Arc E - The Missing Vistana - Curse of Strahd: Reloaded

_An adventure for five 4th-level characters._ In this arc, at Madam Eva’s request, the players visit Blinsky Toys, the home of Vallaki's resident toymaker, to purchase a nameday gift for Eva’s great grand-niece, Arabelle. There, the players learn new information about the traveling ringmaster Rictavio, and the Baron's brutish enforcer, Izek Strazni. After obtaining a toy for Arabelle, the players visit the Vistani encampment located a short distance away from Vallaki's walls. There, the players can meet the camp’s leaders: Luvash and Arrigal, Arabelle’s father and uncle, respectively. When the players learn that Arabelle has recently disappeared, Luvash asks them to retrieve a clue from the scene of her disappearance—a strange platinum signet ring—from Kasimir Velikov, one of the dusk elves whose hovels circle the encampment. Luvash believes that the ring may hold the key to finding his daughter, and promises the players a wealth of treasure if they research its secrets in the Baron’s personal library in Vallaki and uncover Arabelle’s location. Upon obtaining the ring from Kasimir and returning to Vallaki, the players must gain access to Baron Vargas Vallakovich’s personal library—either by cunning, diplomacy, or subterfuge. Once inside, they are soon met by the Baron’s son, Victor Vallakovich, whose spellbook bears the same sigil as the signet ring. In exchange for the players’ promise to bring back any relics found therein—including, if possible, a proper wizard’s staff—Victor tells them that the sigil was the personal symbol of the archmage Khazan, whose abandoned tower sits on the shores of Lake Baratok. Though Victor doesn’t know how to get there, he can direct the players to Szoldar Szoldarovich, a Vallakian wolf-hunter who knows the Svalich Woods well. The players can hire Szoldar as a guide, or simply buy him a drink to get directions to Lake Baratok. Upon arriving at the lake, the players can find the trapped wagon of the Vistana monster hunter Ezmerelda d’Avenir, as well as the ancient mage’s tower of Khazan himself. After bypassing the tower’s magically locked door, the players can find clues revealing Arabelle’s fate—and suggesting that the ringmaster Rictavio is not all he appears. If the players return to Vallaki, confront Rictavio, and persuade him that they’re friends, rather than foes, he reluctantly reveals his identity and leads them to Arabelle’s hiding place: the carnival wagon stored in the Arasek Stockyard. Unbeknownst to the players, however, Arabelle’s uncle, Arrigal, has followed them into Vallaki—and when Arrigal reveals himself and demands her return, the players must decide which man to trust. And even once the tension has settled, Arabelle delivers a dark and cryptic prophecy . . . > [!lore]+ **Strahd’s Bounty** > > When Strahd received Madam Eva’s [[Act I - Into the Mists/Arc C - Into the Valley#C8. Black Carriage|most recent foretelling]], he learned that he could not control the raw power of the Fanes without a token of the *Rozana’s* divinity. Strahd also learned of two means by which he could obtain such a token: by sacrificing a memento of his past at the Whispering Wall by Yester Hill, or by securing a mortal descendant who bore a divine spark of the Ladies Three themselves. Strahd’s preference is, of course, the latter. > > Strahd knows that a descendant of one of the Ladies lives somewhere in the valley, and knows which signs will lead him to them. To this end, he has dispatched his spies across Barovia in search of them. Though Strahd doesn’t know it, his cupbearer and most recent consort—the **vampire spawn** Escher—has taken it upon himself to pursue the descendant as well. > > ***Escher & Yan's Deal.*** Though Escher joined Strahd’s court freely, he has recently grown anxious that Strahd might soon discard him—especially if Strahd’s vampiric brides, Ludmilla, Anastrasya, and Volenta, succeed in winning back his favor. As such, when a Vistana named Yan—one of Strahd's many spies—visited Castle Ravenloft for a report, Escher struck a deal with him. Yan agreed to assist in locating the Ladies' descendant; in exchange, once Escher became Strahd’s favored consort, he would provide Yan with riches and power. > > ***Arabelle’s Disappearance.*** Yan returned to the Vistani encampment outside of Vallaki—and it wasn’t long before he struck gold. Upon recognizing that Luvash’s daughter, Arabelle, bore many of the signs that Escher had described, Yan summoned Escher to the camp and prepared to make his move. > > Alexei, a Vistana youth and Arabelle’s older cousin, was ordinarily tasked with watching her while her father, Luvash, worked. While Arabelle played in the woods near the encampment, Yan approached Alexei and shared with him copious amounts of wine—more than enough to get him exceedingly drunk. Once Alexei was asleep, Yan grabbed Arabelle, gagged her, and stuffed her into a sack. > > Yan moved quickly to bring Arabelle to Escher’s pre-arranged meeting point: an innocuous spot along the banks of the Luna River nearby. Yan found Escher there as expected—but as Escher retrieved Yan’s payment, disaster struck. > > Dr. Rudolph van Richten, the vampire hunter who had fled Castle Ravenloft after Strahd’s awakening, had been staying nearby at the old tower on Lake Baratok. Today, Van Richten was searching the marshy riverside grasses for a particular medicinal herb he’d run out of—and it was there, crouching hidden in the underbrush, that he noticed Yan and Escher’s clandestine meeting. > > Ordinarily, Van Richten would have been loath to reveal his location—even in the presence of one of Strahd’s foul spawn—and risk blowing his cover. However, when he noticed Yan’s sack moving and heard a child’s whimpering within, Van Richten’s mind flashed back to the kidnapping and death of his late son, Erasmus—and his body moved without thinking. > > Within seconds, Yan was dead and a wounded Escher had fled for Castle Ravenloft. Van Richten swiftly rescued Arabelle from her restraints, and was astounded to see that she was a young Vistana herself. When Van Richten used his *talisman of echoes* to cast *speak with dead* on Yan’s severed head and learnt of Escher’s plan, he and Arabelle realized that the Vistani encampment was no longer safe from Strahd’s spies. > > Taking Yan’s head with them to prevent investigation and wading upstream through the Luna River to mislead the dusk elves’ scouts, Van Richten and Arabelle returned to Chapter 11: Van Richten's Tower (p. 167) to hatch a plan. Remaining at the tower was infeasible—one of Strahd's servants now knew Arabelle’s face and location, and Van Richten reasoned Strahd would surely attempt to scry her. Though the tower’s antimagic field would hinder Strahd’s efforts, it would also be the first place he would look when his scrying spell inevitably failed. > > Van Richten himself had an *amulet of nondetection* to avoid Strahd’s watchful eye—as well as a spare amulet that his student, Ezmerelda d’Avenir, had returned to him when the two parted ways. The two amulets would suffice to protect them from Strahd’s magic, but Arabelle still needed a place to live and sleep away from the eyes of Strahd’s spies—at least until Van Richten could find a better alternative. > > ***Lying Low.*** The nearby town of Vallaki, with its large and bustling population, could provide a far better place for the two to lose themselves in the crowd. However, while Van Richten could disguise himself with his *hat of disguise*, he had no such disguises for Arabelle, and any effort to transport her into or around Vallaki would risk alerting Strahd’s spies. > > Fortunately, Van Richten still had an old Vistani wagon hidden away in the woods from when he had first entered Barovia—one with ample space for Arabelle to reside. While Vistani weren’t welcome in Vallaki, Van Richten decided that a different disguise—one that would allow them to hide in plain sight—could serve just as well. > > Disguising himself as Yan, Van Richten used Arabelle’s advice to sneak into the Vistani camp itself, stealing several of the colorful paints that the Vistani used to decorate their wagons. That night, Rictavio’s Carnival of Wonders was born—and Van Richten himself became Rictavio, ringmaster of the “carnival.” > > As Van Richten worked, Arabelle—who had stowed a copy of the Hooded One Tarokka card in her pocket following a vague premonition that morning—felt her inner Sight flare once more. Without understanding entirely why, she hid the card in her pillow alongside a silvered dagger that Van Richten had given her, leaving her beaded charm bracelet wrapped around them. > > In the morning, Van Richten hid Arabelle in the back of the wagon, which he hitched to Drusilla, his horse, and rode it into Vallaki. There, he struck a deal with Gunther and Yelena Arasek to store the wagon (still holding Arabelle) in Arasek Stockyard, and took up residence in the private guest room of the Blue Water Inn. > > ***Aftermath of the Kidnapping.*** Arabelle’s absence didn’t go unnoticed for long. By dusk on the night she’d been kidnapped, Luvash had discovered the hungover Alexei and learned of his daughter’s disappearance. The Vistani and dusk elves spread out among the nearby woods, searching in vain for any sign of the missing girl. > > At nearly the same time that Van Richten and Arabelle were riding through Vallaki’s gates, a dusk elf named Savid found Yan’s decapitated body amidst the reeds of the Luna River amid signs of a struggle. Savid also found a strange trinket atop the bloodied grass: a platinum signet ring stamped with a strange sigil. He returned it to Luvash, who ordered Savid to deliver it to Kasimir Velikov—the dusk elves’ leader and scholar—for inspection upon Kasimir’s return. Luvash has continued the search for Arabelle, though his personal efforts came to a bloody and brutal halt when his right leg was caught in a well-hidden wolf trap. > > Meanwhile, Van Richten plans to deliver Arabelle food from the Blue Water Inn’s kitchens once each morning and night, claiming to nosy onlookers that he is merely delivering snacks to the “ferocious saber-toothed tiger” he has locked up in his wagon. Van Richten’s lie, however, is more true than he knows. The wagon is haunted by the kindly ghost of his son, **Erasmus van Richten** (see Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, p. 180)—and Erasmus, in his youthful exuberance, has already scared onlookers away more than once by shaking the wagon and scratching against its wooden interior. > > Both Van Richten and Arabelle know that this is a temporary solution at best. Van Richten, who first heard of the mysterious [[Lore of Barovia#Keepers of the Feather|Keepers of the Feather]] during Doru’s rebellion, is quietly investigating the members as described in N2c. Taproom (p. 100). He hopes to determine whether the secret society is friend or foe—and, if friend, whether its agents can be trusted. # E1. Blinsky Toys This scene takes place in Chapter 5: Area N7. After receiving Madam Eva’s request in [[Act I - Into the Mists/Arc C - Into the Valley]] to purchase and deliver a toy for her great grand-niece, Arabelle, the players can get directions to Vallaki’s local toy shop, Blinsky Toys, by asking Urwin Martikov, Danika Dorakova, or most native Vallakians for directions. Blinsky Toys can now be found on the northern edge of Vallaki's town square, which is as described in N8. Town Square (p. 119). ![[Jamboree_Poster_Distressed.png]] "Wolf's Head Jamboree" by Caleb Cleveland. Support him on <a href="https://patreon.com/calebisdrawing/">Patreon!</a> > [!profile]+ **Profile: Gadof Blinsky** > > **Roleplaying Information** > ***Resonance.*** Blinsky should inspire amusement with his accent, attire, and morbid aesthetic, endearment for his loneliness and sincerity, and sympathy for his terror of Izek. > > ***Emotions.*** Blinsky most often feels cheerful, frightened, anxious, lonely, joyful, or melancholy. > > ***Motivations.*** Blinsky wants to use his macabre toys to bring joy to Barovia’s children and to succeed Fritz von Weerg as the greatest toymaker of history. > > ***Inspirations.*** When playing Blinsky, channel Olaf (*Frozen*), Rubeus Hagrid (*Harry Potter*), and Gepetto (*Pinocchio*). > > **Character Information** > > ***Persona.*** To the world, Gadof Blinsky is a cheerful toymaker with a love for the macabre. To those he trusts, Blinsky is a lonely and anxious man, fearful that his work will never be good enough to win his customers’ love. > > ***Morale.*** In a fight, Blinsky would plead for peace, stumbling over himself and babbling for mercy while looking for an opportunity to flee. > > ***Relationships.*** Blinsky owns Piccolo, a pet monkey that was given to him by "Alanik Ray", a traveling scholar (and one of Rudolph van Richten's disguises) shortly after Doru's rebellion. Blinsky also makes dolls resembling Ireena Kolyana for Izek Strazni, and receives a humble stipend to craft decorations for Baron Vallakovich’s weekly festivals. In addition, Blinsky is the creator of Ezmerelda d'Avenir's prosthetic leg. Blinsky Toys is as described in N7. Blinsky Toys (p. 118). As the characters explore the shop, Blinsky cheerfully tells them about his inspiration for making toys: the legendary toymaker Fritz von Weerg, and his greatest invention that was lost to the ages: a clockwork man said to lie somewhere in Castle Ravenloft. If the players ask Blinsky about the doll resembling Ireena Kolyana (see Creepy Dolls, p. 118), he anxiously insists that it is not for sale and asks them to choose another toy. If the players demand an explanation for its eerie resemblance, they can coax a fearful Blinsky to share what he knows with a successful DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidation) check or by taking the doll for themselves. Blinsky is clearly terrified of Izek’s wrath, and will do anything to ensure that the doll is delivered on time. If the players ask Blinsky about Piccolo, he can inform them that he received the monkey just over three months ago, from a traveling scholar named Alanik Ray. As the characters exit Blinsky Toys, they can see Izek Strazni and two **guards** arrive to post new proclamations, as described in N8. Town Square (p. 119). # E2. Vistani Camp This scene takes place in Chapter 5: Area N9. The path from Vallaki to the Vistani Camp is as described in N9. Vistani Camp (p. 119). The journey is one-half mile long and takes approximately ten minutes. When the players arrive at the camp, they can choose to either ascend the hill to the ring of wagons at the top (see [[#E2a. The Vistani Encampment]]) or speak with one the dusk elves guarding the hovels at the base of the hill (see [[#E2b. Dusk Elf Hovels]]). ## E2a. The Vistani Encampment ### Entering the Vistani Camp The Vistani are largely as described in Roleplaying the Vistani and the Elves (p. 119), with the encampment largely as described in N9c. Vistani Tent, N9d. Horses, N9e. Luvash's Wagon, N9f. Wagon of Sleeping Vistani, N9g. Wagon of Gambling Vistani, N9h. Vistani Family Wagon, and N9i. Vistani Treasure Wagon (pp. 121-23). When the players first enter the tent, modify the descriptive text as follows: <div class="description"> 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 almost imperceptibly. "And it would appear that we have company." </div> The shirtless man is Alexei. The larger man is Luvash. The man with the goatee is Arrigal. If the players do not respond first, Luvash hails them warily and—leaning back on his crutch to conceal any weakness—asks them their business. If the players share that they have come to deliver Madam Eva’s gift, Luvash tells them that Arabelle—his daughter—has recently gone missing. > [!profile]+ **Profile: Luvash** > > **Roleplaying Information** > ***Resonance.