#13: Trials and Taxidermists
General Summary
Our Heroes learned from Fiona Wachter that they were now able to leave Wachter Manor under guard, being chaperoned by Nikolai Wachter Jnr. and Kobal Barthos, a soldier of House Vallakovich. Übel Bachmann revealed to the group that she had found where the Bones of Saint Andral were being kept, and told her story regarding Henrik van der Voort and Victor Vallakovich. Together, the Heroes hatched a plot to corner Henrik, and demand the release of the Bones.
That evening, the Heroes and their chaperones travelled to Van der Voort's Coffins, Embalmery and Taxidermy, and were admitted inside. With the chaperones waiting outside, the group convinced Henrik van der Voort to take them to the Bone. Henrik led the group upstairs to his attic, which was filled with coffins, crates, and jars of preserved anatomy. Henrik turned the tables on them, however, saying he was happy to hand over the Bones — clearly having been "outplayed" by Übel Bachmann's claim the group was hired by Victor Vallakovich to retrieve the Bones — but that he wouldn't do so until they had a plan to deal with the "Vampire."
The Heroes asked about this Vampire, and learned it was a woman named Ludmilla Vilisevic, one of the older Consorts of Strahd von Zarovich, who was in town and had requested the Bones from Henrik van der Voort. Henrik admitted she could merely take them from him at any time — though he believed she needed him to first steal them from the Church of St. Andral before she could — Ludmilla was apparently going to pay him for the Bones, and he was merely extorting Victor Vallakovich for extra earnings. Henrik implied Ludmilla was going to give him a considerable amount of gold, as well as a Hearts' Locket, a valuable piece of jewellery which would somehow allow him to leave the Mists, connected in some way to the Vistani Fetchers.
The Heroes had no clear way of solving the problem of Ludmilla Vilisevic, whom Henrik van der Voort claimed had made contact with him only after he stole the Bones, as she had come to town only a few days prior to give a lecture at Strahd von Zarovich University. However, they did convince Henrik to at least show them the Bones. Henrik proceeded to cut open the thigh of an embalmed corpse he had been working on in which he had hidden the contraband, only for his scalpel to accidently scratch the outside of the Bones. This seemed to unleash a wave of necromantic energy which animated the cadaver, the jars full of human hands, a head floating in chloroform, and the flayed skin of an Ogre kept in a crate.
Together, the Heroes battled with the undead creatures, with Mina Barovonna playing an inspiring tune throughout that bolstered their powers. Soryn d'Nemishcata unleashed her magic, riddling the crawling claws with worms and then pinning them down with magical needles. Übel Bachmann destroyed the plague zombie, and cut free the thigh to reclaim the Bones of Saint Andral. Ireena Kolyanovich destroyed the floating head with one precise shot. And Valentina Dilisnya, after unleashing wave upon wave of holy light, melted the shredskin to the attic floor.
Henrik van der Voort recognised he was beat, and had no leverage left, so asked to be allowed to flee for however long he could avoid Ludmilla Vilisevic (which he admitted, was probably not very long at all). Valentina Dilisnya offered him sanctuary in the Church of St. Andral, to which Henrik declined, stating he was no "hypocrit." Saying a last farewell, and gifting his top hat to Übel Bachmann — more due to the fact he didn't have time to go find it himself — he dived over the balcony and fled.
The Heroes then picked over his workshop for any valuables — including the remaining stolen books from Strahd von Zarovich University that Henrik van der Voort had not yet "sent down the river" — and returned to Wachter Manor to ready themselves for the coming Feast of Saint Andral.
Report Date
28 Feb 2025
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