Post by gavmeister on May 29, 2017 11:54:06 GMT
“There’s a light….”
Bran and Giselle spot a torch moving through the mist. The party follow it to a ruined tower reclaimed by the forest. Lured by the scent of treasure they enter, only to discover it to be unhallowed ground infested with zombies who rise up to attack them. A will-o’-wisp materialises and joins in. Fortunately, Ricken’s Turn Undead causes most of the zombies to flee and the party makes short work of the remainder. The will-o’-wisp strikes Theo with lightning but he retaliates with a Hellish Rebuke; it winks out of sight and flees. No treasure.
They descend the Old Svalich Road in a series of switchbacks and at last lose sight of Castle Ravenloft. The road approaches Lake Zarovich before turning west to Valalki. The party decide to walk along the shore to the town. Giselle catches sight of mysterious coloured flashes amongst the trees on the north bank of the lake.
Wait till my father hears about this…
As they approach the track from the lake to Vallaki they spy a lone fisherman, Bluto Krogarov. After a minute, Bluto drags a burlap sack up from the floor of the boat and tips it into the water. Pankas swears that the sack was wriggling; the party decide it is time for action. Whilst Theo stands on the shore shouting encouraging advice, the others row for all their worth towards the still floating sack. As it begins to sink, Pankas leaps into the water, dives down to retrieve it and then hauls the sack into the boat. Pankas takes up the oars again. He and Giselle row over to overtake and apprehend Bluto. Bran and Ricken open the sack to find a half-drowned seven year old girl, and they administer first aid. The girl comes round – it’s Arabelle, the missing daughter of the Vallaki Vistani chieftain. She tugs at Bran’s beard for a minute – it’s just like her father’s. She explains that Bluto had intended to sacrifice her to the lake in the hope of bringing him more luck with the fish.
Arabelle takes charge. She marches the party and their inebriated, dim-witted prisoner past Vallaki town and round to the Vistani camp to the south-west. They pass through a ring of houses at the foot of a knoll, and climb up to the Vistani wagon camp. Arabelle leads them into her father’s tent.
They find a drunken Luvash whipping a teenage boy, Alexei, blamed for not keeping an eye on the girl. Luvash’s brother, Arrigal, lurks in the shadows, seeing and hearing all, but saying little. Luvash is overjoyed to see his daughter again. He rewards the party with an onyx jewellery box and its contents – including a ‘potion of healing’ which Luvash fortunately remembers is in fact a Potion of Poison. He warns them not to buy potions from other Vistani, especially bogus potions which purport to grant freedom to leave Barovia.
Alexei slips away quietly. The other Vistani stop gambling to help Arrigal torture Bluto to death. Luvash explains that more of them are sober than usual due to a recent shortage of wine. He offers them a reward if the can bring the Vistani six barrels of wine, either from Vallaki or directly from the Wizard of Wines vineyard.
Look Away! A Series of Unfortunate Elven Events
Before heading to Vallaki, the party decide to investigate the low wooden houses set into the hillside. The houses are decorated with elegantly carved woodwork, and decorative lanterns hanging from the eaves. To their astonishment they find the houses occupied by male elves. They approach the dusk elves’ leader, Kasimir Velikov, who invites them into his home. A tapestry of a forest hangs on the wall, and the room contains several carved wooden statuettes of Elven deities, including a prominent figure of Sehanine Moonbow. The tale of the dusk elves is a tragic one – their people fought Strahd and his father, King Barov, centuries ago but were defeated and hunted down. The last remnants were given shelter by a Vistani band, led by a wise elder called Velikov. Kasimir and his sister, Patrina, took the Velikov name in honour of their saviours – a Vistani of a more enlightened and noble kind than his successors.
