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09.5 Abadia

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Session Summary: The Miracle of Krezk and the Flesh Bride

PCs present: Broseph (Juan Maldonado), Erdan (Marcos), Renard / Yankee (Nacho). Note: At the end of the session, Paloma and Álvaro intervene out of character.
NPCs present: Clovin Bellevue, The Abbot, Vasilka, Ezmerelda d’Avenir, Dimitris (Burgomaster of Cres/Krezk), Yelenko (Dimitris’ son), Krezk Guards, Bandits/Werewolves.
Locations: St. Markovia’s Abbey, Cres (Krezk), Road to Valaki (Vallaki).

Main Development and Loose Ends

The group discovers the Abbot’s true and disturbing plan to save Barovia: to create a perfect flesh bride (a golem) for Strahd to fall in love with and lift the curse. After spending the night at the Abbey—where they secretly meet the bride herself (Vasilka) and the monster hunter Ezmerelda—the Abbot demonstrates his divine power by resurrecting the deceased son of Krezk’s Burgomaster. However, the miracle has a price: the Burgomaster must obtain a wedding dress from Vallaki within a month, or his son will die again. The group departs as escort to Vallaki but are ambushed by werewolves on the road, leaving the session on a cliffhanger just as combat begins.

Loose ends:

Session Joke

The best joke arises from a tragic story in Barovia’s lore. When Ezmerelda tells them that Strahd annihilated all the women of an ancient race of elves, leaving only the men alive as punishment and forbidding them from leaving Barovia, the group quickly deduces the reproductive consequences. Amidst laughter, they conclude that “all elves are gay” by obligation, as they have been locked away for centuries without women, commenting with dark humor that they “have nothing to lose” when facing Strahd, because they are already screwed for life.

Scene 1: A Dinner with the Creator and his Madness

PCs present: Erdan, Broseph, Renard.
NPCs present:

Summary:
The group dines with the Abbot and Clovin. The Abbot magically summons food and water (gruel). During dinner, he reveals his grand plan dictated by his deity, Lathander: he has been constructing a flesh golem from corpses to create the perfect bride for Strahd, convinced that love will redeem the vampire and lift Barovia’s curse. Erdan, incredulous and defiant, repeatedly questions the Abbot’s logic, arguing that Strahd is a monster who will not cease to be one for love. The Abbot remains imperturbable in his fanaticism and calls Erdan a “mere worm” incapable of understanding his vision. Renard and Broseph try to mediate to avoid angering their host. The Abbot warns them not to leave their room at night due to the mongrels roaming the Abbey.

Scene 2: Nocturnal Visits

PCs present: Broseph, Erdan, Renard.
NPCs present:

Summary:
The group barricades themselves in a dilapidated room to sleep and stand guard. Broseph investigates the beds and discovers that a woman stayed there a couple of days ago. During Broseph’s watch, someone softly knocks on the door. It is Vasilka, the Abbot’s “creation.” Despite being made of corpses, she is stunning. She sneaks away from her “father” (the Abbot) to anxiously ask about Strahd and his castle, dreaming of being his wife. Broseph tactfully tells her that Strahd is rich and educated, but also a psychopathic tyrant. She ignores the bad, happy about her future. She also reveals that someone named Esmeralda stayed there before them. Renard manages to gently persuade her to return to her quarters before the Abbot discovers her, promising they will get her a worthy dress for her wedding.

Scene 3: A Stealthy Encounter

PCs present: Erdan.
NPCs present:

Summary:
Erdan ignores the warnings, abandons his guard duty (leaving his companions asleep), and goes out to explore the Abbey. After avoiding the Bellevue mongrels singing creepy rhymes about Strahd and Tatiana in the cells, he reaches the room where the group magically appeared days ago. There he surprises Ezmerelda, a Vistani hunter. After a tense introduction, she asks him about the interior of Castle Ravenloft, planning to use the teleportation point to set a trap for the vampire. Erdan proposes they ally with them, but she rejects him, stating she works alone. She advises them to visit Madame Eva to learn their destiny but warns them not to trust the rest of the Vistani. Before disappearing by becoming invisible, she asks Erdan that if they see a “grumpy old man” (her master), they shouldn’t tell him she is there. Upon returning to the room, Renard wakes up, discovers that Erdan left them alone, and becomes extremely angry with him.

Scene 4: The Abbot’s Miracle

PCs present: Broseph, Erdan, Renard.
NPCs present:

Summary:
In the morning, after enduring a very drunk Clovin playing the violin, the Abbot appears and asks them to follow him. They descend from the Abbey towards the village of Krezk. The villagers flee in terror at the sight of the Abbot. They arrive at the square, where they are met by Burgomaster Dimitris surrounded by guards and armed villagers. The Abbot enters the Burgomaster’s house, where they are mourning the corpse of his teenage son, Yelenko. With a prayer to Lathander, the Abbot resurrects the boy, causing shock and joy. However, the Abbot collects his favor: he demands that the Burgomaster obtain a high-quality wedding dress from Vallaki within a month. If he fails, the son will die again, and the Burgomaster will pay with his life. The Burgomaster asks the adventurers to escort his wife by carriage to Vallaki to buy the dress. Before departing, Erdan visits the village’s holy pool and discovers that its water has restorative properties, filling his canteen.

Scene 5: Ambush on the Old Road

PCs present: Broseph, Erdan, Renard.
NPCs present:

Summary:
The group departs from Krezk in a carriage pulled by two horses. Broseph travels on the top, while Erdan and Renard walk alongside the frightened guards. During the journey, they realize a pack of wolves is stalking them from the forest, terrifying the guards. As they round a bend, they find the road blocked by fallen trees. Several unkempt bandits armed with spears emerge from the undergrowth, accompanied by giant wolves, demanding they hand over everything they have. Erdan wastes no time chatting and immediately attacks with Magic Missile. Far from dying, the bandit leader’s wounds begin to heal instantly as he smiles maliciously and starts transforming into a huge lycanthrope beast (Werewolf). The session ends just as combat is about to erupt.