That´s very curious indeed.
Kassimir seems to consider something, looking everyone up and down.
So did all of you just show up together in the fog at the same place suddenly? And where was that when i may ask? You´ve been all traveling together since then?
Talus shakes his head, "Nay, we've known each other for years, gone up and down the Sword Coast many a times, [b]" he pauses as Kassimir obviously wouldn't know the Realms at all, [b]"We were travelling together and camped and woke to find ourselves fogged in... a most curious fog indeed! Any attempt to leave found us back at our camp site. The fog finally broke ,showing a path and that led us to the village of Barovia!"
Most interesting. I never heard of such a tale, but then in the fogs of Barovia, a lot of things are possible. You must be some good people when you helped defend this place here against those vicious druids. It would be my pleasure to be of assistance as well. I heard the same about Rictavio. We could visit him first together if you want to go there as well or make a detour to recover those gems, as you wish.
Edit: Ozgo, we can handwave you securing wine for Krezk Village if you'd like. Davian will be sending his boys out with the remaining wine to all the Villages (Barovia, Krezk and Vallaki)
Malthorn studies the map they have for the moment, "In the interstate of helping the winery I'd say Yester Hill first, it only a little ways from here, then we could deliver the gem on the way to Rictavio's tower. I'm thinking a consult with him would be well worth our while before tackling one of the local legends."
Gail nods, "That was the original plan. I say we stick with it."
Yes, yes, let´s grab some wineskins and visit that Yester Hill first. I´m fine with that, if i may acompagny you.
Gail looked at the strange elf with curiosity before replying, "Our path is a most dangerous one, in the end I suspect we shall fight the very land itself. If you would still come then be welcome."
Fight the land? I´m not afraid of danger, but neither prone to foolishness. I´ll gladly join you in hopes you aren´t just a bunch of fools and my good impression of you is true. I have my own motivations to go on this journey as well. Perhaps i´ll share them with you later.
" Welcome to you both once more, I don't think we decided to attack the land per say but at times it does feel as though it conspires against us. But come we can discuss this further as we travel, daylight burns and we have yet to move."
Malthorn is ready to move on, playing with minor magics as he walks, much as a kid with a new toy might. Granted as they approach any others he stops, figuring his Visage was startling enough.
Let´s go then. It is indeed better to travel during the day.
Kassimir walks along, watching Malthorns displays curiously, but not showing any of his abilities.
Finishing his business with the winery, Ozgo moves back towards the group and overhears Kassimir's offer to join them.
"I know not this Dusk elf, but their people are no friends of Strahd, even if they do associate with the Vistani. I too will offer my service to your group, as you seem to be going against Strahd's plans!"
Gail replies, "Very well, I do believe we shall need all the help we can get so your offer is most welcome. Right it's this way to Yester Hill if I'm not mistaken."
She starts walking towards Yester Hill.
Malthorn juggles little balls of fire as he engages both Ozgo and Kassimir as they walk down the road to Yester Hill.
Valen decides to remain at the Winery to assist Davian with the rebuilding efforts. He promises to rejoin you at the Wizard's Tower to meet with Rictavio.
The Heroes travel South along the dirt path in the Svalich Woods. They see no woodland creatures, and hear no birdsong. The Wood is as quiet as death.
Soon they arrive at Yester Hill.
The trail through the thick woods leads to a hill covered with dead grass and cairns of black rock. Dark, ominous clouds gather high above, and a single bolt of lightning strikes the hilltop. West of the hill, the land, the woods, and the sky vanish behind a towering wall of fog.
Malthorn let's the illusion of juggled balls disappear as the ominous cloud above Yester Hill comes into view. "hmm inviting place, Gail those druid you used to hang out with, they stay in such a cheerful place as this?"
Moving forward Malthorn looks for guards, but notices very little.
Mh nice landscape, but this cloud seems a bit unlikely.
Ozgo chuckles at the gallows humor his new companions exhibit.
"You must be from another land if you can make such jokes! It is good to hear such defiance!. Stories tell of a long gone mountain tribe that buried their dead here, and that a foul cult of Mad Druids that worships Strahd calls this place home."
The Cloud is just a cloud, the fog however....
-Posted with Wayfinder
Mad druids who worship Strahd you say. Good we visited this place, it seems about time someone cleans up here. I´m from nearby, but indeed i never heard about such abominations. Well despite Strahd, that is.
You can see his face cloud at the mention of the name Strahd.
Becoming animated Gail replies to Maelthorn, "Home was a place blessed by Lord Sylvanus with verdant greenery, abundant wildlife and far more impressive storms. I mean near continual lighting for hours, it was awesome!" She kicks at a tuft of dead grass and adds, "Back home no druid worth their name would have anything to do with an accursed place like this."
The Fog is beyond any Kn:Arcana roll you can muster. Well beyond, residents of Barovia know the following truths
1) Anyone who attempts to leave the land of Barovia begins to choke on the fog. Those who don't turn back perish.
2) Many strangers have been drawn to Barovia over the years, always appearing in the Fog, but they all die or disappear before long.
That probably changes Kassimirs outlook on his new friends...
He also understands the fog a lot better now, thought it was on that hill.
"Right lets go deal with them shall we?" said Gail as she walked towards the hill.
"For some reason I'm not sure knocking on the front gate will be a good thing, perhaps we should circle around and see if there is another way in. If not Ozgo you block 'em I'll blast 'em"
Malthorn will move to check the perimeter if desired, otherwise follows the group to the front gate.
