Curse of Ravenloft

While recovering from their battle with the wolves, the group heard a carriage approaching from behind them. They stopped and stepped off the road to let it pass. The carriage was black and drawn by two black horses. The carriage stopped and a beautiful in a red dress with long black hair, pale skin, and bright red eyes and lips beckoned to them. The group was reluctant to approach this stranger. Eventually she leaned out the carriage window and said that she was summoning them. The group took only a few steps closer.

She introduced herself as Anastrasya Karelova, saying that the group knew her husband, the Lord Strahd von Zarovich. The group was immediately anxious. Anastrasya asked if the group had been “playing with her doggies.” She thought it looked like they had played a little too roughly. The group explained that they were attacked by the wolves and only defended themselves. Anastrasya warned them that the roads are dangerous and that they should be more careful. Next time she would send more doggies to play with them. Then she rode off in her carriage.

Another half hour or so of walking led them within sight of Vallaki. They could see the town in mountain valley ahead and below of them near the shores of a vast lake. Branching off the main road, a small trail led up a nearby hilltop towards a lilting, stone windmill. The group turned off to purchase more pies from Granny. Ever since regaining some of his memories after eating one, McCoy had been anxious to purchase more, and he urged the group forward.

The windmill appeared dilapidated, its upper windows dirty and its vanes stripped bare. Next to the windmill was a small, two-story house with an animal pen in the back and an extension off the second floor in the front. On a nearby hill, the group spotted a group of four standing stones in a circle. They approached to investigate them.

The stones were ancient, worn, and moss-covered standing 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide. They faced inwards in a rough circle, the surface of each depicting a crude carving of a city going through the four seasons. Elora couldn’t make sense of the carvings, but Ireena explained that they were depictions of four legendary cities where the Morninglord and Mother Night were said to dwell along with the other ancient gods. Elora asked if they were real cities, but Ireena thought they were idealized images of paradise. Elora could not imagine a bright, sunny city as depicted on the summer stone existing in Barovia.

The group noted a raven perched on top of the autumn stone pecking at something. Elora scrambled up the rock to discover a pie placed there. The pie was cold but didn’t appear to be old. It looked like one of Granny’s Dream Pastries. The group wondered if it had been left as some kind of offering. Bronwyn found a pile of small, white stones in the center of the circle. On closer examination, she discovered the stones were human teeth! The group wondered who would leave an offering of human teeth and what kind of god would accept them? Lancelot growled nervously.

Catching up to McCoy, they reached the house and windmill. Perched over the doorway to the house was a raven. It screeched and cawed at them, furiously flapping its wings. Elora tried to speak to the bird, but it continued its loud protests. Lancelot barked anxiously at the bird.

McCoy ignored the commotion and knocked on the door. A woman’s voice called from inside asking who they were. They identified themselves as “the group that saved your life from those zombies in Barovia!” The voice on the other side was confused, but when they said they wanted to buy more pies, a woman quickly answered the door. She was an older woman with faded blonde hair who bore something of a resemblance to Granny. She identified herself as Bella, Granny’s youngest daughter.

Apologizing for the mess, she invited the group inside. She pulled up some chairs for them to sit while she finished baking her latest batch of pies. The group showed great enthusiasm for the pies and wanted to purchase all her current stock. Bella was delighted to sell them all 17 pies and asked them for feedback on the taste and consistency of the pies. The group was very complimentary of both the crust and the filling telling Bella she had created a perfect taste. Bella was overjoyed to hear it.

Lancelot was agitated as he tried to join the group and Bella asked the group to leave their dog outside for sanitary reasons so as not to contaminate the pies she was cooking. The group agreed and Riley waited outside with him. Lancelot was bristling and upset, sniffing and listening. Something was moving in the grass outside. Riley reported this to the group. Bella mentioned that there were a lot of vermin in the area, and it was best to keep the dog away from it. Riley begrudgingly listened and took Lancelot to wait behind the windmill where he calmed down.

McCoy headed outside to help deal with these vermin. Searching through the grass he spotted three poisonous snakes slithering through the grass. He smashed them with his mace and returned to the house with their bodies, dropping them casually on the table. Ireena recoiled in horror from the sight, but Bella was not fazed by it. She was grateful for the meat she could use but wanted to first extract the venom from the snakes. McCoy wanted to just wring it out of the snakes, but Bella convinced him it required more precision. She had him hold the snake mouths open while she carefully cut out the venom glands with her carving knife. Then she rubbed her thumb along the glands and milked out the venom into a vial filling a quarter full of the snake poison. She said she would put it to use to keep vermin away from their garden.

Bramo mentioned some concerns about the ownership of the mill, telling Bella that Bildrath had made some statements about the women not being the rightful owners. Bella was confused and the rest of the group tried to quiet down Bramo, but he persisted. Bella wasn’t quite following him until Bramo produced the deed to the windmill. Bella was upset, accusing them of trying to run three old women out of the home that had belonged to their family for centuries. Bella mentioned that her family had claimed the abandoned structure hundreds of years ago.

Bramo calmed her fears and explained he was giving her the deed so that they would never again have issues of demonstrating the legitimacy of their claim. Bramo hinted at a possible reward for this deed, but Bella insisted on making a very special pot pie for him; a mix of meat and vegetables. Bramo tried to figure out what kind of meat was going into the pie, but all he could determine was that it was red meat.

While baking her pies, Bella chatted with the group asking about their journeys and where they had come from. She complimented the group on their resilience and strength; praising them as mighty heroes and warriors. She asked if they might be willing to do favors for people in need. She felt embarrassed asking but wanted to do so before her mother came home.

Her mother had recently sent a letter to a family friend, Vasili von Holz, and this letter was returned to the mill unanswered. She knew her mother was very worried about her friend and feared something may have happened to him. They had been corresponding about a rather serious matter, and it was important that this letter reach him. Bella asked if the group might be able to deliver it since they were headed to Vallaki.

The group agreed right away, telling her it was would be no trouble to drop off the letter. Bella handed it over to McCoy who tucked it away. Bramo’s pie was finished, and Bella eagerly served it up to him along with some Purple Grapemash wine. Bronwyn was also excited to have more of the Barovian wine and Bella poured some for the group. Bella and the group watched with rapt attention as Bramo nervously ate Bella’s pie. He found it to be good, and Bella was very pleased. They talked some more while he ate, and Bella tried to call her sister down to join them from upstairs.

Her sister replied she was too busy to join them, and the group asked what her sister was doing upstairs. Bella told the group her sister was working. Specifically, her sister prepares the meat for the pies while Bella makes the dough and does the baking. The group listened for any strange sounds coming from upstairs but heard nothing.

While they talked, drank, and ate, Granny arrived back home. Riley spotted her coming up the hill pushing her cart. The cart was empty of pies and contained only a single large sack. Riley eyed the bag curiously as Granny parked the cart under the second-floor extension and went into the house.

Granny was surprised to see her rescuers all there in her home but was delighted that they had purchased so many pies. She inquired where her other daughter was and why she hadn’t joined them. Bella explained that she was busy upstairs, but Granny insisted she had raised her daughters with better manners and went upstairs to fetch her. The group heard some commotion and raised voices upstairs before Granny returned with her eldest daughter, Ophelia, in tow. Ophelia was skinny and nervous-looking with gray hair like her mother. She awkwardly socialized with the group as they all enjoyed wine; Granny insisting on drinking the superior Red Dragon Crush.

Granny was delighted to hear of the group’s large order of pies as well as their generosity in gifting them with the deed to the windmill. She was overcome with appreciation for the kindness the group had shown them and gripped Elora and Bronwyn’s hands as she thanked them. They talked a little bit about the group’s journey to Vallaki. Granny warned them to be careful of the strict and unusual laws enforced in the town and that they should hide McCoy’s appearance from the locals. They thanked her and dressed McCoy in the black cloaks obtained from the Durst House.

Granny asked how the group was making money while they were in Barovia. No one could offer a good answer, so Granny asked if they might be interested in a business partnership. Granny had not been able to sell her pies within Vallaki due to their strict admittance policies. Convinced that the group would be allowed entry, she asked if they might be willing to sell her pies there for a 20% cut of the profits. The group was uncertain about any sort of long-term business partnership, but Granny suggested a trial run to see how it worked out for them and give them a little spending money. She suggested they try and sell a dozen pies to the citizens of Vallaki, and the group agreed to try.

The group wanted to get back on the road but agreed to stay for a half hour to allow the women to bake the new batch of pies. Granny had a thought then and went to fetch some money for them. She turned over a purse with 24 silver pieces in it as their cut of the profits. The group was uneasy accepting the money as they weren’t sure they would be back this way or be able to sell the pies. Granny insisted that was all right because what she wanted was for the group to give away the pies instead. She thought it would work as a great promotion for their business. She asked that they simply give away the pies and ask the people who liked them to visit the windmill for more.

Because they were giving the pies away, Granny didn’t want them to miss out on their share of the profits, so she paid them the silver they would have made directly. With their business concluded, the group thanked Granny and her daughters and headed back on the road to Vallaki with two bundles of pies in tow.

Two hours later, the group arrived at the Eastern gate of Vallaki. They saw that the town was quite large and surrounded by a large, wooden palisade. Outside the gate were multiple wolf heads impaled on pikes. They were greeted at the gate by two guards who asked all of them to give their names, professions, and what business they had in Vallaki. The group told them their names and that they were seeking supplies as well as rooms for the night.

