Campaign Diary

What follows here are excerpts from the diary of Lumiel Gallaeth, written during her travels through the dread realm of Barovia.

Prologue

20th of August

While browsing of the section of unsorted scrolls of the library, I found a most intriguing map. It purports to lead to a great source of power, but does not specify what it could be, only where - the Temple of Amber in a land called Barovia. Further inquiry will be required. I believe I am the only person to read this scroll in a very long time, possibly since it was written. This could be the break I've been looking for. I intend to put my other research on hold to find out more about Barovia and its denizens.

14th of September

Not good. While travelling (alone, against the advice I was given), I ran into several shambling undead on the road. I slew one, but I had to abandon the fight when one of them latched onto my armor. Fortunately, I did not get too badly hurt, escaping with just a few bruises, but my magic is fully spent. I will have to stop in the next settlement and hope they have a decent leatherworker, and hopefully a soft bed.

Episode 1

2022-05-03

15th of September

While it was an obvious ruse in hindsight - a cheap trick to lure in a band of inexperienced adventurers, my current predicament might be a stroke of luck after all. I would not have gone along with it, if it weren't for the stated destination: Barovia.

My little troop of adventurers is perhaps not what I'd have chosen - but any allies are better than none right now. We met while I was trying to earn some gold for new armor, but were snubbed by a knight who did not look like he could use the money as much as me.

The dwarf, Gildren, has already proven to be quite handy with his gold-painted maul, but he is loud enough to set off an avalanche - or alert a whole herd of trolls to our location.

If I am not mistaken, Alina is an aasimar, which would be the first time I've met one of that blessed people. She might be too kind for her own good, but her shield is broad and her spear is sharp.

Our smallest member is Zora, a young gnome (or halfling?) whose power of light will be very useful in the dark corners of Barovia. She was already lost when we found her, and I am afraid her situation has not improved.

Finally, there is the stoic Gord. He doesn't say much, but I've seen what he can do with his axes when he gets angry. Somehow he sees the need to carry three axes, which seems awfully heavy. Perhaps he would say the same thing about my books.

We met a flamboyant man who called himself Kolyan Indirovich, which is most likely an alias. Dressed in strange clothing, he deceived us by promise of wealth and fortune by spinning tales of his 'sick lover' and how he needed our help.

Regardless of our individual motivations, we set off in the evening. I am not sure if this was fortunate or not, but we did not find the camp where 'Kolyan' told us to go. Instead we got lost in the mists for several hours - no doubt like countless others had done before us - and found ourselves in the fog-covered lands of Barovia.

The descriptions I've read about Barovia match what I experienced, and my first attempts to find out more about the Temple of Amber were cut short by an encounter with the locals, who turned out to be less than amicable.

Two children met us into the luxurious mansion of the Durst family. They complained about a monster in the basement, and we agreed to serach the house. However, inside the house we soon discovered that the whole family had been long dead, and the children were nowhere to be seen. We must have met their ghosts or some illusionary magic. I will have to be more on my guard against illusions and other mind-altering magic here.

On the bright side, with the house having no living occupants, we can relieve the owners of some valuables, as compensation for our harrowing experience. I found enough jewelry to pay for a very nice fitted leather breastplate - but I doubt our chances to find a friendly town in Barovia.

Episode 2

2022-05-17

The breastplate would have come very much in handy when I found myself surrounded by ghouls while exploring the cellars of the mansion. I took a claw to the back when I retreated.

Zora hit me with a stray sling bullet when we were fighting the ghouls. However, I couldn't stay mad at her for long as she saved my skin in the next room, when my curiosity got the better of me and I picked up an orb that I should have left in the hand of the statue we found. Several shadowy apparitions appeared, but Zora banished them all with a flash of light as bright as the sun.

Gildren, ever wary, had a momentary lapse in his watchfulness and was almost eaten by a door mimic. I could just barely pull him and Alina away from it, but once they were clear of it, we were able to outrun it and bring it down.

