Galqarin - The guard roughly pushes you through the camp towards the larger tent. Assuming you do not resist in any way he pushes you roughly through the tent flaps into the tent.
Madam Eva glares directly at you. "Come in, come in!" She beckons you over."Take a seat, if you please." She casts a rather inquisitive eye over Galqarin,"Is this creaturewith you?"she asks Sandu and Valerie. "Most strange... I wonder... does this change things?"she mutters to herself. The mood is broken by Eva's cackling, "Never mind, never mind! The more the merrier!"
Ioben - Out of the corner of your eye you notice Sandu and Valerie entering the large tent by the water. Petyr and Shey shift a little nervously. Petyr stops mid-sentence, pauses, then continues, "Ioben, as we've enjoyed yer company. I think it may be time yer met Madam Eva." He looks at Shey,"Tha's right deary. It'll be alright, you'll see." She stands and offers to lead you to the tent,"Jus' this way deary. Best you be seein' her."
As he sits relaxing, Ioben sees the others making their way toward the tent that Petyr had indicated as belonging to Madam Eva. The sense of peace that had settled over him as they spoke was disturbed enough to remind him of their purpose here. "Yes I think I had better go meet with Madame Eva," Ioben says as he stands up to follow the others."It seems like the others I came with have had the same idea. There is no need to come along, I am sure I will be fine. Again, thank you for letting me rest a while from the road."
Ioben makes his way toward the indicated tent, where some of the others had already entered. Pausing for a moment outside, he takes a breathe, listens for any indication of movement and talking inside, and then ducks into the tent.
Dormark - As you enter the tent Madam Eva cackles, "Ahhh here he is... yesss. The metal man with a soul! Come in Dormark, come in."
Ioben - You enter the tent and see the rest of the party, other than Baern, gathered. A voice rings out,"Almost a full house! Join us Ioben." Madam Eva has her Tarokka cards set out in front of her,"You're used to cards of a slightly different variety, are you not?" She cackles and waves you over to join the others.
"Looks like we're just waiting on Baern now" Madam Eva says as she looks over the party assembled in front of her grinning. "I'm sure his mother taught him never to be late. Shouldn't keep people waiting."
"Now, what can old Madam Eva do for each of you?"Her stare is piercing as she looks around the group. "Could it be that you seek that which lies ahead?"
“Drreammmsss calling usss to youuuu *hiccup* Never dreamtttt befffore, butttt lookinnng for ansssswersss,” says Dormark standing behind everyone, but seems to sway side to side a little bit.
It Isla's prodding, an unsure Baern looks to the door of Madam Eva's tent just in time to see a couple more of his companions enter. Numerous thoughts swirl through his head all at once as he tries to muster the courage to enter. He was unsure of what to make of the warnings about the Vistani, however he felt they may be fated to meet this Madam Eva. He had hoped the newly discovered hand of the divine would guide him to his mother, for better or worse, but then he suddenly found himself trapped in Barovia. He was no one special, certainly not for any reason he could think of, yet the magic of the gods had just recently begun pouring from his fingers. He still had no truly great strength or power beyond that of any dwarven stone mason, even now with the ability to magically mend a few shards of wood together, yet kept privately picturing himself having to face the man they call Stahd if he is to move forward in his quest.
With a hard swallow, Baern glances back in the direction where Ismark and Ireena should be waiting and then enters the tent.
Sandu looked down with his darkened eyes at the woman hunched over the table. She was old. Now that was the tricky part. Sandu had enough experience with magic users to know that old meant powerful. You did not grow old trying to bend reality to your whim without packing some serious force. Not to mention the competition: for every wizard proclaiming themself to be the best, there were three others eager to disprove them. But at first glace, the old lady seemed to be one of those most rare kinds of magic users: the ones that were powerful, knew they were powerful and saw no need to prove it to others. That made them dangerous.
'What are-' Sandu started when she overruled him and beckoned him to take a seat. Sandu suddenly felt like a child being softly but firmly guided by a grandmotherly hand, which was strange as he had never known his own grandmother. Nevertheless, he felt it would be very impolite to refuse the invitation and without any protest, he took a seat on one of the many cushions strewn about. Her casual remarks lingered in his mind. What did she mean by that? He wondered.
