You follow the moaning sob floats through the still, gray streets. The sounds flow from a dark, two-story townhouse. When you try to enter, you find that it's boarded up from the inside.

Garrick knocks on the door and shouts Is everyone okay in here? We are here to help if you need it.

The sobbing only continues. You can tell that it's coming from upstairs. Taking a close look at the house, you can tell that both the first and second floor windows are boarded up.

Chipper brings Skipper out and sends the owl up to see if he can get a look through any of the cracks in the boarding. "Seems we'll have to force the matter perhaps." he says to Garrick. "If this was a regular house I'd chalk it up to a recent upsetting event. But boarded up like this? A bit more concerning. Possibly someone abducted?"

Skipper Perception: 19

Skipper follows the sound to the second story bedroom. Inside is the sobbing woman, clutching a malformed doll.

Kessintra approaches the corner where the window is, speaking as gently as she can while remaining loud enough for whoever is inside to hear.

"We are adventurers from outside these lands. With our skills, we may be able to help where others could not. We also possess courage--or perhaps foolishness--enough to try to help you, if you'll let us."

Persuasion 24

"The old man said to make it quick. If she doesn’t answer… let’s get inside and apologize later!"

She prepares to offer both a Help Action and a Guidance spell to aid anyone attempting to force entry with either Athletics or Thieves’ Tools.

Kessintra raises an eyebrow at Amelia's suggestion, surprised the boisterous cleric would encourage such a thing. "We can catch up with the wagons if need be. If we terrify this woman though, we may lose this chance to do good."

Through sobs the woman slowly speaks. "My... daughter. She's gone."

Kessintra looks up to the window excitedly when the woman speaks, doing her best to control her eagerness.

"Lost or worse? We will find her or carry out your vengeance on the culprit...or both. Simply tell us where to start."

Persuasion 15

The woman's voice fills with fear. "I..... don't know. I came home and she was.... gone."

"Taken from the house. Let's try to find how. Hopefully there is a trail to follow." Kessintra begins looking around the outside of the house for any evidence.

Investigation 13

You find that one of the barricades on a first floor window were broken. Not broken in to, but broken out of.

Well… that’s messed up. I guess she escaped rather than was abducted. I check the ground to see if any footprints can be found. Investigation dirty 23

She ran out of there, the footprints still in the dirt. The trail ends when it reaches the road.

"She leapt through the glass just to leave...I understand the feeling. Did someone pick her up along the road?" Kessintra heads over to the road and looks for fresh wheel or horse tracks.

Perception 9

The only tracks you can see are the ones from the vistani wagons.

Hmm doesn’t seem like we have a lot to go on. If she escaped on her own, maybe we just let the cards fall where they may. Perhaps we shall find a this girl in our travels.

"Yes, perhaps she is even headed to the same place as us. We can ask the Vistani there if they've had any visitors." Kessintra sighs, starting back towards the wagon and the impatient old man.

You find the elder tapping his foot against the floor of the wagon. "Finally. Let's be off." The wagons continue moving through the village, eventually exiting as you can still hear the slowed cries of that woman.

The caravan one again enters the forest at it hugs both sides of each wagon. They eventually make their way to the crossroads the elder told you about. 

An old wooden gallows creaks in a chill wind that blows down from the high ground to the west. A frayed length of rope dances from its beam. The well-worn road splits here, and a signpost opposite the gallows points off in three directions: Barovia Village to the east, Tser Pool to the northwest, and Ravenloft/Vallaki to the southwest. The northwest fork slants down and disappears into the trees, while the southwest fork clings to an upward slope. Across from the gallows, a low wall, crumbling in places, partially encloses a small plot of graves shrouded in fog. The wagons seem to be heading to Tser Pool.