We finally got some answers about this horrible house when we found Gustav Durst. He had hanged himself after killing his wife, who had gone mad with some sort of disease of the mind, according to a letter on his body. The evil energies of this place must have preserved some of their essences, as their rotted corpses attacked us.

After dispatching them, we searched the stinking room, finding among other things a spell book containing several very interesting arcane ideas. Whoever wrote the book was a skilled illusionist, and I am sure I can unscramble some of the diagrams for my own use.

The sounds that we had assumed was the monster we were hunting was getting more legible as we descended deeper into the dungeons below. Eventually we could make out words: 'He is the ancient, he is the land.' I do not know of whom it speaks, but it must be a very evil being, as the source turned out to be a dozen ghostly acolytes around a stone dais in a flooded room.

While investigating the altar at the center, I was caught off guard by a flesh mound that shambled across the room at a far greater pace than one would assume by looking at it. Its tentacles engulfed me before I could prepare my magic, leaving many circular blemishes on my arms and legs. The inside of the monster was very dark, but my allies thankfully managed to make it regurgitate me before I was completely dissolved.

The close fight was ended by Alina, who pierced its heart from the inside after the monster ate her. From the outside we could all see her light glowing in the belly of the beast. I am glad I am allied with the forces of light in this dark place.

While I doubt we will be rewarded for our efforts, the Durst manor has been cleared of its undead inhabitants. As we emerged from the cellar, the many paintings in the house had turned even gloomier, with the trees and flowers having wilted, the birds turned to bats, and the bright skies turned stormy.

Episode 3

2022-05-31

16th of September

As we emerged from the cursed Durst manor, the perpetual fog that lies over this strange land had eased up slightly. A village was visible a couple of miles away, and we set off in that direction, hoping for a safe haven where we could get our bearings. This only turned out partially true. The village of Barovia is not a nice place by any means, most of its inhabitants apathic to the dread surroundings.

While I was haggling for a new breastplate, my companions were arranging for rooms at the inn and met Izmark Kolyanovitch, the son of Burgomeister Kolyan Indirovitch, who had signed the letter that called us here, but it turned out to be a ruse. In fact, Kolyan died several days ago, making Izmark the new Burgomeister.

Izmark explained that this land is ruled by Count Strahd von Zarovich, a powerful vampire lord. Izmark believes we were lured here by one of his henchmen, and that we are not the first to be tricked in this manner. We appear to be stuck in this trap, for now. I do not intend to go down without a fight, and neither do my allies. Indeed, I think we are quite determined to find a way out of here, atleast once I investigate the Amber Temple.

We were also introduced to Izmark's adopted sister Ireena, who had the misfortune of catching the eye of Count Strahd himself. He has been pursuing her, twice managing to bite her. A third bite would probably turn her into a vampire, and Izmark is understandably very concerend about his sister.

In the morning, we are to attend the funeral of Kolyan Indirovitch. I hope we are also able to ask some questions of the local cleric. If anyone knows something about nearby temples of amber, he would be it.

17th of September

Alina woke up today with her hair turned crimson. She seems to think it drips with blood, but that must just be the gloomy mood of this place getting to her. I tried to comfort her as best I could, but I do not think it did much. There appears to be some prejudice going around about having red hair and it attracting the attention of Count Strahd, but I will not hide myself on the account of local superstition. If he wants a piece of me, he will not get it for free.

After breakfast, we took Kolyan's body to the chapel for his funeral rites. It was a strange procession - most of the townsfolk seems completely indifferent to death and suffering. Perhaps they were simply avoiding the trio of redheads that followed the coffin, as me, Alina, and Ireena all match now.

The chapel is staffed by Father Donovitch. Izmark told us to ignore any sounds we hear from the cellar - apparently Father Donovitch's son is there, battling with some terrible affliction of the land. For now, we have enough problems of our own to go interfering with the locals.