However, Patrina fell under Strahd’s sway. Before the vampire could claim her, Kasimir and the elves stoned her to death, in accordance with their custom. Strahd’s revenge was swift; sending his chamberlain, a renegade dusk elf called Rahadin, to slaughter all the female elves and cut off Kasimir’s ears. Patrina’s tormented spirit calls out to Kasimir in his dreams. He believes she now haunts the ruined monastery of St Ekaterina on Lyserga Hill. Velikov asks the party to seek her out and persuade her to return to her tomb in Castle Ravenloft. His plan is to travel south via the Tsolenka Pass to an Amber Temple, with the aim of breaking Strahd’s hold over Patrina, restore her to life, and save Barovia. He is certain that his sister has repented her sins and is now racked with guilt and regret. Theo is won over by Kasmir’s heart-rending tale and promises to accompany the dusk elf on his quest – after they have persuaded Patrina to return to her tomb.
Welcome to Vallaki
The party head on to Vallaki, passing abandoned cottages and a row of rotting wolf’s heads impaled on pikes. Two guards allow them entry through the town palisade’s Sunset Gate.
Ricken decides to pay his respects to the Morninglord at St Andral’s Church while the others find accommodation for the night. He talks to Fr Lucian Petrovich while the priest serves soup to the frightened villagers he shelters. The most frightened is Willemina Rikalova, whose son Udo Lukovich, the village cobbler, has been arrested for speaking his mind by the Burgomaster, Baron Vallakovich. Fr Lucian confides in him that the bones of St Andral have been stolen from the crypt beneath the altar. He fears that without the saint’s protection, the church will be vulnerable to attack by Strahd and his minions. Ricken promises to help.
The others are directed to the Blue Water Inn where they are greeted by Urwin Martikov, Danika Dorakova, and their sons Brom and Bray. The Inn appears to be unusually secure. A couple of grim wolf-hunters sip wine in the corner of the bar, the walls decorated with mounted wolf-heads. Urwin warns the party that wine stocks are almost out, with only half a barrel each of Purple Grapemash No.3 and Red Dragon Crush remaining. He asks the party to visit his father Davian’s vineyard, the Wizard of Wines, to try to restore supplies. Theo asks Danika if the town has a wise woman or healer who could restore his youthful good lucks. Danika says that only Jeny Greenteeth could manage that, and the wise steer well clear of her. This confirms for Theo that Jeny will be his next port of call. They ascend the external staircase to their rooms for a long, well-deserved rest.
Jeny needs a Favour
After breakfast of streaky wolf belly, wolf sausages and egg (not wolf) the party head to the north of town to find Jeny Greenteeth. Her hovel lies at the end of a rat-infested alley. True to her name, the old lady sports a fine set of rotting, green teeth. She agrees to cast Greater Restoration on Theo in return for a 300gp down payment and another 150 gp when he can get his hands on it. Oh, and she would like him to communicate solely through expressive dance for the rest of his stay in Vallaki. Theo has no choice but to agree, and for the first time since arriving in Barovia he clams up. Jeny removes Giselle’s curse in return for 90 gp and the gift of Morgana’s severed finger – relenting from the threat of turning Giselle’s hair green “for fun”. Hearing that Theo has partaken of Morgana’s pies she admonishes him for his folly: “You don’t know what goes in them pies!”
“All Will Be Well!”
Emerging onto the main street they encounter a small crowd being entertained by a stocky middle aged man in a moth-eaten jester’s cap, and a pet monkey which wears a tutu. Most of the crowd stare slack-jawed, but several of the more lively townsfolk are laughing heartily. After the show, the man introduces himself as Gadof Blinsky, the famous toy maker, and invites them to his store.
They make their way to the main town square, where posters still proclaim the recent ‘Wolf’s Head Jamboree’. Three women, two men and a couple of boys are padlocked in stocks, and are wearing crude plaster donkey heads. Their crime – ‘malicious unhappiness’.
