Kresk Village

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Kresk Village ambient audio by Sword Coast Audio

The Burgomeister Dimitri Krezkov

When you run important NPCs it is important to have vital info close at hand so you don't have to go search for it. If you don't immediately know the answer to "What did your child die from?" or some other question that the NPC would be intimately familiar with, that can cause issues - it breaks verisimilitude and also the PCs can't help but be suspicious of the answer even though they recognize you are only human and looking up the answer. Here are the things you need to know off hand that the players will quiz you on: (reddit)

Dimitri had 4 children. Make up names for the first 3. The most recent one to die is Ilya at age 14. He died 7 days ago. Make up a disease. I used Consumption, but a fantasy disease works just as well. (reddit)

The book suggests you force an insight check to figure out that Krezkov is distraught, but this is really important to the mood, so I would just have an appropriate PC autopass the check when it seems logical to drop that nugget of information. (reddit)

Don't be afraid to have Dimitri be a great all around guy in these encounters. Good NPCs are so few and far between in Ravenloft that this guy really helps lighten the mood. The valleys aren't as deep if they aren't around mountains. (reddit)

The Pool and Shrine

This encounter is awesome. READ THE DEVELOPMENTS SECTION AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER! I accidentally played this development incorrectly twice. Again, here are the quick reference facts you need to know: (reddit)

The final box of grey text and the lightning bolt hits the pool regardless of if Ireena takes the watery hand or not (Both of my groups didn't let her take it). This part is really cool. If you have a sound effect available for a thunder crack, this is the time to bust it out. People around the pool (15 ft) take a Dex check or get knocked prone. People IN the pool take a Con check to avoid a stupid amount of lightning damage. (reddit)

Something New

This event is another Must Run event in my mind. It lets the characters in on a really important piece of lore which explains Barovia. I had Anna Krezkov be the midwife rather than bring another NPC in - That way, the burgomeister can ask one of the PCs to perform a blessing for the newborn. Again, this is a spot where I had one character autopass the insight check because it is integral to the setting. (reddit)

Something Borrowed

This development is important, but it is more of a development that will come into play if the PCs don't intervene. Both my groups were basically tripping over themselves to get up to the Abbey. The Abbey is a great encounter and here is how you assure the PCs are interested in going there: 1. Volunteer some of the Krezk Lore from page 146, esp. regarding the Abbot. 2. Have the dinner bell ring while the PCs are there, accompanied by screams and laughter from the Abbey. 3. Make sure to mention that several of the graves in Krezk have been robbed (due to the Mongrel gravediggers, but they don't know why, and apparently neither to the Krezkites.) and the corpses stolen. (reddit)

The most important part of the development is that you want the Burgomeister to know that the Vallakovichs have a wedding dress. This is delicious because by this time in the campaign, your party will almost certainly have run afoul of the town of Vallaki. Now they have to develop a heist plan, which is always a hoot. (reddit)

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The Atmosphere in Kresk

Unlike the dreary and depressed Village of Barovia and super corrupt Vallaki, Kresk is a much more tight-knit town. While the town itself is sizable, most of that space is taken up by the residents’ farmland. Kresk’s actual population is comprised of no more than a couple hundred people. It’s the kind of place where everybody knows everybody’s business. The town is quaint. It’s communal. It’s home. (reddit)

The Story of Kresk Here’s where things branch off from the written campaign. This is where I expanded on the written material a lot. Preemptively, I’d like to say that I borrowed and adapted quite a bit from the narratives found in the Adventure League modules of Curse of Strahd. Specifically, I added content from “The Broken One” and “The Tempter” modules. (reddit)

I'd also like to say that in this version, not a single NPC is "good." Every single one is corrupt in some way or has some sort of crime in their past. I really wanted Kresk to mess with my players, showing them that the people they trusted each have darkness in them. There will also be some hard decisions coming their way: to forgive these NPCs, punish them, or make sure they see justice? There's no right answer, but this will sure as hell mess with their morals. (reddit)