Johan told them he was a traveling merchant, Elora a librarian looking to purchase books. Bronwyn said she was a fortune teller and performer which made the guards suspicious. They grilled her to see if she was a Vistani, looking her over carefully and studying her profile. They explained that Vistani were not welcome within the town. This made Riley nervous, wondering if they would discover her new-found heritage, but Bronwyn quickly covered up for her explain that she and McCoy were her servants and bodyguards. Ireena stumbled a bit not sure what to say for herself, but Elora chimed in that she was her sister, accompanying her on the journey. Ireena played along and looking them over was immediately convinced. Bramo claimed to be a handyman and offered to fix anything they needed around the gate. The guard seemed interested until Bramo told them he didn’t have tinker’s tools. The guard lost interest and asked him to come back when he had a set.

The guards went on to explain the rules of Vallaki. It was a crime for anyone to use the name of the ruler of Barovia in any form, and that he was only to be referred to as “the Devil.” It was also forbidden for them to carry any documents with his name on them. They also explained that the town holds weekly festivals in celebration of their wonderful town and wonderful leader the Baron Vargas Vallakovich. All citizens were required to assist in setting up and attending the festivals. Visitors were not required to set up, but they would be required to participate.

The group asked what the festivals were like, if there was food and drinking and dancing? The guard replied that there usually was something like that, but each festival was different. He told them they’d recently completed the Festival of the Wolf’s Head Jamboree which involved a parade of impaled wolf heads around town. The next festival would be the Festival of the Blazing Sun which would be held in 5 days.

The guard also explained that all citizens and visitors were always required to remain cheerful and positive. Nothing bad or negative was permitted to be said or written down about the town, its laws, or the Baron. Anyone found guilty of malicious unhappiness would be sentenced to punishments ranging from whippings to imprisonment to exile to death. The group were all uncomfortable with this news but kept positive attitudes and put on big smiles.

The guards let them come inside and provided them with directions to the nearby Arasek Stockyard and the Cracked Anvil blacksmith towards the center of town near the Blue Water Inn. They thanked the guards and wished them a pleasant day. The guards returned the blessing and told them that “all will be well.”

The group made their way to Arasek’s Stockyard. They saw many locked sheds surrounding the stockyard with a warehouse on one side of the lot. They noticed a carnival wagon with the paint peeling off. Written on the side was, “Marvolio’s Carnival of Wonders.” Bramo went over to investigate this curious vehicle. The back door of the wagon was crossed by heavy chains held locked by a heavy padlock.

Bramo crawled underneath to wagon to see if he could find anything when it suddenly lurched above him! Wood creaked and metal groaned above him as great weight hit the wagon from within. An inhuman growl issued from inside. Bramo scrambled away noticing at this distance that the sides of the wagon were covered in dried blood. An inscription above the wagon’s door read, “I bring you from Shadow into Light!”

Thinking this wagon was more trouble than it was worth, the group left it behind and made their way into the warehouse. There they met with the owners, Gunther and Yelena Arasek, who showed them their wares. The prices were significantly cheaper than Bildrath’s, but still very expensive. Bramo was disappointed to learn they did not sell the expensive tinker’s tools he was searching for. The party made only one small purchase of 2 oil flasks that McCoy wanted.

On his way out of the shop, McCoy decided to read the letter they’d been given by Bella. It was an urgent message from Granny to this Vasili von Holz regarding some orphans in trouble with a witch. Vasili was to attempt to smuggle the orphans out of St. Andral’s Orphanage and bring them to stay at the windmill with Granny and her daughters. Against their protests, McCoy shared the contents of the letter with the group. They were all convinced that something bad had happened to Vasili, possibly at the hands of the guards and that it was dangerous for them to keep this letter. They wanted it out of their possession as soon as possible.

They made their way to the center of town and located the Blue Water Inn, a two-story wooden building with a sagging tile roof covered in ravens and sign depicting a blue waterfall. Searching the area nearby, they located a small blacksmith’s shop, the Cracked Anvil, with a metal sign depicting an anvil with a tear running down the center of it. There Johan spoke with the blacksmith, a dwarf named Dragomir Ulbrek. Johan asked if he had any weapons an armor for sale, but Dragomir explained that sort of thing was beyond his skillset. He mostly made nails, hinges, and horseshoes for the locals. He was also capable of repairing and maintaining more complicated pieces like weapons and armor, but not crafting them himself.

Johan was disappointed and reluctantly asked if Dragomir might have a shield available. Dragomir explained that he did have a small collection of items he came across secondhand and restored, and he might have a shield in that collection. Checking in his back room, he returned with a dented and patched kite shield which he was willing to sell for 20 gold pieces. Johan was not happy about the price or the craftsmanship, but purchased it anyway, grateful to have the protection of a shield on his arm.

While at the blacksmith, Elora tried her hand at distributing Granny’s Dream Pastries and convinced Dragomir to try one. He ate the pie and was quite impressed with it, saying he would have to stop by the windmill some time to purchase more.

After finishing with the blacksmith, the group returned to the Blue Water Inn. Upon entering, Bronwyn took note of two grizzled men seated at a table near the door, Szoldar Szoldarovich and Yevgeni Krushkin, wolf hunters. Bronwyn was quite taken with the two men and complimented Szoldar on his beard. Johan asked if they had any tips on hunting wolves. Yevgeni explained that the best way to kill a wolf in winter is to cover a knife in blood, stick it straight up in the snow and let the blood freeze on it. The wolf will come along and lick the blood off the knife while the cold numbs its tongue. It won’t feel the frozen blade cut its own tongue or realize the blood it is greedily lapping up is its own. In the morning, you can come along and collect both the knife and the wolf. Johan thanked him for that insightful tip.

Bramo headed over to the bar while the rest of the group settled in at a large table. Bramo spoke with the bartender, a woman with black hair streaked with white named Danika Dorakova, she owned the inn along with her husband and her two children. Bramo ordered some wine from her for himself and the group and asked if there was anything she needed help with.

She mentioned that the inn was nearly out of wine; their schedule shipment for the season was over a week late. She told him that the winery, the Wizard of Wines, was operated by her husband’s family, but there had been a falling out and her husband hadn’t spoken with them directly in years. They still did business together, but things were tense and awkward. She asked if the group could look into the missing wine shipment for them and, in return, she would provide them with free room and board for any time they were in town.

Bramo told her they could help, but he was looking to a more substantial reward. Danika explained the value of having a safe haven to retreat to in a dangerous place such as Barovia, but Bramo pressed the issue making some veiled threats about Danika’s attitude violating the strict laws in Vallaki. Danika was not intimidated by this tactic and invited Bramo to report her and see where that got him. Bramo accepted his drinks and told her he would discuss the matter with the group.

Bronwyn took note of another interesting character at the inn, a harlequin clown in a white face mask which completely obscured his features was sitting alone at his table playing with a knife. She tried to watch him surreptitiously, but he caught her spying on him and waved her over. Somewhat embarrassed, she made her way over and introduced herself. The harlequin told her he was Marvolio the Magnificent and was a traveling performer making his way through Barovia. He had arrived here a few months ago and had been performing in Vallaki for a few weeks.

Bronwyn explained that she used to be part of a circus and missed what had become her family there, in particular a man who had been a father-figure to her. Marvolio inquired about Bronwyn’s “circus daddy” and why she missed him and what she liked about him. He also performed some feats of acrobatics, juggling, and prestidigitation for her. Bronwyn was very amused by all of this and having a wonderful time feeling very nostalgic.

Bronwyn explained that her “circus daddy” had taught quite a bit about magic and how to control her powers as well as some more common circus tricks. Marvolio tossed her one of the bean bags he’d been juggling, and she caught it deftly surprising her. He complimented her on keeping up with the skills she learned and promptly tossed her two more bags until she found herself expertly juggling. Eventually, he took back the bean bags and started balancing on one foot standing on the back of his chair while he spoke with her.

All of these antics attracted the attention of the boys Brom and Bray he had been flitting around the inn studying the newcomers. They cheered and applauded for Marvolio and Bronwyn. McCoy, trying to keep a low profile, also quietly clapped from the corner. Riley, meanwhile, watched tensely, nearly leaping to her feet and into combat several times as the suspicious clown made several quick movements towards her client.

Bronwyn finished her conversation with Marvolio, thanking him for brightening her day. He invited her to come she his show some time and hoped to see her at the upcoming festival.

Bronwyn returned to the group and Bramo came to sit down and inform them of the issue with the winery. The group was interested in helping out, but they were sure they could do so without distracting from their mission. Johan in particular was against any side quests and diversions holding them up. They discussed a few urgent matters before: finding a safe place for Ireena, delivering/divesting themselves of potentially criminal letter from Granny to Vasili, and locating the Vistana girl in trouble at the lake.

Ireena wasn’t sure she wanted to stay in Vallaki or anywhere else. She was more interested in finding a solution to her problem with Strahd then in hiding from him. Ireena and Elora also did not want to be separated from each other, acting more and more like real sisters every day. Ireena agreed to spend some time in Vallaki getting to know it before making any decisions and sticking with Elora on her travels in the meantime.

Riley was feeling worn out from their encounter with the wolves on the road and pushed for the group to rest before taking on any further tasks. The group debating the lateness of the hour wondering how much they could accomplish before nightfall. They decided to get rooms for the night at the inn, take a rest, and then head north to lake to find this girl. That seemed to be the most urgent matter and the lake was only a 10-minute walk from town. Along the way, they could drop off the letter to Vasili.

They spoke with Danika and booked rooms for the night. They booked the large four-person room for the women in the group, and a nearby double room for the men. They asked Danika if she knew Vasili which she did but noted she hadn’t seen him around in some time. She was able to give them directions to his home somewhere on the north side of town in a well-to-do area. Elora tried to offer her one of Granny’s pies but Danika declined saying she did not like pie. She also asked her not to hand out pies within her inn as they wanted to sell their own food to the patrons. Elora agreed to her request.

