Pizazz's Ravenloft and Beyond

Outside Stanimir takes the group to a dark tent that seems unoccupied. “You can rest here tonight. I will have one of my folk sketch up a rough map of the region for you. Strahd goes where he pleases, when he pleases, but his home is the castle ravenloft. The trail up to the left back by the gallows leads that way. You could also take this footpath to the falls, it crosses the road and is a bit of a shortcut. But, I would not rush to confront him. You will need the artifacts to give you any chance.” 

Kane bows slightly and departs in silence. He shares his information with the party at the first opportunity.

"Gertruda? Is in Strahd's chambers? Is that what Madam Eva means? I don't know what we do with that information. Clearly we can't just wander in and rescue her in the morning. What if she doesn't want to be rescued? Seems like she's got it better than he had it before, even if she does turn it to be his prisoner. At least she's being kept prisoner somewhere nice. But I don't think we can tell Mary that either, it's her worst fear realised."

You are handed this carefully hand drawn map the next morning.  Stanimir says, "I'm afraid this is the extent of the help we can provide. We are not in a position to assist you any further."

"Regardless of what, Strahd is to be slain. I don't know if his death will have an immediate positive effect on the land, but that is the end goal. We will help those who need it however we can."

Does anyone do anything else at the Vistani camp that evening or the next morning?  What the groups next move.  Please decide.

I’m ready to move on.

"Meepo think find tree..."  Meepo says thinking of the cards.  "Tree first card... First step?"  He looks at the group.  Meepo seems more solem this morning than he has up to this point, clearly greatly affected by the old woman's words the previous night.

“I agree with Meepo. Once we have more knowledge of Strahd we can decide what our next step should be.” Kane says, dusting off his cloak. 

"Yes, I agree too. But where do we find it? An evil tree growing atop a hill of graves. Where do we start? Back in Barovia for more information?" 

"Ravens guide."  Meepo points out with a look around, trying to see if he can see any ravens.  "Map have ravens?"  He asks, nodding to the map they were handed.

"The only reference to Ravens I can see is Castle Ravenloft, and I'm not sure that's a good idea! There's a gallows on the map not far from here. If any ravens are going to gather anywhere, that's a likely place?" 

The group all looks questioningly at each other.  The morning is quiet amid the fog, it hangs thickly over the small lake and throughout the forest.  The gallows were back by the fork in the road, so with no better option the party heads there. You walk up the fairly steep road that winds its way up the hillside away from the camp.  The Vistani silently watch you leave, waving as you disappear into the fog. For the first time in this land you are alone. The creaking of wagons and plodding of the horses is gone. The lively sounds of the Vistani are absent and you're left a small group on an obscured road climbing through the dim forest. The world seems to press in upon you, and even Meepo's more serious demeanour seems to contribute to the quiet. 

You eventually arrive back at the fork in the road, perhaps 45 minutes later.  The gallows stand nearby creaking in a thin cold win that barely moves the fog. 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 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 group looks around for a raven, but there are none to be seen at the moment. 

"Ancient dead sleep..."  Meepo says, glancing to the crumbling walls with a half-hearted shrug to his companions.  "Maybe those ancient..."  He suggests, though he himself doesn't truly believe it.  "Or we need find ravens somewhere else..."

“We have our graveyard.” Kane whispers, afraid to disturb the silence. “I believe we lack only the tree.”

(Is there a tree in the graveyard?)

Meepo glances to the gallows close by. Then he turns to Aga...

In Dracconic...

"The gallows themselves. The evil tree. A tree on which grows death itself."

Mordekai will inspect the gravestones. Are there names on them?

Investigation: 9 

Mordekai walks to the gravestones. There are eleven of them, each blank. 

What do the gallows look like? Is it just a frame stuck into the ground, or is there some kind of platform?

"We may be searching for something that isn't here. The ravens seemed to be the key in what Madam Eva said. Perhaps I misread the map. From the sign, it seems that Ravenloft may also be a town, not just Strahd's Castle. If we can't find anything here, maybe that is our next destination?"

Kane examines the gallows. “Perhaps what we seek lies beneath the gallows, or is hidden inside.”

Investigation: 13