An adventure for five 2nd-level heroes.

Arc Summary

In this arc, the heroes escort Ireena Kolyanovna to St. Andral's Church in Vallaki, fulfilling their vow to her brother, Ismark. However, Father Lucian, the church's priest, informs them that the bones of Saint Andral—the source of the church's protective magic—have recently been stolen, placing its wards and parishioners at risk.

The heroes have until the night before the Feast of St. Andral to identify the thief (the church groundskeeper, Milivoj), track down the bones to their hiding place (the Vallaki coffin maker's shop), and return them to their rightful place in the church. Their mission will bring them into direct conflict with Volenta Popofsky, Strahd's most sadistic vampiric bride, and her vampiric minions.

Can the heroes defeat Volenta's plan and restore the church's protection? Or will the church be lost in darkness and blood, its flickering light snuffed out in the shadows?

The heroes can earn up to 4 Victories by

• Finding the location of St. Andral's bones (montage, 1 Victory);
• Defeating Volenta and her vampire spawn in the coffin maker's shop to retrieve the bones (combat, 1-2 Victories); and
• Successfully arguing for mercy at Henrik and Milivoj's trial (negotiation, 1 Victory).

Content Warnings

This load-bearing content can't be removed or altered without significantly changing the arc:

• Oppressive criminal legal proceedings (the trial)
• Execution (the "default outcome" if the heroes don't intervene in the trial, or if the negotiation goes wildly wrong)
• Children in poverty (Milivoj's siblings; provides critical motivation for Milivoj to steal the bones)

This content is present, but can be removed or reworked without much effort:

• Young people in danger (Milivoj, 19)
• Neglect of children (Milivoj's siblings; can be reworked by having Milivoj's parents dead instead of dependent on dream pastries)
• Branding (as a possible punishment at the trial)
• Flogging (as a possible punishment at the trial)
• Amputation/limb loss (as a possible punishment at the trial)
• Fire (as revenge, if the heroes fail to defeat Volenta)
• Decapitation and evisceration (as revenge, if the heroes fail to defeat Volenta)

D1. St. Andral's Church

This scene takes place in Chapter 5: Area N1.

The church is largely as described in N1. St. Andral's Church (p. 97).

The church's occupants follow the following schedule unless interrupted:

• At dawn, Yeska joins Father Lucian for prayers in the chapel and assists him in preparing breakfast.
• In the morning, Yeska runs errands around Vallaki while Father Lucian sweeps the chapel, dusts the pews, polishes the altar, and tidies up the kitchen.
• In the afternoon, Father Lucian teaches Yeska how to read, and educates him in basic history and theology.
• In the evening, with Yeska's assistance, Father Lucian leads the congregation in prayer and delivers a sermon promising sanctuary and comfort.

D1a. Entering the Church

When the heroes first move to enter the church after the bones have been stolen, Henrik van der Voort emerges at the same time, forcing one of the heroes to make a medium Agility test or crash into him.

Whether the hero succeeds or fails, the near-impact makes Henrik trip, sending him tumbling to the ground. As he does, he loses his hold on a bundle of nails and planks held in his arms, which scatter across the stairs and earth below. The farsighted Henrik also loses his pair of half-cracked spectacles in the fall, which land across the steps a short ways beneath him.

The heroes can help Henrik collect his glasses, nails, and planks as he scrambles helplessly to find them. If they do, he thanks them profusely, dabbing at his face and hands with a slightly soiled handkerchief. He is willing to share the following information if directly asked:

• His name is Henrik van der Voort, and he is Vallaki's resident coffin-maker and occasional carpenter.
• Father Lucian asked him to visit to deliver some tools and supplies to repair some damage to the floor caused by a falling tree branch the previous night.
• His shop can be found at the south end of Arasek Stockyard. "Although," Henrik jokes awkwardly, "I do hope you won't need my services too soon."

Henrik then excuses himself and departs to return to his shop.

D1b. The Chapel

When the heroes first enter this area, read:

The young man is Milivoj (he/him). The priest is Father Lucian Petrovich (he/him). The child is Yeska (she/they/he).

When the heroes first meet Father Lucian, he greets them warmly, recognizing them as newcomers to Vallaki, welcoming them to St. Andral's Church, and asking if they have come seeking fellowship or to pray to the Lady of Morning.

After the heroes have exchanged pleasantries, Milivoj dismounts his stepladder and returns it to Father Lucian. The following exchange then takes place, giving the heroes generous time and opportunity to interrupt and respond:

• Upon noticing the heroes, Milivoj immediately scowls, and asks, "Father, are these outsiders bothering you? I can ask them to leave."
• If the heroes say nothing, Father Lucian chides Milivoj, noting that, "In these dark times, it's never been more important to be hospitable to others."
• If rebuffed, Milivoj retorts: "You can't be too sure about strangers. I thought the town gates were supposed to be closed. They could be vampires, or worse." He then glowers at the heroes, and asks, "Unless you have some way of proving that you're not?"

