Main

“Keep it going for a bit more.” - Myxi

“Wasn’t planning on stopping.” - Malevor

Key Developments and Revelations

• The main happenings the party want to keep tabs on or remember

Full Session Notes

At the start of the session, group 4 heads to the Janissary Fort, as we hear fighting from there, including cannons being shot. We make our way to one of the points where they’re holding of demons, and take our positions - ‘some’ deciding to walk in front of the actual barriers themselves.

The fight goes fairly well, as most members of the group dismantle the demon forces fairly easily. There’s a new type of demon that also shows up, the Demonic Slashers, and they prove themselves very deadly, as each of them manage to take down several guards before being slain themselves.

As the fight ends, the group hears more fighting coming from the bridge they crossed to get to the actual fort, and start making their way back. As we arrive, we see a new host of demons have shown up, including Tharaxis, one of the Seven.

We get ready to fight, and almost immediately, Tharaxis sets up a barrier to block the group off from getting her, and two chains shoot out from her abdomen, grabbing hold of Myxi and Malevor, and dragging them both into a demiplane of sorts. Here, the two of them have to hold their own against Tharaxis until the rest of the group shows up.

Outside the demiplane, there’s a small orb left behind at the place where Tharaxis, Malevor and Myxi disappeared, but the demons still stand, and the group starts fighting the demons to get to it.

Inside the demiplane, Malevor uses her Dragonmark to inspire a ferocity in Myxi, enhancing her speed and lethality. The fight becomes a large mess of Myxi and Malevor trying to catch up to Tharaxis, who is kiting them all around the demiplane while trying to shove them off the edge into the void below. The ferocity inspired within Myxi gives her the extra speed to catch up with Tharaxis, and she unleashes deadly attacks upon her. Upkeeping the dragonmark takes a toll on Malevor though, who becomes more and more exhausted, to the point where the fight becomes a one on one between Myxi and Tharaxis.

Finally, the rest of the group manages to take down the rest of the demons outside and get to the orb. Rhyndor shows up first, with Korrax polymorphed into a Tyrannosaurus Rex showed up. Tharaxis however teleports away, and with Malevor expending her last possible energy, she empowers Myxi, who goes on to kill Tharaxis.

The demiplane starts collapsing, and to get out, Myxi looks at the altar of what she figures out to be soul gems in the altar at the center platform. She realizes she can use these to channel more powerful magic than she usually can, at a high risk. Which this in mind, she manages to cast the Plane Shift spell, getting everyone out just in time before the demiplane collapses.

Here, Malevor and Myxi decide to head back to the Janissary Fort, as Malevor currently is exhausted to the point of being unable to fight or even move on her own. Korrax, Voranix and Rhyndor go towards the meeting point.

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At the Janissary Fort, Malevor and Myxi quickly rested up in the infirmary before being visited by the leader of the fort, Corbaci Kostas. He brings a couple of healers, who cast Greater Restoration on Malevor, and gives both Myxi and Malevor healing potions.

He asks them for assistance, as he is unsure to do. Gravewind just attacked the fort, but they managed to chase him off. Kostas says that either they stay here, where they, the around 500 Janissaries left standing, and the around 1000 civilians, can maybe last for a few days. They can also go with Malevor and Myxi and try to fight this thing at its core, where the other groups were going. After some discussion, where Malevor and Myxi want him to bring everyone, he decides to send half the Janissaries and himself with Myxi and Malevor.

They leave the fort, and blow up the bridge to the fort behind them. However, they don’t get far before Gravewind once again descends upon them, taking out more than 100 men with a single breath attacks, who all rise as zombies. Corbaci Kostas tells Myxi and Malevor to run, and bring a few Janissaries with them, and he will stay behind and fight. The two of them get a couple and make their way to the meeting point

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DATE: 26/01/2024

In-game Date Start: 9th of Calor, 959 A.D.

In-game Date Finish: 9th of Calor, 959 A.D.

Players Present

• Jeremy (Lavender/Alistair)

• Oskar (Luro/Myxi)

• Rasmus (Rydel/Malevor)

• Sari (Gabrielle/Kani)

• Sydney (Sanctuary/Vira)

Subbed Characters

• Everyone was present.