*** Luvash should make the players feel sympathetic to his grief, endeared to his dedication to his daughter, irritated with his stubbornness, and mildly uncomfortable with his hot temper. > > ***Emotions.*** Luvash most often feels angered, melancholy, anxious, guilty, desperate, frustrated, joyful, content, amused, or grateful. > > ***Motivations.*** Luvash wants to ensure that his daughter, Arabelle, is safe and loved, and that the families of the Vistani encampment can thrive and prosper. > > ***Inspirations.*** When playing Luvash, channel Boromir (*The Lord of the Rings*), Robert Baratheon (*A Game of Thrones*), Bob Parr (*The Incredibles*), and Wolverine (*X-Men*). > > **Character Information** > ***Persona.*** To the world, Luvash is a gruff, stubborn brawler with an impatient spirit and a heart of gold. To those he trusts, Luvash is a fiercely devoted father with a soft and gentle compassion—but near-overwhelmed by anxiety for the safety of his daughter. > > ***Morale.*** In a fight, Luvash would draw his blade to protect his people without a moment’s hesitation, but would swiftly sheathe it if necessary to keep Arabelle safe. > > ***Relationships.*** Luvash is the elder brother of Arrigal, one of Strahd’s spies. (Luvash doesn’t know that Arrigal is a spy for Strahd.) Luvash is also the father of Arabelle, whose mother was one of Madam Eva’s descendants, and—along with Arrigal—one of the two leaders of the Vistani camp outside of Vallaki. > [!profile]+ **Profile: Arrigal** > > **Roleplaying Information** > ***Resonance.*** Arrigal should make the players feel insulted by his slight condescension, unnerved by his intense curiosity and veneer of cheerful courtesy, and—when they learn of it—both disgusted by and sympathetic to his decision to serve Strahd. > > ***Emotions.*** Arrigal most often feels curious, suspicious, frustrated, resentful, relaxed, or amused. > > ***Motivations.*** Arrigal wants to protect his family and ensure a bright future for Barovia’s Vistani, free of the resentments of the small-minded Barovians—a goal which he intends to accomplish by serving Strahd. > > ***Inspirations.*** When playing Arrigal, channel Loki (*Thor*), Littlefinger (*A Game of Thrones*), and Hannibal Lecter (*The Silence of the Lambs*). > > **Character Information** > ***Persona.*** To the world, Arrigal is Luvash’s enforcer and adviser: a cautious, cheerful, and curious man who prefers to remain aloof from the troubles of others. To those he trusts, Arrigal is a dedicated uncle, a fierce advocate for the Vistani, and a duelist with a slew of deadly skills. Only Arrigal knows that he serves Strahd von Zarovich faithfully as one of his spies—and that he would go to great lengths to serve the vampire’s will in exchange for the prosperity of his family and people. > > ***Morale.*** In a fight, Arrigal would act with ruthless cunning, retreating as necessary before striking from the shadows, using deceit, manipulation, or dirty tricks to ensure an advantage. > > ***Relationships.*** Arrigal is Luvash’s younger brother and Arabelle’s uncle. He is also a spy for Strahd and makes regular reports to Anastrasya, one of Strahd’s vampiric brides. Luvash can share the following information with the players: * One day before the players’ arrival in Vallaki, 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 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. Though Kasimir has been unable to make sense of it, Baron Vargas Vallakovich of Vallaki is rumored to own an impressive library of books, which could hold the key to identifying the ring. However, the Vistani and dusk elves are forbidden from entering the town. Luvash asks the players to recover the ring from Kasimir, then research its sigil in Baron Vallakovich’s library. Should the players return to him with actionable information about Arabelle’s whereabouts—or, better yet, Arabelle herself—Luvash promises to give them a valuable reward. (If pressed, Luvash can promise the players a sum of 500 gp—or an assortment of treasure worth as much or more.) If the players accept Luvash’s mission, he directs them to **E2b. Dusk Elf Hovels** to meet with Kasimir. > [!abstract]+ **Tracking Arabelle** > If the players offer to track Arabelle from the place she disappeared, Luvash can direct them to a point near the Luna River, about a mile south of P. Luna River Crossroads (p. 40). As the players travel there, they pass through [[#E5a. Luna River Bridge]] and [[#E5b. Luna River Crossroads]]. > > A player who searches the area where Arabelle disappeared and makes a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check can identify three sets of adult-sized footprints in the muddy grass nearby. One of the sets comes from the north and ends in the grass; the second set comes from the north, then continues to the southwest and ends at the base of a tree trunk thirty feet away; and the third set comes from the western woods and continues toward the river bank, where it ends. No tracks continue from the opposite side of the river. > > A player who inspects the footprints and makes a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check can discern, from the pattern of movement and bloodstains on the grass, that the first and third individual briefly fought, and the first one died. The second individual then fled, vanishing into the canopy of the trees. The third individual, carrying something heavy—perhaps the weight of a child—then waded into the river. > > Because the river has washed any traces away, the third individual's trail can't be followed any further. (Searching the entire length of the Luna River for the third individual's precise exit point is a fool's errand, and an impossible task.) ## E2b. Dusk Elf Hovels The dusk elf hovels are as described in N9b. Dusk Elf Hovels (p. 121). The dusk elves themselves are as described in Roleplaying the Vistani and the Elves (p. 119). If the players approach one of the guards and inquire about the Vistani, the guard directs them to the ring of wagons at the top of the hill. If the players inquire about Luvash’s mission, the guard directs them to Kasimir's hovel. The guard notes, however, that Kasimir has recently returned from a long and arduous journey and that the players must not disturb him beyond what is reasonably necessary. ## E2c. Kasimir’s Hovel This scene takes place in Chapter 5: Area N9a. Kasimir’s hovel is largely as described in N9a. Kasimir's Hovel (p. 121). If the players enter it, read: <div class="description"> 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. </div> The players can find Kasimir sitting on the green rug facing the fire, meditating. He is as described in Kasimir Velikov (p. 232), but has recently sustained a black eye and several cuts across his cheek. ![[Kasimir Velikov 1.png]] "Kasimir Velikov" by Caleb Cleveland. Support him on <a href="https://patreon.com/calebisdrawing/">Patreon!</a> > [!profile]+ **Profile: Kasimir Velikov** > > **Roleplaying Information** > ***Resonance.*** Kasimir should make the players feel grateful for his competence and genuine interest in assisting them, mildly insulted by his slight condescension, mildly suspicious of his caginess, and sympathetic to his sorrow for the plight of his people. > > ***Emotions.*** Kasimir most often feels curious, frustrated, suspicious, excited, melancholy, nostalgic, somber, or regretful. > > ***Motivations.*** Kasimir wants to ensure the safety of the dusk elves and resurrect his sister, Patrina, once he’s freed her of Strahd’s dark influence and seen Strahd destroyed. > > ***Inspirations.*** When playing Kasimir, channel Stephen Strange (*Doctor Strange*), Sherlock Holmes (*Sherlock*), Spock (*Star Trek*), and the Twelfth Doctor (*Doctor Who*). > > **Character Information** > ***Persona.*** To the world, Kasimir is a quiet and withdrawn scholar, with a powerful curiosity and a fierce dedication to his people. To those he trusts, Kasimir is a lost and broken man, guilt-ridden for his role in Patrina’s death and resigned to somber despair for the dusk elves’ future. Only Kasimir knows the lengths to which he is willing to go to resurrect his sister—and the price he is willing to pay. > > ***Morale.*** In a fight, Kasimir would attempt to negotiate a peace, but would not hesitate to unleash his most powerful spells—or use his magic to escape—if a diplomatic solution proved untenable. > > ***Relationships.*** Kasimir is the leader of the dusk elf encampment and the younger brother of the late Patrina Velikovna, a **banshee** who resides in the catacombs of Castle Ravenloft. Kasimir is also the cousin of Rahadin, Strahd’s chamberlain, and the nephew of the late dusk elf prince, Erevan Löwenhart. (Kasimir is not a direct blood relation of Erevan, who married Kasimir’s aunt, Lorelei.) > [!info]+ **What Kasimir Knows** > If asked about the different factions and locations throughout Barovia, Kasimir can provide the following information: > * ***The Forest Folk.*** "Their ancestors first discovered this valley thousands of years ago. They are a reclusive people, however, and today serve the Devil and his servants." > * ***Argynvostholt.*** Kasimir shares the information in Vallaki Lore (p. 96). > * ***The Amber Temple.*** Kasimir pauses thoughtfully, then shares that the Order of the Silver Dragon was once rumored to guard "secrets hidden in amber," and that their revenants and spirits yet haunt Argynvostholt to this day. > * ***The Werewolf Den.*** Kasimir shares that the werewolf pack has historically been bloodthirsty and brutal, but become far more reserved—even peaceful—a decade after Strahd entered hibernation. "I presume it was a change of leadership," he notes, "following the absence of pressure from the castle. With Strahd awoken, however, their aggression has reemerged." (Kasimir doesn't know where their den is, but knows that their activities have historically been focused on the western half of the valley.) His right hand and forearm are a pale bluish-white, with much of the skin puffy and blistered. (A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check identifies the symptoms of frostbite.) Kasimir welcomes the players warmly, though obviously with some discomfort. If the players ask 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. (He isn’t sure whether the Baron’s library might hold more information, but believes it a lead worth pursuing.) ![[Khazan's Ring.png]] "Khazan's Ring" by Caleb Cleveland. Support him on <a href="https://patreon.com/calebisdrawing/">Patreon!</a> The symbol on the signet ring resembles the connected series of lines depicted on V2. Tower Door (p. 169), but rotated counterclockwise such that the shape is vertically symmetrical. A tiny arcane rune has been carved into the metal above each of the two unconnected ends of the series of lines. Kasimir notes that the runes 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. If the players ask Kasimir 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. If the players ask him why he was visiting Mount Ghakis, he discloses only that he was searching for something of personal significance. (If the players push harder, Kasimir politely asks them to avoid intruding too deeply into his private matters.) If the players ask Kasimir about the history of the dusk elves, Kasimir shares the following tale: <div class="description"> Even now, nearly five centuries past, the memories are sharp and clear in my mind, like shards of broken glass. I was a mere century old when my people lost their freedom—when the tyranny of the von Zarovich clan rose like a shadow across the land. It was not Strahd that shattered the peace, but his father, King Barov von Zarovich II. In those days, our people dwelled in Othrondil, the Forest of Twilight. A council of princes ruled us, led by Erevan Löwenhart, my uncle and a master in the art of bladesong. When King Barov's eyes fell upon our lands, he demanded our fealty—our tribute to the borders of old Zarovia, the kingdom his ancestors once ruled. Erevan, who practiced the style of the lion and bore the lion's sigil, was never one to bow, however, and refused. His act of defiance ignited the fires of war. Barov's conquest was swift and brutal. His forces, joined by Rahadin, my cousin, and a traitor to our people, laid waste to our kingdom. I was a mage and scribe in Erevan's court—I saw Rahadin shatter Erevan’s blade and execute his family, marking the end of the royal line. My people were subjugated; those that resisted were hunted like rabbits. Barov ruled over us with an iron fist—and when he died and his son, Strahd, came to power, we rose in rebellion, leading the charge for freedom. But Strahd was even more cunning and cruel than his sire. He quashed our revolt in a matter of days, and slaughtered our people in a genocide that left less than a hundred alive. He left us, the survivors, to the mercies of the Vistani, who took us into their caravans and led us to sanctuary in this valley. Strahd's hunger for conquest, however, was endless. Within a year, the last of his enemies had fallen, and