Iron & Gold, Curse of Strahd
Chapter 21: Berez — Chapter 23: Secret Mission To Vallaki
Being a campaign of Curse of Strahd, with Mythic as the GM, and played with Iron & Gold.
If you have ever played or run through Curse of Strahd, let me know in the comments. I suspect it plays differently with this magic system.
Chapter 22 - An Invitation[1]
They did not meet Ezmerelda while walking. Once on the Old Svalich Road, they heard the howling of wolves not far away. Felewin looked at the forest lining the road and said to Hrelgi, “Now would be a good time to go to the winery the fast way.”
“I think so, too,” said Hrelgi, and she looked up the spell.[2] Ninefingers spotted one wolf at the edge of the road and was sure there were more[3]. He drew his sword, but the rend appeared in the air. Ninefingers went through first, then Felewin, Uthrilir, and Hrelgi last. A wolf lunged at her just as she was stepping through[4]; she pulled her foot through and closed the rend; the wolf’s head was cut off and rolled onto the vineyard dirt.
“Glad you didn’t send us inside,” said Uthrilir.
“It’s rude to appear in someone’s house,” said Hrelgi.
Felewin said, “Though you make exceptions.”
Hrelgi nodded. “Oh, definitely. Don’t want to be outside at night around here.”
By the time they got to house, Davian was waiting outside. Hrelgi gave him the gem from her pouch.
His eyes lit up. “We’ll re-plant it tomorrow. Come in; Stefania has just put dinner on.”
“We killed the witch, but we don’t know if that’s permanent.”
“Bad things don’t seem to end,” said Davian. “That’s a fact.” Inside, Davian clapped his eldest son on the shoulder. “Tomorrow morning, these folk will accompany you to Krezk. Take all six barrels up. The one vat’s almost ready for decanting.”
Elvir said, “Can I go?”
“You were at Krezk this morning. Tell them what you saw.”
“Your friend’s gone,” Elvir told them. “We have a connection in the village, and I spoke with him.”
“Not…?”
“You don’t have clothes when you turn back from being a raven,” explained Elvir. “Other wereravens understand that and give me something I can wear while talking.”
“I never thought about it,” admitted Felewin.
“I gave him, our contact, the note to deliver, and he went up to the Abbey. He found out that your friend was gone. What had happened, someone from Strahd’s castle showed up and your friend left. She told the Abbot she would be back.”
“I hope she’s back tomorrow,” said Felewin. “I’d like her help in getting the third thing mentioned in the fortune from Madame Eva. If she’s not back, we’ll help Kasimir, and see how much we can trust him.”
“Kasimir? The elf?” Adrian asked.
“Please don’t say ‘elf’ that way,” added Hrelgi.
“Sorry.”
Uthrilir asked, “You know him?”
Adrian said, “He’s at the Vistani camp, near Vallaki, right? The Vistani are one of our four reliable customers—Krezk, my brother’s inn in Vallaki, and the Blood tavern in Barovia are the others.”
“Urwin is your brother?” Ninefingers asked.
“Yes,” Adrian said, while Davian glowered. “He and father had a falling out, but he buys from us.”
“He didn’t need to move to Vallaki,” grumbled Davian.
“You practically forced him out,” said Adrian.
“It’s his fault we don’t have three gems!”
“He took it?” asked Ninefingers.
“No,” said Stephania. “But Urwin had just been married to Danika when it was stolen.”
Davian said, “He was supposed to be on duty! Instead he sneaked off to see her!”
“They were newlyweds!” cried Adrian. “You’re the one who said he had to stand guard on his wedding night! Plus no one had ever stolen a gem! No one should even have known they were there!” said Adrian.
Uthrilir pointed out, “All of you together couldn’t stop the forest folk from taking a gem. Are you mad at yourselves? I don’t know if you want to keep being mad at him for letting it happen, considering that you couldn’t stop the same thing.”
Davian harrumphed and sat back. “That’s different.”
Uthrilir added, “Not our business, of course.”
Davian said, “It is not.”
