Session 5

2nd Riversday of Bales

The weather is pleasant and sunny. We travel to the West. The mountain is full of caves and we can see a campfire and meet a goat header by the name of Wendel. There is a table laid out for a feast. The bowls are full of ... worms! The feast of the worms will prevent the bat from stealing the goat, he says and that the ritual has worked as the goats are safe lately. From the North came a group of Bat Hunters, Ratflef - the leader - told him that they thought the bat lives in cave to the West. The villagers describe the bat as having a huge bloated body and black wings, it only hunts at night or dusk.

The Bat Cave

We search the mountain for the bat's cave, towards dusk we find the right cave. Rotting fruits lay outside. There is smoke of a campfire in the distance. We try to lure it with honey-covered dates. Cormorant is waiting at the top of the cave's entrance, while Anastaz is waiting with a snare on one side and Heldris is on the other. The Bat emerges from the cave to eat the dates and it is singing the same song the kids were singing. The snare goes off, Cormorant jumps down and grapples it. He is able to impair the creature putting the blade into the beast's mouth. Heldris sings the same song as the bat, and that seems to catch the beast's attention. It speaks with breathy voice through organs not created for words: “I am the one that loves to hide, that is accused of things it hasn't done.” It says that it is not the one committing these crimes, and it is something in the head of the folks. The Creature thanks us for our mercy by giving us an old helm that he found in its cave (called River helm).  

The Bat Hunters

We approach the campfire and meet hunters who want to kill the bat, but Cormorant tells them that a great worm named Bildadong is responsible for the crimes, and only giant bats can keep it at bay. So they promise to not hunt the bat for a week, but if the killings continue they will slay it. We camp with them, they are from Waldochia and they tell us that to the North there is contested land between Waldochia and the Crown land of Barovia. There is a war of succession where the king of Barovia has some claim to the throne. Cormorant leaves the party in a quest for the Bildadong, trying also to spread the word that the Bat is not responsible for the plagues of the land. Anastaz and Heldris returns to the watch tower at the Entombed Seer, to regroup with Ludmer and Perilake.