Milivoj is eager to prevent further investigation of the church, and hopes to persuade Father Lucian to drive the heroes away. However, he's not willing to look suspicious, and drops the issue if the heroes or Father Lucian push back. "You can't be too careful," he mumbles. "Be safe, Father." He then departs.

Once Milivoj leaves, if Father Lucian is informed that Ireena is seeking sanctuary in the church from Strahd or other monsters, he first ensures that no other congregants are present—shooing away Yeska if present—and swears the heroes to secrecy.

If the heroes agree not to spread his words beyond the church, Father Lucian sorrowfully informs them that, while he would love nothing more than to extend Ireena an offer of permanent shelter, recent events have left the church's wards in a precarious state. He can also share the following additional information at the heroes' prompting:

• The church is ordinarily hallowed ground. This magical ward prevents fiends and undead from entering the church, and keeps them from magically charming, frightening, or possessing those within it.
• The source of this protection is the crypt of Saint Andral, which has historically held the blessed bones of Andral himself, the founder of Vallaki's church and a great saint of the Lady of Morning.
• Originally, only Father Lucian knew of the bones' existence. However, after news of the siege of Barovia reached Vallaki a few days ago, he shared the knowledge of the bones with Yeska to put the fearful child at ease.
• To retain the church's protection, Father Lucian must invoke a particular rite of protection over Saint Andral's bones once every year, at dawn on the morning of Saint Andral's Feast—a holy day that memorializes Andral's life.
• If the rite cannot be carried out at that time, the wards will fall until the rite is completed on a subsequent dawn.
• Last night, someone broke into the church's crypt and stole St. Andral's bones, damaging the floorboards behind the altar and escaping through a window. Without the bones, Father Lucian can't complete the protective rite, and the wards will fall at dawn on the day of St. Andral's Feast.
• Father Lucian is fearful that some fell creature or wicked soul has manufactured this crisis as an opportunity to cause his congregation harm; though the Baron is confident that no monsters could breach Vallaki's walls, Father Lucian fears that the town is not as safe as it appears.

Father Lucian can also share the date of St. Andral's Feast, which will take place on Hektavr 28/Neyavr 14 (the day before the next full moon). He has not reported the theft of the bones for fear of the distress that the news might cause. He does not suspect Milivoj of stealing the bones either, having no reason to do so.

If the heroes express an interest in doing so, Father Lucian is glad to allow them to inspect the crime scene—having made neither heads nor tails of it himself—and to interview Yeska, so long as they promise to be patient and gentle with the child.

If the heroes ask for the identities of other possible witnesses, Father Lucian notes that the only other employee of the church is the groundskeeper, Milivoj. Father Lucian can give the heroes directions to Milivoj’s house, which is located in the northwestern quarter of Vallaki.

Father Lucian accompanies the heroes as they complete their investigation, answering additional questions when asked. If the heroes' investigation takes them beyond the church, he offers to join them and asks Yeska to attend the chapel in his absence. (He takes personal responsibility for the bones' disappearance, and—given his connections across the town and his service to the Lady of Morning—wishes to assist the heroes in recovering them.) If the heroes decline his offer, he offers them a vial of Holy Water: it's not much, he says, but maybe it'll help if the holy relic has been desecrated somehow.

The heroes must now undertake a montage test to investigate the missing bones.

D1c. The Scene of the Crime

Father Lucian is glad to lead the heroes to the location of the crypt if prompted. Read:

The fresh boards and nails were delivered by Henrik. The opening is barely wide enough to allow one person to enter, and descends into the crypt.

St. Andral's crypt is a small, cramped chamber beneath the chapel, lying largely beneath the chapel's altar. If a hero enters the crypt, read:

The slab held the bones until Milivoj stole them.

The heroes can find the following information by investigating the area around the crypt:

• Investigate the floorboards: the heroes can find a torn piece of gray wool fabric snagged on a nail with a successful medium Reason test, and a line of rust-stained dirt smeared across a floorboard with a successful hard Intuition test.
• Investigate the interior of the crypt: the heroes can find several clumps of earth with a successful medium Intuition test. Each clump is in the shape of a large bootprint, and contains several blades of pale green grass and white flower petals.
• Investigate the altar or the stone slab: the heroes can find a few strands of dark black hair with a medium Intuition test.

The fabric was torn from Milivoj's shirt as he lowered himself down, and the rust was left when he used his shovel to pry up the floorboards.

