The Underwoods Session 5-6

Play Dates: April 19th, 2016 & April 26th, 2016

DM Summary

Our adventurers arrived in the Town of Vallaki and was welcomed into the Vallaki Burgomaster's Home, Baron Vargas Vallakovich. He gave the group a general layout of what the Town of Vallaki was about and allowed them to use the resources, namely his library.

Baelketh and Lancaster went to the library to do research and learn a little bit more of the Land of Barovia. Baelketh, being a Cleric in the Knowledge Domain, quickly found some information that could be of some help to their unfamiliar predicament. Berez being about a days travel south from Vallaki and that is used to be a town in Barovia but now lies in ruins. Also, finding out that the icon of Ravenloft is a 12 inch statuette depicting a cleric kneeling in prayer. The Icon was given to Strahd's family by the archpriest, Ciril Romulich, an old family friend.

Llandris went out to acquire some supplies and eventually learned of Arasek Stockyard which is the General Good store of Vallaki. Llandris got an upgrade to his armor and was subsequently was to leave when he tried to peddle an orb that he mentioned he found with a statue of a man and a wolf. Frustrated that he didn't get everything he sought out to get, he notices something or rather someone spying on him. Llandris communicates in Thieves' Cant, a secret language known between rogues. The man responds and they engage one another in conversation. The man identifies himself as Ernst and wants to know more about Llandris, mainly because he usually knows everything about this town. Llandris procures a Disguise Kit from his fellow class brethren with the exchange of the misty orb and finds out where he can procure a Poisoner's Kit. Ernst points him to the Blue Water inn to find two hunters by the name of Szoldar Szoldarovich and Yevgeni Krushkin.

Naeris, Talista and Garret all head to the Blue Water Inn to find out some information about the town. As they were searching for the tavern, they start discussing a ruse to talk up how they were from the Village of Barovia and they were there for the Festival of the Blazing Sun. Talking and planning got them turned around a bit and took them awhile to locate the tavern. They eventually find it and go sit directly at the bar. They were greeted by female bartender, Danika Martikov. Danika sees right through their ruse but however seems to be okay about it. She lets them know they stick out like a sore thumb and would probably get more mileage being truthful rather than being deceptive. The adventurers find out that there is a political schism between the burgomaster's morale boosting ideology and the people that find it to be absolutely useless and fake. The corruption of the burgomaster, his lifestyle and wealth doesn't sit well with some of the commoners. Eventually Llandris sneaks into the tavern as well and quickly finds the two hunters he was looking for. Llandris being unable to convince the hunters to part with their Poisoner's Kit, however learns that these two hunters are for hire if need be.

Suddenly a man quickly runs up to Danika quickly and urgently relays what appears to be important information. Naeris, Talista, Garret and Llandris is all asked by Danika to follow them to the back. As they follow into the kitchen of the tavern, they are met by a man with salt and pepper hair and beard, introducing himself as Urwin Martikov, hubsand of Danika and owner of the Blue Water Inn. The messenger reveals himself to be Alek. The adventurers are identified to Urwin as the group that stumbled upon the Old Windmill southeast. When the adventurer's inquire how they knew about this, Alek was revealed to be the raven back in the old windmill. Alek also lets Urwin know the nature, strength and courage of the adventurers and their encounter with Morgantha. Urwin explains about the windmill and starts to reveal the true horrible nature of what it really is. Urwin says, "We've been investigating the windmill for quite some time now and discovered that the woman in the windmill abducts chil..."

While this was happening, Baelketh decides to do a bit of snooping in the Burgomaster's mansion. Baelketh going from room to room eventually finds a staircase to an attic and makes his way to explore. Entering the room, Baelketh is encountered by what appears to be 15 ghosts floating motionless before him. Upon a second look, he realizes that these ghosts were actually furniture draped in white linen cloth. Baelketh rummaging through some of the furniture finds an old dusty hilt.

Upon touching the hilt, Baelketh finds himself in a dark cave. He hears a loud booming voice to call upon three friends. Llandris, Naeris and Talista appears out of nowhere and finds themselves standing before an equally puzzled Baelketh. Having no where else to go but forward they venture into the darkness. After sometime of nothingness they come forth a message in a wall that translated to "Darkness is..." They were very soon met by a pack of wolves with an ethereal look to them. They fight them off as well as a swarm of spiders that joined the fight. They were injured but ultimately victorious they press on. They eventually discover the latter half of the previous message reading "... is conquered by light." In front of them they see a darkness not even their natural born Darkvision can peer through. After much deliberation on what this can be and popping their heads in and out of the darkness, Talista enters the blackness and is eventually joined by the rest of the group unwillingly as the wall behind them pushes them in. Blinded, they all carefully search the perimeter of the room. Naeris walks into an object and upon touching the top of what seemed like a small water fountain, dips her Direwolf paws into the water and suddenly a bright light surrounds her paws and illuminates the room. The fountain being gone, they notice something else that seems to very strange. Their shadows seem to be moving on their own accord. They rise from the ground to take form and start moving. The group quick to action, start attacking but soon realizes that their attacks aren't doing anything. Naeris attacks one of the shadows with her light lit paws and the shadow tears apart screaming in agony. The room goes pitch black again. The party quickly realizing that the key to fighting these shadows is the light they blindly search the room to find another fountain equipping them with the light they need to conquer the darkness and the shadows. One by one they dispose of the shadows and after the last shadow screams in agony, they hear a voice (the same voice Baelketh heard earlier).