The Setup

Food Stores for Winter

Winter is fast approaching this year and Kresk is getting ready to hunker down. The cold kills what few crops they have (mostly root vegtables) and their farm animals must be carefully tended too and distributed evenly so that everyone survives the coming months. This happens every year and the locals are used to preparing for Winter. (reddit)

The Burgomaster’s Son is back from the Dead

In this version of Kresk, the events of “Something Old” should already have occurred prior to the PCs arrival. (reddit)

Essentially, the Burgomaster’s last remaining son, 14-year-old Ilya, has recently died from natural illness. In a last ditch effort to save their child, both Dmitri and his wife, Anna, took Ilya’s body to the Abbot in hopes that the holy man could revive the child. Having Dmitri go to the Abbot, rather than having the Abbot come to Dmitri, keeps the Abbot a bit more mysterious in my opinion. (reddit)

However, Ilya was dead for about a month before his parents finally got the idea to take him to the Abbey. The Abbot, while compassionate, doesn’t perform such miracles after someone has been dead for so long. He knows the consequences could be dire. But after seeing the extent of Dmitri and Anna’s despair, the Abbot relents and raises Ilya. (reddit)

Outwardly, Ilya is completely normal. He’s healing well and he’s very happy to be alive again. (reddit)

Livestock is going Missing

Recently, the town’s main livestock count in coming up short. Mainly, the collection of sheep shared by the village is dwindling and nobody knows why. (reddit)

From the established fact that those animals are needed for the locals to survive the winter, this is a really big deal to Kresk. The town’s survival could be compromised if this keeps up. (reddit)

What’s happening to the Sheep?

This is the immediate story quest that will present itself to PCs on their arrival, and solving it will unravel a whole lot more. (reddit)

Ilya is Actually a Monster

The truth is Ilya Kreskov did not come back from the dead quite right. The Abbot warned that there might be consequences to bringing back someone who had been dead for more than a few days, but even he couldn’t have guessed what’s happened to Ilya. (reddit)

Ilya’s body and soul have been tainted from his time in the Barovian afterlife. He’s been cursed with gluttony, to the point where he is perpetually hungry. At first, this only means that he eats bigger meals than a normal child would, which is easily excused by the fact that he’s been recently revived. However, as time goes on, Ilya’s hunger grows and grows to the point where it physically pains him unless he’s eating something. It eventually gets to the point where Ilya is quite literally always starving to death. (reddit)

And you guessed it. That’s where the sheep are going. Anna Kreskov, in a desperate attempt to save her son, has been quietly stealing livestock to feed him. She knows that something’s not right with Ilya’s growing hunger, but she also loves her son too much to let him die a second time. Dmitri has no knowledge of this and is kept busy with running Kresk. (reddit)

Endgame

After Ilya’s hunger destroys Kresk’s food stocks, he moves on and starts eating the residents instead. All of this will eventually culminate into a fight with Ilya’s pained and monstrous form. By this point, his hunger will have stolen any humanity he has left as well as altered him physically. (reddit)

So that’s great and all, but how does this story present itself to your players? Here's the step-by-step adventure. (reddit)

Part 1 Prior to Kresk

In order for this to go more smoothly narratively, there are a couple things you should establish prior to the PCs reaching Kresk. You can do this in conversations with other NPCs throughout their journey. (reddit)

There’re rumors that the great and holy Abbot of Kresk brought someone back from the dead. Because Kresk is so closed off from the outside world, these rumors are pretty nondescript. But it’ll drop a nice hint to your party before everything goes down. It’ll also plant a seed that resurrection is possible if one of the PCs die in game, which comes in useful later. (reddit)

