Session 36

General Summary

The Missing Vistana

Sintyavr 27th

(10:00 AM)

Madam Eva Returns

• In the late morning the old Vistani seer visits you all with cryptic words...

Her voice is a low hiss as she speaks, her silhouette dancing in the flickering candlelight. "A shadow is approaching my tent: a lone servant of Darkness. They seek knowledge of your future—secrets that I am sworn never to reveal to any but their keepers.
Do not look, child, nor rush to greet them; if they learn the import of what we have discussed, all may be lost. Do not reveal, even, that you know of the true nature of the cards, for their master will know that I have told you, and his wrath will descend upon us all.

• But also a concrete request...

Madam Eva proffers a velvet pouch containing 10 gp and asks the players to bring it to Blinsky Toys, in Vallaki, to purchase a toy for her great-grand-niece, Arabelle. (Blinsky’s are Arabelle’s favorites.) She adds that the players are welcome to keep any change as payment for their efforts. Madam Eva asks the players to deliver the toy to the Vistani encampment to the southwest of Vallaki in honor of Arabelle’s tenth nameday, Eva claims that she would go herself, but that long journeys are simply too taxing for her old bones. She adds, with a cryptic smile, that the players may enjoy speaking with Arabelle, as she is “a most interesting child.”

Blinsky's Toys

• As the characters explore the shop, Blinsky cheerfully tells them about his inspiration for making toys: the legendary toymaker Fritz von Weerg.
• When asked about the doll resembling Ireena Kolyana he anxiously insists that it is not for sale and asks them to choose another toy. It is intended for Izek and he makes them according to Izek's wishes. Blinsky is clearly terrified of Izek’s wrath.
• The party ultimately purchases an eyeless doll and some marbles resembling eyes, get them gift wrapped and head outside the walls of Vallaki

(11:00 AM)

A Mystery Unfolds

• Several footpaths and horse trails lead to this location in the woods southwest of Vallaki.

The woods part to reveal an expansive clearing: a small, grass-covered hill with low houses built into its sides. Fog obscures the details, but you can see that these buildings feature elegantly carved woodwork and have decorative lanterns hanging from their sculpted eaves. Atop the hill, above the fog, is a ring of barrel-topped wagons that surround a large tent with a column of smoke pouring out through a hole in the top. The tent is brightly lit from within. Even at this distance, you can smell the odors of wine and horses that emanate from this central area.

• The hilltop is covered with steaming piles of horse dung. More than two dozen horses are tethered to stone blocks inside the circle of wagons but outside the tent. Most of the animals are draft horses, but a few of them are riding horses equipped with saddles.
• You hear heavy snores from some wagons. Loud voices and laughter spill from others. Still more are filled with the raucous screams and laughter of children.

As you duck inside the tent, you hear the sound of splintering wood and shattering ceramic. Blinking through the haze of smoke that fills the interior, you see three sputtering campfires burning low with embers. A total of six Vistani sit around the hearths, watching the source of the commotion with solemn, sympathetic looks.
A shirtless young man kneels on the dead grass by the center of the tent, his eyes downcast and his face pale. Beside him, a broken wooden crate sits amidst a pile of broken pottery shards, several of which are still wobbling from the force of impact.
A dozen feet from the kneeling youth stands an older, larger man wearing studded leather armor and a thick, well-trimmed beard. His eyes are bloodshot, and his right hand is trembling. He appears to be leaning his weight against a makeshift wooden crutch for support; looking down, you see that his lower right leg is wrapped in blood-stained bandages.
"You were supposed to keep her safe!" the larger man bellows hoarsely. He whirls, his hand grabbing blindly as if for something else to throw. Sweat beads on his forehead, and he chokes back a sob of rage. "My little girl! And now—"
He wavers unsteadily—and stumbles. In a blink, a third man, also clad in studded leather and wearing a fine-trimmed goatee, steps out from his shadow and catches the larger man on his shoulder before he falls. "Easy, brother," the third man murmurs. "You've lost a lot of blood." He glances up and catches sight of you, his brow tightening imperceptibly. "And it would appear that we have company."

• Luvash hails you warily after Verce steps forward quickly to attempt to heal him and—leaning back on his crutch to conceal any weakness—asks you your business.
• The party shares that they have come to deliver Madam Eva’s gift'
• Luvash tells them that Arabelle—his daughter—has recently gone missing.
• Vince recognizes the man who originally lured him to Barovia in Arrigal...and decides to blend back into the shadows...

