Aneeria

Old To Do:

1. Deal with Arabelle and the Vistani men. (Reward? Information? Allies?)
2. Work on the children angle
   -Check in with Blinsky (since we’ve found ourselves back in town)
   -Ask him and others about Mad Mary’s daughter and her doll
   -Should also ask about Morgantha who is kidnapping children and selling dream pastries, maybe she’s living in a gingerbread house, all we need to do is follow breadcrumbs
3. Check out the mad wizard of Mt Baratok
4. Check in on Elgian’s windmill as a potential base of operations
5. Check on the wine order from the Wizard of Wines Vinyard
6. Check out the marshes that were mentioned (should we take the two guides from the bar?)
7. Amber Castle

Vallakii To do:

• I want to talk to Ireena and ask about her doppelganger marionette.
• I want to talk to the Burgomaster and Issac and make common cause (if the group agrees).
• I want to find out what was the deal with the Ricktavio wagon. And I wanted to see what became of Henrick, his house, and the vampire spawn that we battled.
• If time permits, I’d like to see about the mad wizard across the lake
• I’d like to go back to the inn and also see if there might be some suss out some more information, resources or allies

As the party flees the house of Henrik the Coffin maker with the Vampire (or as we soon learn Vampire Spawn) in hot pursuit we notice several things that I will list in no particular order below.

1.      They can run on walls. As we ran from them, they often used this ability to gain ground on us.

2.      They are fast but only not much faster than we.

3.      They are dressed in strange garb but not Vistani clothing. They may have also been outlanders.

4.      They heal very quickly. The damage we did to them seemed to be gone within moments of causing it. And much of the damage from our physical weapons didn’t seem to have an effect.

5.      They could control bats. They caused swarms of bats to chase us into the church.

6.      They seem to be barred from entry to the church once the bones were restored to the crypt but it wasn’t clear that they were bared from entry before that (despite not being invited)

Once we made it to the church we began to harass the vampires and slow their progress against us long enough to restore the bones of St. Andral into the crypt. Upon completion of that task the vampires fled and we were able to rest and recuperate. The priest proved to be a great help in our time of need and provided us healing after the battle was done.

The priest (Lucian Petrovich) took time to question his grave digger further. The grave digger said many of the same things he said to us, that he was trying to pay for food and possible a means of escaping Barovia which is why he stole the bones. He had heard that the Vistani possessed a vial of potion that would allow the drinker to walk out of the fog without perishing. We knew from our discussions with the Vistani that this potion was bunk and told the grave differ so.

Petrovich eventually leaves us to rest in antechambers and conducts services for a small group of his faithful. We watch from the wings and meet a woman named Wilamina who is praying for her son’s safe return. His name is Udo. She says that he went missing after saying something negative against the wolfs head jamboree. We finally wise up and DON’T promise to rescue her son J

We do ask Petrovich a bit more about the festivals and he tells us that the Bergomaster hosts them to “keep the devil Strahd away”. But Petrovich also says that he believes that they are a waste of time. But it does lead us to believe that the Bergomaster may be truly aligned against Strahd and as such, may be a sort of an ally. Petrovich agrees that the Bergomaster is probably not in league with Strahd but he doesn’t take a position on the second part.

He tells us that many people are brought to the mansion to be “cleansed of evil”. When Corina tells us again about the peasant women that were brought to the mansion, he tells us that this is in keeping with the activities of the Burgomaster. He also tells us that when people are brought to be cleansed of evil, purple lights can be seen peeking out of the shuttered windows suggesting that there may be some magic afoot. In sum, Petrovich doesn’t believe that the Burgomaster is in league with Strahd but he also isn’t sure that he would be any kind of an ally to us.

When we wake in the morning we are greeted with a letter from Strahd… a dinner invitation at Castle Ravenloft.

1. Deal with Arabelle and the Vistani men. (Reward? Information? Allies?)
2. Work on the children angle
   -Check in with Blinsky (since we’ve found ourselves back in town)
   -Ask him and others about Mad Mary’s daughter and her doll
   -Should also ask about Morgantha who is kidnapping children and selling dream pastries, maybe she’s living in a gingerbread house, all we need to do is follow breadcrumbs
3. Check out the mad wizard of Mt Baratook
4. Check in on Elgian’s windmill as a potential base of operations
5. Check on the wine order from the Wizard of Wines Vinyard
6. Check out the marshes that were mentioned (should we take the two guides from the bar?)
7. Amber Castle

We rejoin our adventurers in the streets of Villaki. After leaving the toy shop of Gadof Blinsky, the town enforcer Isaac is seen approaching the shop. The adventures quickly, without discussion but still in near perfect coordination put themselves into position for maximum information collection. Elgian sneaks back in to the shop to be our eyes and ears. Korina and Ada duck for cover. Mondross and Elmer adopt the look of town simpletons grinning broadly and waving stupidly at the strange looking thug.

