Recap 11

Adrian's Journal, 1472 DR, Day nine in Barovia: On the way to Krezk, three things of note happened. First of all, we were shadowed by a giant swarm of ravens. A large white one stopped and placed stones to point out a direction,  it seems like the ravens want us to go to the Wizards of Wine Winery. This is not the first time we were guided by ravens, one warned Kai and myself at the windmill a few days ago. We were also attacked by twig and needle blights,  apparently an ancient vampire was staked on a nearby hill according to local stories. This stake, absorbed whatever evil magic that was released and transformed into a dark tree. The tree would periodically grow a single apple that could heal all ailments but its seeds would turn into these blight creatures… Well, this could be useful but no time for that. Sevi nearly stepped into a bear trap too. She makes a mean breakfast. I'm getting tired of travelling with a party of men who can't cook to save their lives. Continuing to Krezk. Sigmund stained my journal again.

(Here you see a large oily thumb print and an arrow that says 'Evidence of Sigmund's Clumsiness')

Bah, not again. Entry was difficult. The Baron Dimitri Krezkov, we were told by the Father in Vallaki that his son was brought back to life. However, he had great sadness and wariness in his eyes. A young priest from the Abbot revived his son, but he was returned…different. With some negotiation and promises of wine and investigation he let us in. We also picked up that Krezkov has no love for Vallakovich the deceased burgomaster of Vallaki. Well, if he doesn’t like that bastard maybe this man isn’t as bad. He was sad though, and prefers hiding behind his walls rather than considering ever fighting Strahd or finding a way out of this place.

Although, I guess to the people of Krezk this realm and their city is all they know. They have everything within their walls… Livestock, trees, roads and shops. One could be tricked into thinking they can find peace here, maybe…  But if we were able to get in, I’m sure the Devil is even trickier than we are. Maybe Ireena and Ismark can find refuge here? Although… if we ask Ireena to find safety here. Then surely the Devil would target Krezk next. I think Krezkov had a point in not letting us in. Anyways, on wards to the abbey.

I’m sorry journal, I can write now that we’ve taken a break in the belfry of the abbey. Donkey man, Cat eye girl, Cloven baby face, Screaming bat lady… It’s hard to think of these creatures as people. But they are right? We even saw a silent version of Dukus… This place is unsettling, like a child’s nightmare. A zoo of madness. The Abbot is a strange… creature. He’s obsessed with his ‘holy mission’. He did try to go down to the town to help, he’s the one who revived Krezkov’s son. We prepared to present the dress to him in the most luxurious way possible. Dukus just took it out of the prepared box and presented it without much pomp or pretense. If the Abbot decided to just take the dress and not return the favor we’d be screwed. Never let a paladin negotiate. We did do our show and dance though, tailors Adriano and Mogerelli, the lovely assistant Sevi and I guess Kai and Sigmund were bodyguards? Who knows, it probably wasn’t necessary but it was fun. ‘Best dress ever.’ We were then awarded three uses of his power. Why would the Morninglord bless such a man? In a dark place such as this…   Maybe it is his utter devotion even while twisted. Is this what you want from me Lord, faith in a moral vacuum? Would you have blessed  me  if I’d just believed,  regardless of how I acted? I'm smarter than both of them combined. I can notice the smallest detail and memorized exactly how to cast tomes upon tomes of spells. Nothing, just Shar's darkness.

You seem to favor fools and madmen while you ignored me. Mother always told me you worked in strange ways, help me understand. I guess Ronin is back though. So that’s good. What upset me though is not that he was feeling down, we all get that but… He was losing faith in who he is, his sense of investigation and adventure.

Tomorrow I will bring his things and notes, and try to remind him. Of all the stories and mysteries he always wanted to discover and read about. Sure this place is dark and depressed but if anything it’s interesting and mysterious as well. Ronin seemed a bit paranoid as well, probably a byproduct of his resurrection… I wonder, what differs in this realm from Faerun? I can’t cast magic but I’ve studied theology for years. The soul is transported to different realms outside the material plane, traditionally the practitioner of divine magic evokes his God to return a soul that was not meant to depart in its time to shift back to our plane. However, in Barovia the soul is trapped in the material plane. Possibly distorting it and causing damage to it, I assume the longer it remains trapped the more the person is affected by its return to the body. This is just a theory.

We took Ronin upstairs to rest, then we got ourselves into trouble again. As usual. The Abbot asked us to help clear the old sanitarium/infirmary. Dukus probably was planning to have a cleared out area of the abbey just in case he needed to escape or for us to reenter. I could see him planning coldly and could read his intentions. Sometimes, he does seem less like a mortal and a bit more… about practicality. Fighting, getting to the point, getting things done. I wonder if he’ll eventually lose all trace of emotion. Maybe his soul was affected as well... Although, it is reassuring seeing him get upset by Sigmund’s constant attempts to convert everyone, and amusing.

So we crossed the battlements from hunchback’s tower, we left Ireena, Ismark and Cloven (We were sharing the room with the baby faced, goat man hunchback clawed violinist. Ugh) Entering a smaller side room, Dukus warned us about entry since there were specters and shadows in the nearby room. I took post on top of a counter and readied Lisa. Then, Sigmund went into the room calling out to the darkness. We saw one shadow in the very far corner. Remaining wary, I took shots in the dark managing to mark it once. Sevi, Moger and Kai also rushed into the room. I heard Sevi saying ‘What, you are scared of dark man…’ or something like that. They stepped towards the shadow, then they sprung their trap. What form of malevolent intelligence do these ghosts have? An intelligent evil hunger as they circled the foolish group circling them with one blocking the exit. On the docks if I was running with a new group on a job and they got circled like that I would have left them for the guards. But… I’m not Mouse anymore. The shadows reached their fingers into Kai and Sevi. They looked like hospital patients, one had a gaping wound half stitched, one had its face ripped open, and there even was a pregnant ghost. Her belly ripped open. I could see them sap the strength from my comrades. Dukus rushed in and his trident glowed. Sigmund again probably saved us, yelling out as he gave out a light. Half of the ghosts fled. I shot the pregnant ghost in the belly, then Moger ripped her to shreds with his eldritch blast. But, every time we killed a shadow a white ghost took its place. Their spirits seemed to be covered in shadow, only able to truly exterminate them once we took off that shadowy veil. Things were going well until one ghost, a young girl with her chest ripped open started screaming, blood fell from her eyes.

Her shouts echoed into my ears, I could see myself looking like her. My chest ripped open, I felt her pain. Bloody tears fell from my eyes. Fear took my heart. I could see Sevi age, Kai nearly being consumed by the little girl, she was pulling at him. Almost dragging him to the floor, weakening him. Sigmund struck with his mace, Dukus struck again glowing very brightly and with a holy fury.

Even with my fear, I tossed Spin Fang into the little ghost girl’s head. The screaming stopped and we all took a breath. Sevi still looked like she was fifty years old though. When the ghost girl vanished, I noticed that it was all in my head. An unnatural fear made me believe that I was dying like she did. I’m writing this huddled in the side room, waiting for the spirits to come back… Shar end the loss of these souls. Help them understand their sadness. My weapons are ready.