The Raine of Strahd

Chapter 7

The group of adventures stared in shock at the information that they received. Vinny's eyes furrowed in confusion. "But Strahd is hundreds of years old!" he exclaimed Andre elbowed Vinny in the side. "Hush!" he hissed Baba Lysaga glared at the young jester, but her face rested into a peaceful smile. "My son has his mother's charm, doesn't he?""...He really does". Nick played along hesitantly.

The Witch turned her back to the group and began digging into her wardrobe for something. The adventures are unsure as to what she was looking for. "So, what are you here for?" her eyes narrowed, and her back still turned to them.

As Raine approached the crib, she noticed something that immediately caught her attention. Despite Strahd being a grown man, there was something inside the crib. She leaned in and carefully lifted the blanket, revealing an old leather-bound journal with a silver locking system. The book looked like it had been around for centuries, and its importance was palpable even from a distance. Raine clutched the journal protectively and tossed it to Beau, who caught it skillfully and placed it into his bag. Baba Lysaga turned around, and Andre, sensing danger, drew out his sword as a warning. His eyes never left Baba Lysaga's as he held his ground, unwilling to trust her.

Baba snarled at them, "No." Raine grabbed her bow and shot an arrow towards her, missing when she was struck by a strand of magical energy, freezing her in place. "NO," Baba hissed under breath. Raine felt her body freeze. She lowered her weapon and felt skin as if it was on fire. Raine wasn't in control. She tried to move her body to charge the Witch but ended up taking steps backward instead of moving her body forward.

"Raine, what the hell is your problem?" Nick huffed as he tossed a transparent dagger at the older woman; it struck her face, drawing a cut into her upper cheek and spilling a little bit of blood.

Baba Lysaga screamed, and the house began to rumble. "w-what's going on!?" Vinny cried out. The group of adventures stumbled around, losing their balance. Andre falling onto his back. "Is this house alive!?" Beau yelled in question.

The small Hut began to shake as the roots of the stump hut ripped out of the ground, and dirt flew into the air. The house started to stand up and take off into a run, jumbling the party around inside like a dice cup.

Baba Lysaga screamed and contorted his fingers into a ball and then thrust her arms outward. "Firebolt!" she exclaimed. A bolt of solid blue light-struck Vinny's chest, sending him flying out of the hut doors and to the ground below.

Beau's face fell into anger, and he began to mutter a spell casting an incantation. "You know Strahd may be old, but at least he didn't inherit the wrinkly handbag that is your face," he insulted. Baba Lysaga gripped her chest in pain and visibly paled. Andre then sheathed his sword and grabbed Nick and Raine, pulling them out of the house. "Let's go before we die!!" He screamed. 

Beau followed after the trio jumped from the Hut's door to the ground. As they jumped out from the Hut, the house acted intelligent and picked up a boulder, hurling it toward the party. "look out! Beau shouted while the party dodged the massive boulder in their direction. It landed, and the ground shook, sending the players up a couple feet in the air before landing back onto their feet, sprinting further away as the hut monstrosity ran in the opposite direction.

The group ran away from where the hut had appeared until they arrived at the wagon, which had acted as their safe haven. Vinny, who had fallen earlier, was leaning against the cartwheel, trying to recover. Nick placed his hand on the wagon's side and gasped for breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly. "Well, I guess that could have gone better..." he said between pants. "It only went as well as it did because I was there," Beau pointed out arrogantly.

Andre appeared confused as he glanced at Beau, but he knew engaging in a potential argument was pointless. "Shouldn't we try to stop her?" Vinny asked. "There's no need," Raine replied, shaking her head. "I've got what we need," Beau said with a smile as he reached into his bag and proudly presented the journal.

"What is it?" Nick wondered aloud. Andre reached up to the leather book and carefully grabbed it from Beau, ensuring that he would not cause any further damage to the artifact. Raine peeked over Andre's shoulder, skimming the pages as he read faster than she could. With a sudden burst of excitement, Andre exclaimed, "This must be Strahd's journal!" His usually stoic demeanor was replaced with an expression of eager anticipation. The book in his hands could offer answers to the inexplicable events that had plagued Barovia for years. As he flipped through the pages, he couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation. What secrets lay hidden within the journal's worn and tattered pages?

Beau smiled upon hearing this new information and snatched the journal back. "if it's so important, then I should be the first to read it." he proclaimed. Raine stared at him dumbfounded. "Why you?" Nick asked.

"because I found it," he answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

"you didn't even find it; I did!" Raine snapped bitterly.

Andre rolled his eyes. He gently retrieved back the journal. He began to study it further and take in the details. "We should set up camp for the night," Nick offered. Beau nodded. "I will retrieve all the wood," he said confidently. Fixing his hair into a neater bun as some of his hair came loose during the combat encounter.

Andre sat on the wagon's edge and immersed himself in the book. Raine began to download some supplies from the wagon and made a sleeping area. "I suppose I can pull guard first." She offered, sitting down on a log nearby. 

The rest of the party split their ways for the night, some going to sleep right away and others resting by the warmly lit fire. Raine watched quietly into the woods, wondering if this party was going to help her achieve her goals or not. Her train of thought was soon interrupted by Vinny sitting down beside her. "Are we sure they will be able to help us?" he asked. Raine looked at him with a weary look. "No, but I don't see what other choice we have."

Vinny bit his lip at the response it did not give him hope, not that there was much of that in Barovia. As he sat there, lost in thought, he couldn't help but fix his gaze on the fire that danced before him. The orange and yellow flames lapped at the logs, sending sparks flying into the night sky, illuminating his face and casting flickering shadows across the campsite. The wood slowly gave way to the heat, crackling and popping as it transformed into a pile of charred embers. He couldn't help but feel a sense of peace wash over him as he watched the fire burn on, lost in its hypnotic dance.

As she sat in the densely wooded thicket, Raine's senses were heightened, and her ears were pricked up, listening for any sound that would indicate danger. Suddenly, she heard the sound of cracking sticks, and the rustling of leaves, making its way towards her. At first, she thought it might be an animal, but as the sound grew louder and closer, she realized it could be something more sinister. Slowly, she stood up, her heart pounding, and her hand tightly clutching her dagger. She took one step at a time, her eyes scanning the bushes, and her ears attuned to any sound. Eventually, the rustling stopped, leaving her confused and unsure of what kind of creature was hiding. She reached down and placed her hand on the branches, dividing the bushes, so she could see through them, but to her surprise, there was nothing there.

Raine took a deep breath and relaxed her grip on her dagger when she realized there was no danger present. She turned around to head back to her spot on the log but was startled when she found a Raven sitting on a branch close to her face. The bird looked at her curiously, examining her character, before cawing at her. Raine rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "Stupid bird! You scared me half to death!" The raven narrowed its eyes and gave her a threatening look, almost as if to warn her about something.

The half-elf sheathed her dagger and walked back to the fire. She sat down on a log, feeling uneasy about the woods, especially at night. She knew too well about the dangers that had previously befallen the townsfolk and herself. Soon after sitting down, a was placed a hand on her shoulder, she turned her attention to the mysterious hand who had been revealed to be Nick who was silently relieving her of her duty to stay awake.

Raine nodded and then moved to her bedroll. She lay down and gazed up at the stars, which were the only source of peace in the cursed land. Her mind wandered for a while, before eventually succumbing to sleep, marking the end of the night and the beginning of a new day.