Pizazz's Ravenloft and Beyond

AHHHH!!   OLIN has hands all over him.  OLIN was attacked by hands.  Sorry.  I guess my subconscious has it out for Mordekai.  It's probably because he's a tiefling and will never escape his evil heritage. Wait, what?  

Anywhooooo..... there's a moment of frenetic combat, but moments later the four hands lay on the ground, their fingers curled up in death like a mockery of a dead spider. 

Frozen, sizzling, fried and stabbed hands lay on the ground, leaving the chest open for careful investigation.  Watching out for yet more tricks and traps the group carefully looks through the chest. Heaving a sigh of relief, the group goes through it finding only treasure.  A few minutes later things are identified and everyone is sitting about, just outside the cursed hut, splitting up the treasure and discussing next steps.  

You've found 1300 gold pieces, five gemstones each worth 500 gold pieces, a vial containing 'oil of sharpness', two spell scrolls, one of "mass cure wounds" and one of "revivify".  There is a pouch containing ten +1 crossbow bolts.  There is also a Pipes of Haunting and a Stone of Good Luck (Luckstone). 

Olin screams in startled horror as he's assaulted by rotting, dismembered hands. Thankfully his companions are able to dispatch them before he musters the initiative to react.

Looking a bit sheepish about the scream, Olin says, "Thanks for looking out for me, friends. I thought I had sussed out the witches tricks, but not all." Reaching into the chest and hefting the sacks of coins and gems, "She was a wealthy woman, to live in such squalor. These gems are intriguing. Far too valuable for the purpose, but in a pinch I could use one to cast revivify. I have no suitable gems for it now and I'm willing to pay the price if it means one of your lives."  Taking the scrolls from the chest, "I believe I can make best use of the scrolls, though Lionel, you can make use of revivify, can you not?" Flipping through the assorted items he adds, "I do not know how to play the pipes, or any instruments, sadly. These bolts should go to Meepo, or Lionel now. The stone, very nice. I believe it would be equal in any of our hands." Fingering the vial, "If this is what I think it is, Ismark would benefit most, as the only one of us who uses a natural blade. But only when we knew we were soon for a great fight." 

"So it seems," nodded Lionel checking out the scroll. " Though, it's more the matter of who will be on his feet the moment we need it. May be we can add it to Meepo's treasury with the stone needed for it."

He fiddle with the pipes - only for fun, he did not know how to play it, then checked the luck stone. "Have you ever noticed how the useful items always come after you actually needed them? Though, I would no lie, that sword appeared right in time." He stroke the ornate hilt lovingly. "Will do my best to keep him in a good mood. And if it is all the same for you, I'd spent some of these coins in the village, provided they have better armour here."

"Meepo take stone?" Meepo asks the group as he nods to the stone of good luck.  He would collect anything the others did not wish for their personal use, and put it on a floating disk as they prepare to move out again.

"Just do not put it in to the junk. Charms work better if you keep it on yourself." Most likely collector-Meepo knew it himself, but one never knows. Lionel was ready to do his arsonistic duty.

Olin says a prayer to Silvanus and gives the room another look, just to be sure they weren't missing anything important or valuable.

Perception, 24+4

After he's confident, "Hopefully that fiery blast dried this place out enough to burn. Otherwise this might take some doing... Unless some of you know some fire magic?"

"Meepo too tired do fireball." Meepo informs the others with a shrug.

The crackle and pops of the flame as the witch's hut burns feel like bits of evil popping and turning to smoke, cleansing the place from her evil influence. The house itself, shaped as a giant wooden spider, slowly burns, collapsing into the mud to continue to burn with unusual heat. The group watches it, a therapeutic fire that burns away the fog. It seems to thin as the fire continues. The swamp seems somehow a less dark place, even though night has now come. You notice a black haired woman,  striking yet dressed plainly enough approach through the fog.  She nods to the group.  "The crows told me. You've defeated her. The plague to our kind. Your deeds will be told by ravens throughout this land. Thank you. My name is Muriel. I tried to signal you when you approached...from across the river. But, it is clear you did not need my advice. A fearsome foe. The land thanks you." 