The Burgomaster’s terrifying henchman, Izek Strazni, shows up with some guards who begin replacing the old posters. The new ones proclaim a forthcoming ‘Festival of the Blazing Sun’ in three days’ time. The posters are adorned with a fanciful smiley-face sun illustration, and are signed off “All Will Be Well! The Baron”. The guards point at the Amaunator symbol on Bran’s tabard and mutter to each other.
Strazni lights his pipe with the burning thumb of his diabolic, spined left arm. Puffs of smoke issue from the pipe in the shape of skulls. Ricken is horrified. Strazni sneers at the adventurers, but stares in astonishment when he catches sight of Ireena.
“Is No Fun, Is No Blinsky!”
They make their way to Blinski’s toy shop where the hopelessly optimistic proprietor greets them. “Wyelcome friends, to the House of Blinsky. Where happiness and smiles can be bought at bargain prices. Perhaps you know a leetle child in need of joy? A leetle toy for a girl or boy?” The toys on display include:
• A headless doll with a selection of heads, including one with the eyes and mouth sewn up
• A miniature working gallows
• A set of wooden nesting dolls which get progressively older, ending with a mummified corpse
• A mobile of stuffed bats
• A wind up merry-go-round of wolves chasing children
• A ventriloquist’s dummy, which looks exactly like Strahd von Zarovich
• A doll that looks a lot like Ireena Kolyana
Bran is tempted to buy the gallows but decides to think it over. Blinsky tells them his only regular ‘customer’ is Izek Strazni, who each month buys a little red-haired doll made to his specification. In return Strazni agrees not to burn Blinski’s shop down. The toy maker notices the uncanny resemblance of the dolls to Ireena. The only other person to have made a purchase recently was Rictavio, a carnival master from a far-off land who is also staying at the Blue Water Inn. Rictavio asked him to look after the monkey, Piccolo. Otherwise Blinsky keeps body and soul together by making decorations for the Baron’s regular festivals.
Theo dances around the shop until Ricken relents and buys him the Strahd doll. The warlock becomes over-confident and tries to dance with Piccolo. The monkey wees on him and retires to the rafters.
Bran and Giselle spot a torch moving through the mist. The party follow it to a ruined tower reclaimed by the forest. Lured by the scent of treasure they enter, only to discover it to be unhallowed ground infested with zombies who rise up to attack them. A will-o’-wisp materialises and joins in. Fortunately, Ricken’s Turn Undead causes most of the zombies to flee and the party makes short work of the remainder. The will-o’-wisp strikes Theo with lightning but he retaliates with a Hellish Rebuke; it winks out of sight and flees. No treasure.
They descend the Old Svalich Road in a series of switchbacks and at last lose sight of Castle Ravenloft. The road approaches Lake Zarovich before turning west to Valalki. The party decide to walk along the shore to the town. Giselle catches sight of mysterious coloured flashes amongst the trees on the north bank of the lake.
Wait till my father hears about this…
As they approach the track from the lake to Vallaki they spy a lone fisherman, Bluto Krogarov. After a minute, Bluto drags a burlap sack up from the floor of the boat and tips it into the water. Pankas swears that the sack was wriggling; the party decide it is time for action. Whilst Theo stands on the shore shouting encouraging advice, the others row for all their worth towards the still floating sack. As it begins to sink, Pankas leaps into the water, dives down to retrieve it and then hauls the sack into the boat. Pankas takes up the oars again. He and Giselle row over to overtake and apprehend Bluto. Bran and Ricken open the sack to find a half-drowned seven year old girl, and they administer first aid. The girl comes round – it’s Arabelle, the missing daughter of the Vallaki Vistani chieftain. She tugs at Bran’s beard for a minute – it’s just like her father’s. She explains that Bluto had intended to sacrifice her to the lake in the hope of bringing him more luck with the fish.
Arabelle takes charge. She marches the party and their inebriated, dim-witted prisoner past Vallaki town and round to the Vistani camp to the south-west. They pass through a ring of houses at the foot of a knoll, and climb up to the Vistani wagon camp. Arabelle leads them into her father’s tent.
