Day 10: Arabelle's Abduction
General Summary
Day 10 (Призрачнаялуна 14, 735/?)
First day post-Vallaki. Arabelle is rescued and Chuckles is now a thing everyone just has to deal with. The party meets Kasimir, who offers his help to them. Bodaway rejects Khirad, Star of Secrets.Act 2, Scene 4: Arabelle
In retrospect, they probably shouldn't have ignored the child's scream. Then again, if they hadn't ignored the child's scream, they likely never would have found Chuckles or gotten to know Arrigal so well! All's well that ends with a successful resurrection. Sylvain woke early and got an update on the evening from Ayduin, hearing about "a scream" but not getting much more detail than that. While Ri-An, surrounded by scrap metal, worked on something as they rested, Sylvain and Ayduin mended some of Sylvain's battered clothing. Finally, Ri-An came out of low power mode and revealed their latest creation: a new, pointier Grghshnq II. Definitely looked exactly like a dog. That is, for sure, what dogs look like, and if it wasn't before, it is now! After the appropriate introductions and instructions not the murder were through, Ispati approached the three of them, announcing that it was time he went back to Vallaki to help put the town back together. Asking Sylvain to accompany him to get his horse, Ispati took the opportunity once they were farther away from prying eyes and ears to give Sylvain some advice: don't come back to Vallaki until you get the all-clear from Danica and Urwin. With the Wachters and Vallakoviches gone, there was a power vacuum, and it was impossible to guess what they'd be coming back to until the dust had settled. He advised that Sylvain and the rest of the party continue on to the winery as they'd originally planned, as Urwin's father had ways of getting word to him and Danica, and vice versa, though the relationship was strained. The other possible western destination he mentioned was Krezk, a commune with an abbot who's rumoured to be capable of raising the dead. He also mentioned the haunted mansion (don't go) and the tower (trapped), and reiterated advice they'd heard several times before: stay the fuck out of the woods, and avoid the people who live in them. Sylvain gave him a letter for the Martikovs, the charm he'd taken off the cultist, and his best wishes; Ispati gave him a plea to never ask Ispati to look after his belongings again, and a final piece of advice: keep an eye out for ravens. While everyone except Sylvain noticed the colour of Osrin's eyes seemed to be changing, Sylvain read more of van Richten's book. The party agreed to make inquiries with the dusk elves about some work, with the intention of pressing on to the winery soon, but paused to speak with Manda and Atanasie again. Ayduin made inquiries about berries, and Sylvain gave Atanasie encouragement that he did not need to try more experiments with alcohol. As they were talking, a commotion began in the camp behind them, with the cause soon coming to light: Arabelle had gone missing. No one had seen her since the previous night. With Bodaway leading them in the direction he thought the scream the night before had come from, it didn't take long for Ayduin to pick up the trail (because of course it didn't), and they followed the signs of struggle through the woods, all the way to the river. With the river running north, they came to the conclusion that if indeed the person abducted had been Arabelle, she had likely been taken to a boat, which had likely gone with the river's flow towards Lake Zarovich, just north of Vallaki. So they began journeying north, hoping they'd chosen the right direction, and that their decision to ignore a cry for help the night before wouldn't prove a fatal one. Along the way, they found themselves ambushed by a group of strange plant creatures, seemingly made of wood, which shot needles from their bodies. Though a few of them sustained wounds, it didn't take long for them to destroy all of those strange creatures, and carry on. Finally reaching the lake, their fears and hopes were confirmed in one: a man sat on a boat 400 feet out, head bowed in prayer, with something wriggling in a burlap sack beside him. They debated what to do, but the man made the decision for them when he lifted the sack up and threw it into the lake, prompting several of them (and Grhgshnq) to rush into the water and start swimming furiously towards it. Thankfully, they reached Arabelle in time before she'd sank too far down, and were quickly able to free her from the sack, knock out the man, and take the boat for themselves. Arabelle, a precocious child, recovered quickly, and immediately