Session 4: The Threads of Fate

## The Threads of Fate

The party attends the funerals of the Burgonmaster and Doru, and with her father properly buried, Ireena joins the party. They bid Ismark goodbye, then head to the Bilgerat's Mercantile where, after they are nearly fleeced, V steals a healing potion and scroll of Flame Blade. They leave Barovia behind and Ireena and Seril get to know each other on their walk to the Vistani camp. At the Vistani camp, Menyn introduces the party to Madame Eva, who believes the threads of fate have drawn them together to stop Strahd and free Barovia.

## Synopsis

### The Funerals

As everyone rested, Bogdan found some rats behind an ice box and lured them out to suck their blood while Seril watched in horror. Eustace had gone back into the mirror to sleep. Menyn grabbed the mirror to bring him along with them.

They left Eustace’s home and headed out into the streets. A light rain began to fall on their way to the funeral.

They arrived back at the church, nestled to the north of town. The windows were lit with the twinkle of candles; the only speckle of light in the dark town. Standing at the alter, Father Danovich flipped through scripts and passages, preparing himself for the funeral.

Ireena and Ismark stood off to the side, Ireena in mail with a sword and a pack. Ismark, noticeably, didn't have a pack of his own.

Bogdan said “oh boy this is never pleasant” as they stepped into the church with a shiver. Menyn, on the other hand, was oddly silent as he stepeded entered.

Seril walked over to Ireena and Ismark and heard Ireena say “I know I said if we buried him I’d leave but-“

Ismark said, “No, you promised.”

“I thought you’d be coming with us. It’s dangerous if you stay here.”

“Somebody needs to stay and look out for the people of Barovia. I trust these people. It’s what he would want.”

Seeing Seril, Ismark cut the conversation short in order to thank her and the group for killing the vampire. He said that he’s grateful Ireena hadn’t come here on her own. “You took down one of the devil’s kind and that’s not a small feat.” He then gave Seril her a coin purse with four-hundred gold pieces, which he and Menyn had agreed upon early. Ismark thanked Seril again.

Seril said to Ireena, “I know it’s hard to do this and I’m sorry you have to wrestle with that. I’m sorry for your loss.” Ireena said she’s looking forward to getting to know the party in the next few days.

Bogdan asked V how she feels in churches, as it’s uncomfortable for them. She shrugged. Bogdan explained that they’re going to sit in the back if she wants to sit with them and she does.

The priest then began the funeral with prayers to the Morning Lord and the Night Mother to earn their favor. (They are equal/dual dieties. The Morning Lord ushers souls to the afterlife while the Night Mother takes bodies back into the earth) He read and prayed in verse for about an hour, with lessons to be learned from the Morning Lord’s teachings and the Night Mother’s perspective. The prayers mentioned not being overly afraid of death and his voice cracked at those words. After the reading, the father grabbed umbrellas and walked out to the back of the church, leading the party outside. Bogdan quickly exited the church at the first opportunity.

Menyn walked out with the priest, who held the umbrella open for both of them. The priest then thanked Menyn for talking him down after what happened. He then gave Menyn a gift; “I found this on my boy when I was preparing him for the services. It's not something I recognize or would have come across in town. I think it's something he might have acquired from the castle or the mage. It looks important, so...” He then gave Menyn a reptilian scale the size of a grown man’s hand, gilded in silver with a symbol carved in the underside of it. Menyn didn't recognize the symbol at first but eventually determined it might be related to a religious sect that worshipped a dragon.

V, the last one out, noticed the church seemed to have more life than it did before. After this quiet observation, she threw her hood up then followed everyone out.

They head out to the graveyard where the coffins lay resting, the lids opened. The father had made-up his son's face to look as he did when he was human. Doru's face was kind and soft before it had been twisted into a vampiric form.

“Before we return these bodies to the night mother, is there anything anyone would like to say,” the father asked. Ireena was red-eyed and puffy faced, having cried the entire time. Ismark seemed to be keeping together, but was still crying softly. He stepped forward and said a few words for his father.

“Maybe of you weren’t around, to my knowledge, to get to know my father, or at least the man he was. If you did know him, you’d know he was a wonderful light in this terrible place and one of the kindest men I’ve come to know. He looked out for everyone… and was a firm believer in second chances and new beginnings. So much so that when I was younger, he returned home from a trip with Ireena. I scoffed at bringing Ireena into the family and he laid into me, urging me to be kinder and softer to this child who would be joining our family. It changed my life and Ireena’s too. If you had all known him, I’m sure he would have changed all your lives for the better. I’d like to ask you all a favor, a selfish one perhaps. The kindness of my father, I ask everyone try to embody that going forward.”

