Session 22 : Ilya dear, what big teeth you have!

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As the party approached the walled-city of Krezh, Serenity could not help wondering whether, once again, they would leave another town worse off just by passing through. Hopefully they would find Rictavio, retrieve the Tome of Strahd and leave before they were even noticed.

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No. Such. Luck.

Apparently, Krezh does not receive a lot of visitors, so opting out of an invite to meet the Burgomaster Dimitri Krezhkov and his family did not appear to be an option.

The party were quickly brought up to speed on events in Krezh, Rictavio (or Vlad as he seemed to be known here) had visited, but was currently out of town, the party later found his empty wagon with no sign of the Tome in the hidden compartment. There appeared to have been a few incidents with missing sheep, perhaps something to do with the werewolves that seemed to roam the area, although the Burgomaster seemed indignant at the idea they could have breached the walls. Lastly, there was the Burgomaster's son Ilya, who had died. For a dead son, Ilya ate through his dinner exceedingly quickly, but perhaps death and resurrection by the Abbot of the Abbey of St Markovia will work up an appetite.

It appeared the Abbot was more powerful than the party had anticipated. The Burgomaster's wife, Anna, certainly sang his praises after he helped her when she brought the boy to him.

An uneventful evening. Serenity was insistent they would wait for the return of Rictavio, hopefully it would not be too long. A restful night was had in the hospitality of the Burgomaster's home.

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The following day, the trouble began. The sheep were all gone, taken or devoured in the night. There was not enough food left to feed the town and anger was brewing as people began to learn the news.

Lucca, a simple lad who was charged with the care of the sheep was held to blame, the party had split and Serenity, who had gone to find the boy, tried to protect him from the crowd, hiding him at the Burgomaster's house and then hurried to re-join the others in the town square.

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I'm hungry... so hungry....

Ilya did not look well. Then... he looked considerably worse. His mouth opened up, much wider than should have been possible, rows of razor teeth cutting out of his gums. This creature that was resurrected was no longer human. It leapt through the gathered crowd, insatiably gorging on whoever it could reach. The party fought and the beast continued to feast, not even able to stop itself from devouring the Burgomaster, its father.

Eventually, the party overcame the monster and Krezh fell silent. A stunned Serenity wandered aimlessly back to the Burgomaster's house, drenched in blood.

A while later, Hoskgak returned, bringing Anna, the distraught wife of the late Burgomaster and mother to Ilya. The lady who had insisted to the Abbot to bring back her boy, even after he told her it was too late to do so. The lady who had tried to hide and feed the creature Ilya had become. The lady who had tried to frame Lucca for the loss of the sheep and riled up the crowd when Serenity had tried to calm them.

Serenity had walked from the town centre and left that lady there for the crowd to deal with, she had not expected to see her alive again. She knew Hoskgak had done the right thing, but somehow it did not feel right when so many others had died today.

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The party learned of an estate, far in the woods outside Krezh, safe from the Werewolves. The rumours said they may well have the surplus food supplies to save the citizens of Krezh. As the party left Krezh to travel to the home of Lady Marilena Fidatov, Serenity looked back at the walled-city and wondered if things would have been better or far worse if they had never arrived.

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