Story Thread

[donaldado]

How did I get here? I was just about to jump that wight and now here. Hold up there's Creed. 
"Hey Creed, what have you figured out about this shaft? Is there a way out?"

Creeed, "What? No my special eyes do not see any way out, that means we have to wait."

Hmmmm... There is literally an iron bar ladder right behind Creed. Well time to go.

Creeed" Hey don't step on Jerry, he's had a tough day what with the rats and all."

Looking down I see raw sewage which resembles Cyrus's cooking intermingled with vermin and a 
corpse which Creed has apparently adopted. Bless Creed's heart she probably thinks
that corpse is just taking a nap. Time to go. As it does not involve her special eyes,
Creed certainly does not know anything about the Annulisk or the coming Ilithid apocalypse.

"Hades shaft!" Oh sweet Bahamut Im falling! Ugggh

Creed, "Hey you smashed Jerry! Not cool. He may have had a family."

I don't know what to say. I need to leave this fresh hell. I must get up the ladder to the door 
forty feet up. What? Oh ok now Creed is joining me and coming up. Alright I am to the door
but there is no ledge, hmm can I wedge myself and grasp it? How to open and leave this pit
of despair?

Creed, "Dammit, I didn't want to do this"

"Do Wha..."

Creed, "Avoral Levitatus"

I instantly feel the effects of the spell flight empower me. I can let go of the ladder.

Creed, "This sucks, I didn't want to waste a spell on you."

Kill Creed

[Aileen]

"Zola, check under his mattress. Guys always store... stuff there." Cecil tells me as we ransack the late Cyrus's room.

"Do I even want to know?" I mumble, going to flip the dirty old mattress.

I find a piece of paper flipped upside down, and grab it. What I see makes me start choking with laughter, tears filling my eyes. I fall on the floor, overcome.

"Zola! What's wrong?!" Rideyr rushes over, helping me sit up.

"Look!" I wheeze, holding up the drawing.

It's very crude, but it's me. Well, a stick figure with huge boobs and long hair. It could be anyone, but it very clearly says Zola in scratchy handwriting.

"That's... disturbing," Rideyr laughs.

"Are those kiss marks?!" Cecil grabs the picture from me, eyes widening. "Wow! Zola... can I keep this?!"

"NO!" Rideyr and I shout in unison.

We all pass around the picture commenting on the artistry before stashing it away in my bag.

"It's actually quite flattering. I look skinny and my knockers are very nice."

"Zola, you're not even legal." Stein sighs.

We leave Cyrus's room, heading downstairs. I'm very confused as we walk, wondering if both Strahd and Cyrus were- are- in love with me. I couldn't even get the time of day from Ismark or Perriwimple, but a vampire lord and a weird mongrel man seem to like me. I guess the dark side just has better taste? I know the rose was from Strahd, because Cyrus knew nothing about it. This is all too weird.

We end up in Rahadin's office, and Cheeks immediately finds a secret door we didn't see the last time we were here. Heading through, we find a creepy cobweb filled staircase. As we descend, suddenly sickly green smoke fills the stairwell. Strahd appears in front of us!

"You have worn out your welcome! Whatever gods you believe in cannot save you now!" He growls, eyes burning red.

"My love!" I cry, running down the stairs towards him. I go to fling myself in his arms, and I trip. My stupid ankle goes out under me, and I just barely right myself, avoiding falling down the stairs. I look up at Strahd, but he doesn't react. Rideyr runs to my side, sword at the ready.

"What are you doing?!" He hisses.

"It's not him!" I whisper.

The others are ready for a fight, but this clearly is not Strahd. Strahd would welcome me with open arms, not tell me to leave! Strahd laughs, and then seems to melt away like wax.

"See, I was right." I say to the others, continuing down the stairs.

"Nice trip, Zola." Cheeks says.

"Maybe next time don't run towards Strahd and try to hug him?" Cecil suggests.

"Hmmm. No." I reply.

Moving along, we just end up in the hourglass room. There is a debate on whether we teleport out, but I put my foot down.

"Madame Eva specifically stated that we need to stop running from what has to be done. There are things here that we need, and we are not leaving until we have them. I have spoken!"

Truthfully I just don't want to leave Ravenloft. I'm in love, and I'm not running away from Strahd anymore. He won't hurt me, I know this to be true. I have to keep helping the Dawn Breakers though... maybe we can free my prince. I just wish some party members were not so hell bent on killing him.

We head back to the cake room, which I distinctly remember was where we followed the mist when we were here a few days ago chasing the Sunsword. Creed is obsessing about mapping, but I know the places we have been in the castle like the back of my hand. I lead the group back through the library, sickened to see that Strahd's ex is still leering down at us from above the hearth, and we make a quick stop in the cake room. I go over to the harp and play a quick song, clearly impressing the group with my musical talent. I always thought I should be a bard, but my dad would have disowned me. He always said bards are too slutty. Jokes on him.

As I finish, stepping away and bowing sarcastically to the party, Steinbjorn rolling his eyes at my waste of time, suddenly a ghost appears! It's a little man wearing a hat with a bell on it.

"Ahh! A gnome!" I shriek.

""Why have you summoned me from beyond the grave?" He asks.

"I didn't mean to, I just really wanted to play the harp! Please don't kill me!" I beg.

"You play very well!" He smiles. "In my crypt below the castle, thou shalt find a treasure worthy of one so talented as thee! May it help thee set this troubled place to rest."

"Where is the crypt?!" I ask.

"In the basement!"

"Yes, but how do we get there?"

"The stairs!"

"Which stairs?! Can you draw a map?"

"Yes." He holds out a piece of rolled up paper, and I grab it. Then he slowly disappears.

I sigh, opening the paper, and then groan. It's the picture Cyrus drew of me... how did he get it from me?!?!

"Zola, your body is the map!" Cecil says.

"Have I been Ravenloft all along?" I ponder.

Steiny does locate object on the Tome of Strahd, and we start moving. After going up and down and all around the castle, finally we find the room the Tome is apparently in. Walking in, there is a guy sitting at a desk, chained to it, and scratching a dry quill on paper. The noise is terrible to my ears, cursed elven hearing! We stand in the door whispering about what to do. Cheeks is scared that the guy will pull the rope above him and alert something that we are here.

"It's very difficult to work with you all blabbering like that!" The man snaps.

We enter, apologizing. Cheeks sweet talks the guy, who we find out is Leif the Accountant, and he tells us that he is trying to balance the books for Strahd but Strahd keeps bringing home treasure and not claiming it.

"Tax evasion ees a very serious matter!" Leif exclaims.

"Did you know the IRS is outside, just beyond the drawbridge?" I ask.

"The Internal Raven Service?" He spits. "Zey are everywhere!"

Cecil tells him that we are working for Strahd to help him with the accounting, and it is soon very clear that even I am a better accountant than he is. And I'm rich and have people to do that stuff for me, like my parents.

"I know when 'help' is hired in the accounting world, it means only one thing. I am being audited!"

"No, no- this is not an audit! We want to help you, really!" Cecil says.

"Well in that case... there is one thing I know of that Strahd brought home, and i cannot complete my books until I see it. If you can bring me this holy symbol it would be greatly helpful- I just need to see it."

