Dal'Erf and Co.'s Expedition into Barovia...

El Ravager

First Post
On request of the of Barovian Royal Court, Sir Phobos, Knight of Mars ventured to the Castle Zeidenburg, joined with his companions, Dal'Erf the traveling entertainer, His brother the mystic Van'Erf, the scout Ambrose, and the wizard Raylind. Prince Beldoc, acting as King in the absence of his father, welcomed the returning knight and held a feast. In attendance was Lord Juniar who seemed very interested in having Sir Phobos join him on the front in the fight vs. neighboring state Corvus. Beldoc revealed that this was not the reason Sir Phobos was summoned. He was brought here to answer the plea of help from Koyan Indirovich, the Burgomaster of the small village of Barovia and investigate rumors of undead rising up and re-affirm fealty to the crown from the local count governing the region.

Within moments of arriving in the village, the rumors of undead were substantiated. The party fought their way through undead to the center of the town where A portion of the population was barricaded in the inn at the town square. They discovered a warrior woman there surrounded by the living dead. After defeating the zombies who had managed to breach the barricade, the party learned that locals believed that the source of it all came from the church. The warrior woman identified herself as a Paladin and Knight of the Raven names Ashlyn and said that two of her companions went to the church and never returned.

The party pressed on and investigated the church and found a mad priest reciting a meandering prayer in a voice of insanity and desperation. The priest jumped at the party's approach and sent forth an unholy blight at them from a scroll while undead lurking in the chapel came forth to attack the party. Ambrose leapt forth and struck him with a might blow that knocked out the priest and the party destroyed the undead. In the understory of the church, the party encountered the blaspheme created from the apparent deceased son of the mad priest. The party managed to destroy it as well as the former companions of Ashlyn who had been infected and risen zombies.

The party returned to the Blood of the Vine Tavern and rested. There they met the Warlock Belasarious who was seeking the Symbol of Ravenkind, rumored to have power over the undead. The next day, they followed the rumors of the towns people and sought out the Vistani seer, Madam Eva to try and gain some insight on the zombie infestation as well as some artifacts that may prove useful in their task. But before this, they went to check on the dead Burgomaster's daughter, Ireena. She was reluctant to be left with the other villagers and also desired to learn from Madam Eva and insisted in joining the party on their visit.

The party made their way to the Vistani camp near Tser Pool, west of the Village of Barovia. The party met with Madam Eva and Dal'Erf managed to curry favor with her, enough that she agreed to read their fortune. During the reading, the seer determined that the party's fate lead them against her. After the reading she assumed her true form, that of a terrible hag, and attacked them along with some vistani. The hag was defeated, in no small part to the warlocks terrifying display of raw arcane power. With the hag lying, crumpled and burning, remaining vistani surrendered. The vistani quickly packed their belongings and tents to leave. One vistani girl showed the party a place where Eva had gone alone and been in her true form. The party brought the body of the dead hag to this spot. It seemed to have a supernatural effect, severing a bond.
 

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The following is a couple of exerts from the current adventure. The first is the note from the Burgomaster Koyan Indirovich.

"Hail to thee of might and valor:

I, a lowly servant of the township of Barovia, send honor to thee. We plead for thy so desperately assistance within our community.

The legions of Hell itself are at our gates! The dead rise up from their graves and seek to drag uns down ith them! Not content to slaughter us in our bones, they spread the taint of their horrible curse, so that those they kill join their numbers!

There is much wealth in this community. I offer all that might be had to thee and thy fellows if thou shalt but answer my desperate pea.

Come quickly, for our time is at hand! All that I have shall be thine!



The next exert is the prophetic card readings of Madam Eva.


Strahd
“He who dwells in Castle Ravenloft is a powerful man whose enemy is light and whose powers are beyond mortality. You will seek him in the castle, and though he might fined you many times, you will find him but once.”

Blue dragon
“you will find him when the three servants of Hell are slain, in the place of their gathering”
“A spawn of hell has come to the top of one of the castle towers, and she is served by an unholy trio”


“The Powers of good will protect you from harm in this place”


White Dragon
“The Darkness seeks to consume all light, and death to devour all warmth from the living”

“The lord of the castle seeks a lady, but he will consume her until death is all that remains”


Sunsword
“What you seek is a blade of light, a weapon for vengeance.”

Green Dragon
“Seek it in the heart of the wilds, far from human hands.”

“This card speaks of wildness of nature. The weapon is deep in the woods, perhaps guarded by a fey spirit.”

Blue Dragon
“To wake it, bring it to the place where hellish magic is made.”

“A spwan of hell has come to the castle, and the servants of this fiend work their magic at the top of one of the towers.”


Holy Symbol of Ravenkind
“This symbol is a powerful force for good and protection against the forces of darkness”

Black Dragon
“Seek it where the river flows into the land.”
“This card speaks of elemental forces mingling together. The symbol should be in the marsh downriver from here.”

Copper Dragon
“The holiness in this item waits for hands of holiness to touch it once more, but that is not enough to bring its power back to life”

“you must Bring the symbol to join the other treasures in the castle.”

“I see a blazing fire protecting the place where the lord hides his wealth.”


Tome of Strahd
“The tome you seek holds knowledge of the ancient and knowledge of the land”

White Dragon
“The tome tells of Strahd’s origins, and lies buried with those who gave him the life he now mocks.”

“seek his parents crypt, far beneath the castle.”


“If you find the tome and delve into it’s secrets, you will discover the source of the lord’s strength. If you read it carefully, you may also discover how to rob him of that strength.”

White Dragon
“Your Quest is doomed. You must find three defiled places described in the tome. At each fane, you must kill its dread guardian and place the guardians body inside. At this you will never succeed.”


Zombies
“Death walks the streets of Barovia. Death leads to death, all stemming from a first death.”

White Dragon
“Put an end to the blasphemy of the death that refused to die, and the plague will cease.

no…

No, that will not stop the plague… The lord of the castle is the source of it all….”

Black Dragon
“To end the plague of death, you must end it’s source”

“The village church is desecrated by the first blasphemy. The castle is ruled by a greater one.”
 

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