_An adventure for five 5th-level characters._ In this arc, the first morning after the players' first full moon in Barovia, they are approached by Urwin Martikov, who asks them to investigate a mysterious shortage of wine deliveries from the Wizard of Wines winery to the southwest. If the players accept his mission, Urwin asks them to allow Muriel Vinshaw—an employee of the winery—to accompany them on the journey. (Muriel is, of course, a secret **wereraven** and a member of the Keepers of the Feather, tasked with delivering word of Strahd’s prophecy to Davian Martikov, the leader of the order.) Before the players depart Vallaki, Ireena Kolyana—inspired by the players’ exploits there and filled with grim determination following her encounters with Izek Strazni—asks them to allow her to accompany them on their travels, forsaking the sanctuary of Vallaki for an opportunity to join the fight against Strahd. If the players accept her request, Ireena joins the party as a permanent companion for the remainder of the campaign. Upon arriving at the Wizard of Wines, the players meet Davian Martikov—the patriarch of the Martikov family—and his assorted children and grandchildren, who have taken shelter in a hidden cavern beneath the nearby woods. Davian shares that the winery has been invaded by a group of druids known as the Forest Folk alongside a horde of twisted plant creatures called **blights**. Davian asks the players to defeat the Forest Folk and break the staff that their leader uses to control the blights, allowing the Martikovs to reclaim their home. To do so, the players must enter the winery through a secret tunnel that leads into the cellar, then do battle with the druids and their corrupted blight servants. The druids, however, are nurturing a cutting of the “Gulthias tree"—a vampiric tree that grows atop Yester Hill to the south—within the walls of the winery, complicating the players’ efforts to reach the upper levels. Should the players defeat the druids, they learn that the Forest Folk are planning a ritual to summon a being called “Wintersplinter" at Yester Hill the following day—a being that threatens to smash the winery into pieces. Davian asks the players and Muriel to journey to Yester Hill and prevent Wintersplinter’s birth. Davian also asks the players to retrieve an enchanted gemstone that the winery previously used to grow grapes before it was stolen by the druids. At Yester Hill, Muriel first guides the players to a grove in the shadow of the Svalich Woods. There, she summons the spirit of Kavan, an ancient chieftain of the Forest Folk, who provides information regarding the druids’ plans and defenses. Kavan warns the players that Svarog, the druids’ leader, is a mighty foe, and invites them to return to his cairn should they defeat Svarog and retrieve his yew wand. As the players continue their journey to Yester Hill, they are met by Strahd von Zarovich riding his **nightmare**, Beucephalus. Should the players convince Strahd to allow them to oppose the druids, Strahd suggests a wager and offers a reward should they win, which the players can collect at the Whispering Wall west of Yester Hill after the battle. The players must climb Yester Hill without alerting the druids’ patrols, fight their way past the guardians of the stone ring atop the hill, and defeat Svarog’s circle of druids before they can summon Wintersplinter, a fearsome **tree blight** that threatens to lay siege to the Wizard of Wines winery. If the players succeed, they can obtain the Martikovs’ stolen gemstone from Wintersplinter’s heart and end the threat of the Forest Folk for good. Should the players meet Strahd at the Whispering Wall, he shares a brief history of the wall and invites them to venture into its misted depths, where they can face visions of their deepest desires. Before departing, Strahd presents the players with their reward, as well as additional gifts for each player who entered and returned from the Whispering Wall. Should the players return to Kavan’s cairn and present him with Svarog’s wand, he shares with them the story of the schism between the Forest Folk (who chose to worship Strahd) and the Mountain Folk (who defied Strahd’s authority) long ago. Kavan tells the players of the Ladies of the Fanes, and instructs them to travel to the hidden Mountain Folk settlement of Soldav in Tsolenka Pass if they wish to find a way to reverse the land’s corruption. # J1. The Blue Water Inn ### J1a. Urwin’s Request The morning after the night of the players’ first full moon in Barovia, if they have been staying at the Blue Water Inn, Urwin Martikov approaches them with an expression of obvious concern.  After exchanging pleasantries, Urwin reluctantly (though quietly) asks if they would be willing to assist him and Danika with a problem that the inn is currently facing. If the players agree, Urwin shares the following information: * The Blue Water Inn ordinarily receives regular shipments of wine once a fortnight from the Wizard of Wines, located at the southwest end of the Barovian valley, including both the popular Purple Grapemash No. 3 and the pricier Red Dragon Crush. * However, this fortnight’s shipment is late by two days, and the inn’s supplies are beginning to run low. Urwin and Danika have enough in savings that this shouldn’t be an immediate problem, but they’re worried about the welfare of the winery, which hasn’t been heard from since the last shipment arrived. Urwin asks the players to travel to the Wizard of Wines and speak with the owner, a man named Davian Martikov, to discern the reason for the delay and resolve it, if necessary. (If the players point out Davian’s last name, Urwin grimly admits that Davian is his father, but refuses to elaborate, sharing only that he and his father have not spoken in many years.) Urwin warns the players that Davian is a “stubborn old bird," and that his short temper might wear on their patience. Urwin notes, however, that the Inn has sufficient wine stock to last at least a few days. If the players have more pressing business to attend to, he’s happy for them to take an additional day or two before departing. If the players accept Urwin’s mission, he asks them to join him in the Blue Water Inn's kitchen in one hour to meet with Muriel Vinshaw, a former employee of the Wizard of Wines who can take them to the winery. (If asked, Urwin shares that Muriel has business of her own at the winery and that she is similarly concerned for the winery’s safety, but declines to provide any further information.) > [!lore]+ **What Urwin Knows** > Urwin believes that something terrible has happened to the winery—though what, he isn't sure. Although he sent out a half-dozen ravens to investigate when the first delivery failed to appear, none returned. > > Urwin knows, thanks to Muriel, that Baba Lysaga's **strix** have recently begun to patrol the valley in greater force and numbers. Although Muriel has volunteered to investigate, he and Muriel have decided that the skies are likely no longer safe, and that the best way for her to proceed is on foot, preferably with skilled bodyguards. ## J1b. Setting Off ### Meeting Muriel When the players meet Urwin in the Blue Water Inn's kitchen after accepting his mission, he introduces them to Muriel Vinshaw. Read: <div class="description"> <p>A young woman leans against the stove, her arms crossed. She is short and dusky-skinned, with jet-black hair and dark eyes.  A  mud-stained cloak hangs across her shoulders, and a small, dark feather hangs on a leather cord around her neck between two carved wooden beads. A wooden crossbow hangs from a mount on her back, and a shortsword rests sheathed at her hip.</p> <p>Her right hand lifts up to her head, fingers idly twirling the bright blue streak that runs through her hair. She flashes you a grin and holds out the other hand in greeting, her fingers twitching with restless energy.</p> </div> ![[Muriel Vinshaw 1.png]] <span class="credit">"Muriel Vinshaw" by Caleb Cleveland. Support him on <a href="https://patreon.com/calebisdrawing/">Patreon!</a></span> > [!profile]+ **Profile: Muriel Vinshaw** > **Roleplaying Information** > ***Resonance.*** Muriel should inspire endearment with her enthusiastic, go-getter attitude, amusement with her snarky comments and cheerful sense of humor, and mild irritation with her stubbornness and occasional (though apologetic) refusals to reveal the secrets of the Keepers of the Feather. > > ***Emotions.*** Muriel most often feels curious, excited, determined, triumphant, gleeful, amused, angry, or sad. > > ***Motivations.*** Muriel wants to honor Elric's life through her resistance to Strahd and make a difference in the everyday lives of Barovians in her capacity as a field agent for the Keepers of the Feather. > > ***Inspirations.*** When playing Muriel, channel Amethyst (*Steven Universe*), Sokka (*Avatar: the Last Airbender*), and Peter Parker (*Spider-Man*). > > **Character Information** > ***Persona.*** To the world, Muriel is a cheerful, if occasionally scatterbrained young woman. To those she trusts, Muriel is a determined field agent for the Keepers of the Feather, with a strong sense of justice and a fierce independent streak. Deep down, Muriel is still grieving the death of her fiancé, Elric Martikov, and wonders whether she'll ever fix what his death broke inside of her. > > ***Morale.*** In a fight, Muriel would gladly pull out her shortsword or crossbow and dare her opponent to strike first, fleeing only if her regeneration were blocked or outmatched. > > ***Relationships.*** Muriel is an agent of the Keepers of the Feather under Davian Martikov, a contact and ally of Keeper spymaster Urwin Martikov, and the once-fiancé of Davian's deceased son, Elric Martikov, who was imprisoned while assisting Doru's rebellion against Castle Ravenloft. Muriel greets the players warmly and introduces herself, noting that Urwin has told her that she’ll be bringing them to the Wizard of Wines even as they make sure that she “doesn’t get killed." Following their reply, she then chides the players briefly, playfully suggesting that they “don’t seem like the adventuring type". If the players share any of their exploits in Vallaki or beyond, Muriel cheerfully concedes that they do indeed look well-equipped and well-prepared and thanks them for taking the job. > [!lore]+ **Muriel’s Secret Identity** > Muriel is, of course, a **wereraven** and a secret member of the Keepers of the Feather—the same blue-winged wereraven, in fact, that the players previously encountered in the village of Barovia and on the path to Tser Pool. > > If the players confront Muriel and suggest that she’s secretly a wereraven, druid, or other shapeshifter, she scoffs at the prospect and summarily denies the allegations with a healthy dose of sarcasm, laughter, and good-natured humor, spinning off a series of excuses as she does: > > * (If accused of being a shapeshifter) “What, like some kind of tree-hugging druid? I don’t even have a wooden staff. And I *hate* trees." > * (If accused of being a wereraven) “Oh, so like a werewolf but for ravens instead? That’s so stupid. ‘Oh, look at me, I’m a dangerous werewolf who turns into birds!’" > * (If her blue streak of hair is pointed out) “I once saw a wolf with an ugly face, but that doesn’t mean it was Izek Strazni in disguise. Good on that bird, though. He’s got good taste." > * (If the players continue to insist that Muriel was the blue-winged raven) "Believe what you want. But if I catch you sneaking birdseed into my rations, we're probably gonna have a problem." If the players provide undeniable evidence for their suggestion (such as Muriel’s uncanny ability to regenerate from her wounds), she winces, then insists that she can’t say anything further without first speaking to her “boss." (She won’t disclose her boss’s identity, but can truthfully promise that her boss is neither Strahd nor one of his servants.) <div class="statblock"> <h2>Muriel Vinshaw</h2> <em>Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger), chaotic good</em> <hr> <strong>Armor Class</strong> 14 (leather armor) <br> <strong>Hit Points</strong> 63 (14d8) <br> <strong>Speed</strong> 30 ft. (fly 50 ft. in raven and hybrid forms) <hr> <table class="ability-table"> <thead> <tr> <th>STR</th> <th>DEX</th> <th>CON</th> <th>INT</th> <th>WIS</th> <th>CHA</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>10 (+0)</td> <td>16 (+3)</td> <td>11 (+0)</td> <td>13 (+1)</td> <td>15 (+2)</td> <td>14 (+2)</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <hr> <strong>Skills</strong> Insight +4, Perception +6<br> <strong>Senses</strong> passive Perception 16<br> <strong>Languages</strong> Common (can't speak in raven form)<br> <strong>Challenge Rating</strong> 2<br> <strong>Proficiency Bonus</strong> +2 <hr> <p><strong><em>Regeneration.</em></strong> Muriel regains 10 hit points at the start of her turn if she hasn't taken necrotic damage or bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage from a silvered weapon since her last turn. She dies only if she starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate.</p> <p><strong><em>Mimic.</em></strong> Muriel can mimic simple sounds she has heard, such as a person whispering, a baby crying, or an animal chittering. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check.</p> <p><strong><em>Plummet.</em></strong> If Muriel flies at least 20 feet straight toward a target while descending at least five feet toward the ground, and then hits that target with a shortsword attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 7 (2d6) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.</p> <h3>Actions</h3> <p><strong><em>Multiattack.</em></strong> Muriel makes two weapon attacks, one of which can be with her hand crossbow.</p> <p><strong><em>Shortsword.</em></strong> (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only) <em>Melee Weapon Attack:</em> +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. <em>Hit:</em> 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.</p> <p><strong><em>Hand Crossbow.</em></strong> (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only) <em>Ranged Weapon Attack:</em> +5 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. <em>Hit:</em> 5 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.</p> <p><strong><em>Beak.</em></strong> (Raven or Hybrid Form Only) <em>Melee Weapon Attack:</em> +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. <em>Hit:</em> 1 piercing damage in raven form, or 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage in hybrid form. If the target is humanoid, it must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be cursed with wereraven lycanthropy.</p> <h3>Bonus Actions</h3> <p><strong><em>Shapechange.</em></strong> Muriel polymorphs into a raven-humanoid hybrid or into a raven, or back into her human form. Its statistics, other than her size, are the same in each form. Any equipment she is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. She reverts back to her human form if she dies.</p> <h3>Reactions</h3> <p><strong><em>Interpose.</em></strong> When a creature Muriel can see hits another target within 5 feet of Muriel with an attack, she can use her reaction to take the damage instead.</p> </div> ### Ireena's Request Before the players depart the Blue Water Inn, if they have previously treated Ireena Kolyana with kindness and respect, she enters the inn’s taproom to meet them—once again wearing her rapier and breastplate. Ireena, who has learned of the players’ destination from Danika, Father Petrovich, or another friendly Vallakian with connections to the Martikovs, first confirms that the players are leaving Vallaki to investigate the Wizard of Wines. Once she does, she asks the players for an opportunity to accompany them—to journey at their side in their fight to aid Barovia and defy Strahd’s will. She can share the following information to explain her decision: * Ireena shares that, after seeing the players’ exploits in Vallaki, she has realized the importance of fighting for others, rather than simply speaking for them. She wants to learn to be a warrior for her people, and to resist Strahd’s tyranny directly—without fear or hesitation. * If Ireena was stalked or kidnapped by Izek Strazni in ***Act H: The Strazni Siblings***, she shares that she is tired of hiding from those who seek to use her for their own ends, and finished with allowing others to be harmed in their efforts to protect her. She is determined to stand on her own two feet and to fight her own battles instead of allowing others to fight them for her. * Ireena notes that St. Andral’s Church has already been targeted by Strahd’s servants once—and that while Ismark sent her to Vallaki in the hopes that she would be beyond Strahd’s reach, her experiences there have shown her that nowhere in the valley is truly safe. If the players appear concerned for Ireena’s safety, she points out that, throughout their travels, none of Strahd’s servants or minions have dared attack her, suggesting that he has ordered them to leave her unharmed.  If the players suggest that Ireena will be ill-equipped for a life of adventuring, she points out that she is a trained healer (due to her mother’s tutelage); that she is a capable swordswoman (thanks to Ismark’s training); and that she can further assist them by serving as a liaison and sharing information about the valley. If the players suggest that Ireena’s presence will draw Strahd’s attention or otherwise bring them ill luck, she stiffens, then asks them quietly if they truly wish to send her away, as Ismark did. If they repeat their refusal, she acquiesces to their decision. # J2. The Old Svalich Road The journey from the town of Vallaki to the **Wizard of Wines winery** is just under seven miles long and takes two-and-one-quarter hours to complete. To get to the winery, the players must travel to the Raven River Crossroads, then head south. ## J2a. Crossing the River As the players cross the bridge over the Luna River, read the following: <div class="description"> <p>The path narrows, flanked by dense, towering trees. Up ahead, you can see an old wooden bridge come into view, its age-worn planks spanning the rushing river below. As you approach, you can see the dark river tumbling over the smooth stones of the riverbed, bordered on either side by gnarled bushes and trees.</p> <p>As you step onto the bridge, your boots echo against the old, damp wood. To the north, you can see the river meander upstream around the tree line before vanishing around a curve. To the south, the river winds like a ribbon between its banks, then gradually vanishes into mist.</p> </div> The Luna River Crossroads are as described in <span class="citation">P. Luna River Crossroads (p. 40)</span>. However, do not check for a random encounter when the players reach this area. As the players pass it, the path to Argynvostholt is largely as described in <span class="citation">Approaching the Mansion (p. 130)</span>. Read: <div class="description"> <p>A dirt path branches off from the Old Svalich Road here, winding its way south up a craggy mountain spur. The earth of the path is hard-packed, its color a pallid gray-brown reminiscent of cold ashes. The trees on either side stand silent and stoic, their leaves a faded green. As the path winds upward, it's eventually replaced by the deep shadows of the mountain's forested incline, vanishing into the gloom of the woods beyond.</p> </div> ## J2b. The Path to Tsolenka Pass Just before the players reach the Raven River Crossroads, they come across the path to Lake Baratok and <span class="citation">Chapter 11: Van Richten’s Tower (p. 167)</span>, not far from the path that leads to <span class="citation">Chapter 9: Tsolenka Pass (p. 157)</span>. Read: <div class="description"> <p>An old hunting trail cuts away from the Old Svalich Road here, winding north between old, gnarled trees before vanishing into the underbrush. A hundred yards beyond it, an alpine path splits from the main road to travel south toward the mountains, rising in elevation until it disappears around a steep, tree-covered escarpment.</p> </div> As the players pass the entrance to the alpine path, they’re watched by a Mountain Folk **berserker** lurking in the southern underbrush. Read: <div class="description"> <p>You hear the snap of a twig in the underbrush to the south.</p> </div> If the players investigate, they can make a DC 11 Wisdom (Perception) check to discern a human-shaped silhouette amidst the tree line beyond.  If the players approach, call out to, or otherwise attempt to interact with the silhouette, read: <div class="description"> <p>You startle a broad-shouldered woman clad in thick, mud-caked furs and clutching a stone axe. Obsidian ornaments hang from her ears and neck, and a thin layer of gray mud is smeared across her face, blending with the dark trees around her.</p> </div> The woman immediately attempts to flee into the woods. If the players attempt to stop or attack her, Muriel warns them that the woman is one of the Mountain Folk—a tribe of hunter—gatherers that live amongst the Balinok Mountains—and that their people are neither servants of Strahd nor dangerous unless attacked.  Muriel doesn’t know why the woman was watching the road, but shares that the Mountain Folk have been more active lately, though no one is quite sure why. Reports suggest that they’re looking for something, however. (If asked how she knows so much about the Mountain Folk, Muriel laughs and claims only that she’s well-traveled and has “many friends" across the valley.) If the players ask Muriel about the druid of the Forest Folk that they saw on the Old Svalich Road in ***Arc I: The Lost Soul***, she shares that the Forest Folk are known to be loyal servants of Strahd, who they worship like a deity. She advises the players to steer clear of the druids’ lair: a terraced mound called Yester Hill in the southwest corner of the Svalich Woods, south of the Wizard of Wines. ## J2c. The Raven River Crossroads The Raven River Crossroads are largely as described in <span class="citation">R. Raven River Crossroads (p. 40)</span>. However, do not check for a random encounter when the players reach this area. Additionally, add the following text to the end of the area description: <div class="description"> <p>A figure clad in rusty armor stands alone on the bridge, clutching a gleaming longsword in its pale hands.