CoS 1/Summary
This is the campaign summary of Cos 1.
Log
Start
(Session 1 - 2022-09-06) [Day -2]
The introduction starts near Waterdeep, the largest city on the Sword Coast and possibly the largest in the world (at least that you know of). Starting out as small fish in a big pond, you heed a call from Sir Isteval, a noted paladin of Amaunator (formerly Lathander) for adventurers and mercenaries to aid Daggerford in dealing with goblins, gnolls, and orcs who’ve been raiding the countryside, destroying homes and causing an influx of refugees to head to Daggerford.
A militia guards Dagggerford. Service is mandatory for all able-bodied adults, and lasts for twenty years. All citizens living within the town receive instruction from the duchess's own soldiers in the use of spears and other weapons, and must spend at least one day a month in defense of the town, standing sentry on its walls, or patrolling the nearby roads. Their training means that the common citizens of Daggerford aren't easily cowed by armed folk demanding goods, coin, or passage, and are slightly more likely to take up work as mercenaries, caravan guards, or adventurers. In this case, the troubles have been so large and such an influx of refugees that help is needed!
You heeded the call to arms coming from Waterdeep, but only came at the end of the crisis, assisting with a few minor erradications and to housing refugees, etc. Nevertheless, your help was greatly appreciated and you have been given a small reward of 25gp each and invited to dine in the Duchess Morwen's manor.
The largest and oldest building in Daggerford is the ducal castle, a three-level keep enclosed by a two-story wall that contains its own smithy, parad ground, and stabling. The dukes of Daggerford have always kept a well-stocked larder, capable of feeding the castle's inhabitants and any citizens that it might shelter inside during a siege.
The feast is lavish by any commoner's standard and is mostly attened by local militia, mercenaries and intrepid adventurers. The local nobility, including Duchess Morwen mingle among the common folk (some nobles seem to have been told to attend). (Passive society 14 informs you that though luxurious for commoners, this is a budget ordeal compared to a proper nobility feast, albeit accomodated for many times the amount of guests)
During the dinner you share stories with others and also have the luck to be seated fairly near Duchess Morwen and got some time to socialise in addition to regular mingling. She shows appreciation and while not heavy on the wine, not timid either. During the evening you convey regret you arrived too late to really make a difference defending Daggerford and Morwen politely acknowledges the sentiment and implies the time may yet come.
We'll start three days after this; you may assist with rebuilding, refugee assistance or some downtime activity.
The cast of characters include: Luna, the firbolg moon-attuned, Kev (Kevavor) the playwright, Jack, the sword-slinging magician, Bigwig, the barbarian bunny, and Garth, the champion of vengeance.
Chapter 1: The Wolves at Mud Creek
(Session 1 - 2022-09-06 -Engh) [Day 1]
Much of the dinner guests dissipates from Daggerford during the next few days and many are allowed free housing either as guests at locals or at an inn while refugees are still catered for and repair work is in order. You spend time helping for free food and lodging and can do some downtime activity or simply help out with the work. On the third day, you receive a letter from Duchess Morwen asking you to report to Sherlen Miller, Captain of the Constabulary, for an opportunity "to make that difference after all".
Mud Creek village council is having severe problems with wolves, possibly related to the goblin attacks, offering a 800gp reward to anyone who can wipe them out. The rest of the guard are too busy and if you elect to not go, there are others they can ask.
The travel to Mud Creek you traverse on foot and is uneventful for half a day's worth of travel. Nearing the town, a few miles up you see six wolves attacking two shepherds and a flock of sheep, seemingly herding the sheep into the woods with precision similar to a sheepdog. You intervene and though Bigwig puts himself in harms way and is nearly injured, the wolves are killed or schased off and the shepherds and sheep are saved.
You get some odd stories from the shepherds in regards to the wolf attacks, and something is clearly amiss. Someone or thing is obviously controlling the wolves.
In town you're invited to a council meeting where they debade if it's worth the risk to continue to export foodstuff while the wolves attack (risking either starvation in the coming winter or a lack of money to re-stock in spring). It turns out the town guardian (and sorcerer) Alexi, brother of the town priest, Father Merricksson, has been missing about three weeks and this is when the troubles started. There has been more disturbing reports like sheep stolen out of locked barns and when the village sent out a hunting party, several died and of the missing people only the halfling Willen Featherock turned up alive - but only barely.
Talking to Featherock who claims the wolves SPOKE and Alexi's town house that seemed like he had not planned to leave for "one of his long trips", the party decided to rest for the night and track or use some kind of ruse on the wolves tomorrow.
(Session ends)
Note: Some characters experience some nightmares during their long rest.
(Session 2 - 2022-09-13) [Day 2]
In the morning, the ruse idea was discussed and the party had a good time, but got one or two sceptical looks from other tavern patrons as well as the owner Leanor Slatebeard. Eventually they took some advice from Corel, the wiry fleecer/shepherd/farmer, and decided to track ther wolves from the point of attack from yesterday.
