From da147784fdd05d9c8f7174885a237e8677dc12e9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Andrew Cohn Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:41:55 -0800 Subject: [PATCH] vault backup: 2025-12-26 00:41:55 --- .obsidian/workspace.json | 31 +- Avalon/02_Sessions/session 6.md | 2 +- Avalon/02_Sessions/session 7.md | 140 ++++++ Strahd/Sessions/Session 3.md | 789 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++- 4 files changed, 945 insertions(+), 17 deletions(-) create mode 100644 Avalon/02_Sessions/session 7.md diff --git a/.obsidian/workspace.json b/.obsidian/workspace.json index 6d1988e..1a9c855 100644 --- a/.obsidian/workspace.json +++ b/.obsidian/workspace.json @@ -11,14 +11,14 @@ "id": "6e169ae6a9aed54f", "type": "leaf", "state": { - "type": "markdown", + "type": "split-diff-view", "state": { - "file": "Avalon/02_Sessions/session 6.md", - "mode": "preview", - "source": true + "aFile": "Strahd/Sessions/Session 3.md", + "bFile": "Strahd/Sessions/Session 3.md", + "aRef": "" }, - "icon": "lucide-file", - "title": "session 6" + "icon": "diff", + "title": "Diff: Session 3" } } ] @@ -206,19 +206,24 @@ }, "active": "6e169ae6a9aed54f", "lastOpenFiles": [ - "Avalon/02_Sessions/session_5.md", - "Avalon/02_Sessions/session 4.md", + "Avalon/02_Sessions/session 7.md", + "Avalon/02_Sessions/session 6.md", "Avalon/05_Locations/Avalon Locations.md", + "Avalon/02_Sessions/session_5.md", + "Strahd/Sessions/Session 3.md", + "Strahd/Locations/Vallaki.md", + "Strahd/Locations/Barovia.md", + "Strahd/Locations/Castle Ravenloft.md", + "Avalon/06_Factions_Secrets/Avalon Factions.md", + "Avalon/10_Canon/Leyline Crisis.md", + "Avalon/02_Sessions/session 4.md", "Avalon/05_Locations/Campus Locations.md", "Avalon/03_NPCs_Students/Fouadriel “Fouad” Al-Mir.md", - "Avalon/10_Canon/Leyline Crisis.md", "Avalon/10_Canon/The Coherence.md", "Avalon/04_NPCs_Faculty/Kalen D'Serris.md", "Avalon/04_NPCs_Faculty/Pappy Football.md", "Avalon/10_Canon/Leyline Root System.md", - "Avalon/02_Sessions/session 6.md", "Avalon/03_NPCs_Students/Sebastian Castillo.md", - "Avalon/06_Factions_Secrets/Avalon Factions.md", "Avalon/03_NPCs_Students/Chaz Ironwick.md", "Avalon/03_NPCs_Students/Millie Fairweather.md", "Avalon/04_NPCs_Faculty/Hector Estrada.md", @@ -226,13 +231,9 @@ "Avalon/04_NPCs_Faculty/Christopher Larkvale.md", "Kalen D'Sesrris.md", "Avalon/11_Players", - "Strahd/Sessions/Session 3.md", "Avalon/10_Canon", "Avalon/09_Student_Handouts", - "Strahd/Locations/Barovia.md", "Strahd/Enemies", - "Strahd/Locations/Castle Ravenloft.md", - "Strahd/Locations/Vallaki.md", "Strahd/Locations", "Strahd/Sessions", "Strahd/Arcs", diff --git a/Avalon/02_Sessions/session 6.md b/Avalon/02_Sessions/session 6.md index e667ffd..59eaaf9 100644 --- a/Avalon/02_Sessions/session 6.md +++ b/Avalon/02_Sessions/session 6.md @@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ type: session session_number: 6 date: 2025-12-10 arc: leyline -status: planned +status: ran tags: last: "[[session_5| Session 5]]" next: "[[session 7]]" diff --git a/Avalon/02_Sessions/session 7.md b/Avalon/02_Sessions/session 7.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a6a14d0 --- /dev/null +++ b/Avalon/02_Sessions/session 7.md @@ -0,0 +1,140 @@ +--- +campaign: Avalon Adventuring Academy +type: session +session_number: 7 +date: 2025-12-29 +arc: gangs +status: planned +tags: +last: "[[session 6]]" +next: "[[session 7]]" +--- +## Cold Open – Evening News: “Circle Inferno” + +> [!quote] Narration +> The screen flickers from some forgettable sitcom rerun to a *BREAKING NEWS* graphic – spinning siren crystal, red banner, scrolling text: +> **“THREE DEAD IN CIRCLE EXPLOSION – POLICE SUSPECT FOUL PLAY.”** +> +> Hard cut to a reporter standing in front of a cordoned-off gas station. What’s left of the Circle is a half-collapsed skeleton of twisted metal and scorched concrete. Yellow rune-tape glows faintly around the perimeter. Emergency crews and arcanists in heavy, rune-lined gear move through the wreckage like ghosts. + +### Trisha-style Anchor + +> [!quote] Anchor – On Scene +> “I’m Tala Takanawa, reporting live from the scene of last night’s devastating explosion here at Circle Fuel & Snacks, where three people are confirmed dead and one teen remains in critical condition after what investigators are now calling a *‘deliberate act of magical arson.’