Session 8 - Arriving at Vallaki

General Summary

• We start the session with Jonathan taking damage
• He survives and starts wiggling out of his rope to be caught by Richard who starts running up to catch him
• Richard casts Lay on Hands as he catches Jonathan
• They still both take 7 dmg from the cushioned fall
• Then Damia calmly walks out and says that we should leave
  • She has a second pair of horns now, longer claws, and longer hair
    
  • Something is clearly changed with her, but she doesn't seem hostile towards us
  • "Let's just leave now. They won't follow us, they won't stop us from leaving"
  • Richard asks about the kids, and Damia says that we can't help them
  • Ariah reluctantly agrees
• Damia leads us a safe distance away (towards Vallaki) and waits for everyone to catch up
• Behind the windmill, near the forest, there is a circle of stones
• Jonathan insightfully asks Damia "what?"
  • Damia explains how she got captured, and "tainted"
  • She doesn't know what they did before letting her go, but they tainted her with magic, so she will be useful for them later
  • She apologizes to Richard for doing something reckless and outside her abilities
  • Richard eventually asks about his shoe. Damia regretfully didn't have the opportunity to grab it
  • Richard uses a waterskin as a substitute shoe
  • After this, Jonathan offers a shoe from one of his disguise kits
• We keep going, and arrives at a hill, with a view into the valley and a lake
  • Beside the lake is a big walled in city
  • A forest lays between us and the city
  • It is thin, but we decide to play it safe and follow the road around
    • 
• We reach a rundown boathouse
  • We approach cautially
  • Jonathan hears bugs and such inside, but nothing big
  • Damia pulls out a piece of her hair, puts it in her flying book and sends it to explore the house
    • It is dark, but there is a canoe and fishing nets
    • Something is lying in the boat, and there are a lot of flies and such around
  • Damia says that there is a corpse in a boat inside the house
  • Ariah assumes that it is undead and asks Richard to use his Divine Sense
  • Before he can get in position to do so, Damia walks over to the door and blows it open with Gust
  • There is a very putrid smell, of something dead that's been laying for a long time
  • We decide it isn't worth investigating and almost leave
  • However Jonathan is curious, so Damia sends her book in again, closer this time.
  • She definitely sees a rotting corpse in the boat. It is holding something she can't identify
  • Damia recommends not doing something with it
  • Richard tries to leave with Ireena
  • Jonathan asks for permission to throw something. He explains that a corpse is one of the few things he is familiar with in this world
  • After some discussion, Jonathan goes inside (Damia is continiously casting Gust to clear the smell)
  • He is nearly discouraged by the house nearly collapsing when he softly knocks on the door
  • However he walks up to the corpse
  • The corpse is holding a thick rope with a hook at the end
  • Jonathan touches the corpse and his ring glows, it has been dead about two months
  • There are two round marks around it's neck
  • He graps the rope and walks out, washing his hands in the lake
  • He quietly says to Ariah and Damia that he thinks a vampire killed that person
  • we go back to the path and continue our journey
• Eventually the forest clears up a bit, and we see the gates of Vallaki
  • We ask Ireena what to expect at the gates and at the city
  • She stayed at the Blue Water Inn last time
  • They are very strict about who comes into the city
  • She warns us to tell them the truth
  • She and Richard will probably get inside from being nobles
  • They have a temple(?) and is known for respecting faith
  • Ireena has been thinking of seeking shelter there, as Strahd is known for not being kind to faith
  • Jonathan cleans us up with Prestidigitation, and makes Richard a matching shoe (for a day)
  • Ariah makes sure her holy symbol is clearly visible
  • Damia casts Disguise Self to hide her new looks
• We approach the gates. It is now evening
  • 3-4 meter tall pallisades surround the city
  • An iron 'gitter' gate blocks the entrance
  • One guard with a big grey mustache, and one chubby one, guard the gates
  • 
  • Damia speaks up first, introducing us as travellers from the village of Barovia
  • He pays a bit more attention to Damia and Jonathan
  • Ariah pipes in by introducing Ireena and Richard with their full names and titles
  • He will let us inside, but informs us that while we're allowed to have weapons, they have to be registered and it is illegal to brandish them in front of others
  • He will help us to register them inside the gate
  • We come inside and he gets us to one by one take out our weapons
  • When he comes to Ariah, he stops to ask everyone what their thoughts are of the devil
  • Ariah is very upfront about her items, even declaring her one offensive spell scroll
  • He warns us that though it is legal, the townsfolk are weary of magic users. We should keep it hidden
  • It is because they're not friendly with the Vistani, and they use magic
  • The guard makes a slip of the tongue, and it becomes clear that 'The Devil' is another name for Strahd (Since it can be dangerous to say his name out loud)
  • He says that it is important that everyone participates in the festival. And while we're not required to help set it up, as we're guests, we are required to participate.
  • The next festival is the festival of the Blazing Sun, and it is in three days
  • It is not to celebrate anything specific, but to keep morale up
  • Richard tries to argue that people shouldn't perticipate if they're sick and puking
  • The guard says that there are corners for that, and that there is very bad punishments if you don't show up
  • Richard keeps arguing
  • Having fun at the festival is also mandatory
  • We eventually manage to socially drag Richard away
• We finally enter the city proper
  • There are several different shops, and people
  • Richard starts to look for a shoe store
  • Damia asks Ireena about the stirct festivals
  • She explains that they believe the festivals keep them safe
  • In the town square is several people in stocades (with rotten fruit around them, as if thrown), a fountain, several shops and the Blue Water Inn
  • We decide to get rooms and some rest first, and then explore the town tomorrow
• We enter the inn to a lively atmosphere

Plan

Get rooms and sleep for the night. Then explore the town. We have to attend the festival in three days (two more days and it happens on the third day). Ariah wants to seek out the church, and pray to Ilmater to grieve not being able to save the children.
We level up to level 4 next session <3 (Will probably take War caster for the ability score improvement)
Remember to change spells after rest, try to lesser restoration Damia

Report Date

06 Sep 2022