As we inch closer and closer to D12’s favorite holiday, I decree it’s time to break out the bottles of Barovian Red: I’d like to propose a toast. A toast to TWENTY YEARS of spooky Ravenloft goodness. A toast to a Land that has captivated the minds (and souls) of countless victims. A toast to the highest selling D&D module of ALL time.
What better way to celebrate Halloween 2003 than by bustin out the One. The Only. The Legendary. The original I6 Ravenloft module!!!! Put your blunts in the air, and throw back your glasses of Hennessey! We gettin fire-trucked up tonight! Whoooo!!!
So come along with me on a journey back in time, on a wild mish-mesh roller coaster of 1, 2, 3 and 3.5 E. I am hereby announcing a new Halloween tradition at the MSD Gaming Table ‘O Doom: Helloween is I6 time. Let’s get right down to business.
Luckily for me, I’ve got access to both the original I6 module (no reprints) as well as the revamped 2E module Return To The House Of Strahd. But for my first time running this adventure in its entirety (a few aborted missions back in the day), I’m going off the I6 version. For some reason, it just feels different from the 2E reprint. Granted, the maps and posters included in Return are much crisper and way iller overall, there’s just something about the original module that gives me goosebumps. Can’t really explain it.
So let’s begin with a few thoughts from Behind the DMz Screen.
As Halloween 2003 came creeping up, I KNEW I had to celebrate it in style. And with the copyright date on I6 reading “1983”, now would be the perfect time to blow the dust off the thing. Happy 20th, RL! So at the conclusion of last weeks session, I told the players we would be making some new characters for a one-shot trek. I kept them in the dark about the nature of this quest, so the Hype Machine was working overtime. I just told them to prepare for something “epic”.
So what, so what, So What’z The Scenario (like A Tribe Called Quest and Leaders Of The New School)? Well I’ll tell ya. The scenario is as thus: the players are to create two characters, with a total of 25 levels shared between them. However they wanted to assign the levels is on them. Now, you can yell, scream, hoot and holler at me all you want, but remember one crucial fact: this is my game, my ship, I run it how I see fit.
Count Strahd von Zarovich is the lynch-pin of Ravenloft. There were none before him, and there shall be none after. In all the countless realms of D&D, Strahd is by far the illest villain. He’s the fire-truckin man. Straight up. In MY mind, can’t NOBODY fire-truck with Strahd. NOBODY. He can roast that corny FR guy with the pointy hat. Drizzt’s cool and all, but he can’t touch Strahd. Neither can Mr. Sunstar. Dark Sun Sorcerer-Kings? Knights of the Crown? King Azalin and his corny conglomeration of wanker homos? Naah, son. Can’t nobody see my man Strahd.
So with that being said, I recrafted Count Strahd von Zarovich in the image I see him as. Which is to say, close enough to Epic Level to make any player sweat bullets. This is no lil’ kids game. Strahd is strictly for the grown folk. Get at me, dog.
Editors Note: The players will be identified by their official Ravenloft character identify, per the ongoing MSD Grand Conjunction campaign. See my other posts on the boards here. To protect the guilty, no Government names will be used in the production of this thread.
Count Destanial Magorian
Destanial jumped at the opportunity to create some new characters, but chose to divvy up the character levels a bit awkwardly (if you ask me). His two characters are:
Lord Keal Velgaron: Level 20 Fighter/Weapon Master. He’s a Lord of his own land, and one of the illest swordsman in all of Ansalon. Upon receiving the plea for help from the Barovian Burgomaster, he immediately set out to right the wrong. He brought with him his adopted daughter, and Destanial’s second Player Character…
Celine: Level 5 Psionic. Celine is a young girl (10 years old) who was rescued by Lord Keal Velgaron from the ravages of war in her land. The young girl was rendered mute by the horrors she witnessed, but her uncanny innate connection with the Lord allows them to communicate freely, via telepathy. The Lord is aware of her tremendous powers, and that is why she is accompanying him on his newest quest.
Misha Tha Lost
This is our female player, who by now is well-accustomed to gaming in general and gaming with US in particular (it’s a unique style, you gotta practice). She broke up her character levels a bit more evenly, and divided them between a brother and sister tandem.