We all freak out. Is it THE holy symbol?! It has to be! Lief gives us a map to it, inside the crypts, and Cecil tries to give him the drawing of me as payment.

"That's obscene!" Leif gasps.

"I'm actually quite beautiful!" I snap.

"This looks like a child's drawing of... ugh! Keep your clothes on, girl!"

"They're on, sir." Not for long once I get with Strahd...

Stein feeds the poor man since he was depending on Cyrus for food. We do not tell him about the murder of my not-so secret admirer. After eating and Cheeks acquiring the Tome of Strahd from a locked chest, we head to the hourglass room to open the book. Mike opens it, and instead of there being all of Strahd's deepest darkest secrets, we find a book full of workout and meal plans. We try everything, and there is magic coming from it, but it doesn't do anything special. I even cut my finger and bleed on it, but it's useless.

"Oh no... Stein, I think you asked for the Tone of Strahd, not the Tome of Strahd!"

Nevertheless, Mike, Cecil and I start doing some of the workouts. Rideyr gets mad at me when I try to curl Cecil.

"Rideyr, I have to get swole for my wedding!"

"What?! I don't even know what that means."

We head in the direction that Lief told us to go to get to the crypts. There's a sketchy looking corridor filled with mist, so Cheeks scouts ahead. She almost immediately discovers a trap door in the floor. We are all able to jump across it except for Cecil and Draelyn who get carried over by Spiderhoe. I mean Mike.

A door opens into what can only be the crypt. The ceiling is absolutely covered with hundreds of thousands of bats. Mike and Cheeks, jumpy as ever, worry about how to get in the room and want to climb the walls.

"You all overthink!" I huff, rushing in.

They're all freaking out thinking I'll set off an attack, but - gasp! - nothing happens! I bring us along the outside of the catacombs, reading the names on the tombs as we go. We get to the one we are looking for, Gralmore Nimblenobs, Wizard Ordinaire.

Creed decides to wander around looking at tombs with her "special eye". Special is accurate. I'm standing looking at the tomb when all of a sudden Creed is disguised as a wight.

"That's a good look, Creed." I comment.

She doesn't reply. Just glares at me. Then she whips out her longsword.

"Oh, sh**!" I pull out my axe. "That's not Creed!"

Everyone else is still convinced it is Creed until she tries to kill me. It's an actual wight! So where is Creed? Draelyn wanders around the other side, and Cecil tells us he was also replaced by a wight. I swing my axe wildly, and get super dizzy. I miss, slip on some Guano, and have to hold the side of the tomb until the dizziness stops. How embarrassing! That's two near falls in one day, I should probably learn how to use my feet.

Once I am back to normal, I have at the wight and end its miserable existence before moving on to the second one. Meanwhile, Cheeks and Mike enter the tomb. The second one is destroyed, and I enter the tomb with Cecil, who is now holding a big staff with a marble knob on one end and brass on the other.

"Madame Eva's reading mentioned the tomb of a Wizard Ordinaire- his staff is key." I say. "Maybe she meant his staff is A key!"

I motion putting a key into a hole, but apparently it looks like a lewd act. Cheeks gags.

"Let's never do that again, Zola."

Cecil takes a look at the tomb, and finds a little concave hole. Could it possibly be a keyhole? He lays the marble knob in it, and the top of the tomb levitates open. I'm ready to reach in and get the case that is inside, but of course Cheeks immediately mage hands it out. I don't know what I expected, Cheeks and Mike are the two grabbiest people... well, cat and elf... to ever exist. It makes me mad, but then again I'm not a thief or a hooker.

Creed and Draelyn emerge from a stone slab, having apparently been teleported into a room with skeletons and coffins. Creed apparently forgot that she had a fly spell she could have used, and the two of them tried climbing out until she remembered.

"I am going... to kill her!" Draelyn growls under his breath.

"She won't die, sweetie." I whisper to him.

We open up the case before leaving the crypt much to Cheeks's chagrin. I'm not wasting time leaving and having to come back if this isn't the holy symbol. Fortunately, it is and it also comes with three scrolls. Mike of course takes those, because apparently only Mike can have things. We always have to fight her to get things in the hands of people who also could use them or more effectively use them. It's getting old. If she tries to claim Strahd, now... I will kill her.

Back in the hourglass room, we take a rest. Steinbjorn goes to the corner and looks at his holy symbol while the rest of us hang out. Mike discovers that the Tone of Strahd is a Manual of Bodily Health. She wants to read it and absorb its power, but Cecil and I also want to get jacked.

"I mean, one of you can fight me for it." Mike says.

"Okay. I will fight you." I say, standing up and limbering up.

"Me too." Cecil announces.

"You guys are going to fight eachother over a book?If you people kill eachother, I'm not bringing any of you back!" Stein snaps before sulking off.

"Meh meh meh, I'm Steinbjorn, I talk to a doll in infernal and think nobody understands me." I mock him.

"What was that, Zola?" He snaps.

"Nothing, go play with your holy symbol. I'm going to kick Mike's a**."

I really could care less about the book, it's just more weight to carry. It could help me, but I think maybe Cecil could benefit more from it. I will fight for Cecil, then! I've been itching to fight Mike from the first time we met, this could be fun! Or it could end in blood.

"Alright. Nothing above the neck, I need to have a pretty face for Strahd." I tell the elf, shrugging off my cloak.

"Got it." She says smirking. "Might be an improvement, though."

I growl, enraged, and lunge at Mike.

~ ZVZ

[Aileen]

Meanwhile, in Daggerford

Barovia. I'd never heard of it until I got Zola's letter. It's not on any maps I have, nor have I found any trace of its existence in my research. I've been in touch with Lady Morwen and even she has no idea where they really went. After not hearing anything for a week, I rode down to Daggerford to visit my friend and find out just where my daughter went off to.

The gypsies that Lady Morwen had my daughter and the other dinner guests drive off when she was there came back. I rushed to their encampment expecting an argument or having to spill blood, and instead found myself welcomed with decent wine and good company. They call themselves the Vistani, and they are from a distant land.

"Would this land be called Barovia?" I ask, taking a drink.

The man's face betrays no emotion as he stares at me, contemplating.

"You know of our land?"

"I received word from my daughter that she was traveling there. With some men called the Vistani."

He smiles and laughs, and I feel the other men drawing in closer to hear us. They are not threat to me yet, but I remain cautious.

"Your daughter, tell me of her."

"Her name is Zola. Black hair, tall... she's just a teenager."

He laughs, and says something to the other men in a language I've never heard before. They laugh too.

"Yes, we know of this girl. She was most amusing."

"So you brought her into your land? Is she safe?!"

"Safe?" He chuckles. "Nobody is ever safe, anywhere. In Barovia even less."

"Who is she with?"

"Adventurers. A lot of blondes and pointy ears, a demon boy, a cat werewolf, and a small man."

Well, as long as she is with a group then she should be okay.

"How many men? Any of them attractive or young?"

"I don't think it's her friends you have to worry about. Your girl has caught the lord of Barovia's eye."

"What? Tell me of him. In great detail."

I leave the camp some time later, heading back to the manor to fetch my horse. The information I have received is most alarming. These Vistani refuse to bring me to this Barovia, so I must find it for myself. My daughter is chatting up much older men, and I don't care if he is a prince- she's only seventeen! She burnt down half a temple, ran away from us and thinks she can go shack up in some lord's castle and avoid me?! I think not.

