To prepare for their dinner with Strahd, the group went to procure appropriate clothing for the evening. They managed to locate a clothier in Vallaki, Endless Delights Clothiers run by three siblings, Alek, Andrej, and Alana Alastroi. There was no time for them to get any custom orders completed, but Alana was able to modify some pieces she had available to dress everyone appropriately. The clothing was expensive though, costing each of them 15 gold pieces which they reluctantly paid.
McCoy also wanted to look his best and decided he needed to buff and polish his body to make it shine. He went to the Cracked Anvil to visit the Dwarven blacksmith, Dragomir Ulbrek. Dragomir was very excited to see the group and told them how much he had enjoyed Granny’s dream pastry. It was the best night of sleep he ever had, and he was anxious for more of the pies. Elora agreed to sell him another two pies for 1 gold piece each. Dragomir hesitated at the price, but quickly produced the money. Johan reminded him that if he wanted more pies, he could get them at the Old Windmill. Dragomir thanked them and said he would let others know to come to them for pies. He was so excited to receive the pies that he gave the polishing compound to McCoy for free.
The group briefly discussed whether or not they should still be distributing the pies. They were told by the Martikovs that Granny and her daughters were hags that ate children, and they also suspected that the pies were made from orphans. They dismissed this information as mere rumors and decided not to look into the matter.
Back at the Blue Water Inn, McCoy set to work polishing his body with the compound while the others were able to have free baths from Urwin. The group ask Elvir and Dag to stay the night at the inn, and they will depart for the Wizard of Wines in the morning. The two men agree.
Elora was worried about what might happen to her up at the castle. She was unsure if they would be captured or killed while there. She decided to write a letter to her father, Kasimir, in case anything should happen. There was no time for her to deliver the letter herself, so she paid 5 gold pieces to Milivoj to deliver the letter for her. The boy promised he would get the letter to him.
While at the Church of St. Andral’s, the group stores all of their weapons and armor in the safe-keeping of Father Petrovich. They will travel to the castle armed only with daggers and their spells. Father Petrovich says a blessing over the group and tells them to remain strong in the Morninglord’s light and not be swayed by evil. Riley tries to leave Lancelot behind as well, fearing for his safety and that he may attack all the vampires there. Lancelot becomes very agitated, barking and running around the church. He refuses to calm down until Riley agrees to take him with her. She is reluctant to bring him and tells him he needs to behave.
Cleaned, polished, and dressed in their fine clothes, the group heads out the East gate of Vallaki hoping to rent a carriage or wagon to bring them to Castle Ravenloft, but they find Strahd’s Black Carriage waiting outside for them. They climb uneasily into the vehicle for their long journey. They travel for several hours in the carriage, drawn by the massive, black horses of the carriage directed by some unseen force. Their journey brings them along the road, through the forests, and up into the mountains towards the peak where Castle Ravenloft lies.
They arrived well after sundown, the spires of the castle looming over them. A stone archway led through to a bridge spanning a deep chasm. Heavy, wooden doors swung open on the far side of the bridge as their carriage crossed over. They peered out the windows at the dizzying drop below them. As the carriage entered the courtyard, the heavy gates swung shut behind them, sealing them inside. They exited the carriage and it rode away around the back of the castle. Before them, the double-doors to the castle hung open, light spilling out into the courtyard.
As they entered into the castle, they saw four stone, dragon statues staring down at them above the torches. Double-doors on the far side of the room remained closed. They crossed the room to knock, and as they touched the doors, they swung open. Standing on the other side in an elegant black gown, sword at her hip, was Rahasia, sister of Strahd. She welcomed the group into a cobwebbed entry room lit by sputtering torches with tall pillars flanked by statues of gargoyles. Staircases and hallways led out of the room, and Rahasia led the group through the southern hall.