*” +> +> She turns slightly, gesturing with a manicured hand toward the rubble. +> +> “Behind me, you can still see crews from Sahuarita Fire, the Arcane Arson Taskforce, and Avalon Oversight combing through the wreckage. Witnesses say a ‘ball of fire’ engulfed the station shortly after 10 pm, rocking nearby neighborhoods and shaking windows for blocks.” +> +> “Authorities have not yet released the names of the two adult victims, but we do know one of the deceased was a local teen. A fourth victim, a halfling youth, survived the blast with severe injuries.” + +> [!quote] Narration +> B-roll: a blurred shot of a stretcher being wheeled into an ambulance; sheets over two burnt shapes; a long, slow pan across the melted remains of the pumps and store front. + +### Chief / Arson Investigator + +> [!quote] Anchor (voiceover) +> “Earlier today, we spoke with Chief Marquez of the Sahuarita Police Department and lead investigator Captain Halloway from the Arcane Arson Unit.” + +> [!quote] Chief Marquez +> A tired-looking human woman in uniform, bags under her eyes, stands at a makeshift podium. +> +> “What I can say at this time is that this was not an accident. Our preliminary findings, along with the Arcane Arson Unit, indicate the presence of magical accelerants and at least one mechanical trap device at the point of origin. Someone set this up to blow.” +> +> “We are treating this as a homicide investigation. We are asking anyone who was in the area of Circle Fuel between nine and ten p.m. last night to please come forward.” + +> [!quote] Captain Halloway, Arcane Arson +> A rail-thin elf in a soot-streaked coat, a glowing sigil stitched over his breast pocket, steps up. +> +> “We’ve recovered components consistent with a delaying snare trap- something designed to hold a target in place. This was a professionally conceived device.” +> +> He glances back at the ruins. +> +> “The level of damage and the magical residue mean we may never have a perfect picture of exactly how it was triggered. But whoever did this knew what they were doing, and we *will* find them.” + +> [!quote] Anchor (voiceover) +> “Chief Marquez confirmed that while no arrests have been made, investigators are pursuing several leads, including possible gang-related activity.” + +### Cut to Pip Interview (Hospital) + +> [!quote] Narration +> The image jumps to a quieter setting – a hospital room. Harsh fluorescent light washes everything pale. +> +> A halfling teen sits propped up in a hospital bed, one arm in a sling, burns peeking from under heavy bandages along his neck and jaw. One leg is clearly immobilized, wrapped and braced. The lower half of his face looks like someone tried very hard to put it back together. + +> [!quote] Lower Third +> **“PIP ‘PIPPIN’ TUMBLEFOOT – EXPLOSION SURVIVOR”** + +> [!quote] Anchor (off-screen) +> “Pip, you were working at the Circle the night of the explosion. Can you tell us what you remember?” + +> [!quote] Pip +> He gives the camera a small, tight smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. +> +> “Yeah. Uh… I remember stocking the cooler. It was a quiet night. Then…” +> +> He taps the side of his head lightly with his good hand. +> +> “Then it *wasn’t*.” +> +> A beat. He licks dry lips. +> +> “I heard this… *click* under the car outside. Real sharp. Not the kind you hear unless you’re listening for it.” +> He looks directly at the camera now. +> +> “And then everything went white.” +> +> Another beat. He exhales slowly. +> +> “Thing is… you don’t set something like that up for some random halfling on a late shift. Whoever did this?” +> His gaze sharpens, and for a moment the mask slips – there’s anger there, and something colder. +> +> “They weren’t aiming at me. I was just… in the Circle when the match got lit.” +> +> He lets that hang, then adds, still staring into the lens: +> +> “But hey. If the folks who did this are watching? +> +> **You know who you are.** +> You thought you were real clever, playing tough guy from *W Block* and running back up into the hills.” +> +> He gives the tiniest, bitter laugh. +> +> “Funny thing about circles, though. You walk ‘em long enough… you always end up right back where you started.” + +> [!quote] Narration +> That “W Block” line lands like a punch in the room. To *anyone* else, it’s just nonsense – local slang, some dumb gang thing. +> +> Ben and Joe know exactly who that was aimed at. + +### Back to Anchor + +> [!quote] Anchor – On Camera +> “A harrowing account from one of the survivors. Officials say Pip Tumblefoot faces a long road to recovery following multiple surgeries.” +> +> She turns back to the camera with her practiced serious-face. +> +> “Once again, three people are dead and one teen remains hospitalized after what authorities describe as a deliberate magical bombing at Circle Fuel & Snacks. Anyone with information is urged to contact Sahuarita PD or the anonymous tip line listed below.” +> +> “Reporting live from Avalon, I’m Tala Takanawa. Back to you in the studio.” + +> [!quote] Narration – Zoom Out +> The image freezes for a second on the wreckage behind Tala, then shrinks into a corner of your vision as the sound of the TV drops to background noise. +> +> You become aware of where you are: +> +> – Soft leather couch. +> – Big, spotless living room. +> – Floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over Madera canyon. +> – A tasteful, very expensive-looking family portrait on the wall with Ben in a sweater he would absolutely never wear to school. +> +> The Circle burns, looping silently on screen. +> +> **Ben. Joe. Soren.