The weather in Barovia is pretty stagnant, but it’s technically autumn when the players start the campaign. Really, Barovia has two main climates. For spring, summer, and autumn, everything is on the chillier side of temperate. The normal Barovian environment. Winter, however, involves intense frosts and exceptionally long nights, but not necessarily heavy snowfall. Luckily, winter only lasts a couple months. Establishing the coming winter will help make the missing livestock a big deal to your players. It’ll also probably inspire more than one “Winter is coming” joke. ;) (reddit)

Staying in the Burgomaster’s House

When your players get to Kresk, they’ll end up staying in the Burgomaster’s house. Remember, there aren’t any inns in Kresk since the town doesn’t welcome outsiders. Taking up the empty beds in Dmitri’s house is the player’s main option for room and board. (reddit)

At dinner that night, you should play up the family dynamic. Dmitri, Anna, and Ilya are a lovely family and they overall have a kind disposition. (reddit)

Things to bring up during dinner:

Ilya has a huge appetite. He doesn’t talk much throughout dinner because he’s busy stuffing his face. Play this up as amusing; a growing boy who needs his nutrition. Dmitri might even laugh and tell Ilya to “Slow down and remember to breathe!” (reddit)

Dmitri and Anna are happy to tell the party that their son is back from the dead. It’s the greatest miracle in their lives, after all, and they see no reason to hide a blessing of the Morning Lord. They freely talk about the Abbot’s kindness and extraordinary power. Evening mentioning this should chime some alarm bells in your players’ heads. (reddit)

The people of Kresk all work together to survive. Dmitri doesn’t mean to be rude or forward, but he’d very much like the players to help out around town; to earn their keep so to speak. If the players ask how they can help, Dmitri will tell them about the preparations for winter and, inevitably, the missing sheep. (reddit)

Exploring Kresk

In the following days, the players will likely want to make good on helping out Kresk. There are other things they may wish to do at this point as well and you should totally let them. They have time before Ilya’s hunger consumes him. For instance: (reddit)

Players can go explore the Shrine and Pool.

Players may want to go straight to the Abbey. This will likely be a longer dalliance, but still isn’t any problem.

If your players do avoid the livestock issue, make sure to keep hinting at it. The longer they wait, the more worried the Kreskites become about making it through the winter. Each time the players see Ilya, he’s eating. Hint away! (reddit)

Part 2 Investigating the Missing Livestock

When your players show interest in figuring out this little mystery, you should get things rolling with a bang. Quite literally overnight, all the sheep in Kresk’s collective pen have gone missing. However, not only are they missing, but also the farm is covered with blood. (reddit)

Depending on where your players are, you’ll need to weave this in a little differently. (reddit)

If your players want to look into this the morning after their dinner with the Burgomaster’s family, have a local villager burst into the home in the morning asking for Dmitri’s help. Unfortunately, Dmitri, Anna, and Ilya are all out at the moment, so your PCs will have to do. (reddit)

If your players are somewhere else in town or are returning from the Abbey, have a local run up to them in a panic. The Burgomaster is requesting the players’ immediate assistance. (reddit)

Luca Barbu

The commotion will lead the players to Luca’s farm. Luca is the village simpleton and essentially a gentle giant. Though he’s not bright, he can look after the sheep with his heart of gold. Unfortunately, Anna Kreskov has been using Luca’s mental handicap against him to steal sheep for her son. (reddit)

I took Luca directly from the Adventure League modules. This is the description they give of Luca:

Luca was supposed to be watching the sheep and is the only one in charge of them. Despite his mental handicap, he does a really good job of this. He’s kind of a sheep whisperer. Luca’s a better fit for the job than players might first think. (reddit)

Luca’s father, Costel Barbu, used to help keep track of the sheep as well. However, he recently died. Costel left a couple weeks earlier to go and see about the missing wine deliveries. Unfortunately, he had an unfortunate encounter with some wolves and never returned. (reddit)

Finding the Clues

Your players will have a little time to look around the sheep pen and question Luca. Here are some facts about the scene of the crime. (reddit)

