GC Dungeons and Dragons Part 7: In Barovia, Bears Poke You!

In which we do some traveling.


We skipped a week because Balazar, Vivi and Sadun (myself) were traveling over the holidays. The rest of the group ran a one-shot adventure which I hope someday to hear about.

The session begins with the DM filling us in on the last two fortune cards Madame Eva read to us (the two she technically told us last session, but which he had forgotten to write down). The first card tells of one who will help us confront evil: it's blank, we have to face the evil of this land alone. I hope that means alone but as a group, not alone as in all but one of us dies and the last one standing has to face evil... The final card will lead us to our enemy: Look to the Father's Tomb. Enigmatic.

So now we pick up with "What did Strahd say to you Balazar?" Balazar explains Strahd just showed up and talked to him when he was alone on the road inexplicably, that Strand said he was just scoping our group out, and Balazar didn't think that was a big enough deal to mention. At the inexplicably on the road part, Talna says "sorry about that" under her breath, but Elle and Sadun hear it and shoot her a look. Gilligan and Talna exchange a glance, and Gilligan attempts in a very obvious fashion to distract us from the matter when Elle attempts to press the point. Elle and Sadun realize that Gilligan and Talna know something about Balazar, but we can't get them to admit what's going on to us at this point.

Gilligan, changing the subject, asks Madame Eva about the Vistani's allegiance, and why they stay here if they can leave. Madame Eva explains she stays because Strahd needs her. She is on Strahd's side, but he is cursed, and she wants him freed of that curse by any means necessary. Further questions lead to her explaining that yes, Strahd knows he is cursed, but Madame Eva thinks he is tired. He is connected to Barovia somehow, and his gift is also his curse, that of immortality. She won't tell us how it happened though. Hard to say if she knows and won't say or if she's ignorant of the details there.

She warns us not to make deals in Barovia, as we will be held to them. Well, we made a deal with Ismarck, we'd best not renege on it I guess.

We ask about Strahd's focus on Irena, and she says Strahd feels he has a connection to her, and therefore that she belongs to him. Vivi remarks that this is remarkably creepy.

At this point, Madame Eva kicks us out of her tent, but invites us to stay in the camp as long as we like, and if there are any items we'd like from them we have but to ask. (We don't ask...)

We stay overnight, by the time we finished talking it was getting late, and we are nervous about traveling at night here. Vivi sets off to explore the camp, and immediately barges into a tent with two sleeping naked people in it. Flustered, Vivi quickly moves to a different tent. This one is empty of people, and inside is a book of spells. Vivi spends the rest of the night copying the spells they find into their spell book, even the ones that are too complex to cast at this point. (One of them is the 9th Level spell Wish. Vivi's player remarks that there can be no downside to having access to that one.)

Meanwhile, Elle, Balazar and Garland find another tent where some Vistani are gambling at a dice game, and join them. Elle wins a few rounds, but the first time she loses they quit gambling and begin looting the camp. Elle finds a pile of gold, but unlike the gold we're used to, these coins are embossed with Strahd's face. (We recognize it from his statues and paintings we've seen around).

Talna takes some time to attune to the Ring of Firm Grip... which grips her finger very firmly. She cannot remove it, but discovers that it allows her to cast the Mage Hand cantrip, so she has some fun throwing rocks across the river with magical hands.

Sadun spends some time conversing with the Vistani around the campfire about local foods and safe things to eat. Most interesting is that they eat a lot of fish which they gather by spearfishing from the river. Mostly for fun it sounds like, but Sadun has javelins, those could be used for spear fishing!

Gilligan observes another group of Vistani partying, drinking until they drop. He feigns drinking and questions one of them. The Vistani welcome Gilligan, pressing drinks on him which he subtly dumps out a little at a time. The person he talks to knows the name Stanimeer, the man who we met at the very start of the campaign, whose fingers Balazar still wants to remove. Stanimeer is rumored to be in Vloki right now. Hmm, that's a good reason to head there. Gilligan asks about their traveling, and the Vistani tell him they got to Daggerford by walking through the fog. Startled, Gilligan asks about the dangers of the fog, and they explain that because they are Vistani, different rules apply to them.

Elle, Balazar and Garland meanwhile continue to loot the place, including stealing some brightly colored but ill fitting outfits. (The Vistani are all human, while Elle is a much shorter gnome, and Balazar much taller dragonborn...)

We head back to meet Ismarck and Irena at the church in the morning. When we arrive, Bismarck asks what took so long, but we explain that we didn't want to travel at night. Since it took us most of the day to get back, Ismarck then remarks that it's not a good idea to travel at night, so we'd best sleep in the church. Way to steal our ideas dude.

