11
First night/day in Vallaki
Blablabla
TBD
- After battling numerous enemies on the road, the party finally arrived at the gates of Vallaki. Outside the walls, a refugee camp sprawled along the roadside. There, Ireena chose to part from the group temporarily, promising to reunite with them in the morning after speaking with people in the camp. The party approached the city gates and was stopped by the guards. As a precaution against vampires, each traveler was ordered to bare their teeth for inspection. They were also required to surrender any silver upon entry. Through careful deception, the party convinced the guards they carried none, despite the truth. Avery paid the entrance fee for everyone, and at last they were allowed inside the city, eager to find both the Baron and a place to rest. After asking around, they located the Baron’s mansion, only to be turned away by the guards, who informed them that no audience would be granted until morning. The party scheduled an appointment and headed instead to the Blue Water Inn. There they secured rooms and were served food and drinks for the evening.
- As they ate together, a commotion stirred on the far side of the tavern. A flamboyant bard named Rictavio was entertaining a crowd with dramatic tales of vampires and monsters. Sofia and Avery joined the listeners, while Caspian and Kaz remained at their table. When the performance ended, Rictavio retired for the night, and Avery followed soon after. Sofia lingered at the counter, waiting for the innkeeper to return from the kitchen. Meanwhile, in a quiet corner, Kaz and Caspian shared several bottles of wine and spoke candidly. They admitted that they both remained wary of Sofia, still unsure of her intentions. Eventually they retired to their room, finishing one final bottle before falling asleep in each other’s arms, something unspoken settling gently between them. Unbeknownst to them, Sofia held a private conversation with the innkeeper, one none of the party overheard.
- Morning came abruptly when Sofia woke Kaz and Caspian with little ceremony, giving them just enough time to dress before breakfast. Avery was nowhere to be seen. Suspicion soon turned toward Rictavio. At Kaz’s urging, Caspian followed the bard through the streets. During the pursuit, Caspian witnessed Rictavio magically alter his appearance, revealing that the persona of the colorful bard was a disguise. Though Caspian tried to keep up, he ultimately lost him in the crowd. He later returned to report what he had seen, arriving just as a tense exchange between Sofia and Kaz was ending. With little time to dwell on it, the trio set out for their appointment at the Baron’s mansion. Outside, they witnessed a disturbing scene: the Baron, flanked by two mastiffs and a man with a grotesquely altered arm, was publicly reprimanding a woman for splashing mud onto his clothing. Ireena joined the party moments later, and the guards admitted them inside.
- The mansion’s windows were sealed behind heavy drapes, casting the interior in dim light. A maid escorted the group to a meeting room, where they waited until the Baron entered with his mastiffs and his right-hand man. He greeted Ireena warmly and dismissed the rest of the party as her hired guards. Ireena pleaded with him to grant shelter to the refugees outside the walls, but the Baron rejected the request without hesitation. Kaz rose and, with carefully measured politeness, insulted the Baron while questioning why he did not simply attack the being the townsfolk called “the Devil.” The Baron insisted that his upcoming festival—only four days away—would keep the Devil at bay. He invited the party to attend as honored guests, then took his leave with the chilling reassurance: “All will indeed be well.” The party was left alone in the meeting room, the weight of his words hanging heavily in the air.
XP
Total XP: 3150
Happy points:
- +1 ~ Sophia
❮ 10 · Chronicles · 12 ❯