After rescuing Arrabelle, the group learned that she was not an orphan; she lived at a nearby Vistani camp and only went to the orphanage to play with the other children there. She mentioned that her father and uncle were probably looking for her. The group debated whether to bring her home or back to the Blue Water Inn and what to do with Bluto, the man who’d tried to drown her. They also needed to get to the Coffin Maker’s Shop so that Bramo could get his much-needed woodcarver’s tools.
As it was getting late, the group decided to head back to Vallaki for the night, and they would swing by the Coffin Maker’s Shop on their way. Arrabelle was excited to return to Vallaki and see more of the town. She asked McCoy to hold up Bluto for her which he did. She made some hand gestures and spoke a curse at him, “May all wine turn to water in your mouth, you drunken wretch of a man!” She told the group he would live a miserable life now due to his crippling alcoholism.
The group was somewhat disturbed by Arrabelle’s actions but thought Bluto had received some justice. McCoy threw his unconscious body into one of the boats and punched a few holes in it, letting it slowly sink. Arrabelle told the group he would live but wish he hadn’t.
The group returned to Vallaki gaining entrance to the town without any trouble; the guards not paying any mind to Arrabelle. The group headed across town to reach the Coffin Maker’s Shop. They found the building locked up and all of the shutters closed. Knocking on the door, a man’s voice answered urging them to go away and leave him alone. He gave several excuses for why the shop was closed and they couldn’t come in. Arrabelle squeezed Bronwyn’s hand and warned her, “Here we go.”
Perplexed and determined, Bramo searched around the side of the building and found a second door. Listening at the door and hearing nothing, he employed his thieves’ tools to pick the lock and sneak into the building. There he found a large, dimly lit room filled with thirteen coffins. With great stealth, he snuck through the building and located a workshop filled with woodcarver’s tools! An old man with a white beard leaned against the far wall breathing heavily. Bramo’s gnomish form was easily hidden behind a nearby table and he deftly snuck to the workbenches to take enough tools for himself.
As he tried to make his way out with the tools, they clanged together alerting the man in the room. Bramo stood perfectly still behind the table hoping not to be noticed. The man was absolutely panicked looking around the dark shop repeatedly looking towards the ceiling and straining his ears. Bramo remained undiscovered and waited until the man relaxed again before slipping out the door and back to the coffin room.
Bramo made his way across the room and out the door which creaked loudly! The man cried out from the other room and Bramo darted out the door and around the corner. Hearing the man’s muffled cry, Johan banged on the door asking if he was all right. The man shouted again for them to go away. Mollified, Johan waited for Bramo to return. Woodcarver’s tools obtained, the group left and returned to the Blue Water Inn. Arrabelle squeezed Bronwyn’s hand and told her, “I guess it wasn’t the right time yet.”
The same group of people were at the inn except for Marvolio the harlequin clown who was nowhere to be seen. Johan spoke to Danika about Bluto and whether she knew him or had seen him recently. Danika explained he was the town drunk and one of her best customers. He was also a fisherman and obsessed with the lake which once had good fishing but no longer does. Johan told her they’d caught him trying to drown a girl but had rescued her. Danika praised them for their good work but said that was unusual behavior even for Bluto. She also said she recognized the girl having seen her around before. Arrabelle greeted Brom and Bray and began playing with them at the inn.
Danika asked the group if they were ready for their wolf steaks. Johan told her they were, and the group took up at their usual table. A burly man with thick black hair and a beard streaked with white brought their food out to them. He introduced himself as Urwin Martikov, cook and owner of the inn and husband of Danika. Johan asked him about visiting the winery to get the missing shipment of wine. Urwin was overjoyed that they were helping and embraced Johan. Johan, while being hugged, asked Urwin for directions to the winery using Ismark’s map. Urwin explained that the winery was not far and told them which forks to take at the intersections along the road.
Johan thanked Urwin and asked him about the idea of adding to the inn’s menu. He claimed to have some of the best pies in all of Barovia. Urwin was interested and asked where the pies came from and if Johan had baked them himself. Johan told him they’d come from the bakery at the Old Windmill. Urwin declined saying they weren’t interested in selling pies at the inn as it didn’t fit the inn’s aesthetic.