• Sydney played Korrax

• Jerm played Voranix

• Sari played Rhyndor

  Secret

Completed Quests

• Link to completed quests

Obtained Quests

• Link to quests picked up this session

Locations Visited

• List of Locations

Important NPCs Interacted With

• List of NPCs

Wall of Shame

• Sari - 6 min

• Oskar - 24 min

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Example

“We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto!”

Key Developments and Revelations

• After resting with the caravan, woke up in a strange land, full of eerieness, malice and fog.

• On finding a path and following it, they come to the Gates of Barovia.

• Here the party meets Strahd Von Zarovich for the first time. He insinuates that he knows everyone in the party except for Sunny.

• They follow the path, see a group of buildings, then beyond that a larger village overlooked by cliffs and a castle on it.

• Making their way to the group of buildings, the fog seems to follow them, and Kronkus & Sunny get lost in it momentarily, with their being some time dilation happening whilst in there.

• Making it to the hamlet, they find all but one of the buildings empty and dark. Two children rush to them, saying there’s a monster in their house, and that their parents are keeping it at bay in the basement, and their baby brother is upstairs.

• The party move into the house, finding that this seems to belong to the Durst family. Moving into a main room, they hear the sounds of a party from beyond a nearby door.

• Opening the door, all lights in the house go out, no people are in the room beyond. The front door and gate close and lock on their own. A wolf growls from somewhere in the dark.

Last Time, in Barovia…

Arrival in Barovia

• The party joined the caravan heading out of Daggerford. Each one joined for a different reason, and none knew the others.

• On the first night, the caravan rested early, having been delayed from its set off by a latecomer to the caravan.
  The latecomer, Marko, had setup a campfire with food and drink, and one by one offered, convinced or cajoled the party to join him at his fire.

• The night was spent with everyone learning little bits about the other, drinking, eating, and being merry. Late, Marko crawled under his wagon for sleep, and invited the party to rest by his warm fire, which they did.

• When they awoke, they were not in the same place. The wagon, Marko, even the caravan itself was gone. No tracks or signs of movement in the immediate surroundings. It was if they had been picked up and placed here.

• All of their possessions were gone as well, bar a few items that were kept close to them while they rested.

• Taking stock of this new land, they found it eerie, almost dripping with maliciousness. There is a thick fog, swirling as if with a life of its own. The trees seem different, twisted, gnarled and unnatural. The sun, while present, seems to have trouble penetrating cloud and fog, and does not give much light or warmth.

• While the party is taking stock of their situation, Kronkus finds that the long-silent voices have started whispering to him again.

• Sunny reached out to the Triple-Fish God, and found his connection was muted, but there was a new, strong core in that feeling that’s never been there before, almost certainly connected to the Triple-Fish God.

• Moving around, they find a rutted path leading east/west. Westward leads into a thick wall of shifting fog, east has the fog thinning. They head east for a few hours.

Meeting Strahd

• Ahead, the forest slightly parts, and they come to a huge stone wall, with a large metal gate in the middle. Out of the front of it, a pack of wolves are tearing strips off a very dead body.

• Sunny casts Thunderwave above the wolves, in an effort to scare them. They reel back for an instant before they turn to face the party, almost undaunted by the noise. A larger wolf then snarls and pads towards the party, teeth bared.

• As the large wolf lunges to attack, his is called to heel by a voice. A man appears at the top of the wall, who effortlessly walks down the side of the wall as if were normal, flat ground. As he gets to the ground and walks through the wolves, they let him pass. He also passes the large wolf, ruffling its fur.

• Walking up to the party, he introduces himself as Strahd Von Zarovich, ruler of Barovia, and welcomes them to his land. He acknowledges them as the latest batch of adventurers to be brought here, more pawns in the game.

• He looks at each member of the party, including the still hidden Wilfyr, attempting to meet their gaze. Those that do, feel drawn into that gaze, with the world around them starting to spin away. There is only Strahd. Strahd doesn’t hold them in this gaze for long.

• He speaks briefly to each member of the party. His speech infers that he knows each of the party members to some degree, or about their past. Except Sunny. Sunny seems to be the enigma to Strahd.

