Just had our session 9 the other night and...oh boy... no idea how none of us have died yet..
Anastrasya doodle for the soul because we met her this session, and omg, im in love.
Our party of five (Talia, Ezekieiul, Solaris, Ireena, Victor) and Fiona Wachtur tried to make a deal with the hags to borrow the hearthstone and free the children. Deal unsuccessful, and we ended up fighting them.
Thankfully, no casualties bar the hags themselves.
We make our way back to the village of Barovia because we need Father Donavich to help us concentrate the church in vallaki (Lucien died when we fought izek), and we needed to find Rictavio. We also just thought it'd be great to catch up with Ismark and Doru.
Flash forward, we're lore dropping to Ismark everything that has happened in the last week, and there's a lady at the bar listening in, giggling at some of the crazy things we're saying. For example
Solaris (being condescending): So you used to be a nobel elf? God, what was it like? I bet it was amazing. Was it everything you ever dreamed of?
Talia: Rahadin slaughtered my mother 😐
Lady at the bar: (Absolutely spit take, like she's choking)
She then joins our table and introduces herself as Anastrasya (definitely not a person of considerable notice). Mind you, this whole time, my character Talia is absolutely spilling her guts, talking about being along for hundreds of years and growing to hate people, talking about how she as a Bard has been entertaining everyone forever, with no-one to entertain her.
Anastrasya is ABSOLUTELY buttering her up, "You've come so far in your life, and it really shows. You're like a dazzling star in the sky, shining brighter every day, " and Talia is absolutely falling victim to it.
The party realises she is a vampire, but she's so nice to us that we just let it slide and keep talking to her. We're telling her about our encounter with Volenta, and she's losing it at Talias' impression of her.
30 seconds later, we hear like a bang and rush outside to find Doru lying dead on the ground with lacerations filled with holy water. Anastrasya turns to Talia and says "Ive grown fond of you company," and revives Doru for us.
We all feel this looming aura of hatred and dread. We realise Van Richten killed Doru, and Anastrasya must leave urgently.
But before she leaves, she walks Talia a little farther from the group and whipers in her ear, "If you truly can't handle the selfishness of the people anymore and can't bear to feel alone anymore. There will always be a room in the castle for you. We would all thoroughly enjoy your company. Lord Strahd has a bad reputation from the villagers, but I can assure you that he is utmost accommodating, and he can definitely assist in the entertainment for a woman of your calibre and talents. He's truthfully very kind and can treat a lady very well"
Talia is red in the face, Anastrasya transforms and flies off towards Castle Ravenloft.
Got i love being manipulated by beautiful vampire women
Our session ends with Rudof Van Richten looming over us and stopping us from getting Doru back to the Church of Barovia.
My Non-Campaign friends reaction to me telling them about what happened