In the morning, I take my horse and ride to the Vistani camp. They are gone, the only trace of them having been here are carriage tracks and the last coals of their fires. I'm not the best tracker, but I follow their trail until I get to some woods. The path disappears into a mist filled forest, and soon I find myself too afraid to continue forward. There is something about this mist, something telling me to turn back.

I hate to admit it, but I do turn back. Zola is on her own. I will wait for her to come out, and hopefully she does. I can only hope she doesn't do anything stupid, and makes wise decisions regarding who she falls in love with. I know every young girl wants to be a princess, but I don't know about this von Zarovich guy. I just hope he is cute and treats her well. Anything less, and I will kill him.

~ Karsi Stormwyk

[Jeff]

I can feel the sun on my face and the hope that goes with it. My thoughts turn to Lathander, the Morninglord, and I recall leaving the church—not because I didn’t believe in the Morninglord, but because I could no longer be a part of what people had made of the religion; it seemed more about keeping power and riches than serving Lathander and I could no longer be a part of it. And the wars—too many and for no good reason. I’ve led so many into battle, and so many have died certain deaths for uncertain reasons.

The only woman I’ve ever loved was taken from me, and I’ve spent these last years searching for her and detaching myself from any type of relationship with others. I’ve helped many along the way, but I’ve never allowed myself to make any connections and just move on. The friendship that has developed between Cecil, Zola and myself has been a blessing to me, but I’m afraid of losing them in this land we’re trying to save. 

I’m bolstered by the fact that Steinbjorn has found the amulet that feels like the sun. Light, and specifically sun light, is going to save everyone here and we have to work with that as we continue our quest.

[Stephen]

Magda. A doll’s head. A simple thing. I first noticed her in a pile of detritus in the corner of a room. I tell the others what I spotted in case it turns out to be something awful in this awful place. Just a dolls head. We collectively release a sigh of relief.

The others think me crazy for keeping her. Crazier for finding joy in her company. Crazier still for my fascination with Magda’s eyes. No matter where I go. Her eyes follow me and only me. I find an odd comfort in that. Like I am not alone. Cleaning her up I see her porcelain head is smooth. Neither misuse nor time has cracked her skull. Her matte finish is dull. Nothing seems to shine in dull Barovia. I place her in my former tooth pouch and we attempt to rest.

The night drags on. We entertain ourselves by telling stories, standing watch, fighting wights, flying swords and zombies. Chad mends the door and the various barricades we have erected to protect us from the evil that roams those accursed halls.

At some point an empty voice fills my mind. The voice is flat, lifeless, toneless and seems extremely sad. The voice desperately begs me to give Magda to Cecil. Retrieving Magda from the tooth pouch I stare deeply into her eyes. I cannot tell if it is her or something else telling me to give her to Cecil. I do not wish to corrupt Cecil with whatever has corrupted this dolls head. After overcoming my crisis of faith and regaining control of my emotions I feel that I can handle Magda. I politely decline the empty voice. It sighs sadly and doesn’t bother me again. I bring up the exchange to Cecil. He seems pleased about my attempt at protecting him against Magda. I scold Magda, laugh at the absurdity of it all, replace Magda, lay down to try to sleep and goddess willing dream about a warm sun filled place.

Time moves on. My mind drifts. The party talks. I think they bicker. I withdraw Magda from the former tooth pouch and begin to speak to her in Infernal. Having something physical to talk to that doesn’t talk back, argue, bicker, contradict itself or otherwise doesn’t contribute at all is rather pleasant. I feel some of the others glance at me and then each other. I hear Zola and Creed whisper about my knowledge of the language of devils. Oh well. I should have known better. The high born and devil born of course would know infernal. I guess Magda and I will not get a chance to converse in secret after all. I laugh again. This time really loud. A long loud laugh that brings tears to my eyes. The utter absurdity of it all hits me. Taking solace in a dolls head. Might as well keep up the rouse of being unstable. My trust in most of the party is not what it used to be. Different agendas. A lack of using resources and abilities. Forcing me to expend nearly all of mine by days end while the magical resources of others remain fresh. Snatching items quickly with magical hands. Obsessing about undead murderers.

Waking up I create enough chicken nuggets to feed an orphanage. We eat our fill and discuss what to do next. Per Dawn Breaker policy the discussion ranges from killing everyone in Barovia leaving the devil Strahd no one to feed upon to opening a brothel/winery. In between bites of nuggets, Creed interjects, interrupts, talks over and does everything she can to make it known that she really wants to head into the basement where the crypts are. I ask how she knows that crypts are in the basement and get no real answer. How by chance does she know this information? It is feasible and possible that family crypts could be in this castle. Of course crypts could be in the basement but I sense something more. Is she Strahd in disguise? Or an Agent of Strahd? She did after all appear out of nowhere after Zola’s cousin died claiming to be the poor boy's mentor. Barovia is made up of all humans with a few dusk elves and us. The only Tieflings I have seen here of those we brought with us. Creed was vague on her entrance into this land. All she wanted me to do was cast a spell on Zola’s cousin I could not at them time all the while carrying his corpse around Barovia village causing a scene. How does a warlock know of divine magic? The latest “story” about Creed is she was paid by Zola’s parents to track Zola down and watch over her? Which is why Creed is always up Zola’s behind trying to keep the high-born teen in check. Mentor and bounty hunter? Either way I do not trust her.

Cyphus is killed in a botched attempt in garnering information, poor Zola is very sad. The skull of the dragon is not where we first found it and is unfortunately outside of my locate object spell. So is the sun sword. Hmmmm interesting. Perhaps Strahd hid those items from us? Or we have allies working in shadows against the Devil of Barovia? The party conjures up every idea but those. Again Dawn Breaking policy taking hold.
 
Lief the accountant proves to be a valuable source of information. And finance. I attempt to locate the Tome of Strahd, an item Madam Eva told us would help rid the land of the Devil. The spell leads us to Lief and his room full of finance records. Three chests full of coins and a “tome” are easy prey for Cheeks. I conjure A LOT of Blintz and Beer for Leif. He is most happy and tells of one item that he must see for his records. A holy symbol down in the crypts. Creed looks smug. I easily resist the urge to glare at her, why give in and grant her power over me? With the tome secure we will follow the rough map Lief drew for us. Hopefully we can secure the holy symbol soon.

The crypts are further in the bowels of the castle. It is a dark dank place. Fog seems to coil in the corners and around some of the crypts down here. Zola leads the party and we follow the wall of this large cavernous room. Hundreds maybe even thousands of tiny bats cling upside down on the ceiling. The floor is covered in layers of guano. Reaching the back wall, we slowly move to the left coming to the crypt Lief told us about. Creed uses her good eye and looks through the stone crypt describing what she sees. Moving in between two crypts she disappears.... replacing her is a wight! I snicker with mild delight.

Draelyn moves around to the other side and also disappears to be replaces by a wight! We move against them expecting an easy fight. These wights are anything but easy, they are tough, hit hard and relentlessly attack us. Thankfully we fight only two of them.