The funeral itself was short and to the point. Afterwards, Izmark asked how to best protect Ireena, and Father Donovitch suggested taking her to the Abbey of Saint Markovia, a fair way due west from here. The cemetary itself is a strange place, as some of the headstones bear the names of famous people I know for a fact are not dead.

I also finally managed to find out someting about the Amber Temple. Father Donovitch had heard of it, although he was not exactly sure where it is, only that is was south of here. He said a black-robed wizard came there from a far-away land, before he was killed by the hand of Count Strahd, but some of his power still remains there. This matches with what little else I have learned about the place, and I cannot wait to investigate it further.

With Izmark installed as the Burgomeister and unable to leave Barovia for now, he asked us to escort his sister to the Abbey of Saint Markovia. Since we need to go west in order to track down whoever sent this letter and get some clarity in this whole thing, we accepted. It is always good to have a local along for this type of journey.

Not wanting to travel during the darker hours, we set off right away along the Old Svalich Road. We crossed the Ivlis river without incident, but were then followed by a raven flying high. We had been warned not to hurt any ravens, but I think this one was spying on us, because a great wolf came out of the forest not half an hour later. We dispatched it without too much issue, but I believe someone is watching our moves. We need to be very careful.

Session 4

2022-06-07

Upon our arrival by lake Tsol, we were greeted with wine and music by the Vistani, a nomadic people who say they can traverse the mists that surround this valley. Between the songs they played, they told a story of a wizard who came here a year ago and tried to raise a revolt against Count Strahd himself. This rebellion failed as they marched on the castle, and the wizard fell to his death, but his body was never recovered. Perhaps Strahd got to it first?

In the story, they also mentioned a pair of adventurers who could have useful information for us. Van Richten, a half-elven swordsman, and Ezmeralda, a human bard. If they have lived through an assault on Castle Ravenloft, surely their expertise is worthy of our consideration.

Regardless, we were soon ushered in to meet with the leader of this tribe of Vistani, although she disputed that title. Madam Eva, a powerful seer, received us in her tent, seeming to know all sorts of information about me and my comrades, despite none of us knowing the others only days before.

While I did not recognise the specific magic, I could feel a powerful aura of divination magic around Madam Eva. Using her tarokka deck, she scryed into our future.

The first card she drew represented the history of the land: The four of glyphs, the Shepard. She told us to find the Mother, she who gave birth to evil. Since we have already found - and taken care of - Elizabeth Durst, we believe this refers to Strahd himself. We will have to make some careful inquiries about his family history to learn more.

The second card, which she told us was a proxy for a powerful force for good, and a holy symbol (possibly of the Morning Lord), was the seven of swords, the Hooded One. She interpreted the card to mean a faceless god, waiting for us at the end of a winding road, deep in the mountains. The two major mountains in Barovia are Mount Ghakis to the south, and Mount Barakis to the north.

The third card is where things got really interesting. She said it told of a power and strength to cleanse this land of evil, a sword of sunlight. She drew the one of swords, the Avenger. In her visions, she saw the treasure lying in a dragon's house, in hands once clean and now corrupted. Apparently, there is a cult of dragonborn atop a mountain somewhere here, could this be what they are referring to? I have only read about sunblades before, and even an average one is a great weapon, capable of turning undead to ash with a single swipe. To think that one might be within reach...

As she turned the fourth card, Madam Eva said it represents someone who may help us greatly. The Broken One: a wizard, his mind broken but his spells are still strong. Could this be the same wizard as the Vistani talked about?

The final card she showed us, foretelling of our enemy, was the Dark Lord, who lurks in a place of darkness, in the place he must return. It doesn't take a genius to decipher this one. I can't say I am happy to be on a fated collision course with a powerful vampire lord. At least I am not alone.

I also managed to ask her about the Amber Temple, and she confirmed what Father Donovitch had said, that it lies to the south, but offered no further guidance.

The Vistani were kind enough to offer us a wagon to sleep in, and I am currently on watch as I am writing this. This camp is the least unsafe I've felt since we arrived here in this gods-forsaken land.