began soliciting food from the group, and sassing Ayduin for his weird healthy elf food. When asked what had happened, she calmly informed the group that the man had thought he could sacrifice her to the lake to improve his luck. The group asked if this sort of belief was... usual in Barovia, and she replied that while this in particular wasn't common, plenty of Barovians had funny ideas about the Vistani. When Bodaway asked for clarification, Arabelle hesitated, then elaborated: the Vistani had protection in Barovia, because long ago, they had given Strahd aid and saved his life when he was wounded as a mortal man. He had sworn they would always be safe in his lands, and he had kept that promise throughout the centuries. As the only ones protected from Strahd and his minions — the only ones able to travel freely on Barovia's roads, without fear of assault — they had earned plenty of hostility from the rest of Barovia over the years. She then asked if they intended to kill her captor, and stated that she had no problem with it, as she'd seen plenty of people die before. There really wasn't any point in bringing him back, she continued, as all her father or Arrigal would do was kill him anyway. Still, the party thought it best to leave the choice up to them, and so they tied the man up and began carrying him back to the Vallaki Vistani camp. The conversation about the Vistani and Strahd continued, with Bodaway asking if the Vistani would ever do anything to stop Strahd. Arabelle pointed out that for one Vistana to do so would mean their willingly endangering all Vistani in Barovia, as if Strahd revoked his protection, no town would welcome them. After all, Barovia had seen many stand against Strahd and fail utterly; why would any Vistana risk all their loved ones on such a slim hope? Sylvain asked Arabelle about those who had succeeded in killing Strahd, if only temporarily. She seemed extremely reluctant to talk about such things, letting the subject drop for some time as they walked back through the woods, but when Sylvain pressed the subject, she offered what little she could: if Strahd was truly just a vampire, he would have stayed dead when that group of adventurers killed him and the mists cleared. Something brought him, and Barovia's curse, back. If someone wanted to kill him for good, they'd have to find out what had brought him back, and make sure it didn't do so again. As the party contended with this particular revelation, they found themselves face to face with none other than Arrigal and a dusk elf. Arrigal was overcome with relief at seeing Arabelle (relatively) unharmed, and Arabelle proceeded to ramble about her exciting adventure and her newfound love for Grghshnq. While the dusk elf — Ruslan, Ayduin would later learn — led Arabelle off a bit, Arrigal questioned the man and, finding his answers uninspiring, drove a knife into his skull, saying they could leave the body for the wolves. As they returned to the camp, they found a very grateful Luvash, who offered them their choice of anything in the treasure wagon. Arabelle had already strongly warned them against choosing the potions (they're fake), and reminded them of this from behind her father's very muscular back. The first treasure they inspected in detail was a rug with something wrapped up in it; they unrolled it to reveal a horrifying little jester construct with a jack-o-lantern smile and glowing red eyes. Most people were instantly put off; Ri-An was instantly thrilled. Sylvain made an immediate enemy, while Arabelle talked her father into letting them take the construct as well as a different treasure, as carrying a large rug around Barovia was hardly a practical choice. Agreeing to take the coins from one of the chests inside, they thanked Luvash for their two wonderful new treasures, while Sylvain accepted he was never going to get a good night's sleep in Barovia.Act 2, Scene 5: The Dusk Elves
While Arabelle cleaned up and the camp calmed down with her return, our heroes made their way to Kasimir's cabin in the hill, to meet the leader of the dusk elves and take his measure — and perhaps pick up a new bow for Ayduin while they were at it. It quickly became evident that the dusk elves deployed language strategically — after the guard outside Kasimir's home greeted them in Common, he let Kasimir know in Elvish that he had guests and then, noting the pointed tips of Ayduin and Sylvain's ears, added something else in Barovian. Kasimir, too, made use of language, exchanging pleasantries in Common and offering tea to the group, before — with apologies to the rest of the group and a request that they indulge