The faint sound of music could be heard in the hall, growing louder as they walked down it. Rahasia led them into an elegant dining room with a long table set beneath glittering, crystal chandeliers. At the far end of the room stood an impressive organ set between floor-to-ceiling mirrors. Sitting with his back to them, a caped figure expertly played the organ. The group entered and politely listened to the music as the figure completed the song.
He turned to greet them revealing a handsome, young man with sharp features, pale skin, and long, black hair. He was dressed in fine clothes, with a deep red tunic and a black cape over his shoulders. He stood and introduced himself as their host, Count Strahd von Zarovich, Lord of Barovia. The group all introduced themselves, and he asked them to take a seat at the table on its left side. He explained that the right side was reserved for their other guests. After they are seated, he motions to Rahasia who ushers in another group of people. In walked a procession of four women and one man, all dressed in elegant dresses and attire.
The first to enter was a teenage girl with brown hair in a purple dress. The group didn’t recognize her, but Lancelot immediately began barking and ran over to her enthusiastically. The girl looked embarrassed and shooed the dog away, but he would not leave her side. Riley had to come and drag him away. Rahasia made a snide comment about them bringing their animals to dinner and insulted Bramo as well. Strahd reminded them all to behave and remain civil to one another. The girl introduced herself as Gertruda, and the group realized she was Mad Mary’s missing daughter!
Following behind her in in an elegant, red gown was a beautiful woman with long, dark hair they recognized as Anastrasya, Strahd’s wife they had met on the road. Seated next to her was a tall, dark-skinned woman with her braided hair piled high on her head behind a golden headdress. She wore a white gown and introduced herself as Ludmilla another of Strahd’s brides. Next was a shorter woman, with long black hair and pale, white skin. She wore a yellow gown and black lipstick. Her face was cold and emotionless. She introduced herself as Volenta, another of Strahd’s brides. Dressed in all black with a little crown on his head, was beautiful, young man with pale skin and pale, almost white, blonde hair. He introduced himself as Escher, yet another bride of Strahd.
Strahd spoke with the group answering their questions and telling them about himself. He told them that he was not from Barovia originally. He was a conqueror like his father before him and was a general in his father’s armies. He pursued their enemies here to this valley and defeated them. He fell in love with the beautiful countryside and decided to settle here naming the land after his father, King Barov. He built this castle for them as a new home for his family and named it in honor of his mother, Queen Ravenovia.
He tells them that he has been stuck in an endless cycle of tragedy. His love, Tatyana, is reborn over and over again, and before the two of them can be reunited, tragedy strikes, and Tatyana dies again being forever out his reach. He hopes and prays that there is a way to end the cycle, and he is optimistic about this new development. Never before have two women been born with the soul of Tatyana at the same time. He hopes this means that it will end differently this time.
He understands that this is strange and overwhelming for Elora and Ireena, and he doesn’t mean to frighten them. For them, this is all new and will take some time to process, but he has been through this many times with many different reincarnations of Tatyana. He is hoping to get to know the two of them and find a way to end the cycle.
Strahd asks the group a little about themselves asking where they are from, what gods they worship, what they like and dislike about Barovia and how they think the lives of his people could be improved. The group tells him about their home world of Akleatuary and the many wonders it contains. They worship many different gods there, and they have wonderful machines such as train that carry them from place to place. Ludmilla is fascinated by the trains and how they are driven by steam power. Bramo explains the principles to her and offers to demonstrate on a small scale with some of his magical tinkering.
Bronwyn tells him how much she enjoys the wine in Barovia, and how it is the best thing about the place. Strahd serves her one of the last remaining bottles of Champagne du Stomp from his private collection, and she cannot get enough of it. The maid Helga comes around the table frequently to refill her glass for her. They tell Strahd they are not a fan of all the mindless undead wandering around and the deadly wolves. Escher makes a comment about knowing what it’s like to be surrounded by mindless undead. The group tells Strahd the best thing he could do for the people would be to make the sun shine for them. Strahd bemusedly apologizes that he cannot do that for them.
