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| Drinks Before Dinner at the Nuikin Estate |
Session 228- A Return to Barovia Part 78; Borca 5
7/11/2026
Team Rams and the Nuikins have left the House of Lament
as night falls and a rainstorm begins.
Dmitri and Aurek suggest camping instead of trying to travel
in the downpour. Team Rams agree and are grateful for the
prepared Dmitri, who skillfully sets camp.
Dmitri sits the first 2 watches and Fecus takes the 3rd watch.
As they move through the Founder’s Forest, Victor seems to
be feeling like the party is being followed. A deer comes
crashing across the trail, and he attributes his paranoia to
having heard the deer before anyone else noticed it.
In the early afternoon, they pass through the village associated
with Esecklae, the Nuikin Estate.
Arriving at the Nuikin Estate, they are greeted first by Aurek
and Dmitri’s youngest sister, Anya Nuikin. She is beyond
delighted that her sister-in-law, Natalia, is alive and well.
The oldest sister, Vera, although pleased her sister-in-law is
alive and returned to the household, is wondering how this will
affect the family’s reputation as the Summer Garden Party Series
rapidly approaches. She’s already re-arranging her schedule
and plans, trying to factor how the guests, Team Rams, that her
brothers have brought home will affect the delicate social
standing that each family maneuvers to improve each and
every day, especially during the Summer Garden Party Series.
Rams are shown guest rooms by household servants, and they
are able to bathe and change into dress clothing that Vera
somehow provided in correct sizes for attending the family
dinner later.
Bathed and correctly dressed, Rams are gathered up by Dmitri,
who takes Team Rams to the salon/drawing room adjacent to
the dining room and serves them cocktails while they wait for
dinner. Aurek and Natalia arrive in time to briefly chat with the
party before the dinner bell rings and everyone is escorted into
a lavish and luxurious dining room.
Vera asks members of Team Rams if they are willing to join the
Nuikin family in attending the different Summer Garden Parties
hosted at the various noble estates of Borca. Tim and Fecus
speculate that this could be an excellent cover for searching for
the Vorpal Sword.
Vera explains the struggles and disappointments of last
Summer Garden Party series that she and Anya suffered,
partially due to her brothers disappearing before they could be
drafted to attend any of the events. Vera worries that Dmitri’s
behaviour might be interpreted as a slight against one of the
Domain’s Darklords, Vana Boritsi. The third sister, Katya Nuikin,
also seems to vex her older sister, and she is conspicuous in her
absence during dinner. Dmitri mentioned to Team Rams during
the walk through Founder’s Forest, that Katya has been a bit of a
wild card since she was widowed by her husband, drowning her
sorrows in carousing and gambling.
Team Rams agree to attend the first Summer Garden Party event
at the Ritter Estate. That is Katya’s dead husband’s family, and
Vera is anxious about this particular event, because she herself
can’t attend it; she has other business she must attend.
Vera is pleased to have appropriate representation to send to the
party and immediately begins making new notes in her appointment
book, as the rest of the people at the dinner table finish their meal.
After dinner, Victor pulls Tim aside to ask him if he felt like he was
being watched while Team Rams was getting ready for dinner.
Tim hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary, but suggests that
maybe Victor should implement some kind of magical wards on his
guest room.
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