Talus nods , a tight smile on his face, "How quaint. " he says looking up at the storm lashed mound.
"It appears there is only one path up, but you're right a look about is always sound strategy."
It is then, that his friend's notice he's eschewed wearing any armor since leaving the Winery, it is tied up in a bundle atop his pack.
There's no gate. There's only a dirt path heading up an ominous looking hill. The Hill is 400' high and a complete circuit of the hill's ovoid shape would take about an hour.
However, in the interest of moving us along.
The Heroes move forward and see that the dirt path splits off to encircle the hill.
Dirt trails run along two concentric rings of cairns that encircle the hillside. Each cairn is a ten-foot-high mound of slimy black rocks.
Nothing stirs on Yester Hill, this could be a good thing, or a very bad one.
Gail takes a close look at the dirt path leading towards the cairns, noting, "It looks deserted but sometimes looks can be deceiving..."
If she doesn't find anything untoward, she'll cautiously approach the closest Cairn and examine it.
You mean looks can be used to deceive..., but don´t you worry, i´m an honest person.
Kassimer smirks at Gail.
Gail frowns slightly, but perhaps wisely keeps her thoughts to herself!
Ah i take it from your frown who have been deceived by good looks before. I´m sorry for that. Let´s not be deceived by this hill or those druids though. Do you think they live on or in the hill? Or might they even have some sort of portal?
Following the others Malthorn whispers a cantrip, imbuing his staff with a bit of his magic. Cast Shillelagh - last 1 minute
Laughing at Kassimir "Why my charming good looks of course. I tried to let her down easy though when it was apparent that it just wouldn't work." He says with a wink, moving over to inspect the cairn that Gail had stopped at.
"Please tell me all of these don't animate as we reach the top of the hill"
"Lets go and meet our fate! Nothing will be determined standing here!"
The brash youth starts up the path to the top of the hill.
The piles of rocks are Cairns, basically gravestones.
Huh, ok.
Gail goes to the nearest cairn and finds a pile of basaltic black rocks piled onto each others seemingly haphazardly. The pile stands about 10' off the ground and has about a 10' diameter. Curiously, at this cairn the skeletal remains of a small bird lay perfectly intact at the base of the stones.
Gail's astute observation of the natural world helps her discover that there have been humanoids using this path, and recently.
Mh so basicaly this whole hill is some kind of graveyard? That doesn´t bode well in these lands. I have a bad feeling.
Quietly Gail replies, "I'm not sure what this place is yet, beyond bad news." Suddenly she looks around realizing that Ozgo isn't there. Cursing softly she starts up the hill, saying, "We'd better catch up with Ozgo, there's no telling what's up there."
"Now where is he off to by himself?" Malthorn ask no one in particular, starting off after the paladin and Gail. Looking to the sides and their rear as they move up the hill.
So interested in being quiet he fails to notice much about their surroundings
"Hold on there!" Talus call out to Ozgo, trotting to catch up with the stalward warrior, "I've no doubt in you prowess, but the lone wolf is easily surrounded. Please, wait for my friends..."
Ozgo stops and looks behind him at the others spread out on the path.
"My apologies. I tend to be fairly straight forward and am use to working on my own."
He waits for the others to catch up with him before carrying on with the group.
The Heroes jog to catch up to Ozgo, as they do the curious skeletal bird lands near Gail and chirps at her. The effect is....unsettling.
The Heroes reach the top of the hill and see
Atop the hill is a wide ring of black boulders and smaller rocks that collectively form a makeshift wall enclosing a field of dead grass. Lightning strikes the edge of the ring from time to time, illuminating a ghastly, fifty-foot-tall statue made of tightly woven twigs and packed with black earth. The statue resembles a towering, cloaked man with fangs.
The ring of boulders that surrounds the field is 250 feet in diameter and ranges from 5 to 10 feet high. There are two paths that traverse the ring of boulders.
Did you see something move there? I´m pretty sure i saw something move about, but i don´t know what.
Perception:
Ozgo is distracted by the strange statue and fails to notice anything out of the ordinary.
Quietly Gail nods, "Aye I saw it too, this place isn't quite as deserted as it first seems. Never mind that for now, let take a look at this twig statue..."
Without getting too close she takes a good look at it.
Malthorn studies the wicker effigy as well as the surrounding stones, "You know if we burn this, I bet they could see the flames back at the winery. Might also get the locals to come out and meet us"
The "statue" is a 50' tall representation of..Strahd. It seems to be made of twigs and branches. The Heroes walk towards the "statue" keeping to the path. A lightning bolt blasts the rock wall not 50' from where our heroes pass. Perhaps it's a good thing they stuck to the path...
"umm, Gail, Talus didn't we just destroy a bunch of smaller versions of this thing." Malthorn asks as he levels his staff at the wicker man.
Gail gulps and with a lump in her throat she gasps, "Err. Oh hells! I wonder if you can burn that?!"
Talus stands , hands on his hips, looking up at the hideous effigy, "Hmmm, I believe you're right , Mal...one big twig blight made up of a hundred....not good, not good at all."
Would you kindly inform me what this is about?
Gail tore her eyes away from the monsterous statue and glanced at the elf. She explained, "You see all those twig like things, they are called blighters. Swarms of them attacked us at the behest of the druids." Gail shuddered at the memory.