Ep. 9: Lady Fiona Wachter
DnD Curse of Strahd Recap — Apr 2, 2021
Days Spent in Barovia:
- Aashuri & Therean: 6
- Jihyo: 372
Wachterhaus
Last session, our drupe troupe of three: Jihyo the half-elf fighter, Therean the half-elf bard, and Aashuri the aasimar sorcerer had just been confronted by Strahd in the streets of Vallaki. Strahd acquired the bones of St. Andral and destroyed them with fire before the heroes eyes.
In the aftermath of the vampires’ feast of Vallakian citizens, the drupe troupe snuck away from the attention of the Vallakian guards and followed Ernst Larnak, servant to Lady Fiona Wachter, to the old mansion known as Wachterhaus. Lady Wachter’s home appeared ancient and worn down.
Ernst led the party into the home and found Lady Wachter in the parlor dining room in which three elegant couches surround an oval table made of black glass. All set in front of a blazing hearth, above which hung the portrait of a smirking nobleman sporting a broken nose and a tangle of hair graying at the temples. Several smaller portraits hung on the north wall, featuring Lady Wachter and her children. The portraits suggested a happy family.
Wachter first asked after her sons’ safety. Ernst assured her that her sons were fine and that he had people keeping an eye on them. Ernst also reported that the party assisted her sons in battle against the vampire attack. Thanking the heroes, Lady Wachter invited them to sit with her to discuss some things.
Lady Wachter’s Revolution
As they sat down, they could see outside the turmoil flooding the streets of Vallaki through the dining room windows. Bodies were being piled onto carts and dragged away. Lady Wachter informed the party that this disaster could be laid at the feet of the evil burgomaster Baron Vargas Vallakovich. The Baron always insisted that these festivals were what kept Strahd away, but it was actually his inciting words and farcical weekly parties which brought Strahd here to Vallaki. She intends to bring an end to Vargas and his family’s iron rule to an end during the Blazing Sun festival taking place in two days, and she wants the drupe troupe to aid her in this revolution.
The party asked why she waited until now to incite the revolution. She explained that even before Vargas took over as burgomaster, the people have always been afraid of the Vallakovich family. Vargas’ father, former burgomaster Vargon, was possibly even more cruel than his son. Vargon Vallakovich didn’t have his son’s absurd festivals, but he did have many extra laws to make up for them. During his time, Vallaki was on a full town curfew from dusk till dawn. No one was allowed outside their homes when the sun was down, and public torture was commonplace for any criminal activity, including beatings and whippings. And public execution happened more often than not.
Although some of these practices eased after Vargon’s death, Vargas continued to a strict and authoritarian rule in which he would arrest anyone who disagreed with his edicts or expressed “malicious unhappiness”. Vargas and his captain, Izek Strazni, are brutes. Many believe only Izek is responsible for torturing prisoners, but Wachter was convinced that Vargas has his own mean streak. She speculated that perhaps that was why his wife, Lydia, was so delicate in nature.
When Vargas took over as burgomaster, Wachter tried to do the diplomatic thing and consolidate an understanding with the Burgomaster by arranging the marriage between their children, Victor Vallakovich and Stella Wachter. However, after a few interactions with Victor, Stella fell ill and went mad. Lady Wachter doesn’t know what exactly Victor did to make her daughter lose her mind, she knows it must have been horrible.
The Prophesy
Jihyo plainly asked Lady Wachter what the drupe troupe stands to gain by helping in the revolution against the Baron, as the party’s main interest is to escape Barovia. Lady Wachter explained that long ago, she met with a Vistani seer by the name of Madam Eva who read her fortune and spoke the following:
- There would an outsider coming to Vallaki, foreign to this land. The coming of this outsider would mark the beginning of a new age in Vallaki.
- The coming of the outsider would also bring a great ruin. A purge on the town like none other.
- But when the ruin was done, the blood of the outsider would shed sunlight on Vallaki yet again.
Lady Wachter believes that one of the heroes of the party is the outsider foretold in Madam Eva’s prophesy. If they assist her in the revolution, it would fulfill the prophesy and bring about the return of “sunlight”. However, the party was still not convinced that helping Lady Wachter would somehow result in escaping Barovia.
