THE ADVENTURE
ADVENTURE DETAILS
INTRODUCTION
A new group of young adventurers have taken up residence at the Pair of Antlers Inn in the bustling city of Elturel. Soon their desires are met as they are hired to aid the exotic Silvo in his rush to head north with his small caravan of roving wagons. Little do they know that their quest for adventure will take them on a dark and terrifying path towards evil as they fall under THE CURSE OF STRAHD.
BAROVIA NPC'S
The Village of Barovia
Nestled in a valley at the base of the towering spire of rock, which elevates the Castle of the Devil Strahd, sits the dark and dour village. It consists of a collection of mostly derelict building and houses. The Tavern and Mercantile being the only obvious businesses. People hide out in their homes in fear of what prowles the night. There is a large cemetary and church, and the mansion of the Burgeomeister stand out as points of interest
Mary - The poor woman Mary could be heard weeping and wailing in anguish through-out the silent town. When the troupe investigated they learned that she was sorrow filled because she thought her daughter, Gertruda, had been taken by the devil Strahd as a consort. They promised to aid her daughter if they encountered her - in the name of the Morning Lord.
Arik - If this Barovian had any less personality he would be a wooden plank. He was not very friendly, polite or particularly helpful at all and just served his wine and wiped his mugs without hardly blinking or engaging any of the group. So far, a very typical Barovian as far as they could tell.
The Doorman (Francis) - As big as Uphir and nowhere near as bright, he stands at the entryway with his imposing frame and nary moves a muscle.
Ismark - He is the Burgomeister's son and seems to be possessed of a bit more of a personality that the rest of the Barovians. He quickly struck up a conversation with the group and asked them to help him bring his sister Ireena to the village of Vallaki. This must be done to protect her from the visitations of Strahd, who wants to take her as a minion. Ismark was slain on the road to Vallaki.
Ireena - Twice bitten by the Vampyr Strahd, she is desperate to bury her father in the cemetary and leave the cursed village of Barovia behind. She needs escort to the next village - Vallaki, where she can find solace from the harassing vampyr and perhaps hide from his omniscient view. Ireena has finally made it to the church in Vallaki.
Donavich - The village priest of the Morning Lord, he has fallen into as much despair as the rest of his village; his flock. He has been living this past year or more with the wailing of his son, Doru, who he had imprisoned beneath the church, in the cellar. He was forced to do this because his son was turned by Strahd into a vampyr. Dory incessantly screams from below for his father's help. Begging for his thirst to be quenched. Donavich is a defeated man, given over to whatever the devil may do to him and his people.
Juniper - Juniper was an old woman selling pastries to the families in Barovia. The PCs fairly quickly determined that she was an actual Hag (Night Hag?) and was selling her enchanted pastries to get the people addicted to them. So addicted were the people that they would spend exhorbitant prices - Even in some cases selling their children! The PCs defeated her and sent her fleeing, with Janlynn Blasting the fiend with holy power.
Mercantiler? -
THE VILLAGE OF BAROVIA
The next leg of their journey brought them to the village of Barovia proper. It rested about two miles from the Death House. They encountered their first living Barovians at the farms approaching the village. The farmers were somewhat discourteous and paranoid. The village proper seemed almost empty with darkened, derelict houses lining the muddy cobblestoned street.
The heroes met the deeply upset woman, Mary, and promised to help her daughter Gertruda should they encounter her. They met Arik the Innkeeper of the House of Plank and Stein, the only active tavern in town. At the tavern they also met the Burgomeister's son, Ismark, and learned of the Burgomeister's passing and the plight of his sister Ireena. The met the priest Donavich and learned of his son's peril as a vampyr imprisoned beneath the church.
The PCs have become aware that a large portion of the population appear to be "Souless", which is to say - they exist but do not show any real interest in anything, or expressing feelings, or anthing. They just exist. The PCs have also put an end to the
selling of evil, enchanted pastries by the old woman, Juniper (Who turned out to be a Hag). She was selling to the addle-brained citizens of Barovia who were so addicted to them that they would sell their own children to have it. A quick battle was had and Juniper was defeated, but by all accounts likely still survives.
The PCs left Barovia to finally bring Ireena to safety in Vallaki, and defeat Skennis and his blockade of the high pass through the mountains.
