The group travels from the Tower of Khazan to the Vistani Camp outside of Vallaki. Bronwyn rushes into Luvash’s tent and helps herself to his wine. A startled Luvash welcomes her. While she is draining his wine, Elora speaks to Luvash about Riley’s Vistani heritage. She tells him how she found out recently she is a Vistana. Luvash is a little confused but congratulates her. Elora is wondering if she has any family here among Luvash’s tribe. He asks the names of her parents, and she tells him they were Nicolae Casamirovich and Gildi Lutherumov.
Luvash says he remembers them, and they were indeed a part of the tribe, but traveled a great deal between worlds. A stationary camp such as theirs is the exception rather than the rule. He says he hasn’t seen that family in over 10 years. Elora asks if there were any relatives among the tribe here, but Luvash tells her it was only that trio as far as he knows. Elora is disappointed, but Riley seems relieved.
Riley explains that she knows nothing of their customs or beliefs and is wondering if she could spend some time with Luvash. Luvash awkwardly agrees and offers to teach her their customs such as the Weave of Fate, talking behind the Georgios’ backs, and drinking! He retrieves his wineskin from Bronwyn and gives it her. Riley takes a long swig, and Luvash declares she is now a Vistana.
Elora wants to talk to Luvash about Riley’s curse and starts to reveal her tattoo to him, but Riley thinks it’s a bad idea. Elora tries to insist, but Riley is insistent. Finally, Arrabelle appears and takes Elora’s hand. She looks up at her and tells her not to do it, so Elora relents. Arrabelle takes them outside to talk.
Arrabelle asks for her doll and Bronwyn hands it over to her. She tells Elora she loves her new doll, and it’s exactly the way it was in her dreams. She tells Elora she did a good job and that she is a good friend. Everyone is please to make Arrabelle happy. Arrabelle wishes she had pretty clothes like her doll and that she didn’t have to live in a tent that stinks of horses. She longs for solid walls in a real house. The group tells her someday her wish might come true.
Arrabelle tells them it’s just like a dream she had where she lived in a castle, the only castle in Barovia, Castle Ravenloft. The group is uncomfortable with the idea of her living there with Strahd, but Arrabelle assures them he isn’t there in her dream; it’s here castle, and she rules Barovia. The group supports this idea.
Arrabelle tells Elora that she is very loved, and more people care about her than she knows. She reminds her that books are not as important as the people in her life. Elora talks a lot about home, but Arrabelle doesn’t think she knows where that is. Elora admits this is true. Then Arrabelle tells her she had a dream about seeing her at a wedding. Elora is nervous at this news, but Arrabelle tells her not to be scared because she’ll be there too.
Riley is unsure of where she should go next and what to do about her curse. Arrabelle tells her that she was cursed by a witch, so she should talk to a witch about it. The group tells her it’s hard to find a witch in Barovia. Arrabelle is surprised telling them they are not looking hard enough or maybe they just don’t know how to recognize a witch. Riley asks for some specific places to look, but Arrabelle can’t offer any suggestions. She tells her she did have a dream about her going somewhere cold to get answers. She also takes Riley’s hands and tells her she is sorry, but she should be ready to lose someone.
Then Arrabelle pets Lancelot and tells him he is a good boy. She tells Riley that Lancelot will do his duty and he’ll always love her. She tells Riley that she is now Lancelot’s quest, and he is devoted to her. She reminds her not to forget to trust him!
Verushka is excited by Lancelot and comes over to pet him. She is too aggressive in her petting, and the group has to remind her to be gentle with him. Verushka listens and pets Lancelot gently declaring that he is soft. Then she begins petting Arrabelle and saying that she is soft. The group tells her not to touch without consent and to ask her “May I?” Verushka repeats what they say and Arrabelle consents to be petted.
McCoy asks if Arrabelle ever dreams about Verushka, and Arrabelle tells them she dreams about her often. She always has different dreams about her. She says that Verushka is full of chaos, and it’s very hard to determine her future. She reminds them that “she will have the heart that you give her.”
She also warns McCoy to beware of the moon. McCoy wonders what that means and again if he is infected with lycanthropy. The group discuss if there is any way they can detect that and whether Johan still has his divine powers or not. They have still not tested his magic since leaving the Tower of Khazan.
Johan asks Arrabelle a question and she tells him, “They should have just buried you, Mr. Drummold. I can’t help you anymore.” She does warn him that “a wolf inside is still there even if you can’t see it.” Johan agrees this is true.
