Morning, Ulanra 13th
Morning Truths
Glum Departure
Kalinda's Chapel
The Ruse
Some Hurts
Cold Shoulder
Lightbringers
An Unlikely Trio
News of Efflam!
Giers' Preparations
Dame Ashlyn
An Impossible Ally
Blood o' the Vine
Epilogue
Paranoia and Cake
Experience: 333 xp (22, 415 total)
Honesty is the Best Policy, 500
Find Giers, 500
Lightbringers' Blessings, 500
New Friend, 500
Money: - 20 gp (Diana, for Saturnalia), - 6 gp (Relic, Saturnalia + Rooms), -2 gp (Kaylan, Rooms), -50 gp (Thamior, for Kaylan's 5 Morning Potions)
*note: I need someone to claim Ignac's lantern and list it in his or her inventory.
New NPCs:
Dame Ashlyn, a tall, lanky paladin with a blond, pixie hairdo; carries a sword and shield; a member of the Lightbringers and a devotee of Sir Konrad; despises Mara; befriended by Diana
Priestess Gertruda, a young, short, broad-hipped woman with soft features and a gentle voice; priestess of Kalinda's Chapel in Barovia; was kidnapped by monsters and taken to the castle during the days of Strahd, yet showed no sign of bite marks; her mother is partly mad because of it
Wounded Lightbringers, warriors come to Kalinda's Chapel to pray for healing and good fortune; Kaylan answered their prayers with her restorative powers, but there seems a steady stream of new wounded (due to the Lightbringers' campaign against the Dark)
Mad Mary, an gray-haired spinster with a frazzled look, wearing the full white gown of a ward of the church, mud-stained; carries water to the wounded; Gertruda's mother and half mad from grief of losing her daughter to Strahd some years prior, despite the fact she was rescued by the Count's destroyers; Begged Thamior to save Gertruda as she fed him water
Sir Konrad, a late-thirty-something paladin wearing a red beard shocked with white, who remains constantly dressed in plate and ready for battle; leader of the Barovian Lightbringers; Bold, yet tempered by wisdom; has aligned with Mara, drawing suspicion from some, though his reason is one of perceived necessity; friend to Sir Efflam
Mara, one of the most beautiful creatures yet encountered, this blond, large-breasted, perfect-looking "bimbo" is openly a witch and wears the stereotypical trappings with pride; known to certain people as a literal devil besides; aided in Strahd's destruction and since has helped the Lightbringers; provided a map to the two known fanes and a possible lead toward a third; despised by, among others, Ashlyn
Sir Efflam (mentioned), a young knight of the Order of Morning Thaw, the Kalindian paladins of Atha, apparently come to Barovia as a missionary and aid to the Lightbringers; Selja and Portia's half-brother on their mother's side; currently stuck in the Temple of the Wheel, on the highest peak of the Balinok Mountains, as big snows have clogged the mountain path since the sunsword's disappearance; currently heads an investigation to recover the sunsword with an unnamed young hopeful
Oak (mentioned), an rude, unpleasant gnome and primal herbalist whom Mara suggested knew the location of the Forest Fane; his last known whereabouts were behind the Tser Falls collecting fungi samples; the group was/is convinced they've killed the little man; Mara informed them with quite a bit of laughter that Oak is more than capable of surviving high falls as proven during Strahd's defeat; something about him being able to turn into petrified wood and stone; current whereabouts unknown
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Session 52: Vigilance
Morning, Ulanra 12th - Afternoon, Ulanra 12th
No Eggs
The Sisters' Fortunes
Goodbye, Vistani
The Watchman
Entering Barovia
To Wait
- Giers
- The Devil's Daughter
- Lightbringers
- The Story of Gaelus
Kolyana Manor
A Cold, Thin Stew
Three Welcomes
Did You Say Ignac?
Nicest Lodgings in Town
I Release You
Return to Kolyana Manor
Epilogue
Saturnalia Party
Experience: 583 xp each (22,082 total)
Village Bridge, 500 xp
End of the Watch, 3000 xp
Magic: Ignac's Ghost Lantern
Money: -12 gp (Selja), - 12 gp (Thamior)
Loot: 7 pints of oil (7 sp), old camp gear (3 gp), Holy Symbol of Tez (Selja)
New NPCs:
Horseman (unnamed), bearded Vistani in a worn, green 3-piece suit; in charge of caring for the horses; did a fine job, but demanded steep prices
Bara, a Vistani woman suffering diarrhea after bean night; met Kaylan by the Dumping Trees outside the encampment, where she offered some remedy; the woman laughed so hard she fell over into her own... mess
Ignac, an old, bundled-up watchman guarding the village bridge into Barovia with stick legs and an over-sized, gray mustache; wielded a dim lantern on a staff; follower of Tez; suspicious of the group, especially the boggarts, he made everyone wait outside save Kaylan and Thamior; during the wait, half the group began to get to know him, dedicated, perhaps rude, but honest and protective; eventually revealed to be a ghost died 2 years prior during Strahd's zombie incursions; Burgomeister Ireena was able to give him peace
Maggie, maid of the Kolyana household, looking a five-foot grandmother with silver hair, plump frame in simple clothes, rosy cheeks and an easy smile.
Shiver, a giant gray tiger and house pet of Ireena; really quite gentle, he fashions himself Ireena's protector and shadows her just about everywhere
Burgomeister Ireena Kolyana, a striking young woman with dark hair and unearthly blue eyes, favoring well-made, flattering outfits and thigh-high leather riding boots; last surviving member of the mayoral house, she leads post-Strahd Barovia, but remembers well the horror of that bygone time, having experienced it first hand; known through rumor and lore as the former object of Strahd's obsession
Lightbringers (organization), a zealous organization of Kalindians come to rid Barovia of its monsters; also fund and outfit brave souls looking to take the fight to the vampires, werewolves, ghosts and unnamed evils that lurk Castle Ravenloft and the surrounding wilderness; headquartered in a townhouse near Kalinda's Chapel
Priestess Gertruda (mentioned), priestess of Kalinda's Chapel and a leader amidst the Lightbringers
Sir Konrad (mentioned), leader of the Lightbringers
Lisa (mentioned), the skilled Barovian seamstress who made Ireena's outfit
Ignac's Ghost Lantern
This plain-looking lantern grants the ability to see those who are dead.
Level 10
Price: 5,000 gp
Wondrous Item
Property: Once filled and lit, this lantern sheds a pale green light in a 10-square radius, burning fuel at a rate of one pint of oil an hour. The green fire produces no heat. The one who lights the lantern must also make an Arcana or Religion check.
Any undead creature that enters the illuminated area or is within it, and that is of a level equal to or lower than the Arcana or Religion check -10, is wreathed in a green, flaming aura that harmlessly flickers around the creature. This aura appears even if the undead is disguised by a polymorph or illusion effect. Invisible undead are surrounded by visible green radiance. The glow reveals the square in which the undead is located, but it does not affect the total concealment granted by invisibility.
No Eggs
The Sisters' Fortunes
Goodbye, Vistani
The Watchman
Entering Barovia
To Wait
- Giers
- The Devil's Daughter
- Lightbringers
- The Story of Gaelus
Kolyana Manor
A Cold, Thin Stew
Three Welcomes
Did You Say Ignac?
Nicest Lodgings in Town
I Release You
Return to Kolyana Manor
Epilogue
Saturnalia Party
Experience: 583 xp each (22,082 total)
Village Bridge, 500 xp
End of the Watch, 3000 xp
Magic: Ignac's Ghost Lantern
Money: -12 gp (Selja), - 12 gp (Thamior)
Loot: 7 pints of oil (7 sp), old camp gear (3 gp), Holy Symbol of Tez (Selja)
New NPCs:
Horseman (unnamed), bearded Vistani in a worn, green 3-piece suit; in charge of caring for the horses; did a fine job, but demanded steep prices
Bara, a Vistani woman suffering diarrhea after bean night; met Kaylan by the Dumping Trees outside the encampment, where she offered some remedy; the woman laughed so hard she fell over into her own... mess
Ignac, an old, bundled-up watchman guarding the village bridge into Barovia with stick legs and an over-sized, gray mustache; wielded a dim lantern on a staff; follower of Tez; suspicious of the group, especially the boggarts, he made everyone wait outside save Kaylan and Thamior; during the wait, half the group began to get to know him, dedicated, perhaps rude, but honest and protective; eventually revealed to be a ghost died 2 years prior during Strahd's zombie incursions; Burgomeister Ireena was able to give him peace
Maggie, maid of the Kolyana household, looking a five-foot grandmother with silver hair, plump frame in simple clothes, rosy cheeks and an easy smile.
