07 Vallaki

Here is the translation of the provided text to English, without adding or inventing anything:

Session Title: Welcome to Vallaki: Festivals, Toys, and False Smiles

PCs present:

Pulgar “bigtoe” (played by Juan Casanova)
Ceres (played by Paloma)
Ladril Gabriel aka Sir Gabriel / Alvarito / Fomega (played by Nacho this session)

NPCs present:

Gunther and Yalena Arasek
Burgomaster (The Baron of Vallaki) and his wife
Claw Guardian (Zec / Izek)
Lars (the arrested peasant)
Blinsky (the toy maker) and his monkey Piccolo
Urwin Martikov (the innkeeper)

Main events and loose ends:
The group finally manages to enter the city of Vallaki in the morning, discovering a place steeped in a strange and forced happiness imposed by its leader, the Burgomaster, who celebrates absurd festivals every week believing that joy will keep Strahd away. After a bit of investigation around the city and leaving their cart, the characters attend the start of the “Festival of the Blazing Sun,” where they witness the cruelty of the Burgomaster and his lethal personal guard.

Later, they visit Blinsky’s creepy toy shop and the Blue Water Inn. They discover that their allies are divided and in danger: Ireena has been taken to the Burgomaster’s mansion, Feyre has disappeared after sleeping at the inn, and they receive a message warning that Erdan and the rest are trapped as prisoners in Castle Strahd. The session ends with the Burgomaster inviting the group to dinner at his mansion as thanks for bringing Ireena to the city.

Loose ends requiring follow-up:

What kind of monster or beast is locked inside Rictavio’s “Carnival of Wonders” wagon?
Why does the toy maker Blinsky craft dozens of dolls that are exact copies of Ireena?
Where is Feyre currently after leaving the inn?
How will they rescue Ireena from the Burgomaster’s house?
How will they help Erdan, Broseph, and Renoir get out of Castle Strahd?
The innkeeper Urwin has asked for help to find out what has happened to the wine shipment from the Vintner’s Wench Winery to the west.
Blinsky has asked for them to bring him or investigate a “mechanical man” that Strahd supposedly keeps in his castle.

The Joke of the Session:
The “North Korea” of Ravenloft. Undoubtedly, the funniest moment was when the players and Nacho (playing Alvarito/Sir Gabriel) realized that the constant phrase “Everything will be fine” and the forced smiles of terrified citizens turned Vallaki into an absurd dictatorship. Nacho compared the Burgomaster to Kim Jong-un and Vallaki to North Korea, causing everyone to burst into laughter while the paladin threw his hands up in despair as Ceres applauded and shouted “Great!” to go along with the local dictator. Added to this was the moment when the Burgomaster’s noble wife mistook Pulgar (a dwarf) for a crippled beggar child, giving him a single copper coin which Pulgar ceremoniously placed in a bag from which only a cloud of dust emerged.

Scene 1: Rictavio’s Wagon

PCs present: Pulgar, Ceres, Ladril Gabriel.
NPCs present: None visible.
Location(s): The Arasek Stable (Vallaki).
Loot obtained: A crow feather (collected by Ceres).
Summary: Upon entering the city, a guard directs them to park their wagon at the Arasek Stable. There, they see a single, chained, mysterious wagon belonging to “Rictavio’s Carnival of Wonders.” The group’s horse becomes very agitated as they approach. When Pulgar gets closer to peek, something immense and inhuman strikes the inside of the closed wagon, making the wood tremble and causing the dwarf to fall on his backside in the mud from fright. After noticing dried blood on the exterior, they decide to park their wagon as far away from it as possible.

Scene 2: Shopping and False Smiles

PCs present: Pulgar, Ceres, Ladril Gabriel.
NPCs present: Gunther and Yalena Arasek (scared shopkeepers, automaton smiles; archetype: oppressed citizens).
Location(s): The Arasek Shop/Warehouse.
Loot obtained: Component Pouch for Ceres. Pulgar trades a gold ring with an emerald (valued at 125 gp) in exchange.
Summary: The group enters the shop to get magical components for Ceres. They manage to barter by trading a gold ring. When they inquire about people leaving the city and mention that the Burgomaster seems “overbearing” with so many festivals, the shopkeepers’ attitude changes drastically. Terrified, their eyes widen, they put on fake smiles, and begin to repeat as a mantra “Everything will be fine,” politely inviting them to leave the shop and avoid trouble.

