As our adventurers make their way towards Vallaki, they encounter a strange entity on the road. Our Paladin recognizing that the entity is a revenant decides to approach cautiously as the revenant seems to be preparing to attack a group of Vistani, calling them "Allies of Strahd".
Our heroes manage to restrain the revenant before any blood is spilled. It is clear from the revenants disposition that it is an enemy of Strahd and has risen to exact his vengeance against anyone and anything related to the lord of the land. They convince the revenant that they are all on the same side and request the revenant to meet them a little further after Vallaki.
Upon their arrival in Vallaki the adventurers take note of the lively city, unlike the previous town they had chanced upon. Eventually they stop to question a few denizens of the city about the celebratory decor of the town and learn that the mayor has enforced a "happiness law" where everyone is bound by law to display positivity or be thrown in the stocks. To facilitate this, the mayor has enstated constant festivals to hopefully ward away the gloom.
During this exchange, a number of guards swarm the ranger in the party, arresting him and immediately hanging him. There ends the tale of the once boisterous elf, full of bravado at one point, and now nothing but a lifeless husk.
Thus marking the second death of an adventuring member from the party since their arrival in Barovia. In shock from the swift hand of the law, the party makes their way towards the church of Lathander within the city. In the church they learn of the true nature of the holy symbol they had discovered earlier, as well as the fact that the sacred bones of the Saint of the church had been stolen, thus nullifying the effects of the hallowed ground.
With some questions answered any many more raised, what will our potential heroes do? Only time will tell...