Shiver, a giant gray tiger and house pet of Ireena; really quite gentle, he fashions himself Ireena's protector and shadows her just about everywhere
Burgomeister Ireena Kolyana, a striking young woman with dark hair and unearthly blue eyes, favoring well-made, flattering outfits and thigh-high leather riding boots; last surviving member of the mayoral house, she leads post-Strahd Barovia, but remembers well the horror of that bygone time, having experienced it first hand; known through rumor and lore as the former object of Strahd's obsession
Lightbringers (organization), a zealous organization of Kalindians come to rid Barovia of its monsters; also fund and outfit brave souls looking to take the fight to the vampires, werewolves, ghosts and unnamed evils that lurk Castle Ravenloft and the surrounding wilderness; headquartered in a townhouse near Kalinda's Chapel
Priestess Gertruda (mentioned), priestess of Kalinda's Chapel and a leader amidst the Lightbringers
Sir Konrad (mentioned), leader of the Lightbringers
Lisa (mentioned), the skilled Barovian seamstress who made Ireena's outfit
Ignac's Ghost Lantern
This plain-looking lantern grants the ability to see those who are dead.
Level 10
Price: 5,000 gp
Wondrous Item
Property: Once filled and lit, this lantern sheds a pale green light in a 10-square radius, burning fuel at a rate of one pint of oil an hour. The green fire produces no heat. The one who lights the lantern must also make an Arcana or Religion check.
Any undead creature that enters the illuminated area or is within it, and that is of a level equal to or lower than the Arcana or Religion check -10, is wreathed in a green, flaming aura that harmlessly flickers around the creature. This aura appears even if the undead is disguised by a polymorph or illusion effect. Invisible undead are surrounded by visible green radiance. The glow reveals the square in which the undead is located, but it does not affect the total concealment granted by invisibility.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Fireside Chat: A New Year
Hello! I haven't done one of these in awhile, and it happens to be snowing furiously outside, so I'm imagining myself by a blazing hearth in the manor library, a bearskin rug beneath my slippered feet, sunken into an over-sized armchair, dressed in pajamas and a warm, crimson robe. In my hand steams a hot mug of Irish coffee (with Jameson).
Okay, now that the mood is set, let's start off by congratulating ourselves on a year of straight play! Don't ask me why Session 51 landed on our anniversary week (I thought it would be on Session 52) but I assure you we started playing December 17th 2008 and have now crossed the benchmark. Whatever the case, I feel a real sense of accomplishment. It's nice to reflect back on a year of play, how far characters have come, how much the group has developed and changed with the comings and goings. A lot of terrible things happened to these characters over the course of Late-Delempar through Mid-Ulanra (about 5 months game time), but a lot of good too, be it ever so hidden in the mires. Despite the dark negatives of the campaign, the group somehow manages to endure, even shine. Portia's early assessment that the party was indeed family only proves truer and truer as the months go on. It's really made all the difference, I think.
We have an exciting future to look forward to in 2010! The fanes of Barovia will take us into Paragon Break, where a year of in-game time will pass, then the Paragon Tier with all its fun spanning levels 11 - 20. This is usually the part where I drop some teasers, so expect a crisis that will envelope all Othyr as the Nors Empire declares war on the Northern Alliance of Etheria, Atha and Saspien! There'll also be some ruinous meetings with a certain spidery ex-teammate, the appearance of new Hearts, the final revelation behind the Green God, new planes that make the Wild look like Picnic Land, something called the Tomb of Horrors, fey, dwarfs, drow, dragons, devils, aberrations, a vampire or two... and a baby! That should bring us to about Session 104 and 2011. I should also mention now that Paragon Tier will span around 10 years of in-game time, the significance maybe having something to do with a cosmic entity of total annihilation that was foretold by the warforged...
Once Paragon Break hits, I'll be taking a few weeks off, and I imagine the side rps will be going wild. I'll also be taking the time to individually rp certain important key moments during the break, things like Thamior's fateful meeting with his father. So if you have an idea of one or two important moments with NPCs or the world at large that you would like to rp out with me, send them on over.
When we resume play, I expect a written update on every character, a paragraph or two will suffice, titled "What I Did On My Paragon Break". Remember to include a summary of events during the year, as well as justification for choosing your Paragon Path. Also include two adventure seeds personal to your character, quests you wouldn't mind doing if they came up.
I'm also giving a one-time offer to change your class should you really feel the need. Just be sure to explain why and how in your blurb to me. I know Selja and Isabella will be taking advantage of it!
And, because I'm so great, I'm also allowing you all to choose a level 13 magic item or lower to add to your gear. You should probably explain that in your blurb to me, too.
Oh and we started polls again! So I'll see about putting one up every week. I also enabled avatars on the boards because I didn't realize they were turned off!
So I think that just about covers everything I wanted to talk about. Lets continue our great success!
Okay, now that the mood is set, let's start off by congratulating ourselves on a year of straight play! Don't ask me why Session 51 landed on our anniversary week (I thought it would be on Session 52) but I assure you we started playing December 17th 2008 and have now crossed the benchmark. Whatever the case, I feel a real sense of accomplishment. It's nice to reflect back on a year of play, how far characters have come, how much the group has developed and changed with the comings and goings. A lot of terrible things happened to these characters over the course of Late-Delempar through Mid-Ulanra (about 5 months game time), but a lot of good too, be it ever so hidden in the mires. Despite the dark negatives of the campaign, the group somehow manages to endure, even shine. Portia's early assessment that the party was indeed family only proves truer and truer as the months go on. It's really made all the difference, I think.
We have an exciting future to look forward to in 2010! The fanes of Barovia will take us into Paragon Break, where a year of in-game time will pass, then the Paragon Tier with all its fun spanning levels 11 - 20. This is usually the part where I drop some teasers, so expect a crisis that will envelope all Othyr as the Nors Empire declares war on the Northern Alliance of Etheria, Atha and Saspien! There'll also be some ruinous meetings with a certain spidery ex-teammate, the appearance of new Hearts, the final revelation behind the Green God, new planes that make the Wild look like Picnic Land, something called the Tomb of Horrors, fey, dwarfs, drow, dragons, devils, aberrations, a vampire or two... and a baby! That should bring us to about Session 104 and 2011. I should also mention now that Paragon Tier will span around 10 years of in-game time, the significance maybe having something to do with a cosmic entity of total annihilation that was foretold by the warforged...
Once Paragon Break hits, I'll be taking a few weeks off, and I imagine the side rps will be going wild. I'll also be taking the time to individually rp certain important key moments during the break, things like Thamior's fateful meeting with his father. So if you have an idea of one or two important moments with NPCs or the world at large that you would like to rp out with me, send them on over.
When we resume play, I expect a written update on every character, a paragraph or two will suffice, titled "What I Did On My Paragon Break". Remember to include a summary of events during the year, as well as justification for choosing your Paragon Path. Also include two adventure seeds personal to your character, quests you wouldn't mind doing if they came up.
I'm also giving a one-time offer to change your class should you really feel the need. Just be sure to explain why and how in your blurb to me. I know Selja and Isabella will be taking advantage of it!
And, because I'm so great, I'm also allowing you all to choose a level 13 magic item or lower to add to your gear. You should probably explain that in your blurb to me, too.
Oh and we started polls again! So I'll see about putting one up every week. I also enabled avatars on the boards because I didn't realize they were turned off!
So I think that just about covers everything I wanted to talk about. Lets continue our great success!
Session 51: Winter Hell
Afternoon, Ulanra 11th - Morning, Ulanra 12th
Bitter Cold
The group traveled beyond the safety and comfort of the Vistani camp, in hopes of finding the body of the snowball-harrier. Trudging through the dark and cold was no easy task, and the furs had not yet been finished. A bold move indeed as the winds picked up and brought the chilling temperatures down even further. Their resolve still strong, the group resisted the freezing cold and moved on. Selja experimented with a new form and took on the likeness of a great bear, and convinced Kaylan to ride upon her back. She was hesitant at first, but agreed.
The Waterfall Cavern
Diana's keen eyes picked out the outline of a cave nestled high in the cliffs by the waterfall. While it was accessible...getting there was another matter. The waterfall cascaded down, crashing into the river and flowing underneath the frozen water. Intrigued, Diana and Vilthanos skated across the ice with little effort, belaying the hidden dangers of the river. Relic watched from the bank, uncertain if he'd even be able to cross.
Bears and Ice Don't Mix
Encouraged by the two nimble members of the group, Selja (with Kaylan on her back) started to cross over the ice. Everything seemed alright, until they stepped onto a section of thin ice! The ice couldn't bear the weight of Selja and Kaylan together, and with a thunderous crack it broke underneath the two girls. They tried to leap to safety, Kaylan slipped and hit her head against the ice, dazing her as she plunged into the water. Selja scrambled to get purchase, but slipped into the icy water as well.
The bear-Selja was able to hoist Kaylan onto her back, the two floating ever closer to the thicker sections of ice. If they didn't act fast both would be swept underneath the solid ice by the strong current and either drown or freeze.
Team Effort
The land-bound group members went into action once they realized the two had fallen in. Relic threw one of his rope-tied metal rods to the girls for the to try and grab onto, while Vilthanos started running back to the riverbank. Diana flew into the air and bestowed her Sirocco onto Kaylan, and pulled her out of the frigid water and to the safety of the snowy bank. The half-elf was already showing signs of hypothermia, the extreme shock sending her into a delirious state.
