The Guvnor couldn't join us tonight as he was meeting his new grandchild, so we were a player down again with the potential of encountering Strahd himself. The session was nearly scuppered by my having to go to Peterborough with work at reasonably short notice for a meeting that was then cancelled as I drove down. I couldn't escape until late on because the Teams meetings I had on were all spaced too close together to get back up the A1. I ended up rushed and late because of lane closures due to a lorry crash and a delay getting out. However, we got just over two hours of play in, despite my lack of preparedness.
Our dramatis personae:
Ser Alys de Rouge (a half-orc Fighter with a soldier background, currently the leader of the town militia of Daggerford), played by Tom (Guvnor). Lawful Neutral
Kelwarin (Kel) (a half-elf Sorceror flush with the powers of wild magic, an outlander), played by Graham (First Age). Chaotic Good.
Gaddock Teeg (a halfling wizard and former prizefighter), played by Alex (Doggetay), Neutral Good
Ser Adon of House Starbright (a half-orc Paladin, from a knightly background, with two human retainers and a priest), played by Paul (dr_mitch). Lawful Good.
November 9th
The party went back to the Burgomaster's house and brought Ireena and Ismark up to speed on what had happened. As the sun was setting, they proposed that the funeral be held first thing in the morning. All the party took oaths that they would prefer to be slain or destroyed rather than to rise in undeath.
November 10th
Securing the family's two horses to the cart, and respectfully placing the coffin in the back, the party and the Burgomaster's children headed to the Church, the streets filling with Barovians who watched on, mists swirling around in the early morning haze. They saw that the people split into two; some dressed dribbly and downtrodden, others dressed brightly and full of smiles. None of them followed to the Church.
When they reached the Church, the Burgomaster's heirs asked where the Priest was. Ser Adon explained that he was a Paladin and would perform the service. Eloquent as ever, he convinced them. The reality was that after Kel's warnings about the Church and Father Donovich's son, Doru, they didn't want to get him involved. Ser Adon's senses showed some kind of undead - they assumed a vampire - in the crypt below the church and the presence of others nearby.
Between them, they dug the grave in the family plot, digging up earth filled with bones and insects. The service began late morning as the mists started to thicken. Kelwarin cast a light spell on the side of the church, illuminating the proceedings as the mist thickened. Ser Adon carried out the eulogy, accelerating when they heard the sound of horses and a carriage coming up the road.
As they came to the end of the prayers, which concluded with the Paladin threatening to slay the Burgomaster if he rose again, they saw a tall figure looming out of the mist, surrounded by loping wolves. The lord of Barovia was back. He called out for Tatyana to come to him, and Ireena looked confused. Strahd then locked eyes with Ismark and asked him to bring his sister to him so that he could take her safely home. After a moment of confusion, Ismark started calling out to his sister to come with him. Gaddock broke one of the windows, cast a spell at Strahd and then climbed up calling Ireena with him. Ireena climbed up, and Kel pushed her through before he cast a witch bolt at the Vampire. The heavens called and lightning came down, only to be met by an answering blast from Castle Ravenloft which dissipated the attack. It got increasingly confusing (I was struggling with Roll20 as I'd started late) and Ser Adon used his divine powers to try and hold Strahd in place while they entered the church. He then climbed through the second window which Gaddock had opened.
Kelwarin also escaped through the first window, into the church. There was the sound of a scuffle towards the entrance and some cries, and then a dark, handsomely dressed elven figure with a scimitar fled the church. Kel pursued, running past Father Donovich who had been slashed and was bleeding out. Looking out he saw a carriage that the figure was getting into, as wolves ran around it. He firebolted the carriage and set it on fire. It started to pull off into the mist.
A voice from the bell tower called out for Tatyana again and told Ismark to bring her to the castle. Ser Adon had a moment of doubt; had his God's power not been enough to stop Strahd? Ismark started to approach his sister, who started towards him as the voice called to her again and again.
Suddenly Kelwarin was slammed into the door, as a thin, wiry and desperate form - Doru, escaped or freed. Clawed hands grabbed him and then the teeth sunk in, and the creature started to suck his life force and blood out with apparent desperation. Ireena stabbed the creature when she saw what was happening but it seemed to hardly notice, focussed on the blood that it craved and had been starved from. Ismark called to his sister and she turned towards him. Gaddock cast a spell which blinded the creature and yet it still seemed to sense where its victims were. Ser Adon laid hands on the priest to heal him, and then drew his blade and entered the battle, invoking his God as he struck the creature of evil. Grimly, it held onto Kelwarin, sucking, sucking and draining his very life. Gaddock fired magic missiles into the creature. Kel broke the grip it had on him, and blood gushed from his neck. Father Donovich pulled his son to him, yelling "Don't kill him, it's not his fault", pulling his son close to feed on him, but his son was already weakened.
Kel and Ireena managed to break the hold of Strahd on Ismark, bringing him to his senses. Ser Adon struck one more blow, and the creature burned and then fell away into ashes. Father Donovich started crying in despair.
There was a loud bang above them; parts of the roof fell in and small fires were started. The party and priest retreated and spent the rest of the day and night in the Crypt amongst the graves and bodies of the congregation of old. Gaddock dreamed of Doru's fateful choice to attack Castle Ravenloft, a doomed expedition despite the presence of a firebrand mage. No one really slept.
11th November
At first light, they emerged to the smell of charred wood. The horses had been torn apart by wolves. The party gather supplies, planning to head to Vallaki the next day with Ismark and Ireena. They managed to secure a horse to pull the cart.
They discussed contacts; they were certain that they wanted to research how to lift the curse of vampirism and how to slay Strahd. They'd heard that there was a library at Krezk, some 15 miles down the valley. Perhaps this would be a good place to go after Vallaki?
GM Notes: This was a hard session as I had to do all the pre-work for Roll20 that I usually do in advance on the fly. Add to that the fact that Roll20's chat (and dice rolling) window was flaky requiring reloads of the screen. Plus I needed to add vision to all the tokens. Painful. Fortunately, the players were patient. I also find it frustrating that rules like grappling aren't kept together in the rules on the compendium; as I only had the adventure sourcebook and the screen from the Essentials Kit to hand it slowed things up. Fortunately, I have an Alex who has played 5e a lot so could let me know!
That's Barovia Village mostly done (for now); I just have two minor threads to tie into this as they leave next session.
Strahd, of course, is not yet fully engaged with the characters and is toying with them. They got a hint of his powers today.
Curse of Strahd will return on 4th November 2020
22 October 2020
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