Marko: Level 15 Fighter/Druid/Rogue: A fallen ruler (seems to be a recurring theme with her characters) who was ousted by his own uncle. Now, he is in search for the wealth and power to gather his own army and reclaim his kingdom. That is why he eagerly jumped at the opportunity to answer the Burgomasters call for help. Especially when the Burgomaster mentioned lots of material wealth. Marko brings with him his younger sister, and Misha’s second Player Character…
Jadzia: Level 10 Fighter/Rogue. She is the younger (and colder) sister to Marko. She follows her brother with blind faith, and she too seeks to reclaim their past glory.
Lord Alexus Darkangnon
Surprisingly to me (and disappointing as well), Alexus was not as stoked about this game as the rest of us. He just “didn’t see the point” in creating a new character for a one-shot adventure. Again (for those who don’t know), Alexus is definitely more of a role-player than a roll-player, and he was thinking it would be a waste to put so much effort into these characters, only to retire them in a week or two. It took some MSD-styled persuasion (in conjunction with a fat wrap or two) to get him to see things my way. But even still, he only ended up making ONE character (he puts WAY too much thought into his guys). So Alexus’ lone Player Character is:
Gutz: Level 16 Barbarian/Frenzied Berserker. Just bad, bad news all around (for the bad guys, that is). This guy is a freakin monster. Fo real. When he enters his “Deathless, Tireless, Frenzy of Destruction” he ends up with a 29 strength for like, 11 rounds. He is the quintessential Juggernaut of Destruction (shout out to Godfrey Goldbane!) He was with his tribe of Viking warriors, sailing through uncharted seas when the Mistz rose up around them. The ship wound up crashing, and everybody in his tribe died. Gutz was left to wander the lands of Barovia looking for any signs of life. For those who have an interest in Anime, Alexus based his character on a Japanimation guy with the same name. I’m not well-schooled on this kinda stuff, so that’s the most I can tell ya. But he wields a sword that’s as big as he is. Needless to say, this guy is a wrecking machine.
Sooooooo, away we go! Let the trumpets blow!
Make sho I flow slow like blunts of hydro, yo check it:
For the time being, the MSD Gaming Room has undergone some renovation. It’s now properly themed for the Halloween season in general, the Ravenloft season in particular. Nothing too tacky, but we got some drinks with dead flies, a couple rubber bats dangling from the ceiling, and LOTS of Ravenloft-flavored pictures and accessories. Plus the room is dark. Real dark. I got one lamp we’ll be using for the festivities, and it’s one of those lamps with three different levels of lighting (dark, medium and bright). This will become the Players best friend, as it represents the Barovian sun. As the game day progresses, the lights will get progressively dimmer until they’re out completely when the sun sets. That’s when I break out the Jack-O-Lantern I carved specifically for the occasion. It’s got an ill carving of a woodland setting, with a spooky owl sitting on a tree branch, a full moon in the background and lots of mysterious eyes watching from a distance. You can walk into any supermarket and get the tools and patterns necessary for this kind of work. The pumpkin I carved was of “Moderate” difficulty, on a scale of Easy, Moderate and Difficult. But trust me: when you light the candles up inside, the picture looks AWESOME. This represents the Barovian night, with all the weird little things that constantly keep their eyes on the players.
And since this is such a spectacular occasion, we’ve all agreed to Game TWICE this week. Once on our regularly scheduled Wednesday session, and then again on Thursday. So as I type this, it’s Thursday morning and we finished up the intro last night. Let me give you a summary. Ya ready?
Next, I handed the players a copy of the Burgomaster’s call for help (there’s an actual copy of the thing included in Return To The House Of Strahd). They all received a copy, with the exception of Gutz (Alexus’ character) who wound up being stranded in Barovia, not summoned. I used this time to circle the table and let the players describe their characters (description, motives, backstory etc). Then, we jump into the thick of things.