Vilthanos moved across the ice and slid towards Selja, urging her to change back as he reached out to grab her. She did as instructed, but in her flailing she wasn't able to grab onto the safety line or Vilthanos. Diana went to help Relic with her own rope and safety line, first tying it to a tree and throwing the other end to Selja. He had to try several times before it actually reached the boggart.
Portia scampered out onto the ice as well, clinging to the rope and reaching out to her sister to try and grab onto her. By now, Selja had been weakened by the freezing water, and time was running out. In a heroic effort, Vilthanos pulled on the rope to make himself slide forward towards the safe side of the river. With a glance to Kaylan, he and Selja both winked out of existence, appearing in the others' place!
One in the Drink, Two in the Snow
Selja continued sliding, and wound up by the bank while Vilthanos fought the current, now drenched in the subzero water. He grabbed onto the rope and struggled to climb out as Portia provided a small anchor. Bless her, she tried her best to pull the feladrin out of the drink, but everything was going against her. Undaunted, she put in her strongest efforts and at least saved Vilthanos from being dragged under the ice.
Diana let Relic handle the pulling as she ran over to grab Selja, and bring her back to a chattering, half-frozen Kaylan. The frigid wind blew harshly, quickly freezing the two girls. Chunks of ice formed in their hair, their skin turning a shade of blue as hypothermia started set in. With a great effort, Relic pulled with all of his might, the giant metal man pulling Portia and Vilthanos over to the bank just as the ice cracked and started breaking underneath them. For a long moment, it looked as if they'd both go into the water. Selja was coherent enough to throw down a spell to make the terrain icy, fortunately it reinforced the ice and prevented it from shattering for a few more moments.
Frostbite
The three drenched party members were quickly succumbing to hypothermia, and fears of frostbite spread. Selja attempted to create a fire through an area spell, but it ultimately failed. Relic's knowledge of medicine and healing sprang to action. Kaylan began babbling on in a delirious state, somehow channeling her own knowledge of how to care for the frozen victims.
His overcoat became a blanket for the to lay upon, and their wet clothes were removed. Portia started poking around the riverbank in search of wood to burn for a fire, while Diana searched through their bags for anything dry and warm to wrap around them while Relic turned field-medic and tended to their frozen extremities. While he worked at a frantic pace to keep them awake and keep them warm, panic was evident in his voice when he started barking orders to Diana and Portia.
Diana redressed the girls and man, and Portia built the fire, and through the combined efforts of the three, the other three were saved...for now. They were still in dire straits, even while the immediate emergency had been dealt with. Relic and Diana placed the three within two bedrolls, and the metal man carried all three of them as they started in a quick pace for the Vistani camp. The three were delirious, and barely conscious.
We're Being Followed
Relic decided to end the search for the fallen snowball harrier right then and there. As they started to leave, Portia and Diana could hear the distinct sounds of wolves howling nearby. A chilling, dreadful sound indeed. That only encouraged Relic to move faster, though he was showing signs of fatigue from the snow and his new burden. Fortunately for the group, there was only one way for them to go; following the river would take them back to the Vistani camp. The journey back seemed to last forever, the tension mounting as they heard the wolves howl again - closer, louder. Glimpses of black fur stalking along the higher cliffs, watching them. Would they be attacked?
Vilthanos and Thamior had some internal struggle going on. At the realization of Kaylan slipping deeper into her delirium, Vilthanos forced Thamior to take control, but not before wrapping his chilled arms around the two girls to try and share body heat. Selja squirmed and struggled, smacking the two with her shoulders as she fought Vilthanos' attempt to help them all.
Return to the Camp
They continued, and after several hurried minutes of trudging through the snow and battling the intense wind they arrived back at the Vistani camp. The fires were still going strong, the Vistani looking up in surprise as they witnessed half of the group crammed into over-sized bedroll. Several of the Vistani blessed themselves at the sight, hushed tones going through the camp.
In Selja's panic from Vilthanos' hold, she started snapping and biting at him and Kaylan, and bit onto Kaylan's neck with enough force to draw a considerable amount of blood. The priestess screamed in pain as she was bitten, causing the Vistani to look even more concerned. Fortunately, Relic was quickly able to heal the wound with a reflexive application of his alchemical concoction.
Relic stumbled in his speech as he tried to explain what happened, and Diana interceded, using her diplomacy to try and win over their aid, and a tent large enough for all of them. Relic threw his coin purse at Diana while she and the leader haggled, first going from one hundred suns, to one hundred fifty suns, and back down to thirty-five suns.
The sight of Selja biting onto Kaylan caused a stir among the Vistani, the leader pointing to Selja and claiming she had "moon fever" and that the price would go up for the tent. Through some more smart haggling, Diana was able to secure the tent, their aid, and food for a price. She still felt ripped off, though.
Warding off the Cold
By now, Vilthanos had forced Thamior out into the front, seeing Kaylan with her neck wounded and bleeding caused a start in him. With the tent secured, Relic rushed the three into the warm interior and set them down. Several skilled Vistani women entered as well, and broke out their warming salves and balms. They were accustomed to dealing with hypothermia and frostbite, and worked quickly to wrap their digits and limbs, applying the salves as needed.
Relic stepped back, allowing the women to work without him being in the way. Portia and Diana sat together, conversing quietly while they watched, and waited. The process was painful, awfully painful, but the women were skilled enough so that none of the three would lose so much as a pinkie or thumb. It was a long, tense time in the tent, waiting.
An hour later, they were done. At the same time, a young Vistani girl entered, carrying the group's requested fur clothing, which had just been completed. Relic tipped the girl, while the clothes were distributed among the group members. Slowly, Selja and Kaylan started coming back around. Thamior had been watching from his cot, watching his beloved nervously. Kaylan called upon Kalinda's power to help heal herself and Selja, and approached Thamior thinking he was still Vilthanos. Confusion ensued as they worked out what had happened.
Recovery
Diana and Portia continued their conversation, finding shared interests and discovering commonalities between the two as they strengthened their friendship. Kaylan and Thamior talked, while Relic listened and commented, revealing his own discoveries about the shadow-self. Selja quietly snuck outside to sit by the grand fire, sounding somewhat upset. Relic hinted at Kaylan to tell Thamior what she had learned before the incident at the river, though she opted to tell him about Vilthanos' surprising near-kindness towards herself and Selja.
Selja was joined outside by a few Vistani, and one unnamed man sitting by the fire, a gray wolf-dog curled up beside him. He wore a shaggy assortment of furs and had a long beard, and did try to strike up a conversation with the girl. At her silence, he pressed no further. The wolf-dog, however, became curious in the boggart and approached her for attention and petting.
It wouldn't be too long before Portia and Diana ventured outside to keep an eye on the young boggart, continuing their conversation by the fire and learning tidbits from each other. Soon after Kaylan dressed herself in her new furs and joined the girls outside, a pained expression on her face, hiding her true thoughts from Thamior.
The Comforting
Kaylan knelt down beside Selja to comfort the little boggart, who had decided to blame herself for breaking the ice and plunging them into the icy waters. Such is grief in the face of horrible accidents. The two talked, while Kaylan tried to ease Selja's mind with soothing words. It wouldn't be too long before Portia and Selja joined them by the fire. The night air was cold, but at least the fire was warm, and the companionship welcome by most, if not all of them. A short time later during their conversation Kaylan opted to go lay down for the night, leaving Selja in the care of Diana and Portia. As she approached, she could hear the sounds of a heated argument from inside the tent...
The Argument
Sometimes the best intentions can bring about the worst arguments. Such as what happened between the warforged and the feladrin. Relic first tried to comfort the prince, though in his current state of mind he would have none of it. To himself, he was a failure. That admission incensed the metal man, bringing forth an all-too-human display of anger and frustration at Thamior's willingness to give up, to give in to his own feelings of self-loathing. Such was his anger, he swore at Thamior. It was enough to evoke the prince's own flash of anger, rising to Relic's challenge.
Winding Down
Kaylan walked into the tent only to witness Thamior reaching up to grab Relic by the collar of his trenchcoat. She was quite surprised, and said as much. She wondered aloud if this had what they had all become: arguments and hate. Both men debunked her worries, agreeing that they were both frustrated and concerned, but they did not hate each other. Their tempers settled down, having spent themselves like fireworks.
Diana prepared to venture back inside as the voices quelled, while Selja and Portia decided to stick it out in the open air by the roaring fire. The sisterly bond was strong between the two boggarts. The snow gently drifted down, the wind ceasing for the time being. It was calm, for once. Sensing an opportunity to bond with the two even further, Diana ended up deciding to make the best use of her cold immunity and sleep out in the air with the two girls. That, and to give the other three some room in the tent. Selja turned into her wolf-form and curled up away from the other two girls, wishing to be alone.
Inside, the three talked and hashed out differences and quelled fears about blame and hating. Relic stood by the door to keep a silent guard as he was accustomed to, while Kaylan and Thamior confessed their fears to each other, and their need to be together.
She trailed off with "Thamior, you need to know..."