They find a drunken Luvash whipping a teenage boy, Alexei, blamed for not keeping an eye on the girl. Luvash’s brother, Arrigal, lurks in the shadows, seeing and hearing all, but saying little. Luvash is overjoyed to see his daughter again. He rewards the party with an onyx jewellery box and its contents – including a ‘potion of healing’ which Luvash fortunately remembers is in fact a Potion of Poison. He warns them not to buy potions from other Vistani, especially bogus potions which purport to grant freedom to leave Barovia.
Alexei slips away quietly. The other Vistani stop gambling to help Arrigal torture Bluto to death. Luvash explains that more of them are sober than usual due to a recent shortage of wine. He offers them a reward if the can bring the Vistani six barrels of wine, either from Vallaki or directly from the Wizard of Wines vineyard.
Look Away! A Series of Unfortunate Elven Events
Before heading to Vallaki, the party decide to investigate the low wooden houses set into the hillside. The houses are decorated with elegantly carved woodwork, and decorative lanterns hanging from the eaves. To their astonishment they find the houses occupied by male elves. They approach the dusk elves’ leader, Kasimir Velikov, who invites them into his home. A tapestry of a forest hangs on the wall, and the room contains several carved wooden statuettes of Elven deities, including a prominent figure of Sehanine Moonbow. The tale of the dusk elves is a tragic one – their people fought Strahd and his father, King Barov, centuries ago but were defeated and hunted down. The last remnants were given shelter by a Vistani band, led by a wise elder called Velikov. Kasimir and his sister, Patrina, took the Velikov name in honour of their saviours – a Vistani of a more enlightened and noble kind than his successors.
However, Patrina fell under Strahd’s sway. Before the vampire could claim her, Kasimir and the elves stoned her to death, in accordance with their custom. Strahd’s revenge was swift; sending his chamberlain, a renegade dusk elf called Rahadin, to slaughter all the female elves and cut off Kasimir’s ears. Patrina’s tormented spirit calls out to Kasimir in his dreams. He believes she now haunts the ruined monastery of St Ekaterina on Lyserga Hill. Velikov asks the party to seek her out and persuade her to return to her tomb in Castle Ravenloft. His plan is to travel south via the Tsolenka Pass to an Amber Temple, with the aim of breaking Strahd’s hold over Patrina, restore her to life, and save Barovia. He is certain that his sister has repented her sins and is now racked with guilt and regret. Theo is won over by Kasmir’s heart-rending tale and promises to accompany the dusk elf on his quest – after they have persuaded Patrina to return to her tomb.
Welcome to Vallaki
The party head on to Vallaki, passing abandoned cottages and a row of rotting wolf’s heads impaled on pikes. Two guards allow them entry through the town palisade’s Sunset Gate.
Ricken decides to pay his respects to the Morninglord at St Andral’s Church while the others find accommodation for the night. He talks to Fr Lucian Petrovich while the priest serves soup to the frightened villagers he shelters. The most frightened is Willemina Rikalova, whose son Udo Lukovich, the village cobbler, has been arrested for speaking his mind by the Burgomaster, Baron Vallakovich. Fr Lucian confides in him that the bones of St Andral have been stolen from the crypt beneath the altar. He fears that without the saint’s protection, the church will be vulnerable to attack by Strahd and his minions. Ricken promises to help.
The others are directed to the Blue Water Inn where they are greeted by Urwin Martikov, Danika Dorakova, and their sons Brom and Bray. The Inn appears to be unusually secure. A couple of grim wolf-hunters sip wine in the corner of the bar, the walls decorated with mounted wolf-heads. Urwin warns the party that wine stocks are almost out, with only half a barrel each of Purple Grapemash No.3 and Red Dragon Crush remaining. He asks the party to visit his father Davian’s vineyard, the Wizard of Wines, to try to restore supplies. Theo asks Danika if the town has a wise woman or healer who could restore his youthful good lucks. Danika says that only Jeny Greenteeth could manage that, and the wise steer well clear of her. This confirms for Theo that Jeny will be his next port of call. They ascend the external staircase to their rooms for a long, well-deserved rest.
