Our story begins on the world of Akleatuary. In the northeast corner of the Kingdom of Dastrana lies the city of Rivenstorm, and it is here that we find our heroes…
The Lady Bronwyn Elizabeth Pike sits in her ancestral home, Pike Manor. With her is her family’s solicitor, Garrett Horatio Flint. Mr. Flint has long served Bronwyn’s family, and as she sits with him, she can’t help but recall his reading of the will after the tragic passing of her family some 12 years prior. Now he is presiding over the sale of the manor. He asks her if she is sure if she wants to go through with the sale, and she assures him there is nothing left for her here except bad memories.
The money from the sale of the manor is being used to fund an expedition to a place called Barovia, a place where Bronwyn hopes to finally be free of her eternal torment. Mr. Flint gives the balance of the sale less expenses in a small pouch of coins. Bronwyn will somehow have to survive on this meager sum.
As she departs the manor for the last time, she feels a shiver run up her spine. She feels a presence behind her. She does not turn to look as she knows nothing will be there if she does. She cries out in frustration begging to be left in peace for a few moments. Walking out the front gate, she gives one last longing look towards her home and departs walking slowly towards the train station where she will meet her companions and begin her expedition.
Dr. Bramo Kessik, Gnomish scientist, is also preparing for a long journey. He packs up two small bags containing his personal effects and exits his small, sparse home in Rivenstorm. There he sees a letter has arrived in the post, a missive from back home! He opens it eagerly hoping for news of his daughters. The letter reads:
“Dearest Dr. Kessik,
Zinna and Feaza’s conditions worsen. Neither is able to move on their own any longer. As you know, our curatives are not effective, but we try our best to help them. We have been giving them time outdoors regularly. They miss you terribly and ask for you daily. I know you are a busy man in the city, but please try to find some time to visit them. You may not have many chances to do so.
Keeping you in our prayers,
The Sisters of Rest.”
Bramo chokes up realizing time is running out for his sick daughters. He longs to be with them but knows that this journey could be his only hope of saving their lives. If strange Barovia holds the secrets he hopes it does, then he will soon be reunited with them. He heads out with a wagon towards the docks to meet his companion, dreading the uncomfortable conversation which must ensue.
The Vaegwyce Institute of the Arcane is one of the premiere institutes for arcane research in Dastrana and the finest repository for knowledge in Rivenstorm. Here, in the arcane library, we find Elora Darling, young, half-elven librarian; a recent graduate of the institute herself. She pours over the tome before her, The Book of Shadows, completely engrossed in its contents. So much so that she fails to note the approach of her hated superior, one Agatha Bethany Elmstone.
Miss Elmstone chastises Elora for reading instead of carrying out her duties at the library. Elora is apologetic and demurely takes her reprimand. It’s less than an hour before she departs on her great adventure. Miss Elmstone is not pleased that her employee is doing something so frivolous as going on vacation. She questions her dedication to her work and makes a thinly veiled threat about firing her. She demands that Elora complete her full shift, and Elora agrees. Elora knows that if she stays for her full shift, that she will miss her train, so she endeavors to circumvent Miss Elmstone and depart clandestinely with her stolen tome in tow. She manages to successfully evade Miss Elmstone and head to the train station.
Johan Drummold makes his way down the street with some difficulty. The limp in his leg pains him, but he proceeds with purpose. As he passes a newsstand the headline catches his remaining eye, “WEREWOLF ATTACKS PLAGUE CITY! DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES STRUCK WITH TERROR!” Johan lets out a growl and seizes the paper, crumpling it up in his hands. He curses and vows that all werewolves must die and throws the paper to the ground! The angry vendor demands that Johan pay for the ruined newspaper. Johan begrudgingly hands over a copper coin and stuffs the newspaper into his pocket. He storms off towards the train station, the pain in his leg forgotten.
At the waterfront, the being known as McCoy, makes his way along a familiar route. Hiding his gigantic, metal frame from sight, he slips partway into the water and slides behind bushes towards a cluster of trees. There he observes a small house. He doesn’t know the name of the house or the street it lays on, but the house is known to him somewhere in his fragmented memory. He knows too the girl he barely glimpses through the windows. He likes it better on days when she works in the garden or comes to and from the house. Those days he can see her clearer and the joy in him swells.
