"And smart," Corrin adds, reflecting inwardly a bit. "That includes me." Looking to Orilo with a rare somber look on his face. "Don't let me do anything impulsive, ok? Sometimes I, um, don't seem to be in control of my wits. And...," he pauses before continuing. "Don't let me become one of Strahd's spawns. I'd rather end this life than continue on as that fiend's puppet." He looks to all his friends. "I'd do the same for you."

 "I'll make sure that the bastard never gets to make a thrall out of any of you. Even if that means I have to send you to your maker."

THE TOWN OF VALLAKI

Your stay at the camp is uneventful. The camp is located at N9. In the morning, you head north and take the Old Svalich Road east towards the town gate. A 15-foot-high wall encloses the town, its vertical logs held together with thick ropes and mortar. The top of each log has been sharpened to a point. Wooden scaffolding hugs the inside of the palisade twelve feet off the ground, enabling guards to peer over the wall there.

As you all approach the east gate, Ireena and Ismark talk to the guards and they let you in. This town is populous and guarded well - clearly, Ismark was right that this would be good protection for Ireena against Strahd. Ismark and Ireena say they will be at the Blue Water Inn as you guys visit the town.

As you explore the town, here are the points of interest you can explore, or you can converse with the townsfolk to try and learn some information.

N1. St. Andral’s Church - This slouching, centuries-old stone church has a bulging steeple in the back and walls lined with cracked, stained glass windows depicting pious saints. A fence of wrought iron encloses a garden of gravestones next to the church. A thin mist creeps among the graves.

N2. Blue Water Inn - Gray smoke issues from the chimney of this large, two-story wooden building with a stone foundation and sagging tile roof, upon which several ravens have perched. A painted wooden sign hanging above the main entrance depicts a blue waterfall.

N3. Burgomaster’s Mansion - This mansion has walls of plastered stone that display many scars where the plaster has fallen away from age and neglect. Drapes cover every window, including a large, arched opening above the mansion’s double entrance doors.

N4. Wachterhaus - This house seems disgusted with itself. A slouching roof hangs heavy over furrowed gables, and moss-covered walls sag and bulge under the weight of the vegetation. As you study the house’s sullen countenance, you hear the edifice actually groan. Only then do you realize the extent to which the house hates what it has become.

N5. Arasek Stockyard - This large stockyard has several locked sheds along its periphery and lies adjacent to a roomy warehouse. A wooden sign above the front gate reads “Arasek Stockyard.” Parked at the south end of the stockyard is a sturdy carnival wagon, its colorful paint peeling off. Faded lettering on its sides spells out the words “Rictavio’s Carnival of Wonders.” A heavy padlock secures the back door.

N6. Coffin Maker’s Shop - This uninviting shop is two stories tall and has a sign shaped like a coffin above the front door. All of the window shutters are closed up tight, and a deathly silence surrounds the establishment.

N7. Blinsky Toys - This cramped shop has a dark entrance portico, above which hangs a wooden sign shaped like a rocking horse, with a “B” engraved on both sides. Flanking the entrance are two arched, lead-framed windows. Through the dirty glass, you see jumbled displays of toys and hanging placards bearing the slogan “Is No Fun, Is No Blinsky!”

N8. Town Square - The shops and homes that enclose the town square are decorated with limp, tattered garlands and painted wooden boxes filled with tiny, dead flowers. At the north end of the square stands a row of stocks, locked in which are several men, women, and children wearing crude, plaster donkey heads.

In the center of the square, peasants in patchwork clothes eye you suspiciously as they use cups and vases to draw water from a crumbling stone fountain. Standing tall at the center of the fountain is a gray statue of an impressive man facing west. All around the square are posted proclamations: 

Come one, come all,
to the greatest celebration of the year:
THE WOLF’S HEAD JAMBOREE!
Attendance and children required.
Pikes will be provided.

ALL WILL BE WELL!

— The Baron —

Orilo looks down on Corrin for a long moment, then looks away grumbling something. "We'll see... But it is up to you to work on that. I'm not going out of my way to risk everyone else getting killed. Not if those impulsive-ness gonna be a frequent problem." He states bluntly, but honestly. "... I have... faith you can manage it, Corrin." He says a little more quietly.