After resting in their room and dropping off some of their heavier supplies, the group headed out along the north road. They quickly located Vasili’s home and slid the letter under the door without any fuss. Then they exited town and headed to the lake. The group reached Lake Zarovich finding it a nestled in the misty forest at the foot of a mountain, its waters still, black, and reflective. Three rowboats were secured nearby at the short, and a fourth boat was out in the middle of the lake. A man sat alone in the boat with his fishing pole.

The group decided to split into two boats and head out onto the water. As they did so, they saw the man in the boat stand up, lift a wriggling sack, and dump it into the lake. The group quickly sprang into action, McCoy and Johan rowing furiously towards the other boat! They closed in on it and Riley dove into the black water after the rapidly sinking bag. She grabbed hold of the bag and quickly brought it to the surface of the water and back into the boat. They opened the bag, spilling its contents out. Inside was a young girl! She lay unconscious and unmoving.

Bramo tried to use a healer’s kit to revive the girl, but she was unresponsive. Pushing him aside, Bronwyn breathed into the girl’s mouth and pumped her chest with her hands trying to revive her. The motions pumped water from the girl’s chest, and she spit out coughing. Soon she was awake and sitting up in the boat. The group asked her if she was all right, and the girl calmly told them she was all right. She was excited they were finally here as she’d told them she’d see them again. The group instantly thought of the strange girl they’d met on the train. She told them her name was Arabelle and thanked them for saving her.

Looking over to the man in the boat, they saw he sat unmoving staring off into the mist. They pulled their boats beside his and yelled at him, but he did not respond. Finally, McCoy seized the man and dragged him into their boat. The man seemed to awake from a trance. He looked around frightened and confused and McCoy slammed his head into the bottom of the boat.

Interrogating the man, they learned his name was Bluto Krogarov. He had no idea how he got there or anything about trying to drown Arabelle. Riley didn’t believe him and slugged him one in the jaw. Holding his bleeding mouth, he explained the last thing he remembered was drinking at the Blue Water Inn and then wandering over to St. Andral’s Orphanage.

Arabelle explained she was there playing with her friends at the orphanage. She didn’t know who Bluto was, but she knew she would meet him there, they would end up in the lake, and that’s how she would meet the group. She wasn’t scared, she knew it was her destiny.

Bronwyn was excited to see her fate playing out and Madam Eva’s predictions coming true. The group couldn’t wait to learn more about Arabelle and their destiny and began rowing back to shore. McCoy slammed Bluto’s head into the boat a few more times for good measure.

After the revelation that Elora and Ireena look identical to each other, the group tried to figure out why that was. Looking at each other was looking in a mirror except that Elora’s hair was brown and her eyes a lighter green while Ireena had bright red hair and deep, green eyes. The group could find no explanation for why they looked alike. Neither had any lost family that they knew of, and Elora was half-Elven. She did note that Ireena’s brother Ismark did not look much like her or Elora.

Unable to solve the mystery, they instead sat down to lunch to try and answer the group’s questions about Barovia. Ismark shared more wine with them from the Wizard of Wines. The group was intrigued as they were told there were no wizards in Barovia. Ismark clarified that this was just the name of the winery and there was no actual magic involved, which he revised to say there was some magic involved, but the Martikovs who ran the winery were not wizards. They drank two kinds of wine together, the cheaper Purple Grapemash No. 3 and the more expensive Red Dragon Crush. Bramo enjoyed the Grapemash, but Bronwyn preferred the elegance of the Red Dragon Crush. She noted that the wine was some of the best she’d ever tasted and the only good thing about Barovia.

Ismark explained that the people of Barovia are all trapped in the valley. A heavy mist surrounds it and allows no one to leave except for those the Lord Strahd allows to leave. Anyone who tires chokes and gags on the mist. Wine is the only good thing in Barovia, and the only thing which doesn’t need to be imported. Ismark explained that Bildrath gets all of his goods from the Vistani who are the only ones Strahd allows in and out of the valley.

Ismark seemed to finally take notice of Lancelot telling the party he knew the dog and asking where they found him. They briefly explained their adventures in the Durst House and how they’d found Lancelot there. Ismark was both horrified and impressed, telling them all the children of Barovia know to steer clear of that house as it is an evil, haunted place. He told them Lancelot belonged to a woman in town named Mad Mary. The group suggested returning Lancelot home to her.

Considering their prowess and accomplishments, Ismark asked if they could do him a furhter service beyond helping to bury his father. He asked the group to take Ireena far away from the Village of Barovia to somewhere safe like the town of Vallaki or possible the Abbey of Saint Markovia. He told them that Ireena had recently drawn the attention of the Lord Strahd and he regularly harassed her. He was not sure why he was interested in her or what if anything she had down to draw his attention. The group suggested perhaps he sought to make her his bride, a suggestion which unsettled both Ismark and Ireena. The group wondered if Elora’s resemblance to Ireena meant she would also be targeted by Strahd.

The group quickly agreed to escort Ireena as they were heading West as well. Ismark offered to pay them for their help which the group accepted. They made plans to depart the next day after the magistrate’s burial. Asking about the attacks on the house, they learned they’d been going on for 3 weeks. The house had been attacked by a mix of wolves and undead creatures who had materialized out of the fog from somewhere nearby. Ismark explained that the woods were filled with wolves and that Barovia was plagued by the restless dead. Ismark and Ireena’s father had died 3 days ago of a heart attack. Ireena explained that the stress of the endless attacks was too much for him and his heart had given out. Ismark noted that oddly, since his father’s death, the attacks had ceased.

During their discussions, someone came to Ismark’s door and banged loudly on it. Ismark asked the group to stay back and hide with Ireena while he answered the door. He recognized the visitor and opened the barricades to let them in. A bedraggled woman in peasant’s clothes burst into the house howling and crying for her missing child. Ismark explained that this was Mad Mary. She was there to beg Ismark for help in locating her missing daughter Gertruda. She had apparently gotten out of the house and Mad Mary was convinced she’d be abducted by some kind of monster. Ismark assured her that her daughter was fine and would be found while also signaling to the group that his girl was surely dead.

Lancelot came and lay his head in Mad Mary’s lap while whimpering, but she took no notice of the dog. The group asked some questions about the missing girl determining that she was an actual person, she was young, but not a baby, and that she had not been magically transformed into Lancelot. Ismark promised Mad Mary that he would find her daughter and return her, all while letting the group know he was not sincere. The group chimed in an agreed to help with the search. With these assurances, and some wine, they managed to calm down Mad Mary and send her back home.

Ismark assured the group that children go missing around here all the time and are never seen again; Gertruda is certainly dead. Ireena chided her brother for lying to Mad Mary and giving her false hope. Ismark was flustered by the entire exchange, uncomfortable with the situation and his responsibilities as the new magistrate. Elora told her it is sometimes better to tell a small lie to help in a difficult situation.

The group then debated whether they should search for Gertruda or not. Ireena convinced Ismark it was his duty to search for this missing girl, but he was uncomfortable leaving Ireena home alone. The group convinced him that being magistrate meant delegating responsibilities, and that they could act in his stead. He agreed and deputized all of them as his agents while remaining to protect Ireena. But then Ismark became worried about whether something might happen to the group and might not return to help bury his father or escort Ireena. He debated whether it was better to leave the girl for dead and focus on helping his family instead. The group finally convinced him to take the risk and allow them to search.

They headed out with Lancelot in the lead to locate Gertruda’s trail. He sniffed around aimlessly until they asked him to bring them to his home. He brought them to Mad Mary’s home, where they could hear her wailing inside. The group checked all around the outside of the house searching for tracks and signs of foul play. Riley lead the investigation and determined that there were no animal or monster tracks around the house or signs that the house had been broken into from the outside. If the girl was gone, it was because she left on her own.

They asked Lancelot to lead them on Gertruda’s trail. He brought them to the main road in the center of the village, leading them at first back towards the Durst House, he instead turned around and led them in the opposite direction out of the village. They followed along after him for a while until the sun started getting low and the village faded from sight. Elora determined that Lancelot didn’t have a fresh trail to follow and was merely investigating possible leads. They decided they needed to get back to the Magistrate’s manor and rest for the night.

Ismark was disappointed that their search was fruitless, but was grateful to see them all return. He set everyone up in their own rooms, gave them all chamomile tea, and tucked them all in for the night with a kiss on the forehead. Each of them was able to relax in a soft bed for the night while McCoy kept vigil at the front door barricade. They all had wonderful dreams brought on by the Dream Pastries from Granny. They were all free of Barovia in wonderful places with everything they had ever desired; their quests fulfilled. Even McCoy‘s mind wandered to memories of his former life, remember his time as a sailor and being with his wife and daughter. Many holes were left in his mind, but he was able to retain more memories than ever before of who he was and where he came from.

They were wakened before dawn by Ismark who told them that Ireena had prepared breakfast for them to eat before carrying their father to the cemetery. They were all reluctant to wake up having slept very well and longing for their pleasant dreams rather than their harsh reality. Eventually they all rose and ate. They were brought to the magistrate’s room where his body was securely wrapped in a sheet tied with ropes. McCoy, Johan, and Riley helped Ismark carry the body across the village to Church of the Morninglord.

As they passed through the streets, they glimpsed the Barovian people watching them through parted curtains, but no one spoke or came outside. When they reached the church, they saw it was a sagging gray building in disrepair. The church held a bell tower in the back, and its shingled roof was full of holes. Ismark went to the door and called out the priest, Father Donavich, to begin the ritual. Father Donavich came out and greeted them hoarsely. He apologized for his weak voice at he had been up all night praying. He led the funeral procession around the side of the church and to the cemetery on the hill behind it.

There they found a grave already prepared for them and laid the magistrate’s body within it. Ismark and Ireena buried their father with help from some of the group. As they waited for dawn, Bramo spoke with Father Donavich.

