Arc J - The Stolen Gem
An adventure for five 5th-level characters
In this arc, the first morning after the players' first full moon in Barovia, they are approached by Urwin Martikov, who asks them to investigate a mysterious shortage of wine deliveries from the Wizard of Wines winery to the southwest. If the players accept his mission, Urwin asks them to allow Muriel Vinshaw—an employee of the winery—to accompany them on the journey. (Muriel is, of course, a secret wereraven and a member of the Keepers of the Feather, tasked with delivering word of Strahd’s prophecy to Davian Martikov, the leader of the order.)
Before the players depart Vallaki, Ireena Kolyana—inspired by the players’ exploits there and filled with grim determination following her encounters with Izek Strazni—asks them to allow her to accompany them on their travels, forsaking the sanctuary of Vallaki for an opportunity to join the fight against Strahd. If the players accept her request, Ireena joins the party as a permanent companion for the remainder of the campaign.
Upon arriving at the Wizard of Wines, the players meet Davian Martikov—the patriarch of the Martikov family—and his assorted children and grandchildren, who have taken shelter in a hidden cavern beneath the nearby woods. Davian shares that the winery has been invaded by a group of druids known as the Forest Folk alongside a horde of twisted plant creatures called blights. Davian asks the players to defeat the Forest Folk and break the staff that their leader uses to control the blights, allowing the Martikovs to reclaim their home.
To do so, the players must enter the winery through a secret tunnel that leads into the cellar, then do battle with the druids and their corrupted blight servants. The druids, however, are nurturing a cutting of the “Gulthias tree"—a vampiric tree that grows atop Yester Hill to the south—within the walls of the winery, complicating the players’ efforts to reach the upper levels.
Should the players defeat the druids, they learn that the Forest Folk are planning a ritual to summon a being called “Wintersplinter" at Yester Hill the following day—a being that threatens to smash the winery into pieces. Davian asks the players and Muriel to journey to Yester Hill and prevent Wintersplinter’s birth. Davian also asks the players to retrieve an enchanted gemstone that the winery previously used to grow grapes before it was stolen by the druids.
At Yester Hill, Muriel first guides the players to a grove in the shadow of the Svalich Woods. There, she summons the spirit of Kavan, an ancient chieftain of the Forest Folk, who provides information regarding the druids’ plans and defenses. Kavan warns the players that Svarog, the druids’ leader, is a mighty foe, and invites them to return to his cairn should they defeat Svarog and retrieve his yew wand.
As the players continue their journey to Yester Hill, they are met by Strahd von Zarovich riding his nightmare, Beucephalus. Should the players convince Strahd to allow them to oppose the druids, Strahd suggests a wager and offers a reward should they win, which the players can collect at the Whispering Wall west of Yester Hill after the battle.
The players must climb Yester Hill without alerting the druids’ patrols, fight their way past the guardians of the stone ring atop the hill, and defeat Svarog’s circle of druids before they can summon Wintersplinter, a fearsome tree blight that threatens to lay siege to the Wizard of Wines winery. If the players succeed, they can obtain the Martikovs’ stolen gemstone from Wintersplinter’s heart and end the threat of the Forest Folk for good.
Should the players meet Strahd at the Whispering Wall, he shares a brief history of the wall and invites them to venture into its misted depths, where they can face visions of their deepest desires. Before departing, Strahd presents the players with their reward, as well as additional gifts for each player who entered and returned from the Whispering Wall.
Should the players return to Kavan’s cairn and present him with Svarog’s wand, he shares with them the story of the schism between the Forest Folk (who chose to worship Strahd) and the Mountain Folk (who defied Strahd’s authority) long ago. Kavan tells the players of the Ladies of the Fanes, and instructs them to travel to the hidden Mountain Folk settlement of Soldav in Tsolenka Pass if they wish to find a way to reverse the land’s corruption.
J1. The Blue Water Inn
J1a. Urwin's Request
The morning after the night of the players’ first full moon in Barovia, if they have been staying at the Blue Water Inn, Urwin Martikov approaches them with an expression of obvious concern.
After exchanging pleasantries, Urwin reluctantly (though quietly) asks if they would be willing to assist him and Danika with a problem that the inn is currently facing. If the players agree, Urwin shares the following information:
The Blue Water Inn ordinarily receives regular shipments of wine once a fortnight from the Wizard of Wines, located at the southwest end of the Barovian valley, including both the popular Purple Grapemash No. 3 and the pricier Red Dragon Crush.
However, this fortnight’s shipment is late by two days, and the inn’s supplies are beginning to run low. Urwin and Danika have enough in savings that this shouldn’t be an immediate problem, but they’re worried about the welfare of the winery, which hasn’t been heard from since the last shipment arrived.
Urwin asks the players to travel to the Wizard of Wines and speak with the owner, a man named Davian Martikov, to discern the reason for the delay and resolve it, if necessary. (If the players point out Davian’s last name, Urwin grimly admits that Davian is his father, but refuses to elaborate, sharing only that he and his father have not spoken in many years.) Urwin warns the players that Davian is a “stubborn old bird," and that his short temper might wear on their patience.
Urwin notes, however, that the Inn has sufficient wine stock to last at least a few days. If the players have more pressing business to attend to, he’s happy for them to take an additional day or two before departing.
If the players accept Urwin’s mission, he asks them to join him in the Blue Water Inn's kitchen in one hour to meet with Muriel Vinshaw, a former employee of the Wizard of Wines who can take them to the winery. (If asked, Urwin shares that Muriel has business of her own at the winery and that she is similarly concerned for the winery’s safety, but declines to provide any further information.)
Urwin believes that something terrible has happened to the winery—though what, he isn't sure. Although he sent out a half-dozen ravens to investigate when the first delivery failed to appear, none returned.
Urwin knows, thanks to Muriel, that Baba Lysaga's strix have recently begun to patrol the valley in greater force and numbers. Although Muriel has volunteered to investigate, he and Muriel have decided that the skies are likely no longer safe, and that the best way for her to proceed is on foot, preferably with skilled bodyguards.
J1b. Setting Off
Meeting Muriel
When the players meet Urwin in the Blue Water Inn's kitchen after accepting his mission, he introduces them to Muriel Vinshaw. Read: