Honu, Krill, Maulduk and Seisha encounter a fresh batch of guards. As they are talking, someone shoots a crossbow bolt into the neck of one of the guards. Eiric appears and attempts to stabilize the man. Meanwhile, Maulduk tries to chase the shooter. Izek arrives, with Hadrioul behind him. When Hadrioul finds out about the shooter, he tries to help find the shooter.
Suspicious, Izek demands that the party drop their weapons. After a long discussion, Krill decides to shoot Izek in the head. This leads into a bloody battle where the overwhelmed guards attempt to run away. As the guards flee, Krill and Maulduk continue to attack them. Hadrioul attempts to stop Maulduk, but fails. In a brief moment of quiet, Hadrioul confronts Krill and Maulduk. The party departs, but not before Honu discovers a doll resembling Ireena on Izek’s body. Honu gives the doll of Hadrioul.
As the party makes their way through the alleyway, they encounter a dark, shadowy figure that offers to help them. The man looks to be the same as the one who had delivered Strahd’s note to the party. After following the man, the party finds themselves in front of a large mansion.
Full write-up
Hadrioiul interrogates Izek about the Church, but Izek appears to not be involved in the theft of the bones of Saint Andral. Izek heads back to the Burgomaster and Hadrioul follows.
Meanwhile, some newly arrived guards confront Honu, Krill, Maulduk and Seisha at the prison. The group persuades the guards that they dispersed the mob (without getting into pesky details). A mysterious figure shoots a crossbow bolt through a guard’s neck and Maulduk chases after him. Eiric makes an appearance (looking slightly different) and stabilizes the injured guard. Hadrioul and Izek arrive. After questioning Maulduk, Hadrioul tries to help find the shooter. Izek moves past Maulduk and tries to get the party to drop their weapons.
A long discussion ensues between the party and Izek, but it does not end peacefully. Krill ends the discussion by letting his bow do the talking. He draws back an arrow and unleashes it at Izek. The quarry bursts through Izek’s head and he tumbles to the ground like a broken doll. Krill follows up with another shot at a nearby guard. Maulduk screams and brutally takes down a pair of guards. Hadrioul comes running up to figure out what has transpired. Eiric casts a web upon a handful of guards. Seisha’s hands become sheathed in glowing energy and she waves her hands threateningly at the remaining guards, hoping to drive them away.
After seeing the combined sight of the leader being downed and the bodies of other guards lying on the floor, the frightened guards try to run away. As the guards attempt to flee, Maulduk hunts them down from behind. With necrotic energy glistening upon him like obsidian, Maulduk leaps upon the guards with glazed eyes. Krill begins shooting guards that are snared by the web and are trying desperately to escape. Blood flows upon the streets of Vallaki. Hadrioul is horrified by the attacks on the fleeing guards and attempts, unsuccessfully, to restrain Maulduk. As the last of the nearby guards is slain, Maulduk’s glassy eyes return to focus and he seems unaware of what has transpired.
Outraged, Hadrioul confronts Krill and Maulduk. The rest of the group makes a quick departure, but Seisha has to drag Hadrioul away from the carnage. Honu picks up a strange doll from out of Izek’s possessions. The doll resembles Ireena, and the Tortle hands it Hadrioul who takes it.
The streets are now filled with chanting mobs holding torches and pitchforks. Wisely, Seisha leads the group through the back streets. In a darkened alleyway, the party encounters a shadowy figure that offers to aid them. Some of the party recognizes the figure as the man who had delivered Strahd’s note at the inn. The man claims to serve the Watcher, and mentions that Fiona would be pleased to meet them. The shadowy man takes them to a sullen, brooding mansion.
What manner of darkness lays within?