** +> +> You’re all here, in Ben’s very not-W-Block house, watching it. + +> [!question] Table Prompt +> “You’ve just watched that whole segment. Pip’s face. The rubble. The arson talk. The ‘W Block’ line. +> +> What’s the *first* thing you say or do?” diff --git a/Strahd/Sessions/Session 3.md b/Strahd/Sessions/Session 3.md index 8f7c743..9a25e48 100644 --- a/Strahd/Sessions/Session 3.md +++ b/Strahd/Sessions/Session 3.md @@ -286,4 +286,791 @@ Let them talk for a few minutes. This is your RP glue. > > Unless you choose to linger, the Old Svalich Road stretches on — gray, patient, and waiting. -From here, move on to your Vallaki arrival scene. +# Arrival at Vallaki +## Approaching the Walls + +>[!quote] Narration +> The Old Svalich Road crests a low hill, and for the first time in days, the forest falls back. +> +> Ahead, a town squats in the gray like a wounded animal behind its own ribs. A ring of high palisade walls — timber and stone patched together — encircles it. Atop the walls, tall stakes bristle, and mounted on many of them are **wolf heads** in various states of decay: fresh, rotting, picked clean. +> +> Above the closed ironbound gates, a wooden arch bears a slogan painted in peeling yellow: +> +> **“ALL WILL BE WELL.”** +> +> The words feel less like reassurance, and more like a threat. + +Prompt: +- “Who walks at the front as you approach the gate?” +- “Are weapons drawn and visible, or sheathed and peaceable?” + +Let them decide their posture. + +## Gate Guards + +Two human guards in patched chain and cloaks stand outside the gate. Their crossbows come up the moment they see you — not disciplined, but panicked. + +>[!quote] Guard +> “Stop there! +> Names, and your business in Vallaki!” + +He tries to sound official. His voice cracks on “business.” + +**Ask the party:** +- Who answers? +- Do they give real names, fake names, or titles? + +### If they mention Barovia / being from outside the valley + +>[!quote] Guard +> The guard’s eyes widen when you mention Barovia. +> +> “You walked the road from the village? Through the woods? +> …And you lived.” +> +> He swallows hard and lowers his crossbow a little. +> +> “We don’t turn away help in these times. But cause trouble, and the Burgomaster will see you in the stocks.” +> +> He raps twice on the gate. “Open up! Travelers!” + +### If they mention they’re here about a doll / toymaker + +The second guard squints. + +> “Blinsky’s toys?” He grimaces. “You came all this way for that madman’s trinkets? +> …Fine. Your business is your own. Just don’t let him talk you into anything that smiles back.” + +Open the gate either way; Vallaki needs bodies and isn’t in a position to be picky. + +## Inside the Gate + +>[!quote] Narration +> The gates groan open just wide enough for you to pass, then slam shut behind you with a heavy finality. +> +> Inside, Vallaki is quieter than you expect. Narrow, muddy streets wind between leaning houses of dark wood and stone. Chimneys cough thin trails of smoke into the gray sky. +> +> People move quickly, heads down, clutching bundles and baskets like shields. No one lingers. No one laughs. +> +> Here and there, bright scraps of color break the gloom: faded bunting strung between rooftops, hand-painted signs on walls, crude sunbursts daubed in flaking paint. Many bear the same phrase as the gate: +> +> **“ALL WILL BE WELL.”** +> +> The town feels like a party that never started, long after the decorations began to rot. + +### Quick character-specific impressions + +- **Corvyn (Paladin)** + - Notices the guards inside the walls: too many for a town this size, too nervous, fingers white-knuckled on spear shafts. This is not confidence — it’s fear with uniforms. +- **Balkuum (Cleric)** + - Spots warped holy symbols carved over doorways — sun motifs and warding signs that feel distorted, as if faith here has been bent out of shape. +- **Elara (Druid)** + - Notices what’s *missing*: no birdsong, no insects buzzing, no stray dogs. The natural world is holding its distance from this place. + +Prompt: +- “As you take your first steps into Vallaki, what does each of you do? Do you walk tall, trying to look strong, or try to blend into the crowd?” + +Let them narrate a beat. + +--- + +## Town Square & Stocks + +Have the guards or a passing local point them toward the center of town: + +>[!quote] Guard +> “If you’re looking for information or work, the square’s that way. +> There’s an inn nearby — the Blue Water. You can’t miss it.” + +>[!quote] Narration +> The streets funnel you toward an open square ringed by sagging houses and shops. A crude wooden platform stands at its center — stocks, old and splintering. +> +> Three figures stand locked in them: two adults and a child. All three wear oversized papier-mâché donkey heads, painted in flaking, garish colors. Rain has soaked the masks, and they sag around the prisoners’ faces. +> +> A banner hangs above the square, its paint streaked by drizzle: +> +> **“COME ONE, COME ALL +> TO THE FESTIVAL OF THE BLAZING SUN!”