The crypt is opened, a staff found inside is used to open the old man’s coffin, Cheeks mage hands a leather bag from it and takes it for herself. Creed and Draelyn wiggle out of a crypt not too far from us. Draelyn yelling at Creed to cast fly before he fell back down a shaft into a floor littered with bones and water. Creed makes some excuse about not wanted to waste resources on Draelyn. Draelyn is a fellow Tiefling. Don't birds of a feather flock together? Zola speaks up and wants to see inside the bag. Cheeks is hesitant at first but there is in fact a platinum pendant the size of my hand in the bag. It is shaped like the sun and with a large red crystal in its center.  We make our way back to the room with the large hour glass in it. We stand staring at each other for a for a long silent minute. I hold out my hand and Cheeks gives me the platinum sun. It warms my hand. I know that within this item contains immense power.

I ritually cast detect magic on the “tome” of Strahd and the pendant. The tome is of a transmutation origin and its pages contain exercise routines and recipes for food preparation. The bright necromantic energy the pendant gives off burns the chill off my soul. Necromancy gives and takes life. All divine healing magic is necromantically derived. Life and death magic are different sides of the same coin.

I need an hour with this, I tell the party and find a corner of the teleport room. Mike retakes the tome and we settle down for a short rest. An hour later I discover this darling of a pendant is the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind. An extremely powerful Holy Symbol that can be used against vampires. I make it known that I am the only one in the party that can use this item. No one questions me.

The tome will grant the reader a more robust constitution. Per Dawn Breaker policy Mike, Zola and Cecil want it and instead of talking it through they challenge each other to a fight with the winner claiming the book. I gruffly say that I will not bring anyone back from death over a book. They say it will make them tougher. I reply that I do not need a book for that, I have my faith, my abilities and testicular fortitude. Jaws drop. I was rather proud of that line. I find a corner, sit down, draw Magda from her pouch and pray to Freya for guidance. I decide that I will not heal those that wish to harm each other over a book of robustness. Especially a book that will take time to read and its effects will not take hold until several days have passed. Rideyr and Chad can heal the “Fighters for Robustness.”

[jasonandsleep]

This MONDAY! MONDAY! MONDAY!

At the Barovia Coliseum and Expo Center!

A Three-Way, No Holds Barred Grudge Match Between:


Cecil "The Puppeteer of Pain" McBiggins!

Vs.

Zola "The Adolescent Ambusher" Stormwyk!

Vs.

Mikala "The Hooker with a Heart of Stone" Ember!

This MONDAY! MONDAY! MONDAY!





doors open at 6pm. tickets cost 69 gold (nice) or 1/8th of your immortal soul. promoters take no responsibility for attacks by werewolves, flame skulls, needle blights, arcanaloths, revenants, vampire spawn, adventurers or any fey, fiends, demons, devils or undead. you may get killed, you will get stabbed. all praise be to Straud he is the glory he is the land.

[Cheeks (that’s right)]

Monday Monday Monday!

A battle for the Barovian baron‘s booty-sculpting book, a clusterfirk! ding! blast! for the creepy count’s conditioning customs, a tumultuous tumble for the terror of the terrain’s tome of training: it’s the FIST OF FITNESS.

In this corner, the whore who wants to work on her core, the strumpet who would eat you like a crumpet - you’re not ready for what this slut can sling! The elf who REALLY wants to sit on your shelf - Mike “The Madame of Murder”!

And in this corner, a teen dream who makes Strahd want to scream, a girl with a sweet bicep curl, the young lady longing for the lord’s love. I don’t need to tell you twice, This chick is thick! Zola “The Mean Teen Vampire Queen”!

And finally in this corner - DON’T underestimate the might of this miniature man, the brains of this Barovian business venture. With an abysmal physical aptitude comes his amazing mental maturity. The textbook definition of a mind freak - Cecil ”the psychic striker!“

[dragonforgotten]

Everyone is looking all over the place, searching for a secret door while I’m sambaing with a floating dancing dress. Why? Just because. Don’t need a reason to dance unless I’m bored.
Zola then touches the thing and it just becomes a regular boring dress.
“Zola! Why you do that!? I was getting into the groove. Now I’m going to have to search this room as well.”
“I’ll need a wedding dress soon!”
My gods, I’m getting tired of this marriage thing she’s on about. What’s wrong with the single life? Chee groups up with us. No door found. But wait! I check my disguise in the mirror and redo it. I’m going for a platinum haired assimar today in honor of Val. Looking good. Ok now that that’s taken care of time to do the obvious.
I grasp the sides of the full length mirror and pull it off the wall. Well what do you know! A secrete door!
“Found it!” The slapping of foreheads go around but everyone’s glade to have a way forward.
Stepping into this room is a large crystal heart floating above our heads. Suddenly the room seems to get even darker with the pulsing glow of the red heart filling the room. Everyone begins to climb up the stairs as Helvetia falls. I cast fly in Zola and I and I’m doing great till I’m being assaulted by all 15 Helberts. I regret everything as I fall to the ground with Zola. I don’t feel so great so I just go with blasting the heart only for my destructive energy to fizzle out upon impact with its glowy surface.
Ahhh! No! It’s not alive!
I work on knocking helberts from the sky and I’m making good progress till vampire spaw start crawling out of the walls and going up towards Cecil and Chee. Well f***.
——-