He did not have much time to ponder the many questioned that surfaced in his thoughts. The flap in front moved and one by one the others of his travelling group stepped into the half dark of the cloth tent. When Galqarin entered, Sandu moved himself to a seat as far away removed from the bugbear as possible and when Dormark showed himself, he made a point of not looking at the warforged beyond an initial glance. Is he swaying? Sandu was befuddled. Is he DRUNK?!
OOC: Detect Magic and Sandu's magic eyes are still active if that would be relevant for the developing situation.
Ioben shuffles into the room finding a seat near the eye of the group. The cards in front of Madame Eva are foreign but inviting. Cards meant one of two things for Ioben, good fortune, or time to run. He has no idea which one this time will lead to. The strangeness of the room caused Ioben to hold his tongue, though he did study the contents of the room closely. This was the woman who had reached out to them in their dreams. Surely this would set his feet onto the journey home.
Baern - As you enter the tent you hear a shrill, elderly woman's voice call out, "Aaaah Baern. Glad you could join us, didn't get lost in the fog did you? Made sure all your chores were done before you saw fit to visit old Eva?" She cackles and waves towards the rest of the party,"Come, come, join us!"
"Now that you are all gathered here, my dears, let me begin." Madam Eva looks around the party assembled before here, a look of triumph on her face. "Many times have I had discussions with groups such as yours. Many times have I given readings. Many have passed through those tent flaps." She beckons to her tents entrance. "Neverto return again."
"Barovia is Strahd's realm. He does as he pleases. He is the master and we his unwilling servants." She slams her fist down with force beyond that which you would expect of one of her age. "THIS MUST COME TO AN END!"She takes a deep breath before continuing,"There stands before you an opportunity. A disruption to the magical flow of Barovia, a chance maybe to unseat Strahd. Visions, images, magics beyond even my, albeit vast, understanding." Her comments come not as a boast, but as a matter-of-fact.
"For some reason, you all appear to be different." She stares, expressionless, at Galqarin,"Even you... are shrouded... I cannot see your future. I..."Madam Eva trails off as if in thought.
"ANYWAY, there are many important things to discuss. Some answers I can undoubtedly supply, others MUST be sought!"She beckons for the group to draw closer to her table. "For the time being, let us consult the cards and see what they say. Shall we?" The question is rhetorical. The red flames lighting the tent seem to flare up.
Eva's hands remain calm as she picks up her Tarokka deck, she lays 5 cards face-down in front of her.
Card #1
"This card tells of history. Knowledge of the ancient will help you better understand your enemy. For where better to start." She flips the card over and stares at it for a moment.
"The 2 of Stars... The 'Diviner', could it be?" Madam Eva smiles to herself. "No?! Surely not?!" She laughs loudly,"I think the treasure is under my very nose! This camp? All the time!" Her attention snaps back to the group, "You must find this treasure... must search this camp. I shall inform the others not to impede your efforts, for this could be an important piece of the puzzle."
Card #2
"This card tells of a powerful force for good and protection, a holy symbol of great hope. Surely you will need such artefacts before you face down Strahd." She flips over the second card.
"The Master of Stars... The Wizard himself. You must search for a wizard’s tower on a lake. Let the wizard’s name and servant guide you to that which you seek." Madam Eva contemplates the card,"My visions are obscured... The wizard I cannot see... Yet his servant may be found... A woman of Vistani descent... I cannot see her face... she does not feel familiar to me."
Once more she looks around the group,"I can divine no more regarding this artefact."She chuckles, "Could be that you shall all need to do a little bit more digging!"
Card #3
Madam Eva's hand hovers over the third card, her eyes are shut,"This is a card of power and strength. It tells of a weapon of vengeance: a sword of sunlight. A weapon capable of lying low the DEVIL himself!" Excitedly she flips the card.
"The 1 of Swords. The AVENGER! The treasure lies in a dragon’s house, in hands once clean and now corrupted! A sadness permeates my thoughts! Argh!" Eva clutches at her forehead as though experiencing a sudden migraine. "Free the dragon's house and claim it's treasure!"
