Chapter 16

The Captain’s Dream

The group reconvened on the torchlit shores of the lake with a lot to tell each other. Fabian and Eliza informed the group of Kasimir's proposition, and were informed of the encounter with the Mad Mage. Fabian grabbed Bluto by the arm, too defeated now to protest, and told the group he must be brought to justice with the Vistani. Athrin agreed to accompany her while the rest of the group went back to town.  Fabian and Athrin arrived at the camp to find the celebration still in swing. They walked to the main tent through more cheers and applause as Fabian tried rather unsuccessfully to rope Athrin into the accomplishment. Half the camp had gathered in the tent, and when the three entered, Arrigal bent down to Arabelle and whispered in her ear. Looking stoically at Bluto, she nodded and Arrigal motioned for Luvash to carry her from the tent. Arrigal approached Bluto through the silent stares of the crowd and looked him over, his eyes downturned. Fabian spoke, abducating his justice but pleading the case of his grief and pathetic confusion. Arrigal placed a hand on her shoulder and thanked her, pledging not to be rash in his justice but asking for the two to respect custom and leave the matter wholly to the Vistani community. Athrin scanned the room for Kasimir as Fabian had described him, but not finding him, the two agreed to leave. The last they saw of the affair was Arrigal's outstretched hands gripping Bluto's shoulders and Bluto shying his eyes.

Eliza, Pieron, Dyson, and Erros were able to reenter the city rather unaccosted, crossing paths with the Gatemaster Ulga once again, and making their way to Thimdal's Armaments. Realizing Rowley was likely closed up for the night, they opted instead for their soft beds in the tavern, but Eliza noticed a commotion of several Valakians in brisk strides making their way to the plaza. She followed, and the rest followed her. In the plaza the group came upon a crowd gathered around the stocks, a tall man standing on a platform above the crowd. They asked an old woman for information and she identified the tall man as Izek Strazni, captain of the guard. The group decided they needed a closer look. Erros pushed into the old woman's home at her protest and took the second of privacy to disguise himself as a young and attractive woman. Leaving the old woman shocked and clutching her shawl the group pushed further into the crowd. Closer they saw Izek, a towering man with a demonic reptilian arm that ended in a massive talon. A woman wailed being held back by a guard as Izek removed a thin man from the stocks and pulled him to his feet. Baron Vargas onlooked, his mastiffs on a short leash. Asking another onlooker, Erros learned the man's name was Udo, and that he had been in the stocks for a few days for holding a sign at the Wolf's head festival suggesting an overthrow of the Baron. The pleading woman appeared to be Udo's mother. Two guards began hauling Udo away and the Baron followed, leaving Izek behind to disperse the crowd.

By this point Athrin and Fabian had returned and found their way to the plaza as well. Once filled in, Fabian knew she needed to learn Udo's fate and slunk off after the Baron. Not versed in stealth however, it wasn't long before the mastiffs sensed her, and her stealth was blown. Downplaying her tailing as best she could, she inquired more directly into Udo's fate, but was met only with perturbement through the Baron's gritting smile. Fabian walked away. She was able to deduce their general direction however, and at a distance observed the procession enter the Baron's mansion, only for the two guards to emerge several minutes later. In a last ditch effort, Fabian walked up the mansion steps and knocked on the door. Ioana answered and at Fabian's questioning agreed to a short rendezvous in the garden. There she reluctantly divulged the Baron's practice of personally seeing to the physical correction of particularly troublesome individuals, but assured Fabian that they always emerged from the manor worse for wear but alive several days later. Resigning herself, Fabian retreated to the tavern.

In the meantime, the rest of the party wanted more information out of Izek. Despite the crowd of people still gathered in the square, Erros in the guise of a young woman approached Izek and struck up conversation. Izek was a hard sell and had little interest in his flirtatious advances. But with Erros's slippery tongue he managed to keep him talking for long enough to cast a frightening spell, leaning in close and whispering threats into Izek's ear. Now under extreme duress, Izek responded forthcomingly to Erros's more direct questions: what's up with the dolls, what do you want with Ireena Kolyanovich, why do you follow the Baron. Izek told him it was a dream he'd always had, the woman felt important, but he had no idea who Ireena was, and the Baron gave him everything when he took the orphaned Izek in at a young age. Erros felt content with his answers and released the captain to quickly pull his guards back from the square. Then the group returned to the tavern.