18th of September

With breakfast eaten, we marched on toward Vallaki, hoping to find more answers there. Alina's hair has returned to its normal golden color. She seemed a bit reserved during the morning, but I do not know why.

Unfortunately, we had to take the long way around a sheer cliff, but the road was clear of any dangers, and Gildren showed us some of his powers - an ability to create an illusory echo of himself and then use them to strike his enemy from the shadows. Being in two places at once in combat is a rare skill indeed!

After crossing the bridge over the Ivlis river on the top side of the cliff, we passed by a strange gate, which exuded a dread aura, that somehow got to Gildren. Perhaps his shadowy powers makes him more susceptible to the magic of this place?

As the forest cleared up, we came upon a windmill overlooking the cliffs towards Vallaki. We had been warned that three old ladies that sold pies lived in the windmill, and that those who ate the pies became addicted to them. I am still kicking myself for not adding one and one and one together until we were in the thick of it. We carefully investigated, and found that only two of them were home - the third was selling pies in Vallaki. Alina, ever on the lookout for evil, was the first to notice their foul identity.

The women were revealed as a coven of night hags, and were it not for their greed and our lucky happenstance, we would have faced all three in their home - a battle I do not believe we coould have won. Even two of them proved to be a difficult fight, and I had to use most of my magic to protect myself. Their skin seemed impervious to most of our weapons - something we must make sure to correct before we find ourselves in a similar situation again.

After the grotesque hags were lying dead on the floor and the din of battle had subsided, we heard the voices of children from upstairs, which is when the true horrors of their deeds dawned on us. The pies were made from children, taken from the poor sods who became addicted to the horrid pies made in the mill. As we left, I tried to burn it to the ground, but the stonework would not catch fire.

With the two children in tow, Freek and Myrtle, we set out towards Vallaki, hoping to leave them in an orphanage there that Ireena told us about. Their parents are back in Barovia, but we cannot trust them with the care of their young ones after they sold them for pies.

Session 5

2022-06-14

Of course, the way to Vallaki proved to hold more strange occurrences, as seems to be the norm here. We followed a trail of discarded clothes down to the shore of a large lake, where we could see a man fishing in a small rowboat. I sent Nugget out to investigate, and the man did not seem to react to the skeletal raven circling him, noticing a squirming, person-sized sack in his boat.

Suddenly, the man got up and threw the sack in the water. Lucky for us, there were a few more boats by the shore, and Gildrun rowed us all out to investigate. The man in the boat did not answer our calls, so Gildrun dove in the water, which thankfully was not deep, and pulled up the sack from the mucky seabed. When we cut it open, a young Vistani girl emerged, coughing water. Once she had regained her bearings, she introduced herself as Aribelle, and said her father, Luvash, would reward us if we brought her back to him. While I don't think we would have left her by the shore alone if not for the promise of a reward, some more gold would be very useful.

The man who had thrown her in said his name was Bluto and that he didn't know why he had done it. After a quick sidebar, we decided to bring him and the girl to Vallaki and let the town officials deal with him. It was quite the motley crew that approached the gates of Vallaki: the five of us, Ireena, three children and a bound drunk. Once they let us in, the guards took Bluto away, and I gave a full report to their captain about what we had seen. Apparently Bluto's offense is deemed less serious because the girl is a Vistani.

Vallaki seems slightly less bleak than the rest of Barovia, with a tightly packed schedule of celebrations and festivals. Currently, they are preparing for the Festival of the Blazing Sun, but wolf attacks have slowed them down. After securing rooms and board at the Blue Water Inn at the center of town, we took the children to the church of St Andral, where they will be safe.

We met with Father Lucian, who runs the orphanage, and he told us that the children would be safe there. He refused to take any payment, instead asking that we do him a favor. Only a few days before we arrived, the holy bones of St Andral himself were stolen. According to Father Lucian, the bones protect the church. I'm not sure I buy that part, but belief in protection can be as important as actual protection, and we did owe him a favor, so we agreed to try and recover the relics.

