Wintersplinter

The Wintersplinter is a huge tree blight summoned by the native forestfolk to fight for them. Some of these natives, the druids, live around Yester Hill where their sacred Gulthias Tree stands, and this is where Wintersplinter is summoned from.

History
When Count Strahd von Zarovich conquered the valley and defeated the defenders of the Gulthias Tree, the tree was burnt to the ground and the bodies of the slain burnt in a great pyre. When asked why the native forces had abandoned their insurgency tactics to engage in a clearly doomed pitched battle, a captured native, Kavan, replied simply: “Wintersplinter”.

When the recent party of Hallgrimm Mikkenson, Narid Ashplantt, and Ezmerelda approached Yester Hill it was apparent that some kind of ceremony was taking place, with Ezmerelda noting that there appeared to be an unusually large gathering of druids, likely to be in order to gather power for some large summoning, which Narid suggested could be Wintersplinter. This gathering of summoning power could also explain their incursion onto the Wizards of the Wine for the magical gems.

Atop the hill stood a 50 foot effigy of Strahd von Zarovich within a walled ring, and lightning appeared to strike within this ring every six seconds. Druids were paced out around the hill focusing on the spectacle at its peak and at this time the party interfered with the ritual, killing several druids before they could react. After the battle was underway the remaining druids managed to summon undead berserkers to raise from the cairns around the mountain to fight alongside them. During the mayhem Narid was able to set the effigy ablaze which distracted the remaining druids, who stopped fighting and rushed to try douse the flames. Once the effigy was burned to the ground the berserkers stood still and looked towards the hill top, immediately ceasing fighting.

Days later the druids were able to successfully complete their ritual and Wintersplinter attacked the Wizards of the Winery. Hallgrimm and Narid, this time with the help of Eklyre Temere and Zrazire Caluhazan, were able to defeat it again along with its army of blights.