Tracking the Wolves
The slain wolves (sans their heads that Bigwig hade taken the previous day) were still there, prompting Kev to assume the thing controlling the wolves don't care to take care of their dead but the tracks were also fairly easy to find, at first. Following that, Luna's superior tracking skill did the rest. Well, it would have if she had not turned invisible, prompting Bigwig to having to track Luna into the forest.
Encountering an owlbear two hours of tracking later, Luna simply circumvented it and headed on after the track, leaving the rest of the party to deal with it, which was done in a couple of heartbeats.
Eventually the party reached a clearing and a wolf den that was guarded by oddly behaving wolves, among other things they had dressed themselves in strips of cloth and had made a campfire. Apparently they also made noise traps as when the party were approaching the clearing, it was set off and all the wolves went to high alert. Kev tried to talk with them but Bigwig charged in and killing one of them in one fell swoop. The party ran in and massacred most of the guarding wolves in the blink of an eye, after which two enormous wolves, one with faint glowing orange streaks as if by lava and one with a blueish hue, sparkling with energy as well as four makeshift armoured wolves ran out. The first, fiery one, blasted the party as well as the last remaining guard wolf with fire and the other shouted for the violence to stop. They first reluctantly halted and Kev again tried to speak with the wolves.
There was clearly some conflict between the wolves and the inhabitants of Mud Creek but they had, in fact, attacked and chased off the owlbear and the blue hue one seemed very keen on a non-violent solution to the conflict. As the party had managed to talk the wolves down a notch, the fire-breathing wolf had slowly become more and more agitated, muttering things like "we shouldn't talk to the killers, they should die" and the like. The apparent turn into all-out diplomacy simply turned her over the edge and draw a deep breath, preparing to once again spweing a cloud of fire.
Which is where the session ended.
New initiative!
(Session 3 - 2022-09-20 - [Day 2] -Julle -Staffan)
The wolf with fiery streaks through its fur drew in breath, rose on its hin paws and breathed out on the other massive brethren. In the blink of an eye before he was enveloped in flames, a look of lupine horror was seen across his face before the flames and the pain.
The wolves with makeshift armour attacked the intrepid explorers and the fiery one did its best to erradicate them but Kev snuck up and used his magic to heal the lightning-infused massive wolf, and turned the battle as he fried his flame compatriot with a bolt of energised lightning, straight to its own face. Together the fiery wolf was taken down and the rest submitted after that.
Lupine Diplomacy
The electrical wolf sought further diplomatic talks and Kev, joned by the rest, happily indulged. The general idea was to convince the wolf pack to talk directly with the town's council near the forest's edge and discuss a deal where the wolves wouldn't steal any more livestock or supplies from the townspeople and the townspeople wouldn't try to hunt the wolves. The hope was to expand this to perhaps "trade" (new concept for the lightning wolf introducing himself as "Bolt") and the wolves could keep the town safe from predators like owlbears or even human predators like bandits and the wolves could have some supplies from the town.
Jack also figured out a very plausible theory that Alexi, the town's protector and brother of Father Merrikson, had inadvertently MADE the wolves sentient and able to speak through a sorcerous Wild Surge, essentially exchanging his own life essence to awaken the wolves to sentience. They don't remember much from before this and the one they call the Lightbringer was probably Alexi. Flame and a few pack members were to meet the Council at noon the day after.
The council wasn't too hard to convince. Sure, the halfling Tillus Merrion (from the Growers and Buyers' Association) was outright hostile, but Father Merrikson saw that the wolves, in a way, could be seen as Alexi's offspring, or fractions of his own soul and urged the council to vote to listen to the newly sentient wolf pack. And so they did, with just the one angry Tillius shouting obscenities.
[Day 3]
The rest went without much resistance. The adventurers aided the two sides to amicably negotiate and increase trust. The council gave the adventurers the entire reward, despite not killing all the wolves, on the provisory they'd come back and help them for free if the wolves suddenly backed on their words - within a year.
Chapter 2: The Travellers
In Daggerford it seems Duchess Morwen kept doing celebratory dinners to the mercenaries and adventurers that were still about, and several of them had made similar missions in or around Daggerford in the past few days (some probably still out there). At least eight other adventurers attended the dinner. She had some other thing on her mind though and Kev directly asked her, finding out that a group of travellers had been harrassing townspeople and threatening them and a squad of town guards had come back seemingly magically hexed after being ordered to get them to leave. She asked the adventurers to have a go and to say "leave by dawn or have your wagons burned". She said it would be a "personal favour" to get the message across.
