The Burgomaster’s Mansion

A weary-looking mansion squats behind a rusting iron fence. The iron gates are twisted and torn. The right gate lies cast aside, while the left swings lazily in the wind.The stuttering squeal and clang of the gate repeats with mindless precision. Weeds choke the grounds and press with menace upon the house itself. Yet, against the walls, the growth has been tramped down to create a path all about the domain. Heavy claw markings have stripped the once-beautiful finish of the walls. Great black marks tell of the fires that have assailed the mansion. Not a pane nor a shard of glass stands in any window.

All the windows are barred with planks, each one marked with stains of evil omen. Characters who survey the grounds can, with a successful notice check, discern trampled weeds all around the mansion as well as scores of wolf paw prints and human footprints. The footprints were made by zombies and ghouls under Strahd's control.

Treena Kolyana (LG female human noble with 14 hit points), the adopted daughter of the burgomaster, is inside the mansion and won't open the heavily barred door to anyone unless she is convinced that those out side her door have no allegiance to Strahd. If the characters convince her, either with good roleplaying or a successful DC 15 Charisma (Deception or Persuasion)
check, or iflsmark is with them, she opens the door and invites them in.

If the characters eμter the mansion, read:
The interior of the mansion is well furnished, yet the fixtures show signs of great wear. Noticeable oddities are the boarded-up windows and the presence of holy symbols in every room. The burgomaster is in a side drawing room on the floor-lying in a simple wooden coffin surrounded by wilting flowers and a faint odor of decay. Ismark and. Treena made the coffin themselves.

Events

The Argument

Ireena is surprised to see the players and assumes them at first to be merely travelers. If Ismark informs her that they are to escort her to Vallaki, however, Ireena asks the players to excuse them and has a brief conversation with Ismark in private.

The entire conversation takes no more than five minutes. If the players do not choose to listen in, they are free to wander around the manor, talk amongst themselves, or simply wait for Ireena and Ismark to finish.

The players can eavesdrop on this conversation with a successful Stealth or Notice check. Read:

The murmurs from the next room are largely indistinct, obscured by the low groans of the old house's timbers. As you strain your ears, however, the siblings' words come slowly into focus.

Ireena's voice, sharp with indignation, pierces the silence.
"You had no right, Ismark. You can't just decide to send me away without even discussing it with me first! The village still needs help with rebuilding. We can't just abandon them."

Ismark's reply is measured, though laced with an unmistakable note of worry. "Strahd still has his sights set on you—and even if we don't believe the legend about women with red hair, others might. Barovia just isn't safe for you anymore."

A snort of defiance echoes from the other side of the thin wooden partition. "I am no coward, Ismark, and I will not abandon our friends and neighbors in their hour of need."

There's a pause. Then, Ismark says, quietly, "Gertruda is gone."

You hear a choked sob from Ireena's direction. "No."

"She must have gone after Doru," Ismark murmurs. "I told her to give up on him—to accept that he must simply be dead —but I don't think she ever could."

There's a long, suffering silence. Then— Ismark seems to hesitate, his words slightly fumbled. "I'm not asking you to abandon them. But there are others who need your help. Think about our neighbours who fled for Vallaki. They need guidance, advocacy—and perhaps a leader to bring them home one day."

There is a long pause, filled only with the muffled sounds of low, haggard breaths. Ireena's voice is low when she finally speaks—barely even audible. "Do you truly see no other way?"

Ismark's response is quiet. "It's your choice. I can't take that away from you. But after losing Father, I can't... I can't bear the thought of losing you too."

The silence that follows is palpable, weighted with unspoken emotions. Finally, Ireena's voice breaks it, fragile and quiet. "I will go. If only for you. But on one condition."

Ireena's next words are too quiet to hear. When Ismark and Ireena emerge a few moments later, the players notice that both have blotchy, red eyes, as if from crying.