After a good night's rest at the Blue Water Inn, the party enjoyed breakfast in the common room. Fabian sat with Rictavio, chatting through the morning about her life before this trip. Eliza spied an interesting duo at a corner table, covered in mud, reeking of pine and sweat, and thought she would introduce herself. Several plates in to a massive meal, the apparent brothers were content and sociable, explaining themselves to be the known wolf-hunters Yevgeni and Szoldar Krushkin just returned from a hunt. They had little knowledge in the way of vampires as the hunters keep to the west of Vallaki far from the eastern Ravenloft Moors where vampires lurk, but they did caution against the werewolves in the woods west of the Raven River. They informed the party they would be in town for several more days resting and selling their wares before going hunting once again. The group finished their breakfast and gathered their silvered weapons from Rowley the blacksmith. Then they made their way to the church.

Once at the church, they managed to find Ireena in her chambers, and quickly explained to her what they knew of Izek and their plan to learn more of what he knows. Ireena agreed. Erros disguised himself as Ireena and walked to the square. He searched for Izek there but had no luck, then knocked on the door to the Baron's mansion and explained to Ioana that he needed to speak to Izek. Shaken up a bit from their encounter the night previous, Izek happened to be home, and Ioana offered to fetch him. Izek recognized Ireena immediately and as Ireena walked away an illusory whisper in his ear of "follow me" compelled Izek to do the same. Izek called out to Ireena to stop but this only quickened Erros's pace as he tried to lead Izek to the church. It can't be said that this didn't make a scene, from Izek's commanding reputation and Ireena's unforgettable red hair, but the two made it to the church where Erros and the real Ireena made a quick swap.

Izek refused to enter the church and stood speaking with Ireena in the street in front. The party peered at the scene through the stained glass while Ireena tried her best to answer Izek's questions, so it wasn't long before Izek demanded the rest of them join him outside. Erros asked what he knew of Ireena and what the dreams meant, but Izek suspected them to be responsible for the sorcery he experienced the night before and demanded they tell the truth before he engaged in any of their questions. The group hesitated, but owned up to it, much to Izek's thanks. He then proceeded to explain how he'd dreamed of Ireena his entire life. Dark dreams viewed through veils of mist, he would see Ireena sleeping, or talking, or going about her day. It felt like eavesdropping and through all the mist and smoke he knew he was not alone. There was another spying on her, maybe several others. They whispered to each other in the dark, ever concerned with Ireena's life. Izek explained that he didn't believe they knew he was there, that it was his family's curse that gave him this link, to see what he wasn't supposed to see. He told the group that it wasn't Strahd, it was something else, something much older than the count. When asked more about his curse, he made note of a house high on the hill to the east of the Barovian Basin, an old manor once belonging to the Durst family. Far back in his family line was the handmaiden of Mrs. Durst, who followed that family down a dark path leaving her descendants touched by evil for all time. Fabian made note of the familiarity of this house to them, and that the house now lies in a rubble pile. Izek laughed, and implored the group to have a second look. Were that house to truly fall, he believes he would know, his curse leaves him connected to it's undying fate. When the group all but asked Izek if he would protect Ireena from here on out, he all but declined, believing his role in this tale to be small and his duties for the Baron uninterruptable.

But Izek wasn't just giving this information for free. He had more to share that the party could help with, specifically a John Doe who arrived in Vallaki over six months ago and is believed to still be in the city. He gave the name of Sebastian Horvath at the gate but that's believed to be a fake, and ever since his arrival the Dominionists have grown in both number and radicalism. His arrival was also about the time Lady Wachter became more publicly involved. The worst of it was the disappearances, three to four woman a month going missing, always alone at night and all about the city. Izek noted how such disappearances have fallen at he and his guard's feet, though he assured the party that was not the case. He asked them to investigate this matter, and to pay the Durst house one more visit should they ever find the time to make the trip. Then he turned and walked back into town, leaving the party and one shell-shocked Ireena alone in the street.