#the rest is higher lvl or ties into exploring the castle and such

[petalpierrot]

last festival update

The party didn't so much participate in activities but were helping around town.

More in the cut

After Dris (ranger) stakes the six vampires and the party comes back to Father Lucian, they get rewarded with a whistle that has 3 uses of Spirit Guardian, so that's neat.

They tell Father Lucian that Lady Lydia misses him and that they hope he visits her.

Father Lucian tells them it will be difficult, but he will try to visit.

With that, the party (mostly Eidys) goes and tells Lady Lydia the good news.

Eidys tells Lady Lydia the good news and that truly delights her, although Viktor is worried that his dad will overhear.

Eidys also says it will be difficult like Father Lucian said, but she can't really do much about it right now.

Lady Lydia tells her that the baron never really liked her brother or the church and thinks that her religious nature is foolish.

Viktor agrees that it's foolish but he's not here to upset his mother, he's just upset and believes that: If the gods are real/true, why haven't they helped them against Strahd?

Eidys tells him that the gods don't generally interfere with mortal affairs and they let mortals solve their own problems.

Viktor compares the gods to useless nobility

Eidys also tells him that the gods send portents and signs sometimes.

Viktor still believes it is unnecessary.

Lady Lydia is amused by his defiance and tells him if there were no gods there would be no magic. That seems to give him something to think about, even if it will not change his sour outlook.

Eidys overhears the baron talk about some trouble and excises herself from the conversation with Lady Lydia

The Baron is talking with Izek about some sightings of vampires and werewolves in town.

When Eidys offers her assistance it at first frightens the baron, there is a wild, crazed look in his eyes.

Izek is taking Eidys' measure, he's not sure that this woman can solve anything.

The baron lets her know what the trouble is, and Eidys tells him she will look into these sightings and she confidently tells him that she is sure she can solve this mystery as well.

Izek doesn't like this. I am sure she's on his shitlist now. He doesn't feel like he needs the help (oh honey, you got a big storm coming)

Eidys thinks about this some more and lets the baron know about the encounter they had at the coffin shop, though she shifts the blame a bit, making it sound as if a concerned citizen asked her and her companions to help dispatch some vampires at a shop. She tells the baron that one of her companions dispatched the vampires (credit where credit is due)

The baron is shocked, but glad that the vampires are dispatched. He asks where she found the vampires and that the person housing them would need to be punished/executed

Eidys doesn't want the coffin maker to suffer because of STRAHD, so she tells the baron that the citizen was only housing them because Mr. von Holtz ordered them to, and if there is anything to discuss it should be discussed with him.

The Baron orders Izek to get some guards and go find the young noble.

Once Izek leaves the Baron pays her 20gp and promises to pay her fifty more when the noble is brought to him, in addition to 12 platinum. (girl is getting rich)

Izek eventually finds the young noble and fighting breaks out, some citizens are fleeing the scene and are frightened

the rest of the party comes asking about what's going on and Eidys lets them know

Ireena asks if they should go help

Eidys says normally she would offer to help but on top of city business it's better not to get involved (because it's Strahd)

The commotion and shouting stops as a cloud of bats flies off into the night and Izek comes back very battered

The guards that were with him were all in a frenzy, telling the baron how Izek's attacks glanced off of the young noble.

The baron is very angry with Izek.

He pays the rest of the money to Eidys.

Eidys tells him she isn't sure about the werewolves in town, but she guesses it can also be traced to the young von Holtz.

The party lets the baron scold Izek and move away from all that

Eidys gives Dris 30gp and 6pp, which he reluctantly takes. She believes he also deserves a reward.

After that she goes to report to Lady Wachter, telling her that the party agrees to help her (though really they are aware she's playing them for fools - they instead will foil her machinations)

Lady Wachter is trying to corral her two grown-ass sons who keep acting like teenagers.

But either way, Lady Wachter is very pleased that the party is (to her mind, fools) willing to help her.

She scolds her sons to introduce themselves properly to Eidys

Both of them do, Nikolai is polite, while Karl is looking at Eidys unwholesomely. (I can hear Rahadin breathing in sharply through his nose)

After reporting to her, the party decides to depart the town.

However, they also start hearing about some "mermaids" in Lake Zarovich that they go investigate.

It turns out to be Sahuagin, that the party decides to take care of.

They also let the local guards know.

Dris manages to get 4 barrels of fish to lure out the creatures, but that is where we stopped.