Strahd asks Elora about what brought her to Barovia, and she tells him she came seeking the knowledge of the Theurgian Society. Strahd is impressed saying that he knows firsthand how impressive their knowledge is. He asks more about her passion for arcane knowledge and tells her it is a passion he also shares. He asks Ireena if she is all passionate about such research.
Ireena tells him she was not raised as a scholar, but rather as a noble and a diplomat. She is very much her father’s daughter. Strahd offers his condolences again over the death of her father praising him as a loyal servant for many years. Ireena mentions the unfortunate incident between Rahasia and Bramo and how it distressed her. Rahasia downplays the incident noting that Bramo is alive and well at the table. Strahd is displeased and though maintaining his composure, coolly tells his sister carry out his instructions with greater care in the future. She agrees to do so.
Anastrasya asks about any great parties or galas they have been to and both Bramo and Bronwyn regale her with tales from their pasts. Anastrasya is very interested but is convinced that no one at those parties could have been as elegant or beautiful as she is.
Escher asks if they have seen any great musicians and performances. Bramo tells him about a talented singer he saw perform and Bronwyn tells him about her love for the theater especially musical theater. Escher is delighted to hear about it bemoaning the lack of art and culture in Barovia.
Ludmilla asks if they have visited any famous libraries or places of magical power. She is fascinated as Elora tells her about her work in the arcane library and the Vaegwyce Institute. The concept of a magical university is enticing to her.
Volenta interrupts asking about any famous graves they have visited or necromancers they have met. They tell her they have not been visited either.
Gertruda asks if they have been to any famous weddings between princes and princesses. Bronwyn tells her she hasn’t, but she has been to the wedding of a lord and lady before. Gertruda dreamily tells them about how she will soon be marrying her prince. They ask her if she will be inviting her mother, Mad Mary, and she gets defensive coming up with excuses why she cannot attend. Strahd offers to arrange to have her brought to the castle, but Gertruda refuses.
After dinner, Strahd dismisses his brides and speaks to the group in private. He asks them what they think of his brides and if they made any impression on them. The group is diplomatic in their responses. He asks them if they are willing to perform a task for him. In return, he is willing to grant them any one boon of their choosing within his power to give them. A few nights ago, he met with Madam Eva. She performed a reading for him and told him that one of his brides has betrayed him. He wants the group to investigate them and find out who has betrayed him, what they have done, and why they have done it. He asks them to get either a confession or irrefutable proof of the deed to present to him. He knows that the traitor is definitely not Gertruda or Rahasia, but one of the other brides.
The group agrees to help Strahd and begin their investigation. Rahasia takes them through the castle past an abandoned chapel where a cloaked figure lays slumped over an altar next to a mace. She leads them upstairs through more hallways to a large audience hall with a broken glass window and a throne on a dais. Anastrasya is there dancing by herself through the hallway. She greets the group and asks Elora if she knows how to dance. Elora says she does not, and Anastrasya offers to teach her, sweeping her up off her feet and dancing her around the room rapidly. The dance becomes more violent the longer they dance with Elora finally being whipped away from her to spin into Riley and Ireena who catch her.
Johan volunteers to be her dance partner instead and manages with some effort to keep up with her. Anastrasya is impressed that the old man knows how to dance. The group asks her some questions and quickly find that she is very self-absorbed, turning the topic of the conversation back to herself. She tells them that Strahd loves her because she is the most beautiful and elegant woman in Barovia. Ludmilla hates her because she is boring and dried up. Strahd is bored with her and get rid of her. She is just jealous of Anastrasya.
She tells the group about her love of throwing parties and how she loves greeting the spirits of the dead who march each night through the castle from the Village of Barovia. She explains that the spirits are the remains of those who fought against Strahd in the rebellion led by the Mad Mage. Every night they march through the castle to plunge off the highest peak to the cliffs below. She’s not sure, but she thinks maybe there are less spirits now. It’s possible that Volenta has been stealing them to place inside of her bone dolls. She thinks Volenta is a creep and Strahd should get rid of her.