We stagger back into the dress room and close the bloody door behind us as we let out a collective sigh. That sucked. Zola and Chee are extremely pale and their necks are a mess of blood. The stains will never come out.
We’re going to need to rest. No one is fit to fight and my bones are still vibrating from that fall I took. It’s going to bruise in the morning. Good thing my nature skin colors grey so it will just be a slightly darker grey. Also I can cover it up with my disguise magic.
Anyway. Resting spot find time. I activate my eye as it glows under the patch and I can see on my other side if only briefly.
“I’ll check the stairs going down.” Chee speaks up but a raise my hand.
“Don’t bother. I can see the floor below us. There’s no one there and there’s only a door and a window.
Satisfied we all carry on down stairs and start preparing the room for a long rest. Zola and Chee are too vulnerable to fight. Even though it’s just the start of the day we need them back on their feet again. The castle is just to hazardous for them to walk around anemic.
I settle down near the stairs just across from the barred door. Now we wait. I raise an eye brow when I catch sight of a flower in Zola’s hair. Where the heck did that come from? Eh, don’t care.
Cecil plops right he down next to me and I notice he’s sporting a makeshift eyepatch.
“What’s that?”
“My new eye patch. Isn’t it cool.” I smile.
“It most certainly is.”
“So, how did you lose your old eye?”
I rise an eye brow.
“Oh, it’s grandpa fault.” I laugh as his face pales.
“He was crabby that day. I was getting sicker and everything he did, was useless. He just said f*** it one day and gave me one of his instead. He’s very a powerful but very stubborn man. You know! All old people are like that.”
We fall back into silence waiting for the dawn to break so we can sleep. Great. We’re sleeping on Strahds time now.
Stein finds a dolls head during this time of sitting and thinking about life
We keep getting visitors regularly every hour or so. I activate the eye again and again but it’s seems to be the same thing. Flying swords, wights, the occasional zombie and bats. Lots and lots of bats. All slamming their small skulls against the window pane. Making a bloody mess outside.
I get the daylights shocked out of me when six shadows somehow squeeze into our tiny rest room.
Eventually after all the bull*** we make it and can sleep. I wasn’t tired before but after those shadows now I am. We manage to get half a nights sleep without being disturbed but sleep we did. Right in strahds castle.
We decide the check the last location of the skull. He’s probs gone but just to be safe.
Zola was devestated when her flower crumbles to dust upon contact with the outside world. Must have been extremely old.
In the guard house we find not beautiful arganvost but a human skull. Strahd doesn’t seem to want me to know his identity since he didn’t leave me with a body. I take him anyway. I’m sure we’ll run into him eventually..
We go back to we’re Cyrus is located but I’m stopped. Some of the gang wants to trick the dog man into giving up his worldly possession. Fine. But let me know if someone needs some threatening!
I’m chilling with Chad when we both hear the shriek of pain. Following after the sound what do we find. Chee and Zola covered in blood of the dead dog man. Zola ugly crying over him and I just scowl. Typical. I glare at Chee who looks confused over what she’s done. She bloody knows. Cyrus May have worked for strahd but he was harmless idiot. He was worth more alive then dead. I don’t see why she though killing him was a smart idea.
I move ahead past them into the skull room. On the table isn’t Arganvost head but it’s mine head.
“Oh look. It’s my turn.” I reach the pick it up and turn it around. It’s the disguise I dined when I last came here. A human Barovia woman with long dark curly hair. I’m very flattered. Such a perfect replica. I want to keep it but there’s no room in my bag for two heads.
The party is disturbed by my macabe interest but don’t make it know. I tuck my fake head under my arm looking at the lot.
“So. It’s basement time right? Arganvost should be in the basement.” I’m ready to kick some teeth in. Stein narrows his eyes.
“How do you know it’s in the crypts.”
I roll my eyes rapping my nails against the head.
“It’s a crypt. Strahds rich and egomaniacal. Of course he’s going to have a room we he can stare at all his loot without people taking it. Why not we’re he sleeps.”
His eyes linger a-little too long on me. I’ve grown up in crypts. I know what I’m taking about. All the s*** were after is Proably with him.
He prays for a minute and then announces.
“I’m not finding the skull.”
He takes another minute.
“The tomb is above us though!”
Really...
“But what about the basement.”
“First we need to find up to go down. So We’re going up.”
I’m going to lose my head for real. Up isn’t down. They don’t build crypts in the sky.

-Creed

[donaldado]

YES! Finally we escaped Strahd's palace of lies. Hmmm... We seem to be in some sort of cabinet maker's workshop. Oh wait, no those are coffins. 
Everyone else seems to know where they are. Apparently we have to kill the local sheriff because of reasons. Looking back on it, it may have not
been an inspired move to join this party. Sweet molasses, did Cheecks just one shot the Sheriff? Dam, guess Im not gonna piss her off.

Elminster's beard we saved the innkeepers! Maybe we are the good guys! Now we got to go to some creepy abbey, outstanding. 

We have arrived at the abbey. There are hundreds of living science projects walking about its grounds. 

Zola happens upon a beautiful corpse which dies arms outstretched towards a fountain. A moving scene. Zola moves the corpse towards the fountain
and some water spirit embraces the corpse. I feel an inner peace embrace my soul for the first time since entering this accursed land.

CRACK!!! Blue lightening strikes the fountain and Strahd curses us.

Steinborn- "Ok let's be smart, who can cast fireball? You can Draelin? Great who can cast fly?"

Creed, looking at me with a mischievous smile- "I can!"

This day keeps getting better. Chad gives me a look and states-"What, did you want to live forever?" We both chuckle and then he adds "I will go with you.
Let's corral them together and then you can send them to the Lord." 

Alright, we can do this. Chad and I fly low above the throng of ambling cadavers. They are taking the bait. OK its almost Krispy Kreme time! Hahahahahah Oh shi...!
Aghck! Some shadows bit me! Chad's down, Chad is down! Is this how it ends? Light strikes my face from above. I look up to see an angel flying towards me. We are saved!

"You ruined Everything, I am the bringer of your death!"-quote the angel.
 I don't know what I was expecting.

[donaldado]

Wait a minute. This is not an angel, this is a hallucination brought on by that devil worshiper Steinborn's chicken nuggets! This was his plan!!1 What was the name of the dark power he worships? Magda!!!

[Aileen]

I swing at Mike with my axe, nailing her pretty hard. I've got this, I'm surely going to win! She hits back, slicing me with her spear.

"We need to talk about Strahd," she says, dodging another blow.

"What about him?"

"He doesn't love you!"

"YES HE DOES!" I scream, hitting her again. "You're just jealous!"

"No, Zola," she lowers her spear. "This is an intervention. I've gathered all your friends here. We all love you and want what is best for you."

"They were here anyway!" I lunge at her, attacking with four solid strikes.

Mike shrugs, and completely wallops me. I'm bleeding all over, it hurts pretty bad, but I'm so angry and I need to beat her! I'm seeing red, blood pounding through my veins... her spear gets me in the side, and I feel my strength start to wain. I get her back one more time, losing steam, and then she stabs me in the leg. Everything goes gray.

I wake up with my head in Creed's lap, her and Rideyr bandaging my wounds. I don't know what hurts the most, being torn apart by a magic spear or the shame of defeat. I sit up, whimpering, and see Mike gloating. I try to get up and attack her, but Rideyr holds me back.

"I was rooting for you, kid," says Rideyr. "You fought well."

"I lost! I've never been so ashamed. Strahd only wants winners."

Rideyr sighs, shaking his head as Creed ties a bandage on my arm a little too roughly. Steinbjorn is refusing to heal either of us, so I'm forced to just wait it out.

Ten minutes into our rest there is a weird scuttling sound at the door and Creed announces that there are disembodied fangs clacking on the other side.

"Then grab them! I need those!" Cecil demands of Creed.

Creed complies, and brings the spring loaded fangs in. I suggest Steinbjorn wears them, but Cecil doesn't think they will fit him properly. After fashioning a champion belt for Mike, he installs the teeth in Poppov's mouth.

After our rest we plan our next move. I really don't want to leave the castle, but of course everyone but a couple of us wants to use the teleport. As the decisionist, I have to to with majority rule, as much as I don't like it. Draelin grabs the green stone, the one for where the coffins lie, and we all touch the flame.

We appear in a familiar place. It's the coffin maker's attic in Vallaki! Cheeks investigates and reports back that the house is abandoned and boarded up from the outside. Something is not right in Vallaki. I have the brilliant idea to all dress up as vampires and scare people when we go to confront Strazni, but it is immediately shot down.

After a search for an hour, we find nothing. It's time to go to the Blue Water Inn and pay the Martikovs a visit. I have been both dreading and anticipating reuniting with them for some time. Creed casts silence, and we make our break from the building. Heading down the street we run across some guards.

"Stand down! No unauthorized traffic at night!" They order us. Only Rideyr and I can hear, apparently, as Cecil summons his fire elemental.

In the fire light I can see posters all over the walls of the buildings:

MARTIAL LAW DECLARED
BY ORDER OF BARON VALLAKOVICH
DATED: THE DESTRUCTION OF KREZK- UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Krezk... did the Abbot speak true to his word? He said he would destroy Krezk if we didn't bring back a dance instructor! Has it really been that long?