Izek mad dogs the boys but otherwise makes no hostile motion at the party. He enters the shop to speak to Blinsky. Elgian is playing the curious customer looking about but ready to soak in the encounter. He observes Izek and Blinsky discussing the latest rendition of the Ireena doll. Izek says it’s getting closer but needs some minor changes. Even as Izek describes the changes, Elgian silently agrees that such changes would make the doll just a bit more accurate to the muse. Blinsky promises to have the doll ready in a month and Isaac leaves.

As Izek exits the shop Korina is quick to follow at a safe distance, unobserved by the thug. As he walks, Korina is not surprised to see that the citizens give him a wide berth. Clearly the inhuman appendage replacing his left hand has left little doubt in the minds of the people of the town that Izek is not one to be messed with. He walks for a few minutes until he arrives at the grandest mansion in town. Though large and opulent by Villaki standards, it is dilapidated. The windows are all shaded and covered and the wall enclosing the compound has large slabs of plaster sluffing away like wax from an ancient candle.

Korina takes a careful but quick pass about the border of the property to understand it’s dimensions and the various doors and entry ways. When she returns to the front entrance she observes a gaggle of raggedy ladies entering the compound. The conversation that Korina over hears leads her to believe that these women are peasants and have come to the mansion for high tea with the Baroness. Korina returns to the party with this new information.

The party continues on with their task list. They continue through the streets towards the home and shop of the coffin maker but along the way the find the town square. The square appears to have the decorations for the last great festival, the wolfs head jamboree. When the party enters the square they soon notice guards removing and replacing old banners celebrating the last festival with new banners celebrating the up-coming festival; the Festival of the Burning Sun. The new banners, like the old ones insist that attendance is mandatory, especially for children. They sign off with an ominous slogan; “All will be well”.

In addition to the guards and decorations, there are stockades with several adults and a few children held in chains. The prisoners wear donkey masks over their heads and make such a pitiful site that the party is moved to offer some aid. Elgian and Ada quickly devise a diversion, stuffed burlap balls. Mondross takes up his lute and begins rocking out like we were at Woodstock. Elmer, with no skills to offer the ruse makes himself scarce and Korina uses the commotion to approach the poor unfortunates to give aid. She offers them water and asks them what they did to deserve this punishment. They thank her for her help, drink as greedily as their bonds and masks will allow and tell her that they were in stocks for various reasons such as speaking against the festival or not attending.

Shortly the guards take notice and come to watch the seen. Korina gives the last of the prisoners water and moves away while Elgian makes a play for the guards full attention. Elgian offers his services for the next event telling the guards that we are a troop of performers. The guards, impressed with the show thus far, tell Elgian to go to the manor house and see the baron about performing at the next festival. Elgian thanks the guards and we all move on.

Eventually the party arrives at the house and shop of Henrik the coffin maker. It is a two story structure with boarded windows on both floors. Elmer, moved by the holy spirit and determined to bring law and order to this thief who would rob the only church in the town boldly walks to the door and begins pounding on it. The rest of the party decides that though his actions are brash, he is providing a suitable distraction and begins scouting the rest of the dwelling. Soon Ada and Korina find a way in through a window and enter. After a bit of scouting on the inside on the first floor and confirming that there is only one person in the lower section of the home, they get the rest of the party (except Elmer) to join them inside. Elmer continues to try talk to Henrik, at times reasoning with him about the evil of his actions and at other times threatening him with physical violence and spiritual damnation. But ultimately the act that seems to push the thief over the edge is the sudden appearance of the visage of St. Andral in his parlor. Korina, slyly casts an illusion of St. Andral but Henrik is convinced and begins to pray. Eventually the whole party enters his parlor and he surrenders without a fight.