Noticing Elora and Ireena standing side by side, Donavich was overcome and staggered on his feet, leaning on the magistrate’s tombstone for support. He asked who these people were and where they had come from. He shared a secret with them he had kept for decades: Ireena was not the magistrate’s natural-born daughter! He found her wandering in the woods near the Pillarstone of Ravenloft which held Castle Ravenloft at its peak. The magistrate had loved Ireena as his own, and only he and Father Donavich had known the truth. Father Donavich feared that perhaps where Ireena was found and the coming of Elora to Barovia had something to do with Strahd’s new interest in the girl.

Ismark explained that he had hired the group to take Ireena far away from here to either Vallaki or the Abbey of Saint Markovia. Father Donavich believed the abbey was the best place for her as there was a holy man there who could perform miracles and may be a saint himself!

With the coming dawn, Father Donavich completed the burial ritual, saying prayers of the body and imploring the Morninglord to deliver the magistrate’s soul from Barovia. The group thought this was odd and asked what he meant by that. Ismark, Ireena, and Father Donavich shared a look before Ireena explained. Much as they are all trapped physically inside of the valley, so too are their souls trapped within valley, cutoff from the gods and the afterlife. The souls roam the land as ghosts or other undead and some are eventually reborn in new bodies. The prayers offered were in the hope that the magistrate might escape this fate.

While discussing this, the group noticed a figure approaching them. It was tall, dressed all in black, with a sword at its hip and a veil covering the face. The figure had a decidedly feminine shape. Lancelot growled at the figure as it approached, but a hiss from the figure sent Lancelot running to hide behind Elora. The figure pulled back its veil to reveal a beautiful, elven woman with long, white hair, bright red eyes, and red, painted lips. Ismark whispered to the group that this was Lord Strahd’s sister, Rahasia.

Rahasia introduced herself to the group explaining that she was the lord’s “sister and eternal servant,” and that she’d been sent to offer the lord’s deepest respects for his fallen servant. She was also there to officially recognize the authority of Ismark as the new magistrate.

Bronwyn complimented Rahasia on her lip color, and she thanked her, explaining that the coloring was achieved using only natural products, and that she never uses anything unnatural on her. Rahasia then looked over the group and started addressing them individually. She approached Ireena and ensured her that she and the lord meant her no harm. They offered her protection and comfort in their home at Castle Ravenloft. She had a standing invitation to join them there and the lord would leave his black carriage for her at the crossroads to the castle. She also offers to take her there now on her steed.

Rahasia turned to reveal up the hill behind her a massive, black horse with flames for a mane and tail. Smoke billowed out from its mouth and nostrils as it reared back and stamped the ground with flaming hooves! Rahasia had ridden to the cemetery on a literal nightmare!

Ireena, with some urging from the group, politely declined the offer. Rahasia then noticed Elora and was fascinated by her. She implored Elora to tell her name so she could relay it to her brother who would be very interested in her. Elora reluctantly obliged.

Rahasia complimented McCoy on his construction, running her hands over his stone body. She was pleased that he was like a man, but superior and eternal. She turned to Brownyn noting that she was human but seemed much older and that he had another’s eyes, tiger eyes! She loved them. Bronwyn was very upset to hear this and denied having “tiger’s eyes.”

Rahasia spotted Bramo and referred to him as the group’s fool. She explained that their own fool at the castle had met with a terrible accident and needed to be replaced. She asked that they inform her if anything happens to theirs. Bramo responded with a string of insults and threats that an accident would befall her.

Rahasia was not amused and drew and struck with her sword in one fluid motion. Magic flowed through the blade which slit Bramo’s throat open spraying blood everywhere. His body fell to the cold ground bleeding out. Rahasia narrowed her eyes and watched them carefully. McCoy started to move but held back. Johan started to help Bramo but thought better of it after a withering glare from Rahasia. The entire group held uncomfortably still waiting to see what would happen.

Rahasia whipped the blood off her blade and sheathed it. She walked away from the group slowly without looking back and mounted her nightmare steed. The nightmare reared back letting out a blood-curdling whinny and galloped off into the air, flying away in a streak of fire towards Castle Ravenloft.

Johan quickly got to work with his healer’s kit on Bramo, saving his life and returning him to consciousness. Bramo swore revenge on Rahasia and the group warned him to hold his tongue in the future and wait until they powerful enough to face such a foe. Ismark apologized for not warning them how dangerous Rahasia was and her reputation for deadly swordsmanship and magic. Father Donavich called upon the Morninglord and cast a healing spell on Bramo to help heal his wounds; giving his blessing that Bramo still lived.

The group escorted Father Donavich back to the church to thank him and say their goodbyes. Standing in the doorway to the church, they heard a terrible scream come from inside, “Father! I’m starving!” Father Donavich tried to keep them out, but Bramo held the door open. Father Donavich insisted the noise was nothing and that it was a private matter.

McCoy pushed past him into the church finding it in near ruin inside. He heard the screams coming from behind a door which a opened. Inside he found the room flooded and moldy from water coming in through holes in the ceiling. In the floor, a heavy wooden trapdoor was held shut by a heavy chain and padlock.

Johan demanded that the priest explain himself. Finally, Father Donavich confessed that the person trapped below the church was his son Doru, who had been transformed over a year ago into a vampire by the Devil Strahd. He has kept his son locked up every since, and he prays day and night to the Morninglord for his son’s salvation.

McCoy spoke with Doru through the door who confirmed the story and begged McCoy to release him and allow him to feed just a little. The hunger was driving him mad, but if he just had a little something to eat he would be okay. McCoy was not swayed and backed away from the locked trapdoor.

The group debated whether or not they should kill Doru and put him to rest. Father Donavich was adamant that they not harm him, insisting that to die in this state would forever damn the boy’s soul. He fervently believed that a cure could be found and that the Morninglord would grant him this miracle if only he was devout enough in his faith. Elora told him that her arcane research said there was no cure for vampirism other than death, but Father Donavich insisted that all things were possible through the Morninglord.

The group decide to leave Doru where he was, unsure if they could kill him or if the possibility still existed to save him. Father Donavich thanked them and wished them well on their journey. Ismark and Ireena said their tearful goodbyes with Ismark hoping he would never see her again because she found a happy life elsewhere. Ireena insisted he was being silly and that she would find a solution and return back to him some day. Ismark handed Johan payment for escorting Ireena, a heavy sack containing 300 gold coins. Johan thanked him, and the group promised to protect Ireena.

The group headed out of the village following the Old Svalich Road. They crossed a stone bridge over the Ivlis River and entered the Svalich Woods. An hour later they reached crossroads. There a wooden gallows creaked in the wind, a frayed rope dangling from the beam above. The group took this as an ill-omen and avoided the gallows and small plot of graves beyond it. Signs at the fork pointed back to the Village of Barovia, northwest down a slanting path towards Tser Pool, and southwest on an upward slope into the mountains towards Vallaki and Castle Ravenloft.

Johan wanted to follow the sign southwest, but Ireena thought they should go northwest instead; she thought it was a shortcut that would allow them to refill their waterskins at the pool. Johan was suspicious of Ireena’s motives, but she relented saying it was only a suggestion. The group eventually decided to follow the advice of the only native to Barovia and head northwest.

The road sloped downwards, eventually disappearing and becoming a muddy trail instead. The trail led down to the water and an encampment of colorful tents and barrel-topped wagons. Around a large bonfire, several brightly clad humans were singing, dancing, playing music, and drinking. The group wondered if these were the Vistani Ismark had warned them about. Ireena said that they were, but that her brother was somewhat closed-minded about the Vistani and they would probably be all right passing by them.

As they walked by, the Vistani called out to the group, welcoming them and asking them to join them. They insisted that they had been keeping a watch out for the group, their seer, Madam Eva having told them they were coming. The group was skeptical, but the Vistana, Luca was able to give a matching description of them and their backgrounds which convinced them. He asked that they share wine and food with them and get know each other.

Luca explained a little bit about the Vistani, their lifestyle, and their hospitality. Everyone was a welcome friend to the Vistani until they proved themselves otherwise. They were travelers from all over who wandered many worlds finding them homes in brief stays, but always being together with family. Bronwyn explained that they were from another world, one very different from Barovia, but Luca said that they too traveled to many worlds in the multiverse. Barovia was an all right place to be if only for the wine. Bronwyn agreed with that and shared some of Luca’s wineskin.

Johan was in a hurry to meet with this Madam Eva and get back on the road, but Luca explained that the Vistani believed in Fate and Destiny. They never hurried or followed schedules because with their fates decided, they were always where they were meant to be when they were meant to be there, including drinking wine with them now. The group didn’t necessarily agree with this philosophy, but they politely indulged in some food and drink with them.

Eventually a shrill voice cried out from a large tent insisting that the group come inside immediately and threatening to curse Luca if he didn’t get them all inside. Luca explained that this was Madam Eva and that they’d better do what she says, escorting them into the tent. Inside, the tent was lit by magical red flames and there was a table covered with a black, velvet cloth. Bent over the table was a withered, elven crone who cackled laughter and insisted that they all sit.

She identified the group by name, including some very specific insights about them, and the woman introduced herself as Madam Eva, a seer and fortune teller gifted with the Sight. The group’s arrival had been foretold in the cards, and she had been anxiously awaiting their arrival. She explained that all of the gods are liars and only Fate is true. Madam Eva described Fate as threads which tie all creatures to one another. These strings layer over top of one another to make up the fabric of our worlds called the Weave. Only those gifted with the Sight are able to perceive the Weave and that she was blessed, or cursed, with that ability.