He knows he is going away, possibly for a long time, and he may not get to see her again. He savors this moment watching her. He considers approaching the home as a man might do, knocking on the door, and introducing himself. Maybe he will do just that. He starts to lift his bulk from the water and see in its rippling surface his monstrous face reflected. It is half-formed and unmoving, made of dull steel, looking like crudely carved stone. It is not the face of a man, but a mockery of one, cruel and sinister in appearance. He sinks back into the waters knowing he cannot do what he desires. He turns and departs, knowing his one friend is waiting for him, waiting to take him away to a place where he can finally find answers and possibly a cure for his condition. He stops and turns back to the home giving one long wistful glance before departing.
At the train station we find ex-soldier Riley Ainsworth. She has arrived early in order to be prompt and scout out the area for danger. She wants to be prepared when her client arrives. There is a large crowd of people milling about the station, but she notes one group in particular, a group of constables led by an unpleasantly familiar woman, longtime nemesis, one Adella Brewster. She is passing around to the gathered constables a WANTED poster with Riley’s name and picture on it. Riley quickly pulls her scarf up over her head and blends into the crowd moving away from the constables and taking shelter at a nearby newsstand.
Underneath the bridge that McCoy calls home, a large wagon, pulled by a donkey hauls an enormous crate. McCoy eyes it and immediately understands. He protests and Bramo begins sputtering an explanation. It’s in everyone’s best interest if McCoy will travel in the crate in the freight car of the train. His appearance will be too disturbing to the other passengers and he cannot fit in one of the seats anyway. McCoy is upset. He understands he cannot travel as other people do but resents being treated as cargo. Bramo is effusively apologetic and wishes it could be another way, but the important thing is that they embark and reach their destination and the answers they seek. McCoy begrudgingly agrees and enters the crate.
The journey to the train station is a bumpy ride with McCoy being jostled about in the crate. Bramo repeatedly implores the drive to take care on the road with his valuable and delicate cargo, but his pleas fall on deaf ears. Once they arrive, the crate is loaded with difficulty onto the train via a crane and Bramo heads in to meet his party.
Bronwyn arrives at the train station, but sees no sign of her hired bodyguard, Miss Ainsworth. She searches through the crowd eventually spotting Riley in her disguise. She sneaks up and surprises Riley who sheepishly explains she is trying to avoid attention from the constables. Just then, Elora arrives giving an enthusiastic greeting to both Bronwyn and Riley. Riley tries to duck out of sight as the constables approach them.
Introductions are made between the three women and Riley explains her situation. She has been framed for a murder she didn’t commit by an enemy of hers although she has killed people before. Elora and Bronwyn wonder if Riley is a professional killer, but Riley assures them she has only killed people incidentally in a professional capacity. Still confused, Elora and Bronwyn hide Riley and escort her onto the train.
On the train they meet with Johan and Bramo and make introductions all around. They take their seats and make note of some of the other passengers aboard the train. Bramo observes a cranky, old woman berating the porters and offers his assistance. She mistakes him for a child; insulting him. He insults her in return, and she laughs it off.
A friendly, older woman comes through the car selling pastries. Bronwyn wants to buy a croissant, but the woman can only offer her a chocolate scone. Bronwyn accepts it and the woman hopes it gives her pleasant dreams. Bronwyn and Elora split the scone between them.
The group hears a loud party seated nearby them. An effeminate man and three, beautiful, dark-haired women, two pale, one dark and statuesque, are engaged in courtly gossip. Elora, starved for juicy gossip at the library, gleefully listens in.
A well-to-do couple passes by the group, their teenage son dragging his feet behind them. The wife is complaining, but the husband calms her assuring them, “All will be well! All will be well!”
A young, black couple sit nearby in quiet conversation. The man complains passionately about his boss and how he hates the way he is running things. He swears that he would do things differently. His wife calms him down and tells him to bide his time, look for the right moment, and seize his opportunity. He calms down agreeing with her.
Back in the freight car, McCoy hears a commotion outside of his crate. A father is engaged in conversation with one of the porters. The porter insists that there is no one in the freight car, but the man begs him to allow him to search cart for his missing son. The porter relents and the man searches through the car. McCoy leans against the crate to hear better, causing a loud groaning sound against the wood. The man approaches asking if someone is there. He presses his face against the crate, but McCoy remains still and silent. The man moves on resuming his search, lamenting his missing son and his inability to find him.
Later, Bramo comes to the freight car to check on McCoy. They discuss the incident but maintain McCoy’s low-profile. Bramo explains it will only be a few hours before they arrive at their destination, the Vonmeda Peaks where the valley of Fair Barovia is said to lie. McCoy says he can endure sitting in the crate for a day and Bramo returns to the passenger car.