After Ismark's euology, the father said, “I know you all joined our community here in the past couple of days, but if there’s anything you’d like to say.”

Seril stepped forward and said, “I did not know either of these men at all, obviously, and I cannot speak to the experiences of the community, but you have my deepest sympathy for the loss of your family members. I know how hard it can be, the horrible loss of having that piece of yourself torn away from you. To you, father, I’m sorry to be the one to have torn your son away from you, and I know he was not the man he had been anymore, but I’m so sorry for the loss of your son and I’m sorry I had to be the one to delivery that blow. You have my deepest apologies that you had to go through this and it had to unfold this way.”

The father put his hand on Seril’s shoulder and thanked her. He then asked the party to help lower the coffins into the ground. Menyn and Bogdan help with Doru’s (the son’s) coffin and V helped Ismark and Ireena with their father’s coffin.

The father said some final prayers over the graves and the funeral came to an end.

### Plans and Preparations

Ireena asked when they planned to get on the road and where they were going. Menyn answered, “Vilaki first, then Crezick if Vilaki doesn’t seem safe. But first we are stopping by a fortune teller I have made arrangements with.”

“Fine, wherever we need to go, I’ll follow. As long as I get a good night’s sleep,” Ireena said.

Seril gave Menyn the money and then apologized to Ireena for trading money in front of her. Ireena said she understands and she’s ready to go whenever everyone else is. She’s said her goodbyes already.

Ismark asked if the group has a place to stay along the way and Menyn explained they are going to stay with the Vistani, as the Vistani fortuneteller was the one who was trying to bring the group together. Ismark was a bit wary about the Vistani but Menyn breezed over it, gently chiding him for his assumptions about the Vistani.

Menyn then asked to clarify that Ireena was adopted and Ismark explained his father brought her home when he was seven and she was about four or five. Ireena had no memories and no name either. Ismark then said in order to keep Ireena safe, there shouldn’t be a paper trail between them and he is okay losing contact if it means she’s safe.

Menyn then explained to the group that it’s best they head straight to the fortune teller first and stay the night there before continuing on.

Seril, for some fucking reason *ESME*, pulls out a whole ass *raw* potato and just eats it like a goddamned apple. Why are you like this?

Menyn then explained now is the time to go shopping for food if they need to, as they’ll be leaving soon. He then pulled out the silvered scale and examined it. Seril asked to see it and Menyn offered it to her, but she wasn't sure what it was either.

They discussed going to town to find health potions and Bogdan pulled out the vials they found to show the group. Menyn pulled the mirror out and summoned Eustace from it. After catching Eustace up on the situation, Menyn showed him the vials which Eustace is able to identify as two vials of holy water, one of holy oil, and a healing potion.

They headed to Bilgerat’s Mercantile. Seril and Menyn asked for healing potions and the shopkeep said he has one for three-hundred gold. They knew that healing potions are only about fifty gold. They called him out on it, but he said if they don’t like it they can go to another store. There isn’t another store.

V attempted to look around for the healing potion, but the shopkeep noticed and called down his muscle, Periwimple, to be in the room.

Menyn then told the shopkeep he had been cursed to buy the item in the shop that has been least touched or else his fingernails will fall out. The shopkeep explained he has a vial of acid for one-hundred fifty gold. He told the muscle to go to the back to get the vial, and V followed after him. Eustace then casted invisibility on himself and followed after V.

Periwimple headed to the back to retrieve the acid, while V quietly followed in his shadow. Once he left, she grabbed the potion as well as a scroll he left behind. She quickly pocketed them, then slipped out the backdoor. Having watched her do this, Eustace returned to the shop dropped his invisibility. Periwimple then returned to the store and they resume business of “selling” the vial of acid. Menyn talked his way out of buying the vial of acid and made a quick escape.

Eustace then asked what new items the barkeep had; if he had received anything within the past fix to six days, and the shopkeep said that he had ball bearings. That wasn’t what Eustace was looking for, so he left.

After they all left, V rejoined the group out front. Menyn gave a surprised “Oh!” then laughed when he realized what happened. Seril asked what she stole and V showed them the vial and the scroll. V determined the vial is a healing potion like the one they had and Eustace identified the scroll as a scroll of Flame Blade.