The clumps of earth were left when Milivoj's boots hit the floor of the crypt. Father Lucian can inform the heroes that the petals are from the ramson plant, which grow in several patches in the church graveyard.

The hair is Milivoj's.

D1d. Interviewing Yeska

If the heroes choose to interview Yeska, Father Lucian asks them not to press them too hard for information. The child is still emotionally fragile from the death of their parents three months ago, and Father Lucian doesn't wish to harm their mental well-being over a mere suspicion of danger. (Yeska doesn't know that the bones have been stolen; Father Lucian has been careful to keep them away from the hole behind the altar.)

If one of the heroes asks Yeska whether they have told anyone else about the bones, he truthfully denies doing so.

Question Yeska: With an easy Presence test, if the heroes ask whether anyone might have overheard her conversation with Father Lucian, Yeska shares that Milivoj was also in the church at that time. Yeska, though alarmed by the direction of the conversation, can also share that Milivoj's tales of Strahd potentially attacking the church encouraged them to ask Father Lucian about the church's protection in the first place.

D2. Milivoj’s House

Milivoj’s house is located in the impoverished northwest quarter of Vallaki, a short walk from St. Andral’s Church.

Navigate Vallaki: Heroes must travel quickly and quietly, without alerting anyone who might warn Milivoj they're coming. Suggested Characteristics: Presence, Agility. Suggested Skills: Navigate, Sneak.

If the heroes knock on the door, it’s answered a few moments thereafter by Jarzinka, Milivoj’s mother. Read:

The children in the armchairs are a twelve-year-old boy named Bogan and a ten-year-old girl named Zondra. The three children wrestling on the ground are named Lazlo (eight years old), Grilsha (seven years old), and Dargos (five years old).

Jarzinka is a woman of few words, and is annoyed because she has just finished the last of her dream pastries. If the heroes ask to speak with Milivoj, she turns to Bogan and Zondra, then grunts at them. The conversation then proceeds as follows:

• Bogan cheerfully informs the heroes that Milivoj is sick and doesn’t want to talk to anyone today.
• Find Milivoj: If the heroes succeed on a medium Presence test, Zondra turns and hollers, “Milo! Someone wants to speak to you.”

A few moments later, the nineteen-year-old Milivoj exits a swollen wooden door at the back of the room, with his three-year-old brother Jirko giggling delightedly from atop Milivoj’s shoulders and his four-year-old twin sisters, Victoria and Vasha, hanging from his biceps.

D2a. Confronting Milivoj

Upon spotting the heroes, Milivoj’s face visibly falls, and he gently shakes Victoria and Vasha from his arms and sets Jirko down in Bogan’s lap.

Observe Milivoj: A medium Intuition test reveals his body language has grown tense, and that he is shifting uncomfortably. On a tier 2 result, Milivoj notices the hero's scrutiny and becomes defensive. The next test made to interrogate Milivoj takes a bane.

As Milivoj reaches the door, he tersely addresses Jarzinka as “Mother” and gives her a grudging nod. Jarzinka grunts and shuffles away from the door, disappearing into the room from which Milivoj came.

If the heroes inform Milivoj that they want to speak with him about St. Andral’s bones, he scowls, insists that he knows nothing about the matter, and attempts to close the door.

Open door: A hero can prevent Milivoj from closing the door with a successful medium Agility or Might test. (If Milivoj successfully closes the door, the heroes can make him open it again by making a sufficient nuisance of themselves, by succeeding on an easy Presence test, or by forcing the door down with a successful easy Might test.)

Question Milivoj: Milivoj denies any knowledge of the bones or their theft if asked about them outright. However, he claims to have seen a cloaked figure watching the church two days ago from an alleyway. (The description of the cloaked figure coincidentally matches the appearance of Ernst Larnak, Fiona's spy, though Milivoj doesn't know Ernst or the nature of his employment.) A successful medium Intuition test reveals that he is speaking slightly too quickly.

Montage Outcomes

If the heroes achieve a total success on the montage test (i.e., meet the success limit before the failure limit), any test made to convince Milivoj to admit to stealing the bones has a double edge. Award each hero 1 Victory.

If the heroes achieve a partial success on the montage test, their investigation has taken at least an hour, and one of Milivoj's neighbors has warned him that Father Lucian and some "serious-looking people" are looking for him. Any test made to convince Milivoj to admit to stealing the bones has a bane.

If the heroes encounter total failure on the montage test, their investigation has taken so long that Milivoj has had several hours to convert guilt into defensiveness. Any test made to convince Milivoj to admit to stealing the bones has a double bane.

