Iron & Gold, Curse of Strahd
12 - Vallaki and the Blue Water Inn[*]
They arrived at the Vallaki gates tired and sore. Halfway between the falls and the gates, they found a corpse, but not just any corpse: this was clearly Hrelgi's corpse, in drab Barovian dress but with her gear. When Uthrilir prodded it, the corpse faded away, just as the one on the gallows had, according to Hrelgi. From that point on, they had walked faster and the rests had been shorter.
The good result was that they made good time and arrived at the town gates well before dusk.
The road meandered into a valley watched over by dark brooding mountains to the north and south. Once the woods parted, they showed a sullen mountain burg surrounded by a wooden palisade. All of Vallaki was in that palisade. The fog pressed against this wall, as though looking for a way inside.
The dirt road ended at a set of sturdy iron gates with a pair of shadowy figures standing behind them. In the ground and blanking the road outside the gates were a half-dozen pikes with wolves' heads impaled on them.
“Waste of good pikes,” observed Felewin softly.
Ninefingers agreed. “Why not use wooden poles? The wolves won't care.”
“They used all the wood on the wall,” said Uthrilir. The wooden palisade was more than twice as high as Felewin, who was tall. Each log was sharpened to a point.
“Keeps wolves and scarecrows out, anyway,” said Felewin.
“This is the morning gate,” said Ireena, “because it faces east. On the opposite side of town is the sunset gate, and leading to the north is the gate to the lake.” She smiled at Felewin. “Father made me learn about the towns.”
Felewin nodded. “Glad he did.” He sized up the guards inside the iron bars of the gate. They each held a pike and Felewin noted that from where they stood, they could easily lever their pikes through the gate and hurt an offending visitor or beast.
The guards, in turn, regarded the whole group with suspicion. The daylight, such as it was, came from behind the guards so the group’s faces were lit.
“May we come in?” Felewin asked. “It is near sunset and we do not want to be caught outside at night.”
There was no answer. Ninefingers gave him five gold pieces to pass through the gate. “I presume the price is a gold each to enter.”
The guards looked at the money. It bore the face of some forgotten ruler of the borderlands, and the guards looked at it and weighed it against a piece of their own coinage. “That seems fair.” The two guards opened the gate and let the party of five in.
“You can get lodging at the Blue Water Inn, down the road,” the man said.
The other, a burly woman, looked at Hrelgi, and said, “There is another one there, with pointed ears.”
The first added, “You're almost in time for the festival.”
“Festival?” asked Hrelgi. She asked Ireena, “Is it a time for holidays?”
“We have a festival every week. To keep us happy,” said the male guard grimly. “Happiness keeps the monsters at bay.”
“The festival doesn't seem to be keeping you happy,” said Hrelgi.
“Do you not like festivals?” asked the woman guard. Felewin thought he detected a threatening tone, but some human women were just mean to female elves.
Hrelgi didn't notice. “I love festivals. When I was growing up, we used to have them every three moons, plus smaller feast-days.”
Uthrilir asked the woman, “What was your last festival?” as he helped Ireena inside the gate. Ireena staggered from fatigue, with the bedroll and gear.
“Wolf's Head Jamboree.” The guard nodded to indicate the wolf heads on pikes.
Felewin saw that the inside of the wall was hugged by wooden scaffolding, so that guards could look over the edge of the pointed logs. It looked like Uthrilir would be able to look but Ninefingers wouldn't.
Felewin said to the guards, “Where did you say the inn was?”
Ireena grabbed Felewin's hand and started pulling. “It is this way.”
There were people on the streets, which Felewin found unnerving. Eventually they came to a sign with a blue waterfall, standing before a large two-story building with a tiled roof. Several ravens perched on the roof, and the one that had been following joined them on the roof. Unlike the houses in Barovia, there were windows that weren't boarded up...but they did have shutters on the inside. Dusk was already falling; the perpetual fog made night come more quickly than expected, and the town was surrounded by mountains.
The five of them spilled inside the inn and each gave sigh of relief.