The Travellers
After much debate, the group checked with a "hexed" guard who had no magic hex on him and seemed fine, went and the travellers seemed pretty nice. Their patriarch Stanimir welcomed them and there was much music, dancing, cherry wine and stories. He made a convincing tale of a man his people had saved in the distant past, and whom in turn saved them. He had fought evil kings and taken up home in the travellers' homelands. Dismay had arrived as this man was a prince cursed by dark powers and Stanimir urged the adventurers to save him, as he had meen made into a tyrant to his people and so they could save the people of his lands. His own elder, Madam Eva could tell more of the curse and how to lift it, he said. He did know their ancient homelands, nowadays called Barovia was at least a little bit similar to the Feywild, and not all roads consistently lead there. A guide likes himself, or any traveller of his people, could lead them, but they need some aid.
Ever skeptical, Jack didn't believe a word of it, or, he did believe Stanimir was telling the truth but may be delusional or simply wrong. There was a potential for lots of treasure there with or without the prince but the "curse" was a very abstract concept he wasn't so sure about. Kev and Bigwig on the other hand were both intrigued. Partly as Bigwig has always had an underlying hatred for curses and a will to lift them (especially werewolf curses, and there was some of that, Stanimir said) but also the wealth of the kingdom itself, that potentially could be rewards in the size of "castles and kingdoms".
The group decided to stay and party with the travellers and leave in the night, well ahead of dawn and camp on the way, hoping to get that favour from Duchess Morwen and maybe even more treasure in this ancient land "Barovia".
Liam's Hold; The Stronghold
[Day 4]
After some nightly travels, a rest, and reaching Liam's Hold, they realised there is a local issue with werewolves. Several regional powers were involved to root out the issues, including the Lords' Alliance, the Order of the Gauntlet, the local Harpers, the Emerald Enclave and the Retinue. The Order of the Gauntlet's representative, Lanniver Strayl was in charge of protecting the local area and discussed the matter. There was rumours of a portal a day's march into the Misty Forest where these werewolves came from and there was a reward for finding it (strongly recommending any intrepid adventurers to NOT engage werewolves!). The party took a 200g reward for the information they already had and promised to do more.
The party also talked to Eravien Haund of the Lord's Alliance who tried to convince them to allow them to give him exclusive knowledge and ability to deal with the threat to give him political power but in the end declined, and Bigwig inadvertantly insulting the noble, angering him. In his anger he dropped his notes, including knowledge of things like it's a dozen specific werewolves, leader called Kiril, from "Barovia" (Lord's Alliance has no info on it), worship "The Huntress", leave through some ancient portal, will give letters of recommendation, related to Daggerford (!) and Waterdeep (?). A local guard (Dravin Barok) also disturbed their talk asking if they are looking for werewolves, please look for his missing son, Kellen.
Talking to Stanimir, they ensured that they are able to enter and leave Barovia ("yes, with a guide or leave through leave"). Special "leave" allowed with the aid of the "darklord" himself, "Strahd", but also with a guide like Stanimir. The old man also encouraged the adventurers to not directly intervene with the werewolves without plenty of resources. He was open to bringing more armed guards, but seemed sceptical of their heroic destinies, compared to the party. He meant to say that he believed in Destiny and that Destiny had not made him find the adventurers but Destiny had made the adventurers find him (Jack silently sighed but Bigwig seemed impressed - at least by any idea of killing werewolves!).
End of session.
(Session 4 - 2022-09-27 - [Day 4] - full party)
The party discussed the matter some more and decided to leave the extra soldiers behind to scout for the source of the werewolves and report back before the full moon, the danger is on the travelled road, not Barovia or further towards Liam's Hold. Arrigal lead the main scouting of the caravan (though the party helped), camping near the forest's edge, [Day 5], and then later a day's travel in, both days uneventful.
Chapter 3: Welcome to Barovia
Everyone had a set of dreams starting delightsome and ending with inhaling cold mist like water, waking in twitchy fits.
As you drift off with the pleasent smell of the camp fire and traveller food leftovers and the near-full moon peaking out from behind the clouds, you enter into a cozy and comfortable sleep. In fact, you haven't slept this well for, well, you're not really sure you ever have slept this well! As this thought goes through your mind it strikes you as odd that you're even contemplating this while dreaming. The moment is fleeting and some of the happy moments of your life rolls on by and your troubles are swept away with them. Time seems to fly endlessly in this state and even years, decennia and centuries seem to pass you by.
Slowly, as you seem to recall moments repeating themselves (as they often do in dreams), they now seem tinted with less of that kind light. The clouds are heavier and the surroundings, just beyond sight, seem to now have whisps of white that dissipates as your eyes tries to focus on it. Eventually, these elusive mists seems more tangible and even stays in view. It even seems to slowly creep up on you.
The mist doesn't forebode a sense of dread. Just cold, solid determination, impermeable to the will of others. As your lovely moments slowly change, the mist moves closer still. Friends have gaunt and pale faces, food no longer tastes as rich. You hear a scream and the memories are no longer what you recall of them; something dreadful happened in place of the warm comfort you know of. You are gripped with a sense of panic as the very nature of the mist changes and moves on you with determination. You try to run but it rolls in faster than your feet can carry you.
