Curse of Strahd Reloaded Update: Yester Hill & Village of Krezk

Apologies for the belated update! This is the third in a series of (hopefully) regular posts providing updates on my progress in drafting and editing the new Reloaded guide. You can find all previous posts here.

Before I leap into this post's updates, a brief announcement: Due to the difficulty of maintaining the GMBinder PDF version of the revised guide, I plan to transition future updates to a public website hosted via Obsidian Publish. 

You can expect the new site to go live with Version 2.0.4 of the guide (the most recent public version) sometime in the next week or two, followed soon after by a v2.0.5 update including the Wizard of Wines winery, Yester Hill, and a host of additional edits.

The GMBinder PDF will still be available even once I've transitioned to the site; however, I'll only update it once per Act, rather than once per Arc, to save my own time and sanity.

Back on topic! Since the previous update, I've completed the following additions to the guide:

• Drafted the players' ascent toward and entry into the druids' circle atop Yester Hill
• Drafted the players' first meeting with Strahd's vampiric bride Ludmilla Vilisevic
• Designed the players' fight with multiple druid assailants and berserkers as the ritual begins
• Designed the players' fight with Ludmilla and the druids' wall of thorns as they struggle to reach the ritual
• Drafted a new roleplay challenge involving Muriel Vinshaw and Ludmilla
• Designed the players' fight with Svarog, the druid leading the ritual to summon Wintersplinter
• Designed new statblocks for Muriel Vinshaw and Ludmilla Vilisevic
• Added new information regarding the megaliths of the Forest Fane surrounding the Gulthias Tree
• Added a subsequent encounter with Strahd by the Whispering Wall beside Yester Hill
• Added a new roleplay challenge involving the Whispering Wall
• Drafted a second meeting with Kavan, including new information about the history of the First Folk and the fall of the Ladies Three
• Drafted the players' return to the Wizard of Wines winery, plus a new reward involving the Keepers of the Feather
• Outlined Arc L: The Fallen Abbey
• Drafted the history of the Krezkov family and the players' first meeting with Burgomaster Dmitri Krezkov & Anna Krezkova, as well as their daughter, Kala
• Designed the Krezkov family home, including a new encounter with the Abbot during dinner and a hidden secret in the basement
• Drafted the players' first arrival at the Abbey of Saint Markovia
• Drafted a new introductory scene and character arc for the flesh golem Vasilka
• Drafted the players' first meeting with the Vistana monster hunter Ezmerelda d'Avenir

Here's a sneak preview of three excerpts from this update: the beginning of the players' first encounter with Ludmilla; the beginning of Ludmilla's confrontation with Muriel; and the beginning of the Abbot's visit to the Krezkov household:

The Vampire Mage

Any players still looking at the circle of chanting druids see Ludmilla turn, notice them, and vanish in a curl of mist. She then reappears before the players in similar fashion, standing just thirty feet away.

Unless the players intervene, the following scene then unfolds:

* Ludmilla greets Strahd respectfully, calling him "my Lord," and notes with concern—and a slight edge to her voice—that she had not known he would be bringing additional company.

* Strahd gestures with a flourish toward the players, and notes, with obvious relish, that he had no hand in their arrival—but that he is intrigued by what Ludmilla will do next.

* Ludmilla recognizes the pawn in Strahd’s hand and abruptly becomes stony-faced, her voice going sharp and cold. She then eyes the players with distaste, her lip curling, and notes, "Another one of your games, then. Very well, my Lord. I assure you, however, that you shall be disappointed."

* Strahd gives Ludmilla a small smile, and says, “Perhaps. But I have always relished the opportunity for surprise.” He and Beucephalus then vanish, disappearing into the Ethereal Plane through the use of Beucephalus’ ethereal stride.

Ludmilla then greets the players. If they have previously defeated Volenta in Arc E: The Lost Soul, Ludmilla's eyes narrow and she adds, "I have heard tell of your encounter with my sister-bride. I imagine you thought you could rest easy atop your laurels. But Volenta has always been a halfwit, a hothead, and a fool. You will find me a far less pleasant adversary—as these pititful ravens and their ilk have done."

