Page 45 - Curse of Strahd_Neat

Mindlessly, he cleans glasses, one after another. When ognizes the presence of anyone in the room. She says
they're all clean, he starts over. If he is spoken to, he nothing in the presence of anger, but she will talk, albeit
takes orders for drinks in a dull, hollow voice. A small haltingly, to someone who talks with her gently.
glass of wine costs 1 cp. A pitcher of wine costs 1 sp. Af­ Mary hid her beloved daughter, Gertruda, in this
ter serving drinks, Arik returns to cleaning glasses. He house for the girl's entire life. Gertruda, now a teenager,
ignores all attempts to question him. broke out of the house a week ago and has not been
Vistani Owners. Three Vistani spies (N female hu­ seen since. Her mother fears the worst-and is justified
mans) named Alenka, Mirabel, and Sorvia sit at a table in doing so. See area K42 in chapter 4 for more informa­
near the front door. They own the tavern and see to it tion on Gertruda's fate.
that all customers pay their tabs. They otherwise show The malformed doll has a strange leer and wears a
little interest in the characters. sackcloth dress. It belonged to Mary in her youth and
If the characters arrive in the company of other was passed down to Gertruda. Gadof Blinsky, the toy­
Vistani, the owners are much more likely to engage maker of Vallaki (see chapter 5, area N7), made the doll.
them in conversation and provide useful information. Stitched into the hem of its dress is a frayed tag bearing
They suggest that the characters visit Madam Eva (see the words "Is No Fun, Is No Blinsky!"
chapter 2, area G) to have their fortunes read.
E4. BURGOMASTER'S MANSION
E3. MAD MARY'S TOWNHOUSE
A weary-looking mansion squats behind a rusting iron
A moaning sob floats through the still, gray streets, col­ fence. The iron gates are twisted and torn. The right gate
oring your thoughts with sadness. The sounds flow from lies cast aside, while the left swings lazily in the wind.
a dark, two-story townhouse. The stuttering squeal and clang of the gate repeats with
mindless precision. Weeds choke the grounds and press
The house, which is about 40 feet square, is boarded up with menace upon the house itself. Yet, against the walls,
and barricaded from the inside. Mad Mary (CN female the growth has been tramped down to create a path all
human commoner) sits in the center of the floor in an about the domain. Heavy claw markings have stripped
upstairs bedroom, clutching a malformed doll. She is the once-beautiful finish of the walls. Great black marks
lost in her sorrow and despondency. She barely rec-
tell of the fires that have assailed the mansion. Not a
pane nor a shard of glass stands in any window. All the
windows are barred with planks, each one marked with
stains of evil omen.

Characters who survey the grounds can, with a success­
ful DC 11 Wisdom (Perception) check, discern trampled
weeds all around the mansion as well as scores of wolf
paw prints and human footprints. The footprints were
made by zombies and ghouls under Strahd's control.
Treena Kolyana (LG female human noble with 14 hit
points), the adopted daughter of the burgomaster, is
inside the mansion and won't open the heavily barred
door to anyone unless she is convinced that those out­
side her door have no allegiance to Strahd. If the char­
acters convince her, either with good roleplaying or a
successful DC 15 Charisma (Deception or Persuasion)
check, or iflsmark is with them, she opens the door and
invites them in.
If the characters eµter the mansion, read:

The interior of the mansion is well furnished, yet the
fixtures show signs of great wear. Noticeable oddities are
the boarded-up windows and the presence of holy sym­
bols in every room. The burgomaster is in a side drawing
room on the floor-lying in a simple wooden coffin sur­
rounded by wilting flowers and a faint odor of decay.

Ismark and. Treena made the coffin themselves.

CHAPTER 3 I THE VILLAGE OF BAROVJA
44