Adrian rolled his eyes.
Felewin said, “Changing the subject. We were told, ‘find the wizard’s tower.’ That’s a place we have to go. You have been around…any idea where that is?”
Adrian thought for a moment. “A tower? We once built towers, before we were Barovia. I think there are towers in Tsolenka Pass, of course, guard towers instead of wizard towers. Never been there. There are no towers in Vallaki or Barovia. I once heard rumors in Krezk that there is a tower toward Mount Baratok. And, of course, Castle Ravenloft has towers and used to have a wizard. I’ve never been there, though, either.”
“So this tower is in one of Tsolenka Pass, this rumoured tower beyond Krezk and toward Mount Baratok, or Castle Ravenloft?”
Adrian shrugged. “A wizard’s tower, that’s all I can think of. And of course, there might be a tower in some place that’s no longer inhabited, like Berez.”
“Definitely not Berez,” said Uthrilir.
“We never think of Castle Ravenloft as being for wizards, though,” said Stefania. “I mean, yes, it was built by magic, but it’s not a wizard’s tower.”
“We’ll accompany Adrian to Krezk tomorrow to find Ezmerelda. We’ll check out the rumours of a tower near Krezk because we’re already there.”
“I still think the whole thing’s a trap,” said Ninefingers.
There was a knock at the door.
“Isn’t it after dark?” Hrelgi asked.
The knock came again.
Davian got up; Felewin signaled to the others to ready their weapons. They followed him to the front door, the source of the knocking. He slid back the shutter, looked, and then slammed it shut.
“Lord Strahd!” he whispered. “Hide the children!” Adrian and Stephanie hurried the younger ones out.
“Davian Martikov. Open the door. I, Strahd, your lord, command it.” There was a brief pause. “You have my word that at this time I will not attempt to enter or convince any of you to let me in.”
“I’ll open it,” said Felewin.
“No,” said Davian. “He asked for me.” Davian squared his shoulders and opened the door.
Strahd stood there, in riding clothes. He took in the sight of Davian, who was not trembling only by virtue of holding the door, and then saw the others behind him. “Excellent,” he said. “I would normally send my manservant on this errand, but he is currently trying to track down Felewin, Hrelgi, Ninefingers, and Uthrilir. He shall be most put out when he discovers that I found you first.” Strahd smiled. “Rahadin prides himself on efficiency.”
Strahd handed Davian a sheet of paper. “I require a barrel of the select wine, and I believe you have bottles of port. Felewin, you do drink port, do you not?”
Carefully, Felewin said, “I have been known to.”
“Capital. Davian, please deliver that wine tomorrow. I am having these four as guests, and I think they would not trust something already in my cellar. One of my servants will come with payment, in the light of day.” Strahd turned to face the adventurers. “I have followed your peregrinations with some interest, and I feel it is time we got to know one another, because you are in my land. I invite you to dinner tomorrow night. No harm will come to you on the road on your way to the dinner, so says Strahd.” He handed Felewin a piece of paper, folded and bearing Strahd’s seal. “Here is a copy of the invitation.”
“We’ll have to refuse,” said Ninefingers, from the middle of the group. “You have guaranteed our arrival but you haven’t guaranteed our departure.”
A flicker of annoyance crossed Strahd’s face and then he laughed without humour. “Very well. Our safety is mutually guaranteed while at my castle for this visit unless you break the trust.”
“Then we accept,” said Felewin.
Strahd smiled, and behind him, wolves howled.
“Davian, congratulations on the return of your gems. It is a pity that the third gem is still missing. Until tomorrow night!”
Strahd disappeared into the night and Davian slammed shut the door.
Monsters
Wolves are in the core rulebook.
Game Mechanics
[1] Mythic suggested threme: Imitate Friendship (NPC Positive)
[2] Hrelgi rolls a 3 (margin 6) and 7 on the R+C (margin 1)
[3] In fact, there are 3d6 of them, which means 8 in this case.
[4] Hrelgi rolls 4, margin 4 on her Athletics. No sweat.
No comments:
Post a Comment