RECAP: Curse of Strahd, 8-9-26
The Fallout of the Burgomaster’s Disappearance
The adventuring party finds themselves in a turbulent Vallaki, where the disappearance of the Burgomaster, Baron Vallakovich, and his family sparks rumors and panic among the townsfolk.
- Bodies cleaned and teleported away: After a violent confrontation at the Burgomaster’s mansion, the party disposes of the bodies using a malfunctioning teleportation circle, leaving the fate of their remains unknown.
- Power vacuum: Lady Fiona Wachter appoints her sons, Nikolai and Karl, as interim Burgomaster and Captain of Constables respectively, stirring controversy due to their notorious reputations.
- Public unrest: Townspeople are fearful and divided—some suspect foul play, others blame the Count or claim the Burgomaster fled with funds. Arrests, some unjust, are rampant under the new constable leadership.
- Party suspicions: The adventurers suspect they may have been set up by Lady Fiona, whose servants’ demeanor and strange behaviors add to the distrust within the group.
Gruesome Clues at the Smithy and the Emerging Threat
A pivotal investigation leads the group to the blacksmith’s forge, now silent and cold — a foreboding sign.
- Disturbing discovery: The smith’s dismembered arm and blood-soaked shop hint at a violent attack. Bloodstains and signs of torture imply something monstrous.
- Presence of sinister forces: No paw prints indicate no ordinary animal attack; a poisonous atmosphere of dark creatures such as werewolves, vampires, or ghouls looms.
- Urgent call for aid: The party summons Vasha, a known constable ally, who expresses anxiety and concern, urging caution and secrecy.
- Danger escalating: Reports of strange humanoid creatures attacking families and the rise of violent, oddly walking figures increase as night falls.
The Blue Water Inn: Safe Haven or Breached Sanctuary?
The Blue Water Inn becomes a focal point as a refuge and information hub amid rising terror.
- Protective charms: The innkeeper bars windows and doors, hanging talismanic medallions said to stave off evil — blending superstition with practical defense.
- Threat outside: Occasional screams and violent outbursts in the distance unsettle the patrons, hinting that horror stalks the town’s shadows.
- Reconnaissance mission: The party’s mage, Faelen, scouts the nearby threat, confirming multiple groups of hostile humanoids engaged in violent attacks, solidifying the imminent danger.
The Coffin Maker’s Grim Revelation
A chilling meeting with Heinrik, the elusive coffin maker, adds depth to the encroaching dread.
- Unfolding tragedy: Heinrik has suffered what he believes to be a fatal vampire bite, with the party witnessing the painful transformation looming.
- Lost relics: The bones of St. Andral, essential sacred relics, had been stolen, and Heinrik was entrusted with hiding them—their absence weakening local protections.
- Spawn and betrayal: Heinrik recounts how dark servants and spawn, unleashed by the Count’s influence, murdered his apprentice and now threaten the town.
- Final act: Knowing his fate is sealed, Heinrik bequeaths the relics to the party, imploring them to return the bones to the church for safety.
The Church Under Siege and a Corrupted Priest
Returning relics to the church unearths unsettling changes inside.
- Dark transformation: Father Lucian, once a bastion of hope, is revealed to be afflicted—drooling, avoiding sunlight, and quickly fleeing—a new vampire threat within sacred walls.
- Blood evidence: Dried blood around the church indicates struggle or violence, corroborating the growing influence of darkness infiltrating trusted institutions.
- Urgent dilemma: The party debates confronting or pursuing the priest, weighing the risks of open conflict in a holy place versus the threat his transformation poses.
Lady Fiona’s Speech: The New Order Declared
The political stage shifts again as Lady Fiona addresses Vallaki’s fearful citizens.
- Public confession: Victor Vallakovich, the Baron’s son, is presented as confessing to the murders, his eyes unnervingly glowing red—a sign of possible vampirism or mind control.
- Call for order: Lady Fiona urges calm, blaming “strangers” and calling for peace, though her sons and current officials are marked as chaotic evil by the party’s detect alignment.
- Fractured loyalties: The speech deepens the divide—some townsfolk accept her leadership, while the adventurers recognize deeper, darker corruption beneath the surface.
Lady Fiona’s Speech
“My friends…”
What has happened here today grieves me beyond words. A son of Vallaki has fallen. Whatever our disagreements with Baron Vallakovich, whatever mistakes were made in his long stewardship of this town, no citizen should rejoice that blood has stained our streets. Violence is a curse that, once invited through the door, is reluctant to leave.
Today we mourn—not merely the death of a man—but the peace that has been stolen from us.
Look around you. Your neighbors are afraid. Your children are afraid. Doors that once stood open are barred. Honest folk whisper instead of laugh. The markets stand quiet. We ask ourselves: “How could this happen in Vallaki?” I have asked that question myself. And I believe, at last, we have an answer.
For several hours now, there have been whispers. Rumors. Accusations. Some have blamed strangers. Some have blamed the guard. Some have blamed the Baron himself. But there is something far more terrible than rumor. There is truth.
This afternoon, Victor Vallakovich confessed.
“Because I believe Vallaki deserves to hear the truth from the only man who can tell it.”
“Karl.”
And then Karl brings Victor forward.
“Victor?” He looks up.
“I killed them.”
The crowd erupts. Fiona raises one hand. “Tell them why.”
He smiles. “Because they deserved it. My father was cruel. My mother was cruel. I was afraid of them. I was afraid of what they would do. And then I killed them. All of them. I don’t remember doing it. But I know I did.”
Lady Fiona calms the crowd. “Look at him. He is a child who has done something terrible. Whatever darkness seized his heart, it has left him broken. He needs prayer. He needs mercy. And Vallaki needs peace.”
“This confession forces us to confront a terrible truth: the bloodshed in the Vallakovich household did not begin today. It did not begin when strangers entered our gates. It did not begin with today’s violence. It began inside the Baron’s own house. Perhaps the Baron knew. Perhaps he did not. I will not speak ill of the dead. But neither will I permit the dead to become an excuse for further bloodshed.”
My friends… we have already lost too much. Our Burgomaster is dead. His family is dead. Our guard is broken.Our neighbors are frightened. There are still strangers within our walls. The dead deserve dignity, and the living deserve justice. But justice requires order. And order requires someone willing to stand in the breach.
That is why my household has already begun acting.
We are one people. One family. Vallaki has endured wolves. It has endured famine. It has endured long winters. It has endured a tyrant who believed that smiling faces could be commanded by law. We shall endure this as well. But only if we remember who we are.
Do not seek vengeance. Do not settle old grudges. Do not take justice into your own hands. If you see suspicious persons, report them to my household until the town watch can be properly reorganized. Remain with your families after sunset. Keep faith with your neighbors.
And pray. Pray for those who have died. Pray for those who remain. Until such time as the Council—or whatever lawful authority may yet be assembled—determines how this town shall be governed, House Wachter will gladly shoulder whatever burdens are necessary. And if, in the coming days, the people of Vallaki decide that House Wachter should continue to bear that burden.
May the Morninglord grant peace to Baron Vallakovich’s soul. May He grant peace to his wife. May He grant peace to their only child. And may He grant wisdom to those of us who remain.
My friends… Go home. Lock your doors. Care for one another.
House Wachter will keep watch tonight.
