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It takes some time, but eventually you manage to put your anxieties to rest and find solace in the festivities. You and Ireena set up your two-person tent - a great investment, a little hard to set up, but quite spacious - and you find yourself comfortable beside the fire. You find it interesting how the Vistani manage to make their home here - merrymaking in nothing but a bunch of tents around a dreary lake in a dark valley. They carry an energy about them that you have not seen since elsewhere in this land so far. Even the color of their outfits is a stark contrast from the blacks, browns, greens, and grays.
The dozen-or-so men and gathered around the crackling bonfire are in very good spirits. A few of them sing and dance around the fire while others find happiness in their flasks and wineskins.
Without Ireena, you would not be enjoying this night. And the storytelling spirit of the Vistani is infectious. You find yourself at the fire, sharing vignettes of the experiences you've had back home, outside of the valley; the sunlight on the Sword Coast making even Waterdeep's Dock Ward look pretty during the early hours of the morning, the unceasing city life of Neverwinter and the shops on every street corner. To the Vistani there is nothing new about this, but Ireena is fascinated by these tales, claiming the village is all she has ever known.
You are hungry. You decide you will finally eat the "pastry" you purchased from that nice woman. A mincemeat pie of some kind, it has preserved perfectly. Maybe that's why it was so expensive - there is something strange about it, for sure. But you paid a fortune for it. Food is food. You take your first bite.
As you eat, it occurs to you that the Vistani have a lot of experience travelling outside of Barovia. They had said the curse of the fog traps adventurers, preventing those inside Barovia from leaving. So what makes them the exception? You bring this thought to Antonio.
"Our people are Strahd's historical allies," he replies, as you take another bite from the pie. "He owes us a great debt. We are not affected by this land's curse."
Ah. It suddenly makes sense to you why Ismark was so wary of the Vistani tavern owners back in Barovia. Nonetheless, these men and women are offering you shelter - how bad could they bey? "You don't talk like allies of Strahd," you say.
"No," he says, "but it's the story of our people. This is one of the only places we are welcome. I could tell you the story, if you wish."
"Of course," you say.
Stanimir fills his mouth with wine, then spits into the fire. The flames turn from orange to green. As they dance and sway, a dark shape appears in the bonfire's core. Interesting.
(cont.)