After dinner, the group returned to their rooms for the night sending Arrabelle to sleep with the women for the night. Arrabelle asked if she could sleep with Lancelot and Riley said it was okay. Arrabelle gave Lancelot a big hug and asked Riley if she ever hugged him. Riley said she did sometimes. Arrabelle told her she should hug him now while she can. Riley was a little disturbed by that but bent down and gave Lancelot a long hug.
McCoy prepared for his night’s vigil and rest by eating another of Granny’s Dream Pastries. Riley, Johan, and Ireena declined to eat any pies. Bronwyn and Bramo were still full from the pie they’d shared at the Old Windmill. Elora had a pie before bed and shared it with Arrabelle who slept in her bed with her. All who had eaten pies had another night of easy sleep and pleasant dreams, sleeping soundly through the night.
Riley had difficulty sleeping, her mind racing with all that happened over the past few days and her own personal revelations. Lancelot sensing her discomfort climbed into bed with her and laid his head on her as she tried to sleep. She could hear Ireena also having a fitful night of sleep while the others rested peacefully. Johan too slept uneasily tensed and listening for sounds of danger over Bramo’s snoring. McCoy drifted off into new visions of his old life, gaining glimpses of a motley ship’s crew he used to be a part of.
In the morning, they had some difficult rousing the dreamers who were groggy and longed for more sleep. They woke in the morning feeling sad and disappointed by the dreariness of reality. With a little time, they awakened fully an began their day with the rest of the group.
The group discussed where go next, the winery or the Vistani Camp or the Abbey. Ireena asked if they were leaving Vallaki so soon, wanting to see more of the town. The group was at a loss at to what course of action would best serve their interests but decided that they should start by bring Arrabelle home.
On their way out of town heading west, they passed a large, stone church with a belltower in the bag and small, fog-choked cemetery next to it. The impressive structure was a church of the Morninglord called the Church of St. Andral’s. The group decided to investigate it. Going inside they found a large, well-maintained church where a sermon was being given by a large, broad-shouldered man with a long white beard. He spoke about the coming of the Morninglord and how his light and protection would save the faithful from the encroaching darkness. The group sat in the back and listened.
After the sermon, an old woman approached the priest imploring him for help for her imprisoned son. The priest advised her that all would be well and that the Baron would surely release him soon. All they could do now was pull together as a community and support each other through the difficult times. The old woman thanked him and went towards the church entrance to light candles and pray.
Seeing the group, the priest came over and introduced himself as Father Grigori Petrovich. He welcomed them and asked if they were newcomers to Barovia. They explained that they were and mentioned seeing another church to the Morninglord in the Village of Barovia. Petrovich was glad to hear they still held the faith in Barovia, but he had no knowledge of the church or its parishioners. He wished them well and admitted he had been remiss in his duties by not offering his aid to that community focusing instead on Vallaki.
Petrovich welcomed McCoy and asked him to step forward and not hide himself as he would not be judged here in the church. McCoy warned him against it, but the priest insisted. He was taken aback by McCoy’s monstrous appearance, but still welcomed him. McCoy explained that he worshipped a different god but respected the priest and what he was doing. Petrovich explained there are only two goods in Barovia and even if one of them is absent, they honor him still.
Asking what their plans were now that they were in Barovia, Arrabelle blurt out that they were going to defeat the Dark Lord. Petrovich was so surprised he exclaimed, “You’re going to oppose Strahd?!” He caught himself quickly, saying he meant of course to say the Devil. The group gently chastised him for his slip. Petrovich apologized but told them if they were serious in their cause, then he would support them. He asked to speak with them privately in his quarters as what he had to tell them was not for the public to hear.
Bringing them to his room, he explained that the church is normally a safe haven for those seeking sanctuary from the forces of darkness, a bastion against evil. That was no longer true as the holy bones of the Saint Andral had been stolen from their resting place in the crypts below! Now the church was as vulnerable as any structure in the town and offered no protection to anyone.
He explained that the bones had been stolen 3 days ago while he and the altar boy Yeska had been administering to a sick woman at her home. The only one at the church at the time was the church’s gravedigger, a young man named Milivoj. Petrovich tells them the boy might have seen something that night while he was digging graves. But the boy had not been to work since then, having taken ill and resting at St. Andral’s Orphanage, an orphanage sponsored and supported by the church. Many of the orphans in turn came to work at the church as altar boys or in other functions. Milivoj is one of these orphans still having a close association with the orphanage and having his living quarters there. He asks the group to start their search there for the missing bones.