Epilogue
A Secret Told
Growing Concerns
The Animal She's Become
This Thing, Friendship
Girl Talk
Examination
Making Amends
Our Feral Friend
Love vs. Sex and Keeping Out the Chill
What is a Sister to Do?
From the Ashes
Experience: 333 xp (21,499 total)
Crossing the River, 500 xp
Saving the Frozen, 500 xp
Securing the Tent, 500 xp
Arguments and Confessions, 500 xp
Magic: n/a
Money: -35 gp (Diana)
New NPCs:
Shaggy Traveler (unnamed), the man with the half-wolf staying by the Vistani camp. Is he just some random traveler, or does he have some greater purpose?
The Three Wolves (unnamed), three black-furred wolves that were stalking the group from high above in the cliffs by the river. Do they have malcontent in mind, or were they just curious?
Guest DM: Josh
Bitter Cold
The group traveled beyond the safety and comfort of the Vistani camp, in hopes of finding the body of the snowball-harrier. Trudging through the dark and cold was no easy task, and the furs had not yet been finished. A bold move indeed as the winds picked up and brought the chilling temperatures down even further. Their resolve still strong, the group resisted the freezing cold and moved on. Selja experimented with a new form and took on the likeness of a great bear, and convinced Kaylan to ride upon her back. She was hesitant at first, but agreed.
The Waterfall Cavern
Diana's keen eyes picked out the outline of a cave nestled high in the cliffs by the waterfall. While it was accessible...getting there was another matter. The waterfall cascaded down, crashing into the river and flowing underneath the frozen water. Intrigued, Diana and Vilthanos skated across the ice with little effort, belaying the hidden dangers of the river. Relic watched from the bank, uncertain if he'd even be able to cross.
Bears and Ice Don't Mix
Encouraged by the two nimble members of the group, Selja (with Kaylan on her back) started to cross over the ice. Everything seemed alright, until they stepped onto a section of thin ice! The ice couldn't bear the weight of Selja and Kaylan together, and with a thunderous crack it broke underneath the two girls. They tried to leap to safety, Kaylan slipped and hit her head against the ice, dazing her as she plunged into the water. Selja scrambled to get purchase, but slipped into the icy water as well.
The bear-Selja was able to hoist Kaylan onto her back, the two floating ever closer to the thicker sections of ice. If they didn't act fast both would be swept underneath the solid ice by the strong current and either drown or freeze.
Team Effort
The land-bound group members went into action once they realized the two had fallen in. Relic threw one of his rope-tied metal rods to the girls for the to try and grab onto, while Vilthanos started running back to the riverbank. Diana flew into the air and bestowed her Sirocco onto Kaylan, and pulled her out of the frigid water and to the safety of the snowy bank. The half-elf was already showing signs of hypothermia, the extreme shock sending her into a delirious state.
Vilthanos moved across the ice and slid towards Selja, urging her to change back as he reached out to grab her. She did as instructed, but in her flailing she wasn't able to grab onto the safety line or Vilthanos. Diana went to help Relic with her own rope and safety line, first tying it to a tree and throwing the other end to Selja. He had to try several times before it actually reached the boggart.
Portia scampered out onto the ice as well, clinging to the rope and reaching out to her sister to try and grab onto her. By now, Selja had been weakened by the freezing water, and time was running out. In a heroic effort, Vilthanos pulled on the rope to make himself slide forward towards the safe side of the river. With a glance to Kaylan, he and Selja both winked out of existence, appearing in the others' place!
One in the Drink, Two in the Snow
Selja continued sliding, and wound up by the bank while Vilthanos fought the current, now drenched in the subzero water. He grabbed onto the rope and struggled to climb out as Portia provided a small anchor. Bless her, she tried her best to pull the feladrin out of the drink, but everything was going against her. Undaunted, she put in her strongest efforts and at least saved Vilthanos from being dragged under the ice.
Diana let Relic handle the pulling as she ran over to grab Selja, and bring her back to a chattering, half-frozen Kaylan. The frigid wind blew harshly, quickly freezing the two girls. Chunks of ice formed in their hair, their skin turning a shade of blue as hypothermia started set in. With a great effort, Relic pulled with all of his might, the giant metal man pulling Portia and Vilthanos over to the bank just as the ice cracked and started breaking underneath them. For a long moment, it looked as if they'd both go into the water. Selja was coherent enough to throw down a spell to make the terrain icy, fortunately it reinforced the ice and prevented it from shattering for a few more moments.
Frostbite
The three drenched party members were quickly succumbing to hypothermia, and fears of frostbite spread. Selja attempted to create a fire through an area spell, but it ultimately failed. Relic's knowledge of medicine and healing sprang to action. Kaylan began babbling on in a delirious state, somehow channeling her own knowledge of how to care for the frozen victims.
His overcoat became a blanket for the to lay upon, and their wet clothes were removed. Portia started poking around the riverbank in search of wood to burn for a fire, while Diana searched through their bags for anything dry and warm to wrap around them while Relic turned field-medic and tended to their frozen extremities. While he worked at a frantic pace to keep them awake and keep them warm, panic was evident in his voice when he started barking orders to Diana and Portia.
Diana redressed the girls and man, and Portia built the fire, and through the combined efforts of the three, the other three were saved...for now. They were still in dire straits, even while the immediate emergency had been dealt with. Relic and Diana placed the three within two bedrolls, and the metal man carried all three of them as they started in a quick pace for the Vistani camp. The three were delirious, and barely conscious.
We're Being Followed
Relic decided to end the search for the fallen snowball harrier right then and there. As they started to leave, Portia and Diana could hear the distinct sounds of wolves howling nearby. A chilling, dreadful sound indeed. That only encouraged Relic to move faster, though he was showing signs of fatigue from the snow and his new burden. Fortunately for the group, there was only one way for them to go; following the river would take them back to the Vistani camp. The journey back seemed to last forever, the tension mounting as they heard the wolves howl again - closer, louder. Glimpses of black fur stalking along the higher cliffs, watching them. Would they be attacked?
Vilthanos and Thamior had some internal struggle going on. At the realization of Kaylan slipping deeper into her delirium, Vilthanos forced Thamior to take control, but not before wrapping his chilled arms around the two girls to try and share body heat. Selja squirmed and struggled, smacking the two with her shoulders as she fought Vilthanos' attempt to help them all.
Return to the Camp
They continued, and after several hurried minutes of trudging through the snow and battling the intense wind they arrived back at the Vistani camp. The fires were still going strong, the Vistani looking up in surprise as they witnessed half of the group crammed into over-sized bedroll. Several of the Vistani blessed themselves at the sight, hushed tones going through the camp.
In Selja's panic from Vilthanos' hold, she started snapping and biting at him and Kaylan, and bit onto Kaylan's neck with enough force to draw a considerable amount of blood. The priestess screamed in pain as she was bitten, causing the Vistani to look even more concerned. Fortunately, Relic was quickly able to heal the wound with a reflexive application of his alchemical concoction.
Relic stumbled in his speech as he tried to explain what happened, and Diana interceded, using her diplomacy to try and win over their aid, and a tent large enough for all of them. Relic threw his coin purse at Diana while she and the leader haggled, first going from one hundred suns, to one hundred fifty suns, and back down to thirty-five suns.
The sight of Selja biting onto Kaylan caused a stir among the Vistani, the leader pointing to Selja and claiming she had "moon fever" and that the price would go up for the tent. Through some more smart haggling, Diana was able to secure the tent, their aid, and food for a price. She still felt ripped off, though.
Warding off the Cold
By now, Vilthanos had forced Thamior out into the front, seeing Kaylan with her neck wounded and bleeding caused a start in him. With the tent secured, Relic rushed the three into the warm interior and set them down. Several skilled Vistani women entered as well, and broke out their warming salves and balms. They were accustomed to dealing with hypothermia and frostbite, and worked quickly to wrap their digits and limbs, applying the salves as needed.
Relic stepped back, allowing the women to work without him being in the way. Portia and Diana sat together, conversing quietly while they watched, and waited. The process was painful, awfully painful, but the women were skilled enough so that none of the three would lose so much as a pinkie or thumb. It was a long, tense time in the tent, waiting.
An hour later, they were done. At the same time, a young Vistani girl entered, carrying the group's requested fur clothing, which had just been completed. Relic tipped the girl, while the clothes were distributed among the group members. Slowly, Selja and Kaylan started coming back around. Thamior had been watching from his cot, watching his beloved nervously. Kaylan called upon Kalinda's power to help heal herself and Selja, and approached Thamior thinking he was still Vilthanos. Confusion ensued as they worked out what had happened.
Recovery
Diana and Portia continued their conversation, finding shared interests and discovering commonalities between the two as they strengthened their friendship. Kaylan and Thamior talked, while Relic listened and commented, revealing his own discoveries about the shadow-self. Selja quietly snuck outside to sit by the grand fire, sounding somewhat upset. Relic hinted at Kaylan to tell Thamior what she had learned before the incident at the river, though she opted to tell him about Vilthanos' surprising near-kindness towards herself and Selja.
