Doppleganger

## Summary

The party wakes up in the Tser Pool Encampment. Jade and Edmund have a conversation and spar for a bit. Edmund then works on Warwick's resistance to mental commands and it works.

They head out with the kids leaving Salem behind who fell victim to come halucinagenic plants. They also leave the cart behind as Krik takes the dead bodies. They cross the Tser Pool with Water Walk and find a bundle of bones with a flute buried in the dirt. Talice digs it up using an army of summoned fae dogs. Jade tries out the flute and it's haunting music frightens everyone but Warwick. Jade apologizes to the kids as Talice gets the flute, dubbed the pipes of haunting, back. Jade gets depressed after that but cheers up when talking about the emerald isles. The kids are still scared of Jade but Talice coaxes them into staying with her.

The party comes across some strange lights that seem hostile. According to Talice they are will-o-wisps which absorb fear so the group heads for the river. After that they follow the river to the road and from there the Village of Barovia. When they arrive, Warwick has a chat with Edmund about possibly killing the parents of the children if they don't repent selling their children. They also chat about living in the dark to take out evildoers. Meanwhile Jade talks with the kids again but they remain unconvinced.

They find Donavich performing a church service. He steps away when he sees the party and is happy to see them. Edmund hands over the 100 gold he got from Vallaki and Donavich is surprised. He happily takes the children in and calls his assistant, Ismark, to help with the last rites. Ismark glances at Jade for a moment but continues to help. Talice then talks about Mad Mary's daughter briefly. When Ismark and Donavich returns, Talice asks Ismark, who happens to be the burgomaster's son, why he keeps glancing at Jade. It turns out Jade looks a lot like Ismark's sister. He also knows of the Roderika family.

They take the conversation to Ismark's house with Edmund trying to get Talice to be nice. Talice is unhappy so she tries to comfort Jade. Edmund meanwhile brings the daughter's skull to Mad Mary with Jade and Warwick. Naturally Mad Mary doesn't believe that her daughter is gone. However Edmund and Jade are able to calm her down. She heads to her room clearly needing time to process all this. Edmund asks the neighbors for help consoling her when she's done grieving.

Talice and Krik arrives at Ismark's house which is run-down and boarded up. However it's the safest place for him and his sister other than Vallaki. His father is in a coffin in the room. The pair then meet a woman who looked a lot like Jade named Ireena. The pair instantly recognize her from Blinksi's list and notice that Strahd has a fixation on her. Talice convinces her to come with them seeing as how she wants to leave the city anyway.

Both groups meet up. Jade and Ireena have an awkward stare down. Ismark mentions that Ireena's lost some of her memories thanks to Strahd's feedings. And yet she says some strange things while sleeping, one of them being Roderika. It's clear that the two women have a past but Ismark is unsure of what that means. Jade reveals a birthmark on her collarbone to Ireena. She recognizes it which makes Jade goes nuts. She claims that she wants her memories to stay as she slashes a tapestry on the wall. Edmund hugs as Jade wants to know how she knows Ismark and Ireena. Ireena agrees with her. Ismark also decides to come along but wants his father to be buried first. Edmund and Krik offer to help with the coffin while the rest go to the tavern.

Once the body is buried, Krik heads for the tavern first followed by Ismark and Edmund. Before they arrive Warwick decides to play a game with Jade involving drawing things and asking people what they see. He starts with a half-full mug of beer, his sword (with a message about control) and his own face. He then goes on about how he has a hard time being honest and reveals his true face. He asks her to be honest with them but Jade herself is unsure what is truth.

Feeling better, Jade has a chat with Gregerius. She learns that Gregerius' former owner was Strahd's brother. Meanwhile Krik wins another drinking game. Ismark begins playing a song with Talice pulling Warwick into a drunken dance. Jade and Edmund join the dance for a bit. Warwick eventually gets a little sober to ask Ireena to dance. Sadly he doesn't stick the landing.

Afterwards the group go to find the children's parents with Jade promising a music duel with Ismark later. They stop by the church to find the location of the children's house first. They explain their plan but the children don't want to leave. The party respects their decision and head to the parent's house themselves. Ismark knocks on the door to find it unlocked. Edmund looks around only to get dust in his eyes. They eventually find the parents who are suffering from a huge case of withdrawal. They inform Ismark of this situation and Morgantha's demise. Ismark then realizes that other people might be suffering from the withdrawal symptoms.

The party gathers up the townsfolk and tell them about what was in the pastries. They find nine more people in the same condition as the parents. Warwick decides to let them live even if the people suffering need time to heal.

The party with Ireena and Ismark leave the city with Warwick and Edmund having a talk about possibly killing them or letting them suffer for their actions. They come to a fork in the road and see some more gallows. Jade takes some rope with her as they follow the path back to the Tser Pool Encampment. They decide to make camp and the boys have another chat with Madame Eva. Edmund is unsure of how to 'heal what can be broken' as it were. Edmund considers talking about his past while Warwick asks Madame Eva about some potions and poisons he picked up.

Once the party is together, Edmund talks about his past with the group while Warwick tests his poisons out. Jade offers her own take on Edmund's situation. While they're doing that Krik as Warwick to get his money back from a sleeping Talice who turned into a wolf to protect her stuff. Sadly she gets pickpocketed again as the rest of the party goes to bed.

## Notable Events

* AeonOfDreams was unable to make it to this session
* Jade and Warwick spar with Edmund with Joshscorcher saying it'll effect them later
* The party finds the pipes of haunting
* The children from the windmill are brought into the care of Donavich
* The party meets Ismark the Lesser and Ireena Kolyana
* Edmund reveals some of his past to the party