"Darkness is conquered by light. Despair is..." As soon as these words are heard the ceiling starts to lower down on the adventurers. They quickly look for an exit but much to their despair find none. The ceiling slowly eliminating its distance to the floor pins everyone to their backs on their floor and just as the weight of the ceiling bears down on the adventurers, Talista yells out "I believe that we'll get out of this! I have hope that we can find a way!" With those words, the ceiling stops and eventually lifts back up, revealing a new doorway. They hear the voice say "and despair is conquered by hope." With that the doors opens.

The doors open to a really bright room with four pillars in the center. They see a man, with long black hair and a white trench coat standing with his back to the group. He turns to them with one question and asks, "Are you worthy?" Garret is transported into the room and everyone seems to be at their full strength. Then the man wields a sword of sunlight and attacks the group. The group quickly works together to defeat this man that wields sunlight as power.

Upon his defeat the man reveals himself to be named Solis. He was testing the group to make sure they were strong enough to wield him and also revealing that he is the sword. He tells them that he used to be wielded by a man named Sergei von Zarovich. Originally Solis was a platinum hilt , guard AND a thin crystal blade. Strahd had employed a powerful wizard name Khazan to destroy the weapon. The process required the hilt and blade to be separated, which Khazan accomplished. While Khazan was busying himself with destroying the blade, his apprentice stole the hilt and fled. Khazan later located his apprentice's mutilated corpse in the Svalich Woods, but couldn't find the hilt. Solis is very keen on repaying Strahd for what he's done to him and offers his help to the entire group by answering 3 questions. He reveals that the girl they need is also the same missing girl. He reveals to Baeketh the Chronos Medallion is something not of the Barovian Land. He also reveals the location of the Icon of Ravenloft to be in the Chapel in Ravenloft. After answering their questions, Solis offers himself to be wielded by the power raging barbarian of the group Talista, knowing he'll be safe in her hands and that he can be closer to repaying Strahd in this manner.

After Solis joins the group, they quickly return back to the grim reality of Barovia. Garret, Llandris, Naeris and Talista are back in the kitchen of Blue Water Inn mid-sentence of Urwin. "...dren. They do unspeakable things to them. The pies. You musn't eat the pies." Realizing they haven't been gone a single second, they try to rejoin the conversation. They end up finding out that the Ladies of the windmill create pies made out of children. The Martikovs can't do anything at the moment because of the strength and magic of Morgantha. They are quickly interrupted by Lucian Petrovich, the priest of The St. Andral's Church of Villaki. Lucian heard that there were adventurers in town and quickly came asking for their help. The bones of St. Andral, that protected the church from evil, was stolen from the church and he needs their help. He points them to a man he suspects named Milivoj, groundskeeper and gravedigger of St. Andral's Church.

After getting their bearings and resting, Garret eventually joins back with the group in Blue Water Inn (Lancaster is researching and meditating thinking that the rest of the day is over). The adventurers seek out Milivoj at St. Andrals. They squeeze out the information from him very quickly. He reveals that he told the local coffin maker, Henrik van der Vort, about the bones and stole the bones for him in exchange for gold to help feed his younger brothers and sisters. The theft of the bones has left the church vulnerable and the group quickly make their way to Henrik's shop on the other side of town.

The group arrives at the Coffin Maker's Shop to find the door locked and all the windows closed tight. After knocking they hear Henrik telling the group to go away. The barbarian of the group unlocks the door with her Greataxe and grapples Henrik to the ground. Llandris and Naeris starts looking around the shop to find coffins, wooden planks, crates and his living quarters. Garret eventually squeezes out of Henrik that the bones were in the closet of his bedroom and there were people upstairs. Llandris initially not finding anyone upstairs, goes back upstairs to search. As he looks around, he decides to open up a crate. Upon lifting the cover off a crate, an angry pale faced man sitting on packed earth, bares his fangs and hisses. He lunges for Llandris.