Selja was joined outside by a few Vistani, and one unnamed man sitting by the fire, a gray wolf-dog curled up beside him. He wore a shaggy assortment of furs and had a long beard, and did try to strike up a conversation with the girl. At her silence, he pressed no further. The wolf-dog, however, became curious in the boggart and approached her for attention and petting.
It wouldn't be too long before Portia and Diana ventured outside to keep an eye on the young boggart, continuing their conversation by the fire and learning tidbits from each other. Soon after Kaylan dressed herself in her new furs and joined the girls outside, a pained expression on her face, hiding her true thoughts from Thamior.
The Comforting
Kaylan knelt down beside Selja to comfort the little boggart, who had decided to blame herself for breaking the ice and plunging them into the icy waters. Such is grief in the face of horrible accidents. The two talked, while Kaylan tried to ease Selja's mind with soothing words. It wouldn't be too long before Portia and Selja joined them by the fire. The night air was cold, but at least the fire was warm, and the companionship welcome by most, if not all of them. A short time later during their conversation Kaylan opted to go lay down for the night, leaving Selja in the care of Diana and Portia. As she approached, she could hear the sounds of a heated argument from inside the tent...
The Argument
Sometimes the best intentions can bring about the worst arguments. Such as what happened between the warforged and the feladrin. Relic first tried to comfort the prince, though in his current state of mind he would have none of it. To himself, he was a failure. That admission incensed the metal man, bringing forth an all-too-human display of anger and frustration at Thamior's willingness to give up, to give in to his own feelings of self-loathing. Such was his anger, he swore at Thamior. It was enough to evoke the prince's own flash of anger, rising to Relic's challenge.
Winding Down
Kaylan walked into the tent only to witness Thamior reaching up to grab Relic by the collar of his trenchcoat. She was quite surprised, and said as much. She wondered aloud if this had what they had all become: arguments and hate. Both men debunked her worries, agreeing that they were both frustrated and concerned, but they did not hate each other. Their tempers settled down, having spent themselves like fireworks.
Diana prepared to venture back inside as the voices quelled, while Selja and Portia decided to stick it out in the open air by the roaring fire. The sisterly bond was strong between the two boggarts. The snow gently drifted down, the wind ceasing for the time being. It was calm, for once. Sensing an opportunity to bond with the two even further, Diana ended up deciding to make the best use of her cold immunity and sleep out in the air with the two girls. That, and to give the other three some room in the tent. Selja turned into her wolf-form and curled up away from the other two girls, wishing to be alone.
Inside, the three talked and hashed out differences and quelled fears about blame and hating. Relic stood by the door to keep a silent guard as he was accustomed to, while Kaylan and Thamior confessed their fears to each other, and their need to be together.
She trailed off with "Thamior, you need to know..."
Epilogue
A Secret Told
Growing Concerns
The Animal She's Become
This Thing, Friendship
Girl Talk
Examination
Making Amends
Our Feral Friend
Love vs. Sex and Keeping Out the Chill
What is a Sister to Do?
From the Ashes
Experience: 333 xp (21,499 total)
Crossing the River, 500 xp
Saving the Frozen, 500 xp
Securing the Tent, 500 xp
Arguments and Confessions, 500 xp
Magic: n/a
Money: -35 gp (Diana)
New NPCs:
Shaggy Traveler (unnamed), the man with the half-wolf staying by the Vistani camp. Is he just some random traveler, or does he have some greater purpose?
The Three Wolves (unnamed), three black-furred wolves that were stalking the group from high above in the cliffs by the river. Do they have malcontent in mind, or were they just curious?
Guest DM: Josh
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Session 50: Shadows of Doubt
Evening, Ulanra 10th - Morning, Ulanra 11th
Unrest
Angelique's Lament
Oneth by Sky, Twoeth by Carriage, Foureth by Horses
Crossing Tser Falls
Consequences
Vistani
Furs
The Guards
Fortunes Told
Down by the River
Epilogue
Clarifications
A Difficult Decision
Confessions of a Teenage Boggart
Oath by Blood
Revelations
Cooling Down
Experience: 333 xp (21,166 total)
Surviving the Night, 500 xp
Crossing Tser Falls, 500 xp
Tough Call, 500 xp
Fortunes Told, 500 xp
Magic: n/a
Money: -60 gp and 40 sp (Selja's Order), -30 gp and 15 sp (Kaylan's Order), -20 gp and 5 sp (Thamior's Order), -40 gp and 5 sp (Relic's Order), -30 gp and 20 sp (Diana's Order)
Loot: fox fur gloves, hat, boots and coat x 2 (Selja and Portia), gray wolf fur gloves, hat, boots and coat (Kaylan), wolf fur coat (Thamior), black bear fur coat (Relic), fox fur gloves, hat, boots and coat (Diana)
New NPCs:
Snowballer (unnamed, dead), the harrier at Tser Falls who threw snowballs at the crossing group with malicious glee; met his end by a unified overkill between Diana, Relic and Selja and fell into the frozen churn; looked to be a boy, gnome or dwarf with a sword and tome; his expiration caused some grief between party members and a question of tactics
Vistani (race), hardy, swarthy, hirsute nomads who travel by painted wagons, keep dogs and bears, possess a variety of skills and trades, play lutes and pipes and hold superstition, mysticism and the supernatural in high esteem
Pelt Peddler (unnamed), a Vistani woman draped in the pelts she sold, hunted from the Svalich: black and brown bear, wolf and fox
Eva's Guards, broad, burly half-ogre warriors set to guarding Madame Eva's pavilion, the leader of which proved smarter than he looked, able to speak Elvish; very protective of their mistress
Madame Eva, an inhuman fortune teller and wise woman of the Vistani camp at Tser Pool; gigantic and hideous, with a creaky voice, who reads prophetic cards
Eva's Lynx (unnamed), Madame Eva's pet lynx with one white eye and one blue eye
Unrest
Angelique's Lament
Oneth by Sky, Twoeth by Carriage, Foureth by Horses
Crossing Tser Falls
Consequences
Vistani
Furs
The Guards
Fortunes Told
Down by the River
Epilogue
Clarifications
A Difficult Decision
Confessions of a Teenage Boggart
Oath by Blood
Revelations
Cooling Down
Experience: 333 xp (21,166 total)
Surviving the Night, 500 xp
Crossing Tser Falls, 500 xp
Tough Call, 500 xp
Fortunes Told, 500 xp
Magic: n/a
Money: -60 gp and 40 sp (Selja's Order), -30 gp and 15 sp (Kaylan's Order), -20 gp and 5 sp (Thamior's Order), -40 gp and 5 sp (Relic's Order), -30 gp and 20 sp (Diana's Order)
Loot: fox fur gloves, hat, boots and coat x 2 (Selja and Portia), gray wolf fur gloves, hat, boots and coat (Kaylan), wolf fur coat (Thamior), black bear fur coat (Relic), fox fur gloves, hat, boots and coat (Diana)
New NPCs:
Snowballer (unnamed, dead), the harrier at Tser Falls who threw snowballs at the crossing group with malicious glee; met his end by a unified overkill between Diana, Relic and Selja and fell into the frozen churn; looked to be a boy, gnome or dwarf with a sword and tome; his expiration caused some grief between party members and a question of tactics
Vistani (race), hardy, swarthy, hirsute nomads who travel by painted wagons, keep dogs and bears, possess a variety of skills and trades, play lutes and pipes and hold superstition, mysticism and the supernatural in high esteem
Pelt Peddler (unnamed), a Vistani woman draped in the pelts she sold, hunted from the Svalich: black and brown bear, wolf and fox
Eva's Guards, broad, burly half-ogre warriors set to guarding Madame Eva's pavilion, the leader of which proved smarter than he looked, able to speak Elvish; very protective of their mistress
Madame Eva, an inhuman fortune teller and wise woman of the Vistani camp at Tser Pool; gigantic and hideous, with a creaky voice, who reads prophetic cards
Eva's Lynx (unnamed), Madame Eva's pet lynx with one white eye and one blue eye
Monday, December 7, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Session 49: A Path He Dare Not Follow
Noon, Ulanra 10th - Evening, Ulanra 10th
Guilt
Kaylan took the weakened Giers to the corrupt chapel of Kalinda, determined to cleanse the place by fire. Hulda's corpse floated behind, carried on the priestess's summoned disk for practicality's sake, morbid though it was. After praying over the dead and sanctifying the structure, she summoned the phoenix's flames.
Outside, Giers and Kaylan watched the place burn, and the ethrey confessed a number of insecurities and fears. Kaylan tried to reassure him, but when he moved to embrace her, she was forced to confess she loved someone else. Giers did not take it well, feeling betrayed and totally alone. His anger spurred him into actual flight! He didn't get very far, though, collapsing on a nearby rooftop. Kaylan managed to climb up after him, barely keeping her footing, and sat with him for an hour or so. When Giers woke, he'd nothing but scorn for her, and she climbed back down without the closure she so desired.
Back at the chapel, she reflected on the misery she'd caused so many, and was soon joined by Relic. The machine man assured her it wasn't all her doing and did his best to comfort her. She appreciated the gesture, but wasn't very convinced.
