Session Report 18

General Summary

Russel and the ruffians woke the Innkeeper Urwin and asked him for any information regarding the disappearance of Ireena. The Innkeeper was unaware she was missing. Russel confirmed that she was and asked the old man when he last saw her. The balding, dark bushy brow man pondered and said "the day before, she head out after coming in for dinner. Said she was going to church to pray."
Russel looks satisfied yet before Urwin is able to stumble back to sleep, Carlos grabs the human by the shoulder and peers into his dark green eyes as he raises a doll of a plushy knight.
"Now what is this Innkeep? We found a doll on the floor next to the crime scene" Carlos utters as he continues to lock eyes with Urwin
"Ireena gets a lot of dolls from that toymaker in town. A few of em kinda look like her. Now can I go to bed?"
The ruffians dismiss Urwin and decide to followup with the lead involving a "Doll Maker" of Vallaki. Some wonder how such a grim and poor place can support a thriving toy store.
The ruffians arrive outside the toy shop and knock loudly and rapidly on the wooden door. 
Gadof Blinsky, a round and tall man with a brown goatee answers the door, red eyed.
"Oi, what is it? The moon sits high above the clouds. Lemme sleep?
"Wait we have some questions" Russel says as he puts his foot in the door
"I want to know why you have dolls similar to Ireena, and why I found a doll of yours at the crime scene of Ireena's disappearance. Tell me Gadof!" 
Gadof frights back as the ruffians intrude in the store.
"I had no clue she had disappeared. I gave her those dolls as payment for allowing me to use her likeness for my newest edition of princess dolls."
Looking around, the ruffians notice a few Ireena dolls but not a lot.
"Are these all the dolls you have or are there more in the back?" asked Carlos
"No" the Gadof pales "We had someone buy a bulk amount of dolls"
"WHOOOOO" Russel roars
"The burgomaster's right hand man and enforcer, Izek Strazini. Please, please, if they are involved, leave me out of this. And Please do not topple anything. I like my safe life here."
The ruffians leave with no assurances and leads to contemplate.
The ruffians headed to the burgomasters mansion and locked eyes with Strazini, even handing him an Ireena doll. Yet in full view of various guards Russel was unable or some would say unwilling to make his move. So the party retreated and slept that night.
The party was awoken as they slept by a large banging sounds.  Something very strong had knocked the hinges off the stable door of the inn. The horses inside had been brutalized, gored and barely recognizable. Yet even in this mess Carlos was able to keep a calm and cool head as he examined the bloody scene.
He noticed the horses were gored indeed, looking to be wolf bites, yet hidden beneath the manes Carlos was able to find vampire fang marks. Urwin said something about the coffin maker supposedly having ties to Strahd. Yet the ruffians were tired and decided to save the witch hunt for another day.
The party headed out in the morning with the two wolf hunters and the guardsman turned donkeyman "Lars". He had made himself well known when laughing at the Burgomaster in public.
Lars had been guaranteed his donkey head off if he can complete the task at hand.
The task at hand involved hunting down wolf tracks back to the den and then exterminating the bunch. Recent merchants and Vistani patrons of Vallaki had been attacked by these werewolf beasts on several occasions.
The ruffians found the wolf den cavern and started the attack at night after the hunting pack left.

Report Date

07 Dec 2021