The group heads over to the orphanage led by Arrabelle who knew the way. They arrived and found a rundown, three-story building. Even from outside, the group could hear the cacophony inside. The knocked on the door and were greeted by a wrinkled old woman who introduced herself as Claudia Belasco, headmistress of the orphanage. She wanted to know what this strange group wanted and was hesitant to let them inside. They explained that they were friends of Father Petrovich and had come to speak with Milivoj.
Claudia allowed them to come in but warned them that Milivoj was not in a state to talk. She brought them to his room and asked to enter but heard only a dull moan from inside. She brought them in where they saw a young, muscular man with black hair. He had a sickly pallor and was covered in sweat. The boy was unconscious and drooling a blood-mixed bile. The group was immediately concerned he had some kind of contagious plague and maintained social distancing from him.
Elora was able to diagnose the boy and discovered he was suffering from some sort of magical disease, more like a curse, that could not be cured with simple medicine or magic. The group asked Claudia what happened. She explained that Milivoj was a hard-working boy who donated all of his salary from gravedigging to support the orphanage. He was very protective of the younger orphans and always trying to help them. He had even tried befriending a shy, young boy named Felix who had recently joined the orphanage.
Claudia explained that Milivoj was an invaluable asset to the orphanage. She was overwhelmed trying to care for all of them on her own and without help from Milivoj and the other older children, she didn’t know how she would do it. She also mentioned it was hard as many of the children didn’t like her. They had also recently suffered a tragedy at the orphanage, one of the younger boys, Cedrik, had an accident and fell from the second-story window to his death. The children were all upset by this, but it was all too common for the children to suffer early deaths. She told them that three of the other younger boys had run away or gone missing. She mentioned Milivoj speaking to the Wolf Hunters about it, but that their services were expensive, and they surely could not afford them
The group told Claudia they would do their best to help Milivoj and figure out what was going on. She left them along with Milivoj for a few minutes so they could try speaking with him. They were not able to rouse the boy, but Bramo performed a magic ritual to determine that the boy was under the effect of lingering necromantic magic. The group wondered if he had encountered something evil during his gravedigging duties. The group tried both healing medicines and Johan laid hands on the boy attempting to cure him of disease to no avail. They determined that whatever ailed the boy was too powerful for them to cure with their abilities and they would have to discover the source of his illness. They asked Claudia for permission to search through the orphanage which she granted provided they did not frighten the children or disturb the orphanage’s operations.
Letting Arrabelle take the lead, she spoke with her friends asking if they had any new dolls to play with. They girls told her they did not and only had old ones missing the heads. Then she asked about the new boy, Felix. Her friends explained that the boy was weird, no one like him, and no one was friends with him. He was always off on his own. They thought he was maybe upstairs somewhere by himself. Arrabelle thanked her friends and led the group upstairs.
They searched through the different bedrooms upstairs with Arrabelle identifying what age group and children slept in each room. The group was horrified when Bronwyn discovered Infernal runes carved on the bedposts of the children’s beds. All of the beds had the runes except for one bed in the room for boys Arrabelle’s age. After searching through all the rooms, they went to the nursery where an older girl, Fanya, was caring for the infants and young girl named Tessa was reading. Fanya didn’t want them disturbing the babies but said they could look around quietly.
They searched the nursery but found no sign of the Infernal runes here. Arrabelle spoke to Tessa who was terribly upset that her friend Cedrik was dead. Tessa had visible bruises on her arms and Arrabelle asked her how she got them, but Tessa couldn’t remember. She said the Cedrik had been her best friend and that he told her secrets. Cedrik had stolen a locket recently from the weird, new boy Felix and that had been right before he’d fallen out the window. Arrabelle asked where Felix was, and Tessa told her to try the attic.
The group headed up to the attic and found a young boy up there by himself. He was sitting next to the only window working on something. He hid it as the group approached him. Elora went to speak to the boy and Bramo moved to go with her. Ireena stopped him and told him after threatening to burn down the orphanage earlier maybe he should hang back. Bramo told her she should leave him alone as she wasn’t even really part of the group and was just someone they were delivering. Ireena told him she would forgive him for saying those hurtful things to her as she knows he had been under a lot of stress trying to locate his tools recently.
Bramo and Johan kept their distance and stood against a wall nearby. Riley and Lancelot followed behind Elora at a safe distance while McCoy, Bronwyn, and Arrabelle stayed by the trapdoor leading back to the second floor.
