RECAP: Ravenloft Session 10
Summary of Video Content by Timestamp
The group had taken refuge overnight at Constable Vasha’s house, who provided protection charms and shared intelligence about the town of Vallaki and its political climate. The current Burgomaster is fearful of the Count’s attention, enforcing a mandatory festival of cheerfulness called the Festival of the Blazing Sun, aiming to prevent the Count’s interference. The town’s enforced optimism is described as eerie and forced.
Additionally, the group learned of a budding resistance against the Count, with secretive allies like Lucien, a blacksmith willing to craft silver swords for them covertly. The players’ next objective is to investigate the old mill owned by the Dursts, about a two-thirds day’s walk south of Vallaki, to uncover clues about the Durst family’s fate and the region’s mysteries. The group had been disguising their mission as wolf hunting.
Vasha’s map is discussed, showing the players’ location in Vallaki and nearby areas, including a semi-permanent Vistani camp, which Vasha distrusts. The old mill lies about six hours on foot, through increasingly wild forest terrain inhabited by wolves and other unknown nocturnal creatures. Vasha advises caution, recommending the group stay together, maintain watches, and keep fires burning to guard against forest dangers.
The group returns to the Blue Water Inn, their semi-permanent base, to prepare for the journey, gathering supplies like torches, fire-making materials (assured by Iggy’s skills), rations, and ropes. Garlic and wooden stakes, though thematic, are unavailable locally.
The evening at the Blue Water Inn is pleasant, with good food and ale, and the group blends in well with the townsfolk, who no longer spy on them openly. The next morning, they set out early, passing through the southern gate of Vallaki under the watchful eyes of constables. Traveling south through the forest is initially easy along well-worn paths, but becomes rougher and less traversed as they approach the old mill. By early afternoon, the group emerges into a grassland and spots large carved stones—ancient megaliths—standing 30 to 40 feet tall with intricate engravings of towns and cities, surrounded by a decorative stone circle with a central stone bowl.
Closer inspection reveals piles of human long bones and smaller piles of human teeth scattered around the megalith bases. The bones appear weathered and old, likely several years, indicating the site’s long abandonment. The carvings depict urban scenes unfamiliar to the group, suggesting origins outside of the local region. The stone circle’s floor is made of worn limestone carved to resemble bones, possibly intended to mimic a circle of bones originally. The central stone bowl contains murky water radiating faint divination magic, suitable for use as a scrying focus but inactive on its own. The site appears to have had occult significance, perhaps used by druids, witches, or magicians in the past, but it has not been actively used for rituals recently. The group debates cautiously examining the site before entering the circle.
Akuta climbs one of the megaliths to survey the site from above, finding the stones to be granite and likely imported from elsewhere, carved and erected intentionally. The carvings show different cities or parts of a city, none recognizable to the group. The stone circle is a limestone platform, intricately carved but heavily worn. The water in the central bowl shows signs of use for scrying magic in the past, but no current magical activity. From his vantage point, Akuta spots a black-hooded man about 250-300 yards away near two trees, making hand gestures resembling spellcasting, but not directed at the group.
As the hooded figure continues his gestures, the group notices figures rising from the grass between them and the man—zombie-like peasants dressed in tattered clothing, slowly approaching. The hooded figure remains stationary, indicating he is likely the necromancer animating them. The zombies are unarmed and slow but numerous, about a dozen. The group prepares for combat, discussing ranged attacks and tactical positioning. The zombies emit a strong odor of earth and decay, indicative of recent burial and possible primitive embalming to slow decomposition. The fight begins with the group using spells and melee attacks to hold back the undead advance.
The battle intensifies as zombies close in. Grughilda rages and fiercely attacks, while ranged spellcasters Velkro and Iggy use spells like fire breath and electric arcs to damage multiple enemies. Zombies occasionally fumble or harm themselves due to clumsiness. Velkro uses a healing burst to restore allies but also damages undead, thinning the horde. Despite injuries and grapples, the group maintains control, killing several zombies. The necromancer remains distant, controlling the undead without directly engaging. The group fights strategically, with coordinated actions and positioning, ultimately defeating the zombies.
After the fight, the necromancer vanishes, but Akuta sees a curl of smoke visible to the south, near the old mill—their original destination. The group heals wounds and assesses the battlefield. The zombies, though intact, have no treasure and appear preserved by some form of primitive embalming or chemical treatment to slow decay. The group speculates on necromantic practices and the limitations of magical versus physical prevention of undead rising. They decide to head toward the smoke near the mill, soon encountering the ruins of an old windmill with broken blades and signs of recent use, including a flock of crows circling above.
Faline is sent to investigate the mill from above, using sonic vision to detect life forms and heat signatures. She reports seeing a man outside tending a cauldron of fire, dressed in peasant clothing, with an open door nearby. The man seems unaware of Faline’s presence and is focused on his work, adding charcoal and strange liquids to the fire. Inside the mill, several creatures and a strong heat source are detected upstairs, suggesting unnatural or magical activity. The group debates cautiously approaching the man outside, who may be hostile or simply living there.
The group stealthily approaches the mill from the north side, keeping the building between themselves and the man. The mill is dilapidated but still standing, with signs of infrequent (if any) maintenance. As they circle, they observe the man tending a large cauldron on three legs, humming cheerfully and surrounded by herbs, vials, and charcoal. Akuta stealthily moves around to observe the man and attempts to pick the man’s pocket but fails without alerting him. The man, Soren, greets the party warmly, inviting them inside under the pretense of selling meat pies, mentioning the Vistani’s praise of his products. Despite his friendly demeanor, he exudes a strange “ghoul funk” that alarms those who have encountered undead before.
Inside, the ground floor is a filthy makeshift kitchen filled with baskets, dirty dishes, a chicken coop, and an overwhelming smell of pastries mixed with a foul stench from a barrel. Soren shows the party large, elaborately made meat pies piled high on a cart, distinct from the smaller meat pie previously encountered. Voices and creatures are heard upstairs, including a significant heat source possibly indicating a fire elemental or similar being. The party investigates the foul barrel, discovering it contains a thick, oily substance with movement inside. Attempts to stir the contents provoke a sudden attack from a small, bulbous, creature emerging from the tallow-like substance. Outside, Akuta tipped the flaming cauldron, releasing another bulbous creature, this one on fire but seemingly inured to it.
Combat erupts as multiple grotesque creatures covered in muck and fire appear. These beings are hostile, biting and attacking the party, leaving painful, evil-infused wounds. Soren tries to control them, admonishing the fiery creature to return to its fire and warning the others not to harm the ‘tallow demon’ as it is needed for his work. The party fights defensively, preparing weapons and spells but trying to avoid unnecessary violence unless provoked. The chaotic scene concludes with the promise of continuation in the next session, leaving the group poised for further exploration and confrontation within the mill.