My Gaming Room light is set on “medium”, as the five characters (three players) make their way into Barovia at different points. They are moseying about on their journey, when those enigmatic Mistz begin to rise up around them. So much so, it almost becomes a detriment just to continue riding. Soon thereafter, the Mistz subsided and BAM! They’re officially in Barovia.
Cut Scene: I read them the text included on the back of I6 verbatim. It describes Count von Zarovich looking over his village, and watching the players arrive in his domain. The Count is having guests for dinner, and you are all invited.
I’m using the boxed Flavor Texts to give the players that creepy, strange Ravenloft vibe, while the soundtrack to “Dracula” plays in the background. Upon entering Barovia, I clicked my light switch to “off” and blazed up the Jack-O-Lantern. We’re playing by candlelight now, folks.
As Gutz was making his way through the darkened Svalich woods (listening to the wolves baying in the distance) I had him come across the ravaged corpse of a local messenger. It was plain to see by the wolf tracks around him, that these animals mutilated the man. Gutz found a letter clutched in the mans dead hands…
As the players each arrived in the Village at different areas, I tried really hard to press upon the players a feeling of dread and claustrophobia. Something just isn’t right about this place. They’re first exposure to the village is the mournful wails that drift through the cold, dark, deserted muddy streets (I removed the cobblestones from the text description, cuz I wanted the village to seem madd old). Of course (this being D&D all) each of the players was attracted to the woeful cries that “painted their thoughts with sadness”.
The characters all followed the sounds, and met up with each other for the first time outside an old two-story townhouse.
Role-Playing Extravaganza.
The players had fun introducing their characters to each other, and playing the role of “slightly lost heroes”. Gradually, Marko and Jedzia (Misha’s characters) and Keal and Celine (Destanial’s characters) realized they had all been summoned to this place by the same letter. But not to be left out, Gutz (Alexus’ lone character) pulled out the letter he found in the dead mans hands. Gutz can’t read, but the letter looked similar to the ones everybody else was flashing, so he figured he’d pull out his.
When he showed the letter to everybody else, I gave them the SECOND player handout (also included in Return To The House Of Strahd). The letter repeats the first almost exactly, but the few changes in words are MAJOR changes in context (it’s also obviously written in a different handwriting style). THIS letter urges the characters to stay AWAY from Barovia, cuz the whole damn place is cursed. STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY! Not a good sign for the players.
The only source of light in the damned village, came from a shoddy, worn-out tavern in the center of the Village. Something called the “Blood Of The Vine Tavern”. It’s either Blood Of or Blood On, as that last letter is scratched out and replaced with the other (can’t remember exactly if it’s Of or On). Either way, the characters made their way inside and were greeted with somber silence.
Just a barkeep, three gypsies and a local guy sipping wine in the corner.
While everybody took a seat at the bar, Lord Keal Velgaron (Destanial’s 20th level warrior) questioned the barkeep, Irik. They couldn’t get too much info out of the guy, as he was obviously nervous and hesitated to reveal too much. When he questioned him further about the burgomaster, the local in the back sipping wine finally spoke up.
“The Burgomaster is dead”.
So of course, they start talking to this guy, who introduces himself as Ismark the Lesser, son of the Burgomaster and brother to Ireena Kolyana (the girl that was mentioned in BOTH letters). They showed Ismark the letters, and he quickly deduced that the first one was forged (the one that asked them to COME to Barovia). Before the Burgomaster died, he sent out the second letter (the one that says stay AWAY from Barovia). So basically, the players are screwed.
Ismark brought the players back with him to the Burgomasters mansion, where his sister Ireena is holed up. The boxed text describes the mansion perfectly, with deep claw marks gouged in the wood, and every window boarded up (with signs of ill omens on each one). Entering the mansion, they are assaulted by the awful odor of death and corrosion. Turns out, the burgomaster died TEN DAYS AGO and his body is STILL in the drawing room! Ireena explained how every night, wolves would attack the mansion walls and gates, until the poor Burgomaster couldn’t take it anymore and died of heart failure (oddly enough, the attacks have stopped since his death). But the community is so scared and frightened by what’s going on around them, that nobody is brave enough to help Ismark transfer their fathers body for burial (so he stays rotting away in the drawing room, with candles lit in his honor). Pretty friggin nasty if ya ask me.