Gord and Zora interrogated a boy who Father Lucian said might know something. Using a simple but effective tactic of alternating scaring the boy and comforting him, he said that Henrik, the local coffin maker, also knew about the bones.

Father Lucian also told us about Morgantha, the final remaining night hag. She was last seen in town over a week ago selling her wicked pies, but hasn't been back since. We better find her soon, before she can inflict more of her devilry on the innocent populace.

After leaving the orphanage, Aribelle led us outside town to a Vistani camp a short walk from the western gate. Here a very unnerving sight awaited us, as Aribelle's father was standing in the middle of the largest tent with a large whip. He had used the whip to punish the other Vistani to within an inch of their life for losing Aribelle. I will admit that I only reluctantly let Aribelle go - a girl deserves a kinder father than that. At least he was willing to pay us for our services, and we were given a rather nice jewelry box, including its contents.

More interesting than her father was the other man there. It was the man we had received the letter from, that started this whole ordeal. Not wanting to spill blood in front of the young child, we were unable to coerce him to reveal who he was working for, but I have my suspicions. Perhaps we should try and arrange a new meeting, this time without any witnesses.

Session 6

2022-07-05

Returning back to within Vallaki's walls, we all felt perhaps a bit too confident in our abilities. In the main square of the town, next to some poor souls who were in the stocks for the simple act of not showing up to the last festival held in the town, we met with Izek Strazni. Izek is a herald in the service of Baron Vallakovich, the de facto ruler of this town.

Izek's by far most eye-catching feature is his arm, which is covered in fiendish, barbed spines. No doubt cursed by some entity from the Nine Hells, it might be best to keep in his good graces. From Izek we learned where Henrik the coffin-maker lives, and foolishly decided to pay him a visit that same night, despite being quite tired already.

Henrik's house was shut and boarded, but he did answer when we called - only to let us know that we were not welcome. This didn't stop Gildrun, who - in his words - "checked that the door wasn't a mimic". Regardless, upon gaining entry and finding Henrik, he did not need much interrogation before he confessed to stealing the sacred bones of Saint Andral.

However, it was not to be just that easy. Henrik said he kept the bones upstairs, but that several undead shamblers with sharp fangs and claws now populated his upper floor. This should have been our cue to rest up and properly prepare for battle, but we walked right into the trap.

With Henrik's directions, finding the lost bones was easy enough (especially as they were glowing a bright blue), but soon after the first vampiric zombies bore down on us. I tried to keep them at bay with a conjured spider web, but they were far quicker than they first looked, and almost impervious to our weapons - even my silvered sword barely touched their rotted flesh.

With my magic almost spent, I joined my comrades in the fray, but took several nasty slashes across my chest and had to momentarily retreat. Were it not for the others, I would not have made it out of there alive. Alina, ever fearless, swung the sack of holy bones at our assailants as a warhammer, Saint Andral's spirit warding her against the darkness.

Alas, I fear it might have been the last time the bones protected anyone, as with one great swing a bad crunch was heard from the skeletal relics, and their magic faded. Perhaps Father Lucian will be understanding of our need to employ the bones, a beacon of light in the darkness of the coffin-makers workshop.

Zora was weaving around in the melee, delivering heals and wards where they were most needed - perhaps the sack of bones wasn't the only beacon of light with us. Once the first necro-spawn was felled by Alina and Gord, the battle turned in our favor.

The last of our enemies was cowering in a corner when its turn finally came to be felled like the others. This one was not in a mood for fighting, and tried to make a run for it. Were it not for our combined efforts, it might even have escaped, which would have been terribly hard to explain to the city watchmen.

Session 7

2022-07-12

Before leaving Henrik's workshop, we pressed him about the undead in his attic. According to him, Count Strahd von Zarovich himself delivered them, but I cannot figure out what purpose he would have to do this. Regardless, Henrik was also told that a man named Vasilij von Holtz would come and take the bones away on the eve of the Festival of the Blazing Sun. Coincidence or not, we should be there when the exchange is attempted.

