<< [[CoS Summary 9|Previous Session]] | [[CoS Summary 11|Next Session]] >> # Curse of Strahd: Session 10 ## I Can't Stop Lying!! ### Players [[Arbane Elkhorn]] [[Bea Boglak]] [[Destry]] [[Squan Dron]] ### Rictavio, your pickup order is ready Bea, Squan, Destry and Arbane headed out into the cool night air of Vallaki, tailing Rictavio to see what he was up to with his to-go order of wolf steak at this hour. First they tailed him around the back of Blue Water Inn to the stables where he fed his horse Drusilla an apple. Rictavio spotted them, and they asked him if he knew much about the blue-tipped Raven they spotted perched on the inn. He seemed unsure of any particular Raven, as he gestured up to the loft above where countless ravens were perched. They questioned Rictavio about his activities tonight, and he explained that he was simply visiting his friend Blinsky and offering him some steak and company for dinner. They said their "goodbyes" before continuing to follow Rictavio down the Old Svalich Road south towards the Town Square. As he walked by the Baron's Mansion he paused to glance upwards at the building, taking note of something before glancing around and moving onwards. It was apparent that Rictavio noticed he was being followed when he darted off of the main street into alleyways leading to the Town Square. Bea and Arbane climbed to the roof to get eyes on him, while Destry and Squan sneaked below through the town square so as to not catch attention. Bea and Arbane spotted Rictavio directly across the square leaving through an alleyway, while Destry and Squan sneaked up to a fountain while a group of guards walked past with a very tall and brooding man in their ranks. Squan threw a coin behind the guards to clear a path forward while Bea and Arbane hopped from roof to roof around the square. They found themselves back on the Svalich road, and Bea was able to spot Rictavio far down the path walking towards the eastern bounds of the city. After a nasty fall off of the rooftops, Bea recovered and bounded forward through the streets, getting to Arasek Stockyards first where she spotted Rictavio running into. ![[Rictavio Portrait.png|200]] *The Great Rictavio* She found a good hiding spot to observe Rictavio approaching a large carnival and colorful wagon, adorned with the sign reading "Rictavio's Carnival of Wonders". She saw him climb up top, open a hatch and drop the wolf steak into the wagon. With a beastly snarl emanating from the wagon it lurched forward as something devoured its dinner inside. Rictavio hopped down and walked out of the stockyard, as the rest of the party was able to avoid contact and sneaked inside to join Bea. They approached the Wagon to inspect it closer, startled by the beast lurching inside. They noticed an inscription on the locked door of the cart reading "I bring you from Shadow into Light!". The group speculated what the beast inside could be; perhaps it's some kind of werebeast? Rictavio mentioned having dinner with Blinksy, could it be the lonely toymaker was turned into some kind of monster? Bea jumped on top to peek inside the hatch, and after some close calls of the violently tipping wagon and a massive tiger claw reaching out of the hatch for her, she got a glimpse of a magnificent Saber-Toothed Tiger thrashing around the wagon. She fed it some rations to calm it down and the group decided to leave it alone for tonight. They went over to Blinsky's Toys to check on Blinsky and see that he's okay. Squan climbed up to a second floor window, and saw a man sleeping in the bed, while Piccolo the monkey wandered around the space and curled up in his little bed. Bea left a love letter for Blinsky on the doorstep, and the group headed back towards the Inn. On the way back, they encountered the group of guards from the Town Square. The tall imposing figure they spotted before approached them to have a word. His name was Izek, and he had a large deformed arm with barbed spines, elongated fingers with long nails. After questioning the players about their activity, and their visit to the Baron's mansion earlier that day, he extended an invitation from the Baron himself, to join him for tea tomorrow, or at their soonest convenience. ![[Izek.webp]] *Izek Strazni* ### Sleepy Time Bea's nuts arrived back at the inn, ready to put this long day to a close. They drifted off to sleep and Destry dreamed of a cold swamp. > [!info]+ Destry's Dream > You're floating in cold water that is black and dead still.  Above, the moon is full and swells your senses with white light peeking through the twisted canopy of dead trees. A green glow shines on the branches and then fades. You sit up and your gaze is met by a stitched twisted face towering over you sending a shock of fear down your spine, before you realize the figure towering over you is only an old shoddy scarecrow.  > > The water around you ripples as you feel a low rumble shaking the earth. Your eyes follow the ripples back to a clearing in the trees. A ramshackle wooden hut situated on top of a stump of what was once an enormous tree. Fear paralyzes you as rotting roots of the stump thrust up from the mire like the legs of a gigantic spider. The monstrosity turns towards you, as the door bursts open shining a blinding green light. You hear the panic of crows cawing and metal clanking, as a cackling laughter rattles your brain. Arbane also had a vivid dream, one from a familiar place: > [!info]+ Arbane's Dream The smell hits you first; dusty books and old salty wood brings a familiar comfort to you. You hear the muffled crashing of waves just outside of this space. Your eyes open as your eyes constrict to adjust to bright shafts of sunlight cascading through the window behind the silhouette of a figure behind a desk. His spectacles flash as he leans forward and you recognize the wrinkly mustached face of the bladepriest, overseer of your order. You shudder, as you glance over at the wall where the quarterstaffs are mounted. Your body tenses as you anticipate another correction. You look back up, ready to endure the pain to come. > Mr Livius's hand shoots forward over the desk. To your surprise, it's an earnest gesture. He wants to shake your hand "You're finally getting it Arbane.  