Luvash and Arigal share the following information with you:

• Three days ago, Luvash’s nephew, Alexei, was tasked with watching Arabelle play in the nearby woods while Luvash mediated a dispute between two Vistani families.
• Instead of watching Arabelle, Alexei got drunk on wine. When he woke up, Arabelle was gone.
• Alexei claims that Yan, a long-time member of the encampment, gave him the wine and had also vanished when Alexei awoke.
• Luvash led the search for Arabelle, joining more than a dozen Vistani and nearly that many dusk elf scouts from the hovels below the hill. Luvash himself had to return to the encampment after his right leg was caught in a wolf trap, leaving him too wounded to walk.
• The search parties haven’t yet found Arabelle. However, a dusk elf named Savid found Yan’s decapitated body lying in bloody grass near the Luna River, surrounded by signs of a fight.
• Savid also found a strange signet ring lying in the grass, which seemed to have been dropped in the struggle. Luvash gave it to Kasimir, the dusk elves’ leader and foremost scholar, to identify, but hasn’t received any useful news or information.

• Luvash believes that the sigil on the signet ring may lead him to Arabelle’s location.
• Return to him with actionable information about Arabelle’s whereabouts—or, better yet, Arabelle herself—Luvash promises to give them a valuable reward.
• The party decides to check in on the signet ring that Kasimir now has.

Kasimir's Hovel

• Standing quietly in front of this house, bathed in the warm light of its lanterns, are three sullen, gray-cloaked figures, their angular features and black, flowing hair half-hidden under their cowls.
• These are Dusk Elves, the first you have seen up close besides Rahadin. They are standing watch over the home of Kasimir Velikov and grant you all entry upon hearing of Luvash's request.

You enter into a small, cozy vestibule several degrees warmer than the chill mists outside. The walls of this small chamber are decorated with hanging sketches and portraits of proud and wise-looking elves with dark skin, tree-borne spires carved of dark wood, and artistic depictions of constellations and celestial bodies. Two curtains of dark brown fabric obscure the entrance to another chamber beyond. Beyond the curtains lie a larger chamber, lit and heated by a fireplace at the north end. An old green rug sits facing the fire, just beside an old wooden table flanked by several chairs. The left-side wall of this comfortable room bears a dozen cubbyholes bearing leather-bound books and small wooden statuettes of elven figures, while the wall to the right bears a faded tapestry of a lush and beautiful forest beneath a noonday sun.

• The party finds Kasimir sitting on the green rug facing the fire, meditating.
• He has recently sustained a black eye and several cuts across his cheek. His right hand and forearm are a pale bluish-white, with much of the skin puffy and blistered. Verce succesfully identifies the symptoms of frostbite.
• Asked about his injuries, he claims that he had been hiking across Mount Ghakis, but fell when the frozen bluff he’d been walking on crumbled beneath his weight.
• Kasimir welcomes the players warmly, though obviously with some discomfort.
• When the party asks for the signet ring, he produces it from his cloak and wishes them luck, noting that he could not identify it himself—odd, he thinks, given his knowledge of pre-Barovian heraldry and his long history in the valley.
• Kasimir notes that the runes on the ring are the symbols of the evocation (left) and necromancy (right) schools of magic, respectively, but confesses that the ring has shown no reaction to any kind of magic. The symbol in the middle eludes his understanding completely.
• He isn’t sure whether the Baron’s library might hold more information, but believes it a lead worth pursuing.

(12:00 PM)

A Quick Look at the Crime Scene

• The party makes their way to the Luna River location with the confirmation of Fenrir that they are on the scent, albeit a rapidly deteriorating one of the Vistana child.
• The path narrows, flanked by dense, towering trees. Up ahead, you can see an old wooden bridge come into view, its age-worn planks spanning the rushing river below.
• As you approach, you can see the dark river tumbling over the smooth stones of the riverbed, bordered on either side by gnarled bushes and trees.
• Locating the crime scene, an investigation uncovers at least three distinct sets of footprints as well as signs of something being dragged about a short distance...a sack perhaps?
• There are signs that someone crashed out of the underbrush near the riverbank at one point and joined the other two closer to the river, from this point the tracks are chaotic and interspersed with blood. (Note: Yan's head was never recovered)
• A small scrap of white material fluttering on the surface of the far side of the river, caught on a tree root a dozen yards downstream is noticed.
• It's a small, soaked white handkerchief, monogrammed with the embroidered red initials “R.V.R.”
• Exhausting the discovery of any new information here the party decides to check the Burgomaster's library in Vallaki

(12:30 PM)

Time to Meet the Burgomaster

• This mansion has walls of plastered stone that display many scars where the plaster has fallen away from age and neglect. Drapes cover every window, including a large, arched opening above the mansion's double entrance doors.
• You are greeted by Clavdia, the Baron’s maid, after getting past the guards and led to the den.
• Padded chairs and couches line the walls of this cozy, carpeted den. The room reeks of pipe smoke, and mounted on the east wall is the head of an angry-looking brown bear.

