Monday, July 11, 2016

Chapter 5: Madame Eva

The party reunites and Roger is given the Wand of the War Mage.  They continue on to the Tser Pool and find a bonfire with some gypsies sitting near tents and wagons.  They greet the Vistani and share boar and wine together.  A story teller tells them a tale about a wizard who attempted to defeat Strahd but failed.  His body however was never found.  He then invites the party to visit Madame Eva who sits in the largest tent.

They find an old crone with a crystal ball and a crackling voice.  She welcomes them all and says their names and mentions some of their deeds.  They she pulls out a deck of cards and reads their collective futures.

1.  "This card tells the history.  Knowledge of the ancient will help you better understand your enemy.  Ewww...  They seven of coins, the Thief.  What you seek lies at the crossroads of life and death, among the buried dead."

2.  "This card tells of a powerful force for good and protection, a holy symbol of great hope.  It is the two of stars, the Diviner.  Look to the one who sees all.  The treasure is hidden in her camp.  Ha ha!  I think the treasure is under my very nose!"

3.  "This is a card of power and strength.  It tells of a weapon of vengeance: a sword of sunlight!  The seven of stars, the Illusionist."  A hidden smile can be slightly detected.  "A man is not what he seems.  He comes here in a carnival wagon.  Therein lies what you seek."

4.  "This card sheds light on one who will help you greatly in the battle against darkness.  Oh woe!  It is the Horseman Joker.  A man of death named Arrigal will forsake his dark lord to serve your cause.  Beware!  He has a rotten soul."

5. "Your enemy is a creature of darkness, whose powers are beyond mortality.  This card will lead you to him!  Ahhhhhh...  The king of Spades, the Darklord himself.  He lurks in the depths of darkness, in the one place to which he must return."

"Welp, there you have it.  Be on your way and good luck."  She quickly falls asleep.

The party returns to the bonfire and asks some questions.  Roger searches the camp and find the holy symbol hidden in the wheel of one of the wagons.  They learn the Vistani have an ancient agreement with Strahd and Arrigal resides in the camp outside of Vallaki.  They stay the night and head back to Vallaki in the morning.

They come upon the crossroads with the gallows once again now noticing the small graveyard next to it.  They inspect the gravestones and search the walls.  Gilley digs up one of the graves and finds bones.  Bjorn believes the area is blessed.  After further discussion they give up their search in this place and head back to Vallaki.  They find a body, mauled by dire wolves.  Grimtooth shrugs.  While burying the remains a group of Barovians approach them.  They were apparently looking for Harold who had gone missing.  They are peasants and thank the party for starting a hole.  Bjorn asks if they know anything about the graveyard at the crossroads.  The farmers say that it is a place of the ancients who fought Strahd when he first arrived and they nearly defeated them.  It is a holy place and Barovians are unfit to be buried next to those valiant ones.

The party reaches Vallaki and inspect Rictavio's wagon.  Some inside growls and shakes the wagon fiercely.  The party decide to sleep on it after learning Rictavio is absent from town.  The next morning they go to Blinsky's Toy Shop.  Blinsky is alone there with only Piccolo as company.  He welcomes them again and offers his toys to Lideydri.  She buys a little gallow figure.  He says he knows not where Rictavio might be.  Vannan talks to Piccolo who becomes excited when he hears the name Rictavio.  Vannan learns that there is a saber tooth tiger in the wagon that has been trained to kill Vistani.  Rictavio is a spell caster.  There is a sword in the seat-case of the wagon.

The party heads over to the stockyard where the carnival wagon is and meets Gunther and Yelena.  They rent a shed next to the wagon and decide to wait until later to see if Rictavio shows up to feed the tiger.

No comments:

Post a Comment