Chapter 4 - Tatyana
“Then, all my disparaging thoughts fell away like dead leaves. She was, without doubt, the most beautiful person I'd ever seen.”
Guests and their Goals
This dinner is not a particularly pleasant meal as each guest will be vying for attention and their place at the table. Their respective motivations and goals that were discovered by the party are listed below. Strahd- Learn as much as he can about Tatyana.
- Sabotage his brother in any way that he can, including casually making the point that as a member of the church, Sergei does have to take a vow of non-marriage.
- He pays no mind to Patrina even though he is technically her escort for this evening.
- Attempt to regain Strahd's attention any way she can.
- Avoid Rahadin's judgments.
- Engage all of the guests at the table in conversation.
- He is entirely oblivious to Strahd's advances on Tatyana.
- Believes his older brother's insults are merely jokes and smoothly brush them away or twist them into positives.
- Keep the table in high spirits and abate any tension that he notices.
- Do everything in her power to fit in with the noble crowd.
- Light up any time that Sergei speaks.
- Kindly acknowledge Strahd’s comments and compliment him in return.
- Be extremely kind to Patrina and remain entirely unaware that Patrina is jealous of her.
- Bask in the chaos of the meal.
- Speak to any guests that seem to have any religious iconography on their person about their god or the Morninglord.
- Remind Strahd that this young woman is a commoner, and he’s being foolish but… subtly.
- Keep the peace as best he can.
- Aggressively aid Strahd in conversation and tout his accomplishments.
- Keep decorum at dinner at all costs.
- Mock or otherwise demean Patrina.
The party also learned a bit of the history of the dusk elves...Once a province on the outskirts of Zarovia (Strahd's father's kingdom), they refused to pay fealty to Barov and were obliterated in a war over this matter in the course of a year....wiping out their entire royal bloodline. The 100 or so dusk elves remaining alive at this time are living with the Vistani in a camp outside Vallaki. Patrina and her brother, Kasimir, are what passes as the leaders of this remaing tribe. Rahadin was integral in leading the charge against his own people, having been in the service and being completely loyal to the Von Zarovich family.
The dinner continues with strained conversation and subtle jabs, each guest vying for attention and control. As the meal comes to an end, Sergei stands up, smiling warmly at Tatyana. Sergei: My dear guests, I must excuse myself. I must accompany Tatyana back to her village. It has been a delightful evening, and I thank you all for your company. Strahd: (Leaning in, his voice silky) Tatyana, you need not trouble yourself with the journey back. I insist you stay here as my honored guest. A room will be prepared for you immediately. Tatyana: (Humble, but torn) Oh, I couldn't possibly impose, Lord Strahd. Thank you for your generosity, but Sergei is right. I should return home. Sergei: (Respecting her decision) Whatever you wish, Tatyana. Your comfort is paramount. Patrina: (Under her breath) She should leave. This is no place for a commoner. Rahadin: (Stepping in) Tatyana, I urge you to stay. Your presence would bring much joy to the castle, and it would be a delight to have you as our guest. Tatyana hesitates for a moment, her eyes lingering on Sergei. Finally, she nods, accepting Strahd's offer. Strahd's face falls somber, realizing that he may not have won as much as he thought. The dinner ends, tension hanging thick in the air, and the guests disperse, each with their own secrets and desires.
“It was as if the sun that had favored me had been all along hidden by a cloud. Its brilliant glory now shone in full upon him… and him alone.”
Tatyana giggles behind you, but you are no longer behind the castle. She sits on a stool in a grandiose, paneled music room. Her hair has grown several inches, and her homely vestments have been replaced by a simple but beautiful summer dress. Stunning harp music drifts through the air, and you see Strahd plucking at the instrument's strings, entirely at peace, and enraptured by Tatyana’s joy. Almost frozen in time, the two begin to sing. Until a door clicks and Sergei enters. She stands, bows to him, and he hurries toward her, hugging her so tightly that she rises from the ground. He spins her around and around the fading room. She is confused as Sergei lifts her. Not to a point of dislike, but she feels uneasy. The party recognize a sense of guilt on her face after her eyes flicker in Strahd’s direction. Tatyana continues to spin and her already stunning dress morphs into a blossoming red gown with a large petticoat. She now dances in a ballroom, the same hall where you sat for dinner, now cleared for a crowd. She whirls to the tune of the now lively pipe organ and a small band. Her outstretched hand clasps with Sergei’s as he forms from the mist, and they are entwined, twirling and floating through a crowd of nobles all doing the same. All but Lord Strahd Von Zarovich who sits starkly below a deathly still portrait of his own likeness. He calls for a toast to the people of Barovia and his incredible guest, staring deeply into Tatyana's eyes. He steps forward from his throne and presents Tatyana and Sergei with goblets. Rumex notices Strahd remove a small vial from his pocket and pour a bubbling pink liquid into Tatyana's drink. Tatyana drinks from the goblet. She turns toward Sergei at the end of the toast and immediately steals him away for a dance with impassioned fervor.
“One would think the ritual for casting a love spell or creating a love philter would be more common, but my books were bereft of such things, except for a single short treatise on the subject. The writer's conclusion that love was a force that could not be successfully reproduced by magical methods struck me as being inanely smug.”
Tome of Strahd
Wondrous item, legendary
(requires attunement by a spellcaster) While attuned to the Tome you gain the following benefits: You have advantage on any skill checks made to recall information about Barovian history or lore. You gain a +1 to your AC and to any saving throws when defending against Strahd von Zarovich’s magic. While attuned to the Tome you may spend 4 hours attempting to decipher new sections of the Tome in order to gain further insight into the life of Strahd and the land of Barovia. Deciphering a chapter requires an Intelligence (Investigation) or Intelligence (Arcana) check and at least 4 hours of dedicated research time. Another creature may assist you in the attempt and grant advantage on the check if they help. Attempting to decipher the book or offering your help in deciphering it reduces your passive perception by 5 for the duration of the 4 hours. The Tome also appears to contain esoteric, magical knowledge akin to spells inscribed within a wizard's spellbook. As the secrets and magic contained within are revealed to you, you may cast any spells recorded in the Tome as a ritual. If a spell found in the Tome does not have the ritual tag, it is nonetheless a ritual spell for you when cast from the Tome. Once a spell is cast in this way, it cannot be cast from the Tome again until the following dusk. If the spell is of a higher level than you are able to cast, you must succeed on a DC10 + the spell's level Intelligence(Arcana) check. If you fail, the spell's use for the day is still expended.Spells Learned
Prologue - Illusory Script (1st Level Illusion)Chapter One - Unseen Servant (1st Level Conjuration)
Chapter Two - Gentle Repose (2nd Level Necromancy)
Chapter Three - Skywrite (2nd Level Transmutation)
Chapter Four - Philter of Love (Alcohol + Seregon, 2 hrs. DC 15 Herbalist Kit check)
Tatyana Federovna
Patrina Velikovna
Dawnmaster Ilona Darovnya
Sergei Von Zarovich
Strahd Von Zarovich
