Session 2: Electric Boogaloo Report
General Summary
After prevailing over the spirits haunting the Durst House, the party regroups on the steps. While on standing outside, Ireena reveals that she is a vampire. She also makes it very clear to Thera and Phi that they will not be able to leave the valley.
Thera emphatically asks about the trinket they've got, and ask if anyone knows of any toymakers in the valley. Ireena knows of one in the town of Vallaki, but can't recall his exact name, nor could Agueda.
The party began to make their way towards the village of Barovia. Along the way, however, they are intercepted by a pack of six dire wolves. The wolves were not immediately aggressive. Ireena attempted to intimidate them, but the head wolf didn't back down. Phi cast Speak with Animals, though before much could be done with that avenue, Thera used their trinket: the Mockingcat. Every wolf with the exception of the leader, and every member of the party, fell under a trance. The head wolf, taking advantage of the lack of violence, begins to gently herd Ireena towards the looming specter of Castle Ravenloft.
After a few moments, Phi breaks free of the trance and attacks the head wolf. Violence was further avoided, however, when Ireena drew herself up, and invoked the name of House Zarovich, commanding the wolves to leave. They did, but as the party retreated, Phi heard the wolves shouting to the sky that they were headed towards the village of Barovia.
The party entered the village of Barovia, and found a ghost town. Ireena directed the party to the burgomaster's mansion. The only sound they can hear is the loud wailing of a woman from a house on their way to the mansion. Thera and Phi decide to investigate, while Ireena and Agueda continue on to the mansion. At the mansion, they rest up. Agueda assists Ireena in hunting down a flock of magpies for Ireena to eat.
Meanwhile, Phi and Thera find the source of the crying: an older woman sobbing loudly in an empty house. After a bit of needling, they are able to ascertain that her daughter, "Gertie," was "stolen." She saw that "Ismark" (actually a disguised Ireena) had "returned" with the party, and begs them to go with him to Strahd's castle and rescue her Gertie. Phi is able to determine that her daughter is likely an adult, and she shows them a doll in the vague likeness of her daughter.
When the party regroups, Thera and Phi bring up Gertie, and Ireena recalls Gertruda , and states she is beyond help. For the first time, the party discusses confronting and killing Strahd. Ireena and Agueda neglect to inform the party that many have tried, and failed, to kill him.
As they're leaving the village, the party decides to take a detour to the church. Ireena waits on the steps. Inside the church is a fervently praying older man, and hear the wailing of the man's son, begging for food. Thera feverishly searches the church to free the man, but it is Agueda who descends into the church basement where he is being kept. She is immediately attacked by Doru, the priest's son-turned-vampire-spawn. The weakened spawn desperately attacks the party, so far gone that he recognizes no one in the room, not even his own father. The party prevails over him, and are now regrouping.