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“The two young lovers paid with blood for that peace… What are you willing to pay?” - Alistair

Key Developments and Revelations

• The party acompanies Asger to Stillmoon

• while Gabe attends the meeting of the Northern Alliance leaders, the rest of the party go shopping

• A letter arrives: the former King of Hesca Hanadur Kiman pledges 800 soldiers to the forces of the loyalists

• The party reunites and teleports to the Feywild

• Renri rejoins the party

• In an inn they gather information about other champions and candidates

• They go to talk to Lirathen Bloomwind of the Spring court, who invited them to his mansion to prepare for Alistairs speech

• Alistair gets visited by a spectre (?)

Full Session Notes (Sari)

The party plans to head to Stillmoon to get non-detection amulets and scrolls of seeming for Alistair.

As they were getting ready to leave, Kharis approached and asked to speak to Gabriel in private. They walk a bit and Kharis starts to talk about how Gabe should leave, he understands he feels responsible for his people now but he should go with the group to fight against the real threat. Gabe hugged him and agreed. He thanked him for looking for him and that he didn’t blame him for leaving the twins with their father. Gabe also tells him about Morric’s soul and Kharis promises to look into it.

Together with Asger the party uses Windwalk to cut their travel time down. Arriving at Stillmoon the party notices ships of the Ascilian Empire patroling the shores. Gabe asks to attend the meeting with Asger while the rest of the group go shopping and make preparations for their time in the Feywild.

Inside the meeting room are Aleesia, Moriad and a man wearing a cloak with the Loflein emblem decorating the inside. After a bit of scrutinization Moriad introduces himself to Gabe before initiating the meeting making everyone promise that whatever is said in this hall shall not leave it. Aleesia summarizes the current situation of the war. In the East, Ascil is encroaching on their lands, Moriad’s forces are holding them back but they do not have the man to fully push them back. Highkeep is fortified, impossible to invade or attack. The forces inside are getting ready to march. It’s unclear if they are to head out south or west. They might even move towards Stillmoon.

In the south the forces are in a literal standstill. The Glory Hounds have the numbers to fight back against any attack, turning the lands basically into a meatgrinder for soldiers. Further technicalities are discussed in the meeting by Aleesia before its Moriad’s turn to speak.

Moriad and the man from Loflein, who is introduced as the Arbitar of Loflein called Cindred, confess to an ongoing operation they participated in to kill Thomas Hargrave, the head of the Glory Hounds and member of the council in Loflein. Thomas Hargrave is also mostly responsible for the warforged production and the consequent usage of warforged in the civil war. For every soldier they lose, a warforged is ready to take their place. Hargrave controls all of Loflein, and not even the Arbiter has enough power to hinder Hargrave or to take him down through legal means.

They planned to undermine Loflein and their allies, with Cindred infiltrating the higher ranks as an Aribiter, they also counted on the support of Umbermore. All this was to be done before Loflein and the Glory Hounds could start the war 6 years ago. The groundwork for this operation are still set in place, but for Umbermore to join the loyalists they promised to purge the Order of Embers and take care of the Monsters nesting in Umbermore. If the loyalists are able to fulfil this promise they could count Umbermore among their allies and possibly win this war.

Soren Adairn was also part of this operation and has already started to send his agents into Umbermore and infiltrate the order of embers. Any progress he had made though was completely erased when he was killed during the attack on Highkeep. The Raven, who was also part of this plot, was to assasinate Hargrave but failed, Cindred helped fake his death at his hand and that is how he became the Arbiter. While the order of embers are not directly responsible for the attack on highkeep, they were informed of Soren’s infiltration. Any agent or ally they had has now either disappeared or killed.

Aleesia and Asger are in outrage at this revelation with Aleesia accusing them of wanting to start a civil war before Hargrave and therefore accused of treason. It is unclear if they will face any punishment as in that moment a messanger arrives with a letter.

Hanadur, the former King of Hesca pledges 800 soldiers, marching under his banner to help the loyalists in their war as he believes in their union. Hesca itself did not decide yet but he has, so the Northern Alliance can count on his support from the south.

With this the meeting is adjourned. Gabe has a quick conversation with Cindred. Cindred asks Gabe to keep the children save before teleporting back to Loflein.

Outside Gabe confirms that he will tell the others of what has happened at the meeting and he will see if they are able to help when they return from the Feywild. They say their goodbyes before Gabe reunites with the party. He also leaves a letter summarizing everything with Amyha.

Sanctuary then gathers everyone together for Planeshift. Arrving in the Feywild Alistair updates everyone on his goals: their next step is to find an inn and gather information. He wants to find a possible candidate of the trials of any court who aligns with their goals. The Frostprince does not care for the material plane, so if he becomes the next Sovereign he can’t trust him to make the right decision and lend help against any upcoming danger.

Alistair casts Seeming on the group to avoid unwanted attention and for them to make it easier to blend in. As they travel, the owlbear cub in Sanctuarys satchel starts rummaging around and bumps into their old buddy, best friend, and saviour, Renri.