he had claimed the valley for his own, naming it "Barovia." We found ourselves trapped, imprisoned in the heart of our conqueror's new empire. By then, however, we had built a home here, and chose to remain—hoping, in our heart of hearts, that the Vistani's kindness would keep us safe. And so here we have remained ever since. </div> # E3. Burgomaster’s Mansion This scene takes place in Chapter 5: Area N3. The burgomaster's mansion is largely as described in N3. Burgomaster's Mansion (p. 103). However, the magic mirror in N3p. Bridal Gown and Spirit Mirror (p. 108) has been modified and moved to N3t. Victor's Workroom (p. 109). See [[#E3c. Speaking with Victor]] below, or [[Arc H - The Lost Soul]] for more information about the mirror. If the players visit the burgomaster’s mansion openly, they are greeted by Clavdia, the Baron’s maid, and led to the den as described in N3. Burgomaster's Mansion (p. 103) and N3e. Den (p. 106). The Baron arrives to speak with them a few minutes later, joined by his twin **mastiffs** named Fang and Claw, as described in **N3l. Library (p. 107)**. ## E3a. Entering the Mansion If Ireena Kolyana has already visited the mansion alone and obtained an audience with the Baron regarding the Barovian refugees, [[Non-Player Characters#Baron Vargas Vallakovich|the Baron]] is glad to grant her and her companions access to his library. Otherwise, the players can attempt to persuade the Baron to grant them entry, or try to gain access by subterfuge if all else fails. If the players visit the library, proceed to [[#E3b. Searching the Library]] below. ### 1. Persuading the Baron Upon first greeting the players, the Baron inquires as to their excitement for the upcoming Festival of the Blazing Sun. After pointing out the bundles of twigs piled about the mansion's grand foyer, he boasts of his plan to make burned offerings to the Morninglord in a giant wicker sun—cured meats, incense, jewelry, and so on. "The heavens will see our joy and wealth and look favorably upon us," he crows. "Through our good spirits, we shall move ever-closer to our freedom from this fell darkness." If the players then ask [[Non-Player Characters#Baron Vargas Vallakovich|Baron Vallakovich]] for access to the library without Ireena’s aid, he demands to know their background, their purpose in Vallaki, and their intentions for using his library. While he is not generally inclined to grant their request, if the players indicate that they are adventurers, mages, clerics, scholars, or otherwise up to the task, Vargas is willing to allow them entry into the library if they agree to resolve a problem his household has been facing. He can share with them the following information: * For the past two months, a spirit has haunted the Vallakovich mansion. * 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' 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. The Baron cannot be convinced with appeals to Arabelle’s safety, insisting that he cares little for the plight of a “Vistani whelp.” If the players wish to visit the library, the baron summons Clavdia, the maid, to escort them to the library before departing. (Proceed to [[#E3b. Searching the Library]].) If the players wish to interview Tereska, the baron asks Clavdia to escort them to the kitchen instead. In both cases, as the Baron departs, he asks them to avoid discussing the spirit with anyone who lives outside the household. The kitchen is largely as described in N3g. Kitchen (p. 106). The cook, Tereska, is a broad-shouldered, rough-hewn woman with a tough, no-nonsense attitude who wears her heart on her sleeve. She is reluctant to discuss the spirit, but can share the following information if asked: * The spirit has mostly been seen on the second floor, though strange sounds have been heard coming from the attic at night. * Tereska experienced one particularly bad haunting while retrieving an old pot from the attic last week—an eerie presence, coupled with a cold draft and the unmistakable sound of breathing—which nearly pushed her to quit her job. * The Baroness’s lady-in-waiting, a quiet woman named Valentina, reported seeing the spirit in the Baroness’s mirror on multiple occasions. The Baroness hid the mirror away in the attic shortly thereafter. * Valentina described the spirit’s appearance as the distorted silhouette of a young woman. All of the servants agree that its hauntings universally carry a sense of sorrow, loneliness, and longing. * Few members of the household enter the attic anymore, though the Baron’s son, Victor Vallakovich, has been known to disappear into it for hours or even days at a time. When he does, Tereska usually leaves his meals on a table by the entrance to the attic and knocks on the trapdoor to alert him. * If the players ask about Victor, Tereska notes that he eats too little and seems strangely isolated and terse for a young man his age, especially since the strange illness that struck “that Wachter girl” just over two months ago. (Tereska doesn’t remember her name, but knows that the girl was Lady Fiona Wachter’s daughter, and that she and Victor got along well.) Tereska declines to elaborate, insisting that the Baron’s family matters are none of her business. If the players express an interest in investigating the attic, Tereska provides them with directions to the entrance in N3o. Master Bedroom (p. 108). She also prepares a small plate of bread and cheese, which she asks them to bring to Victor. Proceed to [[#E3c. Speaking with Victor]] below. ### 2. Infiltrating the Mansion The players may choose to infiltrate the mansion rather than obtain Baron Vallakovich’s permission. If they are found, however, one or more NPCs can raise the alarm by shouting for aid. If the alarm is raised, twelve **guards** arrive at the mansion two minutes later, followed by Izek Strazni one minute afterward. The NPCs in the mansion behave as follows: * [[Non-Player Characters#Baron Vargas Vallakovich|Baron Vallakovich]] can generally be found in N3l. Library (p. 107) during the day, and in N3o. Master Bedroom (p. 108) at night. He is accompanied by his two **mastiffs**, Fang and Claw, at all times. If he finds the players trespassing, he sets Fang and Claw to attack them, but raises the alarm if the dogs are defeated. * Baroness Lydia Petrovna can generally be found in N3c. Dining Room (p. 106) during the day and in N3o. Master Bedroom (p. 108) at night. If she finds the players trespassing during the day, she assumes that they are guests of her husband, Vargas, and greets them accordingly; otherwise, she screams, then faints. * Victor Vallakovich can generally be found in N3t. Victor's Workroom (p. 109) both day and night. If he finds the players trespassing, he greets them warily and demands to know their names and business. (He won’t raise the alarm if his curiosity is satisfied.) * Tereska, the cook, can generally be found in N3g. Kitchen (p. 106) during the day, and in N3f. Servants' Quarters (p. 106) at night. If she finds the players trespassing, she gives them an opportunity to leave, but raises the alarm if they refuse. * Clavdia, the maid, can generally be found on the second floor during the morning, on the first floor during the afternoon, and in N3f. Servants’ Quarters (p. 106) at night. If she finds the players trespassing, she immediately raises the alarm. > [!abstract]+ **Banishment from Vallaki** > If Izek and the guards confront the players and defeat them in combat, they confiscate the players' weapons and throw them out of town, leaving them as food for the wolves of the Svalich Wood. The players awaken on the western side of the Old Svalich Road, stripped of their armor and any non-hidden weapons, equipment, or valuables. > > To recover their possessions, the players must first sneak back into Vallaki, avoiding the twelve **guards** patrolling the walls and gates around the city. The players can find their belongings stored in N3m. Locked Closet (p. 107), near the chained Udo Lukovich. ## E3b. Searching the Library This scene takes place in Chapter 5: Area N3l. If the players gain access to N3l. Library (p. 107), they can attempt to search the shelves for information regarding the platinum signet ring. With a full hour spent searching, the players can confirm that no books contain any information about the ring. In the course of the players’ search, one of the players identifies 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 players 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 Vallakovich.png]] "Victor Vallakovich" by Caleb Cleveland. Support him on <a href="https://patreon.com/calebisdrawing/">Patreon!</a> > [!profile]+ **Profile: Victor Vallakovich** > > **Roleplaying Information** > ***Resonance.*** Victor should make the players feel annoyed at his suspicion and condescension, sympathetic to his anxiety, frustration, and desperation, and endeared to his stubborn determination to see Stella healed. > > ***Emotions.*** Victor most often feels curious, frustrated, suspicious, excited, bored, anxious, desperate, or determined. > > ***Motivations.*** Victor wants to restore Stella’s soul to her body and escape Barovia. > > ***Inspirations.*** When playing Victor, channel Jonathan Byers (*Stranger Things*), Prince Zuko (*Avatar: The Last Airbender*), Raven (*Teen Titans*), and Perrin Aybara (*Wheel of Time*). > > **Character Information** > ***Persona.*** To the world, Victor is a quiet, moody, and isolated young man with an awkward manner and a total lack of social graces. To those he trusts, Victor is a devoted and compassionate friend, with a spark of brilliance and the stubbornness of a mule. Only Victor knows that he secretly fears losing Stella’s friendship—both due to the harm caused by his *teleportation circle* and due to the time she’s spent with Erasmus van Richten in the Ethereal Plane. > > ***Morale.*** In a fight, Victor would attempt to flee, but would resort to his most dangerous spells with wanton and amateurish abandon if cornered or if defending his friends or family from death. (Although often irritable, Victor won't lash out magically if offended or insulted.) > > ***Relationships.*** Victor is the only child of Baron Vargas Vallakovich (whom he dislikes) and Baroness Lydia Petrovna (whom he cares for, but finds irritating). He is a close friend to Stella Wachter, and a friendly (though wary) acquaintance to the ghost of Erasmus van Richten. Victor despises and fears Izek Strazni, who killed Victor’s childhood cat, Murka, by kicking it across a room when it wandered into his path two years ago. (Victor has since reanimated Murka’s skeleton through the use of his *animate dead* spell.) Victor, who is largely as described in N3t. Victor's Workroom (p. 109), is carrying his spellbook with him. The players can easily see that the cover of the book displays the same symbol as the platinum signet ring. If the players ask about Victor’s spellbook, he demands to know their names and purpose. The players can persuade him to aid them by sharing the story of Arabelle’s disappearance or by making a successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If Victor agrees to aid the players by sharing information about his spellbook, he first obtains *Ethereal Entities* from one of the shelves, then invites the players upstairs to **N3t. Victor’s Workroom** to speak further. He won’t share any information outside of his workroom. > [!lore]+ **Ethereal Entities** > > _Ethereal Entities: Denizens of the Unseen Realm_ by Mordenkainen is a slim hardback book with a leather cover dyed a deep, midnight blue. Its title and author's name are embossed in silver script along the spine and front cover, and the corners of the book are adorned with small, silver filigree resembling ethereal wisps. Its pages are filled with neatly-written text and beautifully detailed illustrations. Players who ask Victor to allow them to read the book, or who otherwise obtain it, can learn the following: > > The book is a treatise on the Ethereal Plane and the creatures that dwell within or visit it. It contains all of the information provided in **Ethereal Plane** (Dungeon Master's Guide, p. 48), as well as a bestiary divided into the following three sections: > > - _**Etherborn: Natives of the Deep Ethereal**_, containing information about creatures that are said to dwell solely in the Deep Ethereal, such as the mythological mistfiends, ethershades, and shimmerlings. > - _**Phantomfolk: Travelers from the Border Ethereal**_, containing information about incorporeal creatures that dwell in the Border Ethereal and often cross into the Material Plane, such as **ghosts** (_Monster Manual_, p. 147) and **phantom warriors** (_Curse of Strahd_, p. 235). > - _**Veil-Walkers: Visitors to the Ethereal**_, containing information about physical creatures that can cross into the Ethereal Plane, such as **night hags** (_Monster Manual_, p. 178), **nightmares** (_Monster Manual_, p. 235), and **phase spiders** (_Monster Manual_, p. 334). (See **Matrons of Malevolence** below for the chapter on night hags.) > > The subsection discussing **phase spiders** includes a brief sidenote discussing the immunity that most incorporeal undead have to elemental, natural, and nonmagical weapon damage while on the Material Plane, as well as the natural means that phase spiders have developed to counteract those immunities through the use of their fangs and venom. It notes that a spellcaster can deal damage to an incorporeal spirit normally by using a phase spider's fang as an additional material component to cast their spells, while a martial combatant can deal damage to an incorporeal spirit by coating one weapon or up to three pieces of ammunition with phase spider venom or holy water. > > The subsection discussing **night hags** includes a brief sidenote discussing a ritual that uses a night hag's ***heartstone*** and the energies of a leyline to replicate the effects of the *Etherealness* spell for up to ten individuals for one hour on the night of the full moon. > > The chapter regarding **night hags** is titled "Night Hags: Matrons of Malevolence." It reads as follows: > > <hr> > > Sly and subversive, night hags are the epitome of wickedness. They represent all that is evil and cruel in the world and want nothing more than to see the virtuous turn to villainy: love turned into obsession, kindness turned to hate, devotion to disregard, and generosity to selfishness. > > Once, night hags were creatures