TL;DR Episode 8 - For Here the Lover and Killer Are Mingled

**Short Summary:**

When they’re alone, Nahara tells Uriah that Azalin offered to protect her from Strahd, who’s looking for her. In return, Azalin asked that she serve him. She accepted, because she felt obligated to Azalin for saving Uriah yesterday. Uriah warns her to be careful, and promises to walk down this dark path with her if things go wrong. They share with Fen that Strahd is looking for Nahara, and Fen wonders if Nahara’s past life was in Barovia. A talon arrives to ask their help with the plague in the lower wards. Nahara asks Stewart to check in on Valentine’s group.

Freyja leads Desmond, Tatyana, and Valentine to meet Haegen, the resistance leader. He plans to kill Vladeska when she’s separated during the battle tomorrow night. They question how he will bring peace to Falkovnia, and he speaks of violence, but is not interested in continuing Vladeska’s impalement executions. Tatyana suggests fighting pits instead. Freyja tells them their friends are coming and they leave to join them. They have to cover their noses and mouths, the stench in the river district is so bad. Uriah senses sick people and the source of the plague ahead, and a man comes out to ask for help and infects three of them with the plague as he dies. The group fights six zombies and a zombie plague spreader. Stewart takes out the lesser zombies but also kills their escort, who rises as a zombie. When Fen attacks him, he knocks her unconscious. Valentine runs in to get Fen to safety and is reduced to 1 hp in the process. Her blood also gets into Fen’s mouth, and it tastes unlike any blood she’s ever tasted. Just as the plague spreader is about to erupt, Vladeska arrives with reinforcements and saves them.

Vladeska becomes outraged at the sight of Nahara. When Nahara asks Azalin why, he tells her Vladeska killed her in her past life. Nahara taunts Vladeska, who has them taken into custody. As they make their way to the governor’s mansion, Horstman and Uriah both negotiate for the party to be treated as emissaries, not prisoners. Valentine tries to penetrate Vladeska’s mind only to be shut out after finding that she is afraid of Nahara, and everything went wrong for Vladeska after she killed Nahara.

When they reach her war room, Tatyana and Desmond see from her plans that Vladeska is an impressive strategist, but she is going to lose the war no matter what she tries. Vladeska relents and agrees to negotiate with them instead of taking them prisoner, but Nahara almost ruins it by goading her again. Uriah asks to speak to Vladeska alone so Nahara doesn’t get them all killed. In private, Vladeska agrees to release the Carnival scouts as long as Uriah cures the plague and the party stays to fight with them tomorrow night. Those who don’t will be executed at dawn.

Fen is contemplating why Valentine’s blood tastes so unusual to her when she is transported before Strahd von Zarovich. He asks her how she feels about traveling with mortals and if she’s tempted to slake her thirst on them. He offers Fen the option of becoming a full vampire, but is offended when she uses the wrong title to address him. He leaves her to consider his offer for another time.

**Notables this episode:**

We find out what Azalin promised Nahara in the adventure journal episode, and that Nahara agreed to his bargain because he saved Uriah.

We find out Stewart can communicate with Tregrum at great distance, and Nahara is keeping it secret from the others.

Tregrum reveals that “their” plan for Valentine is for her to rule.

The zombie plague is spreading quickly through the city because of plague spreaders.

If someone dies with the plague in their system, they will rise as a plague spreader themselves.

Both Uriah and Nahara were reduced to 1 hp in the zombie battle.

Valentine's blood tastes like nothing Fen has ever tasted before.

We learn more about Nahara’s past life and that Vladeska ended it.

Valentine picks and chooses what she relays to each party member in their game of telephone.

Vladeska has the Carnival scouts prisoner and was planning to execute them in the morning.

Fen has been thinking about tasting Desmond’s blood.

The correct way to address a baron is Count.

**Firsts:**

The first time Valentine risks her life to save someone other than Tatyana.

The first time Tatyana uses Levitate offensively in battle.

The first time someone successfully shuts Valentine out of their mind.

**Crit Count:** 6 successes, 1 failure

**Memorable Lines:**

Uriah: I sent my bodyguards down to the market to see if there was any…um…buns. I love buns.

…

Nahara: Buns?

Uriah: It was the only food I could think of. I was going to say apples, but I don’t know if they have much fresh fruit around here, and so buns was the most logical thing. Look. My cover story was…fine.

Uriah: Tell me: you are priests, but in service of which deity?

Clerics: Our faith is in Falkovnia. In the good of our people.

Uriah: Yes…well, it certainly seems efficacious. My wounds are quite closed.

Clerics: Ja, our power comes from the land itself. And the fervency of our belief. We are unwavering in our convictions.

Uriah: Yes. Yes of course.

Valentine: Sounds like you don’t need a deity to be a cult.

**Previous TL;DR:** Episode 7 - Don't Praise the Day Before the Evening

**Next TL;DR:** Episode 9 - Only Lasting Death

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