AndrewNotes/Strahd/Sessions/Session 3.md

---
campaign: Curse of Strahd
type: session
session_number: 3
date: 2025-12-04
arc: Vallaki
status: planning
next: "[[session_4]]"
---
# Session Intro
>[!quote] Out of Character:
>“Last time, you left the Village of Barovia behind and set out along the Old Svalich Road, following a clue about Mad Mary’s daughter and a toymaker’s village. It’s been a while for us; it’s been a while for them too.”

>[!quote] Time Skip
> For days, you walk the same road through the same gray forest beneath the same pale sky. The sun never truly shows itself — only a lighter patch in the clouds.
> Once, you pass a farmhouse with its door hanging open. No bodies, no blood, just plates still set at the table and a cradle gently rocking in the draft.
> Another day, you hear distant weeping in the fog. By the time you reach the sound, you find only a single shoe in the mud.
> The mists are patient. The road is patient. [[Barovia]] does not seem surprised to see you.
> “Before we zoom into the present scene, each of you: give me _one small moment_ from these days on the road. Something your character did, or a way we saw them handle the weight of this place.”
> “We pick up on the **third morning** since you left the village of Barovia…”

# Broken Riders
10-15 minutes.
## The Horse
>[!quote] Narration
>The fog has been thick for hours, muffling even your own footsteps. When the wind shifts, a new smell rolls through it — hot iron and rot, fresh enough to sting.
>A shape stumbles out of the mist ahead of you.
>Or… what’s left of one.
>Its flank is torn open, ribs glittering slick and white beneath shredded muscle. Its left eye hangs loose by a thread of sinew. Steam rises from its wounds in slow, choking billows.
>The animal takes two trembling steps toward you, lifts its head as if asking for help,
> and collapses sideways with a _wet, cracking thud_, its legs folding like snapped reeds.

Ask them what they do. If they stall, prompt:
1. Do you approach?
2. Keep your distance? 
3. Check the tracks?
4. Call out?

If they choose to poke around, nothing moves or attacks. Just a horse bleeding into the mud. The forest holds its breath.

## The Rider
>[!quote] Narration
> The fog behind the fallen horse shifts again.
> You hear armor clattering. Not marching — stumbling.
> A second horse steps forward, led not by reins, but by momentum alone. Its rider sits slumped in the saddle, head lolling at an angle that a human neck should not allow.
> The rider’s helmet has been crushed inward. Bone pushes through broken metal like chalk through tin.
> The horse takes one more step.
> The rider slides sideways off its back.
> He hits the ground spine-first.
> **CRACK**
> The sound echoes. Too loud. Too close.
> The man’s body folds wrong in the middle, legs twitching independently of the torso, nerves firing their last confused signals.

If they examine the body:
	- The spine is shattered in 3 places
	- Shoulders dislocated.
	- Lower jaw broken, and hanging by a hinge of skin.
	- He did screaming, in pain, and recently.
He is holding:
	- Something wrapped in a blood-stained scrap of parchment.
	- A wooden toy figure painted with a smile.
	- Burned into the back- "Is No Fun, Is No Blinsky"
## The Thing in The Mist
>[!quote] Narration
>A shape moves in the fog behind the fallen rider — taller than a man, wider at the shoulders, dragging something heavy across the road with a long, scraping whisper.
>It stops at the edge of the mist.
>And steps out.
>The figure is massive — a man in rusted armor caked with drying blood. His skin is corpse-pale and rubbery, black veins rising beneath the surface like roots.
>His eyes burn faint red, but not with hunger. With recognition.
>Not of *you*.
>But of what *you* are.
>The thing cracks its jaw sideways until it snaps back into place, with the same sound as the rider's broken spine.