Inside, they were in the tavern. Damp cloaks hung from pegs in the entrance portico, and the room was packed with tables and chairs, and narrow paths wound between them. A bar stretched along one wall, under a balcony--the staircase for the balcony was on one wall. Lanterns suffused the room with dull orange light. All of the walls were adorned with wolf heads but instead of pikes, these were mounted on wooden plaques. One table was already occupied with two dour fellows in wolf hide clothes, one bald and one not. They had wine before them.
A tall, broad man with beard and temples streaked with gray came from behind the bar and looked at them. “Can I help you?”
“Yes,” said Felewin. “We are strangers and we need a place to stay.”
“Of course,” the man said. “I am Urwin Martikov, and my wife and I run this fine inn. Find a seat. How long are you planning on staying?”
“Hard to say. A few days, anyway.”
Urwin said, “Each person pays a gold for two days. We have beet soup and bread; those you get once a day with the room. Other food and all drink are extra, but I think you’ll find them reasonably priced.” He grinned. “Also, there is nowhere else to get them.”
“In that case, it sounds quite reasonable. Those accommodations are rooms?”
“They are, but we have only one private room, and it's rented. Several need to share a room.” He looked at Ninefingers. “Our biggest room sleeps four, but we could put a cot in for him.”
“Have you got two two-person rooms? Ninefingers will bunk with me, and the women will have their own room. We’re fussy about that where I come from.”
“You’re in luck. I’ll show you to the rooms as soon as I get my wife to tend the bar.” He called, “Danika!” and a handsome woman came out from the room beyond the bar. “These people are renting the twin rooms; I'll take them up. They'll fetch keys from behind the bar once they've settled in.”
“I'll keep things safe, master,” said Ninefingers.
Felewin was startled to hear Ninefingers say ‘master,’ but didn't want to spoil whatever ruse the goblin was planning.
“Oh, no need to trouble yourself,” Urwin said. “If you're worried, we can get the key now.” Danika heard and disappeared for a moment; she came back with two keys for Urwin. “Thank you, my love. Have one of the boys bring up the cot, please.” To the group he said, “We'll have to go outside and up those stairs.”
“There's no way from the inside?”
“No, afraid not. On the plus side, it’s private. And with the palisade up, we’re fairly safe. People come here to drink at night and they make it home safely...as long as they live in Vallaki.” He chuckled and led them outside and up the long staircase to the second floor.
Inside was a balcony that exposed the tavern they had just been in—Felewin just hadn’t seen the balcony. “Over there, that’s where my boys sleep, but they can’t get at you except by these stairs. Private, like I said.” There were three doors, two to the left and one straight ahead. “These two are the pairs.” He tried the keys, got them mixed up, and then handed one to Felewin. “That's for this room. By elimination, this is for the other room, but let's check to make sure.” Sure enough, the remaining key was for the other room. Urwin handed it to Ireena.
Felewin made introductions. “I'm Felewin; this is Uthrilir and Ninefingers. The ladies are Hrelgi and Katrina.” The women nodded at Urwin. “Let us put our stuff down and we'll come down and eat. With the food I’ll also settle for two days.”
Urwin agreed, and they went in to their rooms. While they were shrugging off their packs and bedrolls, a boy came with a cot for Ninefingers. When they were sure he was gone, Uthrilir said, “Shame we didn’t find that thing Madam Eva told us about.”
“Of course we did,” said Ninefingers. “The Lady was right. Found it in the first wagon we searched.”
Felewin said, “Ninefingers and I felt that the Vistani were less likely to follow us if they thought we hadn’t found anything.”
“Some of them seemed reluctant to heed Madam Eva,” explained Ninefingers.
Ireena asked, “What is it? What’s the treasure?”
“A book. Haven’t looked at it yet. I want Hrelgi to examine it; she reads the best of all of us.”
They gathered Hrelgi and Ireena, locked the doors to their rooms, and went downstairs.
There were more customers now: there were now also a trio of men, one of the guards they had met, and a half-elf in a wide-brimmed hat.
