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Between Sharos' antics in the bar, and the battle with Jonas in the keep, you and most of your companions found plenty to be occupied with throughout the evening and into the night. Just as you found yourself settled in, it seemed that the first reaches of dawn began to stretch across the northern landscape. Before long, the sun had begun its ascension, and the morning fog, its withdrawal. The time had come for you and your companions to begin the journey to Barovia.

After collecting your gear, readying your spells, and, perhaps, giving a few more nostalgic sighs for fields just south of the Inn, you made your way down to the lobby. There was Girgori, but a different Grigori than the one who had greeted you the previous day. Gone was the jovial Innkeeper of boisterous smile and jovial smile. Now stood a man of dignified presence and silent intensity, his voice serious, and his eyes sincere. From his neck hung a seal of silver and blackened steel (Wessel immediately recognizes it as a Seal of the Knight's Shadowbane. It's an older design, but he's pretty sure Grigori is, or was, at least 2nd Cohort).

"There's a foul wind thats been blowing south ever since those mists descended. Be safe, and come back alive. We've lost to many damn heros to the North." He said, before giving you a nod and unlocking the front door.

You had just began to head outside when your attention was drawn elsewhere.

"M'lords! M'lords!" Called out an older female voice, and turned to see older female barreling down the stairs after your company. You were sure she was going to tumble down the rest of the way, but by whatever magic or luck, she managed to leap towards you unscathed, almost crashing into Sharos, has Torgal not caught her.

"Is it true, M'lords! Is it true you're going to Barovia?!?" She asked, panicked.

(Go.)

*earlier in the morning*
Sharos asks Alvar to whip up something for his headache (mundane solution) and thanks him when the relief sets in.

*back in the present*
Sharos steps up to her, trying to see if he remembered her from last night (*Serious DM question: do I?*) and responds in the afirmative. "M'lady, we are indeed headed to the North. Is there something you would like us to look for on our travels?"

*DM question: was the bonus XP for coming up with the Trade of Tales bargame mixed into the Get a Contact bonus XP? If so that's fine, just currious *

*Also party: we have these loots to divy up:
Eternal Wand of Invisibility
Truedeath Spear (Javelin, when thrown, turns into a CL 8 Greater Disrupt Undead effect) x4
Scroll of Deny Death and Dispel Magic
Scroll of Remove Curse and Remove Disease
Scroll of Restoration x2
Blessed Silver Stake x4
Wand of Cure Light Wounds, 50 charges (CL 5)
Wand of Cure Serious Wounds, 10 charges (CL 10)
Wand of Lesser Restoration, 25 charges
Regional Map of the Kingdom of Barovia (Coming soon)
Map of Barovia City and Environs (Coming soon)

(I decided to change the XP bonus for gaining a contact to a flat CR x 100 XP.
You have no recollection of this woman)

"My... my husband Erik! He traveled North several months ago. He was pursing a group of werewolves that had attacked our farming community. Please... please find him!" She finished, collapsing to her knees.

"Erik Wolfsbane," Grigori said after a few seconds. "A famous hunter of everything 'were'. He was good at what he did in his prime, but at 81 years old, he's well past his prime."

"I..." the woman began, fighting back tears. "I told him that if he left me to pursue those creatures that he wouldn't be taking my heart with him. That... that... that I'd give up everything that was ours. And I did! Except this!" She said, slipping a silver ring off of her finger, and offering it to Sharos.

"When we're close, the ruby glows... Please. Please find him." She finished, breaking down.

Alvar whips up a noxious brew to help Sharos's hangover. He watches awkwardly as the woman asks for the party's help.

(Loot: I can use, with a UMD roll, any of the scrolls/wands)

"We will do our best to find him. You have my word." Sharos says accepting the ring. (Diplomacy to calm her down and reassure her that we'll do everything in our power to reunite the two: )

*From the loot: I'd probably take the Wand of Invis, and the two healing wands as I can run around invis and heal everyone after I finish my first 2 rounds of buffs.

(Loot: I'll take the maps, since I seem to be the only one here with both scouting skills and survival; plus a Truedeath spear, I have okay ranged atk but crap normal damage so might get a free turn to use this.)

(I've also got UMD and also can use of the wands and scrolls, but I'll definitely take those Blessed Silver Stakes )

Wessel rises early as usual and completes his morning meditations without incident. Equipping himself with the tools of his trade, he wears his Shadowbane Seal openly and skulks down the stairs to join the rest of the group. GIving an understanding nod to Grigori, he says to the woman, "Rest easy ma'am, if Osirion has not yet judged Erik Wolfsbane, we will see you reunited with him."
(Diplomacy roll: 1d20+8: 25 [1d20=17])

(Diplomacy Checks: Success)
After a few moments of reassurance, Sharos and Wessel manage to calm to the woman down. Grigori then takes her over to a table to sit down.

(The next update will fast forward you a considerable distance. So, one last check: Does anyone have anything they want to do?)

[no, still have to mark what scrolls and potions and wands I got earlier, probably going to be haste/ buff centric (I have 10.5k guys, let me know what you want me casting )]

(Im good to go)

(Ready. This sentence added to meet the minimum post character limit of 10.)

(Ready Steady Go!)

Wessel gives another nod to Grigori, raises his hood, and walks out into the dissipating fog.

(Ready to go)

With the old lady's panic thus dispelled, you and your companions were finally able to take leave of the Talon Inn, and begin the slow, long march to Barovia.

For much of the morning and on into the afternoon, you traveled the stone path of the Iavar Way, through the patches of the mighty Barovar Forest with little distraction. Despite its reputation as an accursed land, nothing seemed terribly out of place. The land, the trees, and the natural seemed just as it would be in any other place of the Great Continent. Though, one thing did seem to be missing: The Mists.

All of your mission briefs and documentation had gone on in considerable detail concerning banks of mist or fog that seemed to move towards persons traveling the road. Yet, for the first six or seven hours of your journey, you saw nothing beyond the fog left by the night. Likewise, there also seemed to be a general lack of undead roaming about. There was recently a great war fought against the undead, after all.

However, just when the scenery had you believing you may have came here for not, you happened upon the remains of a small farming community. Turning out of the forest into a clearing, you are greeted by the a couple of ruined homes and barns, a very large bank of mist. Thick enough to obscure the group, but low enough for you to see out to the other side of the clearing where the forest resumes.

(Perception (Sight) Checks from everyone)

(Perception: 1d20+8 = 22)