Of course, the players (being heroes and all) offered to help Ismark lay his father to rest. They buried him on the grounds of the manor house. We had a cool little role-playing thing going on, with Ireena and Ismark filling the players in on what’s going on in Barovia. They came to the conclusion that they must enter Castle Ravenloft and do away with “the devil Strahd”, in order to have ANY hope for a brighter future. Suprisingly, Ireena volunteered to accompany the players. She could NOT be talked down.
And that’s where we left off last night. We will resume the adventure today with the players (and Ireena) making their way to haunted Castle Ravenloft, where they hope to confront the dread master of the Land. It’s going really smooth so far, and the players were digging the intro (even Alexus, who still can’t believe I talked him into this). Alexus was the main one against allowing Ireena to travel with them, cuz he feels she’s gonna betray them in the end. In that case, what a twist we got coming for him! LOL
See ya tomorrow folks, with the latest (and perhaps FINAL) installment, depending on how far along we get tonight.
Peace, y’all!
MSD
Anyway, it's just natural that I got sick, cuz I've just spent 5 days outside, in line for tickets to the Lord of the Rings premiere! I know, I'm crazee!
Here's some pictures from the queue, to show that we are just as mad as the Abhorred! ;)
Anyways, the tickets were well worth it... I'm frickin thrilled! Still some two months to go, but the excitement is killing me!
http://www.filmweb.no/atter_en_konge/tr/gfx/galleri/12.jpg
(That's our tent to the far left, the white and green one... )
http://www.filmweb.no/atter_en_konge/tr/gfx/galleri/14.jpg
there we are again, in the center of the frame this time.Couldn't find any pictures of us in person, though.
Originally posted by malken
Here's some pictures from the queue, to show that we are just as mad as the Abhorred! ;)
Thanx! :D
http://www.filmweb.no/atter_en_konge/tr/gfx/galleri/12.jpg
(That's our tent to the far left, the white and green one... )
Do I see snow on this picture?? If there is snow you are freaking madd!!!! BTW where did you get those tickets (city, country)??
And hell yeah, I encourage everybody to post their pics here. Cuz that proves y'all are some REAL people and NOT Heavily Veiled (internet) Frauds. That's why my pics are tattooed on the signature page, cuz we AIN'T internet creations that exist in virtual land only. But I digress...
Well,
Remind me never to schedule two sessions back-to-back again. We played last night, but we didn’t play play. Actually, it kinda devolved into a night of debauchery and tomfoolery. Shout out to Misha. Sorry girl, it can be hard sometimes gaming with serious Hip Hop heads. But such is life, and such are the perils of gaming on the Avenue. Shout out to Ally-Kat, too. Good looks on the Reeses Pieces pie, it wuz da bomb!
(PS, becuz I can appreciate MC Paul Barman for what he is, that means my taste in Hip Hop muzik is MORE varied. Y’all is the ones that are limited!!!!)
Anywayz, it looks like we’ll be running through this thing again next week. Hopefully we can wrap it up then. Meanwhile, Alexus came up with a cool idea on how we can incorporate this little side-trek into our ongoing Grand Conjunction campaign. But I’m gonna keep y’all in the dark on that, until the time is right. Moving on!
We begin play with all five characters, plus Ireena Kolyana, making their way out of the Village on a cold and dark October night. Their ultimate destination will by the legendary Castle Ravenloft. What horrors shall await them upon their arrival?
Traveling through the dark Svalich woods, the characters had time to get to know each other better, with everybody sharing stories on their background and what they left behind before being trapped in Barovia. Ireena says the only way to end the Long Night is to stop the beating of the dark heart at its center.
Upon reaching the fork, where the path splits two directions, the characters decided to take the low road. Meaning, the dirt path the slopes down through the valleys, as opposed to the path that heads off into the mountains. I guess they thought they’d be safer traveling through the hills. Mwah-ha-ha-ha!
