Quests

Strahd/Vasili Von Holtz

• The Vasili ruse was to get close to Ireena, prove their connection, and that she is safest with him. Debatable. But still, begs the questions of what he wants to keep Ireena safe from. To that end…

• Who dis Tatyana? Tatyana Federovna was who Strah'ds bro Sergei was supposed to marry, like, forever ago!!!! Kasimir is looking more into this name

• He spied on us, but seemed to be looking for answers more than anything. What is the limit to his abilities?

• Lirne was specifically sought by Strahd, for why? Strahd claims it has nothing to do with the special shine to Lirne's soul, but he won't divulge what it is

• 'The TOME of Strahd' that we stole from Viktor…that he found which is also Strahd's personal journal. HE wants this book back, and VR finding it originally was tied tot he Eva reading

  • 1 bride down! Anastrasya was shot down in the feast of Saint Andral's

Ireena

• Vallaki is too dangerous, she stays with us. The church has been sanctified and Izek is now an Ice Doll, but with Montari and other unknown dangers, she stays with us and hopefully single

  • Ireena and Izek were adoptive siblings originally. Her 1st time in Vallaki with the wolf attacks all lined up and Izek was trying to protect after losing her in the wolf attack all those years ago. R.I.Frost

• Her soul is special and maybe that's why people got the hots for her

Barovia

• The Chills Cure? Is it present in Vallaki? Doesn't sound like it

• Mad Mary's 20-something yr old daughter, Gertruda, did she ever return?

• Barovia Souls: Not everyone in Barovia have souls? Is the Mists souls? Does Strahd eat them? Ireena and Lirne have special souls

Tarokka Readings: Madam Eva/Tser Pool Vistani Camp

• Readings:

  • EraZmus/Van Richten: We found his Vampyre book. Von Holtz was never his pupil, but Strahd in disguise. He has found what we need, Tome of Strahd in our possession

    • Ramses was the caged beast and has been turned over to our care. He's a wild animal and we need a way to communicate with him

  • Sword Hilt found in the box from Durst Family Cult, evolved to Wachter Cult. The blade of Strahd's bro, Sergei! What about the undead lady that keeps chasing Lirne? We have asked Kasimir to look into this

  • Riddle Directions. Still need to find the White Sun and then Water??? Mt. Gahkis is the White Sun and has water at the base. Putting some clues together and the White Sun refers to an old deity that used to have a stronghold in Mt. Gahkis to the South, new section added below

    • The charred Map might be able to help here. Need to investigate further

  • The Healer from Arabella in SW Vistani Camp. Lux? Maybe revealed in time? referencing Ilhona Markovia from the past?

• Tser Pool:

  • Strahd visited Eva demanding to know the contents of her readings to us and stated the Sword Hilt belonged to Sergei Von Zarovich?!?!?! He mentioned a recent break in their pact and made a decree that their camp is now on lockdown. Not only can they no longer travel through the mists, they can't even leave camp. Similar to the dusk elves to the SW of Vallaki?

  • Leyla and Sofia are in Vallaki and Lux guided them to the SW Vallaki Vistani camp.

Vallaki

• Vallakian Knot: Baron VS Wachter. When asked to pick a side we responded, NEITHER!!!!

  • Lady Wachter is dead and her Strahd cult took a huge blow at the festival but we don't know where Ernst and the rest are/ What of the Wachter boys and their father's body?/ The Baron's missing guards were taken/killed by the Wachter cult and then their undead versions attacked Lirne in the basement/ The Baron's missing House Servants were murdered by Viktor in Teleportation Circle experiments. This sadly also claimed the life of Lydia Petrovna, and NOT so sadly, that lil murderous creep, Viktor/ Baron is captured/Disposed and chained up in his house. We will NOT let him keep/regain power. He's also single and without an heir now too. Baron's house burnt down and now he's staying at the inn. Ernst is dead and as is the Wachter cult now

• Stella Wachter had her mind destroyed by VIKTOR!! She's in care at the orphanage. Magic to restore her? Check if she's better now that Viktor is dead

  • Brought home be hey caring brother's. Especially Karl. We found a scroll of Greater Restoration and used it on her!!!!!!!!!! She is cured!!!! Will remove in a few sessions

• Leo Dilisnya? Bones from Lady Wachter. Vasili, Kasimir, and Father Lucian are looking into the name.

