Portrait
Who They Are
Victor Vallakovich is the 18-year-old son of Baron Vallakovich, a self-taught wizard who has been secretly studying magic in his attic workroom at the Vallakovich Manor.
What the Party Knows
From Session 13, the party learned:
Background and Magic Studies
- Victor found Khazan’s spellbook in his father’s library several years ago and has been using it to teach himself magic
- His father refused to hire him a proper tutor, so Victor studied arcane magic in secret
- He has converted the manor’s attic into a workroom where he practices spells and conducts experiments
- Victor is brilliant but inexperienced, with raw talent that sometimes exceeds his control
The Teleportation Circle Accident
- Two months ago, Victor attempted to create a teleportation circle to escape Barovia
- His friend Stella Wachter was present when the experiment went catastrophically wrong
- The failed teleportation ripped Stella’s soul from her body and trapped it in the Ethereal Plane
- Stella’s body remains in Wachterhaus, catatonic, while her soul slowly fades in the ghostly realm
- Victor has been desperately searching for a way to rescue Stella ever since
Communication with Erasmus
- Several weeks ago, Victor found a message written in frost on his bedroom window: “Help Victor”
- He eventually made contact with Erasmus, a ghost in the Ethereal Plane who has been protecting Stella’s soul
- Erasmus observed the accident and has been shielding Stella from shadow entities that feed on trapped souls
- Through Erasmus, Victor learned about Stella’s condition and the dangers she faces
- Only through Erasmus’s protection has Stella survived for two months when she should have faded in days
The Rescue Plan
- Victor found a ritual in Khazan’s book Ethereal Entities that can temporarily transport living creatures into the Ethereal Plane
- The ritual requires a night hag’s heartstone and must be performed on the night of the full moon
- Erasmus has spotted a night hag (Morgantha) haunting the Refugee Camp outside Vallaki
- Victor needs the party’s help to obtain the heartstone and rescue Stella before her soul fades completely
- Time is running out—Stella is already forgetting who she is and experiencing strange dissociative episodes
Khazan’s Tower
- Victor revealed that Khazan’s wizard tower stands on Lake Baratok, west of Vallaki
- The tower features powerful enchantments, including an anti-magic field that prevents other spellcasters from using magic nearby
- A platinum ring bearing Khazan’s sigil was found at the site where Arabelle was abducted
- Victor suspects investigating the tower might reveal clues about Arabelle’s disappearance
- He has asked the party to bring back any magical artifacts or tomes they find at the tower for his research
Deal with the Party
- The party agreed to help Victor rescue Stella’s soul
- In exchange, Victor will help them investigate Khazan’s tower and Arabelle’s abduction
- He has provided them with information about the tower’s location and the night hag at the refugee camp
- Victor is desperate but determined—saving Stella has become his singular focus
Personality
- Brilliant but socially awkward, with little patience for social niceties
- Speaks in a quiet, slightly monotone voice with bursts of intensity when discussing magic or Stella
- Arrogant about his magical knowledge but deeply insecure about his failures
- Fiercely protective of his secrets and his workroom
- Desperate to prove himself and make amends for harming Stella
- Bitter toward his father for refusing to support his magical education
- Wary of strangers but willing to trust those who show genuine desire to help
Where We’ve Seen Them
- Session 13 — Met in the Vallakovich library; discussed Khazan’s spellbook
- Session 13 — Showed the party his workroom and explained Stella’s predicament
- Session 14 - Dinner and a Show (Neyavr 4, Evening) - Mentioned when the party told Lady Fiona Wachter the truth about Stella’s condition. Lady Wachter learned that Victor and Stella had been experimenting with teleportation magic and that the accident occurred in Victor’s workroom. Though not present at the dinner, Victor’s role in both causing and attempting to fix Stella’s plight became known to her mother.
- Session 15 - Killing Izek (Neyavr 5) - Met with the party to discuss their progress on saving Stella and assassinating Izek Strazni. Shared information about Franz’s nightmare, identifying the “onyx stone” as likely the hag’s heartstone. Showed the party a blueprint of Old Bonegrinder from his father’s library, revealing a hidden compartment in the millstone where the hags’ coven contract might be stored. Crucially aided the assassination plot by casting Greater Invisibility on Fig Fleetfoot during the wine-planting operation at the kitchen. Also helped formulate the distraction plan using Varnish Gothorn’s disguise as Amal, the former head butler. His magical assistance ensured the poisoned wine was successfully planted in Izek’s lunch delivery.