Insane Abbot

## Summary

The party rendezvous with Jade, Salem and Edmund. Edmund returns Gragarius to her while lying. They bump into a woman on the way to the church running to help give birth to a child. The party, more specifically Talice, decides to check out the birth. However when they don't hear crying Edmund decides to check it out. Apparently the baby doesn't have a soul because of the barrier around Barovia and the souls are basically recycled. The woman also talks about people having pale or tanned skin depending on if they have a soul or not.

After saying farewell to her, the group heads up to the abbey exchanging some looks from the people. As they draw closer to a pond in the town, Ireena Kolyana hears a voice coming from it. No one else can hear it so naturally they're suspicious. However they eventually relent and head to the lake. There they see a spirit on the water's surface waiting for his true love, Tatiyana. the party remembers the name from the journal and the spirit recognizes Ireena as his beloved. Ismark is confused as Talice and Warwick figure out that Ireena is Tatiyana reincarnated. Ireena reaches out to the spirit with the party at the ready in case the spirit is hostile. However Strahd intervenes and strikes the lake with blue lightning. It knocks back everyone but Krik and Talice.

Ireena snaps out of her trance to find that the spirit is gone. She admits that she remembers Tatiyana's life. She also remembers Jade's lyre. They remember a song together. Ireena talks about a maid she was friends with and how she cared about the old Strahd. Jade cannot fathom that in a past life she idolized the old Strahd. She decides to take her anger out on those in the abbey and heads up the hill with the others taking more wine for the road.

The party arrives at the unlocked gates. Krik pushes the creaking gates open as he meets the gatekeepers named Otto and Zygfrek. Naturally the group is taken aback by the gatekeepers. Thankfully Jade sweet talks the gatekeepers into letting them in. They pass by the window where they inadvertently see the abbot talking with a woman seemingly. They're brought into the courtyard where they find more weird creatures like Otto and Zygfrek which are actually mongrelfolk. Otto and Zygfrek leave to find the master while everyone waits around. Jade hears cries from the bottom of the well. Talice tries to help the mongrelfolk out but nearly gets scratched at. Edmund tries to talk to one but it's scared of him. Jade plays her lute for him as the Abbot arrives. They begin asking questions about the mongrelfolk and the strange happenings while being invited inside.

Inside the group meets a flesh golem named Vasilka. The abbot mentions that she is to be the next bride of Strahd. The group mentions that Strahd will take whatever he wants but then the abbot mentions Ireena. Edmund mentions the child with no soul being born but the abbot was clearly insane thinking pacifying Strahd will leave them alone. He also says that he created Vasilka from the best pieces of dead people while also refuging the cursed mongrelfolk of the Belview family.

The abbot then gives them a tour of the abbey with Ismark and Ireena staying behind with Vasilka. They are introduced to Corvin Belview. Salem and Warwick look at the table to find their own body parts. When Warwick touches it in shock, it turns out to be normal body parts. Their tour takes them to the basement next with Warwick planning a take down with Edmund. They hope to get Strahd's attention and convince the abbot to step down without violence. They continue the tour with the abbot telling the group about the mongrelfolk's madness. He asks the group for their assistance in feeding the mongrelfolk. They come upon another flesh golem which is the guardian of the mongrelfolk. They fed one group while learning more of the abbot's insanity. Edmund decided to show off his mace with the abbot and they headed to the yard for a round of sparring. Warwick follows Corvin while the others join Edmund in the courtyard.

Edmund tries out his mace but gets blown back by the abbot's counterattack. Edmund goes all out for the second swing but is surprised when his divine power doesn't work on the abbot. The abbot trips when going for a second attack but Edmund helps him up. The abbot heals him upon the duel's conclusion. Edmund and Salem asks for more healing magic to which the abbot obliges.

Meanwhile Warwick continues to follow Corvin learning that there are 20 mongrelfolk in all. They pass by a room that Corvin doesn't like so Warwick offers to feed them. He steps inside only to be ambushed by nine mongrels really anxious for food. Warwick gets overwhelmed so he shadowsteps out of the room. Jade overhears Warwick's cursing afterwards and alerts the others to his predicament. The abbot heals Warwick and sees this as further incentive to teach the party healing magic.

He carries Corvin away as Warwick decides to chat with the group. They rendezvous with Ireena, Vasilka and Ismark in the dining hall. They come up with a plan to use Warwick disguise himself as Strahd with Talice using some special effects. Talice has some objections to this plan not working but Edmund knows better. After seeing Talice and Warwick's view on Edmund, the paladin shuts them up by apologizing for lying to Jade about Gragarius. Jade is heartbroken as Edmund then apologizes to Talice.

The abbot then comes down ready to show the group to their rooms. Talice, Warwick and Krik follow him to their room. Warwick and Talice begin to rest up while Krik stands guard. A woman appears and introduces herself as Ezmeralda D'Avenir. She agrees that the abbot is insane but wants to end Strahd for the sake of her master, Dr. Rudolph van Richten. She doesn't know where he is but Warwick becomes a friend to her when he sees how armed to the teeth she is. They tell her their plan but she thinks it won't work.

Jade learns the healing word and cure wounds spells. Salem learns healing word spell while Edmund gets more health from the lay on hands pool. The abbot introduces Ezmeralda to the others. When he leaves, Ezmeralda says that she knows the Roderika family served Strahd long ago. Ezmeralda is also surprised to see that Ireena is the reincarnation of Tatiyana and protects the room with a magic circle.

The party talks about possible flaws in the plan including where to put the mongrelfolk. They eventually asked Ezmeralda for advice and contemplate bringing the abbot to the people. Krik eventually notices how still the abbot is and checks it out with Talice. They talk with the abbot about the morning lord. Meanwhile Edmund and Jade make up after Jade spills her guts about wanting to be ignorant of her family's life.

Talice asks the abbot for more healing supplies. She goes into the infirmary to find that it hasn't been taken care of at all. As Talice and Krik touch the operating table, they hear screams briefly. Krik gets an idea as the duo head to bed for the night with one minor healing potions from the cabinet nearby.

When morning comes, Warwick reveals that he didn't do the plan yet. The abbot comes in revealing that he wants to go into town later. Krik shows the screaming table to Warwick and then Jade, Edmund and the Abbot. Jade freaks out and tries the cut the table in half with Gragarius. Meanwhile Warwick talks with Ezmeralda about possible places for Rudolph to hide out. She determines one possible tower for him to hide out.

When the group comes together, the abbot was surprised that Talice found so little. They investigate the morgue to find that it is empty aside from a raven that flies off. Salem sends Kvak after it. The party questions if the raven is Strahd but Ezmeralda mentions that Strahd uses bats and wolves as transformations mostly. Kvak lands at Van Ritchen's Tower. Since it's where the group is heading next, they decide to hold off on chasing the thief for the time being. Before they leave, Ezmeralda gets a good look at Talice. She then claims that she knows where Talice's mother is.

## Notable Events

* The party learns about reincarnation in Barovia
* Ireena is revealed to be the reincarnation of Tatiyana, Strahd's love interest
* Strahd makes the spirit of Sergie flee.
* The party goes to Kresk Abbey and meet it's Abbot
* This session uses the timer system
* The party meets Ezmeralda D'Avenir
* Jade, Edmund and Salem get more healing magic