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Recap of Last Session¶

Additional notes¶

Summary¶

After freeing Irena from her cell, the group left the Reformation Center and headed to the north side of Vallaki to look for Frost over the Grass and Vasili von Holdzt. After finding his house, they discovered a note saying that Frost and Vasili had taken some villagers to safety and that they would reconvene at a later date. They also found the Bag of Holding along with another, short note from Vasili.

The group then went to pick up Lancelot from the Blue Water Inn and then went to St. Andril’s Church since it was on their way out of town where they met Volenta, one of Strahd’s wives. She was torturing some townspeople in the church, and asked the group to stay for the “party.” When they tried to leave, she told Irena that until she went to be with Strahd things like this would continue happening.

After the church incident, the party went to the Vistani Camp to rest for the day and night. Arugal told them that they could stay but that he would not protect them from any of the vampires. He was also aware of what had been going on in Vallaki. Upon waking up, the group received a letter from Strahd’s inviting them to dinner at Castle Ravenloft.

After deciding to delay their dinner with Strahd, the group headed to Rictavio’s Tower. The tower looked as if werewolves had run around near it but not near the cart that was parked outside. Thorn tried the door, which electrocuted everyone.

Thorn tried to read the faded writing at the door, eventually saying “Khazan” to which the door responded by revealing a puzzle. The group solved the puzzle, which granted them access to the tower.

Long-form Notes¶

Irena seems shaken up after Thistle freed her from her cell. As she comes out, she asks how many days it has been and wants to know what happened. This was explained by Thorn and Thistle. It has been roughly an hour since the fight with Izek Strazni and the Vampire Spawn were released.

Thorn noticed that across the hall, there is a scratching noise coming from one of the cell doors in the basement. Thistle opened this door, and a rat ran off into a burrow. Inside the cell was a dead person who may have been dead for perhaps a while. From the clothes, this person was dressed very commonly, so they may have been just some dude.

The group heads out of the basement, planning to go find Frost over the Grass. As they run, they see dozens of dead bodies that have been bitten and slashed by the Vampire Spawn. Inn a junction of roads, they see fewer and fewer bodies. Lucia leads the group to a fancy manor on the norther side of town where she believes Vasili von Holdzt lives. There is a gate around the manor, and the manor is two-stories. The building itself has a bright blue roof. There is a garden in front is nicer than most. There’s a little gold trim of different aspects of the house. In short, the house screams Vasili.

Thorn goes to knock on the door but discovers a note on the door. She grabs the note and unrolls it to see a hastily written note in fancy script that says “Dear companions, Frost and I have taken a survivor group into the foothills of Mount Baratok. Will reconvene at a later date. Love, Vasili”. The note has a wax stamp on it.

Lucia spotted a bundle of stuff near the gate to the manor. There is a bag with a note on it. She reads the note: “Dear companions, Frost said you’d need this. Didn’t want someone random to see this from the road. Love, Vasili.” Thistle places the large lockbox in the Bag of Holding. Lucia is holding onto the bag for now.

Irena suggested to the group that the St. Andril’s Church might be in danger. They also need to go back to the Blue Water Inn to get Lancelot.

The group gets back to the intersection where the Blue Water Inn is. Thistle goes to enter first. As he enters the inn, he doesn’t hear any particular noises or sights. There are no bodies inside, and if there are people here, they may be trying to stay quiet. After going up into the main bedroom, a secret hatch was found thanks to a bird who was Irwin, apparently. They got Lancelot.

Next, they head to the west gate, hoping to eventually head to Argynvostholt. First, they stop by the church to let them know. The church is full of imagery of the Morninglord. Every candle in this church is lit. The group can see Father Lucian Petrovich at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the pulpit. He seems to be giving an impassioned sermon at the moment. From what the group can see, the pews look full.

As Thorn and Thistle approach, they notice that there is blood on the carpet that seems to be coming from the pews. At first, they just see people with their hands together like they’re praying. But as they get closer, they notice that every one of the people in the back row are all dead, and their hands are held in a praying motion by a dagger stuck through their hands.

Thorn turns and tries to usher Thistle back towards the entrance. Father Lucian Petrovich talks about how they served the Morninglord but are now lost. A woman behind him starts laughing and telling him that he is “so wrong about that.” She stands up, notices the group, and asks why they are trying to leave. She’s wearing a skeletal mask of some kind and is very pale. She has super spiraled curled black hair. She is being playfully sadistic. She puts her arm around Father Lucian Petrovich at which point he tenses up.

People in the front row seem to be moving. The woman is one of Strahd’s brides and also a vampire. She talks about how vampires can’t go in churches. She tells Irena that she should just go with her to where Strahd is. She says that this will keep happening as long as she doesn’t just give in and go to Strahd.

The group exits the church and then Vallaki, heading to the Vistani Camp. Everybody is now level 6!

After getting to the Vistani Camp, the group talks to Arugal. He was open to them staying but did mention that he wouldn’t stop any of the vampires. He was, however, very aware of the goings on in Vallaki.

The group received a letter overnight. Thorn grabbed the letter from Arugal. The seal of Strahd’s is on the letter. It says:

My friends,

My sincerest apologies on behalf of my bride, Volenta. I knew nothing of this plot of hers that seemed to grow out of hand. I wish to meet you in person to discuss the specifics of our situations. Know that it is I who have brought you to this land, my home, and know that I alone can release you from it. I bid you dine at my castle so that we can meet in civilized surroundings. Your passage here will be a safe one. I await your arrival.

Your host,
Strahd von Zarovich

When the group got within 20ft of the tower, Lucia’s dragon disappears. Thistle tried to cast a spell, but it didn’t work.

The party then sets out of Rictavio’s Tower, telling Irena about what she missed. We eventually get to where we can see the tower. It’s skinny and 4 stories tall. THere is a very ornate door. There is a big section of faded writing and a big, brass sigil on the door but no doorknob. There is a cart next to the tower. The first two floors of the tower are solid stone. On the third floor, it is still stone but wrapped in scaffolding that leads to a fourth floor.

Thorn tries to recognize the sigil on the door. She knows it as the symbol for evocation magic.

The cart is definitely not Rictavio’s. It looks similar to a Vistani cart with room for one bed. It’s got some light. It’s a wine-red colored tarp with worn wood on the sides.

Thistle sees lots of werewolf tracks around the tower, but none of the tracks lead to the cart.

Thistle goes to knock on the door. As he does so, the entire tower becomes electrified.

Above the door is written some faded words. Thorn tries to read it and says “Khazan”.

When the sigil on the door flips over, it flips over to reveal two symbols. The top symbol is the symbol for heat, and the bottom symbol is the symbol for cold. Thorn lit a torch, and Thistle rips a piece of cloth off the bottom of his pants to tie around a crossbow bolt, which he lit on fire and then shot the bolt at the symbols. The heat symbol lit up but then turned off after a few seconds, confirming that the puzzle works the way they thought it did.

Lucia had her dragon freeze the tip of an arrow and shot the cold symbol. And Thorn touched a torch to the hot symbol.