</p> </div> The figure is recognizably similar to the revenant standing guard at Tser Falls. If approached, it hails the players and asks after their destination. If the players tell the revenant that they are traveling to the Wizard of Wines, it warns them that the Forest Folk of Yester Hill have been increasingly agitated as of late, and that they have been joined by the children of the Gulthias Tree—a twisted husk that grows atop Yester Hill and gives birth to “blights" that crawl forth from its gnarled roots. The revenant advises them to be wary of the blights, which see without eyes and disguise themselves among the flora of the wilds. If the players ask the revenant about the Mountain Folk or Forest Folk, it shares only that the “First People" were split long ago in the face of tragedy and strife, and that their descendants remained apart ever since. It notes that the Forest Folk have embraced Strahd von Zarovich as their lord and ruler, but that the Mountain Folk still hold to the old ways, worshipping ancient goddesses that once dwelled in the valley. (The revenant doesn’t know where the Mountain Folk dwell, but has heard that their settlement is hidden somewhere in the mountains.) If the players' weapons are clearly visible, it asks the players if they oppose the lord of Castle Ravenloft. If the players claim to oppose Strahd, the revenant advises them to travel to Argynvostholt to the southeast, where Sir Godfrey Gwilym awaits those who would raise their swords against the darkness that lurks in the castle's depths. If the players ask for directions to Argynvostholt, the revenant advises them to travel "east, then south upon the ash-gray path." The revenant will not leave its post on the bridge under any circumstances. ## J2d. The Spiked Pit Trap As the players proceed south from the Raven River Crossroads, read: <div class="description"> <p>As the dirt road winds through the woods, the path narrows, framed by ancient, twisted trees whose gnarled branches form a thick canopy overhead. Dappled gray light struggles to pierce through, casting eerie shadows that flicker and dance with the slightest breeze. A musky, earthy aroma fills the air—the scent of rotting leaves, damp soil, and the faint tang of decay.  </p> <p>The vegetation here is denser than the main road, and several low-hanging branches are draped with clumps of vines that weave a tangled tapestry across the undergrowth. A thick blanket of twigs and pine needles crunches beneath your boots, their low sounds the only noise amidst the silent path.</p> </div> As the players enter this area, Muriel whispers that something isn’t right, noting that the road “didn’t smell like death" the last time she passed through here. The road here hides a spiked pit trap (<span class="citation">Dungeon Master's Guide, p. 122</span>), concealed as described in <span class="citation">False Trail (p. 30)</span>. The clumps of vines (and the source of the scent of decay) are five **vine blights**, concealed through the use of their ***false appearance*** feature. A player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 15 or greater or who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check spots the pit. If any players fall into the pit, attempt to bypass the pit, or attack the vine blights, the vine blights attack. Any player who has not already recognized the clumps of vines as a threat is surprised. In combat, the **vine blights** use their ***constrict*** attack to grapple enemies before dragging them into the pit trap. > [!combat]- **Balancing the False Trail** > This combat encounter is a **mild** combat encounter against a party of five 5th-level players, one CR 1 ally (Muriel Vinshaw), and one CR 2 ally (Ireena Kolyana), and will consume approximately 25% of their total maximum hit points. For parties of smaller or larger sizes, modify the encounter as follows: > > * ***Three Players.*** Reduce the number of vine blights to three. > * ***Four Players.*** Reduce the number of vine blights to four. > * ***Six Players.*** Increase the number of vine blights to six. ## J2e. The Huntress’s Monument As the players proceed past the pit trap, read: <div class="description"> <p>The road continues, bending again as the trees begin to pull back from the path. Not far from the road, amidst a small grove of berry-bearing bushes stands an old stone slab standing just under six feet in height. It rests on an old, cracked stone circle, and seems to bear some kind of carving.</p> </div> If the players choose to investigate the slab, they find that it bears a carving of a wolf over an engraved three-pointed star.  (The slab is an ancient monument to the Huntress, and the three-pointed star the symbol of the Ladies Three. Unlike the other three slabs in Barovia, there is no lichen or moss on this monument, which is ordinarily well-maintained by the Martikovs. Although the Martikovs don't remember the names or natures of the Ladies of the Fanes, they retain a strong respect for Barovia's old gods.) # J3. The Wizard of Wines The last stretch of the journey to the Wizard of Wines is largely as described in <span class="citation">Approaching the Vineyard (p. 174)</span>. If Muriel is with the party, she recognizes the man's cloak as Davian Martikov’s and urges the players to meet him. > [!lore]+ **History of the Winery** > Long ago, before Strahd von Zarovich first conquered the valley, the tribes of the First Folk were brutally united when Kavan the Blood-Drinker, a young chieftain, destroyed the hierarchy of the druidic caste and waged bloody war upon his neighbors. > > The servants of the Seeker—a clan of **wereravens**—feared Kavan’s conquest. To protect the power of the Ladies Three from his ambition, the wereravens stole the three life—giving gemstones from their places amidst the Fanes and hid them away.  > > Centuries later, the descendants of these wereravens—the Martikov family—would use these gemstones to found the Wizard of Wines Winery, hiding their bountiful power in plain sight. Even when Strahd conquered the valley and bestowed the winery to the Krezkov family as a reward for their loyalty, few generations had passed before the Martikovs married into the Krezkov line and retook possession by means of inheritance. > > One hundred years ago, a **wereraven** named Livius Martikov—the grandfather of Davian Martikov—defied his family’s wishes and helped Burgomaster Ismark Antonovich and the paladin Lugdana to steal the *Sigil of the Sun* (now named the *Holy Symbol of Ravenkind*) and the *Tome of Strahd* from Castle Ravenloft while Strahd slumbered.  > > Livius adventured with Ismark and Lugdana for nearly a decade afterward, scouting out dangers and spying on their enemies. When he finally retired from adventuring, he used the wealth and notoriety he had gained to found the Keepers of the Feather, a secret society of wereravens dedicated to opposing the forces of darkness across Barovia. Though the Keepers would not themselves enter the fray, they vowed to serve, guide, and shelter any heroes who might one day rise in Lugdana’s memory. > > Ten years ago, Madam Eva—assisted by the **roc of Mount Ghakis** disguised as an ordinary raven—stole one of the three enchanted gemstones from the winery. Davian blamed his son, Urwin, as described in <span class="citation">Chapter 12: The Wizard of Wines (p. 173)</span>. Urwin told Davian that he had seen a raven carrying the gem away into the night—a claim that Davian dismissed as ludicrous, because the Keepers knew and commanded all of the ravens in the valley. After a furious fight, Urwin and his betrothed, Danika Dorakova, left for Vallaki the following morning, never to return. > > Just over three months ago, when the ravens caught word of Doru’s brewing rebellion, the **wereraven** Elric Martikov—one of Davian’s youngest sons and Elvir Martikov’s twin brother—became determined to fight alongside them. Davian, however, forbade him from doing so. > > A fight ensued, and an enraged Davian banished Elric from the winery for his defiance. Elric perished in Castle Ravenloft soon thereafter. > > Ludmilla Vilisevic and the witches’ coven of Castle Ravenloft found Elric’s broken body soon thereafter. They brought his corpse to Baba Lysaga, the witch of Berez, whose *scrying* spells and ritual magic soon uncovered the source of the **wereraven** scourge: the Wizard of Wines winery to the west. > > As Baba Lysaga set about crafting **greater** and **lesser strix** to patrol the skies for the Keepers and their raven servants, Ludmilla brokered an agreement with the druids of Yester Hill to aid in her plot against the Keepers. Ludmilla taught the druids to extract cuttings of the Gulthias Tree atop Yester Hill, which they used to command the blights the tree produced. > > Baba Lysaga’s **scarecrows** have repeatedly attacked the winery since then. On one such occasion, Ludmilla detected the presence of the two remaining magic gems. Three weeks ago, during one such attack, the scarecrows found one of the gems, dug it up, and spirited it away to Baba Lysaga in Berez. > > Five days ago, the druids of Yester Hill found the second gem and stole it. The wereravens launched a counterattack as described in <span class="citation">Chapter 12: The Wizard of Wines (p. 173)</span>, but were unable to overcome the druids and their defenses. Three days ago, the druids marched on the winery with a small army of corrupted blights and drove the Martikovs out. > > The druids have remained in the winery ever since, searching for the third gemstone that they believe to be hidden there. They have also planted a cutting of the Gulthias Tree within the winery, which they plan to use to extend their reach north, toward Krezk. Soon, however, the druids will give up their search—and the **tree blight** Wintersplinter will march upon the winery and destroy it for good. If the players linger on the road, a piercing screech splits the air from the south—the familiar call of a **greater strix**. Just a moment later, it’s answered by a second, similar call from the east—and a third, similar call from the west. As the three shrieks echo across the vineyard, the cloaked figure glances upward and its gestures become more urgent, while Muriel urges the players to seek cover. If the players approach the cloaked figure, it beckons them deeper into the woods. Read:  <div class="description"> <p>The figure vanishes into a small grove of beech trees tucked away amidst the woods, their smooth, silvery-gray trunks standing in a ring like ancient sentinels. The canopy above forms a dense, near-unbroken ceiling of foliage, casting the forest floor in an otherworldly shadow.</p> <p>All around you, the trees' uniform, near-symmetrical branches reach upward like slender arms toward the sky. Dozens of ravens sit perched upon them, their dark eyes watching silently as you approach.</p> <p>The figure is nowhere to be seen, but a well-disguised trapdoor has been pulled open at the center of the clearing, exposing a wooden ladder that descends down a shaft in the earth.</p> </div> As the players enter the clearing, the drizzle turns to rain, lightning flashing and thunder rolling overhead. Muriel doesn’t recognize the trapdoor or the ladder. If the players linger without entering the trapdoor, the cloaked man’s head pokes up out of the trapdoor, and he grunts, “Do you want to get punctured to death, you fools? Get down here before they see you, for goodness’ sake—and close the door behind you." He then descends back down the ladder. ## J3a. The Martikovs’ Refuge ### Down the Ladder If the players descend the ladder, read: <div class="description"> <p>You descend the wooden ladder, each step echoing faintly in the enclosed space as the rungs creak beneath your weight. Overhead, heavy raindrops drum against the closed trapdoor with a relentless rhythm, the muffled sound of booming thunder echoing far above. Rivulets of rainwater run down the damp stone walls around you, pooling in a sloshing, watery pit thirty feet below.</p> <p>Halfway down the shaft, the walls open up into a small stone cavern, its rough walls damp and glistening. Lanterns hang from iron hooks that jut out from the walls, their flickering flames filling the space with the warm glow of candlelight. The perimeter of the cavern hosts a collection of crates and sacks, which appear to have been kept in relatively good condition. A tunnel stretches away from the south wall of the cave, a thin layer of mist clinging to its floor as it vanishes into darkness.</p> <p>Bedrolls and blankets are strewn across the rough cavern floor, occupied by an assortment of adults and children. Two men bearing a striking resemblance to Urwin Martikov lean against the western wall—the elder with dark hair tinged slightly with gray, and the younger bearing softer features and a mop of brownish hair.</p> <p>A woman kneels beside a pair of young boys not far away, her angular features framed by locks of chestnut hair. A bald, broad-shouldered man with a darker complexion sits beside her, cradling an infant sleeping peacefully in his arms. A teenager showing a blend of the man and woman's features sits with his knees held to his chest a few feet beyond, a half-whittled stick clutched in his hands.</p> <p>The cloaked figure stands at the head of the group, the cowl of his cloak lowered to reveal the features of a man in his elder years. His gray, suspicious eyes scowl back at you, framed by strands of silver-gray hair that cascade down to his shoulders from the receding hairline along his scalp. His face is bronzed and weathered, and the wrinkles above his eyebrows split his forehead like furrowed troughs.</p> <p>The patched green cloak he wears has clearly seen better days, but appears to have been proudly decorated with clusters of raven's feathers meticulously sewn into the cowl and shoulders, as well as a menagerie of nearly a dozen old pewter medallions and trinkets that have been haphazardly stitched into the fabric. His weight leans against an old wooden cane, its wide surface carved with intricate patterns of grapes and vines, and his thick fingers tap impatiently against its edge.</p> </div> The two men resembling Urwin Martikov are Adrian and Elvir Martikov, respectively. The woman is Stefania Martikov and the man beside her is Dag Tomescu, her husband. The two boys are Martin and Viggo, the infant is Yolanda, and the teenager is Claudiu. The cloaked man is Davian Martikov. > [!profile]+ **Meet the Martikovs** > When roleplaying the Martikov family, keep the following information in mind: > > * **Adrian** is two years older than Urwin, and is generally quiet and observant, though he isn’t afraid to take charge when necessary. He takes no sides in the feud between Davian and Urwin and believes that Elric died fighting for what he believed in, and that his death should therefore be respected. Adrian should make the players feel flattered and grateful, and most often feels thoughtful, determined, or melancholy. > * **Elvir** is ten years younger than Urwin and the twin brother of the late Elric Martikov, and is generally sharp, sarcastic, and quick-tempered. He believes that Davian was wrong to scorn Urwin, and that the theft of the third enchanted gem likely wasn’t Urwin’s fault. He shares freely his position that Elric’s death was worthless, and that the whole family would be better off had he never gone to Castle Ravenloft to fight in Doru’s rebellion. Deep down, however, Elvir feels deeply betrayed that Elric would go to fight Strahd without him. Elvir should make the players feel irritated, insulted, sympathetic, and endeared to him, and most often feels frustrated, annoyed, melancholy, angry, determined, or amused. > * **Stefania** is five years older than Urwin. She doesn’t begrudge Urwin for the theft of the third enchanted gem, but shares Davian’s position that Urwin was most likely mistaken about what he saw. She believes that Elric’s death was a tragedy, but that he was an adult member of the Keepers of the Feather and that his choice therefore deserves respect. Stefania should make the players feel comforted and grateful, and most often feels cheerful or determined. > * **Dag**, who married into the Martikov family, takes no position on Davian’s feud with Urwin, though he shares Stefania’s position that Elric’s death was a tragedy but his choice deserves respect. He most often feels amused, thoughtful, playful, or determined, and should make the players feel grateful, amused, and endeared to him. > * **Claudiu** doesn’t care about Davian’s feud with Urwin, and believes that Elric’s death was a clear signal that resisting Strahd is hopeless and anyone who does so is doomed to failure. He most often feels grim, bored, annoyed, frustrated, or melancholy, and should make the players feel irritated, insulted, and sympathetic to him. > * **Martin and Viggo** don’t know about Davian’s feud with Urwin, who they have never met. They don’t understand the full nature of Elric’s revolt against Castle Ravenloft, but know enough to understand that he died there. They most often feel playful, bored, fearful, intrigued, or excited, and should make the players feel flattered, amused, and endeared to them. > * **Davian** is the patriarch of the Martikov family and the widower of his late wife, Mirabel Oraonova. Publicly, he avows that Elric was a fool, insubordinate, and disobedient for refusing Davian’s command to stay away from Castle Ravenloft. Deep down, Davian is shattered that the last words he spoke to his son before Elric’s death were, “*And don’t come back!*" Davian most often feels annoyed, irritated, satisfied, or grumpy, and should make the players feel insulted, grateful, and sympathetic to him. Davian greets Muriel with obvious familiarity, then gruffly asks the players to identify themselves and explain their presence. If informed that the players have been sent by Urwin Martikov, Davian snorts and scoffs at “the audacity of that lout."  Davian curtly introduces each member of the family if asked. He is also willing to tersely confirm that Urwin Martikov is his son, though refuses to speak further of their relationship. ### Davian’s Request Upon learning that the players have been sent to investigate the delayed wine shipments, Davian is glad to share the following information: * Three days before the players received Urwin’s request (see [[#J1a. Urwin’s Request]] above), four druids of the Forest Folk invaded the Wizard of Wines and drove the Martikovs out. Davian and his family have hidden themselves away in this hidden cavern ever since. * The druids are accompanied by several dozen blights, created by the Gulthias Tree upon Yester Hill, as well as three **greater strix** created by the swamp-witch, Baba Lysaga, who dwells in Berez. The strix have been patrolling the skies, preventing the Martikovs from escaping. * Davian isn’t entirely sure why the druids attacked the winery, why they’re still inside, or why Baba Lysaga is assisting them.  A DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check suggests that Davian might know more than he’s letting on, but he steadfastly refuses to explain further beyond noting that, “Yester Hill isn’t far from here. The Forest Folk have been terrible neighbors for years, and we haven’t been shy about letting them know that. Looks like this is their revenge." A second DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that he’s not telling the entire truth; if challenged, Davian responds by irritatedly promising to give the players his family’s “whole damn ledger" if they get rid of the druids first. Davian welcomes the players’ help in defeating the druids. If the players agree to do so, Davian can share the following additional information: * There are four druids, eight **needle blights**, eight **vine blights**, and more than a few dozen **twig blights** in the winery. The skies above the winery are guarded by three patrolling **greater strix**, and the vineyard is guarded by too many **needle blights** to count. * The leader of the druids bears a strange magical staff, which appears to be the source of the blights’ strength and the means by which the druids are controlling them. If the players can obtain the staff and break it, the hordes of blights in the vineyard (as well as any other blights in the winery) would likely be greatly weakened, if not killed outright. * The safest route into the Wizard of Wines is an underground tunnel that leads from this cavern and exits through a secret door into the winery’s cellar. From there, the players will need to sneak or fight their way up until they find the druid with the magical staff. > [!info]+ **Balancing the Winery** > If you are rebalancing the Wizard of Wines for parties of larger or smaller size (see encounter-balancing callouts below), make sure to adjust Davian's information accordingly. ### Elvir’s Rage When Davian has given the players their mission, Claudiu mutters—just loudly enough to be heard—“What does it matter? They’re just going to die, anyway." Assuming the players do not intervene, the following sequence then unfolds: * Stefania scolds Claudiu, and orders him to apologize to the players. (She glances toward the players and immediately apologizes for her son’s behavior.) * After the players respond, Elvir loudly agrees that the players are wasting their time, and there’s no possibility that they’ll be strong enough to defeat “the vampire’s" servants. He gives the players a baleful glare, as though challenging them to disagree. * As the players respond, Adrian attempts to calm Elvir, insisting that, “this isn’t like Elric." Elvir snarls at Adrian, “Don’t say his name!", and Davian shouts at all of his children to be silent, vowing that he “will not suffer disobedience again in this household." * Elvir snaps back, insisting that Davian “drove Elric away, just like he did Urwin." Davian’s face colors bright red, and he shouts, “*Enough!