• The Baron arrives to speak with them a few minutes later, joined by his twin mastiffs named Fang and Claw.
• While he is not generally inclined to grant their request, but considering their help in last night's attack, Vargas is willing to allow them entry into the library if they agree to resolve a problem his household has been facing.
• For the past two months, a spirit has haunted the Vallakovich mansion.
• The party decides to check on the library first and are led there by Clavdia, the maid.

He shares with them the following information:

• Servants have seen its reflection in mirrors or darkened windows, and have reported cold drafts, strange sounds, and objects that move of their own volition.
• The mansion’s butler and the baroness's lady-in-waiting have already left the Baron's employment, too fearful of the ghost to continue working in the house.
• The Baron’s wife, Baroness Lydia Petrovna, hosts daily lunches for a group of Vallakian women, who Vargas uses to prepare costumes and decorations for his weekly festivals. Vargas is desperate to ensure that the women remain ignorant of the spirit’s existence.
• The Baron's cook, a doughty woman named Tereska, has seen the spirit most recently, and nearly quit her job before the Baron convinced her to stay by (reluctantly) increasing her pay.
• The Baron doesn’t mind allowing the players to use the library before they’ve solved the case, but will only grant them access if they agree to take it on.

Viktor Vallakovich, More than Meets the Eye?

The party confirms that no books contain any information about the ring.

However Rumex discovers an interesting bit of information:

a familiar name in a genealogical tome archiving births and deaths to Vallakian families: Ireena Strazni, the younger sister of Izek Strazni and the daughter of Grygori and Fatima Strazni. According to the records, however, Ireena Strazni died more than eighteen years ago at the age of four, with Grygori and Fatima dying shortly thereafter. Grygori and Fatima’s deaths are marked as Suicide by hanging, while Ireena’s cause of death is marked as Unknown (presumed devoured by wolves).

Shortly after the party discover these records, however, they are interrupted by the arrival of Victor Vallakovich, who has come to the library in search of a particular book: Ethereal Entities: Denizens of the Unseen Realm, written by the archmage Mordenkainen.

Victor, is a quiet, moody, and isolated young man with an awkward manner and a total lack of social graces, is carrying his spellbook with him.

The party show Victor the ring as it appears Victor may actually be an ally, and as it turns out it is the same symbol is on the cover of his spellbook.

Victor bids the party follow him to his attic workspace where they can talk privately.

This large attic is full of old, forgotten things draped in white sheets. Piled around them are barrels, crates, trunks, and old furnishings covered with cobwebs and dust.

You see a clear footpath through the maze. Searching through the junk in this attic uncovers a few old paintings and antiques, but nothing of value.

Eventually you come to a door at the far end of the attic. Victor dispels some sort of ward that was placed on a carved skeletal face within the wood surface of the door. Hanging from the doorknob is a wooden sign that reads "ALL IS NOT WELL!"

• Victor’s workroom appears as if someone has taken old, mismatched furniture and created a study is this dusty, lamplit chamber.
• Tables are strewn with pieces of parchment, on which strange diagrams are drawn, and a freestanding bookshelf holds a collection of bones.
• A dusty rug covers the floor in front of a large covered frame standing against the wall. A skeletal cat is lounging on the desk.

After persuading Victor to help in finding Arabelle, Victor shares the following information:

• Three years ago, he found an old spellbook in his father’s library. He’s used it to study magic ever since.
• The original owner of the spellbook was a mage named Khazan. The symbol on the cover of the spellbook was his personal sigil.
• Long ago, Khazan built a wizard’s tower, which he imbued with powerful enchantments, including a protective field that prevented any other spellcasters from using magic within its reach.