She explained that the fates of the entire group were all tied together in knots like yarn tangled by a cat. Pulling against these strings only served to tighten them, and these strings had pulled all of them here to Barovia for one reason or another. She told them all that they were trapped in this place now and only the Devil Strahd could release them…or they could kill him. She told them that their intertwined fates all revolved around Strahd in one way or another, each forming the spoke in a wheel where Strahd was the axle. The cards would reveal their fortune, 5 cards for Strahd and 2 cards for each of them. Three of the cards would reveal the locations of important treasures they would need, one would reveal their destined ally, and the last would reveal the place they would confront Strahd.

The first card she drew would tell of ancient knowledge to understand their enemy. She drew the Wizard, a keeper of arcane secrets, they would find the treasure, “in a wizard’s tower on a lake, guided by the wizard’s name and servant.”

The second card would tell of a powerful symbol of hope and good. She drew the Bishop, a holy man of great power and revealed that the treasure lay “in a pile of treasure beyond amber doors.”

The third card would tell them of a weapon of vengeance, a sword of sunlight. She drew the Avenger, a holy warrior dedicated to revenge, they would find the treasure, “in a dragon’s house held in corrupted hands”.

The fourth card would reveal one who would stand with them against darkness. She drew the Raven, a creature gifted with wisdom and sight, their ally would be, “a Vistana child! You must hurry to find her in a lake where her fate hangs in the balance!”

The fifth card would reveal where the creature of darkness would be cornered by them. She drew the Artifact, a magical, religious relic, their foe would be found, “in a sacred place where morning light once shone.”

She then drew two cards for each them, one card for their past and their problems and another for their future and the path they must follow.

For Johan she drew the Merchant and the Broken One. Financial ruin had brought him to his current state and that he may find himself broken inside and out before his quest was completed. He had a dark hole inside of him filled with hatred. He had been wronged and sought to set right that wrong with violence. She warned him against this path, but knew he would not listen. She told him the answers he seeks lay in the West where the Moon sets. There a wolf waits to swallow him whole.

For McCoy she drew the Evoker and the Beast. Telling him that he was a sailor named Sylvester McCoy. He had been to Barovia before and come to a bad end. He was rebuilt by magic into his current form. He would never know peace and the threads of his fate were plagued by storms! He would find the answers to who he was, where he came from, and how he came to be in an underground sea. He was not the only unnatural being in Barovia and that he must travel to the far Western reaches to seek his kin and his sins.

For Bramo she drew the Myrmidon and the Seer. He was like a mercenary fighting only for money and his own personal gain and that his salvation lay in the hands of a seer with much wisdom to share with him, wisdom all of his magic and science could not bring him. All that he had done to control his destiny had been for naught. The darkness within him is a stain he carries in his very blood. The sins of the father punish instead the children. To find the cause of all this and a way to stop it, he must travel to a dark place where he would find the truth buried in amber. But he should be forewarned, for he would pay the price for this knowledge with his own health and sanity!

For Bronwyn she drew the Beggar and the Tempter. She had lost everything she valued from money, to home, to family, and her salvation lay along a dark path that could take even more from her if she was not careful to resist temptation. She was the lady with a secret burden, a curse. She too was blessed with the Sight, but this was not her own gift, she saw through the eyes of another, a dark shadow. She saw through tiger’s eyes burning with a fire beyond her own. But there was a shadow beyond a shadow, a deeper darkness she could not perceive, something that hides beneath the Weave. There were many paths for her, many ties drawing her in. Her only way to be free from her curse was to know it, recognize it, and understand it. Traveling west and south she would find her answers. Also, she saw a thread from her past, thought severed, but remaining stronger than ever. This thread had an unavoidable pull, and she must seek it out and seek to understand it.

For Elora she drew the Torturer and the Innocent. She explained that she was tortured by wounds from her past cutting her like the torturer’s lash and she sought to heal these wounds. The secret is found within her own innocence, an innocence she must maintain to find her salvation! Madam Eva called her by the name Elora, Ireena, and many others, explaining that she, and also Ireena, were the bearers of an old soul reborn, that of Tatyana, the Devil Strahd’s long-lost love. Madam Eva explained that she had died many years ago by plunging to her death from a great height, and ever since Strahd has sought to be reunited with her. This is why he will never allow Elora or Ireena to leave Barovia, he possess them both! She explains that though they are not related by blood, they are sisters of the soul; the same woman trapped and reborn in an endless cycle. Elora sought to escape her fate, but it has drawn her back to the land of her birth. She must travel West and find a girl with the Sight who will lead her to her past. To escape from this trap, she must find answers within the temple of knowledge she came here to find, and that it lies somewhere in the southern peaks.

Finally, for Riley she drew the Soldier and the Darklord. Her past as a soldier, all the fighting and solving her problems through violence, had caught up with her and left her cursed. Her salvation lies down a dark path, and that only a being a great evil can help her. She reveals that Riley’s life has been a lie. Everything she was told about it false. She, like her parents before her, is a Vistana! She was born here in Barovia separated from her tribe and mourned as dead, now welcomed home. Her hair, eyes, and skin tone match those of the Vistani in the camp outside. Her parents traveled between the worlds and their real names were Nicolae Casamirovich and Gildi Lutherumov and Riley’s true name was Rahela Nicolov! The false names Riley knew were pseudonyms used to put outsiders at ease when dealing with them.

The tattoo on Riley marks her as a despised outcast among the Vistani, a mark reserved for only the most heinous and irredeemable crimes. Madam Eva knows that she is innocent of any such crime, but someone who knows her true past has cursed her with this mark and cut her off from her true heritage. Madam Eva cannot remove this mark, saying only that it requires great magic to remove. She might try the holy man who dwells in the western mountains or perhaps the Mad Mage who haunts the woods of Barotok Mountain. She also reluctantly adds that the Devil Strahd may be able to help her, but he would never do such a thing.

After pronouncing their fates, she tells them to depart and pursue their destinies, but to heed her advice lest they fall to ruin. The group departed feeling somewhat crestfallen by these revelations. Elora and Ireena felt closer than ever. Elora was confused by all she had learned, but Ireena was grateful to learn that she now had a sister. The two promised to work together to discover the truth and protect one another. Elora would use her magic and Ireena her sword in service of the other. Johan felt invigorated by the knowledge he received and was anxious to get back on the road.

They traveled west along a muddy path following the riverbank which eventually led them back to the road. They crossed over another bridge north over the Ivlis River and observed a beautiful waterfall, Tser Falls, which plunged into a great pool at the base of a canyon. Following the winding road steadily north, they reached another crossroads. The eastern branch led along a cobblestone road and there waited an elegant black carriage drawn by two black horses. Ireena identified it as the carriage Rahasia had described. As she stared at it, the doors of the carriage swung silently open for her. Elora steadied her as a shiver ran up Ireena’s spine, and they turned away to the western road.

Traveling along this road, they came to another set of massive stone gates with headless, stone guardians on either side, nearly identical to the gates they passed through to enter Barovia. Again, the giant doors opened at their approach, groaning loudly as they did so and then closing behind them as they passed. They walked for some time through the woods, wary for any dangers around them. As they reached narrow pass between two hills, they spotted danger; a large pack of wolves!

Ten wolves lead by two dire wolves flanked them from the hills and blocked the path between. Riley sprang into action charging in the group of wolves ahead of them. Ireena drew her sword and stood at Elora’s side to protect her. McCoy split off up one slope and Johan split off up the other to engage the dire wolves there. Bramo and Bronwyn backed up the slope to launch spells at the wolves from a distance while Elora fired off scorching blasts of fire at the wolves clustered around Johan. Lancelot rushed to Riley’s side trying to intimidate the wolves with his furious barking.

Johan was quickly overwhelmed by the wolves and brought down by them. Ireena rushed to aid him and was tore down by the wolves. Riley kept her wolves at bay using expert battle techniques and parries keeping their vicious fangs from sinking into her. McCoy when into a frenzied rage facing off against a dire wolf and small pack by himself. The spellcasters focused their magic on the pack around Johan and Ireena while Bramo rushed in to heal the downed Ireena. Bramo’s medical skills were not enough to save Ireena, but Lancelot helped to keep the wolves from finishing her off.

Bramo was able to heal Johan and awaken him, allowing him to in turn heal Ireena with his divine touch. Back on their feet, they regrouped and turned the tide against the wolves. A dire wolf closed in on Bronwyn and bit her, but she retaliated furious hellfire that incinerated the wolf. They quickly finished off the balance of the wolves, gasping, wounded, and out of breath. They took a few minutes to bandage their wounds using their healing kits and head warily back on the road to Vallaki.

The group and Lancelot returned to the basement beneath the Durst House to find out what was going on there and to find a way out. They entered a room they’d neglected earlier finding a large, wooden bed with a feather mattress, a wardrobe, a crate of supplies, a footlocker trunk, and a body hanging from the ceiling. The body was the long-dead corpse of a man dressed in black robes covered in arcane symbols. He hung from a noose attached to the ceiling and had a suicide note in his pocket. The note expressed Gustav’s regrets to his children over the actions he had taken and the evil which had corrupting him and his wife Elisabeth. He took his own life, abandoning his family, seeing that as the only solution to his predicament.

The group was disdainful of his actions and his reasoning as they discussed the contents of the letter. As they searched through the room, Lancelot scratched and whined at one of the walls. A portrait of Elisabeth Durst hung on the earthen wall, and Riley could see that the earth here was thin and loose. She dug through the wall uncovering a small cavity beyond which contained Elisabeth Durst!

Now twisted into some inhuman creature with an impossibly long tongue and dressed in the same black, arcane robes, Elisabeth greeted the party and welcomed them to her home. Since they had all donned the black cloaks from the cloakroom above, she mistook them for initiates into whatever cult she was a part of. Bramo questioned her about the Mists surrounding the house and whether they were normal or not. Elisabeth explained that the Mists would ebb and flow and locals would take shelter during times when they filled the streets lest they choke and gag on them. She mentioned taking in travelers off the streets during such times and bringing them down into her lair. She praised the location of her home outside of town away from the common people and along a road with a steady stream of passersby. She also mentioned a master controlling the mists.

