Session 5 Report

The party awoke in the tower to find Edwyn had undergone an unusual transformation- he had become a vampire. A bat crashed through the window carrying a box and letter for him. The box contained a necklace with an unfamiliar crest, and the letter was from a vampire named Vasilia Vom Holtz, who reiterated Strahd’s invitation to dinner. Ezmerelda, though initially ready to stake Edwyn, agreed that he was not yet a threat, and should cut contact with Vasilia immediately. After eating breakfast, they once again set out on the Old Svalich Road towards Vallaki. They encountered some twig blights on the road, which they quickly dispatched, and eventually arrived at the gates of Vallaki. The guards allowed them entry, informing them of an upcoming festival and telling them that “all will be well”.
They came across the Church of St Andral upon entering, and Magnus and Edwyn decided to venture inside. There they met Father Lucian Petrovna, who confided in them that some sacred bones had been dug up and stolen, and asked for their help in returning them. They talked to his apprentice, a young boy called Yeska, and Lucian told them of his suspicions of Millivoj, the grave digger.
They decided to head next to the Baron’s manor, where they were welcomed inside. Baron Vargas Vallakovich and his wife Baroness Lydia Petrovna were unnervingly positive, encouraging the party to engage in the festival preparations. Martyn managed to convince the Baroness to part with her wedding dress, which she agreed to do if the party stayed for the festival.
The party was given free reign of the manor, and used it to explore. Upstairs, they found the Baron’s son, Victor, hidden in an attic room. The room was filled with skeletal cats and three children in the corner, which an alarmed Magnus soon discovered to be merely mannequins. Victor, who was clearly a little unhinged, appeared to be constructing a teleportation circle, which was dangerously incorrect. Through some probing, they discovered his testing of the circle had resulted in the deaths of two servants. Martyn hesitantly agreed to take a look at what might be wrong with his circle, or perhaps find him some chalk to properly draw it with.
More concerning, however, was what they found in the cupboard of the second floor. Kyler heard some strange noises, and Martyn picked the lock to see what was inside. They found a bloody, beaten and chained man. In a hushed voice, the clearly very injured man told them his name was Udo, and that he had been imprisoned for questioning the efficacy of the Baron’s endless festivals, which the Baron claimed kept Strahd at bay. The party debated freeing him then and there, but resolved to come back during the commotion of the festival to free him.
On their way to find a place to stay, Kyler noticed a man following them. The party confronted him, and he said he was there on order of Lady Fiona Wachter, who invited them to dinner the following night. They eventually came across the Blue Water Inn, where they paid for food and rooms. As they ate, they passed the time by talking with an ostentatious bard named Rictavio, who regaled them with tales of his travelling carnival, before heading to bed.