With the remains of Saint Andral secured - albeit more akin to bone dust than actual bones - and the vampire spawn dealt with, we are all aching for a good nights sleep. As usual, I am taking the first watch while writing this. The gash across my breast still hurts too much to get any gainful sleep, and I much prefer to keep our guard up, even in town.

19th of September

While it is a little strange to be sharing a room at the inn with people you have not known for more than a couple days, it feels safer than the alternative. Despite the eerie influences of Barovia that seem almost designed to drive wedges between people, we are all becoming fast friends.

After a hearty breakfast of beet-and-potato stew, we decided it was time to face the music and see Father Lucian and tell him what happened to the bones of Saint Andral. Predictably, he was none to happy, but after some thought said there might be a way to restore the protective magics of the bones.

Father Lucian told us that not far from Vallaki lies a place called Argynvostholt, once the lair of the silver dragon Lord Gynvost. I have long wanted to meet a silver dragon, as their knowledge of the world is nigh unparalleled. They are said to wander the world in human form, so perhaps I have already met one.

Lord Gynvost once led a host of paladins at Argynvostholt, and if we brought something that still carries a sliver of the consecrated magic back to Vallaki, we could restore the wards around the church. Divine magic like this is not my specialty, but Zora seemed to think it could work.

I advised Father Lucian to keep acting as if the protective magic is still active while we hunt for this power source - one can go far by not telegraphing one's weaknesses.

While we have not confirmed this, Argynvostholt does seem to fit the prophecy that Madam Eva gave. She foretold that the Sunsword lies "in a dragon's house, in hands once clean and now corrupted". I have no idea what we might face at Argynvostholt, but if they wield this power against us we need to be very careful.

Since speed is of the essence now, we decided to get horses and ride hard for Argynvostholt in order to be back before the Festival of the Blazing Sun, and the rendezvous between Henrik and Vasilij von Holtz.

In order to prepare for whatever comes next, we spent our hard-earned gold on silvered weapons for Alina and Gord. Gildrun curiously declined - he must be quite attached to his hammer despite the flaking gold leaf. Good horses are expensive, but thankfully the Vistani accepted our proposed trade: the platinum medallion we found in the Durst's house in exchange for four horses with bit, bridle, and saddles.

With no time to lose, we set off for Argynvostholt. Zora rides with me atop Tenelvar, a white steed. He is a gentle beast, and responds well despite my limited riding experience. Gildrun chose a stout brown horse which he named Gimli, a reference to an ancestor of his. A black mare named Priscilla carries Gord into battle. Finally there is Alina on her red stallion, which she gave several names before settling on Unicorn.

Session 8

2022-08-02

The road to Argynvostholt turned out to be uneventful, and we rode up to the partially ruined castle in the afternoon. With little signs of life, we scouted around the castle, finding the southern wing collapsed and overrun with spiders.

The entrance was guarded by a stone statue of a dragon that held traces of evocation magic. I believe this once could have spewed ice on any unwelcome guests, but the magic has faded since then.

We decided to go in through the servants quarter to attract less attention from whatever denizens remained in the castle. This did not quite work out, as Gildrun seems unable to enter unbidden into a dwelling. I wonder what could be causing this affliction, and we will have to keep an eye out for more symptoms - he seems to keep his sanity for now atleast.

In the main hall of the castle there hung a portrait of a handsome man, and several busts of similar looking men. This could be the Argynvost, the silver dragon that once led an order of paladins here in different human forms. The busts would probably fetch a pretty penny at home, but I have no means of either transporting or selling them here.

In one of the sitting rooms we received a clue, when a dragon illusion rose up from a cold fireplace. This fiery image told us his knights had fallen to darkness, and asked us to save them by showing them the light they had lost. We are unsure what this means exactly, but we hope to find out.