*" * Elvir snarls, turns, and sits cross-legged in a damp alcove away from the rest of the family, facing a wall. Stefania and Adrian move to flank Davian and engage him in hushed whispers, both looking stricken. The players can notice that Claudiu looks pale and vaguely guilty, and that Muriel’s complexion has taken on an ashen pallor, her face becoming a mask of unreadable stone. As the family splinters, Dag approaches the players and greets them with a sheepish grin. In a low voice, he apologizes for his in-laws’ behavior, and promises that they’re good people “once you get to know them." Dag can share the following information if asked: * Ten years ago, someone stole something valuable from the winery while Urwin Martikov was keeping watch. Davian blamed Urwin for the theft, convinced that he’d been fooling around with his betrothed, Danika Dorakova, instead of paying attention. Davian and Urwin had a furious fight the following morning, which ended with Urwin departing the winery for Vallaki. Urwin hasn’t returned since, and Davian never recovered the thing that was stolen, nor did he ever find the culprit. (If asked what was stolen, Dag says only that it was a gemstone—a prized family heirloom, and one of Davian’s most treasured possessions.) * Just over three months ago, Elric Martikov, Elvir’s twin brother and Muriel’s betrothed, joined a rebellion in the village of Barovia that marched on Castle Ravenloft. Elric had always been bright-eyed and optimistic—a dreamer who believed in a better future for his loved ones. Davian forebade him from going, and ordered Elric never to return when he disobeyed. Davian’s words came true—Elric died in the castle, and his death shattered the Martikov family once again. * Claudiu was especially close to his two youngest uncles, and Elric most of all. He and Elvir haven’t taken Elric’s death well, with both falling into a kind of melancholic despair and Elvir lashing out at anyone who gets on his bad side. If asked, Muriel confirms in a raw, quiet whisper that Elric “inspired us all," but that she—and Elric’s family—have had to learn to get by without him. She then excuses herself and moves to sit beside Elvir. > [!abstract]+ **Speaking with Elvir** > If the players move to speak with Elvir, he ignores them, staring straight at the cavern wall, for the first full minute. He then hoarsely demands to know why they’ve come to the winery, insisting that there’s nothing left for them or anyone else to find there. If the players show Elvir kindness and compassion, they can somewhat lighten his mood with a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. Otherwise, he firmly but politely asks them to leave him alone, his voice strained and raw. > > If the players get on Elvir’s good side and ask about Elric, Elvir tells them that Elric was a fool who abandoned his family, and that he “deserved what he got." A DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that Elvir is uncomfortable with the harshness of his words, and doesn’t appear to entirely believe them. The players can convince Elvir to reveal his true feelings with a DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion) check; otherwise, he shakes his head and firmly denies any deeper meaning. ### Into the Tunnel After the players have spoken with Dag and the other Martikovs to their satisfaction, Davian and Stefania approach them. Davian apologizes to the players for Elvir’s behavior, and—at Stefania’s gentle chiding—his own outburst as well. If the players are still willing to enter the winery to defeat the druids within, Davian can share the following final warnings: * First, Davian shares that the tunnel that leads into the cellar passes through a cavern filled with **brown mold**, which the Martikovs use to keep the wine stored in the cellar cool. Davian advises the players to stick to the path through the center of the mold, and not to approach, attack, or touch the mold lest it harm them. * Second, Davian warns that the druids can conjure the force of thunder to defeat their enemies. If the players fail to swiftly defeat any individual druid they come across, the sound of their thunder might alert the others, summoning them to defend the first. (The same is true for any loud spells that the players might use, so Davian warns them to stay quiet to avoid detection. Davian is reasonably confident, however, that the sound of the storm should help to cover up the sounds of any ordinary combat.) * Third, Davian reminds the players that the winery is an old structure built of wood. If any of the players appear to be spellcasters, Davian makes them promise not to set it on fire by mistake “like a bloody flaming fool." > [!info]+ **Fire Hazard** > The players should be cautious when casting spells such as *fireball* or *lightning bolt* within the winery, both of which expressly set their surroundings on fire. If the players nonetheless set the winery aflame, apply the following rules:  > > * Each contiguous collection of ignited squares counts as a single fire. On initiative count 20 of each round, for each fire, roll a number of d4s equal to the number of squares in that fire. For each 4 rolled, an additional square adjacent to the fire also ignites (your choice), becoming a part of the fire. Ignited squares can include either floors or walls. (An ignited wall is engulfed with flames on both sides.)  > * When the fire spreads, each creature within its area must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw. On a successful save, that creature can immediately move to an adjacent, unoccupied square within 5 feet. A creature that enters the fire or begins its turn there for the first time on a turn takes 1d8 fire damage.  > * All squares within 10 feet of a fire are heavily obscured by smoke. A creature that starts its turn in the smoke must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of its next turn. Undead and constructs succeed on the saving throw automatically. > * A creature can use its action and suitable means to extinguish a 5-foot section Davian also informs the players of the existence of an emergency cache that he kept in the winery, but wasn’t able to retrieve before the druids drove them out. The cache, which is hidden in the barrel nearest the northwest corner in a storage room on the main floor of the winery, contains healing supplies and other items that the players might find useful. (Davian doesn’t remember exactly what he left in the cache, but invites the players to keep its full contents for themselves—assuming, of course, that the druids haven’t found and raided it already.) ### Brown Mold <span class="citation"><em>This scene takes place in Chapter 12, Area W15.</em></span> Once the players are ready to go, Muriel approaches them and wishes them luck. (She won’t be accompanying them into the winery, having decided to remain in the cavern to protect the Martikovs should any trouble arise.) As the players pass through the tunnel, read: <div class="description"> <p>The tunnel marches silently through the earth, a thin veil of mist clinging to the ground as it delves deeper into the darkness. The further you travel, the colder it gets, your breath misting on the air. Moisture pooling in the tunnel's nooks and crannies gradually gives way to patches of ice, their brittle surfaces splintering and crunching under your boots.</p> <p>The tunnel soon opens into a shallow, freezing cavern. Thick brown mold carpets the walls, floor, and ceiling, its expanse interrupted only by a narrow dirt path that cuts across the floor to a dark stone archway at the opposite end. </p> </div> This area is as described in <span class="citation">W15. Brown Mold (p. 178)</span>. If the players approach the archway, read: <div class="description"> <p>The archway gives way to a stonework tunnel, which seemingly terminates at a blank brick wall fifteen feet beyond. </p> <p>Brown mold has filled this cramped corridor, with more recent growths covering the floor, walls, and ceiling around it—except in one place. A short way down the tunnel, a small wooden box covered with old, peeling paint hangs from a rusted iron hook. The box is painted a pale, frigid blue, and has the design of a snowflake carved into its side. A six-inch bare patch covers the wall around the box, with nary a spore of mold nearby.</p> </div> The players can’t proceed safely down the tunnel without first destroying the brown mold obstructing it. A player who makes a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) check to remember information about brown mold learns the information described in <span class="citation">Brown Mold (<em>Dungeon Master’s Guide</em>, p. 105</span>).  A player who casts *detect magic* notices that three small objects within the box are glimmering with transmutation magic. If the players retrieve the box—which is mounted to the wall five feet down the corridor— by magic or other means, they find that it contains three **winter wolf** teeth, each of which are six inches long, cold to the touch, and carved with intricate runic inscriptions. (The teeth were obtained, carved, and enchanted by the Mountain Folk, who sold them to Davian many years ago.)  A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check identifies the teeth as belonging to one or more **winter wolves.** A player looking to identify a tooth’s properties must study it for 1 minute and make a DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check, succeeding automatically by taking ten times as long. On a success, the player learns that the tooth bears the following properties: * A creature can use their action to pierce their stomach with the tooth. That creature can then immediately exhale a blast of freezing wind in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. * A creature can use their action to pierce their bicep with the tooth. That creature gains immunity to cold damage for 1 minute. The tooth dissipates into frigid mist if either of these properties are used. ## J3b. Into the Winery <span class="citation"><em>This scene takes place in Chapter 12, Area W14.</em></span> The wine cellar is largely as described in <span class="citation">W14. Wine Cellar (p. 178)</span>. However, modify the descriptive text to read as follows: <div class="description"> <p>Wooden pillars and beams support the ten-foot-high ceiling of this unseasonably warm cellar, which is split in two by a five-foot-thick brick wall. A thick, humid mist curls across the floor, which is criss-crossed by tiny black roots.</p> </div> As the players step into the cellar, read: <div class="description"> <p>Each half of the cellar features an eight-foot tall wooden partition that doubles as a wine rack. The western rack stands empty, but the eastern one is half-filled with wine bottles. Both racks are covered by a thick, choking tangle of vines, interwoven with strands of green ivy bearing blood-red spots and sharp, wicked thorns.</p> <p>You see several silhouettes move behind the eastern rack—including one with a full rack of antlers.</p> </div> > [!lore]+ **Druidic Decorations** > The druids and **berserkers** of the Forest Folk can be identified by the animal hides and wooden jewelry that they wear, as well as the blood-red dye that they use to paint their bodies. **Druid naturalists** use it to paint rings around their eyes, while **druid assailants** paint vampiric fangs beneath their lips. **Berserkers** of the Forest Folk use the dye to paint rings of thorns around their forearms and calves. A player who inspects the roots can easily discern that they appear to be originating from the upper floors of the winery. The antlered silhouette, which stands closest to the players' entry point, is a **druid assailant**, and is accompanied by eight **needle blights**. If the players are moving quietly, they can try to sneak past or ambush the druid and blights. (However, because the blights have blindsight, the *invisibility* spell and similar magic won’t work to conceal the players from the blights’ vision.) <div class="statblock"> <h2>Druid Assailant</h2> <em>Medium human, neutral evil</em> <hr> <strong>Armor Class</strong> 11 (16 with <em>barkskin</em>) <br> <strong>Hit Points</strong> 55 (10d8 + 10) <br> <strong>Speed</strong> 30 ft. <hr> <table class="ability-table"> <thead> <tr> <th>STR</th> <th>DEX</th> <th>CON</th> <th>INT</th> <th>WIS</th> <th>CHA</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>10 (+0)</td> <td>12 (+1)</td> <td>13 (+1)</td> <td>12 (+1)</td> <td>15 (+2)</td> <td>11 (+0)</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <hr> <strong>Skills</strong> Medicine +4, Nature +3, Perception +4<br> <strong>Senses</strong> passive Perception 14<br> <strong>Languages</strong> Druidic and Common<br> <strong>Challenge</strong> 2<br> <strong>Proficiency Bonus</strong> +2 <hr> <p><strong><em>Spellcasting.</em></strong> The druid is a 4th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following druid spells prepared:</p> <ul> <li>Cantrips (at will): produce flame, shillelagh, thorn whip</li> <li>1st level (4 slots): faerie fire, longstrider, speak with animals, thunderwave</li> <li>2nd level (3 slots): barkskin, darkvision</li> </ul> <h3>Actions</h3> <p><strong><em>Multiattack.</em></strong> The druid makes two attacks with its <em>quarterstaff.</em></p> <p><strong><em>Quarterstaff.</em></strong> <em>Melee Weapon Attack:</em> +2 to hit (+4 to hit with <em>shillelagh</em>), reach 5 ft., one target. <em>Hit:</em> 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage, 4 (1d8) bludgeoning damage if wielded with two hands, or 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage with <em>shillelagh</em>.</p> <h3>Bonus Actions</h3> <p><strong><em>Speed of the Adder.</em></strong> The druid casts a spell it knows with a casting time of 1 action. (The druid can't cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action.)</p> <h3>Reactions</h3> <p><strong><em>Gift of the Gulthias.</em></strong> In response to being attacked by a creature it can see, the druid casts <em>barkskin</em>, provided it has a 2nd-level spell slot available. (The spell doesn't require concentration when cast in this way.)</p> </div> The druid and blights attack on sight. On their first turn in combat, the druid uses their ***speed of the adder*** feature to cast the *faerie fire* spell as a bonus action, followed by a ***multiattack*** as their action. On their second turn, the druid casts *thunderwave* at 2nd level as a bonus action, followed by an additional ***multiattack*** as their action. > [!combat]- **Balancing the Cellar** > This combat encounter is a **bruising** combat encounter against a party of five 5th-level players, and one CR 1 ally (Ireena Kolyana), and will consume approximately 31% of their total maximum hit points. For parties of smaller or larger sizes, modify the encounter as follows: > > * ***Three Players.*** Reduce the number of needle blights to four. > * ***Four Players.*** Reduce the number of needle blights to six. > * ***Six Players.*** Increase the number of needle blights to ten. > [!info]+ **Alerting the Druids** > If a druid or player casts a spell—such as *thunderwave*, *shatter*, or *fireball*—loud and explosive enough to alert the other druids in the winery, druids and blights from the upper floors join the battle as shown below: > > | No. of Rounds Later | Origin | Creatures | > | :---:|:----:|:---| > |1| - |None| > |2|[[#Fermentation Vats]]|2 **swarms of twig blights**| > |3|[[#Fermentation Vats]]|1 **druid naturalist** and 2 **elder twig blights**| > |4| - |None| > |5| [[#Printing Press]]|1 **druid assailant** and 3 **vine blights**| > > Neither the blights in [[#Loading Dock]] nor Lorghoth and the **greater strix** in [[#Loading Winch]] leave their positions if the alarm is raised, preferring instead to tend the **young Gulthias Tree** growing there. > > If the druid and blights in the cellar are alerted by loud or explosive sounds from [[#Fermentation Vats]], the needle blights join the combat after two rounds, and the druid joins the combat after three rounds. If the fighting is taking place elsewhere in the winery, increase the number of rounds by one each. The ivy covering the wine racks is a particularly nasty type of carnivorous razorvine called **poison razorvine.** Each mass of poison razorvine has AC 11, 25 hit points, and immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and psychic damage.  When a creature other than a blight, a **druid naturalist**, or a **druid assailant** moves within 5 feet of a tangle or starts its turn there, the razorvine lashes out like a whip toward it. That creature must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or take 5 (1d10) slashing damage from the razorvine’s bladelike thorns. On a failure, that creature is also grappled (escape DC 10) and must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of its next turn. ## J3c. Ascending the Stairs The three exits from the cellar are largely as described in <span class="citation">W11. Spiral Staircase (p. 177)</span>, <span class="citation">W12. Ramp (p. 177)</span>, <span class="citation">W13. Back Staircase (p. 177)</span>, and <span class="citation">W10. Glassblower’s Workshop (p.177)</span>. However, the ramp is completely filled with poison razorvine from the cellar to the top floor, obstructing the players’ ascent by that route. As the players climb the spiral staircase or back staircase toward the first floor, read: <div class="description"> <p>The air grows steadily warmer as you approach the upper floors, your boots treading softly across the soft, supple bed of black roots that cascade across the stairs.</p> <p>As you approach the first landing, the silence is pierced by a haunting, desperate scream, which is followed soon after by the rustling of many feathers.</p> </div> ### Fermentation Vats <span class="citation"><em>This scene takes place in Chapter 12, Area W9.</em></span> The scream originates from the large room containing the winery’s fermentation vats, which is largely as described in <span class="citation">W9. Fermentation Vats (p. 176)</span>. However, remove the final two sentences of the room’s description. If the players have entered the room from <span class="citation">W10. Glassblower's Workshop (p. 177)</span> or have entered the chamber fully, also read the following text: <div class="description"> <p>Beneath the sloping roof stretch thick rafters, from which hang six wooden cages arranged side-by-side. Each cage holds more than a dozen ravens crammed together, with little space to move or breathe. Most of the ravens bear cuts or broken beaks, and all of them are missing feathers.</p> <p>A wild-looking female figure stands on the western balcony beside the leftmost cage, surrounded by a swarm of nearly two-dozen small, twiglike creatures. She holds a long, gnarled wand in her hand, and wears a gown made of animal skins and a headdress with goat horns. </p> <p>Two twiglike creatures, slightly larger than the others, cling to the sides of the wooden cage before her, their sharp, pointed arms pushed through the bars of the cage. The woman nods, and the creatures pierce the sides of a battered-looking raven, which screams again in helpless agony.</p> </div> The woman is a **druid naturalist** (see statistics below) and is surrounded by two **swarms of twig blights**. The two creatures clinging to the cage are **elder twig blights**.  > [!abstract]+ **The Raven's Interrogation** > If the players linger and remain undetected, they can hear the druid (using the spell *speak with animals*) speak to the battered raven with a series of caws and clicks. A player who uses similar magic to understand the speech of ravens hears the following conversation: > > <hr> > > The druid hisses. “Where is it?" she asks. “Give it up, and your torment will end." > > The raven cackles weakly, blood dripping from the corkscrew wounds upon its breast. “The thing you seek was lost long ago. You will never find it." > > The druid snarls, baring her teeth. “Liar!" She turns to the twig creatures and speaks two words in a strange language. The creatures incline their heads, then turn to pierce the raven’s sides again. > <hr> > > A player who speaks Druidic recognizes the druids’ words as: “Hurt him." If the players reveal themselves without attacking, the druid tilts her head and asks, in a sing-song voice, how such “little mice" found their way into the winery. The druid, who is named Silvia, knows the following information, which she can share as a means of luring the players into a false sense of security: * The Forest Folk have come from Yester Hill to the south, which lies beside the Whispering Wall. (The Whispering Wall is largely as described in **Y5. Wall of Fog**, except that the ancient god that created the Wall was female.) * The Forest Folk have a long enmity with the ravens of the winery and their masters, the “feathered ones," whose ancient service to “the Shadowed Lord" (the Forest Folk’s name for Strahd) inspired the name and sigil of Castle Ravenloft. (This is a lie. A player who makes a DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check identifies that Silvia sounds slightly too eager as she says it, her voice slightly too smooth.) * The “feathered ones" have powerful magic here—magic that the Forest Folk seek to restore to its rightful place. (Silvia is referring to the Keepers of the Feather and the third enchanted gem, which she describes as “the seed of the pine tree, wrought in crystal stone.") * Silvia is torturing the raven because it is a servant of the “feathered ones," and therefore knows where the magic seed may be kept. (Silvia is mistaken.) * The Forest Folk have allied with the “witch of the swamp," whose flying servants are called “strix." (Silvia is referring to Baba Lysaga.) The witch despises ravens and resents the authority of Castle Ravenloft. (This is a lie. A player who makes a DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check identifies that Silvia hesitates slightly in delivering her words.) Silvia invites the players to approach the caged raven and see “the mark of the night" upon its chest, which brands all of Strahd’s servants. (This is a trick meant to lure the players into the open. A player who makes a DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check notices Silvia’s eyes dart toward the twig blights around her as she asks the players to approach.) > [!info]+ **The Broken Spigot** > The fermentation vat to the immediate west of the central staircase of <span class="citation">W9. Fermentation Vats (p. 176)</span> has a damaged spigot. The first time that a player approaches it, read: > > <hr> > > The wood of this vat bulges out around a badly dented spigot, the splintered wood straining against the weight of the contents within. A thin line of red, sweet-smelling wine leaks from a small gap where the spigot meets the wood, pooling on the ground two feet below. > > <hr> > > In its current state, the damaged spigot has AC 10, 5 hit points, and immunity to piercing, poison, and psychic damage. If the spigot is reduced to 0 hit points, or if a creature successfully makes a DC 10 Strength check to break the spigot while within 5 feet, the vat bursts and releases a wave of wine that crashes down upon all creatures in a 15-foot cube to the north of the vat. > > When this happens, each Small or smaller creature within that area must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failure, that creature is pushed 15 feet away from the vat and takes 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage. (A swarm of Small or smaller creatures, such as the **swarm of twig blights**, must also make the saving throw.) > > Once the vat bursts, all ground within a 20-foot radius becomes difficult terrain until the wine is cleaned up. Silvia attacks if the players approach the cage, refuse her invitation, or attack her first.  * On her first turn in combat, she uses her ***speed of the adder*** feature to cast the *entangle* spell as a bonus action, followed by a cantrip as her action.  * On her second turn, she casts *thunderwave* at 2nd level as a bonus action. > [!info]+ **Alerting the Druids** > If a druid or player casts a spell—such as *thunderwave*, *shatter*, or *fireball*—loud and explosive enough to alert the other druids in the winery, druids and blights from the upper floors join the battle as shown below: > > | No. of Rounds Later | Origin | Creatures | > | :---:|:----:|:---| > |1| - |None| > |2| [[#Printing Press]]|1 **druid assailant** and three **vine blights**| > > Neither the blights in [[#Loading Dock]] nor Lorghoth and the **greater strix** in [[#Loading Winch]] leave their positions if the alarm is raised, preferring instead to tend the **young Gulthias Tree** growing there. > [!combat]- **Balancing the Vat Room** > This combat encounter is a **bruising** combat encounter against a party of five 5th-level players, and one CR 2 ally (Ireena Kolyana), and will consume approximately 33% of their total maximum hit points. For parties of smaller or larger sizes, modify the encounter as follows: > > * ***Three Players.*** Replace the elder twig blights with ordinary **twig blights**. > * ***Four Players.*** Reduce the number of elder twig blights to one. > * ***Six Players.*** Increase the number of swarms of twig blights to three. Because she has previously cast *speak with animals*, Silvia has only three 1st-level spell slots remaining at the beginning of combat. As she dies, Silvia laughs and warns the players, “You may defeat us—but Wintersplinter is coming."         If the players free the ravens from their cages, they join the party as a **swarm of ravens**, led by the raven that Silvia was torturing. <div class="statblock"> <h2>Druid Naturalist</h2> <em>Medium human, neutral evil</em> <hr> <strong>Armor Class</strong> 11 (16 with <em>barkskin</em>) <br> <strong>Hit Points</strong> 55 (10d8 + 10) <br> <strong>Speed</strong> 30 ft. <hr> <table class="ability-table"> <thead> <tr> <th>STR</th> <th>DEX</th> <th>CON</th> <th>INT</th> <th>WIS</th> <th>CHA</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>10 (+0)</td> <td>12 (+1)</td> <td>13 (+1)</td> <td>12 (+1)</td> <td>15 (+2)</td> <td>11 (+0)</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <hr> <strong>Skills</strong> Medicine +4, Nature +3, Perception +4<br> <strong>Senses</strong> passive Perception 14<br> <strong>Languages</strong> Druidic and Common<br> <strong>Challenge</strong> 2<br> <strong>Proficiency Bonus</strong> +2 <hr> <p><strong><em>Spellcasting.</em></strong> The druid is a 4th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following druid spells prepared:</p> <ul> <li>Cantrips (at will): gust, infestation, produce flame</li> <li>1st level (4 slots): entangle, fog cloud, speak with animals, thunderwave</li> <li>2nd level (3 slots): barkskin, moonbeam</li> </ul> <h3>Actions</h3> <p><strong><em>Quarterstaff.</em></strong> <em>Melee Weapon Attack:</em> +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. <em>Hit:</em> 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage, or 4 (1d8) bludgeoning damage if wielded with two hands.</p> <h3>Bonus Actions</h3> <p><strong><em>Speed of the Adder.</em></strong> The druid casts a spell it knows with a casting time of 1 action. (The druid can't cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action.)</p> <h3>Reactions</h3> <p><strong><em>Gift of the Gulthias.</em></strong> In response to being attacked by a creature it can see, the druid casts <em>barkskin</em>, provided it has a 2nd-level spell slot available. (The spell doesn't require concentration when cast in this way.)</p> </div> <br> <div class="statblock"> <h2>Elder Twig Blight</h2> <em>Medium Plant, Neutral Evil</em> <hr> <strong>Armor Class</strong> 14 <br> <strong>Hit Points</strong> 66 (12d8 + 12) <br> <strong>Speed</strong> 30 ft. <hr> <table class="ability-table"> <thead> <tr> <th>STR</th> <th>DEX</th> <th>CON</th> <th>INT</th> <th>WIS</th> <th>CHA</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>8 (-1)</td> <td>15 (+2)</td> <td>12 (+1)</td> <td>4 (-3)</td> <td>8 (-1)</td> <td>3 (-4)</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <hr> <strong>Skills</strong> Stealth +3<br> <strong>Damage Vulnerabilities</strong> fire<br> <strong>Condition Immunities</strong> blinded, deafened<br> <strong>Senses</strong> blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 9<br> <strong>Languages</strong> understands Common and Druidic but can't speak<br> <strong>Challenge</strong> 1<br> <strong>Proficiency Bonus</strong> +2 <hr> <p><strong><em>False Appearance.</em></strong> While the blight remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a dead sapling.</p> <h3>Actions</h3> <p><strong><em>Multiattack.</em></strong> The twig blight makes one attack with its <em>claws</em> and up to one attack with its <em>roots</em>.</p> <p><strong><em>Claws.</em></strong> <em>Melee Weapon Attack:</em> +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. <em>Hit:</em> 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 9).</p> <p><strong><em>Root.</em></strong> <em>Melee Weapon Attack:</em> +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature that is grappled by the blight, incapacitated, or restrained. <em>Hit:</em> 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage plus 5 (2d4) necrotic damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the blight regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.</p> </div> <br> <div class="statblock"> <h2>Swarm of Twig Blights</h2> <em>Large Plant, Neutral Evil</em> <hr> <strong>Armor Class</strong> 13 <br> <strong>Hit Points</strong> 66 (12d8 + 12) <br> <strong>Speed</strong> 20 ft. <hr> <table class="ability-table"> <thead> <tr> <th>STR</th> <th>DEX</th> <th>CON</th> <th>INT</th> <th>WIS</th> <th>CHA</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>12 (+1)</td> <td>13 (+1)</td> <td>12 (+1)</td> <td>4 (-3)</td> <td>8 (-1)</td> <td>3 (-4)</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <hr> <strong>Skills</strong> Stealth +3<br> <strong>Damage Vulnerabilities</strong> fire<br> <strong>Condition Immunities</strong> blinded, deafened<br> <strong>Senses</strong> blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 9<br> <strong>Languages</strong> understands Common and Druidic but can't speak<br> <strong>Challenge</strong> 1<br> <strong>Proficiency Bonus</strong> +2 <hr> <p><strong><em>False Appearance.</em></strong> While the swarm remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a patch of dead shrubs.</p> <p><strong><em>Swarm.</em></strong> The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Small plant. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.</p> <h3>Actions</h3> <p><strong><em>Claws.</em></strong> <em>Melee Weapon Attack:</em> +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., up to two targets in the swarm's space. <em>Hit:</em> 10 (4d4) piercing damage, or 5 (2d4) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.</p> </div> ## J3d. The First Floor The first floor of the winery is largely as in <span class="citation">W2. Loading Dock (p. 176)</span>, <span class="citation">W3. Barrel Maker’s Workshop (p. 176)</span>, <span class="citation">W4. Barrel Storage (p. 176)</span>, <span class="citation">W5. Veranda (p. 176)</span>, and <span class="citation">W8. Storage (p. 176)</span>. The two Martikovs' two draft horses have been entrapped in <span class="citation">W1. Stables (p. 176)</span> by thick rows of poison razorvine (see above) that cover the doors. ### Loading Dock <span class="citation"><em>This scene takes place in Chapter 12, Area W2.</em></span> Revise the description of this area to read as follows: <div class="description"> <p>A raised wooden walkway runs along the west, south, and east wall of this overgrown loading dock, which is choked with roots, dead shrubs, and tangles of hanging vines. A wide door to the south stands closed, its wooden width covered in mosses and assorted fungi. Three wooden barrels lie haphazardly discarded around the room, partially overgrown with strands of green ivy with red spots and sharp thorns.</p> <p>At the center of the room, between the wooden walkways, stands a broken wagon with a gnarled, misshapen tree growing through a hole at its center. Blood oozes like sap from its twisted trunk, which rises through and fills a large hole in the ceiling.</p> </div> The tree is a **young Gulthias tree**, and has AC 13, 100 hit points, and immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and psychic damage. The druids planted it here to prevent the Martikovs from returning to the winery, and hope to nurture it until it can produce blights of its own. Five **vine blights** lurk atop the wooden walkway on the western side, disguised as tangles of vines through their ***false appearance*** feature. Five **twig blights** are similarly disguised as dead shrubs on the ground around the base of the Gulthias tree. The blights attack anyone who harms the Gulthias tree, which has no actions or effective attacks of its own. > [!combat]- **Balancing the Loading Dock** > This combat encounter is a **bloody** combat encounter against a party of five 5th-level players, one CR 1 ally (Ireena Kolyana), and one CR 1/4 ally (swarm of ravens), and will consume approximately 46% of their total maximum hit points. For parties of smaller or larger sizes, modify the encounter as follows: > > * ***Three Players.*** Reduce the number of vine blights to three. > * ***Four Players.*** Reduce the number of vine blights to four. > * ***Six Players.*** Increase the number of vine blights to six. Increase the number of twig blights to six. The three barrels, which stand in the northeast, southeast, and northwest corners of the room, are largely as described in <span class="citation">W2. Loading Dock (p. 176)</span>, but are covered with strands of **poison razorvine.**  When a creature other than a blight, a **druid naturalist**, or a **druid assailant** moves within 5 feet of a tangle or starts its turn there, the razorvine lashes out like a whip toward it. That creature must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or take 5 (1d10) slashing damage from the razorvine’s bladelike thorns. On a failure, that creature is also grappled (escape DC 10) and must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of its next turn. ### Barrel Storage <span class="citation"><em>This scene takes place in Chapter 12, Area W4.</em></span> The barrel in the northwest corner is visibly older than the others, with darker wood, a rusted metal band, and cracks and chips across its surface. It contains three *potions of greater healing*, a packet of *dust of disappearance*, and a pouch containing 75 gp. ## J3e. The Second Floor The second floor of the winery is largely as described in <span class="citation">W9. Fermentation Vats (p. 176)</span>, <span class="citation">W16. Loading Winch (p. 178)</span>, <span class="citation">W17. Master Bedroom (p. 178)</span>, <span class="citation">W18. Kitchen and Dining Room (p. 179)</span>, <span class="citation">W19. Sleeping Quarters (p. 179)</span>, and <span class="citation">W20, Printing Press (p. 179)</span>.  However, the door leading from the balcony of <span class="citation">W9. Fermentation Vats (p. 176)</span> to <span class="citation">W16. Loading Winch (p. 178)</span> is covered in **poison razorvine** and obstructed from the far side, requiring a successful DC 20 Strength check to open. When the players first reach the second floor, they can hear the sound of clattering objects originating from <span class="citation">W20. Printing Press (p. 179)</span>. ### Printing Press <span class="citation"><em>This scene takes place in Chapter 12, Area W20.</em></span> The room containing the Martikovs’ printing press is largely as described in <span class="citation">W20. Printing Press (p. 179)</span>. However, the druid is a **druid assailant**, and is accompanied by three **vine blights** rather than two. The druid and blights attack the players on sight. > [!combat]- **Balancing the Printing Press** > This combat encounter is a **bruising** combat encounter against a party of five 5th-level players, one CR 1 ally (Ireena Kolyana), and one CR 1/4 ally (swarm of ravens), and will consume approximately 22% of their total maximum hit points. For parties of smaller or larger sizes, modify the encounter as follows: > > * ***Three Players.*** Reduce the number of vine blights to one. > * ***Four Players.*** Reduce the number of vine blights to two. > * ***Six Players.*** Increase the number of vine blights to four. ### Loading Winch <span class="citation"><em>This scene takes place in Chapter 12, Area W16.</em></span> This area is largely as described in <span class="citation">W16. Loading Winch (p. 178)</span>. However, revise the descriptive text to read as follows: <div class="description"> <p>The roof over this room has collapsed, scattering mounds of debris and revealing a dark, stormy sky overhead that flashes with lightning. Heavy rain falls down onto the room’s wooden floor, which has a ten-foot-square hole cut into the middle of it and a wooden winch mounted upon the north side. </p> <p>A dead, misshapen tree grows through the hole at the center of the room, its gnarled branches forming a skeletal canopy overhead where the roof should be. Blood oozes from its trunk like sap, and two man-sized birds crafted of wood, animal skins, and burlap perch among its branches.</p> <p>Perched atop the winch is a man with wild hair, rotted teeth, and skin painted blood-red. He carries a gnarled staff made from a black branch, with blood oozing from cracks along its length and a dark trail of smoke wisping from the broader end. </p> <p>As you watch, the man waves the staff toward the dead tree, which groans, bark snapping and splintering, as its branches rustle and its trunk grows slightly taller.</p> </div> The two artificial birds are **greater strixes.** The man is a **druid naturalist** with 136 hit points named Lorghoth the Decayer. However, instead of the ***gift of the Gulthias*** feature, Lorghoth gains the following additional features: * ***Legendary Resistance (1/day).*** If Lorghoth would fail a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. * ***Master of Blights.*** As an action, Lorghoth can use the *Gulthias staff* that he carries to summon and command any blights within a 1-mile radius. * ***Guardian of the Gulthias (1/day).*** In response to being targeted by an attack or spell, Lorghoth can use his reaction to magically polymorph into a **shambling mound** for 1 minute, summoning the roots and vines around him to encase his humanoid form. Any equipment he is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (Lorghoth’s choice). In his new form, Lorghoth retains his game statistics (including his hit points) and ability to speak, but his AC, movement modes, Strength, Dexterity, resistances, immunities, and special senses are replaced by those of his new form, and he gains any statistics and capabilities that his new form has but that he lacks. While in this form, Lorghoth also gains the following feature: ***Mulchform.*** Lorghoth can move through a space as narrow as 5 feet wide without squeezing. The *Gulthias staff* is largely as described in <span class="citation">Gulthias Staff (p. 221)</span>. However, the staff’s dying wail can be heard in a 1-mile radius, rather than a 300-foot radius. Breaking the staff kills both the blights and the cutting of the Gulthias tree, which rapidly rots into a dark, grayish-black sludge. > [!info]+ **Strix Statistics** > A **greater strix** uses the statistics of a **manticore**, but is Medium and has vulnerability to fire damage. Instead of actual tail spikes, the greater strix’s **_tail spikes_** attack releases a volley of dozens of tiny silver barbs from its wings. > > Should you adjust this encounter to include one or more **swarms of lesser strix** (see below), each swarm uses the statistics of a **swarm of ravens**. Lorghoth greets the players with maddened cackling upon their arrival, inviting them to “revel in the glory of the spawn of the Gulthias tree" and asking if they have come to “honor the might of the Shadowed Lord." If the players speak with him, Lorghoth is glad to share the following information: * The Forest Folk have come from Yester Hill to the south, which lies beside the Whispering Wall. (The Whispering Wall is largely as described in **Y5. Wall of Fog**, except that the ancient god that created the Wall was female.) * The Forest Folk worship Strahd von Zarovich as a god, whom they call “the Shadowed Lord." The ravens of the winery and their masters, whom the Forest Folk call “the feathered ones," are old enemies of Strahd and his servants. * The Forest Folk have come to “claim what is theirs"—ancient magic that the “feathered ones" stole from the druids’ ancestors long ago. To this end, they have allied with the “witch of the swamp," whose flying servants are called “strix," and whose children call her the “Mother of Darkness." They have also allied with a woman they call the “Child of Blood," whose mastery of magic has given them new power over the Gulthias tree and its spawn. (Lorghoth is referring to Baba Lysaga and Ludmilla Vilisevic, respectively.) * The dead tree is a cutting of the Gulthias tree, which grows atop Yester Hill. Soon, nurtured by the *Gulthias staff*, it will grow to rival its parent, and give birth to blights of its own. * Tomorrow at dawn, the mighty Wintersplinter will march from Yester Hill and reduce the winery to rubble, turning it into mulch to feed the young Gulthias tree. (Lorghoth won’t say who or what Wintersplinter is, except to cackle “Wintersplinter comes, and all will crumble in his wake!") When Lorghoth tires of the players, he thanks them for their presence, promising that their blood shall well-nourish the Gulthias tree. He and the two **greater strix** then attack.  > [!combat]- **Balancing the Loading Winch** > This combat encounter is a **bloody** combat encounter against a party of five 5th-level players, one CR 1 ally (Ireena Kolyana), and one CR 1/4 ally (swarm of ravens), and will consume approximately 61% of their total maximum hit points. For parties of smaller or larger sizes, modify the encounter as follows: > > * ***Three Players.*** Remove the original two **greater strix**. Add three **swarms of** **lesser strix**. The lesser strix flee when the staff is broken. > * ***Four Players.*** Reduce the number of **greater strix** to one. Add two **swarms of** **lesser strix**. The greater strix flees when the two swarms are destroyed or when the staff is broken. The lesser strix flee when the greater strix is destroyed or when the staff is broken. > * ***Six Players.*** Add four **swarms of lesser strix**. The greater strix flees when those four swarms are destroyed or when the staff is broken. The lesser strix flee when the greater strix is destroyed or when the staff is broken. On his first turn in combat, Lorghoth uses his _**master of blights**_ feature to summon the horde of thirty **needle blights** from the vineyard. Read: <div class="description"> <p>The man raises his staff to the thundering sky and shrieks, “Nature, heed my will, for I have the Shadowed Lord’s staff!"</p> <p>You hear the rustle of dead vines all around you. On the ground below, nearly three dozen inhuman shapes emerge from the vineyard, their limbs cracking as they trudge toward the winery through the mist and rain.</p> </div> The needle blights reach the winery after two rounds, and reach Lorghoth’s chamber after an additional two rounds. (Due to the walls around the room, the blights can’t attack until they reach the chamber.) Lorghoth uses his _**guardian of the Gulthias**_ feature at the first available opportunity after having used his _**master of blights**_ feature. On the strixes’ second turn in combat, the third **greater strix** appears in the skies overhead, one hundred and sixty feet above the winery. Before it can attack, four **swarms of ravens** rise from the grove to the north to surround and attack it, distracting the strix and obstructing its advance. Lorghoth and the blights fight to the death. When Lorghoth is reduced to 0 hit points, he reverts to his true form and vows that the players’ victory shall be short-lived. “For Wintersplinter comes," he wheezes, cackling, “and when dawn rises, the nectar of victory will turn to ash on your lips." When the players break Lorghoth’s staff, read: <div class="description"> <p>A terrible human scream erupts from the staff’s splintered wood, piercing the air like a banshee's wail. The earth seems to tremble beneath its intensity—and, all around you, the corrupted flora begins to twist and writhe, blood pouring from blackening leaves and stalks. The blights freeze in place, then slowly crumple, the life leaving their shriveling forms until naught but dead husks remain.</p> <p>At the center of the room, the bark of the dead, gnarled tree begins to boil and melt, the trunk collapsing in upon itself until there's nothing left but a pool of thick, grayish sludge. With a final, wheezing wail, the staff disintegrates, leaving behind a stream of fine, gray ash that wisps away on the wind.</p> </div> The three strix fight until two have been destroyed or until the players break the *Gulthias staff*, at which point any surviving strix retreat to Berez to report to Baba Lysaga. The thunderstorm subsides soon after Lorghoth’s defeat, though the rain lingers to wash away the sludge and blight. The rain stops completely when the players first descend to meet the Martikovs. ***Milestone.*** Reclaiming the winery completes a story milestone. When the players defeat Lorghoth and break his staff, award each player 2,000 XP. ## J3f. The Martikovs’ Return If the players break the *Gulthias staff*, the Martikovs hear its shrieking wail and return to the winery, where they thank the players for their heroism.  