Accusing Milivoj

If the heroes accuse Milivoj of stealing the bones and succeed on a medium Presence test (modified as above), Milivoj admits to stealing them as described in #D1. St. Andral's Church. Heroes who confront Milivoj with evidence from the crypt automatically succeed. Milivoj can't take the heroes to the coffin maker's shop himself, but notes that Father Lucian can lead them there.

If asked his motive for stealing the bones, Milivoj shares that he needed Henrik's money to feed his young siblings. He can also share that, after his father—a former Vallakian guard—was wounded in a recent wolf attack, both of his parents began regularly purchasing dream pastries from the peddler Morgantha outside of the gates. With both parents dependent on Morgantha's wares, Milivoj sees himself as his siblings' sole means of avoiding total poverty. (If asked, Milivoj can provide a basic description of the effects of dream pastries, as described in Dream Pastries.)

If informed that the bones may have been stolen to allow an attack upon the church, Milivoj dismisses the idea, insisting that the bones are just a "moldy old relic" and that "he doesn't have time to believe in fairy tales." He can also share that Henrik told him the bones were a powerless family heirloom, and that Henrik sought to recover them to honor his ancestor.

D2b. Departing the House

Once Milivoj has admitted to the bones' theft, Father Lucian can lead the heroes to the coffin maker's shop. (He knows the owner, Henrik, well, and hopes that he can reason with the man.) If the heroes appear skeptical, Father Lucian—who has the statistics described in Priest of the Morning—reveals that he bears the holy symbol of Natalya Petrovna, his ancestor and a mighty conduit of the Lady, and promises them that he is more than capable of defending himself. If the heroes decline his offer, he offers them a vial of Holy Water: it's not much, he says, but maybe it'll help if the holy relic has been desecrated somehow.

If the heroes suggest reporting the theft of the bones to the burgomaster, Father Lucian is reluctant to do so, fearing the possibility of raising a panic. With a successful medium Presence test, however, the heroes can convince Father Lucian to join them in reporting the theft to the baron, who dispatches four guards to arrest Henrik and retrieve the bones. Henrik surrenders himself without a fight, claiming that vampires forced him to steal the bones; he tells the guards that the bones are hidden upstairs, but he won't retrieve the bones himself for fear of being killed by the vampires. (If the heroes don't have Father Lucian with them, the burgomaster refuses to believe that the bones are responsible for the church's divine protection or to assist the heroes in recovering them.)

D3. Arasek Stockyard

This scene takes place in Chapter 5: Area N5.

Arasek Stockyard is largely as described in N5. Arasek Stockyard (p. 115). However, while Rictavio's wagon is mostly covered by old and faded paint, the Carnival of Wonders sign on its side is brand new and fresh-painted.

If one of the heroes expresses an interest in breaking into the wagon, Father Lucian discourages them from doing so if he is present.

If a hero nonetheless attempts to unlock or force open the door to the wagon, the entire wagon suddenly rocks violently from side to side. The heroes can also hear the sound of something with large, heavy claws scratching against the interior of the wagon. (The rocking and scratches are made by the ghost of Erasmus van Richten, an Unquiet Spirit seeking to protect Sitarey by scaring visitors away.)

If the heroes successfully break the door to the wagon or pick its padlock, they find that the wagon’s interior contains a soft bed with comfortable wool blankets, shelves with gallery rails mostly containing books and old glass bottles, and a young hakaan woman—Sitarey—who is calmly knitting a mitten in stranded colorwork. (For more information about Sitarey, see Arc E - The Missing Girl.)

D4. Coffin Maker's Shop

This scene takes place in Chapter 5: Area N6.

The coffin maker's shop is largely as described in N6. Coffin Maker's Shop (p. 116). Henrik van der Voort, the coffin maker, follows the following schedule:

• In the morning, he sleeps in, remaining in bed in N6e. Henrik's Bedroom.
• In the late morning, he anxiously checks that the wardrobe containing St. Andral's bones hasn't been disturbed, and then prepares breakfast in N6d. Kitchen.
• In the afternoon, he builds coffins in N6c. Workshop.
• In the evening, he prepares an evening meal in N6d. Kitchen.
• At night, he sleeps in N6e. Henrik's Bedroom.

D4a. Entering the Shop

If the heroes attempt to access the shop through persuasion, deception, or intimidation, Henrik responds as described in N6. Coffin Maker's Shop. If the characters knock on one of the doors, Henrik shouts, "We're closed! Go away!" without opening the door. If the characters accuse Henrik of stealing the bones of St. Andral, he shouts again, "Go away! Leave me alone!"

