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Session 7: When the Dead Remember

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“It’s violence for different reasons, and if you can’t see that, we’re done talking.” - Cain

Key Developments and Revelations

  • We have the ceremony, where we get handed our prices - gold and a magic item

  • We go to the waiting room afterwards, which turns into a big debate between the entire party about violence.

  • The party splits up, going different places, doing their own thing for a bit

  • At last, the party reunites to talk it out, and goes to drink

  • When heading back to the Silver Scale, the party meets Cael Dane, who offers them a job.

Full Session Notes (Written by Sari)

We defeated the “Silvers”, with Trouble being the last member standing. The whole arena cheered our name as we got helped out back into our waiting room.

Cain walks over to where Cha’askani is sitting and helps her up. They walk past Magnus, who’s laying on the ground, his eyes open and a disappointed expression on his face.

In the waiting room, Yennfyr ready with healing equipment like bandages, patches us up. Rydel regains consciousness as we review the fight. Sanctuary asks us to train together so we can get a little bit more in tune with each other.

Johan slips that the battle felt like he was back in Loflein but didn’t elaborate when Sanctuary asks for clarification.

We get cleaned up for the ceremony and Cha’askani decided to stay behind, asking Rydel to pick up her medal or award or whatever comes with it. The rest of the party joins the other groups, Sanctuary reminding Johan that she heard what he had said and that their conversation is not yet over.

The awards were handed out by Aleesia and other award givers (among them none other than a huge Goliath, older and scarred, our boy Asger)

We are awarded with 1000 gp each and an additional magical item: a dragon vessel, flask with golden platings depicting two dragons. Rydel takes it.

Johan invites Asger for drinks, but gets rejected.

With the awards handed out and the ceremony ending, the party leaves to the waiting room, when Magnus steps up and tosses his brooch to Rydel. He wants Rydel to hold onto it until he wins it back. Rydel, however, doesn’t catch it and just lets it fall to the ground. After a little bit of banter and iconic quotes and burns being dropped, Alistair takes the brooch from where Rydel let it fall. Magnus swears to defeat us.

Johan again slips into his hatred for nobles, which Magnus catches on. He says that there are some nobles who are good people and that he needs to be more considerate of the ones around it, pointing out Sanctuarys origins and when he leaves with the rest of his group only Trouble remains. Trouble approaches Sanctuary and asks if she’s a noble from Liberty. Their conversation proceeds in Infernal which is why the rest of the group slowly continue their way back into the waiting room.

Sanctuary responds to Trouble’s accusations, saying that she is no longer a noble and even though her culture is of ‘butchers and bastards’ Sanctuary tries to make it better, while Trouble only wishes death and ruin on the nobles of Liberty. He asks if she knows of the incident with the Jakol family, where a family of two humans and their tiefling son got assassinated in a fire by another noble family. Sanctuary assumes/reveals that Trouble might be the surviving son.
He continues to threaten her which makes her walk away even though he said he wasn’t done yet.

While the party got cheered on in the arena, Cha’askani remains in the waiting room with Yennfyr. When he asked her why she didn’t join she says that she’s not much of a crowd person, not much for ceremonies and awarding for something like fights either and that it’s fine for she only needs to be seen for that one part of her which is violent.

The group reunites in the waiting room, where Cha’askani asks after what Magnus has said to them down there and if the party is ready to defeat him out there in the ‘real world’, if the party is ready to kill him if he decides to come after us. This upsets Rydel and ensues in a confrontation between Rydel and Cha’askani that almost ended in violence until Alistair stepped in to calm them down.

Rydel left, Cha’askani seething in the corner while the rest of the group continue in their heated discussing of when violence is allowed in what circumstances and why.

The party splits to cool off with Johan going to a bar alone, where he is found by Baran and Ulysse, cheering him up with drinks and company.

Cha’askani is restless and, with what Rydel had said in mind she tries to cool off in bars but doesn’t settle down until she goes back to the training facilities in the Northern Alliance Guild buildlng. There she finds Vadryn, who, after asking him if being ‘able to handle herself’ is enough tells her a bit about his mentor who she reminded him off. He was/is an adventurer in a group who split up due to some circumstances and even though he had the opportunity to return to them he didn’t and now is miserable for it. Being alone is not the right way for people like them.

