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Session 035 - 2026-05-11

πŸ“… Session 035 - 2026-05-11: Ashes of the Faithful

πŸ“ Summary

The party concluded the Yester Hill battle in a dramatic montage, then rested at the Wizard of Wines before returning to Vallaki. On the road, they discovered a disturbing mystery β€” a stripped body bearing Jon's face that dissolved to bone before their eyes, with traces of conjuration and illusion magic, the third such doppelganger incident in Barovia. Arriving at Vallaki, they found the town in shock: Strahd and his vampire spawns had attacked St. Andral's Church the previous night, killing Fr. Lucian Petrovich, the children Freek and Myrtle, and several townsfolk. At the burial site, Rictavio delivered an urgent warning β€” the priest's body must be burned before the next nightfall, or he would rise as a vampire spawn. Klildar stepped forward to address the grieving crowd with that grim truth.

βš”οΈ Combat Finished

The Gulthias Tree combat concluded as a montage β€” each player rolled the skill they felt best represented how their PC would handle the situation, against a DC 18 to avoid taking damage.

The gulthias tree was still spawning vine and twig blights, the last druid lay close to death nearby, and a magical axe remained lodged in the trunk beside a dead body.

Alfbern remained in bear form, using conjured wild animals to maximize damage (Animal Handling). Linus lobbed cantrips from a safe distance (Arcana). Klildar pressed his attacks (Athletics). Jon tried to stay unseen (Stealth) β€” and was the only one who paid for it, taking a hit in the chaos.

Back to the Winery

The group travelled back to the winery, arriving early in the evening β€” bruised and battered, but victorious. They handed the gem back to the Martikovs, who tended their wounds and put on a warm meal. Jon asked and received two wine skins for the road. Everyone turned in as the wereraven clan celebrated quietly, mindful that one gem still remains missing.

During the last watch, in the early hours of the morning, Alfbern heard loud voices nearby. Nothing that sounded dangerous β€” but he woke Jon and the two slipped out to investigate. They found two weary, bruised wereravens muttering about an attack in Vallaki. The PCs dropped their cover and approached openly. They learned that the church in town had been struck by swarms of bats and vampire spawns.

The Blue Water Inn was spared, and the local Martikovs were unharmed β€” a relief to Davian and his family. Still, they asked the group to look into the matter, and the party agreed.

A Body in the Road

Half a day out from the winery, they came across a dead body at the side of the road. It was stripped of everything except undergarments, covered in cuts and bruises β€” and wearing Jon's face.

The group investigated the area and the body thoroughly. No signs of dragging, no recent footprints. As they handled it, the body began to dissolve β€” flesh melting away until only the skeleton remained.

Linus performed a Detect Magic ritual, which revealed traces of both conjuration and illusion magic. The party debated what to make of it, recalling the pattern: a hanged corpse with Linus's face outside Barovia, a bust with Jon's face at Argynvostholt, and now this. After a round of theorising, they agreed they were only wasting daylight and pushed on toward Vallaki.

A Town in Disarray

The party arrived at Vallaki's western gates as the guards were beginning to close them for the night. The hour felt familiar β€” but the town didn't. Instead of the usual sullen misery, the townsfolk wore something rawer: desperation, shock, disarray.

They reached the church soon enough and were met by Ireena, visibly unharmed but shattered. She recounted what happened the night before.

A congregation of twenty or thirty people was attending the evening service with Fr. Lucian when a massive swarm of bats descended on them. The crowd scattered and fled outside, where vampire spawns were already waiting. It was a massacre β€” not just the churchgoers, but two townsfolk who came to help were cut down as well. The moment the attack began, Fr. Lucian pulled Ireena aside and hid her, telling her that her only hope was to make for Krezk and seek refuge at the Abbey of St. Markovia.

The hardest news came last: Freek, age seven, was killed by the vampire spawns. Myrtle, age five, was killed by the bats. And Fr. Lucian was killed by Strahd himself, who entered the church as a swarm of bats and went straight for him. Before draining the priest's blood, he severed the hand bearing the signet ring β€” the one Fr. Lucian had ritually bound hoping it would protect the church as the stolen relic once had. It did not.

Revelations at the Burial

Outside the church, in the cemetery, the dead lay in shrouds on the ground while Milijov and others dug the graves. Some were fully wrapped; a few had their faces left exposed so loved ones could say goodbye.

Ireena came out with the party. A small crowd had gathered, the Martikovs among them β€” present, silent, in shock, but safe.

Rictavio approached to pay his respects, then quietly signalled for the party to step aside. Away from the crowd, he delivered his warning: Fr. Lucian, having been killed by Strahd himself, must not be buried. If he was interred, he would rise the following evening as a vampire spawn. The body needed to be burned. He said his piece and left.

The group debated how to handle it. The decision fell to Klildar. He began by performing a funeral procession β€” battleaxe raised, chanting the rites of his faith β€” drawing the crowd in with solemn ceremony. Then he stopped beside the priest's body and addressed the mourners directly: the body could not be buried. It would have to burn.

The faces of the crowd shifted β€” confusion, unease, the edge of protest.

That is where the session ended.

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