A BARDS TALE: Session 21-22 & 23: "Once bitten twice shy......." or "Thrice bitten perhaps we'll die.............!"

 18/12/23 & 9/01/24 & 30/01/24

28th - 31st Day of Rainmoot: 1492 

Mission:  Find the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind.

Campaign:  Tales from the Bard

Location(s):  Barovia, van Richten's Tower, Tsolenka Pass Pass, Werewolf Den

Present: Bernadette Greycastle, Dramos Ethrane, Niall Tharivol, Ragul-Nur, Roscoe Tosscoble, Moonwhisper, Bomber Longbeard. 

28th:

Ezmerelda prompted the group that now might be a good time to return to the safety of van Richtens Tower. As they approached the Tower the sky turned purple and red and a full moon started to peak out of the clouds. A blood curdling howl could be heard in the distance.

                          

The group quickly made their way back to van Richten's tower. The tower was reached by crossing a shoer, grass covered causeway, the tower stood 100 yards from the start of the causeway out into the lake itself. The tower is obviously old. Worn scaffolding holds to one side in which a large gash in the stonework can be seen. Moss covered statues of griffon like creatures adorn the battlements. Ezmerelda led the group past both Ezmerelda's and Richtens wagons.  On arriving Richten invited them inside the tower for the first time and over a meal that night they recalled the days events for Bomber and Richten.

A plan was quickly talked over. Using magical powers to detect object they worked out that the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind lay somewhere along a line roughly to the south of the tower. It was decided that they would travel in Ezmerelda's wagon in a southward direction then take another bearing and roughly work out on a map a possible location of the Holy Symbol.

The group tried to get as much sleep as they could in the cramped area of the ground level of the tower.

29th:

Rising early they travelled in Ezmerelda's wagon southward and took a second bearing. The lines on their map crossed on the far side of Tsolenka Pass. Ezmerelda agreed to take them to the far side of the gate at Tsolenka Pass and would try and return when the group contacted her by a sending spell.

It was a bumpy journey along uneven tracks. After a few hours the wagon stopped. Ezmerelda told them they were some way across the pass. She would try and get back to them when contacted.

The group stood on a narrow track the cliff side was cut away to allow wagons to turn around.  Tall, towering walls were on their right and to the left the ground plunged away into swirling fog.

They walked steadily along the track until they came to a branch to the left. This would lead them in the direction they needed to go. After 30 minutes of a steep uphill walk along the track they came to....a cave entrance. They could hear music, played on a wind instrument quietly coming out of the cave.

At the top of the track the group came across a cave entrance in the shape of a wolfs mouth. The group approached with great stealth. Carefully they entered keeping along both walls. Suddenly 2 wolf /humanoid creatures leapt down from a ledge where they stood guard.

A ferocious fight ensued but the group won out in the end. Both Werewolves lay dead at their feet. They searched the right entrance to a small cave with a pool in the back right and a ledge with boxes on. Opening a box they found lots of clothes, some adult some children's sized. The group moved to the left entrance. No sooner had they entered when they were attacked by 2 more werewolves and 9 wolves. This time the fight did not go all their way and the group took a lot of damage. Moonwhisper, Roscoe, Bernadette and Dramos were all bit. They moved through an are more maze like than cave like but eventually came to two sets of rough hewn steps leading down.

The group found themselves in a larger cavern. Inside were a number of wooden cages. Each had two children in bar 1, it only had a single occupant. The children were quickly released. The single cage occupant gripped a strange doll effigy to his chest. When revealed it had an uncanny resemblance to Moonwhisper. This child told them that he was the strongest and had won the right to join the clan. Seemingly he had had to fight other children to the death for this 'honour'. Moonwhisper inspected the doll effigy. Scratched into the back was written. 'It's no fun, it's no Blinksy'. At the back of the cave stood a 'wolf idol'. Surrounding the idol was a pile of treasure and a small wooden box. The group greedily divided the treasure and in the box they found what they were looking for, The Symbol of Ravenkind.

Having used many magical spells and spiritual prayers, being sorely injured they decided to rest in the cave until morning. Bernadette searched the rest of the cave. A winding passage way, narrow with rough cut steps was found behind a curtain. At the top Bernadette came across what looked to be a fighting arena set inside a stone circle of small stones. Theis was situated on a ledge overlooking the cave mouth. Dramos used a sending to contact Ezmerelda to meet them at the bridge tomorrow. Unfortunately she could not make it there until mid afternoon. The group decided to rest up overnight and leave mid morning.

30th (2 nights until the full moon)

The next morning the group awoke, unrefreshed, still feeling the wounds of yesterdays encounter. Luckily spells and prayers had been cast the night before and some of the damage was repaired. Niall came back into the cave after a short look outside.

