So again to Vallaki,
Once twice and thrice,
You suddenly realised “We are all just prisoners here
Of our own device”

And in the Burgomaster’s chambers,
They’re gathered for the feast,
They stab with their steely knives,
But they just can’t kill the beast.

Last thing you remember,
You weren’t coming here — no more,
But you found the passage back,
To this place you’ve been before.

“Relax,” called the night-watch,
“We are happy to receive,
You can check out any time you like,
But you can never leave, Fair Barovia!”

Luvash offered whatever you asked, within reason. Luckily for you everything you proposed met his definition of reasonable.

He would withdraw his forces at your command, escort you through the town in a show of force, and report back on the current state of affairs. He also agreed to at least not oppose Ireena’s rule, though he made it quite clear the Vistani were not political players and would act in their own interests or none at all.

This didn’t please Zane in particular, and he made it quite clear that he viewed the Vistani as another problem to be dealt with down the road. Their lack of honour in not siding with the good people of Vallaki riled him greatly, as did their refusal to do anything that stood up to Strahd’s dark rule — even going so far as accusing them of cowardice (albeit under his breath).

Garn too could barely control his incredulity that you were here again, interfering with the politics of Vallaki instead of following the quests that had been laid in front of you by Madam Eva. Three times you had been within touching distance of fulfilling her prophecies, and three times you had withdrawn. And now you were going back to Vallaki?!

Despite Zane and Garn’s misgivings, at the end of negotiations you felt satisfied. Luvash warned that your were likely to have to reply to the Burgomaster’s spurning of your agreement with him, to which Viktor responded: “Don’t worry, we’re good at replying.”

With those words to inspire, you bedded down, exhausted, but determined to finally solve the problem of Vallaki.

You woke before dawn to find the Vistani true to their word, the enforcers withdrawn from the town and the entire camp ready to escort you to the town gates. You instructed them that the goal was to get the town guard to stand down, and that the only targets that needed to be shut down were the Wachter brothers and the Burgomaster’s family.

At the town gates you were greeted by a few guards (who looked miserable in the face of your show of force), plus the two brothers.

Ireena stepped forward and delivered a passionate speech, speaking of the new freedom she offered and the lifting of the yoke the town had lived under for decades, appealing to the guards to recognise her new authority and stand aside… or suffer the consequences.

Before they could respond, Nikolai Wachter spat contemptuously, and yelled that Ireena had no power here, and nor did the murderous band she was with. Karl Wachter called for you to leave now or face their vicious judgement.

This was all too much for Zandeyr, who was ready to slaughter the entire town if it meant fixing this problem once and for all. Before anyone could react, he notched his bow and delivered three piercing arrows into the bodies of the brothers, badly wounding Nikolai and wing-clipping Karl. They howled with pain and fury and disappeared under the ramparts, as did the guards in a sudden panic and cries of “they’ll kill us all!”

Zane quickly called out to Danya, his inside woman on the guard, making it clear that if they stood down right now and opened the gates, no harm would come to them — indeed, a new dawn was approaching if only they would seize the chance.

To your surprise, the gates swung quickly open, and you saw the guards had indeed laid down their weapons. They looked terrified though, and you soon saw why — Karl Wachter held a short sword to the throat of Danya, and called out that she would die if you didn’t back away. It was obvious he meant what he said, but before he could go on Xarann cast a quick spell and suddenly the bravado and threat disappeared from the Karl’s face and he started whimpering in fear, dropping his weapon and running for his life.

Zandeyr casually nocked another arrow and brought him down as he ran, a clean shot in the back. Ireena ordered the guards to manacle both brothers in the guardhouse. They were badly wounded, and Garn took it upon himself to run a quick curative spell over them to stabilise them — a gift from the new order.

As you entered the town, Zane cleverly decided the first port of call should be the Chapel. You were met by Father Lucian who agreed to bless both Zane and Ireena, watched over by the congregation waking groggily from their rest. Those that had an interest to pique were piqued, and when you left for the street you found people were starting to follow your group, with Ireena walking proudly and determinedly at its head.

At the Blue Water Inn, Urwin Martikov hailed you and summonsed the wolf hunter brothers, who immediately fell in on either side of Ireena as her bodyguards. By this time the town guards had all rallied to your cause, taking up their weapons for Ireena instead of against, and one — Dogan — was selected to lead the group through the village.

Next stop was the stocks, which Garn ‘slew’ with great joy and silky swings of his hungry new axe. Soft, cautious cheers went up from the gathered crowd, still nervous of the Burgomaster’s retribution but seeing that something was happening here, finally.

By the time you arrived at the Burgomaster’s mansion, you had almost the entire village watching on. Ireena stepped to the fore again, and called for the Burgomaster and his family to stand down. She offered forgiveness and friendship should they do so — or retribution if they chose not. The only answer was silence from the hulking, boarded mansion. Twice more she called, before giving Garn the go ahead to destroy the thick oak front doors, enter the building, and deal with the Vallakovich family once and for all.