Additionally, note that the windows are shuttered from the inside and the doors are barred. As such, the heroes cannot open a window or door by picking locks. Instead, the heroes can enter the shop by either of the following means:

• They can make a hard Presence test to intimidate or persuade Henrik into letting them in. Henrik can't be deceived into opening the doors.
• They can break down one or both of the barred doors with a successful hard Might test, or by destroying the doors (which have 6 Stamina). Doing so alerts Henrik, who comes to confront them. (Doing so doesn't alert Volenta or the vampire spawn, who merely assume Henrik has dropped a coffin or other wooden object.)
• They can use magic (e.g., peering under the door and using the Invisible Force perk or an elementalist's Practical Magic teleportation ability) to open the windows or doors from the inside. Doing so avoids alerting Henrik, who remains in his current location.

In any case, Henrik offers no resistance as soon as he sees that the heroes have entered the shop. Instead, he rightfully guesses that they have come to recover the bones and informs them of the bones' location (upstairs; Henrik left them in the wardrobe in his bedroom, but has been too afraid to go back up and check on them) and the danger of the vampire nest, as described in N6. Coffin Maker's Shop. In exchange, he pleads with them to protect him from the vampires, who he rightfully fears will butcher him for his betrayal. He won't retrieve the bones alone, but will accompany the heroes upstairs if demanded.

Henrik does not know that Volenta has secretly installed a number of traps throughout the upstairs, or that she has moved the bones to one of the coffins in the storage room. He assumes that the heroes will be able to quietly recover the bones, depart the shop, and escort him elsewhere to safety.

D4b. Recovering the Bones

Henrik's Bedroom

This scene takes place in Chapter 5: Area N6e.

This room is mostly as described in N6e. Henrik's Bedroom (p. 117). The wardrobe in the southeast corner has a secret compartment in its base, requiring a successful medium Intuition test to find. Inside the compartment is a small sack containing some coins bearing the profiled visage of Strahd von Zarovich.

Volenta Popofsky has added several additional safeguards to the secret compartment, which serves as a decoy in case of Henrik's betrayal:

• a Dart Trap with poisoned needles, which triggers unless a particular wooden panel is pushed before the compartment is opened, and
• a hidden wire attached to the compartment's opening, which connects to
  • a Snare Trap under the rug in front of the wardrobe, and
  • a noisemaker at the base of the compartment shaped vaguely like the head of the toymaker Gadof Blinsky, including his jester’s cap and bells.

The poison dart trap can be identified with a hard Reason or Intuition test, and can be disarmed as described in Dart Trap. Triggering the poison dart trap doesn't wake the vampires.

The hidden wire can be identified before the compartment is fully opened with a successful hard Reason or Intuition test, and disarmed with a successful hard Agility test.

Opening the compartment without disabling the wire or unsuccessfully attempting to disarm the wire causes the noisemaker to loudly screech, “Is no fun, is no Blinsky!” repeatedly for 1 minute, alerting the vampires in N6f. Vampire Nest.

Vampire Nest

This scene takes place in Chapter 5: Area N6f.

When the heroes enter this room, read:

The coffins are packed with grave dirt from Castle Ravenloft, and contain several vampire spawn and Volenta Popofsky, one of Strahd's vampiric brides. One coffin, however, next to the north wall of Henrik's bedroom, contains the bones of St. Andral in a large sack.

Volenta has set several more traps in this room:

• a Snare Trap in front of the door to the stairs,
• another Snare Trap in front of the coffin containing St. Andral's bones, and
• a hidden wire in the coffin containing St. Andral's bones, which, upon opening the coffin, triggers
  • a Dart Trap with large poison needles, and
  • another Blinsky noisemaker.

Each of these traps can be detected with a hard Intuition test and disarmed with a hard Agility test. Triggering only one snare trap does not wake the vampires, but triggering both does. Disarming the hidden wire in the coffin disarms both the noisemaker and the dart trap.

If the dart trap triggers, the darts attempt to push the triggering creature directly north into a coffin, which contains one of the vampire spawn. If the hero is shoved into this coffin, the vampire spawn inside wakes and immediately attacks the heroes.

Volenta and the vampire spawn have cover while in their closed coffins.

D4c. Volenta's Trap

If the heroes make too much noise, as described above, Volenta and her loyal vampire spawn arise to confront them, either by forcing their way into N6d. Kitchen or (if the heroes have already exited N6e. Henrik's Bedroom) by obstructing the heroes' path down the stairs. When the vampires appear, they clamber across the walls before dropping down to the heroes’ level, with Volenta crouching upside-down on the ceiling behind them.