of the Feywild, a realm of enchantment and beauty. However, their foulness saw them exiled to the bleak realm of Hades long ago, where they degenerated into fiends. The foul taint of Hades twisted their once-fey nature, and the night hags have long since spread their malevolence across the Lower Planes. > > Though night hags resemble withered crones, there is nothing mortal about them. Their withered faces are framed by long, frayed hair and curled ram's horns; horrid moles and warts dot their blotchy pale-blue skin; and their long, skinny fingers are tipped by claws that can slice open flesh with a touch. > > All hags possess magical powers, including the ability to alter their forms or curse their foes. A hag also bears some resistance to magic and mortal weapons alike, though the touch of silver wounds her like any other. > > Arrogant to a fault, hags believe themselves to be the most cunning of creatures—and very often are. They are open to dealing with mortals, and will always keep their word—but a bargain with a hag is always dangerous. Hags enjoy watching mortals bring about their own downfall through these bargains, which often involve compromising their principles or giving up something dear. > > A night hag's ultimate prize, however, is the soul of a corrupted mortal. While her victim sleeps, the night hag passes into the Ethereal Plane through the aid of her twisted onyx heartstone—an artifact that allows her to become Ethereal at the speed of thought. There, she invades her victim's very dreams, filling their head with doubts and fears in the hope of tricking it into performing evil acts in the waking world. > > Night after night, she continues her visitations until the victim finally expires in its sleep—at which point she traps its corrupted soul in her soul bag as a dark trophy of her success. The blacker the stains upon the soul, the greater the night hag's bounty. > > Like all hags, night hags propagate by snatching and devouring human infants. A week later, the hag gives birth to a daughter who appears human until her thirteenth birthday—at which point the child transforms into the spitting image of her hag mother. > > Some hags raise the daughters they spawn, creating covens that magnify their power. The members of a coven gain a slew of unnatural abilities, including the power to control the elements and—once each day—to dispel foreign magic in the vicinity of their lairs. As is true for all hag magic, however, such power comes at a price—for a wound suffered by a single hag in a coven is suffered by all. > > To combat their inherently selfish natures, the hags in a coven must enter into a written contract with the others, signed by each hag's true name. The hags of a coven guard their contract jealously, often sealing it within the heart of their lair, ever-careful to keep their names from falling into enemy hands. ## E3c. Speaking with Victor This scene takes place in Chapter 5: Area N3t. Victor’s workroom is largely as described in N3t. Victor’s Workroom (p. 109), except that the *glyph of warding* on the door, rather than dealing lightning damage, casts _fear_ in a 30-foot cone away from the door when activated. Additionally, Victor’s spellbook contains the *sending* and *fear* spells and does not contain *remove curse.* Additionally, Victor has only one skeleton **cat**, which is the animated remains of his childhood cat, Murka. Victor’s teleportation circle is perfectly constructed, there are no bones on Victor's bookshelf, and Victor has leaned the full-length mirror from N3p. Bridal Gown and Spirit Mirror (p. 108) against the wall beside the rug. The mirror is a *spirit mirror*, a magical item that reflects both the Material Plane and creatures in the Border Ethereal. Upon entering the room, a player who looks into the mirror sees a flash of a young woman’s silhouette that swiftly vanishes. (This is the spirit of Stella Wachter.) > [!abstract]+ **Meeting Victor** > If the players have not already met [[Non-Player Characters#Victor Vallakovich|Victor]], he casts *greater invisibility* as described in N3t. Victor’s Workroom (p. 109) if alerted to their arrival, but clumsily knocks over a pile of parchment as the players enter the room in his haste to hide. A player who inspects the parchment sees that they are covered with elaborate diagrams of teleportation circles. > > Shortly after the players enter the room, they can hear the sound of a sneeze from the corner where Victor is hiding. Victor then reveals himself—including his spellbook and the recognizable sigil upon it—and proceeds to speak with the players as described in [[#E3b. Searching the Library]] above. > [!info]+ **The Tome of Strahd** > A previous version of this guide placed the *Tome of Strahd* within Victor's workroom. If the *Tome of Strahd* is located within Victor’s workroom, it can be found atop Victor’s desk among his other papers. If the players attempt to pick up the *Tome of Strahd*, Victor immediately casts *mage hand* to retrieve it, revealing his position. If persuaded to aid the players in finding Arabelle, Victor can share 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. If the players agree 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. > [!info]+ **What Victor Knows** > If asked about the different factions and locations throughout Barovia, Victor can provide the following information: > * ***The Amber Temple.*** Victor flips through his spellbook, then shares that, according to its pages, Khazan once sought out the secrets of power at a temple "forged of amber." "According to his notes, it was previously guarded by an order of knights in the service of a dragon," he adds curiously. "But when Strahd conquered the valley, he slaughtered them all." Victor isn’t sure how to get to Lake Baratok from Vallaki. However, he does know someone who will: 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.) If the players are interested in speaking with Szoldar, Victor directs them to a ramshackle hut at the mouth of the Luna River to the west, which Szoldar and his partner, Yevgeni Krushkin, have turned into a dressing shack for skinning, gutting, and butchering their kills. To get there, the players should travel north, past Vallaki’s Zarovich Gate, and then travel west along the shores of Lake Zarovich. Victor can tell the players that, while Szoldar and Yevgeni spend most mornings checking their traps for captured game, they usually return to the dressing shack by early afternoon to clean their weapons, reset their traps, and whittle and fletch fresh arrows. > [!abstract]+ **The Haunting** > If the players ask Victor about the haunting of the burgomaster's mansion, he reluctantly "reveals" that his magic is responsible, claiming that he's experimented with magic to produce an assortment of odd effects, including cold temperatures, objects that move without being touched, and strange glowing lights. He also claims that many of the strange noises likely came from Murka, his skeleton **cat**. > > Victor truthfully tells the players that he's tried to keep his magic secret from his father, for fear that he would disapprove. However, his claims that his magic has caused the "hauntings" is a lie, and a DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that he hesitates when telling his story, his eyes briefly darting toward the mirror leaned against the wall. > > If caught in an evident lie, Victor confesses that the noises are likely caused by a spirit that haunts the house, but begs the players not to tell anyone for fear that the Baron might see fit to exorcise it. Victor promises to ensure the spirit keeps quiet, insisting that she likely didn't know that she was disturbing anyone. (Victor declines to introduce the spirit if asked, claiming that she's shy.) > > Victor doesn't reveal the spirit's true identity (Stella Wachter) or origins. See [[Arc H - The Lost Soul]] for more information. > [!lore]+ **Khazan’s Staff** > > 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. > > Victor is, however, mistaken. Unlike the archmage’s spellbook, Strahd recovered Khazan’s staff from the remnants of his body. It is now concealed in Crypt 15 (p. 88) in Castle Ravenloft. See [[Arc P - Ravenloft Heist]] for more information about Khazan's staff. # E4. Lake Zarovich This scene takes place in Chapter 2: Area L. Lake Zarovich is largely as described in L. Lake Zarovich (p. 38). However, Bluto is not present. As the players journey west toward Szoldar’s shack, read: <div class="description"> The path ahead is uneven, littered with pebbles and overgrown in parts by moss and wild grass. To the left, the trees of the Svalich Wood stand tall and foreboding; to the right, a chill breeze sweeps in from the lake, tinged with a faint, brackish scent and the damp earthiness of old silt. Other than the mournful croak of a distant raven, the only sound that breaks the eerie silence is the squelching of mud beneath your feet and the quiet lapping of the waves against the shore. It's not long, however, before the air is tinged with the faint scents of fur and a familiar, metallic tang. Ahead, you can hear the sound of rushing water, and see a place where the dark waters of the lake flow swiftly into a river that disappears southward into the dark woods. A small, crudely built shack stands tucked away near the water's edge, its timbers worn and weathered with age. Not far away lies an old stone slab, resting on a cracked, mossy stone circle. </div> If the players arrive between the hours of noon and dusk, Szoldar and Yevgeni can be found inside. Szoldar is cleaning the blood from an old rusted hunting trap, while Yevgeni is halfway finished with skinning a large dead wolf. When Szoldar and Yevgeni are away, the door to the shack is locked with a padlock. (Both wolf hunters carry a key.) If either wolf hunter is inside, the door is unlocked and hangs ajar. If the players choose to investigate the slab, they find that it bears a carving of a butterfly, the grooves lined with lichen and moss. (The slab is an ancient monument to the Dreamer, the divine sister of the Ladies Three. Szoldar and Yevgeni don't know what the carving means.) If the players enter the shack, read: <div class="description"> The walls of this cramped shack are stained dark with age and use. Knives, cleavers, traps, and chains hang from the walls, each one well-cleaned and oiled. Animal pelts hang from the rafters, their empty eyes seeming to watch you as you pass. </div> As described in N2c. Taproom (p. 100), Szoldar and Yevgeni are glad to serve as guides if paid, or to provide directions to Lake Baratok in exchange for a promise of free drinks when the players return. If they join the party, the two men are as described in N2c. Taproom (p. 100), but each bring three silvered arrows for the trip. If the players choose to set off on their own, Szoldar gives the following directions: * Exit Vallaki from the western Sunset Gate, then cross the bridge that fords the Luna River. * Take the northern branch of the Luna River crossroads, which is marked “Lake Baratok” on a nearby signpost. * Continue down the path as it bends through the woods, before ultimately arriving at the lake. Szoldar also warns the players to be cautious of werewolves on the Svalich Road and northern path. The woods to the west of Vallaki—and especially the woods around Lake Baratok—are the preferred hunting grounds of a local werewolf pack. The werewolves' recent flurry of activity has made Szoldar suspect that the pack has come under the leadership of a new, more reckless alpha. He doesn’t know where the werewolves’ den is, but he cautions the players to keep an eye out for anything strange or unusual. # E5. The Svalich Road As the players exit Szoldar’s shack, any characters with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 19 or higher notice a silhouette watching them from the southern treeline. If the players approach, look toward, or otherwise attempt to interact with the silhouette, it vanishes. The silhouette is Arrigal, who has decided to spy on the players on Strahd’s behalf and to ensure that Arabelle is safely returned should the players find her. Though he remains out of sight for the remainder of the journey, Arrigal continues to track the players from afar. ## E5a. Luna River Bridge The journey from Vallaki to the Luna River Crossroads is one mile long and takes twenty minutes. As the players cross the bridge over the Luna River, read the following: <div class="description"> 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. As you step onto the bridge, your boots echo against the old, damp wood. To the north, you can see the river meander upstream around the tree line before vanishing around a curve. To the south, the river winds like a ribbon between its banks, then gradually vanishes into mist. Halfway across the bridge, you notice something odd: 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. </div> If the players retrieve the scrap of material, they find it to be a small, soaked white handkerchief, monogrammed with the embroidered red initials “R.V.R.” ## E5b. Luna River Crossroads This scene takes place in Chapter 2: Area P. The Luna River Crossroads are largely as described in P. Luna River Crossroads (p. 40). If this is the first time that the players have visited the Luna River Crossroads, four **twig blights** and two **scarecrows** are lying in wait here. Modify the area description as follows: <div class="description"> The road comes to an X intersection, with branches to the northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast. Scattered across the intersection are four small dead saplings, their branches and trunks blackened and gnarled. Some lean at slight angles, while others stand stubbornly upright, their twig-like structures idle and quiet in the windless air. Nearby, a pair of scarecrows appear to have been mounted along two separate trees, bodies hewn of rough straw and weathered cloth clinging to twisted, low-hanging branches. Their painted sackcloth eyes seem almost mocking, and black raven's feathers poke from their stuffed guts. The lower half of a snapped wooden signpost thrusts upward at an angle near the eastern elbow of the intersection. The top half of the sign, featuring arms pointing in four directions, lies in the weeds nearby. </div> If Szoldar is accompanying the players, he warns them that the saplings and scarecrows are new additions to the crossroads, and that recent rumors have reported sightings of scarecrows moving of their own volition through the woods. If the players approach the snapped signpost or move to leave the intersection, the blights and scarecrows attack. > [!combat]- **Balancing the Blights** > This combat encounter is a **bruising** encounter against a party of five 4th-level players and a CR 1/2 ally (Szoldar Szoldarovoch) and will consume approximately 18% of their total maximum hit points. For parties of smaller or larger sizes, modify the encounter as follows: > > * ***Three Players.