Ezariel
The tall, broad-shouldered ascetic in the masking brown robes introduced himself as Ezariel. Diana and Selja didn't recognize the name, but he hadn't attacked them and in this land that made him a friend.
He had come, he claimed, with answers and warnings, then finally with a plea. However his plea was made known rather quickly, though. He wanted the Hearts. Selja refused, and Diana decided to follow a group consensus. Ezariel worried the misery they'd cause since the last time he asked the group would only continue, but respected their wishes. Thamior appeared from the fields, having been hunting for Bremen's parents among the survivors, in time enough to address Ezariel. The feladrin discovered he possessed a Heart in the small ring Percy gave him. He couldn't quite believe it, though, and soon wandered on in hopes Percy might be able to identify his parents out of the survivors (or perhaps the dead).
Selja, creeped out by Ezariel, ran along to find Kaylan.
Justice
Diana was left with Nel. Dragging her to an out-of-the-way spot between houses, she asked for Kalinda's intervention before dispensing true justice. Just then an upset Kaylan turned the corner, followed by Selja and Relic. What drama they were caught up in was suddenly swallowed by the would-be execution.
Diana assured them she was doing the only thing that could be done. They couldn't just leave the little necromancer to wake up and cause more horror, nor could they bring her with them and be subject to an inopportune awakening. Taking her to Saspien would be a fate too cruel, and the Darlings had already shirked their right to pass judgment. Nel had to be humanely put down.
Kaylan protested she belonged in an asylum, and Selja could barely fathom the idea all together, but Relic agreed with Diana's assessment. He dragged the two protesting girls away, leaving Diana to do the woman's work. Again she paused for some divine sign, but there was none, and with the crows laughing in the distance she drained the helpless ten year old dry.
The sorceress then moved to a secluded house and gently deposited the girl in a bed. The she summoned a star fall to set the place on fire.
Answers
Thamior fetched the boy, but was confronted by Ezariel. The ascetic wished for the ring, otherwise known as the Pureheart, to be taken back to the Vault, but for many reasons Thamior wasn't inclined. The fel still has his doubts it even was the Pureheart.
When Ezariel tried to explain it was a manner of honor, as the Hearts had been stolen on his watch, Thamior out and out refused him, scoffing at the idea honor could be given. It had to be earned. Ezariel found such a belief to be the prince's one true shortcoming and that in time he would learn that notion false. Ezariel affirmed the power of others' charity and concern for the greater good to be enough to absolve him.
As the discussion moved back into town square, Portia managed to catch up with the others. Ezariel explained that he was a guardian of the Vault in Heaven's first sphere, where the Hearts had been kept, but they were stolen during the last use of the Hoping, to say the end of the Demon War, while the gate between Heaven and Lorda was open. By the sound of things, that made Ezariel an angel.
Of the Hearts, he only knew they held great destructive power. The gems could change shapes and take on personalities to advance their personal agendas. In the wrong hands they might rule a plane, but joined together perhaps all Creation.
Defense of the Hearts
Portia, already touchy after the loss of Hoppers, sprung to the Hearts' defense, reasoning them as Planar Children born of the very fabric of existence. After all they each appeared as children and none of them seemed to know the exact extents of their powers. Horded and kept prisoner, it stood to reason they escaped themselves. This gave Ezariel pause.
The angel admitted that in Heaven's eagerness to prevent their misuse, they may have forgotten the wrongful act done in hiding them away, if indeed they were living things and not just powerful artifacts. In the end, Ezariel decided to trust Portia's compassion over Heaven's fear and abandoned the Hearts' pursuit.
Portia charged him with simply doing his best to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands, and he more or less asked the same of her. Before much else could be sorted, the sun began to set, putting Ezariel on high alert. Relic, Selja and Kaylan returned in time to hear the angel's ruminations. They could flee deeper into the Darklands, or else into Cadavera, to a place even the Dark One would think twice following.
Thamior had since gotten wind of Diana's intentions and rushed to stop her, but by the time he got to the house she'd already set it alight. He flew in, braving the flames and eventually finding her huddled body. However it wasn't until he'd carried Nel out that he realized she was dead. Diana argued her reasoning, but Thamior could no longer look on Diana in quite the same way. Had she been mercilessly just, or simply merciless?
As the light failed and the wind picked up, Ezariel appeared behind Diana and bid her take the eastern road to Barovia. They were now out of time.
As the Sun Set
Rushing back to the others, Diana, Thamior and the group prepped the carriage and mounted up. Thamior held Ezariel to the task of safely delivering the Darlings back to their homes, especially since uncovering Percival and Bremen's parents were alive and worried sick back in Edmark. The angel agreed just as soon as he was able. There had been some concern for the thirty-eight Kindred locked in the mills and more so the twenty-four exhumed souls resting in several houses, but Ezariel's parting words were spoken sadly, "Not everyone can be saved."
Night had nearly fallen and the group spurred the horses on, riding hard down the eastern road. Behind them, Ezariel tore away his robes and revealed as pure, blinding light. He called upon the pale horse in the stables, Argentum, and conjured a sword of lightning. He circled once and road into the fields to meet the crows head on, giving the group the time needed to make their escape.
Furious hooves and carriage wheels on the dirt road kicked up a cloud of dust, but soon the dust turned gray and gained moisture. The darkness of night consumed them totally and the temperature dropped from crisp fall to bitter, biting winter. It cut to the bones and brought with it the sting of snow and freezing rain.
Barovia
They were riding hard and blind through unknown territory for several minutes, but at Thamior's behest the Pureheart shed light on the road ahead, revealing a treacherous and winding mountain path with high, foreboding timbers on one flank and a shear cliff drop some hundreds of feet on the other. With Pureheart's guidance, the horses navigated the road, occasionally slipping on the icy patches.
The fog would sometimes part to reveal wider vistas, a deep valley largely dominated by a snow-laden pine forest, encircled in high, jagged mountains crowned in white and ice. There was no moon or stars, just heavy, black clouds that spewed winter and erratic streaks of lightning.
Coming around a final bend, the road became steep and the horses barely managed to keep their hooves beneath them. A wide, rusted gate sat ahead, sheathed in ice and flanked by massive stone pillars and headless guardian statues. Selja eased Colta's speed, but Thamior's mount and the carriage team flew toward a collision. With a sudden shriek the old gates opened of their own volition, just barely created an opening wide enough to pass the horses and clawing the sides of the carriage. Then creaked back shut once the group had passed.
Castle Ravenloft
Slowing at a crossroads, the group examined a gnarled wooden signpost. One sign read Village, pointing deeper into the valley, while the other labeled Castle aimed higher toward a foggy peak.
Gh-ghost!
The group prepared for the worst, but got instead a pear-shaped ghost of a middle-aged majordomo. Gerald apologized and proved a sarcastic chap, insulting Diana and making unusual demands like the removing of shoes.
That didn't stop most in the group's jaws from dropping, including Relic, who feared the unnatural energy would fry his more sensitive circuits. Nevertheless the ghost passed through a few of them and determined their purpose. When he learned it involved Mistress Isabella, he sadly agreed to take them to the countess. He remarked they might want to keep their weapons close, as she was very close to her niece and there was no telling what she might do upon hearing the news.
The ethrey eventually found a moment's peace near Diana, and he requested something heart-wrenching to pass the time. Diana played a hauntingly somber melody, the perfect music for her entrance...
Countess Angelique von Zarovich
Angelique looked at the ashes a moment or two, a trickle of blood escaping her eye, at which point Kaylan offered the notion that the girl could be raised.
Will You Brave the Night?
Musing over what might be done to remedy Isabella's condition, the countess listened the group's pleas. If she would contact Queen Victoria to come and take them to Etheria, High Priestess Finduilas could restore Isabella and Hulda to life.
Angelique outright refused, knowing Victoria's wrath would be terrible if she were to learn of her only daughter's death. Kaylan volunteered to tell her, but Angelique's mind had been made. She would instead resurrect the girl herself. Portia and Giers outright denied the claim, but the countess insisted to have a way. She only needed assurance the group was willing to give what it took. Almost without hesitation, her guests pledged their support, testament to the memory of her departed niece.
Count Strahd was a vampire lord of legendary power, nearly invincible thanks to three sites of ancient Barovian power called the fanes. If Isabella's ashes could be bound to the three fanes, Angelique could harness their energy to restore her to life. Unfortunately this was a one-time ritual and highly experimental at that, leaving Hulda's fate uncertain, but Giers agreed to it nevertheless, convinced once Izzy was restored they would all return home and his sister would find new life.
However, the countess didn't know the exact location of the three fanes. The group would have to strike out in the "morning" and see if they could uncover the information as furtively as possible. Once more, they could reveal no connection to Angelique, for she had many enemies who would quickly descend on them. Barovia was dangerous enough without such impediments, werewolves, hags, the roving dead, and things far worse, rumors of new evils rising in the wilderness.
Honored Guests
Angelique insisted the group stay the night as her honored guests, and Gerald appeared with a high stack of bedding. He led them to a row of guest rooms fit for high nobility, albeit a bit dusty and antiquated.
