The Winery and all our Yesterhills - Session 18 Report

Day 9 - Early Afternoon

  Previously the party left Vallaki and its fortifications behind and traveled west along the Old Svalich road towards the Wizards of Wine Winery. Hidden within the woods on the outskirts of the property they encountered the vintner, Davian Maritkov. He provided a hurried explanation of druids overrunning their abode and asked the group for help. As they neared the edifice, groups of blights erupted from the vineyard and within the winery. After summoning a protective dome, the party was able to fend off the rush of foes and slowly whittle the vines until they werre little more than kindling.   Now within the vineyard's loading dock, the party finds three barrels embalzoned with the words "Purple Grapemash No3." Curious, Jagger thumps one and receives the dull response of a full barrel in response.   Further inside, the pungent scent of fermenting grapes stings the party's noses as they come upon several large vats that stretch upward past a wooden balcony which encircles the upper floor. Examining the area around the first vat, the party finds it empty with a large split in the back towering six feet upward with traces of twigs and leaves inside the vat. The remaining vats are full and provide the intoxicating smell of wine.   Approaching two looming doors chained shut, Sticky makes quick work picking the padlock and the party pushes a door open revealing a large veranda which open up into the vineyard. As they navigate the area, they pass by the trappings of a typical vineyard--grape-stained tubs, a well, even an outhouse outside and inside a room full of used barrels with a cooper's shop. Eventually descending stairs and exploring further, Sticky and Jagger find and open a portal leading into a misty cellar filled with wine racks which, while mostly empty, feature the occaional bottle of their specialty wine, Purple Grapemash No. 3.   With no trail to be found in the basement, the party begins to explore the upper levels. On the second floor are several empty bedrooms and a door leading out onto a balcony overlooking the vat room, a dining room, and a wooden-floored room with a square hole in the middle. Looming above the strange hole is a wooden winch and next to it a wild, barbaric man holds a gnarly staff and shouts incomprehensibly before suddenly diving into the open space below, as the party stands stunned by the strange scene that has just unfolded.   Shaking off the momentary shock, Morgana and Jagger leap after the stranger, landing awkwardly upon full wine barrels on a wagon below. At the same time, Sticky deftly leaps across the gap and grasps the edge of the floor, swinging himself away from the wagon. In the middle of the complex maneuver, his hands slip, causing him to careen into the wall beyond and land unceremoniously on the loading dock. At the sight Morgana gasps, "Sticky, are you okay?"   Winded and sucking in air, Sticky breathlessly replies, "You saw nothing," with a sheepish look on his face.   Meanwhile, Fidelia darts through a door behind her onto the balcony above the vat room searching for the wildman as Nazgog jumps down to the wagon and dashes into the first floor of the vat room breathlessly roaring in frustration. Jagger hears footsteps from the cellar and runs down the circular ramp where he spots a fleeing figure heading up the stairs on the far side. "Halt!" he yells out drawing Nazgog through the glassmaking shop down to the cellar as well. Bursting through the door, Nazgog glances at Jagger whose pointing toward the far end of the cellar and dashes onward after the wild man.   The party traps the wild druid in the stairs along the southwest corner of the winery. Fidelia shouts, "Surrender! There's no where else to run." But the wild druid raises his staff while chanting a spell. Sticky releases an arrow and as the druid dodges aside, Fidelia prevents him from ascending allowing Morgana to strike his back dropping him to the floor.   Inspecting the body reveals nothing of value, except the gnarled staff which Morgana recognizes due to distinct similarities to the one Belak wielded beneath the Sunless Citadel. She tries to recall the power it wields, but while that encounter occurred only mere weeks ago, it feels like a lifetime. However, noting its importance, she tucks it away for future study.   Suddenly, several persons push into the winery from outside. The party quickly reacts to the new threat before lowering weapons as they recognize Davian and his family. Approaching the group, he states, "Well it seems my worthless son found someone of actual worth for a change. How may I repay this kindness?"   Stepping forward, Sticky answers, "Your son sent us here so that wine shipments would resume, can we take a barrel of wine? Well a barrel and a bit of renumeration?"   Davian sighs as he responds, "Alas I fear for the future of our winery. All that I currently have is in these three vats and those 6 barrels, three of which are already loaded on the wagon. There won't be anymore afterward."   Morgana asks, "Why not? Surely you still have the vines?"   Quickly Davian explains, "Yes and no. The vines will grow, but they stop fruiting under these sunless clouds without the seeds." Davian holds up his hand forestalling questions and continues. "Allow me to explain. Long ago, long before Lady Strahd, a wizard owned this vineyard and he created three special gems with mystical properties. Seeds, he called them, that would produce the finest grapes for wine. Once there were three of these seeds, but sadly all have now been stolen. Without these seeds, no grapes will appear and the wine will cease. We saw this when the first seed disappeared ten years ago and then again as grapes shriveled three weeks ago when the second was stolen. I can see your curiosity, so I'll share what I know."   "Over the past month, we've been defending against two sets of attackers. They've been flooding our fields with these blights and they overwelmed us a week ago. During that raid, the deranged druids found and stole the last seed for the Purple Grapemash No 3 grape and bore it away to their sacred Yester Hill just south of here. We launched a counter-attack but were driven back before even reaching the summit. In response, they flooded our fields with even more blights and druids driving us into hiding where you found us. We suspect they intend to use the seed in a nefarious ritual, but don't know where the gem is nor when the ritual will begin."   "The other trouble we face is constant attacks from scarecrow constructs that raid the fields. Three weeks ago, they found and stole the seed for the Red Dragon Crush wine. I'm positive these constructs are the work of the witch Baba Lysaga, but she's too powerful for us to confront directly. She helped groom Lady Strahd into the dark creature that she is today. I'm sure she's hiding out in the ruins of Berez and that she knows our secret and that is why she continues the attacks."   "Finally, the first one disappeared nigh on ten years ago when that twit of a son, Urwin, foresook his duty and snuck away with his wife while some unknown fiend pilfered it. Our greatest vintage, the Champagne Du La Stomp, is lost until we can find that gem again and I've no idea where to search."   Jagger asks, "How far away are these druids? Where is this Yester Hill?"   Davian steps closer to the vats as he responds, "Just a few hours walk south... " Suddenly, a look of horror crosses his face. "Did any of you taste the wine here? Have you done anything to these vats?"   Morgana steps toward the vats as she responds, "No. We were too busy chasing that crazy man. Why? What's wrong?"   "Smell the vats, they've been poisoned," he rants. "Each vat would fill nearly seven barrels each. Without the wine in them, we're effectively out of wine."   Morgana muses for a moment, before declaring, "I'll seek Celestian's favor tonight. I'm sure he'll guide me to a solution for saving your wine. However, can we sleep here tonight?"   Sticky chimes in, "Yes. Let's stay here for the night and on the morrow we'll put a stop to those druids as well."  

