Strahd’s heart. Strahd prayed for deliverance, for a happy future together with Tatyana where he could be young and vital and spend all his nights together with her. The Dark Powers answered Strahd and offered to grant his wish in exchange for sacrificing his beloved brother Sergei. Strahd refused, but when Sergei came to summon him as the best man to his wedding, Strahd found himself stabbing his brother through the heart. He rushed to confess what he had done to Tatyana and beg her forgiveness, but she ran from him. As he chased after her through the garden, he found she had flung herself from the castle cliffs to her death.
Before the act could register, Strahd was cut down by the arrows of his treacherous guards avenging the death of Sergei. But Strahd did not die, he instead became a vampire and began his reign of terror over Barovia. Strahd talks a bit about his immunity to most vampire weaknesses but expresses genuine fear of his brother’s sword. He entrusts his wizard Khazan with the destruction of the sword.
Bronwyn shares this information with the group. Elora starts looking through the book but is disgusted by its contents and returns it to Bronwyn. Bronwyn also shares that possession of the book offers protection from the charms of a vampire.
The group gather up a few of Valentine’s supplies, some holy water and stakes, and head out in search of the Werewolf Den. Despite the group’s protests, McCoy brings Yan along with him tied to his belt.
The group makes their way around the lake and back up into the mountains. Riley follows signs of tracks and movement leading them to the Werewolf Den. The cave mouth is just as described, resembling the open maw of a wolf. Torchlight pours out from the cave opening between the wolf’s teeth.
Bramo goes ahead to scout, sneaking between the wolf’s teeth. He sees that the inside of the cavern is brightly lit by torches and there is no immediate danger in sight. Realizing he cannot sneak through the brightly lit passage; he returns to the group and waves them forward.
The group enter the den and are spotted by two feral women on a raised platform. McCoy rushes up the platform and into melee range with them striking with his blood spear. Lancelot holds at Riley’s command and waits to accompany her up the platform. They move into position together. Johan stands in front of the party and casts a divine spell to aid them, granting the ability to take more damage to himself, Riley, and McCoy. Then he moves to the base of the platform.
The three spellcasters attack the feral women with fire bolts and eldritch magic. Bramo moves along the wall and advances while Elora and Bronwyn stay behind.
The two feral women tear off their clothes and transform into werewolves in front of the group. They claw and bight at Riley and McCoy. Verushka is unsure what to do, but Bronwyn and Elora ask her to stay back with them. Riley and McCoy continue attacking the two werewolves. Lancelot tries to frighten the two werewolves with his barking, but they ignore him. Johan struggles to get up the platform but cannot make it up the steep slope. The spellcasters launch more spells at the werewolves.
Seeing Johan struggle, Verushka rushes forward and lifts Johan up to the platform with ease. Johan is shocked by this feat of strength but grateful. Ireena makes her way up to the platform flanking one of the werewolves with Riley only to discover her rapier is useless against the creature’s hide. Piddlewick is also disappointed to find that his darts are useless against them. From McCoy’s belt, Yan futilely tries to bite at the werewolves as he swings towards them.
One of the werewolves lands a vicious bite on McCoy. As the fangs sink deep into his artificial flesh, he feels a strange sensation, but cannot explain what it is. After dispatching one of the werewolves, Riley tosses her the silvered short sword she has. Ireena catches it and thanks her, switching over to that weapon. Johan moves into a flank with McCoy on the last werewolf and McCoy finishes her off.
Worried reinforcements are on their way, the group quickly moves down one of the passages further into the cave. The find a cavern with a hole in the ceiling letting light into the room. A large pool of fresh rainwater is gathered beneath the opening. There are platforms on either side of the room. The group heads up one of the platforms where there are several crates. Johan smashes one of them open to discover it is filled with adult clothing. The group conclude that werewolves must go through a lot of clothes due to their transformations.
The group crosses through the pool of rainwater to the other platform. McCoy and Verushka help the group onto the platform with Riley taking care to help Elora. The group heads out from the platform only to find themselves face-to-face with a pack of angry wolves.
Curse of Ravenloft 