  • Vasili and Father Lucian can no longer help. Kasimir

  • Does the cipher also works on the Tome of Strahd? Yup!!! Lux is suing it to read parts of the Tome

  • Dem bones are now missing! Leo Dilisnya bones: we hadn't closed the lid and my blood splattered over them as the ceremony was being completed. I think they pulled themselves to the window, busted it, got up and walked away!!!

• Jacqueline Montari/Taltos/Purple Vardo

  • Facts: She murdered an officer or guard from here. Gurads from Vallaki aren't great, so maybe not a big deal. She transferred the monster in the cage? Still a bit of mystery there. Does she hate Strahd, Love him? Seemingly don't like him but scared of him. Still potential ally? They can travel with Magical Talismans. How can we get us one a them? The Felix locket was taken from one of the Purple Vardos and we told Jacqueline the full story and that we didn't rat on the demonic locket to anyone. She showed up to the festival with her fancy Scimitar. She was ready to act, but didn't. She's not as indifferent as she would have us believe. Is her blond form her true form?

  • Taltos: JM is not a shape changer or doppleganger. She murders and removes the heads of women and then swaps them out in jars!!! She's as awful as anything here, maybe more so due to her indifference. She does NOT know that we know this!!!/Kartova Fief Memory

  • Franz MFin Groza seems to know her and have a relatively friendly relationship with her! More bad signs!

• SW Vistani Camp: Arrigal/Arabella

  • Arrigal and Luvash run the camp and Arrigal is Strahd's puppet who gave Lirne the letter leading him into the Mists BOOOOOOOOO!

  • Arabella seems to be a friend and gave us a Tarokka deck reading, the Healer

    • Arabella's curse on Bluto!!! Did she know he would turn into that?

  • Arrigal refused a deal to Ernst outside the Western gates the day of the Festival? Nod to Lux. The deal was a murder attempt on the party. He refused because we saved his niece. This meant we are now even for saving Arabella and they don't owe us a debt anymore

  • Sofia and Leyla should be safe there now. Were we warned by VR that these girls aren't to be trusted?

  • Uhhh they may or may not be upset about Ramses??!?! Maybe not?!?! They seem like such a kind and forgiving lot [fingers crossed haha]

• Saint Andral's Church

  • After much confusion and a few mistakes, the Sanctity around Saint Andral's has been restored along with the Saint's bones. How it will remain protected with no religious leader is another story though. Strahd offered it to Lux, but she said 'Nah, son! They don't even like Mother Night here'

• Martikov's/Blue Water Inn/Ravenkind

  • Danica and Urwin's children Brom and Bray are were ravens. The trap doors in the attic of the inn lead to the boys room and their parents. There is some rough family history there and Lux has offered a friendly ear to Urwin should he need it

  • Ravenkind: Pyoor Twohundredsummers was over 200 years old and the last of his people. He's been looking for the symbol of Ravenkind and has offered to help Cobb to try and finally locate it. It's Cobb's quest to find this now as Pyoor sacrificed himself to bring Cobb back

    • Pyoor is somehow inside Cobb and granting him certain knowledge via 200 years of memories in Barovia

    • Urwin didn't like the ritual but was mostly silent about it

  • Muriel Vinshaw was a Keeper of the Feather and wereaven. She revealed herself as the BLUE RAVEN that helped us previously. Her normal area was along the swamps on the Luna River to the South. She died on Mt. Baratok trying to find Ireena and the items needed to resurrect Cobb. She is now a tiny Raven ice statue kept safely in the Martikov's ice chest

  • Were they protecting the Wachter boys?

  • Wizard of Wines on the way to Krezk: Martikov's need their booze!!! Robbed by Vistani?

• Van Richtn/Erazmus/Blinsky:

  • Facts: EraZamus has revealed himself to be Van Richten! He helped us in the feast of Saint Andral's and protected Ireena. Erazmus warned us against hags. We told him about the Eva reading mentioning him.We have the Tome of Strahd and he said that whoever possesses it is in grave danger!

