Ep. 2: The Tarokka & the Windmill

Curse of Strahd
7 min readFeb 25, 2021

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DnD Curse of Strahd Recap — Jan. 22, 2021

Days Spent in Barovia:

  • Aashuri & Therean: 3
  • Jihyo: 369
Vistani Encampment, art by brochiefwave

Madam Eva at Tser Pool

Last session, our party of three: Jihyo the half-elf fighter, Therean the half-elf bard, and Aashuri the aasimar sorcerer, had just entered the tent of the mysterious Vistana fortuneteller, Madam Eva. Madam Eva warned the party that they are not the first strangers to have sought the counsel of the Tarokka and only time would tell whether this would be the last card reading she will ever need to do for anyone.

Some Tarokka Cards

Madam Eva drew five cards, each of which guided the heroes on the following:

  1. Rogue Card: There is an ancient knowledge that would help them understand their “enemy” better. This knowledge is located in a “nest of ravens”.
  2. Druid Card: There is a holy symbol of hope and protection that can be found at the place of an ancient tree which grows atop a hill of graves.
  3. Bishop Card: There is a sword of sunlight that lies in a “pile of treasure, beyond a set of amber doors”.
  4. Tempter Card: A Vistana child will be their ally in the battle against the darkness, but her fate hangs in the balance at a lake.
  5. The Broken One: The creature of darkness the party seeks will be found in the tomb of a man he envied above all.

Following this cryptic card reading, Madam Eva offered to do one additional reading for each party member that would reveal their hearts’ desires and the path to achieving their personal goals. Aashuri and Jihyo were particularly keen on the offer.

Jihyo learned there exists a method of bringing the subject of her vengeance to Barovia, but that the path would only be offered once she became stronger. Aashuri learned there exists a method of bringing back to life a person she loved. But Madam Eva warned them both that there may be a price to be paid for what they want. Therean’s personal reading declared him as a lost sheep. However, there exists a being of great power who may offer to steer his path for him, should he choose to follow.

After the final reading, Madam Eva offered one final piece of advice: you don’t have to be heroes, but be compassionate to those who choose to find hope in you. Jihyo and Aashuri scoffed at the idea.

Rustic Banjitaur

Lash the Vistana Bard

The party returned to the revelry of the Vistani encampment outside. While Jihyo went to rest, Aashuri and Therean followed the sounds of a musical instrument to a wagon parked near the campfire. Curious about the sound, they entered the wagon and met a chill, young Vistana man called Lash playing around with an instrument he called a “banjitar” and smoking from a waterpipe. Therean tested the instrument and played rather well. So impressed was Lash that he offered the banjitar for Therean to keep. Lash made mention of another half-elf bard with a monkey that he had encountered on the road a few months before. That bard was last seen headed to Vallaki.

Therean and Aashuri probed Lash on the Vistani’s relationship with Strahd, and the Vistani’s ability to leave Barovia through the mists. Lash explained that the Vistani have always had a peaceful connection with Strahd. Strahd does not bother the Vistani, and the Vistani do not regard him as an enemy. He allows them to leave Barovia so long as they ask permission. This admittedly led to some misunderstandings among Barovians about the Vistani being servants of Strahd, or just generally untrustworthy. Following that, the party retired for the night.

The Old Windmill

The Old Windmill

When they awoke, they sought directions to Vallaki, which the Vistani were happy to offer. They proceeded along the Old Svalich Road and fortunately encountered no troubles during the day. Closer to sunset, they arrived at an old windmill.

Therean and Aashuri were reminded of the Durst family will, which they found in the Death House. Attached to the will was a deed to a windmill which the Durst children would have inherited had they lived. Therean and Aashuri filled Jihyo in on their adventures in the Death House, and Aashuri offered the longsword they found at the house to Jihyo’s capable hands.

Curiosity drove the party toward the windmill. A raven perched above the windmill door agitatedly squawked at the party and attempted to throw Therean’s hat back to the road. The party was wary of what may lie inside. Drawing their weapons, they prepared for a fight as Jihyo used her masterful strength to kick down the wooden door, which came off its hinges entirely from the force of the attack.

A woman in her fifties arrived at the door, frightened by the sight of three armed individuals who had just broken down her door. Believing them to be robbers, she informed them her home had nothing of value. The party quickly backtracked their approach and instead questioned the woman on the windmill. Aashuri presented the deed to the windmill and asked if she was familiar with the name Durst.

The woman mistook the questions, believing the party was looking to violently evict her and her family from the mill. The party assured that they did not wish to kick anyone from their homes and then offered to gift the deed of the windmill to her in exchange for allowing them to enter. Although the woman was suspicious, she allowed them to enter.

Dream Pastries

Morgantha’s Daughters: Bella and Offalia

The party quickly learned that the woman, Bella, and her sister, Offalia, were the daughters of Granny (Morgantha), the dream pie merchant they met in Village Barovia. The ground floor was set up like a home bakery, with dozens of dream pies in the oven. While Bella went upstairs, the party attempted to investigate the room to search for trap doors or hidden spaces, but there was little to be found. Jihyo did not find anything strange under the stairs. However, Therean inspected some of the bones littering the floor and found that they were too large to be bird bones. This seemed suspicious, as the party was initially given the impression that chicken meat was used for the pies. These suspicions were dashed when Bella returned and offered a “wolf meat pie” to Therean, which he happily accepted and paid 1 gp for. Bella offered for the party to stay at the mill for the night since it wasn’t safe to be out in the dark, what with so many wolves, vampires, and wild forest folk roaming about.

The Mystery of Andral’s Orphanage

After some visible hesitation, Bella decided to make a request for assistance. Bella’s mother, Morgantha (aka “Granny”), had sent a letter to a friend named Vasili in Vallaki some time ago, but the post was returned to the windmill undelivered. The letter suggested that the children at Andral’s Orphanage were in the clutches of a witch. Granny expressed in her letter that she would gladly help to house the children if Vasili was able to bring them out of Vallaki. Since the letter was returned, Bella fears that something may have happened to Vasili. The party agreed to investigate the matter.

The party accepted the offer, but Jihyo and Aashuri could not shake their suspicion of the women. While resting, the party members each took watch, but Aashuri attempted to quietly investigate the upper floors. She did not succeed in her attempt at stealth and was forced to return to the ground floor before the women noticed her sneaking. Offalia offered Aashuri a pie for a more peaceful rest, which Aashuri declined. Before her watch ended, Aashuri spotted a raven by the window. Aashuri offered some rations to the bird as well as some left over dream pie dough found around the windmill ground floor. The raven accepted the rations, but ignored the pie dough.

Next Episode: (3) Drupe Troupe vs. Dire Wolves

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Curse of Strahd
Curse of Strahd

Written by Curse of Strahd

DM Mary — Dungeon Master — Codex Gaming CA (@codexgamingca on Instagram)