So we sleep again, and at 2 AM are awakened by howling. Gilligan and Elle run to the chapel windows, and see, behind the ghostly procession, glinting eyes in the woods beyond the graveyard. Elle is able to make out shadowy figures in the trees, looking at the church. Sadun joins them, and we set up some watches, but the night passes uneventfully. The largest of the figures leaves during the third watch, and Vivi notes that when it departs, the rest of the shadows follow.

In the morning we prepare to leave for Vloki. Ismarck has a carriage, with two horses. We decide to take that so we don't have to all walk the whole way. To supplement this transport, Vivi casts and maintains Tenser's Floating Disc. Not being one to live with a simple solution when a more complex one is available, Vivi sorts things out as follows: Vivi, Ismarck, Irena, Garland and Talna ride in the carriage. It's a bit tight, but they make it work. Gilligan and Elle ride on the roof of the carriage. Balazar and Sadun ride on the disc, being the largest of the party this will help keep the horses from tiring. As the disc is only 3 feet in diameter, we tie the two dragonborn together so they don't fall off or wear themselves out trying to stay on board. The disc automatically follows Vivi. The people in the carriage also take turns walking alongside so the horses don't get too tired out and the people inside can stretch out a bit.

Artist's rendition of the travel arrangements

We successfully travel for two days this way. The third day involves more walking as Vivi is unable to keep focus on the spells, possibly worn from the travel so far, but their focus is back on the 4th day and we reach a crossroads, with Vloki and Ravenloft to the north. A gallows sits at the side of the crossroads. We look up which way to go to get to Vloki; apparently it's the same route as Castle Ravenloft, but Ismarck assures us the road splits again later and we can skip the castle.

As we turn to leave the crossroads, we hear a creaking noise. Turning around we see a figure has appeared, handing from the previously empty gallows. Vivi remarks "Creepy." It is a gray indistinct body, from its size maybe 10 to 12 years old, which slowly turns in the breeze to regard us with staring dead eyes. "Creepier" Vivi amends.

Talna reacts to this by raising her holy symbol aloft and channeling her divine power to Turn Undead. The figure does nothing, but Balazar reacts to that. He instinctively tries to run, but is still tied to Sadun on the disc. His sudden movement takes Sadun by surprise, and the two fall of the disc, Balazar trying to crawl away from Talna while Sadun, tied to his back, stares at the sky. Sadun and Vivi simultaneously shout "What the hell?!" and Talna cancels her attempted turning. Elle glares at Talna as Sadun unties herself and she and Balazar stand back up.

Meanwhile, Gilligan is particularly unnerved. "Guys, are you seeing this? That's me up there!" The rest of us are confused, seeing only a decaying gray body. Gilligan attempts to sense evil, but gets no readings. However as he does so the body reverts back to its anonymous nature to his eyes as well.

Behind the gallows Talna sees some bats flying away. Vivi approaches the figure on the gallows to investigate, but as they start to prod at it the body decays rapidly away, until it is nothing but ash blowing in the wind. The bats start flying away, and an incensed Talna fires at one with her crossbow, winging it, but all the bats escape. Seeing nothing else to do here, we travel on towards Vloki.

We go another day, and reach a large stone bridge spanning a chasm. A nearby waterfall feeds the river under the bridge, and stone gargoyles flank the bridge entrance. As we approach, we see a cloaked figure standing on our end of the bridge, as though waiting for us. We approach to shouting range and attempt to hail the figure, but get no response. Sadun, Gilligan, Elle, Balazar and Garland get off their respective conveyances and walk closer, until we can make the cloaked shape of a humanoid in more detail. Well, as much detail as the blank cloak allows. Talna and Vivi remain behind with the carriage.

Elle opens negotiations. "Hey buddy, you ok?" Balazar asks "Why are you guarding a bridge like a troll?" We get no response. Gilligan casts a blessing on Sadun, Balazar and Elle, as the figure removes its hood, revealing a masculine pink elvish face. He sighs, swishing his cloak aside to reveal a scimitar and says "You guys are a waste of time." He paces back and forth across the bridge. "I mean, I want to fight you, but you're not worth my time. But then, my lord commands and I obey."

Gilligan again attempts to sense evil, and the waves of evil washing off this figure assault his senses. He shouts a warning but it's too late, the figure appears next to Gilligan in the blink of an eye, saying "You smell like a paladin." The elf starts to laugh, and in his laugh we hear the sounds of thousands of people in chorus laughing, then screaming in pain. And we also feel the pain, as the entire forward group doubles over from the psychic assault. (We all failed our wisdom saves and took a massive 17 damage, which is more than half Sadun's total HP.) Time to Roll Initiative!

To be continued!