    • He left town in a loud fashion to try and draw attention from us. He left us Ramses and his wagon to varying degrees of usability and helpfulness

    • What's Blinsky's role in all this? He just seems like a good ol creepy toy maker

    • VR has reasons for disliking Vistani AND hunting Monsters…but I haven't read his backstory. There might be A LOT more to this as Ramses said he as trained by VR and another man to hunt Vistani and we found a severed Vistani head inside the tower we met VR at!!!!!!

• Orphanage/Orphans/Stella Wachter:

  • Headmistress is on our side. We don't think she's in the Wachter Cult. Claudia Belascoe to keep an eye on the Hag Aura noticed by Lirne. She was also told about the Baron and that he's locked in his house currently

    • Milvoj and Tessa were both killed by Vamp Spawn

  • The 2 hunters were hired to find the 3 still missing kids by the now dead, Milvoj. They returned and Yvgeny died in the scenes leading to the feast. Soldzar is still alive though and has returned on his hunt for the missing orphans

• Kasimir and the Dusk Elves

  • We have talked about:

    • He seems to be an ally against Strahd and wants to talk to us again. He is tracking any traces of Kellen Preferiti for us but can't confirm anything on the boy making it to Kresk or not

    • The 3 boys went NW toward Lake Bartok in the foothills but lost the scent around Lake Baratok and the werewolf pack of Franz MFin Groza

    • Asked about Leo Dilisnya, old bones and letters from Wachterhouse, Feast of St. Andral, Ravenkind, Sergei VZ sword, Look out for the Tser Pool girls

    • The weird scroll of Mixed Nystul's and Alter self is super powerful magic and we don't know many people like that here. That might be explained by Vasili but Kasimir is still saying he'd need more to be able to walk in Daylight

    • He can also cast Identify and detect magic for us if needed. I want him to look at the pipe. He did but still nothing

  • We JUST asked about:

    • Undead repeater following the sword hilt

    • Vasili Name

    • Tatyana Federovna?

    • Pipe from Wachterhause

  • We STILL need to ask about:

    • Dragon Battleground and big dragon shadow [might touch a nerve]

    • Does Kasimir know why some in Barovia don't have souls? Is the Mists souls? Does Strahd eat them?

• Anya Travelle [Third Eye Potions….doot doot doot haha]

  • She can sell and identify potions

  • Since she's making the Nightblossom Tincture for us on credit, we need to bring her BOTH Bogroot from a Swamp Grave AND the giant predator feather for her This could lead SOUTH to the swamps along the path to Mt. Gahkis. She did NOT specify a timeline to return these items!!

Svallich Woods: UPDATES from Charred Map? REVIST***

• NorhtWest: LARGE WEREWOLF PACK OF FRANZ MFin GROZA!!! Him and his Lycanthrope buddies and the 3 missing kids. THEY SEEM TO HATE RAVENS UP HERE. Exhibit A: Scarecrows

• West: holds Wizard of Wines on the way to Krezk [No notes on Charred Map]: Martikov's need their booze!!! Vistani stole it??? Khazan's Tower/VR Tower

• South: Mt. Gahikis: SO FAR SOUTH!!!! Per the tale from the Vistani camp to the SW of Vallaki: The rumors of the White Sun and it's former guardian dwell in these mountains. Per the reading from Madam Eva, we need to find something related to the White Sun. Rumors of blighted monsters. Also, Mt. Gahkis holds info on Mother Night? Charred Map has notes of there being a with to the South and it being very Cold

• Back East: Dragon battleground and dead soldiers. Kasimir probably knows more. Shadow of a big dwagon. Ivlis river basin east of the Balino holds Belladonna against werewolves

• CHARRED MAP ADDITIONS:

  • Ice Queen, we met

  • Witch to the South

  • UNdead Mansion in the SW

  • Markings around Vallaki Vistani Camp?

  • ??? All the way West

  • Bridges and Elevation to the South?

  • ??? To the North and W of the Ice Queen

Krezk

• Young Master Preferiti?

• The Abbey of St. Markovia might know more about ancient history of the 'White Sun' from the Vistani reading about the sword hilt

• New religious leader for Vallaki???

Other Goals

• Can we go home now?

