Wachterhaus

This house seems disgusted with itself. A slouching roof hangs heavy over furrowed gables, and moss-covered walls sag and bulge under the weight of the vegetation. As you study the house’s sullen countenance, you hear the edifice actually groan. Only then do you realize the extent to which the house hates what it has become.

Background

The Wachter family, once an influential noble line in the Dibril Valley, owns and occupies this mansion in Vallaki. The Lady of the House, Fiona Wachter, makes no secret of her family’s long-standing loyalty to the Batrova line. She hopes to serve as boyar of Vallaki, but she knows that Baron Vargas Vallakovich won’t give up his birthright without a fight.
Lady Fiona is served by her spy and confidant, Ernst Larnak, a wiry man in his fifties. Her husband, Nikolai, died of sickness nearly three years ago. Fiona sees a lot of her husband in her sons, Nikolai and Karl, who have grown into young men with a fondness for wine and trouble. They want only to spend their mother’s money and make the most of their miserable situation, trapped as they are within the walls of Vallaki.
For a time, Fiona conspired to wed her young daughter, Stella, to the baron’s son, Victor, but Stella found Victor to be demented, and he showed no interest in Stella whatsoever. In fact, he spoke such unkind words to Stella that she apparently went mad, and Fiona had to lock her daughter away.

Developments

After retrieving the cursed locket from St. Andral's Orphanage, the party is approached by Ernst Larnak with an offer to visit Lady Wachter. After fleeing the Blinsky Toyshop and the captain of the guard, Izek Strazni, some of the party end up at the Wachterhaus and parlay with Lady Wachter. She reveals herself as the leader of a growing cult, and if the party would dispatch Izek, she would "take care of the rest" and help them free their friend. Ultimately, the party's actions lead to a coup of the town and the overthrow of the Baron and his family.
Later, when the party returns to the town in search of Ireena, the party meets with Lady Wachter and agrees to help her rid the town of whomever is terrorizing her followers. At that moment, the Wachterhaus is attacked by a saber-toothed tiger, which is actually a polymorphed Ernst Larnak. During the combat, SImak and Loken see someone attempting to sneak out of a second story window. Ultimately, the party confronts Luka inside the Wachterhaus while keeping his presence hidden from Lady Wachter.
The party later reneges on their agreement to help Lady Wachter and sneaks out of the town.

Parent Location

Town of Vallaki