Ask the players what they do- but none of it matters. It is not afraid of them, nor is it interested in them. It merely has a point to prove.
## Prey
>[!quote]
>The creature steps past the horse and leans down, gripping the dead rider by the throat with one enormous hand.
>Flesh squishes. Vertebrae grind.
>It lifts the corpse effortlessly — like a butcher lifting an animal for inspection.
>The creature turns its head slightly, as if studying all of you.
>Then its grip tightens.
>CRRSHHK.
>The throat collapses. The head lolls sideways. A spray of dark blood freckles the mud.
>The thing throws the body onto the road at your feet.
>Not as a threat.
>As a **reminder**.
>“Prey,” it growls, voice thick with gravel and rot.
>Then it turns. And walks back into the fog.
>Not fleeing.
>Not hiding.
>It simply lost interest.
## Player Specific Horror
>[!quote] Elara
>As the creature disappears, you feel _roots_ shifting under the soil. Not natural. Not alive.
>The land of Barovia recoils from what passed here — and recoils from _you_, as if recognizing you and rejecting you in the same breath.

>[!quote] Corvyn
>The rider’s broken spine mirrors your own reflection in the blade of your weapon for a heartbeat — bent, broken, rotting.
>And when you turn away, your shadow lingers a moment longer… still facing the direction the creature went.

>[!quote] Balkuum
>Helm is silent.
>Not absent.
>Not disapproving.
>Silent — the way a commander watches a soldier walking into a battlefield that cannot be won.
>You feel no divine comfort.
>Only the weight of your own breathing.
## Interactions
- Searching the bodies:
	- They were from Valaki
	- They were trying to get home
	- Whatever killed them left their valuables- it didn't care to rob them.
- Tracking the creature:
	- Is not possible. It walks into the mist, and the mist swallows all trace.
- Healing the horse:
	- It's dead.
	- Magic cannot fix crushed lungs and a severed spine.
	- If they try anyway:
		- >[!quote] Narration
		>"The body does not respond."
- Burying them:
	> [!quote] Narration
	> The ground is so wet with old blood that the soil stains their hands dark red no matter how deeply they dig.
## Transition Out
>[!quote] Narration
>The fog closes over the road again, swallowing the bodies, the blood, and the shapes of the trees.
>The only sign anything happened is the faint crackle of drying blood on your boots as you walk.

# Cart in the Ditch (Elara Focus)
5–10 minutes.

>[!quote] Narration
> The Old Svalich Road bends around a steep rise in the earth, fog swirling low and heavy. As you round the curve, the horses snort and slow — something lies ahead in the ditch to your right.
> 
> A small wooden handcart has toppled onto its side, a wheel splintered clean off. The produce that once filled it — apples, onions, a few burlap sacks — lies strewn across the mud. Everything is pale with mold, as though it has sat there for weeks… and yet, the bruised fruit glistens wet with morning dew, as if someone dropped it only hours ago.
> 
> Perched atop the cart’s broken frame are **six ravens**, unmoving, watching.
> 
> Silent.
> 
> Too silent.

Prompt the party:
- Do you approach the cart?
- Hang back and observe?
- Call out for whoever might own it?

If they hesitate, remind them:
- The road is quiet.
- The ravens don’t startle or fly off. They just **watch**.

## What Each Character Notices

- **Corvyn**  
  - The cart’s wood is gouged — *long, straight claw-like marks* in the side boards. Wrong for wolves. Too deliberate.
- **Balkuum**  
  - The fruit is fresh-rotted — the mold is too thick, too fast. This feels like the land is **feeding**, not just decay.
- **Elara**  
  - All six ravens turn to face her at the exact same instant.  
  - They do not blink.

>[!quote] Elara Focus
> Elara, the ravens’ black eyes fix on you and you alone.
> There is no fear in them. No curiosity.
> Only recognition — as if they have been waiting for you to arrive at this exact piece of ditch, on this exact day.

Ask Elara:
- Do you approach them?
- Speak to them?
- Avoid their gaze?

## If Elara Approaches the Cart

>[!quote] Narration
> As you step closer, the ravens do not flee. Instead, they hop sideways along the broken frame of the cart, never breaking eye contact with you.
> 
> Up close, you see the fruit is not merely rotten. Fine white threads of fungus cling to it, stretching from apple to wood, from onion to wheel — like veins, or roots, growing too fast, too hungrily.

