Kethra comes forward… and with obvious suppressed tears in her eyes, says, “No more field trips… we need to reach these gypsies or whatever they are if we have any hope of surviving that creature.”
Yorword speaks up, “Guys what’s going on over there… in this uh… circle area… ?”
“I shall go to investigate…” Mhardaveth says. Mhardaveth and Yorword both recognize the area to be a druidic circle, but it is marred by claw marks on the circling stones, and the natural power normally present was clearly gone. Yorword shifted uncomfortably… the ideas of what might cause such a perversion coming fast to him. Nature in Barovia is twisted and the whole thing makes yorword sick. This seems almost… sacriligeous. The natural power sapped from it and replaced with death and necrosis.
Yorword gets even more upset; seething
Milo checks the body in the middle of the clearing clearly having been dragged here.
Bright Fennick had been feeding on it
Milo saved Mhardaveth by punching the evil druid
Heroes gather that the party must have come through teh mist, and been attacked on the road, and this hapless victim lying here was dragged back by the abomination of a druid
Mhardaveth breaks the eerie silence. “Wherever we turn here it seems to darken. I suggest we follow Kethra and make haste to find the Vistani.” With a sad look on his face, he limps back to teh body of Donovich and hoists him over his should again, turning back to the party, waiting for them to join him.
The heroes follow the road further, everyone on edge… every time a wolf howls in the distance it makes everyone jump. The trees are twisted and awkward.
Mhardaveth is no longer humming the tune he was earlier… adding to the heavy mood.
Suddently, the road splits and the dense fog blocks the heroes’ vision in both directions. The icy wind blows through the heroes’ clothing as if it had fingers, and the dead leaves scurry around the heroes feet; the only sounds in this desolate landscape. Recalling the advice of their fallen guide Donovan, the heroes stare northward up the path; longing for a certainty that was not forthcoming.
The path winds northward, and the heroes follow it for another hour or so, the heroes’ every footstep seeming to darken their moods.
The canopy of branches overhead breaks suddenly and reveals black clouds boiling far above. The clearing here is filled with dry, brittle grass that blows in the biting wind. On the far side of the clearing there are several brightly-coloured wagons parked on the side. The mournful sound of an accordian mixes with the wind
Several brightly-clad figures surround a roaring fire
the road seems to pass closeby to this camp
Mhardaveth adjusts the still form of Donovan on his shoulder and
Yorword turns to carver and says, “Maybe you should go and say hi, let them know we’re here.”
KETHRA
“You are afraid. Perhaps you have always been afraid, but here, you feel powerless and full of terror. These feelings inside, they are a poison to your soul, and you’ve carried them too long. You are not inadequate, and you are not defined but what a mother wishes to see in her child, even though it is not there. You are something greater…â€
“YOU hold the power here. YOU alone can resist him, for YOU are the weakness within him that he cannot kill. Make that fear a part of you, for everyone is afraid here, but not everyone’s heart pumps with the blood of ancient dragons. A dragon knows no fear.â€
YORWORD
(from her palm, Eva drops a smooth dark pebble into Yorworld’s hand)
“This rock, was cast aside and forgotten once. Discarded and rejected. It sank to the bottom of a river, where it lived a hundred lifetimes. Once it was jagged, and dirty, but today it is smoothed by the waters that flowed around it. Some rocks live on great mountain tops, and some are molded into fortresses, but this one is small, and no one wanted it. It is plain, yes? To me, it is the most beautiful rock I have ever seen. It is yours now, Yorword, to carry with you, to remind you that not all those things that are cast aside are meaningless. Some are very special to some people, and those people need them more than anything, especially in their darkest moments.â€
MILO
“A beating heart that swells, even in the face of death. You feel out of place, for these are not your people, and you are certain you do not belong. But they do not know that you are in fact that which they need more than anything. You are the force of will, armored in joy and jest, that refuses to bend. Half the height of a man, but four times the spirit. You alone can heal the wounds of their souls…â€
CARVER
“There was a time, I’m sure, that being in the shadows and hidden away was all you wished for, but this is too much in the shadows for you I think. You cannot run forever, Carver, everything catches up to you eventually.â€
(She drops a gold coin into his hand)
“There is more to you than money. Do not let it be the end of you…â€
(The coin crumbles to dust, leaving behind a faint mark that looks like a coin tattooed to the inside of his hand)
MHARDAVETH
“An ancient guardian or Myth Drannor… a green Knight of the ancient orders… How it must pain you to see these blighted lands. They were once beautiful, and full of life, but darkness has clenched its fist here now. You have lost much, and the ghosts of your old companions walk beside you, but the light within you is unwavering. Where light persists, darkness cannot be, but do you have the strength to carry light into the very heart of darkness? You must be her shield, whether she knows it or not, even if it means the end of you.â€
(The Emperor)
This card is a symbol of great power. It tells of a powerful force for good and protection against the forces of darkness.
–associated with:
(3 of Pentacles)
It is in a place of tranquility, a harbor for the mighty and powerful. It is in a place of wisdom, warmth, and despair. Great secrets are there. The Pentacle blesses your skill there, but bodes poorly for your protection.
(King of Pentacles)
The king’s throne is the place to find this. As before, the Pentacle blesses your skill there, but bodes poorly for your protection
–associated with:
(The Priestess)
This card tells of history. Knowledge of the ancient may help you understand a foe.
(The Devil)
This is the object of your search! Ah! I see darkness and evil behind this card! It is a powerful man whose enemy is light and whose powers are beyond mortality!
–associated with:
(Ace of Swords)
This is a very bad sign. This is in the very heart of darkness: his home, his source. It is his center and his life. It is the one place to which he must return. The sword sustains your strength here, but holds you from your victory, taking more time than it otherwise would.
(Justice)
This card is good for you. It is a card of power and strength, the victor’s card. It tells of a weapon of light, a weapon with a vengeance.
–associated with:
(10 of Wands)
This is in a place of dizzying heights that all loathe to travel. The road winds upward and the rocks themselves live here! The wand is a dark shadow of evil cast over that place. You fight under its influence here.
(The Tower)
And here is the root card. Out of darkness and chaos, this card finds the reason and foundation for darkness and chaos. This card shows the purpose of all things. It is the key to life and death and else beyond.
–associated with:
(King of Cups)
Here is a high and noble card. One of you will wield a weapon that is stronger than any other against the evil in this land. He desires it, and yet cannot find it. It is within the evil one’s lair.