Vallaki Rumors: Still a mystery/not fully uncovered. Encountered [Flipped formatting to match Talos timeline]

• "Strange moving forests and weird blighted monsters are said to haunt the woods near the southwestern farms."

• "A moth-like prophet of Mother Night flies through the skies over Barovia." "Quiet, you. No one believes that." "Well, something flew overhead and blotted out the moon the other night. It was absolutely enormous!"

• "Down south, past the Vistani camp, we were out looking for a missing goat one day when we saw a scarecrow just sitting there along the road. The thing had a grin like a demon, and knives for hands! What was that meant to scare: the crows, or me?"

• Ever been to that ruin in the mountains off the west road?" "No, far too dangerous. But my opa used to say that a huge monster died there. As if there wasn't reason enough to avoid the place

• "I hear tales of the terrible Belviews, the ones I think who left an abandoned house in the north of town. Why were they so terrible?" "Oh, rumor has it they were mad, cruel, and … self-contained, I'll say. Anyway they vanished decades if not centuries ago—either run out of town or killed each other. Old news!"

  • Confirmed it was where Vasili was staying and Strahd is there!!

• "Did you visit Wencensia and her newborn daughter?” “I did. The babe did not cry once my entire visit.” “Oh, one of those mist-touched ones. Grow up to be another glum Barovian.” “Indeed. A pity. More every year."

  • Not everyone in Barovia have souls? Is the Mists souls? Does Strahd eat them? Ireena and Lirne have special souls

• "I was out by the lake with my man one evening, and a storm came down off of Baratok like midwinter! Swirling snow around those lost Kartova fiefs in the northern woods." "What were you doing out there? You could have gotten stuck out after dusk. Good thing Izek didn't catch you!"

  • We're chasing Izek this way and looking for the mines in the mountain that might have diamonds/ Jezra Kartova haunts this mountain in a wintery storm that killed Izek and Muriel Vinshaw, and probably countless others

• "I’ve heard there’s a ruined tower to the west somewhere, with long lost treasures worth a kingly ransom!" "And there’s ruined manors to the north, or ruined keeps to the south. Probably ruins to the east too! And you would never survive any of them."

  • Haven't been there yet, but this is where Van Richten asked us to meet him and is in his bullet of the quest log

• "So there’s new strangers in town again.” “Indeed, let’s hope they fare better than others.” “Indeed—to the one, they all vanish or perish in terrible ways. Pray tell, which is the worst?” “I couldn’t say. One of the strangest I can remember: the men all mauled to death; the young woman cleanly and viciously decapitated; and the children likely abducted—or at least, were never seen again.”

  • These were the Vampire spawn positioned in the coffin maker's

• "Sometimes I forget that the Baron even has a son. We never see him aside from weekly festivals, moping around." "My neighbor says she saw the Baronet the other day, out covered in dirt and carrying a carton of animal bones from behind Wachterhaus of all places! I don't ask questions."

  • Viktor is a piece of shit! He was stealing cat bones for undead parties. He's also dead now

• The Martikovs are such a well-ordered family. Show up to festivals, cause no trouble, sole provider of wine in the town, and their children are well adjusted." "Indeed, a well-liked family. Except by their own kin, but that's none of our concern." *sips tea*

  • All this is covered in the Martikov Main bullet

• "Did I ever tell you when I was escorting a wine delivery from the vineyard several moons back, we were accosted by strange savages? They had wild looks in their eyes, and any part of them not covered in pelts was covered in mud and paints. I wouldn't have known they were humans were it not for the tongues they spoke. The only reason we escaped was, by Morninglord's luck, some ravens swarmed by and distracted them."

  • Ravens Vs Werewolves in the woods to the NorthWest?

• "My cousin says there's a pool out in Krezk that can heal you. Even turn you young! It is a shame the roads are not safe, otherwise I'd go visit in a heartbeat."

  • We've heard a lot about the healing properties in Krezk. The old Markovia healer a part of this. We'll get there or die trying!

• “Blinsky in the last few days has gotten a small animal companion that brings him some 'hyappiness'. That has brightened him up a little. He's as weird as the toys he sells, but they are both of fine quality I guess.” “Still, I swear, those things turn up in the oddest places.”

  • Met both and their stories are wrapped up in the Quest Logs with Erazmus.

