Chapter 2 Curse of Strahd

Chapter 2, the Curse of Strahd: Session 1

After the party fell apart in the city of Ha’kym-halil, the Firbolg Cleric of Storms, Jezi and the Tabaxi Wizard of Transmutation Tund’r Kaite along with their Gnomish friend and talented Illusionist Lenny struck out north in search of the Fey Druid Nymph known as Anna’lu Silverhair.

For weeks the small group travelled through the Domains of Ry’mell, before meeting a lone Ranger upon the road. The Green Dragonborn named Kriv Draathral is a self-proclaimed Monster Hunter who was basically hired with promises of fair share of treasure if he helped the group navigate the barren West Plains as winter began. In a large town called South Lake (and the last settlement the party would pass through) they meet a travelling metalsmith and crafter named Vinkil Wallenson. Vinkil turned out to be a dwarven priest of the Forge.

Finally, after 2 months of grueling travelling, Jezi and her band of adventures arrived on the outskirts of Silver Oak Forest. The party travelled inwardly, towards the forest’s heart, to discover the Sun Grove, home to the Nexus tree known as the Sun Tree. Surrounded by groups of wildlife and fey creatures, a safe haven too many of the forests denizens and Fey creatures tied to the Feywilds. The leader and protector of this Grove descended from the massive honey colored tree, a beautiful and warming fey elf like creature in majestic green silk dress with red hair.

Anna’lu Silverhair greeted the party and listened to Jezi’s quest to find her family. She smiled knowingly and told her she would love to help her in her quest, but because of ancient traditions and laws, she first needed a favor done as payment for her help. The fey Druid explained that a portion of the forest had fallen over the years to Void Corruption, a small band of Ogres had found a Void Shard in a hole in the ground and awoke it. It then had corrupted them and the land around them, turning them into twisted Trolls in an unnatural created swamp, led by the ogre mother who used to be called Ravella, but is now known as the Troll Queen. Anna’lu also gave the party a golden acorn to plant at the heart of the corruption so the Sun Tree could purge the corrupted land.

With that the party ventured out forth, fighting with a pair of Owlbears who had recently killed a pair of gnolls. The monsters were quickly dispatched. Soon after that, the group stumbled upon the enormous mud hut of the Troll Queen and her brood. Outside the door was a Catoblepas, a weird huge sized boar creature with a long neck, tail and death eye rays. Just inside was the creature’s caretaker, one of the Troll brothers wielding a magical Cleaver while skinning a pair of gnolls the troll had hunted earlier.

After slaying them, the party moved into the corruption mud pit below, and battled the other Troll brothers, one of them being a corrupted poison Troll. Heavily damaged and nearly out of spells, the party turned to flee after defeating the Troll brothers, but as they did so, the Queen soon discovered their trespassing and slaying of her boys. Enraged, she ran back to the Heart and mounted her Voidspawn mount, an Oytugh born out of rot. The queen herself was a rare creature, a Rotting Troll.

Just outside of the mud hut is where the Queen and her mount caught the party, and a massive epic combat ensued. It looked grim for the party, but they pulled through and slew the Rotting Troll Queen and her corrupted brood.


Session 2 – Travelling through a tree into a nightmare

We began our session immediately after the last encounter, the party shacking up in the mud hut to tend to their wounds. After a long nights rest, the party recouped and began to explore the mud pits below the hut. Down below they found, mud, blood, treasure and corruption. But Jezi found the visceral coated heart of corruption and planted the golden Acorn. Shortly after leaving the pit, the mud hut collapsed upon itself as the acorn’s magic began to purge the land.

The party returned to the Sun grove, discovering that it was gearing up to celebrate that evening for the beginning of the new Lunar Year. Massive food and celebration drinks were being set out, and free trade with a Merchant train had begun. And so while Jezi spoke to the Fey Druid of the Sun Tree, the rest of the party went out to trade with the merchant Halfling named Benjerman Stoutwood and his gnomish partner, Matilda Slendereye who was a mage and alchemist. Lenny purchased some potions as did Jezi, but I could be mistaken.

Jezi did a three-way merging of energies with Anna’lu, herself and the Sun Tree. While nestled inside the Feywild Realm, memory of her birthing was unlocked, showing her being blessed by Kord, the Tempest Paragon himself. After that, another vision of her parents attempting to escape a dark and foreboding forest full of evergreen trees. Her Mother is slain by voidspawn wolves as her father escapes with her.

