Session 19 - Brewing Troubles and Troubling Brews

General Summary

As Lada settles back into her home and considers doing some spring cleaning she comes across a chest with her dowry. There are blankets, bed spreads, and curtains with intricate patterns woven and embroidered into the fabric. While Lada examines the contents of the chest, she recalls the volhvy having similar patterns on dresses and kerchiefs they wore.
In addition to the decorated cloth, she rediscovers a spindle and a straw effigy, the size of a doll. Among the spindle and effigy she also comes across a paid or stuffed crows with black eyes. There is also a jar of her grandmothers preserves. Lada puts crows by her bed and over the next few days is surprised to find them disappearing from their where they stood every night. Concerned about who might be moving her belongings she double check her chest and find several items missing from her dowry chest, only to be found again several days later. While no one is staying with Lada at this time, she also hears footsteps both inside and outside of her home.
As the days passed Lada makes her way down to the cellar to restock on food, and almost as punishment for continuing to cook with butter, the jar of her grandmothers preserves breaks and the energy in her home start to feel unsettling.

* * *

Similar goings on are reported in other households in the village. Irina, concerned about the changes she and her companions had undergone during the volkhvy's trial, sought guidance through prayer. She also become concerned about the increasing talk of problems within Aleksandrovka's households - broken crockery, strange noises in the night, falling icons, and began to fear that the local cemetery had become unconsecrated. To head off possible trouble, she heads over there with Sister Evdokia and several vials of holy water.

* * *

Vashti continued work on her potion cauldron. Light-Heart sought refuge with her, and his curiosity meant he kept sticking her nose in the business of various people around town.

* * *

In the meantime, Ivan, after working with Borya to continue repairs on the watermill, returned to speak with Bishop Tikhon in hopes of assisting him in his crusade. The Bishop, along with a number of soldiers were planning on defeating the volkhvy living in the wilderness. Borya announced that he was oath-bound to provide the volkhvy with information about the church's plans. To stop him from going to tell Ratibor about the Bishop's intentions, Ivan challenged him to a drinking contest in Lada's yard. Though both of them possessed great prowess in this regard, they ultimately tied, both falling unconscious after the seventh tankard.
With her house in disarray, and two drunk men passed out in her yard, Lada goes to find Vashti to help her identify what spirit or creature might be present in her home. Vashti enters Lada’s home and attempts to question the spirit but is not able to get the answers that she seeks. The spirit in her attic, and then a red-eyed goat in her yard, appear to call upon dark magic to try to squeeze the life out of the two women. Lada instructs Vashti to exit her home out of concern for her safety, but, seeing the goat, Vashti sees proceeds to ignite in flames.
Worried about Irina’s reaction she goes to search for her at the convent, and later at the graveyard, where she interrupts Irina and Sister Evdokia to share the news of what is happening. Irina accompanies Lada to her home and attempts to reason with the spirit, but only gets hurt and is forced to leave Lada’s home.
After some back and forth Lada learns the name of the spirit in her home: Vadim. He instructs her that she must be respectful as they have been in her grandmother’s home longer than she’s been alive. Not being a fan of having her things moved and belongings being broken, she asks what she must do to keep the spirits happy. Vadim shares that she must beg for a being called Kostroma to come to her yard, and that a life must be given for a life to come and inhabit her yard. Lada catches a frog and breaks its neck outside of her yard, as well as drops some of her own blood at the four corners of her yard. The crows who had gather atop her home witnessed her sacrifice and left, as if to carry the message of Lada’s actions to someone or something that would be interested.

Report Date

13 Nov 2022

Primary Location

Aleksandrovka