Jeny needs a Favour
After breakfast of streaky wolf belly, wolf sausages and egg (not wolf) the party head to the north of town to find Jeny Greenteeth. Her hovel lies at the end of a rat-infested alley. True to her name, the old lady sports a fine set of rotting, green teeth. She agrees to cast Greater Restoration on Theo in return for a 300gp down payment and another 150 gp when he can get his hands on it. Oh, and she would like him to communicate solely through expressive dance for the rest of his stay in Vallaki. Theo has no choice but to agree, and for the first time since arriving in Barovia he clams up. Jeny removes Giselle’s curse in return for 90 gp and the gift of Morgana’s severed finger – relenting from the threat of turning Giselle’s hair green “for fun”. Hearing that Theo has partaken of Morgana’s pies she admonishes him for his folly: “You don’t know what goes in them pies!”
“All Will Be Well!”
Emerging onto the main street they encounter a small crowd being entertained by a stocky middle aged man in a moth-eaten jester’s cap, and a pet monkey which wears a tutu. Most of the crowd stare slack-jawed, but several of the more lively townsfolk are laughing heartily. After the show, the man introduces himself as Gadof Blinsky, the famous toy maker, and invites them to his store.
They make their way to the main town square, where posters still proclaim the recent ‘Wolf’s Head Jamboree’. Three women, two men and a couple of boys are padlocked in stocks, and are wearing crude plaster donkey heads. Their crime – ‘malicious unhappiness’.
The Burgomaster’s terrifying henchman, Izek Strazni, shows up with some guards who begin replacing the old posters. The new ones proclaim a forthcoming ‘Festival of the Blazing Sun’ in three days’ time. The posters are adorned with a fanciful smiley-face sun illustration, and are signed off “All Will Be Well! The Baron”. The guards point at the Amaunator symbol on Bran’s tabard and mutter to each other.
Strazni lights his pipe with the burning thumb of his diabolic, spined left arm. Puffs of smoke issue from the pipe in the shape of skulls. Ricken is horrified. Strazni sneers at the adventurers, but stares in astonishment when he catches sight of Ireena.
“Is No Fun, Is No Blinsky!”
They make their way to Blinski’s toy shop where the hopelessly optimistic proprietor greets them. “Wyelcome friends, to the House of Blinsky. Where happiness and smiles can be bought at bargain prices. Perhaps you know a leetle child in need of joy? A leetle toy for a girl or boy?” The toys on display include:
• A headless doll with a selection of heads, including one with the eyes and mouth sewn up
• A miniature working gallows
• A set of wooden nesting dolls which get progressively older, ending with a mummified corpse
• A mobile of stuffed bats
• A wind up merry-go-round of wolves chasing children
• A ventriloquist’s dummy, which looks exactly like Strahd von Zarovich
• A doll that looks a lot like Ireena Kolyana
Bran is tempted to buy the gallows but decides to think it over. Blinsky tells them his only regular ‘customer’ is Izek Strazni, who each month buys a little red-haired doll made to his specification. In return Strazni agrees not to burn Blinski’s shop down. The toy maker notices the uncanny resemblance of the dolls to Ireena. The only other person to have made a purchase recently was Rictavio, a carnival master from a far-off land who is also staying at the Blue Water Inn. Rictavio asked him to look after the monkey, Piccolo. Otherwise Blinsky keeps body and soul together by making decorations for the Baron’s regular festivals.
Theo dances around the shop until Ricken relents and buys him the Strahd doll. The warlock becomes over-confident and tries to dance with Piccolo. The monkey wees on him and retires to the rafters.