We got off to a late start due to lack of players.  We even played a couple virtual board games until Paul called in and pushed us up to 4.  We crossed the drawbridge to the first gate.  There was no cover to be had in the inner courtyard so we debated.  There were plenty of arrow slits but no sign of people.  Loki cast Pace Without Trace which includes a “shroud of darkness” which we hoped would help.  We crossed and came to the front door.  At this point Paul started asking questions.  Did we want to scout around the whole castle perimeter? Is this an intelligence gathering opportunity or a practice fight or what? Ultimately, we decided not to back track and go forward.  The bigger question was how “real” was this encounter.  If we found stuff, do we keep it? If we use stuff, like consumable magic items, do we lose it? Brian was unhelpful and vague, as expected.  We pressed on and went in.

The castle was for the most part empty.  Very much like the abandoned mansions and keeps we’ve cleared out before.  Dusty and decrepit.  We just started wandering about with Baron Q added to the mix.  We heard music coming from the dining room but since we had been there before, we deferred it.  We saw various statues and gargoyles which didn’t animate.  (I had to drop off about here so this is my best reconstruction.)  They found an abandoned chapel to the Morning Lord.  This castle was once home to a noble family, before Stradanya took over the land.  To their surprise, the chapel was still “holy”.  They found a dead adventurer who seemed to have been electrocuted from touching a morning lord statue.  Ezra said it was good so he must have been bad.  He had a magic mace which Baron Q took.  Somewhere in here, they were attacked by some zombies.  They were dispatched without much issue but it made some noise.

Somehow, they went up a level from there (balcony?) and ended up in a hallway.  They triggered a trap and Stradanya appeared.  However, it was just a cheesy hunted house mannequin.  They also found a secret door that led to an elevator going up and down.  They spent an hour on this.  Evidently there were no controls inside it but could control it from the outside.  They sent it up and it made a lot of noise.  As if it hadn’t been used in a long time.  They didn’t want to risk it and didn’t want to change levels until this area was searched.  So, reluctantly, they left it behind.  The next room of interest, after a couple of unanimated skeletons were hacked to bits by Kharn, had the castle’s accountant.  He was very old and chained to his desk.  Surrounded by scrolls and papers.  (I came back at this point.)  Baron Q did his detect magic and we asked him some questions.  He did say that there was no money in his chests.  There was a false treasure room up but that the good stuff was down.  Loki tried to get the location of Stradanya’s bed room or of her minions but he didn’t know.  He was unaware of the elevator but had heard the noise.  Ambrus tried to unlock his chains but the manacle was bolted on.  We left him.

From there we went down into the first main hall via another secret stairway.  (On a side note, because we were using line of sight instead of fog of war, it was very hard to keep track of where we had been and how it all pieced together.)  As we debated whether to go into the dining room, BQ wandered about with his detect magic on.  He passed through the gargoyle room and this time they animated.  We’re not sure what was different.  They attacked but they were dispatched in a couple of rounds.  We were simply too high of level for them.  At this point, it was approaching 1AM so we stopped.  We’ve scouted a tiny portion of the castle and found next to nothing of interest.  I guess the hope is to find something important, like a minion or a glowing red gem, and then map the fastest way there? Anyhow, there’s still a ton of exploring to go.  And where is everybody? Last time we were here, wasn’t it full of servants?

Jon’s game next week.  Without Fantasy Grounds. 

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.

We got off to a slow start.  With two players missing, we had to wait for the late arrivers in order to reach critical mass.  Just as we moved across the bridge over the 500-foot canyon again, we were attacked by two Rocs.  Loki went first, firing 3-4 shots into one and then taking cover next to one of the towers.  (He was down to less than half as he had run out of HD.)  Kaladin went next.  (Still fatigued from the fight with the ghosts.)  He flew up to one and with a Flurry of Blows managed to hit and stun one.  It plummeted down and took 20d6 of falling damage.  He hit the second one but did not stun it.  Once again, the meleers were sort of left out.  Even Kharn’s strong bow was late in arriving.  The second Roc attacked Kaladin, hitting, and grappling him.  It started flying down towards its mate and was quickly out of range of our ranged characters.  Esmerelda used a Dimension Door to place herself on its back.  When Kaladin went again, he managed to stun it. (Dan: The mechanics of this was wierd.  I stunned the Roc and it instantly fell 500ft.  Since this happened instantly it interupted my action and I wasn't able to finish my action or try to escape... since an incapacitated foe can't grapple) And the 3 of them took 20d6 of falling damage.  However, the Monk took 5*level less damage.  And now both Rocs were 500 feet below the bridge.

