Session 24 - Summary

Recap

The party took a short rest and prepared for the assault on Wizard of the Wines. Irredel prepared Silence because the druids were expected to use thunder magic, while the group decided to prioritize the head druid's staff over clearing every blight. (Session 24 @ 00:13:23) They entered through the hidden cellar tunnel, used Ember's stealth and Mercurio's minor illusion to pass the cellar's twig blights, and climbed toward the upper floor. (Session 24 @ 00:21:52) (Session 24 @ 00:35:16)

The party found a female druid torturing caged ravens but continued scouting. Mercurio's spider familiar located a druid with a unique staff beside a bleeding tree growing through the winery's loading winch. (Session 24 @ 00:41:15) (Session 24 @ 01:15:24) They breached with Silence, Hold Person, and Sildir's Misty Step to seize the staff. (Session 24 @ 01:40:02) The druid transformed into a mass of vines and was slain; the staff was identified and broken, causing the winery's blights and vines to wither. (Session 24 @ 02:02:42) (Session 24 @ 02:37:35) (Session 24 @ 02:39:33) The party captured and executed the other druid, learned that the crystal pine seed was with Baba Lysaga in Berez, freed the ravens, searched the remaining accessible rooms, and exited with the Greater Strix no longer visible overhead. (Session 24 @ 02:51:09) (Session 24 @ 02:58:50) (Session 24 @ 03:12:08) (Session 24 @ 03:23:49)

Key Events

• Irredel prepared Silence and unprepared Prayer of Healing for the winery assault. (Session 24 @ 00:13:57)
• The party entered the cellar through a hidden door, finding humid mist, roots, vine-covered wine racks, and twig blights. (Session 24 @ 00:21:52)
• Ember led the cellar stealth check with a 25; Mercurio's minor illusion fooled a twig blight after an Investigation result of 4 against a DC of 15. (Session 24 @ 00:28:42) (Session 24 @ 00:35:33)
• On the upper floor, the party saw a female druid torturing ravens in cages with twig blights and chose to continue toward the staff. (Session 24 @ 00:41:15) (Session 24 @ 00:51:13)
• Ember scouted the corridor with 20 Stealth and 20 Perception, finding empty bedrooms, a kitchen, and a room containing a druid and plant creatures. (Session 24 @ 00:57:25)
• Mercurio used a spider familiar to scout the target room, finding a druid perched above a bleeding tree and holding a distinctive black-branch staff. (Session 24 @ 01:15:24)
• The party chose a direct breach: Saturno opened the door, Irredel cast Silence, Mercurio cast Hold Person, and Sildir took the staff with Misty Step. (Session 24 @ 01:39:52) (Session 24 @ 01:43:04) (Session 24 @ 01:44:59)
• The paralyzed druid was attacked by Saturno, Sildir, Irredel, and Ember; Ember's crossbow strike triggered the druid's transformation into a large humanoid mass of vines. (Session 24 @ 01:50:11) (Session 24 @ 02:02:42)
• The vine creature engulfed Sildir, but Ember's follow-up shot pierced its roots and destroyed it, releasing Sildir and the druid's body. (Session 24 @ 02:26:23) (Session 24 @ 02:32:51)
• The dying druid told Ember, telepathically, that the victory meant nothing because Winter Splinter was coming; Ember shared the message with the party. (Session 24 @ 02:34:19) (Session 24 @ 02:36:05)
• Mercurio identified the black-branch weapon as a Gulthias staff, which controlled the blights; breaking it caused blights and the bleeding tree to wither into ash. (Session 24 @ 02:37:35) (Session 24 @ 02:39:33)
• The party caught a second druid trying to escape and interrogated her after she identified Lorgoth as the failed leader. (Session 24 @ 02:42:36) (Session 24 @ 02:44:10)
• The druid claimed the Forest Folk were reclaiming their lands under the swamp witch's orders, and that the witch had taken the seed of the pine wrought in crystal stone. (Session 24 @ 02:50:26) (Session 24 @ 02:51:09)
• The party learned that Baba Lysaga held the seed in the swamps that were the remains of Berez. (Session 24 @ 02:51:55) (Session 24 @ 02:52:32)
• Sildir executed the captured druid after hearing a dark voice urge him to “Take your vengeance”; the DM confirmed the voice was not Torm's. (Session 24 @ 02:58:01) (Session 24 @ 02:58:25) (Session 24 @ 02:58:50)
• Sildir took an amber ring from the druid; only he could see the pulsing red energy beneath its glyph, and the ring seemed to react to his vengeance. (Session 24 @ 02:59:55) (Session 24 @ 03:01:10)
• Mercurio refilled his Red Dragon Crush bottle from the winery vats and passed a Constitution check of 21. (Session 24 @ 03:09:11) (Session 24 @ 03:11:32)
• Saturno freed the caged ravens with an Animal Handling result of 21; one raven nuzzled her hand before flying away. Irredel later concluded that the ravens showed more intelligence than ordinary ravens. (Session 24 @ 03:12:08) (Session 24 @ 03:14:29)
• The party searched the veranda, barrel storage, and workshop, then exited the winery; the previously seen Greater Strix were no longer patrolling the skies. (Session 24 @ 03:19:40) (Session 24 @ 03:23:49)