You quickly realised the house was empty, and unguarded. The bottom floor contained a kitchen and drawing rooms, a formal dining room (with lukewarm breakfast still laid out), and stores — plus an empty servants quarters. Strangely only two of the four beds looked used — the other two were carefully made but had obviously been unused for some time.

Zandeyr called for Dogan to follow you and witness everything he saw, a task he took to slightly too enthusiastically until threatened with a cut throat by Garn. The second floor revealed more sinister secrets.

Two bedrooms revealed little, but a library office with an astounding floor-to-ceiling collection of books was more interesting — Zandeyr could be lost here for days. You also found two locked doors.

From behind the first you heard a whimper when you started to break the door open. Once you got inside you were distraught to find a pale and badly beaten man manacled to the wall. You recognised him as the man who had laughed when the thunderstorm broke over the Festival of the Blazing Sun. He begged for water, and you quickly unchained him and made him comfortable, while a shocked Dogan went to fetch more help for the man, who called himself Udo.

After Viktor’s failed attempt (though he would claim he loosened the door in the frame), Zane broke down the next locked door and stumbled into a horror-show. Inside the singled bedded room were dolls. Many, many, dolls. And every single one of them had the likeness of… Ireena.

Zane reeled speechless out of the room and disappeared around the corridor. The rest of you looked in with dismay, minds spinning. After some thought you realised this was probably Izek’s room. You recalled he had been very interested in Ireena, agreeing to the duel in order to win her hand. And now you could see his true obsession — though not why he felt this way. Especially considering Ireena had never left her home town of Barovia, how had Izek even known what she looked like, or who she was? Zandeyr made a mental note to return here and dispose of the dolls before Ireena could see them.

You caught up with Zane, who still didn’t speak, but who had recklessly opened every other room on the floor. The main interest lay in a master bedroom with an ancient mirror and beautiful wedding dress mounted on a mannequin, and a trapdoor to the attic above.

The first attic room was a bare chamber with a lone desk and lamp. It led to a long chaotic storage area, full of sheet covered furniture, trunks, crates and old furnishings covered in cobwebs. A conspicuous footpath had been traced through the maze of jumbled junk, leading to a door from behind which you heard some urgently whispering voices.

The door had a skull carved into it, framed by a pentagram, and a crudely written wooden sign hung on the door knob, proclaiming: “ALL IS NOT WELL”. “Teenagers”, sighed Viktor, as he studied the symbol. He realised it was likely trapped, and called on his god to dispel whatever magic lay therein — a glyph of some kind that no doubt meant harm.

You burst into the room, and found Victor Vallakovich holding open a spell book and looking desperately at his parents who were standing in a glowing circle on the ground, sigils flickering with light.

The Baron yelled to him to “Do it now!”, while Victor cried “But it could kill you both!!”. “NOW!” cried the Burgomaster, and Victor started to speak the final incantation from his book.

Old man Viktor meanwhile quickly assessed the unfolding drama, and instinctively cast a cone of silence over the entire scene. Young Victor’s final words were cut short, as were the Baron’s desperate demands.

A bizarre stillness surrounded you, no sounds and no movement for a moment. Then young Victor tried to sprint from the room, quickly flung to the ground his namesake before he could move more than a few steps.

Garn gagged the entire family, noting as he did so that the teleportation circle was surrounded by splatters of blood. You realised that Victor had probably tried this spell before and failed badly, most likely exploding the missing servants. Poor Dogan was called upon once more to witness this new horror, and he professed he was no longer interested in being a leader if this was what it meant.

You dragged the family downstairs to meet Ireena’s justice, emerging from the mansion to see the entire town of Vallaki gathered and watching. The Vallakovich family stood shamefaced as Ireena and Viktor drew out Victor’s confession.

Cries to put them in the stocks rang out, but Ireena ordered they too be locked in the guardhouses, a decision on their fate to be made in due course.

Ireena addressed the assembled townsfolk, promising a new freedom, the promise of a better life, and justice not punishment. She agreed to house herself in the Chapel to better protect herself from Strahd, and to differentiate her rule from the lavish lifestyle of those that went before.

And thus was a new era established in Vallaki. Established by you, for a better Barovia. All will be well!

As you reflected on your triumph, a rider arrived on a sweat covered horse. You were surprised to see it was Dmitri Krezkov from Krezk. He cried out when he saw you:

“I spoke to the Abbot as you advised, and he has said he will raise my Ilya! But only on the condition that you return to him soon, and that you bring Ireena with you. He also mentioned a book you may be interested in, and a trade he would make for it. Please, come quickly, my son must live!”

META:

Level up! You should all be level 8. Yikes.

Also: You all have inspiration as a result of this great achievement.

There wasn’t any special loot found in the mansion, more things like nice silverware, the library of books, the wedding dress, and Victor’s spellbook. The economy of Vallaki remains somewhat a mystery, as does the Burgomaster’s wealth, if in fact he had much: perhaps he dealt in power instead.

Three story mansion

Map of Burgomaster’s Mansion. Buy from Mike Schley here

Session played: 25 November 2019