The party asked what Lady Wachter she felt about Strahd. Prior to vampire spawn attack, Strahd was only ever a “negligent landlord”, according to Lady Wachter. She believed there is no true monster in the land by Vargas himself. If Vargas had not antagonized Strahd, the attack would never have occurred. The party pressed Lady Wachter on how Vallaki would fare better under her rule. She claimed that she has the trust of the people, and when the time for revolution comes, they will know that she had only ever wanted to liberate them, and bring true sunlight back to Vallaki.
Fiona does not want the Baron’s continued tyranny to doom Vallaki. By antagonizing powerful forces like Strahd, Vallaki could become the next Berez; a drowned, forsaken village that fell over a century ago. It was said that the people of Berez provoked Strahd’s ire, and he used his power over the land to destroy the village. Rumors claim that degenerate, evil women who have fallen out of the Morning Lord’s sight now gather at the ruins of Berez, eating the flesh of babes and dancing naked in the moonlight.
Therean pressed on what else Lady Wachter knew about Strahd, and how to defeat him. Lady Wachter confessed that her primary concern was only the wellbeing and safety of Vallakians, and she had no care for trying to bring an end to Strahd’s rule. It wouldn’t be possible anyway, due to Strahd’s immortality. Lady Wachter shared with the party an ancient book that she claimed was one of the few volumes that made it out of the long lost Amber Temple. The book explains that terrible beings known as Dark Powers are sealed away in the temple, and these Powers were known to confer gifts such as eternal life. She pondered, “Though most of the it is nonsense, it proposes that immortality must come with a price. I’ve often wondered what price Lord Strahd must’ve paid for his.”
When asked how they were expected to assist her, Lady Wachter tasked the party with sneaking into the burgomaster’s mansion to collect evidence for her to use during the revolt.
On the day of the festival, Wachter intends to lay out the Vallakovich’s crimes to the people. Baron Vargas had already stirred the people’s distrust, so any incriminating evidence will help serve as the final straw. She told the party that, through Ernst’s network of spies, she knows the Baron and his wife will not be home tomorrow. Lydia Vallakovich will be at a neighbor’s home working on festival decorations, and the Baron and his captain of the guard will be at the church all day. She would also love to know how Victor may have tortured her daughter to cause Stella’s condition so that Lady Wachter might undo the damage.
During the questioning, the drupe troupe realized that Lady Wachter was the only person they’ve met in the town who didn’t express prejudice against the Vistani and she wasn’t afraid to say Strahd’s name.
Stella Wachter
Lady Wachter still offered for the drupe troupe to stay for dinner and rest in Wachterhaus overnight. Although uncertain and distrustful, the party agreed and thanked Lady Wachter for her hospitality. They noticed that her silverware was tarnished, the dishes chipped, yet all were still quite elegant. During dinner, Aashuri asked to see Stella. If they were going to assist in investigating what Victor had done, would it not be useful to examine and speak to Stella as well? Although Lady Wachter was reluctant, she agreed to let them see her daughter, but informed she won’t take kindly to anyone who tries to harm or frighten Stella. The party promised they will not do anything to distress Stella.
While Therean and Arabelle remained in the dining room, Jihyo and Aashuri followed Lady Wachter up to the second floor to Stella’s room. In visiting her room, they found that she had no furniture in the room apart from an iron-framed bed fitted with leather straps. Stella, a teenage girl in a night gown, had been scratching at the door from the inside before Lady Wachter unlocked it. Stella behaved like a cat, mewing and rubbing her head against her mother affectionately. She glared distrustfully at Jihyo and Aashuri and said, “Little kitty doesn’t know you! Little kitty doesn’t like the smell of you!” From a distance, Aashuri could sense that Stella’s condition may have been caused by memory altering magic.
The Plan for Tomorrow
While Lady Wachter preoccupied herself with coaxing Stella to bed, the party was escorted by Ernst to their rooms for the night. Wachter had arranged for her sons’ rooms to be converted to guest rooms, since her sons often stayed out during the night anyway. As they headed upstairs, Therean asked Ernst about the Wachter children. Ernst stated that before her illness, Stella was a sweet girl who liked animals, and Nikolai and Karl were good sons and noble young men respected and liked by the community.