As you run as fast as you are able and your throat hurts from panting, the mist overtakes you with deliberate determination and you feel the cold, almost liquid, air flowing down your throat and filling your lungs. The panic of drowning overcomes you and you inadvertently draw further breaths, filling not only your lungs but your soul with cold.
As you come to, you find yourself in a forest without a trail. As you look around, you see your own tracks going backwards in a shallow layer of mud on the forest floor. Following the tracks you find the camp mostly as it was left last night, planted on a patch of more solid grass than you first found yourself on, beyond the border of the small clearing. The Travellers are gone, but you can easily see tracks leading further East.
The weather is the same dreary overcast you have been used to for the past week or so, with a faint smell of rain in the air. The forest is, however, different than last night. Rather than a lush mostly leafy forest, almost every tree you see is a pinetree, many have streaks of a grey moss on them that doesn't look healthy and the forest is littered with dead, hollow trees in between the dark-green pines.
It's very quiet. The normal, lively sounds of the woods are noticeably absent. Not only that, but the thick fog seems to carry every sound much farther than usual and you imagine people will hear you well even if you whisper. You can't see any wildlife bar the odd raven.
Even though it's morning, the light is dimmer than normal morning light. The mist gives the whole world around you a hazy feel, illuminated by the sterile, white light of a sun far beyond the clouds. You hear some faint howling of wolves on the wind.
Waking up on the second day of the forest (4 days from full moon, [Day 6]), the party found themselves in what they believe is Barovia with essentially a different forest but the old tracks here. The travellers were missing, their wagon tracks going further in the same direction the whole caravan was going. Much of their possessions had been lifted from their persons but there was a track of someone dragging a large sack, which probably contained their items. The horses seemingly had been chased off from the area and Bigwig's hound had made some soft of resistance to stay and/or protect his master.
The tracking was interrupted by a Dire Wolf leading a pack of wolves to attack the party. Well equiped with wolf knowledge from Mud Creek, they know wolves normally don't attack humans and some did indeed flee. When they were fought off, Luna found the tracks again and helped Bigwig track them further while the rest of the party followed the travellers' tracks north-east towards what turned out to be a road. Arriving there, a black carriage was waiting for them. A dusk elf opened the door and carefully flung a bag of coins to Kev, saying "This may be of aid after your misfortune." A choire of voices screaming in despair and agony seemed to follow the carriage or the elf.
(End of session; minor play through messages after)
Out of frustration and desperation, Kev used his magical powers to teleport on top of the carriage as it was speeding off and Bigwig ran after into the mist, leaping into the air landing next to Kev. The sounds alerted the driver, who stopped the carriage.
When Kev pocketed the coin purse, he felt the melodrama was too much and wanted to know more about the odd figure that had appeared. He was a fellow elf, maybe he'd be sympathetic as well? He lept magically unto the carriage as it was gaining momentum, needign a few seconds to gain his balance as it rocked on the uneven dirt road. Before he could react, a panting giant rabbit shape leapt from the misty grounds, high up into the air, landing expertly right beside him with a braggy grin.
The carriage is going at a "comfortably fast" pace that won't make the draft hoses in front go exhausted too quickly, but too quickly to comfortably run up to. The mist is the same as before, but within a couple of seconds, you can no longer discern your friends, just the road ahead and the pine trees, nearby. In the rush, you notice no other life here, sans the odd raven.
After gaining his balance Kev moves his way down to the front of the carriage. He is looking for the reins with the intention to slow down or halt the carriage.
Having a few seconds head start, Kev stabilises and heads forwards towards the driver's seat as Bigwig lands with a thud. Surprised, he looks towars the thud, seeing that familiar grin and ears somewhat flopping in the wind. He locates the reins but before he even reach for them, the carriage is slowing down and by the time he reaches them it has almost stopped.
Bigwig jump down and with a raised voice says "We weren’t formally introduced. I'm bigwig Yojimbo Darkscuttle. Who are you and for what reason does our actions warrant a reward?" To what I assume is a closed door of the carriage.
The two compatriots look on as the door opens, the elf calmly walks out, looks you both in the eyes in turn and says "No. No passengers today, please leave the carriage, I wish you no harm at this time. The gift is all I offer today."
The sound of a thousand voices screaming in fear or agony is palpable and certainly taking the edge of the adrenaline rush from a near-death experience and jumping unto a moving carriage.
Kev climbs down from the carriage. "Good sir. We have no beef with you as far as I know. You must excuse us, we have recently been robbed of our precious possessions and it seemed awfully suspicious with this carriage so close to the crime scene. Do you perhaps know anything about who or what could have taken everything from our gold to my darn boots."
The dusk elf acknowledges the briefest of emotion in his eyes - mild amusement - and regains his posture just as quickly. He calmly says "I would never touch your pitiful junk," he says with genuine disgust. "I am not asked to converse with you and I have no interest in doing so. Step back now or deal with the consequences."
