Session 1.5b – A Mother’s Grief

Players: Theren
Summary:

  • Theren follows the sound of sobbing through the grey streets of Barovia to a dark, two-story house with boarded-up windows
  • He knocks and identifies himself as a traveling life priest; the door swings open unlocked but the crying woman does not immediately appear
  • Through patient, measured coaxing — including a guided breathing meditation — Theren draws out a plea from upstairs: “Please help me find Gertruda”
  • Mad Mary descends the stairs: middle-aged, hollow-eyed, sleep-deprived, clutching a malformed doll in a sackcloth dress. She initially mistakes Theren for a messenger from Ismark, then deflates when she realizes he is not
  • Mary describes Gertruda in detail — brown frizzy hair, striking green eyes (rare in the village), roughly Theren’s shoulder height, a mole below the left side of her lip. The description triggers a private moment of grief in Theren — he is reminded of Reysatra’s green eyes
  • Mary explains the situation: Gertruda was betrothed to Doru before his death in the rebellion. She became fixated on Vallaki afterward. Two days ago she disappeared — no food touched, no word left. This morning, the family’s old saddle horse Nori was also missing from the stable, suggesting Gertruda may have ridden toward Vallaki on the Old Svalich Road
  • Mary’s mental state deteriorates as the conversation continues — she speaks to something just over Theren’s shoulder, addresses the doll as though it is alive and communicating with her
  • She reveals the doll’s name: Belinda — she believes Belinda is her other daughter, who speaks to her and helps protect Gertruda. She holds the doll out to Theren with conviction: “She’ll take you to my youngest. Belinda says she will help you find her.”
  • Theren examines the doll carefully before accepting it. It is old and much-repaired — button eyes reattached, fabric patched throughout. A tag on the hem reads: “Is No Fun, Is No Blinsky!” The doll shows no signs of animation or magical reaction
  • Theren accepts Belinda. This is the moment of acquisition.
  • Mary’s final information: Gertruda would have taken the Old Svalich Road heading west. However, the road has been overrun with undead. Nori is too old to make the journey in a single day. Mary begins to spiral into panic as she contemplates what that means

Key revelations & consequences:

  • Gertruda’s disappearance is confirmed — two days gone, horse missing, headed toward Vallaki on a dangerous road filled with undead
  • Mary’s dissociation is fully established — she speaks to Belinda as a living presence and believes the doll actively communicates back. Her lucid moments (the pride when handing over the doll, the conviction in her instructions) are more unsettling than her unhinged ones
  • Theren’s emotional response to Gertruda’s description — privately reminded of Reysatra — is a minor character moment, noted for future play
  • The doll’s tag (“Is No Fun, Is No Blinsky!”) connects Belinda to Blinsky Toys in Vallaki — a thread worth following

Key NPCs established/developed:

  • Mad Mary — Fully introduced. Grief-hollowed, sleep-deprived, teetering on the edge of madness. Her love for Gertruda is genuine and desperate; her belief in Belinda as a communicating presence is unshakeable. She was expecting word from Ismark, suggesting he is aware of Gertruda’s disappearance and may be actively involved

Open threads:

  • What happened to Gertruda on the Old Svalich Road — did she make it to Vallaki, or was she intercepted?
  • What is Belinda’s true nature — is the doll genuinely housing a soul, or is Mary’s belief a symptom of her grief? (Answer is yes. Belinda has a soul. See Belinda section)
  • The Blinsky tag connects the doll to Vallaki — was Belinda purchased there, and does that connection matter?

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