As the hours pass, the group is approached by a young girl with long, brown hair. She tells them cryptically that they are going somewhere they don’t belong. They are seeking answers, but they will find only doom. The party is confused by this little girl asking her if she is a fortune teller. She explains that she is, and she knows many things about their future. Riley makes a comment about striking at the heart of danger and the girl explains that is a good place to strike and that they must destroy the heart first. She tells her to look for it somewhere high up. Riley makes a note of it.
Before they can make sense of what the little girl is saying, she runs off saying she will see them soon and that their destiny is shared.
A porter comes by and offers them all cordials. The group accepts, except for Johan, and they toast their adventure together. The soothing monotony of the train ride, the alcohol, and the late hour soon lulls the party to sleep.
McCoy sits unsleeping in his crate alone with his thoughts. He tries to stitch together fragments of memory. He has flashes of a scene playing out before him. Lightning with no thunder. Water swirling around him. A woman, with black hair, her arms stretched out to embrace. He moves towards her. He is jolted out of his memory as he goes tumbling violently in his crate. It bursts open and he finds himself on a snowy, mountain pass. All around him is ruin. The train has derailed! Fires blaze against the night sky and voices cry out in pain and fear!
The rest of the party also find themselves waking up in the carnage. Most of them are unharmed, but Johan has injured his leg further. The group search through the wreckage looking for survivors. They manage to find and help a few. While searching around the wreckage, Bronwyn discover a large, tome bound in black leather and iron. She is drawn to this book, subtly nudged in its direction. Inspecting it, she can feel the magical power emanating from it. Checking that she is not observed, she secrets the tome in her bag.
McCoy risks discovery in order to help some porters trapped under heavy, twisted metal. He easily lifts the weight off of them, freeing them, but they recoil in horror at his appearance; one of the men fainting at the sight of him. McCoy continues searching through the debris to help people and eventually he and Bramo are reunited.
Riley and Johan make their way towards the front of the train. They see that the engine has struck something. It lies on its side, great gouts of flame spewing from the ruptured engine. The fire has spread along from the engine to the front cars and is too large for them to do anything about it.
Looking around, Elora notices that they are near their destination. She implores Bronwyn to help convince the group to march off into the mountains with her. She also notices that her tome, The Book of Shadows, is missing. Bronwyn assures her it is well in hand and pats her satchel conspiratorially.
The group gathers together and Elora lays out her plan. Seeing no other options, they agree to leave the wreckage behind and head into the mist-filled mountain forest. Bronwyn spies a large, black wolf with glowing yellow eyes watching them through the mist. She points it out and Johan rushes to give chase, realizing too late he is without his weapons an equipment. Bramo from atop McCoy’s shoulders fires off a bolt of fire at the beast, striking it in the flank and sending it howling away. The group gather their belongings from the wreckage and head into the mists.
After walking for nearly an hour, Elora stops them and consults her tome. Opening to the page with the ritual, she notes an accompanying illustration. The scene depicted almost perfectly matches their surroundings. Elora tells the others that they have reached their destination. They look around in disbelief at the barren wilderness surrounding them. Elora confesses that she has not been completely honest with them. This is the way to Barovia, as she promised, but the valley is not here in the mountains, rather it is on another world.
The group is shocked and skeptical especially when Elora asks them all for a bit of their blood. They balk at this and the thought that they may not be able to return from this land once they reach it. Elora admits she does not know the way to return but assures them she will discover it. Bramo reiterates that all of this is to help his dying children, and if he is not able to return to his daughters, he swears to kill Elora. Elora accepts his judgement and continues the ritual.
Each of the participants cut themselves and smeared the blood on their foreheads. They stood in a circle surrounding Elora. Elora read from the tome, invoking the ritual:
“Open the way that is hidden,
reveal the shadow beneath the light.
That which is entered enters me,
I choose to walk the path of darkness.”
Completing the invocation, the mountain fog drew around them as a thick, cloying mist. The mist covered them completely making them unable to see each other, the light of the torch, or their own hands in front of them. They heard a roaring sound like a distant wind, but the mist remained unmoved. As the fear and claustrophobia closed in on them, eventually the misted thinned and parted. Once again, they saw the light and their companions.