Volenta uses the vampire spawn with her as cover, placing them between her and the heroes. She then greets them as follows, providing them with an opportunity to respond each time:

• Volenta addresses the heroes as "her lord's new toys" with amusement and disbelief.
• She claims that they're "less impressive" than she'd expected, and boasts that neither they nor "Ludmilla, Anastrasya, or her lord's skinny new plaything could hold a candle to her vision." (The "skinny new plaything" is referring to Escher.)
• She insists that the heroes couldn't stop her scheme if they tried. "Once I make the pews of your little church run red with blood," she raves, "my beloved will recognize the real gem of his realm—me!"
• She observes that it's lucky that they're in a coffin shop, adding, "After all, they'll need somewhere to put your parts when I'm through with you." She then directs the other vampires to attack.

1. Volenta

Volenta begins combat by designating a hero as her rival—preferably a shadow, conduit, or censor, in that order—then using her Check Out Our Loot malice feature to lob a firebomb at the heroes. Afterward, she uses Poison the Blade before targeting weak-looking heroes with her Swift Serration.

If Father Lucian is present, Volenta prefers to target the heroes. As she fights them, she taunts Father Lucian gleefully, noting, "I'd intended to rip out your throat in front of your cute little congregation, but I guess decorating the church steps with your friends' heads and entrails isn't a bad second place!"

Volenta flees from combat if she is winded, teleporting away from the fray after using Swift Serration if possible. (The other vampire spawn don't accompany her, and fight to the death.) If she can't effectively flee the encounter (because she's slowed, for instance) she resorts to using her Exsanguinating Bite. Remember that, without sunlight or running water, Volenta can't be truly killed!

When Volenta flees, she smashes through a nearby window and gallops across the rooftops like a four-legged beast. As she flees, she snarls, “You think your precious little church can keep you safe? He'll burn down the rest of Vallaki to get to you, and kill the rest of this stinking vermin to force you out!” She then sneers at the heroes and promises to see them again soon before vanishing from sight behind a chimney.

2. Father Lucian

In combat, Father Lucian uses his Thunder of Heavens ability to damage vampires who seem close to death and allow heroes with low Stamina to spend a Recovery. He stands as near to the front lines as possible while remaining behind full cover, seeking to ensure that any attacking vampire spawn will be hindered by his Stalwart Guardian feature. He uses his maneuver to Catch Breath if he is winded, Aid Attack if he is adjacent to an enemy, or Hide if he is neither.

3. The Vampire Spawn

The Barovian Vampire Spawn fight in pairs. First, one Grabs a weak-looking hero, then drags them out of the windows and onto the rooftop, converting their main action into a maneuver to use Vampire Celerity if necessary. The second spawn then uses their own Vampire Celerity to join their partner on the roof and target the grabbed hero with Exsanguinating Bite.

If more heroes climb onto the roof, the vampires on the roof drop or shove their grabbed heroes off the roof onto the ground, then drop safely to the ground (thanks to their 3 Agility) and continue biting.

The fifth vampire spawn focuses on getting and protecting the bones once they are revealed.

4. The Bones

The sack with St. Andral's bones is a size 1S object. If any hero (or any retainer) has the bones of St. Andral, the vampires use their maneuvers to attempt to Grab the bones. Heroes (and retainers) in possession of the bones can use a maneuver to throw the bones to an ally to whom they have line of effect.

5. Terrain

The walls of the shop are made of wood. Much of N6f. Vampire Nest is occupied by crates and piles of wood, which are half a square tall and provide cover but do not block line of effect.

The windows on the north, east, and south sides of the shop are shuttered, as are the windows in Henrik's living space. (There is no glass in the windows, just wooden shutters.) A creature can open or close the shutters of a window as a free maneuver, or destroy the shutters completely as a maneuver.

The first floor of the coffin shop is 2 squares tall. The second floor is also 2 squares tall at the sides, but the roof slopes up to a height of 3 feet above the center of the floor.

On the roof, the dormers provide cover for creatures on the same half of the roof, but don't block line of effect. The chimney similarly provides cover for creatures on the west half of the roof. The central ridge of the roof is 1 square above the west and east edges of the roof, and thus provides high ground for creatures standing atop it and blocks line of effect for creatures on opposite sides.

6. Maps

Maps made by me (Emi Miura) using Dungeondraft with Forgotten Adventures assets.

Ending the Encounter

The encounter ends when the heroes have the bones of St. Andral and Volenta is winded (upon which she flees, as described above); in this case, award each hero 2 Victories. If things are going very well for the heroes and the players seem excited by the prospect of kicking more vampire ass, you can play out the rest of the combat turn-by-turn. Otherwise, the party loses a number of recoveries equal to the number of surviving vampire spawn, and the players narrate how they cinematically defeat the spawn.