Elvir and Claudiu are awed and slightly shaken at the players’ ability to defy Strahd and his servants, and the players’ victory brings hope to them and the entire Martikov family. (Elvir in particular is stricken by the thought that, had Elric asked for help and been granted it, his brother might still be alive today.) After thanking and congratulating the players, Davian Martikov reveals that he has not been entirely forthright with the players. He then agrees to share the following information: * The Forest Folk didn’t attack merely because they are “bad neighbors." Davian and his family are members of the Keepers of the Feather—a secret society dedicated to aiding those who oppose Strahd von Zarovich and his servants. The Keepers of the Feather, which aim to guide and shelter others rather than fighting Strahd directly, uses ravens as their messengers and spies. * Davian is the leader of the organization, and all of his children are also members. (Davian can confirm that Muriel Vinshaw and Urwin Martikov are also members of the Keepers of the Feather, as well as a number of other Barovians scattered across the valley.) * Just over three months ago, one of Davian’s youngest sons—Elvir’s twin brother, Elric—planned to travel to Castle Ravenloft to join the revolt against Strahd. Davian forebade it, reminding Elric that the Keepers of the Feather were spies, not fighters, and that joining the rebellion openly could compromise the secret of their existence. Elric defied him and joined the revolt anyway. * Elric died in Castle Ravenloft. Not long thereafter, Baba Lysaga’s **scarecrows** and the druids of Yester Hill—often accompanied by a mysterious, dark-skinned woman—began staging attacks against the winery.  * The Winery’s best-kept secret is the source of its wine: three green gemstones the size and shape of pinecones enchanted with plant-growing magic. Since its founding, the Martikovs have used these gemstones to grow three vintages of wine: Champagne du le Stompe, Red Dragon Crush, and Purple Grapemash No. 3.  * However, ten years ago, the gemstone producing the Champagne du le Stompe was stolen. Davian doesn’t know who stole it, but blames Urwin for failing to keep watch. Although Urwin claimed to have seen an old woman in the fog with a raven perched upon her shoulder, and the same raven carrying the gem away shortly thereafter, Davian has never believed his story—largely because the Keepers of the Feather know all of the ravens in the valley. * Three weeks ago, Baba Lysaga’s **scarecrows** uncovered and stole the second gem, depriving the winery of the means of producing Red Dragon Crush. Five days ago, the Forest Folk attacked and stole the third gem, preventing the Martikovs from producing Purple Grapemash No. 3. The Keepers staged an attack on Yester Hill in an attempt to reclaim it, but were easily driven back. (“We’re spies," Davian notes mournfully, “not warriors.") * The druids returned two days later, now joined by a small army of corrupted blights, and drove the Martikovs out. (Davian had never seen the Forest Folk command the blights of the Gulthias Tree before, and hadn’t known it to be possible.)  * According to snippets of conversation that his family overheard before they were driven out of the winery, Davian believes that the druids have been searching for the first enchanted gem—the one stolen ten years prior. (Davian isn’t sure why the druids are searching for it, or how they came to know of it.) Davian doesn’t believe that the players are capable of defeating Baba Lysaga—certainly not with their current abilities. The druids, however, are a different story. Davian asks the players to travel to Yester Hill, defeat the druids there, and reclaim the third gemstone so that the winery can resume at least part of its production. (Although the Martikovs will be busy restoring the winery, Davian offers Muriel Vinshaw—one of the Keepers’ few combat-ready members—as a companion for the task.) Davian also promises the players that, should they succeed at Yester Hill, he will provide them with the full support of the Keepers of the Feather permanently thereafter, including intelligence, shelter, supplies, and speedy communication across the valley. If the players appear interested in taking on his task, Davian also asks them whether the druids mentioned anything by the name of “Wintersplinter"—a word that the Keepers and their raven spies heard briefly during their attack on Yester Hill. The Keepers have noticed that the druids appear to be preparing for a ritual of some kind atop Yester Hill, and have seen them building something in the stone circle at its peak. If the players share Lorghoth or Silvia’s warning, Davian urges them to travel to Yester Hill before the next dawn, recover the stolen gemstone, and defeat the druids’ evil plot. Because Yester Hill is less than an hour’s walk from the Wizard of Wines, Davian is glad to offer the players shelter that night at the winery to rest and recuperate, promising to send Muriel to wake them a few hours before dawn. > [!info]+ **Clearing the Skies** > Strix are a finite resource, and require both time and resources to craft anew. Defeating the **greater strix** defending Lorghoth clears the skies once again for the Keepers of the Feather and their ravens to fly, at least temporarily. # J4. The Path to Yester Hill If the players agree to travel to Yester Hill the following morning, Muriel wakes them two hours before dawn.  After asking the players whether they had a good night’s rest, Muriel quietly informs them that she’ll need to make a quick detour en route to Yester Hill to meet with a contact she has in the area—a man named Kavan. While she can’t be sure, she has reason to believe that Kavan might have more information about the druids’ plans and defenses.  If the players appear receptive, Muriel asks them to promise not to share this detour with Davian, who she believes would likely disapprove. She’s reluctant to provide more information than that, promising only that Kavan is neither dangerous nor a servant of Strahd, and that she’ll share more when they meet him.  If pressed, Muriel shares only that Kavan is a spirit that dwells in the Svalich Wood, and that she intends to summon and speak with him as she has multiple times before. (Muriel doesn’t know Kavan’s history, nor his relationship to the druids, and can’t read the inscription on his cairn.) The journey from the Wizard of Wines to Yester Hill is 2.5 miles and 50 minutes long. As the players set off, read: <div class="description">  <p>A thin, chilling mist curls through the vineyard, twisting around your ankles as you set off from the winery toward the main path. You head south, cold moonlight filtering in from the lower clouds and casting long shadows across the loamy earth. </p> <p>The velvet cloak of the night sky rests silently overhead, but it's soon swallowed by the gnarled canopy of the Svalich Wood, whose long, dark branches reach over the path like skeletal limbs. The mist is thicker here, the air crisp and chill, and a palpable silence seems to envelop the entirety of the wood. The quiet is only occasionally broken by the snap of a twig underfoot, the squelch of mud beneath your boots, or the distant hoot of a mournful owl.</p> </div> As the players travel south, four **swarms of ravens** take off from a nearby tree and follow them down the road, flying above the canopy. Muriel informs the players that the ravens likely want to help, and that they can keep watch in the skies while the players traverse the road. (The ravens perch in the branches of nearby trees whenever the players stop on the road.) While traveling along the path, Muriel notes wistfully that she used to walk it with a friend of hers not long ago. "It's so strange," she says quietly, "how quickly things can change for the worse." If asked, Muriel can share that her "friend" was Elric Martikov, Elvir's twin brother and her own betrothed, and that Elric proposed to her during a walk in the woods along this very path. If asked her "friend's" fate, Muriel replies curtly, "He died," and refuses to elaborate; if pushed, she shares only that his death is too fresh and painful in her mind to relive it. ## J4a. Kavan’s Cairn Three-quarters of a mile and fifteen minutes south of the winery, if she is with the players, Muriel briefly leads them off of the main path and onto an old and overgrown footpath. If the players follow, read: <div class="description"> <p>The footpath veers deeper into the undergrowth, the vines and underbrush clutching at your clothing like soft, grasping hands as you cut forward through the tangled flora. The trees grow close together here, and the air grows thick with heavy silence. </p> <p>It's not long, however, before the path opens up into a small, mossy clearing, illuminated faintly by pale moonlight. A soft, crisp wind dances through the trees here, the rustling of the leaves sounding almost like a cacophony of whispers. At the center of the clearing stands a tall mound of large, black stones—an ancient cairn adorned with lichens, red blooms, and a collection of strange runes. </p> </div> A player who speaks Druidic notices that the runes on the mound form an epitaph. They read:  <div class="description" style="text-align: center"> <p>KAVAN, THE BLOOD-DRINKER <br> FORSAKEN OF THE ROZANA <br> FIRST AND LAST CHIEFTAIN OF THE BALINOK MOUNTAINS. <br> MAY HIS SPIRIT REAP THE HARVEST OF HIS ARROGANCE</p> </div> Unless prevented, Muriel kneels before the cairn, produces a dagger from her boot, and makes a cut across her palm, allowing a few drops of blood to drip into a basin at the base of the cairn. (She then quickly curls her palm into a fist, hiding her **wereraven** regeneration as it quickly knits the wound shut.) When she does, read: <div class="description"> <p>As Muriel's blood drips into the basin, the low curtain of mist around the cairn seems to quiver. The mists rise, gently swirling into the air, until the spectral form of a man steps forth from their moonlit depths.</p> <p>His face is lined and weather-worn, his thick brow creased above dark, piercing eyes. He is clad in simple, leather armor and roughspun cloth, his arms and chest marked with a tapestry of scars and tattoos that seem to shimmer in the pale, eerie light. Earrings forged of animal bone and jagged obsidian hang down to his shoulders, which are near-covered by a cascade of long, dark hair.</p> <p>His hands are calloused and rough, a wooden buckler grasped in his left. In his right hand, he wields a long, wicked spear forged of mist, its point seeming to devour the ethereal light that suffuses the clearing. </p> <p>"Greetings, Muriel Vinshaw," the spirit rumbles. "I see you have brought new companions this time."</p> </div> ![[Kavan.png]] <span class="credit">"Kavan" by Caleb Cleveland. Support him on <a href="https://patreon.com/calebisdrawing/">Patreon!</a></span> Muriel introduces the spirit as the **ghost** of Kavan, an ancestor of the Mountain Folk, and introduces the players by name. > [!lore]+ **Kavan's Legacy** > Long before Strahd arrived in the valley, Kavan was the young chieftain of one of several tribes of the First Folk that dwelled among the Balinok Mountains. Ambitious and proud, he entered the Whispering Wall in defiance of the ancient strictures. There, an echo of the Devourer whispered to him the secrets of the Huntress’s sacred spear, and the means by which he could claim its power for his own. > > Kavan stole the Huntress’s spear from the Forest Fane, and used the Devourer’s secrets to strengthen his warriors and deface the shrines of the Ladies Three. Named “Blood-Drinker" for the power of his spear and his savage rituals in combat, Kavan waged brutal war on the neighboring tribes, seeking to unite them beneath the glory of his own tribe and banner. > > The druids of the First Folk, horrified by his blasphemy, withdrew to the sacred village of Soldav on Mount Ghakis. There, they named him “enemy," banishing him from the holy center of their faith. The Ladies, weakened by Kavan’s acts, withdrew their grace from their people, leaving them despondent under the new tyrant’s rule. > > Kavan lived long enough to see his sons and daughters turn and squabble amongst themselves, fracturing the nation he had worked long ago to build. As Kavan lay sick and dying in his elder years, the last news he received was that of a new invasion—this time, from the east, as King Dostron the Hellborn swept into the valley in search of new lands to conquer. > > When Kavan died, instead of burying him in a place of honor upon Yester Hill with the great chieftains of the past, the druids he had once spurned buried his body in a lonely cairn far away from Yester Hill, cursing his spirit to linger amidst the twilight without glory, fear, or favor. Kavan greets the players warmly, hailing them as warriors, and asking to know their "clans and victories." If asked about his own clan, his smile fades, and he declines to respond, noting only that his relationship with his people is complex. Once the players have introduced themselves, Muriel begins by informing Kavan that they’ve come to seek his knowledge of the druids of Yester Hill. As she does, Kavan notices something in the woods. Read: <div class="description"> <p>You hear a rustling from the woods behind you, and the ravens above you shuffle uneasily. The spirit’s gaze snaps to a point across your shoulders and he holds up a hand, his grip tightening around the haft of his spear. “Hold, Muriel Vinshaw," he murmurs. “We are not alone. Something watches us from the shadows."</p> </div> A player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 17 or higher sees a humanoid silhouette flicker in the trees before vanishing amidst the darkness. (The silhouette is Strahd, but cannot be recognized in the darkness.) > [!abstract]+ **Investigating the Silhouette** > If a player investigates the place where the silhouette appeared, read: > > <hr> > > Dead leaves crunch underfoot as you pass between the trees, and the thick mud squelches beneath your boots. There’s no sign of any living soul amidst the cold darkness, however, though you notice a faint, reddish light flickering in the distance, like a campfire obscured by branches and brambles. > > <hr> > > The light comes from Beucephalus, Strahd’s **nightmare.** > > If the player moves toward or attempts to interact with the light, read: > > <hr> > > Suddenly, the ambient sounds of the forest - the whispering wind, the rustling leaves, even the distant hooting of an owl - go eerily silent. From the depths of the shadows, where the trees are thickest and the light dare not penetrate, comes a deep, lurking malevolence.  > > The air seems to hum with tension, like the tendons of a beast waiting to pounce, and you cannot help but feel, to the very depths of your soul, that you are being watched by something powerful, old, and almost unfathomably patient. > > And then—the sensation fades. The quiet sounds of the woods return. And, a heartbeat later, the crimson light flickers out. > > <hr> > > As the player moves to depart the clearing, read: > > <hr> > > You notice a faint glitter of cold, cerulean light from the forest floor, half-concealed by mulch and dimly illuminated by the little moonlight that pierces through the canopy. > > <hr> > > If the player investigates the light, read: > > <hr> > > As you sift through the underbrush, your fingers brush against something hard and smooth, half-buried in the soil. > > It appears to be a small statuette of a butterfly, no larger than the palm of your hand and carved from petrified wood, which is embedded with small, glittering blue minerals that seem to dance with captured moonlight. The figurine's wings are outstretched, as though caught in mid-flight. At Muriel’s request, Kavan can share the following information about the Forest Folk of Yester Hill: * The druids of the Forest Folk have been more active lately, gathering berserkers from the northern basin and leading blights of the Gulthias Tree down to the lands below. They appear to have obtained a new leader: a dark-skinned woman clad in a white gown and a golden tiara, with piercing eyes and a pair of sharp fangs. Kavan believes her to be a mage, having seen her conjure strange lights and sounds. (This is Ludmilla Vilisevic, one of Strahd’s vampiric brides.) * Recently, the Forest Folk of Yester Hill—which Kavan’s people once called Sarmizeget—obtained something both new and yet incredibly old: an enchanted gemstone once belonging to Kavan's people that he thought lost long ago. The Forest Folk have constructed an enormous effigy of wood and earth atop the hill, within the great stone circle that serves as their meeting place, and placed the gemstone within the statue’s chest. * Some of the Forest Folk appear to be preparing to instill the power of the gemstone within the statue, which is woven from the roots of the Gulthias Tree that grows atop Yester Hill. The ritualists have bonded themselves to the tree’s bloodthirsty roots, and plan to harness the power of the eternal storm above Yester Hill to give life to the being within the statue. * The Gulthias Tree is a dark and corrupted entity, and an accomplice to the druids’ will. Kavan warns them that the tree might attempt to obstruct their efforts, but informs them that radiance burns it and slows its new growth. He notes that the tree thirsts especially for cursed blood, which strengthens and restores it. * There are more than a dozen druids and berserkers now atop Yester Hill, though more have been arriving every day. They appear to be waiting for the one they call the “Shadowed Lord"—the lord of the fortress to the east. (Kavan is referring to Strahd von Zarovich and Castle Ravenloft.) Kavan advises the players that the druids of the Forest Folk appear to be far less capable than their ancestors. Should the players succeed in disrupting their ritual — such as by removing the gemstone from the statue’s chest before the ritual is complete— the resulting backlash from the storm’s harnessed energy could kill any surviving ritualists. Should the players express interest in destroying the Gulthias Tree itself, Kavan warns them against doing so, noting that, while he does not know the source of its power, it is the host to a great and terrible evil. He can share, however, that until the mage taught the druids to command its children, the tree took little action on its own and appeared content to remain atop Yester Hill. Should the players defeat the druids of the Forest Folk, he notes, they will likely find the Gulthias Tree to pose little threat to them or their friends. As the players depart, or if they have additional questions about Kavan, the Forest Folk, or the enchanted gemstones, Kavan informs them that one of the druids—an elder named Svarog—wields a gnarled wand forged of petrified wood. Kavan asks them to retrieve Svarog's wand, which was once wielded by the spiritual leaders among his people. "Should you return it to me and prove that you are trustworthy," he promises, "I shall tell you where you may find a weapon of great strength to aid you in your fight. > [!abstract]+ **Kavan's Shame** > If a player asks Kavan about his epitaph, he replies, "I failed my people in life. In death, I wish to atone for those mistakes." ## J4b. The Nightmare After departing Kavan’s cairn, the players can return to the path and continue traveling south to Yester Hill. After one and one-quarter miles and an additional twenty-five minutes, the players encounter Strahd von Zarovich riding his **nightmare**, Beucephalus. Read: <div class="description"> <p>"Good evening," echoes a voice from ahead of you, "or, perhaps, good morning?"</p> <p>A tall, pale figure emerges from the inky darkness betwixt the trees, riding atop a fiery steed. The figure's eyes burn through the shadows like smoldering coals, and his alabaster skin seems as cold as marble in the moonlight. He is immaculate in dark, tailored armor, and beneath his pristine, obsidian-black hair, his lips—as red as fresh blood—curl into a satisfied, malevolent smile.</p> <p>The steed beneath him snorts, flames dancing from its nostrils as its fiery mane flickers like a hellish halo around its head. Wisps of acrid smoke fill the air with a scent like sulfur and burnt flesh, and powerful muscles flex faintly beneath the contours of its coal-black hide. You notice a flash of metal, gleaming with gold and deep burgundy, glittering within the saddlebags strapped to the beast’s back.</p> <p>The man's heel clicks against his steed's side, and it steps obediently forward to obstruct your path. Strahd's smile widens as he drinks in the sight of you, his gaze boring through the dancing shadows that lurk amidst the path.</p> </div> Beucephalus is as described in <span class="citation">Crypt 39 (p. 93)</span>. In addition to having 104 hit points, it also gains the following feature: * ***Ethereal Escape (Recharge 5-6).*** In response to Beucephalus or its rider taking damage, Beucephalus can use its reaction to use its ***ethereal stride*** ability. The object in Beucephalus’ saddlebags is **Strahd’s animated armor** (as described in **Strahd’s Animated Armor**, p. 227). It is currently disassembled and inactive, though it attacks with its ***shocking bolt*** action if the players disturb it. ![[Strahd and Beucephalus.png]] <span class="credit">"Strahd and Beucephalus" by Caleb Cleveland. Support him on <a href="https://patreon.com/calebisdrawing/">Patreon!