The guards make a run for it, terrified of the fire elemental. We continue on, hurrying to the inn, speculating about what happened. Creed looks completely crestfallen, clearly blaming herself for what may have happened. When we get within eyesight of the inn, it's clear that things are not well in Vallaki. The inn is surrounded by 35 guards, most of them looking like common folk untrained in fighting. Izek Strazni stands outside, pulling on his boots and barking orders. He looks like he just woke up.

"Form ranks. Double the guard on the Martikovs!"

My heart drops into my stomach. The Martikovs are being held prisoner, I have to save them! Before I can run in, Cheeks grabs my shoulder.

"Let me sneak in there. I will shoot that bastard from the roof!"

"Please do!" I whisper. "Wait... Chad- make her invisible!"

We send in Chekasha. Once she shoots Strazni, we are to rush in and annihilate him and free the Martikovs. At least that is the plan.

Moments later, an arrow clatters to the cobblestones below, and Cheeks appears on the roof looking mighty pissed.

"ASSASSIN!" the guards shout.

Cheeks magic missiles Strazni. I charge in, doing the same. Cecil sends Burning Hope, the fire elemental after him.

"Hold the line!" Yells Strazni.

Strazni catches on fire and runs in the door, slamming it. Burning Hope tears through the guards, all of them screaming as they burn.

"Zola, you're with me!" Creed announces, grabbing my arm.

One second I'm in the street, the next I am inside the bar. Strazni tries to extinguish himself, screaming in pain. He looks up as we appear.

"KA-KAW motherf***er!" I shout, and attack him with my axe.

I attack him over and over, absolutely brutalizing him. He takes his own battleaxe in both hands, coming for me.

"The Baron will have your head for this!" He snarls, and misses me with the first blow as I laugh.

The second hit gets me, and it's a good one. I howl in pain, going to swing at him again- but he is already dead. One of Cheeks's daggers is sticking out of his eye. He twitches once, and then lies still.

The others join us, and Cecil immediately starts lecturing the dead body. I stride over with my axe, chopping off Strazni's head in one clean swing. I grab it by the hair, and walk over to the bar. Everyone watches in disgust as I put the head up on the bar, and go pour myself some brandy. Cecil joins me, and I pour one for him.

"Shouldn't have gotten a-head of yourself, Strazni." I say, taking a shot.

Cecil laughs, enjoying his drink. He leaves one drop and pours it on Strazni's hair.

"ZOLA!" Multiple voices come from the back of the bar.

I stand up, moving away from the bloody mess I've made at the bar, and see the Martikovs running toward me. The kids get to me first, grabbing onto my legs and happily talking a mile a minute to me. Danika grabs me in the kind of bear hug only a mother can give, and I feel myself relax. They're okay!

"We missed you!" She says, kissing my cheek. "Thank you for saving us from that madman!"

"You're welcome?" I squeak.

I'm kissed and hugged until I'm dizzy from affection, and then we all gather around in the bar to talk. It smells very smokey in here.

"We heard that something happened in Krezk. A plague, maybe," Urwin tells us. "The Baron enacted martial law, closing down Vallaki in hopes of saving us. Everything went bad from there. Strazni locked us up in here, so we couldn't send any word to you, Zola."

"We were stuck up in the mountains," I say. "Lots of things have happened since we last saw you. There's something I need to tell you... we found one of the seeds-"

"That's great news!" Danika exclaims.

"No, not anymore," I cringe. "I had it, and then we got waylaid... we ended up in Ravenloft, and then Tsolenka pass... everything I had was taken by some revenants, including the seed!"

"What are revenants?" Urwin asks, brow furrowed.

"They're like... dead angry guys that come back from the grave for revenge? Complete a**holes."

"Ah, I see. It happens, do not worry." Urwin hands me a big glass of wine. "You did your best."

"What will you do now?" Asks Danika.

"I don't know... there's so many things we need to do, but everything just keeps going wrong."

"Ah, yes. Did you find your friends?!"

"Ireena and Ismark and Parriwimple?" Cecil asks.

"Yes! They went to Krezk..." Urwin's voice quiets. "We have not heard of any survivors."

"S***!" Chad kicks the bar. "We have to find them, if it's not too late!"

I don't want to even think about what may have happened. I get up, whispering into Danika's ear.

"Can I talk to you?"

She nods, and brings me out back where the barrels are stored.

"Danika... can you turn me into a wereraven?"

She smiles sadly.

"No, Zola. That is not something we can inflict upon others."

"But... but what if it could help us? I don't care if I can never leave this land... I'm not strong enough as I am, I just keep losing fight after fight- I want to be like you!"

She puts her hands on my cheeks.

"Zola, you have a good heart, and you are strong... you do not need to change yourself, in any way. We love you, and you are one of our family... but we cannot turn you. It is hereditary."

"Oh."

She kisses the top of my head.

"We will always look out for you. But you don't need it. You are a great warrior, you just need to trust in yourself and your friends."

We rejoin the group, and although I feel a bit sad that I can't become a wereraven I do feel good about being part of their family. I love the Martikovs like my own.

Unfortunately, Urwin looks outside, and gasps in horror.

"Zola, what have you done!" He cries.

"What?! It wasn't me, it was Cecil...s fire elemental."

"It was Burning Hope!" Cecil says.

"Yes, Burning Hope!" I start to panic, scared they're going to hate me now. "I had nothing to do with it, I was in here fighting Strazni."

"They were innocent civilians! They did not want to be guards!" Urwin lectures us.

Fortunately we diffuse the situation. I'm horrified too, but I'm barely involved!

We rest up for an hour, seeing to things that need doing before we go to Krezk. I stay with the Martikovs, drinking wine and telling them of our adventures. I leave out my love affair with Strahd, of course. They hook us up with rations and a warm meal, and then we all gather outside the inn. On the way out of town I shove Strazni's head one one of the spikes outside the gate. It's a bit disgusting, but at this point nothing really bothers me anymore.

We walk to Krezk, unbothered by anything despite it being dark. Around 1 in the morning we arrive at the front gate, and find the whole city in shambles. There are bodies everywhere, all with their eyes burnt out. This wasn't a plague, it was a massacre. We head to the Burgomaster's house, hoping maybe we will find Ireena and crew there.

We find only more bodies. A raven flies overhead, cawing for my attention. It then flies off down the road, further into the village. I start following, watching the sky and picking my way through the bodies in the street.

"Zola, where are you going?" Cheeks calls after me.

"I'm following a raven!"

Cheeks and Mike follow after me, and we find ourselves at the shrine we visited the last time in Krezk. There are bodies everywhere, laying as if they came here for one last hope at salvation. As we get to the pool, I can see a lone figure laying by the pool, a hand reaching for the water. There is no mistaking that long Auburn hair, shorter on one side.

"Ireena!" I gasp, running to her.

She is dead, but I can tell she was trying to get to the water. I remember it had some restorative properties, was that what she was trying to get to? I grab her, looking into her vacant face. She really was beautiful, and as much as I hated her I remember how kind she was to me in the werewolf cave. I've been so horrible to her, all because I am jealous. She did not deserve to die. Maybe the water can bring her back?