Looking around, they were no longer in a snowy mountain pass. Now they were in a still forest. Giant trees with claw-like branches loomed over them forming a canopy and blotting out the night sky. The weather was a cool, early spring, not the winter climate they had left. Cut through the middle of the forest was a road stretching off endlessly in either direction. Elora was unsure exactly where to go next but felt that following the road was the right thing to do.
They walked for hours through the silent forest. Tree branch, black in the darkness, wove together to make woods on either side of the road impenetrable. A looming fog clung to the canopy above and spilled over the road. Tracking the time with Bronwyn’s pocket watch, they emerged 5 hours later to a clearing.
Blocking the road ahead of them were huge, stone walls. Set into it were giant iron gates flanked on either side by giant, headless statues; silent, stone guardians. As the party approached the gates to inspect them, they suddenly swung open with a loud screech of metal.
McCoy approached the fallen, stone head of one of the statues, noting its roughly formed features matched his own. As the party passed through the gates, they swung closed with a screech behind them.
Traveling another few hours through the dark woods, Bramo eventually caught the scent of smoke on the wind. They followed the scent towards a warm light beyond the underbrush off the side of the road. There they encountered a figure in full, black plate armor wearing a full helm. The figure looked up and greeted them, welcoming them to rest beside his fire.
The figure introduced himself as Lucien Brightburn, knight of Xabris the Sun Lord. Lucien explained he too had recently arrived in Barovia and hailed originally from Luminid Kingdom on the world of Thelminda. The group questioned him back and forth concluding they he too had been drawn through the mists to this place from another world as they had.
Lucien revealed that he was led to this place of darkness by his god to locate a hidden sun. McCoy mentioned a man on the train searching for his lost son. Lucien explained he was looking for a “sun”, like the star in the sky, and not his son, but McCoy still noted the coincidence.
Feeling wary around a stranger, Johan used his Divine Sense to see if he detected any evil around Lucien. He was shocked to discover that Lucien was undead! He also noticed that while Bronwyn herself was not demonic, that a demonic presence lingered around her. Johan excused himself from the group and tried to casually pass a note to McCoy to be wary of Lucien and keep an eye on him.
Through conversation, McCoy got him to reveal that he was in fact undead. Lucien admitted that he had fallen in battle but had been resurrected by the holy fire of Xabris. He was now undead, and his body horribly burned such that he hides it always beneath his armor, but he also been given a purpose; his quest to find the hidden sun! Despite the painful experience, Lucien was happy to still be of service to his god and hoped to be helpful to others as well. He offered wine and food to the group and spend the night resting together which they accepted.
Elora and Bronwyn, exhausted from the day, quickly went to sleep. The others stay up keeping an eye on Lucien until he too slept. Riley, Bramo, and Johan slept while McCoy sat silently on watch. Again, his thoughts returned to storms and the black-haired woman reaching out to embrace him.
Lucien rose with the dawn and bid his farewells to the party. He would head south into the swamps. He had a feeling something there might help him on his quest. The group offered to join him, but he insisted they follow the road instead towards civilization. They agreed and parted as friends.
The party traveled through the woods into open country. The road was desolate with no sign of tracks of travelers. The day was foggy with poor visibility as the ground sloped away from the road into a gray mist. Eventually they reached a building.
It was a tall brick house, rundown with dark windows and an iron portico. Suddenly a child burst out of the house; a little boy! He ran into the road and stumbled to the ground. An older girl rushed out after him and fell to her knees wrapping her arms around him. She soothed the boy and looked fearfully towards the house. She noticed the party and stared wide-eyed at them.
The party approached to see if they were all right. The girl explained that there was a monster in the house! Johan drew his greatsword and rushed immediately inside with Riley trailing after him. The others stayed to speak with the children who introduced themselves as Rose and Thorn Durst. They explained that there was a monster in the basement kept there by their parents. They had never seen it, but often heard it howling. The howls had frightened Thorn and sent him running out of the house. Their parents weren’t home, and they didn’t know when they were coming back, but had been gone less than a day.
The party assured the children there was nothing to fear and that they would slay any monster inside. Bramo and McCoy joined Riley and Johan and they entered the house. They noted the family portraits and a windmill coat-of-arms in the foyer. Entering the main hall, they carved scenes of wood nymphs on the walls and an enormous red, marble staircase spiraling upwards.
Rose and Thorn mentioned that the monster was kept in the basement, but that their baby brother was still inside, upstairs in the nursery. Bronwyn went to share this information with the party while Elora remained outside with the children. Johan and the others would search for the monster and the basement while Bronwyn rescued the baby alone.