</a></span> ### Greeting Strahd Strahd greets the players with familiarity. He also addresses their companions as follows: * If Ireena is present, he bows lightly and greets her with a polite smile. "Lady Kolyana," he says. "A pleasure, as always." * If Muriel is present, he greets her with lazy, feigned surprise, asking the players to introduce him to their "new friend." His eyes then flicker to Muriel's hairline, and he suggests, quietly, that she appears familiar, before wondering aloud whether they have met before. (Muriel's eyes widen, and she swiftly denies it. Strahd knows, of course, that Muriel is the **wereraven** that eavesdropped on him at Tser Pool in [[Act I - Into the Mists/Arc C - Into the Valley]]. He allows her to live because he presumes she has already delivered her message, and because he has already accepted the need to sacrifice his *animated armor* in Arabelle's place.) Strahd then asks what business the players might have on the road to Yester Hill—especially at such a dark and forsaken time of night. “I find that it is always the final hours before dawn that I most enjoy," Strahd says, “but I confess I did not expect to find kindred spirits on such a lonely path this eve." If the players attempt to conceal their purpose, Strahd guesses aloud that they have come for much the same reason he has—to witness the Forest Folks’ great “triumph," the birth of the **tree blight** they call Wintersplinter. “Although," he notes with amusement, his dark eyes glittering in the darkness, “I would hazard to guess that you have come not to celebrate their druids’ mighty victory, but to vanquish it—by sword and spell." In either case, Strahd invites the players to walk alongside him as he rides to Yester Hill, “for the road is dark, and company always welcome." If they decline, he chides them for their rudeness and directs Beucephalus forward before vanishing amidst the shadows ahead. (This is Beucephalus’s ***ethereal stride*** feature, spiriting it and Strahd away to the Ethereal Plane.) ### Walking with Strahd If the players accept Strahd’s invitation and walk alongside him, he begins by asking them how they have enjoyed their time in Barovia following their last meeting. If the players drove off Volenta Popofsky in [[Arc D - St. Andral's Feast]], Strahd notes that she appears to have had *quite* the memorable encounter with them—a tale he quite enjoyed hearing upon her return to Castle Ravenloft. (“Like my other brides, she does always endeavor to please me—though I must abashedly confess that my favor can be a fickle one.") If the players ask, Strahd is glad to introduce his **nightmare** steed, Beucephalus. “The Wonder-Horse, they called him in life," Strahd notes, tracing his hands through the flames of the nightmare’s mane. “He is a different sort of wonder now." If the players inquire as to the dinner at Ravenloft, or if the players previously rejected Rahadin’s invitation to dine with Strahd in [[Arc O - Dinner with the Devil]], Strahd shares that he is looking forward to dining with them at his castle, and that he hopes that they share his enthusiasm. If the players inquire as to the contents of Strahd’s saddlebags, Strahd merely states that they are his personal belongings—an old possession that he has come to dispose of in exchange for something new. (Strahd won’t elaborate further.) If the players ask whether Strahd was the silhouette watching them by Kavan’s cairn, Strahd smiles faintly. Instead of answering their question, he says, "Intriguingly, I was not the first creature called 'blood-drinker' in this valley. Can you guess who that was?" Regardless of the players' answer, he then shares the following tale: <div class="description"> <p>"Long before my time, in the centuries before it came under my protection, Barovia was ruled by a different kind of darkness. His name was Kavan, warlord of the Mountain Tribes, and he swept forth from the Balinok Mountains like a raging storm to slaughter all who stood in his path. They called him Blood-Drinker, for the cursed spear he carried and his own, terrible thirst.</p> <p>"Kavan, you see, was not of my kin. He was something far worse—a man of mortal lusts and ambitions. He drank the blood of his victims and buried himself beneath the red-stained soil when he slept, bathing in their terror and pain."</p> <p>"His reign, though it lasted no longer than his lifetime, was an era of bloody excess—a testament to the depths of human brutality." Strahd's smile is thin and sharp, like broken glass. "Remember his tale as you walk these lands, for the echoes of the past never leave us, and the blood Kavan spilled still stains these hallowed hills."</p> </div> ### Strahd's Wager As he and the players approach Yester Hill, Strahd asks them—in a bored, disinterested tone—why he should allow them to meddle in the affairs of his servants at Yester Hill. “After all," he notes, with a gleam in his eyes, “they do work so *hard* in their efforts to please me." As in his first encounter with the players, Strahd is glad to accept any reasonable argument that the players might make in support of Strahd’s neutrality, though he once again revels in playing Devil’s advocate throughout the conversation. Strahd might eventually accept the following arguments, among others: * As with Volenta, Strahd appears to enjoy seeing his servants tested and challenged. Allowing the players to fight the Forest Folk at Yester Hill will provide an additional opportunity to do so. * Strahd appears to be interested enough in the players to have invited them to dine personally at his castle. Killing the players now, before they’ve had a chance to do so, would be a waste. * The Wizard of Wines is an economic pillar of the Barovian community. Depriving Strahd’s people of wine would do harm to an old and honorable family, and bring sadness and despair to the people they serve. > [!abstract] **The Players Attack** > If the players move to attack Strahd or Beucephalus at any point, Beucephalus immediately uses its ***ethereal escape*** reaction to step into the Ethereal Plane, bringing Strahd along with it. Strahd then reappears astride Beucephalus a short distance away the following round, whereupon he chides the players for their hastiness and rudeness. > > If the players then move to attack Strahd or Beucephalus again, Strahd doesn’t return a second time, instead proceeding directly to meet the druids of Yester Hill. If the players successfully convince Strahd to allow them to fight the Forest Folk, upon reaching the base of Yester Hill, Strahd notes that he is impressed by their audacity, and offers the following wager: if the players succeed in their task, they may meet him at the base of the Whispering Wall to the west of Yester Hill after the ritual, where he will offer them a gift—and share with them a secret. (If asked what the players will lose should they fail, Strahd merely smiles, and notes that their "opponent" likely has plans for that eventuality.) # J5. Yester Hill The final stretch of the trail that leads to Yester Hill is as described in <span class="citation">Y1. Trail (p. 197)</span>. However, read the following additional text when the players arrive at the base of Yester Hill: <div class="description"> <p>A flash of brilliant viridian light suddenly flickers from within an enormous ring of stacked boulders atop the hilltop. As you watch, the light thrums like an unsteady heartbeat—even as it slowly, gradually, and yet steadily grows in intensity. You think you can faintly hear the distant sound of drumming echoing across the mountains from atop the hill.</p> </div> When the players arrive at Yester Hill, if Strahd has accompanied them, he informs them that, if they wish to make good on their bet, they must first meet him at the point where the road meets the top of the hill. (He promises the players that he'll "make sure the festivities don't start without you," adding, "You must meet your opponent, after all.") If the players accept, he notes that he will "see them at the top," and vanishes astride Beucephalus. The players can climb the trail straight to <span class="citation">Y3. Druids Circle (p. 197)</span> at the top of the hill. (They don't need to travel through the berserker cairns, which are as described in <span class="citation">Y2. Berserker Cairns (p. 197)</span> and which they pass during their ascent up the hill, in order to do so.) > [!info]+ **The Swarms of Ravens** > The **swarms of ravens** that accompanied the players to Yester Hill follow in the skies behind them, but don't join in the fighting. (If the players mention this, Muriel points out that they'd be of little use when attacking against more dangerous foes than the blights of the winery, but notes her belief that they may find some way to help all the same.) > > Although the ravens won't act as combatants in battle, they can aid the players in their fight against Ludmilla and in their efforts to escape should the ritual fail. See [[#Ludmilla's Provocations]] and [[#J5f. Stopping the Ritual]] for more information on how the ravens help. ## J5a. Entering the Circle The druids' circle is largely as described in <span class="citation">Y3. Druids' Circle (p. 197)</span>. However, add the following text to the end of the area's description: <div class="description"> <p>A deep viridian light flashes from the statue's chest, and the swell of the drumbeat fills your ears. As you pass through the boulders, it's joined by the sound of chanting, which rumbles from a circle of thirteen figures that stand around the statue's base. Above the beast hides they wear, they bear antlers, wolfskins, and crowns crafted of wicked thorns, and crimson markings paint their faces a bloody hue.</p> <p>A circle of thick, black roots three feet high surrounds the chanting figures, just beneath a thin layer of pale, drifting mist. Several figures bearing stone axes and quarterstaffs form a protective ring around it, their mouths and forearms bearing jagged crimson markings. A dark-skinned woman clad in a white gown stands at their head, her eyes fixed upon the statue and her chin lifted proudly.</p> </div> Just beside the entrance to the ring of black boulders that forms the **Druids’ Circle** and ten feet above the ground hovers Strahd von Zarovich, who is seated on his **nightmare** Beucephalus. As the players enter the circle, if Strahd notices them, read: <div class="description"> <p>You hear a familiar cold, resonant voice pierce the air above you. "Quite the impressive display, wouldn't you say?" intones Strahd von Zarovich.</p> <p>He is mounted upon his fiery steed, which hovers nearly ten feet off of the ground above you. His cloak whips gently in the chill air, and a small, contemplative smile curves his lips as he turns a small object over in his hand. "Ludmilla was always one to put on a show."</p> </div> The thirteen figures around the statue’s base are thirteen **druid naturalists.** The four figures protecting them are two **druid assailants** and two **berserkers.** The woman is Ludmilla Vilisevic, one of Strahd’s vampiric brides. > [!combat]- **Balancing the Ritual’s Guards** > The combat encounter with the **druid assailants** and **berserkers** (see [[Arc J - The Stolen Gem#J5c. The Ritual Begins|The Ritual Begins]] below) is a **bruising** combat encounter against a party of five 5th-level players, one CR 1 ally (Ireena Kolyana), and one CR 2 ally (Muriel Vinshaw), and will consume approximately 35% of their total maximum hit points. For parties of smaller or larger sizes, modify the encounter as follows: > > * ***Three Players.*** Reduce the number of druid assailants to one. > * ***Four Players.*** Reduce the number of berserkers to one. > * ***Six Players.*** Increase the number of berserkers to three. A player who succeeds on a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check notices that the object in Strahd’s hand is an old, yet well-carved wooden chess piece: a pawn. ## J5b. Ludmilla's Challenge Shortly after the players enter the circle, any players still looking at the circle of chanting druids see Ludmilla turn, notice them, and vanish in a curl of mist. She then reappears before the players in similar fashion, standing just thirty feet away. ![[Ludmilla.png]] <span class="credit">"Ludmilla Vilisevic" by Caleb Cleveland. Support him on <a href="https://patreon.com/calebisdrawing/">Patreon!</a></span> > [!profile]+ **Profile: Ludmilla Vilisevic** > **Roleplaying Information** > ***Resonance.*** Ludmilla should inspire irritation with her refusal to let the players provoke her (and her evident inability to feel anger), discomfort with her detached and analytical personality, and anger for her condescension and intricate insults. > > ***Emotions.*** Ludmilla most often feels intrigued, annoyed, thoughtful, or (mildly) amused. > > ***Motivations.*** Ludmilla wants to conquer the secrets of magic and impress Strahd sufficiently to become his arcane advisor, as Khazan once was. > > ***Inspirations.*** When playing Ludmilla, channel Severus Snape (*Harry Potter*), Sherlock Holmes (*Sherlock*), and Dr. Gregory House (*House*). > > **Character Information** > ***Persona.*** To the world, Ludmilla is an ambitious, detached, and sociopathic mage, dedicated to attaining knowledge and power at all costs. > > ***Morale.*** In a fight, Ludmilla would seek to lure her opponent into a pre-prepared trap, fleeing if outmatched and unable to meet the fight with some sort of advantage. > > ***Relationships.*** Ludmilla is Strahd's second-eldest vampiric bride and the matron of the coven of **Barovian witches** at Castle Ravenloft. Unless the players intervene, the following scene then unfolds: * Ludmilla greets Strahd respectfully, calling him "my Lord," and notes with concern—and a slight edge to her voice—that she had not known he would be bringing additional company. * Strahd gestures with a flourish toward the players, and notes, with obvious relish, that he had no hand in their arrival—but that he is intrigued by what Ludmilla will do next. * Ludmilla recognizes the pawn in Strahd’s hand and abruptly becomes stony-faced, her voice going sharp and cold. She then eyes the players with distaste, her lip curling, and notes, "Another one of your games, then. Very well, my Lord. I assure you, however, that you shall be disappointed." * Strahd gives Ludmilla a small smile, and says, “Perhaps. But I have always relished the opportunity for surprise." He and Beucephalus then vanish, disappearing into the Ethereal Plane through the use of Beucephalus’ ***ethereal stride***. Ludmilla then greets the players. If they have previously defeated Volenta in [[Arc D - St. Andral's Feast]], Ludmilla's eyes narrow and she adds, "I have heard tell of your encounter with my sister-bride. I imagine you thought you could rest easy atop your laurels. But Volenta has always been a halfwit, a hothead, and a fool. You will find me a far less pleasant adversary—as these pitiful ravens and their ilk have done." As this conversation unfolds, the two **berserkers** and two **druid assailants** split off from the protective ring around the circle of druids and approach the players, moving to flank Ludmilla. They arrive at Ludmilla's location two rounds after she first greets the players. Ludmilla flees if attacked, using her ***misty step*** feature to teleport thirty feet into the air and toward the chanting druids. As she does, she creates a *shroud of mist* with a 60-foot radius centered on the statue to cover her retreat. (See **Shroud of Mist** below.) Otherwise, Ludmilla can share the following information if asked: * Three months ago, when Doru's rebellion awoke Strahd from his slumber, there was a raven among them—but no ordinary raven. It seemed to possess an intelligence far beyond any ordinary beast. * Strahd took the raven captive, and when Ludmilla returned to the castle—"to my Lord's service"—she was granted permission to investigate its properties. She soon found that the raven swiftly regenerated any wounds dealt to it, even those that seemed to be mortal—except those inflicted by silver or necrotic magic. She surmised that she had discovered a **wereraven**—a mythic counterpart to the wolfish lycanthropes that ranged in packs across the Barovian valley. * With her research completed, Ludmilla moved to vivisect the creature, aiming to uncover any final hidden attributes. "It shrieked and squealed like a pig," she notes coldly, "but fortunately, the silver of its restraints burned it too fiercely for it to even contemplate the possibility of escape." (If Muriel is with the players, she begins to tremble, her hand curling tightly around the hilt of her shortsword until her knuckles turn white.) * When the raven finally expired, it reverted to the form of a man—seemingly proving Ludmilla's theory. Ludmilla took the body to Baba Lysaga—an old colleague and mentor of hers—in Berez. Through Baba Lysaga's guidance, she tracked the wereraven to a seditious and traitorous family that dwelled in the Wizard of Wines winery—the Martikov clan. * Baba Lysaga vowed to see the wereravens dead, and Ludmilla brokered an alliance between her and the druids of Yester Hill, who were eager to bring the downfall of any who defied their "Shadowed Lord."  * It was sheer luck that Baba Lysaga's scarecrows uncovered the source of the winery's fecundity—a pair of enchanted gemstones that the Forest Folk recognized as heirlooms stolen from their ancestors. The druids were, understandably, eager to reclaim their heritage from the feathered usurpers. Ludmilla concludes by warning the players that, though they may view her as their enemy, their "raven friends" cannot be trusted. "What other secrets are they hiding from you, I wonder?" she asks, eyeing Muriel (if present) thoughtfully. "But a good specimen never holds its secrets for long." ## J5c. The Ritual Begins As the conversation winds down, or if the players attack or attempt to bypass Ludmilla, read: <div class="description"> <p>The dark storm roils overhead — and a single bolt of lightning lances down from the boiling clouds, surrounding the statue in a nimbus of white, blinding light. A deep groan seems to shudder through the very earth of the hill, and the wind around you whips up into a hot and heavy gale, tearing through the tall grass as it shrieks across the hilltop.</p> <p>The sounds of chanting and drum beats intensify—and sparks of deep, viridian energy begin to arc across the earth and toward the statue.</p> </div> The lightning strike signals the true beginning of the druids’ ritual. Once the ritual begins, the thirteen **druid naturalists** encircling the statue use their action each turn to continue chanting and beating their drums. While participating in the ritual, a druid can't move or use bonus actions or reactions. > [!info]+ **Completing the Ritual** > To complete the ritual, the druids must use their actions to chant for 12 rounds, with at least one of them chanting each round. On each round that fewer than twelve druids are able to chant (e.g., because some druids have died, or due to a *silence* spell), roll a d12.  > > If the result is greater than the number of chanting druids that round, sparks of green lightning arc from the statue, shocking all creatures within the wall of roots. Each target must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or take 7 (2d6) lightning damage and be dazed until the start of their next turn. (A dazed creature can move or take one action on its turn, not both. It also can’t take a bonus action or a reaction.) > > The second time this lightning is triggered, the damage increases to 10 (3d6) lightning damage. The third time this lightning is triggered, the ritual is ruined, unleashing its destructive energy as described in **Stopping the Ritual** below. > [!abstract]+ **The Ritual is Completed** > If the druids successfully complete the ritual, the **tree blight** Wintersplinter is born as described in <span class="citation">Druids’ Ritual (p. 200)</span>. The druid naturalists then turn to attack the players as Wintersplinter begins its march on the Wizard of Wines winery. (If the players don’t stop it, Wintersplinter destroys the winery as described in <span class="citation">Wintersplinter Attacks (p. 180)</span>, then returns to Yester Hill, where it stands dormant near its birthplace awaiting further orders.) > > If the players are defeated, the druids stabilize them and bring them to the Gulthias Tree as sacrifices. Before binding the players, the druids remove any visible or easily found weapons, focuses, magic items, and containers (e.g., backpacks) from the players’ persons, which they store at the base of the statue that once held Wintersplinter.  > > All druids then depart from the hill except Svarog, who buries himself in mud nearby as described in <span class="citation">Hidden Graves (p. 198)</span>. Two **berserkers** also bury themselves in mud not far away. The players must succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity (Stealth) check to retrieve their belongings without awakening Svarog or his berserker guardians. > > When the players regain consciousness, they find themselves disarmed and lashed to the trunk of the Gulthias Tree, with webs of small, black roots extruding from the tree’s base and penetrating their skin. A player is restrained while bound in this way, and poisoned for as long as the roots remain in their skin. A web of roots has AC 10, 10 hit points, and regenerates 10 hit points at initiative count 20 of each round if it has at least 1 hit point and isn’t in sunlight or running water. > > At the end of each hour that a player is infested by the tree’s roots, they must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or take 1d6 necrotic damage. Their hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage. This reduction lasts until the player finishes a long rest, and the player dies if this effect reduces their hit point maximum to 0. ## J5d. The Druidic Guards Immediately after the ritual begins, the two **druid assailants** and two **berserkers** work to prevent the players and Muriel from approaching the statue, by force if necessary. If she hasn’t already, Ludmilla retreats to the ritualists’ circle as soon as combat breaks out. As she does, she uses her action to create a *shroud of mist* with a 60-foot radius around the statue to cover her retreat. (See [[Arc J - The Stolen Gem#The Shroud of Mist|The Shroud of Mist]] below.) She then uses her bonus action to summon her **shroud of shadows*** (see below). <br> ![[Yester Hill Layout (Presentation) (1).png]] <br> > [!info]+ **The Size of the Hill** > The area encompassed by <span class="citation">Y3. Druids' Circle (p. 197)</span> is approximately two hundred and fifty feet in diameter, or approximately one hundred and twenty-five feet in radius. The players must travel approximately sixty feet from their entry point in the circle—where the **berserkers** and **druid assailants** obstruct them—to reach the edge of Ludmilla's shroud of mist. ## J5e. Ludmilla's Barricade Once the players bypass or defeat the druids and berserkers guarding the entrance to the circle, Ludmilla and her allies create two barriers to obstruct them: a shroud of mist, followed by a wall of roots. ### The Shroud of Mist This hollow cylinder of gray fog has a radius of 60 feet and is 150 feet high, with its opaque, six-inch-thick, "curtain"-like edges obscuring its interior, which is filled and lightly obscured by faint, harmless mist. The cylinder lasts for 10 minutes, or until Ludmilla dismisses it as a bonus action. (Maintaining the shroud doesn't require Ludmilla's concentration.) A non-undead creature that comes into contact with the mist for the first time on a turn must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 10 (3d6) necrotic damage and be slowed until the start of its next turn. (It must spend 1 extra foot of movement for every foot it moves using its speed, attack rolls against it have advantage, and it has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.) > [!info]+ **Laying Out the Battlefield** > Once the players move through the ring of mist, the structure of the battlefield is as follows: > > * The Huge statue of Strahd stands at the center of the ring. > * Twelve **druid naturalists** encircle the statue, with each druid standing 10 feet from the statue. Svarog, a thirteenth **druid naturalist**, stands between them. > * The fifteen-foot-thick wall of roots surrounds the circle of druids, with the wall’s inner edge five feet away from the druids. > * Ludmilla’s thin ring of mist begins twenty feet away from the outer edge of the wall of roots. > * Ludmilla remains above the wall of roots and within the circle enclosed by the ring of mist. ### The Wall of Roots The first time that a player passes through Ludmilla’s shroud of mist, read: <div class="description"> <p>A druid at the center of the circle lifts his hands high, clasping a thin, stone-gray wand in his pale, bony fingers. At his gesture, the ring of black roots pulsates as if alive, quivering and writhing as their blackened bark rises into the air.