• He warns the party that they will find no rest or success in his lands, that it obeys his command. He also warns them to not meddle in his affairs, and that if they do not, then their stay won’t be unpleasant.

• With that, he turns and strides away towards the gates, swirling his cloak around him and turns into a cloud of bats that then flies through the bars and off into the air beyond. As Strahd leaves, the wolf pack dissipates,into the forest.

• Inspecting the dead body in the road, they find it horrifically mauled. On closer inspection, they find a crumpled, partially torn Kolyan Indirovich’s Letter that Wilfyr takes.

• The party then pushes open the gates, and walk through. The gates closes and locks behind them. Beyond is more forest.

Finding Shelter

• After a little while, the path comes to the top a rise, giving the party a clear view of a Barovian Basin of sorts. In the far distance can be seen a town. Next to that are some cliffs, with an ominous castle at its heights, overlooking the town. About halfway to this town, there seems to be a small group of houses. Seeing signs of civilisation, the party heads down the path into the valley beyond.

• As they’re walking, they notice that the wall of fog is forming up thicker and thicker behind them. Its almost like its keeping pace with them, slowing down and speeding up when they do. Kronkus & Sunny attempt to interact with the fog and walk back into it.

• They lose all visibility, and cannot hear, touch or see each other. They try to leave the way they came, but cannot get out, only walk into more fog. After 10 minutes, both of them exit the fog from exactly the same place that they entered into it. To the rest of the party, they have been waiting for them for an hour.

• Continuing on, the rutted road finally gives way to gravel and stone, as they draw closer to the hamlet of houses. The houses are dark, boarded up, and there are no signs of life. Except one.

• As the party moves between the buildings, the sound of a child sobbing draws their eyes, and they see a small boy and a slightly older girl walk towards them.

• They are wailing, and after being frightened by Kronkus’ approach (due to his unnatural visage) cry that there is a monster in the house, pointing to the lit up house.

• Most of the party dash into the house, while the kids say that their parents are in there, keeping the monster trapped in the basement. They also say their baby brother is still stuck up in his nursery. Sunny tries to convince the kids to come with the party into the house, but they refuse, growing more and more scared of going back inside the house.

• All but Kronkus move into the foyer finding family portraits across the walls, labelled as the Dursts. Kronkus remains outside to try and convince the children to come with them, but they run off. He turns and joins the party in the house.

• As they all step into a large main room, the sounds of a party can be heard coming from another room, from beyond a nearby door. Arkemon retrieves the longsword from above the mantlepiece, and goes back and retrieves the heraldic shield from the foyer.

• Wilfyr finds a door on the opposite side of the room to where the party noises were coming from, and as he approached, heard the growls of wolves coming from beyond it.

• Arkemon warns against opening that door, and instead opens the door that should lead to the party they can hear. As he opens the door, the sounds stop. There is no people in the room beyond. All the torches, fireplaces and candles in the house go out as the party is plunged into darkness.

• Behind them, the gate and door into the entrance to the house close on their own, and lock. And another wolf growls in the distance.

DATE: 13/04/2021

In-game Date Start:

In-game Date Finish:

Players Present

• Adam (Milo)

• Alex (Arkemon)

• Ben (Elgin)

• Chad (Sunny)

• Russ (Delta)

• Stephen (Wilfyr)

Subbed Characters

• Everyone was present for this session.

Completed Quests

• No completed quests

Obtained Quests

• Leave This Land

Places Experienced

• Gates of Barovia

• Barovian Basin

• Durst Manor

Important NPCs Interacted With

• Strahd Von Zarovich

• Rose Durst

• Thorn Durst

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Memorable Quotes

The best quotes of the Session:

“Caecus, lend her my strength.” - Malevor

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“No matter what happens, you make sure you finish this.” - Malevor

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“Why’re you looking at me? I’m not a healer!” - Voranix, after asking everyone who’s hurt.

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“Keep it going for a bit more.” - Myxi

“Wasn’t planning on stopping.” - Malevor

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“I’m sorry, Alune…” - Malevor to Myxi, before collapsing

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