And a request for help from a recent tragedy:
Six months ago, Victor met Stella Wachter, the youngest child of Lady Fiona Wachter, while skipping stones by Lake Zarovich. Stella and Victor were surprised to find that they shared a mutual interest in magic, myths, and philosophy. Despite their parents’ clear disapproval, the two became fast friends.
After swearing Stella to secrecy, Victor shyly showed her his spellbook and some of the magic he could perform. Stella was fascinated, and immediately volunteered to serve as his research assistant, an offer that left Victor stunned and flattered.
Victor and Stella agreed that escaping Barovia's desolation was imperative. (Victor also hoped for an opportunity to escape his parents’ grasp, while Stella hoped to bring her family with her from Barovia.) The two dove together into a new research project: the construction of a teleportation circle capable of escaping Barovia.
Ten weeks ago, their prototype teleportation circle was complete. After the two performed some minor experiments using Victor’s undead cats, Stella excitedly insisted on a live, human trial and volunteered to go first. Victor reluctantly did so—and tragedy struck.
The spell failed—and the psychic backlash briefly exposed Stella’s soul to the raw energies of the Ethereal Plane.
There, an unknown essence, lured by the magical beacon of Victor’s spell, sensed Stella's presence and struck, severing Stella’s soul from her body.
Back on the Material Plane, when the smoke and light cleared, Victor saw Stella standing limply at the center of the circle, her eyes dull and unresponsive.
Terrified that his father might learn of Victor’s magical abilities—or, worse, blame Victor for Stella’s fate— Victor told him that she had abruptly become catatonic for no apparent reason. Vargas, displeased with Stella's presence from the beginning, was all too glad to have an excuse to be rid of “the Wachter girl,” and directed Izek to return her to Wachterhaus immediately. Fiona was horrified by Stella’s fate and began plotting the downfall of the Vallakovich family in quiet fury.
Victor spent two weeks wracked with guilt and sorrow before, strangely, one of the servants mentioned seeing a spirit resembling Stella in the mirror in his mother’s parlor. It was through the spirit mirror that Victor learned that Stella’s soul still lived in the Ethereal Plane—and it was through that mirror, communicating with handsigns and lip-reading, that the two began to work to restore Stella’s soul to her body.

While reading Khazan’s spellbook, Victor learned that Khazan was the owner of a powerful wizard’s staff, which Victor believes may still be somewhere in his tower.

According to the spellbook, a magical binding allowed Khazan to summon it by merely speaking his own name.

With the aid of Khazan’s staff, Victor believes he may be able to rescue Stella’s soul from the Ethereal Plane and restore it to her body.

When he party agreed to investigate Khazan’s tower and give Victor any artifacts they find, he tells them where the tower can be found: a gravel causeway on Lake Baratok, to the west.

Victor isn’t sure how to get to Lake Baratok from Vallaki. However, he does know someone who does: Szoldar Szoldarovich, one of the town’s most skilled hunters. (Last year, in an effort to encourage Victor to develop more masculine hobbies and traits, Vargas forced him to accompany Szoldar on a hunting trip in the woods by Vallaki’s walls. Victor detested the experience, but came away with a healthy respect for Szoldar’s knowledge of Barovia’s wilderness.)

Vallaki Map

Vallaki

Blinsky's Toys

Vistani Camp outside Vallaki

Burgomaster's Mansion

Report Date

18 Nov 2023

Primary Location

Vistani Camp - Vallaki

Secondary Location

Vallaki Burgomaster's Mansion

Related Characters

• Alexei
• Arrigal
• Baron Vargas Vallakovich
• Dusk Elf Guards
• Gadof Blinsky
• Kasimir Velikov
• Luvash
• Madam Eva
• Victor Vallakovich

Books "Liberated" from the Library

Vercinisisstrix:

The Truth of Lord Argynvost by Vasili von Holtz: A slanderous tome accusing Lord Argynvost of consorting with demons and fathering a number of abominable cambion children.
The Black Heart of The Clergy by Brother Sammaiel: A zealous opinion piece accusing organized religion as a whole of consorting with demons and conspiring to enslave humanity.

---

Rumex:

Die Instinkte der Toten by Hector von Staubich: A tome detailing different kinds of "lower undead" such as zombies, skeletons, ghouls, and specters.
Mother Night: Guardian of the Dark by Father Frederich: A book describing Mother Night’s protective powers and blessings, seeing her as the Morninglord’s partner and counterpart.

---

Ilyson:

The Path of the Barbarian by Jirko Alastroi: A treatise describing 'vision quests' and other rituals carried out by the mountain tribes and detailing the alchemical formulas used in them.
The Roc of Mount Ghakis by Alana Grejenko: A compilation of rumors and myths describing a monstrous, colossal eagle that lives at the very top of Mount Ghakis and hunts horses for food.

---

Vincenzo:

On the Transmutation of Stone and Inorganic Substance by Archmagi Khazan: A treatise dealing with advanced transmutation, particularly regarding shaping and enchanting different sorts of stone for construction purposes.
Architect of Miracles by Harkus Targolov: The biography of Artimus van der Zwartsteen, a master architect from the far land of Westelijk. It details several of his projects, including Castle Ravenloft.

Madam Eva

Luvash

Arrigal

Alexei

Dusk Elf Guard

Kasimir Velikov

Baron Vargas Vallakovich

Victor Vallakovich

Khazan's Signet Ring

Monogrammed Handkerchief "R.V.R."

Ireena Kolyana Doll

Eyeless Doll

Eye Marbles

Teleportation Circle