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| Session 007 - A Barovian Beer Run; Tuesday 2018 07 04 | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jul 4 2018, 08:17 PM (16 Views) | |
| Story Guide | Jul 4 2018, 08:17 PM Post #1 |
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Seanchai
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Wakey Wakey Hesssian is the first to rise in the morning. He's been on the edge of his bed most of the night contemplating what he would do to the folk of Barovia, and to discover how they would react. For that matter, how would his friends react? Then the time came and the others woke up in the room he shared with Penelope and Marjorie. Penelope was still rubbing the sleep from her eyes when Hesssian held out his left hand and boldly said, "Idiot!" A rust covered, heavy lock appeared in his hand. He couldn't help but smile. The magic worked! He held out his right hand and said, "Asshole!" Penelope was still trying to process his words when the floor started to rumble. The wood of the bed frames screeched as they moved and a moment later another lock appeared in his other hand, attached to an entire gallows, complete with woman in it, wearing a donkey-head mask. The large structure pushed beds and other items out of the way as it took up the entire room. The shaking of the walls and floor stopped just after the gallows appeared. Thogan came crashing out of his room and rushed to Hesssians door banging and demanding to be let in so he could figure out what happened. Luna emerged from her room, saw Thogan banging and instead went downstairs to get food. On the balcony across from their own, Danika emerged and asked what happened. Her boys, Brom and Bray yelled up, "It wasn't us!" Thogan continued banging on the door. Inside, Penelope, still trying to figure out what was going on, ignored him. Marjorie climbed out of the bed, now pushed against the wall and tried to get her feet. Hesssian uses a special set of tools and is able to release the woman from the stocks, though she cannot stand up because her body has been in the position too long. Marjorie works with her to try and bring some ease to her by casting a healing. The woman's flesh starts to wilt under the light of her spell until, having no muscle left she falls to the floor on all fours, a bare portion of herself. A moment later as Marjorie tries to figure out what happened, the woman rises, seeming more fully restored. Luna got downstairs and asked for breakfast. The boys yelled for their mother again, who was now coming down the stairs. Her husband, Urwin, was already emerging and heading over to where Thogan was yelling and banging. Penelope opened the door and Thogan immediately came in to find out what the hell was happening and just what Hesssian had done. He barely had time to start the interrogation of a very bewildered Hesssian who was clearly quite upset that some very foreign and scary magics were being unleashed in his room. Urwin shows up and those present learn that messing with anyone in the stocks carries a punishment of taking a place alongside them. He has no idea what the penalty will be for stealing the actual stocks! Hesssian denies everything and overtly implies that Urwin is up to something shady. Urwin solves the problem. "Brom! Bray! Bring me the axe, and the prybar! And tell your mother we are closed for business!" The boys bring in the tools from outside and after ushering the PCs and Claudia (woman in the stocks) from the room, they close the door and set to work making firewood out of the stocks. Breakfast with a side of information The party is downstairs eating breakfast as Brom and Bray begin bringing down kindling and small pieces of wood to light up the fire. The autumn weather makes a good cover for chopping wood and having the fire lit but they take extra precautions by taking most of the wood to the back. Urwin and the boys are working upstairs while the PCs eat. Thogan who previously prompted Lady Wachter to take control, has decided over the night that he wants to find out more about her family. So at breakfast, Thogan takes the time to question Danika about her choice between the Burgomeister, the Wacther family, and Strahd. Specifically he wants to know which one she supports and why. Her reply is confused and cautious. First of all she isn't willing to be led into a trap and say something that will get her in trouble. But more than that, she doesn't seem to comprehend what he is asking. He pushes harder and finally she explains her confusion this way: In her mind, the Vallakovich family is no help because ignoring Strahd does nothing to stop Him. THe Wachter family have always supported Strahd, so they wouldn't stop him. And asking about whether she prefers Strahd in control is a bit like asking if you want the sun to rise: you can't stop it. She feels Thogan is asking her to choose between three options that all lead to the same inevitable outcome, so the only difference is the details. The party