Before Bramo could ask her about this master, Johan was overcome with disgust for the abomination before him and struck down with greatsword with furious vengeance! This prompted Lancelot to attack, and he gave a string of vicious barks which frightened Elisabeth and kept her at bay. The rest of the group quickly joined the attack and Riley finished her off with her silver shortsword.

Bramo was disappointed that he didn’t get to finish questioning Elisabeth, but Johan told him she was an evil monster, and he had sworn an oath of vengeance against her for the evil she had done to the Durst children. Bronwyn warned him that this might not be the last evil creature they come across, and he couldn’t deal with them all so hastily.

Searching Elisabeth’s body yielded no new information, but the footlocker contained several useful items: a magical cloak, several healing potions, thieves’ tools, a lantern, alchemist’s fire, which Riley nearly drank, and a yellow, leather spellbook which Elora eagerly claimed. The crate in the room also held some torches and candles which the group divided among them. The group reluctantly decided to bring the bodies of Gustav and Elisabeth to their tombs and lay them to rest, if only to spare any future travelers from their evil. Johan gave spirited prayer over their bodies denouncing their evil ways and Bramo wished for them to find justice in the afterlife.

The only unexplored portion of the basement led down a dark tunnel to a set of stairs descending deeper into the earth. The sound of chanting became louder now as the group entered a macabre reliquary with shelves lined with the cults “treasures.” These treasures included a severed finger, mummified hand, and the shrunken head of a halfling. Disgusted by these objects, no one in the group to look closely at them or even go near them. Finally, the chanting grew clear enough for the group to make out the words, “He is the Land. He is Ancient. He is the Land. He is Ancient.”

The group moved on from that room discovering a large prison lined with shackles. Johan questioned how many victims this place must have once held and how many people had been killed here. Catching a glint of gold, the group investigated a skeleton held towards the back of the room. It was human in appearance and dressed in the black, arcane robes they had seen on Gustav and Elisabeth. It was held in chains and also wore a plain gold ring on its finger like the ones they’d found in the jewelry box upstairs. The group wondered if the rings held some significance to the cult, but took the ring for its value in gold.

While exploring the prison, Bronwyn and McCoy discovered a secret door leading out of it. The door led into a massive, domed room. A ledge ran around the room and beneath it a 2 foot deep pool of dark water with dais rising out of the center of it. A lowered portcullis controlled by a large crank led out of the room and the opposite wall was collapsed into a small alcove filled with bones and detritus. Atop the dais in the center of the room was a bloody altar carved with arcane symbols. Elora immediately headed over to investigate it with Johan struggling to keep up with and protect her. The rest of the group reluctantly joined them there.

The chanting, which had fallen silent upon their entrance, resumed. Thirteen shadowy figures in black robes with voids for faces appeared on the ledge surrounding them. Now the chant was loud and clear, “One must die! One must die! ONE MUST DIE!”

The implication was clear that these spirits expected a sacrifice on their altar. The group briefly looked towards Lancelot, but Riley and Bronwyn would not allow them to consider it. Instead, the group attacked with McCoy launching a javelin at the nearest figure. The figures seemed to be made of shadows, only partially corporeal, but were not especially hardy. As the group engaged them in combat, something rose up out of the alcove. A shambling mass constructed of discarded bone, flesh, and ligaments assembled itself and lumbered across the water towards the dais. The faint cries of an infant could be heard somewhere within it.

The shadowy cultists closed in around the exits of the room seeking to trap the group within. Riley and Lancelot fought their way forward trying to reach the controls for the portcullis while Bramo, Bronwyn, and Elora used their magic to attack the spirits near the secret door. McCoy face off against the fleshy mound which engulfed him! From within the mass of writhing flesh, he saw at the heart of the creature the body of a wailing infant fused to the flesh around it. As the flesh all around him tried to crush him, McCoy struggled to get his hands around the infant Walter and tear it from the mass.

Riley was being overwhelmed on all sides by the shadowy cultists who pressed in to kill her with their withering grasps. Before they could strike the death blow, Lancelot leapt in front of her, protecting her from harm. The reprieve allowed Riley to rally and Johan joined her to repel the shadows. Elora used her mastery of magical research to twist her ice spell into a spell of force which obliterated the shadows near the secret door. Then the spellcasters focused their magical attacks on the flesh mound which contained McCoy. Johan, having helped Riley overcome the shadows, rushed to McCoy’s aid. He hesitated, unsure if his strikes would damage the mechanical man within, but seeing no other option to aid him, pressed on with his attack.

The group rained blows and magic on the powerful creature, but it showed no signs of weakening. Within the mound, McCoy’s hands found purchase around the infant Walter, and he mercifully silenced it. With the infant’s death, the entire mound fell apart in a puddle of bone of flesh around McCoy, and the remaining cultist vanished. Their victory was short-lived as the very house itself revolted in anger, shaking all around them. Before the collapsing ceiling could bury them, the group rushed out back to the ladder and up to the first floor.

They found the house above transformed into a nightmare. All of the windows were bricked over, all of the doors replaced by deadly, scything blades, and stoves and fireplaces all belched out noxious fumes! Elora gagged and choked on the fumes while McCoy tried to break through the bricked over window. He managed to make a small hole in it, but knew he wouldn’t have enough time before his companions succumbed to the fumes. Johan studied the timing of the scything blades, thinking he had mastered it, and leapt through to the other side. His timing was off, and he was cut badly by them. The others, seeing no other choice, followed suit with Bramo and McCoy also being injured by the blades.

The room ahead of them was also filled with noxious fumes and scything blades covered all exits. Knowing they could not survive the blades again, they made a desperate plan to head to the upper floors! Reaching the second floor, they found the situation the same; choking gas and deadly blades. They head up further. Again, the third floor held the same, but they noticed the secret doors leading to the attic stairs were not covered in blades. They quickly followed them up to the attic!

There McCoy was able to take his time and break through one of the bricked up windows. The attic landing held no poisonous gas, and the group was able to take a brief respite. After breaking through the bricks, they secured a rope to the window frame using and iron spike and lowered themselves to the third floor balcony. Checking the mists surrounding the house, they noticed it was thinning and decided to risk an escape. Wrapping the rope around the balcony to secure it, they lowered themselves down to the ground below escaping the Durst House.

The group took a few moments to heal and bandage their wounds before heading back on the road to find somewhere they could finally rest. After 30 minutes of walking, they reached a village, with the looming shapes of buildings emerging from the fog all around them. The town was eerily quiet with no sign of life around them. Searching through the fog, Riley spotted some figures moving around through the fog…moving unnaturally; shambling like the walking dead.

Preparing to flee the scene, they spotted an old woman who cried out for help. The woman was pushing a small cart and slowly being surrounded by zombies. The group rushed in to help her. They fought their way through a small group of zombies with McCoy severing the head of one of them. To his surprise, the zombie’s body and head continued to attack them! Lancelot chewed on the head on the ground while the body engaged McCoy and Riley in combat.

While the group fought through the zombies, the old woman was surrounded by them. She struggled in their grasp to hold them off as they clawed and tore at her clothes. She cried out for help over and over, but the group could not reach her! Finally, making an opening, they closed in to attack the zombies surrounding her. Limbs flew off of the zombies and continued to attack the group, but eventually they killed them.

Coming over to check on the woman who identified herself as Granny, she told them she was all right and hadn’t been hurt badly. She went over to her cart and ate a pie there, starting to feel better instantly. She waved the group over telling them she had something for them. She offered the group pies of various kinds, meat, fruit, and vegetable. Lancelot was especially interested in the pies, but Riley requested it not contain anything toxic to the dog. Granny assured her that the meat pie would be fine. Bramo asked what kind of meat was in the pies, and Granny explained it was likely a mix of different kinds of animal meat, but that most of the meat she used came from wolves which are abundant in the area.

The group all came over and ate various pies which healed their wounds and restored their vitality in addition to being delicious. Granny explained that the pies had another property as well, they were Dream Pastries which would give the group delightful dreams of their fondest wishes. She told them that she was a baker by trade, selling the pies to people of Barovia to help ease their suffering and to make a profit for herself. She gave them all additional pies to take with them, but advised them to wait until the next day to eat them lest the pies put them to sleep.

The group asked Granny some questions about Barovia learning they were in Village of Barovia in the valley of Barovia. They learned that the land was ruled by the handsome, young lord, Strahd von Zarovich, and that he was a fair, if sometimes strict ruler. He was known to treat well those who served his interests and deal harshly with those who opposed him. They also learned the current year was 735 by the Barovian calendar and that the Zarovich family had ruled the valley for the past 735 years since conquering it from the original inhabitants.

Granny mentioned that they Barovia occasionally received visitors from other worlds brought through the Mists, and that when this happened it always in the Mists rising around Barovia and causing the dead to rise from their graves. The group realized that their coming to Barovia had cause the zombie outbreak, but Granny assured them they should not feel guilty about it as they didn’t know any better.

Granny told the group that if they enjoyed the Dream Pastries that she hoped they would come and buy more of them from her. She was selling them for the very reasonable price of 1 gp each, which the party agreed was a very reasonable price. She told them she could be found around town of they could visit her and her daughters at a windmill about a day’s walk west along the road near a town called Vallaki. The mention of the windmill caught the group’s interest and Bramo inquired about her family owning the property. This line of questioning upset Granny and she became angry with them insisting that she and her family owned the windmill and any information to contrary was nonsense. The group backed off of this line of questioning and asked about the town instead.

Granny told them they could find any supplies they might need at a local shop called Bildrath’s Mercantile, but warned them that his prices were very high. Their only other option was a shop in Vallaki called Arasek’s Stockyard, but that was some distance away. She also told them they could find food, drinks, and lodging across the street from Bildrath’s at the tavern.