** +> +> Someone has scrawled over part of it in charcoal, then half-heartedly scrubbed it away. + +A few townsfolk linger at the edges of the square, carefully looking everywhere but at the stocks. + +### Prompt for the party + +- “Do you look away like the townsfolk? + Do you approach the prisoners? + Or does something else catch your eye?” + +Give them space to choose engagement level. If they approach: + +>[!quote] Narration +> Up close, you see their faces through gaps in the soggy donkey masks. +> The adults’ eyes are hollow and resigned. +> The child’s are red from crying. +> +> They flinch when your shadow falls over them, as if expecting a blow. + +You can answer simple questions vaguely: +- Crime: “Speaking out against the Burgomaster.” +- Time in stocks: “Three days, maybe more.” + +This is a moral pressure point: +- Corvyn: justice / mercy? +- Balkuum: redemption / guilt? +- Elara: sympathy / detachment? + +--- + +## Festival Crier + +To underline the forced-cheer vibe: + +>[!quote] Narration +> A man in a tattered but once-bright doublet strides into the square, ringing a handbell. His smile is stretched too wide, eyes too glassy. +> +> “Rejoice!” he calls, voice cracking. “The Festival of the Blazing Sun draws near! Attendance is mandatory. All will be well! All will be well!” +> +> No one claps. No one answers. +> People just walk a little faster. + +If the party asks what the festival is: + +> “The Burgomaster believes happiness is a shield against the devil.” The crier’s smile flickers. “So we are happy. Or else.” + +--- + +## Blue Water Inn Hook + +Once they’ve had some time in the square, bring in Danika: + +>[!quote] Narration +> As you stand in the square, a woman in a worn but well-kept dress watches you from the doorway of a nearby building with a hanging sign — a blue waterfall painted on dark wood. +> +> She wipes her hands on her apron, takes a breath like someone making a decision, and crosses the street toward you. + +>[!quote] Danika Martikov +> “Strangers,” she says, lowering her voice as she nears. “You look like you’ve walked the road recently — and survived it.” +> +> Her eyes flick briefly to Elara, then to the rest of you. +> +> “If you’re looking for a roof and a meal that isn’t moldy, the **Blue Water Inn** can provide both. We don’t ask prying questions… and we don’t repeat what we hear.” +> +> There’s a faint emphasis on that last part. + +Prompt: + +- “Do you take her up on the offer, or keep wandering the town first?” +- “Who answers her, and how?” + +If they accept: + +>[!quote] Narration +> Danika nods once, sharply, as if relieved. +> +> “Good. Come in out of the street before someone decides you’re part of the entertainment.” +> +> She gestures toward the inn door. Behind you, the square goes on pretending this is normal. + +Transition: move to your [[#Blue Water Inn|Blue Water Inn scene]]. + +--- + +## Optional: Guard Paranoia on Entry (Skill Hooks) + +If you want a small mechanical beat at the gate, you can add: + +- **Insight (DC 12)** on the guards: + - They’re more afraid of their own leadership and of “him” than of the party. +- **Persuasion / Deception (DC 10–15)** if the party seems suspicious / heavily armed: + - On a fail: + > “You’ll be watched,” one guard mutters. “The Baron doesn’t like… disruptions.” + - On a success: + > “Keep your heads down, don’t mock the festivals, and you might even leave this town alive.” + +These checks aren’t gatekeepers — they just color NPC attitudes later. + +--- + +## Beats to Aim For in Play + +- **The wall + wolf heads** → “This place is fighting constantly.” +- **ALL WILL BE WELL everywhere** → empty propaganda, sets Burgomaster tone. +- **Stocks + donkey heads + child** → moral discomfort, party RP. +- **No birds / nature avoiding the town** → Elara discomfort, nature-horror. +- **Danika’s offer** → clear next location and new web of NPCs. + +# Vallaki – Town Exploration + +> Tone: Paranoid small city. Fake cheer over real fear. No true allies, only choices. + +--- + +## N1. St. Andral’s Church (West Gate) + +Use this if they: +- Ask for a temple / Morninglord church +- Want “holy ground” or sanctuary +- Need something to do besides wandering + +### First Impression + +>[!quote] Narration +> The church of St. Andral presses up against Vallaki’s western wall, as if seeking comfort from its own palisade. +> +> Stained-glass windows, dulled by grime, stare out over a courtyard scattered with crooked gravestones. The bell tower leans a touch too far, its roof missing a few shingles. +> +> A trickle of townsfolk slip in and out, heads bowed, hands making the sign of the Morninglord—not with hope, but with habit. + +### Key NPCs + +- **Father Lucian Petrovich** + - Exhausted but kind, clearly in over his head. + - Wants: the **bones of St. Andral** restored so the church is hallowed again. + - Knows: + - The church used to be protected by the saint’s bones under the altar. + - Recently he discovered they’re missing, and the place feels… exposed. + - Only a few knew of the bones: himself, **Yeska** (altar boy), **Milivoj** (gravedigger). + +- **Yeska** + - Nervous child, tries to do right but folds