Archpriest Darzin was wrong about you. The balance is beyond our teachings, beyond these walls! You have found the balance, Arbane and we were wrong. She IS the balance" > Your hand is gripping his, and his grip remains as his body turns away to face the sun. You're running in the sand, and the hand you hold is delicate and green. She's leading you to the secret spot, running and laughing because you both know there's no need to hide anymore! Time slows as she turns to face you, a familiar streak of white hair softly lays on golden buttery crust. Your stomach lurches as she says "You seek balance? A balanced breakfast is all you will EVER need Arbane!" Arbane awoke in a cold sweat with a hunger he has never experienced. His eyes fell on his backpack as he felt the urge to eat a dream pastry. Luckily, he was able to resist the urge, and instead left the room to go down to the tap room. The rest of the party awoke and joined him downstairs, chatting with Danika as they partook in some stinky cheese and budget wine, a breakfast of champions. She expressed her thanks that they were willing to help locate the lost shipment of wine, hoping they could find out what happened today while they head out west on their wolf hunt. The Wolf Hunters they planned on hunting with today mentioned they have business at the orphanage this morning but would be back at the Inn around noon. They decided to head over to the church to check in on Ireena, while Arbane had plans of his own heading out east into town. ### Take Bea to church They set out into the bustling morning of Vallaki and headed over to the Church of St Andral. They walked in to see the pews sparsely populated, and the sounds of sobs echoing through the chamber. Father Lucian was comforting a woman who was in despair and couldn't stop crying. Bea approached the two; still in child form until this evening, asking what was wrong. Father Lucian mentioned that she had lost someone. Bea told him the rest of the group were her dads, and then had a breakdown about how she couldn't stop lying. Father Lucian met the group and led them to Ireena's room. Bea mentioned to the Father that the church of the Village of Barovia had a vacancy and they needed help over there. They caught up with Ireena, learning that she took the other orphans to St Andral's Orphanage under the guidance of Father Lucian. When seeking advice from the Father, Ireena was told that she might want to head further west to find help from the Abbot of the Abbey in Kresk. Perhaps he knew of a way to help her escape these lands and be free from Strahd forever. Squan suggested that maybe much like a young-teen romance novel he read, maybe they could fight with the werewolves in Barovia against the vampires and Strahd. ![[Saint-Andrals-Church.gif]] *St. Andral's Cathedral* Meanwhile, Arbane swung by the town square to pick up his silvered scimitar, and he decided to head to Blinsky's Toys to see if he could get that love letter that Bea left on his doorstep. After some convincing, a crestfallen Blinsky decided it's for the best, and sadly handed it over. Arbane headed back over to the Church to meet with the party. At the church, the party still had some more questions for Father Lucian who was out tending to the graves. He told the group that Ireena would be perfectly safe here, for now. The Church was protected by the Bones of St. Andral. These were remains from a saint of the Morninglord, who's bones were kept in the crypt beneath the Church. Destry brought up to the party that maybe the bones could help them in their fight against Strahd; if it protects the church, maybe it could protect them? Father Lucian explained that the bones were used in a consecration ritual, and likely wouldn't work outside of the church. Bea accused Destry of trying to steal the bones. Father Lucian was irked by this, and decided to go check inside. Arbane walked up and joined the group. Shortly after Father Lucian emerged from the church, exclaiming "The Bones are Missing!!" Pretty much everyone in the party pointed fingers at Destry. The Father was speechless, but after some persuasion and logic, he figured it would probably be impossible for Destry to have done it. He decided to show the party the crypt, leading them inside the church and showing them the locked door in the floor, where there were apparent markings and different toned wood planks. They descended down into the Crypt, and showed them to the bones' usual resting place inside of St. Andral's Crypt. The players investigated the area, and Arbane investigated the wood around the newly placed planks and noticed the markings that would be consistent with a shovel being used. Father Lucian suspected the gravedigger, Milijov of stealing the bones. He's been especially broody lately, and hasn't been showing up as much. He lives at the Orphanage and Father Lucian asks the group to question him about it when they can. After leaving the church, the party regrouped at the inn with Ireena and the wolf hunters, and set out to the west gate to go out on their hunt. On the way out, they encountered a sharply dressed man complaining to the guards.  "They were supposed to be here yesterday and I'll have you know they had VERY important cargo!". When he saw that the group was intending on heading out west, he pleaded with them to look out for a caravan on the road. They were expected to be here by now from Kresk, and they had some very important ledgers and documents. He noted that there may be other valuables that the players can have as long as he gets his documents back. The group reluctantly agreed to keep an eye out, and added it to their ever growing list of tasks, before heading out West on the Old Svalich Road.