Session 25
General Summary
The Morning Gate of Vallaki
24th of Sintyavr
4:00 PM (current travel: 10 miles/5 hours)
The End of Chapter One...- Still within the Tome of Strahd, atop the escarpment, as the battle rages on, an enormous silver dragon rises from behind the fortress' battlements and comes to land atop them.
- Before you bear witness to the majesty of this terror, the chapter dissolves into mist and the party finds themselves back at their makeshift camp as the words are heard, "...but the war years and the killing years wore down my soul as the wind wears stone into sand."
- Oddly, no one filled in Verce or Ireena about what happened, or why they were gone for two hours.
6:00 PM (current travel: 14 miles/7 hours)
I Looked, and Behold, an Ashen Horse- The party encounters a skeletal rider approaching them upon a dark steed.
- After standing their ground prepared for a fight, the rider arcs around them and thunders past.
- A blood curdling scream could be heard echoing in the distance from the direction the rider galloped towards, followed by a chorus of howls and cackles.
- Given familiarity with rider's attitudes, it is postulated that the rider was not simply racing for the sake of speed, nor was it attacking...but perhaps...searching for something or someone, just not you.
- Vincenzo sent out Helena to investigate but found nothing besides the tracks left by the horse as it continued back in the direction from whence they came.
- A bounty poster is spotted, citing a 10GP reward per kill of Strahd's creatures.
- It was at that moment the growls were heard and the pack that had been trailing the party since Tser Pool pounced from all directions
- Rumex was the first to spot the wolves coming through the mist and leapt into action brandishing the silvered longsword he just acquired from the Tome and neatly separated the first wolf's snarling canine head from it's body before getting slammed into and knocked to the ground by a powerful charge from another wolf.
- Ilyson fends off the snarling maw of another wolf who attacked from the rear of the companions formation and delivered his own two handed blow upon the wolf, nearly finishing it but could not strike the killing blow just yet as his reverse thrust missed its mark.
- Ozan hurried over to Rumex uttering a prayer to Lathander as smoke erupts from his mouth and fire ejaculates from his mouth, killing one wolf and severely injuring the two others who are trying to rend Rumex to pieces.
- Vercinissistrix's wrath imbues his longsword with magical force and he strikes a mighty blow to the wolf who attacked from the party's flank, tearing it apart with the blow.
- Verce could make out the form of a monstrous Dire Wolf approaching from the same direction on the southern flank and moves to intercept it before it can reach Vincenzo, Ireena and the children in the cart.
- Vincenzo sees this from the cart and helps out by delivering four arcane blasts of a sickly purple color from his hands that unerringly strike the new threat.
- While the initial wolf attack from the front continues to rend away at Rumex, the large Dire Wolf clenches his jaw around Verce's arm wrenching it painfully and trying to knock him to the ground...the dragonborn's vengeful spirit however allows him to keep his feet and blast the abomination backwards with the sheer force of his will.
- With an upward thrust of his longsword, Rumex is able to dispatch one of the beasts pinning him down, as another is able to bite him while he throws the body off himself while rising to his feet.
- Ilyson suffers a rending tear from the jaws of the rear attacker, and engages his runic magic to grow to the size of a giant and lop the wolf cleanly in two.
- Ozan leaves Rumex to deal with the remaining wolf and runs towards the cart, centralizing his position as a flash of dimmed light streaks out from his fingertips toward the southern Dire Wolf immolating in a holy aura that leaves behind a smoldering carcass. A quick prayer to Ilmater heals the weary around him somewhat.
- Vincenzo turns to face the new threat, the huge Dire Wolf attacking from the opposite direction as it comes charging at the cart, letting loose an eldritch blast of energy towards the creature, merely infuriating the beast.
- Rumex obliterates the remaining wolf with the silvered shortsword just as Verce was running to assist and hands the dragon-man the blade saying "That's how it's done, I'm better with this anyway," as he looses an arrow towards the charging beast and sinks it deep in its haunches.
- The arrow causes the great beast to stumble and strike the cart with vicious force, breaking the rear wheels and sending its occupants sprawling. It lunges at Ozan in anger but the cleric is able to evade its snapping jaws.
- Ilyson fires what looks like a sapling at the Dire Wolf hitting his target and evoking the power of fire from another runic activation and restraining the beast with chains of fire.
- Ozan puts the weakened creature to sleep and Verce slides the slivered blade into the base of its neck to finally put an end to this battle.
10:00 PM (current travel: 20 miles/10 hours)
Vallaki, finally, Vallaki- The party approaches Vallaki, pushing past exhaustion in order to get off the road and find a safer place to rest. Not to mention, get Ireena and the children to their intended destination!
- They pass spikes mounted with wolves heads at the Morning Gate and are greeted through the iron gates in the 15 ft, tall palisade by two heavily armored guards with pikes. Countless other guards man the walls armed with crossbows trained on them.
- Entry is initially refused as the gates are not to be opened during the night, but Ireena is able to use the station of her nobility along with persuasive help from Vincenzo and Vercinissistrix.
- Captain Korga Barthos relents and ushers the party within the gates. He also begins to recite some initial Vallaki ordinances: not the least of which is "Don't say Strahd", "All will be Well", and "Mandatory Festival attendance"
- He hands everyone the letters of the law as well as Weapons Registration papers, and everyone does their due diligence (or do they?)
- Vincenzo pulls some seriously sneaky moves with the Tome of Strahd to avoid its detection. (a la "Now You See Me" circa 2013)
- The companions are led through town towards the Vallaki Reformation Center for "Declaration of Magic", merely a formality to ensure everyone's safety within the "glorious and safe city of Vallaki."
- On the way, the shops and homes that enclose the town square are decorated with limp, tattered garlands and painted wooden boxes filled with tiny, dead flowers. At the north end of the square stands a couple rows of stocks, in which are locked several men, women, and children wearing crude, plaster donkey heads.
- In the center of the square, peasants in patchwork clothes eye you suspiciously as they use cups and vases to draw water from a crumbling stone fountain before heading out of sight, presumably for curfew. Standing tall at the center of the fountain is a gray statue of an impressive man facing west. All around the square are posters from the Wolf's Head Jamboree Festival of last week.
- Captain Korga explains that preparations are already being made for next week's festival, taking place in 3 days time and the party spies an updated poster describing the "Festival of the Blazing Sun."
- Even though the guards and the captain are genial enough and smiling through what seems like stock answers, the party notices that the smiles themselves seem to be somewhat strained, almost as if it is a mask to wear.
10:30 PM (current travel: 20 miles/10 hours)
- Captain Korga leads them to the Vallaki Reformation Center, to finish the registration process.
- The building is a heavily fortified structure crawling with guards. It serves as a correctional facility, barracks for guards as well as a training center.
- It is overseen by a trio of elves called the Reformers.
- One such Reformer is summoned by an attendant guard and proves to be a magic user of some sort by casting minor prestidigitations as he describes the process of the Declaration of Magic.
- He casts Zone of Truth and suggest you willingly succumb to its effects for he will know anyway if you choose to struggle against the spells intent. This is to ensure the integrity of the process.
Argynvost
Captain Korga Barthos
Jandar Dorrie (on right)
Report Date
15 Apr 2023
Primary Location
Secondary Location
Related Characters
Dire Wolf
Wolf
Certificate of Registration
Entry to Vallaki Ordinance
Malicious Unhappiness Ordinance
Greater Crimes Ordinance