Scene 3: The Festival of the Blazing Sun

PCs present: Pulgar, Ceres, Ladril Gabriel.
NPCs present:
- The Burgomaster / Baron (noble with delusions of grandeur; archetype: lunatic dictator).
- The Burgomaster’s wife (noble, condescending woman).
- Claw Guardian / Zec (bald man, vacant and cold gaze, with a huge red reptilian claw instead of an arm; archetype: executioner / intimidating thug).
- Lars (scared peasant; archetype: scapegoat).
Location(s): The town square (Vallaki).
Loot obtained: 1 copper coin (given to Pulgar as alms).
Summary: The group arrives at the square and sees men, women, and children chained to stocks with plaster donkey heads on them. They discover posters announcing the “Festival of the Blazing Sun.” A sad procession begins in the rain, led by the Burgomaster, who attempts to set fire to a giant wicker ball. The torch extinguishes, and a peasant (Lars) laughs accidentally. Immediately, the Burgomaster orders him to be tied to his horse to be dragged through the mud. Ceres, trying to gain favor and prevent things from escalating, offers the leader a lit torch. The Burgomaster’s wife, believing Pulgar to be a sick child, gives him a copper coin out of pity. The group decides not to intervene for now and leaves.

Scene 4: “If it’s not fun, it’s not a Blinsky”

PCs present: Pulgar, Ceres, Ladril Gabriel.
NPCs present:
- Blinsky (small, sturdy man, mustache, wears a jester’s hat; archetype: eccentric/creepy artisan).
- Piccolo (a domesticated baboon monkey dressed in a ballerina tutu).
Location(s): Blinsky’s Toy Shop.
Loot obtained: None.
Summary: Drawn by a curious sign, they enter a creepy toy shop filled with decapitated dolls, wooden wolves chasing children, and torture toys. Blinsky tells them he is not from Barovia and asks them, if they go to Strahd’s castle, to bring him information or the remains of a “mechanical man” that the vampire keeps there. In exchange, he offers them free toys or even his monkey Piccolo. Pulgar and Ceres notice that Blinsky has a collection of dolls identical to their friend Ireena. When they try to get information about this unsettling resemblance, the toy maker plays dumb and only tries to sell them the dolls for 9 copper pieces.

Scene 5: A Raven Message and a Dangerous Dinner

PCs present: Pulgar, Ceres, Ladril Gabriel.
NPCs present:
- Urwin Martikov / Ulrich (grey/white hair and beard, a scar on his face and a half-closed blue eye; archetype: good-natured innkeeper and informant).
- The Burgomaster (reappears triumphant and smiling).
Location(s): The Blue Water Inn.
Loot obtained: None (Pulgar gives another gold ring valued at 25 gp to open a credit account for the group).
Summary: While Ceres casts the spell Locate Object to search for the scythe Feyre was carrying (detecting it weakly to the west), Pulgar negotiates with the innkeeper Urwin to open a credit account in exchange for a gold ring. Urwin reveals bad news: Feyre slept there but left in the morning, and Ireena was taken to the Burgomaster’s house and has not returned. Additionally, he gives them a note brought by a raven signed by Erdan: the rest of the party is trapped in Castle Strahd and will not be allowed to leave until the entire group attends dinner. Urwin also asks them to investigate the Vintner’s Wench Winery because their shipment has not arrived. Suddenly, the Burgomaster enters the inn accompanied by his dogs and guards. He approaches the group with a wide smile and, to thank them for bringing Ireena to the city and for helping with the torch, invites them to dinner at his mansion that very evening, promising them a great surprise. He bids them farewell with his motto: “Everything will be fine.”