Card #4
Willing herself on Madam Eva goes to the forth card. "This card sheds light on one who will help you greatly in the battle against darkness. Surely you will need allies in your quest ahead, they may be few and far between!" She turns the forth card.
"The Raven! No doubt you see many of the confounded birds flying around since you arrived here!" She chuckled to herself, before her eyes roll-back in her head,"Find the leader of the feathered ones who live among the vines. Though old, he has one more fight left in him." She continues on, it almost appears as though her words are not her own,"DO NOT FEAR THE FEATHERED ONES! FOR ALLIES YOU SHALL FIND! Arrgh." Madam Eva slumps a little in her chair, she looks tired and drained. "I - I - I... I must continue... It... is... important. I."
Card #5
Eva's hand shake as she approaches the last card. When she speaks her voice sounds a lot frailer,"Your enemy is a creature of darkness, whose powers are beyond mortality. This card... it..." she breaths heavily, "it will lead you to HIM..." Trembling she turns over the cards, her movements are laboured.
"No..!" She looks around the group her eyes wide with fright."I... It's..." The card lies on the table; it depicts a figure whose eyes have been sewn, behind him stands a gallows with a noose. "I am... sorry... The Executioner..." for the first time you see genuinely sympathy depicted on the old woman's face. "This... this is a fool's errand. But one in which you have little choice." She continues with her reading, "I see a dark figure on a balcony, looking down upon this tortured land with a twisted smile. The lands beneath him are littered with the bodies of his enemies... He is a conqueror, a torturer, a TORMENTOR. Worst - he delights in it, in the suffering he has wrought."
The lights around Madam Eva's tent seem to dim a little. She looks exhausted as she rests back in her chair."You must go... find the treasures. Bring about an end to HIS reign." With that she waves her hand dismissively.
((As - as far as he knows at least - a native of the land of Barovia, how much of the above strikes a chord with Galqarin? The dice say history 9, which probably accurately reflects his lack of education & reading.))
Galqarin - Not much really of the reading triggers any memories. That is until the 4th card is revealed - "Find the leader of the feathered ones who live among the vines." You are familiar with a vineyard existing in the region - 'The Wizard of Wines'. Could this be the location referred to?
Gaqarin, having tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible, suddenly becomes animated when Madam Eva announces the Raven card. His yellow eyes light up and, in his excitement, he dismisses the old woman's fear that accompanies drawing of the final card. After all, he has survived the executioner's noose already.
Baern is wide eyed as Madam Eva does the readings with fervor. When she is done he looks around for paper but doesn't have any of his own. He begins muttering to himself, trying remember everything.
treasure in the camp...
wizard's tower... on a lake... his name... his servant...
sword of sunlight in a dragon's house...
ravens...vines...allies...
the executioner...
Baern swallows hard as he remembers the last card and Madam Eva's reaction, but he again repeats the words to try to remember.
The entire situation was odd to say the least. Scratch that, it was downright bizarre. Even after all that he had experienced over the past days, Sandu could confidently state that this was by far the strangest thing he had experienced yet. Madam Eva had read their fortune but it felt more like she had felt their fortune or, strange as it sounded, lived their fortune. Stranger still, Sandu had felt a strange bond with the old lady during it all. Emotions not his own tugged at the fringes of his mind, threatening to overwhelm him lest he did not keep focus. Each time she flipped a card, he could feel his head being tugged down to stare at it, to take it all in.
The other unusual aspect was that everything she said had a concrete truth to it. Most fortune tellers tend to speak in vague, broad terms so they would always get something right. Not Madam Eva. He had a hard time discerning if that was a result of her sheer power or merely from experience but the fact remained that he instinctively believed everything she said. He even leaned to the side so he could peak underneath the table after she flipped over the first card.
But it was the fourth card especially that grasped Sandu's attention. When Madam Eva spoke of ravens and allies, his hand subconsciously reached for the pendant hidden underneath his clothes. The silver felt warm to the touch. Madam Eva's emotional torrent nearly engulfed him but the pendant's sharp edges pressing into his hand helped him to keep his head level.
When Madam Eva fell quiet, Sandu noticed to his surprise that he felt tired, almost as if he had been running. He had questions. So many questions. But first he had to find his centre again, for he feared that suddenly standing up would make him nauseous.