Arrabelle tells Bronwyn she doesn’t like “her friend” because he is always “staring at me through your eyes.” Bronwyn feigns ignorance at first, but the entire group seems aware of her possession by a dark entity. Arrabelle tells her she can’t keep running from her past or herself. She tells her she is getting closer to the answers she seeks, but the closer she gets to being free, the closer she gets to becoming a slave. Bronwyn isn’t sure where to look or what to do. Arrabelle tells her the answers are “buried in a tomb, locked away and forgotten.” Bronwyn needs to be brave enough to face to truth.
They talk about Izek as well and why he is dreaming of her, what it means, and why he looks like her father. The group suggests that he may be related to her. She tells the group her father died long ago in the war and she watched the rest of her family get murdered in front of her. The group suggests maybe he is an unknown relative of some kind or perhaps a survivor as many of them have received such revelations here. Bronwyn is not convinced. She doesn’t know why this strange man is dreaming of her. Arrabelle asks her who she dreams of and Bronwyn tells her she always dreams of her family. And Arrabelle tells her that’s exactly right.
Arrabelle tells Ireena she spends too much time worrying about other people and that she has responsibilities to herself as well. Ireena takes that to heart but is then startled when Arrabelle tells her that her wedding dress is so pretty! Ireena is shaken, and the group is disturbed by this pronouncement. Arrabelle tells her not to forget her old family just because she loves her new family. She also tells her that three fairy godmothers could make her wish come true…if she believes in fairy tales.
She tells McCoy he has been spending too much dreaming when the answers he was looking for were right under his feet. Bronwyn checks the soles of his feet to make sure nothing is written there. Arrabelle tells McCoy he should have looked for his ship instead. He isn’t sure what that means, and the group discusses Madam Eva’s prophecy about an underground sea and whether that was related to the sewers beneath the Abbey of St. Markovia.
The group mentions Granny’s dream pastries and Arrabelle confirms they are made of orphan children. The group is disgusted, but McCoy tries to downplay the issue insisting he not waste the pies already produced so that “their deaths have meaning.” The group is angry he won’t stop eating them, but he insists it is his only way to experience dreams or get his memories back. The group all recount different times they have eaten the dream pastries and they realize they have all eaten at least one of them including Elora feeding pies to Ireena and Arrabelle.
Riley asks how they can stop this from happening, and Arrabelle tells her the only way to do that is to confront the hags in the Old Windmill. The group debates whether to do that or head somewhere else on their next mission.
Riley mentions seeing the Mad Mage for help with her curse. Arrabelle tells them he has a lovely home up in the mountains, and she would love to see it. She tells them he knows lots of things if they get him to tell them. She says he recently gave up fishing and turned to hunting. She recommends bringing him a fish if they visit.
The group mention going to either the Amber Temple or the ruins of Argynvostholt. They ask Arrabelle if she ever dreamt about a dragon before. She tells them she has, and that he was in a ruin. They asked if he was a statue or a living dragon. She tells them he was a statue, but he was also there as well, but he wasn’t alive. She thinks he was a dead dragon. She tells them that “dead dragons don’t lie still.” The group is concerned about facing off against an undead dragon, possibly a dracolich.
Arrabelle tells them the ruin is a sad place with a lot of pain, but it could be full of light. She says there is something very bright there, hope! But the group should be sure that is what they want. The group asks her why they wouldn’t want that, and she tells them it will attract a lot of attention they might not want. She tells them if they go there, they should know that “love remembers, and broken hearts forget.”
She asks the group if they have a friend who is dead? The group think about it and think of Lucien the undead knight. She tells them their friend is in that ruin. He’s in trouble again and needs their help. They conclude that Lucien being in trouble is his default state, but they should go and help him. The group is concerned that they might need to get to him quickly, but he might last a while as well since he can’t actually die.
While the group debates where to head next, Elora excuses herself to visit her father Kasimir on her own. She is greeted warmly at the door by Paeyth who stands guard outside “barely listening” while she talks with Kasimir.
Kasimir and Elora have tea and pleasant conversation. He is delighted to see her again and catch up with her. He is pleased to see she is in one piece. She tells him of their difficult battle on Yester Hill, but they managed to triumph. She explains that she nearly died, and he jumps to his feet to look her over. Seeing the puncture wounds on her neck he panics! He is terrified that Strahd has fed on her. She explains it was only one of his brides but asks why that would be so bad. Kasimir explains that if the devil feeds on her 3 times she would be under his sway.