• "I heard that Izek made a deal with a powerful demon, and that's how he got his arm. Claw. Appendage. Thing." "Shhh! Don't speak so loudly. I saw him bring hellfire to bear in that very hand. Claw. Whatever. He burned down the barn of a known 'dissenter' last month."

  • Izek can indeed summon fire with his demon hand, and if that punk bitch hadn't run away it would be the 2nd hand/paw trophy Cobb would have!

• "I imagine the Wolf's Head Jamboree brought a fair bit of coin to those two Wolf Hunters at the Blue Water Inn. The Burgomaster's festivals do seem to support various tradespeople of Vallaki." "Everyone but that glum coffin maker. Then again that's probably for the best." "He seems to have come into a large sum of gold recently anyway!"

  • The Damn coffin make paid Milvoj for the bones!!!!! But who had him do it??

• "Leaving the stockyards the other night I saw an alley cat so emaciated, it might as well have been a skeleton. When I let out a shout, I swear to you, something else let out a roar from deeper inside the yard. I flew out of there like a bat out of Ravenloft."

  • Viktor's dead kitty's and Ramses the battle cat!

• "I’ve heard strange whispers of sightings of an angel. Could Barovia be seeing salvation at last?" "Angels, saints, saviors. Barovia’s history is littered with revelations of such false prophets. Nothing changes. Nothing ever will."

  • Our boy, Lirne!!

• An old man passing by grabs you by the shoulders, his eyes wild, yelling, "Dark magicks! Dark magicks! Purple lights in the night! Flashes in the attic at the Burgomaster's Manor!" Then looks around fearfully and runs off.

  • That frickin creep, Viktor!!!

• That odd entertainer, the one working out of the Blue Water Inn. Is he still doing shows?" "I'm not going to another one. Tales of talking plants, animal tricks, and bizarre puppet shows don't appeal to me. He's just like those Vistani with his tall tales! Probably just out for some loose coin to drink away at the inn."

  • Been there, talked to Piccolo, and stole the Ireena doll. Erazmus and Blinsky are an interesting pair

• "Krezk should really have their own Wolf's Head Jamboree. My neighbors moved from Krezk and said the wolves that can take down a bear. Even make themselves look like men!" "I'd rather have our problems than their problems!"

  • Wolfmen are real and I don't like it! Haha

• I saw one of those mysterious wagons leave town recently. A painted one, owned by that coterie of female merchants. But this time it was being driven by a man, and leaving at dusk. So suspicious. Even more suspicious: no one ever bothers them."

  • Yeah, he dead. Jacqueline holds many mysteries!!

• A child chases around his friends with a smelly bulb of garlic, while the others try to hold him off by showing each other their teeth with wide grimaces meant to mimic vampire fangs. "That’s not how it works," says a know-it-all from behind her book. "Undead hate brilliant light. Belladonna stops werewolves. And that's a shame, as that can only be found in the Ivlis river basin east of the Balinoks." She then goes back to her reading.

  • We'll never need to know where to find this, right? Now we need some!!

• The other evening I was entering town through the Mourning Gate and I saw the most handsome man! I heard him speaking with a merchant caravan he was contracting and caught his name as ‘Vasili von Holtz.’ I know my handsome nobles in this town, and they are few, and I have never seen him before."

  • Von Holtz not who he says he is? YUP, he's VR's apprentice. Or is he? Why did we find his name in that old book?

• "I saw a pretty lass crossin' the town square the other day. I swear I'd be wed to her if I'd seen her before. I tried to talk her sweetly and she had none of it. She just went straight down the street to that strange store with the purple wagon out front. Only pretty lasses work there."

  • We got invited to dinner by these foxy Taltos sisters, that are in fact 1 person [Jacqueline]

• "Did you hear? There was some terrible incident with wolves attacking a caravan not far from the city walls! I heard the only thing that saved the survivors was the wolf heads on pikes!" "Or those pikes spurred the monsters into a vengeful frenzy."

  • We killed dem wolves

• 'You notice four guards escort a Vistani woman through the streets in manacles, towards the nearest gate. Onlooking Vallakians’ reactions are a mixture of disdain and sympathy. One whispers “I’m certain I’ve seen one of their little gypsy girls shopping for toys at the square with other orphan urchins.”

