Session 11

The session starts with Rictavio telling a story, and the tavern eating it up. At the bar, the party each engages in their own separate conversations.

The party goes to bed, but Bardolf waits up for the Wachter brothers to return from Rictavio's wagon. The party wakes to the sound of a tiger, and the brothers burst through the door distraught. Bardolf goes to retrieve his lost eyepatch, and Shalooti tails him.

At the Stockyard, Bardolf finds his eyepatch at Rictavio's wagon. He takes some treasure from the wagon, and he also takes some damage trying to pick the lock to the front seat of the wagon.

When confronted by Gunther Arasek, Bardolf and Shalooti convince him that Bardolf was just having a BM, and not doing any thieving.

The party talks to Danika who says the tiger wasn't yet found. They're enjoying breakfast when an angry Rictavio finally makes it back to the Inn after taking inventory of the damage to his wagon. He invites the party back to his room.

There, he reveals he wasn't 100% honest with Pelanil. He's actually a spy undercover as a carnival master (a damn good one if he says so himself). He's monitoring the Vistani and the goings-on in Vallaki. He fulfils the first of Madam Eva's predictions, and gives the party a journal written by Strahd.

• Card Reading
  • Rictavio was who the first card referred to, and he gave the party the Tome of Strahd
  • The "holy symbol" must be at Argynvostholt
  • The "sword of sunlight" is probably at the Amber Temple
    • The place where Strahd became immortal
  • Rictavio was not sure about who a crazy wizard would be
  • And the last card refers to Strahd's brother, Sergei who has been long dead
• The Tome of Strahd
  • Strahd conquered Barovia, then brought his family here
  • He was jealous of his brother, Sergei's looks and youth
  • Sergei got engaged with Tatyana, but Strahd was jealous
  • Strahd made a blood pact for immortality, and on Sergei's wedding day, killed his brother
  • He went to Tatyana but she threw herself from the castle walls
  • The guards shot Strahd, but he didn't die and became a vamipre
  • A stake through the heart only immobilizes him, and the sun hurts him
  • He still hunts for Tatyana, and thinks he's nearly had her a few times
  • He sleeps far below the castle among the dead
• Rictavio is spying on the Vistani because he believes they are agents of Strahd
• The town fears Izek Strazni who is The Burgomaster's violent henchman with a demonic arm
• Fiona Wachter is somewhat outspoken against The Baron's rule
• Lake Zarovich is dangerous, but the town drunk, Bluto Krogarov can be sometimes seen fishing there
  • Bluto has not been seen at the tavern for a few days
• There's a shortage of wine. Danika and Urwin have family at the Winery, but due to a past falling out, they haven't spoken in years. Urwin is worried about the Winery but has yet to set aside his pride to send a word as of yet. The last shipment was due a week ago.
• There is a Vistani camp south of town; Rictavio thinks that's where his tiger went

Tome of Strahd
Blue Water Inn Map