Day 10 - Morning

  As the party wakes, Morgana jumps up excitedly, "Celestian has answered our prayers!" She then climbs the stairs to the railing along the vats and invokes the divine powers to purify the vat standing at her feet. The wine sparkles and shines, then fades to a flat dull red as the powers disappate.   Davian steps forward sniffs, then tastes the wine, and shouts, "You've done it! This vat is pure and tastes just fine." Morgana then purifies a second vat.   The party quickly assembles before backtracking to the dusty trail and following it southward as the gnarled trees close around the group.   A few hours later, the trees slowly recede revealing storm laden sky with flashes of lightning above a large hill surrounded by concentric rings of ten foot high black rock cairns. The minutes tick by as the party starts to ascend the hill. As the party reaches the first circle of tombs, Nazgog says, "I hear you. Where does your spear rest?"   Morgana asks, "Who do you hear? What spear?"   Nazgog shakes her head as she turns right and sprints alongside the crypts. After several hundred feet, she starts tossing the stones of a cairn aside revealing a dessicated warrior cradling a spear. She lifts it high as she declares, "I will avenge you Kavan! Your spear will taste blood like it did in days of old!"   As the party resumes scaling the hill, Nazgog explains, "A voice whispered inside my mind that he, Kavan, had waited a long time for someone worthy to weild his spear and that he longed to be avenged and that his spear drink the blood of his enemies. It seems a nice enough spear, but I'm not sure how it will strengthen me."   At the crest of Yester hill, a wide ring of black boulders enclose a circle of dead grass with a fifty foot tall idol made of twigs and branches vaguely resembling a cloaked woman with fangs. Entering the clearing, Nazgog looks up at the motley totem and asks, "Are you what I'm supposed to avenge?"   As the party approaches the effigy, twelve humans dig up out of shallow graves interspersed within the clearing as a flash of lightning strikes against one of the wall's black rocks. In pairs, the druids and beserkers approach. The battle wages as the wildmen press against the party, then Nazgog's spear slips past a druid's block and pierces his heart. Energies are pulled from his dying body and renewed life flows through the spear and into her joints, "Wow! I could get used to this!" she roars and the battle wages onward. Finally, only dead bodies surround the party as they focus on the tall wooden lady at the center.