As if Anborn's words belatedly sink in, Orilo chuckles darkly and looks to him. "Try at least not to look eager to do me the favor."  

As the group passes by St. Andral's church, he pauses to look and even sniff at the air, opening divine senses again for the otherwordly. If nothing pings, he is content to pass by the church without a second look until they reach the Inn and start figuring out a course. Orilo is mute on the subject, as concern seemed to be more on examining passerbyers.

"Did you just tell a joke? Shit, keep that up and I might try and look torn up about it." Anborn picks up one of the proclamations and begins to read it. "It sounds like we have to attend this Wolf's Head Jamboree. I think that we'll have some trouble meeting the requirement for having a kid, but maybe we can dress up Corrin to make him look like one."

Oreo, nothing pings.

Winter reads one of the proclamations posted on a wall and gives a look over to Anborn as he throws the suggestion of using Corrin as their way in. "That may just be stupid enough to work." She says with a small smirk, looking down to the halfling. "Only if he's okay with it of course, I'm sure Song could make you up to be a very... Cute kid."

Corrin shrugs, “Sure, why not? I mean, it’s not like going down a dumbwaiter in a house full of ghosts and fiends, right,” he quips with a smirk and a sidelong glance at the others. “Have at me, Song!”

(Make sure you all level up to level 4)

THE TOWN SQUARE

The shops and homes that enclose the town square are decorated with limp, tattered garlands and painted wooden boxes filled with tiny, dead flowers. At the north end of the square stands a row of stocks, locked in which are several men, women, and children wearing crude, plaster donkey heads. In the center of the square, peasants in patchwork clothes eye you suspiciously as they use cups and vases to draw water from a crumbling stone fountain. Standing tall at the center of the fountain is a gray statue of an impressive man facing west. All around the square are posted proclamations:

Come one, come all,
to the greatest celebration of the year:
THE WOLF’S HEAD JAMBOREE!
Attendance and children required.
Pikes will be provided.
ALL WILL BE WELL!
— The Baron —

Suddenly, an imposing man who appears to be important with two guards rips down the sign, and puts up a new one:

COME ONE, COME ALL,
to the greatest celebration of the year:
THE FESTIVAL OF THE BLAZING SUN!
Attendance and children required.
Rain or shine.
ALL WILL BE WELL!
— The Baron —

(It has a date of tomorrow)

Anborn sees the new posters being hung up. "Wolf's Head out, Blazing Sun in." He tosses aside the poster he's holding and walks up to one of the villagers. "It seems like you have a lot of festivals and you have the carnival here, is this some kind of a party town?"

Reading the sign, Elya mutters, "All will be well?"

To the group, "It appears Strahd's presence is felt here as well. Let's find our nobleman quickly so we can free this place from the vampire's grip"

A villager looks up at you blankly, "The burgomaster believes the festivals keep The Devil Strahd away."

"It says in the posters that attendance and children are mandatory. What are the children for and what happens to those who don't attend?"

"The young are most impressionable." the villager says. "And, be careful. Those who speak ill of the festivals are declared by the burgomaster to be in league with the Strahd and arrested. Some are thrown in the stocks, while others are taken to the burgomaster’s mansion so that the baron can purge them of their evil."

"Well, we certainly don't want to give that impression. None of you would happen to know anything about a dead nobleman, would you?"

"And if there were any way we could meet with your Baron, that would be much appreciated."

The villager looks at Anborn askew at the question, but turns to Elya and simply says, "He'll be at the festival tomorrow. He always is."

"Yeah, I sort of figured that you wouldn't be much help in that department." Anborn re-joins the rest of the party. "We've got a day until the festival tomorrow, we can ask around and see if anyone knows about the nobleman, or we can wait until tomorrow and ask the Baron. What say you all?"

And here's a History check to try and glean information about who the statue is supposed to be of:18

That's trash, let's use Luck:21

Yikes. You have no clue.

"There seems to be plenty to do around here," Winter mentions idly to the group, her eyes fixated on that toy shop. "And... Relatively safe." Her gaze returns back to the group. "I think we can split up and go and see what else we can find, then go ahead and meet at the inn...?" The rogue glances over the group. "And if we're really afraid of being alone we can do a... Buddy system, I suppose, although I'd rather not."