Again, I continued to foreshadow the ominous wolf howls scattered throughout the night, hoping to get the PCs on edge. Misha’s character Marko (the fighter/druid/rogue) was able to identify the wolf tracks pressed in the muddy path around them. They were big, fresh and probably very recent. He feared they might have stumbled upon the wolves hunting ground.
And sure enough, there were signs they were being watched by a dozen red eyes.
Soon thereafter, a massive black shape loomed out of the darkness and obstructed the path ahead of them. It looked as if a giant boulder had picked itself up off the side of the road and placed itself directly in their path (keeping in mind it’s nighttime, with NO lanterns or torches and the thing is a good 30-40 yards away). But as the PCs slowly dismounted from their horses, and crept towards the obstruction, only then did they realize the full extent of the situation.
It was a giant wolf, with bristling black fur that was tinged with shades of burnt red. He sat almost motionlessly; it’s massive body heaving with each breath. It watched the party with a semblance of intelligence, like it was waiting for them to make the first move. Every exhaled breath was thick with steam (remember, it’s October in Barovia and very chilly). It sat waiting, waiting.
Finally, Gutz (Alexus’ lone character) unsheathed his super-duper large sword and approached the creature. Let’s rumble.
DM Note: I just slightly modified the wolf monster from the Epic Level Handbook for this encounter (Brachius? Spelling?) Obviously, I toned it down considerably, and changed its back story a bit. This thing is the great-great-great-grandfather of the Black Death, and all it’s canine brethren. And it’s freakin HUGE.
First thing it does, as the PCs approach, is throw it’s head back and give a primordial howl to the heavens. This can affect the Players like a failed Fear check. And they ALL failed the DC. So that gave me a round of free attacks, and I laced into the party with a fury.
Combat rages, but not for long.
The combined might of the party of six drove the monster to retreat back into the dark Svalich woods, licking its wounds. But not before it caused some damage to the PCs. This encounter would prove that the woods are no place to be after nightfall…
So they lost a few horses in the encounter (they panicked and fled after the Frightful Howl), and were forced to either double-up on horseback or take to the path on foot. They continued on their journey, until they got to the Tser Pools.
Here, they heard the faint strains of music (I used a track off the Blair Witch soundtrack) and could hear the roar of a bonfire over the constant rushing of a waterfall. They approached the sounds, and found a Vistani encampment, complete with song, dance, lots of decorated vardos and a slew of colorful gypsies. As the party cautiously approached the encampment, one of the gypsies waved them over.
He encouraged them to join in the revelry, but they declined. Sensing the serious weight in their words, the gypsy indicated to them that they were expected. “Madame Eva foretold your arrival here in Barovia”…
Gutz took this to mean that Eva was the one who sent the false letter.
The players were ushered over to Madame Eva’s tent, but only three were allowed to enter. Marko, Kael (and he brought Celine with him) and Gutz made their entrance. One character for each player. Here, they met the infamous Madame Eva.
Unfortunately, the new Tarokka deck has NOT arrived in my area, so I was forced to stick with old 2E version of the deck. Oh, boo-hoo. Don’t cry for me, Argentina. I shall persevere!
The meeting with Eva was probably more fun for me than it was for the players, as I got to go overboard with my “cackling old crone” routine. Plus, those Tarokka readings are madd vague and if you DON’T know ahead of time what they mean (like me) you can get lost quite easily (like the players).
Without boring you with the particulars, just know that:
The amulet of great light the players need is hidden within the desecrated Ravenloft chapel (the same amulet included in my reading of the Vampire of the Mists intro).
The Tome of Strahd (needed to “know thine enemy”) is in the Study.
The “weapon of great light” is hidden in Sergei’s crypt. This will be the Sunsword needed for the final confrontation with Strahd.
Strahd’s goal for this adventure is win Ireena’s hand in marriage by any means necessary. Looks like I’m gonna have to look deeply into those Charm Person abilities.
Unfortunately (for the players) Strahd will be found in the “heart of darkness” itself, his very own crypt. Bad, bad, BAD news for the players.
And that’s where we left off last night. When we begin next Wed, I’m gonna run them through one more ambush scenario before they reach the gates of Castle Ravenloft.
From there, it’s SHOWTIME!