OOC: Dropping the concentration on Detect Magic. Pretty sure Madam Eva's reading is enough of a shock to break concentration ^^
Also, Card #5 is vintage Ravenloft and I love it. From the cover of the novel "I, Strahd"
Valerie has been silent the whole time. Her eyes train on Madame Eva since she started the reading. She does not believe in fortune reading or tarrot cards at all. However, she has nothing against them, she thinks they are a type of arts for entertaining. Though, some of the claims from Madame Eva surprise her.
As the reading end, she looks around to her companions waiting for their responses.
(OCC: Can I tell is Madame Eva confident with what she is doing or just bluffing or hiding something?)
Hearing the Tarot card reading had sobered Dormark up a bit, pondering what was revealed to them. He thinks that this a pointed out serval points of interest to explore. Pondering Madam Eve's abilities he thinks maybe just maybe... Dormark waits for the others to leave first wanting to be the last one in the tent.
As Madame Eva started turning the cards over, Ioben got caught up on the first card. How could there be something so essential in her very own camp that Madame Eva didn’t know about? Could it be something that they had brought in with them? Was it something unexpected that they might otherwise completely overlook?
Again his ears pricked up as Madame Eva mentions the dragon’s house. For some reason his mind was drawn immediately to the idea of a tavern placard hanging outside with a dragon blowing in the breeze. Maybe it was because he just couldn’t fathom the idea of actually facing a real dragon. He could not think of how they could get pst it to find and retrieve the treasure.
Madame Eva’s shock as she turned over the final card brought back his attention. The gallows hung before him in his mind. It was only a few hours ago that they had been standing below some gallows and found Gaqarin. Was there a connection?
There was a lot that had been said over the cards, not all of it had registered with Ioben, but what he had heard had left him realising how much there was to do.
Valerie'sInsight check ((think what you're asking is more insight than perception)):
You can tell that Madam Eva is, at least in her perception, telling the truth. That is to say, she is telling you what she is seeing - you do not believe her to be bluffing.
Galqarin - The guard roughly pushes you through the camp towards the larger tent. Assuming you do not resist in any way he pushes you roughly through the tent flaps into the tent.
Madam Eva glares directly at you. "Come in, come in!" She beckons you over. "Take a seat, if you please." She casts a rather inquisitive eye over Galqarin, "Is this creature with you?" she asks Sandu and Valerie. "Most strange... I wonder... does this change things?" she mutters to herself. The mood is broken by Eva's cackling, "Never mind, never mind! The more the merrier!"
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
((Creature is a step up from monster, at least))
Dormark enters the tent waving goodbye to his new friend. Looking at the woman at the center able he says, “Hellllooooo.”
Dormark Calling of Strahd (warforged cleric) 4
As he sits relaxing, Ioben sees the others making their way toward the tent that Petyr had indicated as belonging to Madam Eva. The sense of peace that had settled over him as they spoke was disturbed enough to remind him of their purpose here. "Yes I think I had better go meet with Madame Eva," Ioben says as he stands up to follow the others. "It seems like the others I came with have had the same idea. There is no need to come along, I am sure I will be fine. Again, thank you for letting me rest a while from the road."
Ioben makes his way toward the indicated tent, where some of the others had already entered. Pausing for a moment outside, he takes a breathe, listens for any indication of movement and talking inside, and then ducks into the tent.
Dormark - As you enter the tent Madam Eva cackles, "Ahhh here he is... yesss. The metal man with a soul! Come in Dormark, come in."
Ioben - You enter the tent and see the rest of the party, other than Baern, gathered. A voice rings out, "Almost a full house! Join us Ioben." Madam Eva has her Tarokka cards set out in front of her, "You're used to cards of a slightly different variety, are you not?" She cackles and waves you over to join the others.
"Looks like we're just waiting on Baern now" Madam Eva says as she looks over the party assembled in front of her grinning. "I'm sure his mother taught him never to be late. Shouldn't keep people waiting."
"Now, what can old Madam Eva do for each of you?" Her stare is piercing as she looks around the group. "Could it be that you seek that which lies ahead?"