In the privacy of their rooms, the party discussed their plans for the next day. They realized that they did not have time to see the mad mage, and Aashuri expressed concern that Jeny Greenteeth would demand some kind of payment for helping them restore the mad mage’s memory. Jihyo still distrusted Lady Wachter and believed her only goal was in grabbing power from the current burgomaster and taking it for herself. Therean also expressed concern, since Rictavio the half-elf bard they met at Blue Water Inn had warned them that Lady Wachter was dangerous.
But ultimately, without any other leads, the drupe troupe agreed that there could be more information and secrets to glean from investigating the burgomaster’s mansion. With the plan to go along with Lady Wachter’s request for the time being, the party goes to sleep.
In the night, Aashuri, Jihyo, and Therean each found themselves having unusual dreams.
Aashuri’s Dream
Aashuri found herself in the body of Ireena Kolyana. Ireena was pacing in her room in the burgomaster’s mansion in Village Barovia, watching clouds rolling in and sunlight fading from the sky. Knowing Strahd would come for her, she got on her knees and prayed for someone — anyone — to save her. A raspy voice spoke to her, answering her praying in her mind. The voice offered her a way out of Barovia, for a price. In her panicked haste, Ireena simply requested that as long as no harm came to her father and brother, she will pay anything to escape. “Then it’s a deal”, the raspy voice declared.
Against her own will, Ireena was forced to pick up a weapon and take her own life.
Jihyo’s Dream
Jihyo found herself dreaming of running through familiar woods, trying to escape from people who seemed to be chasing her. Pushing through the understory, she entered into a clearing and found a perfect mirror image of herself sitting on a tree stump and sharpening a dagger. Jihyo’s copy acknowledged her and spoke. It was apparent immediately from the voice that this person was the voice she heard in the woods when she had fought the dire wolves two nights ago.
Jihyo’s copy introduced themselves as Norganas, Finger of Oblivion. They got their nickname through the gift they confer: the finger of death spell. Norganas confessed that they were in some ways, a god of sorts, and they had many siblings who lurk in the mists surrounding this demi-plane called Barovia. It’s one of many demi-planes that Norganas’ brothers and sisters observe. But this specific plane currently belonged to a sibling named Vampyre, whom Norganas particularly loathes.
When asked what Norganas wanted, the answer was simple: “I want Barovia. With my claim, Barovia will be free and mists will lift. But in order to challenge Vampyre, I must forge a pact with a Champion.” Jihyo asked if this meant they would help Jihyo escape Barovia. Norganas offered something more: the opportunity for revenge. If Jihyo agreed to be their champion, Norganas would ensure that the ones she sought would be brought to Barovia. But in order to seal the pact, Jihyo must fully receive the gifts. When the time for vengeance comes, she must take it.
Without hesitation or question Jihyo accepted the arrangement, offering her hand for Norganas to shake. Like watching a delayed reflection of herself, Norganas stood and took Jihyo’s hand. With a snap of Norganas’ fingers, the dream ended.
Therean’s Dream
Therean found himself walking through wide marble stone halls filled with beautiful crystalline statues of different people. Among them, he found crystal statues of the orphan child, Felix; the Durst children, Rose and Thorne; Margaret the nursemaid; and in Margaret’s arms, baby Walter. Walking further down, he also found statues that looked just like the two vampire spawns they had killed just hours before. They no longer looked like monsters.
After walking for sometime, Therean came upon an exquisitely preserved woman with ice-white, almost translucent flesh and platinum-white neck length hair. She had eyes of baby blue, with lips, fingernails, and toenails the same color. A heart-shaped, oddly alluring hole completely pierced the palm of each of her bloodless hands. She introduced herself as The Evening Glory.
The Evening Glory praised Therean and his allies for all they have accomplished so far. Through their selfless acts, they were able to preserve the purity, beauty, and goodness of so many innocent lives in Barovia, including the two vampire spawn they had killed hours before. She informed Therean that the spawns they had killed were each formerly peasants, whose names were Vadu and Eren. They both had lived difficult lives even before Strahd had corrupted them. By killing them, Therean and his friends were able to bring their eternal souls to peace, free from the cruel darkness which tainted them in life.
Evening Glory explained that one of her siblings who goes by the name Vampyre currently holds a claim on the land of Barovia. For as long as Vampyre remains anchored to the land, he will continue to corrupt and stain the good and pure people of Barovia. Glory requested for Therean to assist her in the purging of her detestable sibling by becoming her champion. Therean asked for some time to think about the offer.
Next Episode: (10) Vallakovich Mansion
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