A Strahd Tail

The walk towards the tower wasn't difficult, it was rather pleasant. The cats were chatting, and Hoskgak kept wondering why people just plot against each other. It will be so easy to give them a sword and deal with it face to face. Do you want to be the leader of the tribe? Just fight for it. So easy. Yet it doesn't seem to be the way this world works. Regardless of how this people solve their leadership issues, one thing was clear, there was nothing left for them there, so Rictavio was probably the next step to the journey, whatever that journey was. The path leading to the tower was muddy. Flanked at both sides by water and a tiny bit of grass in the middle. The party was quite reluctant to make the first step. God knows what will lie on that grass. More snakes? More deadly wasps? Ireena took the first step toward the tower and its poorly lit entrance, showing the valour the party has lost since they entered that forsaken land. Hoskgak did a walk surrounding the tower. There ...

For the attention of Burgomaster Vargas Vallakovich With regard to your request for us to investigate Lady Wachter, we can confirm your suspicions; She has openly confessed to us that she supports the Devil. Her demon familiar was also revealed to us. Our investigation of her house uncovered cultist robes, a hidden room in the basement with a pentagram marked on the floor and perhaps strangest of all, her husband lying dead, but perfectly preserved in his own bed in an upstairs bedroom. We would also warn you that we were offered a counter-offer by Lady Wachter to incapacitate your Captain of the Guard, Izek, to aid her in overthrowing you. We hope this information is helpful to your cause, but with regret, we are unable to remain as we have received new information to aid us in our own fight against the Devil and we cannot risk delay. We understand our departure may displease you and would ask you to consider our good intentions in revealing the Devil's plot to unleash vampires on...

"So, it's decided. There is no choice. Support a madman or a thrall of Strahd." Serenity whispers to the group as they walk from the house of Lady Wachter. "Things have become too dangerous. We nearly lost Watch to her hidden familiar. Who knows what other dark magic Wachter has. We need to get out, but I have to do this first, I have to know..." Heading towards the stockyard the party turns the corner to find a crowd of people. "A puppet show? Who would be on the streets entertaining at a time like this?", Serenity pushes past to get a better look. "Rictavio... this is perfect!" "Now we will know whether he was the beast in the wagon, lets search it whilst we can", Serenity's face hardens and with a determined look she pushes through the crowd. "Hoskgak... grab Destiny. She's still watching the puppet show and we need to move fast.", Serenity stares in disbelief at Destiny sitting in the front row of the show clap...

“Izek! They’ve taken Ireena!” A blood-soaked Serenity runs towards the Captain of the Guard crying out for assistance. Confusion and mistrust give way to action as the vampire spawn that had been stalking Serenity now strolls boldly into the square as if he were the Burgomaster. Izek shouts a command and the guards rush to attack. But the creature tears them apart like paper, it grabs a nearby guard and begins scaling the side of a building. The creature holds the guard aloft and seems to be laughing, then it ceremoniously rips out the guard’s throat. The few citizens who had stayed to watch now flee from the square in terror. A firebolt shoots across the square and slams into the vampire. Izek strides forward and rallies the remaining guards to his side, commanding them to surround the building. “There’s nothing I can do here, I need to find help” Serenity runs North to the Inn. A startled Danika rushes Serenity to the kitchen where Danika’s husband Unwin listens to her nightmar...

And so it was that the vampire spawns ran through the town of Vallaki, killing anyone that crossed their paths, causing as much destruction and panic as they could. Just as quickly as they came, they disappeared into the shadows. 62 died that day. Father Lucian and the young Millivoj among them. The party eventually found each other and took refuge at the inn. Even Ireena managed to escape. The next day they were summoned by the Baron, who informed them that the town demanded an answer as to who brought in these vampires. He gave the party a stark choice : find evidence to pin this on Lady Wacther and thereby help him remove a political enemy. Or the blame would go to them, and they would be hung for it. They had until the evening. Upon visiting Lady Wachter, she gave them a counter offer. Kill, or otherwise take out of action, Izek, the fearsome captain of the guard with his demonic arm; so she could launch a coup against the Baron. Under her rule Vallaki would recognise Count Strahd ...

12 years ago in a remote cave. Far away from the land of darkness, despair and madness of Barovia.  The light of a dim fire partially revealed a young woman speaking in orcish to his child. Enough fire to cook, enough to give some heat and enough not to be discovered. "And that's how Andralos became the Whole, Hoskgak. Now have some rest, we need to keep going at night" "But Mama, I don't understand, isn't family the most important thing? What about friends?" "That's how totalitarian systems works. Autocracy feeds on Us vs Them. One can start with family, close friends, but even them are not part of the Whole, and it is Us vs Them. The Whole is beyond some, beyond what's important to you and your close relatives, Hoskgak." "I don't understand, Mama." "Rest my child, maybe one day you will understand" ****** Present, Vallaki, inside Hendrik's Coffin shop. The wave of lightning has knocked Hoskgak down. Recover...

He doesn’t know it yet, but in exactly sixty seconds Hoskgak will be running away from this building, away from the vampire spawns inside it and away from Ireena who will be at the mercy of Strahd’s creatures. Serenity will be doing the same just in the opposite direction, unaware of Hoskgak's fate but aware that she has just left behind her companions and the sacred bones that she promised Father Lucian to find. And Destiny, she will be laying on the ground, the fur on her arm slowly turning red as it soaks up the pool of blood seeping out of the burned flesh of her back. Dying. Sixty seconds from now. *** “Open it Destiny.” Serenity instructs, pointing at the small chest in the wardrobe. They are in Henrik’s bedroom in the Coffin shop. A small room containing just Henrik’s bed, a bedside table and the wardrobe they are looking at. All the windows in this building are shut. Downstairs is a room full of coffins. Upstairs in the next room, several large boxes Henrik claims he was fo...