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
“Drreammmsss calling usss to youuuu *hiccup* Never dreamtttt befffore, butttt lookinnng for ansssswersss,” says Dormark standing behind everyone, but seems to sway side to side a little bit.
Dormark Calling of Strahd (warforged cleric) 4
It Isla's prodding, an unsure Baern looks to the door of Madam Eva's tent just in time to see a couple more of his companions enter. Numerous thoughts swirl through his head all at once as he tries to muster the courage to enter. He was unsure of what to make of the warnings about the Vistani, however he felt they may be fated to meet this Madam Eva. He had hoped the newly discovered hand of the divine would guide him to his mother, for better or worse, but then he suddenly found himself trapped in Barovia. He was no one special, certainly not for any reason he could think of, yet the magic of the gods had just recently begun pouring from his fingers. He still had no truly great strength or power beyond that of any dwarven stone mason, even now with the ability to magically mend a few shards of wood together, yet kept privately picturing himself having to face the man they call Stahd if he is to move forward in his quest.
With a hard swallow, Baern glances back in the direction where Ismark and Ireena should be waiting and then enters the tent.
Sandu looked down with his darkened eyes at the woman hunched over the table. She was old. Now that was the tricky part. Sandu had enough experience with magic users to know that old meant powerful. You did not grow old trying to bend reality to your whim without packing some serious force. Not to mention the competition: for every wizard proclaiming themself to be the best, there were three others eager to disprove them. But at first glace, the old lady seemed to be one of those most rare kinds of magic users: the ones that were powerful, knew they were powerful and saw no need to prove it to others. That made them dangerous.
'What are-' Sandu started when she overruled him and beckoned him to take a seat. Sandu suddenly felt like a child being softly but firmly guided by a grandmotherly hand, which was strange as he had never known his own grandmother. Nevertheless, he felt it would be very impolite to refuse the invitation and without any protest, he took a seat on one of the many cushions strewn about. Her casual remarks lingered in his mind. What did she mean by that? He wondered.
He did not have much time to ponder the many questioned that surfaced in his thoughts. The flap in front moved and one by one the others of his travelling group stepped into the half dark of the cloth tent. When Galqarin entered, Sandu moved himself to a seat as far away removed from the bugbear as possible and when Dormark showed himself, he made a point of not looking at the warforged beyond an initial glance. Is he swaying? Sandu was befuddled. Is he DRUNK?!
OOC: Detect Magic and Sandu's magic eyes are still active if that would be relevant for the developing situation.
William Brackwater: Human Fighter - The Windward Isles
Tyrgram, the Butterfly Knight: Dwarf Warlock - Secret of Greenwold
Iòlinder Corrach: Half Elf War Cleric - Allansia Adventure
Valerius Sergius Publius: Dhampir Paladin - Vae Victus
Ioben shuffles into the room finding a seat near the eye of the group. The cards in front of Madame Eva are foreign but inviting. Cards meant one of two things for Ioben, good fortune, or time to run. He has no idea which one this time will lead to. The strangeness of the room caused Ioben to hold his tongue, though he did study the contents of the room closely. This was the woman who had reached out to them in their dreams. Surely this would set his feet onto the journey home.
Baern - As you enter the tent you hear a shrill, elderly woman's voice call out, "Aaaah Baern. Glad you could join us, didn't get lost in the fog did you? Made sure all your chores were done before you saw fit to visit old Eva?" She cackles and waves towards the rest of the party, "Come, come, join us!"
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Mid-Afternoon - Day 3 - Tarokka Reading
"Now that you are all gathered here, my dears, let me begin." Madam Eva looks around the party assembled before here, a look of triumph on her face. "Many times have I had discussions with groups such as yours. Many times have I given readings. Many have passed through those tent flaps." She beckons to her tents entrance. "Never to return again."
"Barovia is Strahd's realm. He does as he pleases. He is the master and we his unwilling servants." She slams her fist down with force beyond that which you would expect of one of her age. "THIS MUST COME TO AN END!" She takes a deep breath before continuing, "There stands before you an opportunity. A disruption to the magical flow of Barovia, a chance maybe to unseat Strahd. Visions, images, magics beyond even my, albeit vast, understanding." Her comments come not as a boast, but as a matter-of-fact.