In the Sheep Pen

There were supposed to be over three-dozen sheep in the pen. They usually have closer to 50, but Anna’s continual theft over the last couple weeks has dwindled their numbers. Now, all three-dozen remaining sheep are gone too. (reddit)

Ilya devoured the sheep, skin and bones, leaving little behind. So there actually isn’t that much blood in the pen. Certainly not enough to encompass so many sheep. There are also no carcasses and only a few scattered sheep bones. (reddit)

The only footprints in the pen are sheep and human. (reddit)

The few sheep bones left behind have bite marks on them. A well-rolled skill check can tell your players that the markings were made by rows of sharp teeth, not unlike a shark bite. (reddit)

Questioning Luca

I also took this directly from the printed module, "The Broken One", so I’ll share that here. (reddit)

During the investigation Luca fixates on one of the characters and declares that they are friends. It might be whichever character first showed him any kindness, the character with the highest or lowest Charisma, or—ironically—the prickliest and gruffest member of the party. Luca refers to this character as his “friend”. This chosen character has advantage on all skill checks made to persuade, intimidate or deceive Luca, though failure in these checks can send Luca into a rage. 
Luca is willing to tell his "friend” what he knows about the disappearance of the livestock. Luca won't volunteer any information; the characters have to ask targeted questions, but they can learn the following: 
􏰀 (reddit)

- The fence is broken. Today Luca went to get stones to fix the fence. All day Luca is getting 
stones. (The fence is not broken; this was Anna's idea to get Luca away from the sheep pen that Luca has fixated on. Luca wasn't there to witness Ilya come and eat all the remaining sheep.)
􏰀 (reddit)

- Luca can't count the sheep 'cause he got kicked in the head.
􏰀 (reddit)

- Daddy went away. He never said goodbye. Luca thinks Daddy is in the dirt.
􏰀 (reddit)

- Luca's favorite sheep is Brownie. Brownie was nice to Luca and always let him pet her. One-day Brownie was gone. Eugen said Luca is just a dunderhead but Luca knows that Brownie is gone. Brownie is in the dirt. (reddit)

Part 3 The Mob Cometh

When you decide the time is right, the situation will further escalate. Word has gotten around that Kresk's main livestock is gone. With winter right around the corner, they're a big chance they might starve in the coming months. What was once an anxious worry over a handful of missing sheep is quickly turning into full blown panic. (reddit)

As your players proceed with their investigation, villagers begin to gather around Luca's farm. You can mention them in passing as simple "onlookers" there to see the carnage. But as their numbers grow, their tensions rise. (reddit)

Anna and Dmitri Kreskov also show up during this time. Dmitri enters the sullied farm wide-eyed and stunned. He's shocked by the missing sheep and as scared as the rest of his people. However, he's doing his best not to show his fear, staying silent instead. While Dmitri's silence doesn't hinder matters, it also doesn't help them. (reddit)

Anna Ignites the Mob

Anna was not present to see Ilya eat all the remaining sheep and certainly didn't advocate the act. This was Ilya acting on his own due to his frenzied hunger. However, Anna still loves her son more than anything and is willing to do whatever might be necessary to save him. Seeing what's become of Luca's farm, Anna knows that her son's ailment is in danger of coming to light. (reddit)

Anna uses the heightened fear of the spectators to insight a mob. She openly shouts above the crowd that Luca is at fault, claiming that he is the reason the sheep are gone and that Kresk will starve. She's more than willing to use poor Luca as a scapegoat if it means protecting her boy. (reddit)

Even though this is a calculated move on Anna's part, you should play it like she's simply voicing the Mob's collective thoughts. Anna herself is very worried about her son, so describing her as wide-eyed and afraid wouldn't be inaccurate. Your players just won't figure out her real reasons for being so scared until later. (reddit)

How your PCs react.