He calmly turns his back towards you, and starts to enter the carriage once more.
Not too far off in the distance you're hearing the surprised and annoyed sounds of your other party members realising what happened, though they are beyond the edge of the mist from you.
Kev spends a second thinking and then quickly decides that it is not worth it.
He takes a step back. "Be on your way then. Thank you for the gift, but you did not say who it is from?"
As the man reach for the coach seat and reach to close the door, he does acknowledge your question and upon closing the door says "Thank Count Zarovich, if you get to see him."
When the door slams shut and the carriage slowly picks up momentum, the horrifying screams still ever present. Through this the elf didn't even seem to notice the disturbing voices were present.
Just before it leaves your immediate vicinity the voices reach a sort of momentary crescendo, causing a feeling of your sould being ripped out of your mind.
Kev: "Lets get back to the others. We got a name and he was probably not the theif."
Bigwig: "Very odd fellow, your heard the voices right? they were stronger around him but i didnt see him notice at all. Oblivious of the pains of others perhaps? Were the voices an actual sound? Or was it some magic?"
Kev: "I am going to assume that it was magical. Not pleasant at all. I hope we never run into him again. Lets get back to the others."
Bigwig: "Mm I don't want to see him but I'm sure we will. Since you shrewdly found out who he works for."
(Session 5 - 2022-10-04 - [Day 6] - -Jaroslav -Julle)
Some discussion and tracking lead the party to conclude it's likely the Travellers didn't steal their gear, but priority number 1 is to find it, especially to find the shoes and weapons. The tracks were not hard to follow, and after half an hour or so they came across some imposing gates, with guardian statues lacking heads. There was a chest with two letters, one denoting regret of being unable to assist further and a writ that may be used to gain gear at a reasonable price in the township of Barovia. It suggested asking the Burgomaster Kolyan Indrovich of said town for aid before heading to Madam Eva at the Tser pools. It also mentioned having put a map in one of the party's backpacks; yet another reason to hasten their return.
Another half hour or so down the road (here in better condition than from before the gates) there was a clearing up to the right and a milestone indicating the hamlet of Soveja up the hill and "Barovia 5 miles" as the main road went. They were greeted by two children, Rose and Thorn, who were concerned for their parents' safety as there "is a monster in the basement, ooor the attic". They seemed a little confused but a house that looked fairly inviting was on the hill and as it turned out, it looked like the track from the sack carrying their equipment went the same way. If nothing else, they ought to have shoes!
Chapter 4. Durst Manor
The group entered the building, seemingly being just recently people abandoned their meal and were gone. They explored the lower floors and found some crossbows as well as appropriated some meat cleavers from the kitchen, just in case. The children didn't seem to know the way to the basement, but maybe the monster was in the attic? A cute pupper called Lancelot was hiding in the music room but the children had never seen the pooch before, they had a larger dog with black fur called Sophaxis that were nowhere to be seen. A portrait of Sophaxis was found in the library, and they also found a journal, describing some odd occurances in the later pages.
Stuck in the Haunted House
As they entered the third floor, they were greeted with cobwebs and loads of dust and the sound of stone scraping was heard from all around the house. They went down and saw that all the windows bricked over! Not only that but the railings on the stairs, the tapestry and curtains as well as any woodwork aged decades in front of their very eyes and the lamps started going out, one by one. Garth used his Divine Sense but found no foes, other than the fact the two children apparently were ... undead! They still seemed harmless and they were scared by any notion they may actualyl be dead.
Acquiring their own light sources, they kept exploring, the party went up to the attic where the children's room was and found two skeletal remains of children wearing the same clothes as Rose and Thorn. When confronted by her remains, Rose turned to dust and Thorn became terrified, him also turning to dust when seeing his own remains. Ghost visages of the children appeared shortly thereafter, able to remember more about what happened to them and able to helping the party to find the way to the basement by looking at the creepily accurate doll house model of the Durst Manor in the children's room.
First they decided to look around a bit more and found the Durst master bedroom where Gustav Durst had hung himself (some couple hundred years ago), with a rather sad suicide note on the side table where there was also some jewelery. The note mentioned Elisabeth turning to a proverbial monster and hoping the children would turn out better than themselves .
Heading to check the nursery, Bigwig walked across the stairs balcony and activated the two armours standing there, who promptly tried to kill or throw party members down the balcony. Hard to hit, but with the party very motivated to not get hit by their attacks, the armours were defeated, primarily by the Energizer Bunny.
(End of session)
(Session 6 - 2022-10-11 - [Day 6] -Julle)
Entering into the nursemaid's rooms they find a ghost of the nursemaid Margaret hiding and sobbing with baby noises coming from the little nursery. Kev manages to calm Margaret down a bit and she explains she was killed by Elisabeth Durst and she is afraid what she has doen with her baby son, Walter (father being Gustav Durst). Rose and Thorn are also worried about their baby brother and politely ask if it's possible to save him or find out what happened to him. Margaret is again thrown into despair and it takes seeing Rose to calm down. It seems Rose & Thorn can't enter the nursery and Margaret can't leave it (forever tortured by the sounds of an illusory baby in the crib). Someone pocketed Walter's music box and searched the library in addition to some of the other rooms. Margaret was confronted by her remains and ask they be buried outside the house, in the garden.
