Session the 5th: A New Beginning Report
General Summary
For the entirety of this two in-game day session, Phi was in a strange trance, following their companions quietly.
This session was mostly travel, and roleplay. The party traveled through the middle of Barovia, passing through the West Gate . The party passes through with no incident, although they do note a small "feel" of magic as they pass through. Thera harvests some of the crumbled stone from the wall to use in her craft. The party chooses to cut through the thinner parts of the woods to avoid straying too close to the Mistwatch Mill , and to cut their traveling time to Vallaki in half.
While the party camps, Ireena and Thera have a conversation about the specifics of Ireena's plans. Ireena reveals that she has knowledge of Strahd's court and allies in the valley, which can be used to defeat him. In the night, Ireena is roused by the sound of barking that only she can hear. She ventures into the woods to investigate, and Agueda accompanies her, at a distance and in stealth.
The two come across an abandoned hut, with a bloodhound barking frantically at the step. Agueda is still unable to hear the dog bark. Ireena approaches to pet the dog, and investigate the hut. Inside, she finds a gruesome scene: a small peasant's hut with three bodies that died at least a few weeks ago. She fails to determine the manner of death, but Agueda is able to look and determine that one of the bodies killed the other two, and succumbed to their own wounds during the fight. Agueda makes the decision to incinerate the hut, and take the dog along. She speaks to the dog, asking the obvious question: "Can you talk?" While Agueda is too far away to hear the conversation, it is obvious by Ireena's responses that the dog can, in fact, talk. He introduces himself as Rane, and is extremely friendly and eager to tag along.
Back at the camp, Agueda discovers in her possession a tri-colored note, and a note that says, "I promised I would arm you. I keep my promises." With some DM prompting as to which one wouldn't kill the party, Agueda bit down on the marble and it casts Lightning.
The following morning, Thera asks about the pair's adventures in the woods and gets cagey answers. She also asks about the supposedly "better" conditions on this side of the West Gate, and gets similar cagey answers. At this point, she is displeased, particularly with Ireena who is being especially cagey.
The party picks up travel again the next day, and finds a fresh corpse on the side of the road, killed by wolves. Ireena takes his face, as she has been going through disguises like candy. That night while on watch, Thera encounters a very strange sight: a trio of skeleton riders heading along the road. Through magical and mechanical means, she and Agueda are able to determine that the skeletons were sent on a mission to fetch a mage in the deep mountains to the far north of the valley. How long this order was given is a question that was not asked, nor answered. The party agrees to investigate that after dealing with what they need to do in Vallaki.
The party arrives at Vallaki , and are met with resistance at the gate. Although the guards recognize Agueda, they are suspicious of her companions. Ireena, with no disguise, invokes her title, and Strahd's name, to be allowed entrance. She immediately demands the guard escort them to Blinksy.
Once the party arrives at the toy shop operated by Gavriil "Blinsky" Orlov , they meet a very different man from what they expected. His autism and Thera's autism clash significantly. He reveals that he is not the master crafter in the valley, but he has been studying a book written by the man. The book is huge, and Blinsky keeps it in a large glass case, as he has memorized it and uses it only for reference now. After some amount of arguing, he and Thera agree to trade her working Von Weerg trinket for Masterworks of a Different Kind by Fritz von Weerg .
While Thera and Blinsky "negotiated," Ireena notices dozens of dolls that look strikingly similar to her and Agueda, placed in glass cases high on shelves. Blinsky says they are not for sale, and they have to force out of him who commissions them: "the burgomaster's boy." Agueda notes that the burgomaster has two sons, both of whom are very strange and neither of which she's ever met.
The party retreats to Agueda's house, and Ireena lays out her plan: she knows that at least one of Strahd's lieutenants, Lady Fiona Watcher , is in Vallaki. She proposes they take her out, destabilizing Strahd's power in Vallaki. Agueda doesn't outright oppose the plan, but she does note aloud that Lady Fiona has always been kind to her. Ireena confronts her, stating that this is an odd statement paired with Agueda's deep knowledge of Strahd's other allies, the witches. During their verbal dance, Agueda lets slip that Baba Lysaga , Strahd's strongest and oldest ally, is her mother. She states, however, that she is more than willing to assist in taking down Strahd.
The party lays down a bare plan: they kill Lady Fiona. Before that, however, they plan to confront the burgomaster's sons to figure out which of them is commissioning dolls in their likeness, and why.
Character(s) interacted with
Abandoned dog, Blinsky
Notes
The characters are now level 4.