Cain goes after Rydel, who retreated into a forest. They drink together, talking about what has happened and Cain says that the things said in the room were things that had to be said at some point. Even to Rydel.

Even though the mood was brought down, Cain thinks that the group is still going to remain together and we will find a way forward.

When they return to the city, Cha’askani crosses their path on the bridge, where she steps up to them and apologizes, admitting that she is comfortable with them only seeing her violent side, because it is all that she has left. But that she is sorry. Rydel apologizes as well, offering their support for whenever she needs them, that he wants to support her even if she doesn’t need it.

In the meantime, Alistair is drowning his worries in alcohol with a halfling lady, reluctantly trying to cheer him back up, before Rydel, Cain and Kani find him there.

Rydel sends Syphax to get Johan and Sanctuary back to them.

The group reunites in the bar. Johan and Kani playfighting roughly before being thrown out by a big orc guy. We decide to head back to the inn, with Johan and Kani still bantering and drunk until Rydel steps in to support Johan and gets hugged by the big beefy idiot. Kani masterfully avoids his attempts at hugging her, but all in good humor they make their way back to the inn.

A knight with a blue cloak and black griffin inprinted on it awaits them there, requesting them to take a mission from the Aidarn family. His name is Cael Dane.

He asks them to meet him at Haverton, a city between Highkeep and Stillmoon in 10 days for an extermination mission, which the group accepts.

DATE**: 02/04/2023**

In-game Date Start**:** 1st of Midsommer (01/05/958)

In-game Date Finish**:** 1st of Midsommer (01/05/958)

Players Present

  • Jeremy (Alistair)

  • King (Johan)

  • Rasmus (Rydel)

  • Sari (Cha’askani)

  • Sydney (Sanctuary)

  • Trym (Cain)

Subbed Characters

  • X played X / Everyone was present.

Completed Quests

  • Won the Tournament

Obtained Quests

  • Clear bandits harassing people at Haverton

Locations Visited

  • At least 15 different bars.

Important NPCs Interacted With

Wall of Shame

  • Sari: 1 min - sari stuff

,

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

,

Memorable Quotes

The best quotes of the Session:

“Seems it’s a bit harder to beat someone who’s not running away from you?” - Cain to Magnus as he’s walking out of the arena.

“If you want to speak to me, then speak to me with respect. All beings are worthy of respect” - Sanctuary to Trouble

“You wanna fight to win back your Silver brooch?” - Alistair to Magnus

“We’ve both seen how violent the world is. But while you face the violence with violence, I try to face it with good. You only feed it.” - Rydel to Kani during their argument

“Some people go out to fight violence, some people go out to cause it” - Cain

“It’s just violence” - Alistair

“It’s violence for different reasons, and if you can’t see that, then we’re done talking” - Cain

“I was reborn in violence - you don’t know me!” - Kani to Rydel

“It wasn’t my business, and I don’t know if I should have interjected, and Jesus Christ this cold air isn’t good for my skin.” - Alistair, crying to some random Halfling in a bar

“It’s not them, it’s you” - Vadryn to Cha’askani, talking about them breaking down her walls

“Could you just be a little more considerate of those around you?” - Magnus to Johan, referencing Sanctuary.

“When did you become so solid?” - Johan to a pillar he thought was Cha’askani

“I was murdered by a man who believed he was righteous. Who are you to be the judge, jury, and executioner?” -Alistair, getting spicy to the party

“Who decides what justice is? Those at the top or those with no voice?” - Johan

“I don’t need you to see me, because there’s nothing else but this. All that’s left is rage and anger and hatred and I need to break something…or someone.” - Cha’askani to Rydel when she apologized

“For years, there were people who desperately wanted him to come back, but he wouldn’t let himself. And when I did see him again, he was the most miserable person I’ve ever seen” - Vadryn talking about Petir