Sunny Barovia

  Session 153 – Battle for the Swamp Fane part 1 3/11/25 Day 42 – Mid afternoon (Thanks to Abe for sending Arabelle’s visions and Jeff for the transcript!) Swamp Fane As Laz reported, Arabelle had recovered the shuttle from the center of the fane, and the rest of us were collecting those odd flowers as depicted on the stone carving. Arabelle and Lady Ireena were sitting in the middle of the circle in quiet conversation.   Dacso took it upon himself to approach the two.   As he got closer, Arabelle invited him to sit.   (The following is what Dacso later related to me) Arabelle told him she knows he didn’t learn much from speaking with “Mama Eva,” but she can tell him some Madam Eva would have related. “You have suffered loss, as have we all, and you moved quickly to leave that loss behind. You may find that, in this, your willingness to abandon that which no longer serves you has a cost, but there are some choices that cannot be undone. Still, have hope...

 Thanks to Dave P for authoring while I was out! “There it is then. My boot has soaked through finally. Again. More stinking, filthy mess. The leather is little more than a sieve now.”   We had worked our way through the marshes and swamps, now only to come to these bleeding streams and rivers. The advice to “follow the river” sounded simple enough if one did not consider the crossing of said river in the first place. The crossing of the first stream had left several of us a bit battered, bruised, and exhausted. I don’t really know how the Paladin managed it weighed down with all that armour and kit. Still, not my problem so long as he survives. Coming to the second river I suggested we might be better served by putting up a guide rope to improve our balance while fording. Dacso and the Paladin offered to cover me while I worked across and things went uneventfully as the rest of the Party crossed. Then we realized we hadn’t set up the rope for retrieval. Fully resigned to ...

 2/3/25 Day 42 –Morning As the wagons got closer, one of them bore the unmistakable flair of the Vistani.    The other two were more traditional looking wagons. Ireena, Wolfram and I went out to greet them.    Laz elected to stay hiding behind the door if this didn’t turn out to be a friendly visit. The wagons trundled closer and soon we saw Arrigal driving the lead.    He waved and I waved back.    He pulled the wagon up to the side of the house and began securing it.    He seemed mildly surprised to see us. Each of the other two wagons were being by a couple, none of whom seemed familiar to us.    They pulled their wagons up near the front of the winery. Wolfram, Lady Ireena and I walked over to Arrigal who said, “Greetings my friends! I did not expect to find you here.” “Nor did I expect to see you.    I was under the impression your people had left these lands,” I responded. “Oh, well, nearly so, nearly so. B...

 2/27/24 On the morning of our 35 th day in this land (Has it only been just over a month?!?) I woke to find the staff had prepared an unusually large and hearty breakfast.   I asked what the occasion was, and was told that since we were travelling today, Lady Ireena thought we should have a good meal to start.   I was also told that Lady Ireena and Walter had left early in the morning to conclude an errand, but would be returning soon. I enjoyed the repast, but perhaps not as much as Oloch, who attacked the meal with great gusto, calling for more breakfast wine.   As we finished up, I heard a noise in front of the Manse.   I continued sipping on my tea while I went to check on it. A caravan of about 10 Vistani wagons had pulled up.   Walter was sitting with Luvash and Arrabel on the lead wagon, while Lady Ireena was just approaching the front door.   She told us to gather our things as the Vistani were going to escort us to the gates east of ...

 1/14/23 The next morning, we geared up to travel back to Vallaki, with the last six children we had saved from the Werewolf den.   The hike was relatively uneventful, and very nearly peaceful.   The smaller children took turns riding on Oloch’s shoulders, which he seemed to enjoy almost as much as the kids. We discussed the sword that Sergei had referenced.   It was almost certainly the one we had seen Tatyana wielding against Strahd in that vision that wasn’t a vision.   For her part, Ireena said she remembered that Sergei had been a fairly powerful paladin and wielded that blade in the service of The Morninglord but had no idea what had become of it afterwards. As we approached the village of Vallaki, Oloch and I split from the group so I could meet with Kasimir.   The rest of the party continued on after agreeing we’d meet at the Manse. We found our way around the base of the hill to Kasimir’s home.   I briefly explained what had occurred w...

 4/12/2022 We tied Bluto’s boat to our own and began rowing back to shore.   It’s interesting to me that often one doesn’t notice the absence of something until it returns.   It was that way with the mist.   It was a clear, starry night when we arrived at the lake.   But as we started back, the mist started rising from the water, and eventually blocked the sky.   It was as if the mist had parted just so we could see Bluto out on the lake. Finn managed to navigate us back to the shore.   As we approached, we saw three shapes that soon resolved themselves into Strahd, his horse and the horse’s groom.   No sooner had we touched the shore than Arabelle jumped out and ran to the vampire calling out, “Uncle!” Uncle? It was certainly odd to see this girl of 7 or 8 hugging the leg of this hated creature.   He thanked us for saving his niece and referred to her as a princess of the Vistani. Strahd intoned something quite poetic sounding about ...

4/5/2022 After dispatching the last of the wolves, we heard several people approaching.  We retreated back to the path and waited.  It was a group of 3 Vistani.  They went to one of the fallen wolves and urged Wolfram to come help.  At their urging, he used his abilities to partially heal the fallen wolf and it scampered off into the woods.  The Vistani thanked us, and all but ordered us back to the path. In a text book display of victim blaming, they told us if we hadn't wandered off the path, we wouldn't have a problem with the wolves.  They then agreed to escort us to their camp. Along the way, they explained their unique relationship with Strahd.  Strahd "controls" the wolves and other denizens that prowl Barovia.  Because of the ancient agreement, the Vistani can walk unmolested where others would be in mortal peril.  In exchange, they remain neutral, neither siding with or against Strahd in his business.  Healing the wolf was a way...

  Sessions 29, 30 & 31 3/8/2022 The shadow of the creature began moving.   We followed it downstairs to the office where it entered a locket sitting on the desk.   Using mage hand (Lord knows I didn’t want to touch it directly!) I closed the locket.   The locket itself had arcane designs across it, and Wolfram got a sense of “good” from it.   Lady Wachter, who apparently has some knowledge of this sort of thing, suggested that the demon must have been bound to the locket, and when the boy opened it up, it possessed him.   By closing it, we had re-imprisoned it. We went to Milivoj’s room and found he was now recovering.   Finn healed him a little further so we could question him about the bones of St. Andral.   He didn’t seem to know what we were talking about.   But upon further conversation, he had some memory gaps.   He did finally admit to vaguely remembering carrying a bundle past the Blue Water Inn, but doesn’t remember wh...