During the Mob confrontation, the players can do a few different things. "The Broken One" module gives a decent write up of each of these options, but I'll summarize them for you here. No matter what happens, they all end with a scream coming from somewhere in the nearby streets. (reddit)

Calm the Mob

Luckily, Kresk is quite small and so is the mob. There are no more than fifty-ish people present at this time. It is very possible for your players to calm the mob with reason and words. (reddit)

Let your players have some time to role-play. This might be a great time for your charismatic player character to step up to the plate. (reddit)

Should the PCs manage to quell the mob, go ahead and spare a moment to mention that Anna looks downright pissed. However, before they can investigate, a scream echoes from somewhere nearby. (reddit)

Fight for Luca

Your players might be filled with righteous indignation that the mob is going after a sweet soul like Luca. Your party may fight back against the mob. (reddit)

However, if the fighting results in the death of a villager, the mob will dissipate rather quickly as they are overcome by fear. Your party will earn a pretty bad reputation as murderers in Kresk. Even though they're right in defending Luca, the local Kreskites will never forget that the party killed their own. They won't be as trusted or as welcome in Kresk after this. (reddit)

Otherwise, the encounter will end the same as calming the mob, with Anna's angry glare and a scream coming from somewhere nearby. (reddit)

Flee with Luca

The party may just "nope" the heck out of there, grabbing Luca and making a break for it. You should have a tense little scene where the party is actively running from the mob. (reddit)

This ends when the party turns a corner and sees a woman in the middle of the street as she lets out a loud, anguished scream. (reddit)

Throw Luca to the Mob

Maybe everything fails. Maybe you've got some morally questionable players. Maybe your players have decided that Luca is at fault from misinterpreting some evidence. Either way, it is entirely possible that your party might just hand Luca over to the mob. (reddit)

Should this happen, describe the horror to your players as Luca is swallowed by his fellow Kreskites and beaten to death. Luca's meant to be an innocent, so letting this happen should make your players feel pretty awful. (reddit)

When Luca is dead, the Mob turns angrily towards the party. It is then that the scream comes from town. (reddit)

Confronting Ilya

The Scream

The scream comes from a woman in town. Ilya, still starving even after devouring all the sheep, has turned to eating people to satiate his hunger. This woman, a random villager, was on her way to investigate the commotion of the mob when she stumbled across Ilya hunched over and eating another villager. (reddit)

When the party hears the scream, they likely rush off to investigate. They'll arrive just as Ilya dives at the woman to attack her. The final battle will quickly ensue after this. (reddit)

Ilya Battle

Ilya has turned into a monster. He's completely emaciated, his bones pushing up from beneath his pale skin. He's covered in blood - both sheep and human - and he thinks of nothing but quenching the hunger that's causing him so much pain. When he opens his mouth, his jaw quite literally unhinges and peels open down the sides of his neck, revealing rows upon rows of sharp, jagged teeth. (reddit)

Should your party try to call out to Ilya to try and talk to him, he openly weeps and begs for food. His hunger is quite literally killing him and he's in so much agony, reason can't find him. (reddit)

Here's the stat block I used for Ilya:

Onlookers/The Remaining Mob

Should other commoners still be with the party when the fight gets started (if they were chasing the party through the streets for example), the civilians turn and flee in terror at the sight of Ilya. They don't want to stick around with a monster on the loose, after all. (reddit)

Aftereffects

When the battle is over and Ilya is slain, there's still some things to be wrapped up. (reddit)

Anna

After Ilya is dead, Anna bursts from the crowd and screams, "No!" She rushes over to Ilya's body and weeps over him. (reddit)

The players should be able to tell from her reaction that it's likely Anna knew what was going on all along. If the players take the time to question her, she admits to everything. If the players chastise her, she merely says, "He's my son. What else could I do?" (reddit)

