Rotation Number: 5 2020 *yes thats next year! (continuation)
Ref Name: Inept
Game System: 5e
Scenario Name: The Curse of Strahd
New Characters: maybe
No. of Players: Andy B, Bane, Doug, Alex (+1 if required) please confirm you wish to continue!
The challenges of Waterdeep are many and varied, non so much as those offered to the newly formed Company of the Silver Shield. This mighty adventuring band entered the fabled city of dreams and immediately took on a quest to retrieve the goods of a local merchant. A simple task leading to a battle with a mage and his minions. Succeeding in their quest the group returned to their patron with the captive mage in tow, only to find the building aflame and the signs of an attack by the forces of darkness! Rescuing their patron, the heroes are richly rewarded and asked to trace the source of the attack, whilst the patron extracts useful information from the captive mage.
Battles with undead creatures in the Rozmar crypt lead to a confrontation with the perpetrator of the crimes at a Waterdeep dockside warehouse where a dark ritual is occurring. They find the perpetrator is non other than their patron, Valan Kareem, and one of his sacrificial victims is the captured mage! Despite their best efforts the heroes are unable to prevent the ritual but do succeed in killing one of Kareem's minions (a rogue), they attempt their escape but a dark fog arises from the ritual circle engulfing them all in its moist cloying embrace, the fog growing thicker, muffling out the sound of docks and others save the laughter of Valan Kareem.
As the dark fog clears the cool damp mist is almost a relief for the luckless Heroes who find themselves transported to a place of darkness and gloom and see ahead of them a road. The area is unnatrurally silent, as if somehow stagnant or petrified, and eerily silent. The bodies of the slain rogue, and the sacrifice victims surround them and a set of large gates proclaim them about to enter the town of Barovia.
Looting bodies for items of value, the heroes enter the eerie gates, that screech like the shrilling scream of a woman or child.
Moving through the gates, they close behind the heroes, with a clang and a screech that could almost be shrill mocking laughter. The dirt road is bordered by trees on other side, dark and forbidding in the mist, and unnaturally close together, the oppressive gloom under their boughs seems to intimidate and prevent those seeking to pass between the trees. The scent of recent decay in the air triggers a brief search of the road and the body of a commoner is easily found... he has been dead for days, his decaying flesh apparently pecked at by carrion birds that are nowhere to be seen... In his hand a letter is grasped. it bares a strange note about someone called Ireena, who is the victim of a vampire attack, and who needs help. Ominiously the note clearly advises those reading it to leave immediately and seal the borders of the land... it is signed Kolyan Indrirovich Burgomaster of Barovia.
After hours of travel, the group approach the village as darkness falls, and find it silent, with little or no movement, occupants of dwelling are hidden in houses with shutters closed and curtains drawn, they do not respond to knocks at the doors. Strangely, many of the windows are shuttered on the inside...
Entering the town, the heroes hear the sound of sobbing, and follow it to its source. a property at the centre of town, but the occupant does not reply to a knock at the door..
Entering the town square, the heroes not that Bildrath's mercantile is closed, but the shining light of the Blood of the Vine Inn shows it to be open, indeed the only premises with an open door or visible light. Entering they make the acquantance of the inkeep Arik who provides supper and a room for the night. The heroes also note the presence of some colourfully dressed individuals (Latrer identified as Vistani gypsies) and meet Ismark Idriovich, a gregarious chaps who is quick to identify the vistani as spies for 'the Devil Strahd'. Ismark provides. After brief introductions, it is obviously that Ismark sees an opportunity. He requests help from the heroes to get his sister to safety. He also confirms that Strahd is a vampire lord terrorising the town.
After an unnerving night, the heroes obtain equipment form the merchant, paying far over the price for basic goods. they then make their way to the house of the burgomaster and note the signs of many wolves and men around the house. it is sealed tight with reinforced shutters and heavy oak doors, showing scratch marks and light damage. They meet Ireena. She requests that they help her bury her father who died a few days ago... she advises she wont leave until his soul is safe, and that he needs to be buried as the light of dawn strikes his grave, in the blessing of the morning-lord so that his soul is protected from evil.
The party visit the church he provides to make arrangements and come upon a haggard priest Danovich. The old man is exhausted and dishevelled his church is a wreck with broken pews and candles all around. The unearthly scream from below causes the priest to begin his prayers again, but he warns the heroes that it is his fight. he will bury the Burgomaster if they can arrange to get the body to him before dawn.
Taking their ease once again at the tavern, the gloom is lifted by the approach of a fine carriage and horses, and the group get their first sight of Count Strahd von Zarovich who politely waits for them to finish dining. he welcomes them to Barovia and asks for a small favour... could they 'sort out' the house of the dead for him, apparently his subjects are concerned about it. Strahd pays for the meals and provides a sum of 100gold for the task behind the bar with Arik...
Resolving to complete the count's quest first, the party approach the Dead House...