Looking down, the armors on stand had moved. The party took them apart and threw away the weapons, a spear falling down the stairs hit something soft that made an whimpering sound.
In the children's room Kev found a secret room in the dollhouse model of Durst Manor. In the real library the party found a secret door and in there some more occult books and a corpse with a hand sticking in to a chest that had some treasure as well as a letter from Strahd to Gustav saying they are all worms in the soil to him. The corpse seems to have been an adventurer opening the chest and triggering a poison dart trap.
On the way up to enter the stairs to the basement, the stuffed wolves ambushed the party as they were spread out; one of them impaled by a spear. In a rather epic fashion, Jack flung himself across the stairwell and parkoured along the wall behind them. The party easily ganged themselves on the wolves with only minor damage but felt it may be a good idea to have a breather before continuing. Rose suggested they could do so in their room, and she and Thorn could guard the outside of the door.
After an hour of resting, when Jack spent some time getting to know Gustav's journal. They found out mostly mundane business things but also, the fact that when the mists came, a famine had befallen the country and affected the economy as well as food supply, and, between the lines, that the family and a group of associates had routinely taken travellers into the home and these never left - supposedly eaten by what became a cult. The rest of the books in the secret room also heavily implied attempts at using dark, necromantic magics to gain eternal life, although Jack easily identified it as being homeopathic levels of real magic involved. The singular only reference that could be useful was the Priests of Osybus (but the necromantic rutuals they performed seems to be, indeed, bogus).
Durst Manor Dungeons
After their rest, the entire party, including a starved pooch carrying an oil lamp, two children ghosts, an 8ft lady in a 6ft stairwell, and the rest of the crew went down the stairs for ever and ever into the oppressing darkness. Coming down into an earthy, muddy and rocky artificial cave system supported by wooden beams every few feet, a humming sound permeated the surroundings and what could, maybe, be described as chanting.
The party explored some pre-made crypts made for the Durst family, with all of the caskets either empty or full of hungry centipedes. In a junction hands reached out of the ground, and ghoulish shapes attacked from the sides, clawing and biting, affecting some with their poisonous grasps. Bigwig catapulted himself across the floor to flank them and the foes were quickly despatched, albeit with some injuries. Just ahead there was a creepy room with numerous human remains, just clean bones, along all of the walls with a statue of what must be an attempt to make a likeness of Count Strahd von Zarovich and a large wolf. In Strahd's hand a crystal orb with strange cloudish but unmoving patterns and when light sources were brought closer, shadows behind the statue started flickering erraticly compared to the oil lamp's light. Kev was just about to touch the orb when Garth in the very last minute managed to hit Kev's hand with his forest branch to get it out of the way. "No!".
Continuing on they found a 2-person dining room complete with a chandelier and iron candle sticks and beyond that a master bedroom of sorts. In behond the bed was something large, black and furry moving and growling; Sophaxis the family's dog. Bigwig managed to calm it down and when Rose and Thorn came into the room it changed demeanor and became very happy. Lancelot was extremely suspicious and backed far out. Garth's sense of these things didn't indicate the dog was undead but SOMETHING undead certainly was in the room, though Jack really questioned Garth how the dog could NOT be undead, considering it must have been here for a few hundred years at least.
The conversation was cut short as one of the walls fell in and a female ghoul came out screaming "get out of my house!" and in his jitters, Bigwig smacked her with all his might.
Next session starts with initiative.
(End of session)
Dungeons Master Bedroom
(Session 7 - 2022-10-25 - [Day 6] -Staffan)
Elizabeth the ghast shrieked when hit, causing pain and confusion. Garth whacked Sophaxis, enraging him, tried to calm it and then thwumped it again. A couple of party members got close to death but the wicked witch was finally destroyed, causing overwhelmingly bad smell to permeate the room and spreading to the other rooms. In the footlocker was some gold an a cloak of protection.
In a fit of curiosity, the group decided to shoot the glass orb of the Strahd statue in the other room, which was destroyed harmlessly. Then Kev touched the statue and five shadows which had been flickering behind it, were unleashed, draining many members' strength before they were all destroyed. Worn out, the party decided to take a longer rest in the kids' room upstairs, with Rose and Thorn guarding them from outside the door. The rest was uninterrupted, except for inflicting each character with horrific dreams, preventing full recovery for most, and poor recovery for some. [Day 7]
(End of session)
Lower Dungeons and Walter
(Session 8 - 2022-11-01 - [Day 7] -Jonas -Engh)
Rummaging through the upper house a bit, the group ventured down and found they heard sounds coming from the cultists' quarters. Three additional ghouls had been hiding in the well and the group threw in a chair to rouse them and quickly despatched of them before heading further down.