</p> <p>Thorns—long, wicked, and sharp—erupt from the roots' edges, even as droplets of crimson blood bead upon the roots' soft, spongy surfaces. The roots themselves grow vertically, twisting and intertwining, until they form a wall of dark, impenetrable foliage thirty feet high and fifteen feet deep. Black roots pierce from its sides and rise into the air above it, where they tremble and writhe like slick, muddy tendrils.</p> </div> The druid is Svarog, and the wand that he wields is the one mentioned by Kavan.  If Muriel is with the players and takes the necrotic damage after passing through Ludmilla’s shroud of mist, a player watching her notices that she looks briefly surprised at the beginning of her turn the following round. (Muriel is disturbed that the necrotic damage dealt by the mist appears to be inhibiting her ***regeneration*** feature.) The statistics of the wall of roots are as follows: * ***Wall Segments.*** The wall of roots is composed of interconnected segments of black roots. Each segment is five feet tall, five feet wide, and five feet deep, and has AC 15 and 20 hit points, as well as vulnerability to radiant damage and immunity to piercing and psychic damage. Each segment has +3 to Strength and Constitution saving throws and automatically fails all Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws. A segment of roots provides full cover and can't be seen through. * ***Segment Regeneration.*** A wall segment regains 10 hit points at initiative count 20 if it has at least 1 hit point and isn't in sunlight. If the segment takes radiant or fire damage, this trait doesn't function on the following round. Reducing a segment to 0 hit points destroys it. * ***Wrathful Roots.*** A creature other than Ludmilla that moves along the outer edge of the wall for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw as long, thorned roots whip out from the wall’s surface. (A creature that moves along an interior edge of the wall—such as a corridor carved out by the players' attacks—is not attacked.) On a failure, the creature is grappled by the roots (escape DC 17) and takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) piercing damage at the start of each of its turns. A bundle of grappling roots, which takes damage separately from its wall segment, has AC 15, 10 hit points, vulnerability to radiant damage, and immunity to piercing and psychic damage. > [!info]+ **Spirit Guardians** > The wall of roots takes damage from *spirit guardians* and other spells or abilities that trigger at the start of a creature's turn at initiative count 0 of each round. > [!info]+ **Moving Through the Wall** > A creature can move through the wall of roots, albeit slowly and painfully. For every 1 foot a creature moves through the wall, it must spend 4 feet of movement. Furthermore, the first time a creature enters the wall on a turn or ends its turn there, the creature must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw. It takes 7d8 slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. > [!info]+ **Flying Over the Wall** > Whenever a creature other than Ludmilla flies over the wall for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there, if it is within 300 feet of the wall, long, black roots reach from the wall and loop around the creature to hold it in place. The creature must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or be grappled (escape DC 17) and fall prone to the ground below. (The creature takes falling damage as normal.) > > While grappled in this way, the creature takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) piercing damage at the start of each of its turns. The roots have AC 15, 20 hit points, vulnerability to radiant damage, and immunity to piercing and psychic damage. ### Ludmilla's Provocations Once the players pass through the shroud of mist, Ludmilla also engages them in combat with her ***shroud of shadows*** activated. (Due to her automatic *contingency* feature, Ludmilla teleports away from the battlefield and flees if her first phase is reduced to 0 hit points.) <div class="statblock"> <h2>Ludmilla, First Form</h2> <em>Medium undead, neutral evil</em> <hr> <strong>Armor Class</strong> 15 (natural armor) <br> <strong>Hit Points</strong> 120 (16d8 + 48) <br> <strong>Speed</strong> 30 ft., climb 20 ft. <hr> <table class="ability-table"> <thead> <tr> <th>STR</th> <th>DEX</th> <th>CON</th> <th>INT</th> <th>WIS</th> <th>CHA</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>16 (+3)</td> <td>16 (+3)</td> <td>16 (+3)</td> <td>18 (+4)</td> <td>10 (+0)</td> <td>12 (+1)</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <hr> <strong>Saving Throws</strong> Dex +6, Int +7, Wis +3<br> <strong>Skills</strong> Arcana +7, Perception +3, Stealth +6<br> <strong>Damage Resistances</strong> necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons<br> <strong>Senses</strong> passive Perception 13<br> <strong>Languages</strong> Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Infernal<br> <strong>Challenge Rating</strong> 8<br> <strong>Proficiency Bonus</strong> +3 <hr> <p><strong><em>Devil's Sight.</em></strong> Ludmilla can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet. <p><strong><em>Regeneration.</em></strong> Ludmilla regains 10 hit points at the start of her turn if she has at least 1 hit point and isn’t in sunlight or running water. If she takes radiant damage or damage from holy water, this trait doesn't function at the start of her next turn.</p> <p><strong><em>Spider Climb.</em></strong> Ludmilla can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.</p> <p><strong><em>Sunlight Hypersensitivity.</em></strong> While in sunlight, Ludmilla takes 20 radiant damage at the start of her turn, and she has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.</p> <p><strong><em>Form of Mist.</em></strong> When Ludmilla is reduced to 0 hit points, her statistics are instantly replaced by the statistics of her second form. Her initiative count doesn't change. Excess damage doesn't carry over to her new form, but she retains any conditions she had in her previous form.</p> <h3>Actions</h3> <p><strong><em>Grease.</em></strong> Ludmilla casts <em>grease</em> (DC 15) in a 20-foot-square area.</p> <p><strong><em>Command.</em></strong> Ludmilla casts <em>command</em> (DC 15), targeting up to two creatures with the same command. If she is within 10 feet of all targets, she can speak a command of up to three words, rather than one.</p> <p><strong><em>Hypnotic Pattern (2/day).</em></strong> Ludmilla casts <em>hypnotic pattern</em> (DC 15).</p> <p><strong><em>Dimension Door (1/day).</em></strong> Ludmilla casts <em>dimension door.</em></p> <h3>Bonus Actions</h3> <p><strong><em>Shroud of Shadows (1/day).</em></strong> Ludmilla summons a shroud of shadows around her, which lasts for 8 hours or until she dismisses it as a bonus action. While the shroud remains, she gains a flying speed of 50 feet (hover) and has resistance to damage dealt by melee attacks. If Ludmilla resists damage in this way, the attacker takes the same amount and type of damage dealt.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The first time Ludmilla takes radiant damage or damage from holy water while the shroud is present, the shroud weakens, reducing her flying speed to 25 feet and causing her to fall 20 feet. The second time Ludmilla takes radiant damage or damage from holy water while the shroud is present, the shroud immediately vanishes.</p> <p><strong><em>Entangling Slime.</em></strong> If Ludmilla has cast the <em>grease</em> spell, she casts <em>web</em> (DC 15), targeting the same 20-foot-square area as the <em>grease</em> spell.</em></p> <h3>Reactions</h3> <p>Ludmilla can take up to three reactions per round, but only one per turn. If she would lose her reactions and isn't incapacitated, she loses one reaction instead.</p> <p><strong><em>Misty Step.</em></strong> In response to taking damage, Ludmilla casts <em>misty step.</em></p> <p><strong><em>Disrupt Spell (3/day).</em></strong> <em>3rd-Level Spell:</em> 60 feet, components S, instantaneous. <em>Effect:</em> Ludmilla attempts to disrupt a creature in the process of casting a spell. If the creature is casting a spell of 3rd level or lower, it must make a DC 15 saving throw using its spellcasting ability. On a failure, the creature's spell fails and has no effect.</p> <p><strong><em>Mage's Reprisal.</em></strong> In response to being missed by a spell attack or succeeding on a saving throw against a spell, Ludmilla can immediately force the caster to succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 7 (2d6) force damage.</p> <p><strong><em>Contingency (1/day).</em></strong> If Ludmilla would drop to 0 hit points as a result of taking damage, a <em>contingency</em> spell activates, allowing her to gain the effects of <em>dimension door</em>. (Because Ludmilla doesn't cast the spell at the time of her reaction, it can't be countered.)</p> </div> > [!combat]- **Balancing the Second Bride** > This combat encounter is a **mild** combat encounter against a party of five 5th-level players and two CR 2 allies (Ireena Kolyana and Muriel Vinshaw), and will consume approximately 12% of their total maximum hit points. For parties of smaller or larger sizes, modify the encounter as follows: > > * ***Three Players.*** Decrease Ludmilla’s hit points to 84. Decrease the damage of her mage’s reprisal reaction to 5 (2d4). > * ***Four Players.*** Decrease Ludmilla’s hit points to 102. Decrease the damage of her mage’s reprisal reaction to 6 (1d12). > * ***Six Players.*** Increase Ludmilla’s hit points to 136. In combat, Ludmilla prefers to begin by using ***entangling slime***, moving to use ***hypnotic pattern*** only once most of the players have either escaped or evaded her grease and webs. > [!abstract]+ **Hypnotic Pattern** > If any players fail their saving throws against Ludmilla's *hypnotic pattern*, one or more of the **swarms of ravens** descend to awaken them on initiative count 20 of the following round before returning to the skies. On Ludmilla's first turn in combat, if Muriel is present, Ludmilla also attempts to provoke her. The following sequence then unfolds, assuming the players do not intervene:[^1] [^1]: Inspired by *The Dark Knight* <div class="description"> <p>Ludmilla eyes Muriel with mild curiosity. "I saw how you reacted when I mentioned the wereraven's death. Did you know him perhaps? Was he someone close to you?"</p> <p>A small, cold smile twists Ludmilla's lips. "Do you want to know why I dissect my test subjects? In their final moments, people reveal their true selves—their deepest fears and regrets. In a way, I know him better than you ever did."</p> <p>A calculating, predatory glint appears in her eyes. "Would you like to know if he was a coward in the end?"</p> <p>Muriel's face turns white, and she begins to tremble, heaving with exertion and rage.</p> </div> A player can dissuade Muriel from attacking Ludmilla with a successful DC 25 Charisma (Persuasion) check, with no action required. Otherwise, Muriel uses her ***shapechange*** ability on her next turn to transform into a humanoid-raven hybrid and immediately attacks Ludmilla with her ***shortsword multiattack***. Read: <div class="description"> <p>An anguished howl bursts from Muriel's lips—lips which, you notice, are suddenly growing longer, harder, and as sharp as an avian's beak. The sound of ripping fabric pierces the air as two enormous, black-feathered, blue-tipped wings tear from her back, her hands and feet shriveling into gnarled raven's claws.</p> <p>With a shriek of rage and impotent fury, Muriel spreads her wings and launches into the air.</p> </div> Each time Muriel takes damage from Ludmilla's ***shroud of shadows*** feature, blood from her wounds spills onto the earth of Yester Hill below. Read: <div class=description> <p>Muriel's blood pours onto the ground, forming crimson pools in the muddy earth. As you watch, small black roots extrude from the wall of roots and pierce the pools' surface, bulges of liquid traversing the roots' length as they drink greedily of the spilled blood.</p> </div> Each 5-foot square within 30 feet of the ground beneath Muriel then undergoes the following effects: * If the square contains a wall segment, it regains 10 hit points. (A segment regains hit points even if its ***regeneration*** feature isn’t currently functioning.) * If the square previously contained a wall segment but is now empty, that square gains the effects of a *spike growth* spell. * If the square previously contained a wall segment and currently has the effects of a *spike growth* spell, the _spike growth_ effect is replaced by a wall segment with 5 hit points. A player can persuade Muriel to cease attacking Ludmilla with a DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion) check, with advantage if the player invokes Elric's memory and urges Muriel against seeking revenge. (The check succeeds automatically if Muriel and the player have previously bonded over their experience with loss.) This check doesn't require an action. ## J5f. Stopping the Ritual The thirteen **druid naturalists** within the wall of roots have a speed of 0 for the duration of the ritual, their legs and feet bound by the roots of the Gulthias tree, which connect them to the statue at the center of the circle. The druids must use their actions each turn to chant the words of the ritual, which requires their concentration, as if concentrating on a spell. While chanting in this way, the druids can't use bonus actions or reactions. The druids also dare not cast *thunderwave* or other damaging spells in the circle, for fear of damaging the statue. When the players first enter the circle, the thirteenth druid, Svarog, ceases chanting and enters combat. Roll initiative for Svarog. Svarog has the statistics of a **druid naturalist**, except he gains the following features:  * ***Gust of Wind.*** As an action, Svarog casts *gust of wind*. * ***Bind Elements (3/day).*** _2nd Level Spell:_ range 60 feet, components V S, 1 round. As a reaction when he sees a creature casting a spell of 3rd level or lower within range that deals acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, Svarog can force that creature to make a DC 12 saving throw using its spellcasting ability. On a failure, the creature's spell fails and it has no effect, and a small orb of elemental energy appears in Svarog's hand. Svarog can use a bonus action on his next turn to fling the orb, making a ranged spell attack using the orb (+5 to hit) against a creature within 60 feet. On a hit, the orb deals 1d6 damage of the type absorbed, plus an additional 1d6 damage for each level of the spell absorbed. The statue is largely as described in <span class="citation">Y3. Druids' Circle (p. 197)</span>. However, the statue has 100 hit points. In addition, the portion of the statue's chest containing the gem, which lies 30 feet above the ground, has AC 10 and 10 hit points, with immunity to poison and psychic damage. The gem cannot be retrieved until the statue's chest is reduced to 0 hit points, at which point the gem is exposed. If the ritual is permanently disrupted (see **The Ritual Begins** above) or if the players retrieve the gem from the statue's chest, the ritual's destructive energy is unleashed upon the circle. Read: <div class="description"> <p>Bolts of brilliant viridian lightning crackle across the statue's surface, and the air within the circle grows thick with ozone. All around you, the druids wail and gnash their teeth, casting down their drums and staffs as they fruitlessly work to free themselves of the roots that bind them to the black earth below. The wand-bearing druid flings his wand to the earth with a shrieked curse, then lifts the staff from his shoulders to the sky, chanting words of desperation and defiance. </p> <p>The wind whips into a frenzied gale, screaming through your ears, as the bark of the statue begins to splinter and creak. The electric potential suffusing the air grows to a terrible peak around the statue, your flesh prickling with the energy impatiently waiting to be unleashed. </p> </div> In the round following the ritual's disruption, the following events occur: * On initiative count 20, the statue collapses. When this occurs, player still climbing the statue must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 bludgeoning damage and fall prone 30 feet from the statue's base, in the direction of the stone circle's exit. In addition, Svarog, if still alive, takes 14 (4d6) bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone and restrained by the fallen statue. * On initiative count 10 of the following round, if any players remain within 30 feet of the statue, the **swarms of ravens** descend to carry them away, with a minimum of two swarms needed to carry a player of size Medium and a minimum of one swarm needed to carry a player of size Small or smaller. * On initiative count 0 of the following round, all creatures within 30 feet of the statue must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 56 (16d6) lightning damage on a failure or half as much on a success. In addition, if still present on her next turn, Ludmilla uses her action to use her ***dimension door*** to escape, teleporting to the Gulthias grove to the south before returning to Castle Ravenloft. > [!abstract]+ **Strahd’s Wager** > If the players successfully stop the ritual, Strahd briefly reappears upon Beucephalus, hovering thirty feet above the ground on the northwest edge of the stone circle. Once noticed by the players, Strahd inclines his head toward <span class="citation">Y5. Wall of Fog (p. 200)</span>, nudges Beucephalus in its direction, and vanishes once again as the **nightmare** canters toward it. # J6. After the Ritual ## J6a. Muriel’s Confession If the players confront Muriel after the fight, she is willing to share the following information: * She, like all of the members of the Keepers of the Feather, is a **wereraven**—a lycanthrope cursed to assume the form of a raven beneath the light of the full moon. (If asked, Muriel can confirm that Elric Martikov was the Keeper who bestowed the curse upon her, and who initiated her into the Keepers of the Feather.) * Her lycanthropy allows her to assume the form of a raven or a raven-humanoid hybrid, and provides her with regenerative abilities and flight, though silvered weapons are lethal to her. If she took damage from Ludmilla’s shroud of mist, she shares that certain kinds of dark magic appear to be lethal to her as well. * Her betrothed, Elric Martikov, was a wereraven who accompanied Doru’s rebellion in raven form, seeking to provide guidance to the ramshackle mob. He never returned from Castle Ravenloft—evidently, because Ludmilla killed him. If she lost control and attacked Ludmilla, Muriel sincerely and shamefacedly apologizes for doing so. “Everything felt so far away," she says, quietly. “I thought I was going to lose myself, I was so angry." If the players brought her back to her senses, she is deeply grateful to them for doing so. If the players ask Muriel to curse them with wereraven lycanthropy, she laughs softly, and apologizes for disappointing them. “Even if I gave it to you, you couldn’t control it—not without months of proper training," she tells them. (Muriel is referring to the mechanism by which wereravens embrace their curse, which can only be achieved unknowingly.) Muriel apologetically refuses to say anything further on the subject, though she is glad to reassure the players that her refusal doesn’t arise from a lack of trust. ## J6b. The Whispering Wall > [!warning]+ **Player Dreams** > Before running this scene, ask your players to provide you with information about their characters' deepest desires, then use this information to craft a suitable encounter should that player enter the Whispering Wall. This area takes the place of <span class="citation">Y5. Whispering Wall (p. 200)</span>. When the players first arrive, read: <div class="description"> <p>A shadowed wall of impenetrable fog looms above the earth here, stretching forth to meet the heavens far above. Strange shapes and silhouettes seem to drift through its depths, and distant voices seem to whisper just out of earshot.</p> </div> If the players recently defeated the druids and stopped their ritual, Strahd can be found here, kneeling before the wall, thirty feet away from Beucephalus. (A player that inspects Beucephalus notices that the **nightmare**'s saddlebags appear to be empty.) As the players approach, Strahd rises and appears to pocket something in his cloak. (Strahd won't share what this is, amusedly chiding the players for asking gifts not given.) He welcomes the players warmly, and congratulates them on defeating the Forest Folk. If asked whether he regrets Ludmilla's defeat, Strahd smiles and claims that "a reminder of her place will be good for her" — although, he notes, she is unlikely to forget her humiliation, even after licking her wounds. Strahd thanks the players for playing "his little game," and congratulates them on winning their wager. He welcomes them to the Whispering Wall, and shares that the ancestors of the Forest Folk believed it to be the corpse or tomb of an ancient god, whose last exhalation of divinity produced this mist. Strahd informs the players that these ancestors believed the Wall to offer visions of one's deepest desires, if one entered it as a pilgrim. "It is a powerful thing, to know oneself and one's desires," he says, adding softly. "and yet dangerous, as well."  