Baba Lysaga or Your Friends Will Kill You

The lost travelers get up bright and early, high up on the mountaintop top, with the aim to slay the Roc of Mount Ghakis on the behest of one of the revenants residing in Argynvostholt. Thanks to good planning, they get the jump on the gargantuan bird and its newly hatched babies. After a short struggle and a 150-foot drop, the bird lay dead in its nest, with the party barely hurt, except for Bart, who inexplicably was lying on the ground unconscious. Baba Lysaga, the actual last hag of Barovia, contacts Bart via a spell. She invites the lost travelers to Berez. Before leaving, the party looks through the Roc’s nest and finds a staff of power for Bart.

As the day is still young, the party begins their (straightforward) journey back to Tsolenka Pass. Back at Ludmilla laboratory, Bart and Marillion put their–somewhat–clever heads together, aiming to figure out the teleportation device and how to use it. Cinna told them that the skull of Argynvost was stored in the hall of bones at Ravenloft, so the party aims to ambush the castle from within using the teleportation device. They enter Ravenloft and even go unnoticed all the way to the Hall of Bones. Opening the doors, Cinna is reminded of Madam Eva’s fortune-telling as she faces Strahd, the vampire she had up until recently called—dad. Strahd seems surprised to see them, and while he still avoids open aggression, he puts a charm on Marillion to teach Cinna a lesson later.

Escaping the castle with a significantly shaken Cinna and taking a detour via the amber temple, the travelers continue their way to Berez. While no one trusts Baba Lysaga, even the slightest opportunity for more allies is too good to pass up. Unfortunately, Baba is not looking for new allies but rather to eliminate potential threats to Strahd. Unfortunately for her, the lost travelers are now credible threats to even Strahd himself, so Baba Lysaga and her trees prove to be no match. With the dust settling, the party secure good gear to help in their fight against Strahd. They also learn about the history of Berez, how Strahd had forced the burgomaster and priest of the town to spend an eternity watching their town die as punishment for–rescuing–Mareena, a former incantation of Tatyana, from Strahd.

After securing the area and killing the ghastly remains of the priest and the burgomaster, the party settles for a short break in the monastery. Their slight solace of peace is cut short by Marillion stabbing Cinna in the stomach, making the poor girl go unconscious before realizing his actions and quickly healing her. Strahds’ message was clear: Cinnas’s independence is at his behest.

Leaving Berez, the next stop in this hectic morning is to visit Argynvostholt. Marillion and Xuza felt an unease they had not felt on the previous visit. The rest of the travelers instead felt a sense of calm. No revenants were found, and the whole house seems to be at peace. The party manages to enter the mausoleum and return Argynvostholts skull to its resting space. They watch the spirit of Argynvost soar up to the beacon and light it, bringing a sense of hope to those inhabitants of Barovia who don’t have ties with the amber temple.

From Argynvostholt, the party travels to “Cinnas” tower. There, amid preparations, they meet Ezmeralda and Rictavio. The duo seems excited to see the party, asking whether they plan to attack Strahd during the wedding. Their excitement is soon diminished by the realization that the party has no such plan; instead, they plan to “wing it.” Realizing the weakness of such a plan, the party spends most of the day discussing possibilities and plans over a cup of tea.