him in using his mother tongue — he began to speak with Sylvain and Ayduin in a cheerful tone about how they might work together to undo Strahd. While the others sipped tea and took in the decor — with wooden statuettes depicting various elvish gods familiar to Ayduin, such as Corellon, Angharradh, Aerdrie, Hanali, Labelas, Sehanine, Solonor, Tarsellis, Vandria, Araleth, Fenmarel, Naralis, and Rellavar — the pair learned more about Kasimir's history with Strahd. The woman Strahd had been interested in — who had been killed, leading to Strahd's murder of every remaining female dusk elf in Barovia — had been Kasimir's own sister Patrina, and she had sought Strahd out intentionally, courting his power. The dusk elves had killed her for fear of what she might become if she survived to achieve her goals. Noting that there were eyes and ears on him more often than not — hence why the dusk elves lived under Vistani supervision — he asked the elvish among our heroes what their future plans were and, upon hearing of a quest for certain items, asked for more information. After Sylvain wrote down what he could remember of Madam Eva's prophecies in Elvish and handed it to Kasimir, Kasimir read over the list, nodded, and promptly burnt it. He confirmed what our heroes had already suspected: that the dead dragon's lair where they were to find a fallen paladin was almost certainly the haunted house nearby which they had been warned against, the headquarters of the Order of the Silver Dragon; Kasimir echoed the other tales they'd heard of the place by stating it was extremely dangerous, and they would want to make sure they were well prepared before venturing there. Regarding gardens, he stated this one was harder to identify, as there are plenty of gardens around Barovia, most of which get covered in snow at some point. However, he did know of a tower far to the south, guarded by golden knights. Moreover, that tower was on the way to a location Kasimir himself had interest in: a temple full of forbidden knowledge, where he suspected there may be information that could help destroy Strahd for good. However, it was much too dangerous for him to go alone — even more dangerous than the haunted mansion, he suspected. If and when the party was ready and willing to make a serious move against Strahd, he could guide them there. Sylvain could pick up on something Kasimir was not quite saying about the place, but his offer of help seemed genuine enough; it was clear the leader of the dusk elves was eager to defeat the man who had decimated his people. Finally, speaking of the sword of sunlight, Kasimir spoke of tales of a sword once wielded by Strahd's brother — a sword Strahd hates passionately. He did not know where such a sword might be found, but suggested it would be quite a useful tool in unsettling Strahd, if found. After this, the group switched back to Common, with most of the party largely unaware what had gone on, given Kasimir and Sylvain's bright and pleasant tones and manners as they'd spoken. They were told about an elf who could treat the dire wolf pelts they had — who I definitely didn't name Toma and then forget and name him Feodor, it's fine, his middle name was Toma and he went by both — as well as Celegal, one of the youngest among them, and quite talented at making bows and arrows. With Ayduin selecting one of Celegal's finely crafted bows — carved with wolves and the cycles of the moon — and some ammunition, agreeing to bring back water from a sacred pool in Krezk in exchange, the party settled in for the evening, with plans to make for the winery the following morning.Act 2, Scene 6: Bodaway's Choice
Ayduin went into the woods to meditate, while Bodaway and Osrin returned to the main tent, and Ri-An and Sylvain tested out Grghshnq's mending abilities on Sylvain's torn clothes. As it turns out, Grghshnq is an even better seamstress than Ayduin! While Grghshnq worked, Ri-An and Sylvain had a heart to heart regarding rules and why Sylvain was incapable of following them — Ri-An unknowingly echoing conversations various authority figures have initiated with Sylvain over the years. By the end of the conversation, Ri-An's trust in Sylvain had perhaps not been mended as efficiently as Sylvain's clothing had been, but the first few stitches had been sewn. Inside the tent, Bodaway and Osrin had their own heart-to-heart, less verbose than the one outside. Ayduin tried and failed to get to know the local flora. As Ri-An and Sylvain prepared to re-enter the main tent, they were greeted by a messenger: a raven with a note tied to its leg. It seems that Danica and the Martikovs were alive and