Shadows Over Vallaki

Characters:
- Liren: Dragonborn Barbarian
- Gumbo: Half-orc Rogue
- Aera: Elf Rogue
- Malron: Reborn Cleric
- Shabasta: Porcupine Bard

Summary:
A young woman in a nightgown with a hollow stare appears in the hallway, resembling the same woman seen in the mirror at the Baron’s attic. Nicolai, who cursed the Baron in the past, is the older brother of this girl, Stella. Nicolai takes her on a walk around the grounds, and Lady Fiona apologizes for the disturbance. Carl, the younger brother, mentions their father Nicolai died of a wasting sickness.

Lady Fiona reveals she follows Ezra, the goddess of the mists, who teaches endurance. She also mentions her older brother Frederick was supposed to be the heir until Lysa rescued Lady Fiona from the woods when she was younger. She prays and hears from Ezra, who may be an imposter.

The shoemaker Lukavich was captured and possibly executed by the Baron. Izek lost his arm to a wolf attack as a child when his sister went missing, raising questions about whether his sister could be Ireena.

To weaken Izek, the plan is to follow him and find a time when he is less guarded and easier to take down. An associate will be sent to advise on his schedule and provide a bottle of poison wine.

Stella has been sick for six months since she started visiting Viktor, the Baron’s son. Upon her return, she was in a terrible state, and Viktor refuses to speak with Lady Fiona. Berez, a fishing village south of Vallaki, was swept away by the river when Strahd was challenged. Lady Fiona heard of a glowing sword, possibly the Sun Sword, but doubts its existence.

The party returns to the Inn to rest. Overnight, Strahd appears to Aera, asking to be let inside to discuss their activities. Aera closes the window, and when they go outside, Strahd has disappeared.

In the morning, an agent from Fiona helps the party understand Izek’s drinking habits and provides a bottle of poison wine (Red Dragon Kresh) and a sack for his head. The plan is to swap his second bottle of wine with the poisoned wine during his lunch hour to ambush him at the lake later on.

Aera successfully steals Izek’s old bottle of wine, but when the orc attempts to swap in the new bottle, Izek catches him. Luckily, Izek believes he was trying to steal the bottle and grabs it, stuffing it back into his basket.

Key Locations:
1. Baron’s Mansion: Encounter with the young woman resembling the one from the mirror.
2. Wachter Haus: Interaction with Lady Fiona and her revelations.
3. Inn: Resting place and encounter with Strahd.

Encounters:
- Social/Investigation: Interaction with Lady Fiona, Nicolai, and Carl.
- Combat/Intimidation: Planning to weaken Izek and the interaction with Strahd.

Loot:
- Poison Wine (Red Dragon Kresh): Provided by Fiona’s associate for use against Izek.

Notable NPCs:
- Lady Fiona: Provides insight into her past and spiritual beliefs.
- Nicolai: Brother of Stella, involved in cursing the Baron.
- Izek Strahsne: Enforcer for the Baron with a flaming demon arm.
- Stella: Young woman in a disturbed state after visiting Viktor.
- Agent from Fiona: Provides poison wine and information on Izek’s habits.

Plot Points:
1. Encounter with Stella and Nicolai’s background.
2. Plans to weaken Izek and use poison wine.
3. Lady Fiona’s revelations about Ezra and her past.

Session Highlights:
- Aera’s encounter with Strahd and quick thinking to close the window.
- Successful theft of Izek’s old wine bottle by Aera.
- Narrow escape by Gumbo when swapping the wine bottles.