under pressure. + - Knows he told Milivoj about the bones. + +- **Milivoj** + - Angry, overworked teen. Guilty but defensive. + - Sold the bones to **Henrik the coffin maker** for badly needed coin (don’t give this up immediately). + +### Scene Beats + +1. **Arrival / first look** + - Let Balkuum feel the “wrongness” the moment he steps in: + - “Your god’s presence feels thin here, like a voice behind a closed door.” + +2. **Lucian’s Confession** + - Have him pull Balkuum aside: + > “I was told a faithful servant of the Morninglord walked the road to Vallaki. + > If that’s you… then I need your help. Something holy was taken, and without it, this place is a door left open.” + +3. **Investigation Hooks** + - Question Yeska → he cracks and admits he told Milivoj. + - Confront Milivoj → skill checks to break his guilt. + - On success: he admits he sold the bones to **Henrik van der Voort**, at the coffin shop by the stockyard. + - This points cleanly to **Coffin Maker’s Shop**. + +--- + +## N3. Burgomaster’s Mansion + +Use this if they: +- Ask “who runs this place?” +- Follow guards / posters / festival propaganda +- Want political power or leverage + +### First Impression + +>[!quote] Narration +> A once-grand mansion looms behind a wrought-iron fence. Cracked plaster peels from its walls like flaking scabs. +> +> Faded festival banners, wooden sunbursts, and wilted garlands cling to the eaves as if nailed there in desperation. +> +> Two guards in mismatched armor lounge on the porch, trying—and failing—to look relaxed. Their smiles don’t reach their eyes. + +### Key NPCs + +- **Baron Vargas Vallakovich (“the Baron”)** + - Manic toxic positivity. “ALL WILL BE WELL!” + - Believes festivals and forced cheer will keep Strahd at bay. + - Wants: + - PCs as “heroes of Vallaki” to support his authority. + - Spies or muscle against **Lady Fiona Wachter**, his rival. + - Fears: open dissent, anyone mocking his festivals. + +- **Lydia Petrovna (Baroness)** + - Fragile, forced laughter, denial incarnate. + +- **Izek Strazni** + - Brutal enforcer, monstrous arm, cold stare. + - Clocks the party, especially anyone who looks like they might be trouble. + +### How to Run Him + +Have the Baron greet them with a too-big smile: + +>[!quote] Vargas +> “Welcome, welcome, brave guests! Vallaki is a *safe* town. Safer than that miserable village to the east, certainly. Here, we know that **happiness is a sword and a shield**. +> +> You *will* be happy here. All will be well!” + +Use him to: +- Offer them “honored guest” status if they play along. +- Threaten stocks or worse if they talk bad about his festivals. +- Point them toward: + - “Devil worshippers” → **Lady Wachter**. + - The upcoming **Festival of the Blazing Sun**. + +--- + +## N4. Wachterhaus + +Use this if they: +- Look for “the Baron’s enemies” +- Ask around about other power centers +- Are openly unimpressed with the Baron + +### First Impression + +>[!quote] Narration +> Wachterhaus is a dark stone mansion with its curtains drawn tight. The garden is a tangle of thorny vines and dead roses. No banners, no bright signs, no forced cheer—just a black cat sitting on the front steps, tail flicking as it watches you approach. + +### Key NPCs + +- **Lady Fiona Wachter** + - Calm, composed, deeply unsettling. + - Believes Strahd is the rightful ruler and resistance is foolish. + - Wants: + - Baron removed or humiliated. + - PCs as disposable tools or pawns. +- Her “book club” / cult in the basement. +- Useless sons, broken daughter (Stella) if you want to add them later. + +### How to Use Her + +She offers them an alternative to the Baron: + +>[!quote] Fiona +> “The Baron plays with paper suns and painted smiles while the devil walks our streets. +> I do not waste energy pretending the wolf is a lamb. I acknowledge the master of this land—and so I live.” +> +> “You can cling to the Baron’s delusions, or you can work with those who understand the truth.” + +She can: +- Give more honest (but Strahd-biased) lore about Barovia. +- Offer them a political alliance: + - Help her undermine the Baron. + - In return, she “protects” them in Vallaki. +- Make them choose between two bad options: Baron vs. Strahd’s loyalist. + +--- + +## Arasek Stockyard & Rictavio’s Wagon + +Use this if they: +- Ask for a general store +- Head toward the eastern gate / outskirts +- Are looking for Rictavio’s wagon rumors + +### First Impression + +>[!quote] Narration +> Near the eastern gate, a muddy stockyard sprawls between stacks of crates and wagon ruts. A fenced lot holds several wagons, most plain and battered by travel. +> +> One wagon stands out: painted in peeling reds and golds, its windows barred, its door chained and padlocked. Faded carnival scenes are barely visible beneath scratches and claw marks. + +### Key NPCs / Elements + +- **Gunther & Yelena Arasek** + - Practical, tired merchants. + - Just want coin and no trouble. +- **Rictavio’s Wagon** + - Locked and trapped. + - Houses the **saber-toothed tiger** (future hook vs. Vistani). + - Rictavio