NPCs Met

• Lorgoth — head druid wielding the Gulthias staff; named by the captured druid and slain after transforming into a mass of vines. (Session 24 @ 01:15:24) (Session 24 @ 02:34:19) (Session 24 @ 02:44:10)
• Unnamed female druid — wore a goat-horn headdress, tortured caged ravens, claimed the Forest Folk's cause, and was executed by Sildir. (Session 24 @ 02:42:36) (Session 24 @ 02:58:50)

Locations Visited

• Wizard of the Wines — hidden cellar entrance, upper-floor rooms, loading-winch room, fermentation area, veranda, barrel storage, and workshop. (Session 24 @ 00:21:52) (Session 24 @ 03:21:39)

Quest Updates

• Investigate Wizard of Wines — the head druid was slain, the Gulthias staff was destroyed, the winery's blights withered, the ravens were freed, and the party planned to report back to Davian Martikov after checking the remaining rooms. (Session 24 @ 02:39:33) (Session 24 @ 03:16:14)
• Depose Strahd von Zarovich — the captured druid repeatedly claimed that the Keepers of the Feather served the “Shadowed Lord.” Party believes this may refer to Strahd von Zarovich, but the claim was disputed. (Session 24 @ 02:44:25) (Session 24 @ 02:46:55)

Loot & Clues

• Gulthias staff — identified by Mercurio and destroyed; its destruction caused blights within a mile to wither and die. (Session 24 @ 02:37:35) (Session 24 @ 02:38:30)
• Amber ring — taken from the executed druid; Sildir alone perceived the pulsing red energy beneath its glyph. (Session 24 @ 02:59:55) (Session 24 @ 03:00:46)
• Seed of the pine wrought in crystal stone — described as the Keepers' source of power and held by Baba Lysaga in Berez. (Session 24 @ 02:51:09) (Session 24 @ 02:52:32)
• Winter Splinter — named by both defeated druids as an approaching threat; its identity and nature remain unknown. (Session 24 @ 02:34:19) (Session 24 @ 02:59:23)
• Red Dragon Crush — Mercurio refilled his bottle from the winery's vats. (Session 24 @ 03:09:11)

Open Threads

• Report the winery's condition to Davian Martikov and the Martikov family sheltering in the cavern. (Session 24 @ 03:16:05)
• Determine whether any druids or hostile creatures remain in the winery's unsearched rooms. (Session 24 @ 03:16:14)
• Recover the crystal pine seed from Baba Lysaga in Berez. (Session 24 @ 02:52:04)
• Learn what Winter Splinter is and why both druids warned that it was coming. (Session 24 @ 02:34:19) (Session 24 @ 02:59:23)
• Examine Sildir's amber ring and identify the source of the dark voice that urged vengeance. (Session 24 @ 03:01:10)
• Decide whether to return through the tunnels or use the open exit now that the Greater Strix are no longer visible. (Session 24 @ 03:23:49)

Party Decisions

• Use stealth to bypass cellar twig blights and proceed west and upstairs. (Session 24 @ 00:33:05)
• Prioritize locating the staff and its wielder over immediately rescuing the caged ravens. (Session 24 @ 00:51:22)
• Breach the target room with Silence, Hold Person, and a staff seizure. (Session 24 @ 01:33:33)
• Break the Gulthias staff rather than attempt to use it to control the blights. (Session 24 @ 02:38:49)
• Execute the captured druid rather than release or recruit her. (Session 24 @ 02:58:50)
• Free the ravens, inspect the remaining accessible rooms, and then leave the winery. (Session 24 @ 03:12:08) (Session 24 @ 03:16:14)