And so it begins...

The road gradually disappears and is replaced by a twisted, muddy path through the trees. The caravan slowly trudges through. The canopy of mist and branches suddenly gives way to black clouds boiling far above. There is a clearing here, next to a river that widens to form a small lake several hundred feet across. A roaring fire is a good distance away from two colorful round tents, each ten feet in diameter, that are pitched. There is one person sitting by the fire, and two more exit the tents as the wagons slow to a stop. A much larger tent stands near the shore of the lake, its sagging form lit from within. Near this tent, a few unbridled horses drink from the river.



The caravan slows to a stop, circling the wagons. Stanimir hops out of the wagon and fully opens the back for the party.

"Let me speak with Madam Eva. I will grab you when she is ready." Stanimir walks over to the man by the fire; they have a quick chat, and then Stanimir enters the larger tent by the small lake.

The man by the fire waves the party over. Come eat and listen to a tale while you wait."
The rest of the travelers start securing the wagons, taking the horses to the lake to drink, and unloading a few bags of goods by the tents.

Couth hops off the wagon and strides over to the larger tent. He has all his goods with him. He watches his step as he moves as the thoughts of falling surely doesn't appeal. He only minorly looks about.

The man by the fire calls over to Couth as he gets closer to the larger tent. "Please come Sit, Enjoy some stew. Madam Eva is not ready to see visitors just yet. "

Still perched within the safety of Alyria's locks, Briar clings to her newfound shield and whispers, "Do we have to eat?" Given how quickly their journey turned from routine caravan shuttle to a nightmare abduction, the fairy is uneasy about proffered goods from the locals. "I don't think we should. I can keep us fed."

Using the hair of her paladin friend to obscure some of her movement, Briar reaches for the trinket she keeps hidden in her bodice and produces a fist of berries. She pops one into her mouth immediately and reaches a small hand forward with a small purple berry for Alyria as well. "I have enough for everyone," she concludes.

Couth says to the man, "Well some stew sounds grand. The trip here has been rather different. Is the weather always like this?" as he finds a spot not far from the fire to sit.

He calls over to Alyria and company, "Stew will go well with some berry."

The man sighs and stirs the pot of stew next to the fire. "Even if you wish not to eat, I must insist you sit and wait for Madam Eva. She is older than anyone of us knows. It takes some time. Please sit. Wait. "

Eye of the Storm warily sat. He took one of Briar's berries, knowing their worth. And he would sooner forage his own food than take what his hosts would offer, even if this land had such an obvious foulness to it. He had long decided that this land was cursed, their hosts dishonest, and he wanted nothing more than turn back and head home. Now all he needed to do was convince his companions to abandon this foolish quest.

He glanced to the tent where this Madame Eva apparently was. Older than any? With their luck so far, this would be some hag...

Ashtar walked himself out of the wagon with much effort, though he hid it well in his bearing. His growling stomach liked the idea of a stew, but being abducted through magical fog and nightmarish wolves gave him pause. Still, if these folks wanted to incapacitate them, they could’ve likely done it while they were asleep, so Ashtar graciously took the stew, savouring its warmth and the comfort of a hearth. Briar’s goodberry proved nourishing as well, and soon colors were returning to his face.

After introductions and small talk, Ashtar finally got back on topic. "Please, tell us this story you spoke of. If you’re half as fine a storyteller as Stanimir is, it should prove enjoyable."

Couth has pocketed the berry and looking forward to more than his share of stew. He doesn't even care what type of meat is in it. Couth is a big fan of meat in any form. He shows no distrust at all and seems very much a home devouring his stew. "Should be interesting what tale Madam Eva has for us."

He tells Briar, I will try the berry after I have some great stew."

Climbing out herself, Alyria with her fairy backpack began their trek towards the group sitting. She watched Ashtar closely as he made his way over. She was sure he wasn't quite on his feet, but she wasn't going to challenge him unless he genuinely needed help. Still, this group was important to her, she was going to watch over them.

She suppressed the sound, yet her chest shook with the giggles she held in at the adorable question whispered in her ear. "No," the paladin whispered back to Briar, "we don't have to eat the stew offered to us." Alyria didn't have any qualms about eating it herself, but she cared for her friend and decided to show some solidarity by munching on the offered berries without complaint as she sat beside Couth and listened attentively.