Elora spoke with the boy, Felix, but found his answers strange and cold. He seemed to show disinterest in the death of Cedrik or the idea of a friendship with Milivoj. He seemed to be biding his time for when he would no longer be a little boy. They asked what he wanted to be when he grew up suggesting maybe a soldier or a priest. The boy scoffed at the idea of being a priest calling it a “stupid waste of time believing in some made-up man in the sky.” Elora was taken aback by this and told him he shouldn’t say such things. She asked if he had ever gone to the church with Milivoj, but he again responded with vitriol denouncing the church as an awful and stupid place to go.
The group became concerned with the boy’s behavior and Johan said a prayer focusing his divine senses on the boy picking up a strong demonic presence nearby. He spoke with the group privately warning them of his suspicions and preparing to attack. Arrabelle squeezed Bronwyn’s hand and asked if she thought they should help the boy. Bronwyn said they should if they can but didn’t know if it was possible. Arrabelle asked if she thought they should try since the boy was like her and if she believed there was hope for her condition then she believe in it for this boy as well. She told her if they “are not part of the light standing against the darkness, then we’re part of the darkness.”
Bronwyn agreed to try. She approached the boy and tried to summon her shadow to the surface. She relaxed her constant tension opposing the presence and let it slip into her consciousness. She felt herself drawing backwards within herself looking out of her eyes as though from a long tunnel. Her vision changed and became more vibrant and colored, seeing in a way unlike her normal vision, seeing in an otherworldly, unnatural way, seeing through tiger’s eyes. She looked at the boy and beheld a dark shadow behind him which congealed into a presence. Her own shadow recognized it and the two shadows acknowledged one another.
The light in the room dimmed and black smoke poured out from Felix’s skin. The boy fell limp and slumped forward as a smoke pouring out of him formed into a demonic shape of long, black claws and a mouth of sharp, grinning teeth. The demon lurched towards Bronwyn and reached a claw out at her. It drew at the life within her seeking to steal it, but she repelled the creature. She summoned the darkness within her, transforming her body into demonic teeth and claws dripping with foul acid and tore into the demon.
McCoy moved in to attack the demon, but his blow passed through it like smoke. Riley attacked with her longsword barely connecting the creature. Lancelot bit into its smoky form and tore at it. Elora used her magic to create a connection between herself and the creature. Electric energy flowed through the connection hurting the demon. Ireena stepped in front of Elora to defend her. Bramo used his tools to construct a magical cannon which fired bolts of force at the demon. Arrabelle gave her blessing to Johan, telling him she believed in him and knew he would do what needed to be done.
Emboldened by her words, Johan strode forward and imbued his greatsword with the divine wrath of his goddess, Lavina. The blade came down glowing with brilliant radiance as it cleaved through the demon sending it screeching back into nothingness!
The demon destroyed; the boy Felix seemed to emerge from a nightmare. He was upset and traumatized unsure of where he was or what had been happening. After being frightened by McCoy, Arrabelle approached the boy and calmed him down telling him everything would be all right. The group headed downstairs to check on Milivoj and found him awake and feeling better, the color returning to his cheeks and his eyes clear and focused. The group explained he had been sick, cursed by a demon, but now he would be all right.
The boy broke down and told them he deserved to be cursed for his sins! He confessed to doing something terrible to hurt the church, he had stolen the Bones of St. Andral! He explained that a man had approached him to steal the bones in exchange for gold, gold Milivoj needed to hire the Wolf Hunters to find the missing boys. He knew he was doing something evil, but thought he was doing it for a good reason. He deserved to be punished and was sorry for what he had done.
The group told him it would be all right, and there was still time to undo what he had done and find redemption. They asked who had hired him, who had he given the bones to? He told them it was an old man with a beard, a man the church had worked with many times, Henrik the Coffin Maker. The group realized this was why the man had acted so suspiciously and frightened. They determined to bring the man to justice, but Elora told them he was probably not to blame and was most likely the victim of some other dark power. Many people had been acting against their will or under duress here in Vallaki. They wondered if the same had been true of Bluto if he’d been possessed by a demon as well, but thought it was more likely he was under a charm of some kind. They would learn more once they’d confronted Henrik and recovered the Bones of St. Andral.
Curse of Ravenloft 