Curse of Strahd – Session 17: The Girl, the Lake & the Dinosaur

Dramatis Personae

PCs Present

• Ferris – Half-elf paladin (Oath of Devotion).
  • Fears: drowning.
  • Possesses a halberd, Sentinel feat, Lay on Hands, Divine Smite.

• Chef-Man – Tiefling warlock (Pact of the Talisman).
  • Carries a wand, short-sword, and a pair of cracked ivory-tipped gloves that become a lucky charm after witnessing the drowned child.

• Coin-Biter – Minotaur barbarian.
  • Keeps friendship with the raven Karla (Wereraven in disguise).

• Jareth – 13-year-old Aasimar monk/rogue.
  • Communicates with improvised sign-language; haunted by the amulet of his mother (the “mountain spirit”).

• Ireena Kolyana (NPC, fighter) – Obsessed with uncovering Strahd’s schemes.

• Ishmark Kolyana (NPC, fighter) – Ferris’ wolf-hunting partner; soft spot for Vallaki’s poor.

• Melody (NPC, bard) – Architecture nerd; currently wearing Karla’s raven-hair clasp.

Key NPCs

• Rictavio – Purple-clad half-elf carnival master (secretly Rudolph Van Richten).
  • Carries a cane with Light cantrip; owns a scroll of Raise Dead and Death Ward.

• Father Lucian Petrovich – 7-ft priest of Saint Andral, Vallaki.

• Jeska – 10-year-old acolyte, painfully shy.

• Luvash & Aragal – Vistani brothers at Lake Zarovich camp.
  • Luvash = furious, protective father.
  • Aragal = Strahd’s courier; suave, cruel.

• Arabelle – Luvash’s 8-year-old daughter; latent seer who delivers a prophecy.

• Bluuto Krogarov – Vallaki fisherman; polymorphed murderer.
  • Stat block: commoner with Polymorph (self only); transformed into a 40-ft Plesiosaurus.

• The Mad Mage / Black-robed wizard – Escaped up Mt. Baratok after combat.

Morning in Vallaki: Split Paths and Encounters

The morning began with the Blue Water Inn's doors still damaged from a recent guard raid. The party split to pursue different tasks:

1. At the Church of Saint Andral: Jareth and Ireena spoke with Father Lucian, who seemed evasive regarding Baron Vallakovich. They also encountered Jeska, a shy young acolyte, whom Jareth attempted to comfort with honey-nuts. Meanwhile, Coin-Biter napped in the church, only to be joined by Karla, his raven companion, who telepathically communicated with him. Later, Ireena and Jareth explored the church graveyard, where they met the imposing gravedigger Milivoj, with an odd mutual fascination forming between them.

2. The Meat Peddling Venture: Ferris and Ishmark hauled a wolf carcass to the town square, intending to sell its meat. Despite Ferris's efforts, they managed to sell some legs for 8 copper each before being confronted by local hunters Yevgeni and Szoldar, who enforced a strict monopoly on game sales. An attempt to intimidate them failed, forcing Ferris and Ishmark to leave with their stock ruined.

3. A Meeting at the North Gate: Chef-Man met with Rictavio at the North Gate. Their conversation about the mist's origins quickly turned into a standoff of veiled questions. Rictavio expressed his distrust of the Baron and voiced concern for his owl-bear, Nikki, and for Ireena's safety.

Lake Zarovich Catastrophe

The party’s paths converged at Lake Zarovich, a still, black body of water where a single rowboat floated. The tranquility was shattered when Bluuto, a Vallaki fisherman, was seen throwing a thrashing, child-sized sack overboard. A struggle immediately ensued.

• The Confrontation: Ferris swiftly rowed towards Bluuto's boat, covering a significant distance before Misty Stepping closer. Chef-Man unleashed a powerful Eldritch Blast, causing Bluuto’s wooden boat to spectacularly explode.

• Bluuto's Transformation: Bluuto then revealed his true nature, transforming into a massive 40-ft Plesiosaurus, a polymorphed murderer. Chef-Man attempted to subdue him with Toll the Dead, but the creature remained formidable.

• The Rescue: Ferris, empowered by his faith, delivered a critical Divine Smite, dealing immense damage and breaking Bluuto's polymorph. Bluuto, reverted to his human form, quickly Misty Stepped away and transformed into a deer, making his escape.

• Aftermath and Revival: Guided by Detect Thoughts, Ferris located the submerged sack, finding the drowned 8-year-old Arabelle inside, having barely survived her suffocation time. Rictavio used a precious Scroll of Raise Dead (costing 500 gp in diamonds) to revive the child.

• Psychological Fallout: The traumatic event left its mark. Chef-Man developed a long-term madness, becoming intensely attached to his ivory gloves and suffering disadvantage if separated from them for 5 days. Ferris experienced short-term madness, gaining an antipathy toward Arabelle for 10 days, requiring a Wisdom save to avoid being frightened in her presence.

Return to Vallaki and the Vistani Camp

Under the cover of night, the party convinced the guards to reluctantly open the North Gate, using the rescued child as justification. They reunited with Jareth and Coin-Biter near the Silver-dragon fountain, where Karla, the raven, departed. Ireena went to check on Ishmark at the inn, while the rest of the party headed to the Vistani camp southwest of Vallaki.

The Vistani Hill Camp

The camp was situated on tiered hills, featuring a ring of barrel-top wagons and a large central tent guarded by 12 horses. There, they witnessed Luvash, Arabelle’s enraged father, whipping a teenage boy Alexei for "losing" Arabelle, who was bound to a tent-pole.

• A Tense Encounter: Aragal, Luvash’s suave but cruel brother and Strahd’s courier, prevented Chef-Man and Jareth from untying Alexei.

• The Reward: A grateful Luvash offered the party a choice of chest. After Ferris, Jareth, and Coin-Biter failed to open a heavy iron chest, Luvash easily opened it himself, revealing 650 gp. The party (excluding Rictavio, who refused his share) divided the gold, each receiving 108 gp.

• Arabelle's Prophecy: In a trance, Arabelle delivered a cryptic prophecy reminiscent of Madam Eva's Tarokka-style omens: "The bones of the saint will be taken by the brother of night, his head in the wrong but his heart in the right. A feast will be set, the coarse blood, lives of innocence lost in the flood. Masks will fall in the tyrant’s fun, and in grand finale, the night will snuff out the sun." Ferris and Rictavio recognized the style and significance of this omen.

• Growing Distrust: Aragal intensified the party's distrust by promising to "take care of the Vallaki fisherman," implying sinister intent towards Bluuto.