What an amazing three days, so much has happened, and I’m not sure I understand half of it. We’ve been travelling with the Vistana. I think that’s how they say it. They’re travellers from the valley of Barovia, (which is where I’m sitting now, writing this.) I wanted to get out of Daggerford, and this is exactly what I was looking for. I’ve heard people say, ‘Be careful what you wish for!’ But honestly, they have no sense of adventure.
Speaking of which, I should say how we got to travelling with these folks.
We did what the nice Fiery lady asked us to and went to talk to the group that had been camping outside the walls of the town. They were so friendly; I could see what the guard was talking about before. When we mentioned that we had come to ask them to move on, this one tall fella, Stanomir, just erupted with laughter, and made us an offer. If we listened to his story, they would move on at first light.
Well, this was going to be the easiest 200 gold pieces I…, I mean we, would ever earn. 200 gold to listen to a story? As easy as smelling a goblin, as my brother used to say.
But the story! The crazy old man Stanomir told his tale and sprinkled something into the fire which made it turn green and then shadows came out as he spoke about a prince and a war and betrayal and then this awful curse on someone called Strahd. (Who was their prince, I think. It was getting late.) But then he said it wasn’t a made-up story, like the Healers Wife used to tell me when I was little to get me to sleep, but real, like that one time I met a Dragon who let me go.
When the story finished, he looked at the big ‘uns in the group and asked if we would meet someone called Madam Ava? Could we travel with them to their home and help them to help this Prince? They all talked about it (a lot) and Mr. Frostbeard wanted to know if there was food in the deal and they all laughed. I probably would have gone without them, well you know, because of the trouble with the guild, but then they all agreed that this might be a ‘good thing to do’. So, we agreed to set off with them first thing in the morning.
Three days in a wagon doesn’t sound like the sort of thing that I’m normally interested in talking about, and for the most part it was quite dull. (Except Stanomir kept asking me about the Dragon.) But on the second day I noticed this HUGE raven in the track ahead of us. No-one else seemed to be that bothered by it, so I jumped down and went to have a look. It was enormous. As soon as I got close it flew away, which was disappointing, so I looked at what it had been pecking at on the ground and found a platinum piece. I’m not going to lie, (not that I ever do) that made me very happy.
Then, Lumae, the elf, spotted a dog in the road that looked all beaten up. She stepped down and did this amazing thing with her hands and the dog got better. True Healing! (I think she might be a druid or something,) and then she started making noises like a dog. Which I thought was really funny, until the dog answered her back!! That was incredible. Anyway, the dog decided that it would come with us and you know, the more I look at the dog, the more I think it might be fun to ride like a horse. I wonder if Lumae will let me.
The rest of the journey was pretty uneventful, except we drove through a pretty spooky forest that smelled worse than goblins (as my brother used to say), and the cleric Bastion started singing something sad. He stopped though when the forest started singing back.
Soon enough we were driving through these enormous gates, with huge statues either sides of them of knights or ancient warriors or something. They had both their heads chopped off and lying on the ground. Which is strange. We drove on through a quiet town. It was a little eerie, becuase, whilst it was getting dark, most of the lights were off and it definately looked like it needed a lick of paint. Anyway, soon we were at the Vistana camp. Wagons and tents all around a big bonfire. Mr. Frostbeard went looking for food and I took a look around.
I did overhear a couple of Vistani talk about a windmill near Valaki, that should absolutely be avoided at all costs and something about one of them being in love with a villager, but I didn’t understand it all.
We’re off to meet Madam Ava in a minute, so I will ask her about the statues and the windmill and why the walls are so big and how the gates work and why the Vistani don’t live in the village and whether there are any dragons nearby.
I wonder if we’ll meet the Prince?
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