Your long journey to Vallaki is remarkably safe. Curiously safe. Uncomfortably safe.

The Old Svalich Road meanders into a valley watched over by dark, brooding mountains to the north and south. The woods recede, revealing a sullen mountain burg surrounded by a wooden palisade. Thick fog presses up against this wall, as though looking for a way inside, hoping to catch the town aslumber.

The dirt road ends at a set of sturdy iron gates with a pair of shadowy figures standing behind them. Planted in the ground and flanking the road outside the gates are a half-dozen pikes with wolves’ heads impaled on them.

"Hail! By order of the burgomaster of barovia open the gates. We are adventurers in the fight against Strahd." Ismark commands.

"Orders of the Baron of Vallaki are to keep the gates shut until dawn. Scram." Comes one of the guards.

----
sounds like some persuasions are in order.

Zrakrud looks towards the guard with cold contempt, but it was not something he was unused too. In his own him, his kind were generally not welcome in the cities either, but usually because they raided them when they needed to. He looked to the others, to see if any had words that would help them gain entrance before something of the night falls upon them.

---

OOC: don't make the guy with the neg cha modifier try to get us through the gates. We will be stuck here forever.

The dwarf, neither subtle or patient, looked at the wall like a bully beating up a child. "Well then, why don't ye get of ye ass, get ye master and see what in th' he'll ye got here....people willing ter face th' lord bloodsucker. Now open th' gates or so help me, ye'll get a dwarven boot so far up ye ass, ye'll know me family history!"

<OOC: sorry. Persuasion of 8, plus dwarf equals bad tempered!>

Lando chided Brankx, "Now now, my friend.  Don't blame these men.  They're only following orders."  He addressed the guards, "It's the duty of the common soldier to follow orders, and I for one appreciate your dedication.  You have shown yourself to be adequate at your job and I'm sure you'll be guarding this gate for many years to come.  That is if that's all you want to do with your life.  On the other hand it's the virtue of a truly great soldier to know when to look beyond simple instructions and use his own reason.  A great soldier who uses his own wit will rise through the ranks to a position of prestige.  You see before you adventurers who will defeat the Baron's enemies for him, if we can get into the city, in the company of a trusted community leader, so you can be assured of our credentials. Your forethought now could reflect well on you in the future.  So tell me, gentlemen, are you only common soldiers?"

00:44, Today: Lando rolled 25 using 1d20+7.  persuasion.

Meh, it's not my best argument, but at least my roll is good

As they pass the pikes with the wolf heads impaled on them, Skuldja frowns. "Those poor poor doggies."

At the gate she stands behind Lando and is very impressed with his words as he talks to the guards.

The gates begin to budge open, the chains as thick as your arm begin to be dragged through the iron bars. It’s quite the ordeal.

After a minute the gates open and Ismark pulls the carriage through, then he hops down and helps them close the gate.

Guard, “you should go to meet the Baron immediately. He will not be happy if you don’t see him first.”

——
But it’s finally an open world. You see all the locations in the town. Feel free to explore. I can create multiple groups if you wanna split up.

Zrakrud looks to Imsark "I assume you know where the Baron resides?" He wished to speak to this Baron and get that over with. Perhaps rest a bit and then begin their task in acquiring these relics.

Ismark leads you toward the baron’s mansion.

On the way yoh pass 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!

TOMORROW

Attendance and children required.

Pikes will be provided.

ALL WILL BE WELL!

— The Baron —

Zrakrud eyes those in the stocks, perhaps the gladiatorial pits were better he thought, "Strange lands, water is free, metal is freely shown about" he muttered.

As they walk Lando quietly says to the others, "do we have any actual business with the Baron? because I was jest bull shitting the guards so I didn't have to wait outside the walls all night."

"We need more allies. And information, if we want to get home." Zrakrud offers softly as they continue their walk through the city.

You approach the 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.

https://media-waterdeep.cursec.../684/600/825/015.jpg

The place is the most alive thing you have seen since you woke up yesterday. Out of the front door, two guards are dragging an unconscious man whose face is painted with a smile. As the door is still opened, Ismark hollers in and introduces you, and a maid curtseys and shows you in.

(a) You enter the entry hall. Framed portraits adorn the walls of this grand foyer, which features a wide staircase with a sculpted railing. A long, carpeted hall attached to the foyer stretches almost the length of the mansion and has several doors leading away from it, including one at the far end. Pikes and severed wolf heads are piled up in a corner.

The maid leads you down the hall and into the first door on the right. (e)
Padded chairs and couches line the walls of this cozy, carpeted den. The room reeks of pipe smoke, and mounted on the east wall is the head of an angry-looking brown bear.

Skuldja points to the man being dragged out as they go in and smiles. "Looks like someone may have had some cupcakes." She keeps an eye out for more cupcakes.

In the room, Skuldja plops down on to a couch.

To Skulja he said, "yes, it starts innocently enough with cupcakes, but it can lead to face painting or who knows what kind of frivolity."

In the waiting room he took a standing position looking out the window with his hands behind his back so he could look suitably disinterested when the baron called them for an audience.

Brankx, listening to the talk, snorted. “Ye see the smile, yet not th’ fact he’s been carried out? Ever thought we walk into danger rather than just a baron’s house?”  The dwarf muttered to himself as they went, his eyes constantly moving.

In the room, he took out a dagger and started cleaning his nails. With a half smile, he spoke. “Nice view there Lan.....or ye planning ye next speech?l

A half man half demon shark face monster ducks and squeezes through the door frame and grins at you. He has no eyes, and no lips, it becomes apparent that he is not grinning, he just cannot not unbare his teeth.

"Greetingssssss. I am Izekkkkk. The Steward. May I present to you, Baron and Baroness Vallakovich!" He then bows, his head now coming to your shoulders. The Baron and his wife enter with giant smiles on their faces. The baron would be the largest man in the room if he weren't dwarfed by Izek. Large. But his personality is larger than life.

"Welcome welcome welcome to Vallaki! Greetings Ismark and Ireena! I am happy to hear of your father's death! It is fantastic! How wonderful! And to you, brave adventurers, blessings upon you! Your arrival is fantastic! Just in time for our Jamboree! HA HA HA!"

His wife, a thin thing dressed in the finest bright colors giggles and nods like her head is gonna fall off.

Seti watches, wondering what kind of world to which they have been whisked away.

Lando turned away from his silent musings at the window when Izek announced himself.  He was taken aback by the steward's appearance, but he kept his face indifferent.  He bowed deeply to the Baron and his wife when he a addressed the group.