  • We saved and returned Arabella

• A man gives you a strange look, furtively hands you something, and disappears into the Vallaki streets. It was a folded festival poster, the words "All is Not Well!" and "Trust Books Not Barons!" scrawled across it in an unpleasant liquid. But on the back, repeated over and over, are the words "The Devil You Know"

  • Could be proof enough for the Baron? Wachter Cult arrested/killed

• "Rumor has it that strange trading company with the colorful wagons lost one recently. Stolen by the Vistani, they say. Despite the rumors, I haven’t heard of any attempt to retrieve it, or seen a reward to help."

  • We put together that this the Vardo that Felix stole the shadow demon locket out of and we showed it to Katerina Taltos. Keep an eye out for any Purple Vardos

• A chirping monkey in a pink tutu jumps in front of you, dancing around and gamboling. The townsfolk around take notice and watch with mixed expressions. At the end of its routine, it presents you with a small card that says "Blinsky Toys" and then runs down the street, making unsettling noises as it goes.

  • Piccolo!!

• "That carnival master leaves his wagon in the Arasek Stockyard. Seems like an odd place for it, considering his horse is at the Blue Water Inn. I imagine the wagon could tether there too. It would likely bring in more customers. The way things are at, he makes all those trips back and forth. Probably for props and things for shows."

  • Yeayea, Erazmus is weird and up to something. He also might be hiding something in the wagon at the stockyards!!! A Friggin Sabretoothed TIGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Two guards conversing under their breath. "Any luck with those missing individuals?" "I mean, which ones?" "The Baron's butler and his wife's lady-in-waiting?" "Oh I thought you'd care about your fellow guardsman. Eight of us have gone missing in the last year." *humph* "Actually now it's nine - just the other say Andrej was found dead by the Western Gate!" "It's a to track. But the Baron's got a reward out for his servants, so that makes me interested in progress." "No progress. Izek isn't so good at investigations. Much better at beatings."

  • Guards taken/murdered by Wachter Cult. Viktor killed the house servants

Completed

• **Izek: Was killed by Jezra Kartova on top of Mt. Baratok trying to 'protect' Ireena, will remove in a few sessions

• Saint Andral's Bones

  • We returned the right bones to Saint Andral's and said the prayer to restore Sanctity. The bones were stolen by Milvoj, who learned about them from Yeska, via Father Lucian. Milvoj sold them to the coffin maker who was under the instruction of the Anastrasyz, The vamp spawns, Vasili or some combination. Milvoj used the gold to pay the local hunters to look for the still missing orphan children

• Orphans: Freek was scared bout something at the inn. Brom and Bray? The girls? The pressure to grow up, save up enough gold for a house, and start having kids of his own?!?!?!?!

  • He recognized something about Vasili, but we didn't clock it was Strahd in time

• Orphan Deaths Solved: Felix Demon: It was scratching Necrotic runes into the beds and yeeting kids out of windows!!!

• Vasili Van Holtz

  • Can we trust him? No

• Wilhemina's son, Udo was arrested. Where is he though? Turns out, in the Baron's getting the ever loving S*!@ kicked out of him. Lirne rescued him with ZERO PROBLEMS! Right? Wait, does that mean he's a cultist too????

  • We rescued Udo!!! And he doesn't seem to be a cultist

• Vistani at the Gate: The young vistani girl we saw in town is named Arabella, and the Vistani are trying to break in and find her. We saved her from Bluto's attempted drowning

  • Nana Foame had instigated this becasue Arabella could see her true form, we think. I'm glad she's dead. The hag, not Arabella

• Something watching us outside of the Windmill, and within. Strahd only? Or the undead Knight that impaled Lirne? The windmill was torched!

• There was an incident at the evening gate and a bunch of Vistani were demanding to get in because Arabella was missing. We saved her!

• Nana Foame needs to die!

  • gotta the Orphans back from Nana Foame' again

• Raven freaking out about something to the SE

• Vasili is having us go get his friends and books and will give us all the gold and anything else

  • He's Van Richten's apprentice. Isn't really a Vallaki noble, and is looking for VR just like we are

• Donkey Headed people in the stocks [Fed and talked to them, couldn't do much else to help them at the time]