Lionel politely greeted werereaven lady: "And we are glad you were able to leave that stone trap, my lady. We assumed from here someone was calling for help and were going to cross the river as soon as fire would die. The gratitude is unnecessary - a victory over evil being and liberation at least a small part of the land from Strahd's shadow - is the greatest reward by itself. If we can be of any further service, please tell."

"Meepo no like witch."  Was all Meepo adds to the conversation.  He listens to see what the woman has to say though.

Olin bows to Murial. "Forgive my forwardness, but I feel there is need. A whinchat told us of your ability to transform between human and raven. You are not the first such person we have met." Olin smiles, "We are here at the request of Davian and his family. Do you know him?"

Murial seems to give thought to the fact that another social bird gave away her secrets to Olin, but then nods, smiling, "Well. Whinchat's are not the best keepers of secrets. Chittery little pests."  A bird call up in the foggy tree tops issues out.  She gives a dirty look up to the trees. "Anyway, the Martikov family are key members of the Keepers of the Feather. Indeed, Urwin is one of the heads of the organization in Vallaki.  I am here on their behalf to keep an eye on the witch. They will be very pleased to know that she has been dealt with. I am sure Davian Martikov at the winery will also be pleased to know....given the witch has been targeting them.  I will be sure to let Urwin know of your good deeds."

With that, she abruptly nods and walks away into the fog. A few moments later you hear the cry of a crow echoing away in the darkness.  You're left in the drowned ruins of a village, the witche dead and her shack razed to the ground. 

Olin looks after the raven woman. "I had intended to ask her to deliver the gem to Davian, but I suppose we will have to do it ourselves." Olin looks at the sky, checking the time. "Do you suppose we have time to get there before nightfall, or do we need to make camp in this swamp?"

(I don't know if it was missed or if I didn't say it or if it happened, but my intention was that we also burned the witch's body in her shack.)

"Meepo need rest, then visit cemetery."  Meepo pipes up as the group is deciding next steps.  "No want rest near witch house, burned or no."

It's night time now. The witch has been burned with her house. Where do you wish to try and rest, or are you going to look around the village for a spot that's better than others? 

((Strange! I though there was a map of the whole "village" - turns out,  no, only fragments around the house.))

"We can not go through the woods now," stated Lionel the obvious, "seems like we should camp here. Would much prefer other side of the rive - running water, even muddy one, still gives some protection, but who knows what is in the there now. I say we find one of the least rotten hose as far from that burned abomination as possible and stay there. Or may be return to the place where we came out of the woods and saw the stone circle, and make a camp on the open."

If the house is chosen, Lionel will try to check it with Divine Sense.

"Meepo agree."  Meepo says.  "Find least rotten house and rest."  He helps find the house, farthest from the witch's burned down one and would rest there.

The remains of the houses around the ring road are emerged in the muck of the swamp and reduced to the most basic of walls, however toward the south end of the village lie the remains of a mansion built on higher ground. It has been reduced to piles of stone and rotting timber. But there are large enough standing sections of walls that it will offer some shelter from the elements, and a wall to place your back against.  With the higher ground, the ground is solid and dry for camping on.  Empty, arched windows stare at you.  As you get closer and start selecting a spot to camp, you see that just south of the ruin, an untamed garden runs rampant, surrounded by broken walls that are no longer able to contain it. East of the ruin, someone has erected a crude wooden fence, forming a circular yard in which several goats are penned. Surmounting the fence posts are human skulls. The goats seem to be respecting the unwritten rule of the swamp and containing their bleating to a minimum.  

However as you begin to setup camp, an apparition forms nearby.  The ghost takes shape in the fog, assuming the form of a giant of a man, nearly seven feet tall and heavily muscled, though his features are mutilated and his entrails hanging out like frayed ropes. Despite its intimidating presence, the apparition has a cringing light in its eyes. "Why do you invade my home? Begone, I beseech you!"

"Meepo just want rest."  Meepo tells the ghost.  "Can Meepo and friends rest here?"

 It was a very long day and a lot of fighting ...The ghost - as intimidating as it was - did not look like some evil corrupting the place, more like something in need of the help to cross over.  Lionel sighed and asked not truly hoping for a reassuring answer: "We are travellers in a need of a shelter. Which of this houses is your home? We shall leave it in peace and find shelter in another one."