Muriel's Rage

On Ludmilla's first turn in combat, if Muriel is present, Ludmilla attempts to provoke her. The following sequence then unfolds, assuming the players do not intervene:

Ludmilla eyes Muriel with mild curiosity. "I saw how you reacted when I mentioned the wereraven's death. Did you know him perhaps? Was he someone close to you?"

A small, cold smile twists Ludmilla's lips. "Do you want to know why I dissect my test subjects? In their final moments, people reveal their true selves—their deepest fears and regrets. In a way, I know him better than you ever did."

A calculating, predatory glint appears in her eyes. "Would you like to know if he was a coward in the end?"

Muriel's face turns white, and she begins to tremble, heaving with exertion and rage.

A player can dissuade Muriel from attacking Ludmilla with a successfull DC 25 Charisma (Persuasion) check, with no action required. Otherwise, Muriel uses her shapechange ability on her next turn to transform into a humanoid-raven hybrid and immediately attacks Ludmilla with her shortsword multiattack. Read:

An anguished howl bursts from Muriel's lips—lips which, you notice, are suddenly growing longer, harder, and as sharp as an avian's beak. The sound of ripping fabric pierces the air as two enormous, black-feathered wings tear from her back, her hands and feet shriveling into gnarled raven's claws.

With a shriek of rage and impotent fury, Muriel spreads her wings and launches into the air.

The Abbot's Visit

The Abbot greets Dmitri, Anna, and the players cordially. Dmitri nervously asks to know why the Abbot has come to visit them. In response, as he steps toward the shelves above the hearth to inspect the whittled statues there, the Abbot asks whether it is a sin to visit the home of his friends and neighbors—”especially,” he notes, with a glance toward Anna, “friends and neighbors who may soon be family?”

As the conversation continues, the Abbot asks the players the following questions—ostensibly to ask their thoughts about Krezk, but meant in truth to deliver an ominous warning to the Krezkovs regarding the consequences of betrayal:

* "How do you like the village? A quaint and quiet settlement, no?" (The village is safe and quiet—for now.)

* "The children of Krezk have always seemed healthy and well-protected. The Krezkovs have been good stewards of this land, haven't they?" (I gave you your child’s health. She and your neighbors will keep their lives and livelihoods—if you uphold your end of our bargain.)

* "I see by your weapons that you're no strangers to the dangers outside these walls. It's good that the good people of Krezk are protected, isn't it, from the threats that lurk beyond?" (Krezk’s mighty walls will not protect you from my wrath.)

* "Isn't it beautiful how such a small, fragile thing can exist on the corners of Strahd's domain?" (You exist because I allow it—and you will end if I demand it.)

If asked why the Krezkovs appear to be afraid of him, the Abbot insists that they have nothing to be afraid of. “There is no fear in doing one’s duty,” he says serenly, “nor shame or sin in accepting one’s fate. Like the sun, moon, and stars, we all have our parts to play, and theirs is a blessed one.” (The Abbot won’t share the Krezkovs’ “duty,” insisting that one’s relationship with the gods is a private matter, to be shared only as one chooses. If addressed, the Krezkovs appear paralyzed with fear, and Dmitri only shakes his head instead of responding.)

If further addressed, the Abbot looks briefly stricken and adds sadly, as he inspects a carved figurine of a wolf upon the mantelpiece, “It is true that many instruments of the gods have first rejected their calling. But is it not written that those who refuse to serve the divine become the tools of the divine, while those who serve the divine themselves become the divine?” He murmurs, mournfully, “The choice, I fear, is never an easy one.”

You can get full access to my in-progress drafts by joining the Patreon as a paid member. All working drafts and outlines for future arcs, as well as a changelog and Trello board of upcoming edits, can be found on the Patreon Bronze Masterpost.

Thank you for following and using this guide! If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments.

I look forward to bringing you future updates.

Cheers,
Dragna