"For some reason, you all appear to be different." She stares, expressionless, at Galqarin, "Even you... are shrouded... I cannot see your future. I..." Madam Eva trails off as if in thought.
"ANYWAY, there are many important things to discuss. Some answers I can undoubtedly supply, others MUST be sought!" She beckons for the group to draw closer to her table. "For the time being, let us consult the cards and see what they say. Shall we?" The question is rhetorical. The red flames lighting the tent seem to flare up.
Eva's hands remain calm as she picks up her Tarokka deck, she lays 5 cards face-down in front of her.
Card #1
"This card tells of history. Knowledge of the ancient will help you better understand your enemy. For where better to start." She flips the card over and stares at it for a moment.
Card #2
"This card tells of a powerful force for good and protection, a holy symbol of great hope. Surely you will need such artefacts before you face down Strahd." She flips over the second card.
"The Master of Stars... The Wizard himself. You must search for a wizard’s tower on a lake. Let the wizard’s name and servant guide you to that which you seek." Madam Eva contemplates the card, "My visions are obscured... The wizard I cannot see... Yet his servant may be found... A woman of Vistani descent... I cannot see her face... she does not feel familiar to me."
Once more she looks around the group, "I can divine no more regarding this artefact." She chuckles, "Could be that you shall all need to do a little bit more digging!"
Card #3
Madam Eva's hand hovers over the third card, her eyes are shut, "This is a card of power and strength. It tells of a weapon of vengeance: a sword of sunlight. A weapon capable of lying low the DEVIL himself!" Excitedly she flips the card.
Card #4
Willing herself on Madam Eva goes to the forth card. "This card sheds light on one who will help you greatly in the battle against darkness. Surely you will need allies in your quest ahead, they may be few and far between!" She turns the forth card.
"The Raven! No doubt you see many of the confounded birds flying around since you arrived here!" She chuckled to herself, before her eyes roll-back in her head, "Find the leader of the feathered ones who live among the vines. Though old, he has one more fight left in him." She continues on, it almost appears as though her words are not her own, "DO NOT FEAR THE FEATHERED ONES! FOR ALLIES YOU SHALL FIND! Arrgh." Madam Eva slumps a little in her chair, she looks tired and drained. "I - I - I... I must continue... It... is... important. I."
Card #5
Eva's hand shake as she approaches the last card. When she speaks her voice sounds a lot frailer, "Your enemy is a creature of darkness, whose powers are beyond mortality. This card... it..." she breaths heavily, "it will lead you to HIM..." Trembling she turns over the cards, her movements are laboured.
"No..!" She looks around the group her eyes wide with fright. "I... It's..." The card lies on the table; it depicts a figure whose eyes have been sewn, behind him stands a gallows with a noose. "I am... sorry... The Executioner..." for the first time you see genuinely sympathy depicted on the old woman's face. "This... this is a fool's errand. But one in which you have little choice." She continues with her reading, "I see a dark figure on a balcony, looking down upon this tortured land with a twisted smile. The lands beneath him are littered with the bodies of his enemies... He is a conqueror, a torturer, a TORMENTOR. Worst - he delights in it, in the suffering he has wrought."
The lights around Madam Eva's tent seem to dim a little. She looks exhausted as she rests back in her chair. "You must go... find the treasures. Bring about an end to HIS reign." With that she waves her hand dismissively.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
((As - as far as he knows at least - a native of the land of Barovia, how much of the above strikes a chord with Galqarin? The dice say history 9, which probably accurately reflects his lack of education & reading.))
Galqarin - Not much really of the reading triggers any memories. That is until the 4th card is revealed - "Find the leader of the feathered ones who live among the vines." You are familiar with a vineyard existing in the region - 'The Wizard of Wines'. Could this be the location referred to?
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Gaqarin, having tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible, suddenly becomes animated when Madam Eva announces the Raven card. His yellow eyes light up and, in his excitement, he dismisses the old woman's fear that accompanies drawing of the final card. After all, he has survived the executioner's noose already.