Henrik confesses that he has taken the bones and that they are upstairs in a wardrobe. He also tells us that there are at least 3 vampires up there. Apparently a nobleman named Vasili Von Holtz has forced Henrik to harbor these evil creatures in his home. He has done so for some time but does not interact with them. We decide that with the bright light of day as our ally, we can probably clear out the vampires if we happen to run into them. We secure Henrik in a coffin and proceed to the top floor.

We quickly discover the wardrobe. After a casual search we find some money (30 silver coins with a visage similar to the marionette in Blinsky’s shop. We also find 11 EP). After some additional searching we discern that there is a secret compartment. Within the secret compartment we find a sack containing the bones of St. Andral. We take the bones and continue to search the top floor. We do not find anything that leads us to believe that there are vampires in attendance but begin a thorough search armed with stakes and our usual arsenal of weapons and wit. As we search we open the window shutters to let the sun light into the place believing that sunlight will help should we encounter creatures of the damned.

Eventually we find a crate filled with earth. As we ponder this queer container we are surprised by a vampire buried in the dirt. He bursts out and attacks. He is quickly followed by 5 more companions in 5 other crates.

Though we make valiant efforts in the initial battle, it quickly becomes clear that we are no match for these fiends and that the sunlight which we put our faith in, does not appear to hinder or harm our enemy. When we see wounds that we have so recently created with flame and sword close up and heal like they were nothing but paper cuts we know we will be lost if we stand and find. So we quickly retreat with the vampires giving chase. Despite the betrayal by Henrik, Ada decides to take a moment to free him from the coffin we secured him in before we flee the shop. We leave our adventurers running through the streets of Villaki with Vampires in hot pursuit.

This to do:

1. Deal with Arabelle and the Vistani men. (Reward? Information? Allies?)
2. Work on the children angle
   -Check in with Blinsky (since we’ve found ourselves back in town)
   -Ask him and others about Mad Mary’s daughter and her doll
   -Should also ask about Morgantha who is kidnapping children and selling dream pastries, maybe she’s living in a gingerbread house, all we need to do is follow breadcrumbs
3. Check out the mad wizard of Mt Baratook
4. Check in on Elgian’s windmill as a potential base of operations
5. Check on the wine order from the Wizard of Wines Vinyard
6. Check out the marshes that were mentioned (should we take the two guides from the bar?)
7. Amber Castle

We return to our heroes in the Vistani camp outside of the town of Vallaki. After rescuing Arabelle, the group escorts her home. On approach, the heroes are struck but the odd configuration of the village. The Vistani camp is at the top of a pimple of a hill with several wagons on the top of the hill circling a large tent. Around the base of the hill are several wattle and daub houses. Standing (as if to guard) around the houses are grey skinned elves referred to as dusk elves. They behave in a distant and aloof manner but not hostile. This also strikes the group as odd because they can’t seem to recall seeing any other non-humans in these lands so far.

Arabelle leads the group up to the to the big tent in the center of the circle of wagons. They enter to find two men beating the sass out of a younger man. The corporals stop their beating when the group walks in. Arabelle runs up to one of the two men and the two embrace. It seems clear that the man is genuinely happy and relieved to have his daughter back and he thanks the heroes.

The leader and father of Arabelle is Luvash. His smaller companion is his brother Arrigal. The man being beaten is Alexia and he was the one that failed in his responsibility to watch over Arabelle. There are several other men and women laying about the tent and/or the grounds outside. Based on the number of empty grape mash number 3 casks about the camp, it seems clear that the Vistani have been drinking.

Arrigal sends Alexia to tell the rest of the Vistani to cease their search as the girl has been found. Luvash offers to reward the party and takes us to one of the Vistani wagons which is locked by two padlocks. Luvash and Arrigal both produce keys and unlock one lock each. Luvash then instructs us to pick from his treasures. We take a small black onyx chest with gold inlay. Inside are several treasures. 2 silk embroidered scarves, a gold bracelet, a silver necklace with a moss agate, a crystal vial with some liquid, a brass mug, and a small framed mirror.

The Vistani don’t tell us much more about their camp or their doings in the lands. But they do let us know that they make some money from time to time by selling fake potions that they tell hapless Barovians will let them escape the fog. Of course they don’t work.

We leave and on our way, speak with one of the dusk elves. We learn little but that the dusk elves are in a symbiotic relationship of some sort. They serve the Vistani and the Vistani protect them from Strahd. The leader of the dusk elves is an elf named Kasimir Velikov and he has knowledge of the Amber temple and offers to lead us there when we are ready to go. He also mentioned that his sister is in the Ravenloft crypts. He thinks the secrets to defeating Strahd and freeing Barovia from its curse maybe hidden in the Amber Temple.

