After the attack of Strahd in the church, the party returns to the tavern. They talk a bit with Urwin and Ireena about what happened. They tell them that the church should be safe once more. After that, they go to their room and sleep.
The next morning is a grumpy one, especially for Grayson. It was time for the festival, and he was really not for it. The group decides to go to the festival while the grumpy blood hunter joins Ireena towards the church. The whole town came to the Festival of the Blazing Sun, yet everyone looked miserable. The people gathered in the town square where a small podium was built, including a big ball of wood. The burgomaster of Vallaki, Baron Vargas proudly stepped towards this ball with a torch to start this glorious festival. Unfortunately for him, the drizzle was getting stronger. He tried to keep his torch alight, but the rain was too strong. Some of the villagers started to giggle and one man laughed out loud. The party felt some pity and helped the Baron to ignite the torch to emblaze the ball. Four guards showed up however and grabbed the man who laughed. They tied him up behind the horse of the Burgomaster. The party looked in horror and asked the Baron if this was necessary as it was rather cruel. The villagers joined in this statement, as their frustration was too great. They started talking about how the Burgomaster was bad and that they hated these festivals. Without them knowing, the party had started a revolution.
The town square was pure chaos, as many of the villagers were yelling and throwing stones at the burgomaster. Sierra uses the distraction to untie the poor man from the horse with her invisible arcane hand. Suddenly a loud roar emerges from the crowd and everyone starts yelling. Narmo and Sierra quickly realize there is a tiger somewhere. Kokmadon is helping the man getting away from the horses, and Kevdormu is just confused about it all. After some shenanigans they find themselves in the toyshop of Gadov Blinski where the tiger went to. Knowing animals rather well, our ranger and druid know that this tiger isn't aggressive, but rather searching for something. Sierratries to calm the tiger, using her affinity with animals to avoid conflict. This is unfortunately complicated when the guards arrive, lead by a man with a deformed man. The party tries to stop them from entering, but some still gets in. But then our druid makes a stand. She put herself between the tiger and the guards, and tells them to back off! But as the nice person as she is, she doesn't succeed in being intimidating. Suddenly Ricktavio arrives in the shop, and tells everyone this tiger is his. The tiger seems to respond to him and he takes him away, together with the monkey of Gadov Blinski. The party follows and has a quick talk with Ricktavio. They learn that the tiger is called Ramses, and that some children must have released him as a prank. He tells them that he is leaving Vallaki as he didn't make himself popular right now. But he invited the group to his tower on the way towards Krezk.
Meanwhile Grayson and Ireena noticed the commotion from the church. As the blood hunter goes to investigate, he sees the village in chaos. A mob has gathered around a house that has been lit. He approaches the mob and finds the baron tied up and nearly beaten to death on the ground accompanied with his wife. Grayson asks what is going on, and learns that the people has started a revolution. He gets into a heated discussion with the mob about why they are burning a perfectly fine house. He also learns about a Lady Watcher, who they want to be the new burgomaster. When he finds out that there is still a child in the house, he runs inside as the good man he is. He quickly makes his way upstairs, as he hears noise coming from there. As he finds the child, he sighs when he learns it is a teenager. He quickly grabs him by the scruff, takes some papers from the desk and runs back outside. He wants to take the child back to the church, but the mob stops him. First because they want to keep him, but then because they see many hands crawling their way out of the earth near the church. Another sigh from the blood hunter as he goes to check on Ireena.
As Grayson barricades himself (terribly) into the church with Ireena, the party arrives at the church as well. They see the body of Father Lucien as a vampire spawn, together with a huge flesh mound rising from a recently made mass grave. The party battles it and it goes poorly. Nearly all of them (except Grayson cause church doors) get pierced by a bone shard and impaled to the ground, Sierra uses her nature magic and affinity to the spirits to keep everyone breathing. The battle was hard and bloody, but they manage to defeat the zombies.
The party rests in the church with hope that the Sacred Bones within the church gives them some protection. They all realize they will have to leave here soon, and Kokmadon curses. He hopes he see find his plate armor again.