#All that's left is Argynvost and the baba

[thrumugnyr]

Hey! Started following you from the moment you started posting things on #curse of strahd. Haven't seen Patataj in a while. I love your art and will definetley commission you when the opportunity comes!

Just wanted to know how is your loveley bard doing? How is the campaign overall?

I hope this question didn't bother you much

Patataj is still running through Barovia, only making the soundest of decisions! For example he wanted to protect some werewolves from certain death after he helped them rebel so he agreed with Strahd's offer of giving him 10 whole favors. He was just too happy about the werewolves being okay.

Rahadin was angry, not so much because Patataj owes favors to Strahd, but because Patataj is clearly absolutely terrible about making deals. And what if something else asks for a bargain?

[mxvanrichten]

Gushing about last night's Curse of Strahd session and the session before.

‼️ SPOILERS WARNING ‼️

So the previous session, we killed Baba Lysaga, got the gem for the Martikovs, and got the skull of Argynvost from Berez, but during the fight with her my character, Silas got killed. While he was dead, he was offered by some unknown entity the opportunity to come back to life if he promised to kill Strahd and then free this entity. He agreed, so he's back, but he's feeling guilty about it and just having a lot of emotions. Plus, he's hearing creepy whispers in his head and having nightmares. When they got back to the tower with Ez and Rudolph, Rudolph responded pretty crazy to the party telling him everything that happened and he keeps looking at Silas weird.

So anyways last night's session was a much needed session of lots of role playing and our party just having a little fun and sharing emotions.

Ez told us her and Rudolph we going to the woods to try and track something down, but we couldn't come with them because Rudolph is well HIMSELF lol. So as we're all leaving Silas pats them both on the back wishing them safety, but casts Death Ward on van Richten, he notices and glares at Silas, but then kinda nods which is about has nice as Rudolph can be lol.

The gang (Draz, Brandy and Silas) head off to the winery to take the gem to them. While there they tell the story of what happened in Berez and Silas starts feeling guilty and useless again. They all get super drunk and Brandy brags on Silas to everyone because she can tell he's feeling down. It was a cute moment and Silas was embarrassed to be like talked about, but he was happy someone cared enough about him to do so.

When they all went to bed, the three of them stayed up later, drinking more, reading more in the Tome of Strahd, and for the first time being vulnerable. Silas told Draz and Brandy he loved them and was thankful for their friendship, he was vulnerable about how he's not used to being able to show emotions and Brandy made sure he knew he was welcome to be open with them. That really meant so much to Silas.

On a silly note, while super drunk Silas finally told Draz and Brandy about his crush on van Richten. They were of course like BRO WTF? but ultimately, and probably because she was drunk, Brandy was like hell yeah go for it! lol. Also, when everyone is asleep, Silas casts sending to Ez (remember it's the middle of the fucking night), just to check on them and he's like slurring his words, and Ez is like "WE'RE FINE, FUCK OFF FOR WAKING ME UP THOUGH. GO TO BED!" lol I love that woman so much and I know if she finds out about Silas's feelings for Rudolph she's gonna give him so much shit. lol.

The next day they headed back to Vallaki, or what's left of it, to see their friends at The Blue Water Inn. Danika smacked the shit out of Silas, LOVINGLY, when he told her they went to Berez. AUNTIE WAS NOT HAPPY!! It was so funny, they drink some more, Brandy decides to tell Silas she has a crush on Blinsky, and poor Draz is just sitting between us like DEAR FUCKING GOD YOU GUYS! lol.

Then Vasili and Earnst come in, Draz is PISSED, he has beef with Earnst and threatens his life. lol. Vasili (who would be so hot if he just like SHUT THE FUCK UP lolol), is there to campaign to REBUILD THE WALL AND MAKE VALLAKI GREAT AGAIN! (yes, we died laughing). After we fuck with him a bit and make him say please AND thank you to us lol, we agree to help him. We're still sus as fuck about him, especially after shaking his hand and they were like cold and clammy, ew fuckin weirdo, but we at least agree Vallaki deserves to be safe and normal again.

So yeah the last 2 sessions were a lot and probably the best D&D I've ever played. I know that was a lot and no one cares, I just needed to type it out lol.

[barovian-dawn-seekers]

The Dawn Seekers

Sir Godfrey Gwilym, impressed once again with their attempts to fight the dark powers of the realm, asked what he should call his allies. Yavis had once jokingly called them all "The Investment," a joke entirely procured from her attempts at teaching them all better dealings with their currency. It was still a joke though, not worth taking on as an official moniker. She looked about each of her party members as they rested from a tough battle and thought of what it was they sought; an end to the doom and gloom looming over the land of Barovia. A symbol of the end of a nightmare. The rising of the sun.

With a smile she turned back to Godfrey and gave them a name. "The Dawn Seekers." Now also known as The Dawn Seeker brigade of the knights of the Order of the Silver Dragon.

So, I really wanted to do some huge detailed post with this gorgeous poster, but I'm still so flustered that that little snippet was all I could come up with. I had asked Earth if I could get a full party lineup so we'd finally have a good reference of everyone in one place. It was just going to be a single side by side lineup of everyone. Nothing impressive, but beautiful art as always. And then she asked me a few days ago if it would be alright if she took a shot at a full on poster style piece for them. The results still has me absolutely floored, but I can at least gush more about how much I love the composition of this piece! All of which was 100% Earth's doing!

Large and center we have the original three party members that ventured into the Death House, Friend of Foe, Armory, and Nemissa. Having joined the party at a later date, but still every bit as important, we have full shots of Mistake and Yavis at the bottom. Behind them all the sun burns brightly, spectral wings of a dragon stretching out. In part the wings call forth the imagery of Argynvost's spirit, his beakon of light now visible from nearly anywhere in Barovia after the party had successfully returned his skull to its rightful resting place. On the other hand, set on either side of Friend of Foe, they foreshadow oncoming powers as he continues to try to tap into the skills his mentor assured him he could obtain.

And then how the composition continues to slap so hard. Centered at the top, once called the party's ray of sunshine by Yavis, stands Friend of Foe in his unwavering determination. In the air above his hand is the pendant given to the party by Godfrey, which Friend keeps close to his heart at all times, which signifies to any who would question that they are allies of the Order of the Silver Dragon.

In the middle, Armory and Nemissa stand as the pillars of sanity, the voices of reason, in the party. Be it doing their best to keep the party from splitting and putting themselves in danger to actively voicing how bad of an idea it is to make a deal with Baba Lysaga, without them far more terrible decisions would be made on a daily basis. Together they also keep the party from falling, each with powerful healing magic.

Both Warforged are positioned on the left of the portrait, siblings by creation. On the right we have Yavis and Nemissa, whom have taken on the familial roles that one another greatly needed. One a mother that could not keep her child, the other a child abandoned by her mother as an infant.

I could ramble on and on. This portrait is absolutely amazing and if you haven't already you should all check out Earth's art. If you'd possibly like something like this for your party she's considering making it one of her tiers for her commissions! I've got more lovely works from her to get posted up when I've got the time, but I absolutely wanted to get this one up as quick as possible. <3

-Kyrit