Page 124 - Curse of Strahd_Neat

I Loud voices and laughter spill from this bar- I

The Festival of the Blazing Sun takes place three days
rel-topped wagon. FESTIVAL OF THE BLAZING SUN
after the characters first arrive in Vallaki. You can delay
the festival if the characters get waylaid or drawn else­
Each of these wagons contains three Vistani (CN male where, or you can advance the timeline if the characters
and female human bandits). The Vistani are playing seem to be in a hurry.
a dice game for wine and favors, since they have no
money. They respond to sounds of alarm by drawing
their weapons and heading to the tent (area N9c). Under threatening skies, a parade of unhappy children
dressed as flowers trudges through the muddy streets,
N9H. VISTANI FAMILYWAGON leading the way for a group of sorry-looking men and
I gomaster and his smiling wife, who holds a sad bouquet
There are three of these wagons at the camp. women carrying a ten-foot-diameter wicker ball. The bur­

I This barrel-topped wagon is filled with the raucous of wilting flowers, follow the procession on horseback.
screams and laughter of children. As weary spectators watch from their stoops, the ball is
borne to the town square. There, it is hoisted and hung
Each of these wagons contains one Vistani adult (CN from a fifteen-foot-high wooden scaffold, and townsfolk
male or female human commoner) and ld4 + 1 Vistani take turns splashing it with oil. Before the wicker sun can
children (CN male and female human noncombatants). be set ablaze, the sky tears open in a sudden downpour.
The adult is watching the children playing games, teach­ "All will be well!" cries the burgomaster as he brandishes
ing the children about their heritage, or telling a scary a sputtering torch and marches defiantly through the rain
story to frighten the children.
toward the wicker ball, only to have his torch go out as he
I the burgomaster's fiery gaze as well as gasps from the
N9r. VISTANI TREASURE WAGON thrusts it into the sphere.
A singular laugh erupts from the crowd, drawing
I Two iron padlocks secure the door of this barrel­
topped wagon. townsfolk.

The Vistani keep all their treasure in this wagon. The The laugh comes from Lars Kjurls (LG male human
door to the wagon has two locks, each of which requires guard), a member of the town militia. The other guards
a different key. Luvash carries one key, Arrigal the other. are aghast at Lars's ill-timed outburst. The burgomaster
Each lock is rigged with a poison needle trap (see "Sam­ immediately has Lars arrested for "spite." Unless the
ple Traps" in chapter 5, "Adventure Environments," of characters intervene, Lars is bound at the ankles and
the Dungeon Master's Guide). wrists, then dragged behind the burgomaster's horse
Treasure. The wagon contains the following items: for the "amusement" of all. The burgomaster rides the
A wooden chest containing 1,200 ep (each coin horse himself.
stamped with the profiled visage of Strahd) DE VELOPMENT
• An iron chest containing 650 gp If the characters challenge the burgomaster in any way,
, An onyx jewelry box with gold filigree (worth 250 gp) he orders them banished from Vallaki. If they protest, he
containing six pieces of cheap jewelry (worth 50 gp orders the guards to arrest them, deprive them of their
each) and a potion of poison in an unlabeled crystal weapons, and force them out of Vallaki at sword point.
vial (worth 100 gp) If the characters lose their weapons, the Keepers
, A wooden throne with gold inlay and decorative stones of the Feather (see area N2) eventually steal back the
(worth 750 gp) weapons and return them to the characters.
, A rolled-up 10-foot-square rug with an exquisite uni­ If the guards fail in their duty, the burgomaster re­
corn motif (worth 750 gp) treats to his mansion and the townsfolk flee to their
A small wooden box containing twelve fake potions in homes, giving the characters free rein in town.
stoppered gourds (the Vistani.sell these nonmagical
elixirs to naive strangers; claiming that they protect TYGER,TYGER
against the deadly fog surrounding Barovia)
Karl and Nikolai Wachter (see areas N2 and N4) are
' FORTUNES OF RAVENLOFT young, foolish men from a proud noble family. The
{
If your card reading reveals that a treasure is here, it is · drunke�·b.rothers sneak into'.Arase)s.:Stockyarci (area
lying amid the other items in the wagon. -- NS) while everyone else is. a.ttc;'ripi�g·'t�e festival in th�_:
. . town scj11ani: On·i:par� orie'ofth�M- ro�ks the\vagon,: · ·,
�
. . Th sabei-'.tooth·;d tiger- locked inside b°econ:ies enraged"
SPECIAL EV.ENTS . . ·. and s�a�his· thrh�gh th� '.wa'gon . d0oi:.' The charact��s ..
�
Any of the following �vents can occur while the charac­ . and e;eryone else in t�wii iiea� th 'shJa�s'of.the
ters are staying inVallaki.. . .. young men as the tiger escapes. Tfie l:_iger flees the
- ••
t, :.
CHAPTER 5 I THE TOWN OF VALLAKI