Alternatively, if the heroes exit the encounter map with the bones of St. Andral but Volenta isn't winded, award each hero 1 Victory. Volenta and any surviving vampire spawn kill Henrik, leave his head on a pike in Vallaki's town square, burn the coffin shop to the ground, then return to Castle Ravenloft.

If the heroes fail to retrieve St. Andral's bones, the holy wards of St. Andral's Church fall at dawn on the day of St. Andral's Feast, and Volenta and the spawn (including replacements for any spawn slain at the coffin shop) descend immediately to slaughter the dozens of Vallakians attending the feast-day service.

D5. Retrieving the Bones

If the heroes and Father Lucian successfully return the stolen bones to St. Andral’s Church by dawn on the day of St. Andral's Feast, Father Lucian thanks the heroes and invites Ireena to remain under their protection for as long as she desires. Ireena then sleeps at St. Andral's Church each night until the party departs Vallaki in Arc J - The Stolen Gem.

D6. Rahadin's Visit

At dusk on the first night after the bones have been restored and Lady Fiona Wachter has assumed power in Arc F - Lady Wachter's Wish or following Arc G - The Strazni Siblings, Rahadin, Strahd's chamberlain, arrives in Vallaki. He then commands the town guard to arrest Milivoj and Henrik and bring them to the town square for judgment. (Because of Lady Wachter's standing orders to obey the laws of Castle Ravenloft—so long as they do not bring harm to the innocent people of Vallaki—the guards at the gates do not disobey.)

Shortly after Rahadin arrives, a red-faced, sobbing Yeska approaches the heroes and pleads with them to quickly come to the town square. Milivoj, she tells them, has been taken prisoner by the town guard, and is set to be executed. (Father Lucian, who has already gone to the town square to call for clemency, sent Yeska to find and summon the heroes when Milivoj was taken from the church grounds.)

D6a. The Trial

When the players arrive in the town square, which is largely as described in N8. Town Square (p. 119), they find a small crowd of onlookers has gathered around the platform holding the empty stocks. Atop the platform stands Rahadin, flanked by two pale-faced Vallakian guards. One of the guards is bending down and arguing with Father Lucian, who stands at the base of the platform.

On either side of Rahadin kneel Milivoj and Henrik van der Voort, their legs and feet bound with rope. Henrik is weeping with fear, while Milivoj is staring vacantly at the ground. Not far away, Milivoj's sobbing seven younger siblings, described further in #D2. Milivoj’s House, struggle to ascend the platform stairs to reach him as two more guards block their path.

Father Lucian and Milivoj's siblings are grateful to see the heroes upon their arrival. Father Lucian asks the heroes to help "stop this awful tragedy," noting quietly that Milivoj may have made mistakes, but hardly ones deserving of death.

If confronted, Rahadin can coldly share that Milivoj and Henrik have been found guilty of crimes against Vallaki and its people.

If the heroes demand to know which crimes Milivoj and Henrik have committed, or at another suitable point during the proceedings, the crowd parts as Lady Fiona Wachter arrives, flanked by four guards and four cultists. Lady Wachter then demands Rahadin inform her of Milivoj and Henrik's crimes. "If the servants of Castle Ravenloft presume to commandeer my guards without my knowledge or permission," she fumes, "I have that right, at least."

Rahadin then reads aloud the following proclamation:

The proclamation is signed and sealed by Strahd.

As the Chamberlain of Castle Ravenloft, Rahadin informs the heroes, he has determined that the sentence for these crimes is death—unless any are willing to speak in the convicted's favor, presenting mitigating circumstances that alleviate the severity of their transgressions. (Lady Wachter will take no action to bar Strahd's justice, but supports the heroes in their efforts if friendly toward them.) To save Henrik and Milivoj, the heroes must engage in a negotiation.

The heroes might argue the following mitigating circumstances:

• Henrik: Henrik committed his crimes subject to coercion and duress by Volenta, an ostensible agent of Strahd himself. Henrik is also unlikely to commit his crime again, has no criminal history, and committed no violent act against any person. Additionally, Henrik cooperated with the heroes when confronted at the coffin-maker's shop.
• Milivoj: Milivoj's actions were driven by the necessity of his family's poverty, rather than by malice. He was also ignorant of the implications of stealing the bones, and was manipulated by Henrik into doing so. Like Henrik, he has no criminal history and committed no violent act against any person.

The heroes can also argue that either character has shown sincere remorse for their actions.

Negotiation Outcomes

When the heroes conclude their arguments for each prisoner, the negotiation can have the following outcomes.

Interest 5: Rahadin agrees to free Henrik without punishment, and agrees to a moderate sentence for Milivoj. Each hero earns 1 Victory.

Interest 4: Rahadin agrees to a light sentence for Henrik and a heavy sentence for Milivoj. Each hero earns 1 Victory.