Peace, ya’ll! I hope everybody has a safe and scary Halloween night! Watch out for the booby-trapped apples!
P.A. jointz for that azz.
Now this week I'm about to start up Feast of Goblyns. I figure the news of the players "defeating" Strahd getting back to Harkon Lukas would make for an interesting sub plot since Harkon himself fought Strahd in the past.
"It's the middle of November: Who's thinking about Halloween?"
"Why, we've already got our Christmas decorations up!"
But seriously, I tried to wrap it up on the Thursday before Halloween, but... we goofed off a lil too much.
As it is, we should conclude the adventure TONIGHT (Wed).
peace, Gemmy boy!
MSD
Originally posted by The MadStepDad And that’s where we left off last night. When we begin next Wed, I’m gonna run them through one more ambush scenario before they reach the gates of Castle Ravenloft.
From there, it’s SHOWTIME!
Peace, ya’ll! I hope everybody has a safe and scary Halloween night! Watch out for the booby-trapped apples!
Well???????
OK, so I got the players camped out just after the bridge that crosses over the waterfall. They figure they will set up camp and rest the night, so they can enter Castle Ravenloft by daylight.
But while everybody is sleeping, and only Marko is at watch, a horde of rotting zombies begin to surround the party. Quickly, Marko is able to awaken everybody and get them into defensive position by the time the zombies draw near.
Combat ensues.
This was just an opportunity for the PCs to go against some cannon fodder and flex some of their nifty combat feats. My only goal as DM was to whittle away some hitpoints, and maybe transfer a disease or two. Unfortunately for me (and luckily for the players) they passed all their saves, so no infections.
After the zombie attack, they decided to keep moving instead of waiting for morning. They will enter Castle Ravenloft tonight.
But before they can even cross the rotting bridge, destiny comes calling for Jedzia (one of our female player’s characters). You know that part that calls for a save, or the players fall through the rotten planks? Well that’s what happened to Jedzia. It was harsh, but she had her chance. I called for a Reflex save (which everybody passed except for her). But I still gave her a Strength check to see if she could cling on to the side and be rescued. But she couldn’t. So Marko had to watch in horror as his sister fell through the boards and plunged into the misty depths below, her cries echoing off the cliff walls. Marko failed a Horror check, and will be cursed with nightmares for now on.
One character down, 5 to go.
Outside it was a dark and stormy night, the few sparse torches that illuminated the main entry hall looked inviting to the players. But the gargoyles along the walls were very intimidating.
They followed the dim torchlight into the main ballroom, where centuries of death and decay had overcome the once-fine interior. The soft melodies of an organ could be heard. Gutz the barbarian (Alexus’ character) could smell the faint aroma of roasted duck. They followed the aroma down a long corridor, and directly into the dining area.
They were surprised to see the entire room set up for their arrival, with a place set at the table for each of the characters (including the now-deceased Jedzia). Food of every type adorned the table-top, and the sights and smells reached out for the players. The organ at the far room was being played by a man in a long black cape. He slowly arose from his seat, and it was COUNT STRAHD!
He dueled wits with the players a bit, as the verbal sparring continued. Finally, Gutz had enough of the subtle insults and flew into his Frenzied Rage. He FLIPPED the huge table over, and all the food and drink that was so meticulously arranged was now splattered on the walls and floor. Gutz unsheathed his huge 7 ½ foot sword and charged Strahd. He swung with all his might, crushing the organ and splitting it in two. His sword cracked the stone floor below it. But there was no sign of Strahd.
Celine (the young, mute Psionic girl) telepathically spoke with Lord Keal and told him it was illusion. Strahd was never really in the room taunting the players.
This served to infuriate Gutz even further. The other players were forced to leave the dining room and wait outside in the hall as Gutz absolutely destroyed the room. He knocked over pillars, destroyed paintings and ruined the statues, all the while yelling for Strahd to “show his cowardly face!” In his blind rage, he managed to punch a hole in the wall right behind the organ. This led to a secret hallway that all the players entered.