himself is likely at the inn later; here, it’s just foreshadowing. + +### Hooks + +- The Araseks can: + - Sell basic supplies at inflated prices. + - Mention “some odd bard named **Rictavio** who rents that wagon and rooms at the inn.” +- Perception near the wagon: + - Low growl or thump from inside. + - Claw marks on the wood. +- If they snoop too hard: + - You can set off a non-lethal trap. + - Or just let them realize “whatever is in there, we don’t want to open this in town.” + +--- + +## Blinsky Toys + +Use this if they: +- Investigate the “toy village” clue about Mad Mary’s daughter. +- Ask about a toymaker or dolls. +- Want weird, creepy flavor without a fight. + +### First Impression + +>[!quote] Narration +> A sagging shop bears a sign painted with a jester skull and the words: **“IS NO FUN, IS NO BLINSKY!”** +> +> In the window, toys are arranged with unsettling care: a mobile of hanging wooden bats, a jack-in-the-box shaped like a coffin, a nesting doll whose painted faces grow more horrified with each layer. + +### NPC: Gadof Blinsky + +- Sad clown energy, deeply lonely, tries to be cheerful. +- Speaks broken Common. +- Wants: customers, validation, and to not be on anyone’s bad side. + +### What He Can Reveal + +- The toys are all dark reflections of Barovia: + - Gallows doll, crumbling tower blocks, a windmill with screaming faces, etc. +- If they ask about custom work / dolls: + - He talks about “the man with demon arm” (**Izek**) who orders dolls of the same young woman. + - If you want to tie to Ireena: + > “Every month, he come, say, ‘She must be perfect. The hair, the eyes.’ Is always same girl, yes? Very strange! Is no fun… is no Blinsky!” +- Optional: toy that mirrors Elara’s corruption theme: + - A small tree in a snow globe that grows leaves and then rots every time you shake it. + +--- + +## Coffin Maker’s Shop + +Use this if they: +- Follow the trail of the stolen bones from St. Andral’s +- Decide the coffin shop near the stockyard looks suspicious + +### First Impression + +>[!quote] Narration +> The coffin maker’s shop is a narrow, two-story building that leans over the street like it’s tired of standing. Its windows are shuttered despite the daylight, and a simple sign hangs above the door: a wooden coffin, cracked down the middle. +> +> The air around it smells of sawdust, old wood… and something else, faint and sour. + +### NPC: Henrik van der Voort + +- Old, hunched, sleepless, terrified. +- Guilt chews him alive. +- Took money from a mysterious noble’s servant to: + - Hide *crates* in his upper storeroom. + - Take possession of the **bones of St. Andral**. + +### How to Play It + +- At the door: + - He’s jumpy, tries to send them away. + - Divine / Intimidation / Insight pressure makes him crack quickly. +- On success: + - He admits: + - “I… I took bones from the church. They paid me. I am sorry. They’re upstairs… please, take them, just go.” + - Points to where the bones are hidden (wardrobe / floorboards). + +- **Vampire spawn crates** (N6F) + - You do NOT have to unleash them now. + - Hints: + - Scratching from inside crates if they get close. + - A chill in the room, faint whispering hunger. + - Unless they do something suicidal like breaking all the crates, let the spawn stay dormant in daylight. + - Goal here: unease and near-miss, not TPK. + +--- + +## Town Square & Stocks (If Not Already Used) + +Use this if they: +- Ask where the “center” of town is +- Wander aimlessly and you need grim color + moral dilemma + +### First Impression + +>[!quote] Narration +> The streets spill into a central square ringed by shops and houses. A crude wooden platform stands at its heart: stocks, worn smooth by too much use. +> +> Three figures stand locked within — two adults and a child — each forced to wear a soggy papier-mâché donkey head. The masks are painted in bright, flaking colors, their big eyes dripping in the drizzle. +> +> Overhead, a banner hangs, its cheerful script streaked by rain: +> +> **“COME ONE, COME ALL, TO THE FESTIVAL OF THE BLAZING SUN!”** + +### Prompts + +- “Do you look away like the townsfolk, or approach?” +- Up close: + - Adults: hollow-eyed, resigned. + - Child: red-eyed from crying. +- If they ask “what did they do?”: + - Guard answer: “Spoke ill of the Baron and his festival. They’ll be better citizens when they’re done here.” + +This is a straightforward morality pressure point: +- Do they intervene? +- Do they ignore it like everyone else? +- Do they try to work within the system (free them later, talk to Baron, etc.)