As they walked, the countess warned of the many dangers in the castle, things not bound to her, including the ravenous Brides in the lower crypts. Everyone would do well to stay in their rooms, and the men were advised not to sleep alone. Gerald chuckled and sunk down into the floorboards, while Angelique bid them welcome to Castle Ravenloft and vanished in a swirl of pomp and mist.
"I hope they survive the night..." She thought aloud.
Epilogue
Throughout the night, the party was visited by Angelique and otherwise harried by strange, prophetic dreams...
Midnight Discussion
The Best Friend's Aunt
Test of Honor
A Meaningful Chat
Love in a Dark Place
Dark Dreams
Kaylan
Selja
Thamior
Diana
Portia
Experience: 333 xp each (20,833 total)
Final Justice, 500
Saving the Darlings, 500
Defense of the Hearts, 500
Escape to Barovia, 500
Magic: Pureheart (Thamior)
Money: n/a
Loot: n/a
NPCs:
Argentum, Ezariel's white celestial charger; unfriendly to those he doesn't know, or perhaps those whose character he finds suspect
Majordomo Gerald, a snarky ghost charged with the maintenance and management of Castle Ravenloft under the Countess's reign; appears as a spectral blue man of middling age, pear-shaped, with a disinterested tone
Countess Angelique von Zarovich, resident noble vampire of Castle Ravenloft and the daughter of its infamous former count; a pale beauty with raven hair dressed in the finest gowns; she has access to a castle's worth of magic, gargoyles and mystery; Isabella's cherished aunt and King Dante's sister; Not fond of Queen Victoria
Count Strahd von Zarovich (mentioned), one of the most powerful vampire lords ever to have lived (so to speak), bolstered by artifacts and the energy of three ancient fanes; cursed when he killed his brother Sergei out of lust for Sergei's wife Tatyana; the deed slowly drove him mad over centuries of isolation, eventually driving him to kidnap a village girl named Ireena who he believed the reincarnation of Tatyana; slain two years ago by a stalwart band of misfits and outcasts
Current Quests:
Isabella's Ashes
Find the three Barovian Fanes and bind Isabella's Ashes to them
The Hunt for the Sunsword
See what you can uncover about the missing Sunsword on your travels
Guilt
Kaylan took the weakened Giers to the corrupt chapel of Kalinda, determined to cleanse the place by fire. Hulda's corpse floated behind, carried on the priestess's summoned disk for practicality's sake, morbid though it was. After praying over the dead and sanctifying the structure, she summoned the phoenix's flames.
Outside, Giers and Kaylan watched the place burn, and the ethrey confessed a number of insecurities and fears. Kaylan tried to reassure him, but when he moved to embrace her, she was forced to confess she loved someone else. Giers did not take it well, feeling betrayed and totally alone. His anger spurred him into actual flight! He didn't get very far, though, collapsing on a nearby rooftop. Kaylan managed to climb up after him, barely keeping her footing, and sat with him for an hour or so. When Giers woke, he'd nothing but scorn for her, and she climbed back down without the closure she so desired.
Back at the chapel, she reflected on the misery she'd caused so many, and was soon joined by Relic. The machine man assured her it wasn't all her doing and did his best to comfort her. She appreciated the gesture, but wasn't very convinced.
Ezariel
The tall, broad-shouldered ascetic in the masking brown robes introduced himself as Ezariel. Diana and Selja didn't recognize the name, but he hadn't attacked them and in this land that made him a friend.
He had come, he claimed, with answers and warnings, then finally with a plea. However his plea was made known rather quickly, though. He wanted the Hearts. Selja refused, and Diana decided to follow a group consensus. Ezariel worried the misery they'd cause since the last time he asked the group would only continue, but respected their wishes. Thamior appeared from the fields, having been hunting for Bremen's parents among the survivors, in time enough to address Ezariel. The feladrin discovered he possessed a Heart in the small ring Percy gave him. He couldn't quite believe it, though, and soon wandered on in hopes Percy might be able to identify his parents out of the survivors (or perhaps the dead).
Selja, creeped out by Ezariel, ran along to find Kaylan.
Justice
Diana was left with Nel. Dragging her to an out-of-the-way spot between houses, she asked for Kalinda's intervention before dispensing true justice. Just then an upset Kaylan turned the corner, followed by Selja and Relic. What drama they were caught up in was suddenly swallowed by the would-be execution.
Diana assured them she was doing the only thing that could be done. They couldn't just leave the little necromancer to wake up and cause more horror, nor could they bring her with them and be subject to an inopportune awakening. Taking her to Saspien would be a fate too cruel, and the Darlings had already shirked their right to pass judgment. Nel had to be humanely put down.
Kaylan protested she belonged in an asylum, and Selja could barely fathom the idea all together, but Relic agreed with Diana's assessment. He dragged the two protesting girls away, leaving Diana to do the woman's work. Again she paused for some divine sign, but there was none, and with the crows laughing in the distance she drained the helpless ten year old dry.
The sorceress then moved to a secluded house and gently deposited the girl in a bed. The she summoned a star fall to set the place on fire.
Answers
Thamior fetched the boy, but was confronted by Ezariel. The ascetic wished for the ring, otherwise known as the Pureheart, to be taken back to the Vault, but for many reasons Thamior wasn't inclined. The fel still has his doubts it even was the Pureheart.
When Ezariel tried to explain it was a manner of honor, as the Hearts had been stolen on his watch, Thamior out and out refused him, scoffing at the idea honor could be given. It had to be earned. Ezariel found such a belief to be the prince's one true shortcoming and that in time he would learn that notion false. Ezariel affirmed the power of others' charity and concern for the greater good to be enough to absolve him.
As the discussion moved back into town square, Portia managed to catch up with the others. Ezariel explained that he was a guardian of the Vault in Heaven's first sphere, where the Hearts had been kept, but they were stolen during the last use of the Hoping, to say the end of the Demon War, while the gate between Heaven and Lorda was open. By the sound of things, that made Ezariel an angel.
Of the Hearts, he only knew they held great destructive power. The gems could change shapes and take on personalities to advance their personal agendas. In the wrong hands they might rule a plane, but joined together perhaps all Creation.
Defense of the Hearts
Portia, already touchy after the loss of Hoppers, sprung to the Hearts' defense, reasoning them as Planar Children born of the very fabric of existence. After all they each appeared as children and none of them seemed to know the exact extents of their powers. Horded and kept prisoner, it stood to reason they escaped themselves. This gave Ezariel pause.
The angel admitted that in Heaven's eagerness to prevent their misuse, they may have forgotten the wrongful act done in hiding them away, if indeed they were living things and not just powerful artifacts. In the end, Ezariel decided to trust Portia's compassion over Heaven's fear and abandoned the Hearts' pursuit.
Portia charged him with simply doing his best to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands, and he more or less asked the same of her. Before much else could be sorted, the sun began to set, putting Ezariel on high alert. Relic, Selja and Kaylan returned in time to hear the angel's ruminations. They could flee deeper into the Darklands, or else into Cadavera, to a place even the Dark One would think twice following.
Thamior had since gotten wind of Diana's intentions and rushed to stop her, but by the time he got to the house she'd already set it alight. He flew in, braving the flames and eventually finding her huddled body. However it wasn't until he'd carried Nel out that he realized she was dead. Diana argued her reasoning, but Thamior could no longer look on Diana in quite the same way. Had she been mercilessly just, or simply merciless?
As the light failed and the wind picked up, Ezariel appeared behind Diana and bid her take the eastern road to Barovia. They were now out of time.
As the Sun Set
Rushing back to the others, Diana, Thamior and the group prepped the carriage and mounted up. Thamior held Ezariel to the task of safely delivering the Darlings back to their homes, especially since uncovering Percival and Bremen's parents were alive and worried sick back in Edmark. The angel agreed just as soon as he was able. There had been some concern for the thirty-eight Kindred locked in the mills and more so the twenty-four exhumed souls resting in several houses, but Ezariel's parting words were spoken sadly, "Not everyone can be saved."
Night had nearly fallen and the group spurred the horses on, riding hard down the eastern road. Behind them, Ezariel tore away his robes and revealed as pure, blinding light. He called upon the pale horse in the stables, Argentum, and conjured a sword of lightning. He circled once and road into the fields to meet the crows head on, giving the group the time needed to make their escape.
Furious hooves and carriage wheels on the dirt road kicked up a cloud of dust, but soon the dust turned gray and gained moisture. The darkness of night consumed them totally and the temperature dropped from crisp fall to bitter, biting winter. It cut to the bones and brought with it the sting of snow and freezing rain.
Barovia
They were riding hard and blind through unknown territory for several minutes, but at Thamior's behest the Pureheart shed light on the road ahead, revealing a treacherous and winding mountain path with high, foreboding timbers on one flank and a shear cliff drop some hundreds of feet on the other. With Pureheart's guidance, the horses navigated the road, occasionally slipping on the icy patches.
The fog would sometimes part to reveal wider vistas, a deep valley largely dominated by a snow-laden pine forest, encircled in high, jagged mountains crowned in white and ice. There was no moon or stars, just heavy, black clouds that spewed winter and erratic streaks of lightning.
