Days 1–2: Death House
General Summary
Day 1 (Призрачнаялуна 5, 735/?)
Arrival in Barovia. Beginning of Death House adventure.Day 2 (Призрачнаялуна 6, 735/?)
Conclusion of Death House adventure. Our heroes meet Granny, Ismark, and Ireena. They accept the mission to escort Ireena to Vallaki. Osrin's first nightmare.Act 1, Scene 1: The Death House
Following the events of our prelude, our heroes found themselves unexpectedly enmeshed in the mists of Barovia. Finding themselves with little choice outside of following the path laid out for them, they found the ground beneath their feet changing from a dry desert road to a damp forest path, gradually becoming more defined until they realized they were on a road leading into a town none of them recognized, still as a graveyard, its tall, narrow buildings the tombstones. Upon entering the village of Barovia, they found only two souls to greet them: a boy and a girl, standing alone on the street, the boy crying wretchedly and the girl trying to comfort him. Our heroes, too soft-hearted to know better, followed the children's pleas to go into their house and deal with the monster inside, who howled horribly from the basement and was the reason they had run outside. Their baby brother Walter, they said, was still trapped inside, and they had no clue where their parents were. So our heroes began to get to know Barovia, where a child's cries are just as liable to be a trap as a tragedy, and they found themselves ensconced in the Death House, formerly home to the Durst family. While the lower floors seemed recently inhabited, as they went deeper they found that all was not what it seemed, from grim images hidden in the decor to suits of armour and broomsticks that attack when provoked. They found a hidden room, with one of the Death House's former victims desiccated inside, along with evidence of cult activity, and a scathing letter from someone named Strahd von Zarovich. By the time they found the ghostly crib, they were well aware that all was not well in Barovia; by the time they found the children's bones, their deaths were hardly a surprise. Rose and Thorn appeared once more, their forms ghostly now, seemingly with no memory of the trap that had lured our heroes inside in the first place. After a few failed attempts, Sylvain Vanborin permitted Rose Durst to possess him, and Bodaway unwillingly took on the spirit of her younger brother, both men unwittingly taking on some of the sibling's defining qualities. After a battle with a specter — the murdered nanny of the Durst family, who had likely birthed the stillborn son Gustav had lamented to an unsympathetic Strahd — the group made their way down via a hidden staircase into the bowels of the Death House, to confront whatever monsters slept there, and so free themselves. Sylvain suffered several brushes with death, first from the specter, then from a pit trap. The group explored, finding utterly unsurprising evidence of cult activity, and resisting the urge to touch several objects that probably would have tried to kill them if they'd chosen otherwise — or hey, maybe one of them was a "Get Out of Barovia Free" portal, who knows? Finally, after one uneasy long rest, they made their way to the source of the chanting that had been echoing around them since they descended into the Death House's dungeon: a vast chamber, steeped in foul water, with some strange altar at its center. When they went to the altar, the chanting changed, and shadowy figures appeared, intoning that ONE MUST DIE. Refusing to heed the Death House's demands, the group attempted to leave, and found itself enmeshed in a battle with a horrifying creature, part-putrid-flesh, part-rotting-vegetable-matter, which nearly took out two of their number in an attempt to absorb them. Eventually, the thing was defeated, and our heroes returned above ground in search of freedom. Unfortunately, they quickly discovered the Death House doesn't take kindly to loopholes, and they found themselves in a smoke-filled den, its doors replaced with swirling scythes, a mad skittering in the walls discouraging any plans to break through them. Bloody and bruised, they took turns diving between the blades, some of them using magic to help others of their number through. Finally, all five of them stood outside the Death House, clutching what scant treasures they'd acquired inside — some of it mouldering before their eyes in the dim grey light of a Barovian afternoon — having survived the first of what would prove to be several trials.Act 1, Scene 2: The Village of Barovia
The first living person to greet them in Barovia was a kindly old woman who introduced herself simply as Granny. A purveyor of fine pies, she fussed over the battered group, happily selling her wares to all of them — even her kerchief to Ri-An. She encouraged them all to make their way to the Blood on the Vine tavern, and while Bodaway scarfed down his pie, she hummed her way happily down the street, to sell more of her tasty treats to the villagers who so sorely needed them. Glancing back, the more observant members of the group were startled to see a basket lying in the street where none had been before. Approaching cautiously, they found it to be full of food and a bottle of wine, with a note in now-familiar handwriting: a brief letter from Strahd, welcoming them to Barovia. At this point, they probably thought they hated Strahd. How little they knew then of how deep that hatred could grow. They made their way through the largely deserted streets of the village of Barovia, past boarded-up houses and those whose doors and windows simply stay closed whenever possible, a vain attempt to keep out the horrors that prowl the land. Pausing to investigate a desolate sobbing and coming to the conclusion that it didn't seem to be urgent sobbing, they entered the Blood on the Vine tavern, finding it to be a rather somber sight — most of the patrons didn't bother looking up at them, while others seemed much too invested in pretending not to pay attention. The group made their way to an almost mechanical bartender, who only intoned the price of wine, and found themselves approached by a handsome, if tired-looking, man in his mid-30s: Ismark Kolyanovich, the son of the former burgomaster of the village, who unbeknownst to them had found himself only recently in position to inherit the title. Ismark offered to buy their wine, and offered more when they sat down: a hot meal, warm baths, and a place to stay the night if they could help him with a task. Still new to Barovia but not so naive as to make a deal without the terms clearly stated, they followed Ismark back to his home, passing the sobbing again on their way — they learned the sobber was a woman known as Mad Mary, whose young daughter Gertruda had recently run away, and who was almost certainly dead as a result. He led them to a once-proud manor house in a considerable state of disrepair, and they met the second of Kolyan Indirovich's two children: Ireena Kolyana, a beautiful woman in her mid-20s with dark hair who was extremely suspicious of the lot of them. Inside, our heroes learned the nature of the task Ismark had for them: a safe escort to Vallaki for Ireena, who had caught the eye of none other than Strahd von Zarovich. Twice now Strahd had charmed Ireena and drank of her blood, and the siblings feared that if he caught her once again, she would not return. Every night, Strahd and his minions had held their home under siege, trying to convince Ireena to come out — the stress had proven so great that their father, the burgomaster, had died of a heart attack three nights before. Since then, their evenings had been quiet; the siblings believed Strahd was allowing them time to grieve. But they knew this reprieve could not last forever, and Ismark was desperate to get Ireena somewhere where she would be safe. The nearest town, Vallaki, had not seen Strahd within its walls in over 100 years — only there would she be safe. He would offer the characters 50 gold if they could get her to safety. First, however, there was the small matter of the dead burgomaster. Ireena would not leave until she knew her father had been safely laid to rest. So it was agreed: our heroes would help get Ismark bury his father the following morning, and as soon as the deed was done, they would escort Ireena to the town of Vallaki. If all went well, they should only have to spend a single night on the road unprotected, after an initial evening with the nomadic Vistani.
Report Date
07 Jun 2020
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