Asking a little bit about Granny herself, they learned that her real name was Morgantha, but that she preferred to go by Granny. They also learned that her mother had been killed by a witch and that they should be careful around here because there were evil witches here in Barovia. Granny had no family name to give them, being of low birth, and having never known her father.

Granny thanked them again for saving her life and bid her goodbyes, hoping to see them all again soon to do business with them. Then she resumed roaming the fog and zombie filled streets loudly hawking her pies. The group tried to warn her against doing this, but she was out of earshot.

The group decided to head to Bildrath’s Mercantile. They found him to be shrewd man who charged an enormous markup on his goods, but who fairly appraised the jewelry they presented him as trade. They learned that he had sources for outside goods, and that this was a rare thing. Bildrath talked to them a little about the town and how there were no magic shops or wizards around. He mentioned a wizard who had led a revolt against the lord a year ago and come to a bad end. He also mentioned that the group would soon see what became of those that had followed the wizard as well.

After placing a custom order with him, the group inquired if they could work off some of the price and possibly do some chores or deliveries for him in return. Bildrath declined explaining that he had his nephew Parriwimple to help with all of that. He brought the boy out to introduce to them revealing him as a hulk of man who was friendly but simple. They invited Parriwimple to drink with them, but Bildrath would not allow it. When they offered to include Bildrath in the free drinks, he said he would stop by the tavern with the boy sometime if they were in town for a while.

Heading over to the tavern, they found it was ominously called Blood on the Vine. The entered to find it somewhat rundown inside an empty, but with a warm, inviting fire. The only people inside were 3 colorfully dressed, young women, an older bartender with a vacant stare, and a handsome, young man drinking by himself. Johan went over to introduce himself to the man who told them he was Ismark Kolyanovich, son of the late magistrate. He asked them to come and join him for wine which he would happily buy for them.

The bartender delivered the wine without a word, moving as if in a trance the entire time. The group introduced themselves to Ismark, but he could not stop staring at Elora. He seemed to recognize her and rubbed his eyes several times looking her over. He concluded that he must be drunker than he thought and apologized for staring at her. He started telling the group about his troubles, how he didn’t know what he was going to do with the town, how he was going to help his sister in their besieged home, and how he would bury his father who had died 3 days earlier. He loudly complained so that the locals could here him, that no one had lifted a finger to help him bury his father despite all the good work the man had done for the village.

The group immediately volunteered to help Ismark bury his father, having just that morning buried several people at the Durst House. Ismark was overjoyed and invited them all back to his home with him. He quickly poured more wine for everyone to drink quickly so they could be on their way. The group assured him he could bring the wine with him in the bottle, but he insisted on finishing it.

Ismark led them back to his home, the magistrate’s manor, heedless of any dangers lurking in the fog-covered streets. When they arrived, the group saw signs all around the manor that it had been attacked by men and beasts, particularly wolves. Johan found the mixed human and wolf tracks to be very telling. As they tried to enter the house, they heard a woman shouting threats at them from inside thinking monsters of some kind. Ismark called inside and identified himself, telling the person inside that he had brought friends to help them. After some loud shuffling and dragging from inside, the door was opened, and a woman ushered them all in quickly.

Ismark and the woman barricaded the door, and then he introduced the woman as his sister Ireen Kolyana. The group was shocked to discover that other than her vibrant, red hair, Ireena looked almost identical to Elora! Ireena and Elora spoke over each other in shock and bewilderment as they examined each other. Neither could explain what was going or the mystery of the relationship between them.

Finding themselves trapped inside of the Durst House, the victims of some sort of ghost ruse, the group decided to explore their surroundings and find a way out. They climbed the red, marble staircase back to the third floor to begin their search from the top down.

The group entered the master bedroom Bramo had only briefly explored when exiting the dumbwaiter. As she passed through the threshold, Bronwyn laid eyes on a rotting, tiger skin rug. A shiver ran up her spine. She felt dizzy and nauseous and began shaking, unable to enter the room. Elora steadied her and walked her back out to the hall to make sure she was all right. There Bronwyn was able to collect herself and calm down. Elora remained with her while the rest of the group explored the room.

The group found a neglected bedroom curiously absent of any clothing whatsoever. The size of the room and the prominent portrait over the mantle implied that the room belong to the Durst parents. A small balcony overlooked the rear of the house. McCoy and Bramo investigated it. All around the house was a thick, impenetrable mist, much like the mist which had brought them to Barovia. Bramo experimentally tossed a pebble into the mist. It disappeared, and he could draw no conclusions.

Inside, Johan investigated a woman’s vanity and discovered a jewelry box. He brought this out for Elora and Bronwyn to examine. The box was fine silver inlayed with gold. It contained 3 gold rings and a thin platinum necklace set with a topaz pendant. They did not think the items were magic, but were unsure whether to take the items or leave them behind. Johan was concerned they might “manifest spirits” or some other evil. Johan elected to carry the box with him, but they would return it before exiting the home.

Moving on, the group discovered a bathroom with a dripping spigot completely overgrown with fungus and mold, but the spigot appeared to be dry. They also discovered a broom closet with some cleaning supplies. Entering the closet, they explored its depths, turned their back on the broom, and departed.

They returned to the front bedroom where they’d encountered and fought the ghost of Margaret. They searched through the room finding her clothes in the wardrobe and making note of the front balcony. While searching through the wardrobe, Elora noticed something odd about the mirror on the wall. Looking closer, she discovered a secret passage behind the mirror which led to a hidden staircase. The group entered and headed up to the attic.

There they found a cobwebbed strewn landing with multiple doors leading off from it. One door ahead of them had a padlock on the outside of it. They determined to enter the door. Not having the key, McCoy burst through the door with his prodigious strength!

Inside, they discovered a stomach dropping sight, two small beds, sized for children, a small toy box, a dollhouse resembling the Durst House, and in the center of the room, two small skeletons in tattered clothes curled up together. The smaller skeleton clutched a familiar stuffed bear. The group was overcome by sadness at the sight, but McCoy and Johan continued to investigate with Riley while the others remained in the hall. Bronwyn consoled Elora who felt nothing but sympathy for the poor children.

As the others touched the bones, suddenly two spectral children appeared looking like ghostly versions of the children Rose and Thorn they’d met outside. The children seemed not to know them and asked if they had come to play with them. They were both lonely, having been trapped in the room for a long time and very hungry. The group concluded that the Rose and Thorn they’d met outside were not the real spirits of the children and had merely been used to lure them inside.

McCoy sat down to play with the children to make them happy. His giant, mechanical hands were ill-suited to the delicate toys and he broke one of them, upsetting Thorn. Calling on Elora for assistance, she was able to mend the toy with some needle and thread and appease the children.

They questioned the children’s ghosts and received a story similar to the on they’d heard earlier: they had been locked in this room and left to starve by their parents, there was a monster in the basement they were locked away from, they did have a brother, Walter, but they had not seen him in a long time. It was also hinted to them that Walter was in fact Margaret’s child, their mother never caring for the baby and being angry with Margaret after she “got fat.”

They learned from the children that the only way into the basement was through a secret staircase in the attic. The children pointed this out to them in the dollhouse which was a perfect replica of the house including a number of secret rooms and passages. The group took note of these, particularly a secret room off of the library.

As the group tried to leave, the children became panicked. They did not want to be abandoned again and begged the group to take them with them. They agreed to take their bones and lay them to rest, but the children wanted more. Thorn embraced Elora and she allowed him to enter her body; possessing her. Elora began to exhibit Thorn’s personality traits, acting fearfully and overly emotional. Rose attempted to possess Johan, but he repelled her. After their urgent pleading that it was their only way to leave the room, and sensing no ill intent, Johan relented and allowed Rose to possess him. He too acted strangely, not wanting to be told what to do and wanting to prove how mature and capable he was.

The group explored the rest of the attic level finding two spare bedrooms. The children told them no one else had lived in the house, but Johan was suspicious there might be other siblings or unknown persons the children had no knowledge of. He was also formulating a theory about this unusual family, a theory about a curse in this family…the curse of lycanthropy!

They found a storage room in the attic with furniture and mannequins covered in sheets. Near an iron stove, they found a sheet-covered chest, partially open, with dark, red stains beneath it. McCoy approached the chest and opened it. Inside was a woman’s body wrapped in bloody sheets. Johan examined the body and determined it had died of multiple stab wounds. The body type also matched that of the ghost Margaret, and they concluded this was her body. McCoy decided to carry the bundle with him so that they could also put her to rest. The group searched the wall indicated in the dollhouse and discovered a secret passage leading to a stone staircase spiraling ominously downwards. They descended.

At the bottom of the stairs they discovered tunnels carved out of earth, clay, and rock. The tunnels were tight and dark, twisting through the earth supported by wooden timbers. McCoy lit a torch and placed in a sconce mounted to the church door he wields as a shield. Riley also carried a torch with her towards the center of the group.

The flickering torchlight led them through dark, oppressive tunnels. All around them they heard faint, indecipherable chanting from many voices. Sometimes the chanting became louder and sometimes quieter. The group determined to stay on their guard.

They wrapped around a corner and descended into a larger room set with a small table and four chairs. Set in alcoves around the room were straw sleeping pallets. Johan determined that someone was house here, some dark rites were being performed here. Traveling onwards they found another large room with a well at the center of it. Five rooms branched off of this one. Riley went to investigate the nearest. It was a bedroom, and it contained a terrible, flesh-eating monster!

The creature was man-shaped in a degenerate form, barely clothed and with vicious, black claws on hands and feet. Its dull eyes stared at Riley, glowing faintly in the darkness, and it slavered on a piece a human flesh it quickly discarded and lunged towards her! Riley tried to cut it down with her sword and landed a heavy blow on it! The creature retaliated with is vicious claws cutting her down!

