Session 016 - Report 2025-05-12

Opening Scene

As the sun sets behind the rooftops of Vallaki, a figure closes the window and lights up a flickering lamp. They nervously look over their shoulder as they walk down dark corridors and down the stairs. They sit on a stool by a worktable, setting the lamp on the table and then proceed to pray to the Morninglord.

After a while they are still praying when heavy bangs come from the front door. The figure, now we can see it's an old man, shouts that the shop is closed and the visitors should leave. They keep banging on the door, he shouts back again and his tension increases. His eyes darting between the door and the shadows dancing at the edge of the lamp's light. Then he hears someone trying to pick the side door, but fails to. He thought that they would be gone by now and allows himself to relax just a little.

The banging returns, this time stronger and louder, it sounds not like hands, but a heavy metal. Are they trying to take the door down? Dread overcomes him. The door then bursts open, a warhammer splitting it to timbers, and four figures stand by the door.

Events

When the PCs entered the room, Klildar tried to calm the man and asked about the bones of St. Andral, but no ability check was needed, the old man was overcome by dread. He spilt all the beans, telling them about Strahd's undercover visit, the nest of vampires and pointing the party to the bones. He was sent to the tavern for asylum as the PCs went to investigate upstairs.

Jon volunteered to sneak into the first floor with Alvorada, using the cover of darkness. But at the top of the stairs, the companion wolf noticed a figure in the shadows. Jon was only able to see two faint red dots and hear a cavernous voice taunting them. A second voice then emerged from behind them, a second vampire lurking in the shadows. As Jon shouted for help, we rolled initiative.

The fight started a bit weird, because they were fighting at the top of the stairs, but it progressed into one of the rooms soon enough. After a couple of rounds one of the vampires killed Alvorada by dealing a massive amount of damage, while the other one successfully drained HP from Klildar, healing their wounds.

While the fight was going on the party was able to recognise the vampires as former adventurers, based on their attire: a slender dark-haired elf wizard, carrying a torn spellbook bound to his waist; and a tall bulky half-orc barbarian.

At the end of the fourth round, other four vampires came out of their resting places and dashed to the edge of the darkness, with menacing red eyes, ready to attack on their next turn.

Then, a strong gust of wind came up the stairs, bringing a dark cloud of mist that enveloped the vampire wizard before turning into a dark figure, that proceeded to torn the vampire in half. The figure was a tall pale skinned man, with long dark hair, noble clothes and a dark cape. He introduced himself as Strahd von Zarovich, the lord of all these lands, excused the behaviour of his vampire servants and asked to have a conversation with the PCs.

That's where the session ended.

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Party

Setup