Session 05: The Coffin Shop

General Summary

Slaying Undead

Before the Clash

• After briefly meeting with Rictavio, the party makes their way to Coffin Maker’s Shop.
• There, the party learns from Henrik van der Voort that he was promised more business by Vasili von Holtz if he did something for him.
• He is aware of the "infestation" and is successfully convinced to wait at The Blue Water Inn for the party.
• Rictavio also seems oddly knowlegable about these creatures of the night, and also casts a protective spell on Ireena Kolyana.

In the Danger Zone

• The Party enters the main section of the shop and makes their way upstairs, steeling themselves for what will surely be a terrifying fight.
• Madame Hallelujah casts Spirit Guardians, which has taken on a new appearance following a change in perspective (her alignment changed, y'all).
• Maisie cast daylight on a small object plucked from the workbench.
• Quickly, the six Vampire Spawn emerge from their crate hiding places, starved for blood.
• The party also realizes that these are not Barovians; they are former adventures who clearly, death was too good for.
• Nonetheless, y'all fuck shit up. Highlights include;
• Kerberos using his giant's might to squash some spawn with his maul.
• Maisie being the only one to get nibbled but that's fine.
• She also fucked a spawn up as a giant scorpion!
• Ireena and Rictavio absolutely killing it.
• Garreak Facan and Skeleton Archer going to town with their arrows, keeping things in check.
• And of course, Madame H cooking the spawn with her Spirit Guardians (that she also used an illusionary duplicate of herself to trick the spawn with).

The Aftermath

• When all is said and done, Rictavio goes around beheading the spawn.
• Maisie, Garreak and Madame H investigate the room and corpses; not finding anything useful besides some personal items.
• One of the adventurers was a cleric of Shar, that's fun.
• As they prepare to leave, they are stopped by guards who believe the party when they see the decimated nest of vampire spawn.
• They are told that Baron Vargas Vallakovich will most likely wish to meet them before the Festival of the Blazing Sun.
• They are also told that while Vasili von Holtz has a residence, he is usually found at the Wachterhaus.

Getting Answers

• The party goes back to The Blue Water Inn, with Rictavio informing he may ask for a favor in return for today.
• This seems more than fair.
• They're greeted by Danika, and are advised to discuss matters with Henrik van der Voort in the stables; away from prying eyes.
• Drinks in hand, they talk.
• Henrik has genuinely fallen on hard times, he was approached by Vasili to do something for him in exchange for an increase in business. He drew a sigil in the junk room that vanished shortly afterwards
• Shortly after this, the spawn showed up.
• He was then ordered to steal St Andral's bones and paid Milivoj to do it for him.
• He is strongly advised by Maisie to skip town, is given enough gold to retire and he fucks off.
• Maisie notices an absurd amount of ravens hanging out in the loft above the stables, so she investigates and uses speak with animals. She learns the following;
• The Martikov's have left something for them, if they can find it in the hay.
• In addition they have witnessed the following...
• Strange lights at odd hours coming from the Town of Vallaki Burgomaster’s Mansion. Particularly from what would be the highest point in the house (an attic?).
• The previous night a drunkard was carrying a wriggling burlap sack towards Lake Zarovich.
• The gang resolves to try and find this hidden gift and book it to the lake.
• They do, see treasure in "Rewards Granted".

Trouble at the Lake

• Quickly the gang goes to the shores of Lake Zarovich and see a lone figure sitting in a rowboat with a fishing pole.
• They notice the burlap sack and investigate.
• The burlap sack is tossed into the still waters, Maisie (who has a terrible feeling about all this), dives after it and recovers the sack.
• The others follow closely behind in a rowboat.
• Maisie opens the sack to see that a young girl was placed inside.
• Horrified, Maisie brings her to the boat where she is resuscitated by Madame H.
• The man is questioned and doesn't give any explanation beyond that he needed fish to trade for wine, and Vistani are lucky.
• Up close, it is hard to miss the shaking hands of alcohol withdrawals.
• Madame H still uses detect magic to see if he's been charmed and no, he's just pickled his brain. The child, however, has a faint aura of divination (that is in line with other seers).
• The child's name is Arabelle and she asks to be taken home to the Vallaki Vistani Camp.
• The party contemplates murder but decides otherwise, leaving the man there to continue trying to fish with no luck.
• Madame H also curses him that any drink he has tastes like soap.
• Maisie steals his flask, takes a sip then pours it into the lake; the man is crying by the end of it.

The Vistani Encampment

• At the encampment, they are greeted by a guard who rings a bell.
• Arrigal comes running over to greet his niece, while calling off a forming search party.
• Thankful, though adopting his usual persona, he leads the party back to the main tent.
• The leader of this camp, Luvash, is beating up a young vistani male; for the crime of not watching Arabelle while the adults were out hunting.
• He thanks the party and informs them they may take something of their choice from the treasure horde (see treasure in "Rewards Granted").
• Luvash also asks Maisie if she is a Dusk Elf; when told the negative, Luvash suggests that she be introduced to them.

Weight of the Past

• The gang meets an older elf named Kasimir Velikov, who greets Maisie in Elvish.
• Madame H casts Tongues so she can understand what was being said.
• Maisie notices a lack of women and children, a bad sign.
• Kasimir seems to confirm that they were massacred in retaliation for his own great sin.
• His sister had courted Strahd when he was mortal, and sought him out after becoming his current form. Had been bitten twice, so Kasimir endured there wouldn't be a third by killing his own sister.
• Strahd then killed all the women and girls, leaving behind only male dusk elves.
• It also becomes clear that Kasimir is a good source of information given how long he has been in Barovia for.
• The party is invited to stay and continue talking with him, as Kasimir puts on some tea for everyone.

The session ended with the party having the realisation that the male dusk elves have been left by Strahd to watch as their people slowly wither away to time. (One day until the Festival of the Blazing Sun).  

Session ended at 5pm 16/9/735; 16th of Sintavr, 735

Rewards Granted

Stash in Blue Water Inn

• 140 ep
• 70 pp
• Two elixirs of health (split between Maisie and Garreak).
• Three potions of healing.
• A gray bag of tricks (claimed by Maisie).

From the Encampment

• A wooden chest containing 1,200 ep (each coin stamped with the profiled visage of Strahd)
• An onyx jewelry box with gold filigree (worth 250 gp) containing six pieces of cheap jewelry (worth 50 gp each) and a potion of poison in a crystal vial (worth 100 gp) ; CLAIMED BY MADAME H