? + +--- + +## Street Color & Quick Beats + +Drop these if they just “walk around town” or you need filler flavor: + +### 1. Festival Prep + +- Workers hanging sun-shaped wooden signs. +- Guard shouting: + > “Bigger smiles! The Baron wants joy he can *see*!” + +### 2. Whispered Gossip + +Two villagers talking in hushed tones: +- “The Baron will get us all killed with these festivals.” +- “Lady Wachter says we should welcome the devil. At least she doesn’t make us wear donkey heads.” + +### 3. Nature Avoids Vallaki (Elara Beat) + +- Elara notices: + - No birds on rooftops. + - No dogs wandering streets. + - A lone raven lands, stares at them, then flies off toward the west (hinting at the Martikovs / Keepers of the Feather). + +--- + +## Routing The Players + +Ask: +> “What are you looking for — a place of worship, someone in charge, supplies, or just trouble?” + +Then: +- Worship → **[[Session 3#N1. St. Andral’s Church (West Gate)| St. Andral’s]]** +- Authority → **Baron** or **[[#N4. Wachterhaus| Watcherhaus]]** +- Supplies → **[[#Arasek Stockyard & Rictavio’s Wagon | Stockyard]] / [[#Blinsky Toys| Blinsky]]** +- “Just looking” → **[[#Town Square & Stocks (If Not Already Used) | the town square/stocks]]**, then whichever hook bites. + +Let NPCs ask *them* questions: +- “Do you truly believe all will be well?” +- “Are you with the Baron… or against him?” +- “You walked the road and lived. What did you see?” + +That pulls them into RP without you having to monologue. + +--- +# Blue Water Inn + +> Tone: Claustrophobic “safe” place. Gossip hub. Martikov secrets. Ravenwatchers. + +Use this if they: +- Accept Danika’s offer +- Ask for lodging / food / rumors +- Want somewhere to plan without guards breathing down their necks + +--- + +## First Impression + +>[!quote] Narration +> The smell of woodsmoke and roasted meat hits you before the door even closes. +> +> Inside, the Blue Water Inn is a welcome change from gray streets: timber beams overhead, a crackling hearth, mismatched tables crowded with tankards and stew bowls. The air is thick with low conversation and the clink of ceramic. +> +> A few locals hunch over drinks, speaking in hushed tones. Overhead, the rafters are lined with rafters and niches where **ravens** roost, their black shapes almost invisible in the dim light—save for the occasional glint of an eye. +> +> A woman with tired eyes and a practiced smile wipes down the bar. Behind her, a large man with streaks of gray in his beard carries a keg as if it weighs nothing. + +--- + +## Key NPCs + +### Danika Dorakova Martikov + +- Role: co-owner, front-of-house, social glue. +- Vibe: Practical, sharp, hides worry under gallows humor. +- Secret: Wereraven, member of the Keepers of the Feather. + +**How to play her:** +- Warm enough to travelers, but always watching the room. +- Protective of her family and of “the flock” (both literal and metaphorical). +- Talks around danger rather than naming it. + +>[!quote] Danika – Greeting +> “Welcome to the Blue Water Inn. If you’ve walked the road to Vallaki, you’ve earned a hot meal and something stronger than rainwater.” +> +> She looks each of you over in turn. +> +> “We’ve got rooms upstairs, stew on the fire, and wine—gods willing. Just don’t start a fight you can’t finish, and we’ll get along fine.” + +--- + +### Urwin Martikov + +- Role: co-owner, brewer’s son, back-of-house / muscle. +- Vibe: Quiet, cautious, gruff but kind. +- Secret: Also a wereraven, skeptical of involving outsiders. + +**How to play him:** +- Speaks less than Danika; listens more. +- Soft spot for people who clearly protect others (Corvyn / Balkuum). +- Bristles if anyone trashes the Wizard of Wines or the wine shortages. + +Short line: + +>[!quote] Urwin +> “Sit, eat. You look like you’ve seen the road. +> That alone’s worth a drink.” + +--- + +### Martikov Children + +- A couple of kids running around, occasionally trying to “play raven.” +- Use them as background color and to remind the players: people live here, not just suffer here. + +--- + +## Layout / Areas + +- **Common Room:** tables, hearth, bar, staircase up. +- **Rafters:** ravens often watching (Keepers’ eyes). +- **Rooms Upstairs:** simple wooden beds, shutters, maybe a single holy symbol or ward. + +You don’t need a battle map here unless you’re planning a bar fight; keep it cozy-but-tense. + +--- + +## Initial Social Beats + +After the greeting, ask: + +- “Do you take a table, sit at the bar, or head straight for a room?” +- “Who speaks to Danika first?” + +You can funnel based on answers: + +- At the bar → Danika & gossip. +- Corner table → someone approaches them (Urwin, a local, or later Rictavio). +- Immediate room → Danika will still ask basic questions first (“How long are you staying? Any trouble following you?”). + +--- + +## What the Inn Can Provide + +### Food & Lodging + +- Hot stew, bread, weak wine (or water if the wine shipments are delayed). +- Rooms for a modest price. +- Discount or free lodging if they help with a problem (Wizard of Wines, trouble in town, etc.). + +### Rumors & Info (pick a few, don’t dump all at once) + +You can spread these out across multiple conversations, or tie them to Insight/Charisma checks. + +1. **Wine Shortage / Wizard of Wines Hook** + - “We used to have regular shipments from the **Wizard of Wines**. It’s been too long since the last one. Without wine, Vallaki will tear itself apart.” + - Soft hook for a future quest; Danika pushes this more than Urwin. + +2. **Burgomaster** + - “The