M2S14

The Cursed Orphanage was the 14th session of the Strahdborne campaign. In this session, the party investigated St Andral's Orphanage, exorcised the evil within, and faced a rigged trial that dramatically changed the future of Vallaki.
== Summary ==
=== At St. Andral's Orphanage ===
The party travels to St. Andral's Orphanage. On the way, they meet Father Lucian, who claims he has urgent business to discuss with the party, but first instructs them to perform an exorcism on Felix, a child at the orphanage. 
The party arrives at the orphanage, meeting Headmistress Claudia Valaskov. She apprises the party of the situation, and thanks to Arbrek's magic, Milivoj, a stout gravetender and grounsdskeeper at St. Andral's, recuperates from an infernal curse.
The party continues exploring the orphanage, gradually learning that a demon has possessed Felix. The demon seems to be tied to a certain locket, which Milivoj received from Hendrik van der Voort, the coffinmaker, and gave to Felix in order to distract him from the suspicious tragedy that made him an orphan. Milivoj is deeply distressed about this, but also about some other crime which is yet to be revealed.
The demon seems to prey on the children, infesting them with nightmares, and gradually seems to be gaining more power, and gaining more control over Felix. The demon gained sufficient power to claim his first life, that of Cedric, on that day. It is with this power that he attempted to take over Milivoj's life.
=== The Battle of the Orphanage ===
The party confronts Felix, and it quickly becomes apparent that the demon has long since consumed and replaced the poor child. Arbrek provokes the demon into manifesting itself, at which point it attacks the party. A battle ensues. When Aellun destroys the demon's locket, which seems to unleash potent fire upon it, that causes devastating effects on the twisted and molded body of Felix that the demon is possessing, Lo-thak defenestrates the demon--and himself--to save the Orphanage from burning. 
Arbrek then decides to defenestrate himself on top of the demon, dealing massive damage and crippling it decisively. As the demon breaks free of Lo-thak's mighty grapple and prepares to strike, Lo-thak unleashes powerful eldritch blasts that turn the mighty demon into a blood splatter on the ground.
The true aspect of the demon then emerges: a small and pathetic demon creature that begs for mercy. However, the party agrees that the creature deserves none, and Aellun delivers the final blow.
It is point that Izek, at the head of a troupe of guards, arrives. He arrests the party, accusing them of the murder of Felix, disrupting the peace, and damage to town property. The party is taken to the town's rehabilitation center, where they are put in a cell to await trial.
=== The Kangaroo Court ===
The trial begins. It quickly becomes apparent that the trial will not be a fair one: Izek leads the prosecution, and the judge is the Baron himself. The defendants are the party, and they provide many reasonable arguments, hiding no aspect of the truth. However, the Baron is not interested in the truth, continually repeating his shallow slogan: "All is well!"
Izek paints a false narrative, threatening Father Lucian into a false testimony. Izek also attempts to elicit a false testimony from Claudia Valaskov, but she refuses, causing chaos to erupt in the court. The Baron is a haphazard and neurotic judge, swinging back and forth, participating in the discussion, and contradicting himself on numerous occasions. 
Though the party avails itself of great eloquence, and the truth, during the trial, it quickly becomes apparent that the jury, too, is rigged: the jury is the Baron's family! Unsurprisingly, they return and deliver a verdict of guilty on all counts.
=== Strahd's Entrance ===
Strahd accepts Aellun's daring summon, and presents himself in the courtroom. All are paralyzed with fear: only Izek reacts, and he is summarily and easily banished from the courtroom.
Strahd advances in the direction of the Baron. He mocks his festivals. He mocks his rule. He also mocks the trial, denouncing it for what it is: a sham. Lamenting that a fief of his should be governed by so ineffective a ruler, Strahd sadistically murders Vargas Vallakovich in front of all.
Showing a complete and utter lack of interest in the political consequences of Vargas's death, he reunites with a group of his vampiric thralls, his next move a mystery.
== NPCs ==
== Inventory ==
== Quests ==
=== New ===
* Chaos is a Ladder (Everyone): Determine the future of Vallaki.
=== Ongoing ===
* No Dark Deed Goes Unpunished (Everyone): Investigate the Orphanage and get to the bottom of Arabelle's murder. Interrogate Hans, Lazlo, and Franz about Arabelle.
* Treasures of Yore (Everyone): Recover the other two gems of the Wizard of Wines.
* A Throw for the Ages (Everyone): Suplex Strahd.
* Under New Management (Everyone): Investigate the coven of hags at Old Bonegrinder mill.
=== The Deck of Fate ===
* The Fount of Knowledge (Everyone): Discover the source of knowledge below the guardian of a garden.
* The Symbol of Hope (Everyone): Claim the holy symbol by finding the tomb of a great wizard with a famous staff.
* The Blade of Light (Everyone): Wield the sunlight blade in the den of wolves near the moonlit lake.
* The Shadow of Barovia (Everyone): Defeat Strahd.
* The Moon (Aellun): Find the place filled with bones, for the clues you seek lie there.
* The Headsman (Gromash): Find the fortress within the fortress, which contains the treasure you seek.
* The Phantom (Lo-thak): Find the location of the one who gave birth to evil, for she is the key to your goals.
* The Balance (Thalia): Discover the whereabouts of Lautrec and Gascarde.
=== Completed ===
* Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution (Everyone): Listen to what Fiona Wachter has to say. Persuade Izek to leave the Baron's side, OR assassinate Izek. The Baron is dead.
== Quotes ==
== Reflections ==
*Aellun: "I may just have committed the most foolish decision of my life. I'd like to think I don't have too many of those considering I've been around for the better part of a millennium, but this... There were reasons, I could argue. Setting your enemies against one another is a time honored tradition, and with how involved Strahd seems to make himself in anything we venture near, I may merely have headed off whatever he'd intended to do already. In so doing, he's also shown some of his followers prematurely, and has confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt what the vampire hunter had been saying - Strahd is indeed watching us closely, and is listening to our every word. Moreover, with care, he can be manipulated. It's good information to have, however dark the implications. That being said, I'm toying with the lion's mouth here, and I mustn't let my survival in this instance delude me into thinking I could make a habit of it. Yes, the Baron had it coming, but truly he was far too pathetic a threat to try and summon Lord Strahd to deal with, and having allowed the vampire to depose him directly, his successor will be on Strahd's terms, not ours, and perhaps even competently so where the Baron was not. Worse still, there are Lord Strahd's ... brides? ... I'm really not sure where Irina fits into this, but at least she hasn't appeared now, there's no need to torment Ismark any further. I can only assume they'll be much more powerful than the wretched priest's son, and they are many, and feeding. I fear, even if we make it through unscathed, I may just have undone every good thing we've strived to achieve here in Vallaki, and will have to pay for it manyfold. "
== Appendix ==