Cheeks and Mike stand by, watching me say a few words for Ireena. I then lift her body, and submerge her in the water. Suddenly the image of a young, handsome man appears, grabbing Ireena in his arms. Tears run down his face as he cradles her, drifting away. Soon both are gone.

"Did that just happen?" I gasp.

"Yes... yes it did." Cheeks whispers.

Suddenly the sky grows dark, storm clouds rushing in. Thunder rumbles, and a deep voice rends the air.

"SHE IS MINE!!!"

For a second, the storm clouds form the angry face of Strahd von Zarovich, and then a flash of lightning splits the sky. A blue bolt of energy careens down, striking the pool. The blast knocks me off my feet, and I splash into the pool. I feel energy ripping through my body, threatening to tear me apart as I scream in pain. All of my muscles contract at once, and then let go as the lightning stops. I surface, choking and sputtering, shaken to the core.

Cheeks and Mike seem to be alright. I guess getting hit by lightning is my punishment for giving Ireena to the mystery pool boy. And then there is Strahd... I have incurred his wrath. All I've wanted is his love, and now I've done this... I don't know if I can go on!

An envelope flutters down from the sky, and I jump out of the pool to grab it, dripping wet and still smoking. Turning it over I find a wax seal emblazoned with a Z. Not good. Opening it, I find Strahd's familiar writing.

"I will never allow any of you to leave this land." I read aloud.

I look up to the sky, screaming at the top of my lungs.

"I'M SORRY!!!! I'M STILL HOTTER THAN HER!!!"

The tears come unbidden as the three of us walk back to the Burgomaster's house. I hold Strahd's now very damp letter in one hand, staring blankly ahead as we go. I can't do this anymore. All I want is his approval, to be loved and admired... instead I have done something to earn his hatred. We never could have been together with Ireena alive... but even with her dead.... ugh, I don't even know anymore. I'm lost and confused, and in quite a lot of pain both physically and emotionally. We get back to the house and I collapse on the floor, crying my eyes out.

Everyone wants to know what happened. They heard a loud boom, but they were busy listening to Creed speaking to the dead Burgomaster's son. Cheeks and Mike recant what happened, I can't bring myself to talk just yet.

"Zola, your hair!" Creed exclaims, grabbing a piece of it and dangling it in front of me. It's completely white!

The rest of my hair is still black according to her inspection, but one part near the front turned to a shock of white. Must have been from the lightning! Well, at least I got something cool out of that horrible experience.

Steinbjorn is pissed that I put Ireena's body to rest, bringing up that he could have resurrected her. I wasn't thinking, I was caught up in the moment.. what I did felt right at the time. Ireena is clearly in a better place now, with whoever that man was. It was a more peaceful sendoff than any of us can expect for ourselves at this point.

"Zola, what's in your hand?" Rideyr asks me.

"A letter," I start crying again as I hold it out to him. "From Strahd."

He reads it as the others roll their eyes at my meltdown. They just don't understand! I loved Strahd, I still do! I can't live with myself knowing he hates me!

"Steiny, I know you're pissed at me... but can you please heal me? I'm in a lot of pain."

I very rarely ask for help, and Stein has been very mean as of late. He takes out Magda to consult her, and then nods.

"Fine." He says.

He does his thing, and I feel a little more alive. However, I am left with a strange, branching scar on my shoulder and chest... remnants from the lightning bolt. Cheeks comes over and hugs me as Rideyr wipes away my tears.

"Zola, you will find lots of guys that will love you," says Cecil, joining us. "And maybe they will all have fangs!

I smile at my gnome friend. His neverending positivity helps my morale. I look around at the Dawn Breakers, us misfits all drawn together. I truly do love them all, but they don't understand my pain. Nobody will ever love me. Strahd was my chance, and I've ruined it!

We head back to the pool. I stand by it, looking into the water. It's completely still, no sign of Ireena having been put in it. It's empty, just like how I feel. I kneel down, dunk my head in the water, and stay there. If I can force myself not to panic and pull my head up, eventually the bubbles will stop.

I feel a rough hand grab the back of my hair and yank my head out of the water. I take a deep, gasping breath of air as my head resurfaces.

"What are you doing?!" Cheeks snaps, pulling me back. "Were you trying to kill yourself?!"

"I'm finishing the job!" I cough.

Cecil comes over, watching me like a hawk.

"That's it, Zola's on suicide watch."

"WE'RE ALL DEAD ANYWAY!!!" I scream, walking back the way we came.

I'm walking as fast as I can without breaking into a run, but I'm still caught up with. I hear jingling armour before Rideyr even reaches me.

"Zola, wait!"

I stop dead in my tracks, turning around. Rideyr grabs me in a tight hug, and I lose it.

"I've ruined everything!" I sob. "Everyone hates me, even Strahd! I put Ireena in the pool because it looked like she wanted to go in there, I didn't even think about Steinbjorn's spell!"

"It's not your fault!" He says. "Strahd can never have her now. She may be dead, but her soul is free. You did the right thing."

"Then why does it feel wrong?"

"Doing the right thing often does. Also, you got struck by lightning while in water. That usually doesn't feel very good."

I laugh into his shoulder and pull away, wiping my eyes. All the eye makeup I had on is smudging, even on Rideyr's cloak. Hopefully he doesn't notice.

"Cool hair, though." I laugh.

"Very cool." He smiles.

The others catch up to us, and together we head to the abbey. It's the early morning hours, and a dark chill hangs over this town. The abbey stands over it, perched like a cat waiting to pounce on the mice down below. We head up the path, up the cliffside, straight into the belly of the beast.

As we approach the sounds of screaming and wild beasts is clearer than the previous visit. It's dark, but I can see shapes moving through the blackness beyond the gate ahead. Soon I can make out mongrelfolk... seventy or more of them. They are absolutely filling the courtyard, ambling aimlessly. I wonder where my friend Otto is?

We quickly formulate a plan. Draelin and Chad are going to fly in, distract the mongrelmen, and the rest of us will attack after Drae roasts them with a fireball. It's a foolproof plan, we cannot possibly fail.

Until we do. Chad starts going down, shadows attack both of them, and then the Abbot flies out of the Abbey and goes straight for Draelin. Wait... why is the Abbot flying? He looks like our late Val, like an angel... but scarier. So this is how he wiped out an entire town? Once again the line between good and evil in Barovia is paper thin. I don't even know if we are the good guys anymore after the mass murder of the guards in Vallaki.

I can only stand there and sulk. Just when things look like they can't get any worse, Steinbjorn calls out to the Abbot and tells him to come at him. He then proceeds to kick the gate open. I grip my axe as the army of mongrelmen begins to pour out the gates, coming for us. If this is how it all ends, I'm going down fighting.

~ Z

[Cheeks/Kyla]

Our souls are pendulums. Before arrival, we held ourselves in our self-assured bonds - stagnant, still, and so sweetly confident. And then Barovia. The dark has seeped into us. Like a poison that unravels our veins, and seers any sense of self clean off our psyche. Though not true for all of us, our pendulums were victims of wildly abrupt forces, unfamiliar to us all. Folks who were so sure of their path now stumble into the dark ditches of Strahd’s perversion.