In the lower dungeons the chanting was even louder (He is the ancient, he is the land") and it scared Rose, who inadvertantly touched Luna, accidentally possessing her. After some convincing, Rose tried to leave, but just managed to push herself off of the "driver's seat" letting Luna be her self, but with heightened senses. But then Rose felt lonely...
They entered a reliquarium with 13 various items, including a hag's finger and a very long feather. Garth recoiled from the finger, which brought bad memories so Jack did the kind thing and burned it with a firebolt. [Someone] took the feather, leaving the rest of the items where they were, after checking that they were not magical in any way. Next door was a prison, probably used for travellers to be sacrificed or eaten and on an old cultist corpse was a ring of value.
Backtracking and going down further they came to what must have been the sacrificial chamber. The floor was filled with water and chains hanging down over an altar placed on an octagonal dais in the middle. The entire dais was covered in centuries old black blood, but the chanting stopped as they entered. When Bigwig swam to the dais and set foot on it, however, nre chanting resumed, saying "One must die" over and over, as 13 apparitions appeard around the chamber. Garth fired a crossbow bolt at one, but it harmlessly flew through several of them. Looking at the runes and the chamber, Jack and Bigwig both realised that something needed to die on the altar.
After deciding to NOT sacrifice Lancelot or any party member, the chanting again changed as the voices, as one said "Dom Smerti consumes the guests", waking the "refuse pile" in the corner to be a wendigo which produced creepy baby noises. As the wendigo pounced on Luna on the far side of the room (running on the ceiling, above the party), almost downing her, the battle began in earnest and a light falling of snow was initiated from the ceiling, which quickly grew in density until sight was almost zero. Luna was risen, turned toad and swallowed the wendigo among other things before the beast was slain, its ribcage bursting open revealing a very dead baby boy, Walter.
Leaving Death House
Garth took the dead body of Walter at arms' length and carried it out, but not before the house itself reacted, quaking in its foundations, requiring the party to dodge numerous dangers to even get to the front door, and managing to burst it down to get out, when the house imemadietely became unanimated. beaten and bruised, they had made it, but the durst children were still stuck inside.
Outside was a present basked with exotic fruits, cheeses and Dragon Crush Wine with a card saying "Welcome to Barovia. Best regards Count Strahd von Zarovich".
The party grabbed some rust shovels and made graves for the children, the nursemaid Margaret and Walter, releasing their plights, fading out from view.
(level up to 4)
(End of session)
(gave sneak peek of Barovia township and overlooking Ravenloft)
https://i0.wp.com/halflinghobbies.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Land-of-Barovia.webp
Chapter 5: Barovia Township
(Session 9 - 2022-11-08 - [Day 7] - full party) After finding the corpse of a commoner (and stealing his shoes) bearing a letter from Burgomaster Kolyan Indrovich asking people to stay the fuck away and leave Barovians for dead and narrowly escaping a large wolf pack, the party came across one of the forest people of Barovia, which brought some shrubbery to life but was otherwise surprised by magical silence and felt he had to flee when the party clearly was out of his league.
A little while later, the mists had lifted enough to give a decent view of Barovia Valley, the township below and the towering castle later introduced as "Ravenloft". The town was surprisingly quiet for this size settlement and the only movements, at first, was a scarecrow in the field that seemingly ATE a raven it had caught. As the party entered the village, a small group of men lead by Ismark Kolyanovich were boarding up one of the houses, where its residents had turned to the living dead.
The party split up and dealt with these zombies with relative ease (though they did seem to possess some form of intelligence!) and Garth went to a neighbour house where the father had contracted the disease that seems to lead to turning into a zombie following death.
Ever so grateful, Ismark tried to ask the party to aid his ailing town (being the new Burgomaster on account on his father Kolyan passing away just the night prior) and provided shoes as well as weapons.
The party suspected a water contamination, either the local well or the Ivlis river nearby as the problems really has started mounting when (to the annoyance of many) the wine supply from Vallaki town had unexpectedly stopped. Another possible suspect was the old lady running around selling "magical pies" (turns out they really had a faint magic). Her name was Granny and she was quite thourgholy interrogated with mind probing spells and even hurt a little before let on her merry way. She offered two pies to share for the newcomers, and after jokes of rabbit pie (japes at Bigwig), the party took two wolfmeat pies (wolf meat is apparently surprisingly common here).
The party decided to not visit the local tavern ("The Blood of the Vine Tavern") and simply rest at the Burgomaster's mansion, which apparently had seen better days, being attacked nightly by "night creatures".
(End of session)
Getting to know people
(Session 10 - 2022-11-15 - [Day 7] - Engh)
Visiting the Burgomaster's Manor, the party found it damaged on the outside with all windows boarded up, some clearly ripped apart and re-repaired again (a little later, Luna found that the surrounding grounds were full of combinations of boots and paw prints). Inside was, morbidly, the remains of Kolyan Indrovich, the former Burgomaster of Barovia Township whom the party had received a letter saying "stay away". Kolyan perished only the last night from a heart attack, but despite nightly attacks for at least a couple of weeks, his death is not from injuries but old age and stress.
