What miserable creatures we are as we huddle in Rictovio’s damp cave to escape the frigid snow outside. We are badly beaten and bruised from our battle with Strahd’s undead warriors. Edward did a fine job holding back the lumbering beast with his flaming sword but I had to come to his and Erasmus’s rescue with the green eyed ghoul who had stripped them both of their magic. All it took was one swipe of my sword for the spook to evaporate and barley had it dissipated when healing words left my lips to spur Edward on to set the lumbering beast ablaze. Quite honestly I don’t know if they would have survived without me. That’s when Wulf lead us to Rictovio’s cave. What a strange half-elf. He is a bard like me Stebe Stembal but there is something off about it him. I cannot put my finger upon it. He even seemed to know Edward and Erasmus. Strangest of all is Rictovio had an unquenchable throat for Vistoni blood. He seemed to think that eradicating the Vistoni will stop Strahd. Moat House Gold does not wish to be apart of his murderous ways. Instead we are blindly following Wulf to meet the Mad Mage who Wulf says he can somehow trick into sending us back to the Sword Coast. For now we rest around the fire with our bodies wrapped in furs and our bellies filled with rabbit stew.