He tells her he is happy to see her, but he thought perhaps she was coming to take him to the Amber Temple. She is concerned she is not yet ready to go there yet, and he thinks it is for the best to wait and be better prepared for what awaits them there. She asks if the knowledge contained within is evil as Valentine told her. Kasimir admits that it is, but it’s his only chance to bring his sister Patrina back to life. He is wracked by guilt and feels he must atone. Whatever price must be paid for such a power, he will pay as part of his penance.
Elora asks about Patrina and Kasimir tells her she was very studious and an accomplished wizard, much more powerful than he ever was. She was willful and strong and always supported him when he needed it. Elora is concerned about the kind of people Strahd attracts. Kasimir explains that she has renounced her interest in Strahd and seeks to be a better person. Elora is surprised to hear that Patrina visits Kasimir in his dreams.
Kasimir explains that this is the only way they can speak as he cannot visit her tomb. Strahd took her body after she died and has her entombed beneath Castle Ravenloft. She knows lingers on as a restless spirit there unless he can restore her with the power of the Amber Temple. Elora is concerned about what will happen when she is restored to life. Kasimir says that must be Patrina’s choice to make as he denied her a choice, and the least he can do is restore that to her.
He offers her soup and bread, explaining he is not much of a cook, but she needs to keep her strength up. She gratefully accepts the food. He asks if she would take some with her on her journey. She is delighted to have him gift her with this food, and he is happy to help her journey any way he can.
Kasimir tells Elora she brings such joy and light to his life as he has not known since her sent her and her mother away. She is a beacon of hope to him and his people, and he is not the only one who feels that way. He mentions that Paeyth has been looking on her with some interest as is healthy for a young man and woman. He asks her to spend some time speaking to him as he likes her. Elora is surprised but says that she will. Kasimir packs up her soup and bread for her and sends her on her way.
On her way out, she stops to speak with Paeyth. He is happy to speak with her and tells her she is delight. He explains he is excited every time she comes to visit her father. She asks if he knows the truth about her, and he admits that he does. It is hard to keep such a secret in their small community. She asks if the news upset him, and he tells her he was quite relieved to learn he was her father and not her suitor.
She asks if it’s not painful that she survived Rahasia’s genocide? Paeyth explains it is the opposite. It fills him with joy and hope for his people. He also harbors a personal joy, and she is lovely and a delight to talk to. Elora is flattered. He knows she is busy but asks if she might set aside some time for him the next time she comes to visit. She agrees to do so and departs.
Riley watches jealously from a distance. Her longing is clear to everyone except Elora. Riley laments that she cannot compete with such a charming and pretty elf as Paeyth and may have to duel him…a duel she will likely lose. Arrabelle tells her she should give a gift to Elora as a token of affection, a book! Elora would appreciate book much more than a flower. Riley tells her how she gave her a drawing of a flower. Arrabelle asks if she put it in a book. She tells her she inserted it in a book. Arrabelle tells her there are books in the ruin of Argynvostholt. She should get her hands on one before Bramo can and present it to Elora.
The group decide they will try and track down the Mad Mage. They leave the Vistani Camp and head north to Lake Zarovich. Making their way along the coast they discover a backpack leaning against a rock next to a burning campfire. Nearby, footsteps lead away from the camp towards the water. Concerned something nefarious might be in the bag, they search it and find only normal supplies.
Bronwyn heads over to the water’s edge and sees a young man swimming underneath the surface. After a few minutes, the man emerges soaking wet and carrying a large fish and a strange spear-like weapon. He is shocked to see the group waiting for him and asks who they are and what they want. The group introduces themselves and McCoy steps forward to see his weapon recognizing it as a harpoon. As he borrows it from the man, he has distinct memories of using such a weapon against whales as a sailor.
The man panics at McCoy’s appearance and begs the group not to kill or rob him. Elora steps forward and calms the man down. He is soothed by her pretty face and kind smile and quickly dresses himself. He introduces himself as Luka. He is from Vallaki and comes here to fish the deep waters of the lake where large fish can still be found.
He tells them a story of fishing in the lake when he heard strange bubbling at the surface of the water and the fish he was chasing was zapped by a bolt of lightning. His hair and skin were set tingling by the lightning, and he saw a strange, bearded man standing over him with lightning crackling on his fingers.