Baern is wide eyed as Madam Eva does the readings with fervor. When she is done he looks around for paper but doesn't have any of his own. He begins muttering to himself, trying remember everything.
treasure in the camp...
wizard's tower... on a lake... his name... his servant...
sword of sunlight in a dragon's house...
ravens...vines...allies...
the executioner...
Baern swallows hard as he remembers the last card and Madam Eva's reaction, but he again repeats the words to try to remember.
The entire situation was odd to say the least. Scratch that, it was downright bizarre. Even after all that he had experienced over the past days, Sandu could confidently state that this was by far the strangest thing he had experienced yet. Madam Eva had read their fortune but it felt more like she had felt their fortune or, strange as it sounded, lived their fortune. Stranger still, Sandu had felt a strange bond with the old lady during it all. Emotions not his own tugged at the fringes of his mind, threatening to overwhelm him lest he did not keep focus. Each time she flipped a card, he could feel his head being tugged down to stare at it, to take it all in.
The other unusual aspect was that everything she said had a concrete truth to it. Most fortune tellers tend to speak in vague, broad terms so they would always get something right. Not Madam Eva. He had a hard time discerning if that was a result of her sheer power or merely from experience but the fact remained that he instinctively believed everything she said. He even leaned to the side so he could peak underneath the table after she flipped over the first card.
But it was the fourth card especially that grasped Sandu's attention. When Madam Eva spoke of ravens and allies, his hand subconsciously reached for the pendant hidden underneath his clothes. The silver felt warm to the touch. Madam Eva's emotional torrent nearly engulfed him but the pendant's sharp edges pressing into his hand helped him to keep his head level.
When Madam Eva fell quiet, Sandu noticed to his surprise that he felt tired, almost as if he had been running. He had questions. So many questions. But first he had to find his centre again, for he feared that suddenly standing up would make him nauseous.
OOC:
Dropping the concentration on Detect Magic. Pretty sure Madam Eva's reading is enough of a shock to break concentration ^^
Also, Card #5 is vintage Ravenloft and I love it. From the cover of the novel "I, Strahd"
William Brackwater: Human Fighter - The Windward Isles
Tyrgram, the Butterfly Knight: Dwarf Warlock - Secret of Greenwold
Iòlinder Corrach: Half Elf War Cleric - Allansia Adventure
Valerius Sergius Publius: Dhampir Paladin - Vae Victus
Valerie has been silent the whole time. Her eyes train on Madame Eva since she started the reading. She does not believe in fortune reading or tarrot cards at all. However, she has nothing against them, she thinks they are a type of arts for entertaining. Though, some of the claims from Madame Eva surprise her.
As the reading end, she looks around to her companions waiting for their responses.
(OCC: Can I tell is Madame Eva confident with what she is doing or just bluffing or hiding something?)
Perception 16
Hearing the Tarot card reading had sobered Dormark up a bit, pondering what was revealed to them. He thinks that this a pointed out serval points of interest to explore. Pondering Madam Eve's abilities he thinks maybe just maybe... Dormark waits for the others to leave first wanting to be the last one in the tent.
Dormark Calling of Strahd (warforged cleric) 4
As Madame Eva started turning the cards over, Ioben got caught up on the first card. How could there be something so essential in her very own camp that Madame Eva didn’t know about? Could it be something that they had brought in with them? Was it something unexpected that they might otherwise completely overlook?
Again his ears pricked up as Madame Eva mentions the dragon’s house. For some reason his mind was drawn immediately to the idea of a tavern placard hanging outside with a dragon blowing in the breeze. Maybe it was because he just couldn’t fathom the idea of actually facing a real dragon. He could not think of how they could get pst it to find and retrieve the treasure.
Madame Eva’s shock as she turned over the final card brought back his attention. The gallows hung before him in his mind. It was only a few hours ago that they had been standing below some gallows and found Gaqarin. Was there a connection?
There was a lot that had been said over the cards, not all of it had registered with Ioben, but what he had heard had left him realising how much there was to do.
Valerie's Insight check ((think what you're asking is more insight than perception)):
You can tell that Madam Eva is, at least in her perception, telling the truth. That is to say, she is telling you what she is seeing - you do not believe her to be bluffing.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)