# [[016_20260918 Session 16|Session 16]] ## Scene 1: The Search for the Children While [[Zar]] and [[Erno Van Iche|Erno]] prepared to leave for [[Castle Ravenloft]], [[Andraste Amo|Andi]] and [[Irina Kolyanovich|Irina]] joined the Vistani search parties looking for [[Arrigal|Arabelle]]. They traveled with [[Stanimir#Radka|Radka]] and the captive harpy [[Captive Harpy|Alkonost]], with permission to eventually break away from the larger search and head toward [[Lake Zarovich]]. ### Camp with Radka After nearly a full day of travel, the remaining search parties camped near the [[Svalich Woods]]. Around the fire, [[Stanimir#Radka|Radka]] spoke with [[Andraste Amo|Candy]] and [[Irina Kolyanovich|Natalya]] about life inside and outside Barovia. - Radka explained that newly kidnapped souls are normally taken to a Vistani encampment near [[Vallaki]] to be "processed." - Some are distributed among Vistani camps and caravans as workers. - Others are sent to [[Castle Ravenloft]] for **blood farming**. - Radka suggested that [[Arrigal]] might know what happened to the people Andi originally came to Barovia looking for, since he had organized the caravan that brought them into the Mists. Radka also told them about a previous incarnation of [[Tatyana Ravenov|Tatyana]] named [[Tatyana Ravenov#Marina|Marina]], who lived in [[Berez]] roughly 300 years ago. A priest discovered Marina's identity and learned that [[Strahd von Zarovich|Strahd]] had been watching her as she grew up. Rather than allow Strahd to claim her, the priest and burgomaster had [[Tatyana Ravenov#Marina|Marina]] killed. Strahd retaliated, and **Berez was destroyed**. The ruins of [[Berez]] lie west of their current route, south of [[Fall of Argynvostholt|Argynvostholt]]. ### Radka and Strahd [[Stanimir#Radka|Radka]] said his family was cast out because they disagreed with [[Strahd von Zarovich|Strahd]]'s methods. Although he acknowledged that Strahd has protected the Vistani, [[Stanimir#Radka|Radka]] believes the suffering of Barovia's people—and trapping their souls in an endless cycle of reincarnation for Strahd's pursuit of [[Tatyana Ravenov|Tatyana]]—is wrong. [[Stanimir#Radka|Radka]] admitted that he would like to leave [[Barovia (the Land of)|Barovia]] permanently if he could. [[Andraste Amo|Andi]] invited him to come to [[Elturel, the Holy City|Elturel]] someday and suggested that he could work with the temple's cook. ## Scene 2: Andi and Alkonost Forever That night, Andi privately apologized to [[Captive Harpy|Alkonost]] for the restraint the Vistani required her to wear, persuading her that helping them search for the missing children could be part of earning her freedom and returning to her mother. [[Captive Harpy|Alkonost]] agreed to cooperate, though at first she remained wary of the group after months of captivity. Before sleeping, [[Andraste Amo|Andi]] spoke more with [[Captive Harpy|Alkonost]] about her people and the powers they serve: - Alkonost said she lives beyond [[Tsolenka Pass]] and was captured by a Vistani hunting party while gathering food near [[Luna Lake]]. - She is roughly **200 years old**, but still considers herself one of the children of an ancient mother who once had hundreds of offspring. - According to Alkonost, [[Strahd von Zarovich|Strahd]] hunted her people after conquering [[Barovia (the Land of)|Barovia]] because he is an enemy of both their mother and the entities they worship. - Alkonost believes that one day the **Iron Devil** will reclaim Barovia, allowing her people to fly freely again beyond the Mists. #### The Iron Devil Alkonost described the [[Iron Faith|Iron Devil]] as the [[Iron Faith|Duke of the Iron Pits]], a powerful ruler associated with the second layer of Hell. She said that long before Strahd: - dwarves brought the **faith of iron** into Barovia; - they built machines, forged powerful weapons, and created an empire; - their capital was [[Kresk]]; - King Barov eventually defeated them and killed their ruler, **Durokhan**; - the surviving faith was driven underground as worship of the [[Morninglord]] spread. [[Captive Harpy|Alkonost]] believes restoring contact with the Iron Devil could help her people challenge Strahd. #### Redacted Revelations about the Pendant Alkonost revealed that the dwarven high priests once possessed a pendant that allowed its wearer to communicate with the [[Iron Faith|Iron Devil]]. The pendant was lost centuries ago after the fall of [[Kresk]]. She described it as: - bearing the face of a horned, goat-like devil; - having two glowing red eyes; - granting its wearer a connection to the Iron Devil. ![[016_20260918 Session 16-1791547069133.webp|right|403]] [[Andraste Amo|Andi]] immediately recognized the description. She showed [[Captive Harpy|Alkonost]] an entry from her journal of [[Erno