Week 21: The Vistani

Week 21: The Vistani

Pelora 7/22 - 7/25

*AS 1010 - 1013*

When we left off...

Sir Quintus updated **Steward Warhood**of Holzdorf about the tentative resolution to the regional Fey-curse, an encounter that ended with several small and tasteful signs about unlawful logging near the western border of Blackaxe.  Clyde and Nars journeyed to Lake Tittytitty, where Nars got more than just his boots wet and they presented the Lady of the Lake with Hew (the dryad-hating greataxe).  Meanwhile, Selgaard had his armor replaced and Ulfar kept his ears open for signs of trouble at the Dragon Hoard Inn.

When Blackaxe more or less confirmed that Quintus' report was true, the Steward invited you to a private supper of influential people at his home.  You were one step closer to meeting the Thane, but bad service and questionable culinary skills somewhat soured the evening.  With a bee in his ear from the Inn, Ulfar was able to tip you all off that something might be awry at the Steward's dinner party...

**Team Good Guys**(who debated and did not adopt a better team name, team colors, and a team mascot) looked for trouble and found it, as everyone was over-served terrible wine, fed third-rate food, and the entire larder was stolen (with the Steward's household staff tied up in a cupboard for good measure).

Word of a group of traveling vagabonds (who would come to be known as the **Vistani)**momentarily distracted the group, but you did eventually track the fleeing feast back to the Dragon Hoard Inn, where a massive party was under way.  Per usual, Quintus took the customary role of the fun police, and after eating Second Supper, your group agreed to head West to the Vistani camp.  They needed to move their camp before Blackaxe took steps to move it for them, and this was clearly the humanitarian crisis of the century.  It had nothing to do with the major Ravenloft plot-tie in.  Nada.

Your trek carried you well into the witching hours of the night, but once you located the camp a keg of ale made swift work of the introductions.  Selgaard helped himself to a third supper while the rest of you chatted with the caravan leader, until **Madame Eva** indicated she had been waiting for you, invited you into her tent, and made a rather unconventional offer to you...

She wanted you to journey into the Mists, with the help of her people, and try to liberate the lands within from a terrible curse.  Given your track record with curse-breaking, this seemed like a fairly reasonable quest, but there were a number of vital questions that didn't receive direct answers... Like how you would get back from the Mist once you entered it.

Madame Eva read your cards, gaining the following results:

**Selgaard got the 8 of Stars, the Necromancer:** This card tells of history. Knowledge of the ancient will better help you understand your enemy -- card flip-- A woman above a roaring fire. Find her and find the treasure.

**Nars got the 1 of Coins, the Swashbuckler:** This card tells of a powerful force for good and protection, a holy symbol of great hope -- card flip-- The skeleton of a deadly warrior, lying on a bed of stone flanked by gargoyles.

**Ulfar got the 9 of Swords, the Torturer:** This is a card of power and strength. It tells of a weapon of vengeance: a sword of sunlight. -- card flip-- There is a town where all is not well. There you will find a house of corruption, and within, a dark room full of still ghosts.

**Clyde got The Tempter:** This card sheds light on one who will help you greatly in the battle against darkness -- card flip-- A wedding bell, or perhaps a death knell. It calls thee to a mountainside abbey, wherein you will find a woman who is more than the sum of her parts.

**Quintus got The Mists:** Your enemy is a creature of darkness, whose powers are beyond mortality. This card will lead you to him! -- card flip-- The cards can't see where the evil lurks. The mists obscure all!

After the reading, Clyde was very upset because he apparently doesn't know many women.  Ulfar, on the other hand, had his Torturer card tattooed on him.  He was joined by Quintus, who got the Mists on his wrist.  You all explained that the Vistani needed to relocate their camp, and they agreed.  Since it's not possible to travel to the Mists using their methods on any night but the full moon, they decided to lie low for a month and meet you at **Old Owl Well** in roughly 3 weeks.  They also promised to answer some more of your questions at that time, and remained somewhat cryptic throughout your exchange.

In thet morning, all that remained was a cooling fire with a hot skillet of breakfast.  You were joined shortly after by a very hungover Steward Warhood, who arrived with armed men to resolve the Vistani problem... too late, it seemed.  He stayed for breakfast, and you parted ways on relatively good terms.

Over the next month, everyone decided (to some degree, at least) that you would try to find**Eorlund the Smith**, who might be able to craft magical dragon weapons for you... at least if you get to him before the waiting list and demand for his service gets too extreme.

**Around Town...**

A new, large building is being erected in Phandalin! A number of Conyberry residents have been enlisted in the efforts, and are reported as being paid a comfortable wage, and with as much lemonade as they wish.

Word is, Synd City recently unearthed a cache of old world wines, and will be holding an auction in a few weeks. Every worthwhile Sommelier known on the face of the world is being recruited by wealthy connoisseurs to accompany them, and verify their prospective purchases. The only people poised to make more money than the auctioneers, are the Coinpike escorts (who are charging a premium fee, on account of the demand and danger associated with such a journey).

Rotterburg has suspended "training exercises" near the Snowy Crossroads, after finding a number of large predatory animals who died "under strange circumstances". The Warden's Academy has been brought on to investigate the matter.

The whole of New Gravelton has been ravaged by blink dogs, which just keep appearing there. The high priest of the nearby temple of Aoskar has preemptively offered the statement that they "know \*nothing\* of these \*undeserved\* attacks".