If Elara inspects the rot (Perception or Nature, DC 12–16):
- DC 12:
  - The rot is **accelerated**. This is too much decay for how fresh the dew is.
- DC 16:
  - The fungal threads **pulse** faintly, as if something in the soil is pumping life into death.

Prompt:
- “Elara, does this remind you of your dream - the cracking earth and dying forest - or does it feel like something new?"

Let the player decide their own emotional read.

## If Elara Speaks to the Ravens (or casts [*Speak With Animals*](https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/2258-speak-with-animals))

If she just talks normally (no spell):
- One raven hops closer and drops a mold-bitten apple near her feet.
- Another caws once, sharply — a sound that feels more like a **warning** than a greeting.

If she uses *Speak with Animals*:

>[!quote] Ravens (impressions, not full sentences)
> The ravens do not answer in clean words. Instead, feelings press into your mind like cold fingers:
> 
> **Danger… ahead.**
> **Death… behind.**
> **The land… remembers you.**
> 
> One raven’s presence brushes your thoughts stronger than the others:
> 
> > “Chosen… or devoured…  
> > You do not yet know which.”

Don’t over-explain — keep it impressionistic, eerie.

You can also add:
- They sense **Strahd’s influence** everywhere.
- They recognize something *old* and *familiar* in Elara, but not in the others.

## If Elara Touches the Cart

>[!quote] Narration
> The instant your fingers brush the wet wood, all six ravens explode into motion at once — wings beating, feathers slapping the air, fog scattering in a flurry of black.
> 
> A chill shoots up your arm, like something cold and slick just slid beneath your skin and settled there.

Elara gets a flash of not-quite-vision:

>[!quote] Elara Flash
> For a heartbeat, your senses are not your own.
> 
> Small hands strain against rough wood. A child’s hands. You feel the weight of the cart dragging behind you, mud sucking at your boots. You hear someone shouting your name — but the voice is muffled, distant, swallowed by fog.
> 
> The hands let go.
> The cart tumbles into the ditch.
> 
> Then it’s gone. You’re back in your own skin, standing by the ruined cart.

Let Elara react:
- Does she share this with the others?
- Or keep it to herself?

## If They Investigate for Tracks / People

- There are **cart tracks** on the road leading *toward* Vallaki.
- Fainter, lighter **footprints** (small, child-sized) alongside, eventually disappearing into the fog on the other side of the road.
- The prints stop abruptly. No body. No struggle. Just… gone.

If someone asks “Did something drag them off?”:
- No clear drag marks.
- It’s like they walked into the mist and never walked out.

## If They Take Something from the Cart

If they take:
- A piece of fruit:
  - It rots fully within hours, turning to black sludge in a pack.
- A bit of wood:
  - The next time Elara casts a nature spell, the wood cracks and crumbles into dry splinters.
- Nothing:
  - The scene still lingers in their minds — a quiet, unsolved wrong.

Optional spooky button:

>[!quote] Narration
> As you move away from the ditch, you hear a single raven caw in the distance behind you.
> When you turn, the cart is already half-lost in the fog, like it was never there at all.

## Party Interaction Hooks

Use this to pivot into RP between characters:

- To **Corvyn**:
	- “You watched Elara interact with… whatever that was. Does this make you trust her more, or less? Do you say anything to her?”
- To **Balkuum**:
	- “The ravens seemed drawn to her — not to you, not to your holy symbol. Does that bother you? Do you try to read this as a sign from Helm, or something darker?”
- To **Elara**:
	- “You felt the land react to you — like it recognized you and recoiled. Do you lean into that connection, or try to shut it out?”

Let them talk for a few minutes. This is your RP glue.

## Transition Out

>[!quote] Narration
> The cart and its spilled cargo fade behind you, swallowed by the fog and the curve of the road.
> 
> The ravens have gone.
> 
> The forest feels a little closer now, leaning in over the road. The air tastes faintly of mold and old secrets.
> 
> Unless you choose to linger, the Old Svalich Road stretches on — gray, patient, and waiting.

# 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.