Characters#
- Sephire — Oath of Vengeance Paladin / The Fiend Warlock
- Minerva — Circle of Stars Druid / Life Domain Cleric
- Froggo — Gloom Stalker Ranger / Rogue
- Verdian Suyanti — College of Glamour Bard
- Kairos — Soulknife Rogue
- Asep — Battle Smith Artificer / Bladesinging Wizard
Session Overview#
Sephire’s Perspective#
Timeline note: Sephire’s scene occurs last chronologically, as it took him 18 hours on horseback from Vallaki to Castle Ravenloft.
Just outside Castle Ravenloft, Sephire encountered a pale-skinned man with red pupils. The stranger mentioned he could sense something both divine and sinister about Sephire (detecting his Paladin/Warlock dual nature). Leaning closer, he asked, “You want to find out about the stones, no?”
Caught off guard, Sephire demanded to know who he was. The pale man replied cryptically that Sephire’s friends in Vallaki “have not been very discreet” and that mysterious people now knew about the stones. This confirmed that his companions, despite being so far away, had been making inquiries.
The pale man expressed curiosity about Castle Ravenloft—sealed for a hundred years until recently, when the kinetic field dome protecting it vanished. Sephire, preferring company in unfamiliar territory, invited him along. The pale man agreed and transformed into black mist that followed behind Sephire.
As they approached, the castle appeared abandoned and run-down. In the courtyard, Sephire spotted scorched undead corpses. He deduced that a powerful being had been summoned here, but the question remained: by whom?
Entering the keep, they found grandiose architecture left by Strahd von Zarovich deep purple accents dominated the design, and numerous portraits of Strahd lined the walls. As they explored, Sephire asked the pale man’s name. He answered simply: “Call me Warga Lokal.”
The entrance hallway led straight ahead, with two staircases on either side ascending to an inner balcony lined with rooms. Sephire and Warga Lokal proceeded forward down the main hall.
They discovered numerous identical rooms, each containing a bed and cupboard. Warga Lokal noted these must have housed Strahd von Zarovich’s vampire spawn—evidence that Strahd had sired many. Continuing onward, they passed a large window overlooking a small courtyard with a fountain and withered flowers.
When Sephire approached a closed door and listened, he heard an animalistic growl from within. He decided to retreat—only to turn around and find someone had been waiting for them all along.
Minerva & Verdian Suyanti’s Perspective#
On their way back to The Silent Inn in the City Market area, Minerva and Verdian Suyanti heard excited shouts: “They finally got him!” Gossips spread rapidly through the market.
Verdian Suyanti asked a stall owner what happened. The vendor explained that the Vallaki Guard had located the Thieves Guild in the Lower City and were sweeping the entire district to ensure the guild’s leader was in custody before the Festival of Vallaki’s Bloodline.
Shortly after, a young boy called out to Minerva and delivered a letter from Mademoiselle. The letter expressed particular interest in her “talents”—specifically her Circle of Stars ability to manipulate stars. The boy rubbed his fingertips together, gesturing for a tip. Minerva gave him a pocket full of goodberry|goodberries, and he went on his way.
Since the letter mentioned only Minerva, they split up—Verdian Suyanti returned to the inn while Minerva headed to the Cabaret Show in the Upper City.
At the cabaret, performers rehearsed their acts: sword swallowers, ballet dancers, belly dancers, and fire dancers, all directed by Mademoiselle himself. When Minerva approached the Opera Theatre where rehearsals were held, Mademoiselle spotted her and asked her to demonstrate her talent.
Minerva filled the ceiling with the darkest night sky, scattered with stars. She manipulated them, pulling and shaping them at will. Impressed, Mademoiselle requested she perform this for the Crown Prince attending that evening. Minerva panicked—she was a healer, not a performer.
Froggo, Kairos, & Asep’s Perspective#
Following a lead from a letter attached to a crossbow bolt, the party headed to the Lower City to find the Thieves Guild.
Upon arrival, they witnessed guards knocking on every door. At one house, a chain gang was led out. A guard shouted, “This is the cost of associating with the Thieves Guild! Now march to the cells, inmates!” The prisoners were marched toward the Vallaki Guard’s prison near the Main Gate.
Realizing they couldn’t openly ask about the Thieves Guild, the party sought out an inn. They found “The Loudest Inn,” where a dwarf stood behind the counter speaking with two guards. The guards handed him a bounty notice offering rewards for information on anyone associated with the Thieves Guild.
Kairos asked if outsiders like them could claim the reward. The guard confirmed they could, but demanded proof—not just “old lady gossip.” The guards then left.
The party spoke with the dwarf innkeeper, mentioning they needed gold but couldn’t find work without someone vouching for them (a “green card” reference). The innkeeper offered 100 gold to remove guests who’d overstayed on the second floor. He described them as “greenish.” Asep (an orc-mpmm|Orc) and Froggo (a grung-mpmm|Grung) asked, “Green like us?” The innkeeper confirmed, adding, “Do whatever you need to—just get them out. When I tried, they became hostile.”
The party agreed and disguised themselves as Vallaki Guards. When Asep opened the room, they found three hostile-looking githyanki-mpmm|Githyanki inside.
Key Learnings#
- Bartholomeus Vallaki XIII, the Crown Prince, will attend the Cabaret Show tonight, where Minerva will demonstrate her star manipulation.
- The Guards of Vallaki are sweeping the Lower City to apprehend Alexander, leader of the Thieves Guild, before the Festival of Vallaki’s Bloodline. Anyone associated with the guild is being arrested.
- The Loudest Inn is located in Vallaki’s Lower City. Steven the Dwarf is the owner. Three githyanki-mpmm|Githyanki have overstayed their welcome upstairs; Steven offered the party 100 gold to remove them.
- Strahd von Zarovich sired many vampire-spawn|vampire spawn, evidenced by the numerous living quarters in Castle Ravenloft.
- A divine being was summoned to Castle Ravenloft. Questions remain: Who is this being? Who summoned them?
Who Did They Meet?#
- Mademoiselle — Patriarch and owner of Vallaki’s Upper District Cabaret Shows
- Steven — Dwarf bartender and owner of The Loudest Inn in Vallaki’s Lower District
- 3 githyanki-mpmm|Githyanki — Unwanted guests overstaying at The Loudest Inn
- Warga Lokal — Pale-skinned, red-eyed figure who met Sephire outside Castle Ravenloft (DM Note: This is ADAM, an agent meant to work with HAWA)
Items Of Importance#
- Mademoiselle’s letter expressing interest in Minerva’s abilities
- Letter attached to a crossbow bolt directing the party to the Thieves Guild’s location
- Bounty notice for anyone associated with the Thieves Guild
What Worked#
- Masquerading as Vallaki Guards using disguise-kit|Disguise Kit (Kairos) and disguise-self|Disguise Self (Froggo & Asep)
- Minerva’s ability to shape stars and fill the room with a starlit sky (Survival skill check)