After the visions, Anna’lu explains that she knows where her Clan resides, a cursed Land known as Borvea. This place is ruled by a voidlord, a vampire, known as Count Strahd. The fey Druid pledge to send her and her party via portal through the Sun Tree to another Nexus tree called the Dusk Tree.

After the vision, the party take some much needed days off and party with the Fey kind of the Sun Grove, dancing, singing, drinking and making merry. But soon after that, the party gathers and travels via mystical portal between the Nexus Trees. Upon the other side, the party find themselves in foot deep snow, freezing night and a massive fog bank 200 feet back, just behind a massive tree wall.

Almost immediately upon their arrive, 3 massive clouds of bats converge upon the edges of the tree line, solidifying into 3 forms of Vampire spawn known as ‘Hunters’. Along with the hunters are several Dire wolves and smattering of voidspawn known as winter wolves. A massive battle breaks out between the party, the Hunters and their wolves, and a strange third party, WereRavens! The Wereravens attack the wolves with swooping passes while the party fight the Vampire hunters. Eventually the adventures are victorious, and we end the session as the Wereravens begin to approach the party, shifting from Hybrid form into the shapes of Firbolgs!

Session 3 – Meeting the Firbolgs & Fighting the Blood Oak of Yester Hill

The session began right after the last one ended.  The party meet the squad of Firbolg Wereravens that assisted them in battle against the Ravenloft Hunters.  Lead by the Diplomatic warrior Amedila and her side kick the aggressive Bosskar son of Clan Leaders Danna & Morrakar.  Also with the Firbolg Wereravens is the outsider known as Crovaks.  

After a quick conversation, the party is lead through the Greatwood Old growth-cedar forest to the Firbolg village.  The party is introduced to Firbolg society at a glance (not all firbolgs of the Greatwood Clan are wereravens, just the warriors.  Firbolgs are Vegetarians, pacifist and nature-bound.  They sustain on grown mushrooms, roots, wild plants and such.  They don’t have the same set of privacy standards as most societies.  Also, Firbolgs have learned a unique magical craft of manipulating wood and trees to ‘grow’ and ‘shape’ into items and stuffs like housings, weapons and furniture.)

The firbolg village is made around massive Redwood Cedar trees, scaling up the tree trunks with various pathways, sky bridges and circular structures.  Eventually the party is lead to an upper platform above most of the tree tops, showing the massive Greatwood forest and the Borvean Valley between a set of massive mountains.  Far off in the distance, the party could see the silluette of Castle Ravenloft, same castle Crovak’s vison was about.

Here the party meet up with the leader of the Dusk Riders (warrior caste), Morrakar, who is dark furred and imposing.  After awkward introductions, Morrakar explains that a little over a day ago, a little more than a Dozen clans people had disappeared, along with his wife and Clan Leader, Danna.  Morrakar believes they have been kidnapped/captured by someone or something.  He explains that there is any number of untold dangers in the cursed lands of Borvea.  

Morrakar offers the party a safe place to sleep, along with food and drink.  Also, he assigns Corvaks to keep an eye on the party.  With a moment to breathe, the party do introductions, talking among themselves.  Lenny sneaks out, but doesn’t discover anything nefarious.  

Early the next morning the party is summoned to Morrakar’s platform again.  Much more animated this time, Morrakar explains that scouts have found tracks of the missing Firbolgs, but they are obscure to where they lead and who has them.  There are three possible places they could have went, the village of Kervik, and the Standing stones of Yester hill or to Willow Tree Swamp.  Morrakar ask the party to investigate Yester Hill because he doesn’t have enough people to effectively split up 3 ways.  The party agrees.

And so the party head out, following Amedila who knows the way.  Upon arriving at Yester Hill, the party see that the Standing Stones are in fact being used for some kind of Dark Ritual by humanoid Cultists.  Six Firbolg prisoners (some are children) are chained to the Standing Stones, sacrifices to make to Ven, the Blood Oak.   A large twisted copse of oak trees sit 80 feet away from the Standing stones, long terrifying roots begin to shift and move towards the sacrifices from the oak grove.  