Another surprise awaited in the winecellar, where an injured Vistani elf was hiding. Apparently he had gone here to search for Arabelle, the little girl Gildrun pulled from the lake. Zora mended his knee, and we told him to wait outside with our horses. The Vistani seemed adamant that a ghost haunts this castle.

In the dining hall I collected some bits and bobs that we might be able to pawn, since we are completely out of liquid funds after buying our horses. Alina decided to check out the chapel next door while I stuffed our bags with silver. This almost turned out badly, as a group of undead paladins had made this chapel their home.

The undeads did not take well to being barged in on, and one hit Alina with a nasty slice. Fortunately, she is made of sturdy stuff and stood her ground, smiting the evil that hurt her.

One of our foes almost managed to open a passage to the spider-infested wing, but some surprisingly quick thinking by Gord saved the day, and the undead was ejected into the spider's nest. Hopefully that keeps the spiders busy for a while.

Zora recognized the type of undeads as revenants, who refuse to find rest in their afterlife until they have been avenged. Let us hope that we did not become part of this vengeance pact if they rise again.

Session 9

2022-09-21

After a quick break in the now-silent chantry to catch our breath, we explored the exterior graveyard, finding five open graves. We need to be on our guard here, as there might be more revenants lurking in these ruins.

The graveyard also housed a marble mausoleum, once grand and shining but now dark and decrepit. I was able to translate the draconic runes that adorned its empty walls. "Here lies the bones and treasures of Argynvost, lord of Argynvostholt, and founder of the Order of the Silver Dragon." How I would have liked to meet this dragon and learn from his wisdom!

The mausoleum was not entirely empty, but did contain enough sacred herbs and blessed oils to reinforce the wards that surround Father Lucian's church in Vallaki. Not ones to waste our opporunities however, we decided to explore the castle further before heading back.

Upstairs the damaged spider wing was clearly visible, but no spiders were to be seen, thank Odin. Investigating the northern wing, Gildrun rattled a smoke mephit out of a fireplace, and we all followed it up a stair and through a hidden door - straight to our quarry.

On a dragon throne sat Vladimir Horngaard, now a revenant dedicated to Strahd's eternal suffering. We exchanged words, but our differences of opinion were too great to settle with a debate. At this point, he revealed a the bladeless hilt of a sword in his hand before setting it aflame like the sun itself. Oh, to feel that blessed light on my skin again after so many days of naught but gloomy darkness!

Again we nearly fell to our own hubris, as Vladimir was no lone revenant, but called half a dozen phantasmal allies from the very walls of Argynvostholt, and we were almost fully surrounded. While my magic was of little use, both Alina and Gord came into their own. Alina unleashed her inner radiance, glowing almost as the Sunsword itself, and she seemed almost unaffected when she was struck by it. Gord cleaved his way through the horde of undead, at one point knocking several enemies to the ground with a single sweep of his silver axe.

The battle was close, but eventually Vladimir fell to Gord's might, and once he hit the floor and the light of the Sunsword flickered out, so did the phantoms that assaulted us. At once when I picked up the hilt, I felt a connection to it. It seems almost alive, like some of the great artifacts I have only read about in the Archive Halls.

The sword will not simply yield to any wielder, but I share its purpose - ending Strahd's overlordship of this land. This I swear, in sight of all the gods who still hold sway in this forsaken realm.

The magic that bound Vladimir to this realm seemed to fade once his rotting body was felled, and the rest of the castle descended into an eerie calm, giving us the chance to do some proper archaeology before we left. In a side-room, I stumbled on a handful of potions that turn your skin as hard as steel - which could be very handy.

Overlooking the chapel, we also found stained windows depicting the Morning Lord and two of his foremost acolytes, Saint Andral and Saint Markovia. In his study, an apparitition of the Argynvost himself told us that his skull was taken and lies in the "fortress of my enemy", which is surely Castle Ravenloft. It continued to say that if the skull is "returned to its rightful crypt, my spirit will shine here forever, bringing hope to this dark land".

