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Message: <blockquote data-quote="touc" data-source="post: 8167540" data-attributes="member: 19270"> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Curse of Strahd. 2 decisions, intermixed, to leave an emotionally vulnerable NPC alone and giving advice to a madman. I tend to play adult games and not pull punches.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Players sat on the fence about what to do with NPC Ireena, who was being stalked and emotionally worn down by the immortal vampire Strahd. It's a complicated plot [spoiler] Centuries ago, Strahd became a vampire by killing his brother, whose fiance Strahd lusted after. He thought she'd love him, he used his powers to charm her, but in the end she killed herself, and he found himself in a shadow plane, the poster child for the Dark Powers of Ravenloft. Ever since, the fiance is reincarnated every generation or so, and Strahd tries to recreate events of the past (get her to come to him voluntarily rather than charmed), with the belief that if he succeeds, the "curse" that holds him in this shadow Barovia will end). He knows he is cursed, but he thinks, as an eternal being, he'll get it right one day.[/spoiler]. Rather than help the poor girl deal with her stalker situation, they would often leave her alone to gallivant around the countryside doing quests.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Alone, in an Inn with only her thoughts, she gradually began to feel no one cared for her. One day, while alone, the Abbott came (while the PCs were off on another adventure, if you've run it you know how insane this guy is) to take her face for his homemade "bride" for Strahd, designed to cure Strahd's madness. He did so largely off advice the PCs gave him earlier. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The PCs previously had convinced him killing Ireena was wrong just to "get rid of the competition" for his bride. The Abbott consulted with his "gods" and realized the PCs must be messengers of the gods sent to lead him to the right path. Instead, he realized he could, peacefully, kill two birds with one stone. He had her face carefully removed to stitch onto to his "bride" while the PCs yet again left Ireena by herself in her hotel room, but was kind enough to heal her so she wouldn't die. This way, Strahd got the best of both worlds: the face he lusted after and the pliant, perfect wife he needed. The Abbott later thanked the party (genuinely, he's mad).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Consequently, Ireena wanted to die, and as the conjunction of Strahd's original anniversary date where he killed Sergei and attempted to seduce Tatyana approached (the original incarnation of Ireena, much of this is added by me knowing the original material that didn't make the module), the party had to keep suicide watch. Instead of doing anything, they simply immobilized her on suicide watch. When the time came, she disappeared into mist before their eyes, finally giving herself to Strahd, the only one who promised her in his dreams he'd always love and care for her, never abandon her. And, he didn't. He gave her eternal life, restored her face. Thanks largely to the PCs actions, she was abandoned and ignored by them, but not by her stalker. It fit the theme of the setting perfectly, and I never saw this coming when we started. In the end, they used Strahd's obsession with her as his downfall, but that's all for another thread.</li> </ul></li> </ul>A long description, but one of my better moments on the DM stage. This one stung my players, but they weren't upset at the DM. I think there was curiosity how I'd handle them doing nothing about Ireena. Would the DM sabotage his own "story" wherein Ireena is supposed to be "saved" by the PCs? Isn't that how all these type of stories go? The key NPC never actually dies, right? And when I went a different direction, they enjoyed it. They didn't enjoy what the Abbott did, and after the end said it was damn good "horror" when they realized this madman used their own words to twisted purpose.</blockquote>

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