Our Heroes have finally made it with Irena to the town of Vallaki. They have taken residence at The Blue Water Inn.

The inn is owned by Danika Dorakova and Urwin Martikov. They live at the inn with their two sons, Brom and Bray.

At the Inn:

• The two boys have been acting out lately, and both wear masks from an earlier festival.
• Recently in the last few months Vallaki has had an increase in festivals.
• A traveling bard named Rictavio is also staying at the inn.
• Urwin mentioned the most recent shipment of wine has come up late, very late.
• Rictavio shared a humorous story about a bald vampire. However, when asked for a story about the Baron, things grew silent and serious.

The first morning in Vallaki: 5 days to festival.

• Rictavio left early in the morning after receiving a package from Urwin.
• The heroes hear a horse whinnying, causing the townsfolk to freeze in silence. They see Baron Vargas Vallakovich on his chestnut horse, flanked by his mastiffs, Claw and Fang, and followed by guards. Leading the procession is Izek Strazni. Nearby, an old woman, Willemina Rikalova, stumbles into the mud.
• The Baron scolds her for dirtying his cloak. He dismisses her pleas to free her son, Udo. Her son is imprisoned for a harmless joke. He orders Izek to lock her in the stocks for her “malicious unhappiness.” Izek cruelly grabs her, handing her to the guards, who drag her away as she struggles and pleads.
• The heroes nonetheless intervene, helping Willemina and standing against the Baron’s tyranny.
• Baron Vallakovish seems very intent and “happiness”. As the Baron departs, he addresses the crowd. “I shall expect to see you all at the Festival of the Blazing Sun in four days. All will be well!”.

At the church of Saint Andral:

• Father Lucian meets with the heroes.
• The bones of Saint Andral have been stolen in the early hours of the morning. Only two members of the church know of the bones.
• The church is hallowed ground because of the bones. They are needed to conduct the ceremony in a few days. This will keep it a sacred place. Father Lucian will gladly guard Irena, but without the bones, the church is just another building.
• Our heroes question the young boy, Yeska, and discover that Milivoj overheard about the bones.
• Our heroes confront Milivoj at his home to discover he is the sole provider for his younger family. His mother had become addicted to the pies being sold outside of town to the poor. These pies do not seem to affect the young.
• Milivoj admits to stealing the bones, but clearly has no idea of the importance of the artifacts. He sold them to the Coffin maker (The players bumped into him on the way into the church). Milivoj leads the players to his home if they will just leave him and his family alone.

And thus we find our heroes having broken into the coffin makers shop…