The group try to convince her to get Strahd to throw a party for all of Barovia. It will be a Name Day celebration in honor of Anastrasya, Anastrasya Day. Anastrasya, is thrilled by the idea! She would love for everyone to be honoring her and giving her attention. The group wonders if they are helping or hurting Barovia with this suggestion.
Rahasia leads them upstairs through many levels of the castle to the upper spires where Escher is lounging. He is bored and excited to see the group. He happily gossips with them about the castle and its inhabitants. They learn that he is a former Bard from the City of Greyhawk on Oerth. He and his adventuring party were drawn through the mists to Barovia long ago. He didn’t want to become a vampire, but the alternative was death like his other party members, and he much prefers being alive, or at least undead. Being a vampire isn’t so bad except that Barovia is so boring and dreary.
Escher enjoys Anastrasya’s company because she’s not boring, and she sometimes throws parties even if they aren’t very good. It’s hard to be a successful performer without an audience. Ludmilla acts like everyone’s mother, but she doesn’t give him much trouble. Volenta is creepy and also not very bright. Gertruda is hilariously stupid, and he would love to devour her if only Strahd would let him.
Escher is unhappy being stuck in Barovia. He wishes he was free of Strahd and able to travel the multiverse as a vampire. He would have an eternity to see all its wonders, but all he sees here is the same gray landscape out the tower windows each day. He explains that since he was created by Strahd he will forever be his thrall and unable to oppose his will. All of his spawn are the same way, and the thing he fears the most is being discarded by Strahd.
The group returns to the dining room downstairs and Ludmilla is brought to speak with them. Ludmilla is poised and intelligent. She is very reserved and confident in herself and not what the group was expecting. She hates Anastrasya because she is so loud and self-centered. Escher, she likes because he fulfills his role entertaining Strahd. She knows that Strahd no longer loves her, but he keeps her around because she has remained useful to him. She recruits new brides for him and helps to manage his household. She regrets ever recruiting Anastrasya and bringing her to Strahd. She thinks Anastrasya is too reckless and ill-mannered and will surely do something soon to anger Strahd. She believes Gertruda is dull but obedient and will make an excellent replacement for Anastrasya.
She thinks Volenta is well-behaved, always quiet and following orders, but she is an uneducated brute only good for killing and torture. The group asks if Ludmilla worries about being replaced or angering Strahd. She believes that she can remain useful to Strahd, and if he ever gets rid of her, it will be because of her own failings to live up to his expectations. She tells the group she was recruited centuries ago for her keen intelligence. Strahd trained her as his wizard’s apprentice and no other bride is as powerful with magic as she is. Ludmilla excuses herself after answering their questions to return to her arcane research and experiments.
The group heads back upstairs to speak with Strahd’s accountant, Lief Lipsiege. Lief is an old man chained to a table in a room filled with papers and ledgers. They ask him if he has noticed anything unusual in Strahd’s accounts, and he immediately points out an irregularity with shipments to the castle. The castle has been receiving a weekly shipment of medical supplies from the Abbey of St. Markovia and it is entirely too frequent. Lief believes there is no way the castle is consuming supplies at that rate, and a more reasonable schedule would be monthly shipments. The group asks to see the ledgers and he shows them the shipments have been arriving weekly for the past few months.
Lief doesn’t have access to the purchase orders as, unfortunately, most orders are placed verbally with their suppliers and Lief is lucky to receive the invoices. He shows the delivery receipts have been signed by Maynard Belview who always delivers the goods.
The group asks Lief how he likes his job. He tells them that he loves it. He has been working there since he was a young man. He wasn’t that fond of the position for the first 20 years or so, but he has found the last 40 years to be very fulfilling. He has no desire to leave his position and doesn’t even notice the chain around his ankle. He just wishes that Strahd would listen to his suggestions to better organize their purchasing and fill out more paperwork in triplicate for his records. He is also upset that Strahd has shared the full contents of all his hidden treasures within the castle so that Lief can do a full accounting for the treasury.
