<< September 24, 2021 | Notes | August 25, 2021 >>

Percy goes to Valleki and leaves Guardian at gate. Town is not decorated and people look worried. Baron is wearing full armor and holed up in his mansion.

Percy at Mayor's house
Fiona has been holding rallies. Mostly in the afternoon, goes about the streets afterwards. Heckles guards to get them to open the gates. Percy suggests Fiona is guilty for Izek's disappearance; Mayor agrees. Percy says evidence can always be found. Gives Guardian to Mayor. Takes a doll and a shirt from Izek's room. Leaves a message in Victor's room: "We'll meet soon".

Percy in Valleki
Some people in the inn say they're afraid they'll be worse off if they don't go to the rally because they're afraid to fight Strahd. Percy tries to convince Ireena to publically support the mayor but she'd rather go to Krezk.

Raven Roost
Dren packs bags and tells Magda he's going to Argynvostholt. He anoints her First Lieutenant of the Order of Silver Dragon.

NEXT DAY
Ravens try to get Dren to stay by untying his shoes. He gives Magda 300g as a stipend. They set out for Krezk and stop at Valleki. Dren tries recruiting some of the guards for the Order. Two guards join - Marek and Nikolaj. Dren names them Private and gives them 10g each. He stops at the inn to thank Danika for all her help and gives her 30g. She thanks him for all the party has done. Percy comes down for breakfast and meets with the group. Dren tells him about his plans and Percy tells him that they cannot let Valleki fall to Fiona. They hatch a plan to frame Fiona and recruit secretly. Dren wants to get rid of Mayor and have a trial; Percy says the Mayor is a good puppet and he will convince the Mayor to tone down the violence to help him stay in power.

Percy returns to RR to get gear. Magda and Dren go to see Ireena. Magda is very happy she is alive but Ireena does not remember her. Dren tries to convince her to fight; she is sort of down but insists she must see Krezk at least. Ireena invites Magda to stay in her room while Dren goes to have brunch. Asks Magda what she meant by "you don't remember." Tells her she is Tatyana, has lived many lives, and no one remembers but Magda. Says they have had this conversation at least 4 times, across many lives. Ireena says she doesn't want to die and forget again.

A rally gathers in the town square. Fiona shows up and meanders. She talks to some who are eager about her manifesto, urges them to pick it up to learn more. Magda and Dren make a scene yelling and Fiona summons guards. 3 approach Dren and tell him to leave; he goes to stand off to the side; 2 watch him and 1 leaves. 3 approach Magda. They try to grapple her but she escapes and taunts them.

Percy picks up his gear and Bell's staff and returns to Valleki. He mingles with the rally and tries to subtly convince the public that Fiona is bad. He gets a copy of her manifesto -- it's a cult manifesto that she has clearly been working on for some time. One person in the crowd says "she can call upon the prince of darkness." Percy sees with truesight that Fiona has a creature wrapped around her shoulders -- tiny, wings, long tail, long ears, snarl, scorpion tail; an imp (a devil) in it's preferred form.

Back at the Inn, Percy gives the Tome of Strahd to the group while he reads Fiona's manifesto -- a cult based around devil worship. Stories about calling upon the prince of darkness in rituals with pentagrams that bring forth coins on the ground.

Infernal hierarchy - imps are lesser devils, fine with being summoned because they like to toy with/corrupt mortals. Fiona's is probably a familiar that encourages her to commit acts of evil. Unwaveringly loyal to and protective of their masters. Imps are from all levels of hell so it's unclear who they serve. No particular weaknesses. Coin ritual is probably a cheap trick -- her imp throws coins down while invisible. Says Strahd is no tyrant, is the ruler of the land and she is not his enemy.

Percy says we should find the Van Richten mentioned in the diary. Magda asks to be a Captain instead of Lt. and Dren agrees.

NEXT DAY
Percy buys 5 bottles of wine to take to Krezk and we head out. Along the road, a wild figure on all fours approaches, wearing stitched together skins, small twig figures around it. It yells in druidic. Percy tries to phonetically copy down what it says. When we kill it, the twig blights all run into the woods and disappear.

Percy convinces Ireena to join the Order. Dren initiates her as Lieutenant.

Gatehouse, 20 ft wall of stone on snow-dusted mountain spur. Bell tolls from the abbey. Seems to be a road on cliff leading from settlement to abbey.