finishes breakfast and breaks up for the day. The girls and Hesssian will fetch wine and try to be back by dinnertime, so that the festival can go off with plenty of alcohol to raise people's spirits. Thogan chooses to spend the day finding out more about the Wachter family. A Road Less Travelled The PCs ride the horses out, following the map to the best of their ability. The map that Urwin draws is simple and they figure that the other map that they got from Donovich, and the one that Thogan let them look at should enable them to figure out how to get there. They look for landmarks and figure they are on the right path as they pass over bridges, by broken signposts, roads and deep into the woods. Along the way, they catch sight of things flanking them in the mists, large things the size of ponies. They get to another road and walk into an ambush by dire wolves who have been herding them forward toward their pack in front. The party fights boldly and barely survives thanks to the use of healing spells and potions. They quicken their pace and move on, not wasting time trying to skin wolves, take souvenirs or look for a den. There way is far from over. They follow another road and are confident it will lead to the winery. A short time later they see a half dozen tall men approaching them through the mists ahead. The woods keep it dark and the road has become a muddy trail. The PCs move forward cautiously until they and the others finally are within clear sight. This is when the tall awkward figures charge forward and the PCs find themselves fighting six scarecrows in their damaged state. The battle goes poorly. As they fight, flocks of Ravens come in to try and distract the scarecrows. The ranger's arrows and the monk's punches have little effect on the stuffed bodies of the scarecrows. Their fingers are made from sharp wood, bent nails and their attacks are severely damaging. In desperation the party starts to set the stuffing of each one on fire. Hesssian uses magic from a wand that the others did not know he had to immobilize one. As the PCs fall to damage, Marjorie casts heals. In the end, when she falls too, the monk uses her own magic to help bring them back. At the end of the battle they are still standing but they have expended most of their magic and they are barely alive. They push forward, figuring the safest place will be the winery. Unexpected Visitors The PCs get in sight of the fields which have mostly dead vines on them. In the distance they see a figure beckoning them. Luna and Marjorie head over. At first, Penelope pushes forward, heedless of going alone and in her teenage brain, expecting everyone else to follow her. Hesssian helps her reason it out, and shortly they change direction to catch up to the other two as they cross the fields to the stranger. They meet a man named Davian. He claims to be the owner of the winery and he describes that the winery has been suffering multiple things: thefts, the presence of evil scarecrows, and now strange druids from Yester Hill that have come and taken it over. Davin and his family and workers barely got out of the winery and they need help to take it back over. Things have gotten worse and worse and they need help. Davian makes a motion and more individuals come out of the woods. He makes a cryptic comment about how his people saw the PCs fighting the scarecrows and he thinks they can help get the winery back. Penelope asks for compensation: She wants them to divulge what precisely has gone on, and what magics they use to make the winery grow. (They had discovered that it usually is blooming, the only place in Barovia that does so). Davian agrees to show her what he knows but he also tells her that he does not think it will be useful to her. The PCs are in no position to fight, so Davian and his followers will stand watch, here in the woods until the others are ready to try and get back the winery. Luna kept suggesting fire but they want to keep the winery intact. It is useless if they cannot continue to bring joy to Barovia. Davian mentions how his friends here will try to prevent those druidic beings in the fields from getting to the winery proper. He doesn't have enough men to be in two places though, he wants the PCs to tackle taking back the winery while his people use delaying tactics to try and draw the druids and their spawn in the fields farther away from the winery. The idea is simple: divide and conquer, sending those who are clearly combatants (the PCs) in against the unknown. Finis The PCs begin to take a short rest under the guard of Davian Martikov's people. They have a decision to make while they rest. Either they push forward now with low health, having wasted many of their spells and supplies ... or they return to Vallaki in hopes of resting up and returning better prepared. Davian and his men will provide a small escort if they promise to return after healing. Edited by Story Guide, Jul 4 2018, 09:08 PM.
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3:34 AM Jul 11