Lancelot stepped in front of the group and barked viciously at the wolves. One of them was scared off and retreated. The group is surrounded by the wolves and Bronwyn moved off on her own around the rocks to unleash her spells on them. More wolves pour in from the depths of the cave along with a growing number of werewolves and Bronwyn is quickly surrounded. Riley rushes to her side to protect her.
Bramo constructs a healing cannon near the center of the group which radiates positive energy fortifying all of them against damage. Piddlewick’s darts are unable to hurt the werewolves, but he uses them to distract and annoy them giving openings for McCoy to exploit. Ireena uses one of her maneuvers to advance and engage the white werewolf, Bianca at McCoy’s flank while allowing Bronwyn to fall back to the safety of the group.
Elora tells Verushka to protect Bronwyn “friend” because the wolves are trying to “hurt friend.” This makes Verushka upset and she rushes to Bronwyn’s side. She balls up her fists and smashes them down overhand on the “bad wolves.” Verushka is much stronger than she looked, and she easily kills several of the wolves and werewolves who are also harmed by her attacks. Both the wolves and werewolves try to claw and bite her but find her skin impervious to their attacks. The group is relieved to see that Verushka is not as delicate as they suspected, but also intimidated by her power.
Bramo casts a spell of grease over the wolves including Verushka in the puddle. The group warns him not harm or agitate her as she may not understand why a “friend” is attacking her. Bramo ignores their protests. Some of the wolves slip and fall in the grease as does Verushka.
Elora calls Verushka to come back to her side which she does. Elora sets one of the grease-covered werewolves on fire with magic. Verushka is very agitated by this, seemingly afraid of fire.
As they fight off the enemy on all sides, the pack leader Kiril appears. Kiril recognizes Johan and calls him out, saying he will take his other eye from him! Johan is indignant and levels a stream of curses and insults at him. The two lock into combat with one another.
The wolves and werewolves are vicious and relentless in their attacks but bolstered by Bramo’s healing cannon they start beating them back. Johan’s combat does not go well for him as Kiril is much stronger than the other members of the pack. Kiril’s claws tear through Johan and he drops to the ground unconscious. Kiril does not relent in his attacks and tears out Johan’s throat with his fangs! Kiril steps over Johan’s body and brings the attack to the heart of the group.
Elora sends Verushka to fight Kiril while she uses her magic against him. Kiril is dismissive of the patchwork girl until he is hurt by her mighty blows. At his feet, Johan bleeds out in massive puddle of blood, the light fading from his eyes.
Johan finds himself in a dark place unaware of his surroundings. He feels himself falling further and further away from the world of living and knows that he is dead. He angrily curses the fact that he came so close to achieving his goal only to die inches away from it. A strange voice calls out to Johan from the darkness asking him if he wants to live. Johan gives an enthusiastic “yes!”
At Kiril’s feet, Johan opens his eyes, vengeance burning in them. He crawls out and gets to his feet fully healed and restored, but covered in boils and sores, and attacks Kiril with his greatsword from behind. Each blow is filled with the divine vengeance of his goddess and deals heavy wounds to Kiril. Bramo launches a bolt of fire at Kiril killing him at last.
Bianca, the white werewolf is outraged and goes berserk while the other remaining werewolf, Wendell suddenly halts his attacks and surrenders. Ireena manages to hold back Bianca and finally kill her with the silvered short sword. She moves into position with Riley surrounding Wendell.
The group are wary of Wendell and his sudden change of heart. He tells them that Kiril was the alpha, and now that he is dead, he no longer needs to obey his commands to attack. He wishes to live. The group asks him if they have any children here in the cave. He tells them he does and leads them to the children.
The group is ushered into a large cavern. Wooden cages filled with children are spread around the perimeter of the room. In the center of the room is a large, wolf-headed idol of a woman covered in flowers and garlands. A large pile of treasure is laid at the idol’s feet. Two rotting corpses hanging from the walls behind the idol.
Kneeling in front of the idol is a dark-skinned woman in tattered clothes. She turns and greets them introducing herself as Zuleika, priestess of Mother Night. She has prayed for deliverance from Kiril and Mother Night has answered her prayers by sending the group to her.
Zuleika explains that Kiril and her mate, Emil, were fighting each other for dominance to see who would become the new alpha. During the combat, Kiril’s mate, Bianca, lost control, and the combat had to be halted. Rather than resuming the fight, which Emil was winning, Kiril ran away to Strahd. Kiril pledged the loyalty of the pack to Strahd if he would guarantee Kiril would lead the pack. Kiril returned with Strahd’s forces who seized Emil and dragged him away to be executed. Kiril became the alpha and pack served Strahd. Zuleika despised Kiril for this and for the death of her mate. She has been quietly scheming Kiril’s downfall and praying to Mother Night for guidance.
Zuleika explains that the pack attacked their world on Strahd’s orders, carrying out errands for the Abbot and striking terror on Strahd’s behalf. Kidnapping children was Kiril’s idea. He would make the children fight to the death in the arena and turn the winner into a new werewolf to grow the pack.
Zuleika says she will not seize control of the pack and they will follow the ancient ways. They will honor Mother Night and the Huntress and hunt only in their woods. Those humans who wander in the woods will be turned as they are gifts from Mother Night to the pack. She has no interest in kidnapping children, serving Strahd, or hunting beyond their forest.