After passing out a few bowls of stew, the man chuckles. "I am not as elaborate a storyteller as Stanimir. This is a story that has been shared over the last few years. Hopefully, it will keep you entertained while you wait." He takes a drink from a bottle of wine and passes it on to Couth.
"The story goes that a mighty wizard—I can never remember his name—came to this land over a year ago. He was a very charismatic man. He thought he could rally the people of Barovia against the evils of this land He stirred them with thoughts of revolt and bore them to the castle en masse. When the evil lord appeared, the wizard's peasant army fled in terror. A few stood their ground and were never seen again.

"The wizard and the vampire cast spells at each other. Their battle flew from the courtyards of Ravenloft to a precipice overlooking the falls. Thunder shook the mountainside, and great rocks tumbled down upon the wizard, yet by his magic he survived. Lightning from the heavens struck the wizard, and again he stood his ground. But when the evil one fell upon him, the wizard's magic couldn't save him. It is said he was thrown a thousand feet to his death. A few villagers climbed down to the river to search for the wizard's body, to see if, you know, he had anything of value, but the River Ivlis had already spirited him away. The wizard's body was never found."

The man gives the group a few moments to let that sink in.
Stanimir exits Madam Eva's Tent and calls to the party. "Madam Eva is ready to see you now." He holds the tent open for the party to enter, only darkness looms inside...

Couth had his fill of stew and he surely washed it down with wine. "Always good tales." He is a good listener but surely not a bard.

Couth rises from his comfy spot. Looks to the others. "Well it is showtime." and he makes his way to the larger tent.

Briar remains at her perch, clinging to the shoulders of Alyria and resting her chin upon the paladin's head as she listens. With each movement and shift of Alyria's positioning, Briar's wings flutter ever so gently so she can maintain the most centered and equally distributed weight possible and be the least intrusive tumor upon her generous host. In aims of keeping her hands busy, over the course of the tale, Briar begins to weave small braids throughout her friend's hair.

Ashtar listened intently, and thanked the man for the tale after it was done. "It was an entertaining tale, if nothing else, and I hope it is only that, a tale." He nods at the man, and then made his way over to see Madam Eva.

Thanking their host for the story, Alyria rises herself and her new favorite "backpack" and heads toward the tent. Just at the entrance of it, she stops. Her mind begins to run rapidly with the tale told moments before, the strange things happening, it all gives her chills.

Despite her reckless nature, she decides for once to try a touch of caution. Casting out her divine senses, Alyria tries to discover any unsavory kind among them.

Warily Eye of the Storm followed, looking over his shoulder to make sure there was no further trickery on the part of their hosts. Hopefully this would soon be over and done with..

Alyria opens her senses for any strange creatures nearby, and she notices nothing out of the ordinary.

---

Veiled in an otherworldly ambiance, Madam Eva's tent unfolds in a mysterious triad of chambers, each partitioned by a curtain of ethereal beads, cloth ribbons, and desiccated tendrils of ancient vines. Within the middle room, a low, circular table resides, adorned with a luxuriant velvet shroud that cradles a tableau of partially molten candles, a familiar bottle of crimson wine, and a deck of ornate cards.
Seated at the table, cloaked in ornate crimson robes, is Madam Eva. Her hood partially veils her face as she sits with her hands entwined. The air within the tent hums with secrets, and the flickering candlelight casts cryptic shadows upon the aged parchment of the cards, setting the stage for a mystical communion with the enigmatic forces that reside in the liminal spaces of fate and the beyond.


As you each enter the room and knee down at the round table (Briar can stand), Madam Eva Greets each of you and motions you to see around the table.
At Couth, " May the Morninglord shine upon you in these dark lands, Brother Couth. "
At Briar, " I have not seen a fey like you, Dear Briar, not since your mother. Her gift could bring growth back to these lands.
At Ashtar, " Ashtar, what you lost is closer than you think. Acceptance is key."
At Alyria, "Miss Alyria, Your grandfathers lost order is within these lands. Cleanse the evil within."
At Eye of the Storm, " Your litter is growing strong and misses you, Eye of the Storm. Home is farther than you think."

As you each sit down, she grabs the deck of cards on the table and begins to slowly shuffle them.

Upon hearing Madam Eva reference her mother, Briar is visibly shocked; the leaves on her shoulders freeze for a moment as she considers what the woman’s statement means. The fairy slides from Alyria’s shoulders and stands beside the table. Her eyes are wide and confused, darting around seemingly aimlessly as she tries to find her thoughts. The fingers which had previously been fidgeting with the paladin’s hair now twist and tug among themselves before pressing against her chest with desperate force.

"She was here?" She asks in a meek voice.