Arrival at Tser Pool and Vistani Camp
The heroes, en route to Vallaki to deliver Ireena to St. Andral’s Church, settled down for the evening among a small group of Vistani at the Tser Pool. This calm body of water is located along the Tser River, downriver from the falls.
Madam Eva’s Warning and the Approaching Shadow
During a brief meeting in her tent, the Vistani seer Madam Eva stressed the severity of the party’s quest, informing them that countless others who attempted it met a terminal fate. She agreed to perform a Tarokka reading but postponed it, cautioning that “a shadow is approaching my tent; a lone servant of Darkness who seeks knowledge of your future.”
Arturi, Eliza, and the Game of Stories
Upon leaving the tent, the party met two Vistani travelers: the dark and brooding Arturi (with a faint whiff of undeath) and the friendly, inviting Eliza. Stanimir, the encampment’s “papa,” invited the party to join them for dinner and to play the Game of Stories. The rules required each player to share a short tale (for a small wager) to make others laugh or cry. After each telling, others would claim the story was false, true, or half-true. The player with the most correct claims would win the pot.
Tales Told Around the Campfire
The crew ate mutton stew and Barovian wine as the tales were shared:
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Stanimir’s Tale: The true story of a noble prince wounded in battle, nursed back to health by Vistani, and in return, he promised them free passage and safe haven in his lands. The prince was revealed to be Count Strahd, centuries ago.
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Choppy’s Tale: The true story of his silver-tongued con man uncle who learned that lies build nothing lasting after being trapped by a flood in the fake bridge scheme he tricked a town into funding.
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Eliza’s Tale: The half-true legend of Lugdana, the Morninglord’s champion, who fell banishing the demon Chernovog at Yester Hill. Her holy symbol was reclaimed by ravens, but the fate of the powerful talisman, the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind, remains unknown.
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Arden’s Tale: His origins as the lone Drow survivor of a family slain by Lolth’s assassins, dedicating centuries to serving Hoar, god of vengeance, as a relentless instrument of justice.
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Parriwimple’s Tale: A hilariously tragic tale of being terrorized by a vicious one-eyed chicken named Old Murderbeak, who outwitted and bloodied him until the bird was finally cooked.
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Fig’s Tale: The story of Jack Lop the Clever, a Harengon trickster who won a dangerous wager with the wicked Lord Blackwood by impersonating his wife’s voice to make him abolish his cruel taxes.
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Arturi’s Tale: A cycle of vengeance initiated by a grieving Fox’s attempt to heal a dying Sparrow chick, leading to the annihilation of the Sparrows by Rats.
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Varnish’s Tale: A lonely craftsman falls in love with a ghostly spirit who promises to be his bride if he builds her a carriage, but he is cursed to join a spectral procession of undead brides when he disobeys her warning on their wedding night.
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Ireena’s Tale: A harrowing, true encounter with a monstrous wolf that emerged from the fog during a lakeside outing, chasing him into the woods until he blacked out, only to awaken safely at home.
Aftermath and Departure
Ireena was the winner of the game and redistributed some of the wagered items. Arturi explained that he is cursed to be hunted by undead each night and must spend the evening hiding in a large tree for the sake of his new friends’ safety. The players successfully evaded the ‘shadow’ alluded to by Madam Eva and swiftly arrived at the Tser Crossroads unhindered, their agreed-upon meeting place and a familiar site of the Devil Strahd’s first encounter with the party.