Our four adventurers went back to the inn to get a much needed night’s rest. As they all went to their respective rooms, a strange and eerie mist began to fill the grounds outside their windows. Some of them saw it start to coalesce and rise to the height of their window on the second story of the inn. Eventually, the mist began to creep into their rooms, engulfing their senses, overtaking every aspect of their being. Each of the characters passed out and collapsed onto the floor.
A few moments passed as the characters found their psyches penetrated by a dark figure, something sinister and revolting.
After another few moments that felt like an eternity, the four of them awoke in a strange place, an unknown place. Their heads were aching as if they had just beaten to a pulp by a giant. As they all stood to gather themselves, they began to feel as if the Gods had swept them away into untold and unpromised surroundings.
Finally gathering themselves enough to be coherent, they noticed a large mist had descended upon the entire area. They glanced around and noticed that it seemed to rise as high as they could see and far as they could see with only a single roadway being clear. The mists surrounding them began to engulf them, seeming to fill into their every pore, massive bursts of pain seeping into their brains. In their head, each person heard a voice, welcoming them to the land of Barovia.
Eventually, the mists exited their bodies and moved off into the distance in all directions, with the exception of the lonely road leading forward. After a few moments of discussion about what just happened to the four of them, they began walking down the path with trepidation. Constant howling wolves rang out in the distance along with a myriad of other eerie sounds and gusting moments of wind and fog.
Cabel, who seems to be relatively perceptive of his surroundings, noticed movement coming from the large, looming trees of the forest to their right. Out of the brush appeared an animated scarecrow, torn and terrifying, running straight at them with menacingly growls and snarls. Varis took a swing with his sword and took a scratch across the chest as the scarecrow attacked him in anger. All four characters turned and ran in fear, eventually making it far enough away to evade the scarecrow’s reach. The scarecrow turned and retreated back into the woods.
After a few moments of walking, they approached an astonishing sight. The fog spilled out of the forest and began to swallow the road up behind them. Straight ahead of the party, a clear cutting figure jutting out of the forest, were high stone columns. Amazingly large iron gates hung on the stonework, attached to the tall columns. Two very large statues of armed guardians were on each side of the gate, the heads of the statues missing and laying among crumbled debris at the foot of the entrance.
With as much courage as the party could muster, they passed through the gate. When the final person stepped through, the gate slammed shut and became locked through some kind of magical means. They stared forward knowing that nothing but going onward was an option.
They walked for a while, staying extremely aware of their surroundings before they happened upon a dead corpse with a crumpled letter in its hand. They grabbed the letter and learned that the Burgomaster of Barovia, Kolyana Indirovich, had sent a messenger with information regarding his adopted daughter, Ireena Kolyana, and her having been bitten by a vampire. Kolyana sought symbols of good and to be left alone for all of the inhabitants of Barovia to die in peace as there was no escape. He feared for Ireena’s life.
The characters contemplated the letter for a few moments, found a bottle of invisible ink, and then moved forward once again.
After traveling for a while longer, the party passed over the River Ivlis and arrived at a small village, dark and desolate, and proceeded through the gates. As soon as they entered the village, they heard a moaning scream of pain and anguish. A few of the members immediately became overcome with a great sense of dread of sadness as they collapsed. After a few moments, the feeling passed, and those affected laid there, wondering the source of the pain and questioning many aspects of their life.
Varis sent Koda out to survey the town and noticed the loud groaning was coming from a house on the opposite end of town. They decided to make their way toward the sound.
However, as they turned the corner, they saw two young children standing in the middle of the street with a small dog sitting between them. They approached the children and were told by the young girl that there was a monster in their house and they wanted the party to go into the house and take care of the monster. The party hesitated, feeling like something sinister awaited them within the house.
After a few moments of conversation with the sickly looking children, the kids took off down the street in fear and disappeared around the corner. Nedda picked up the small puppy that sat in the street and put it in her pack. Some of the members asked if somebody would shut the door to the house, so Varis walked forward to slowly pull the door shut.
As soon as his hand touched the door, the mists surrounding the land shot forward, grabbing the four members of the party and flinging them into the house. The party had fallen into a trap, and the mists of Barovia had encased them within the house. The party turned to open the door and noticed that nothing but a blank wall stood behind them.
Gazing down a hallway in front of them, the party realized they were stuck within this house and would have to move forward to search for another exit.
Welcome, adventurers, to Death House.
The pictures for the character stat blocks above represent the current level and stats for the characters, not their level and stats during the time of this post.
Random Ramblings of a Redheaded Nerd 