Van Iche|Erno]], hiding his face and showing only the pendant he wears. Andi admitted that she knows the man who currently possesses it and believes she can find him again. [[Captive Harpy|Alkonost]] became excitedly confirmed that the pendant is the lost relic and that bringing her to the pendant's bearer would be a great privilege. After promising to help [[Andraste Amo|Andi]] in return, Alkonost became increasingly friendly toward Andi, who already counted the harpy as a friend. ## Scene 3: The Hag on the Road The next morning, the Vistani search parties split up. [[Andraste Amo|"Candy"]], [[Irina Kolyanovich|"Natalya"]], [[Stanimir#Radka|Radka]], and [[Captive Harpy|Alkonost]] continued toward [[Lake Zarovich]], following the road rather than cutting through the woods. Radka suggested using Alkonost as a scout. Andi agreed and sent [[Owlfred]] with her so Alkonost could periodically report back without returning all the way to the group. ### The Road Ahead ![[016_20260918 Session 16-1791663084032.webp|left|321]] [[Captive Harpy|Alkonost]] discovered two dangers ahead: - three wild mountain men were hiding in the woods, apparently waiting to ambush travelers; - farther back along the same stretch of road was a large carriage matching the one used by the woman who sells [[Dream Pastries]]. The carriage had stopped before reaching the ambush. Although [[Captive Harpy|Alkonost]] had not seen any children, they could have been hidden inside. Rather than continue toward the lake, the group decided to investigate the carriage. ### The Hag's Warning System As they approached unseen through the mist, [[Andraste Amo|Andi]] noticed [[Morganta, the Dream Pastry Lady|Morganta]] interacting with a thin black cord stretched between the trees. The cord appeared to run through the woods all the way toward [[The Mill]]. [[Captive Harpy|Alkonost]] flew higher and saw that the same black thread connected several points along the road. The group concluded that it was probably some kind of **communication or warning system** between the hags, allowing them to alert one another about dangers along the road. ### A Distraction Andi asked [[Captive Harpy|Alkonost]] to distract the hag and possibly draw her toward the waiting mountain men. Alkonost tampered with the hags' warning line, attracting the attention of the nearby mountain men and drawing them away from the carriage. As the plan began to unfold, another figure suddenly appeared nearby: a starving, feral-looking vampire. Andi recognized him as [[Doryan (Doru) Donavich|Doru]]. ## Scene 4: Doru and Gertruda The hag's attempt to retreat was interrupted by [[Doryan (Doru) Donavich|Doru]], now visibly transformed into a much more feral vampire spawn. He was thin, bloodstained, and animalistic, with sharpened teeth, glowing eyes, and parts of his hair beginning to fall out. [[Irina Kolyanovich|Irina]] was horrified by his condition and upset that they had not found him sooner. ### Gertruda ![[Find Gertruda-1791346833179.webp|right|250]]As Doru and the hag sized each other up, the hag opened the carriage and pulled out a frightened girl: [[Find Gertruda|Gertruda]]! She grabbed the girl by the neck and threw her aside as a distraction before continuing toward [[The Mill]]. Andi used `Message` to beg Doru not to take the bait. It was difficult to reach the sentient part of his mind, but hearing his own name caused him to stop. [[Andraste Amo|Andi]] reminded him who she was and told him that she had been with him and Irina the night he escaped. Doru began to recognize her. He also reacted strongly to the mention of [[Irina Kolyanovich|Irina]], asking where she was and calling her his best friend. ### Calling for Help With the situation becoming increasingly dangerous, Andi sent [[Stanimir#Radka|Radka]] back toward the Vistani meeting point to get help. Andi, Irina, Gertruda, and Doru were left alone on the road while the hag continued to escape. Doru slowly approached them, visibly struggling to control his transformed body and instincts. Andi moved Gertruda aside to calm her down while [[Irina Kolyanovich|Irina]] stayed with [[Doryan (Doru) Donavich|Doru]]. ## Scene 6: The Children Still in Danger While [[Doryan (Doru) Donavich|Doru]] remained with [[Irina Kolyanovich|Irina]], Andi continued trying to calm [[Find Gertruda|Gertruda]]. She gave Gertruda food, distracted her by `mending` her clothes, and reassured her that she was safe with them. ### The Other Children Gertruda begged Andi to rescue the other children still with the hag. She emphasized that some of them were **very young**. Andi told her that they were still trying to help them and asked Gertruda to stay quiet and brave while they figured out what to do next. ### End of Session The session ended with several problems still unfolding at once: - [[Morganta, the Dream Pastry Lady|Morganta]] was escaping toward [[The Mill]]. - The remaining children, including [[Arrigal|Arabelle]], were still in danger. - [[Captive Harpy|Alkonost]] was still paralyzed near the mountain men and in danger of being attacked. - [[Stanimir#Radka|Radka]] was running back toward the other [[Vistani]] search parties for help. - [[Doryan (Doru) Donavich|Doru]] was with Irina, emotionally overwhelmed but no longer immediately hostile. - [[Find Gertruda|Gertruda had been rescued]], but did not want to return to [[Mad Mary]]. ## New Quests <!