alias: Raven River Crossroads

Session 26

Stay the night while Bardolf turns into a werewolf: Lycanthropy
Go to Berez
- There is Belladonna root in the hut
Someone will probably die
- go to Krezk to revive them

Bedtime with Bardolf

There is a strange stench in the basement
Cellar
- DC 15 perception finds the door
- Piccolo maybe whimpers at the door

As you settle in for bed, you notice it's extra dark tonight, the thick fog rolling in to block out only a sliver of a waning moon visible in the sky.

Bardolf will likely be tied to the post with an iron (AC 19) Chain:
Lycanthropy
He loses consciousness, but the others see him struggle against the chain and possibly break free
- his skin bubbles and his hair spreads downward from his head
  - his hands enlarge and become huge paws
- have him roll a strength check (secretly modified) against the chain
- if he breaks free, he runs off at incredible speed (60 speed) towards the woods
If others are asleep, passive perception vs his stealth
He wakes up naked and covered in blood in the vineyard
- {It's goat blood; he snuck into the swamp}
Lazlo, Hans, and Franz decide to go back to the werewolf den to attempt to take advantage of the political schism and free the other children

Berez

~3 hr walk
- Raven River Crossroads (R)
- Random encounter while walking: False Trail
  - Hidden: DC 15 perception => you seen an absence of foot traffic over a section of the ground
    - another DC 15 Investigation check confirms that it's a hidden pit
  - Spiked Pit: 2d10 piercing damage from spikes + 1d6 falling damage for 10 feet depth

Raven River Crossroads (R)

Always check for a random encounter whenever the characters reach area R.

This stretch of the Old Svalich Road has multiple branches. One branch heads north, quickly turning into a dirt path that leads to Van Richten's Tower on Lake Baratok (area V). One branch heads south, becoming Tsolenka Pass (area T) as it winds through the lower mountains and clings to the side of Mount Ghakis. A third branch heads west toward the Wizard of Wines winery and vineyard (area W), dipping south as it changes from a road into a gravel trail.

Standing at the intersection of the Old Svalich Road and the road to the winery is a signpost:

You see a weatherworn signpost next to the road. The three arms of the sign point along the three branches of the road. The arm pointing north reads KREZK, and through the woods you can see an arching stone bridge spanning a river. The arm pointing east reads VALLAKI, and the road slopes up gradually in that direction. The arm pointing southwest reads THE WIZARD OF WINES. The road slopes gently downward in that direction.

There is a handout image
Ruins of Berez (U)
Martikovs again warn them to be careful

Approaching

They approach from the north, following beside the river
The river becomes less and less discernable as there is standing water across the whole area
As they walk in, they have no option but to walk through swampy water up to their ankles or knees
Giant Poisonous Snakes may poke their heads out of the water

On an average sized humanoid (about 5'6" height I'd say), the waters in Areas A and D get up to about ribcage height. The waters in Areas B and C get up to about waist height. And the waters in Area E get up to about shoulder height. The rest of Berez is filled with either ankle-deep to knee-deep water.