M2S18

## Battle of the Blue Water Inn

A final wave of chaos sweeps through Vallaki.

“
*-Never should have come here!*
”
— Arbrek's battle cry.
**Battle of the Blue Water Inn** was the 18th session of the Strahdborne campaign. In this session, the party weathered out the riotous night in Vallaki.

## Summary

The party holes up at the Blue Water Inn while a wave of riotous destruction continues to sweep through Vallaki. The Vistani are successful over the Vallakians, looting and pillaging as much as they can carry. Meanwhile, pressure begins to build as the Vistani set their sights on the Inn. Eventually, the party discovers Arrigal and his henchmen within the Inn, having sneaked in through several windows and the Barn. Thankfully, thanks to the party's planning--and their powerful arsenal--the Vistani are thrown back and repulsed with heavy losses, including that of theirleaders. Ismark and Urwin are badly wounded, but only the Rangers lose their lives in the fray.

## NPCs

* Arrigal: Killed!
* Kasimir: Allied!

## Quests

### Ongoing

* **Treasures of Yore (Everyone):** Recover the other two gems of the Wizard of Wines.
* **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. Optional: Suplex 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.

## Reflections

* **Character name:** Reflection.
* Thalia: "Well, I now wish more than ever that I'd found Lautrec and Gascarde sooner - and as long as I'm thinking wishfully, an entire platoon of their fellows. The rank-and-file Roulan Watch has put down more than enough riots in its time, while my office is investigations. I do wish the Vistani would have seen reason, but as much as I hate quoting my father, you can't trust wolves as watchdogs. With Arrigal's head on a spike, I feel much less guilty about my part in this chaos. Justice has been meted out to the primary instigators, and from what I saw of the Vistani camp, I don't think they have the manpower for a second wave. What this town needs, more than just a new burgomaster to organize the rebuilding, is a new militia, and I don't see where they'll find one. I wonder....Urvin has done more than anyone to keep this town going, it was his inn's wine that kept up everyone's spirits rather than those ridiculous festivals, he knows how to manage business and befriend people, and he knows how to fight. Between his sword and his wife's magic, there's certainly much more to this family that meets the eye. Perhaps they know of someone who could help train some defenders for this town..."
* Arbrek: "Quite a fun night of fighting. The annoying folk of this town are dead or scattered. As it stands now, there isn’t a force in this town that can bother us anymore. We may be able to raid the Vistani camp soon enough and take this town's wealth from them. It is very helpful that they searched for us and congregated the wealth into their camp. Perhaps I can finally begin smithing again. Nothing like some hard work to relax with. I wonder how sober smithing will go? I may have to relearn a thing or too or dip into that promised ale cask in order to do things the right way. Let's hope the wards on the saint's bones hold up, or we may lose this town to the undead and all the progress we have made in this cursed land."
* **Aellun:** "There goes yet another "ally" turned. I suppose I knew in the back of my mind that the Vistani could not remain partners in the long term. They do owe allegiance to Strahd, which does still raise questions in my mind given how readily he throws them to the wolves. However, even in my cynicism, I hadn't assumed our relationship to be so tenuous as to be broken over one inn's spoils when they had access to all the plunder of Vallaki. Where was this deviousness and cunning when we fought the werewolves? Perhaps different bands are of different strengths and skills? With luck, Esemeralda would tell. A part of me warns that we must stay on our toes and sort out this mess that we've created here and now, that the situation will only degenerate further if we stop to rest. Yet after all the wounds we've suffered in these past few hours, I know we can't push further if we do not take time to recover. Said time would be a good one for questions, including for good Urwin. Not that I would disregard what he's done for us - he did offer us refuge at his inn, and literally died bearing the brunt of the Vistani sneak attack - but anyone assuming such mundane standing with access to revival magics and shapeshifters has skeletons in their closet. With all that's going on already, I daresay skeletons left unattended will rise to bite us, more likely as vampires than as not. I'd rather I got ahead on at least one thing in the coming days!"
* Gromash: Time to rest after having my life on the line multiple times y felt exhausted we were first almost beaten to dead by vampires then the masked town folk and the hellhound went crasy or something they must have eaten to many veggies and now the Vistani and there little dirty paralysing poison needles that hurt so much it almost made me forgot the ugly taste of veggies Eww!! This shit got out of control quickly gladly we are all still standing, We all need time to rest before we can keep going, So now is time to feast in my book there is no problem that a big chunck of meat and some booze can't solve tomorrow I'l be ready to rage again.

## Appendix

Strahdborne Sessions
**Chapter 1: The Gates of Barovia**
 Session 1 · Session 2 · Session 3 · Session 4 · Session 5 · Session 6

 **Chapter 2: The Fall of Vallaki**
 Session 7 · Session 8 · Session 9 · Session 10 · Session 11 · Session 12 · Session 13 · Session 14 · Session 15 · Session 16 · Session 17 · **Session 18** · Session 19 ·

 **Chapter 3: The Muster at Krezk**
 Session 20 · Session 21 · Session 22 · Session 23 · Session 24 · Session 25 · Session 26 · Session 27 ·