What happens to Anna is entirely up to your players. They just killed the worst monster Kresk has seen in decades, after all. They currently have huge sway over the town. Most likely, the villagers will want to give Anna a public trial that will probably result in her execution or exile. Your players can heavily influence this decision. Maybe your players actually forgive Anna and convince the rest of Kresk to do the same. It's really up to them. (reddit)

Dmitri

Dmitri is a totally broken man after this. Not only is his last son dead, but said son is the murderer of other villagers. His wife may also have been executed or exiled at this point. On top of everything, Kresk doesn't have enough food to make it through the winter. Dmitri lapses into a catatonia from the heartbreak. (reddit)

With Anna and Dmitri pretty much out of the picture, it's now up to the players to save Kresk from starvation. Luckily, there's a rich lady in the woods beyond Kresk that may just have enough to go around. Stay tuned for my write up and revisions of the Fidatov Manor, the next step in rescuing the people of Kresk. I'll also be doing a much shorter post on Kresk's shrine and another long one on the Abbey. Enjoy! (reddit)

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I HATE the whole “Ireena (Tatyana) might escape with Sergei into the pool” bit. (reddit)

As written, stopping her is ultimately bad, but the players aren’t given any clues about it (reddit)

It fees shoehorned in (reddit)

Even if I wink and nod my ass off, it feels like a Deus ex Machina (reddit)

It’s a cheap victory even if they do the “right” thing (reddit)

It leaves so much potential on the table (reddit)

How I see it:

Sergei’s spirit has been trapped in Barovia, just like any other, since his murder (reddit)

He has specifically refused to be reincarnated, because there are advantages to being incorporeal when your hating brother is a vampire (reddit)

Abbey of St. Markovia

As one of the few hallowed places still left in barovia, he has “anchored” his spirit to the pool beneath the Abbey of St. Markovia, in order to maintain his form, he must return there each dawn. (reddit)

Over centuries he has gone from hating, to resenting, to pitying, and finally forgiving Strahd. He’s seen what hatred and obsession have done to his brother, and does not want to become that. (reddit)

With all this time and access to the border ethereal, Sergei has been able to learn many things about the realm he inhabits:

Strahd is a prisoner here himself, destined to relive the loss of his heart’s desire over and over for eternity. So long as this continues, he can never be truly put to rest, and neither can Tatyana. (reddit)

The true power here is a Dark Entity named Sargad the Exsanguinator, the dark power that originally brokered a deal with Strahd. It was freed from the Amber Temple when Strahd sealed their pack by killing Sergei (hence the broken sarcophagus in the amber temple). It delights in Strahd’s repeated torment. (reddit)

He suspects that a shard of the coffin, if used to pierce Strahd’s Heart while he slumbers, might sever his connection Sargad and kill him permanently. (reddit)

The Heart of Sorrow in the tower of Ravenloft is the key to Strahd’s power and relative immortality. Similar to a phylactery of a lich. (This will tie in to the Tome of Strahd) (reddit)

Barovia has been moved to some sort of demiplane, it bumps around the cosmological landscape, occasionally “bumping into” the real world. Sergei has been able to use this... (reddit)

When Van Richten cam to Bariovia Sergei stole/found some of his writings and used them to disseminate his message, in the hope that those who read the writing of a master hunter would be powerful themselves and come to his aid. He was able to pass the items through the barrier in the ethereal when Barovia “bumped against” the real world, though he cannot pass himself. This generally coincided with other Barovia related activity in the normal realm, like werewolf raids, and vistani camps, and undead happenings. Hence the relationship with the character hooks I set up at the start. (reddit)

I want the players to find Sergei at the pool. Here he hatches a plan to kill his brother for good, thus freeing all three of their souls from this curse. He’ll also suggest using an Imprison spell on Ireena, in order to keep her safe. If this happens, or if another of his plans are completed Strahd gets wise to this and thunders “You will not keep her from me brother, not in this life, not in any life!” Cue lightning strike at the pool. The characters will no longer have access to Sergei, but he will have put them on the path to killing Strahd by then. (reddit)