The group conclude that this arrangement is fair and probably the best they can hope for in Barovia. Zuleika allows them to release the children and take them away. They leave one child who has already been turned in her care to be raised as a werewolf.
Among the captured children are the three orphan boys, Lazlo, Hamil, and Franz from the Orphanage of St. Andral’s. They are grateful to be rescued and excited that Milivoj was working so hard to save them. It is clear the boys love and idolize the older boy. One of the other prisoners is Johan’s son Pietro still alive, but now transformed into a werewolf. The boy has been forced to kill in order to survive.
His father asks if he is all right and if they have hurt him. Pietro explains he was forced to do horrible things. The father and son reunion is not as joyful as the group expected. Johan is cold and stern with his son who calls him “sir” and seems nervous and uncomfortable with his father. He is surprised his father even came to rescue him. Johan matter-of-factly tells him that his mother and brother are dead. His father sold everything he had to come here and save or avenge him, and they have no way to go home. Pietro grimly accepts this news.
When discussing the turned boys, McCoy asks if there is a cure for lycanthropy. Zuleika says that lycanthropy is a blessing from the Huntress and honored by Mother Night. She doesn’t understand why anyone would want to be cured of this. They have been chosen for greatness! She doesn’t know if such a cure exists, and she is dismissive of it. McCoy wonders if he has been infected during the battle or if such a thing is even possible for him. The group also wonder if Johan is now a werewolf and that is explanation for his sudden resurrection.
Bramo is sorely tempted by the treasure laid at the feet of Mother Night. He believes it a suitable reward for their efforts against the werewolves. Zuleika sees him eyeing the treasure and tells him “it is very bad to steal from Mother Night.” Bramo is skeptical. Zuleika makes no move to prevent him from stealing the treasure and simply smiles broadly. The rest of group is vehemently against taking treasure from a goddess and finally talk Bramo into leaving it behind.
The group depart with the rescued children in tow. As they exit the cave, they encounter more wolves and werewolves, but Zuleika appears and tells them Kiril is dead, she is the new alpha, and the group is free to go. All the pack bows to her commands and let the group pass.
Waiting for them at the mouth of the cave is Strahd’s vampire bride, Anastrasya. She is flanked by two of the vampire spawn from the attack on St. Andral’s Church, Vadu and Tereska along with two large dire wolves. Anastrasya has been sent here by Strahd to retrieve something that belongs to him, the Tome of Strahd. If they hand over the tome, she will let them go. Otherwise, she will kill them and take it from their corpses.
The group debates handing over the tome, but decide it is too valuable to hand over. A fight breaks out and the vampires move in to attack. Anastrasya summons specters to fight by her side against the group. Vadu attacks and feeds off of Bronwyn while Tereska does the same to Johan.
One of the dire wolves closes on the children and gobbles up a little girl named Marica in one bite! Ireena is horrified. She rushes in front of the children and attacks the wolf allowing all the children except for Pietro to run away. Bramo casts a spell on the platinum necklace Anastrasya is wearing, burning her with it. Johan attacks her with his sword imbue with divine radiance.
Elora tells Verushka to protect Bronwyn. Verushka rushes over to Vadu and smashes him into a bloody paste. Anastrasya tries to fall back and heal, but Bramo chases after her, firing a fire bolt at her and finishing her off with the burning necklace. A dire wolf bites Pietro and the boy does nothing to defend himself. Johan is incensed and chastises the boy for being useless. Bronwyn kills the dire wolves with her magic while Johan finishes off Tereska.
The group takes a moment to patch their wounds. Johan reluctantly uses his divine healing touch on Pietro and scolds the boy telling to “stand there and fight or have the sense to run away with the other children!” Pietro apologizes, telling his father he was afraid, but he will do whatever his father asks of him. The group departs taking the surviving orphans with them to the Tower of Khazan.
They arrive at the tower and realize they have no way inside except for the trapped door. Unwilling to risk setting off the tower’s trap, they instead call out for Valentine and Wyssilka. Neither of them is in the tower, so the group decides to head to Vallaki instead.
As they approach the town, the weather turns into a torrential downpour of rain, the likes of which they have never seen before. They arrive cold, shivering, and miserable, particularly the children who have no protection from the rain. The guards allow them inside and they find the town is in chaos. They see the discarded remnants of the Festival of the Blazing Sun lay in the street. Several panicked townsfolk run through the streets wearing costumes.
The group make their way back to the Church of St. Andral’s. Father Petrovich welcomes them inside allowing them to warm up and dry off near the fire. Milivoj comes out overjoyed and embraces the rescued boys, setting to work feeding and caring for them. Father Petrovich explains that the group have missed all the excitement of the Festival of the Blazing Sun. A sudden rainstorm spoiled the Baron’s planned bonfire. A poor guard who laughed at the situation was dragged through the streets behind the Baron’s horse. After that spectacle, a massive tiger started rampaging through the streets. Now the entire town is panicked trying to hunt it down.
Before they can even dry off, the group heads out again in the rain to try and track down this tiger. Pietro is left behind at the church with the other children. Johan tells the boy to try and make himself useful. Riley and McCoy track the tiger through the streets by following its tracks. Elora is able figure out where the tiger is headed based on the evidence they discover, and they are able to locate the animal. They find a crowd of curious townsfolk have gathered around a shop where the massive tiger has broken in, Blinsky’s Toys.
Curse of Ravenloft 