I hope they don’t think too poorly of me. Some blood-thirsty feline. An unfeeling widow, only able to connect to the pulse of humanity through feeding my blade. I don’t enjoy this. But I will do whatever it takes to keep the rhythm of my heart going. Steinbjorn appears to find something good in me. Funny. A few years ago, I’d keep him at arm’s distance. But maybe I need a reminder that I am not as ghoulish as the revenants, even when I feel as soulless as them.

I know my pendulum hasn’t swung quite as erratically as others. Sweet, amazing Zola. I know what it feels like to hollow out your heart, only to end up begging to be six feet deep. Too young to know how possible and assured it is to lose those we adore. They all depart in the end. Please, darling girl. Don’t forget yourself. You are so worthy of survival.

Mike will be steadfast through it all, the goddamn foolish woman. While they gasp and shriek when she stands confident in her callousness, you can’t tell me she is anything but consistent. We have seen the hideous, the evil, and hatred of humanoid kind together- this is just another face of the same wreckless menace.

Creed models a particular fashion of confidence. Chad and Ryder too. I hope they don’t let the struggles of others fall on deaf ears. Acknowledge the pendulum swing, do not remain hard of hearing. Grief is a violent beast that brings out the wicked and the divine and the black in all. You’ve seen it. I know you have because I’ve stared at it with you.

We lost Irena. We killed Izak. We will be painted as villains to someone, and heroes to others. More swinging pendulums. More death ahead.

[Jeff]

“Are you all right?” Rideyr asks Zola after the fight with Mike.

“Yes,” she replies as she wipes tears from her eyes.

“What was that all about anyway?”

“I wanted the book for Cecil, and”

“So you’re telling me this was about a book.”

“Ya.”

“Okay,” Rideyr replies without saying anything else and the pair stands in silence for long moments as Zola looks like she wants to say something but can’t find the words.

“Well I’m just glad you’re all right kid; I was pulling for ya;” Rideyr gives Zola a hug and starts to walk away.

“Rideyr, I...” Zola starts to say but stops.

“I know kid,” Rideyr replies as he turns and walks back to Zola. “You don’t have to prove anything to anyone; you just have to be true to who you are and live your life on your own terms. These people, your parents, me—what we think about you makes no difference; it’s what you think about yourself that matters. Take some time, be still and listen to your heart; find your questions and sit with those. Things will become more clear; you’ll become more clear to yourself.”

“Thanks.”

Rideyr reassuringly hugs Zola one more time and starts to walk away. “Oh, but just for the record, I think you’re sort of all right,” he says with a shrug and a smile.

“Jerk,” Zola says softly as she shakes her head and a tear runs down her smiling face.

[Jeff]

“You did the right thing Zola; look at me, you did the right thing. You reunited Ireena’s soul with her true love. She was trying to get to the pool—you saw that and you followed your heart. You saved her soul for all eternity.”

“But the others are saying—“

“Who cares what the others are saying. We were thrown together into this mess and these people show their true colors every day. Who gives a f*** what they think or say. We failed Ireena by making poor decisions, which we keep doing with alarming regularity, and you saved her...you. Hold onto that, not what the others think.”

Zola nods her head in reply.

“And remember this world is a much better place with you in it. Sound about right to you.”

“Ya.”

“Oh, and one more thing—“

“What?”

“Nice new hairstyle.”

[jasonandsleep]

Dear Diary

So the intervention with Zola didn't go to plan. Not that I thought it would, I guess I was just looking to do something, so that when we found her body completely drained of blood in a couple of days, I wouldn't feel so guilty.
"Oh, the folly of youth!" I could proclaim. "If only she had heeded my warning!"
And then Cecil, Cheeks and I could argue over who got her stuff.
It's funny I even had a whole speech prepared. I was going to tell her about my parents, The Sun Elf and the Moon Elf and how they had fallen in love despite the social taboo that the two elf sub-races, never intermingle. How they had left the pristine and placid Isle of Evermeet, the ancestral home of the elves, for the dirty and crowded city of Waterdeep. So great was their epic love that it could flourish anywhere, even there.
And then my father had disappeared. Maybe he had been murdered by a passing gang of ruffians? Maybe he had left my mom for another woman? Who knows? Who cares? The point was that he was gone, and in his absence, my mother had turned to alcohol and the embrace of lesser men. By the time I'd reached my adolescence, I was eager to get out of that apartment. I ran away, first to live in the streets of the city and then to work in a brothel called the Blushing Nymph.
I wasn't quite an adult, but Humans always have a hard time figuring out Elven ages. You tell them your Ninety-three and they think you're some wizened old sage rather than a kid, who would be too young to own property in an Elven city.
Two years in, I met a client named Lucien. He was a High Elf, like me, but two hundred years older and considerably more experienced. I began seeing him in my off time, a definite no-no as far a company policy went, but I was foolish enough to believe that he loved me, that he'd marry me and take me away from all this. The other girls at the brothel tried to warn me, he was a criminal they'd say, (some kind of smuggler I think, he never told me specifics) he probably had a girl in every city on the sword coast. And besides men like him only want one thing from girls like us.
But I never listened, whenever they brought it up I would get haughty and self-righteous, I would throw back my head and laugh.
And then I got pregnant. which for two High Elves is really something, we're notoriously infertile (probably a good thing since we live so long) and we often turn to other races to have children with. Which is why there are so many half-elves running around.
But if anyone was going to beat the odds and end up knocked up, boy you know it had to be me. I ran to Lucien and told him and soon as I found out. And he professed his love for me, told me that he'd quit his job, find honest work, and buy a cheery home for us to raise our child in.
Do I even have to write, that I never saw him again after that? How else could it have gone? I waited to hear from him for a few days then I ran to his apartment only to find it empty. The ladies at the brothel could have hit me with a thousand I-told-you-so's but instead, they helped hide the pregnancy for as long as it could be hidden and then took care of me while I was in labor.
Of course, I could have dealt with the situation another way, but it just seemed wrong. There are less and less full-blooded High Elves out there every day, maybe if I was a human or gnome I would've felt differently.
And I had no trouble at all finding a High Elf couple looking to adopt a child. They were wealthy merchants who had been trying to conceive for three centuries, and they were overjoyed to take my son in. I received regular reports on his upbringing and even met him a few times as his "Cousin Mikala", he seems happy and healthy. They tell me they plan on telling him the truth of his parentage when he comes of age. I wonder how he'll take learning that he is the son of a smuggler and a whore turned adventurer. Very positively or very negatively I should think.
His name is Michael by the way, I named him, make of that what you will.
Anyway, I was going to tell Zola all of this, but then she gave me the same haughty, I-know-better-than-you look I used to give the ladies at the Brothel and I stabbed her in the foot.
I'm just so bad at being good, I'm nobody's big sister (or mother) and I don't know how to help.
And anyway later that day, when Strahd shot Zola with sky lightening after she had pushed that Borovian chic into the lake so that ghost kid could give her a hug. It seemed like Zola's rose-tinted glasses had finally gotten a crack in them.
"See! See!" I had wanted to scream "You can't trust Strahd and I'm not saying that because he's a vampire, I'm saying it because he's a man, he's that kind of man, you just can't trust them!" I had wanted to say that but eh, what would've been the use.
Anyway Diary got to stop writing now, we're heading up to the Abbey to see if anyone half-decent is still alive. It'll probably be easy.