Session 8: Monsters Within Report

General Summary

Ahead of the feast, Lady Wachter sends the party "proper dinner attire". All the clothing fits perfectly as if they had been tailored to them. The clothing is not magical. For Aukan a finely made priests robes with a tabard, embroidered with the symbol of the morninglord and boots. For Thiala a fine noble ladies dress with rose embroidery to match your cloak. For DJ a kafta long coat with belt and breaches and boots
Lady Wachter puts on a fine feast with a whole pig, an cloven apple in its mouth, root vegetables, jams and jellies, sweet cakes along with tea and wine.
Lady asks to hear their opinions of Vallaki and the Burgomaster and about where they come from and their lives before traveling here. Meanwhile, her daughter (though obviously human) purrs and meows at her brothers and the visitors and watches them intently. She seeks attention from DJ, is timid around Aukan, and ignores Thiala occasionally hissing at her. Eventually, Lady Wachter has her daughter escorted to her room by her brothers, which she resists the whole way upstairs, howling. She then informs them of her daughters rape by the Burgomasters son and how what he did to her drove her mad. When she laid her allegations before the burgomaster, he called her a liar and threatened to have her arrested if she kept up the "unsubstantiated" rumors. It's gotten progressively worse over the last month and she has been looking for a way to cure her traumatized daughter. She's convinced that seeing the Burgomaster and his Son pay for their crimes would help her recover.
If the party visits her during the day or use a calm emotions spell on her at night she is more lucid and can tell them that Victor used dark magic and was trying to also sacrifice her to some demon for the power to escape Barovia. Questioning her will trigger one of her cat episodes though.
Lady Wachter doesn't want the travelers to break the law, but she sees no other way to get justice for her daughter other than to stage a coup. She has supporters across the community but none who don't fear the burgomasters body guard. Someone as strong as the players on her side would turn the field to her favor.
With that topic covered she invites them into the conservatory where a round table is set up, a spirit board and planchet ready for use in front of one chair, the table covered with a red velvet cloth, the crest of the wachter family embroidered prominently at its center. "There is someone I think you should meet, one of my ancestors. She was witness and survivor to the night that Strahd changed and I think you'll find what she has to say compelling. Everyone wants to blame Strahd for their sad lot in life, but I think you'll find him a more just ruler than most."
"Oh great Ancestor I call upon you. Come and tell your tale to these lost souls so they may know him as you did. Tell us of he who is ancient, of he who is the life of this land." Lady Wachter and the others around the table you see the planchet begin to move and stop on "Greetings".
"Come forth oh spirit! Will you tell us your tale?"
Even lady Wachter seems a bit taken aback (Majestro normally controls the planchete but it wasn't time for him to start yet. She plays along with it as best she can, as if she'd done this a hundred times before. Those who can see invisible objects see Majestro as he moves to take hold of the planchet, but misses as the the planchet moves on its own again to "yes") A there's a loud thump on the table as the plancet moves again and stops on "yes".
Majesto finally gets up and gets ahold of the planchet as it lifts up off the board and a wild tug of war ensues. Those around the table see the ghost of an elegant female probably about the same age as Lady Wachter is now. You can see the family resemblance, holding on to the planchet with one hand and suddenly an imp appears his spell broken by the ghost who has the creature by the throat. "Out of the way creature," it says and throws it across the room where it lands against the wall and then slides to the floor with a thump unconscious.
The ghost turns to Lady Wachter "Teach your demon some manors" Lady Wachter is held in place in her chair. "You would know of Count Strahd Von Zorovich?" it asks turning to the rest of the table. The Wachter boys look like they're about to shit themselves in wonder (obviously this has never happened before) but nod in slackjawed agreement.
I was there that night, the night everything changed. Haunting Trap Activates: The planchet spins in her outstretched hand turning into a misty oblong mirror. Those who fail their saves against the trap see the scenes through the ghost's eyes and feel her emotions. Those who make their save can watch and listen to the scenes in the mirror.
Her family was in the great hall, everyone drinking and dancing and catching up on the recent events of their cousins and fellow nobles families. All gathered to attend the wedding of Tatayana a common girl to Lexi Von Zorovich, the youngest of Strahds brothers. All watch in horror as an army of helmed men in the colors of House Disilinya draw their weapons and start cutting people down left and right. First anyone with a weapon and then all the rest. Her mother her father and her escaped into the chapel where her mother uses magic to hold of the invaders telling her father and her to run. Her father scooping her up and charging through the door out to the large balcony beyond, where strahd was being shot by arrow after arrow after arrow as he sat on the ground, dark tears streaming down pale flesh already covered in blood of the invaders. It was then that the mists came and it was then that Strahd himself drove the armies of the tretcherous fiends who slew her family and releasing those who survived from his service and banning all from the castle.
"Strahd may be a monster to you. But to the Wachter line he is our dark savior. My father died searching for Leo but I was able to locate him and reported it to Count Strahd by letter. He came to me then and promised me that revenge would be served. He found Leo and put him in an empty crypt below where I got to listen to his frantic cries of hunger and starvation as he withered away within those walls, turned to a vampire by Count Strahd he has spent all his days since locked in a coffin deep within the bowels of Castle Ravenloft. As my soul cannot leave this realm I slip into that place often and torment what remains of his soul."

Rewards Granted

"Dinner Attire" for Thiala, Dark Jade and Gravetender (worth 50 gold pieces)

*Holy Symbol of Ravenkind - Gravetender

Vistani Life Debt - DJ

A chest with:
• five 100 gold piece diamonds
• 53 gold pieces
• 622 Silver
• 424 Copper

Campaign

Dreams of Mist and Blood

Protagonists

Aukan "Gravetender" Katho-Olavi

sage goliath ()
twilight cleric 5

40 / 40 HP

STR
18

DEX
14

CON
14

INT
12

WIS
18

CHA
12

Thiala Galanodel

Neutral Evil Dhampir (Soldier)
Wizard 9
Fighter 3

108 / 108 HP

STR
10

DEX
16

CON
14

INT
18

WIS
12

CHA
16

DARK JADE CLOUD

Neutrial Tabaxi (Outlander)
Ranger 3

35 / 35 HP

STR
14

DEX
18

CON
15

INT
15

WIS
17

CHA
14

Report Date

21 Jun 2021

Primary Location

Vallaki

Secondary Location

Wachterhaus