Baron thinks smiles and festivals will hold the devil at bay.” + - “Speak against his ‘ALL WILL BE WELL’ nonsense and you’ll find yourself in the stocks.” + +3. **Lady Wachter** + - “Lady Wachter doesn’t bother pretending. She says the devil is lord of this land and we should stop angering him with ridiculous parades.” + - “Choosing sides gets you killed. Most of us try not to choose.” + +4. **St. Andral’s Church** + - If they’ve already been there: + - “Father Lucian’s a good man. If he says something’s wrong, something’s wrong.” + - If not: + - “If you’re looking for a proper temple, St. Andral’s is as close as Vallaki gets. Out west by the wall.” + +5. **Vistani / Rictavio** + - “There’s a camp of Vistani just outside town to the west. Some say they serve Strahd. Others say they just serve themselves.” + - “If you want stories, look for **Rictavio**. Old bard, strange wagon at the stockyard, stranger tales. Comes here most evenings.” + +Let them ask questions and only answer what makes sense for Danika/Urwin to know. + +--- + +## Rictavio (Optional First Meeting) + +If you want Rictavio in this scene, have him show up after they’ve settled a bit. + +> Door opens, rain blows in, and a colorfully dressed half-elf with a foxlike grin steps inside, shakes off the water, and makes straight for the bar like a man who knows exactly where he belongs. + +- Vibe: friendly old performer, faux-cheerful, clearly more than he appears. +- Secret: Monster-hunter (in reality, Rudolph van Richten). + +**Starter lines:** + +>[!quote] Rictavio +> “Now there’s a sight for sore eyes—new faces that aren’t half-drunk and fully miserable. +> Mind if an old storyteller shares your fire?” + +Let him: +- Ask where they’re from. +- Tell an edited/safer version of Barovia’s history. +- Drop hints like: + - “Strahd likes to play with his food.” + - “Anyone claiming to rule here is just decorating his cage.” + +If you want to lean into Corvyn’s future half-vampire arc: +- Have Rictavio glance at him too long when vampirism, blood, or fate comes up. +- Maybe he mutters: “I’ve seen that look before…” and then drops it. + +--- + +## Martikov / Raven Hints (Elara Spotlight) + +Any time Elara looks up at the rafters or steps outside: + +- She notices ravens watching the inn specifically. +- If she casts a nature spell nearby, one raven **tilts its head in sync** with her words. + +When the party gains a bit of trust (after helping, or just not being idiots): + +Danika/Urwin can offer something like: + +>[!quote] Danika – Subtle Trust +> “The ravens liked you. That’s… rare. +> +> Keep your heart turned away from the devil, and you might find you have more friends in this valley than you think.” + +Don’t name the Keepers of the Feather yet; just let it feel like “the birds like you” until later. + +--- + +## Questions Danika / Urwin Ask the Party + +Use these to prompt intra-party roleplay, not just exposition: + +- “What brought you to Vallaki? Running from something, or looking for it?” +- To Balkuum: “You carry yourself like a priest. Do your gods still answer you here?” +- To Corvyn: “You look like a man who thinks he can change things. Vallaki has a way of… changing men instead.” +- To Elara: “You watched the treeline when you walked in. What did you see out there?” + +Give players space to answer in character, then let the NPCs react with concern, skepticism, or quiet respect. + +--- + +## Night in the Inn – Short Rest / Long Rest Flavor + +When they finally take rooms: + +>[!quote] Narration +> The rooms upstairs are small but solid: a bed, a shuttered window, a simple washbasin. From the common room below, muted voices and the occasional clink of crockery drift up through the floorboards. +> +> Outside, the wind scrapes at the eaves. Every so often, you hear the faint flutter of wings and a soft **caw** from the rafters above the roof. +> +> For the first time in a while, the darkness feels… watched, but not entirely hostile. + +If you want to foreshadow more: + +- Corvyn might dream of a banquet hall and a dark figure raising a glass to him. +- Balkuum might dream of a distant sunrise he can’t quite reach. +- Elara might dream of standing at the inn’s roof, surrounded by ravens, looking out over a forest of dead trees. + +(You already did dream sequences on the road; you can keep these light or save for later.) + +--- + +## Using the Inn in Play + +- It’s your **hub**: you can push hooks for: + - Wizard of Wines + - St. Andral’s bones + - Wachters vs Baron + - Vistani camp + - Rictavio’s secrets +- It’s also a **safe-feeling** place that you can threaten later if they get complacent (Strahd visit, festival fallout, etc.). +- Let them have some scenes where they talk *to each other* over dinner instead of just interrogating NPCs. + +> When in doubt, have Danika bring over another drink and quietly ask a pointed question like: +> “You look like people who’ve seen too much already. +> Are you planning to survive this place, or fix it?” + +And then shut up and let the table talk.