Our
Heroes began their day pursuing individual tasks:
Together once more, the Heroes travelled out into the
Svalich Wood with Vasili and
Ireena Kolyanovich — who for a brief moment seemed to recognise Vasili from somewhere, with a flicker of unconscious fear — and a wolf was tracked down and killed.
Mina and Soryn spent some time talking to Vasili, during which they escalated the situation, putting a weapon to his throat and threatening him over his apparent knowledge of Ireena and his method of entering
Barovia. Vasili indicated that he came to the County by choice about 10 years ago via a
Fetcher, as he was hunting an
"evil witch who dwells in the Bogs of Berez" who had apparently stolen something belonging to him. The situation calmed down, but Vasili still headed back to Vallaki on his own.
That evening, after returning to town with the wolf's head and thus justifying the Jamboree in Valentina's eyes, the Heroes headed to the main plaza of town. There, the festivities began, though they quickly soured when Soryn and Übel noticed several
House Vallakovich soldiers using the cover of the Jamboree to abduct and detain "dissidents." These "Wolves" then turned their sights on the Heroes, and led by Izek, gave chase.
The Heroes were able to push through the thick crowd of festival goers, but were cornered amid a stand of stalls at the edge of the plaza. Here, the soldiers set upon them, with Izek dealing several terrible blows to them, whilst his other guards kept Soryn and Valentina under lock. After a tough fight, wherein Übel seperated a guard from their legs, and Mina pierced another through the heart, all of the guards lay dead (with one having escaped, believing Valentina was divinely protected).
At this point, a curious raven flew down to watch the fight, which Übel identified as a different raven to the one who had foiled her attempts to spy on Izek the previous day. Izek then seized Ireena by the throat, screaming at her that he had
"changed his mind" and wanted her to
"free him." Ireena, as to be expected, had no idea what he was talking about, and the Vornic attempted to drag her away, but was thwarted by Soryn casting magic through
Gabhar, killing him in his tracks.
The raven, whose feet seemed to be transformed into rat feet, cawed at the party before bounding then flying away. Valentina was able to identify it was under some form of transformative magical charm, but that was all she could discern.
The Heroes tried to catch their breath, as the plaza was still in chaos, when Vasili returned with a
House Wachter coach, declaring their rooms at the
Blue Water Inn had been search (but their valuables saved by him beforehand), and they were being given sanctuary by
Fiona Wachter. The Heroes took Vasili up on his offer, though Übel peeled off to see if
Henrik van der Voort had been attacked in the process of the crack down.
At
Van der Voort's Coffins, Embalmery and Taxidermy, Übel overheard Henrik blackmailing a young man, who claimed to have already stolen copious books from
Strahd von Zarovich University in repayment for a service. Henrik said this was not enough, and demanded he seize his mother's jewels, after which he would return the stolen bones of
Saint Andral!
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