Bronwyn reached the second floor and found suits of armor with stylized wolf helmets. She also saw carvings of children dancing with butterflies that were actually them fleeing from bats. She became nervous that she too would be attacked by bats. Reaching the third floor, she saw an ominous suit of black plate armor. It looked different and far more sinister than the armored suits below. She heard the wail of a child coming from another room. She began to investigate and hesitated, heading back to the party instead.
She explains what she had found and asked her bodyguard, Riley to accompany her. Riley agreed and they headed back upstairs. Meanwhile, the others investigated the first floor while Elora spoke with the children.
As they stood outside, Elora saw the fog behave strangely. It rolled over the road in sheets likes waves in the ocean crashing towards them. She and the children backed away to stand against the house. Soon the mist was all around them, clinging to them like it had during the ritual. Elora remained outside with the children until they all began to choke and gag on the mist. They went inside the portico and saw that the mist did not enter, and they could breathe again. They agreed to rest there and not enter further into the house.
Bramo, McCoy, and Johan investigated the dining room, kitchen, and pantry. They noted that the stores appeared recent and fresh. Bramo found a dumbwaiter set into one wall estimating that he could probably fit inside of it.
Upstairs, Riley and Bronwyn heard the wails of a child. Bronwyn insisted on holding Riley’s hand as they investigated so that she could give her a magical blessing if needed. As they approached the source of the wailing cries, there was a scrape of metal and Bronwyn was seized from behind! The suit of black armor came to life and struck her! Riley drew her sword and attacked allowing Bronwyn to retreat towards the stairs. She called out to others for help. They heard her cries, and all came running up the three flights of stairs to help. Knowing that it was the fastest way up, Bramo squeezed into the dumb-waiter and used it to bring himself up to the third floor.
Riley faced off against the armor and it rained heavy blows down upon her! It cracked a gauntleted fist against her skull with a loud crack and she fell to the ground unconscious and bleeding. Bronwyn retreated down the stairs firing a summoned bolt of eldritch energy at the armor. McCoy made his way up the stairs to stand against the armor. He swung his weapon wide of the armor and missed. Elora made her way up the stairs and cast a spell linking herself to the armor with a bolt of arcane lightning. The conduit of electricity had little effect on the armor, but she maintained it in the hopes of doing further damage.
Bramo crept stealthily through the master bedroom. He appeared behind the armor and saw Riley’s prone body. He snuck over to her and whispered a short prayer to heal and restore her while the armor was distracted in combat. From the stairs below Bronwyn fired another blast of eldritch energy at the armor. It teetered and swayed under the force barely standing. Johan charged up the stairs with his greatsword and landed a might blow on the armor! The armor crumpled under the blow and scattered into pieces across the balcony landing.
The party gathered and helped Riley to her feet. They all heard the baby’s cries coming from the room beyond and pressed on to investigate. When they entered the room, they were confused. There on the bed was a pale woman with dark hair cradling and soothing the baby, but they heard the baby’s cries coming from another room nearby. Bramo studied the woman carefully and realized she was an insubstantial ghost!
The party was unnerved and wanted to leave immediately, but McCoy insisted on seeing it through. He opened the door to the nursery and Bramo reluctantly followed behind him. Spread around the nursery were morbid toys: a bat mobile, a wolf chair, and a black shroud embroidered with windmills covered the cradle. McCoy lifted the shroud and saw nothing. Silence fell all around them as the baby’s cries disappeared.
In the other room, the woman on the bed turned to them her face contorting and flesh falling off of it. She rose and floated through the bed towards them screaming, “You woke the baby!”
Riley closed to attack the spectral woman with her sword. The blade passed through her body with almost no resistance. Johan dropped into the flank behind her and attacked with his greatsword, finding too that his weapon had little effect. Elora tried and failed to invoke a lightning bridge between herself and the spirit. Bramo tried to freeze her in place with a magical invocation, but it was ineffective against the angry spirit. Finally, McCoy rushed in to attack the spirit. He smashed his mace overhead through the spirits tearing it apart and dispersing it!
The party decided that the house and its inhabitants were a lost cause. This was a doom house, and they needed to flee immediately! They rushed downstairs towards the front doors to confront the children Rose and Thorn. As they approached, they were horrified to watch the children disappear before their eyes! The doors slammed shut in front of them. They were trapped!
Curse of Ravenloft 