Wiki of Strahd

Lake Baratok

What It Is

Lake Baratok is a large body of water located west of Vallaki in the wilderness of Barovia.

What the Party Knows

From Victor Vallakovich in Session 13, the party learned:

Khazan’s Tower

The lake is home to Khazan’s wizard tower:

  • The tower sits at the end of a gravel causeway that extends into the lake
  • Khazan, an archmage, built the tower and imbued it with powerful enchantments
  • Most notably, the tower features a protective anti-magic field that prevents other spellcasters from using magic within its influence
  • This security measure makes the tower incredibly difficult to breach

Location and Access

  • Lake Baratok is located west of Vallaki
  • Victor doesn’t know the exact route to reach it
  • He recommends hiring Szoldar Szoldarovich, a wolf hunter who knows the wilderness intimately
  • Victor was forced by his father to accompany Szoldar on a hunting expedition last year “in an effort to make him more manly”
  • Despite hating the experience, Victor came away impressed by Szoldar’s wilderness skills and knowledge of the region

Connection to Current Events

  • A platinum ring bearing Khazan’s sigil was found at the site where Arabelle was abducted
  • Victor believes investigating the tower might provide clues about why Arabelle was taken
  • The party has agreed to explore the tower and bring back any magical artifacts or tomes they find for Victor’s research

From Session 16

The party traveled to Lake Baratok with Szoldar Szoldarovich and Yevgeni Krushkin as guides. The journey took them past the Hunters’ Shack, where they discovered the Butterfly Shrine, and then along a winding forest path to the lake.

The Martikov Cabin

Along the lake shore, they passed an abandoned cabin:

  • The guides identified it as the old home of Davian Martikov’s brother, who died of plague about 30 years ago
  • Davian now runs the Wizard of Wines winery east of Krezk
  • The cabin has been left to decay ever since

Ezmerelda’s Wagon

The party discovered a colorful wagon at the lake bearing the name “Ezmerelda d’Avenir” and warnings about traps. Inside, they met Eggsmerelda, a chicken who (via Varnish Gothorn’s Speak with Animals spell) explained:

  • Her owner is Ezmerelda d’Avenir, a monster hunter
  • Ezmerelda has been gone for several days, searching for something in the woods
  • Wolves have been trying to get into the wagon at night

Rictavio’s Connection

Investigating a second set of wagon tracks, the party found:

  • Older tracks leading south into the woods toward Vallaki
  • Spatterings of bright yellow paint in the underbrush
  • The yellow paint matched the distinctive color of Rictavio’s carnival wagon from the Arasek Stockyard
  • This placed Rictavio’s wagon at Lake Baratok near Khazan’s tower - the same tower whose sigil appeared on the ring found at Arabelle’s abduction site
  • The party now knows Rictavio is undeniably connected to Arabelle’s kidnapping, though his exact role and motives remain unclear

Appearance in Sessions

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