*** Reduce the number of scarecrows to 1. > * ***Four Players.*** Reduce the number of twig blights to 2. > * ***Six Players.*** Increase the number of scarecrows to 3. # E6. Lake Baratok The journey from the Luna River Crossroads to Lake Baratok via the northwestern path is two and one-quarter miles long and takes forty-five minutes. Lake Baratok is as described in Approaching the Tower (p. 167). The tower itself is largely as described in Chapter 11: Van Richten's Tower (p. 167). ## E6a. Ezmerelda’s Wagon This scene takes place in Chapter 11: Area V1. ### Outside the Wagon Ezmerelda’s wagon is largely as described in V1. Ezmerelda's Magic Wagon (p. 168). However, the door is locked with a padlock, and can be opened with a successful DC 20 Dexterity (Thieves' Tools) check or a successful DC 20 Strength check. In addition, rather than a single wooden sign, a trio of wooden signs has been arranged vertically in a haphazard diagonal across the back door. The signs read, in order: “Keep out!”, “Home & Property of Ezmerelda d’Avenir,” and “Trespassers will be immediately incinerated.” Beneath the warning on the third sign, someone has drawn a small frowning face with crossed-out eyes, surrounded by a stylized flame. A player who approaches the wagon detects a faint scent of sulfur, and notices that the grass around it appears to have been tramped down by many feet. A player who makes a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Survival) check learns that the tracks were left by a pack of wolves the previous night, which evidently inspected the wagon before leaving it alone. (If he is with the players, Szoldar points this out after a brief investigation, and advises them against interfering with the wagon.) The player also learns that the wagon has been parked here for no more than forty-eight hours. > [!warning]+ **A Chance to React** > > As noted in **The Order of Combat** (Player's Handbook, p. 189), combat is a "clash between two sides." A participant in combat need not seek to harm one another—merely obstruct another participant from taking some sort of action or achieving some sort of goal. > > As such, when one player states their intent to take an action that another player might seek to oppose—such as opening the door to Ezmerelda’s wagon—ask other nearby players if they’d like to intervene to prevent that action. (For example, a player might wish to shove the first player away from the wagon, or grapple them and pull them forcefully away.) > > If so, have all involved players roll initiative. (The first player is, of course, free to change their mind and cease their original action at any time.) **Inspecting the Wagon.** A player that inspects Ezmerelda’s wagon also learns that it was not the only one that has parked here recently. A second set of wagon tracks lies nearby, leading from the eastern woods to a spot nearby Ezmerelda’s wagon, then south along the path away from the lake. A player who follows the tracks south finds that they reach the Old Svalich Road then turn east, toward Vallaki. A player who makes a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Survival) check can ascertain that the second set of tracks was made the same day the players first arrived in Vallaki. A player who makes a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check can follow the second set of tracks into the woods, where they end in a dark, sheltered hollow. Much of the forest floor around the hollow is stained with bright yellow and white paint. A successful DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals that the paint was left fairly recently—approximately one day before the players first arrived in Vallaki. If the player has previously seen Rictavio’s wagon in Arasek Stockyard, they recognize the paint as the same shade as yellow as the sign on the wagon. ### Inside the Wagon **Double-Barreled Traps.** The vials of alchemists fire have been removed from the wagon's interior. Instead, if a player opens the door after breaking or picking the lock, two heavy crossbow traps mounted at the far side of the cabin fire, targeting the player immediately in front of the door: * ***Silver Barbed Net***: *Ranged Weapon Attack:* +8 to hit. *Hit:* 5 (2d4) piercing damage and the target is restrained until it is freed. The target can use its action to make a DC 15 Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. A creature that attempts to do so must also succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 5 (2d4) piercing damage in the process. Dealing 15 slashing damage to the net (AC 15) also frees the creature without harming it, ending the effect and destroying the net. * ***Bottle of Concentrated Alchemist's Fire***. *Ranged Weapon Attack:* +8 to hit. *Hit:* 21 (6d6) fire damage. On a hit, the target is also set ablaze and takes the damage again at the start of each of its turns until the fire is put out. A creature within reach of the blaze can take an action to smother the flames using a blanket or carpet, reducing the fire damage by 2d6. Three such actions are needed to fully put out the fire. **Ezmerelda's Belongings.** If the players successfully enter Ezmerelda’s wagon, it does not contain the burned page of Van Richten’s journal. In addition, the following items are contained in a false bottom of the wooden trunk, which requires a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check to find: * The climber's kit, disguise kit, healer's kit, and poisoner's kit * The wooden box containing the Tarokka cards * The sets of manacles * The wooden chest containing the holy symbol, holy water, perfume, antitoxin, rope, tinderbox, steel mirror, wooden stake, and spyglass * The spell scrolls * The map of Barovia (which shows only the roads and settlements of Barovia, and no longer shows all the locations marked on the adventure's map of Barovia) If the players enter the wagon by means of the door instead of the trapdoor, Ezmerelda's chicken squawks angrily at them until they depart. > [!abstract]+ **Eggsmerelda** > If spoken to through the use of a *speak with animals* spell, the chicken introduces herself proudly as Eggsmerelda,^[Credit to Lyric42 for coining the name "Eggsmerelda."] the pet of the "legendary monster hunter" Ezmerelda d'Avenir, who Eggsmerelda vows will seek vengeance upon the players for breaking into her wagon. > > If treated with kindness and provided with a proper apology, Eggsmerelda can share that she doesn't know where Ezmerelda is currently, and that Ezmerelda is currently "looking for something" in the woods, though she hopes that Ezmerelda will return soon. (Eggsmerelda, whose cage contains close and plentiful access to a bag of seeds and a bowl of water, is at no risk of going hungry or thirsty while Ezmerelda is away.) ## E6b. The Tower ### 1. The Tower Door This scene takes place in Chapter 11: Area V2. The tower door is largely as described in V2. Tower Door (p. 169). However, modify the descriptive text as follows: <div class="description"> The tower door is made of iron, with no visible handles or hinges. In the middle of the door is a large, embossed, blank red seal. Carved into the lintel above the door is a word: Khazan. </div> The seal appears to be blank. However, if a character approaches within 5 feet of the door, eight fist-sized buttons grow from its waxlike surface in the same positions as the stick figures depicted in V2. Tower Door (p. 169). If the character then moves away from the door, the buttons vanish once more. The buttons emerge in different places each time, but the order of the buttons as they move around the seal always stays the same. ![[Tower Door.png]] Each of the eight buttons depicts a different arcane rune. A player with proficiency in Arcana, or who makes a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check, identifies the runes as the symbols of the eight schools of magic. The order of the symbols, moving counterclockwise around the seal, is always: illusion, abjuration, necromancy, conjuration, divination, enchantment, transmutation, evocation. A player who compares the platinum signet ring to the symbols notices that the evocation and necromancy runes exactly match the appearance of their corresponding symbols on the door. To unlock the door, the players must press the buttons in the order given by the pattern of crossed lines on the signet ring, beginning with either the evocation or necromancy symbol and moving along the lines in the proper sequence. The two possible proper sequences are: * evocation, divination, illusion, transmutation, conjuration, abjuration, enchantment, necromancy * necromancy, enchantment, abjuration, conjuration, transmutation, illusion, divination, evocation Each time a button is pressed, its symbol glows with the color of its corresponding school of magic: evocation (red), divination (silver), illusion (purple), transmutation (green), conjuration (brown), abjuration (yellow), enchantment (pink), and necromancy (blue). A creature that touches any part of the door other than buttons without first unlocking it receives a mild, but painful electric shock. A creature that attempts to break down the door must succeed on a DC 25 Strength check; on a failure, a stroke of lightning blasts out from the door in a straight line 100 feet long and 5 feet wide. Each creature in the line must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 8d6 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. (Triggering the lightning multiple times doesn't cause the door to collapse.) If eight different symbols are pressed in an incorrect sequence, their lights briefly flicker, then go out again. The first time this happens, the griffon statues atop the tower roof—four disguised **gargoyles**—come to life and attack. The gargoyles fight to the death. > [!combat]- **Balancing the Gargoyles** > This combat encounter is a **brutal** combat encounter against a party of five 4th-level players and a CR 1/2 ally (Szoldar Szoldarovich), and will consume approximately 77% of their total maximum hit points. For parties of smaller or larger sizes, modify the encounter as follows: > > * ***Three Players.*** Two of the gargoyles are damaged and cannot animate or fight. > * ***Four Players.*** One of the gargoyles is damaged and cannot animate or fight. > * ***Six Players.*** Add a fifth gargoyle. ### 2. The Scaffolding This scene takes place in Chapter 11: Area V3. The scaffolding is as described in V3. Rickety Scaffolding (p. 170). If a creature climbs the scaffolding to the second floor, the four **gargoyles** on the roof come to life and attack. (Remember that the scaffolding leads to a hole in the wall on the third floor, not the second floor.) Use the statblock below for the **gargoyles**, rather than the one in the _Monster Manual._ <div class="statblock"> <h2>Gargoyle</h2> Medium Elemental, Chaotic Evil <hr> Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 37 (5d8 + 15) Speed 15 ft., fly 30 ft. <hr> <table class="ability-table"> <thead> <tr> <th>STR</th> <th>DEX</th> <th>CON</th> <th>INT</th> <th>WIS</th> <th>CHA</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td data-label="STR">16 (+3)</td> <td data-label="DEX">8 (-1)</td> <td data-label="CON">16 (+3)</td> <td data-label="INT">6 (-2)</td> <td data-label="WIS">11 (+0)</td> <td data-label="CHA">7 (-2)</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <hr> Damage Resistances piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't adamantine Damage Vulnerabilities thunder Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, petrified, poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages Terran Challenge 2 Proficiency Bonus. +2 <hr> False Appearance. While the gargoyle remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an inanimate statue. Hot Shift. If the gargoyle takes fire damage, it glows with heat until the end of its next turn. While glowing, its claws deal an additional 1d4 fire damage on a hit. While glowing, the gargoyle gains vulnerability to cold damage and immediately stops glowing if dealt cold damage. Cold Shift.If the gargoyle takes cold damage, it ices with frost until the end of its next turn. While iced, its claws deal an additional 1d4 cold damage on a hit. While iced, the gargoyle gains vulnerability to fire damage and its ice vanishes if dealt fire damage. Stone Body. If the gargoyle takes cold damage while glowing, fire damage while iced, bludgeoning damage from a critical hit, or damage from the shatter spell or similar magic, the gargoyle's wings snap off, causing it to lose its fly speed. Grappler. The gargoyle has advantage on attack rolls made against a creature it has grappled. <h3>Actions</h3> Multiattack. The gargoyle makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage. Instead of dealing damage, the gargoyle can grapple the target (escape DC 13). </div> If able, a gargoyle that has grappled a player flies 15 feet up on its turn and uses its action to ***bite*** the grappled player. ### 3. Inside the Tower This scene takes place in Chapter 11: Areas V4, V5, V6, V7 & V8. The interior of the tower is largely as described in V4. Tower, First Floor, V5. Tower, Second Floor, V6. Tower, Third Floor, and V7. Tower, Fourth Floor (pp. 170-71). **The Third Floor.** The third floor also contains an old, rotted crib. > [!lore]+ **The Crib** > The old crib is the last memento of Khazan's infant child, who died with its mother in childbirth two years after Barovia was trapped in the Mists. **The Fourth Floor.** The wooden box containing Yan's severed head has been removed from the tower. In addition, the suit of armor is nonmagical and a functional suit of plate armor. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check or a ten-minute search of the fourth floor reveals two clues: * A colorful beaded bracelet with several wooden charms sized for a child, wrapped around a silvered dagger and a Tarokka card (the **Hooded One**). (A player who makes a successful DC 13 Intelligence (History or Arcana) check recalls that the Hooded One represents mysteries, newcomers, and hidden identities.) * Two burned pieces of parchment amidst a pile of charred ashes in the stove, including a burned page from Van Richten's journal and a singed sketch of a sign proclaiming *Rictavio’s Carnival of Wonders.* (The sketch appears to have been made far more recently than the journal entry.) ![[Carnival Poster.png]] "Rictavio's Carnival Poster" by Caleb Cleveland. Support him on <a href="https://patreon.com/calebisdrawing/">Patreon!</a> As the players search the room, any character who looks out one of the windows toward Lake Baratok notices something odd: a patch of lily pads approximately fifteen feet from the shore stained a bright, flamboyant yellow, at clear odds with the muted greens of the lily pads nearby. > [!abstract]+ **The Lily Pads** > > A player who investigates the stained patch of lily pads can find a trio of ceramic pots sunk ten feet below the surface of the water. The pots are each half-filled with rocks; two bear traces of dried yellow paint along their rims and interior, while the third bears traces of dried white paint along its rim and interior. > > If the player has previously seen Rictavio’s wagon in Arasek Stockyard, they recognize the paint as the same shade as yellow as the sign on the wagon. If read, the burned journal page now reads only as follows: <div class="description"> For more than three decades now, I have undertaken to investigate and expose creatures of darkness to the purifying light of truth and knowledge. "Hero" I am named in some circles; "sage" and "master hunter" I am called in others. That I have survived countless supernatural assaults is seen as a marvel among my peers; my name is spoken with fear and loathing among my foes. In truth, this "virtuous" calling began as an obsessive effort to destroy a vampire that murdered my child, and it has become for me a tedious and bleak career. Even as my life of hunting monsters began, I felt the weight of time on my weary shoulders. Today I am a man who has simply lived too long. Like a regretful lich, I find myself inexorably bound to an existence I sought out of madness and, seemingly, must now endure for all eternity. Of course I shall die, but whether I shall ever rest in my grave haunts my idle thoughts, and torments me in my dreams. </div> The handwriting matches the handwriting of the excerpt of *Van Richten's Guide to Vampires* found in [[Act I - Into the Mists/Arc B - Welcome to Barovia#Rooms at the Mansion|Arc B - Welcome to Barovia]] and the manuscript on werewolves obtained in [[Act I - Into the Mists/Arc C - Into the Valley#C4d. The Dancing Fire|Arc C - Into the Valley]]. The remainder of the text is unreadable—scorched by heat or burned away to ash. # E7. The Road Back The players’ activities at Lake Baratok attract the attention of a pair of **werewolves**, who lurk in the woods east of the lake, silently waiting for the players to return to the road. When the players begin the trek back to Vallaki—either by the northern path or the Old Svalich Road to the south—the werewolves follow. Fifteen minutes after the players depart the lake, they encounter the two werewolves in human form. The scene unfolds largely as described in Werewolves (p. 32), but revise the descriptive text as follows: <div class="description"> A deep voice calls out, "Who goes there?" Through the chill mist you see a large man in drab clothing wearing a tattered gray cloak. He has shaggy, black hair and thick mutton chops. He leans heavily on a spear and has a small bundle of animal pelts slung over his shoulder. Just behind him, barely visible in the gloom, stands a grim-faced woman, her long, dark hair loosely braided. She holds a spear of her own, the tip glinting in the scarce light, and wears a cloak wrapped tightly around her chest. </div> The two **werewolves** introduce themselves as Zsolt and Mathilda, trappers from Krezk. (If Szoldar is with the players, he whispers warily that he recognizes neither "trapper's" name.) Zsolt is warm and friendly, while Mathilda is sullen and quiet. Zsolt warns the players that the road has become dangerous for travelers, and suggests traveling together. Whether the players accept or reject his offer, Zsolt then shares the following story: <div class="description"> A light glints in Zsolt’s amber eyes. "There's been a tale echoing through these woods of late. A tale of a Vistana woman, a kind of phantom, who stalks the paths under the moon's gaze. They say she's not of this world, but from the realms of death itself.” He licks his lips. "She's said to be a frightful sight, with eyes that burn like embers in the darkness, and an iron leg that shrieks in the night. They say she's clad in a patchwork of cloaks, like a wandering vagabond, but don't let that fool you. For in her hand, she carries a wicked blade—a weapon that thirsts for the blood of innocents.” He chuckles lightly. "And oh, does her blade drink well! She's been butchering good folk in the woods, they say. Men, women—it matters not. Whip! goes her blade, and off come their heads, trophies for her dark desires.” He pauses, and his lips spread into a wolfish grin, "But I'm sure we'll have naught to worry about with fine, strong folks like you on the roads. And besides—how deadly can a tale truly be?" </div> When his story is complete, Zsolt playfully asks the players whether they have good steel to defend themselves, should the murderess find them upon the road. If at least two characters show that they’re carrying silvered weapons or ammunition, the playful light fades from Zsolt’s eyes, replaced by a momentary glint of wariness. His grip tightens around his spear, and his gaze meets Mathilda's for a brief, near-imperceptible moment. He congratulates the players on entering the woods well-prepared, but the joviality in his voice has become hollow. Unless stopped or provided with a suitable excuse, Zsolt and Mathilda accompany the players in silence as far as the Luna River Crossroads, then depart south toward Berez. Otherwise, if no characters show that they’re carrying silvered weapons or ammunition, a mocking smirk creeps onto Zsolt's face, and he says, "You seem to be mighty warriors indeed! But it seems you've forgotten something important." If the players ask what they've forgotten, Zsolt's eyes flash with hunger, and he hisses, "Silver." He and Mathilda then assume their hybrid forms and attack. > [!combat]- **Balancing the Werewolves** > This combat encounter is a **bloody** encounter against a party of five 4th-level players and a CR 1/2 ally (Szoldar Szoldarovoch) and will consume approximately 52% of their total maximum hit points. For parties of smaller or larger sizes, modify the encounter as follows: > > * ***Three Players.*** Reduce the werewolves’ hit points to 42. Reduce their ***bite*** damage to 5 (1d10) piercing damage and their ***claws*** damage to 5 (2d4). They always use their bonus action to change into their hybrid forms on the first turn of combat against the players. > * ***Four Players.*** Reduce the werewolves’ hit points to 63. Reduce their ***bite*** damage to 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage and their ***claws*** damage to 7 (2d4+2). They always use their bonus action to change into their hybrid forms on the first turn of combat against the players. > * ***Six Players.*** Increase the werewolves’ hit points to 105. Increase their ***bite*** damage to 8 (1d8+4) piercing damage and their ***claws*** damage to 9 (2d4+4). They always use their bonus action to change into their hybrid forms on the first turn of combat against the players. Use the statblock below for the **werewolves**, rather than the one in the *Monster Manual.* <div class="statblock"> <h2>Werewolf</h2> Medium Humanoid (Human, Shapechanger), Chaotic Evil <hr> Armor Class 11 in humanoid form, 12 (natural armor) in wolf or hybrid form Hit Points 84 (13d8 + 26) Speed 30 ft. (40 ft. in wolf form) <hr> <table class="ability-table"> <thead> <tr> <th>STR</th> <th>DEX</th> <th>CON</th> <th>INT</th> <th>WIS</th> <th>CHA</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td data-label="STR">16 (+3)</td> <td data-label="DEX">13 (+1)</td> <td data-label="CON">14 (+2)</td> <td data-label="INT">10 (+0)</td> <td data-label="WIS">11 (+0)</td> <td data-label="CHA">10 (+0)</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <hr> Saving Throws Str +5 Skills Perception +4, Stealth +3 Senses darkvision, passive Perception 14 Languages Common (can't speak in wolf form) Challenge 3, or 2 without its regeneration Proficiency Bonus. +2 <hr> Keen Hearing and Smell. The werewolf has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. Pack Tactics. The werewolf has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the werewolf's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated. Regeneration. The werewolf regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. If the werewolf takes necrotic damage or bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage from a silvered weapon, this trait doesn't function at the start of the werewolf's next turn. The werewolf dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate. <h3>Actions</h3> Multiattack. The werewolf makes two attacks: two with its spear (humanoid form) or one with its bite and one with its claws (wolf or hybrid form). Bite (Wolf or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage. Instead of dealing damage, the werewolf can grapple the target (escape DC 11). Additionally, if the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be cursed with werewolf lycanthropy. Claws (Wolf or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) slashing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. Spear (Humanoid Form Only). Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage, or 6 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack. <h3>Bonus Actions</h3> Shapechange. The werewolf polymorphs into a wolf-humanoid hybrid or into a wolf, or back into its true form, which is humanoid. Its statistics, other than its AC, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying melds into the new form. It reverts to its true form if it dies. </div> In battle, the werewolves prioritize players wielding silvered weapons, if any. If one werewolf is killed or both are bloodied, they flee into the Svalich Woods. The players experience no other encounters on their journey to Vallaki. > [!info]+ **The Curse of Lycanthropy** > If a player is infected with lycanthropy, see the **Lycanthropy in Barovia** infobox in [[Act I - Into the Mists/Arc C - Into the Valley#C11. The Werewolves' Hunt|Arc C - Into the Valley]] for more information about the curse. # E8. Return to Vallaki The players' return to Vallaki from Lake Baratok is three and one-quarter miles long and takes approximately one hour. When the players return to Vallaki, they can pursue their leads either by seeking out Rictavio at the Blue Water Inn, or by directly investigating Rictavio’s wagon in Arasek Stockyard. As the players return to Vallaki’s Sunset gate, a player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 19 or higher notices the same silhouette as before watching them—this time, from the northwestern woods. The silhouette vanishes into the trees if looked at, spoken to, approached, or otherwise interacted with. (This is, again, Arrigal, who has tracked the players back to Vallaki. If the players enter Vallaki, Arrigal uses his two daggers as makeshift pitons to climb over Vallaki’s palisade walls and sneak past the patrolling guards. He then continues stalking the players through the streets in the hopes that they’ll lead him to Arabelle.) > [!profile]+ **Profile: Dr. Rudolph van Richten** > **Roleplaying Information** > ***Resonance.*** Van Richten should inspire gratitude for his knowledge (freely shared), comfort with his confidence and experience, and mild irritation with his paranoia and bluntness. > > ***Emotions.*** Van Richten most often feels suspicious, wary, thoughtful, concerned, wistful, satisfied, inquisitive, guilty, and ashamed. > > ***Motivations.*** Van Richten wants to keep Arabelle safe, avoid Strahd's detection, assist Strahd's enemies, and redeem himself for Erasmus' death and his slaughter of the Radanaviches. > > ***Inspiration.*** When playing Van Richten, channel Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody (*Harry Potter*), Geralt of Rivia (*The Witcher*), and Mike Ehrmantraut (*Breaking Bad*). > > **Character Information** > ***Persona.*** To the world, Van Richten is a merciless, battle-hardened monster hunter. To those he trusts, Van Richten is a compassionate mentor with exceedingly high standards, a hefty paranoid streak, and an occasional temper. Only Van Richten knows the depths of the guilt, shame, and self-loathing he feels for the deaths of his son and wife, and his slaughter of the Radanavich Vistani caravan. > > ***Morale.*** In a fight, Van Richten would attempt to outwit or outmaneuver his foe, retreating as necessary in order to secure the most advantageous terrain. > > ***Relationships.*** Van Richten is the mentor of the Vistana monster hunter Ezmerelda d'Avenir, the father of the late and Ethereal Plane-bound Erasmus van Richten (whom he can neither communicate with nor perceive), the former owner of the monkey Piccolo now owned by the Vallakian toymaker Gadof Blinsky, the killer of the family of Arturi Radanavich, and the former ally of Doru's rebellion against Castle Ravenloft. ## E8a. Confronting Rictavio This scene takes place in Chapter 5: Area N2. If the players visit the Blue Water Inn first, they can learn from [[Non-Player Characters#Danika Dorakova|Danika]] that Rictavio recently departed the inn and that he mentioned “inspecting his wagon for some necessary repairs.” If the players ask where Rictavio has kept his wagon, Danika recalls hearing him mention keeping it in Arasek Stockyard. If the players indicate an interest in following Rictavio to the stockyard, Danika jokingly warns them to be on the lookout for dangerous beasts—local rumors suggest that the ringmaster is keeping something big and deadly in his wagon. If the players wait for Rictavio to return before confronting him, [[Non-Player Characters#Disguised (as Rictavio)|Rictavio]] greets them warmly and feigns ignorance of their allegations and claims. However, he invites them to his guest suite to discuss the matter in private if the players insist that they wish to help Arabelle, show him the burned journal page, or otherwise threaten to blow his cover. Once he and the players are alone in his guest suite, Rictavio draws his sword-cane and demands proof that the players are not servants of Strahd von Zarovich. If the players muster sufficient evidence or succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, Rictavio reluctantly stows his blade, checks the window and corridor for Strahd’s spies, and shuts the window shutters tight. He then removes his *hat of disguise*, and confesses his identity as Dr. Rudolph van Richten. ![[RVR_Transparent.png]] "Dr. Rudolph van Richten" by Caleb Cleveland. Support him on <a href="https://patreon.com/calebisdrawing/">Patreon!