We started in Kresk, discussing our options.  According to the script, next was to go to the cave near the Old Mill (Granny Momo’s cookie factory) and face our greatest fear.  That being, a trial run for our final confrontation with Strahdanya and her minions.  (This would finish Loki’s personal quest, the last quest to be completed.)  Followed by the actual assault.  And once she was defeated, her vampire god’s powers would be diminished sufficiently to be defeatable back at the Amber Temple.  And we’d have a week to do so or she’d rise again.  But first, what did we need to do?  There were plenty of things people wanted before fighting her, most prominently, acquire more spells.  But there are no spell stores in Barovia.  The best Lady Patrina could hope for was more inks in Valaki with which she could transcribe from Mord’s spell book.  And maybe trade with Esmerelda although she (and Brian) seemed at best lukewarm towards.  We all wanted to get to 12^th level but that will likely happen after this major milestone.  Getting a strong bow for Ezra was also on the list of desires although it’ll likely take a week or two to make, once ordered.  So, it may all be over by then. 

So, we decided to go to Valki for inks and a bow since it was on the way to the Mill anyway.  But first, there were a bunch of but firsts to do in Kresk.  Irena decided to stay behind to give Brian one less thing to keep track of.  We took another long rest to recover the last level of exhaustion for Lady P and Ambrus.  And we finally got on the road.  At the end of the first day, we came across a grisly scene.  It seemed as though a group of traveling peasants had been waylaid and killed.  The only survivor was a child who was clinging to her father’s body.  Lady P won initiative and approach her in a calm manner.  And it turned out, she was an evil fey creature feasting on the innards of the peasant.  Shock and dismay.  A dozen more leapt out of the bodies and the fight ensued.  They did a lot of damage including some free trips but at least they didn’t have any magic or legendary actions.  AOE were used.  Their AC was low but their HPs were high.  There was a big discussion on Kaladin’s attempt to use falling as “free movement” like was the case in the fight with the Roc but Brian objected.  It was a thing. 

Lady P, being in the front, got rocked pretty good.  So, she turned into a T Rex.  About round two, a huge Bone Bird fell from the sky, doing 20d6 to it and those it landed on.  In retaliation for the discussion above.  That did a bunch of damage to Kaladin and enough to knock the T Rex out of Patrina.  It got a free grab and restrained but didn’t seem to be able to fly.  How it got up there, we were confused.  That spiced up the fight.  Mighty smites and spells were used.  Fantasy Grounds went sideways a couple of times and we had to reboot once.  Lady P cast T Rex on Kharn who started granting T vantage.  The polymorph kept unsetting in Fantasy Grounds and even the Bone Brid turning into a Roc.  All in all, it was contentious, disjointed due to tech issues and resolved in a handful of rounds.  We took a short rest and continued.

In Valiki, Ezra ordered his bow from the elves.  Lady P and Esmerelda went into the city since they were the only ones not currently wanted.  After they went through the usual gate keeper nonsense, they checked the board, and we were still wanted.  They went to the magic shop.  She asked about magical items but he said that the riots caused by the wanted adventurers (us) had about cleaned him out.  He had no scrolls or spells for sell either.  But he did have ink.  She spent all her money on those and then started negotiating with the NPC about spell swapping.  She had very little success there.  Maybe she picked up a True Sight.  Meanwhile all the other idle players started drifting off.  We never really regained our momentum.  We went to the cave and entered.  And exited at the front gate of Castle Stradanya.  At that point it was probably too late to start on that, so we just stopped.  Of note, we’re going in short a short rest which is probably a bad idea.  And with all the talk of finding clues and things to defeat her, it seems like our plan is to beat her up.  And her minions, in her lair.  Although we were told that Ambrus’s new Sun Sword was sentient so maybe it has some ideas.  Any thoughts of finding another way in or weakening her forces were rejected.  Stay on the rails and those rails go right into the lion’s den.  Toot toot.