Menyn asked Ireena how she felt about the shopkeep, and she said, “Honestly? He’s the biggest prick in the town.” Menyn is delighted and then asked her to laugh when he makes jokes, as it will boost his ego. She laughed, and he said they will quickly become best friends.

### The Vistani Camp

They then left town, exiting out of the shadow of Castle Ravenloft up on the peaks, towering over the town.

The trip to the Vistani camp took about five hours and was quiet without any interruptions. As it got darker, they did hear heightened activity but nothing popped out at them.

Seril walked beside Ireena, keeping her company, and eventually Ireena made idle conversation with her. Seril asked how she learned to fight and Ireena explained her father taught her, and that he was the best warrior in the village in his youth. The sword she has is her father’s, actually. Seril explained she struggles with swords. Ireena then pointed to Seril’s guns and asked what they are. Seril explained they are “magic wands that shoot metal. They shoot projectiles" and also noted that most people in Barovia don't know what they are which probably means that some of the threats she's made have fallen flat. Ireena asked if she can see one and Seril handed over the pistol. Ireena played with it a bit, did an impression of Seril's shooting stance, and then even jokingly pointed the gun at Seril. Seril was unfazed, but neatly stepped out of the way and corrected Ireena's aim and explained gun safety to her. She said her guns have safeties but she should never still point one at somebody she didn't intend to shoot. Ireena asked if Seril made the guns herself and Seril said that she and her friend, Boomstick, made it. She said Boomstick is a kobold and Ireena asked what that meant. When Seril explained that a kobold is a little dragon person, Ireena got excited. Ireena then said they’re going to spend many a nights around the fire talking.

Watching them, V tugged on Bogdan’s sleeve to get their attention, then asked "What are those?" in reference to Seril's guns. Bogdan admits "I don't know but I've seen what they can do and I know she hates me so I've been keeping interaction to a minimum." This prompted V to say "Oh you don't know?" Which Bogdan confirmed. Bogdan then noted "From what I can tell they function like a very fucked up bow." V responded with "But it doesn't have a string though." Bogdan agreed and admitted that they have no fucking clue. V replied with an unsure "Oh...okay..." which prompted Bogdan to note "Yeah, I certainly don't feel great about her having it."

Bogdan then said, “I know this is calling the kettle black, but this is a rather strange group, is it not?” V admitted she’s never been in a group before so she wouldn’t know. They then said they'd never been in a group either, but they know they're strange and everyone seemed to be on the same level as them. V nonverbally agreed and after an extended beat of silence Bogdan said, “Alright. Good talk.”

After five hours they made it to the Vistani camp which is night and day compared to Barovia. There seemed to be a party going on, with everyone smiling and telling stories.

Menyn walked into camp and declared, “Madame Eva, I have finally arrived, or returned! It feels so long, I’m not sure which!”

A Vistani man, in the process of telling a story, paused and welcomed Menyn warmly. He then told Menyn to go do his business, then to come join him for more stories and fun once he was done.

Ireena, given the chance, immediately accepted a glass of wine and drank it.

Eustace attempted to pull V aside, and she nervously looked to Bogdan. Eustace relented and said Bogdan can come, too. Eustace then explained that there is a box behind Madame’s Eva tent with an item in it that they need, but they need to be quiet about taking it. Madame Eva has been upset when it goes missing before, and he said he doesn’t know what item it will be, it changes every time. Since V was successful at stealing from the Bilgerat's Mercantile, Eustace assumed V would be best to steal the box as well.

He then left and V looks to Bogdan. Bogdan assured her that it’ll be fine, since they do need it to stop Strahd and they can return it when they’re done. V tentatively agreed and then they caught up with the rest of the group and entered Madame Eva’s tent.

They found Madame Eva hunched over a crystal ball, muttering some words. Eustace greeted her, and she responded in kind.

Madame Eva explained to the group that she sent Menyn out to retrieve the three of them, as she saw the threads of fate reach out to them. She believes bring the group together heralds the fall of the ruler of this land. And with that asked if she could do a reading.

## Locations

* The church of Barovia
* Bilgerat's Mercantile
* The Vistani camp

## Featured Characters

### The Party

* Bogdan
* Menyn Kaynen
* Seril Dren
* V

### Party Companions

* Ireena
* Eustace

### Returning

* Ismark
* Father Danovich