We return to town to find Blinsky the toy maker but on the way happen to run across the local church of the morning lord. We go in to pay our respects and quickly learn that this church is sacred both because of its affiliation with the morning lord but also because it has long housed the earthly remains of a Saint Andral. The priest of the church is named Father Lucian Petrovich and he believes that the bones were stolen in the last three nights. Without the bones, he believes the church no longer has power to protect the town or even its grounds. It will be a sanctuary no more. Father Petrovich tells us that nobody but he and his alter boy Yeska knew about the bones. We question the alter boy, Yeska and learn that he told the grounds keeper, Milivoj.

We question Milivoj. He tells us that the Burgomaster is a tyrant and holds festivals every week. He suggests that the Burgomaster may have had a local shoe maker and rabble rouser named Udo Lucavich killed and that he thinks he’s digging Udo’s grave even as he speaks. He tells us that the Bergomaster’s main enforcer is a thug named Isak. He apparently has a bestial arm that can be wreathed in fire. Isak is quick to use violence to solve problems and none who cross him survive long.

When we ask about the bones he at first claims to know nothing of the stolen bones but after sufficient threats he tells us that he passed the information along to Henrik, the local coffin maker and Henrik  paid him to steal the bones. He used to coin to buy food for his brother and three sisters.

We leave the church to find Blinsky’s shop. After a bit of walking we find him and enter. He has many macabre toys on display and most are for sale. Elmer buys a bat mobile and others buy other things. There is a beautiful doll that looks strangely like Ireena. Another marionette that looks too life like and handsome to be just some doll. Blinsky tells the crew that the Ireena doll was custom made for Isak the enforcer. He has Blinsky make a new one every month, each time instructing him to make minor changes to the last doll to make it look more and more like the model that Isak has in his head. It seems clear that the final doll will be a replica of Ireena.

The party discusses the possibility that Ireena is the “rose plucked too soon” from the prophecy but doesn’t come to a conclusion about that. But they also realize that they have never asked her about her parentage.

Blinsky says that the life like marionette is for sale but the price is too high for the group to budget. He tells them that the marionette is from a portrait but he can’t recall where he saw it.

The party leaves the toy store and as they exit the building, they see Isak
coming down the street, coming straight for them.

We began where we left off, the adventurers licking their wounds from the battle with the wolves and indulging in the waters of Hayden spring. Elmer and Karadoc were bitten by wolves but after investigating the wounds, Elmer determined that they were clean and would not cause problems. He washed them with the waters of the spring all the same.

The adventurers decided that they knew what lay behind them and that Crystal Spring was to the west and south. There was a trail away from Hayden Spring leading west so the party followed that path for many hours in hopes of finding the town.

Eventually the found themselves at a great stone wall with an iron gate and a pair of imposing statues guarding the door. The statue’s heads were severed and lying in the grass near their feet. The gates swung open as the party approached and closed behind them. The party saw that the trail continued on beyond the gate and that the mists cleared some after that and decided to continue west.

About a half a mile after the gate, Karadoc found a bundle of drab clothes in a tree. They were folded somewhat and looked to have been intentionally placed there. They were most likely women’s clothes. Farther down the road he noticed a rotting smell. Further investigation revealed a corpse of a young man (clothed) with claw marks about his body as though he had been felled by wolves. Upon searching the body, we found a letter with an unbroken seal holding a large “B” on it. The letter, penned by a burgomaster told of a cursed town called Barovia. The letter said dark forces had come, vampires and werewolves. The daughter of the burgomaster, Ireena, had also fallen under the vampire’s curse and was likely to turn into one too. The letter closed by first stating that doom awaited to any who came to Barovia and so all should stay away. It then said that much wealth awaited those who might someday come and find the town after all the inhabitants had died and the curse faded.

As we began to bury the body, a pack of wolves came into view. We quickly retreated to the road where we could better defend ourselves but the wolves didn’t follow. We left the body and continued down the road.

We continued west, through a marsh with a river and as we walked we noticed that the mists did indeed thin. But the sky remained overcast making it difficult to see the sun, yet the day was light enough to see normally.

