Session 31

Otto and Zygfrek led Pelanil to the gates of the Abbey. Atop the battlements, Pelanil saw two scarecrows placed to look like guards. Inside the courtyard, he heard large flapping wings. He asked Zygfrek how to get in, and she simply pushed open the large wooden door for him.

Inside the courtyard, he saw a mongrelfolk chained to a tethering post (Marzena). She was flapping her wings, stretching her chain, and muttering nonsense about someone being after her. Pelanil Commanded her to stop, and she settled to the ground, continuing to mutter quietly to herself.

At this point, the rest of the party, winded after their 700' ascent, made it through the entrance gates. They met Otto and Zygfrek. Elora introduced herself to Otto, and asked if he'd seen her friend. He said of course he knew (hee-haw, hee-haw) because of how smart, fast, beautiful, and strong he was. Zygfrek, hiding her face, simply pointed towards the courtyard gates.

Unsure where to find The Abbot, Elora decides to explore the courtyard. Just as she looks over the edge of the well, the bell rings again, and the party hears a cacophony of voices, barks, brays, and other animal sounds come from the residential wing of the abbey. Mixed with the noise, they are able to make out the words, "food, food, give me food".

Inside the well, Elora can make out a figure clinging to the side. It starts to make its way towards her at a sprint. As the party prepares for battle, Pelanil again commands the creature with a Thaumaturgy-enhanced booming voice, "Enough!". Mishka stops at the edge of the well, his head just poking over the top.

Again, Pelanil asks where to find The Abbot, and Mishka tells him he's usually inside the main hall and points to the door to the west.

Inside the main hall, the party notices gentle music coming from upstairs, a young woman with alabaster skin, and a handsome young man in a brown monk's robe.

Pelanil immediately approaches The Abbot, explains his predicament, and asks for the help Jesus told him he'd find here. The Abbot agrees, but asks for a small payment in return. "I notice that you have the most perfectly round bellybutton I have ever seen."

Pelanil immediately pulls out a knife, chops off his bellybutton, and heals over the wound, wincing only slightly. The Abbot explains that he has facilities in which he could have performed the procedure, but thanks Pelanil nonetheless.

The Abbot lays his hand on Pelanil's head, and an explosion of light emanates from the Abbey. All of Krezk feels the presence of the light and benefits from its healing power. Pelanil's features change back to be more like he was before he died; he shrinks from his enormous size, his hair changes back, and his eyes return to normal.

During his transformation, Pelanil feels Menigal's anger as their connection is severed, and Pelanil once again feels the presence of his deity, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Anakir notices something odd about Vasilka: Her skin has seams, and she seems to be built from disparate body parts. Most notably, Anakir recognizes her hair looks just like Ireena's did before she died. It is dyed black with auburn roots showing at her sewn-on scalp.

Elora is leery of The Abbot and has more questions for him. She asks about Ireena, about the mongrelfolk, and about his relationship to Strahd.

We learn the following:

• On Strahd:
  • He knows about Strahd's love for Tatyana and that they were separated by her death
  • He believes that Strahd mistreats his subjects because of his lost love
  • He thinks that he can curtail Strahd's ire by presenting him Vasilka as a bride
  • "I want to rid Barovia of its sickness. By giving the devil his heart's desire, I bring salvation to him and his land."
• On Vasilka:
  • He's creating her as a bride for Strahd
  • He plans to lure Tatyana's soul, memories and all, into the vessel
  • He needs more information on the magic needed to complete the ritual
    • He believes the information can be found at The Amber Temple
    • He shows the party it's exact location on a map and warns them the Tsolenka Pass is treacherous
• On Ireena:
  • Strahd brought her here recently for The Abbot to revive her
    • For the first time ever, he was unsuccessful
  • He wishes he'd had her alive as it may have simplified the Tatyana ritual
  • He and Strahd buried her
  • He had Otto dig up her body so that he could scalp her and add her hair to Vasilka
• On the mongrelfolk:
  • They were a sick family that asked him to heal them
  • He did, but they also asked to be made more perfect
  • He gave them the strange features they requested

Elora is disgusted by his answers, and says that the mongrelfolk, "may have been better left alone" as she turns to leave.

Bardolf asks for a tail, and The Abbot said he would look for one to give him.

Clovin Belview stumbles down the stairs to get the cauldron off the fire to take across to the other wing of the abbey as he mutters about the "deformed bastards".

Shalooti draws another card from her Deck of Some Things and a polar bear appears and seems to follow her orders. The Abbot says to Bardolf, "I have found your tail."

Completely unfazed by the grotesqueness off the abbey, the group decides they want to check out the shopping in Krezk.