The trio of men were muttering amongst themselves, and Ninefingers heard the phrase “church is helpless.” He waited until they found a table and helped seat Felewin in this role as an obsequious servant. While getting Felewin adjusted, he whispered, “Find out what’s wrong at the church. We need a strong church.”
Felewin gave no sign that he had heard, but said, “You can sit at the table, Ninefingers. We do not want to inconvenience Urwin and Danika more than we need to.” Ireena was slouched with her back to the door and a hat pulled low over her face; Hrelgi was looking around with interest; and Uthrilir was trying to keep Hrelgi from asking questions.
Urwin came over. “The wine is excellent. We have two in kegs there: Purple Grapemash and Red Dragon Crush.”
“Yes. I’m more of a beer drinker but if you recommend the wine, that’s what we’ll have. What is the food that isn’t beet soup?”
“Wolf steak. Wolves caught and killed by those fine gentlemen.” Ur1in indicated the two wolf hunters. Tomorrow the meal will be a wolf and beet goulash.”
“I’ll have that,” Felewin said. Everyone else decided to have the soup. Felewin shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
“Danika will pour your drinks at the bar.”
Felewin and Uthrilir fetched the drinks. When they got back, the half-elf was there, talking to Hrelgi. Ireena was trying to stay silent and unnoticed.
The half-elf noticed them. “Ah! I am Rictavio, impresario and raconteur, as they say in the Low Countries. I am in search of acts to present in a circus, if you will, and I seem to have ended up here. But the search for entertainment continues!” Without being invited, he pulled over a chair. “I was just telling young Hrelgi here that she should be cautious because I have heard tell that there are no female elves in this valley, only males.” He gestured to the group. “Hence you are outsiders such as myself.”
“We are,” said Felewin. He and Uthrilir handed out the drinks. “I am Felewin; this fine fellow is Ninefingers.”
“A goblin? Tsk — I haven’t seen a goblin in many moons. I knew a conjoined pair who had learned juggling— well, that is a story and it was a fine act. A pleasure to meet you, sir.” Ninefingers nodded.
“This is Uthrilir.”
“Not your real name, certainly,” said Rictavio.
“It is not,” said Uthrilir, “but it is what I will be called. I will have the right to resume my previous name once the problem is resolved.”
“Of course, of course. Say no more. What kind of problem is it? Women? These kinds of problems are often women.”
Uthrilir looked at him. “I will say no more.”
“Of course. Of course. And I’ve met the charming Hrelgi and the taciturn Katrina.” Rictavio smiled happily and sat back as Urwin and the same young boy came with the soup. “Why, the group of you, you must be adventurers.”
Before Felewin could object, Urwin cleared his throat. “Your steak will be a moment, but here is the soup for everyone else and a loaf of fine bread for all of you to share. Felewin? If you’d come over here?”
Felewin had not sat down yet, so he stepped over with Urwin. “I had expected to pay after the meal…”
“Which is fine, but was he correct? Are you adventurers?”
“We’re not mercenaries and thieves,” objected Felewin. “Look. Cash money.” He handed over the money.
Urwin bit one of the coins because it did not have the head of Strahd on it. “All the better. I actually have need of adventurers.” Danika called him from the kitchen, and he said “Your steak. I’ll get that, and if we can, we’ll talk tomorrow morning.”
“Certainly. Where is there a church or temple nearby? My friend is devout and would like to pay his respects.”
“Ah. If you eat quickly, you can make Father Lucian’s evening prayer. The church is at the end of the road westward.”
“There is an evening prayer? I was under the impression that the valley closed up at sunset.”
“I am sure that the village Barovia does but here and in Krezk, we have walls to keep out the worst of the monsters. Some events still happen in the early evening, if we can get lamp oil or beeswax or tallow. I must get your food.” Urwin excused himself.
Felewin returned to the table. “Eat quickly, for we have a church service to attend. By your leave, Rictavio.”
They drank their soup quickly; Felewin managed to finish his steak nearly as fast, and they left.
Mechanics
[*] Mythic suggested theme: Intolerance Possessions (Move Toward A Thread)