After a few more miles we came to a town. No walls. Dilapidated buildings. Shuddered windows. And a strange wailing ringing through the streets. As we followed the sound of the wailing, we came to a small town square where there was a trading post or general goods store and a tavern. The tavern “Blood on the Vine” was clearly once called “Blood of the Vine” but the “of” had been changed by someone with a dark sense of humor. We decided to ignore the wailing and stop for a drink. We entered and were “greeted” by sullen stares from the keeper. There was also a small group of Vistanni women and a lone man in the common room.

The keeper served us wine for just a copper each. We asked him a few questions but he was not very respond. The lone man offered to pay for our drinks and threw a silver to Elgin to cover us. We went and sat with him and he told us he was Ismark, son of the burgomaster.

He explained that the town and the whole region were under the control of a vampire named Strahd who lived in castle to the west (he pointed in an upward direction indicating a mountain possibly). He also told us that his dear sister (adopted) had been corrupted by the vampire. Strahd had visited her twice and drank from her. He feared she would be to turn to a creature of the night herself though Ismark knew not how or when. After more talking about the lands and the mists, we agreed to join Ismark at his home to meet his sister Ireena. But not before Elmer does a bit of fraternizing with the local Vistani ladies (Charisma role of 23).

Barovia: The town is one of three in the valley. The others being the fortified town of Krezk (with an abbey) and Villaki. It has been under the control of Strahd (as has the whole valley) for hundreds of years. It is self-sufficient in some way with local farms producing food enough for the people. There is trade between the other towns in the valley but few outsiders come to visit. No one ever leaves… the mists see to that.

The mists: The mists are a permanent feature of the valley. When people have tried to travel out of the valley, the mists seem to swallow them up. Sometimes corpses are found on the edges of the valley but usually those who leave are lost and never heard from again.

Blinsky: We found out that a man named Blinsky lives in one of the towns (Krezk?) and is a toy maker.

Hayden: There is a mad wizard that lives near Mt. Baratok. He apparently lead an uprising against the vampire Strahd Von Zarovich but lost.

Klause the Protector: Ismark things he may have seen Klause weeks ago but has no idea what became of him

The Vistanni: They are lively and happy and come and go to the valley as they please. Ismark claimed that they are in league with the vampire but suggested speaking with them as they would know more than he did.

Ismark’s home was a large manse at the edge of town. The windows lacked glass and were barricaded. There were various evil omens marked into the windows. There were scratch marks on the doors and burn marks on the wood. And it smelled faintly of death. But otherwise it was a lovely place.

His sister Ireena greeted us at the door. A beautiful woman with red hair and two bite marks. We agreed to do what we could to protect her. We wanted to go into town where we might have a better chance of doing so. But first we must take care of something. Apparently the burgomaster had died of a heart attack and his body was in the parlor. We agreed to take the body to the church so that it could be laid to rest.

We carry the body of the burgomaster in his coffin to the church. When we enter, there is a screaming from the cellar. Someone is creaming about how hungry they are. They need food. We come upon the priest of the church. His name is Donavich. He tells us the screaming person is his son a year ago he was convinced to go on a crusade by the Mad Wizard of Mt Baratok who we thought might be Hayden but aren’t as sure any more. The crusade was against Strahd but Strahd defeated the wizard and killed his retinue of crusaders. Donavich’s son was turned into a vampire spawn and the priest has kept him in the cellar ever since.

Danovich eventually agrees to bury the burgomaster’s body and performs last rights as per their traditions. While digging the grave for the burgomaster a strange crow or raven landed nearby. It stuck us as odd.

We ask for Donavich’s help and he says that so long as his son is in this state, he can’t leave him. We agree to see if there is anything we can do to help his son. In my heart, I know the only help for the boy is a cleansing blast of sunlight.

We returned to the tavern in hopes of getting a large room where we could wait out the night. But before we all enter Ada, Elgin, and Karadoc decide to investigate a woman (named Morgantha) selling “dream pastries”. They follow her down some alley ways before catching up to her. She offers them some pies. Elgin buys one for a gold piece. He notices that there is something moving in the woman’s cart. It turns out it’s a child. She claims that it’s hers but Elgin removes the child from the bag he was tied up in and the child (without much reaction) walks away. He goes to a house not far off and enters. The woman doesn’t seem to look guilty or anything about this apparent kidnapping. Bewildered by the surreal scene, Elgin, Ada, and Karadoc admonish the woman as a kidnapper but then head back to the tavern to rejoin the group.