Interest 3: Rahadin agrees to a moderate sentence for Henrik and a severe sentence for Milivoj.

Interest 2: Rahadin agrees to a heavy sentence for Henrik and an extreme sentence for Milivoj.

Interest 1: Rahadin agrees to a severe sentence for Henrik but will not accept anything less than Milivoj's death.

Interest 0: Rahadin declares the trial over and sentences both prisoners to death.

Sentencing

Once the heroes have convinced Rahadin to decrease a prisoner's sentence, he then invites the heroes to suggest a suitable sentence. If the sentence they suggest is too light, he informs them and counters with an alternative suggestion of his own.

Suitable punishments for each sentence include:

• Extreme. Life imprisonment in Castle Ravenloft. (Rahadin takes the prisoner to the castle dungeons.)
• Severe. Mutilation. (Rahadin removes the prisoner's dominant hand.)
• Heavy. Branding. (Rahadin commands a guard to retrieve and light a torch, which he uses to heat an iron signet ring that bears the image of Castle Ravenloft—the symbol of his office. He then uses the hot ring to brand the prisoner on the neck.)
• Moderate. Flogging. (Rahadin commands a guard to fetch a whip, then delivers the agreed-upon number of lashes himself.)
• Light. A fine. (Rahadin directs the prisoner to pay a fine of the agreed-upon sum, to be paid to the town coffers. If the prisoner cannot afford to pay it, Rahadin also sentences him to forced labor in the town's service until he has paid off his debt.)

Rahadin does not deliver any sentence until all have been agreed upon. If the heroes prove intransigent or appear to be stalling, Rahadin warns them that his patience is not infinite, and that he will choose and proceed with a suitable sentence unless the heroes can provide new evidence—not new arguments—mitigating the severity of the prisoners' crimes. "If any person interferes," he warns, "I will not hesitate to incapacitate them. I answer to none but the master of Castle Ravenloft, and you will not obstruct the exactment of justice this night."

If the heroes appear horrified by Rahadin's chosen sentence, he coldly reminds them that the prisoners have been found guilty of conspiring to steal from a holy church. "My lord's subjects often claim he lacks appreciation for the sacred," he says. "It seems, perhaps, that he is the only one with any appreciation at all."

If the heroes appear unpersuaded, Milivoj tells them hoarsely, "Please, don't do anything foolish on my behalf. I did something wrong, and I'll accept any punishment. Just so long as my siblings don't suffer." (If punished with branding, flogging, or mutilation, Milivoj grits his teeth and stifles a roar of pain, but refuses to cry out and give Rahadin the satisfaction.)

If any heroes appear likely to obstruct Rahadin's efforts to carry out a sentence, Lady Wachter quietly pleads with them not to be foolish. "He is the chamberlain of Castle Ravenloft and Von Zarovich's right hand," she insists. If the heroes have successfully bartered Rahadin down from execution, she adds: "You've already saved lives today. Don't trade your own for a doomed endeavor. Vallaki needs you."

If the heroes actually attempt to obstruct Rahadin's efforts to carry out that sentence, he attacks. Rahadin does not play fair here, and neither should you; he attempts to daze as many heroes as possible with Doleful Visions, then focuses fire on a single hero at a time, knocking them unconscious before moving on to the next. Immediately before he delivers the final blow, he intones, "I find you guilty of obstruction of justice, and sentence you accordingly." While the hero is unconscious, he then uses his saber to sever a finger from the hero's non-dominant hand. He then delivers Henrik and Milivoj's sentences.

Once Rahadin is satisfied justice has been done, he mounts his ghostly steed once more and departs Vallaki for Castle Ravenloft.

D6b. Renown

When the public trial concludes, the heroes' Renown increases by 1.

Design Notes: St. Andral's Feast

Van Richten's Wagon. Some details have been changed about Van Richten's wagon to align with his updated lore. This is the same wagon he used when he was an ordinary doctor—it served as transportation, mobile pharmacy, and makeshift operating room.

Traps and More Traps. Several traps—about a montage's worth—have been added to the coffin maker's shop and the bones of St. Andral have been moved, both to prevent the heroes from getting a "free" Victory and to encourage the heroes to fight Volenta and company.

An Invitation to Dinner. Some players, presented with a sandbox, will try and do everything all at once. To avoid presenting too many options at the same time, and to avoid accidentally enticing the heroes to visit Castle Ravenloft while level 2, the delivery of the dinner invitation has been delayed to the night after the full moon, when the heroes have (likely) just finished Act II. I think this also fits better narratively—Act III is when the heroes transition from tackling local problems in Vallaki to moving directly against Strahd.