On the side of the road near the swinging noose crossroad, Abe, Francesco and Ireena shake their four dozing companions. Theses bastards slept all the way through the night!
Fran slaps Torbin in an attempt to wake him up, the small gnomes beard suddenly bursting into flames from the impact! With a shocked cry from the bard, the four sleeping party members suddenly wake up. Ireena berates those waking up, Abe trying to back her up until Tariel started to explain what had happened. Summer and Slate lazily got themselves up and going, setting up breakfast while the group caught up on the nights events and Francesco patches up the wounds that Torbin and Slate managed to get from their sleep adventure. Nothing could save the little druids beard though...
With their equipment together, the party debate on which path to take on either side of the swinging gallows, deciding that the best path to take was to head toward the Tser Pools and not the path leading up toward Ravenloft. Tariel starts leading the party into a thick brush forcing the party into a single file order, Slate at the rear of the party feels a cold sensation wash over him. Looking behind at the gallows, he sees a figure dangling from the once-empty noose: his own face turning a pale blue grinning back at him. Shaken, the Rouge drew an arrow and shot at the rope holding the body. The rope snaps and he watches his deceased body suddenly sink into the ground as if there was none, but he did hear something hit the wood of the gallows stage...
As he starts back to investigate, Summer calls out to him and draws his attention back to the party.
The forest seems to get denser as the party push through, the fog rolling around them getting thicker as they go. The eerie silence after what Slates vision has him on edge... Then the sudden sound of voices ahead has the party frozen. What could be ahead? Slate calls on his undead companion Skowl to scout ahead. Using his familiars eyes, Slate spots a camp further ahead beyond the clearing. Looking at the camp, he notices some familiar tents. The Vistani!
Hearing Slate identify the group, Tariel forces her way through the thicket until the group comes into the clearing. The Vistani are all at the ready, shocking the group with a welcome song and dance!
Were they expecting the groups arrival?
Seeing the fun and lively welcome, Tariel and Summer join in on the celebration as Slate and Torbin take a break while staying weary of the travelling caravan. Abe offers his hand to Ireena to dance together, the girl never having felt so positive in her life agrees and they join Summer and Tariel in the festivities. Francesco sits back with his music notebook out, joting down the tune the Vistani plays.
While out dancing around the fire, Tariel is handed a wine sack. With the entire camp cheering her on, Tariel knocks it back and downs the entire sack! Excited to get in on the fun, Summer takes a wine sack and immediately starts coughing when she tries the drink.
Once the party quiets down somewhat, the party joins the Vistani in a hearty meal of stew and bread unlike anything Ireena has ever experienced. The sentiment is felt by the rest of the party, feeling the happiest they've felt since passing through the mist into Barovia.
One of the older Vistani interrupts the groups meal to inform them that Madame Eva is waiting to see them once dinner is over. The party ask some questions to the Vistani willing to talk to them and glean some interesting details:
The Vistani had helped a prince they found on deaths door in Barovia, who one day gave the Vistani passage in and out of Barovia as his sign of thanks. Fran pushes further, asking if this person was Strahd. But the answer given didn't confirm or deny what he guessed.
The Vistani were in Barovias borders when the Wizard the party heard about in Barovia had stormed Ravenloft with a group of young men of the city beneath the Castles perch. The Vistani witnessed the Wizard and Strahds climactic battle over the region. The Wizard held his ground far more than anyone had seen against Strahd, but he eventually was defeated and dropped from the sky by the Baron of Barovia. The Vistani went to find the Wizards body, but were unable to find it. Did he survive the fall?
Summer learned that her voucher she go from the Vistanis circus was no longer valid...
As the rest of the camp began packing up for the night, the group was called to Madame Evas tent. Arriving at the fortunetellers abode, the party find the old woman sitting at a large table shuffling a deck of ominously black cards.
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