Can somebody please explain to me what am I supposed to do during it?

I uncover:
* pond
* shrine
* crow
* treasure cave

First time using the pond gives me healing, any time I use it after that it's pain cards for me, rez for companion.
Going to treasure cave at night gets me scale, which after being given to crow nets me an item. Supposedly crow should rather lift the course from the pond? Not in my experience so far, bird gives me an item every time.
Going to shrine and paying gives me a blessing or visit from a ghost. I stab myself, lose 40 HP (combo of wounds and lowering max life), gain another shitty blessing. Since I'm constantly getting pain cards already, this sucks.
Going back to the pond, pain cards on the way and from the pond and I'm dead. Still middle of the night, no sight of morning.

So what the hell am i supposed to do here exactly?

EDIT Well, thanks to some lucky blessing I finally got through it by going to the crow over and over again and giving it pieces of my loot. This is the first card that I got through by sheer luck after many attempts, not by understanding the mechanics and preparing for them.