Once Strahd is permanently dealt with, perhaps Argynvostholt could be restored to its former glory and once again serve as a beacon of good and virtue in this land, which sorely needs it. It will not be an easy task, but with the Sunsword in my hand, it just might be possible.

With the castle clear of evil for now, we headed back to Vallaki with much to think about. Thankfully the trip back was uneventful, and I am sorely looking forward to a good night's sleep.

Session 10

2022-10-18

As we left Argynvostholt with the spoils of our venture, Alina spotted a shadowy humanoid figure flying above us. With the third hag still on the loose, we decided to push through our tired state to investigate. With every step we took off the road back to Vallaki, the forest grew eerier and darker.

After trudging through the undergrowth for a while, we came upon a small hut, with all the trappings of a witches lair - poppets hanging from the trees, cobwebs, and a pumpkin patch. As we approache, we spotted the woman who lived in the hut, who looked like one of the Vistani.

We approached her warily, but lowered our guard once Alina did not sense a fiendish aura around her. The woman introduced herself as Leran, and seemed nice enough. She said she knew of a nearby witches coven, and that she sometimes traded what she hunted with the witches.

Leran also told us of a nearby werewolf den who call themselves the "Children of Mother Night", and Kirel and Emill, the two alphas that vie for power over the monsters there. With our (mostly) silvered weapons, we might be able to take them out, but we needed to sleep before commiting to such a course of action.

With night quickly falling, we decided to camp outside her hut. My recent arcane finding - a small protective dome - came in very handy, providing us with shelter and warmth. The rest are asleep, and I am just about to wake Gildrun as I am writing this.

20th of September

Well, things changed quickly once we awoke the next morning, Alina said that she had spotted 'Leran' during her watch, sneaking off into the darkness of night. With our host nowhere to be found, we decided to do our due diligence and investigate a bit. This turned out to be good thinking on our part!

In her hut we found the broom she had been flying above us on - she had tricked us completely. I dread to think what had happened had we not had the dome to sleep in. The broom did not appear threatening, but it smacked me in the face, and I think my nose was broken until Alina - bless her hands - mended me.

On the upside, with Gord's help I was able to restrain the broom and tame it for our use. The others prefer to be up close and personal, but now I can fly with Nugget and fight from a distance. We also found far more information about the werewolves than 'Leran' had let on.

Apparently Kirel runs twisted gladiatorial games there with children that he kidnaps from the nearby villages, extending his curse to the last one standing, as some sort of wicked prize. This needs to be stopped, but I wish we had been more tight-lipped about ourselves with 'Leran', who we believe have warned them.

Atleast there is, according to the treatise we found, only one werewolf alpha to contend with, as Emill was dragged of to Castle Ravenloft by several dozen direwolves in the service of Count Strahd. While I do not envy their fate, I do not pity the cursed creature either. Perhaps this wolfpack is connected to the attacks on Vallaki?

Regardless, we quickly extracted ourselves from the hut and made good pace back to Vallaki, arriving in the early afternoon. Father Lucian was happy to see us return with the herbs he needs to restore the protections of his church, and he told us he had been able to find more information about the Amber Temple. It lies in the seldom-travelled, very cold reaches of Mount Ghakis to the south, and was possibly created by the wizard Exethanter - a name that rings a bell from somewhere but I cannot for the life of me remember where I've read it!

After visiting the toy shop of the fake wizard Gadolf Blinsky, whose sense of humour is wicked in the most literal sense of the word, we paid a visit to the Vistani camp outside town. As we arrived they were about to pack up and leave on a wine-trading trip. They confirmed our suspicion that 'Leran' was no lone Vistana living in the woods. We might be running into a trap if we ever investigate the werewolf lair, but first we are going to the Festival of the Blazing Dawn in Vallaki before we take Ireena to the Abbey of Saint Markovia near Krezk.