The party moves to attack, sending forth mighty magic’s against the cultists.  Angered by the disruption, Ven the Blood Oak begins to move slowly forward from the grove, summoning evil twisted tree voidlings called Blights.  Lenny and Tund’r use powerful fire magic’s to burn all of them to death while Corvak, Vinkil & Jezi attack cultist and bezerkers.  Eventually the weird Voidspawn known as Ven the Blood Oak is slain, along with all the cultist (Except one!) and Blights.  

The session ends with the party rescuing the Firbolg prisoners (only half of the missing clans people) while Amedila realizes the cultist bear the tattoo mark of a willow tree and 3 stars, mark of Baba Lysaga, the Witch Mother of Willow Tree Swamp.

Session 4 – Slaying of Baba Lysaga and Bosskar

The game starts as the players return to the Firbolg village, speaking to Morrakar about the remaining missing firbolgs. Morrakar is distraught because he knows the only other place his kidnapped wife might be is in the clutches of the cultist leader, the ancient Hag Baba Lysaga, at the heart of the Willow Tree Swamp. Tund’r gives Crovakk the Flame Arc, who mentally battles the primordial spirit with in the Halberd. By pure forces of will and heroism, Crovakk manage to best the spirit and force it to take shape of a 2 handed sword. Jezi gives the vile giant Meat Cleaver to Bosskar, who becomes possessed by the voidspirit of bloodlust bound inside the blade. The party rest for the night at the village, and sometime during the night the dwarven cleric disappears but leaves behind the magical folding boat.

The next morning, Bosskar looking strange and is overly aggressive toward Kriv, summons the party to Morrakar who says that Bosskar will lead them to the lair of Baba Lysaga. But after the new party member, Astrael, begins to fling insults, Bosskar leaves insulted. The party begin their journey through the Greatwood Forest, guided by Kriv the dragonborn ranger. All goes well the first day, and the second day the party encounter the Ancient Giant Swamp Turtle known as Vorthiem. This very old Fey creature speaks of time before the coming of Count Strahd and how Baba Lysaga had lead the Count to contact the Dark Powers which hold the land in a curse. He agrees to lead the party through the swamp in return they will bring back the sun to Borvea.

After hours of riding on the back of Vorthiem, the party arrive at Baba Lysaga’s lair, a massive Cypress tree imbued with the spirit of a voidbeast with hanging cages full of firbolg hanging off of its branches. Inside the tree is the Hag herself, about to sacrifice a nude firbolg woman in some kind of Blood magic rite. The battle rages for several rounds as the party concentrate their firepower on the hag while avoiding hurting the prisoners.

Eventually the party is successful and slay both the Hag and her animated hut. But while rescuing Danna from the altar and the imprisoned Firbolgs, Kriv was attack from behind by a hidden Bosskar! The blow nearly slew Kriv, but with several well placed arrows, Bosskar was slain.

We end the session with Danna grieving her dead son while the remaining Firbolg’s attempt to comfort her. The party loot the lair –

Treasure – x4 tomes of witchcraft and Necromancy which are Baba Lysaga’s spell books, 4,666 sp, 1500 gp, a sack of various jewelry worth 10,000 gp, Goggles made of black iron with green lenses (magical unidentified), a large leather tome with silver gilded borders bearing an arcane symbol and is titled Tome of Angerynvost. A small humanoid skull with an arcane circle surrounding a moonstone in its brow (magical, unidentified), Black steel gauntlets with red enameled arcane runes across them (magical, unidentified)

Session 5 – The story folds

Party loots Baba Lysaga’s lair, find some magical tomes, coins and the Tome of Angyrnvost. Danna grieves for son Bosskar, tells party that she can reincarnate her son (she is a powerful Druid) but cannot until the magically cursed Meat Cleaver is destroyed and the pieces are returned to her. She suggests they converse with the Ancient Turtle Vorthiem to learn how to destroy the item.

Early morning party travels back to Vorthiem, converse with him, and perform the rituals needed to destroy the cursed weapon. Destroy the Rage Voidspirit trapped inside the magical item and destroy the item. The party gather the pieces and head back to the Firbolg village

Party are greeted coolly back to the village, word about Bosskar’s death have spread. The party has been informed they are to speak to the village oracle, Mayvis, after they return the pieces to Danna and Morrakar to perform the reincarnation ritual.