-- QueryToSerialize: LIST WITHOUT ID FROM "CoS 2026/Deeds, Past and Future/Quests" WHERE date = date("2026-09-18") AND !completed--> <!-- SerializedQuery: LIST WITHOUT ID FROM "CoS 2026/Deeds, Past and Future/Quests" WHERE date = date("2026-09-11") AND !completed --> - [[Find Suleika]] - [[Investigate Khazan's Tower]] - [[Learn Silver Fire]] - [[Seek Mordenkainen at Mount Baratok]] <!-- SerializedQuery END --> ## Quests With Deadlines <!-- QueryToSerialize: TABLE WITHOUT ID file.link AS "Quest", dateformat(fc-end, "yyyy-MM-dd") AS "Deadline", round((fc-end - this["fc-end"]).days * 100) / 100 AS "Days Left", (fc-end - this["fc-end"]).hours AS "Hours Left" FROM "CoS 2026/Deeds, Past and Future/Quests" WHERE contains(tags, "deadline") AND !completed AND !startswith(file.folder, "CoS 2026/Deeds, Past and Future/Quests/Quests Complete") SORT fc-end ASC --> <!-- SerializedQuery: TABLE WITHOUT ID file.link AS "Quest", dateformat(fc-end, "yyyy-MM-dd") AS "Deadline", round((fc-end - this["fc-end"]).days * 100) / 100 AS "Days Left", (fc-end - this["fc-end"]).hours AS "Hours Left" FROM "CoS 2026/Deeds, Past and Future/Quests" WHERE contains(tags, "deadline") AND !completed AND !startswith(file.folder, "CoS 2026/Deeds, Past and Future/Quests/Quests Complete") SORT fc-end ASC --> | Quest | Deadline | Days Left | Hours Left | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | --------- | ---------- | | [[Retrieve a stolen gem for Stafania Martikova]] | 0713-12-13 | 1.67 | 40 | <!-- SerializedQuery END --> ## Main Quests <!-- QueryToSerialize: LIST WITHOUT ID FROM "CoS 2026/Deeds, Past and Future/Quests" WHERE contains(tags, "mainQuest") AND !completed AND !startswith(file.folder, "CoS 2026/Deeds, Past and Future/Quests/Quests Complete") SORT fc-end ASC SORT date DESC --> <!-- SerializedQuery: LIST WITHOUT ID FROM "CoS 2026/Deeds, Past and Future/Quests" WHERE contains(tags, "mainQuest") AND !completed AND !startswith(file.folder, "CoS 2026/Deeds, Past and Future/Quests/Quests Complete") SORT fc-end ASC SORT date DESC --> - [[Gather allies against Strahd]] - [[Create a base of operations in Barovia]] <!-- SerializedQuery END --> ## Time-Sensitive Quests <!-- QueryToSerialize: LIST WITHOUT ID FROM "CoS 2026/Deeds, Past and Future/Quests" WHERE contains(tags, "timesensitive") AND !completed AND !startswith(file.folder, "CoS 2026/Deeds, Past and Future/Quests/Quests Complete") SORT fc-end ASC SORT date DESC --> <!-- SerializedQuery: LIST WITHOUT ID FROM "CoS 2026/Deeds, Past and Future/Quests" WHERE contains(tags, "timesensitive") AND !completed AND !startswith(file.folder, "CoS 2026/Deeds, Past and Future/Quests/Quests Complete") SORT fc-end ASC SORT date DESC --> - [[Find Arabelle]] - [[Find Gertruda]] - [[Save Doru]] - [[Look for missing children in Stoya]] <!-- SerializedQuery END --> ## Social Calendar <!-- QueryToSerialize: TABLE WITHOUT ID file.link AS "Event", tl-summary as "Description", dateformat(row["fc-date"], "yyyy-MM-dd") AS "Date" FROM "CoS 2026/Collective Wisdom/Events" WHERE row["fc-date"] >= this["fc-date"] SORT row["fc-date"] ASC --> <!-- SerializedQuery: TABLE WITHOUT ID file.link AS "Event", tl-summary as "Description", dateformat(row["fc-date"], "yyyy-MM-dd") AS "Date" FROM "CoS 2026/Collective Wisdom/Events" WHERE row["fc-date"] >= this["fc-date"] SORT row["fc-date"] ASC --> | Event | Description | Date | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------- | | [[Boy Dinner at the Castle]] | Strahd sent a formal invitation for Zar and Erno to dine with him at Castle Ravenloft, promising safe passage and hinting that he may be able to help them return home. The visit will mark the Gang’s first formal meeting with Strahd and may reveal more about his interest in them and the larger mysteries surrounding Barovia. | 0713-12-11 | | [[Wolf's Head Jamboree]] | Rictavio and Mahiji invited the Gang to an event in Vallaki to help everyone celebrate as they conquer their fear of wolves. | 0714-01-14 | | [[Ceremony at Yester Hill]] | Sister Olivenka invited the Gang to a ceremony to be held on the 12th of Fivral in the year 0714 at Yester Hill. According to Zar, this may also be Strahd's birthday? | 0714-02-12 | <!-- SerializedQuery END -->