A Poisoned Promise
Last session, after preparing for the evening, the party attended dinner at Lady Fiona Wachter’s mansion. There, they were welcomed by her butler and soon met Fiona herself, along with her sons—and briefly saw her daughter Stella, who appeared disturbingly unresponsive. Over dinner, Fiona spoke openly about her hatred for the Baron, describing him as paranoid and obsessed with forced happiness through his festivals. She also revealed more about Izek, his tragic past, and his role as the Baron’s enforcer. Most troubling of all, she shared what had happened to Stella after visiting the Baron’s son, Victor. Eventually, Fiona revealed her true intentions. She asked the party to assassinate Izek—offering gold, support, and a path to shifting power in Vallaki in return. She even provided a bottle of poisoned wine to make the task easier. After leaving the mansion, the party regrouped at the inn. Sofia encountered a group of ravens behaving strangely, whispering of change and something unseen moving through Vallaki. Meanwhile, Caspian and Kaz shared a quieter moment, speaking about the past and offering each other comfort before turning in for the night. The next morning, the party received Izek’s full daily schedule along with the poisoned wine. With a plan in place, they set out to the town square. Sofia distracted Izek while Caspian, with Kaz’s help, managed to swap his wine without being noticed. The party then followed Izek through the city as he went about his day, gathering bits of information along the way—rumors of wolves outside the gates and whispers of darker things at play. Eventually, Izek made his way to the lake, where he began to drink. As the poison took effect, the party moved in. But instead of weakening quietly, Izek lashed out—triggering a brutal fight. In the end, the party stood victorious. Izek was dead. And from his body, they recovered his weapon, some gold… and a strange shard of amber. And now, with the Baron’s enforcer gone and Vallaki’s balance of power shaken… what comes next may be far more dangerous than what came before.

Question for DnD start

How does your character feel about Nobility/authority?

TBD

After finishing their shopping, the party returned briefly to the Baron’s library before taking some time to relax by the lake. As evening approached, they made their way to Lady Fiona Wachter’s mansion for dinner.

Sofia knocked, and the door was opened by a composed butler named Haliq, who welcomed them inside. He led them to the dining room, offering each of them a glass of wine. The house, though old, was well-kept, with an air of quiet refinement. Above the fireplace hung a portrait of an older man, watching over the room.

As the party took in their surroundings, they noticed a young girl in a nightgown standing silently in a doorway down the hall. She was unresponsive—Stella, Fiona’s daughter. One of Fiona’s sons, Nikolai, soon approached, asking the party’s business. They explained they had been invited to dinner.

Moments later, Lady Fiona herself entered.

She greeted them warmly but wasted little time getting to the point. She claimed the party had begun to build a reputation in Vallaki and spoke openly of her disdain for the Baron, calling him a madman. She questioned each of them about where they came from, taking particular interest in Kaz when he mentioned Vinare. Noticing Avery’s greatsword, she inquired about his skill, and as he answered, she casually demonstrated her own power—idly twirling a flame between her fingers.

Soon, they were seated at the table, and the real conversation began.

Kaz asked about Stella, and Fiona explained that for the past two months, her daughter had been left in a near-vegetative state after visiting the Baron’s mansion. Months earlier, Stella had befriended Victor, the Baron’s son—but after one visit, she returned… like this.

The discussion turned to Vallaki itself. Fiona spoke of the Baron’s obsession with festivals—mandatory celebrations meant to force happiness upon the people. She described his paranoia, his cruelty, and his refusal to allow refugees into the city for fear they might “bring unhappiness.”

She also spoke of Izek, the Baron’s enforcer—the man with the monstrous arm. She told them of his past: how he lost both his sister and his arm as a child, how his parents died that same day, and how, years later, he mysteriously gained his current arm. Not long after, the former Baron died in his sleep.

Finally, Fiona revealed why she had invited them.

She proposed a deal.

If the party wished to see Vallaki change, they would need to remove Izek. She instructed them to find him alone, kill him, and bring back his head. In return, she and her allies would begin shifting power in the town. She offered supplies, gold, and further support—and even provided them with a bottle of Izek’s favorite wine, already poisoned.

With the deal made, the party left the mansion.

Back at the inn, the group split once more.

Sofia went for a walk and noticed a gathering of ravens nearby. Listening closely, she overheard fragments of something strange—whispers of change in the air, and talk of a presence wandering Vallaki… something ghostly. She was also asked to deliver a message, though its meaning remained unclear.

Meanwhile, Caspian sat on his bed, reading a book he had taken from the Baron’s library—one detailing ethereal entities. Kaz, finally free from his formal attire, approached and sat close beside him, asking about the book. Caspian, as always, was happy to share.

Their conversation soon drifted to more personal matters. Caspian reassured Kaz that his past actions did not define him—and admitted, quietly, that the kiss he gave him that morning had not been meaningless.

The two settled into bed together, Caspian reading softly until sleep eventually took them both.

Morning came.

Sofia and Avery rose first, heading downstairs where they were met by a messenger—the same one who had delivered Fiona’s invitation. He handed them the poisoned wine, along with a detailed schedule of Izek’s day.

Soon, Caspian and Kaz joined them, and the party finalized their plan.

They headed to the town square.

Sofia took the lead, approaching Izek and distracting him with charm and conversation. Meanwhile, Caspian slipped into the crowd, tasked with switching the wine bottles. Though briefly interrupted by a drunken fisherman, Kaz stepped in just in time, allowing Caspian to complete the switch unnoticed.

The party followed Izek as he went about his day. Caspian kept close, while Sofia and the others maintained distance. Along the way, Caspian overheard talk of Morgantha and her dream pastries, and rumors of wolves—and possibly worse—beyond the gates.

Eventually, Izek made his way to the lake.

There, he began to drink.

The poison soon took hold.

Sofia approached him, with Avery close behind. When they confronted him, something in Izek snapped—and he lashed out.

What followed was a brutal fight.

(insert Kaz cool move and transformation)

But in the end, the party prevailed.

Izek fell.

From his body, they recovered his weapon, some gold… and a strange shard of amber.

XP

Total XP: 7150

• 1500 ~ Killing Izek

Loot

• Test item ~ Item ~ Player who found it

❮ 18 · Chronicles · 20 ❯