During their meeting the party learn that Count Strahd Zoravich was once a warlord during the time of madness who conquered the lands 1500 years ago. After conquering the land of Borvea, The Zoravich family constructed castle Ravenloft, during that time, Baba Lysaga convinced Count Strahd that great treasure and power laid in the Ruins of the Obsidian Temple, and the only thing between him and ultimate power was the Order of the Silver Dragon. The order was led by a Silver Dragon named Angyrnvost.
The Order and the dragon were destroyed by Count Strahd and he entered the Obsidian Temple. Later he came out, infused by the Dark Powers (a.k.a Void Spirits) and became a powerful Vampire Lord. With his new powers Count Strahd ruled Borvea with an iron fist.

He then discovered his wife and brother Sergei were having an affair. In his rage he slew both of them, but also cursed the land to allow none into its borders or out without his permission, including their souls. The land has been one of misery and anguish ever since.

Finally Mayvis explains to the party that the will need at least 3 powerful artifacts in hopes of slaying Count Strahd, driving back the Dark Powers and freeing Borvea from its curse.

The Sunsword once wielded by Sergei Zoravich, now hidden in the Ruins of Angerhiem, the once stronghold of the Order of the Silver Dragon, now lair to Angyrnvost the Death Dragon. The Sword will burn Count Strahd with righteous holy Fire.

Next is the Idol of Kes’thyn the Sun Forge. This icon of the Sun will negate the Vampire Lords abilities by banishing the Dark Powers from his form. Currently being held by Count Strahd’s necromantic lieutant Dr. Peter Barthos who resides at the Abby of Morkiva lording over the human village of Krezik.

Lastly was the Tome of Angyrnvost which holds to secrets to banishing the Dark Powers from the Obsidian Tower. The party already recovered this item from the Swamp Hag Baba Lysaga, but it is sealed with some kind of magical key. The location of the key is unknown.

Late into the night, early morning, the Village is attacked by Count Strahd leading an army of undead in retaliation for the slaying of Baba Lysaga. The party flee into the night as do the rest of the Firbolg clan.

After travelling through the forest, guided by Kriv, the party find the main road to the human village of Krezik, near Luna Lake. The party attempt to speak with the guards as darkness falls, but the Burgomaster of Krezik an obese man named Dmitri Krezkov. He is scared of Count Strahd and the attention the party will have and refuses to let them in. So the party go around him, and the session ends with the party about to assault the main gates of the Abby of Morkiva.

Session 6 – Killing the Golem Master

We begin this week’s session where last session left off, the party about to enter the outer gates of the Abbey of Morkiva. They quickly kill the 3 mongrel men in the watch towers, then move toward the inner gates of the one-time hospital, encountering a giant sized flesh Golem name Fleshy.

Fleshy was quickly dispatched, but inside the players found horrific failed attempts of making mongrel men imprisoned in cages, lining the walls of the inner court yard.

After some debate, Tund’r began to euthanize the pitiful but evil creatures, causing enough ruckus for Dr. Peter Barthos to notice and driving Lenny out of the group.

The Doctor used some mechanical void powered magics to summon a Bone Golem out of the graveyard in the back 40, and then used them to attack the party with various magics while his flesh Golem assistant, Nurse Nina, pounded at the party. Crovack managed to slay the doctor with a powerful strike, but the evil genius had a mechanical vial pierce his body with Void Juice and caused him to become a horrific Voidspawn. The combat lasted for many rounds, but eventually the party slew them and looted the lab and study above the lab, locating the Idol of Kes’thyn. They also rescued a beautiful Latino vampire hunter named Ezmerelda. Later Kriv went exploring in the north wing dubbed the “madhouse” filled with more mewling mongrel men.

But they also found Ezmerelda’s boyfriend, a half orc Barbarian named Buckethead. The village folk appeared, led by the Burgomaster Dmitri, but was quickly killed by Buckethead while Crovack slew the remaining mongrelmen. Eventually the party retired to the summoned tower and rested, and that’s where we ended the session.

Treasure – Idol of Kes’thyn, Potion of Superior healing, x2 spell books, 340 cp, 4199 sp, 1740 gp, 75 pp, small ring box with a large emerald (2,000 gp), M.W. fitting Mitheral Half-plate of the Silver Dragon, Twin Short Swords of the Silver Dragon +1