Coming around a final bend, the road became steep and the horses barely managed to keep their hooves beneath them. A wide, rusted gate sat ahead, sheathed in ice and flanked by massive stone pillars and headless guardian statues. Selja eased Colta's speed, but Thamior's mount and the carriage team flew toward a collision. With a sudden shriek the old gates opened of their own volition, just barely created an opening wide enough to pass the horses and clawing the sides of the carriage. Then creaked back shut once the group had passed.
Castle Ravenloft
Slowing at a crossroads, the group examined a gnarled wooden signpost. One sign read Village, pointing deeper into the valley, while the other labeled Castle aimed higher toward a foggy peak.
"Just then a particularly large fog bank clears, revealing a tremendous, Gothic nightmare perched upon a black and icy peak. Dozens of towers in half-as-many walls gather around stone keeps laden with snow and dead vines, the whole of it dotted with twisted metal spikes and hundreds of gargoyles. It looks like a hunched, evil thing, a towering gateway like a fanged mouth, ancient bridges, causeways and roofs like wings, towers like horns and spines. The twisting road upward is like a black, glistening tongue.After considerable pause and some very mixed reviews, the consensus was to brave the slick pathway and enter the castle. If the Dark One really did have reservations about following them here, it stood to reason they'd be safer from him in the castle versus the small village. However safer from the entity of living wind and shadow did not necessarily equate to safe.
Lightning flashes, illuminating the whole of it, and the fog seems to show a hundred tortured faces."
"As you pass under the gates, all light sources dim to half their strength, even the Pureheart. It is a dark, snowy courtyard you ride into with not even the faintest hint of tracks. Gargoyles stare down at you from numerous perches, and the dead vines and flora of what must have been a beautiful garden once seem to encroach every second you're not looking at them directly, as do the shadows. High, gray stone walls and towers are like mountains all their own, with snowy tops. The place feels dead, barren.Colta and the other horses were petrified, flinching and kicking at things the group couldn't see. Selja calmed them as best she could, then dismounted with the rest of the group. They approached the doors, where Relic knocked on them with hollow, reverberating thuds.
There is one grand entryway up a few steps, its overhang toothed with icicles, the door itself a black wood reinforced with iron that could easily pass a full-grown giant."
"Suddenly both doors jolt and slowly swing open with loud creaks, mist pouring out of the castle interior. In the darkness you vaguely see a grand hall with a huge chandelier, Merlot-colored carpets flowing down staircases, suits of armor, tapestries, fine and claw-footed furniture and marble statuary.
High on the far wall is a huge portrait of a stately, middle-aged nobleman with stark black hair, chiseled features, dark clothing and a black cape with a red collar. He has a pale complexion and his eyes hold an otherworldly fire. Those eyes almost seem to stare down at you."Once everyone was inside, the doors slammed shut and a disembodied voice cackled maniacally.
Gh-ghost!
The group prepared for the worst, but got instead a pear-shaped ghost of a middle-aged majordomo. Gerald apologized and proved a sarcastic chap, insulting Diana and making unusual demands like the removing of shoes.
That didn't stop most in the group's jaws from dropping, including Relic, who feared the unnatural energy would fry his more sensitive circuits. Nevertheless the ghost passed through a few of them and determined their purpose. When he learned it involved Mistress Isabella, he sadly agreed to take them to the countess. He remarked they might want to keep their weapons close, as she was very close to her niece and there was no telling what she might do upon hearing the news.
"Gerald floats down a hallway and up a staircase. All the while, armor seems to turn a little to regard you, the eyes of portrait's trace your steps, things move aside in the shadows, floorboards creak, spiders scurry into corners, rats into the walls, and bats into the rafters.While the ghost called on his mistress, the group tried to make themselves at home in the dark, drafty castle. Diana flew to the harpsichord, doing quite well, while Giers, Thamior and Kaylan shared a miserable and awkward situation. Giers constantly avoided the feladrin, who seemed eager to be lambasted. Kaylan could only watch with disbelief as Thamior followed Giers around.
You eventually find yourselves in a third floor sitting room, with several large divans and couches, a large, extinguished hearth, a wide window with a view of the snowy, forested valley, and a harpsichord. There are several exits, including the way you came, but Gerald floats up another few stairs and to a closed door."
The ethrey eventually found a moment's peace near Diana, and he requested something heart-wrenching to pass the time. Diana played a hauntingly somber melody, the perfect music for her entrance...
Countess Angelique von Zarovich
The door suddenly opens, and in walks an elegant, pale-skinned woman. She wore a very well-made violet gown that she fit very well, and her raven black hair hung down to her waist. A single rose bloomed in her hair, though the most defining thing she posessed was a lute carried off her back by way of a strap around her front. She had an aura of composure and confidence about her that managed to fill the room up with her presence.The countess demanded introductions and welcomed (ordered) them to sit. However she didn't initially believe their claims of knowing her niece, despite the kind words Diana and Kaylan offered. When they delivered news of Isabella's death, Angelique stood and looked about ready to rip the sorceress apart, Relic coming to her aid, though for naught when she ended up asking for the ashes. Giers handed them over personally, assuring her he'd do whatever necessary to see her back alive.
Angelique looked at the ashes a moment or two, a trickle of blood escaping her eye, at which point Kaylan offered the notion that the girl could be raised.
Will You Brave the Night?
Musing over what might be done to remedy Isabella's condition, the countess listened the group's pleas. If she would contact Queen Victoria to come and take them to Etheria, High Priestess Finduilas could restore Isabella and Hulda to life.
Angelique outright refused, knowing Victoria's wrath would be terrible if she were to learn of her only daughter's death. Kaylan volunteered to tell her, but Angelique's mind had been made. She would instead resurrect the girl herself. Portia and Giers outright denied the claim, but the countess insisted to have a way. She only needed assurance the group was willing to give what it took. Almost without hesitation, her guests pledged their support, testament to the memory of her departed niece.
Count Strahd was a vampire lord of legendary power, nearly invincible thanks to three sites of ancient Barovian power called the fanes. If Isabella's ashes could be bound to the three fanes, Angelique could harness their energy to restore her to life. Unfortunately this was a one-time ritual and highly experimental at that, leaving Hulda's fate uncertain, but Giers agreed to it nevertheless, convinced once Izzy was restored they would all return home and his sister would find new life.
However, the countess didn't know the exact location of the three fanes. The group would have to strike out in the "morning" and see if they could uncover the information as furtively as possible. Once more, they could reveal no connection to Angelique, for she had many enemies who would quickly descend on them. Barovia was dangerous enough without such impediments, werewolves, hags, the roving dead, and things far worse, rumors of new evils rising in the wilderness.
Honored Guests
Angelique insisted the group stay the night as her honored guests, and Gerald appeared with a high stack of bedding. He led them to a row of guest rooms fit for high nobility, albeit a bit dusty and antiquated.
As they walked, the countess warned of the many dangers in the castle, things not bound to her, including the ravenous Brides in the lower crypts. Everyone would do well to stay in their rooms, and the men were advised not to sleep alone. Gerald chuckled and sunk down into the floorboards, while Angelique bid them welcome to Castle Ravenloft and vanished in a swirl of pomp and mist.
"I hope they survive the night..." She thought aloud.
Epilogue
Throughout the night, the party was visited by Angelique and otherwise harried by strange, prophetic dreams...
Midnight Discussion
The Best Friend's Aunt
Test of Honor
A Meaningful Chat
Love in a Dark Place
Dark Dreams
Kaylan
Selja
Thamior
Diana
Portia
Experience: 333 xp each (20,833 total)
Final Justice, 500
Saving the Darlings, 500
Defense of the Hearts, 500
Escape to Barovia, 500
Magic: Pureheart (Thamior)
Money: n/a
Loot: n/a
NPCs:
Argentum, Ezariel's white celestial charger; unfriendly to those he doesn't know, or perhaps those whose character he finds suspect
Majordomo Gerald, a snarky ghost charged with the maintenance and management of Castle Ravenloft under the Countess's reign; appears as a spectral blue man of middling age, pear-shaped, with a disinterested tone
Countess Angelique von Zarovich, resident noble vampire of Castle Ravenloft and the daughter of its infamous former count; a pale beauty with raven hair dressed in the finest gowns; she has access to a castle's worth of magic, gargoyles and mystery; Isabella's cherished aunt and King Dante's sister; Not fond of Queen Victoria
Count Strahd von Zarovich (mentioned), one of the most powerful vampire lords ever to have lived (so to speak), bolstered by artifacts and the energy of three ancient fanes; cursed when he killed his brother Sergei out of lust for Sergei's wife Tatyana; the deed slowly drove him mad over centuries of isolation, eventually driving him to kidnap a village girl named Ireena who he believed the reincarnation of Tatyana; slain two years ago by a stalwart band of misfits and outcasts
Current Quests:
Isabella's Ashes
Find the three Barovian Fanes and bind Isabella's Ashes to them
The Hunt for the Sunsword
See what you can uncover about the missing Sunsword on your travels
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