After gearing up with weapons provided by Ismark and his (somewhat stressed) sister Ireena Kolyana (mildly fiery read-head). Ireena wanted to get the fuck out of dodge but wanted to get her fatehr a proper burial first (though no proper burials had been done in about a year at the church of the Morning Lord). The party was interrupted by "Mad" Mary who came and demanded Ismark found her daughter (a person Lancelot the pup seemed to be afraid of). Ismark seemed used to this, and having seen MANY people dead or missing, it clearly wasn't his highest priority but he encouraged the party to assist her as her house was just next to Bildrath's Merantile where the party was going to stock up on gear later.
The investigation of Mary's house revealed that Mary may have been "Mad" prior to losing her and that she believed her late teens daughter really was 7 or 8 and never let her leave the house in fear of "The Devil" (Strahd, or one of his minions). In her diary it was surmised she had started having a lover or love interest and over-all it seemed likely she had simply escaped her mad mother. Further questions also revealed that she had been gone about a week, and not just recently left.
Bildrath was a stern and money-centric man who gouged his prices (at least for "outsiders") and was nigh negotiable. As the discussions heated, he called in his devoted nephew and stock-boy Parriwimple, who was an absolutely massive man who at first glance seemed intimidating, but of a simpler mindset and delighted by Bigwig. The party remembered the note found at the Barovia Gates from Stanimir the Vistana elder that demanded "at least one" purchase of non-gouged prices so they decided to come back later with a longer list (and also negotiated he would source some weapon).
Scouting ahead to the church they found it closed with some light from a side window. The party more or less forced their way in past Father Donavich when they heard his son being locked in the basement asking for food. After some talk the party figured out that Doru (the son) was a vampire and had been locked down there and fed by Donavich for about a year. Numerous healed and fresh bite wounds on Donavich's arms attested to this and at first it seemed Doru had only fed on him but a slip of the words later revealed Donavich has kidnapped, fed to Doru and (presumably) killed at least a couple of dozen villagers of Barovia (maybe one was Gertruda?). Absolutely horrified, the party decided to wait with Doru until the next day (so they will be able to defend the Burgomaster's Manor during the night at full strength) and bring Donavich to Ismark to let him pass judgement on the vile misdeeds.
Ismark was chocked and saddened, Ireena wanted Donavich dead but got perplexed as to whom would be able to put her father to rest. Garth was pulled forward as a "man of the Morning Lord" (despite him being fairly clear he follows Hoar) and would conduct the rituals and earth laying in the morning.
The party geared up the mansion with a scouting outpost for an forthcoming attack; strengthening the blocked windows and opening a way in the attic for mobility. The source and reason for these attacks still a mystery, but Ismark was sure it was The Count who was behind them.
(End of session)
The Night Watchers
(Session 11 - 2022-11-29 - [Day 7] -Julle)
With Donavich tied up in the attic of the Burgomaster's Mansion and preparations for the night all done, including torches out front, the team set upon having watches, Ireena insisting she should have a watch as well. During the night there were some howls and Kev saw some werewolf-like shape rune west within the town and on the next watch some ruckus was heard. Other than that the night was surprisingly quiet, especially for a full moon night. [Day 8] Ismark and Ireena seemed relieved in the morning. Only Luna and Bigwig had serious nightmares, but despite the nightmares they felt fairly ok.
The party discussed the plan of action and decided to check the ruckus first and then destroy the former son of Donavich in the church's basement, now a vampire. As they exited the house, far up the street they could immediately see three roaming zombies staring out vacantly. They decided to attack and use range attacks but the zombies proved hard to hit, though when they came closer they were fairly easily dispatched.
Checking the source of the zombies they found a villager's house without the boards for the door, so clearly the zombies were released by the werewolves for some reason.
Continuing to the church there was a long discussion if a crossbow bolt would suffice as a "stake" and Luna (the expert on vampires from last time) thought it probably wouldn't work, but the debate continued while they walked up.
As the party entered the church, the shouts of Doru (Father Donavich's son, the vampire) were heard. He was desperately hungry and he was also under the impression that the party came bearing food for him. Kevavor spent some time picking the lock to the cellar hatch and when it was open, they asked Doru to come up. He did so thinking he'd get some blood, but then Bigwig attacked, trying to grapple him, and the rest of the party pounced.
(End of session)
(Session 12 - 2022-12-06 - [Day 8] -Engh ill short session)
Doru was pummeled and surrounded on all sides. Bigwig even jumped down the hatch to the stairs below him to ensure he didn't escape down. Left mid-combat.
(End of session)
(Session 13 - 2023-01-10 - [Day 8] -Engh out )