Renri explains that when he found out they would return to the Feywild he escaped so he is no longer grounded, although he has to wear a magical collar to surpress his abilites. Kani invites Renri to pick codenames for everyone after they explained their reason for their visit to him.

Alistair becomes Alexei, Gabriel becomes Riel, Kani becomes Ina, Rydel becomes Glaive and Sanctuary becomes Oasis.

On the next they are finally able to find a tavern, inside they split up to find information, while Kani and Renri get drunk.

Rydel finds out that the Summer court has picked a champion called: Solaris Mithdolin. The Mithdolin were also present at the dinner where Jachin was killed and they have fought alongside the party. Gabe hears that Spring has not chosen yet but favors an elf called: Lirathen Bloomwind. Sanctuary learns that some of the noble families of the winter court seem discontent with their champion the Frostprince Kaelithiel Nivalis, while the current frontrunner of the autumn court is: Mirelin Recrystal.

In further conversation Alistair also asks after the opinion of the people and hears that they vary. Some say that the court needs to unite to strengthen the Feywild, like Jachin had done. they know that people of the material plane had assasinated their last sovereign and some therefore agree that they shouldn’t offer their help to them. This was an attack against their people so they see the material plane as another threat.

Lirathen from the Spring court seems to reject those ideas, as he believe in strenght in unity. Alistair asks for the quickest way to the Spring court and gets told that the barkeep has a mediallion that helps against the disorientation in the Feywild.

After getting that, the group leaves to find the spring court. As they walk Rydel and Alistair have a conversation where Alistair asks Rydel how he could have known that his brother would make a good leader. Rydel says that he didn’t but that his faith in his brother was enough. He knows that aurelius is a good man and trusts in him to make the right decisions. No matter what or who Alistair chooses to support Rydel (and the party) will be with him, even if he decides to go after the crown himself.

They arrive at the Spring court and Alistair is able to find Lirathen quickly after asking around and is directed to the theater. On the way Alistair also leaves a few orders with seamstresses for outfits and commissions pendants for everyone in the group. He designs it to look like a platinum dragons is wrapped around the Planar Tree, its wings in a protective stance covering half of the tree.

They join the crowd at the teather and see Lirathen playing music for a play of the old tale of Romelo and Juliane, two fey of enemy courts that find love within each other but had to die to finally be united. Afterwards Alistair approaches the stage where Lirathen is tuning his instrument. When the guards stop him he casts Suggestion and is let through while the rest of the party wait.

Lirathen asks Alistair to take a seat at his side to talk. Alistair does so. Lirathen says that he believes there to be good in everyone and everything, and expresses his gratitude to his supporters when Alistair tells him he has heard them praise Lirathen. When asked what he thought of Jachin, Lirathen says that jachin was able to unite the Feywild and their courts through fear. He had control not by being loved by his people but by the iron grip he had on them, they found stability because of fear and only because Jachin wanted it. Lirathen instead sees potential in unity. They have fallen from their ways, courts infighting and fighting against each other and he wants them to find strength in their unity. After hearing this Alistair reveals his true identity to Lirathen.

He says that he is the one to kill Jachin and asks Lirathen to summon his court for an announcement. Alistair wants to speak to them, reveal who he is and what his goals are and if the people want to, have them pick between Lirathen and Alistair as their champion.

Lirathen seems intrigued, and offers Alistair an even bigger audience than just the spring court. In two days he had arranged for a play of one of his pieces in the capitol. Everyone of importance will be there, Alistair could take the stage there and present his ideals, tell his story and his message to everyone as part of the performance. he even offers Alistair to modify the play together which Alistair happily agrees to and they start to work immediately.

After a good while Lirathen invites everyone into his mansion for dinner and rest before they leave towards the capitol. The group agrees and during dinner Seeming falls away, revealing everyones true face. When Lirathen sees Renri he promises not to comment even though he knows of his current ‘punishment’. He will say nothing to no one unless of course its Silvanus himself asking him. Renri then hides in a satchel with his food.

the group is then lead to their quarters and Alistair thanks a servant for his help before asking him to gather his orders from the seamstress. The servant happily turns to leave when a skeletal hand appears from the dark, wraps around his face and seemingly kills the servant. A gravely voice speaks to Alistair, telling him that they should talk.

End session.

DATE: 08/12/2024

In-game Date Start:

In-game Date Finish:

Players Present

• Jeremy (Alistair)

• Oskar (Ahmya)

• Rasmus (Rydel)

• Sari (Gabrielle/Kani)

• Sydney (Sanctuary)

Subbed Characters

• X played X / Everyone was present.

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 - 3 min (on top of the extra 15 mins trym gave)

• Oskar - 11 min (on top of the extra 15 mins trym gave)

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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:

“The two young lovers paid with blood for that peace… What are you willing to pay?” - Alistair

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