well enough to send a hello, and after sending back a brief reply by the same means, the party went inside. Some of our heroes thought it might be worthwhile to try bargaining for some additional reward in exchange for bringing wine back to the Vistani, and though Sylvain disagreed — in an absolutely unprecedented instance of Sylvain, a literal mercenary, finding payment for his job distasteful — he made his best pitch to Luvash, who promptly shut them down. As the Vistani already had a centuries-old deal with the winery, asking them to pay the party for helping the winery fulfill their obligations was, he cheerfully informed them, absurd and insulting. Somewhat disheartened but quickly moving on, the party continued their preparations for the winery, with Ri-An searching for a pearl with the assistance of Arabelle, and Bodaway and Osrin making inquiries about furs. All the answers laid with the Dusk Elves, with Kasimir offering Ri-An a pearl he had on hand, and the Dusk Elf Formerly Known as Toma agreeing to treat the dire wolf hides and provide enough fur for a hat for Ri-An, along with a fur-lined coat for Bodaway and a fur-lined cloak for Osrin, in exchange for a total of 6 gp or trade. As they settled in for the evening, Sylvain began to casually deface coins with Strahd's face on them, doing his part to beautify the Barovian economy, and Arrigal and Arabelle came to join the party, with Arrigal asking about our heroes' backgrounds, before offering to tell them a story. The story, it seems, was a creation myth of Barovia, centered around three women: the Mother, the Maiden, and the Crone. It was the Crone who favoured the Vistani best, and who left them with three lessons: never harm a raven; don't trust the straightest path to the knowledge you seek; and bury your dead deep, so the mother's roots can embrace them. Arrigal asked what stories the party had in exchange, and Ayduin offered a song, with Ri-An and Arabelle rising to dance together. In lieu of a story, Sylvain offered a game, promising a tale only if someone got the answer: could any of them guess what his former occupation was? With no one guessing precisely, the story was shelved for another time, and shortly thereafter Arabelle asked if Arrigal was flirting with the party, which led to a somewhat flustered Arrigal suggesting it was past Arabelle's bedtime, and bidding our heroes a good night. That night, Bodaway dreamt, and chose a sky full of stars... at first. After a brief exchange with Khirad, Bodaway apologized and said he was unable to accept Khirad's offer without more information. His choice made, he found himself thrown into a series of visions about Arrigal:The last time you were here, you walked unhurried through the desolate landscape, confident that your feet would take you to where you needed to be.
Tonight, you run.
This is not flight before a pursuit — you are running to, not running from, driven forward by a sense of urgency that you know is not your own even as it floods your limbs with adrenaline.
You reach the tower, as before, and you ascend, your footsteps echoing in the tight spiral of its staircase, your heart pumping hard, your nerves singing as you run higher, and higher, not sparing so much as a glance for the floors you pass — you know these are not the floors you are meant to reach tonight, and that makes them less than meaningless to you.
Finally, you reach it, barreling out from the staircase, breathing hard, eyes wild, gaze already flitting around the walls of this cold grey room, watching as the shadows shift and form a cylinder of memories around you, whirling all in time, mixing together and separating again, as dynamic and unreliable as those of any mortal mind.
There is an assortment of boys, mostly dark-haired, though one has fiery red hair that glints even in the meagre grey light of a Barovian afternoon. The red-haired boy is clearly the oldest, and clearly the leader, though you can see two of the younger boys don’t look happy about this — they are barely half his size, but one of them launches himself at his brother nonetheless. You can see the bright colours of Vistani wagons and clothing in the background, and adults taking notice of the scuffle, even as another of the younger boys jumps into the fray and the fourth tries to break up the argument — four brothers, two mothers, one father. Though you don’t know them well, you can pick out the men they will become in their dirty, scowling faces: Lech, the eldest of the four; Luvash, the boy who leapt at him; Arrigal, jumping to back his brother’s play; Grigori, the hat-maker, with his futile attempts at keeping the peace.