Niall: "We'd better get moving fast. It's started to snow and I feel it will only get worse. We need to push on to meet Ezmerelda." It took longer than expected to reach Tsolenka Pass. 

Bernadette: "Crap, Ezmerelda didn't tell us about the gate. Do we wait here?"

Dramos: "Yes. She will come".

Niall: Hate to say this but we are going to freeze to death before she gets here. This is going to turn into a blizzard, fast".

Dramos: I'll cast Leomunds hut, it will protect only myself and the children. Go find a way through the gate or find better shelter."

Moonwhisper: "I'll check the gate".

Moonwhisper: "Well, there's a portcullis and a weird green  light covering the exit, two evil devil kind of bird statues on top of the gate and some kind of tower beyond with golden statues on the battlements."     

Niall: "I can't find any shelter. Look like the gate is our only answer."

As the group approached the gate the portcullis raised, making an awful scraping, grinding noise, as if by magic. The group waited then the portcullis closed again. Moonwhisper stepped forward and the portcullis raised up, he ushered everyone inside the opening. Once everyone was in the portcullis closed again.

Dramos: "We need to hurry, the children are in a bad way"

Niall took an arrow and thrust it through the green light, nothing happened. Without hesitating Ragul, Bernadette and Roscoe stepped through the wall of green light. Ragul collapsed to the ground just on the other side, Bernadette and Roscoe screamed in agony. Niall quickly tied a rope to an arrow and thrust it through the green light. Bernadette manage to push it through Ragul's belt and Niall and the others pulled Ragul back through the green light. Healing was administered.

Ragul: "It's some kind of force field. Pure agony. We need a safe way through."

Dramos walked up to the green light. Told 4 children to stand with him. He cast Leomunds hut again. Half was on this side of the green light the other half on the other but where it crossed the light the light did not penetrate through. He pushed the children through and told them to stand still. He repeated the spell another twice until everyone was safely through the green light.

The door to the tower was locked and kick and push as they might, they could not get inside. They ran for the bridge and found shelter in the first gateway, two alcoves either side giving shelter form the blizzard blowing fiercely outside.

Huddled together for warmth the waited out the storm which took some 3 hours to abate. Niall stepped outside and could see Ezmerelda's wagon on the far side of the gorge but still a ways off. At Niall's suggestion, as the bridge was in a bad state of repair, they used their combined ropes to rope themselves together. Niall was the only one not roped as he would scout the way over. A shout from behind made him duck down below the parapet of the bridge as he felt his back ripped apart by the talons of a mighty bird that had struck without warning. 

Roscoe, leading the children rushed them towards Niall, hoping to get across the bridge before the bird came back. To late, the bird landed in front of him and seized him in it's talons and tried to rise. But the roped weight of the children made it impossible.

Ragul let fly a prayer but struck Moonwhisper, Moonwhisper cast his own spiritual power as did Dramos. Niall struck once with his sword and Roscoe managed a half hearted strike with his spear, still firmly held within the birds mighty talons.

The bird had had enough. The magical hit from Dramos was mighty enough to make it think twice. 

Ragul: "First time I've seen a Roc close up. We were lucky."

Moonwhisper: "Yeah, really!"

Ragul: "My apologies, my aim was a little off."

Moonwhisper: "Next time keep it a little more on than off!"

It didn't take the group long to meet up with Ezmerelda. She ushered them into the wagon and before night fell she had deposited them back at the tower. She informed them she was heading to Krezk. They had an orphanage there and were better suited to looking after the children.

Richten: "Looks like you could all do with a rest and some food. I'll be on another level sorting some stuff out. Do not leave this level."

With that Richten climbed a ladder, pulled it up after him and left the group to their own devises.

During the night each member of the group who returned from the werewolf den is haunted by nightmares and dreams that last throughout the night disturbing any chance of resting. Only on waking up do the nightmares and dreams stop.

31st (1 night until full moon)

The next morning the group awoke. They were still sore, wounds had not fully healed.  They looked in a sorry state of health. Goodwill and good fortune seemed to have deserted them.

Player Information:

Treasure looted from Werewolf Den:

4,500 copper pieces

900 silver pieces

250 gold pieces

30 x 50 gold piece gemstones

7 x 100 gold piece gemstones ( 3 are diamonds)

12 x pieces of jewellery worth 25 gold pieces each

1 x finely wrought cloak pin worth 250 gold pieces

1 x ivory drinking horn with dryads and satyr pipe players inlaid worth 250 gold pieces

1 x ornate electrum censer with platinum inlay worth 750 gold pieces