</a> Van Richten can share the following information: * Until recently, he had been laying low in the tower at Lake Baratok. However, that changed when he saw a Vistana man bringing a wriggling sack to a golden-haired vampire spawn on the banks of the Luna River. (Van Richten recognized the vampire as a man named Escher, a bard from Barovia who had joined the Barovians’ revolt.) * Van Richten attacked the pair, killing the Vistana and scarring the vampire, who fled. Upon opening the sack, he found a young Vistana girl within. * The girl, who introduced herself as Arabelle, was uncertain of why she had been kidnapped. Van Richten used his *talisman of echoes* to interrogate the dead Vistana’s severed head, and learned that Strahd had issued a bounty on young girls matching Arabelle’s precise and unique description: dark-haired and olive-skinned, with lavender irises. Van Richten and Arabelle agreed that returning her to the Vistani camp would leave her exposed to Strahd, and was therefore too dangerous. * The two returned to the tower at Lake Baratok, where Van Richten had previously hidden his horse, Drusilla, and a covered Vistani wagon that he had first used to enter Barovia. Using his *hat of disguise*, Van Richten adopted the dead Vistana’s guise and snuck into the Vistani camp by Vallaki to steal three pots of paint, which he used to disguise his wagon as “Rictavio’s Carnival of Wonders.” * Van Richten and Arabelle then traveled to Vallaki, with Van Richten adopting the identity of Rictavio to hide in plain sight. Arabelle has remained concealed in his wagon ever since. * While the tower at Lake Baratok contains a permanent *antimagic field* that would block Strahd’s scrying, Van Richten believed that Strahd would be well-aware of this fact, and that the tower would therefore be among the first places he looked. As such, Van Richten, who already wore one such amulet, gave Arabelle a spare *amulet of proof against detection and location* that he had once given to—and then received from—one of his students. (If pressed, Van Richten admits that the amulet once belonged to Ezmerelda d’Avenir, but does not discuss the matter in further detail.) If the players ask Van Richten about his arrival in Barovia or the revolt against Strahd, he can also share the following information: * When Van Richten first arrived in Barovia, he hoped to face Strahd alone, taking advantage of the vampire’s hibernation to destroy him in his coffin. * His plans were foiled when an undead dire wolf attacked a trio of Barovia children, and the resulting battle revealed his identity to the onlooking Doru. * Doru blackmailed Van Richten into leading a full-scale revolt on the castle, threatening to bring an untrained mob to Ravenloft’s doors if Van Richten didn’t lead them there. Van Richten, fearful that such a mob could awaken Strahd and destroy his own plans, reluctantly agreed. * Shortly after entering the castle, however, they were betrayed. Escher, Doru’s “lieutenant,” vanished from the group as they explored the catacombs. Not long thereafter, the mob found Strahd’s coffin empty—and Strahd himself attacked shortly thereafter. Van Richten fled, knowing from his long studies of Strahd that victory was impossible. * Upon escaping Castle Ravenloft and recovering his horse, Van Richten began the journey to warn the Barovians of the vampire’s awakening. However, he was stopped by the Vistani seer Madam Eva, who warned him: “The message you bring shall be borne by another. Should you return to the village while light lingers in the valley, you shall surely meet your grave.” * Knowing full well of Eva’s reputation, Van Richten reluctantly set forth for Lake Baratok instead, weeping bitter tears for the sons and daughters of Barovia. If the players demand it, Van Richten agrees to bring them to his wagon at Arasek Stockyard to see Arabelle for themselves. Proceed to [[#E8b. Following Rictavio]] below. ## E8b. Following Rictavio This scene takes place in Chapter 5: Area N5. If the players follow [[Non-Player Characters#Disguised (as Rictavio)|Rictavio]] to Arasek Stockyard instead of waiting for him at the Blue Water Inn, they can find him kneeling by the wagon, where he appears to be adjusting the spokes of the wagon’s rear left wooden wheel. A player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 16 or higher notices that Rictavio is repeatedly adjusting and re-adjusting the same spoke, and that Rictavio’s lips are moving, as if he is speaking with someone. If the players watch him, he continues his task for a full five minutes—far longer than such a task should ordinarily take—before standing and moving to depart. If the players confront him, Rictavio greets them warmly, but feigns ignorance of their allegations and claims. If the players insist that they wish to help Arabelle, show him the burned journal page, or otherwise threaten to blow his cover, Rictavio’s gaze hardens, his fist tightens around his cane, and his voice lowers to a near-whisper. He demands to know if they are spies of Strahd, and calmly threatens to “dispatch” them if they serve the Devil’s will. If the players muster sufficient evidence of their good faith or succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, Rictavio sighs and commands the players to form a protective wall around the rear of the wagon. If the players antagonize Rictavio instead, or otherwise fail to convince him, a young girl’s voice quietly rings out from the wagon: “They mean me no harm. Please, open the door.” ## E8c. Rictavio’s Wagon This scene takes place in Chapter 5: Area N5 Once the players or Arabelle have convinced him to do so, [[Non-Player Characters#Disguised (as Rictavio)|Rictavio]] produces a key from his sleeve and opens the door. When he does, the players can see that the wagon contains a soft bed of straw, a comfortable woolen blanket, a few books, and a young Vistana girl—Arabelle—who is clutching a plush saber-toothed tiger to her chest and wearing a beaded necklace with a carved copper amulet. ![[Arabelle.png]] "Arabelle" by Caleb Cleveland. Support him on <a href="https://patreon.com/calebisdrawing/">Patreon!</a> ### Meeting Arabelle Unless diverted by the players, the conversation unfolds as follows: * Arabelle greets the players warmly, thanks them for their efforts to find her, and shares her regret for the wounds they have sustained along the way. * Van Richten is surprised to learn that Arabelle was expecting them, and Arabelle admits that she had a premonition that someone would follow in their tracks and that she left multiple clues—the Tarokka card, the bracelet, the handkerchief, and the ring—to guide the players in their path. * Arabelle thanks Van Richten for his efforts to keep her safe, but gently reminds him that they both knew that their plan could not last forever—and that, with the players present, a long-term solution is more likely within reach. During this conversation, Van Richten can also reveal the following information if he hasn't already: * Until recently, Van Richten had been laying low in the tower at Lake Baratok. However, that changed when he saw a Vistana man bringing a wriggling sack to a golden-haired vampire spawn on the banks of the Luna River. (Van Richten recognized the vampire as a man named Escher, a bard from Barovia who had joined the Barovians’ revolt.) * Van Richten attacked the pair, killing the Vistana and scarring the vampire, who fled. Upon opening the sack, he found a young Vistana girl within. * The girl, who introduced herself as Arabelle, was uncertain of why she had been kidnapped. Van Richten used his *talisman of echoes* to interrogate the dead Vistana’s severed head, and learned that Strahd had issued a bounty on young girls matching Arabelle’s precise and unique description: dark-haired and olive-skinned, with lavender irises. Van Richten and Arabelle agreed that returning her to the Vistani camp would leave her exposed to Strahd, and was therefore too dangerous. * The two returned to the tower at Lake Baratok, where Van Richten had previously hidden his horse, Drusilla, and a covered Vistani wagon that he had first used to enter Barovia. Using his *hat of disguise*, Van Richten adopted the dead Vistana’s guise and snuck into the Vistani camp by Vallaki to steal three pots of paint, which he used to disguise his wagon as “Rictavio’s Carnival of Wonders.” * Van Richten and Arabelle then traveled to Vallaki, with Van Richten adopting the identity of Rictavio to hide in plain sight. Arabelle has remained concealed in his wagon ever since. * While the tower at Lake Baratok contains a permanent *antimagic field* that would block Strahd’s scrying, Van Richten believed that Strahd would be well-aware of this fact, and that the tower would therefore be among the first places he looked. * As such, Van Richten, who already wore one such amulet, gave Arabelle a spare *amulet of proof against detection and location* that he had once given to—and then received from—one of his students. (If pressed, Van Richten admits that the amulet once belonged to Ezmerelda d’Avenir, but does not discuss the matter in further detail.) ### Arrigal's Arrival As the conversation draws to a close, [[Non-Player Characters#Arrigal|Arrigal]] emerges from the shadows of a nearby alley. If the players do not divert the conversation, it proceeds as follows: * Arrigal thanks Van Richten for the “fascinating story,” thanks the players for their “aid and guidance,” and commands Arabelle to exit the wagon and return with him. * Van Richten immediately accuses Arrigal of being a spy for Strahd, noting that, while stealing the pots of paint, he saw Arrigal whispering to a bat in the woods nearby. He demands that Arabelle remain in the wagon, and asks the players to defend her from Arrigal. * Arrigal’s hands go to the shortsword and daggers on his belt, while Van Richten prepares to draw his sword-cane for battle. Arabelle quietly asks the players to help them see reason. Arrigal is ignorant of Strahd’s bounty on Arabelle and truthfully shares this if asked, finding the notion preposterous. If asked whether he would give Arabelle up to Strahd if commanded, he fiercely and truthfully rejects that he would ever do such a thing. As the conversation unfolds, Arrigal makes clear his belief that Van Richten has kidnapped Arabelle for nefarious purposes. Although Arabelle protests Arrigal's accusations, Arrigal replies, "Hush, girl—it is clear this man has deceived you. I cannot speak to what nefarious plans he had for you, but he has clearly preyed upon your naivete. You will return to camp with me at once." If the players ask Van Richten for proof that Strahd sought to kidnap Arabelle, Van Richten retrieves the wooden box containing Yan’s severed head from the hidden compartment of his wagon, as described in V7. Tower, Fourth Floor (p. 171). He then offers to allow one of the players to use his *talisman of echoes* to interrogate Yan's head to obtain the evidence they seek. > [!item]+ **Talisman of Echoes** > > _Wondrous item, rare_ > > This talisman has 4 charges. While holding it, you can use an action to spend 1 of its charges to cast the _gentle repose_ spell, or 2 of its charges to cast the _speak with dead_ spell. (The spell *speak with dead* isn't affected by the spell's ordinary ten-day limit when cast in this way.) > > The talisman regains 1d4 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the talisman's last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the talisman crumbles into ashes and is destroyed. ![[SpeakWithDead.png]] "Talisman of Echoes" by Caleb Cleveland. Support him on <a href="https://patreon.com/calebisdrawing/">Patreon!</a> Five sample answers a players might receive are given below: * What is your name? *Yan.* * What lord did you serve in life? *The vampire, Strahd von Zarovich.* * Did that lord command you to kidnap the girl Arabelle? *He did, through his servant, the vampire Escher.* * What did he ask you to do with her? *He bade me to take her to the Luna River, where she would be brought to Castle Ravenloft.* * How did you die? *A blade sliced my head from my shoulders from behind.