The group recognize this as a story about the Mad Mage and wonder if his “lightning fishing” is the reason the lake has less fish in it. While the rest of the group speaks with Luka, McCoy uses the harpoon to catch a fish of his own. He gives the fish to Riley and returns the harpoon to Luka. They bid their goodbyes to the man and make their way around the lake to Mount Baratok.
Elora studies the information they know about the Mad Mage and his hunting ground combined with the lay of terrain to determine where believes his lair must be. She leads the group up through the cold mount trails of Mount Baratok to the identified area. As they make their way up the trail, Bronwyn and McCoy spot a large bear barreling towards them down the mountain. They alert the group and point the beast out.
They are surprised to hear the bear cursing them out in a human voice! The bear tells them “the Devil will never take me! He sent you here to die!” The group try and tell him they want no trouble and have brought a gift for him. Elora notices the bear stand on its hind legs and go through the motions of casting a spell. Nothing happens and the bear curses in confusion and frustration quickly transforming into a bearded man in tattered robes.
Ireena moves into position behind a nearby rock trying to take cover while advances on the wizard. Bronwyn holds position yelling out to the wizard that they mean no harm. She tells to Verushka to stay where she is and remain calm.
The wizard finally completes his spell and time stops all around the group. Everyone but the wizard is frozen in place as he casts multiple spells on himself in succession surrounding himself with a shield of fire, gaining the ability to fly, and creating illusory duplicates of himself. McCoy announces loudly to the wizard that “we’re here for you!” which incenses the man. Riley tells Lancelot to stay behind and rushes forward to defuse the situation. Standing at the base of the ledge the wizard hovers over, she holds the fish above her head and tells him it is an offering for him.
The rest of the group spreads out as they advance around the wizard declaring friendship and assuring him they mean no harm. Pietro falls back to cover behind a rock with his father’s approval. Finally, Ireena gives a stirring speech about how they are the enemies of the Devil and fight against him and for justice for the people of Barovia.
Convinced they are not the agents of his enemy; the Mad Mage awkwardly relents. He looks over the fish offered to him hungrily. He asks if the group has any wine to go with the fish. They tell him they do. He asks if it will pair with the fish, but says it doesn’t matter, they can make it work. He tells them he has a little place in the mountains and invites the group back there with him to share wine and fish.
The group follow the Mad Mage further up into the mountains through a hidden path to a secluded gorge. Inside the gorge they find an enormous, luxurious, two-story mansion. The group is overwhelmed expecting a small hut in a tree or something similar. The Mad Mage downplays the opulence of his home saying it’s just a humble place he whipped up. As they enter the mansion, they see it is filled statues and artwork, fine marble floors, and exquisite woodwork all done in an elegant manner.
The Mad Mage admits he doesn’t know how many rooms there are in the mansion but knows he has at least one kitchen nearby which he brings them too. He has Johan clean and scale the fish before cooking it up. The Mad Mage has odd mannerisms, and the group can’t understand much of what he is saying, but understand the gist of his intentions. Riley shows him her cursed tattoo and asks for his help. He explains that he can help, but he has a bit of a situation going on that he needs help with, but he can’t remember any of the details including who he is.
Elora realizes he has cast a spell on himself to erase his own memory for some reason. He can help the group, but not before he is cured of the condition afflicting. He explains that he’s looking for “levels” and the “big time cure magic.” The group figure out that Jeny Greenteeth may be able to help him. They have the funds required and Riley is willing to do what it takes to get his help. The Mad Mage tells them he has a confession to make…the wine doesn’t pair with the fish. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief and admits they really should have a white wine.
The Mad Mage bemoans having to travel to this shop even though it is nearby. He asks if he can get a “spell Uber” or something like that, maybe a “Witch Dash.” He chides the group for not “unlocking” Jeny’s coin of summoning asking if they “even bother talking to the NPCs or not.” The group is confused by what he is saying but tell him they will return with Jeny while he waits here. The Mad Mage is pleased by this saying he will “watch Tee-Vee” while he waits but bemoans “not getting any reception in Barovia.”
As they are leaving, McCoy mentions that with his help they will defeat Strahd. The Mad Mage goes white and curses out McCoy. He tells them they all have to leave immediately. Everyone is confused. As he is pushing them out of the manor, he explains that the said the Devil’s name. The group is still confused. The Mad Mage explains that saying his name allows him to scry on anyone who says it. McCoy has now revealed the location of the Mad Mage’s hiding spot to his greatest enemy! Everyone leaves in a panic.