If asked whether he has stepped into the Wall himself, Strahd nods. If asked what he sees within the Wall, he shares that he sees a "white fortress above a great city, with a church bell ringing through the fog." (This is a vision of Strahd's homeland, though he won't say so to the players.) Before giving the players their reward from winning Strahd's wager, Strahd asks them to complete one simple task: They must step into the Wall and view their deepest desires. "I will not ask what you see," Strahd promises. "One's desires are their own." Strahd warns them, however, that many have become lost in the Whispering Wall, too entranced by its visions to depart. "It guides you forward, but you must leave under your own power," he says. "Remember: The way back will come but once." Strahd promises that each player who enters the Wall and returns safely will receive an additional gift: a shard of the power of the Whispering Wall itself. (He won't say more than that.) He wonders aloud, however, whether they will have the strength of will to do so. "Lesser men often lose themselves to its illusions," he says, a taunting glint in his eye. "They trade life for dreams, and receive neither. They are lost to the mist, doomed to remain there for eternity." If any or all players decline Strahd’s challenge, he frowns, shakes his head, and notes his disappointment in them. Otherwise, a player who enters the Whispering Wall finds themselves within a new location, indistinguishable from reality. The location is a reflection of that player character's deepest desire, sculpted to be as real and alluring as possible. The location is populated by any inhabitants necessary for that character's desire. Both the location and any inhabitants are illusory, but appear solid and real to those who enter. After a period of time — which may be subjective minutes, hours, or even years after they entered — the player receives a "hook": an invitation, subtle or direct, for that player to remain. A location's hook might be, among other things, the tolling of a familiar church bell, a child asking the player to play with them, or a loved one pleading the player to stay. When the hook first manifests, a tall arch formed of fog and swirling mist appears ten feet behind the player, in the direction from whence they came. A faint sound similar to wind chimes echoes from its threshold, and a woman's voice, distant and cold, whispers from behind the player: "_The way back comes but once._" The arch begins to fade one round afterward. After three rounds, the arch vanishes forever, and the player character is trapped within the Whispering Wall for eternity, with no means of escape. (The character can be freed only if the players restore the memory of the Dreamer in the **Epilogue.**) > [!abstract]+ **What Ireena Sees** > If Muriel is with the players, she declines to enter the Wall alongside them. “I’ll take no gift from von Zarovich," she says quietly. “And I know what I’d see, anyway." (Muriel is referring to Elric.) > > If Ireena is with the players, she enters the Wall if at least half of the players do so (rounded down), and remains outside otherwise. If she enters, she sees a dawning sun rising over an open road, which flows through a picturesque landscape toward a gleaming city that stands in the distance. A covered wagon stands upon the road, and a woman’s voice invites her warmly to enter, “because we’ve got a long journey ahead of us." Upon exiting the Wall, Ireena’s cheeks glisten with tears. (She refuses to share the contents of her vision while Strahd is present, but is willing to share them later if asked.) To an outside observer, a player who leaves the Wall returns no more than one round after they entered it, and in exactly the same condition. When all players have either returned from or been trapped in the Wall, Strahd retrieves a small, luminescent object from a pocket within his cloak and holds it into the air. (The object, which Strahd obtained from the Whispering Wall in exchange for the sacrifice of his **animated armor**, and which he stowed in his cloak at the beginning of the conversation, resembles a spark of light condensed into solid form.) "As promised," Strahd says, "your reward." He touches the spark to the edge of the Whispering Wall, and then draws it back toward him. As he does so, several tendrils of mist extrude from the Wall and condense into small gemstones which hover in the air. The number of gemstones is equal to the number of players in the party, and each gemstone is no larger than a fingernail. Half of the gemstones (rounded up) are gray, and half of the gemstones (rounded down) are silver. Strahd then presents the gemstones to the players, allowing them to choose which they take. He can share only that a gray gemstone will lead its bearer to an object of their desire, and that a silver gemstones will take their bearer to a place they wish to go. "They are, of course, not the most powerful artifacts," Strahd notes. "The Wall is the product of a _dead_ god, after all." A creature can crush a *gray gemstone of desire* as an action to cast _locate object._ A creature can crush a *silver gemstone of desire* as a bonus action to cast *misty step*. If the players ask about the nature of the spark Strahd holds, he holds it up to the light and remarks, thoughtfully, "A glede — a dragon's eye, it's called in some cultures. A spark of power, made tangible." If the players ask how Strahd obtained it, he offers a small, tight smile and notes only that, "Some things must be earned." When the players all either return from the Whispering Wall or decline to do so, Strahd presents them their reward for defeating the Forest Folk: the *twilight crest* (see below). “It is said that the god who died here, though its name is lost to time, left several relics behind. This is one of them." > [!item]+ **Twilight Crest** > _Uncommon wondrous item (requires attunement)_ > > This small medallion is carved from petrified wood and dotted with tiny gleaming clusters of azurite. From dawn until dusk, the azurite is colored a deep blue. From dusk until dawn, the azure is instead a dark, vivid purple. > > The crest has 3 charges, and regains 1 charge at dawn.  > > During the day, the crest's wielder can spend 1 charge as an action to cast *aid*. > > At night, the crest's wielder can spend 1 charge as an action to cast *spirit guardians* (save DC 15). When cast in this way, the guardians take the form of shadowy, ash-like moths, and the spell deals only necrotic damage. > > The wielder can spend all 3 charges as an action at any time of day to cast _enervation_ (save DC 15). If they do, the crest doesn’t regain charges for the next three dawns. ![[Twilight_Crest.png]] <span class="credit">"Twilight Crest" by Caleb Cleveland. Support him on <a href="https://patreon.com/calebisdrawing/">Patreon!</a></span> When all players have either accepted or declined their gifts, Strahd mounts Beucephalus once again, bids them farewell, and notes that he looks forward to seeing them at dinner. He and Beucephalus then vanish into the Ethereal Plane. ## J6c. Gulthias Tree The players should have no reason to visit the grove of the Gulthias Tree at this time. Should they do, this area as described in <span class="citation">Y4. Gulthias Tree (p. 198)</span>. However, replace the last two sentences of the area description with the following text: <div class="description"> <p>A circle of craggy, jagged megaliths stands hunkered down among the undergrowth, draped with rotted vines and overgrown by large brambles and dead shrubs. The air here is thick and unseasonably warm, and a sickly, putrid smell chokes the air.</p> </div> These megaliths demarcate the boundaries of the Forest Fane: the shrine to the Huntress of the Ladies Three. A large, cavernous hollow at the base of the Gulthias tree conceals a five-foot diameter stone of smooth, black onyx half-buried amidst the tree’s roots. The stone has no visible marks or symbols upon its surface, and is impervious to all damage and attempts to move it. One minute after the players enter the grove, their presence draws the attention of four **needle blights**, which emerge from the undergrowth around the tree. The following round, the needle blights are joined by four additional **needle blights**, four **vine blights**, and four **swarms of twig blights**. If the players remain within the grove, all of the blights attack the following round. # J7. Return to the Winery ## J7a. Kavan’s Tale If the players return to Kavan’s cairn bearing Svarog’s wand and summon Kavan by dripping their blood into the basin, Kavan can share the following additional information about the Forest Folk and his own people: * Long ago, Kavan was a chieftain among the First Folk, whose people arrived in the valley long before Kavan’s own birth. * The First Folk worshipped a trio of goddesses known as the Rozana, or the Ladies Three: the Seeker, the Weaver, and the Huntress. The druids of the First Folk paid homage to the Ladies at their holy sites—three fanes that dwelled within the valley, known as the Mountain Fane, the Forest Fane, and the Swamp Fane. Each Fane held a gemstone imbued with the power of the Weaver, which was said to give life and vitality to the wilderness around it. "This wand," Kavan notes somberly, "was once wielded by those who connected our people to the Rozana." Before proceeding further, Kavan asks the players whether they have ever betrayed anyone close to them or whether their pride wounded someone they loved. (A player must make a DC 16 Charisma (Deception) check in order to successfully lie to Kavan.)  Whether the players have betrayed or wounded anyone or not, once he is satisfied that the players understand the weight of the crimes of betrayal and hubris, Kavan proceeds: * Nearly one thousand years ago, Kavan came to power as chieftain of his tribe. Arrogant and proud, he defied his people’s strictures and ventured forth into the Whispering Wall, a wall of thick fog said to hold the corpse of the Devourer—an ancient monster that the Ladies killed long before. * While within the Wall, Kavan learned terrible secrets—including the means by which he could steal the Huntress’s sacred spear from the Forest Fane and claim its power for his own. Upon doing so, he waged war on the other tribes, reuniting them beneath his own banner.  * The servants of the Seeker, a clan of **wereravens**, hid away the life-giving gems that blessed the Fanes to conceal them from his ambitions, and vanished into the wilderness. (Upon saying this, Kavan gives Muriel a long, meaningful look, though he cannot confirm whether she is spiritually descended from one of the original wereravens that served the Seeker.) * The druids of the First Folk condemned Kavan for his hubris, and retreated to the village of Soldav in the Balinok Mountains, their people’s most sacred site and the center of their faith. They named Kavan “enemy," and banished him from Soldav for his crimes. When he died, instead of burying him in a place of honor upon Yester Hill with the great chieftains of the past, the druids buried him here, in a lonely cairn far from the graves of his forefathers. Kavan has been haunted by his isolation from his people as a result ever since his death. Before proceeding further, Kavan asks the players a question: What do they hold sacred, and why? Upon hearing their answers, Kavan challenges them with an additional question: If they were forced to choose whether to betray everything they hold sacred in exchange for a promise of safety and comfort, how would they decide?  If he is satisfied that any of the players would choose sanctity over comfort, Kavan first dismisses any who would choose comfort over sanctity, and then proceeds: * In Kavan’s ailing years, a tyrant named King Dostron the Hellborn invaded the valley with his army, scattering the First Folk and destroying their homes. He dammed up the Luna River to make farmland, and shattered the First Folks’ faith in the Ladies Three. When Dostron died, his armies withdrew and abandoned his fortress, but the First Folk remained apart and weak. * When Strahd invaded the valley hundreds of years later, many members of the druidic caste—still angered by Kavan’s betrayal and Dostron’s oppression—sought out his protection. A great schism split the First Folk, with those who opposed Strahd retreating to Soldav and those who favored Strahd remaining within the Svalich Wood. Today, Barovians know them as the Mountain Folk and the Forest Folk. * The land of Barovia, which the First Folk once called “Girvisa"—meaning “fertile land"—has been corrupted by Strahd’s will and magic. Kavan doesn’t understand the nature of Strahd’s corruption, but he knows that Strahd draws power from the land, and that this profane connection causes great suffering to the creatures and landscape of the valley. To learn how to cleanse Strahd’s corruption, the players must travel to Soldav to seek the guidance of an elder of the faith of the Rozana among the Mountain Folk. (Only an elder of the faith of the Rozana can conjure and maintain the mist that shields Soldav from outsiders.) * Soldav is hidden somewhere in the Balinok Mountains, protected by a shroud of enchanted mist. So long as the mist remains, Soldav’s enemies can never find it, nor can they remember where it lies. Kavan remembers only the landmark that marks its entrance: a place in the mountains where two waterfalls run together. "Without a token of the Ladies, however," he warns, "you will never find the entrance, nor will Soldav's elders grant you entry." If the players ask why Kavan withheld this information during their initial meeting, he truthfully tells them that he sought to avoid revealing Soldav’s existence to Strahd’s servants or spies. “I betrayed my people once by choice," he rumbles. “I will not betray them a second time through foolish indiscretion." As the conversation comes to a close, Kavan informs the players that, while he cannot give it to them directly, he can tell them where to find the spear that he stole from the Forest Fane of the Huntress, whose return may convince the people of Soldav to grant them entry. “The spear's power waned when I took it, and it has no doubt grown ever-weaker since," he says. "But, should it serve your purposes, you can find it in the tomb of King Dostron, who claimed it from my tent when my chiefdom crumbled in the wake of his armies."  Kavan can inform the players that the tomb of King Dostron was hewn from the stone beneath Dostron’s fortress, which Dostron built in the eastern mountains—upon what is now called the Pillarstone of Ravenloft. Should they find it, Kavan asks that they take it to the shrine of the Ladies Three in Soldav, to reconsecrate it in the sacred spring there and redeem his past mistakes. When the players depart, Kavan bids them farewell, offering: “Go with the blessings of the Ladies Three, if they still listen." ## J7b. Returning the Gem If the players return the gem to Davian Martikov at the Wizard of Wines, he is deeply grateful, and warms to them considerably compared to his prior prickly demeanor. (He is, of course, still a grumpy old man at heart.) If asked, Davian now willingly shares the following information: * He is the leader of the Keepers of the Feather, a secret society of **wereravens** dedicated to aiding those who oppose Strahd von Zarovich and his servants. (Davian admits that he himself is a **wereraven**, as are all of his children and grandchildren.) * Despite the abilities bestowed by their curse, the Keepers are spies, not warriors. Many among them are untrained at combat, and fear the dark magic that Strahd wields. * The Keepers were first founded by Livius Martikov, Davian’s grandfather and a little-known accomplice of the paladin Lugdana, who rooted out nests of **vampire spawn** across the valley using the *Holy Symbol of Ravenkind* one hundred years ago. * As a younger man, Livius helped Lugdana and Burgomaster Ismark Antonovich steal the *Holy Symbol of Ravenkind*—then called the *Sigil of the Sun*—from Castle Ravenloft shortly after Strahd began his hibernation. (Livius stole it, as well as the *Tome of Strahd*, from the depths of the catacombs while Ismark and Lugdana distracted Strahd’s servants and children.) * It was Ismark the Great who proposed renaming the *Sigil* to be the *Holy Symbol of Ravenkind* in order to inspire the Barovian people and conceal its origins, crafting a tale in which an angel in the shape of a raven delivered the relic to Lugdana directly. (Livius always found the tale incredibly amusing.) Lugdana would continue to wield the *Holy Symbol* until her death fighting the Green God Chernovog, a greater demon conjured by the mad witch Baba Zelenna, atop Yester Hill. The *Holy Symbol* was thought lost when Lugdana fell—seemingly for good. Davian flatly refuses to infect any of the players with **wereraven** lycanthropy, noting with scorn that they would require months of training to master the ability. He refuses to speak further of the matter. In gratitude for the players’ efforts in recovering the gem from Yester Hill, Davian provides them with an obsidian whistle shaped like a raven. (Davian can share that it is one of several such whistles passed down through his family across the generations.) Davian also informs the players that Muriel, a key field operative with the Keepers of the Feather, recently overheard a troubling prophecy involving Strahd. Muriel can inform the players that the prophecy took the form of a Tarokka reading delivered by Madam Eva to Strahd on the day the players rescued Muriel from the **greater strix**. Although Muriel was chased away before she could hear the end of the reading, she can share that the first part unfolded as follows: <div class="description"> <p>"The Darklord—the master of shadows, the beast in the labyrinth that tears at his chains.</p> <p>"The Six of Stars, the Evoker—the power you covet, a force untamed by mortal hands, raw and wild with burning fury.</p> <p>"The Artifact—the token you seek, the key to power. Divinity’s heart waits, but where?</p> <p>"The Innocent. I see a maid of raven hair and twilit eyes. She is one way to the token.</p> <p>"But there is another—the Broken One. The path of sacrifice opens another door. The wall that whispers awaits your tribute."</p> </div> ***Milestone.*** Defeating the druids of Yester Hill completes a story milestone. When the players return the stolen gem to Davian Martikov, award each player 2,500 XP. > [!item]+ **Keeper's Whistle** > The whistle is a magic item tied to the curse of wereraven lycanthropy. Once per day, the players can blow the whistle to summon the nearest **wereraven** agent of the Keepers of the Feather within five miles (if any). (The agent takes a reasonable amount of time to arrive, flying from its current location to the location where the players blew the whistle.) > > When the agent arrives (in **raven** form), the players can ask that the agent do one of the following tasks, within reason: > >* **Scout** out a nearby environment, providing information on enemy numbers, traps, or layout. (The agent won’t get too close if the area is potentially dangerous, preferring to survey it from a distance.) >* **Deliver** an item or message (either oral or written) to another creature in Barovia, assuming the agent knows of or can find that creature. >* **Obtain** a small, light item from a nearby location or settlement, so long as it can be easily found, purchased, or otherwise retrieved. >* **Distract** one or more nearby enemies (e.g., by using its ***mimicry*** ability). (The agent won’t put itself at risk of being grappled, and is wary of approaching any ranged combatants unless reassured that they wield neither silver weapons nor magic spells.) >* **Spy** on a location or character, tailing them discreetly and reporting back on their activities and associations after a predetermined period of time. (The agent won’t enter any structures while doing so.) > >The agent departs after completing the requested task. ![[Keepers_Whistle.png]] <span class="credit">"Keeper's Whistle" by Caleb Cleveland. Support him on <a href="https://patreon.com/calebisdrawing/">Patreon!</a></span> > [!abstract]+ **The Wine Shipments** > With the winery saved and the gem recovered, Davian sets Adrian and Elvir to preparing the winery's remaining wine for shipment. The following morning, the two brothers load an additional three barrels onto the (freshly repaired) cart in <span class="citation">W2. Loading Dock (p. 176)</span> and set off, delivering three barrels first to Krezk then an additional three barrels to the Blue Water Inn in Vallaki. > > Should the players mention an interest in traveling to Krezk, Adrian asks them to accompany the wagon, noting, "Krezk can be unwelcoming to strangers, but with a good word from us and a shipment of wine, they'll be sure to welcome you with open arms." > > While visiting Krezk, the brothers mention the players' names and descriptions to Burgomaster Dmitri Krezkov. The players are welcome guests in Krezk should they visit the village thereafter. See [[Arc K - The Fallen Abbey]] for more information about the players' adventures in Krezk. > [!abstract]+ **News from Barovia** > If the players use the *Keeper's whistle* to seek news from the village of Barovia, they can receive the following information: > > * The village is still recovering from Strahd's siege. If Bildrath lived, he has become something of a magnet for malcontents. More and more, however, the people of the village have been looking to Ismark, and—if Doru passed his trial successfully—Father Donavich for leadership. > * If Doru passed his trial, he is being reintroduced into the village and has deeply apologized to the families that lost loved ones as a consequence of his failed rebellion. Not all have accepted his apologies, and many are wary of his vampirism, but he appears to have mastered his bloodlust and is overcome with remorse. > * The departure of the refugees and casualties of the siege have left the town hollowed out, with many businesses no longer in existence and those that survived struggling to make do with far fewer customers. Overall, the process of rebuilding has been a difficult one, but many families whose houses were damaged or destroyed have been able to relocate into the surplus homes still standing.