McCoy rushed into the room to support her as more of the ghoulish creatures appeared from the other rooms and crawling up from the well! Johan rushed into the battle against the foes eagerly! He swung his greatsword with reckless abandon at the creatures landing a hit as often as he missed. Riley recovered in the bedroom and finished off the ghoul with help from McCoy. Bramo and Elora unleashed bolts of magical fire at the monster while Bronwyn let loose crackling, eldritch energy.

Working together, they defeated the monsters and were able to search through the five bedrooms. Each contained a bed and a locked chest. Bramo was able to pick the lock on the first chest, but McCoy was forced to smash open the others. The group found some odd treasures within these chests, some coins, gems, and jewelry including a jeweled eyepatch claimed by Johan to replace his own plain one, and a silvered shortsword claimed by Riley.

The group explored onwards discovering a macabre dining room littered with human bones. Heading back in a loop, they discovered the Durst family crypts. Offshoots of the hallway split into three pairs of crypt sealed by heavy, stone slabs. The first pair were inscribed with names of Rose and Thorn. Johan entered Rose’s crypt and laid her bones into an empty coffin there. He spoke a prayer over her remains and swore vengeance against those who had harmed her. Rose passed out of Johan’s body, smiled and waved goodbye and she lay in her coffin and disappeared at rest.

Elora and Johan entered Thorn’s tomb to do the same. Thorn was scared to move on unsure of what would happen, where he would go, or if he would be alone. Elora reassured the boy that he was going to a safe place and that his sister would be waiting for him. He passed out of her, turning back nervously, but she urged him forward. He leapt into his coffin and disappeared. Johan said a prayer over his body and again swore vengeance for the boy.

Having set the children’s spirits to rest, the group felt inspired and invigorated to go on. They located another pair of tombs inscribed with the names Gustav and Elisabeth Durst. Cursing the man’s name, they entered Gustav’s tomb to find it empty. Departing, Johan entered Elisabeth’s tomb. When he opened it, a deadly swarm of centipedes burst out of it! The creatures wriggled over him in a mass on squirming legs, but his companions closed in to kill them with sword and spell before they could harm him.

Heading to the last pair of tombs, they found one inscribed with Walter’s name, but containing no coffin. They found the other tomb blank and empty and decided to lay Margaret’s remains to rest here. Johan said a prayer over her and swore an oath of vengeance for her. Bronwyn insisted that they somehow mark her resting place and not leave her here buried with no name. Elora used her magic quill to write Margaret’s name on the stone slab and McCoy and Johan placed the slab in place.

They returned to the dining room and investigated a pantry that led off of it. Bramo rushed in to check the pantry for secret passages and was ambushed by an undulating, fleshy creature! An oozing grave worm emerged from the walls and wrapped it’s tentacles around him. It drew him in close to its maw and sunk and needle teeth into him! Bramo was overcome by the creature and was nearly killed by its attack. His companions quickly closed in to kill the creature allowing him to flee to safety. Johan used a prayer and summoned his healing magic to mend Bramo’s wounds and allow him to continue.

Back in the tunnels, they made their way into a large room containing a wooden statue of a pale, gaunt-faced man in a dark cloak. One hand rested on a wolf statue, and the other gripped a crystal orb of some kind. All around the room skeletons hung from the walls by rusty chains. The sounds of chanting grew louder beyond the room.

The group examined the orb and statue fearing they were magic, but also suspecting they might be a clue to their escape. The orb appeared to be ordinary to them, but Elora determined some sort of ward lay on this object which would alert…something of their presence. While the group was engaged, Bronwyn looked around the room; her demonic sight allowing her to see things ordinary mortals could not perceive. She located a concealed door along one wall and notified the group.

Passing through the door, they located stairs leading up to a ladder. McCoy climbed the ladder to a trapdoor which led him back to the first floor of the house. He discovered a den of some kind filled with stuffed wolves and a mounted stag’s head on the wall. Tables inside held goblets, wine, and a pip rack. Noting it as a potential exit, he descended back to the group to carry on their search.

Exiting through the large room, they found a room with a small table and chairs. A chandelier was set above the table and two, iron candlesticks stood in the corners. They passed through the room into more narrow tunnels. As they made their way down the tunnel, the ground suddenly split open all around them and they were surrounded by ghoulish undead clawing their up to the surface!

McCoy and Johan held the front rank while Riley dropped back to defend the rear. Bramo and Bronwyn huddled at the center of the group firing off spells behind the melee fighters. Elora was stuck in the rear with Riley employing frost magic to freeze the ghouls! Keeping calm and protecting each other, they repelled the ghouls suffering only minor injuries.

Exhausted by their battles, the group decided they needed to rest and recuperate. They searched for a safe place to rest with Johan suggesting they rest their in the tunnel as a defensible position. The rest of the group was uncomfortable with that suggestion and the group instead choice to ascend the ladder and return to the first floor. They were nervous about resting in the wolf den and instead lay wearily in the foyer of the house planning their next move.

After resting and patching their wounds, the group decided to finish exploring the house rather than return to the tunnels below. They searched through a closet on the first floor locating black cloaks within. They recalled the children telling them about their parents black robes with strange symbols on them, but there cloaks were plain.

On the second floor they discovered the library. They claimed a few mundane supplies from a writing desk there and then recalled the secret room hidden nearby. Riley located the secret door behind a bookcase. One of the books had no title on its spine and when pulled allowed the bookcase to rotate revealing a secret room. Inside the cramped room was another small bookcase filled with esoteric texts depicting the demonic and necromantic rituals of the Priests of Osybius. Elora examined these books and quickly determined they were hokum and discarded them in disgust.

Also contained within the room was a skeleton hunched over a chest. Bramo used his wand of secrets to determine that the chest was trapped and examined it carefully. He discovered the chest was armed with poisonous darts all of which had emptied themselves into what appeared to be a hapless adventurer. Pushing his corpse to the side, they discovered three blank leather books, three scrolls, and several important papers.

The papers included the deed to the house, the deed to a windmill somewhere outside a place called Vallaki, the Durst will, and a strange letter from a Lord Strahd von Zarovich. The letter seemed to denounce the Dursts for their vile acts including sacrifices at a hidden altar and infidelity which resulted in a bastard child.

Deciding to store these papers in the jewelry box, Elora discovered a secret compartment in the box which contained another letter! This letter was written by Mrs. Durst and apparently never sent. it detailed a ceremony and the sacrifice of an “unwanted innocent.” The group grimly deduced that Mrs. Durst may have sacrificed the bastard child Walter.

Exploring the rest of the second floor, they found servants quarters with no sign of who they might of been or when they had departed the

Exploring the rest of the second floor, they found servants quarters with no sign of who they might of been or when they had departed the Dursts’ service. Clean uniforms hung neatly in a closet there. They also discovered a conservatory which held comfortable chairs for an audience, a harp, and a harpsichord.

Bronwyn noticed something golden beneath the harpsichord with a black ball at the end of it. She crouched beneath the harpsichord and was promptly attacked! A soft, pink tongue licked at her face nose! Wriggling out from beneath the harpsichord was a golden dog with floppy ears and a black nose. The friendly pup gratefully received head scratches and pats from Bronwyn as he sniffed curiously at her. The dog appeared hungry and Riley gave him some of her rations, earning his undying love. Bronwyn noticed he had a collar around his neck with a metal medallion on it. Inscribed on the medallion was the name Lancelot.

The group was somewhat nervous to trust the dog after all they had seen, but he appeared to be a living creature and friendly. They recalled the children mentioning something else was alive in the house and that this might of been what they meant. The children never mentioned having a dog, so the group was left to wonder where this dog came from. The dog was very hungry, but didn’t seem malnourished, so they concluded he may have been trapped in the house as they were.

Testing a theory, Bramo asked Bronwyn to play the chant they’d heard in the tunnels below on the harpsichord while he gave a vocal accompaniment. They performed the chant expertly, much to the chagrin of Lancelot and Riley, but yielded no other effect. Debating where to leave Lancelot, he stayed devoutly at Riley’s side. Riley looked helplessly to McCoy who shook his head and told her gravelly, “Oh, no, you have a dog now.”

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!

Hello, internet! I sort of threw this thing together last minute as somewhere to capture the recaps from our Curse of Ravenloft campaign. Let’s hope this works as planned!

So, what is this Curse of Ravenloft? It’s our newly started Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition Halloween campaign! Over the next 6 weeks or so, my party and I will be running through a heavily-modified version of the Curse of Strahd adventure in celebration of spooky season now through about mid-November. We’ll be playing roughly 4 hour sessions twice a week on Monday and Saturday nights 8pm – 12am EST, and I’ll be writing up the recaps hopefully the next day.

I got the idea after listening to an amazing Curse of Strahd recap series that I really enjoyed, and I thought, “I wanna do that! But different!” I had the totally original idea to heavily customize the adventure instead of running RAW. Turns out that’s what literally everyone else does too. Oh, well! At least it means what we’re doing will be both familiar and have its own twists! I hope it’s enjoyable to read.

I would love to shout out all the sources and inspirations I’ve used, but as this is an ongoing campaign, I don’t want to tempt my players with any spoilers. Maybe when the campaign is all said and done I’ll put together a master post of those links. I will say that Curse of Strahd is the primary source, but I’ve also drawn on all the previous versions of Ravenloft as well the numerous Curse of Strahd homebrew resources and some other really out there stuff I’ve somehow crammed into this campaign.

Because of all the modifications and the emphasis of Ravenloft itself as the source of true evil, I’ve elected to call our campaign the Curse of Ravenloft rather than the Curse of Strahd. I hope you’ll all come to understand why.