As they exit the manor, the Mad Mage dispels the manor which quickly folds in on itself into nothing leaving a barren gorge in its place. After realizing they have nowhere they can logically meet since their status in Vallaki is unknown, the Mad Mage agrees to accompany them to Jeny’s hut outside of Vallaki.
Circling around Lake Zarovich at a fast pace, they make their way to the hut. They see a small pull cart outside the hut, but no draft animal is attached to it. Inside, they see Jeny along with a tall, burly man with a sharp flat-top haircut munching on an apple. The group excuses themselves saying they will come back when the man is done, but he explains he is not a customer, he works in the shop. The man introduces himself as Toady and gives everyone a hearty handshake.
Jeny welcomes the group back to her shop telling them she can meet all their needs. Riley asks her to cast restorative magic on the Mad Mage. She tells her she will do so in return for 450 gold pieces and a favor. The group puts together the money from their chest of electrum pieces they got from the Vistani and Riley asks what the favor is. Jeny takes her outside and shows her a wicker man effigy. She asks Riley to build a bonfire and burn the wicker man. Riley does so and hears screams coming from the fire. Riley asks what’s going on and Jeny tells her not to worry about it. Riley asks if it was a good person. Jeny asks her how many good people she thinks there are in Barovia. Riley tells her there are some and Jeny asks her, “What are the odds?”
She goes inside and has the Mad Mage sit down. She tells him she needs to touch him to perform the magic and he is eager to allow her to touch him however she wants to. After massaging his head, the magic flows from her hands into his mind curing him of his affliction. The Mad Mage stands restored of sound mind and his memory restored. He looks himself over and realizes he is very disheveled. He uses magic to shave off his beard, trim his hair, and repair his clothes. He stands before them clean-shaven with spikey, white hair tinged with blue.
Restored, he introduces himself as Alkazaar the Magnificent from the planet Earth C-137. The group asks him if he has another name and he tells them, “Hey, when I, uhhh, wear the robes, you call me Alkazaar.” Looking over Riley’s “tramp stamp” he tells her that the tattoo acts as spell focus for her curse, like a cursed item or a magic circle. If she tries to remove the curse without removing the tattoo, the curse will simply keep renewing. She needs the tattoo removed and only then can the curse be removed.
Alkazaar tells her he can remove her tattoo with a “laser” which he says is a kind of magic. The problem is he can only do that in his mansion and since her “robotman” has run his mouth, they need to wait until he can recast the spell tomorrow. Riley is distraught and asks if there is anything he can do for her now. He tells her, “honey, don’t look at me, you can, uhhh, blame, uhh, Vance for that.” He also tells her he’s not able to break the curse for her. Riley feels misled by him, but he explains it’s a two-part process, and he’s performing the valuable first step for her…as soon as he can get back in his mansion.
He tells her she just needs to get herself another dose of the “big time cure magic” to fix her up. Resigned to her fate, Riley discusses with the group what they should do next. They discuss laying low in Vallaki at the Church of St. Andral’s but aren’t sure if they can even get through the gates without running afoul of Izek. The group argue about whether it is safe to enter Vallaki or not and whether they can use Alkazaar as a scout to find out. They discuss the potential risks involved for them or Alkazaar and decide to leave Vallaki alone for now.
Alkazaar offers to do some work on McCoy “upgrading” him at his mansion and making him a “total, uhh, badass, urp, killing machine.” McCoy declines saying his is much more interested in being able to taste and feel again in a flesh body. Alkazaar offers to give him those kinds of upgrades instead including “functional genitalia.” McCoy again declines asking if he can instead do anything to educate Verushka and making her smarter and more communicative.
Alkazaar says he can do that, but the quickest way to do it would be to just give her a new brain. The group is against that idea and asks if he could educate her instead within the next few weeks. Alkazaar says he do that for them. The group is not convinced leaving Verushka with a stranger is the right thing to do. They worry she will panic if she is not around friendly faces. Alkazaar uses his magic to transform into Riley and does a crude impression of her telling them that’s not an issue.
The group is unconvinced, but McCoy wonders if they could use his disguise ability to fool the Abbot instead. The group is leery of that idea as well. Ultimately, they cannot come to an agreement. The group decides to return to the Vistani Camp with Alkazaar where they will spend the night. They also decide to leave Alkazaar behind while they spend the rest of the day exploring Argynvostholt allowing them to rescue Lucien and return that night.
Curse of Ravenloft 