Another scene — the father, now, who you only saw in a glimpse before, now fully in focus as he laughs and jokes with another man. The other man, another Vistana — this one you do not recognize, but you know at a glance he speaks with the easy persuasion of a man who’s never had to live with the consequences of his smooth speeches. You do not pick up the particulars of the conversation. These are memories, not a play, and it’s the impressions that come to you, not exact words. Still, you know: change. It’s all very well and good to mind traditions, but times change, people grow. Why shouldn’t a man protect this camp? Don’t the women have enough to worry about? For just a moment, you glimpse Madam Eva’s face, though you know she wasn’t there — and then it is Arabelle’s, and then a woman you haven’t seen before — crone, maiden, mother — and you want to weep for their ignorance, you want to knock sense back into their thick skulls with your own scarred knuckles.
Your eyes go to another scene — Arrigal and Luvash alone now, seemingly in their teens. Arrigal has not yet grown into his features, and his lank hair and pimply skin make for an awkward young man; he holds himself with the discomfort of someone who does not quite know what to do with all their newfound limb yet. Luvash, by contrast, is the sort of handsome you’ve seen get plenty of young men into trouble over the years, and you can see from the way he carries himself that he knows it. They enter a tent, mobbed by their peers — though no Lech or Grigori to be seen, this time — and you see them acting out the same pattern you’ve witnessed in your nights in the Vistani tent: Luvash the center of the attention, laughing and joking among many friends, while Arrigal hangs back at the sidelines, watching, waiting.
Your attention shifts again. They are a few years older, no more, and playing out much the same scene, though Arrigal has begun to grow into his looks, his long, lanky form and glossy hair, dark as raven’s feathers, drawing more than a few looks of desire as he leans back against a tentpole. If he notices, he doesn’t show it, but you don’t think he does — his eyes are locked firmly on the other side of the tent with a look you know all too well. He has the kind of longing in his eyes people ruin lives for — their own, others’, whatever it takes. You follow his gaze and see Luvash again, surrounded by laughing friends, and now he has a woman at his side: young. Pretty. Light brown hair, soft features — you realize, all of a sudden, that there’s no way this woman is anything but Arabelle’s mother. Not just because you recognize her from the memory of a few moments ago — mother, between crone and maiden — or because Luvash, too, is looking at her like if she asked him to chop his dick off his only question would be whether he should use a serrated blade or not, but because the wry quirk of her lips as she murmurs a low joke is the exact same as Arabelle’s when she gets to sassing all of you, and you can’t help but say a prayer for all the hearts that little girl’s going to break if she gets half a mind to.
Again, further now. You see Arrigal in the woods, camouflaged, gaze intent. He can’t be more than a few years older than before, but he looks to’ve aged at least a decade by the focus in his face, and the hurt — the kind of hurt you only get if you spend at least a couple years sleeping with your teeth grinding the day’s worries to a good choking powder night after night after night after night. He’s following one of the dusk elves — the same one, you realize, he was with when you brought Arabelle back to him. Something in Arrigal’s face hardens, and you turn to see what he’s looking at, and even here, in this dream, in this place of summoning, you have to fight down a wave of nausea at the sight of her. Memories don’t need specifics so long as they keep the feeling right, so the specifics fade from yours as soon as you feel that bile rising, but you know, innately, what happened to her — what happens to all Vistani women foolish enough to wander into Vallaki expecting gentlemen to fawn over them. You feel his anger coursing through your veins as surely as if it were your own.
The last scene is hard to focus on — like shadow and mist play across it, obscuring even the vaguest details. You try to pay attention, but your mind drifts, like skimming over the letters of a language you never learned to read. You do get this, though: Arrigal went looking for protection. Like the Lady Wachter, he knew the threats his people faced, and he knew who had the power to protect them. Whatever you might make of him by the light of day, for this moment, you are in Her realm, and the gods have different conceptions of morality, so in this moment, you know that he is not an evil man. You also know he would do a great many evil things, if that’s what it took to protect her. The vision fades as he walks away from the castle into the drizzling rain, and you do not hear any voice — you know She has none, any more than She has a face — but you feel her will:
Keep him close.
Report Date
17 Jan 2021
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