The group returns to the dining room and Volenta is brought up from the dungeons to speak with them. She is now wearing a skull mask which completely covers her face. She refers to the mask as her “true face” and says that she is able to wear it now that dinner is concluded. Strahd forced her to remove it for dinner in order to appear “presentable” for his guests. Volenta is cold and emotionless while answering questions in a stilted, childlike manner. Johan quickly concludes that the woman is a sociopath with no true empathy. Volenta tells them that she likes to work with bone and loves carving bone dolls. She believes that bones are imbued with the spirits of the dead and carry them inside. She loves acquiring new bones for her collection not from corpses, but by cutting them out of living victims.
She is utterly devoted to Strahd and believes they have an undying love. Whatever he has with the other brides doesn’t matter because only their love is real. She loves Strahd because he elevated her to be so much more than she could have been on her own. She loves sneaking around the castle and following people without them knowing she is there. Strahd likes to use her whenever he needs a quiet spy or if he needs someone assassinated.
Volenta thinks Ludmilla is inspiring. She works hard and takes care of Strahd and the other brides. Ludmilla uses a lot of big words though that Volenta doesn’t understand. She thinks Anastrasya doesn’t know her place, she only cares about herself and doesn’t serve Strahd as she should. Escher complains too much. She thinks if someone has does something wrong, then Escher is the guilty party because he is always complaining. She is fascinated by Gertruda and really wants to know the sounds Gertruda would make if she stuck her with her dagger. The group tells her they don’t think Gertruda would like that. Volenta says she knows that, but she wants to know what it would sound like. She likes Cyrus, the butler, because he also makes things out of bones, and he is always giving her new bones to play with.
The group asks her if she ever uses bandages or medical supplies for her experiments, but she tells them she doesn’t. She just likes to use fresh bones and carve them with her dagger. She doesn’t need any other supplies.
The group ask to speak with the maid, Helga. She tells them she is a poor village girl, the daughter of the bootmaker in the Village of Barovia. She is terrified of Strahd and wants to escape the castle. She asks the group if they can help her. They tell her they can try, but they can’t make any promises. She tells them it’s not her place to talk about the residents of the castle as she is just a humble maid, but when pressed provides her opinions of them. She tells them that Anastrasya talks too much. She is always telling the Lord’s business to the spirits that pass through the castle, what Strahd is up to, what he is planning, who, and when. She’s not sure what the spirits can do with that information, but Anastrasya shouldn’t be running her mouth so much. Ludmilla is no longer wanted by Strahd. She is old news, and she should watch out that he doesn’t get rid of her. Volenta is a creep always lurking around the dungeons playing with her dolls. She thinks she puts the souls of the dead into her dolls.
The group thinks Helga is suspicious as she is the only one in the castle openly complaining about Strahd and wanting to leave. They press her and realize that she is lying to them and putting on an act. Johan calls upon his goddess, Lavina, to sense that she is secretly a vampire as well! They ask Ireena if she knows this girl. Ireena looks her over and judges them to be about the same age. She should know the girl but has never seen her before in her life. Also, she doesn’t know of there being any bootmaker in the Village of Barovia for a long time. Helga tells her they simply moved in different circles, she was a lowly peasant, not the magistrate’s daughter. But the Village of Barovia only has a few hundred people in it, and Ireena knows all of them. Helga is not even able to tell them the former magistrate’s name!
Helga admits that she was lying and said all of that to trick them. She was hoping to fool them and feed on them later. The group asks a few more questions about the other brides and threaten to pin the betrayal on her if she doesn’t help them. Helga calls their bluff and tells them Strahd would never believe them. She is loyal and loves her lord. Anything contradictory to that was a ruse to trick them. As they are unable to trust anything she says, they dismiss her.
