Page 122 - Curse of Strahd_Neat

Arabelle. Strahd has tasked the Vistani with keeping and help him find a way to bring his sister Patrina back
an eye on the dusk elves, and the dusk elves know they from the dead.
aren't safe in Barovia without the Vistani's "protection."
Strahd has also forbidden the Vistani from helping the N9B. DUSK ELF HOVELS
dusk elves escape his domain. Six simple houses ring the base of the hill, three
There are no women or children among the dusk protruding from the north side and three from the
elves. Strahd had all the female dusk elves put to death south side.
around four centuries ago as a punishment for Patrina's I
murder. Thus, the remaining elves can't procreate. A A grim, gray-cloaked figure stands in front of the door to
broken people, they are aware of the vampire's absolute
hold over the land of Barovia. They keep a low profile I this house.
and have no desire to incur Strahd's wrath again.
The cloaked figure is a guard (N male dusk elf). If the
N9A. KASIMIR'S HOVEL characters appear friendly and are looking for someone
If the characters approach the house at the base of the to talk to, the guard directs them to Kasimir's hovel
hill on the eastern perimeter of the camp, read the fol­ (area N9a). Under no circumstances does the guard will­
lowing text:
ingly allow strangers to enter the house he protects.
Each hovel is configured similarly to Kasimir's hovel.
Standing quietly in front of this house, bathed in the All are currently unoccupied. (Except for the nine
warm light of its lanterns, are three sullen, gray-cloaked guards left behind to watch the homes, the dusk elves
figures, their angular features and black, flowing hair are out searching for Arabelle.)
half-hidden under their cowls. N9c. VISTANI TENT

The cloaked figures are three guards (N male dusk Piled outside the wagon are several empty casks of wine.
elves). If the characters seem friendly and are looking From inside the tent comes the crack of a whip followed
for someone to talk to, the guards direct them inside
to Kasimir or point them toward the Vistani camp on by the howls of a young man. Three sputtering campfires
the hilltop. fill the tent with smoke, and through the haze you see six
Kasimir Velikov (see appendix D) is the leader of Vistani passed out in various places on the dead grass.
the dusk elves. His hovel has a decorated vestibule and A barely conscious and shirtless teenager hugs the cen­
a comfortable room beyond with a fireplace. Wooden tral tent pole, his wrists bound with rope and his back
statuettes of elven deities stand in cubbyholes along one streaked with blood. An older, larger man in studded
wall. A tapestry of a forest hangs on the opposite wall.
Kasimir confesses that he is burdened by dreams sent leather armor lashes the young man with a horsewhip,
to him by his dead sister, Patrina Velikovna, whose spirit causing him to scream again. Standing in the bigger
has languished in the catacombs below Castle Ravenloft man's shadow is a third man also clad in studded leather.
for centuries. Kasimir believes that Patrina has re­ "Easy, brother," he says to the whip-wielding brute. "I
pented for her many sins, and he yearns not only to free think Alexei has learned his lesson."
her but also to restore her to life.
If the characters seem intent on destroying Strahd,
Kasimir tells them about the Amber Temple. Without di­ The two men in studded leather armor are the leaders of
vulging too much of the dreams sent to him by Patrina, the Vistani camp-the brothers Luvash (CE male human
Kasimir informs the characters that the secret to break­ bandit captain) and Arrigal (NE male human assas­
ing Strahd's pact and freeing Barovia from its curse sin). If you used the "Plea for Help" adventure hook, the
might be hidden there. Kasimir doesn't know whether characters have already met Arrigal. Luvash is so drunk
this claim is true or not, but he states it as a way of per­ that he has disadvantage on his attack rolls and ability
suading the characters _to accompany him to the temple; checks. Each brother carries a key that unlocks one of
his main objective, he says, is to find something there the padlocks of the treasure wagon (area N9i).
that he can use to bring Patrina back from the dead. Luvash is punishing a Vistana named Alexei (CN male
Treasure. Kasimir wears a ring of warmth and has a human bandit with 3 hit points remaining) for failing
leather-bound spellbook containing all the spells he has to keep a watchful eye on his daughter. The characters'
prepared (see appendix D) plus the following spells: ar­ arrival distracts Luvash, and-he forgets about Alexei
cane lock, comprehend languages, hold person, identify, long enough to play the role of host-until such time as
locate object, nondetection, polymorph, protection from . the characters become tiresome or threatening, Alexei
evil and good, ray of frost, and wall of stone. . blames himself for not watching the little brat more
clo�ely and has a.ccepte:d 'ti/s:purlish.��nt, If.the charac-.
,
FORTUNES OF RAVE'l{LOFT ters: try to "rescue him,.he sq-earns a'fthem to stop, riot
. If your card reading reveals that a treasure is here, it is '' w�ntingJ� �PP.��;"eak-in front ofLuv a �h and Atrigal.-
w
· in Kasimir's pos_�essio�. He'relinqtiishes it if the char- . In aci.dition to Luvash, Arri gal; ·and:Aiex:ei, -there· a r�
·
'.
. acters promise to a<;company hi!TI to the Amber Temple ': six int6xicat�d VisUtn\ (CN: maie and'f�mai � : �'uin�n
·
·
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CHAPTER 5 I THE TOWN OF VALLAKT 121
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