“How does old Mo make her pies? I see no livestock, nor any other animals to make that many pies accept for the little ones running about. Unless she drags back meat after she sells her pies,” observing the surroundings.

Ireena looks anxious now, "What are you suggesting Dormark?  I agree, it is unusual that there would be no cattle in the area...  Mayhaps she purchases the meat elsewhere?"  Ismark nods, "I am not sure Mo would be able to drag back any meat.  Unless she has hidden strength that we are unawares of!"  The last part comes out more jokingly, quite an unusual trait for Ismark.

"Witchcraft", whispers Galqarin assuredly to himself.

“Would you trust old Mo? A hot meal would not go amiss. But this place feels...” Ioben thought back to the animals in the grass, “disturbed. Like something bad has just happened, or is just about to.”

With a nervous tone Baern reasserts his desire to move on, even in darkness.  "Per-perhaps it's safer, ah, for us to get Ireena to Vallaki as soon as possible?"  He looks at Ismark but avoids Ireena's eyes sheepishly. 

“Hmm aye Galqarin, it is a possibility, but I’ve nothing to prove my theory,. However, it wouldn’t be the first time an innocent form hide a evil beast behind it. I wonder if one of us could peek inside though old Mo if she was a crone could be using magic to deceive our eyes either way. Hmm took much risk with very little gain. I think we should find a different place to spend the night, I like my chances in the woods better,” says Dormark looking at the mill.

Sandu looked at the pastry in his hand. It looked innocuous, like every other pastry out there ever. Why would Dormark be so against eating it? It was a pastry: nothing more flour, water, butter and filling. What could be the harm in that? He had bought many pastries from many vendors over the years and, aside from that one time with the "mystery" filling, he never had a bad experience with the baked goods.

He looked at Dormark. Come to think of it, he had yet to see the metal man eat anything. Did he even need to eat? Maybe he just doesn't know the simple joy of eating a delicious pastry. He thought to himself. He resolved to share some of it, and perhaps other delicacies, later when they had a moment to sit down. He put it back into his backpack, taking care to place it so that it would not be squashed. He also took the moment to quickly slide Strahd's book from his cloak into the backpack. He did keep the key on his person: it seemed safer to store them apart. 

'Straight onwards to Vallaki then?' He summarised the group's discussion. 'As long as I can spend the night between four walls and a roof, I'm all for it.' He glared at Dormark. 'No camping in the woods.' 

"No camp in woods", echoes Galqarin emphatically.

Evening - Day 4 - Vallaki, posthaste!

With Galqarin’s emphatic declaration, the party once more continue on the road West towards Vallaki, giving the windmill a wide berth as they go.  The evening was starting to darken now and the dying light created shadows out of nothing; the group are on edge as they are keen to reach Vallaki before the sun completely sets.  Who knows what terrors await them away from civilisation in Barovia in the middle of the night...

Ismark lit a torch, his hands trembling a little, betraying his mood.  “I’ll be glad once I’ve finally set foot in Vallaki” he declares in a somber tone. “We did make the right decision didn’t we?” Ireena asks, “I mean, for all we know Old Mo might not have been a witch at all. She’s never done any wrong by us before.”  She shivers as the temperature starts dropping, a faint chill in the wind.

DM rolls:

The party trudge along the road, minds on edge, as they draw ever closer to Vallaki.  Other than the odd scare / false alarm the journey goes uneventfully for the next couple of hours.  The mood in the party lightens as it appears as though travelling by night in Barovia was not as perilous as initially believed to be.

That is to say before Ireena lets out an audible gasp, “Whassat?” She hisses urgently. “Off the road, to the left, I saw something... something strange.”  Her face is pale white, emphasised by the twilight, her hand absentmindedly brushes her neck tentatively. “Do you see?”

ALL - Well, do you party members? Perception rolls please.

(Dormark is oblivious with a roll of 8. I want to get a sentinel shield as soon as possible.)

Ioben perception: 8

Valerie slightly raises her shield and looks at the direction that Ireena points out. 

Perception 10

> Ireena asks, “I mean, for all we know Old Mo might not have been a witch at all. She’s never done any wrong by us before.” 

"Not all witches bad witches", observes Galqarin, with authority based on numerous childrens' tales. "Just most".

(Perception: 10)

As the sky grew darker, Sandu became increasingly more jumpy. After a while it seemed that every shadow or snapped tree branch was something poised to ambush them. Ireena suddenly shouting and pointing at something certainly did not help his nerves.

Perception 15

Baern instinctively rushes over to protect Ireena and peers in the same direction.

Perception: 21

Dormark, Ioben, Valerie & Galqarin Perception checks:

Sandu's Perception check:

Baern's Perception check:

Nature: 9

"I think it's a druid, with those 'twig blight' things, and some strange moving vines... may..maybe we should go back?  Maybe he'll move on..."

Baern's Nature check:

Ireena calls out about movement off the side of the road, but Ioben can’t make out what it is. Something was there but it was too dark to see clearly. 

“I think it’s a Druid.” Bearn’s eyesight was clearly better then his own, but now that someone has said it he could start to make out the figure of a person. 

“I wonder who he is?” Ioben paused, trying to get a better look at the person. “Maybe they know somewhere we can safely rest for the night. I mean, they haven’t done anything to threaten us, and a lot of the locals have been more than happy to help us against Strahd.”