They ask Rahasia her opinion about what is going on in the castle. She tells them she thinks the group is stupid and this whole investigation is a waste of time. Her brother never should have gotten them involved. If he wanted a traitor rooted out, all he had to do was ask her, and she would get to the bottom of it. She asks them if they are ready to give up and tell Strahd that they’ve failed, but they refuse. They ask to speak to the butler Cyrus instead. Rahasia finds this idea amusing for some reason and eagerly fetches Cyrus.
Cyrus Belview is brought upstairs to meet them. He is a hunchbacked, brute of a man with different animal parts including lizard scales, dog fur, and a duck’s foot. He is barely coherent speaking in a string of grunts and giggles and seeming constantly confused. He has difficulty following their questions and the group has to work hard to get any information out of him. He tells them that he likes Volenta, loves to cook meat and potatoes, bad wives are sent to the cellar, and he likes to work with bone and make sculptures.
He is easily confused during their questioning and thinks the group need to be taken to their rooms. He fondles their backpacks saying he will carry them for the group, and he will take their belongings soon. They ask if he is related to Maynard Belview, and he tells them that he is, but it isn’t clear if he is a brother or cousin or what the relationship is between them. The group gets frustrated talking to him and sends him away. Rahasia is very amused by their struggles and asks again if they are ready to give up.
The group formulate some theories about who the traitor might be. They think both Anastrasya and Ludmilla are suspect, but Elora thinks Gertruda is very suspicious because she willingly came to the castle to meet Strahd. They ask to speak to her next.
Gertruda is very sweet, happy, and completely clueless about what is going on in the castle. She tells the group how excited she is for her fairy tale dream to come true by marrying her prince, Strahd. She is going to marry him, have many babies with him, and live happily ever after. The group tries to explain that she cannot have children with Strahd and that he has many other wives. She refuses to listen to them, telling them they are mistaken. She explains that she was locked up in her house her entire life and has never really met a man before. She thinks she saw Ismark once at their door and maybe his father once or twice before that. Everything she knows about the world comes from her mother and her storybooks.
She doesn’t want anything to do with her mother or Lancelot since they are part of her old life. She never wants to go back to the Village of Barovia or be forced to stay inside again. She will never force her children to stay inside and will take them many places with her all over Barovia.
Lancelot is heartbroken that he cannot be reunited with her. He whines and cries and Riley consoles him telling him she will take care of him from now on.
The group tries to convince Gertruda of the truth of her situation, but she cannot be convinced. They don’t ask her any questions about the other brides and simply send her on their way.
Facing a dead end, their only real lead is the strange shipments from the Abbey of St. Markovia. Realizing that another shipment is due that night, they decide to stakeout the shipment and see who comes to meet it. With permission from Rahasia, they hide themselves in one of the gate towers and wait. After an hour of waiting, the shipment finally arrives. A humble wagon driven by a large, cloaked figure arrives at the castle.
They are surprised to see Escher come out to greet the wagon! He makes his way across the courtyard and speaks with the driver. Both of them step into the other guard tower for a private conversation. Bramo sneaks up to the tower to eavesdrop on them while Riley jumps up to the wagon to inspect the crate. Inside she finds medical supplies matching the invoices exactly.
Bramo overhears a strange discussion between Escher and the driver. Escher is describing Ireena and Elora’s appearances in great detail comparing them to the portrait of Tatyana in the study and offering corrections to the driver. He emphasizes such detail as the shape of their noses and the color of their eyes. Bramo isn’t sure what he is listening to and describes it to Johan. He isn’t sure what to make of it either, but Elora is able to figure out that this driver is trying to recreate some sort of likeness of Tatyana, possibly a painting or sculpture.
For some reason, this person is very concerned with recreating an accurate likeness of them. Escher is insistent that the driver take notes on the information he is giving him, but the driver has no paper and poor writing ability. Frustrated, Escher tells him he had better commit the details to memory then!
The group is disappointed that Escher is the apparent traitor as they are fond of him. They are also confused as to what his betrayal actual entails. They resolve to confront Escher and let him explain himself before speaking to Strahd.
Curse of Ravenloft 