They started exploring the towers and hallways that ran through. They saw tons of bricked up arrow slits, and assumed this was where the Barovian soldiers would be stationed. They kept looking for the Chapel (where they will find the Amulet).
I had trip wires and paintings falling on their heads down the Hall of Faith, before they entered the desecrated Chapel of Ravenloft. I even read a few quotes from “I, Strahd” and said they were ghostly whispers. They saw the amulet resting on the rotting altar, with a dead priest slumped over, his hand still outstretched towards the amulet. Without hesitation, Gutz approached the altar and removed the amulet. But before he could, the dead priest grabbed his wrist!
Battle ensues between the players and the zombie cleric. The first time the zombie got his spell interrupted, it was all over for him. Marko and Gutz smashed his fragile body to pieces.
From there, they wound up making their way into the Audience Hall where the former king and queen would watch over Mass. There were two skeletons perched in the seats like mockeries of royalty. It didn’t take long for the players to dispatch them either.
So they have the Amulet, now they are looking for the Study. They must read Strahd’s tome to learn more about their foe. They continue through Castle Ravenloft.
It would took some time for the players to reach level three, where the Study is located (it IS level three, right? Don’t have the module in front of me). Either way, it was on the SECOND level (I think) where they came across an old throne room, and Lord Keal could hear the distinct sound of a woman moaning.
At first, they couldn’t tell if it was a ghostly apparition or an actual female trapped within the walls of Castle Ravenloft. So while the others poked and prodded around the room, Lord Keal and Celine were listening closer to the sound.
Eventually, they found the secret door that would take them to Gertruda’s chambers.
Oh jeez…
I’m just re-reading my posts, and I see I left out an important scene. Right where I’m discussing how the individual characters arrived in Barovia and were drawn to the sounds of “melancholy wails”, I went off on a tangent about the different Burgomaster letters (one real, one forged).
I forgot to say they investigated the sounds of the wails. This was one of the best parts of the game. It was “Mad Mary’s Townhouse” and she flew into a rage and tried to attack the players when they entered. Keeping in mind this was written in 1983, the players automatically assumed that Mad Mary’s daughter (Gertruda) had been kidnapped by Count Strahd. That’s why Mary was all upset. Cuz her daughter Gertruda was missing.
But as they investigated the room further, and heard more from the mouth of the insane Mad Mary, they knew it was something ELSE entirely. See, Mad Mary locked her daughter in her room for 16 years to “protect her” from the evils of Barovia. So for SIXTEEN YEARS the poor girl was LOCKED IN HER ROOM. She wasn’t kidnapped, she broke free herself! Gertruda had escaped! But her mother Mad Mary assumed she was kidnapped. It was a cool little twist for the players, and they started to feel the vibe of Barovia. That was at the beginning. THEN they reached the Blood of the Vine Tavern. But I digress…
Anywayz, the moaning Lord Keal heard had drawn them to Gertruda’s chambers in Castle Ravenloft! She was purely innocent, and had no clue about the truth of her surroundings. She has yet to be turned into a vampire, as Strahd is working primarily on his Ireena-scheme. So they found Gertruda in the room, just as they could hear the skeleton guards approaching from the rear (through the trap door the players snuck through). They tried to get Gertruda to come with them, but she wouldn’t. In her innocence, she refused to believe Strahd was “a devil”. He was a kind-hearted man who took good care of her. With the skeletons approaching quickly, the players said “forget it” and moved on. They left Gertruda behind.
Onto the third level and into the Study they go.
P.S. You must spend all your time posting dude, how many threads you got going at the mo?
But before they can even cross the rotting bridge, destiny comes calling for Jedzia (one of our female player’s characters). You know that part that calls for a save, or the players fall through the rotten planks?
Lol... The party I DM for now has a HUGE blue ogre magi with the ability to fly. When they came to the castle he flew around looking for open windows. In order to prevent any outside light I had all the windows magically boarded so he couldn't get in... all but one that is... the window on the side of the cliff that enters directly into the crypts. One by one he flew the party into that window. Needless to say they had a good'ol time in the crypts even before they made it to the main part of the castle. They were convinced the count would be resting in a crypt somewhere down there.