* Yan might also reveal the following information if asked using one of the players' five questions: * Yan served Strahd loyally because he was promised riches and power in exchange for his service. * Yan didn't know what Escher or Strahd planned to do with Arabelle. * Yan received his orders at dusk on the day before the players first arrived in Vallaki (i.e., on the same day the players received their Tarokka reading and first encountered Strahd). If Yan reveals his loyalty to Strahd and his instructions to kidnap Arabelle, Arrigal is shaken, but not entirely convinced—until Arabelle speaks up to confirm Van Richten’s story, calmly reporting that Yan kidnapped her, Van Richten rescued her, and she overheard Yan asking another man whether “the lord” would pay his debts in exchange for the “whelp’s delivery” before hearing the exchanging of coins shortly thereafter. ### Brokering an Agreement Van Richten is unwilling to allow Arrigal to take Arabelle back to the Vistani encampment. However, Arrigal is unwilling to allow Van Richten to keep Arabelle hidden in Vallaki, away from her family. It is up to the players to broker an agreement between them. As they do, keep the following interests in mind: * Van Richten wants to prevent Strahd’s spies from finding Arabelle. * Arrigal wants to keep Arabelle with her family—and especially her father, Luvash. * Both Van Richten and Arrigal want to keep Arabelle comforted and safe. Because neither Van Richten nor Arrigal will concede any of these priorities; the players will need to find a solution that satisfies all of then simultaneously. Van Richten and Arrigal will reluctantly accept any reasonable proposal that does so. (For example, the players might propose that “Rictavio” relocate his wagon to the woods near the Vistani camp, where Luvash can visit her daily, while Arrigal feeds Strahd false information about Arabelle’s whereabouts.) When a final agreement is reached, Arabelle places a small hand on one of the players’ arms and softly thanks them for their efforts. If the players do not intervene, she then steps forward and takes Van Richten’s hand in hers. The following sequence then unfolds: * Arabelle thanks Dr. Van Richten for helping her, and informs him that he’s a good man—a sentiment that his son agrees with. * The blood drains from Van Richten’s face, and he sways on his feet, as though he’s about to faint. “My son?” he croaks. * Arabelle pats the back of Van Richten’s hand, and tells him that his son has been keeping her safe in the wagon. She promises him that his son loves him very much, and shares her belief that he has been keeping Van Richten safe as well. (Van Richten quietly thanks her, now resembling a weary old man far more than a veteran monster hunter.) ### Arabelle's Prophecy A few moments later, Arabelle staggers, her eyes rolling back into her head as the whites of her eyes become the color of storm clouds. When she speaks, her voice seems to echo with the sound of a second, far older woman’s voice as she delivers the following prophecy: <div class="description" style="text-align: center;"> In darkest night, the light shall flee, No dawn to break, with no reprieve. From the grave, the dead shall climb, Their restless march a baleful sign. At castle’s peak, a heart beats red, Its hunger deep and ever-fed. Should silence fall, the skies shall crack, A thousand souls in torment black. </div> Arabelle then falls over unconscious. Any character that makes a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check can easily discern that she is unharmed—merely asleep. Upon waking, Arabelle retains no memory of the prophecy she spoke. Neither Arabelle, Van Richten, nor Arrigal know it, but Arabelle's prophecy refers to Strahd's ultimate plot to use the Heart of Sorrow to plunge the valley into eternal night, summoning a horde of undead across the land and using the souls of the Barovians to escape the Mists. Van Richten is troubled by Arabelle’s prophecy, and the resemblance it bears to Madam Eva’s warning on the Svalich Road. Nonetheless, in gratitude for the players’ aid, he bequeaths to them his *talisman of echoes.* Arrigal is similarly grateful for the players’ assistance in recovering his niece. He is glad to promise that, notwithstanding his oath of loyalty to Strahd, he will refrain from reporting Arabelle or Van Richten’s true locations to Castle Ravenloft, and will avoid reporting the players’ movements for as long as he can. In addition, though he won’t take up arms against Strahd or cease his work as a spy, Arrigal offers to deliver false information to Castle Ravenloft once when the players request it—but no more than that. He won’t deliver any information that is obviously false, however, and he provides no guarantees as to how long or whether Strahd will believe his information. ***Milestone.*** Finding Arabelle completes a story milestone. When Arabelle delivers her prophecy, award each player 1,250 XP. > [!abstract]+ **The Werewolf’s Curse** > > If one of the players was infected by a werewolf’s bite on the Old Svalich Road, Van Richten shares that he is capable of brewing an elixir capable of suppressing the curse of lycanthropy for a single night, rendering the player a docile wolf during a full moon, rather than a raging werewolf. > > To do so, however, he requires a supply of wolfsbane, a flowering plant said to grow along the shores of a blessed pool in Krezk. (See [[Arc I - The Walls of Krezk]] for more information about the players’ efforts to gain entry to Krezk.) Van Richten is glad to brew one portion of the elixir for each wolfsbane flower that the players fetch for him, a process which requires six hours and a number of additional ingredients. > [!abstract]+ **Inspecting Ireena** > If the players ask Van Richten to inspect Ireena's vampire bite, he can share that she has received no ordinary vampire bite, and has in fact been marked by a vampire. ("The master of Castle Ravenloft, I presume," he adds, if the players have not told him of the bite's source.") Van Richten is unsure why the vampire might have done this, but notes that any of the vampire's servants and creatures can recognize the mark's scent, and that it may serve to discourage them from harming its carrier. > [!abstract]+ **Recruiting Van Richten** > If the players attempt to recruit Van Richten to their party, he politely but firmly declines. If the players ask his reason for doing so, he insists that he must remain at Arabelle's side to keep her safe from Strahd's minions. "I failed to guard a child once," he says stiffly. "I shall not make that mistake again." (Van Richten won't explain further.) > > A player who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check notices that Van Richten seems to be holding something back. If challenged, Van Richten lauds the player for their astuteness, but refuses to explain himself further. "I work alone—and for good reason," he states firmly. "Such reasons are my own." # Design Notes: The Missing Vistana The original module's quest to rescue Arabelle provides the players with no clear motive for her kidnapping, no real reason to find her, and no clear clues to follow in order to do so. The original module also provides Dr. Rudolph van Richten with no clear purpose while in Vallaki, introducing him as little more than a murderous pseudo-antagonist who wishes to commit mass homicide against the Vistani of the nearby encampment with a vague (though undeveloped) interest in investigating the Keepers of the Feather. This arc aims to remedy both issues simultaneously, providing Van Richten with a reason to remain hidden in or around Vallaki for the duration of the campaign (i.e., to keep Arabelle safe) while providing the players with a more comprehensive and engaging storyline for Arabelle's kidnapping. It also brings closure to Van Richten's troubled relationship with the Vistani, providing him with a symbolic opportunity to protect a child of the people that effectively killed his own. In the process, the arc provides the players with an opportunity to venture west beyond Vallaki's walls, alleviating the sense of suffocating claustrophobia that many parties describe following several consecutive sessions in the town. ***Blinsky Toys.*** The toy shop has been introduced as a first stop in this arc in order to discourage the players from fully completing it on their first day in Vallaki (in favor of encouraging them to complete [[Arc D - St. Andral's Feast]] instead), and to further develop Izek Strazni's relationship with Ireena Kolyana, explored further in [[Arc G - The Strazni Siblings]]. ***Vistani Encampment.*** Luvash, Arrigal, and the entire Vistani tribe have been made more sympathetic in order to encourage the players to build a long-term relationship with them, to further develop the adventure's themes of unity and redemption over selfishness and mistrust, and to further motivate the players to locate Arabelle and find a solution that reunites her with her family. The plotline involving the signet ring has been added to provide Luvash with a real reason to recruit unqualified strangers in the search for his daughter (because they are uniquely capable of entering Vallaki) and to provide the players with a clear sense of direction as they work to uncover the mystery of Arabelle's disappearance. ***Strahd's Bounty.*** Strahd's interest in Arabelle has been added to provide an altruistic motivation for Van Richten to "kidnap her first." Yan has been changed from an ordinary Vistana thief to Escher's agent in order to paint Van Richten's actions in a better light (he was triggered by his traumatic memories of Erasmus and was working to protect an innocent), to explain why Arabelle was not immediately taken to Castle Ravenloft (Yan had to first deliver to Escher at an isolated, pre-determined spot), and to explain why Arrigal was ignorant of Strahd's plot (thereby providing the players with a proper diplomatic moral dilemma at the climax of the arc). ***Dusk Elf Hovels.*** In order to discourage the players from exploring the Amber Temple too early (and because the players are strangers that he has only just met, with no evident qualifications that will help him achieve his goals), Kasimir Velikov no longer shares Patrina's dreams or his interest in the Amber Temple upon their first meeting. Kasimir will later lead the players to the Amber Temple in [[Arc U - The Amber Temple]] after the players learn of his interest in the temple at the conclusion of [[Arc Q - A Shining Beacon]]. For now, however, Kasimir's injuries from his most recent venture up Mount Ghakis have been shown to foreshadow his involvement in that future arc. The symbols on the signet ring have been added to provide the players with the solution to the puzzle door at the entrance to Van Richten's Tower. Rahadin's relationship to Prince Erevan (relayed in Kasimir's story) has been added to accentuate his decision to choose King Barov as his family over his own people, and to create a more personal antagonistic relationship between Rahadin and the bearer of the *broken blade* in the ***Barovian Relics*** adventure hook. ***Burgomaster's Mansion.*** The "haunted mansion" plotline has been added to provide the players with a hook to [[Arc H - The Lost Soul]], and as a backup diplomatic option if the players chose to leave Ireena in the safety of St. Andral's Church. The geneology of the Strazni family has been added to explicitly reveal Ireena's connection to Izek, clarifying and accentuating the stakes of [[Arc G - The Strazni Siblings]]. *Ethereal Entities* has been added to provide additional information to aid the players in restoring Stella's soul, and to provide Victor Vallakovich with an excuse to visit his father's library while the players are present. (See [[Arc H - The Lost Soul]] for more information about Stella's fate.) Victor has been given Khazan's lost spellbook to provide him with a reason to know of (and a reason to take an interest in) the tower at Lake Baratok, as well as to explain Victor's precocious skill as a mage. Victor's interest in Khazan's staff has been added to foreshadow the means by which the players can obtain the staff in the Ravenloft catacombs in [[Arc P - Ravenloft Heist]]. ***Lake Zarovich.*** This brief detour to Szoldar and Yevgeni's dressing shack has been added to make sure that the Barovian wilderness remains strange and foreboding (because only experienced hunters know how to navigate it), to explicitly introduce the players to a pair of individuals able to point out important paths and landmarks, and to inform the players of the werewolves' heavy presence along the western half of the valley. ***The Svalich Road.*** Van Richten's handkerchief has been left in the Luna River to foreshadow his involvement in Arabelle's disappearance. The **twig blights** and **scarecrows** have been placed here to foreshadow the druids of Yester Hill and their alliance with the witch of Berez, Baba Lysaga. ***Lake Baratok.*** The additional clues around Ezmerelda's wagon (the signs, scent of sulfur, and wolf tracks) have been added to discourage players from attempting to open it and thereby activate the alchemist's fire trap. The additional set of wagon tracks and the paint in the woods have been added to provide additional clues connecting Rictavio to the tower. The puzzle on the tower door has been changed to befit a more dignified archmage like Khazan, and has been integrated with the signet ring to provide the players with an easy "Eureka!" moment that nonetheless provides a sense of satisfaction for deciphering the puzzle. The gargoyles on the rooftop have been turned into **gargoyles** to replace the **young blue dragon** as a more fitting enemy for the genre. The gargoyles attack players who climb the scaffolding in order to ensure that there is no "challenge-free" entrance into the tower. The lightning sheath from the original module has been intentionally removed and replaced with a fairer lightning trap that foreseeably punishes players who attempt to evade the puzzle. The paint-stained lily pads have been added to provide additional clues regarding Rictavio's connection to the tower, as has the burned sign for *Rictavio's Carnival of Wonders*. The beaded bracelet and Tarokka card have been added to confirm Arabelle's presence in the tower, and to suggest that Rictavio is not all that he seems. Van Richten's journal page introduces the character of Erasmus van Richten, who will serve a more significant role in [[Arc H - The Lost Soul]]. ***The Road Back.*** The encounter with Zsolt and Mathilda introduces the werewolf pack more formally, foreshadowing [[Arc L - The Den of Wolves]] and ensuring that the players have an appreciation for the value of obtaining silvered weapons before their encounter with the coven of Old Bonegrinder in [[Arc H - The Lost Soul]]. ***Return to Vallaki.*** Van Richten's **saber-toothed tiger** has been removed from his wagon because it no longer serves a purpose in the absence of his homicidal plan to kill the Vistani, because he would have had no place to store it during his time as "Alanik" in the village of Barovia before Strahd awoke, and because it is far more overt and uncontrollable a weapon than his cautious and prudent characterization would reasonably allow. Van Richten's confrontation with Arrigal has been added to provide a suitable climax for the arc—a social encounter, rather than a combat one. Van Richten's *talisman of echoes* has been added to provide the players with a means of proving their case to Arrigal (and thereby winning his loyalties) and to provide the players with a material reward for completing the quest. Arabelle's prophecy has been provided to accentuate the importance of deciphering the *Tome of Strahd* (and, therefore, of locating the Amber Temple) and to foreshadow Strahd's final plan, building dramatic tension.