Loki cast Summon Animals and brought forth two Giant Eagles.  He bid one to carry him down and one to catch him if the first should fall.  Although Shimota pointed out that in order to keep up, the second wouldn’t have an action to do so.  Kaladin got free of the Roc but was quickly knocked out.  Esmeralda was grabbed and it flew towards the bridge at river level.  That was finally in Loki’s range so he got a couple shots and then 4 more when his turn came up.  Kharn decided it was time for action.  He tossed his strong bow (and arrows) to Ezra and then jumped off the bridge (raging first), and landing on the Roc.  They all landed in a heap in the river, taking out the NPC.  He managed to fish her out and get her one of few remaining good berries.  Meanwhile, the other Roc attacked the Eagle carrying Loki.  It hit and grabbed and killed it.  However, since it was conjured, it simply disappeared, leaving Loki in midair.  The second Eagle managed to grab him, barely.

Kharn saved Kaladin from drowning and got him to 1 hit point as well.  He then flew at it and was critted with a beak and out again.  Esmeralda was also knocked out.  (I may be getting the order of these events wrong.)  Loki cast Rope Trick and climbed into the pocket so that the Eagle could go grab the NPC.  (He was still 100 feet up.)  But the AOO stopped that plan.  Next Baron Q decided to jump into the river to try to save her.  The problem was that she was like 30 from the bridge so the Baron needed to traverse that distance as he fell.  To do so afterwards would not leave him with an action to save her.  He wanted to use his Billowing Cloak to parasail the distance but Brian set the DC at 25.  Since the Baron was not proficient in Athletics or Acrobatics, he could not get to that number.  Some time was spent arguing and discussing options and eventually Brian agreed to move it to DC 20 because we wanted to see it tried.  He failed the roll however Ezra spent an inspiration in encouragement.  On that roll, he got a nat 20.  A beautiful swan dive (and 20d6 of damage) later, he managed to save her.

With only one Roc left, it started to fly away with the last Giant Eagle in its talons.  However, a couple of Fireballs killed it but not the Roc.  At a 120 fly speed it was getting away fast.  Esmerelda cast another Dimension Door with Kharn in tow and he took it out.  Once again, it got dicey saving the NPC from the fall but we managed.  We limped into a long rest in the same tower we stopped at on the way up.  There were some discussions about who needed full rests to recover from exhaustion and how we can get rests and have watches.  On Loki’s watch, an undead spirit manifested in the tower.  He blasted it 4 times and took it out.  People were mad for being awoken over an alleged ghost.  Once rested, we were ready to head out. 

But Kharn could not let go of the notion of a Roc nest full of treasure.  We spent 20 minutes arguing about it and eventually decided to send the fliers in search so that we could move on.  DG figured we’d miss the tracking roll anyway however with assistance from Kharn, he rolled a nat 20.  It turns out, the nest was over the Amber Temple.  We went back up the hill to check it out.  It had nothing but 2 starving Roc chicks.  Time well spent.  By the time we got back to the wagons, the day was about over.  So, we took another long rest.  And then we fast forwarded to Kresk.  Irena put herself and the sword hilt in the healing waters, fortified by the green gem Loki put in the well, and not only did the sword repair but she got her 10 years of aging back.  It is a finesse long or short sword that does +2/+2 plus an extra 1d8 of radiant damage.  And some other things once attuned.  Hopefully it’s good at slaying vampires.  We gave it to Ambrus.  Next is back to the Old Mill cave to face our greatest fear.  And maybe a side trip to Valaki along the way to get Ezra his very own strong bow.